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Background137Cs in atmospheric aerosol is the product of past nuclear weapon tests and nuclear accidents. When 137Cs is released into the atmosphere, it will deposit in dry land and marine environment, causing pollution of soil surface, water, agricultural products, and animal byproducts, and affecting public health.ObjectiveTo identify the variation pattern of 137Cs activity concentration in aerosol and its correlation with dust concentration in Beijing area from 2017 to 2020.Methods A total of 958 aerosol samples were collected from November 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020 in Beijing with a high volume air sampler at a sampling flow rate about 600 m3·h−1 and a collection time for each sample about 24 h. The activity concentration of 137Cs in the aerosol samples was determined with a low-background high-purity germanium γ spectrometer. The dust concentration was calculated using the difference in the mass of the aerosol filter before and after sampling. The detection rate of 137Cs and dust concentration in different seasons were compared. Spearman rank correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between 137Cs activity concentration and dust concentration.Results From 2017 to 2020, the 137Cs activity concentrations of 33 from 958 aerosol samples in Beijing were above the minimum detectable activityconcentration, the overall detection rate of 137Cs was 3.4%, and the activity concentration ranged from 1.86 to 45.53 μBq·m−3, with a median value of 4.85 μBq·m−3. The detection rate of 137Cs was highest in spring, followed by autumn, and lowest in winter and summer (8.4%, 3.0%, 1.1%, and 0.5%, respectively). The dust concentration ranged from 0.03 to 1.55 mg·m−3, with an average value of 0.18 mg·m−3. There was a statistically significant difference in the dust concentrations in spring, summer, autumn, and winter (F=45.51, P

Abstract Background Superoxide dismutase (SOD) can greatly scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants. SOD activity is highly related to plant stress tolerance that can be improved by overexpression of SOD genes. Identification of SOD activity-related loci and potential candidate genes is essential for improvement of grain quality in wheat breeding. However, the loci and candidate genes for relating SOD in wheat grains are largely unknown. In the present study, grain SOD activities of 309 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the ‘Berkut’ × ‘Worrakatta’ cross were assayed by photoreduction method with nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT) in four environments. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) of SOD activity were identified using inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) with the genotypic data of 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Results Six QTL for SOD activity were mapped on chromosomes 1BL, 4DS, 5AL (2), and 5DL (2), respectively, explaining 2.2 ~ 7.4% of the phenotypic variances. Moreover, QSOD.xjau-1BL, QSOD.xjau-4DS, QSOD.xjau-5 A.1, QSOD.xjau-5 A.2, and QSOD.xjau-5DL.2 identified are likely to be new loci for SOD activity. Four candidate genes TraesCS4D01G059500, TraesCS5A01G371600, TraesCS5D01G299900, TraesCS5D01G343100LC, were identified for QSOD.xjau-4DS, QSOD.xjau-5AL.1, and QSOD.xjau-5DL.1 (2), respectively, including three SOD genes and a gene associated with SOD activity. Based on genetic effect analysis, this can be used to identify desirable alleles and excellent allele variations in wheat cultivars. Conclusion These candidate genes are annotated for promoting SOD production and inhibiting the accumulation of ROS during plant growth. Therefore, lines with high SOD activity identified in this study may be preferred for future wheat breeding.

With the world’s transformation to low-carbon energy, island microgrids are developing rapidly because they can save energy and reduce carbon. Island multi-energy microgrids include photovoltaics, a double-fed fan, a battery energy storage system, and AC and DC loads. However, microgrids with high proportions of renewable energy have problems such as large power supply fluctuations and poor power quality. Connection to an AC power grid interconnection will greatly affect their reliability and stability. Firstly, a cascaded neutral point clamped three-level converter (C-NPC) DC interconnection system scheme is proposed. Secondly, the Island C-NPC mathematical models are established, and the flexible multi-mode control of island C-NPCs is proposed. Subsequently, corresponding additional control strategies for DC voltage sharing and AC current sharing among C-NPC modules are designed for the island multienergy microgrid to achieve reliable power supply. Finally, taking an island interconnection project on the east coast of China as a research object, a typical system operation test was performed to verify the good operational characteristics of the system. This research can promote the utilization of clean energy in island regional power grids, achieve carbon reduction, and promote global carbon neutrality.

Uranium metal and alloys can be easily oxidized by the O-containing species such as O2 and H2O, etc. in atmosphere. Furthermore, the existence of H2 may also accelerates the oxidation of uranium metal. To prevent the corrosion of these materials, many techniques, such as alloying, coating, surface recrystallization, surface modification, etc. were developed to prevent this material from oxidation. In the surface modification processes, such as ion implantation, plasma nitriding and pulsed laser nitriding, UNx(U2N3+x or UN) layers are always formed on the metal surfaces to prevent the contact of the metal surfaces with the surrounding atmospheres. Thus the compatibilities of the as-prepared UNx layers with the surrounding atmospheres, especially O2, H2O and H2 molecules there, can play important role on the corrosion resistance of the modified layers, and thus are important topics in the nuclear industry. Here the compatibilities of UNx with O2, H2O and H2 molecules are reviewed, respectively. From the previous results, it seems that the as-prepared UNx, neither U2N3+x nor UN layers can directly prevent the diffusion of O2 into the solid phase. Instead, the surface of the modified layers can be easily oxidized to form UO2 or UO2Nx layers. For a UNx layer in which x is smaller than 1, it can be oxidized to a final product of UO2. However, under environmental temperature, for a layer in which x is no less than 1, only a thin layer(about several tens of nm) of UO2 can be formed on the layer surface. Moreover, a gradient layer in which the O content gradually decreases while the N content gradually increases from the surface to the deeper layer may effectively prevent the continuous diffusion of O into the substrate, and thus the modified layer presents excellent anticorrosion property against O2. However, the modified layers can not effectively prevent the diffusion of O2 under high temperature. For the hydrolysis process, the surface UO2 layers may restrain the hydrolysis of UNx under environmental temperature. However, the hydrolysis process of UNx can be effectively accelerated under high temperature, and the gaseous products during hydrolysis vary greatly with temperature and more research are needed on this topic. A very interesting phenomena during both the oxidation and hydrolysis processes is that N-rich layers can be always found under the oxide layers after oxidation or hydrolysis, and more research is needed to uncover the mechanism of this phenomena. For the compatibility of UNx with H2, it’s concluded that H2 has little effect on the layers. However, When there are defects in the layers, H2 can easily diffuses to the interface of the modified layers and the substrates and destroy the integrity of the layers. Thus, the uniformity and integrality of the modified layers are very important for the long-term storage of uranium metal.

Abstract Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) during the menopausal transition results in reproductive endocrine disorders and both physiological and pathological changes, substantially impacting women’s health. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing AUB in perimenopausal women. Between April 2021 and June 2022, 120 perimenopausal women with AUB in the menopausal transition, diagnosed and treated at the Gynaecology Department of Kunming Tongren Hospital, were included in the case group. Concurrently, women undergoing routine health examinations at the same hospital were randomly selected as the control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors related to AUB. The univariate analysis revealed significant associations (P

ABSTRACT Two different sarbecoviruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2, have caused serious challenges to public health. Certain sarbecoviruses utilize angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as their cellular receptor, whereas some do not, speculatively due to the two deletions in their receptor-binding domain (RBD). However, it remains unclear whether sarbecoviruses with one deletion in the RBD can still bind to ACE2. Here, we showed that two phylogenetically related sarbecoviruses with one deletion, BtKY72 and BM48-31, displayed a different ACE2-usage range. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of BtKY72 RBD bound to bat ACE2 identified a key residue important for the interaction between RBD and ACE2. In addition, we demonstrated that the mutations involving four types of core residues enabled the sarbecoviruses with deletion(s) to bind to human ACE2 (hACE2) and broadened the ACE2 usage of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings help predict the potential hACE2-binding ability to emerge sarbecoviruses and develop pan-sarbecovirus therapeutic agents.IMPORTANCEMany sarbecoviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), possess the ability to bind to receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through their receptor-binding domain (RBD). However, certain sarbecoviruses with deletion(s) in the RBD lack this capability. In this study, we investigated two closely related short-deletion sarbecoviruses, BtKY72 and BM48-31, and revealed that BtKY72 exhibited a broader ACE2-binding spectrum compared to BM48-31. Structural analysis of the BtKY72 RBD-bat ACE2 complex identifies a critical residue at position 493 contributing to these differences. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the mutations involving four core residues in the RBD enabled the sarbecoviruses with deletion(s) to bind to human ACE2 and expanded the ACE2 usage spectra of SARS-CoV-2. These findings offer crucial insights for accurately predicting the potential threat of newly emerging sarbecoviruses to human health.

In this study, it was compared the physicochemical properties and cooking taste quality between four different types of compound nutritional rice (rice flour with the addition of other coarse grains, legumes, potatoes, and other powders, extruded as artificial rice grains) and common rice. We found that the protein and apparent amylose contents of compound nutritional rice were higher than that of common rice, up to 9.775% and 19.45% respectively. The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and resistant starch contents were much lower than in common rice, and the dietary fiber content did not differ from that in common rice. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the starch properties and structure of the compound nutritional rice changed due to high temperature and high pressure processing. In particular, the crystalline structures of starch became V-shaped. In addition, the results of artificial tasting and tasting meter showed that the taste of compound nutritional rice was generally inferior to that of common rice. In summary, compound nutritional rice had problems such as nutritional imbalance and poor taste. There was still a lot of room for improving the taste quality of compound nutritional rice. Therefore, the future development of compound nutritional rice should focus on both nutritional balance and taste improvement. The results of this paper also provided a certain theoretical basis for this.

Abstract Background The symptoms of functional constipation (FC) were obviously affected by mental symptoms, which was consistent with somatic symptoms. However, the characteristics of FC patients with somatic symptom remains unexplored. Methods Clinical characteristics including somatic symptom (SOM, PHQ-15), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), quality of life (PAC-QOL), constipation (KESS), demographic variables, anatomical abnormalities and symptoms were investigated. Subsequent analyses encompassed the comparison of clinical parameters between patients with SOM + group (PHQ-15 ≥ 10) and SOM- group (PHQ-15

The evaluation and prediction of ecological benefits are significant for regional resource development planning and path designing. This study established a novel ecological benefits evaluation system by integrating macro-ecosystem structure, Ecosystem service index (ESI), and ecological quality index (EQI). Based on this system, this study evaluated the spatiotemporal characteristics and changing trend of ecological benefits in Song-Liao River Basin (SRB) from 1990 to 2020. The results show that the macro-ecosystem structure in Song-Liao River Basin remains stable, and the ecosystem service and ecological quality generally show a trend of first decline and then increase. The average growth rates of ESI and EQI were 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively, during 1990–2020. The ecological benefits of natural areas with widely distributed forest areas are higher, while those of areas with frequent human activities are lower. The prediction model based on machine learning has achieved good modeling effect, which shows that the ecological benefits of SRB will be on the rise in the future. Based on the evaluation results, we suggest that more environmental protection policies on the basis of maintaining the existing development plan should be promoted to reduce the contradiction between human and nature in the development process. For the abundant natural forests in this area, reasonable forest management should be carried out to improve the carbon-fixation capacity of vegetation, and a Methodology for managing natural forests should be constructed to make full use of the existing carbon sinks. For the new afforestation project being promoted, carbon-sink afforestation projects of CCER (Chinese Certified Emission Reduction) should be promoted to realize the synergy between economic development and environmental protection.

Rapidly obtaining the chlorophyll content of crop leaves is of great significance for timely diagnosis of crop health and effective field management. Multispectral imagery obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is being used to remotely sense the SPAD (Soil and Plant Analyzer Development) values of wheat crops. However, existing research has not yet fully considered the impact of different growth stages and crop populations on the accuracy of SPAD estimation. In this study, 300 materials from winter wheat natural populations in Xinjiang, collected between 2020 to 2022, were analyzed. UAV multispectral images were obtained in the experimental area, and vegetation indices were extracted to analyze the correlation between the selected vegetation indices and SPAD values. The input variables for the model were screened, and a support vector machine (SVM) model was constructed to estimate SPAD values during the heading, flowering, and filling stages under different water stresses. The aim was to provide a method for the rapid acquisition of winter wheat SPAD values. The results showed that the SPAD values under normal irrigation were higher than those under water restriction. Multiple vegetation indices were significantly correlated with SPAD values. In the prediction model construction of SPAD, the different models had high estimation accuracy under both normal irrigation and water limitation treatments, with correlation coefficients of predicted and measured values under normal irrigation in different environments the value of r from 0.59 to 0.81 and RMSE from 2.15 to 11.64, compared to RE from 0.10% to 1.00%; and under drought stress in different environments, correlation coefficients of predicted and measured values of r was 0.69–0.79, RMSE was 2.30–12.94, and RE was 0.10%–1.30%. This study demonstrated that the optimal combination of feature selection methods and machine learning algorithms can lead to a more accurate estimation of winter wheat SPAD values. In summary, the SVM model based on UAV multispectral images can rapidly and accurately estimate winter wheat SPAD value.

Since the first Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the gap for technical talent began to widen, and the concept of large-scale technical and vocational education and training (TVET) began to be advocated [...]

The consumption of high-quality rice is increasing. Low temperatures during grain filling may affect the starch synthesis of high-quality rice and thus affect the quality of the rice itself. In this study, two high-quality conventional rice cultivars and two high-quality hybrid rice cultivars were selected and sown at a low temperature and normal temperature in the field. The low temperature during grain filling increased the amylose content, final viscosity, setback, short amylopectin chain ratio, and degree of amylopectin branching in four high-quality rice cultivars; meanwhile, the amylopectin content, gelatinization temperature, proportion of medium-long chain amylopectin, and the short-range order of starch decreased. Compared with the normal temperature, the alterations in the physicochemical and structural qualities of high-quality conventional rice cultivars YZX and NX42 were less significant at lower temperatures. The starch quality of high-quality conventional rice was more stable than hybrid high-quality rice.

The clay mineral content of Daqing Gulong shale is in the range of about 35%–45%, with particle sizes less than 0.0039 mm. The horizontal fluidity of oil in Gulong shale is poor, with near-zero vertical flowability. As a result, Gulong shale has been considered to lack commercial value. In recent years, however, interdisciplinary research in geoscience, percolation mechanics, thermodynamics, and surface mechanics has demonstrated that Gulong shale oil has a high degree of maturity and a high residual hydrocarbon content. The expulsion efficiency of Gulong shale in the high mature stage is 32%–48%. Favorable storage spaces in Gulong shale include connecting pores and lamellar fractures developed between and within organic matter and clay mineral complexes. The shale oil mainly occurs in micro- and nano-pores, bedding fractures, and lamellar fractures, with a high gas–oil ratio and medium–high movable oil saturation. Gulong shale has the characteristics of high hardness, a high elastic modulus, and high fracture toughness. This study achieves breakthroughs in the exploration and development of Gulong shale, including the theories of hydrocarbon generation and accumulation, the technologies of mobility and fracturing, and recoverability. It confirms the major transition of Gulong shale from oil generation to oil production, which has extremely significant scientific value and application potential for China’s petroleum industry.

Abstract Background Better predictors of patients with stage II/III gastric cancer (GC) most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy are urgently needed. This study aimed to assess the ability of CDX2 and mucin markers to predict prognosis and fluorouracil‐based adjuvant chemotherapy benefits. Methods CDX2 and mucin protein expressions were examined by immunohistochemistry and compared with survival and adjuvant chemotherapy benefits in a prospective evaluation cohort of 782 stage II/III GC patients. Then, the main findings were validated in an independent validation cohort (n = 386) and an external mRNA sequencing dataset (ACRG cohort, n = 193). Results In the evaluation cohort, CDX2, CD10, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6 expressions were observed in 59.7%, 26.7%, 27.6%, 55.1%, and 57.7% of patients, respectively. However, only the expression of CDX2 was found to be associated with adjuvant chemotherapy benefits. Most importantly, CDX2‐negative patients had a poorer prognosis when treated with surgery only, while the prognosis of CDX2‐negative and CDX2‐positive patients was similar when receiving postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Further analysis revealed that patients with CDX2 negative tumors benefited from chemotherapy (5‐year overall survival rates: 60.0% with chemotherapy vs. 23.2% with surgery‐only, p

Abstract Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variants, such as BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5, emerge one after another. BA.5 has become the dominant strain worldwide. Additionally, BA.2.75 is significantly increasing in some countries. Exploring their receptor binding and interspecies transmission risk is urgently needed. Herein, we examine the binding capacities of human and other 28 animal ACE2 orthologs covering nine orders towards S proteins of these sub-variants. The binding affinities between hACE2 and these sub-variants remain in the range as that of previous variants of concerns (VOCs) or interests (VOIs). Notably, R493Q reverse mutation enhances the bindings towards ACE2s from humans and many animals closely related to human life, suggesting an increased risk of cross-species transmission. Structures of S/hACE2 or RBD/hACE2 complexes for these sub-variants and BA.2 S binding to ACE2 of mouse, rat or golden hamster are determined to reveal the molecular basis for receptor binding and broader interspecies recognition.

The palm family (Arecaceae), consisting of ∼ 2600 species, is the third most economically important family of plants. The African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is one of the most important palms. However, the genome sequences of palms that are currently available are still limited and fragmented. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of an oil palm, Dura, assembled by integrating long reads with ∼ 150× genome coverage. The assembled genome was 1.7 Gb in size, covering 94.5% of the estimated genome, of which 91.6% was assigned into 16 pseudochromosomes and 73.7% was repetitive sequences. Relying on the conserved synteny with oil palm, the existing draft genome sequences of both date palm and coconut were further assembled into chromosomal level. Transposon burst, particularly long terminal repeat retrotransposons, following the last whole-genome duplication, likely explains the genome size variation across palms. Sequence analysis of the VIRESCENS gene in palms suggests that DNA variations in this gene are related to fruit colors. Recent duplications of highly tandemly repeated pathogenesis-related proteins from the same tandem arrays play an important role in defense responses to Ganoderma. Whole-genome resequencing of both ancestral African and introduced oil palms in Southeast Asia reveals that genes under putative selection are notably associated with stress responses, suggesting adaptation to stresses in the new habitat. The genomic resources and insights gained in this study could be exploited for accelerating genetic improvement and understanding the evolution of palms.

Based on the typical dissection of various onshore tight oil fields in China, the tight oil migration and accumulation mechanism and enrichment-controlling factors in continental lake basins are analyzed through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) displacement physical simulation and Lattice Boltzmann numerical simulation by using the samples of source rock, reservoir rock and crude oil. In continental lake basins, the dynamic forces driving hydrocarbon generation and expulsion of high-quality source rocks are the foundational power that determines the charging efficiency and accumulation effect of tight oil, the oil migration resistance is a key element that influences the charging efficiency and accumulation effect of tight oil, and the coupling of charging force with pore-throat resistance in tight reservoir controls the tight oil accumulation and sweet spot enrichment. The degree of tight oil enrichment in continental lake basins is controlled by four factors: source rock, reservoir pore-throat size, anisotropy of reservoir structure, and fractures. The high-quality source rocks control the near-source distribution of tight oil, reservoir physical properties and pore-throat size are positively correlated with the degree of tight oil enrichment, the anisotropy of reservoir structure reveals that the parallel migration rate is the highest, and intralayer fractures can improve the migration and accumulation efficiency and the oil saturation.

The development and deployment of diverse resistance sources in novel wheat cultivars underpin the durable control of stripe rust. The objectives of this study were to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with stripe rust resistance in the Chinese wheat breeding line YN1813 and to provide wheat breeders with original genes with potentially durable resistance. A total of 306 F7:8 recombinant inbred lines (RIL), derived from a cross between YN1813 (infection type 0–3 and disease severity 1–36%) and the moderately susceptible landrace Chinese Spring (IT 7–9 and DS 41–65%), were assessed for stripe rust disease severity in the field at Qingshui in Gansu and Pixian in Sichuan in 2020 and 2021 following inoculation with a mixture of the currently predominant Pst races. The parents and RIL were genotyped using the Wheat 55K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. The total length of the constructed genetic linkage map was 3896.30 cm, with an average interval of 1.30 cm between adjacent markers. Two major QTL were identified on chromosome 7B and 7D across all tested environments. QYr.hau-7B was mapped to a 2.26 cm interval between the SNP markers AX-110908486–AX-89658728–AX-109489314 on chromosome 7B, explaining 0.9% to 16.9% of the phenotypic variation. QYr.hau-7D was positioned in a 0.67 cm interval flanked by the SNP markers AX-111654594 and AX-89378255, explaining 0.4% to 21.4% of the phenotypic variation. The QTL on 7D likely correspond to the previously known gene Yr18, whereas QYr.hau-7B was presumed to be a novel gene adjacent to YrZH84 or the core part of YrZH84. SNP markers closely linked with QYr.hau-7B were converted to allele-specific quantitative PCR-based genotyping assay (AQP) markers and validated in a panel of 712 wheat accessions. The group possessing a positive allele (TT) of AQP_AX-89658728 significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the IT by 45.8% and the DS by 63.2%. QYr.hau-7B and its markers could be useful in breeding programs to improve the level and durability of stripe rust resistance.

Subpixel object detection presents a significant challenge within the domain of hyperspectral image (HSI) processing, primarily due to the inherently limited spatial resolution of imaging spectrometers. For subpixel object detection, the dimensional extent of the object of interest is smaller than an individual pixel, which significantly diminishes the utility of spatial information pertaining to the object. Therefore, the efficacy of detection algorithms depends heavily on the spectral data inherent in the image. The detection of subpixel objects in hyperspectral imagery primarily relies on the suppression of the background and the enhancement of the object of interest. Hence, acquiring accurate background information from HSI images is a crucial step. In this study, an adaptive background endmember extraction for hyperspectral subpixel object detection is proposed. An adaptive scale constraint is incorporated into the background spectral endmember learning process to improve the adaptability of background endmember extraction, thus further enhancing the algorithm’s generalizability and applicability in diverse analytical scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the adaptive endmember extraction-based subpixel object detection algorithm consistently outperforms existing state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of detection efficacy on both simulated and real-world datasets.

The molecular differences between the two major gastric cancer subtypes diffuse-type gastric cancer (DGC) and intestinaltype gastric cancer (IGC) remain to be investigated. Here, integrated analysis of proteome, phospho-proteome and transcription factor activity for DGC and IGC reveals potential subtypes.

Taking lake basin shales of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin, NW China and the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin, NE China as research objects, the characteristics and origins of different types of silica in the shales have been studied by means of core observation, thin section identification, cathodoluminescence, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron probe and rock pyrolysis. The results shows that the origins of silica include felsic mineral dissolution, tuffite devitrification, clay mineral transformation and siliceous mineral metasomatism. The silica formed by feldspar dissolution commonly appears as spots and veins, with low degree of crystallization, and is largely aqueous opal mineral, with an average SiO2 content of 67.2%. Silica formed by devitrification of tuffite mainly occurs in two forms, amorphous silica and authigenic quartz with better crystal shape. The authigenic silica formed during the transformation of clay minerals is embedded in the clay minerals in the form of micron-scale plates and small flakes, or mixed with clay minerals in a dispersed state. The authigenic quartz formed by siliceous mineral metasomatism is in better angular crystal shape, and has an average SiO2 content of 87%. The authigenic siliceous mineral content is positively correlated with the content of terrigenous felsic minerals. The pressure solution of felsic minerals is the main source of authigenic siliceous minerals, followed by the transformation of clay minerals, and the organic matter has some boost on the formation of authigenic silica. The authigenic siliceous materials of different origins have different geological characteristics and occurrence states from terrigenous quartz, which would affect the storage performance, seepage capacity and fracturing effect of continental shale. Although the organic-rich shale has high silica content, different from terrigenous quartz, authigenic silica in this kind of shale mostly floats and disperse in clay minerals, which would have negative effect on the formation of complex fractures in fracturing, fracture support ability after fracturing, and formation of effective seepage channels. Calculating the brittleness index of shale intervals only based on the composition of brittle minerals cannot accurately characterize mechanical characteristics of continental shale oil reservoirs, and would affect comprehensive evaluation and selection of continental shale oil “sweet spots”.

The purpose of this research is in-depth understanding of the internal causes of exergy destruction in various parts of the system and to identify potential improvements for the components. The focus is on a combined cycle power generation system that utilizes the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and direct expansion cycle (DEC). To investigate the primary sources of exergy destruction in each component, advanced exergy analysis (AEA) is utilized. The result demonstrates that the net out power of the proposed system can reach 106.64 kW with energy efficiency of 11.22%, and exergy efficiency of 21.40%. The heat exchanger is identified as the primary contributor to exergy destruction, constituting 81.70% of the total ratio. Specifically, the condenser exhibits the highest exergy destruction ratio at 59.82%, indicating a need for prioritized optimization efforts. The findings of AEA reveal that the primary source of component irreversibility stems from the endogenous part. This shows that, while most exergy destruction is unavoidable, there remains room for system improvement. Regarding the turbine, its exergy destruction is primarily attributed to inefficiencies, leading to irreversibility. Nevertheless, there is exergy destruction that may be avoidable and can be reduced by 25.93 kW, which is 2.5 times greater than that of the heat exchanger. This finding underscores the high potential for improvement in ORC and DEC turbines, making them a priority for optimization efforts.

With the comparable sedimentary organic phase, the relative abundance of rearranged hopanes can be correlated to maturity degree. By the approach of artificial maturation experiments of low-maturity (Ro=0.58%) and organic-rich (TOC=3.87%) mud shale collected from the Ordos Basin, 17α(H)-diahopanes in expelled and retained oils were examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The thermal evolution characteristics of parameters related to 17α(H)-diahopane were discussed, and the maturity range of these parameters as maturity indicators was proposed, combined with the random mean vitrinite reflectance (Ro) of maturated rock samples of each step of pyrolysis. Results show that the parameters of C29*/(C29*+C29H) and C30*/(C30*+C30H) have similar three-stage variations. As experimental temperature increased, the values of the two parameters decreased firstly, then increased and finally decreased again, indicating that they may be good indicators for oil-source correlation. Before 325 ℃, i.e. Ro < 1.01%, both parameters showed insignificant changes. However, they both showed an obvious upward trend with increasing temperature from 325 to 385 ℃, indicating that they were valid indicators for maturity from the moderate to the early stages of high maturity (i.e. 1.01% < Ro < 1.48%).

Abstract Distant metastasis is the primary cause of breast cancer-associated death. The existing information, such as the precise molecular mechanisms and effective therapeutic strategies targeting metastasis, is insufficient to combat breast cancer. This study demonstrates that the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN18 is downregulated in metastatic breast cancer tissues and is associated with better metastasis-free survival. Ectopic expression of PTPN18 inhibits breast cancer cell metastasis. PTPN18 is translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus by MVP and importin β2 in breast cancer. Then, nuclear PTPN18 dephosphorylates ETS1 and promotes its degradation. Moreover, nuclear PTPN18 but not cytoplasmic PTPN18 suppresses transforming growth factor-β signaling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by targeting ETS1. Our data highlight PTPN18 as a suppressor of breast cancer metastasis and provide an effective antimetastatic therapeutic strategy.

The speed of high-speed permanent magnet motor has always been restricted by the strength of the rotor. Therefore, this paper proposes a type of magnetic composite rotor suitable for high-speed permanent magnet motors, which can fundamentally solve the problem that it is easy to cause damage for permanent magnets in high speed. In this paper, a combination of theoretical calculation, numerical simulation and experimental verification are used for the magnetic composite material. Based on the theoretical model of the composite micromechanics rule of mixture method, the mechanical properties of the three-phase magnetic composite material are successively deduced. The calculation model of magnetic composite material was compared by using the finite element method and the analytical method, the experimental result was used to verify the correctness of the calculation results. Finally, the influence of carbon fiber thickness and magnetic powder content on the mechanical properties of the material was studied.

Abstract The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 carries multiple unusual mutations, particularly in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein. Moreover, host-adapting mutations, such as residues 493, 498, and 501, were also observed in the Omicron RBD, which indicates that it is necessary to evaluate the interspecies transmission risk of the Omicron variant. Herein, we evaluated the interspecies recognition of the Omicron BA.1 and Delta RBDs by 27 ACE2 orthologs, including humans. We found that Omicron BA.1 expanded its receptor binding spectra to palm-civet, rodents, more bats (least horseshoe bat and greater horseshoe bat) and lesser hedgehog tenrec. Additionally, we determined the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the Omicron BA.1 S protein complexed with mouse ACE2 (mACE2) and the crystal structure of Omicron RBD complexed with palm-civet ACE2 (cvACE2). Several key residues for the host range have been identified. These results suggest that surveillance should be enhanced on the Omicron variant for its broader-species receptor binding to prevent spillover and expansion of reservoir hosts for a prolonged pandemic.

Abstract Accurate estimates of aerosol refractive index (RI) are critical for modeling aerosol‐radiation interaction, yet this information is limited for ambient organic aerosols, leading to large uncertainties in estimating aerosol radiative effects. We present a semi‐empirical model that predicts the real RI n of organic aerosol material from its widely measured oxygen‐to‐carbon (O:C) and hydrogen‐to‐carbon (H:C) elemental ratios. The model was based on the theoretical framework of Lorenz‐Lorentz equation and trained with n‐values at 589 nm (n589nm) of 160 pure compounds. The predictions can be expanded to predict n‐values in a wide spectrum between 300 and 1,200 nm. The model was validated with newly measured and literature datasets of n‐values for laboratory secondary organic aerosol (SOA) materials. Uncertainties of n589nm predictions for all SOA samples are within ±5%. The model suggests that n589nm‐values of organic aerosols may vary within a relatively small range for typical O:C and H:C values observed in the atmosphere.

Changes in fire ecology during warm and cold periods in the geological past are important because of their effects on terrestrial ecosystems and the global carbon cycle. We examined the charcoal concentrations of the Erden Obo section in Inner Mongolia to reconstruct the evolution of wildfire and their relationship to the regional vegetation from the Late Paleocene through Early Oligocene. Our data show that fire frequency were relatively high from the end of the Paleocene to the beginning of the Eocene, in accord with other paleofire records worldwide. However, low fire frequency occurred during the Early Eocene Climate Optimum (EECO), coincident with the change in the regional vegetation from shrubland to forest due to the strengthening of the regional rainfall, and we suggest that the humid climate may have been responsible for this decrease. High frequency fire occurred after the Middle Eocene, near-synchronously with the transition of the regional vegetation from forest to steppe. The high-frequency fire was most likely triggered by regional drought during the aridification process after the Middle Eocene. We propose that these temporal changes in the fire ecology were consistent within the northern temperate zone from the Late Paleocene through Early Oligocene, and we suggest that studies of global wildfires need to be evaluated within the context of paleovegetation zones and ecosystem evolution.

Based on the comparison of basic geological conditions and enrichment characteristics of shale oil plays, the heterogeneity of source and reservoir conditions and differential enrichment of medium-high maturity continental shale oil plays in China have been confirmed. (1) Compared with the homogeneous geological settings and wide distribution of marine shale oil strata in North America, the continental medium and high maturity shale oil plays in China are significantly different in geological conditions generally; continental multi-cyclic tectonic evolution forms multiple types of lake basins in multi-stages, providing sites for large-scale development of continental shale oil, and giving rise to large scale high-quality source rocks, multiple types of reservoirs, and diverse source-reservoir combinations with significant heterogeneity. (2) The differences in sedimentary water environments lead to the heterogeneity in lithology, lithofacies, and organic material types of source rocks; the differences in material source supply and sedimentary facies belt result in reservoirs of different lithologies, including argillaceous and transition rocks, and tight siltstone, and complex source-reservoir combination types. (3) The heterogeneity of the source rock controls the differentiation of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion, the diverse reservoir types make reservoir performance different and the source-reservoir configurations complex, and these two factors ultimately make the shale oil enrichment patterns different. Among them, the hydrocarbon generation and expulsion capacity of high-quality source rocks affect the degree of shale oil enrichment. Freshwater hydrocarbon source rocks with TOC larger than 2.5% and saline hydrocarbon source rocks with TOC of 2% to 10% have a high content of retained hydrocarbons and are favorable. (4) High-abundance organic shale is the basis for the enrichment of shale oil inside the source. In addition to being retained in shale, liquid hydrocarbons migrate along laminae, diagenetic fractures, and thin sandy layers, and then accumulate in laminae of argillaceous siltstone, siltstone, and argillaceous dolomite, and dolomitic siltstone suites, etc. with low organic matter abundance in the shale strata, resulting in differences in enrichment pattern.

The Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu sag of the Junggar Basin was primarily composed of detritus, pyroclastic material, carbonates, and evaporites. In order to establish the diagenesis pathways of the Fengcheng Formation, some methods of polarized light microscope, SEM, CL, EPMA, LR, and fluid inclusion analysis were applied to discuss the diagenesis process. The results showed the following: (a) The formation of an alkaline lake was the result of the influence of a high concentration of sodium-rich sources, and it led to the preservation of alkaline minerals in the stratum. (b) After the sediments were buried, three mineral assemblages were formed in the Fengcheng Formation, which are carbonate mineral assemblages (i.e., calcite + ferreous dolomite), reedmergnerite and carbonate mineral assemblages (i.e., reedmergnerite + calcite + ferreous dolomite), and reedmergnerite and alkaline mineral assemblages (i.e., reedmergnerite + shortite + trona), respectively. (c) According to the homogenization temperature of reedmergnerite primary fluid inclusions, the alkaline diagenesis of Fengcheng Formation was divided into an early stage (≤100 °C) and a middle stage (>100 °C), respectively. The earlier stage is marked by the formation of ferrous saddle dolomite, quartz dissolution, and the agglutination of laumontite. These processes occurred under normal burial conditions. The latter is marked by the reedmergnerite’s appearance, which is correlated with the deep hydrothermal activity controlled by faults. (d) Based on sedimentary and diagenetic factors, including climate, provenance, diagenetic surroundings, and the action of subsurface fluid, the alkaline deposition-diagenesis model for shale series in four stages of the Fengcheng Formation was established.

For the massive quantities and negative impacts of dredged mud slurry, its disposal and utilization have become one of the most noticeable issues in the world. In this paper, the flocculation-solidification-high pressure filtration combined method is proposed to effectively dispose of marine mud slurries. The advantages of this method are demonstrated herein in the following three aspects: dewatering performance, material savings, and the shear strength of the treated marine mud slurry. Then, the effects of the anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) dose, composite solidification agent dose, initial water content of marine mud slurries, and initial thickness of geo-bags on the mechanical properties of the marine mud slurry treated by the flocculation-solidification-high pressure filtration combined method are studied. Experimental results show that with increasing doses of APAM, the structures of mud slurries become more stable, and the optimal dose of APAM is determined as 0.16%. Moreover, the increase in the composite solidification agent dose and initial water content of the marine mud slurry, and the decrease in the initial thickness of geo-bags both contribute to the increase in the shear strength of the marine mud slurry treated by the flocculation-solidification-high pressure filtration combined method.

A pressure filtration–flocculation–solidification combined treatment possesses great potential for the reutilization of the waste mud slurry generated from diverse construction projects as filling material due to its versatility and high efficiency. However, very limited existing studies have focused on the factors affecting pressure filtration’s efficiency. In this paper, a calculation model for compression filtration is established based on laboratory pressure filtration model tests and one-dimensional large-strain consolidation theory. The influence of various parameters on pressure filtration’s efficiency is analyzed, and favorable values for these parameters are recommended. The results show that an increased initial mud cake thickness significantly increases the dewatering time and reduces the treatment’s efficiency. A lower dewatering time and higher efficiency can be achieved by increasing the filtration pressure, but the efficiency improvements become limited after reaching the critical pressure threshold. For the mud slurry used in this study, the optimal values for the initial mud slurry bag thickness, filtration pressure, and dewatering time are 240 mm, 1.0 MPa, and 30 min, respectively, yielding a final mud cake water content of 58.7% after filtration.

The fluid evolution and reservoir formation model of the ultra-deep gas reservoirs in the Permian Qixia Formation of the northwestern Sichuan Basin are investigated by using thin section, cathodoluminescence, inclusion temperature and U-Pb isotopic dating, combined with gas source identification plates and reservoir formation evolution profiles established based on burial history, thermal history, reservoir formation history and diagenetic evolution sequence. The fluid evolution of the marine ultra-deep gas reservoirs in the Qixia Formation has undergone two stages of dolomitization and one phase of hydrothermal action, two stages of oil and gas charging and two stages of associated burial dissolution. The diagenetic fluids include ancient seawater, atmospheric freshwater, deep hydrothermal fluid and hydrocarbon fluids. The two stages of hydrocarbon charging happened in the Late Triassic and Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous respectively, and the Middle to Late Cretaceous is the period when the crude oil cracked massively into gas. The gas reservoirs in deep marine Permian strata of northwest Sichuan feature multiple source rocks, composite transportation, differential accumulation and late finalization. The natural gas in the Permian is mainly cracked gas from Permian marine mixed hydrocarbon source rocks, with cracked gas from crude oil in the deeper Sinian strata in local parts. The scale development of paleo-hydrocarbon reservoirs and the stable and good preservation conditions are the keys to the forming large-scale gas reservoirs.

A decomposition-coordination optimization method termed as analytical target cascading-based exterior penalty function (ATC-EPF) is proposed to investigate the reliability allocation aiming at the low computational efficiency for large complex systems. Firstly, the optimization model is established via ATC-EPF, which is decomposed into the models of subsystems. Then the subsystems are calculated in parallel, which reduces the computational cost greatly in the condition of keeping the computational accuracy. The results are fine which are verified by two study cases including one numerical case and one engineering case. This research is of great significance to large-scale system planning and design.

Artiodactyls diversified during the Eocene and Oligocene in North America and Europe after their first Holarctic appearance at the beginning of the Eocene. However, the relationships among early artiodactyls, European endemic forms, and later derived suiforms, tylopods, and ruminants remain unclear. Early artiodactyls are relatively rare in Asia compared to those known from North America and Europe; thus, investigation of Eocene artiodactyls from Asia is important to resolve these issues. Here we report two new genera and three new species of small early artiodactyls from middle Eocene deposits of the Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. The new materials represent a morphologically gradational series from Asian Land Mammal Ages Irdinmanhan to Sharamurunian, characterized by a trend towards bilophodonty in the lower molars. Morphologic and phylogenetic analyses suggest that these new taxa have a close relationship with the enigmatic European Tapirulus, which currently consists of five species that range from the middle Eocene to the early Oligocene. The close relationship between the Erlian specimens and Tapirulus suggests possible faunal exchanges between Europe and Asia during the middle Eocene, a view that has been supported by other mammalian groups across the two continents. The evolution of bilophodonty in Tapirulidae and Raoellidae is probably attributable to convergence.

Records of Paleogene arctoids are scarce in Asia, but there are abundant records in Europe and North America. In this study, we report a new arctoid taxon, Lonchocyon qiui gen. et sp. nov., from the late Eocene Baron Sog Formation of the Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. This is the first report of a relatively complete, large arctoid taxon from the Erlian Basin. The new taxon is characterized by its overall large size; a deep mandible with a marginal process and a rudimentary premasseteric fossa; and much-reduced premolars, including p4, sectorial carnassial m1 with basined talonid, and unreduced m2-3. Lonchocyon exhibits a combination of morphologies present in both amphicyonids and the early ursid hemicyonines. The mandibular force profiles suggest that Lonchocyon could have delivered powerful canine bites while subduing prey, like large felids do today, and it may have occupied a specialized ecological niche as a predator consuming both soft flesh and hard objects.

For a hundred years the Saint Jacques area has been known to produce rich Oligocene vertebrate fossils, yet only a handful of previous studies have focused on this area. Since 2010, we have conducted 12 field expeditions to Saint Jacques, and here we report findings from our paleontological excavations and stratigraphical investigations. Twenty-two fossiliferous blocks across the area are recognized and a chronostratigraphic framework has been established to aid fossil collection. Fossil-mammal materials have been recovered in situ from 1635 localities and additionally from surface sediments. Fossiliferous blocks in the area are correlated by lithological similarity and lateral tracing. Lithologically, the area is mainly composed of reddish silty mudstone and muddy siltstone, with three distinctive layers of grayish white sandstone. The measured composite stratigraphic column spans 239 meters and are divided into 12 lithostratigraphic units. Contrary to previous knowledge that Saint Jacques contains two Oligocene mammalian assemblages, our preliminary biostratigraphic analysis of small mammals shows that the area documents successive faunal transition from the Eocene to possibly the early Miocene. The hyracodontid perissodactyl Ardynia, the ctenodactyloid rodent Gobiomys, and the basal Glires Gomphos from the bottom litho-units imply the presence of the Eocene–Oligocene boundary, while small mammal assemblage of the top units is similar to Miocene faunas in northern China and Mongolia. Thus, rock strata in Saint Jacques likely span the Eocene through the early Miocene, bracketing an entire Oligocene sequence within. In sum, our re-exploration of Saint Jacques has greatly expanded the chronostratigraphic and taxonomic coverage of the mammalian fossil collection from this area. This long, successive Oligocene sequence makes an important record for studying the Eocene–Oligocene Transition. Further study in this area will contribute to a range of paleontological and paleoenvironmental questions.

The “condylarth” genus Hyopsodus is diverse and abundantly represented in Eocene mammalian faunas of North America. In contrast, fossil specimens of Hyopsodus are rather sparse in Eurasia. Only four species of Hyopsodus are known from Asia and two from Europe, as compared to the 18 species of Hyopsodus described from North America. Here, we report a new species of Hyopsodus, Hyopsodus arshantensis sp. nov., from the middle part of the Arshanto Formation in the Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. The holotype and only specimen of the new species, a right mandible with m1–m2, exhibits a unique combination of characters on m1–m2 not present in other species of Hyopsodus, including a moderately lophodont crown, a long trigonid without a paraconid, an obliquely aligned protolophid, an angle between the cristid obliqua and the posthypocristid slightly greater than 90°, a midline position of the hypoconulid, and a relatively large entoconid. The m1–m2 morphology of H. arshantensis is intermediate between specimens of Hyopsodus from the Wasatchian and Uintan North American Land Mammal Ages (NALMA), and is comparable to that of Hyopsodus from the Bridgerian NALMA. Moreover, its relatively large size is near the size range present among the late Bridgerian species of Hyopsodus. Based on those similarities, in combination with a few fossil mammals from overlying layers, the middle part of the Arshanto Formation could be correlated in part to the late Bridgerian, and the upper part of the Arshanto Formation may bracket the time interval equivalent to the Bridgerian/Uintan boundary. That proposed correlation and somewhat different faunas recognized within the Arshanto Formation suggest that it may be necessary to subdivide the Arshantan Asian Land Mammal Age (ALMA) and/or redefine the Arshantan/Irdinmanhan ALMA boundary in future comprehensive studies.

Research has shown that most employers prefer employing graduates with student leadership experience in colleges and most of the student leaders have sustainable development in their careers in China. Compared with students without leadership experience, student leaders are easier to get promotion and development opportunities in the workplace. To discuss this question, researchers chose employers, student leaders, and teachers as research participants in an effort to answer the question of why employers prefer graduates with experience being student leaders. This study focuses on what key competencies student leaders possess and how their competencies can match the capability requirement of employers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 outstanding student leaders, 4 class teachers, 2 student affairs administrators, and 8 human resource managers from two vocational colleges in Beijing. We find that student leaders have strong social competence, emotional competence, action competence, responsibility, and resilience which employers value and these competencies are essential to career development in the workplace. These competencies are considered to be helpful to support student leaders to adapt to the real work environment quickly and achieve career success.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases function in dephosphorylating target proteins to regulate signaling pathways that control a broad spectrum of fundamental physiological and pathological processes. Detailed knowledge concerning the roles of classical PTPs in human cancer merits in-depth investigation. We comprehensively analyzed the regulatory mechanisms and clinical relevance of classical PTPs in more than 9000 tumor patients across 33 types of cancer. The independent datasets and functional experiments were employed to validate our findings. We exhibited the extensive dysregulation of classical PTPs and constructed the gene regulatory network in human cancer. Moreover, we characterized the correlation of classical PTPs with both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive responses to anti-cancer drugs. To evaluate the PTP activity in cancer prognosis, we generated a PTPscore based on the expression and hazard ratio of classical PTPs. Our study highlights the notable role of classical PTPs in cancer biology and provides novel intelligence to improve potential therapeutic strategies based on pTyr regulation.

Wheat stripe rust is an important foliar disease that affects the wheat yield globally. Breeding for resistant wheat varieties is one of the most economically and environmentally effective ways to control this disease. The common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar “Pascal” exhibited susceptibility to stripe rust at the seedling stage but it showed high resistance to stripe rust at the adult plant stage over 20 years in Gansu, a hotspot of the disease in northwestern China. To understand the genetic mechanism of stripe rust resistance in this cultivar, a 55K SNP array was used to analyze the two parents and the 220 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross of “Huixianhong” × “Pascal.” We detected three new stripe rust adult plant resistance (APR) quantitative trait locus (QTL) contributed by Pascal, viz. QYr.gaas-1AL, QYr.gaas-3DL, and QYr.gaas-5AS, using the inclusive composite interval mapping method. They were flanked by SNP markers AX-111218361—AX-110577861, AX-111460455—AX-108798599, and AX-111523523—AX-110028503, respectively, and explained the phenotypic variation ranging from 11.0 to 23.1%. Bulked segregant exome capture sequencing (BSE-Seq) was used for fine mapping of QYr.gaas-1AL and selection of candidate genes, TraesCS1A02G313700, TraesCS1A02G313800, and TraesCS1A02G314900 for QYr.gaas-1AL. KASP markers BSE-1A-12 and HXPA-3D for QYr.gaas-1AL and QYr.gaas-3DL were developed for breeders to develop durable stripe rust-resistant wheat varieties.

In order to identify the key transport process that determines the Cd concentration in brown rice, this study used 21 hybrid rice varieties as experimental materials and conducted field experiments in Qiyang (cadmium-contaminated site) and Yongding (low-cadmium site). Cd concentrations in 8 organs were measured, and bioconcentration factors and transfer factor were further calculated. The results showed that the Cd concentrations of the organs related to the xylem transport were as follows: root > node > stem > leaf sheath > leaf. In the phloem, the Cd concentrations were as follows: rachis > brown rice > rice husk. And the results of the correlation analysis found that Cd concentration between brown rice and root showed a significant positive correlation in Cd-contaminated site, but no significant correlation in low-cadmium site. Meanwhile, at both experimental sites, the Cd concentration of brown rice showed the most significant correlation with the phloem transfer factor from leaf and leaf sheath to brown rice. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and stepwise regression analysis likewise found that Cd concentration in leaf and leaf sheath and their phloem transport of Cd to brown rice were significantly and positively correlated with Cd concentration in brown rice. The above results showed that the transport of leaf and leaf sheath to brown rice was a key process, and played a more important role in the accumulation of cadmium in brown rice than in root.

Abstract Background Pseudouridine synthase (PUS) 7 is a member of the PUS family that catalyses pseudouridine formation. It has been shown to be involved in intellectual development and haematological malignancies. Nevertheless, the role and the underlying molecular mechanisms of PUS7 in solid tumours, such as colorectal cancer (CRC), remain unexplored. This study elucidated, for the first time, the role of PUS7 in CRC cell metastasis and the underlying mechanisms. Methods We conducted immunohistochemistry, qPCR, and western blotting to quantify the expression of PUS7 in CRC tissues as well as cell lines. Besides, diverse in vivo and in vitro functional tests were employed to establish the function of PUS7 in CRC. RNA-seq and proteome profiling analysis were also applied to identify the targets of PUS7. PUS7-interacting proteins were further uncovered using immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry. Results Overexpression of PUS7 was observed in CRC tissues and was linked to advanced clinical stages and shorter overall survival. PUS7 silencing effectively repressed CRC cell metastasis, while its upregulation promoted metastasis, independently of the PUS7 catalytic activity. LASP1 was identified as a downstream effector of PUS7. Forced LASP1 expression abolished the metastasis suppression triggered by PUS7 silencing. Furthermore, HSP90 was identified as a client protein of PUS7, associated with the increased PUS7 abundance in CRC. NMS-E973, a specific HSP90 inhibitor, also showed higher anti-metastatic activity when combined with PUS7 repression. Importantly, in line with these results, in human CRC tissues, the expression of PUS7 was positively linked to the expression of HSP90 and LASP1, and patients co-expressing HSP90/PUS7/LASP1 showed a worse prognosis. Conclusions The HSP90-dependent PUS7 upregulation promotes CRC cell metastasis via the regulation of LASP1. Thus, targeting the HSP90/PUS7/LASP1 axis may be a novel approach for the treatment of CRC.

By analyzing the structural background, petroleum geological conditions, and typical regional (paleo) oil and gas reservoirs in marine ultra-deep oil and gas regions in China, this paper reveals the evolution processes of the marine ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs and the key controlling factors of accumulation. The marine ultra-deep oil and gas resources in China are buried at depth of greater than 6000 m, and are mainly distributed in the Precambrian and Lower Paleozoic strata in the Sichuan, Tarim and Ordos cratonic basins. The development of marine ultra-deep source rocks in China is controlled by cratonic rifts and cratonic depressions with the background of global supercontinent breakup-convergence cycles. The source rocks in Sichuan Basin have the most developed strata, followed by Tarim Basin, and the development strata and scale of Ordos Basin needs to be further confirmed. The marine ultra-deep reservoir in China is dominated by carbonate rocks, and the reservoir performance is controlled by high-energy sedimentary environment in the early stage, superimposed corrosion and fracture in the later stage. The regional caprocks are dominated by gypsum salt rocks, shale, and tight carbonate rock. The ultra-deep oil and gas fields in China have generally experienced two stages of oil-reservoir forming, cracking (or partial cracking) of paleo-oil reservoirs, and late finalization of cracked gas (or highly mature to over mature oil and gas). The oil and gas accumulation is controlled by static and dynamic geological elements jointly. Major hydrocarbon generation center, high quality and large-scale reservoir resulted from karstification of high energy facies belt, thick gypsum rock or shale caprock, and stable trapping and preservation conditions are the key factors for accumulation of ultra-deep oil and gas. We propose three favorable exploration directions, i.e. the areas around intracratonic rift and intracratonic depression, and craton margin.

This study aimed to investigate the changes in polished rice composition, starch structure, and physicochemical properties from three rice cultivars treated with medium and high salinity stress at the reproductive growth stage. The results showed that salt stress led to poor milling and appearance quality, higher total starch content, protein content, higher proportion of the medium, and long chains of amylopectin, as well as gelatinization temperature (GT) but lower amylose content and lower proportion of the short chain of amylopectin. Compared with salt-sensitive cultivars, the salt-tolerant cultivars exhibited lower GT and gelatinization enthalpy, better pasting properties, and more stable crystal structure; therefore, their eating and cooking quality (ECQ) was less affected. The above results imply that salt stress at the reproductive growth stage can degrade ECQ and can slightly increase the pasting property of starch from salt-tolerant rice cultivar.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) is a key factor involved in cancer development and metastasis. In the TME of colorectal cancer (CRC), the gene expression status of stromal tissues could influence the CRC process from normal to adenoma then carcinoma; however, the expression status at the protein level has not yet been well evaluated. A total of 22 CRC patients were recruited for this study, and the tissue regions corresponding with adjacent, adenoma, and carcinoma were carefully excised by laser capture microdissection (LCM), including a patient with adenoma and carcinoma. The individual proteomes of this cohort were implemented by high-resolution mass spectrometer under data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode. A series of informatic analysis was employed to statistically seek the proteomic characteristics related with the stroma at different stages of CRC. The identified proteins in the colorectal stromal tissues were much less than and almost overlapped with that in the corresponding epithelial tissues; however, the patterns of protein abundance in the stroma were very distinct from those in the epithelium. Although qualitative and quantitative analysis delineated the epithelial proteins specifically typified in the adjacent, adenoma, and carcinoma, the informatics in the stroma led to another deduction that such proteomes were only divided into two patterns, adjacent- and adenoma/carcinoma-dependent. The comparable proteomes of colorectal adenoma and carcinoma were further confirmed by the bulk preparation- or individual LCM-proteomics. The biochemical features of the tumor stromal proteomes were characterized as enrichment of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, upregulated pathways of antigen presentation, and enhancement of immune signal interactions. Finally, the features of lymphoid lineages in tumor stroma were verified by tissue microarray (TMA). Based on the proteomic evidence, a hypothesis was raised that in the colorectal tissue, the TME of adenoma and carcinoma were comparable, whereas the key elements driving an epithelium from benign to malignant were likely decided by the changes of genomic mutations or/and expression within it.

Exploration and development of oil and gas is becoming increasingly difficult, and exploration targets and resource occurrence conditions are becoming more complex. Therefore, it is urgent to clarify the current situation and challenges of oil and gas exploration to evaluate the potential of domestic conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources, to illuminate the distribution characteristics of the remaining oil and gas resources, to evaluate and implement key exploration areas and favorable exploration zones, and to consolidate domestic oil and gas resources. In face of the new situation and new requirements, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has proposed five measures to strongly support oil and gas exploration. They have made 10 strategic discoveries and 10 major breakthroughs, and explored 15 large-scale reserves distributed in the central and western regions in China. Furthermore, proven reserves of oil and gas continued to grow at a high level. In this study, we summarized the oil-and-gas exploration situation, challenges and important measures of CNPC in the past ten years, and analyzed the potential and distribution of CNPC remaining oil and gas resources. The key areas and directions for oil-and-gas explorations of CNPC were discussed. It is indicated that the four areas of deep marine carbonate, lithologic strata, the lower reservoir-forming combination in the foreland thrust belt and shale oil are still the key points for breakthrough discoveries of future oil and gas exploration and large-scale reserves growth.

Continental shale oil is a general term for liquid hydrocarbons and many kinds of organic matter in continental organic-rich shale series with vitrinite reflectance of more than 0.5% at buried depth of more than 300 m, and is an important type of source-rock oil and gas. Based on the evolution model of oil generation and expulsion in organic-rich shale series controlled by maturity, continental shale oil is divided into two types: medium-high maturity and medium-low maturity. (1) The continental shale series in China develop high-quality source rocks of freshwater and saltwater lacustrine facies, as well as multiple types of reservoirs, including clastic rocks, carbonate rocks, diamictite, tuff and shale, forming a number of “sweet sections” and “sweet areas” of continuous distribution inside or near source rocks, which have large scale resources. (2) Experimental analysis of organic rich shale samples shows that the shale samples with wavy and horizontal beddings have good storage conditions, and the horizontal permeability of shale is tens to hundreds of times of its vertical permeability, which is conducive to the lateral migration and accumulation of shale oil in the source rocks. (3) After evaluation, the geological resources of medium-high maturity shale oil are about 10 billion tons, which can be effectively developed by horizontal drilling and volumetric fracturing, and will be a practical field of oil exploration in recent years. Shale oil with medium and low maturity has huge resource potential, and technological recoverable resources of (70–90) billion tons, making it a strategic alternative resource of oil industry. However, economic development of this type of shale oil needs in-situ conversion technology breakthroughs. Continental shale oil is an inevitable choice in the process of Chinese continental petroleum exploration from “outside source” to “inside source”. Making breakthroughs in the core technologies such as “sweet area” evaluation and optimization, horizontal well volume fracturing and in-situ conversion technology and equipment is the key to realizing scale development of continental shale oil economically.

Abstract Cenozoic mammal evolution and faunal turnover are considered to have been influenced and triggered by global climate change. Teeth of large terrestrial ungulates are reliable proxies to trace long‐term climatic changes due to their morphological and physicochemical properties; however, the role of premolar molarization in ungulate evolution and related climatic change has rarely been investigated. Recently, three patterns of premolar molarization among perissodactyls have been recognized: endoprotocrista‐derived hypocone (type I); paraconule–protocone separation (type II); and metaconule‐derived pseudohypocone (type III). These three patterns of premolar molarization play an important role in perissodactyl diversity coupled with global climate change during the Cenozoic in Asia. Those groups with a relatively higher degree of premolar molarization, initiated by the formation of the hypocone, survived into Neogene, whereas those with a lesser degree of molarization, initiated by the deformation of existing ridges and cusps, went extinct by the end of the Oligocene. In addition, the hypothesis of the “Ulan Gochu Decline” is proposed here to designate the most conspicuous decrease of perissodactyl diversity that occurred in the latest middle Eocene rather than at the Eocene–Oligocene transition in Asia, as conventionally thought; this event was likely comparable to the contemporaneous post‐Uintan decline of the North American land fauna.

Background: The association of four-limb systolic blood pressure differences (SBPDs) including inter-arm (IASBPD), inter-leg (ILSBPD) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) with cardiovascular risk factors and target organ changes (TOCs) remains controversial. This study aims at investigating the association of those parameters with cardiovascular risk factors and TOCs in an elderly Chinese population. Methods: A total of 1528 subjects derived from the Northern Shanghai Study were studied. Four-limb BPs were simultaneously measured by VP-1000 device. Cardiovascular risk factors and TOCs including parameters of left ventricular structure and function, carotid intima-media thickness, carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (CF-PWV), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, were evaluated with standardized methods. Results: ABI significantly associated age (β = −0.004, p < .01), female gender (β = 0.02, p < .01), body mass index (β = −0.004, p < .01), smoking (β = −0.04, p < .01), high-density lipoprotein (β = 0.04, p < .01), low-density lipoprotein (β = −0.01, p = .01) and diabetes mellitus (β = −0.02, p < .01), while the fourth root of IASBPD significantly associated with body mass index (β = 0.03, p < .01), high-density lipoprotein (β = −0.10, p = .02) and brachial SBP (β = 0.003, p < .01); the fourth root of ILSBPD significantly associated with high-density lipoprotein (β = −0.12, p < .01) and diabetes mellitus (β = 0.09, p = .01). IASBPD, ILSBPD, and ABI all significantly associated with CF-PWV and eGFR (all p < .05) in either unadjusted or adjusted models, but not with other TOCs. Conclusion: Four-limb SBPDs, namely ABI, IASBPD, and ILSBPD, bore various burdens of cardiovascular risk factors and significantly and independently associated with CF-PWV and eGFR.