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Tight sandstone reservoirs exhibit strong microscopic heterogeneity and significant variations in oil saturation. To investigate the variations in pore and throat size distribution during the diagenesis of tight sandstone reservoirs as well as their impact on oil saturation, the study takes the Chang 6 to Chang 8 tight sandstone reservoirs of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ganquan area of the Ordos Basin as a case study. The influence of diagenesis on porosity was quantitatively calculated using methods such as cast thin sections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-pressure mercury injection. On the basis of the test results, a pore and throat size distribution model during the main hydrocarbon accumulation period was established, constrained by statistical models of pore and throat parameters. The movable fluid saturation during the main hydrocarbon accumulation period was then calculated using integration methods. The results showed that the Chang 6 to Chang 8 tight sandstone reservoirs experienced strong compaction during the early and middle diagenetic stages, with an average porosity reduction of 81.85% due to compaction. Cementation further reduced porosity by about 11.00% on average. Although dissolution increased pore space, the increase was relatively smaller, with an average value of 4.38%. The average paleoporosity at the beginning (128 Ma) and the end (111 Ma) of the main hydrocarbon accumulation period was 13.82% and 8.68%, respectively. The volume proportion of pore and throat radii greater than the minimum flow throat radius (0.1 μm) was low, and the movable fluid saturation ranged from 35.05% to 93.27%. The low pore and throat radii and movable fluid saturation during the main hydrocarbon accumulation period was one of the reasons for low oil saturation. However, due to the influence of authigenic clay minerals on reservoir rock wettability, the current oil saturation has not decreased sharply. The pore and throat size distribution model during hydrocarbon accumulation provides a feasible method for analyzing the evolution of pore and throat size as well as its relationship with oil saturation in similar reservoirs.

Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease, is characterized by synovial hyperplasia and cartilage erosion. Here, we investigated the potential mechanism of action of quercetin, the main component of flavonoids, in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Object To examine the anti-arthritic effects of quercetin and elucidate the specific mechanisms that differentiate its metabolic effects on autoimmune and inflammatory responses at the synovial cell level. Methods We created a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model in Wistar rats, which were administered quercetin (50 or 100 mg/kg) continuously for four weeks via stomach perfusion. The arthritis score, histopathological staining, radiological assessment, and serum biochemical parameters were used to study the impact of quercetin on disease improvement. Additionally, immunofluorescence was employed to detect JAK1/STAT3/HIF-1α expression in rat joints. Moreover, the effects of quercetin (20, 40, and 80 µmol/L) on the properties and behavior of synovial fibroblasts were evaluated in an in vitro MH7A cell model using flow cytometry, CCK8, and transwell assays. Further, the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines IL1β, IL6, IL17, and TNFα were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. Glucose, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and adenosine triphosphate assay kits were employed to measure the metabolic effects of quercetin on synovial fibroblasts. Finally, immunoblotting was used to examine the impact of quercetin on the JAK1/STAT3/HIF-1α signaling pathway in synovial fibroblasts. Results In vivo experiments confirmed the favorable effects of quercetin in CIA rats, including an improved arthritis score and reduced ankle bone destruction, in addition to a decrease in the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α in serum. Immunofluorescence verified that quercetin may ameliorate joint injury in rats with CIA by inhibiting JAK1/STAT3/HIF-1α signaling. Various in vitro experiments demonstrated that quercetin effectively inhibits IL-6-induced proliferation of MH7A cells and reduces their migratory and invasive behavior, while inducing apoptosis and reducing the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β, IL6, IL17, and TNFα at the mRNA level. Quercetin caused inhibition of glucose, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate, and adenosine triphosphate and increased pyruvate dehydrogenase expression in MH7A cells. It was further confirmed that quercetin may inhibit energy metabolism and inflammatory factor secretion in MH7A cells through JAK1/STAT3/HIF-1α signaling. Conclusions Quercetin’s action on multiple target molecules and pathways makes it a promising treatment for cartilage injury in rheumatoid arthritis. By reducing joint inflammation, improving joint metabolic homeostasis, and decreasing immune system activation energy, quercetin inhibits the JAK1/STAT3/HIF-1α signaling pathway to improve disease status.

Abstract Background The combination of rituximab and chemotherapy is a first-line treatment for patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory drug that has shown promising properties and activity in a variety of hematological malignancies. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide-based regimens in the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Methods The PubMed, Science Direct, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant studies published up to May 2022. Studies with patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma, who were randomly assigned to a lenalidomide treatment group or a non-lenalidomide control group were considered for inclusion in this review and meta-analysis. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the time-to-event outcomes and risk ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs of dichotomous data were estimated. Results A total of 3593 patients from 10 studies were evaluated. The results of the pooled analysis indicated that the lenalidomide-based regimen was associated with prolonged overall survival (HR, 0.85; 95% CI 0.74–0.97; P = 0.02) and progression-free survival (HR, 0.70; 95% CI 0.57–0.88; P = 0.002). Significant differences were found in the overall response rate (RR, 1.18; 95% CI 1.04–1.33; P = 0.01) and complete response rate (RR, 1.18; 95% CI 1.00–1.39; P = 0.05) between the treatment and control groups. Conclusions Lenalidomide appears to be a promising therapeutic agent that offers the possibility of a novel combination of chemotherapy free regimen for patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Abstract Drugs targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) are widely used in cancer therapy, but resistance to these drugs remains a major clinical challenge. Here, we show that SYCP2, a meiotic protein in the synaptonemal complex, is aberrantly and commonly expressed in breast and ovarian cancers and associated with broad resistance to DDR drugs. Mechanistically, SYCP2 enhances the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) through transcription-coupled homologous recombination (TC-HR). SYCP2 promotes R-loop formation at DSBs and facilitates RAD51 recruitment independently of BRCA1. SYCP2 loss impairs RAD51 localization, reduces TC-HR, and renders tumors sensitive to PARP and topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitors. Furthermore, our studies of two clinical cohorts find that SYCP2 overexpression correlates with breast cancer resistance to antibody-conjugated TOP1 inhibitor and ovarian cancer resistance to platinum treatment. Collectively, our data suggest that SYCP2 confers cancer cell resistance to DNA-damaging agents by stimulating R-loop-mediated DSB repair, offering opportunities to improve DDR therapy.

IntroductionGranulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs) show fast recovery following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) constituting the major part of peripheral blood in the early phase. Although G-MDSCs mediate immune suppression through multiple mechanisms, they may also promote inflammation under specific conditions. MethodsG-MDSCs were isolated from 82 patients following allo-HSCT within 90 days after allo-HSCT, and their interactions with autologous CD3+ T-cells were examined. T-cell proliferation was assessed by flow cytometry following CFSE staining, while differentiation and interferon-γ secretion were characterized using chemokine receptor profiling and ELISpot assays, respectively. NK cell cytotoxicity was evaluated through co-culture with K562 cells. An aGVHD xenogeneic model in humanized mice was employed to study the in vivo effects of human leukocytes. Furthermore, transcriptional alterations in G-MDSCs were analyzed via RNA sequencing to investigate functional transitions.ResultsG-MDSCs promoted inflammation in the early-stage, by facilitating cytokine secretion and proliferation of T cells, as well as their differentiation into pro-inflammatory T helper subsets. At day 28, patients with a higher number of G-MDSCs exhibited an increased risk of developing grades II-IV aGvHD. Besides, adoptive transfer of G-MDSCs from patients at day 28 into humanized mice exacerbated aGvHD. However, at day 90, G-MDSCs led to immunosuppression, characterized by upregulated expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase gene and interleukin-10 secretion, coupled with the inhibition of T cell proliferation. Furthermore, transcriptional analysis of G-MDSCs at day 28 and day 90 revealed that 1445 genes were differentially expressed. These genes were associated with various pathways, revealing the molecular signatures of early post-transplant differentiation in G-MDSCs. In addition, genes linked to the endoplasmic reticulum stress were upregulated in patients without aGvHD. The acquisition of immunosuppressive function by G-MDSCs may depend on the activation of CXCL2 and DERL1 genes. ConclusionOur findings revealed the alteration in the immune characteristics of G-MDSCs within the first 90 days post-allo-HSCT. Moreover, the quantity of G-MDSCs at day 28 may serve as a predictive indicator for the development of aGvHD.

Jiedu-Quyu-Ziyin Fang (JQZF) is a formula that has been empirically used for the treatment of SLE in clinical practice. JQZF has become an approved hospital prescription in China. Fifteen MRL/lpr mice were randomly divided into three groups: Model, JQZF, and JQZF + GC, with five mice in each group. Five MRL/MPJ mice were used as the Blank group. After 8 weeks of administration, peripheral blood serum was collected to detect anti-dsDNA antibodies and complement C3 levels. Spleen B cells were collected to detect the expression of TLR7 and NF-κBp65 mRNA, and correlation analysis was performed. Transcriptome sequencing analysis was also performed on spleen B cells. Further, key miRNA and key gene mRNA expression were detected by RT-qPCR, and key protein expression levels were detected by Western blot method. Bioinformatics methods predicted that ESR1 is a key target of JQZF action on SLE, hsa-miR-146a-5p is one of the key miRNAs, and KEGG pathway analysis showed that NF-κB signaling pathway is its key signaling pathway. Transcriptome sequencing of MRL/lpr mouse spleen B cells revealed that the differential genes between the JQZF and Model groups were enriched in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, Estrogen signaling pathway, etc. Animal studies show that JQZF treatment significantly boosts serum C3 and lowers anti-dsDNA antibodies (P

Cameras carried by satellites take large-scale images of the planetary surface, which provides data support for exploration missions. With the progress of deep space exploration, the demands to identify surface changes are gradually increasing. There are few studies that focus on planetary surface automatic change detection since it faces the challenges of difficult registration, strong pseudochange, poor automatic detection capacity, etc. To handle these challenges, we propose a deep learning lightweight model SLCD-Net (i.e., striped landform change detection model) for patchwise change detection of the planetary striped landform. SLCD-Net uses the dual-input-based siamese network as the overall architecture to learn the deep semantic information of pre- and posttemporal images. Importantly, SLCD-Net designs a dual-feature multilevel complementary fusion module between two branches of the siamese network, which can learn the cross-temporal complementary features and eliminate the noise impact. Besides, SLCD-Net exploits a spatial attention module after the fusion unit, which further helps to weaken the noise that is produced by fusion. Furthermore, we construct a dataset about dark slope streak (DSS, a striped landform type). Training on our DSS dataset enables SLCD-Net to have an advantage in identifying the variation of DSS. The SLCD-Net's detection performance on multiple planetary surface datasets including our DSS test set proves that it has achieved a breakthrough in robustness and generalization. Not limited to the patchwise task, the change map generated by SLCD-Net applied to different regions also proves that it can be effectively used for pixelwise Mars striped landform change detection.

Objective To clarify the causes of the vertical difference of pore structure in low permeability-tight sandstone reservoirs. Methods Taking the WL area of the Ordos Basin as an example, using physical property tests, casting thin sections, scanning electron microscopy and high-pressure mercury injection, through the division of diagenetic facies and the analysis of vertical distribution differences of different diagenetic facies the characteristics, differences and causes of pore structure in different layers of the Yanchang Formation were discussed. Results The study showed that there were five types of pore structures in the main strata of the Yanchang Formation in the study area, and there were great differences in the pore structures between the same strata and different strata. The Chang 2 and Chang 3 oil layers of the upper combination mainly developed Ⅲa- and Ⅲb-type pore structures, the Chang 4+5 and Chang 6 oil layers of the middle combination mainly developed Ⅳa- and Ⅳb-type pore structures, andthe Chang 7, Chang 8 and Chang 9 oil layers of the lower combination mainly developed Ⅳb- and Ⅴ-type pore structures. With the increasing of burial depth, the pore structure and the porosity and permeability conditions in the reservoir gradually deteriorated overall. There were four types of diagenetic facies types in the reservoir of the Yanchang Formation in the study area. The vertical difference of pore structure was mainly controlled by the difference distribution of diagenetic facies types. The dissolution dominated by atmospheric water leaching in the upper combination was strong. The diagenetic facies types dominated by unstable component dissolution facies and chlorite cementation were developed, and the pore structure formed was dominated by relatively good types. The middle combination had strong cementation, and the diagenetic facies types dominated by chlorite cementation facies and carbonate cementation facies were developed, and the pore structure formed was mainly medium type.The lower combination had strong compaction and cementation, and the diagenetic facies types dominated by carbonate cementation facies and soft-rich compaction filling facies were developed, and the pore structure formed by them was mainly relatively poor. Conclusion The research results can provide favorable guidance for oil and gas exploration and development of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin.

Taste sensation recognition is a core for taste-related queries. Most prior research has been devoted to recognizing the basic taste sensations using the Brain–Computer Interface (BCI), which includes EEG, MEG, EMG, and fMRI. This research aims to recognize electronic taste (E-Taste) sensations based on surface electromyography (sEMG). Silver electrodes with platinum plating of the E-Taste device were placed on the tongue’s tip to stimulate various tastes and flavors. In contrast, the electrodes of the sEMG were placed on facial muscles to collect the data. The dataset was organized and preprocessed, and a random forest classifier was applied, giving a five-fold accuracy of 70.43%. The random forest classifier was used on each participant dataset individually and in groups, providing the highest accuracy of 84.79% for a single participant. Moreover, various feature combinations were extracted and acquired 72.56% accuracy after extracting eight features. For a future perspective, this research offers guidance for electronic taste recognition based on sEMG.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the pressure relief characteristics of shale brittle fracture caused by large-scale tectonic uplift and its impact on shale oil enrichment, this paper, taking the Chang 73 sub-member of Yanchang Formation in Yan'an area of Ordos Basin as the research object, quantitatively analyzes the evolution of different lithological properties from overpressure to underpressure or near normal pressure, and further summarizes its influence on the enrichment of shale oil by utilizing the modified overpressure identification plate and numerical simulation techniques and taking into account the effects of temperature reduction, elastic rebound, and brittle rupture of overpressured shale in the process of tectonic uplift. The results show that the origins of overpressure at the end of the Early Cretaceous in the Chang 73 sub-member in the study area are mainly hydrocarbon generation and disequilibrium compaction, and the overpressure of the sandstone layer mainly originates from the overpressure transference from the neighboring source rocks; elastic rebound and temperature reduction due to tectonic uplift since the Late Cretaceous dominates the formation of underpressure in the Chang 73 sub-member sandstones in the study area, and brittle fracture pressure relief and temperature reduction lead to the formation of weak overpressure or near normal pressure in the Chang 73 sub-member shale. The timing of brittle fracture pressure relief of the top and bottom sets of organic-rich shale in the Chang 73 sub-member of the study area is not synchronized, resulting in large transport dynamics (source-reservoir excess pressure difference) between the top and bottom sets of organic-rich shale and their intercalated sandstones with magnitudes ranging from 16 to 22 MPa. Meanwhile, fractures in the top shale have closed during oil and gas preservation, and there is an excess pressure differential of about 1.42-6.80 MPa between it and the underlying sandstone, which strengthens the hydrocarbon containment capacity of the shale. Differential evolution of formation pressure under different source-reservoir configurations plays an important role in controlling shale oil enrichment.

The unsteady partial differential equations (UPDE) with convection term gives a clear descriptions for the solidification process of a slab in dynamic production of continuous casting. To give a suitable setting value of secondary cooling water flow rate for the dynamic control system, this study investigates an optimal control problem (OCP) of UPDE with convection term. Firstly, control vector discretization of OCP and the solution of UPDE are given. Secondly, due to the rapidity for gradient, this paper analyzes the expression of the gradient calculation method based on Hamiltonian function costate system by approximate treatment, matrix calculation and composite trapezoidal integral method. Thirdly, an improved three-term spectrum conjugate gradient algorithm (ITSCGA) is proposed to solve the OCP of UPDE, and the global convergence of the ITSCGA is demonstrated. Lastly, the performance of ITSCGA is demonstrated by experimental simulations. The results demonstrate that the ITSCGA provides a smaller temperature fluctuations, and improves the quality of a slab.

Objective: This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy of simple bone grafting and bone grafting combined with guided tissue regeneration (GTR) in periodontal regenerative therapy. Methods: The authors systematically searched PubMed, the Web of Science, The National Library of Medicine, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database and the Wanfang database and collected randomized controlled trials relating to bone graft co-guided tissue regeneration. The retrieval was conducted between January 1990 and December 2022. This study included relevant literature about the clinical efficacy of bone grafting combined with GTR according to the population, intervention, control and outcomes principle and excluded studies using other materials in addition to bone graft and membrane materials. After independently screening the literature, extracting the data and evaluating the risk of bias in the included studies, data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria, and, after further evaluation, a total of 327 teeth that were featured in 15 articles were finally included for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that there was no significant statistical difference in clinical attachment level, probing depth and bone gain between the test group (bone grafting with GTR) and the control group (bone grafting only) at 6 months after the operation (p > 0.05). In terms of gingival recession (GR), the use of non-resorbable membranes produced more recession in the test group compared with the control group (p < 0.05), whereas the use of resorbable membranes produced less recession (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Both simple bone grafting and bone grafting combined with membrane materials have good clinical efficacy in periodontal regenerative therapy, and no significant difference in clinical efficacy is indicated between the two, with the exception of GR.

In order to estimate the bit upset ratio of NAND flash memory induced by heavy ion irradiation, starting from the physical mechanism of the bit upset of NAND flash memory, an analytical model based on statistical methods was developed to describe the relationship between heavy ion energy deposition near the floating gate, the threshold dose distribution of the memory array, and the bit upset ratio. The heavy ion irradiation experiment on NAND flash memory was conducted to verify the effectiveness of the estimation method. The maximum deviation between the fitting result of the analytical model and the experimental result is 5.0%, and the root mean squared error is 1.2 × 10−11. The analytical model can reflect the inflection point in the single event upset cross-section, which, according to the analytical model, is caused by the different proportions of the contribution of large events and small events defined in the model to the bit upset ratio. The analytical model also reflects the characteristics of the multiple-cell upsets from the side and is consistent with experimental results.

Abstract Background The aim of this study is to report our institution’s experience regarding the application of allogeneic tendons for the reconstruction of malunited lateral malleolar avulsion fractures with chronic lateral ankle instability. Methods This retrospective study included 34 (34 ankles) patients surgically treated for malunited lateral malleolar avulsion fractures with chronic lateral ankle instability from January 2016 to December 2019. All patients underwent allogeneic tendon reconstruction. The pre- and postoperative American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores、Karlsson Ankle Functional Scores (KAFS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were used to evaluate the functional recovery of the ankle joint. The final follow-up, based on radiographic assessment, including talar tilt and anterior talar translation, was performed to evaluate the stability of the postoperative ankle joints. Results Thirty-two patients (32 ankles) returned for final clinical and radiologic follow-up at an average of 29 (range 24–35) months and 2 patients (2 ankles) were lost to follow-up. The preoperative talus inclination angle (13.6 ± 1.9°) and anterior displacement (9.6 ± 2.8 mm) were re-examined under X-ray and found to be reduced to 3.4 ± 1.2° and 3.8 ± 1.1 mm, respectively (p＜0.01). The AOFAS scores increased from 58.5 ± 4.0 to 90.9 ± 3.8 and the Karlsson scores improved from 52.2 ± 3.6 to 89.8 ± 4.5, which was obviously better and the difference was statistically significant (P

Abstract Background To explore the risk factors and develop a nomogram in order to predict surgical site infection (SSI) after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for closed pilon fractures (CPF). Methods A prospective cohort study with one-year follow-up was carried out in a provincial trauma center. From January 2019 to January 2021, 417 adult patients with CPFs receiving ORIF were enrolled. A Whitney U test or t test, Pearson chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression analyses were gradually used for screening the adjusted factors of SSI. A nomogram model was built to predict the risk of SSI, and the concordance index (C-index), the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used for evaluating the prediction performance and consistency of the nomogram model. The bootstrap method was employed to test the validity of the nomogram. Results The incidence of SSI after ORIF for CPFs was 7.2% (30/417): 4.1% (17/417) of superficial SSIs and 3.1% (13/417) of deep SSIs. The most common pathogenic bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (36.6%, 11/30). The multivariate analysis showed tourniquet use, longer preoperative stay, lower preoperative albumin (ALB), higher preoperative body mass index (BMI) and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) were independent risk factors of SSI. Additionally, the C-index and bootstrap value of the nomogram model were 0.838 and 0.820, respectively. Finally, the calibration curve indicated that the actual diagnosed SSI had good consistency with the predicted probability, and the DCA showed that the nomogram had clinical value. Conclusions Tourniquet use, longer preoperative stay, lower preoperative ALB, higher preoperative BMI and Hs-CRP were five independent risk factors of SSI after closed pilon fractures treated by ORIF. These five predictors are shown on the nomogram, with which we may be able to further prevent the CPS patients from SSI. Trial registration NO 2018-026-1, October /24/2018, prospectively registered. The study was registered in October 24, 2018. The study protocol was designed based on the Declaration of Helsinki and admitted by the Institutional Review Board. The ethics committee approved the study on factors related to fracture healing in orthopedic surgery. Data analyzed in the present study were acquired from the patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation from January 2019 to January 2021.

Abstract Aims This study aims to identify the risk factors for deep surgical site infection (DSSI) following surgically treated peri-ankle fractures. Methods We performed a retrospective case–control study using the propensity score matching (PSM) method in 1:2 ratio, based on the 6 baseline variables, including age, gender, living area, insurance type, fracture location and surgical date. Data on patients who underwent surgical treatment of peri-ankle fractures were collected by inquiring their hospitalization medical records and operative records, as well as the laboratory reports. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for DSSI. Results A total of 2147 patients were eligibly included and 74 had a DSSI, indicating an incidence rate of 3.4%. After PSM, 70 cases of DSSI and 140 controls without DSSI were matched, constituting the study cohort. The univariate analyses showed significant differences between groups in terms of history of any surgery, time to operation, surgical wound classification, smoking, alcohol drinking, RBC count, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit (%). The conditional logistic regression analysis showed time to operation of 9 (vs 4–9 days); unclean wound, current smoking, high-energy injury mechanism and lower hematocrit were independent risk factors for DSSI. Conclusions Timely modification of smoking and hematocrit (%), and limiting operation within a rational time frame for an optimized soft tissue condition, may provide potential clinical benefits for SSI prevention.

Abstract Background Diclofenac diethylamine (DDEA) gel has demonstrated efficacy for treatment of ankle sprains in both the 1.16% four-times-daily (QID) and 2.32% twice-daily (BID) formulations. The objective of this study was to compare, for the first time, the efficacy of DDEA 2.32% gel BID and DDEA 1.16% gel QID. Methods This was a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, active-controlled, parallel-group study conducted in China from October 2019 to November 2020, designed to determine the noninferiority of DDEA 2.32% gel BID relative to DDEA 1.16% gel QID for treatment of grade I–II ankle sprain. At study entry, patients must have had pain on movement (POM) ≥50 mm on a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS), and not received any pain medication. The primary efficacy endpoint was the noninferiority of DDEA 2.32% gel BID vs DDEA 1.16% gel QID for POM as assessed by the patient using the 100-mm VAS, conducted on day 5. Secondary endpoints included measures of ankle tenderness, joint function, swelling, and patient-reported pain intensity and pain relief. Results A total of 302 patients were randomized and 95.4% completed the study. The mean (SD) change in POM from baseline to day 5 using the 100-mm VAS was − 42.8 mm (19.7 mm) with DDEA 2.32% gel BID and − 43.1 mm (18.1 mm) with DDEA 1.16% gel QID for the per-protocol population. The least squares mean difference (DDEA gel 2.32% – DDEA gel 1.16%) at this timepoint was 1.11 mm (95% CI − 3.00, 5.22; P = 0.595), and the upper limit (5.22 mm) of the 95% CI was less than the noninferiority margin of 13 mm, demonstrating that DDEA 2.32% gel BID was noninferior to DDEA 1.16% gel QID. Similar trends were seen for the secondary efficacy endpoints. There was no significant difference in the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events or adverse events adjudicated as being treatment related. All treatment-related adverse events were dermatological; one patient discontinued from the DDEA 2.32% gel BID arm due to application-site inflammation. Conclusions DDEA 2.32% gel BID offers a convenient alternative to DDEA 1.16% gel QID, with similar pain reduction and relief, anti-inflammatory effects, and tolerability. Trial registration NCT04052620.

Aiming at the differential distribution of overpressure in vertical and lateral directions in the foreland thrust belt in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, the study on overpressure origin identification and overpressure evolution simulation is carried out. Based on the measured formation pressure, drilling fluid density and well logging data, overpressure origin identification and overpressure evolution simulation techniques are used to analyze the vertical and lateral distribution patterns of overpressure, genetic mechanisms of overpressure in different structural belts and causes of the differential distribution of overpressure, and the controlling effects of overpressure development and evolution on the formation and distribution of oil and gas reservoirs. The research shows that overpressure occurs in multiple formations vertically in the southern Junggar foreland thrust belt, the deeper the formation, the bigger the scale of the overpressure is. Laterally, overpressure is least developed in the mountain front belt, most developed in the fold anticline belt, and relatively developed in the slope belt. The differential distribution of overpressure is mainly controlled by the differences in disequilibrium compaction and tectonic compression strengths of different belts. The vertical overpressure transmission caused by faults connecting the deep overpressured system has an important contribution to the further increase of the overpressure strength in this area. The controlling effect of overpressure development and evolution on hydrocarbon accumulation and distribution shows in the following aspects: When the strong overpressure was formed before reservoir becoming tight overpressure maintains the physical properties of deep reservoirs to some extent, expanding the exploration depth of deep reservoirs; reservoirs below the overpressured mudstone cap rocks of the Paleogene Anjihaihe Formation and Lower Cretaceous Tugulu Group are main sites for oil and gas accumulation; under the background of overall overpressure, both overpressure strength too high or too low are not conducive to hydrocarbon enrichment and preservation, and the pressure coefficient between 1.6 and 2.1 is the best.

The majority of high quality clastic reservoirs in the foreland basins, northwest China have anomalously high primary porosity. The intensive tectonic compression, overburden and overpressure importantly impact on the deep reservoir quality in the foreland basins, and that very little research had been so far conducted on this topic. Only considering mechanical compaction without chemical diagenesis, various geological models of tectonic compression, overpressure and porosity were simulated using a comprehensive numerical model. Based on the simulations, the influences of the coupling tectonic compression and overpressure on porosity in deep reservoirs are quantitatively discussed. A case study using a representative well in the thrust belt of the Junggar foreland basin is simulated. The results show that the porosity formed from the early-middle slow burial and late rapid burial type is higher than the almost constant burial type and the early rapid burial and then slow burial type, when the overpressure is formed by the three burial types couple with the same tectonic compression. Importantly, overpressure formed during the early-middle slow burial and late rapid burial type in concert with tectonic compression best preserves high porosity within reservoirs. Either increasing tectonic compression stress early at constant overpressure or increasing the tectonic compression stress at a relative late stage and increasing reservoir overpressure can contribute to porosity loss. The porosity decreases more rapidly in the former case. The later the tectonic compression was applied, the more rapidly porosity of the reservoir decreased. Therefore, late stage tectonic compression accompanied by overpressure has the largest influence on the porosity. The porosity of the Qigu Formation in the well Ds1 in the south margin of Junggar Basin, for example, was decreased by 0.88% in response to intensive tectonic compression in the late Himalayan orogeny. However, porosity formed by overpressure suppression and preservation in the reservoir is 3.66%. So, in addition to vertical compaction and diagenesis, the influence of tectonic compression and overpressure should also be considered in the study of deep reservoir porosity evolution in foreland basin. This study can be helpful for deeply understanding the evolution rule of deep reservoir porosity in foreland basin.

Abstract Background Ankle distraction arthroplasty and supramalleolar osteotomy were both options for post-traumatic varus ankle arthritis (VAA), but their comparative effectiveness was scarcely reported. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of two operative methods for treatment of Takakura-Tanaka stage 3 post-traumatic VAA. Methods This was a retrospective study, comprising 73 consecutive patients who presented with Takakura-Tanaka stage 3 post-traumatic VAA treated by either ankle distraction arthroplasty (n = 32) or supramalleolar osteotomy (n = 41) from January 2016 to December 2019. All patients had a minimum 24-month follow-up assessments. The outcome measures were visual analog scale (VAS), the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores, complications, patient-rated overall satisfaction and ankle function. Results At an average of 32 months (range, 24–52 months) follow-up, significant improvement was observed for VAS, AOFAS, range of motion (ROM) and most radiographic parameters (except for TAS and TLS for ankle distraction arthroplasty group) compared to preoperative baselines (p 0.05). The ankle distraction arthroplasty group had a better postoperative ankle motion than did the supramalleolar osteotomy group, in terms of plantarflexion (37.8 ± 4.2 vs. 30.4 ± 3.6, p = 0.006), dorsiflexion (36.5 ± 6.4 vs. 28.3 ± 5.5, p = 0.004), varus (32.1 ± 4.5 vs. 27.1 ± 3.1, p = 0.017) and valgus (28.4 ± 3.7 vs. 25.2 ± 2.8, p = 0.046). Conclusions Both operative treatments are effective for Takakura-Tanaka stage 3 post-traumatic VAA. In practice, individualized treatment option tailored to the ankle condition and patients’ specific need should be considered. Level of evidence: III, retrospective comparative series.

Abstract Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation induces type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines which stimulate tumor antigen cross presentation and the adaptive immune responses against tumor. The first-generation of STING agonists, cyclic di-nucleotide (CDN), mimicked the endogenous STING ligand cyclic guanosine monophosphate adenosine monophosphate, and displayed limited clinical efficacy. Here we report the discovery of SHR1032, a novel small molecule non-CDN STING agonist. Compared to the clinical CDN STING agonist ADU-S100, SHR1032 has much higher activity in human cells with different STING haplotypes and robustly induces interferon β (IFNβ) production. When dosed intratumorally, SHR1032 induced strong anti-tumor effects in the MC38 murine syngeneic tumor model. Pharmacodynamic studies showed induction of IFNβ, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the tumors and, to a lower extent, in the plasma. More importantly, we found SHR1032 directly causes cell death in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that in addition to their established ability to boost anti-tumor immune responses, STING agonists can directly eradicate AML cells, and SHR1032 may present a new and promising therapeutic agent for cancer patients.

During the last decade, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been the subject of extensive study which has considerably increased our understanding of the disease. However, both resistance to chemotherapy and disease relapse remain the principal obstacles to successful treatment. Because of acute and chronic undesirable effects frequently associated with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, consolidation chemotherapy is not feasible, especially for elderly patients, which has attracted a growing body of research to attempt to tackle this problem. Immunotherapies for acute myeloid leukemia, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, together with T-cell therapy based on engineered antigen receptor have been developed recently. Our review presents the recent progress in immunotherapy for the treatment of AML and discusses effective therapies that have the most potential and major challenges.

Abstract Background Talar cartilage injury is a kind of disease that causes long-term and chronic pain of ankle joint. Autologous osteochondral transplantation has been viewed as an alternative choice for treating these lesions, but donor-site morbidity has limited its application. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of iliac bone autografting for Hepple V osteochondral lesions of the talus. Methods This retrospective study included 32 patients surgically treated for Hepple V osteochondral lesions of the talus from January 2015 to January 2020. All patients underwent open surgery. Ipsilateral iliac bone grafts were taken and filled with talar cartilage injury area. The improvement of postoperative ankle pain was evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the improvement of ankle function was evaluated by the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS). During the postoperative follow-up, X-ray examination of the front and side of the ankle joint and CT of the ankle joint were performed to evaluate the bone cartilage healing in the graft area. Results Thirty-two patients (32 ankles) (100%) returned for clinical and radiologic follow-up at an average of 28 (range 24–36) months postoperatively. At 3 months postoperatively and at the last follow-up, the AOFAS scores were (80.4 ± 3.6) and (89.2 ± 6.4), respectively, which were significantly improved compared with the preoperative score (49.7 ± 8.1), and the difference was statistically significant (P

Objective: To clarify the mechanism of triptolide (TP) in alleviating the conditions underlying SLE.Methods: Eight-week-old MRL/lpr mice were randomly divided into a model group (n = 5), low-dose TP (TP-L) group (n = 5), and high-dose TP (TP-H) group (n = 5). Mice in these groups were gavaged with normal saline, low-dose TP solution, and high-dose TP solution for 8 weeks, respectively. The expression levels of anti-dsDNA, IgG, IgM, IgA, C3, C4, and CREA, BUN, ALT, AST, ALB, and ALP indexes in the serum of mice were detected. The proportion of CD19+CD138+B220− cells in the spleen and the pathological changes of kidney tissue in the mice were also evaluated. The possible signaling pathways and microRNA (miRNA) targets of TP in the treatment of SLE were analyzed using network pharmacology. The expressions of TLR7 mRNA and miR-146a in Raji cells (a B lymphocyte line) were detected using qPCR before and after intervention with a miR-146a inhibitor. The protein expression levels of TLR7, MyD88, p-IRAK1, and p-NF-κBp65 were detected using western blot analysis.Results: TP could significantly decrease the levels of ds-DNA and IgG, alleviate pathological injury in renal tissue, and upregulate miR-146a expression in the B cells of MRL/lpr mice without obvious liver and kidney toxicity. Network pharmacology analysis showed that TP could mainly regulate the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and NF-κB signaling pathway, among others. miRNA target prediction suggested that TP could regulate miRNAs such as miR-146a. In vitro cell experiments further confirmed that TP could significantly upregulate miR-146a expression and downregulate the expression of TLR7 mRNA and protein levels TLR7, MyD88, p-IRAK1, and p-NF-κBp65. After intervention with a miR-146a inhibitor, TP had no obvious inhibitory effects on TLR7, MyD88, p-IRAK1, and p-NF-κBp65 expression.Conclusion: TP may exert therapeutic effects on SLE by regulating miR-146a expression, inhibiting the TLR7/NF-κB signaling pathway, and affecting B cell activation.

The Pamir salient is a key part of the Himalayan–Tibetan Plateau orogenic system and has undergone intense tectonic deformation during the India–Asian collision. Delineating the Cenozoic kinematics and geodynamics of the Pamir salient requires a comprehensive understanding of the active arcuate structures along its frontal margin, from the perspective of the multi-spatiotemporal evolution of deformation patterns. Here, we reviewed the deformation rates of the major structures at different timescales, reanalyzed the published Global Positioning System velocities, and examined the present-day seismicity to constrain the kinematics of the Pamir salient since the Late Cenozoic. Integrated with the crustal evolution history during the Middle–Late Cenozoic and the deep structure, we proposed a new model to explain the multi-stage kinematics and associated geodynamics of the Pamir salient. During ∼37–24 Ma, the initial Pamir salient moved northward via radial thrusting that rotated the basins on both sides, which was driven by the continuous compression of the Indian slab after the breakoff of its oceanic part. During ∼23–12 Ma, the gravitational collapse of the Central and South Pamir crusts, which was induced by the breakoff of the continental part of the Indian slab, triggered the extension within the Pamir and foreland-ward movement of the upper crust. The upper crustal materials moved in varying directions due to the differential strength of the foreland areas, transforming the crustal kinematics from radial thrusting into a combination of radial thrusting and transfer faulting. Since the coupling of the Indian and Pamir slabs at ∼12–11 Ma, the deformation propagation towards the forelands accelerated, after which the kinematics of the Pamir salient exhibited asymmetric radial thrusting that has been sustained until the present. The asymmetric radial thrusting was likely driven by the compressive stress effect of the lithospheric basal shear generated by the underthrusting of the cratonic Indian lithosphere, which further led to the rollback of the Pamir slab and the consequent migratory extension in the South Pamir.

Abstract Clinical success of IL-17/IL-23 pathway biologics for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis suggests that targeting RORγt, a master regulator for the proliferation and function of Th17 cells, could be an effective alternative. However, oral RORγ antagonists (VTP43742, TAK828) with high systemic exposure showed toxicity in phase I/II clinical trials and terminated development. To alleviate the potential safety concerns, identifying compounds with skin-restricted exposure amenable for topical use is of great interest. Systematic structure activity relationship study and multi-parameter optimization led to the discovery of a novel RORγ antagonist (SHR168442) with desired properties for a topical drug. It suppressed the transcription of IL-17 gene, leading to reduction of IL-17 cytokine secretion. It showed high exposure in skin, but low in plasma. Topical application of SHR168442 in Vaseline exhibited excellent efficacy in the imiquimod-induced and IL-23-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation mouse models and correlated with the reduction of Th17 pathway cytokines, IL-6, TNFα and IL-17A. This work demonstrated restricted skin exposure of RORγ antagonist may provide a new topical treatment option as targeted therapeutics for mild to moderate psoriasis patients and may be suitable for the treatment of any other inflammatory disorders that are accessible locally.

Natural gas is a clean and efficient energy source. Shale gas, one of the unconventional natural gases, is becoming an indispensable part of natural gas. Compared with marine facies shale gas, which has large-scale exploitation, marine and continental transitional facies shale gas have greater development potential. It could be the new direction of development in the future. In this article, the basic geological characteristics, sedimentary environment, and reservoir characteristics of organic-rich transitional facies shale in the southern Sichuan basin are analyzed by lithologic characteristics, chemical element analysis, reservoir space, gas bearing characteristics, and so on and are compared with domestic and abroad transitional shale gas. The results show that the sedimentary period of transitional shale of Upper Permian Leping Formation has a high paleoproductivity level and deposition rate favorable for the accumulation of organic matter in southern Sichuan basin. It was warm and humid paleoclimatic by Sr, V, Cr, Ni, Co, and other trace elements analysis. According to the experimental test analysis of reservoir characteristics, the organic matter is mainly type Ⅲ kerogen, and the thermal evolution degree is mainly overmature in the reservoir. The reservoir space is mainly of microfractures and micropores. The main types of micropore development are intergranular pore, intragranular pore, and organic pore. Compared with other shale gas regions that form industrial airflow, the study region with large thickness, highly brittle mineral content, high level of organic carbon content, and excellent gas-bearing characteristics, it has favorable conditions for shale gas accumulation. The southern Sichuan basin could be the key area for breakthroughs in the exploration and development of transitional shale gas in the next step.

To understand the constrains of multi-scale microscopic pore-throat distributions to the movable fluid in tight sandstone reservoirs, high-pressure mercury injection and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were employed to obtain the distribution characteristics of micro-scale pore-throat distributions of Chang 6, Chang 7 and Chang 8 oil-bearing sections of the Yanchang Formation in the southeastern part of the Yishan slope, Ordos Basin. The occurrences feature of movable fluid in tight sandstone reservoirs were also investigated by centrifugal experiment and the T2 spectrum analysis of NMR. Results show that the microscopic pore-throat radius distribution in the tight sandstone reservoirs of Yanchang Formation has a wide distribution (ranging from 1. 13 to 3 050. 80 nm), mainly distributed from 10 to 500 nm, referring to micro- and nano-scale pore-throats and mainly were nano-scale. The movable fluid saturation in tight sandstone reservoirs ranged from 9. 83% to 25. 64% with an average value of 17.53%, indicating a low content in tight sandstone reservoirs. The porosity and permeability of studied reservoirs were positively correlated to the pore-throats having movable fluid, indicating the physical properties of reservoirs playing a role in controlling the distribution of movable fluid in tight sandstone reservoirs.The ratio of pore-throat which greater than 50 nm, and ratio of pore-throat greater than 100 nm, the maximum pore-throat radius, peak pore throat radius etc., showed a positive correlation with the porosity of movable fluid in tight sandstone reservoirs. It can be indicated that the distribution of relative larger pore-throasts, especially those larger than 100 nm, have strong controlling affection to the relative content of movable fluid in tight sand- stone reservoirs. The sorting coefficient of pore-throat is positively correlated with the content of flexible fluid due to the well-sorted tight sandstones with a wide pore-throat radius distribution in tight sandstone reservoirs are dominated by fine pore-throats.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in elective foot and ankle surgeries and identify the associated risk factors. Methods This was designed as a retrospective study, including patients who underwent elective surgery of foot and ankle between July 2015 and June 2018. Data on demographics, comorbidities, and perioperative parameters were collected from the medical records, the laboratory report, the operation report, and the outpatient follow-up registration database. SSI was defined in accordance with the Center for Disease Control criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the independent risk factors for SSI. Results A total of 1201 patients undergoing 1259 elective foot/ankle surgeries were included, of whom 26 (2.1%) had an SSI, representing an incidence rate of 1.3% for superficial SSI and 0.8% for deep SSI, respectively. The results for organism culture showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 7 cases, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in 6, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in 5, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci (MRCNS) in 2, Escherichia coli in 2, and Proteus mirabilis in 1 case. Five factors were identified to be independently associated with SSI, including prolonged preoperative stay (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.30), allograft or bone substitute (OR, 3.76; 95% CI, 1.51 to 5.30), elevated FBG level (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.26), lower ALB level (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.19 to 3.05), and abnormal NEUT count (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.12). Conclusions SSI following elective foot and ankle surgeries is low, but relatively high in forefoot surgeries, requiring particular attention in clinical practice. Although most not modifiable, these identified factors aid in risk assessment of SSI and accordingly stratifying patients and therefore should be kept in mind.

The Neoproterozoic is a very important stage in the global tectonic evolution, which experienced the amalgamation and break-up of the Rodinia. The Nanhua and Sinian strata in the Tarim Basin, which is one of the three major craton basins, have recorded a great deal of information about the tectonic attributes and plate dynamics of the basin in the Neoproterozoic. These are also the key strata for deep oil and gas exploration in the Tarim Craton Basin. Based on field investigations and studies of sedimentary characteristics, this paper studies the U-Pb dating of detrital zircons and provenance of sediments from the Sinian strata outcropped on the northwestern margin of the Tarim Basin. The age distribution of detrital zircons from the Sugetebrak Formation have five peaks in age of about 2 600, 2 300, 2 000-1 800, 790-730 and 620 Ma. The detrital zircons with peak ages of 2 600, 2 300 and 2 000-1 800 Ma are from the Neoarchean-Mesoproterozoic basement within the Tarim Craton, the detrital zircons with peak ages of 790-730 Ma may be derived from magmatic rocks formed by rifting during the late Neoproterozoic in the Tarim Basin, and the zircons with a peak age of 620 Ma were directly derived from magmatism at the time of formation deposition. These results suggest that the clastic material may have originated in the Tarim Basin itself. In view of the fault depression to depression structure on seismic profile, the rapidly filled turbidite sedimentary construction in the Nanhua strata, the transformation of Sinian strata from a clastic rock sequence to a marine carbonate sequence, and the magmatism during the sedimentary period of the Sinian Sugetebrak Formation, it is concluded that the northwestern margin of the Tarim Basin experienced the transition from fault-depression to rift subsidence during the Sinian.

Abstract Background This study aimed to compare the operative outcome of percutaneous repair (modified Bunnell suture technique) versus open repair (bundle-to-bundle suture technique) of acute Achilles tendon rupture. Methods Seventy-two consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment of Achilles tendon rupture were evaluated in this prospective study. Thirty-six patients were treated using the bundle-to-bundle suture technique (group A), and 36 patients were treated using the modified Bunnell suture technique (group B). All patients underwent functional examination comprising measurement of the calf muscle circumference and performance of the single-leg heel-rise test. The length and diameter of the Achilles tendon were compared between the injured and uninjured sides on magnetic resonance imaging. The number of single-leg heel rises (height > 5 cm) performed within 15 s was compared between the injured and uninjured sides. The ankle range of motion was also recorded. The Achilles tendon total rupture score (ATRS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale score, and visual analog scale (VAS) pain score were used to evaluate the clinical outcome at 12 months postoperatively. Results A total of 61 patients were followed up. The mean follow-up duration did not significantly differ between group A (23.73 ± 2.81 months) and group B (22.61 ± 3.96 months). However, there were significant differences between groups in the heel-rise test (group A, 1.74 ± 0.96; group B, 2.37 ± 1.42) and length of the Achilles tendon (group A, 11.98 ± 1.64 cm; group B, 11.11 ± 1.74 cm). The calf circumference of the injured side was significantly larger in group A than in group B (p = 0.043). The cross-sectional diameter of the Achilles tendon was significantly smaller in group A than group B. At final follow-up, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the ATRS, AOFAS score, or VAS score. One patient in group A had delayed wound healing, which resolved in 40 days. Conclusions Patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture treated with open repair (bundle-to-bundle suture technique) achieved a better clinical outcome regarding the heel-rise test and calf circumference compared with those treated with percutaneous repair (modified Bunnell suture technique). Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000035229 , 8/4/2020, Retrospectively registered.

Abstract Objective To investigate the incidence of postoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVP) in patients undergoing surgeries for ankle fractures and identify the associated risk factors. Methods This was a retrospective study. A total of 1451 patients undergoing surgery of ankle fractures from January 2016 to June 2019 were included. The inpatient medical record system was inquired for data collection, including demographics, comorbidities, injury, and surgery-related data, and laboratory biomarkers. DVT of the lower extremity was diagnosed by routine Doppler examination. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the independent risk factors. Results Among the 1451 patients, DVT was confirmed in 38 cases, indicating an incidence of 2.6%. DVT involved both the operated and non-operated limbs in 8 patients (21.1%). DVT involved superficial femoral vein in 4 cases (6.6%), deep femoral vein in 2 (3.3%), popliteal vein in 5 (8.2%), posterior tibial vein in 11 (18.0%), and peroneal vein in 39 (63.9%). The median interval between operation and diagnosis of DVT was 7 days. Six risk factors were identified to be independently associated with DVT, including age (10-year increase) (OR, 1.44), preoperative stay (delay of each day) (OR, 1.11), anesthesia (general vs regional) (OR, 3.51), lower hemoglobin level (OR, 2.02), total cholesterol > 5.2 mmol/L (OR, 3.20), and reduced lymphocyte count (OR, 3.16). Conclusion These identified factors, although not easily modifiable, do help counsel patients about the risk of DVT and help individualized assessment of the risk factors and accordingly the risk stratification.

Aviation structures are required to be resistant to impact damage from hail. Therefore, aiming to gain a better understanding of such impacts, the formation mechanisms, spherically layered structures, and layer-density distributions of real hail were investigated. Based on analysis of the influence of different constitutive model parameters on the impact load on a metal target plate, a layered finite-element hail model was established, and this and several equivalent hail models were simulated and compared in terms of the dynamic responses during impact with a Ti6Al4V alloy plate target. The results showed that the characteristic values of the contact forces and impact displacements of spherically layered hail were lower than those for equivalent hailstones with the same mass or diameter. The spherically layered modeling of hail could provide a method for fine analysis of the phenomenology of hailstone impacts.

We use stratigraphic, sedimentological, and borehole data and seismic profiles from the western Tarim Basin to document its Mesozoic tectonic evolution. A nearly 60-km-wide, Triassic fold-and-thrust belt along the southwestern margin of Tarim Basin is unconformably overlain by a Jurassic-Cretaceous sedimentary sequence along a regional angular unconformity. The Lower-Middle Jurassic strata consist mainly of an upward-fining sequence ranging from terrestrial conglomerates to turbidite deposits, which represent the products of an initial rift stage. Palaeocurrent analyses show that sediments for these rift deposits were derived from the paleo-Kunlun and paleo-Tienshan Mountains to the southwest and northern, respectively. The overlying Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous series consist of coarse-grained, alluvial fan to braided river deposits in the lower stratigraphic member, and lagoonal mudstones and marine carbonates in the upper member. These finer-grained rocks were deposited in a subsiding basin, indicating that a significant change and reorientation in the drainage system should have occurred within the basin during the Early Cretaceous. The western Tarim Basin evolved from a syn-rift stage to a post-rift stage during the Jurassic-Cretaceous. A post-orogenic stretch developed due to the evolution of the Paleo-Tethyan orogenic belt in Central Asia is a likely geodynamic mechanism for this major tectonic switch from a contractional episode in the Triassic to an extensional deformation phase in the Jurassic-Cretaceous.

Single event effect (SEE) induced mutual interference in CMOS circuits, including single event (SE) induced coupling effects (crosstalk) and modulation in local supply voltage on power-supply rails, was studied based on the increase in metal interconnect density. The dependence of SE vulnerability on metal interconnects was experimentally investigated using heavy ions and pulsed laser. Numerical simulation was performed to evaluate the modulation in local supply voltage induced by SEEs. Two groups of test structures with various metal interconnects between well contacts and the first metal layer were designed and fabricated. All other parts, including well contacts in the active regions, are of the same structures. Experimental results show that the upset cross section decreases with an increase in metal interconnect contact (CT) density between the active region and the first metal layer, suggesting a dominant contribution of rail voltage drop induced by charge sharing rather than SE-induced crosstalk. The differences in upset cross sections with cells of different CT hole densities appear the most evident ones under low frequency and high linear energy transfer value conditions. When transient-induced upsets play a more important role, the differences get weakened due to masking effects.

Abnormal pressure commonly exists in foreland basins that are closely related to the oil and gas reservoir. A deep understanding of the distribution of the said kind of pressure in various reservoirs and characteristic types of abnormally high-pressure gas reservoirs are supplementary to the theory of the fluid storage tank. This paper analyzed in detail the characteristics of this atypical distribution of high-pressure in typical local and foreign foreland basins, as well as their relationship with gas reservoirs. The three types of abnormal high-pressure gas reservoirs are identified as follows: box type, top seal type, and pressure transfer type. The box type is mainly characterized by the reservoir of a source reservoir superposition with a stable structure. The unusual high pressure occurs in the reservoir and the cap rock, which are mainly results of hydrocarbon supercharging and under-compacting deposition. The top seal type is predominated by the high pressure in the cap rock, while the pressure in the reservoir may be normal or not. The abnormally high pressure may be caused by under-compacted deposition, strong oil and gas filling, as well as tectonic compression. It is also worth noting that the pressure transfer type is dominated by secondary gas reservoirs with active tectonics. The pressure has a decreasing trend from the deep to the shallow area due to the formation of pressure conduction caused by pressure relief or deterioration of storage conditions, as well as lithological changes brought by fractures. Determining the types of abnormal high-pressure gas reservoirs have a great significance to the exploration of the said gas reservoirs themselves. Moreover, their classification can avoid accidental drillings in the foreland basin. Keywords: Foreland basin, Abnormal pressure, Abnormal high-pressure, Pressure coefficient, Types of gas reservoirs

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology is an effective way to resolve the problems of energy consumption and air pollution. Energy management strategies are critical to the performance of HEVs. In this paper, a novel energy management strategy of equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS)-type is proposed for parallel HEVs based on energy prediction (ECMS-EP). The energy prediction is estimated based on the predicted velocity that is calculated by a chaining-neural-network method over different temporal horizons. A novel adaptive rule has been developed by eliminating the need to reset the initial equivalent factor (EF) based on the energy prediction to adjust the EF of ECMS-EP in real time. The control objective is to improve the fuel economy and sustain the state of charge (SoC). Then, via MATLAB/Simulink, simulations are conducted in three different prediction horizon lengths to verify the performance of the proposed ECMS-EP with adaptive rules. The simulation results show that the proposed ECMS-EP is able to achieve more stable SoC trajectories and better fuel economy with a fuel consumption reduction of 2.7%-7% compared with the traditional adaptive-ECMS.

Forecasting future driving conditions such as acceleration, velocity, and driver behaviors can greatly contribute to safety, mobility, and sustainability issues in the development of new energy vehicles (NEVs). In this brief, a review of existing velocity prediction techniques is studied from the perspective of traffic flow and vehicle lateral dynamics for the first time. A classification framework for velocity prediction in NEVs is presented where various state-of-the-art approaches are put forward. Firstly, we investigate road traffic flow models, under which a driving-scenario-based assessment is introduced. Secondly, vehicle speed prediction methods for NEVs are given where an extensive discussion on traffic flow model classification based on traffic big data and artificial intelligence is carried out. Thirdly, the influence of vehicle lateral dynamics and correlation control methods for vehicle speed prediction are reviewed. Suitable applications of each approach are presented according to their characteristics. Future trends and questions in the development of NEVs from different angles are discussed. Finally, different from existing review papers, we introduce application examples, demonstrating the potential applications of the highlighted concepts in next-generation intelligent transportation systems. To sum up, this review not only gives the first comprehensive analysis and review of road traffic network, vehicle handling stability, and velocity prediction strategies, but also indicates possible applications of each method to prospective designers, where researchers and scholars can better choose the right method on velocity prediction in the development of NEVs.

Abstract: Based on distribution of formation pressure by indirect estimation and formation testing, this study investigates origin of abnormal high pressure in the Dina 2 Gas Field in the Kuqa Depression in combination with the latest research findings. Contribution of major overpressure mechanisms to this gas field is estimated, and generation of the abnormal high pressure as well as its relationship with natural gas accumulation is explored. Disequilibrium compaction, tectonic stress, and overpressure transfer are the major overpressure mechanisms. Overpressure transfer resulted from vertical opening of faults and folding is the most important cause for the overpressure. Gas accumulation and abnormal high pressure generation in the reservoirs of the Dina 2 Gas Field show synchroneity. During the early oil-gas charge in the Kangcun stage, the reservoirs were generally normal pressure systems. In the Kuqa deposition stage, rapid deposition caused disequilibrium compaction and led to generation of excess pressure (approximately 5–10 MPa) in the reservoirs. During the Kuqa Formation denudation stage to the Quaternary, reservoir overpressure was greatly increased to approximately 40–50 MPa as a result of vertical pressure transfer by episodic fault activation, lateral overpressure transfer by folding and horizontal tectonic stress due to intense tectonic compression. The last stage was the major period of ultra-high pressure generation and gas accumulation in the Dina 2 Gas Field. Key words: abnormal high pressure, overpressure transfer, tectonic compression, Dina 2 Gas Field, Kuqa Depression

This article presents an energy management method for a parallel hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) based on approximate Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle (A-PMP). The A-PMP optimizes gearshift commands and torque distribution for overall energy efficiency. As a practical numerical solution in PMP, the proposed methodology utilizes a piecewise linear approximation of the engine fuel rate and state of charge (SOC) derivative by considering drivability and fuel economy simultaneously. Moreover, battery aging is explicitly studied by introducing a control-oriented model, which aims to investigate the effect of battery aging on the optimization performance in the development of the HEVs. An approximate energy management strategy with piecewise linear models is then formulated by the A-PMP, which targets a better performance for the Hamiltonian optimization. The gearshift map is extracted from the optimal results in the standard PMP to hinder frequent gearshift by considering both drivability and fuel economy. Utilizing an approximated Hamilton function, the torque distribution, gearshift command, and the battery aging degradation are jointly optimized under a unified framework. Simulations are performed for dynamic programming (DP), PMP, and A-PMP to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results indicate that the proposed methodology achieves a close fuel economy compared with the DP-based optimal solution. Moreover, it improves the computation efficiency by 50% and energy saving by 3.5%, compared with the PMP, while ensuring good drivability and fuel efficiency.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) have been proven to be a promising solution to environmental pollution and fuel savings. The benefit of the solution is generally realized as the amount of fuel consumption saved, which by itself represents a challenge to develop the right energy management strategies (EMSs) for HEVs. Moreover, meeting the design requirements are essential for optimal power distribution at the price of conflicting objectives. To this end, a significant number of EMSs have been proposed in the literature, which require a categorization method to better classify the design and control contributions, with an emphasis on fuel economy, providing power demand, and real-time applicability. The presented review targets two main headlines: (a) offline EMSs wherein global optimization-based EMSs and rule-based EMSs are presented; and (b) online EMSs, under which instantaneous optimization-based EMSs, predictive EMSs, and learning-based EMSs are put forward. Numerous methods are introduced, given the main focus on the presented scheme, and the basic principle of each approach is elaborated and compared along with its advantages and disadvantages in all aspects. In this sequel, a comprehensive literature review is provided. Finally, research gaps requiring more attention are identified and future important trends are discussed from different perspectives. The main contributions of this work are twofold. Firstly, state-of-the-art methods are introduced under a unified framework for the first time, with an extensive overview of existing EMSs for HEVs. Secondly, this paper aims to guide researchers and scholars to better choose the right EMS method to fill in the gaps for the development of future-generation HEVs.

Increasing environmental issues and energy crises led to rapid developments of hybrid electric vehicles, especially the planetary hybrid powertrain system (PHPS). This paper presents a comprehensive review of the PHPS, focusing primarily on contributions in the aspect of configuration, classification and comparison. In this work, a new classification method for PHPS architectures is proposed according to the number of electric motors (EMs). In addition, two kinds of PHPS, in the new classification framework, are extensively emphasized in terms of its architectures, advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, the port diagrams of representative architectures are presented to provide an intuitive method for power flow representation. Finally, a conclusion is made to provide an insight for developing PHPS as well.

It is well known that accurate identification of the key state parameters and State of Charge (SOC) estimation method for a Li-ion battery cell is of great significance for advanced battery management system (BMS) of electric vehicles (EVs), which further facilitates the commercialization of EVs. This study proposed a systematic experimental data-driven parameter identification scheme and an adaptive extended Kalman Filter (AEKF)-based SOC estimation algorithm for a Li-Ion battery equivalent circuit model in EV applications. The key state parameters of Li-ion battery cell were identified based on the second-order resistor capacitor (RC) equivalent circuit model and the experimental battery test data using genetic algorithm (GA). Meanwhile, the proposed parameter identification procedure was validated by carrying out a comparative study of the simulated and experimental output voltage under the same input current profile. Then, SOC estimation was performed based on the AEKF algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed SOC estimator was verified by loading different operating profiles.

This paper presents a new energy management system based on equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) for hybrid electric vehicles. The aim is to enhance fuel economy and impose state of charge (SoC) charge-sustainability. First, the relationship between the equivalent factor (EF) of ECMS and the co-state of pontryagin’s minimum principle (PMP) is derived. Second, a new method of implementing the adaptation law using fuzzy proportional plus integral (PI) controller is developed to adjust EF for ECMS in real-time. This adaptation law is more robust than one with constant EF due to the variation of EF as well as driving cycle. Finally, simulations for two driving cycles using ECMS are conducted as opposed to the commonly used rule-based (RB) control strategy, indicating that the proposed adaptation law can provide a promising blend in terms of fuel economy and charge-sustainability. The results confirm that ECMS with Fuzzy PI adaptation law is more robust than ECMS with constant EF as well as PI adaptation law and it achieves significant improvements compared with RB in terms of fuel economy, which is enhanced by 4.44% and 14.7% for china city bus cycle and economic commission of Europe (ECE) cycle, respectively.