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This paper describes a study on the heat transfer properties of the deeply buried pipeline energy pile group, which is an efficient and convenient geothermal development technology. Through in situ experiments and a simulation algorithm, the research investigated the heat transmission characteristics of the deeply buried pipe energy pile group and optimized different intermittent operation schemes. The findings suggest that prolonged operation of the pile cluster intensifies heat buildup within the pile foundation, thereby adversely affecting the system’s overall heat exchange efficiency. Employing an intermittent operating mode can alleviate this heat accumulation phenomenon, thereby promoting sustained heat exchange performance of the piles over time. To evaluate the comprehensive thermal interaction and energy efficiency ratio of the energy pile heat exchange system, various intermittent operation strategies were compared in the study. Among them, the intermittent operational scheme with a ratio of n = 5 was found to be optimal, with the total average heat transfer rate of the pile set only 0.51% lower than that of the continuous operational mode, but the overall energy efficiency ratio improved by 19.6%. The intermittent operational mode proposed in this study can achieve the goal of saving energy and efficiently extracting geothermal resources, providing theoretical guidance for the extraction and utilization of subsurface geothermal power by energy piles.

The antral follicle stage is a critical period in mammalian oocyte maturation, marked by complex interactions between oocyte development and neighboring granulosa cells. Understanding the heterogeneity and communication patterns of granulosa cells within antral follicles is crucial for deciphering their roles in follicle development and oocyte maturation. Here, we employed single-cell RNA-sequencing to explore the molecular and cellular characteristics of porcine antral follicles. Our analysis revealed distinct subpopulations within mural and cumulus granulosa cells, indicating diverse cellular states and functions within the follicles. Functional enrichment analysis unveiled the involvement of specific subpopulations in steroid biosynthesis, cumulus expansion, and cellular communication. Moreover, comparing mature and less mature follicles highlighted differences in cell distribution and functions, indicating developmental-specific variations. Our findings shed light on the intricate cellular heterogeneity and communication network within porcine antral follicles, providing valuable insights into the regulation of follicle development and oocyte maturation in pigs. These results hold promise for improving pig reproductive efficiency and advancing human reproductive medicine.

Pigs have become an ideal model system for human disease research and development and an important farm animal that provides a valuable source of nutrition. To profile the all-sided gene expression and their biological functions across multiple tissues, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of gene expression on a large scale around the side of housekeeping genes (HKGs), tissue specific genes (TSGs), and the co-expressed genes in 14 various tissues. In this study, we identified 2351 HKGs and 3018 TSGs across tissues, among which 4 HKGs (COX1, UBB, OAZ1/NPFF) exhibited low variation and high expression levels, and 31 particular TSGs (e.g., PDC, FKBP6, STAT2, and COL1A1) were exclusively expressed in several tissues, including endocrine brain, ovaries, livers, backfat, jejunum, kidneys, lungs, and longissimus dorsi muscles. We also obtained 17 modules with 230 hub genes (HUBGs) by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. On the other hand, HKGs functions were enriched in the signaling pathways of the ribosome, spliceosome, thermogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and nucleocytoplasmic transport, which have been highly suggested to involve in the basic biological tissue activities. While TSGs were highly enriched in the signaling pathways that were involved in specific physiological processes, such as the ovarian steroidogenesis pathway in ovaries and the renin-angiotensin system pathway in kidneys. Collectively, these stable, specifical, and co-expressed genes provided useful information for the investigation of the molecular mechanism for an understanding of the genetic and biological processes of complex traits in pigs.