Search

Summary: In order to achieve efficiency extremum of power conversion independent of parameter values and operational mode, an adaptive dual‐controller on‐line efficiency optimization method is presented in this paper. Firstly, based on tri‐modal analysis for four‐switch buck‐boost (FSBB) converter, efficiency extremum analysis is given and existed for such this converter. Then, adaptive dual controller on‐line efficiency seeking algorithm is shown to adaptive two variables for efficiency optimization and output voltage regulation. Furthermore, perturb and observe detector is described to realize control variables decoupling of dual‐controller and to prevent the instability of the whole system during the algorithm tuning process and to improve the algorithm speed of the dual controller. The proposed method is model independent and does not depend on the circuit parameter values. The detail implement of algorithm and performance analysis is given, and the experimental platform and experimental results are put forward to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale reservoir has strong heterogeneity in mineral composition and oil content even at a short distance in the same interval. To better understand the accumulation mechanism of shale oil and hydrocarbon migration tendency in the interval, and explore the main influencing factors of distribution. This paper employed various methods, including thin‐section observation, TOC (total organic matter (OM)) analysis, rock pyrolysis, Soxhlet extraction, group component separation, and GC–MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) analysis of saturated hydrocarbons. The shale oil samples were collected from an exploratory well in the Songliao Basin, and the distribution and enrichment characteristics of shale oil interlayers were analysed. The results show that the first member of Qingshankou Formation (K2qn1) could be divided into six small layers. From Q1 to Q6, the lithofacies could be divided into three types: high‐frequency laminar shale, massive shale, and bioclastic shale. The lacustrine matrix shale of K2qn1 in Songliao Basin has medium TOC, and high oil contents, OM conversion rate. The TOC ranges from 1.5 to 4.2 wt%, S1 varies between 1.4 and 4 mg/g, S2 falls within the range of 4 to 10.6 mg/g, Tmax ranges from 351 to 497°C, and the OSI varies between 57 and 115.34 mg HC/g rock. The lower part of the K2qn1, Q1–Q4, characterized by high‐frequency laminar shale, contained residual shale oil, while the upper part of the K2qn1, Q5 and Q6, characterized by bioclastic shale and massive mudstone, and are dominated by in‐situ type shale oil. The crude oil in K2qn1 is homologous, and primarily undergoes micro‐migration. The Q5–Q6 section has the highest light oil content, while other regions with notable light components are located in the middle of Q1, the upper sections of Q2, Q3, and Q4.Q1–Q4 are primarily composed of residual shale oil, whereas Q5–Q6 is primarily composed of in‐situ shale oil, and the primary micro‐migration direction of shale oil occurs laterally within Q1–Q4. The lateral migration of each section mainly occurs at the upper part of Q3 and Q4, the lower part of Q1 and Q2, the bottom of Q5, and the interface between Q6 and the second member of Qingshankou formation (K2qn2). The block mudstone retains in‐situ shale oil, especially light hydrocarbons. Within the high‐frequency laminar shale, there is strong horizontal connectivity, and lateral hydrocarbon expulsion serves as the primary mechanism for micro‐migration in Q1–Q4. This paper can provide reference values for K2qn1 Formation shale oil and the migration and differential reservoir formation of medium and high‐maturity matrix shale oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an autoimmune disease with cardiovascular disease as its main complication, mainly affecting children under 5 years old. KD treatment has made tremendous progress in recent years, but intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance remains a major dilemma. Bibliometric analysis had not been used previously to summarize and analyze publications related to IVIG resistance in KD. This study aimed to provide an overview of the knowledge framework and research hotspots in this field through bibliometrics, and provide references for future basic and clinical research. Methods: Through bibliometric analysis of relevant literature published on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database between 1997 and 2023, we investigated the cooccurrence and collaboration relationships among countries, institutions, journals, and authors and summarized key research topics and hotspots. Results: Following screening, a total of 364 publications were downloaded, comprising 328 articles and 36 reviews. The number of articles on IVIG resistance increased year on year and the top three most productive countries were China, Japan, and the United States. Frontiers in Pediatrics had the most published articles, and the Journal of Pediatrics had the most citations. IVIG resistance had been studied by 1889 authors, of whom Kuo Ho Chang had published the most papers. Conclusion: Research in the field was focused on risk factors, therapy (atorvastatin, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha inhibitors), pathogenesis (gene expression), and similar diseases (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, MIS‐C). "Treatment," "risk factor," and "prediction" were important keywords, providing a valuable reference for scholars studying this field. We suggest that, in the future, more active international collaborations are carried out to study the pathogenesis of IVIG insensitivity, using high‐throughput sequencing technology. We also recommend that machine learning techniques are applied to explore the predictive variables of IVIG resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Aiming to the problems of high circulating current and low efficiency caused by the traditional strategy of dual active bridge (DAB) converter under light load, in this paper, simple graphical optimization method (GSO) is proposed to improve the efficiency of dual active bridge converter. Through the contour plot of transmission power and current stress, optimal efficiency point can be obtained by tangent of contour map under condition of constant power, and heavily calculation or complex iterations of existing conventional control strategies are avoided. Moreover, analysis of proposed graphical current stress optimization is addressed, and controller design of proposed method is given and described. Efficiency comparison between traditional modulation strategy and GSO is given to show the advantage of proposed mothed. An experimental prototype is built to verify the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a facile and economical hybrid additive manufacturing (HAM)technology combining fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing and laser‐activated selective electroless plating (ELP) for fabricating full functional end‐use 3D customized electronics. A functional acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament doped with dicopper hydroxide phosphate (Cu2(OH)PO4) catalysts is developed for FDM 3D printing. The 3D printed structure is selectively laser‐activated to generate CuI plating seeds on the ABS surface and then electrolessly plated. The poor surface finish, especially the layer lines, is an intrinsic defect of extrusion 3D printing, which not only affected the fabrication quality of the 3D substrates but also the electrical performance of the attached circuitry. Herein, a chemical polishing process based on acetone vapor is explored and characterized to significantly improve the surface quality and thereby the electrical performance of the attached copper layer. In this way, highly conductive metallic circuitry can be freeformly deposited and patterned on the 3D structure which is extremely attractive for customized 3D electronics. To show the application potential of this technology, a 3D conformal 555 timer astable oscillator circuit board and a hot‐wire flowmeter are developed as demonstrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient personalized treatment models can predict treatment response and assist in determining the optimal treatment option for individual patients. The tumor microenvironment mediates tumor development and prognosis. However, current tumor models such as patient‐derived tumor xenograft (PDX) and 2D culture models fail to preserve the patient‐derived tumor microenvironment. Herein, a technique for acoustic‐droplet‐printing‐of‐patient‐derived‐organoids (ADPDOs) is reported, which allows for high‐throughput, high‐viability, rapid, and uniform printing preparation of patient‐derived organoids. In particular, the ADPDOs are uniform in size and retain the parental tumor/fibroblast cell composition, mimicking a more realistic 3D environment of parent tissue in vitro, with histological features and protein expression closer to that of the tissue. Therefore, ADPDOs hold promise for application in personalized precision therapy for different patients. The authors test the clinical drug treatment response of different patients in a fast and convenient way to predict the therapeutic effect of various patients. Thus, this technique has great potential for predicting treatment response to personalized cancer therapy and constructing complex 3D tissue models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the issue of keeping the converter operating at a high efficiency level under different conditions, this paper suggests an adaptive step frequency adjustment online optimization search algorithm, which achieves the goal of fast adjustment and real‐time response to parameter changes. The converter is quickly adjusted to operate at a high efficiency by sampling the input and output current values and modulating the switching frequency utilizing the algorithm. Additionally, the algorithm shifts between two working models to finish the search for the best switching frequency while the converter's characteristics do not change. Moreover, it accomplishes the objective of instantly resynchronizing the algorithm after a change in the converter's parameters and starting a search for the best switching frequency in the new converter state. For various input voltages and output loads, the operating principle, optimal frequency, and efficiency are given. In addition, the principle analysis when the converter parameters are changed is provided, and the choice of two algorithm models is compared. Finally, a prototype buck converter with adjustable input voltage and load is constructed to test the algorithm's efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the microstructure and composition of the Ti‐ and Ta‐doped Nb3Al superconductor fabricated by rapid heating, quenching, and transformation (RHQT) process are compared. After rapid heating and quenching (RHQ) process, body‐centered cubic (bcc) phase is formed in all the wires, showing dark stripe and bright contrast morphology in the backscattered electron (BSE) images. After transformation heat‐treatment, all wires consist of A15 phase and show the same morphology as that of the quenched samples. Near‐stoichiometric composition is shown in 3 at% Ti‐ and Ta‐doped Nb3Al samples, but when doping amount is 10 at%, Ti‐doped sample has constant Nb content of 67 at% and Ta‐doped sample has Al + Ta content of 25 at%. Superconducting properties of both 3 at% Ti‐ and Ta‐doped Nb3Al samples are comparable and much superior than that of 10 at% doped samples, including critical temperature (Tc), critical current density (Jc), and irreversible field (Birr). Though 10 at% Ta‐doped Nb3Al has higher Tc than 10 at% Ti‐doped sample, it presents wider ΔTc value and lower Jc performance. When increasing the measurement temperature from 8 to 10 K, the decay ratio of Birr value for Ti‐doped Nb3Al superconductor follows the scaling law; however, the Ta‐doped samples are not the case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of cervical cancer is closely related to high‐risk human papillomavirus (HR‐HPV). Women in Jingzhou had relatively high susceptibility to HPV‐51, whose ratio was 9.61% (456/4743) among HR‐HPV‐positive samples and ranked fifth in all analyzed HR‐HPV types. In this study, variations and phylogenetic trees of HPV‐51 E6−E7 and L1 sequences were analyzed by MEGA‐X. The selective pressure was estimated using PAML. The B‐cell epitope of L1 amino acid sequences and T‐cell epitope of E6 and E7 amino acid sequences were further predicted by ABCpred server and IEDB website, respectively. In the E6−E7 sequences 14 single nucleotide variants occurred, among which 4 were nonsynonymous variants and 10 were synonymous variants. A total of 41 single nucleotide variants were identified in the L1 sequences, including 10 nonsynonymous variants and 31 synonymous variants. All the isolates of both E6−E7 and L1 were classified into the A variant lineage. In HPV‐51 E6−E7 and L1 sequences, no positively selected site was found. Two nonconservative substitutions, H119Y and N176S in L1, affected multiple hypothetical B‐cell epitopes. Three nonconservative substitutions, T86P, S100L in E6, and F29L in E7, affected multiple hypothetical T‐cell epitopes. Elucidation of the HR‐HPV prevalence characteristics and genetic variations of HPV‐51 in central China may contribute to future investigations of diagnostic probes, therapeutic or preventative vaccines with wider coverage. Highlights: This is the first study on the genetic variation of E6, E7, and L1 genes of human papillomavirus 51 in Hubei Province, China.Compared with the results of other geological locations, some new variants of E6, E7, and L1 genes of human papillomavirus 51 are found in this study.Phylogenetic analysis shows E6, E7, and L1 gene sequences of human papillomavirus 51 in central China are mostly distributed in the A lineage.This study provides information for the investigation of human papillomavirus epidemic characteristics. The discovery of new variants of human papillomavirus 51 may lay the basis for the development of the virus diagnosis and further study of cervical cancer in central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various adsorbents for CH4/N2 separation were developed to enrich low‐concentration coal‐mine methane. Most are hydrophilic and cannot treat moist coal‐mine methane. We report for the first time a microporous zeolitic imidazolate framework Co(dcIm)2 (TUT‐100) with superhydrophobic properties for CH4/N2 separation. The CH4 adsorption capacity and CH4/N2 selectivity were as high as 45.29 cm3/cm3 and 6.3 (298 K, 1 bar), respectively, which results from the suitable SOD cage size (0.80 nm). The H2O adsorption was lower than 6.3 cm3/g at 298 K and near saturated pressure due to the hydrophobic group Cl. Breakthrough experiments were carried out to indicate the significant potential for CH4/N2 adsorption separation in a humid environment. The adsorption behavior of the gas mixture on the TUT‐100 was investigated by the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo method and coupled with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil in an unconventional tight reservoir is considered to migrate from a very adjacent reservoir or be impregnated in situ within source rocks, but their large hydrocarbon molecular fractions during short‐distance migration in the tight system are poorly understood. In order to explore the evolution characteristics and differences of the geochemical properties, especially the biomarkers, between expelled oil (just detached from source rock and not undergoing long‐distance migration) and retained oil under different thermal evolution stages of lacustrine marlstone. Semi‐open hydrous pyrolysis was conducted on an immature lacustrine marlstone collected from the third member of the Eocene Shahejie Formation in Shulu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin and the hydrocarbon product expelled from and remained in the rock during pyrolysis were collected and analysed with gas chromatography–mass spectrum instrument. The results indicate that the saturates compositions show expelled oil having commonly lower thermal maturity than retained oil because expelled oil is a mixture of multiple‐term hydrocarbon expulsions, while retained oil is the remained final hydrocarbon product of pyrolysis in semi‐open experimental system. The hydrocarbon migration has a significant effect on the maturity‐related parameters distribution such as 20S/(20S + 20R) and αββ/(αββ + ααα) for C29 steranes. Hydrocarbon expulsion enables Ts/(Ts + Tm) ratio in expelled oil is much greater than that of retained oil at lower matural stage. The saturated hydrocarbon maturity biomarkers in retained oil and expelled oil vary in a subtly different pathways with increasing maturity, comparatively the aromatic hydrocarbon biomarkers, such as triaromatic steroids and methyl‐phenanthrene (MPI1 and MPI2), regularly changed during maturation, which is not obviously affected by migration effects and can be used not only for thermal maturity predications but also for oil–oil or oil–source correlation. C29 20S/(20S + 20R) and C29 αββ/(αββ + ααα) commonly are preferable maturity parameters for shale or mudstone, reflecting that mineral matrix and oil in source rock are not affected by migration and supposed to have an oil thermal maturity corresponding to depth. Combined with some tight reservoir cases in North America and China, the biomarker ratios variation along depth and its abnormal value can be used to predict sweet spots in tight reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH4) enrichment and purification is of great significance for increasing the heating value of unconventional natural gas sources and curtailing its effect on global warming. For a long time, commercial adsorbents for CH4 separation have been hampered by low adsorption capacities, sub‐optimal adsorption selectivities, or slow diffusion rates, which have significantly restricted separation productivity. Herein, we report a facile and green seed‐passaging method to fabricate donut‐like macro–meso–micro hierarchical zeolite K‐Chabazite nanocrystal aggregates. This consecutive seed‐inducing method requires no organic template. By utilizing this unique nanocrystallization technique, the CH4 adsorption capacity, gas diffusion rate, and separation productivity of the resultant material are dramatically increased compared with those of commercially available adsorbents, thus setting a new benchmark in CH4/N2 separation. More importantly, production of this adsorbent can be easily scaled‐up to the order of 100 kg using readily available raw materials in this environmentally friendly synthetic route, enabling potential industrial implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite‐supported metal catalysts have important applications in various catalytic reactions, but unveiling their atomic‐scale structures is always a grand challenge. The developed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization techniques, e.g., integrated differential‐phase contrast (iDPC) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is emerging as a powerful tool for visualizing the electron beam‐sensitive materials at atomic resolution, thus, providing new opportunities for imaging the exact configurations of metal species in the various channels of zeolites. This emerging topic summarizes recent progress utilizing iDPC‐STEM‐related technique for determination of the structures of metal species in zeolites that should offer insights into the structure‐property relationships of zeolite‐supported metal catalysts. A brief perspective about the new TEM technique is also presented, showing prospects in this field that will stimulate further scientific research in zeolite‐supported metal catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Human toxocariasis is a widespread zoonosis for which a chemotherapy decision and therapy effectiveness are difficult to determine. We aimed to investigate the kinetic profile of clinical and laboratory findings and treatment outcome of patients with toxocariasis in Vietnam. Methods: The prospective study was conducted between October 2017 and June 2019. The diagnosis of toxocariasis was established based on clinical, laboratory (eosinophilia, raised IgE concentration) and serological (positive Toxocara IgG ELISA) evaluation as well as the exclusion of another helminthic co‐infection. The patients were followed up after seven days, then one, three and six months after chemotherapy by thiabendazole. Results: The study involved 80 patients with a mean age of 41.6 ± 15.2 years of whom 58.8% were female. At three and six months after chemotherapy, most patients demonstrated resolution of clinical signs and symptoms, eosinophil count and IgE concentration but not in the proportion of IgG seropositivity. Skin lesions and eosinophilia resolved earlier than the other symptoms (one month after treatment). About four‐fifths of the patients were "cured" after three and six months of follow‐up; 33.8% showed side effects to thiabendazole therapy but no severe events were reported. The most common adverse reaction was neurologic symptoms followed by gastrointestinal or skin manifestations which lasted as long as 4 days. Conclusions: In toxocariasis patients, cutaneous manifestations and eosinophilia resolve more rapidly than other clinical and laboratory findings while IgG titre has a very slow kinetic after therapy. Thiabendazole seems to be a potential alternative for the treatment of human toxocariasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We adopted an institutional approach to examine the relationship between environmental awareness and pro‐environmental behavioral intention at the individual level. We also compared the moderating effects of regulative, normative, and cognitive social institutions on this relationship. Based on survey data representing 42,962 consumers from 39 nations, we found that consumers' environmental awareness promoted their pro‐environmental behavioral intention. Moreover, we found that normative social institutions negatively moderated the relationship between environmental awareness and pro‐environmental behavioral intention, whereas cognitive social institutions positively moderated this relationship. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these empirical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is challenging to separate 2,4‐/2,5‐xylenol isomers with very close boiling points. In the present work, a multistep process for the separation of 2,4‐/2,5‐xylenol isomers from coal tar was investigated, involving alkylation, distillation, and dealkylation. Starting from the selection of suitable catalyst, the operating conditions for alkylation, distillation, and dealkylation were optimized by varying key parameters systematically. Among the four catalysts examined, p‐toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) showed best performance in terms of conversion and selectivity. Under the optimized alkylation conditions, the yields of 6‐tert‐butyl‐2,4‐xylenol and 4‐tert‐butyl‐2,5‐xylenol were 97.3% and 86.2%, respectively. Following pH adjusted to 7–8 with 10% sodium carbonate and water washing, the minimum reflux ratios during distillation for obtaining 6‐tert‐butyl‐2,4‐xylenol and 4‐tert‐butyl‐2,5‐xylenol were 4 and 12, with product purity of 99.8% and 99.5%, respectively. Under the optimized dealkylation conditions, both yields of 2,4‐xylenol and 2,5‐xylenol reached 99.9%. After recrystallization, the final product purity was over 99.5%. This lab‐scale investigation provides key information for an on‐going pilot‐scale process design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality changes of mango with regard to water mobility and ice crystals were studied at different storage temperatures for 6 months. Mangoes were stored in the glassy state (T [−80 and − 60°C] < Tg′ and Tg′ < T [−49°C] < Tg″), partially freeze‐concentrated state (Tg′′ < T [−38°C] < Tm′), and rubbery state (T [−18°C] > Tm′). Results indicated that the most samples stored at −80 and − 60°C had no significant difference in the water mobility, freezable water, drip loss, and vitamin C after the same storage period. The Tg′ and Tg″ showed a different effect on the quality stability of frozen mangoes. In the glassy state, changes in water state, freezable water, and ice crystal size of frozen samples were slower, resulting in lower rate of quality changing (L* value, hardness, and vitamin C) than other conditions from 0 to 6 months. Practical applications: This study demonstrated the correlation between the water mobility and ice crystals of mango revealing the mechanism of physical and chemical changes in samples stored at different states during frozen storage. Compared to the partially freeze‐concentrated and rubbery state storages, the glassy state storage reduced the rate of the quality change in mangoes over time. Therefore, glassy state storage (below Tg″) has great potential for the food processing industry because it can improve frozen storage strategies and extend the shelf life of frozen mango during long‐term storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparse matrix computations are among the most important computational patterns, commonly used in geometry processing, physical simulation, graph algorithms, and other situations where sparse data arises. In many cases, the structure of a sparse matrix is known a priori, but the values may change or depend on inputs to the algorithm. We propose a new methodology for compile‐time specialization of algorithms relying on mixing sparse and dense linear algebra operations, using an extension to the widely‐used open source Eigen package. In contrast to library approaches optimizing individual building blocks of a computation (such as sparse matrix product), we generate reusable sparsity‐specific implementations for a given algorithm, utilizing vector intrinsics and reducing unnecessary scanning through matrix structures. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique on a benchmark of artificial expressions to quantitatively evaluate the benefit of our approach over the state‐of‐the‐art library Intel MKL. To further demonstrate the practical applicability of our technique we show that our technique can improve performance, with minimal code changes, for mesh smoothing, mesh parametrization, volumetric deformation, optical flow, and computation of the Laplace operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been significant progress in shale oil exploration in the first member of the Qingshankou Formation (K2qn1) in the Qijia‐Gulong Sag, Songliao Basin, Northeast China: It shows good prospects for shale oil. However, the recognized lack of the geochemical and hydrocarbon generation and expulsion characteristics of K2qn1 source rocks limits an accurate evaluation of shale oil resource. This study systematically investigated the geological and geochemical characteristics, hydrocarbon generation and expulsion, and shale oil potential of the K2qn1 source rocks. The results show that the K2qn1 mudstones were mainly deposited in the semideep and deep lacustrine facies under reducing and weak reducing conditions. Compared with the southern Gulong Sag, the northern Qijia Sag has a higher salinity, more abundant prosperous aquatic organisms, and a greater paleoproductivity. The K2qn1 source rocks are pervasive and continuous in the entire sag, with maximum thicknesses greater than 110 m. They have a higher organic matter (OM) abundance (2.40% of the average TOC), are dominated by type I and II1 kerogen, and are mature (0.8%‐0.1.3% VR), which indicate that they are good to excellent source rocks and have significant hydrocarbon generation potential. The source rocks in the Qijia Sag have a higher OM abundance, a better OM type, and a lower OM maturity than those in the Gulong Sag. The threshold and peak hydrocarbon expulsion values for marlstone source rocks are 0.85% VR and 0.95% VR, respectively. The volumes of hydrocarbons generated and expulsed from the K2qn1 source rocks are 121.8 × 108 t and 46.9 × 108 t, respectively, with a retention efficiency of 61.5%. The in‐place and recoverable resources of shale oil are 74.9 × 108 t and (12.0‐13.5) × 108 t, respectively, indicating that the entire sag has a significant shale oil potential, especially the Qijia Sag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore practical approaches for the evaluation of favorable shale gas areas, a structural decomposition analysis with respect to the index system, evaluation criteria, weight determination, and evaluation methods was carried out. Five types of indexes were determined from 25 subindexes that formed the index system, and improved whitenization weight functions are proposed to establish evaluation criteria. The index weights calculated using entropy weight and Euclidean distance methods are consistent, whereas the weights determined by gray relational analysis are significantly affected by the relative number of indexes and evaluation objects, selected mother factor, and resolution coefficient. The significant linear positive correlation between the relative approach degree values calculated using TOPSIS and the scores obtained using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) is indicative of a consistent evaluation result, but it should be noted that extreme indicator values can have strong effects on the evaluation using the fuzzy similarity method. Finally, an exploration strategy for China's shale gas is suggested: Areas with weak reformation and relatively low maturity are expected to be favorable for marine shale production in South China, and continental and transitional shale‐bearing basins are promising for the prospecting multiple‐origin shale gas and coal measure gas, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jurassic Yanan Formation is one of the most important coal‐producing formations and hydrocarbon source rocks in the Ordos Basin, North China. To evaluate the shale gas potential of the Yanan shale, a total of 48 samples from north Ordos Basin were sampled, and their geochemical, petrological, mineralogical and pore characteristics were investigated. It was found that the shale samples are a suite of early mature source rock. The total organic carbon (TOC) content ranges from 0.33% to 24.12% and the hydrogen index (HI) ranges from 43.31mg/g to 330.58 mg/g. The relationship between Tmax and HI indicates the organic matter is type II‐III. This conclusion is also supported by the organic petrological examination results, which shows that the kerogen is mainly liptinite and vitrinite. Minerals in the samples are composed mainly of quartz, clay and feldspar, and the clay minerals are composed of prevailing kaolinite, illite/smectite, chlorite and a small amount of illite. Under scanning electron microscope, OM pores in the Yanan shale are scarce except pores come from the kerogen intrinsic texture or clay aggregates within the organic particles. As the weak compaction caused by shallow burial depth, interparticle pores and intraparticle pores are common, the hydrocarbon storage capacity of the Yanan shale was improved. According to evaluation, the Yanan shale is considered as a good shale gas reservoir, but its hydrocarbon potential is more dependent on biogenic and coal‐derived gas as the thermogenic gas is limited by the lower thermal maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The influence of different osmotic solution pretreatments (sucrose and glucose with concentration of 45%) on desorption isotherms and glass transition temperatures (Tg) of mango was investigated. The Peleg model satisfactorily described the relationship between water activity (aw) and moisture content of all samples (0.992 < r2<0.997). The equilibrium moisture content of mangoes osmotically pretreated in sucrose was higher than that of samples pretreated in glucose. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to measure the Tg of samples equilibrated with different aw (0.12–0.75). The dependence of Tg on moisture content was adequately fitted by Gordon–Taylor model (0.946 < r2<0.949). The osmo‐dehydrated mangoes showed lower Tg than fresh samples at the same moisture content. Additionally, the samples osmotically pretreated in glucose showed the lowest Tg value. Osmotic dehydration applied to fruits before drying removes water from tissues, whereas the solute enters the foods. Sorption isotherms and the glass transition temperature were determined to provide valuable information on the effects of moisture content on the water availability in foods and on the physical state of food solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant proportion of shale gas resources occurs in Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in southeast Sichuan Basin, South China, where commercial gas production has been achieved at Fuling Shale Gas Field. This study area is located adjacent to Fuling Jiaoshiba shale play. Elemental geochemistry regarding paleoenvironment aspects of lower Silurian Longmaxi shale gas is poorly understood. However, the samples in this study are representative, revealing the complete elemental geochemical characteristics of Longmaxi Shale. This research has analysed trace and rare earth elements of lower Silurian Longmaxi Shale and investigated the depositional environment, provenance, and tectonic settings when this type of shale formed. Sedimentary structures include horizontal lamination, massive lamination, and deformation structures that are well developed in black shale and grey silty shale of lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation. Gamma ray, total organic carbon, and pyrite contents are relatively higher in the lower part of the shale. The enrichment of sulfophile heavy metal elements (Cu, Zn, Pb, Mo, Ni) indicates that a reducing environment is common during the deposition of Longmaxi Formation. The concentration of rare earth elements is generally constant with relatively high concentration of light rare earth elements, stable concentration of heavy rare earth elements, and negative Eu anomalies. The sediments of Longmaxi Formation are derived primarily from the sedimentary rocks and granites in continental crust. The combination of trace and rare earth elements indicates that the tectonic settings of the provenance are continental island arc and active continental margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of different state/phase transitions (temperature fluctuations) on quality attributes of mango cubes during frozen storage were investigated. Temperature of frozen mango was modulated from −65 °C to different states, namely, rubbery state [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal ions are important for many biological processes and are steadily available in the human body. Metal concentrations can be extremely high in diseased areas of various pathological conditions. Some synthetic and natural drugs need to be activated by metal ions as prodrugs. In this review, we provide a few examples to illustrate how metal ions activate and mediate drug targeting in the body. This knowledge may be helpful for the development of more effective drugs and pharmaceutical formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface engineering in perovskite solar cells, especially for the upper surface of perovskite, is widely studied. However, most of these studies have primarily focused on the interaction between additive functional groups and perovskite point defects, neglecting the influence of other parts of additive molecules. Herein, additives with ‐NH3+ functional group are introduced at the perovskite surface to suppress surface defects. The chain lengths of these additives vary to conduct a detailed investigation into the impact of molecular size. The results indicate that the propane‐1,3‐diamine dihydroiodide (PDAI2), which possesses the most suitable size, exhibited obvious optimization effects. Whereas the molecules, methylenediamine dihydroiodide (MDAI2) and pentane‐1,5‐diamine dihydroiodide (PentDAI2) with unsuitable size, lead to a deterioration in device performance. The PDAI2‐treated devices achieved a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.81% and the unencapsulated devices retained over 80% of their initial PCE after 600 h AM1.5 illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a research concerning the formation and evolution mechanism of tight oil and gas in lacustrine carbonate rocks in the Bohai Bay basin in China. Topics include the distribution of lacustrine carbonate rocks in the Bohai Bay basin, thermal evolution of organic matter in source rock, and retained hydrocarbon and its composition in source rocks. The four stages of the formation process of tight oil are noted.