Search

Helium is a globally scarce strategic resource that is relevant to national economies and the development of high-tech industries, and China primarily depends on imported helium for its industrial applications. Therefore, there is an urgent demand for clarifying helium formation and enrichment patterns, searching for helium-rich fields, and realizing China's helium resource inventory and development potential. This article analyzes the reservoir characteristics and accumulation conditions of typical helium-rich fields in China, and clarifying the origin and source of helium as well as the main controlling factors of helium enrichment. It was recognized that helium in natural gas in China mainly comes from crustal sources. Relatively shallow buried ancient U–Th-rich granite basement or intrusion, large and stable ancient uplift or submarine formed in the early period, good overburden of huge thick paste-salt rock or mudstone cover, and channels connecting the basement and reservoir, were the main controlling factors of helium enrichment. Four types of helium-rich gas reservoirs, namely helium-rich conventional gas, helium-rich shale gas, helium-rich non-hydrocarbon gas, and helium-rich water-soluble gas, have been modeled and predicted to be helium-rich favorable exploration areas. Based on this analysis, the prospect of helium resource development in China has been analyzed. It was proposed that the exploration of helium-rich fields and the comprehensive development and utilization of medium- and low-abundance helium resources are important ways to increase the domestic helium production in China in the future.

Abstract Due to the multiple influences of unique physicochemical properties of helium, petrographic characteristics and temperature and pressure conditions, little is known about the helium adsorption behaviors in minerals and rocks at geological conditions. Based on the grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, this study revealed the adsorption characteristics of pure helium and the competitive adsorption of binary mixtures with different proportions of methane and helium under geological temperature and pressure conditions in quartz slit model. Molecular simulation of pure helium shows that physical adsorption of helium exists in mineral surfaces, which indicates a preservation mechanism of helium in helium source rocks. Binary mixtures simulations indicate that the adsorption capacity of methane in quartz is stronger than that of helium, and the competitive adsorption of methane increases with decreasing burial depth. This means that during the upwards migration processes of natural gas, the adsorbed helium that distributed in the migration pathway will be gradually displaced by methane, then concentrate in the hydrocarbon gases and subsequently accumulate together in favorable traps to form helium-rich natural gas reservoirs. Our results provide a molecular-scale insight into the preservation and accumulation of helium in helium source rocks and are significant for assessing the helium resource potential.

Geochemistry of noble gases has been applied to the study of deep Earth materials and celestial meteorites. With advancements in measurement technology, it is also increasingly being used in natural gas research. Using the most advanced noble gas mass spectrometer, a systematic analysis was conducted on the abundance and isotopes of noble gas samples collected from the middle and deep Songliao Basin in eastern China to elucidate the compositional characteristics of noble gases in a faulted basin. The findings reveal that the abundance of noble gases in natural gas decreases from light noble gases to heavy noble gases in a left-to-right reversed L-shaped pattern. Specifically, the isotopic ratios of noble gases are: 3He/4He at 2.64×10-6, 20Ne/22Ne at 9.94, 21Ne/22Ne at 0.029 22, and 40Ar/36Ar at 743.7, all of which are higher than atmospheric values. The isotopes 80Kr, 84Kr, 86Kr, and 131-136Xe show relative excess compared to atmospheric levels, indicating the mixing of mantle-derived gases in the natural gas. Based on the compositional characteristics of noble gases, this study suggests that the natural gas in the middle and deep Songliao Basin originated from inorganic crust and mantle mixing. Additionally, certain differences exist in the contribution of mantle-derived components across different tectonic blocks and categories of natural gas within the basin. Comparison between noble gas compositions and the types of natural gas demonstrates that light noble gases distinguish effectively between different types of natural gas, whereas the composition of heavy noble gases shows no significant differences among various types of natural gas. Noble gas isotopes, in addition to tracing the source of natural gas, can also be used to determine natural gas genesis, distinguish natural gas types and characterize tectonic settings.

Based on core data, physical properties, well logging, gas testing, composition, and helium distribution from 13 newly drilled wells, in combination with regional tectonic evolution, depositional background, and typical gas reservoir profiles, helium-rich gas reservoirs geology characteristics and main controlling factors have been explored. The results show that three gas reservoirs formed from bottom to top, i.e., granite and metamorphite fractured reservoir in the basement, tight sandstone structural reservoirs in the Devonian, and huge continuous carbonate reservoirs in the Lower Carboniferous. Fractures developed on structural points control high-production, and gas is prominently displayed in low structural areas. The dry gas exhibits richness in helium, with decreasing helium content from the basement to the Carboniferous. The pre-Devonian large-scale granite and metamorphite basement serve as the primary helium source, while the high-gamma sandstones of the Devonian and the Carboniferous act as secondary sources. Fractures play a dual role, being filled up and conducting in two ways: gas from the Carboniferous source rocks migrates downward, and helium migrate upward. Thick interbedded gypsum-tight limestone on top of the Lower Carboniferous act as the regional caprock, effectively preserving the helium-rich gas reservoirs.

Carbon peaking and carbon neutralization trigger a technical revolution in energy & environment related fields. Development of new technologies for green energy production and storage, industrial energy saving and efficiency reinforcement, carbon capture, and pollutant gas treatment is in highly imperious demand. The emerging porous framework materials such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), owing to the permanent porosity, tremendous specific surface area, designable structure and customizable functionality, have shown great potential in major energy-consuming industrial processes, including sustainable energy gas catalytic conversion, energy-efficient industrial gas separation and storage. Herein, this manuscript presents a systematic review of porous framework materials for global and comprehensive energy & environment related applications, from a macroscopic and application perspective.

Abstract Iron homeostasis plays an essential role in joint health, while iron overload can cause damage and death of cartilage cells. Cardamonin (CAR) is a substance found in the fruit of the chasteberry plant and has anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. We first administered iron dextran (500 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to establish an iron overload mouse model and surgically induced osteoarthritis. The extent of OA and iron deposition were assessed using Micro-ct, Safranin-O/fast green staining, H&E staining, and Prussian Blue 10 weeks later. We administered primary chondrocytes with Ferric Ammonium Citrate (FAC) to evaluate the chondrocyte changes. Chondrocytes were identified in vitro by toluidine blue staining, and chondrocyte viability was evaluated by CCK-8. The rate of apoptosis was determined by Annexin V-FITC/PI assay. The mechanism of action of CAR was verified by adding the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527, and the expression of SIRT1 and MAPK signaling pathways was detected by Western blot. Iron overload also promoted chondrocyte apoptosis, a process that was reversed by CAR. In addition, CAR reduced NLRP3 inflammasome production via the SIRT1-MAPK pathway, and the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 inhibited the treatment of OA by CAR.CAR inhibited cartilage degeneration induced by iron overload both in vivo and in vitro. Besides, our study showed that iron overload not only inhibited type II collagen expression but also induced MMP expression by catalyzing the generation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Our results suggest that CAR can treat KOA by promoting SIRT1 expression and inhibiting p38MAPK pathway expression to reduce the production of NLRP3 inflammasome vesicles.

In this study, we introduce an arthroscopic acromioplasty technique based on original bony landmarks, namely biplanar acromioplasty. This technique focuses on smoothing both the coronal and transverse plane of acromion, corresponding to the anterior and inferior acromial surface, and restores the acromion to its original shape. We believe this technique is effective, time-saving, and reproducible.

The lateral meniscus tear at the popliteal hiatus area is a tricky problem in clinical treatment due to the difficulty of preoperative diagnosis, narrow space for operation, lack of capsular attachments, and risk of vascular injuries. This article introduces an arthroscopic single-needle, all-inside technique suitable for repairing longitudinal and horizontal lateral meniscus tears at the popliteus tendon hiatus area. We believe this technique is safe, effective, economical and reproducible.

The Pingbei area is the main accumulation area of oil and gas in the Xihu Sag. The phase characteristics of oil and gas in this area are complex, and the understanding of their genesis is still unclear. In this paper, based upon discussions of crude oil and natural gas geochemical data, integrated with local geological features, we discuss the sources, migration, and phase state characteristics of oil and gas in the Pingbei area of the Xihu Sag. The study results show that the crude oil and natural gas in the Pingbei area are coal-derived and the oil and gas produced by the humic organic matter during the mature stage. The oil and gas source correlation showed that crude oil and natural gas have good affinity with the Eocene Pinghu Formation (PH) coal-bearing source rocks. Crude oil has the characteristics of near-source accumulation and short-distance migration while natural gas is supplied from a dual source: the coal-derived hydrocarbon rocks of PH in the deep part of the study area, supplemented by the coal-derived hydrocarbon rocks of PH on the bottom of the slope, and adjacent hydrocarbon-bearing sub sag. The distribution characteristics and geochemical migration indices of hydrocarbon show that the oil generated from the hydrocarbon source rocks of PH in the deep Pingbei area mainly migrates vertically along the fault connecting the reservoir and the source rocks to the trap, where it accumulates, while the natural gas exhibits deep and large faults that mainly migrate vertically, supplemented by its lateral migration along the composite transport system composed of faults and sandstone layers in the slope zone. The whole area presents the phase characteristics of “upper oil and lower gas, west oil and east gas”. The mechanisms of produced-exhausted and geochromatographic effects (PGE), as well as evaporative fractionation (EF) and phase-controlled migration fractionation (PMF), result in the obvious discrepancy of hydrocarbon’s properties on the vertical profiles.

Aims: Tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) has been identified as an inhibitor of oxidative stress-induced injury and apoptosis in human neural stem cells. However, the role of tBHQ in osteoarthritis (OA) is unclear. This study was carried out to investigate the role of tBHQ in OA. Methods: OA animal model was induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). Different concentrations of tBHQ (25 and 50 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected in ten-week-old female mice. Chondrocytes were isolated from articular cartilage of mice and treated with 5 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 10 ng/ml interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) for 24 hours, and then treated with different concentrations of tBHQ (10, 20, and 40 μM) for 12 hours. The expression levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in blood were measured. The expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-1β, and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) leptin in plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway proteins, and macrophage repolarization-related markers, were detected by western blot. Results: Tert-butylhydroquinone significantly attenuated cartilage destruction in DMM-induced mice in vivo. It demonstrated clear evidence of inhibiting IL-1β-induced chondrocyte apoptosis, inflammation, and differentiation defect in vitro. Meanwhile, tBHQ inhibited LPS-induced activation of NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways, and also inhibited LPS-induced reactive oxygen species production and macrophages repolarization in vitro. Conclusion: Taken together, tBHQ might be a potential therapeutic strategy for protecting against OA development. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(11):704–713.

Summary: As the limited carrier densities in atomic thin materials can be well controlled by electrostatic gates, p-n junctions based on two-dimensional materials in the coplanar split-gate configuration can work as photodetectors or light-emitting diodes. These coplanar gates can be fabricated in a simple one-step lithography process and are frequently used in hybrid integration with on-chip optical structures. However, the polarization-dependent responsivity of such a configuration is less explored in the near-infrared band, and a clear understanding is still missing. Here we fabricate near-infrared tunable multiple modes twisted bilayer graphene photodetector enabled by the coplanar split-gate control and confirm that the photothermoelectric effect governs the photovoltage mechanism of the p-n junction mode. Our study also elucidates that the discrepancy of the responsivities under different linear polarizations is owing to the different cavity modes and provides a valuable example for designing chip-integrated optoelectronic devices.

The biodegradation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and alkyl dibenzothiophenes (DBTs) were studied in crude oils from the Linpan oilfield, Bohai Bay basin, eastern China. The crude oils selected from the oilfield had been subjected to different degrees of biodegradation, i.e., non-biodegraded to severely biodegraded. With increasing biodegradation extent, the concentration of total DBTs in the crude oils rises from non- to heavily-biodegraded degrees, and then declines from heavily to severely-biodegraded degrees meanwhile the paraffins in the crude oils have been thoroughly removed. The differences in biodegradation rates had been observed between the homologues of alkyl DBTs, and the susceptibility to biodegradation of these homologues declines with increasing of the alkyl substituent number. Selective biodegradation occurred due to differences of carbon positions of alkyl substituents on molecular structure of DBTs. The sulfur-shielded isomers, such as 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene and 4-ethyl-6-methyldibenzothiophene, were more susceptible to biodegradation than the sulfur-exposed isomers, for example 2,8-dimethyldibenzothiophene and 1,2,7-+1,2,8-trimethyldibenzothiophenes (co-eluted as one peak in mass chromatograms). However, selective biodegradation of C4-DBTs isomers was less remarkable than the isomers of C2- and C3-DBTs, which reflected the complex processes of biodegradation.

The paleoenvironment during the Early Cambrian is closely related to the accumulation mechanism of organic matter (OM) from the Lower Cambrian black shales. However, paleoenvironment remains a controversial issue. Here, we reported a lot of detailed data of sedimentary stratigraphy and geochemistry of the Lower Cambrian Yuertusi Formation in the Aksu area, Tarim Basin. The Yuertusi Formation from the Yutixi outcrop consists mainly of silicalite at the base, two sets of black shales, and crystalline dolostone. Based on the redox conditions traced by U/Th, V/Cr, Ni/Co, and V/Sc, the hydrothermal activity traced by Ce/Ce*, Cr/Zr, U/Th, Fe/Ti, and (Fe + Mn)/Ti ratios, as well as paleo-productivity traced by Ba, Cu, Rb/Sr, and other parameters, variations were observed in the depositional environments of the Yuertusi Formation: 1) the silicalite at the base was deposited under an euxinic condition and intense hydrothermal activity. Mo-U co-variation analysis revealed that the north margin of Tarim Basin belonged to the unrestricted marine during the Early Cambrian, 2) the lower black shales were deposited under an oxygen-poor condition and weak hydrothermal activity, and 3) the upper black shales were deposited under oxygen-poor, sub-oxic conditions and almost no hydrothermal activity. Although the hydrothermal activity improved paleo-productivity, the TOC values were low on the whole, which may be due to the intense hydrothermal activity that damaged the formation of source rocks. Comprehensive studies showed a gradually oxidizing environment and weakening paleo-productivity during the Yuertusi Formation deposited. The anoxic conditions were conducive to the preservation of OM, and the high-quality source rocks represented by the black shales of the Yuertusi Formation were formed, especially the first set of black shales. However, the enrichment of OM may be affected by the intense hydrothermal activity.

Based on the carbon isotopic compositions of Cambrian-Ordovician source rocks Kerogen Samples and Paleozoic crude oil in the platform region of Tarim Basin, the origin and source of Paleozoic crude oil were investigated. There are at least two sets of source rocks with different carbon isotope compositions in the Cambrian, the Lower Cambrian source rock with lighter carbon isotope composition and Middle-Upper Cambrian source rock with heavier carbon isotope composition, while the Ordovician source rock is somewhere in between. The δ13C values of Paleozoic crude oil samples are wide in distribution range, from −35.2‰ to −28.1‰. The crude oil with lighter carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C−29.0‰) was mainly derived from the Middle-Upper Cambrian source rocks, and the crude oil with δ13C value in between may be derived from Cambrian source rocks. It is concluded through analysis that the Cambrian source rock could become the major source rock in the Tarim Basin and the platform region has huge potential oil and gas resources in the deep formations. Key words: Tarim Basin, Cambrian, Ordovician, marine hydrocarbon, oil source, carbon isotope composition

In order to study the variation of shale gas composition as well as the carbon isotopic fractionation characteristics of terrestrial shale in the Ordos Basin, and ultimately establish a prediction model for shale gas production in order to monitor production capacity and effectively manage the development of shale gas, selected core samples from production wells were obtained for desorption analyses of their corresponding gas composition and carbon isotope. The desorption results showed that the methane content of the desorption gas is relatively low, the drying coefficient (C1/C1–5) ranges from 0.6 to 0.8, and the carbon isotope is relatively negative compared to other places. By means of the increasing desorption and production time, the drying coefficient and carbon isotope values of such samples show obvious carbon fractionation during gas adsorption/diffusion processes. The changes are more evident with increasing heavy hydrocarbons (C2+) and heavier carbon isotope values. The drying coefficient shows good correlation (R2 > 0.8) with the content of shale gas desorption per unit mass. A gas production prediction model was proposed to predict gas production throughout the life of the production well based on the relationship between the drying coefficients and gas production volume in the Ordos Basin.

The Kuche Depression is considered as the most important gas resource potential and gas exploring area with great gas resource potential and prospect in the Tarim Basin. Based on geochemical experimental analyses and comprehensive geological studies, the general geochemical characteristics of molecular and isotope compositions of rare gases as well as hydrocarbon gases and nonhydrocarbon gases are comparatively studied in the Kuche and Southwestern Depressions. Then, their genetic types are separately identified and gas originations are comprehensively discussed. The main results are as follows. (1) Gas fields in the Kuche Depression have a higher methane abundance, accompanied with low N2 and CO2 abundances, but the Akemomu gas field in the Southwestern Depression has a relatively lower average methane abundance, accompanied with high average N2 and CO2 abundances. The helium abundance of natural gases in gas fields from the Kuche Depression general has 1 order of magnitude higher than the air value. Comparatively, it has more than 2 orders of magnitude higher than the atmospheric value in the Akemomu gas field from the Southwestern Depression. The neon, argon, krypton, and xenon abundances in both Kuche and Southwestern Depressions are lower than the corresponding air values. (2) Natural gases from gas fields in the Kuche Depression and the Southwestern Depressions are generally typical coal-formed gases. The rare gases in the Kuche Depression have typical crustal genesis, mainly deriving from the radioactive decay of elements in the crust, while in the Akemomu gas field from the Southwestern Depression, the rare gases have main crustal genesis with a proportion of 92.5%, probably accompanied with a little mantled genetic contribution. (3) Natural gases in the Kuche Depression are generally derived from coal measure source rocks of Jurassic and Triassic, which principally originated from Jurassic in strata period and coals in source rock types. The Jurassic source rocks account for 55%-75% and the Triassic source rocks account for 25%-45% approximately, while coals occupy 68% and mudstones occupy 32% separately. Natural gases from the Akemomu gas field in the Southwestern Depression mainly originated from humic mudstones of marine and continental transitional source rocks of Carboniferous to Permian.

The structural details and flexibilities of protein impose significant challenges to develop protein imprint, especially for the selection of functional monomer. Using NAMD, AutoDock 4 and AutoDock Vina, we investigated the formation of a high performance protein imprint on a nanosensor that detected human papillomavirus (HPV) biomarker protein E7 with high sensitivity. According to molecular dynamics, the phenolic oligomers were shown to assemble with the E7 protein and form a complex at specific targeting areas on the protein. Docking analysis efficiently screened chemical compounds by evaluating the binding affinity. A new parameter, i.e., average binding energy (ΔG/contact), was used together with binding energy (ΔG) to screen compounds. The screening went through 189 compounds and identified a subpopulation of 22 compounds showing unique characteristics of binding, and could potentially be used to develop the specific and robust imprint. Accordingly, the study implicated a novel approach to screen functional compounds for rational design of the protein imprint. Keywords: Molecular imprint, Rational design, Nanosensor, Electropolymerization, Biorecognition, Carbon nanotube, Docking, Molecular dynamics

Although methanogenic degradation of hydrocarbons has become a well-known process, little is known about which crude oil tend to be degraded at different temperatures and how the microbial community is responded. In this study, we assessed the methanogenic crude oil degradation capacity of oily sludge microbes enriched from the Shengli oilfield under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. The microbial communities were investigated by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of 16S rRNA genes combined with cloning and sequencing. Enrichment incubation demonstrated the microbial oxidation of crude oil coupled to methane production at 35 and 55°C, which generated 3.7±0.3 and 2.8±0.3 mmol of methane per gram oil, respectively. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that crude oil n-alkanes were obviously degraded, and high molecular weight n-alkanes were preferentially removed over relatively shorter-chain n-alkanes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the concurrence of acetoclastic Methanosaeta and hydrogenotrophic methanogens but different methanogenic community structures under the two temperature conditions. Candidate divisions of JS1 and WWE 1, Proteobacteria (mainly consisting of Syntrophaceae, Desulfobacteraceae and Syntrophorhabdus) and Firmicutes (mainly consisting of Desulfotomaculum) were supposed to be involved with n-alkane degradation in the mesophilic conditions. By contrast, the different bacterial phylotypes affiliated with Caldisericales, "Shengli Cluster" and Synergistetes dominated the thermophilic consortium, which was most likely to be associated with thermophilic crude oil degradation. This study revealed that the oily sludge in Shengli oilfield harbors diverse uncultured microbes with great potential in methanogenic crude oil degradation over a wide temperature range, which extend our previous understanding of methanogenic degradation of crude oil alkanes.

Analyzes the longest vertical profile of paleoenvironmental change in the western basin of Taihu lake, China as of August 2000. Occurrence of marine incursions; Variations in the climate of the lake; Characteristics of the present environment.

This is the first time that aquatic plants have been singled out as the major source of alkan-2-ones in the sediments of a freshwater lake. Formerly alkan-2-ones were regarded as products of microbiologicaloxidation of corresponding alkanes or beta-oxidation and decarboxylation of fatty acids. The presence of alkan-2-ones in both the cyanobacteria, high aquatic plants and sediments of Taihu Lake in the eastern China is viewed as evidence for the biogenic origin of these compounds. Taihu Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in China. The dominant species in the West Taihu Basin is blue-green algae; the East Taihu Basin is covered by vascular plants. We have analyzed the ketones and saturated hydrocarbons in the surficial sediments and in plant samples from Taihu Lake. We found that the distribution models of alkan-2-ones in the sediment samples from Taihu Lake were very similar to those that we found in the aquatic plants from the lake's western and eastern basins. The western basin interrelation coefficient was0.91 and the Eastern Basin interrelation coefficients were 0.80 and 0.75 for emergent plants and submergent plants, respectively. These are shown as the similar major carbon peaks, L/H, OEP and high abundance of 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one etc. But there are poor relationships between the alkan-2-ones in the sediment with corresponding the normal alkanes in the sediment of West Taihu Basin (interrelationcoefficient is 0.68) and in the East Taihu Basin (interrelation coefficient is 0.41). The alkan-2-ones of the surficial sediment in the West Taihu Basin are from blue-green algae and in the East Taihu basinare from vascular plants. The different distributions of sediment alkan-2-ones in the two basins are possible to be used as an indicator of algae-type and macrophyte-type lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]