Search

The keyhole phenomenon, frequently found in LPBF, is critically responsible for the formation of internal porosities which degrades the part quality. Owing to the ultra-high transience and complexity of the LPBF process, the underlying mechanisms during the keyholing process have not been well understood. In this work, a Multiphysics-based CFD model is developed to simulate the keyhole-penetration process in LPBF of CuCrZr alloy, and the ray-tracing laser heat source is implemented to visualize the multiple laser reflections. The simulation results are well validated in terms of the track size, porosity distribution and laser absorption by conducting the single-track experiment, X-CT scanning and calorimetric measurement, respectively. The flow patterns, driving forces and laser irradiation behaviors in the keyhole mode are collectively elucidated to understand the formation mechanisms of the keyhole-induced pores. The reduction of laser ray entries into the emerging cavity with a shrinking opening is noticed and contributes to the pore formation.

Abstract Background The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 initiated a global transformation in healthcare practices, particularly with respect to hospital management. PCR testing mandates for medical treatment seekers were introduced to mitigate virus transmission. Aims This study examines the impact of these changes on the management of patients with appendicitis. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical records for 748 patients diagnosed with appendicitis who underwent surgery at a tertiary care hospital during two distinct periods, the pre-pandemic year 2019 and the post-pandemic year 2021. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory data, surgical outcomes, and hospital stay duration were assessed. Results While no significant differences were observed in the general characteristics of patients between the two groups, the time from hospital visit to operation increased significantly during the pandemic. Unexpectedly, delayed surgical intervention was associated with shorter hospital stays but did not directly impact complication rates. There was no discernible variation in the type of surgery or surgical timing based on symptom onset. The pandemic also prompted an increase in appendicitis cases, potentially related to coronavirus protein expression within the appendix. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the landscape of appendicitis management. This study underscores the complex interplay of factors, including changes in hospital protocols, patient concerns, and surgical timing. Further research is needed to explore the potential link between COVID-19 and appendicitis. These insights are valuable for informing healthcare practices during and beyond the pandemic.

Ultrasound enhanced evaporating crystallization has been proposed to solve the problems of low crystallization yield and uneven particle size in the evaporating crystallization process of ammonium sulfate solution at atmospheric pressure. The effects of key operating parameters, including the ultrasound power, stirring speed, pH value, and ultrasound time, on the yield of ammonium sulfate product and the duration of solid–liquid transformation time are studied. The results show that the ultrasound crystallization can increase the ammonium sulfate yield by 52.9 %, reduce the solid–liquid transformation time of ammonium sulfate by 10 %, and obtain ammonium sulfate products with higher crystallinity and more uniform particle size. Ultrasound promotes the crystallization of ammonium sulfate by enhancing the transfer of heat in the solution and reducing the supersolubility of the ammonium sulfate solution from 937.5 g/L to 833.33 g/L. This study provides experimental justification for the use of ultrasound in atmospheric evaporative crystallization.

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has high morbidity and mortality. Despite substantial advances in treatment, the prognosis of patients with LUAD remains unfavorable. The ceRNA axis has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of LUAD. In addition, cuproptosis is considered an important factor in tumorigenesis. The expression of CBX2 has been associated with the development of multiple tumors, including LUAD. However, the precise molecular mechanisms through which the cuproptosis-related ceRNA network regulates CBX2 remain unclear. Methods The DEGs between tumor and normal samples of LUAD were identified in TCGA database. The “ConsensusClusterPlus” R package was used to perform consensus clustering based on the mRNA expression matrix and cuproptosis-related gene expression profile. Then, LASSO-COX regression analysis was performed to identify potential prognostic biomarkers associated with cuproptosis, and the ceRNA network was constructed. Finally, the mechanisms of ceRNA in LUAD was studied by cell experiments. Results In this study, the AC144450.1/miR-424-5p axis was found to promote the progression of LUAD by acting on CBX2. The expression of AC144450.1 and miR-424-5p can be altered to regulate CBX2 and is correlated with cell proliferation and cell cycle of LUAD. Mechanistically, AC144450.1 affects the expression of CBX2 by acting as the ceRNA of miR-424-5p. In addition, a cuproptosis-related model were constructed in this study to predict the prognosis of LUAD. Conclusions This study is the first to demonstrate that the AC144450.1/miR-424-5p/CBX2 axis is involved in LUAD progression and may serve as a novel target for its diagnosis and treatment.

This study aims to investigate the patterns of oil and gas dispersal within the fault-caprock configurations in an oil-gas-rich basin. Using the results of the mechanism and spatial distribution research of fault-caprock oil and gas migration and accumulation configuration patterns, a predictive method has been developed for determining the distribution of fault-caprock fluid migration and accumulation configuration patterns. This method involves superpositing source rock faults, mudstone and fault rock seals within fault-caprock configurations. The application of this method is demonstrated through the prediction of the distribution of fault-caprock fluid migration and accumulation configuration patterns within the lower sub-member of the 1st member of the Shahejie Formation (E3s1L) in the Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin. The Dazhangtuo fault and regional mudstone caprocks within the middle sub-member of the 1st member of the Shahejie Formation (E3s1M) are involved. The results of this study demonstrate that the fault-caprock sealing of petroleum and natural gas by mudstone and fault-related lithological seals in the configuration pattern of the Dazhangtuo Fault and regional mudstone caprocks in E3s1M is primarily distributed in the western part of the basin, with localized occurrences in the eastern areas. This configuration pattern is optimal for the accumulation of petroleum and natural gas reservoirs in the E3s1L. The fault-caprock configuration pattern that seals oil and gas by mudstone is primarily located in the western portion, making it relatively favorable for the accumulation of oil and gas reservoirs in the E3s1L. However, the fault-caprock configuration pattern of sealing oil and gas by fault-related lithological is constrained to two specific localized areas in the eastern portion, which is not conducive to the occurrence of oil-gas convergence in the E3s1L. The location of detected oil and gas within the E3s1L at the present Dazhangtuo fault is consistent with the predicted pattern of oil and gas accumulation and their distribution locations using this method. This demonstrates the viability of forecasting using this approach to predict the location of fault-caprock migration and the accumulation oil and gas configuration pattern.

Ileostomy diverts the flow of feces, which can result in malnutrition in the distal part of the intestine. The diversity of the gut microbiota consequently decreases, ultimately leading to intestinal dysbiosis and dysfunction. This condition can readily result in diversion colitis (DC). Potential treatment strategies include interventions targeting the gut microbiota. In this case study, we effectively treated a patient with severe DC by ileostomy and allogeneic fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). A 69-year-old man presented with a perforated malignant tumor in the descending colon and an iliac abscess. He underwent laparoscopic radical sigmoid colon tumor resection and prophylactic ileostomy. Follow-up colonoscopy 3 months postoperatively revealed diffuse intestinal mucosal congestion and edema along with granular inflammatory follicular hyperplasia, leading to a diagnosis of severe DC. After two rounds of allogeneic FMT, both the intestinal mucosal bleeding and edema significantly improved, as did the diversity of the gut microbiota. The positive outcome of allogeneic FMT in this case highlights the potential advantages that this procedure can offer patients with DC. However, few studies have focused on allogeneic FMT, and more in-depth research is needed to gain a better understanding.

Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park is located in the middle mountainous region of Hainan Province, and it has a diverse landscape with 95.56% forest coverage. Studying the evolutionary aspects of the landscape pattern in time and space in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park is extremely important for preserving and enhancing Hainan Province's ecological security barrier. The landscape pattern index, single-motion landscape dynamic attitude and landscape transfer matrix were used to examine the geographical and temporal evolution features of the landscape pattern of 10 land cover patterns in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park between 2015 and 2020. This study used ground cover data from the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park between 2015 and 2020 to develop a landscape pattern distribution system based on actual ecological situations. Other elements that affected the evolution of the landscape pattern in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park included policies, climate and other natural and human factors. The results were as follows: (1) The overall landscape fragmentation of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park reduced from 2015 to 2020, increasing spatial agglomeration of the landscape, decreasing integrated dynamic attitude, and generally steady development of landscape patterns. (2) The area of evergreen broad-leaved forest in the tropical rainforest increased in five years, with an increase of 531.38 km2, a decrease in fragmentation, and a positive growth trend, and the landscape tends to be concentrated in patches; on the other hand, the area of needle-leaved forest and shrubwood significantly reduced, with losses of 189.53 km2 and 294.74 km2 respectively; there was also a partial transformation of water, and the area of the water landscape had been somewhat reduced, and the patches tended to be concentrated and spread; the remainder of the landscape patterns accounted for a relatively modest amount, and developed and changed in the direction of natural succession. (3) The landscape pattern evolution of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park was primarily based on natural succession of the rainforest, followed by a comprehensive impact of policy, climate and other factors, which reduced human factors on the tropical rainforest landscape interference and was conducive to improving the rainforest ecosystem's self-healing capacity. To summarize, the landscape pattern of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park has been stable since the commencement of the pilot project, and policy direction has played an essential constructive role. The targeted conservation and restoration of the tropical rainforest landscape will help to the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park's sustainable development.

Multi-scenario simulation and prediction of land use can provide guidance for the optimization of land use patterns. Combining the GMOP model with the PLUS model can better evaluate the influence of different land use strategies on the comprehensive benefits of land use and improve the scientificity of the simulation results. This study takes Haikou City as the research area. As the political, economic, and cultural center of Hainan Province, it is the highest urbanization area in Hainan Province and also the vane of the urban development of Hainan Province. Its development experience and model play an important leading role in the surrounding cities. The land use data of 2010, 2015, and 2020 were selected, and the spatiotemporal pattern of land use under the 2035 Business As Usual scenario (BAU), Economic Development scenario (ED), and Economic and Ecological Balanced Development scenario (EEB) was simulated based on the GMOP-PLUS model. The results show that: (1) The prediction results generally show the trend of the decrease in cultivated land and forest land and the increase in construction land, among which the expansion capacity of construction land is the strongest, and the forest land is more occupied, but the increase and decrease in land use types are different under different scenarios. (2) The three simulation scenarios all show the trend of economic benefit improvement and ecological benefit decline, which indicates that the primary objective of Haikou City’s future development remains focused on economic construction, with the potential compromise of ecological functions to accommodate urban expansion. (3) The comprehensive benefits of the region in the EEB scenario are significantly higher than those in the BAU and ED scenarios. The optimized land use structure is more balanced, the scale of urban expansion is limited, and the loss of important ecological land is reduced to a minimum, which is more in line with the current concept of sustainable development. The study can serve as a reference for the coordinated development of urban planning, land use management, and ecological environment in Haikou.

Summary: The recycling of spent batteries is an important concern in resource conservation and environmental protection, while it is facing challenges such as insufficient recycling channels, high costs, and technical difficulties. To address these issues, a review of the recycling of spent batteries, emphasizing the importance and potential value of recycling is conducted. Besides, the recycling policies and strategies implemented in representative countries are summarized, providing legal and policy support for the recycling industry. Moreover, a comprehensive classification and comparison of recycling technologies identify the characteristics and current status of different approaches. The integrated recycling technology provides a better recycling performance with zero-pollution recycling of spent battery. Biorecycling technology is expected to gain a broad development prospect in the future owing to the superiority of energy-saving and environmental protection, high recycling efficiency, via microbial degradation, enzymatic degradation, etc. Consequently, as for the existing recycling challenges of waste batteries, developing new recycling technology and perfecting its recycling system is an indispensable guarantee for the sustainable development of waste battery. Meanwhile, theoretical support is offered for the recycling of spent batteries.

BackgroundSmall bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare condition often presenting with various non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms, making its diagnosis challenging. Delayed diagnosis is common, as patients may not receive the correct diagnosis until complications arise, necessitating further investigations. Furthermore, the management of SBA patients poses difficulties due to the scarcity of high-quality evidence.Case presentationIn this report, we present the case of an elderly man with SBA in the ileum who arrived at our emergency room with acute abdominal pain. The diagnosis was not made until the SBA caused a perforation, leading to acute abdominal pain. An emergent exploratory laparotomy revealed a 3 cm × 3 cm perforated tumor in the ileum, along with widespread metastatic nodules on the omentum, ascending colon, descending colon, and rectum. Postoperative pathological evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of SBA with peritoneal metastasis (pT4N2M1, stage IV). Following surgery, the patient received palliative systemic chemotherapy, which included the CapeOX regimen and the anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab. Remarkably, the patient responded well to this therapy, displaying good tolerance, and we observed no signs of disease progression. As of now, the patient is in good health and continuing with regular follow-up.ConclusionThe early diagnosis of small bowel adenocarcinoma remains a challenge. Delayed diagnosis can lead to a poor prognosis, underscoring the importance of considering SBA as a potential diagnosis for patients with unexplained abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms. This case also highlights the efficacy of palliative chemotherapy with the CapeOX regimen combined with bevacizumab in controlling SBA.

Catalase (CAT) is an important antioxidant enzyme that breaks down H2O2 into water and oxygen. Inhibitor-modulating CAT activity in cancer cells is emerging as a potential anticancer strategy. However, the discovery of CAT inhibitors towards the heme active center located at the bottom of long and narrow channel has made little progress. Therefore, targeting new binding site is of great importance for the development of efficient CAT inhibitors. Here, the first NADPH-binding site inhibitor of CAT, BT-Br, was designed and synthesized successfully. The cocrystal structure of BT-Br-bound CAT complex was determined with a resolution of 2.2 Å (PDB ID:8HID), which showed clearly that BT-Br bound at the NADPH-binding site. Furthermore, BT-Br was demonstrated to induce ferroptosis in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) DU145 cells and eventually reduce CRPC tumors in vivo effectively. The work indicates that CAT has potential as a novel target for CRPC therapy based on ferroptosis inducing.

In the combination of source rock and reservoir separated by the caprock of a petroliferous basin, the scale of oil and gas accumulation is controlled by the relative length of the effective period of oil and gas transported by the oil source fault. The accurate determination of the effective period of oil and gas transported by the oil source fault in the combination of source rock and reservoir separated by caprock plays an essential role in identifying the oil and gas distributions and guiding oil and gas exploration. Based on a study of the oil–gas transport mechanism and the effective period by the oil source fault of reservoir separated by caprock, a set of determination methods of the effective period for transporting oil and gas by the oil source fault of the reservoir separated by caprock was established herein by coupling the period for transporting oil and gas by the oil source fault and that when the source rocks expelled hydrocarbon. The period for transporting oil and gas by the oil source fault was determined by determining the period when the faults started to destroy the sealing capacity of the mudstone caprock, the period when the faults stopped their activity, and the period when the fault fillers began sealing. The geochemical characteristics of the source rock were used to determine the period when the source rocks expelled hydrocarbon. The application results show that at line L2, the effective period for transporting oil and gas from the F1 oil source fault to the reservoir of the 1st member of Dongying Formation (E3d1) is relatively long (i.e., time: 5.3 Ma). This is conducive to transporting the oil and gas generated by the source rocks of the 1st member of Shahejie Formation (E3s1) to the 3rd member of Dongying Formation (E3d3) through the mudstone caprock of the 2nd member of Dongying Formation (E3d2) to accumulate in the reservoir of E3d1 (the upper part of the structure has not been drilled yet). At line L8, the effective period for transporting oil and gas from the F1 oil source fault to the reservoir of E3d1 is relatively short (i.e., time: 2.4 Ma). Oil and gas are mainly transported by fault fillers, which is not conducive to transporting the oil and gas generated by the source rocks of E3s1 to the E3d1 through the mudstone caprock of E3d2 to accumulate in the reservoir of E3d1. The results are coincident with the fact that small-scale oil and gas have been found near line L8 of the F1 oil source fault in E3d1 of the Nanpu 5th structure, suggesting that the method is feasible for application in the determination of the effective period for transporting oil and gas by the oil source fault of a reservoir separated by caprock.

Oil and gas exploration near faults in shallow strata is investigated in this study based on an analysis of oil-source faults in reservoir–cap rock combinations without a source rock. The oil-source faults were mapped by superimposition of the distribution area of oil-source faults and the leakage area of cap rocks. This method is applied to the mapping of oil-source faults for two sets of reservoir–cap rock combinations without a source rock in the Banqiao area of the Qikou Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China. Combination B is formed by a mudstone cap rock of the middle sub-member of the 1st member of the Shahejie Formation (E3s1M) with its underlying reservoir, while Combination C is formed by a mudstone cap rock of the 2nd member of the Dongying Formation (E3d2) with its underlying reservoir. The results show that the oil-source faults of Combination B are relatively better developed and mainly occur in the northeast and southeast, while those of Combination C are not as well developed and are only distributed at the southeastern edge of the study area with a small proportion in the north. These results are consistent with the fact that oil and gas are mainly distributed near oil-source faults, proving the method proposed is workable in determining the oil-source faults in reservoir–cap rock combinations without a source rock.

Background: Pyroptosis, gasdermin-mediated programmed cell death, is readily induced in macrophages by activation of the canonical inflammasome (caspase-1) or by intracellular lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated non-canonical inflammasome (caspase-11) activation. However, whether pyroptosis is induced similarly in hepatocytes is still largely controversial but highly relevant to liver pathologies such as alcoholic/nonalcoholic liver disease, drug-induced liver injury, ischemia-reperfusion and liver transplant injury, or organ damage secondary to sepsis. Methods and Results: In this study we found that hepatocytes activate and cleave gasdermin-D (GSDMD) at low levels after treatment with LPS. Overexpression of caspase-1 or caspase-11 p10/p20 activated domains was able to induce typical GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis in hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo. However, morphologic features of pyroptosis in macrophages (eg, pyroptotic bodies, cell flattening, loss of cell structure) did not occur in pyroptotic hepatocytes, with cell structure remaining relatively intact despite the cell membrane being breached. Our results suggest that hepatocytes activate pyroptosis pathways and cleave GSDMD, but this does not result in cell rupture and confer the same pyroptotic morphologic changes as previously reported in macrophages. This is true even with caspase-1 or caspase-11 artificial overexpression way above levels seen endogenously even after priming or in pathologic conditions. Conclusions: Our novel findings characterize hepatocyte morphology in pyroptosis and suggest alternative use for canonical/non-canonical inflammasome activation/signaling and subsequent GSDMD cleavage because there is no rapid cell death as in macrophages. Improved understanding and recognition of the role of these pathways in hepatocytes may result in novel therapeutics for a range of liver diseases.

Abstract It’s a challenge for detecting the therapeutic targets of a polypharmacological drug from variations in the responsed networks in the differentiated populations with complex diseases, as stable coronary heart disease. Here, in an adaptive, 31-center, randomized, double-blind trial involving 920 patients with moderate symptomatic stable angina treated by 14-day Danhong injection(DHI), a kind of polypharmacological drug with high quality control, or placebo (0.9% saline), with 76-day following-up, we firstly confirmed that DHI could increase the proportion of patients with clinically significant changes on angina-frequency assessed by Seattle Angina Questionnaire (ΔSAQ-AF ≥ 20) (12.78% at Day 30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.86–19.71%, P = 0.0003, 13.82% at Day 60, 95% CI 6.82–20.82%, P = 0.0001 and 8.95% at Day 90, 95% CI 2.06–15.85%, P = 0.01). We also found that there were no significant differences in new-onset major vascular events (P = 0.8502) and serious adverse events (P = 0.9105) between DHI and placebo. After performing the RNA sequencing in 62 selected patients, we developed a systemic modular approach to identify differentially expressed modules (DEMs) of DHI with the Zsummary value less than 0 compared with the control group, calculated by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and sketched out the basic framework on a modular map with 25 functional modules targeted by DHI. Furthermore, the effective therapeutic module (ETM), defined as the highest correlation value with the phenotype alteration (ΔSAQ-AF, the change in SAQ-AF at Day 30 from baseline) calculated by WGCNA, was identified in the population with the best effect (ΔSAQ-AF ≥ 40), which is related to anticoagulation and regulation of cholesterol metabolism. We assessed the modular flexibility of this ETM using the global topological D value based on Euclidean distance, which is correlated with phenotype alteration (r 2: 0.8204, P = 0.019) by linear regression. Our study identified the anti-angina therapeutic module in the effective population treated by the multi-target drug. Modular methods facilitate the discovery of network pharmacological mechanisms and the advancement of precision medicine. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01681316).

Abstract Background Currently no optimal localization technique has been established for localization of ground glass opacity (GGO). We aimed to introduce a localization technique using geometric localization for peripheral GGO. Methods We delineated the location of pulmonary GGO using geometric method which was similar with localization of a point in a spatial coordinate system. The localization technique was based on the anatomical landmarkers (ribs or intercostal spaces, capitulum costae and sternocostal joints). The geometric parameters were measured on preoperative CT images and the targeted GGO could be identified intraoperatively according to the parameters. We retrospectively collected the data of the patients with peripheral GGOs which were localized using this method and were wedge resected between June 2019 and July 2020. The efficacy and feasibility of the localization technique were assessed. Results There were 93 patients (male 34, median = 55 years) with 108 peripheral GGOs in the study. All the targeted GGOs were successfully wedge resected in the operative field with negative surgical margin at the first attempt. For each GGO, the localization parameters could be measured in 2–4 min (median = 3 min) on CT images before operation, and surgical resection could be completed in 5–10 min (median = 7 min). A total of 106 (98.15%) GGOs achieved sufficient resection margin. No complications and deaths occurred related to the localization and surgical procedure. Conclusions The localization technique can achieve satisfactory localization success rate and good safety profile. It can provide an easy-to-use alternative to localize peripheral GGO.

BackgroundMortality and other clinical outcomes of culture-negative and culture-positive among patients with fungal sepsis have not been documented, and whether antifungal therapy prior to fungal culture reports is related to decreased mortality among patients remains largely controversial. This study aimed to determine the mortality and other clinical outcomes of patients with positive yeast cultures and further investigate the effects of initial empiric antifungal therapy.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted among septic patients using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Patients with sepsis were divided into two groups based on first fungal culture status during intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and initial empirical antifungal therapy was prescribed based on physician’s experience prior to fungal culture reports within 48 h. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. The secondary outcomes were 30-day all-cause mortality, 60-day all-cause mortality, length of ICU stay and length of hospital stay. Multivariate logistic regression, propensity score matching (PSM), subgroup analyses and survival curve analyses were performed.ResultsThis study included 18,496 sepsis patients, of whom 3,477 (18.8%) had positive yeast cultures. Patients with positive yeast cultures had higher in-hospital all-cause mortality, 60-day all-cause mortality, and longer lengths of ICU stay and hospital stay than those with negative yeast cultures after PSM (all p

Shahejie marl in the Shulu Sag is a crucial resource for unconventional hydrocarbon exploration in China. Although breakthroughs have been made in tight oil exploration in this area, the mechanisms underlying the formation of this marl reservoir and factors controlling its ‘sweet spots’ have not been thoroughly studied. To understand the pore structure characteristics and factors influencing the marl reservoir, we analyzed core samples from Wells ST1 and ST3. A series of experiments was conducted on the samples, such as X-ray diffraction, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, micro-CT, and total organic carbon test. Additionally, the physical properties of different marl rock fabrics were studied with auxiliary tests, such as mercury intrusion capillary pressure analyses, nuclear magnetic resonance, porosity and permeability tests, and thin-section observation. The results revealed that the marl reservoir is characterized by low porosity (1.61%) and low permeability (2.56mD). The porosity and permeability (1.61% and 3.26mD) of laminated marl were better than those (0.92% and 1.68mD) of massive marl. Clay minerals and quartz content in laminated (11.8 and 8.2%) was less than in massive marl (16.2 and 13.3%). The marl pores include intercrystalline pores, dissolution pores, and microfractures. Additionally, the laminated marl pores were primarily distributed along the dark lamina, with good connectivity. A few isolated and uniform holes were observed in the massive marl. Influenced by rock fabric and mineral composition, layered fractures were mainly developed in the laminated marl, while structural fractures were the main type of microfractures in the massive marl. The primary sedimentary mechanism was the main geological action underlying the differences in marl rock fabric; this mechanism affects the physical properties of the marl reservoir, which are key factors to be considered when searching for the marl reservoir ‘sweet spots’. Particular attention should be paid to these factors during tight oil exploration and development in similar sedimentary basins.

In order to study the distribution law of oil and gas above and below the regional mudstone caprocks damaged by fault in petroliferous basins, based on the study of the sealing mechanism and degree of regional mudstone caprocks damaged by fault during the hydrocarbon accumulation period, the paleo-juxtaposition thickness of regional mudstone caprock was calculated by determining the paleo-fault throw of faults and the paleo-thickness of regional mudstone caprocks during the hydrocarbon accumulation period. According to the relation between the paleo-juxtaposition thickness of regional mudstone caprocks at known well points in the study area and the distribution of oil and gas above and below the regional mudstone caprock, the maximum juxtaposition thickness required for the upper and lower connection of the fault-associated fracture zone in the regional mudstone caprock was determined. On this basis, a set of prediction methods for the sealing capacity of regional mudstone caprocks damaged by fault during the hydrocarbon accumulation period was established. Then, this method was applied to the prediction of the damage degree distribution of the Zhangdong Fault to the regional mudstone caprock of the middle sub-member of the first member of the Shahejie Formation in the middle and late depositional periods of the Minghuazhen Formations in Qikou Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin during the hydrocarbon accumulation period. The results show that the damage degree of the Zhangdong Fault to the regional mudstone caprock of the middle sub-member of the first member of the Shahejie Formation during the hydrocarbon accumulation period is large. The largest damage appears in the east, with an a-value greater than 1, followed by the west, with an a-value between 0.5 and 1. The relatively minor damage occurs in the middle west part, with an a-value less than 0.5. The middle part is conducive to the accumulation and preservation of oil and gas generated from the source rock of the underlying third member of the Shahejie Formation, which is consistent with the fact that oil and gas discovered in the lower sub-member of the first member of the Shahejie Formation near the Zhangdong Fault are mainly distributed in its middle part. It shows that this method is feasible to predict the damage degree distribution of regional mudstone caprocks during the hydrocarbon accumulation period.

Oil-source faults play an important role in controlling hydrocarbon accumulation, and traps near these faults are often the most favorable positions for hydrocarbon accumulation. However, not all nearby traps can accumulate oil and gas. Therefore, it is necessary to predict favorable positions of hydrocarbon accumulation controlled by oil-source faults. Based on the analysis of hydrocarbon accumulation patterns near oil-source faults, a new method coupling hydrocarbon transportation positions of oil-source faults and favorable traps to predict favorable hydrocarbon accumulation positions is proposed. In this method, the hydrocarbon transportation positions are identified by the paleo activity rate during the hydrocarbon accumulation period; the favorable traps are identified by superimposing the position of fault traps, the lateral sealing position of faults, and the distribution of sand bodies with the ability to store oil and gas. Finally, the sites of overlap between the hydrocarbon transportation positions and the favorable traps are regarded as favorable positions for hydrocarbon accumulation under the control of oil-source faults. This method is applied to predict the favorable positions of hydrocarbon accumulation in the Ban 2 oil group of the Shahejie Formation near the Dazhangtuo fault, in the Qikou Sag (Bohai Bay Basin, East China). The results showed that the favorable positions of oil and gas accumulation along the Dazhangtuo fault in the Ban 2 oil group are mainly distributed in the northeast and center of the fault, and match well with the locations of the discovered oil and gas. Therefore, this method is useful to predict favorable hydrocarbon accumulation positions controlled by oil-source faults.

The development and evaluation of the transport capacity of oil and gas determine the location of the associated fractures based on the analysis of its ability to transport oil and gas and finding favorable locations in different periods of the faults. This paper also explored the distribution of oil and gas in different positions near the lower generation and upper reservoir faults in the petroliferous basin, while locations of the faults’ convex ridges with stronger oil and gas transporting ability are also determined and evaluated. A set of prediction methods in determining favorable locations for oil and gas transport capacity configured in different periods of fault are established and applied in different periods of the F3 fault in the Daliuquan area, Langgu Sag, Jizhong Depression, Bohai Bay Basin. The results of these two evaluations indicate that the development position of associated fractures of the F3 fault with strong oil and gas transport capacity was distributed primarily in the eastern part of the area. Sections of the convex ridge with stronger oil and gas transport capacity, on the other hand, are mainly distributed in the western, middle, and eastern faults. The favorable location of transporting oil and gas ability configuration of the F3 fault in different periods is distributed mainly in the east of the F3 fault, where oil and gas generated by the source rock of the Sha 4 Member (Es4) migrate and accumulate to the middle and lower sections of the Sha 3 Member (Es31−2) through the developmental position of associated fractures and convex ridges.

In the process of zinc smelting, when the chloride ion concentration exceeds 100 mg/L, it continuously corrodes the electrode plate and affects the stability of the electrodeposition process. Therefore, the chloride concentration must be reduced below 100 mg/L. Compared with other methods used to control the reactions of Cu(II), the use of the copper slag produced in zinc smelting without other additives does not cause reverse dissolution; to reduce the cost, turn the waste into treasure, and protect the environment, research was carried out on chloride removal by the copper slag via a synergistic valence control process. In this study, the influencing factors, such as the amount of copper slag, the reaction time, and reaction temperature, were systematically investigated. The results showed that the optimum dechlorination conditions were as follows: the copper: copper(II): chloride molar ratio was 6:5:1, the reaction time was 60 min, and the reaction temperature was 20 °C. The chloride ion concentration was decreased from 1.6 g/L to 0.05 g/L, the dechlorination efficiency was 96.875%, and the residual chloride ion concentration was less than 100 mg/L, which provides a basis for industrial use.

Abstract Background Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury can be a major complication following liver surgery contributing to post-operative liver dysfunction. Maresin 1 (MaR1), a pro-resolving lipid mediator, has been shown to suppress I/R injury. However, the mechanisms that account for the protective effects of MaR1 in I/R injury remain unknown. Methods WT (C57BL/6J) mice were subjected to partial hepatic warm ischemia for 60mins followed by reperfusion. Mice were treated with MaR1 (5-20 ng/mouse), Boc2 (Lipoxin A4 receptor antagonist), LY294002 (Akt inhibitor) or corresponding controls just prior to liver I/R or at the beginning of reperfusion. Blood and liver samples were collected at 6 h post-reperfusion. Serum aminotransferase, histopathologic changes, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress were analyzed to evaluate liver injury. Signaling pathways were also investigated in vitro using primary mouse hepatocyte (HC) cultures to identify underlying mechanisms for MaR1 in liver I/R injury. Results MaR1 treatment significantly reduced ALT and AST levels, diminished necrotic areas, suppressed inflammatory responses, attenuated oxidative stress and decreased hepatocyte apoptosis in liver after I/R. Akt signaling was significantly increased in the MaR1-treated liver I/R group compared with controls. The protective effect of MaR1 was abrogated by pretreatment with Boc2, which together with MaR1-induced Akt activation. MaR1-mediated liver protection was reversed by inhibition of Akt. Conclusions MaR1 protects the liver against hepatic I/R injury via an ALXR/Akt signaling pathway. MaR1 may represent a novel therapeutic agent to mitigate the detrimental effects of I/R-induced liver injury.

A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with the loading of metasurface (MS) is proposed for low-profile, wide-bandwidth and compact-size. Firstly, an MS structure consisting of 6 × 6 periodic metallic patch cells is loaded above the DRA. It aims to excite an additional TM surface wave above the fundamental TE111 mode of the rectangular DRA. Then, the shorting walls are printed on two sides of the dielectric, thus moving down the operating frequency with respect to its TM surface wave mode. As such, the bandwidth of the antenna is significantly widened with compact-size under the operation of TE111 and TM surface wave modes. Finally, the proposed DRA with enhanced performance is fabricated and tested. The results show that an impedance bandwidth of the antenna is dramatically increased to about 17.2%, covering the frequency range from 1.75 to 2.08 GHz, which is about 9.6 times wider than the traditional DRA at the same thickness (1.8%). Besides, it still maintains the broadside radiation pattern with stable gain of around 6.6 dBi and fairly low cross polarizations of below -26 dB. Particularly, the overall size of the radiator still maintains as small as about 0.32λ0× 0.32λ0 × 0.044λ0. It should be noted that the analysis of the antenna is carried out by using Ansys HFSS software version 14.0 and ADS 2011.

Background and objective Pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is a very rare type of salivary gland lung tumor. No standard treatment plan yet. This article intends to analyze the clinical characteristics of pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma and discuss the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma. Methods The clinical data of a patient with pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma were analyzed and other relevant clinical literatures were reviewed. Results Epithelial cells immunohistochemically expressed cytokeratin and myoepithelial cells immunohistochemically expressed SMA and S-100. The next-generation sequencing was mainly HRAS gene mutation and the express of PD-L1 protein was negative. Conclusion Most of the patients with Pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma have a good prognosis. Diagnosis mainly depends on microscopic examination and immunohistochemistry. The treatment of pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is mainly surgical resection. The effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is not clear.

A compact multi-layer Rotman lens-fed array antenna which can generate nine orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna consists of a microstrip Rotman lens and a nine-element circular array antenna which utilizes high-gain patch element in order to enhance the gain of OAM beam. A stacked patch loaded with two slots is attached above the patch element to effectively enhance the antenna gains. By employing the Rotman lens as the feed network of the circular array, nine OAM-carrying beams of modes number ℓ =0 , ±1, ±2, ±3 and ±4 can be produced when different input ports are excited, respectively. 160°-phase-shift on adjacent output ports can be achieved to meet the phase requirement of OAM modes of ℓ = ±4. Moreover, the Rotman lens is modified by adjusting the deflection angle of the beam ports and array ports so as to achieve uniform amplitude distribution on the output ports. Hence, the pattern characteristics of OAM beams can be effectively improved by making all the output ports are equal in amplitude. The C-band prototype of the antenna is fabricated and measured. Both the simulation and measurement results indicate that nine OAM modes can be generated by using the proposed structure. The proposed antenna can be used in an OAM-based wireless communication system.

Besides biotechnology, nano-CT, the ideal technology, can also be used to observe three-dimensional nanostructures in intact cells as part of research into the characteristics of tight oil characteristics. There are few applications in the process and it is still in the early stage of development, but the advantages shown by 3D nanostructure technology are very strong and have strong applicability. Even in the face of tight oil reservoirs with poor physical properties, rapid decline in oil production after volume fracturing, and low oil recovery, it also shows very strong advantages. In order to promote the study of tight oil characteristics and avoid various problems, this article studies the characteristics of tight oil reservoirs based on nano-CT. The results show that the introduction of nano-CT technology into the study of tight oil reservoir characteristics can meet the market demand of tight oil and increase by 3.54%. It can continuously expand and develop rich oil resources under the condition of protecting geology and reservoirs, providing strong technical support for the next generation of large-scale tight oil storage and efficient growth, and can be used to a certain extent for research. The resulting reservoir characteristics solve the problem of excess resources.

Hydrocarbon fluid migration through faulted cap rocks was determined by comparing the maximum connected thickness of cap rocks required for hydrocarbon fluid migration and the actual values, since cap rocks are important in the study of hydrocarbon fluid distribution in petroliferous basins based on its migration mechanism(s). The maximum connected thickness required was identified by comparing the cap rocks, fault displacement, and oil/gas distribution. The hydrocarbon fluid at the Putaohua reservoir migrated to the overlying Saertu and Heidimiao reservoirs in the Bayan Chagan Area, northern Songliao Basin. This was predicted to demonstrate the validity of the method. The results show that the adjusted Putaohua oil reservoir was distributed near the Talahai fault and Bayanchagan fault, rather than the Gulong sag in the southwest of the study area, where oil migrated vertically through the Sapu cap rocks to the overlying Saertu reservoir. Thick mudstone cap rocks in the second member of the Nenjiang Formation made it difficult for hydrocarbon fluid to migrate to the Heidimiao reservoir. This agrees well with hydrocarbon fluid distribution at the Putaohua, Saertu, and Heidimiao reservoirs in the Bayan Chagan Area, indicating that this method is feasible for predicting hydrocarbon fluid migration through faulted cap rocks.

This research was designed to analyze the composition of immune cells in obesity and identify novel and potent drugs for obesity management by epigenetic and transcriptomic conjoint analysis. DNA methylation data set (GSE166611) and mRNA expression microarray (GSE18897) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. A total of 72 objects (35 obese samples and 37 controls) were included in the study. Immune cell composition analysis, drug repositioning, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed using CIBERSORT, connectivity map (CMap), and GSEA tools. Besides, we performed a single-cell RNA-seq of the immune cells from whole blood samples obtained from one obese patient and one healthy control. mRNA levels of drug target genes were analyzed by qPCR assay in blood samples from six patients and six healthy controls. Immune cell composition analysis found that CD8 + T cells and NK cells were significantly lower in the obese group. 11 drugs/compounds are considered to possess obesity-control potential, such as atorvastatin. Moreover, the expression of drug targets (STAT3, MCL1, PMAIP1, SOD2, FOX O 3, FOS, FKBP5) in obese patients were higher than those in controls. In conclusion, immune cells are potential therapeutic targets for obesity. Our results also contribute to accelerate research on drug development of obesity.

Despite of the promising capabilities of selective laser melting (SLM), the poor formability of copper and its alloys is a critical challenge for industrial applications, which is widely-believed attributed to the high reflectivity of copper. Due to the difficulty of observing laser reflections, current understanding on the laser reflection mechanisms is still vague and unclear. This work constructs a high-fidelity CFD model coupled with a ray-tracing method to visualize the flow kinetics and reflection behavior during SLM Cu-Cr-Zr alloy. Considering the material specificity of copper, a temperature-dependent absorption rule is introduced to overcome the simulation deviation caused by the widely-used Fresnel absorption, showing good agreement with experiments in terms of track width and depth. The in-situ absorptivity measurement experiments are further conducted to compare with simulations with the error less than 2%. Additionally, different reflection mechanisms for continuous and distorted tracks are revealed. At relatively high linear energy density (LED), the global absorptivity undergoes a rise and a decrease in the initial stage, and finally gets stable. At low LED level, the surface tension drives the melt pool to form isolated balls and exposed plat surface, which is responsible for the intense absorptivity oscillation as the balling effect occurs.

To study the spatial distribution and scale of oil and gas near faults in petroliferous basins, a prediction model is established for the degree of damage that faults in different stages of evolution exert on the sealing ability of mudstone cap rocks by calculating the stages and degree of fault damage to the sealing ability of mudstone cap rocks. This model is applied to the Nanpu 5th Structure and the results show that at survey lines L2 and L8, the F1 Fault destroyed the sealing capacity of mudstone cap rock of the 2nd member of Dongying Formation (E3d2). The undamaged cap rock stage, when the degree of damage was zero, persisted from 23.8 to 16.0 Ma at survey line L2 and from 23.8 to 13.6 Ma at survey line L8. Complete destruction, i.e., where the degree of damage was 100%, at survey lines L2 and L8 occurred from 16.0 to 13.3 Ma and from 13.6 to 13.3 Ma, respectively. The partial destruction stage began 13.3 Ma ago and persists today; the degrees of damage at survey lines L2 and L8 were 89.96% and 82.58%, respectively. This was not conducive to oil and gas accumulation in the reservoir under the mudstone cap rock of E3d2. These results agreed with the current findings of small amounts of oil and gas under the mudstone cap rock of E3d2 at survey line L8 and no oil and gas at survey line L2. This indicates that the model is feasible for predicting the degree of damage to the sealing ability of the mudstone cap rocks by faults at different stages in their evolution.

Purpose Sacral nerve stimulation has been used to treat overactive bladder. This study evaluated the effects of stimulation using different pulse widths on the inhibition of bladder overactivity by sacral nerve stimulation (SNM) in pigs. Methods Implant-driven stimulators were used to stimulate the S3 spinal nerve in 7 pigs. Cystometry was performed by infusing normal saline (NS) or acetic acid (AA). SNM at pulse widths of 64 μsec to 624 μsec was conducted at the intensity threshold at which observable perianal and/or tail movement was induced. Multiple cystometrograms were performed to determine the effects of different pulse widths on the micturition reflex. Results AA-induced bladder overactivity reduced the bladder capacity to 46.9%±7.1% of the NS control level (P0.05). The actual intensity threshold varied from 0.7 to 8 V. The mean intensity threshold (T visual) for pulse widths of 64 μs, 204 μs, and 624 μs were 5.64±0.76 V, 3.11±0.48 V, and 2.52±0.49 V. T visual for pulse widths of 64 μsec was larger than the other two T visual for pulse widths of 204 μsec and 624 μsec (P0.05). Conclusions This study indicated that different pulse widths could play a role in inhibiting bladder overactivity. It is not yet certain which pulse widths increased bladder capacity compared with AA levels, to minimize energy consumption and maintain patient comfort during stimulation, 204 μsec may be an appropriate pulse width for SNM.

To study the vertical distribution of oil, gas in the fracture zone of the oil and gas bearing basin, based on the mechanism and influence factors of vertical sealing oil and gas, this paper has studied the necessary conditions of unconsolidated fault vertical sealing oil, gas, determination method for compaction and diagenetic of the fault filling. Concluded that the static period of fault vertical sealing oil and gas required that fault should be cut by mudstone, through comparing the relative period of the fault rock starting consolidate and the fault stopping activity to determine whether the fracture fillings are compacted into rock. If the time fault rocks began compaction into rock is earlier than the time fault stopped activity, fault filling has been consolidated; otherwise not compaction. By determining the displacement pressure of the fracture filling material and the rock displacement pressure of the underlying reservoir, a method is established to evaluate static unconsolidated fault vertical sealing oil and gas ability by comparing the relative size of the two. Applied it in the evaluation of the vertical sealing capacity f1 in the one to three sections of the Dongying formation and 5 sections of the formation in the southern Bohai Bay Basin. The results show that the fault f1 in one to three of the Dongying formation have the greater filler displacement pressure than the displacement pressure of underlying reservoir rock, as the vertical sealed is favorable for oil and gas accumulation and preservation. It’s accordant with oil and gas distribution has been found in Dongying formation at present in the formation of the South Fort 5 structure, which indicates that the method is feasible to evaluate the vertical sealing ability of the fault in the stationary phase.

A circularly polarized bowtie antenna array for wideband application is presented, which employs a dual-polarized bowtie antenna with electromagnetic coupling feed as the radiating element. By introducing a swallow-tailed feed-strip and an end vertical loading, a wide impedance bandwidth is achieved with a reduced antenna size, without using any impedance matching circuits. Four array elements are used in a 2 × 2 configuration to obtain high gain performance. To improve the axial ratio (AR), the array elements have been sequentially rotated. The proposed antenna has an impedance bandwidth for VSWR ≤ 1.5 of 46% ranging from 1.1 to 1.77 GHz. The AR results are better than 0.75 dB within the impedance bandwidth. The gain of the array varies from 10.8 to 12.2 dBi within the operating band. Acceptable agreement is found between the simulated and measured results, verifying the proposed design with wide impedance, AR, and gain bandwidths.

To study the possibility and location of lateral migration of oil and gas across faults, a quantitative evaluation method for lateral migration of oil and gas across faults was established using the Shuangjing Knipe graphic method to identify the juxtaposition site and juxtaposition patterns of sand and sand in the upper and lower walls of the reverse faults and the consequent faults, combined with the oil and gas limit method of fault lateral seal in the test oil area. The quantitative evaluation method was applied to the first and two members of the Paleogene Shahejie strata (referred to as Es1 and Es2) of Shigezhuang nose structure of Wen'an slope in Baxian sag, Jizhong depression, Bohai Bay Basin, to determine the juxtaposition site of sand and sand in the upper and lower walls of the fault, and the shale gouge ratio (SGR) lower values are 26% and 29% respectively in the strata Es1 and Es2. Thus, the location of lateral migration of oil and gas across faults was determined. Based on the oil and gas distribution characteristics of the strata Es1 and Es2, and variation trend of nitrogen compounds in 4 wells in the strata Es1, the results were consistent with the quantitative evaluation of the location of lateral migration of oil and gas across faults, the feasibility of the evaluation method was preliminarily verified. Key words: Bohai Bay Basin, Jizhong depression, Wen'an slope, hydrocarbon lateral migration, shale gouge ratio, fault lateral seal, oil and gas seal limit, Knipe diagram method

Many researchers worked a lot on geologic conditions for lateral sealing of faults, but none of their studies took the effect of internal structures of fault zones on the lateral sealing capacity of faults. Therefore, the lateral sealing of active faults has rarely been discussed. In this paper, based on the analysis of the composition and structure characteristics of fault fillings, the geological conditions for lateral sealing of active faults and relevant research method were discussed in reference to the lateral sealing mechanisms of inactive fault rocks. It is shown that, in order to satisfy geologically the lateral sealing of active faults, the faults should be antithetic and the faulted strata should be mainly composed of mudstone, so that the displacement pressure of fault fillings is higher than or equal to that of reservoir rocks in oil and gas migration block. Then, a research method for the lateral sealing of active faults was established by comparing the displacement pressure of fillings in the fault with that of reservoir rocks in oil and gas migration block. This method was applied to three antithetic faults (F1, F2 and F3) in No. 1 structure of the Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin. As revealed, the fillings of these three active faults were mostly argillaceous at the stage of natural gas accumulation (the late stage of Neogene Minghuazhen Fm sedimentation), and their displacement pressures were higher than that of reservoir rocks in the first member of Paleogene Dongying Fm (F1 and F3) and the Neogene Guantao Fm (F2). Accordingly, they are laterally sealed for natural gas, which is conducive to the accumulation and preservation of natural gas. Industrial gas flow has been produced from the first member of Paleogene Dongying Fm in Well Np101, the Guantao Fm in Well Np1-2 and the first member of Paleogene Dongying Fm in Well Np1, which is in agreement with the analysis result. It is verified that this method is feasible for investigating the lateral sealing of active faults.

A low-profile and wide-beamwidth dual-polarized distributed microstrip antenna is presented in this paper. Four isolated micro patches are proposed as the radiation components and are excited by a compact differential-fed network. The micro patches in two diagonals determine the operating frequency bands of the two polarizations, respectively. By increasing the distances between the micro patches, the beamwidth in E plane can be broadened. Shorting poles between the patches and the ground plane are used to achieve good impedance matching. Compact dual-polarized differential-fed networks are also studied and compared with achieve the best antenna performance. To validate the proposed method, a wide-beamwith dual-polarized distributed microstrip antenna, whose dual polarizations operate at 2 and 2.2 GHz, respectively, is manufactured and measured. The external dimensions of the antenna is 70mmx10 mm (0.49λ x 0.07λ). The experimental results agree well with the simulated ones. The 3dB beamwidths in E planes reach 116° and 115°, and the gains are 5.15 and 5.5 dB for two polarizations, respectively. Meanwhile, the cross polarizations are less than -26.2 and -27.8 dB. In addition, the impedance bandwidths of 9.2% and 9.9% for VSWR≤2 are achieved, and the port isolation is greater than 25.4 dB in the bands.

A compact and wideband directional circularly polarized (CP) antenna is presented in this paper. The antenna adopts four distributed micropatches as the radiation structure to realize directional radiation and wideband potential, and a low-loss sequentially rotated feeding network is utilized to provide CP excitation. Because of the good impedance matching between the proposed radiation structure and the feeding network, the antenna obtains wide bandwidths in both impedance and axial ratio (AR), and high efficiency is also achieved in the wide band. A prototype of the antenna is fabricated to validate the proposed method. The antenna's dimensions are 0.418λ0 × 0.418λ0 × 0.064λ0 (λ0 is the free-space wavelength at the center frequency of operating band). The impedance bandwidth for VSWR ≤ 2 reaches 42.9% (1.457 ~ 2.253 GHz), and the CP bandwidth for AR ≤ 3 dB reaches 22.8% (1.67 ~ 2.10 GHz). In the overlapped band, the radiation efficiency is more than 96.5%, and the gains are greater than 4.8 dBic.

The fault-reservoir displacement pressure differential method, as a quantitative evaluation method of fault sealing which considering diagenetic time of fault rock, was improved based on the study of fault sealing mechanism and its influencing factors. A geology and mathematical model of quantitative evaluation of fault sealing considering diagenetic time was established. First, the depth of surrounding rock which has the same shale content and diagenetic degree as the fault rocks at the target was determined using the method of successive approximation at the given step length. Second, the displacement pressure of target fault rocks was calculated based on the relationship between the displacement pressure and the product of shale content and burial depth that was established for the study area. And third, the sealing states and capacity of the faults were quantitatively evaluated by comparing the calculated displacement pressure with that of the target reservoir. By the actual data of reservoirs at Banqiao Fault in Qikou sag and the result comparison between fault rock shale content method (SGR) and fault-reservoir displacement pressure differential method without considering the diagenetic time, it is verified that this method is more feasible and credible. Key words: Qikou Sag, fault rock, lateral sealing ability, sealing ability quantitative evaluation, displacement pressure

From the deformation characteristics of two walls of a fault caused by fault activities, the activation of faults in the critical moment of oil and gas accumulation (structural inversion period) was analyzed to determine the source faults in the Upper Cretaceous Putaohua oil layer of the Sanzhao sag in Songliao Basin. Based on the previous classification and research results of activity patterns of the faults in the Sanzhao sag, the analysis of the structural deformation characteristics during the deposition of the 2nd and 3rd members of the Upper Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation and the inversion reveals that the feature of cutting to T06 reflection layer (bottom interface of the third member of the Nenjiang Formation) can not be taken as the basis to judge whether the faults were activated during the inversion or not. But during the structural inversion period, the structural deformation caused by faults would lead to fault-propagation inverted folds and fault-bend inverted folds, which would further lead to obvious deformation differences between hanging walls and foot walls of faults, this can be taken as the basis to determine if the faults were activated or not in the inversion period, and then the source faults of the Putaohua oil layer can be determined. Furthermore the source faults can be divided into two kinds, concealed faults and penetrating faults, according to if the source faults cut through layers of inversion period or not. These two kinds of source faults show more obvious control over the planar oil distribution in the Putaohua layer than the previous study results. Key words: Songliao Basin, Sanzhao sag, Putaohua oil layer, source fault, structural inversion

In this paper, a wideband circularly polarized (CP) antenna element and array with gain enhancement are presented. The original antenna element adopts two orthogonal ellipse dipoles with end-loading pillars. In order to achieve a wide impedance bandwidth (IBW), a harpoon-shaped feed patch (HSFP) as electromagnetic coupling-feed is utilized. By introducing a coupled frame and a loop cavity, the gain of the element is crucially improved. Then, four sequentially rotated elements placed in a circular contour act as 2 × 2 array, and a similar loop metal cavity is employed to the array to reach gain enhancement. For the wideband CP performance of the proposed antenna, a wideband phase shifting feed network (WPSFN) is used to construct the antenna. Finally, to verify the feasibility of the proposed antenna, a prototype array is manufactured and measured. Experimental results are found in acceptable agreement with the simulated ones in terms of gain, radiation efficiency, radiation pattern, reflection coefficient, and axial ratio (AR). The result indicates that the proposed antenna has an IBW for reflection coefficient S11 ≤ − 10 dB of 85.7% (0.80–2.00 GHz). Moreover, benefit from the sequentially rotated technique (SRT), the AR at broadside direction keeps blow 3 dB during the overlapped bandwidth of S11≤ − 10 dB, and the ARBW for AR ≤ 1 dB of 74.4% (0.85–1.78 GHz) can be achieved. By employing the loop cavity, the right hand circularly polarization (RHCP) gain is significantly improved, which keeps above 10.00 dBic from 1.05 GHz to 1.85 GHz, and the peak gain reaches to 13.91 dBic.

Understanding the major controlling factors of gas accumulation in the Xujiaweizi faulted depression of the Songliao Basin is of great significance to future gas exploration. However, they were seldom studied in the context of major faults including Xuxi, Xuzhong and Xudong. Based on fine interpretation of 3D seismic data acquired in this area, the controlling effect of these three faults on gas accumulation and distribution was identified through a composite analysis of the three faults and the gas accumulation conditions considering the characteristics of development and distribution of the three major faults. The following conclusions were obtained. (1) These faults jointly control the development of coal measure source rocks in the Lower Cretaceous Shahezi Fm. Such rocks show three high-value areas of thickness (with the maximum thickness of over 1000 m) and have a large potential of hydrocarbon generation. These faults provide passages for gas to migrate upwards to the overlying reservoirs. (2) These faults act as the pathways for magma to protrude upwards into the shallow crust during the deposition of Early Cretaceous Yingcheng Fm. Volcanic rocks are well-developed around the faults, forming favorable fractured volcanic reservoirs. (3) These faults provide effective sealing conditions for gas accumulation in the volcanic reservoirs. If the fault cutting Ying 1 Member is juxtaposed by volcanic reservoirs and sandstones or conglomerates at both walls, the fault is sealed laterally, which is favorable for gas accumulation, and gas layer is proved through drilling; otherwise, if juxtaposed by volcanic rocks, the fault is not sealed laterally, which is unfavorable for gas accumulation, and water layer is confirmed through drilling.

Additional structures are usually adopted to support the overhanging structures in order to resist the deformation of parts. Improper geometric design of the support structures may result in a sharp deterioration in the surface quality and a failure of manufacture, which affects the expansion in the use of selective laser melting (SLM) technology. In this research, cuboids were added into the conventional block support for a better heat dissipation. The Taguchi method was used to analyze the effect of the geometric design of this support on the part’s deformation and surface roughness. It was found that solid pieces or cuboids as support structures can reduce the deformation. However, their effects are weaker than those of teeth structures which decrease the deformation by more reliable connections. It is interesting that narrowing the gap between the cuboids and overhang can weaken the strength of teeth structures and then increases the deformation of part. In general, the distance between every two adjacent walls of support and the gap between the cuboids and the overhang have the greatest influence on the part’s deformation and surface quality respectively.

Aims. To assess the concentrations of serum CXCL13 and intrarenal ectopic lymphoid tissue (ELT) profiles and their correlation in the patients with lupus nephritis (LN). Methods. Serum CXCL13 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The expression of CD3, CD20, and CD21 in renal biopsy specimens was tested using immunohistochemical methods. Results. Serum CXCL13 levels were significantly higher in the LN group than those in the SLE group without LN and also in the type III and IV LN patients than in type V LN patients. LN patients with positive CD20 expression (CD20+ LN) had a longer disease course and poorer response to combination therapy and higher serum CXCL13 levels than CD20− LN patients. Moreover, the serum CXCL13 level was positively correlated with the number of B cells/HP in the renal tissue of LN patients. The coexpression patterns of CD3, CD20, and CD21 in the renal tissue of LN patients with different WHO pathological types were significantly different. Serum CXCL13 levels were significantly higher in ELT-2 type LN patients than in 0 or 1 type LN patients. Conclusions. This study suggested that increased serum levels of CXCL13 might be involved in renal ELT formation and renal impairment process in LN.