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In order to realize the effective development of shale oil with low maturity in continental faulted basins in Jiyang Depression， systematic evaluations have been carried out simultaneously in Boxing， Niuzhuang， and Minfeng sags since 2019， based on the 10 000 meters of systematic coring and more than 100 000 core tests. Significant breakthroughs have been made in single well evaluation and stereoscopic development of well groups. A pilot test of eight wells in three layers was conducted in Boxing Sag， and the first 100 000-ton shale oil development well group of SINOPEC was built. A large-platform stereoscopic development test of well groups was carried out with 20 wells in five layers， and all wells were put into production in Niuzhuang Sag. A comprehensive overall evaluation and stereoscopic development test was launched in Minfeng Sag， following the mode of “overall deployment of a large platform and step-by-step implementation of a small well group.” Peak daily oil production exceeded one hundred tons in 28 wells， including Wells FYP1 and FY1-1HF ternary-element （storage， fracture， and pressure） storage and flow theory of shale oil in Jiyang Depression was proposed. The technologies of shale oil development， stereoscopic fine evaluation of development sweet spots， integrated modeling and numerical simulation， and stereoscopic development optimization were developed. A theoretical and technical system of stereoscopic development of shale oil in continental faulted basins with Shengli characteristics was initially constructed. It effectively supported the construction of the shale oil national demonstration area in Jiyang Depression， Shengli Oilfield.

[Objective] This study aims to conduct an in-depth investigation into the large set of rhythmicallycharacteristic lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks rich in carbonate materials and organic matter developed in the Dongying Sag area of the Bohai Bay Basin in eastern China, exploring their genetic mechanisms as well as characteristics of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment changes. [Methods] Based on core and thin-section observations, we classified the lithofacies according to sedimentary structural features and mineral component content. Considering the differences in sedimentary environment and deposition rate, the target interval was divided into four units. The Multi-Taper Method (MTM) was applied to perform segmented spectral analysis on the natural gamma (GR) logging curve from the upper Fourth member of the Shahejie Formation (Es4u) to the lower Third member (Es3l) in well Fanye 1 (FY1). [Results] Through macroscopic and microscopic sedimentary observations, we identified five types of fine-grained rocks in the Dongying Sag area: laminar argillaceous limestone, laminar calcareous mudstone, weakly laminar calcareous mudstone, lenticular argillaceous limestone and massive mudstone. Spectral analysis results revealed that all four units recorded Milankovitch cycles, including periods of 125 kyr, 38.7 kyr, and 18.7 kyr. Based on volcanic ash dating data, we established a "floating" astronomical timescale with a precision of 38.7 kyr and determined that the total duration of fine-grained sedimentary deposition from the upper Es4 to the lower Es3 in the Dongying Sag was 5.3 Myr. Further analysis indicated a good correspondence between the 18.7 kyr precession cycle and changes in carbonate content, suggesting a significant influence of Earth's orbital parameters on the deposition of carbonate-bearing fine-grained sedimentary rocks. [Conclusions] Utilizing the theory of cyclostratigraphy, this study revealed characteristics of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment changes in lacustrine sediments from the perspective of astronomical cycles controlling sedimentation. Our analysis showed that Earth's orbital parameters, particularly the 18.7 kyr precession cycle and the 125 kyr eccentricity cycle, jointly drove climate changes, which in turn controlled the deposition of carbonate-bearing fine-grained sedimentary rocks. Specifically, at maxima of precession or minima of eccentricity, increased sunlight and warmer lake water temperatures favored the crystallization of calcite and the deposition of limestone. Conversely, at minima of precession or maxima of eccentricity, decreased sunlight and cooler lake water temperatures resulted in fine-grained material being predominantly derived from terrestrial sources, with mudstone deposition dominating. This research has important scientific and guiding implications for unconventional oil and gas exploration and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive psychostimulant and one of the most widely abused drugs worldwide. The continuous use of METH eventually leads to neurotoxicity and drug addiction. Studies have shown that neurotoxicity is strongly associated with METH-induced neuroinflammation, and microglia are the key drivers of neuroinflammation. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is reported to play a key role in activation of microglia and neuroinflammation. Yet, the molecular mechanisms by which METH causes neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity remain elusive. In the current study, we investigated the role of TREM2 in neuroinflammation induced by METH in BV2 cells and the wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice, CX3CR1GFP/+ transgenic mice, and TREM2 knockout (KO) mice. Postmortem samples from the frontal cortex of humans with a history of METH use were also analyzed to determine the levels of TREM2, TLR4, IBA1, and IL-1β. The expression levels of TREM2, TLR4, IBA1, IL-1β, iNOS, and Arg-1 were then assessed in the BV2 cells and frontal cortex of mice and human METH users. Results revealed that the expression levels of TREM2, TLR4, IBA1, and IL-1β were significantly elevated in METH-using individuals and BV2 cells. Microglia were clearly activated in the frontal cortex of WT C57BL/6 mice and CX3CR1GFP/+ transgenic mice, and the protein levels of IBA1, TREM2, TLR4, and IL-1β were elevated in the METH-induced mouse models. Moreover, TREM2-KO mice showed further increased microglial activation, neuroinflammation, and excitotoxicity induced by METH. Thus, these findings suggest that TREM2 may be a target for regulating METH-induced neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Methamphetamine (MA) abuse is a serious social problem worldwide. Cardiovascular complications were the second leading cause of death among MA abusers. We aimed to clarify the effects of MA on myocardial injury, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in myocardial cells and to explore the potential mechanism of nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in MA-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. Methods: An acute cardiac toxicity model of MA was established by intraperitoneal injection of MA (2 mg/kg) for 5 days. Nrf2 activation (by sulforaphane (SFN) 1 h before MA injection) and Nrf2 gene knockout were performed to explore the regulatory effects of Nrf2 on cardiac toxicity. Results: The protein expressions of Nrf2 (p <.001) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were increased (p <.01), suggesting that MA activated the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. In the MA group, cardiac injury score (p <.001) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) protein expression increased (p <.01). Malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased (p <.001), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased (p <.05). Protein expressions of Caspase-3 (p <.001) and Bax (p <.001) increased, and Bcl-2 decreased (p <.001) as well. These changes were reversed by activation of Nrf2 but became more pronounced after Nrf2 knockout, suggested that the activation and knockout of Nrf2 attenuated and aggravated MA-induced myocardial injury, oxidative stress and apoptosis in myocardial cells, respectively. Conclusions: MA administration induced myocardial injury, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in mice. Nrf2 attenuated MA-induced myocardial injury by regulating oxidative stress and apoptosis, thus playing a protective role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel two-step approach that incorporates fuzzy c-means (FCMs) clustering and gradient vector flow (GVF) snake algorithm for lesions contour segmentation on breast magnetic resonance imaging (BMRI). Manual delineation of the lesions by expert MR radiologists was taken as a reference standard in evaluating the computerized segmentation approach. The proposed algorithm was also compared with the FCMs clustering basedmethod. With a database of 60mass-like lesions (22 benign and 38 malignant cases), the proposed method demonstrated sufficiently good segmentation performance. The morphological and texture features were extracted and used to classify the benign and malignant lesions based on the proposed computerized segmentation contour and radiologists' delineation, respectively. Features extracted by the computerized characterization method were employed to differentiate the lesions with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.968, in comparison with an AUC of 0.914 based on the features extracted from radiologists' delineation. The proposed method in current study can assist radiologists to delineate and characterize BMRI lesion, such as quantifying morphological and texture features and improving the objectivity and efficiency of BMRI interpretation with a certain clinical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is among the most common postpartum complications. Its prevalence is associated with strong regional variability. Women in rural areas of China have a high risk of PPD. The aim of this study was to investigate the PPD status of women in rural South China and explore the effects of modifiable lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy on their PPD status, thereby providing a scientific basis for the prevention and intervention of PPD in rural China., Methods: A cohort study was conducted on 261 women from four maternal health institutions situated in rural areas of Guangdong Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from October 2021 to December 2022. The questionnaires were administered to these women to obtain data about sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, physical activity during pregnancy, and sleep and dietary status during pregnancy, as well as depression status on the 42 nd day after delivery. The lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy and the PPD status of the study population were analyzed. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the correlation between lifestyle behaviors and PPD status. Path analysis was performed to explore the interaction between various lifestyle behaviors., Results: A total of 14.6% of women had a PPD status. Women who continued to work during pregnancy had an Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) score of 1.386 points higher than that of women who did not ( В  = 1.386, β  = 0.141, p  = 0.029). For every 1-point increase in the infant feeding-related knowledge score and pregnancy diet diversity score, the EPDS score decreased by 0.188 and 0.484 points, respectively, and for every 1-point increase in the Pittsburgh sleep quality index score, the EPDS score increased by 0.288 points. Age was related to infant feeding-related knowledge (indirect path coefficient = 0.023). During pregnancy, sedentary time was correlated with sleep quality (indirect path coefficient = 0.031) and employment status (indirect path coefficient = 0.043)., Conclusion: Employment status, infant feeding-related knowledge, sleep quality, and diet diversity during pregnancy directly influenced the PPD status, while age and sedentary time during pregnancy indirectly influenced the PPD status. Promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, including reducing sedentary time, improving sleep quality, and increasing dietary diversity, may be effective in reducing PPD occurrence., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ding, Li, Shi, Wang, Peng, Deng, Yang, Liang and Wang.)

Acute lethal inflammation, especially that related to liver injury, is an important clinical issue. To date, however, there is no model that can be used to assess this serious condition. This study was designed to establish a novel lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced acute lethal liver injury model in nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transgenic mice. The results show that a high dose of LPS (500 μg/kg) plus D-GalN (800 mg/kg) successfully established a novel mouse model of acute lethal liver injury with a lifespan of 8-10 h. Significantly increased NF-κB activity, detected with an in vivo imaging system (IVIS), peaked at approximately 4 h post-LPS/D-GalN challenge in NF-κB transgenic mice. Moreover, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 were significantly increased and peaked at approximately 4 h post- i.p. injection of LPS/D-GalN. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) also sharply increased. Correlation analyses showed that NF-κB activity was significantly correlated with serum levels of ALT and AST. The mouse model livers showed marked congestion and hemorrhage, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining confirmed the destruction of the lobular structure and severe hepatocyte necrosis and hemorrhage. None of these changes were observed in the control mice. In summary, a novel LPS/D-GalN-induced acute lethal liver injury model with visualization of NF-κB activity was established in NF-κB transgenic mice. This model will provide the technology for developing new therapeutic strategies for treatment of severe acute liver injury complicated by endotoxemia or septicemia.

Protective autoantibodies in homeostasis, clinical relevance, and therapeutic potential have gained wide attention. Recent studies showed that IgG4 autoantibodies play crucial roles in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In one aspect, IgG4 autoantibodies can bind autoantigens in competition with other classes of immunoglobulins (e.g., IgG1, IgG2a) to form non-inflammatory immune-complexes (ICs), which have a limited ability to induce immune responses because of the low affinity of IgG4 for both Fc receptors and the C1 complement molecule, resulting in reduced inflammatory response in SLE and RA. In another aspect, the CH2 domain of IgG4, post antibody binding with autoantigens, might become a target for rheumatoid factors (RFs) in RA. The resultant bigger ICs containing RF-IgG4-autoantigens were shown to strongly induce immune responses and to cause tissue damage in RA. In addition, the roles of IgG4-IgG1 (IgG4-IgG2 or IgG4-IgG3)-complexes and bispecific IgG4 in SLE and RA are also reviewed. Overall, IgG4 autoantibodies may act as a monitor for the pathogenesis in SLE and RA and even as a treatment for SLE.

In addition to antibiotic therapy for treatment of peritonitis, biologics have also been found to exhibit both anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving properties. Here, we first developed NF-κB transgenic mice with zymosan-induced acute peritonitis to investigate the effects of a novel anti-Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 antibody (anti-T20). In this mouse model, anti-T20 treatment significantly attenuated the increase of peritoneal NF-κB activity and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, including monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, in a dose-dependent manner compared to mice treated with isotype control antibody. Additionally, anti-T20 treatment significantly reduced MCP-1 levels as well as the leukocyte and total protein concentrations in the peritoneal exudates of peritonitis mice. Moreover, anti-T20 treatment significantly reduced TLR2 signal transduction in the leukocytes in peritoneal exudates from the experimental peritonitis mice. In conclusion, we developed a zymosan-induced acute peritonitis mouse model that facilitated visualization of NF-κB activity and demonstrated that anti-T20 treatment plays a protective role in this model concomitant with the inhibition of the zymosan-induced inflammatory response.