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The paleoenvironment of shales can be reconstructed to some extent using the combinations or concentrations of elements that correlate strongly with environmental conditions. In this study, we analyzed rare earth elements (REEs), major elements, and trace elements in the marine-continental transitional shales (transitional shales for short) of the Shan 23 submember of the Shanxi Formation in the southeastern Ordos Basin. The purpose is to deduce the paleoenvironmental conditions of the shales, encompassing paleoredox, paleoclimate, paleoproductivity, and paleo-provenance. The Shan 23 submember comprises four sections, namely Shan 23-1, Shan 23-2, Shan 23-3, and Shan 23-4. The Ba/Al, P/Al, and Cu/Al ratios, along with biogenic barium (Babio), indicate that the paleoproductivity of the submember peaked during the Shan 23-1 deposition and exhibited a downtrend upward in other sections. Trends in the Uau and the Ni/Co, V/Cr, U/Th, and V/Sc ratios suggest that suboxic conditions prevailed during the Shan 23-1 deposition, with the oxidation level gradually increasing from Shan 23-1 to Shan 23-4. C-value and the Sr/Cu vs. Ga/Rb cross-plot indicate a warm and arid paleoclimate during the Shan 23-1 deposition, which transitioned to cooler, drier conditions during the deposition of other sections. Indicators sensitive to paleoclimate, such as the K/Rb and Th/U ratios, along with the ICV, PIA, and Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), highlight elevated weathering from Shan 23-2 to Shan 23-4, with Shan 23-1 exhibiting the weakest weathering during its deposition. As suggested by the REE data, the Zr/Sc vs. Th/Sr cross-plot, provenance discriminant functions, and the cross-plots of Hf vs. La/Th, Th vs. Hf–Co, and ∑REE vs. La/Yb, the sedimentary provenance for the transitional shales of the Shan 23 submember is of multiple origins, with significant contributions from the Upper Continental Crust (UCC). Discriminant diagrams, including those of Th–Co–Zr/10, Th–Sc–Zr/10, La–Th–Sc, and K2O/Na2O vs. SiO2, suggest that the transitional shales of the Shan 23 submember were primarily deposited under tectonic settings such as continental island arcs (CIAs) and passive continental margins (PCMs).

To mitigate the exploration and development risks, it is necessary to have a deeper understanding of the formation mechanism and gas-bearing control factors of low-resistance shale reservoirs. This study focuses on typical shale gas wells (including low-resistivity wells) in Luzhou area, and identification criteria for low-resistance shale reservoirs are redefined as resistivity less than 10 Ω·m and continuous formation thickness greater than 6 m. At the macro scale, low-resistivity shale reservoirs are characterized by high clay mineral content and high water saturation with low gas content. At the micro scale, the main pore size is less than 10 nm, with a small total pore volume but a large specific surface area. Shale reservoirs close to the Class II fault have high water saturation and strong compaction, which hinders the mutual transformation between minerals, resulting in low-resistivity shale with high clay mineral content, small pore volume, and pore size, which promotes the enhancement of reservoir conductivity. The gas content of low-resistivity shale reservoirs is lower, because the distance from the Class II fault is closer, resulting in high water saturation and strong diagenesis, which is not conducive to pore development and shale gas accumulation. When the water saturation exceeds 40%, the pore volume of shale reservoirs rapidly decreases to as low as 0.0074 cm3/g. In order to reduce the risk of exploration and development of the area, the well location deployment needs to be more than 2.8 km away from the Class II fault.

In 2012, China's first national shale gas demonstrations areas were set up in the Sichuan Basin. After 10 years' construction and practice, the giant marine shale gas area of 10 × 1012 m3 level is built up in the Sichuan Basin, and shale gas steps into a new stage of large-scale benefit exploration and development. In order to systematically summarize the achievements in shale gas exploration and development and provide guidance and reference for the exploration and development of deep shale gas and shale oil & gas in other areas, this paper systematically summarizes the main characteristics, development models and key identification and evaluation technologies for quality reservoirs of Wufeng Formation–Longmaxi Formation shale gas by analyzing the electric property, lithofacies, reservoir parameters and microscopic porosity of key wells in the basin. And the following research results are obtained. First, biogenetic siliceous shale, calcareous shale and mixed shale are main lithofacies types in quality shale gas reservoirs, and they are formed in the environment of semi-deep and deep water continental shelf. Their lateral distribution is controlled by the paleogeomorphology and their vertical development is influenced by provenance, redox condition and paleo productivity. They are 25–90 m thick. Second, in the quality shale gas reservoirs develop organic pores, inorganic pore and microfractures (including lamina/bedding fractures), among which, organic pore is one of the main reservoir spaces and microfracture is not only indispensable reservoir space, but also production pathway. The reservoir space of shale gas is overall micro-nano pore, and macropores play an important role in shale gas enrichment. Third, three development models of quality reservoir are established, including sedimentary type, diagenesis type and reworking type. The sedimentary type is the foundation. Multiple quality reservoirs are developed in the high U/Th interval of graptolite belt at the bottom of Longmaxi Formation, and their thickness is mainly controlled by paleogeomorphology and especially greater in the depression area. The diagenesis type is divided into three forms, i.e., syngenetic-early diagenetic rigid support, middle-late diagenetic mineral-organic matter transformation, and overpressure relief compaction. The reworking type is dominated by quality reservoirs with microfractures. Fourth, the core technologies for identifying and evaluating quality shale gas reservoir include large-size core and rock slice observation, high-accuracy rock mineral identification, experimental gas content test and simulation, SEM microscopic characterization, 3D microscopic pore reconstruction, comprehensive geophysical interpretation and prediction and big data analysis. In conclusion, nearly 10 years' research and practice achievements in demonstration area construction can deepen the understanding on domestic quality shale gas reservoirs, promote the effective development of the theories and technologies related to shale gas reservoirs, improve the prediction accuracy of shale gas sweet spot zones/intervals, and expand the shale gas exploration and development achievements of demonstration areas.

Abstract To lay a foundation for alleviating the influence of mining shaft deformation (MSD) on the guide rail (GR) and monitoring the shaft deformation state, this paper studies the deformation law and mechanism of the guide rail under the MSD. Firstly, a spring is used to simplify the interaction between the shaft lining and surrounding rock soil mass (SRSM) under MSD, and its stiffness coefficient is deduced by the elastic subgrade reaction method. Secondly, a simplified finite element model is established based on spring element, the stiffness coefficient is calculated by the derivation formula, and its effectiveness is verified. Finally, the deformation law and mechanism of GR are analyzed under different types and degrees of MSD, and the deformation characteristics are studied under the disconnection between the shaft, bunton and guide rail. The results show that the established finite element model can better simulate the interaction between the shaft lining and SRSM, and the calculation efficiency is greatly improved. The guide rail deformation (GRD) has a strong ability to characterize MSD and owns the distinctive feature corresponding to different types and degrees of MSD and the connection state. This research can provide reference and guidance for the shaft deformation monitoring and the maintenance and installation of the GR, and also lays a groundwork for studying operation characteristic of hoisting conveyance under MSD.

This paper investigates the failure mechanism of the rear drive shaft in a modified pickup truck which had operated for about 3000 km. The investigation included macroscopic and microscopic evaluation to document the morphologies of the fracture surface, measurement of the material composition, metallographic preparation and examination, mechanical testing, and finite element modelling and calculations. The results obtained suggest that rotation-bending fatigue was the primary cause of the drive shaft failure. The crack initiation is located in the root of the machined threads on the drive shaft surface and expanded along the side of the machining line surface. The main cause of fatigue cracks is attributable to a high stress concentration owing to a large unilateral bending impact under overload. Meanwhile, the bidirectional torsional force also produces a higher stress concentration and thus accelerates the fatigue crack to expand radially along the surface. Furthermore, the hardness of the central section of the drive shaft was marginally below standard. This deficiency results in harm to the bearings and other mechanical components, as well as expediting the enlargement of cracks. Finite element analysis revealed significant contact stress between the bearing and drive shaft, with stress levels exceeding the fatigue limit stress of the parent material. This highlights the need for reevaluation of the heat treatment process and vehicle loading quality to enhance the drive shaft’s longevity.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) shows promise in tumor treatment, particularly when combined with nanotechnology. This study examines the impact of deep learning, particularly the Cellpose algorithm, on the comprehension of cancer cell responses to PDT. The Cellpose algorithm enables robust morphological analysis of cancer cells, while logistic growth modelling predicts cellular behavior post-PDT. Rigorous model validation ensures the accuracy of the findings. Cellpose demonstrates significant morphological changes after PDT, affecting cellular proliferation and survival. The reliability of the findings is confirmed by model validation. This deep learning tool enhances our understanding of cancer cell dynamics after PDT. Advanced analytical techniques, such as morphological analysis and growth modeling, provide insights into the effects of PDT on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, which could potentially improve cancer treatment efficacy. In summary, the research examines the role of deep learning in optimizing PDT parameters to personalize oncology treatment and improve efficacy.

Currently, the main solution for braking systems for underground electric trackless rubber-tired vehicles (UETRVs) is traditional hydraulic braking systems, which have the disadvantages of hydraulic pressure crawling, the risk of oil leakage and a high maintenance cost. An electro-mechanical-braking (EMB) system, as a type of novel brake-by-wire (BBW) system, can eliminate the above shortcomings and play a significant role in enhancing the intelligence level of the braking system in order to meet the motion control requirements of unmanned UETRVs. Among these requirements, the accurate control of clamping force is a key technology in controlling performance and the practical implementation of EMB systems. In order to achieve an adaptive clamping force control performance of an EMB system, an optimized fuzzy proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller is proposed, where the improved fuzzy algorithm is utilized to adaptively adjust the gain parameters of classic PID. In order to compensate for the deficiency of single-close-loop control and adjusting the brake gap automatically, a cascaded three-closed-loop control architecture with force/position switch technology is established, where a contact point detection method utilizing motor rotor angle displacement is proposed via experiments. The results of the simulation and experiments indicate that the clamping force response of the proposed multi-close-loop Variable Universe Fuzzy–PID (VUF-PID) controller is faster than the multi-closed-loop Fuzzy–PID and cascaded three-close-loop PID controllers. In addition, the chattering of braking force can be suppressed by 17%. This EMB system may rapidly and automatically finish the operation of the overall braking process, including gap elimination, clamping force tracking and gap recovery, which can obviously enhance the precision of the longitudinal motion control of UETRVs. It can thus serve as a BBW actuator of mine autonomous driving electric vehicles, especially in the stage of braking control.

It is urgent for automated electric transportation vehicles in coal mines to have the ability of self-adaptive tracking target constant deceleration to ensure stable and safe braking effects in long underground roadways. However, the current braking control system of underground electric trackless rubber-tired vehicles (UETRVs) still adopts multi-level constant braking torque control, which cannot achieve target deceleration closed-loop control. To overcome the disadvantages of lower safety and comfort, and the non-precise stopping distance, this article describes the architecture and working principle of constant deceleration braking systems with an electro-mechanical braking actuator. Then, a deceleration closed-loop control algorithm based on fuzzy neural network PID is proposed and simulated in Matlab/Simulink. Finally, an actual brake control unit (BCU) is built and tested in a real industrial field setting. The test illustrates the feasibility of this constant deceleration control algorithm, which can achieve constant decelerations within a very short time and maintain a constant value of −2.5 m/s2 within a deviation of ±0.1 m/s2, compared with the deviation of 0.11 m/s2 of fuzzy PID and the deviation of 0.13 m/s2 of classic PID. This BCU can provide electric and automated mine vehicles with active and smooth deceleration performance, which improves the level of electrification and automation for mine transport machinery.

The lacustrine shale, represented by the Lianggaoshan Formation, is widely distributed in oil and gas basins of China and will be a key target for unconventional hydrocarbon exploration in the future. Due to the complexity of geological conditions, the distribution of lacustrine shale and the mechanism of organic matter (OM) enrichment show significant differences between different basins. In this study, seismic interpretation, core observation, high-frequency geochemical analysis and other methods are integrated to reveal factors controlling lacustrine shale distribution and OM accumulation in lacustrine shale. The results suggest that six bottom-to-top organic-rich shale intervals are identified within the Lianggaoshan Formation due to lake-basin migration. The migration process of depocenters controls the planar distribution of lacustrine organic-rich shale. The organic-rich lacustrine shale within 1st Member and 2nd Member is characterized by relatively high paleoproductivity and dysoxic condition. The lacustrine organic-rich shale of the upper to the top of 3rd Member is characterized by relatively low paleoproductivity, relatively high terrestrial input, and dysoxic condition. Paleoproductivity and preservation condition caused by lake-level rise are generally the major influencing factor of organic matter accumulation in 1st Member and 2nd Member organic-rich shale. The input of terrestrial OM, and the condition of preservation caused by rapid deposition are the major factors controlling OM accumulation in 3rd Member of Lianggaoshan Formation.

Micro- and nano-scale pores develop in shale reservoirs, and the associated pore structure controls the occurrence state, gas content, seepage capacity, and micro-migration and accumulation mechanisms of shale gas. For this study, we mainly conducted tests, using field emission-scanning electron microscopy, of the isothermal methane adsorption of powder-sized samples under high temperatures (60–130 °C) and pressures (0–45 MPa), along with methane-saturated nuclear magnetic resonance tests of plug-sized samples under different temperatures (60–100 °C) and pressures (0–35 MPa). These samples were from Longmaxi shale cores from strata at different burial depths from the Zhaotong, Weiyuan, and Luzhou areas. As the burial depth increases, organic pores transform from complex networks to relatively isolated and circular pore-like structures, and the proportion of organic matter-hosted pores increases from 25.0% to 61.2%. The pore size is influenced by the pressure difference inside and outside the pores, as well as the surface tension of organic matter in situ. As the burial depth increases to 4200 m, the main peak of the pore size first increases from 5–30 nm to 200–400 nm and then decreases to 50–200 nm. This work establishes an NMR method of saturated methane on plug-sized samples to test the free gas content and develop a prediction model of shale reservoirs at different burial depths. The gas content of a shale reservoir is influenced by both burial depths and pore structure. When the burial depth of the shale gas reservoir is less than 2000 m, inorganic pores and microfractures develop, and the self-sealing ability of the reservoir in terms of retaining shale gas is weak, resulting in low gas content. However, due to the small pore size of organic pores and the low formation temperature, the content of adsorbed gas increases, accounting for up to 60%. As the burial depth increases, the free gas and total gas content increase; at 4500 m, the total gas content of shale reservoirs is 18.9 m3/t, and the proportion of free gas can be as high as 80%. The total gas content predicted by our method is consistent with the results of the pressure-holding coring technique, which is about twice our original understanding of gas content, greatly enhancing our confidence in the possibility of accelerating the exploration and development of deep shale gas.

Based on porosity and permeability tests, high-pressure mercury injection (HPMI), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and centrifugal experiments, this study comprehensively analyzed the quality, pore structure and fractal characteristics of tight sandstone reservoir in meandering stream facies. The purpose is to reveal the relationship between physical properties, geometry and topological parameters of pores, fluid mobility and heterogeneity of pore system of tight sandstone reservoirs in meandering stream facies. The results show that the second member of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation (J2S2) in the central Sichuan Basin has developed tight sandstone reservoir of meandering fluvial facies, the pore radius of type I reservoir (K>0.3 mD) is mainly distributed at 0.01 μm∼2 μm, the tortuosity ranges between 2.571 and 2.869, and the average movable fluid saturation is 70.12%. The pore radius of type II reservoir (0.08mD

Lacustrine shale oil has the potential to lead the development of China's oil and gas industry. By integrating scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature CO 2 and N 2 adsorption, high-pressure mercury intrusion, and nuclear magnetic resonance with centrifugation at different speeds, the pore system and pore fluid distribution of Da’anzhai Member lacustrine shale in the Sichuan Basin are studied. The results show that: (1) The reservoir space is mainly inorganic pores and micro-fractures. Nano-micron scale pores are commonly found and widely distributed in the Da’anzhai shale with multiple peaks of 28 nm, 200 nm, 900 nm, and 3.5 µm. The total pore volume ranges from 0.00849 to 0.02808 cm³/g, and the pores ranging from 100 nm to 1000 nm are the main contributors to total pore volume. (2) Pore fluid can be divided into movable oil, bound oil, and adsorption oil. The proportion of movable oil, bound oil, and adsorbed oil is 21.4%, 12.4%, and 66.2% in Da’anzhai shale, respectively. Movable oil mainly occurs in pores larger than 350 nm, bound oil is 30–350 nm, while adsorbed oil mainly exists in pores below 30 nm. (3) The higher the total organic carbon content and clay minerals content, the smaller the pore size, resulting in the low content of movable oil. The higher the content of brittle minerals such as quartz, the better the development of intergranular pores and microfractures, and the higher the content of movable oil. Through the grading evaluation of shale pore structure and pore fluid, it is conducive to guide the exploration and development of Da’anzhai shale oil, which has important theoretical and practical significance.

Organic-rich continental shale, widespread in the Sichuan Basin during the deposition of the Jurassic Dongyuemiao Member (J1d), is considered the next shale hydrocarbon exploration target in southern China. To identify a shale gas sweetspot and reduce exploration risk, it is of great significance to determine the organic matter (OM) enrichment mechanism of J1d shale. In this study, based on sedimentological characteristics and organic matter content, high-resolution major and trace elements were systematically analyzed to demonstrate terrigenous influx, paleoredox, paleosalinity, paleoproductivity, and paleoclimate. The 1st section interval of the J1d 1st submember is dominated by shallow lake subfacies, while the other intervals have the characteristic of semideep to deep lake subfacies. The 1st submember interval of J1d lacustrine shale is characterized by the warmest-humid paleoclimate, strongest weathering degree, highest terrigenous input, moderate paleoproductivity, and paleoredox condition. Within the Dongyuemiao 1st submember, the 4th section interval has the highest paleoproductivity and the most oxygen-deficient condition in bottom water. During the deposition period of the 2nd submember, the sedimentary environment turned to a cold-dry paleoclimate, weak weathering degree, low terrigenous input, low paleosalinity, and high paleoproductivity. Under the background of semideep and deep lake, the terrigenous OM input plays the most critical role in controlling OM enrichment. Moreover, the high primary productivity of lake surface water and the suboxic condition of lake bottom water contribute to the formation of relatively higher TOC lacustrine shale interval in the 4th section of 1st submember.

As one of the most widely grown crops in the world, rice is not only a staple food but also a source of calorie intake for more than half of the world’s population, occupying an important position in China’s agricultural production. Thus, determining the inner potential connections between the genetic mechanisms and phenotypes of rice using dynamic analyses with high-throughput, nondestructive, and accurate methods based on high-throughput crop phenotyping facilities associated with rice genetics and breeding research is of vital importance. In this work, we developed a strategy for acquiring and analyzing 58 image-based traits (i-traits) during the whole growth period of rice. Up to 84.8% of the phenotypic variance of the rice yield could be explained by these i-traits. A total of 285 putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected for the i-traits, and principal components analysis was applied on the basis of the i-traits in the temporal and organ dimensions, in combination with a genome-wide association study that also isolated QTLs. Moreover, the differences among the different population structures and breeding regions of rice with regard to its phenotypic traits demonstrated good environmental adaptability, and the crop growth and development model also showed high inosculation in terms of the breeding-region latitude. In summary, the strategy developed here for the acquisition and analysis of image-based rice phenomes can provide a new approach and a different thinking direction for the extraction and analysis of crop phenotypes across the whole growth period and can thus be useful for future genetic improvements in rice.

The Jurassic Dongyuemiao Member is the most promising target for lacustrine shale gas exploration in Sichuan Basin. By integrating SEM, NMR, LTNA, and MICP experiments, and other basic measurements, the nanoscale pore category and structure and the corresponding controlling factors of Dongyuemiao lacustrine shale in Eastern Sichuan Basin are studied. The results denote that organic pores comprise primary pores within plant debris and secondary pores within bitumen. Inorganic pores are composed of intraparticle pores within calcite particles, intercrystalline pores between pyrite crystals, and interparticle pores between different minerals. The 4th Section lacustrine shale of Dongyuemiao Member has the best pore structure, exhibiting high organic pore proportion, large amounts of gas adsorption, and parallel plate-shaped pore morphology. Micropores (2 nm). Quartz does not significantly affect the nanoscale pore formation. The intraparticle pores within calcite particles constitute part of mesopore–macropore but not micropores. Clay minerals are conducive to the formation of micropores but play a negative role in the formation of mesopore–macropore.

The Lower Permian Shanxi Formation in the Eastern Ordos Basin is a set of transitional shale, and it is also a key target for shale gas exploration in China. Three sets of organic-rich transitional shale intervals (Lower shale, Middle shale and Upper shale) developed in Shan 23 Submember of Shanxi Formation. Based on TOC test, X-diffraction, porosity, in-situ gas content experiment and NMR experiments with gradient centrifugation and drying temperature, the reservoir characteristics and pore fluid distribution of the three sets of organic-rich transitional shale are studied. The results show that: 1) The Middle and Lower shales have higher TOC content, brittleness index and gas content, reflecting better reservoir quality, while the Upper shales have lower gas content and fracturing ability. The total gas content of shale in the Middle and Lower shales is high, and the lost gas and desorbed gas account for 80% of the total gas content. 2) The Middle shale has the highest movable water content (32.58%), while the Lower shale has the highest capillary bound water content (57.52%). In general, the capillary bound water content of marine-continental transitional shale in the Shan 23 Submember of the study area is high, ranging from 39.96% to 57.52%. 3) Based on pore fluid flow capacity, shale pores are divided into movable pores, bound pores and immovable pores. The Middle shale and the Lower shale have high movable pores, with the porosity ratio up to 27%, and the lower limit of exploitable pore size is 10 nm. The movable pore content of upper shale is 25%, and the lower limit of pore size is 12.6 nm. It is suggested that the Lower and Middle shales have more development potential under the associated development technology.

The Ediacaran Dengying Formation in Central Sichuan Basin is the deep dolomite gas reservoir with the largest natural gas reserves in China, providing an excellent example for understanding the effect of diagenesis evolution on deep dolomite reservoir quality. By integrating petrology, geochemistry and in situ U-Pb dating, this study aims to reveal the genesis of different rock fabrics and their corresponding diagenetic events, and to discuss the temporal relationship of diagenetic events and their effects on the reservoir quality of Dengying Formation. Two phases of dolomite and three phases of dolomite cement are identified in Ediacaran Dengying Formation deep dolomite reservoirs of Central Sichuan Basin as follows: 1) matrix dolomites (MD), 2) fine-medium crystalline dolomites (FMD), 3) fibrous dolomites (FD), 4) medium-coarse crystalline dolomites (MCD), and 5) saddle dolomite (SD). By analyzing petrographic and temporal relationships between these fabrics, it is suggested that the deep dolomite reservoir of Dengying Formation in Central Sichuan Basin has experienced six diagenetic stages, including 1) syndiagenetic stage, 2) the first-time early diagenetic stage, 3) epidiagenetic stage, 4) the second-time early diagenetic stage, 5) middle diagenetic stage and 6) late diagenetic stage. Microbial dolomitization during syndiagenetic stage produced limited increase in reservoir porosity, but it is of great significance for preservation of reservoir spaces. Silicification is most unfavorable for reservoir formation, but its duration and influence range are very limited. At epidiagenetic stage, the physical properties of Dengying Formation dolomite reservoir have been greatly improved. Two-time early diagenetic stages are both destructive for preservation of reservoir spaces. During middle diagenetic stage, two-stage of hydrothermal alterations occurred, corresponding to Late Silurian to Devonian and Late Permian, respectively. Hydrothermal alteration of the MD is both constructive and destructive, but overall it is constructive, and the improvement of physical properties is limited. For the karstified MD, both two-stage hydrothermal alterations were destructive, resulting in damage of reservoir physical properties caused by cementation by two-stage SD and one-stage MVT minerals.

Taking the Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation to Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation shale reservoirs in western Chongqing area as the study target, the argon ion polishing scanning electron microscope and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments of different saturated wetting media were carried out. Based on the image processing technology and the results of gas desorption, the pore-fracture configuration of the shale reservoirs and its influence on gas-filled mechanism were analyzed. (1) The reservoir space includes organic pores, inorganic pores and micro-fractures and there are obvious differences between wells in the development characteristics of micro-fractures; the organic pores adjacent to the micro-fractures are poorly developed, while the inorganic pores are well preserved. (2) According to the type, development degree and contact relationship of organic pore and micro-fracture, the pore-fracture configuration of the shale reservoir is divided into four types. (3) Based on the differences in NMR T2 spectra of shale samples saturated with oil and water, an evaluation parameter of pore-fracture configuration was constructed and calculated. The smaller the parameter, the better the pore-fracture configuration is. (4) The shale reservoir with good pore-fracture configuration has well-developed organic pores, high porosity, high permeability and high gas content, while the shale reservoir with poor pore-fracture configuration has micro-fractures developed, which improves the natural gas conductivity and leads to low porosity and gas content of the reservoir. (5) Based on pore-fracture configuration, from the perspective of organic matter generating hydrocarbon, micro-fracture providing migration channel, three types of micro gas-filled models of shale gas were established.

Deeply buried (>3500 m) marine shale has become a focus point for the future exploration and exploitation of shale hydrocarbon in China. Low-temperature nitrogen adsorption (LTNA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and other experiments were combined to characterize the pore structure and fluid division in deep-marine shale of the southern Sichuan Basin in this study. The results suggest that the deep-marine shale had a relatively developed nanopore network, especially with honeycomb organic pores. These organic pores were largely macropores with good connectivity in three-dimensional space and constituted the major reservoir space of the deep-marine shale gas. Microfractures were predominantly clay-mineral-related fractures, and the development degree of microfractures connected with organic pores was low, which contributed to the preservation of organic pores. Within the deep-marine shale interval, the pore volumes of Section 1 and Section 3 were higher. Pore volume was predominantly contributed by pores above 10 nm, where macropores accounted for a large proportion. Based on a combination of high-speed centrifugation and gradient temperature drying, the pore fluid of deep-marine shale reservoirs was quantitatively classified into four types: clay-bound fluid, capillary-bound fluid, free-flowing fluid, and closed-pore fluid. The clay-bound fluid existed in pores of less than 4.25 nm, which cannot be exploited. Quantitative division of the shale pore system could be realized by using the pore space differences of different types of fluids.

It has been challenging to rotate nanoparticles orbitally via optical trapping beyond the diffraction limit. Here, the authors take advantage of the nonlinear optical effect and demonstrate fast and controlled orbital rotation at subwavelength scale with a femtosecond pulsed Gaussian beam.

The Upper Permian Linghao Formation marine shale and contemporaneous transitional shale are the most potential shale gas targets in the Nanpanjiang basin, which is characterized by considerable TOC content, wide distribution, and considerable shale thickness. On the basis of division in Linghao Formation, petrographic, mineralogical, and high-resolution geochemical analyses were integrated to reveal the sedimentary environment including paleoproductivity, paleoredox conditions, detrital influx, paleoclimate, and the paleosalinity. There are two organic-rich shale intervals in Linghao Formation, which are Ling 1 member and the lower Ling 3 member. The lower Ling 1 is dominated by deep-water shelf facies, which are characterized by high TOC value (0.93%–6.36%, avg. 2.43%), high detrital influx proxies (Zr, 746–1508 ppm, avg. 1093 ppm; Ti, 19278–128730 ppm, avg. 16091 ppm), relatively warm–humid paleoclimate condition (CIA*, 75.94-91.90, avg. 82.26), low paleosalinity proxies (Sr/Ba, 0.13-0.34, avg. 0.22), and high paleoproductivity (P/Al (10−2), 1.06-2.06, avg. 1.63; Mn/Ca (10−3), 27.37-291.69, avg. 128.07). Detrital influx including gravity flow plays a critical role in the enrichment of organic matter. The sedimentary environment of upper Ling 1 and lower Ling 3 is the same as that of lower Ling 1. Unlike lower Ling 1, these intervals are characterized by low detrital influx proxies, moderate weathering, and relatively high paleosalinity proxies. The volcanic ash of Emei volcanism and felsic volcanism in South China plays a critical role in the enrichment of organic matter in upper Ling 1 and lower Ling 3, respectively. The sedimentary models for Linghao Formation organic-rich shale can reveal factors controlling the enrichment of organic matter.

Currently, there are no suitable means to measure the composite vibration response of mine hoisting rope. However, machine vision-based measurement technology is a potential way to solve this problem. Therefore, a non-contact and non-intrusive stereovision method is proposed to obtain the 2D vibration displacement of a moving hoisting rope. In this methodology, a novel 3D digital image correlation (DIC) method that combines digital image processing (DIP) algorithm with 2D-DIC algorithm is developed, and the method can simplify the procedure of rope target stereo matching in two synchronous image sequences. In order to confirm the correctness of the stereovision method, some free vibration responses of a rope are measured in a hoist experimental system. Test results demonstrate that the stereovision measurement technique can keep satisfactory consistency with the laser displacement sensor for vibration data identification. The method is verified to have high adaptability to different lighting conditions and be reasonable to measure the vibration parameters of dynamic mine hoisting rope.

The Upper Permian Linghao Formation shale is the most potential shale gas exploration target in Nanpanjiang Basin. In this study, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, CH4 isothermal adsorption, and nuclear magnetic resonance cryoporometry are intergrated to reveal comprehensive characterization of Linghao Formation shale collected from a well in Nanpanjiang Basin. Results indicate that organic-rich shales developed in the Ling 1 member and the lower part of Ling 3 member. The organic-rich shales are predominantly characterized by kerogen type I, with a relatively highly mature to overmature status. The Ling 1 organic-rich shale mainly consists of mixed shale lithofacies, and the organic-rich shale in the lower part of Ling 3 is mainly composed of argillaceous shale. The pore volume in Ling 1 organic-rich shale is mainly contributed by 3- to 6-nm and 8- to 11-nm organic pores. The pore volume of Ling 3 organic-rich shale is mainly contributed by 2- to 3-nm and 4- to 11-nm organic pores. The organic pores between 3 and 10 nm also have a small contribution to the pore volume. The absolute adsorption gas content of Ling 1 and Ling 3 organic-rich shale is 1.21 m3/t and 1.64 m3/t, respectively. The absolute adsorption gas content of Ling 1 and Ling 3 organic-rich shale exceeds the minimum standard for commercial shale gas development in China (1.0 m3/t). According to the adsorption gas ratio of 50%, the total gas content of Ling 1 and Ling 3 organic-rich shale can reach 3.28 m3/t and 2.28 m3/t, respectively. It is suggested that the Upper Permian Linghao Formation shale in the Nanpanjiang Basin has a significant potential for shale gas exploration.

The unconnected gas-bearing pores in shale gas reservoirs may be transformed into “potential recoverable pores” after large scale hydraulic fracturing. However, the mainstream pore classification methods of shale gas reservoirs, do not take the unconnected pores into account, which impacts the evaluation accuracy of reservoir pore effectiveness. To solve this problem, this paper took the shale of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the southern Sichuan Basin as the research object to carry out experiments on core porosity, centrifugal + gradual drying NMR after saturated with brine and NMR freeze–thaw using plunger samples and crushed samples to analyze the volume, main development location and main pore size distribution range of unconnected pores. Then, the pore systems were classified, and the lower limit of effective pore size of connected gas-bearing pores was determined. Finally, the total pore effectiveness of shale gas reservoirs was evaluated, and the influence of unconnected pores on the development of shale gas was discussed. And the following research results were obtained. First, there are a large number of unconnected pores in the shale gas reservoirs of the study area, accounting for 30.23%. Most of them are mainly developed in organic matters and a few are developed in clay minerals. The distribution of pore size ranges from 5 nm to 30 nm. Second, T2 cut-off value of clay bound water in the shale gas reservoirs of the study area is 0.26 ms, whose corresponding pore size is 5.35 nm, which is the lower limit of the effective pore size. Third, large-scale hydraulic fracturing can improve the unconnected pores with the size more than 5.35 nm, so effective development of shale gas will be realized. Fourth, after hydraulic fracturing stimulation, the unconnected pores can increase the storage space of fracturing fluid in the matrix, absorb the fracturing fluid in the fractures, replace the shale gas in the pores and promote the automatic alleviation of water lock in shale gas reservoirs, so the single-well shale gas production will be increased. In conclusion, fluid occurrence and pore system in shale pores can be quantitatively divided by means of centrifugal + gradual temperature drying method combined with NMR experiments, mobile water and capillary bound water can be determined by the high speed centrifugal + NMR experiments, and capillary bound water and clay bound water can be determined by the gradual drying + NMR experiments.

At present, shale gas exploration and development in China is faced with some problems, such as the imperfect evaluation system of reservoir effectiveness and the limitations of reservoir evaluation system on efficient development of shale gas. In order to improve the content and the standard of reservoir evaluation, this paper analyzed the shortcomings and challenges in the static evaluation of shale gas reservoirs on the basis of existing reservoir evaluation, and established a method for evaluating shale gas reservoir effectiveness and a scheme for classifying pore systems. Then, the dynamic evaluation parameters after shale fracturing and their effects on drainage and production measures were discussed. In addition, the potential evaluation parameters of “automatic mitigating water blocking” were studied, and a comprehensive reservoir evaluation system of “static–dynamic” combination was established. And the following research results were obtained. First, new challenges to the shale gas reservoir evaluation are emerged as the lack of in-depth study on “reservoir effectiveness, dynamic evaluation parameter system after fracturing and drainage and production measures after fracturing”, which leads to the serious lag of existing shale gas reservoir evaluation system behind production. Second, the evaluation of reservoir effectiveness is mainly presented as the evaluation on the lower limit of effective porosity, and is embodied in the influence of clay bound water and unconnected pores on the development of shale gas. Third, the development of shale gas reservoir evaluation follows the trend of refining the static reservoir evaluation parameters, defining the potential evaluation indexes of “automatic mitigating water blocking” and establishing the reservoir comprehensive evaluation system of “static–dynamic” combination. Fourth, a post-frac dynamic evaluation system is determined for the potential evaluation indexes of “automatic mitigating water blocking” (e.g., wettability, water imbibition retention capacity, water imbibition expansion mode, expansion rate, and water imbibition cracking capacity). Fifth, a reservoir evaluation idea is put forward that “static evaluation of shale gas reservoir is the foundation and postfrac dynamic evaluation is the complement”, and a comprehensive reservoir evaluation system is established of “static–dynamic” combination suitable for the evaluation of marine shale gas reservoirs in China.

There exists the Wusheng-Shizhu and Chongqing-Qijiang intra-platform depressions in the eastern Sichuan Basin during the Late Permian to the Early Triassic. The clear understanding of the sedimentary pattern and evolution of reef-shoal around the depression-margin has a practical significance for guiding the exploration and development of the Permian–Triassic reef and shoal gas fields. Based on observation, the systematic sampling and laboratory analysis of typical outcrops of the Changxing Formation (i.e. Juandong, Juhuaba, Lengshuixi, and Taiyuan) are located in the eastern Sichuan Basin. Combined with drilling data and previous studies, the study area is dominated by a ramp sedimentary environment, except for the Kaijiang-Liangping Trough in the Early Changxingian. The main sediments are micrite-containing chert nodules and micrite. With the regression that took place during the Middle-Late Changxingian, there is a distinct sedimentary differentiation that began to appear. There is a “two depressions–one platform–one trough” sedimentary pattern from south to north in the study area in the Changxingian. In essence, there exists the Chongqing-Qijiang and the Wusheng-Shizhu intra-platform depressions (two depressions), platform-flat (one platform) between the Wusheng-Shizhu intra-platform depression and the Kaijiang-Liangping Trough, and the Kaijiang-Liangping Trough (one trough). The reef-shoal of the northern depression-margin distributes between the 2nd Member and lower part of the 3rd Member. By comparison, the reef-shoal of the southern depression-margin distributes in the upper part of the 3rd Member; this indicates that the deposition of reef-shoal shows “earlier in the north and later in the south.” It is considered that the sedimentary palaeogeomorphology of the Changxingian is characterized by “higher in the north-lower in the south.” The clear understanding of the sedimentary pattern and evolution of reef-shoal around depression-margin reveal a new field for exploration and development of the Permian Changxing reef-shoal gas fields in the eastern Sichuan Basin.

Shale porosity is one of the important parameters for shale reservoir quality evaluation and shale gas reserve calculation, so it is very important to accurately measure shale porosity. There are many methods to measure shale porosity. Liquid saturation and helium saturation methods are applied to core plugs and crushed samples. At present, there are few comparative studies on the measurement results of the porosity of plug samples and crushed samples, and the differences between them are even less reported. Firstly, the porosity of plug samples is measured using different measurement methods. Then, the plug samples are crushed and the porosity of the crushed samples is measured, and the factors affecting porosity are analyzed. Finally, the differences between the porosity of the plug samples and the crushed samples are compared. The experiment results show that the porosity of shale plug samples (helium saturation method) is the connected porosity of shale, and the porosity of crushed samples is the total porosity of shale, and the latter is 0.65%-2.40% higher than the former, which accounts for 11.21%-44.36% of the total porosity. There are several reasons. (1) The injection pressure of helium saturation method is too low. (2) The samples are not evacuated. (3) A large number of unconnected pores in the shale plug samples are not effectively saturated with helium. The correlation between different mineral components and the porosity of plug and crushed samples shows that the unconnected pores mainly exist in organic matter and a small amount in clay minerals. Appropriate chemical reagents can be added in the process of reservoir transformation to effectively modify the structure of organic matter and clay minerals, and release shale gas in these disconnected pores as far as possible, so as to improve shale gas recovery.

The Lower Permian Shanxi Formation in the Eastern Ordos Basin is a set of transitional facies shale, and it is also a key target for shale gas exploration in China. Based on lithofacies classification by X-ray diffraction and kerogen type identification, nanoscale reservoir space, pore volume, pore size distribution, surface area, and fractal characterization were studied using comprehensive methods including N2 and CO2 adsorption, mercury injection capillary pressure, field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and nuclear magnetic resonance. The results indicate that Shanxi Formation shale can be subdivided into five types of lithofacies: clayey shale (lithofacies I), siliceous clayey shale (lithofacies II), siliceous shale (lithofacies IV), calcareous siliceous shale (lithofacies V), and siliceous calcareous shale (lithofacies VI). Lithofacies V and lithofacies VI are the best lithofacies in terms of organic pore morphology, connectivity, and development degree, followed by lithofacies II. Inorganic pores and microfractures are well developed in all lithofacies. The majority of pores in lithofacies I comprise organic mesopores, but pore volume is contributed by a few inorganic macropores. The pore types and pore volume contributors of lithofacies II are organic macropores. The pore size distribution of lithofacies IV is very similar to that of lithofacies I. The pore size distribution of lithofacies V shows typical bimodal characteristics. It is suggested that the inorganic pores of lithofacies V are mainly macropores, which have the greatest contribution to pore volume, followed by organic mesopores. Total organic carbon (TOC) and thermal maturity do not present obvious controls on pore structure. Vitrinite is the main kerogen type in lithofacies II and IV, and this is associated with disfavored morphology, low connectivity, and poor development degree of organic pores. In contrast, sapropelinite is observed in other shale lithofacies, and it is suggested to be an effective kerogen type that contributes to better development of organic pores.

Shanxi Formation Shan 23 Submember transitional shale in Eastern Ordos Basin is characterized by high TOC value, wide distribution, and large single-layer/cumulative thickness. In this study, based on section division of Shan 23 Submember, petrographic, mineralogical, and high-resolution geochemical analyses were integrated to reveal sedimentary environment, detrital influx, paleoclimate, paleosalinity, and paleoredox conditions. Results indicate that Shan 23 Submember is divided into four sections (Shan 23-1, Shan 23-2, Shan 23-3, and Shan 23-4). The upper part of the Shan 23-1 section is dominated by bay facies, which is characterized by high TOC value (2.75%–10.96%, avg. 6.98%), low detrital influx proxies (Zr, 97–527 ppm, avg. 310 ppm; Ti, 1985–7591 ppm, avg. 3938 ppm), relatively dry paleoclimate condition (CIA*, 41.96–92.58, avg. 75.55; Sr/Cu, 6.23–14.49, avg. 8.87), high paleosalinity proxies (Sr/Ba, 0.39–1.29, avg. 0.62), and relatively anoxic reduction condition (UEF, 0.83–3.00, avg. 1.67; MoEF, 3.95–27.00, avg. 15.56). By comparison, the other three sections are dominated by a combination of transitional facies, including barrier island, lagoon, tidal flat, and swamp. In this interval, shale is deposited in lagoon facies. The paleoclimate gradually tends to be warm and humid, which results in increasing the chemical weathering intensity. Meanwhile, the detrital influx increases, and the paleoredox condition tends to be oxic. The above conditions are not conducive to the preservation of organic matter in lagoon facies shale.

Self-piercing riveted (SPR) joints in automobiles inevitably suffer from corrosion damage and performance reduction. In this work, the influence of salt spray corrosion on the mechanical properties of TA1-Al5052 alloy SPR joints was studied. The TA1-5052 SPR joints were prepared and salt spray tests were carried out for different durations. The static and fatigue strengths of the joints after salt spray corrosion were tested to analyze the effect of salt spray duration on the performance of the joints. The results show that the joints’ static strength and fatigue strength decrease with prolonged salt spray time. The salt spray duration affects the joint’s tensile failure mode. The tensile failure without corrosion and with a short salt spray time is the fracture failure of the lower aluminum sheet, and the tensile failure of the joints after a long time of salt spray corrosion is the failure of the rivets. The fatigue failure form of the SPR joint is the formation of fatigue cracks in the lower aluminum sheet, and salt spray time has little effect on the fatigue failure form. Salt spray corrosion can promote the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. The fatigue crack initiation area is located at the boundary between the lower aluminum sheet and the rivet leg. The initiation of cracks originates from the wear zones among the sheet metal, rivets, and salt spray particles.

At present, there is no appropriate way to measure the transverse vibration response of moving hoisting vertical rope in hoist. Therefore, a vision-based measurement method combining the digital image correlation (DIC) and digital image processing (DIP) algorithms is proposed in this paper. In this method, a reference line perpendicular to the vertical ropes is added in image sequence by DIP algorithm to form some virtual cross targets, which makes the improved DIC algorithm with adaptive template updating (ATU) rule can track the moving hoisting vertical rope without any labels. Then for distinguishing all ropes in the measuring area, a displacement threshold is set to locate the current measured rope and exclude the other ropes. The transverse vibration displacements of the hoisting vertical rope in an actual mine hoist was measured in three background situations, verifying the feasibility of the proposed method. Moreover, in a laboratory artificial vibration test, the measurement results from the proposed vision method and a laser displacement sensor yielded a very good agreement. The two experimental results indicate that it is fairly reasonable and effective to measure the transverse vibration displacements of hoisting vertical ropes.

In comparison with constant torque brakes, constant deceleration brakes are more advantageous for the safety of mining hoists, but complete set of such products manufactured by big companies are not what ordinary mining enterprises can afford. As an alternative solution, this article develops a constant deceleration compensation device, which adds the function of constant deceleration brake onto the original brakes. Control strategy based on Fuzzy Neural Network PID is investigated and simulated with the combination of AMEsim and Simulink. An actual device is built and tested in real industrial field. The application illustrates the feasibility of this constant deceleration compensation device, which can achieve constant decelerations within a very short time. This device will prevent dangerous decelerations from happening to hoists at a much lower cost, and greatly improve the safety and reliability of mining hoists.

Head sheaves are critical components in a mine hoisting system. It is inconvenient for workers to climb up to the high platform for overhaul and maintenance, and there is an urgent need for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of head sheaves. In this article, Fault Tree Analysis is employed to investigate the faults of head sheaves, and headframe inclination, bearing faults, and head sheave swing are the three focal faults discussed. A test rig is built to simulate these three faults and collect vibration signals at bearing blocks. Based on vibration signals, some characteristic parameters are calculated, and together with the fault labels, a sample set is established. Before the selection of an excellent data mining method, these features are screened according to their significance, and then, gain–percentile chart, response–percentile chart, and prediction accuracy are used as the criteria to make a comparison between data mining algorithms. The result shows the boosted tree algorithm outperforms others and presents excellent performance on the evaluation of head sheave faults. Finally, this method is verified on a data set of 20 samples, and each case is identified correctly, which illustrates its high applicability.

The traits of rice panicles play important roles in yield assessment, variety classification, rice breeding, and cultivation management. Most traditional grain phenotyping methods require threshing and thus are time-consuming and labor-intensive; moreover, these methods cannot obtain 3D grain traits. In this work, based on X-ray computed tomography, we proposed an image analysis method to extract twenty-two 3D grain traits. After 104 samples were tested, the R2 values between the extracted and manual measurements of the grain number and grain length were 0.980 and 0.960, respectively. We also found a high correlation between the total grain volume and weight. In addition, the extracted 3D grain traits were used to classify the rice varieties, and the support vector machine classifier had a higher recognition accuracy than the stepwise discriminant analysis and random forest classifiers. In conclusion, we developed a 3D image analysis pipeline to extract rice grain traits using X-ray computed tomography that can provide more 3D grain information and could benefit future research on rice functional genomics and rice breeding.

The Upper Sinian Dengying Fm is the focus of natural gas exploration in the central part of the Sichuan Basin (central Sichuan Basin) in recent years. Especially, epigenic karstification and its resulted reservoir-seepage spaces have always been the focal points in researches. Based on the petrographic characteristics of drilling cuttings and core samples, and through experimental analysis by using trace elements, isotopes, and cathodoluminescence, the Dengying Fm dolomite was demonstrated to have matrix recrystallized dolomite (MRD), filled saddle dolomite (FSD) (the mean homogenization temperature of inclusion: 178.5 °C, high concentrations of Fe & Mn, slightly positive 87Sr/86Sr value) and hydrothermal minerals combination (including sphalerite, galena, pyrite, and quartz, etc.). Thus, it was proposed that hydrothermal dolomite reservoir facies (HDRF) exist in the Dengying Fm dolomite, in other words, the dolomite reservoir is composed of hydrothermal dissolved pores, intercrystalline pores of hydrothermal origin, hydrothermal caverns and expanded fractures, and was formed due to the reworking of hydrothermal fluid on tight matrix dolomite. Identification marks are presented in terms of petrography and geochemistry so that hydrothermal dolomite reservoir facies can be effectively recognized and identified. It is concluded that the development of hydrothermal dolomite reservoir facies in this area are preliminary controlled by deep and large basement faults and the strength of hydrothermal fluids.

Abstract: The formation conditions, existence evidence, modification modes and timing of hydrothermal dolomitization in the Sinian Dengying Formation are studied based on the basic geological conditions, mineral assemblages in dolomites, and geochemical features of the Gaoshiti-Moxi area in the Sichuan Basin. The Gaoshiti-Moxi area is a significant exploration target of the Sinian Dengying Formation in the Sichuan Basin and has the basic conditions of regional geology for the occurrence of structurally controlled hydrothermal dolomitization: (1) activity of extensional basement-fault; (2) deep-burial hydrothermal reservoirs; (3) the overlying seal strata. Based on the petrographic analysis and geochemical tests (trace elements (Fe and Mn), stable isotopes (C, O, and Sr), homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions, etc.) of the core samples of the Dengying Formation in the study area, combing with the MVT mineral assemblages and geochemical characteristics, the study demonstrates that structurally controlled hydrothermal dolomitization exists in the Dengying Formation of the study area. This type of hydrothermal dolomitization refers to transformation of matrix dolomites by hydrothermal fluids and it consists of three modes: (1) dissolution and cementation; (2) recrystallization and neomorphism; (3) hydrofracturing. It is inferred that there exists multi period of hydrothermal dolomitization, namely, Late Sinian to Early Cambrian, Late Devonian and Late Permian. Key words: hydrothermal dolomitization, MVT mineral assemblages, geochemical features, Sinian, Dengying Formation, Gaoshiti-Moxi area, Sichuan Basin

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease. Its mechanism is still not clear. Majority of research focused on the central nervous system (CNS) changes, while few studies emphasize on peripheral immune system modulation. Our study aimed to investigate the regulation of the peripheral immune system and its relationship to the severity of the disease after treatment in an AD model of APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic (APP/PS1 Tg) mice. APP/PS1 Tg mice (8 months old) were treated with the ROCK-II inhibitor 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-homo-piperazine (Fasudil) (intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections, 25 mg/kg/day), bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs; caudal vein injections, 1 × 106 BMSCs /time/mouse), Fasudil combined with BMSCs, or saline (i.p., control) for 2 months. Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to evaluate learning and memory. The mononuclear cells (MNCs) of spleens of APP/PS1 Tg mice were analyzed using flow cytometry for CD4+ T-cells, macrophages, and the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules of the macrophages. Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine the expression of ROCK-II in the spleens of APP/PS1 Tg mice. The MWM test showed improved spatial learning ability in APP/PS1 Tg mice treated with Fasudil or BMSCs alone or in combination, compared to untreated APP/PS1 Tg mice. Fasudil combined with BMSCs intervention significantly promoted the proliferation of CD4+/CD25+ and CD4+/ IL-10 lymphocytes, induced the release of cytokine factors, and regulated the balance of the immune system to work functionally. It also shifted M1 (MHC-II, CD86) to M2 (IL-10, CD206) phenotype of macrophages of CD11b and significantly enhanced the anti-inflammatory and phagocytic abilities (CD16/32) of macrophages of CD11b. Immunohistochemical staining showed significantly decreased expression of ROCK-II in mice treated with combination of Fasudil with BMSCs as compared to saline control. Fasudil in combination of BMSCs improved cognition of APP/PS1 Tg mice through the regulation of the peripheral immune system, including reduction of ROCK-II expression and increased proportion of anti-inflammatory M2 mononuclear phenotype and phagocytic macrophages in the spleen of the peripheral immune system. The latter was achieved through the communication between brain and spleen to improve the immunoregulation of CNS and AD disease conditions.

Micron-sized gold plates were prepared by reducing chloroauric acid with lemongrass extract. Their two-photon luminescence (TPL) and second harmonic generation (SHG) were investigated. The results show that the TPL and SHG intensity of gold plates is dependent on the wavelength and polarization of excitation laser. The TPL intensity of gold plates decreases with the increase of the excitation wavelength except for a small peak around 820–840 nm, while SHG intensity increases with the excitation wavelength redshift. In addition, it is found that the TPL intensity of the gold plate’s edge is related with the angle between the edge orientation and the polarization direction of the excitation light. The TPL intensity increases with the angle increase from 0° to 90°.