Organic matter accumulation in lacustrine shale of the Permian Jimsar Sag,Junggar Basin,NW China

The lacustrine organic-rich shale in the Permian Lucaogou(LCG)Formation of the Jimsar Sag,Junggar Basin,is one of the main shale oil plays in China.In this paper,geological and geochemical research techniques were employed to evaluate the geochemical variability of the lacustrine shale and the pro-duction of organic matter and its preservation conditions.The LcG Formation is characterized by its complex mineral compositions and a wide range of organic matter richness and quality.The presence of high proportions ofβ-carotane and C2g steranes,indicates that the organic matter mainly originated from phytoplankton and aquatic algal-bacterial organisms,especially cyanobacteria.This study found that the productivity of the Lower LCG Member(P2li)was highest,and the Middle LCG Member(P_(2)l_(2))was the lowest.During the deposition of the Lower LCG Member,the lake's bottom water was predominantly a reducing environment,and the degradation of organic matter was largely a result of bacterial sulfate reduction.During the deposition of the Middle and Upper LCG members,the lake's bottom water was mainly oxidizing,and the degradation of organic matter was likely to be caused by aerobic processes.Based on a comprehensive analysis of the origin and production of organic matter,as well as its depo-sitional environment and preservation conditions,two organic matter accumulation models were pro-posed to explain the distribution of the organic-rich shale.In model A,the high influx of volcanic ash released nutrients and brought abundant sulfate into the water,the accumulation of organic matter was mainly controlled by the preservation of organic matter,which was mainly controlled by BsR.In the model B,the influx of volcanic ash was small,organic matter was mainly degraded by oxygen and the accumulation of organic matter is mainly determined by the production of organic matter.

Machine learning algorithm to construct cuproptosis-and immunerelated prognosis prediction model for colon cancer

BACKGROUND Over the past few years,research into the pathogenesis of colon cancer has progressed rapidly,and cuproptosis is an emerging mode of cellular apoptosis.Exploring the relationship between colon cancer and cuproptosis benefits in identifying novel biomarkers and even improving the outcome of the disease.AIM To look at the prognostic relationship between colon cancer and the genes associated with cuproptosis and the immune system in patients.The main purpose was to assess whether reasonable induction of these biomarkers reduces mortality among patients with colon cancers.METHOD Data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus and the Genotype-Tissue Expression were used in differential analysis to explore differential expression genes associated with cuproptosis and immune activation.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and Cox regression algorithm was applied to build a cuproptosis-and immune-related combination model,and the model was utilized for principal component analysis and survival analysis to observe the survival and prognosis of the patients.A series of statistically meaningful transcriptional analysis results demonstrated an intrinsic relationship between cuproptosis and the micro-environment of colon cancer.RESULTS Once prognostic characteristics were obtained,the CDKN2A and DLAT genes related to cuproptosis were strongly linked to colon cancer:The first was a risk factor,whereas the second was a protective factor.The finding of the validation analysis showed that the comprehensive model associated with cuproptosis and immunity was statistically significant.Within the component expressions,the expressions of HSPA1A,CDKN2A,and UCN3 differed markedly.Transcription analysis primarily reflects the differential activation of related immune cells and pathways.Furthermore,genes linked to immune checkpoint inhibitors were expressed differently between the subgroups,which may reveal the mechanism of worse prognosis and the different sensitivities of chemotherapy.CONCLUSION The prognosis of the high-risk group evaluated in the combined model was poorer,and cuproptosis was highly correlated with the prognosis of colon cancer.It is possible that we may be able to improve patients’prognosis by regulating the gene expression to intervene the risk score.

Discovery of shale oil in alkaline lacustrine basins:The Late Paleozoic Fengcheng Formation,Mahu Sag,Junggar Basin,China

A new type of shale oil in alkaline lacustrine sediments has been discovered in the Late Paleozoic Fengcheng Formation,Mahu Sag,Junggar Basin,China.The fine-grained sedimentary rocks deposited in this alkaline lacustrine environment can be divided into four types and eight sub-types:mudstone(with no alkali minerals),including massive dolomitic mudstone,and massive and laminated calcareous mudstone;dolomite,including massive argillaceous dolomite(with alkali minerals),and massive and laminated argillaceous dolomite(with no alkali minerals);evaporites;and pyroclastic rocks.The massive argillaceous dolomite(with alkali minerals)and pyroclastic rocks have the highest shale oil potential,with average oil saturation index(OSI)values of 344.67 and 124.65 mg HC/g TOC,respectively.Shale oil exploration in the representative well MY1 indicates that the Fengcheng Formation is thick and contains abundant natural fractures,brittle minerals,and mobile oil.The entire Fengcheng Formation is oilbearing and contains three concentrated stratigraphic intervals of shale oil(i.e.,sweet spots).Well MY1 indicates that,compared with source rocks developed in marine and sulfate-type saline basins,the fine-grained sedimentary rocks deposited in alkaline lacustrine environments can also have high shale oil potential.The co-existence and regular distribution of conventional and unconventional reservoirs in the Fengcheng Formation indicate that it is an ideal exploration target for multiple resource types.

The potential role of the “cold chain” in the spread of SARS-CoV-2

Direct transmission of SARS-CoV-2 involves two main aspects:it can occur by inhaling either droplets or aerosols in the air containing viruses.In addition,viruses can also spread after being deposited on inanimate surfaces.Recently,there were reports suggested that SARS-CoV-2 can be found in frozen products.The cold chain creates opportunities for the spread of SARS-CoV-2.With the advent of winter,the drop in outside temperature makes the“frozen chain”less likely to be destroyed;thus,the virus will survive longer on frozen products.During the transportation of imported food,there is a greater risk of virus infection.Therefore,we should be vigilant and strengthen the quarantine of each type of imported food.

XpertMTB/RIF Assay for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Based on Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Currently,tuberculosis(TB)is the second most lethal disease in the world caused by a single infectious pathogen.Rapid diagnosis of TB is of great importance for its treatment and management.Xpert MTB/RIF is a novel rapid diagnostic assay for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB(PTB).Use of the Xpert assay based on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)samples is indicated when TB is suspected and sputum smears or cultures are negative.The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematically evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Xpert assay based on BALF samples for the diagnosis of PTB.A systematic review of previously published articles was performed,and rel-evant data were extracted.Meta-DiSc 1.4 and Stata 12.0 were used to analyze the data.When Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures were used as the criterion standard,the combined sensitivity of BALF-based Xpert was 0.89(95%CI,0.87–0.91),the specificity was 0.87(95%CI,0.85-0.88),the positive likelihood ratio was 8.28(95%CI,5.39–12.71),the negative likelihood ratio was 0.14(95%CI,0.10–0.19)and the diagnostic ratio was 84.08(95%CI,42.00–168.31).When composite reference standard was used as the criterion standard,the above observations were 0.69(95%CI,0.67–0.72),0.98(95%CI,0.97–0.98),41.40(95%CI,14.56–117.71),0.28(95%CI,0.21–0.37)and 190.47(95%CI,50.56–717.54),respectively.The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was close to 1 for both.Overall,the Xpert MTB/RIF assay based on BALF samples showed high sensitivity and specificity for the diag-nosis of PTB and seems to be a reliable rapid detection method.

Assessing the Diagnostic Accuracy of SD BIOLINE for Detection of Hepatitis C Virus:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Hepatitis C virus(HCV)is a globally widespread ribonucleic acid virus that transmits through blood and sexual contact.Its morbidity and mortality are particularly higher in economically underdeveloped areas.Therefore,an economical and effective diagnostic method for detection of HCV is urgently needed.In this study,we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the SD BIOLINE rapid diagnostic test for HCV detection.We searched for studies related to SD BIOLINE and HCV in PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library and then designed inclusion and exclusion criteria.After extracting valid data,the included literature was evaluated with the quality assessment tool Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies.After our data analysis,the sensitivity,specificity,positive likelihood ratio,negative likelihood ratio,diagnostic accuracy,summary receiver operating characteristic curve,funnel plot,box plot,and Fagan plot of the diagnosticmethod were determined.Nine articles with nine sets of data were finally included.The sensitivity and specificity were 0.94 and 0.98,respectively,the positive likelihood ratio was 79.53,the negative likelihood ratio was 0.05,the diagnostic odds ratio was 1590.32,and the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.9958.The SD BIOLINE test has the advantages of high sensitivity,high specificity,low cost,and easy operation for diagnosing HCV.Therefore,we recommend using SD BIOLINE for rapid and effective screening of HCV,which is especially applicable for economically underdeveloped areas.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and micro-cavity components for probing samples: a review

We give a brief review of the developments in terahertz time-domain spectroscopy(THz-TDS) systems and microcavity components for probing samples in the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. The broadband terahertz(THz) radiation sources based on GaAs m-i-n diodes have been investigated by applying high electric fields. Then, the free space THz-TDS and fiber-coupled THz-TDS systems produced in our lab and their applications in drug/cancer detection are introduced in detail. To further improve the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) and enhance sensitivity, we introduce three general micro-cavity approaches to achieve tiny-volume sample detection, summarizing our previous results about their characteristics, performance, and potential applications.

Gram Stain and Molecular Method for the Diagnosis of Bacterial Pneumonia

To the Editor： We read an interesting paper entitled, ＂A Pilot Study of Quantitative Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification-guided Target Therapies for Hospital-acquired Pneumonia＂ published in Chinese Medical Journal recently.