Coupling relationship and genetic mechanisms of shelf-edge delta and deep-water fan source-to-sink:A case study in Paleogene Zhuhai Formation in south subsag of Baiyun Sag,Pearl River Mouth Basin,China

The coupling relationship between shelf-edge deltas and deep-water fan sand bodies is a hot and cutting-edge field of international sedimentology and deep-water oil and gas exploration.Based on the newly acquired high-resolution 3D seismic,logging and core data of Pearl River Mouth Basin(PRMB),this paper dissected the shelf-edge delta to deep-water fan(SEDDF)depositional system in the Oligocene Zhuhai Formation of Paleogene in south subsag of Baiyun Sag,and revealed the complex coupling relationship from the continental shelf edge to deep-water fan sedimentation and its genetic mechanisms.The results show that during the deposition of the fourth to first members of the Zhuhai Formation,the scale of the SEDDF depositional system in the study area showed a pattern of first increasing and then decreasing,with deep-water fan developed in the third to first members and the largest plane distribution scale developed in the late stage of the second member.Based on the development of SEDDF depositional system along the source direction,three types of coupling relationships are divided,namely,deltas that are linked downdip to fans,deltas that lack downdip fans and fans that lack updip coeval deltas,with different depositional characteristics and genetic mechanisms.(1)Deltas that are linked downdip to fans:with the development of shelf-edge deltas in the shelf area and deep-water fans in the downdip slope area,and the strong source supply and relative sea level decline are the two key factors which control the development of this type of source-to-sink(S2S).The development of channels on the continental shelf edge is conducive to the formation of this type of S2S system even with weak source supply and high sea level.(2)Deltas that lack downdip fans:with the development of shelf edge deltas in shelf area,while deep water fans are not developed in the downdip slope area.The lack of“sources”and“channels”,and fluid transformation are the three main reasons for the formation of this type of S2S system.(3)Fans that lack updip coeval deltas:with the development of deep-water fans in continental slope area and the absence of updip coeval shelf edge deltas,which is jointly controlled by the coupling of fluid transformation at the shelf edge and the“channels”in the continental slope area.

Expression and clinical significance of pattern recognition receptor-associated genes in hand, foot and mouth disease

Objective:To explore which pattern recognition receptors(PRRs)play a key role in the development of hand,foot,and mouth disease(HFMD)by analyzing PRR-associated genes.Methods:We conducted a comparative analysis of PRR-associated gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)infected with enterovirus 71(EV-A71)which were derived from patients with HFMD of different severities and at different stages.A total of 30 PRR-associated genes were identified as significantly upregulated both over time and across different EV-A71 isolates.Subsequently,ELISA was employed to quantify the expression of the six most prominent genes among these 30 identified genes,specifically,BST2,IRF7,IFI16,TRIM21,MX1,and DDX58.Results:Compared with those at the recovery stage,the expression levels of BST2(P=0.027),IFI16(P=0.016),MX1(P=0.046)and DDX58(P=0.008)in the acute stage of infection were significantly upregulated,while no significant difference in the expression levels of IRF7(P=0.495)and TRIM21(P=0.071)was found between different stages of the disease.The expression levels of BST2,IRF7,IFI16 and MX1 were significantly higher in children infected with single pathogen than those infected with mixed pathogens,and BST2,IRF7,IFI16 and MX1 expression levels were significantly lower in coxsackie B virus(COXB)positive patients than the negative patients.Expression levels of one or more of BST2,IRF7,IFI16,TRIM21,MX1 and DDX58 genes were correlated with PCT levels,various white blood cell counts,and serum antibody levels that reflect disease course of HFMD.Aspartate aminotransferase was correlated with BST2,MX1 and DDX58 expression levels.Conclusions:PRR-associated genes likely initiate the immune response in patients at the acute stage of HFMD.

Discovery and inspiration of large-and medium-sized glutenite-rich oil and gas fields in the eastern South China Sea:An example from Paleogene Enping Formation in Huizhou 26 subsag,Pearl River Mouth Basin

Based on the practice of oil and gas exploration in the Huizhou Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,the geochemical indexes of source rocks were measured,the reservoir development morphology was restored,the rocks and minerals were characterized microscopically,the measured trap sealing indexes were compared,the biomarker compounds of crude oil were extracted,the genesis of condensate gas was identified,and the reservoir-forming conditions were examined.On this basis,the Paleogene Enping Formation in the Huizhou 26 subsag was systematically analyzed for the potential of oil and gas resources,the development characteristics of large-scale high-quality conglomerate reservoirs,the trapping effectiveness of faults,the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation model,and the formation conditions and exploration targets of large-and medium-sized glutenite-rich oil and gas fields.The research results were obtained in four aspects.First,the Paleogene Wenchang Formation in the Huizhou 26 subsag develops extensive and thick high-quality source rocks of semi-deep to deep lacustrine subfacies,which have typical hydrocarbon expulsion characteristics of"great oil generation in the early stage and huge gas expulsion in the late stage",providing a sufficient material basis for hydrocarbon accumulation in the Enping Formation.Second,under the joint control of the steep slope zone and transition zone of the fault within the sag,the large-scale near-source glutenite reservoirs are highly heterogeneous,with the development scale dominated hierarchically by three factors(favorable facies zone,particle component,and microfracture).The(subaqueous)distributary channels near the fault system,with equal grains,a low mud content(<5%),and a high content of feldspar composition,are conducive to the development of sweet spot reservoirs.Third,the strike-slip pressurization trap covered by stable lake flooding mudstone is a necessary condition for oil and gas preservation,and the NE and nearly EW faults obliquely to the principal stress have the best control on traps.Fourth,the spatiotemporal configuration of high-quality source rocks,fault transport/sealing,and glutenite reservoirs controls the degree of hydrocarbon enrichment.From top to bottom,three hydrocarbon accumulation units,i.e.low-fill zone,transition zone,and high-fill zone,are recognized.The main area of the channel in the nearly pressurized source-connecting fault zone is favorable for large-scale hydrocarbon enrichment.The research results suggest a new direction for the exploration of large-scale glutenite-rich reservoirs in the Enping Formation of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,and present a major breakthrough in oil and gas exploration.

Evaluation of source rocks and prediction of oil and gas resources distribution in Baiyun Sag,Pearl River Mouth Basin,China

By conducting organic geochemical analysis of the samples taken from the drilled wells in Baiyun Sag of Pearl River Mouth Basin,China,the development characteristics of hydrocarbon source rocks in the sag are clarified.Reconstruct the current geothermal field of the sag and restore the tectonic-thermal evolution process to predict the type,scale,and distribution of resources in Baiyun Sag through thermal pressure simulation experiments and numerical simulation.The Baiyun Sag is characterized by the development of Paleogene shallow lacustrine source rocks,which are deposited in a slightly oxidizing environment.The source rocks are mainly composed of terrestrial higher plants,with algae making a certain contribution,and are oil and gas source rocks.Current geothermal field of the sag was reconstructed,in which the range of geothermal gradients is(3.5–5.2)℃/100 m,showing an overall increasing trend from northwest to southeast,with significant differences in geothermal gradients across different sub-sags.Baiyun Sag has undergone two distinct periods of extensional process,the Eocene and Miocene,since the Cenozoic era.These two periods of heating and warming events have been identified,accelerating the maturation and evolution of source rocks.The main body of ancient basal heat flow value reached its highest at 13.82 Ma.The basin modelling results show that the maturity of source rocks is significantly higher in Baiyun main sub-sag than that in other sub-sags.The Eocene Wenchang Formation is currently in the stage of high maturity to over maturity,while the Eocene Enping Formation has reached the stage of maturity to high maturity.The rock thermal simulation experiment shows that the shallow lacustrine mudstone of the Wenchang Formation has a good potential of generating gas from kerogen cracking with high gas yield and long period of gas window.Shallow lacustrine mudstone of the Enping Formation has a good ability to generate light oil,and has ability to generate kerogen cracking gas in the late stage.The gas yield of shallow lacustrine mudstone of the Enping Formation is less than that of shallow lacustrine mudstone of the Wenchang Formation and the delta coal-bearing mudstone of the Enping Formation.The numerical simulation results indicate that the source rocks of Baiyun main sub-sag generate hydrocarbons earlier and have significantly higher hydrocarbon generation intensity than other sub-sags,with an average of about 1200×10^(4)t/km^(2).Oil and gas resources were mainly distributed in Baiyun main sub-sag and the main source rocks are distributed in the 3^(rd)and 4^(th)members of Wenchang Formation.Four favorable zones are selected for the division and evaluation of migration and aggregation units:No.(1)Panyu 30 nose-shaped structural belt,No.(3)Liuhua 29 nose-shaped uplift belt and Liwan 3 nose-shaped uplift belt,No.(2)gentle slope belt of Baiyun east sag,and No.(8)Baiyun 1 low-uplift.

Geometry and 3D seismic characterisation of post-rift normal faults in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea

Based on high-resolution 3D seismic data acquired in the Pearl(Zhujiang)River Mouth Basin of the northern South China Sea,this study investigated the geometry,spatial extension,and throw distribution of the post-rift normal fault through detailed seismic interpretation and fault modeling.A total of 289 post-rift normal faults were identified in the study area and can be classified into four types:(1)isolated normal faults above the carbonate platform;(2)isolated normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform;(3)conjugate normal faults,and(4)connecting normal faults.Throw distribution analysis on the fault planes show that the vertical throw profiles of most normal fault exhibit flat-topped profiles.Isolated normal faults above the carbonate platform exhibit roughly concentric ellipses with maximum throw zones in the central section whereas the normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform miss the lowermost section due to the chaotic seismic reflections in the interior of the carbonate platform.The vertical throws of conjugate normal faults anomalously decrease toward their intersection region on the fault plane whereas the connecting normal faults present two maximum throw zones in the central section of the fault plane.According to the symmetric elliptical distribution model of fault throw,an estimation was made indicating that normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform extended downward between-1308 s and-1780 s(two-way travel time)in depth and may not penetrate the entire Liuhua carbonate platform.Moreover,it is observed that the distribution of karst caves on the top of the carbonate platform disaccord with those of hydrocarbon reservoirs and the post-rift normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform in the study area.We propose that these karst caves formed most probably by corrosive fluids derived from magmatic activities during the Dongsha event,rather than pore waters or hydrocarbons.

Characteristics of transfer zones under the influence of preexisting faults and regional stress transformation:Wenchang A subsag,Zhujiang River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea

A transfer zone in rift basins preserves important information on regional tectonic evolution and plays significant roles in hydrocarbon accumulation.Based on the systematic analysis of 3D seismic data and hydrocarbon accumulation conditions,the geometry,kinematics,and reservoir control of a large synthetic overlapping transfer zone in the south of the Wenchang A subsag in the Zhujiang(Pearl)River Mouth basin were investigated.Results indicate that the development and evolution of the transfer zone was controlled by the interaction between pre-existing faults and regional stress transformation.The intense rifting of the main faults of the transfer zone controlled the development of source rocks and faultcontrolled slope break paleogeomorphology.The strike-slip overprint since the Oligocene is conducive to the formation of a large-scale fault-anticline trap,and the secondary faults in the transfer zone contribute to the hydrocarbon transportation.The conjugate intersection area of the NE-and NW-trending faults offers more opportunity for hydrocarbon migration and accumulation.

Effect of Mouth Opening Training Stick Combined with Oral Massage on Mouth Opening Difficulty in Head and Neck Cancer Patients after Treatment

Objective: To study the application effect of mouth-opening training sticks combined with oral massage on patients with mouth-opening difficulty after treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods: Using convenient sampling, 60 patients with mouth-opening difficulty after treatment for head and neck cancer admitted to the Oncology Department from February 2022 to October 2023 were selected for a 2-week exercise and nursing program. The patients were divided into a control group (February 1, 2022 to November 30, 2022) and an observation group (December 1, 2022 to October 31, 2023), with 30 patients in each group. The control group underwent routine mouth-opening functional exercises combined with cork for oral support training, while the observation group underwent routine mouth-opening functional exercises combined with oral massage and mouth-opening training sticks for oral support training. The mouth-opening degree, mouth-opening difficulty level, comfort level, compliance, and quality of life were observed in both groups. Results: Before the intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in mouth-opening degree and mouth-opening difficulty level between the two groups (P > 0.05). After the intervention, the mouth-opening degree, mouth-opening difficulty level, oral comfort level, compliance, and QLICP-HN scores in the observation group were all better than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of mouth-opening training sticks and oral massage with mouth-opening functional exercises can effectively improve the degree of mouth-opening difficulty, enhance oral comfort, increase compliance with mouth-opening exercises, and improve quality of life.

Using Interrupted Time Series Design to Analyze Changes in Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Incidence during the Declining Incidence Periods of 2008-2010 in China

Objective To identify patterns of hand, foot and mouth disease （HFMD） incidence in China during declining incidence periods of 2008, 2009, and 2010. Methods Reported HFMD cases over a period of 25 months were extracted from the National Disease Reporting System （NDRS） and analyzed. An interrupted time series （ITS） technique was used to detect changes in HFMD incidence rates in terms of level and slope between declining incidence periods of the three years. Results Over 3.58 million HFMD cases younger than 5 years were reported to the NDRS between May 1, 2008, and May 31, 2011. Males comprised 63.4% of the cases. ITS analyses demonstrated a significant increase in incidence rate level （P〈0.0001） when comparing the current period with the previous period. There were significant changes in declining slopes when comparing 2010 to 2009, and 2010 to 2008 （all P〈O.O05）, but not 2009 to 2008. Conclusion Incremental changes in incidence rate level during the declining incidence periods of 2009 and 2010 can potentially be attributed to a few factors. The more steeply declining slope in 2010 compared with previous years could be ascribed to the implementation of more effective interventions and preventive strategies in 2010. Further investigation is required to examine this possibility.

Chlorite cement and its effect on the reservoir quality of sandstones from the Panyu low-uplift,Pearl River Mouth Basin

Based on porosity and permeability measurements, mercury porosimetry measurements, thin section analyses, SEM observations, X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis and granulometric analyses, diagenetic features of reservoir sandstones taken from the Zhuhai formation in the Panyu low-uplift of the Pear River Mouth Basin were examined. This study shows that chlorite cements are one of the most important diagenetic features of reservoir sandstones. The precipitation of chlorite was controlled by multiple factors and its development occurred early in eo-diagenesis and continued till Stage A of middle diagenesis. The precipitation of chlorite at the early stage was mainly affected by the sedimentary environment and provenance. Abundant Fe- and Mg-rich materials were supplied during the deposition of distributary channel sediments in the deltaic front setting and mainly in alkaline conditions. With the burial depth increasing, smectite and kaolinite tended to be transformed into chlorite. Smectite cements were completely transformed into chlorite in sandstones of the studied area. Volcanic lithics rich in Fe and Mg materials were dissolved and released Fe2＋ and Mg 2＋ into the pore water. These cations precipitated as chlorite cements in middle diagenesis in an alkaline diagenetic environment. Chlorite coatings acted as porosity and permeability, thus helping preserve cements in the chlorite cemented sandstones. The reservoir quality of chlorite cemented sandstones is much better than sandstones without chlorite cements. Chlorite cements play an important role in the reservoir evolution that was mainly characterized by preserving intergranular porosity and forming better pore-throat structures of sandstones.

The Cenozoic activities of Yangjiang-Yitongdong Fault: insights from analysis of the tectonic characteristics and evolution processes in western Zhujiang(Pearl) River Mouth Basin

The Yangjiang-Yitongdong Fault (YJF) is an important NW-trending regional fault, which divides the Zhujiang (Pearl) River Mouth Basin (ZRMB) into western and eastern segments. In Cenozoic, the northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS) underwent continental rifting, breakup, seafloor spreading and thermal subsidence processes, and the Cenozoic activities of YJF is one part of this series of complex processes. Two long NW-trending multichannel seismic profiles located on both sides of the YJF extending from the continental shelf to Continent-Ocean Boundary (COB) were used to study the tectonic and sedimentary characteristics of western ZRMB. Using the 2D-Move software and back-stripping method, we constructed the balance cross-section model and calculated the fault activity rate. Through the comprehensive consideration of tectonic position, tectonic evolution history, featured structure, and stress analysis, we deduced the activity history of the YJF in Cenozoic. The results showed that the YJF can be divided into two segments by the central uplift belt. From 65 Ma to 32 Ma, the YJF was in sinistral motion as a whole, inherited the preexisting sinistral motion of Mesozoic YJF, in which, the southern part of YJF was mainly in extension activity, controlling the formation and evolution of Yunkai Low Uplift, coupled with slight sinistral motion. From 32 Ma to 23.8 Ma, the sinistral motion in northern part of YJF continued, while the sinistral motion in southern part began to stop or shifted to a slightly dextral motion. After 23.8 Ma, the dextral motion in southern part of YJF continued, while the sinistral motion in northern part of YJF gradually stopped, or shifted to the slightly dextral motion. The shift of the YJF strike-slip direction may be related to the magmatic underplating in continent-ocean transition, southeastern ZRMB. According to the analysis of tectonic activity intensity and rift sedimentary structure, the activities of YJF in Cenozoic played a regulating role in the rift extension process of ZRMB.

Numerical study of three-dimensional wave-induced longshore current's effects on sediment spreading of the Huanghe River mouth

A three-dimensional wave radiation stress is introduced into the hydrodynamic sediment coupled model COHERENS-SED, which has been developed through introducing wave-enhanced bottom shear stress, wave dependent surface drag coefficient, wave-induced surface mixing, SWAN, damping function of sediment on turbulence, sediment model and depth-dependent wave radiation stress to COHERENS. The COHERENS-SED is adopted to study the effects induced by wave-induced three-dimensional longshore current on suspended sediment spreading of the Huanghe River （Yellow River） mouth. Several different cases divided by setting different wave parameters of inputting boundary waves are carried out. The modeling results agree with measurement data. In terms of simulation results, it is easy to know that three-dimensional wave radiation stress plays an obvious role when inputting boundary wave height is stronger than 3 m. Moreover, wave direction also affects the sediment spreading rules of the mouth strongly too.

Detrital K-feldspar^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar Ages:Source Constraints of the Lower Miocene Sandstones in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China Sea

The South China Sea began to outspread in the Oligocene. A great quantity of terraneous detritus was deposited in the northern continental shelf of the sea, mostly in Pearl River Mouth Basin, which constituted the main paleo-Pearl River Delta. The delta developed for a long geological time and formed a superimposed area. Almost all the oil and gas fields of detrital rock reservoir distribute in this delta. Thirty-three oil sandstone core samples in the Zhujiang Formation, lower Miocene （23-16 Ma）, were collected from nine wells. The illite samples with detrital K feldspar （Kfs） separated from these sandstone cores in four sub-structural belts were analysed by the high-precision 40Ar/39Ar laser stepwise heating technique. All 33 illite 40Ar/39Ar data consistently yielded gradually rising age spectra at the low-temperature steps until reaching age plateaus at mid-high temperature steps. The youngest ages corresponding to the beginning steps were interpreted as the hydrocarbon accumulation ages and the plateau ages in mid-high temperature steps as the contributions of the detrital feldspar representing the ages of the granitic parent rocks in the provenances. The ages of the detrital feldspar from the Zhujiang Formation in the four sub-structural belts were different： （1） the late Cretaceous ages in the Lufeng 13 fault structural belt; （2） the late Cretaceous and early Cretaceous-Jurassic ages in the Huizhou 21 buried hill-fault belt; （3） the Jurassic and Triassic ages in the Xijiang 24 buried hill-fault belt; and （4） the early Cretaceous - late Jurassic ages in the Panyu 4 oil area. These detrital feldspar 4~Ar/39Ar ages become younger and younger from west to east, corresponding to the age distribution of the granites in the adjacent Guangdong Province, Southern China.

Using otolith weight to predict the age of Pennahia macrocephalus in the mouth of the Beibu Gulf

The relation between otolith weight (OW) and the age of marine fish is studied. A total of 222 individuals of bighead white croaker, Pennahia macrocephalus were sampled seasonally in the mouth of the Beibu Gulf, the South China Sea, in 2007. Since there are no significant differences in sagittal OW between otolith in pairs (P≥0.05), the undamaged left sagittal otolith is used for age determination. The highest correlations among standard length, OW and fish ages are confirmed by linear, exponential and multinomial regression. Results show that sagittal OW overlaps only occasionally among age groups, and to individuals with similar standard length, the older and slower-growing fish has a heavier otolith because of the continued otolith material deposition. There are differences in sagittal OW among different age groups and significant positive linear relationship with age (P<0.05). The age readings can be verified by plotting the sagittal OW versus the standard length for age groups, and the individuals with similar standard length but in different ages can be separated by sagittal OW frequency analysis. Mostly, the predicted ages using the regression between sagittal OW and ages are closed to the observed ages by counting annulus on scale. It indicates that the sagittal OW analysis is a useful technique for validating the accuracy of age determination by annuli counts, especially for individuals of similar size. Furthermore, the technique is applied for Pennahia macrocephalus with discussion in this paper.

A topological pattern research on recent evolution of sand spit at the Huanghe River mouth by using remote sensing informations

By using satellite remote sensing informations, the conceptual system of time-space at tributes and time dimension in recent evolution of the sand spit at the Huanghe River mouth is expound ed. Based on this work, the parameterization of relevant factors and topological analysis of sand spit spa tial structure are conducted, and a model, which is suitable for representing the development and growth of the Huanghe River mouth is developed. It is shown that during the later stage of its development, the Sand spit growth index is almost 0. According to the parallelogram rule, under the reinforce effects of the Coriolis force and ocean dynamics, the Sand spit of current stream will never extend towards sea when it reaches the deep-water area. This work would be helpful to the imminent comprehensive harness of the 'man-made river branch' at the Huanghe River mouth.

A study of the effects of saliva stimulation by nizatidine on dry mouth symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis

AIM: To elucidate the effect of saliva stimulation by nizatidine on oral symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) by administering it to PBC cases. METHODS: From among 73 cases that had been definitively diagnosed as PBC at our hospital by February 2010, we selected 27 cases of PBC, 4 males and 23 females, as subjects. We obtained subjects' consent after giving them a full explanation of the administration of nizatidine. Nizatidine 150 mg was administered internally twice daily, after morning and evening meals. To observe changes in the quantity of saliva secreted, chewing gum tests were carried out four times: before the initial dose, and after 6 mo, 12 mo and 24 mo of administration. For subjective dry mouth symptoms, a visual analog scale (VAS) method was used to assess their feelings of oral dryness and eating difficulty, five times: before the initial dose, and after 1, 6, 12 and 24 mo of administration in 8 cases. The nutritional condition and the hepatic functional reserve were compared between before and after the nizatidine treatment.RESULTS: The result of a chewing gum test on the subjects before the administration of nizatidine showed that 50% produced less than 10 mL of saliva, i.e. , the standard under which cases are considered to have hyposalivation. The results of these tests showed that the quantity of saliva secreted was 10.5 ± 6.8 mL before administration of nizatidine, 10.9 ± 6.0 mL after 6 mo, 10.6 ± 4.9 mL after 12 mo, and 11.8 ± 6.8 mL after 24 mo administration. Thus, there was a slowly increasing trend in the quantity of saliva in the whole group. The percentage of subjects with saliva production above 10 mL was 45.8% after 6 mo administration of nizatidine, that is, only a slight change from before its administration, but it was 64.3% after 12 mo, that is, a significant increase. The saliva secretion by subject patients was examined before the beginning of administration of nizatidine, 12 mo later, and 24 mo later, and Fisher's combined probability test was used to examine the results for increases in saliva secretion. The analysis yielded P values of 0.51 and 0.53 for 12 mo later and 24 mo later, respectively. Thus, although there was no statistically significant increase, it was confirmed that saliva secretion tended to increase. A VAS method was employed to study the intensities of subjective symptoms of oral dryness and eating difficulty. Almost every case indicated some improvement of subjective oral dryness on the VAS early in the administration, i.e. , one month after. We also studied the effects of the administration of nizatidine on nutritional condition, hepatic functional reserve, and long-term prognosis of PBC. No significant improvements in cholinesterase (ChE) level, albumin (Alb) level, or Child-Pugh score were found during the period of observation from the beginning to the end of administration of nizatidine, nor in comparison with the non-administration group. A comparative analysis between before administration and 24 mo later yielded P values of 0.41 for Alb, 0.56 for ChE, and 0.59 for the Child-Pugh scores. CONCLUSION: It was confirmed that administering nizatidine to cases of PBC with dry mouth increased the secretion of saliva and improved the symptoms.

Transmission Dynamics and Optimal Control Strategies of a Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Model with Treatment and Vaccination Interventions

In this article, the transmission dynamics of a Hand-Foot-Mouth disease model with treatment and vaccination interventions are studied. We calculated the basic reproduction number and proved the global stability of disease-free equilibrium when R0 R0 > 1. Meanwhile, we obtained the optimal control strategies minimizing the cost of intervention and minimizing the infected person. We also give some numerical simulations to verify our theoretical results.

Is Precipitation the Dominant Controlling Factor of High Inorganic Nitrogen Content in the Changjiang River and Its Mouth?

The main reasons for the high content of inorganic N and its increase by several times in the Changjiang River and its mouth during the last 40 years were analysed in this work. The inorganic N in precipitation in the Changjiang River catchment mainly comes from gaseous loss of fertilizer N, N resulting from the increases of population and livestock, and from high temperature combustions of fossil fuels. N from precipitation is the first N source in the Changjiang River water and the only direct cause of high content of inorganic N in the Changjiang River and its mouth. The lost N in gaseous form and from agriculture non point sources fertilizer comprised about 60% of annual consumption of fertilizer N in the Changjiang River catchment and were key factors controlling the high content of inorganic N in the Changjiang River mouth. The fate of the N in precipitation and other N sources in the Changjiang River catchment are also discussed in this paper.

Tectonic-thermal history and hydrocarbon potential of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea:Insights from borehole apatite fission-track thermochronology

The Pearl River Mouth Basin(PRMB)is one of the most petroliferous basins on the northern margin of the South China Sea.Knowledge of the thermal history of the PRMB is significant for understanding its tectonic evolution and for unraveling its poorly studied source-rock maturation history.Our investigations in this study are based on apatite fission-track(AFT)thermochronology analysis of 12 cutting samples from 4 boreholes.Both AFT ages and length data suggested that the PRMB has experienced quite complicated thermal evolution.Thermal history modeling results unraveled four successive events of heating separated by three stages of cooling since the early Middle Eocene.The cooling events occurred approximately in the Late Eocene,early Oligocene,and the Late Miocene,possibly attributed to the Zhuqiong II Event,Nanhai Event,and Dongsha Event,respectively.The erosion amount during the first cooling stage is roughly estimated to be about 455-712 m,with an erosion rate of 0.08-0.12 mm/a.The second erosion-driven cooling is stronger than the first one,with an erosion amount of about 747-814 m and an erosion rate between about 0.13-0.21 mm/a.The erosion amount calculated related to the third cooling event varies from 800 m to 3419 m,which is speculative due to the possible influence of the magmatic activity.

Reserves of Natural Gas Hydrates Equivalent to 100–150 Billion m^3 Natural Gas Has Been Discovered in the Pearl Mouth Basin of the South China Sea

Scientists have suggested that combustible ice in global marginal seas,deep trough areas and ocean basins covers an area of 400million km2,and its total reserve is twice the amount of the global proven oil,coal and gas reserves,equivalent to 50 times the amount of conventional natural gas reserves.

The Comparative Study on Two Models of Syndrome Differentiation of the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: An Investigation Analysis of the Signs and Symptoms on 2325 Cases

Objective To realize the characteristics of "zheng" differentiation-treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease(HFMD), a new methodology of syndrome differentiation for different stages of HFMD has been explored. Methods Total of 2 325 cases with HFMD were recorded by distributing them into exterior syndrome stage, interior syndrome stage, severe syndrome stage and recovered syndrome stage, respectively, and the main symptoms and subsidiary symptoms of different stages of HFMD have been observed. The major and minor pathogenesis of HFMD in different stages were obtained, and compared with the "2010 Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of HFMD". Results It was found that the major pathogenesis of exterior stage was defined as "the invation of the wenevil to the defender of the body with the collaterals got involved ", and the minor as "qi deficiency"; in interior stage, "the fury of Gan-Yang" was the main pathogenesis, and "qi in chaos and qi deficiency" was the minor; in severe syndrome stage, "the damage of heart, liver and lung" was the main pathogenesis, and "qi in chaos" was the minor; and the pathogenesis of recovered stage was "qi-yin deficiency". Compared with the "2010 Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of HFMD", it showed that "the obstruction of the fei-pi qi by the mixture of shi-re evil" and "the mixture of shi-re" in vivo was quite difficult to be explained in completely different context in the general situation; in the severe stage, the TCM clinical characteristics of syndrome differentiation might lose; in the early acute severe cases, the phenomenon that xin-yang and fei-qi almost ran out was difficult to be observed, then, the line between the severe and the acute severe became vague.Conclusions The theory of syndrome differentiation by stages of HFMD was reasonable in the actual situation of clinical description on HFMD which was expected to be further tested and widely applied in the "zheng" differentiation-treatment of HFMD in the future.