Pore Characteristics and Factors Controlling Lacustrine Shales from the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation of the Songliao Basin,Northeast China:A Study Combining SEM,Low-temperature Gas Adsorption and MICP Experiments

To investigate pore characteristics and the factors controlling lacustrine shales,geochemical,mineralogical and petrophysical experiments were performed on 23 shale samples from the Qingshankou Formation of the Songliao Basin,China.A comparison of mercury injection capillary pressure(MICP)and low-temperature N2 adsorption pore-size distribution showed that MICP has a higher pore-size distribution(PSD)line in its overlapping pore diameter range,which may be elevated by the higher pressure of MICP.Therefore,in the overlapping range,low-temperature N2 adsorption data were preferred in pore characterization.Negative correlations were observed between pore volumes and TOC content,indicating organic matter pores are not well-developed in the studied samples.This may be related to their low grade of maturity and type I kerogens.There existed negative relationships between pore volumes and S1,which illustrated that liquid hydrocarbons occupied some pore space.Micropore volume had a better correlation with S1 than mesopore and macropore volumes,which suggests that liquid hydrocarbons preferentially occur in micropores.No obvious relationships between pore volumes and quartz or feldspar were observed,while pore volumes increased with the increasing clay mineral content.These relationships indicate that intraparticle pores in clay minerals represent the principal pore type.

Organic matter pores in the chang 7 lacustrine shales from the Ordos Basin and its effect on reflectance measurement

To quantify the pore characteristics of various macerals in Chang 7 lacustrine shales,macerals were effectively identified according to their optical and morphological characteristics,and the nanoscale pore structure of macerals was observed by scanning electron microscope.Meanwhile,the reflectances of different positions in the same pieces of vitrinite or solid bitumen with heterogeneous pores development were measured.The results showed that the average contents of sapropelinite,liptinite,vitrinite,inertinite and solid bitumen are 42.7%,8.7%,13.6%,13.8% and 21.2%,respectively,which suggests that the source of the organic matter of the Chang 7 shales is a mixed source input.The organic pores of Chang 7 shales are enriched,and the pore shapes are mostly round or elliptical.The pore size of organic pores has a wide distribution,mainly concentrate in the range of 100-400 nm,and the average plane porosity of organic pores is 10.13%.The size order of the organic pores in various macerals is:solid bitumen<bituminite<alginite<vitrinite<fusinite<liptinite.The abundance order of organic matter pores of each maceral is as follows:alginite>fusinite>bituminite>solid bitumen>vitrinite>liptinite.OM pores are mainly contributed by bituminite,solid bitumen and fusinite.The plane porosity of bituminite increases with maturity.In the process of thermal evolution,the plane porosity of fusinite is distributed in the two ranges of 20%-28% and 1%-7%.The former is mainly the primary pores of the fusinite itself,and the latter is the secondary pores formed in the thermal evolution.As for the organic pores of other macerals,no obvious thermal evolution law was found.Meanwhile,the surface imperfections of vitrinite or solid bitumen is enhanced by the enrichment of organic pores(an increase in pore size or pore number),which may result in the underestimation of their reflectances.

A Comprehensive Study of the High Temperature Performance and Microstructure of Different High Tc Piezoelectric Ceramics

The expanding demand for piezoelectric devices working at elevated temperatures,particularly those for aerospace and automotive industries,has stimulated a great deal of research effort on high Cu-rie Temperature(T C)piezoelectric ceramics.The fabrication of this type of piezoelectric ceramics is

The Influence of Extractable Organic Matter on Pore Development in the Late Triassic Chang 7 Lacustrine Shales, Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China

To investigate the influence of extractable organic matter(EOM) on pore evolution of lacustrine shales, Soxhlet extraction, using dichloromethane, was performed on a series of Chang 7 shale samples(Ordos Basin, China) with vitrinite reflectance of 0.64% to 1.34%. Low-pressure gas adsorption experiments were conducted on the samples before and after extraction. The pore structure parameters were calculated from the gas adsorption data. The results show complex changes to the pore volumes and surface areas after extraction. The pore development of both the initial and extracted samples is strongly controlled by total organic carbon(TOC) content. Micropores developed mainly in organic matter(OM), while mesopores and macropores predominantly developed in fractions other than OM. The influence of EOM on micropores is stronger than on mesopores and macropores. Organic solvents with a higher boiling point should be used to explore the effect of EOM on pore structure in the future.

Selective separation and enrichment of proteins in aqueous two-phase extraction system

木钉 / 磷酸盐的一个简单水的二阶段的抽取系统(ATPS ) 为蛋白质的选择分离和丰富被建议。有 HPLC 的 ATPE 的联合被使用在二个阶段识别蛋白质的分区。五蛋白质(牛的浆液白朊，细胞色素 C，溶解酵素，肌球素，和胰岛素) 被用作模型蛋白质在蛋白质分区上学习磷酸盐集中和 pH 的效果。木钉 / 磷酸盐系统第一被用于真实人的口水和血浆样品，一些蛋白质在二个阶段显示出显然不同的分区。主要结果在提供的 ATPS 表明蛋白质的选择分离和丰富为在 proteomics 的高丰富蛋白质弄空的潜力。

Variation in Pore Space and Structure of Organic-rich Oilprone Shales from a Non-marine Basin:Constraints from Organic Matter and Minerals

Organic matter(OM)and minerals are major particle components of lacustrine shales.The influence of OM and minerals on pore space and structure in organic-rich oil-prone shales containing a large range of total organic carbon(TOC)contents is poorly understood.In this study,we investigated the variation in pore space and structure of low mature lacustrine shales in the Songliao Basin(NE China),based on a study of the mineralogy,petrography,geochemistry,and geophysical properties of shales.Different pore types make markedly different contributions to the mineral surface area(MSA)and pore volume(PV)of the shales.There exists a negative correlation between MSA/PV and TOC in mesopores(r^(2)=0.75/0.65)and macropores(r^(2)=0.74/0.68),and a positive correlation in micropores(r^(2)=0.59/0.64),which are associated with the variation of mineral and TOC contents.A positive relationship between the throat/pore ratio and TOC(r^(2)=0.82)shows an increase in throat radius and decrease in pore radius with increasing TOC content.This relationship is supported by the reduction in mean pore diameter(MPD)for large pores and increase in MPD for small pores.These variations are related to the decreased pores by quartz plus feldspar(Q+F)content,increased throats by clay minerals,an d enhanced pore-fill by OM.We propose that the variation of OM and minerals is a key control on the pore space and structure of low mature organic-rich oil-prone shales.

An HPLC Fingerprint Identification of Dried Barks of Ilex rotunda and Ilex godajam

[Objectives] A simple and reliable HPLC fingerprint method was developed for the identification of dried barks of Ilex rotunda and I. godajam. [Methods] Nine batches of dried barks of I. rotunda,and seven batches of dried barks of I. godajam collected from different pharmacies and arboretums in different regions of China were used to establish fingerprints. The software Similarity Evaluation System of Chromatographic Fingerprints of Traditional Chinese Medicine( 2004 A Edition) was used to evaluate the fingerprints. [Results]The fingerprints of dried barks of I. rotunda and I. godajam were established. Methodological study met the technical requirements of fingerprints. The similarities of the fingerprints of dried barks of I. rotunda and I. godajam were all more than 0. 8 and 0. 9 respectively. There were 31 and 28 common peaks in I. rotunda and I. godajam,which could be classified into two clusters by principal component analysis( PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis. [Conclusions] The feasibility and advantages of used HPLC fingerprints were verified,and the results indicated that the HPLC fingerprint as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation,principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis can be successfully used to identify the authenticity of dried barks of I. rotunda and I. godajam.

Influence of Fireworks Igniting in Spring Festival of 2014 on Heavy Metal Content of Beijing Dust

Under strong influence of human activity dust on urban street accumulates a large number of heavy metals difficult to be decomposed.Under certain dynamic conditions,dust with heavy metals enter into the air by re-suspension,which harms environmental system and human health.Before and after fireworks igniting during Spring Festival of 2014,111 dust samples were randomly collected in Beijing,Tianjin,Shangqiu of Henan Province,and Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province and then Pb,Cr,Zn,As,Cu and Ni content was nondestructively analyzed.The results showed that when compared with soil background value,dust collected in Beijing very strongly accumulated Zn and Cu;strongly accumulated Pb,moderately accumulated Cr due to human activities,while weakly accumulated As and Ni implying a little effect of human activity.Influenced by industry and port,heavy metals content in dust from coastal cities including Pb from Shaoxing,Cr from Tianjin and Shaoxing,Zn from Tianjin and Ni from Shaoxing,were relatively higher than that from inland cities including Beijing and Shangqiu.Otherwise,the average content of Cu in dust from Beijing was higher than that from other cities,probably released from smelting,fireworks igniting,and burning or abrading from automobile's gasoline,engine,lubricating oil or gold-plated parts.Fireworks igniting could variably increase the content of most heavy metals in dust.Cu content increased by192.57%,Pb and Zn did by 23.73%and 34.05%respectively;Cr and Ni raised unobviously by 4.48%and 2.41%respectively.

Seasonal Trends of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Particulate Matter at an Urban Site in Beijing, China

This study was conducted to examine the impact of vehicular traffic emissions on the seasonal trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentration in particulate matter in Beijing. The PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected at an urban site near the Third Ring Road in Beijing, China, from July 2009 to March 2010. Individual PAH concentrations at urban traffic site ranged from n.d. (below the detection limit, 0.2 ng/m3) to 558.49 ng/m3 of benzo(b)fluoranthene in PM10 samples and from n.d. to 177.93 ng/m3 also for benzo(b)fluoranthene in PM2.5 samples. Seasonal variations of PAHs compounds indicated that PAHs concentration in autumn and winter was higher than those in spring and summer. Results of PCA give four and five significant factors, which could explain 83.1% of the variation for PM2.5 and 85.3% of the variation for PM10, respectively.

Highly active and durable triple conducting composite air electrode for low-temperature protonic ceramic fuel cells

Protonic ceramic fuel cells(PCFCs)are more suitable for operation at low temperatures due to their smaller activation energy(Ea).Unfortunately,the utilization of PCFC technology at reduced temperatures is limited by the lack of durable and high-activity air electrodes.A lot number of cobalt-based oxides have been developed as air electrodes for PCFCs,due to their high oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)activity.However,cobalt-based oxides usually have more significant thermal expansion coefficients(TECs)and poor thermomechanical compatibility with electrolytes.These characteristics can lead to cell delamination and degradation.Herein,we rationally design a novel cobalt-containing composite cathode material with the nominal composition of Sr_(4)Fe_(4)Co_(2)O_(13)+δ(SFC).SFC is composed of tetragonal perovskite phase(Sr_(8)Fe_(8)O_(23)+δ,I4/mmm,81 wt.%)and spinel phase(Co_(3)O_(4),Fd3m,19 wt.%).The SFC composite cathode displays an ultra-high oxygen ionic conductivity(0.053 S·cm^(-1)at 550℃),superior CO_(2)tolerance,and suitable TEC value(17.01×10^(-6)K^(-1)).SFC has both the O_(2)^(-)/e^(-)conduction function,and the triple conducting(H^(+)/O_(2)^(-)/e^(-))capability was achieved by introducing the protonic conduction phase(BaZr_(0.2)Ce_(0.7)Y_(0.1)O_(3-δ),BZCY)to form SFC+BZCY(70 wt.%:30 wt.%).The SFC+BZCY composite electrode exhibits superior ORR activity at a reduced temperature with extremely low area-specific resistance(ASR,0.677Ω·cm^(2)at 550℃),profound peak power density(PPD,535 mW·cm^(-2)and 1.065 V at 550℃),extraordinarily long-term durability(>500 h for symmetrical cell and 350 h for single cell).Moreover,the composite has an ultra-low TEC value(15.96×10^(-6)K^(-1)).This study proves that SFC+BZCY with triple conducting capacity is an excellent cathode for low-temperature PCFCs.

A study of phosphate adsorption by different temperature treated hydrous cerium oxides

An alkaline precipitation method was introduced to produce hydrous cerium oxides.The prepared powder was characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) nitrogen adsorption-desorption,X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectrometry,and thermal gravimetry(TG) approaches.The adsorbent has a chemical formula of CeO2·nH2O(n < 2) and a cubic fluorite-type structure after high temperature treatment.Adsorption capacity of different temperature treated hydrous cerium oxides does not directly correlate with BET specific surface area.Phosphate adsorption isotherms follow the Langmuir equation below the treatment temperature of 800°C.Phosphate adsorption causes no change on the structure of a hydrous cerium oxides,and no signs of CePO4 precipitates are found.The ion-exchanging structure of hydrous cerium oxide plays a fundamental role in phosphate adsorption.The structure is highly temperature resistant and forms adsorption sites which adsorb both water and some anions.Complete loss of adsorption ability cannot be achieved unless the treatment temperature is higher than 1200°C.Mechanism study shows that the adsorption of phosphates is mainly an anion-exchange process.

Episode Simulation of Asian Dust Storms with an Air Quality Modeling System

A dust deflation module was developed and coupled with the air quality modeling system RAMS-CMAQ to simultaneously treat all the major tropospheric aerosols（i.e.,organic and black carbons,sulfate,nitrate, ammonia,soil dust,and sea salt）.Then the coupled system was applied to East Asia to simulate Asian dust aerosol generation,transport and dry/wet removal processes during 14-25 March 2002 when two strong dust storms occurred consecutively.To evaluate model performance and to analyze the observed features of dust aerosols over the East Asian region,model results were compared to concentrations of suspended particulate matter of 10μm or less（PM_（10）;1-h intervals） at four remote Japanese stations and daily air pollution index （API） values for PM_（10） at four large Chinese cities.The modeled values were generally in good agreement with observed data,and the model reasonably reproduced two dust storm outbreaks and generally predicted the dust onset and cessation times at each observation site.In addition,hourly averaged values of aerosol optical thickness（AOT） were calculated and compared with observations at four Aerosol Robotic Network （AERONET） stations to assess the model＇s capability of estimating dust aerosol column burden.Analysis shows that modeled and observed AOT values were generally comparable and that the contribution of dust aerosols to AOT was significant only with regard to their source regions and their transport paths.

Application of Microbiome in Forensics

Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies and improvements in bioinformatics have expanded the scope of microbiome analysis as a forensic tool.Microbiome research is concerned with the study of the compositional profile and diversity of microbial flora as well as the interactions between microbes,hosts,and the environment.It has opened up many new possibilities for forensic analysis.In this review,we discuss various applications of microbiome in forensics,including identification of individuals,geolocation inference,and post-mortem interval(PMI)estimation.

Rational design of graphyne-based dual-atom site catalysts for CO oxidation

There are increasing concerns about the environmental impact of rising atmospheric carbon monoxide concentrations,thus it is necessary to develop new catalysts for efficient CO oxidation.Based on first-principles calculations,the potential ofγ-graphyne(GY)as substrate for metals in the 4th and 5th periods under single-atom and dual-atoms concentration modes has been systematically investigated.It was found that single-atom Co,Ir,Rh,and Ru could effectively oxidate CO molecules,especially for single Rh.Furthermore,proper atoms concentration could boost the CO oxidation activity by supplying more reaction centers,such as Rh^(2)/GY.It was determined that two Rh atoms in Rh^(2)/GY act different roles in the catalytic reaction:one structural and another functional.Screening tests suggest that substituting the structural Rh atom in the center of acetylenic ring by Co or Cu atom is a possible way to maintain the reaction performance while reducing the noble metal cost.This systemic investigation will help in understanding the fundamental reaction mechanisms on GY-based substrates.We emphasize that properly exposed frontier orbital of functional metal atom is crucial in adsorption configuration as well as entire catalytic performance.This study constructs a workflow and provides valuable information for rational design of CO oxidation catalysts.

Regulatory effects of antitumor agent matrine on FOXO and PI3K-AKT pathway in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells

We previously demonstrated that matrine could inhibit the proliferating, migrating, as well as invading processes of both PC-3 and DU145 cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been clearly defined. In this study, using various techniques such as high throughput sequencing technology, bioinformatics, quantitative real-time PCR, and immunoblot analysis,we aimed to understand whether matrine serves as a novel regulator of FOXO and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. DU145 and PC-3 cell lines were cultured for 24 h in vitro. Cells were treated with either matrine or control serum for 48 h, followed by extraction of total RNA. The RNA was sequenced using HiSeq 2500 high-throughput sequencing platform (Illumina). A gene library was established and quality analysis of read data carried out. Integrated database from the website DAVID was used to analyze Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway of differential genes was used for pathway analysis, screening for fold differences of more than two times. The FOXO and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways were screened, and expression levels of mRNA and core protein detected by real-time PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. High throughput sequencing and GO analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes before and after treatment played an important role in cell metabolic process, growth process, anatomical structure formation, cellular component organization, and biological regulation. KEGG signal pathway analysis revealed that FOXO and PI3K-AKT signal pathways had a significant difference between before and after matrine-treated androgen-independent prostate cancer cells PC-3 and DU145. Real-time PCR showed that matrine treatment led to a significant increase in the expression levels of FOXO1A, FOXO3A, FOXO4, and FOXO6 in DU145 and PC-3 cells (P<0.01 or P<0.05), whereas the PI3K expression levels decreased (P<0.01). Similarly, immunoblotting revealed a significant increase (P<0.05) in the expression levels of FOXO1A FOXO3A, FOXO4, and FOXO6 in both PC-3 and DU145 cells, whereas PI3K expression levels decreased (P<0.05). Matrine had a broad regulating effect on the mRNA expression profiles of both PC-3 and DU145 cells. Matrine may inhibit cell proliferation, migration, as well as invasion, and induce apoptosis in both PC-3 and DU145 cells through FOXO and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. Matrine could therefore be used as a complementary drug to present chemotherapeutic agents, for treating androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Model analysis of aerosol optical depth distributions over East Asia

Based on simulated major aerosol concentrations (e.g., sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, organic carbon, black carbon, and sea salt) over East Asia during the year 2005 by using the Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system (RAMS-CMAQ), the aerosol optical depth (AOD) was calculated by the reconstruction mass-extinction method and then analyzed to explore its characteristics in temporal-spatial distributions. For evaluating the model performances, simulated AOD values were compared against observations at stations of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and the Chinese Sun Hazemeter Network (CSHNET). The comparison shows that the model can well reproduce observed temporal and spatial features of AOD, especially in natural en- vironment. However, the simulated AOD values are underestimated over urban and suburban regions with dense human activities. Analysis of simulation results indicates that AOD varies significantly in time and space, and generally, AOD values are lower in summer and higher in winter. Excluding the contribution from soil dust aerosols, high AOD values (over 0.8) are found over the Sichuan Basin, South China, and Central China in several months, while low values (less than 0.2) are over northern and western areas of East Asia and southern sea regions. Analysis also shows that aerosols such as sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium are main contributors to AOD in East Asia, and their contributions are over 80% in most high AOD areas, while black carbon aerosols play an important role in northern China where dense human activities exist, especially in the winter time.

Phase coexistence and evolution in sol-gel derived BY-PT-PZ ceramics with significantly enhanced piezoelectricity and high temperature stability

In this study,high Curie Temperature(T_(c))perovskite ceramics of optimized composition 0.55(0.1BiYbO_(3)-0.9PbTiO_(3))-0.45PbZrO_(3) with unique double orthorhombic main phases were prepared by a modified solgel method.Compared to the usual solid-state prepared sample,the sol-gel derived sample has a 1.6 times higher d_(33) of 325 pC/N,a 2.4 times higher remnant polarization,and a much better high temperature stability with similar depolarization temperature(T_(d))and T_(c).Comprehensive analysis of the xerogel prepared over a wide calcination temperature(T_(cal))range of 300-1000℃ revealed that perovskite structure appeared at only 400℃ and it became the main phase above 500℃.Comparison of XRD refinement results showed that calcination and sintering induced subtle and continuous phase transition,namely,the 400-900℃ calcined powders with coexisted tetragonal(P4mm)and orthorhombic(Pbam)phase changed to a rather stable double orthorhombic(Pmmm and Pbam)main phase in all the differently sintered ceramics,as similar to the 1000
C calcined powders.The stable phase coexistence well explains the enhanced performance.The results also demonstrate that optimized sol-gel processing can provide high T_(c) ceramics with desirable multi-phase structure and significantly enhanced performance at a lower temperature.

Mechanical(compressive)form of driving force triggers the phase transformation fromβtoω&α”phases in metastableβphase-field Ti-5553 alloy

Most of the structural alloys’applications are under static,dynamic,and cyclic forms of loading.Ti-5553 alloy in the beta phase field is being investigated to confirm the mechanism of deformation and phase transformation upon quasi-static and dynamic compression.The Ti-5553 alloy was heat-treated at 900℃ (almost 50℃ above beta transus temperature)for one hour of soaking time followed by air quenching to achieve a fullyβphase field.After that,Dynamic compression(DC)by Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar(SHPB)and Quasi-static compression(QSC)were performed at a strain rate of~10^3)/s and 10^(-3)/s,respectively.Recovered specimens were thoroughly examined by using different tools,such as an Optical microscope(OM),Scanning electron microscope(SEM),High-resolution transmission electron microscope(HRTEM),and Electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)to get the reliable data for justification of logical conclusions.It is found that the dominating mode of deformation was dislocation slip along with twinning({332}<113>)to some extent in both of QSC and DC,but sliding&spalling of the grain boundary is observed more in the former.Stress-induced phase transformation,i.e.,βtoα"andβtoω,took place in the grains saturated with dislocation slips,where the former transformation occurred simultaneously with{332}<113>twinning,whileβtoωtransformation was completed when a set of two adjacent(110)_(β)planes covered±1/6th of the total separation distance between two(next to each other)(111)_(β)planes,by equal but opposite shear in(111)_(β)direction,and it caused 3%shrinkage of two closed packed(110)_(β)planes after transformation.

Chiral Separation Abilities of Homogeneously Synthesized Cellulose 3,5-Dimethylphenylcarbamates: Influences of Degree of Substitution and Molecular Weight

A series of cellulose 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamates(CDMPCs) with different degrees of substitution(DS) and degrees of polymerization(DP) were homogeneously synthesized in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride(Amim Cl). Then, the CDMPCs were coated on silica gel and used as chiral stationary phases(CSPs), and their chiral recognition abilities for seven racemates were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that DS and DP of CDMPCs had a great influence on chiral recognition abilities of the CSPs. The CSPs with the DS ≈ 1 gives a low chiral recognition to most racemates. On the contrast, the CSPs with the DS ? 2 exhibited high chiral separation abilities. For example, six racemates could be separated on the CSP with CDMPC of DS ≈ 2(CSP-2). Especially, for the enantioseparation of 1-(2-naphthyl) ethanol and Tr?ger's base, CSP-2 gave the highest separation ability in all of CSPs. On the other hand, when the DP of cellulose was in a range from 39 to 220, the chiral separation abilities of CDMPCs increased as the DP increased. This work demonstrates that the structure of cellulose esters such as DS and DP has important effect on their chiral separation ability, and therefore provides a practical method to design and prepare desirable CSPs for different racemates.