Metallogenesis of the Baidi Au-Sb deposit, southwest Guizhou Province, China: mineralogical and geochemical evidence from sulfur-bearing minerals

The Baidi Au-Sb deposit, which contains 8 t of Au and 10,979 Mt of Sb, is a typical and rare paragenetic deposit located in southwestern Guizhou Province, China.Previous studies have focused on individual ores, but have not combined them to identify their paragenetic mechanism or metallogenic regularity. Therefore, we used field investigations, microscopic observations, and in situ analyses to identify the spatial distribution, mineral paragenesis, compositional evolution, and metallogenic material sources of the ore bodies. We also determined the Au and Sb paragenetic characteristics and the metallogenesis of the deposit. The main Au-bearing minerals in the deposit were early(Apy1–2) and late(Apy3) stage arsenopyrites, as well as pre-mineralization(Py1), mineralization(Py2–5), and late mineralization(Py6–7) stage pyrites. The main Sb-bearing minerals were stibnite(Snt), skinnerite, bournonite,and valentinite. The minerals formed in the order of Py1,Py2–3 + Apy1, Py4–5 + Apy2, Snt, and Py6–7 + Apy3.The δ34S values of the arsenopyrites and pyrites ranged from-5 to 5‰, while those of stibnite were mostly less than-5‰ in the later mineralization stages. Sulfur was provided by deep magmatic hydrothermal fluids, but sedimentary sulfur was added in the later stages. Moreover,the trace elemental contents fluctuated and eventually became similar to those of the sedimentary strata. By comprehensively considering the ores along with the geological characteristics of the deposit, we determined that deep magma provided the Au during ore formation. Later tectonic changes provided Sb from the sedimentary strata,which precipitated along fault expansion areas and produced Au and Sb paragenesis.

The Performance Evolution Characteristics of Insitu Concrete at the Permafrost Regions

This study aimed to investigate the performance evolution characteristics of concrete under permafrost ambient temperatures and to explore methods to mitigate the thermal perturbation by concrete on the permafrost environment.A program was designed to investigate the properties of various concretes at three curing conditions.The compressive strength development pattern of each group was evaluated and the concrete's performance was characterized by compressive strength damage degree,hydration temperature and SEM analysis in a low temperature environment.The experimental results show that the incorporation of fly ash alone or incombination with other admixtures in concrete under low-temperature curing does not deteriorate its microstructure,and at the same time,it can slow down the hydration rate of cement and significantly reduce the exothermic heat of hydration of concrete.These findings are expected to provide valuable references for the proportioning design of concrete in permafrost environments.

Predicting changes in the suitable habitats of six halophytic plant species in the arid areas of Northwest China

In the context of changes in global climate and land uses,biodiversity patterns and plant species distributions have been significantly affected.Soil salinization is a growing problem,particularly in the arid areas of Northwest China.Halophytes are ideal for restoring soil salinization because of their adaptability to salt stress.In this study,we collected the current and future bioclimatic data released by the WorldClim database,along with soil data from the Harmonized World Soil Database(v1.2)and A Big Earth Data Platform for Three Poles.Using the maximum entropy(MaxEnt)model,the potential suitable habitats of six halophytic plant species(Halostachys caspica(Bieb.)C.A.Mey.,Halogeton glomeratus(Bieb.)C.A.Mey.,Kalidium foliatum(Pall.)Moq.,Halocnemum strobilaceum(Pall.)Bieb.,Salicornia europaea L.,and Suaeda salsa(L.)Pall.)were assessed under the current climate conditions(average for 1970-2000)and future(2050s,2070s,and 2090s)climate scenarios(SSP245 and SSP585,where SSP is the Shared Socio-economic Pathway).The results revealed that all six halophytic plant species exhibited the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values higher than 0.80 based on the MaxEnt model,indicating the excellent performance of the MaxEnt model.The suitability of the six halophytic plant species significantly varied across regions in the arid areas of Northwest China.Under different future climate change scenarios,the suitable habitat areas for the six halophytic plant species are expected to increase or decrease to varying degrees.As global warming progresses,the suitable habitat areas of K.foliatum,S.salsa,and H.strobilaceum exhibited an increasing trend.In contrast,the suitable habitat areas of H.glomeratus,S.europaea,and H.caspica showed an opposite trend.Furthermore,considering the ongoing global warming trend,the centroids of the suitable habitat areas for various halophytic plant species would migrate to different degrees,and four halophytic plant species,namely,S.salsa,H.strobilaceum,H.glomeratus,and H.capsica,would migrate to higher latitudes.Temperature,precipitation,and soil factors affected the possible distribution ranges of these six halophytic plant species.Among them,precipitation seasonality(coefficient of variation),precipitation of the warmest quarter,mean temperature of the warmest quarter,and exchangeable Na+significantly affected the distribution of halophytic plant species.Our findings are critical to comprehending and predicting the impact of climate change on ecosystems.The findings of this study hold significant theoretical and practical implications for the management of soil salinization and for the utilization,protection,and management of halophytes in the arid areas of Northwest China.

Relationship between co-stimulatory molecule B7-H3 expression and gastric carcinoma histology and prognosis

AIM:To investigate the expression of co-stimulatorymolecule B7-H3 in gastric carcinoma and adenomatissue as well as normal gastric tissue and to explore therelationship between B7-H3 expression and pathologicalfeatures and prognosis of gastric carcinoma.METHODS:B7-H3 expression was detected in 102samples of human gastric carcinoma and 10 samples ofgastric adenoma and 10 samples of normal gastric tissueby immunohistochemical assay.Correlation betweenthe expression of B7-H3 and the patients'age,sex,gastric carcinoma locus,tumor size,tissue type,tumorinfiltration depth,differentiation degree,lymph nodemetastasis,and survival time was analyzed.RESULTS:B7-H3 was expressed in all gastric adenomasamples and in 58.8% samples of gastric carcinoma.B7-H3 expression in gastric carcinoma samples wasnot related with the patients'age,sex,lymph nodemetastasis,and tumor size(P>0.05),but with thesurvival time,infiltration depth of tumor and tissue type.CONCLUSION:Detection of B7-H3 expression in gastriccarcinoma tissue is beneficial to the judgment of theprognosis of gastric carcinoma patients and the choice oftreatment.

Pure red cell aplasia due to parvovirus B19 infection after liver transplantation:A case report and review of the literature

Pure red cell aplasia （PRCA） due to parvovirus B19 （PVB19） infectiori after solid organ transplantation has been rarely reported and most of the cases were renal transplant recipients, Few have been described after liver transplantation. Moreover, little information on the management of this easily recurring disease is available at present. We describe the first case of a Chinese liver transplant recipient with PVB19-induced PRCA during immunosuppressive therapy. The patient suffered from progressive anemia with the lowest hemoglobin level of 21 g/L. Bone marrow biopsy showed selectively inhibited erythropoiesis with giant pronormoblasts. Detection of PVB19-DNA in serum with quantitative polymerase chain reaction （PCR） revealed a high level of viral load. After 2 courses of intravenous immunoglobulin （IVIG） therapy, bone marrow erythropoiesis recovered with his hemoglobin level increased to 123 g/L. He had a lowlevel PVB19 load for a 5-too follow-up period without recurrence of PRCA, and finally the virus was cleared. Our case indicates that clearance of PVB19 by IVIG in transplant recipients might be delayed after recovery of anemia.

Establishment and primary application of a mouse model with hepatitis B virus replication

AIM： To establish a rapid and convenient animal model with hepatitis B virus （HBV） replication.METHODS： A naked DNA solution of HBV-replicationcompetent plasmid was transferred to BALB/C mice via the tail vein, using a hydrodynamic in vivo transfection procedure. After injection, these mice were sacrificed on d 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10. HBV DNA replication intermediates in the liver were analyzed by Southern blot hybridization. The expression of hepatitis B core antigen （HBcAg） and hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg） in the liver was checked by immunohistochemistry. Serum HBsAg and hepatitis B e antigen （HBeAg） was detected by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Inhibition of HBV replication was compared in HBV replication model mice treated intraperitoneally with polyinosinic-polytidylin acid （polyIC） or phosphate-buffered saline （PBS）.RESULTS： After hydrodynamic in vivo transfection, HBV DNA replication intermediates in the mouse liver were detectable on d 1 and abundant on d 3 and 4, the levels were slightly decreased and remained relatively stable between d 5 and 7, and were almost undetectable on d 10. The expression patterns of HBcAg and HBsAg were similar to that of HBV replication intermediate DNA, except that they reached a peak on d 1 after injection. No obvious differences in HBV DNA replication intermediates were observed in the left, right and middle lobes of the liver. After treatment with polyIC, the level of HBV intermediate DNA in the liver was lower than that in the control mice injected with PBS.CONCLUSION： A rapid and convenient mouse model with a high level of HBV replication was developed and used to investigate the inhibitory effect of polyIC on HBV replication, which provides a useful tool for future functional studies of the HBV genome.

Mix-infections with different genotypes of HCV and with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses in patients with hepatitis C in China

AIM: Clinical therapy and prognosis in HCV infections are not good, and mix-infections with different HCV genotypes or quasispecies and mix-infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses are important concerns worldwide. The present report describes the sequence diversity and genotying of the 5'NCR of HCV isolates from hepatitis patients mix-infected with different HCV genotypes or variants, and the conditions of mix-infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses, providing important diagnostic and prognostic information for more effective treatment of HCV infections.METHODS: The 5' non-coding region (5'NCR) of HCV was isolated from the patients sera and sequenced, and sequence variability and genotypes of HCV were defined by nucleotide sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, and the patients mix-infected with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses were analyzed. The conditions and clinical significance of mix-infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses were further studied.RESULTS: Twenty-four out of 43 patients with chronic hepatitis C were defined as mix-infected with different genotypes of HCV. Among these 24 patients, 9 were mixinfected with genotype 1 and 3, 7 with different variants of genotype 1, 2 with different variants of genotype 2, 6with different variants of genotype 3. No patients were found mix-infected with genotype 1 and 2 or with genotype 2 and 3. The clinical virological analysis of 60 patients mixinfected with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses showed that 45.0 % of the patients were mix-infected with HCV plus HAV, 61.7 % with HCV plus HBV, 6.7 % with HCV plus HDV/HBV, 8.4 % with HCV plus HEV, 3.3 % with HCV plus HGV. Infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses may exacerbate the pathological lesion of the liver.CONCLUSION: The findings in the present study imply that mix-infections with different HCV genotypes and mixinfections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses were relatively high in Yunnan, China, providing important diagnostic and prognostic information for more effective treatment of HCV infections.

Land Use/Cover Changes and Environmental Consequences in Songnen Plain,Northeast China

The Songnen Plain in Northeast China,one of the key national bases of agricultural production,went through remarkable land use/cover changes in recent years.This study aimed to explore the long-term land use/cover changes and the effects of these changes on the environment.The Landsat-based analysis showed that,during 1986-2000,cropland,built-up land and barren land had increased,among which cropland had the largest increase of 9,198km2 with an increase rate of 7.5%.Woodland,grassland,water body and swampland had decreased correspondingly,among which grassland had the most dramatic decrease of 6,127km2 with a decrease rate of 25.6%.The transition matrix results revealed that grassland,woodland and swampland were the three main land use types converted to cropland.Climate warming created the potential environment for the conversion of grassland and swampland into cropland.Land resources policy made by central and provincial governments of China affected the pattern and intensity of land use.Land use/cover changes accompanied by climatic variation brought out a series of environmental consequences,such as sand desertification of land,land salinization and alkalinization,grassland degradation,and more frequent floods.Under this circumstance,optimized land use structure and restoration measures are needed.

Enhanced therapeutic effects of combined chemotherapeutic drugs and midkine antisense oligonucleotides for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To evaluate the effect of combined antisense oligonucleotides targeting midkine (MK-AS) and chemotherapeutic drugs [cisplatin(DDP), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and adriamycin (ADM)] on inhibition of HepG2 cell proliferation, and to analyze the efficacy of MK-AS used in combined ADM in in situ human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model. METHODS: HepG2 cells were treated with MK-AS and/or chemotherapeutic drugs mediated by Lipofectin, and cell growth activity was determined by MTS assay. An in situ HCC model was used in this experiment. MK- AS, ADM and MK-AS + ADM were given intravenously for 20 d, respectively. The animal body weight and their tumor weight were measured to assess the effect of the combined therapy in vivo. RESULTS: Combined treatment with MK-AS reduced the IC50 of DDP, 5-FU and ADM in HepG2 cells. MK-AS significantly increased the inhibition rate of DDP, 5-FU and ADM. Additionally, synergism (Q 1.15) occurred at a lower concentration of ADM, 5-FU and DDP with combined MK-AS. Combined treatment with MK-AS and ADM resulted in the more growth inhibition on in situ human HCC model compared with treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs alone. CONCLUSION: MK-AS increases the chemosensitivity in HepG2 cells and in situ human HCC model, and thecombination of MK-AS and ADM has a much better in vitro and in vivo synergism.

Effect of Simulated Microgravity and its Associated Mechanism on Pulmonary Circulation in Rats

Objective To study the effect of Simulated Microgravity and its Associated Mechanism on Pulmonary Circulation in Rats. Methods Rat tail-suspension model was used to simulate the physiological effects of microgravity and changes in pulmonary blood vessel morphology, pulmonary arterial and venous blood pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary vasomotoricity, as well as the regulation of pulmonary circulation by cytokines produced and released by the lung of rats were measured. Results The walls of pulmonary blood vessels of rats were thickened, and the pulmonary artery was reconstructed with increased pulmonary vascular resistance. The pulmonary blood vessels of rats became more prone to dilation as contractions increased. Rat epithelial Adrenomedulin gene transcription and protein expression were upregulated. The level of basic fibroblast growth Factor of rat was also elevated. Conclusion Findings from the present study on rats revealed that the microgravity can affect pulmonary blood vessel structure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and pulmonary blood vessel self-regulation and cytokine production.

Clinical significance of K-ras and BRAF mutations in Chinese colorectal cancer patients

AIM:To identify and assess mutations in the K-ras and BRAF genes in a cohort of Chinese patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) for their association with various clinicopathological parameters and prognosis.METHODS:Genomic DNA was isolated from frozen tissues.Pyrosequencing analysis was conducted to detect mutations in the K-ras (codons 12,13,and 61) and BRAF genes (codon 600).Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS-15.0 software.RESULTS:Among the 118 colorectal cancer patients,we detected 41 (34.7%) mutations in the K-ras gene.Mutation frequencies at codon 12 and codon 13 were 23.7% (28/118) and 10.2% (12/118),respectively.Only one patient harbored a point mutation at codon 61 (0.8%,1/118).Gender was the only factor that showed an obvious relationship with K-ras gene mutation (female 44.7% vs male 28.2%,P=0.037).Other clinicopathological features,such as age,location of the tumor,tumor differentiation,Tumor,Node and Metastases classification,and the Union for International Cancer Control staging,showed no positive relationship with K-ras gene mutations.No significant correlation was observed between the presence of K-ras mutations (codons 12,13,and 61) and the survival of the patients.BRAF mutations were rare,and only two patients (1.7%) harbored a detectable mutation at codon 600.CONCLUSION:K-ras gene mutation is a common event in our 118 Chinese CRC patients,with an obvious relationship with gender.However,it seems not to be an independent prognostic factor in CRC patients.The BRAF gene is rarely mutated in Chinese CRC patients.

Isolation and Identification of Capillarin from Artemisia Ordosica Kraschen

Capillarin was isolated from Artemisia Ordosica Kraschen and characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 1H-1HCOSY, HMQC, HMBC and EIMS, and its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis with the following data: triclinic, space group P1, Z = 2, a = 7.226(6), b = 7.297(6), c = 11.042(8) ?, α = 74.695(12), β = 78.479(12), γ = 62.063(10)°, V = 494.2(6) ?3, Mr = 198.21, Dc = 1.332 g/cm3, F(000) = 208, μ = 0.089 mm-1, S = 1.023, (?/σ)max = 0.000, the final R = 0.0408 and wR = 0.1110. The largest peak and deepest hole on the final difference Fourier map are 0.219 and –0.161 e/?3, respectively. The bond lengths and bond angles of the molecule are also given.

Soil mineral nitrogen and yield-scaled soil N2O emissions lowered by reducing nitrogen application and intercropping with soybean for sweet maize production in southern China

The increasing demand for fresh sweet maize （Zea mays L. saccharata） in southern China has prioritized the need to find solutions to the environmental pollution caused by its continuous production and high inputs of chemical nitrogen fertilizers. A promising method for improving crop production and environmental conditions is to intercrop sweet maize with legumes. Here, a three-year field experiment was conducted to assess the influence of four different cropping systems （sole sweet maize （SS）, sole soybean （SB）, two rows sweet maize-three rows soybean （S2B3） intercropping, and two rows sweet maize-four rows soybean （S2B4） intercropping）, together with two rates of N fertilizer application （300 and 360 kg N ha-1） on grain yield, residual soil mineral N, and soil N2O emissions in southern China. Results showed that in most case, inter- cropping achieved yield advantages （total land equivalent ratio （TLER=0.87-1.25） was above one）. Moreover, intercropping resulted in 39.8% less soil mineral N than SS at the time of crop harvest, averaged over six seasons （spring and autumn in each of the three years of the field experiment）. Generally, intercropping and reduced-N application （300 kg N ha-1） produced lower cumulative soil N20 and yield-scaled soil N20 emissions than SS and conventionaI-N application （360 kg N ha-l）, respectively. $2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate （300 kg N ha-~） showed the lowest cumulative soil N20 （mean value=0.61 kg ha-1） and yield-scaled soil N20 （mean value=0.04 kg t-1） emissions. Overall, intercropping with reduced-N rate maintained sweet maize production, while also reducing environmental impacts. The system of S2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate may be the most sustainable and environmentally friendly cropping system.

Dielectric Properties of Porous Reaction-boned Si_3N_4 Ceramics with Controlled Porosity and Pore Size

This paper presents the microwave dielectric properties of reaction bonded porous silicon nitride ceramics with variant porosity and pore size, which were prepared by adding pore-forming agent grains into the silicon powders. The experimental results show that the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss of the samples reduce evidently with increasing porosity in the sample. When the porosity is constant, the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss of the ceramics decrease visibly as the pore size increases. Among all the obtained samples, the minimum dielectric constant is about 2.4.

Spatio-temporal trends and causes of variations in runoff and sediment load of the Jinsha River in China

The Jinsha River Basin is an important basin for hydropower in China and it is also the main runoff and sediment source area for the Yangtze River,which greatly influence the runoff and sediment in the Three Gorges Reservoir.This study aims to characterize the spatial distribution,inter-annual variation of runoff and sediment load in the Jinsha River Basin,and to analyze the contribution of rainfall and human activities to the runoff and sediment load changes.The monitoring data on runoff,sediment load and precipitation were collected from 11hydrological stations in the Jinsha River Basin from1966 to 2016.The data observed at the outlet of the basin showed that 71.4%of the runoff is from the upper reaches of the Jinsha River Basin and the Yalong River,while 63.3%of the sediment is from the lower reaches(excluding the Yalong River).There is no significant increase in runoff on temporal scale in the Jinsha River Basin,while it has an abrupt change in runoff in both upstream and midstream in 1985,and an abrupt change in downstream in 1980 and2013.The sediment load demonstrated a significantincreasing trend in the upstream,no significant reducing trend in the midstream,but significant reducing trend in the downstream.The sediment load in upstream showed abrupt change in 1987,in midstream in 1978 and 2014,in downstream in 2012.Rainfall dominated runoff variation,contributing more than 59.0%of the total variation,while human activity,including reservoirs construction,the implementation of soil and water conservation projects,is the major factor to sediment load variation,contributing more than 87.0%of the total variation.

Numerical investigation of hydrodynamic tractor-retarder assembly under traction work condition

To obtain the performance characteristics of hydrodynamic tractor-retarder assembly under traction work condition,a numerical simulation model of flow channel was established and tetrahedron unstructured grids were adopted in the meshing stage.The racing rotating speed of the brake wheels was calculated by computational fluid dynamics（CFD） calculation and interpolation,and then accurate boundary condition was applied to the CFD simulation to study the pressure and velocity distribution of internal flow field in hydrodynamic tractor-retarder assembly.Finally,the original characteristics were calculated by CFD post-processing analysis.Comparison of experimental data and flow field analysis results showed that the calculation tolerance of the torque ratio K and the efficiency η was less than 5%,and the calculation tolerance of the pump torque coefficient λ was less than 10%.

Chronic hepatitis virus infection increases the risk of pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND:Several reports have inconsistently demonstrated that there is an association between hepatitis B virus(HBV)or hepatitis C virus(HCV)infections and pancreatic cancer(PC).The aim of the present meta-analysis is to assess this possible relationship.DATA SOURCES:Studies were identified by searching available database from January 2000 to July 2012.Possible associations between PC risk and hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)and its antibody(HBsAb),hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg)and its antibody(HBeAb),anti-HBcAg antibody(HBcAb),and HCV antibody(anti-HCV)were evaluated.RESULTS:Eight case-control and two cohort studies were included,and their quality scores were assessed by the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale(NOS).We found that HBsAg and anti-HCV seropositivity significantly increased risk of PC(OR=1.28,95%CI:1.11-1.48 and OR=1.21,95%CI:1.02-1.44).The presence of HBsAb was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the risk of PC(OR=0.40,95%CI:0.20-0.79)and HBeAb(OR=0.62,95%CI:0.39-0.99).HBsAg–/HBcAb+/HBsAb–or HBsAg–/HBcAb+/HBsAb+profile was not related to PC risk(OR=1.57,95%CI:0.83-2.98 and OR=1.24,95%CI:0.72-2.14).CONCLUSIONS:HBV/HCV infection increases the risk of PC.HBsAb and HBeAb seropositivity may be the protective factors against PC.It is still uncertain whether serological pattern of past exposure to HBV with or without natural immunity is associated with an enhanced probability of this malignancy.

Ribbon-like Cu doped V6O13 as Cathode Material for High-performance Lithium Ion Batteries

Ribbon-like Cu doped V6O（13） was synthesized via a simple solvothermal approach followed by heat treatment in air.As an cathode material for lithium ion battery,the ribbon-like Cu doped V6O（13 ）electrode exhibited good capacity retention with a reversible capacity of over 313 m Ah·g^-1 for up to 50 cycles at 0.1C,as well as a high charge capacity of 306 m Ah·g^-1 at a high current rate of 1 C,in comparison to undoped V6O（13 ）electrode（267 m Ah·g^-1 at 0.1C and 273 m Ah·g^-1 at 1 C）.The high rate capability and better cycleability of the doped electrode can be attributed to the influence of the Cu ions on the mophology and the electronic conductivity of V6O（13） during the lithiation and delithiation process.

A New Framework for Focused Web Crawling

Focused crawlers are important tools to support applications such as specialized Web portals, online searching, and Web search engines. A topic driven crawler chooses the best URLs and relevant pages to pursue during Web crawling. It is difficult to deal with irrelevant pages. This paper presents a novel focused crawler framework. In our focused crawler, we propose a method to overcome some of the limitations of dealing with the irrelevant pages. We also introduce the implementation of our focused crawler and present some important metrics and an evaluation function for ranking pages relevance. The experimental result shows that our crawler can obtain more ＂important＂ pages and has a high precision and recall value.