Physical Simulation of Colayer Water Flooding in Low Permeability Carbonate Reservoir in Middle East

To study the flow mechanism under different displacement modes of low permeability carbonate reservoir in the Middle East and to improve the utilization of various types of reservoirs, the physical simulation experiments of water flooding by different displacement methods were carried out. Selecting two types of rock samples with different permeability levels, two-layer coinjection and separated production experiments by samples I and III and conventional water flooding experiments by samples II and IV were carried out. In addition, by using low magnetic field nuclear magnetic resonance, the development effect of microscopic pore structure under the different injection-production models was analyzed. Results show that, compared with the coinjection, the recovery rate of sample I was higher than II, 19.30%; sample III was lower than IV, 23.22%; and the comprehensive recovery degree reduced by 3.92%. NMR data also show that the crude oil is mainly distributed in the large pore throat; after water flooding, the displacement is also within the large pore throat, whereas the small pore throat is mainly obtained by the effect of infiltration absorption. The above studies provide a laboratory basis and foundation for the further development of low permeability carbonate reservoir in different Middle East strata

Prevalence and risk factors of poor sleep quality among Chinese elderly in an urban community: results from the Shanghai aging study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders causes a significant negative effect on mental and physical health, particularly among the elderly. The disease burden and risk factors of poor sleep quality of the elderly need to be verified using a validated form of measurement in urban mainland China. METHODS: This study included 1086 community residents aged ≥ 60 years who completed the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI). Poor sleeper was defined by a CPSQI global score of >5. Subjects also accepted the neurological and neuropsychological assessments, including the Mini-Mental State Examination, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (ZSAS). A history of chronic diseases was confirmed by the medical records of each participant. RESULTS: The prevalence of poor sleep quality in this population was 41.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 38.6-44.5%), with a higher rate observed in elderly females (45.8% [95% CI = 41.9-49.7%]) than that in elderly males (35.8% [95% CI = 31.4-40.1%]). The prevalence rate increased with age, from 32.1% (95% CI = 27.8-36.4%) in those aged 60-69 years to 52.5% (95% CI = 45.9-59.1%) in those aged ≥ 80 years (p value for trend<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age (OR = 1.03[95% CI = 1.01-1.05], p<0.001), less education duration (OR = 1.04 [95% CI = 1.01-1.08, p = 0.014), living alone (OR = 1.62 [95% CI = 1.02-2.58], p = 0.04), anxiety (ZSAS score: OR = 1.09 [95% CI = 1.05-1.12], p<0.001), number of chronic disease (OR = 1.18 [95% CI = 1.07-1.30], p = 0.14) and arthritis (OR = 1.45[95% CI = 1.05-2.01], p = 0.025) were risk factors of poor sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among elderly Chinese residents in urban Shanghai. Growing attention and comprehensive countermeasures involving psycho-social and personal activities might alleviate the sleep problem in the elderly

Selective Visualization of Tumor Cell Membranes and Tumors with a Viscosity-Sensitive Plasma Membrane Probe

Cancer is a worldwide health problem. Revealing the changes in the microenvironment after cell carcinogenesis is helpful to understand cancer and develop sensitive methods for cancer diagnosis. We developed herein a viscosity-responsive plasma membrane probe (TPA-S) that was successfully used to probe the viscosity difference between normal and tumor cell plasma membranes for the first time. The probe shows AIE properties with good water solubility, significant near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence responses to viscosity with high sensitivity, and excellent cell membrane location performance. With these features, our experiments showed that TPA-S could selectively visualize cancer cell plasma membranes, revealing that the plasma membrane of tumor cells is more viscous than that of normal cells. In addition, TPA-S was successfully applied to specifically light up tumors. Altogether, this work explored the changes of cell membrane viscosity after canceration, provided a new method for selective visualization of tumor cells, and opened up a new approach for cancer diagnosis

Discussion on the Reconstruction of Medium/Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs Based on Seepage Characteristics

The construction of underground gas storage mostly focuses on depleted gas reservoirs. However, the depleted gas reservoir used to build underground gas storage in China is located far from the main gas consumption economic zone. It is necessary to reconstruct underground gas storage using nearby reservoirs in order to meet the needs of economic development. The complex three-phase seepage characteristics encountered in the process of reconstruction of underground gas storage reservoirs seriously affect their storage and injection production capacities. Combined with the mechanism of multiphase seepage and the multicycle injection production mode during the process of gas storage construction, the feasibility of rebuilding gas storage in medium- and low-permeability reservoirs was evaluated through relative permeability experiments and core injection production experiments. The results showed that the mutual driving of two-phase oil&ndash;water systems will affect the storage space and seepage capacity, that the adverse effect will be weakened after multiple cycles, and that increasing the gas injection cycle can enhance the gas-phase seepage capacity and improve the crude oil recovery. Therefore, we found that it is feasible to reconstruct underground gas storage in medium- and low-permeability reservoirs, which lays a foundation for the development of underground gas storage in China

Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Methods and a Physical Model for Shallow Landslide Risk Modeling

Shallow landslides restrict local sustainable socioeconomic development and threaten human lives and property in loess tableland. Therefore, the appropriate creation of risk maps is critical for mitigating shallow landslide disasters. The first task to be done was to evaluate the vulnerability of shallow landslides based on a machine learning model (random forest (RF), a support vector machine (SVM) and logistic regression (Log)), and a physical model (SINMAP) in the loess tableland area. By comparing the differences, the best method for evaluating the vulnerability of shallow landslide was selected. The nonlinear response relationship between shallow landslides and environmental factors was quantified based on the frequency ratio. Multicollinearity analysis was used to identify 10 factors that were applied on ML to construct the spatial distribution model. The SINMAP model used a DEM and soil physical parameters to determine the stability coefficient of the study area. The results showed that (1) shallow landslides in Dongzhiyuan mainly occurred on shady slopes with an elevation of 1068&ndash;1249 m, a slope gradient of 36&deg;&ndash;60&deg; and a concave shape. The stream power and stream transport indexes increased with increasing rainfall erosion, making shallow landslides likely. The susceptibility of shallow landslides changed parabolically with the change in the NDVI and mainly occurred in grassland and shrubland. (2) The four methods performed similarly in predicting the sensitivity of shallow landslides. The high-incidence areas were on both sides of eroded gully slopes. The tableland and gully bottom areas were not prone to shallow landslides. (3) The highest area under the curve (AUC) values were generated from the RF training and validation datasets of 0.92 and 0.93, respectively, followed by SVM AUC values of 0.91 and 0.92, respectively; Log AUC values of 0.91 and 0.89, respectively, and the SINMAP model AUC values of 0.69 and 0.74, respectively. In conclusion, the RF model best predicted the susceptibility of shallow landslides in the study area. The results provide a scientific basis for disaster mitigation on the Loess Plateau

Altered Gut Microbiota and Its Clinical Relevance in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease: Shanghai Aging Study and Shanghai Memory Study

Altered gut microbiota has been reported in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous research has suggested that specific bacterial species might be associated with the decline of cognitive function. However, the evidence was insufficient, and the results were inconsistent. To determine whether there is an alteration of gut microbiota in patients with MCI and AD and to investigate its correlation with clinical characteristics, the fecal samples from 94 cognitively normal controls (NC), 125 participants with MCI, and 83 patients with AD were collected and analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. The overall microbial compositions and specific taxa were compared. The clinical relevance was analyzed. There was no significant overall difference in the alpha and beta diversity among the three groups. Patients with AD or MCI had increased bacterial taxa including Erysipelatoclostridiaceae, Erysipelotrichales, Patescibacteria, Saccharimonadales, and Saccharimonadia, compared with NC group (p p p < 0.01). Our results supported the hypothesis that intestinal microorganisms change in MCI and AD. The alteration in specific taxa correlated closely with clinical manifestations, indicating the potential role in AD pathogenesis

Population genomics of finless porpoises reveal an incipient cetacean species adapted to freshwater

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are a group of mammals adapted to various aquatic habitats, from oceans to freshwater rivers. We report the sequencing, de novo assembly and analysis of a finless porpoise genome, and the re-sequencing of an additional 48 finless porpoise individuals. We use these data to reconstruct the demographic history of finless porpoises from their origin to the occupation into the Yangtze River. Analyses of selection between marine and freshwater porpoises identify genes associated with renal water homeostasis and urea cycle, such as urea transporter 2 and angiotensin I-converting enzyme 2, which are likely adaptations associated with the difference in osmotic stress between ocean and rivers. Our results strongly suggest that the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoises are reproductively isolated from other porpoise populations and harbor unique genetic adaptations, supporting that they should be considered a unique incipient species

Secretion of Phospholipase D delta Functions as a Regulatory Mechanism in Plant Innate Immunity

Plant phospholipase Ds (PLDs), essential regulators of phospholipid signaling, function in multiple signal transduction cascades; however, the mechanisms regulating PLDs in response to pathogens remain unclear. Here, we found that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) PLD delta accumulated in cells at the entry sites of the barley powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis f. sp hordei. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and single-molecule analysis, we observed higher PLD delta density in the plasma membrane after chitin treatment; PLD delta also underwent rapid exocytosis. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy showed that the interaction between PLD delta and the microdomain marker AtREMORIN1.3 (AtREM1.3) increased in response to chitin, indicating that exocytosis facilitates rapid, efficient sorting of PLD delta into microdomains upon pathogen stimulus. We further unveiled a trade-off between brefeldin A (BFA)-resistant and -sensitive pathways in secretion of PLD delta under diverse conditions. Upon pathogen attack, PLD delta secretion involved syntaxin-associated VAMP721/722-mediated exocytosis sensitive to BFA. Analysis of phosphatidic acid (PA), hydrogen peroxide, and jasmonic acid (JA) levels and expression of related genes indicated that the relocalization of PLD delta is crucial for its activation to produce PA and initiate reactive oxygen species and JA signaling pathways. Together, our findings revealed that the translocation of PLD delta to papillae is modulated by exocytosis, thus triggering PA-mediated signaling in plant innate immunity

Socio-demographic characteristics and clinical disorders between good sleeper and poor sleeper.

<p>Notes: BMI = Body Mess Index; MMSE = Mini-mental State Examination; CESD =  Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; ZSAS =  Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale.</p