Similar Maturity Research Articles

Gas content, geochemical characteristics and implications of coalbed methane from the Deep Area of Qi’Nan Coalmine in Huaibei Coalfield

The objective of this work is to investigate the implications of geological influence factors on gas content and geochemical characteristics of deep-buried (> 800 m) coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. Results show that bituminous coal accounts for the majority, which exhibits similar maturity but differ in maceral and chemical constituents. CBM reservoirs show low porosity, low permeability and moderate temperature, with thickness of 0.85–4.15 m. In addition, the total gas content is 4.58–12.33 m3/t (average of 8.83 m3/t). CH4 is the main component with concentration of 92.83−99.22% (average of 96.68%), and the δ13CCH4 and δ13DCH4 is − 53.78‰–−44.62‰ (average of − 48.82‰) and − 223.93‰––−4.49‰ (average of − 215.37‰), respectively. All CBM samples are the mixtures of thermogenic gases and secondary biogenic gases with CO2 reduction. In addition, gas content characteristic at the critical point of burial depth is the result by positive and negative geological effects. CH4 concentration shows a wide range with the increases of buried depth, while the numerical values of which for the selected samples display complex variation characteristics. Furthermore, the values of δ13CCH4 and δ13DCH4 become heavier with the increases of buried depth. Besides, the above two geochemical parameters are related to Ro, max and reservoir temperature.

Occasional Occurrences and Distributions of Red Billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) Birds on Cultivating Crops during the Belg Season at Raya Azebo District of Tigray, Ethiopia

The Belg season plays a crucial role in the agricultural calendar of the Raya District, particularly due to the shortage of rainfall during the summer season. This seasonal pattern of rainfall scarcity necessitates the significance of the Belg season for agricultural activities in this region. Aim of the study was to assess the Quelea bird incidence and its association agronomic practice and environmental factors. Field survey was conducted in Raya-azebo district during 2024 Belg season. A total of 49 farmers field were assessed for the incidence and prevalence of the quelea bird. Result indicated that out of the assessed fields, 69.39% was affected by Quelea birds the assessed fields. The damage level caused by birds was varied from 0% to 100%. On average, it was determined that approximately 32.37% of the cultivated crops were affected by birds. The mean percentage of crop damage across all kebelles was observed. Ewo had the highest mean damage at 61.45%, followed by Kara-Adishaho at 57.5%. On the other hand, Tsigea experienced a significantly lower damage rate of 1.67% followed by Genete with damage rat of 11%. Independent variables such as crop types, planting time, harvesting time, source of water, and coverage of trees play a significant (p<0.05) role in influencing bird damage in belg season crops. The lowest bird damage percentage were observed in crops planted in middle March, with 6.19% and late May harvesting, with a rate of 19.38%. Adopting practices such as cultivating crops in clusters and planting crops of similar maturity at the same time can be effective strategies for controlling Quelea birds’ damage in agricultural settings.

AAC Hassler Canada Western Red Spring wheat

AAC Hassler (PT496) is an early maturing, high yielding, awned, and hollow stemmed Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar suited to growing conditions in the northern Canadian Prairies. AAC Hassler yielded 8% more than Glenn, 6% more than Parata, and 6% more than Carberry in the Parkland Wheat Registration Trials (2019–2021). AAC Hassler matured 4 days earlier than Carberry and had similar maturity as Parata. AAC Hassler had similar height to Glenn and the lodging score was similar to Parata. The test weight of AAC Hassler was 2% lower than the mean of the checks and the thousand kernel weight was similar to Glenn. AAC Hassler had protein content 0.1% higher than Carberry. AAC Hassler expressed an intermediate resistant reaction to Fusarium head blight (FHB; Fusarium graminearum Schwabe). AAC Hassler was moderately resistant to the prevalent races of stem rust ( Puccinia graminis Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn) and moderately susceptible to common bunt ( Tilletia caries (DC) Tul. & C. Tul.). It was resistant to prevalent races of leaf rust ( Puccinia triticina Erikss.) and stripe rust ( Puccinia striiformis Westend). AAC Hassler was susceptible to orange wheat blossom midge ( Sitodiplosis mosellana Géhin). AAC Hassler was registered under the CWRS class.

Vertical distribution and tissue selection of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) adult oviposition and neonates on soybean with an indeterminate or determinate growth habit.

Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) is a polyphagous pest that can cause serious damage to crops, including soybeans (Glycine max L.). In soybeans with both determinate and indeterminate growth habits, H. zea larvae are more commonly found on leaves compared to blooms, stems, and pods. Past research demonstrated that H. zea adults tend to oviposit near the upper part of the plant canopy in soybeans with a determinate growth habit. However, ovipositional selection on soybeans with an indeterminate growth habit is unknown. We hypothesized that H. zea would oviposit more uniformly throughout the canopy on indeterminate soybean growth habits due to more diffuse reproductive tissue. We planted field and greenhouse experiments with varieties sharing a similar relative maturity (2 maturity group [MG] 5.2 varieties and 2 MG 5.4/5.5 varieties) but with different growth habits. To test oviposition selection, adult H. zea females were allowed to oviposit under field and caged conditions. We counted the number of H. zea eggs and neonates on each plant tissue type from each of 3 equal parts in the plant canopy: upper, middle, and lower. In both experiments, eggs and neonates were most common on leaves at the top of the plant regardless of soybean growth habit. Consequently, ovipositional selection is likely independent of reproductive tissue availability, and patterns of oviposition through the canopy are similar in growth habits. An improved understanding of H. zea ecology in soybeans relative to indeterminate growth habits may improve recommendations for managing this significant pest of soybean.

Effects of grass species and harvest date on cell wall components and feed efficiency of dairy cows

There is a balance between DM yield and feed value when choosing types of grasses on a farm depending on the acreages of farmland and types of ruminants to be fed. Therefore, optimisation of the harvest strategy for grass silage is important for profitable dairy farming. Tall fescue has high DM yield and can replace traditional grasses, such as timothy, in Northern Europe in a changing climate as it has been shown to be more drought tolerant. As differences in climate responses previously have been related to differences in cell wall structure between grass species and, consequently, in digestibility, it is highly relevant to compare these species at similar maturity stages and to investigate if a very early harvest date will diminish potential differences between the species. This study evaluated the effects of harvest date and forage species on the concentration of hydroxycinnamic acids in silages and its relationship to feed efficiency of dairy cows. Tall fescue and timothy were harvested at very early date on May 25 or at early date on May 31 in the spring growth cycle. Forty lactating dairy cows were used in a block design. Cows received 1 of 4 treatments: (1) tall fescue harvested at very early date, (2) timothy harvested at very early date, (3) tall fescue harvested at early date, and (4) timothy harvested at early date. Diets were formulated to have the same forage-to-concentrate ratio (49:51 on DM basis). Tall fescue silages showed greater concentrations of DM, ash, and CP than timothy silages. Grasses harvested at early date showed greater concentrations of NDF, ADL, and cell wall than grasses harvested at very early date. Tall fescue silages showed greater concentration of p-coumaric acid and lower in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) compared to timothy silages. Milk production and composition were not affected by treatments but cows fed tall fescue-based diets showed lower milk protein yield and greater milk urea nitrogen than when timothy-based diets were fed. Furthermore, cows receiving timothy-based diets showed greater feed efficiency compared to cows receiving tall fescue-based diets. Thus, the lower concentration of p-coumaric acid and the higher IVOMD was associated with greater feed efficiency of cows fed timothy-based diets compared to tall fescue-based diets.

Cooperative partners’ heterogeneity and supplier empowerment: impact on the performance of digital technology collaborative innovation in supply chain

ABSTRACT The rapid advancement of digital technology has stimulated collaboration between core companies and suppliers to pursue innovation activities. However, a theoretical framework is necessary to explain the impact of cooperative partners’ heterogeneity on the digital technology collaborative innovation performance in the supply chain. This study employed a multi-case analysis to investigate the collaborative innovation process of four Chinese case companies with their suppliers. Based on interviews and analyses, this study found that cooperative partners’ heterogeneity influences the digital technology collaborative innovation performance through supplier empowerment. Aligned strategic objectives, similar digital technology maturity, and complementary digital resources help achieve supplier empowerment and thus promote the performance improvement of digital technology collaborative innovation, such as digital technology R&D, resource access, and process improvement.

Thermal evolution differences of reservoir bitumen and their implications: A case study of the Moxi area in the central Sichuan basin

Temperature and time were generally considered as the two key influences on the thermal evolution of both source organic matters and secondary hydrocarbon products (i.e., oil, gas, bitumen and solid bitumen). And for the hydrocarbons, other factors such as the types of source organic matters, the alteration reactions and fluid pressure evolution can also influence their degree of thermal maturation. As a consolidated product of bitumen, the traditional view is that the solid bitumen originated from the same source would exhibit similar maturity after experiencing identical paleo-temperature. However, things need to be more thoughts, such as the impact of system open or not on the solid bitumen thermal evolution and maturation degree. In this regard, we compared the solid bitumens within both reservoir pores and inclusions in deep carbonate reservoirs of lower Cambrian Longwangmiao Formation (Є1l) and the fourth member of the Sinian Dengying Formation (Z2dn4) in the Moxi area in the central Sichuan Basin. And by analyses of the Raman spectroscopy and bitumen reflectance, our results show a significant difference of maturities for these homologous solid bitumens after experienced the same highest geological temperature. Specifically, based on petrological observations, three types of solid bitumen occurrences (Bit. A, Bit. B, and Bit. C) were identified. Bit. A fills the early fine-grained dolomite dissolution pores with small and dispersed morphology, which eRo-Raman (equivalent vitrinite reflectance obtained by Raman) values show a narrow range from 2.60% to 2.80%. Bit. B with larger, blocky morphology, distributes within pores between the early recrystallized dolomites or the subsequent euhedral dolomites, including the bitumen filling in the fracture as stylolite. Their eRo-Raman values mainly concentrate in the range of 1.80%–1.90%. Bit. C refers to the bitumen inclusions hosted in various diagenetic minerals, with eRo-Raman values range from 2.70% to 2.87%. Since these solid bitumens originated from the same source rocks and have experienced the same highest geological temperature, their heterogeneous eRo-Raman values, therefore, suggest that whether the system open or not matters the thermal evolution of solid bitumen. Our results suggest that caution should be applied when using maturity to study the thermal evolution history in an open system, and hydrocarbons trapped in a closed system (e.g., fluid inclusion) can serve as a more credible recorder of thermal evolution.

Geochemical Characteristics and Geological Significance of Coalbed Methane in Suzhou Mining Area of the Huaibei Coalfield.

In this study, gas contents, geochemical features, and origins of coalbed methane (CBM) and their influence factors were investigated on nos. 7 and 8 CBM reservoirs from the Suzhou mining area of the Huaibei coalfield. Results have shown that the selected CBM reservoirs are characterized by various thickness (0.50-9.19 m) and buried depth (619-1226 m), but have relatively better lithology of surrounding rocks. Coal samples have similar maturity (Ro,max = 0.71-1.05%), but show differences in chemical composition and macerals. Gas content of nos. 7 and 8 CBM reservoirs ranges from 6.13-12.25 m3/t, but the value of former is lower than that of later one overall. In addition, CH4 is a predominantly component with a value of 88.23-99.00% (avg. 96.69%), and the heavy hydrocarbon gas (C2+) is 0.00-1.93% (avg. 0.41%). The δ13CCH4 value ranges from -64.54 to -46.36‰ (avg. -53.92‰), and the δ13DCH4 value is -224.36 to -211.75‰ (avg. -219.09‰). Based on the analysis of components and isotopic values, the CBM samples are thermogenic (20.92-71.30%; avg 50.09%) and secondary biogenic gases (28.70-74.49%; avg. 49.91%). Gas content shows changeable characteristics at a buried depth of 300-1300 m, which is affected by buried depth, reservoir temperature and pressure, Mad and vitrinite. However, the CH4 concentration shows no correlation with buried depth. Moreover, the buried depth is significantly positively correlated to δ13CCH4 and δ13DCH4. Based on the relationship between gas content and isotope values, it suggests that δ13CCH4 or δ13DCH4 may have a relationship with the main controlling factors of gas content.

Enrichment and movability of lacustrine tight shale oil for the first member of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Sanzhao Sag, Songliao Basin, NE China: Insights from saturated hydrocarbon molecules

The Sanzhao Sag is one of the main hydrocarbon generation sags with good shale oil exploration and exploitation potential in the northern Songliao Basin, and the first member of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation (K2qn1) is regarded as the most important target layer. In this paper, the complete K2qn1 rock cores from the first shale oil parameter well named the SYY3 well in the study area were taken to investigate tight shale oil enrichment and movability from saturated hydrocarbon molecules combined with bulk organic geochemical characteristics. The results show that the K2qn1 mudstones/shales in the SYY3 well are of high organic matter abundance (1.28–5.62 wt% TOC), good organic matter types (I and II1 kerogens) and medium maturity (0.82%–0.98% Ro), creating excellent material basis of hydrocarbon generation for shale oil enrichment. The molecular compositions of saturated hydrocarbons suggest that the K2qn1 were deposited in reducing brackish lacustrine water with mainly prokaryotes and secondly eukaryotic algae as the biotic input, and are characterized by obvious two-stage distribution with buried depth. The lower unit (>2015.00 m) is generally more enriched in shale oil than the upper unit (<2015.00 m). Relative to the upper unit, the lower unit has lower ratios of pristane/phytane, gammacerane/C30 hopane, C19-20/C21-26 tricyclic terpanes, C24 tetracyclic terpane/C26 tricyclic terpanes, 4-methylstane/C27-29 αααR steranes, higher ratios of regular steranes/17α-hopanes, C27/C29 and C28/C29 αααR sterane, and higher contents of diadrimanes, diahopanes and diasteranes. This indicates that the lower unit can be deposited in a more reducing, lower salinity and more clay-rich sedimentary environment, and contains more eukaryotic algae and less prokaryote biotic input than the upper unit, which can be conducive to the formation and retention of shale oil in the lower unit. The S1 values showing certain positive correlations with regular steranes/17α-hopanes and C27/C29 αααR sterane indicates that the biotic input contribution of eukaryotic algae can be an important positive factor influencing free oil content. The negative correlation between (nC21 + nC22)/(nC28 + nC29) and OSI (S1 × 100/TOC) can be due to diffusion fractionation effect of hydrocarbon molecules in micro-nano reservoir spaces. Low (nC21 + nC22)/(nC28 + nC29) values usually indicate good shale oil movability and reservoir space connectivity under the similar thermal maturity.

Reticulocyte Antioxidant Enzymes mRNA Levels versus Reticulocyte Maturity Indices in Hereditary Spherocytosis, β-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease.

The antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) are particularly important in erythroid cells. Reticulocytes and other erythroid precursors may adapt their biosynthetic mechanisms to cell defects or to changes in the bone marrow environment. Our aim was to perform a comparative study of the mRNA levels of CAT, GPX1, PRDX2 and SOD1 in reticulocytes from healthy individuals and from patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS), sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia (β-thal), and to study the association between their transcript levels and the reticulocyte maturity indices. In controls, the enzyme mRNA levels were significantly correlated with reticulocyte maturity indices for all genes except for SOD1. HS, SCD and β-thal patients showed younger reticulocytes, with higher transcript levels of all enzymes, although with different patterns. β-thal and HS showed similar reticulocyte maturity, with different enzyme mRNA levels; SCD and HS, with different reticulocyte maturity, presented similar enzyme mRNA levels. Our data suggest that the transcript profile for these antioxidant enzymes is not entirely related to reticulocyte maturity; it appears to also reflect adaptive mechanisms to abnormal erythropoiesis and/or to altered erythropoietic environments, leading to reticulocytes with distinct antioxidant potential according to each anemia.

Multiple geochronological evidences revealing oil charging and redistribution processes in the Tazhong-4 Oilfield, Tazhong Uplift (Tarim Basin): Implications for quantitative reconstruction of petroleum accumulation history in superimposed basins

Re-migration within a hydrocarbon reservoir is an important yet poorly constraint process in petroleum system analysis. Here we investigated a Paleozoic petroleum reservoir in the Tarim Basin and quantitatively reconstructed the oil re-migration process using fluid inclusions and multiple isotopic dating techniques including the calcite U–Pb dating, the oil Re–Os dating, and the illite K–Ar dating. The Re–Os dating for the Carboniferous oil samples demonstrated an oil generation process during the Middle Caledonian (479 ± 110Ma). Two episodes of oil charging were revealed by each represented oil inclusion fluorescing yellowish and blue color in the Cambrian and Ordovician intervals. Calcite U–Pb ages suggest the Cambrian and Ordovician paleo-reservoirs represented oil inclusion fluorescing yellowish color were charged by mature oils during the late Caledonian orogeny (420-384Ma), and illite K–Ar ages show the oils with similar maturity charged into the Carboniferous reservoir during the late Hercynian orogeny (278.4–246.0Ma). This contradiction in absolute ages reveals an oil re-migration process with oils that originally was generated during the Middle Caledonian and charged in the Cambrian and Ordovician reservoirs and then migrated vertically to the Carboniferous reservoir ∼200 Myrs later possibly due to fault reactivation. The successful application of fluid inclusion analysis and multiple absolute dating techniques in the Tarim Basin provides a paradigm for quantitative reconstruction of petroleum (re-) accumulation history in similar tectonic superimposed basins.

Evaluating the efficacy of different botanicals on prolonging shelf life and maintaining quality of mandarin (Citrus reticulate Blanco var. Banshkharka Local)

Mandarin (Citrus reticulate Blanco) has been cultivated in 56 districts of Nepal. Huge losses in mandarin were reported and use of safer alternatives to synthetic chemicals to solve post-harvest losses is a matter of great concern. An experiment was conducted at the Directorate of Agricultural Research, Lumle for two consecutive years 2019 and 2020. Mandarin having similar maturity indices were harvested and transported to DoAR, Lumle. The fruits were treated with five different botanicals (garlic extract @ 10 %, ginger extract @ 10 %, aloe vera extract @ 10 %, neem extract @ 10 %, and control) allocated in randomized complete block design with four replications. The post-harvest study was conducted for 3 weeks under laboratory conditions (7.9 ± 3° C and RH 74 ± 4%). Different parameters such as physiological loss in weight (PLW), decay loss, total soluble solid (TSS), titrable acidity (TA) and fruit weight to juice ratio were recorded. Fruit treated with ginger extract @ 10 % recorded the minimum physiological loss in weight (6.31% and 5.15%), minimum decay loss (16 % and 17%) in the year 2019 and 2020, respectively. Highest TSS: TA ratio (13.54 and 12.79) and fruit weight to juice ratio (0.33 and 0.35) was also observed in fruit treated with ginger extract @ 10 % in both years. In both years, results obtained in the fruits treated with ginger extract was followed by fruit treated with aloe vera extract and garlic extract. Control treatment gave the poor result as compared to ginger extract @ 10 %. Thus, this study concluded that the use of ginger is suitable for postharvest treatment of mandarin fruit to increase its shelf life and maintain its quality parameters.

Pathways of development of dynamic capabilities for servitization transformation: A longitudinal multi-case study

Servitization is a transformation process requiring manufacturers to develop dynamic capabilities to support the change process and overcome emerging challenges over time. In this paper, we study pathways of development of dynamic capabilities for servitization transformation (the sequence of the development of capabilities and how they work together over time) and how they relate to servitization transformation outcomes. We do so based on six longitudinal in-depth case studies of manufacturing firms which, having departed from similar servitization maturity starting points, followed different capability development pathways in their transformation processes and achieved different outcomes. We found that successful pathways of development of capabilities for servitization transformation are associated with (1) developing (first-order) dynamic service provision capabilities sequentially, following a specific order over time and (2) developing (second-order) dynamic reconfiguring capabilities to overcome challenges and sustain the development of service provision capabilities and the transformation process. Our study contributes to the literature by providing an in-depth understanding of how the pathways of development of dynamic capabilities over time influence the outcomes of the servitization transformation process. It is one of the first studies to unveil in detail mechanisms by which different reconfiguring and service provision capabilities work together over time to facilitate the servitization transformation process.

Growth curve analysis in different generations of Boer x Central Highland goats using alternative estimation models.

Growth curve analysis can help to optimize the management, determine nutritional requirements, predict the weight of animals at a specific age, and to select highly productive animals. Therefore, this study aimed to find the best-fitted nonlinear functions to provide a specific shape of the growth curve from birth to yearling age in different generations of Boer x Central Highland goats. Gompertz, Logistic, Brody, Von Bertalanffy, Monomolecular, Negative exponential, and Richards models were evaluated to quantify their ability to describe the biological growth curve. Root mean square error (RMSE), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), adjusted coefficient of determination (AdjR2), and Akaike's information criterion (AIC) were used to evaluate the goodness of fit and flexibility of the models. Data were analyzed using the nonlinear regression procedure of SAS. High AdjR2 and lower AIC, BIC, and RMSE values are indicators of best-fitted model. The best-fitting model for the first filial generation (F1), second filial generation (F2), and male goats' growth data was Brody function, whereas the Richards model, followed by Brody, best described the growth of third filial generation (F3) and female goats. The values of parameter A (asymptotic weight) for F1, F2, F3, female, and male goats based on the Brody model were 30.5±1.32, 28.2±1.38, 24.4±1.04, 27.8±0.94, and 29.8±1.32 kg for F1, F2, F3, female, and male goats, respectively. As per the best-fitted growth function, the asymptotic weight tended to reduce when the filial generation increased. The asymptotic weight for male goats was higher than for female goats. F1 had a slightly small value of parameter K, followed by F2 and F3. Both males and females had similar maturity rates. Based on the Brody function, the correlation between maturation rate and mature weight was high (-0.98, P<0.001). The correlation estimates for A-B and B-K were 0.27 and -0.15, respectively. Brody was best fitted for most goat categories, although Richards, followed by Brody, was best fitted for female and F3 goats. Besides, Brody could be better than Richards due to the ease of interpretation, convergence, and applicability for a small sample size. Therefore, the Brody function can predict the mature body weight, maturation rate, and growth rate of Boer x Central Highland goats and be used to formulate breeding and management strategies for profitable goat farming.

Feeding habits and diet composition of Octopus cyanea (Gray, 1849) in Zanzibar waters, Tanzania

The octopus fishery in Zanzibar is an essential activity of coastal communities. To assist with developing fisheries management plans, baseline information on the feeding of Octopus cyanea (Gray, 1849) was collected in relation to sex and maturity stages. The feeding habits and diet composition of 543 O. cyanea were studied over a period of 12 months at Paje, Kizimkazi, Chwaka Bay and Nungwi. Samples at each site were collected on two days per month during spring tide. Digestive tract contents revealed that O. cyanea preyed on 36 species of crustaceans, molluscs and fishes, with crabs a major prey item. The number of prey species in a single stomach ranged from one to six. O. cyanea in Zanzibar is therefore a generalist predator with a mixed diet. The octopus gonadosomatic index (GSI) indicated a peak breeding season in June to October, which correlated with low prey consumption. Mature octopuses ingested a small amount of food from mainly small sessile prey. Females consumed less food than males of similar maturity stages, suggesting that they ate less or had higher digestion rates. The information is useful for developing fisheries management plans for the octopus fishery in Zanzibar.

Effect of sex on muscle-tendon imbalances and tendon micromorphology in adolescent athletes-A longitudinal consideration.

Imbalances between muscle strength and tendon stiffness may cause high-level tendon strain during maximum effort muscle contractions and lead to tendon structural impairments and an increased risk for tendinopathy in adolescent athletes. However, it remains unclear whether the development of musculotendinous imbalances is influenced by sex. At four measurement time points during a competitive season, we measured quadriceps femoris muscle strength and patellar tendon mechanical properties in 15 female (14.3 ± 0.7 years) and 13 male (16.0 ± 0.6 years) elite handball players of similar maturity using dynamometry and ultrasonography. To estimate the tendon's structural integrity, the peak spatial frequency (PSF) of proximal tendon ultrasound scans was determined. Females demonstrated significantly lower muscle strength (p < 0.001) and patellar tendon stiffness (p < 0.001) than males with no significant changes over time (p > 0.05). Tendon strain during isometric maximum voluntary contractions and PSF neither differed between sexes nor changed significantly over time (p > 0.05). We found lower fluctuations in muscle strength (p < 0.001) in females during the season but no differences in the fluctuations of tendon strain, stiffness, and PSF (p > 0.05). Descriptively, there was a similar frequency (~40%) of athletes with high-level tendon strain (>9%) in both sexes. These findings suggest that the lower strength capacity of female athletes is paralleled by lower tendon stiffness. Thereby, muscle-tendon imbalances occur to a similar extent in both sexes leading to increased strain levels during the season, which indicates the need for specific tendon training.

Impact of biodegradation on methyltrimethyltridecylchromans (MTTCs) in crude oils from the Bohai Bay Basin, China

Methyltrimethyltridecylchromans (MTTCs), a class of aromatic hydrocarbon molecular marker compounds, provide an assessment of paleosalinity and maturity in sediments and crude oils. However, little is known about the effect of biodegradation on MTTCs. In this study, the saturated and aromatic fractions of a suite of oils from the Neogene Guantao (N1g) and Minghuazhen (N1m) Formation in the Miaoxi Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, were analyzed. Distriubutions of the more bioresistive biomarker show that the oils are derived from similar organic matter (dominantly from higher plants) and depositional environments (low salinity), and have similar maturity (in the middle oil window). Two biodegradation scales, were used to evaluate the level of biodegration. The samples ranged from PM 1 to 8 and MN2 from 140 to 983 (slight to heavy-severe biodegraded).MTTC concentrations decrease with the increasing biodegradation levels and are or almost completely removed at PM = 8. The degree of alkylation affect their relative susceptibilities to biodegradation: trimethyl-MTTC (α-MTTC) > dimethyl-MTTCs (including β-MTTC, γ-MTTC and ζ-MTTC) > monomethyl-MTTC (δ-MTTC). The relative susceptibilities of dimethyl-MTTC isomers are γ-MTTC > β-MTTC > ζ-MTTC. The β/γ-MTTC, a maturity indicator, is significantly impacted by biodegradation. Paleosalinity inidcators, α/δ-MTTC, α/γ-MTTC, MTTCI and a ternary diagram of the relative abundance in different degree of alkylation of MTTCs, consistently indicate the oils are derived from sources deposited in a low samility environment. Additional research is needed to determine if biodegradation perturbs MTTC distributions in oils from other source environments to influence the inferred paleosalinity assessment.

First Report of Rhizopus stolonifer Causing Premature Soft Rot of Jackfruit in Bangladesh.

The jackfruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is native to South and South-east Asia including Bangladesh. It is a commercially important tropical tree species that produces fruit, food, fodder, and high-quality wood (Gupta et al. 2022). During surveys in February 2022, soft rot on immature fruit at approximately 70% incidence was observed in several plantations and homesteads in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Infected fruit had black patches surrounded by wide bands of white, powdery masses. The patches enlarged with fruit maturation, and in some cases, covered the entire fruit. Symptomatic fruit were collected, surface sterilized with 70% ethanol for 1 min, and washed 3 times with sterile distilled water. Fen air-dried, and small pieces from the margins of lesions were transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA). The plates were incubated at 25°C in the dark. Two-day-old colonies had diffuse, gray cottony mycelia that were hyaline and aseptate under the microscope. Sporangiophores measuring 0.6-2.5mm in length and 18 to 23μm in diameter had rhizoids and stolons at their bases. Sporangia were almost spherical and were 125μm (±65μm, n=50) in diameter. Sporangiospores were ellipsoid to ovoid and measured 3.5 to 9.32μm × 2.82 to 5.86μm (x̄= 5.86×4.1μm, n=50). Based on these morphological features, the isolates were identified preliminarily as Rhizopus stolonifer (García-Estrada et al. 2019; Lin et al. 2017). To identify the pathogen molecularly, genomic DNA was extracted using the FavorPrep Fungi/Yeast Genomic DNA extraction Mini Kit (Taiwan). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA was done using primers ITS4 and ITS5 (White et al. 1990) following the procedure of Khan and Bhadauria (2019). The PCR product was then sequenced by Macrogen, Korea. A BLAST search in GenBank revealed that isolate JR02 (GenBank accession OP692731) was 100% identical to R. stolonifer (GenBank accession MT256940). In pathogenicity tests,10 healthy young fruit at a similar maturity stage as the ones found diseased were collected from a orchard where the disease was not observed. Fruit were surface sterilized with 70% ethylalcohol and washed with sterile distilled water. Wounded (using a sterilized needle) and non-wounded fruits were inoculated with 20µl of a spore suspension (1×106/ml). Sterile distilled water was used for the controls. Inoculated fruit were covered with sterile cloth, transferred to perforated plastic bags with moistened blotting paper, and incubated at 25°C in the dark. Symptoms were first observed after 2 days on wounded fruit, but no symptoms developed on controls and non-wounded fruit. Rhizopus stolonifer was re-isolated from infected fruit, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. Rhizopus rot is a devastating disease causing premature fruit drop, reduced crop yield, and post-harvest rot of jackfruit and other fruits and vegetables (Sabtu et al. 2019). Three Rhizopus species namely R. stolonifer, R. artocarpi and R. oryzae have been reported causing fruit rot of jackfruit in the tropics including Mexico, India and Hawaii (García-Estrada et al., 2019; Babu et al., 2018; Nelson, 2005). Appropriate management strategies are needed to be developed to prevent premature rot of jackfruit. To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. stolonifer causing premature soft rot of jackfruit in Bangladesh.

Successful reconstruction of full-thickness skin defects in a swine model using simultaneous split-thickness skin grafting and composite collagen microstructured dermal scaffolds.

Reconstitution of normal skin anatomy after full-thickness skin loss may be accomplished using a combination of a dermal regeneration template (DRT) and a split thickness skin graft (STSG). However, because of the relatively low rate of cell infiltration and vascularisation of currently available DRTs, reconstruction is almost always performed in a two-step procedure over the course of several weeks, resulting in multiple dressing changes, prolonged immobilisation and increased chance of infection. To mitigate the potential complications of this prolonged process, the collagen-based dermal template DermiSphere™ was developed and tested in a single-step procedure wherein DermiSphere and STSG were implanted simultaneously. When evaluated in a porcine, full thickness, excisional wound model, DermiSphere successfully supported simultaneous split thickness skin graft take and induced functional neodermal tissue deposition. When compared to a market leading product Integra Bilayer Wound Matrix, which was used in a multistep procedure (STSG placed 14 days after product implantation according to the product IFU), DermiSphere induced a similar moderate and transient inflammatory response that produced similar neodermal tissue maturity, thickness and vascularity, despite being implanted in a single surgical procedure leading to wound closure 2 weeks earlier. These data suggest that DermiSphere may be implanted in a single-step procedure with an STSG, which would significantly shorten the time course required for the reconstruction of both dermal and epidermal components of skin after full thickness loss.

Origin of condensate oil and natural gas in Bozhong 19-6 gas field, Bohai Bay Basin

The discovery of the Bozhong 19-6 gas field has opened a new frontier for deep gas exploration in the Bohai Bay Basin, with a great potential for further gas exploration. However, poor understanding of oil and gas origin has been limiting the exploration progress in this area. To clarify the origin of condensate oil and gas in Bozhong 19-6 gas field, this study adequately utilized the organic geochemical analysis data to investigate the composition and geochemical characteristics of condensate oil and natural gas, and analyzed the relationship between condensate oil and the three sets of source rocks in the nearby sub-sags. Results show that the lighter components dominate the condensate oil, with a forward type predominance. The parent material of crude oil was primarily deposited in a shallow, clay-rich, low-salinity, weakly reducing aquatic environment. The condensate and natural gas have similar parent source characteristics and maturity, with Ro ranging from 1.4% to 1.6%. Both are products of high maturity stage, indicating that they are hydrocarbon compounds produced by the same group of source rocks in the same stage. Oil-sources correlation shows that condensate oil and gas mainly originate from the source rocks of the third member of Shahejie Formation in the nearby subsags of the Bozhong 19-6 structural belt.