Implication of the chemical index of alteration as a paleoclimatic perturbation indicator: an example from the lower Neoproterozoic strata of Aksu, Xinjiang, NW China

Haifeng Ding,Dongsheng Ma,Chunyan Yao,Qizhong Lin,Linhai Jing 한국지질과학협의회 2016 Geosciences Journal Vol.20 No.1

The Neoproterozoic successions in the Aksu region, NW China, which lies unconformably on the Precambrian Aksu Group basement, comprises the Qiaoenbrak, Yuermeinak, Sugetbrak, and Chigebrak formations (from bottom to top). The two lowermost units include two distinct glacial diamictites, which indicate distinct episodes of glaciations. We report the major and trace element (including rare earth element) data for the Qiaoenbrak, Yuermeinak, and Sugetbrak formations to identify the paleoclimatic perturbations. The chemical index of alteration (CIA) values show variations from Qiaoenbrak to Yuermeinak, then Sugetbrak formations. The diamictites have relatively lower chemical index of alteration values (45.23–59.64) than inter-, post- and non-glacial sediments (48.28–66.96). This result supported the condition that the diamictites underwent relatively weak chemical weathering from a dry-cold sedimentary environment, which is associated with the sedimentary facies description. The lower Neoproterozoic successions recoded at least two glaciations, one is Qiaoenbrak glaciation and the other is Yuermeinak glaciation.

Saliency-Assisted Collaborative Learning Network for Road Scene Semantic Segmentation

Haifeng Sima,Yushuang Xu,Minmin Du,Meng Gao,Jing Wang 한국인터넷정보학회 2023 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.17 No.3

Semantic segmentation of road scene is the key technology of autonomous driving, and the improvement of convolutional neural network architecture promotes the improvement of model segmentation performance. The existing convolutional neural network has the simplification of learning knowledge and the complexity of the model. To address this issue, we proposed a road scene semantic segmentation algorithm based on multi-task collaborative learning. Firstly, a depthwise separable convolution atrous spatial pyramid pooling is proposed to reduce model complexity. Secondly, a collaborative learning framework is proposed involved with saliency detection, and the joint loss function is defined using homoscedastic uncertainty to meet the new learning model. Experiments are conducted on the road and nature scenes datasets. The proposed method achieves 70.94% and 64.90% mIoU on Cityscapes and PASCAL VOC 2012 datasets, respectively. Qualitatively, Compared to methods with excellent performance, the method proposed in this paper has significant advantages in the segmentation of fine targets and boundaries.

Disc cutters’ layout design of the full-face rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) using a cooperative coevolutionary algorithm

Wei Sun,Junzhou Huo,Jing Chen,Zhen Li,Xu Zhang,Li Guo,Haifeng Zhao,Yu Zhao 대한기계학회 2011 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.25 No.2

In rock TBM design the disc cutters’ layout design of the full-face rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) is one of the key technologies. However, there are few published papers in literatures for various reasons. In this paper, based on the engineering technical requirements and the corresponding cutter head’s structure design requirements, a nonlinear multi-objective disc cutters’ layout mathematical model with complex constraints and the corresponding multi-stage solution strategy are presented, in which the whole disc cutters’ layout design process is decomposed into the disc cutters’ spacing design and the disc cutters’ plane layout design. A numerical simulation method based on the FEM theory is adopted to simulate the rock chipping process induced by three TBM disc cutters to determine the optimal cutter spacing. And a cooperative coevolutionary genetic algorithm (CCGA) is adopted to solve the disc cutters’ plane layout design problem. Finally, a disc cutters’ layout design instance of the TBM is presented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. The computational results show that the proposed method can be used to solve the disc cutters’ layout design problem of the TBM and provide various layout schemes within short running times for the engineers to choose from.

The effect of dietary asparagine supplementation on energy metabolism in liver of weaning pigs when challenged with lipopolysaccharide

Kang, Ping,Liu, Yulan,Zhu, Huiling,Zhang, Jing,Shi, Haifeng,Li, Shuang,Pi, Dinan,Leng, Weibo,Wang, Xiuying,Wu, Huanting,Hou, Yongqing Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2018 Animal Bioscience Vol.31 No.4

Objective: This experiment was conducted to investigate whether asparagine (Asn) could improve liver energy status in weaning pigs when challenged with lipopolysaccharide. Methods: Forty-eight weaned pigs ($Duroc{\times}Large\;White{\times}Landrace$, $8.12{\pm}0.56kg$) were assigned to four treatments: i) CTRL, piglets received a control diet and injected with sterile 0.9% NaCl solution; ii) lipopolysaccharide challenged control (LPSCC), piglets received the same control diet and injected with Escherichia coli LPS; iii) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)+0.5% Asn, piglets received a 0.5% Asn diet and injected with LPS; and iv) LPS+1.0% Asn, piglets received a 1.0% Asn diet and injected with LPS. All piglets were fed the experimental diets for 19 d. On d 20, the pigs were injected intraperitoneally with Escherichia coli LPS at $100{\mu}g/kg$ body weights or the same volume of 0.9% NaCl solution based on the assigned treatments. Then the pigs were slaughtered at 4 h and 24 h after LPS or saline injection, and the liver samples were collected. Results: At 24 h after LPS challenge, dietary supplementation with 0.5% Asn increased ATP concentration (quadratic, p<0.05), and had a tendency to increase adenylate energy charges and reduce AMP/ATP ratio (quadratic, p<0.1) in liver. In addition, Asn increased the liver mRNA expression of pyruvate kinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase ${\beta}$ (linear, p<0.05; quadratic, p<0.05), and had a tendency to increase the mRNA expression of hexokinase 2 (linear, p<0.1). Moreover, Asn increased liver phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (pAMPK)/total AMP-activated protein kinase (tAMPK) ratio (linear, p<0.05; quadratic, p<0.05). However, at 4 h after LPS challenge, Asn supplementation had no effect on these parameters. Conclusion: The present study indicated that Asn could improve the energy metabolism in injured liver at the late stage of LPS challenge.

Effects of dietary supplementation with Pediococcus acidilactici ZPA017 on reproductive performance, fecal microbial flora and serum indices in sows during late gestation and lactation

Liu, Hui,Wang, Sixin,Zhang, Dongyan,Wang, Jing,Zhang, Wei,Wang, Yamin,Ji, Haifeng Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2020 Animal Bioscience Vol.33 No.1

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with Pediococcus acidilactici (P. acidilactici) ZPA017 as a probiotic on reproductive performance, fecal microbial flora and serum indices in sows during late gestation and lactation. Methods: A total of 94 sows (Large White×Yorkshire, average 4.50 parities) were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments: control diet and the diet supplemented with P. acidilactici ZPA017 (2.40×10⁹ colony-forming unit/kg of diets). The study started at d 90 of gestation and conducted until d 28 of lactation. Results: Compared to sows fed the control diet, supplementation of P. acidilactici ZPA017 increased the number of weaning piglets, weaning weight of litter and piglets, survival rate of piglets at weaning (p<0.05), and decreased diarrhea rate of piglets in lactation (p<0.05). Dietary P. acidilactici ZPA017 increased fecal Lactobacillus populations (p = 0.030) and reduced fecal Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus populations (p<0.05) of sows at weaning. Moreover, the supplementation of P. acidilactici ZPA017 increased serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin A and total protein (p<0.05), while decreased serum haptoglobin concentration and alanine aminotransferase activity (p<0.05) of sows at weaning. Conclusion: Administration of P. acidilactici ZPA017 in diets during late gestation and lactation had positive effects on the reproductive performance, intestinal microflora balance and immunity of sows.

NMAAP1 Expressed in BCG-Activated Macrophage Promotes M1 Macrophage Polarization

Liu, Qihui,Tian, Yuan,Zhao, Xiangfeng,Jing, Haifeng,Xie, Qi,Li, Peng,Li, Dong,Yan, Dongmei,Zhu, Xun Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology 2015 Molecules and cells Vol.38 No.10

Macrophages are divided into two subpopulations: classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2). BCG (Bacilli Calmette-$Gu{\acute{e}}rin$) activates disabled $na{\ddot{i}}ve$ macrophages to M1 macrophages, which act as inflammatory, microbicidal and tumoricidal cells through cell-cell contact and/or the release of soluble factors. Various transcription factors and signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of macrophage activation and polarization. We discovered that BCG-activated macrophages (BAM) expressed a new molecule, and we named it Novel Macrophage Activated Associated Protein 1 (NMAAP1). 1 The current study found that the overexpression of NMAAP1 in macrophages results in M1 polarization with increased expression levels of M1 genes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Interleukin 12 (IL-12), Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and Interleukin-1 beta (IL-$1{\beta}$), and decreased expression of some M2 genes, such as Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), but not other M2 genes, including arginase-1 (Arg-1), Interleukin (IL-10), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-${\beta}$) and found in inflammatory zone 1 (Fizz1). Moreover, NMAAP1 overexpression in the RAW264.7 cell line increased cytotoxicity against MCA207 tumor cells, which depends on increased inflammatory cytokines rather than cell-cell contact. NMAAP1 also substantially enhanced the phagocytic ability of macrophages, which implies that NMAAP1 promoted macrophage adhesive and clearance activities. Our results indicate that NMAAP1 is an essential molecule that modulates macrophages phenotype and plays an important role in macrophage tumoricidal functions.

NMAAP1 Expressed in BCG-Activated Macrophage Promotes M1 Macrophage Polarization

Qihui Liu,Xun Zhu,Yuan Tian,Xiangfeng Zhao,Haifeng Jing,Qi Xie,Peng Li,Dong Li,Dongmei Yan 한국분자세포생물학회 2015 Molecules and cells Vol.38 No.10

Macrophages are divided into two subpopulations: classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2). BCG (Bacilli Calmette-Guérin) activates disabled naïve macrophages to M1 macrophages, which act as inflammatory, microbicidal and tumoricidal cells through cell-cell contact and/or the release of soluble factors. Various transcription factors and signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of macrophage activation and polarization. We discovered that BCG-activated macrophages (BAM) expressed a new molecule, and we named it Novel Macrophage Activated Associated Protein 1 (NMAAP1). 1 The current study found that the overexpression of NMAAP1 in macrophages results in M1 polarization with increased expression levels of M1 genes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Interleukin 12 (IL-12), Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and decreased expression of some M2 genes, such as Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), but not other M2 genes, including arginase-1 (Arg-1), Interleukin (IL-10), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and found in inflammatory zone 1 (Fizz1). Moreover, NMAAP1 overexpression in the RAW264.7 cell line increased cytotoxicity against MCA207 tumor cells, which depends on increased inflammatory cytokines rather than cell-cell contact. NMAAP1 also substantially enhanced the phagocytic ability of macrophages, which implies that NMAAP1 promoted macrophage adhesive and clearance activities. Our results indicate that NMAAP1 is an essential molecule that modulates macrophages phenotype and plays an important role in macrophage tumoricidal functions.