Unpalatable weed Stellera chamaejasme L. provides biotic refuge for neighboring species and conserves plant diversity in overgrazing alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau in China

Steller chamaejasme L. (S. chamaejasme for short) is one of the most noxious unpalatable weeds in China, which has been frequently reported its negative interaction (i.e. competition and allelopathy) with other herbaceous species in grasslands. This study compared species diversity, biomass and sexual reproduction of herbaceous plants in meadows with S. chamaejasme and in open meadows without S. chamaejasme in overgrazing meadows on the Tibetan Plateau in China to determine whether positive facilitation exist between S. chamaejasme and other herbaceous species under livestock’s overgrazing. The results showed that there are more herbaceous species in meadows with S. chamaejasme than those in open meadows (35s and 30s, respectively). Diversity index and above-ground biomass were also significantly higher in meadows with S. chamaejasme. There were 39% (11/28) of all species with sexual reproduction found in meadows with S. chamaejasme, which was 7 times more than those in open meadows. Our study showed that S. chamaejasme could provide biotic refuge for neighboring plants and preserve plant diversity from livestock’s overgrazing in alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. It also suggested that inter-specific facilitation between S. chamaejasme and other herbaceous species may play a key role in overgrazing alpine meadows.     

The mechanism of energy loss and transition in a flow with submerged vegetation

The mechanism of energy balance in an open-channel flow with submerged vegetation was investigated. The energy borrowed from the local flow, energy spending caused by vegetation drag and flow resistance, and energy transition along the water depth were calculated on the basis of the computational results of velocity and Reynolds stress. Further analysis showed that the energy spending in a cross-section was a maximum around the top of the vegetation, and its value decreased progressively until reaching zero at the flume bed or water surface. The energy borrowed from the local flow in the vegetated region could not provide for spending; therefore, surplus borrowed energy in the non-vegetated region was transmitted to the vegetated region. In addition, the total energy transition in the cross-section was zero; therefore, the total energy borrowed from the flow balanced the energy loss in the whole cross-section. At the same time, we found that there were three effects of vegetation on the flow: turbulence restriction due to vegetation, turbulence source due to vegetation and energy transference due to vegetation, where the second effect was the strongest one.     

Equations of state for aqueous solutions under mantle conditions

With unique physical and chemical properties, aqueous solutions in the mantle may play important roles for a number of geochemical and geodynamical processes. However, since experimental data available are very limited, people still know little about the aqueous solutions and their interactions with surrounding rocks and melts. From the perspective of thermodynamics, equation of state (EOS) is the key to push forward the modeling of aqueous solutions. Nevertheless, up to now accurate EOSs suitable for the mantle conditions are still in shortage. With discussions over several recognized EOSs, we summarize several ways to enhance the predictability of EOS: utilizing high quality data from molecular simulations, choosing functions with sound physical background, and improving the regression procedures for the empirical parameters. In the meantime, we find that the ion-bearing systems are still the focus of challenges in this area. New developments of experiments and computer simulations effectively deal with these challenges and in-depth understandings of aqueous solutions in the mantle are expected in the near future.     

Development of an inactivated iridovirus vaccine against turbot viral reddish body syndrome

Turbot(Scophthalmus maximus L.) reddish body iridovirus(TRBIV) was propagated in turbot fin cells(TF cells) and inactivated as the TRBIV vaccine with its protection efficiency evaluated in this study.TF cells were cultured in 10% bovine calf serum(BCS)-containing MEM medium(pH7.0) at 22℃,in which TRBIV propagated to a titer as high as 105.6 TCID50 mL-1.The TRBIV was inactivated with 0.1% formalin and formulated with 0.5% aluminum hydroxide.The inactivated vaccine caused neither cytopathogenic effect(CPE) on TF cells nor pathogenic effect on turbots.After being administered with the vaccine twice via muscle injection,the turbot developed high-tittered TRBIV neutralizing antibodies in a dose-dependent manner.The vaccine protected the turbot from dying with an immunoprotection rate of 83.3% as was determined via subcutaneous vaccination in the laboratory and 90.5% via bath vaccination in turbot farms,respectively.The inactivated vaccine was very immunogenic,efficiently preventing tur-bot from death.It holds the potential of being applied in aquaculture.     

航空重磁综合测量在准噶尔油气资源调查中的应用

为满足油气资源调查需要、查明准噶尔盆地基底结构、提供新的油气有利勘探区,中国国土资源航空物探遥感中心在准噶尔盆地中西部开展了航空重磁综合调查。通过项目实施,在国内首次实现了航空重磁综合测量,共采集大比例尺(1:5万)高质量航空重磁数据6.6万测线公里,填补了调查区内大比例尺高精度航空重磁资料的空白,查明了调查区内航空重力场与磁力场特征,为开展基础地质研究和油气资源评价提供了重磁依据,夯实了航空重磁联合测量和综合地质应用研究的基础。     

Zircon SHRIMP geochronology and Nd-Pb isotopic characteristics of the meta-basalt in the central part of Tibetan Plateau’s Qiangtang region

A small-sized meta-basic rock system is discovered in Qilongwuru Gully of Central Qiangtang’s Shuanghu region and contains a meta-basalt and garnet-bearing plagioclase amphibolite.The zircon U/Pb age of this meta-basalt by SHRIMP analysis is463.3±4.7 Ma,suggesting that this lava formed in the Middle Ordovician,and is consistent with that of the meta-basic rocks in the Taoxing Lake and Guoganjianian Mountain ophiolite found in the Qiangtang plate.As this lava system bears similar geochemistry to N-MORB,it might be a component of ophiolite that represents the trail of the extinction of the Proto-Tethys,suggesting that the formation of Proto-Tethys oceanic basin in the Longmu Co-Shuanghu suture zone could date as far back as to the Middle Ordovician.Isotopic geochemical analysis indicates that the magma source area consists of both depleted mantle(DM)and enriched mantle(EMII)end members and bears Dupal anomaly,similar to that of the Paleo-Tethys in the Neo-Tethys represented by the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture zone,the Paleo-Tethys represented by the Changning-Menglian suture zone,and the Paleo-Tethys in Sanjiang region.This suggests that they have inherited the attribute of the Proto-Tethys mantle domain,and the Longmu Co-Shuanghu suture zone may be a representative of the northern boundary of Gondwana.     

Small- and large-scale model tests on the buckling property of slender pile

Slender piles embedded in soft ground or liquefied soil may buckle under vertical load. In this paper, both small- and large-scale model tests are conducted to investigate the buckling mechanisms of a slender pile and the lateral earth pressure acting on the pile. To observe the buckling of a slender pile, the strain-controlled loading method is adopted to apply a vertical load. When the two ends of a slender pile are hinged, the buckling mechanisms of small- and large-scale model tests are same. It should be noted that this applies only to a system with a small ratio of pile bending stiffness to soil bending stiffness. An applied vertical load increases with an increasing pile head settlement until it reaches the critical buckling load. By further increasing the pile head settlement, the measured load approaches the critical buckling load. In the large-scale model test, the measured lateral earth pressure (i.e., active and passive) acting on the slender pile varies linearly with the lateral pile displacement when the measured range is 3–5?m beneath the ground. A critical buckling calculation method has been adopted to compare with the conventional “m” method. The two-sided earth pressure calculation method can achieve more approximate results with the model test.     

云贵高原东南部地壳各向异性初步研究

云贵高原东南部地区位于贵州西南部及广西西北部。 我们选用中国地震科学台阵一期在广西、 贵州区域内的50个流动台站记录的2011年6月至2013年3月的地震波形资料, 运用剪切波分裂系统分析方法(SAM), 得到了可用于分析的10个台站地震资料, 获得剪切波分裂参数即快剪切波偏振方向和慢剪切波时间延迟。 结果表明, 云贵高原东南部地区的地壳各向异性呈现南北分区的特点。 广西西北部地区的快剪切波优势偏振方向为NW—SE, 与华南地块主压应力方向一致。 贵州西南地区位于扬子板块和华南褶皱系右江褶皱带的过渡带, 其快剪切波优势偏振方向近NE—SW, 与华南地块主压应力方向近似垂直, 反映出区域内复杂的构造背景及应力环境。 将云贵高原东南部慢剪切波时间延迟与川滇地块以及华夏地块东南部对比可知, 云贵高原东南部地壳介质各向异性程度更接近于华南地块。