Effects of inhibitors on ferricyanide uptake and assimilation by plants

Effects of inhibitors on uptake and assimilation of ferricyanide by different plants were investigated. Detached roots of plants were kept in a closed-dark hydroponic system with ferricyanide solution amended with various inhibitors. Dissociation of ferricyanide to free cyanide and iron in solution was negligible. The application of inhibitors affected both botanical assimilation and uptake of ferricyanide. Of the inhibitors tested, silver nitrate showed a significantly inhibitory effect on ferricyanide uptake by rice, soybean and maize (P < 0.01), while a negligible effect was found in willows spiked with the same inhibitor (P > 0.05). However, lanthanum chloride showed the most severe effect on botanical assimilation of ferricyanide by maize and rice (P < 0.01), whereas silver nitrate and tetraethylammonium chloride were the most sensitive inhibitors to soybean and willows, respectively (P < 0.01). Botanical assimilation of ferricyanide was observed positively in responses to temperatures, in which maize was more susceptible than other selected plants. In conclusion, application of inhibitors has a substantial influence on the uptake and assimilation of ferricyanide by plants, and the inhibitory efficiency is highly dependent on the species of inhibitors applied.     

Modeling Strain Rate Effect of Heterogeneous Materials Using SPH Method

The strain rate effect on the dynamic compressive failure of heterogeneous material based on the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is studied. The SPH method employs a rate-insensitive elasto-plastic damage model incorporated with a Weibull distribution law to reflect the mechanical behavior of heterogeneous rock-like materials. A series of simulations are performed for heterogeneous specimens by applying axial velocity conditions, which induce different strain-rate loadings to the specimen. A detailed failure process of the specimens in terms of microscopic crack-activities and the macro-mechanical response are discussed. Failure mechanisms between the low and high strain rate cases are compared. The result shows that the strain-rate effects on the rock strength are mainly caused by the changing internal pressure due to the inertial effects as well as the material heterogeneity. It also demonstrates that the inertial effect becomes significant only when the induced strain rate exceeds a threshold, below which, the dynamic strength enhancement can be explained due to the heterogeneities in the material. It also shows that the dynamic strength is affected more significantly for a relatively more heterogeneous specimen, which coincides with the experimental results showing that the poor quality specimen had a relatively larger increase in the dynamic strength.     

Diagenesis impact on a deeply buried sandstone reservoir (Es1 Member) of the Shahejie Formation,Nanpu Sag,Bohai Bay Basin,East China

Diagenesis has a significant impact on reservoir quality in deeply buried formations. Sandstone units of the Shahejie Formation (Es₁ Member) of Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, East China is a typical deeply buried sandstone with large hydrocarbon accumulations. The methodology includes core observations and thin section studies, using fluorescence, scanning electron microscope (SEM), cathodoluminescence (CL), fluid inclusion and isotope and electron probing analysis as well as the numerical determination of reservoir characteristics. The sandstones consist of medium to coarse-grained, slight to moderate sorted lithic arkose and feldspathic litharenite. Porosity and permeability values range from 0.5 to 30% and 0.006 to 7000 mD, respectively. The diagenetic history reveals mixed episodes of diagenesis and deep burial followed by uplift. The main diagenetic events include compaction, cementation alteration, dissolution of unstable minerals and grain fracturing. Compaction resulted in densification and significantly reduced the primary porosity. Quartz, calcite and clay are the dominant pore-occluding cement and occur as euhedral to subhedral crystals. Alteration and dissolution of volcanic lithic fragments and pressure solution of feldspar grains were the key sources of quartz cement whereas carbonate cement is derived from an external source. Clay minerals resulted from the alteration of feldspar and volcanic lithic fragments. Porosity and permeability data predict a good inverse relationship with cementation whereas leaching of metastable grains, dissolution of cement and in some places formation of pore-lining chlorite enhanced the reservoir quality. The best reservoir is thicker sandstone bodies that are medium to coarse-grained, well-sorted sandstone with low primary ductile grains with a minor amount of calcite cement. The present study shows several diagenetic stages in the Es₁ Member, but the overall reservoir quality is preserved.     

Hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics of The Wash embayment, eastern England

Water and sediment movement in The Wash embayment has been determined from an extensive set of data, consisting of tidal current readings and suspended sediment concentration measurements. Instantaneous and residual currents in the embayment show a distinct lateral inhomogeneity, whereas vertically the water column is almost homogenous. The central deep water area (30–40 m) of the embayment is dominated by a residual landward water movement, whilst on the margins, the residual movement is seaward. Sediment is supplied predominantly in suspension from the north, through the northern extremity of Boston Deep. Suspended sediment pathways are coincident with the spring tide water movements and the subtidal channels act as the main conduits. Approximately 6·8 × 10⁶ tonnes yr^?1 of suspended sediments are supplied to the embayment from offshore areas. Bedload sediment supply is of lesser importance, ～ 1·4 × 10⁴ tonnes yr^?1. Whereas suspended sediment movement appears to be the dominant mode of transport throughout the embayment, bedload transport is important in reforming the sea bed into a variety of bedforms which are particularly well developed on the margins of channels and shoals.     

Geochronology and geochemistry of Yanchangbeishan biotite Adamellite of Lenghu area in Qinghai and their geological significanceEI北大核心CSCD

The Yanchangbeishan biotite adamellite in the Lenghu area of Qinghai is located in the west segment of the north margin of Qaidam. The rocks have high SiO2 (73.92%-75.98%) and K2O contents (3.71%-4.78%), but low MgO and CaO contents. The alumina saturation index (A/CNK) varies from 1.03 to 1.11, indicating the biotite adamellite is peraluminous. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the rocks are right dipping and display weak Eu anomalies. The rock contains the Al-rich mineral like garnet and possesses normative corundum contents of 1%. It has low Th and Y contents which are negatively correlated with Rb, suggesting the source rock was sedimentary rock. Thus, the biotite adamellite belongs to S-type granite. The granite was produced by partial melting of the crust material due to the underplating of mantle-derived magma. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating shows that the formation age of the rock is 254±4 Ma. Based on the regional geological background and the geochemical characteristics of the rocks, we consider that the formation of the Yanchangbeishan biotite adamellite was related to subduction, which is illustrated by the characteristics similar to those of the island-arc igneous rocks. Therefore, the results reveal that the north margin of Qaidam was in active continental margin tectonic environment during Late Permian epoch. ©, 2015, Science Press. All right reserved.     

Zircon U-Pb geochronology of Early Jurassic-Late cretaceous volcanic rocks in North Yellow Sea BasinEI北大核心CSCD

The X-drilling cores of the North Yellow Sea basin reveal two sets of Mesozoic clastic rocks, which are the dark rocks in lower part and the red rocks in upper part, respectively. There are two layers of volcanic rocks at the bottom and the upper part of the dark rock unit. The volcanic rocks at the bottom part are trachytic dacite while rocks at the upper part are clastic dacite. The zircon grains from the upper and lower units of volcanic rocks are euhedral-subhedral columnar crystals and show oscillatory zoning on cathodoluminescence images. 22 tests of zircons in the trachytic dacite from the bottom part yield an age of 141-151 Ma, with weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 145±2 Ma. Whereas 18 tests of zircons from the sample at the upper part give 206Pb/238U ages around 139-149 Ma with weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 141±2 Ma, which implies that the X well volcanic rocks belong to Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. Comparing with the age and geochemical characteristics of the Mesozoic igneous rocks in Shandong peninsula, we suggest that the igneous rocks from both the North Yellow Sea basin and Jiaolai basin were formed under same dynamic setting, i.e., the subduction related volcano arc and back-arc extension. ©, 2015, Science Press. All right reserved.     

运用STOMP数值模拟器进行多空介质中尿素水解以及方解石沉淀数值模拟

遍布于美国能源部所辖野外场地的地下放射性核素和痕量金属污染对美国能源部的长期监管职能提出了最严峻的挑战。目前较有前景的一个原地固化污染物方法是利用尿素酶催化尿素水解,进而推动方解石沉淀及与之共同沉淀。运用STOMP数值模拟器实施一系列反应性溶质数值模拟来研究系统中水流、运移、反应与反应导致的介质性质变化之间的紧密的非线性耦合,并在研究中系统性增加反应系统的复杂度和物理-化学的非均质性以考察模拟效果。通过调整反应速率表达式中尿素酶浓度和沉淀反应常数,对尿素水解和方解石沉淀速率进行了敏感度分析。结果显示:尿素水解速率是矿物沉淀总量的决定性因素,沉淀物的空间分布既取决于水解速率也取决于沉淀速率;在一维水流柱6个空隙体积的时间段模拟中,观察到了5%的最大空隙度减少;当二维模拟中考虑一个低渗透性包裹体时,被改变的流场重新对生成的沉淀组成物进行了分布,形成了扭曲的反应锋面。模拟结果也显示沉淀在低渗透性区域边界上形成,这说明位于这个区域里面的污染物可能被囊裹而从流线中被隔离起来。     

Signatures of interplanetary transients behind shocks and their associated near-surface solar activity

Interplanetary transients with particular signatures different from the normal solar wind have been observed behind interplanetary shocks and also without shocks. In this paper we have selected four well-known transient interplanetary signatures, namely: magnetic clouds, helium enhancements and bidirectional electron and ion fluxes, found in the solar wind behind shocks, and undertaken a correlative study between them and the corresponding solar observations. We found that although commonly different signatures appear in a single interplanetary transient event, they are not necessarily simultaneous, that is, they may belong to different plasma regions within the ejecta, which suggests that they may be generated by complex processes involving the ejection of plasma from different solar regions. We also found that more than 90% of these signatures correspond to cases when an H flare and the eruption of a filament occurred near solar central meridian between 1 and 4 days before the observation of the disturbance at 1 AU, the highest association being with flares taking place between 2 and 3 days before. The majority of the H flares were also accompanied by soft X-ray events. We also studied the longitudinal distribution of the associated solar events and found that between 80% and 90% of the interplanetary ejecta were associated with solar events within a longitudinal band of ±30° from the solar central meridian. An east-west asymmetry in the associated solar events seems to exist for some of the signatures. We also look for coronal holes adjacent to the site of the explosive event and find that they were present almost in every case.     

Gas generation and expulsion characteristics of Middle–Upper Triassic source rocks,eastern Kuqa Depression,Tarim Basin,China: implications for shale gas resource potential

Frontier exploration in the Kuqa Depression, western China, has identified the continuous tight-sand gas accumulation in the Lower Cretaceous and Lower Jurassic as a major unconventional gas pool. However, assessment of the shale gas resource in the Kuqa Depression is new. The shale succession in the Middle–Upper Triassic comprises the Taliqike Formation (T₃t), the Huangshanjie Formation (T₃h) and the middle–upper Karamay Formation (T_2–3k), with an average accumulated thickness of 260 m. The high-quality shale is dominated by type III kerogen with high maturity and an average original total organic carbon (TOC) of about 2.68 wt%. An improved hydrocarbon generation and expulsion model was applied to this self-contained source–reservoir system to reveal the gas generation and expulsion (intensity, efficiency and volume) characteristics of Middle–Upper Triassic source rocks. The maximum volume of shale gas in the source rocks was obtained by determining the difference between generation and expulsion volumes. The results indicate that source rocks reached the hydrocarbon expulsion threshold of 1.1% VR and the hydrocarbon generation and expulsion reached their peak at 1.0% VR and 1.28% VR, with the maximum rate of 56 mg HC/0.1% TOC and 62.8 mg HC/0.1% TOC, respectively. The volumes of gas generation and expulsion from Middle–Upper Triassic source rocks were 12.02 × 10¹² m³ and 5.98 × 10¹² m³, respectively, with the residual volume of 6.04 × 10¹² m³, giving an average gas expulsion efficiency of 44.38% and retention efficiency of 55.62%. Based on the gas generation and expulsion characteristics, the predicted shale gas potential volume is 6.04 × 10¹² m³, indicating a significant shale gas resource in the Middle–Upper Triassic in the eastern Kuqa Depression.