Protective effects of C-phycocyanin on alcohol-induced acute liver injury in mice

Excessive alcohol consumption leads to liver disease. Extensive evidence suggests that C-phycocyanin (C-PC), a chromophore phycocyanobilin derived from Spirulina platensis, exerts protective effects against chemical-induced organ damage. In this study, we investigated whether C-PC could protect against ethanol-induced acute liver injury. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (CHOL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), liver homogenate malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) content were measured, and pathological examination of liver sections were examined. C-PC showed obvious inhibitory effects on serum ALT, AST, TG, CHOL, LDL and MDA, and SOD content significantly increased in the liver. The structure of hepatic lobules was clear, liver sinus returned to normal, and liver cell cords were arranged in neat rows. Cloudiness, swelling, inflammatory cell infiltration and spotty necrosis of liver cells were significantly reduced. Therefore, C-PC can significantly protect against ethanol-induced acute liver injury.     

Variation of Thornthwaite moisture index in Hengduan Mountains,China

The Thornthwaite moisture index, an index of the supply of water(precipitation) in an area relative to the climatic demand for water(potential evapotranspiration), was used to examine the spatial and temporal variation of drought and to verify the influence of environmental factors on the drought in the Hengduan Mountains, China. Results indicate that the Thornthwaite moisture index in the Hengduan Mountains had been increasing since 1960 with a rate of 0.1938/yr. Annual Thornthwaite moisture index in Hengduan Mountains was between –97.47 and 67.43 and the spatial heterogeneity was obvious in different seasons. Thornthwaite moisture index was high in the north and low in the south, and the monsoon rainfall had a significant impact on its spatial distribution. The tendency rate of Thornthwaite moisture index variation varied in different seasons, and the increasing trends in spring were greater than that in summer and autumn. However, the Thornthwaite moisture index decreased in winter. Thornthwaite moisture index increased greatly in the north and there was a small growth in the south of Hengduan Mountains. The increase of precipitation and decrease of evaporation lead to the increase of Thornthwaite moisture index. Thornthwaite moisture index has strong correlation with vegetation coverage. It can be seen that the correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) and Thornthwaite moisture index was positive in spring and summer, but negative in autumn and winter. Correlation between Thornthwaite moisture index and relative soil relative moisture content was positive in spring, summer and autumn, but negative in winter. The typical mountainous terrain affect the distribution of temperature, precipitation, wind speed and other meteorological factors in this region, and then affect the spatial distribution of Thornthwaite moisture index. The unique ridge-gorge terrain caused the continuity of water-heat distribution from the north to south, and the water-heat was stronger than that from the east to west part, and thus determined the spatial distribution of Thornthwaite moisture index. The drought in the Hengduan Mountains area is mainly due to the unstable South Asian monsoon rainfall time.     

Impact factors identification of spatial heterogeneity of herbaceous plant diversity on five southern islands of Miaodao Archipelago in North China

Herbaceous plants are widely distributed on islands and where they exhibit spatial heterogeneity. Accurately identifying the impact factors that drive spatial heterogeneity can reveal typical island biodiversity patterns. Five southern islands in the Miaodao Archipelago, North China were studied herein. The spatial distribution of herbaceous plant diversity on these islands was analyzed, and the impact factors and their degree of impact on spatial heterogeneity were identified using CCA ordination and ANOVA. The results reveal 114 herbaceous plant species, belonging to 94 genera from 34 families in the 50 plots sampled. The total species numbers on different islands were significantly positively correlated with island area, and the average α diversity was correlated with human activities, while the β diversity among islands was more affected by island area than mutual distances. Spatial heterogeneity within islands indicated that the diversities were generally high in areas with higher altitude, slope, total nitrogen, total carbon, and canopy density, and lower moisture content, pH, total phosphorus, total potassium, and aspect. Among the environmental factors, pH, canopy density, total K, total P, moisture content, altitude, and slope had significant gross effects, but only canopy density exhibited a significant net effect. Terrain affected diversity by restricting plantation, plantation in turn influenced soil properties and the two together affected diversity. Therefore, plantation was ultimately the fundamental driving factor for spatial heterogeneity in herbaceous plant diversity on the five islands.     

The morphological characteristics of gully systems and watersheds in Dry-Hot Valley,SW China

Gully systems and watersheds are geomorphic units with clear boundaries that are relatively independent of basin landscapes and play an important role in natural geography. In order to explore the morphological characteristics of gully systems and watersheds in the Dry-Hot Valley [South West (SW) China], gullies are interpreted from online Google images with high resolution and watersheds are extracted from digital elevation model at a scale of 1:50,000. The results show that: (1) There are 17,382 gullies (with a total area of 1141.66 km²) and 42 watersheds in the study area. (2) The average gully density of the study area (D) is 4.29 km/km², gully frequency (F) is 14.39 gullies/km², the branching ratio (B) is 5.13, the length ratio (L) is 3.12, and the coefficient of the main and tributary gullies (M) is 0.06. The degree of gully erosion is strong to extremely strong, the main development intensity of gully erosion ranges from intense to moderate, and the type of gully system is tributary. (3) The watershed areas (A) are between 0.39 and 96.43 km², the relief ratio (R) is from 0.10 to 0.19, the circularity ratio (C) is from 0.30 to 0.83, the texture ratio (T) is from 0.82 to 39.35, and the dominant geomorphological texture type is fine. (4) There is a quantitative relationship between F and D:F?=?0.624D² (R?=0.84) and T is closely related to D, F, M (R²?>?0.7). A, R and C are related to M (R²?>?0.5). The development of gully systems is the result of coupling effects between multiple factors. In this area, the degree of erosion and the condition of the main and tributary gullies can be controlled by the degree of topographic breakage in the watershed, which provides some theoretical basis for the evaluation of gully erosion by the latter. In addition, the scale, relief, and shape have a significant impact on the locations of the main and tributary gullies. For tributary gullies, attention should be paid to the interception and control of runoff and sediment in the small confluence branches in order to prevent gully expansion and head advance. These features can inform the development of targeted measures for the control of soil erosion.     

Provenance Study of Fe–Ti Oxide Minerals in the Quaternary Sediments in Yichang Area and Its Implication of Formation Time of the Yangtze Three Gorges, China

The Three Gorges are considered to be critical to understand the formation of Yangtze River. Recent research results suggest that the Yangtze Three Gorges was created during the Quaternary but the exact time is debatable. Fe–Ti oxide minerals are seldom used to study sediment provenance, expecially using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). In this study, the provenance of Quaternary sediments in Yichang area, which is located to the east of the Yangtze Three Gorges, was investigated by using SEM and EDS to research Fe–Ti oxides. The Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite and Emeishan basalt outcrop are located to the west of the Three Gorges. Further, the materials from them are observed in the Quaternary sediments of Yichang area. Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite are observed in the Yunchi and Shanxiyao Formations, which were formed before 0.75 Ma B.P., whereas Fe–Ti oxide minerals from the Huangling granite, Panzhihua vanadium titanomagnetite, and Emeishan basalt are observed in the riverbed and fifth-terrace sediments of the Yangtze River, which were formed after 0.73 Ma B.P.. Thus, we can infer that the Three Gorges formed after the deposition of the Shanxi Formation and before the fifth-terrace; i.e., 0.75–0.73 Ma B.P..     

帕米尔高原东北缘活动构造对塔什库尔干盆地地热控制作用

帕米尔东北缘位于青藏高原西北部,是新构造运动最强烈的地区之一。受控于公格尔拉张断裂作用的塔什库尔干盆地,活动构造强烈,高的大地热流值和丰富的地下水,使其具备地热资源形成的地质构造和水文条件。基于塔什库尔干盆地北部的曲曼地区地质构造、湖相地层年代学调查研究,该地区发育晚更新世的NNE向f_1和f_2正断层以及第四纪沉积物之下存在隐伏的近EW向的断层f_3。这3条断层是塔什库尔干断裂在不同构造演化时期形成的次级断层。结合EH-4电磁成像和钻孔及抽水试验等资料表明NNE向f_1和f_2正断层是地热系统的导水通道,而近EW向f_3断层为导热通道。该地区地热模式是大地热流为热源-地下水深循环逐渐加热-构造控水和控热。     

粤东鸿沟山金矿区流纹斑岩锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年、Lu-Hf同位素组成及其地质意义

鸿沟山矿区位于华南粤东莲花山钨矿床的中部,是近年来通过地质矿产调查新发现具有找寻金矿潜力的矿床之一。本文以与鸿沟山金等多金属矿化关系密切的流纹斑岩为研究对象,开展了锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年、流纹斑岩和矿石岩石地球化学、锆石Lu-Hf同位素组成特征研究。获得流纹斑岩锆石206Pb/238U加权平均年龄为169.1±1.5Ma,说明岩体形成于中侏罗世。在微量元素特征方面,流纹斑岩都表现为相对亏损大离子亲石元素Ba、Sr和高强场元素Nb、P、Zr、Hf,富集大离子亲石元素Rb,高强场元素U、Ce、Sm和轻稀土元素La、Nd,流纹斑岩与矿石稀土元素特征基本相似,Eu具中等负异常,但随着矿化强度的增强稀土元素更加富集。流纹斑岩εHf(t)(-15.0~2.2)分布范围宽,二阶段模式年龄TDM2主要变化范围为0.82~0.93 Ga,表明成岩物质主要来源于新元古代古老地壳变质泥岩和变质砂岩部分熔融,并有幔源物质的加入。因此,围绕着该时间段的流纹斑岩岩体,对于找寻W、Cu、Pb、Zn、Bi、Au、稀土、稀有和稀散元素矿产具有重要意义。     

川东南丁山地区龙马溪组页岩裂缝特征及对含气性的影响

川东南丁山地区是近年来四川盆地页岩气勘探开发的热点区域,裂缝的发育对页岩含气性及保存条件有重要的影响。综合运用野外露头、岩心、测井资料,结合岩石脆性矿物含量、岩石力学参数等数据,深入分析龙马溪组页岩裂缝发育特征和控制因素,并探讨了裂缝发育对含气性的影响。结果表明,丁山地区龙马溪组页岩裂缝主要以构造成因的剪切缝为主,裂缝优势方位共6组,主要包括4组平面剪切缝和2组剖面剪切缝,其发育主要受2个方向、3个阶段的构造应力场影响而成;裂缝延伸稳定,平均密度小,宽度小,充填程度高,主要被方解石和黄铁矿等充填。裂缝受控因素主要包括古构造应力场、构造部位、脆性矿物组分、岩石力学性质等;断层对裂缝发育具有明显的控制作用,其中断层两盘均存在裂缝发育程度急剧下降的临界范围,临界范围内裂缝发育程度高,超过此临界范围,裂缝发育程度变差且变化趋于平缓;不同期次的裂缝中,形成时间晚、规模过大、充填程度不高、与现今地应力方向一致或呈低角度相交的裂缝易造成页岩气的散失,对提高页岩含气性不利;龙马溪组岩石脆性矿物含量高,脆性指数属中等偏上程度,有利于构造缝发育且可压性较好。随着距齐岳山断裂距离的适当增加,龙马溪组页岩埋藏深度适中,地层压力增大,抗压强度增强高,脆性指数适中,构造保存条件变好,有利于不同方位的裂缝发育和页岩含气量的增加,位于该区域的DY2井与DY4井均位于该有利区域,含气性良好。研究结果对下一步深化页岩气勘探开发具有重要指导作用。