Identification of fucans from four species of sea cucumber by high temperature 1H NMR

Acidic polysaccharide, which has various biological activities, is one of the most important components of sea cucumber. In the present study, crude polysaccharide was extracted from four species of sea cucumber from three different geographical zones, Pearsonothuria graeffei (Pg) from Indo-Pacific, Holothuria vagabunda (Hv) from Norwegian Coast, Stichopus tremulu (St) from Western Indian Ocean, and Isostichopus badionotu (Ib) from Western Atlantic. The polysaccharide extract was separated and purified with a cellulose DEAE anion-exchange column to obtain corresponding sea cucumber fucans (SC-Fucs). The chemical property of these SC-Fucs, including molecular weight, monosaccharide composition and sulfate content, was determined. Their structure was compared simply with fourier infrared spectrum analyzer and identified with high temperature ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum analyzer (NMR) and room temperature ¹³C NMR. The results indicated that Fuc-Pg obtained from the torrid zone mainly contained 2,4-O-disulfated and non-sulfated fucose residue, whereas Fuc-Ib from the temperate zone contained non-, 2-O- and 2,4-O-disulfated fucose residue; Fuc-St from the frigid zone and Fuc-Hv from the torrid zone contained mainly non-sulfated fucose residue. The proton of SC-Fucs was better resolved via high temperature ¹H NMR than via room temperature ¹H NMR. The fingerprint of sea cucumber in different sea regions was established based on the index of anomer hydrogen signal in SC-Fucs. Further work will help to understand whether there exists a close relationship between the geographical area of sea cucumber and the sulfation pattern of SC-Fucs.     

Modeling rock permeability from NMR relaxation data by PLS regression

This study explores the application of the partial least squares regression (PLSR) technique to rock permeability prediction from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation data. A total of 68 Brazilian sandstone cores selected from reservoirs and outcrop analogs were fully saturated and analyzed by NMR. The permeability of the cores ranged from 0.007 to 9,800 mD. From their ¹H transverse relaxation times (T₂) measured at 2 MHz, two PLSR models were developed for the relaxation spectra and the raw relaxation curves. Both models led to more uniform and accurate predictions (RMSE = 0.47 and 0.50 log mD, respectively) compared with the classical Kenyon model (RMSE = 0.78 log mD).     

Fuzzy inference system for identification of geological stratigraphy off Prydz Bay, East Antarctica

The analysis of well logging data plays key role in the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Various well log parameters such as porosity, gamma ray, density, transit time and resistivity, help in classification of strata and estimation of the physical, electrical and acoustical properties of the subsurface lithology. Strong and conspicuous changes in some of the log parameters associated with any particular geological stratigraphy formation are function of its composition, physical properties that help in classification. However some substrata show moderate values in respective log parameters and make difficult to identify the kind of strata, if we go by the standard variability ranges of any log parameters and visual inspection. The complexity increases further with more number of sensors involved. An attempt is made to identify the kinds of stratigraphy from well logs over Prydz bay basin, East Antarctica using fuzzy inference system. A model is built based on few data sets of known stratigraphy and further the network model is used as test model to infer the lithology of a borehole from their geophysical logs, not used in simulation. Initially the fuzzy based algorithm is trained, validated and tested on well log data and finally identifies the formation lithology of a hydrocarbon reservoir system of study area. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated by the analysis of the results for actual lithologs and coring data of ODP Leg 188. The fuzzy results show that the training performance equals to 82.95% while the prediction ability is 87.69%. The fuzzy results are very encouraging and the model is able to decipher even thin layer seams and other strata from geophysical logs. The result provides the significant sand formation of depth range 316.0- 341.0 m, where core recovery is incomplete.     

地层渗透率与水合物含量关系的模拟研究(英文)

本文通过人工变换T2分布和建立管-球模型模拟法研究含水合物地层渗透率与水合物含量之间的关系。首先,在渗透率的模拟试验中,我们改变了束缚水与可动水的比例、总孔隙度以及与之关联的T2分布。试验结果表明,相对渗透率与水合物含量之间的关系受到这些因素的制约。随后,我们用管-球模型表示水合物生长的孔隙空间,并把水合物的生长过程看成是向孔隙空间随机扔小球的过程。在此过程中,采用两种方法计算渗透率,一是Schlumberger’sT2公式(即SDR模型),二是Darcy定律与Poiseuille流动方程相结合的方法。前人的实验研究表明,在一定的水合物含量范围内,渗透率基本保持不变。以此为参考,我们将计算结果与之进行比较。我们发现,采用SDR模型时,渗透率的数值模拟曲线与Masuda模型N=15时的结果相近。而采用Darcy定律时,渗透率模拟值较高,但与实验结果的趋势相一致,都会出现渗透率的平直阶段。尤其,当水合物晶体在孔隙体内优先生成时,优先的概率越高,渗透率的平直范围越大。     

Assessment of Clam Ruditapes philippinarum as Heavy Metal Bioindicators Using NMR‐Based Metabolomics

There are mainly distributed three pedigrees (White, Liangdao Red, and Zebra) of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in Yantai population along the Bohai marine and coast. However, the biological differences to environmental stressors have been ignored in toxicology studies, which could lead to the distortion of biological interpretations of toxicological effects induced by environmental contaminants. In this study, we applied a system biology approach, metabolomics to compare the metabolic profiles in digestive gland from three pedigrees of clam and characterize and compare the metabolic responses induced by mercury in clam digestive gland tissues to determine a sensitive pedigree of clam as a preferable bioindicator for metal pollution monitoring and toxicology research. The most abundant metabolites, respectively, included branched‐chain amino acids, alanine, and arginine in White samples, glutamate, dimethylglycine, and glycine in Zebra clams and acetylcholine, betaine, glucose, and glycogen in Liangdao Red clams. After 48 h exposure of 20 µg L^?1 Hg²⁺, the metabolic profiles from the three pedigrees of clams showed differentially significant changes in alanine, glutamate, succinate, taurine, hypotaurine, glycine, arginine, glucose, etc. Our findings indicate the toxicological effects of mercury exposure in Manila clams including the neurotoxicity, disturbances in energetic metabolisms and osmoregulation in the digestive glands and suggest that Liangdao Red pedigree of clam could be a preferable bioindicator for the metal pollution monitoring based on the more sensitive classes of metabolic changes from digestive glands compared with other two (White and Zebra) pedigrees of clams.     

Chemical structures of coal lithotypes before and after CO2 adsorption as investigated by advanced solid-state C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Four lithotypes (vitrain, bright clarain, clarain, and fusain) of a high volatile bituminous Springfield Coal from the Illinois Basin were characterized using advanced solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The NMR techniques included quantitative direct polarization/magic angle spinning (DP/MAS), cross polarization/total sideband suppression (CP/TOSS), dipolar dephasing, CH_n selection, and recoupled C-H long-range dipolar dephasing techniques. The lithotypes that experienced high-pressure CO₂ adsorption isotherm analysis were also analyzed to determine possible changes in coal structure as a result of CO₂ saturation at high pressure and subsequent evacuation. The main carbon functionalities present in original vitrain, bright clarain, clarain and fusain were aromatic carbons (65.9%-86.1%), nonpolar alkyl groups (9.0%-28.9%), and aromatic C-O carbons (4.1%-9.5%). Among these lithotypes, aromaticity increased in the order of clarain, bright clarain, vitrain, and fusain, whereas the fraction of alkyl carbons decreased in the same order. Fusain was distinct from other three lithotypes in respect to its highest aromatic composition (86.1%) and remarkably small fraction of alkyl carbons (11.0%). The aromatic cluster size in fusain was larger than that in bright clarain. The lithotypes studied responded differently to high pressure CO₂ saturation. After exposure to high pressure CO₂, vitrain and fusain showed a decrease in aromaticity but an increase in the fraction of alkyl carbons, whereas bright clarain and clarain displayed an increase in aromaticity but a decrease in the fraction of alkyl carbons. Aromatic fused-rings were larger for bright clarain but smaller for fusain in the post-CO₂ adsorption samples compared to the original lithotypes. These observations suggested chemical CO₂-coal interactions at high pressure and the selectivity of lithotypes in response to CO₂ adsorption.     

A method for stratigraphic correlation of several boreholes

The borehole slotting method previously proposed by Gordon and Reyment for two boreholes may be extended to three or more boreholes, but soon becomes computationally intractable. We propose another method based on the mixture model of cluster analysis, the computational labor of which increases linearly with the number of boreholes. This method produces profiles of the unknown strata to which the individual boreholes are easily matched by the two-borehole slotting method.     

Potential causes of differences between ground and surface air temperature warming across different ecozones in Alberta, Canada

Analysis and modelling of temperature anomalies from 25 selected deep wells in Alberta show that the differences between GST (ground surface temperature) warming for the northern Boreal Forest ecozone and the combined Prairie Grassland ecozone and Aspen Parkland transition region to the south occur during the latter half of this century. This corresponds with recent changes in surface albedo resulting from permanent land development in the northern areas and also to increases in natural forest fires in the past 20 years. Differences between GST and SAT (surface air temperature) warming are much higher in the Boreal Forest ecozone than in the Prairie Grassland ecozone and Aspen Parkland transition region. Various hypotheses which could account for the existing differences between the GST and SAT warming in the different ecozones of Alberta, and western Canada in general, are tested. Analysis of existing data on soil temperature, hydrological piezometric surfaces, snowfall and moisture patterns, and land clearing and forest fires, indicate that large areas of Alberta, characterised by anomalous GST warming, have experienced widespread changes to the surface landscape in this century. It is postulated that this has resulted in a lower surface albedo with a subsequent increase in the absorption of solar energy. Heat flow modelling shows that, after climatic SAT warming, permanent clearing of the land is the most effective and likely cause of the observed changes in the GST warming. The greater GST warming in the Boreal Forest ecozone in the latter half of this century is related to landscape change due to land development and increasing forest fire activity. It appears to account for a portion of the observed SAT warming in this region through a positive feedback loop with the overlying air. The anthropogenic effect on regional climatic warming through 20th century land clearing and landscape alteration requires further study. In future, more accurate quantification of these various forcings will be necessary in order to distinguish between, and to detect, the variety of natural and anthropogenic influences and on climate.     

饱和度对泥质粉砂岩冻结力学性质的影响

饱和度对泥质粉砂岩常温下力学性质的影响已多有讨论,但对其冻结状态下力学性质的影响尚不明确。对6种饱和度（0%、20%、40%、60%、80%、100%）的泥质粉砂岩样品冻结前后的纵波波速、核磁共振T₂谱、冻结状态下的抗拉强度和点荷载强度进行了测试,试验结果表明：（1）冻结状态下,随饱和度的增加,纵波波速呈现先降低后升高的趋势;（2）在-20℃下,完全饱和样品内部孔隙水有49.2%保持未冻,60%饱和度的样品有81.4%未冻,而20%饱和度样品有87.4%的孔隙水没有冻结;（3）冻结状态下岩样的抗拉强度和点荷载强度随初始饱和度的增加均呈现减小-增加-减小的趋势,在饱和度80%左右均有一极大值,且两个强度的最大值均不出现在饱和度100%时。分析后发现,在低饱和度的状态下,冻结岩石的强度仍取决于孔隙中的未冻水含量;而在高饱和度的区间,孔隙冰的含量决定了其冻结强度;对于接近饱和的岩石,其冻结强度还受到冻胀损伤的影响。