Expression of the Phycoerythrin Gene of Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta) in E. coli and Evaluation of the Bioactivity of Recombinant PE

Phycoerythrin (PE) is one of the most important proteins involved in light capturing during photosynthesis in red algae. Its potential biological activities had gained wide concerns. In the present study, tumor cytotoxic and hydroxyl radical assay were preformed to detect the bioactivity of recombinant PE. Recombinant plasmids pGEX-PE and pBGL were transformed into E.coli BL21 to make two recombinant strains BEX (pGEX-PE) and BGL (pBGL). PE expressing in BEX (pGEX-PE) was validated by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the PE-GST fusion protein was mostly inclusion bod- ies. Specific expression of PE was confirmed by Western blotting analysis. The recombinant E. coli BEX (pGEX-PE) cells were col- lected and sonicated. The supernatants were reserved for the tumor cytotoxic experiments. The result of tumor cytotoxic assay indi- cated that the supernatants containing PE had the activity of inhibiting the growth of Hela cells and with the increase of protein con- centration, the inhibiting rate increased from 37.31% to 63.26%, which showed significant difference from the control. Hydroxyl radical scavenging effect was tested with supernatants of BEX (pGEX-PE) and BGL (pBGL) cell lysates treated with sonication and heating. For the sonication samples, the scavenging rates of the supernatants of BEX (pGEX-PE) and BGL (pBGL) cell lysates were significantly higher than the negative control BL21(pGEX-4T) (P<0.02), and the scavenging rates increased slowly following the increase of the protein content. For the heating samples, except for the 0.2 mg mL-1 BGL (pBGL) products, the scavenging effects of the supernatants of BEX (pGEX-PE) and BGL (pBGL) cell lysates were stronger than that of negative control BL21(pGEX-4T). However, the effect intensity was not positively correlated with the increase of the protein concentration. Though a partially de- creased hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was led by heating, the biological activity was still retained and conspicuous. This re- search showed that phycoerythrin protein expressing in E. coli has the potential medical and sanitarian value.     

中国煤层气资源控制程度及可靠性分析

准确认识深部条件下气体和水分的赋存状态、相对含量及分布特征,对煤层气高效勘探开发具有重要指导意义。基于理论模型、分子模拟和气水演变分析,明确了煤层中气、水的赋存状态,揭示了气、水动态运聚界限和动态演化过程。考虑煤−水界面作用、水的可动性及赋存状态,煤中水可分为可动水(重力水和毛细水)、束缚水(吸附水、沸石水、结晶水和层间水)、结构水,其中毛细水、重力水和吸附水由孔隙主导,沸石水、结构水、结晶水和层间水由矿物主导。分子模拟结果显示,水分子在0.7 nm孔隙中可以饱和充填,吸附和解吸路径一致,在更大孔隙中出现弱吸附层和自由态。水分子吸附过程表现为单分子含氧基团吸附、单层强吸附、多层弱吸附、水团簇形成和充填孔隙等阶段。甲烷分子在1.5 nm孔隙可存在3层稳定充填吸附,在较大孔隙中(>1.5 nm)即以单层吸附和游离态共存,游离态在介孔及更大孔隙中普遍存在。结合上述吸附−游离气存在界限,改进了游离气和吸附气理论计算公式,为含气量计算提供新思路。深部热成因煤层气是煤大规模生排烃之后的残余气,在排烃过程中发生气驱水和水分蒸发扩散,残余水分为束缚水和结构水,后期无法改变。假定静水压力20 MPa,在0、5、10、15和20 MPa储层压力下,外来水分可入侵最大孔径为7、9、13、27 nm和不侵入。受差异保存条件控制,煤成气除了形成超压和欠压等差异含气系统外,还可能在煤系形成多类型含气模式。上述研究明确了煤层气、水微观赋存机制及形成演化模式,对深部煤层气富集特征及高效开发设计具有指导意义。

     

Seismic vertical array analysis for phase decomposition

We propose a vertical array analysis method that decomposes complex seismograms into body and surface wave time histories by using a velocity structure at the vertical array site. We assume that the vertical array records are the sum of vertically incident plane P and S waves, and laterally incident Love and Rayleigh waves. Each phase at the surface is related to that at a certain depth by the transfer function in the frequency domain; the transfer function is obtained by Haskell's matrix method, assuming a 1-D velocity structure. Decomposed P , S and surface waves at the surface are estimated from the vertical array records and the transfer functions by using a least-squares method in the frequency domain; their time histories are obtained by the inverse Fourier transform. We carried out numerical tests of this method based on synthetic vertical array records consisting of vertically incident plane P and S waves and laterally incident plane Love and Rayleigh waves. Perfect results of the decomposed P , S , Love and Rayleigh waves were obtained for synthetic records without noise. A test of the synthetic records in which a small amount of white noise was added yielded a reasonable result for the decomposed P , S and surface waves. We applied this method to real vertical array records from the Ashigara valley, a moderate-sized sedimentary valley. The array records from two earthquakes occurring at depths of 123 and 148 km near the array (epicentral distance of about 31 km) exhibited long-duration later phases. The analysis showed that duration of the decomposed S waves was a few seconds and that the decomposed surface waves appeared a few seconds after the direct S -wave arrival and had very long duration. This result indicated that the long-duration later phases were generated not by multireflected S waves, but by basin-induced surface waves.     

云南富宁地区泥盆系—石炭系界线碳、氧同位素特征及对海平面变化的响应

右江盆地沉积连续的泥盆纪—石炭纪岩石地层,是中国泥盆纪与石炭纪之交Hangenberg生物大灭绝事件的重点研究区域。选取右江盆地西缘云南富宁地区晚泥盆世—早石炭世地层,在岩石地层学研究的基础上对碳酸盐岩进行系统的碳、氧同位素组成研究。富宁地区晚泥盆世—早石炭世地层存在不同幅度的δ13C、δ18O负向偏移,尤其在泥盆系—石炭系界线附近负偏移明显,δ13C、δ18O值偏移层位与层序地层学转换及古生物灭绝事件发生层位一致,反映了晚泥盆世法门期海平面下降和早石炭世的海侵事件。研究区泥盆系—石炭系界线附近δ13C值负偏趋势与右江盆地内δ13C值演化偏移相似,华南其他典型剖面δ13C值亦呈现不同幅度的负向偏移,泥盆纪与石炭纪之交的碳同位素演化序列与欧洲、北美地区δ13C值负向偏移反映的海平面下降事件一致,具全球性对比意义。     

陕西地洞河高分辨率石笋记录的DO18季风增强事件

千年尺度事件的结构特征和区域响应是理解和认识冰期气候变化及动力机制的关键。本文基于陕西汉中宁强县地洞河一支长417 mm石笋DDH1的11个U-Th年代和417个氧同位素（δ¹⁸O）数据,重建了末次冰期（64.8~33.2 ka B.P.）亚洲季风演化历史。石笋δ¹⁸O记录在64.7±0.2 ka B.P.和59.3±0.1 ka B.P.快速负偏,分别指示了DO18事件的开始和H6事件的结束。在DO18事件结束过程,石笋δ¹⁸O记录在64.0~60.4 ka B.P.持续正偏,振幅达2.9 ‰,反应季风逐渐减弱,但未出现明显转型阶段。其总体形态与大西洋Cariaco盆地岩芯反射率、南极冰芯的记录较为一致,但是不同于格陵兰冰芯的记录。因地洞河所处青藏高原、秦岭叠加影响的区域,纬度和地形的双重影响使得其石笋δ¹⁸O记录较其他地区偏负,振荡幅度更大。因地形阻挡了高纬信号,使得低纬甚至南半球的信号突现出来,ITCZ的移动、南半球温度和水汽潜热的释放作用在这一区域尤为显著。

     

末次冰盛期东亚夏季风变化的重庆石笋记录

基于重庆小山岩洞XSY1石笋的5个²³⁰Th年龄和582个氧同位素数据,重建了23134~19345 a B.P.期间分辨率约6.5 a的东亚夏季风变化历史。此石笋δ¹⁸O记录的长期趋势逐渐负偏,在其上叠加了一系列千年-百年尺度季风振荡,呈现为4谷3峰的结构形态。重庆XSY1和南京MSD石笋δ¹⁸O记录在数百年尺度的反相关系表明冰盛期时东亚大陆东部水汽并非来自印度洋。与北高纬记录对比显示东亚季风的增强与减弱基本对应格陵兰温度的升高与降低时期,暗示在冰量最大时期东亚季风与北高纬气候仍密切联系。此外,XSY1的δ¹⁸O与冰芯¹⁰Be通量亦存在明显的对应关系,表明太阳活动对东亚季风的调控作用受冰量边界条件影响较小。功率谱分析结果显示出1011 a、722 a、460 a、337 a和163 a的周期,与太阳活动周期相近,进一步确认太阳活动对东亚季风的驱动作用。石笋XSY1与澳大利亚石笋MC-S2 δ¹⁸O记录在千年尺度呈反相位变化,表明冰盛期时东亚季风与全球其他气候系统的动力联系。

     

Detection of free gas and gas hydrate based on 3D seismic data and cone penetration testing: An example from the Nigerian Continental Slope

We present a new method to characterize free gas, gas hydrates and carbonate concretions occurrence which are considered as high-risk factors for sub-sea developments in the Niger delta. This method is based on the combination of 3D seismic data to the geotechnical site characterizations using piezocone CPTU tests (Cone Penetration Test with additional measurement of the pore water pressure). A special processing of the 3D seismic data has enabled the determination of the interval compressional velocity. Using the effective-medium theory, velocity anomalies (negative and positive) within the first 15 m were translated in gas hydrate and free gas distribution. The calibration of the P wave velocity anomalies was done thanks to in-situ geotechnical testing carried out during two oceanographic surveys (2003 and 2004). Comparison between in-situ testing, recovered cores and the prediction of the gas and the gas hydrate distribution based on the compressional wave velocity have shown that 3D seismic data is a valuable tool to identify heterogeneous areas but the use of the piezocone was essential to discriminate between gas hydrate occurrences and carbonate concretions' presence. Furthermore, in-situ compressional wave velocity (V_p) measurements have clearly demonstrated what it was suspected from the 3D seismic data, the co-existence in the study area between gas hydrate and free gas.