Environmental evolution of Xingkai （Khanka） Lake since 200 ka by OSL dating of sand hills

Crossing the Sino-Russian boundary, Xingkai Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast Asia. In addition to the lakeshore, there are four sand hills on the north side of the lake that accumulated during a period of sustainable and stable lacustrine trans gression and were preserved after depression. Analysis of well-dated stratigraphic sequences based on 18 OSL datings combined with multiple index analysis of six sites in the sand hills revealed that the north shoreline of Xingkai Lake retreated in a stepwise fashion since the middle Pleistocene, and that at least four transgressions (during 193-183 ka, 136-130 ka, 24-15 ka and since 3 ka) and three depressions occurred during this process. The results of this study confirmed that transgressive stages were concur- rent with epochs of climate cooling, whereas the period of regression corresponded to the climatic optima. Transgressions and regressions were primarily caused by variations in the intensity of alluvial accumulation in the Ussuri River Valley and fluctuations in regional temperature and humidity that were controlled by climatic change. Moreover, one obvious transgressive process that occurred in MIS3 may have been related to enhanced precipitation that was reportedly widespread in the west of China, while shortterm fluctuations in the lake level might well be a direct response to regional precipitation variations on the millennial scale.     

Evidences of rapid erosion driven by climate in the Yarlung Zangbo （Tsangpo） Great Canyon, the eastern Himalayan syntaxis

Climate and tectonism are both particularly intense in the Yarlung Zangbo (Tsangpo) Great Canyon in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis,which is characterized by the most rapid landscape evolution of anywhere in the world.Thus,the eastern Himalayan syntaxis is one of the best locations to study the interactions between climate and tectonics.This paper investigates the cooling ages of the Doxong La-Baibung profile using apatite fission track (AFT) dating on 11 bedrock samples at elevations ranging from 4210 to 710 m.There are topographic,climatic,metamorphic,and thermochronological gradients in the profile,providing good conditions to study interactions between climate and tectonics.AFT ages ranged from 4.6±0.6 Ma to 1.7±0.3 Ma,and the mean fission track lengths ranged from 11.0 to 12.4 μm.It was found that the cooling rates revealed by AFT ages increased with decreasing elevation.However,the tendency of the cooling rates revealed by the 40 Ar-39 Ar ages was different from that indicated by the AFT ages.Moreover,for most districts of the eastern Himalayan syntaxis,the compiled AFT age distribution correlates well with the annual average precipitation,indicating the coupling of the cooling and erosion rates of the near-surface rock and precipitation.The geothermal history modeling results indicate an obvious increase in the cooling and erosion rate between 1.0 and 0.5 Ma.This age is consistent with other research findings for this time,when the vapor channel of the Yarlung Zangbo Great Canyon began to take effect.These evidences suggest that climate,especially precipitation,has acting as a key factor influencing the rapid cooling and erosion in the Yarlung Zangbo Great Canyon since 1-0.5 Ma.     

Separation and determination of trace amounts of beryllium（Ⅱ），aluminium（Ⅲ） and iron（Ⅲ） with chromazol KS by RP－HPLC

Ｓｅｐａｒａｔｉｏｎａｎｄｄｅｔｅｒｍｉｎａｔｉｏｎｏｆｔｒａｃｅａｍｏｕｎｔｓｏｆｂｅｒｙｌｌｉｕｍ（Ⅱ），ａｌｕｍｉｎｉｕｍ（Ⅲ）ａｎｄｉｒｏｎ（Ⅲ）ｗｉｔｈｃｈｒｏｍａｚｏｌＫＳｂｙＲＰ－ＨＰＬＣＬｉｕＳｈａｏｐｕ，ＤｅｎｇＣｈｕａｎｙｕｅ．Ｚ...     

Theoretical study on photophysical property of C60M（CO）5 （M=Cr,Mo and W）

Configurations of three η2 models of transition-metal [60]fullerene derivatives C60M（CO）5（M=Cr, Mo and W） have been optimized at B3LYP/LanL2DZ level. On the basis of the optimized geometrical structures, their electronic spectra and the frequency dependence of third-order nonlinear optical polarizabilities γ in different optical processes of third-harmonic generation （THG）, electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation （EFISHG） and degenerate four-wave mixing （DFWM） are calculated by using TDB3LYP model based on LanL2DZ level coupled with the SOS （sum-over-state） method. The obtained results show that their electronic spectra have a red shift compared with that of [60]fullerene and different transition-metal functional groups added to C60 cage may result in different spectrum properties. For the three studied species, （η^2-C60）Mo（CO）5 has the largest third-order nonlinear optical polarizability.     

Preparation of Cu（In,Ga）Se2 thin film by sputtering from Cu（In,Ga）Se2 quaternary target

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin films were prepared by directly sputtering Cu(In,Ga)Se2 quaternary target consisting of Cu:In:Ga:Se 25:17.5:7.5:50 at%. The composition and structure of CIGS layers have been investigated after annealing at 550 ℃ under vacuum and a Se-containing atmosphere. The results show that recrystallization of the CIGS thin film occurs and a chalcopyrite structure with a preferred orientation in the (112) direction was obtained. The CIGS thin film annealed under vacuum exhibits a loss of a portion of Se, while the film annealed under Se-containing atmosphere reveals compensation of Se. Several solar cells with three different absorber thicknesses were fabricated using a soda lime glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al/Al grid stack structure. The highest conversion efficiency of 9.65% with an open circuit voltage of 452.42 mV, short circuit current density of 32.16 mA cm2 and fill factor of 66.32% was obtained on a 0.755 cm2 cell area.     

Study on temperature characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes based on tris-（8-hydroxylquinoline）-aluminum

Both single-layer and double-layer organic light-emitting devices based on tris-（8-hydroxylquino- line）-aluminum （AIq3） as emitter are fabricated by thermal vacuum deposition. The electroluminescent characteristica of these devices at various temperatures are measured, and the temperature characteristics of device performance are studied. The effect of temperature on device current conduction regime is analyzed in detail. The results show that the current-voltage （I-V） characteristics of devices are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction of trapped charge limited current （TCLC）. In addition, both the charge carrier mobility and charge carrier concentration in the organic layer increase with the rise of temperature, which results in the monotonous increase of AIq3 device current. The current conduction mechanisms of two devices at different temperatures are identical, but the exponent m in current-voltage equation changes randomly with temperature. The device luminance increases slightly and the efficiency decreases monotonously due to the aging of AIq3 luminescent properties caused by high temperature. A tiny blue shift can be observed in the electroluminescent （EL） spectra as the temperature increases, and the reduction of device monochromaticity is caused by the intrinsic characteristics of organic semiconductor energy levels.     

Improvement in the piezoelectric temperature stability of （K0.5Na0.5）NbO3 ceramics

Through an analysis of the temperature stability of(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3(KNN)based ceramics and KNN solid solutions,we propose a method to enhance the temperature stability of KNN materials.These materials are valuable for their piezoelectric properties.To verify the feasibility of this method,0.9(K1-xNax)NbO3-0.06LiNbO3-0.04CaTiO3(KNLN-CaTiO3)ceramics were designed,and their structure and properties were studied.The results show that KNLN-CaTiO3(x=0.54)ceramics have a good temperature stability over a wide temperature range(25-320°C).Also,they have good piezoelectric properties(d33=152 pC/N in x=0.54).This result confirms the feasibility of our proposed solution for improving the piezoelectric properties of KNN-based ceramics that have poor temperature stability.     

Layered Fe（Ⅲ） doped TiO2 thin-film electrodes for the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of glucose and potassium hydrogen phthalate

Four types of TiO 2 thin-film electrodes were fabricated from TiO 2 and Fe(III) doped TiO 2 sols using a layer-by-layer dip-coating technique. Electrodes fabricated were TF (pure TiO 2 surface, Fe(III)-TiO 2 bottom layer), FT (Fe(III)-TiO 2 surface, pure TiO 2 bottom layer), TT (both layers pure TiO 2 ) and FF (both layers Fe(III)-TiO 2 ). The photoelectrochemical behavior of these electrodes was characterized using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and steady-state photocurrent measurements in aqueous 0.1 mol L –1 NaNO 3 containing varying concentrations of glucose or potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP). EIS and LSV results revealed that exciton separation efficiency followed the sequence of TF﹥TT﹥FT > FF. Under a constant potential of +0.3 V, steady-state photocurrent profiles were recorded with varying organic compound concentrations. The TF electrode possessed the greatest photocatalytic capacity for oxidizing glucose and KHP, and possessed a KHP anti-poisoning effect. Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of the TF electrode was attributed to effective exciton separation because of the layered TF structure.     

Restoration of rat calvarial defects by poly（lactide-co-glycolide）/ hydroxyapatite scaffolds loaded with bone mesenchymal stem cells and DNA complexes

A composite construct comprising of a bone mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) sheet, plasmid DNA, encoding human bone morphogenic protein-2 (hBMP-2), and poly(lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite (PLGA/HA) sponge was designed and employed in the restoration of rat calvarial defects. To improve gene transfection efficiency, a cationic chitosan derivative, N,N,N,-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC), was employed as the vector. The TMC/DNA complexes had a transfection efficiency of 13% in rat BMSCs, resulting in heterogeneous hBMP-2 expression in a 10-d culture period in vitro. In vivo culture of the composite constructs was performed by implantation into rat full-thickness calvarial defects, using constructs lacking pDNA-hBMP-2 or BMSC sheets as controls. Significantly higher heterogeneous expression of hBMP-2 was detected in vivo at 2 weeks for the cell sheet/DNA complex/scaffold constructs, compared with the constructs lacking pDNA-hBMP-2 or BMSC sheets. New bone formation was evident as early as 4 weeks in the experimental constructs. At 8 weeks, partial bridging of calvarial defects was observed in the experimental constructs, which was significantly better than the constructs lacking pDNA-hBMP-2 or BMSC sheets. Therefore, the combination of the PLGA/HA scaffold with BMSC sheets and gene therapy vectors is effective at enhancing bone formation.     

Toxicity of the brominated flame retardant tris-（2,3-dibromopropyl） isocyanurate in zebrafish （Danio rerio）

Tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate (TBC) is a heterocyclic brominated flame retardant that was recently detected in the environment in China. TBC is semi-volatile and can accumulate in the lipid of some species, but little is known about its effect on aquatic organisms. We exposed adult zebrafish to 0, 0.25, 1 and 4 mg/L TBC for 28 d and measured the effect on survival, growth, histopathology, hormone levels, enzyme activity, and gene expression. TBC exposure had no effect on survival or growth. We observed significant damage to the liver and gill, including hepatocellular swelling and fatty degeneration in the liver as well as proliferation and edema of epithelial cells in the gills. In addition, exposure to 4 mg/L TBC induced proliferation of goblet cells in the intestine of both sexes, acellular areas in the testis, and thinly scattered vitellogenic granules in vitellogenic oocytes. TBC exposure had no effect on the levels of thyroid hormones, testosterone, estradiol, liver superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde content, and brain cholinesterase activity. By contrast, hepatic vitellogenin and cytochrome P4501A gene expression was significantly down-regulated in both male and female zebrafish in response to TBC exposure. Our results suggest that exposure to TBC causes a variety of potential reproductive and endocrine toxic effects.     

Accurate localization and excision of genomic islands in four strains of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type=Italic>Pseudomonas fluorescens</Emphasis>

Mobile genomic islands (GIs) can be excised from the chromosome, then form a circular intermediate and be reintegrated into the chromosome by the GI internal integrase. Some mobile GIs can also be transferred into a new receptor cell by transformation, conjugation, or transduction. The action sites of the integrase are usually flanked direct repeats (DRs) of the GIs. Accurate localization of the flanking sequences is a precondition for determining the mobility of the GI. Mobile GIs are generally associated with transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Based on the correlation between flanking sequences and tRNA sequences, the flanking sequences of 11 putative mobile GIs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, P. aeruginosa PA14, P. fluorescens Pf-5 and P. fluorescens Pf0-1 were identified. Among the 11 GIs, Pf0-1GI-1 is responsible for benzoate degradation. PAO1GI-1, Pf5GI-2, Pf5GI-3, and Pf5GI-4 were confirmed experimentally to be excised from a chromosome to form a circular intermediate. The action sites of the integrases are these GIs direct repeats. Due to distinct DRs, cutting sites for the internal integrase of PAO1GI-1, Pf5GI-2, Pf5GI-3 and Pf5GI-4 were determined outside the T-loop of the tRNA^Gly gene, outside the anticodon loop of the tRNA^Ser gene and tRNA^Lys gene, and at the asymmetric 3′-end of the tRNA^Leu gene, respectively. PAO1GI-1 and other mobile GIs may be transferred into many different strains that belong to different phyla because of the clear flanking sequences. This study describes basic information about the action sites of the integrases, assesses the mobility of GIs, and can help design and transfer mobile GIs to candidate strains.     

Physicochemical characterization of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Baizhi</Emphasis> particles by ultrafine pulverization

Baizhi, as a medicinal plant, has been demonstrated to be useful for the treatment of aches and pains in China. The physicochemical characterization of Baizhi particles is greatly influenced by ultrafine pulverization. To study the physicochemical characterization of Baizhi, the raw plant material of Baizhi was ground to 6 μm particles by a high speed centrifugal sheering (HSCS) pulverizer. The micron particles were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Imperatorin is one of the active ingredients of Baizhi, and its extraction yield is determined to evaluate the chemical characterization of Baizhi powder. Imperatorin was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results show that after ultrafine pulverization, the plant cell walls are broken into pieces and the extraction yield of imperatorin is increased by 11.93% compared with the normal particles.     

A novel gene <Emphasis Type=Italic>R049</Emphasis> identified in uropathogenic <Emphasis Type=Italic>Escherichia coli</Emphasis> provides partial protection in mice from colonization

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common causative organism of human urinary tract infection (UTI). Several UPEC virulence factors have been identified, but more are yet to be found. We previously identified a novel 789-bp-long DNA fragment (named R049) in UPEC strain 132 using a suppressive subtractive hybridization technique. In the present study, we used genome walking to elongate the sequence of this fragment to obtain the whole gene sequence and examined the role of this gene product in generating protective immunity. Through bioinformatic analysis, we predicted that this gene is a 1311-bp open reading frame (ORF), which we designated ORF_R049 (GenBank accession No.: EF488001). We further constructed a prokaryotic expression system to express full recombinant R049 protein and isolated and purified the protein through IPTG induction and nickel affinity chromatography. Using mouse immunosera generated by the purified protein, we confirmed the natural expression and outer membrane localization of the protein in wild-type strain UPEC132 by Western blotting. To test the potential of this protein as a vaccine candidate, we immunized mice with the recombinant protein before challenging them with UPEC132 through the urinary tract. The results showed significantly reduced bacterial colonization in the urine and kidneys of the immunization group compared with the control group. However, the degree of renal pathological damage was not significantly improved in the immunized mice. Our study has identified a novel gene of UPEC which can generate protective immunity against UTI. This novel gene provides a promising new vaccine candidate.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>In vitro</Emphasis> induction of mouse meningeal-derived ips cells into neural-like cells

Previous research has shown that mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells can be induced to form neural cells in adherent monocultures. In this study, pluripotent stem (iPS) C5 cells derived from meningeal membranes were converted successfully into neural-like cells using the same protocol generally used for ES cells. Meningeal-iPS C5 cells were induced to express neural markers Sox1, Sox3, Pax6, Nestin and Tuj1 and to reduce the expression of ES markers Oct4 and Nanog during neural differentiation, and can be differentiated into Pax6 and Nestin positive neural progenitors, and further into neuronal, astrocytic, and oligodendrocytic cells. In vitro differentiation of iPS cells into patient-specific neural cells could serve as a model to study mechanisms of genetic diseases and develop promising candidates for therapeutic applications in dysfunctional or aging neural tissues. Meningeal cells express a high level of the embryonic master regulator Sox2, allowing them to be reprogrammed into iPS cells more easily than other somatic cells.     

Comparative proteomics analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">OsNAS1</Emphasis> transgenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> under salt stress

Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses in agricultural plants worldwide. We used proteomics to analyze the differential expression of proteins in transgenic OsNAS1 and non-transformant Brassica napus treated with 20 mmol/L Na₂CO₃. Total protein from the leaves was extracted and separated through a high-resolution and highly repetitive two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) technology system. Twelve protein spots were reproducibly observed to be upregulated by more than 2-fold between transgenic and non-transformant B. napus. These 12 spots were digested in-gel with trypsin and characterized by matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to obtain the peptide mass fingerprints. Protein database searching revealed that 5 of these proteins are involved in salt tolerance: dehydrogenase, glutathione S-transferase, peroxidase, 20S proteasome beta subunit, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The potential functions of these identified proteins in substance and energy metabolism, stress tolerance, protein degradation, and cell defense are discussed. The salt tolerance of the transgenic rapeseed was significantly improved by the introduction of the OsNAS1 gene from Brazilian upland rice of Oryza sativa (cv. IAPAR 9).     

Formation and causes of NO<Subscript><Emphasis Type=Italic>x</Emphasis></Subscript> pollution on the east side of the Taihang Mountains in China

Tropospheric column amounts of NO 2 from OMI/Aura products were applied to investigate the seasonal variation of NO x on the east side of the Taihang Mountains (ESTM) in China. The NO 2 concentration varied seasonally, with winter maxima and summer minima. To explore the causes of the heavy NO 2 pollution in this region, wind field simulations were conducted by using the Fifth-Generation NCAR/Penn State Mesoscale Model (MM5). MM5 simulations showed that wind directions in the ESTM region were dominated by northeasterly and northwesterly winds throughout the year and to a lesser degree by southwesterlies. Elevated NO 2 concentrations (higher than 50×10 15 molec/cm 2 ) occurred in three meteorological situations: convergent wind fields (5 days), northeasterly winds (2 days), and calm days (1 day) in January. Although the local anthropogenic NO x emission strength was not so high as that in other developed areas, the calms and frequent occurrence of convergent wind fields, as well as unfavorable terrains for diffusion, resulted in the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants and hence heavy NO x pollution. Furthermore, long-distance NO x transportation from the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan region to the ESTM area could be seen when the wind was from a northeasterly direction, especially under high wind speeds.     

Identification of Zhoukoudian <Emphasis Type=Italic>Homo erectus</Emphasis> brain asymmetry using 3D laser scanning

Endocasts are important materials used for the study of human brain evolution, and allow examination of the external features of brain anatomy from the inside the cranium. Studies examining brain asymmetries in fossil hominids are usually limited to scoring of differences in hemisphere protrusion rostrally and caudally, or to comparing the width of the hemispheres. In the present study, using 3D laser scanning, we examined asymmetries of the hemisphere volumes and surface areas in the Zhoukoudain (ZKD) Homo erectus, dated to 0.4–0.8 Ma. Compared with modern endocasts, we found that the absolute hemisphere volumes and surface areas exhibited no significant asymmetries in the ZKD or in modern specimens. However, the relative hemisphere volumes against surface areas differed between the two groups. When comparing the relative sizes between the left and right hemispheres, the ZKD specimens exhibited a greater variation than in the modern humans; there were no differences in the two hemispheres in the ZKD specimens, while in the modern endocasts the left hemisphere was significantly greater than the right hemisphere. These data suggest that brain asymmetries originated from relative brain sizes rather than absolute brain volumes during human evolution. These anatomical changes are likely related to the origin of human brain lateralization.     

In situ AFM observation of BSA adsorption on HOPG with nanobubble

Nanobubbles have been proven existent at the liquid/solid interface, and become a focus of research on varied interfacial processes. In the present work, by observing in situ with atomic force microscope (AFM), we found that nanobubbles could influence the adsorption process of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on hydrophobic surface of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). BSA could adsorb evenly, and coexist with nanobubbles at water/HOPG interface. After removing nanobubbles by injecting ethanol, some hollows were found in the BSA layers at the same positions of nanobubbles existing previously. These hollows were about 8 nm in depth and dozens of nanometers in diameter. The correlation coefficient between the areas of nanobubbles and that of the corresponding hollows reached 0.88―0.94, which strongly supported the assumption that the hollows were indeed caused by the nanobubbles. Moreover, the BSA molecules formed rings around the nanobubbles, suggesting the preference of BSA adsorption onto the contact line at water/HOPG interface.     

Synthesis of LiFePO4 in situ vapor-grown carbon fiber （VGCF） composite cathode material via microwave pyrolysis chemical vapor deposition

One of the most important factors that limits the use of LiFePO 4 as cathode material for lithium ion batteries is its low electronic conductivity.In order to solve this problem,LiFePO 4 in situ vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF) composite cathode material has been prepared in a single step through microwave pyrolysis chemical vapor deposition.The phase,microstructure,and electrochemical performance of the composites were investigated.Compared with the cathodes without in situ VGCF,the initial discharge capacity of the composite electrode increases from 109 to 144 mA h g-1 at a 0.5-C rate,and the total electric resistance decreases from 538 to 66.The possible reasons for these effects are proposed.