Silicon nanoporous pillar array and its surface copper deposition

Silicon nanoporous pillar array （Si-NPA） has been prepared by a hydrothermal etching technique. Using Si-NPA as substrate, a Cu/Si-NPA nanocomposite thin film has been obtained with immersion plating method. Morphological and structural analysis indicates that Si-NPA is a typical structural composite system characterized by a triple hierarchical structure, i. e. the array of micron-sized silicon pillars, the nanopores densely distributed on the surface of the pillars, and the silicon nanocrystallites that constitute the pore walls. Cu/Si-NPA inherits the morphological characteristics of Si-NPA. The compactability of the deposited copper nanoparticles varies alternatively with the local geometrical features of Si-NPA and forms a quasi-periodical pattern.Such an experimental phenomenon is attributed to the velocity dependence of the copper deposition upon the local geometrical features of Si-NPA. These results indicate that Si-NPA might be used as an ideal template for preparing specially patterned, structured or functionalized metal/silicon nanocomposite systems.     

Atomic force microscopy in cell biology

The history, characteristic, operation modes and coupling techniques of atomic force microscopy （AFM） are introduced. Then the application in cell biology is reviewed in four aspects： cell immobilization methods, cell imaging, force spectrum study and cell manipulation. And the prospect of AFM application in cell biology is discussed.     

A study on environmental changes based upon cladoceran assemblages from the core sediments in Chen Co,southern Tibet

A consecutive sediment core (CC2) was drilled in Chen Co (lake) of southern Tibet using a PISTON sampler in 1998 AD. Cladoceran remains including their species,amount richness and ecological features are analyzed for the top 117 cm sections of the core, upon which 5 cladoceran assemblages are distinguished. CL0 is an assemblage without any cladocera in the depth between 117-105 cm. CL1 assemblage (depths between I01-77 cm, ca.1407-1533 AD) possesses total 9 cladoceran species that appear in the core,and performs the greatest richness in the whole sequence.This assemblage reflected that there was plenty of exotic cold water and organic debrises inputing to the sedimentary site under the warmer conditions. The lake was wide and shallow that satisfied the big hydrophyte living. Cladoceran species and richnesses of CL2 assemblage (depths between 77-29cm, ca. 1533-1831AD) perform much more decreasing than those of CLI. There was only less Chydorus sphaericus which was acclimatized to wide environmental ranges. This implied that the sedimentary environment is so execrable that most of cladoceran lost their living abilities. Compared with CL1 assemblage, CL3 assemblage (depths between 29-10 cm, ca.1831--1941 AD) possesses nearly the same dominant species but lower richnesses. Especially, the cladoceran preferring organic debris also decrease in their amounts. This meant that the surface vegetation in the drainage basin was still poor though the environment turned to be better. Except the 2 zooplankton species, the other 7 species of cladoceran in this core are found in CL4 assemblage (depths between 10-0cm, ca. 1941-1998 AD), in which the eurythermal species had not performed their competition ability comparing withnarrow-temperatures adapted species. It implied that water temperatures were stable and much more influenced by air temperatures under the shallow-water conditions. The environmental features reflected by cladocera assemblages of CC2 core are fully supported by the evidences from ostracoda assemblages, diatom-salinity transfunction, environmental magnetism and relative proxies of the parallel CC1 core. Cladoceran assemblages in the lake sediments of Tibetan Plateau are sensitive to sedimentary environment and very significant to the studies of environmental changes.     

Relationship between nanoscale deformation of coal structure and metamorphic-deformed environments

The relation between coal structure (including molecu-lar and pore structures) and metamorphism has been dis-cussed over a century. It has seldom involved nano-scale structure deformation of coals and its metamorphism- de-formed environment, especially the factor of stress influ-ence on nano-scale structural deformation. Instead the influence of temperature and pressure on the coal structure has been the primary focus. As a result, part studies indi-cated that temperature is the main factor th…     

Experimental research and statistical analysis on the dielectric properties of lunar soil simulators

To support the microwave brightness data retrieval of future China space-borne lunar exploration microwave radiometer, based on the collection of plentiful terrestrial basalts and anorthosites and their chemical compositions got by X-ray fluorescence, nine lunar soil simulators were prepared and made respectively into 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 g/cm3 five densities each. We measured their relative dielectric constants over the range of 0.5-20 GHz with open-ended coaxial line model on the HP8722C Network Analyzer and then processed and analyzed the measurement data. This study shows that among the three parameters of density, frequency and composition, density has the strongest effect on the relative dielectric constants, frequency comes second, composition the least. The three parameters account for 45%, 33% and 22% respectively of the changed real part of a relative dielectric constant, and 55%, 27% and 19% respectively of the changed imaginary part. The real parts of the relative dielectric constants are linearly linearly correlated with density or frequency, and the imaginary parts have a linear relation with both approximately over the range of 0.5-10 GHz and tend to be poorly correlated with them in 10-20 GHz. The effect of composition on a relative dielectric constant seems very complicated, both probably do not follow a simple function relation, with the least correlation. Multiple regression analysis indicates that major element oxides SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, TiO2 and AFe are correspondent to a one-order polynomial, and TiO2 or AFe or TiO2 ΔFe has not been proven to be the indicators in the contribution to the relative dielectric constants.     

EEG-correlated fMRI of P3b component in P300 waves

Electroencephalography-correlated functional magnetic resonance imaging （EEG/fMRI） can be used to identify blood oxygen level-dependent （BOLD） signal changes associated with both physiological and pathological EEG events. Here, we implemented continuous and simultaneous EEG/fMRI to identify BOLD signal changes related to P3b component of P300, and 64 channels of EEG were recorded in II subjects during Landot Ring task inside a 1.5 T functional magnet resonance （MR） scanner using an MR-compatible EEG recording system. Functional scanning by echoplanar imaging covered almost the entire cerebrum every 2 s, leaving gaps of 2 s without scanning. Off-line MRI artifact subtraction software was applied to obtain continuous EEG data. Additionally, a P300 wave matched filter was constructed to inspect P300 wave occurrence following every target stimulus, target stimuli inspected to induce P300 were detected and their MRI scan number were then used as input for an event-related fMRI analysis. Finally MRI statistical parametric maps were constructed and corrected for multiple comparisons. By random effect group analysis, activations were detected in the right superior parietal lobule and bilaterally in inferior parietal lobule（p〈0.001, uncorrected）. The results demonstrated the upper regions were sources of P3b component and involved in target detection in memory comparison task.     

A dynamic view of the tropospheric teleconnection between IOD and the Pacific Ocean

The tropospheric teleconnection pattern between the Indian Ocean Dipole （IOD） and the Pacific Ocean was studied using GISST and NECP/NCAR reanalysis data. Results show that a structure of Rossby wave train extends from the tropical Indian Ocean over southern subtropical regions of Australia and Pacific Ocean to the tropical Pacific Ocean, where a strong correlation between IOD and geopotential height （GH） anomaly of Pacific Ocean exists. Energy propagating pathways of the planetary wave with wave numbers 1-3 are qualitatively in agreement with the Rossby wave train, which implies that the energy propagation of the stationary planetary wave could be responsible for the tropospheric teleconnection between IOD and tropical Pacific Ocean.     

Precambrian phosphatized embryos and larvae from the Doushantuo Formation and their affinities, Guizhou （SW China）

Weng＇an phosphates of the Precambrian Doushantuo Formation, Guizhou （southwestern China） preserve a large number of exquisite biological structures, which are mostly micro-spherical and represent seaweeds, acritarchs and developing eggs related to various groups of metazoans. Here is a report of a variety of developing eggs and larvae, which are most probably of Cnidarian affinity. The eggs examined in the study are composed of early cleavage embryos and two-layered gastrulae. The early cleavage embryos are radial and total cleavage with equal-size blastomeres. The gastrulae mostly bear a large archenteron, which is filled with yolk-degrading organic matter. Ovoid to fusiform planula-like larvae identified in thin sections under light microscope are mostly mouthless and their gastrovascular cavity is filled with possible yolk-degrading organic matter. They are likely representatives of non-feeding larva. The uncommon planula-like structures are hollow, with each having a mouth-like structure on its narrow end. We interpret them as feeding larva. Study of these embryos with possible Cnidarian affinities shed new insight on the origin of metazoans.     

Synthesis and characterization of monoclinic TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanosheets

A novel two-step method for the synthesis of monoclinic titanium oxide （i.e. TiO2（B）） nanosheets is presented in this report. The method is featured by two steps： 1） synthesis of hydrogen titanate nanosheets, followed by 2） calcination of the titanate nanosheets at elevated temperatures. The hydrogen titanate nanosheets were prepared first by autoclaving anatase TiO2 powders, obtained by air cal- cining an ethanol-gel of Ti（OH）4 at 500℃, in aqueous NaOH （10 mol/L） at 150-200℃, and then by washing with hydro- chloric acid under supersonic irradiation. While sizes of the nanosheets were found to increase with increasing the temperature of the hydrothermal treatment, the calcination at 400-500℃ of the hydrogen titanate nanosheets that were synthesized at higher autoclaving temperatures （180-200℃） produced monoclinic TiO2 nanosheets with a uniform morphology. By contrast, the same calcination of the titanate nanosheets synthesized at the autoclaving temperature 180℃ led to anatase TiO2 nanoparticles.     

Study on synthesis of polylactide from kitchen garbage

Polylactide, a kind of synthetical aliphatic polyesters, has excellent biologic compatibility and biodegradable properties. It can be degraded in the human body by sim-ple hydrolysis of the ester backbone to non-harmful and non-toxic compounds, and finally be biodegraded into CO2 and H2O in the environment. Therefore, for many years, the polylactide is widely used as drug delivery sys-tems, resorbable suture materials and implantable medical devices. Besides medical applications, it will be …