Increased forest ecosystem carbon and nitrogen storage from nitrogen rich bedrock

Nitrogen (N) limits the productivity of many ecosystems worldwide, thereby restricting the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to offset the effects of rising atmospheric CO(2) emissions naturally. Understanding input pathways of bioavailable N is therefore paramount for predicting carbon (C) storage on land, particularly in temperate and boreal forests. Paradigms of nutrient cycling and limitation posit that new N enters terrestrial ecosystems solely from the atmosphere. Here we show that bedrock comprises a hitherto overlooked source of ecologically available N to forests. We report that the N content of soils and forest foliage on N-rich metasedimentary rocks (350-950?mg?N?kg(-1)) is elevated by more than 50% compared with similar temperate forest sites underlain by N-poor igneous parent material (30-70?mg?N?kg(-1)). Natural abundance N isotopes attribute this difference to rock-derived N: (15)N/(14)N values for rock, soils and plants are indistinguishable in sites underlain by N-rich lithology, in marked contrast to sites on N-poor substrates. Furthermore, forests associated with N-rich parent material contain on average 42% more carbon in above-ground tree biomass and 60% more carbon in the upper 30?cm of the soil than similar sites underlain by N-poor rocks. Our results raise the possibility that bedrock N input may represent an important and overlooked component of ecosystem N and C cycling elsewhere.     

In vivo genome editing restores haemostasis in a mouse model of haemophilia

Editing of the human genome to correct disease-causing mutations is a promising approach for the treatment of genetic disorders. Genome editing improves on simple gene-replacement strategies by effecting in situ correction of a mutant gene, thus restoring normal gene function under the control of endogenous regulatory elements and reducing risks associated with random insertion into the genome. Gene-specific targeting has historically been limited to mouse embryonic stem cells. The development of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) has permitted efficient genome editing in transformed and primary cells that were previously thought to be intractable to such genetic manipulation. In vitro, ZFNs have been shown to promote efficient genome editing via homology-directed repair by inducing a site-specific double-strand break (DSB) at a target locus, but it is unclear whether ZFNs can induce DSBs and stimulate genome editing at a clinically meaningful level in vivo. Here we show that ZFNs are able to induce DSBs efficiently when delivered directly to mouse liver and that, when co-delivered with an appropriately designed gene-targeting vector, they can stimulate gene replacement through both homology-directed and homology-independent targeted gene insertion at the ZFN-specified locus. The level of gene targeting achieved was sufficient to correct the prolonged clotting times in a mouse model of haemophilia B, and remained persistent after induced liver regeneration. Thus, ZFN-driven gene correction can be achieved in vivo, raising the possibility of genome editing as a viable strategy for the treatment of genetic disease.     

Kuramoto - Sivashinsky型方程的广义Hermite谱方法

对广义KS方程建立全离散的广义Hermite谱逼近格式,对离散格式进行先验估计,并证明离散格式关于初值的稳定性.利用广义Hermite函数的某些逼近结果,证明离散格式的收敛性,并得到近似解的误差阶.     

水合锰(Ⅱ)结构的量子化学和ABEEM/MM研究

应用新一代可极化分子力场——原子-键电负性均衡浮动电荷分子力场ABEEM/MM,结合精密量子化学方法, 构建了精确的Mn²⁺-H₂O 相互作用的势能函数, 确定了相关参数.将该势能函数用于计算[Mn(H₂O)_n]²⁺(n=1~12)的结构和结合能, 得到了与量子化学一致的结果. 进一步对Mn²⁺水溶液进行ABEEM/MM 动力学模拟, 得到的Mn²⁺–O 径向分布函数的第一和第二最高峰分别处于0.218 和0.435 nm 处, 积分得到第一和第二水合层的配位水分子数分别为7.03 和17.74; 对于O–Mn²⁺–O 角度分布函数, 其第一和第二最高峰分别位于80°和140°附近, 这些结果与实验和其他理论方法的结果有很好的一致性. Mn²⁺的极化作用使得第一水合层中水分子的键长明显增长, 键角明显减小; 而Mn²⁺对第二水合层及外层水分子的结构影响较小. 分析体系的电荷分布表明, 与ABEEM-7P 纯水相比, Mn²⁺水溶液中参与形成氢键的氢原子和孤对电子的电荷变化较大, 且Mn²⁺和其邻近的水分子间存在明显的电荷转移.     

耐高温垂直取向FePt 连续薄膜的表面形貌与磁性

用磁控溅射法在加热到400℃的MgO(001)单晶基片上沉积了总厚度为25 nm 的[Fe(0.6 nm)/Fe_30.5Pt_69.5(1.9 nm)]₁₀ 多层连续薄膜, 总成分配比为Fe₅₀Pt₅₀. 然后对其在[500, 900]℃温度范围进行真空热处理, 分析了热处理温度对薄膜表面形貌、晶体结构以及磁特性的影响. 结果表明, 在加热基片上生长的FePt 薄膜, 层间已经发生扩散, 形成无序的A1 相. 经过700℃以上的高温热处理, 薄膜转变为具有(001)织构的L1₀相FePt 合金, 易磁化轴沿垂直于膜面的方向, 有序度大于0.85, 单轴磁晶各向异性能约2.7×10⁷ erg/cc. 利用扩散后残存的周期性微弱成分起伏, 可以使薄膜在800℃以下保持形貌连续. 用原子力显微镜对薄膜表面进行观察证实, 在780℃进行热处理, 薄膜的表面最平整. 这种优质的连续薄膜可以应用于微加工制作超高密度垂直磁记录阵列介质.     

概率论与数理统计学习策略的统计分析

采用问卷调查和考试的方法进行调查分析,研究了学习策略对概率论与数理统计学习成绩的影响.结果发现,学习策略和概率论与数理统计学习成绩密切相关,学习策略对概率论与数理统计学习成绩影响显著,学习策略对概率论与数理统计学习成绩有预测作用.     

Grains and grain boundaries in single-layer graphene atomic patchwork quilts

The properties of polycrystalline materials are often dominated by the size of their grains and by the atomic structure of their grain boundaries. These effects should be especially pronounced in two-dimensional materials, where even a line defect can divide and disrupt a crystal. These issues take on practical significance in graphene, which is a hexagonal, two-dimensional crystal of carbon atoms. Single-atom-thick graphene sheets can now be produced by chemical vapour deposition on scales of up to metres, making their polycrystallinity almost unavoidable. Theoretically, graphene grain boundaries are predicted to have distinct electronic, magnetic, chemical and mechanical properties that strongly depend on their atomic arrangement. Yet because of the five-order-of-magnitude size difference between grains and the atoms at grain boundaries, few experiments have fully explored the graphene grain structure. Here we use a combination of old and new transmission electron microscopy techniques to bridge these length scales. Using atomic-resolution imaging, we determine the location and identity of every atom at a grain boundary and find that different grains stitch together predominantly through pentagon-heptagon pairs. Rather than individually imaging the several billion atoms in each grain, we use diffraction-filtered imaging to rapidly map the location, orientation and shape of several hundred grains and boundaries, where only a handful have been previously reported. The resulting images reveal an unexpectedly small and intricate patchwork of grains connected by tilt boundaries. By correlating grain imaging with scanning probe and transport measurements, we show that these grain boundaries severely weaken the mechanical strength of graphene membranes but do not as drastically alter their electrical properties. These techniques open a new window for studies on the structure, properties and control of grains and grain boundaries in graphene and other two-dimensional materials.     

Leadership, social capital and incentives promote successful fisheries

One billion people depend on seafood as their primary source of protein and 25% of the world's total animal protein comes from fisheries. Yet a third of fish stocks worldwide are overexploited or depleted. Using individual case studies, many have argued that community-based co-management should prevent the tragedy of the commons because cooperative management by fishers, managers and scientists often results in sustainable fisheries. However, general and multidisciplinary evaluations of co-management regimes and the conditions for social, economic and ecological success within such regimes are lacking. Here we examine 130 co-managed fisheries in a wide range of countries with different degrees of development, ecosystems, fishing sectors and type of resources. We identified strong leadership as the most important attribute contributing to success, followed by individual or community quotas, social cohesion and protected areas. Less important conditions included enforcement mechanisms, long-term management policies and life history of the resources. Fisheries were most successful when at least eight co-management attributes were present, showing a strong positive relationship between the number of these attributes and success, owing to redundancy in management regulations. Our results demonstrate the critical importance of prominent community leaders and robust social capital, combined with clear incentives through catch shares and conservation benefits derived from protected areas, for successfully managing aquatic resources and securing the livelihoods of communities depending on them. Our study offers hope that co-management, the only realistic solution for the majority of the world's fisheries, can solve many of the problems facing global fisheries.     

Vernier templating and synthesis of a 12-porphyrin nano-ring

Templates are widely used to arrange molecular components so they can be covalently linked into complex molecules that are not readily accessible by classical synthetic methods. Nature uses sophisticated templates such as the ribosome, whereas chemists use simple ions or small molecules. But as we tackle the synthesis of larger targets, we require larger templates-which themselves become synthetically challenging. Here we show that Vernier complexes can solve this problem: if the number of binding sites on the template, n(T), is not a multiple of the number of binding sites on the molecular building blocks, n(B), then small templates can direct the assembly of relatively large Vernier complexes where the number of binding sites in the product, n(P), is the lowest common multiple of n(B) and n(T) (refs 8, 9). We illustrate the value of this concept for the covalent synthesis of challenging targets by using a simple six-site template to direct the synthesis of a 12-porphyrin nano-ring with a diameter of 4.7?nm, thus establishing Vernier templating as a powerful new strategy for the synthesis of large monodisperse macromolecules.     

Glutamate induces de novo growth of functional spines in developing cortex

Mature cortical pyramidal neurons receive excitatory inputs onto small protrusions emanating from their dendrites called spines. Spines undergo activity-dependent remodelling, stabilization and pruning during development, and similar structural changes can be triggered by learning and changes in sensory experiences. However, the biochemical triggers and mechanisms of de novo spine formation in the developing brain and the functional significance of new spines to neuronal connectivity are largely unknown. Here we develop an approach to induce and monitor de novo spine formation in real time using combined two-photon laser-scanning microscopy and two-photon laser uncaging of glutamate. Our data demonstrate that, in mouse cortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, glutamate is sufficient to trigger de novo spine growth from the dendrite shaft in a location-specific manner. We find that glutamate-induced spinogenesis requires opening of NMDARs (N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptors) and activation of protein kinase A (PKA) but is independent of calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) receptors. Furthermore, newly formed spines express glutamate receptors and are rapidly functional such that they transduce presynaptic activity into postsynaptic signals. Together, our data demonstrate that early neural connectivity is shaped by activity in a spatially precise manner and that nascent dendrite spines are rapidly functionally incorporated into cortical circuits.