Late Mesozoic metamorphic core complexes: new constraints on lithosphere thinning in North China

Metamorphic core complexes (mcc’s) are among the most prominent structural styles of lithosphere extension and thinning during late Mesozoic in North China. In this paper, the geometrical, kinematic and age characteristics of some of the mcc’s, e.g. Liaonan, Waziyu (Yiwulüshan), Yunmengshan, etc., are discussed. Some common characteristics, such as kinematic polarity, geometric asymmetry, occurrence over a time span, scattered and isolated distribution, and progressive development, can provide direct constraints on the regional lithosphere extension and thinning in North China, which does not favor the prevailing plume model，a general delamination model or extensional collapse of overthickened orogenic crust. We argue that several aspects, such as the kinematic polarity at depths during lithosphere extension, gradual break-up of lithosphere plate, relationship between magmatism and regional extension, and coeval activity of mcc’s and Tan Lu fault, should be taken into consideration when constructing a more reasonable model for lithosphere extension and thinning in North China.     

A novel multi-functional cell-based microphysiometer

This paper presents a novel multi-functional microphysiometer for simultaneous measurements of several extracellular ion concentrations and action potential measurement in living cells based on MLAPS (multi-light addressable potentiometric sensor). In the microphysiometer, sorts of sensitive membranes are illuminated in parallel with n light sources at working frequencies, and the response amplitudes of each frequency component can be measured on-line by parallel processing algorithm. In the experiments, the relations of the extracellular environmental H⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ under the effects of western medicines (dilantin, phenobarbital sodium) and Chinese drugs (scutellaria, medlar, hemlock parsley) were analyzed, and the effects of several drugs were evaluated. Moreover, the action potential signals of different cell types (cardiac myocytes and neurons) could be measured and analyzed by LAPS. By detecting these parameters, the system can monitor the real-time process of the cell metabolism and action potential, observe the functional responses of different kinds of membrane-bound receptors, and evaluate the activities of drugs.     

Optimal motion planning of an underactuated spacecraft using wavelet approximate method

An optimal motion planning scheme using wavelet approximation is proposed for an underactuated spacecraft. The motion planning of an underactuated spacecraft can be formulated as an optimal control of a drift-free system. A cost functional is used to incorporate the control energy and the final state errors. The motion planning is to determine control inputs to minimize the cost functional. Using the method of wavelet, one can transform an infinite-dimensional optimal control problem to a finite-dimensional one and use Gauss-Newton algorithm to solve it for a feasible trajectory which satisfies nonholonomic constraints. The proposed scheme has been applied to a rigid spacecraft with two momentum wheels. The numerical simulation results indicate that optimal control with wavelet approximation is an effective approach to steering an underactuated spacecraft system from the initial configuration to the final configuration.     

Sequencing of phosphopeptides sulfonated by 4-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate using post-source decay matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation is probably the most common and important reversible post-translational modification of proteins. Analyzing the functional effects of phosphorylation is helpful for understanding the biological functions of proteins. Identification of the phosphorylation sites of phosphorylated protein is a prerequisite for research on phosphorylation. In this work, an effective and simple method of identification of protein phosphorylation sites has been developed. Phosphopeptides were selectively enriched with immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and subsequently chemically modified by 4-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate, and then the chemically modified phosphopeptides were sequenced with post-source decay (PSD) matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry for detecting phosphorylation sites. The charge of derivatization by 4-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate introduces a negative sulfonic acid group at the N-terminus of a peptide, and enables the selective detection of only a single series of C-terminal y-type ions. This chemically assisted method greatly simplifies the extremely complex pattern of PSD fragment ions and makes the PSD spectra more easier to be interpreted. The phosphorylation sites of a synthesized model phosphopeptide and human c-myc protein have been successfully identified by this method.     

Gene flow from genetically modified herbicide-resistant rapeseed to cruciferous weeds

The sexual compatibility between genetically modified (GM) glyphosate-resistant rapeseed variety Q3 (Brassica napus L.) and 5 cruciferous weeds is studied through the observation of fluorescence microscopy and cross-fertility after manual pollination. The results indicated that Q3 (as male) was highly incompatible with Thlaspi arvense L., Capsella bursa?pastoris (L.) Medic, Cardamine hirsuta L. and Rorippa palustris (L.) Besser (as female). Fluorescence microscopic observation showed that growing of pollen tubes terminated on the stigma surface or at the upper 1/3 part of the style. However, B. juncea×Q3 was compatible, and the compatibility index was 1.65. Under the neighboring growth and natural pollination conditions, the rates of gene flow from Q3 to T. arvense, C. bursa-pastoris, C. hirsute and R. palustris were all 0, while it was 0.86% for B. juncea. These results indicate that there is difference in the rate of gene flow between GM rapeseed and cruciferous wild weeds, and frequency of gene flow is highly correlated with sexual compatibility.     

Numerical investigation on the self-excited oscillation of wet steam flow in a supersonic turbine cascade

The self-excited flow oscillation due to supercritical heat addition during the condensation process in wet steam turbine is an important issue. With an Eulerian/Eulerian model, the self-excited oscillation of wet steam flow in a supersonic turbine cascade is investigated. A proper inlet supercooling results in the transition from steady flow to self-excited oscillating flow in the cascade of steam turbine. The frequency dependency on the inlet supercooling is not monotonic. The flow oscillation leads to non-synchronous periodical variation of the inlet and outlet mass flow rate. The aerodynamic force on the blade varies periodically due to the self-excited flow oscillation. With the frequency lies between 18.1?80.64 Hz, the oscillating flow is apt to act with the periodical variation of the inlet supercooling due to stator rotor interaction in a syntonic pattern, and results in larger aerodynamic force on the blade. The loss in the oscillating flow increases 20.64% compared with that in the steady flow.     

Discovery of the budding phosphatized globular fossils from the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation at Weng’an, Guizhou Province, China

There is much debate on biological affinities of the phosphatized globular fossils from the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo phosphorites at Weng’an, Guizhou Province. Here we report for the first time the budding structures of some of these globular fossils, which have previously been interpreted as the resting eggs and early cleavage embryos of metazoans. The budding structures are similar to the germinating tubes of the spore and zygote of living algae, suggesting that some globular fossils from the Doushantuo phosphorites bear affinity with algae. The present new information indicated various biological affinity of the phosphatized globular fossils from the Doushantuo phosphorites.     

Parameterization for fitting triangular mesh

In recent years, with the development of 3D data acquisition equipments, the study on reverse engineering has become more and more important. However, the existing methods for parameterization can hardly ensure that the parametric domain is rectangular, and the parametric curve grid is regular. In order to overcome these limitations, we present a novel method for parameterization of triangular meshes in this paper. The basic idea is twofold: first, because the isotherms in the steady temperature do not intersect with each other, and are distributed uniformly, no singularity (fold-over) exists in the parameterization; second, a 3D harmonic equation is solved by the finite element method to obtain the steady temperature field on a 2D triangular mesh surface with four boundaries. Therefore, our proposed method avoids the embarrassment that it is impossible to solve the 2D quasi-harmonic equation on the 2D triangular mesh without the parametric values at mesh vertices. Furthermore, the isotherms on the temperature field are taken as a set of iso-parametric curves on the triangular mesh surface. The other set of iso-parametric curves can be obtained by connecting the points with the same chord-length on the isotherms sequentially. The obtained parametric curve grid is regular, and distributed uniformly, and can map the triangular mesh surface to the unit square domain with boundaries of mesh surface to boundaries of parametric domain, which ensures that the triangular mesh surface or point cloud can be fitted with the NURBS surface.     

Microbial starch-binding domains are superior to granule-bound starch synthase I for anchoring luciferase to potato starch granules

Microbial starch-binding domains (SBD) and granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) are proteins which are accumulated in potato starch granules. The efficiency of SBD and GBSSI for targeting active luciferase reporter proteins to granules during starch biosynthesis was compared. GBSSI or SBD sequences were fused to the N- or C-terminus of the luciferase (LUC) gene, via an artificial Pro-Thr encoding linker sequence. The genes were introduced into an amylose-free (amf) potato mutant. It appeared that SBD was superior to GBSSI as a targeting sequence, mainly because the luciferase retained higher activity in the SBD-containing fusion proteins than in the GBSSI-containing ones.     

Abnormal high pressure in Kuqa foreland thrust belt of Tarim basin: Origin and impacts on hydrocarbon accumulation

Following analyses of the abnormal high pressure distribution characteristics, based on the geological characteristics, tectonic stress field and physical simulation, we investigated the formation mechanisms of abnormal high pressure and its impacts on hydrocarbon accumulation in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt. The abnormal high pressure appears at the bottom of the Paleogene and obviously exists in the Triassic and Jurassic. However, the pressure coefficient in the Triassic and Jurassic is lower than that in the Cretaceous and at the bottom of the Paleogene. Horizontally, the abnormal high pressure distribution is characterized by E-W orientation zoning. The maximum pressure coefficient lies in the Kelasu-Dongqiu-Dina tectonic zones in the center of the Kuqa foreland thrust belt and decreases away from the tectonic zones. The formation of abnormal high pressure was mainly related with the intense tectonic compression in the Early Pleistocene time, and tectonic uplifting, undercompaction and hydrocarbon generation were secondary factors contributing to abnormal high pressure. Under the rapid and intense tectonic compression in the Early Pleistocene, the rock framework firstly undertook 1/4 of the compression stress and the other was borne by the pore fluids. Due to the presence of great seal of gypsum-salt or gypsum-mudstone beds in the Paleogene, the pressure of pore fluids increased rapidly and led to the abnormal high pressure in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt. The abnormal high pressure has important impacts on hydrocarbon accumulation. It is one of the necessary conditions for formation of large oil and gas fields in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt.