ALBERT

Description: We present a high-resolution record of lacustrine sedimentation spanning ca. 30 000 to 9000 cal. a BP from Onepoto maar, northern North Island, New Zealand. The multi-proxy record of environmental change is constrained by tephrochronology and accelerator mass spectrometric 14 C ages and provides evidence for episodes of rapid environmental change during the Last Glacial Coldest Period (LGCP) and Last Glacial–Interglacial Transition (LGIT) from northern New Zealand. The multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental record from Onepoto indicates that the LGCP was cold, dry and windy in the Auckland region, with vegetation dominated by herb and grass in a beech forest mosaic between ca. 28 500 and 18 000 cal. a BP. The LGCP was accompanied by more frequent fires and influx of clastic sediment indicating increased erosion during the LGCP, with a mid-LGCP interstadial identified between ca. 25 000 and 23 000 cal. a BP. Rapid climate amelioration at ca. 18 000 cal. a BP was accompanied by increased terrestrial biomass exemplified by the expansion of lowland podocarp forest, especially Dacrydium cupressinum . Increasing biomass production is reversed briefly by LGIT perturbations which are apparent in many of the proxies that span ca. 14 000–10 500 cal. a BP, suggesting generally increased wetness and higher in situ aquatic plant productivity with reduced terrestrial organic matter and terrigenous detrital influx. Furthermore, conditions at that time were probably warmer and frosts rare based on the increasing importance of Ascarina . The subsequent early Holocene is characterised by podocarp conifer forest and moist mild conditions. Postglacial sea-level rise breached the crater rim and deposited 36 m of estuarine mud after ca. 9000 cal. a BP. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Dissolved inorganic carbon isotope (δ 13 C DIC ) is an important tool to reveal the carbon cycle in lake systems. However, there are only few studies focusing on the spatial variation of δ 13 C DIC of closed lakes. Here we analyze the characteristics of δ 13 C DIC of 24 sampled lakes (mainly closed lakes) across the Qiangtang Plateau (QTP) and identify the driving factors for its spatial variation. The δ 13 C DIC value of these observed lakes varies in the range of -15.0‰ 3.2‰, with an average value of -1.2‰. The δ 13 C DIC value in closed lakes is close to the atmospheric isotopic equilibrium value, much higher than that in rivers and freshwater lakes reported before. The high δ 13 C DIC value of closed lakes is mainly attributed to the significant contribution of carbonate weathering in the catchment and the evasion of dissolved CO 2 induced by the strong evaporation of lake water. The δ 13 C DIC value of closed lakes has a logarithmic correlation with water chemistry (TDS, DIC and pCO 2 ), also suggesting that the evapo-concentration of lake water can influence the δ 13 C DIC value. The δ 13 C DIC value shows two opposite logarithmic correlations with lake size depending on the δ 13 C DIC range. This study suggests that the δ 13 C in carbonates in lacustrine sediments can be taken as an indicator of lake volume variation in closed lakes on QTP. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Angiotensin II (Ang II), a biologically active peptide of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS), plays an important role in promoting cell migration via Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). In this study, we examined the mechanisms by which Ang II affected cell migration in AT1R-positive MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Ang II increased cell migration and expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2,-9 in a dose-dependent manner. Ang II-mediated cell migration was reduced by specific blocking of MMP-2 and MMP-9, as well as with pretreatment with inhibitors of AT1R, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and NF-κB. Similarly, Ang II-mediated expression of MMP-2,-9 was downregulated by pretreatment with inhibitors of AT1R and PI3K. In addition, Ang II treatment significantly induced phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and resulted in increased NF-κB activity. These findings suggest that Ang II activates the AT1R/PI3K/Akt pathway, which further activates IKKα/β and NF-κB, resulting in enhanced expression of MMP-2,-9 and migration in human breast cancer cells. Therefore, targeting Ang II/AT1R/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling could be a novel anti-metastatic therapy for breast cancer. J. Cell. Physiol. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: Polycrystalline samples of San Carlos olivine were deformed at high-pressure (2.8–7.8 GPa), high-temperature (1153 to 1670 K), and strain rates between 7.10−6 and 3.10−5 s−1, using the D-DIA apparatus. Stress and strain were measured in situ using monochromatic X-rays diffraction and imaging, respectively. Based on the evolution of lattice strains with total bulk strain and texture development, we identified three deformation regimes, one at confining pressures below 3–4 GPa, one above 4 GPa, both below 1600 K, and one involving growth of diffracting domains associated with mechanical softening above ∼1600 K. The softening is interpreted as enhanced grain boundary migration and recovery. Below 1600 K, elasto-plastic self-consistent analysis suggests that below 3–4 GPa, deformation in olivine occurs with large contribution from the so-called “a-slip” system [100](010). Above ∼4 GPa, the contribution of the a-slip decreases relative to that of the “c-slip” [001](010). This conclusion is further supported by texture refinements. Thus for polycrystalline olivine, the evolution in slip systems found by previous studies may be progressive, starting from as low as 3–4 GPa and up to 8 GPa. During such a gradual change, activation volumes measured on polycrystalline olivine cannot be linked to a particular slip system straightforwardly. The quest for “the” activation volume of olivine at high pressure should cease at the expense of detailed work on the flow mechanisms implied. Such evolution in slip systems should also affect the interpretation of seismic anisotropy data in terms of upper mantle flow between 120 and 300 km depth.

Description: Questions Above-ground, below-ground and individual mass–density relationships for perennial herbs were examined along a natural precipitation gradient in northern Tibet. We asked: (1) how do the self-thinning exponents respond to variation in precipitation; and (2) what mechanisms drive the observed population self-thinning? Location The alpine grassland of northern Tibet. Methods Forty-seven fenced sites along a precipitation gradient were established and surveyed in 2011 and 2012. Data (geographic coordinates, elevation, and vegetation information) were collected for Stipa purpurea populations at each site. Population self-thinning exponents were estimated using reduced major axis regression. Results The self-thinning exponents for below-ground (−1.27, −0.47) and individual biomass (−1.26, −0.46) increased with increasing mean annual precipitation, but those for above-ground biomass decreased with precipitation (0.18, −0.25). Soil resources (moisture and nutrients) are a more important constraining factor for below-ground components than light is for above-ground components. Root competition for below-ground resources dominated in S .  purpurea population self-thinning. The driving force of density regulation changed from above-ground competition to below-ground competition with increased drought stress. Our results indicate that an increased root/shoot ratio was linked to enhanced below-ground competition and weakened above-ground competition. Our study further confirmed the hypothesis that plant populations in different environments exhibit different biomass allocation patterns, which, in turn, leads to different biomass–density relationships. Conclusions Our study revealed the mechanisms of population self-thinning for perennial herbs in the extreme environment of northern Tibet, where below-ground processes play a critical role in regulating population self-thinning. Our study also advances understanding of the interactions between above- and below-ground processes, providing baseline knowledge useful for local grassland management. Above–ground, below–ground and individual mass–density relationships for Stipa purpurea populations were examined along a natural precipitation gradient in Northern Tibet. Our study revealed the mechanisms of population self–thinning for perennial herbs in the extreme environment of Northern Tibet, where below–ground process plays a critical role in regulating population self–thinning.

Description: The elasticity of Al-bearing stishovite with 1.0, 3.3 and 4.5 wt.% Al 2 O 3 were investigated in the multi-anvil apparatus at high pressures and temperatures up to 21 GPa and 1700 K, by ultrasonic interferometry in conjunction with in situ X-ray techniques. The moduli K S and G are found to decrease with increasing Al 2 O 3 content, while their pressure and temperature derivatives do not change in a significant manner for 1.0 and 3.3 wt.% Al 2 O 3 . The temperature derivatives for 4.5 wt.% Al 2 O 3 , however, are larger, which may result from a change in the Al substitution mechanism at high Al 2 O 3 content. It is shown that acoustic velocities of any Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt are lower by -0.4 % than those calculated from pure stishovite data. Velocity perturbations up to -3.4 % ( V P ) and -4.2 % ( V S ) in subducted slabs are explained by the combination of the thermal equilibration ( ΔT ~600 K) of the slab and Al-enrichment in stishovite.

Description: [1]  The mass balance in the Inner Tibet Plateau (ITP) derived from satellite gravimetry (GRACE) showed a positive rate that was attributed to the glacier mass gain, whereas glaciers in the region, from other field-based studies, showed an overall mass loss. In this study, we examine lake's water level and mass changes in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and suggest that the increased mass measured by GRACE was predominately due to the increased water mass in lakes. For the 200 lakes in the TP with 4 to 7 years of ICESat data available, the mean lake level and total mass change rates were +0.14 m/year and +4.95 Gt/year, respectively. Compared those in the TP, 118 lakes in the ITP showed higher change rates (+0.20 m/year and +4.28 Gt/year), accounting for 59% area and 86% mass increase of the 200 lakes. The lake's mass increase rate in the ITP explains the 61% increased mass (~7 Gt/year) derived from GRACE [ Jacob et al ., 2012], while it only accounts for 53% of the total lake area in the ITP.

Description: The relationships between cover and AGB for the dominant and widely distributed alpine grasslands on the northern Tibetan Plateau is still not fully examined. The objectives of this study are to answer the following question: (1) How does aboveground biomass (AGB) of alpine grassland relate to plant cover at different spatial scales? (2) What are the major biotic and abiotic factors influencing on AGB–cover relationship? A community survey (species, cover, height, and abundance) was conducted within 1 m × 1 m plots in 70 sites along a precipitation gradient of 50–600 m. Ordinary linear regression was employed to examine AGB–cover relationships of both community and species levels at regional scale of entire grassland and landscape scale of alpine meadow, alpine steppe, and desert steppe. Hierarchical partitioning was employed to estimate independent contributions of biotic and abiotic factors to AGB and cover at both scales. Partial correlation analyses were used to discriminate the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on AGB–cover relationships at two spatial scales. AGB and community cover both exponentially increased along the precipitation gradient. At community level, AGB was positively and linearly correlated with cover for all grasslands except for alpine meadow. AGB was also linearly correlated with cover of species level at both regional and landscape scales. Contributions of biotic and abiotic factors to the relationship between AGB and cover significantly depended on spatial scales. Cover of cushions, forbs, legumes and sedges, species richness, MAP, and soil bulk density were important factors that influenced the AGB–cover relationship at either regional or landscape scale. This study indicated generally positive and linear relationships between AGB and cover are at both regional and landscape scales. Spatial scale may affect ranges of cover and modify the contribution of cover to AGB. AGB–cover relationships were influenced mainly by species composition of different functional groups. Therefore, in deriving AGB patterns at different spatial scales, community composition should be considered to obtain acceptable accuracy. This study indicated generally positive and linear relationships between AGB and cover are at both regional and landscape scales, and suggested that in deriving AGB patterns at different spatial scales, community composition and related environmental factors should be considered to obtain acceptable accuracy.

Description: ABSTRACT Effects of climate change on vegetation greenness have attracted considerable attention in the context of global change; however, the dependence of such climatic effects on elevation remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine the relationship between vegetation greenness change and climate change and, in particular, characterize how this relationship changes with elevation in the high mountains of southwest China by using the remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and observed temperature and precipitation data sets for the period of 1982–2013. The results show that vegetation exhibited a greening trend (slope: 0.0008 year −1 , p  〈 0.01) under climate warming (slope: 0.04 °C year −1 , p  〈 0.01) and drying (slope: −2.47 mm year −1 , p  〉 0.05). The vegetation greening and climate warming trends were stronger in the higher elevation plateaus than in the lower elevation mountains. Statistical analysis showed that temperature was the main driving factor on vegetation greening, and the driving effect was elevation-dependent. A substantially more significant correlation between climate warming and vegetation greening was found in the higher elevation plateaus, which reveals a higher temperature sensitivity of these plateaus. In addition, a significant correlation between inter-annual standard deviations of NDVI and precipitation during 1982–2013 was tracked over the entire study area. Map of the high mountains of southwest China showing the elevation pattern, landform distributions (a) and different vegetation types (b). The simple hatch indicates elevation below 1000 m above sea level.

Description: Asia's high plateaus are sensitive to climate change and have been experiencing rapid warming over the past few decades. We found 99 new lakes and extensive lake expansion on the Tibetan Plateau during the last four decades, 1970–2013, due to increased precipitation and cryospheric contributions to its water balance. This contrasts with disappearing lakes and drastic shrinkage of lake areas on the adjacent Mongolian Plateau: 208 lakes disappeared and 75% of the remaining lakes have shrunk. We detected a statistically significant coincidental timing of lake area changes in both plateaus, associated with the climate regime shift that occurred during 1997/1998. This distinct change in 1997/1998 is thought to be driven by large-scale atmospheric circulation changes in response to climate warming. Our findings reveal that these two adjacent plateaus have been changing in opposite directions in response to climate change. These findings shed light on the complex role of the regional climate and water cycles, and provide useful information for ecological and water resource planning in these fragile landscapes.