ALBERT

Description: Spatial heterogeneity of soil has great impacts on dynamic processes of the hydrological systems. However, it is challenging and expensive to obtain spatial distribution of soil hydraulic properties, which often requires extensive soil sampling and observations and intensive laboratory analyses, especially in high elevation, hard to access mountainous areas. This study evaluates the impacts of soil heterogeneity on hydrological process in a high elevation, topographically complex watershed in Northwest China. Two approaches were used to derive the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties in the study watershed: 1) The spatial clustering method, Full-Order-CLK was used to determine five soil heterogeneous clusters (Configurations 97, 80, 65, 40, and 20) through large number of soil sampling and in situ observations; and 2) The average values of soil hydraulic properties for each soil type were derived from the coarse provincial soil datasets (Gansu Soil Handbook at 1:1, 000, 000 scale). Subsequently, SWAT model was used to quantify the impact of the spatial heterogeneity of soil hydraulic properties on hydrological process in the study watershed. Results show the simulations by SWAT with the spatially clustered soil hydraulic information from the field sampling data had much better representation of the soil heterogeneity and more accurate performance than the model using the average soil property values for each soil type derived from the coarse soil datasets. Thus, incorporating detailed field sampling soil heterogeneity data greatly improves performance in hydrological modeling. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: To improve the ablation resistance of PIP-C/ SiC composites, zirconium carbide ( ZrC )-modified SiC coating was prepared by chemical vapor deposition combined with slurry painting, then the ablation capability of the coated composites was tested under an oxy-acetylene torch. Compared with the uncoated composites, linear and mass ablation rates of the coated composites decreased by 73.6% and 76.4%, respectively. The formation of zirconia from the oxidation of ZrC improved the ablation resistance of the composites because of anti-oxidation performance, which absorbed heat from the flame and reduced erosive attack to C / SiC composites. Zirconia also acted as an accelerator for carbon fiber oxidation as it reacted with carbon during ablation. The heterogeneous reactions controlled the ablation of the composites.

Description: A chiral helical coordination polymer [Ag(pmta)] n ( 1 ) was prepared by the reaction of the asymmetric organic spacer 2-pyrimidylthioacetic acid (Hpmta) with silver(I) acetate. Complex 1 has a hetero-chiral coaxial helical structure, which is further extended into a 2D network structure by various supramolecular interactions. Furthermore, complex 1 exhibits strong fluorescence emission in the solid state and modest power second-harmonic-generation (SHG) efficiency at room temperature.

Description: Shenzhen, as the first special economic zone in the world, has been in the process of rapid urbanization for 30 years. Many special economic zones have been established in China and other nations following Shenzhen's experience. However, Shenzhen has attained significant economic development with an attendant cost of environmental degradation, and similar results may be seen in other zones in the future. Here we use a pollution index method to evaluate the effect of such rapid urban development on the surface water quality in Shenzhen from 1991 to 2008. Rapid urbanization has affected surface water quality, but environmental policies can mitigate some of these effects, although such policy-induced improvements required some time before showing efficacy. As their use of special economic zones proliferates worldwide, greater consideration of the potential effects on water quality, and their overall sustainability, must receive greater attention.

Description: Scandium fluoride ( ScF 3 ) belongs to one of the rare compounds which exhibit isotropic negative thermal expansion. Here, a facile and environmentally friendly hydrothermal synthesis method has been presented. High-quality single-crystalline ScF 3 cubes, with an average size of 200 nm, can be easily fabricated in a large scale. Sc (NO 3 ) 3 and NH 4 HF 2 were used as precursors. The as-prepared ScF 3 demonstrates cubic symmetry ( Pm -3  m ), which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and selected-area electron diffraction. Its uniform morphology and size were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, thermal analysis was also performed in argon gas atmosphere to investigate its thermal stability.

Description: A chiral helical coordination polymer [Ag(pmta)] n ( 1 ) was prepared by the reaction of the asymmetric organic spacer 2-pyrimidylthioacetic acid (Hpmta) with silver(I) acetate. Complex 1 has a hetero-chiral coaxial helical structure, which is further extended into a 2D network structure by various supramolecular interactions. Furthermore, complex 1 exhibits strong fluorescence emission in the solid state and modest power second-harmonic-generation (SHG) efficiency at room temperature.

Description: ABSTRACT Monitoring the spatial distribution of reference evapotranspiration (ET 0 ) and quantifying temporal variations offer valuable information about hydrology, irrigation water requirements and water resources management. Under climate warming and Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) impoundment conditions, it is critical to survey the ET 0 variation in the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA) China. Temporal and spatial patterns in ET 0 over the TGRA were investigated for the period 1960–2013, based on daily data from 41 meteorological stations. The Mann–Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator were used to examine ET 0 trend. The presence of abrupt changes was checked using the Pettitt test, moving t -test (MTT) and cumulative sum (CUSUM) method. The spatial distribution of the mean annual ET 0 in the TGRA for 1960–2013 shows an east–west gradient structure with low ET 0 in the area south of the TGR (STGR) and high ET 0 in the area downstream of TGR (DTGR). The spatial distribution for post-dam period is similar to that for 1960–2013. Abrupt changes of annual ET 0 over the TGRA occurred in 1982. These changes were mainly related to climate warming in TGRA during the 1980s. ET 0 in the region exhibited an obvious decreasing trend until the early 1980s (1982), at a rate of −1.41 mm a −1 . However, the downward trend reversed in 1982, followed by a rate of increase of 1.11 mm a −1 . For the whole period of 1960–2013, the overall decreasing trend in TGRA was mainly due to downward trend in 1960–1982. During the post-dam period, the upward trends are still more pronounced. The TGR may have some effects on ET 0 at stations that lie in or near the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in some cases. However, there is no evidence to indicate that the TGD would affect other locations. In general, ET 0 variation is more related to climate change rather than dam-related changes.

Description: The endosymbiont Wolbachia has been detected in a few parthenogenetic collembolans sampled in Europe and America, including three species of Poduromorpha, two species of Entomobryomorpha, and two species of Neelipleona. Based on 16S rRNA and ftsZ gene sequences, most of the Wolbachia infecting parthenogenetic collembolans were characterized as members of supergroup E and showed concordant phylogeny with their hosts. However, the two neelipleonan symbionts form another unique group, indicating that Wolbachia has infected parthenogenetic collembolans multiple times. In this study, five parthenogenetic collembolan species were identified as hosts of Wolbachia , and four new Wolbachia strains were reported for four collembolan species sampled in China, respectively, including a neelipleonan strain from Megalothorax incertus ( w Minc). Our results demonstrated that the Wolbachia multilocus sequence typing (MLST) system is superior to the 16S rRNA +  ftsZ approach for phylogenetic analyses of collembolan Wolbachia . The MLST system assigned these Wolbachia of parthenogenetic collembolans to supergroup E as a unique clade, which included w Minc, supporting the monophyletic origin of Wolbachia in parthenogenetic collembolan species. Moreover, our data suggested supergroup E as one of the most divergent lineages in Wolbachia and revealed the discrepancy between the phylogenies of Wolbachia from parthenogenetic collembolans and their hosts, which may result from the high level of genetic divergence between collembolan Wolbachia , in association with the geographic differentiation of their hosts, or the possible horizontal transmission of Wolbachia between different collembolan species. This is the first report on Wolbachia infection in collembolan species sampled in China, covering the symbionts of neelipleonan species for which phylogenetic position has not been determined yet. With the Wolbachia multilocus sequence typing (MLST) system, all the five Wolbachia strains newly recovered from parthenogenetic collembolans were assigned to supergroup E as a unique clade, supporting the monophyletic origin of Wolbachia in parthenogenetic collembolan species. Moreover, our data revealed the discrepancy between the phylogenies of Wolbachia and parthenogenetic collembolans, which may result from the high level of genetic divergence between collembolan Wolbachia , in association with the geographic differentiation of their hosts or the possible horizontal transmission of Wolbachia between different collembolan species.

Description: HER2 (ErbB2) has been reported to be overexpressed in 20–30% of breast cancer and confers poor survival because of high proliferation and metastasis rates. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that are responsible for the posttranscriptional regulation of target genes. We found miR-199b-5p inhibited HER2 expression by direct targeting its 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) in breast cancer cells. In addition, miR-199b-5p inhibited HER2 downstream signaling by ERK1/2 and AKT pathways in breast cancer cells. Besides, transwell migration, wound healing and clonogenicity were obviously inhibited by overexpression of miR-199b-5p in HER2-positive breast cancer cells. We also found that miR-199b-5p could enhance the suppression of trastuzumab on cell migration and clonogenicity. These results suggest that miR-199b-5p may have the potential to be a novel important alternative therapeutic target for HER2-positive breast cancer. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.