ALBERT

Description: This article is a brief summary of my plenary talk at the World Biomaterials Congress in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, June 1–5, 2012. It highlights the trend to design and develop biomaterial implants and devices that are more compact and more efficient, as they “shrink” from the macro- to the micro- and down to the nano-scale.

Description: To develop a new composite adsorbent with high performance, fir sawdust and CaCl 2 are selected as raw materials. The mass transfer is enhanced by carbonizing and activating the sawdust and heat transfer is enhanced by adding expanded graphite into the adsorbent. The effect of the preparation temperature and the expanded graphite content on the adsorption performance is investigated. The results show that the new adsorbent exhibits a high adsorption performance due to its high porosity, uniform distribution and high content of CaCl 2 and high thermal conductivity. Also, the experimental results indicate that the rate of ammonia adsorption on the adsorbent depends on the expanded graphite content and the carbonization and activation temperature. The adsorbent prepared at 500°C and with the expanded graphite content of 30% has the best performance in terms of the adsorption refrigeration, which adsorbs ammonia as high as 0.37 g g −1 at 10 min.

Description: Highly c -axis-oriented GaN films were deposited on Ti coated glass substrates using low temperature electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition system (ECR-PEMOCVD) with trimethyl gallium (TMGa) as gallium source. The influence of TMGa flux on the properties of GaN films were systematically investigated by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman scattering. The GaN film with small surface roughness and high c -axis preferred orientation was successfully achieved at the optimized TMGa flux of 1.0 sccm. The ohmic contact characteristic between GaN and Ti layer was clearly demonstrated by the near-linear current-voltage ( I–V ) curve. The GaN/Ti/glass structure has great potential to dramatically improve the scalability and reduce the cost of solid-state lighting light emitting diodes.

Description: The effect of microstructure and surface chemistry on nicotine adsorption capacity of almond-shell-based activated carbon was studied. Almond-shell-based activated carbon was reactivated or modified with steam, ZnCl 2 and NaHSO 4 separately. The surface area and pore structure parameters of activated carbon were determined from the adsorption-desorption isotherm of nitrogen at 77 K. Boehm titration and FTIR were explored to determine the surface oxygen groups. The results revealed that nicotine adsorption from solution on carbons depend on the micropores and phenolic groups. A strong correlation between the amounts of adsorbed nicotine and the phenolic groups was observed, whereas the higher amounts of carboxylic groups decrease the nicotine adsorption capacity on activated carbons.

Description: The 12 May 2008 M s 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake caused notable changes in the water levels of wells in the Three Gorges area. This work examines the relationship between these co-seismic changes in water level and the changes in aquifer parameters. Three wells in the area with good responses to earth tide were chosen for analysis. Water-level data from February to June 2008 were used to calculate the aquifer transmissivity, permeability and specific storage of the rocks, and analyze the relationship between the co-seismic responses of the wells and their aquifer parameters. The results show that the Wenchuan earthquake changed these parameters considerably, thereby controlling co- and post-seismic variations of water level. The values of these parameters prior to the earthquake are linearly related with the amplitudes of co-seismic variations in water level. The larger the aquifer transmissivity, the more remarkable the co-seismic change in water level. During the earthquake, changes in aquifer parameters were found to be associated with co-seismic variations in water level, with the larger changes occurring when the co-seismic variation in water level was larger. The tectonic setting has a certain degree of influence on the co- and post-seismic changes in water level. The permeability structures of the fault zone appear to determine the manner of co-seismic variation in water level. Moreover, it seems that the water level in wells where groundwater converges more easily can recover faster following an earthquake. Insight from this study helps to improve understanding of the characteristics of water-level changes caused by earthquakes.

Description: The P2X 7 receptor (P2X 7 R) is an important member of the P2X family of ligand-gated ion channels that respond to ATP as the endogenous agonist. Studies suggest that P2X 7 R plays a potentially pivotal role in a variety of physiological functions, including peripheral and central neuronal transmission, smooth muscle contraction, and inflammation. Thus, P2X 7 R may be a potential target for drug development. Here, we used a FlexStation to examine the function of recombinant P2X 7 R stably expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and to compare three high-throughput screening assays: a membrane potential assay, an ethidium bromide uptake assay, and a calcium influx assay. We found that all three assays were suitable for the analysis of P2X 7 R, but the calcium influx assay was the most robust and is the best choice as a first high-throughput screening assay when embarking on a P2X 7 R drug discovery project.

Description: The wettability of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) films was modified using a combination of pulsed and continuous wave (CW) mode plasma. The combined mode effectively modified the wettability of BNNT films and kept the nanostructures intact. The BNNT films changed from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic after combined mode treatment at 600 W min. In contrast, the contact angle controllable decreased linearly in a controllable way with increasing energy input before eventually becoming superhydrophilic after 1000 W min of CW mode treatment. A high concentration of graft functional groups formed, along with point defects. More point defects formed when using combined modes and higher energy input. Mainly amine functional groups were grafted by combined mode plasma, while the CW mode plasma led to more formation of amide and imine on the BNNTs. Research into controllable wettability and selection of grafted functional groups should enable promising applications of BNNTs in composites and biology in the future.

Description: Controllable synthesis of uniform and single-crystalline CdMoO 4 nano-octahedra has been successfully realized at large-scale by a facile reverse-microemulsion route at room temperature. The structures, compositions and morphologies of the as-prepared products were characterized in detail by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. According to the thermochemical cycle, the relationship between the standard molar enthalpy of formation of nano-CdMoO 4 and bulk CdMoO 4 was proposed for the first time. In combination with micro-calorimetry, the standard molar enthalpies of formation at 298.15 K of as-ynthesized CdMoO 4 nano-octahedra were obtained.

Description: Endothelial cell therapy has been implicated to enhance tissue regeneration and vascularization in ischemic kidney. However, no published study has yet examined direct effects of endothelial cell treatment in kidney recovery. This study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of endothelial cells in a mouse model with acute kidney injury (AKI). Thus, human embryonic stem cells-derived endothelial cells (hESC-ECs) labeled with a reporter system encoding a double fusion reporter gene for firefly luciferase (Fluc) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) were characterized by Fluc imaging and immunofluoresence staining. Cultured hESC-ECs (1×10 6 ) were injected into ischemic kidney shortly after AKI. Survival of the transplanted hESC-ECs was monitored in vivo from day 1 to 14 after endothelial cell transplantation and potential impact of hESC-EC treatment on renal regeneration was assessed by histological analyses. We report that a substantial level of bioluminescence activity was detected 24 h after hESC-EC injection followed by a gradual decline from 1 to 14 d. Human ESC-ECs markedly accelerated kidney cell proliferation in response to ischaemia-induced damage, indicated by an elevated number of BrdU + cells. Co-expression of Sca-1, a kidney stem cell proliferation marker, and BrdU further suggested that the observed stimulation in renal cell regeneration was, at least in part, due to increased proliferation of renal resident stem cells especially within the medullary cords and arteriole. Differentiation of hESC-ECs to smooth muscle cells was also observed at an early stage of kidney recovery. In summary, our results suggest that endothelial cell therapy facilitates kidney recovery by promoting vascularization, trans-differentiation and endogenous renal stem cell proliferation in AKI.

Description: For about three decades, DNA-based nanotechnology has been undergoing development as an assembly method for nanostructured materials. The DNA origami method pioneered by Rothemund paved the way for the formation of 3D structures using DNA self assembly. The origami approach uses a long scaffold strand as the input for the self assembly of a few hundred staple strands into desired shapes. Herein, we present a 3D origami “roller” (75 nm in length) designed using caDNAno software. This has the potential to be used as a template to assemble nanoparticles into different pre-defined shapes. The “roller” was characterized with agarose gel electrophoresis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Description: The newly emerged adult females of Schistocerca gregaria were separated and kept in the rearing conditions without males to examine the detailed developmental characteristic of the no mating females and carefully observed the developmental progress of non-fertilised eggs laid by virgin females. The results showed that the females kept without males survived in average 43 d, i.e. 58% of the life span of mated controls, and laid correspondingly fewer egg pods. The size of egg batches, the weight of eggs, and their content of ecdysteroids were normal but the hatch rate was reduced to 18.27%. Blocks of early embryogenesis (58.43%) and hatching failures (23.29%) were the major causes of death. Moreover, most of the hatched insects died during the postembryonic development and only a few females reached the adult stage. All insects that developed until the penultimate or last larval instar or reached the adult stage were females.

Description: In this article, we present a deletion algorithm in the duality computer that deletes a marked state from an even superposition of all basis-states with certainty. This duality computer deletion algorithm requires a single query, and this achieves exponential speedup over classical algorithm. Using a duality mode and recycling quantum computing, we provide a realization of this duality computer deletion algorithm in quantum computer.

Description: Nano-opto-electronics for biomedicine is a developing interdisciplinary field. Related areas of this field are tried to be classified and outlined herein. Progresses in the different areas were reviewed based on the research development of the invited experts. Prospects of nano-opto-electronics for biomedicine are discussed.

Description: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a polypeptide incretin hormone that glucose-dependently promotes the secretion and synthesis of insulin. However, its half-life is extremely short. To enhance its half-life, we developed a long-acting GLP-1 derivative KTP with controlled release, designed on the basis of another GLP-1 derivative GP62. The kinetics and bioactivity of KTP were evaluated in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Long-term treatment of KTP was performed in db / db mice. Mice were treated twice daily with subcutaneous injections of KTP (1.2 mg/kg body weight), Exendin-4 (0.1 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle (phosphate buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.4) for 60 days. KTP had a longer half-life, as well as further increasing the secretion and production of insulin and reducing blood glucose concentrations, than GP62. Long-term treatment with KTP also induced anorexia, decreased water and food intake, decreased weight gain, improved blood glucose and blood lipid and ameliorated pancreatic damage and fatty liver in db / db mice.

Description: The trackway of a swimming theropod (ichnogenus Characichnos ) is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Feitianshan Formation of Sichuan, China. These swim tracks help confirm that non-avian theropods were capable of forging moderately deep bodies of water. The trackway occurs on the same surface as a typical walking trackway of a sauropod (ichnogenus Brontopodus ). Both occurrences are the first reported from the Cretaceous of Sichuan, and the swim tracks are the first well-preserved example of a Characichnos trackway from China. Additionally, a theropod walking trackway and several ornithopod walking trackways (similar to the ichnogenus Caririchnium ) occur in the same horizon. The ornithopod trackways show a parallel orientation, suggesting gregarious behavior of the trackmakers, which may have been iguanodontiforms and/or hadrosauriforms. The co-occurrence of theropod swim tracks and theropod walking tracks suggests a fluctuation of water depth within a distinct time span.

Description: The pubescence of the leaf blade surface is an important agronomic characteristic for rice morphology and significantly influences rice growth as well as physiological characteristics. This characteristic was analyzed in F 1 and F 2 plants derived by crossing cultivar 75-1-127 with the indica cultivar Minghui 63, as well as the glabrous cultivar Lemont and indica cultivar 9311. Results indicated that the pubescence of the leaf blade surface was a dominant trait and controlled by a single gene. The GL6 gene was primarily mapped on rice chromosome 6 with recessive F 2 population derived from 75-1-127/Minghui 63 by combining bulked segregation analysis and recessive class analysis using the Mapmaker3.0/MapDraw software. The genetic distances between the simple sequence repeat markers RM20491 and RM20547 were 7.2 and 2.2 cM, respectively. The GL6 gene was fine mapped in the interval between InDel-106 and InDel-115 at genetic distances of 0.3 and 0.1 cM, respectively. The large, recessive F 2 population was derived from 75-1-127/Minghui 63. A high-resolution genetic and physical map of GL6 was constructed. Derived from the map-based sequences published by the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project, the GL6 gene was localized at an interval of 79 ( japonica ) and 116.82 kb (9311) bracketed by InDel-106 and InDel-115 within the BAC accession numbers AP008403 and AP005760. Seven annotated genes ( japonica ) and eight annotated genes (9311) were present. The basis was further set for GL6 cloning and function analysis.

Description: An important and difficult issue is simultaneously identifying the detailed locations of various molecules on the cell surface, as this identification requires a synergistic effect between more than one molecule in a living cell. Au nanoparticles (NPs) with different shapes can be readily recognised under low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (lvSEM). Anisotropic Au nanorods (NRs) possess unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties, which can be further utilised for two photon luminescence (TPL) and other optical imaging techniques. In this paper, Au NRs and Au nanooctahedra (Au NOs) are introduced as biomarkers for ICAM-1 and Integrin β1. Combined with the advantages of lvSEM, this multiple-labelling method is a new method for studying the interactions between specific, functional molecules.

Description: Vocal communication plays an important role for individual recognition and male-female interaction during mating in greater horseshoe bats, especially in respect to mate fidelity, which ensures that the bats can maintain a stable social organization. Few studies, however, have addressed the calling behavior during copulating in bats. Here, we initially report the copulation vocalizations and behaviors of both male and female greater horseshoe bats. During copulation, the male assumed a dorsal position and arched his back, arming around the female using his feet and thumbs. The male repeatedly produced very short constant frequency (SCF) syllables with high intensity and repetition rate (male 1: 16.48±4.8 ms, male 2: 17.79±4.03 ms) when he tried to insert the penis into the female, and then long syllables (male 1: 42.08±12.67 ms, male 2: 43.02±11.44 ms) after penile insertion. The female bats sometime refused the male bats in the early phase of copulations as emitting noise bursts and broad-band vocalizations, but kept silence during actual copulation. We also found that the SCF copulation calls of one male remained stable peak frequencies on different copulation days although its echolocation call frequency varied each day. Moreover, different male individuals maintained their own “private frequency” in the SCF copulation calls. Therefore, we predicted that the SCF copulation calls may serve as an indicator for female greater horseshoe bats to recognize the mating males in order to maintain mate fidelity because horseshoe bats exhibit sexual segregation before mating. Our results stipulate further studies on mating system and copulation strategies in polygynous bats. Such work may also aid in promoting the preservation of greater horseshoe bats.

Description: We developed a superconducting nanowire single-photon detection (SNSPD) system based on Gifford-McMahon cryocooler for quantum communication applications. Environmental factors which may influence the system performance are intensively studied. Those factors include temperature fluctuations, the ambient magnetic field and the background radiation. By optimizing the bias circuit, the stability of SNSPD system to electrical noise and disturbance was effectively enhanced, thus making it more suitable for field application. A 4-channel SNSPD system with quantum efficiency higher than 4% at the dark count rate of 10 Hz for λ=1550 nm is integrated and applied into a quantum key distribution (QKD) experiment. QKD was successfully carried out over 100 km optical fiber with the final secure key rate of 1.6 kbps and the quantum bit error rate of less than 2%.

Description: This study investigates the effect FeCl 3 on the radiation stability of the ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BmimCl) over a wide dose range of 0 to 1000 kGy under γ-ray radiation. The ionic liquid species, BmimFeCl 4 , was formed by adding FeCl 3 into BmimCl. The results showed that the presence of FeCl 4 − significantly improved the radiation resistance of BmimCl, wherein the effect was more pronounced at higher FeCl 4 − content. Meanwhile, under irradiation, Fe(II) was generated from Fe(III), which was reduced by solvated electron. In addition, the concentration of Fe(II) increased with low level of absorbed dose, but leveled off at higher doses. Moreover, the radiation yield of the solvated electrons of BmimCl was further estimated at approximately 0.358±0.01 μmol/J in BmimCl-7 mol% FeCl 3 system.

Description: Urban forest has undergone rapid development in China over the last three decades because of the acceleration of urbanization. Urban forest thus plays an increasingly important role in carbon sequestration at a regional and national scale. As one of the most urbanized cities in China, Shanghai showed an increase of forest coverage from 3% in the 1990s to 13% in 2009. Based on CITY-green model and the second soil survey of Shanghai, the forest biomass carbon (FBC) was estimated to be 0.48 Tg in the urban area and, forest soil organic carbon (SOC) (0–100 cm soil depth) is 2.48 Tg in the urban and suburban areas, respectively. These values are relatively within the median and lower level compared with other Chinese megacities, with the FBC of 0.02 Tg in Harbin to 47.29 Tg in Chongqing and the forest SOC of 1.74 Tg in Nanjing to 418.67 Tg in Chongqing. For the different land-use types in Shanghai, the SOC density ranges from 13.8 (tidal field) to 38.6 t ha −1 (agricultural land). On average, the forest SOC density (31.5 t ha −1 ) in Shanghai is lower than that in agricultural lands (38.6 t ha −1 ) and higher than that in lawns (26.5 t ha −1 ) and gardens (21.3 t ha −1 ). In Shanghai, the SOC density in newly established urban parks is generally lower than that in older parks. In the northern and southeastern suburban areas (e.g., Baoshan, Yangpu, and Nanhui districts), greenspace SOC density is higher than that in the central commercial areas (Hongkou, Putuo, Changning, and Zhabei districts) and in newly developed district (Pudong District). Uncertainties still exist in the estimation of urban forest carbon in Shanghai, as well as in other Chinese cities. Thus, future research directions are also discussed in this paper.

Description: Motion control of a single molecule through a solid-state nanopore offers a new perspective on detecting and analyzing single biomolecules. Repeat recapture of a single DNA molecule reveals the dynamics in DNA translocation through a nanopore and may significantly increase the signal-to-noise ratio for DNA base distinguishing. However, the transient current at the moment of voltage reversal prevents the observation of instantly recaptured molecules and invalidates the continuous DNA ping-pong control. We performed and analyzed the DNA translocation and recapture experiment in a silicon nitride solid-state nanopore. Numerical calculation of molecular motion clearly shows the recapture dynamics with different delay times. The prohibited time when the data acquisition system is saturated by the transient current is derived by equivalent circuit analysis and finite element simulation. The COMSOL simulation reveals that the membrane capacitance plays an important role in determining the electric field distribution during the charging process. As a result of the transient charging process, a non-constant driving force pulls the DNA back to nanopores faster than theoretically predicted. The observed long time constant in the transient current trace is explained by the dielectric absorption of the membrane capacitor.

Description: Plants have considerable hydrological and mechanical impacts on soil. However, there are lack of documentation and limited understanding on the hydrological and mechanical impacts of tropical legume trees. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the hydrological and mechanical properties of three selected legume plants, Leucaena leucocephala , Adenanthera pavonina and Peltophorum pterocarpum . Regarding hydrological aspect, the study results indicated that soil on which the L. leucocephala was grown had the highest transpiration rate, water absorption rate (WAR) and soil matric suction (SMS). In terms of mechanical characteristics, L. leucocephala exhibited the highest root tensile strength and cellulosic components in the root. Interestingly, L. leucocephala also showed a higher root biomass, root length and fine roots than A . pavonina and P. pterocarpum. The leaf area index (LAI) strongly correlated with SMS ( R 2  = 0.74), indicating that high LAI improved SMS. The high root tensile strength and fine roots of L. leucocephala make this species special for growing as a soil reinforcing plant. Overall results suggested that L. leucocephala exhibited outstanding hydrological and mechanical properties and can be a potential plant for the soil reinforcement program.

Description: We presented an integrated software system for analyzing nanopore data. This self-developed software provided rapid processes for accurate location, classification, and evaluation of every individual blockade. Using the proposed software, statistical analysis could be achieved easily and conveniently. The results of β -Amyloid 42 demonstrated that our data process could rapidly extract duration time and current amplitudes. In addition, our data process could accurately carry out statistical fittings.

Description: A novel phenol-linked bis(imidazolium) salt, H 3 LCl 2 (L =  O -4-C(CH 3 ) 3 -C 6 H 2 -2,6-di[CH 2 {C(NCHCHNAr)}] 2 , Ar = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, 1 ), was designed and used to prepare an ionic iron(III) complex [H 2 L][FeCl 4 ] ( 2 ). Complex 2 was a highly efficient catalyst for aryl Grignard cross-coupling of alkyl chlorides bearing β-hydrogens. Furthermore, complex 2 was reusable and could be reused in at least eight times without significant loss in catalytic activity.

Description: Vertically aligned TiO 2 nanotube arrays (~8 μm long, ~110 nm wide) have been fabricated through anodic oxidation of Ti-metal sheet in fluoride-containing electrolyte. By changing the volume ratio of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in the electrolyte, TiO 2 nanotube arrays with different tube-to-tube lateral spacing, i.e., closely packed, just separated, and fully separated, have been synthesized and applied as photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Photovoltaic efficiency of 2.99 %, 3.34 %, and 3.44 % has been obtained for DSSCs based on the closely packed, just separated, and fully separated TiO 2 nanotube arrays, respectively, illustrating the effect of tube-to-tube lateral spacing of TiO 2 nanotube arrays on the performances of DSSCs. It is suggested that fully separated TiO 2 nanotube arrays are beneficial to the conversion efficiency of DSSCs due to higher dye loading and faster electron transfer.

Description: Vegetation phenology is an important indicator of climate change impacts on the seasonal dynamics of the biosphere. However, little is known about the influence of elevation on spring phenological sensitivity to temperature in an alpine ecosystem. Based on remotely sensed land surface phenology and temperature data from 2001 to 2010, this study investigated the rate of spring phenological change of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) grasslands in response to interannual temperature variations at different elevations. Results suggest that spring phenology in the TP grasslands exhibits a stronger response to changes in temperature at higher elevations than at lower ones. In particular, spring phenology advanced by 1–2 days in response to a 1 °C increase in May average temperature at elevations from 3,000 to 3,500 m, while the rate was up to 8–9 days/°C at 5,000–5,500 m. Analysis using accumulated growing degree days (AGDD) from January 1 through May 31 showed the same general trend with increased elevation associated with increased sensitivity (as measured by phenological change per unit of AGDD change). Such temperature sensitivity gradients in the TP grasslands could be partly explained by the growth efficiency hypothesis which suggests that vegetation adapted to colder climates likely requires less heat energy for the onset of growing season and vice versa in warmer climates. Furthermore, accumulated growing degree days from January 1 to the greenup date were found to decrease with increasing elevations, which provided evidence to support the applicability of the growth efficiency hypothesis in an alpine grassland ecosystem.

Description: A gravity network with 302 observation points has been established in the western Sichuan Foreland Basin (SFB) to explore Bouguer gravity anomalies (BGAs). Our observational results reveal that the BGAs are negative as a whole, with a maximum value of −220 mGal (10 −5 m s −2 ) at the northwest region of the study area. The real Moho depths beneath the SFB revealed by BGA data change smoothly from 39.5 km in the southeast to 43.7 km in the northwest of the monitoring region. However, the isostatic ones deduced from Airy isostatic model and topographical data vary approximately 39.5–42.0 km. The maximum differences of 2.7 km between the real and isostatic Moho depths are found near the seismic gap between the M 8.0 Wenchuan and M 7.0 Lushan earthquakes, where the crust is in the greatest isostatic imbalance of the monitoring region. Analysis of the isostatic state indicates that the deep dynamic environment near the seismic gap between these two earthquakes indicates an M  ≥ 7.0 earthquake in the future. This study indicates that we can use isostasy as a potential approach to study the dynamic process of crustal material movement and to analyze regional potential seismic risks.

Description: Climate change is considered a top threat to biodiversity, but the relative roles of contemporary climate versus the rate of climate change in determining spatial patterns of biodiversity are far from clear. China has a very diverse flora and harbors a high percentage of endemic species, but the mechanisms underlying spatial patterns of plant endemism are poorly understood. This study explores the geographical patterns of a representative sample of 555 endemic seed plant species at the scale of 0.5° latitude × 0.5° longitude. Ordinary least squares and spatial autoregressive models were compared to assess the relationship between richness of endemics and the rate of climate change in the past century, as well as a group of contemporary climate variables. In China, a high level of endemism was associated with high elevation and low rate of climate change. However, contemporary climate had a stronger impact than climate change velocity in the past century on endemic species richness patterns. Specifically, mean annual precipitation and annual range of temperature were important contemporary climatic factors. The rate of change of annual mean temperature, but not that of annual precipitation, also significantly contributed to the spatial pattern of plant endemic species richness. We found no significant relationship between topographic variation and endemic species richness, while temperature variability at multiple time scales was strongly correlated with the species richness pattern. Future work should consider the direction of climate change and incorporate higher-resolution data.

Description: Widespread lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are valuable archives for investigating climate and environment changes, which could provide essential information on the mechanisms of past climate changes on the TP and their interaction with the global climate systems. However, there is a lack of in-depth investigation of modern limnological processes in the Tibetan lakes, which hampers the understanding of paleolimnological records and lake ecosystem succession. In this study, we performed continuous temperature monitoring at two lakes, Bangong Co, a freshwater lake in the western TP, and Dagze Co, a brackish lake in the central TP, in order to characterize the patterns of seasonal temperature variability, stratification, and mixing. Temperature data for an entire hydrological year demonstrate that Bangong Co is a dimictic lake and that Dagze Co is a meromictic lake. The higher salinity in the deep water at Dagze Co prevents the lake from overturning completely, and this finding is supported by simulations using a physical limnological model Lake Analyzer. Continuous lake water temperature monitoring provides fundamental data for classifying Tibetan lakes, as well as the hydrological basis for understanding their paleolimnological records and ecosystem succession.

Description: An 18-year long (1993–2011) comprehensive dataset of snow and meteorological variables from Col de Porte, France is used to analyze the variation of shortwave broadband albedo with elapsed time after snowfalls (snow aging) during each snow season. The effects of air temperature, snow surface temperature and snow depth on snow albedo are investigated. An index based on the accumulation of air temperature over several consecutive days with daily mean higher than 2.5 °C is proposed to divide each snow-covered period into a dry and the following wet snow season when this index reaches 18 °C. The results indicate that snow surface albedo decreases exponentially with time in both dry and wet snow seasons. Snow albedo reduction with snow aging is small at low surface temperature and the reduction rate increases with the rise of surface temperature. However, the reduction rate is widely scattered within the observed range of temperature, implying a loose relationship between snow albedo and snow surface temperature. Snow albedo in wet snow season is generally smaller and decreases faster than in dry snow season. For Col de Porte site, snow depths to effectively mask the underlying surface are 21 and 33 cm in dry and wet snow season respectively.

Description: The rareness and inhomogeneity of the data points cause difficulties in the reconstruction of past average temperature. Optimal regional averaging is a method that can overcome these difficulties and obtain the average temperature of target area by means of optimal weights using limited temperature data. In this paper, the average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere is calculated by the optimal regional averaging method using two types of data: temperature data from Climatic Research Unit from 1901 to 2000 and maximum latewood density dataset of tree from 1500 to 1949. Five, ten, fifteen data points from CRU and forty data points from MXD are used in our research. The results show that even with the relatively less data used in this reconstruction, the method allows the reconstruction of the average temperature of the Northern Hemisphere more accurately, which provides the temperature information for palaeoclimate reconstruction.

Description: Using in situ observations from THEMIS A, D and E during the 2008–2011 tail season, we present a statistical study of the evolution of pressure gradients in the near-Earth tail during bursty bulk flow (BBF) convection. We identified 138 substorm BBFs and 2,197 non-substorm BBFs for this study. We found that both the pressure and the B Z component of the magnetic field were enhanced at the arrival of BBFs at the spacecraft locations. We suggest that the increase of B Z during non-substorm BBFs is associated with flux pile-up. However, the much stronger enhancement of B Z during substorm BBFs implies the occurrence of magnetic field dipolarization which is caused by both the flux pile-up process and near-Earth current disruption. Furthermore, a bow-wave-like high pressure appears to be formed at the arrival of substorm BBFs, which is responsible for the formation of region-1-sense FACs. The azimuthal pressure gradient associated with the arrival of substorm BBFs lasts for about 5 min. The enhanced pressure gradient associated with the bow wave is caused by the braking and diversion of the Earthward flow in the inner plasma sheet. The results from this statistical study suggest that the braking and azimuthal diversion of BBFs may commonly create azimuthal pressure gradients, which are related to the formation of the FAC of the substorm current wedge.

Description: A series of novel imidazolium oxidative-thermoregulated bifunctional ionic liquids (ILs) have been synthesized by introducing the thermoregulated structural unit into imidazolium cation and using heteropolyanion as the anion of ILs. The structures of these new type of task-specific ionic liquids (TSILs) are characterized by FT-IR and 1 H NMR. The thermostability of ILs is analyzed by thermogravimetry. The thermoregulated properties of ILs in aqueous and organic solvents are mainly investigated. These ILs have the corresponding cloud points (CPs) in aqueous. The effects of IL concentration, polymerization degree, inorganic additives and organic additives on the CP are studied. IL/DMF/ n -heptane or n -octane biphasic system has the corresponding critical solution temperature (CST), and has the feature of “homogeneous at high temperature, heterogeneous at low temperature”. The effects of IL dosage and polymerization degree on the CST are given. IL/DMF/ n -octane thermoregulated biphasic system has been successfully applied for catalytic oxidative desulfurization of model fuels. This study opens up a new way for catalytic oxidation to achieve an integration of homogeneous catalysis and heterogeneous separation.

Description: High-rate GPS data from the United States continuously operating reference stations in the Alaska region are processed using the recently developed precise point positioning (PPP) technique. The traditional PPP technique does not fix ambiguities into their integers because these ambiguities do not have an integer nature when data from a single receiver, as well as precise orbit and clock corrections, are used. Additional corrections, i.e., uncalibrated phase delay (UPD), are needed to fix integer ambiguities and consequently improve positioning accuracy. This study proposes a methodology to compute for wide-lane and L2 (the second L-band frequency) UPDs using the geometry-based model and subsequently applies these parameters to the computation for ambiguity-fixed solutions. The instantaneous displacements of near-field sites, as well as the permanent deformations after the earthquake, are therefore obtained for the January 5, 2013, Alaska earthquake. The real-time performance of PPP solutions are assessed by considering realistic data latency and data interval of corrections. Ambiguity-fixed solutions are compared with ambiguity-float ones. The comparison shows that the positioning accuracy can be improved significantly when the ambiguities are fixed correctly. The solutions using the real-time corrections are also compared with those using post-processing corrections, i.e., Center for Orbit Determination in Europe final orbit and clock. Although the accuracy is somehow degraded because of the data latency and data interval, the real-time results are satisfactory for use in monitoring the small-scale deformation (1–2 cm) caused by the Alaska earthquake. In addition, the kinematic ambiguity-fixed PPP solutions for 7 days around the earthquake are calculated to obtain permanent pre- and post-earthquake deformations. The deformations computed from real-time and post-processing corrections do not appear to be significantly different.

Description: Investigation of temporal variations in the stable δ 18 O and δ D isotopes from Kathmandu’s precipitation events shows that the relatively enriched δ 18 O and δ D values in the winter (the dry season, dominated by the westerlies) were positively correlated with temperature, indicating a temperature effect controlling the changes of δ 18 O and δ D. However, the δ 18 O and δ D values were depleted in the summer (the wet season, dominated by the Indian monsoon), which were negatively correlated with precipitation amount, indicating an amount effect. In addition, the comparison of stable isotopes in precipitation from Kathmandu and Mawlong (near the Bay of Bengal) shows that the overall trends of δ 18 O and δ D values at Kathmandu generally approximate those at Mawlong. However, there remain many differences between the details of the isotopic changes at Kathmandu versus those at Mawlong. Compared with those at Mawlong, the further rainout effect and the more intense lift effect of the oceanic moisture by the high mountains resulted in the more depleted δ 18 O and δ D values in summer precipitation at Kathmandu. A deuterium excess and the local meteoric water lines reveal that evaporation at Kathmandu exceeds that at Mawlong. The data also show that the Indian monsoon activities at Mawlong are more intense than those at Kathmandu.

Description: Occlusion of carbon (C) within phytoliths (PhytOC) is becoming one of the most promising terrestrial C sequestration mechanisms. This study explored the production of PhytOC within 35 bamboo species belonging to three ecotypes using methods of microwave digestion. The aim of this study is to explore the present and potential C sequestration rate within phytoliths of bamboo species from three ecotypes. PhytOC content in bamboos of three ecotypes ranges from 0.07 % to 0.42 %. The mean PhytOC production flux decreases as: clustered bamboo (0.050 ± 0.016 t CO 2 ha −1  a −1 ) ≈ mixed bamboo (0.049 ± 0.016 t CO 2 ha −1  a −1 ) 〉 scattered bamboo (0.038 ± 0.020 t CO 2 ha −1  a −1 ). The phytolith carbon sequestration in Chinese bamboo is estimated to be 0.293 ± 0.127 Tg (1 Tg = 10 12  g) CO 2 a −1 ; approximately 75 %, 3 %, and 22 % of which is contributed from scattered, mixed and clustered bamboo, respectively. Taking the PhytOC production flux of 0.18 ± 0.12 t CO 2 ha −1  a −1 and current annual area increasing rate of 3 %, global bamboo phytoliths would sequester 11.9 ± 7.9 Tg CO 2 a −1 by 2050. Consequently, bamboo forests have significant potential to mitigate the increasing concentration of atmospheric CO 2 by maximizing PhytOC production flux and expanding bamboos.

Description: N-type Si (111) wafers have been processed by high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) treatment with an increasing number of irradiation (1, 10 and 20 pulses). The results of this work show that a highly porous nanostructure was formed after irradiation. Moreover, the high-density Si nanocrystals (Si-ncs) about 3 nm were distributed on the surface of Si wafers and exhibited 3.02 eV Photoluminescence (PL) emission in blue band. The PL intensity increases with the increase in the Si-ncs’ density in accordance with the quantum confinement model, which can be ascribed to the different pulse time of HCPEB treatment. The possible formation mechanisms of micropores and Si-ncs are discussed.

Description: The effective adsorption capability of a hydrogenated graphene (H-Gr) was demonstrated. The H-Gr was firstly prepared by heating graphene (Gr) in a hydrogen flow at 1,000 °C. The specific surface area, layer number, zeta potential, surface defects, surface compounds groups and elemental ratio of H-Gr were investigated. Taking 2,4-dichlorophenol as a target pollutant, the adsorption ability of H-Gr was evaluated. The results showed that the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order equation well. For the adsorption isotherms, the equilibrium data of H-Gr were found to fit to Langmuir model, which was different from the Freundlich model of Gr. The adsorption capacity of H-Gr was high to 287.01 mg/g, almost three times as much as that of Gr, which was benefit from the increase of specific surface area and zeta potential. This work suggests that H-Gr may be a potential candidate for the adsorption of aromatic compounds from water and has great prospect for practical application.

Description: Two consecutive magnetic flux ropes, separated by less than 30 s ( Δt  〈 30 s), are observed within one magnetic reconnection diffusion region without strong guide field in the Earth’s magnetotail by Cluster multi-spacecraft. The flux ropes are characterized by bipolar signatures of the south–north magnetic field component B z accompanied with strong core magnetic field B y , intense current J and density depletions inside of them. In spite of the small but non-trivial global scale negative guide field (– B y ), there exists a directional change of the core fields of two flux ropes, i.e., − B y for the first one, and + B y for the second one. The directions of the core fields are the same as the ambient cross-tail magnetic field component ( B y ) just outside of flux ropes. Therefore, we suggest that the core field of flux ropes is formed by compression of the local preexisting B y and that the directional change of core field is due to the change of local preexisting B y . Such a change in ambient B y might be caused by some microscale physics.

Description: In this work, a series of new metal phosphonates were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized based on m -xylylenediphosphonic acids (H 4 L), including [M(H 2 L)(bpy)] (M = Mn 1 , Co 2 ), [MH 2 L)(phen)] (M = Co 3 , Cu 4 ), and [Cu 2 (H 2 L) 2 (bpy″) 2 ] 5 (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bpy″ = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine). X-ray diffraction indicated that compounds 1 and 2 were isomorphic. Complexes 3 and 4 were shown to crystallize in different space groups but had similar crystallographic units. In the complexes, H 4 L was seen to partially deprotonate to afford H 2 L 2− . The H 2 L 2− ligands in 1 – 4 functioned as tetradentate ligands with each phosphonate group adopting bidentate coordination mode with two M centers to generate a 2D layer. In addition, the H 2 L 2− anions in 5 functioned as tridentate ligands with one phosphonate group adopting the bidentate mode and another phosphonate group adopti ng the monodentate mode, thus linking three Cu atoms to provide a 1D chain. The IR and thermal stabilities of these compounds were subsequently examined.

Description: Identifying melts of thickened lower continental crust from high Sr/Y rocks is very important to trace deep crustal processes. Recent studies on Dabie Early Cretaceous granitoids have revealed that melts derived from thickened lower continental crust have higher Sr/CaO ratios and define a high Sr evolution trend compared with normal granitoids. Fractional crystallization of plagioclase can significantly change Sr and CaO contents of melts, but its role in controlling the Sr/CaO ratios of the melts is still unclear. This study gives a direct comparison of plagioclase compositions between normal granitoids and low-Mg adakitic rocks. On the basis of Sr–Ca exchange partition coefficient, discussions on effect of plagioclase crystallization on Sr/CaO ratios of melts show that fractional crystallization of abundant plagioclase cannot significantly change Sr/CaO ratios of granitic melts, which are inherited from their individual initial melts. High Sr/CaO ratios indicate the absence of plagioclase in sources of granitic melts. Therefore, high Sr/CaO correlation can be an important indicator to identify melts derived from thickened lower continental crust.

Description: In the present study, the Ti-in-biotite geothermometer was revised using more than 300 natural rutile- or ilmenite-bearing metapelites collected worldwide. The formulation was empirically calibrated as \( \ln [T\,(^\circ {\text{C}})] = 6.313 + 0.224\ln (X_{\text{Ti}} ) - 0.288\ln (X_{\text{Fe}} ) - 0.449\ln (X_{\text{Mg}} ) + 0.15P\,({\text{GPa}}) \) , with \( X_{j} = {{j}}/({\text{Fe}} + {\text{Mg}} + {\text{Al}}^{\text{VI}} + {\text{Ti}}) \) in biotite, assuming ferric iron content of 11.6 mol% of the total iron in biotite. This thermometer is consistent with the well-calibrated garnet–biotite thermometer within error of ±50 °C for most of the calibrant samples and can successfully distinguish systematic temperature changes of different metamorphic zones in both prograde and inverted metamorphic terranes as well as thermal contact aureoles. Thus, the thermometer truthfully reflects real geologic conditions and can be applied to TiO 2 -saturated metapelites metamorphosed at the crustal level within the calibration ranges (450–840 °C, 0.1–1.9 GPa, X Ti  = 0.02–0.14 in biotite).

Description:    The transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic around 10000 a BP was a significant event in human history. We have analyzed the paleoenvironment in the Zhaitang area (Beijing) based on samples from an early Neolithic site at Donghulin. This site is considered to demonstrate the Paleolithic-Neolithic transition in this area. The site yielded burials with several human skeletons, known as “Donghulin man”. We conducted a geomorphological and quaternary geological investigation in the Donghulin area, and also analyzed sediments and pollen, enabling us to discuss the living environment of the local people. Donghulin man lived mainly from 11100–9600 cal a BP; a period of warming following the Younger Dryas. The climate was good, the land was covered by dry temperate grassland, and later, wet temperate meadow steppe. “Donghulin man” usually inhabited the floodplain; this was flat, warm, and wet, with abundant plants and animals for a favorable living environment. Our research helps to rebuild the living environment of humans in the Beijing area around 10000 a BP, and to understand more about the environmental setting in north China during the Paleolithic-Neolithic transition. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4772-9 Authors ZhengKai Xia, School of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China JunNa Zhang, School of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China Jing Liu, School of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ChaoHong Zhao, School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China XiaoHong Wu, School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Based on the infrared radiation transfer model, the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and Channel 5 radiance of Fengyun-3B (FY-3B) satellite visible infrared radiometer (VIRR) were simulated for 3812 global soundings. Using regression analysis of the simulations, an inverse model, which connected the flux equivalent brightness temperature with the channel brightness temperature, was derived. By applying the model to the FY-3B VIRR L1 data, the global OLR data at the time of the passing of the FY-3B were processed. The quality of the data was validated by comparing it with that of the NOAA-18 satellite’s advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR). The validation results show root mean square errors in the range 10–13 W/M 2 when comparing the daily average OLR of the VIRR with that of the NOAA-18 AVHRR, and the correlation coefficients were in the range 0.97–0.98. The larger RMSE is mainly due to the different passing times of the two satellites for the specific locations on the Earth. An example of the OLR data and its preliminary applications are given. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-6 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4686-6 Authors Xiao Wu, Key Laboratory of Radiometric Calibration and Validation for Environmental Satellites, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, 100081 China JunJie Yan, Key Laboratory of Radiometric Calibration and Validation for Environmental Satellites, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, 100081 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Reef and oolitic gas reservoirs in the Permian Changxing and Triassic Feixianguan formations have been discovered in both the Luojiazhai-Puguang and Longgang areas of the Sichuan Basin, but the accumulation scale, abundance and distribution patterns differ greatly. In fact, the two areas have more differences than they have similarities. Similarities include: (1) the lithology, properties and types of porosity of the reef and oolitic reservoirs are primarily consistent in the two areas; (2) well-developed regional caprocks that seal the fluid system; and (3) accumulation process histories, with liquid hydrocarbon charging at an early stage, cracking into gas at a high to over-mature stage, adjustment of gas reservoirs at an uplifting stage, and final reservoir generation at a late stage. Differences include: (1) gas accumulations in the Luojiazhai-Puguang area that are dominated by oil-type cracked gas, with multiple and sufficient gas sources, contrasting with gas accumulations in the Longgang area that are dominated by coal-sourced gas with insufficient gas sources; (2) heterogeneity and horizontal diversity of reservoirs in the Longgang area that are stronger than in the Luojiazhai-Puguang area; and (3) the development of deep and large faults in the Luojiazhai-Puguang area that link source, reservoir and migration pathways, contrasting with poorly developed faults in Longgang area, where laterally variable fractures are the major migration pathway. Because of these differences, abundant large-scale structurally-controlled gas accumulations are developed in the Luojiazhai-Puguang area, whereas lithology plays a more important role in gas accumulation in the Longgang area where accumulations are smaller-scale and have lower gas-bearing abundance. We suggest that future exploration for reef and oolitic gas accumulations should be strengthened in NE Sichuan and NW Sichuan Jiulongshan. In particular, the transitional zone between Longgang and Kaijiang-Liangping Bay has the best potential for new discoveries. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4668-8 Authors WenZhi Zhao, PetroChina Exploration & Production Company, Beijing, 100007 China ChunChun Xu, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu, 610051 China TongShan Wang, PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing, 100083 China HongJun Wang, PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing, 100083 China ZeCheng Wang, PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing, 100083 China CongSheng Bian, PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing, 100083 China Xia Li, PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing, 100083 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Spaceborne measurements by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the EOS/Aqua satellite provide a global view of methane (CH 4 ) distribution in the mid-upper troposphere (MUT-CH 4 ). The focus of this study is to analyze the spatiotemporal variations in MUT-CH 4 over China from 2003 to 2008. Validation of AIRS CH 4 products versus Fourier transform infrared profiles demonstrates that its RMS error is mostly less than 1.5%. A typical atmospheric methane profile is found that shows how concentrations decrease as height increases because of surface emissions. We found that an important feature in the seasonal variation in CH 4 is the two peaks that exist in summer and winter in most parts of China, which is also observed in in-situ measurements at Mt. Waliguan, Qinghai Province, China (36.2879°N 100.8964°E, 3810 m). Also, in the summer, only one peak existed in western and southern China since there are no more significant anthropogenic sources in winter than at any other time of the year. Further analysis of the deseasonalized time-series of AIRS CH4 in three fixed pressure layers of AIRS from 2003 to 2008 indicates that CH4 in the Northern Hemisphere has increased abruptly since 2007, with no significant increase occurring before 2007. The increase in China is generally more significant than in other areas around the world, which again correlates with in-situ measurements at Mt. Waliguan. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4666-x Authors XingYing Zhang, Key Laboratory of Radiometric Calibration and Validation for Environmental Satellites, National Satellite Meteorological Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, 100081 China WenGuang Bai, State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Peng Zhang, Key Laboratory of Radiometric Calibration and Validation for Environmental Satellites, National Satellite Meteorological Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, 100081 China WeiHe Wang, Key Laboratory of Radiometric Calibration and Validation for Environmental Satellites, National Satellite Meteorological Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, 100081 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Phytoliths are noncrystalline minerals that form inside cells and cell walls of different parts of plants. Organic carbon in living cells can be occluded in phytoliths during plant growth. It has been documented that the occluded carbon within phytoliths is an important long-term terrestrial carbon reservoir that has a major role in the global carbon cycle. Common millet and foxtail millet have become typical dry-farming crops in China since the Neolithic Age. The study of carbon conservation within phytoliths in these crops could provide insights into anthropogenic influences on the carbon cycle. In this study, we analyzed the carbon content in phytoliths of common millet and foxtail millet. The results indicated that (1) common millet and foxtail millet contained 0.136% ± 0.070% and 0.129% ± 0.085% phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) on a dry mass basis, respectively; (2) based on the mean annual production of common millet and foxtail millet in the last 10 years, the phytolith occluded carbon accumulation rate of common millet and foxtail millet was approximately 0.023 ± 0.015 and 0.020 ± 0.010 t CO 2 ha −1 a −1 , respectively; (3) assuming a similar phytolith occluded carbon accumulation rate as for common millet (the highest accumulation rate was 0.038 t CO 2 ha −1 a −1 ), this could result in the sequestration of 2.37 × 10 6 t CO 2 per year for the 62.4 × 10 6 ha dry-farming crops in China. Although there was a decline in the annual production rate and planting area of foxtail millet during 1949 to 2008, the total phytolith carbon sequestration rate was 7×10 6 t CO 2 within the 60-year period. However, phytolith occluded carbon has not yet been fully considered as a global carbon sink. Also, this carbon fraction is probably one of the best candidates for the missing carbon sink. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-6 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4674-x Authors XinXin Zuo, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China HouYuan Lü, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    A comprehensive database of paleoenvironmental settings for paleoanthropological sites provides a useful tool to explore the link between human evolution and paleoenvironmental changes. A preliminary GIS-based environmental database for paleoanthropological sites in China (EDPC) was constructed based on data collected from published literature. The database currently contains 1114 paleoanthropological sites. It will be available for online access following the establishment of relevant rules, and after improvement and further development through regular and sustained updates by internal and external users. Preliminary analyses using the GIS system yielded new evidence regarding human-environmental relationships. Content Type Journal Article Category Letter Pages 1-3 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4669-7 Authors ChunLin Wu, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Yan Zhang, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Qin Li, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China ZhengTang Guo, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Xing Gao, Laboratory of Human Evolution, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Intra-site spatial analysis provides an alternative perspective for understanding the functions of a site, and the occupational organization of early human living and activities associated with it. We examined features and cultural remains recovered from Locality 2 at Shuidonggou, a Late Paleolithic site, focusing on early occupant’s survival behaviors and settlement patterns, as indicated by evidence regarding the functional organization of the site. Three-dimensional data from unearthed remains (including lithic assemblages, faunal remains, ornaments, etc) were used to reconstruct intra-site use patterns of Cultural Layer 2, which yielded seven earth-pit hearths and tens of thousands of artifacts and bones. We discuss the population size and group composition, as well as the functions of the living spaces, based on the analysis of the hearth patterns and the ostrich eggshell ornaments surround the hearths. In conclusion, Cultural Layer 2 of SDG Locality 2 appears to have functioned as a base camp for ancient foragers, where occupants produced tools, as well as preparing and consuming food. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4682-x Authors Ying Guan, Laboratory of Human Evolution, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China Xing Gao, Laboratory of Human Evolution, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China HuiMin Wang, Institute of Archaeology of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, 750001 China FuYou Chen, Laboratory of Human Evolution, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China ShuWen Pei, Laboratory of Human Evolution, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China XiaoLing Zhang, Laboratory of Human Evolution, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China ZhenYu Zhou, Laboratory of Human Evolution, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Climate prediction using a coupled model with a one-tier scheme is an important research direction. In this study, based on 1974–2001 hindcasts obtained from the “Development of a European Multimodel Ensemble system for seasonal to inTERannual prediction” (DEMETER) project, the capability of coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) to predict six climatic factors that have a close relationship with the western North Pacific typhoon activity is investigated over summer (June–October). Results indicate that all six DEMETER CGCMs well predict the six factors. Using the statistical relationship between these six factors and the typhoon frequency, the ability of the CGCMs to predict typhoon frequency is further explored. It is found that the six CGCMs also well predict the variability in typhoon frequency. Comparison analysis shows that the prediction skill of the statistical downscaling method is much better than that of the raw CGCMs. In addition, the six-model ensemble has the best prediction performance. This study suggests that combining a multi-model ensemble and statistical downscaling greatly improves the CGCM prediction skill, and will be an important research direction for typhoon prediction. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-6 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4640-7 Authors JianQi Sun, Nansen-Zhu International Research Centre (NZC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China HuoPo Chen, Nansen-Zhu International Research Centre (NZC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Trace metals of Mg, Sr and Ba in a stalagmite (SZ2) collected from Suozi Cave in NE Sichuan, Central China, were analyzed with ICP-AES. The stalagmite was dated to have developed between 120 and 103 ka BP. Results indicate that the Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of SZ2 varied between (9500-14700)×10 −6 , (54–123)×10 −6 and (31–82)×10 −6 , respectively. The three records displayed significant millennial scale variations, which correlate with changes in past climate and environment. Lower values of Mg/Ca ratios and higher values of Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of SZ2 occurred during relatively cold-dry marine isotope stage (MIS) 5d, while the opposite trend was observed during relatively warm-humid MIS 5c. Trace metals in speleothems can be affected by distribution coefficients or trace metal concentrations in solutions from which speleothems precipitate. Temperature is suggested to be the dominant controller of Mg/Ca ratios in SZ2, whereas the Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios may have been influenced by surface soil and atmospheric dust activities and prior calcite precipitation in Suozi Cave. Further investigations are warranted as to whether Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios were affected by temperature and growth rate of the speleothem. The shifts of Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca records in SZ2 during the transition from MIS 5d to 5c apparently were earlier than the oxygen isotope record ( δ 18 O) of the same stalagmite. This possibly indicates (1) that atmospheric dust activity (the mechanism affecting SZ2 Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios) is closely related to temperature, and (2) that temperature changes (dominated by solar insolation) precedes change in speleothem δ 18 O records which are controlled by both summer monsoons and winter temperatures. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-6 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4681-y Authors HouYun Zhou, School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China Yue Wang, School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China LiuYuan Huang, School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China ShangQuan Mai, School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Soil carbon stocks and sequestration have been given a lot of attention recently in the study of terrestrial ecosystems and global climate change. This review focuses on the progress made on the estimation of the soil carbon stocks of China, and the characterization of carbon dynamics of croplands with regard to climate change, and addresses issues on the mineralization of soil organic carbon in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. By integrating existing research data, China’s total soil organic carbon (SOC) stock is estimated to be 90 Pg and its inorganic carbon (SIC) stock as 60 Pg, with SOC sequestration rates in the range of 20–25 Tg/a for the last two decades. An estimation of the biophysical potential of SOC sequestration has been generally agreed as being 2 Pg over the long term, of which only 1/3 could be attainable using contemporary agricultural technologies in all of China’s croplands. Thus, it is critical to enhance SOC sequestration and mitigate climate change to improve agricultural and land use management in China. There have been many instances where SOC accumulation may not induce an increased amount of decomposition under a warming scenario but instead favor improved cropland productivity and ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, unchanged or even decreased net global warming potential (GWP) from croplands with enhanced SOC has been reported by a number of case studies using life cycle analysis. Future studies on soil carbon stocks and the sequestration potential of China are expected to focus on: (1) Carbon stocks and the sequestration capacity of the earths’ surface systems at scales ranging from the plot to the watershed and (2) multiple interface processes and the synergies between carbon sequestration and ecosystem productivity and ecosystem functioning at scales from the molecular level to agro-ecosystems. Soil carbon science in China faces new challenges and opportunities to undertake integrated research applicable to many areas. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4693-7 Authors JuFeng Zheng, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China Kun Cheng, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China GenXing Pan, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China Pete Smith, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU UK LianQing Li, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China XuHui Zhang, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China JinWei Zheng, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China XiaoJun Han, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China YanLing Du, Institute for Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Research Center of Agriculture and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    This research aimed to identify and characterize individual spherical fly ash particles extracted from surface snow at Urumqi Glacier No.1 (UG1), Eastern Tien Shan, central Asia. Characterization of the spherical particles (i.e. morphology, chemical composition and genesis) was obtained by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX). This method enabled the characterization of submicroscopic spherical particles, which were present in very small quantities. Spherical particles and agglomerates were identified according to their morphology in five snow samples. Prevalent particle types in all samples were granular spherical particles, hollow spherical particles, irregularly shaped carbonaceous particles and agglomerates. The vast majority of spherical particles in our samples had mostly smooth and glossy surfaces, although these particles varied in diameter and elemental composition. The diameter of fly ash particles ranged from 0.76 to 16.7 μm, with an average of 3.79 μm (median: 3.21 μm). Individual particle analyses of elemental composition showed that particles formed in combustion were mainly composed of carbon, silicon, aluminum and trace elements (e.g. Na, K, Ca, Fe). Some spherical fly ash particles contained toxic heavy metals (e.g. Pb, Cr, As, Zn), and indicated that fly ash particles acted as the main possible carriers of toxic heavy metals deposited in snow and ice of glaciers in high altitudes of central Asia. On the basis of chemical information obtained from EDX, the fly ash particles deposited in the snow could be classified into four types. Namely, Si-dominant particles, with average diameters of 3.24 μm were formed by industrial coal combustion via high temperature processes in typical coal-fired heating stations and thermal power plants. Moreover, Fe-dominant particles, with average diameters of 3.82 μm, and Ti-dominant spherical particles formed by lower temperature processes in foundry and iron or steel plants. In addition, C-dominant particles, with average diameters of 8.43 μm, formed from unburned coal. Fe-dominant particles had larger average diameters than Si- dominant particles, indicating that the former were easier to form and developed earlier in the furnace because of their differential melting points of compositional oxide. Backward air mass trajectory analysis suggests that the developed urban regions of central Asia contributed the primary fly ash particles from industrial combustion to the study site through the high-level westerlies jet steam. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4684-8 Authors XueLei Zhang, Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085 China GuangJian Wu, Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085 China TanDong Yao, Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085 China ChengLong Zhang, Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085 China YaHui Yue, Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    High-resolution grain size and major element geochemical measurements were performed on the marine sediments of Core MD05-2895 to help understand the formation of turbidite sequences. Grain-size results show that these turbidite sediments contain more coarse sediment grains than normal marls. The coarse sediment grains are mostly derived from relict sediments on the Sunda Shelf. Relict sediments are composed mainly of quartz, feldspar, tephra and a few titaniferous or ferruginous heavy minerals. Corresponding to the concentration of these minerals, increases in Si/Al, K/Al, Ti/Al and Fe/Al ratios are observed in the turbidite layers. As all the observed turbidite sequences were deposited during the last glacial, the occurrence of these turbidity events is implied to be closely related to instabilities in sea-level-induced sediment supply. We suggest that deposition of sediment particles from a single turbidity current is usually controlled by a counterbalance between gravity and buoyancy, with the interaction of individual grains being of minor importance. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4685-7 Authors YuLong Zhao, State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China ZhiFei Liu, State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China Christophe Colin, Laboratoire des Interactions et Dynamique des Environnements de Surface (IDES), UMR 8148 CNRS-Université Paris-Sud 11, Orsay, 91405 France Xin Xie, State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China Qiong Wu, State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    By analyzing surface latent heat flux (SLHF) data from the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project for the period three months before and after the Sept. 3, 2010 M S 7.1 New Zealand earthquake, an isolated SLHF positive anomaly on Aug. 1, 2010 was found with a high value of about 160 W/m 2 to the northeast of the epicenter. Historical data, background pixels, and wavelet transforms of time series were comprehensively analyzed to study the spatiotemporal features of the SLHF anomaly. After removing the influences of wind speed and cloud cover, the key factor leading to local SLHF anomalies is the surface temperature increment. Combined with GPS displacement observations and tectonic settings, we determined that the physical mechanism of the SLHF anomaly could possibly be attributed to hot underground materials related to high-temperature and high-pressure upwelling from the deep crust and mantle along the nearby subduction zone, thereby explaining the local temperature increment to the northeast of the epicenter, as well as in the center of the North Island and the southwest of the South Island. Furthermore, it changed the specific humidity between the ground and surface air, causing the local SLHF increment. Content Type Journal Article Category Letter Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4680-z Authors Kai Qin, College of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083 China LiXin Wu, Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Natural Disaster (Ministry of Education), Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 China Angelo De Santis, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, 00143 Italy He Wang, College of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    The role of microbes in the karstification process was determined based on the karst dynamics, CO 2 capture, and carbonate deposition. A close relationship was found among microbial activity, karst dynamics and stability, and the carbon cycle in a karst ecosystem. More in-depth studies were needed to investigate the impact of microbes on karst dynamics within different eco-environments under natural conditions to determine the response of biological organisms to a changing environment, as well as the relationship between microbial organisms and the karstification process. Content Type Journal Article Category Progress Pages 1-5 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4648-z Authors Bin Lian, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002 China DaoXian Yuan, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Karst Dynamic Laboratory, Ministry of Land and Resources, Guilin, 541004 China ZaiHua Liu, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Climate extremes, such as extreme hot temperatures and heat waves, can have dramatic societal, economic, and ecological consequences. China has experienced remarkable interannual and decadal changes in hot extremes during the last several decades. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for changes in the hot extremes over China have not been clearly identified. In this study, we investigate the role of land-atmosphere coupling for hot days and heat waves during summer over China using two long-term Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations with and without interactive soil moisture. Results indicate that land-atmosphere coupling mainly amplifies hot extremes over China. In particular, significant amplifying effects appear over most of eastern and southwestern China. Over these areas, land-atmosphere coupling generally accounts for 30%–70% of the numbers of hot days and heat waves. This study highlights the critical importance of land-atmosphere interactions for the occurrence of hot extremes over China. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-5 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4628-3 Authors JingYong Zhang, Center for Monsoon System Research, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China LingYun Wu, Center for Monsoon System Research, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Incorporating controlled elitism and dynamic distance crowding strategies, a modified NSGA-II algorithm based on a fast and genetic non-dominated sorting algorithm is developed with the aim of obtaining a novel multi-objective optimization design algorithm for wind turbine blades. As an example, a high-performance 1.5 MW wind turbine blade, taking maximum annual energy production and minimum blade mass as the optimization objectives, was designed. A 1/16-scale model of this blade was tested in a 12 m × 16 m wind tunnel and the experimental results validated the high performance. Moreover, both the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and a free-vortex method (FVM) were applied to calculating the aerodynamic performance, which was consistent with the experimental data. For completeness, the CFD and FVM were used to analyze the wake structure, and good and consistent results were obtained between them. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4856-6 Authors TongGuang Wang, College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016 China Long Wang, College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016 China Wei Zhong, College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016 China BoFeng Xu, College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016 China Li Chen, China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center, Mianyang, 621000 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    A new method based on the phenomenon of synchronization and the properties of chaos is proposed to reduce interference in the transferred chaotic signals of synchronized systems. The interference is considered as a series of small deviations from the original clean trajectory in the phase space. By means of our special design, these small deviations can be estimated using positive Lyapunov exponents, and removed from interfered chaotic signals. Application is illustrated for the Lorenz attractor, and numerical computing demonstrates that the method is effective in removing typical external interference. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-5 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4857-5 Authors Nan Yang, College of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074 China ZhangCai Long, College of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074 China XiangHui Zhao, College of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Organic aerosol (OA) is a crucial component of atmospheric fine particles. To achieve a better understanding of the chemical characteristics and sources of OA in Beijing, the size-resolved chemical composition of submicron aerosols were measured in-situ using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer in the winter of 2010, with a high time resolution of 5 min. During this study, the mean OA mass concentration was 20.9±25.3 μg/m 3 , varying between 1.9 and 284.6 μg/m 3 . Elemental analysis showed that the average H/C, O/C and N/C (molar ratio) were 1.70, 0.17, and 0.005, respectively, corresponding to an OM/OC ratio (mass ratio of organic matter to organic carbon) of 1.37. The average mass-based size distributions of OA present a prominent accumulation mode peaking at approximately 450 nm. The prominent presence of ultrafine particles ( D va 〈 100 nm) was mainly from the fresh emissions of combustion sources. A Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF) analysis of the organic mass spectral dataset differentiated the OA into three components, including hydrocarbon-like (HOA), cooking-related (COA), and oxygenated (OOA) organic aerosols, which, on average, accounted for 26.9%, 49.7% and 23.4%, respectively, of the total organic mass. The HOA and COA likely corresponded to primary organic aerosol (POA) associated with combustion-related and cooking emissions, respectively, and the OOA components corresponded to aged secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4886-0 Authors Quan Liu, State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Yang Sun, State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Bo Hu, State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China ZiRui Liu, State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Shimono Akio, Shoreline Science Research, Inc., Tokyo, 192-0045 Japan YueSi Wang, State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    In soil, CaCO 3 can reduce the availability of phosphorus in arid and semi-arid regions, thereby influencing plant growth. However, the effects of soil stoichiometry of the CaCO 3 /available phosphorus ratio (CaCO 3 /AP ratio) on plant density are unknown. In this study, we examined 4 Artemisia ordosica communities located in arid and semi-arid regions, and performed a pot experiment with an orthogonal design to examine the relationships between the soil CaCO 3 /AP ratio and plant density. The results showed that the soil stoichiometry of the CaCO 3 /AP ratio had a greater effect on growth of A. ordosica than either CaCO 3 or AP as single factor. The influence of the soil CaCO 3 /AP ratio on density of A. ordosica was related to the climatic zone and the types and/or amplitudes of increases in the soil CaCO 3 /AP ratio. When the soil CaCO 3 /AP ratio was within the same amplitude and was less than 2.5, the A. ordosica density increased in the semi-arid region, whereas the density decreased with increasing soil CaCO 3 /AP ratios in the arid region. In the semi-arid region, when the soil CaCO 3 /AP ratio was within the same amplitude and the increase in the soil CaCO 3 content was greater than the increase in soil AP, the A. ordosica density increased with increasing soil CaCO 3 /AP ratios. This means that the relationship between the soil CaCO 3 /AP ratio and the A. ordosica density remained the same. In the arid region, an increase in the soil CaCO 3 /AP ratio as a result of increased soil CaCO 3 content and decreased soil AP resulted in increased density of A. ordosica . Therefore, the relationship between soil CaCO 3 /AP ratios and density of A. ordosica was altered by these changes in soil chemistry. Thus, the soil stoichiometry of the CaCO 3 /AP ratio is an important factor affecting the density of A. ordosica in arid and semi-arid regions. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4866-4 Authors XueLai Zhao, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China XingDong He, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China PingPing Xue, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China Ning Zhang, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China Wei Wu, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China Rong Li, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China HuaCong Ci, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China JingJing Xu, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China YuBao Gao, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China HaLin Zhao, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 73000 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Periodicity of Retzius lines is a key factor in dental development. In this study, we examined the periodicity of Retzius lines in fossil Pongo from South China using polarized light microscope observation of dental ground sections. The periodicities all of the 15 teeth were 9 d. Comparisons of periodicity were made with extant primates, fossil apes and hominins. Periodicity of fossil Pongo from South China was relatively long but fell within the variation of extant Pongo, Gorilla and modern human, and longer than periodicity of Pan and other extant primates. Fossil Pongo from South China was similar to Lufengpithecus and Sivapithecus , shorter than Gigantopithecus and longer than European and African fossil apes and most early hominins in periodicity. Generally, the periodicities of Asian large-body fossil apes were longer than the periodicities of European and African large-body fossil apes in Miocene. Difference among species and trend of evolution in periodicity were analyzed and discussed. We found that periodicity might gradually increase from Proconsul in early Miocene to several fossil apes in Miocene and then Gigantopithecus in Pleistocene. In addition, this study made correlate analysis between periodicity and body mass respectively in males and females of six extant apes and five fossil apes, and found that periodicity positively correlated with body mass. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-5 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4883-3 Authors Rong Hu, Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China LingXia Zhao, Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China XinZhi Wu, Laboratory of Human Evolution, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for acute myeloid leukemia; however, the emergence of drug resistance is a major hurdle in the successful treatment of leukemia. The expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4) induces resistance in the adriamycin-resistant acute myeloid leukemia cell line, K562/ADR. The aim of this study was to investigate whether knockdown of MRP4 by lentivirus-mediated siRNA could improve the sensitivity of K562/ADR cells to adriamycin. Five lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNAs (lv-shRNAs-MRP4) were designed to trigger the gene silencing RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. The efficiency of lentivirus-mediated siRNA infection into K562/ADR cells was determined using fluorescence microscopy to observe lentivirus-mediated GFP expression. MRP4 expression in infected K562/ADR cells was evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. The MTS assay was used to measure cell viability and flow cytometry was used to measure apoptosis. The transfection efficiency of K562/ADR cells was over 80 percent. The gene silencing efficacy of lv-shRNA1-MRP4 was superior to the other constructs. Infection of K562/ADR cells with lv-shRNA1-MRP4 led to strong inhibition of MRP4 mRNA and protein expression. Combined treatment with lv-shRNA1-MRP4 and adriamycin decreased cell growth and increased apoptosis compared to treatment with lv-shRNA1-MRP4 or adriamycin alone. These data indicate that in K562/ADR cells MRP4 is involved in drug resistance mechanisms and that lentivirus-mediated knockdown of MRP4 may enhance sensitivity to adriamycin. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4840-1 Authors Bei Liu, Institute of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China Li Zhao, Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China HaiZhen Ma, Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China Wei Zhang, Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China Yu Jin, Institute of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Lianas are a principal physiognomic component of tropical and subtropical forests and are typically considered to be parasites of trees. In contrast, the substantial contribution of lianas to rainforest leaf litter production (up to 40%) suggests that they play important roles in nutrient cycles and may benefit their host trees. Lianas contribute disproportionately to total forest litter production at least partially because lianas invest relatively little in support structures and proportionately much more to leaf production when compared with trees. In contrast to tree leaves, liana leaves are higher in nutrient concentrations, relatively short-lived, and decompose more rapidly. In addition, the special life form of lianas allows them to grow vertically and horizontally in the forest and relocate nutrients, mainly towards their host trees, through the production of leaf litter. Consequently, lianas may contribute substantially to the high rainforest productivity, and the roles they play in liana/tree associations and rainforest dynamics needs to be re-evaluated. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Pages 1-6 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4690-x Authors Yong Tang, Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303 China Roger L. Kitching, Griffith School of the Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia Min Cao, Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    Lepturichthys fimbriata (Günther) is one of the benthic and rock-attached fish species that is typically found in torrential flows of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China. Several dams in the Yangtze River (the Ertan Dam, the Three Gorges Dam, the Gezhouba Dam, the Xiluodu Dam and the Xiangjiaba Dam (the latter two dams are under construction)) may have significant effects on the habitat and spawning behaviors of L. fimbriata , and could ultimately threaten the survival of this fish. We studied the population genetic diversity of L. fimbriata samples collected at three sites within the Yangtze River and one of its tributaries, the Yalong River. Genetic diversity patterns were determined by analyzing genetic data from 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci isolated in Jinshaia sinensis (Sauvage et Dabry). A high genetic diversity among these L. fimbriata local populations was indicated by the number of microsatellite alleles ( A ) and the expected heterozygosity. No reductions of genetic diversity in any L. fimbriata population were observed. However, significant population differentiations were observed among three local populations by pairwise comparisons ( P 〈0.001). We deduced that L. fimbriata local populations were not small ones. In addition, the habitat behaviors of rock-attachment and possible residence of L. fimbriata could account for the genetic differences found in local populations. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-5 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4704-8 Authors FuTie Zhang, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 China YouJian Duan, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 China ShanMao Cao, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023 China JianWei Wang, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 China DeQing Tan, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    As a type of thin film, two dimensional (2D) reticulate architectures built of freestanding single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) bundles are suitable for scalable integration into devices and nanocomposites for many applications. The superior properties of these films, such as optical transparency, unique electrical properties and mechanical flexibility, result not only from the outstanding properties of individual SWCNTs but also from the collective behavior of the individual tubes, with additional properties arising from the tube-tube interactions. In this review, the synthesis, structure and fundamental properties, such as conductivity, transparency, optical nonlinearity and mechanical performance, of “freestanding SWCNT bundle network” thin films and nanocomposites, as well as their application as supercapacitors are highlighted. Some long-standing problems and topics warranting further investigation in the near future are addressed. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Pages 1-20 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4878-0 Authors WeiYa Zhou, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China WenJun Ma, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China ZhiQiang Niu, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China Li Song, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China SiShen Xie, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    One of the most unique structural characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) differentiating from other carbon materials is their hollow nanochannles, which can be utilized for encapsulating and loading foreign matters. The anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template technique enables the diameter, length, and cap structure control of the replicated CNTs, and thus shows advantages in pore structure control over the traditional CNT growth approaches. This review details the synthesis of CNTs with tunable diameter, length, wall thickness, and crystalline by using the AAO template method. The doping of heteroatoms and filling of foreign matters into AAO-CNTs are also addressed. Moreover, the main challenges and developing trends of the AAO template method are discussed. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Pages 1-18 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4892-2 Authors PengXiang Hou, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China Chang Liu, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China Chao Shi, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China HuiMing Cheng, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538

Description:    The spatiotemporal evolution of the M 9.0 Tohoku earthquake sequence off the East Coast of Honshu in Japan on March 11, 2011 and precursive seismic activity near the Japan Trench show that the earthquake sequence has foreshock-main shock-aftershock characteristics. Its foreshock sequence is characterized by a concentrated spatial distribution, low b value and the same focal mechanisms. Half an hour after the main shock, the two greatest aftershocks, with magnitudes of M 7.9 and M 7.7, occurred, followed by a rapid reduction in the strength of events. The aftershock activity was enhanced roughly two weeks and one month after the main event. This great earthquake ruptured bilaterally. Five hours after the main shock, the aftershock zone extended over a range that was 500 km in length and 300 km in width. A day later, the long axis of the aftershock area had expanded to about 600 km. Nine years prior to the 2011 earthquake, the seismicity in the location of the seismic source for this event enhanced significantly, with the extent of this area of enhanced seismicity being roughly equivalent to the aftershock zone. Content Type Journal Article Category Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s11434-011-4885-1 Authors Yan Xue, Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, 100081 China Jie Liu, China Earthquake Networks Center, Beijing, 100045 China HuaiZhong Yu, China Earthquake Networks Center, Beijing, 100045 China ShuangQing Liu, Earthquake Administration of Tianjin Municipality, Tianjin, 300201 China Journal Chinese Science Bulletin Online ISSN 1861-9541 Print ISSN 1001-6538