The cosmopolitan calcifying alga Emiliania huxleyi is one of the most abundant bloom forming coccolithophore species in the oceans and plays an important role in global biogeochemical cycling. Coccolithoviruses are a ...The cosmopolitan calcifying alga Emiliania huxleyi is one of the most abundant bloom forming coccolithophore species in the oceans and plays an important role in global biogeochemical cycling. Coccolithoviruses are a major cause of coccolithophore bloom termination and have been studied in laboratory, mesocosm and open ocean studies. However, little is known about the dynamic interactions between the host and its viruses, and less is known about the natural diversity and role of functionally important genes within natural coccolithovirus communities. Here, we investigate the temporal and spatial distribution of coccolithoviruses by the use of molecular fingerprinting techniques PCR, DGGE and genomie sequencing. The natural biodiversity of the virus genes encoding the major capsid protein (MCP) and serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) were analysed in samples obtained from the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT), the North Sea and the L4 site in the Westem Channel Observatory. We discovered nine new coccolithovirus genotypes across the AMT and L4 site, with the majority of MCP sequences observed at the deep chlorophyll maximum layer of the sampled sites on the transect. We also found four new SPT gene variations in the North Sea and at L4. Their translated fragments and the full protein sequence of SPT from laboratory strains EhV-86 and EhV-99B 1 were modelled and revealed that the theoretical fold differs among strains. Variation identified in the structural distance between the two domains of the SPT protein may have an impact on the catalytic capabilities of its active site. In summary, the combined use of 'standard' markers (i.e. MCP), in combination with metabolically relevant markers (i.e. SPT) are useful in the study of the phylogeny and functional biodiversity of coccolithoviruses, and can provide an interesting intracellular insight into the evolution of these viruses and their ability to infect and replicate within their algal hosts.展开更多
A laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) was used to pretreat coking wastewater. Inoculated anaerobic granular biomass was acclimated for 225 d to the coking wastewater, and then the biochemical me...A laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) was used to pretreat coking wastewater. Inoculated anaerobic granular biomass was acclimated for 225 d to the coking wastewater, and then the biochemical methane potential (BMP)of the coking wastewater in the acclimated granular biomass was measured. At the same time, some fundamental technological factors, such as the filling time and the reacting time ratio (tf/tr), the mixing intensity and the intermittent mixing mode, that affect anaerobic pretreatment of coking wastewater with ASBR, were evaluated through orthogonal tests. The COD removal efficiency reached 38%~50% in the stable operation period with the organic loading rate of 0.37~0.54 kg COD/(m3.d) at the optimum conditions of tf/tr, the mixing intensity and the intermittent mixing mode. In addition, the biodegradability of coking wastewater distinctly increased after the pretreatment using ASBR. At the end of the experiment, the microorganism forms on the granulated sludge in the ASBR were observed using SEM (scanning electron microscope) and fluoroscope. The results showed that the dominant microorganism on the granular sludge was Methanosaeta instead of Methanosarcina dominated on the inoculated sludge.展开更多
According to the requirements of the high-sensitivity acquisition of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum(DSSS) signals under ultrahigh dynamic environments in space communications, a three-dimensional joint search of the ...According to the requirements of the high-sensitivity acquisition of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum(DSSS) signals under ultrahigh dynamic environments in space communications, a three-dimensional joint search of the phase of Pseudo-Noise-code(PN-code),Doppler frequency and its rate-of-change is presented to achieve high sensitivity in sensing high-frequency dynamics. By eliminating the correlation peak loss caused by ultrahigh Doppler frequency and its rate-of-change offset,the proposed method improves the acquisition sensitivity by increasing the non-coherent accumulation time. The validity of the algorithm is proved by theoretical analysis and simulation results. It is shown that signals with a carrier- to-noise ratio as low as 39 dBHz can be captured with high performance when the Doppler frequency is up to ±1 MHz and its rate-of-change is up to ±200 kHz/s.展开更多
This paper attempts to relate serendipity, the natural ability to make interesting or valuable discoveries by accident (Longman Discovery of Contemporary English) with notable discoveries and inventions. It connotes...This paper attempts to relate serendipity, the natural ability to make interesting or valuable discoveries by accident (Longman Discovery of Contemporary English) with notable discoveries and inventions. It connotes the profound ability of finding out valuable things different from those who have been exploring by spending a lot of time or for years. The author will illustrate as many cases as possible within a given time constraint, so that surrounding environments and situations may be clarified, and such discoveries and inventions may be plausibly accomplished by accident or with rich reasons. These illustrations include historical as well as more recent cases. One of the cases is beyond the scope of our environment on the earth with preconceived notion, while other cases have given great impacts to our politics and also military intelligence. It should be noted that business and technological intelligence are deeply connected with discoveries, inventions and serendipity. In concluding remarks, the essence of serendipity will be summarized and how to side with the serendipity at the most important moment will be examined by viewing time series endeavors of the inventors and those who have devoted much time to discoveries.展开更多
In this study the authors compared the sequence types (STs) designed by sequence based typing (SBT) of 4 clinical and 12 environmental strains of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (LP1) which were isolated from...In this study the authors compared the sequence types (STs) designed by sequence based typing (SBT) of 4 clinical and 12 environmental strains of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (LP1) which were isolated from hospital facilities for the mentally disabled. The strains were selected after a retrospective surveillance of 565 clinical records (2002-2009) and investigations of water circuit. It was possible to correlate two clinical strains with the corresponding environment, which were collected from showers that had exposed the patients (ST685, ST16) and two clinical strains present in the same structure (STI). The other environmental strains were isolated from water in the department with confirmed or suspected clinical cases. All the strains (seven) from the first structure had ST188; two from the second structure had ST34; and the last from the third structure, gave an ST694. The results were compared with the European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI) database: the ST 1, 16, 34 and 188 were already known in literature, among clinical and nosocomial cases, especially for ST 1, the most distributed worldwide. Two STs were new to the database. ST685 was isolated both from a patient and from the water; ST694, which was found exclusively in the environmental compartment of a control structure (no cases of legionellosis and low number of nosocomial pneumonia), was unknown in the literature and the authors could only speculate on its possible minor virulence and/or distribution. The implementation of SBT and international comparisons may be useful to gain genotypic knowledge of circulating environmental strains, also verifying their presence in the clinical setting.展开更多
In order to study the characteristics of crustal deformation around the epicenter before the 2016 M_S6. 4 Menyuan earthquake,the GPS continuous stations of the period from 2010 to 2016 were selected according to the o...In order to study the characteristics of crustal deformation around the epicenter before the 2016 M_S6. 4 Menyuan earthquake,the GPS continuous stations of the period from 2010 to 2016 were selected according to the observation data of the tectonic environment monitoring network in Chinese Mainland. The deformation characteristics of the crust before the earthquake were discussed through inter-station baseline time series analysis and the strain time series analysis in the epicentral region. The results show that a trend turn of the baseline movement state around the epicenter region occurred after 2014,and the movement after 2014 reflects an obvious decreasing trend of compressional deformation.During this period,the stress field energy was in a certain accumulation state. Since the beginning of 2014,the EW-component linear strain and surface strain rate weakened gradually before the earthquake. It shows that there was an obvious deformation deficit at the epicentral area in the past two years,which indicates that the region accumulated a high degree of strain energy before the earthquake. Therefore,there was a significant background change in the area before the earthquake. The results of the study can provide basic research data for understanding the seismogenic process and mechanism of this earthquake.展开更多
This paper briefly introduces the current research progress in the field of foreshocks,both in China and abroad,and contrasts the common characteristics and the mechanisms of foreshocks of the sequence under the defin...This paper briefly introduces the current research progress in the field of foreshocks,both in China and abroad,and contrasts the common characteristics and the mechanisms of foreshocks of the sequence under the definition of different conditions of foreshocks. The main recognition methods of foreshocks are briefly reviewed,and their characteristics and existing problems are reviewed and discussed. Foreshocks are small earthquakes that occur before the mainshock and adjacent to the main source location. A foreshock sequence is constituted of a series of foreshock activities that occur before the mainshock. The proportion of earthquake cases includes direct foreshocks ranging from 10% - 40% at different defined conditions of foreshocks. Theoretically,cascade model or pre-slid model can explain foreshocks. Foreshocks are mainly concentrated in the range of 10km -75 km of the mainshock,but their time distribution form is very complicated,mostly prior to the mainshock from 1 or 2 days,the seismicity rate of part of foreshock sequences shows significant acceleration features,but many foreshock sequences often show the attenuation characteristics of mainshock-aftershock sequences. The most prominent feature of foreshocks is a focal consistent mechanism and low b-value of earthquakes of the earthquake sequence. Foreshocks seems to have a certain relationship with tectonic environment and the rupture form of the mainshock,in limited foreshocks earthquake cases,the dip-thrusting earthquakes seem to have relatively more foreshocks. The results of some of the earthquake cases show that the focal depth of foreshocks gradually moved downward with the mainshock approaching. So far,it is difficult to determine whether an earthquake or an earthquake sequence is a foreshock or foreshock sequence before the mainshock. The identification methods of foreshocks mainly include a statistical method of analogy,focal consistent mechanism and related derivative method,the fine detection of the earthquake nucleation process. From a few existing studies of earthquake cases,in spite of earthquake temporal clusters and focal consistent mechanism being the most significant features of foreshock sequence,there were not sufficient conditions for judging a foreshock sequence. Because the rupture rate of expansion and sliding displacement have a tendency to increase faster with time,the method of fine detection of the earthquake nucleation process is expected to play a more important role in the identification of foreshocks,but it needs more earthquake examples to be verified.展开更多
The accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station stunned the world as the sequences played out over severals days and videos of hydrogen explosions were televised as they took place. The accidents all resu...The accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station stunned the world as the sequences played out over severals days and videos of hydrogen explosions were televised as they took place. The accidents all resulted in severe damage to the reactor cores and releases of radioactivity to the environment despite heroic measures had taken by the operating personnel. The following paper provides some background into the development of these accidents and their root causes,chief among them,the prolonged station blackout conditions that isolated the reactors from their ultimate heat sink - the ocean. The interpretations given in this paper are summarized from a recently completed report funded by the United States Department of Energy (USDOE).展开更多
The loess deposits comprise several paleosol layers reflecting alternation of drier and wetter climate during Quaternary. Such a situation occurs in north of Barlad, on The Sohodau's Hill. Morphological study of the ...The loess deposits comprise several paleosol layers reflecting alternation of drier and wetter climate during Quaternary. Such a situation occurs in north of Barlad, on The Sohodau's Hill. Morphological study of the quarry paleosols from north of Barlad was accomplished based on field observations and macroscopic physic-chemical results. Three levels of paleosols with variable thickness were determined. These three fossils layers are interbedded by four loess deposits. The physical-chimical data provide important information for the paleosol genesis and depositional/climatic environments. The carbon content and C/N ratio indicate the strength of pedogenesis in the Pleistocene and trends of biomass accumulation.展开更多
The earthquake stress-drop values of two sequences were accurately calculated after taking away the effects due to regional earthquake anelastic attenuation and station site response,using waveform data and seismic ph...The earthquake stress-drop values of two sequences were accurately calculated after taking away the effects due to regional earthquake anelastic attenuation and station site response,using waveform data and seismic phase data of sequences of the Jinggu M_S6. 6,and Ludian M_S6. 5 earthquakes in Yunnan. These results show that the stress drop with magnitude increases within the scope of this study of magnitude. After eliminating the influence of the magnitude,the average value of stress-drop in the Jinggu sequence is higher than that of the Ludian sequence at the same magnitude range. This may be related to the stress state in different regions. In terms of the changes of time and space of stress-drop,before M_S5. 8 strong aftershock,the stress-drop is "slowing down-turning up-keeping a high value"after the mainshock,meanwhile,almost all of the abnormally high stress drop value is distributed around the M_S5. 8 strong aftershock, showing that the stress environment in the region was increasing after the mainshock. And after the M_S5. 9 strong aftershock,stress-drop rapidly declines to a relatively stable state,meanwhile,the high value of stress-drop is distributed around the strong aftershock,showing that the regional tectonic stress gets more fully release,its stress environment begins to rapidly decrease.For the Ludian sequence without a strong aftershock occurring,the average value of stress drop is lower than that of the Jinggu earthquake sequence at the same magnitude range,while at the same time,the stress-drop of the aftershock sequence almost hasn't changed much. In the time after the mainshock,combined with the release characteristics of the main energy,the stress in the region is excessively released,the subsequent stress in the region gradually returns to normal. This may be the reason why the activity of Ludianaftershocks significantly was weaker and subsequently there were no strong aftershocks occurred.展开更多
The expansion of inland Asia deserts has considerably influenced the environmental, social and economic activities in Asia. Aridification of inland Asia, especially timing of the initiation of Asian desertification, i...The expansion of inland Asia deserts has considerably influenced the environmental, social and economic activities in Asia. Aridification of inland Asia, especially timing of the initiation of Asian desertification, is a contentious topic in paleoclimatology. Late Cenozoic eolian loess-red clay sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau, which possess abundant paleoclimatic and paleo-environmental information, can be regarded as an indicator of inland Asia desertification. Here we present a detailed magnetostratigraphic investigation of a new red clay sequence about 654 m in Zhuanglang located at the western Chinese Loess Plateau. Sedimentological, geochemical, mineralogical, and quartz morphological lines of evidence show that the red clay is of eolian origin. Magnetostratigraphic correlations indicate that this core sequence spans from 25.6 to 4.8 Ma, and typical eolian red clay appears as early as 25 Ma. This extends the lower limit of the red clay on the Chinese Loess Plateau from the previously thought early Miocene back into the late Oligocene. This new red clay record further implies that the inland Asia desertification was initiated at least by the late Oligocene. This sequence provides a unique high-resolution geological record for understanding the inland Asia desertification process since the late Oligocene.展开更多
Salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can play an important role in alleviating soil salinity stress during plant growth and bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS) can also help to mitigate salinity...Salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can play an important role in alleviating soil salinity stress during plant growth and bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS) can also help to mitigate salinity stress by reducing the content of Na+ available for plant uptake. In this study, native bacterial strains of wheat rhizosphere in soils of Varanasi, India, were screened to identify the EPS-producing salt-tolerant rhizobacteria with plant growth-promoting traits. The various rhizobacteria strains were isolated and identified using 16S rDNA sequencing. The plant growth-promoting effect of inoculation of seedlings with these bacterial strains was evaluated under soil salinity conditions in a pot experiment. Eleven bacterial strains which initially showed tolerance up to 80 g L-1 NaC1 also exhibited an EPS-producing potential. The results suggested that the isolated bacterial strains demonstrated some of the plant growth-promoting traits such as phosphate solubilizing ability and production of auxin, proline, reducing sugars, and total soluble sugars. Furthermore, the inoculated wheat plants had an increased biomass compared to the unoinoculated plants.展开更多
Diabetes has become the epidemic of the 21 st century, and with over 90% patients with diabetes becoming at a risk of developing retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy has emerged as a major public health concern. In spite...Diabetes has become the epidemic of the 21 st century, and with over 90% patients with diabetes becoming at a risk of developing retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy has emerged as a major public health concern. In spite of cutting edge research in the field, how retina and its vasculature are damaged by the diabetic milieu remains ambiguous. The environmental factors, life style or disease process can also bring in modifications in the DNA, and these epigenetic modifications either silence or activate a gene without altering the DNA sequence. Diabetic environment up- or downregulates a number of genes in the retina, and emerging research has shown that it also facilitates epigenetic modifications. In the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, the genes associated with important enzymes(e.g., mitochondrial superoxide dismutase, matrix metalloproteinase-9 and thioredoxin interacting protein) and transcriptional factors are epigenetically modified, the enzymes responsible for these epigenetic modifications are either activated or inhibited, and the levels of micro RNAs are altered. With epigenetic modifications taking an important place in diabetic retinopathy, it is now becoming critical to evaluate these modifications, and understand their impact on this slow progressing blinding disease.展开更多
文摘The cosmopolitan calcifying alga Emiliania huxleyi is one of the most abundant bloom forming coccolithophore species in the oceans and plays an important role in global biogeochemical cycling. Coccolithoviruses are a major cause of coccolithophore bloom termination and have been studied in laboratory, mesocosm and open ocean studies. However, little is known about the dynamic interactions between the host and its viruses, and less is known about the natural diversity and role of functionally important genes within natural coccolithovirus communities. Here, we investigate the temporal and spatial distribution of coccolithoviruses by the use of molecular fingerprinting techniques PCR, DGGE and genomie sequencing. The natural biodiversity of the virus genes encoding the major capsid protein (MCP) and serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) were analysed in samples obtained from the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT), the North Sea and the L4 site in the Westem Channel Observatory. We discovered nine new coccolithovirus genotypes across the AMT and L4 site, with the majority of MCP sequences observed at the deep chlorophyll maximum layer of the sampled sites on the transect. We also found four new SPT gene variations in the North Sea and at L4. Their translated fragments and the full protein sequence of SPT from laboratory strains EhV-86 and EhV-99B 1 were modelled and revealed that the theoretical fold differs among strains. Variation identified in the structural distance between the two domains of the SPT protein may have an impact on the catalytic capabilities of its active site. In summary, the combined use of 'standard' markers (i.e. MCP), in combination with metabolically relevant markers (i.e. SPT) are useful in the study of the phylogeny and functional biodiversity of coccolithoviruses, and can provide an interesting intracellular insight into the evolution of these viruses and their ability to infect and replicate within their algal hosts.
基金Project (No. 40272108) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘A laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) was used to pretreat coking wastewater. Inoculated anaerobic granular biomass was acclimated for 225 d to the coking wastewater, and then the biochemical methane potential (BMP)of the coking wastewater in the acclimated granular biomass was measured. At the same time, some fundamental technological factors, such as the filling time and the reacting time ratio (tf/tr), the mixing intensity and the intermittent mixing mode, that affect anaerobic pretreatment of coking wastewater with ASBR, were evaluated through orthogonal tests. The COD removal efficiency reached 38%~50% in the stable operation period with the organic loading rate of 0.37~0.54 kg COD/(m3.d) at the optimum conditions of tf/tr, the mixing intensity and the intermittent mixing mode. In addition, the biodegradability of coking wastewater distinctly increased after the pretreatment using ASBR. At the end of the experiment, the microorganism forms on the granulated sludge in the ASBR were observed using SEM (scanning electron microscope) and fluoroscope. The results showed that the dominant microorganism on the granular sludge was Methanosaeta instead of Methanosarcina dominated on the inoculated sludge.
基金supported by the Youth Science Fund,National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.61102130
文摘According to the requirements of the high-sensitivity acquisition of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum(DSSS) signals under ultrahigh dynamic environments in space communications, a three-dimensional joint search of the phase of Pseudo-Noise-code(PN-code),Doppler frequency and its rate-of-change is presented to achieve high sensitivity in sensing high-frequency dynamics. By eliminating the correlation peak loss caused by ultrahigh Doppler frequency and its rate-of-change offset,the proposed method improves the acquisition sensitivity by increasing the non-coherent accumulation time. The validity of the algorithm is proved by theoretical analysis and simulation results. It is shown that signals with a carrier- to-noise ratio as low as 39 dBHz can be captured with high performance when the Doppler frequency is up to ±1 MHz and its rate-of-change is up to ±200 kHz/s.
文摘This paper attempts to relate serendipity, the natural ability to make interesting or valuable discoveries by accident (Longman Discovery of Contemporary English) with notable discoveries and inventions. It connotes the profound ability of finding out valuable things different from those who have been exploring by spending a lot of time or for years. The author will illustrate as many cases as possible within a given time constraint, so that surrounding environments and situations may be clarified, and such discoveries and inventions may be plausibly accomplished by accident or with rich reasons. These illustrations include historical as well as more recent cases. One of the cases is beyond the scope of our environment on the earth with preconceived notion, while other cases have given great impacts to our politics and also military intelligence. It should be noted that business and technological intelligence are deeply connected with discoveries, inventions and serendipity. In concluding remarks, the essence of serendipity will be summarized and how to side with the serendipity at the most important moment will be examined by viewing time series endeavors of the inventors and those who have devoted much time to discoveries.
文摘In this study the authors compared the sequence types (STs) designed by sequence based typing (SBT) of 4 clinical and 12 environmental strains of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (LP1) which were isolated from hospital facilities for the mentally disabled. The strains were selected after a retrospective surveillance of 565 clinical records (2002-2009) and investigations of water circuit. It was possible to correlate two clinical strains with the corresponding environment, which were collected from showers that had exposed the patients (ST685, ST16) and two clinical strains present in the same structure (STI). The other environmental strains were isolated from water in the department with confirmed or suspected clinical cases. All the strains (seven) from the first structure had ST188; two from the second structure had ST34; and the last from the third structure, gave an ST694. The results were compared with the European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI) database: the ST 1, 16, 34 and 188 were already known in literature, among clinical and nosocomial cases, especially for ST 1, the most distributed worldwide. Two STs were new to the database. ST685 was isolated both from a patient and from the water; ST694, which was found exclusively in the environmental compartment of a control structure (no cases of legionellosis and low number of nosocomial pneumonia), was unknown in the literature and the authors could only speculate on its possible minor virulence and/or distribution. The implementation of SBT and international comparisons may be useful to gain genotypic knowledge of circulating environmental strains, also verifying their presence in the clinical setting.
基金funded by the Earthquake Science and Technology Development Fund of GEA(Grant No.2016M02,2016Y02)the Earthquake Tracking Task of CEA(2017010221)+1 种基金the Fund of Science for Earthquake Resilience,CEA,(XH16038Y,XH14049)Grant of National Natural Science Foundation of China(51408567,41304048)
文摘In order to study the characteristics of crustal deformation around the epicenter before the 2016 M_S6. 4 Menyuan earthquake,the GPS continuous stations of the period from 2010 to 2016 were selected according to the observation data of the tectonic environment monitoring network in Chinese Mainland. The deformation characteristics of the crust before the earthquake were discussed through inter-station baseline time series analysis and the strain time series analysis in the epicentral region. The results show that a trend turn of the baseline movement state around the epicenter region occurred after 2014,and the movement after 2014 reflects an obvious decreasing trend of compressional deformation.During this period,the stress field energy was in a certain accumulation state. Since the beginning of 2014,the EW-component linear strain and surface strain rate weakened gradually before the earthquake. It shows that there was an obvious deformation deficit at the epicentral area in the past two years,which indicates that the region accumulated a high degree of strain energy before the earthquake. Therefore,there was a significant background change in the area before the earthquake. The results of the study can provide basic research data for understanding the seismogenic process and mechanism of this earthquake.
基金supported by the Special Task for Science and Technology Project of the Department of Earthquake Monitoring and Prediction,CEA in 2016(1640501320212)
文摘This paper briefly introduces the current research progress in the field of foreshocks,both in China and abroad,and contrasts the common characteristics and the mechanisms of foreshocks of the sequence under the definition of different conditions of foreshocks. The main recognition methods of foreshocks are briefly reviewed,and their characteristics and existing problems are reviewed and discussed. Foreshocks are small earthquakes that occur before the mainshock and adjacent to the main source location. A foreshock sequence is constituted of a series of foreshock activities that occur before the mainshock. The proportion of earthquake cases includes direct foreshocks ranging from 10% - 40% at different defined conditions of foreshocks. Theoretically,cascade model or pre-slid model can explain foreshocks. Foreshocks are mainly concentrated in the range of 10km -75 km of the mainshock,but their time distribution form is very complicated,mostly prior to the mainshock from 1 or 2 days,the seismicity rate of part of foreshock sequences shows significant acceleration features,but many foreshock sequences often show the attenuation characteristics of mainshock-aftershock sequences. The most prominent feature of foreshocks is a focal consistent mechanism and low b-value of earthquakes of the earthquake sequence. Foreshocks seems to have a certain relationship with tectonic environment and the rupture form of the mainshock,in limited foreshocks earthquake cases,the dip-thrusting earthquakes seem to have relatively more foreshocks. The results of some of the earthquake cases show that the focal depth of foreshocks gradually moved downward with the mainshock approaching. So far,it is difficult to determine whether an earthquake or an earthquake sequence is a foreshock or foreshock sequence before the mainshock. The identification methods of foreshocks mainly include a statistical method of analogy,focal consistent mechanism and related derivative method,the fine detection of the earthquake nucleation process. From a few existing studies of earthquake cases,in spite of earthquake temporal clusters and focal consistent mechanism being the most significant features of foreshock sequence,there were not sufficient conditions for judging a foreshock sequence. Because the rupture rate of expansion and sliding displacement have a tendency to increase faster with time,the method of fine detection of the earthquake nucleation process is expected to play a more important role in the identification of foreshocks,but it needs more earthquake examples to be verified.
文摘The accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station stunned the world as the sequences played out over severals days and videos of hydrogen explosions were televised as they took place. The accidents all resulted in severe damage to the reactor cores and releases of radioactivity to the environment despite heroic measures had taken by the operating personnel. The following paper provides some background into the development of these accidents and their root causes,chief among them,the prolonged station blackout conditions that isolated the reactors from their ultimate heat sink - the ocean. The interpretations given in this paper are summarized from a recently completed report funded by the United States Department of Energy (USDOE).
文摘The loess deposits comprise several paleosol layers reflecting alternation of drier and wetter climate during Quaternary. Such a situation occurs in north of Barlad, on The Sohodau's Hill. Morphological study of the quarry paleosols from north of Barlad was accomplished based on field observations and macroscopic physic-chemical results. Three levels of paleosols with variable thickness were determined. These three fossils layers are interbedded by four loess deposits. The physical-chimical data provide important information for the paleosol genesis and depositional/climatic environments. The carbon content and C/N ratio indicate the strength of pedogenesis in the Pleistocene and trends of biomass accumulation.
基金supported by the“Catalogue of Earthquake Sequence in the Chinese Mainland”of Department of Monitoring and Prediction,China Earthquake Administration(1740503502)
文摘The earthquake stress-drop values of two sequences were accurately calculated after taking away the effects due to regional earthquake anelastic attenuation and station site response,using waveform data and seismic phase data of sequences of the Jinggu M_S6. 6,and Ludian M_S6. 5 earthquakes in Yunnan. These results show that the stress drop with magnitude increases within the scope of this study of magnitude. After eliminating the influence of the magnitude,the average value of stress-drop in the Jinggu sequence is higher than that of the Ludian sequence at the same magnitude range. This may be related to the stress state in different regions. In terms of the changes of time and space of stress-drop,before M_S5. 8 strong aftershock,the stress-drop is "slowing down-turning up-keeping a high value"after the mainshock,meanwhile,almost all of the abnormally high stress drop value is distributed around the M_S5. 8 strong aftershock, showing that the stress environment in the region was increasing after the mainshock. And after the M_S5. 9 strong aftershock,stress-drop rapidly declines to a relatively stable state,meanwhile,the high value of stress-drop is distributed around the strong aftershock,showing that the regional tectonic stress gets more fully release,its stress environment begins to rapidly decrease.For the Ludian sequence without a strong aftershock occurring,the average value of stress drop is lower than that of the Jinggu earthquake sequence at the same magnitude range,while at the same time,the stress-drop of the aftershock sequence almost hasn't changed much. In the time after the mainshock,combined with the release characteristics of the main energy,the stress in the region is excessively released,the subsequent stress in the region gradually returns to normal. This may be the reason why the activity of Ludianaftershocks significantly was weaker and subsequently there were no strong aftershocks occurred.
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grants Nos. 2010CB833400, 2004CB720200)Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-Q09-04)+1 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 41072142, 40921120406 and 40772116)State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG)
文摘The expansion of inland Asia deserts has considerably influenced the environmental, social and economic activities in Asia. Aridification of inland Asia, especially timing of the initiation of Asian desertification, is a contentious topic in paleoclimatology. Late Cenozoic eolian loess-red clay sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau, which possess abundant paleoclimatic and paleo-environmental information, can be regarded as an indicator of inland Asia desertification. Here we present a detailed magnetostratigraphic investigation of a new red clay sequence about 654 m in Zhuanglang located at the western Chinese Loess Plateau. Sedimentological, geochemical, mineralogical, and quartz morphological lines of evidence show that the red clay is of eolian origin. Magnetostratigraphic correlations indicate that this core sequence spans from 25.6 to 4.8 Ma, and typical eolian red clay appears as early as 25 Ma. This extends the lower limit of the red clay on the Chinese Loess Plateau from the previously thought early Miocene back into the late Oligocene. This new red clay record further implies that the inland Asia desertification was initiated at least by the late Oligocene. This sequence provides a unique high-resolution geological record for understanding the inland Asia desertification process since the late Oligocene.
基金Supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research,Human Research Development Group,Government of India
文摘Salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can play an important role in alleviating soil salinity stress during plant growth and bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS) can also help to mitigate salinity stress by reducing the content of Na+ available for plant uptake. In this study, native bacterial strains of wheat rhizosphere in soils of Varanasi, India, were screened to identify the EPS-producing salt-tolerant rhizobacteria with plant growth-promoting traits. The various rhizobacteria strains were isolated and identified using 16S rDNA sequencing. The plant growth-promoting effect of inoculation of seedlings with these bacterial strains was evaluated under soil salinity conditions in a pot experiment. Eleven bacterial strains which initially showed tolerance up to 80 g L-1 NaC1 also exhibited an EPS-producing potential. The results suggested that the isolated bacterial strains demonstrated some of the plant growth-promoting traits such as phosphate solubilizing ability and production of auxin, proline, reducing sugars, and total soluble sugars. Furthermore, the inoculated wheat plants had an increased biomass compared to the unoinoculated plants.
文摘Diabetes has become the epidemic of the 21 st century, and with over 90% patients with diabetes becoming at a risk of developing retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy has emerged as a major public health concern. In spite of cutting edge research in the field, how retina and its vasculature are damaged by the diabetic milieu remains ambiguous. The environmental factors, life style or disease process can also bring in modifications in the DNA, and these epigenetic modifications either silence or activate a gene without altering the DNA sequence. Diabetic environment up- or downregulates a number of genes in the retina, and emerging research has shown that it also facilitates epigenetic modifications. In the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, the genes associated with important enzymes(e.g., mitochondrial superoxide dismutase, matrix metalloproteinase-9 and thioredoxin interacting protein) and transcriptional factors are epigenetically modified, the enzymes responsible for these epigenetic modifications are either activated or inhibited, and the levels of micro RNAs are altered. With epigenetic modifications taking an important place in diabetic retinopathy, it is now becoming critical to evaluate these modifications, and understand their impact on this slow progressing blinding disease.