Genomic organization, nucleotide sequence analysis of the core histone genes cluster in Chlamys farreri and molecular evolution assessment of the H2A and H2B

This work represents the nucleotide sequence of the core histone gene cluster from scallop Chlamys farreri. The tandemly repeated unit of 5671 bp containing a copy of the four core histone genes H4, H2B, H2A and H3 was amplified and identified by the techniques of homology cloning and genomic DNA walking. All the histone genes in the cluster had the structures in their 3' flanking region which related to the evolution of histone gene expression patterns throughout the cell cycle, including two different termination signals, the hairpin structure and at least one AATAAA polyadenylation signal. In their 5' region, the transcription initiation sites with a conserved sequence of 5'-PyATTCPu-3' known as the CAP site were present in all genes except to H2B, generally 37-45 bp upstream of the start code. Canonical TATA and CAAT boxes were identified only in certain histone genes. In the case of the promoters of H2B and H2A genes, there was a 5'-GATCC-3' element, which had been found to be essential to start transcription at the appropriate site. After this element, in the promoter of H2B, there was another sequence, 5'-GGATCGAAACGTTC-3', which was similar to the consensus sequence of 5'-GGAATAAACGTATTC-3' corresponding to the H2B-specific promoter element. The presence of enhancer sequences (5'-TGATATATG-3') was identified from the H4 and H3 genes, matching perfectly with the consensus sequence defined for histone genes. There were several slightly more complex repetitive DNA in the intergene regions. The presence of the series of conserved sequences and reiterated sequences was consistent with the view that mollusc histone gene cluster arose by duplicating of an ancestral precursor histone gene, the birth-and-death evolution model with strong purifying selection enabled the histone cluster less variation and more conserved function. Meanwhile, the H2A and the H2B were demonstrated to be potential good marks for phylogenetic analysis. All the results will be contributed to the characterization of repeating histone gene families in molluscs.

The application of microwave radiation to analytical and environment chemistry

This review presents the latest advances in the application of microwave energy to analytical chemistry. The fundamental principles of microwave field interaction with the matter are presented and their significance for the chemist is discussed, followed by the basic principles of microwave equipment construction and operation. Examples of the techniques that utilized microwave energy for digestion, extraction, chemical reaction, preconcentration, and desorption of the analytical sample are presented. A separate section describes the examples of usage of microwave technology in catalysis, environmental, and nuclear chemistry and engineering.

Stress transfer and damage evolution simulations of fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composites

The stress transfer from broken fibers to unbroken fibers in fiber-reinforced thermosetting polymer-matrix composites and thermoplastic polymer-matrix composites was studied using a detailed finite element model. In order to check the validity of this approach, an epoxy-matrix monolayer composite was used as thermosetting polymer-matrix composite and a polypropylene (PP)-matrix monolayer composite was used as thermoplastic polymer-matrix composite, respectively. It is found that the stress concentrations near the broken fiber element cause damage to the neighboring epoxy matrix prior to the breakage of other fibers, whereas in the case of PP-matrix composites the fibers nearest to the broken fiber break prior to the PP matrix damage, because the PP matrix around the broken fiber element yields. In order to simulate composite damage evolution, a Monte Carlo technique based on a finite element method has been developed in the paper. The finite element code coupled with statistical model of fiber strength specifically written for this problem was used to determine the stress redistribution. Five hundred samples of numerical simulation were carried out to obtain statistical deformation and failure process of composites with fixed fiber volume fraction.

泥河湾盆地大长梁剖面岩石磁学和环境磁学研究

The fluvio-lacustrine sequence in the Nihewan Basin is an important archive of late Pliocene-Pleistocene climate and environment changes in temperate northern China, which provides excellent sources of early human settlements in high latitude East Asia. The recent years have witnessed a considerable progress in the paleomagnetic dating of its stratigraphy, which has notably increased our understanding of a series of important issues such as the early human occupation in the Old World, the infilling history of the Nihewan Basin, and the chronological sequence of the Nihewan faunas. Up to now, the long-term paleoenvironmental changes directly retrieved from this basin, which might influence the evolution and expansion of early humans in the Nihewan Basin, are still poorly constrained, although several paleoclimatic records have been retrieved from this area. In this study, a combined mineral-magnetic and geochemical investigation was carried out on the fluvio-lacustrine sequence from the Dachangliang section at the eastern margin of the basin in order to reveal its rock magnetic and environmental magnetic characteristics and its implications for early human evolution in East Asia. The major findings and conclusions are listed as the following: First, there is an increased cooling coupled with an intensified aridification recorded in the fluvio-lacustrine sequence of the Dachangliang section. The cooling is related to an up-section decrease in propensity to chemical weathering as inferred from an increase in low-field susceptibility after cycling to 700 °C. Close to 700 °C, reacting chlorite is providing the iron source for newly formed very fine-grained ferrimagnetic minerals which enhances the susceptibility signal. The reactivity of chlorite after annealing at temperatures above 600 °C is documented with X-ray diffraction. Second, degrees of chemical weathering in the Nihewan Basin are further estimated by clay mineralogy (i.e. chlorite and illite contents and chlorite/illite ratio) and a series of major element proxies (i.e. Na2O/Al2O3 versus K2O/Al2O3 diagram, Al2O3-(CaO + Na2O)-K2O ternary diagram (A-CN-K), chemical index of alteration (CIA), (CaO + Na2O + MgO)/TiO2, (CaO + Na2O + MgO + K2O)/(TiO2 + Al2O3), CaO/Al2O3 and CaO/TiO2). The up-section decrease in propensity to chemical weathering suggested by the aforementioned rock mangetic measurement is further confirmed by these geochemical analyses. Combining the chemical weathering records from the Nihewan Basin, Chinese Loess Plateau, South China Sea and eastern China, we find that the consecutive decreasing trend in chemical weathering intensity during the late Cenozoic is ubiquitous across China. This pattern may result from a long-term decreasing East Asian summer monsoon and increasing East Asian winter monsoon, and thus a consecutive increasing of aridification and cooling in Asia during the Quaternary. Furthermore, the chemical weathering intensity increased from South China to North China during the Quaternary, in line with the decreasing East Asian summer monsoon and increasing East Asian winter monsoon and thus the gradually intensified aridification and cooling from South China to North China. Third, a combined mineral-magnetic and geochemical investigation provides evidences that the large-amplitude alterations of concentration of magnetic minerals mainly result from preservation/dissolution cycles of detrital magnetic minerals in alternately oxic and anoxic depositional environments. The preservation/dissolution model implies that the high-magnetic and low-magnetic cycles of this sedimentary sequence represent glacial and interglacial climate cycles, respectively. This contribute significnatly to our understanding of the link between climate and magnetic properties. Finally, the paleoclimatic implications of these rock magnetic and geochemical characteristics significantly increase our understanding of the general setting of early humans in high northern latitude in East Asia. We propose that the cold and dry climate may have contributed significantly to the expansion and adaptation of early humans, rather than bringing hardship, as is often thought. The relationship between magnetic properties and climate possibly provides valuable information on the climatic context of the Paleolithic sites in the basin, especially whether the occupation occurred during an interglacial or glacial period.

岷江柏种子的形态和发芽特征与贮藏生理动态研究

岷江柏(Cupressus chenggiana S. Y. Hu)是我国川甘地区特有的珍稀濒危乔木，一般生长在干旱的河谷区，在涵养水源和保护水 土等方面起着重要的作用。本文选择4个岷江柏种群，采用了野外调查和室内实验相结合的研究方法，调查岷江柏种群结实状况， 分析种子和球果形态特征，阐明种子发芽的基本特征，研究岷江柏种子贮藏过程中几个生理指标的动态变化特点，目的是为岷江柏 种苗繁育、自然更新能力评估以及珍稀濒危机制分析提供理论依据。研究得出如下结论：1.岷江柏球果呈椭球形，长为1.5～ 2.2cm,宽为1.5～1.9cm，质量为1.7～4.2g，球果鳞片数量为8～11片，球果内种子数量一般在40～70粒。岷江柏种子为椭圆形，长 为3.58～4.02mm，宽为3.10～3.15mm，厚为0.96～1.11mm，千粒重为3.1～3.5g。岷江柏的结实率很低，并且有显著的地理差异和 大小年差异。2. 岷江柏种子发芽温度范围是5℃～30℃,其中种子的适宜发芽温度范围是10℃～25℃。种子最适发芽温度随着贮藏 时间的增加而变化。在适宜温度范围内，种子发芽周期为20d。温度对种子的发芽势和T50有显著影响，对种子发芽率没有显著影响 ；光照有利于种子发芽；岷江柏种子的发芽特征是岷江柏保护种子资源、防止物种濒危的一种环境适应，有助于岷江柏种子提高发 芽率和幼苗的存活率。岷江柏种子是一种耐贮藏的正常性种子，在短期贮藏过程中，贮藏温度和种子含水量对于种子生理指标和种 子发芽没有显著影响。3. 岷江柏种子在短期贮藏过程中，千粒重没有显著变化；含水量都经历了先下降，再稳定的过程；粗脂肪 含量和可溶性糖含量逐渐降低；可溶性蛋白含量和丙二醛含量逐渐增加；脯氨酸含量在贮藏1～7个月时变化差异不明显，但是贮藏 7～10个月后显著增加。岷江柏种子的各个生理指标之间的相关性差异不显著。4. 岷江柏球果和种子的形态特征存在显著的地理差 异。岷江柏种子的发芽能力的地理性差异不大，种群间差异不大。岷江柏种群的地理差异由种群特征、生境特征和气候特征共同决 定。5. 在岷江柏的人工繁育中，对于刚刚采集的种子，发芽温度在15℃～25℃比较适合，其中以25℃最佳；而对于短期贮藏(4～ 10个月)后的种子，发芽温度在10℃～25℃均可，以15℃～20℃为最佳。野外播种的最适时间为4～6月，6～9月的间歇性干旱和降 水波动可能是限制岷江柏自然更新的因素之一。在短期贮藏过程中，种子可以采用常规室温贮藏，可以节约成本。Cupressus chenggiana is a specific and endangered plant in Sichuan and Gansu provinces of China, and it usually grows in dry valley and plays an important role in water supply and soil and water conservation in the dry valley of alpine and canyon region of southwest China. The research selected four Cupressus chenggiana populations and used the methods of the field investigation and the lab experiments. The fruiting characters of Cupressus chenggiana populations, the morphological characters of seeds and cones, the germination characters of seeds and the store physiological dymatics of several factors of seeds have been studied in order to give some theoretical advices on the artificial propagation and the ability of natural regeneration and the endangered principle of Cupressus chenggiana in the paper. The main results may be clarified as follows: 1. The cones of Cupressus chenggiana are ellipsoidal, length ranged from 1.5 to 2.2cm, with ranged from 1.5 to 1.9 cm, weight ranged from 1.7 to 4.2g, the number of cone squama ranged from 8 to 11, and the seed number of per cone ranged from 40 to 70. The seeds of Cupressus chenggiana are elliptical, length ranged from 3.58 to 4.02 mm, width ranged from 3.10 to 3.15 mm, thickness ranged from 0.96 to 1.11 mm, and the weight of 1000 seeds ranged from 3.1 to 3.5g. The fruiting rate of Cupressus chenggiana is very low, and the fruiting period of Cupressus chenggiana has the geographical differences and the big or small year differences. 2. Seed germination temperature is between 5℃ and 30℃, while the suited temperature is between 10℃ and 25℃. The optimum temperature of seed germination will change as the store time of seeds changes logner. The cycle of seed germination can persist 20 days in the range of the suited temperature. The germination temperatures have significant influences on the germination potential and T50, but have no significant infuluences on the germination rate. The photoperiod is in favor of seed germination. The characters of Cupressus chenggiana seed germination represent a kind of environmental adaptability to protect the seed sources and endangered species, and it can give help to increase the germination rate of seeds and the livability of seedings. The seeds of Cupressus chenggiana are a kind of orthodox seeds that can endure the long time storage. In the short time storage, the store temperatures and the moisture contents of seeds have no significant infuluences on the physiological factors and the germination of seeds, but the store time has significant influences on the physiological factors of seeds. 3. In the short store course of Cupressus chenggianna seeds, the 1000 seed weight has no significant variation; The moisture content descends at the beginning of the storage, but has no significant variation later; The crude fat content and the soluble sugar content descend gradually; The soluble protein content and MDA content increase gradually; The praline content has no significant variation after 1～7 months storage, but increase significantly after 7～10 months storage. The correlations of different physiological factors are not significant. 4. The morphological characters of cones and seeds of four populations exist significant differences. The germination of Cupressus chenggiana seeds has no significant geographical variation. The geographical variation of Cupressus chenggiana populations can be ascribed to the population characters, climate and environment. 5. In the course of artificial propagation of Cupressus chenggiana, it is favored that the germination temperature of newly collected seeds is between 15℃ and 25℃, while the optimum temperature is 25℃. After the short storage ranged from 4 months to 10 months, it is favored that the germination temperature is between 10℃ and 25℃, while the optimum temperature is ranged from 15℃ to 20℃. The field sowing optimum time is between April and June, and the interval drought and fallrain fluctuation between July and September may be one of the reasons that restrict natural regeneration of Cupressus chenggiana. In the short storage, seeds can be stored in the condition of room temperature.

渭南地区末次冰期以来的蜗牛化石记录及古气候古环境研究

In this study, 172 mollusk assemblages from the Weinan loess section in the southeast of Loess Plateau, China, were identified quantitatively at relative high resolution. The results show: 1) the history and processes of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes in Weinan since the last 70 ka; 2) the characteristics of climatic changes during the period of the last glacial maximum (LGM); 3) the spatial pattern of paleoclimate variations at the south and middle parts of the Loess Plateau during the LGM period; 4) the timing of the last deglaciation and the return event of rapid climate change during the last deglaciation. The main conclusions are as follows: 1) 172 mollusk samples taken from the uppermost 9 m deposits cover the past 70 ka, which were sampled at the internals of 5 cm for S_0, 3 cm for L_(1-1) and L_(1-2), and 10 cm for L_(1-3), L_(1-4) and L_(1-5). Author analyzed quantitatively all individuals including broken pieces of snail shells, percentages of 15 species identified from 172 samples. Three main groups were determined according to the ecological requirement of each taxon. Based on the variations of three ecological groups and typical ecological species, The author intended to reconstruct the history of and processes of climate and environment since the last 70 ka in the Weinan region. The climate and environment in this region experienced the following changes: relative warm and humid stage from 67.5-20.3 cal. ka B.P., a period of forest-steppe or steppe developed; cold and arid stage from 20.3-15.5 cal. ka B.P., a dry steppe period, later wetter and colder; cold and humid period once time from 15.5 to 12.3 cal. ka B.P., a typical steppe or forest-steppe stage; cold and humid again from 12.3 cal. ka B.P. to 8.2 cal. ka B.P., a tropical steppe stage; warm and humid climate, a forest-steppe developed. 2) The climate during the period of the last glacial maximum (LGM) in Weinan was characterized by a general cold-humid condition, represented by occurrence of a number of the cool-humidiphilous mollusk species such as Gastocopta amigerella and Vallonia cf. pulchella in the section. 3) Comparison of the variations in abundance of Puncture orphana at Weinan with those at Luochuan and Changwu sections suggests that the summer monsoon intensity influenced differently at the three regions during the LGM period. The Weinan was weaker summer monsoon impact during all the period, the Luochuan was influenced occasionally, and Changwu was only a very short time affected, which indicated it might be located at the western margin of the summer monsoon influence during that period. 4) The ratio of thermo-humidiphilous mollusk group to cold-aridiphilous one shows an increase tendency at about 15 cal. ka B.P., reflecting the climate warming after the deglaciation in Weinan, which is approximately corresponding to the timing of warming period of the last deglaciation, found in the East Atlantic Ocean, the South China Sea and the Loess Plateau (indicated by the phytolith study). 5) A remarkable decrease in the number of thermo-humidiphilous and cool-humidiphilous mollusk species from 12.7 - 11.6 cal. ka B.P. indicates a cooling in climate and might be the reflection of the Younger Dryas event in Weinan. 6) Variations in the ratios of thermo-humidiphilous mollusk species to cold-aridiphilous ones reflect the climate instability in Holocene. There were four warm-humid periods (10-8.1 cal. ka B.P., 6.9-6.1 cal. ka B.P., 5.2-2.6cal. ka B.P., 1.6cal. ka B.P. to the present ) and three relative cold-arid periods (8.1-6.9 cal. ka B.P., 6.1-5.2 cal. ka B.P., 2.6-1.6 cal. ka B.P.), showing about a 1,000 year climatic oscillation.