Development of the East Asian monsoon: Mineralogical and sedimentologic records in the northern South China Sea since 20 Ma

We here reconstruct the past change of the East Asian monsoon since 20 Ma using samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea based On a multi-proxy approach including a monomineralic quartz isolation procedure, identification of clay minerals by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and grain-size analysis of isolated terrigenous materials. Terrigenous supply to ODP Site 1146 was dominated by changes in the strength of multiple sources and transport processes. Grain-size data modeled by an end-member modeling algorithm indicate that eolian dust from the and Asian inland and fluvial input have contributed on average 20% and 80% of total terrigenous material to ODP Site 1146, respectively. Specifically, about 40-53% of the total (quartz+feldspar) and only 6-11% of the total clay is related to eolian supply at the study site. Detailed analysis of the sedimentary environment, and clay minerals combined with previous studies shows that smectite originates mainly from Luzon, kaolinite from the Pearl River and illite and chlorite from the Pearl River, Taiwan and/or the Yangtze River. The proportion and mass accumulation rate (MAR) of the coarsest end-member EM1 (interpreted as eolian dust), ratios of (illite+chlorite)/smectite, (quartz+feldspar)% and mean grain-size of terrigenous materials at ODP Site 1146 were adopted as proxies for East Asian monsoon evolution. The consistent variation of these independent proxies since 20 Ma shows three profound shifts in the intensity of East Asian winter monsoon relative to summer monsoon, as well as aridity of the Asian continent, occurred at similar to 15 Ma, similar to 8 Ma and the youngest at about 3 Ma. In comparison, the summer monsoon intensified contemporaneously with the winter monsoon at 3 Ma. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at similar to 15 Ma, 8 Ma and 3 Ma. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preservation of black carbon in the shelf sediments of the East China Sea

Concentrations and carbon isotopic (C-14, C-13) compositions of black carbon (BC) were measured for three sediment cores collected from the Changjiang River estuary and the shelf of the East China Sea. BC concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.14 mg/g (dry weight), and accounted for 5% to 26% of the sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) pool. Among the three sediment cores collected at each site, sediment from the Changjiang River estuary had relatively high BC contents compared with the sediments from the East China Sea shelf, suggesting that the Changjiang River discharge played an important role in the delivery of BC to the coastal region. Radiocarbon measurements indicate that the ages of BC are in the range of 6910 to 12250 years old B. P. (before present), that is in general, 3700 to 9000 years older than the C-14 ages of TOC in the sediments. These variable radiocarbon ages suggest that the BC preserved in the sediments was derived from the products of both biomass fire and fossil fuel combustion, as well as from ancient rock weathering. Based on an isotopic mass balance model, we calculated that fossil fuel combustion contributed most (60%. 80%) of the BC preserved in these sediments and varied with depth and locations. The deposition and burial of this "slow-cycling" BC in the sediments of the East China Sea shelf represent a significant pool of carbon sink and could greatly influence carbon cycling in the region.

Paleoenvironment evolution of the East Philippine Sea recorded in the new-type ferromanganese crust since the terminal Late Miocene

From systemic research of microstructure, geochemistry, uranium-series and Be-10 isotope dating on a new-type deepwater ferromanganese crust from the East Philippine Sea, the paleoenvironment evolution of the target area since the terminal Late Miocene was recovered. The vertical section changes of microstructure and chemical composition are consistent in the studied crust, which indicate three major accretion periods and corresponding paleoenvironment evolution of the crust. The bottom crust zone was formed in the terminal Late Miocene (5.6 Ma) with loose microstructure, high detritus content and high growth rate. Reductions of mineral element content, accretion rate and positive Ce-anomaly degree at 4.6 Ma indicate temporal warming, which went against the crust accretion and finally formed an accretion gap in the terminal Middle Pliocene (2.8-2.7 Ma). The more active Antarctic bottom seawaters in the Late Pliocene (2.7 Ma) facilitated the fast transfer to the top pure crust zone. Hereafter, with the further apart of volcanic source and the keeping increase of eolian material (1.0 Ma), although surrounding conditions were still favorable, mineral element content still shows an obvious reducing trend. It thereby offers new carrier and data for the unclear paleoceanographic research of the target area since the terminal Late Miocene.

Evolution and variability of the East Asian summer monsoon during the Pliocene: Evidence from clay mineral records of the South China Sea

The Late Pliocene is thought to be characterized by the simultaneous intensification of both the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). However, the evolution of the EASM during the Pliocene remains still controversial and only little is known about the dynamics of the EASM during the Pliocene on orbital time scales. Here we use clay mineral assemblages in sediments from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1143 in the southern South China Sea (SCS) to obtain proxy records of past changes in the EASM climate during the Pliocene. Provenance analysis suggests that illite, chlorite and kaolinite originated mainly from the Mekong River drainage area. Smectite was derived mainly from the Indonesian islands. The kaolinite/illite ratio and the chemical index of alteration (CIA) of siliciclastic sediments allowed us to reconstruct the history of chemical weathering and physical erosion of the Mekong River drainage area and thus, the evolution of,the EASM during the Pliocene. Our clay minerals proxy data suggests a stronger EASM during the Early Pliocene than during the Late Pliocene. We propose that the long-term evolution of the EASM has been driven by global cooling rather than the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Spectral analysis of kaolinite/ illite ratio displays a set of strong periodicities at 100 ka, 30 ka, 28 ka, 25 ka, and 22 ka. with no clear obliquityrelated signal. Our study suggests that the Pliocene EASM intensity on orbital time scales is not only controlled by the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation, but also strongly influenced by equatorial Pacific ENSO-like ocean atmosphere dynamics. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interbasin freshwater, heat and salt transport through the boundaries of the East and South China Seas from a variable-grid global ocean circulation model

The monthly and annual mean freshwater, heat and salt transport through the open boundaries of the South and East China Seas derived from a variable-grid global ocean circulation model is reported. The model has 1/6degrees resolution for the seas adjacent to China and 30 resolution for the global ocean. The model results are in fairly good agreement with the existing estimates based on measurements. The computation shows that the flows passing through the South China Sea contribute volume, heat and salt transport of 5.3 Sv, 0.57 PW and 184 Ggs(-1), respectively (about 1/4) to the Indonesian Throughflow, indicating that the South China Sea is an important pathway of the Pacific to Indian Ocean throughflow. The volume, heat and salt transport of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea is 25.6 Sv, 2.32 PW and 894 Ggs(-1), respectively. Less than 1/4 of this transport passes through the passage between Iriomote and Okinawa. The calculation of heat balance indicates that the South China Sea absorbs net heat flux from the sun and atmosphere with a rate of 0.08 PW, while the atmosphere gains net heat flux from the Baohai, Yellow and East China Seas with a rate of 0.05 PW.

The island empire of the East : being a short history of Japan and missionary work therein with special reference to the mission of the M.S.C.C. / by Rev. J. Cooper Robinson ; with an introduction by the lord bishop of Algoma.

http://www.archive.org/details/theislandempire00robiuoft

Low temperature X-ray structures of two crystalline forms (I) and (II) of the pyrimidine derivative and sodium channel blocker BW1003C87: 5-(2,3,5-trichlorophenyl)-2,4-diaminopyrimidine

The X-ray crystal structures of two crystalline forms of 5-(2,3,5-trichlorophenyl)-2,4-diaminopyrimidine, C10H7Cl3N4 (code name BW1003C87) (I) and (II), have been carried out at liquid nitrogen temperature. A detailed comparison of the two structures is given. Both are centrosymmetric, with structure (I) in the triclinic space group P (1) over bar unit cell a = 6.4870(10), b = 9.216(2), c = 12.016(2) angstrom, alpha = 75.78(3)degrees, beta = 89.95(3)degrees, gamma = 83.45(3)degrees, V = 691.5(2) angstrom(3), Z = 2 and density (calculated) = 1.544 Mg/m(3); and (II) in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, unit cell a = 12.000(2), b = 7.518(2), c = 13.450(3) angstrom, beta = 97.87(3)degrees, V = 1202.0(5) angstrom(3), Z = 4, Density (calculated) = 1.600 Mg/m(3). Structure (I) includes a solvated CH3OH in the lattice. Final R indices [I > 2sigma(I)] are R1 = 0.0427, wR2 = 0.1075 for (I) and R1 = 0.0487, wR2 = 0.1222 for (II). R indices (all data) are R1 = 0.0470, wR2 = 0.1118 for (I) and R1 = 0.0623, wR2 = 0.1299 for (II). 5-Phenyl-2,4 diaminopyrimidine and 6-phenyl-1,2,4 triazine derivatives, which include lamotrigine (3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazine), have been investigated for some time for their effects on the central nervous system. Both lamotrigine and 5-(2,3,5-trichlorophenyl)-2,4-diaminopyrimidine (code name BW1003C87), the subject of the present study, are anticonvulsant as well as neuroprotective in models of brain ischaemia and in a model of white matter ischaemia. BW1003C87 is a sodium channel blocker which also reduces the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate. The three dimensional structures reported here form part of a newly developed data base for the detailed investigation of members of this drug family and their biological activities.

Megalithic Cultures in Britain and their relationship to Western Europe.:Meeting on Megalithic Culture. Comparing Prehistoric ruins of the East and Europe,

H. Kanaseki, Editor. 2003, UNESCO-Cultural Heritage Protection Office: Horen-Cho, Nara.

Was It Something I Ate? Implementation of the FDA Seafood HACCP Program

We develop a theoretical model of enforcement and compliance under HACCP regulation and use the FDA's seafood inspection records to examine: (1) if the FDA has targeted its inspections under HACCP regulation; (2) the effects of inspections on compliance with HACCP and plant sanitation standards; and (3) the relationship between compliance with HACCP and preexisting sanitation standards. There is some evidence of targeting based on product risk, but not on past compliance performance. The threat of an inspection increases the likelihood of compliance, but only for sanitation inspections, not for HACCP. HACCP compliance does not improve compliance with sanitation standards. © 2008 American Agricultural Economics Association.

Relativistic radiatively damped <i>Ri> -matrix calculations of the electron-impact excitation of helium-like iron and krypton

Electron-impact excitation data for He-like ions are of significant importance for diagnostic applications to both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Here we report on the first fully relativistic R -matrix calculations with radiation damping for the He-like ions Fe 24+ and Kr 34+ . Effective collision strengths for these two ions have been determined with and without damping over a wide temperature range for all transitions between the 49 levels through n = 5. We find that damping has a pronounced effect on the effective collision strengths for excitation to some of the low-lying levels, but its effect on excitation to the vast majority of levels is small. At the energy of a resonance peak, we also investigate the effect of radiation damping on the angular distribution of scattered electrons. Finally, we compare our results for Fe 24+ with an earlier intermediate coupling frame transformation R -matrix calculation with radiation damping by Whiteford et al ( J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 34 3179) and find good agreement, especially for excitation to the lower levels.

<i>In vitroi> bioassay investigations of the endocrine disrupting potential of steviol glycosides and their metabolite steviol, components of the natural sweetener <i>Steviai>

The food industry is moving towards the use of natural sweeteners such as those produced by Stevia rebaudiana due to the number of health and safety concerns surrounding artificial sweeteners. Despite the fact that these sweeteners are natural; they cannot be assumed safe. Steviol glycosides have a steroidal structure and therefore may have the potential to act as an endocrine disruptor in the body. Reporter gene assays (RGAs), H295R steroidogenesis assay and Ca(2+) fluorimetry based assays using human sperm cells have been used to assess the endocrine disrupting potential of two steviol glycosides: stevioside and rebaudioside A, and their metabolite steviol. A decrease in transcriptional activity of the progestagen receptor was seen following treatment with 25,000 ng/ml steviol in the presence of progesterone (157 ng/ml) resulting in a 31% decrease in progestagen response (p=<0.01). At the level of steroidogenesis, the metabolite steviol (500-25,000 ng/ml) increased progesterone production significantly by 2.3 fold when exposed to 10,000 ng/ml (p=<0.05) and 5 fold when exposed to 25,000 ng/ml (p=<0.001). Additionally, steviol was found to induce an agonistic response on CatSper, a progesterone receptor of sperm, causing a rapid influx of Ca(2+). The response was fully inhibited using a specific CatSper inhibitor. These findings highlight the potential for steviol to act as a potential endocrine disruptor.

Nieuwe paskaart voor een gedeelte van de Oost-Zee = Nouvelle carte hydrographique d'une partie de la Mer Baltique = Nya pass cort öfwer yen dehl af Oster-Siöön = The new sea map of the second of the East-Sea

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