Climates and Environments of the Holocene Mega thermal Maximum in China

Based on data from palynology, paleosols, paleolimnology, ice core, archeology, sea levels, etc. , we reconstructed climates and environments of the Holocene Megathermal maximum (7. 2-6. 0 ka B. P. ), particularly vegetation zones, temperatures, precipitation and sea-level fluctuations. Annual mean temperature during that period was estimated at 1 ℃ higher than today for South China, 2 ℃ higher for the Changjiang River Valley, about 3℃ higher for North China, Northeast China and Northwest China and up to 4 - 5 ℃ higher for southern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Relative winter temperatures increased much more than average annual temperatures. The centennial-scale warming was accompanied by the expansion of summer monsoon and recession of winter cold currents as well as northward and westward shift of vegetation zones. Higher lake levels registered in all inland lakes of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai and Xizang indicated that precipitation increased to a certain extent. The Holocene highest sea level i     

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE ON CLIMATIC INSTABILITY ABOVE NORMAL IN COOL PERIODS IN CHINA

Twenty-six sequences of grades of dryness/wetness and a combined sequence of indexes of winter temperature since A.D. 1471 in China were adopted as our data. The fluctuations of variability of precipitation and mean temperature are statistically significant from analyses. It has been found that in middle latitudes of eastern China the distribution of the relation between mean temperature and interannual variability of precipitation in historical time forms a rather complex regional pattern, and the correlation coefficients are not unique in signs. But the negative correlations are dominant either in extent or in magnitude. The authors provide evidence that Little Ice Age was a time of more frequent extremes and support the idea that the climatic instability is above normal in cool periods.     

TWO TYPES OF CHANGE IN SENSITIVITY DURING LIGHT ADAPTATION IN CAT RETINA

The electroretinograms (ERG) were recorded during light adaptation at various levels of background in the urethane-anaesthetized cat. Our previous assumption that for a fixed background all the stimulus strength-response amplitude curves at any moment during light adaptation were similar in slope has been confirmed experimentally. It thus offers a method to deduce the transient sensitivity from b-wave amplitude. Two kinds of change in retinal sensitivity were observed during light adaptation according to the strength of adapting light. When a dim adapting light was used the sensitivity decreased suddenly and then remained at a low level, as soon as the adapting light was over 10~3 seotopic td the initial decrease in sensitivity was followed by a partial recovery within 10 min after the onset of adapting light. It is suggested that the sensitivity recovery is related to the degree in which cones are released from rod suppression and participate in the generation of the b-wave.     

PREPARATION OF MICROPOROUS ULTRA HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE (UHMWPE) BY THERMALLY INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION OF A UHMWPE/LIQUID PARAFFIN MIXTURE

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with a microporous structure was prepared via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS).Liquid paraffin (LP) was used as a diluent in the preparation of microporous UHMWPE. Small angle laser light scattering (SALLS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to determine the phase separation temperatures,i.e.the cloud points and the dynamic crystallization temperatures,respectively.It was found that the cloudI points were coincident with the cr...     

CLIMATIC CHANGE SINCE LITTLE ICE AGE RECORDED BY DUNDE ICE CAP

The climatic change since the Little Ice Age recorded in the Dunde Ice Cap is presentedin this paper. There have been three cold periods and three warm periods since 1400AD.Among them, the coldest one was in the 17th century. Many evidences verified the three coldand warm variations recorded in the Dundc Ice Cap. But it was found from the comparison between the Dunde Icc Cap climatic record and thewinter temperature record in Shanghai that there was a temporal dfference in climatic changebetween East China and West China. The general trend is that the cooling and warmingprocesses in West China were earlier than that in East China. In the Dunde Ice Cap, it isnow in an anomalous warm period, while it is not as warm as in Dunde Ice Cap recordaccording to the winter temperature in Shanghai. In addition to the possible cause of temporaldifference in climatic change between West China and East China, another possible cause isthat the greenhouse effect of CO_2 may already be recognizable in the Dunde Ice Cap a     

溶胶-凝胶法制备金属铂高分散的二氧化钛薄膜

Uniform and crack free TiO 2 thin films with highly dispersed platinum were prepared from i PrOH TTIP DEA H 2O system containing H 2PtCl 6·6H 2O as metal source by sol gel method. The microstructure and morphology of the films were characterized by TEM and XRD respectively. It was found that the Pt particles dispersed in the films and had a homogeneous distribution in the shape of sphere with an average size of about 5 nm. This study also showed that the doping with few percent of Pt resulted in the formation of pure rutile phase at a temperature as low as 550 ℃, whereas the same pure phase was formed at the temperature higher than 650 ℃ in TiO 2 or Au/TiO 2 thin films.     

SOLID-PHASE SYNTHESIS OF 2''''—5'''' OLIGOADENYLATE——2''''—5''''A CORE

With phosphotriester approach, the 2'—5' linked oligonucleotide——2'—5'A core was synthesized by using cross-linked polyacrylmorpholide resin as the support and the mesitylene sulfonyl chloride and N-methylimidazole as the condensing agent. Synthesizing the 2'—5'A core with this method has not yet been described. The yields that each of the protected monomers was attached to the polymeric support were satisfactory, i.e., 100%, 60% and 91% respectively.For the synthesis, we improved the methods for preparing the polymeric support and a series of intermediates. For this reason, the yields of the products were markedly increased and the operations to separate the products from the by-products and reagents were simplified.     

Extraction of cobalt(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution by N,N'-carbonyl difatty amides

The development of economic and environmentally friendly extractants to recover cobalt metal is required due to the increasing demand for this metal.In this study,solvent extraction of Co(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution using a mixture of N,N’-carbonyl difatty amides(CDFAs) synthesised from palm oil as the extractant was carried out.The effects of various parameters such as acid,contact time,extractant concentration,metal ion concentration and stripping agent and the separation of Co(Ⅱ) from other metal ions such as Fe(Ⅱ),Ni(Ⅱ),Zn(Ⅲ) and Cd(Ⅱ) were investigated.It was found that the extraction of Co(Ⅱ) into the organic phase involved the formation of 1:1 complexes.Co(Ⅱ) was successfully separated from commonly associated metal ions such as Fe(Ⅱ),Ni(Ⅱ),Zn(Ⅲ) and Cd(Ⅱ).Co(Ⅱ) stripping from the loaded organic phase was studied in aqueous solution.These results are useful to recover Co(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution utilising(CDFAs) as an extractant.     

DSC study of phase transition of anhydrous phospholipid DHPC and influence of water content

The phase transition behavior of 1,2-di-n-heptadecanoyl phosphatidylcholme (DHPC)with and without water has been studied by use of differential scanning calorimetry It was found by experiment that the glass transition occurred at first during the first heating of a sample of DHPC without water and then the sample underwent melting as an ordinary crystal.Therefore the sample of DHPC without water was a glassy crystal However,the DHPC sample crystallizing from melt was an ordinary crystal From the relationship between the total melting enthalpy Qf of freezable water and the water content h,it was concluded that the water contained in the DHPC samples might exist in three states recognizable thermodynamically.The water in the first state was an unfreezable water It was the water bound directly with the head groups of the phospholipid,i.e.the primary hydration water Every head group might bind seven such molecules of water.The water in the second state was the secondary hydration water,us melt ing point was     

Oxidation of glyoxal to glyoxylic acid by oxygen over V2O5/C catalyst

A novel vanadium oxide catalyst supported on active carbon was prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation method, and the precursor was obtained from oxalic acid aqueous solutions of NH4VO3. The catalyst was applied liquid phase oxidation of glyoxal to glyoxylic acid. It was found that V2O5/C catalyst exhibited obvious activity for glyoxal oxidation. Glyoxylic acid could be obtained without pH regulation during the reaction. By using this catalyst, the conversion of glyoxal and the yield of glyoxalic acid were 29.2% and 13.6%, respectively at 313 K and oxygen flow 0.1 L/rain after reaction for 10 h.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT CHANGE AND SE MONSOON STRENGTH, DAIHAI LAKE, INNER MONGOLIA

Daihai Lake, located in NW margin of SE monsoon region, belongs to the sensitive area for climatic fluctuation. The analysis of continuous sedimentary column with an age of 100 ka indicates that there exists the different quasiperiodicity in time scales for monsoon shift. The climatic fluctuation in the Daihai Basin shows all along the alternation of cold and dry with a warm and wet climatic pattern, suggesting that the strength and drift of SE monsoon play a controllable role in the climatic change.     

High pressure optical measurements on BP III and the isotropic phase of a highly chiral liquid crystal

The optical activity and light transmission of the blue phases and isotropic phase of 4'-(2-methylbutylphenyl)-4'-(2-methylbutyl)-4-biphenylcarboxylate (CE2) are investigated under high pressure. The temperature ranges of the first (BP I) and third (BP III) blue phases show only the slightest change, if any, with increasing pressure. This is the first time BP III, a phase which is not understood at all, has been investigated under pressure. In addition, an alternative analysis to the one reported previously is reported which confirms that the pretransitional optical activity in the isotropic phase changes very slightly due to pressure, and even this small change seems to be due to small changes in pitch and index of refraction. Taken together, these observations indicate that high pressure has little effect on both the BP III phase and the transition to the isotropic phase in highly chiral systems, even though the BP III phase differs significantly from the other blue phases and strong short range fluctuations make the transition appear continuous optically.     

The role of counterions on the elasticity of highly charged lamellar phases: a small-angle x-ray and neutron-scattering determination

The structure and fluctuations of the swollen L(alpha) lamellar phase of highly charged surfactant didodecyldimethylammonium halide fluid bilayers (DDA+X-) are studied using high-resolution small-angle x-ray scattering and medium-resolution, high-contrast small-angle neutron-scattering. The Caille parameter eta, as a function of the swelling (L(alpha) periodicity d), was determined from the full q-range fits of the measured scattering profiles for three different counterions (X- = Cl-, Br-, and NO3-). This parameter quantifies the amplitude of the membrane fluctuations within the Landau-de Gennes smectic-A linear elasticity theory. The different anions used gave strong specific effects at the maximum swelling of the L(alpha) phase, while at lower swellings a two-phase coexistence of swollen and collapsed lamellae (d approximately 30 and approximately 80 angstroms) was observed for bromide and nitrate ions. Over the intermediate dilution range for all three counterions, a single L(alpha) phase can be continuously swollen with pure water which is governed by an equation of state (i.e., osmotic pressure versus period) and thermally excited fluctuation amplitudes that can be well described by the same Poisson-Boltzmann calculation. The membranes were found to be slightly stiffer than predicted by purely electrostatic repulsions, and this is tentatively attributed to an extra bending rigidity contribution from the surfactant chains.     

Determination of rare earth, major and trace elements in authigenic fraction of Andaman Sea (Northeastern Indian Ocean) sediments by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Downcore variation of rare earth elements (REEs) in the authigenic Fe-Mn oxides of a sediment core (covering a record of last ∼ 40 kyr) from the Andaman Sea, a part of the Indian Ocean shows distinctive positive Ce and Eu anomalies. These positive Ce anomalies (Ce* = 1.1 ∼ 1.8) are ascribed to be due to oxidation of deep sea sediments. The large positive Eu anomalies (i.e., Eu* >1.8 to 3.2) occur within a time span near the glacial/interglacial transition (∼ 7000-14,000 yr BP) which could be due to the past hydrothermal activity or to the effects arising from sea level changes. During glacial times, the Andaman Sea was almost completely isolated due to low sea level, leading to a reduction in sediment supply from the Ayeyarwady River. The variations of metal abundances (i.e., Ca, Al, Mn, and Fe) in the authigenic fraction provided independent information to evaluate the water column physicochemical changes during the glacial/interglacial transition period. The studied sediment core records changes in riverine inputs and reflects depositional changes related to sea level fluctuations and climatic events over the past 40 kyr in the Andaman Sea.     

Inducing monodomain blue phase liquid crystals by long-lasting voltage application during temperature variation

We demonstrate a new successful technique for inducing a monodomain in blue phase (BP) liquid crystals (BPLCs). By application of an AC voltage during the cooling or heating of the material into the BP temperature range, a fairly homogeneous BP area was obtained, compared to the case without voltage. We determined that applying a voltage of 3.3 V/µm was very effective in terms of obtaining a monodomain: for four of the seven different applied cooling/heating rates an area ratio of more than 99% was obtained for one particular BP orientation. This study describes a successful and replicable technique to make a BPLC monodomain, which is important for the development of BPLCs and other applications.     

THE STUDY ON FEATURES OF PALEOCLIMATIC VARIATION OF DRY AND COLD AREAS (Ⅱ)——PRELIMINARY STUDY ON FLUCTUATING MODEL OF PALEOCLIMATE OF QARHAN SALT LAKE REGION IN QAIDAM BASIN

Depositing ages of sediment in core CK6 of Qarhan Salt Lake were determined by usingmethods of ~(14)C, ~(230)Th and paleo-terrestrial-magnetism. Based on synthetic analyses for thevariation of the content of organic carbon, sporo-pollen composition and lithofacies, the fluc-tuating model of paleo-climate since 750 ka B.P. was set up. It is divided into 21 fluctua-ting epochs of climate, among them, 11 are warm and humid epochs, and 10 are dry andcold epochs.     

Interplay between cubic and hexagonal phases in block copolymer solutions

The phase behavior of a symmetric styrene-isoprene (SI) diblock copolymer in a styrene-selective solvent, diethylphthalate, was investigated by in situ small-angle X-ray scattering on isotropic and shear-oriented solutions and by rheology and birefringence. A remarkable new feature in this phase diagram is the coexistence of both body-centered cubic (bcc) and hexagonally close-packed (hcp) sphere phases, in a region between close-packed spheres (cps) and hexagonally packed cylinders (hex) over the concentration range phi approximately 0.33-0.45. By focusing on the transitions among these various ordered phases during heating and cooling cycles, we observed a strong hysteresis: supercooled cylinders persisted upon cooling. The stability of these supercooled cylinders is quite dependent on concentration, and for phi > or = 0.40, the supercooled cylinders do not revert to spheres even after quiescent annealing for 1 month. The spontaneous formation of spheres due to the dissociation of cylinders is kinetically hindered in this case, and the system is apparently not amenable to any pretransitional fluctuations of cylinders prior to the cylinder-to-sphere transition. This contrasts with the case of cylinders transforming to spheres upon heating in the melt. The application of large amplitude shear to the supercooled cylinders is effective in restoring the equilibrium sphere phases.     

Synthesis and study the liquid crystalline properties of compounds containing benzoxazole core and terminal vinyl group

Terminal vinyl-based benzoxazole liquid crystalline compounds, 2-(3-fluoro-4?-alkoxy-1,1?-biphenyl ?4-yl)-5-(2-propenyloxymethyl)-benzoxazole (nPPF(2)BP), were synthesised and their structures were confirmed by infrared (IR) spectra, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectra, gas chromatography with electron impact-mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and elemental analysis (EA). The compounds show enantiotropic smectic/nematic phases with mesophase ranges are 71–97 °C and 87–136°C on heating and cooling processes for nPPF(2)BP, respectively. They give low melting points due to lateral fluoro substituent and flexible terminal 2-propenyloxymethyl chain. It is found that the compounds nPPF(2)BP with shorter alkoxy chain (n = 3, 4) exhibit a wide range of nematic mesophase, which is ascribed to enhanced π–π interaction caused by terminal vinyl moiety, whereas further elongation of the terminal alkoxy chain results in supressing nematic phase and increasing smectic mesophase. Compared with methyl terminated analogues, 2-propenyloxymethyl terminated compounds nPPF(2)BP display much lower melting points and wider or comparable mesophase range both in heating and cooling.     

Communication: Critical dynamics and nuclear relaxation in lipid bilayers

Membrane composition fluctuations affect deuterium nuclear magnetic relaxation in lipid bilayers. The time dependence of the fluctuations depends on lipid diffusion. Near a miscibility critical point this diffusion involves an advective hydrodynamic coupling to the aqueous phase. The corresponding diffusion coefficient depends on both the critical length and the fluctuation wavelength. We calculate the effects of these dynamics on transverse deuterium nuclear relaxation in the 0.1(o)-10(o) range above the critical temperature.