Kinetics of peptide hydrolysis and amino acid decomposition at high temperature

Dipeptide hydrolysis and amino acid decomposition appear to follow a first-order rate law. The hydrolysis rate increases exponentially with increasing temperature in aqueous solution at both 265 atm and water steam pressures over the temperature range of 100 to 220 degrees C. Dipeptide hydrolysis has a lower apparent activation energy at 265 atm (44.1 KJ/mol) than at water steam pressure (98.9 KJ/mol). At lower temperatures (<200-220 degrees C), the rate of peptide bond hydrolysis is faster at 265 atm than at water steam pressure. At higher temperatures (>200-220 degrees C), however, peptide bond hydrolysis is slower at 265 atm than at water steam pressure. In aqueous solution, amino acid decomposition rates also increase exponentially with increasing temperature. Amino acid decomposition rates are much higher at 265 atm than at water steam pressure over the entire temperature range investigated.     

Theoretical infrared spectra of some model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: effect of ionization

In order to test the hypothesis of ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as possible carriers of the UIR bands, we realized a computational exploration on selected PAHs of small dimension in order to identify which changes ionization would induce on their IR spectra. In this study we performed ab initio calculations of the spectra of neutral and positively ionized naphthalene, anthracene, and pyrene. The results are significantly important. The frequencies in the cations are slightly shifted with respect to the neutral species, but no general conclusion can be reached from the three molecules considered. By contrast, the relative intensities of most vibrations are strongly affected by ionization, leading to a much better agreement between the calculated CH/CC vibration intensity ratios and those deduced from observations.     

Interregional migration in socialist countries: the case of China

This paper analyzes changing interregional migration in China and reveals that the recent eastward migration reverses patterns of migration under Mao. It finds that investment variables are more important than the conventional variables of income and job opportunities in determining China's recent interregional migration. It suggests that both state policy and the global force influence interregional migration, challenging the popular view that the socialist state is the only critical determinant. This paper also criticizes Mao's approach to interregional migration and discusses the impact of migration on development.     

Age — heaping: contrasting patterns from china

Detailed examination of China's 1982 census data confirms that the standard of age reporting among the Han Chinese, and among many of the ethnic minorities, is very good. Furthermore the quality of age reporting is unaffected by large variations in levels of literacy which exist between men and women, between young and old, and between rural and urban areas. Much of the credit for the high quality of China's age reporting stems from the distinctive nature of Chinese traditional calendars. However, in the far west of China, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, age heaping and age exaggeration are as bad as they are in many other developing countries. The authors show that the poor quality of age reporting in Xinjiang is confined to three of the region's ethnic communities, the Uygur, Kirgiz and Tajik, who appear to neither know, nor care, how old they are.     

Attenuation of aqueous metal transport at two natural acid rock drainage occurrences in the Yukon Territory, Canada

Naturally acidic drainage associated with pyritic black shale has been observed in many locations in the Yukon Territory. While not necessarily linked to known mineral deposits, most of these natural acid rock drainage occurrences show elevated dissolved concentrations of trace elements, especially zinc, nickel, copper, cadmium and arsenic. Based on field observations, microbial investigation, chemical analyses and geochemical modeling, the fate and transport of potentially deleterious elements at two natural acid drainage occurrences with slightly different settings are examined. The Macintosh Creek is a small, acidic stream （pH 2.98-3.40）, 2 km long, located in the Macmillan Pass area of east-central Yukon amidst known sedimentary exhalative massive sulfide mineralization but remains undisturbed by exploration activities. Its trace metal content is apparently derived from groundwater discharges, which gave as much as 5.0, 2.5, 0.7, 0.13 and 0.03 mg/L ofZn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Interaction and sorption reactions with algal mats, biofilms and iron oxyhydroxides appear to be the dominant mechanisms attenuating aqueous contaminant transport along the stream. Cryogenic precipitation further consolidates the ferricrete formation and reduces the mobility of the sorbed metals. The tributaries of the Engineering Creek along the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon drain through a series of dolomite, phyllite, argillite, limestone, black shale, sandstone and conglomerate with no known concentration of mineralization. In this area, the water chemistry fully reflects the local geology with acidic streams invariably associated with black shale occurrences. Groundwater seeps in the headwaters area of the km-180 Creek completely enclosed in black shale gave pH 3.0 and as much as 148, 39, 2.9 and 9.1 mg/L of Zn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Sorption with iron oxyhydroxide and organic matter appear to dominate the attenuation of contaminant transport along the stream. However, once entered into carbonate-dominated terrains, secondary carbonate minerals exercise additional geochemical control on the local water chemistry as a result of neutralization.     

青藏高原北羌塘半岛湖新生代粗面玄武岩橄榄石电子探针和激光探针分析

利用电子探针和激光探针剥蚀系统（LA-ICP-MS），对北羌塘新第三纪粗面玄武岩中的橄榄石主元素和微量、稀土元素进行了系统分析。结果表明，本区橄榄石Fo平均为88，属贵橄榄石种属。相对富集Ni、Co和重稀土，而强烈亏损轻稀土及Rb、Sr、Ba、Zr等大离子亲石元素。其稀土元素配分型配分型式与粗面玄武岩全岩稀土配分型式呈互补状态。     

湖南印支期过铝质花岗岩的形成: 岩浆底侵与地壳加厚热效应的数值模拟

在合理构建华南印支期地质-物理模型的基础上, 利用FLAC软件, 模拟了该区印支期过铝质富钾花岗岩形成与基性岩浆底侵, 及陆壳变形叠置加厚两种动力学背景的可能联系. 模拟结果表明, 220 Ma±的基性岩浆底侵能导致地壳含水矿物相岩石的深熔, 但除非印支期存在大规模基性岩浆的底侵作用, 否则其热效应持续时间和热效应波及范围难以形成具大岩基规模的湖南印支期花岗岩. 在陆壳叠置加厚模型中, 地壳的叠置加厚可导致中下地壳界面温度升高到700℃以上, 引起片麻质岩石熔融, 当加厚因子达1.3, 白云母矿物脱水熔融产生的熔体达到熔体流动临界比例(≥20%), 从而形成花岗岩基; 结合印支期挤压逆冲推覆构造和同期基性火山岩极少出露的地质事实, 认为陆壳变形加厚可能是湖南印支期构造岩浆作用形成的主导因素.     

用大地测量法探测南加州的活动断层

最近对跨越南加州圣安德烈斯断层系的大地测量点位的速度进行了分析,分析结果揭示出震间形变沿12条剪切应变率较高的近乎平行的狭窄带发生。这些高剪切应变带与活动地质断层段对应很好,与微震活动集中带局部对应。从圣安德烈斯断层大弯处向北和向南都观测到了较高的剪切应变率(0.3～0.95微应变/a),而大弯处本身则表现出分散且量级低的剪切应变率。扩散性形变分散且量级较低(<0.2微应变/a),压缩性形变在文图拉和洛杉矶盆地最高。由于以前在该地区从未作过地质、构造和地震活动的假设,因此,我们的分析可以证明大地测量可单独用来探测活动断层段。