Chemical compositions of essential oils from two Artemisia species used in Mongolian traditional medicine

Essential oils of aromatic and medicinal plants generally have a diverse range of activities because they possess many active constituents that work through a several modes of action. Artemisia, the largest genus of the family Asteraceae, has a number of effects against human and plant diseases. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate chemical compositions of essential oils of two Artemisia species, Artemisia palustris L and Artemisia sericea Weber ex Stechm from the Mongolian steppe zone using gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The essential oil of A.palustris was characterized by the presence of monoterpene hydrocarbons such as  trans-β-ocimene (59.1%), cis-β-ocimene (11.6%) and myrcene (7.1%), while the oil of A.sericea was dominated by the presence of three oxygenated monoterpenoids as 1,8-cineole (25.8%), borneol (22.5%) and camphor (18.8%) which are used for preparation of a fragrance and medicinal products

Space geodetic activities at the Astronomical Observatory of Mongolia

We present in this paper some results obtained in the field of space geodesy based on continuous GPS observations at the Astronomical Observatory of Mongolia. Starting with a brief historical overview of the main space geodetic activities carried out by the Astronomical Observatory in the past, we outline here current achievements in the application of GPS techniques in the geosciences research in Mongolia. We setup a local GNSS Data Center of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences to receive, quality control and process into derivative products the observation data coming from its continuously recording stations. The quality check performed on three non-real-time permanent stations reveals that all three stations show smooth trends of each parameter indicating good quality in data record and operation without any anomalous behavior

Are post-seismic effects of the M=8.4 Bolnay earthquake (July 23, 1905) still influencing GPS velocities in the Mongolia-Baikal area ?

Geophysical Journal International, v. 149, n. 1, p. 157-168, 2002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246X.2002.01624.xInternational audienceBaikal area show that: (1) the Baikal rift zone is currently opening at 4-5 mm yr −1 in a NW-SE direction and (2) the western part of the Amurian-north China block is moving eastward relative to Eurasia at 5-7 mm yr −1. These results are consistent with recent geodetic studies in Asia, and indicate that crustal motions in Mongolia and north China derived from geodetic measurements are significantly faster than those proposed by most deformation models of Asia. Using a numerical model, we test whether post-seismic deformation caused by viscoelastic relaxation in the lower crust following the Tsetserleg-Bolnay earthquake sequence (M w = 7.9 and 8.4, 1905 July) can explain this discrepancy. We find that surface velocities at the GPS sites presented here for the 1997-2000 time period can reach 4 mm yr −1 , depending on the earthquake source parameters and the rheology used in the models. Using a model based on our best current knowledge of lithospheric structure and rheology in the Mongolia-Baikal area, we find that the contribution of post-seismic effects to the GPS velocities presented here is less than 2 mm yr −1 for the Mongolian sites and less than 1 mm yr −1 for the Baikal sites. We therefore conclude that the post-seismic effects of the M w = 8.4, 1905 Bolnay earthquake cannot explain why the GPS-derived crustal motions in Mongolia and the Baikal rift zone are significantly larger than those proposed by deformation models of Asia. This discrepancy must therefore be sought in processes not accounted for in most of these deformation models, such as the farfield contribution of the Pacific subduction zones and/or the effect of gravitational forces on intracontinental deformation

GPS measurements of crustal deformation in the Baikal-Mongolia area (1994-2002) : Implications for current kinematics of Asia

Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 108, n. B10, p. ETG 14-1, 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2002JB002373International audienceWe present new geodetic results of crustal velocities over a large part of northern Asia based on GPS measurements in the Baikal rift zone and Mongolia spanning the 1994-2002 period. We combine our results with the GPS velocity field for China of Wang et al. [2001] and derive a consistent velocity field for most of Asia. We find contrasted kinematic and strain regimes in Mongolia, with northward velocities and N-S shortening in westernmost Mongolia but eastward to southeastward motion and left-lateral shear for central and eastern Mongolia. This eastward to southeastward motion of central and eastern Mongolia is accommodated by left-lateral slip on the E-W trending Tunka, Bolnay, and Gobi Altay faults (2 ± 1.2 mm yr À1 , 2.6 ± 1.0 mm yr À1 , and 1.2 mm yr À1 , respectively) and by about 4 mm yr À1 of extension across the Baikal rift zone. Consequently, $15% of the India-Eurasia convergence is accommodated north of the Tien Shan, by N-S shortening combined with dextral shear in the Mongolian Altay and by eastward displacements along major left-lateral strike-slip faults in central and eastern Mongolia. We find a counterclockwise rotation of north and south China as a quasi-rigid block around a pole north of the Stanovoy belt, which rules out the existence of an Amurian plate as previously defined and implies <2 mm yr À1 of left-lateral slip on the Qinling Shan fault zone

Novel hybrid multifunctional magnetoelectric porous composite films

Novel multifunctional porous films have been developed by the integration of magnetic CoFe2O4 (CFO) nanoparticles into poly(vinylidene fluoride)-Trifuoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)), taking advantage of the synergies of the magnetostrictive filler and the piezoelectric polymer. The porous films show a piezoelectric response with an effective d33 coefficient of -22 pC/N-1, a maximum magnetization of 12 emu.g-1 and a maximum magnetoelectric coefficient of 9 mV.cm-1.Oe-1. In this way, a multifunctional membrane has been developed suitable for advanced applications ranging from biomedical to water treatment.This work was supported by FEDER through the COMPETE Program and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Project PEST-C/FIS/UI607/2013 and the project Matepro –Optimizing Materials and Processes”, ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000037”, co-funded by the “Programa Operacional Regional do Norte” (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the “Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional” (QREN), through the “Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional” (FEDER). The authors also thank FCT for financial support under project PTDC/CTM-NAN/112574/2009. P. Martins, R. Gonçalves and A. C. Lopes thank the FCT for the SFRH/BPD/96227/2013, SFRH/BD/88397/2012 and SFRH/BD/62507/2009 grants respectively