The influence of 14C reservoir age on interpretation of paleolimnological records from the Tibetan Plateau

There is a great deal of controversy regarding the fate of glaciers and ice fields on the Tibetan Plateau in the face of continued anthropogenic global warming. Paleoclimate reconstructions and spatial analyses aimed at mapping past climate changes are the key to understanding the climatic response of the Tibetan Plateau to changing conditions. Specifically, the numerous lakes distributed across the Tibetan Plateau can provide high-resolution (spatial and temporal) climate reconstructions to investigate past changes in the climate system. In this paper, we review the primary limitation to exploiting these valuable paleoclimate archives: errors in radiocarbon-based age models. We review the techniques that have been used to estimate 14C reservoir ages on the Tibetan Plateau and compile the published 14C reservoir ages to examine their spatial and temporal patterns and to assess the imposed chronological uncertainties. Using site-specific evaluations of Bangong Co and Lake Qinghai, we demonstrate that 14C age model uncertainties permit equally probable and contrasting interpretations of existing paleoclimate records. We also examine 14C-induced uncertainties in the spatial climatic response on the Tibetan Plateau to (1) the termination of the Last Glacial Maximum and (2) the Holocene Thermal Maximum. We conclude with recommendations for reducing uncertainties in future lake-based paleoclimate studies on the Tibetan Plateau

Hydroclimatic variability in loess delta D-wax records from the central Chinese Loess Plateau over the past 250 ka

This study reports hydrogen isotopic records from the central Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) over the past 250 ka. After eliminating the influence of ice and local temperatures, the delta D-wax records extracted from two loess sites at Xifeng and Luochuan can be taken to represent arid/humid alternations in the hydrological environment in this marginal Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) region; they also contain integrated information on summer precipitation patterns and the corresponding responses to these changes by predominant vegetation cover types. These arid/humid alternations show 100 ka, 40 ka and 20 ka cycles. An increase in precipitation in association with an enhanced summer monsoon has historically been taken to be the major factor driving a humid environment in the central CLP. However, hydroclimatic changes in delta D-wax records differ for the central CLP, central China and southern China. Over a 20 ka cycle, the influence of solar insolation on hydroclimatic changes can be shown to be consistent throughout the central CLP. However, changes in the relative location of the land and sea may have caused different hydroclimatic responses between southern China and the central CLP on a glacial-interglacial scale. The hydroclimatic variability in the central CLP would suggest that an enhanced summer monsoon due to climatic warming is the key to understanding decreased drought degree in this marginal monsoonal region

Dorsal root ganglion macrophages contribute to both the initiation and persistence of neuropathic pain.

Paralleling the activation of dorsal horn microglia after peripheral nerve injury is a significant expansion and proliferation of macrophages around injured sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Here we demonstrate a critical contribution of DRG macrophages, but not those at the nerve injury site, to both the initiation and maintenance of the mechanical hypersensitivity that characterizes the neuropathic pain phenotype. In contrast to the reported sexual dimorphism in the microglial contribution to neuropathic pain, depletion of DRG macrophages reduces nerve injury-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and expansion of DRG macrophages in both male and female mice. However, fewer macrophages are induced in the female mice and deletion of colony-stimulating factor 1 from sensory neurons, which prevents nerve injury-induced microglial activation and proliferation, only reduces macrophage expansion in male mice. Finally, we demonstrate molecular cross-talk between axotomized sensory neurons and macrophages, revealing potential peripheral DRG targets for neuropathic pain management

Analysis of the Global Warming Potential of Biogenic CO2 Emission in Life Cycle Assessments

Biomass is generally believed to be carbon neutral. However, recent studies have challenged the carbon neutrality hypothesis by introducing metric indicators to assess the global warming potential of biogenic CO2 (GWPbio). In this study we calculated the GWPbio factors using a forest growth model and radiative forcing effects with a time horizon of 100 years and applied the factors to five life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies of bioproducts. The forest carbon change was also accounted for in the LCA studies. GWPbio factors ranged from 0.13–0.32, indicating that biomass could be an attractive energy resource when compared with fossil fuels. As expected, short rotation and fast-growing biomass plantations produced low GWPbio. Long-lived wood products also allowed more regrowth of biomass to be accounted as absorption of the CO2 emission from biomass combustion. The LCA case studies showed that the total life cycle GHG emissions were closely related to GWPbio and energy conversion efficiency. By considering the GWPbio factors and the forest carbon change, the production of ethanol and bio-power appeared to have higher GHG emissions than petroleum-derived diesel at the highest GWPbio

Spin polarization direction switch based on an asymmetrical quantum wire

A scheme for a spin polarization direction switch is investigated by studying the spin-dependent electron transport of an asymmetrical quantum wire (QW) with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC). It is found that the magnitude of the spin-polarized current in the backward biased case is equal to it in the forward biased case but their signs are contrary. This results indicate that the spin polarization direction can be switched by changing the direction of the external current. The physical mechanism of this device may arise from the symmetries in the longitudinal and transverse directions are broken but $C_2$-rotation and time-reversal symmetries are still reserved. Further studies show that the spin polarization is robust against disorder, displaying the feasibility of the proposed structure for a potential application.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Experimental study of coal and gas outburst processes influenced by gas pressure, ground stress and coal properties

With the continuous increase of mining depth, coal and gas outburst poses a significant threat to mining safety. Conducting research on the mechanisms of coal and gas outbursts contributes to understanding the evolutionary process of such incidents, thus enabling accurate prediction and prevention of coal and gas outbursts during mining operations. This paper has developed a comprehensive visual experimental system that is specifically tailored to simulate diverse coal body conditions, ground stress and gas pressures. By monitoring and analyzing the real-time progression of coal fissures during the outburst process, we can obtain valuable insights into the evolution and mechanisms of coal and gas outbursts. Additionally, this study introduces a method to determine the critical threshold for predicting coal and gas outbursts, and the critical gas pressure threshold for Jiulishan Coal Mine (Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, China) is established at 0.6 MPa