Chinese Journal of Nature

High Performance Computing

ZHOU Xing-ming

2011, 33(5): 249-254. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.001

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High performance computing (HPC), or supercomputing, is one of the most crucial technologies for the development of the country. This paper describes the important role of HPC and its actual application in various countries of the present world. Then, it introduces the history of the development of high performance computers and their classification, the landmark achievements in their development in the recent ten years and the top ten supercomputers of the world in the year from July, 2010 to June, 2011. Finally, the paper presents the analysis of the main difficulties and the research trends in HPC’s development and looks into the major new challenges in HPC’s further advance in the next ten years.

Magma and Magmatic/Igneous Rocks: a Lithoprobe into the Deep Earth and Records of the Earth’s Evolution

MO Xuan-xue

2011, 33(5): 255-259. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.002

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Magmas are volatile-bearing high temperature and viscous silicate or carbonate melts generated from depths of the Earth. Magmatic/ igneous rocks are the production of condensation of magmas. Geodynamically, magmas are as a result of the interaction among various spheres of the Earth’s system and play roles of messengers carrying mass and energy from one to the other spheres. Therefore, igneous rocks and deep-seated nodules carried are deservedly regarded as a lithoprobe into the depth of the Earth. Also igneous rocks are regarded as records of tectonic events, from which tectonic histories can be reconstructed. Consequently, the studies of igneous petrology are in the service of the people’s demands in natural resources, environment improvement and hazards alleviation.

Formation Mechanisms of Fault Systems: Some New Insights From Physical Modeling

ZHOU Jian-xun

2011, 33(5): 260-265. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.003

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Coulomb’s law of failure or related Anderson’s theory of faulting, which were deduced from rock mechanics experiments under small strain, can not always reasonably explain formation mechanisms of fault systems, because a majority of fault systems are related to the deformation processes of large strain. Physical modeling, a very useful method for structural deformation study, can shed new light on the formation mechanisms of fault system: many fault systems which were originally considered of complicated genesis, may actually be the results of simple deformation processes and need no complicated dynamical interpretations. In this paper, some typical study cases, concerning extension, compression and inversion tectonics, are shown to illustrate that physical modeling can give some new insights for the formation mechanisms of fault systems.

Analysis on Global Earthquake and Volcano Activity in Recent Years

HONG Han-jing

2011, 33(5): 266-270. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.004

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The eruption of Unzen Volcano of Japan in 1900 and eruption of Pinatubo volcano of Philippine in 1991 resulted in the active in the west margin of Philippine Sea Plate, and then the global seismic and volcanism come into a new stage. Great earthquakes (M≥8) are mostly in southern hemisphere, includes Sumatra Mw 9.1, 2004, and Chile Mw 8.8, 2010. Volcano active has similar regime, both of 2 eruptions with VEI≥5 occurred in southern hemisphere. Tohoku earthquake in 2011 induced most expensive catastrophes, and effected the global seismic regime. Based on the comparison of patterns of earthquake distribution, the earthquake at Japan Arc may not overthrow the present regime of global earthquake activity.

Evolutionary Birth of Founder Genes for Macroevolution and Its Significance

Lyu Bao-zhong

2011, 33(5): 271-274. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.005

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Traditionally, the macroevolutionary trends were explored by paleobiology, comparative morphology and evo-devo approaches. Recently, genomic phylostratigraphy, a new approach, has appeared on these trends, with the cumulative increase of genomic data. It can contribute to analyses for phylotypic stage in the relationship between phylogeny and ontogeny, as well as cancer studies. The paper presents the core of phylostratigraphy and its significance for ontogeny and cancer research.

Extremophilic Microorganisms：New Resources of Bioactive Substances

LI Jiang, LI Guang-you

2011, 33(5): 275-280. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.006

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It is now recognised that extreme environments, once thought to be too hostile to permit survival of living organisms, are the natural habitat of certain microorganisms known as extremophiles. The discovery and characterisation of a wide array of microorganisms that thrive under extreme values of temperature, acidity, alkalinity, salt concentration and pressure led not only to major improvements in the understanding of the environmental conditions limiting life, but also in the descriptions of early stages of cellular evolution; Meanwhile the search results of adaptation mechanism and metabolites of extremophiles have markedly facilitated and improved our theory and technology in the biogeochemistry and biotechnological applications.

Research Advances of Dao-di Herbs in China

HAN Bang-xing, PENG Hua-sheng, HUANG Lu-qi

2011, 33(5): 281-285. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.007

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Interesting Bioluminescent Creatures and Amazing Fluorescent Proteins

LIN Ji-min, WANG Jiang-yun

2011, 33(5): 286-290. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.008

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The Origin and Meaning of the Chinese Word “Chemistry”

ZHOU Gong-du

2011, 33(5): 291-293. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.009

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This article is extracted from author’s book—What is Chemistry. In this article, the origin of the Chinese word “Chemistry” is introduced. For example, the first people who defined the word, as well as the meaning of this word. It also demonstrates that chemistry involves the research of chemical substance from three aspects: the component and structure of substance, the synthesis and fabrication of substance, also the description and manipulation of chemical process. The various branches of chemistry are also presented.

Rewarding Precedence for Scientific Discovery is a Double-edged Sword

YANG Jian-ye

2011, 33(5): 294-299.

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The historical events in physics and the competition among scientists to establish precedence for scientific discovery were examined. The rewarding precedence for scientific discovery can be resulted as a double-edged sword. Ensuring that credit is given to scientists for the discoveries they made may protect scientists’ rights and interests, inspire them, generate enthusiasm, and accelerate the development of scientific knowledge within a particular domain. The race to publish findings, however, may lead to arguments over disputed claims of precedence or to the inappropriate actions that impinge upon the research of others.

Autumn Fruits of Sciences and Technologies

XIA Ru-han

2011, 33(5): 300-303. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.011

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Looking at the Stars to Explore the Universe Mystery: To Commenrate the 100th Anniversary Professor DAI Wensai

HU Zhong-wei

2011, 33(5): 304-306. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.012

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Learning Spirit and Noble Personality of Hu Qianshan

YIN Xiao-dong, ZHOU Jin-rui

2011, 33(5): 307-310. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2011.05.013

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