Human gamma-chain genes are rearranged in leukaemic T cells and map to the short arm of chromosome 7

Three gene families that rearrange during the somatic development of T cells have been identified in the murine genome. Two of these gene families (alpha and beta) encode subunits of the antigen-specific T-cell receptor and are also present in the human genome. The third gene family, designated here as the gamma-chain gene family, is rearranged in murine cytolytic T cells but not in most helper T cells. Here we present evidence that the human genome also contains gamma-chain genes that undergo somatic rearrangement in leukaemia-derived T cells. Murine gamma-chain genes appear to be encoded in gene segments that are analogous to the immunoglobulin gene variable, constant and joining segments. There are two closely related constant-region gene segments in the human genome. One of the constant-region genes is deleted in all three T-cell leukaemias that we have studied. The two constant-region gamma-chain genes reside on the short arm of chromosome 7 (7p15); this region is involved in chromosomal rearrangements identified in T cells from individuals with the immunodeficiency syndrome ataxia telangiectasia and observed only rarely in routine cytogenetic analyses of normal individuals. This region is also a secondary site of beta-chain gene hybridization.     

冲积河流相层序地层学研究

运用沉积学及层序地层学原理 ,分析了河流类型及其形成发育特征 ,借鉴国内外有关冲积河流环境下的层序地层模式 ,特别是近海冲积环境下层序地层模式 ,并以济阳坳陷新近系为例 ,建立了更具普遍意义的冲积河流相层序地层模式 ,探讨了不同体系域的特征及其与河流类型之间的关系。研究结果表明 ,冲积河流相地层的体系域划分具有 4分性特征 ,即主要发育有低水位体系域、扩张体系域、高水位体系域 ,当基准面缓慢下降时 ,还可发育收缩体系域。根据济阳坳陷新近系沉积特征 ,指出了各体系域对应的沉积体系及相类型。其中 ,低水位体系域时期以侵蚀下切、冲积扇辫状河沉积为主 ;扩张体系域时期是由辫状河向曲流河过渡 ;高水位体系域时期以曲流河为主 ;收缩体系域时期是由曲流河向辫状河过渡。     

Coherent spin manipulation without magnetic fields in strained semiconductors

A consequence of relativity is that in the presence of an electric field, the spin and momentum states of an electron can be coupled; this is known as spin-orbit coupling. Such an interaction opens a pathway to the manipulation of electron spins within non-magnetic semiconductors, in the absence of applied magnetic fields. This interaction has implications for spin-based quantum information processing and spintronics, forming the basis of various device proposals. For example, the concept of spin field-effect transistors is based on spin precession due to the spin-orbit coupling. Most studies, however, focus on non-spin-selective electrical measurements in quantum structures. Here we report the direct measurement of coherent electron spin precession in zero magnetic field as the electrons drift in response to an applied electric field. We use ultrafast optical techniques to spatiotemporally resolve spin dynamics in strained gallium arsenide and indium gallium arsenide epitaxial layers. Unexpectedly, we observe spin splitting in these simple structures arising from strain in the semiconductor films. The observed effect provides a flexible approach for enabling electrical control over electron spins using strain engineering. Moreover, we exploit this strain-induced field to electrically drive spin resonance with Rabi frequencies of up to approximately 30 MHz.     

Genome sequencing in microfabricated high-density picolitre reactors

The proliferation of large-scale DNA-sequencing projects in recent years has driven a search for alternative methods to reduce time and cost. Here we describe a scalable, highly parallel sequencing system with raw throughput significantly greater than that of state-of-the-art capillary electrophoresis instruments. The apparatus uses a novel fibre-optic slide of individual wells and is able to sequence 25 million bases, at 99% or better accuracy, in one four-hour run. To achieve an approximately 100-fold increase in throughput over current Sanger sequencing technology, we have developed an emulsion method for DNA amplification and an instrument for sequencing by synthesis using a pyrosequencing protocol optimized for solid support and picolitre-scale volumes. Here we show the utility, throughput, accuracy and robustness of this system by shotgun sequencing and de novo assembly of the Mycoplasma genitalium genome with 96% coverage at 99.96% accuracy in one run of the machine.     

有限元计算应力模拟实验光弹性等差条纹图

提出用有限元计算应力模拟光弹性等差条纹图像的方法，介绍了由计算应力计算图像显示点应力的算法．通过主应力差与光弹性等差条纹的关系获得了模拟条纹图．模拟条纹图的灰度值可由数字图像卡快速全场显示，实现了计算应力的光弹性应力等差条纹图的模拟．所提出的新思路为计算结果与实验结果进行全场定量比较提供了新的途径     

热敏电阻伏安特性自动测试系统

利用PC机通过RS－232C标准串行接口同智能万用表组成自动测试系统，通过并行打印接口控制外围接口电路，实现电压程序控制及通道自动转换，并实现了对热敏电阻伏安特性曲线的自动测试和自动数据处理。该系统能同时对10只热敏元件进行测试，各个通道具有单元单独击穿自动保护电路，程序VISUAL C＋＋6．0语言编写。     

Demography of the Yarrow's spiny lizard, Sceloporus jarrovii , from the central Chihuahuan Desert

The demography of a population of Yarrow's spiny lizard, Sceloporus jarrovii , was examined from 2004 to 2006 in the canyon Las Piedras Encimadas, located in Gomez Palacio, Durango, México. Lizards were studied using a mark-recapture technique. Reproduction in females occurred between November and May, coinciding with dry conditions. Reproductive activity was highest (percent of females with vitellogenic follicles or embryos) in the middle of the dry season (November and December). Thirteen percent of females reached sexual maturity at an average age of 8.5 months. The population structure was similar in spring and fall, but not in summer. A notable feature of summer, coinciding with the wet season, was the greater number of hatchlings and juveniles. The overall sex ratio did not differ from 1:1. The density of adults varied from 12 to 62 animals ? 0.5 ha –1 . Temperate and arid-adapted populations of S. jarrovii exhibited broad similarity in timing of the reproductive season, whereas factors such as density, growth, age at sexual maturity, and survivorship differed.     

Predation of artificial Sage Grouse nests in treated and untreated sagebrush

We measured predation on 120 artificial Sage Grouse ( Centrarcus urophasianus ) nests in montane sagebrush grassland in northern Utah. We examined nests in areas that had been chained and seeded 25 years previously (treated areas) and in areas that were untreated. Predation rates of artificial nests were higher in areas of untreated sagebrush, even though these areas had greater sagebrush cover, taller shrubs, and greater horizontal plant cover. These results differ from those previously hypothesized for treated sagebrush habitat and may reflect a greater abundance of other potential prey species, especially lagomorphs, in untreated areas that attracted greater densities of predators. In addition, over 80% of nests were depredated by mammals, which hunt using olfaction and are less likely than avian predators to be affected by nest cover. We conclude that, after treated sagebrush has recovered to some degree, predation rates of Sage Grouse nests may be lower in treated sagebrush. Consequently, factors other than nest predation (e.g., winter food, thermal cover, insects, perennial forb abundance) may be more important reasons for preserving mature sagebrush stands for Sage Grouse.     

Light in tiny holes

The presence of tiny holes in an opaque metal film, with sizes smaller than the wavelength of incident light, leads to a wide variety of unexpected optical properties such as strongly enhanced transmission of light through the holes and wavelength filtering. These intriguing effects are now known to be due to the interaction of the light with electronic resonances in the surface of the metal film, and they can be controlled by adjusting the size and geometry of the holes. This knowledge is opening up exciting new opportunities in applications ranging from subwavelength optics and optoelectronics to chemical sensing and biophysics.     

弹点散布方差的动态修正Bayes估计

针对小样本情形下用传统方法对参数进行估计难以得到满意结果,在采用矩法由历史数据估计先验分布参数的基础上,将先验信息和后验信息相对化,采用动态修正Bayes估计法,对零均值正态分布的方差进行估计,建立了动态递推模型．并用蒙特卡罗法进行仿真模拟,结果表明,所采用的方法提高了估计精度．