Fibronectin peptide DRVPHSRNSIT and fibronectin receptor peptide DLYYLMDL arrest gastrulation ofRana pipiens

Gastrulation is characterized by dramatic cell migration which is thought to require the interaction of cell adhesion molecules with extracellular molecules. We have tested two novel peptides, a fibronectin peptide and a fibronectin receptor peptide, for their effects on gastrulation of the leopard frogRana pipiens. The fibronectin peptide DRVPHSRNSIT corresponds to residues 1373–1383 of the cell-binding domain of fibronectin; the receptor peptide DLYYLMDL corresponds to residues 124–131 of 1 subunit of a variety of integrins including 51. Either of these peptides significantly inhibited gastrulation after being microinjected into mid-blastulae. These results indicate that these sequences may correspond to the ligand/receptor interaction sites of fibronectin and its receptor(s).     

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations before 2.2 billion years ago

The composition of the Earth's early atmosphere is a subject of continuing debate. In particular, it has been suggested that elevated concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide would have been necessary to maintain normal surface temperatures in the face of lower solar luminosity in early Earth history. Fossil weathering profiles, known as palaeosols, have provided semi-quantitative constraints on atmospheric oxygen partial pressure (pO2) before 2.2 Gyr ago. Here we use the same well studied palaeosols to constrain atmospheric pCO2 between 2.75 and 2.2 Gyr ago. The observation that iron lost from the tops of these profiles was reprecipitated lower down as iron silicate minerals, rather than as iron carbonate, indicates that atmospheric pCO2 must have been less than 10(-1.4) atm--about 100 times today's level of 360 p.p.m., and at least five times lower than that required in one-dimensional climate models to compensate for lower solar luminosity at 2.75 Gyr. Our results suggest that either the Earth's early climate was much more sensitive to increases in pCO2 than has been thought, or that one or more greenhouse gases other than CO2 contributed significantly to the atmosphere's radiative balance during the late Archaean and early Proterozoic eons.     

用于VLSI的新型介质膜界面陷阱的特征

采用雪崩热电子注入技术和高频Ｃ－Ｖ准静态Ｃ－Ｖ特性测试,研究了新型快速热氮化的ＳｉＯｘＮｙ介质膜界面陷阱的特征,侧重于研究界面陷阱的特性与分布。结果表明：这种ＳｉＯｘＮｙ薄膜禁带中央界面陷阱密度随氮化时间的分布变化呈现”回转效应“,且存在着不同类型、密度悬殊很大的电子陷阱、指出雪崩热电子注入过程中在Ｓｉ／ＳｉＯｘＮｙ界面上产生两种性质不同的快界面态陷阱;给出了这两种界面态陷阱密度在禁带中能量的分布     

WAVELET PACKET AND FUZZY NEURAL NETWORK FOR TOOL CONDITION MONITORING *

在自动化制造中,线监控刀具状况以保护刀具与加工工件显得越来越重要．近年来,许多研究者在此领域进行了广泛的研究,然而由于加工过程的不确定性,现有的刀具监控系统的可靠性还有待提高．本文提出了一种基于小波包分析与模糊神经网络的自适应刀具监控系统,该系统利用小波包分析方法将加工过程振动信号分解为不同的频率段,并在此基础上,建立了自适应特征提取方法,为模糊神经网络提供最优的特征输入,然后模糊神经网络据此进行决策,分析刀具磨损状况．实验结果表明：该系统模糊神经网络能有效通过学习人类模糊知识和在线学习样本来提高刀具监控精度．     

A massive phytoplankton bloom induced by an ecosystem-scale iron fertilization experiment in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

The seeding of an expanse of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean with low concentrations of dissolved iron triggered a massive phytoplankton bloom which consumed large quantities of carbon dioxide and nitrate that these microscopic plants cannot fully utilize under natural conditions. These and other observations provide unequivocal support for the hypothesis that phytoplankton growth in this oceanic region is limited by iron bioavailability.     

Insect motion detectors matched to visual ecology

To detect motion, primates, birds and insects all use local detectors to correlate signals sampled at one location in the image with those sampled after a delay at adjacent locations. These detectors can adapt to high image velocities by shortening the delay. To investigate whether they use long delays for detecting low velocities, we compared motion-sensitive neurons in ten species of fast-flying insects, some of which encounter low velocities while hovering. Neurons of bee-flies and hawkmoths, which hover, are tuned to lower temporal frequencies than those of butterflies and bumblebees, which do not. Tuning to low frequencies indicates longer delays and extends sensitivity to lower velocities. Hoverflies retain fast temporal tuning but use their high spatial acuity for sensing low-velocity motion. Thus an unexpectedly wide range of spatio-temporal tuning matches motion detection to visual ecology.     

21世纪前夕世界经济所面临的问题

通过对二战后世界经济发展的回顾与分析,论述了技术革命与全球化和在此进程中产生的问题：“精简”,以及由此带来的社会影响。介绍了西方国家学者关于解决上述问题的不同建议和主张,进而提出了自己的观点和对策。     

Nα-quinaldyl-L-arginine·HCl,a new defensive alkaloid fromSubcoccinella-24-punctata (Coleoptera,Coccinellidae)

The isolation of N-quinaldyl-L-arginine·HCl (1) from the CoccinellidaeSubcoccinella-24-punctata is reported. The structure, first established on the basis of the analysis of the spectral properties of1, has been confirmed by synthesis. The alkaloid is of endogenous origin and markedly deterrent to ants.     

Some citrus chitinases also possess chitosanase activities

Several acidic chitinase and chitosanase isoforms were found in 4-week-old nonembryogenic sweet orange (Valencia [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck]) callus tissue. Two isoforms (designated A1-CF1 and A1-CF2) were purified to homogeneity using HPLC size exclusion, anion exchange, and chromatofocusing techniques. Both hydrolase isoforms exhibited activity with either colloidal chitin or solubilized shrimp shell chitosan. Specific activities for the purified isoforms could not be calculated because of the lack of protein and contamination of ampholytes. However, the specific activities for chitinase and chitosanase after anion exchange were respectively 404 nmol GlcNAc per min per mg protein and 2,475 nmol GlcN per min per mg protein. The M_r for both enzymes was 30,500. The homogeneous proteins cross-reacted in western blots with antiserum against a basic class I potato leaf chitinase.     

A 6,000-year sedimentary molecular record of chemocline excursions in the Black Sea

The Black Sea is the world's largest anoxic basin; it is also a contemporary analogue of the environment in which carbonaceous shales and petroleum source beds formed. Recently, Repeta et al. reported that anoxygenic photosynthesis may be an important component of carbon cycling in the present Black Sea, owing to a shoaling of the chemocline and consequent penetration of the photic zone by anaerobic waters in the past few decades. It has been suggested that this was due to an anthropogenic decrease in freshwater input to the Black Sea, although natural causes were not ruled out. Here we report the distributions of sequestered photosynthetic pigments in eight core samples of sediments from the Black Sea ranging in age from zero to 6,200 years before the present. Our results show that photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria (Chlorobiaceae [correction of Clorobiaceae]) have been active in the Black Sea for substantial periods of time in the past. This finding indicates that the penetration of the photic zone by anaerobic waters is not a recent phenomenon, and suggests that natural causes for shoaling of the chemocline are more likely than anthropogenic ones.