Dscam2 mediates axonal tiling in the Drosophila visual system

Sensory processing centres in both the vertebrate and the invertebrate brain are often organized into reiterated columns, thus facilitating an internal topographic representation of the external world. Cells within each column are arranged in a stereotyped fashion and form precise patterns of synaptic connections within discrete layers. These connections are largely confined to a single column, thereby preserving the spatial information from the periphery. Other neurons integrate this information by connecting to multiple columns. Restricting axons to columns is conceptually similar to tiling. Axons and dendrites of neighbouring neurons of the same class use tiling to form complete, yet non-overlapping, receptive fields. It is thought that, at the molecular level, cell-surface proteins mediate tiling through contact-dependent repulsive interactions, but proteins serving this function have not yet been identified. Here we show that the immunoglobulin superfamily member Dscam2 restricts the connections formed by L1 lamina neurons to columns in the Drosophila visual system. Our data support a model in which Dscam2 homophilic interactions mediate repulsion between neurites of L1 cells in neighbouring columns. We propose that Dscam2 is a tiling receptor for L1 neurons.     

Beyond the standard model with the LHC

Whether or not the Large Hadron Collider reveals the long-awaited Higgs particle, it is likely to lead to discoveries that add to, or challenge, the standard model of particle physics. Data produced will be pored over for any evidence of supersymmetric partners for the existing denizens of the particle 'zoo' and for the curled-up extra dimensions demanded by string theory. There might also be clues as to why matter dominates over antimatter in the Universe, and as to the nature of the Universe's dark matter.     

Aberrant innate immune response in lethal infection of macaques with the 1918 influenza virus

The 1918 influenza pandemic was unusually severe, resulting in about 50 million deaths worldwide. The 1918 virus is also highly pathogenic in mice, and studies have identified a multigenic origin of this virulent phenotype in mice. However, these initial characterizations of the 1918 virus did not address the question of its pathogenic potential in primates. Here we demonstrate that the 1918 virus caused a highly pathogenic respiratory infection in a cynomolgus macaque model that culminated in acute respiratory distress and a fatal outcome. Furthermore, infected animals mounted an immune response, characterized by dysregulation of the antiviral response, that was insufficient for protection, indicating that atypical host innate immune responses may contribute to lethality. The ability of influenza viruses to modulate host immune responses, such as that demonstrated for the avian H5N1 influenza viruses, may be a feature shared by the virulent influenza viruses.     

Superconductors: unusual oxygen isotope effects in cuprates?

The possibility that a pairing boson might act as the 'glue' to bind electrons into a Cooper pair in superconductors with a high critical temperature (T(c)) is being actively pursued in condensed-matter physics. Gweon et al. claim that there is a large and unusual oxygen-isotope effect on the electronic structure, indicating that phonons have a special importance in high-temperature superconductors. However, we are unable to detect this unusual oxygen-isotope effect in new data collected under almost identical material and experimental conditions. Our findings point towards a more conventional influence of phonons in these materials.     

The materials genome and CALPHAD

The mapping of the human genome is an important basis for the development of new medicals and medical treatments.Consequently,it has attracted tremendous research funding over the last decade.On June2011,the Materials Genome Initiative was announced by the US President Obama as collaboration on modeling and advanced materials databases.Unfortunately,the materials genome was given a rather vague definition in the announcement.However,the materials genome should be defined in analogy with biological genomes and one may then conclude that:at any moment,the performance of a specific material depends on its chemical composition(inherent property stored in its genome)and its environment(external interactions–processing–conditions during usage).The materials genome should thus be defined as a set of information encoded in the language of thermodynamics obtained by careful assessment of experimental data and quantum mechanical calculations from which certain conclusions about the material can be drawn.The CALPHAD databases contain the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of a materials system.Such databases allow the prediction of materials structure as well as its response to processing and usage conditions,and are major parts of integrated computational materials engineering.     

大型灌溉系统中附属小水库的多用途管理

分布在大型水渠灌溉系统中具有一定蓄水容量的附属小水库能在一定程度上缓和供水与需水之间的不协调,为灌溉系统的多用途管理及提高灌溉水的生产率提供了机会．以斯里兰卡系统H为例,分析了小水库的现行运行状况及其多用途管理的潜力和制约因素．结果表明,仅以满足灌溉需求为目的的现行小水库运行方式导致了水库水位的快速波动,相对较短的水库水体更新时间使小水库通过灌溉水多用途管理获得更大效益受到了限制．