Genetic studies on gynandromorphism (sgm,gm) inCulex pipiens fatigans

Summary Individuals showing anterior-posterior gynandromorphism or somatic mosaicism of palpi respectively have been found in a laboratory strain ofCulex pipiens fatigans. The origin of the gynanders on the basis of binucleated eggs bearing anm factor and independently fertilized by male gemetes ofM andm genotype respectively has been suggested.This study was supported by the grant (No. 7/112/919/81 EMR-1), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Govt., of India.     

Chemical composition of sewage-grownSpirulina platensis

Summary Spirulina platensis has been grown in an outdoor pilot production unit, with an exposed surface area of 450 m², on a medium consisting of raw domestic sewage supplemented with sodium bicarbonate and nitrate or urea fertilizer. The chemical composition and yield of the biomass grown on sewage-nitrate was comparable to that grown on synthetic medium. The protein content was much lower in the alga cultivated in sewage-urea medium.NBRI Research Publication No. 143 (NS).     

Cultivation ofSpirulina in sewage for poultry feed

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences - A method for cultivatingSpirulina platensis in domestic raw sewage, coupled with pisciculture and water reclamation in an integrated recycling system, has...     

Mutations in LRP2, which encodes the multiligand receptor megalin, cause Donnai-Barrow and facio-oculo-acoustico-renal syndromes

Donnai-Barrow syndrome is associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, facial dysmorphology, ocular anomalies, sensorineural hearing loss and developmental delay. By studying multiplex families, we mapped this disorder to chromosome 2q23.3-31.1 and identified LRP2 mutations in six families with Donnai-Barrow syndrome and one family with facio-oculo-acoustico-renal syndrome. LRP2 encodes megalin, a multiligand uptake receptor that regulates levels of diverse circulating compounds. This work implicates a pathway with potential pharmacological therapeutic targets.     

CLM4.5对中国区域夏季土壤湿度的模拟研究

利用CESM(Community Earth System Model)框架最新发布的陆面模式CLM4.5模拟得到中国区域1991~2010年7月份0~10 cm的土壤湿度数据集;并以中国农作物生长发育和农田土壤湿度旬值数据集的土壤湿度作为实测值,与模拟结果进行了比较分析。结果表明CLM4.5能够揭示中国区域7月份0~10 cm土壤湿度的空间分布特征,与实测数据土壤湿度的年际变化趋势保持着较好的一致性。利用曼-肯德尔法进行突变现象检测表明,模拟和实测得到的二十年的土壤湿度在华北、东北地区有逐年减小的趋势,尤其是东北地区土壤变干现象尤为明显;而华东、华中地区的土壤湿度以2~3年为周期增减,并没有一个持续稳定的变化趋势。CLM4.5模拟的土壤湿度值普遍偏高,最大偏差超过0.1 mm3·mm-3,这可能与模式的参数化方案有关,在以今后的研究中有待进一步探索。     

Chemical reduction of three-dimensional silica micro-assemblies into microporous silicon replicas

The carbothermal reduction of silica into silicon requires the use of temperatures well above the silicon melting point (> or =2,000 degrees C). Solid silicon has recently been generated directly from silica at much lower temperatures (< or =850 degrees C) via electrochemical reduction in molten salts. However, the silicon products of such electrochemical reduction did not retain the microscale morphology of the starting silica reactants. Here we demonstrate a low-temperature (650 degrees C) magnesiothermic reduction process for converting three-dimensional nanostructured silica micro-assemblies into microporous nanocrystalline silicon replicas. The intricate nanostructured silica microshells (frustules) of diatoms (unicellular algae) were converted into co-continuous, nanocrystalline mixtures of silicon and magnesia by reaction with magnesium gas. Selective magnesia dissolution then yielded an interconnected network of silicon nanocrystals that retained the starting three-dimensional frustule morphology. The silicon replicas possessed a high specific surface area (>500 m(2) g(-1)), and contained a significant population of micropores (< or =20 A). The silicon replicas were photoluminescent, and exhibited rapid changes in impedance upon exposure to gaseous nitric oxide (suggesting a possible application in microscale gas sensing). This process enables the syntheses of microporous nanocrystalline silicon micro-assemblies with multifarious three-dimensional shapes inherited from biological or synthetic silica templates for sensor, electronic, optical or biomedical applications.