Microbial degradation of bitumen

Summary A blown bitumen Mexphalte R 90/40 with a high content of saturated hydrocarbons was degraded by several microorganisms to the same extent. In batch cultures ofSaccharomycopsis lipolytica, maximal biodegradation was estimated to be about 9% w/w, 3.2·10^–3 g/cm² and 3.1·10^–3 cm of degraded bitumen. The Mexphalte R 90/40 degradation rate was closely coupled to biofilm formation. The microbial activity concerned predominantly the oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons. A direct distillation bitumen 80/100 with a low content of saturated hydrocarbons and a high content of aromatic hydrocarbons and resins was more resistant to biodegradation.     

Abnormal pattern detected in fragile-X patients by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

The fragile-X syndrome is the most frequent inherited form of mental retardation, with an incidence of 1 in 1,500 males. It is characterized by the presence of a fragile site at Xq27.3 induced in vitro by folate deprivation or by inhibitors of deoxynucleotide synthesis. Its mode of inheritance is unusual for an X-linked trait, with incomplete penetrance in both males and females. Some phenotypically normal males transmit the mutation to all their daughters who rarely express any symptoms, but penetrance is high in sons and daughters of these carrier women. Genetic and physical mapping of the Xq27-q28 region has confirmed that the disease locus is located at or very near the fragile site. Hypotheses proposed to account for the abnormalities in the inheritance of the disease include sequence rearrangements by meiotic recombination or a mutation that affects reactivation of an inactive X chromosome during differentiation of female germ cells. To detect such rearrangements, or methylation changes that may reflect a locally inactive X chromosome, we used pulsed-field gel analysis of DNA from fragile-X patients with probes close to the fragile-X locus. The probe Do33 (DXS465) detected abnormal patterns in fragile-X patients, but not in normal controls or in non-expressing male transmitters.     

用测量模态阻尼和振型的方法对复合材料薄平板进行无损质量检测

复合材料薄平板经热压制成后,都需要进行质量检测。本文探索用测量模态阻尼和振型的方法,对复合材料薄平板的制作质量进行无损检测,作为对其它昂贵的无损检测方法的补充。略述用振动方法进行无损检测的原理,测量薄平板阻尼的方法以及提高测量精度的措施。还讨论在测量薄平板阻尼时可能遇到的一些特殊问题(如非线性刚度、拍、模态密集等问题);以云母基复合材料薄平板作为例子,从测量其阻尼和振型的结果,对这种板的制作质量进行讨论。     

信息技术与学科教学的整合需要研究型教师

信息技术与学科的有效整合需要教师具备整合的基本能力，并成为研究型教师。指出教师要不断更新信息技术知识和技能，利用现代教学设施，依据教学实践开展研究，从而探索出有效的整合模式。     

Effect of 15(R)-15-methyl-prostaglandin E2 on iron absorption in the rat

Summary The administration of 15(R)-15-methyl prostaglandin E₂ (15(R)-15-M-PGE₂) in vivo significantly diminished the uptake of⁵⁹Fe into blood, spleen, liver, femur and dried intestine of rats, whereas acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) increased the counts significantly. This effect of ASA was counteracted by 15(R)-15-M-PGE₂. It is suggested that prostaglandins (PGs) might play an important role in inhibiting iron absorption at the intestinal level.This work was supported by grant No.6638 from CONICET (Argentina). The technical assistance of Mrs María E. Castro and Norma Rizzo is gratefully acknowleged.     

Fibulin-5/DANCE is essential for elastogenesis in vivo.

The elastic fibre system has a principal role in the structure and function of various types of organs that require elasticity, such as large arteries, lung and skin. Although elastic fibres are known to be composed of microfibril proteins (for example, fibrillins and latent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-binding proteins) and polymerized elastin, the mechanism of their assembly and development is not well understood. Here we report that fibulin-5 (also known as DANCE), a recently discovered integrin ligand, is an essential determinant of elastic fibre organization. fibulin-5-/- mice generated by gene targeting exhibit a severely disorganized elastic fibre system throughout the body. fibulin-5-/- mice survive to adulthood, but have a tortuous aorta with loss of compliance, severe emphysema, and loose skin (cutis laxa). These tissues contain fragmented elastin without an increase of elastase activity, indicating defective development of elastic fibres. Fibulin-5 interacts directly with elastic fibres in vitro, and serves as a ligand for cell surface integrins alphavbeta3, alphavbeta5 and alpha9beta1 through its amino-terminal domain. Thus, fibulin-5 may provide anchorage of elastic fibres to cells, thereby acting to stabilize and organize elastic fibres in the skin, lung and vasculature.     

Comparative study of the karyotypes of two Egyptian species of bats,Taphozous perforatus andTaphozous nudiventris (Chiroptera: Mammalia)

A detailed karyotypic analysis of two Egyptian species of bats,Taphozous perforatus andTaphozous nudiventris, was made on the basis of conventional data and G-band patterns. No detectable karyotypic difference was found between the two species (2n=42, F.N. 64). By comparison of G-band patterns, some differences between the two species were seen in the corresponding autosomal pairs. These results are reported for the first time in Egypt.     

SIMULTANEOUS REACTION AND LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION IN THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE PRODUCTION

The gas-liquid-liquid reactive extraction system for preparing hydrogen peroxide via anthraquinone was investigated. The oxidation reaction of hydrogenated working solution was combined with the extraction of hydrogen peroxide from working solution in a sieve plate column. The reaction of 2-ethylanthrahydroquionone with oxygen and the liquid-liquid extraction of hydrogen peroxide take place simultaneously. The oxygen was introduced with hydrogenated working solution through a nozzle in the bottom of the column, which worked as agitated air as well as oxidation reagent. The results showed the oxidation and extraction do not hamper each other, on the contrary, the presence of oxidation gas in the column can promote the transfer of hydrogen peroxide from organic phase to aqueous phase, thus the reaction efficiency and extraction efficiency increased with increasing gas superficial velocity. Furthermore, the oxidation efficiency is almost 100% and the extraction efficiency is higher than 90% in this process.     

MeV Pb离子在非晶Si中的射程离散──离子束混合和增强扩散的影响

１．０ＭｅＶ２０８Ｐｂ离子在非晶Ｓｉ中的投影射程ＲＰ和射程偏差ΔＲＰ作为注量和温度二者的函数用背散射法进行测定．注量的变化范围为５×１０１３～７×１０１４ｃｍ－２．注入是在室温和ｔ＝－１２０℃下完成的．由由实验所确定的投影射程，射程偏差与注量或温度无关，并且分别等于２９５和７２．２ｎｍ．与ＴＲＩＭ８６的计算结果相比较，发现ＲＰ的偏离为１８％，而ΔＲＰ的偏离为３６％．ＲＰ和ΔＲＰ二者与注量及温度的无关性，排除了所观察到的与ＴＲＩＭ的矛盾是由于注入期间辐射增强扩散或离子束混合效应而引起的解释。