Towards genetic genome projects: genomic library screening and gene-targeting vector construction in a single step.

We have developed technologies that simplify genomic library construction and screening, substantially reducing both the time and the cost associated with traditional library screening methods and facilitating the generation of gene-targeting constructs. By taking advantage of homologous recombination in Escherichia coli, we were able to use as little as 80 bp of total sequence homology to screen for a specific gene from a genomic library in plasmid or phage form. This method, called recombination cloning (REC), takes only a few days instead of the several weeks required for traditional plaque-lift methods. In addition, because every clone in the mouse genomic library we have constructed has a negative selection marker adjacent to the genomic insert, REC screening can generate gene-targeting vectors in one step, from library screening to finished construct. Conditional targeting constructs can be generated easily with minimal additional manipulation.     

The extent of linkage disequilibrium in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Linkage disequilibrium (LD), the nonrandom occurrence of alleles in haplotypes, has long been of interest to population geneticists. Recently, the rapidly increasing availability of genomic polymorphism data has fueled interest in LD as a tool for fine-scale mapping, in particular for human disease loci. The chromosomal extent of LD is crucial in this context, because it determines how dense a map must be for associations to be detected and, conversely, limits how finely loci may be mapped. Arabidopsis thaliana is expected to harbor unusually extensive LD because of its high degree of selfing. Several polymorphism studies have found very strong LD within individual loci, but also evidence of some recombination. Here we investigate the pattern of LD on a genomic scale and show that in global samples, LD decays within approximately 1 cM, or 250 kb. We also show that LD in local populations may be much stronger than that of global populations, presumably as a result of founder events. The combination of a relatively high level of polymorphism and extensive haplotype structure bodes well for developing a genome-wide LD map in A. thaliana.     

高应变速率超塑性铝基材料的研究现状与展望

高应变速率超塑性是一个涉及先进制造技术和超细晶块体材料的高科技前沿研究领域 美国SuperformAluminium公司采用超塑成形技术使轿车重量减轻了一半 ,大大降低了油耗与排放 ,因此高应变速率超塑性铝基材料的研究对于今后有效地利用地球资源和减少地球环境污染具有重要的现实意义 应变速率太低和成本太高是今后超塑性先进制造技术和超细晶块体材料大规模实用化进程中必须解决的关键问题 本文综述了国内外超塑性铝基复合材料和铝合金的制备、性能及变形机理的研究现状 ,指出了加快铸造法低成本制备高应变速率超塑性铝合金研究的迫切性 ,并展望了该材料在 2 1世纪的应用前景     

块体纳米材料的研究现状与发展思路

块体纳米材料的制备技术及性能研究 ,是当前纳米材料领域内的一个热点 块体纳米材料具有奇异的结构和特殊性能 ,其在力学、电学、光学和磁学等方面发生了巨大的变化 文中较为详细地介绍了国内外块状纳米材料的制备技术 针对块体纳米材料加工过程中存在热稳定性及致密性等两个主要问题进行了探讨 ,提出了通过加入第二相微粒、强烈塑性加工措施来改善块体纳米材料的热稳定性 ;采用烧结、挤压辅助工艺来提高块体纳米材料的致密性的方案     

小波分析在水文序列趋势分析中的应用

根据水文时间序列的频率分布特性 ,运用小波分析将不同频率成分组成时间序列按尺度分解成低频和高频成分 ,然后依据小波系数的重构原理还原时间序列的趋势成分 ,从而可以判断水文时间序列的趋势变化 .以黄河上中下游四个水文站的实测年径流序列为例进行了研究 ,研究结果表明多分辨分析用于水文时间序列趋势分析是合理可行的     

重载流多芯电缆周围的磁场 Ⅰ. 理论模型

多芯电力电缆在低压配电系统中常被用作配电干线，这种重载流电缆周围的极低频磁场可能干扰附近敏感电子设备的正常运行，甚至影响暴露于该场下的人体的健康，为分析这种磁场的分布特性，建立了多芯电缆周围磁场的载流平行螺旋线模型，并推导了周围磁场的简化计算公式，基于所提出的理想模型对电缆周围电磁的特性进行了分析，发现在电缆的半径方向上磁场随距离衰减的速度大于指数衰减速度，在平行于电缆轴线的直线上和在电缆抽轴圆周线上，磁场的幅值和相角都随观测点的位置周期变化，理论计算结果表明，常用规格的多芯电力电缆在载额定电流的情况下，距电缆2m外空间中的磁场已小于有关国际标准的限值。     

长白山采集的中国东北新记录苔藓植物

在对中国和加拿大苔藓学者联合于中国东北最高的长白山采集的2千余份标本鉴定的基础上。认定有苔藓植物59科，152属，300种。报道了中国大陆新记录1属－小曲柄藓属（Campylostelium）。中国东北新记录2属－直蓑衣藓属（Macrocoma）和同叶藓属（Isopterygium）。中国东北新记录5种－褶叶裂叶苔（Lophozia incisa）。假狗牙藓（Cynodontium fallax）。细枝牛毛藓（Ditrichum gracile）。散叶牛毛藓（Ditrichum divarcatum）和细叶棉藓（Plagiothecium latebricola）。     

Palaeolake and palaeoenvironment between 42 and 18 kaBP in tengger desert, NW China

Comprehensive field investigations and laboratory analyses show that palaeolakes, including fresh- mesohaline water Megalake Tengger and other semi-con- nected, isolated water bodies, during late Pleistocene covered an area of more than 20000 km², which is more than half of the Tengger Desert in NW China. Stratigraphic correlation and chronological evidence indicate that before ca. 42000 aBP the area was more arid. The palaeolakes started to develop around 40000 uncal. ¹⁴C aBP but until 37000 ¹⁴C aBP their scope was limited. High water levels established from 35000 ¹⁴C aBP lasted until 22000 ¹⁴CaBP. Lake levels regressed between 22000 and 20000 ¹⁴C aBP but transgressed from 20000 to 18600 ¹⁴C aBP. Subsequently, water level declined further and the Megalake Tengger finally desiccated at around 18000 ¹⁴C aBP. Megalake Tengger possessed a fresh-mesohaline water property, implying that the regional precipitation increased significantly. During the period of Megalake Tengger, the climate was warmer-humid than present. The annual rainfall was 250 to 350 mm more than that of today and the temperature was 1.5 to 3.0℃ higher.     

Mass march of termites into the deadly trap.

Carnivorous pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes are not usually very selective about their prey, catching anything that is careless enough to walk on their slippery peristome, but Nepenthes albomarginata is an exception. We show here that this plant uses a fringe of edible white hairs to lure and then trap its prey, which consists exclusively of termites in enormous numbers. This singular feature accounts for the specialization of N. albomarginata for one prey taxon, unique so far among carnivorous plants.     

Superoxide activates mitochondrial uncoupling proteins.

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) diverts energy from ATP synthesis to thermogenesis in the mitochondria of brown adipose tissue by catalysing a regulated leak of protons across the inner membrane. The functions of its homologues, UCP2 and UCP3, in other tissues are debated. UCP2 and UCP3 are present at much lower abundance than UCP1, and the uncoupling with which they are associated is not significantly thermogenic. Mild uncoupling would, however, decrease the mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species, which are important mediators of oxidative damage. Here we show that superoxide increases mitochondrial proton conductance through effects on UCP1, UCP2 and UCP3. Superoxide-induced uncoupling requires fatty acids and is inhibited by purine nucleotides. It correlates with the tissue expression of UCPs, appears in mitochondria from yeast expressing UCP1, and is absent in skeletal muscle mitochondria from UCP3 knockout mice. Our findings indicate that the interaction of superoxide with UCPs may be a mechanism for decreasing the concentrations of reactive oxygen species inside mitochondria.