辽中凹陷东营组重力流发育机制及沉积构成

辽中凹陷锦州区块东营组发育三角洲滑塌浊积扇、远岸水下扇和近岸水下扇等重力流沉积。在高分辨率层序地层划分和对比的基础上,通过区域沉积体系分析,探讨了各类水下重力流沉积的形成条件,建立了相应的发育模式,分析认为：物源系统、坡折类型和湖平面变化的耦合关系决定着沉积体的基本特征,包括类型、层序位置、发育部位和规模大小等。进一步研究表明,各类重力流沉积内部构成差异明显,坡折类型及组合样式对其控制作用明显,表现为：坡折组合的规模和复杂状况决定了砂体平面展布的分异状况;坡折带的类型和坡度决定着沟道体系的发育情况;坡折下方微地貌构建的次级坡折带控制着砂体的分配,尤其是优质砂体的富集位置。沟道化是断陷湖盆重力流沉积的一大特色,探讨了其有别于经典海相重力流相模式的原因。对岩性圈闭的勘探有一定的借鉴意义。     

Unique astrocyte ribbon in adult human brain contains neural stem cells but lacks chain migration

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is a principal source of adult neural stem cells in the rodent brain, generating thousands of olfactory bulb neurons every day. If the adult human brain contains a comparable germinal region, this could have considerable implications for future neuroregenerative therapy. Stem cells have been isolated from the human brain, but the identity, organization and function of adult neural stem cells in the human SVZ are unknown. Here we describe a ribbon of SVZ astrocytes lining the lateral ventricles of the adult human brain that proliferate in vivo and behave as multipotent progenitor cells in vitro. This astrocytic ribbon has not been observed in other vertebrates studied. Unexpectedly, we find no evidence of chains of migrating neuroblasts in the SVZ or in the pathway to the olfactory bulb. Our work identifies SVZ astrocytes as neural stem cells in a niche of unique organization in the adult human brain.     

Target mimicry provides a new mechanism for regulation of microRNA activity

MicroRNAs (miRNA) regulate key aspects of development and physiology in animals and plants. These regulatory RNAs act as guides of effector complexes to recognize specific mRNA sequences based on sequence complementarity, resulting in translational repression or site-specific cleavage. In plants, most miRNA targets are cleaved and show almost perfect complementarity with the miRNAs around the cleavage site. Here, we examined the non-protein coding gene IPS1 (INDUCED BY PHOSPHATE STARVATION 1) from Arabidopsis thaliana. IPS1 contains a motif with sequence complementarity to the phosphate (Pi) starvation-induced miRNA miR-399, but the pairing is interrupted by a mismatched loop at the expected miRNA cleavage site. We show that IPS1 RNA is not cleaved but instead sequesters miR-399. Thus, IPS1 overexpression results in increased accumulation of the miR-399 target PHO2 mRNA and, concomitantly, in reduced shoot Pi content. Engineering of IPS1 to be cleavable abolishes its inhibitory activity on miR-399. We coin the term 'target mimicry' to define this mechanism of inhibition of miRNA activity. Target mimicry can be generalized beyond the control of Pi homeostasis, as demonstrated using artificial target mimics.     

Involvement of small Ras GTPases and their effectors in chronic renal disease

The mechanisms involved in the development of renal fibrosis are poorly understood. Small Ras GTPases control cell proliferation, differentiation, cellular growth and apoptosis, with cell-specific expression in the kidney. Cytokines, high glucose medium or advanced glycation end-products activate Ras in different renal cells. Increased Ras activation has been found in experimental tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and Ras signalling pathways are close related: TGF-β1 overcomes Ras mitogenic effects, and Ras counteracts TGF-β signalling. However, Ras activation is also an intracellular signal transduction point for several molecules (e.g. TGF-β1) involved in kidney damage. Ras isoforms play different roles in regulating extracellular matrix synthesis in fibroblasts and mesangial cells. These data give evidence for a role for Ras in renal fibrosis, but no reviews are available on the role of p21 Ras in this process. Thus, our goal is to review the role of Ras activation and signalling in renal fibrosis. Received 7 June 2007; received after revision 17 September 2007; accepted 1 October 2007     

微量硼对形变TiAl

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Anisotropy and Corotation of Galactic Cosmic Rays

Based on some 40 billion cosmic ray events collected from 1997 to 2005 by the Tibet Air Shower Array experiment (a major scientific collaboration between China and Japan) operating at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Observatory (90.522 E, 30. 102 N; 4300 m above sea level) near Lhasa in Tibet, a two-dimensiondl cosmic-ray intensity map in the sky was obtained with very high directional granularity and unprecedented precision in intensity at a level of 10-4.     

Genomic sequence of the pathogenic and allergenic filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus is exceptional among microorganisms in being both a primary and opportunistic pathogen as well as a major allergen. Its conidia production is prolific, and so human respiratory tract exposure is almost constant. A. fumigatus is isolated from human habitats and vegetable compost heaps. In immunocompromised individuals, the incidence of invasive infection can be as high as 50% and the mortality rate is often about 50% (ref. 2). The interaction of A. fumigatus and other airborne fungi with the immune system is increasingly linked to severe asthma and sinusitis. Although the burden of invasive disease caused by A. fumigatus is substantial, the basic biology of the organism is mostly obscure. Here we show the complete 29.4-megabase genome sequence of the clinical isolate Af293, which consists of eight chromosomes containing 9,926 predicted genes. Microarray analysis revealed temperature-dependent expression of distinct sets of genes, as well as 700 A. fumigatus genes not present or significantly diverged in the closely related sexual species Neosartorya fischeri, many of which may have roles in the pathogenicity phenotype. The Af293 genome sequence provides an unparalleled resource for the future understanding of this remarkable fungus.