The PerR transcription factor senses H2O2 by metal-catalysed histidine oxidation

The sensing of reactive oxygen species is essential for cellular responses to oxidative stress. The sensing of peroxides is typically mediated by redox-active cysteines in sensors such as the bacterial OxyR, OhrR, and Hsp33 proteins. Bacillus subtilis PerR is the prototype for a widespread family of metal-dependent peroxide sensors that regulate inducible peroxide-defence genes. Here we show that PerR senses peroxides by metal-catalysed oxidation. PerR contains two metal-binding sites: a structural Zn2+ site and a regulatory divalent metal ion site that preferentially binds Fe2+ or Mn2+ (ref. 5). Protein oxidation, catalysed by a bound ferrous ion, leads to the rapid and direct incorporation of one oxygen atom into histidine 37 (H37) or H91, two of the residues that coordinate the bound Fe2+. This mechanism accounts for the ability of PerR to sense low levels of hydrogen peroxide in vivo. The reduction of hydrogen peroxide by metal ions to generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals underlies the genotoxic effects of peroxides, and has been shown to contribute to enzyme inactivation, but has not previously been shown to provide a regulatory mechanism for peroxide sensing.     

A photometric redshift of z = 6.39 +/- 0.12 for GRB 050904

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and their afterglows are the most brilliant transient events in the Universe. Both the bursts themselves and their afterglows have been predicted to be visible out to redshifts of z approximately 20, and therefore to be powerful probes of the early Universe. The burst GRB 000131, at z = 4.50, was hitherto the most distant such event identified. Here we report the discovery of the bright near-infrared afterglow of GRB 050904 (ref. 4). From our measurements of the near-infrared afterglow, and our failure to detect the optical afterglow, we determine the photometric redshift of the burst to be z = 6.39 - 0.12 + 0.11 (refs 5-7). Subsequently, it was measured spectroscopically to be z = 6.29 +/- 0.01, in agreement with our photometric estimate. These results demonstrate that GRBs can be used to trace the star formation, metallicity, and reionization histories of the early Universe.     

Gene network shaping of inherent noise spectra

Recent work demonstrates that stochastic fluctuations in molecular populations have consequences for gene regulation. Previous experiments focused on noise sources or noise propagation through gene networks by measuring noise magnitudes. However, in theoretical analysis, we showed that noise frequency content is determined by the underlying gene circuits, leading to a mapping between gene circuit structure and the noise frequency range. An intriguing prediction from our previous studies was that negative autoregulation shifts noise to higher frequencies where it is more easily filtered out by gene networks--a property that may contribute to the prevalence of autoregulation motifs (for example, found in the regulation of approximately 40% of Escherichia coli genes). Here we measure noise frequency content in growing cultures of E. coli, and verify the link between gene circuit structure and noise spectra by demonstrating the negative autoregulation-mediated spectral shift. We further demonstrate that noise spectral measurements provide mechanistic insights into gene regulation, as perturbations of gene circuit parameters are discernible in the measured noise frequency ranges. These results suggest that noise spectral measurements could facilitate the discovery of novel regulatory relationships.     

半导体物理

本书是一本教材,系统地介绍了半导体物理的理论知识。为了使学生能更好地理解和应用这些理论和概念,本书还对一些基于半导体的重要系统的原理进行了简单的解释。全书共分10章。第1章半导体简介,介绍了半导体的定义和重要性、半导体理论的基础和一维理想结晶固体的量子态;第2章理想半导体的量子态,重点介绍了三维半导体的量子态;第3章纯半导体的激发态和含杂质半导体的量子态;第4章均相半导体的统计学;第5章半导体中的迁移现象;第6章光效应;     

矿石与材料发光光谱学

本书属于矿物物理领域,重点是矿物的发光光谱。本书使用的实验手段主要是激光激发矿物质和对其发射和散射结果进行时间分辨的探测。全书共11章。第1章简介,介绍了主要科学术语的定义以及激光诱导时间分辨技术和稳态发光等内容;第2章理论背景,解释了激发能的吸收、辐射跃迁等发光中的主要过程;第3章实验方法,描述了实验设备的主要部分;     

气体水合物研究进展

本书是2003年春季美国化学工程协会召开的“气体水合物讨论会”的论文集,共收录16篇论文。气体水合物是一种非常特殊的化学组成,它是由水分子（主体分子）包裹着气体分子（客体分子）在低温高压条件下形成的一种无化学键的晶体物质。通常的气体水合物是甲烷水合物,在常温常压下,甲烷水合物中包含的甲烷气体是甲烷水化物本身的180倍。作为一种替补能源,气体水合物的研究已经越来越受到人们的重视。     

Depositional environments of Bathonian sediments from the Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan, western India

The pericratonic sedimentary Jaisalmer Basin, west of the Aravalli Ranges, on the westerly dipping eastern flank of the Indus Shelf, is a principal structural element of Rajasthan. Jurassic sediments in the SE comprise non-marine sandstones and conglomerates to nearshore, brackish to marine sands, silts, clays and carbonates, grouped lithostratigraphically into the Lathi, Jaisalmer, Baisakhi, and Bhadasar formations. The Late Bajocian to Oxfordian Jaisalmer Formation is divided, in ascending order, into the Hamira, Joyan, Fort, Badabag, Kuldhar, and Jajiya members. Fossil records providing a Bajocian to Bathonian age for the lower and middle parts of the formation include: a Late Bajocian coral Isastraea bernardiana (d’Orbigny) in the uppermost Joyan Member; Bathonian ammonite Clydoniceras in the basal part of the Badabag Member; Bathonian foraminiferal/bivalve assemblages in the Fort Member. The topmost bed of the Joyan Member represents the peak of first marine transgression of the Jaisalmer Basin, probably contemporaneous with the Late Bajocian one in the neighbouring Kachchh Basin. Based on faunal studies Bajocian to Bathonian sediments of the Jaisalmer Basin can be broadly correlated with those of the Kachchh Basin. The Fort and Badabag members represent the following depositional environments, in chronological order: (a) brackish to shallow fully marine; (b) fully marine with rapidly fluctuating water energy and sedimentation rates; (c) near-shore to lower shoreface with fluctuating energy conditions, salinity and sedimentation rates; (d) near-shore to shoreface channels and storm-dominated marine above fair-weather wave-base; (e) lagoon with fluctuating low to moderate energy, salinity and sedimentation rates; (f) stormdominated shelf to lower shoreface.     

An RNA gene expressed during cortical development evolved rapidly in humans

The developmental and evolutionary mechanisms behind the emergence of human-specific brain features remain largely unknown. However, the recent ability to compare our genome to that of our closest relative, the chimpanzee, provides new avenues to link genetic and phenotypic changes in the evolution of the human brain. We devised a ranking of regions in the human genome that show significant evolutionary acceleration. Here we report that the most dramatic of these 'human accelerated regions', HAR1, is part of a novel RNA gene (HAR1F) that is expressed specifically in Cajal-Retzius neurons in the developing human neocortex from 7 to 19 gestational weeks, a crucial period for cortical neuron specification and migration. HAR1F is co-expressed with reelin, a product of Cajal-Retzius neurons that is of fundamental importance in specifying the six-layer structure of the human cortex. HAR1 and the other human accelerated regions provide new candidates in the search for uniquely human biology.     

山西省水资源可持续开发利用问题浅析

在对山西省水资源开发利用所面临的问题进行剖析的基础上。提出了合理开发地下水资源、拉制水资源污染、发展节水工程和实行水资源的统一管理等科学、合理开发利用水资源的对策。