The genome sequence of Bacillus anthracis Ames and comparison to closely related bacteria

Bacillus anthracis is an endospore-forming bacterium that causes inhalational anthrax. Key virulence genes are found on plasmids (extra-chromosomal, circular, double-stranded DNA molecules) pXO1 (ref. 2) and pXO2 (ref. 3). To identify additional genes that might contribute to virulence, we analysed the complete sequence of the chromosome of B. anthracis Ames (about 5.23 megabases). We found several chromosomally encoded proteins that may contribute to pathogenicity--including haemolysins, phospholipases and iron acquisition functions--and identified numerous surface proteins that might be important targets for vaccines and drugs. Almost all these putative chromosomal virulence and surface proteins have homologues in Bacillus cereus, highlighting the similarity of B. anthracis to near-neighbours that are not associated with anthrax. By performing a comparative genome hybridization of 19 B. cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis strains against a B. anthracis DNA microarray, we confirmed the general similarity of chromosomal genes among this group of close relatives. However, we found that the gene sequences of pXO1 and pXO2 were more variable between strains, suggesting plasmid mobility in the group. The complete sequence of B. anthracis is a step towards a better understanding of anthrax pathogenesis.     

黄河沉积物中重金属离子的形态转化及释放研究

以黄河包头段上游清洁河段的沉积物为吸附剂,以Pb^2 、Cu^2 、Zn^2 、Cd^2 等多离子溶液为吸附质,开展了重金属离子被黄河沉积物吸附后的再释放,以及吸附作用对重金属形态转化的影响等实验研究．结果表明,重金属离子被黄河沉积物吸附后,各元素均不转入残渣态,Cu^2 和Zn^2 主要向碳酸盐结合态及铁锰氧化物结合态转化,Pb^2 主要向碳酸盐结合态和可交换态转化;Cd^2 主要转入可交换态和碳酸盐结合态．吸附后的赋存形态决定了Cd^2 的释放量及释放能力远远大于其它3种重金属离子,由Cd^2 排放引起的污染不易消除且影响长久．     

Thermal effect of the cable-stayed bridge tower

0　IntroductionXiantaoHanjiangRiverHighwayBridgelocatesonnorth westsuburbofXiantaocity ,crossesovertheHanjiangRiv er.Thecable stayedbridgeisasingle towersystemwiththespansof (5 0 + 82 + 180 )m .Thenon symmetricalstructureisusedheresothatthemainpiercankeepoffthemainchannel.Thesectionofthegirderisnotconstantinorderthatthedeadloadcanbeinbalancealthoughthespansaredifferent.Thedeckwidthis 2 3m (notincludingthewidthofthecablelane) ,laterallayoutisthatofdouble directionfour lanewithoutsidewalk ,b…     

Life cycle assessment in the environmental impact evaluation of urbandevelopment——a case study of land readjustment project,Hyogo District, Japan

In this paper, the Life Cycle of Urban Development was firstly analyzed, and the phases of Life Cycle Assessment applied to Urban Development (ULCA) were described. As a case study, ULCA was applied in the environmental impact assessment of the land readjustment project of Hyogo District of Saga, Japan. In addition, mitigation proposals for reducing CO2 were also presented and the relevant environmental ef-fects were simulated.     

CO adsorption on electrode of Pt nanoparticles investigated by cyclic voltammetry and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> FTIR spectroscopy

Pt nanoparticles were prepared by the chemical reduction method.The average diameter of Pt nanoparticles was determined to be 2.5nm by TEM.The electrochemical propertis of Pt nanoparticles were studied by cyclic voltammetry,In comparison with massive Pt,the oxidation current peak of CO adsorbed on Pt nanoparticles in broader.Twin adsorbates of CO on Pt nanoparticles were determined by in situ FTIRS for the first time.It has revealed that the linear and twin-bonded CO can be converted into bridge-bonded CO with the variation of electrode potential.A series of special properties of Pt nanoparticles,such as enhanced IR absorption of CO adsorbates,were also observed.     

Geochronology of source materials from high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks in Jurassic sedimentary rocks of Hefei Basin

Eclogite cobbles were discovered by Wang et al. (2001) in the Fenghuangtai Formation of the northern margin of Dabie Mountains in the Dushan area of Anhui Province, China[1]. They proposed that after the formation during the Triassic, the high-pressure (HP) and ultra-high-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks reached the sur-face through exhumation and uplifting before the late Ju-rassic. However, they have not provided any evidence about isotopic ages. One kind of cobbles of HP-UHP rocks w…     

Thermodynamic characterization of two novel spin-crossover complexes

Spin-crossover complexes are of great interest to the scientists because of their potential application in molecular-based electronic devices. Some octahedral metal compounds with 3dn (4 ≤ n ≤ 7) configuration can induce a spin state conversion through a fine tuning condition (temperature, pressure, light irradiation, etc.). If the conversion occurs reversibly with a hystersis loop and color change, it will make the system possessing memory effect. The memory effect can be magnified and the …     

A beta peptide immunization reduces behavioural impairment and plaques in a model of Alzheimer's disease

Much evidence indicates that abnormal processing and extracellular deposition of amyloid-beta peptide (A beta), a proteolytic derivative of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP), is central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (reviewed in ref. 1). In the PDAPP transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, immunization with A beta causes a marked reduction in burden of the brain amyloid. Evidence that A beta immunization also reduces cognitive dysfunction in murine models of Alzheimer's disease would support the hypothesis that abnormal A beta processing is essential to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and would encourage the development of other strategies directed at the 'amyloid cascade'. Here we show that A beta immunization reduces both deposition of cerebral fibrillar A beta and cognitive dysfunction in the TgCRND8 murine model of Alzheimer's disease without, however, altering total levels of A beta in the brain. This implies that either a approximately 50% reduction in dense-cored A beta plaques is sufficient to affect cognition, or that vaccination may modulate the activity/abundance of a small subpopulation of especially toxic A beta species.     

YidC mediates membrane protein insertion in bacteria

The basic machinery for the translocation of proteins into or across membranes is remarkably conserved from Escherichia coli to humans. In eukaryotes, proteins are inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum using the signal recognition particle (SRP) and the SRP receptor, as well as the integral membrane Sec61 trimeric complex (composed of alpha, beta and gamma subunits). In bacteria, most proteins are inserted by a related pathway that includes the SRP homologue Ffh, the SRP receptor FtsY, and the SecYEG trimeric complex, where Y and E are related to the Sec61 alpha and gamma subunits, respectively. Proteins in bacteria that exhibit no dependence on the Sec translocase were previously thought to insert into the membrane directly without the aid of a protein machinery. Here we show that membrane insertion of two Sec-independent proteins requires YidC. YidC is essential for E. coli viability and homologues are present in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Depletion of YidC also interferes with insertion of Sec-dependent membrane proteins, but it has only a minor effect on the export of secretory proteins. These results provide evidence for an additional component of the translocation machinery that is specialized for the integration of membrane proteins.     

对课堂生成教学的探讨

以《月球的自述》一文的课堂教学为例,论述了教师对课堂生成的正确认识,以及对课堂生成应采取的应对策略进行了阐述.