Cloning of a representative genomic library of the human X chromosome after sorting by flow cytometry

A library of 50,000 recombinants representative of the human X chromosome has been constructed. Human X chromosomes were physically separated using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The DNA was purified from the chromosomes, digested to completion with the restriction enzyme EcoRI and cloned into the phage lambda gtWES.lambda B. The X-derived nature of the recombinants was confirmed by hybridization to rodent/human cell line DNA containing only the human X chromosome. Such libraries will be particularly useful for the investigation of genetic diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, where the basic defect has not been elucidated, and of neoplasia, where several specific chromosomal anomalies, particularly for the leukaemias, have been identified.     

Human cardiovascular progenitor cells develop from a KDR+ embryonic-stem-cell-derived population

The functional heart is comprised of distinct mesoderm-derived lineages including cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. Studies in the mouse embryo and the mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation model have provided evidence indicating that these three lineages develop from a common Flk-1(+) (kinase insert domain protein receptor, also known as Kdr) cardiovascular progenitor that represents one of the earliest stages in mesoderm specification to the cardiovascular lineages. To determine whether a comparable progenitor is present during human cardiogenesis, we analysed the development of the cardiovascular lineages in human embryonic stem cell differentiation cultures. Here we show that after induction with combinations of activin A, bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, also known as FGF2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, also known as VEGFA) and dickkopf homolog 1 (DKK1) in serum-free media, human embryonic-stem-cell-derived embryoid bodies generate a KDR(low)/C-KIT(CD117)(neg) population that displays cardiac, endothelial and vascular smooth muscle potential in vitro and, after transplantation, in vivo. When plated in monolayer cultures, these KDR(low)/C-KIT(neg) cells differentiate to generate populations consisting of greater than 50% contracting cardiomyocytes. Populations derived from the KDR(low)/C-KIT(neg) fraction give rise to colonies that contain all three lineages when plated in methylcellulose cultures. Results from limiting dilution studies and cell-mixing experiments support the interpretation that these colonies are clones, indicating that they develop from a cardiovascular colony-forming cell. Together, these findings identify a human cardiovascular progenitor that defines one of the earliest stages of human cardiac development.     

A ribonucleotide reductase gene involved in a p53-dependent cell-cycle checkpoint for DNA damage

The p53 gene is frequently inactivated in human cancers. Here we have isolated a p53-inducible gene, p53R2, by using differential display to examine messenger RNAs in a cancer-derived human cell line carrying a highly regulated wild-type p53 expression system. p53R2 contains a p53-binding sequence in intron 1 and encodes a 351-amino-acid peptide with striking similarity to the ribonucleotide reductase small subunit (R2), which is important in DNA synthesis during cell division. Expression of p53R2, but not R2, was induced by ultraviolet and gamma-irradiation and adriamycin treatment in a wild-type p53-dependent manner. Induction of p53R2 in p53-deficient cells caused G2/M arrest and prevented cells from death in response to adriamycin. Inhibition of endogenous p53R2 expression in cells that have an intact p53-dependent DNA damage checkpoint reduced ribonucleotide reductase activity, DNA repair and cell survival after exposure to various genotoxins. Our results indicate that p53R2 encodes a ribonucleotide reductase that is directly involved in the p53 checkpoint for repair of damaged DNA. The discovery of p53R2 clarifies a relationship between a ribonucleotide reductase activity involved in repair of damaged DNA and tumour suppression by p53.     

Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property

Globally, soil organic matter (SOM) contains more than three times as much carbon as either the atmosphere or terrestrial vegetation. Yet it remains largely unknown why some SOM persists for millennia whereas other SOM decomposes readily--and this limits our ability to predict how soils will respond to climate change. Recent analytical and experimental advances have demonstrated that molecular structure alone does not control SOM stability: in fact, environmental and biological controls predominate. Here we propose ways to include this understanding in a new generation of experiments and soil carbon models, thereby improving predictions of the SOM response to global warming.     

超音速火焰喷涂Cr_3C_2-NiCr涂层的冲蚀磨损特性

实验研究了燃气流量、氧气流量和喷涂距离对超音速火焰 (HVOF)喷涂Cr3C2 NiCr涂层冲蚀磨损性能的影响 ,在对不同角度冲蚀后涂层表面和横截面结构分析的基础上 ,探讨了其冲蚀磨损失效机制 .结果表明 :Cr3C2 NiCr涂层的冲蚀磨损呈现脆性材料的冲蚀磨损特征 ,在 90°冲蚀率最大 ;磨料冲击引起的裂纹沿涂层内粒子界面萌生、扩展并最终导致粒子剥落 ,是涂层主要的冲蚀磨损机制 .     

Direct splitting of water under visible light irradiation with an oxide semiconductor photocatalyst.

The photocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using solar energy is a potentially clean and renewable source for hydrogen fuel. The first photocatalysts suitable for water splitting, or for activating hydrogen production from carbohydrate compounds made by plants from water and carbon dioxide, were developed several decades ago. But these catalysts operate with ultraviolet light, which accounts for only 4% of the incoming solar energy and thus renders the overall process impractical. For this reason, considerable efforts have been invested in developing photocatalysts capable of using the less energetic but more abundant visible light, which accounts for about 43% of the incoming solar energy. However, systems that are sufficiently stable and efficient for practical use have not yet been realized. Here we show that doping of indium-tantalum-oxide with nickel yields a series of photocatalysts, In(1-x)Ni(x)TaO(4) (x = 0-0.2), which induces direct splitting of water into stoichiometric amounts of oxygen and hydrogen under visible light irradiation with a quantum yield of about 0.66%. Our findings suggest that the use of solar energy for photocatalytic water splitting might provide a viable source for 'clean' hydrogen fuel, once the catalytic efficiency of the semiconductor system has been improved by increasing its surface area and suitable modifications of the surface sites.     

Depositional history of the early part of the Jurassic succession on the Rajasthan Shelf, western India

Part of the lowermost deposits of the Triassic to Earlymid Jurassic (up to Bajocian) sedimentary succession spread across the Rajasthan shelf on the western part of the Indian craton is found in the Jaisalmer Basin east of Jaisalmer with the best exposed sections along the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer Highway. Based on lithostratigraphic characteristics, the succession is divided into four: Odania and Thaiat members, Lathi Formation; and Hamira and Joyan members, Jaisalmer Formation. Six facies are defined from microfacies, sedimentary structures, biotic components and depositional environments: (1) ferruginous, pebbly, cross-bedded sandstone—high-energy, fluvial; (2) cross-bedded, poorly sorted, fossil wood-bearing sandstone—highenergy, terrestrial, with high influx of sediment and warm and humid climate; (3) cross-bedded to rarely bioturbated, alternating silt to fine-grained sandstone—fluctuating sedimentation rates and energy—nearshore, mesohaline embayment to lagoonal; (4) partly bioturbated, storm-dominated, mixed siliciclastic-carbonate facies—fully marine; (5) low angle cross-laminated, silt to fine-grained sandstone—nearshore shallow water, above fair weather wave base; and (6) thick rudstones with mega-ripples and reworked coral heads-storm deposits representing the peak of first major marine transgression across the basin.     

低捻转杯纺纱实验与理论分析--提高低捻转杯纱强力探索

研究在转杯纺加捻区中加装阻扭件,然后选用相同的棉条纺制不同捻系数的转杯纱(加装阻扭件和不加装阻扭件)和环锭纱,并测试其成纱的强伸性能、表面形态和扭转性能.测试结果表明,加装阻扭件的转杯纱可以适当改善转杯纺的加捻效果,进而适当提高了转杯纱的成纱强力.     

'Designer atoms' for quantum metrology

Entanglement is recognized as a key resource for quantum computation and quantum cryptography. For quantum metrology, the use of entangled states has been discussed and demonstrated as a means of improving the signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, entangled states have been used in experiments for efficient quantum state detection and for the measurement of scattering lengths. In quantum information processing, manipulation of individual quantum bits allows for the tailored design of specific states that are insensitive to the detrimental influences of an environment. Such 'decoherence-free subspaces' (ref. 10) protect quantum information and yield significantly enhanced coherence times. Here we use a decoherence-free subspace with specifically designed entangled states to demonstrate precision spectroscopy of a pair of trapped Ca+ ions; we obtain the electric quadrupole moment, which is of use for frequency standard applications. We find that entangled states are not only useful for enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio in frequency measurements--a suitably designed pair of atoms also allows clock measurements in the presence of strong technical noise. Our technique makes explicit use of non-locality as an entanglement property and provides an approach for 'designed' quantum metrology.