Magnetization distribution in the mixed-phase state of hole-doped manganites

The effect of 'colossal magnetoresistance' (CMR) in hole-doped manganites--an abnormal decrease of resistivity when a magnetic field is applied--has attracted significant interest from researchers in the past decade. But the underlying mechanism for the CMR phenomenon is not yet fully understood. It has become clear that a phase-separated state, where magnetic and non-magnetic phases coexist, is important, but the detailed magnetic microstructure of this mixed-phase state is so far unclear. Here we use electron microscopy to study the magnetic microstructure and development of ferromagnetic domains in the mixed-phase state of La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO3 (x = 0.54, 0.56). Our measurements show that, in the absence of a magnetic field, the magnetic flux is closed within ferromagnetic regions, indicating a negligible magnetic interaction between separated ferromagnetic domains. However, we also find that the domains start to combine with only very small changes in temperature. We propose that the delicate nature of the magnetic microstructure in the mixed-phase state of hole-doped manganites is responsible for the CMR effect, in which significant conduction paths form between the ferromagnetic domains upon application of a magnetic field.     

A newly discovered species of living baleen whale

In the late 1970s eight Balaenoptera specimens of unknown identity were caught in the lower latitudinal Indo-Pacific waters by Japanese research whaling vessels. The combination of the allozyme patterns and physical maturity of the eight specimens separated them from all acknowledged Balaenoptera species. In September 1998 we collected a medium-sized baleen whale carcass on a coastal island in the Sea of Japan. This specimen and the previously collected eight specimens resembled Balaenoptera physalus (fin whale) in external appearance but were much smaller. Comparison of external morphology, osteology and mitochondrial DNA data grouped the nine specimens as a single species but separated them from all known baleen whale species. Therefore, here we describe a new species of Balaenoptera, which is characterized by its unique cranial morphology, its small number of baleen plates, and by its distant molecular relationships with all of its congeners. Our analyses also separated Balaenoptera brydei (Bryde's whale) and Balaenoptera edeni (Eden's whale) into two distinct species, raising the number of known living Balaenoptera species to eight.     

Mechanotransduction through growth-factor shedding into the extracellular space

Physical forces elicit biochemical signalling in a diverse array of cells, tissues and organisms, helping to govern fundamental biological processes. Several hypotheses have been advanced that link physical forces to intracellular signalling pathways, but in many cases the molecular mechanisms of mechanotransduction remain elusive. Here we find that compressive stress shrinks the lateral intercellular space surrounding epithelial cells, and triggers cellular signalling via autocrine binding of epidermal growth factor family ligands to the epidermal growth factor receptor. Mathematical analysis predicts that constant rate shedding of autocrine ligands into a collapsing lateral intercellular space leads to increased local ligand concentrations that are sufficient to account for the observed receptor signalling; direct experimental comparison of signalling stimulated by compressive stress versus exogenous soluble ligand supports this prediction. These findings establish a mechanism by which mechanotransduction arises from an autocrine ligand-receptor circuit operating in a dynamically regulated extracellular volume, not requiring induction of force-dependent biochemical processes within the cell or cell membrane.     

两级水解酸化-FCR系统处理印染废水

采用两级水解酸化-FCR系统处理印染废水,考察了不同水力停留时间(HRT)对COD、色度、NH3-N和苯胺等去除效果的影响,并对最佳水力停留时间时脱氮效果进行了研究.结果表明:当HRT为30h时,系统COD、色度、TN、NH3-N和苯胺的平均去除率分别为93.3%、81.9%、79.9%、98.1%和74.8%,出水满足《GB 4287—92纺织染整工业水污染物排放标准》的一级标准.该系统具有较高的去污脱色效果,脱氮效果尤其显著,可应用于中、高浓度印染废水的处理.     

Bifidobacteria can protect from enteropathogenic infection through production of acetate

The human gut is colonized with a wide variety of microorganisms, including species, such as those belonging to the bacterial genus Bifidobacterium, that have beneficial effects on human physiology and pathology. Among the most distinctive benefits of bifidobacteria are modulation of host defence responses and protection against infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have barely been elucidated. To investigate these mechanisms, we used mice associated with certain bifidobacterial strains and a simplified model of lethal infection with enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7, together with an integrated 'omics' approach. Here we show that genes encoding an ATP-binding-cassette-type carbohydrate transporter present in certain bifidobacteria contribute to protecting mice against death induced by E. coli O157:H7. We found that this effect can be attributed, at least in part, to increased production of acetate and that translocation of the E. coli O157:H7 Shiga toxin from the gut lumen to the blood was inhibited. We propose that acetate produced by protective bifidobacteria improves intestinal defence mediated by epithelial cells and thereby protects the host against lethal infection.     

基于VMF分布模型的MIMO多天线系统性能研究

基于3维环境的空间统计信道,提出MIMO天线阵列下的VMF分布模型.研究MIMO多天线ULA,UYA和UCA在移动台和基站的拓扑结构,得到VMF(Von Mises Fisher)分布模型下ULA,UYA和UCA的空间衰落相关性(SFC)函数的表达式,比较不同天线阵列对平均仰角(MEOA)的灵敏度.研究表明,MIMO天线阵列的SFC由集中参数、平均方位角(MAOA)及平均仰角(MEOA)决定,该模型的信道性能结果与理论一致.