Fat cells reactivate quiescent neuroblasts via TOR and glial insulin relays in Drosophila

Many stem, progenitor and cancer cells undergo periods of mitotic quiescence from which they can be reactivated. The signals triggering entry into and exit from this reversible dormant state are not well understood. In the developing Drosophila central nervous system, multipotent self-renewing progenitors called neuroblasts undergo quiescence in a stereotypical spatiotemporal pattern. Entry into quiescence is regulated by Hox proteins and an internal neuroblast timer. Exit from quiescence (reactivation) is subject to a nutritional checkpoint requiring dietary amino acids. Organ co-cultures also implicate an unidentified signal from an adipose/hepatic-like tissue called the fat body. Here we provide in vivo evidence that Slimfast amino-acid sensing and Target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling activate a fat-body-derived signal (FDS) required for neuroblast reactivation. Downstream of this signal, Insulin-like receptor signalling and the Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/TOR network are required in neuroblasts for exit from quiescence. We demonstrate that nutritionally regulated glial cells provide the source of Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) relevant for timely neuroblast reactivation but not for overall larval growth. Conversely, ILPs secreted into the haemolymph by median neurosecretory cells systemically control organismal size but do not reactivate neuroblasts. Drosophila thus contains two segregated ILP pools, one regulating proliferation within the central nervous system and the other controlling tissue growth systemically. Our findings support a model in which amino acids trigger the cell cycle re-entry of neural progenitors via a fat-body-glia-neuroblasts relay. This mechanism indicates that dietary nutrients and remote organs, as well as local niches, are key regulators of transitions in stem-cell behaviour.     

Fault lubrication during earthquakes

The determination of rock friction at seismic slip rates (about 1?m?s(-1)) is of paramount importance in earthquake mechanics, as fault friction controls the stress drop, the mechanical work and the frictional heat generated during slip. Given the difficulty in determining friction by seismological methods, elucidating constraints are derived from experimental studies. Here we review a large set of published and unpublished experiments (～300) performed in rotary shear apparatus at slip rates of 0.1-2.6?m?s(-1). The experiments indicate a significant decrease in friction (of up to one order of magnitude), which we term fault lubrication, both for cohesive (silicate-built, quartz-built and carbonate-built) rocks and non-cohesive rocks (clay-rich, anhydrite, gypsum and dolomite gouges) typical of crustal seismogenic sources. The available mechanical work and the associated temperature rise in the slipping zone trigger a number of physicochemical processes (gelification, decarbonation and dehydration reactions, melting and so on) whose products are responsible for fault lubrication. The similarity between (1) experimental and natural fault products and (2) mechanical work measures resulting from these laboratory experiments and seismological estimates suggests that it is reasonable to extrapolate experimental data to conditions typical of earthquake nucleation depths (7-15?km). It seems that faults are lubricated during earthquakes, irrespective of the fault rock composition and of the specific weakening mechanism involved.     

A Pluto-like radius and a high albedo for the dwarf planet Eris from an occultation

The dwarf planet Eris is a trans-Neptunian object with an orbital eccentricity of 0.44, an inclination of 44 degrees and a surface composition very similar to that of Pluto. It resides at present at 95.7 astronomical units (1?AU is the Earth-Sun distance) from Earth, near its aphelion and more than three times farther than Pluto. Owing to this great distance, measuring its size or detecting a putative atmosphere is difficult. Here we report the observation of a multi-chord stellar occultation by Eris on 6 November 2010 UT. The event is consistent with a spherical shape for Eris, with radius 1,163?±?6?kilometres, density 2.52?±?0.05 grams per cm(3) and a high visible geometric albedo, Pv = 0.96(+0.09)(-0.04). No nitrogen, argon or methane atmospheres are detected with surface pressure larger than ～1?nanobar, about 10,000 times more tenuous than Pluto's present atmosphere. As Pluto's radius is estimated to be between 1,150 and 1,200 kilometres, Eris appears as a Pluto twin, with a bright surface possibly caused by a collapsed atmosphere, owing to its cold environment. We anticipate that this atmosphere may periodically sublimate as Eris approaches its perihelion, at 37.8 astronomical units from the Sun.     

蔗渣浆纤维模塑装饰建筑材料的制备与性能

以天然蔗渣浆纤维为原料,利用模塑热压工艺复合成形,得到物理性能优良的纤维模塑装饰建筑材料.借助拉伸性能测试、热重分析、FT-IR等研究了影响该材料力学性能的因素.研究表明:该材料的拉伸性能主要受增强剂和阻燃剂添加量,干燥温度、时间和压力的影响;随着阻燃剂添加量的增加,材料的拉伸性能明显降低;最佳干燥温度为160℃,干燥...     

Skin collagen fiber-based radar absorbing materials

By using skin collagen fiber (CF) as raw material,Schiff base structure containing CF (Sa-CF) was synthesized through CF-salicylaldehyde reaction.Then a novel radar absorbing material (Fe-Sa-CF) was prepared by chelating reaction between Sa-CF and Fe 3+.The coaxial transmission and reflection method was used to analyze the complex permittivity and complex magnetic permeability of these CF-based materials,and the radar cross section (RCS) method was used to investigate their radar absorbing properties in the frequency range of 1.0-18.0 GHz.Experimental results indicated that the conductivity of CF increased from initial 1.08×10-11 to 2.86×10-6 S/cm after being transferred into Fe-Sa-CF,and its dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) in the frequency range of 1.0-17.0 GHz also increased.These facts suggest that the Fe-Sa-CF is electric-loss type radar absorbing material.In the frequency range of 3.0-18.0 GHz,Sa-CF (1.0 mm in thickness) exhibited somewhat radar absorbing property with maximum radar reflection loss (RL) of-4.73 dB.As for Fe-Sa-CF,the absorbing bandwidth was broadened,and the absorbing intensity significantly increased in the frequency range of 1.0-18.0 GHz where a maximum radar RL of-9.23 dB was observed.In addition,the radar absorbing intensity of Fe-Sa-CF can be further improved by increasing membrane thickness.When the thickness reached to 2.0 mm,the RL values of Fe-Sa-CF were-15.0-18.0 dB in the frequency range of 7.0-18.0 GHz.Consequently,a kind of novel radar absorbing material can be prepared by chemical modification of collagen fiber,which is characterized by thin thickness,low density,broad absorption bandwidth and high absorption intensity.     

9,10-环二氧-9,10-二(双苯基氧膦)蒽的合成及其晶体结构

化合物[(C14H8O2(PO(C6H5)2)2)]·H2O(Ⅱ)是9,10-二(双苯基膦)蒽(Ⅰ)在苯乙炔汞存在下,以乙腈为溶剂与空气中的氧气反应得到的一个化合物.用x-单晶衍射仪对该化合物的晶体结构进行了表征,结果表明,该化合物属于单斜晶系C2/c空间群,其结构参数为:a=28.908(4)(A),b=11.768...