Effects of the rare earth ions on bone resorbing function of rabbit mature osteoclasts<Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

The osteoclast plays initiating and vanguard roles in the course of bone remodeling. The resorption and formation of bone is the basic clues of bone remodeling, which results from the mutual dependent functions of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. When the osteoclasts are activated, the bone resorption function is increased. The excess bone resorption leads to osteoporosis, characterized by formation of many hollows, lacunae and tunnels on the bone surface or in depth[1,2]. The differentiation, pro…     

Transgene for growth hormone in common carp（Cyprinus carpio L.） promotes thymus development

The transgenic carp were produced by micro-injection of CAgcGHc into the fertilized eggs. Observation of the thymus development between the transgenics and non- transgenic controls was carried out. The thymus of one-year- old transgenics F1 showed a great increase in both size and weight. The unilateral thymus of the transgenics weighed from 190 to 295 mg with average 218.6 mg, whereas the uni-lateral thymus of the controls weighed 20—81 mg with av-erage 42.5 mg; i.e. the thymus weight in the transgenics was 5.14 fold over that in the controls. The index of thymus/body weight in the transgenics was 2.97 fold over the controls. Light microscopy observation indicated that the thymus of the transgenics well developed with the thickened outer re-gion and compactly arranged thymocytes, while the thymus in the controls were degenerating with the thinned outer region, scattered thymocytes and groups of fatty cells. Fur-ther analysis with the electron microscopy revealed that pro-liferous cells in the transgenics were mainly small lympho-cytes and no pathological changes were found. The results confirmed that the 揂ll-fish?GH-transgene promotes thy-mus development and thymocyte proliferation, and retards thymus degeneration. The study has laid a foundation for further analysis of the immunobiological function in GH- transgenic carp.     

Formation mechanism of ferromagnetic minerals in loess of China： TEM investigation

The results of TEM investigation indicate that magnetite and maghemite are the major ferromagnetic minerals in loess-paleosol sequences. Primary magnetite has the similar morphology and surface characteristics as eolian detrital particles. The magnetite can be classified into two categories, high-titaninm and low-titanium, which may be the indicators of magmatic rocks and metamorphic rocks,respectively. TEM investigation at nanometer scale shows that primary detrital magnetite of micron scale had been partially weathered to magnetite of 5-20 nanometer during the pedogenic process, which maintain the pseudomorphism of the aeolian debris. Some chlorite particles were also weathered to nanometer scale magnetite or maghemite in the pedogenic process. So weathering of the two minerals leads to formation of superparamagnetism, which may be the important mechanism of magnelic-susceptibnlty increase in paleosols. The mgnelite or maghhemite resulting from the weathering of chlorite contains a small amount of P and S,which is the signal of microbe-mineral interaction, and indicates that microbes may play a certain role in chlorite weathering and formation of Superparamagnetic particles.     

Determination of U-Pb age and rare earth element concentrations of zircons from Cenozoic intrusions in northeastern China by laser ablation ICP-MS

Using the in situ zircon U-Pb dating method of LA-ICPMS, we analyzed the 31 Ma old SHRIMP U-Pb age of the Yongsheng nepheline syenite from southern Jilin Province under different spot sizes. The obtained ages are comparable with that of SHRIMP in both accuracy and precision. The age is also identical to that of the Yinmawanshan gabbro from the Liaodong Peninsula within error. Both the Yongsheng nepheline syenite and the Yinmawanshan gabbro represent the youngest known exposed intrusions in northeastern and even eastern China. The results indicate the Eocene mantle-derived magmatic underplating, and the rapid crustal uplifting of this region since 30 Ma. The analyses also document extremely high LREE concentrations and relatively fiat REE patterns for the zircons from the Yongsheng nepheline syenite, which represent a new type of zircon REE pattern.     

Rearrangement mechanism of the sodium adducts of Fmoc protected amino acids

The cationized 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) protected amino acids were analyzed by the electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). A rearrangement reaction leading to the C-terminal hydroxyl group transfer was observed. The sodium adducts of Fmoc-OH was formed. A possible rearrangement mechanism was proposed. The rearrangement reaction depended on the Fmoc group, metal ions and metal ion radius. It was shown that the Fmoc group has a strong affinity to the hydroxyl group in the gas phase.     

Progress and perspective of the kinetochore-associated motor proteins

The kinetochore is structurally composed of four layers,We know that three microtubule-based motor protcins such as CENP-E,dynein,and MCAK are located at the outmost region of the kinctochore,Experimentation of these motot functions betters our understanding of mitotic regulation,and chromaosme movements in particular,With real-time studies of chromosome movements in live cells,we hope to illustrate the molecular mechanisms under lying mitotic regulation.     

Population dynamics and spatial distribution of microbial species in multispecies biofilms under the action of direct electric current

The metabolism, population dynamics and spatial distribution of nitrifying bacteria and heterotrophs in biofilms under the action of direct electric current were investigated by using the micro-slicing technique. The nitrification rate of nitrifying bacteria was severely inhibited by a current over 10 Am^-2 at lower C/N ratios. Compared to heterotrophs, the nitrifying bacteria in the surface biofilms were severely inhibited, resulting in a significant decrease in bacterial density. An increase in current density narrowed the less current-sensitive inner biofilm region, and in addition the density of NO2-oxidizers decreased more significantly than that of NH4-oxidizers in the surface biofilms probably due to electrochemical reactions at the anode. However, the effect of current on both the population dynamics and the spatial distribution of the microbial species was less significant at larger C/N ratios.     

Covalent immobilization of oligoDNA on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles and surface-enhanced Raman scattering study

The DNA magnetic nanoparticles are potentially useful in isolating and purifying DNA or RNA, directing-target-medicines, the development of DNA biosensors and biochips. Surface functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with monodispersed shape and size were prepared by coating nano-sized γ-Fe2O3 with silica in reverse microemuision, and then thioi-compounds were immobilized onto the magnetic nanoparticles. After immobilizing oligoDNA modified with thioi-disuifide on the surface of the fictionalized magnetic nanoparticles, we obtained DNA-magnetic nanoparticles.The efficiency of the single-linking probes loading at the surfaces of magnetic nanoparticles was examined via hybridization experiment. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering methods were also effectively applied to observing the immobilization and hybridization processes mentioned above.The results demonstrated oligoDNA being availably connected to the surface of the magnetic nanoparticles.     

Interaction between PⅡ and NifA in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7

The interaction between PⅡ and NifA in A.brasilense Sp7 was investigated by using the yeast two-hybrid system.Our experimental results showed that PⅡ directly interacted with the entire NifA protein and its N-terminal domain,but did not interact with the central domin and the C-terminal domain of NifA.No interaction happened if glnB coding for PⅡ was frame-shift mutated.Pz,a homolog of PⅡ,had no interation with NifA.     

Surface characteristics of modified carbon nanotubes and its application in lead adsorption from aqueous solution

Carbon nanotubes(CNT) were modified by nitric acid oxidation.Infrared spectroscopy(IR) demonstrated that hydroxyl(-OH) and carbonyl(-C=O)functional groups were introduced to the surface of modified CNT.Micrometrics ASAP 2000 measurement showed that the surface area of modified CNT was slightly increased.Furthermore,the Pb^2 adsorption behavior on the surface of modified CNT has been investigated.The results indicate that the modified CNT has an exceptional adsorption capability for Pb^2 removal.The adsorption isotherms are well described by the Langmuir equation under test temperatures and the kinetics level is three.