Nesprin interchain associations control nuclear size

Nesprins-1/-2/-3/-4 are nuclear envelope proteins, which connect nuclei to the cytoskeleton. The largest nesprin-1/-2 isoforms (termed giant) tether F-actin through their N-terminal actin binding domain (ABD). Nesprin-3, however, lacks an ABD and associates instead to plectin, which binds intermediate filaments. Nesprins are integrated into the outer nuclear membrane via their C-terminal KASH-domain. Here, we show that nesprin-1/-2 ABDs physically and functionally interact with nesprin-3. Thus, both ends of nesprin-1/-2 giant are integrated at the nuclear surface: via the C-terminal KASH-domain and the N-terminal ABD-nesprin-3 association. Interestingly, nesprin-2 ABD or KASH-domain overexpression leads to increased nuclear areas. Conversely, nesprin-2 mini (contains the ABD and KASH-domain but lacks the massive nesprin-2 giant rod segment) expression yields smaller nuclei. Nuclear shrinkage is further enhanced upon nesprin-3 co-expression or microfilament depolymerization. Our findings suggest that multivariate intermolecular nesprin interactions with the cytoskeleton form a lattice-like filamentous network covering the outer nuclear membrane, which determines nuclear size.     

Simple nanofabrication of a superhydrophobic and transparent biomimetic surface

This paper describes a simple fabrication method for creating superhydrophobic and transparent glass surfaces that mimic natural surfaces such as lotus leaves, moth eyes or cicada wings. Nanostructured glass surfaces were created by a combination of colloidal lithography and plasma etching. A colloidal mask was formed simply by the spin coating of the polystyrene beads and with modification of the interparticle distance between the beads. The etching of the glasses was conducted by CF4 plasma. Tower-shaped nanostructures at an aspect ratio of 1：4 were treated using fluoroalkylsilane selfassembled monolayers （SAMs） to obtain the hydrophobic surfaces. The treated glass surfaces showed superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of around 150° and a hexadecane contact angle of around 110° Furthermore, the nanostructured glass was transparent to visible light.     

Model Similarity and Rank-Order Based Classification of Bayesian Networks

Suppose that we rank-order the conditional probabilities for a group of subjects that are provided from a Bayesian network (BN) model of binary variables. The conditional probability is the probability that a subject has a certain attribute given an outcome of some other variables and the classification is based on the rank-order. Under the condition that the class sizes are equal across the class levels and that all the variables in the model are positively associated with each other, we compared the classification results between models of binary variables which share the same model structure. In the comparison, we used a BN model, called a similar BN model, which was constructed under some rule based on a set of BN models satisfying certain conditions. Simulation results indicate that the agreement level of the classification between a set of BN models and their corresponding similar BN model is considerably high with the exact agreement for about half of the subjects or more and the agreement up to one-class-level difference for about 90% or more.     

Flexible metal-oxide devices made by room-temperature photochemical activation of sol-gel films

Amorphous metal-oxide semiconductors have emerged as potential replacements for organic and silicon materials in thin-film electronics. The high carrier mobility in the amorphous state, and excellent large-area uniformity, have extended their applications to active-matrix electronics, including displays, sensor arrays and X-ray detectors. Moreover, their solution processability and optical transparency have opened new horizons for low-cost printable and transparent electronics on plastic substrates. But metal-oxide formation by the sol-gel route requires an annealing step at relatively high temperature, which has prevented the incorporation of these materials with the polymer substrates used in high-performance flexible electronics. Here we report a general method for forming high-performance and operationally stable metal-oxide semiconductors at room temperature, by deep-ultraviolet photochemical activation of sol-gel films. Deep-ultraviolet irradiation induces efficient condensation and densification of oxide semiconducting films by photochemical activation at low temperature. This photochemical activation is applicable to numerous metal-oxide semiconductors, and the performance (in terms of transistor mobility and operational stability) of thin-film transistors fabricated by this route compares favourably with that of thin-film transistors based on thermally annealed materials. The field-effect mobilities of the photo-activated metal-oxide semiconductors are as high as 14 and 7?cm(2)?V(-1)?s(-1) (with an Al(2)O(3) gate insulator) on glass and polymer substrates, respectively; and seven-stage ring oscillators fabricated on polymer substrates operate with an oscillation frequency of more than 340?kHz, corresponding to a propagation delay of less than 210?nanoseconds per stage.     

含亚甲基桥的新型双核锆配合物的合成及其对乙烯聚合活性研究

新一代第4族茂金属配合物的发展对聚合催化剂的改进产生了深远的影响.茂金属催化体系不仅有高的催化活性,而且可以合成具有靶向特性(如分子量,分子量分布和立体化学)的聚合物[1].第4族控制几何构型催化剂(CGC)是单中心聚合催化剂,在特定条件下可通过乙烯终止及在相邻催化活性中心的再插入链转移反应键入聚合物链合成接枝聚乙烯[2],生成的含少量接枝链的聚乙烯具有优异的材料特性.近年来,大量研究[3～7]表明桥型双核茂金属聚合催化剂不仅具有单核茂金属聚合催化剂的优异性质,而且可由桥配体调节聚合特性.     

Enhanced gravi- and phototropism in plant mdr mutants mislocalizing the auxin efflux protein PIN1

Many aspects of plant growth and development are dependent on the flow of the hormone auxin down the plant from the growing shoot tip where it is synthesized. The direction of auxin transport in stems is believed to result from the basal localization within cells of the PIN1 membrane protein, which controls the efflux of the auxin anion. Mutations in two genes homologous to those encoding the P-glycoprotein ABC transporters that are especially abundant in multidrug-resistant tumour cells in animals were recently shown to block polar auxin transport in the hypocotyls of Arabidopsis seedlings. Here we show that the mdr mutants display faster and greater gravitropism and enhanced phototropism instead of the impaired curvature development expected in mutants lacking polar auxin transport. We find that these phenotypes result from a disruption of the normal accumulation of PIN1 protein along the basal end of hypocotyl cells associated with basipetal auxin flow. Lateral auxin conductance becomes relatively larger as a result, enhancing the growth differentials responsible for tropic responses.