热处理对环境半导体材料β-FeSi2形成的影响

作者对采用非质量分离离子束注入沉积法(IBD)在Si(100)上制备的β-FeSi2薄膜进行了研究,通过X射线衍射(XRD)和扫描电镜(SEM)以及原子力显微镜(AFM)分析表明:当退火温度在600℃和700℃附近时有利于β-FeSi2的形成。     

De novo mutations in the gene encoding STXBP1 (MUNC18-1) cause early infantile epileptic encephalopathy

Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with suppression-burst (EIEE), also known as Ohtahara syndrome, is one of the most severe and earliest forms of epilepsy. Using array-based comparative genomic hybridization, we found a de novo 2.0-Mb microdeletion at 9q33.3-q34.11 in a girl with EIEE. Mutation analysis of candidate genes mapped to the deletion revealed that four unrelated individuals with EIEE had heterozygous missense mutations in the gene encoding syntaxin binding protein 1 (STXBP1). STXBP1 (also known as MUNC18-1) is an evolutionally conserved neuronal Sec1/Munc-18 (SM) protein that is essential in synaptic vesicle release in several species. Circular dichroism melting experiments revealed that a mutant form of the protein was significantly thermolabile compared to wild type. Furthermore, binding of the mutant protein to syntaxin was impaired. These findings suggest that haploinsufficiency of STXBP1 causes EIEE.     

牙鲆贫血症病毒分离株的特性

用CHSE－214细胞，从患贫血症的牙鲆肾脏组织分离出一株病毒。电镜揭示为无囊膜、6面体、粒子直径约60nm；理化特性表明：病毒复制不受IUdR、BVdU的影响，对氯仿、乙醚不敏感性，热（60℃，30min）、酸（pH3．0，3h）中稳定；可被抗IPNV－Sp、Ab和VR－299株血清中和，其中抗Sp株血清的ND50为1:2560;病毒能在5～30℃增殖，最适为15～25℃；在盐度0．8～2．0％的培养液中，生长无明显差别；在16种鲑科和非鲑科鱼类细胞上，15℃培养1～4d出现CPE；感染细胞丫啶橙染色显示为黄绿色；用BirnavirusYAV株引物，PCR检出该病毒。结果提示该病毒株应属dsRNA的Birnavirus。     

Genome sequencing and analysis of Aspergillus oryzae

The genome of Aspergillus oryzae, a fungus important for the production of traditional fermented foods and beverages in Japan, has been sequenced. The ability to secrete large amounts of proteins and the development of a transformation system have facilitated the use of A. oryzae in modern biotechnology. Although both A. oryzae and Aspergillus flavus belong to the section Flavi of the subgenus Circumdati of Aspergillus, A. oryzae, unlike A. flavus, does not produce aflatoxin, and its long history of use in the food industry has proved its safety. Here we show that the 37-megabase (Mb) genome of A. oryzae contains 12,074 genes and is expanded by 7-9 Mb in comparison with the genomes of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Comparison of the three aspergilli species revealed the presence of syntenic blocks and A. oryzae-specific blocks (lacking synteny with A. nidulans and A. fumigatus) in a mosaic manner throughout the genome of A. oryzae. The blocks of A. oryzae-specific sequence are enriched for genes involved in metabolism, particularly those for the synthesis of secondary metabolites. Specific expansion of genes for secretory hydrolytic enzymes, amino acid metabolism and amino acid/sugar uptake transporters supports the idea that A. oryzae is an ideal microorganism for fermentation.     

Haploinsufficiency of NSD1 causes Sotos syndrome

We isolated NSD1 from the 5q35 breakpoint in an individual with Sotos syndrome harboring a chromosomal translocation. We identified 1 nonsense, 3 frameshift and 20 submicroscopic deletion mutations of NSD1 among 42 individuals with sporadic cases of Sotos syndrome. The results indicate that haploinsufficiency of NSD1 is the major cause of Sotos syndrome.     

The medaka draft genome and insights into vertebrate genome evolution

Teleosts comprise more than half of all vertebrate species and have adapted to a variety of marine and freshwater habitats. Their genome evolution and diversification are important subjects for the understanding of vertebrate evolution. Although draft genome sequences of two pufferfishes have been published, analysis of more fish genomes is desirable. Here we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of a small egg-laying freshwater teleost, medaka (Oryzias latipes). Medaka is native to East Asia and an excellent model system for a wide range of biology, including ecotoxicology, carcinogenesis, sex determination and developmental genetics. In the assembled medaka genome (700 megabases), which is less than half of the zebrafish genome, we predicted 20,141 genes, including approximately 2,900 new genes, using 5'-end serial analysis of gene expression tag information. We found single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at an average rate of 3.42% between the two inbred strains derived from two regional populations; this is the highest SNP rate seen in any vertebrate species. Analyses based on the dense SNP information show a strict genetic separation of 4 million years (Myr) between the two populations, and suggest that differential selective pressures acted on specific gene categories. Four-way comparisons with the human, pufferfish (Tetraodon), zebrafish and medaka genomes revealed that eight major interchromosomal rearrangements took place in a remarkably short period of approximately 50 Myr after the whole-genome duplication event in the teleost ancestor and afterwards, intriguingly, the medaka genome preserved its ancestral karyotype for more than 300 Myr.     

聚多氟烷氧基磺酰亚胺锂盐的合成及性能研究

利用HN (SO2 Cl) 2 和不同的含氟二醇 ,合成了 6个新的聚多氟烷氧基磺酰亚胺锂盐 ,并用IR ,1HNMR ,19FNMR等进行了结构表征 .经GPC测定出这些多氟聚合物的重均相对分子质量为 1 2 0 0～ 4 90 0 ,聚合度为n =4～ 9.用DSC研究表明 ,这些聚合物锂盐具有很好的热稳定性 .电化学研究表明 ,它们在有机溶剂中的导电性能和阳极抗氧化性能均十分优越 .     

Pigment chemistry: the red sweat of the hippopotamus

Within a few minutes of perspiration, the colourless, viscous sweat of the hippopotamus gradually turns red, and then brown as the pigment polymerizes. Here we isolate and characterize the pigments responsible for this colour reaction. The unstable red and orange pigments turn out to be non-benzenoid aromatic compounds that are unexpectedly acidic and have antibiotic as well as sunscreen activity.     

Thermodynamics of adsorption and desorption of hydrogen sulfide in micropores of activated carbon

Summary Thermodynamics of adsorption and desorption of hydrogen sulfide in micropores of activated carbon have been studied on the basis of q and S. The values of q and S of adsorption were larger than those of desorption.     

Essential role for TIRAP in activation of the signalling cascade shared by TLR2 and TLR4

Signal transduction through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) originates from their intracellular Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain, which binds to MyD88, a common adaptor protein containing a TIR domain. Although cytokine production is completely abolished in MyD88-deficient mice, some responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), including the induction of interferon-inducible genes and the maturation of dendritic cells, are still observed. Another adaptor, TIRAP (also known as Mal), has been cloned as a molecule that specifically associates with TLR4 and thus may be responsible for the MyD88-independent response. Here we report that LPS-induced splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production are abolished in mice lacking TIRAP. As in MyD88-deficient mice, LPS activation of the nuclear factor NF-kappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinases is induced with delayed kinetics in TIRAP-deficient mice. Expression of interferon-inducible genes and the maturation of dendritic cells is observed in these mice; they also show defective response to TLR2 ligands, but not to stimuli that activate TLR3, TLR7 or TLR9. In contrast to previous suggestions, our results show that TIRAP is not specific to TLR4 signalling and does not participate in the MyD88-independent pathway. Instead, TIRAP has a crucial role in the MyD88-dependent signalling pathway shared by TLR2 and TLR4.