Polymerization within a molecular-scale stereoregular template

Enzymes efficiently synthesize biopolymers by organizing monomer units within regularly structured molecular-scale spaces and exploiting weak non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, to control the polymerization process. This 'template' approach is both attractive and challenging for synthetic polymer synthesis, where structurally regulated molecular-scale spaces could in principle provide solid-phase reaction sites for precision polymerization. Previously, free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in solutions containing stereoregular isotactic (it) or syndiotactic (st) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been shown to result in template synthesis of the opposite PMMA based on stereocomplex formation with van der Waals interactions. However, using the structure of a solid to determine the stereochemical structure of a polymer has not been satisfactorily achieved. Here we show that macromolecularly porous ultrathin films, fabricated by a single assembly step, can be used for the highly efficient stereoregular template polymerization of methacrylates through stereocomplex formation. This reaction mould accurately transfers its structural properties of stereoregularity, molecular weight and organization within the template to the new polymer.     

建筑室外风环境数值模拟的湍流模型比较

对日本建筑学会提供的室外无污染物扩散和有污染物扩散的建筑风洞实验模型,采用15种湍流模型分别求解其室外流场,通过模拟结果与风洞实验结果的对比分析,确定建筑室外风环境数值模拟所用的最优湍流模型.结果表明,Suga三次式高Re k-ε模型对风场和浓度场的求解具有很高的精度,是最优的模拟室外风环境的湍流模型,不足之处是该模型的计算时间比标准k-ε模型长.因此,对建筑室外风环境进行CFD数值模拟时,在时间允许的情况下可采用Suga三次式高Re k-ε模型,在计算精度要求不高及计算时间有限的情况下,可采用标准k-ε模型.     

A clonogenic common myeloid progenitor that gives rise to all myeloid lineages

Haematopoietic stem cells give rise to progeny that progressively lose self-renewal capacity and become restricted to one lineage. The points at which haematopoietic stem cell-derived progenitors commit to each of the various lineages remain mostly unknown. We have identified a clonogenic common lymphoid progenitor that can differentiate into T, B and natural killer cells but not myeloid cells. Here we report the prospective identification, purification and characterization, using cell-surface markers and flow cytometry, of a complementary clonogenic common myeloid progenitor that gives rise to all myeloid lineages. Common myeloid progenitors give rise to either megakaryocyte/erythrocyte or granulocyte/macrophage progenitors. Purified progenitors were used to provide a first-pass expression profile of various haematopoiesis-related genes. We propose that the common lymphoid progenitor and common myeloid progenitor populations reflect the earliest branch points between the lymphoid and myeloid lineages, and that the commitment of common myeloid progenitors to either the megakaryocyte/erythrocyte or the granulocyte/macrophage lineages are mutually exclusive events.     

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.     

超临界二甲醚喷雾特性的试验研究

为研究超临界二甲醚的喷雾特性,在定容容器内模拟涡轮增压发动机气缸内的实际环境,使用高速摄像机对超临界二甲醚喷雾的外形轮廓及发展过程进行观察,并将其与跨临界二甲醚喷雾进行对比。结果表明,二甲醚喷雾在发展过程中发生了明显的卷状分裂,并且观察不到二次分裂现象;超临界二甲醚喷雾的外形轮廓及贯穿距离与跨临界喷雾并未有明显差别,但由于超临界二甲醚在涡轮增压环境中的扩散速率更快,因此其喷雾锥角更大,喷雾核心区的长度更短;两种喷射状态下的二甲醚在喷入定容容器后,其喷雾尖端的推进速率都会先急剧增大,然后在达到峰值后又急剧减小,最后在低速段保持相对稳定。     

IkappaB kinase-alpha is critical for interferon-alpha production induced by Toll-like receptors 7 and 9

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) family has important roles in microbial recognition and dendritic cell activation. TLRs 7 and 9 can recognize nucleic acids and trigger signalling cascades that activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells to produce interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) (refs 7, 8). TLR7/9-mediated dendritic cell activation is critical for antiviral immunity but also contributes to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease in which serum IFN-alpha levels are elevated owing to plasmacytoid dendritic cell activation. TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha induction depends on a molecular complex that contains a TLR adaptor, MyD88, and IFN regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) (refs 10-14), but the underlying molecular mechanisms are as yet unknown. Here we show that IkappaB kinase-alpha (IKK-alpha) is critically involved in TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha production. TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha production was severely impaired in IKK-alpha-deficient plasmacytoid dendritic cells, whereas inflammatory cytokine induction was decreased but still occurred. Kinase-deficient IKK-alpha inhibited the ability of MyD88 to activate the Ifna promoter in synergy with IRF-7. Furthermore, IKK-alpha associated with and phosphorylated IRF-7. Our results identify a role for IKK-alpha in TLR7/9 signalling, and highlight IKK-alpha as a potential target for manipulating TLR-induced IFN-alpha production.     

Amebacidal action of cycloserine

Zusammenfassung Endamoeba histolytica wird durch Cycloserin abgetötet. Diese amöbizide Wirkung wird durch Adenin und Guanin teilweise verhindert und durch Adenosin, Guanosin, Adenylsäure, Guanylsäure und 2,6-Diaminopurin vollständig aufgehoben.     

DMY is a Y-specific DM-domain gene required for male development in the medaka fish

Although the sex-determining gene Sry has been identified in mammals, no comparable genes have been found in non-mammalian vertebrates. Here, we used recombinant breakpoint analysis to restrict the sex-determining region in medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) to a 530-kilobase (kb) stretch of the Y chromosome. Deletion analysis of the Y chromosome of a congenic XY female further shortened the region to 250 kb. Shotgun sequencing of this region predicted 27 genes. Three of these genes were expressed during sexual differentiation. However, only the DM-related PG17 was Y specific; we thus named it DMY. Two naturally occurring mutations establish DMY's critical role in male development. The first heritable mutant--a single insertion in exon 3 and the subsequent truncation of DMY--resulted in all XY female offspring. Similarly, the second XY mutant female showed reduced DMY expression with a high proportion of XY female offspring. During normal development, DMY is expressed only in somatic cells of XY gonads. These findings strongly suggest that the sex-specific DMY is required for testicular development and is a prime candidate for the medaka sex-determining gene.