Atomic-beam alignment of inorganic materials for liquid-crystal displays

The technique used to align liquid crystals-rubbing the surface of a substrate on which a liquid crystal is subsequently deposited-has been perfected by the multibillion-dollar liquid-crystal display industry. However, it is widely recognized that a non-contact alignment technique would be highly desirable for future generations of large, high-resolution liquid-crystal displays. A number of alternative alignment techniques have been reported, but none of these have so far been implemented in large-scale manufacturing. Here, we report a non-contact alignment process, which uses low-energy ion beams impinging at a glancing angle on amorphous inorganic films, such as diamond-like carbon. Using this approach, we have produced both laptop and desktop displays in pilot-line manufacturing, and found that displays of higher quality and reliability could be made at a lower cost than the rubbing technique. The mechanism of alignment is explained by adopting a random network model of atomic arrangement in the inorganic films. Order is induced by exposure to an ion beam because unfavourably oriented rings of atoms are selectively destroyed. The planes of the remaining rings are predominantly parallel to the direction of the ion beam.     

L—山梨糖发酵中的芽孢杆菌噬菌体及抗噬菌体菌株的选育

从济南制药厂L—山梨糖混合发酵液中分离得到四株芽孢杆菌噬菌体,其中一株来自寄主巨大芽孢杆菌,三株来自腊状芽孢杆菌,这些噬菌体都是有尾的,根据形态可分为二类。通过选育获得了几株抗噬菌体菌株,经摇瓶混合发酵试验,表明抗株不但具有稳定的抗性而且保持了原种的性能。     

Genome sequence of Bacillus cereus and comparative analysis with Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus cereus is an opportunistic pathogen causing food poisoning manifested by diarrhoeal or emetic syndromes. It is closely related to the animal and human pathogen Bacillus anthracis and the insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis, the former being used as a biological weapon and the latter as a pesticide. B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis are readily distinguished from B. cereus by the presence of plasmid-borne specific toxins (B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis) and capsule (B. anthracis). But phylogenetic studies based on the analysis of chromosomal genes bring controversial results, and it is unclear whether B. cereus, B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis are varieties of the same species or different species. Here we report the sequencing and analysis of the type strain B. cereus ATCC 14579. The complete genome sequence of B. cereus ATCC 14579 together with the gapped genome of B. anthracis A2012 enables us to perform comparative analysis, and hence to identify the genes that are conserved between B. cereus and B. anthracis, and the genes that are unique for each species. We use the former to clarify the phylogeny of the cereus group, and the latter to determine plasmid-independent species-specific markers.     

Highly effective SNP-based association mapping and management of recessive defects in livestock

The widespread use of elite sires by means of artificial insemination in livestock breeding leads to the frequent emergence of recessive genetic defects, which cause significant economic and animal welfare concerns. Here we show that the availability of genome-wide, high-density SNP panels, combined with the typical structure of livestock populations, markedly accelerates the positional identification of genes and mutations that cause inherited defects. We report the fine-scale mapping of five recessive disorders in cattle and the molecular basis for three of these: congenital muscular dystony (CMD) types 1 and 2 in Belgian Blue cattle and ichthyosis fetalis in Italian Chianina cattle. Identification of these causative mutations has an immediate translation into breeding practice, allowing marker assisted selection against the defects through avoidance of at-risk matings.     

The genome sequence of Atlantic cod reveals a unique immune system

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a large, cold-adapted teleost that sustains long-standing commercial fisheries and incipient aquaculture. Here we present the genome sequence of Atlantic cod, showing evidence for complex thermal adaptations in its haemoglobin gene cluster and an unusual immune architecture compared to other sequenced vertebrates. The genome assembly was obtained exclusively by 454 sequencing of shotgun and paired-end libraries, and automated annotation identified 22,154 genes. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC)?II is a conserved feature of the adaptive immune system of jawed vertebrates, but we show that Atlantic cod has lost the genes for MHC?II, CD4 and invariant chain (Ii) that are essential for the function of this pathway. Nevertheless, Atlantic cod is not exceptionally susceptible to disease under natural conditions. We find a highly expanded number of MHC?I genes and a unique composition of its Toll-like receptor (TLR) families. This indicates how the Atlantic cod immune system has evolved compensatory mechanisms in both adaptive and innate immunity in the absence of MHC?II. These observations affect fundamental assumptions about the evolution of the adaptive immune system and its components in vertebrates.     

石英音叉扫频及性能测试教学科研系统

为了测定石英增强光声光谱气体传感系统的谐振频率与品质因数,同时服务于《高频电子线路》中R-L-C选频电路的教学需求,促进教学与科研的充分融合,设计并实现了一种石英音叉扫频及性能测试系统.首先分析了石英音叉的R-L-C电学模型,采用Matlab软件对模型做了仿真分析.研制了跨阻放大电路,用于放大正弦激励或外加声场作用下的...     

Forecasting the Nikkei spot index with fractional cointegration

We investigate the forecast performance of the fractionally integrated error correction model against several competing models for the prediction of the Nikkei stock average index. The competing models include the martingale model, the vector autoregressive model and the conventional error correction model. We consider models with and without conditional heteroscedasticity. For forecast horizons of over twenty days, the best forecasting performance is obtained for the model when fractional cointegration is combined with conditional heteroscedasticity. Our results reinforce the notion that cointegration and fractional cointegration are important for long‐horizon prediction. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forecasting with preliminary data

This paper examines several methods to forecast revised US trade balance figures by incorporating preliminary data. Two benchmark forecasts are considered: one ignoring the preliminary data and the other applying a combination approach; with the second outperforming the first. Competing models include a bivariate AR error-correction model and a bivariate AR error-correction model with GARCH effects. The forecasts from the latter model outperforms the combination benchmark for the one-step forecast case only. A restricted AR error-correction model with GARCH effects is discovered to provide the best forecasts. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.