Enhancements of energetic particles near the heliospheric termination shock

The spacecraft Voyager 1 is at a distance greater than 85 au from the Sun, in the vicinity of the termination shock that marks the abrupt slowing of the supersonic solar wind and the beginning of the extended and unexplored distant heliosphere. This shock is expected to accelerate 'anomalous cosmic rays', as well as to re-accelerate Galactic cosmic rays and low-energy particles from the inner Solar System. Here we report a significant increase in the numbers of energetic ions and electrons that persisted for seven months beginning in mid-2002. This increase differs from any previously observed in that there was a simultaneous increase in Galactic cosmic ray ions and electrons, anomalous cosmic rays and low-energy ions. The low-intensity level and spectral energy distribution of the anomalous cosmic rays, however, indicates that Voyager 1 still has not reached the termination shock. Rather, the observed increase is an expected precursor event. We argue that the radial anisotropy of the cosmic rays is expected to be small in the foreshock region, as is observed.     

表面等离激元共振成像技术在识别和确认诱导多能干细胞生物标记中的应用(英文)

诱导多能干细胞(i PSCs)是再生医学领域,尤其是细胞治疗和药物筛选研究中非常有吸引力的细胞来源.然而,再生医学需要对i PSCs进行快速、精准鉴别.在本研究中,我们开发了针对多能性生物标记物的抗体阵列,分别以胚胎干细胞(ESCs)和鼠成纤维细胞(MEF)裂解液作为阳性和阴性对照,应用快速且无需标记的表面等离激元共振成像(SPRi)技术对i PSCs裂解液中的多种抗原进行检测.每一种抗体都与i PSC裂解液中相应的抗原显示出特异性识别.这一结果表明,SPRi技术适合于检测i PSCs裂解液中的多种抗原,并具有通用性,利用SPRi技术可以用于对干细胞裂解液中生物标志物的高通量鉴别分析.     

基质组成对MgO-Al2O3质浇注料性能的影响

研究基质组成对MgO-Al2O3质浇注料热震稳定性和抗渣性能的影响.结果表明,随着α-Al2O3含量的增加,MgO-Al2O3质浇注料1600℃×3 h抗折强度逐渐降低,α-Al2O3质量分数大于15%后抗折强度明显增大;α-Al2O3加入量为10%～15%时浇注料具有最佳的热震稳定性;随着α-Al2O3含量的增加,浇注料渗透指数明显减小,侵蚀指数逐渐增大.MgO-Al2O3质浇注料的性能主要与基质的组成和显微结构相关.     

Ubiquitin-dependent regulation of COPII coat size and function

Packaging of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum into COPII vesicles is essential for secretion. In cells, most COPII vesicles are approximately 60-80?nm in diameter, yet some must increase their size to accommodate 300-400?nm procollagen fibres or chylomicrons. Impaired COPII function results in collagen deposition defects, cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia, or chylomicron retention disease, but mechanisms to enlarge COPII coats have remained elusive. Here, we identified the ubiquitin ligase CUL3-KLHL12 as a regulator of COPII coat formation. CUL3-KLHL12 catalyses the monoubiquitylation of the COPII-component SEC31 and drives the assembly of large COPII coats. As a result, ubiquitylation by CUL3-KLHL12 is essential for collagen export, yet less important for the transport of small cargo. We conclude that monoubiquitylation controls the size and function of a vesicle coat.     

An asymmetric solar wind termination shock

Voyager 2 crossed the solar wind termination shock at 83.7 au in the southern hemisphere, approximately 10 au closer to the Sun than found by Voyager 1 in the north. This asymmetry could indicate an asymmetric pressure from an interstellar magnetic field, from transient-induced shock motion, or from the solar wind dynamic pressure. Here we report that the intensity of 4-5 MeV protons accelerated by the shock near Voyager 2 was three times that observed concurrently by Voyager 1, indicating differences in the shock at the two locations. (Companion papers report on the plasma, magnetic field, plasma-wave and lower energy particle observations at the shock.) Voyager 2 did not find the source of anomalous cosmic rays at the shock, suggesting that the source is elsewhere on the shock or in the heliosheath. The small intensity gradient of Galactic cosmic ray helium indicates that either the gradient is further out in the heliosheath or the local interstellar Galactic cosmic ray intensity is lower than expected.     

Use of griseofulvin for the isolation of auxotrophic mutants ofRhodotorula sp.

Zusammenfassung Nach Vorbehandlung von Hefezellen mit Griseofulvin (selektive Eliminierung von Prototrophen) zu nachfolgender UV-Behandlung und Induktion von Mutanten, haben die bestrahlten Zellen der überlebendenRhodotorula-Population fünfmal mehr Auxotrophe als die Kontrollen ohne das Antibiotikum.     

Sleep in Drosophila is regulated by adult mushroom bodies

Sleep is one of the few major whole-organ phenomena for which no function and no underlying mechanism have been conclusively demonstrated. Sleep could result from global changes in the brain during wakefulness or it could be regulated by specific loci that recruit the rest of the brain into the electrical and metabolic states characteristic of sleep. Here we address this issue by exploiting the genetic tractability of the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, which exhibits the hallmarks of vertebrate sleep. We show that large changes in sleep are achieved by spatial and temporal enhancement of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity specifically in the adult mushroom bodies of Drosophila. Other manipulations of the mushroom bodies, such as electrical silencing, increasing excitation or ablation, also alter sleep. These results link sleep regulation to an anatomical locus known to be involved in learning and memory.