A technique for obtaining replicas of small tubular systems by microinjection of vinyl acetate

A microtechnique has been devised for replicating tubular systems of small organisms. In this case, the reproductive system of a small marine snail was replicated by inserting a micropipette through the gonopore and filling the genital ducts with vinyl acetate from a flow-controlled syringe. Subsequently the tissue was dissolved and the model was photographed. The technique could be adapted to a variety of different systems, particularly small invertebrates such as insects, annelids and molluscs.     

Genetic diversity and hierarchical population structure of a rare autotetraploid plant,Aster kantoensis (Asteraceae)

We sampled 17 populations of a rare autotetraploid Aster kantoensis (Asteraceae) from three river systems located in central Japan, and studied them for allelic variation at 22 enzyme loci. There was no significant correlation between the actual population size and three genetic diversity parameters, suggesting that the effective population size was very small even for the large populations, i.e., even large populations may still have a high probability of being of recent origin and remain influenced by the founder effect. Compared to other autotetraploid species, the total genetic variation of A. kantoensis is small. The number of alleles and gene diversity of a population were not significantly different among the river systems, although the percentage of polymorphic loci was different. Genetic differentiation among river systems was larger than between populations within the river systems, thereby indicating that gene flow between river systems is small, especially between the Kinu River system and Tama or Sagami River systems.     

DNA Binding Properties of the Small Cascade Subunit Csa5

CRISPR-Cas systems provide immunity against viral attacks in archaeal and bacterial cells. Type I systems employ a Cas protein complex termed Cascade, which utilizes small CRISPR RNAs to detect and degrade the exogenic DNA. A small sequence motif, the PAM, marks the foreign substrates. Previously, a recombinant type I-A Cascade complex from the archaeon Thermoproteus tenax was shown to target and degrade DNA in vitro, dependent on a native PAM sequence. Here, we present the biochemical analysis of the small subunit, Csa5, of this Cascade complex. T. tenax Csa5 preferentially bound ssDNA and mutants that showed decreased ssDNA-binding and reduced Cascade-mediated DNA cleavage were identified. Csa5 oligomerization prevented DNA binding. Specific recognition of the PAM sequence was not observed. Phylogenetic analyses identified Csa5 as a universal member of type I-A systems and revealed three distinct groups. A potential role of Csa5 in R-loop stabilization is discussed.     

On foraging,recruitment systems and optimum number of scouts in eusocial colonies

Summary A numerical model of an eusocial colony foraging for food showed that, for each set of values of resource density, resource size and recruitment system employed, a given optimal proportion of scouts in the colony maximize the amount of resources retrieved by a colony during a fixed period. The model predicts that ants using mass recruitment systems should have larger colonies with small foragers, and should forage on large food sources. Retrieval of small food sources by small colonies is best achieved with large workers using individual foraging strategies. For mass foragers, several food sources are best retrieved using democratic decision-making systems in recruitment, whereas for very large food sources at very low mean food patch density, autocratic decision-making systems are optimal. Some of the experimental evidence available is discussed in the light of these findings, as they confirm the prediction that large colonies with small workers have mass recruitment systems, whereas workers of small colonies with large workers are generally lone foragers.     

The application of industrial endoscope to observation of the ocular-fundus in small laboratory animals]

Observation and recording methods of the ocular-fundus in small laboratory animals were studied using the industrial endoscope and VTR systems, respectively. The ocular-fundus was observed widely, brightly and clearly in the usual animal facility. In addition, the ocular-fundus was recorded easily and it was possible to examine the ocular-fundus recorded by the VTR systems.     

Monte Carlo determination of the distribution of ions about a cylindrical polyelectrolyte

We report a calculation of the distribution of small ions around a charged cylinder representing a polyelectrolyte molecule in solution. The Monte Carlo method of Metropolis, Rosenbluth, and Teller was used to avoid the inaccuracies known to be associated with the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The systems examined contained a long polyelectrolyte cylinder with charge parameter, χ, equal to 4.2, corresponding approximately to a DNA molecule. In one model, the cylinder had charges on its axis and an exclusion radius to the center of the small ions equal to 10 Å, while the small ions had various radii in the range from 1 to 10 Å and one or two protonic charges. Various systems were studied; some had one species of small ion alone, others had mixtures of different types. The results showed good agreement with the solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation when only the species with 1-Å radius was present, but considerable discrepancies appeared with larger ions as a result of excluded volume interactions between the latter. Deviations from the Poisson-Boltzmann equation also appeared when both positive and negative small ions were present; the deviations were in the direction of a higher concentration of both counter- and co-ions, but particularly co-ions, close to the polyelectrolyte. In another model, the charges were arranged along two helices on the surface of the cylinder; the resulting radial distribution of small ions was not much different from that found when the charges were situated on the axis. In all cases there was a striking accumulation of counterions in a layer of concentration exceeding 1 mol/L at the surface of the polyion.     

Monte-Carlo-simulations of voltage fluctuations in biological membranes in the case of small numbers of transport units

Some years ago a theory of non-equilibrium voltage fluctuations in biological membranes was developed (Frehland and Solleder 1985, 1986) under a linearisation condition which is valid for a great number of transport units. In order to get an insight into the stochastic behaviour of such systems, consisting of small numbers of transport units, we carried out Monte-Carlo-simulations and compared the mean voltage course and the spectral density with the results of the previous theory. Under parameter conditions of biological relevance no significant differences from the behaviour of systems with large numbers, as predicted from the earlier theory, could be found in the case of rigid pores and ion carriers. However, in the case of small numbers, channels with open-closed-kinetics showed great deviations. With increasing number of transport units agreement with the previous theory was obtained. Offprint requests to: B. Kleutsch     

Repeated small perturbation approach reveals transcriptomic steady states

The study of biological systems dynamics requires elucidation of the transitions of steady states. A "small perturbation" approach can provide important information on the "steady state" of a biological system. In our experiments, small perturbations were generated by applying a series of repeating small doses of ultraviolet radiation to a human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT. The biological response was assessed by monitoring the gene expression profiles using cDNA microarrays. Repeated small doses (10 J/m2) of ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure modulated the expression profiles of two groups of genes in opposite directions. The genes that were up-regulated have functions mainly associated with anti-proliferation/anti-mitogenesis/apoptosis, and the genes that were down-regulated were mainly related to proliferation/mitogenesis/anti-apoptosis. For both groups of genes, repetition of the small doses of UVB caused an immediate response followed by relaxation between successive small perturbations. This cyclic pattern was suppressed when large doses (233 or 582.5 J/m2) of UVB were applied. Our method and results contribute to a foundation for computational systems biology, which implicitly uses the concept of steady state.     

Factors affecting cholesterol monohydrate crystal nucleation time in model systems of supersaturated bile

We explored the influence of several compositional factors considered capable of influencing the nucleation time of model biles supersaturated in cholesterol. In addition to the classical techniques, e.g., electron microscopy and quasielastic light scattering, employed for size measurement and structural assessment, we employed a novel technique, i.e., video-enhanced microscopy, for particle evaluation in these polydisperse systems which often may simultaneously contain isolated small vesicles, their complex aggregates, and small cholesterol monohydrate crystals. The factors we studied included dilution, degree of cholesterol supersaturation, bile salt/lecithin molar ratio, and Ca2+ concentration. Dilution markedly raised the degree of cholesterol saturation, prolonged nucleation time for cholesterol monohydrate crystals, and favored formation of metastable small unilamellar vesicles. Increasing the degree of cholesterol supersaturation as an independent variable in more concentrated systems both shortened the nucleation time and favored spontaneous formation of a relatively small number of isolated vesicles. A decrease in bile salt/lecithin molar ratio within the physiologically relevant range was accompanied by a prolonged nucleation time and favored spontaneous vesicle formation. Large numbers of small unilamellar vesicles were observed even in concentrated model bile solutions (total lipids: 20 g/dl) when the bile salt/lecithin molar ratio was 1.9 or less. At physiological concentrations, Ca2+ promoted nucleation of cholesterol monohydrate crystals only in vesicle-containing solutions. Taken together, the following conclusions can be drawn. First, spontaneous vesicle formation in dilute systems prolongs solid cholesterol crystal nucleation. It can thus provide a supplementary non-micellar mode of cholesterol transport in micellar systems of supersaturated human bile. Second, dilution, degree of cholesterol supersaturation, and a decrease in bile salt/lecithin ratio prolong cholesterol crystal nucleation time and favor spontaneous vesicle formation. With increasing calcium concentrations, opposite effects are observed. Third, the presence of vesicles may help to account for the frequently observed and otherwise unexplained remarkable degree of metastable supersaturation and prolonged metastability (delayed nucleation time) for cholesterol in human bile.     

Examination of novel non-phosphorus-containing phosphotyrosyl mimetics against protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1B and demonstration of differential affinities toward Grb2 SH2 domains

Inhibitory potencies were compared of several mono- and dicarboxy-based pTyr mimetics in Grb2 SH2 domain versus PTP1B assays. Although in both systems pTyr residues provide critical binding elements, significant differences in the manner of recognition exist between the two. This is reflected in the current study, where marked variation in relative potencies was observed between the two systems. Of particular note was the poor potency of all monocarboxy-based pTyr mimetics against PTP1B when incorporated into a hexapeptide platform. The recently reported high PTP1B inhibitory potency of similar phenylphosphate mimicking moieties displayed in small molecule, non-peptide structures, raises questions on the limitations of using peptides as platforms for pTyr mimetics in the discovery of small molecule inhibitors.     

An improved capping unit for stabilizing the ends of associated β-strands

Understanding protein beta structures has been hindered by the challenge of designing small, well-folded β-sheet systems. A β-capping motif was previously designed to help solve this problem, but not without limitations, as the termini of this β-cap were not fully available for chain extension. Combining Coulombic side chain attractions with a Trp/Trp edge-to-face interaction we produced a new capping motif that provided greater β-sheet stability. This stability was maintained even in systems lacking a turn locus with a high propensity for chain direction reversal. The Coulombic cap was shown to improve β-sheet stability in a number of difficult systems, hence providing an additional tool for protein structure and folding studies.     

Collective Motion in a Network of Self-Propelled Agent Systems

Collective motions of animals that move towards the same direction is a conspicuous feature in nature. Such groups of animals are called a self-propelled agent (SPA) systems. Many studies have been focused on the synchronization of isolated SPA systems. In real scenarios, different SPA systems are coupled with each other forming a network of SPA systems. For example, a flock of birds and a school of fish show predator-prey relationships and different groups of birds may compete for food. In this work, we propose a general framework to study the collective motion of coupled self-propelled agent systems. Especially, we study how three different connections between SPA systems: symbiosis, predator-prey, and competition influence the synchronization of the network of SPA systems. We find that a network of SPA systems coupled with symbiosis relationship arrive at a complete synchronization as all its subsystems showing a complete synchronization; a network of SPA systems coupled by predator-prey relationship can not reach a complete synchronization and its subsystems converges to different synchronized directions; and the competitive relationship between SPA systems could increase the synchronization of each SPA systems, while the network of SPA systems coupled by competitive relationships shows an optimal synchronization for small coupling strength, indicating that small competition promotes the synchronization of the entire system.     

Improve the Performance of the All‐Small‐Molecule Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells through Enhancing the Crystallinity of Acceptors

Significant development has been achieved in nonfullerene organic solar cells. However, most of the high‐efficiency nonfullerene systems are composed of polymer donors and fused‐ring acceptors, and only a few small molecule donors can work well. Herein, a new A–D–A small molecule donor named NDTSR with naphtho[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene (NDT) as building blocks is synthesized. Two energy levels well‐matched fused‐ring acceptors ITIC and IDIC are chosen to construct all‐small‐molecule solar cells with NDTSR, respectively. When mixed with IDIC, a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.05% is achieved, which is the highest efficiency for NDT‐based small molecule donor. However, the NDTSR:ITIC system only exhibits a low PCE of 1.77%. The big difference in the performance of these two systems should be attributed to the different morphology and phase separation resulting from the crystallinity and aggregation ability of the acceptors. The results demonstrate that NDT‐based small molecule is a promising candidate donor for all‐small‐molecule systems, while the crystallinity of fused‐ring acceptors is a critical factor for optimizing the phase separation in the active layer.     

Ecological correlates of small mammal community structure in the semi-arid Karoo, South Africa

The understanding of the determinants of small mammal community structure in arid and semiarid ecosystems is of importance, both in the light of the role that small mammals play, and the impact of livestock grazing on the flora of these systems. In a study aimed at identifying these determinants, small mammal assemblages and environmental features were quantified at six localities (a gradient of floristic structure, with constant annual rainfall) across the southern Karoo, South Africa. Stepwise variable regression indicated that small mammal diversity was correlated with plant and rock cover, as well as plant cover and horizontal foliage diversity at intermediate heights (40–60 cm). Initially, small mammal diversity increased with increasing plant cover, but decreased at cover levels greater than 30%. This relationship is similar to that found in other desert systems, although the peak in diversity found here is at higher levels of plant cover than found previously. I suggest that this higher peak may be owing to the lack of reliance on granivory by these animals, which are relatively omnivorous. This model may therefore explain the conflicting reports on the impact of livestock grazing on desert small mammals, with small mammal diversity decreasing with grazing below the peak, and increasing with grazing above the peak.     

Supplementation,stocking rates,and economic performance of lamb production systems in the Mediterranean-type region of Chile

A simulation model was developed and validated to analyze the bioeconomic performance of alternative technologies applied to lamb production systems in the Mediterranean-type rangelands of Central Chile. The model includes consideration of climatic events that affect pasture growth, the nutritive value of the forage on offer, and animal performance as affected by energy and protein intake of directly grazed native pastures and supplements.Model outputs were compared to experimental results and showed excellent agreement in terms of pasture and animal growth. The model was then used to study the bioeconomic consequences of alternative technologies that could improve animal outputs among large commercial-type operations and also in small farms. It was shown that under current price scenarios for inputs and outputs, the only feasible improvement over extant systems was supplementation with modest levels of concentrates, particularly in small farms, and the simulations showed how costs and benefits are modified by lamb prices. A heuristic methodology was developed to search for local economic optima in terms of minimum costs and maximum net income that appears to apply to existing systems better than linear optimization.     

Comparison of the lipid acyl chain dynamics between small and large unilamellar vesicles.

13C NMR spin-lattice relaxation (T1) rates and 13C-1H nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) were measured in an identical fashion in two lipid preparations having dramatically different curvatures. The T1 times that were obtained at four magnetic field strengths were fit along with the NOEs to simple models for lipid molecular dynamics. The results indicate that phospholipid chain ordering and dynamics are virtually identical in small and large unilamellar vesicles at the time scales sampled by these 13C-NMR studies. The order parameters and reorientational correlation times that characterize the amplitudes and rates of internal acyl chain motions were equal within experimental error for the methylene segments in the middle of the chains. The only significant differences in order parameters and correlation times between the two vesicle types were small and appeared at the ends of the acyl chains. At the carbonyl end the order was slightly higher in small vesicles than large vesicles, and at the methyl end the order was slightly lower for small vesicles. This indicates that in the more planar systems the acyl chains exhibit a slightly flatter order profile than in more highly curved membranes. The use of the same experimental approach in both small and large vesicle systems provided a more reliable and accurate assessment of the effect of curvature on molecular order than has been previously obtained.     

Relative contributions of thioltransferase-and thioredoxin-dependent systems in reduction of low-molecular-mass and protein disulphides.

Two enzyme systems capable of reducing disulphide bonds both in low-Mr compounds and in polypeptides and proteins exist. One consists of thioltransferase in combination with reduced glutathione and glutathione reductase, and the second consists of thioredoxin in combination with thioredoxin reductase. Their relative effectiveness in catalysing disulphide reduction of various substrates in rat liver cytosol was evaluated in the present study. The thioltransferase-dependent system was found to be more efficient in reducing small molecules. Insulin was most effectively reduced by the thioredoxin system. Bovine trypsin was a better substrate for thioltransferase, and partially proteolysed bovine serum albumin was equally good for the two systems. Thus, in the case of protein disulphide bonds, the nature of the particular substrate used determines which of the two reducing systems is the more important.     

基于生态能量视角的我国小水电可持续性分析

我国的小水电开发经历了以解决农村地区用电短缺到当前以促进节能减排、清洁能源建设为目的的转变。运用生态能量分析的方法之一——能值分析方法,选取贵州省安龙县红岩二级水电站为案例,对其建设与运行的可持续性进行了系统分析,并与国内外大水电的相关指标进行了平行对比。结果表明:该水电站2010年电力产出的能值转换率为1.03×105sej/J,其可再生性比例为52.01%,在能值产出率、环境负载率和可持续能力等方面的表现均好于大水电。但其能值交换率为0.58,表明2010年水电上网价格偏低。小水电的不稳定运行也使其系统能值指标呈现波动变化,当实际发电量为设计发电量的50%时,水电的能值转换率接近于湄公河上大坝生产水电的能值转换率,可持续性指标的值从6.12急剧降到3.01。系统评估水电资源,作好流域小水电总体开发规划,保证小水电系统稳定运行是提高其可持续性的关键之一。     

Absorption of glutathione from the gastro-intestinal tract

Transport of the peptide glutathione (GSH) has been studied with the rat small intestine in vitro and the human buccal cavity in vivo. Uptake was found to be sodium-independent in both systems. Saturation kinetics were demonstrated and uptake did not require energy in either system. Transport was inhibited by other small peptides. Carrier-mediated facilitated diffusion was postulated as the mode of transport.