Bionics and Structural Biology： A Novel Approach for Bio-energy Production

Cellular metabolism is a very complex process. The biochemical pathways are fundamental structures of biology. These pathways possess a number of regeneration steps which facilitate energy shuttling on a massive scale. This facilitates the biochemical pathways to sustain the energy currency of the cells. This concept has been mimicked using electronic circuit components and it has been used to increase the efficiency of bio-energy generation. Six of the carbohydrate biochemical pathways have been chosen in which glycolysis is the principle pathway. All the six pathways are interrelated and coordinated in a complex manner. Mimic circuits have been designed for all the six biochemical pathways. The components of the metabolic pathways such as enzymes, cofactors etc., are substituted by appropriate electronic circuit components. Enzymes are related to the gain of transistors by the bond dissociation energies of enzyme-substrate molecules under consideration. Cofactors and coenzymes are represented by switches and capacitors respectively. Resistors are used for proper orientation of the circuits. The energy obtained from the current methods employed for the decomposition of organic matter is used to trigger the mimic circuits. A similar energy shuttle is observed in the mimic circuits and the percentage rise for each cycle of circuit functioning is found to be 78.90. The theoretical calculations have been made using a sample of domestic waste weighing 1.182 kg. The calculations arrived at finally speak of the efficiency of the novel methodology employed.     

Acceleration Workspace of Cooperating Multi-Finger Robot Systems

We present a mathematical method for acceleration workspace analysis of cooperating multi-finger robot systems using a model of point-contact with friction. A new unified formulation from dynamic equations of cooperating multi-finger robots is derived considering the force and acceleration relationships between the fingers and the object to be handled. From the dynamic equation, maximum translational and rotational acceleration bounds of an object are calculated under given constraints of contact conditions, configurations of fingers, and bounds on the torques of joint actuators for each finger. Here, the rotational acceleration bounds can be applied as an important manipulability index when the multi-finger robot grasps an object. To verify the proposed method, we used a set of case studies with a simple multi-finger mechanism system. The achievable acceleration boundary in task space can be obtained successfully with the proposed method and the acceleration boundary depends on the configurations of fingers.     

Water Striders:The Biomechanics of Water Locomotion and Functional Morphology of the Hydrophobic Surface(Insecta:Hemiptera-Heteroptera)

Water striders are insects living on the water surface, over which they can move very quickly and rarely get wetted. We measured the force of free walking in water striders, using a hair attached to their backs and a 3D strain gauge. The error was calculated by comparing force and data derived from geometry and was estimated as 13%. Females on average were stronger (1.32 mN) than males (0.87 mN), however, the ratio of force to weight was not significantly different. Compared with other lighter species, Aquarius paludum seems stronger, but the ratio of force to weight is actually lower. A. paludum applies about 0.3 mN·cm-1 to 0.4 mN·cm-1 with its mid-legs, thus avoiding penetrating the surface tension layer while propelling itself rapidly over the water surface.We also investigated the external morphology with SEM. The body is covered by effectively two layers of macro-and micro-hairs, which renders them hydrophobic. The setae are long (40 um-60 um) and stiff, being responsible for waterproofing, and the microtrichia are much smaller (<10 um), slender, and flexible, holding a bubble over the body when submerged.     

新疆苦豆子根瘤菌的数值分类研究

苦豆子(Sophora alopecuroides)对于干旱荒漠地区的畜牧业发展有着非常重要的意义,其生长特性与根瘤菌有密切关系。我们对分离自新疆苦豆子根瘤的67株根瘤菌及36个模式菌株进行了118项表型性状的测定,包括唯一碳源利用、唯一氮源利用、对抗生素和染料的抗性、耐盐性、初始pH值生长范围、生长温度范围及石蕊牛奶反应、氧化酶、过氧化氢酶和脲酶。对测定结果用聚类分析方法进行了分析,获得数值分类树状图。结果表明：新疆苦豆子根瘤菌在碳氮源利用、抗生素敏感性以及对染料的抗性程度等方面存在着差异。新疆苦豆子根瘤菌能耐受低温,并具有较强的耐盐、碱能力,所有供试菌株均能在初始pH值为9－12的YMA培养基上生长,92.5％的菌株能耐受3.0％的NaCl,91.0％的菌株能耐受4.0％的NaCl,有18株菌甚至能耐受5.0％和6.0％的NaCl。聚类结果表明, 在84.8%的相似性水平上,67个供试菌株构成了4个新的表观群,第Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ类群分别有21、7、4、3个菌株,中心菌株分别为NWBC152、NWTKX101、NWYJS12、NWLP112。此外,数值分类结果还表明,苦豆子根瘤菌与模式菌株的相似性较低,它们所形成的4个独立群可能有新种出现。     

聚乙烯醇生物降解研究进展

聚乙烯醇(PVA)是一种在纺织和化工行业中广泛使用的难降解的高分子聚合物。随着人们对纺织工业清洁生产的关注,如何在退浆工艺中就实现对PVA的生物降解、减少PVA废水的排放,并避免化学退浆过程中高温和氧化造成的棉纤维损伤,是近年来纺织生物技术领域的研究热点。由于PVA降解菌种类不多、培养周期长,PVA降解酶酶活不高、提取不容易等原因,使PVA的生化降解研究还局限在PVA降解菌的筛选、PVA降解酶的酶学性质研究等方面,PVA降解酶还未在纺织工业上得到应用。本文综述了近年来国内外在PVA降解菌筛选、PVA降解酶提取及酶学性质、PVA生化降解机理等方面的研究进展,并讨论了PVA生化降解研究中存在的问题及发展方向。     

五株鸽副粘病毒国内分离株F基因片段的克隆与分子特性

鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒病(鸽瘟)是由鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒(Pigeon paramyxivirus-Ⅰ,PPMV-Ⅰ)引起的一种高度接触性传染病,是危害养鸽业的主要疫病之一.     

植物转基因位置依赖性沉默与位置效应

植物基因组能够识别外源基因的出现及所整合的特异位置并产生相应反应,通过分析嘧啶甲基化的信号及模式,比较不同表达水平转基因的整合位点及基因组环境差异,植物转基因位置依赖性沉默和位置效应的机理得到进一步揭示;讨论了位置效应的研究方法和克服策略。     

青藏公路沿线白昼交通运输等人类活动对藏羚羊迁徙的影响

To study effects of traffic during daytime and other human activities, we conducted surveys on the migration of Tibetan antelope Pantholops hodgsoni along the Qinghai-Tibet highway between Kunlun Mountain Pass to Wudaoliang,using line transects (LT) from June to September in 2001 and 2002, Data were collected for 64 days with 17 days in 2001, and 47days in 2002. The Stationary Observation Method (SOM) was also adopted for the investigation of status of the disturbance from traffic when antelopes passing the highway and the traffic situation from August 6 to 28 (6 : 30-19: 00), 4 to 20 (6: 00- 18: 00) and from December 21 to 29 (9：00- 19: 00) in 2002. The results showed that,the period of migration in 2002 was more prolonged than in 2001, and it took at least 45 min for each group to cross the highway, with success ratio of only 30.2 %, and the traffic flow of summer daytime was 76/h, while the winter‘s traffic flow was 29/h. Highway and rail traffic should be managed during daylight hours from June to August, to allow for the migration of the antelopes. Also conservation education and a further survey should be emphasized for the protection on the species [Acta Zoologica Sinica 50 (4) : 669-674, 2004].     

生物多样性与生态系统功能:最新的进展与动向

生物多样性与生态系统功能的关系及其内在机制是当前生态学领域的重大科学问题。 2 0 0 2年以来人们不再过多地纠缠于“抽样 -互补之争” ,对这一世纪课题的认识又有了新的进展。 (1)人们开始运用已有的知识揭示更大时间和空间尺度上的物种多样性 -生态系统功能关系。多样性作用机制可能存在着动态变化———“抽样向互补转型” :群落建立初期 ,抽样效应是主要的多样性作用机制 ;随时间推移 ,生态位互补成为主要机制。理论研究则预测 :局域尺度上生态系统功能与物种多样性呈现单峰曲线关系 ,在区域尺度上为单调上升关系 ;(2 )非生物因素与多样性 -生产力的交互关系吸引了许多实验研究。人们发现 :物种多样性 -生产力关系可能会受到资源供给率和环境扰动的修正 ,环境因素可能是多样性 -生产力关系的幕后操纵者 ;(3)人们开始重视营养级相互作用对于多样性 -生态系统功能关系的影响 ,生态位互补和抽样假说开始被扩展运用到消费者营养级上 ;(4 )人们开始认真思考物种共存机制在多样性 -生态系统功能关系的形成中所扮演的角色。理论模型研究表明 ,不同的物种共存机制会导致不同的多样性 -生产力关系     

华广虻肠道溶纤活性蛋白的纯化和性质(英文)

经过 75 %饱和度硫酸铵沉淀、SephadexG 75凝胶过滤层析、Lys Sepharose 4B亲和层析和电泳制备洗脱 ,从华广虻 (TabanusamaenusWalker)腹部组织匀浆液中分离纯化出分子量约为 6 7KD的溶纤活性蛋白TAFP。经纤维蛋白平板测定表明 ,TAFP不仅具有纤溶酶作用 ,还具有激活纤溶酶原的作用 ;通过三肽生色底物测定发现 ,TAFP能分解纤溶酶原激活剂的生色底物—ChromozymUK及S 2 2 88。还能水解胰蛋白酶专一底物Bz Phe Val Arg NA及CBZ Gly Pro Arg NA ,表明TAFP具有类胰蛋白酶活性 ,专一水解精氨酸形成的酰胺键 (或肽键 )。TAFP无胰凝乳蛋白酶活性