Desulfurization of model and diesel oils by resting cells of Gordona sp.

The desulfurization activity of the resting cells of Gordona sp. CYKS1 was strongly depended on harvest time and the highest value when the cells had been harvested in the early growth phase (0.12 mg sulfur g^–1 cell^–1 h^–1). For the model oil, hexadecane containing dibenzothiophene, the specific desulfurization rate decreased as the reaction proceeded. Both the specific and the volumetric desulfurization rates were not significantly affected by the aqueous-to-oil phase ratio. The diesel oils, light gas oil and a middle distillate unit feed were desulfurized at higher rates (ca. 0.34 mg sulfur g^–1 cell^–1 h^–1) than the model oil (0.12 mg sulfur g^–1 cell^–1 h^–1).     

Upper limb kinematical analysis of an elite weight lifter in the squat snatch

The kinematical parameters such as translational acceleration and angular acceleration in the upper limb of a weightlifter may change regularly during different phases of squat snatch. This study aims to make this question clear. At first, the joint coordinate system (JCS) of human upper limb based on the anatomical landmarks is defined. Then a novel method for calculating the kinematical parameters was brought forward, which was based on analyzing the relative position of the JCS to world coordinate system during an instantaneous situation and the relationship among each JCS at different times during squat snatch. Motion capture system is used to gather the data of the upper limb in an elite weightlifter during squat snatch (the mass of the barbell is 20 kg) and the method mentioned before is applied to analyze the data. Finally, the law of the change of kinematical parameters in each phase of squat snatch is found.     

Effects of hyperthermia and photodynamic therapy on BALB/c mice bearing subcutaneous tumors

The therapeutic effects of photodynamic therapy and hyperthermia on mice bearing subcutaneous tumors were investigated. Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (1 x 10(7)) were implanted subcutaneously into the femoral area of BALB/c mice. A total of 134 tumor-bearing mice were treated with photodynamic therapy, i.e., administration of laser irradiation (514.5 nm, 112.5 mW/cm2 for 11.12 min with a total energy 75 J/cm2) after injection (i.p.) of hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD, 7.5 and 10.0 mg/kg body weight) and/or hyperthermia (by electric heating needles to 44 and 45 degrees C for 30 min) once a day for three successive days. The results revealed that the therapeutic effects of the combination of photodynamic therapy and hyperthermia were improved when compared with photodynamic therapy or hyperthermia alone. A combination of photodynamic therapy (10.0 mg HPD/kg body weight and 75 J/cm2 of total laser irradiation energy) and hyperthermia (44 degrees C for 30 min) had the best therapeutic effect, indicating that the mortality rate within 120 days (MR120) was 12.5% and the mean survival time (MST120) was 113.8 days.     

Evolution of the thaumastocheliform lobsters (Crustacea,Decapoda, Nephropidae)

Deep‐sea lobsters previously assigned to the family Thaumastochelidae Bate, 1888, the thaumastocheliforms, have very distinctive, greatly unequal first chelipeds, with the right side extremely elongate and pectinate, and in having short, quadrate pleonal pleura. Despite interesting morphology and a long taxonomic history, the phylogeny of the group has received little detailed analysis. Here, we conduct a species‐level phylogenetic analysis of the thaumastocheliforms based on morphological and molecular data (three mitochondrial genes: COI, 16S rDNA and 12S rDNA; two nuclear protein‐coding genes: H3 and NaK) to robustly reconstruct their evolutionary history and estimate divergence times. Separate and combined analyses of all data sources support thaumastocheliform monophyly, but as a clade deeply nested within the Nephropidae supporting recent synonymy of Thaumastochelidae with Nephropidae. Combined and molecular‐only analyses support generic monophyly of all three thaumastocheliform genera and Dinochelus as sister to Thaumastochelopsis, fully corroborating the current, morphology‐based taxonomy. In contrast, Thaumastocheles is recovered as paraphyletic in morphology‐only analyses owing to minimal character support. The Cretaceous–Paleogene Oncopareia was recovered as a stem‐lineage thaumastocheliform. The fossil record indicates that the thaumastocheliforms once lived in shallow, continental shelf depths, but moved into deeper water in the Cenozoic where they occur today. The thaumastocheliforms originated in northern Europe during the Mid‐Late Cretaceous and later dispersed westwards to the south‐eastern Pacific through the western Atlantic and eastwards to the western Pacific through the Indian Ocean. Thaumastochelopsis can be considered the most derived thaumastocheliform genus based on the degree of structural reduction relative to other thaumastocheliforms, its remote geographical occurrence (Australia) from the hypothesised place of origin (northern Europe) and its more recent estimated divergence than other genera (28 Mya for the MRCA of extant species of the genus).     

Patent Deployment Strategies and Patent Value in LED Industry

This study applies two variables in the measurement of company patent deployment strategies: patent family depth and earn plan ratio. Patent family depth represents the degree to which certain fields and markets are valued by the patent owner. Earn plan ratio defined as the ratio of the number of patent forward citations to patent family size. Earn plan ratio indicates the degree to which a patent family could be cited by later innovators and competitors. This study applies a logistic regression model in the analysis LED industry data. The results demonstrate that patent value has a positive relationship with the patent family depth, and earn plan ratio.     

The activation of the decapping enzyme DCP2 by DCP1 occurs on the EDC4 scaffold and involves a conserved loop in DCP1

The removal of the 5′-cap structure by the decapping enzyme DCP2 and its coactivator DCP1 shuts down translation and exposes the mRNA to 5′-to-3′ exonucleolytic degradation by XRN1. Although yeast DCP1 and DCP2 directly interact, an additional factor, EDC4, promotes DCP1–DCP2 association in metazoan. Here, we elucidate how the human proteins interact to assemble an active decapping complex and how decapped mRNAs are handed over to XRN1. We show that EDC4 serves as a scaffold for complex assembly, providing binding sites for DCP1, DCP2 and XRN1. DCP2 and XRN1 bind simultaneously to the EDC4 C-terminal domain through short linear motifs (SLiMs). Additionally, DCP1 and DCP2 form direct but weak interactions that are facilitated by EDC4. Mutational and functional studies indicate that the docking of DCP1 and DCP2 on the EDC4 scaffold is a critical step for mRNA decapping in vivo. They also revealed a crucial role for a conserved asparagine–arginine containing loop (the NR-loop) in the DCP1 EVH1 domain in DCP2 activation. Our data indicate that DCP2 activation by DCP1 occurs preferentially on the EDC4 scaffold, which may serve to couple DCP2 activation by DCP1 with 5′-to-3′ mRNA degradation by XRN1 in human cells.     

The palindromic series I repeats in the simian cytomegalovirus major immediate-early promoter behave as both strong basal enhancers and cyclic AMP response elements.

A 600-base-pair (bp) enhancer region upstream from the major IE94 gene of simian cytomegalovirus (SCMV) produces very strong basal expression of associated gene products. This domain consists of multiple sets of interspersed repetitive elements, including 11 copies of a conserved 16-bp palindromic sequence with the consensus CCATTGACGTCAATGG. These series I repeats contain an 8-bp core TGACGTCA that resembles the cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element (CRE) of cellular genes. In transient chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays in K562 human erythroleukemia cells, a set of deleted variants of the IE94 promoter all responded up to 15-fold to induction by cAMP. However, successive removal of most of the SCMV 16-bp motifs reduced basal expression over 20-fold. The cAMP stimulation was also manifested at the steady-state RNA level after SCMV infection of K562 cells and was detectable within 1.5 h after treatment of DNA-transfected cells. Addition of a single 30-bp oligonucleotide encompassing the 16-bp palindrome conveyed up to 10-fold cAMP responsiveness onto a heterologous weak promoter but had no effect on basal expression. In contrast, two or more adjacent copies produced 20- to 40-fold increases in basal expression and provided greater than 200-fold activation in the presence of cAMP. Similar effects were obtained when the oligonucleotides were placed in a downstream location relative to the reporter gene. Studies with mutant oligonucleotides revealed that both the core CRE and the flanking sequence portions of the 16-bp elements were essential for enhancer function. Both components were also important for maximum cAMP responsiveness. Band shift assays with fractionated nuclear extracts from Raji lymphocytes revealed multiple competable complexes with cellular DNA-binding factors that recognized the series I elements. Three distinct CREB-like factors were detected that required only the core 8-bp elements for binding. We conclude that the 16-bp series I repeats provide a major contribution to the constitutive enhancer properties of the IE94 promoter and also act as functional CREs. The cAMP response properties appear likely to play a key role in reactivation of the virus from a latent state in appropriately differentiating cell types.