Recent Progress in the Development of Anode Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The field of research into solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode materials has been rapidly moving forward. In the four years since the last in‐depth review significant advancements have been made in the reduction of the operating temperature and improvement of the performance of SOFCs. This progress report examines the developments in the field and looks to draw conclusions and inspiration from this research. A brief introduction is given to the field, followed by an overview of the principal previous materials. A detailed analysis of the developments of the last 4 years is given using a selection of the available literature, concentrating on metal‐fluorite cermets and perovskite‐based materials. This is followed by a consideration of alternate fuels for use in SOFCs and their associated problems and a short discussion on the effect of synthesis method on anode performance. The concluding remarks compile the significant developments in the field along with a consideration of the promise of future research. The recent progress in the development of anode materials for SOFCs based on oxygen ion conducting electrolytes is reviewed.     

蛋白质组技术进展

蛋白质组研究是近年兴起的生命科学的前沿领域,是生命科学进入后基因组时代的标志之一。蛋白质组研究中的主要技术是双向凝胶电泳技术和质谱技术。本文简要综述了双向凝胶电泳和质谱技术的现状及存在的问题。     

血红素加氧酶系统研究现状

血红素加氧酶(HO)是降解血红素的微粒体酶系统,目前已确定的有3种同工酶,它们降解血红素生成一氧化碳(CO)和胆绿素,并释放出铁离子.这3种产物都有重要的生物学意义.为了探讨血红素加氧酶系统的调节机制,就这种机制及3种重要产物的功能作一综述.     

Analysis of radicals and radical reaction products in cell signalling and biomolecular damage: the long hard road to gold-standard measures

The field of free radical biology and medicine continues to move at a tremendous pace, with a constant flow of ground-breaking discoveries. The following collection of papers in this issue of Biochemical Society Transactions highlights several key areas of topical interest, including the crucial role of validated measurements of radicals and reactive oxygen species in underpinning nearly all research in the field, the important advances being made as a result of the overlap of free radical research with the reinvigorated field of lipidomics (driven in part by innovations in MS-based analysis), the acceleration of new insights into the role of oxidative protein modifications (particularly to cysteine residues) in modulating cell signalling, and the effects of free radicals on the functions of mitochondria, extracellular matrix and the immune system. In the present article, we provide a brief overview of these research areas, but, throughout this discussion, it must be remembered that it is the availability of reliable analytical methodologies that will be a key factor in facilitating continuing developments in this exciting research area.     

Crystal ball – 2011

In this feature, leading researchers in the field of microbial biotechnology speculate on the technical and conceptual developments that will drive innovative research and open new vistas over the next few years.     

Structure of complex viruses and virus-infected cells by electron cryo tomography

In microbiology, and in particular in virus research, electron microscopy (EM) is an important tool, offering a broad approach for investigating viral structure throughout their intracellular and extracellular life cycles. Currently, molecular tools and rapid developments in advanced light microscopy dominate the field and supply an enormous amount of information concerning virus biology. In recent years, numerous fascinating high-resolution EM structures obtained by single-particle electron cryo microscopy (cryo-EM) were revealed for viral particles that possess icosahedral symmetry. However, no comprehensive three-dimensional analysis of complex viruses or viruses within cells has yet been achieved using EM. Recent developments in electron cryo-tomography render this a proficient tool for the analysis of complex viruses and viruses within cells in greater detail.     

Vitamin D deficiency in undifferentiated connective tissue disease

Osteoporosis and disorders of bone fragility are highly heritable, but despite much effort the identities of few of the genes involved has been established. Recent developments in genetics such as genome-wide association studies are revolutionizing research in this field, and it is likely that further contributions will be made through application of next-generation sequencing technologies, analysis of copy number variation polymorphisms, and high-throughput mouse mutagenesis programs. This article outlines what we know about osteoporosis genetics to date and the probable future directions of research in this field.     

Biofiltration for treating VOCs: an overview

In this paper we present a review of Biofiltration, one of the air pollution control technologies (APCT) used to treat volatile organic compounds (VOCs) effectively. It also talks about the history of biofiltration, and also proposes few ideas for the future developments in the biofiltration research pertaining to VOC control. Moreover, the paper also discusses about various important physical, chemical and biological factors which affect the performance of a biofilter both directly and indirectly. This paper will be handier for those who are new to the field of biofiltration research for VOC treatment.     

Genetic studies in osteoporosis--the end of the beginning

Osteoporosis and disorders of bone fragility are highly heritable, but despite much effort the identities of few of the genes involved has been established. Recent developments in genetics such as genome-wide association studies are revolutionizing research in this field, and it is likely that further contributions will be made through application of next-generation sequencing technologies, analysis of copy number variation polymorphisms, and high-throughput mouse mutagenesis programs. This article outlines what we know about osteoporosis genetics to date and the probable future directions of research in this field.     

Early Recreation Ecology Research in Europe – Disciplinary development and review of German-language research results

Recreation ecology, as a scientific field, has a long tradition in North America and the United Kingdom. In contrast, research conducted in the German-speaking areas of Europe (i.e. Germany, Austria and Switzerland) has, until now, gained no wide-spread attention within the international scientific community. This is primarily due to the language barrier.An extensive search of the literature published in German prior to 1980, is the basis for a systematic review of recreation ecology. Building upon this review, this paper outlines the formation of recreation ecology as a research field in German-speaking Europe. This formation corresponds with developments in other parts of the world. The conclusion discusses the potential for the advancement of recreation ecology research in Central Europe. These include the development of specific impact parameters and the focus on characteristic European ecosystem types.     

Luminescence nanomaterials for biosensing applications

Due to their capacity to immobilize more bioreceptor parts at reduced volumes, nanomaterials have emerged as potential tools for increasing the sensitivity to specific molecules. Furthermore, carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles, polymer nanoparticles, semiconductor quantum dots, nanodiamonds, and graphene are among the nanomaterials that are under investigation. Due to the fast development of this field of research, this review summarizes the classification of biosensors using the main receptors and design of biosensors. Numerous studies have concentrated on the manipulation of persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) in biosensing, cell tracking, bioimaging, and cancer therapy due to the effective removal of autofluorescence interference from tissues and the ultra-long near-infrared afterglow emission. As luminescence has a unique optical property, it can be detected without constant external illumination, preventing autofluorescence and light dispersion through tissues. These successes have sparked an increasing interest in creating novel PLNP types with the desired superior properties and multiple applications. In this review, we emphasize the most recent developments in biosensing, imaging, and image-guided therapy whilst summarizing the research on synthesis methods, bioapplications, biomembrane modification, and the biosafety of PLNPs. Finally, the remaining issues and difficulties are examined together with prospective future developments in the biomedical application field.     

Recent advances in DNA-mediated gene transfer of Entamoeba histolytica

During the past few years, the introduction of DNA-mediated gene transfer into parasite research has permitted subtle studies on fundamental aspects of parasite biology. In this paper, Egbert Tannich describes the recent breakthrough of successful Entamoeba histolytica transfection, and the subsequent developments in this field.     

鹿科麂属动物基因组演化研究进展

鹿科麂属(Muntiacus, Cervidae)在近两三百万年内经历了快速物种辐射, 但其物种间核型差异巨大. 5个现生种核型数据显示, 该类群染色体数目范围从小麂(Muntiacus reevesi)的46条到赤麂(M. muntjak vaginalis)的6条. 该类群的基因组在较短时间内发生了快速演化, 使其成为进化生物学研究的理想材料. 40多年来, 技术的革新使该领域的研究不断深入, 染色体重排的类型、推动重排的分子机制及物种间的核型演化历程逐渐被阐释. 而且, 研究中发现, 雄性黑麂(M. crinifrons)1p+4染色体的演化途径与哺乳动物Y染色体的演化历程相似, 可成为哺乳动物性染色体演化研究的珍贵模型. 有关麂属动物基因组演化依然有许多问题等待更加全面、深入的探讨. 本文总结了该领域研究进展, 并对未来研究热点进行了展望.     

Proteomics in uveal melanoma research: opportunities and challenges in biomarker discovery

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most frequent primary intraocular tumor in adult humans. Despite the significant advances in diagnosis and treatment of UM in the last decades, the prognosis of UM sufferers is still poor. Metastatic liver disease is the leading cause of death in UM and can develop after a long disease-free interval, suggesting the presence of occult micrometastasis. Proteomics technology has opened new opportunities for elucidating the molecular mechanism of complex diseases, such as cancer. This article will review the recent developments in biomarker discovery for UM research by proteomics. In the last few years, the first UM proteomics-based analyses have been launched, yielding promising results. An update on recent developments on this field is presented.     

Proteomics in uveal melanoma research: opportunities and challenges in biomarker discovery

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most frequent primary intraocular tumor in adult humans. Despite the significant advances in diagnosis and treatment of UM in the last decades, the prognosis of UM sufferers is still poor. Metastatic liver disease is the leading cause of death in UM and can develop after a long disease-free interval, suggesting the presence of occult micrometastasis. Proteomics technology has opened new opportunities for elucidating the molecular mechanism of complex diseases, such as cancer. This article will review the recent developments in biomarker discovery for UM research by proteomics. In the last few years, the first UM proteomics-based analyses have been launched, yielding promising results. An update on recent developments on this field is presented.     

Twenty years of phylogeography: the state of the field and the challenges for the Southern Hemisphere

Phylogeography is a young, vigorous and integrative field of study that uses genetic data to understand the history of populations. This field has recently expanded into many areas of biology and also into several historical disciplines of Earth sciences. In this review, I present a numerical synthesis of the phylogeography literature based on an examination of over 3000 articles published during the first 20 years of the field (i.e. from 1987 to 2006). Information from several topics needed to evaluate the progress, tendencies and deficiencies of the field is summarized for 10 major groups of organisms and at a global scale. The topics include the geography of phylogeographic surveys, comparative nature of studies, temporal scales and major environments investigated, and genetic markers used. I also identify disparities in research productivity between the developing and the developed world, and propose ways to reduce some of the challenges faced by phylogeographers from less affluent countries. Phylogeography has experienced explosive growth in recent years fuelled by developments in DNA technology, theory and statistical analysis. I argue that the intellectual maturation of the field will eventually depend not only on these recent developments, but also on syntheses of comparative information across different regions of the globe. For this to become a reality, many empirical phylogeographic surveys in regions of the Southern Hemisphere (and in developing countries of the Northern Hemisphere) are needed. I expect the information and views presented here will assist in promoting international collaborative work in phylogeography and in guiding research efforts at both regional and global levels.     

Chemoinformatics: A view of the field and current trends in method development

The chemoinformatics field continues to evolve at the interface between computer science and chemistry. Chemical information and computational approaches in pharmaceutical research are major focal points of chemoinformatics. However, the boundaries of this discipline are rather fluid and the chemoinformatics spectrum is difficult to delineate. The field is in flux, which also provides opportunities for further developments. As a lead-in to the Chemoinformatics Symposium-in-Print, we present a brief view of this discipline (with a little anecdotal touch), highlight current trends in method development, and discuss a number of representative examples.     

Thioredoxin and glutaredoxin-mediated redox regulation of ribonucleotide reductase

Ribonucleotide reductase(RNR), the rate-limitingenzyme in DNA synthesis, catalyzes reduction of thedifferent ribonucleotides to their corresponding deoxyri-bonucleotides. The crucial role of RNR in DNA synthesishas made it an important target for the development ofantiviral and anticancer drugs. Taking account of the re-cent developments in this field of research, this reviewfocuses on the role of thioredoxin and glutaredoxin sys-tems in the redox reactions of the RNR catalysis.     

Trends in Aluminium‐Based Intercalation Batteries

Over the last decade, optimizing energy storage has become significantly important in the field of energy conversion and sustainability. As a result of immense progress in the field, cost‐effective and high performance batteries are imperative to meeting the future demand of sustainability. Currently, the best performing batteries are lithium‐ion based, but limited lithium (Li) resources make research into alternatives essential. In recent years, the performance of aluminium‐ion batteries has improved remarkably in all battery‐relevant metrics, which renders them a promising alternative. Compared with monovalent Li‐ion batteries, aluminium (Al) cations can carry three positive charges, which could result in higher energy densities. This review describes recent developments in Al‐based cathode materials. The major goal of this review is to highlight strengths and weaknesses of various different approaches and provide guidelines for future research.     

Protein glycosylation analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) has developed into an invaluable technology for the analysis of protein glycosylation. This review focuses on the recent developments in LC and combinations thereof with MS for this field of research. Recently introduced methods for the structural analysis of released glycans (native or derivatised) as well as glycopeptides, on normal phase, reverse phase and graphitized carbon LC columns with online MS(/MS) will be reviewed. Performed on nano-scale or capillary-scale, these LC-MS methods operate at femtomole sensitivity and support the further integration of glycosylation analysis in proteomics methodology.