Fhit proteins can also recognize substrates other than dinucleoside polyphosphates

We show here that Fhit proteins, in addition to their function as dinucleoside triphosphate hydrolases, act similarly to adenylylsulfatases and nucleoside phosphoramidases, liberating nucleoside 5'-monophosphates from such natural metabolites as adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate and adenosine 5'-phosphoramidate. Moreover, Fhits recognize synthetic nucleotides, such as adenosine 5'-O-phosphorofluoridate and adenosine 5'-O-(gamma-fluorotriphosphate), and release AMP from them. With respect to the former, Fhits behave like a phosphodiesterase I concomitant with cleavage of the P-F bond. Some kinetic parameters and implications of the novel reactions catalyzed by the human and plant (Arabidopsis thaliana) Fhit proteins are presented.     

Maritime climate influence on chaparral composition and diversity in the coast range of central California

We investigated the hypothesis that maritime climatic factors associated with summer fog and low cloud stratus (summer marine layer) help explain the compositional diversity of chaparral in the coast range of central California. We randomly sampled chaparral species composition in 0.1‐hectare plots along a coast‐to‐interior gradient. For each plot, climatic variables were estimated and soil samples were analyzed. We used Cluster Analysis and Principle Components Analysis to objectively categorize plots into climate zone groups. Climate variables, vegetation composition and various diversity measures were compared across climate zone groups using ANOVA and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Differences in climatic variables that relate to summer moisture availability and winter freeze events explained the majority of variance in measured conditions and coincided with three chaparral assemblages: maritime (lowland coast where the summer marine layer was strongest), transition (upland coast with mild summer marine layer influence and greater winter precipitation), and interior sites that generally lacked late summer water availability from either source. Species turnover (β‐diversity) was higher among maritime and transition sites than interior sites. Coastal chaparral differs from interior chaparral in having a higher obligate seeder to facultative seeder (resprouter) ratio and by being dominated by various Arctostaphylos species as opposed to the interior dominant, Adenostoma fasciculatum. The maritime climate influence along the California central coast is associated with patterns of woody plant composition and β‐diversity among sites. Summer fog in coastal lowlands and higher winter precipitation in coastal uplands combine to lower late dry season water deficit in coastal chaparral and contribute to longer fire return intervals that are associated with obligate seeders and more local endemism. Soil nutrients are comparatively less important in explaining plant community composition, but heterogeneous azonal soils contribute to local endemism and promote isolated chaparral patches within the dominant forest vegetation along the coast.     

Changes in mitochondrial membrane composition and oxidative status during rapid growth,maturation and aging in zebrafish, Danio rerio

Considering membranes and membrane components as possible pacemakers of the main processes taking place inside mitochondria, changes in phospholipids or fatty acids could play a central role linking different mechanisms involved in cumulative damage to cell molecules and dysfunction during periods of high stress, such as rapid growth and aging. Changes affecting either lipid class or fatty acid compositions could affect phospholipid and membrane properties and alter mitochondrial function and cell viability. In the present study, mitochondrial oxidative status and mitochondrial membrane phospholipid compositions were analyzed throughout the life-cycle of zebrafish. TBARS content significantly increased in 18-month-old fish while aconitase activity decreased in 24-month-old fish, which have been related with oxidative damage to molecules. Mitochondria-specific superoxide dismutase decreased in 24-month-old animals although this change was not statistically significant. Age affected both mitochondrial phospholipid content and the peroxidation index of most phospholipid classes suggesting that oxidative damage to mitochondrial lipids was occurring.     

Absence of ganglioside GM1 in astroglial cells from newborn rat brain

An immunohistochemical method utilizing anti-ganglioside GM1 antiserum combined with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique was applied to a mixed cell population in primary cultures of newborn rat brain. Ganglioside GM1 was demonstrated to be present in neurons and oligodendroglia, but was absent in astroglia. This demonstration was confirmed using a newly developed biotinylated choleragen-avidin-peroxidase procedure. Primary cultures from newborn rat brain cells that had been subjected to a single treatment with trypsin (first passage) and then cultured for 14 days were predominately (95%) composed of astrocytes that stained positively for glial fibrillary acidic protein but were negative for GM1 ganglioside. This preparation contained only 0.34 nmol ganglioside NeuNAc per mg protein compared to 23.9 nmol gangliosidic NeuNAc/mg protein for a five day culture of newborn rat brain mixed cell culture that had not been subjected to passage. Prolongation of culture time from 5 to 21 days in the latter preparation reduced the ganglioside NeuNAc content to 4.9 nmol gangliosidic NeuNAc/mg protein as the proportion of astrocytes in the culture increased. Ganglioside GM1 could not be detected by TLC analysis of the lipid extract obtained from the “pure” astrocyte culture, although small amounts of GM3 and some polysialogangliosides were detected. About half of the label incorporated upon 24 h incubation of astrocytes in the presence of $\text{N-[}{}^3\text{H]acetylmannosammine}$ appeared in ganglioside GM3. It is concluded that astrocytes in mixed cell primary cultures from newborn rat brain, as well as astrocytes in astroglial preparations derived from such cultures, do not contain ganglioside GM1.     

黄土旱塬区土壤水分状况与作物生长、降水的关系

土壤水分研究是统筹农业生产和生态环境建设的关键环节.本研究结合4年田间定位试验,通过对黄土高原南部长武旱塬冬小麦和春玉米2012—2015年土壤水分状况的研究,分析农田土壤干层形成情况、土壤水分对作物生长的影响、降水对土壤水库的影响以及作物对土壤水分状况的影响.结果表明: 降水年型是冬小麦地土壤干层形成的主导因素,年内降水分布不均是春玉米地土壤干层形成的主导因素.长武旱塬区冬小麦和春玉米一年一季的种植制度不会导致永久性干层的产生;相较于春玉米,冬小麦根系生长习性更符合黄土旱塬区土壤水分循环特征,黄土旱塬区土壤水分有效性可保证作物产量稳定;降水作用下,冬小麦土壤水库充、放水过程呈现收获期、休闲期和苗期连续充水、缓慢消耗期和大量消耗期连续失水相互交替的特点.0～300和300～600 cm土层土壤水库不一致性现象明显,以最大根深作为野外监测试验中土壤含水量的取样深度时,由于深层土壤水库负反馈作用,不同降水年型下,休闲期和苗期的蒸散均会被高估,缓慢消耗期和大量消耗期的蒸散均会被低估.冬小麦田间过渡层存在的范围为140～360 cm;作物生长的时间跨度影响土壤水库效应的发挥,土壤水库对冬小麦供水表现为年际间的调节作用,土壤水库对春玉米供水表现为季节间的调节作用.     

Outstanding Low Temperature Thermoelectric Power Factor from Completely Organic Thin Films Enabled by Multidimensional Conjugated Nanomaterials

In an effort to create a paintable/printable thermoelectric material, comprised exclusively of organic components, polyaniline (PANi), graphene, and double‐walled nanotube (DWNT) are alternately deposited from aqueous solutions using the layer‐by‐layer assembly technique. Graphene and DWNT are stabilized with an intrinsically conductive polymer, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). An 80 quadlayer thin film (≈1 μm thick), comprised of a PANi/graphene‐PEDOT:PSS/PANi/DWNT‐PEDOT:PSS repeating sequence, exhibits unprecedented electrical conductivity (σ ≈ 1.9 × 10⁵ S m^?1) and Seebeck coefficient (S ≈ 120 μV K^?1) for a completely organic material. These two values yield a thermoelectric power factor (PF = S ² σ ^?1) of 2710 μW m^?1 K^?2, which is the highest value ever reported for a completely organic material and among the highest for any material measured at room temperature. These outstanding properties are attributed to the highly ordered structure in the multilayer assembly. This water‐based thermoelectric nanocomposite is competitive with the best inorganic semiconductors (e.g., bismuth telluride) at room temperature and can be applied as a coating to any flexible surface (e.g., fibers in clothing). For the first time, there is a real opportunity to harness waste heat from unconventional sources, such as body heat, to power devices in an environmentally‐friendly way.     

Drastic Layer‐Number‐Dependent Activity Enhancement in Photocatalytic H2 Evolution over nMoS2/CdS (n ≥ 1) Under Visible Light

Exploiting noble‐metal‐free cocatalysts is of huge interest for photocatalytic water splitting using solar energy. As an efficient cocatalyst in photocatalysis, MoS₂ is shown promise as a low‐cost alternative to Pt for hydrogen evolution. Here we report a systematical study on controlled synthesis of MoS₂ with layer number ranging from ≈1 to 112 and their activities for photocatalytic H₂ evolution over commercial CdS. A drastic increase in photocatalytic H₂ evolution is observed with decreasing MoS₂ layer number. Particularly for the single‐layer (SL) MoS₂, the SL‐MoS₂/CdS sample reaches a high H₂ generation rate of ≈2.01 × 10^?3m h^?1 in Na₂S–Na₂SO₃ solutions and ≈2.59 × 10^?3m h^?1 in lactic acid solutions, corresponding to an apparent quantum efficiency of 30.2% and 38.4% at 420 nm, respectively. In addition to the more exposed edges and unsaturated active S atoms, valence band–XPS and Mott–Schottky plots analysis indicate that the SL MoS₂ has the more negative conduction band energy level than the H⁺/H₂ potential, facilitating the hydrogen reduction.     

黄土塬区不同土地利用方式土壤水分消耗与补给变化特征

对黄土塬区不同土地利用方式下2012年3—10月7龄果园(挂果初期)、17龄果园(盛果期)、小麦地、玉米地土壤水文状况进行分析,结果显示,0—600 cm试验土层7龄果园土壤贮水量最高,其次为玉米地、小麦地,17龄果园最低,且不同土地利用方式下贮水量随着降水量的变化而上下波动,但其变化滞后于降水。不同土地利用方式均表现为随土壤深度增加土壤含水量变异程度减弱的特征,且其土壤剖面的水分含量变化存在季节变异。农田和7龄果园中不存在土壤干燥化现象,而17龄果园土壤剖面存在较厚的干燥化土层,其分布深度为320—600 cm。不同的土地利用方式的土壤水分的消耗和补充深度有较大差异,17龄果园消耗深度为500 cm,补充深度为200 cm;7龄果园、玉米地和小麦地消耗深度分别为200、300 cm和300 cm,且补充深度均超过了测定的土壤深度,大于600 cm。     

Seasonal patterns of microcystin-producing and non-producing Planktothrix rubescens genotypes in a deep pre-alpine lake

The filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens produces secondary metabolites called microcystins (MC) that are potent toxins for most eukaryotes, including zooplankton grazers, cattle and humans. P. rubescens occurs in many deep and thermally stratified lakes throughout Europe. In Lake Zurich (Switzerland), it re-appeared in the 1970s concomitant with decreasing eutrophication. Since then, P. rubescens has become the dominant species in this major drinking water reservoir, where it forms massive metalimnetic blooms during late summer. These cyanobacteria harbor subpopulations of non-MC producers, but little is known about the environmental factors affecting the success of such genotypes. The non-MC-producing subpopulation of P. rubescens was studied using a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay on the MC synthetase (mcy) gene cluster that targets a deletion on the mcyH and mcyA genes, which inactivates MC biosynthesis. Two complementary qPCR assays were used to assess the total population abundance (based on the 16S rDNA gene) and the mcy gene copy number (based on a conserved region in the adenylation domain of the mcyB gene). The objective was to evaluate the seasonal patterns of the share of non-MC-producing filaments in the total P. rubescens population. The mcyHA mutants were present in low proportions (up to 14%) throughout the year. Their highest relative abundances occurred during the winter mixis, when total concentrations of P. rubescens were minimal. The MC deficient mutants seemed to better survive in sparse populations, possibly because of lower grazing pressure and a consequently reduced need for MC-mediated protection. Alternatively, the mutants might cope better with the sub-optimal, stressful pressure and light conditions during the winter mixis. Altogether, our results suggest that subtle trade-offs might seasonally determine the proportions of non-MC producers within P. rubescens populations.