Optical Absorption Enhancement in Freestanding GaAs Thin Film Nanopyramid Arrays

Although III–V compound semiconductor multi‐junction cells show the highest efficiency among all types of solar cells, their cost is quite high due to expensive substrates, long epitaxial growth and complex balance of system components. To reduce the cost, ultra‐thin films with advanced light management are desired. Here effective light trapping in freestanding thin film nanopyramid arrays is demonstrated and multiple‐times light path enhancement is realized, where only 160 nm thick GaAs with nanopyramid structures is equivalent to a 1 μm thick planar film. The GaAs nanopyramids are fabricated using a combination of nanosphere lithography, nanopyramid metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth, and gas‐phase substrate removal processes. Excellent optical absorption is demonstrated over a broad range of wavelengths, at various incident angles and at large‐curvature bending. Compared to an equally thick planar control film, the overall number of photons absorbed is increased by about 100% at various incident angles due to significant antireflection and light trapping effects. By implementing these nanopyramid structures, III–V material usage and deposition time can be significantly reduced to produce high‐efficiency, low‐cost thin film III–V solar cells.     

微电极阵列芯片技术研究48h房颤犬左、右心耳电生理特性

目的应用微电极阵列芯片（microelectrode arrays chip,MEA）技术评价48 h房颤（atrial fibrillation,AF）犬左、右心耳（LAA、RAA）的电生理特性。方法随意来源犬12只,以600次/分起搏右心房建立AF模型,分为48 h AF组（n=6）和对照组（n=6）。造模成功后迅速开胸剪取LAA、RAA,置于盛有台式液的MEA中,分别记录AF组及对照组LAA、RAA场电位（field action potential,FAP）形态、振幅、放电频率及激动传导情况。结果 AF组LAA、RAA组织FAP节律绝对不齐,LAA（185.22±25.62）次/分,较对照组（156.44±8.88）次/分增加15.67%（P〈0.01）,RAA（102.39±16）次/分,较对照组（156.44±8.88）次/分减慢34.62%（P〈0.01）。48 h AF组LAA组织电压（458.33±26.73）μV较对照组（740.55±18.93）μV降低38.11%（P〈0.01）,RAA（504.83±39.93）μV较对照组（840.56±18.93）μV明显降低（P〈0.01）,48 h房颤组LAA组织FAP时程（45.28±8.59）ms较对照组（70.77±6.98）ms缩短15 ms（P〈0.01）。RAA（61.78±7.1）ms较对照组（75.83±7.63）ms缩短14 ms（P〈0.01）。48 h AF组LAA、RAA FAP传导异质性增加。结论应用MEA技术可反映心肌组织片场电位电生理特性,48 h AF后LAA放电频率增加,频率绝对不齐,LAA、RAA电压降低,场电位时程延长。     

Microbial gene functions enriched in the Deepwater Horizon deep-sea oil plume

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the deepest and largest offshore spill in the United State history and its impacts on marine ecosystems are largely unknown. Here, we showed that the microbial community functional composition and structure were dramatically altered in a deep-sea oil plume resulting from the spill. A variety of metabolic genes involved in both aerobic and anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation were highly enriched in the plume compared with outside the plume, indicating a great potential for intrinsic bioremediation or natural attenuation in the deep sea. Various other microbial functional genes that are relevant to carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and iron cycling, metal resistance and bacteriophage replication were also enriched in the plume. Together, these results suggest that the indigenous marine microbial communities could have a significant role in biodegradation of oil spills in deep-sea environments.     

High-throughput molecular identification of fish eggs using multiplex suspension bead arrays

The location and abundance of fish eggs provide information concerning the timing and location of spawning activities and can provide fishery-independent estimates of spawning biomass. However, the full value of egg and larval surveys is severely restricted because many species' eggs and larvae are morphologically similar, making species-level identification difficult. Recent efforts have shown that nearly all species of fish may be identified by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences (e.g. via 'DNA barcoding'). By taking advantage of a DNA barcode database, we have developed oligonucleotide probes for 23 marine fish species that produce pelagic eggs commonly found in California waters. Probes were coupled to fluorescent microspheres to create a suspension bead array. Biotin-labelled primers were used to amplify the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal rRNA genes from individual fish eggs. The amplicons were then hybridized to the bead array, and after the addition of a reporter fluorophore, samples were analysed by flow cytometry with Luminex 100 instrumentation. Probes specifically targeted eggs that are abundant and/or from morphologically indistinguishable species pairs. Results showed that the 33 different probes designed for this study accurately identified all samples when PCR was successful. Suspension bead arrays have a number of benefits over other methods of molecular identification; these arrays permit high multiplexing, simple addition of new probes, high throughput and lower cost than DNA sequencing. The increasing availability of DNA barcode data for numerous fish faunas worldwide suggests that bead arrays could be developed and widely used for fish egg, larval and tissue identifications.     

Over-expression of GTP-binding proteins and GTPase activity in mouse astrocyte membranes in response to Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infection

Intracerebral infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induces a demyelinating disease that resembles human multiple sclerosis. In order to delineate the early events in this virus-induced neuroinflammatory disease, we have analyzed global GTPases gene activation following TMEV infection of murine brain astrocytes. DNA hybridization microchip analysis demonstrated that 10 sequences described as GTPbinding proteins and GTPases in different protein databases were over-expressed, in response to this infectious agent in astroglial cells. We have first characterized both the GTP-binding and GTPase activities in uninfected astrocyte membranes from a biochemical point of view. The increase in such activities was further validated in TMEV-infected astrocytes, peaking 2-4 h after infection. Over-expression is also induced by the inflammation-related chemokines interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma but not by interleukin-1alpha or tumor necrosis factor-alpha. From the many GTPases that could be over-expressed we have studied two, because of its biological significance; Ras p21 and the subunit alphai2 of G proteins. Western blots revealed increases in both proteins after infection with TMEV, in accordance with the previous enzymologic results. An increase in the active form of Ras (the GTP bound form) in cell lysates was also confirmed by affinity binding to a glutathione-S-transferase-fusion protein, following TMEV infection. A final demonstration of physiological up-regulation is provided by UV cross-linking of membrane proteins with the hydrolysis-resistant GTP agonist GTP [gamma-(35)S]. This technique allow us to detect, after SDS-PAGE, the increase of two further majoritary GTPbinding proteins with MW of 62 and 49 KDa. A quantitative analysis of four selected genes coding for p21 ras, Galphai2 subunit of protein G, Munc-18 and protein interacting with C kinase 1, was performed by real-time RT-PCR to verify the microarray results. The study of GTPase activity and of the above genes by RT-PCR in brains of sick mice, demonstrated a significative increase in mRNA coding for p21ras and protein interacting with C kinase 1 in vivo. Here we demonstrate that one of the mechanisms triggered by TMEV infection of astrocytes is the up-regulation of proteins related to GTP metabolism, one important signal transduction system in mammalian cells.     

农田林网条件下大斑啄木鸟夏季和冬季日间行为模式

2005年7月至2008年1月,利用目标动物取样法对内蒙古乌拉特前旗地区农田林网中大斑啄木鸟(Picoides major)夏季和冬季的日间行为模式进行了分析.结果发现,大斑啄木鸟不同行为的活动次数差异极为显著,主要活动是觅食啄食;夏季具午间休息习性,日间行为节律明显,而冬季没有午休习性,日问行为节律不明显;不同性别大斑啄木鸟之间的日间行为差异不显著,但大斑啄木鸟在不同季节的日间行为差异极为显著,夏季活动时间明显长于冬季.     

Non-cultured adipose-derived CD45- side population cells are enriched for progenitors that give rise to myofibres in vivo

Side population (SP) cells are highly able to exclude the Hoechst 33342 dye through membrane transporters, a feature associated with cell immaturity and therefore proposed as a marker of stem cells. Herein we demonstrate that the adipose tissue derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) contains a novel population of non-haematopoietic “side population” (SPCD45⁻) cells. Simultaneous qRT-PCR of 64 genes revealed that the freshly isolated SPCD45⁻ was highly enriched for cells expressing genes related to stem cells, the Notch pathway, and early vascular precursors. Notably, the expression of smooth muscle actin, C-met and Cd34 together with Angpt2, Flk1, VE-cadherin, and Cd31 suggested a phenotypic resemblance to pericytes and aorta-derived mesoangioblasts. Recent evidence suggests that cells residing within the vascular niche may participate in regeneration of skeletal muscle and although skeletal muscle repair mainly relies on the satellitecell, several reports have shown that vessel-associated cells may adopt a myogenic phenotype when exposed to a muscle environment. In accordance with these findings, we also observed invitro myogenic specification of SPCD45⁻ cells when cocultured with myoblasts. Furthermore, immediate intramuscular engraftment of non-cultured SPCD45⁻ cells gave rise to myofibres andcells lining blood vessels, whereas the SVF only provided donor derived mononuclear cells. We therefore conclude that the SPCD45⁻ fraction of adipose-derived SVF is enriched for cells expressing vascular associated markers and that the myogenic differentiation potential of these cells does not depend on prior in vitro expansion.     

Relative contributions of organ shape and receptor arrangement to the design of cricket’s cercal system

Understanding the relative contributions of the shape of a sensory organ and the arrangement of receptors to the overall performance of the organ has long been a challenge for sensory biologists. We tackled this issue using the wind-sensing system of crickets, the cerci, two conical abdominal appendages covered with arrays of filiform hairs. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with 3D reconstruction methods were used for mapping of all cercal filiform hairs. The hairs are arranged according to their diameter in a way that avoids collisions with neighbours during hair deflection: long hairs are regularly spaced, whereas short hairs are both randomly and densely distributed. Particle image velocimetry showed that the variation in diameter of the cercus along its length modifies the pattern of fluid velocities. Hairs are subject to higher air flow amplitudes at the base than at the apex of the cercus. The relative importance of interactions between receptors and the air flow around the organ may explain the performance of the cricket's cercal system: it is characterised by a high density of statistically non-interacting short hairs located at the base of the cercus where sensitivity to air currents is the highest.