Female Gametophyte Development in Higher Plants - Meiosis and Mitosis Break the Cellular Barrier

Abstract: Meiotic products in higher plants should undergo a determined number of mitotic cycles before differentiating gametes. This creates a unique meiosis-mitosis interface, traverse of which is an absolute requirement for gametophyte development. In the absence of cytokinesis during megasporogenesis - as seen in the bisporic and tetrasporic types - the haploid nuclei produced by meiosis are driven to undergo mitotic cycles within the same cell. Similarly, the last of the mitotic cycles leads to a unique type of cell wall formation resulting in cellularization of the coenocytic female gametophyte, creating a mitosis-cellularization interface. Cell cycle regulation in terms of the molecules that interface with these two key spatio-temporal developmental settings should be of interest to both cell and developmental biologists. High throughput techniques of functional genomics are required for both interpretation of female gametophyte evolution and success of the biotechnological initiatives of transferring apomixis-related genes to crop plants.     

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation for the striation distribution of void defects in Czochralski silicon growth

Unique crystal-originated pit (COP) distribution, similar to a striation pattern, is well matched with the oxygen profile in experimental analysis. It shows the strong relationship between oxygen concentration and COP distribution. In this paper, we study the generation of void defects and the relationship between interstitial oxygen and vacancy using the kinetic lattice Monte Carlo (KLMC) method. The KLMC method has been applied extensively in various forms to the study of micro-defects in silicon wafers. It explained well the formation of void defects such as vacancy–oxygen complex and vacancy–vacancy complex. The formation of clusters is strongly affected by oxygen concentration, which showed the relationship between COP distribution and oxygen concentration. The unique COP distribution could be correctly explained with KLMC results, and this kind of meso-scale results has not yet been reported.     

Technologies for integrating biological data

The process of building a new database relevant to some field of study in biomedicine involves transforming, integrating and cleansing multiple data sources, as well as adding new material and annotations. This paper reviews some of the requirements of a general solution to this data integration problem. Several representative technologies and approaches to data integration in biomedicine are surveyed. Then some interesting features that separate the more general data integration technologies from the more specialised ones are highlighted.     

草地农业生态系统的碳平衡分析方法

根据草地农业生态系统的结构,它的碳平衡为4个生产层的碳平衡之和,也是3个界面的碳平衡之和,而某一生产层或者某一界面的碳平衡则是其固定、输入、排放和输出的碳之和。草地农业生态系统4个生产层的碳平衡分析方法定量重要生产环节的碳汇与碳源过程,便于草业生产改进碳汇管理;草地农业生态系统3个界面的碳平衡分析方法显示碳源和碳汇的发生机理,及其空间和数量关系,便于调控草业生产组分以增汇减排;但是,这两个方法不易区分碳的来源和去向,难以明确其利用效率。草地农业生态系统碳平衡分析的输入/输出法定量地指示碳的来源和去向,以及碳效率,计算简单,但是较为概括,不利于牧场尺度的草业碳汇管理。以中国祁连山甘肃马鹿牧场和澳大利亚塔斯玛尼亚奶牛牧场为例,用3种方法分析了两个牧场的碳平衡,结果表明,放牧管理的草业系统的主要碳源是休闲旅游、产品加工流通环节产生的温室气体,主要碳汇是草地和土壤中贮存的碳,好的草地管理可以增汇减排。     

Neural interface with a silicon neural probe in the advancement of microtechnology

In this paper we describe the status of a silicon-based microelectrode for neural recording and an advanced neural interface. We have developed a silicon neural probe, using a combination of plasma and wet etching techniques. This process enables the probe thickness to be controlled precisely. To enhance the CMOS compatibility in the fabrication process, we investigated the feasibility of the site material of the doped polycrystalline silicon with small grains of around 50 nm in size. This silicon electrode demonstrated a favorable performance with respect to impedance spectra, surface topography and acute neural recording. These results showed that the silicon neural probe can be used as an advanced microelectrode for neurological applications.     

城乡结合部人-环境系统关系研究综述

城乡结合部往往是人-环境系统关系最严峻的地区之一.20世纪80年代以来,城市扩张在城乡结合部所引起的生态环境效应受到了越来越多研究者的关注.城乡结合部土地利用/覆盖变化的监测、模拟及其驱动力分析,自然与农业生态系统的演变与调控,以及环境污染等逐渐成为研究热点.众多研究证实了人类活动干扰下城乡结合部环境系统的脆弱性,生态退化和环境污染往往十分严重.城乡结合部环境系统的演变对人类社会经济系统的反馈影响也受到一些研究者的关注.研究认为城乡结合部自然和农业生态系统的丧失不仅危及到当地居民的生计,也对当地社会资本造成影响,并有可能引发一些社会矛盾.目前,针对城乡结合部人-环境系统关系的研究,多采用单学科的方法进行,系统的综合性研究还较少,难以揭示该区域人-环境系统错综复杂的交互作用关系;在研究尺度上,往往从宏观或中观尺度人手,研究城乡结合部的外部力量对环境系统的影响,微观尺度上的个体和地方力量很少被关注.未来有必要进一步加强该区域人-环境系统关系的跨学科、多尺度的综合性研究.     

第一类鱼抗冻蛋白对冰晶生长界面层结构的影响

根据冰晶在水溶液中生长的基本热力学性质,应用多层界面模型,分别得到了冰晶在纯水及抗冻蛋白溶液中生长界面层的吉布斯自由能.由冰晶生长界面层的吉布斯自由能,分析了冰晶在三种不同第一类鱼抗冻蛋白分子溶液中,热平衡状态下生长界面层的微观平衡结构,发现冰晶在抗冻蛋白溶液中生长与其在纯水中生长相比,界面层结构有明显变化,结合抗冻蛋...     

Polymer optoelectronic structures for retinal prosthesis

This commentary highlights the effectiveness of optoelectronic properties of polymer semiconductors based on recent results emerging from our laboratory, where these materials are explored as artificial receptors for interfacing with the visual systems. Organic semiconductors based polymer layers in contact with physiological media exhibit interesting photophysical features, which mimic certain natural photoreceptors, including those in the retina. The availability of such optoelectronic materials opens up a gateway to utilize these structures as neuronal interfaces for stimulating retinal ganglion cells. In a recently reported work entitled “A polymer optoelectronic interface provides visual cues to a blind retina,” we utilized a specific configuration of a polymer semiconductor device structure to elicit neuronal activity in a blind retina upon photoexcitation. The elicited neuronal signals were found to have several features that followed the optoelectronic response of the polymer film. More importantly, the polymer-induced retinal response resembled the natural response of the retina to photoexcitation. These observations open up a promising material alternative for artificial retina applications.     

抗HPV11E2核酸的计算机设计

借助计算机软件分析,设计出能特异性切割HPV11型644nt型644ntE2mNA的核酶。遵循Symons锤头状核酶结构和GUX剪切位点原则,靶序列存在32个剪切位点,通过计算机软件分析核酶的最佳剪切位点,并对底物及核酶的二级结构进行预测及进行相应基因生物学功能和基因同源性分析,筛选出2个锤头结构核酶。针对这两位点设计的核酶分别命名为RZ277和RZ3281。计算机分析显示,两核酶与底物切点两翼碱基形成锤头状结构,切点所在基因序列具有相对松驰的二级结构,位于该基因重要生物功能区内,是核酶的理想攻击区域,通过基因库检索,在已知人类基因中排除了与上述两核酶切点两翼碱基有基因同源性序列的可能性。并非所有的GUX位点（X：C、U、A）或CUX均可作为核酶的最佳剪切切割反应,为下一步将核酶用于细胞内和体内试验打下基础。     

基于运动捕捉残疾人计算机辅助系统的尝试

计算机在当代社会已经被普遍应用。为了帮助肢体残疾人使用计算机,本课题组进行了开发基于脑部跟踪的残疾人计算机辅助系统的尝试,初步制作成功了一种能通过三维脑部运动捕捉人脑运动轨迹、以此控制虚拟鼠标完成几个简单动作的残疾人计算机辅助系统,通过训练后可根据脑部的运动操纵计算机。本系统较之单纯利用脑电的脑-机接口有高得多的识别效率,理论上可基本消除误操作,是一项非常有价值的可望能应用于残疾人的计算机辅助系统的尝试。