Phylogenetic positions of several amitochondriate protozoa - Evidence from phylogenetic analysis of DNA topoisomerase II

Several groups of parasitic protozoa, as represented by Giardia, Trichomonas, Entamoeba and Microsporida, were once widely considered to be the most primitive extant eukaryotic group - Archezoa. The main evidence for this is their 'lacking mitochondria' and possessing some other primitive features between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and being basal to all eukaryotes with mitochondria in phylogenies inferred from many molecules. Some authors even proposed that these organisms diverged before the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria within eukaryotes. This view was once considered to be very significant to the study of origin and evolution of eukaryotic cells (eukaryotes). However, in recent years this has been challenged by accumulating evidence from new studies. Here the sequences of DNA topoisomerase 11 in G lamblia, T vaginalis and E histolytica were identified first by PCR and sequencing, then combining with the sequence data of the microsporidia Encephalitozoon cunicul and other eukaryotic groups of different evolutionary positions from GenBank, phylogenetic trees were constructed by various methods to investigate the evolutionary positions of these amitochondriate protozoa. Our results showed that since the characteristics of DNA topoisomerase 11 make it avoid the defect of 'long-branch attraction' appearing in the previous phylogenetic analyses, our trees can not only reflect effectively the relationship of different major eukaryotic groups, which is widely accepted, but also reveal phylogenetic positions for these amitochondriate protozoa, which is different from the previous phylogenetic trees. They are not the earliest-branching eukaryotes, but diverged after some mitochondriate organisms such as kinetoplastids and mycetozoan; they are not a united group but occupy different phylogenetic positions. Combining with the recent cytological findings of mitochondria-like organelles in them, we think that though some of them (e.g. diplomonads, as represented by Giardia) may occupy a very low evolutionary position, generally these organisms are not as extremely primitive as was thought before; they should be polyphyletic groups diverging after the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondrion to adapt themselves to anaerobic parasitic life.

几类“无线粒体”原生生物的DNA拓扑异构酶II基因及进化地位研究

以贾第虫、毛滴虫、内变形虫和微抱子虫等为代表的几类原生生物，不仅因为他们的寄生致病性而在医学上长期备受关注，它们的进化地位也是一个十分令人注目的问题。因为曾认为它们不具线粒体等细胞器，再加上一些分子系统学研究表明它们处在真核生物的最基部，因此不少人认为它们是在线粒体产生之前即已分化的极原始真核生物，其进化地位是处在原核生物向真核生物的过渡阶段，并有人称之为achezoa。这一发现一度被认为对探讨真核细胞（生物）的起源进化极为重要，是进化生物学上的重要突破。然而，近年来不断有新的证据对此提出质疑，其进化地位也就存在较大争议。本文首先利用PCR扩增、测序和基因组数据库搜索等技术方法鉴定了蓝氏贾第虫（Giardialamblia）、阴道毛滴虫（Trichomonasvaginalis）和痢疾内变形虫（entamoebahistolytica）的II型DNA拓扑异构酶基因序列。RT-PCR和序列分析表明它们均不具内含子。蛋白质序列搜索的结果表明它们与其它真核生物的DNA拓扑异构酶H是高度同源的。用生物信息学的方法，我们还对这些酶的性质进行了初步分析。分析还表明蓝氏贾第虫的DNA拓扑异构酶H具有一些不同于其．宿主的特征，如在ATPase区和中间区有六个插入，中间区要长大约100个氨基酸，而C端区又短大约200个氨基酸且富含带电荷的氨基酸残基。这些结果对研制以该酶为靶分子的专一性抗贾第虫药物具有指导意义。其次，将上述获得的序列数据结合GenBank数据库中已有的脑炎微抱子虫（Encephalitozooncuniculi）和其它一系列处在不同进化地位的真核生物的相应序列数据，用多种方法构建出分子系统树，对这些"无线粒体"原生生物的进化地位进行了探讨，并对"长枝吸引"对系统树的影响进行了分析。结果表明，由于DNA拓扑异构酶H的特点和可以克服"长枝吸引"等以往分子系统分析中的不足，所构建的系统树不仅能有效地反映出已普遍接受的真核生物各主要类群的系统关系，而且显示出这些"无线粒体"原生动物不同于以前系统树所反映的进化地位：它们并非是最早分支出来的真核生物，而是在具有线粒体的生物如动基体类或菌虫类等之后才分化的、分别属于不同进化地位的类群。结合近来它们中发现了类似线粒体细胞器等证据，我们认为这些所谓"无线粒体"的原生生物虽然其中有些种类（如以贾第虫为代表的双滴虫类）进化地位很低等，对探讨真核细胞的早期进化具有一定意义，但总体上它们并非过去所认为的那么极端原始，它们应该是线粒体产生之后才分别分化出来的不同生物类群

Evolutionary status of Entamoeba

In addition to its medical importance as parasitic pathogen, Entamoeba has aroused people's interest in its evolutionary status for a long time. Lacking mitochondrion and other intracellular organelles common to typical eukaryotes, Entamoeba and several other amitochondrial protozoans have been recognized as ancient pre-mitochondriate eukaryotes and named "archezoa", the most primitive extant eukaryotes. It was suggested that they might be living fossils that remained in a primitive stage of evolution before acquisition of organelles, lying close to the transition between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, recent studies revealed that Entamoeba contained an organelle, "crypton" or "mitosome", which was regarded as specialized or reductive mitochondrion. Relative molecular phylogenetic analyses also indicated the existence or the probable existence of mitochondrion in Entamoeba. Our phylogenetic analysis based on DNA topoisomerase II strongly suggested its divergence after some mitchondriate eukaryotes. Here, all these recent researches are reviewed and the evolutionary status of Entamoeba is discussed.

Identification, characteristic and phylogenetic analysis of type II DNA topoisomerase gene in Giardia lamblia

The genes encoding type II DNA topoisomerases were investigated in Giardia lamblia genome, and a type IIA gene, GlTop 2 was identified. It is a single copy gene with a 4476 by long ORF without intron. The deduced amino acid sequence shows strong homology to eukaryotic DNA Top 2. However, some distortions were found, such as six insertions in the ATPase domain and the central domain, a similar to 100 as longer central domain; a similar to 200 as shorter C-terminal domain containing rich charged residues. These features revealed by comparing with Top 2 of the host, human, might be helpful in exploiting drug selectivity for antigiardial therapy. Phylogenetic analysis of eukaryotic enzymes showed that kinetoplastids, plants, fungi, and animals were monophyletic groups, and the animal and fungi lineages shared a more recent common ancestor than either did with the plant lineage; microsporidia grouped with fungi. However, unlike many previous phylogenetic analyses, the "amitochondriate" G. lamblia was not the earliest branch but diverged after mitochondriate kinetoplastids in our trees. Both the finding of typical eukaryotic type IIA topoisomerase and the phylogenetic analysis suggest G. lamblia is not possibly as primitive as was regarded before and might diverge after the acquisition of mitochondria. This is consistent with the recent discovery of mitochondrial remnant organelles in G. lamblia.

Energy conversion in shape memory alloy heat engine - Part II: Simulation

In this paper, a theoretical model proposed in Part I (Zhu et al., 2001a) is used to simulate the behavior of a twin crank NiTi SMA spring based heat engine, which has been experimentally studied by Iwanaga et al. (1988). The simulation results are compared favorably with the measurements. It is found that (1) output torque and heat efficiency decrease as rotation speed increase; (2) both output torque and output power increase with the increase of hot water temperature; (3) at high rotation speed, higher water temperature improves the heat efficiency. On the contrary, at low rotation speed, lower water temperature is more efficient; (4) the effects of initial spring length may not be monotonic as reported. According to the simulation, output torque, output power and heat efficiency increase with the decrease of spring length only in the low rotation speed case. At high rotation speed, the result might be on the contrary.

铁基抗高温磨损激光熔覆涂层强韧设计和研究II:Fe-Cr-C-W-Ni激光熔覆层的微观组织及性能

本文以对热工模具进行失效分析的基础上，利用激光熔覆技术，在５ＣｒＭｎＭｏ基础上设计并制备强韧兼备的抗高温磨损涂层。

Studies on the phase diagram of the surfactant/1-pentanol water ternary system II: The liquid crystalline phase

The phase behavior of liquid crystalline in the ternary system of dodecyl dimethyl ammonium hydroxyl propyl sulfonate(DDAHPS)/1-pentanol(C5H11OH)/water deuteron (D2O) has been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy, H-2 NMR spectroscopy methods. The results indicate that two kinds of liquid crystals (the lamellar, and the hexagonal) exist in the liquid crystalline phase region. In this paper, we also use the polarized Raman spectroscopy method to measure the values of the order/disorder parameters and the values of the environment polarity parameters for the samples selected from the liquid crystalline phase region, and compare these two parameters of the samples with those of solid state DDAHPS and liquid state pentan-1-ol.

Mode I and Mode II Crack Tip Asymptotic Fields with Strain Gradient Effects

The strain gradient effect becomes significant when the size of fracture process zone around a crack tip is comparable to the intrinsic material length l, typically of the order of microns. Using the new strain gradient deformation theory given by Chen and Wang, the asymptotic fields near a crack tip in an elastic-plastic material with strain gradient effects are investigated. It is established that the dominant strain field is irrotational. For mode I plane stress crack tip asymptotic field, the stress asymptotic field and the couple stress asymptotic field can not exist simultaneously. In the stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of stresses are consistent with the classical plane stress HRR field; In the couple stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of couple stresses are consistent with that obtained by Huang et al. For mode II plane stress and plane strain crack tip asymptotic fields, only the stress-dominated asymptotic fields exist. The couple stress asymptotic field is less singular than the stress asymptotic fields. The stress asymptotic fields are the same as mode II plane stress and plane strain HRR fields, respectively. The increase in stresses is not observed in strain gradient plasticity for mode I and mode II, because the present theory is based only on the rotational gradient of deformation and the crack tip asymptotic fields are irrotational and dominated by the stretching gradient.

Teracluster LSSC-II - Its Designing Principles and Applications in Large Scale Numerical Simulations

The teracluster LSSC-II installed at the State Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing, Chinese Academy of Sciences is one of the most powerful PC clusters in China. It has a peek performance of 2Tflops. With a Linpack performance of 1.04Tflops, it is ranked at the 43rd place in the 20th TOP500 List (November 2002), 51st place in the 21st TOP500 List (June 2003), and the 82nd place in the 22nd TOP500 List (November 2003) with a new Linpack performance of 1.3Tflops. In this paper, we present some design principles of this cluster, as well as its applications in some largescale numerical simulations.

自适应光学对大气扰动波前的补偿效果研究：II.水平大气传输时…

讨论了光波在水平大气湍流中传输时的情况。计算结果表明自适应光学系统的补偿效果与光波传播路径上的横向风有很大的关系。大气湍流的强度越大, 自适应光学系统的截止频率越高, 横向风的影响也越大。计算结果还表明在相同的r0 或者相同的大气湍流强度下, 球面波所受大气扰动的自适应光学补偿效果受横向风的影响要比平面波的厉害。本文还将理论分析的结果和数值模拟的结果进行了比较, 表明数值模拟结果受横向风的影响比理论分析结果受横向风的影响大。最后, 文中分析了以上现象并对此作出了合理的解释。

Electron Beam Surface Treatment. Part II: Microstructure Evolution of Stainless Steel and Aluminum Alloy During Electron Beam Rapid Solidification

Surface rapid solidification microstructures of AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel and 2024 aluminum alloy have been investigated by electron beam remelting process and optical microscopy observation. It is indicated that the morphologies of the melted layer of both stainless steel and aluminum alloy change dramatically compared to the original materials. Also, the microstructures were greatly refined after the electron beam irradiation.

Investigation Of Mode Ii Crack Growth Following A Very High Speed Impact

A recoverable plate impact testing technology has been developed for studying fracture mechanisms of mode II crack. With this technology, a single duration stress pulse with submicrosecond duration and high loading rates, up to 10(8) MPam(1/2)s(-1), can be produced. Dynamic failure tests of Hard-C 60# steel were carried out under asymmetrical impacting conditions with short stress-pulse loading. Experimental results show that the nucleation and growth of several microcracks ahead of the crack tip, and the interactions between them, induce unsteady crack growth. Failure mode transitions during crack growth, both from mode I crack to mode II and from brittle to ductile fracture, were observed. Based on experimental observations, a discontinuous crack growth model was established. Analysis of the crack growth mechanisms using our model shows that the shear crack extension is unsteady when the extending speed is between the Rayleigh wave speed c(R) and the shear wave speed c(S). However, when the crack advancing speed is beyond c(S), the crack grows at a steady intersonic speed approaching root 2c(S). It also shows that the transient mechanisms, such as nucleation, growth, interaction and coalescence among microcracks, make the main crack speed jump from subsonic to intersonic and the steady growth of all the subcracks causes the main crack to grow at a stable intersonic speed.

Thermal fatigue on pistons induced by shaped high power laser. Part II: Design of spatial intensity distribution via numerical simulation

In the laser induced thermal fatigue simulation test on pistons, the high power laser was transformed from the incident Gaussian beam into a concentric multi-circular pattern with specific intensity ratio. The spatial intensity distribution of the shaped beam, which determines the temperature field in the piston, must be designed before a diffractive optical element (DOE) can be manufactured. In this paper, a reverse method based on finite element model (FEM) was proposed to design the intensity distribution in order to simulate the thermal loadings on pistons. Temperature fields were obtained by solving a transient three-dimensional heat conduction equation with convective boundary conditions at the surfaces of the piston workpiece. The numerical model then was validated by approaching the computational results to the experimental data. During the process, some important parameters including laser absorptivity, convective heat transfer coefficient, thermal conductivity and Biot number were also validated. Then, optimization procedure was processed to find favorable spatial intensity distribution for the shaped beam, with the aid of the validated FEM. The analysis shows that the reverse method incorporated with numerical simulation can reduce design cycle and design expense efficiently. This method can serve as a kind of virtual experimental vehicle as well, which makes the thermal fatigue simulation test more controllable and predictable. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asymptotic analysis of plane-strain mode I steady-state crack growth in transformation toughening ceramics (II)

Based on a constitutive law which includes the shear components of transformation plasticity, the asymptotic solutions to near-tip fields of plane-strain mode I steadity propagating cracks in transformed ceramics are obtained for the case of linear isotropic hardening. The stress singularity, the distributions of stresses and velocities at the crack tip are determined for various material parameters. The factors influencing the near-tip fields are discussed in detail.