Construction of AFLP-based genetic linkage map for Zhikong scallop, Chlamys farreri Jones et Preston and mapping of sex-linked markers

Zhikong scallop (Chlamys farreri) is an economically important aquaculture species in China; however, frequent mass mortality seriously affects the development of its industry. Genetic linkage map is useful for genetic improvement and selective breeding of C. farreri. Linkage maps were constructed using an intraspecific F-1 cross and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Thirty-two selected AFLP primer combinations produced 545 AFLP markers that were polymorphic in either of the parents and segregated in the progeny. Of these segregating markers, 166 were mapped to 19 linkage groups of the female framework map, covering a total of 1503.9 cM, with an average marker spacing of 10.2 cM; and 197 markers were assigned to 20 linkage groups of the male map, covering a total of 1630.7 cM, with 9.2 cM per marker. A sex-linked marker was mapped on the female map with zero recombination and a LOD of 27.3. The genetic length of C farreri genome was estimated as 1889.0 cM for the female and 1995.9 cM for the male. The coverage of the framework map was calculated as 79.6% for the female and 81.7% for the male. When the triplets and doublets were considered, the observed length of the map was calculated as 1610.2 cM with coverage of 85.2% for the female, and 1880.5 cM with coverage of 94.2% for the male. The genetic maps presented here will serve as a basis for the construction of a high-resolution genetic map and mapping of economically important genes. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Comparison of photobioreactors for cultivation of Undaria pinnatifida gametophytes

Undaria pinnatifida gametophytes were grown in 2.5 l bubble column and airlift reactor at 25 degreesC and light intensity of 40 mumol m(-2) s(-1) for 6 days. With aeration at 1 l min(-1), the airlift reactor yielded higher growth rate (0.12 mg DW ml(-1) d(-1)) than a bubble column (0.08 mg DW ml(-1) d(-1)). The advantages were related to the more homogeneous fluid dynamic characteristics of the airlift reactor.

Molecular characterizations of oxytetracycline resistant bacteria and their resistance genes from mariculture waters of China

Oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria were isolated from a mariculture farm in China, and accounted for 32.23% and 5.63% of the total culturable microbes of the sea cucumber and the sea urchin rearing waters respectively. Marine vibrios, especially strains related to Vibrio splendidus or V. tasmaniensis, were the most abundant resistant isolates. For oxytetracycline resistance, tet(A), tet(B) and tet(D) genes were detected in both sea cucumber and sea urchin rearing ponds. The dominant resistance type for V. tasmaniensis-like strains was the combination of both tet(A) and tet(B) genes, while the major resistance type for V. splendidus-like strains was a single tet(D) gene. Most of the sea cucumber tet-positive isolates harbored a chloramphenicol-resistance gene, either cat IV or cat II, while only a few sea urchin tet-positive isolates harbored a cat gene, actually cat IV. The coexistence of tet and cat genes in the strains isolated from the mariculture farm studied was helpful in explaining some of the multi-resistance mechanisms. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

北山及邻区古生代-早中生代增生与碰撞大地构造格局

The Beishan orogenic collage locates at the triple-joint among Xinjiang, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia Provinces, at which the Siberian, Tarim and North China plates join together. It also occupies the central segment of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The main study area in the present suty focused on the southwest part of the Beishan Mountain, which can be subdivided into four units southernward, the Mazhongshan continental block, Huaniushan Arc, Liuyuan suture zone and Shibanshan-Daqishan Arc. 1. The Huaniushan Arc was formed by northernward dipping subduction from the Orcovician to Permian, in which volcanic rocks ranging from basic to acidic with island arc affinity were widely developed. The granitiod intrusions become smaller and younger southward, whichs indicates a southward rollback of slab. The granitiod intrusions are mainly composed of I type granites, and their geochemical compositions suggest that they have affinities of island arc settings. In the early Paleozoic（440Ma-390Ma）. The Shibanshan-Daqishan Arc, however, were produced in the southernward dipping subduction system from Carboniferous to Permian. Volcanic rocks from basic to acidic rocks are typical calcic-alkaline rocks. The granitiod intrusions become smaller and younger northernward, indicating subdution with a northernward rollback. The granitiod intrusions mainly consist of I-type granites, of which geochemical data support they belong to island arc granite. 2. Two series of adakite intrusions and eruptive rocks have been discovered in the southern margin of the Huaniushan Island Arc. The older series formed during Silurian (441.7±2.5Ma) are gneiss granitoid. These adakite granites intruded the early Paleozoic Liuyuan accretionary complex, and have the same age as most of the granite intrusions in the Huanniushan Arc. Their geochemical compostions demonstrate that they were derived from partial melting of the subudcted oceanic slab. These characteristics indicate a young oceanic crust subduction in the early Paleozoic. The late stage adakites with compositons of dacites associate with Nb-enriched basalts, and island arc basalts and dacites. Their geochemistries demonstrate that the adakites are the products of subducted slab melts, whereas the Nb-enriched basalt is products of the mantle wedge which have metasomatized by adakite melts. Such a association indicates the existences of a young ocean slab subduction. 3. The Liuyuan suture zone is composed of late Paleozoic ophiolites and two series of accretionary complexes with age of early Paleozoic. The early Paleozoic accretionary complex extensively intruded by early Palozioc granites is composed of metamorphic clastics, marble, flysch, various metamorphic igneous rocks (ultramafic, mafic and dacite), and eclogite blocks, which are connected by faults. The original compositions of the rocks in this complex are highly varied, including MORB, E-MORB, arc rocks. Geochronological study indicates that they were formed during the Silurian (420.9±2.5Ma and 421.1±4.3Ma). Large-scale granitiods intruded in the accretionary complex suggest a fast growth effect at the south margin of the Huaniushan arc. During late Paleozoic, island arc were developed on this accretionary complex. The late Paleozoic ophiolite has an age of early Permian (285.7±2.2Ma), in which the rock assemblage includes ultra-mafic, gabbros, gabbros veins, massive basalts, pillow basalt, basaltic clastic breccias, and thin layer tuff, with chert on the top.These igneous rocks have both arc and MORB affinities, indicating their belonging to SSZ type ophiolite. Therefore, oceanic basins area were still existed in the Liuyuan area in the early Permian. 4. The mafic-ultramafic complexes are distributed along major faults, and composed of zoned cumulate rocks, in which peridotites are surrounded by pyroxenite, hornblendites, gabbros norite and diorite outward. They have island-arc affinities and are consistent with typical Alaska-type mafic-ultramafic complexes. The geochronological results indicate that they were formed in the early Permian. 5. The Liuyuan A-type granite were formed under post-collisional settings during the late Triassic (230.9±2.5Ma), indicating the persistence of orogenic process till the late Triassic in the study area. Geochronological results suggested that A-type granites become younger southward from the Wulungu A-type granite belt to Liuyuan A-type granite belt, which is in good agreement with the accretionary direction of the CAOB in this area, which indicate that the Liuyuan suture is the final sture of the Paleo-Asin Ocean. 6. Structural geological evidence demonstrate the W-E spreading of main tectonic terrenes. These terrenes had mainly underwent through S-N direction contraction and NE strike-faulting. The study area had experienced a S-N direction compression after the Permian, indicating a collisional event after the Permian. Based on the evidene from sedimentary geology, paleontology, and geomagnetism, our studies indicate that the orogenic process can be subdivided into five stages: (1) the pre-orogenic stage occurred before the Ordovicain; (2) the subduction orogenic stage occurred from the Orcovician to the Permian; (3) the collisional orogenic stage occurred from the late Permian to the late Triassic; (4) the post-collision stage occurred after the Triassic. The Liuyuan areas have a long and complex tectonic evolutional history, and the Liuyuan suture zone is one of the most important sutures. It is the finally suture zone of the paleo-Asian ocean in the Beishan area.

中国南方红土古环境重建中存在的几个问题

随着黄土-古土壤系列在中国北方第四纪古环境演变的成功恢复,对中国南方红土所记录的古环境和全球变化信息的研究也逐渐成为热点。然而,纵观最近10多年来对中国南方红土古环境变化的研究现状,还存在不少问题,一些结论尚难以令人满意,从成因机理上未能给予有力的理论支持。对在风化壳形成机理的认识、风化壳剖面记载环境变化的历史、红土-沉积旋回所反映的古气候变迁、红土和黄土的古环境记录的对比等方面的研究中暴露出的一些问题,本文进行了剖析和讨论。

Anticancer and antiangiogenic activity of surfactant-free nanoparticles based on self-assembled polymeric derivatives of vitamin e: Structure-activity relationship

α-Tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) is a well-known mitochondrially targeted anticancer compound, however, it is highly hydrophobic and toxic. In order to improve its activity and reduce its toxicity, new surfactant-free biologically active nanoparticles (NP) were synthesized. A methacrylic derivative of α-TOS (MTOS) was prepared and incorporated in amphiphilic pseudoblock copolymers when copolymerized with N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) by free radical polymerization (poly(VP-co-MTOS)). The selected poly(VP-co-MTOS) copolymers formed surfactant-free NP by nanoprecipitation with sizes between 96 and 220 nm and narrow size distribution, and the in vitro biological activity was tested. In order to understand the structure-activity relationship three other methacrylic monomers were synthesized and characterized: MVE did not have the succinate group, SPHY did not have the chromanol ring, and MPHY did not have both the succinate group and the chromanol ring.

Polyamorphism in aluminate liquids

McMillan, P. F., Wilson, M., Wilding, M. C. (2003). Polyamorphism in aluminate liquids. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 15 (36), 6105-6121 RAE2008

Cross-species identification of Mendel's/locus

Armstead, I. P., Donnison, I. S., Aubry, S., Harper, J. A., H?rtensteiner, S., James, C. L., Mani, J., Moffet, M., Ougham, H. J., Roberts, L. A., Thomas, A. M., Weeden, N., Thomas, S., King, I. P. (2007). Cross-species identification of Mendel's/locus. Science, 315 (5808), 73. Sponsorship: BBSRC RAE2008

Aseguramiento de la calidad de la producción artesanal indígena del departamento del Guainía. Segunda fase : oficios de tejidos y cestería. Informe final.

121 hojas.

The Specialized Mappings Architecture

A probabilistic, nonlinear supervised learning model is proposed: the Specialized Mappings Architecture (SMA). The SMA employs a set of several forward mapping functions that are estimated automatically from training data. Each specialized function maps certain domains of the input space (e.g., image features) onto the output space (e.g., articulated body parameters). The SMA can model ambiguous, one-to-many mappings that may yield multiple valid output hypotheses. Once learned, the mapping functions generate a set of output hypotheses for a given input via a statistical inference procedure. The SMA inference procedure incorporates an inverse mapping or feedback function in evaluating the likelihood of each of the hypothesis. Possible feedback functions include computer graphics rendering routines that can generate images for given hypotheses. The SMA employs a variant of the Expectation-Maximization algorithm for simultaneous learning of the specialized domains along with the mapping functions, and approximate strategies for inference. The framework is demonstrated in a computer vision system that can estimate the articulated pose parameters of a human’s body or hands, given silhouettes from a single image. The accuracy and stability of the SMA are also tested using synthetic images of human bodies and hands, where ground truth is known.

Value-cognizant Speculative Concurrency Control

A problem with Speculative Concurrency Control algorithms and other common concurrency control schemes using forward validation is that committing a transaction as soon as it finishes validating, may result in a value loss to the system. Haritsa showed that by making a lower priority transaction wait after it is validated, the number of transactions meeting their deadlines is increased, which may result in a higher value-added to the system. SCC-based protocols can benefit from the introduction of such delays by giving optimistic shadows with high value-added to the system more time to execute and commit instead of being aborted in favor of other validating transactions, whose value-added to the system is lower. In this paper we present and evaluate an extension to SCC algorithms that allows for commit deferments.

The analysis of Bcr-Abl—Nox signalling in chronic myeloid leukaemia

Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterised by increased proliferation of haematopoietic stem cells. CML results following generation of the chimeric protein Bcr-Abl, a constitutively active tyrosine kinase which induces oncogenesis in part by promoting increased cell survival and proliferation. Since the development of Bcr-Abl-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) there has been a substantial improvement in the clinical treatment of CML. Unfortunately, residual disease and the development of TKI resistance has become an ever growing concern, resulting in the need for a greater understanding of the disease in order to develop new treatment strategies. Interestingly, constitutive expression of the Bcr-Abl in CML is known to produce elevated levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which are known to influence a variety of cellular processes. Previous studies have demonstrated that NADPH oxidase (Nox) activity contributes to intracellular-ROS levels in Bcr-Abl-positive cells, enhancing survival signalling. The objective of this study was to elucidate how Nox protein activity was influenced downstream of Bcr-Abl while examining how Nox-derived ROS influenced CML disease phenotype to identify the potential in targeting these proteins to improve CML treatment. These studies demonstrated that inhibition of Bcr-Abl signalling, led to a significant reduction in ROS levels which was concurrent with the GSK-3dependent, post-translational down-regulation of the small membrane-bound protein p22phox, an essential component of the Nox complex. siRNA knockdown of p22phox identified it to have a significant role in cellular proliferation and cell viability, demonstrating the importance of Nox protein activity in CML disease phenotype. Furthermore, removal of p22phox was demonstrated to make cells significantly more susceptible to Bcr-Abl-specific TKI treatment, while pharmacological silencing of Nox activity in combination with TKIs was demonstrated to produce substantial, synergistic increases in cell death through augmentation of apoptosis, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of targeting Nox proteins in combination with Bcr-Abl inhibition.

Effects of magnetic fields on crystal growth

The effects of a constant uniform magnetic field on thermoelectric currents during dendritic solidification were investigated using an enthalpy based numerical model. It was found that the resulting Lorentz force generates a complex flow influencing the solidification pattern. Experimental work of material processing under high magnetic field conditions has shown that the microstructure can be significantly altered. There is evidence that these effects can be atrtributed to the Lorentz force created through the thermoelectric magentohydrodynamic interactions.[1,2] However the mechanism of how this occurs is not very well understood. In this paper, our aim is to investigate the flow field created from the Lorentz force and how this influences the morphology of dendritic growth for both pure materials and binary alloys.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies of rhodanines: Evidence for substrate surface-induced dimerization

The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of rhodanine adsorbed on silver nanoparticles have been examined using 514.5 and 632.8 nm excitation. There is evidence that, under the experimental conditions used, rhodanine undergoes a nanoparticle surface-induced reaction resulting in the formation of a dimeric species via the active methylene group in a process which is analogous to the Knoevenagel reaction. The experimental observations are supported by DFT calculations at the B3-LYP/cc-pVDZ level. Calculated energies for the interaction of the E and Z isomers of the dimers of rhodanine with silver nanoparticles support a model in which the (intra-molecular hydrogen bonded) E isomer dimer is of lower energy than the Z isomer. A strong band, at 1566 cm(-1), in the SERS spectrum of rhodanine is assigned to the nu(C=C) mode of the dimer species.