Foreign gene transfer into Chinese shrimps (Penaeus chinensis) with gene gun

Plasmids pG DNA-RZ1 with a GFP (green fluorescent protein) reporter gene and a ribozyme gene incising penaeid white spot baculovirus (WSBV) were first introduced into the fertilized eggs of Chinese shrimps by gene gun. The treated and control samples of different development stages were observed with a fluorescent microscope. The transient expression of GFP gene was high in nauplius and zoea larvae. Results from RT-PCR and PCR for adults showed that the foreign genes had been transferred into the shrimps and had expressed the corresponding proteins. This work has established a transgenic method for penaeid shrimps, which will set base for the application of genetic engineering breeding into industry.

蒙古北部Gun Nuur湖泊沉积物的地球化学特征及其古环境意义

了解过去是认识现在和预测未来的基础。全新世是距离现今最近的时代，对全新世环境变化的研究是探究人类与环境相互关系的主要内容。蒙古高原位于气候敏感区域，是全球能量传输的重要通道，同时受到3个气候子系统的共同影响（冬季风、夏季风、西风带），决定了此地区高分辨的记录将可为全新世全球气候变化提供重要的区域证据。但是受研究条件所限，目前蒙古高原的研究多限于在其南部的中国境内，很少涉及蒙古国内的古环境研究。 鉴于此，本文选取蒙古北部Gun Nuur湖泊沉积为研究对象，系统探讨了该湖芯沉积物中碳酸盐含量、碳酸盐碳、氧同位素、有机质含量、有机质碳同位素等地球化学指标在高分辨率气候变化重建中的重要应用价值，得出主要结论和认识如下： 1. Gun Nuur湖心沉积物中碳酸盐含量主要受夏季温度的影响，温度升高，碳酸钙和CO2的水中溶解度减小，进而碳酸盐更容易沉淀。 2. Gun Nuur碳酸盐氧同位素与反映湖区降水/蒸发比的湖泊水位有较明确的关系，即降水/蒸发比降低，水位下降，碳酸盐氧同位素值上升。 3. 温度以及由温度引起的蒸发速率的变化，和生物过程共同影响着湖泊碳酸盐碳同位素的组成，使得Gun Nuur湖心碳酸盐δ13C值气候信息不够敏感。 4. Gun Nuur沉积物有机质δ13C含量主要反映湖泊古生产力的变化，湖泊生产力高时，δ13C值偏正，湖泊生产力低时，δ13C偏负。 5. 由于Gun Nuur湖心沉积物有机质含量反映了历史时期该地区冬季的温度和冬季持续时间的长短，所以这可以作为东亚冬季风的一个良好的指标，并据此重建了过去8000年以来东亚冬季风的变化。

Epidermal Langerhans Cells are Dispensable for Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immunity Elicited by Gene Gun Immunization.

Gene gun immunization, i.e., bombardment of skin with DNA-coated particles, is an efficient method for the administration of DNA vaccines. Direct transfection of APC or cross-presentation of exogenous Ag acquired from transfected nonimmune cells enables MHC-I-restricted activation of CD8(+) T cells. Additionally, MHC-II-restricted presentation of exogenous Ag activates CD4(+) Th cells. Being the principal APC in the epidermis, Langerhans cells (LC) seem ideal candidates to accomplish these functions. However, the dependence on LC of gene gun-induced immune reactions has not yet been demonstrated directly. This was primarily hampered by difficulties to discriminate the contributions of LC from those of other dermal dendritic cells. To address this problem, we have used Langerin-diphtheria toxin receptor knockin mice that allow for selective inducible ablation of LC. LC deficiency, even over the entire duration of experiments, did not affect any of the gene gun-induced immune functions examined, including proliferation of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, IFN-gamma secretion by spleen cells, Ab production, CTL activity, and development of protective antitumor immunity.

Langerin(+) Dermal Dendritic Cells Are Critical for CD8(+) T Cell Activation and IgH gamma-1 Class Switching in Response to Gene Gun Vaccines

The C-type lectin langerin/CD207 was originally discovered as a specific marker for epidermal Langerhans cells (LC). Recently, additional and distinct subsets of langerin(+) dendritic cells (DC) have been identified in lymph nodes and peripheral tissues of mice. Although the role of LC for immune activation or modulation is now being discussed controversially, other langerin(+) DC appear crucial for protective immunity in a growing set of infection and vaccination models. In knock-in mice that express the human diphtheria toxin receptor under control of the langerin promoter, injection of diphtheria toxin ablates LC for several weeks whereas other langerin(+) DC subsets are replenished within just a few days. Thus, by careful timing of diphtheria toxin injections selective states of deficiency in either LC only or all langerin(+) cells can be established. Taking advantage of this system, we found that, unlike selective LC deficiency, ablation of all langerin(+) DC abrogated the activation of IFN-gamma producing and cytolytic CD8(+) T cells after gene gun vaccination. Moreover, we identified migratory langerin(+) dermal DC as the subset that directly activated CD8(+) T cells in lymph nodes. Langerin(+) DC were also critical for IgG1 but not IgG2a Ab induction, suggesting differential polarization of CD4(+) T helper cells by langerin(+) or langerin-negative DC, respectively. In contrast, protein vaccines administered with various adjuvants induced IgG1 independently of langerin(+) DC. Taken together, these findings reflect a highly specialized division of labor between different DC subsets both with respect to Ag encounter as well as downstream processes of immune activation. The Journal of Immunology, 2011, 186: 1377-1383.

Learning how (not) to fire a gun: combatant training and civilian victimization

What is the relationship between the type of training combatants receive upon recruitment into an armed group and their propensity to abuse civilians in civil war? Does military training or political training prevent or exacerbate the victimization of civilians by armed non-state actors? While the literature on civilian victimization has expanded rapidly, few studies have examined the correlation between abuse of civilians and the modes of training that illegal armed actors receive. Using a simple formal model, we develop hypotheses regarding this connection and argue that while military training should not decrease the probability that a combatant engages in civilian abuse, political training should. We test these hypotheses using a new survey consisting of a representative sample of approximately 1,500 demobilized combatants from the Colombian conflict, which we match with department-level data on civilian casualties. The empirical analysis confirms our hypotheses about the connection between training and civilian abuse and the results are robust to adding a full set of controls both at the department and at the individual level

Termination of diamond surfaces with hydrogen, oxygen and fluorine using a small, simple plasma gun

We have formed and characterized polycrystalline diamond films with surfaces having hydrogen terminations, oxygen terminations, or fluorine terminations, using a small, simple and novel plasma gun to bombard the diamond surface, formed by plasma assisted CVD in a prior step, with ions of the wanted terminating species. The potential differences between surface regions with different terminations were measured by Kelvin Force Microscopy (KFM). The highest potential occurred for oxygen termination regions and the lowest for fluorine. The potential difference between regions with oxygen terminations and hydrogen terminations was about 80 mV, and between regions with hydrogen terminations and fluorine terminations about 150 mV. Regions with different terminations were identified and imaged using the secondary electron signal provided by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). since this signal presents contrast for surfaces with different electrical properties. The wettability of the surfaces with different terminations was evaluated, measuring contact angles. The sample with oxygen termination was the most hydrophilic, with a contact angle of 75 degrees. hydrogen-terminated regions with 83 degrees, and fluorine regions 93 degrees, the most hydrophobic sample. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-density gas aggregation nanoparticle gun applied to the production of SmCo clusters

We describe in this article the application of a high-density gas aggregation nanoparticle gun to the production and characterization of high anisotropy SmCo nanoparticles. We give a detailed description of the simple but efficient experimental apparatus with a focus on the microscopic processes of the gas aggregation technique. Using high values of gas flux (similar to 45 sccm) we are able to operate in regimes of high collimation of material. In this regime, as we explain in terms of a phenomenological model, the power applied to the sputtering target becomes the main variable to change the size of the clusters. Also presented are the morphological, structural, and magnetic characterizations of SmCo nanoparticles produced using 10 and 50 W of sputtering power. These values resulted in mean sizes of similar to 12 and similar to 20 nm. Significant differences are seen in the structural and magnetic properties of the samples with the 50 W sample showing a largely enhanced crystalline structure and magnetic anisotropy.