Flavobacterium anhuiense sp nov., isolated from field soil

A novel strain, D3(T), isolated from a field-soil sample obtained from Anhui Province, PR China, was characterized taxonomically by using a polyphasic approach. The cells were Gram-negative, yellow-pigmented rods devoid of flagella, but showing gliding motility. The organism was able to grow at 5-37 degrees C and at pH 4.0-10.0. A comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain D3(T) is a member of the genus Flavobacterium, sharing highest sequence similarity with the type strain of Flavobacterium defluvii (96.7 %). The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6 and the predominant fatty acids were iso-C-15:0, summed feature 3 (C-16:1 omega 7c and/or iso-C-15:0 2-OH) and C-16:0. The DNA G + C content was 31.4 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic data, strain D3(T) represents a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium anhuiense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is D3(T) (=KCTC 22128(T)= CGIVICC 1.6859(T)).

In situ annealing during the growth of relaxed SiGe

In this paper, a graded Si1-xGex buffer and thereafter the Si0.8Ge0.2 uniform layer were grown at a little lower temperature to keep the surface smooth, which will provide the gliding dislocations a wider channel and less low energy nucleation sites on the surface. Therefore, the dislocation density may be reduced. However, the motion of the existing threading dislocations cannot retain equilibrium at lower temperature, strain will accumulate and be in favor of the nucleation of dislocation. In situ annealing was used to reduce the residual strain in the sample during the low-temperature growth of SiGe. A fully relaxed Si0.8Ge0.2 layer was obtained with the surface dislocation density of 3x10(5)cm(-2).

Lineage-specific domain fusion in the evolution of purine nucleotide cyclases in cyanobacteria

Cyclic nucleotides (both cAMP and cGMP) play extremely important roles in cyanobacteria, such as regulating heterocyst formation, respiration, or gliding. Catalyzing the formation of cAMP and cGMP from ATP and GTP is a group of functionally important enzymes named adenylate cyclases and guanylate cyclases, respectively. To understand their evolutionary patterns, in this study, we presented a systematic analysis of all the cyclases in cyanobacterial genomes. We found that different cyanobacteria had various numbers of cyclases in view of their remarkable diversities in genome size and physiology. Most of these cyclases exhibited distinct domain architectures, which implies the versatile functions of cyanobacterial cyclases. Mapping the whole set of cyclase domain architectures from diverse prokaryotic organisms to their phylogenetic tree and detailed phylogenetic analysis of cyclase catalytic domains revealed that lineage-specific domain recruitment appeared to be the most prevailing pattern contributing to the great variability of cyanobacterial cyclase domain architectures. However, other scenarios, such as gene duplication, also occurred during the evolution of cyanobacterial cyclases. Sequence divergence seemed to contribute to the origin of putative guanylate cyclases which were found only in cyanobacteria. In conclusion, the comprehensive survey of cyclases in cyanobacteria provides novel insight into their potential evolutionary mechanisms and further functional implications.

深水滑翔机器人耐压壳体结构优化设计

针对深水滑翔机器人耐压壳体在深水中压缩变形和海水密度随水深增大而变化等因素造成驱动浮力变化问题,利用压缩变形和密度变化对驱动浮力影响的互补特性,归纳了载体耐压壳体结构优化设计方法。保证耐压壳体抗压条件和质量最小前提下采用结构优化设计方法,降低耐压壳体压缩变形和海水密度变化对驱动浮力的影响,提高系统能源的利用率。

水下滑翔机器人水动力研究与运动分析

水下滑翔机器人是一种无外挂推进系统,仅依靠内置执行机构调整重心位置和净浮力来控制其自身运动的新型水下机器人,主要用于长时间、大范围的海洋环境监测,因此要求其具有低阻性和高稳定性.文章主要从水动力特性出发对水下滑翔机器人进行优化设计,包括主载体线型、升降翼和稳定翼的优化等,并对水动力优化设计的结构进行了定常滑翔运动和空间螺旋回转运动分析,这将为后期的控制系统设计提供参考.

水下滑翔机器人系统研究

水下滑翔机器人是一种新型的水下机器人,可以作为水下监测平台用于大范围、长时间的大尺度海洋环境监测作业。文中调查了水下滑翔机器人的国内外发展现状,分析了其可能的应用领域。详细介绍了中国科学院沈阳自动化研究所开发的水下滑翔机器人系统,包括载体外形优化设计、载体结构设计和控制系统设计。分析了水下滑翔机器人定常滑翔运动和空间螺旋会转运动的运动性能。

水下滑翔机器人运动调节机构设计与运动性能分析

描述了水下滑翔机器人3个运动调节机构的设计,即浮力调节机构、俯仰调节机构和横滚调节机构,分析了运动调节机构与运动之间的关系.提出了采用CFX水动力计算软件分析水下滑翔机器人运动性能的方法.根据CFX计算结果,用最小二乘法参数辨识方法辨识出定常滑翔运动的水动力参数.简化了空间螺旋回转运动过程,通过CFX水动力计算方法进行回转特性分析,估算回转半径.

南海北部陆缘深水区构造－热演化与烃源岩成熟度史研究

Abstract In order to provide basic data for evaluation of the petroleum potential in the deep water area of the northern margin of the South China Sea (SCS), present-day thermal regime and basin tectonothermal evolution are reconstructed and the maturation history of the Cenozoic major source rocks in the study area is derived. The present-day geothermal regime in the deep water area of the northern margin of SCS is defined according to the geothermal gradient, thermal properties and heat flow data. Tectonic subsidence history is reconstructed based on borehole and seismic data, and accordingly the stretching episodes are determined from the subsidence pattern. Heat flow history in the deep water area of the northern margin of SCS is estimated on a finite time, laterally non-uniform and multi-episode stretching model. Maturation history of the main source rocks in the study area is estimated through EASYRo% kinetic model and thermal history, and the potential of petroleum in the deep water area of the northern margin of SCS is evaluated based on the data above. The results show that the present-day geothermal regime in the deep water area of the northern margin of SCS is characterized by “hot basin” with high geothermal gradient (39.1±7.4℃/km) and high heat flow (77.5±14.8 mW/m2), and that the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) underwent three stretching episodes and consequently suffered three heating episodes (Eocene, Oligocene and Pliocene time) with highest paleo-heat flow of 65～90 mW/m2 at the end of the Pliocene, that the Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB) two stretching and two heating episodes (Eocene, Oligocene time) with highest paleo-heat flow of 60～70 mW/m2 at the end of the Oligocene, and that the source rocks matured drastically responding to the heating episodes. There are four hydrocarbon generation kitchens in the deep water area of the northern margin of SCS which are favor of its bright petroleum perspective. Tectonothermal analysis indicates that the present-day geothermal regime which is characterized with “hot basin” in the deep water area of the PRMB resulted mainly from the Cenozoic stretching as well as faulting and magmatic activities during the Neotectonic period, and that the Pliocene heating episode of the QDNB is coupled with the transition from sinistral to dextral gliding of the Red Rive fault, and that the deep water basins in the northern margin of SCS are typical of multiple rifting which caused multi-episode heating process.

论大型拆离滑覆构造的特征、形成机制及其与油气成藏关系—以渤海湾盆地冀中坳陷饶阳凹陷为例

The studies of this paper is an important part of the "ninth five" science&technology-tackling project of CNPC -The oil and gas distribution regulation and the aims of explortion in jizhong depression. Basing on the former research results, with the materials of regional structural setting, major tectonic movements, bi-and tri-dimension seismic sections, oil well sections and reservoir sections, this paper involves studies of tectonic evolution, sedimentarv evolution, magma movement and reservoir prediction. The existence of huge stripping and gliding nappe is proved in the RaoYang Sag for the frist time. The properties, development, evolution and the relationship with reservoir of the stripping and gliding nappe are discussed in details in this paper. It is also talked about the affects of stripping and nappes to oil and gas exploration theoretically and practically in the paper. The marking attributes of the stripping and gliding nappe includes stripping and gliding plane, two deformation systems, stratigraphic repeat and hiatus close to the stripping and gliding plane, and the deformation attributes in the front and back of stripping and gliding nappe. The RaoYang stripping and gliding nappes can be divided into different belts in north-south direction and different zones in east-west direction. RaoYang Stripping and gliging nappes took place in the late Paleogene period and before the sedimentation of Neogene period. The sliding direction is NWW. The sliding distance is about 6km. The geothermal gradient in the separating slump area is low and stable. The formation of the stripping and gliding nappes is due to the regional structural setting, the sediments of Paleogene system, the soft roof and the uneven rising movement of structure units. The evolution of the stripping and gliding nappes can be divided into the following stages: regional differential elevation and subsidence, unstable gravity and gravitational sliding, the frist wholly stripping faults and sliding stage, and the following second and third stripping faults and sliding stages. The identification of RaoNan stripping and gliding nappes has an important role on the research of regional structure and oil and gas exploration. Basing on the properties of stripping and gliding nappes, we can identtify the gliding fractures, ductile compressional folds, the front and back structures of gliding nappes and gliding plane covered structures. Combination with different reservoir forming conditions, these structures can lead to different categories of reservoirs.

库车坳陷-南天山盆山系统第三纪脆性构造研究

Study on the structural coupling relationship between basin and range is not only helpful to recognize the basin formation and evolution systematically, but also to guide petroleum exploration in the basin. As a late Paleozoic Orogen, the South Tianshan Mountains reactivated and uplifted rapidly during the Cenozoic, and led to the Mesozoic-Cenozoic considerable thick deposits in the Kuqa Depression. The researches of the dissertation were carried out in the Kuqa depression-South Tianshan M ountain s ystem, a nd t he b rittle m icrotectonics w. ere c hosen as t he m ost important object. Based on observations and measurements of the field, we made detailed investigations on the geometry and kinematics of this area, and analyzed the abutting and cutting relationships and relative sequence of many brittle structures, such as joint, shear fractures, faults and some small-scale structures related to them closely. According to those brittle fractures' relationships with stress, the nature and variation of regional palaeostress field during the Cenozoic were studied through inversion of fault slip data and inferring stress state from joint sequences. And the deformation time was estimated primarily via ESR dating of faulting. Results show that the stress field varies as well in times as in space. The maximal principal stress direction shifted from the vertical to the horizontal, and stress regime from weak extension to strong compression from the Paleogene to the Neogene regionally. During the late Neogene, the structural deformation of the South Tianshan and the basin-range boundary was dominated by near N-S extension, while near N-S compressive deformation in the interior of the Kuqa Depression. There exits obvious differential stress state from the north to the south. ESR dating of the faulting during the Cenozoic indicates that, the normal faulting in the north edge of the Kuqa Depression have been active all along from the Miocene to the early Pleistocene, but the thrusting and reverse faulting in the interior only been active from the Pliocene to the early Pleistocene. On the base of those geological data and some geophysical information and theoretical calculation results, we infer that, the different stress regime the basin-range system is ascribed to the vertical uplift of the Tianshan Mountain. It was the vertical uplift that lead to the gravity-driven gliding of thick layers lying on the faulted basement from the South Tianshan Mountain to the Kuqa depression, and to folding and thrusting in the interior and frontal of the Kuqa depression. Combining the structural evolution with petroleum geological conditions of the Kuqa Depression, we think that the strong compressive deformation of the Kuqa Depression during rapid uplifting of the Tianshan Mountains from the Pliocene to the early Pleistocene play crucial role in the structural trap formation and proliferous gas accumulation.

A kinesin motor in a force-producing conformation.

BACKGROUND: Kinesin motors hydrolyze ATP to produce force and move along microtubules, converting chemical energy into work by a mechanism that is only poorly understood. Key transitions and intermediate states in the process are still structurally uncharacterized, and remain outstanding questions in the field. Perturbing the motor by introducing point mutations could stabilize transitional or unstable states, providing critical information about these rarer states. RESULTS: Here we show that mutation of a single residue in the kinesin-14 Ncd causes the motor to release ADP and hydrolyze ATP faster than wild type, but move more slowly along microtubules in gliding assays, uncoupling nucleotide hydrolysis from force generation. A crystal structure of the motor shows a large rotation of the stalk, a conformation representing a force-producing stroke of Ncd. Three C-terminal residues of Ncd, visible for the first time, interact with the central beta-sheet and dock onto the motor core, forming a structure resembling the kinesin-1 neck linker, which has been proposed to be the primary force-generating mechanical element of kinesin-1. CONCLUSIONS: Force generation by minus-end Ncd involves docking of the C-terminus, which forms a structure resembling the kinesin-1 neck linker. The mechanism by which the plus- and minus-end motors produce force to move to opposite ends of the microtubule appears to involve the same conformational changes, but distinct structural linkers. Unstable ADP binding may destabilize the motor-ADP state, triggering Ncd stalk rotation and C-terminus docking, producing a working stroke of the motor.

Discrete cyclic di-GMP-dependent control of bacterial predation versus axenic growth in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a Delta-proteobacterium that oscillates between free-living growth and predation on Gram-negative bacteria including important pathogens of man, animals and plants. After entering the prey periplasm, killing the prey and replicating inside the prey bdelloplast, several motile B. bacteriovorus progeny cells emerge. The B. bacteriovorus HD100 genome encodes numerous proteins predicted to be involved in signalling via the secondary messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP), which is known to affect bacterial lifestyle choices. We investigated the role of c-di-GMP signalling in B. bacteriovorus, focussing on the five GGDEF domain proteins that are predicted to function as diguanylyl cyclases initiating c-di-GMP signalling cascades. Inactivation of individual GGDEF domain genes resulted in remarkably distinct phenotypes. Deletion of dgcB (Bd0742) resulted in a predation impaired, obligately axenic mutant, while deletion of dgcC (Bd1434) resulted in the opposite, obligately predatory mutant. Deletion of dgcA (Bd0367) abolished gliding motility, producing bacteria capable of predatory invasion but unable to leave the exhausted prey. Complementation was achieved with wild type dgc genes, but not with GGAAF versions. Deletion of cdgA (Bd3125) substantially slowed predation; this was restored by wild type complementation. Deletion of dgcD (Bd3766) had no observable phenotype. In vitro assays showed that DgcA, DgcB, and DgcC were diguanylyl cyclases. CdgA lacks enzymatic activity but functions as a c-di-GMP receptor apparently in the DgcB pathway. Activity of DgcD was not detected. Deletion of DgcA strongly decreased the extractable c-di-GMP content of axenic Bdellovibrio cells. We show that c-di-GMP signalling pathways are essential for both the free-living and predatory lifestyles of B. bacteriovorus and that obligately predatory dgcC- can be made lacking a propensity to survive without predation of bacterial pathogens and thus possibly useful in anti-pathogen applications. In contrast to many studies in other bacteria, Bdellovibrio shows specificity and lack of overlap in c-di-GMP signalling pathways.

Role of plasmodium translationally repressed gene products in malaria transmission

Tese de doutoramento, Ciências Biomédicas (Microbiologia e Parasitologia), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2015

Application of fractional algorithms in the control of a robotic bird

In this paper, it is studied the dynamics of the robotic bird in terms of time response and robustness. It is analyzed the wing angle of attack and the velocity of the bird, the tail influence, the gliding flight and the flapping flight. The results are positive for the construction of flying robots. The development of computational simulation based on the dynamic of the robotic bird should allow testing strategies and different algorithms of control such as integer and fractional controllers.

Implicações das competências técnico-organizacionais para a performance competitiva em empresas seguidoras de mercado: evidências do segmento de turismo de aventura no Rio de Janeiro

This work focuses on the implications of technological-organizational competences for improvement of performance indicators. This relationship is examined during 1984 to 2005 in three small companies that operate in Rio de Janeiro within adventure tourism, more specifically, within tandem flights on hang-gliding. Based on a comparative case study grounded in both qualitative and quantitative empirical evidences collected in a detailed field search, this study is supported by an existing metric available in literature and adapted to adventure tourism segment. The metric to measure competences is based on four techno-organizational function: (i) product; (ii) sales & marketing; (iii) infra-structure & operational process; (iv) managing systems. The examination of performance improvement is based on a set of typical indicators used by this segment to evaluate results. This dissertation contributes to deepening the understanding of how techno-organizational competences affect the competitive performance of companies in this sector of adventure tourism.