Regulation of zygotic gene activation in the preimplantation mouse embryo: Global activation and repression of gene expression

Superimposed on the activation of the embryonic genome in the preimplantation mouse embryo is the formation of a transcriptionally repressive state during the two-cell stage. This repression appears mediated at the level of chromatin structure, because it is reversed by inducing histone hyperacetylation or inhibiting the second round of DNA replication. We report that of more than 200 amplicons analyzed by mRNA differential display, about 45% of them are repressed between the two-cell and four-cell stages. This repression is scored as either a decrease in amplicon expression that occurs between the two-cell and four-cell stages or on the ability of either trichostatin A tan inhibitor of histone deacetylases) or aphidicolin tan inhibitor of replicative DNA polymerases) to increase the level of amplicon expression. Results of this study also indicate that about 16% of the amplicons analyzed likely are novel genes whose sequence doesn't correspond to sequences in the current databases, whereas about 20% of the sequences expressed during this transition likely are repetitive sequences. Lastly, inducing histone hyperacetylation in the two-cell embryos inhibits cleavage to the four-cell stage. These results suggest that genome activation is global and relatively promiscuous and that a function of the transcriptionally repressive state is to dictate the appropriate profile of gene expression that is compatible with further development.

UV durable colour pigment doped SmA liquid crystal composites for outdoor trans-reflective bi-stable displays

High brightness trans-reflective bi-stable displays based on smectic A (SmA) liquid crystals (LCs) can have nearly perfect transparency in the clear state and very high reflection in the scattered state. Because the LC material in use is stable under UV radiation, this kind of displays can stand for strong day-light and therefore be ideal for outdoor applications from e-books to public signage and advertisement. However, the colour application has been limited because the traditional colourants in use are conventional dyes which are lack of UV stability and that their colours are easily photo bleached. Here we present a colour SmA display demonstrator using pigments as colourant. Mixing pigments with SmA LCs and maintain the desirable optical switching performance is not straightforward. We show here how it can be done, including how to obtain fine sized pigment nano-particles, the effects of particle size and size distribution on the display performance. Our optimized pigments/SmA compositions can be driven by a low frequency waveform (∼101Hz) to a scattered state to exhibit colour while by a high frequency waveform (∼103Hz) to a cleared state showing no colour. Finally, we will present its excellent UV life-time (at least >7.2 years) in comparison with that of dye composition (∼2.4 years). The complex interaction of pigment nano-particles with LC molecules and the resulting effects on the LC electro-optical performances are still to be fully understood. We hope this work will not only demonstrate a new and practical approach for outdoor reflective colour displays but also provide a new material system for fundamental liquid crystal colloid research work. © 2012 SPIE.

Origin and evolution of the RIG-I like RNA helicase gene family

Background: The DExD/H domain containing RNA helicases such as retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) are key cytosolic pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) for detecting nucleotide pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) of invading viruses. The RIG-I and MDA5 proteins differentially recognise conserved PAMPs in double stranded or single stranded viral RNA molecules, leading to activation of the interferon system in vertebrates. They share three core protein domains including a RNA helicase domain near the C terminus (HELICc), one or more caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs) and an ATP dependent DExD/H domain. The RIG-I/MDA5 directed interferon response is negatively regulated by laboratory of genetics and physiology 2 (LGP2) and is believed to be controlled by the mitochondria antiviral signalling protein (MAVS), a CARD containing protein associated with mitochondria. Results: The DExD/H containing RNA helicases including RIG-I, MDA5 and LGP2 were analysed in silico in a wide spectrum of invertebrate and vertebrate genomes. The gene synteny of MDA5 and LGP2 is well conserved among vertebrates whilst conservation of the gene synteny of RIG-I is less apparent. Invertebrate homologues had a closer phylogenetic relationship with the vertebrate RIG-Is than the MDA5/LGP2 molecules, suggesting the RIG-I homologues may have emerged earlier in evolution, possibly prior to the appearance of vertebrates. Our data suggest that the RIG-I like helicases possibly originated from three distinct genes coding for the core domains including the HELICc, CARD and ATP dependent DExD/H domains through gene fusion and gene/domain duplication. Furthermore, presence of domains similar to a prokaryotic DNA restriction enzyme III domain (Res III), and a zinc finger domain of transcription factor (TF) IIS have been detected by bioinformatic analysis. Conclusion: The RIG-I/MDA5 viral surveillance system is conserved in vertebrates. The RIG-I like helicase family appears to have evolved from a common ancestor that originated from genes encoding different core functional domains. Diversification of core functional domains might be fundamental to their functional divergence in terms of recognition of different viral PAMPs.

Free radical scavenging and antioxidant enzymes activation of polysaccharide extract from Nostoc sphaeroides

Nostoc sphaeroides Kuetzing has been used as a traditional medicine in China to treat a variety of ailments. This research identified the antioxidant activities of polysaccharide extract from Nostoc sphaeroides. The extract, which contains 46.2% carbohydrates, exhibited an effective scavenging capability on superoxide radical, hydroxyl radicals in non site-specific as well as site-specific assays, and also performed lipid peroxidation inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Polysaccharide extract had no 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging potential at all test concentrations. Activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in human embryo kidney 293 cells were increased effectively when Nostoc sphaeroides extract was applied. These results suggested that the use of N. sphaeroides in treating ailments may be based on the antioxidant capacities of polysaccharide composition.

Modelling and comparison of trapped fields in (RE)BCO bulk superconductors for activation using pulsed field magnetization

The ability to generate a permanent, stable magnetic field unsupported by an electromotive force is fundamental to a variety of engineering applications. Bulk high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials can trap magnetic fields of magnitude over ten times higher than the maximum field produced by conventional magnets, which is limited practically to rather less than 2 T. In this paper, two large c-axis oriented, single-grain YBCO and GdBCO bulk superconductors are magnetized by the pulsed field magnetization (PFM) technique at temperatures of 40 and 65 K and the characteristics of the resulting trapped field profile are investigated with a view of magnetizing such samples as trapped field magnets (TFMs) in situ inside a trapped flux-type superconducting electric machine. A comparison is made between the temperatures at which the pulsed magnetic field is applied and the results have strong implications for the optimum operating temperature for TFMs in trapped flux-type superconducting electric machines. The effects of inhomogeneities, which occur during the growth process of single-grain bulk superconductors, on the trapped field and maximum temperature rise in the sample are modelled numerically using a 3D finite-element model based on the H-formulation and implemented in Comsol Multiphysics 4.3a. The results agree qualitatively with the observed experimental results, in that inhomogeneities act to distort the trapped field profile and reduce the magnitude of the trapped field due to localized heating within the sample and preferential movement and pinning of flux lines around the growth section regions (GSRs) and growth sector boundaries (GSBs), respectively. The modelling framework will allow further investigation of various inhomogeneities that arise during the processing of (RE)BCO bulk superconductors, including inhomogeneous Jc distributions and the presence of current-limiting grain boundaries and cracks, and it can be used to assist optimization of processing and PFM techniques for practical bulk superconductor applications. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Identification and expression analysis of two IFN-inducible genes in crucian carp (Carassius auratus L.)

Interferon (IFN) exerts its antiviral effects mainly through activation of a subset of IFN-stimulated genes (ISG), but relatively few of fish ISGs have been isolated and characterized so far. Here, we report two fish ISGs, termed CaIF158 and CaIF156, cloned from a subtractive cDNA library constructed with mRNAs obtained from crucian carp (Carassius auratus L.) blastulae embryonic (CAB) cells infected by UV-inactivated GCHV and mock-infected cells. Database search revealed that both ISGs had a high-level homology with all members of a well conserved gene family with multiple tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) motifs, including human IF160, IF158, IF156, IFI54 and their homologues in some other mammalian species. The transcripts of CaIF158 and CaIF156 were undetectable in CAB cells but could be induced by active GCHV, UV-inactivated GCHV or CAB IFN. Analysis of expression difference between them and IFN signal factors, CaSTAT1 and CaIRF7, indicated that their transcriptions were mediated possibly through JAK-STAT signal pathway, which was further supported by the induction analysis in UV-inactivated GCHV infected, IFN-treated and untreated cells in the presence or absence of cycloheximide (CHX), a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis. In addition, a pufferfish (Fugu rubrides) DNA sequence representing putative FrIFI56 was also revealed when CalF158 and CalF156 were used to search the pufferfish genome database. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these fish ISGs form a unique clad independent of mammalian homologues, reflecting a distant evolutionary relationship from mammals. These studies identified the first teleost IFI56 and IFI58 orthologues. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Development of polymorphic EST markers in Penaeus monodon: applications in penaeid genetics

The objective of this study was to develop type I markers for genome mapping and other genetic studies of Penaeus monodon. Primers were designed based on expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a P monodon cephalothorax cDNA library to amplify 100-300 bp products. 34 of the primer pairs successfully amplified PCR products from genomic DNA. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis showed that similar to 30% of the ESTs tested exhibit polymorphism in a test panel of P monodon individuals. Mendelian inheritance of the EST-derived markers has been established in two international reference mapping families of P monodon, and mapping of these markers is in progress. Some ESTs were successfully amplified from other Penaeus species (P. chinensis, P japonicus and P vannamei), indicating that the markers are applicable in cross-species comparison. Two populations of P. japonicus could be differentiated using one of the ESTS. In conclusion, the polymorphic EST markers developed in this study are applicable in genome mapping and population genetic studies of penaeid shrimp. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Annealing and activation of silicon implanted in semi-insulating InP substrates

We have investigated the annealing and activation of silicon implanted in both as-grown Fe-doped semi-insulating (SI) InP substrate and undoped SI InP substrate obtained by annealing high purity conductive InP wafer (wafer-annealed). Si implantations were performed at an energy of 500 keV and a dose of 1 X 10(15) cm(-2). Following the implantations, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) cycles were carried out for 30 s at different temperatures. The results of Raman measurements show that for 700degreesC/30s RTA, the two Si-implanted SI InP substrates have acquired a high degree of lattice recovery and electrical activation. However, further Hall measurements indicate that the carrier concentration of the wafer-annealed SI InP substrate is about three times higher than that of the as-grown Fe-doped SI InP substrate. The difference can be ascribed to the low Fe concentration of the wafer-annealed SI InP substrate.These experimental data imply that the use of the wafer-annealed SI InP substrate can be conducive to the improvement of InP-based device performances. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solid-phase crystallization and dopant activation of amorphous silicon films by pulsed rapid thermal annealing

An improved pulsed rapid thermal annealing method has been used to crystallize amorphous silicon films prepared by PECVD. The solid-phase crystallization and dopant activation process can be completed with time-temperature budgets such as 10 cycles of 60-s 550 degrees C thermal bias/l-s 850 degrees C thermal pulse. A mean grain size more than 1000 Angstrom and a Hall mobility of 24.9 cm(2)/V s are obtained in the crystallized films. The results indicate that this annealing method possesses the potential for fabricating large-area and good-quality polycrystalline silicon films on low-cost glass substrate. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal activation and thermal transfer of localized excitons in InAs self-organized quantum dots

We have investigated the temperature dependence of photoluminescence (PL) properties of a number of InAs/GaAs heterostructures with InAs layer thickness ranging from 0.5 monolayer (ML) to 3 ML. The temperature dependence of the InAs exciton energy and linewidth was found to display a significant difference when the InAs layer thickness is smaller or larger than the critical thickness around 1.7 ML, indicating spontaneous formation of quantum dots (QDs). A model, involving exciton recombination and thermal activation and transfer, is proposed to explain the experimental data. In the PL thermal quenching study, the measured thermal activation energies of different samples demonstrate that the InAs wetting layer may act as a barrier for thermionic emission of carriers in high quality InAs multilayers, while in InAs monolayers and submonolayers the carriers are required to overcome the GaAs barrier to thermally escape from the localized states. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.

A standard CMOS compatible monolithic photo-detector and trans-impedance amplifier

A 1GHz monolithic photo-detector (PD) and trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) is designed with the standard 0.35 mu m CMOS technique. The design of the photo-detector is analyzed and the CMOS trans-impedance amplifier is also analyzed in the paper. The integrating method is described too. The die photograph is also showed in the paper.

RECRYSTALLIZATION, IMPURITY MIGRATION AND OPTICAL ACTIVATION OF YB-IMPLANTED SILICON INDUCED BY RAPID THERMAL ANNEALING

The rapid thermal annealing temperature dependence of the recrystallization, Yb migration and its optical activation were studied for Yb-implanted silicon. For the annealing regime 800-1000-degrees-C, the Yb segregates both at the crystal/amorphous interface and at the surface, which is different from the usual segregation of Er at the crystal/amorphous interface, and the efficiency of optical activation also increases with annealing temperature. However, the amorphous layer regrows completely and no photoluminescence is observed after the annealing at 1200-degrees-C.

MBE of GaN with DC-plasma source for nitrogen activation

In this paper we report on the first results of epitaxial growth of GaN layers on GaAs (100) substrates using a modified MBE system, equipped with a DC-plasma source for nitrogen activation in configuration of reverse magnetron at ultra-low pressures.