Effect of a sand substrate on the growth and survival of hatchlings of the softshell turtle, Trionyx sinensis Wiegmann

Softshell turtle (Trionyx sinensis Wiegmann) hatchlings were reared at 28 ± 2°C in the laboratory to test the effect of the presence of a sand substrate. The growth and survival of the hatchlings were monitored for a period of 14 weeks. The presence of the sand substrte significantly enhanced the growth of the hatchlings. Survival of the hatchlings, however, was independent of the presence of the sand substrate.     

Dietary Fucoxanthin Increases Metabolic Rate and Upregulated mRNA Expressions of the PGC-1alpha Network,Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Fusion Genes in White Adipose Tissues of Mice

The mechanism for how fucoxanthin (FX) suppressed adipose accumulation is unclear. We aim to investigate the effects of FX on metabolic rate and expressions of genes related to thermogenesis, mitochondria biogenesis and homeostasis. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, four groups of mice were respectively fed a high sucrose (50% sucrose) or a high-fat diet (23% butter + 7% soybean oil) supplemented with or without 0.2% FX. FX significantly increased oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production and reduced white adipose tissue (WAT) mass. The mRNA expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), cell death-inducing DFFA-like effecter a (CIDEA), PPARα, PPARγ, estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα), β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) and deiodinase 2 (Dio2) were significantly upregulated in inguinal WAT (iWAT) and epididymal WAT (eWAT) by FX. Mitochondrial biogenic genes, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) and NRF2, were increased in eWAT by FX. Noticeably, FX upregulated genes of mitochondrial fusion, mitofusin 1 (Mfn1), Mfn2 and optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), but not mitochondrial fission, Fission 1, in both iWAT and eWAT. In conclusion, dietary FX enhanced the metabolic rate and lowered adipose mass irrespective of the diet. These were associated with upregulated genes of the PGC-1α network and mitochondrial fusion in eWAT and iWAT.     

Multiple realities of the Growth Triangle: Mapping knowledge and the politics of mapping

Abstract: The Singapore‐Indonesia‐Malaysia Growth Triangle has been applauded by the governments of the three nation states, economists and transnational corporations as an economic success. However, other stark realities are evident at the local level as well. The Growth Triangle is supplanting older cultural and economic geographies. This has given rise to struggles over rights to territories and resources. Of the three points in the triangle, it is the landscape of Riau‐Indonesia that has been transformed most dramatically. A comparative study of the cadastral maps of the administrators of the Growth Triangle versus the community maps of the indigenous peoples shows the differences in their perceived spatial ideas of Riau. It also highlights the different systems of knowledge as upheld by the administrators in contrast to that of the indigenous inhabitants. This comparative study brings to attention the issues of knowledge construction, mapping knowledge and the politics of mapping.     

Functional expression in pichia pastoris of an acidic pectin methylesterase from jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang)

A cDNA fragment encoding an acidic pectin methylesterase (PME) of jelly fig achene was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris under the control of the glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter. The recombinant PME was produced as a secretory protein by N-terminal fusion of a cleavable prepropeptide for signal trafficking, and thus easily harvested from the culture medium. Compared with native N-glycosylated PME (38 kDa) purified from jelly fig achenes, this recombinant PME (45 kDa) appeared to be hyperglycosylated. Activity staining indicated that the recombinant PME was functionally active. Yet the hyperglycosylated recombinant PME possessed thermostability and enzymatic capability over a broad pH range equivalent to those of the native PME. The success of functional production of this acidic jelly fig PME in P. pastoris has significantly broadened its applications in industry.     

Fast readout of object identity from macaque inferior temporal cortex

Understanding the brain computations leading to object recognition requires quantitative characterization of the information represented in inferior temporal (IT) cortex. We used a biologically plausible, classifier-based readout technique to investigate the neural coding of selectivity and invariance at the IT population level. The activity of small neuronal populations (approximately 100 randomly selected cells) over very short time intervals (as small as 12.5 milliseconds) contained unexpectedly accurate and robust information about both object "identity" and "category." This information generalized over a range of object positions and scales, even for novel objects. Coarse information about position and scale could also be read out from the same population.     

Monolithic microfabricated valves and pumps by multilayer soft lithography

Soft lithography is an alternative to silicon-based micromachining that uses replica molding of nontraditional elastomeric materials to fabricate stamps and microfluidic channels. We describe here an extension to the soft lithography paradigm, multilayer soft lithography, with which devices consisting of multiple layers may be fabricated from soft materials. We used this technique to build active microfluidic systems containing on-off valves, switching valves, and pumps entirely out of elastomer. The softness of these materials allows the device areas to be reduced by more than two orders of magnitude compared with silicon-based devices. The other advantages of soft lithography, such as rapid prototyping, ease of fabrication, and biocompatibility, are retained.     

谷子基本核型的研究

 我们对具有代表性的10个谷子品种进行了核型分析，综合这些核型特征提出了一个谷子基本核型模式图：K（2n）=2x=18=16m+2st（SAT）。这对解决细胞学图与传统的表示基因定位的遗传学图往往不甚符合的矛盾，是有参考价值的。     

杉木连根采掘试验研究

本文通过对杉木全树采伐工艺分析和采掘试验研究。结果表明:杉木连根拔树采掘可延长应用主干28cm,造6m材每单株平均可净增产值25.78元,是一种综合利用杉木资源,提高经济效益的有效途径。     

Daily rhythm in tyrosine concentration in human plasma: persistence on low-protein diets

The concentration of tyrosine in the plasma of normal males varies diurnally. It is lowest (9.5 +/- 0.35 micrograms per milliliter) between 0130 and 0230 hours and rises to a peak of 16.2 +/- 0.82 micrograms per milliliter by 1030 hours. This rhythm persists when subjects are maintained for 2 weeks on a diet that is very low in protein.     

Essential role of Fkbp6 in male fertility and homologous chromosome pairing in meiosis

Meiosis is a critical stage of gametogenesis in which alignment and synapsis of chromosomal pairs occur, allowing for the recombination of maternal and paternal genomes. Here we show that FK506 binding protein (Fkbp6) localizes to meiotic chromosome cores and regions of homologous chromosome synapsis. Targeted inactivation of Fkbp6 in mice results in aspermic males and the absence of normal pachytene spermatocytes. Moreover, we identified the deletion of Fkbp6 exon 8 as the causative mutation in spontaneously male sterile as/as mutant rats. Loss of Fkbp6 results in abnormal pairing and misalignments between homologous chromosomes, nonhomologous partner switches, and autosynapsis of X chromosome cores in meiotic spermatocytes. Fertility and meiosis are normal in Fkbp6 mutant females. Thus, Fkbp6 is a component of the synaptonemal complex essential for sex-specific fertility and for the fidelity of homologous chromosome pairing in meiosis.