Direct measurement of femtomoles of osmium and the 187Os/186Os ratio in seawater

Two depth profiles of the osmium concentration and the 187Os/186Os isotopic ratio in the Indian Ocean showed that the osmium concentration seems to be unaltered by chemical or biological processes occuring in seawater; accordingly, osmium is conservative. These data were obtained from an experimental method that eliminated the problems related to osmium preconcentration. This method led to a new evaluation of the concentration of osmium in seawater; the mean concentration of osmium and the 187Os/186Os ratio are equal to 10.86 +/- 0.07 picograms per kilogram and 8.80 +/- 0.07, respectively. The results suggest the existence of an organocomplex that dominates the speciation of osmium in seawater.     

Topography of the northern hemisphere of Mercury from MESSENGER laser altimetry

Laser altimetry by the MESSENGER spacecraft has yielded a topographic model of the northern hemisphere of Mercury. The dynamic range of elevations is considerably smaller than those of Mars or the Moon. The most prominent feature is an extensive lowland at high northern latitudes that hosts the volcanic northern plains. Within this lowland is a broad topographic rise that experienced uplift after plains emplacement. The interior of the 1500-km-diameter Caloris impact basin has been modified so that part of the basin floor now stands higher than the rim. The elevated portion of the floor of Caloris appears to be part of a quasi-linear rise that extends for approximately half the planetary circumference at mid-latitudes. Collectively, these features imply that long-wavelength changes to Mercury's topography occurred after the earliest phases of the planet's geological history.     

Unconditional quantum teleportation

Quantum teleportation of optical coherent states was demonstrated experimentally using squeezed-state entanglement. The quantum nature of the achieved teleportation was verified by the experimentally determined fidelity Fexp = 0.58 +/- 0.02, which describes the match between input and output states. A fidelity greater than 0.5 is not possible for coherent states without the use of entanglement. This is the first realization of unconditional quantum teleportation where every state entering the device is actually teleported.     

Two-dimensional nanosheets produced by liquid exfoliation of layered materials

If they could be easily exfoliated, layered materials would become a diverse source of two-dimensional crystals whose properties would be useful in applications ranging from electronics to energy storage. We show that layered compounds such as MoS(2), WS(2), MoSe(2), MoTe(2), TaSe(2), NbSe(2), NiTe(2), BN, and Bi(2)Te(3) can be efficiently dispersed in common solvents and can be deposited as individual flakes or formed into films. Electron microscopy strongly suggests that the material is exfoliated into individual layers. By blending this material with suspensions of other nanomaterials or polymer solutions, we can prepare hybrid dispersions or composites, which can be cast into films. We show that WS(2) and MoS(2) effectively reinforce polymers, whereas WS(2)/carbon nanotube hybrid films have high conductivity, leading to promising thermoelectric properties.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide inhibits a cation channel in renal inner medullary collecting duct cells

The patch-clamp technique was used to examine the effects of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its second messenger guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) on an amiloride-sensitive cation channel in the apical membrane of renal inner medullary collecting duct cells. Both ANP (10(-11) M) and dibutyryl guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (10(-4) M) inhibited the channel in cell-attached patches, and cGMP (10(-5) M) inhibited the channel in inside-out patches. The inner medullary collecting duct is the first tissue in which ANP, via its second messenger cGMP, has been shown to regulate single ion channels. The results suggest that the natriuretic action of ANP is related in part to cGMP-mediated inhibition of electrogenic Na+ absorption by the inner medullary collecting duct.     

Tracking the long-term decline and recovery of an isolated population

Effects of small population size and reduced genetic variation on the viability of wild animal populations remain controversial. During a 35-year study of a remnant population of greater prairie chickens, population size decreased from 2000 individuals in 1962 to fewer than 50 by 1994. Concurrently, both fitness, as measured by fertility and hatching rates of eggs, and genetic diversity declined significantly. Conservation measures initiated in 1992 with translocations of birds from large, genetically diverse populations restored egg viability. Thus, sufficient genetic resources appear to be critical for maintaining populations of greater prairie chickens.     

An Association Analysis Between a Silent C558T Polymorphism at the Pig Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 Locus and Sow Reproduction and Piglet Survivability Traits

The vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) has a strong influence on embryonic development and on the formation of the umbilical cord and placenta. These developmental processes are crucial to ensure the success of pregnancy. In this work, we have identified two T306A and C558T single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at exons 2 and 3 of the pig VCAM1 locus, respectively. The T306A substitution involves a non conservative Asn to Lys replacement at amino acid position 102, whereas the C558T polymorphism is synonymous. An in silico prediction of the consequences of the Asn₁₀₂→Lys₁₀₂ mutation with the PolyPhen software revealed that it is not deleterious. The T306A SNP segregated in the Iberian, Piétrain, Duroc, Large White and Landrace breeds as well as in European wild boars. The C558T SNP also segregated and most of commercial standard breeds. The genotyping of the C558T SNP in an Iberian × Meishan intercross allowed to find a suggestive association (Bonferroni threshold, p < 0.004) between C558T genotype and time the newborn piglet needs to reach the udder (p = 0.013) as well as a significant one with time to make the first ingestion of colostrum (p = 0.003). The biological basis of these associations remains unclear and they should be interpreted with caution.