Physical mapping of differences between the chloroplast DNAs of Beta vulgaris and B. webbiana

A physical map of Beta webbiana (a wild species of the section Pro-cumbentes) chloroplast genome was constructed by localizing the cleavage sites of SmaI, PstI, PvuII, XhoI, and HindIII, and the map was then aligned with the map of sugarbeet (B. vulgaris) chloroplast DNA. This alignment shows 27 restriction-site changes and 11 insertions/deletions, most of which occur in the large single-copy region of the genome. A 0.7-kb long mutation, located within an unidentified open reading frame (ORF2280) in the inverted repeat, was also found.     

Shotgun proteomic analysis of porcine colostrum and mature milk

The epitheliochorial nature of the porcine placenta prevents the transfer of maternal immunity. Therefore, ingestion of the colostrum immediately after birth is crucial for neonatal piglets to acquire passive immunity from the sow. We performed a shotgun proteomic analysis of porcine milk to reveal in detail the protein composition of porcine milk. On the basis of the Swiss‐Prot database, 113 and 118 proteins were identified in the porcine colostrum and mature milk, respectively, and 50 of these proteins were common to both samples. Some immune‐related proteins, including interleukin‐18 (IL‐18), were unique to the colostrum. The IL‐18 concentration in the colostrum and mature milk of four sows was measured to validate the proteomic analysis, and IL‐18 was only detected in the colostrum (191.0 ± 53.9 pg/mL) and not in mature milk. In addition, some proteins involved in primary defense, such as azurocidin, which has never been detected in any other mammal's milk, were also identified in the colostrum.     

Observation of a one-dimensional Tonks-Girardeau gas

We report the observation of a one-dimensional (1D) Tonks-Girardeau (TG) gas of bosons moving freely in 1D. Although TG gas bosons are strongly interacting, they behave very much like noninteracting fermions. We enter the TG regime with cold rubidium-87 atoms by trapping them with a combination of two light traps. By changing the trap intensities, and hence the atomic interaction strength, the atoms can be made to act either like a Bose-Einstein condensate or like a TG gas. We measure the total 1D energy and the length of the gas. With no free parameters and over a wide range of coupling strengths, our data fit the exact solution for the ground state of a 1D Bose gas.     

A plant peptide encoded by CLV3 identified by in situ MALDI-TOF MS analysis

The Arabidopsis CLAVATA3 (CLV3) gene encodes a stem cell-specific protein presumed to be a precursor of a secreted peptide hormone. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) applied to in situ Arabidopsis tissues determined the structure of a modified 12-amino acid peptide (MCLV3), which was derived from a conserved motif in the CLV3 sequence. Synthetic MCLV3 induced shoot and root meristem consumption as cells differentiated into other organs, displaying the typical phenotype of transgenic plants overexpressing CLV3. These results suggest that the functional peptide of CLV3 is MCLV3.     

波流作用下网格锚泊的单个重力式网箱缆绳张力

以中国沿海常用的周长40 m×10 m的HDPE重力式网箱作为研究对象,采用渔具模型试验狄克生准则,选用大比例尺(λ=1/10)和小比例尺(λ′＝ 1/2)设计制作模型网箱.网箱锚泊系统采用的网格形式与实际使用的一致.模型试验于日本东京大学生产技术研究所海洋环境工程实验室风浪流水槽[50 m(L)×10 m(W)×5 ...