South China Sea Isopycnal-Surface Circulation

This paper investigates the seasonal variabilities of the South China Sea isopycnal-surface circulations and of the Kuroshio intrusion through the Luzon Strait using the U.S. Navy’s climatological temperature and salinity dataset (public domain) with ½8 3 ½8 resolution by the P-vector method. The representative pattern is a persistent basin-scale cyclonic circulation away from the surface, and a seasonally varying circulation with a weak anticylonic gyre in the summer and a strong cyclonic gyre in the winter near the surface. This pattern is consistent with a classical view of mean cyclonic circulation in large stratified lakes and semienclosed marginal seas by Emery and Csanady and with a recent numerical simulation using the navy’s Layered Ocean Model by Metzger and Hurlburt. The computed monthly volume transport through the Luzon Strait is negative (inflow) all year round with a minimum value of 213.7 Sv in February (strongest intrusion) and a maximum value of 21.4 Sv in September (weakest intrusion). The annual mean transport is 26.5 Sv (intrusion).Office of Naval Research NOMP ProgramNaval Oceanographic OfficeNaval Postgraduate SchoolChinese National Science Foundatio

South China Sea Isopycnal-Surface Circulation

This paper investigates the seasonal variabilities of the South China Sea isopycnal-surface circulations and of the Kuroshio intrusion through the Luzon Strait using the U.S. Navy’s climatological temperature and salinity dataset (public domain) with ½° x ½° resolution by the P-vector method. The representative pattern is a persistent basin-scale cyclonic circulation away from the surface, and a seasonally varying circulation with a weak anticylonic gyre in the summer and a strong cyclonic gyre in the winter near the surface. This pattern is consistent with a classical view of mean cyclonic circulation in large stratified lakes and semienclosed marginal seas by Emery and Csanady and with a recent numerical simulation using the navy’s Layered Ocean Model by Metzger and Hurlburt. The computed monthly volume transport through the Luzon Strait is negative (inflow) all year round with a minimum value of 213.7 Sv in February (strongest intrusion) and a maximum value of 21.4 Sv in September (weakest intrusion). The annual mean transport is 26.5 Sv (intrusion).Office of Naval Research NOMP ProgramNaval Oceanographic OfficeNaval Postgraduate Schoo

Cholesterol-directed nanoparticle assemblies based on single amino acid peptide mutations activate cellular uptake and decrease tumor volume.

Peptide drugs have been difficult to translate into effective therapies due to their low in vivo stability. Here, we report a strategy to develop peptide-based therapeutic nanoparticles by screening a peptide library differing by single-site amino acid mutations of lysine-modified cholesterol. Certain cholesterol-modified peptides are found to promote and stabilize peptide α-helix formation, resulting in selectively cell-permeable peptides. One cholesterol-modified peptide self-assembles into stable nanoparticles with considerable α-helix propensity stabilized by intermolecular van der Waals interactions between inter-peptide cholesterol molecules, and shows 68.3% stability after incubation with serum for 16 h. The nanoparticles in turn interact with cell membrane cholesterols that are disproportionately present in cancer cell membranes, inducing lipid raft-mediated endocytosis and cancer cell death. Our results introduce a strategy to identify peptide nanoparticles that can effectively reduce tumor volumes when administered to in in vivo mice models. Our results also provide a simple platform for developing peptide-based anticancer drugs

Slope-Dependent Biophysical Modeling of Surf Zone Larval Transport

Onshore transport of intertidal invertebrate larvae at a reflective (steep beach slope) and an intermediate (relatively gradual beach slope) beach is modeled. Physical model calculations are conducted with the measured bathymetry data and averaged wave data obtained during the summer of 2010 at Sand City beach, CA (intermediate beach) and the summer of 2011 at Carmel River State Beach, CA (reflective beach). The physical model output is then used in a Lagrangian larval tracking model. Our results show that larval delivery to the surf zone is higher at the more dissipative beach than at the more reflective beach, and this is consistent with the larval recruitment study by Shanks et al. (2010). Also, two possible factors for the successful onshore larval transport on an intermediate beach, turbulent-dependent sinking behavior and buoyancy of larvae, are not always necessary in the case of a reflective beach

Interspecific hybridization with African marigold (Tagetes erecta) can improve flower-related performance in French marigold (T. patula)

The present research was intended for interspecific hybridization between two male sterile African marigold lines and six self-lines of French marigolds. The results show that as indicated by the full seed number per capitulum, the pollen amount of French marigold pollen influenced the authentic compatibilities reckoned for the 10 cross combinations configured to some amount. Based on the field performance of these interspecific hybrids, it is known that the parental French marigold’s single-petaled and silvery flower type may well be improved to a heavy-petaled type while the flower colour remains the same or changes to a lighter version with the same hue. Furthermore, the progeny of certain crossings exceeded the male parents in terms of growth, leaf, and flower-related features, particularly plant height, crown breadth, flower number per plant, and ligulate flower quantity. The most remarkable finding was that, compared to the parental French marigold, most of the hybrid combinations' progeny could blossom 0-11 days earlier. Finally, we identified two excellent hybrid combinations that may be used as a reference for future breeding and commercialization of new marigold varieties

Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-activity is involved in sperm acrosomal function and anti-polyspermy defense during porcine fertilization

The 26S proteasome, which is a multi-subunit protease with specificity for substrate proteins that are postranslationally modified by ubiquitination, has been implicated in acrosomal function and sperm-zona pellucida (ZP) penetration during mammalian fertilization. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolases (UCHs) are responsible for the removal of polyubiquitin chains during substrate priming for proteasomal proteolysis. The inhibition of deubiquitination increases the rate of proteasomal proteolysis. Consequently, we have hypothesized that inhibition of sperm acrosome-borne UCHs increases the rate of sperm-ZP penetration and polyspermy during porcine in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ubiquitin aldehyde (UA), which is a specific nonpermeating UCH inhibitor, significantly (P < 0.05) increased polyspermy during porcine IVF and reduced (P < 0.05) UCH enzymatic activity measured in motile boar spermatozoa using a specific fluorometric UCH substrate, ubiquitin-AMC. Antibodies against two closely related UCHs, UCHL1 and UCHL3, detected these UCHs in the oocyte cortex and on the sperm acrosome, respectively, and increased the rate of polyspermy during IVF, consistent with the UA-induced polyspermy surge. In the oocyte, UCHL3 was primarily associated with the meiotic spindle. Sperm-borne UCHL3 was localized to the acrosomal surface and coimmunoprecipitated with a peripheral acrosomal membrane protein, spermadhesin AQN1. Recombinant UCHs, UCHL3, and isopeptidase T reduced polyspermy when added to the fertilization medium. UCHL1 was detected in the oocyte cortex but not on the sperm surface, and was partially degraded 6-8 h after fertilization. Enucleated oocyte-somatic cell electrofusion caused polarized redistribution of cortical UCHL1. We conclude that sperm-acrosomal UCHs are involved in sperm-ZP interactions and antipolyspermy defense. Modulation of UCH activity could facilitate the management of polyspermy during IVF and provide insights into male infertility