Simple sequence repeat-based consensus linkage map of \u3cem\u3eBombyx mori\u3c/em\u3e

We established a genetic linkage map employing 518 simple sequence repeat (SSR, or microsatellite) markers for Bombyx mori (silkworm), the economically and culturally important lepidopteran insect, as part of an international genomics program. A survey of six representative silkworm strains using 2,500 (CA)n- and (CT)n-based SSR markers revealed 17-24% polymorphism, indicating a high degree of homozygosity resulting from a long history of inbreeding. Twenty-nine SSR linkage groups were established in well characterized Dazao and C108 strains based on genotyping of 189 backcross progeny derived from an F1 male mated with a C108 female. The clustering was further focused to 28 groups by genotyping 22 backcross progeny derived from an F1 female mated with a C108 male. This set of SSR linkage groups was further assigned to the 28 chromosomes (established linkage groups) of silkworm aided by visible mutations and cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers developed from previously mapped genes, cDNA sequences, and cloned random amplified polymorphic DNAs. By integrating a visible mutation p (plain, larval marking) and 29 well conserved genes of insects onto this SSR-based linkage map, a second generation consensus silkworm genetic map with a range of 7-40 markers per linkage group and a total map length of ≈3431.9 cM was constructed and its high efficiency for genotyping and potential application for synteny studies of Lepidoptera and other insects was demonstrated

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Model-Based Temperature Sensor Fault Detection and Fault-Tolerant Control of Urea-Selective Catalyst Reduction Control Systems

This paper aims at investigating the fault diagnosis of the selective catalyst reduction (SCR) outlet temperature sensors and fault-tolerant control methods of the SCR system, and three typical faults of downstream temperature sensors were modeled and analyzed to present influences of different faults on the SCR system performances (such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission and conversion efficiency, NH3 slip, urea dosage and ammonia coverage estimation). A temperature model was established to estimate the SCR outlet temperature, and diagnostics were developed based on the differences between model estimates and sensor measurements. Once a downstream temperature sensor fault was detected, the fault-tolerant control will be enabled, and the output of the sensor may be substituted with the estimates of the model. Thus, SCR performances shall be maintained within the acceptable ranges. Moreover, a 0-D SCR model was also established to validate the capability of diagnostics and fault-tolerant control strategy over the European transient cycle (ETC)

Microstructure evolution and mechanical behaviors of alumina-based ceramic shell for directional solidification of turbine blades

The high temperature mechanical behaviors of Al2O3-based ceramic shell for the directional solidification of turbine blades were investigated. Isothermal uniaxial compression tests of ceramic shell samples were conducted on a Gleeble-1500D mechanical simulator with an innovative auxiliary thermal system. The microstructures of sintered, heat-treated, and tested samples were characterized using scanning electron microscope and X-ray powder diffraction. The experimental stress–strain results of heat-treated samples were obtained. The eutectic mixture region composed of ZrO2 and SiO2 that regenerated by the decomposition reaction of excess zirconium silicate appears in the samples after heat treatment at 1500. The fracture type of CST25 and CST700 is brittle fracture, but CST1100 and CST1400 have thermo-viscoelastic and viscoplastic properties under stress conditions at high temperatures (>1100). The evolution of zirconium silicate decomposition reaction during the directional solidification process is analyzed. The SiO2 particles provide the major viscosity source of the ceramic shell at high temperatures. The thermo-viscodamage constitutive model of Al2O3-based ceramic shell for the directional solidification of single crystal superalloy is established. Keywords: Single crystal superalloy, Alumina-based shell, High temperature, Mechanical behavior, Constitutive mode

Erythromycin Suppresses the Cigarette Smoke Extract-Exposed Dendritic Cell-Mediated Polarization of CD4+ T Cells into Th17 Cells

Cigarette smoke is a major effector of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and Th17 cells and dendritic cells (DCs) involve in the pathogenesis of COPD. Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of macrolides. However, the effects of macrolides on the cigarette smoke extract- (CSE-) induced immune response are unclear. Accordingly, in this study, we evaluated the effects of erythromycin (EM) on CSE-exposed DCs polarizing naïve CD4+ T cells into Th17 cells. DCs were generated from bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells isolated from male BALB/c mice and divided into five groups: control DC group, CSE-exposed DC group, CD40-antibody-blocked CSE-exposed DC group, and EM-treated CSE-exposed DC group. The function of polarizing CD4+ T cells into Th17 cells induced by all four groups of DCs was assayed based on the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) of naïve CD4+ T cells. CD40 expression in DCs in the CSE-exposed group increased significantly compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). The Th17 cells in the CSE-exposed DC/MLR group increased significantly compared with those in the control DC/MLR group (P<0.05). Moreover, Th17 cells in the CD40-blocked CSE-exposed DC/MLR group and EM-treated CSE-exposed DC/MLR group were reduced compared with those in the CSE-exposed DC/MLR group (P<0.05). Thus, these findings suggested that EM suppressed the CSE-exposed DC-mediated polarization of CD4+ T cells into Th17 cells and that this effect may be mediated through inhibition of the CD40/CD40L pathway

Phase-controlled synthesis of Ni nanocrystals with high catalytic activity in 4-nitrophenol reduction

Controlled-synthesis of metal nanocrystals (NCs) with well-defined crystal phases has been developed as a promising strategy to tune their functional properties. However, the phase-controlled synthesis of Ni NCs remains a great challenge due to their thermodynamic instability. Here, we report a facile solvothermal method to prepare two typical well-defined Ni NCs, a hexagonal prism with a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase and an icosahedron with a face-centered cubic (fcc) phase. Their morphology and structure are well characterized, and the formation mechanism is systemically investigated. It is found that hcp Ni NCs are formed via an unusual phase transformation process from the thermodynamically stable fcc phase to metastable hcp phase. Both the experimental study and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the initial reduction rate of Ni2+ could control the internal structure of Ni at the nucleation stage, while the preferential adsorption of polyethylenimine (PEI) on hcp Ni facets plays a key role in the phase transformation and facet evolution of Ni NCs at the growth stage. Moreover, hcp Ni NCs exhibit superior catalytic activity and reusability in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH4 with a remarkably higher reaction constant (2.23 min(-1)) than other non-noble metal catalysts (0.09-0.13 min(-1)) and some noble metal catalysts (0.14-1.96 min(-1)). This work provides a new approach for phase- and morphology-controlled synthesis of Ni NCs and new insight into their catalytic functions

In-situ growth of heterophase Ni nanocrystals on graphene for enhanced catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Generating heterophase structures in nanomaterials, e.g., heterophase metal nanocrystals, is an effective way to tune their physicochemical properties because of their high-energy nature and unique electronic environment of the generated interfaces. However, the direct synthesis of heterophase metal nanocrystals remains a great challenge due to their unstable nature. Herein, we report the in situ and direct synthesis of heterophase Ni nanocrystals on graphene. The heterostructure of face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase was generated via the epitaxial growth of hcp Ni and the partial transformation of fcc Ni and stabilized by the anchoring effect of graphene toward fcc Ni nanocrystal and the preferential adsorption of surfactant polyethylenimine (PEI) toward epitaxial hcp Ni. Comparing with the fcc Ni nanocrystals grown on graphene, the heterophase (fcc/hcp) Ni nanocrystals in situ grown on graphene showed a greatly improved catalytic activity and reusability in 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The measured apparent rate constant and the activity parameter were 2.958 min(-1) and 102 min(-1)center dot mg(-1), respectively, higher than that of the best reported non-noble metal catalysts and most noble metal catalysts. The control experiments and density functional theory calculations reveal that the interface of the fcc and hcp phases enhances the adsorption of substrate 4-NP and thus facilitates the reaction kinetics. This work proves the novel idea for the rational design of heterophase metal nanocrystals by employing the synergistic effect of surfactant and support, and also the potential of creating the heterostructure for enhancing their catalytic reactivity