Band structures and transport properties of zigzag graphene nanoribbons with antidot arrays

We study the band and transport features of zigzag graphene nanoribbon with an antidot lattice. It is found that an antidot lattice could turn semi-metal graphene into a semiconductor. The size of the band gap can be tuned by the position of the antidots and the distance D between the two nearest antidots. For a finite superlattice with N antidots and a large D, a group of (N - 1) splitting resonant peaks and transmission-blockade regions appear alternately in the conductance spectrum. This indicates the formation of minibands and minigaps. In addition, Fano resonances can be observed when the antidots are localized near one edge of the nanoribbon. These features provide potential applications for graphene-based electronic and optoelectronic devices. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.postprin

Interferon-gamma Inducible Protein 10 up-regulated by acute-phase graft injury induced late-phase cisplatin resistance after liver transplantation

published_or_final_versio

Plagues of desert locusts: Very low invasion risk to China

This is the final version. Available from MDPI via the DOI in this record. Recently, the most serious upsurge of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) in the last 25 years is spreading across eastern Africa and southwestern Asia. Parts of the desert locust ‘invasion area’, namely the northern border areas of Pakistan and India, are very close to China, and whether locust swarms will invade China is of wide concern. To answer this question, we identified areas of potentially suitable habitat for the desert locust within China based on historical precipitation and temperature data, and found that parts of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia provinces could provide ephemeral habitat in summer, but these places are remote from any other desert locust breeding areas. New generation adults of the desert locust in Pakistan and India present since April led to swarms spreading into the Indo-Pakistan border region in June, and so we examined historical wind data for this period. Our results showed that winds at the altitude of locust swarm flight blew eastward during April–June, but the wind speeds were quite slow and would not facilitate desert locust eastward migration over large distances. Simulated trajectories of desert locust swarms undertaking 10-day migrations mostly ended within India. The most easterly point of these trajectories just reached eastern India, and this is very close to the eastern border of the invasion area of desert locusts described in previous studies. Overall, the risk that the desert locust will invade China is very low.National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, ChinaFundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Chin

CXCL10/CXCR3 signaling mobilized-regulatory T cells promote liver tumor recurrence after transplantation

published_or_final_versio

Identification, Characterization, and Expression of a Novel P450 Gene Encoding CYP6AE25 from the Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia furnacalis

An allele of the cytochrome P450 gene, CYP6AE14, named CYP6AE25 (GenBank accession no. EU807990) was isolated from the Asian com borer, Ostrinia fumacalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) by RT-PCR. The cDNA sequence of CYP6AE25 is 2315 bp in length and contains a 1569 nucleotides open reading frame encoding a putative protein with 523 amino acid residues and a predicted molecular weight of 59.95 kDa and a theoretical pI of 8.31. The putative protein contains the classic heme-binding sequence motif F××G×××C×G (residues 451–460) conserved among all P450 enzymes as well as other characteristic motifs of all cytochrome P450s. It shares 52% identity with the previously published sequence of CYP6AE14 (GenBank accession no. DQ986461) from Helicoverpa armigera. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences from members of various P450 families indicated that CYP6AE25 has a closer phylogenetic relationship with CYP6AE14 and CYP6B1 that are related to metabolism of plant allelochemicals, CYP6D1 which is related to pyrethroid resistance and has a more distant relationship to CYP302A1 and CYP307A1 which are related to synthesis of the insect molting hormones. The expression level of the gene in the adults and immature stages of O. furnacalis by quantitative real-time PCR revealed that CYP6AE25 was expressed in all life stages investigated. The mRNA expression level in 3rd instar larvae was 12.8- and 2.97-fold higher than those in pupae and adults, respectively. The tissue specific expression level of CYP6AE25 was in the order of midgut, malpighian tube and fatty body from high to low but was absent in ovary and brain. The analysis of the CYP6AB25 gene using bioinformatic software is discussed

Co-pyrolysis of Rice Husk with Underutilized Biomass Species: A Sustainable Route for Production of Precursors for Fuels and Valuable Chemicals

In this study, co-pyrolysis of rice husk with underutilized biomass, Napier grass and sago waste was carried out in a fixed bed reactor at 600 �C, 30 �C/min and 5 L/min nitrogen flowrate. Two-phase bio-oil (organic and aqueous) was collected and characterized using standard analytical techniques. 34.13–45.55 wt% total boil-oil yield was recorded using assorted biomass compared to pure risk husk biomass with 31.51 wt% yield. The organic phase consist mainly benzene derivatives with higher proportion in the oil from the co-pyrolysis process relative to the organic phase from the pyrolysis of the individual biomass while the aqueous phase in all cases was predominantly water, acids, ketones, aldehydes, sugars and traces of phenolics. This study has demonstrated a good approach towards increasing valorization of rice husk in a single reaction step for the production of high grade bio-oil, which can be transformed into fuel and valuable chemicals

Phospholipase iPLA2β averts ferroptosis by eliminating a redox lipid death signal

Ferroptosis, triggered by discoordination of iron, thiols and lipids, leads to the accumulation of 15-hydroperoxy (Hp)-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (15-HpETE-PE), generated by complexes of 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX) and a scaffold protein, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-binding protein (PEBP)1. As the Ca^{2+} -independent phospholipase A2β (iPLA2β, PLA2G6 or PNPLA9 gene) can preferentially hydrolyze peroxidized phospholipids, it may eliminate the ferroptotic 15-HpETE-PE death signal. Here, we demonstrate that by hydrolyzing 15-HpETE-PE, iPLA_{2}β averts ferroptosis, whereas its genetic or pharmacological inactivation sensitizes cells to ferroptosis. Given that PLA2G6 mutations relate to neurodegeneration, we examined fibroblasts from a patient with a Parkinson’s disease (PD)-associated mutation (fPD^{R747W}) and found selectively decreased 15-HpETE-PE-hydrolyzing activity, 15-HpETE-PE accumulation and elevated sensitivity to ferroptosis. CRISPR-Cas9-engineered Pnpla9^{R748W/R748W} mice exhibited progressive parkinsonian motor deficits and 15-HpETE-PE accumulation. Elevated 15-HpETE-PE levels were also detected in midbrains of rotenone-infused parkinsonian rats and α-synuclein-mutant Snca^{A53T} mice, with decreased iPLA2β expression and a PD-relevant phenotype. Thus, iPLA_{2}β is a new ferroptosis regulator, and its mutations may be implicated in PD pathogenesis

Prime movers : mechanochemistry of mitotic kinesins

Mitotic spindles are self-organizing protein machines that harness teams of multiple force generators to drive chromosome segregation. Kinesins are key members of these force-generating teams. Different kinesins walk directionally along dynamic microtubules, anchor, crosslink, align and sort microtubules into polarized bundles, and influence microtubule dynamics by interacting with microtubule tips. The mechanochemical mechanisms of these kinesins are specialized to enable each type to make a specific contribution to spindle self-organization and chromosome segregation

Protein Domain of Unknown Function 3233 is a Translocation Domain of Autotransporter Secretory Mechanism in Gamma proteobacteria

Vibrio cholerae, the enteropathogenic gram negative bacteria is one of the main causative agents of waterborne diseases like cholera. About 1/3rd of the organism's genome is uncharacterised with many protein coding genes lacking structure and functional information. These proteins form significant fraction of the genome and are crucial in understanding the organism's complete functional makeup. In this study we report the general structure and function of a family of hypothetical proteins, Domain of Unknown Function 3233 (DUF3233), which are conserved across gram negative gammaproteobacteria (especially in Vibrio sp. and similar bacteria). Profile and HMM based sequence search methods were used to screen homologues of DUF3233. The I-TASSER fold recognition method was used to build a three dimensional structural model of the domain. The structure resembles the transmembrane beta-barrel with an axial N-terminal helix and twelve antiparallel beta-strands. Using a combination of amphipathy and discrimination analysis we analysed the potential transmembrane beta-barrel forming properties of DUF3233. Sequence, structure and phylogenetic analysis of DUF3233 indicates that this gram negative bacterial hypothetical protein resembles the beta-barrel translocation unit of autotransporter Va secretory mechanism with a gene organisation that differs from the conventional Va system