Deciphering the Role of Filamin B Calponin-Homology Domain in Causing the Larsen Syndrome,Boomerang Dysplasia,and Atelosteogenesis Type I Spectrum Disorders via a Computational Approach

Filamins (FLN) are a family of actin-binding proteins involved in regulating the cytoskeleton and signaling phenomenon by developing a network with F-actin and FLN-binding partners. The FLN family comprises three conserved isoforms in mammals: FLNA, FLNB, and FLNC. FLNB is a multidomain monomer protein with domains containing an actin-binding N-terminal domain (ABD 1–242), encompassing two calponin-homology domains (assigned CH1 and CH2). Primary variants in FLNB mostly occur in the domain (CH2) and surrounding the hinge-1 region. The four autosomal dominant disorders that are associated with FLNB variants are Larsen syndrome, atelosteogenesis type I (AOI), atelosteogenesis type III (AOIII), and boomerang dysplasia (BD). Despite the intense clustering of FLNB variants contributing to the LS-AO-BD disorders, the genotype-phenotype correlation is still enigmatic. In silico prediction tools and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) approaches have offered the potential for variant classification and pathogenicity predictions. We retrieved 285 FLNB missense variants from the UniProt, ClinVar, and HGMD databases in the current study. Of these, five and 39 variants were located in the CH1 and CH2 domains, respectively. These variants were subjected to various pathogenicity and stability prediction tools, evolutionary and conservation analyses, and biophysical and physicochemical properties analyses. Molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) was performed on the three candidate variants in the CH2 domain (W148R, F161C, and L171R) that were predicted to be the most pathogenic. The MDS analysis results showed that these three variants are highly compact compared to the native protein, suggesting that they could affect the protein on the structural and functional levels. The computational approach demonstrates the differences between the FLNB mutants and the wild type in a structural and functional context. Our findings expand our knowledge on the genotype-phenotype correlation in FLNB-related LS-AO-BD disorders on the molecular level, which may pave the way for optimizing drug therapy by integrating precision medicine.     

Insights into high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins from Poaceae family: An in silico approach for studying homologs

High mobility group (HMG) proteins are the major architectural proteins. Among HMG proteins, High Mobility Group A (HMGA) is characterized by AT-hook (ATH) motifs, which have an affinity for AT-rich DNA. In this study, we characterized the plant HMGAs from the Poaceae family using in silico methods. The protein sequences for rice HMGAs were retrieved and the corresponding orthologs from grasses were extracted. The phylogenetic analysis identified three major evolutionary clades of grass HMGAs and their ATH motif analysis revealed that HMGAs from clade 1 and 2, except for clade 2 HMGAs, are devoid of high-affinity DNA-binding domain. The clade 2 HMGAs also displayed a highly conserved length of all the spacers and the length of the C-terminal tail following the last ATH. Moreover, the C-terminal tail in clade 2 HMGAs is smaller than HMGAs from any other clade. Unlike clade 2, other clades of Poaceae HMGAs displayed high variability in the length of spacers. Despite several differences among HMGAs of different clades in Poaceae, the H1/H5 domain was found to be highly conserved. This study has revealed the detailed analyses of Poaceae HMGAs and it will be useful for further investigation aiming at the determination of precise biological functions and molecular mechanisms of grass HMGAs.     

Electrochemical formation of cation-exchanging polypyrrole films within various hydrophilic–hydrophobic domains

The electrochemical polymerization technique has been successfully applied to produce conducting polymer film of controlled ion exchange properties. Polypyrrole films were prepared by electro-oxidative polymerization with doping some alkylsulfonates or Nafion. The ion exchange characteristics across polypyrrole films were examined by means of a novel electrochemical technique, namely, the in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) method. According to EQCM measurements, exchanging ion species was found to be successfully controlled by changing the hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance of the incorporated sulfonated-based dopants. The film's characteristics became anion- to cation-exchanging as the dopants became more hydrophobic in nature. The polypyrrole–Nafion(poly(perfluoroethylene sulfonate)) composite film became to be a complete cation exchanger.     

解单障碍问题的Lagrangian乘子非匹配网格区域分解法

针对二阶椭圆型单障碍问题提出了一类基于非匹配网格的Lagrang ian乘子非重叠型区域分解方法.并在适当条件下给出了该方法的收敛性分析和收敛速度估计.     

PVT法氮化铝晶体铝面、氮面生长对比分析

在氮气环境下用PVT方法生长氮化铝过程中,氮面和铝面由于表面化学性质不同,生长的主要化学反应速度存在差异。原子在生长表面的迁移能力不同造成单晶表面生长方式差异较大。在基本相同条件下(生长温度、生长温差、生长气压、类似的籽晶、同一台生长设备)进行了铝、氮面氮化铝单晶晶体生长。为了更明显地表现铝氮面的差异,将同一片籽晶分为两半,翻转其中一半让铝氮面同时生长。铝面生长较好的区域形成了明显的晶畴,而氮面生长时生长较好的部分出现了明显的生长台阶,并出现了晶畴边界被生长台阶湮灭的生长现象,进一步通过AFM观测到铝面生长台阶平整但被缺陷所阻隔,晶畴发育明显为各晶畴独立生长。氮面生长台阶没有铝面规则但连续性较强,在原来晶畴边界位置也出现了连续的生长台阶(或台阶簇)。所以籽晶质量不高时氮面生长更容易提高晶体质量,后续的XRD测量结果也证明了氮面生长后的晶体质量明显高于铝面生长的晶体质量。     

用神经网络鉴别退化图像的模糊类型

提出了一种用神经网络鉴别退化图像的模糊类型的方法。由于采用不同降质方法得到退化图像的频谱差异较大,以此作为判别依据,用概率神经网络实现了对四种模糊类型:离焦,矩形,运动和高斯模糊的鉴别。根据神经网络的鉴别结果决定点扩散函数的初始估计值,可大大地提高盲解恢复算法的复原质量和系统点扩散函数的估计精度,扩大了算法的实用范围。     

Capturing the experimental behaviour of a point-absorber WEC by simplified numerical models

The paper presents a wave basin experiment of a direct-driven point-absorber wave energy converter moving in six degrees of freedom. The goal of the work is to study the dynamics and energy absorption of the wave energy converter, and to verify under which conditions numerical models restricted to heave can capture the behaviour of a point-absorber moving in six degrees of freedom. Several regular and irregular long-crested waves and different damping values of the power take-off system have been tested. We collected data in terms of power output, device motion in six degrees of freedom and wave elevation at different points of the wave basin. A single-body numerical model in the frequency domain and a two-body model in the time domain are used in the study. Motion instabilities due to parametric resonance observed during the experiments are discussed and analysis of the buoy motion in terms of the Mathieu instability is also presented. Our results show that the simplified models can reproduce the body dynamics of the studied converter as long as the transverse non-linear instabilities are not excited, which typically is the case in irregular waves. The performance of the more complex time domain model is able to reproduce both the buoy and PTO dynamics, while the simpler frequency domain model can only reproduce the PTO dynamics for specific cases. Finally, we show that the two-body dynamics of the studied wave energy converter affects the power absorption significantly, and that common assumptions in the numerical models, such as stiff mooring line or that the float moves only in heave, may lead to incorrect predictions for certain sea states.     

Effect of mechanical force on domain switching in BiFeO_3 ultrathin films

Ferroelectric polarization can be switched by an external applied electric field and may also be reversed by a mechanical force via flexoelectricity from the strain gradient.In this study,we report the mechanical writing of an epitaxial BiFeO3(BFO)thin film and the combined action of an applied mechanical force and electric field on domain switching,where the mechanical force and electric field are applied using the tip of atomic force microscopy.When the applied force exceeds the threshold value,the upward polarization of the BFO thin film can be reversed by pure mechanical force via flexoelectricity;when an electric field is simultaneously applied,the mechanical force can reduce the coercive electric field because both the piezoelectricity from the homogeneous strain and the flexoelectricity from strain gradient contribute to the internal electric field in the film.The mechanically switched domains exhibit a slightly lower surface potential when compared with that exhibited by the electrically switched domains due to no charge injection in the mechanical method.Furthermore,both the mechanically and electrically switched domains exhibit a tunneling electroresistance in the BFO ferroelectric tunnel junction.     

太赫兹时域光谱技术在化学领域中应用的新进展

随着超快激光技术的发展及其人们对太赫兹(THz)电磁波波段及与脉冲光源认识的进一步深入,太赫兹时域光谱(THz-TDS)技术作为一种新的、快速发展的光谱分析方法在许多领域备受关注。尤其在化学领域,THz-TDS技术已得到了广泛的应用,并显示出了广阔的应用前景。本文介绍了THz技术的特点、THz辐射的产生、探测及其信号处理;讨论了该技术在化学及其相关领域中的应用;初步探讨了该技术在化学领域应用中一些亟待解决的问题及今后发展的方向。     

Cloning, Expression and Purification of Wheat Acetyl-CoA Carboxylases CT Domain in E. coil

The entire gene of carboxyltransferase（CT） domain of acetyl-CoA carboxylase（ACCase） from Chinese Spring wheat（CSW） plastid was cloned firstly, and the 2.3 kb gene was inserted into PET28a^＋ vector and expressed in E. coil in a soluble state. The （His）6 fusion protein was identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography, and the calculated molecular mass（Mr） was 88000. The results of the sequence analysis indicate that the cloned gene（GeneBank accession No. EU124675） was a supplement and revision of the reported ACCase CT partial cDNA from Chinese Spring wheat plastid. The recombinant protein will be significant for us to investigate the recognizing mechanism between ACCase and herbicides, and further to screen new herbicides.