Ratiometric Detection of microRNA Using Hybridization Chain Reaction and Fluorogenic Silver Nanoclusters

miRNA (miR)-155 is a potential biomarker for breast cancers. We aimed at developing a nanosensor for miR-155 detection by integrating hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). HCR serves as an enzyme-free and isothermal amplification method, whereas AgNCs provide a built-in fluorogenic detection probe that could simplify the downstream analysis. The two components were integrated by adding a nucleation sequence of AgNCs to the hairpin of HCR. The working principle was based on the influence of microenvironment towards the hosted AgNCs, whereby unfolding of hairpin upon HCR has manipulated the distance between the hosted AgNCs and cytosine-rich toehold region of hairpin. As such, the dominant emission of AgNCs changed from red to yellow in the absence and presence of miR-155, enabling a ratiometric measurement of miR with high sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor is 1.13 fM in buffered solution. We have also tested the assay in diluted serum samples, with comparable LOD of 1.58 fM obtained. This shows the great promise of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor for clinical application.     

A paper-based resonance energy transfer nucleic acid hybridization assay using upconversion nanoparticles as donors and quantum dots as acceptors

Monodisperse aqueous upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) were covalently immobilized on aldehyde modified cellulose paper via reduction amination to develop a luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET)-based nucleic acid hybridization assay. This first account of covalent immobilization of UCNPs on paper for a bioassay reports an optically responsive method that is sensitive, reproducible and robust. The immobilized UCNPs were decorated with oligonucleotide probes to capture HPRT1 housekeeping gene fragments, which in turn brought reporter conjugated quantum dots (QDs) in close proximity to the UCNPs for LRET. This sandwich assay could detect unlabeled oligonucleotide target, and had a limit of detection of 13 fmol and a dynamic range spanning nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The use of QDs, which are excellent LRET acceptors, demonstrated improved sensitivity, limit of detection, dynamic range and selectivity compared to similar assays that have used molecular fluorophores as acceptors. The selectivity of the assay was attributed to the decoration of the QDs with polyethylene glycol to eliminate non-specific adsorption. The kinetics of hybridization were determined to be diffusion limited and full signal development occurred within 3 min.     

Determination,residue and risk assessment of trifloxystrobin,trifloxystrobin acid and tebuconazole in Chinese rice consumption

A simple and rapid analytical method for the detection of trifloxystrobin, trifloxystrobin acid and tebuconazole in soil, brown rice, paddy plants and rice hulls was established and validated by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Acceptable linearity (R² > 0.99), accuracy (average recoveries of 74.3–108.5%) and precision (intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations of 0.9–8.8%) were obtained using the developed determination approach. In the field trial, the half-lives of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole in paddy plants were 5.7–8.3 days in three locations throughout China, and the terminal residue concentrations of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole were <100 and 500 μg/kg (maximum residue limits set by China), respectively, at harvest, which indicated that, based on the recommended application procedure, trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole are safe for use on rice. The risk assessment results demonstrated that, owing to risk quotient values of both fungicides being <100%, the potential risk of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole on rice was acceptable for Chinese consumers. These data could provide supporting information for the proper use and safety evaluation of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole in rice.     

干燥工艺对稻谷发芽率影响的研究

利用薄层干燥试验台，采用二次回归正交组合设计试验对辽宁省稻谷主要品种942进行研究。分析了热风温度、表现风速、初始水分、干燥时间对稻谷发芽率损失影响的规律，建立了稻谷发芽率损失回归方程，在干燥时应采用低温干燥，以保证其发芽率。利用贡献率法确定各因素在二次非线性模型中的主次关系为热风温度、初始水分、表现风速、干燥时间，为进行辽宁省稻谷深床干燥研究提供了理论依据。     

Energy of formation for and liquid binary alloys

We have investigated the free energy of formation for Ag_xIn_1-x and Ag_xSn_1-x liquid binary alloys at temperatures 1173 and 1250 K, respectively. A microscopic theory based on the first order perturbation has been applied. The interionic interaction and a reference liquid are the fundamental components of the theory. The interionic interaction is described by a local pseudopotential. A liquid of hard spheres (HS) of two different effective diametres and charges is used to describe the reference system. The results of the calculations for energy of formation agree very well with the available experimental data. Our calculations also reveal that a simple perturbative approach along with appropriate effective pair potentials can produce nearly quantitative results for the concerned alloys.     

一个在水稻胚胎中差异表达基因的分离鉴定

通过筛选水稻开花后48～50h的原胚和120～122h的分化胚的cDNA文库,得到一个在胚胎发育过程中表达有差异的克隆,命名为OsEES,测序结果显示OsEES含有一个预测的亚精氨合成酶结构域,编码一个大小约38×103(pI6.5)的蛋白.同时RNA原位杂交的结果显示开花48～50h的原胚中的信号强度明显大于开花120～122h的分化胚,表明OsEES可能在水稻胚胎发生过程中起到一定的调控作用.     

Quantum Hall effect in back-gated InAs/GaSb heterostructures under a tilted magnetic field

We investigate the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in the InAs/GaSb hybridized electron–hole system grown on a conductive InAs substrate which act as a back-gate. In these samples, the electron density is constant and the hole density is controlled by the gate-voltage. Under a magnetic field perpendicular to the sample plane, the QHE appears along integer Landau-level (LL) filling factors of the net-carriers, where the net-carrier density is the difference between the electron and hole densities. In addition, longitudinal resistance maxima corresponding to the crossing of the extended states of the original electron and hole LLs make the QHE regions along integer-ν_net discontinuous. Under tilted magnetic fields, these R_xx maxima disappear in the high magnetic field region. The results show that the in-plane magnetic field component enhances the electron–hole hybridization and the formation of minigaps at LL crossings.     

大米中硒的FI-HG-AAS测定方法研究

研究了原子化器温度、载气流速、KBH4 浓度等条件对流动注射 氢化物发生 原子吸收光谱法 (FI-HG -AAS)测定硒时的影响。建立了FI-HG -AAS测定大米中硒的分析方法。在优化的工作条件下 ,测定硒的最低检测浓度为 0 3 3 μg·L- 1,线性范围为 0～ 5 0 μg·L- 1,相对标准偏差小于 4% ,加标回收率为 94%～ 1 0 2 %。本法克服了传统的间断氢化物发生 原子吸收光谱法分析速度慢、样品耗量大、操作繁琐且因手工进样在进样速度和进样体积上容易带来误差等缺点。方法操作简便、快速 ,灵敏度及自动化程度高 ,已广泛应用于大米及富硒大米中微量硒的测定     

水稻新品种海科115的选育

本文介绍水稻新品种海科115的选育。要选育高产、优质、高抗的新品种应该注重:根据海南气候的特点和生产实际需要;选择主要性状互补性强、优点多缺点少的品种作亲本;选育过程、重视库源比,通过长粒化来达大粒化和提高结实率;注重抗源的利用和抗病性状的选择。