24小时热门版块排行榜    

CyRhmU.jpeg
查看: 548  |  回复: 1
当前主题已经存档。

ningkeqing

木虫 (正式写手)

[交流] Nature Contents 19 October 2006 (pp723-882)

[自然要览]

(选自英国Nature杂志,2006年10月19日出版)


封面故事:美中期选举在科学问题上做文章

11月的中期选举关系重大:民主党在众议院中只需要15个席位、在参议院中只需
要6个席位就能成为多数党。对布什总统来说,这可能意味着一个重振雄风的总
统任期或一个无所作为的“跛鸭”期之间的区别。在一个差距很小的选举中,两
党都在偶然地、非典型地转向科学来试图影响选民。总统最近通过行使否决权来
否决胚胎干细胞研究的做法,为共和党和民主党试图证明各自的候选人与众不同
的努力都提供了新的素材。在三个州,候选人主要依据科学问题(气候变化和干
细胞研究)挑战现任议员;而在加州,候选人将不可避免地要在清洁能源问题上
做文章。本期的一篇News Feature特稿分析了科学问题是怎样被利用到选举活动
中的。(News Feature;Editorial)


新型柔性探针内窥镜(The narrow view)
Three-dimensional miniature endoscopy
“内窥镜检查法”(Microendoscopy),即使用直径为1毫米左右的装置进行检
查的方法,在眼科学、肿瘤诊断和其他医学专科中是一种被接受的方法。亚毫米
直径的装置曾被用在一些临床应用中,但由于装置的刚性和较差的图像质量而没
有被广泛采用。现在,一种新型内窥镜已经被开发出来,它能从直径相当于一根
光纤(80-50纳米)的柔性探针(直径大小跟人的一根头发差不多)传输视频级
的三维图像。(Brief Communications p. 765)


地壳的形成速度(Chewing on the crust)
Evolution of the continental crust
地球的大陆壳在该星球演化中扮演一个关键角色,然而大陆壳是什么时候和怎样
形成的却仍然是一个很有争议的问题。对新生成的大陆壳中的同位素含量进行分
析方面的进展,近年来使科学家能够建立关于壳层演化的更可靠的模型。Chris
Hawkesworth 和 Tony Kemp对这这些进展进行了综述。将地壳分异模型与元素在
上层地壳中的驻留时间结合起来,研究人员发现,地壳形成的平均速度比以前的
大多数估计数字高二到三倍。(Review Article p. 811)


真菌的共同祖先(First fungi)
Reconstructing the early evolution of Fungi using a six-gene phylogeny
AFTOL项目(即“组装真菌的生命树”项目)是为了将植物分类记录理顺而设立
的一个研究项目。真菌是生物分类中的主要的“界”之一,这主要是因为它们的
尺寸较小和它们的化石记录较差。现在,参加AFTOL项目的真菌学家通过跟踪近
200个物种的6个基因区域重建了真菌的早期演化。所有真菌最后的共同祖先都被
重建为一种带鞭毛的、有点像变形虫的、很可能过着寄生生活的生物,很像
Rozella allomycis,后者是水生真菌和藻类中的一种寄生虫。(Article p.
818; N&V)


一种新的脱落酸受体(Abscisic acid receptors)
The Mg-chelatase H subunit is an abscisic acid receptor
脱落酸(Abscisic acid)是一种至关重要的植物激素,主要调控气孔和种子发
育。最近的一篇Nature论文识别出,结合RNA的蛋白FCA是一种脱落酸受体,参与
对开花和根的形成的控制。而控制植物种子发育、气孔和对干旱适应性的受体仍
然没有找到。现在,有了一个意想不到的消息:一种参与叶绿素生物合成的分
子,即镁螯合酶的H-亚单元(H-subunit of Mg-chelatase)也是一种脱落酸受
体。这种相互作用控制种子发芽和气孔运动,所以它与那个“所缺的”受体的特
征相符。(Article p. 823)


M31星系的一个由尘埃构成的内环(Galaxies go head-to-head)
An almost head-on collision as the origin of two off-centre rings in
the Andromeda galaxy
“仙女座”星系(Messier 31)在星系演化研究中是一个大星系,因为它是距我
们最近的巨型螺旋形星系,是所谓的“本地星系群”中最大的之一。它看起来很
奇特,其外观长期以来使天文学家感到困惑。它有一个著名的、偏离星系核心的
外环,该外环是弯曲的。现在,科学家在“斯皮策天文望远镜”的近红外图像中
发现了一个由尘埃构成的内环。这个环偏离星系的中心。数值模拟表明,两个环
都是由一个相伴的星系形成的,后者几乎迎头穿过M31星系的环的中心。最有可
能的“入侵者”是矮星系M32。(Letter p. 832)


月球南极陨石坑没有发现存在厚冰的证据(Lunar ice theory on the rocks)
No evidence for thick deposits of ice at the lunar south pole
月球南极“沙克尔顿”陨石坑边缘是美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的LCROSS探测
器(LCROSS是“月球陨石坑观测和传感卫星”的缩写)的一个候选着陆点,该探
测器定于2008年发射。研究人员将对着陆时激起的尘埃进行分析,希望能够找到
水的证据,那里被认为是有水的。认为月球上有冰的观点是在1996年提出的,当
时来自“克莱门汀”宇宙飞船的数据表明,月球南极陨石坑壁上有冰。现在,利
用高分辨率雷达图像,研究人员发现,被认为表示存在厚的冰层的雷达散射参
数,也符合布满岩石的陨石坑壁及在月球所有纬度上的年轻碰撞坑的喷出物所产
生的雷达回声。 没有发现存在厚冰的证据,虽然月球土壤中可能散布着较薄的
水冰颗粒。(Letter p. 835)


能够克服“量子去相干”障碍的方法(Entanglement purification)
Experimental purification of two-atom entanglement
实用量子计算和量子通信的一个障碍是“量子去相干”。现在,研究人员已经找
到了一种可以帮助解决这一问题的手段。它是两个物理上分开的量子系统之间的
纠缠态,该纠缠态使得量子通信和信息处理成为可能;“去相干”是在纠缠态被
分布时出现的,使得系统的量子性质能够泄露到周围环境中,并降低所发送的纠
缠对的质量。新的纠缠净化协议通过以一种高效的、非破坏性的方式将高保真纠
缠对从低保真纠缠对中提取出来,从而克服了这一问题。(Letter p. 838)


一种新型合成沸石(A super zeolite)
High-throughput synthesis and catalytic properties of a molecular
sieve with 18- and 10-member rings
沸石是在电子、催化、气体存储和其他领域有很多用途的多孔材料。现在,一种
新的名叫ITQ-33的沸石已被合成出来,它较以前的有非常大的微孔容积的化合物
有优势。正如理论工作者在1989年所预测的,要获得这样大的一个“笼状”尺
寸,该结构应当有大量的、由四个成员和三个成员组成的环。除了有很大的微孔
容积外(例如可以有很大的气体存储容量),由中等大小的孔所连接的大孔的存
在,应当使该材料具有极为有用的催化性能。(Letter p. 842; N&V)


海洋触发了气候突变(Ocean-driven climate change)
Eastern Pacific cooling and Atlantic overturning circulation during
the last deglaciation
关于上个冰期-间冰期过渡阶段千年尺度的气候变化的一个关键问题是,是否是
海洋或者大气触发了突然的气候变化。具体来说,海洋的热盐循环的重组或者与
今天的“厄尔尼诺-南方涛动”事件类似的热带大气-海洋动态可能与突然的气候
变化有关。对过去3万年赤道太平洋中海洋表面温度所做的一个高分辨率重建表
明,海洋为气候变化的触发因素,至少在被称为“Heinrich event 1”和
“Younger Dryas”的事件期间是这样。(Letter p. 846)


最后的欧洲“穴居人”(Staying on)
Late survival of Neanderthals at the southernmost extreme of Europe
识别某种物种灭绝的精确时间大概是不可能的。我们永远不能肯定所发现的一个
化石就是同类中最后的一个。欧洲“穴居人”的灭绝就是这样的一个例子,但
Finlayson等人在其对“穴居人”在Gibraltar的Gorham洞穴中的生活所做的研究
中比任何人都走得更远,他们发现,“穴居人”在距今只有28000年前、即在欧
洲西南其他地方的“穴居人”似乎早已灭绝之后还仍然生活在欧洲的这个最南
端。(Letter p. 850)


海底泥浆火山是甲烷主要排放源的原因(Methane)
Novel microbial communities of the Haakon Mosby mud volcano and their
role as a methane sink
海底泥浆火山可能是温室气体甲烷的主要排放来源。其中的一些气体被名叫“嗜
甲烷菌”(methanotroph)的微生物消耗掉了,但相对来说很少有微生物能利用
甲烷,而且相关的过程也不是很清楚。对巴伦支海中一个泥浆火山周围的水域所
做的一项研究工作,识别出三个关键的“嗜甲烷菌”群略:需氧细菌、生活在管
虫之下的厌氧古细菌、以及以前未被描述过的与细菌垫相关的古细菌。研究人员
还发现了微生物甲烷过滤容量的一个自然高限:不含硫酸盐和氧气的火山流体的
向上流动限制了甲烷氧化的效率,使大部分甲烷能够逃逸到水圈,并有可能逃逸
到大气中。(Letter p. 854)


捕捞对海洋渔业资源的影响(What fishing does to fish)
Fishing elevates variability in the abundance of exploited species
捕捞会通过将鱼类从海洋中除掉而消耗鱼类资源存量,这是很显然的事情。但在
上个世纪70年代后期,理论工作者曾提出,捕捞也许还能降低某种鱼类种群在面
对变化时的恢复能力。关于这个问题的讨论此前一直是理论上的。现在,对50年
来加州海域鱼苗存量所做的一项调查(该调查开始于上个世纪40年代沙丁鱼种群
崩溃之后),为我们提供了所缺的数据。似乎捕捞的确能够增大种群的可变性
(降低恢复能力),其作用方式超过了将鱼类从海洋中拿走这个事实本身。由于
较大的鱼和较老的鱼首先被捕捞而造成的年龄结构的中断很可能是原因之所在。
这说明,要避免种群崩溃,渔业管理必须不仅要维持总生物量,而且要维持种群
的年龄结构。(Letter p. 859)


用语言学模型分析研究抗菌肽(Talk about antibiotics)
A linguistic model for the rational design of antimicrobial peptides
抗菌肽是由多细胞真核生物的先天免疫系统产生的,它们可能不像其他抗生素那
样易受细菌抗药性的影响。一个语言学模型被用来分析自然出现的抗菌肽,所获
得的信息又被用来设计一系列新的抗菌肽,它们与天然出现的肽几乎没有同源关
系,但对几种细菌却有抗菌活性,包括金葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)
和炭疽杆菌(Bacillus anthracis)。(Letter p. 867)


IDE的晶体结构(Tang TH)
Structures of human insulin-degrading enzyme reveal a new substrate
recognition mechanism
“胰岛素降解酶”(IDE)参与胰岛素和b-型淀粉质(amyloid b)的清除。这
是维持正确的血糖含量、防止b-型淀粉质在大脑中累积所必需的。现在,研究
人员已经确定了与四种基质形成复合物的IDE的晶体结构。该结构显示了IDE基质
识别的分子基础。这一结果将有助于阿尔茨海默氏症和二型糖尿病的基于IDE的
疗法的设计。(Letter p. 870; N&V)
回复此楼
已阅   回复此楼   关注TA 给TA发消息 送TA红花 TA的回帖

ningkeqing

木虫 (正式写手)

----------------------
NEWS AND VIEWS
----------------------
Chemistry: The promise of emptiness
Zeolites are materials with widespread applications. A newly
synthesized example has desirably large pores, as well as the virtue
of thermal stability, and shows the value of structure-prediction
programs.
Raul F. Lobo
10.1038/443757a
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7113/full/443757a.html

Evolutionary biology: A kingdom revised
An international consortium of researchers has produced an impressive
new tree of life for the kingdom Fungi. The results are a testament to
cooperation between systematists with different expertise.
Tom Bruns
10.1038/443758a
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7113/full/443758a.html

Structural biology: Enzyme target to latch on to
Insulin-degrading enzyme is implicated in diabetes and Alzheimer's
disease, but few molecular tools exist that can probe its function. A
study now reveals its unusual structure and may lead to an expanded
toolbox.
Malcolm A. Leissring and Dennis J. Selkoe
10.1038/nature05210
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05210.html

Astronomy: Andromeda's troubled past
Tim Lincoln
10.1038/443762b
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7113/full/443762b.html

Palaeoanthropology: Return of the last Neanderthal
New finds from Gibraltar date Mousterian tools to as recently as
28,000 years ago. By inference, their Neanderthal makers survived in
southern Iberia long after all other well-dated occurrences of the
species.
Eric Delson and Katerina Harvati
10.1038/nature05207
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05207.html

----------------------
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS
----------------------
Three-dimensional miniature endoscopy
A single optical fibre acts as a flexible probe to transmit a superior
image of an internal landscape.
D. Yelin et al.
10.1038/443765a
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7113/full/443765a.html

----------------------
INSIGHT
----------------------
INTRODUCTION
Neurodegeneration
Marie-Therese Heemels
10.1038/443767a
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7113/full/443767a.html

REVIEW ARTICLE
A network dysfunction perspective on neurodegenerative diseases
Jorge J. Palop, Jeannie Chin and Lennart Mucke
10.1038/nature05289
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05289.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05289.html

A century-old debate on protein aggregation and neurodegeneration
enters the clinic
Peter T. Lansbury and Hilal A. Lashuel
10.1038/nature05290
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05290.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05290.html

The roles of intracellular protein-degradation pathways in
neurodegeneration
David C. Rubinsztein
10.1038/nature05291
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05291.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05291.html

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in neurodegenerative
diseases
Michael T. Lin and M. Flint Beal
10.1038/nature05292
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05292.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05292.html

Cell death in the nervous system
Dale E. Bredesen, Rammohan V. Rao and Patrick Mehlen
10.1038/nature05293
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05293.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05293.html

Prions and their partners in crime
Byron Caughey and Gerald S. Baron
10.1038/nature05294
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05294.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05294.html

----------------------
REVIEW
----------------------
Evolution of the continental crust
C. J. Hawkesworth and A. I. S. Kemp
10.1038/nature05191
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05191.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05191.html

----------------------
ARTICLES
----------------------
Reconstructing the early evolution of Fungi using a six-gene phylogeny
Timothy Y. James et al.
10.1038/nature05110
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05110.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05110.html

The Mg-chelatase H subunit is an abscisic acid receptor
The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates a variety of
physiological processes in plants. A molecule involved in chlorophyll
biosynthesis, the H-subunit of Mg-chelatase functions as an ABA
receptor. This interaction controls seed germination and stomatal
movement.
Yuan-Yue Shen et al.
10.1038/nature05176
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05176.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05176.html

Spatially regulated ubiquitin ligation by an ER/nuclear membrane
ligase
A transmembrane ubiquitin ligase of the endoplasmic reticulum enters
the inner nuclear envelope and thereby targets specific nuclear
proteins for proteasomal degradation. This indicates that different
transmembrane ubiquitin ligases are spatially sorted within the
continuous endoplasmic reticulum-nuclear envelope membrane system.
Min Deng and Mark Hochstrasser
10.1038/nature05170
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05170.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05170.html

----------------------
LETTERS
----------------------
An almost head-on collision as the origin of two off-centre rings in
the Andromeda galaxy
This paper reports the presence of a second, inner ring offset by half
a kiloparsec from the centre of the Andromeda galaxy. Numerical
simulations indicate that both rings result from a companion galaxy
plunging head-on through the centre of the disk of M31.
D. L. Block et al.
10.1038/nature05184
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05184.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05184.html

No evidence for thick deposits of ice at the lunar south pole
Donald B. Campbell et al.
10.1038/nature05167
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05167.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05167.html

Experimental purification of two-atom entanglement
The implementation of an 'entanglement purification' protocol designed
to overcome the problem of decoherence, by distilling high-fidelity
entangled pairs from lower fidelity pairs in an efficient and
non-destructive manner.
R. Reichle et al.
10.1038/nature05146
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05146.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05146.html

High-throughput synthesis and catalytic properties of a molecular
sieve with 18- and 10-member rings
Avelino Corma et al.
10.1038/nature05238
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05238.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05238.html

Eastern Pacific cooling and Atlantic overturning circulation during
the last deglaciation
Markus Kienast et al.
10.1038/nature05222
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05222.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05222.html

Late survival of Neanderthals at the southernmost extreme of Europe
Clive Finlayson et al.
10.1038/nature05195
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05195.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05195.html

Novel microbial communities of the Haakon Mosby mud volcano and their
role as a methane sink
Helge Niemann et al.
10.1038/nature05227
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05227.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05227.html

Fishing elevates variability in the abundance of exploited species
Populations of exploited marine species are more variable in terms of
abundance over time than unexploited species, because the loss of
older, larger fish results in a truncated age structure.
Chih-hao Hsieh et al.
10.1038/nature05232
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05232.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05232.html

An early evolutionary origin for the minor spliceosome
Minor spliceosomal components (proteins, RNAs, and introns) have been
identified in in a fungus and in protist species for the first time.
The existence of the minor spliceosome in all eukaryotic supergroups
confirms that the minor spliceosome has an early evolutionary origin.
Anthony G. Russell, J. Michael Charette, David F. Spencer and Michael
W. Gray
10.1038/nature05228
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05228.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05228.html

A linguistic model for the rational design of antimicrobial peptides
A linguistic model is used to analyse naturally occurring
antimicrobial peptides and to design a series of new antimicrobial
peptides, which have little homology to naturally-occurring peptides
and possessed bacteriostatic activity against several species of
bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis.
Christopher Loose, Kyle Jensen, Isidore Rigoutsos and Gregory
Stephanopoulos
10.1038/nature05233
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05233.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05233.html

Structures of human insulin-degrading enzyme reveal a new substrate
recognition mechanism
The crystal structure of insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) in complex
with four substrates is presented, revealing the molecular basis for
substrate recognition by IDE.
Yuequan Shen, Andrzej Joachimiak, Marsha Rich Rosner and Wei-Jen Tang
10.1038/nature05143
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05143.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05143.html

Direct observation of individual RecA filaments assembling on single
DNA molecules
Roberto Galletto, Ichiro Amitani, Ronald J. Baskin and Stephen C.
Kowalczykowski
10.1038/nature05197
Abstract:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... bs/nature05197.html
Article:
http://www.nature.com/nature/jou ... ll/nature05197.html
2楼2006-10-21 21:18:17
已阅   回复此楼   关注TA 给TA发消息 送TA红花 TA的回帖
相关版块跳转 我要订阅楼主 ningkeqing 的主题更新
普通表情 高级回复(可上传附件)
信息提示
请填处理意见