Babesia Bovis Ligand-Receptor Interaction: AMA-1 Contains Small Regions Governing Bovine Erythrocyte Binding

Apical membrane antigen 1 is a microneme protein which plays an indispensable role during Apicomplexa parasite invasion. The detailed mechanism of AMA-1 molecular interaction with its receptor on bovine erythrocytes has not been completely defined in Babesia bovis. This study was focused on identifying the minimum B. bovis AMA-1-derived regions governing specific and high-affinity binding to its target cells. Different approaches were used for detecting ama-1 locus genetic variability and natural selection signatures. The binding properties of twelve highly conserved 20-residue-long peptides were evaluated using a sensitive and specific binding assay based on radio-iodination. B. bovis AMA-1 ectodomain structure was modelled and refined using molecular modelling software. NetMHCIIpan software was used for calculating B- and T-cell epitopes. The B. bovis ama-1 gene had regions under functional constraint, having the highest negative selective pressure intensity in the Domain I encoding region. Interestingly, B. bovis AMA-1-DI (¹⁰⁰YMQKFDIPRNHGSGIYVDLG¹¹⁹ and ¹²⁰GYESVGSKSYRMPVGKCPVV¹³⁹) and DII (³⁰²CPMHPVRDAIFGKWSGGSCV³²¹)-derived peptides had high specificity interaction with erythrocytes and bound to a chymotrypsin and neuraminidase-treatment sensitive receptor. DI-derived peptides appear to be exposed on the protein’s surface and contain predicted B- and T-cell epitopes. These findings provide data (for the first-time) concerning B. bovis AMA-1 functional subunits which are important for establishing receptor-ligand interactions which could be used in synthetic vaccine development.     

基于双时间点检测的毫米波雷达人流量监测方法

针对现有基于视频监控的人流量统计方案成本高、算法复杂且不利于个人隐私保护的局限性，利用毫米波雷达体积小、成本低、分辨率高的特点，提出了一种基于双时间点检测的人流量监测方法。该方法先获取人体目标散射点位置和多普勒频移信息来构成点云数据，然后根据多普勒频移正负来判断人体的运动方向，并筛选具有高多普勒频移值的点云数据以降低干扰点对聚类结果的影响；在双时间点对特定区域内人员数量进行统计，并根据双时间点之间所获取的点云数据聚类结果对所统计人员数据进行修正。实验结果表明，该方法能够用匿名的方式以较高的正确率统计人员进出。     

Courses Based on iGEM/BIOMOD Competitions Are the Ideal Format for Research-Based Learning of Xenobiology

Synthetic biology and especially xenobiology, as emerging new fields of science, have reached an intellectual and experimental maturity that makes them suitable for integration into the university curricula of chemical and biological disciplines. Novel scientific fields that include laboratory work are perfect playgrounds for developing highly motivating research-based teaching modules. We believe that research-based learning enriched by digital tools is the best approach for teaching new emerging essentials of academic education. This is especially true when the scientific field as such is still not canonized with text books and best-practice examples. Our experience shows that iGEM/BIOMOD competitions represent an excellent basis for designing research-based courses in xenobiology. Therefore, we present a report on “iGEM–Synthetic Biology” offered at the Technische Universität Berlin as an example.     

Alteration of the Route to Menaquinone towards Isochorismate-Derived Metabolites

Chorismate and isochorismate constitute branch-point intermediates in the biosynthesis of many aromatic metabolites in microorganisms and plants. To obtain unnatural compounds, we modified the route to menaquinone in Escherichia coli. We propose a model for the binding of isochorismate to the active site of MenD ((1R,2S, 5S,6S)-2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxycyclohex-3-ene-1-carboxylate (SEPHCHC) synthase) that explains the outcome of the native reaction with α-ketoglutarate. We have rationally designed variants of MenD for the conversion of several isochorismate analogues. The double-variant Asn117Arg–Leu478Thr preferentially converts (5S,6S)-5,6-dihydroxycyclohexa-1,3-diene-1-carboxylate (2,3-trans-CHD), the hydrolysis product of isochorismate, with a >70-fold higher ratio than that for the wild type. The single-variant Arg107Ile uses (5S,6S)-6-amino-5-hydroxycyclohexa-1,3-diene-1-carboxylate (2,3-trans-CHA) as substrate with >6-fold conversion compared to wild-type MenD. The novel compounds have been made accessible in vivo (up to 5.3 g L⁻¹). Unexpectedly, as the identified residues such as Arg107 are highly conserved (>94 %), some of the designed variations can be found in wild-type SEPHCHC synthases from other bacteria (Arg107Lys, 0.3 %). This raises the question for the possible natural occurrence of as yet unexplored branches of the shikimate pathway.     

Lessons from a Minimal Genome: What Are the Essential Organizing Principles of a Cell Built from Scratch?

One of the primary challenges facing synthetic biology is reconstituting a living system from its component parts. A particularly difficult landmark is reconstituting a self-organizing system that can undergo autonomous chromosome compaction, segregation, and cell division. Here, we discuss how the syn3.0 minimal genome can inform us of the core self-organizing principles of a living cell and how these self-organizing processes can be built from the bottom up. The review underscores the importance of fundamental biology in rebuilding life from its molecular constituents.     

不同类型断层控制油气垂向富集的差异——以渤海湾盆地歧口凹陷歧南斜坡区为例

渤海湾盆地历经多期构造变动，断层圈闭发育普遍。断层作为断层圈闭的边界条件，在油气成藏过程中起着至关重要的作用。以断层圈闭较发育的歧南斜坡区为例分析了同向断层和反向断层控制油气垂向富集的差异，基于三维地震资料，从断层形成过程和断层圈闭分布出发，剖析了断层遮挡圈闭的成因及分布规律。结合油水分布规律，基于油藏解剖并应用储层定量荧光技术明确了不同类型断层控藏的差异及其形成机理。研究表明：①断层分段生长作用和断层上盘与下盘的差异活动是同向断层控制下断层遮挡圈闭形成的主要原因，斜坡区反向断层控制形成的断层圈闭则是断块掀斜翘倾作用所致；②同向断层圈闭发育在断层上盘分段点位置，只有当同向断层进入"硬连接"阶段方可形成断层圈闭，反向断层圈闭形成在断层下盘，在反向断层活动初期便可形成；③同向断层既可以控制油气在多套含油气系统中聚集成藏，也可在一套含油气系统中富集，而反向断层往往控制油气在一套含油气系统中富集；④不同类型断层控制油气垂向聚集的差异与圈闭发育位置以及断-盖配置有关。采用泥岩涂抹系数对沙河街组一段中部盖层控制的含油气系统的垂向调整进行定量评价，泥岩涂抹系数低于3.5时油气保存，泥岩涂抹系数高于3.5时油气垂向渗漏。     

机载光电雷达它机试飞技术研究

机载光电雷达受平台及大气环境影响较大,而它机试飞能有效规避研制风险,是产品研制的必经阶段。本文介绍了机载光电雷达它机试飞试验系统组成、试验流程和数据处理等内容。经工程验证,实施过程满足任务需求,对其他光电系统的它机及本机试飞具有参考价值。     

基于分支定界法的相控阵雷达事件调度算法

为解决相控阵雷达事件调度问题中调度成功率、时间偏移率与算法时效性三者之间的矛盾，本文提出一种基于分支定界法的调度算法；该算法首先在现有调度结果上调取所有可执行事件，即获得若干"节点"，多步递推后由多"层"节点形成若干条备选"分支"，扩大解空间范围，提高算法性能；然后通过"删减"操作删减掉收益较低分支，将解空间控制在一适当范围内，减小搜索盲目性，降低算法计算量.仿真实验表明，与基于综合优先级算法的调度结果相比，利用本文算法调度时调度成功率提升了52%；与基于时间指针算法的调度结果相比，本身算法时间偏移率降低了61%；与基于遗传算法的调度结果相比，本文算法调度耗时仅为前者1~2%.     

基于改进飞蛾扑火优化算法的MIMO雷达相位编码信号集设计

提出一种MIMO雷达相位编码信号集设计方法，该方法对飞蛾扑火优化算法进行改进，利用改进的飞蛾扑火算法优化相位编码信号集，提高其正交性.在改进方法中，增加对火焰的更新过程，使火焰不仅能够保存最优飞蛾位置还具有搜索最优解的功能.优化过程以自相关函数旁瓣峰值和、互相关函数峰值和，以及自相关函数旁瓣能量、互相关函数能量作为算法适应度函数.仿真实验结果表明，改进方法明显提高了飞蛾扑火优化算法的收敛速度和收敛精度，且优化得到的信号集具有较低的自相关旁瓣值和互相关值.