Replication of genetic information with self-encoded replicase in liposomes

In all living systems, the genome is replicated by proteins that are encoded within the genome itself. This universal reaction is essential to allow the system to evolve. Here, we have constructed a simplified system involving encapsulated macromolecules termed a "self-encoding system", in which the genetic information is replicated by self-encoded replicase in liposomes. That is, the universal reaction was reconstituted within a microcompartment bound by a lipid bilayer. The system was assembled by using one template RNA sequence as the information molecule and an in vitro translation system reconstituted from purified translation factors as the machinery for decoding the information. In this system, the catalytic subunit of Qbeta replicase is synthesized from the template RNA that encodes the protein. The replicase then replicates the template RNA that was used for its production. This in-liposome self-encoding system is one of the simplest such systems available; it consists of only 144 gene products, while the information and the function for its replication are encoded on different molecules and are compartmentalized into the microenvironment for evolvability.     

Photorealistic real‐time rendering of spherical raindrops with hierarchical reflective and refractive maps

Synthesizing rainy images is a common challenge found in film, game engines, driving simulators, and architectural design. Simulating light transport through a raindrop's optical properties is a view‐dependent problem, and large quantities of raindrops are required to produce a plausible rainy scene. Accurate methods for rendering raindrops exist but are often off‐line techniques that are cost prohibitive for real‐time applications. Most real‐time solutions use textures to approximate the appearance of moving raindrops as streaks. These approaches produce plausible results but do not address the problem of temporal effects such as slow‐motion or paused simulations. In such conditions, streak‐based approximations are not suitable, and proper raindrop geometry should be considered. This paper describes a straight‐forward approach for rendering raindrops in such temporal conditions. The proposed technique consists of a preprocessing stage that generates a raindrop mask and a run‐time stage that renders raindrops as screen‐aligned billboards. The mask's contents are adjusted on the basis of the viewpoint, viewing direction, and raindrop position. The proposed method renders millions of raindrops at real‐time rates in current graphics hardware, making it suitable for applications that require high‐visual quality without compromising performance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

乳化鱼油对冻藏期间狭鳕鱼糜热凝胶持水性和冰结晶形成的影响

评估乳化鱼油对冻藏期间狭鳕鱼糜热凝胶持水性和冰结晶形成的影响。鱼糜经盐擂后,加入5%鱼油经乳化制得乳化鱼糜热凝胶。随后用快速冻结和慢速冻结2 种方式冻结样品并评估其在冻藏期间热凝胶品质的变化。研究结果表明：与对照相比,乳化热凝胶在冻藏期间的解冻损失和压榨损失均有降低。显微观察结果显示经3 个月冻藏后乳化热凝胶内的冰结晶平均粒径与其对照相比均有减小,其中快速冻结乳化样品为7.2 μm,对照样品为13.1 μm,慢速冻结乳化样品为13.7 μm,对照样品为31.2 μm。以上结果表明乳化鱼油可能对冻藏期间的热凝胶的冰结晶形成和其分布的影响而导致其持水性不同。     

Effects of Flavourzyme on Yield and Some Biological Activities of Mungoong, an Extract Paste from the Cephalothorax of White Shrimp

ABSTRACT:  The use of Flavourzyme as a processing aid for the production of Mungoong, an extract paste from the cephalothorax of white shrimp, and its effect on biological activities were investigated. Flavourzyme increased the yield of Mungoong. Mungoong prepared from raw cephalothorax with the addition of 0.15% or 0.30% (w/w) Flavourzyme showed higher yields than those prepared from the cooked counterpart with a higher formal content and nitrogen solubility index when the same levels of Flavourzyme were used ( P  < 0.05). Higher ammonia and amino nitrogen contents were also observed in Mungoong prepared with the aid of Flavourzyme, particularly for the raw cephalothorax ( P  < 0.05). All Mungoong contained protein as the major constituent. For antioxidative activity, Mungoong prepared from raw cephalothorax with 0.15% Flavourzyme (Mungoong RF 15) exhibited the highest antioxidative activity as evidenced by the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activities as well as ferric reducing antioxidant power, compared with other samples. Additionally, angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitory activity was greater in Mungoong produced with the aid of Flavourzyme, regardless of processes used ( P  < 0.05).     

Study on analysis of crystal structure in CeO2 doped with Er2O3 or Gd2O3

To simulate the effects of burnable poison doping in nuclear fuel UO₂, Er₂O₃ (or Gd₂O₃)-doped CeO₂ pellets were prepared. Changes in lattice constant and atomic disordering for CeO₂ due to the Er₂O₃ and Gd₂O₃ doping were measured by means of XRD and XAFS. By the Er₂O₃ doping, the lattice constant decreased, and a disordering of lattice structure was induced in the samples. The doping with Er₂O₃ also induced the disordering of atomic arrangement around Er atoms, which was observed through the change in XAFS spectra. In contrast, the effect of Gd₂O₃ doping was smaller than that of Er₂O₃ doping. The result was discussed in terms of ionic size of dopants in CeO₂ crystal.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of oxygen Frenkel pairs in cerium dioxide

Molecular dynamics simulations of oxygen Frenkel pairs (FPs) in cerium dioxide (CeO₂) were carried out in order to understand their kinetic behavior. The results show that an oxygen FP recombine with the vacancy and the interstitial after the vacancy jump preferentially along the 〈1 0 0〉 direction. When multiple oxygen FPs are introduced, the interstitials aggregate into a (1 1 1) plate-like cluster at relatively lower temperature lower than 600 K, while they recombine with vacancies at elevated temperatures higher than 900 K within 10 ps. Molecular mechanics calculations of oxygen FPs on a (1 1 1) plane show that the formation energy per a FP decreases with increase of the number of FPs. The theoretical results are consistent with the transmission electron microscopy observations of formation of 1/9〈1 1 1〉{1 1 1} oxygen interstitial platelets in CeO₂ under electron irradiation.     

Biochemical properties of acid-soluble collagens extracted from the skins of underutilised fishes

Acid-soluble collagens (ASCs) were extracted from the skins of several underutilised fishes, namely dusky spinefoot (Siganus fuscescens), sea chub (Kyphosus bigibbus), eagle ray (Myliobatis tobijei), red stingray (Dasyatis akajei) and yantai stingray (Dasyatis laevigata). The yields of the ASCs from skins of dusky spinefoot and sea chub were about 3.4–3.9%, and from ray species were about 5.3–5.7%, on a dry weight basis. According to the electrophoretic pattern, ASCs consisted of two different α-chains (α1 and α2) and were classified as type I collagen. However, the molecular weights of α2-chain for ray species were lower than those of bony fishes. ASC from ray species contained a higher content of imino acids than those from dusky spinefoot and sea chub. The denaturation temperatures (T_d) of ray species were about 33 °C, which was about 5 °C higher than those of dusky spinefoot and sea chub. The high T_d of ray species suggested the possibility of its utilisation as a substitute for mammalian collagen.     

Effects of koji fermented phenolic compounds on the oxidative stability of fish miso

In the present study, Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji inhibited lipid oxidation in fermented fish paste rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids following a long fermentation period. The fermentation of koji by A. oryzae liberated several bioactive phenolic compounds, including kojic acid and ferulic acid, which were the most abundant. A linear correlation between several phenolic compounds and their bioactive properties, including their radical-scavenging activity, reducing power, metal-chelating activity, and ability to inhibit linoleic acid oxidation was observed. This suggested an important role of koji phenolics in the oxidative stability of fermented fish paste. The activities of different carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulase, and β-glucosidase, were positively correlated with the liberation of several phenolic compounds through koji fermentation. Thus, the application of koji offers a novel strategy to enhance the oxidative stability of newly developed fermented fish miso. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Application of traditional Japanese koji fermentation technique to develop an aroma enriched fish meat bases seasoning has been established. Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji releases several carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulose, and β-glucosidase, which led to the liberation of several phenolic compounds during fermentation. Improvement of oxidative stability of the fermented fish meat paste by koji phenolics suggests a useful strategy to uplift the value of different trash fish meat-based seasoning through proper utilization of the present technique.     

Pathophysiology and Treatment of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

There is a close relationship between diabetes mellitus and heart failure, and diabetes is an independent risk factor for heart failure. Diabetes and heart failure are linked by not only the complication of ischemic heart disease, but also by metabolic disorders such as glucose toxicity and lipotoxicity based on insulin resistance. Cardiac dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and valvular disease is called diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes-induced hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia lead to capillary damage, myocardial fibrosis, and myocardial hypertrophy with mitochondrial dysfunction. Lipotoxicity with extensive fat deposits or lipid droplets is observed on cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, increased oxidative stress and inflammation cause cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. Treatment with a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor is currently one of the most effective treatments for heart failure associated with diabetes. However, an effective treatment for lipotoxicity of the myocardium has not yet been established, and the establishment of an effective treatment is needed in the future. This review provides an overview of heart failure in diabetic patients for the clinical practice of clinicians.