The surface effect is becoming apparently significant as the miniaturization of fluidic devices. In the micro/nanochannel fluidics, the electrode surface effects have the same important influence on the current signals as the channel surface effects. In this paper, when aqueous solution are driven with non-continuous DC electric field force, the characteristics of current signals of the fluid transferring through microfluidic channel are systematically studied. Six modes of current signal are summarized, and some new significant phenomena are found, e.g. there exists a critical voltage at which the steady current value equals to zero; the absolute value of the steady current decreases at first, however, it increases with the external voltage greater than the critical voltage as the electrode area ratio of cathode and anode is 10 and 20; the critical voltage increases with the enhancing of electrode area ratio of cathode and anode and solution pH, while it decreases with the raising of ion concentration. Finally, the microscopic mechanism of the electrode surface charge effects is discussed preliminarily. The rules will be helpful for detecting and manipulating single biomolecules in the micro/nanofluidic chips and biosensors.

Lin28a and Lin28b, homologs of the Caenorhabditis elegans Lin28 gene, play important roles in cell pluripotency, reprogramming, and tumorigenicity. Recently, genomewide association and transgenic studies showed that Lin28a and/or Lin28b gene were involved in the onset of mammalian puberty, the stage representing the attainment of reproduction capacity; however, the detailed mechanism of these genes in mammalian puberty remains largely unknown. The present paper reviews the research progress on the roles of Lin28a/b genes in the onset of mammalian puberty by analyzing the results coming from gene expression patterns, mutations, and transgenic studies, and put forward possible pathways for further studies on their roles in animal reproduction.expression pattern, gene mutation, glucose metabolism, Lin28a, Lin28b, onset of puberty

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In practical applications of biochips and bio-sensors, electrokinetic mechanisms are commonly employed to manipulate and analyze the characteristics of single bio-molecules. To accurately and flexibly control the movement of single molecule within micro-/submicro-fluidic channels, the characteristics of current signals at the initial stage of the flow are systematically studied based on a three-electrode system. The current response of micro-/submicro-fluidic channels filled with different electrolyte solutions in non-continuous external electric field are investigated. It is found, there always exists a current reversal phenomenon, which is an inherent property of the current signals in micro/submicro-fluidics Each solution has an individual critical voltage under which the steady current value is equal to zero The interaction between the steady current and external applied voltage follows an exponential function. All these results can be attributed to the overpotentials of the electric double layer on the electrodes. These results are helpful for the design and fabrication of functional micro/nano-scale fluidic sensors and biochips.