Modulation of protein biophysical properties by chemical glycosylation: biochemical insights and biomedical implications

Glycosylation constitutes one of the most important posttranslational modifications employed by biological systems to modulate protein biophysical properties. Due to the direct biochemical and biomedical implications of achieving control over protein stability and function by chemical means, there has been great interest in recent years towards the development of chemical strategies for protein glycosylation. Since current knowledge about glycoprotein biophysics has been mainly derived from the study of naturally glycosylated proteins, chemical glycosylation provides novel insights into its mechanistic understanding by affording control over glycosylation parameters. This review presents a survey of the effects that natural and chemical glycosylation have on the fundamental biophysical properties of proteins (structure, dynamics, stability, and function). This is complemented by a mechanistic discussion of how glycans achieve such effects and discussion of the implications of employing chemical glycosylation as a tool to exert control over protein biophysical properties within biochemical and biomedical applications. Received 15 December 2006; received after revision 28 March 2007; accepted 25 April 2007     

Static extracting method of software intended behavior based on API functions invoking

The method of extracting and describing the intended behavior of software precisely has become one of the key points in the fields of software behavior＇s dynamic and trusted authentication. In this paper, the author proposes a specified measure of extracting SIBDS （software intended behaviors describing sets） statically from the binary executable using the software＇s API functions invoking, and also introduces the definition of the structure used to store the SIBDS in detail. Experimental results demonstrate that the extracting method and the storage structure definition offers three strong properties： （i） it can describe the software＇s intended behavior accurately; （ii） it demands a small storage expense; （iii） it provides strong capability to defend against mimicry attack.     

Comparison of Drought-Resistance about Three Wild Rocky-Grasses

In this experiment, using the methods of drought-stress in the pot and PEG simulative drought-stress, three native rocky-slope grasses Pogonatherum panideum（Lam.） Hack, Erioophorum comosum nees and Cynodon dactylon cultivated in the pots were selected as materials to study their drought-resistance by analyzing the indexes such as the leaf area index, the drying roots accumulation, the holding water ability of leaf, the relative conductance of leaf, the soluble protein, chlorophyll. At the same time, by comparing with membership function value of each index, the order of each grass drought-resistance was decided. The results showed that the drought-resistance of Erioophorum comosum nees was stronger than Cynodon dactylon and drought-resistance of Cynodon dactylon was stronger than Pogonatherum panideum （Lam.） Hack. The purpose of the experimental results was to find theoretical foundations for selecting and cultivating native protecting-slope vegetations to adapt to rocky slopes.     

Homology Priority Task Scheduling in μC/OS-Ⅱ Real-Time Kernel

μC/OS-Ⅱ is an open source real-time kernel adopting priority preemptive schedule strategy. Aiming at the problem of μC/OS-Ⅱ failing to support homology priority tasks scheduling, an approach for solution is proposed. The basic idea is adding round-robin scheduling strategy in its original scheduler in order to schedule homology priority tasks through time slice roundrobin. Implementation approach is given in detail. Firstly, the Task Control Block （TCB） is extended. And then, a new priority index table is created, in which each index pointer points to a set of homology priority tasks. Eventually, on the basis of reconstructing μC/OS-Ⅱ real-time kernel, task scheduling module is rewritten. Otherwise, schedulability of homology task supported by modified kernel had been analyzed, and deadline formula of created homology tasks is given. By theoretical analysis and experiment verification, the modified kernel can support homology priority tasks scheduling, meanwhile, it also remains preemptive property of original μC/OS-Ⅱ.     

Therapeutic applications of bone marrow-derived stem cells in liver transplantation for end-stage liver diseases

Today, liver transplantation (LT) is the only established treatment for end-stage liver diseases. The de- velopment of LT, including OLT, cadaveric LT, split LT, living donor LT (LDLT), brings hopes to patients with these diseases. However, increasing donor shortage, rejection and life-long immunosuppression with its side effects are the major limitations of this therapy strategy. Bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) are capable of differentiating into hepatocyte-like cells and contribute to liver injury repair. The microenvironment of liver injury caused by rejection, ischemia/reperfusion, loss of liver mass, recurrence of HCV and "small-for-size syndrome" after LT can attract a variety of bone marrow-derived stem cell population to the peripheral circulation and then migration to the injury liver to promote the hepatic function restoration. Additionally, BMDSCs can also take part in the functional regeneration of living donor liver after LDLT. This participation in liver regeneration may be associated to the interac- tion between SDF-1and its receptor CXCR4, involving HGF, IL-8, MMP9, and VEGF/VEGFR-2. BMDSC with its bio-characteristics could maintain the allograft tolerance from different angles and in different ways. In conclusion, BMDSCs transplantation, as a new assistant therapeutic method for LT, will ex- pand the space of LT, and provide more survival opportunities for the patients suffering liver diseases in the future.     

The harmonic decomposition reconstruction for the exponential radon transform

The exponential Radon transform, a generalization of the Radon transform, is defined and studied as a mapping of function spaces. It is represented in terms of Fourier transform of its domain and range, and this leads to the harmonic decomposition reconstruction. The results are similar results of Tretiak and Metz. Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 19971064), Key Project of Science and Technology of Hubei Province Education Committee. Biography: Wang Jin-ping (1963-), male, Ph.D. candidate, research direction: numberical solution of singular integral equation and integral transformation etc.     

Resource Search in Unstructured Peer-to-Peer System Based on Multiple-Tree Overlay Structure

We propose a multiple-tree overlay structure for resource discovery in unstructured P2P systems. Peers that have similar interests or hold similar type of resources will be grouped into a tree-like cluster. We exploit the heterogeneity of peers in each cluster by connecting peers with more capacities closer to the root of the tree. The capacity of a peer can be defined in different ways （e.g. higher network bandwidth, larger disk space, more data items of a certain type etc.） according to different needs of users or applications.     

On the verge of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Umdeutung</Emphasis> in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part one

In October 1924, The Physical Review, a relatively minor journal at the time, published a remarkable two-part paper by John H. Van Vleck, working in virtual isolation at the University of Minnesota. Using Bohr’s correspondence principle and Einstein’s quantum theory of radiation along with advanced techniques from classical mechanics, Van Vleck showed that quantum formulae for emission, absorption, and dispersion of radiation merge with their classical counterparts in the limit of high quantum numbers. For modern readers Van Vleck’s paper is much easier to follow than the famous paper by Kramers and Heisenberg on dispersion theory, which covers similar terrain and is widely credited to have led directly to Heisenberg’s Umdeutung paper. This makes Van Vleck’s paper extremely valuable for the reconstruction of the genesis of matrix mechanics. It also makes it tempting to ask why Van Vleck did not take the next step and develop matrix mechanics himself. This paper was written as part of a joint project in the history of quantum physics of the Max Planck Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte and the Fritz-Haber-Institut in Berlin.     

The Response of Debris-Flow Events to Solar Proton Flares （Ⅰ）

By analyzing the observation data from Dongchuan Debris Flow Observation and Research Station and historical data from year 1965 to 1990 gotten from National Astronomical Ob-servatories/Yunnan Observatory,the responding of debris flow in Jiangjia Ravine to Solar Proton Flare is studied. The following conclusion can be drawn. Solar Proton Flare,as one of most im-portant astronomical factors,affects the activity of debris flow in Yunnan. Generally,from 1965 to1990,the more active Solar Pro-ton Flare is,the greater the probability of high frequency and large runoff of debris flow is. On the contrary,the less active Solar Pro-ton Flare is,the greater the probability of low frequency,small runoff,and low sediment transport of debris flow is.