Novel Fluorene-thiophene Copolymers and Polymer Blends for Photonic Devices

1 Results In this contribution we deal with photophysical and photoelectrical study of novel fluorene-thiophene copolymers, and thiophene-based oligomers and polymers, the syntheses of which are reported in our other contributions. Information about electronic structure of the polymers was obtained from cyclic voltammetry and absorption spectroscopy. The absorption of the polymers under study covers the whole visible region; the low band-gap polymer (Eg=1.35 eV) exhibited the long-wavelength absorption ...     

灰铸铁的应力屈服曲面及其三维热弹塑性应力解析

对原有的灰铸铁件应力屈服曲面进行了合理的简化,使其在理论上合理,工程应用上更为方便。建立了灰铸铁件三维非稳态热弹塑性应力场的有限元方法。以灰铸铁哑铃件为对象,用新屈服曲面对其应力发展过程进行了模拟,且比较了用新旧屈服面计算得到的结果。     

花的颜色操作：花的整容术

花不仅是植物的冠冕,而且是生殖器官。有色花瓣和雄蕊对传粉者有非同寻常的吸引力,因而对复制成功极端重要。产生花的颜色的指令被编在DNA上。目前,有可能为植物提供若干新基因或剪切现有基因,遗传学家正在以新的热忱看待花的颜色操作术。     

理性力学的传统及发展——卡普里兹诞辰75周年纪念文集

卡普里兹是意大利成就卓著的科学家，他出生于1925年，在理性力学、计算力学、润滑学、振动与稳定理论、粘弹性力学等许多方面均做出了重要贡献，曾出任意大利数学协会副主席、国际数学力学交互学会主席、意大利理论与应用力学协会主席等职。     

One modified method of characteristics used to analyze the multiconductor transmission lines

1.INTRODUCTIONThe analysis of electromagnetic compatibility becomesmorei mportant in the analysis of the multiconductortransmissionlines(MTLs).It provides the effectivemethod for designing the MTLs.Several methodsbased on frequency domain and ti me domain tech-niques have beenrecently proposed[1,2].Thefrequen-cy method should performthe inverse Fourier trans-formation,so it is not more accurate than ti memethod to some degree.The method of characteris-ticsis based ontheti me domain met…     

How do Shp2 mutations that oppositely influence its biochemical activity result in syndromes with overlapping symptoms?

Activating and inactivating mutations of SHP-2 are responsible, respectively, for the Noonan (NS) and the LEOPARD (LS) syndromes. Clinically, these developmental disorders overlap greatly, resulting in the apparent paradox of similar diseases caused by mutations that oppositely influence SHP-2 phosphatase activity. While the mechanisms remain unclear, recent functional analysis of SHP-2, along with the identification of other genes involved in NS and in other related syndromes (neurofibromatosis-1, Costello and cardio-facio-cutaneous syndromes), strongly suggest that Ras/MAPK represents the major signaling pathway deregulated by SHP-2 mutants. We discuss the idea that, with the exception of LS mutations that have been shown to exert a dominant negative effect, all disease-causing mutations involved in Ras/MAPK-mediated signaling, including SHP-2, might lead to enhanced MAPK activation. This suggests that a narrow range of MAPK signaling is required for appropriate development. We also discuss the possibility that LS mutations may not simply exhibit dominant negative activity. Received 30 November 2006; received after revision 8 February 2007; accepted 13 March 2007     

Targeted inhibition of Livin resensitizes renal cancer cells towards apoptosis

Cancer cells are typically characterized by apoptosis deficiency. In order to investigate a possible role for the anti-apoptotic livin gene in renal cell cancer (RCC), we analyzed its expression in tumor tissue samples and in RCC-derived cell lines. In addition, we studied the contribution of livin to the apoptotic resistance of RCC cells by RNA interference (RNAi). Livin gene expression was detected in a significant portion of RCC tumor tissue specimens (13/14, 92.9%) and tumor-derived cell lines (12/15, 80.0%). Moreover, targeted inhibition of livin by RNAi markedly sensitized RCC cells towards proapoptotic stimuli, such as UV irradiation or the chemotherapeutic drugs etoposide, 5-fluorouracil, and vinblastine. These effects were specific for livin expressing tumor cells. We conclude that livin can contribute significantly to the apoptosis resistance of RCC cells. Targeted inhibition of livin could represent a novel therapeutic strategy to increase the sensitivity of renal cancers towards pro-apoptotic agents. Received 30 November 2006; received after revision 22 February 2007; accepted 20 March 2007     

Osteoclast-poor human osteopetrosis due to mutations in the gene encoding RANKL

Autosomal recessive osteopetrosis is usually associated with normal or elevated numbers of nonfunctional osteoclasts. Here we report mutations in the gene encoding RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor-KB ligand) in six individuals with autosomal recessive osteopetrosis whose bone biopsy specimens lacked osteoclasts. These individuals did not show any obvious defects in immunological parameters and could not be cured by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; however, exogenous RANKL induced formation of functional osteoclasts from their monocytes, suggesting that they could, theoretically, benefit from exogenous RANKL administration.