Angiogenesis and signal transduction in endothelial cells

Endothelial cells receive multiple information from their environment that eventually leads them to progress along all the stages of the process of formation of new vessels. Angiogenic signals promote endothelial cell proliferation, increased resistance to apoptosis, changes in proteolytic balance, cytoskeletal reorganization, migration and, finally, differentiation and formation of a new vascular lumen. We aim to review herein the main signaling cascades that become activated in angiogenic endothelial cells as well as the opportunities of modulating angiogenesis through pharmacological interference with these signaling mechanisms. We will deal mainly with the mitogen-activated protein kinases pathway, which is very important in the transduction of proliferation signals; the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling system, particularly essential for the survival of the angiogenic endothelium; the small GTPases involved in cytoskeletal reorganization and migration; and the kinases associated to focal adhesions which contribute to integrate the pathways from the two main sources of angiogenic signals, i.e. growth factors and the extracellular matrix.Received 13 February 2004; received after revision 25 March 2004; accepted 19 April 2004     

Genetic diversity and chloroquine selective sweeps in Plasmodium falciparum

Widespread use of antimalarial agents can profoundly influence the evolution of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Recent selective sweeps for drug-resistant genotypes may have restricted the genetic diversity of this parasite, resembling effects attributed in current debates to a historic population bottleneck. Chloroquine-resistant (CQR) parasites were initially reported about 45 years ago from two foci in southeast Asia and South America, but the number of CQR founder mutations and the impact of chlorquine on parasite genomes worldwide have been difficult to evaluate. Using 342 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers from a genetic map, here we show that the level of genetic diversity varies substantially among different regions of the parasite genome, revealing extensive linkage disequilibrium surrounding the key CQR gene pfcrt and at least four CQR founder events. This disequilibrium and its decay rate in the pfcrt-flanking region are consistent with strong directional selective sweeps occurring over only approximately 20-80 sexual generations, especially a single resistant pfcrt haplotype spreading to very high frequencies throughout most of Asia and Africa. The presence of linkage disequilibrium provides a basis for mapping genes under drug selection in P. falciparum.     

从“声称”与事实说起--评奥斯汀与斯特劳森在“为真”问题上的争论

奥斯汀在具体的"声称"与事实问题上的论述是非常有见地的,然而,他在"为真"问题上所持的符合论却不能令人信服;相反,尽管斯特劳森在具体问题的论述中有一些不合理之处,但是他的言语行为理论却是非常有启发意义的。     

QTL mapping of the root traits and their correlation analysis with drought resistance using DH lines from paddy and upland rice cross

A Double Haploid (DH) population, 116 plants, derived from the cross between Japonica upland rice IRAT109 and paddy rice Yuefu, planted in PVC pipe under upland ecosystem in 2001 and 2002, was used in this study. Seven root traits, including basal root thickness (BRT), total root number (RN), maximum root length (MRL), root fresh weight (RFW), root dry weight (RDW), ratio of root fresh weight to shoot fresh weight (RFW/SFW) and ratio of root dry weight to shoot dry weight (RDW/SDW), were studied. Using index of drought resistance (IDR), the ratio of yield under upland ecosystem to yield under lowland ecosystem of DH lines, as the criteria of drought resistance, and correla-tion analysis between root traits and IDR, showed that BRT, MRL and RN were significantly correlated with IDR. High IDR lines had thicker BRT, longer MRL and less RN than low IDR lines. A molecular linkage map with 94 RFLP markers and 71 SSR markers covering 1535.1 cM was pro-duced. QTLs and G譋 interactions for BRT, RN, MRL, RFW, RDW, RFW/SFW and RDW/SDW were obtained based on the constructed molecular linkage map and soft-ware QTLmapper version 1.0. A total of 18 additive QTLs and 18 pairs of epistatic QTLs associated with root traits were detected. There were nine additive QTLs and two pairs of epistatic QTLs performed significant interactions with environment. Some QTLs with high general contribution and no G譋 interaction were obtained. Two pairs of epistatic QTLs mrl3 and mrl8, brt3 and brt11a controlling MRL and BRT had high general contributions of 21.51% and 13.03% respectively. An additive QTL and a pair of epistatic QTLs controlling RFW and RDW had high general contributions of 13.50% and 25.64% respectively. Marker assisted selec-tion (MAS) for rice drought resistance based on QTL with high general contribution, low G譋 interaction and tightly linkage with IDR were also discussed.     

《飞向宇宙》MCAI课件的制作

本文概要介绍《飞向宇宙》多媒体计算机辅助教学（MCAI）课件的制作过程,经了多媒体课件的通用制作方法,应用多媒体技术发展起来的多媒体CAI课件成为极具吸引力的现代化教学手段,它改变了传统的教育思想、教学模式,加速了教学现代化的进程。     

中华绒螯蟹酚氧化酶原系统与颤抖病的关系

近年来,颤抖病给中华绒螯蟹养殖业造成了巨大的经济损失.酚氧化酶原系统是甲壳动物最主要的体液免疫系统,当外源微生物侵入体内时,它发挥最基本的免疫防御作用来抵抗感染.酚氧化酶原系统的变化是蟹类健康状况的重要指标.prophenoloxidase和peroxinectin是酚氧化酶原系统中两个重要的体液免疫分子.实验从分子和蛋白两个水平研究了中华绒螯蟹酚氧化酶原系统与颤抖病的关系,建立了一种新的通过测定酚氧化酶原系统活性来判断蟹体质状况的方法.在分子水平上,中华绒螯蟹体液免疫分子prophenoloxidase和peroxinectin的部分基因序列被克隆和测序,并检测出这两种分子mRNA水平的表达情况与颤抖病的感染程度呈正相关,患病组蟹mRNA的表达水平远高于正常组;在蛋白水平上,酚氧化酶的活性被测定,在正常情况下,蟹体内酚氧化酶活性处于低水平状态,当被感染颤抖病后,酚氧化酶活性有一定程度的升高.这些结果提示了酚氧化酶原系统在抗颤抖病感染时起重要作用,为进一步研究预防和治疗颤抖病的新途径提供了理论依据.     

论传感器的现代信息技术

结合传感器的定义和原理，对传感器的技术、特性、分类及发展进行了探讨。     

High-affinity binding of beta-alanine to cerebral synaptosomes might involve glycine-receptors.

High-affinity, Na+-independent binding of beta-alanine to a synaptosomal fraction of rat brain was potently inhibited by glycine and by some other alpha-amino acids, but not by taurine or GABA. This binding mechanism, which was also sensitive to both bicuculline and strychnine, might involve synaptic receptors for both beta-alanine and glycine.     

含氮小分子键级的计算与结构式的推断

提出了电子空位对假说，以新颖的观点指出了分子结构的规律．对含氮共价小分子进行了键级的简便计算，和结构式的简易推断．