Targeted disruption of the mouse transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene results in multifocal inflammatory disease.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is a multifunctional growth factor that has profound regulatory effects on many developmental and physiological processes. Disruption of the TGF-beta 1 gene by homologous recombination in murine embryonic stem cells enables mice to be generated that carry the disrupted allele. Animals homozygous for the mutated TGF-beta 1 allele show no gross developmental abnormalities, but about 20 days after birth they succumb to a wasting syndrome accompanied by a multifocal, mixed inflammatory cell response and tissue necrosis, leading to organ failure and death. TGF-beta 1-deficient mice may be valuable models for human immune and inflammatory disorders, including autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and graft versus host reactions.     

The failing heart.

Cardiomyopathies are disorders affecting heart muscle that usually result in inadequate pumping of the heart. They are the most common cause of heart failure and each year kill more than 10,000 people in the United States. In recent years, there have been breakthroughs in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in this group of conditions, with knowledge of the genetic basis for cardiomyopathies perhaps seeing the largest advance, enabling clinicians to devise improved diagnostic strategies and preparing the stage for new therapies.     

Microbial degradation of bitumen

Summary A blown bitumen Mexphalte R 90/40 with a high content of saturated hydrocarbons was degraded by several microorganisms to the same extent. In batch cultures ofSaccharomycopsis lipolytica, maximal biodegradation was estimated to be about 9% w/w, 3.2·10^–3 g/cm² and 3.1·10^–3 cm of degraded bitumen. The Mexphalte R 90/40 degradation rate was closely coupled to biofilm formation. The microbial activity concerned predominantly the oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons. A direct distillation bitumen 80/100 with a low content of saturated hydrocarbons and a high content of aromatic hydrocarbons and resins was more resistant to biodegradation.     

Abnormal pattern detected in fragile-X patients by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

The fragile-X syndrome is the most frequent inherited form of mental retardation, with an incidence of 1 in 1,500 males. It is characterized by the presence of a fragile site at Xq27.3 induced in vitro by folate deprivation or by inhibitors of deoxynucleotide synthesis. Its mode of inheritance is unusual for an X-linked trait, with incomplete penetrance in both males and females. Some phenotypically normal males transmit the mutation to all their daughters who rarely express any symptoms, but penetrance is high in sons and daughters of these carrier women. Genetic and physical mapping of the Xq27-q28 region has confirmed that the disease locus is located at or very near the fragile site. Hypotheses proposed to account for the abnormalities in the inheritance of the disease include sequence rearrangements by meiotic recombination or a mutation that affects reactivation of an inactive X chromosome during differentiation of female germ cells. To detect such rearrangements, or methylation changes that may reflect a locally inactive X chromosome, we used pulsed-field gel analysis of DNA from fragile-X patients with probes close to the fragile-X locus. The probe Do33 (DXS465) detected abnormal patterns in fragile-X patients, but not in normal controls or in non-expressing male transmitters.     

The detection of structural deformation errors in attitude determination

In the determination of the attitude parameters from a multi-antenna GPS array, one of the major assumptions is that the body frame is rigid at all times. If this assumption is not true then the derived attitude parameters will be in error. It is well known that in airborne platforms the wings often experience some displacement during flight, especially during periods of initializing maneouvres, such as taking off, landing,and banking. Often it is at these points in time that it is most critical to have the most precise attitude parameters.There are a number of techniques available for the detection of modeling errors.The CUSUM algorithm has successfully been implemented in the past to detect small persistent changes. In this paper the authors investigate different methods of generating the residuals, to be tested by the CUSUM algorithm, in an effort to determine which technique is best suited for the detection of structural deformation of an airborne platform. The methods investigated include monitoring the mean of the residuals generated from the difference between the known body frame coordinates, and those calculated from the derived attitude parameters. The generated residuals are then passed to a CUSUM algorithm to detect any small persistent changes. An alternative method involves transforming the generated residuals into the frequency domain through the use of the Fast Fourier Transform. The CUSUM algorithm is then used to detect any frequency changes. The final technique investigated involves transforming the generated residuals using the Haar wavelet. The wavelet coefficients are then monitored by the CUSUM algorithm in order to detect any significant change to the rigidity of the body frame.Detecting structural deformation, and quantifying the degree of deformation, during flight will ensure that these effects can be removed from the system, thus ensuring the most precise and reliable attitude parameter solutions. This paper, through a series ofsimulations, will assess the effectiveness of the above mentioned techniques for detecting structural deformation effects on a GPS multi-antenna array. These principles are then tested with experimental data.     

Comparison of the effects of different isomers of bicuculline infused in the preoptic area on male rat sexual behavior

Summary Intracerebral infusion of (+) bicuculline methiodide, but not of its (–) isomer, in the preoptic area, stimulated masculine sexual behavior in rat as evidenced by a decrease in the number of intromissions preceding ejaculation and a shortening of the ejaculation latency and postejaculatory interval. Data suggest a role of the GABAergic system in mediating masculine sexual behavior.Acknowledgments. Authors wish to thank Ms Elisabeth Wallin for excellent technical assistance and Ms Madelene Kröning for preparing the figures.     

新世纪图书馆员社会角色转换研究综述

就近几年图书馆界关于新世纪馆员意识转换及社会角色转换等方面的研究进行了综述，指出新时期的馆员要实现自我社会角色的转换，首先是要明确转换的必要性，然后采取有效的策略逐步地、系统地推进转换，才能取得较好的效果。     

The behavior of the homozygous and heterozygous sub-types of rats which are genetically-selected for diabetes insipidus: A comparison with Long Evans and Wistar stocks

Several aspects of spontaneous and conditioned behavior (food and water intake, locomotion and emotionality, passive and active avoidance acquisition and retention) of standard (albino and pigmented) rats, and rats heterozygous (HEDI) and homozygous (HODI) for diabetes insipidus, are reviewed. As would be expected, HODI rats have been repeatedly found to consume far more fluid than either HEDI or control rats. Pigmented rats appear to be more active than albinos. HODI rats exhibit less marked emotional responses than do control rats, among which the pigmented ones exhibit the highest emotionality. Light aversion is more evident in albino than in pigmented rats. No differences are found among HEDI, HODI and normal Long Evans rats. It is quite difficult to provide a clear-cut statement concerning inter-strain differences in passive avoidance behavior, possibly because of the variety of techniques employed. In any case, HODI rats do not perform worse than normal controls do. In one-way active avoidance paradigms, pigmented rats perform better than albinos, and the performance of HODI rats does not differ from that of controls. In two-way avoidance paradigms, albinos appear to outperform pigmented rats. Once again, there are no obvious differences between HODI and control animals.In addition to indicating that HODI rats may actually be less emotional than the other groups of rats reviewed here, the studies described once again fail to confirm the previously alleged functions of vasopressin in memory consolidation.