Two pathways converge at CED-10 to mediate actin rearrangement and corpse removal in C. elegans

The removal of apoptotic cells is essential for the physiological well being of the organism. In Caenorhabditis elegans, two conserved, partially redundant genetic pathways regulate this process. In the first pathway, the proteins CED-2, CED-5 and CED-12 (mammalian homologues CrkII, Dock180 and ELMO, respectively) function to activate CED-10 (Rac1). In the second group, the candidate receptor CED-1 (CD91/LRP/SREC) probably recognizes an unknown ligand on the apoptotic cell and signals via its cytoplasmic tail to the adaptor protein CED-6 (hCED-6/GULP), whereas CED-7 (ABCA1) is thought to play a role in membrane dynamics. Molecular understanding of how the second pathway promotes engulfment of the apoptotic cell is lacking. Here, we show that CED-1, CED-6 and CED-7 are required for actin reorganization around the apoptotic cell corpse, and that CED-1 and CED-6 colocalize with each other and with actin around the dead cell. Furthermore, we find that the CED-10(Rac) GTPase acts genetically downstream of these proteins to mediate corpse removal, functionally linking the two engulfment pathways and identifying the CED-1, -6 and -7 signalling module as upstream regulators of Rac activation.     

Ultrastructural correlation of water reabsorption in isolated rat cauda epididymidis

Summary Electron microscopic study was made on the water reabsorption of the epithelial cells of the rat cauda epididymidis. It was shown that when the epididymal duct was reabsorbing water at a maximal rate, widely dilated intercellular spaces were seen. It is suggested that the standing gradient model of water reabsorption first proposed for the gall bladder may also operate in the cauda epididymidis.This work was supported in part by the World Health Organization and grant number 158/254 of Hong Kong University.     

A facile approach to dihydrojasmone

Résumé La dihydrojasmone a été synthétisée en trois étapes à partir du pentanedione-2,4.

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This research was supported by NRCC, Ottawa.     

The landscape of cancer genes and mutational processes in breast cancer

All cancers carry somatic mutations in their genomes. A subset, known as driver mutations, confer clonal selective advantage on cancer cells and are causally implicated in oncogenesis, and the remainder are passenger mutations. The driver mutations and mutational processes operative in breast cancer have not yet been comprehensively explored. Here we examine the genomes of 100 tumours for somatic copy number changes and mutations in the coding exons of protein-coding genes. The number of somatic mutations varied markedly between individual tumours. We found strong correlations between mutation number, age at which cancer was diagnosed and cancer histological grade, and observed multiple mutational signatures, including one present in about ten per cent of tumours characterized by numerous mutations of cytosine at TpC dinucleotides. Driver mutations were identified in several new cancer genes including AKT2, ARID1B, CASP8, CDKN1B, MAP3K1, MAP3K13, NCOR1, SMARCD1 and TBX3. Among the 100 tumours, we found driver mutations in at least 40 cancer genes and 73 different combinations of mutated cancer genes. The results highlight the substantial genetic diversity underlying this common disease.     

A low density of 0.8 g cm(-3) for the Trojan binary asteroid 617 Patroclus

The Trojan population consists of two swarms of asteroids following the same orbit as Jupiter and located at the L4 and L5 stable Lagrange points of the Jupiter-Sun system (leading and following Jupiter by 60 degrees ). The asteroid 617 Patroclus is the only known binary Trojan. The orbit of this double system was hitherto unknown. Here we report that the components, separated by 680 km, move around the system's centre of mass, describing a roughly circular orbit. Using this orbital information, combined with thermal measurements to estimate the size of the components, we derive a very low density of 0.8(- 0.1)+0.2 g cm(-3). The components of 617 Patroclus are therefore very porous or composed mostly of water ice, suggesting that they could have been formed in the outer part of the Solar System.     

A keratin cytoskeletal protein regulates protein synthesis and epithelial cell growth

Cell growth, an increase in mass and size, is a highly regulated cellular event. The Akt/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signalling pathway has a central role in the control of protein synthesis and thus the growth of cells, tissues and organisms. A striking example of a physiological context requiring rapid cell growth is tissue repair in response to injury. Here we show that keratin 17, an intermediate filament protein rapidly induced in wounded stratified epithelia, regulates cell growth through binding to the adaptor protein 14-3-3sigma. Mouse skin keratinocytes lacking keratin 17 (ref. 4) show depressed protein translation and are of smaller size, correlating with decreased Akt/mTOR signalling activity. Other signalling kinases have normal activity, pointing to the specificity of this defect. Two amino acid residues located in the amino-terminal head domain of keratin 17 are required for the serum-dependent relocalization of 14-3-3sigma from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and for the concomitant stimulation of mTOR activity and cell growth. These findings reveal a new and unexpected role for the intermediate filament cytoskeleton in influencing cell growth and size by regulating protein synthesis.     

Evaluation of Woven Fabrics for Comfort Properties in Children’s Summer Wear

This paper evaluates the comfort properties of eightkinds of woven fabric commonly used for children'ssummer wear in Hong Kong,China.Due to the expan-sion of children's wear market and the quality require-ment for parents,objective and subjective measurementsare the main methods used to evaluate the chosen fabricsfor garment deslgners and consumers as reference. Objective measurement was carried out through ex-periments by means of the Kawabata Evaluation Systemfor Fabrics(KES-F).Experimental tests on fabrics in-clude compression,surface,bending,air permeability,thermal and tensile.Subjective measurement was con-ducted by a market research on consumers' opinions onfabrics for children's summer wear in the form of ques-tionnaire survey.These two ways of measurement onfabrics were analyzed and compared. It was found that Fabric Sample 6 which is com-posed of polyester and cotton fibre has the best perfor-mance in terms of its comfort properties.Besides,Sam-ple 4 composes of rayon and cotton fibre also ha     

Identifying Difference,Engaging Dissent: What is at Stake in Democratizing Knowledge?

Several prominent voices have called for a democratization of science through deliberative processes that include a diverse range of perspectives and values. We bring these scholars into conversation with extant research on democratic deliberation in political theory and the social sciences. In doing so, we identify systematic barriers to the effectiveness of inclusive deliberation in both scientific and political settings. We are particularly interested in what we call misidentified dissent, where deliberations are starkly framed at the outset in terms of dissenting positions without properly distinguishing the kinds of difference and disagreement motivating dissent.     

基于数据互操作的建筑信息模型转换与融合方法

建筑信息模型(BIM)与三维地理信息系统(GIS)的集成,能使BIM模型得到广泛应用。主要研究在ArcGIS的支持下,将Revit创建的模型数据通过过滤、转换,集成到现有的三维GIS系统,并实现对三维模型的加载、显示、属性查询、管理等功能。将不同领域的BIM和GIS数据融合,为深化多领域之间的协同应用,以及数字城市的建设、城市规划、室内导航等应用提供技术支持。     

Ultrastructural correlation of water reabsorption in isolated rat cauda epididymidis

Electron microscopic study was made on the water reabsorption of the epithelial cells of the rat cauda epididymidis. It was shown that when the epididymal duct was reabsorbing water at a maximal rate, widely dilated intercellular spaces were seen. It is suggested that the standing gradient model of water reabsorption first proposed for the gall bladder may also operate in the cauda epididymidis.