Association scan of 14,500 nonsynonymous SNPs in four diseases identifies autoimmunity variants

We have genotyped 14,436 nonsynonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) and 897 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) tag SNPs from 1,000 independent cases of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and breast cancer (BC). Comparing these data against a common control dataset derived from 1,500 randomly selected healthy British individuals, we report initial association and independent replication in a North American sample of two new loci related to ankylosing spondylitis, ARTS1 and IL23R, and confirmation of the previously reported association of AITD with TSHR and FCRL3. These findings, enabled in part by increased statistical power resulting from the expansion of the control reference group to include individuals from the other disease groups, highlight notable new possibilities for autoimmune regulation and suggest that IL23R may be a common susceptibility factor for the major 'seronegative' diseases.     

Alternative exon usage selectively determines both tissue distribution and subcellular localization of the acyl-CoA thioesterase 7 gene products

Acyl-CoA thioesterases (ACOTs) catalyze the hydrolysis of acyl-CoAs to free fatty acids and coenzyme A. Recent studies have demonstrated that one gene named Acot7, reported to be mainly expressed in brain and testis, is transcribed in several different isoforms by alternative usage of first exons. Strongly decreased levels of ACOT7 activity and protein in both mitochondria and cytosol was reported in patients diagnosed with fatty acid oxidation defects, linking ACOT7 function to regulation of fatty acid oxidation in other tissues. In this study, we have identified five possible first exons in mouse Acot7 (Acot7a–e) and show that all five first exons are transcribed in a tissue-specific manner. Taken together, these data show that the Acot7 gene is expressed as multiple isoforms in a tissue-specific manner, and that expression in tissues other than brain and testis is likely to play important roles in fatty acid metabolism. Received 5 February 2007: received after revision 3 April 2007; accepted 19 April 2007     

共轭斜量法在某些特征向量上收敛速度的估计

设 Ａ是对称正定矩阵，λ_1是 Ａ 的最大或最小特征值，χ_1是对应的特征向量．｛zk｝是用共轭斜量法求解方程组 Αχ＝ｂ时的近似解序列，ｅi＝Ａ～(_1)b-zi,本文给出了|x_1～Tei|较合理的上界估计式。从而为分析预处理共轭斜量法提供了进一步的理论基础。     

硼对12Ni3CrMoV高强度钢焊接接头冷裂敏感性的影响

低碳调质高强度钢中添加硼对焊接冷裂敏感性的影响较少有人研究,并存在两种不同意见.本文对含硼量分别为0.005%,0.0014%,0.0028%,0.0035%的12Ni3CrMoV调质高强度钢焊接冷裂敏感性进行研究.试验结果表明:1.插销试验临界应力:含硼钢比无硼钢(含硼0.0005%)高;含硼钢中,临界应力按含硼量0.0014%,0.0028%,0.0035%的顺序递减.2.扫描电镜断口分析:无硼钢有沿晶断裂区、准介理断裂区和韧窝断裂区.含硼钢没有沿晶断裂区,只有准介理断裂区和韧窝断裂区.3.焊条未烘干时,无硼和含硼钢的插销临界应力都降低,无硼钢沿晶断裂区扩大,含硼钢仍无沿晶断裂区.4.硼在HAZ粗晶区中沿奥氏体晶界形成偏聚带,硼相主要沿奥氏体晶界呈不连续点状析出.含硼愈多,沿奥氏体晶界偏聚和硼相析出也愈多.5.C.D.Beachem提出的断口形貌发展过程示意图可以解释无硼钢断裂,不能完全解释含硼钢断裂过程.6.裂纹敏感性成分Pcm值表达式中,硼项系数为" 5"值得商榷.就本文钢材而言,硼项函数应为"负变数".本文对含硼钢延迟裂纹机理作了探讨.     

一种新的基于Kohonen网络的图像矢量量化

矢量量化是一种重要的数据压缩方法.本文利用Kohonen自组织映射神经网络进行矢量量化,首次较为详细地讨论了具体实现的步骤与细节,并在此基础上为改善边缘质量,提出一种基于Laplas算子检测边缘弓引导神经网络训练的方法,并通过实验证明其效果是明显的.     

翅茎香青精油的化学成分

从江西省武功山采集的翅茎香青「Ａｎａｐｈａｌｉｓ ｐｔｅｒｏｃａｕｌａ（Ｆｒａｎｃｄ。ｅｔ Ｓａｖａｔ。）Ｍａｘｉｍ」其精油通过ＧＣ及ＧＣ／ＭＳ分析，共鉴定了３１个化合物，占总量的９０．９１％。其中主要成分为β－丁香烯，含量达４０％以上，为翅茎香青精油的主体成分。油样经轻工业部上海香料研究所评定，认定它与山Ｑｉｕ油的主体成分。油样经轻工业部上海香料研究所评定，认为它与山Ｑｉｕ油的香气相似，可用于调     

Overcompensation and population cycles in an ungulate.

Although theoretical studies show that overcompensatory density-dependent mechanisms can potentially generate regular or chaotic fluctuations in animal numbers, the majority of realistic single-species models of invertebrate populations are not overcompensatory enough to cause sustained population cycles. The possibility that overcompensation may generate cycles or chaos in vertebrate populations has seldom been considered. Here we show that highly overcompensatng density-dependent mortality can generate recurrent population crashes consistent with those observed in a naturally limited population of Soay sheep. The observed interval of three or more years between crashes points to sharp 'focusing' of mortality over a narrow range of population density.     

Ca2+ release induced by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is a steady-state phenomenon controlled by luminal Ca2+ in permeabilized cells.

Low concentrations of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) evoke a very rapid mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores in many cell types, which can be followed by a further, much slower efflux. Two explanations have been suggested for this biphasic release. The first proposes that the Ca2+ stores vary in their sensitivity to InsP3, and each store releases either its entire contents or nothing (all-or-none release); the second proposes instead that the stores are uniformly sensitive to the effects of InsP3, but that they can release only a fraction of their Ca2+ before their sensitivity is somehow attenuated (steady-state release). Experiments using purified InsP3 receptor molecules reconstituted into lipid vesicles have shown heterogeneity of the receptors in their response to InsP3 under conditions in which the total Ca2+ level at both sides of the receptor is held constant. We now report that in permeabilized A7r5 smooth-muscle cells incubated in Ca(2+)-free medium, the amount of 45Ca2+ remaining in the stores after the rapid transient phase of release is independent of their initial Ca2+ levels, indicating that partially depleted stores are less sensitive to InsP3. Moreover, if the stores are reloaded with 40Ca2+ after the first stimulus, reapplication of the same low concentration of InsP3 will release further 45Ca2+. This recovery of InsP3 sensitivity is almost complete. Under these conditions, Ca2+ release must thus occur by a steady-state mechanism, in which the decreasing Ca2+ content of the stores slows down further release.