Evidence against the involvement of cyclic GMP in the insulin-stimulation of lipoprotein lipase activity in fat cells

Under in vitro experimental conditions in which insulin increases adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase, cyclic GMP or dibutyryl cyclic GMP has no effect on this enzyme in rat adipose tissue fragments, or on either the intra- or extracellular forms of this enzyme in isolated fat cells. These results do not support the involvement of cyclic GMP in the insulin-stimulation of lipoprotein lipase in adipose tissue.     

Hyperthermia-induced apoptosis and the inhibition of DNA laddering by zinc supplementation and withdrawal of calcium and magnesium in suspension culture of tobacco cells

In the present paper we report examination of stereotypic hallmarks of apoptosis in heat-treated tobacco cells. Hyperthermia (44 °C, 4 h) caused apoptosis in 53.6% of cells when assayed 24 h after heat treatment. The induction of apoptosis by heat treatment was confirmed by flow cytometric assay. Cytological observations revealed condensation of the cytoplasm and nucleus, as well as nuclear collapse. DNA ladders were observed in DNA extracted from heat-treated cells, whereas DNA from control cells remained undegraded. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay revealed that 51.8% of the heat-treated cells (44 °C, 4 h) show positive reaction after a 24-h recovery. When cells were cultured in a medium supplemented with 0.4–5.0 mM ZnSO₄, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation induced by heat shock was completely negated. Strikingly, when cells were cultured in Ca²⁺ and/or Mg²⁺ free medium for 44 h followed by heat treatment, DNA laddering was not observed. The results suggest hyperthermia-induced apoptosis and a correlation between the regula tion of endonucleases and heat shock signal in apoptotic tobacco cells. Received 17 September 1998; received after revision 4 January 1999; accepted 4 January 1999     

Detection of Design Fault in Dart Placement - intersecting Dart

It is easy to apply lines in design drawings to create different styles, however, there is no guarantee that all the style lines drawn are able to be manufactured. In this paper, we focus on one undeliverable style to enhance our understanding of the relationship between the design sketch and the pattern design process. In order to evidence that such style is unworkable, a systematic display of pattern development, and to be reinforced by mathematical evaluation, will be introduced and addressed. When one can easily detect design fault, waste of product development time can be minimized.     

Congenital heart disease in mice deficient for the DiGeorge syndrome region.

The heterozygous chromosome deletion within the band 22q11 (del22q11) is an important cause of congenital cardiovascular defects. It is the genetic basis of DiGeorge syndrome and causes the most common deletion syndrome in humans. Because the deleted region is largely conserved in the mouse, we were able to engineer a chromosome deletion (Df1) spanning a segment of the murine region homologous to the human deleted region. Here we describe heterozygously deleted (Df1/+) mice with cardiovascular abnormalities of the same type as those associated with del22q11; we have traced the embryological origin of these abnormalities to defective development of the fourth pharyngeal arch arteries. Genetic complementation of the deletion using a chromosome duplicated for the Df1 DNA segment corrects the heart defects, indicating that they are caused by reduced dosage of genes located within Df1. The Df1/+ mouse model reveals the pathogenic basis of the most clinically severe aspect of DiGeorge syndrome and uncovers a new mechanism leading to aortic arch abnormalities. These mutants represent a mouse model of a human deletion syndrome generated by chromosome engineering.     

Dystrophin expression in the mdx mouse restored by stem cell transplantation.

The development of cell or gene therapies for diseases involving cells that are widely distributed throughout the body has been severely hampered by the inability to achieve the disseminated delivery of cells or genes to the affected tissues or organ. Here we report the results of bone marrow transplantation studies in the mdx mouse, an animal model of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, which indicate that the intravenous injection of either normal haematopoietic stem cells or a novel population of muscle-derived stem cells into irradiated animals results in the reconstitution of the haematopoietic compartment of the transplanted recipients, the incorporation of donor-derived nuclei into muscle, and the partial restoration of dystrophin expression in the affected muscle. These results suggest that the transplantation of different stem cell populations, using the procedures of bone marrow transplantation, might provide an unanticipated avenue for treating muscular dystrophy as well as other diseases where the systemic delivery of therapeutic cells to sites throughout the body is critical. Our studies also suggest that the inherent developmental potential of stem cells isolated from diverse tissues or organs may be more similar than previously anticipated.     

太阳风正负动压脉冲激发磁层ULF波的数值模拟

磁层中的超低频波动（Ultra Low Frequency Wave，简称ULF波）通常被认为是由外界太阳风／行星际磁场扰动或者磁层内部的等离子体不稳定性激发的．当太阳风动压脉冲作用于磁层顶时，可能在磁层内部激发ULF波，从而将太阳风能量输运到地球磁层中．本文利用磁流体力学（MHD）数值模拟研究不同形式的太阳风动压脉冲作用下，在磁层中激发的ULF波的性质．我们主要关注地球磁层对太阳风动压正／负脉冲以及太阳风动压正．负脉冲对的响应．模拟结果表明，幅度和周期均相同的太阳风动压正脉冲和负脉冲，在磁层中所激发的ULF波幅度，周期均相同，然而相位相差180°．另外，对一个太阳风动压正一负脉冲对作用于偶极磁层的情况，在地球磁层内的某些特定区域仍可观察到磁力线共振（FLRs）现象，磁力线共振的区域分布和动压脉冲的周期以及动压脉冲对之间的时间间隔有关．同时模拟计算结果还表明，与单一脉冲相比较而言，在动压脉冲对的作用下，太阳风能量可以传递到地球磁层中更低纬度的区域．因此本文结果可以帮助我们更好地理解太阳风能量通过ULF波形式输运到地球磁层的机制；同时，还可以为研究有关内磁层中能量粒子对不同的行星际激波的响应方式提供线索．     

介电弹性体驱动器的稳定性分析

介电弹性体（dielectric elastomers，DE）是制造智能主动驱动器最有潜力的电致活性聚合物（electroactive polymer，EAP）材料．在介电弹性体薄膜2个相对表面均匀涂覆柔性电极，施加电压后，由于静电力作用，介电弹性体薄膜沿电压施加的方向收缩，而在垂直于电压施加的方向扩展延伸．介电弹性体薄膜厚度变小导致施加在薄膜上的电场更高，当施加的电场超过其临界电场时，介电弹性体薄膜被击穿，驱动器失稳．本文基于非线性场机电耦合理论的介电弹性体稳定性分析方法，应用含有2个材料常数的弹性应变能函数模型对介电弹性体进行稳定性分析．得到材料常数比七值越大，对应的介电弹性体材料或驱动器的稳定性越高，它可以指导介电弹性体驱动器的设计．最后，把这种方法推广到应用多个材料常数的弹性应变能函数分析介电弹性体稳定性．     

基于氨基酸性质的二肽稳定性定量预测模型研究

【目的】二肽具有生物活性高、易于合成等优点,但在机体内有较差的代谢稳定性,易被降解,故基于氨基酸性质,对二肽稳定性进行定量预测研究,为设计稳定性好的二肽分子提供理论依据。【方法】基于209个二肽分子在不同时间段的降解率,使用偏最小二乘法,将逐步回归筛选变量与支持向量机、随机森林、多元线性回归等方法相结合,建立多肽降解率与氨基酸理化性质之间的定量预测模型。【结果】最为显著的是对二肽60 min降解率所建模型,对训练集和测试集分别具有良好的估计能力(R2>0.68,Q2>0.57)与预测能力(R2>0.54),能够有效预测二肽分子的降解率;而且基于多元线性回归系数计算的氨基酸贡献能够发现影响二肽稳定性的重要氨基酸,可以指导高稳定性二肽分子的合理设计。【结论】建立的预测模型方法简单,物理意义明确,多种方法均能获得较为理想的预测模型,确保了预测结果的准确性,可用于指导设计和筛选稳定性好的二肽分子。
     

Superplastic carbon nanotubes

The theoretical maximum tensile strain--that is, elongation--of a single-walled carbon nanotube is almost 20%, but in practice only 6% is achieved. Here we show that, at high temperatures, individual single-walled carbon nanotubes can undergo superplastic deformation, becoming nearly 280% longer and 15 times narrower before breaking. This superplastic deformation is the result of the nucleation and motion of kinks in the structure, and could prove useful in helping to strengthen and toughen ceramics and other nanocomposites at high temperatures.