敦煌出土的梵文于阗文双语医典《耆婆书》

《耆婆书》（Jīvaka-pustaka）是出自敦煌藏经洞的梵文、于阗文双语医书，约抄写于公元11世纪之前。它现存为4个部分，有医方精选集的特点，属于印度“生命吠陀”体系。该医书中还有佛教影响的痕迹。文章主要从其内容结构、双语文本比较、相同医方比较等方面，讨论了《耆婆书》的一些特色。  

Adhesion receptors of the immune system

The adhesive interactions of cells with other cells and with the extracellular matrix are crucial to all developmental processes, but have a central role in the functions of the immune system throughout life. Three families of cell-surface molecules regulate the migration of lymphocytes and the interactions of activated cells during immune responses.  

Ontology研究综述

Ontology是描述概念及概念之间关系的概念模型,通过概念之间的关系来描述概念的语义.作为一种有效表现概念层次结构和语义的模型,Ontology被广泛地应用到计算机科学的众多领域.本文作者对目前Ontology的研究与应用现状进行了综述性地介绍,从Ontology的定义、Ontology理论研究、Ontology在信息系统中的应用以及在语义Web中的地位等方面加以了系统阐述.  

A novel potent vasoconstrictor peptide produced by vascular endothelial cells

An endothelium-derived 21-residue vasoconstrictor peptide, endothelin, has been isolated, and shown to be one of the most potent vasoconstrictors known. Cloning and sequencing of preproendothelin complementary DNA shows that mature endothelin is generated through an unusual proteolytic processing, and regional homologies to a group of neurotoxins suggest that endothelin is an endogenous modulator of voltage-dependent ion channels. Expression of the endothelin gene is regulated by several vasoactive agents, indicating the existence of a novel cardiovascular control system.  

The hormone resistin links obesity to diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that leads to complications including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage. Type 2 diabetes, characterized by target-tissue resistance to insulin, is epidemic in industrialized societies and is strongly associated with obesity; however, the mechanism by which increased adiposity causes insulin resistance is unclear. Here we show that adipocytes secrete a unique signalling molecule, which we have named resistin (for resistance to insulin). Circulating resistin levels are decreased by the anti-diabetic drug rosiglitazone, and increased in diet-induced and genetic forms of obesity. Administration of anti-resistin antibody improves blood sugar and insulin action in mice with diet-induced obesity. Moreover, treatment of normal mice with recombinant resistin impairs glucose tolerance and insulin action. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by adipocytes is enhanced by neutralization of resistin and is reduced by resistin treatment. Resistin is thus a hormone that potentially links obesity to diabetes.