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.     

低频超声波对大豆胰蛋白酶抑制素的处理效果

采用２０ｋＨｚ的低频超声波对大豆胰蛋白酶抑制素（ＳＴＩ）进行了处理。结果表明,超声波对经纯化了的鲍曼－贝尔克抑制素（ＢＢＩ）几乎不起钝化作用,对生豆奶中天然存在的ＳＴＩ的钝化效果要比对从大豆中提取纯化的ＳＴＩ好得多,说明纯化了的ＳＴＩ似对超声处理较稳定;豆奶中大分子蛋白组分１１Ｓ和７Ｓ的存在有助地ＳＴＩ的纯化;低频超声波对生豆奶中的ＢＢＩ似乎有轻微的激活作用;在生豆奶中添加半胱氨酸、亚硫酸钠的胃液     

Critical role of extracellular vesicles in modulating the cellular effects of cytokines

Under physiological and pathological conditions, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are present in the extracellular compartment simultaneously with soluble mediators. We hypothesized that cytokine effects may be modulated by EVs, the recently recognized conveyors of intercellular messages. In order to test this hypothesis, human monocyte cells were incubated with CCRF acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line-derived EVs with or without the addition of recombinant human TNF, and global gene expression changes were analyzed. EVs alone regulated the expression of numerous genes related to inflammation and signaling. In combination, the effects of EVs and TNF were additive, antagonistic, or independent. The differential effects of EVs and TNF or their simultaneous presence were also validated by Taqman assays and ELISA, and by testing different populations of purified EVs. In the case of the paramount chemokine IL-8, we were able to demonstrate a synergistic upregulation by purified EVs and TNF. Our data suggest that neglecting the modulating role of EVs on the effects of soluble mediators may skew experimental results. On the other hand, considering the combined effects of cytokines and EVs may prove therapeutically useful by targeting both compartments at the same time.     

Mixed aromatic-aliphatic organic nanoparticles as carriers of unidentified infrared emission features

Unidentified infrared emission bands at wavelengths of 3-20 micrometres are widely observed in a range of environments in our Galaxy and in others. Some features have been identified as the stretching and bending modes of aromatic compounds, and are commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules. The central argument supporting this attribution is that single-photon excitation of the molecule can account for the unidentified infrared emission features observed in 'cirrus' clouds in the diffuse interstellar medium. Of the more than 160 molecules identified in the circumstellar and interstellar environments, however, not one is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecule. The detections of discrete and broad aliphatic spectral features suggest that the carrier of the unidentified infrared emission features cannot be a pure aromatic compound. Here we report an analysis of archival spectroscopic observations and demonstrate that the data are most consistent with the carriers being amorphous organic solids with a mixed aromatic-aliphatic structure. This structure is similar to that of the organic materials found in meteorites, as would be expected if the Solar System had inherited these organic materials from interstellar sources.     

A perturbation-incremental scheme for studying Hopf bifurcation in delayed differential systems

A new method,called perturbation-incremental scheme (PIS),is presented to investigate the periodic solution derived from Hopf bifurcation due to time delay in a system of first-order delayed differential equations.The method is summarized as three steps,namely linear analysis at critical value,perturbation and increment for continuation.The PIS can bypass and avoid the tedious calculation of the center manifold reduction (CMR) and normal form.Meanwhile,the PIS not only inherits the advantages of the method ...     

An Experimental Study of Aspect Ratio on the Tensile Properties of an Elastic Fabric for Making-up of Pressure Garments

The“cut-and-sewn” pressure garments are normally tailored made in various sizes according to the size of human body as well as the area of burn wounds.When a tubular pressure garment is cut in different length and width measurements,different aspect ratio will be occurred on the elastic fabric for making up the pressuregarment. Many therapists in Hong Kong concerned the change of aspect ratio may affect the tensile properties of the elastic fabric and ultimately will affect the skin-and-garment interface pressure for the patient.The aim of     

福田红树林桐花树和秋茄的生长过程研究

对深圳福田红树林群落两个优势种桐花树（Ａｅｇｉｃｅｒａｓｃｏｒｎｉｃｕｌａｔｕｍ）和秋茄（Ｋａｎｄｅｌｉ－ａｃａｎｄｅｌ）进行横剖树干解析，研究这两个树种的胸径、地径、树高、材积生长量的年变化规律及形数年变化规律，结果为：胸径、地径、树高、材积生长量呈镊合状曲线态；其年生长量一般在其最大值的５０％～９８％之间；各种平均生长量随年龄的增加而平缓地增加，近峰值而未及，可见两树种有相当长的成熟及衰老期，它们的现存年龄为２０ａ左右；两树种的基部形数不随年龄的增加而呈规律性的变化，很难确定其经验形数值     

HAb18G/CD147-mediated calcium mobilization and hepatoma metastasis require both C-terminal and N-terminal domains

HAb18G/CD147 is a heavily glycosylated protein containing two immunoglobulin superfamily domains. Our previous studies have indicated that overexpression of HAb18G/CD147 enhances metastatic potentials in human hepatoma cells by disrupting the regulation of store-operated Ca²⁺ entry by nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP. In the present study, we investigated the structure-function of HAb18G/CD147 by transfecting truncated HAb18G/CD147 fragments into human 7721 hepatoma cells. The inhibitory effect of HAb18G/CD147 on 8-bromo-cGMP-regulated thapsigargin-induced Ca²⁺ entry was reversed by the expression of either C or N terminus truncated HAb18G/CD147 in T7721C and T7721N cells, respectively. The potential effect of HAb18G/CD147 on metastatic potentials, both adhesion and invasion capacities, of hepatoma cells was abolished in T7721C cells, but not affected in T7721N cells. Release and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-2 and MMP-9, were found to be enhanced by the expression of HAb18G/CD147, and this effect was abolished by both truncations. Thapsigargin significantly enhanced release and activation of MMPs (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in non-transfected 7721 cells, and this effect was negatively regulated by SNAP. However, no effects of thapsigargin or SNAP were observed in T7721 cells, and expression of HAb18G/CD147 enhanced secretion and activation of MMPs at a stable and high level. Taken together, these results suggest that both ectodomain and intracellular domains of HAb18G/CD147 are required to mediate the effect of HAb18G/CD147 on the secretion and activation of MMPs and metastasis-related processes in human hepatoma cells by disrupting the regulation of NO/cGMP-sensitive intracellular Ca²⁺ mobilization although each domain may play different roles.Received 1 April 2004; received after revision 15 June 2004; accepted 22 June 2004