Zebrafish miR-214 modulates Hedgehog signaling to specify muscle cell fate

Numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) have been discovered in the genomes of higher eukaryotes, and functional studies indicate that they are important during development. However, little is known concerning the function of individual miRNAs. We approached this problem in zebrafish by combining identification of miRNA expression, functional analyses and experimental validation of potential targets. We show that miR-214 is expressed during early segmentation stages in somites and that varying its expression alters the expression of genes regulated by Hedgehog signaling. Inhibition of miR-214 results in a reduction or loss of slow-muscle cell types. We show that su(fu) mRNA, encoding a negative regulator of Hedgehog signaling, is targeted by miR-214. Through regulation of su(fu), miR-214 enables precise specification of muscle cell types by sharpening cellular responses to Hedgehog.     

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.     

聚丙烯醇做土壤改良剂研究：老化与作用力分析

聚烯醇可生物分解且无毒性，可做为土壤改良剂。其在土壤中受温度、紫外线影响而老化的问题为本研究的一部份。以加热及UV处理PVA膜与PVA与SiO2混合物。样品以FT-IR光谱了解其劣化情况。PVA膜与土壤之作用力则以原子力显微镜量测其力曲线与观察表面变化。此外PVA与SiO2混合物则以SEM观察其受热与受UV处理的结果。     

Are you growing systems thinking managers? Use a systems model to teach and practice organizational analysis and planning,management policy,and organizational development

This paper discusses the use of the Kast and Rosenzweig systems and contingency model for teaching and practice in organizational analysis and planning, management policy, and organizational development. The need for an organizational model for graduate students and field-based managers and executives is identified. The model is presented beginning with the Kast and Rosenzweig work, with integration of research by Daft, Schein, Trist, Deal and Kennedy, Ackoff, Delbecq, and Mintzberg. The teaching and practice uses of the model in four areas are presented, including organizational analysis and planning, management policy making, and organizational development. In each area case examples of the use of the model in teaching and practice are presented. Needs for future research and implications for the use of the model are discussed.     

A Dynamic Forecasting System with Applications in Production Logistics

Production logistics involve the co-ordination of ac tivities such as production and materials control (PMC), inventory management, p roduct life cycle management, etc. Those activities demand for an accurate forec asting model. However, the conventional methods of making sell and buy decision based on human forecast or conventional moving average and exponential smoothing methods is no longer be sufficient to meet the future need. Furthermore, the un derlying statistics of the market information change ...     

Algorithmic compression of empirical data: reply to Twardy, Gardner, and Dowe

This discussion note responds to objections by Twardy, Gardner, and Dowe to my earlier claim that empirical data sets are algorithmically incompressible. Twardy, Gardner, and Dowe hold that many empirical data sets are compressible by Minimum Message Length technique and offer this as evidence that these data sets are algorithmically compressible. I reply that the compression achieved by Minimum Message Length technique is different from algorithmic compression. I conclude that Twardy, Gardner, and Dowe fail to establish that empirical data sets are algorithmically compressible.     

分子间作用力对制备含有机废弃之水泥浆体影响研究

研究以水泥处理固体有机物时，有机物对水泥水化的影响。以膜流模式说明水份在水泥浆体内传输的现象。水膜存在半干之水泥浆体，其厚度小于100nm，膜流由离分压所驱动，而离分压来自分子间作用力。膜拟结果发现，水泥浆体内局部位置可用以进行水化之水量为Q=-Aslv／6vπ。当有机物添加在水泥浆体内时，会影响Hamaker常数，Aslv因此可能使膜流不稳定或完全抑制膜流，因而使水泥浆体内局部缺水，影响水化进行，造成成品强度降低，影响品质。     

土壤微生物群落及其活性与植被的关系

植被通过影响土壤环境,从而影响到土壤微生物群落的结构和多样性．受植被影响的土壤环境中土壤微生物群落的多样性比不受植被影响或者没有植被的土壤环境中的微生物群落的多样性要高很多,不受植被影响的表面以下土壤环境中的微生物群落具有显著的优势ＯＴＵ种群,而表层土壤环境中没有显著的优势ＯＴＵ种群．植被对微生物的影响同时也表现在对生命物质ＤＮＡ的影响,即有植被的土壤环境中的微生物ＤＮＡ具有更高的活性,其基因在克隆过程中更容易被转移,获得更多的克隆细胞和种群．