Twisted gastrulation can function as a BMP antagonist

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), including the fly homologue Decapentaplegic (DPP), are important regulators of early vertebrate and invertebrate dorsal-ventral development. An evolutionarily conserved BMP regulatory mechanism operates from fly to fish, frog and mouse to control the dorsal-ventral axis determination. Several secreted factors, including the BMP antagonist chordin/Short gastrulation (SOG), modulate the activity of BMPs. In Drosophila, Twisted gastrulation (TSG) is also involved in dorsal-ventral patterning, yet the mechanism of its function is unclear. Here we report the characterization of the vertebrate Tsg homologues. We show that Tsg can block BMP function in Xenopus embryonic explants and inhibits several ventral markers in whole-frog embryos. Tsg binds directly to BMPs and forms a ternary complex with chordin and BMPs. Coexpression of Tsg with chordin leads to a more efficient inhibition of the BMP activity in ectodermal explants. Unlike other known BMP antagonists, however, Tsg also reduces several anterior markers at late developmental stages. Our data suggest that Tsg can function as a BMP inhibitor in Xenopus; furthermore, Tsg may have additional functions during frog embryogenesis.     

DNA sequence of the maize transposable element Dissociation

The DNA sequence of the terminal 4.2 kilobases (kb) of the 30-kb insertion in the endosperm sucrose synthase gene of maize mutant sh-m5933 shows that it comprises two identical 2,040-base pair (bp) segments, one inserted in the reverse direction into the other. We suggest that the 2,040-bp sequence is an example of the transposable element Dissociation described by Barbara McClintock.     

影响金属高温力学性能的因素

对金属材料高温力学性能的评定应建立金属高温力学性能指标,讨论合金化学成分、冶炼工艺、热处理工艺及晶度对高温金属的蠕变极限和持久强度的影响．     

Thymic cortical epithelial cells can present self-antigens in vivo

Antigens present during neonatal life are recognized as self and individuals are tolerant to these antigens. In normal individuals T cells are tolerant to most self proteins but we still know little of the mechanism(s) by which tolerance is established. A requisite part of the current negative selection model of self tolerance is the expression of self proteins complexed with major histocompatibility complex molecules in the thymus. As MHC proteins bind antigens and present them to the receptor on the antigen-specific T cell, then for tolerance to self to occur, it is possible that each self protein must be processed and presented by an MHC molecule. As a result of the development of a unique T-cell hybrid reactive to the self protein murine haemoglobin, we have shown that in normal animals this self protein is continuously processed and potentially presented in an MHC-restricted manner. Here we show that self haemoglobin is being processed and presented by thymic antigen-presenting cells as early as gestational day 14. We also demonstrate that three types of thymic stromal cells, namely macrophages, dendritic cells and cortical epithelial cells, can present the haemoglobin self antigen in vivo. This surprising presentation of a self antigen by thymic cortical epithelial cells implies that they could be involved in T-cell development and negative selection.     

将三角形薄板元推广为厚板元的解析试函数法

为了有效克服剪切闭锁问题,利用已有的薄板单元构造厚薄板通用单元,提出了采用解析试函数法(ATF),将已有的Kirchhoff三角形薄板单元推广为相应的Mindlin三角形厚板单元的通用方法。以薄板三角形单元GPL-T9为例,将薄板GPL-T9单元推广为相应的厚薄板通用单元GPLM。数值算例表明:当板厚度趋向于零时,板单元退化为原始的薄板单元,完全消除了剪切闭锁现象;从薄板到厚板,GPLM元都具有较高的计算精度和优异的单元性能。     

移动定位与GPS定位相结合的实时车辆定位系统研究

介绍了一种基于移动定位与GPS定位相结合的实时车辆定位系统，并详细描述了系统实现的关键部分。通过获取和分析车辆地理位置数据以及基于GSM网的无线网络传输，实现了移动车辆的实时定位。     

小檗碱对小鼠体内抑菌作用的研究

目的:研究小檗碱对抑制小鼠体内沙门氏菌感染的效果.方法:通过将60只SPF级昆明小鼠随机等分为4组,每组15只.按体重计算1-3组小鼠分别按照低剂量(0.01 g/kg)、中剂量(0.02g/kg)、高剂量(0.03g/kg)灌胃小檗碱0.2 mL,第4组为空白对照组灌胃生理盐水,给药七天后皮下注射沙门氏菌(2.3× 108CFU)建立人工感染小鼠模型,并观察小鼠临床表现与死亡情况.结果:各剂量药物组对抑制小鼠体内沙门氏菌感染效果明显,其中高剂量组使小鼠死亡率下降60％左右.各药物组均显著延长感染小鼠的存活时间,其中高、中剂量组与空白对照组差异极显著(P＜0.01).结论:此研究证明小檗碱对革兰氏阴菌感染小鼠体有很好的抑菌效果,并具有一定量效关系.     

AIS性能标准对船舶航行安全的影响

船舶自动识别系统(AIS)作为一种新型的船用助航设备在船舶避碰方面起到重要的作用,通过介绍AIS的发展过程与技术性能,分析因盲目信赖AIS可能带来的不安全因数,针对如何充分利用AIS的特性,提出维护水上交通安全的看法.     

Diversity and dispersal interactively affect predictability of ecosystem function

Theory and small-scale experiments predict that biodiversity losses can decrease the magnitude and stability of ecosystem services such as production and nutrient cycling. Most of this research, however, has been isolated from the immigration and emigration (dispersal) processes that create and maintain diversity in nature. As common anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity change--such as habitat fragmentation, species introductions and climate change--are mediated by these understudied processes, it is unclear how environmental degradation will affect ecosystem services. Here we tested the interactive effects of mobile grazer diversity and dispersal on the magnitude and stability of ecosystem properties in experimental seagrass communities that were either isolated or connected by dispersal corridors. We show that, contrary to theoretical predictions, increasing the number of mobile grazer species in these metacommunities increased the spatial and temporal variability of primary and secondary production. Moreover, allowing grazers to move among and select patches reduced diversity effects on production. Finally, effects of diversity on stability differed qualitatively between patch and metacommunity scales. Our results indicate that declining biodiversity and habitat fragmentation synergistically influence the predictability of ecosystem functioning.