Loss of ACTN3 gene function alters mouse muscle metabolism and shows evidence of positive selection in humans

More than a billion humans worldwide are predicted to be completely deficient in the fast skeletal muscle fiber protein alpha-actinin-3 owing to homozygosity for a premature stop codon polymorphism, R577X, in the ACTN3 gene. The R577X polymorphism is associated with elite athlete status and human muscle performance, suggesting that alpha-actinin-3 deficiency influences the function of fast muscle fibers. Here we show that loss of alpha-actinin-3 expression in a knockout mouse model results in a shift in muscle metabolism toward the more efficient aerobic pathway and an increase in intrinsic endurance performance. In addition, we demonstrate that the genomic region surrounding the 577X null allele shows low levels of genetic variation and recombination in individuals of European and East Asian descent, consistent with strong, recent positive selection. We propose that the 577X allele has been positively selected in some human populations owing to its effect on skeletal muscle metabolism.     

A recurrent mutation in MED12 leading to R961W causes Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome

Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome (also known as FG syndrome) is an X-linked disorder characterized by mental retardation, relative macrocephaly, hypotonia and constipation. We report here that the original family for whom the condition is named and five other families have a recurrent mutation (2881C>T, leading to R961W) in MED12 (also called TRAP230 or HOPA), a gene located at Xq13 that functions as a thyroid receptor-associated protein in the Mediator complex.     

Early changes of cyclic nucleotide levels in a mitogenic reaction in the rat mesentery.

By measuring simultaneously cAMP and cGMP we found a biphasic time course with regard to cGMP and the cGMP/cAMP ratio very early in a mitogenic reaction in vivo. This is a new finding.     

Information processing along the course of a visual interneuron.

Locust ocellar retinal cells are innervated by giant second order cells, 2 mm long, which show discrete zones of integration along their course, including a major zone in the axonal length of the neuron. The complex synaptic arrangements which exist between higher-order afferent and efferent cells and these second order cells along their course suggests that transmission takes place by the electrotonic spread of slow potentials. The size and accessibility of these visual interneurons offers a unique preparation for examining mechanisms of graded synaptic transmission.     

Effect of ethanol on toxicity and metabolism of amphetamine in the mouse.

Ethanol, 3 g/kg i.p., did not significantly alter the acute toxicity of amphetamine in the mouse. However, the urinary metabolite pattern was changed, suggesting that ethanol suppressed metabolism of the stimulant during the initial 6 h period. After 24 h, the mouse metabolized the same fraction of a given dose of amphetamine, whether it was given as amphetamine alone or amphetamine mixed with 2,3 or 4 g/kg ethanol.     

适于大斜视角星载SAR系统的改进距离-多普勒算法

分析了当天线斜视角增大时,导致传统距离-多普勒成像算法性能下降的主要误差来源.提出了一种适合大斜视角星载SAR系统的改进距离-多普勒算法,并给出了处理仿真点目标数据得到图像质量的比较.结果表明,在大斜视角情况下,改进算法的性能远大于传统的距离\|多普勒成像算法.     

专业集成电路设计中三次多项式实现的新结构

专业集成电路（ＡｐｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎＳｐｅｃｉｆｉｃＩｎｔｅｒｇｒａｔｅｄＣｉｒｃｕｉｔ,ＡＳＩＣ）设计中的三次多项式计算,存在着一类典型的应用问题,即自变量是累积形成的,待自变量完整形成后再行直接计算是低效的。提出一种改进的三次多项式算法,在保证和直接算法相同精度的条件下,以较少的电路元件实现计算功能。同时,本算法从自变量完整形成到给出最终结果的延迟很小。     

A new method for uniform local heating deep in body using ultrasound phased-array system

A new method for targeted heating of deep tissue was developed by using an ultrasound phased-array system which can generate various multiple foci patterns by electronically changing its amplitude or phase pattern. This method involves using a technique of combining switching and rotating of multiple foci patterns to create a uniform temperature over tissue volumes in various size. Using this method, the target tissue deep in the body can be heated to a specified temperature, which gives conditions for thermo-sensitive liposomes release. A simulation study for a 108-element, spherically sectioned array was performed to determine an optimal heating scheme from a set of multiple focus fields which were produced by inputting different combinations of phases and amplitudes. Comparisons of a static multiple foci field, the switched fields and the switched-rotated fields indicated that the technique of combining switching and rotating of multiple foci patterns has advantages of both lowering the peak temperature and evening the temperature distribution. The simulation results also show that the therapeutic heating zones in various size employing the combined method. These results offer significant data for designing thermotherapy equipment for tumor-specific drug release with thermo-sensitive liposomes.     

钢筋混凝土及预应力混凝土梁式桥非线性分析

对钢筋混凝土结构进行非线性分析,可以认识结构在各类荷载作用下的受力性能和破坏机理;可以为结构进行合理的设计和施工提供依据和参考。运用fortran90编制程序计算普通混凝土及预应力混凝土梁式桥弯矩-曲率和荷载-位移关系曲线,模拟其从加载、开裂直到破坏的全过程结构反应,从而对其进行非线性分析,该计算结果与相关试验结果较为吻合,对于梁式桥非线性分析具有足够的精度性和适用性。