Tumorigenesis: RAF/RAS oncogenes and mismatch-repair status

Genes of the RAF family encode kinases that are regulated by Ras and mediate cellular responses to growth signals. Activating mutations in one RAF gene, BRAF, have been found in a high proportion of melanomas and in a small fraction of other cancers. Here we show that BRAF mutations in colorectal cancers occur only in tumours that do not carry mutations in a RAS gene known as KRAS, and that BRAF mutation is linked to the proficiency of these tumours in repairing mismatched bases in DNA. Our results not only provide genetic support for the idea that mutations in BRAF and KRAS exert equivalent effects in tumorigenesis, but also emphasize the role of repair processes in establishing the mutation spectra that underpin human cancer.     

标准模型与超出标准模型的物理学

20世纪60年代末在非阿贝尔规范理论框架下建立起来的基本粒子的标准模型，成功地描述了强相互作用和电弱相互作用，广泛地被用来处理粒子物理的各种实验现象。但是由于它有太多的参量，以及不能很好地解决很多重要的问题，人们普遍认为它并不是一个粒子物理的终极理论。因此寻找超出标准模型的新物理就成为21世纪粒子物理学家迫切的任务。     

数值学报（2003年第12卷）

本书是由英国剑桥大学出版、发行的不定期专题论文集，每年出版一卷，登载数值分析、计算方法及其应用等方面的高水平创造性研究论文或综述报告，论文作者多为当代相关领域的国际性学术带头人。     

软件工程知识的获取

本书是由新加坡世界科技出版公司出版的《软件工程与知识工程丛书》的第14卷。未来的软件系统将分布在整个网络上，并具有专门从事不同活动的代理。每一个代理都具有不同程度上的自治。软件开发机构将会依靠这些代理，利用不同的程序开发过程来生产软件程序。本书从遗传编程的角度讨论了具体的不同之处。作者试图通过设计一个用于演化程序的软件工程环境系统（SWEEP），来使我们对于开发多代理、多过程的未来的洞察力变得更为具体。SWEEP系统使用遗传编程在软件的创建与修改中起了中心的作用。此外，还对度量学特别注意，探索了可通用性、程序肿胀和有效程序长度问题。     

半导体热电材料Bi1-xSbx薄膜的电化学制备

B I1-XSBX半导体合金是性能优异的热电和磁电功能材料,为制备固态电制冷器件、温差发电器件和磁电器件的重要材料。电化学沉积薄膜技术工艺设备简单成本低,在半导体薄膜制备方面有很好的应用前景。系统研究了高浓度盐酸(2.4 MOL/L)的B I和SB盐酸溶液,成份从纯铋逐步变化到纯锑的B I1-XSBX合金半导体薄膜电化学沉积特性。测试了沉积过程I-V循环曲线和和沉积电荷效率等电化学参数。结果表明在所有成份范围内都可以得到典型的B I1-XSBX固溶体结构的高质量薄膜。薄膜生长为典型的溶液扩散控制过程,具有高的沉积电荷效率。薄膜沉积和溶解之间的电位差随溶液中SB(Ⅲ)离子浓度增加而增大,生长的薄膜越来越稳定。在30%SB浓度附近,电化学过程、薄膜结构和性能发生明显的突变。应用X射线衍射和电子显微镜研究薄膜结构,发现薄膜具有明显的(012)择优取向,薄膜晶粒尺寸也随SB浓度的增加而变化。     

柽柳灌丛下与灌丛外短命植物AM真菌多样性

对生长在柽柳荒漠生境中最常见的4种早春短命植物离子草(Chorispora tenella (Pall.) DC.)、角果毛茛(Ceratocephalus testiculatus (Crantz) Bess.)、东方旱麦草(Eremopyrum orientale (L.) Jaub et. Spash)和弯果婆婆纳(Veronica campylopoda Boiss.)进行取样调查, 分析了柽柳灌丛下和灌丛外的4种植物丛枝菌根(AM)的形成状况、根际AM真菌的孢子密度和群落组成, 并探讨了柽柳灌丛对其菌根侵染状况、根际AM真菌群落组成的影响. 结果表明, 柽柳灌丛下短命植物的侵染率和根际土壤中AM真菌孢子的密度显著低于灌丛外的植物, 并且灌丛下AM真菌的种类(12种)少于灌丛外(19种). 灌丛下短命植物根际土壤由于受到柽柳灌丛的影响, 其养分含量除速效钾外, 都高于灌丛外; 灌丛下碱解氮和速效磷的含量分别为65.37和44.50 mg/kg, 而灌丛外的含量则为32.33和33.85 mg/kg. 本研究共从短命植物根际分离到21种AM真菌, 其中无梗囊霉属有5种、原囊霉属1种、球囊霉属13种和类球囊霉属2种. 通过上述结果得出以下结论: 柽柳灌丛影响着土壤的理化特性及其下生长的短命植物丛枝菌根的形成和根际AM真菌群落的组成.     

Microbial starch-binding domains are superior to granule-bound starch synthase I for anchoring luciferase to potato starch granules

Microbial starch-binding domains (SBD) and granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) are proteins which are accumulated in potato starch granules. The efficiency of SBD and GBSSI for targeting active luciferase reporter proteins to granules during starch biosynthesis was compared. GBSSI or SBD sequences were fused to the N- or C-terminus of the luciferase (LUC) gene, via an artificial Pro-Thr encoding linker sequence. The genes were introduced into an amylose-free (amf) potato mutant. It appeared that SBD was superior to GBSSI as a targeting sequence, mainly because the luciferase retained higher activity in the SBD-containing fusion proteins than in the GBSSI-containing ones.     

Accelerated carbonation and leaching behavior of the slag from iron and steel making industry

Ground granulated blast furnace slag(GGBFS)and steelmaking slag have been used as a raw material for cement production or as an aggregate to make concrete,which contribute aluminum,calcium,iron,and silicon oxides.The suitability of the slag for a particular application depends on its reactivity,cost,availability,and its influence on the properties of the resulting concrete.For the interest of durability studying of concrete in the presence of slag,the accelerated carbonation products and leaching behavior of the slag and Portland cement(PC)were studied.The experimental results confirmed that the slag was more resistant to carbonation compared to PC.The carbonation degree of GGBFS reduced by 17.74%;and the carbonation degrees of steelmaking slags reduced by 9.51%-11.94%.Carbonation neutralized the alkaline nature of the hydrated pastes and gave rise to the redox potential of the leachate slightly(30-77 mV).The carbonation also increased the release of most of the elements presented,except for calcium,to the aqueous environment.It is concluded that blend cements(PC plus slag)have economical advantages and better durability compared to PC.