Blastocyst implantation depends on maternal expression of leukaemia inhibitory factor.

A critical point during mammalian pregnancy is the implantation of the blastocyst when the embryo attaches to the wall of the uterus. The autonomously developing preimplantation embryo then becomes dependent on the maternal environment for its continued development. Little is known about the regulation of implantation, except that a complex interaction between peptide and steroid hormones synchronizes the preparation of the uterus for implantation with the development of the embryo. Whether the implantation event is under maternal or embryonic control is also unclear (reviewed in refs 1, 2). We have previously shown that a cytokine, leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), is expressed in the uterine endometrial glands specifically on the fourth day of pregnancy. This burst of expression is under maternal control and always precedes implantation of the blastocyst. Here we report that transient expression of LIF in mice is essential for implantation. Females lacking a functional LIF gene are fertile, but their blastocysts fail to implant and do not develop. The blastocysts, however, are viable and, when transferred to wild-type pseudopregnant recipients, they can implant and develop to term.     

Identification of the electron transfers in cytochrome oxidase that are coupled to proton-pumping

Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase is a functionally complex, membrane-bound respiratory enzyme which catalyses both the reduction of O2 to water and proton-pumping. During respiration, an exogenous donor, cytochrome c, donates four electrons to O2 bound at the bimetallic haem alpha 3 Fe-Cu centre within the enzyme. These four electron transfers are mediated by the enzyme's haem alpha and CuA redox centres and result in the translocation of four protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The molecular mechanism of proton translocation has not yet been delineated, however, and in the absence of direct experimental evidence all four electron transfers have been assumed to couple equally to proton-pumping. Here, I report the effects of proton-motive force and membrane potential on two equilibria involving intermediates of the bimetallic centre at different levels of O2 reduction. The results show that only two of the electron transfers, to the 'peroxy' and 'oxyferryl' intermediates of the bimetallic centre, are linked to proton translocation, a finding which strongly constrains candidate mechanisms for proton-pumping.     

军用物资供应道路选择最优算法研究

军用物资供应道路选择最优算法是物资后勤保障辅助决策系统的核心算法之一。针对军用物资供应道路的特点 ,建立了道路选择评价模型 ;给出了基于启发函数下的最短路标号搜索算法及程序流程图 ,对Dijkstra算法进行了改进 ,最后找出最佳路径 ;并进行了实例分析。通过道路选择辅助决策系统的实际使用证明 ,此算法可快速、科学和稳定地解决战区范围内军用物资供应道路选优问题     

基于基因算法的隐马尔可夫模型参数估计

隐马尔可夫模型 (hiddenMarkovmodel)是一种统计模型 ,被广泛地应用于信号处理和模式识别中。隐马尔可夫模型是一种双随机过程 ,在实际应用中 ,对隐马尔可夫模型的训练 (参数估计 )是一个非常重要的问题 ,训练方法的优劣将对整个应用效果产生重要的影响。传统的模型训练方法存在容易陷入局部最优以及对训练样本依赖性较大等弱点。为了进一步提高模型训练的有效性 ,提出了一种基于基因算法的模型训练方法 ,与已有的方法相比 ,解决了对初始值敏感的问题 ,并且具有更高的稳定性和准确性 ,因此是一种很有实用价值的新方法。     

反馈控制器的降阶问题

根据线性离散随机系统的包含原理,研究了系统的状态反馈和输出反馈控制器的降阶问题．给出了控制器降阶两种类型：聚集和约束．通过一个9阶系统控制器的设计,讨论降阶控制器和全阶控制器的性能．     

Synthesis of high molecular weight polylactic acid from aqueous lactic acid co-catalyzed by tin（Ⅱ）chloride dihydrate and succinic anhydride

Polylactic acid was synthesized from commercial available cheap aqueous lactic acid （85%-90% w/w） using succinic anhydride and SnCl2·2H2O as catalyst in the absence of organic solvents. As a result, polylactic acid with a molecular weight of 60000 was prepared in 10 h. The new procedure is much simple, cheap and outstanding in that the start material is aqueous lactic acid; the catalytic system is environmentally benign.     

Physical effect of cloud seeding revealed by NOAA satellite imagery

The pioneering work on cloud seeding began in 1946,when Vincent Schaefer noticed that a small piece of solidcarbon dioxide (dry ice) can generate a large number ofice crystals on its falling path in a laboratory-generated data, which make the numerica…     

ADP-flow velocity profile to interpret hydromorphological features of China''''s Yangtze Three-Gorges valley

Land and sea are linked closely by large rivers throughrunoff and sediment discharging and biochemical materialtransferring into the sea[1?3]. The processes carried out byenergy exchange have been in a sensitive response toglobal change[4]. To study the mechanism of sediment transport in the river basin as to reflecting hydromor- phological and climatological controls is thus becoming vital for earth scientists, at present and in the near future since any change in fluvial landform is of a gre…