硅灰石增强聚丙烯塑料板框的研制

为了克服铸铁、橡胶、木质和普通塑料板框的缺点,对新材质板框进行了研制。硅灰石增强聚丙烯塑料板框具有机械强度高和耐化学腐蚀的性能。其材料是PP树脂与经偶联剂KH-550活化的硅灰石及其它助剂混合熔融塑化加工制得;其生产工艺是整体一次挤出-压铸成型。用该板框组装的压滤机工作性能好,且装卸方便,节省滤布。     

激光气相热解制备超细硼粉工艺及粉体性能研究

CW CO_2激光引发化学气相热解,以BCl_3/H_2为原料体系制备超细硼粉。探讨了反应热力学及引发过程机理,测定了镜距f与火焰温度T及反应气体在激光束中停留时间τ_停的关系,IR光谱表明粉体杂质主要是H_3BO_3,XRD结果表明硼粉为无定形体,硼含量分析结果表明为88.9％(wt),TEM观察表明硼粉为无粘连、单分散、分布窄的球形颗粒,粒度分布范围0.03～0.12μm,与热化学还原法及热管炉法硼粉相比,颗粒具有极好的分散性和均一性。     

金属冲击加热过程传热机构的研究

本文采用热态试验和数学模拟的方法,研究了金属板坯在快速冲击加热炉内被射流冲击加热时的内外部传热机构。结果表明炉内的热交换主要集中在炉膛下部并以对流换热为主,在传给金属的热量中,对流换热量可高达80％。研究还发现了冲击加热后期出现金属向炉膛的反向辐射这一新的传热特征,反向辐射出现的时间主要取决于对流传热率的大小。     

D36钢母材和焊缝疲劳裂纹扩展的规律

测定了D36钢母材和焊缝金属在不同工况下的疲劳裂纹扩展速率和阈值。通过线性回归,得出了扩展速率表达式。结果表明,焊缝金属的疲劳裂纹扩展速率比母材的低,其阈值也比母材大。在静载和最大载荷一定的情况下,随应力比增大,焊缝的扩展速率降低。     

Timed bromocriptine administration reduces body fat stores in obese subjects and hyperglycemia in type II diabetics

Obese postmenopausal female volunteers were given timed daily oral dosages of bromocriptine, and tested for reduction of body fat stores. This dopamine agonist has been shown to reset circadian rhythms that are altered in obese animals and to reduce body fat levels in several animal models. The participants were instructed not to alter their existing exercise and eating behavior during treatment. Skinfold measurements were taken on 33 subjects as indices of body fat. The measurements (e.g., suprailiac) were reduced after six weeks by about 25%, which represents a reduction of 11.7% of the total body fat. These dramatic decreases in body fat, which are equivalent to that produced by severe caloric restriction, were accompanied by more modest reductions of body weight (2.5%), indicating a possible conservation of protein that is usually lost as a consequence of such caloric restriction. The effects of bromocriptine treatment on body fat and hyperglycemia were also examined in non-insulin dependent diabetics being treated with oral hypoglycemics (7 subjects) or insulin (7 subjects). Total body fat was reduced by 10.7% and 5.1% in diabetics on oral hypoglycemics and insulin, respectively, without any significant reductions in body weight.Hyperglycemia was reduced in most of the 15 diabetic subjects treated leading to euglycemia and even cessation of hypoglycemic drugs in 3 of the 7 subjects during 4–8 weeks of bromocriptine treatment. These findings support the hypothesis that obesity and type II diabetes may be treated effectively with bromocriptine when administered at the proper times and dosages.This is a process patented by Louisiana State University and licensed to Ergo, Inc., Newport, Rhode island. A. H. Meier and A. H. Cincotta have financial interest in the process.     

Intercellular communication in smooth muscle.

The functioning of a group of cells as a tissue depends on intercellular communication; an example is the spread of action potentials through intestinal tissue resulting in synchronized contraction. Recent evidence for cell heterogeneity within smooth muscle tissues has renewed research into cell coupling. Electrical coupling is essential for propagation of action potentials in gastrointestinal smooth muscle. Metabolic coupling may be involved in generation of pacemaker activity. This review deals with the role of cell coupling in tissue function and some of the issues discussed are the relationship between electrical synchronization and gap junctions, metabolic coupling, and the role of interstitial cells of Cajal in coupling.     

Caenorhabditis elegans expressed sequence tags identify gene families and potential disease gene homologues.

A database containing mapped partial cDNA sequences from Caenorhabditis elegans will provide a ready starting point for identifying nematode homologues of important human genes and determining their functions in C. elegans. A total of 720 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) have been generated from 585 clones randomly selected from a mixed-stage C. elegans cDNA library. Comparison of these ESTs with sequence databases identified 422 new C. elegans genes, of which 317 are not similar to any sequences in the database. Twenty-six new genes have been mapped by YAC clone hybridization. Members of several gene families, including cuticle collagens, GTP-binding proteins, and RNA helicases were discovered. Many of the new genes are similar to known or potential human disease genes, including CFTR and the LDL receptor.     

The peripheral myelin protein gene PMP-22 is contained within the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A duplication.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT1) is the most common form of inherited peripheral neuropathy. Although the disease is genetically heterogeneous, it has been demonstrated that the gene defect is the most frequent type (CMT1A) is the result of a partial duplication of band 17p11.2. Recent studies suggested that the peripheral hypomyelination syndrome in the trembler (Tr) mouse, a possible animal model for CMT1 disease, is associated with a point mutation in the peripheral myelin protein-22 gene (pmp-22). Expression of pmp-22 is particularly high in Schwann cells, and the protein is found in peripheral myelin. We now report that the human PMP-22 gene is contained within the CMT1A duplication. We therefore, suggest that increased dosage of the PMP-22 gene may be the cause of CMT1A neuropathy.     

Isolation of a candidate gene for Norrie disease by positional cloning.

The gene for Norrie disease, an X-linked disorder characterized by progressive atrophy of the eyes, mental disturbances and deafness, has been mapped to chromosome Xp11.4 close to DXS7 and the monoamine oxidase (MAO) genes. By subcloning a YAC with a 640 kilobases (kb) insert which spans the DXS7-MAOB interval we have generated a cosmid contig which extends 250 kb beyond the MAOB gene. With one of these cosmids, microdeletions were detected in several patients with Norrie disease. Screening of cDNA libraries has enabled us to isolate and sequence a likely candidate gene for Norrie disease which is expressed in retina, choroid and fetal brain. No homologous sequences were found in DNA and protein databases indicating that this cDNA is part of a gene encoding a 'pioneer' protein.     

Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N (SNRPN), an expressed gene in the Prader-Willi syndrome critical region.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is associated with paternally derived chromosomal deletions in region 15q11-13 or with maternal disomy for chromosome 15. Therefore, loss of the expressed paternal alleles of maternally imprinted genes must be responsible for the PWS phenotype. We have mapped the gene encoding the small nuclear RNA associated polypeptide SmN (SNRPN) to human chromosome 15q12 and a processed pseudogene SNRPNP1 to chromosome region 6pter-p21. Furthermore, SNRPN was mapped to the minimal deletion interval that is critical for PWS. The fact that the mouse Snrpn gene is maternally imprinted in brain suggests that loss of the paternally derived SNRPN allele may be involved in the PWS phenotype.