Spectroscopic study of the disulfide bond in oxidized glutathione

Summary Raman and circular dichroism spectra are used for obtaining structural information on the disulfide bridge in oxidized glutathione. Quantitative estimates of dihedral angles and bond angles are proposed.     

Assembling and alerting scents produced by the bedbugCimex lectularius L.

Zusammenfassung Es wird gezeigt, dass die Aggregation der Bettwanzen (Cimex lectularius) durch einen von beiden Geschlechtern abgegebenen Versammlungsduft eingeleitet wird. Letzterer ist in Methylalkohol, aber nicht in Diäthyläther löslich, verdampft bei 32°C und lockt unbegattete sowie begattete Wanzen beider Geschlechter an. Die Lockreaktion ist von der Duftmenge abhängig und bleibt bei antennenlosen Wanzen aus. Die Stinkdrüsen gereizter, respektive verletzter Bettwanzen sondern Hex-2-en-1-al und Oct-2-en-1-al als Alarmduft ab, der die Zerstreuung der Wanzengruppen hervorruft.     

Paxillin binds schwannomin and regulates its density-dependent localization and effect on cell morphology

Neurofibromatosis type 2 is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by tumors, predominantly schwannomas, in the nervous system. It is caused by mutations in the gene NF2, encoding the growth regulator schwannomin (also known as merlin). Mutations occur throughout the 17-exon gene, with most resulting in protein truncation and undetectable amounts of schwannomin protein. Pathogenic mutations that result in production of defective schwannomin include in-frame deletions of exon 2 and three independent missense mutations within this same exon. Mice with conditional deletion of exon 2 in Schwann cells develop schwannomas, which confirms the crucial nature of exon 2 for growth control. Here we report that the molecular adaptor paxillin binds directly to schwannomin at residues 50-70, which are encoded by exon 2. This interaction mediates the membrane localization of schwannomin to the plasma membrane, where it associates with beta 1 integrin and erbB2. It defines a pathogenic mechanism for the development of NF2 in humans with mutations in exon 2 of NF2.     

Mantle thermal pulses below the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and temporal variations in the formation of oceanic lithosphere

A 20-Myr record of creation of oceanic lithosphere is exposed along a segment of the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge on an uplifted sliver of lithosphere. The degree of melting of the mantle that is upwelling below the ridge, estimated from the chemistry of the exposed mantle rocks, as well as crustal thickness inferred from gravity measurements, show oscillations of approximately 3-4 Myr superimposed on a longer-term steady increase with time. The time lag between oscillations of mantle melting and crustal thickness indicates that the mantle is upwelling at an average rate of approximately 25 mm x yr(-1), but this appears to vary through time. Slow-spreading lithosphere seems to form through dynamic pulses of mantle upwelling and melting, leading not only to along-axis segmentation but also to across-axis structural variability. Also, the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge appears to have become steadily hotter over the past 20 Myr, possibly owing to north-south mantle flow.     

The exocyst complex is required for targeting of Glut4 to the plasma membrane by insulin

Insulin stimulates glucose transport by promoting exocytosis of the glucose transporter Glut4 (refs 1, 2). The dynamic processes involved in the trafficking of Glut4-containing vesicles, and in their targeting, docking and fusion at the plasma membrane, as well as the signalling processes that govern these events, are not well understood. We recently described tyrosine-phosphorylation events restricted to subdomains of the plasma membrane that result in activation of the G protein TC10 (refs 3, 4). Here we show that TC10 interacts with one of the components of the exocyst complex, Exo70. Exo70 translocates to the plasma membrane in response to insulin through the activation of TC10, where it assembles a multiprotein complex that includes Sec6 and Sec8. Overexpression of an Exo70 mutant blocked insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, but not the trafficking of Glut4 to the plasma membrane. However, this mutant did block the extracellular exposure of the Glut4 protein. So, the exocyst might have a crucial role in the targeting of the Glut4 vesicle to the plasma membrane, perhaps directing the vesicle to the precise site of fusion.     

Perfluoroalkyl substances in the blood samples from a male population of Sweden

Temporal trends of perfluoroalkyl substances （PFASs） have been determined in the blood samples from several countries globally including a female population in Sweden recently, yet little is known about the time trends in the blood levels of these compounds in Swedish male populations over recent years. In this study, the fourteen target PFASs consisted of four perfluorosulfonates （PFSAs） and ten perfluorocarboxylates （PFCAs） in the whole blood samples, collected from 153 Swedish elderly men during the period between 2008 and 2010, were analyzed via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS/MS）. As the dominant PFASs contaminants in the blood samples, perfluorooctane sulfo- nate （PFOS） showed the highest geometric mean （GM） at 8.5 ng/mL, ranging from 1.7 to 29 ng/mL, while blood perfluorooctanoic acid （PFOA） contained the GM of 1.8 ng/mL, ranging from 0.35 to 6.4 ng/mL. Both the levels of these two compounds were lower than those determined in the blood samples of Swedish elderly pop- ulations derived from the late 1990s. According to the temporal trend analysis, over the three years, the blood levels of PFOS in Swedish male populations declined 16 % per annum, while those of perfluoroundecanoic acid （PFUnDA） increased 6.1% per annum, which were con- sistent with those reported previously for the populations from other countries.     

Plasma free and total tryptophan during the oestrus cycle,in ovariectomized and in male rats

Summary Plasma free tryptophan was higher during prooestrus and early oestrus than at metoestrus or in ovariectomized or male rats. In contrast, total tryptophan was higher in ovariectomized and male rats than at any time in cycling females.     

大型水利枢纽砼运输浇筑系统的GPSS模型及仿真研究

本文应用系统仿真原理和GPSS(General Purpose Simulation System——通用仿真系统)仿真语言构造了大型水利枢纽混凝土工程的运输浇筑系统的GPSS模型，并通过计算机运行对该系统进行了仿真研究，得出了具有一定实用价值的结果，为大型水利枢纽的可行性研究、设计、施工提供了参考．     

A computer-based system for collection and analysis of circadian rest-activity data

Summary A computer-based system for collection and analysis of circadian rest-activity data was developed. The system has the advantage of a minimal amount of interface hardware and uses standard laboratory computer equipment permitting easy collection and automatic visualization and analysis of the data. The flexibility of the programs allows manipulation of the presentation format as needed and further refinements of the data analyses are possible.