The central dusty torus in the active nucleus of NGC 1068

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) display many energetic phenomena--broad emission lines, X-rays, relativistic jets, radio lobes--originating from matter falling onto a supermassive black hole. It is widely accepted that orientation effects play a major role in explaining the observational appearance of AGNs. Seen from certain directions, circum-nuclear dust clouds would block our view of the central powerhouse. Indirect evidence suggests that the dust clouds form a parsec-sized torus-shaped distribution. This explanation, however, remains unproved, as even the largest telescopes have not been able to resolve the dust structures. Here we report interferometric mid-infrared observations that spatially resolve these structures in the galaxy NGC 1068. The observations reveal warm (320 K) dust in a structure 2.1 parsec thick and 3.4 parsec in diameter, surrounding a smaller hot structure. As such a configuration of dust clouds would collapse in a time much shorter than the active phase of the AGN, this observation requires a continual input of kinetic energy to the cloud system from a source coexistent with the AGN.     

Sulfur exchange between thiotaurine and hypotaurine

Résumé Les auteurs ont préparé avec une enzyme de la thiotaurine et de l'hypotaurine marquées par le et S³⁵ ont démontré que ces deux composés peuvent échanger spontanément un atome de soufre en se transformant l'un dans l'autre.     

Spectral changes resulting from the interaction of some N-alkyl nitrosamines and rat liver microsomes

Summary Dimethyl (DMN) and diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) do not give characteristic spectral changes upon interaction with rat liver microsomes, while dipropyl (DPN) and dibutyl (DBN) nitrosamine cause type I spectral changes. The spectral binding constant is 100 mM for DPN and 1.17 mM for DBN. The maximal spectral change is 3.2×10⁶ and 1.0×10⁶ absorbance units per milligram protein for DPN and DBN respectively.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by Grants AM 13195-07 from the National Institute of Health (USA) and from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas (Argentina).     

Nucleolar localization of succinic dehydrogenase in human malignant cells with MTT

Résumé Les auteurs complètent leurs recherches sur la localisation cytochimique de l'activité de la déshydrogénase succinique dans les nucléoles en utilisant un troisième sel de tetrozolium, MTT d'une importance particulière.     

Histamine as an extremely potent releaser of vasopressin in the rat

Summary Intraperitoneal and intraventricular injection of histamine induces a very fast and high elevation of vasopressin in rat plasma as determined by radioimmunoassay. The effects are dose and time related. The intraventricular injection is more effective with regard to time and dose than the intraperitoneal injection.     

“十五”期间中国股票市场扩容展望

中国股票市场的市值与 GDP的比例远远小于西方发达国家 ,这样的股市规模很不适应国民经济的发展 .针对因股市规模过小而衍生出的种种弊端 ,提出了股市扩容的必要性和紧迫性 ,并通过数理的方法预测十五期间股市扩容的空间 ,最后对股市扩容过程中需要解决的问题提出了建议.     

Cdc25b phosphatase is required for resumption of meiosis during oocyte maturation

In a wide variety of animal species, oocyte maturation is arrested temporarily at prophase of meiosis I (ref. 1). Resumption of meiosis requires activation of cyclin-dependent kinase-1 (CDK1, p34cdc2), one component of maturation-promoting factor (MPF). The dual specificity phosphatases Cdc25a, Cdc25b and Cdc25c are activators of cyclin-dependent kinases; consequently, they are postulated to regulate cell-cycle progression in meiosis and mitosis as well as the DNA-damage response. We generated Cdc25b-deficient (Cdc25b-/-) mice and found that they are viable. As compared with wildtype cells, fibroblasts from Cdc25b-/- mice grew vigorously in culture and arrested normally in response to DNA damage. Female Cdc25b-/- mice were sterile, and Cdc25b-/- oocytes remained arrested at prophase with low MPF activity. Microinjection of wildtype Cdc25b mRNA into Cdc25b-/- oocytes caused activation of MPF and resumption of meiosis. Thus, Cdc25b-/- female mice are sterile because of permanent meiotic arrest resulting from the inability to activate MPF. Cdc25b is therefore essential for meiotic resumption in female mice. Mice lacking Cdc25b provide the first genetic model for studying the mechanisms regulating prophase arrest in vertebrates.