Depletion of the predominant B-cell population in immunoglobulin mu heavy-chain transgenic mice

The transgenic mouse line M54 was generated by introducing a functionally-rearranged immunoglobulin mu heavy-chain gene into the germ line of a C57B1/6 inbred mouse. Previous examination of the antibodies produced by B-cell hybridomas derived from transgenic M54 mice showed that the presence of the mu transgene grossly altered the immunoglobulin repertoire of unimmunized animals, suggesting that these mice suffer from a serious immunoregulatory perturbation. Studies presented here introduce a new perspective on this functional defect. We show that the lymphoid tissues from these transgenic mice lack virtually all conventional bone-marrow-derived B cells, which constitute the predominant B-cell population in normal mice and which typically produce primary and secondary antibody responses to T-cell-dependent antigens. Moreover, the bone marrow from transgenic M54 mice is depleted of pre-B lymphocytes, indicating a serious defect in early B-cell lymphopoiesis. In contrast, CD5 (Ly-1) B cells, a second B-cell population displaying a characteristic set of cell surface markers which are derived from distinct precursors in the peritoneum, are represented at normal frequencies in these transgenic mice. Thus, the presence of the rearranged immunoglobulin heavy-chain transgene in M54 mice results in an unexpected selective developmental defect that impairs the development of bone-marrow-derived pre-B and B cells without affecting Ly-1 B cells.     

A low level of extragalactic background light as revealed by gamma-rays from blazars

The diffuse extragalactic background light consists of the sum of the starlight emitted by galaxies through the history of the Universe, and it could also have an important contribution from the 'first stars', which may have formed before galaxy formation began. Direct measurements are difficult and not yet conclusive, owing to the large uncertainties caused by the bright foreground emission associated with zodiacal light. An alternative approach is to study the absorption features imprinted on the gamma-ray spectra of distant extragalactic objects by interactions of those photons with the background light photons. Here we report the discovery of gamma-ray emission from the blazars H 2356 - 309 and 1ES 1101 - 232, at redshifts z = 0.165 and z = 0.186, respectively. Their unexpectedly hard spectra provide an upper limit on the background light at optical/near-infrared wavelengths that appears to be very close to the lower limit given by the integrated light of resolved galaxies. The background flux at these wavelengths accordingly seems to be strongly dominated by the direct starlight from galaxies, thus excluding a large contribution from other sources-in particular from the first stars formed. This result also indicates that intergalactic space is more transparent to gamma-rays than previously thought.     

FDTD计算功率变换器近场到近/远场的转换

从理论上分析了利用时间有限差分法由近场到近场或远场转换的频域和时域两种方法，并选择时域的方法计算在FDTD计算范围内一给定点的电场值，与直接利用FDTD法得到的结果相比较，两者非常一致；最后利用该方法计算了功率变换器FDTD计算范围外一给定点的电磁场时间响应．     

The influence of a new antitumor agent on hemopoietic colony forming cells

Summary The cytostatic and immunsuppressive agent N-methyl-N--chloroethylbenzaldehyde hydrazone (B1) in invitro experiments has a stimulating effect on colony-forming culture (CFUc) of bone marrow from C57BL mice. This unusual behaviour, which is in contrast to other cytostatics, could also be observed in vitro with CFUc obtained from mice treated with therapeutic doses of B1 for 2 weeks. This stimulation is not a particular effect of B1 alone but seems to depend on a synergistic effect of the combination of B1 and the colony-stimulating activity (CSA) present in the serum from endotoxin-treated mice (MP) in the testing system. The results suggest that the described effect of B1 is due to an interference at the cell membrane of CFUc or their precursor cells.     

Antibiotika als pflanzliche Plasmagifte

Summary The toxic action oflycomarasmine (a wilting agent produced byFusarium lycopersici Sacc., the causal organism of tomato-wilting) and ofpatulin (clavacin, an antibiotic produced byPenicillium patulum and by some other fungi) on some test-objects is studied (anthocyanin-test with red turnips, plasma-streaming test withSpirogyra etc.). Both substances are able to destroy for instance the semipermeability of the plasma boundary layer; but patulin proves to be more toxic for these objects than lycomarasmine, the specific poison of the tomato wilting disease.     

Membrane-traversing mechanism of thyroid hormone transport by monocarboxylate transporter 8

Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) mediates thyroid hormone (TH) transport across the plasma membrane in many cell types. In order to better understand its mechanism, we have generated three new MCT8 homology models based on sugar transporters XylE in the intracellular opened (PDB ID: 4aj4) and the extracellular partly occluded (PDB ID: 4gby) conformations as well as FucP (PDB ID: 3o7q) and GLUT3 (PDB ID: 4zwc) in the fully extracellular opened conformation. T₃-docking studies from both sides revealed interactions with His192, His415, Arg445 and Asp498 as previously identified. Selected mutations revealed further transport-sensitive positions mainly at the discontinuous transmembrane helices TMH7 and 10. Lys418 is potentially involved in neutralising the charge of the TH substrate because it can be replaced by charged, but not by uncharged, amino acids. The side chain of Thr503 was hypothesised to stabilise a helix break at TMH10 that undergoes a prominent local shift during the transport cycle. A T503V mutation accordingly affected transport. The aromatic Tyr419, the polar Ser313 and Ser314 as well as the charged Glu422 and Glu423 lining the transport channel have been studied. Based on related sugar transporters, we suggest an alternating access mechanism for MCT8 involving a series of amino acid positions previously and newly identified as critical for transport.     

Superallowed Gamow-Teller decay of the doubly magic nucleus 100Sn

The shell structure of atomic nuclei is associated with 'magic numbers' and originates in the nearly independent motion of neutrons and protons in a mean potential generated by all nucleons. During β(+)-decay, a proton transforms into a neutron in a previously not fully occupied orbital, emitting a positron-neutrino pair with either parallel or antiparallel spins, in a Gamow-Teller or Fermi transition, respectively. The transition probability, or strength, of a Gamow-Teller transition depends sensitively on the underlying shell structure and is usually distributed among many states in the neighbouring nucleus. Here we report measurements of the half-life and decay energy for the decay of (100)Sn, the heaviest doubly magic nucleus with equal numbers of protons and neutrons. In the β-decay of (100)Sn, a large fraction of the strength is observable because of the large decay energy. We determine the largest Gamow-Teller strength so far measured in allowed nuclear β-decay, establishing the 'superallowed' nature of this Gamow-Teller transition. The large strength and the low-energy states in the daughter nucleus, (100)In, are well reproduced by modern, large-scale shell model calculations.     

Development of Oxide Ceramics for Application in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

1 Results Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are ceramic fuel cells that convert chemical into electrical energy in a temperature region between 650 ℃ and 1 000 ℃.Systems are currently under development for a variety of applications e.g. for both small and large scale stationary combined heat and power systems but also for the supply of electrical energy in the automotive area. The current objectives in the development of SOFCs is to lower the operating temperature from 850 ℃ down to below 750 ℃ in order to ...