Antizyme inhibitor: mysterious modulator of cell proliferation

In contrast to the considerable interest in the oncogene ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and in the family of antizymes with regard to cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, the endogenous antizyme inhibitor (AZI) has been less well studied. AZI is highly homologous to the enzyme ODC but does not possess any decarboxylase activity. Elevated ODC activity is associated with most forms of human malignancies. Antizymes bind ODC, inhibit ODC activity and promote the ubiquitin-independent degradation of ODC. Consequently they are proposed as tumor suppressors. In particular, the most studied member of the antizyme family, antizyme 1, has been demonstrated to play a role in tumor suppression. AZI inactivates all members of the antizyme family, reactivates ODC and prevents the proteolytic degradation of ODC, which may suggest a role for AZI in tumor progression. Received 9 December 2005; received after revision 13 April 2006; accepted 1 June 2006     

Phyllosilicates on Mars and implications for early martian climate

The recent identification of large deposits of sulphates by remote sensing and in situ observations has been considered evidence of the past presence of liquid water on Mars. Here we report the unambiguous detection of diverse phyllosilicates, a family of aqueous alteration products, on the basis of observations by the OMEGA imaging spectrometer on board the Mars Express spacecraft. These minerals are mainly associated with Noachian outcrops, which is consistent with an early active hydrological system, sustaining the long-term contact of igneous minerals with liquid water. We infer that the two main families of hydrated alteration products detected-phyllosilicates and sulphates--result from different formation processes. These occurred during two distinct climatic episodes: an early Noachian Mars, resulting in the formation of hydrated silicates, followed by a more acidic environment, in which sulphates formed.     

Seasonal transition and its boundary layer characteristics in Anduo area of Tibetan Plateau

Using the data, especially the GPS rawinsode data, observed in Anduo area of the Tibetan Plateau during the intensive observation period of GAME/Tibet in 1998, the transition from the dry to the rainy season along with their boundary layer characteristics is analyzed comprehensively. The result shows that the formation of the rainy season in Anduo area is related closely to the general atmospheric circulation. The westerly belt moving north and the southeast damp current are basic conditions for development of the rainy season in Anduo area. In the dry season, the air is drier, air temperature higher, and the atmospheric boundary layer is strongly developed to cause its maximum height to reach about 3550 m. Moreover the sensible heat flux is dominant, and the latent heat flux is small in the interaction of land-atmosphere energy exchange, and a reverse humidity phenomenon occurs frequently. In the rainy season, the air is damper, air temperature lower, and the ABL height, with maximum of only about 2300 m, is lower. And the sensible heat flux becomes much smaller, the latent heat flux much larger in the interaction of land-atmosphere energy exchange. The reverse humidity phenomenon disappears.     

交叉指漂移管型直线加速器束载效应补偿用铁氧体可变阻抗适配器的研究

系统地阐述了铁氧体可变特征阻抗传输线的设计理论，结合德国重离子物理研究所交叉指强流直线加速器的束载对高频功率馈送的输入阻抗的影响，设计了一个可以在强的加速柬载下实现高频功率源和加速腔高频输入阻抗良好匹配的铁氧体可变阻抗适配器。     

水色遥感理论模型探讨

由于目前技术条件的限制 ,黑箱模型在水体组份反演的研究中占据了主导地位 ,但其理论基础不足 ,针对具体成像条件推得的黑箱模型难以推广 ,故需从水色遥感成像机理出发来研究理论模型的识别和求解。意识到辐射传输方程难以实用 ,提出基于辐射传输方程求解结论的水色遥感理论模型架构。并讨论了模型的若干影响因素。特别指出 ,应该使用传感器灵敏度积分的方法来关联传感器接收到的辐射率和灰度值数据 ,而不是简单地使用传感器在波段中心波长处接收的辐射率。     

Tat-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes select for SIV escape variants during resolution of primary viraemia

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections are characterized by early peaks of viraemia that decline as strong cellular immune responses develop. Although it has been shown that virus-specific CD8-positive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) exert selective pressure during HIV and SIV infection, the data have been controversial. Here we show that Tat-specific CD8-positive T-lymphocyte responses select for new viral escape variants during the acute phase of infection. We sequenced the entire virus immediately after the acute phase, and found that amino-acid replacements accumulated primarily in Tat CTL epitopes. This implies that Tat-specific CTLs may be significantly involved in controlling wild-type virus replication, and suggests that responses against viral proteins that are expressed early during the viral life cycle might be attractive targets for HIV vaccine development.     

The role of the thermohaline circulation in abrupt climate change

The possibility of a reduced Atlantic thermohaline circulation in response to increases in greenhouse-gas concentrations has been demonstrated in a number of simulations with general circulation models of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system. But it remains difficult to assess the likelihood of future changes in the thermohaline circulation, mainly owing to poorly constrained model parameterizations and uncertainties in the response of the climate system to greenhouse warming. Analyses of past abrupt climate changes help to solve these problems. Data and models both suggest that abrupt climate change during the last glaciation originated through changes in the Atlantic thermohaline circulation in response to small changes in the hydrological cycle. Atmospheric and oceanic responses to these changes were then transmitted globally through a number of feedbacks. The palaeoclimate data and the model results also indicate that the stability of the thermohaline circulation depends on the mean climate state.     

Towards sustainability in world fisheries

Fisheries have rarely been 'sustainable'. Rather, fishing has induced serial depletions, long masked by improved technology, geographic expansion and exploitation of previously spurned species lower in the food web. With global catches declining since the late 1980s, continuation of present trends will lead to supply shortfall, for which aquaculture cannot be expected to compensate, and may well exacerbate. Reducing fishing capacity to appropriate levels will require strong reductions of subsidies. Zoning the oceans into unfished marine reserves and areas with limited levels of fishing effort would allow sustainable fisheries, based on resources embedded in functional, diverse ecosystems.     

Thymic selection process induced by hybrid antibodies

Thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes using the alpha beta T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) recognize fragmented antigen in conjunction with surface molecules encoded by genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Peripheral T lymphocytes preferentially see antigen presented by self rather than by foreign MHC molecules, and autoreactive T lymphocytes are deleted. Thus, the peripheral T-lymphocyte repertoire is skewed towards recognition of antigen in the context of self-MHC and towards tolerance to self-antigens. During T-lymphocyte development in the thymus, this repertoire is formed by the interaction of TCR with MHC molecules resulting in positive and negative selection phenomena. Hybrid antibodies (HAbs) that carry binding sites to the TCR and to a surface marker on another cell can engage all T lymphocytes regardless of their specificity. It should be possible to mimic selection processes in normal animals with HAb that specifically link members of a TCR family to MHC molecules on the thymic stroma. We have probed T-lymphocyte development with HAbs linking V beta 8-positive TCR to either class I or class II MHC products in thymic organ culture. Thymocytes exposed to either HAb in an early stage of maturation respond with a significant increase in the frequency of V beta 8-carrying cells. At a later stage of development V beta 8-positive thymocytes are depleted. These results illustrate the succession of positive and negative selection in the developing thymus of normal mice.     

Self-tolerance eliminates T cells specific for Mls-modified products of the major histocompatibility complex

In mice the product of the Mlsa locus is an unusual antigen capable of interaction with certain products of the major histocompatibility locus (MHC) to form a ligand for a large portion of the T-cell alpha/beta receptor repertoire, including nearly all receptors that use V beta 8.1. The presence of Mlsa/MHC during T-cell development results in the deletion of T cells that express V beta 8.1, documenting the importance of clonal deletion in establishing tolerance to self antigens.