ADAPTIVE STOCHASTIC APPROXIMATION FOR MEASUREMENT WITH CORRELATED NOISE

A multidimensional adaptive stochastic approximation procedure trun-cated at randomly varying bounds is studied for the regression function observedwith correlated noise.The algorithm is proved to be asymptotically efficient.Theresult of the paper generalizes the one shown in[1]for the observation noise be-ing i.i.d.random vectors and under other restrictive conditions imposed on theregression function.     

在鹰嘴豆的果实组织中光合~(14)CO_2固定产物与有关酶的活性

尽管许多豆科植物,包括鹰嘴豆的果实组织进行光合CO_2的同化是众所周知的,但是,对于在这些组织中CO_2固定的途径,特别是对磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶(EC4、1、1、31)的作用还不够清楚。我们己从鹰嘴豆(Cicer arictinum L)的荚果壳、种皮(果实组织)及其苞叶中测定到一些卡尔文循珠和C_4代谢的主要酶的活性,光照和黑暗中~(14)CO_2固定速率和光合CO_2固定的最初产物。对1,5——二磷酸核酮糖羧化酶(EC4、1、1、39)和其它卡尔文循环的酶,即NADP~+——甘油醛—3—磷酸脱氢酶(EC1、2、1、13),NAD~+——甘油醛—3—磷酸脱氢酶(EC1、2、1、12)和5——磷酸核酮糖激酶(EC2、7、1、19)的活性和磷酸烯醇式丙酮羧化酶以及其他C_4代谢的酶,也就是说,对NADP~+—苹果酸脱氢酶(EC_1、1、1、82)、NAD~+—苹果酸脱氢酶(EC1、1、1、37)NADP~+—苹果酸酶(EC1、1、1、40)、NAD~+—苹果酸酶(EC1、1、1、39)、谷氨酸草酰乙酸转氨酶(EC2、6、1、2)和谷氨酸丙酮酸转氨酶(EC2、6、1、2)的活性进行了比较。一般说来,磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶和其他C_4代谢的酶,在荚果壳和种皮中的含量比在叶片中的含量为高。荚果壳和种皮在光照和黑暗中~(14)CO_2固定的速率高于叶子。说明在果实组织短期的~(140CO_2同化,象主要标记产物一样产生苹果酸,标记的3—磷酸甘油酸却较少,而在叶片中主要产物合成为3—磷酸甘油酸。显然,鹰嘴豆在果实组织中是利用磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶再固定呼吸放出的CO_2。     

Molecular pathogenesis of apolipoprotein E-mediated amyloidosis in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) ɛ4 allele is a genetic risk factor for late-onset familial and sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the central nervous system, apoE is secreted mainly by astrocytes as a constituent of high-density lipoproteins. A recent study using apoE knockout mice provided strong evidence that apoE promotes cerebral deposition of amyloid β protein (Aβ). However, no clear explanation of the pathogenesis of apoE-induced AD has been provided. Here we discuss two possible mechanisms by which apoE might enhance Aβ deposition. One is the intracellular pathway in which apoE is internalized by neurons and induces lysosomal accumulation of Aβ and amyloidogenic APP (amyloid precursor protein) fragments, leading to neuronal death. The other is the extracellular pathway in which apoE-containing lipoproteins are trapped by Aβ1–42 deposits mobilizing soluble Aβ peptides and consequently enlarge amyloid plaques. These two mechanisms may operate at different stages of AD pathogenesis and suggest a chaperone-like function for the apoE molecule. Received 4 February 1999; received after revision 9 April 1999; accepted 23 April 1999     

Integrin antagonists

Integrins are a family of cell surface glycoproteins that mediate numerous cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and are involved in biological processes such as tissue morphogenesis, leukocyte recirculation and migration, wound healing, blood clotting and immune response. Aberrant cell adhesion has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including a number of inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and asthma, as well as cancer and coronary heart disease. As such integrins are seen as excellent targets for the development of therapeutic agents. This report begins with an examination of the structure of integrin molecules and their ligands and then goes on to review the current state of development of antiintegrin antagonists. Received 13 April 1999; received after revision 28 May 1999; accepted 28 May 1999     

Antigen-specific T cells in autoimmune diseases with a focus on multiple sclerosis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis

Although the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases remains poorly understood, the current view is that autoaggresive antigen-specific T cells play a central role in the cascade of events leading to most autoimmune diseases. A major event in the development of autoimmune diseases is the activation of antigen-specific T cells-how, when and where does this activation take place? This review addresses questions concerning the occurrence of unique autoantigens triggering autoimmune diseases, the factors influencing the balance between self-tolerance and autoaggresive immunity, and the mechanisms by which dendritic cells mediate immunity and tolerance to antigen-specific T cells. Knowledge of how antigen-specific T cells are activated is now being used to develop therapeutic approaches to control autoimmune diseases. We discuss tolerance to antigen-specific T cells and tolerance induction as treatment of T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Therapeutic modalities have been established which selectively target the pathogenic T cells. leaving the remainder of the immune system intact.     

MAP kinases in plant signal transduction

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are modules involved in the transduction of extracellular signals to intracellular targets in all eukaryotes. Distinct MAPK pathways are regulated by different extracellular stimuli and are implicated in a wide variety of biological processes. In plants there is evidence for MAPKs playing a role in the signaling of abiotic stresses, pathogens and plant hormones. The large number and divergence of plant MAPKs indicates that this ancient mechanism of bioinformatics is extensively used in plants and may provide a new molecular handle on old questions.     

Evolution of bacterial pathogenesis

The evolution of bacteria is associated with continuous generation of novel genetic variants. The major driving forces in this process are point mutations, genetic rearrangements, and horizontal gene transfer. A large number of human and animal bacterial pathogens have evolved the capacity to produce virulence factors that are directly involved in infection and disease. Additionally, many bacteria express resistance traits against antibiotics. Both virulence factors and resistance determinants are subject to intrastrain genetic and phenotypic variation. They are often encoded on unstable DNA regions. Thus, they can be readily transferred to bacteria of the same species or even to non-related prokaryotes. This review article focuses on the main mechanisms of bacterial microevolution responsible for the rapid emergence of variants with novel virulence and resistance properties. In addition, processes of macroevolution are described with special emphasis on gene transfer and fixation of adaptive mutations in the genome of pathogens.