Two new carnivores from an unusual late Tertiary forest biota in eastern North America

Late Cenozoic terrestrial fossil records of North America are biased by a predominance of mid-latitude deposits, mostly in the western half of the continent. Consequently, the biological history of eastern North America, including the eastern deciduous forest, remains largely hidden. Unfortunately, vertebrate fossil sites from this vast region are rare, and few pertain to the critically important late Tertiary period, during which intensified global climatic changes took place. Moreover, strong phylogenetic affinities between the flora of eastern North America and eastern Asia clearly demonstrate formerly contiguous connections, but disparity among shared genera (eastern Asia-eastern North America disjunction) implies significant periods of separation since at least the Miocene epoch. Lacustrine sediments deposited within a former sinkhole in the southern Appalachian Mountains provide a rare example of a late Miocene to early Pliocene terrestrial biota from a forested ecosystem. Here we show that the vertebrate remains contained within this deposit represent a unique combination of North American and Eurasian taxa. A new genus and species of the red (lesser) panda (Pristinailurus bristoli), the earliest and most primitive so far known, was recovered. Also among the fauna are a new species of Eurasian badger (Arctomeles dimolodontus) and the largest concentration of fossil tapirs ever recorded. Cladistical analyses of the two new carnivores strongly suggest immigration events that were earlier than and distinct from previous records, and that the close faunal affinities between eastern North America and eastern Asia in the late Tertiary period are consistent with the contemporaneous botanical record.     

TNF-RII and c-IAP1 mediate ubiquitination and degradation of TRAF2

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory mediator that exerts its biological functions by binding two TNF receptors (TNF-RI and TNF-RII), which initiate biological responses by interacting with adaptor and signalling proteins. Among the signalling components that associate with TNF receptors are members of the TNF-R-associated factor (TRAF) family. TRAF2 is required for TNF-alpha-mediated activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), contributes to activation of NF-kappaB, and mediates anti-apoptotic signals,. TNF-RI and TNF-RII signalling complexes also contain the anti-apoptotic ('inhibitor of apoptosis') molecules c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 (refs 5, 6), which also have RING domain-dependent ubiquitin protein ligase (E3) activity. The function of IAPs in TNF-R signalling is unknown. Here we show that binding of TNF-alpha to TNF-RII induces ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of TRAF2. Although c-IAP1 bound TRAF2 and TRAF1 in vitro, it ubiquitinated only TRAF2. Expression of wild-type c-IAP1, but not an E3-defective mutant, resulted in TRAF2 ubiquitination and degradation. Moreover, E3-defective c-IAP1 prevented TNF-alpha-induced TRAF2 degradation and inhibited apoptosis. These findings identify a physiologic role for c-IAP1 and define a mechanism by which TNF-RII-regulated ubiquitin protein ligase activity can potentiate TNF-induced apoptosis.     

[Zn(bim)2]·(H2O)1.67: A metal-organic open-framework with sodalite topology

Considerable efforts have been focused on the crystal engineering of the supramolecular architectures with desired properties such as zeolitic, magnetic and electric conducting materials[1—3]. But crystal engineering is still a great challenge to the chemists since lack of control over the coordination modes of metal centers and ligands during assembly of extended structures[4]. Some successful synthetic strategies based on topologic control of building blocks have been developed especially i…     

Thermodynamic evolution of lithosphere of the North China craton： Records from lower crust and upper mantle xenoliths from Hannuoba

Lithospheric thinning in East China attracts much attention of geologists. In many cases where a lithospheric thinning is inferred, the trigger for instability is a preced-ing episode of crustal thickening by the continental colli-sion[1]. Lithospheric processes (e.g. lithospheric thinning) could be recorded by the thermal history of the lower crustal and upper mantle xenoliths. Xu et al.[2] suggested that the cooling (from >1200 to 850℃) recorded by spinel harzburgite from Northeast China …     

孤独症儿童治疗方法概况

自1943年以来,经过半个多世纪的时间,关于孤独症的理论与治疗技术日趋成熟。本文对一些主要治疗方法与技术进行了简要回顾,着重介绍了近年来在美国有广泛应用的RDI疗法。针对我国孤独症教育治疗不足的现状对治疗过程中的问题进行了一定归纳。     

内配煤团块直接还原法制备铁粒技术研究

根据我国现阶段直接还原状况及国内能源的结构特点，提出利用舍碳团块直接还原制备铁颗粒的技术思想；通过调整团矿的内配碳比、温度、碱度及添加剂配入量来优化渣铁的分离和提高铁粒质量，找到最佳的配比方案。铁的收得率达到90％以上，铁粒中wFe〉96％，ws=0．02％～0．05％，wc〈4．0％；分离出的铁粒可直接作为电炉炼钢的优质原料。     

支持向量机在电力变压器故障诊断中的应用

利用支持向量机的学习方法，构建了电力变压器故障诊断模型．该模型将变压器故障分为放电性和过热性两大类，通过统计分析寻求特征量区分类间的故障类型，采用支持向量机识别类内的故障类型，利用基于交叉验证的网格搜索法来确定支持向量机的参数．考虑到变压器油中溶解气体特征空间的紧致性原理，利用模糊C均值聚类算法对所获取的样本进行预选取，有效地解决了确定模型参数时耗时巨大的问题，并一定程度提高了模型的推广能力．实例验证表明，该模型在有限样本情况下，能达到较高的变压器故障判断率，放电性故障样本正确判断率为90．5％，过热性故障样本正确判断率为85．9％，说明该模型具有很好的分类效果和推广能力．     

热轧带钢横向温度研究方法及测量分析

对目前带钢横向温度分布的研究方法和结论进行了分析;对1800热连轧机精轧出口带钢的横向温度进行测量,针对典型的分布规律,提出了描述参数,并用该参数就其分布规律以及分布与带钢宽度、纵向温度的关系进行了讨论,为建立热连轧带钢横向温度控制模型提供了依据.     

园艺学教改实践与学生素质提升的研究

为了提升学生的综合素质能力,对园艺学实验教学现状进行了分析。根据存在设计性实验教学内容的不足、部分学生参与实验的积极性不够、内容体系的优化与实验进程的合理规划尚有欠缺等问题,进行了实验教学改革。改革实验教学内容,优化课程体系,完善实验教学内容,培养了学生综合能力,同时优化实验教学方法。充分发挥了学生的主观能动性,提高了学生的科学品质,使实验教学与科研紧密结合,拓宽了学生知识面,提高了学生综合实验技能。     

一种新型城市信息化发展评价方法的建立

论述了城市信息网络评价在城市信息化评价中的重要性，并用一种较简单的新方法，将分形理论引入到对城市信息网络系统的评价之中，分析并建立了描述城市信息网络系统的评价方法和步骤，为更深入地研究城市信息网络的规划和发展打下基础。