The interrelationship between bone and fat: from cellular see-saw to endocrine reciprocity

The number of mature osteoblasts and marrow adipocytes in bone is influenced by the differentiation of the common mesenchymal progenitor cell towards one phenotype and away from the other. Consequently, factors which promote adipogenesis not only lead to fatty marrow but also inhibit osteoblastogenesis, resulting in decreased osteoblast numbers, diminished bone formation and, potentially, inadequate bone mass and osteoporosis. In addition to osteoblast and bone adipocyte numbers being influenced by this skewing of progenitor cell differentiation towards one phenotype, mature osteoblasts and adipocytes secrete factors which may evoke changes in the cell fate and function of each other. This review examines the endogenous factors, such as PPAR-γ2, Wnt, IGF-1, GH, FGF-2, oestrogen, the GP130 signalling cytokines, vitamin D and glucocorticoids, which regulate the selection between osteoblastogenesis and adipogenesis and the interrelationship between fat and bone. The role of adipokines on bone, such as adiponectin and leptin, as well as adipose-derived oestrogen, is reviewed and the role of bone as an energy regulating endocrine organ is discussed.     

The rotating wind of the quasar PG 1700+518

It is now widely accepted that most galaxies undergo an active phase, during which a central super-massive black hole generates vast radiant luminosities through the gravitational accretion of gas. Winds launched from a rotating accretion disk surrounding the black hole are thought to play a critical role, allowing the disk to shed angular momentum that would otherwise inhibit accretion. Such winds are capable of depositing large amounts of mechanical energy in the host galaxy and its environs, profoundly affecting its formation and evolution, and perhaps regulating the formation of large-scale cosmological structures in the early Universe. Although there are good theoretical grounds for believing that outflows from active galactic nuclei originate as disk winds, observational verification has proven elusive. Here we show that structures observed in polarized light across the broad Halpha emission line in the quasar PG 1700+518 originate close to the accretion disk in an electron scattering wind. The wind has large rotational motions (approximately 4,000 km s(-1)), providing direct observational evidence that outflows from active galactic nuclei are launched from the disks. Moreover, the wind rises nearly vertically from the disk, favouring launch mechanisms that impart an initial acceleration perpendicular to the disk plane.     

High-resolution (1.5 A) crystal structure of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus

Both the phosphatidylinositol-hydrolysing and the phosphatidylcholine-hydrolysing phospholipases C have been implicated in the generation of second messengers in mammalian cells. The phosphatidylcholine-hydrolysing phospholipase C (PLC) from Bacillus cereus, a monomeric protein containing 245 amino-acid residues, is similar to some of the corresponding mammalian proteins. This, together with the fact that the bacterial enzyme can mimic the action of mammalian PLC in causing, for example, enhanced prostaglandin biosynthesis, suggests that B. cereus PLC can be used as a model for the hitherto poorly characterized mammalian PLCs. We report here the three-dimensional structure of B. cereus PLC at 1.5 A resolution. The enzyme is an all-helix protein belonging to a novel structural class and contains, at least in the crystalline state, three Zn2+ in the active site. We also present preliminary results from a study at 1.9 A resolution of the complex between PLC and inorganic phosphate (Pi) which indicate that the substrate binds directly to the metal ions.     

A Kind of Systems Methodology——The SPIPRO Principle

This paper deals with the Self-Increasing-Difficulty system (SIDIS) separated from general systems, with emphasis on the relevant methodology based on the Spiral Combining Propulsion Principle (SPIPRO principle in short). The system feature and its causative factors are analysed, and the implications and mechanism of the SPIPRO principle are discussed. Finally, the application possibilities of this methodology are illustrated with some examples.     

ATP-dependent assembly of double hexamers of SV40 T antigen at the viral origin of DNA replication

Simian virus 40 (SV40) replicates in nuclei of human and monkey cells. One viral protein, large tumour (T) antigen, is required for the initiation of DNA replication. The development of in vitro replication systems which retain this property has facilitated the identification of the cellular components required for replication. T antigen recognizes the pentanucleotide 5'-GAGGC-3' which is present in four copies within the 64 base-pairs (bp) of the core origin. In the presence of ATP it binds with increased affinity forming a distinctive, bilobed structure visible in electron micrographs. As a helicase, it unwinds SV40 DNA bidirectionally from the origin. We report here that in vitro and in the presence of ATP, T antigen assembles a double hexamer, centred on the core origin and extending beyond it by 12 bp in each direction. The assembly of this dodecamer initiates an untwisting of the duplex by 2-3 turns. In the absence of ATP, a tetrameric structure is the largest found at the core origin. In the absence of DNA, but in the presence of ATP or its non-hydrolysable analogues, T antigen assembles into hexamers. This suggests that ATP effects an allosteric change in the monomer. The change alters protein-protein interactions and allows the assembly of a double hexamer, which initiates replication at the core origin.     

Circular polarimetry reveals helical magnetic fields in the young stellar object HH 135-136

Magnetic fields are believed to have a vital role in regulating and shaping the flow of material onto and away from protostars during their initial mass accretion phase. It is becoming increasingly accepted that bipolar outflows are generated and collimated as material is driven along magnetic field lines and centrifugally accelerated off a rotating accretion disk. However, the precise role of the magnetic field is poorly understood and evidence for its shape and structure has not been forthcoming. Here we report imaging circular polarimetry in the near-infrared and Monte Carlo modelling showing that the magnetic field along the bipolar outflow of the HH 135-136 young stellar object is helical. The field retains this shape for large distances along the outflow, so the field structure can also provide the necessary magnetic pressure for collimation of the outflow. This result lends further weight to the hypothesis--central to any theory of star formation--that the outflow is an important instrument for the removal of high-angular-momentum material from the accretion disk, thereby allowing the central protostar to increase its mass.     

融合双通道音节特征的藏文La格例句自动分类模型

基于藏文La格(??????)例句的自动分类在藏语自然语言处理领域的重要性,根据藏文La格的用法和添接规则,在对藏文La格例句进行分类并定义分类概念的基础上,提出一种融合双通道音节特征的藏文La格例句自动分类模型.该模型首先使用word2vec和Glove构建双通道藏文音节嵌入,分别在每路卷积中融合双通道音节特征,丰富...     

高校计算机课程教学与改革探讨

以计算机为核心的多媒体教学在我国高校已经蓬勃兴起。文章针对现在教育面临的新形式,进行了高校计算机课程的教学与改革探讨。针对电子科技大学已经开展的多媒体式、专周式教学,就如何培养学生技能、提高动手能力,为最后的就业打下坚实基础提出了一些想法和建议。并对一些教学方法的效果进行了统计分析,通过分析和探讨,结合教学实际,提出了一些措施与建议,希望对探讨高校计算机专业教学、学习、就业有所帮助。