Effects of vitamin B12 on plasma melatonin rhythm in humans: increased light sensitivity phase-advances the circadian clock?

Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) was administered orally (3 mg/day) to 9 healthy subjects for 4 weeks. Nocturnal melatonin levels after exposure to bright light (ca. 2500 lx) were determined, as well as the levels of plasma melatonin over 24 h. The timing of sleep was also recorded. Vitamin B12 was given blind to the subjects and crossed over with placebo. We found that the 24-h melatonin rhythm was significantly phase-advanced (1.1 h) in the vitamin B12 trial as compared with that in the placebo trial. In addition, the 24-h mean of plasma melatonin level was much lower in the vitamin B12 trial than with the placebo. Furthermore, the nocturnal melatonin levels during bright light exposure were significantly lower in the vitamin B12 trial than with the placebo. On the other hand, vitamin B12 did not affect the timing of sleep. These findings raise the possibility that vitamin B12 phase-advances the human circadian rhythm by increasing the light sensitivity of the circadian clock.     

Retrograde transport of endocytosed Shiga toxin to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Shiga toxin and some other protein toxins that act on targets in the cytosol have previously been shown to enter the trans-Golgi network. Transport by this route may be necessary for translocation of the toxin to the cytosol and for intoxication, but it is not known whether the enzymatically active part of the toxins actually enters the cytosol from the trans-Golgi network. It has been suggested that such toxins are transported in a retrograde manner to the endoplasmic reticulum and that translocation occurs in this organelle, but retrograde transport of endocytosed material beyond the trans-Golgi network has never been demonstrated. Here we show that in butyric acid-treated A431 cells endocytosed Shiga toxin is not only transported to the trans-Golgi network, but also to all Golgi stacks, to the endoplasmic reticulum and to the nuclear envelope. Furthermore, butyric acid sensitizes the cells to Shiga toxin, which is consistent with the possibility that retrograde transport is required for translocation of the toxin to the cytosol.     

矿区铁路专用线下综采放顶煤开采的试验研究

介绍了国内第一个综采放顶煤开采矿区铁路线下压煤试验面的成功经验，总结了试采中对铁路所采取的各种分析和维护措施，分析了该采煤方法下的地在移动和变形特点，为我国“三下”采煤领域提供了具有特色的成功实例。     

约束条件下直动凸轮机构最佳偏距的程序优化

在直动从动件盘形凸轮的设计中，减少推程压力角可改善凸轮的受力条件，适当的偏置可以减少压力角。本文通过计算机设计方法来确定具有最小凸轮机构尺寸时的最佳偏距。     

钢-混凝土连续组合梁桥的理论分析和试验研究

根据完全剪力连接的连续组合梁桥的构造特点及各部分受力机理,做出合理假设,提出分层平面框架计算模型该计算模型用于沈阳市东西快速干道工程某段连续组合梁桥,计算值与静载试验实测值非常接近,证明了本计算模型用于钢-混凝土连续组合梁桥正确实用的.     

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of amphetamine craving

The aim of this study is to identify the brain activity associated with amphetamine craving for understanding the neurobiology of addiction by watching pictures of happy, sad or amphetamine. Brain activity was measured in 12 amphetamine addicts and 12 healthy subjects by fMRI while the subjects watched pictures designed to elicit happy feelings, sad feelings, or the desire to use amphetamine. The result demonstrated that amphetamine cues led to abnormally high cingulate and low frontal lobe activation in amphetamine addicts, who showed abnormalities in affect-related brain activation.