Oxysterols direct immune cell migration via EBI2

Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2, also known as GPR183) is a G-protein-coupled receptor that is required for humoral immune responses; polymorphisms in the receptor have been associated with inflammatory autoimmune diseases. The natural ligand for EBI2 has been unknown. Here we describe the identification of 7α,25-dihydroxycholesterol (also called 7α,25-OHC or 5-cholesten-3β,7α,25-triol) as a potent and selective agonist of EBI2. Functional activation of human EBI2 by 7α,25-OHC and closely related oxysterols was verified by monitoring second messenger readouts and saturable, high-affinity radioligand binding. Furthermore, we find that 7α,25-OHC and closely related oxysterols act as chemoattractants for immune cells expressing EBI2 by directing cell migration in vitro and in vivo. A critical enzyme required for the generation of 7α,25-OHC is cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H). Similar to EBI2 receptor knockout mice, mice deficient in CH25H fail to position activated B cells within the spleen to the outer follicle and mount a reduced plasma cell response after an immune challenge. This demonstrates that CH25H generates EBI2 biological activity in vivo and indicates that the EBI2-oxysterol signalling pathway has an important role in the adaptive immune response.     

PDGF signalling controls age-dependent proliferation in pancreatic β-cells

Determining the signalling pathways that direct tissue expansion is a principal goal of regenerative biology. Vigorous pancreatic β-cell replication in juvenile mice and humans declines with age, and elucidating the basis for this decay may reveal strategies for inducing β-cell expansion, a long-sought goal for diabetes therapy. Here we show that platelet-derived growth factor receptor (Pdgfr) signalling controls age-dependent β-cell proliferation in mouse and human pancreatic islets. With age, declining β-cell Pdgfr levels were accompanied by reductions in β-cell enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (Ezh2) levels and β-cell replication. Conditional inactivation of the Pdgfra gene in β-cells accelerated these changes, preventing mouse neonatal β-cell expansion and adult β-cell regeneration. Targeted human PDGFR-α activation in mouse β-cells stimulated Erk1/2 phosphorylation, leading to Ezh2-dependent expansion of adult β-cells. Adult human islets lack PDGF signalling competence, but exposure of juvenile human islets to PDGF-AA stimulated β-cell proliferation. The discovery of a conserved pathway controlling age-dependent β-cell proliferation indicates new strategies for β-cell expansion.     

二乙酰丙酮铜催化下无溶剂法合成2,5-二溴-3,4-二((辛氧基)甲基)噻吩[2,3-b]并噻吩

以2,5-二溴-3,4-二甲基噻吩[2,3-b]并噻吩和正辛醇为原料,在二乙酰丙酮铜作催化剂和无溶剂条件下,合成了未见文献报道的产物2,5-二溴-3,4-二((辛氧基)甲基)噻吩[2,3-b]并噻吩,探讨了影响反应的各种因素,并找到了较好的合成条件.     

基于表观特征的单目视觉算法实现的注视方向估计

视线跟踪作为一种重要的人机接口模式,能够提供丰富的人机交互信息.提出了基于单目视觉的视线跟踪方法( Monocular Vision Approach,MVA).从眼部图像提取的表观特征,再经过支持向量回归( Support Vector Regression,SVR)计算实现可头部动作的注视方向估计.本方法仅用一个摄像机采集一副人脸图像作为输入数据,输出的计算结果是人的头部姿态和注视方向,以摄像机坐标系为参照系.采用的表观特征是基于方向二值模式( Directional Binary Pattern,DBP)算法,解析瞳孔在眼窝中运动引起的图像纹理变化.视线跟踪方法首先将双眼分割出来,并编码成高维的方向二值模式特征,最终通过支持向量回归作为匹配函数计算注视视角.共有11个人共23 676回归样本,按照姿态分成5个聚类集合.实验结果显示,基于本方法进行注视方向估计可以获得3°的测试误差.     

采用决策树分类方法进行煤矸石信息提取研究

利用遥感技术快速、准确地调查煤矸石堆分布情况,对预防地质灾害以及保护生态环境和居民生命财产安全有着重要的指导意义.基于TM多光谱影像,运用知识决策树分类方法对江西萍乡煤矿区进行煤矸石信息提取试验.首先,在研究区背景知识的基础下,统计分析矿区内煤矸石及其他典型地物在影像上的光谱特征,建立了研究区的分类知识库;其次,在决策...     

5种海南岛药用植物抗肿瘤活性部位的筛选

筛选猪屎豆、蒌叶、喜光花、广南天料木和红花天料木等5种药用植物的抗肿瘤有效部位.采用MTT法测试了该5种药用植物不同溶剂萃取物对四种癌细胞的体外抑制活性.证明了该5种药用植物的部分提取物对4种肿瘤细胞增殖有较强的抑制作用,量-效关系明显.     

一种新的PDP低灰度级图像增强技术

针对常规PDP显示中的低灰度级轮廓问题,提出了一种新的PDP低灰度级图像增强算法．该算法根据PDP线性离散化的显示特点利用图像的表现率动态选择多种子场的编码,减少了图像伽马变化过程中灰度级的细节损失．针对PDP实际输出亮度相对于输入灰度级有反转的现象进行了理论分析和算法处理,消除了低灰度图像灰阶反转的现象．利用误差扩散算法最大限度地重现了图像的细节．实际结果表明该算法能够减少低灰度级轮廓,其显示效果明显优于传统方案．     

两株丝状真菌N3、N9的分类鉴定

从一酸奶样品中分离到两株丝状真菌N3、N9,通过形态学观察、ITS序列测定及其系统发育分析,初步确定了N3、N9菌株的分类地位以及与其近缘种之间的生物系统学关系.实验结果表明N3、N9菌株在PDA培养基上形成典型绒状茵落,菌丝体上具有担子茵所特有的锁状联合结构.ITS序列测定及系统发育分析表明N3菌株与灰白侧耳(Pleurotus spodoleucus)同源性最高,N9菌株与佛罗里达侧耳(Pleurotus floridanus)同源性最高.     

共沉淀-熔融法制备铁磁性微晶玻璃及其表征

采用SiO2-Na2O-CaO-P2O5-Fe2O3五元系统通过共沉淀-熔融法制备铁磁性微晶玻璃,利用XRD确定其晶相并计算晶体的晶格常数和晶粒尺寸,采用振动样品磁强计(VSM)测试样品的磁性能.结果证明,玻璃液在自然冷却的过程中形成了大量的磁铁矿,不需要热处理过程即可获得具有磁铁矿唯一晶相的铁磁性微晶玻璃,其比饱和磁矩为36.74 A.m2/kg,矫顽力为27 kA/m.     

Correlations for the ignition delay times of hydrogen/air mixtures

Correlations for the ignition delay times of hydrogen/air mixtures were developed using the method of High Dimensional Model Representation (HDMR).The hydrogen/air ignition delay times for initial conditions over a wide range of temperatures from 800 to 1600 K,pressures from 0.1 to 100 atm,and equivalence ratios from 0.2 to 10 were first calculated utilizing the full chemical mechanism.Correlations were then developed based on these ignition delay times.Two forms of correlations were constructed:the first one is an overall general model covering the whole range of the initial conditions;while the second one is a piecewise correlation model valid for initial conditions within different sub-domains.The performance of these correlations was studied through comparison with results from the full chemical mechanism as well as experimental data.It was shown that these correlations work well over the whole range of initial conditions and that the accuracy can be significantly improved by using different piecewise correlations for different sub-domains.Therefore,piecewise correlations can be used as an effective replacement for the full mechanism when the prediction of chemical time scale is needed in certain combustion modeling.