Therapeutic applications of bone marrow-derived stem cells in liver transplantation for end-stage liver diseases

Today, liver transplantation (LT) is the only established treatment for end-stage liver diseases. The de- velopment of LT, including OLT, cadaveric LT, split LT, living donor LT (LDLT), brings hopes to patients with these diseases. However, increasing donor shortage, rejection and life-long immunosuppression with its side effects are the major limitations of this therapy strategy. Bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) are capable of differentiating into hepatocyte-like cells and contribute to liver injury repair. The microenvironment of liver injury caused by rejection, ischemia/reperfusion, loss of liver mass, recurrence of HCV and "small-for-size syndrome" after LT can attract a variety of bone marrow-derived stem cell population to the peripheral circulation and then migration to the injury liver to promote the hepatic function restoration. Additionally, BMDSCs can also take part in the functional regeneration of living donor liver after LDLT. This participation in liver regeneration may be associated to the interac- tion between SDF-1and its receptor CXCR4, involving HGF, IL-8, MMP9, and VEGF/VEGFR-2. BMDSC with its bio-characteristics could maintain the allograft tolerance from different angles and in different ways. In conclusion, BMDSCs transplantation, as a new assistant therapeutic method for LT, will ex- pand the space of LT, and provide more survival opportunities for the patients suffering liver diseases in the future.     

Presenza di un principio antidiuretico nelle ghiandole salivari posteriori degli Octopodi

Summary Acetone and alcohol extracts of the posterior salivary glands ofOctopus vulgaris, Eledone moschata andEledone Aldrovandi contain a principle which strongly reduces the diuresis in hydrated rats.The antidiuretic principle is absent in all otherOctopus tissues as well as in the salivary glands ofOctopus macropus.It shows a high termostability and is strongly adsorbed by animal charcoal at any reaction.The salivary antidiuretic substance is not identical with the posterior pituitary principle nor with the other active substances found in the salivary glands of Octopoda.The injection of salivary extracts satisfactorily reduces polyuria and polydipsia in human diabetes insipidus.

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Le presenti ricerche sono state in parte sovvenzionate da un contributo straordinario del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.     

考虑摩擦时机构力分析的简化线性方程解法

考虑摩擦时机构力分析是一个求解非线性方程组的问题。目前常用的三种解法都属于迭代法,求解速度慢,而且对高级机构求解困难。本文建立了一种无须迭代的简化线性方程解法。这种方法比通常的迭代法收敛速度提高3—10倍。算例结果表明,采用本文解法所得结果具有相当高的精度,最大相对误差只有0.84％。     

特征结构提取的高阶Hopfield神经网络实现

本文首先建立了特征结构提取问题的罚函数表示，通过对罚函数求极小可以求得原始协方差矩阵的主特征向量及其对应的特征值。为了求得其他特征结构，特构造了一个协方差矩阵序列。如果将罚函数展开并进行整理，高阶Ｈｏｐｆｉｅｌｄ神经网络可被引入到特征结构提取中。这种方法比较直观，它将网络稳定时的输出与所求协方差矩阵的主特征向量的各个分量相对应，而网络稳定时的能量则对应于协方差矩阵的迹与所求特征值之差，计算机仿真结果验证了这种方法的正确性。     

Ca2+ release induced by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is a steady-state phenomenon controlled by luminal Ca2+ in permeabilized cells.

Low concentrations of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) evoke a very rapid mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores in many cell types, which can be followed by a further, much slower efflux. Two explanations have been suggested for this biphasic release. The first proposes that the Ca2+ stores vary in their sensitivity to InsP3, and each store releases either its entire contents or nothing (all-or-none release); the second proposes instead that the stores are uniformly sensitive to the effects of InsP3, but that they can release only a fraction of their Ca2+ before their sensitivity is somehow attenuated (steady-state release). Experiments using purified InsP3 receptor molecules reconstituted into lipid vesicles have shown heterogeneity of the receptors in their response to InsP3 under conditions in which the total Ca2+ level at both sides of the receptor is held constant. We now report that in permeabilized A7r5 smooth-muscle cells incubated in Ca(2+)-free medium, the amount of 45Ca2+ remaining in the stores after the rapid transient phase of release is independent of their initial Ca2+ levels, indicating that partially depleted stores are less sensitive to InsP3. Moreover, if the stores are reloaded with 40Ca2+ after the first stimulus, reapplication of the same low concentration of InsP3 will release further 45Ca2+. This recovery of InsP3 sensitivity is almost complete. Under these conditions, Ca2+ release must thus occur by a steady-state mechanism, in which the decreasing Ca2+ content of the stores slows down further release.     

C-S-H中Al3+离子的固溶对表面吸附碱量的影响

研究了Al3+离子的固溶对C-S-H表面吸附Na+离子量的影响.实验结果表明,Al3+离子固溶于C-S-H结构中将使C-S-H表面所带的负电量增大,因而也就增大了C-S-H表面对Na+离子的吸附能力.