世界文化和不可知论的政见——一个致力于跨文化融洽交流的计划

就世界文化课程内容的具体设置,及联合大学与传媒以更好地实现课程积极目标等诸问题进行探讨.通过多层次的论证强调指出人们始终持有相异或相冲突的宗教、哲学以及意识形态,尚没有一种普世真理足以使世间所有人心悦诚服.即便是广泛接受和运用中的科学知识,其发展亦受阻于人类本身的局限而不可确定.尽管科学在前沿问题研究上竞争激烈,也仍然无法回答和消除所有的问题和差异.因此,从全球或泛人类立场观之,人类现有的知识与理解能力具有不确定和不完整的特点,而这样的特点浸透在所有的具体文化信仰之中.认识到共同局限性的人们--尤其是政界的领导人--亟需摒弃极端的文化分离思想,以更宽容理解的心态思考和行动,这样才能避免不同民族及不同国家间的不断冲突和互相伤害.     

Localization of a Robotic Capsule for GI Motility Inspection with a Portable Ultrasonic System

IntroductionResearchesonmicromedicaldeviceandmicromedicalrobot,especiallytheinvivoinspectionsystemworkinginalimentarycanalorinbloodvesselwithlittledamageornondamagetohumanbodyhavebeenundertakenandreportedbyexpertsinmanycountries.Thesesystemsusuallyownmanyadvantagessuchas:smallvolume,lowpowerconsumption,littleinterferencetoworkingsurroundings,socangreatlyenlargethescopesofmedicalexaminationandrelievethepatientsofdiscomfortcausedbynormalprocedures.Thecapsuleendoscope“NORIKAsystem”developedby…     

家庭装潢中水管的选择

在室内装潢方面，人们较注重室内布局和装饰，而对给水管道则极少关注．应引起足够的重视。在建筑给水系统中由新型塑料管材替代金属管材已成为趋势。所以，室内给水管应选用新型塑料管材，并且应根据新型塑料管材的特点进行施工。确保给水系统的安装质量。     

几种石蒜属花卉观赏性状的灰色评价

以灰色关联度对14种石蒜属花卉的观赏性状进行了评价．结果表明石蒜(Lycoris radiata)的加权关联度Ri为最大(0．713 888)，即观赏效果最好，这与实际运用效果相符；其次是安徽石蒜(L．anhuiensis)，Ri=0．708 429；排在第三位的是长筒石蒜(L．longituba)，Ri=0.703032．其他由大到小次序为夏水仙(L.squamigera)、玫瑰石蒜(L．rosea)、陕西石蒜(L．shaanxiensis)、乳白石蒜(L．albiflora)、短蕊石蒜(L．caldwellii)、麦杆黄石蒜(L．straminea)、肉红石蒜(L．incornata)、中国石蒜(L．chinensis)、换锦花(L．sprengeri)、忽地笑(L．aurea)、江苏石蒜(L．houdyshelii)．从灰色关联度分析结果看，花形整齐、奇特(雄蕊长于花被片，花被片强烈皱缩反卷)，花色稀有和秋冬出叶的，灰色关联度大,14种石蒜均适合作地被，但以秋冬出叶、花葶较矮的种更为适宜，如石蒜、玫瑰石蒜、麦杆黄石蒜、江苏石蒜等。     

无功就地补偿技术在煤矿井下的应用前景

对无功就地补偿技术在煤矿供电系统的应用中进行了分析,指出该技术能够起到节约电能、提高供电质量、节约材料费等作用,阐述了无功就地补偿技术在煤矿供电系统中的应用有较好的发展前景。     

Spawning behaviour of Engystomops pustulatus (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

Foam nests have evolved independently in several amphibian groups as an adaptive response to prevent predation and desiccation in dry environments. Nests are normally laid on ponds, or in underground galleries, humid forest leaf litter or terrestrial bromeliads. They are built when males or females beat a foam precursor associated with the egg masses extruded by the female. The spawning process requires the synchronic actions of the mating pair to obtain a hemispheric nest that protects the offspring. Herein, we describe the spawning behaviour of Engystomops pustulatus based on videos from 13 nesting couples from the lowlands of western Ecuador. Three variables were measured as indicators of male effort: duration of mixing events, duration of resting periods, and number of kicks per mixing event. We consider that not only male physical effort but also female behaviour influences nest structure. We suggest that nest building requires prolonged and intense physical activity by the male as well as the female’s steady position during spawning and female’s oviposition site selection. Nest building has two phases. In the first phase, the duration of resting periods, the duration of mixing events, and the number of kicks increase and are highly variable. During the second phase the three variables stabilise until the end. The volume of the nest increased mainly during the second phase. In four nesting events we observed kicking movements by the female. To our knowledge, this is the first time that female kicking has been observed in leptodactylid frogs. The function of this behaviour is unknown but our observations suggest that it may be triggered by insufficient male effort. Traditionally, female mate choice in Engystomops has been explained under models of indirect benefits exclusively. We argue that the prolonged male activity during nesting could influence female fitness directly. This will allow the operation of sexual selection via direct benefits.     

Inhibition of protein misfolding and aggregation by natural phenolic compounds

Protein misfolding and aggregation into fibrillar deposits is a common feature of a large group of degenerative diseases affecting the central nervous system or peripheral organs, termed protein misfolding disorders (PMDs). Despite their established toxic nature, clinical trials aiming to reduce misfolded aggregates have been unsuccessful in treating or curing PMDs. An interesting possibility for disease intervention is the regular intake of natural food or herbal extracts, which contain active molecules that inhibit aggregation or induce the disassembly of misfolded aggregates. Among natural compounds, phenolic molecules are of particular interest, since most have dual activity as amyloid aggregation inhibitors and antioxidants. In this article, we review many phenolic natural compounds which have been reported in diverse model systems to have the potential to delay or prevent the development of various PMDs, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, prion diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, systemic amyloidosis, and type 2 diabetes. The lower toxicity of natural compounds compared to synthetic chemical molecules suggest that they could serve as a good starting point to discover protein misfolding inhibitors that might be useful for the treatment of various incurable diseases.     

Studies on induction hardening of powder-metallurgy-processed Fe-Cr/Mo alloys

Induction hardening of dense Fe-Cr/Mo alloys processed via the powder-metallurgy route was studied. The Fe-3Cr-0.5Mo, Fe-1.5Cr-0.2Mo, and Fe-0.85Mo pre-alloyed powders were mixed with 0.4wt%, 0.6wt%, and 0.8wt% C and compacted at 500, 600, and 700 MPa, respectively. The compacts were sintered at 1473 K for 1 h and then cooled at 6 K/min. Ferrite with pearlite was mostly observed in the sintered alloys with 0.4wt% C, whereas a carbide network was also present in the alloys with 0.8wt% C. Graphite at prior particle boundaries led to deterioration of the mechanical properties of alloys with 0.8wt% C, whereas no significant induction hardening was achieved in alloys with 0.4wt% C. Among the investigated samples, alloys with 0.6wt% C exhibited the highest strength and ductility and were found to be suitable for induction hardening. The hardening was carried out at a frequency of 2.0 kHz for 2-3 s. A case depth of 2.5 mm was achieved while maintaining the bulk (interior) hardness of approximately HV 230. A martensitic structure was observed on the outer periphery of the samples. The hardness varied from HV 600 to HV 375 from the sample surface to the interior of the case hardened region. The best combination of properties and hardening depth was achieved in case of the Fe-1.5Cr-0.2Mo alloy with 0.6wt% C.     

Opposing effects on the cell cycle of T lymphocytes by Fbxo7 via Cdk6 and p27

G₁ phase cell cycle proteins, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6) and its activating partners, the D-type cyclins, are important regulators of T-cell development and function. An F-box protein, called F-box only protein 7 (Fbxo7), acts as a cell cycle regulator by enhancing cyclin D-Cdk6 complex formation and stabilising levels of p27, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. We generated a murine model of reduced Fbxo7 expression to test its physiological role in multiple tissues and found that these mice displayed a pronounced thymic hypoplasia. Further analysis revealed that Fbxo7 differentially affected proliferation and apoptosis of thymocytes at various stages of differentiation in the thymus and also mature T-cell function and proliferation in the periphery. Paradoxically, Fbxo7-deficient immature thymocytes failed to undergo expansion in the thymus due to a lack of Cdk6 activity, while mature T cells showed enhanced proliferative capacity upon T-cell receptor engagement due to reduced p27 levels. Our studies reveal differential cell cycle regulation by Fbxo7 at different stages in T-cell development.