Heritable and inducible genetic interference by double-stranded RNA encoded by transgenes

Double-stranded RNA interference (RNAi) is an effective method for disrupting expression of specific genes in Caenorhabditis elegans and other organisms. Applications of this reverse-genetics tool, however, are somewhat restricted in nematodes because introduced dsRNA is not stably inherited. Another difficulty is that RNAi disruption of late-acting genes has been generally less consistent than that of embryonically expressed genes, perhaps because the concentration of dsRNA becomes lower as cellular division proceeds or as developmental time advances. In particular, some neuronally expressed genes appear refractory to dsRNA-mediated interference. We sought to extend the applicability of RNAi by in vivo expression of heritable inverted-repeat (IR) genes. We assayed the efficacy of in vivo-driven RNAi in three situations for which heritable, inducible RNAi would be advantageous: (i) production of large numbers of animals deficient for gene activities required for viability or reproduction; (ii) generation of large populations of phenocopy mutants for biochemical analysis; and (iii) effective gene inactivation in the nervous system. We report that heritable IR genes confer potent and specific gene inactivation for each of these applications. We suggest that a similar strategy might be used to test for dsRNA interference effects in higher organisms in which it is feasible to construct transgenic animals, but impossible to directly or transiently introduce high concentrations of dsRNA.     

Purification and cloning of amyloid precursor protein beta-secretase from human brain

Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) generates amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide, which is thought to be causal for the pathology and subsequent cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Cleavage by beta-secretase at the amino terminus of the Abeta peptide sequence, between residues 671 and 672 of APP, leads to the generation and extracellular release of beta-cleaved soluble APP, and a corresponding cell-associated carboxy-terminal fragment. Cleavage of the C-terminal fragment by gamma-secretase(s) leads to the formation of Abeta. The pathogenic mutation K670M671-->N670L671 at the beta-secretase cleavage site in APP, which was discovered in a Swedish family with familial Alzheimer's disease, leads to increased beta-secretase cleavage of the mutant substrate. Here we describe a membrane-bound enzyme activity that cleaves full-length APP at the beta-secretase cleavage site, and find it to be the predominant beta-cleavage activity in human brain. We have purified this enzyme activity to homogeneity from human brain using a new substrate analogue inhibitor of the enzyme activity, and show that the purified enzyme has all the properties predicted for beta-secretase. Cloning and expression of the enzyme reveals that human brain beta-secretase is a new membrane-bound aspartic proteinase.     

对刘益正负开方术的新研究

刘益在中国古代数学史上最先引入系数可为负数的方程,并突破了方程首项系数必须为１的限制,以往人们认为有了增乘开方程,只要知识正负数的四则运算便可十分容易地推广到高次方程的数值解。     

改革开放初期中国学会的兴起

改革开放初期(1978-1989)学会出现了创建高潮。科技经济体制的改变、新科技革命的到来、科技人员政治思想的解放、中国国际交往的需要等要素推动了学会的创兴,而科技共同体中科技精英的自主性要求,以及当时学会办事机构作为行政或事业编制的体制都在不同程度上助推了全国学会的成立与发展。全国学会的创兴及其动机反映了中国当代科技发展与政治、经济、教育、文化之间的互动关系。     

关于大型科研仪器共享问题的一个产权理论解释

大型科研仪器的共享问题是我国科技资源配置和管理工作中面临的重要问题,现有研究和对策主要集中于促进共享理念的传播、加强共享效率的考核以及仪器中心等共享机制的建设方面,但对于为什么存在共享障碍等基本问题缺少关注。本文以经济学中的产权理论为基础,从大型科研仪器所有权与控制权分离的现实出发,探讨了当前我国仪器共享中存在的利益冲突和机制障碍。在此基础上,借鉴发达国家的一些做法,提出从仪器资助体制出发解决仪器共享问题的新思路。     

一种新型的CPU故障检测方法及其应用

本文根据国产新型单路数字新闻传真系统的特点,采用一种新颖而有效的 CPU 故障诊断算法.此方法的故障覆盖率较高,在程序运行后,得到令人满意的效果.     

Far-infrared Absorption Spectra and Properties of SnO2 Nanorods

Nanostructured materials have drawn considerable attention because they are promising candidates for nextgeneration electronic and photonic devices with low power consumption[1-5]. A number of methods, such as laser ablation[6], template-induced growth[7], arc discharge [8], vapor transport [9], and molecular-beam epitaxy[10] have been developed to synthesize Si, Ge, MgO,SnO2, GaN, and Ga2O3 nanowires or nanorods[11-15].     

人工神经网络和模糊理论在短期负荷预测中应用

对于电力系统负荷预测的复杂性,为提高短期预测的准确性,采用以人工神经网络为基础,提出了一种利用神经网络与模糊理论相结合进行负荷预测的模型.该算法克服了传统BP算法的训练速度慢、存在局部极小点的缺点,使预测精度大有改善.实例计算表明了该算法的改进成果和可行性.     

乳腺癌血清多肽图研究

乳腺癌一直是全世界范围内威胁妇女健康的恶性疾病, 尽管人们已经进行了大量的研究以减少乳腺癌对人类的危害, 但是乳腺癌仍然是目前导致死亡的恶性肿瘤之一. 乳腺癌的早期发现对于患者的愈后与生存意义重大, 可以明显提高病人生存时间、降低病人的死亡率. 据统计, 在过去的5年里, 早期诊断每年可减少3.2%因乳腺癌死亡的患者. 然而研究表明, 目前常用的乳腺癌诊断技术, 如乳腺X射线摄影和乳房检查均无法诊断出40%的早期乳癌患者和大多数年轻女性的乳腺肿瘤. 因此在乳腺癌临床治疗中, 急需发展新型的高效诊断技术.     

公寓电器功率智能识别与用电安全控制器设计

针对学生公寓存在使用大功率违章电器的问题,为了用电安全与管理,设计了一个以单片机为核心能自动识别大功率电器并能限制其使用的智能用电控制器．互感器采样电流,经过电压形成电路,由TLC1543进行A／D转换,转换结果送入单片机进行数据处理．并介绍了系统的组成、主要模块的工作原理及程序流程图．