Development and function of T cells in mice rendered interleukin-2 deficient by gene targeting.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a lymphocytotropic hormone which is thought to have a key role in the immune response of mammalian cells. It is produced by a subpopulation of activated T-lymphocytes and acts in vitro as the principal auto- and paracrine T-cell growth factor (for reviews see refs 1-3). IL-2 is, however, not the sole T-cell growth factor, nor does it act exclusively on T cells, also promoting growth of NK cells and differentiation of B cells. A role for IL-2 in T-cell development has been postulated but remains controversial. Here we test the requirement for IL-2 in vivo using IL-2-deficient mice generated by targeted recombination. We find that mice homozygous for the IL-2 gene mutation are normal with regard to thymocyte and peripheral T-cell subset composition, but that a dysregulation of the immune system is manifested by reduced polyclonal in vitro T-cell responses and by dramatic changes in the isotype levels of serum immunoglobulins.     

Radar Imaging Based on Iterative Algorithms

It has long been realized that the problem of radar imaging is a special case of image reconstruction in which the data are incomplete and noisy. In other fields, iterative reconstruction algorithms have been used successfully to improve the image quality. This paper studies the application of iterative algorithms in radar imaging. A discrete model is first derived, and the iterative algorithms are then adapted to radar imaging. Although such algorithms are usually time consuming, this paper shows that, if the algorithms are appropriately simplified, it is possible to realize them even in real time. The efficiency of iterative algorithms is shown through computer simulations.     

Purealidin A,a new cytotoxic bromotyrosine-derived alkaloid from the Okinawan marine spongePsammaplysilla purea

Summary A new bromotyrosine-derived alkaloid with antileukemic activity, purealidin A (5), has been isolated from the Okinawan marine spongePsammaplysilla purea and its chemical structure elucidated on the basis of the spectroscopic data.     

大型喷浆机器人的灵巧度分析

灵巧度是衡量机器人运动失真程度的重要参数。对机器人灵巧度评价指标进行了对比研究 ,结合大型喷浆机器人自由度较多的特点 ,用雅可比矩阵的条件数对喷浆机器人的灵巧度进行了分析。结果表明 ,大型喷浆机器人在不同形位下的条件数都很小 ,具有较好的运动灵巧度。     

在UBBE框架下考虑不肯定的上界的估计方法

对目前的ＵＢＢＥ模型进行了适当的推广，使在解决估计问题时可以考虑那些可能是误差上界的数值，并在此基础上提出了一种方法，能够通过对估计精度和可靠性进行合理的权衡确定所需估计值，实际案例研究结果表明所提方法能够较好地解决估计精度和可靠性之间的矛盾。     

Face Recognition Based on Support Vector Machine and Nearest Neighbor Classifier

Support vector machine (SVM), as a novel approach in pattern recognition, has demonstrated a success in face detection and face recognition. In this paper, a face recognition approach based on the SVM classifier with the nearest neighbor classifier (NNC) is proposed. The principal component analysis (PCA) is used to reduce the dimension and extract features. Then one-against-all stratedy is used to train the SVM classifiers. At the testing stage, we propose an al-     

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Versus Outsourcing—Critical Perspectives

This article presents a case example involving the renaming of an organizational change process from BPR to outsourcing. The paper discusses the important ramifications of such a name change in that the recognition of outsourcing allowed an organizational commitment to counseling and termination advice. The paper discusses two ways of looking at the name change, one from a critical theory perspective and one from a realist perspective. It demonstrates how theory can provide useful yet markedly different interpretations of such organizational events. Critical theory operates from within what can be termed the transitive epistemological dimension, whereas critical realism tends to emphasize the importance of ontological issues. Each has important things to say about the situation and improves our understanding overall.     

Subset threshold autoregression

We develop in this paper an efficient way to select the best subset threshold autoregressive model. The proposed method uses a stochastic search idea. Differing from most conventional approaches, our method does not require us to fix the delay or the threshold parameters in advance. By adopting the Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques, we can identify the best subset model from a very large of number of possible models, and at the same time estimate the unknown parameters. A simulation experiment shows that the method is very effective. In its application to the US unemployment rate, the stochastic search method successfully selects lag one as the time delay and five best models from more than 4000 choices. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Huntington's disease candidate region exhibits many different haplotypes.

Analysis of 78 Huntington's disease (HD) chromosomes with multi-allele markers revealed 26 different haplotypes, suggesting a variety of independent HD mutations. The most frequent haplotype, accounting for about one third of disease chromosomes, suggests that the disease gene is between D4S182 and D4S180. However, the paucity of an expected class of chromosomes that can be related to this major haplotype by assuming single crossovers may reflect the operation of other mechanisms in creating haplotype diversity. Some of these mechanisms sustain alternative scenarios that do not require a multiple mutational origin for HD and/or its positioning between D4S182 and D4S180.     

Specific binding of antigenic peptides to cell-associated MHC class I molecules

T lymphocytes recognize antigen in the form of peptides that associate with specific alleles of class I or class II major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules. By contrast with the clear MHC allele-specific binding of peptides to purified class II molecules purified solubilized class I molecules either bind relatively poorly or show degenerate specificity. Using photo-affinity labelling, we demonstrate here the specific interaction of peptides with cell-associated MHC class I molecules and show that this involves metabolically active processes.