Modulation of protein biophysical properties by chemical glycosylation: biochemical insights and biomedical implications

Glycosylation constitutes one of the most important posttranslational modifications employed by biological systems to modulate protein biophysical properties. Due to the direct biochemical and biomedical implications of achieving control over protein stability and function by chemical means, there has been great interest in recent years towards the development of chemical strategies for protein glycosylation. Since current knowledge about glycoprotein biophysics has been mainly derived from the study of naturally glycosylated proteins, chemical glycosylation provides novel insights into its mechanistic understanding by affording control over glycosylation parameters. This review presents a survey of the effects that natural and chemical glycosylation have on the fundamental biophysical properties of proteins (structure, dynamics, stability, and function). This is complemented by a mechanistic discussion of how glycans achieve such effects and discussion of the implications of employing chemical glycosylation as a tool to exert control over protein biophysical properties within biochemical and biomedical applications. Received 15 December 2006; received after revision 28 March 2007; accepted 25 April 2007     

Telomeres and meiosis in health and disease

Telomeres are important segments of chromosomes that protect chromosome ends from nucleolytic degradation and fusion. At meiosis telomeres display an unprecedented behavior which involves their attachment and motility along the nuclear envelope. The movements become restricted to a limited nuclear sector during the so-called bouquet stage, which is widely conserved among species. Recent observations suggest that telomere clustering involves actin and/or microtubules, and is altered in the presence of impaired recombinogenic and chromosome related functions. This review aims to provide an overview of what is currently known about meiotic telomere attachment, dynamics and regulation in synaptic meiosis.     

Telomeres and meiosis in health and disease

Telomeres are important segments of chromosomes that protect chromosome ends from nucleolytic degradation and fusion. At meiosis telomeres display an unprecedented behavior which involves their attachment and motility along the nuclear envelope. The movements become restricted to a limited nuclear sector during the so-called bouquet stage, which is widely conserved among species. Recent observations suggest that telomere clustering involves actin and/or microtubules, and is altered in the presence of impaired recombinogenic and chromosome related functions. This review aims to provide an overview of what is currently known about meiotic telomere attachment, dynamics and regulation in synaptic meiosis.     

Terrestrial isopods and myriapods in a forested scree slope: subterranean biodiversity,depth gradient and annual dynamics

Diversity, depth distribution and seasonal activity of isopods and myriapods were studied using subterranean traps buried in a forested limestone scree slope in the ?ierna Hora Mts, Western Carpathians, Slovakia, throughout the depth gradient from 5 to 95 cm. A total of five isopod, 13 diplopod and 11 chilopod species were identified. Most edaphic species strongly preferred the uppermost organic soil layers. Among the species captured, some represented rare stenoecous Carpathian endemics, namely the isopod Trichoniscus carpaticus, and diplopods Julus curvicornis and Leptoiulus mariae. Others were subterranean forms, partly adapted to hypogean conditions: the isopod Mesoniscus graniger, and diplopods Mecogonopodium carpathicum and Trachysphaera costata. The annual activity in the vast majority of the species ceased completely in winter, and was gradually relaunched in spring. In evaluating the age structure of two predominant diplopods Polydesmus denticulatus and Mecogonopodium carpathicum, both widespread across the depth gradient, a vertical segregation of early post-embryonic stages was found. While P. denticulatus tended to undergo the early stages of development in the soil-filled topmost levels, the early juvenile stage of M. carpathicum was distributed deep in the scree slope profile.     

污水处理PPP项目收益风险云模型综合评价

为了准确评价污水处理PPP(public private partnership)项目收益风险,解决单一方法评价的局限性,提出了一种收益风险云模型综合评价模型.首先建立了污水处理P P P项目收益风险评价指标体系,并提出了改进FSE-SD二次加权模型,在风险指标传统主客观赋权的基础上,对风险指标进行二次加权得到最终权重...     

非结构化四面体单元用于搅拌设备流场的计算

采用非结构化四面体单元,利用滑移网格技术模拟了搅拌设备内的非定常流场。通过搅拌桨叶端时均速度、功率准数与实验值的对比,量化考察了不同因素对计算精度的影响,指出了建模过程中网格划分和参数设置应遵循的原则,为非结构化四面体单元进一步用于搅拌设备CFD分析提供了可靠的理论依据,从而为基于CFD技术的具有复杂型面的新型搅拌桨的开发打下基础。     

基于动力学仿真的后桥壳改进设计算

某越野车后桥改型后进行台架试验,其桥壳发生了断裂.为了解决此问题,应用ADAMS仿真软件,建立了后悬架动力学模型.然后采用后轮道路载荷谱作为输入载荷,再进行仿真分析,得到了最大峰值载荷时各连接点处的载荷.采用有限元方法对该车后桥壳结构强度、刚度进行计算分析,发现了桥壳断裂的原因,并对其进行了改进设计.改进设计后的后桥壳经台架试验再无断裂现象.     

某高端轿车综合空气动力学性能开发

针对某高端运动型轿车进行包括风阻、升力和风噪等内容的综合空气动力学性能研究与产品优化。以半油泥材料全尺寸模型及其1∶1数模为研究对象,采用整车风洞试验与数值模拟仿真相结合的技术方法,对该车型的外形面、底部护板、轮毂及密封条等进行空气动力学研究,获得了风阻系数值为0.269,且行驶稳定性与风噪水平都有大幅提升的最终优化车型。此外,介绍了开发过程中获得的具体工程经验与相关理论支撑。     

基于多指标的钢轨打磨目标廓形设计

提出了一种基于多维度指标综合最优的钢轨打磨目标廓形设计方法,该方法通过对车辆稳定性、曲线导向性、轮轨接触特性曲线平滑性和轮轨接触点均布性等4个指标进行综合考虑,基于轮轨接触特性的逆向求解方法,实现轮轨接触特性曲线的自动优化和钢轨打磨目标廓形的计算机智能化设计.太原铁路局北同蒲线打磨应用结果表明,打磨后钢轨光带位置和实测...     

一种暂态混沌神经网络及其应用

讨论了Hopfield神经网络算法在优化计算中的应用,提出了一种暂态混沌神经网络模型,把混沌动力学与收敛动力学相结合,使网络逐渐由混沌神经网络向Hopfield网络过渡,达到控制混沌的目的,并且提供一个在全局最优解附近的初值,然后用Hopfield网络得到最优解,有效地解决了Hopfield网络的局部极值问题.仿真结果表明算法对于初始值是稳健的,并且具有很强的克服陷入局部极小能力.