Tribbles: novel regulators of cell function; evolutionary aspects

Identification of rate-limiting steps or components of intracellular second messenger systems holds promise to effectively interfere with these pathways under pathological conditions. The emerging literature on a recently identified family of signalling regulator proteins, called tribbles gives interesting clues for how these proteins seem to link several ‘independent’ signal processing systems together. Via their unique way of action, tribbles co-ordinate the activation and suppression of the various interacting signalling pathways and therefore appear to be key in determining cell fate while responding to environmental challenges. This review summarises our current understanding of tribbles function and also provides an evolutionary perspective on the various tribbles genes. Received 10 January 2006; received after revision 20 March 2006; accepted 5 April 2006     

The protease-activated receptor-3 (PAR-3) can signal autonomously to induce interleukin-8 release

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) play a clear role in the burst of inflammatory reactions and immune responses. However, for PAR-3, the most elusive member of the PAR family, the functional role is still largely unclear. It has been claimed that PAR-3 does not signal autonomously, although the wide expression of human PAR-3 indicates its important physiological roles. We demonstrate that in HEK-293 cells, stably transfected with human PAR-3, thrombin induced calcium signaling, IL-8 gene expression and IL-8 release. We confirmed this finding using human lung epithelial and human astrocytoma cells that express endogenous PAR-3. Moreover, thrombin exposure of HEK-293 cells resulted in ERK1/2 activation coinciding with IL-8 release. The effects of thrombin were not dependent on PAR-1 activation, as confirmed by PAR-1 gene silencing. Thus, we propose that PAR-3 is able to signal autonomously to induce IL-8 release mediated by ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which contributes actively to inflammatory responses. Received 9 December 2007; received after revision 16 January 2008; accepted 18 January 2008     

Zinc binding to peptide analogs of the structural zinc site in alcohol dehydrogenase: Implications for an entatic state

Zinc binding to the peptide replica and analogs to residues 93–115 of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was examined by competition of the peptides and the chromophoric chelator 4-(2- pyridylazo)resorcinol for zinc and X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of the zinc ligands. In the enzyme, zinc is coordinated by four Cys residues. In the peptide replica, zinc is bound to three Cys and one His residue. A four-Cys zinc coordination is observed only when His is removed, leading to increased zinc stability. ADH crystal structures reveal that the ε-amino group of the conserved residue Lys323 is within H-bond distance of the backbone amide oxygens of residues 103, 105 and 108, likely stabilizing the zinc coordination in the enzyme. The peptide data thus indicate structural strain and increased energy in the zinc-binding site in the protein, characteristic of an entatic state, implying a functional nature for this zinc site. Received 3 July 2008; received after revision 11 August 2008; accepted 1 September 2008     

C~4ISR需求模型及一体化描述

研究了C4ISR需求要素及层次化C4ISR需求模型.探讨了节点、活动和信息在节点-关系模型、信息模型与IDEF0活动模型相互之间的映射关系,包括节点映射、活动映射、信息需求映射和约束数据映射,使节点,活动和信息在C4ISR需求模型中匹配起来;在此基础上,提出C4ISR需求一体化层次建模方法.最后,通过一个案例示例以说明了所提出方法的有效性,实用性.     

3-N-丙酰基-2-芳基-5-(2-氯苯基)-1,3,4-(口恶)唑啉类化合物的合成

2-氯苯甲酰肼(2)与芳醛反应得到相应的酰腙(3a~3h),而后与丙酸酐脱水环化成了3-N-丙酰基-2-芳基-5-(2-氯苯基)-1,3,4-唑啉类化合物(4a~4h),通过元素分析,IR,1H NMR和MS对化合物4a~4h的结构进行了表征.     

热压烧结ZrB2／B4C陶瓷材料的组织与性能

以B4C、C、ZrO2为主要原料,采用反应热压法制备ZrB2／B4C陶瓷材料。通过对ZrB2／B4C陶瓷材料的显微组织及力学性能的综合分析,发现第二相ZrB2含量为20wt％时,材料具有较好的综合力学性能,相对密度为99．3％,维氏硬度为36．1GPa,抗弯强度为533．3MPa,断裂韧性为6．95MPa·m^1/2,比纯B4C陶瓷材料的性能均有所提高。材料为穿晶和沿晶断裂的混合断裂模式。     

基于Rogowski线圈的新型甲烷传感器抗干扰性研究

在对传统的甲烷传感器进行应用与分析基础上,介绍了一种基于Rogowski线圈新型甲烷传感器。经过理论分析建立了该传感器数学模型,在现场实际应用中针对新型甲烷传感器干扰信号来源,对新型甲烷传感器抗干扰能力进行了理论分析以及实际信号处理设计。     

扩散连接技术在钛合金加工中的应用及研究进展

扩散连接技术是一种缺陷少、精密度高的固相连接技术.扩散连接技术在钛合金加工中的应用一定程度上解决了钛合金加工难的问题.在简要介绍扩散连接技术及钛合金加工现状的基础上,综述了扩散连接技术在钛合金加工中的应用及研究进展,包括钛合金与不锈钢的扩散连接、钛合金与陶瓷材料的扩散连接、TC4（Ti-6Al-4V）钛合金的扩散连接与超塑成型/扩散连接（SPF/DB）以及TA15钛合金的扩散连接.归纳总结了国内外学者的研究成果,对影响扩散连接质量的3个主要因素温度、压力和时间进行了对比分析,为最佳工艺参数的选择提供了参考,指出了目前需要解决的问题和发展方向.     

咪喹莫特合成工艺的改进

以2,4-二羟基喹啉为起始原料经过硝化、氯代、胺解、硝基还原、环化、苄胺化和脱苄基等七步反应合成了目标产物咪喹莫特.通过7次循环使用硝化反应的母液使2,4-二羟基-3-硝基喹啉(Ⅱ)的平均收率达99%;在95%的乙醇中使用铁粉和盐酸还原4-(2-甲基丙胺基)-2-氯-3-硝基喹啉(Ⅳ),反应完成后添加适量的无水碳酸钾使铁的氧化物容易经过滤与产物分离,得到76%收率的4-(2-甲基丙胺基)-3-氨基-2-氯喹啉(Ⅴ).通过对各个反应条件的改进,硝化、胺解、硝基还原、环化、苄胺化反应的中间产物可不经重结晶直接用于下一步反应,简化了合成工艺,使七步反应总收率超过45%.     

阳极氧化法制备Ba1-x-yCaxSryMoO4固溶体薄膜

室温条件下,在碱性的Ca^2＋、Sr^2＋、Ba^2＋溶液中,通过电化学阳极氧化制备了Ba1-x-yCaxSryMoO4多晶固溶体薄膜材料.采用XRD、SEM、XPS、FA（荧光分析）等测试手段分析了薄膜的晶相结构、表面形貌、化学组成及室温光致发光特性.研究表明室温阳极氧化法所制备的Ba1-x-yCaxSryMoO4固溶体薄膜具有四方晶结构,在紫外光的激发下,有较好的光致发光特性.