大入射余角CFAR检测器

雷达在大入射余角高分辨率海杂波背景下检测时,等效后向散射面积增大,大部分海杂波能量投射到少数距离单元,能量分布不均,出现功率突然增大的杂波“异常单元”,导致检测器参考窗口所处的背景环境复杂多变,传统检测器检测概率降低,虚警率及误检率增加。为解决此问题,通过参考滑窗单元的协方差矩阵构造正定矩阵,求解其矩阵范数用以估计杂波功率水平,并采用支持向量机改进传统恒虚警率(constant false alarm rate,CFAR)检测器,得到基于正定矩阵杂波功率估计训练支持向量机的改进CFAR检测器。实验结果表明,新检测器在均匀杂波、多目标环境下检测性能稳定,在杂波边缘的虚警控制能力良好。     

蓬莱高酸原油中环烷酸的结构组成

采用以乙醇胺为碱性组分的复配溶剂将蓬莱高酸原油中的环烷酸分离出来,并借助红外光谱、元素分析、质谱、核磁共振波谱等手段对其组成和结构进行了探讨,认为蓬莱高酸原油所含环烷酸的平均相对分子质量为278,平均分子式为C18H30O2,其中主要为一环和二环的一元羧酸,两者总量达66%。碳数分布为C9~C28。环烷酸的主要成分为饱和酸,芳香酸含量很少。     

基于图像特征的双目测距系统的研究

针对双目视觉测距中测量误差大、图像信息单一、实时性差等问题,提出一种基于ORB(oriented fast and rotated brief)特征的双目测距方法。对视频帧进行中值滤波处理,提取图像ORB特征,通过实验选出匹配效果最好的汉明距离。对筛选后的匹配点进行RANSAC(random sample consensus)模型估计,去除误匹配,分析视差和真实距离的模型关系,构建最优的测距模型并在实验平台上进行验证。结果表明:所提方法比其他双目测距方法具有测距精确、运行速度快、鲁棒性强的优势,能够实时显示图中特征的距离信息。     

Functions and pathologies of BiP and its interaction partners

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is involved in a variety of essential and interconnected processes in human cells, including protein biogenesis, signal transduction, and calcium homeostasis. The central player in all these processes is the ER-lumenal polypeptide chain binding protein BiP that acts as a molecular chaperone. BiP belongs to the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) family and crucially depends on a number of interaction partners, including co-chaperones, nucleotide exchange factors, and signaling molecules. In the course of the last five years, several diseases have been linked to BiP and its interaction partners, such as a group of infectious diseases that are caused by Shigella toxin producing E. coli. Furthermore, the inherited diseases Marinesco-Sj?gren syndrome, autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease, Wolcott-Rallison syndrome, and several cancer types can be considered BiP-related diseases. This review summarizes the physiological and pathophysiological characteristics of BiP and its interaction partners. Received 20 November 2008; received after revision 09 December 2008; accepted 12 December 2008     

The genomic basis of the Williams – Beuren syndrome

The Williams-Beuren syndrome is a genomic disorder (prevalence: 1/7,500 to 1/20,000), caused by a hemizygous contiguous gene deletion on chromosome 7q11.23. Typical symptoms comprise supravalvular aortic stenosis, mental retardation, overfriendliness and visuospatial impairment. The common deletion sizes range of 1.5–1.8 mega base pairs (Mb), encompassing app. 28 genes. For a few genes, a genotype-phenotype correlation has been established. The best-explored gene within this region is the elastin gene; its haploinsufficiency causes arterial stenosis. The region of the Williams-Beuren syndrome consists of a single copy gene region (~1.2 Mb) flanked by repetitive sequences – Low Copy Repeats (LCR). The deletions arise as a consequence of misalignment of these repetitive sequences during meiosis and a following unequal crossing over due to high similarity of LCRs. This review presents an overview of the Williams-Beuren syndrome region considering the genomic assembly, chromosomal rearrangements and their mechanisms (i.e. deletions, duplications, inversions) and evolutionary and historical aspects. Received 11 July 2008; received after revision 15 October 2008; accepted 16 October 2008     

Liver X receptors in cardiovascular and metabolic disease

Liver X receptors (LXRs) α and β are nuclear oxysterol receptors and metabolic sensors initially found to regulate cholesterol metabolism and lipid biosynthesis. Recent studies have elucidated the importance of LXR in the development of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. LXR agonists prevent development of atherosclerosis by modulation of metabolic as well as inflammatory gene expression in rodent models. Moreover, LXR activation inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis and lowers serum glucose levels, indicating possible application of LXR activation in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, first-generation LXR agonists elevate hepatic and serum trigylceride levels, making subtype-specific agonists and selective LXR modulators rather than unselective LXR agonists a potential pharmacological strategy. This review summarizes the multiple physiological and pathophysiological implications of LXRs and observations that identify LXRs as potential targets for therapeutic interventions in human cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Received 30 August 2005; received after revision 10 October 2005; accepted 4 November 2005     

Activation and inactivation of thyroid hormone by deiodinases: Local action with general consequences

The thyroid hormone plays a fundamental role in the development, growth, and metabolic homeostasis in all vertebrates by affecting the expression of different sets of genes. A group of thioredoxin fold-containing selenoproteins known as deiodinases control thyroid hormone action by activating or inactivating the precursor molecule thyroxine that is secreted by the thyroid gland. These pathways ensure regulation of the availability of the biologically active molecule T3, which occurs in a time-and tissue-specific fashion. In addition, because cells and plasma are in equilibrium and deiodination affects central thyroid hormone regulation, these local deiodinase-mediated events can also affect systemic thyroid hormone economy, such as in the case of non-thyroidal illness. Heightened interest in the field has been generated following the discovery that the deiodinases can be a component in both the Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway and the TGR-5 signaling cascade, a G-protein-coupled receptor for bile acids. These new mechanisms involved in deiodinase regulation indicate that local thyroid hormone activation and inactivation play a much broader role than previously thought. Received 29 August 2007; received after revision 11 October 2007; accepted 16 October 2007     

ERK activation by Ca2+ ionophores depends on Ca2+ entry in lymphocytes but not in platelets, and does not conduct membrane scrambling

Rapid Ca²⁺-dependent phospholipid (PL) reorganization (scrambling) at the plasma membrane is a mechanism common to hematopoietic cells exposing procoagulant phosphatidylserine (PS). The aim of this research was to determine whether activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway was required for PL scrambling, based on a single report analyzing both responses induced by Ca²⁺ ionophores in megakaryoblastic HEL cells. Ca²⁺ ionophore-stimulated ERK phosphorylation was induced in platelets without external Ca²⁺, whereas exogenous Ca²⁺ entry was crucial for ERK activation in Jurkat T cells. In both cells, membrane scrambling only occurred following Ca²⁺ entry and was not blocked by inhibiting ERK phosphorylation. Furthermore, ERK proteins are strongly phosphorylated in transformed B lymphoblastic cell lines, which do not expose PS in their resting state. Overall, the data demonstrated that ERK activation and membrane scrambling are independent mechanisms. A. Arachiche, I. Badirou: These authors contributed equally to this work. Received 18 June 2008; received after revision 24 September 2008; accepted 1 October 2008     

Cardiolipin, the heart of mitochondrial metabolism

Cardiolipin is a unique phospholipid, which is almost exclusively localized in the mitochondrial inner membrane where it is synthesized from phosphatidylglycerol and cytidinediphosphate-diacylglycerol. After primary synthesis, the mature acyl chain composition of cardiolipin is achieved by at least two remodeling mechanisms. In the mitochondrial membrane cardiolipin plays an important role in energy metabolism, mainly by providing stability for the individual enzymes and enzyme complexes involved in energy production. Moreover, cardiolipin is involved in different stages of the mitochondrial apoptotic process and in mitochondrial membrane dynamics. Cardiolipin alterations have been described in various pathological conditions. Patients suffering from Barth syndrome have an altered cardiolipin homeostasis caused by a primary deficiency in cardiolipin remodeling. Alterations in cardiolipin content or composition have also been reported in more frequent diseases such as diabetes and heart failure. In this review we provide an overview of cardiolipin metabolism, function and its role in different pathological states. Received 16 January 2008; received after revision 26 February 2008; accepted 26 March 2008     

Microsoft Agent在教学中的应用和实现

M icrosoftAgent(简称MS Agent)封装了角色的动画、动作、表情和语音等,而且MS Agent技术基于COM组件标准,支持Active X控件,因此用户只需访问MS Agent组件接口就可在应用程序中轻松实现有声有色的交互。本文以英语conversation教学课件为例,讨论了MS Agent技术在计算机辅助教学中的应用和具体实现。