Evolutionary and ecological implications of cardenolide sequestration in the monarch butterfly

Summary Monarch butterflies sequester cardenolides from their larval host plants in the milkweed genusAsclepias for use in defense against predation. Of 108Asclepias species in North America, monarchs are known to feed as larvae on 27. Research on 11 of these has shown that monarchs sequester cardenolides most effectively, to an asymptote of approximately 350 g/0.1 g dry butterfly, from plants with intermediate cardenolide contents rather than from those with very high or very low cardenolide contents. SinceAsclepias host plant species are distributed widely in space and time across the continent, monarchs exploit them by migration between breeding and overwintering areas. After overwintering in central Mexico, spring migrants east of the Rocky Mountains exploit three predominantAsclepias species in the southern USA that have moderately high cardenolide contents. Monarchs sequester cardenolides very effectively from these species. First generation butterflies are thus well protected against predators and continue the migration north. Across the northern USA and southern Canada most summer breeding occurs on a fourthAsclepias species and in autumn most of these monarchs migrate back to Mexican overwintering sites. The ecological implications of this cycle of cardenolide sequestration for the evolution of monarch migration are discussed.     

Immunogenetics

Summary The 1985 Catalog of Mapped Genes (Human Gene Mapping 8; 33) has been used to pick out the known, immunologically important genes; these are then discussed in the following order: 1. genes controlling organs, tissues and cells of the immune apparatus, 2. genes determining self structures, 3. genes determining the structures of immunological specificity, 4. genes determining substances with immunoregulatory and effector properties. The symbols for the genes and the biological functions of their products are explained. The genetics of the ABO blood groups, of the HLA-system and of antibody formation are given in rather more detail.     

In vitro amiodarone protein binding and its interaction with warfarin

Summary The binding of amiodarone to human plasma protein and to bovine serum, albumin was studied by three different methods, ultracentrifugation, equilibrium dialysis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The fraction of amiodarone bound to plasma protein amounted to 96.3%. The changes in the binding properties of 1-anilino-naphthalene-8-sulfonate for bovine serum albumin using warfarin and amiodarone as independent inhibitors were analyzed in terms of binding site specificity. The findings indicated that amiodarone and warfarin have two different binding sites on bovine serum albumin, so a noncompetitive inhibition mechanism was indicated. On the basis of our data we cannot exclude other mechanisms of interaction besides direct displacement of one drug by another; nevertheless, metabolite interference between amiodarone and coagulation cofactors may better explain the enhancement of warfarin's pharmacological action in association with amiodarone.This work was partially funded by the CNR (National Research Council, Rome, Italy), Program on Clinical Pharmacology and Rare Diseases. The authors would like to thanks Drs E. Marzi and E. riva for their help.     

基于逻辑相似性的运动检索算法

针对基于内容的人体运动检索问题,提出了一种基于逻辑相似性的运动数据检索方法。首先,针对特定人体运动序列数据,使用自组织网络映射算法对运动数据进行预处理,找出运动数据帧的最佳匹配单元。然后,应用数据编码规则对匹配单元进行量化及编码处理,获得基于符号化表示的运动描述符。基于符号化表示的描述符建立运动序列索引机制,应用多分辨率框架进行运动模式匹配。最后,按照模式匹配结果进行运动相似性排序,输出检索结果。在CMU运动数据库中的试验结果表明了算法有效性。     

基于小波域中视觉门限模型的数字水印技术

给出了一种在小波变换域中给图像加水印的方案,本方案利用了小波分析的优良性质,结合人类视觉系统（ＨＶＳ）的特性,基于小波变换域中的视觉门限模型,对小波变换后的图像系数按不同的方向,层次子带分别加水印,使得在每个小波系数所加的水印的幅值不超过此系数所能掩盖的失真,这样可以保证水印在不可视的前提下尽可能提高坚固性,模拟实验结果表明这个方案取得了良好的效果。     

影响油气运移的应力场地温场渗流场耦合的双重介质模型

地应力场、地温场和渗流场是影响油气运移的主要因素。以此为基础,研究了含油气盆地双重介质体系内流体与岩体相互的力学作用关系,提出了双重介质体系内渗流场、岩体地应力场和地温场耦合的非线性动力学模型。     

人性与人性平衡初探

人性是由生存欲、占有欲、性爱、情爱、责任心、义务感、同情心、怜悯心、惰性等多种要素组成的。人性诸要素之间的关系是互相平衡与互相制约的。这种平衡与制约遵循着四大规律：第一,人性要素的不可缺失性;第二,人性总体和总趋势平衡;第三,人性某个或某些要素扩张有一个“度”;第四,人性平衡是由简单到复杂、由低级到高级、由个别到普遍的发展过程。     

敏感和抗性的白血病HL60细胞对staurosporine诱导凋亡的不同反应(英)

用对蛋白激酶具有强烈抑制、作用广泛的抑制剂staurosporine（Sta）,研究敏感和抗三尖杉酯碱的人白血病HL60细胞中凋亡和多药抗药性的关系．Sta均能诱导2种细胞发生典型的凋亡,但抗性细胞发生凋亡需更长的时间,凋亡的细胞数减少．Sta增加柔红霉素在抗性细胞内的积聚,说明其能逆转多药抗药性．在抗性细胞凋亡过程中,mdrl基因表达没有变化,c-myc基因表达稍有增加．结果显示：Sta能诱导敏感和抗三尖杉酯碱的HL60细胞发生凋亡,mdrl基因表达与凋亡过程无关．     

宪政过程的哲学分析

从社会实践的角度来看，宪政的发展过程是理论与实践、目的与手段、内容与形式等诸多因素互相联系、互相制约、互相作用的过程。本文认为，宪法与宪政的统一是宪政过程中理论与实践的统一，保障实现人权与限制国家权力的统一是宪政过程中目的与手段的统一，民主与法治的统一是宪政过程中内容与形式的统一。