Caffeine as a psychomotor stimulant: mechanism of action

The popularity of caffeine as a psychoactive drug is due to its stimulant properties, which depend on its ability to reduce adenosine transmission in the brain. Adenosine A₁ and A_2A receptors are expressed in the basal ganglia, a group of structures involved in various aspects of motor control. Caffeine acts as an antagonist to both types of receptors. Increasing evidence indicates that the psychomotor stimulant effect of caffeine is generated by affecting a particular group of projection neurons located in the striatum, the main receiving area of the basal ganglia. These cells express high levels of adenosine A_2A receptors, which are involved in various intracellular processes, including the expression of immediate early genes and regulation of the dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated 32-kDa phosphoprotein DARPP-32. The present review focuses on the effects of caffeine on striatal signal transduction and on their involvement in caffeine-mediated motor stimulation.Received 8 July 2003; received after revision 7 September 2003; accepted 6 October 2003     

The neurotrophic factors in non-neuronal tissues

Although neurotrophic factors are defined as molecules that maintain neuronal cells, they possess a range of functions outside the nervous system. For example, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor is essential for ureteric branching in kidney morphogenesis and for regulating the fate of stem cells during spermatogenesis. Leukemia inhibitory factor, a member of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) ciliary neurotrophic factor family, inhibits differentiation of embryonic stem cells, induces tubulogenesis in the embryonic kidney, and regulates sperm differentiation. Other IL-6 family members are important in cardiac differentiation and they have pleiotropic functions in the hematopoietic and immune systems. Although neurotrophin receptors have been found on a number of non-neuronal tissues, they represent mostly truncated receptor isoforms that are incapable of signal transduction and may have scavenger or dominant negative functions. However, several examples can be presented of essential non-neuronal functions played by neurotrophins in e.g., cardiac, hair follicle, and vascular differentiation, and the maintenance of immune cells.     

Role of Cys221 and Asn116 in the zinc-binding sites of the Aeromonas hydrophila metallo-β-lactamase

The CphA metallo--lactamase produced by Aeromonas hydrophila exhibits two zinc-binding sites. Maximum activity is obtained upon binding of one zinc ion, whereas binding of the second zinc ion results in a drastic decrease in the hydrolytic activity. In this study, we analyzed the role of Asn116 and Cys221, two residues of the active site. These residues were replaced by site-directed mutagenesis and the different mutants were characterized. The C221S and C221A mutants were seriously impaired in their ability to bind the first, catalytic zinc ion and were nearly completely inactive, indicating a major role for Cys221 in the binding of the catalytic metal ion. By contrast, the binding of the second zinc ion was only slightly affected, at least for the C221S mutant. Mutation of Asn116 did not lead to a drastic decrease in the hydrolytic activity, indicating that this residue does not play a key role in the catalytic mechanism. However, the substitution of Asn116 by a Cys or His residue resulted in an approximately fivefold increase in the affinity for the second, inhibitory zinc ion. Together, these data suggested that the first zinc ion is located in the binding site involving the Cys221 and that the second zinc ion binds in the binding site involving Asn116 and, presumably, His118 and His196.Received 3 March 2003; received after revision 4 August 2003; accepted 25 August 2003     

NMR study on self-assembled cage complex of hexamethylenetetramine and cucurbit[n]urils

Self-assembled complexes between cage com-pounds cucurbit[n = 5—8]urils and hexamethylenetetramine were studied by using NMR techniques. Experimental results reveal that hexamethylenetetramine can lid cucurbit[5]uril to forming self-assembled capsules in which nothing is encap-sulated yet; the cavity of the cucurbit[7]uril can accommo-date a hexamethylenetetramine molecule to form a self- assembled host-guest inclusion. Moreover, both the cavity interaction of the cucurbit[7]uril with hexamethylenetetra-mine稨Cl and the portal interaction of the dipole carbonyl of the cucurbit[7]uril with hexamethylenetetramine稨Cl lead to form self-assembled capsules in which the hexamethylene-tetramine稨Cl are encapsulated in the hexamethylenetetra-mine稨Cl lidded cucurbit[7]uril. Although the structures of the portal and cavity to cucurbit[5]uril are similar, there is no obvious interaction between decamethylcucurbit[5]uril and hexamethylenetetramine, and also between cucurbit [6]uril or cucurbit[8]uril and hexamethylenetetramine.     

[CrMo_6O_(24)H_6]~(3-)掺杂聚苯胺材料的制备及荧光性质

在盐酸介质中,以(NH4)2S2O8为氧化剂,杂多阴离子[CrMo6O24H6]3-为掺杂剂合成出了聚苯胺掺杂材料,用FT-IR,XRD进行了表征,测定了该材料的电导率、常见溶剂中的溶解度及其荧光性质.该材料的电导率为1.4×10-2S·cm-1,最高溶解度可达到0.60mg·mL-1,在以260nm和332nm为激发波长,可分别在425nm和567nm处得到荧光发射峰。     

基于真实IPv6地址环境下的安全DNS系统设计

网络的安全保证变得日趋重要,在下一代互联网上这种要求更为迫切.以真实IPv6地址接入技术为平台,结合PK I的证书分发机制对密钥的分发实现安全便捷的管理,利用密钥机制对DNS全程数据通信进行签名加密保护进而可以实现下一代互联网络体系结构中DNS系统的安全,包括安全的域名更新、安全的域名查询以及抵御常见的DNS攻击.     

园区网双栈环境下IPv6地址的规划

探讨在IPv4/IPv6双栈环境下如何利用园区网已有IPv4地址分配方案实现对IPv6地址的规划和快速部署.     

MIPv6切换延迟的优化方案

移动节点从一个接入路由器移到另一个接入路由器时会发生切换.由于链路交换延迟和IP层的相关操作使得移动节点在这个过程中不能够发送和接收数据.为减少移动IPv6切换延迟和满足时实需求,分析了快速移动IPv6和阶层移动IPv6切换协议特点,采用预先注册的方法给出了一种快速和阶层移动IPv6切换的融合方案,并详细的描述了该方案在宏观移动和微观移动情景下的原理架构结构和数据包的流程图.切换延迟分析结果,证明了方案的优越性.     

6-3-3并联机构工作空间分析与仿真

提出了6-3-3并联机构在给定姿态下工作空间分析的计算机仿真方法,该方法要点是：对给定的三维空间,不需拆解支链杆,只需使用三维搜索法遍历该空间,基于该机构逆位移解,结合滑块运动范围、球铰链半锥角最大值、奇异性条件和支链干涉动画检验,即可排除该三维空间中位姿不可能点,同时显示其中位姿可能点集——工作空间边界三维图形,作为推论还给出了使用工作空间截交面检验其内部是否存在空腔的方法。为6-3-3并联机构的设计和轨迹规划提供了基础。     

固定化优势菌降解2，6-二叔丁基酚的研究

用前期研究中获得的2,6-二叔丁基酚(简2,6-DTBP)降解菌(Aeromonas sp.),进行了对2,6-二叔丁基酚的降解性能等研究。结果表明菌株经固定化包埋后,降解底物2,6-DTBP的能力大大提高。在100.0mg/L的初始浓度下其降解率在十二天可达到81%。通过对固定化菌株的降解反应过程的动力学分析,其对底物的降解反应符合一级动力学特征,当2,6-DTBP初始浓度为100mg/L时,固定化菌种其动力学常数为0.1232,半衰期为5.63day。扫描电镜观察到菌种在海藻酸钙包埋载体中能良好地生长和繁殖。