Culture in low levels of oxygen enhances in vitro proliferation potential of satellite cells from old skeletal muscles

The proliferation ability of satellite cells (considered the 'stem cells' of mature myofibers) declines with increasing age when cultured under standard cell culture conditions of 21% oxygen. However, actual oxygen levels in the intact myofiber in vivo are an order of magnitude lower. No studies to date have addressed the issue of whether culturing satellite cells from old muscles under more 'physiologic' conditions would enhance their proliferation and/or differentiation ability. Therefore, we analyzed satellite cells derived from 31-month-old rats in standard cultures with 21% O₂ and in lowered (∼3%) O₂. Under the lowered O₂ conditions, we noted a remarkable increase in the percentage of large-sized colonies, activation of cell cycle progression factors, phosphorylation of Akt, and downregulation of the cell cycle inhibitor p27^Kip1. These data suggest that lower O₂ levels provide a milieu that stimulates proliferation by allowing continued cell cycle progression, to result ultimately in the enhanced in vitro replicative life span of the old satellite cells. Such a method therefore provides an improved means for the ex vivo generation of progenitor satellite cell populations for potential therapeutic stem cell transplantation. Received 20 April 2001; received after revision 28 May 2001; accepted 31 May 2001     

Phylogeography of crossbills, bullfinches, grosbeaks, and rosefinches

Mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) from 24 Carduelini species including crossbills, bullfinches, grosbeaks, rosefinches, and other related, but not conclusively classified species, was sequenced. These sequences were also compared with all the available sequences from the genera Carduelis, Serinus, and Passer. Phylogenetic analyses consistently gave the same groups of finches and the calculated divergence times suggest that speciation of the studied species occurred between 14 and 3 million years ago (Miocene-Pliocene), appearing before the Passer, Carduelis, and Serinus genera. Pleistocene glaciations may have been important in sub-speciation. Crossbills are integrated within the genus Carduelis, and within redpolls; the common crossbill shows subspeciation with Loxia japonica in the Pleistocene epoch. Pinicola enucleator groups together with bullfinches and is probably the ancestor of the group. Hawfinch is only distantly related to the studied groups, and might either represent an isolated genus or be related to the New World genus Hesperiphona. The grosbeak genera Eophona and Mycerobas are clearly sister groups, and species belonging to the former might have given rise to Mycerobas species. The isolated (in classification) Uragus sibiricus and Haematospiza sipahi are included within the genus Carpodacus (rosefinches); Carpodacus nipalensis is outside the genus Carpodacus in the molecular analyses and might be an isolated species or related to the genus Montifringilla.     

Melanocortin receptors: their functions and regulation by physiological agonists and antagonists

The melanocortins are a family of bioactive peptides derived from proopiomelanocortin, and share significant structural similarity. Those peptides are best known for their stimulatory effects on pigmentation and steroidogenesis. Melanocortins are synthesized in various sites in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissues, and participate in regulating multiple physiological functions. Research during the past decade has provided evidence that melanocortins elicit their diverse biological effects by binding to a distinct family of G protein-coupled receptors with seven transmembrane domains. To date, five melanocortin receptor genes have been cloned and characterized. Those receptors differ in their tissue distribution and in their ability to recognize the various melanocortins and the physiological antagonists, agouti signaling protein and agouti-related protein. These advances have opened new horizons for exploring the significance of melanocortins, their antagonists, and their receptors in a variety of important physiological functions. Received 5 October 2000; accepted 10 November 2000     

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.     

分布式多点控制单元的模型与实现

针对集中式多点控制单元(MCU)存在的负载集中、扩展性差、规模受限和故障容错能力差等问题,提出了一种基于软件的分布式MCU模型,它采用组播和单播相结合的数据传输策略,支持跨网段的数据传输。同时,还分析了分布式MCU的群组交互能力和故障恢复机制。测试及实际应用表明：与集中式MCU相比,分布式MCU不仅可以有效地扩大群组交互的规模,而且在故障容忍及恢复方面也有明显改进。目前该模型已在多媒体同步实时授课系统Smart-RealClass中得到应用。     

Burger''s方程的若干AGE方法

以求解Ｂｕｒｇｅｒ‘ｓ方程的中心差分格式,显示逆风格式,Ｓａｍａｒｓｋｉｉ格式及修正Ｄｅｎｎｉｓ格式为基础,构造了若干新的ＡＧＥ方法,讨论了方法的线性化稳定性数值结果表明,对于求解Ｂｕｒｇｅｒ’ｓ方程大Ｒｅｙｎｏｌｄ数问题,除了Ｃ－ＡＧＥ方法外,文中所构造的其他ＡＧＥ方法明显优于Ｅｖａｎｓ的分组显式方法。     

大型地下洞室群地质信息三维可视化分析与应用

提出采用三维地质建模技术进行大型地下洞室群地质信息可视化分析的研究方法，构建了模拟真实地质形态的地下洞室群地质三维可视化模型，直观准确地描述了工程所处的地质条件和地质环境。基于所建立的地质模型，可实现与地下洞室群相关的多项地质信息的三维可视化分析。工程应用表明该方法可为应对复杂地质条件下地下洞室群设计与施工中的地质问题提供一种有效的分析手段。     

群决策中模糊偏好关系矩阵一致性的调整方法

针对模糊偏好关系矩阵本身是否一致,使得原矩阵渐进逼近目标矩阵的问题,提出了群决策中模糊偏好关系矩阵一致性调整的新方法。该方法基于目标矩阵的最优选择,提出了一种新的目标矩阵R,使得计算得来的调和矩阵较之原矩阵在一定条件下保留了更多的偏好信息,即在很大程度上保留着群决策中决策者的意愿。最后给出了算例进行比较,说明了该方法的优势。     

基于互反判断矩阵的专家群体判断一致性分析

针对群决策中基于互反判断矩阵形式偏好信息的专家群体判断一致性问题,提出了一种分析方法。首先,给出了有关互反判断矩阵及其相容性和一致性的若干定义;然后,通过定义各个方案的一致性指标及专家群体判断一致性指标,给出了基于互反判断矩阵的专家群体判断一致性的判别方法及专家群体判断不一致的调整方法。最后,通过算例说明了所提的分析方法。     

不完全信息下的群体多属性决策方法

针对群体多属性决策问题,提出一种新的不完全信息下的群体多属性决策方法。该方法假设方案在主观评价属性下的评价值采用区间数的形式来表示专家评价值的不确定性和模糊性。针对每一主观评价属性设定一组与之对应的专家重要性权重值,反映决策者在不同评价属性中的重要性程度,同时考虑到专家评价值的相似度,将专家评价值进行集结得到专家群体关于方案集的决策矩阵。计算各方案与理想方案的相似度,并以此对方案进行优劣排序。通过实例说明所提方法的可行性。