Production of anti-erythrocyte antibodies by leukemic and nonleukemic B cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

We have assessed the specificity of antibodies from the leukemic B cells of five patients with both chronic lymphocytic leukemia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (CLL-AHA). Leukemic cells from one patient displayed surface immunoglobulin with heavy and light chain isotypes identical to that of the patient's anti-red blood cell (RBC) antibodies, and the leukemic cells secreted antibodies in vitro with anti-RBC activity. However, in the remaining patients, the leukemic cells displayed surface immunoglobulin with light chain isotypes different from that of the patient's anti-RBC antibodies and secreted antibodies in vitro with no detectable anti-RBC activity. Thus, there are two distinct classes of CLL-AHA patients, differentiated by the presence or absence of an anti-RBC antibody-producing leukemic B cell clone. The apparent heterogeneity in the source of pathogenic anti-RBC antibodies may impact the treatment response of the two classes of CLL-AHA patients.     

A New Construction of Signature Waveforms for Multi-rate Multi-cell QS-CDMA Systems

In this paper, we propose a new construction of signature waveform sets based on Generalized Loosely Synchronization (GLS) sets and different chip waveforms. The new signature sets are applied into the multi-rate multi-cell quasi-synchronous CDMA (QS-CDMA) system where each cell is assigned with a GLS set; different users in the same cell are assigned with different GLS sequences in the same GLS set; user’s different streams are assigned with the same GLS sequence but different chip waveforms. According to the properties of GLS sets, the inter-cell interference (ICI) and the multi-user interference (MUI) in the same cell can be reduced significantly. The interferences among different streams of the same user are handled by an optimal (or suboptimal) multi-stream detector(s), notice that the multi-stream detector mentioned here is also named as multi-user detector in other references. We compare the performance of the multi-rate multi-cell QS-CDMA system employing the proposed sets with that of multi-rate system employing well-known concatenated orthogonal/PN sets and that of single-rate system employing GLS sets. The results show that the multi-rate system employing the proposed sets can achieve significant interference reduction. Meanwhile the performance of multi-rate system is similar to that of single-rate system due to the inclusion of multi-user detection.

Pheromone regulated production of inositol-(1, 4, 5)-trisphosphate in the mammalian vomeronasal organ

Social behaviors of most mammals are profoundly affected by chemical signals, pheromones, exchanged between conspecifics. Pheromones interact with dendritic microvilli of bipolar neurons in the vomeronasal organ (VNO). To investigate vomeronasal signal transduction pathways, microvillar membranes from porcine VNO were prepared. Incubation of such membranes from prepubertal females with boar seminal fluid or urine results in an increase in production of inositol-(1, 4, 5)-trisphosphate (IP3). The dose response for IP3 production is biphasic with a GTP-dependent component at low stimulus concentrations and a nonspecific increase in IP3 at higher stimulus concentrations. The GTP-dependent stimulation is mimicked by GTPgammaS and blocked by GDPbetaS. Furthermore, the GTP-dependent component of the stimulation of IP3 production is sex specific and tissue dependent. Studies with monospecific antibodies reveal a G alpha(q/11)-related protein in vomeronasal neurons, concentrated at their microvilli. Our observations indicate that pheromones in boar secretions act on vomeronasal neurons in the female VNO via a receptor mediated, G protein-dependent increase in IP3. These observations set the stage for further investigations on the regulation of stimulus-excitation coupling in vomeronasal neurons. The pheromone-induced IP3 response also provides an assay for future purification of mammalian reproductive pheromones.     

“Mapping” Smart Cities

ABSTRACT

Smart cities are designed to use data to optimize resources, maintain sustainability, and improve people’s quality of life. While many urban technologies are employed to make cities “smart,” one constellation of technologies has been less examined in the academic literature—digital maps and the spatial data infrastructure. This paper is an attempt to systematically review the functions and evolution of digital maps and the spatial data infrastructure, with examples from Asia and beyond, in supporting and making smart cities possible. Based on the conceptual framework and empirical case studies, four major research directions of smart mapping are identified to better support smart city initiatives.     

Automatic image acquisition, calibration and montage assembly for biological X-ray microscopy

We describe a system for the automatic acquisition and processing of digital images in a high-resolution X-ray microscope, including the formation of large-field high-resolution image montages. A computer-controlled sample positioning stage provides approximate coordinates for each high-resolution subimage. Individual subimages are corrected to compensate for time-varying, non-uniform illumination and CCD-related artefacts. They are then automatically assembled into a montage. The montage assembly algorithm is designed to use the overlap between each subimage and multiple neighbours to improve the performance of the registration step and the fidelity of the result. This is accomplished by explicit use of recorded stage positions, optimized ordering of subimage insertion, and registration of subimages to the developing montage. Using this procedure registration errors are below the resolution limit of the microscope (43 nm). The image produced is a seamless, large-field montage at full resolution, assembled automatically without human intervention. Beyond this, it is also an accurate X-ray transmission map that allows the quantitative measurement of anatomical and chemical features of the sample. Applying these tools to a biological problem, we have conducted the largest X-ray microscopical study to date.     

Quantifying the strain-induced dissolution of precipitates in Al alloy microstructures using nuclear magnetic resonance

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used for the first time to directly monitor the dynamic partitioning of Cu atoms from shearable precipitates into the solid solution as a function of straining at room temperature in two Al–Cu-based alloys. Al–3Cu–0.05Sn (wt.%) and Al–2.5Mg–1.5Cu (wt.%) alloys were heat-treated to provide a fine distribution of 5 nm Guinier–Preston (GP) zones and <1 nm Guinier–Preston–Bagaryatsky (GPB) zones, respectively, and were then subjected to rolling strains up to 100%. It is shown that in the Al–Cu–0.05Sn alloy, strains up to 40% can pump solute from the 5 nm GP zones back into solid solution for the temperature and strain-rate of deformation employed here. In the case of the Al–Cu–Mg alloy, no dissolution of the GPB zones is observed. A simple model for the strain-induced dissolution of the shearable precipitates is given and compared with the experimental results. The dependence of the Cu repartitioning process on the precipitate size is emphasized. These observations and modeling give guidelines for the design of Al–Cu-based alloys to exploit the dynamic interplay of strain-induced Cu partitioning between metastable states, e.g. solid solution and GP (or GPB) zones, for tailoring ultimate mechanical properties. It is proposed that this strain-induced phase transformation is a form of dynamically responding microstructure that can be employed to obtain aluminum alloys with well-designed microstructures.