Kinetic analysis of plasma VLDL-TG and VLDL-remnant-TG turnover in anesthetized rats

We have estimated the turnover and relative pool sizes of nascent-VLDL-TG and VLDL-remnants-TG in anesthetized rats. [1-¹⁴C]Palmitoyl- and [2-³H]glyceryl-labeled “VLDL”-TG (including nascent VLDL-TG and VLDL-remnants-TG) were prepared by injecting labeled palmitate and glycerol into donor rats. Labeled serum from these rats was then injected intravenously into nembutalized male rats and serial blood samples taken for 30 min. Special care was taken to define any early components in the labeled “VLDL”-TG disappearance curves. In other experiments, the donors were rendered functionally hepatectomized 30 min after injection of³H-glycerol and the endogenous labeled VLDL-TG was allowed to circulate 30–60 min before collection of the TG-labeled VLDL-remnants-containing serum. The latter was injected into 4 recipient nembutalized rats and the remnant-TG-turnover measured by serial sampling as above. In two cases,¹⁴C-“VLDL” and³H-VLDL-remnants were injected as a single bolus into ether-anesthetized rats. Despite its complex composition, “VLDL”-TG in most cases disappeared in a single exponential fashion for 30 min with an average half-life of 5.9 min in nembutalized and 2.8 in ether-anesthetized rats. VLDL-remnants-TG showed a more complex behavior, but contained a major rapid component with a mean t_1/2 of ca. 1.5 min in both groups. The data, analyzed by multicompartmental analysis, were fitted to a simple model in which turnover of a larger nascent VLDL-TG pool with formation of a more rapidly turning over smaller pool of VLDL-remnant-TG is the rate-limiting step in overall TG removal from the d<1.006 fraction of rat serum. The data are consistent with our theoretical prediction that under these conditions the kinetics of the VLDL-remnants cannot be resolved from analysis of the total composite “VLDL” (nascent plus remnant) pool.     

Autoxidation of saturated fatty acids. II. The determination of the site of hydroperoxide groups in autoxidizing methyl palmitate

The monohydroperoxides of methyl palmitate oxidized at 150C were concentrated, purified, and reduced to yield a mixture of isomers of monohydroxy palmitate. No evidence of unsaturation in these molecules could be obtained, and no direct method for the resolution or identification of the individual isomers was found. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of the reduced esters suggested that the hydroxy groups were not located at either end of the chain of the fatty ester. To establish the location of the initial oxidative attack on saturated esters, the reduced esters of oxidized methyl palmitate were chemically cleaved at the location of the hydroxy group by means of chromium trioxide oxidation and by the Beckmann transformation. The resulting mono- and dibasic fatty acids were methylated and analyzed by gas chromatography. This analysis indicated that the oxidation of methyl palmitate did not occur selectively at one location along the ester. Although all carbon atoms can apparently be oxidized, preferential oxidation was observed toward the center of the molecule.     

Progressive spatial restriction of Sek-1 and Krox-20 gene expression during hindbrain segmentation

After segmentation of the vertebrate hindbrain, expression of the zinc-finger gene Krox-20 and the receptor tyrosine kinase gene Sek-1 is precisely restricted to rhombomeres (r) 3 and 5. This precise segmental expression is likely to reflect a critical requirement for these rhombomeres to acquire a distinct and homogeneous identity and raises the question as to how this relates to the intermingling and restriction of cell movement during segmentation. We have analysed Krox-20 and Sek-1 expression in the mouse and chick hindbrain at single-cell resolution using whole-mount in situ hybridisation and immunocytochemistry. We find that, in the mouse, the presumptive r3 and r5 expression domains each arise as narrow stripes that then broaden, suggestive of a recruitment of cells to an r3/r5 identity and/or a segmental regulation of cell proliferation. In addition, we find that expression of these genes initially occurs in fuzzy domains, and that these are progressively restricted to segmental domains, although occasional "violating" cells are observed even after segmentation. We propose that the establishment and maintenance of these segmental domains may involve both a dynamic regulation of r3/r5 identity and the restriction of cell movement across rhombomere boundaries.     

Using conscious reflection,group processes,and AI to facilitate development of expertise

Three experiments investigated procedures derived from research on knowledge acquisition, group processes, and artificial intelligence for facilitating the development of expertise. In each experimental session, subjects learned to control a simulated sugar production factory. Then they formulated written policies for controlling sugar production either alone as individuals or in small groups. An adaptive AI system provided feedback on policy quality. The research also investigated the use of forced reflective practice in which learners attempted to predict what their policy would do while performing the task. The AI system provided feedback about what their policy would have done in each situation and the outcome based on their policy's response or their suggested alternative response. Results indicated that group interaction and feedback from the AI system improved policy quality. However, only when all three procedures were employed, group interaction, AI feedback, and forced reflective practice, was the development of individual expertise on the task enhanced.     

Survey of acceptor dopants in SrTiO3: Factors limiting room temperature hole concentration

Unintentional impurities often found in strontium titanate (doped or undoped) have hindered efforts to study individual impurities experimentally. To fill this gap, a computational survey of acceptor-type point defects of common intentional or unintentional impurities (Al, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, Ni, and Zn) is presented. Utilizing defect formation energies from density functional theory using hybrid exchange correlation functionals in a grand canonical model of the defect chemistry, the equilibrium Fermi level (μ_e) was calculated as a function of processing conditions for pure SrTiO₃, SrTiO₃ individually doped with each impurity, and SrTiO₃ co-doped with Al and N. Above a certain concentration, each impurity reduced the maximum predicted hole concentration relative to the intrinsic case. Al, Mg, Zn, K, and Na exhibited similar trends and behaved more like ideal acceptors while N, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Cu were all unique and pinned μ_e near or above the mid-gap in most conditions. Al/N:SrTiO₃ also exhibited similar trends at 800°C for all Al/N ratios, but more variation at 25°C. Additionally, the behavior of Al:SrTiO₃ was not recovered until Al/N = 10⁴. This suggests that to achieve SrTiO₃ with free holes at room temperature, the concentration of most impurities must be controlled.     

Study of taste-active compounds in the water-soluble extract of mature Cheddar cheese

The chemical composition of the water-soluble extracts of mature Cheddar cheese were identified, with the emphasis on understanding the interplay of compounds contributing to the savoury taste in Cheddar. The ultra-filtered water-soluble extracts of two mature Cheddar cheeses were fractionated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). By sensory evaluation, two taste-active GPC fractions were identified from each cheese. On the basis of chemical profiling of these fractions, aqueous model tastant mixtures were prepared and sensory omission tests carried out. Glutamic acid, organic acids and mineral salts were the main tastants, whereas the other amino acids had a limited impact on taste. The characteristic umami taste was explained by a synergistic effect of glutamic acid and salts. Matching umami taste intensities were obtained from different concentrations of glutamic acid and salts. Unmasking of a bitter or sweet taste from mixtures of sub-threshold concentrations of amino acids without glutamic acids was also observed.     

光学仿真分析在光电传感器开发过程中的应用

1 引言 光电传感器是指利用光电效应作为传感原理的传感器件,它主要由光源、光学通路、光电探测器等部分.光源发出的光照射到待检测的目标物体上,被目标物体调制后被光电探测器所接收.     

Predicting the number of fatal soft errors in Los Alamos national laboratory's ASC Q supercomputer

Early in the deployment of the Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Q supercomputer, a higher-than-expected number of single-node failures was observed. The elevated rate of single-node failures was hypothesized to be caused primarily by fatal soft errors, i.e., board-level cache (B-cache) tag (BTAG) parity errors caused by cosmic-ray-induced neutrons that led to node crashes. A series of experiments was undertaken at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) to ascertain whether fatal soft errors were indeed the primary cause of the elevated rate of single-node failures. Observed failure data from Q are consistent with the results from some of these experiments. Mitigation strategies have been developed, and scientists successfully use Q for large computations in the presence of fatal soft errors and other single-node failures.