Suppressive effect of corticosteroids on the gene expression of interleukin-5 and eosinophil activation in asthmatics

Although cortico steroids are effective anti-inflammatory agents in ameliorating asthma symptoms and bronchial hperreactivity, their mechanism of action is unknown. Interleukin (IL)-5 is known to play a key role in regulating eosinophil proliferation and activation. Therefore, we examined the changes of IL-5 mRNA expressions in PBMC semi-quantitatively with RT-PCR as well as serum ECP levels and MCH-PC20 values in asthmatics before and after being treated with corticosteroids. The results revealed that there were significant decrease in the level of IL-5 mRNA and serum ECP concentration after therapy (P < 0.05) and there was remarkable improvement in the values of MCH-PC20 and FEV1% (P < 0.05). It was also found that the changes of serum ECP levels or MCH-PC20 values were accompanied by a reduction in IL-5 mRNA expression (r = 0.5426 or 0.4857, P < 0.05). These results suggested that the therapeutic effects of corticosteroids in asthma may result from modulation of IL-5 gene expression with consequent inhibition of eosinophil activation.     

A multi-agent decision support system for stock trading

A distributed problem solving system can be characterized as a group of individual cooperating agents running to solve common problems. As dynamic application domains continue to grow in scale and complexity, it becomes more difficult to control the purposeful behavior of agents, especially when unexpected events may occur. This article presents an information and knowledge exchange framework to support distributed problem solving. From the application viewpoint the article concentrates on the stock trading domain; however, many presented solutions can be extended to other dynamic domains. It addresses two important issues: how individual agents should be interconnected so that their resources are efficiently used and their goals accomplished effectively; and how information and knowledge transfer should take place among the agents to allow them to respond successfully to user requests and unexpected external situations. The article introduces an architecture, the MASST system architecture, which supports dynamic information and knowledge exchange among the cooperating agents. The architecture uses a dynamic blackboard as an interagent communication paradigm to facilitate factual data, business rule, and command exchange between cooperating MASST agents. The critical components of the MASST architecture have been implemented and tested in the stock trading domain, and have proven to be a viable solution for distributed problem solving based on cooperating agents     

用晶种技术解决低品位石灰石配料中存在的问题

采用晶种技术，能有效地改善熟料的煅烧过程和熟料的质量。晶种和复合矿化剂的作用机理不同，在某些方面具有互补性。     

脱落酸、乙烯和赤霉素对豌豆苗采后品质的影响

为了解植物生长调节剂对幼苗类蔬菜采后品质变化的影响，用脱落酸、乙烯、赤霉素处理豌豆苗（Pisum Satu-vum L.）。结果表明：脱落酸和乙烯处理加速了叶绿素、蛋白质、可溶性糖含量的下降和纤维素含量的升高。而赤霉素处理则显著延缓了叶绿素、蛋白质和可溶性糖含量的下降和纤维素含量的增加。     

宽带无源光网络(BPON)关键技术的发展与研究

宽带无源光网络（BPON）是实现宽带、多业务接入的理想物理平台，本文介绍了BPON网络的发展，重点讨论了将ATM技术和PON技术相结合的APON系统及其升级系统SuperPON的基本结构和关键技术，对最近兴起的将以太技术和PON技术相结合的EPON系统的基本概念和工作原理也进行了阐述，并对未来BPON技术的发展进行了展望。     

腈纶纤维上油率的稳定控制

从油剂泵、皮辊和钢罗拉等设备构件运行状态考虑，探讨了腈纶纤维上油率的稳定控制问题。     

利用框架理论对信号进行重建

在Hilbert空间中讨论了框架的一些重要的性质,定义了一个框架算子,并讨论了该算子的性质。根据实际问题构造了一框架,使信号在此框架下的投影正好为非均匀采样值。给出了一种框架界的估计方法和重建原信号的迭代算法,最后,用仿真验证了此算法的有效性。     

R22替代制冷剂的生产控制评价

本文详细介绍了R2 2替代制冷剂的生产过程控制和整机可靠性评价 ,并介绍了一些具体做法。     

8096/8098单片机集成开发系统

本集成开发环境集编辑、编译、调试和运行于一体,模拟了MCS-96系列单片机的指令系统,并给教学、实验、应用、科研和单片机的开发提供了强有力的手段。     

NO emission characteristics in counterflow diffusion flame of blended fuel of H2/CO2/Ar

Flame structure and NO emission characteristics in counterflow diffusion flame of blended fuel of H₂/CO₂/Ar have been numerically simulated with detailed chemistry. The combination of H₂, CO₂ and Ar as fuel is selected to clearly display the contribution of hydrocarbon products to flame structure and NO emission characteristics due to the breakdown of CO₂. A radiative heat loss term is involved to correctly describe the flame dynamics especially at low strain rates. The detailed chemistry adopts the reaction mechanism of GRI 2.11, which consists of 49 species and 279 elementary reactions. All mechanisms including thermal, NO₂, N₂O and Fenimore are taken into account to separately evaluate the effects of CO₂ addition on NO emission characteristics. The increase of added CO₂ quantity causes flame temperature to fall since at high strain rates a diluent effect is prevailing and at low strain rates the breakdown of CO₂ produces relatively populous hydrocarbon products and thus the existence of hydrocarbon products inhibits chain branching. It is also found that the contribution of NO production by N₂O and NO₂ mechanisms are negligible and that thermal mechanism is concentrated on only the reaction zone. As strain rate and CO₂ quantity increase, NO production is remarkably augmented. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.