Expression of polyglutamine-expanded Huntingtin activates the SEK1-JNK pathway and induces apoptosis in a hippocampal neuronal cell line

Huntington's disease is one of a growing number of hereditary neurodegenerative disorders caused by expansion of a polyglutamine stretch at the NH2 terminus of huntingtin. To explore whether polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin induces neuronal toxicity, I examined the expression of the full-length of huntingtin with 16, 48, or 89 polyglutamine repeats in a rat hippocampal neuronal cell (HN33). Expression of mutated huntingtin with 48 or 89 polyglutamine repeats stimulated c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNKs) activity and induced apoptotic cell death in HN33 cells while expression of normal huntingtin with 16 polyglutamine repeats had no toxic effect. The JNK activation precedes apoptotic cell death and co-expression of a dominant negative mutant form of stress-signaling kinase (SEK1) nearly completely blocked activation of JNKs and neuronal apoptosis mediated by mutated huntingtin. Taken together, my studies demonstrate that expression of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin induces neuronal apoptosis via activation of the SEK1-JNK pathway.     

Trends and variations in neonatal length of in-hospital stay in Canada

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the possible mechanisms involved in prolongation of bleeding time in pre-eclamptic patients receiving a magnesium sulfate infusion to prevent convulsions. Eighteen pre-eclamptic patients near term or at term (4 cases 33 to 35 weeks; the remainder > 36 weeks) were studied. Fifteen of them received magnesium sulfate infusion; 3 did not and served as controls. Bleeding time (modified Ivy method with Surgicutt), platelet count, platelet aggregation pattern, as well as serum arachidonic acid metabolites [thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and 6-Keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-Keto-PGF1 alpha)] werde done on admission to the labor floor (before magnesium infusion) and repeated at discontinuation of the infusion, 12-24 hours postpartum; the controls received the second test 24 hours postpartum. Thirteen of 15 patients receiving magnesium sulfate had an increase in bleeding time from an average of 6 minutes 31 seconds to 11 minutes 56 seconds, an 82% rise (p < 0.004). In 2 there was a decrease. Among the 3 controls the averages were 6 minutes 38 seconds and 6 minutes 3 seconds. The total magnesium given ranged from 52.5 to 145 grams. Platelet counts averaged 251,000/mm3 (range 145,000-519,000). Platelet aggregation pattern done in 11 patients and was normal and unchanged after magnesium in 10 of the patients with increased bleeding time and one control. TxB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha levels did not change significantly either after magnesium administration (688 and 135 pgm/ml, to 654 and 117) or in controls (695 and 230 pgm/ml, to 445 and 225). Likewise, the ratio of these 2 substances did not change in either group (6.3 to 6.6, and 4.2 to 2.2). There was no correlation between duration of infusion or total magnesium given and directions of small changes observed. This study confirms a prior preliminary observation that magnesium sulfate infusion, as currently used to prevent eclamptic convulsions, induces a significant prolongation of bleeding time. This effect is mediated neither by changes in platelets count or aggregation pattern, nor by changing the level or ratios of serum arachidonic acid metabolites (TxB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha). Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism of this clinically important observation of increased bleeding following magnesium sulfate infusion.     

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。     

油田污水中咪唑啉缓蚀剂浓度检测技术研究

研究评价了油田污水中咪唑啉缓蚀剂浓度检测的七种方法 ,其中紫外光分析法和显色反应法适合于低浓度咪唑啉缓蚀剂检测 ,且方法简便、速度快、成本低 ,检测浓度范围 2～ 5 0mg/L。     

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。     

气泡在粘弹性液体中溶解的研究进展

在发泡塑料的制造过程中，均相气体－聚合物体系的形成直接影响了制品的物理机械性能，因此了解气泡在粘弹性液体中的溶解机理成为必然。本文讲述了气泡在流体中塌陷行为的研究进展。对Rayleigh对低粘度牛顿流体，Foqer和Goddand在无线量线性Maxwell模型的粘弹性体，Tanasawa和Tang用oldroyd三常数粘弹模型等科学家的研究行为做了概述，总结出影响此过程的复杂的影响因素，并指出进一步的研究方向。     

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。