NMR structure and mutagenesis of the FADD (Mort1) death-effector domain

When activated, membrane-bound receptors for Fas and tumour-necrosis factor initiate programmed cell death by recruiting the death domain of the adaptor protein FADD to the membrane. FADD then activates caspase 8 (also known as FLICE or MACH) through an interaction between the death-effector domains of FADD and caspase 8. This ultimately leads to the apoptotic response. Death-effector domains and homologous protein modules known as caspase-recruitment domains have been found in several proteins and are important regulators of caspase (FLICE) activity and of apoptosis. Here we describe the solution structure of a soluble, biologically active mutant of the FADD death-effector domain. The structure consists of six antiparallel, amphipathic alpha-helices and resembles the overall fold of the death domains of Fas and p75. Despite this structural similarity, mutations that inhibit protein-protein interactions involving the Fas death domain have no effect when introduced into the FADD death-effector domain. Instead, a hydrophobic region of the FADD death-effector domain that is not present in the death domains is vital for binding to FLICE and for apoptotic activity.     

随机模拟在电信网性能评价中的应用

本文介绍了可在微机上实现大规模电信网践模拟的实用化软件ＳＩＭＵＮＥＴ，及基所采用的无时钟事件追踪法。该软件可用规划中的电信网络和实际网路的模拟及性能评价，也可用于不同流量控制算法的评价。文中给出一个评价实例。     

雾化水流计算模式

本文描述了雾化水流现象并提出了雾化水流的一个计算模型。得出了雾化水流影响领域的各种不同的计算公式和方法。     

Concentration-response relationships for adenosine agonists during preconditioning of rabbit cardiomyocytes

Although adenosine receptors have been implicated in the induction of preconditioning in a variety of experimental models, there is controversy concerning the specific adenosine receptor subtypes mediating this effect. Concentration-protection relationships for adenosine and adenosine agonists in rabbit cardiomyocytes were used to characterize the role of adenosine receptor subtypes in preconditioning. Isolated cells were ischemically preconditioned or pre-incubated for 10 min with increasing concentrations of adenosine, CCPA (2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine), APNEA (N6-2-(4-aminophenyl)ethyladenosine), or BNECA (N6-benzyl-5'-N-ethyl-carboxamidoadenosine) in the presence or absence of 1 or 10 microM of the selective A1-adenosine antagonist DPCPX (8-Cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine). Following a 30-min post-incubation period, cells were pelleted, layered with oil and ischemically incubated for 180 min. Injury was assessed by osmotic swelling and trypan blue exclusion of sequential samples, and determination of the areas beneath the mortality curves. Adenosine produced a broad concentration-protection curve which was displaced to the right by DPCPX. The curve for A1-selective agonist CCPA was biphasic, with an initial response below 1 nM and a second above 1 microM. DPCPX abolished the early response leaving a steep monophasic curve between 0.1 and 10 microM CCPA. The APNEA curve appeared moriophasic, the major slope occurring between 1-100 nM; DPCPX (1 microM) shifted the concentration-response curve approximately 30-fold and decreased the slope. Adenosine receptor agonist BNECA produced preconditioning characterized by a shallow monophasic concentration-protection curve with a maximal effect of 49% and an EC50 of approximately 5 nM; DPCPX shifted the BNECA concentration-protection relationship approximately 40-fold with only a modest increase in slope. Analysis of the data suggests that induction of preconditioning results from interaction of agonists with the A1 receptor and a second adenosine receptor having properties consistent with the A3 receptor. Adenosine, CCPA, APNEA, BNECA and DPCPX each appear to be selective for the A1 adenosine receptor subtype in isolated rabbit cardiomyocytes.     

A novel technique for profiling the lateral n- dopingconcentrations of submicron LDD MOS devices

This paper reports a simple I-V method for the first time to determine the lateral lightly-doped source/drain (S/D) profiles (n^- region) of LDD n-MOSFETs. One interesting result is the direct observation of the reverse-short-channel effect (RSCE). It is observed that S/D n^- doping profile is channel length dependent if reverse short-channel effect exists as a result of the interstitial imperfections caused by Oxide Enhanced Diffusion (OED) or S/D implant. Not only the lateral profiles for long-channel devices but also for short-channel devices can be determined. One other practical application of the present method for device drain engineering has been demonstrated with a LATID MOS device drain engineering work. It is convincible that the proposed method is well suited for the characterization and optimization of submicron and deep-submicron MOSFETs in the current ULSI technology     

Priapism: etiology and management

Priapism is a urologic emergency. All patients should receive prompt urologic consultation. Management is based on prompt recognition, differentiation between low- and high-flow priapism, reversal of any potential precipitating factors, and the use of corporal aspiration/irrigation combined with intracavernosal alpha-agonist injection therapy. It cannot be over-emphasized that severely prolonged erections are associated with the development of irreversible problems with erectile function and, therefore, immediate and aggressive management is mandatory.     

焦化防砂室内实验研究

油井防砂工艺技术的研究与发展对疏松砂岩油藏的正常开采至关重要.焦化防砂是通过向地层内注入热空气使原油在高温下发生氧化裂解生成焦炭从而将地层砂固结的一种防砂新技术.为了对该项技术进行全面系统的理论分析与评价,设计并制作了一套焦化防砂实验装置,利用该装置进行了焦化防砂室内实验研究.焦化效果以岩样的抗压强度进行评价,实验结果表明,影响焦化后岩样抗压强度的主要因素为空气最高温度、处理时间和空气流量.此外,对焦化处理后的岩样所作的岩样组成分析揭示出,稠油胶结机理为氧化作用使部分油分和胶质变成沥青质,沥青质受到高度的缩合作用而成为高分子量的甲苯不溶物.由于新生胶质的氧化比原生胶质的氧化困难得多,因此适合焦化防砂的油层,其原油必须含有一定量的原生胶质和沥青质.     

An experimental study of pathomorphology in the iris and ciliary body after intraocular lens implantation]

Recent studies have suggested that cytokines play a critical role in the pathophysiology of alopecia areata; however, no information is available regarding the difference in cytokine profiles in these patients. Serum levels of cytokines, including interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6, were measured using radioimmunoassay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques in patients with the localized form and the extensive form (alopecia universalis). The serum levels of IL-1 alpha and IL-4 were significantly elevated in patients with the localized form. In contrast, the serum levels of IFN-gamma and IL-2 were significantly elevated in patients with the extensive form. These results indicate that immune responses in the localized form and the extensive form of alopecia areata are regulated by Th2 cytokines and Th1 cytokines, respectively.     

Image compression in digital mammography: effects on computerized detection of subtle microcalcifications

Our previous receiver operating characteristic (ROC) study indicated that the detection accuracy of microcalcifications by radiologists is significantly reduced if mammograms are digitized at 0.1 mm x 0.1 mm. Our recent study also showed that detection accuracy by computer decreases as the pixel size increases from 0.035 mm x 0.035 mm. It is evident that very large matrix sizes have to be used for digitizing mammograms in order to preserve the information in the image. Efficient compression techniques will be needed to facilitate communication and archiving of digital mammograms. In this study, we evaluated two compression techniques: full frame discrete cosine transform (DCT) with entropy coding and Laplacian pyramid hierarchical coding (LPHC). The dependence of their efficiency on the compression parameters was investigated. The techniques were compared in terms of the trade-off between the bit rate and the detection accuracy of subtle microcalcifications by an automated detection algorithm. The mean-square errors in the reconstructed images were determined and the visual quality of the error images was examined. It was found that with the LPHC method, the highest compression ratio achieved without a significant degradation in the detectability was 3.6:1. The full frame DCT method with entropy coding provided a higher compression efficiency of 9.6:1 at comparable detection accuracy. The mean-square errors did not correlate with the detection accuracy of the microcalcifications. This study demonstrated the importance of determining the quality of the decompressed images by the specific requirements of the task for which the decompressed images are to be used. Further investigation is needed for selection of optimal compression technique for digital mammograms.