悉尼理工大学工程和计算机系系馆 澳大利亚悉尼

<正>悉尼理工大学工程和计算机系系馆位于市区的显赫地段,旨在重新给大学城市校区注入活力,成为悉尼商务中心南端的门户。建筑本体如同一件雕塑作品,迥然和周围的传统建筑风格相异。建筑地上14层,地下4层,设有先进的演讲厅、学术办公室、会议室、学习和研究实验室、营业咖啡厅、娱乐区、停车场,并在隔壁建筑旁设计自行车停靠处。     

A method for functional magnetic resonance imaging of olfaction

A method for generating olfactory stimuli for humans within a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experimental design is described. The system incorporates a nasal-mask in which the change from odorant to no-odorant conditions occurs in less than 500 ms and is not accompanied by visual, auditory, tactile, or thermal cues. The mask provides an ordorant-free environment following prolonged ordorant presence. Specific imaging parameters that are conducive to the study of the human olfactory system are described. In a pilot study performed using these methods, the specific patterns of activation observed converged with published experimental and clinical findings.     

Tumor necrosis factor alpha interferes with the cell cycle of normal and papillomavirus-immortalized human keratinocytes

We have shown that normal and human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 immortalized human foreskin keratinocytes are growth inhibited by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), whereas HPV-18- and SV40-immortalized keratinocytes are resistant to this cytokine (1). In this report, we investigated the expression of mitotic regulatory proteins, such as cyclin A, cyclin B, and p34cdc2. After exposure to TNF-alpha, normal and HPV-16-immortalized cells exhibited a dramatic decrease in the expression of these proteins. In contrast, no alteration in the levels of these proteins was observed after treatment of the resistant cell lines, as well as two HPV-positive cervical carcinoma cell lines. Expression of cyclin E does not seem to be modulated by TNF-alpha in any of the cells tested. On the other hand, cyclin D1, expression is slightly increased in normal keratinocytes and in the HPV-16-immortalized cells, whereas no alteration was observed in the HPV-18-transfected cells. The phosphorylation state of pRb correlated with cell growth; sensitive cells, which accumulate in G0-G1, after exposure to TNF-alpha, exhibited an accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRb, whereas no effect on pRb phosphorylation was observed for HPV-18-immortalized cells. These results clearly correlate with TNF-alpha-induced growth arrest in G0-G1.     

Maternal age and congenital cytomegalovirus infection: screening of two diverse newborn populations, 1980-1990

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of congenital viral infection in the United States. To prevent damaging congenital CMV infections, it is necessary to have accurate population estimates of prevalence and to identify maternal factors associated with an elevated risk of congenital infection in the newborn. From 1980 through 1990, 17,163 offspring of predominantly low-income nonwhite women who delivered at a public hospital and 9892 newborns of predominantly mid- to upper-income white women who delivered at a private hospital were screened for congenital CMV infection. Women < 20 years old (adjusted prevalence odds ratio [POR], 4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6-8.9) at the public hospital and all nonwhite women (adjusted POR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.2) had an increased risk of delivering an infected newborn. Newborns of adolescent women in both populations had the highest prevalence of clinically apparent infection. Offspring of nonwhite low-income adolescents are at greatest risk for congenital CMV infection and more damaging sequelae.     

Predicting compliance with annual follow-up evaluations in persons with spinal cord injury

In this study a representative sample of German acute care hospitals is used to describe the effects of dementia within acute care hospitals. Data from hospital patients above age 60 with the diagnosis dementia (ICD 290, 293, 294 and 310), collected over an observation period of 12 years, are compared with nondemented hospital patients at the same ages. The differences in the average length of stay between demented and nondemented patients are only relatively small in German acute care hospitals. The degree of multimorbidity is higher and hospital infections are more frequent for demented patients. The main differences occur with mortality: demented inpatients of both sexes experience a hospital mortality which is about twice as high as for nondemented patients at the same ages.     

Exclusion of BMP6 as a candidate gene for cleidocranial dysplasia

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is an autosomal dominant, generalized skeletal dysplasia in humans that has been mapped to the short arm of chromosome 6. We report linkage of a CCD mutation to 6p21 in a large family and exclude the bone morphogenetic protein 6 gene (BMP6) as a candidate for the disease by cytogenetic localization and genetic recombination. CCD was linked with a maximal two-point LOD score of 7.22 with marker D6S452 at theta = 0. One relative with a recombination between D6S451 and D6S459 and another individual with a recombination between D6S465 and CCD places the mutation within a 7 cM region between D6S451 and D6S465 at 6p21. A phage P1 genomic clone spanning most of the BMP6 gene hybridized to chromosome 6 in band region p23-p24 using FISH analysis, placing this gene cytogenetically more distal than the region of linkage for CCD. We derived a new polymorphic marker from this same P1 clone and found recombinations between the marker and CCD in this family. The results confirm the map position of CCD on 6p21, further refine the CCD genetic interval by identifying a recombination between D6S451 and D6S459, and exclude BMP6 as a candidate gene.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of HTLV-II isolate NRA: comparison of envelope sequence variation of HTLV-II isolates from U.S. blood donors and U.S. and Italian i.v. drug users

Seven cardiac electrophysiology stimulators from four manufacturers (Biotronik, Bloom, Digitimer and Medtronic) in common current use are reviewed. The stimulators differ in the features provided and the design adopted to achieve these features. The number of output channels ranges from one to four, the number of extra-stimuli available ranges from two to six, and these can be delivered as a variety of sequences. Some of the stimulators (Digitimer and Bloom) are modular while others (Biotronik and Medtronic 532 series) are of an integrated design comprising a single physical unit. The design of the Medtronic EP-2 has both integrated and modular characteristics. The features of the stimulators associated with input, output, control and the user interface are specifically reviewed. The features are also compared against the published recommendations of the American Heart Association. In addition, a summary of stimulator user comments from a number of electrophysiology centres is presented. All of the stimulators fulfil, or are close to fulfilling, basic electrophysiological requirements, but some provide more complex facilities such as would be required by specialist centres.     

Recovery of gut-associated lymphoid tissue and upper respiratory tract immunity after parenteral nutrition

OBJECTIVE: The authors characterize the recovery of parenteral nutrition-induced changes in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and upper respiratory tract immunity with enteral nutrition and provide further information defining the effects of enteral feeding on mucosal immunity. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The small intestine plays a prominent role in development and maintenance of mucosal immunity, both intestinal and extraintestinal, primarily through immunoglobulin A (IgA)-mediated mechanisms. Prior research has shown that mice fed total parenteral nutrition (TPN) have reduced GALT T and B cells, the cells responsible for IgA production, as well as impaired upper respiratory tract immunity to viral challenge of previously immunized animals. The recovery of TPN-induced changes in GALT and upper respiratory tract immunity after enteral refeeding is studied. METHODS: Male institute of Cancer Research mice received 5 days of TPN followed by 0 to 4 days of chow. Small intestinal GALT was characterized by flow cytometry. In a second experiment, animals were immunized intranasally with moused-adapted influenza virus. Three weeks later, one group received a 5-day course of TPN followed by enteral refeeding for 5 days. A second group received TPN alone. Both groups were challenged with intranasal virus and killed 40 hours postchallenge to determine viral shedding from the upper respiratory tract. RESULTS: Animals fed TPN only had significantly fewer GALT lymphocytes compared with those chow-fed control subjects. Peyer's patch counts increased after a single day of refeeding, returning to normal levels by 48 hours. Lamina propria counts remained significantly depressed after 24 hours of refeeding, but also returned to normal after 48 hours of refeeding. The T-cell and B-cell populations mimicked total cell patterns. Lamina propria CD4+/CD8+ ratio returned to normal only after 72 hours of refeeding. None of the 9 animals refed enterally for 5 days were positive for viral shedding, compared with 8 of 12 matched TPN-fed animals. CONCLUSIONS: Enteral refeeding after TPN is associated with rapid repletion of GALT cellularity, initially within Peyer's patches and subsequently within the lamina propria. Refeeding corrects the impairment of IgA-mediated upper respiratory tract antiviral immunity occurring with TPN administration. This work further enhances the authors' knowledge of the underlying immunologic differences influenced by routes of nutrition.