Postnatal refinement of peripheral olfactory projections

Axonal projections from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb are organized into glomeruli according to the expressed odorant receptor. Using gene-targeted mice, we show that glomerular maturation proceeds along different time courses for two similar receptors and requires sensory input during distinct sensitive periods. During early development, some glomeruli are innervated by axons of neurons that do not express the same receptor. These heterogeneous glomeruli normally disappear with age, but they persist in adults deprived of sensory input by unilateral and permanent naris closure. Persistence may be due, in part, to prolonged survival of olfactory sensory neurons.     

Grueneberg ganglion cells mediate alarm pheromone detection in mice

Alarm pheromones (APs) are widely used throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. Species such as fish, insects, and mammals signal danger to conspecifics by releasing volatile alarm molecules. Thus far, neither the chemicals, their bodily source, nor the sensory system involved in their detection have been isolated or identified in mammals. We found that APs are recognized by the Grueneberg ganglion (GG), a recently discovered olfactory subsystem. We showed with electron microscopy that GG neurons bear primary cilia, with cell bodies ensheathed by glial cells. APs evoked calcium responses in GG neurons in vitro and induced freezing behavior in vivo, which completely disappeared when the GG degenerated after axotomy. We conclude that mice detect APs through the activation of olfactory GG neurons.     

Carnosine in the primary olfactory pathway

Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) is present in mouse olfactory bulbs and nasal olfactory epithelium at concentrations exceeding that previously reported for any brain region of any species. After peripheral deafferentation, carnosine concentrations in the olfactory bulbs decrease to less than 10 percent that of normal, while other amino compounds are unaffected. Carnosine appears to be highly localized to the primary olfactory pathway.     

Clusters of hyperactive neurons near amyloid plaques in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

The neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer's disease has been associated with synaptic dismantling and progressive decrease in neuronal activity. We tested this hypothesis in vivo by using two-photon Ca2+ imaging in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Although a decrease in neuronal activity was seen in 29% of layer 2/3 cortical neurons, 21% of neurons displayed an unexpected increase in the frequency of spontaneous Ca2+ transients. These "hyperactive" neurons were found exclusively near the plaques of amyloid beta-depositing mice. The hyperactivity appeared to be due to a relative decrease in synaptic inhibition. Thus, we suggest that a redistribution of synaptic drive between silent and hyperactive neurons, rather than an overall decrease in synaptic activity, provides a mechanism for the disturbed cortical function in Alzheimer's disease.     

不同气体组合对杏果实贮藏品质的影响

以银白和苹果白杏果实为试材,探讨了不同气调处理,即气体O2与CO2 6种比例组合:3% O2(CA1)、3% O2+2%CO2(CA2)、3%O2+4%CO2(CA3)、8%O2 (CA4)、8%O2+2%CO2(CA5)、8%O2+4%CO2(CA6)及对照(21% O2)对杏果实贮藏品质的影响.结果表明:在相同的贮藏时间内,气调贮藏可缓解银白杏果实硬度的下降,CA6处理的作用最明显,其次为CA3和CA4处理;冷藏苹果白杏果实的硬度在贮藏后期增加,气调贮藏果实的硬度降低,但处理间的差异不显著.在贮藏30 d内,冷藏银白杏果实的可溶性固形物和VC含量仍较高,贮藏30～45 d两者明显下降,气调贮藏可缓解其下降,CA3处理的效果最明显;气调贮藏对苹果白杏果实可溶性固形物和VC含量的影响不大.气调贮藏可缓解银白和苹果白杏果实可滴定酸含量的下降.可见,CA3处理对维持银白杏果实贮藏品质有较好的作用;气调贮藏对苹果白杏果实品质的影响表现在可滴定酸方面,CA1和CA2的效果较好.     

Responses of vomeronasal neurons to natural stimuli

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) of mammals plays an essential role in the detection of pheromones. We obtained simultaneous recordings of action potentials from large subsets of VNO neurons. These cells responded to components of urine by increasing their firing rate. This chemosensory activation required phospholipase C function. Unlike most other sensory neurons, VNO neurons did not adapt under prolonged stimulus exposure. The full time course of the VNO spiking response is captured by a simple quantitative model of ligand binding. Many individual VNO neurons were strongly selective for either male or female mouse urine, with the effective concentrations differing as much as a thousandfold. These results establish a framework for understanding sensory coding in the vomeronasal system.     

Impaired respiratory and body temperature control upon acute serotonergic neuron inhibition

Physiological homeostasis is essential for organism survival. Highly responsive neuronal networks are involved, but their constituent neurons are just beginning to be resolved. To query brain serotonergic neurons in homeostasis, we used a neuronal silencing tool, mouse RC::FPDi (based on the synthetic G protein-coupled receptor Di), designed for cell type-specific, ligand-inducible, and reversible suppression of action potential firing. In mice harboring Di-expressing serotonergic neurons, administration of the ligand clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) by systemic injection attenuated the chemoreflex that normally increases respiration in response to tissue carbon dioxide (CO(2)) elevation and acidosis. At the cellular level, CNO suppressed firing rate increases evoked by CO(2) acidosis. Body thermoregulation at room temperature was also disrupted after CNO triggering of Di; core temperatures plummeted, then recovered. This work establishes that serotonergic neurons regulate life-sustaining respiratory and thermoregulatory networks, and demonstrates a noninvasive tool for mapping neuron function.     

Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd) phenotypes caused by mutations in the axotomy-induced gene, Nna1

The classical recessive mouse mutant, Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd), exhibits adult-onset degeneration of cerebellar Purkinje neurons, retinal photoreceptors, olfactory bulb mitral neurons, and selected thalamic neurons, and has defective spermatogenesis. Here we identify Nna1 as the gene mutated in the original pcd and two additional pcd alleles (pcd2J and pcd3J). Nna1 encodes a putative nuclear protein containing a zinc carboxypeptidase domain initially identified by its induction in spinal motor neurons during axonal regeneration. The present study suggests an unexpected molecular link between neuronal degeneration and regeneration, and its results have potential implications for neurodegenerative diseases and male infertility.     

牛奶掺碱快速检测试纸的研制

[目的]牛奶掺入碱性物质是常见的掺假现象,解决原料奶在收购过程中快速检测出掺碱牛奶.[方法]试验将配制的溴麝香草酚蓝(BTB, Bromo Thymol Blue)试剂加载到定性滤纸上,制作成掺碱检测试纸,对牛奶中掺入不同浓度碱性物质(Na2CO3、NaHCO3、NaOH)及氨水的检测,同时与常规采用的检测牛奶掺碱性物质试管法进行比较.[结果]研制的0.04;溴麝香草酚蓝试纸法对碱性物质(Na2CO3、NaHCO3、NaOH)的最低检出量可达0.03 g/100 mL,氨水的最低检出量可达0.04;.与试管法对碱性物质的最低检出量是一致的.[结论]试验研制的牛奶掺碱快速检测试纸,用于牛奶掺碱性物质的检测,操作简单,使用方便,检测迅速,灵敏度较高,制作成本低,不但适用于奶站的检验,也适合在家庭中测试.     

Response of olfactory bulb neurons to x-rays as a function of nasal oxygen concentration

Responses of single olfactory bulb neurons in rats to x-irradiation of the head were examined during the perfusion through the nasal cavities of gas containing various concentrations of oxygen. Response to x-ray was unchanged with oxygen concentrations of from 100 percent down to about 5 percent. Progressively larger response decrements were observed with oxygen concentrations of 2 percent and less.     

Effects of Elevated CO2 Concentration on the Biomasses and Nitrogen Concentrations in the Organs of Sainfoin （Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop.）

In forage grasses, the nitrogen concentration is directly related to the nutritional value. The studies examined the hypothesis that global elevation of CO2 concentration probably affects the biomass, nitrogen （N） concentration, and allocation and distribution patterns in the organs of forage grasses. While sainfoin （Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop.） seedlings grew on a low nutrient soil in closed chambers for 90 days, they were exposed to two CO2 concentrations （ambient or ambient＋350 μmol mol^-1 CO2） without adding nutrients to them. After 90 days exposure to CO2, the biomasses of leaves, stems, and roots, and N concentrations and contents of different parts were measured. Compared with the ambient CO2 concentration, the elevated CO2 concentration increased the total dry matter by 25.07%, mainly due to the root and leaf having positive response to the elevated CO2 concentration. However, the elevated CO2 concentration did not change the proportions of the dry matters in different parts and the total plants compared with the ambient CO2 concentration. The elevated CO2 concentration lowered the N concentrations of the plant parts. Because the dry matter was higher, the elevated CO2 concentration had no effect on the N content in the plants compared to the ambient CO2 concentration. The elevated CO2 concentration promoted N allocations of the different parts significantly and increased N allocation of the underground part. The results have confirmed the previous suggestions that the elevated CO2 concentration stimulates plant biomass production and decreases the N concentrations of the plant parts.     

Odor stimuli trigger influx of calcium into olfactory neurons of the channel catfish

Olfactory transduction is thought to be mediated by a G protein-coupled increase in intracellular adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) that triggers the opening of cAMP-gated cation channels and results in depolarization of the plasma membrane of olfactory neurons. In olfactory neurons isolated from the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, stimulation with olfactory stimuli (amino acids) elicits an influx of calcium that leads to a rapid increase in intracellular calcium. In addition, in a reconstitution assay a plasma membrane calcium channel has been identified that is gated by inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), which could mediate this calcium influx. Together with previous studies indicating that stimulation with olfactory stimuli leads to stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover in olfactory cilia, these data suggest that an influx of calcium triggered by odor stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover may be an alternate or additional mechanism of olfactory transduction.     

基于CWT-HHT的玉米叶片铜离子污染信息探测

为了准确探测农作物在不同浓度重金属污染下叶片光谱间微弱的畸变信息，本研究通过设置不同浓度铜离子（Cu²⁺）胁迫下的玉米盆栽实验，在采集了不同梯度下玉米叶片光谱并测定同期叶片Cu²⁺含量的基础上，采用连续小波变换（CWT）结合希尔伯特-黄变换（HHT）的方法，构建CWT-HHT算法以探测玉米叶片光谱重金属污染信息，同时与红边位置（REP）、红边归一化指数（NDVI705）和红边植被胁迫指数（RVSI）等常规的植被指数监测方法进行对比分析。结果表明：基于CWT-HHT探测方法提取的瞬时能量峰值呈现先升高、后降低的趋势，与玉米叶片Cu²⁺含量变化趋势一致。而且通过与植被指数监测农作物重金属污染的方法对比，证明CWT-HHT探测结果最优，表明CWT-HHT方法在玉米叶片重金属Cu²⁺污染信息探测方面具有可行性。     

Odor-induced membrane currents in vertebrate-olfactory receptor neurons

In olfactory receptor neurons, odor molecules cause a depolarization that leads to action potential generation. Underlying the depolarization is an ionic current that is the earliest electrical event in the transduction process. In two preparations, olfactory receptor neurons were voltage-clamped and stimulated with odors and this generator current was measured. In addition, a method was developed to estimate the time course and absolute concentration of odorants delivered to the receptor sites. With this method, olfactory neurons were found to have relatively high stimulus thresholds, steep dose-response relations, long latencies, and an apparent requirement for cooperativity at one or more steps in the pathway from odorant binding to activation of the generator current.     

NMDA receptor-mediated K+ efflux and neuronal apoptosis

Neuronal death induced by activating N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors has been linked to Ca2+ and Na+ influx through associated channels. Whole-cell recording from cultured mouse cortical neurons revealed a NMDA-evoked outward current, INMDA-K, carried by K+ efflux at membrane potentials positive to -86 millivolts. Cortical neurons exposed to NMDA in medium containing reduced Na+ and Ca2+ (as found in ischemic brain tissue) lost substantial intracellular K+ and underwent apoptosis. Both K+ loss and apoptosis were attenuated by increasing extracellular K+, even when voltage-gated Ca2+ channels were blocked. Thus NMDA receptor-mediated K+ efflux may contribute to neuronal apoptosis after brain ischemia.     

Olfactory discrimination in the rabbit olfactory glomerulus

Slow potentials evoked by odor stimulation were recorded from individual glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. Systematic analysis of responses to nine different, arbitrarily selected stimuli strongly suggests a certain amount of discrimination. This fact seems to reflect in the first synapse of the olfactory tract the type of discrimination that was recently demonstrated within olfactory neuroepithelium.     

数学形态特征应用于昆虫自动鉴别的研究

用虫体面积、周长等11项数学形态特征对40种昆虫实现自动鉴别，得出了各项数学特征的权重。在昆虫的自动鉴别中，11项特征所起的作用大小为：面积＞偏心率＞形状参数＞周长＞纵轴长＞孔洞数＞横轴长，似圆度＞叶状性＞圆形性＞球状性。以面积、周长等数学形态特征为分类依据，对隶属8目25科的40种昆虫进行了二叉式分类，并以此为鉴别机理，实现了对昆虫自动识别软件Bug Visux的升级，使其能够自动鉴别的昆虫种类由3种增加到40种，准确率达到97．5％。     

Effects of Active Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Postharvest Quality of Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) Stored at Cold Storage

The effects of active modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the postharvest quality of shiitake mushrooms stored at cold temperature (4°C) were investigated. The gas components were 2% O2+7% CO2 (MAP1), 2% O2+10% CO2 (MAP2) and 2% O2+13% CO2 (MAP3), respectively. The results showed that active MAP could extend the shelf-life of shiitake mushrooms to 17 d and the concentration of carbon dioxide could influence the postharvest quality of shiitake mushrooms. MAP2 treatment inhibited the increase in respiration rate and malondinaldehyde (MDA) contents, delayed the decrease in firmness, soluble sugar and vitamin C, and obviously reduced the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and the degree of browning, therefore maintaining better quality.