The latency of pathways containing the site of motor learning in the monkey vestibulo-ocular reflex

The vestibulo-ocular reflex helps to stabilize retinal images by generating smooth eye movements that are equal to and opposite each rotatory head movement. It is well known that the reflex undergoes adaptive plasticity or "motor learning" whenever there is persistent image motion during head turns: the resulting changes in the reflex occur gradually and help to restore image stability. A new approach makes it possible to identify the pathways containing the site of motor learning according to their total latency in response to natural vestibular stimuli. The fastest pathways required 14 milliseconds to initiate a vestibulo-ocular reflex, but the site of motor learning was in pathways having latencies of at least 19 milliseconds.     

Brain stem neurons in modified pathways for motor learning in the primate vestibulo-ocular reflex

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) stabilizes retinal images by generating smooth eye movements that are equal in amplitude and opposite in direction to head turns. Whenever image motion occurs persistently during head turns, the VOR undergoes motor learning; as a result image stability is gradually restored. A group of brain stem neurons that are in the modified pathways has now been described. The neurons express changes in firing in association with motor learning in the VOR and receive monosynaptic inhibition from the flocculus of the cerebellum. The changes in firing have an appropriate magnitude and are expressed at the correct latency to account for the altered VOR. The response properties of the neurons point to their brain stem vestibular inputs for further investigation of the site of motor learning.     

Inhibition of the carotid sinus reflex by stimulation of the inferior olive

A projection of nerve fibers from rostral brainstem areas, which produce pressor responses and tachycardia, terminates in the inferior olive. Electrical stimulation of the olive in the cat produces no cardiovascular response but inhibits the depressor cotnponent of the carotid sinusreflex.     

Memory: modification of anisomycin-induced amnesia by stimulants and depressants

Mice were trained in a passive (foot shock)avoidance task. When administered after training, the stimulants caffeine or nicotine blocked amnesia for the task that had been produced by injections of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin given prior to training. With foot shock at a higher intensity, anisomycin did not produce amnesia by itself, but the administration of the depressants chloral hydrate or sodium phenobarbital after training did cause amnesia. Stimulants and depressants did not have an appreciable influence on the overall degree of protein synthesis inhibition produced by anisomycin. The results support the hypothesis that arousal after training is an important factor in the conversion of short-term to long-term memory.     

Tailored surface modification by ion implantation and laser treatment

An important trend in materials science is the use of increasingly sophisticated methods to control composition and microstructure during processing. Near-surface modification by ion implantation and laser treatment is one of these new methods for tailoring material properties. Novel materials have been formed which are far from thermodynamic equilibrium and which exhibit unexpected and useful properties. The most extensively studied property changes include modified electrical properties of semiconductors and improved wear, hardness, and corrosion resistance of metals. The high degree of control available with energetic beams allows relations between microstructure and properties to be systematically investigated at the atomic level. This article illustrates how ion and laser beam modification is being applied to advance both the technology and the exploratory science of materials.     

Cytoskeletal regulation by the Nedd8 ubiquitin-like protein modification pathway

The Nedd8 ubiquitin-like protein modification pathway regulates cell-cycle progression. Our analysis of Nedd8 requirements during Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis indicates that the cytoskeleton is another target. Nedd8 conjugation negatively regulated contractility of the microfilament-rich cell cortex during pronuclear migration and again during cytokinesis. The Nedd8 pathway also was required after meiosis to negatively regulate katanin, a microtubule-severing complex, permitting the assembly of a large mitotic spindle. We propose that Nedd8-modified cullin, as part of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, targets katanin for degradation during the transition from meiosis to mitosis.     

Chemical modification of carotid body chemoreception by sulfhydryls

Sulfhydryl reagents cause striking augmentation of the chemoreceptor responses of the carotid body to hypoxia. This indicates that a cellular plasma membrane protein with a reactive sulfhydryl group is a constituent part of the chemoreceptor architecture and provides a means of identification, localization, and isolation of the protein.     

Epitope mapping by chemical modification of free and antibody-bound protein antigen

A monoclonal antibody bound to a protein antigen slows the rate of chemical modification of amino acid residues located at the epitope. By comparing the degree of acetylation of 18 lysine and 7 threonine residues in free and antibody-bound horse cytochrome c, a discontiguous, conformational epitope was characterized on this protein antigen. The new approach is particularly suitable to probe discontiguous and conformational epitopes, which are difficult to analyze by other procedures.     

Ongoing modification of Mediterranean Pleistocene sapropels mediated by prokaryotes

Late Pleistocene organic-rich sediments (sapropels) from the eastern Mediterranean Sea harbor unknown, metabolically active chemoorganotrophic prokaryotes. As compared to the carbon-lean intermediate layers, sapropels exhibit elevated cell numbers, increased activities of hydrolytic exoenzymes, and increased anaerobic glucose degradation rates, suggesting that microbial carbon substrates originate from sapropel layers up to 217,000 years old. 16S ribosomal RNA gene analyses revealed that as-yet-uncultured green nonsulfur bacteria constitute up to 70% of the total microbial biomass. Crenarchaeota constitute a smaller fraction (on average, 16%). A slow but significant turnover of glucose could be detected. Apparently, sapropels are still altered by the metabolic activity of green nonsulfur bacteria and crenarchaeota.     

Improvement of learning in the aged by modification of autonomic nervous system activity

Partial blockade of beta-adrenergic end-organ response to the autonomic nervous system was effected in a group of older men by administration of propranolol. The result was improved performance in a learning task. The data support the hypothesis that the learning decrement found among older men is not simply a manifestation of structural change in the central nervous system but is, at least in part, associated with the heightened arousal of the autonomic nervous system that accompanies the learning task.     

动态规划在成品油管道优化布站中的应用

以成品油管道系统寿命期内总费用现值最小为目标函数,建立了工艺方案优化设计动态规划模型,并就具体的应用实例详细描述了求解过程.该模型将工程实际与优化理论进行有机联系,为设计人员提出了一个切实可行的新思路.     

Male-specific antigen: modification of potency by the H-2 locus in mice

Skin grafts from C57BL/10 (B10) male mice survive significantly longer than do B10.BR male skin grafts on (B10 x X B10.BR)F(1) females. This indicates that the H-2 locus influences the potency of the male-specific antigen in mice.     

Neuronal mechanisms of habituation and dishabituation of the gill-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia

The cellular mechanisms of habituation and dishabituation of the gill-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia were studied with an isolated abdominal ganglion connected to a piece of skin from the tactile receptive field of the reflex. By obtaining simultaneous intracellular recordings from both the sensory neurons and one of the main identified motor neurons, we have been able to reduce the reflex to its monosynaptic components. The monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potentials showed a profound low-frequency depression when repeatedly elicited and showed heterosynaptic facilitation after application of a strong stimulus to another pathway. Thus, both habituation and dishabituation can be explained in part and perhaps entirely by changes in the efficacy of specific excitatory synapses.     

Neuronal correlates of habituation and dishabituation of the gill-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia

We have examinived the nieural correlates of habittuatiotn atid dishabitiuation of tlhe gill-withdrwal reflex in Aplysia. We obtained intracelllular recordings from identified gill motor neurons in the abdominal ganglionz of a semi-intact preparation of Aplysia wlhile we simultaneously recorded behavior responises of the gill. Habituation and dishabituation were not due to peripheral changes in either the sensory receptors or the gill musculature butt were caused by changes in the amplitlude of the excitatory synaptic potentials produced at the gill motor neurons.     

交联改性前后壳聚糖的纤维素酶固定效率研究

为了探讨交联改性前后壳聚糖的纤维素酶固定化效率,先将CTS季铵化,得到改性壳聚糖季铵盐(HACC),再以固定化酶量、最适温度、最适pH值和米氏常数等为指标,分析交联改性前后壳聚糖的纤维素酶固定化效率.结果为,改性壳聚糖作为载体提高了固定化酶的量,同时提高了固定化酶最适温度(P<0.05),最适pH值也有所增加(P>0.05),米氏常数分别为Km,改 =34.7 mg/L,普s=36.9 mg/L.得出结论,改性壳聚糖作为载体提高了纤维素酶的固定化效率.     

利用PCR方法监测质粒DNA在鸡体内的动态分布

将质粒pcDNAKC通过腿部肌肉途径注入试验鸡体内,150μg/只,同时设生理盐水对照组,注射后定期宰杀试验鸡,取其血、心、肝、脾、肺、肾和肌肉注射部位,提取总DNA,用PCR方法检测质粒在各个组织器官内的残留情况。结果表明,注射后4天内pcDNAKC可在心、脾、肺、血和注射部位检测到,16天后任何组织都难以检测到。     

三束表面改性技术的应用及发展趋势

综述了三束(激光束、电子束、离子束)发展和研究现状,指出了三束技术发展中存在的问题和解决途径,归纳和预测了三束表面改性技术的发展趋势.