Tbx5 and the retinotectum projection

Dorsal and ventral aspects of the eye are distinct from the early stages of development. The developing eye cup grows dorsally, and the choroidal fissure is formed on its ventral side. Retinal axons from the dorsal and ventral retina project to the ventral and dorsal tectum, respectively. Misexpression of the Tbx5 gene induced dorsalization of the ventral side of the eye and altered projections of retinal ganglion cell axons. Thus, Tbx5 is involved in eye morphogenesis and is a topographic determinant of the visual projections between retina and tectum.     

Corresponding spatial gradients of TOP molecules in the developing retina and optic tectum

The topographic map of cell position in the avian retina is inverted in its projection to the optic tectum. Dorsal retinal ganglion cell axons project to ventral tectum, and ventral retinal ganglion cells project to dorsal tectum. Topographic gradients of toponymic (TOP) cell surface molecules along the dorsoventral axes of retina and tectum also are inverted. TOP molecules are most abundant in dorsal retina and ventral tectum and least abundant in ventral retina and dorsal tectum during the period of initial retinal-tectal interaction. Thus, TOP molecules may be involved in orienting the retinotectal map.     

Functional organization of primate visual cortex revealed by high resolution optical imaging

A high spatial resolution optical imaging system was developed to visualize cerebral cortical activity in vivo. This method is based on activity-dependent intrinsic signals and does not use voltage-sensitive dyes. Images of the living monkey striate (VI) and extrastriate (V2) visual cortex, taken during visual stimulation, were analyzed to yield maps of the distribution of cells with various functional properties. The cytochrome oxidase--rich blobs of V1 and the stripes of V2 were imaged in the living brain. In V2, no ocular dominance organization was seen, while regions of poor orientation tuning colocalized to every other cytochrome oxidase stripe. The orientation tuning of other regions of V2 appeared organized as modules that are larger and more uniform than those in V1.     

Aural representation in the Doppler-shifted-CF processing area of the auditory cortex of the mustache bat

In the mustache bat (Pteronotus pamellii rubiginosus) the frequency and amplitude of an acoustic signal are represented in the coordinates parallel to the surface of the Doppler-shifted-CF (constant frequency) processing area ofthe primary auditory cortex. In this area all cortical neurons studied were excited by contralateral stimuli, and almost all of them were either excited or inhibited by ipsilateral stimuli. These are called E-E (ipsilateral and contralateral excitatory) and I-E (ipsilateral inhibitory and contralateral excitatory) neurons, respectively. The I-E neurons are directionally sensitive, while the E-E neurons are not. The E-E neurons are equally sensitive to echoes between 30 degrees contralateral and 30 degrees ipsilateral. Of the electrode penetrations orthogonal to the Doppler-shifted-CF processing area, 57 percent were characterized by either E-E or I-E neurons. Thus, there are at least two types of binaural columns: E-E columns, mainly located in a ventral part of the Doppler-shifted-CF processing area, where neurons are tuned to weak echoes; and IE columns, mainly distributed in a dorsal part, where neurons are tuned to moderate to intense echoes. Therefore, neurons tuned to weaker echoes integrate or even multiply faint signals from both ears for effective detection of a distant small target, while neurons tuned to moderate to intense echoes are suited for processing directional information and are stimulated when a bat approaches a target at short range. The Doppler-shifted-CF processing area may be considered to consist of two functional subdivisions.     

The role of the primate extrastriate area V4 in vision

Area V4 is a part of the primate visual cortex. Its role in vision has been extensively debated. Inferences about the functions of this area have now been made by examination of a broad range of visual capacities after ablation of V4 in rhesus monkeys. The results obtained suggest that this area is involved in more complex aspects of visual information processing than had previously been suggested. Monkeys had particularly severe deficits in situations where the task was to select target stimuli that had a lower contrast, smaller size, or slower rate of motion than the array of comparison stimuli from which they had to be discriminated. Extensive training on each specific task resulted in improved performance. However, after V4 ablation, the monkeys could not generalize the specific task to new stimulus configurations and to new spatial locations.     

Color: a motion-contingent aftereffect

After human observers alternately view green stripes moving up and red stripes moving down for periods of 1/2 to 4 hours, they see a pink aftereffect when white stripes move up and a green aftereffect when white stripes move down. Longer exposures produce aftereffects which are visible 20 hours after stimulation. Thus, experience which pairs simple attributes (color and motion) of visual stimulation can result in a lasting modification of perception.     

海南澳毒蛾属Orvasca Walker(鳞翅目:毒蛾科)一新种(英文)

描述了海南澳毒蛾属Orvasca Walker一新种,即异色澳毒蛾O.heterocolor sp.nov..新种与近似种的主要区别在于后翅基半部浅灰色,端半部淡黄色;抱器瓣深分叉,背侧一壁宽大,长方形,腹侧一壁相当小,三角形;阳茎直,近端部凹陷;阳茎端膜膨大,密被微刺.提供了成虫和雄性生殖器图片.     

Attention but not awareness modulates the BOLD signal in the human V1 during binocular suppression

Although recent psychophysical studies indicate that visual awareness and top-down attention are two distinct processes, it is not clear how they are neurally dissociated in the visual system. Using a two-by-two factorial functional magnetic resonance imaging design with binocular suppression, we found that the visibility or invisibility of a visual target led to only nonsignificant blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) effects in the human primary visual cortex (V1). Directing attention toward and away from the target had much larger and robust effects across all study participants. The difference in the lower-level limit of BOLD activation between attention and awareness illustrates dissociated neural correlates of the two processes. Our results agree with previously reported V1 BOLD effects on attention, while they invite a reconsideration of the functional role of V1 in visual awareness.     

雏鸡中脑视顶盖I层细胞构筑研究

为进一步阐明鸟类视觉通路的结构特征,试验采用Golgi-Cox法,灌流固定后尼氏体(Nissl bodies)染色和羰花青荧光染料DiI(1,1-’dioctadecyl-3,3,3’,3-t’etramethylindocarbo-cyanine perchlorate)逆向神经标记技术,对雏鸡视顶盖I层的厚度和该层的细胞形态、大小进行了观察研究和数理统计。结果表明,I层细胞多数呈梭形,还有少数呈圆形、椭圆形、锥形、三角形和不规则形状等。I层外侧部较背侧部和腹侧部厚。按照胞体面积大小将细胞分为4类:巨细胞、大细胞、中细胞和小细胞,I层背侧、腹侧和外侧以巨细胞最少,其中背侧、腹侧以小细胞为主,外侧以中细胞数量最多。I细胞具有2~6个主树突,其中有2个主树突的细胞最多(60.7%,n=128)。     

西安地区日本薰衣草引种驯化技术研究

在西安地区进行日本薰衣草引种驯化技术研究,成功引种了1#:ラベンダ—ヒデュ-トブル—(原生淡紫)和2#ラベンダ—ペラトゥル(浓紫),掌握了薰衣草的播种、扦插高比率繁殖技术,能够在短时间内实现薰衣草的大批量生产。同时验证了薰衣草独特的环境绿化美化效果,其粗放的管理模式和别具一格的香气对西安城区的空气质量有极大地改善作用,在西安及周边地区具备大力开发和增值利用前景。     

密度对不同品种水稻生育及产量构成因素的影响

水稻不同品种之间生长量差异较大，但不同密度间差异小．不同品种在稀植（３０×２６ｃｍ）处理下有效分蘖终止期同密植（３０×１３ｃｍ）相比，普遍向后延迟，且其叶龄指数分别为２０和６４，但最高分蘖期无明显差异，其叶龄指数分别为８０和７９；二次分蘖穗明显增多，提高了有效分蘖率；茎基部伸长节间短而粗，上部节间拉长，折损重大，抗倒能力增强，不同品种间都有同样的趋势．产量与结实率（ｘ１）、千粒重（ｘ２）、ｍ２穗数（ｘ３）、穗粒数（ｘ４）间回归方程为经产量方差分析结果表明不同品种、不同密度间和互作差异不显著．据各种农艺性状的终合分析，秋田３２是较适合烯植栽培的优良品种．     

Protein kinase C and regulation of the local competence of Xenopus ectoderm

The limited competence of embryonic tissue to respond to an inductive signal has an essential, regulatory function in embryonic induction. The molecular basis for the competence of Xenopus ectoderm to differentiate into neural tissue was investigated. Dorsal mesoderm or 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) caused in vivo activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and neural differentiation mainly in dorsal ectoderm and to a lesser extent in ventral ectoderm. These data correlate with the observations that PKC preparations from dorsal and ventral ectoderm differ, the dorsal PKC preparation being more susceptible to activation by TPA and diolein than is the ventral PKC preparation. Monoclonal antibodies against the bovine PKC alpha plus beta or gamma isozymes immunostained dorsal and ventral ectoderm, respectively, which suggests different localizations of PKC isozymes. These results suggest that PKC participates in the establishment of embryonic competence.     

北京市侧柏人工林水源涵养功能的研究

北京市生态公益林在改善首都空气质量、保持水土、涵养水源等方面起到了重要作用。研究了北京市山区主要生态公益林侧柏人工林的水源涵养功能,将其分为阳坡薄土、阳坡厚土和阴坡厚土3个立地类型进行研究,从土壤和林下枯落物2个层次进行分析。研究结果表明,阳坡薄土侧柏与其他2个立地类型相比,各层土壤容重最小、渗透性与孔隙度（总孔隙度、非毛管孔隙度）均最大,平均值分别为：1.267g/cm3、3.500mm/min、52.350%和13.766%;3个立地条件枯落物层的最大持水量依次为：37.67、92.31和56.08t/hm2。综合分析可知,阳坡薄土侧柏林地水源涵养能力最强,阳坡厚土次之,阴坡厚土最小,其土壤与林下枯落物总持水量依次为：1084.66、1027.91、1005.38t/hm2。     

栓皮栎栲胶的提取工艺技术研究

采用单因素试验和L₉(3⁴)正交试验相结合,Folin-Denis分光光度法方法测定单宁含量,利用优化的栓皮栎橡碗栲胶提取工艺,对秦岭北坡4种类型栓皮栎的橡碗、树皮、叶片和枝条的单宁含量进行了测定和差异分析。结果表明:1)提取温度对栓皮栎橡碗单宁提取的影响程度最大,其次是料液比和乙醇体积分数,提取时间对单宁提取的影响程度最小。2)乙醇提取厚皮深裂型栓皮栎橡碗单宁的适宜工艺为体积分数70%乙醇溶液,料液比为1∶15,在80℃条件下提取4 h。3) 秦岭北坡4种类型栓皮栎各器官的单宁含量存在显著或极显著差异,4种类型栓皮栎均为橡椀单宁含量最高（15.686%~15.895%）,其次是树皮（8.743%~9.274%）和叶片（6.549%~7.151%）,枝条（4.515%~4.925%）中单宁含量最低。4)橡椀、树皮、叶片和枝条的单宁含量均以厚皮深裂型栓皮栎最高,薄皮浅裂型的最低。秦岭北坡厚皮深裂型栓皮栎的橡椀、树皮、叶片是提取栲胶的良好工业原料。     

Fast backprojections from the motion to the primary visual area necessary for visual awareness

Much is known about the pathways from photoreceptors to higher visual areas in the brain. However, how we become aware of what we see or of having seen at all is a problem that has eluded neuroscience. Recordings from macaque V1 during deactivation of MT+/V5 and psychophysical studies of perceptual integration suggest that feedback from secondary visual areas to V1 is necessary for visual awareness. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to probe the timing and function of feedback from human area MT+/V5 to V1 and found its action to be early and critical for awareness of visual motion.     

不同立地侧柏林下植被与水源涵养能力的关系

森林林下植被是森林生态系统的重要组成部分,林下土壤和枯落物是森林保持水土、涵养水源的主体,同时,林下植被的生长可以指示林地涵养水源的能力。设置了3种立地类型12块侧柏人工林样地,研究了林下植被生物量及其与林地土壤和枯落物涵养水源能力的关系。结果表明,不同立地条件林下植被生物量差异显著,其中阴坡厚土立地下灌草生物量最大(6671.66kg/hm2),阳坡厚土次之(6099.70kg/hm2),阳坡薄土最小(4998.73kg/hm2);不同立地条件土壤特征差异显著,阳坡薄土平均土壤容重最小(1.267g/cm3),平均非毛管孔隙度最大(13.766%),阳坡厚土情况与之相反;阳坡薄土立地条件土壤持水量最大,枯落物持水量最小,阴坡厚土居中,阳坡厚土与之相反;林下植被可以指示侧柏人工林林地水源涵养能力,林下植被生物量越大说明其林地水源涵养能力越弱,决定系数r2=0.99。     

不同品质籼稻胚乳糊化前后微结构差异的研究

 利用扫描电镜观察品质差异较大的 4个籼稻品种稻米糊化前后的微结构 ,发现同等条件下不同部位的糊化明显不同。背部糊化最好 ,细胞完全崩解为絮状或小块状的蓬松物质 ;腹部糊化次之 ,呈较大块状或细胞结构刚被破坏 ,有的细胞轮廓仍可见 ;中部糊化最差 ,多为完整胚乳细胞。不同品种糊化后差异明显 ,米质好的品种其背、中、腹部的糊化比米质差的品种的相应部位好 ,米质较差品种的中部明显凹陷 ,而较优品种的断面较平 ,该现象同样表现在早、晚稻的对比上。品种间背部糊化的差异小于中、腹部 ,品种内米质较优的稻米背、腹、中部的差异比米质差的小。米质较好的品种的胚乳横断面可见较多断裂的细胞 ,而米质较差的品种几乎见不到断裂的细胞 ,其数目与米质优劣有一定的正相关。米质优劣与糊化时的吸水率和延长率正相关 ,吸水率和延长率高则糊化较好     

Neuronal correlates of eye movements in the visual cortex of the cat

About 10 percent of the cells in the visual cortex of awake cats do not respond to stationary parallel stripes in any orientation or to stripes moving across the visual field in any direction at a moderate speed (up to 132 degrees per second), but these cells are either excited or inhibited during saccadic eye movements when the animal faces a patterned visual environment. Of nineteen such cells tested in total darkness, seven discharged in association with eye movements. For saccade-related discharges, the latency during retinal stimulation is typically shorter than the latencey in total darkness.     

Sparse coding and decorrelation in primary visual cortex during natural vision

Theoretical studies suggest that primary visual cortex (area V1) uses a sparse code to efficiently represent natural scenes. This issue was investigated by recording from V1 neurons in awake behaving macaques during both free viewing of natural scenes and conditions simulating natural vision. Stimulation of the nonclassical receptive field increases the selectivity and sparseness of individual V1 neurons, increases the sparseness of the population response distribution, and strongly decorrelates the responses of neuron pairs. These effects are due to both excitatory and suppressive modulation of the classical receptive field by the nonclassical receptive field and do not depend critically on the spatiotemporal structure of the stimuli. During natural vision, the classical and nonclassical receptive fields function together to form a sparse representation of the visual world. This sparse code may be computationally efficient for both early vision and higher visual processing.     

苦荞FtCAD-1和FtCAD-2基因克隆及组织表达分析

【目的】克隆苦荞肉桂醇脱氢酶（CAD）基因并分析其组织表达特性,为深入研究CAD基因在苦荞果壳形成中的分子调控机制提供理论依据。【方法】基于苦荞转录组测序结果,从苦荞厚果壳品种云荞1号和薄果壳品种小米荞克隆CAD基因,对其序列进行生物信息学分析,并利用实时荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）检测CAD基因在不同果壳厚度类型（厚果壳苦荞和薄果壳苦荞）不同组织的表达情况。【结果】从薄果壳苦荞和厚果壳苦荞中均克隆获得2条苦荞CAD基因,且这2条基因序列在薄果壳苦荞与厚果壳苦荞中均完全一致,命名为FtCAD-1和FtCAD-2。FtCAD-1基因的开放阅读框（ORF）长度为876bp,编码291个氨基酸残基,为疏水性的稳定酸性蛋白,定位于细胞核和细胞质;FtCAD-2基因的ORF长度为1083bp,编码360个氨基酸残基,为亲水性的稳定酸性蛋白,定位于细胞质。FtCAD-1和FtCAD-2蛋白均具有CAD蛋白3个典型的保守结构域,且不具有跨膜结构域和信号肽,属于非分泌蛋白。FtCAD-1与数据库目标蛋白2cf5.1.B的结构相似度为74.74%,而FtCAD-2与数据库目标蛋白5z0c.1.A的结构相似度为63.03%。FtCAD-1与拟南芥的第一类CAD蛋白（AtCAD4和AtCAD5）的亲缘关系较近;FtCAD-2与拟南芥的第二类CAD蛋白（AtCAD2、AtCAD3、AtCAD6等）的亲缘关系较近。FtCAD-1和FtCAD-2基因均在种仁中的相对表达量最高,且厚果壳苦荞与薄果壳苦荞间无显著差异（P>0.05）。FtCAD-1基因在厚果壳苦荞叶、花和果壳中的相对表达量显著（P<0.05,下同）或极显著（P<0.01）高于薄果壳苦荞,尤其是在厚果壳苦荞果壳中相对表达量是薄果壳苦荞的16倍。FtCAD-2基因除了在薄果壳苦荞果壳中相对表达量显著高于厚果壳苦荞外,在其他组织中的相对表达量均表现为厚果壳苦荞高于薄果壳苦荞。【结论】FtCAD-1属于第一类CAD基因,具有明显的组织表达特异性,推测其在苦荞木质素生物合成过程中发挥重要调控作用。