Complex sound analysis in the FM bat Eptesicus fuscus,correlated with structural parameters of frequency modulated signals

Big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, were presented with artificial frequency modulated (FM) echoes that simulated an object becoming progressively closer to the bat. A stereotyped approach phase behavioral response of the bat to the virtual approaching target was used to determine the ability of the bat to analyze FM signals for target distance information. The degree to which the bats responded with approach phase behavior to a virtual approaching target was similar when they were presented with either a naturally structured artificial FM echo or an artificial FM echo constructed from a series of brief pure tone steps. The ability of the bats to respond to an FM signal structured from a sequence of pure tone elements depended on the number of pure tone steps in the series; the bats required the presentation of tone-step FM signals containing about 83 or greater pure tone elements. Moreover, the duration of the individual tone steps of the tone-step FM signals could not exceed a specific upper limit of about 0.05 ms. Finally, it appears that the bats were able to independently resolve individual tone steps within the tone-step FM signals that were separated by about 450 Hz or more.Abbreviations CF constant frequency - FM frequency modulation     

Complex sound analysis in the lesser bulldog bat: evidence for a mechanism for processing frequency elements of frequency modulated signals over restricted time intervals

A stereotypical approach phase vocalization response of the lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris, to artificial echoes simulating a virtual approaching object was used to assess the ability of the bat to analyze and extract distance information from the artificial echoes. The performance of the bat was not significantly different when presented with naturally structured CF/FM echoes containing FM elements that sweep continuously from about 75-55 kHz in 4 ms or with CF/FM echoes containing FM components constructed from a series of 98 pure tone frequency steps, each with a duration of 0.04 ms. The performance of the bat remained unchanged when the duration of the tone steps was increased up to 0.08 ms but declined sharply to a level that was significantly below that seen with a naturally structured echo when the steps were 0.09 ms or longer. The performance of the bat depended on the duration of the individual tone steps, which could not exceed a specific upper limit of about 0.08 ms. The study suggests that the bats have adaptations for processing individual narrow band segments of FM signals over specific time intervals.Abbreviations CF constant frequency - FM frequency modulation     

The effect of protein synthesis inhibitors on the glycosylation site occupancy of recombinant human prolactin

The relationship between synthesis and N-liked glycosylation site occupancy of recombinant human prolactin produced from C127 cells was studied with the aid of a battery of protein synthesis inhibitors. Non-lethal concentrations of sodium fluoride, gougerotin, puromycin, anisomycin, and emetine did not alter site occupancy, but low concentrations (<10g ml^–1) of cycloheximide increased the fraction of secreted prolactin bearing oligosaccharide from 20% to 80% of the total. Cycloheximide is an inhibitor of the elongation step of protein synthesis. The observed increase in glycosylation site occupancy upon addition of cycloheximide is consistent with the current opinion that the initial glycosylation event occurs cotranslationally during a limited time period. Cycloheximide may extend this time period by reducing elongation rate. However, the absence of any effect from treatment with other inhibitors of elongation suggests that cycloheximide is unique in its behavior on this system.Abbreviations clp-PRL clipped form of prolactin - DMEM/F12 11 Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium/Ham's nutrient mixture F12 - G-PRL glycosylated (N-linked) fraction of prolaction - NG-PRL prolactin fraction without N-linked glycosylation - PMSF phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride     

Effects of recent experience on foraging decisions by bumble bees

The temporal and spatial scales employed by foraging bees in sampling their environment and making foraging decisions should depend both on the limits of bumble bee memory and on the spatial and temporal pattern of rewards in the habitat. We analyzed data from previous experiments to determine how recent foraging experience by bumble bees affects their flight distances to subsequent flowers. A single visit to a flower as sufficient to affect the flight distance to the next flower. However, longer sequences of two or three visits had an additional effect on the subsequent flight distance of individual foragers. This suggests that bumble bees can integrate information from at least three flowers for making a subsequent foraging decision. The existence of memory for floral characteristics at least at this scale may have significance for floral selection in natural environments.     

Extracellular targeting of the vacuolar tobacco proteins AP24, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in transgenic plants

The Nicotiana tabacum ap24 gene encoding a protein with antifungal activity toward Phytophthora infestans has been characterized. Analysis of cDNA clones revealed that at least three ap24-like genes are induced in tobacco upon infection with tobacco mosaic virus. Amino acid sequencing of the purified protein showed that AP24 is synthesized as a preproprotein from which an amino-terminal signal peptide and a carboxyl-terminal propeptide (CTPP) are cleaved off during post-translational processing. The functional role of the CTPP was investigated by expressing chimeric genes encoding either wild-type AP24 or a mutant protein lacking the CTPP. Plants expressing the wild-type construct resulted in proteins properly sorted to the vacuole. In contrast, the proteins produced in plants expressing the mutant construct were secreted extracellularly, indicating that the CTPP is necessary for targeting of AP24 to the vacuoles. Similar results were obtained for vacuolar chitinases and -1,3-glucanases of tobacco. The extracellularly targeted mutant proteins were shown to have retained their biological activity. Together, these results suggest that within all vacuolar pathogenesis-related proteins the targeting information resides in a short carboxyl-terminal propeptide which is removed during or after transport to the plant vacuole.     

牛生长激素释放因子的融合表达及其产物的化学加工

通过寡核苷酸引导的定位突变,在人工全合成的第２７位为Ｉｌｅ的牛生长激素释放因子［Ｉｌｅ２７］ｂＧＲＦ（１－４４）ＯＨ基因的５＇端ＡＴＧ后插入Ｔｒｐ密码子序列,并分别了构建了Ｐｌ ｐｒｏｍｏｔｅｒ控制下、以β－半乳糖苷酶和ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ Ａ结合ＩｇＧ ｄｏｍａｉｎＢ、Ｃ为载体蛋白的融合型基因表达质粒ｐＢＬＥ３１０和ｐＢＬＰＡＥ２Ｄ,在大肠杆菌中得到高效表达。经ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ分析,表达产物β－Ｇａｌ     

NSA－Ⅱ型生理信号处理系统

介绍一种ＩＢＭ－ＰＣ系列微机生理信号采集、处理系统。该系统信号采集卡集程控放大、脉冲甄别、Ａ／Ｄ、Ｄ／Ａ等电路于一体,可满足各种生理信号的采集需要。采集信号时可长时间显示,动态观察。采样后,按需要给出各种图表与结果。部分处理方法采用独特数学模型,使结果更加精确。     

一级吸收药物的生物利用度估计的两点法

本文应用系统分析方法,建立了一种一级吸收药物的生物利用度的简便估计的两点法。这种方法,只需测量血管内和血管外给药后的两个相同时点的血药浓度值。不论该药的处置系统是多少室,均能得到较好的结果。这种方法不仅比目前常用的点一点法和点一面法简单,而且结果更精确。     

Pre- and Posttranslational Regulation of β-Endorphin Biosynthesis in the CNS: Effects of Chronic Naltrexone Treatment

Abstract: There appear to be two anatomically distinct β-endorphin (βE) pathways in the brain, the major one originating in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and a smaller one in the area of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) of the caudal medulla. Previous studies have shown that these two proopiomelanocortin (POMC) systems may be differentially regulated by chronic morphine treatment, with arcuate cells down-regulated and NTS cells unaffected. In the present experiments, we examined the effects of chronic opiate antagonist treatment on βE biosynthesis across different CNS regions to assess whether the arcuate POMC system would be regulated in the opposite direction to that seen after opiate agonist treatment and to determine whether different βE-containing areas might be differentially regulated. Male adult rats were administered naltrexone (NTX) by various routes for 8 days (subcutaneous pellets, osmotic minipumps, or repeated intraperitoneal injections). Brain and spinal cord regions were assayed for total βE-ir, different molecular weight immunoreactive β-endorphin (βE-ir) peptides, and POMC mRNA. Chronic NTX treatment, regardless of the route of administration, reduced total βE-ir concentrations by 30–40% in diencephalic areas (the arcuate nucleus, the remaining hypothalamus, and the thalamus) and the midbrain, but had no effect on βE-ir in the NTS or any region of the spinal cord. At the same time, NTX pelleting increased POMC mRNA levels in the arcuate to ～ 140% of control values. These data suggest that arcuate POMC neurons are up-regulated after chronic NTX treatment (whereas NTS and spinal cord systems remain unaffected) and that they appear to be under tonic inhibition by endogenous opioids. Chromatographic analyses demonstrated that, after chronic NTX pelleting, the ratio of full length βE_1–31 to more processed βE-ir peptides (i.e., βE_1–27 and βE_1–26) tended to increase in a dose-dependent manner in diencephalic areas. Because βE_1–31 is the only POMC product that possesses opioid agonist properties, and βE_1–27 has been posited to function as an endogenous anatgonist of βE_1–31, the NTX-induced changes in the relative concentrations of βE_1–31 and βE_1–27/βE_1–26 may represent a novel regulatory mechanism of POMC cells to alter the opioid signal in the synapse.