On shunting inhibition

The interaction between excitation and inhibition is analyzed for nerve cylinders when reversal potentials for synaptic action are included. Both impulsive and sustained conductance changes are employed to model synaptic action.Exact results, in terms of Green's functions are obtained for the solutions of the cable equation with reversal potentials when there are impulsive conductance changes. The amplification factor for an inhibitory input due to a prior excitatory input is found exactly. In the case of an infinite cylinder, the dependence of this factor on the spatial separation of the excitatory and inhibitory synapses is one plus a Gaussian density function. Similar results aply when excitation follows inhibition. There is shunting inhibition even for impulsive conductance changes in the cable, but it is very different from that for sustained conductance changes. The interaction of excitation and inhibition is also studied in the full cable equation with reversal potentials and sustained conductance changes. An exact result is obtained for the potential in response to simultaneous excitation and inhibition at the same space point in an infinite cable. The effects of timing and spatial separation of inputs is analyzed in a finite nerve cylinder by numerically integrating the cable equation by the Crank-Nicolson method. Shunting inhibition is found to be most effective, for the chosen parameter values, when inhibition quickly foolows excitation. The EPSP amplitude at the soma is found to be roughly proportional to the distance from the soma to the site of inhibition when the excitation is at the center of the nerve cylinder.Dedicated to Jane Pauley     

武汉钢铁公司厂区绿地绿量的定量研究

针对城市绿地结构复杂、破碎化程度高的特点,在武汉钢铁公司厂区园林绿地层片结构及其盖度调查的基础上,借助GIS对其绿量进行了定量研究.结果表明,不同生活型植物的单叶面积和叶面积指数差异较大,植物种的叶面积指数大小不仅取决于单叶面积,而且取决于树冠的冠形和枝叶的密集程度.该厂区园林绿地的平均叶面积指数为7.75,总绿量为1 694.2 hm².其中,乔-灌-草型和乔 灌型绿地的面积和绿量分别占厂区总绿地面积和总绿量的79.7%和92.3%,反映了该厂区绿化以乔木为主,乔-灌-草型和乔-灌型绿地类型占绝对优势.结构单一的纯草坪型绿地在厂区应用较少,但草本层片的绿量占总绿量的22.9%.园林绿地的绿量取决于绿地面积、绿地的层片结构、不同层片植物的叶面积指数及其盖度.城市园林绿地应在扩大绿地面积的基础上,尽量选择叶面积指数较高的树种,完善层次结构,以增加总体绿量.以层片作为基础定量单元,在各层片代表种叶面积指数测定的基础上,通过绿地群落类型的层片结构及其盖度调查,并借助遥感影像和GIS提取各类群落的面积,可较为准确地定量城市园林绿地的绿量.     

Elements in the hair of workers at a workshop, foundry, and match factory

The levels of seven elements determined in the hair were compared between male controls and industrial workers from Madras (South India). Particularly, the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Ni in the foundry workers and Cu, Mn, and Ni in the workers of a workshop and match factory were observed to be higher than that of controls working in the office. In addition, the occupation, age, and period of service of workers had an influence, but diet, smoking habits, income of family, and hair color had no influence on the element levels in the hair.     

Synchrony with shunting inhibition in a feedforward inhibitory network

Recent experiments have shown that GABA_A receptor mediated inhibition in adult hippocampus is shunting rather than hyperpolarizing. Simulation studies of realistic interneuron networks with strong shunting inhibition have been demonstrated to exhibit robust gamma band (20–80 Hz) synchrony in the presence of heterogeneity in the intrinsic firing rates of individual neurons in the network. In order to begin to understand how shunting can contribute to network synchrony in the presence of heterogeneity, we develop a general theoretical framework using spike time response curves (STRC’s) to study patterns of synchrony in a simple network of two unidirectionally coupled interneurons (UCI network) interacting through a shunting synapse in the presence of heterogeneity. We derive an approximate discrete map to analyze the dynamics of synchronous states in the UCI network by taking into account the nonlinear contributions of the higher order STRC terms. We show how the approximate discrete map can be used to successfully predict the domain of synchronous 1:1 phase locked state in the UCI network. The discrete map also allows us to determine the conditions under which the two interneurons can exhibit in-phase synchrony. We conclude by demonstrating how the information from the study of the discrete map for the dynamics of the UCI network can give us valuable insight into the degree of synchrony in a larger feed-forward network of heterogeneous interneurons.     

BioQUEST workshop

On the 17th December 1991, The Computers in teaching Initiative centre for biology (CTICB) in Livepool¹ hosted a workshop on BioQuest software. The workshop was run by Nils Peterson, Coordinator of the BioQuest project.     

城市工业区园林绿地滞尘效应的研究--以武汉钢铁公司厂区绿地为例

在测定武钢工业区园林植物滞尘能力的基础上,结合绿地实地调查和武钢工业区园林绿地GIS,比较分析了园林绿地不同植物种类和层片类型的滞尘能力,并定量研究了武钢厂区园林绿地的滞尘效应.结果表明,不同园林植物的滞尘能力有较大差异,这主要与不同植物的叶表面特性、树冠结构、枝叶密集程度等差异有关.不同层片类型滞尘能力依次为落叶阔叶灌木＞常绿阔叶灌木＞绿篱＞常绿阔叶乔木＞落叶阔叶乔木＞针叶乔木＞草本.武钢厂区园林绿地的日滞尘量是9.51 t,年总滞尘量为3 089.98 t.其中常绿阔叶乔木层片年滞尘量最大,达991.68 t,落叶阔叶灌木层片最小,只有0.0181 t.由于园林绿地的滞尘量取决于所构成植物的滞尘能力及其叶面积绿量,因此,选择滞尘能力强的植物,并以乔灌草不同生活型植物进行合理配置,是提高园林绿地滞尘效应的有效途径.     

Report from a workshop on multianalyte microsphere assays

Multiplexed assays using fluorescent microspheres is an exciting technique that has been gaining popularity among researchers, particularly those in the public health field. Part of its popularity is due to its flexibility, as both immunoassays and oligonucleotide hybridization assays can be developed on this platform. This report summarizes a workshop held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that discussed issues surrounding these assays and the Luminex 100 xMAP instrument. Topics included instrumentation, assay design, sample matrix and volume, quality control, and development of commercial applications.     

Organization of a molecular biology workshop in Tunisia

A five day laboratory course in Molecular Biology for PhD students is proposed. The aim of this program, which can be taught by a relatively small staff of experienced scientists, was to introduce basic experimental techniques which are of general use in various fields of biology and biomedicine. These include restriction enzyme purification, restriction mapping, polymerase chain reaction, cloning and DNA sequencing.