The hippocampus as a cognitive graph

A theory of cognitive mapping is developed that depends only on accepted properties of hippocampal function, namely, long-term potentiation, the place cell phenomenon, and the associative or recurrent connections made among CA3 pyramidal cells. It is proposed that the distance between the firing fields of connected pairs of CA3 place cells is encoded as synaptic resistance (reciprocal synaptic strength). The encoding occurs because pairs of cells with coincident or overlapping fields will tend to fire together in time, thereby causing a decrease in synaptic resistance via long-term potentiation; in contrast, cells with widely separated fields will tend never to fire together, causing no change or perhaps (via long-term depression) an increase in synaptic resistance. A network whose connection pattern mimics that of CA3 and whose connection weights are proportional to synaptic resistance can be formally treated as a weighted, directed graph. In such a graph, a "node" is assigned to each CA3 cell and two nodes are connected by a "directed edge" if and only if the two corresponding cells are connected by a synapse. Weighted, directed graphs can be searched for an optimal path between any pair of nodes with standard algorithms. Here, we are interested in finding the path along which the sum of the synaptic resistances from one cell to another is minimal. Since each cell is a place cell, such a path also corresponds to a path in two-dimensional space. Our basic finding is that minimizing the sum of the synaptic resistances along a path in neural space yields the shortest (optimal) path in unobstructed two-dimensional space, so long as the connectivity of the network is great enough. In addition to being able to find geodesics in unobstructed space, the same network enables solutions to the "detour" and "shortcut" problems, in which it is necessary to find an optimal path around a newly introduced barrier and to take a shorter path through a hole opened up in a preexisting barrier, respectively. We argue that the ability to solve such problems qualifies the proposed hippocampal object as a cognitive map. Graph theory thus provides a sort of existence proof demonstrating that the hippocampus contains the necessary information to function as a map, in the sense postulated by others (O'Keefe, J., and L. Nadel. 1978. The Hippocampus as a Cognitive Map. Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK). It is also possible that the cognitive mapping functions of the hippocampus are carried out by parallel graph searching algorithms implemented as neural processes. This possibility has the great attraction that the hippocampus could then operate in much the same way to find paths in general problem space; it would only be necessary for pyramidal cells to exhibit a strong nonpositional firing correlate.     

含RGD的配基与其受体相互作用研究进展

RGD配基与其受体相互作用目前已成为一个研究热点, 许多粘附蛋白是通过RGD序列与其整合素结合的, 它参与许多生物学过程. 文章主要就RGD序列肽与糖蛋白Ⅱb／Ⅲa的相互作用及其在抑制血小板聚集上进行了较为全面的综述, 并介绍了RGD序列肽在基础科学及医疗上的应用前景.     

伞形科部分类群气孔结构及其分类学价值

该研究对变豆菜亚科及芹亚科基础类群20属29种(变豆菜亚科9属11种,芹亚科基础类群11属18种)植物叶片(苞片或果实)的气孔结构进行显微观察分析,以明确变豆菜亚科及芹亚科基础类群的气孔特征及其与伞形科其他类群的区别。结果显示:(1)变豆菜亚科及芹亚科基础类群的气孔类型有无规则型、不等型和平列型3种,其中变豆菜亚科的变豆菜族气孔为无规则型(占总气孔比例的35%~75%)及不等型(25%~65%),仅刺芹属(Eryngium)具平列型,而Steganotaenieae族的气孔均为无规则型;芹亚科基础类群除柴胡属(Bupleurum)外多为或仅为无规则型(75%~100%),少为不等型(5%~25%)。(2)气孔结构支持分子系统学将Arctopus放入变豆菜亚科的变豆菜族,Choritaenia移入芹亚科。(3)变豆菜亚科气孔特征同芹亚科及牵环花亚科的较为相似,而同参棕亚科差别较大。     

Improvement of plant cryosection

Cryosection in plants is usually challenging because of the larger amounts of water contained in plant cell than animal cell.The formation of ice crystals within the plant cells easily destroys subcell...     

山西蟒河国家级自然保护区猕猴食源植物区系特征

于2012~2013年,以样带法、样方法和无样地法相结合,分4次对蟒河国家级自然保护区猕猴栖息地食源植物种类进行了实地调查,并分析了其区系特征。研究发现:(1)蟒河保护区猕猴栖息地内有维管植物659种,隶属102科374属,其中54科126属261种为猕猴的食源植物,占猕猴栖息地植物科、属、种总数的52.94%、33.69%和39.61%;蔷薇科是食源植物中包含种类最多的科,有16属39种,其次为豆科,含11属23种。(2)蟒河保护区内猕猴食源植物区系特征为:食源植物所在科有6个分布型和2个变型,所在属有13个分布型和6个变型;在属的分布类型中,温带性质分布类型的属占优势,有75个,占总属数的66.96%,其中北温带分布类型的属46个,占总属数的41.07%;热带性质分布类型的属有24个,地中海区、中亚、东亚和中国特有分布成分的属共有13个,分别占总属数的21.43%和11.61%,说明蟒河保护区内猕猴食源植物区系为暖温带性质。     

五裂红柱兰--云南兰科一新种

Cymbidiumisanorchidgenusmainlydistributedintropicaland subtropicalAsia,withsomespeciesextendingtoPapuaNewGuinea andAustralia.Altogether44specieswererecognizedbyDuPuyand Cribbin1988,ofwhichhalfthenumberweresaidtobefoundin China.ManyyearslaterthenumberofChinesespecieshadgoneup to29(Chen,1999),andtodayprobablyover40,includingboth newlydescribedspeciesandnewrecords.Thenewspeciesdescribed herewascollectedfromMaguanCountyinsoutheasternYunnan,wheretheplantswerefoundgrowingontreesorrocks.Theywer…     

黄河干流河岸带C4植物群落特征及其对水库生态效应的指示

于2008年9月16日至10月31日对黄河干流河岸带植物群落开展了系统调查。共采集高等植物124种,分属于32科、97属,其中C4植物9科、24属、34种,占科、属、种总数的28%、25%和27%。对该区域的研究结果还表明：（1）C4植物主要分布于单子叶植物纲的禾本科和莎草科,两者共占C4植物总种数的61%。（2）从上游到下游C4植物种数递增,但中游C4/C3比、C4植物密度和生物量要明显高于上游和下游。（3）C4植物种数及C4/C3比与海拔、年均气温、年均降水量及年均流量均有相关关系,C4植物生物量仅和年均降水量显著相关。（4）水库位置的C4/C3比要明显高于其临近样区,说明C4植物对水库干扰下河岸带植被的动态变化具有一定的指示作用。     

运动对人体自由基代谢的影响

自由基代谢普遍存在于机体各组织。正常情况下,人体自由基的产生与清除处于平衡状态。而人体自由基产生过多或机体清除自由基能力下降将给机体带来损伤。本文采用文献资料法,阐述了自由基的类型、功能、自由基产生的机制以及抗氧化系统的种类等基本理论。通过对力竭运动、耐力运动和无氧运动3种不同形式的运动对自由基代谢及抗氧化酶活性的研究得出结论:不同的运动形式及负荷方式对体内自由基代谢及抗氧化酶活性将产生不同影响;运动对自由基代谢影响具有器官与组织差异性。这些研究成果为科学指导运动训练和健身活动、快速有效的消除运动性疲劳并增强运动能力提供重要的科学理论依据。     

AMPK directly inhibits NDPK through a phosphoserine switch to maintain cellular homeostasis

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key energy sensor that regulates metabolism to maintain cellular energy balance. AMPK activation has also been proposed to mimic benefits of caloric restriction and exercise. Therefore, identifying downstream AMPK targets could elucidate new mechanisms for maintaining cellular energy homeostasis. We identified the phosphotransferase nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK), which maintains pools of nucleotides, as a direct AMPK target through the use of two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, we mapped the AMPK/NDPK phosphorylation site (serine 120) as a functionally potent enzymatic "off switch" both in vivo and in vitro. Because ATP is usually the most abundant cellular nucleotide, NDPK would normally consume ATP, whereas AMPK would inhibit NDPK to conserve energy. It is intriguing that serine 120 is mutated in advanced neuroblastoma, which suggests a mechanism by which NDPK in neuroblastoma can no longer be inhibited by AMPK-mediated phosphorylation. This novel placement of AMPK upstream and directly regulating NDPK activity has widespread implications for cellular energy/nucleotide balance, and we demonstrate in vivo that increased NDPK activity leads to susceptibility to energy deprivation-induced death.     

ABI4调控侧根发育研究(综述)

生长素是调控植物侧根发育的关键植物激素,生长素运输载体PIN蛋白介导其极性分布。ABI4抑制生长素极性运输蛋白基因PIN1的表达,影响生长素的极性运输,抑制侧根形成。本文概述ABI4转录因子调控侧根发育的研究进展。