Encoding of sound duration by neurons in the auditory cortex of the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus

Responses of 117 single- or multi-units in the auditory cortex (AC) of bats (Myotis lucifugus) to tone bursts of different stimulus durations (1– 400 ms) were studied over a wide range of stimulus intensities to determine how stimulus duration is represented in the AC. 36% of AC neurons responded more strongly to short stimulus durations showing short-pass duration response functions, 31% responded equally to all pulse durations (i.e., all-pass), 18% responded preferentially to stimuli having longer durations (i.e., long-pass), and 15% responded to a narrow range of stimulus durations (i.e., band-pass). Neurons showing long-pass and short-pass duration response functions were narrowly distributed within two horizontal slabs of the cortex, over the rostrocaudal extent of the AC. The effects of stimulus level on duration selectivity were evaluated for 17 AC neurons. For 65% of these units, an increase in stimulus intensity resulted in a progressive decrease in the best duration. In light of the unusual intensity-dependent duration responses of AC neurons, we hypothesized that the response selectivities of AC neurons is different from that in the brainstem. This hypothesis was validated by results of study of the duration response characteristics of single neurons in the inferior colliculus. Accepted: 8 November 1996     

不同培养条件下莱茵衣藻细胞中SGAT酶活性的变化

利用模式单细胞植物莱茵衣藻,研究不同培养条件下细胞中丝氨酸：乙醛酸氨基转移酶活性的变化情况。结果表明：莱茵衣藻SGAT酶活性的最适pH介于5￣7之间,当pH高于7以后,酶活性逐渐下降;随着细胞密度增加,SGAT酶活性降低;光强可显著影响SGAT酶活性,在一定光强范围内,随着光照强度的增加,酶活性增强;乙酸作为莱茵衣藻的唯一异养碳源也会影响SGAT酶活性,两者间呈正相关;提高氧浓度,显著地提高了细胞内SGAT的酶活性;当二氧化碳浓度增加时,细胞内SGAT的酶活性也略有升高;40℃高温和15℃低温处理后,SGAT酶活性均降低。此外,提高氧浓度时细胞内Gly含量增加,Ser含量减少,Gly/Ser的比值从0.79提高到1.49。     

土壤水分和光强对景东翅子树幼苗生长及光合特性的影响

以1年生极小种群野生植物景东翅子树（Pterospermum kingtungense）实生苗为研究对象,通过双因子室内受控试验,设置6个土壤水分梯度（100％、90％、80％、60％、40％、30%田间持水量）和4个光强梯度（100%、75%、50％、25％自然光照）,研究土壤水分和光强对其幼苗生长（地上部分生物量、地下部分生物量、叶片数量和株高）及光合特性［净光合速率（P_n）、蒸腾速率（T_r）、气孔导度（G_s）、胞间二氧化碳摩尔分数（C_i）、气孔限制值（L_s）和瞬时水分利用效率（W_UE）］的影响。结果表明：①随着土壤水分的减少,景东翅子树幼苗的生长及光合指标呈现先升高后降低的趋势,一般会在田间持水能力W2（32.11%）或W3（28.54%）处理下达到峰值,W6（10.70%）条件下的生长状况最差。②随着光强的降低,除了L_s外,景东翅子树幼苗的4个生长指标及5个光合特性指标均表现出先增加后减少的趋势,且均在光强为L2（75%自然光照）或L3（50%自然光照）条件下表现最佳。③不同土壤水分和不同光强的综合评价得分显示,W2土壤水分和L2光强下的综合评价得分分别最高,证明适量的土壤水分环境和适度遮荫最适于景东翅子树幼苗的生长及其光合作用。④二元线性回归分析结果表明,土壤水分和光强这2个自变量分别对景东翅子树幼苗的生长和光合指标有较强的影响。研究结果可为景东翅子树的幼苗培育及其种群恢复与重建提供理论依据。     

螺旋藻在光胁迫时的抗逆性研究

螺旋藻对于环境的变化有很强的适应性.以钝顶螺旋藻为实验材料,测定螺旋藻在受到较强光照胁迫时藻体的电导率以及脯氨酸、丙二醛和过氧化氢酶系的含量.在3000 lx光照下,螺旋藻6个藻株的电导率以及脯氨酸、丙二醛和过氧化氢酶系的含量比在1000 lx光照下明显升高,螺旋藻的电导率最高上升了2～6倍;细胞内的脯氨酸含量最多增加5倍,最少增加13%;丙二醛的含量增加40%～100%;过氧化氢酶的含量上升范围在19%～80%,过氧化物酶的含量上升范围在20%～100%.说明螺旋藻在受到光胁迫时自身会启动相关保护机制,产生一定的抗逆性,以适应环境的变化.     

Kolmogorov complexity of epithelial pattern formation: The role of regulatory network configuration

The tissues of multicellular organisms are made of differentiated cells arranged in organized patterns. This organization emerges during development from the coupling of dynamic intra- and intercellular regulatory networks. This work applies the methods of information theory to understand how regulatory network structure both within and between cells relates to the complexity of spatial patterns that emerge as a consequence of network operation. A computational study was performed in which undifferentiated cells were arranged in a two dimensional lattice, with gene expression in each cell regulated by identical intracellular randomly generated Boolean networks. Cell–cell contact signalling between embryonic cells is modeled as coupling among intracellular networks so that gene expression in one cell can influence the expression of genes in adjacent cells. In this system, the initially identical cells differentiate and form patterns of different cell types. The complexity of network structure, temporal dynamics and spatial organization is quantified through the Kolmogorov-based measures of normalized compression distance and set complexity. Results over sets of random networks that operate in the ordered, critical and chaotic domains demonstrate that: (1) ordered and critical networks tend to create the most information-rich patterns; (2) signalling configurations in which cell-to-cell communication is non-directional mostly produce simple patterns irrespective of the internal network domain; and (3) directional signalling configurations, similar to those that function in planar cell polarity, produce the most complex patterns, but only when the intracellular networks function in non-chaotic domains.     

The use of intensity‐based Doppler variance method for single vessel response to functional neurovascular activation

This study presents 1 use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography technique to examine neurovascular coupling effect. Repeated B‐scans OCT recording is performed on the rat somatosensory cortex with cranial window preparation while its contralateral forepaw is electrically stimulated to activate the neurons in rest. We use an intensity‐based Doppler variance (IBDV) algorithm mapped cerebral blood vessels in the cortex, and the temporal alteration in blood perfusion during neurovascular activation is analyzed using the proposed IBDV quantitative parameters. By using principal component analysis‐based Fuzzy C Means clustering method, the stimulus‐evoked vasomotion patterns were classified into 3 categories. We found that the response time of small vessels (resting diameter 14.9 ±6.6 μm), middle vessels (resting diameter 21.1 ±7.9 μm) and large vessels (resting diameter 50.7 ±6.5 μm) to achieve 5% change of vascular dilation after stimulation was 1.5, 2 and 5.5 seconds, respectively. Approximately 5% peak change of relative blood flow (RBF) in both small and middle vessels was observed. The large vessels react slowly and their responses nearly 4 seconds delayed, but no significant change in RBF of the large vessels was seen.      

夜间低温对不同光强下生长的两种沟谷雨林树苗荧光参数的影响

 于雾凉季测定了叶片叶绿素荧光参数,探讨了4～6 ℃夜间低温对4种相对光强下生长的两种西双版纳沟谷雨林树苗光系统Ⅱ（PSⅡ）活性的影响及雾对植物的可能保护机制。随夜间低温处理时间延长,不同光强下生长的团花树（Anthocephalus chinensis）和玉蕊（Barringtonia macrostachya）叶片日间和长期光抑制,以及PSⅡ反应中心的可逆失活或破坏加剧,生长环境光越强夜间低温的效应越明显,弱光下其效应不显著。间接表明雾使光强减弱利于缓解自然夜温降低对本区热带植物的影响。中光强下玉蕊对照植株发生了胁迫诱导的光抑制;相同处理条件下玉蕊的光抑制程度均比团花树重,表明玉蕊对夜间低温引起的光抑制更敏感。夜间低温处理后,中等和低光强下团花树的热耗散多于玉蕊,表明其光保护作用较强。夜间低温处理期间两种植物的光抑制与热耗散增多和PSⅡ反应中心的可逆失活或破坏的加剧有关。     

不同放牧强度季节调控下荒漠草原主要植物种群点格局及空间关联性

种群空间格局是种群自身特性、种间相互关系及环境条件综合作用的结果。以短花针茅荒漠草原为研究对象,运用Programita软件,采用Ripley's K函数和Monte Carlo随机模拟方法,对短花针茅、无芒影子草和碱韭种群点格局及空间关联性进行了研究。结果表明:短花针茅在禁牧和过度放牧下集群分布的尺度在增加,禁牧和过度放牧两种草地利用方式下短花针茅种群的格局具有趋同的趋势;并且,随着放牧强度的增大或者是持续放牧的影响,使得随机分布尺度在逐渐的增大,短花针茅在更大的尺度上才可能为集群分布。春季重牧+夏季重牧+秋季轻牧和全年重度放牧利用下无芒隐子草在较大尺度上才表现为集群分布,并且尺度转化的临界点在放牧的影响下有增大的趋势;重度放牧下碱韭为了适应放牧干扰逐渐向集群分布方向发展,集群分布的尺度在减小以提高种群的稳定性从而抵御过度的干扰。在不同的放牧干扰强度下植物种群具有明显的响应策略,大致表现为物种的群居性在增强,物种集群分布的尺度在减小以提高种群的稳定性从而抵御过度的干扰。春季休牧+夏季重牧+秋季轻牧处理下种群斑块化的尺度较大,有利于群落的稳定,因此荒漠草原采用这种利用方法较为合理。     

低强度He-Ne激光对红细胞胞浆内游离钙离子浓度的影响

低强度He-Ne激光对红细胞变形性的影响已得到广泛的认可和应用,但其具体调节机制尚不明确,通过研究低强度He-Ne激光对红细胞胞浆内钙离子浓度的影响,探讨其对红细胞变形性影响的机制。采用A23187处理过的红细胞,分别用5 mW和9 mW激光照射后,观察红细胞胞浆内钙离子浓度变化。结果显示:低强度He-Ne激光照射后的红细胞与无照射组的红细胞相比,红细胞胞浆内钙离子浓度显著降低,但在本实验中钙离子浓度的降低与激光照射剂量无显著相关。由此得出结论:降低红细胞胞浆内钙离子浓度可能是低强度He-Ne激光调节红细胞变形性的重要机制。     

固氮蓝藻高光放氢突变种的筛选和放氢特点

作者以前报道过几种快速生长的固氮蓝藻在某种条件下能好气光放氢,其速度可以达到光合放氧速度的10—15%,但这种活性只有在不积累氢气的流动气相下或在短时间内发生。本文报道用亚硝基胍诱变所得到的Anabaena spp。Strain CA的高光放氢突变种——N9A和18A——的筛选和氢代谢特点。在达生长饱和光照以后,野生型的光放氢活性与光照强度的增加成正相关,而其吸氢活性则与之成负相关,显示高光照强度可能抑制吸氢酶的活性。无论在什么光强下,均测不到两个突变种的吸氢活性,暗示在突变种中,吸氢酶或有关系统受损伤。把细胞固相化在琼脂上,在密闭系统中,高光强下培养50个小时,两个突变种光释放和积累的氢分别为野生型的2倍(N9A)和6倍(18A),后者等于氢占气相(1%CO_2的空气)的1.8%。两个突变种在生长速度、叶绿素含量、乙炔还原活性以及光合放氧方面与野生型无明显不同。当以含50—100nM的镍离子的培养基培养时,野生型的好气净产氢活性完全丢失,其吸氢活性却增加约10倍。培养基中镍离子的存在,对两个突变种的高光放氢活性则毫无影响,而且在此情况下,仍测不出其吸氢活性。实验结果表明,这两个突变种系吸氢酶缺陷型突变种。