Mechanisms of madness: evolutionary psychiatry without evolutionary psychology

Delusions are currently characterised as false beliefs produced by incorrect inference about external reality (DSM IV). This inferential conception has proved hard to link to explanations pitched at the level of neurobiology and neuroanatomy. This paper provides that link via a neurocomputational theory, based on evolutionary considerations, of the role of the prefrontal cortex in regulating offline cognition. When pathologically neuromodulated the prefrontal cortex produces hypersalient experiences which monopolise offline cognition. The result is characteristic psychotic experiences and patterns of thought. This bottom-up account uses neural network theory to integrate recent theories of the role of dopamine in delusion with the insights of inferential accounts. It also provides a general model for evolutionary psychiatry which avoids theoretical problems imported from evolutionary psychology.     

A Simplified Mass-Transfer Model for Visual Pigments in Amphibian Retinal-Cone Outer Segments

When radiolabeled precursors and autoradiography are used to investigate turnover of protein components in photoreceptive cone outer segments (COSs), the labeled components—primarily visual pigment molecules (opsins)—are diffusely distributed along the COS. To further assess this COS labeling pattern, we derive a simplified mass-transfer model for quantifying the contributions of advective and diffusive mechanisms to the distribution of opsins within COSs of the frog retina. Two opsin-containing regions of the COS are evaluated: the core axial array of disks and the plasmalemma. Numerical solutions of the mass-transfer model indicate three distinct stages of system evolution. In the first stage, plasmalemma diffusion is dominant. In the second stage, the plasmalemma density reaches a metastable state and transfer between the plasmalemma and disk region occurs, which is followed by an increase in density that is qualitatively similar for both regions. The final stage consists of both regions slowly evolving to the steady-state solution. Our results indicate that autoradiographic and cognate approaches for tracking labeled opsins in the COS cannot be effective methodologies for assessing new disk formation at the base of the COS.     

西双版纳热带季节雨林风时空变化特征初步分析

利用西双版纳热带季节雨林观测铁塔不同高度的风速及风向观测资料,分析了风的年、季节和日变化特征.结果表明,林冠上风速较强,林冠下风速较弱;林内风速的日变化和垂直变化均不明显.30～50 m范围内,风速垂直变化最显著,但年变化不大;50 m以上风速年变化显著,但垂直变化稍小.干热季(3～4月)风速最大,雨季(5～10月)次之,雾凉季(11～翌年2月)最小.昼间风速大于夜间.在昼间,上午风速最小,下午次之,中午最大.受地理位置和地形影响,风向具有明显的日变化特征,主导风向昼间为偏东南风,夜间为偏西风.昼间零平面位移(d) 值上午最大,中午次之下午最小,其年变化幅度呈现下午幅度大,上午和中午幅度小的趋势.粗糙度(Z₀)昼间值呈现下午>中午>上午的趋势,且下午Z₀值显著大于其他两个时段.     

Number,position, diameter and initial direction of growth of primary roots in Musa

To understand soil colonization by a root system, information is needed on the architecture of the root system. In monocotyledons, soil exploration is mainly due to the growth of adventitious primary roots. Primary root emergence in banana was quantified in relation to shoot and corm development. Root emergence kinetics were closely related to the development of aerial organs. Root position at emergence on the corm followed an asymptotic function of corm dry weight, so that the age of each root at a given time could be deduced from its position. Root diameter at emergence was related to the position of the roots on the corm, with younger roots being thicker than older ones. However, root diameters were not constant along a given root, but instead decreased with the distance to the base; roots appear to be conical in their basal and apical parts. Root growth directions at emergence were variable, but a high proportion of the primary roots emerged with a low angle to the horizontal. Further research is needed to evaluate whether these initial trajectories are conserved during root development. Results presented in this study are in good agreement with those reported for other monocotyledons such as maize and rice. They give quantitative information that will facilitate the development of models of root system architecture in banana.     

PH结构域与细胞方向感觉

PH（pleckstrin homology）结构域与细胞方向感觉关系密切,目前已发现,PH结构域存在于60多种蛋白质中,这些蛋白质能与趋化细胞胞膜表面的相关结合位点结合,进而激发信号转导的下游事件.这种结合有以下特点：a.迅速而短暂;b.只与外界环境中两点间浓度梯度差相关,据此提出了“空间模式”;c.改变趋化剂的位置时,结合位点在胞膜上的分布也随之改变,由此提出了“时间模式”.深入而全面地探讨各种PH结构域及其结合位点在细胞方向感觉中的作用,对于细胞方向感觉的研究具有巨大的推动作用和深远的理论意义.     

武汉市石榴红农场休闲景观的游憩价值和存在价值估算

都市休闲农业将传统农业与旅游业结合,利用农田景观、自然生态及环境资源,融合农业生产、农村文化及农家生活等人文景观,为人们提供休闲、娱乐和游憩等多重功能.价值估算在对武汉市石榴红农场及182位样本游客调查的基础上,应用旅游成本法和条件价值评估法估算休闲农地景观的游憩价值和存在价值.研究结果表明:(1)从传统的种植单位转型为以休闲度假、农事体验、农业观光为主的农业园区,石榴红休闲农场的经营效益明显,单位用地效益较传统蔬菜种植收益 (22990.26元/(hm2·a)) 净增1.6倍,但其带给消费者的更多的是目前无法通过市场配置的非市场价值.(2)利用TCM评价出石榴红农场2006年的总游憩价值在5057.99×104元,人均消费者剩余(consumer surplus, CS)2809.99元,约为游客平均游玩费用的36.71倍;农地景观单位游憩价值334905元/(hm2·a),是休闲农业经济产值(60000元/ (hm2·a))的5.58倍,游憩价值是农地景观价值构成中的重要组成.(3)从游客的支付意愿(willingness to pay, WTP)出发,应用CVM估算出石榴红休闲农地景观保存价值达117.92×104元/a,土地年均存在价值7808元/hm2.(4)农地景观的游憩价值及存在价值等非市场效益显著,然而在现行资源价值核算体系中却往往因缺失交易机制而被遗漏,意味着在土地分配决策与消费实践中,如果只单纯考虑经济产值,土地用途转换过程中将造成大量的社会福利损失.     

Reliability and time-of-day effect on measures of change of direction deficit in young healthy physical education students

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the reliability and the time-of-day effect of the 505 change of direction (CoD), 10-m sprint, and change of direction deficit test (CoDD). At two different time of days, 39 young diurnally active physical education male students performed different physical tests: 505 CoD, and sprint tests. Measurements were taken at two separate testing sessions, i.e. in the morning (07:00–08:30 h) and early evening (17:00–18:30 h) in a randomized and counter-balanced setting on nonconsecutive days in 21 of them (21.5 ± 1.5 y of age). The results showed that the 505 CoD test, 10-m sprint, and CoDD performances were a reliable test, and performances were better in the evening the 505 CoD, 10-m sprint, and CoDD testing provided reliable and sensitive scores. In addition, phase 2 showed that CoD, speed, and CoDD are affected by the time of day.     

How accessible are coral reefs to people? A global assessment based on travel time

The depletion of natural resources has become a major issue in many parts of the world, with the most accessible resources being most at risk. In the terrestrial realm, resource depletion has classically been related to accessibility through road networks. In contrast, in the marine realm, the impact on living resources is often framed into the Malthusian theory of human density around ecosystems. Here, we develop a new framework to estimate the accessibility of global coral reefs using potential travel time from the nearest human settlement or market. We show that 58% of coral reefs are located < 30 min from the nearest human settlement. We use a case study from New Caledonia to demonstrate that travel time from the market is a strong predictor of fish biomass on coral reefs. We also highlight a relative deficit of protection on coral reef areas near people, with disproportional protection on reefs far from people. This suggests that conservation efforts are targeting low‐conflict reefs or places that may already be receiving de facto protection due to their isolation. Our global assessment of accessibility in the marine realm is a critical step to better understand the interplay between humans and resources.     

大豆种质资源遗传多样性研究进展

我国拥有丰富的大豆种质资源,大豆种质资源遗传多样性研究也取得了较大进展。总结了近年来大豆种质资源组成、保存、研究、利用等几方面的研究进展,讨论了大豆遗传多样性的重要性和发展方向,以期为大豆优良品种培育相关研究提供参考。