Calbindin immunoreactivity alternates with cytochrome c-oxidase-rich zones in some layers of the primate visual cortex

Calcium ions have a pivotal role in many neuronal activities, but little is known about their involvement in the cortical processing of visual information. Using immunohistochemical methods, we have now detected a calcium-binding protein, calbindin-D-28K, which may confer on certain compartments of cortical area 17 the ability to modulate Ca2+ metabolism. Thus, calbindin occurs in the primate striate cortex in a pattern almost complementary to that displaying strong cytochrome c-oxidase activity. From this and other observations, we deduce that the distribution of calbindin-immunoreactive sites corresponds mainly to extra-geniculocortical connections of the primary visual cortex. This implies that the geniculocortical and extra-geniculocortical compartments of area 17 differ in an intracellular system for Ca2+ homeostasis.     

DNA sequence and analysis of human chromosome 18

Chromosome 18 appears to have the lowest gene density of any human chromosome and is one of only three chromosomes for which trisomic individuals survive to term. There are also a number of genetic disorders stemming from chromosome 18 trisomy and aneuploidy. Here we report the finished sequence and gene annotation of human chromosome 18, which will allow a better understanding of the normal and disease biology of this chromosome. Despite the low density of protein-coding genes on chromosome 18, we find that the proportion of non-protein-coding sequences evolutionarily conserved among mammals is close to the genome-wide average. Extending this analysis to the entire human genome, we find that the density of conserved non-protein-coding sequences is largely uncorrelated with gene density. This has important implications for the nature and roles of non-protein-coding sequence elements.     

Making an estimate of the number of people and households for Output Areas in the 2001 Census

This article describes an investigation into the best way to estimate robust totals for people and households at Output Area level. We show that computing the average of people and household counts across the set of tables in which the same count appears is a good strategy. When we compare the mean or median person and household counts with those produced by summing from the postcode directory, the two sets of numbers are usually very close. Using averages in this way for other population bases in the sets of tables is therefore recommended. This technique can also be applied to larger areas.     

Palaeoclimatology: Archaean palaeosols and Archaean air

Ferrous carbonate, as the mineral siderite, occurs in Archaean palaeosols (ancient soils). Ohmoto et al. contend that siderite was not in equilibrium with the oxygen in Archaean air and that its presence in palaeosols provides little constraint on the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in Archaean air. But their argument is invalid because it fails to distinguish the different behaviours of the trivial component oxygen and the significant component carbon dioxide in the partly closed system of soil waters. The presence or absence of siderite in ancient soils is a valid constraint on the carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) in ancient atmospheres.     

粤中长坑金银矿硫化物中包裹体的轻烃组成及矿床成因的探讨

高真空四极气相质谱系统分析表明长坑金银矿的硫化物矿物流体包裹体中存在9种轻烃有机气体,它们主要由C1-4饱和烷烃和C2-4不饱和烯烃和芳烃组成,但烷烃占绝对优势,而烯烃和芳烃含量很低;并且,这些有机气体主要来自中低温条件下水/岩反应所导致的沉积岩中有机质的热分解,成矿过程应基本未受到岩浆作用的影响.金矿和银矿硫化物样品中轻烃有机气体的组成说明两者的成矿过程可能相似.有机气体组成表明,该矿成矿时其大地构造背景为裂谷环境.