Conotoxins of the O-superfamily affecting voltage-gated sodium channels

The venoms of predatory cone snails harbor a rich repertoire of peptide toxins that are valuable research tools, but recently have also proven to be useful drugs. Among the conotoxins with several disulfide bridges, the O-superfamily toxins are characterized by a conserved cysteine knot pattern: C-C-CC-C-C. While ω-conotoxins and κ-conotoxins block Ca²⁺ and K⁺ channels, respectively, the closely related δ- and μO-conotoxins affect voltage-gated Na⁺ channels (Na_v channels). δ-conotoxins mainly remove the fast inactivation of Na_v channels and, thus, functionally resemble long-chain scorpion α-toxins. μO-conotoxins are functionally similar to μ-conotoxins, since they inhibit the ion flow through Na_v channels. Recent results from functional and structural assays have gained insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms. Both types of toxins are voltage-sensor toxins interfering with the voltage-sensor elements of Na_v channels. Received 27 December 2006; received after revision 30 January 2007; accepted 19 February 2007     

浅析市场经济条件下水资源管理的三大转变

在市场经济条件下，水资源管理要实现三大转变：一是由传统防范和利用意识向市场资源型转变，建立起水的资源观、可持续利用观和价值观；二是由行政管水的运行机制向水市场体系转变，逐步建立起市场调节与政府调控相结合的新的管理机制；三是由政出多门的管理体制向水务一体化管理体制转变，建立起“统一、高效、负责”的水务一体化管理体制。     

核能谱与两类转动惯量的精确表达式

用最小二乘拟合法,将稀土区的能谱实验数据,拟合不同的能谱公式,从而证明E=a〔(1+bI(I+1))~(1/2)-1〕是符合得较好的,本文还推导了与上述能谱相应的两类转动惯量,并以此与实验计算值进行比较,结果仍很满意.     

Urocortin-deficient mice show hearing impairment and increased anxiety-like behavior

Urocortin is a member of the corticotropin-releasing hormone peptide family and is found in many discrete brain regions. The distinct expression pattern of urocortin suggests that it influences such behaviors as feeding, anxiety and auditory processing. To better define the physiological roles of urocortin, we have generated mice carrying a null mutation of the urocortin gene. Urocortin-deficient mice have normal basal feeding behavior and stress responses, but show heightened anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze and open-field tests. In addition, hearing is impaired in the mutant mice at the level of the inner ear, suggesting that urocortin is involved in the normal development of cochlear sensory-cell function. These results provide the first example of a function for any peptidergic system in hearing.     

一种改进的规划器算法在军用软件GUI测试用例自动生成中的应用

以人工智能中智能规划方法为基础,对军用软件测试用例自动生成技术进行了研究。现有的许多规划器都不能避免组合爆炸问题的发生,而这一问题又是导致规划失败的一个重要问题,针对这一现象,以IPP规划器为例,提出目标分解法对规划器所需事实文件进行划分,并对IPP规划器应用多事实文件处理算法进行扩展,扩展后的MF-IPP规划器能够处理多个事实文档,有效避免了组合爆炸问题的发生。将该方法应用到军用主控软件GUI(Graphical User Interface)测试用例自动生成中,主要思想是首先利用规划器生成初始测试用例,其次提出解扩展的方法来完善测试用例的生成。针对测试用例生成问题进行了比对分析,结果显示,MF-IPP可以很好地防止组合爆炸问题的发生。所生成的测试用例生成时间短、覆盖率高,不仅能够很好地辅助软件测试人员进行测试用例的编写,还能应用于自动化软件测试。     

川东鄂西山地紫色土发生探讨

本文研究表明,在试验区内,地质构造决定着紫色岩层的展布和紫色土的分布;老年、壮年、青年等不同地貌发育阶段则深刻影响和制约紫色土发生演化的方向.在现代成土条件下,各地类型紫色土的发育和岩石,既存在矿质元素的相对迁移和富集.也存在元素间的彼此制约关系.实质为碱金属、碱土金属在土壤剖层次间的淋溶作用.土壤淋溶系数5.90-14.960;岩石淋溶系数2.269-4.466.     

Cloning of a cDNA for a glutamate receptor subunit activated by kainate but not AMPA.

Fast excitatory transmission in the vertebrate central nervous system is mediated mainly by L-glutamate. On the basis of pharmacological, physiological and agonist binding properties, the ionotropic glutamate receptors are classified into NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate), AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionate) and kainate subtypes. Sequence homology between complementary DNA clones encoding non-NMDA glutamate receptor subunits reveals at least two subunit classes: the GluR1 to GluR4 class and the GluR5 class. Here we report the cloning and expression of a functional rat glutamate receptor subunit cDNA, GluR6, which has a very different pharmacology from that of the GluR1-GluR4 class. Receptors generated from the GluR1-GluR4 class have a higher apparent affinity for AMPA than for kainate. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes the homomeric GluR6 receptor is activated by kainate, quisqualate and L-glutamate but not by AMPA, and the apparent affinity for kainate is higher than for receptors from the GluR1-GluR4 class. Desensitization of the receptor was observed with continuous application of agonist. The homomeric GluR6 glutamate receptor exhibits an outwardly rectifying current-voltage relationship. In situ hybridizations reveal a pattern of GluR6 gene expression reminiscent of the binding pattern obtained with [3H]kainate.