Role of visual pigment properties in rod and cone phototransduction

Retinal rods and cones share a phototransduction pathway involving cyclic GMP. Cones are typically 100 times less photosensitive than rods and their response kinetics are several times faster, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Almost all proteins involved in phototransduction have distinct rod and cone variants. Differences in properties between rod and cone pigments have been described, such as a 10-fold shorter lifetime of the meta-II state (active conformation) of cone pigment and its higher rate of spontaneous isomerization, but their contributions to the functional differences between rods and cones remain speculative. We have addressed this question by expressing human or salamander red cone pigment in Xenopus rods, and human rod pigment in Xenopus cones. Here we show that rod and cone pigments when present in the same cell produce light responses with identical amplification and kinetics, thereby ruling out any difference in their signalling properties. However, red cone pigment isomerizes spontaneously 10,000 times more frequently than rod pigment. This high spontaneous activity adapts the native cones even in darkness, making them less sensitive and kinetically faster than rods. Nevertheless, additional factors are probably involved in these differences.     

Development of the signal in sensory rhodopsin and its transfer to the cognate transducer

The microbial phototaxis receptor sensory rhodopsin II (NpSRII, also named phoborhodopsin) mediates the photophobic response of the haloarchaeon Natronomonas pharaonis by modulating the swimming behaviour of the bacterium. After excitation by blue-green light NpSRII triggers, by means of a tightly bound transducer protein (NpHtrII), a signal transduction chain homologous with the two-component system of eubacterial chemotaxis. Two molecules of NpSRII and two molecules of NpHtrII form a 2:2 complex in membranes as shown by electron paramagnetic resonance and X-ray structure analysis. Here we present X-ray structures of the photocycle intermediates K and late M (M2) explaining the evolution of the signal in the receptor after retinal isomerization and the transfer of the signal to the transducer in the complex. The formation of late M has been correlated with the formation of the signalling state. The observed structural rearrangements allow us to propose the following mechanism for the light-induced activation of the signalling complex. On excitation by light, retinal isomerization leads in the K state to a rearrangement of a water cluster that partly disconnects two helices of the receptor. In the transition to late M the changes in the hydrogen bond network proceed further. Thus, in late M state an altered tertiary structure establishes the signalling state of the receptor. The transducer responds to the activation of the receptor by a clockwise rotation of about 15 degrees of helix TM2 and a displacement of this helix by 0.9 A at the cytoplasmic surface.     

Coherent signal amplification in bistable nanomechanical oscillators by stochastic resonance

Stochastic resonance is a counterintuitive concept: the addition of noise to a noisy system induces coherent amplification of its response. First suggested as a mechanism for the cyclic recurrence of ice ages, stochastic resonance has been seen in a wide variety of macroscopic physical systems: bistable ring lasers, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), magnetoelastic ribbons and neurophysiological systems such as the receptors in crickets and crayfish. Although fundamentally important as a mechanism of coherent signal amplification, stochastic resonance has yet to be observed in nanoscale systems. Here we report the observation of stochastic resonance in bistable nanomechanical silicon oscillators. Our nanomechanical systems consist of beams that are clamped at each end and driven into transverse oscillation with the use of a radiofrequency source. Modulation of the source induces controllable switching of the beams between two stable, distinct states. We observe that the addition of white noise causes a marked amplification of the signal strength. Stochastic resonance in nanomechanical systems could have a function in the realization of controllable high-speed nanomechanical memory cells, and paves the way for exploring macroscopic quantum coherence and tunnelling.     

温度对激光场引起的纳米管声子增益影响

讨论了强激光场下单壁纳米管的声子增益效应. 采用含时微扰方法计算了不同温度下声子占据数随时间的变化率(声子增益系数). 计算结果表明,在强激光场下纳米管中的声子占据数随时间非线性增加,增益系数与温度和激光场强都有关系. 随着温度升高,声子增益系数迅速减小;在确定的温度情况下,激光场强越强,声子增益效应越明显,并对这个现象给出了合理的物理解释.     

Long-term potentiation and NMDA receptors in rat visual cortex

In the hippocampus, which is phylogenetically older than the cerebral neocortex, high frequency stimulation of afferent pathways leads to long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission. This use-dependent malleability is of considerable interest because it may serve as a substrate for memory processes. However, in the neocortex, whose involvement in learning is undisputed, attempts to demonstrate LTP have remained inconclusive. Here we use intracellular recording techniques to show that LTP can be induced by high frequency stimulation of the optic radiation in slices of the visual cortex of adult rats. We identify as a necessary prerequisite for the induction of LTP the activation of the membrane channel that is associated with the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor. Selective blockade of this receptor system with DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate consistently prevents LTP as in most hippocampal pathways. In most cortical neurons the activation of the NMDA mechanism and hence the induction of LTP in these experiments requires a concomitant reduction of GABAergic inhibition by low doses of the GABAA antagonist bicuculline. This indicates that in the neocortex the activation threshold of the NMDA-mechanism and consequently the susceptibility to LTP, are strongly influenced by inhibitory processes.     

磨机工作参数对磨矿效率的影响

为了研究磨矿过程中磨机工作参数对磨矿效率的影响,在实验室条件下,对萤石矿进行了单因素磨矿实验.利用实验中得到的筛上产品质量的多少,评估了磨机转速、磨矿时间、介质填充率及液固比这四种工作参数对磨矿效率的影响.实验结果表明,适宜的磨机转速、磨矿时间、填充率、液固比会产生最佳的磨矿效果,而磨矿时间与液固比对磨机的磨矿效率影响...     

边界对颗粒物质与探测棒间静摩擦力的影响

用实验方法研究了颗粒物质与探测棒之间的最大静摩擦力.实验表明,颗粒系统中力的传递方式随探测棒与容器壁之间的距离发生变化,距离很小时棒受到的最大静摩擦力明显增大;最大静摩擦力与探测棒横截面有关.分析讨论实验结果并对实验数据进行拟合,给出与实验吻合的拟合公式.     

基于HDMI视频信号接收的电荷泵PLL设计

介绍了一种实现HDMI中数字视频信号接收的方法,设计并实现了一种新的用于HDMI中像素数据和时钟信号恢复的电荷泵锁相环;通过V-I电路的改进降低了压控震荡器的增益,改善了控制电压的波动对压控震荡器频率的影响,从而减小时钟抖动;采用频率检测电路对输入时钟信号频率进行自动检测分段,可实现大的频率捕获范围,从而实现了对高达UXGA格式的数字视频信号接收;采用Hspice-RF工具对压控震荡器的抖动和相位噪声性能进行仿真,SMIC0.18μsCMOS混合信号工艺进行了流片验证,测试结果表明输入最大1.65Gbit/s像素数据信号条件下PLL输出的时钟信号抖动小于200ps.     

Effect of chromosomal position on amplification of transfected genes in animal cells

A single protein (CAD) contains the first three enzymatic activities of de novo uridine biosynthesis. The chromosomal location of CAD genes introduced into Chinese hamster ovary cells significantly affects the frequency and cytogenetic result of their amplification. The amplification frequency in one transformant is 100-fold that of the others; in another, amplification of donated genes inserted near a centromere results in chromosome instability and rearrangements.     

煤层气井气体对有杆泵排采的影响

依据气液两相流理论,建立煤层气井气水两相井液进泵运动规律的数学模型,给出适应于煤层气井泵充满度的算法,通过求解井液进泵的数值模型及仿真分析,得到煤层气井不同工况下抽油泵内液面和泵充满度的瞬时动态变化规律,以及泵充满度与冲次、泵入口气液比、泵入口压力等参数间的相互关系。利用余隙容积系数与泵内压强的关系和气体压缩膨胀的多变特性,分析出低沉没度下泵发生气锁的条件并给出预防措施。结果表明:降低冲次、减小余隙容积和泵入口气液比以及增大沉没压力可以有效提高泵的充满度,而且泵入口气液比对泵效的影响尤为显著;考虑抽油泵余隙内自由气体的作用后,随着余隙容积系数的增加,泵的充满度逐渐降低。     

四波混频中光束延迟对信号强度的影响

从密度矩阵出发，研究非简并四波混频中两泵浦光之间的时间延迟对信号强度的影响．发现在Ｎａ蒸汽中，两个双光子过程之间的干涉可形成稳定的拍频信号．实验结果与理论计算基本一致．这为研究物质驰豫过程及测量原子激发态能级结构，提供了理论和实验依据     

氮含量对SWRH82B盘条组织和性能的影响

为了研究不同含氮量的SWRH82B盘条在组织和性能等方面的差异,利用液压万能试验机对盘条进行拉伸试验,利用扫描电镜（SEM）和透射电镜（TEM）观察盘条的微观组织、拉伸断口及第二相析出情况。结果表明：增氮使索氏体组织的层片间距更细小;增加1.38×10-4的氮可使盘条的屈服强度提高8 MPa、抗拉强度提高28 MPa、延伸率降低1.8%、断面收缩率降低5.8%;高氮盘条比低氮盘条的拉伸断口上有更多的夹杂物;高氮盘条中的析出物更多且分布较弥散,析出物主要集中在位错线或原奥氏体晶界上,经标定,析出物中含有细小的V(C,N)颗粒。