The evolution of reproductive isolation through sexual conflict

Classical population-genetics theory suggests that reproductive isolation will evolve fastest in small isolated populations. In contrast, recent theory suggests that divergence should occur fastest in larger allopatric populations. The rationale behind this is that sexual conflict, potentially the strongest driver of speciation, is greater in larger, higher-density populations. This idea is highly controversial and has little experimental support. Here we show, using replicate fly populations with varying levels of sexual conflict, that larger, more dense populations with more sexual conflict diverged to a greater degree than small populations with relaxed conflict. This result strongly suggests that speciation can occur rapidly in large populations through increased sexual conflict.     

Topography and synaptic shaping of direction selectivity in primary auditory cortex

The direction of frequency-modulated (FM) sweeps is an important temporal cue in animal and human communication. FM direction-selective neurons are found in the primary auditory cortex (A1), but their topography and the mechanisms underlying their selectivity remain largely unknown. Here we report that in the rat A1, direction selectivity is topographically ordered in parallel with characteristic frequency (CF): low CF neurons preferred upward sweeps, whereas high CF neurons preferred downward sweeps. The asymmetry of 'inhibitory sidebands', suppressive regions flanking the tonal receptive field (TRF) of the spike response, also co-varied with CF. In vivo whole-cell recordings showed that the direction selectivity already present in the synaptic inputs was enhanced by cortical synaptic inhibition, which suppressed the synaptic excitation of the non-preferred direction more than that of the preferred. The excitatory and inhibitory synaptic TRFs had identical spectral tuning, but with inhibition delayed relative to excitation. The spectral asymmetry of the synaptic TRFs co-varied with CF, as had direction selectivity and sideband asymmetry, and thus suggested a synaptic mechanism for the shaping of FM direction selectivity and its topographic ordering.     

Research on data combination for Phased-array Ground Penetrating Radar

0　IntroductionGroundPenetratingRadar (GPR)isanewandefficientex ploringmeanstodetecttheobjectinshallowsubsurface.Comparedwithotherdetectingmethods,GPRhasmanyadvan tages,suchasquickness,highresolution ,convenientoperationetc.SoGPRisappliedtonationaldefenseandnationaleconomy .IndevelopmentofGPRtechnology ,therecomeforthcontinuous waveradar,FMcontinuous waveradar,andshockpulseradar.Amongoftheseradars,shockpulseradarsendsgreatamplitudeimpulsewithperiodinns,receivingequivalentsamplingtoreali…     

Code Component Reuse Supporting Environment (CCRSE) and its design strategy

Code Component Reuse Supporting Environment (CCRSE), which has been developed by us, is an integrated development environment. CCRSE can provide comprehensive supports for the whole process of reusing code component in the manner of dynamic composition. The architecture and functionality of CCRSE are introduced in this paper.The key achievement of this paper is giving the three strategies that are vital to successfully design CCRSE. The three strategies include: (1) according to the three pivotal technologies ( encapsulation, composition and management) for supporting composition reuse of code component, design three tools respectively. (2) keep tool for supporting code component development independent of tool for supporting code component composition. (3) strictly restrict code component specification, provide the strong "plug and play" support for code component composition reuse, and furthest provide transparence to strictly restricted specification of code component in development of component itse     

Toward an understanding of cell growth and the cell division cycle of unicellular photoautotrophic cyanobacteria

The cell division cycle of Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 6301 in light is characterized by the sequential and orderly appearance of macromolecular synthesis periods. In the dark, macromolecular synthesis and cell division are severely curtailed. When dark-incubated cultures are reexposed to light, a new cell cycle is initiated. The pattern of the cell events displayed by Synechococcus in light and the absence of sustained growth in dark incubation conditions suggests that light-activated regulatory molecules control macromolecular synthesis and the cell division cycle. For example, ribosomal RNA synthesis is stimulated by a light-activated DNA binding factor in light but not in the dark. Light/dark conditions induce cell synchrony in Prochlorococcus. Distinct G1, S and G2 phases characterize cell cycles of marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus. Cell division in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and marine Synechococcus is controlled by circadian oscillators.     

Dysregulation of TGF-beta activation contributes to pathogenesis in Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder of connective tissue caused by mutations in fibrillin-1 (encoded by FBN1 in humans and Fbn1 in mice), a matrix component of extracellular microfibrils. A distinct subgroup of individuals with Marfan syndrome have distal airspace enlargement, historically described as emphysema, which frequently results in spontaneous lung rupture (pneumothorax; refs. 1-3). To investigate the pathogenesis of genetically imposed emphysema, we analyzed the lung phenotype of mice deficient in fibrillin-1, an accepted model of Marfan syndrome. Lung abnormalities are evident in the immediate postnatal period and manifest as a developmental impairment of distal alveolar septation. Aged mice deficient in fibrillin-1 develop destructive emphysema consistent with the view that early developmental perturbations can predispose to late-onset, seemingly acquired phenotypes. We show that mice deficient in fibrillin-1 have marked dysregulation of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) activation and signaling, resulting in apoptosis in the developing lung. Perinatal antagonism of TGF-beta attenuates apoptosis and rescues alveolar septation in vivo. These data indicate that matrix sequestration of cytokines is crucial to their regulated activation and signaling and that perturbation of this function can contribute to the pathogenesis of disease.     

Iron-mediated inhibition of H+-ATPase in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from wheat roots

The mechanisms of iron-mediated inhibition of the H(+)-ATPase activity of plasma membrane (PM) vesicles isolated from wheat roots were investigated. Both FeSO(4) and FeCl(3) significantly inhibited PM H(+)-ATPase activity, and the inhibition could be reversed by the addition of the metal ion chelator EDTA-Na(2) or a specific Fe(2+) chelator, indicating that the inhibitory effect was due to specific action of Fe(2+) or Fe(3+). Measurement of the extent of lipid peroxidation showed that oxidative damage on the PM caused by Fe(2+) or Fe(3+) seemed to be correlated with the inhibition of PM H(+)-ATPase activity. However, prevention of lipid peroxidation with butylated hydroxytoluene did not affect iron-mediated inhibition in the PM H(+)-ATPase, suggesting that the inhibition of the PM H(+)-ATPase was not a consequence of lipid peroxidation caused by iron. Investigation of the effects of various reactive oxygen species scavengers on the iron-mediated inhibition of H(+)-ATPase activity indicated that hydroxyl radicals (*OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) might be involved in the Fe(2+)-mediated decrease in PM H(+)-ATPase activity. Moreover, iron caused a decrease in plasma protein thiol (P-SH), and Fe(3+) brought a higher degree of oxidation in thiol groups than Fe(2+) at the same concentration. Modification of the thiol redox state in the PM suggested that reducing thiol groups were essential to maintain PM H(+)-ATPase activity. Incubation of the specific thiol modification reagent 5,5-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) with the rightside-out and inside-out PM revealed that thiol oxidation occurred at the apoplast side of the PM. Western blotting analysis revealed a decrease in H(+)-ATPase content caused by iron. Taken together, these results suggested that thiol oxidation might account for the inhibition of PM H(+)-ATPase caused by iron, and that *OH and H(2)O(2) were also involved in Fe(2+)-mediated inhibition.     

对师院美术"一三课程分段模式"的质疑

“一三课程分段模式”是目前美术专业院校典型的专业划分课程设置模式。高师美术课程设置对专业院校课程设置的模仿,不仅与现在基础教育课程改革的发展趋势相悖,而且与高师美术教育的培养目标也发生了错位。高师美术教育只有立足于自身的培养目标进行知识、素质、能力结构的准确定位,建立体现自身优势与特色的课程体系,才能培养高素质的美术师资。     

高丰度硅-28同位素的分离技术

同位素纯硅片具有特殊的物理性质,在信息技术领域有着非常广阔的应用前景。为获得高丰度28Si,利用国产的高速气体离心机,选择SiF4作为分离的工作介质,对硅同位素进行了离心分离实验。通过单机分离实验,调整气体离心机的有关参数,摸索出适合级联分离的单机参数,同时得到气体离心机分离硅同位素的单位质量数的全分离系数γ0。利用由4台离心机组成的级联,经过6个阶段的分离,得到了28Si丰度达到99.5%的样品。实验结果表明,离心法分离硅同位素是完全可行的。