Wnt-beta-catenin signaling initiates taste papilla development

Fungiform taste papillae form a regular array on the dorsal tongue. Taste buds arise from papilla epithelium and, unusually for epithelial derivatives, synapse with neurons, release neurotransmitters and generate receptor and action potentials. Despite the importance of taste as one of our five senses, genetic analyses of taste papilla and bud development are lacking. We demonstrate that Wnt-beta-catenin signaling is activated in developing fungiform placodes and taste bud cells. A dominant stabilizing mutation of epithelial beta-catenin causes massive overproduction of enlarged fungiform papillae and taste buds. Likewise, genetic deletion of epithelial beta-catenin or inhibition of Wnt-beta-catenin signaling by ectopic dickkopf1 (Dkk1) blocks initiation of fungiform papilla morphogenesis. Ectopic papillae are innervated in the stabilizing beta-catenin mutant, whereas ectopic Dkk1 causes absence of lingual epithelial innervation. Thus, Wnt-beta-catenin signaling is critical for fungiform papilla and taste bud development. Altered regulation of this pathway may underlie evolutionary changes in taste papilla patterning.     

Information processing along the course of a visual interneuron.

Locust ocellar retinal cells are innervated by giant second order cells, 2 mm long, which show discrete zones of integration along their course, including a major zone in the axonal length of the neuron. The complex synaptic arrangements which exist between higher-order afferent and efferent cells and these second order cells along their course suggests that transmission takes place by the electrotonic spread of slow potentials. The size and accessibility of these visual interneurons offers a unique preparation for examining mechanisms of graded synaptic transmission.     

Effect of ethanol on toxicity and metabolism of amphetamine in the mouse.

Ethanol, 3 g/kg i.p., did not significantly alter the acute toxicity of amphetamine in the mouse. However, the urinary metabolite pattern was changed, suggesting that ethanol suppressed metabolism of the stimulant during the initial 6 h period. After 24 h, the mouse metabolized the same fraction of a given dose of amphetamine, whether it was given as amphetamine alone or amphetamine mixed with 2,3 or 4 g/kg ethanol.     

Rapid reductive degradation of azo dyes by a unique structure of amorphous alloys

An Fe-based amorphous alloy was found to significantly enhance the reductive degradation of an azo dye in aqueous solution. The surface-area normalized rate constant was up to 2.0 L m-2 min-1 at room temperature,an order of magnitude larger than any previously reported value. The activation energy of the degradation process was calculated according to the Arrhenius equation,and a much lower value than those previously reported was obtained. Valence band measurement indicated that a depressed valence band maximum and a widened empty band were established in the amorphous ribbon. The unique structure of the amorphous alloy is important-it may reduce the activation energy of the degradation process and enhance the activity of the electrons,thus accelerating the degradation process.     

考虑地质分层约束的长短期记忆循环神经网络测井曲线重构

延长油田东部裸眼井区早期测井资料普遍只有自然电位（SP）、自然伽马（GR）及梯度电阻率(R2.5)三条曲线,因缺失声波（AC）、地层电阻率（RT）等测井曲线,难以满足精细油藏地质研究需求。东部裸眼井区开发时间长、单井产量低,重新测井缺乏可行性及经济性。采用长短期记忆循环神经网络(Long Short-Term Memory,LSTM)进行缺失测井曲线重构是一种经济有效方法,适用于地层测井序列数据。然而延长油田东部浅层油藏上覆黄土层段测井数据信号干扰大,直接应用模型精度较差。针对此问题,本文采用考虑地质分层约束的LSTM模型进行缺失测井曲线的重构,通过分层数据截取每口井长6层段测井数据作为样本数据,既保留了LSTM模型处理序列数据的优势,同时又避免了上覆黄土层测井数据对模型的干扰。利用裸眼井区完整测井数据进行模型训练优化和验证,讨论了考虑地质分层约束的LSTM测井曲线重构精度,结果表明通过引入地质分层约束,模型重构测井曲线精度更高。应用优化后模型实现裸眼井区50口仅有GR、SP、R2.5三条曲线数据井的AC、RT曲线重构,对50口井的142个射孔段进行二次解释,对比试油解释结论符合率达到89.4%,验证了该方法对测井曲线重构的实用性和有效性。     

基于Pathfinder和虚拟现实的民用机库应急疏散仿真

为了预防机库火灾严重威胁人们的生命安全,且为火灾疏散研究提供更好的实验平台,本文基于Pathfinder建立大型民用机库的疏散仿真模型,根据真实人体参数设置人员性别、身高、肩宽、移动速度等属性,通过计算机模拟得出人员疏散路径和疏散时间,并参照Pathfinder模拟结果选用Unity3D引擎进行虚拟现实环境搭建、交互设计和Agent模型的构建,开发机库虚拟现实应急疏散仿真系统。在群体疏散模拟子模块中模拟8种不同起火位置的疏散情况,并在单人疏散演练子模块中,邀请10位测试者,在机库虚拟环境中选取6个不同的初始位置,进行了5轮疏散测试,结果表明：虚拟现实环境中的模拟结果与Pathfinder模拟结果接近,验证了虚拟现实疏散仿真系统模拟的有效性;单人疏散演练中测试者经过两到三轮练习,疏散时间明显缩短并趋于稳定,验证虚拟现实疏散演练系统可帮助用户提升应急疏散能力。     

Attentional negativity bias moderated by positive mood arousal

Automatically allocation of more attention to negative stimuli is called emotional negativity bias. An event-related potentials (ERPs) experiment investigated whether or not this bias was altered by positive mood arousal. The results suggested that the attention bias towards negative stimuli was attenuated when positive information was accessible.     

一类非线性二层规划的Frank-Wolfe方法

利用下层问题的K-T最优性条件将下层为线性规划的一类非线性二层规划转化为相应的单层规划,同时取互补条件为罚项,得到该类问题的单层罚问题;然后利用Frank-Wolfe方法对单层罚问题进行求解.数值实验表明该方法是可行的.