Differential effects of the serotonin receptors on cultured rat cerebral cortical neurons

Effects of serotonin (5-HT) on cerebral cortical neurons were examined by patch clamp techniques. 5-HT produced a variety of responses such as outward (19/73 patches/neurons), slow inward (15/73 patches/neurons), fast inward (8/73 patches/neurons), and mixed currents (initially fast inward deflection followed by an outward response: 2/73 patches/neurons), with a latency of 12 sec, 15 sec, 0 sec, and 0 sec respectively, at a holding potential of −60 mV in whole-cell patches. The fast inward currents were again evoked by a selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist, 1-(m-chlorophenyl)-biguanide hydrochloride (CPBG). In the cell-attached patch clamp configuration, 5-HT inside the patch pipette elicited single channel currents with slope conductances of 42 pS and 132 pS (4/42 patches/neurons). CPBG inside the patch pipette evoked inward single channel currents with a lower slope conductance of 41 pS (3/23 patches/neurons). In contrast, application of 5-HT or a 5-HT₂ receptor agonist, α-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine-maleate, outside the patch pipette induced outward single channel currents with a major slope conductance of 140 pS (8/30 patches/neurons) or 135 pS (6/20 patches/neurons), respectively. These results indicate that the outward and fast inward currents may be mediated respectively by the 5-HT₂ receptor, which is coupled to a G-protein, and by the 5-HT₃ receptor, which contains the non-selective cation channel, and that the mixed type may be caused by both the 5-HT₂ and 5-HT₃ receptors. Received 27 September 1996; received after revision 4 November 1996; accepted 7 November 1996     

毛细压力对薄液膜蒸发的影响

介绍了一个考虑毛细压力对液膜在垂直平板上蒸发影响的模型．导出了此过程的控制方程组并用可变步长的Ｒｕｎｇｅ－Ｋｕｔｔａ方法进行数值积分．数值结果与Ｎｕｓｓｅｌｔ膜冷凝理论的分析解进行比较，当液膜变得足够薄时，结果与Ｎｕｓｓｅｌｔ膜理论产生显著偏差．这可能是由于Ｎｕｓｓｅｌｔ膜理论没有考虑毛细压力对液膜形状的影响     

Butterflies and ants: The communicative domain

Associations with ants, termed myrmecophily, are widespread in the butterfly family Lycaenidae and range from mere co-existence to more or less specific mutualistic or even parasitic interactions. Secretions of specialized epidermal glands are crucial for mediating the interactions. Transfer of nutrients (carbohydrates, amino acids) from butterfly larvae to ants plays a major role, but manipulative communication with the help of odour signals is also involved. By means of myrmecophily, lycaenid butterflies largely escape ant predation, and certain species gain protection through attendant ants or achieve developmental benefits from ant-attendance. Benefits to the ants range from minimal to substantial food rewards. While most lycaenid species maintain facultative relationships with a variety of ant genera, highly specific and obligatory associations have convergently evolved in a number of butterfly lineages. As a corollary, communication systems are largely unspecific in the former, but may be highly specialized in the latter. The sophisticated communication between obligate myrmecophiles and their host ants is tightly connected with the evolutionary rise of specialized life-cycles and thus is a source of augmenting diversity within the butterflies.     

The prey consumption and prey preference of the larvae of the mosquitoCulex (Lutzia) raptor on the larvae ofCulex quinquefasciatus

The maximum consumption of the larvae of the pest and vector mosquitoCulex quinquefasciatus by the predatory mosquitoCulex (Lutzia) raptor was studied at various instars of both the predator and the prey. The prey preferences of the predator when given lavae of different instars were also investigated. The IVth instar of the predator consumed the maximum number of Ist instar and the maximum biomass of IVth instar larvae of the prey. Instars I and II of the predator preferred the Ist of the prey; instars III and IV of the predator preferred instars II and III of the prey respectively.The predator consumed an average of 157.1 larvae during its whole larval period, when each instar of the predator was given its preferred instar of the prey.     

用子波变换分析方法实时监测视觉诱发电位的潜伏期

诱发电位的实时监测在临床中有重要意义。本文提出利用多分辨率子波分析技术来实时监测视觉诱发电位的潜伏期。为克服随机噪声的影响，我们引入相邻响应的相关系数来修正所检测得的潜伏期的偏移，并应用前一次响应的波峰位置来决定当前的搜寻范围。实验表明，本方法能实时监测视觉诱发电位的潜伏期。     

基于可逆RS码的第Ⅱ类多进制混合ARQ及其性能分析

针对二进制第Ⅱ类混合自动请求重传差错控制系统流量偏低的问题,提出了基于Reed-Solomon(RS)码的多进制混合自动请求重传方案.该方案将信息经RS码编码后,采用多进制调制,信息部分与校验部分分开传输,码的可逆性使得仅由无误的校验部分便可恢复出信息,利于提高流量.数值结果表明,该方案在Rician衰落信道下的流量比传统的二进制方案有了明显提高,同时可靠性依然保持与二进制方案相同的水平.     

Depositional environments of Bathonian sediments from the Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan, western India

The pericratonic sedimentary Jaisalmer Basin, west of the Aravalli Ranges, on the westerly dipping eastern flank of the Indus Shelf, is a principal structural element of Rajasthan. Jurassic sediments in the SE comprise non-marine sandstones and conglomerates to nearshore, brackish to marine sands, silts, clays and carbonates, grouped lithostratigraphically into the Lathi, Jaisalmer, Baisakhi, and Bhadasar formations. The Late Bajocian to Oxfordian Jaisalmer Formation is divided, in ascending order, into the Hamira, Joyan, Fort, Badabag, Kuldhar, and Jajiya members. Fossil records providing a Bajocian to Bathonian age for the lower and middle parts of the formation include: a Late Bajocian coral Isastraea bernardiana (d’Orbigny) in the uppermost Joyan Member; Bathonian ammonite Clydoniceras in the basal part of the Badabag Member; Bathonian foraminiferal/bivalve assemblages in the Fort Member. The topmost bed of the Joyan Member represents the peak of first marine transgression of the Jaisalmer Basin, probably contemporaneous with the Late Bajocian one in the neighbouring Kachchh Basin. Based on faunal studies Bajocian to Bathonian sediments of the Jaisalmer Basin can be broadly correlated with those of the Kachchh Basin. The Fort and Badabag members represent the following depositional environments, in chronological order: (a) brackish to shallow fully marine; (b) fully marine with rapidly fluctuating water energy and sedimentation rates; (c) near-shore to lower shoreface with fluctuating energy conditions, salinity and sedimentation rates; (d) near-shore to shoreface channels and storm-dominated marine above fair-weather wave-base; (e) lagoon with fluctuating low to moderate energy, salinity and sedimentation rates; (f) stormdominated shelf to lower shoreface.