Effects of calcineurin on LTP of rats <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis>

Calcineurin (CN) is thought to play a role in the synaptic plastivity and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. Based on two LTP models in vivo, a specific inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) of CN was observed, which affected LTP in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of the rats. The results indicated that CsA blocked LTP induced by high frequency stimulation (HFS) partly, but it had no effect on the decrease of the onset and peak latency of population spikes (PS) except that it reduced the increase of the amplitude after HFS. On the other hand, CsA blocked LTP induced by ginsenosides (GSS) completely. It suppressed the GSS-enhanced amplitude of PS reversibly and blocked the decrease of the peak latency of PS induced by the GSS. These results suggest that the postsynaptic CN plays a role in the induction of LTP in the hippocampus of the rats.     

Research on effects of hydrostatic pressure on the dielectric property of Pb(Zn<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>2/3</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3−</Subscript>BaTiO<Subscript>3−</Subscript> PbTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> relaxor ferroelectric ceramics

The dielectric properties of Pb(Zn1_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃₋ BaTiO₃₋PbTiO₃ relaxor ferroelectric ceramics near the rhombohedral and tetragonal phase boundary were investigated under hydrostatic pressure. It was found that hydrostatic pressure made their phase transition temperature T _c and the peak temperature T _m decreased, and the frequency dispersion and relaxor behavior enhanced. In these disorder systems of composite pervoskite structures, there appeared polar clusters or nanodomains. The unique physical characteristics, which made the relaxor behavior enhanced, is that the correlation length among these nanodomains decreases greatly with the pressure increasing.     

F-box proteins in flowering plants

In eukaryotes, the ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation pathway has been shown to control several key biological processes such as cell division, development, metabolism and immune response. F-box proteins, as a part of SCF (Skp1-Cullin (or Cdc53)-F-box) complex, functioned by interacting with substrate proteins, leading to their subsequent degradation by the 26S proteasome. To date, several F-box proteins identified in Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum have been shown to play important roles in auxin signal transduction, floral organ formation, flowering and leaf senescence. Arabidopsis genome sequence analysis revealed that it encodes over 1000 predicted F-box proteins accounting for about 5% of total predicted proteins. These results indicate that the ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation involving the F-box proteins is an important mechanism controlling plant gene expression. Here, we review the known F-box proteins and their functionsin flowering plants.     

Peat record reflecting Holocene climatic change in the Zoigê Plateau and AMS radiocarbon dating

Through the use of reliable AMS dating of high resolution (15–30 years) peat and the establishment of monsoon climate proxies sequence, we have been able to recognize several cold, dry events in the Tibetan Plateau during the Holocene. The more obvious ones occurred around 12800, 11300, 10200, 9580, 8900, 6400, 4400, 3700, 2800 and 1500 cal. aBP. These events correlate well with both ice rafting events recorded in high latitude North Atlantic Ocean sediment cores and cooling events in the low latitude SST. Spectral analysis indicates high frequency climate variation on centennial-millennial time scale during the Holocene. This further reflects Holocene climate instability and the existence of centennial-millenium scale rhythm in mid latitude areas as well.     

对"矛盾"、"对立"范畴的再认识

韩非的“矛盾”富言属于逻辑矛盾。他的“矛盾”思想则是非此即彼、非彼即此,二者必居其一。这种仅仅在对立两极中的思维方法并非完全正确。哲学上的辩证关系,借用“矛盾”、“对立”范畴来表述,也不十分恰当,因为矛与盾不是对立的双方,而辩证关系也应包括对立统一、鼎立统一、多立统一。所以我们必须确立立体矛盾观,即对立面-中介-对立面,或正中反矛盾论,或同异反分析法。     

Sensitivity dependence of surface plasmon resonance based sensors on prism refractive index

We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that refractive index of the prism used to load metal film has significant influence on sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance based sensors. The prism with lower refractive index gives the sensors a higher sensitivity in detecting refractive index variations of a sample. We attribute this effect to the fact that a prism with low refractive index will increase coupling distance between surface plasmons and the medium under investigation. Foundation item: Supported by Wuhan University and National Education Ministry of China Biography: Wang Guo-ping (1964-), male, Professor, research direction: bolographic materials, diffractive optical elements, optical properties of metallic nanopracticles and metal-dielectric nanostructures     

A semantic retrieval method based on the fuzzy reasoning

This paper gives a semantic fuzzy retrieval method of multimedia object, discusses the principle of fuzzy semantic retrieval technique, presents a fuzzy reasoning mechanism based on the knowledge base, and designs the relevant reasoning algorithms. Researchful results have innovative significance. Foundation item: Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province(No. 200J157) Biography: Cao Jia-heng(1946-), male, Professor, research direction: multimedia software, artificial intelligence.     

Model of production planning and scheduling in shop floor based on collaboration and competition

The planning and scheduling in real shop floor is actually achieved by coordination between different persons. In this process, cooperation is mainstream, but competition also exists, for example, the competition between different groups, operators with the same skill, etc. In multi-agent based shop floor management and control system, this competition and cooperation relation must be embodied. The general process of shop floor production planning and scheduling is studied, and a colored Petri-net model for the competition and cooperation process of three main agents in such system to achieve shop floor production planning and scheduling is presented. The evaluating method of bids in bidding process that especially embodies the competition relationship is also presented. This colored Petri-net model gives a clear illustration of this complex coordination process to system designers, effectively promotes the cooperative development. Foundation item: Supported partly by the Hi-tech Program of China (China 863) (No. 863-511-943-009) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 59990470) Biography: Liu Shi-ping(1971-), male, Ph. D. candidate, research direaction: CIMS, intelligent manufacturing.     

Crosstalk model and estimation formula for VLSI interconnect wires

We develop an interconnect crosstalk estimation model on the assumption of linearity for CMOS device. First, we analyze the terminal response of RC model on the worst condition from the S field to the time domain. The exact 3 order coefficients in S field are obtained due to the interconnect tree model. Based on this, a crosstalk peak estimation formula is presented. Unlike other crosstalk equations in the literature, this formula is only used coupled capacitance and grand capacitance as parameter. Experimental results show that, compared with the SPICE results, the estimation formulae are simple and accurate. So the model is expected to be used in such fields as layout-driven logic and high level synthesis, performance-driven floorplanning and interconnect planning.     

Detection of carbonates in dust shells around evolved stars.

Carbonates on large Solar System bodies like Earth and Mars (the latter represented by the meteorite ALH84001) form through the weathering of silicates in a watery (CO3)2- solution. The presence of carbonates in interplanetary dust particles and asteroids (again, represented by meteorites) is not completely understood, but has been attributed to aqueous alteration on a large parent body, which was subsequently shattered into smaller pieces. Despite efforts, the presence of carbonates outside the Solar System has hitherto not been established. Here we report the discovery of the carbonates calcite and dolomite in the dust shells of evolved stars, where the conditions are too primitive for the formation of large parent bodies with liquid water. These carbonates, therefore, are not formed by aqueous alteration, but perhaps through processes on the surfaces of dust or ice grains or gas phase condensation. The presence of carbonates which did not form by aqueous alteration suggests that some of the carbonates found in Solar System bodies no longer provide direct evidence that liquid water was present on large parent bodies early in the history of the Solar System.