Human slow wave sleep: A review and appraisal of recent findings,with implications for sleep functions,and psychiatric illness

Recent findings concerning human slow wave sleep (hSWS-stages 3+4; delta EEG activity) are critically reviewed. Areas covered include the significance of the first hSWS cycle; hSWS in extended sleep; relationship between hSWS, prior wakefulness and sleep loss; hSWS influence on sleep length; problems with hSWS deprivation; influence of the circadian rhythm; individual differences in hSWS, especially, age, gender and constitutional variables such as physical fitness and body composition. Transient increases in hSWS can be produced by increasing both the quality and quantity of prior wakefulness, with an underlying mechanism perhaps relating to the waking level of brain metabolism. Whilst there may also be thermoregulatory influences on hSWS, hypotheses that energy conservation and brain cooling are major roles for hSWS are debatable. hSWS seems to offer some form of cerebral recovery, with the prefrontal cortex being particularly implicated. The hSWS characteristics of certain forms of major psychiatric disorders may well endorse this prefrontal link.     

基于室内对流换热人体热反应模型的生理参数预测

为了在不同对流换热方式的室内环境中对皮肤温度、核心温度等人体生理参数进行有效的预测,基于Fiala模型,综合考虑不同对流方式对人与环境换热量的影响,尤其是通过修正不同对流方式的对流换热系数、平均辐射温度以及服装热阻等,建立了室内对流环境中的人体热反应模型。通过将模拟值与文献实验值进行对比来验证所建模型的有效性,结果表明两者高度吻合。在自然对流、混合对流环境下,平均皮肤温度预测误差以及受迫对流环境下人体大部分部位局部温度预测误差均小于1℃。所建模型可用于各种对流空调环境下的人体生理参数预测,为新型对流空调系统设计、评估以及规范修正等提供参考。     

冬眠哺乳动物的体温调节

哺乳动物是一类具有高代谢率的恒温动物,它们可通过自身体内氧化代谢产热在较大的环境温度范围内维持高而相对恒定的体温,其体温具有周期性节律变化的特征。冬眠是动物在进化过程中形成的一种应对寒冷、食物缺乏等恶劣环境的生物学习性。冬眠时动物的体温会大幅度下降,这种低体温是动物主动调节的。冬眠的哺乳动物,不论是在冬眠季节还是非冬眠季节,表现出的体温都是在中枢神经系统调节下产热和散热效应综合作用的结果,其机理和产热特征一直是研究的热点。概括叙述了冬眠哺乳动物在活跃季节、入眠过程以及冬眠季节体温调节的特点;恒温哺乳动物体温调节的假说及其发展;冬眠哺乳动物的体温调节;以及对近年来人们关注的热点问题TRP通道进行简要的综述。     

冬季温度漂移下心率变异性对人体热舒适的影响

研究显示,环境温度的变化对人体心脏活动的影响显著,寒冷或极端温度会给人们带来心血管疾病。本文基于人体心率变异性指标,探讨了温度漂移热环境在室内热舒适方面的优势,并分析了人体主观热评价、皮肤温度与心率变异性之间的关系。本文设置16名受试者从初始稳定温度（24℃或18℃）经历半小时的温降漂移,最后再经历升温回到初始温度。实验收集了受试者的主观热评价与皮肤温度,并全程监测了其心电信号。通过频域分析法,得到了心率变异性的低频功率/高频功率比值（LF/HF）。结果表明：在冬季,适当的温度漂移可以改善受试者对相同温度热环境的热舒适评价;温度漂移对人体热舒适的影响可以通过LF/HF值表征出来;冬季温度漂移热环境下,人体的LF/HF值与平均皮肤温度、热感觉显著相关。     

Shivering during sleep: Relationship between muscle blood flow and fiber type composition

The present study considers in rabbit: i) the relationship between muscle blood flow (BF) increase and fiber-type composition during shivering; ii) the influence of the vigilance states (Quiet Wakefulness, QW; Synchronized Sleep, SS; Desynchronized Sleep, DS) on this relationship. The results show that muscle BF increase during shivering is proportional to the slow-twitch oxidative (SO) fiber component in QW and SS; in DS the proportionality is lost. This is in accordance with the disappearance of shivering, together with all thermoregulatory effector responses, in this sleep state. Another muscle circulation pattern occurring at low ambient temperature, the relationship between BF increase and muscle depth, also disappears in DS. This confirms that the integrative control of muscle circulation, like other integrative mechanisms, is impaired during DS.     

人体热舒适客观评价指标

在人体、动物实验基础上,对有可能作为人体热舒适客观评价指标的重要生理参数进行探讨.人体热反应实验在人工气候室内进行,对不同环境温度下受试者的生理参数和主观感觉同时进行测量.研究结果表明:受自主性体温调节活动影响的生理参数如人体皮肤温度、心率变异性、新陈代谢率、脑电波、肌电、排汗率与人体热舒适具有较好的生理相关性,并且在人体处于热舒适与不舒适状态时差异显著,具备作为人体热舒适客观评价指标的生理基础;平均皮肤温度反映热舒适程度的灵敏性较高,具备较高的可靠性,而且其测量与计算较为简单,可作为一个有效的客观指标来评价稳态热环境下的人体热舒适程度.     

Do zebra stripes influence thermoregulation?

The temperatures of black and white stripes on two zebras and a zebra hide were measured, throughout separate sunny days in Kenya. There is a 12–15^oC difference between living zebras’ stripe temperatures throughout the middle seven daytime hours. The hide temperatures reach 16^oC higher than the living zebras. Like all equids, zebras sweat to keep cool. Movement of sweat away from the skin is accelerated by the recently discovered surfactant equid protein latherin, a vital component of cooling in racehorses. Latherin decreases the surface tension of the sweat, facilitating evaporative cooling at the hair tips. We suggest that the abrupt temperature difference between the stripes causes chaotic air movement above the hair surface, thus enhancing evaporative heat dissipation. This cooling mechanism explains the lower temperatures of living zebra stripes than those of the inanimate hide. We observed that the black stripes can be separately erected, while the white remain flat. This may further refine the mechanism. There is an ongoing debate about the function of zebra stripes, recently focussed on the fact that stripes deter biting flies. The data and observations in this paper suggest that the primary function of the stripes may be thermoregulation and a secondary benefit, fly-deterrence.     

恐龙的繁殖行为：来自恐龙蛋（胚胎）化石的证据

过去的一段时期以来，有关恐龙繁殖行为的研究令人产生了从未有过的兴奋，并引起了公众的极大关注。丰富的恐龙蛋（胚胎）化石的新发现为恐龙繁殖行为的研究提供了前所未有的证据。研究表明：恐龙的繁殖行为有些方面类似于鳄类，有些方面又类似于鸟类，但又不失其自身显著的特征。通过对恐龙产蛋、筑巢和孵蛋行为的研究，不仅帮助我们认识了恐龙繁殖行为的演化历史，同时也阐述了恐龙蛋的形态特征和体温调节功能。     

The pineal gland is very large and active in newborn antarctic seals

Summary The pineal gland of newborn elephant seals and Weddell seals is larger than in adult females. The gland is considerably larger at birth in Weddell seals than in elephant seals. The former experience greater extremes of temperature. Plasma melatonin concentrations in excess of 2000 pg/ml were recorded in the first days of life, compared with 20–50 pg/ml in adults.Acknowledgment. We thank members of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition to Macquarie Island for assistance with collection of elephant seal samples, in particular G. Burns, D. Carroll, G. Copson, R. Ledingham and S. Pye. The support of the National Science Foundation, USA, and personnel at the United States Antarctic Research Program base at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, are gratefully acknowledged. The Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service kindly issued permits to collect specimens at Macquarie Island.