萨满医术:北方民族精神医学

治病是北方少数民族萨满的主要职能之一。在信仰萨满教的民族中萨满往往充当民间医生的角色。萨满医术是一种精神医术和心灵医术。萨满主要是治心因性的精神疾病,其主要治疗手段也是一种心理治疗。在萨满医术中包含着现代精神医学中使用的一些治疗方法和治愈机制。萨满的精神医术之本质在于通过各种方式使患者的心理得到平衡,与此同时让患者振作起来,对自己的病情持乐观的态度,确立战胜病魔的信心。萨满精神医术就是一种典型的宗教性心理——生理调控术。对萨满医术,应从心理人类学、医学人类学、宗教人类学等多种角度进行研究,这样才能够得出比较全面而相对正确的结论。     

Characterizing the nonlinear growth of large-scale structure in the Universe

The local Universe displays a rich hierarchical pattern of galaxy clusters and superclusters. The early Universe, however, was almost smooth, with only slight 'ripples' as seen in the cosmic microwave background radiation. Models of the evolution of cosmic structure link these observations through the effect of gravity, because the small initially overdense fluctuations are predicted to attract additional mass as the Universe expands. During the early stages of this expansion, the ripples evolve independently, like linear waves on the surface of deep water. As the structures grow in mass, they interact with each other in nonlinear ways, more like waves breaking in shallow water. We have recently shown how cosmic structure can be characterized by phase correlations associated with these nonlinear interactions, but it was not clear how to use that information to obtain quantitative insights into the growth of structures. Here we report a method of revealing phase information, and show quantitatively how this relates to the formation of filaments, sheets and clusters of galaxies by nonlinear collapse. We develop a statistical method based on information entropy to separate linear from nonlinear effects, and thereby are able to disentangle those aspects of galaxy clustering that arise from initial conditions (the ripples) from the subsequent dynamical evolution.     

Facilitation of voltage-gated ion channels in frog neuroglia by nerve impulses

The functions of glial cells in the nervous system are not well defined, with the exception of myelin production by oligodendrocytes, uptake of amino-acid synaptic transmitters, and a contribution to extracellular potassium homeostasis. Neuroglia have receptors for neurotransmitters which may be involved in neuron-glia interactions. Recent studies have demonstrated voltage-gated ion channels in glial membranes. In a study of the optic nerve of the frog, small areas of the surface were examined with the loose patch-clamp method, and voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels, presumably located in the membranes of the astrocytes forming the glia limitans, were identified. We now report that nerve impulses in the axons of the frog optic nerve transiently alter the properties of the voltage-dependent membrane channels of the surface glial cells (astrocytes), a demonstration of a new form of neuron-glia interaction.     

The mode of action of four anthelmintics

Résumé LesAscaris qui se sont «déparalysés» après une incubation prolongée dans 100 ppm de levamisole, ne se contractent pas après injection des anthélminitiques béphenium, méthyridine et pyrantel. Etant donné que la mécamyline et la pempidine bloquent les contractions desAscaris provoquées par le levamisole, il paraît probable que chez les Nématodes ces 4 anthélmintiques sont des stimulateurs des ganglions.     

An absolute zero of temperature: Locke's enunciation of the concept

Attention is drawn to a clear statement of the concept of an absolute zero of temperature by John Locke some time between 1698 and 1704. From the writings of Boyle and Newton it seems unlikely that either of them was responsible for providing their friend with this insight.     

安哥拉山羊及其杂种羊DNA指纹图谱分析

应用寡苷酸探针(CA/GATA/TCC)