Mechanism for the learning deficits in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is one of the most common single-gene disorders that causes learning deficits in humans. Mice carrying a heterozygous null mutation of the Nfl gene (Nfl(+/-) show important features of the learning deficits associated with NF1 (ref. 2). Although neurofibromin has several known properties and functions, including Ras GTPase-activating protein activity, adenylyl cyclase modulation and microtubule binding, it is unclear which of these are essential for learning in mice and humans. Here we show that the learning deficits of Nf1(+/-) mice can be rescued by genetic and pharmacological manipulations that decrease Ras function. We also show that the Nf1(+/-) mice have increased GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid)-mediated inhibition and specific deficits in long-term potentiation, both of which can be reversed by decreasing Ras function. Our results indicate that the learning deficits associated with NF1 may be caused by excessive Ras activity, which leads to impairments in long-term potentiation caused by increased GABA-mediated inhibition. Our findings have implications for the development of treatments for learning deficits associated with NF1.     

Global Optimization in Any Minkowski Metric: A Permutation-Translation Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Multidimensional Scaling

It is well known that considering a non-Euclidean Minkowski metric in Multidimensional Scaling, either for the distance model or for the loss function, increases the computational problem of local minima considerably. In this paper, we propose an algorithm in which both the loss function and the composition rule can be considered in any Minkowski metric, using a multivariate randomly alternating Simulated Annealing procedure with permutation and translation phases. The algorithm has been implemented in Fortran and tested over classical and simulated data matrices with sizes up to 200 objects. A study has been carried out with some of the common loss functions to determine the most suitable values for the main parameters. The experimental results confirm the theoretical expectation that Simulated Annealing is a suitable strategy to deal by itself with the optimization problems in Multidimensional Scaling, in particular for City-Block, Euclidean and Infinity metrics.     

一种基于最小熵准则的SAR图像自聚焦算法

研究了一种新颖的SAR图像自聚焦算法。该方法从复图像域出发 ,利用最小熵准则盲解卷积原理 ,通过多维搜索完成相位误差校正。同相位梯度自聚焦算法相比 ,最小熵算法无需在图像域分离出强点目标 ,因而特别适用于无任何明显特征的图像。仿真及实测数据处理结果证明了该方法的有效性     

英语写作中的主要干扰因素——汉语词语及句法

在导致英语写作时出现言语错误的各因素中母语的影响居为首位。而汉语对英语写作的干扰中以汉语的词语及句法的干扰较为突出。应使学生主动适应英语思维,有意识地避免母语的负迁移,不断提高英语写作能力。     

苦茶Camellia assamica var kucha Chang et Wang的嘌呤生物碱

用重量法和柱层析法从苦茶Ｃａｍｅｌｌｉａ ａｓｓａｍｉｃａ ｖａｒｋｕｃｈａ Ｃｈａｎｇ ｅｔ Ｗａｎｇ 的嫩梢中分离出３ 种嘌呤生物碱, 经薄层层析、熔点测定、元素分析、核磁共振和质谱等对其结构的测定,鉴定为咖啡碱、１ , ３ , ７ , ９四甲基尿酸和可可碱, 其百分含量分别为０８８％ , ０８４ ％ 和０２９ ％ ． 样品水提物经氯仿萃取后直接由高压液相色谱分析, 测得苦茶含咖啡碱１９３２ ９％ ,四甲基尿酸１２９４ １ ％ , 可可碱０５８５ ５ ％ , 茶叶碱００１２ ８％ ． 这是茶组植物中嘌呤生物碱新的分布模式     

海南吊罗山热带山地雨林植物种类多样性研究

海南吊罗山热带山地雨林扫把青冈 鸭脚木群落共出现44个科,95个属的乔木树种190种,其中种类数量大于5个的有樟科(24种),茜草科(17种),山毛榉科(17种),山矾科(11种)和山茶科(11种),主要属为新木姜属(6种),蒲桃属(6种),山矾属(12种)和栎属(13种).群落以热带分布型物种占优势,为895%.其中,又以热带亚洲分布成分最多,占358%;其次是泛热带分布,占274%;其它热带分布型占253%,群落中存在一定比例的温带分布型,约95%,中国特有分布属所占比例极低,仅为11%说明其物种的分化程度较低,同时,也说明山地雨林可能是一个广泛分布于东亚的常绿阔叶林的原始代表类型.样地1共有单个体种45种,双个体种20种,分别占物种总数的304%和135%;样地2共有单个体种46种,双个体种26种,分别占物种总数的383%和217%,这些低密度的或小种群的偶见种相对群落的主要种来说,更容易受到各种胁迫的影响而在群落中绝灭,从而使群落的物种多样性降低.     

Prion-like behaviour and tau-dependent cytotoxicity of pyroglutamylated amyloid-β

Extracellular plaques of amyloid-β and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles made from tau are the histopathological signatures of Alzheimer's disease. Plaques comprise amyloid-β fibrils that assemble from monomeric and oligomeric intermediates, and are prognostic indicators of Alzheimer's disease. Despite the importance of plaques to Alzheimer's disease, oligomers are considered to be the principal toxic forms of amyloid-β. Interestingly, many adverse responses to amyloid-β, such as cytotoxicity, microtubule loss, impaired memory and learning, and neuritic degeneration, are greatly amplified by tau expression. Amino-terminally truncated, pyroglutamylated (pE) forms of amyloid-β are strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease, are more toxic than amyloid-β, residues 1-42 (Aβ(1-42)) and Aβ(1-40), and have been proposed as initiators of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Here we report a mechanism by which pE-Aβ may trigger Alzheimer's disease. Aβ(3(pE)-42) co-oligomerizes with excess Aβ(1-42) to form metastable low-n oligomers (LNOs) that are structurally distinct and far more cytotoxic to cultured neurons than comparable LNOs made from Aβ(1-42) alone. Tau is required for cytotoxicity, and LNOs comprising 5% Aβ(3(pE)-42) plus 95% Aβ(1-42) (5% pE-Aβ) seed new cytotoxic LNOs through multiple serial dilutions into Aβ(1-42) monomers in the absence of additional Aβ(3(pE)-42). LNOs isolated from human Alzheimer's disease brain contained Aβ(3(pE)-42), and enhanced Aβ(3(pE)-42) formation in mice triggered neuron loss and gliosis at 3 months, but not in a tau-null background. We conclude that Aβ(3(pE)-42) confers tau-dependent neuronal death and causes template-induced misfolding of Aβ(1-42) into structurally distinct LNOs that propagate by a prion-like mechanism. Our results raise the possibility that Aβ(3(pE)-42) acts similarly at a primary step in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.     

A new species and the phylogeny of the South American genus Gromphas Brullé, 1837 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Phanaeini)

Gromphas jardim Cupello & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov. is described from Bolivia and Central Brazil and is endemic to the biogeographic province of Rondônia. It resembles Gromphas amazonica and Gromphas inermis, but is distinguished primarily by the pattern of pronotal granulation and the form of the apical tubercle of male protibiae, which is modified in a tapered spur. Based on 31 morphological characters, a phylogenetic analysis returned a single most parsimonious tree where Gromphas is monophyletic and has the following internal topology: ((G. aeruginosa + G. lemoinei) (G. dichroa (G. inermis (G. amazonica + G. jardim)))).