Perceptual Speed and IQ Are Associated Through Common Genetic Factors

Individual differences in inspection time explain about 20% of IQ test variance. To determine whether the association between inspection time and IQ is mediated by common genes or by a common environmental factor, inspection time and IQ were assessed in an extended twin design. Data from 688 participants from 271 families were collected as part of a large ongoing project on the genetics of adult brain function and cognition. The sample consisted of a young adult cohort (mean age 26.2 years) and an older adult cohort (mean age 50.4 years). IQ was assessed with the Dutch version of the WAIS-3R. Inspection time was measured in the so-called -paradigm, in which a subject is asked to decide which leg of the -figure is longest at varying display times of the -figure. The number of correct inspections per second (i.e., the reciprocal of inspection time) was used to index perceptual speed. For Verbal IQ and Performance IQ, heritabilities were 85% and 69%, respectively. For perceptual speed, 46% of the total variance was explained by genetic variance. No differences in heritability estimates across age cohorts or sexes were found. Across the whole sample, a significant phenotypic correlation was found between perceptual speed and Verbal IQ (0.19) and between perceptual speed and Performance IQ (0.27). These correlations were entirely due to a common genetic factor that accounted for 10% of the genetic variance in verbal IQ and for 22% of the genetic variance in performance IQ. This factor is hypothesized to reflect the influence of genetic factors that determine axonal myelination in the central nervous system.     

Systems biology: integrating technology,biology, and computation

The Human Genome Project has changed the worlds of biology and medicine-helping to catalyze two major paradigm changes: systems biology and predictive, preventive and personalized medicine. These two themes will dominate 21st century biology and medicine. I will discuss these changes and indicate how they may interface with with the process of aging.     

近红外信息辐照对免疫抑制大鼠体液免疫功能的影响

本实验观察了近红外信息辐照(辐照)对免疫抑制大鼠体液免疫功能的调整作用。取大鼠54只随机分为三组:甲组各鼠腹腔注射环磷酰胺(CY,75mg/kg)和伤寒沙门氏菌鞭毛抗原(HAg,7×10~8菌体/只),同时各鼠每天全身辐照1h,共4周;乙组腹腔注射CY和HAg丙组仅腹腔注射HAg。结果甲、乙、丙三组于第四周末的存活率分别为83.3％、38.1％和66.7％(甲与乙组比较P<0.05);第四周末血清总IgG含量分别为141.4±17.6U/ml,120.3±16.6U/ml和117.0±22.9U/ml(甲组与其它两组比较P<0.01);第二周末抗H抗体效价分别为1:91.9、1:46.6和1:149.3(甲与乙组比较P<0.05;乙与丙组比较P<0.01)。结果表明,辐照对免疫功能低下的机体有增强免疫功能的作用。     

Firing of inferior colliculus neurons in response to low-frequency sound stimulation during sleep and waking

SUMMARY  In vivo extracellular recordings of 102 units in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (IC), were made in chronically implanted guinea-pigs during the sleep/wake cycle. During wakefulness, the units were classified according to their response characteristics. Most neurons (63%) recorded showed changes, increasing or decreasing in the number of evoked discharges during the animal's transitions between wakefulness and slow-wave sleep. In the paradoxical sleep phase, the result was similar; changes were observed in most neurons, while only 11% of units did not shift their discharge pattern during ipsilateral sound stimulation.
The post-stimulus time histogram of the overall evoked pattern of discharge showed sleep/wake dependency, i.e. changed in 35% of the units recorded during the 50 ms of sound stimulation.
Fifty-five percent of auditory neurons did not show any change in the spontaneous firing rate during slow-wave sleep as compared to the previous waking period, while 22% exhibited a discharge increase and 23% decreased their firing. During paradoxical sleep, 14 out of 17 cells increased their spontaneous firing rate. The IC auditory neurons send descending connections to regions such as the dorsal pontine nuclei, known to mediate sleep processes. Thus, for constant auditory input, the firing rate or number of discharge variations are due to functional shifts in the sleeping brain. Auditory processing is present during sleep and differs from that observed during wakefulness. Differences were observed in the evoked firing number and/or spontaneous rate, as well as in the pattern of discharge. The ultimate reason for auditory unit shifts during sleep remains yet unexplained.     

PRUFILE: a clinical and laboratory database for the genetics centre

The growing complexity and volume of workload in a Clinical Genetics Centre can rapidly swamp the available clerical facilities. The multiuser database described gives facilities not only for administrative control and documentation but also for the production of data for clinical and scientific analysis. The close link between clinical and laboratory databases gives great versatility and easy expansion as new tests and disciplines are applied to clinical genetic problems.     

The suppression of cervico-ocular response by the haptokinetic information about the contact with a rigid,immobile object

Horizontal eye movements were recorded in eight healthy subjects during super-slow trunk rotation with respect to the space-stationary head. In some trials, subjects simultaneously indicated their perception of selfmotion by means of a joystick. Over the frequency range employed (0.007–0.05 cycles per second, ±20°), all subjects perceived the relative motion of head and trunk as a head rotation with respect to the stationary trunk. Eye movements were observed which were in phase with imaginary head rotation; their amplitude exceeded the amplitude of actual body rotation. The grasping of a rigid ground-based handle (1) produced a sensation of trunk rotation in space, (2) suppressed the sensation of imaginary head rotation in space and (3) gave rise to a significant decrease in amplitude of eye movements. The grasping of a stiff rod with non-zero compliance did not produce these effects. It is concluded that eye movements in response to body rotation with respect to the fixed head are not purely reflex reactions, but are influenced by the internal representation of body motion.     

The inversion effect on gaze perception reflects processing of component information

When faces are turned upside-down they are much more difficult to recognize than other objects. This "face inversion effect" has often been explained in terms of configural processing, which is impaired when faces are rotated away from the upright. Here we report a "gaze inversion effect" and discuss whether it is related to configural face processing of the whole face. Observers reported the gaze locations of photographed upright or inverted faces. When whole faces were presented, we found an inversion effect both for constant errors and observer sensitivity. These results were closely replicated when only the eyes were visible. Together, our findings suggest that gaze processing is largely based on component-based information from the eye region. Processing this information is orientation-sensitive and does not seem to rely on configural processing of the whole face.     

药品数量管理与医保系统的关系

原因信息系统与医保系统实现有效接口,促进了药品的数量管理和医生工作站的推广,降低了错误处方的发生率,使医院服务更加顺畅。     

大鼠三叉神经脊束间质核内接受内脏伤害性信息的含CB神经元向孤束核的投射

目的 探讨大鼠三叉神经脊束间质核(INV)内接受内脏伤害性信息的含calbindin D-28K(CB)神经元与孤束核(NTS)的投射联系。方法 用福尔马林刺激上消化道，应用荧光金(FG)逆行束路追踪结合Fos和CB的免疫荧光组织化学三重标记法。结果 INV的背侧边缘旁核(PaMd)和三叉旁核(PaV)内可见到大量FG逆标细胞，以注射FG的同侧为主。大部分FG逆标细胞(约71.2％)为CB免疫反应阳性。部分FG和CB双标记神经元(约31．5％)同时呈Fos免疫反应阳性的三重标记。结论 INV内部分接受内脏伤害性刺激的CB神经元可直接投射至NTS，含CB的神经元在内脏伤害性信息经INV向NTS的传导通路中，可能发挥重要作用.