The effect of attentional cueing on conscious awareness of stimulus and response

Attending to a cued location in space leads to faster reaction times when a stimulus is presented there. The reasons for this attentional effect, and its specific locus in the information-processing chain between stimulus and response, remain unclear. One suggestion is that attention speeds the conscious detection of stimuli. Surprisingly, this possibility appears not to have been tested directly. To resolve this question, we asked subjects to make simple responses to lateralised targets that followed either a valid, invalid or neutral cue, and to judge the perceived time of the target onset, or of their response, by delayed report of the position of a clock hand. Our results showed that only a small and non-significant part of the attentional effect is due to delayed conscious awareness of the stimulus. The greater part of the attentional effect is localised either subsequent to conscious detection of stimuli or occurs in a separate, parallel processing stream from that which generates the motor response. Electronic Publication     

De novo 13q partial duplication identified by cytogenetic, biochemical and molecular approaches

A 3.5-month-old female infant manifesting dysmorphic facies, developmental delay and failure to thrive was referred for cytogenetic evaluation. Peripheral lymphocytes revealed three chromosomally distinct cell lines: 46,XX/46,XX,10p+/47,XX,10p+,+mar. Dermal fibroblasts revealed only the 46,XX,10p+cell line. High resolution G-, R-, and Q-banding suggested that the extra chromosomal material (10p+) represented a duplication of the segment 13q14----13qter. Parental karyotypes were normal. As absolute identification of de novo chromosomal abnormalities, based solely on cytogenetic studies, is sometimes difficult, both biochemical and molecular approaches were undertaken to elucidate this abnormality in more detail. Dosage effects were examined using esterase D (localized to 13q14.1) and the DNA probes p1E8 and p9A7 (localized to 13q22 and 13q31/32, respectively). These studies suggested the presence of only 2 copies of esterase D, but 3 copies of both DNA probes, allowing identification of the breakpoint at 13q14.2.     

Thermoregulatory responses to cold during a 7-week acclimatisation process in rabbits

A group of six rabbits reared at +20°C ambient temperature was adapted to moderate cold by housing for seven weeks at +10°C. Rectal and skin temperatures, metabolic heat production and respiratory evaporative heat loss were recorded continuously over 1 h for each animal on 3 days per week in the climatic chamber.There was no significant change either of rectal or of ear skin temperature during the acclimatisation process. On the other hand, metabolic heat production was progressively reduced (20% in the 7th week). Slight changes of mean skin temperature and respiratory evaporative heat loss could not account for compensation. Therefore it must be concluded that both adaptive improvement of peripheral insulation and reduction of heat production were achieved during the acclimatisation process. Both processes together ensure that deviations of core temperature are minimal. The possible origin of the functional adaptive effects is discussed. The results are in full agreement both with former neurophysiological results and with system-theoretical considerations of adaptive processes.Dedicated to the 60th birthday of Professor Dr. Kurt Brück     

A controlled study of a specific MAO A reversible inhibitor (R011-1163) and amitriptyline in depressive illness

A double blind comparative study of amitriptyline and a new reversible MAO A inhibitor R011-1163 was conducted in 25 depressed inpatients over 4 weeks. Response to treatment was assessed with the Hamilton depression rating scale, the Carroll depression self rating scale and the Visual analogue scale. Both drugs produced significant changes in depressive symptomatology (P less than 0.01, MANOVA) and there were no statistically significant differences between drugs (P greater than 0.05 MANOVA). Side effects were of mild to moderate severity with dry mouth the most commonly reported side effect of amitriptyline and vague, generalised headache in patients, treated with R011-1163.     

Paternal effects acting during the first cell cycle of human preimplantation development after ICSI.

BACKGROUND: The ability of human embryos to undergo normal development has been shown previously to be subject to strong paternal (sperm-derived) effects. This study was undertaken to determine whether paternal influences on human embryo quality are detectable as early as the first cell cycle after fertilization. METHODS: The quality of zygotes and cleaving embryos resulting from sibling donor oocytes fertilized by sperm from different patients were compared in a donor oocyte-sharing programme. RESULTS: Fertilizations with sperm from certain individuals repeatedly resulted in the formation of high proportions of zygotes with abnormal pronuclear morphology that subsequently tended to cleave slowly and to show extensive fragmentation and blastomere irregularities. This phenomenon was observed with oocytes from two different donors for each of these individuals and contrasted with normal developmental performance of embryos resulting from sibling oocytes fertilized by sperm from other men with similar basic sperm characteristics. Fertilization rates were not related to these differences. CONCLUSIONS: These data point to a very early onset of paternal effects that condition human embryo development. These effects may be both of genetic (related to the minor gene activity of the male pronucleus) or epigenetic (related to the sperm-derived oocyte-activating factor or sperm centrosome) origin.     

Non-muscarinic effects of atropine on calcium conductances in cultured mouse spinal cord neurons

Cultured neurons derived from mouse spinal cord were studied using intracellular recording techniques. Effects of muscarinic cholinergic antagonists (atropine) on voltage-dependent membrane events, which could not be related to muscarinic receptors are described. Atropine (in nanomolar to micromolar concentrations) blocks calcium conductances in a manner which is not blocked by carbachol (100 microM). A direct effect of atropine on membrane Ca2+ conductances is suggested.     

Shear‐Induced Crystallization and Shear‐Induced Dissolution of Poly(ethylene oxide) in Mixtures with Tetrahydronaphthalene and Oligo(dimethyl siloxane‐b‐ethylene oxide)

Cloud point temperatures (T_cp) and crystallization temperatures (T_l/s) were measured at different constant shear rates for the ternary system tetrahydronaphthalene/poly(ethylene oxide)/oligo(dimethyl siloxane‐b‐ethylene oxide) using a rheo‐optical device and in the case of T_l/s additionally a viscometer. This system enables for the first time a joint investigation of both transitions with a given mixture. Shear favors the homogeneous liquid state and the formation of crystals. T_cp (liquid/liquid demixing, UCST) shifts to lower and T_l/s (liquid/solid, segregation of PEO) to higher temperatures by several degrees as the shear rate, , is increased up to 500 s^?1. The normalized shift in T_cp fits well into previous results for high molecular weight blends, oligomer mixtures, polymer solutions in single solvents and low molecular weight mixtures. A phase separated near critical blend was examined 1 K below its T_cp by means of a shear cell (Linkam) in the quiescent state and under shear with respect to its morphology. Upon an increase in one observes a transition from the co‐continuous structures existing in the quiescent state via deformed and oriented particles to string like morphologies. Finally, at sufficiently high shear rates the mixture becomes homogeneous and structures can no longer be seen under the microscope. The morphologies developing after the secession of shear are pointing to pronounced influences of the flow history of the system on the final structure of two phase blends.

Equilibrium phase diagram of the system THN/COP/PEO at the indicated temperatures as obtained from turbidimetric titration. The curve for 42 °C indicates the compositions under which the mixtures segregate the first solid PEO particles upon cooling. The curves for the higher temperatures denote the demixing of the homogeneous system into two liquid phases.     

RNAi抑制XJ-160病毒复制的研究

目的通过建立RNA干扰(RNA interference，RNAi)抑制XJ-160病毒复制的模型，在序列特异性、位置效应和量效关系等方面，探讨RNAi对XJ-160病毒复制的影响，为进一步研究RNAi的抗病毒作用和机制奠定基础。方法按照siRNA(short interferencing RNA)的设计要求合成XJ-160病毒特异siRNA，脂质体法转染BHK-21细胞后感染XJ-160病毒，通过测定病毒滴度、蛋白表达量及XJ-160病毒：RNA合成研究siRNA对XJ-160病毒复制的抑制。结果成功建立了RNAi抑制XJ-160病毒复制的模型，探讨了RNAi抑制该病毒复制作用的特点。结论外源导入的siRNA能够抑制XJ-160病毒的复制，并且这种抑制作用具有明显的序列特异性、位置效应和存在量效关系等特点；siRNA是通过降解病毒RNA实现抑制病毒复制作用的。     

极低频磁场对胞内钙振荡影响的机理分析

基于双钙库模型,本文以离子跨过细胞膜、细胞器膜迁移的几率作为细胞对电磁场的响应因子,来调制流过膜通道的离子的速率,进而影响细胞内钙离子的浓度。数值分析表明:在极低频磁场的作用下,一定能量因子下的频率条件或是一定频率因子下的能量条件可引起钙振荡形式的变化;窗效应是频率因子和能量因子共同作用的结果。     

Enhancement of attention in man with ACTH/MSH 4–10

Normal men were infused for 4 hr with ACTH/MSH 4–10 or a control solution. Behavioral testing after the infusion indicated that subjects who received ACTH/MSH 4–10 were less anxious and had better visual memory than control subjects but the predominant effect of the heptapeptide was to increase visual attention. It was specualted that ACTH/MSH 4–10 may be uniquely coded for attentional functioning.