Chromosomal instability in Lathyrus sativus L.

Summary In Lathyrus sativus (2n=14), variety LSD-1 shows an instability of somatic chromosome number which can be observed in root tip and shoot tip mitoses. In this variety, approximately 54% of the seedlings showed intra-individual variation in chromosome number ranging from 2n=14–3. This variability in chromosome number was recorded in approximately 60% of the dividing cells. Two seedlings were triploid with 21 chromosomes. Variation in chromosome number in somatic cells within individual plants is possibly controlled by genetic factors, which result in spindle abnormalities, chromosome degradation and minute chromosomes. The variation in chromosome number is probably responsible for the pollen polymorphism noted in this particular strain. The possible mechanism of intra-individual variability and the occurrence of the phenomenon vis-a-vis its applications are discussed.     

Effects of host endocrine gland removal on the permissive status of laboratory rodents to infection by Schistosoma mansoni

Knopf P. M. and Soliman M. 1980. Effects of host endocrine gland removal on the permissive status of laboratory rodents to infection by Schistosoma mansoni. International Journal for Parasitology, 10: 197–204. The capacity of Schistosoma mansoni to complete its life cycle was compared in CD-1 mice (permissive hosts) and Sprague-Dawley rats (nonpermissive hosts) from which the pituitary gland had been removed prior to infection with cercariae. Except for a modest decrease in egg burden, none of the parameters of worm life cycle assessed were affected in hypophysectomized mice. In contrast, all these parameters were affected in hypophysectomized rats, e.g. onset of adult worm elimination was delayed, worm development improved, oviposition increased and miracidia developed. Effects of removal from rats of the thyroid/parathyroid glands on the parasite life cycle were similar to hypophysectomy; adrenalectomy or gonadectomy were without affect. Differences between thyroidectomized and thymectomized rats are discussed. It is concluded that host hormones contribute to the nonpermissive status of rats to Schistosoma mansoni infections.     

The influence of basic plan parameters on calculated small field output factors – A multicenter study

PurposeThe influence of basic plan parameters such as slice thickness, grid resolution, algorithm type and field size on calculated small field output factors (OFs) was evaluated in a multicentric study.Methods and materialsThree computational homogeneous water phantoms with slice thicknesses (ST) 1, 2 and 3 mm were shared among twenty-one centers to calculate OFs for 1x1, 2x2 and 3x3 cm² field sizes (FSs) (normalized to 10x10 cm² FS), with their own treatment planning system (TPS) and the energy clinically used for stereotactic body radiation therapy delivery. OFs were calculated for each combination of grid resolution (GR) (1, 2 and 3 mm) and ST and finally compared with the OFs measured for the TPS commissioning. A multivariate analysis was performed to test the effect of basic plan parameters on calculated OFs.ResultsA total of 509 data points were collected. Calculated OFs are slightly higher than measured ones. The multivariate analysis showed that Center, GR, algorithm type, and FS are predictive variables of the difference between calculated and measured OFs (p < 0.001). As FS decreases, the spread in the difference between calculated and measured OFs became larger when increasing the GR. Monte Carlo and Analytical Anisotropic Algorithms, presented a dependence on GR (p < 0.01), while Collapsed Cone Convolution and Acuros did not. The effect of the ST was found to be negligible.ConclusionsModern TPSs slightly overestimate the calculated small field OFs compared with measured ones. Grid resolution, algorithm, center number and field size influence the calculation of small field OFs.     

An application case of ecological indicator values (Zeigerwerte) calculated with a simple algorithmic approach

Abstract

The vegetation of the study site near Rome (Castelporziano Estate), where different woodland types occur, was analysed on the basis of ecological indicator values (Zeigerwerte) for light, temperature, continentality of climate, soil moisture, soil pH and nitrogen. Indicator values were estimated with Hill's reprediction algorithm for the flora of Central-Southern Italy relying on a database of 4,207 original relevés representing a balanced survey of the vegetation of this and surrounding areas. It was possible to obtain indicator values for an important fraction of the Italian Mediterranean flora. Results are ecologically reasonable, and it was possible to find strong correlation between the recalculated values and a few environmental variables. These correlations were not significant in an analogous test with subjectively derived scores of Ellenberg indicator values.     

Models and Algorithms for Hub and Spoke Locations for Emergency Service Facilities in Response to Serious Emergency Incidents

This article examines the location-allocation of emergency service facilities as a research subject. The research presents the setup of the single allocation set covering location-allocation models for emergency service facilities under strong time constraints, in view of the shortage of hub & spoke network bypass. The article also presents an extension to the single allocation set covering location-allocation model (SASCP) and the SASCP model with bypass constraints (γ-SASCP) for emergency service facilities under large-scale emergency requirements. For the two models, an improved genetic algorithm was designed and the two models were respectively solved, with the effectiveness of the algorithm verified by a specific example. The impacts of change of parameters such as time discount rate, maximum time constraints, and bypass ratio on the model's results are compared and analyzed, based on solved results by the specific example.     

DNA存储中的编码技术

脱氧核糖核酸(Deoxyribonucleic Acid, DNA)是一种天然的信息存储介质,具有存储密度高、存储时间长、损耗率低等特点。在传统存储方式不能满足信息增长的需求时,DNA数据存储技术逐渐成为研究热点。DNA编码是用尽可能少的碱基序列无错的存储数据信息,包括压缩(尽可能少的占用空间)、纠错(无错存储)和转换(数字信息转为碱基序列)3部分。DNA编码是DNA存储中的关键技术,它的结果直接影响存储性能的优劣和数据读写的完整。本文首先介绍DNA存储的发展历史,然后介绍DNA存储的框架,其中重点介绍DNA编码技术,最后对DNA存储中的编解码技术的未来发展方向进行讨论。     

A method for editing motor unit potential trains obtained by decomposition of surface electromyographic signals

Rather than discarding motor unit potential trains (MUPTs) because they do not meet 100% validity criteria, we describe and evaluate a novel editing routine that preserves valid discharge times, based on decreasing shape variability (variance ratio, VR) within a MUPT. The error filtered estimation (EFE) algorithm is then applied to the remaining ‘high confidence’ discharge times to estimate inter-discharge interval (IDI) statistics. Decomposed surface EMG data from the flexor carpi radialis recorded from 20 participants during 60% MVC wrist flexion was used. There were two levels of denoising criteria (relaxed and strict) criteria for removing MUPs to decrease the VR and increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a MUPT. In total, VR decreased 24.88% and SNR increased 6.0% (p’s < 0.05). The MUP template peak-to-peak (P-P) amplitude and P-P duration were dependent on the level of denoising (p’s < 0.05). The standard error of the estimate (SEE) of the mean IDI before and after editing using the relaxed criteria (3.2% versus 3.69%), was very similar (p > 0.05). The same was true for the SEE between denoising criteria, which increased only to 5.14% for the strict criteria (p > 0.05). Editing the MUPTs resulted in a significant decrease in MUP shape variability and in the measures extracted from the MUP templates, with trivial differences between the SEE of the mean IDI between the edited and unedited MUPTs.     

Elimination of Aedes aegypti in northern Australia, 2004–2006

The Northern Territory (NT) of Australia is currently free of the dengue mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L). However, on 17 February 2004, two Ae. aegypti adults were captured in two routine CO₂‐baited encephalitis virus surveillance traps in Tennant Creek, located 990 km south of Darwin in the NT. The detection triggered an immediate survey and control response undertaken by the NT Department of Health and Community Services, followed by a Commonwealth of Australia‐funded Ae. aegypti elimination program. This report details the methods and results of the detection and subsequent elimination activities that were carried out between 2004 and 2006, returning the NT to its dengue vector‐free status. There have been very few successful Ae. aegypti elimination programs in the world. This purposeful mosquito elimination for Australia was officially declared on 5 April 2006.     

甘肃省生境质量变化的图谱特征

生境质量是影响地区生态系统服务价值和保护地球生态系统中生物多样性的重要因素。以地处三大自然区交汇带的甘肃省为研究对象,在定量估算地区2000—2018年生境质量水平基础上,基于图谱变化分析理论和InVEST模型,探索地区生境质量时空分异格局及其图谱转移状态和变化强度。结果表明: 2000—2018年,甘肃省生境质量总体维持中等水平并略有提升,在空间上自北向南呈逐级递增的阶梯式变化特征,在数量上则高低并存;从图谱转移视角分析,甘肃省生境质量格局较为稳定,未发生状态转移的图谱单元占主导,而在发生了生境质量状态转移的图谱单元中,“较高较低”、“较高高”、“较高低”这6类状态间的互换转移最显著,空间分布也较为集聚; “北剧南和”是甘肃省生境质量变化强度的主要格局,自北向南依次为“强变区”、“复合区”、“温缓区”和“平和区”4类变化强度区。     

中国植被分类系统修订方案

为了推动《中国植被志》研编工作, 该文回顾了中国植被分类系统的发展过程和主要阶段性成果, 提出了作为《中国植被志》研编技术框架组成部分的中国植被分类系统修订方案, 对各植被型组及各植被型进行了简单定义和描述, 并针对中国植被分类系统若干问题, 特别就中国植被分类系统总体框架、混交林的界定以及土壤在植被分类中的重要性等问题进行了讨论。1960年侯学煜在《中国的植被》中首次提出了中国植被分类的原则和系统, 1980年出版的《中国植被》制定了分类等级和划分依据等更加完善的系统, 之后《中国植被及其地理格局——中华人民共和国1:1 000 000植被图说明书》和《中国植物区系与植被地理》以及很多省区的植被专著对该系统进行过修订。2017年宋永昌在《植被生态学》中提出了一个分类等级单位调整的方案。本次提出的中国植被分类系统修订方案基本沿用《中国植被》的植被分类原则、分类单位及系统, 采用“植物群落学-生态学”分类原则, 主要以植物群落特征及其与环境的关系作为分类依据, 包含三级主要分类单位, 即植被型(高级单位)、群系(中级单位)和群丛(低级单位); 在三个主要分类单位之上分别增加辅助单位植被型组、群系组和群丛组, 在植被型和群系之下主要根据群落的生态差异和实际需要可再增加植被亚型或亚群系。修订方案包含了森林、灌丛、草本植被(草地)、荒漠、高山冻原与稀疏植被、沼泽与水生植被(湿地)、农业植被、城市植被和无植被地段9个植被型组, 划分为48个植被型(含30个自然植被型、12个农业植被型、5个城市植被型和无植被地段)。自然植被中有23个植被型进一步划分出了81个植被亚型。