Cultivation-Independent, Semiautomatic Determination of Absolute Bacterial Cell Numbers in Environmental Samples by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes has found widespread application for analyzing the composition of microbial communities in complex environmental samples. Although bacteria can quickly be detected by FISH, a reliable method to determine absolute numbers of FISH-stained cells in aggregates or biofilms has, to our knowledge, never been published. In this study we developed a semiautomated protocol to measure the concentration of bacteria (in cells per volume) in environmental samples by a combination of FISH, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and digital image analysis. The quantification is based on an internal standard, which is introduced by spiking the samples with known amounts of Escherichia coli cells. This method was initially tested with artificial mixtures of bacterial cultures and subsequently used to determine the concentration of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in a municipal nitrifying activated sludge. The total number of ammonia oxidizers was found to be 9.8 × 10⁷ ± 1.9 × 10⁷ cells ml⁻¹. Based on this value, the average in situ activity was calculated to be 2.3 fmol of ammonia converted to nitrite per ammonia oxidizer cell per h. This activity is within the previously determined range of activities measured with ammonia oxidizer pure cultures, demonstrating the utility of this quantification method for enumerating bacteria in samples in which cells are not homogeneously distributed.     

Correlation of Tissues in Leaves: 2. Absolute Stomatal Numbers

The average number of stomata per unit area of a leaf was foundto be inversely proportional to the area of the lamina. Theconstant obtained by the multiplication of these values is termedas the Absolute Stomatal Number. This value is constant in thoseleaves where differentiation of the stomata has been completed.This has been shown with shown with the developing leaves offive Solanaceous plants.     

病毒衣壳结构亚单位的种类数与三角形剖分数关系的研究和探讨

本文报道了在正廿面体病毒衣壳中,当蛋白结构亚单位以“三聚体”的形式聚集在单位三角形(?)时,其亚单位的种类数应等于该病毒的三角形剖分数值。     

A Report on Chromosome Numbers of Chinese Umbelliferae

This is the third report of chromosome numbers of Umbelliferae after 1981 and 1985, which deals with 24 species and varieties of 15 genera including 2 endemic genera and 10 endemic species, and most of them are distributed in southwestern China. Of them, 18 counts are newly reported. The taxonomic significance is discussed in relation with their basic numbers, translocation heterozygote and polyploids. It is considered that polyploids are wide-spread in Hydrocotyle L. 4, 6, 7, 8 are the basic numbers of Bupleurum L. which provides the cytological evidence for further study on their evolutionary process. n=9 and 10 occurrespectively in two different sections of Pimpinella L. and their basic numbers may be used for classification at the section level. The ring formation of four chromosomes at diakinesis of Heracleum henryi Wolff reveals that translocation heterozygotes is one of the factors in specific differentiation of Umbelliferae.     

Chromosome Numbers of Some Scattered Bamboos

This paper reports the chromosome numbers of 74 species of scattered bamboos growing in China, 65 of which are first reported.     

影响人间充质干细胞数量的因素

近年来,由于世界人口的老龄化及许多疾病的不可治愈性,成人间充质干细胞（hMscs）用于细胞治疗越来越受到重视。虽然成人间充质干细胞可来源于骨髓、脂肪、脐血、脐带、胎盘、骨骼肌等,但由于其细胞数目较少,在临床运用之前必须依靠体外扩增来获取理想的细胞数量。本文拟搜索前期研究来探讨人间充质干细胞体外扩增期间影响细胞数目的因素,如供体的年龄、性别、组织来源选择及细胞接种密度,从而优化获取足量人间充质干细胞的过程,进而为今后临床干细胞治疗提供必要的理论基础。     

Numbers and the Natural History of Imagining the Self in Taiwan and China

In the Chinese cultural tradition, numbers may be seen as meaningful, creative, even poetic things, and they figure prominently in accounts of the self. Rather than ‘reducing people to numbers’, quantification is used – by at least some people some of the time – as a mode of differentiating themselves from others, a means of narrating unique life experiences. This paper explores the role of numbers in accounts of the self, drawing primarily on a case study of one woman from rural Taiwan. It is suggested that a natural historical framework can help illuminate numbers and number systems as Chinese technologies of the imagination.     

Familial Sinistrals Avoid Exact Numbers

We report data from an internet questionnaire of sixty number trivia. Participants were asked for the number of cups in their house, the number of cities they know and 58 other quantities. We compare the answers of familial sinistrals – individuals who are left-handed themselves or have a left-handed close blood-relative – with those of pure familial dextrals – right-handed individuals who reported only having right-handed close blood-relatives. We show that familial sinistrals use rounder numbers than pure familial dextrals in the survey responses. Round numbers in the decimal system are those that are multiples of powers of 10 or of half or a quarter of a power of 10. Roundness is a gradient concept, e.g. 100 is rounder than 50 or 200. We show that very round number like 100 and 1000 are used with 25% greater likelihood by familial sinistrals than by pure familial dextrals, while pure familial dextrals are more likely to use less round numbers such as 25, 60, and 200. We then use Sigurd’s (1988, Language in Society) index of the roundness of a number and report that familial sinistrals’ responses are significantly rounder on average than those of pure familial dextrals. To explain the difference, we propose that the cognitive effort of using exact numbers is greater for the familial sinistral group because their language and number systems tend to be more distributed over both hemispheres of the brain. Our data support the view that exact and approximate quantities are processed by two separate cognitive systems. Specifically, our behavioral data corroborates the view that the evolutionarily older, approximate number system is present in both hemispheres of the brain, while the exact number system tends to be localized in only one hemisphere.     

Coupling Glial Numbers and Axonal Patterns

The control of the rate of cell division enables cells to respond to signals from other cells and this promotes the emergence of order as cell mass increases during growth. Glial cell proliferation is coupled to axon guidance, and the sequential deployment of glial cells in constrained numbers enables the sequential sorting out of axons into appropriate trajectories through time1. This is achieved by the neuron-dependent regulation of glial division at the G1 phase. Early on, Prospero plays a key role controlling the G1 phase and it enables the glia to proliferate in response to neurons. Later, Prospero maintains subsets of glia in G1 arrest, retaining mitotic potential, whereas non-Prospero glia terminally differentiate. Only this population of Prospero quiescent precursors can overproliferate when neurons are eliminated, inducing a repair response. It is compelling to investigate whether the vertebrate homologue Prox1 may enable the repair response of vertebrate glia.     

Nucleotide Frequencies in Human Genome and Fibonacci Numbers

This work presents a mathematical model that establishes an interesting connection between nucleotide frequencies in human single-stranded DNA and the famous Fibonacci’s numbers. The model relies on two assumptions. First, Chargaff’s second parity rule should be valid, and second, the nucleotide frequencies should approach limit values when the number of bases is sufficiently large. Under these two hypotheses, it is possible to predict the human nucleotide frequencies with accuracy. This result may be used as evidence to the Fibonacci string model that was proposed to the sequence growth of DNA repetitive sequences. It is noteworthy that the predicted values are solutions of an optimization problem, which is commonplace in many of nature’s phenomena.     

兰花蕉属植物染色体新计数

首次报道了国产兰花蕉属植物2种1变种的体细胞染色体计数,其中兰花蕉及其变种长萼兰花蕉为2n=54,为六倍体;海南兰花蕉为2n=18,为二倍体。分析了世界范围内兰花蕉属植物染色体数及其倍性的地理学关系。     

Plant Species Numbers Predicted by a Topography-based Groundwater Flow Index

The lack of a clear understanding of the factors governing the often-great variation of species numbers over entire landscapes confounds attempts to manage biodiversity. We hypothesized that in a topographically variable boreal forest landscape the availability of shallow groundwater is a major determinant of plant species numbers. We then developed a topographically derived hydrologic index based on multidirectional flow algorithms to account for the variation in availability of such groundwater in the landscape. We found a positive correlation between species numbers of vascular plants in plots ranging from 0.01 to 200 m² and the hydrologic index. Generally, the landscape was relatively dry and species-poor, but interspersed patches with shallow groundwater had high species numbers and high proportions of regionally uncommon plant species. The index explained 30% of the variation in vascular plant number and correlated quite well (r_s = 0.50) with groundwater level, but not as well with a community H⁺ concentration value (instead of community pH, r_s = −0.31), based on species composition. In addition, we found a very strong correlation between species number and the community H⁺ concentration value (r_s −0.84). The hydrologic index is a useful tool for the identification of spatial of species number patterns across entire landscapes. This is an important step in identifying the areas most in need of protection or restoration, designing survey techniques, and understanding the fundamental processes that control the spatial distribution of species.     

Chromosome Numbers of Brassiceae (Cruciferae) in China

Reported in this paper are chromosome numbers of 41 species and varieties of Brassiceae in China, belonging to 5 genera. The chromosome numbers of 15 Species and varieties are first reported and some problems concerning chromosome numbers of Brassiceae are also discussed.     

Classification of Rotylenchulus reniformis Numbers in Cotton Using Remotely Sensed Hyperspectral Data on Self-Organizing Maps

Rotylenchulus reniformis is one of the major nematode pests capable of reducing cotton yields by more than 60%, causing estimated losses that may exceed millions of dollars U.S. Therefore, early detection of nematode numbers is necessary to reduce these losses. This study investigates the feasibility of using remotely sensed hyperspectral data (reflectances) of cotton plants affected with different nematode population numbers with self-organizing maps (SOM) in correlating and classifying nematode population numbers extant in a plant's rhizosphere. The hyperspectral reflectances were classified into three classes based on R. renifomis population numbers present in plant's rhizosphere. Hyperspectral data (350-2500 nm) were also sub-divided into Visible, Red Edge + Near Infrared (NIR) and Mid-IR region to determine the sub-region most effective in spectrally classifying the nematode population numbers. Various combinations of different feature extraction and dimensionality reduction methods were applied in different regions to extract reduced sets of features. These features were then classified using a supervised-SOM classification method. Our results suggest that the overall classification accuracies, in general, for most methods in most regions (except visible region) varied from 60% to 80%, thereby, indicating a positive correlation between the nematode numbers present in plant's rhizosphere and the corresponding plant's hyperspectral signatures. Results showed that classification accuracies in the Mid-IR region were comparable to the accuracies obtained in other sub-regions. Finally, based on our findings, the use of remotely-sensed hyperspectral data with SOM could prove to be extremely time efficient in detecting nematode numbers present in the soil.     

A Growth Curve of Cell Numbers In the Neural Retina of Embryonic Chicks

ABSTRACT The growth of cell numbers in a normal embryonic population of ncural retinal cells is described. the numbers were estimated from a time shortly after the neural retina first becomes recognizable to a time when numbers of retinal cells have become steady. Cell numbers were estimated in preparations of an entire neural retina dispersed into a suspension of single nuclei which were then counted in a Coulter counter. the growth curve of the In numbers of cells has three phases of growth: an exponential phase during which there is steady-state exponential growth, a differentiative phase during which cell proliferation ceases and an end phase when no further change in cell numbers can be detected. the variances of the In numbers of cells were highest during the exponential phase. the variances decreased during the differentiative phase and were at their lowest during the end phase. For variances to decrease requires mechanisms which control the final numbers of cells in the neural retina very precisely. the implications of mechanisms which operate by controlling cell lineages are explored.     

Transitory Heterosis in Numbers of Basal Bodies in TETRAHYMENA PYRIFORMIS

The numbers of kinetosomes in ciliary rows on the ventral surface of cells of Tetrahymena pyriformis, syngen 1, are greater by about 10% in young heterozygotes established by crossing two inbred strains than in either homozygote. The difference, apparent at 20 fissions post-fertilization, is essentially gone by 100 fissions. This observation is consistent with a generalized "allelic exclusion" at all loci completed by perhaps 60 fissions after fertilization.     

Influence of CO2 on Stomatal Numbers

From nine different plant species grown at 1500 cm³ m^-3 CO₂ five responded with a significant increase in stomatal numbers per mm² as compared with plants grown under normal air conditions. Within a collection of twelve french bean cultivars remarkable cultivar differences with regard to the CO₂ enhancement effect on stomatal numbers was found.     

Using Pellet Counts to Estimate Snowshoe Hare Numbers in Minnesota

Abstract: We calibrated snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) numbers with pellet counts in Minnesota, USA, to understand the relationship between hare numbers and pellets in the central portion of the hare range. We found a strong and significant correlation between hare numbers and pellet counts using either linear or functional regression with either annual or semiannual pellet counts. Equations we developed using linear or functional regression predicted >1 hare/ha at similar pellet-density thresholds. These equations can be used to efficiently identify habitats that support hare numbers necessary for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) persistence in Minnesota.     

Numbers of cells and cell proliferation in intima of different human arteries

Increased cell proliferation in early atherosclerotic lesions is recognized as an essential event of atherogenesis but the levels of cell proliferation in different stages of atherosclerotic plague formation in different types of human large arteries are still insufficiently studied. In the present work, we studied intima thickness and proliferation of newly "infiltrates" hematogenous and resident cells in atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid and coronary arteries and compared these parameters with those in the aorta, reported by us in earlier publication. Analysis of intima thickness and proliferation in grossly unaffected intima and in different types pf atherosclerotic lesions (initial lesions, fatty streaks, lipofibrous, plaques, and fibrous plaque) revealed that although there were similar tendencies in the change of the infiltration levels of hematogenous cells and proliferation in different types of arteries, there were significant quantitative differences between different types of arteries. Hematogenous cells in lipofibrous plaques of the coronary and carotid arteries were found to account for a third and almost for a half of the total cell population, respectively, while atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta, as it has been shown by us earlier, to contain no more than 15% ofhematogenous cells. This suggests that the contribution of hematogenous cells to the development of atherosclerosis in the carotid and the coronary artery appears to be more significant than that in the aorta. Despite the differences in numbers of accumulating hematogenous cells in the intima, a similar "bell-shaped" dependence of cell numbers on the lesion type, involved in the following sequence: unaffected intima-initial lesions-fatty streaks-lipofibrous plaques-fibrous plaques, was detected in the coronary and carotid arteries. The visualization of proliferating cells (PCNA-positive) in atherosclerotic and unaffected zones of the coronary and carotid arteries revealed similar patterns. The maximum numbers of PCNA-positive resident cells were identified in lipofibrous plaques. The changes in the total cell numbers were accompanied by the changes in the numbers of both proliferating resident cells and proliferating hematogenous cells.     

A Report on the Chromosome Numbers of Chinese Umbelliferae

Chromosome numbers are reported for 26 species and varieties of Umbelliferae which belong to 3 subfamilies and 19 genera in this paper. Of these, 13 counts are new records and some problems about chromosome numbers of Umbelliferae are simplydiscussed.