Two arms are better than one: parasite variation leads to combined inducible and constitutive innate immune responses

Parasites represent a major threat to all organisms which has led to the evolution of an array of complex and effective defence mechanisms. Common to both vertebrates and invertebrates are innate immune mechanisms that can be either constitutively expressed or induced on exposure to infection. In nature, we find that a combination of both induced and constitutive responses are employed by vertebrates, invertebrates and, to an extent, plants when they are exposed to a parasite. Here we use a simple within-host model motivated by the insect immune system, consisting of both constitutive and induced responses, to address the question of why both types of response are maintained so ubiquitously. Generally, induced responses are thought to be advantageous because they are only used when required but are too costly to maintain constantly, while constitutive responses are advantageous because they are always ready to act. However, using a simple cost function but with no a priori assumptions about relative costs, we show that variability in parasite growth rates selects for a strategy that combines both constitutive and induced defences. Differential costs are therefore not necessary to explain the adoption of both forms of defence. Clearly, hosts are likely to be challenged by variable parasites in nature and this is sufficient to explain why it is optimal to deploy both arms of the innate immune system.     

应激致免疫功能降低动物模型的建立

目的为探讨应激对免疫系统损伤的作用机制,建立了两种不同的应激导致机体免疫功能降低的动物模型。方法将小鼠分为三组,束缚应激组、热应激组和正常对照组,分别用束缚和高温刺激使小鼠处于应激状态,应激结束后将各组小鼠均分为两部分,一部分感染细菌,比较两种应激状态下小鼠与正常小鼠的死亡率,另一部分摘取脾脏,计算脾脏重量指数,制作脾脏病理切片,观察其组织病理学变化。结果注射大肠埃希菌后束缚应激组和热应激组小鼠死亡率显著高于正常对照组小鼠(P<0.005),束缚应激组和热应激组小鼠死亡率无明显差异(P>0.05)。束缚应激组小鼠和热应激组小鼠脾脏重量指数均较正常对照组明显降低(P<0.05),组织病理学观察显示束缚应激组和热应激组小鼠脾脏切片病理学改变相似,白髓比例减小,脾小体有不同程度的缩小、分布及结构不规则。结论本实验建立的应激导致小鼠免疫功能降低的动物模型,其免疫功能降低与脾脏变化间存在构效关系,与应激的类型关系不大。     

A Symmetric Extended Logistic Model with Applications to Experimental Toxicity Data

The fit of the logit and probit models for quantal response data can be improved by embedding these classical models within a richer parametric family indexed by one or two shape parameters. In this paper, a symmetric extended logistic model indexed by a shape parameter λ is discussed with application to dose response curves. The usual maximum likelihood method is employed to estimate the parameters of the model. The need to include the shape parameter λ is illustrated by analyzing a set of real experimental data and comparing the fit of the extended logistic model to those obtained by the standard logit and probit models.     

A Generalized Logistic Model for Quantal Response Bioassay

In bioassay, where different levels of the stimulus may represent different doses of a drug, the binary response is the death or survival of an individual receiving a specified dose. In such applications, it is common to model the probability of a positive response P at the stimulus level x by P = F(x′β), where F is a cumulative distribution function and β is a vector of unknown parameters which characterize the response function. The two most popular models used for modelling binary response bioassay involve the probit model [BLISS (1935), FINNEY (1978)], and the logistic model [BERKSON (1944), BROWN (1982)]. However, these models have some limitations. The use of the probit model involves the inverse of the standard normal distribution function, making it rather intractable. The logistic model has a simple form and a closed expression for the inverse distribution function, however, neither the logistic nor the probit can provide a good fit to response functions which are not symmetric or are symmetric but have a steeper or gentler incline in the central probability region. In this paper we introduce a more realistic model for the analysis of quantal response bioassay. The proposed model, which we refer to it as the generalized logistic model, is a family of response curves indexed by shape parameters m₁ and m₂. This family is rich enough to include the probit and logistic models as well as many others as special cases or limiting distributions. In particular, we consider the generalized logistic three parameter model where we assume that m₁ = m, m is a positive real number, and m₂ = 1. We apply this model to various sets of data, comparing the fit results to those obtained previously by other dose-response curves such as the logistic and probit, and showing that the fit can be improved by using the generalized logistic.     

7个光响应曲线模型对不同植物种的实用性

光响应曲线研究方法被广泛应用在植物生理的研究中,但是在应用光响应模型拟合光响应数据时,往往只考虑到研究的目的,很少考虑到模型是否适用于所研究的植物。本文通过采用7个不同的光响应模型对白桦叶片和兴安落叶松针叶光响应曲线数据拟合的比较,发现不同模型对同一种植物光响应曲线的拟合结果存在着差异,同一模型对同种植物不同部位叶片光响应曲线的拟合效果也不同,所以在研究植物的光响应时,应考虑到所选光响应模型对该种植物的光响应情况的描述是否恰当。根据具体情况选择最佳模型,以最大限度地保证估测生理指标结果的精确性。     

Variation in foraging success among predators and its implications for population dynamics

The effects of the expected predation rate on population dynamics have been studied intensively, but little is known about the effects of predation rate variability (i.e., predator individuals having variable foraging success) on population dynamics. In this study, variation in foraging success among predators was quantified by observing the predation of the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata on the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus in the laboratory. A population model was then developed, and the effect of foraging variability on predator–prey dynamics was examined by incorporating levels of variation comparable to those quantified in the experiment. The variability in the foraging success among spiders was greater than would be expected by chance (i.e., the random allocation of prey to predators). The foraging variation was density‐dependent; it became higher as the predator density increased. A population model that incorporates foraging variation shows that the variation influences population dynamics by affecting the numerical response of predators. In particular, the variation induces negative density‐dependent effects among predators and stabilizes predator–prey dynamics.     

生态系统演替过程的数学模型

本文应用系统控制论方法,初步建立了生态系统的特征函数。据此,定性分析了植物群落的演替过程,探讨了顶极群落和最大生物量等问题。     

菌紫质膜光电响应系统的功能模块研究

引进Hong的化学电容概念,将菌紫质膜光电响应系统（SPRBM）抽象为Ｃ-电容、Ｎ-电容、质子泵通道和质子返回通道等模块,构筑了功能模块框图模型.用该模型导出了SPRBM的冲击响应电流、“铁/紫膜/胶/铜”光电池的电势分布表达式及等效电路模型.     

三突花蛛对茶小绿叶蝉的捕食作用及其模拟模型的研究

在室内条件下,测定结果表明三突花株亚成蛛对茶小绿叶蝉若虫及成虫的日捕食量分别为１８．３头／ｄ,１７．３头／ｄ,对成虫的功能反应曲线可用ＨＯｌｌｎｇ圆盘方程模拟：Ｎａ＝１．０５５８６Ｎｔ／（１＋０．０１３６５／Ｎｔ）自身密度反应用Ｈａｓｓｅｌ－Ｖａｒｌｅｙ模型拟合,Ｅ＝０．５１７Ｐ＾－０．６５６７,经Ｘ＾２检验,以上各方程理论值与实际值误差不显著（〈Ｐ０．１０）。温度（Ｔ）对功能反应的影响可用以下方     

Effects of elevated CO2 on model calcareous grasslands: community, species, and genotype level responses

We investigated the responses of model calcareous grassland communities to three CO₂concentrations: 330, 500, and 660 μL L^-1, The communities were composed of six species, Bromus erectus Hudson, Festuca ovina L., Prunella vulgaris L., Prunella grandiflora (L.) Scholler, Hieracium pilosella L., and Trifolium repens L., that are native to the calcareous grasslands of Europe. Genotypic variation in CO₂ response was studied in Bromus erectus and Festuca ovina. Plants were harvested after c. 126 days of growth. We found that:

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An experimental design and a statistical analysis separating interference from exploitation competition

Previous experimental studies of competition among foragers rarely distinguished between exploitation and interference competition. In many systems this separation is experimentally impossible without interfering with the natural behavior of the animals. Consequently, these studies can only demonstrate the combined effect of interference and exploitation on the forager’s feeding rate, namely, it usually decreases in a decelerating rate as a function of density. We suggest here a simple experimental and statistical procedure that facilitates the separation of the effects of interference from those of exploitation. This procedure includes manipulation of both predator density and the foraging experiment duration. The statistical analysis is based on multiple linear regression. The working assumption is that exploitation can be neglected at the beginning of the foraging experiment because, initially, predators do not experience diminishing returns in prey capture rates. Using both the results of an individual-based simulation and a field experiment dataset of gerbils foraging for seeds in an artificial food patch located in the field, we demonstrate that our procedure can successfully detect and separate the effect of interference from the combined overall effect of competition (i.e., interference plus exploitation). Inon Scharf and Ido Filin contributed equally to this paper.     

Development of vaccines for prevention of Ebola virus infection

Ebola virus infection causes severe hemorrhagic fevers with high fatality rates up to 90% in humans, for which no effective treatment is currently available. The ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has caused over 14,000 human infections and over 5000 deaths underscores its serious threat to the public health. While licensed vaccines against Ebola virus infection are still not available, a number of vaccine approaches have been developed and shown to protect against lethal Ebola virus infection in animal models. This review aims to summarize the advancement of different strategies for Ebola vaccine development with a focus on the discussion of their protective efficacies and possible limitations. In addition, the development of animal models for efficacy evaluation of Ebola vaccines and the mechanism of immune protection against Ebola virus infection are also discussed.     

Theoretical results for chemotactic response and drift of E. coli in a weak attractant gradient

The bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) moves in its natural environment in a series of straight runs, interrupted by tumbles which cause change of direction. It performs chemotaxis towards chemo-attractants by extending the duration of runs in the direction of the source. When there is a spatial gradient in the attractant concentration, this bias produces a drift velocity directed towards its source, whereas in a uniform concentration, E. coli adapts, almost perfectly in case of methyl aspartate. Recently, microfluidic experiments have measured the drift velocity of E. coli in precisely controlled attractant gradients, but no general theoretical expression for the same exists. With this motivation, we study an analytically soluble model here, based on the Barkai-Leibler model, originally introduced to explain the perfect adaptation. Rigorous mathematical expressions are obtained for the chemotactic response function and the drift velocity in the limit of weak gradients and under the assumption of completely random tumbles. The theoretical predictions compare favorably with experimental results, especially at high concentrations. We further show that the signal transduction network weakens the dependence of the drift on concentration, thus enhancing the range of sensitivity.     

分析药物相互作用的方法在中药研究中的应用

目的研究血竭中的成分剑叶龙血素A和剑叶龙血素B联合应用于大鼠背根神经节细胞膜河豚毒素不敏感型电压门控性钠通道时所产生的相互作用,并对用来研究药物相互作用的两种方法进行比较.方法用Loewe Additivity模型和Creco等人提出的universal response surface approach（URSA）来分析剑叶龙血素A和剑叶龙血素B抑制上述通道电流时所产生的相互作用.结果反映药物相互作用强度的参数在Loewe Additivity模型中CI以及URSA中的d在本文中CI=1.35（95%置信区间：1.29～1.42）、a=-1.08（95%置信区间：-1.16～-0.98）.结论剑叶龙血素A与剑叶龙血素B在抑制上述通道电流时存在拮抗作用;URSA比Loewe Additivity模型能更客观的反映药物相互作用的程度,且URSA可描述联合药物的量效关系.     

A periodic table for ecology? A chemist's view of plant functional types

Abstract. A functional type approach, in which the complexity found in nature is reduced by grouping organisms that are functionally similar into a single classification, is being promoted in global change research. This paper examines a proposed analogy between this functional type approach in global change ecology and the periodic table of the elements in chemistry. When applied to a ‘bottom-up’ approach for defining functional types in ecology, in which large numbers of organisms are classified into smaller groups based on similarity of certain functions, the analogy fails. Ecological functions are not simple attributes of a biological entity, as electronic structure is for a chemical element, but are themselves complex chemical and physical systems that often interact strongly with the environment. The analogy to the periodic table may be of some use as an organizing tool in a ‘top-down’ approach in which a modelling context is used to define the number of ‘elements’ and their properties. This will be elaborated for plant functional types. Each PFT is assigned characteristics that allow its response to the driving forces of change, e.g. temperature, precipitation, soil nutrients, disturbance, to be predicted. ‘Rules of combination’ determine how the mix of PFTs in a particular ecosystem changes to form different ecosystems, which would correspond in the analogy to chemical compounds. However, these requirements present significant challenges to the usefulness of the analogy, even as an organizing tool in the ‘top-down’ approach.     

Modeling population responses of rapidly-adapting mechanoreceptive fibers

The population response of rapidly-adapting (RA) fibers is one component of the physiological substrate of the sense of touch. Herein, we describe a computational scheme based on the population-response model by K.O. Johnson (J. Neurophysiol. 37: 48–72, 1974) which we extended by permitting the capability to include the spatial distributions of receptors in the glabrous skin linked to RA fibers. The hypothetical cases simulated were rectangular, uniformly random and proximo-distally Gaussian distributions. Each spatial organization produced qualitatively distinct population-response profiles that also varied due to stimulus parameters. The effects of stimulus amplitude, average innervation density and contactor-probe location were studied by considering various response measures: number of active fibers, summated firing rate and the average firing rate of a subset of the modeled population. The outcome of the measures were statistically compared among simulated anatomical distributions. The response is the same for rectangular and uniformly random distributions, both of which have a homogeneous innervation density. However, the Gaussian distribution produced statistically different responses when the measure was not averaged over the subset population which represented the receptive field of a higher-order neuron. These results indicate that, as well as stimulus parameters, the anatomical organization is a significant determinant of the population response. Therefore, reconstructing population activity for testing psychophysical hypotheses must presently be done with care until the organization of the receptors within the skin has been clarified.     

Potential animal models of Helicobacter pylori infection in immunological and vaccine research

Abstract Presence of Helicobacter pylori in the human gastric mucosa is associated with chronic gastritis and promotes the formation of peptic ulceration. Furthermore, long-term gastritis caused by the bacteria represents an increased risk of developing gastric cancer. Much controversy remains about the pathogenic mechanisms by which H. pylori can induce disease because of the limitations of animal models and the relevance of in vitro observations to the in vivo disease process. Studies of putative pathogenic factors such as induction of inflammatory mediators and immune evasion are required to understand how to design a vaccine against the infection. Vaccine adjuvants, delivery systems and therapeutic vaccination are likely to be the areas of major progress in the future. Data related to immunological aspects and vaccine development in potential animal models are reviewed.     

Marker assisted selection for the improvement of two antagonistic traits under mixed inheritance

A Monte Carlo simulation was used to investigate the potential of Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) in a multiple-trait situation. Only additive effects were considered. The base population was assumed to be in linkage equilibrium and, next, the population was managed over 15 discrete generations, 10 males and 50 females were chosen out of the 100 candidates of each sex. Performance for two traits was simulated with an overall heritability of a given trait equal to 0.25 or 0.10 and the overall genetic correlation between traits was generally equal to -0.4 except in one case where it was equal to 0. The model involved one biallelic QTL, accounting for 10 or 20% of the genetic variance of a given trait, plus polygenes. Initial allelic frequencies at the QTL were generally equal to 0.5 but in one case were equal to 0.1 and 0.9. A marker with 120 different alleles in the 60 founder parents was simulated in the vicinity of the QTL. Two values of the recombination rate between these two loci were considered, 0.10 and 0.02. The genetic evaluation was based on a multiple-trait BLUP animal model, accounting (MAS) or not (conventional BLUP) for marker information. Two sets of simulations were run: (1) a "missing data"case, with males having no record for one of the traits, and (2) a "secondary trait"case, with one trait having a weight in the aggregate genotype 4 times less than the other trait and the QTL acting only on this secondary trait. In the first set, evaluation methods were found to mainly affect the accuracy of overall genetic values prediction for the trait with missing data. In comparison with BLUP, MAS led to an extra overall genetic response for the trait with missing data, which was strongly penalised under the conventional BLUP, and to a deficit in response for the other trait. This more balanced evolution of the two traits was obtained, however, at the expense of the long-term overall cumulated response for the aggregate genotype, which was 1 to 2.5% lower than the one obtained under the conventional BLUP. In the second set of simulation, in the case of low initial frequency (0.1) of the QTL allele favourable to the secondary trait, MAS was found to be substantially more efficient to avoid losing this allele than BLUP only when the QTL had a large effect and the marker was close. More benefits should be expected from MAS with more specific applications, such as early selection of animals, or by applying dynamic procedures i.e. letting the respective weights to QTL and polygenic values in the selection criterion vary across generation.