Commingling in the distributions of fat-related measures in Punjabi families

The distribution of anthropometric measurements related to fatness levels is examined to determine if skewness alone accounts for the nonnormality of such measures. A mixture of two normal distributions or a single skewed distribution fit the data significantly better than a single normal in all cases. For maximum hip width, knee diameter, and weight, two skewed distributions give a better fit than one skewed distribution, rejecting the null hypothesis of a single distribution even when skewness is considered. There is evidence for three skewed component distributions for biceps skinfold. Abdomen circumference, upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold, and calf skinfold are best approximated by a one component log-normal distribution. Children and parents show slightly different patterns in skewness and kurtosis when considered separately, but differences between them do not account for the commingling found in the combined distributions.     

Spatio-temporal change in forest cover and carbon storage considering actual and potential forest cover in South Korea

This study analyzes change in carbon storage by applying forest growth models and final cutting age to actual and potential forest cover for six major tree species in South Korea. Using National Forest Inventory data, the growth models were developed to estimate mean diameter at breast height, tree height, and number of trees for Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus rigida, Larix kaempferi, Castanea crenata and Quercus spp. stands. We assumed that actual forest cover in a forest type map will change into potential forest covers according to the Hydrological and Thermal Analogy Groups model. When actual forest cover reaches the final cutting age, forest volume and carbon storage are estimated by changed forest cover and its growth model. Forest volume between 2010 and 2110 would increase from 126.73 to 157.33 m3 hm-2. Our results also show that forest cover, volume, and carbon storage could abruptly change by 2060. This is attributed to the fact that most forests are presumed to reach final cutting age. To avoid such dramatic change, a regeneration and yield control scheme should be prepared and implemented in a way that ensures balance in forest practice and yield.     

Across-reach consistency in macroinvertebrate distributions among litter patch types in Japanese headwater streams

Different types of litter patches with contrasting macroinvertebrate assemblages have been observed within a stream reach. This study examined whether distributions of macroinvertebrates among three litter patch types (riffle, middle, edge) were consistent between reaches with different channel characteristics in headwater streams in central Japan. Mass of leaves per unit area was significantly higher in riffle and edge patches than in middle patches, which was consistent between reaches, while no consistent pattern was evident between reaches for mass of either woody material or small litter fragments. Distribution among the patch types was consistent between reaches for 11 out of 13 dominant macroinvertebrate taxa; density was highest in riffle patches for 5 taxa and in middle patches for 5 taxa. Although we previously related densities of some taxa to mass of woody material or small litter fragments, hydraulic characteristics (water depth, current velocity), which were consistent between reaches, may be more important determinants of macroinvertebrate distributions among the patch types, even within pools (i.e. middle and edge patches) where current is uniformly low. The results of this study indicate that a reach-scale macroinvertebrate community structure associated with litter is likely to vary according to litter patch type composition, which would be affected by channel characteristics of the reaches.     

Stretch and stress distributions in the human artery based on two-layer model considering residual stresses

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - The objective is to know the stress distributions in the arterial walls under residual stresses based on two-layer model. Human common carotid arteries...     

The distributions of N and F: measures of HLA haplotype concordance

Nonrandom inheritance of the two HLA haplotypes of Chromosome 6, available from each parent among siblings affected by certain diseases, has afforded evidence of HLA-linked disease-susceptibility genes. Two algebraically equivalent measures of HLA haplotype concordance (that is, the excessive sharing of certain haplotypes among affected siblings) are used for family studies designed to test whether or not there is significant evidence of the existence of an HLA-linked disease-susceptibility gene or for inferring the mode of inheritance when this is already believed to apply. The distributions of these measures are derived under the null hypothesis of random inheritance of HLA haplotypes, and there is a short discussion of the case in which inheritance of a diseased gene causes a change, from the purely random case, in the distribution of haplotype concordance among affected siblings.     

Mitigation measures for pandemic influenza in Italy: an individual based model considering different scenarios

Background

Individual-based models can provide the most reliable estimates of the spread of infectious diseases. In the present study, we evaluated the diffusion of pandemic influenza in Italy and the impact of various control measures, coupling a global SEIR model for importation of cases with an individual based model (IBM) describing the Italian epidemic.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We co-located the Italian population (57 million inhabitants) to households, schools and workplaces and we assigned travel destinations to match the 2001 census data. We considered different R₀ values (1.4; 1.7; 2), evaluating the impact of control measures (vaccination, antiviral prophylaxis -AVP-, international air travel restrictions and increased social distancing). The administration of two vaccine doses was considered, assuming that first dose would be administered 1-6 months after the first world case, and different values for vaccine effectiveness (VE). With no interventions, importation would occur 37–77 days after the first world case. Air travel restrictions would delay the importation of the pandemic by 7–37 days. With an R₀ of 1.4 or 1.7, the use of combined measures would reduce clinical attack rates (AR) from 21–31% to 0.3–4%. Assuming an R₀ of 2, the AR would decrease from 38% to 8%, yet only if vaccination were started within 2 months of the first world case, in combination with a 90% reduction in international air traffic, closure of schools/workplaces for 4 weeks and AVP of household and school/work close contacts of clinical cases. Varying VE would not substantially affect the results.

Conclusions

This IBM, which is based on country-specific demographic data, could be suitable for the real-time evaluation of measures to be undertaken in the event of the emergence of a new pandemic influenza virus. All preventive measures considered should be implemented to mitigate the pandemic.     

The impact of aridification and vegetation type on changes in the community structure of methane-cycling microorganisms in Japanese wetland soils

Over the years, the wetlands covered by Sphagnum in Bibai, Japan have been turning into areas of aridity, resulting in an invasion of Sasa into the bogs. Yet little is known about the methane-cycling microorganisms in such environments. In this study, the methanotrophic, methanogenic, and archaeal community structures within these two types of wetland vegetation were studied by phylogenetic analysis targeting particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA), methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA), and the archaeal 16S rRNA gene. The pmoA library indicated that Methylomonas and Methylocystis predominated in the Sphagnum-covered and Sasa-invaded areas, respectively. The mcrA and 16S rRNA libraries indicated that Methanoregula were abundant methanogens in the Sphagnum-covered area. In the Sasa-invaded area, by contrast, mcrA genes were not detected, and no 16S rRNA clones were affiliated with previously known methanogens. Because the Sasa-invaded area still produced methane, of the various uncultured populations detected, novel euryarchaeotal lineages are candidate methane producers.     

Quantifying change in distributions: a new departure index that detects,measures and describes change in distributions from population structures,size-classes and other ordered data

Many statistics are available to compare distributions. Some are limited to nominal data while others, such as skew, Kullback-Leibler, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and the Gini coefficient, are useful for providing information about ordered distributions. While many of these tests are useful for determining properties of data in histograms, there has not been a test until now that allows for the detection of differences between distributions, describes the difference and is sensitive to the location of the departures. Such a test could be critical for comparing pre-and post-event distributions, such as a change in the distribution of biomass due to fire, for example, or for comparing data from different locations, such as soil size distributions, and even for evaluating economic disparity or examining differences in age demographics. We present a new statistic, a departure index, which allows a test distribution to be compared with any reference distribution. The resulting index contains information about the location, magnitude and direction of departure from the reference distribution to the test distribution. The departure index in turn provides a standardized response range that allows for a comparison of results from different analyses. A case study of actual fire data demonstrates the sensitivity and range of the test.     

Identification of conservation measures to protect the Japanese endangered plant species Aster kantoensis

To identify the factors responsible for degrading the habitat of the endangered plant species Aster kantoensis, as well as the vulnerable life stage where this occurs, we carried out sowing experiments. Two natural habitats were simulated, being situated along the floodplains of the Tama River in central Japan. Seeds collected from a natural habitat were sown in two apparently suitable locations (Tomoda and Ishida sites). Germination, survival, growth, and seed production were subsequently monitored from 1993 through to 1997. The Tomoda site was a gravel bar in floodplains formed by flooding in 1991, while the Ishida site (two plots) was one gravel bar where several plants were growing sparsely and another where a population had become extinct in 1992. Seed cohorts completed their life cycle within 3 years at the Ishida site and within 5 years at the Tomoda site. Monitored parameters at Ishida were substantially lower than those at Tomoda. In addition, estimates of population growth indicated an increase at Tomoda and a rapid decrease at Ishida. However, degradation of habitats seemed to occur at Tomoda over the monitored periods. In view of our results, we conclude that natural germination of about 0.13% is needed for increasing population size. The major factors for decreasing population size are believed to be the lack of safe sites for germination and seedling establishment in old habitats (>10years). Conservation measures are suggested based on these findings.     

Biologic-economic study of processes for cultivating Clostridium perfringens. II. Comparison of the effectiveness of actual and predicted processes for cultivating microorganisms]

The authors analyzed the efficacy of actual and prognosticated processes of Cl. perfringens, type A, cultivation: periodic, semicontinuous, continuous, and combined monocyclic. Comparative study permitted to choose the economically optimal processes, without any expenditure for their realization. Monocyclic combined process which could provide a great amount of active toxin at short periods proved to be the most advantageous among the cultivation processes studied.     

北京城市化进程中家庭食物碳消费动态

不可持续的家庭消费是造成全球环境问题的主要原因,食物碳消费研究是促进可持续家庭消费的重要内容。基于政府宏观统计数据,分析北京城市化进程中城市家庭食物碳消费的变化趋势和影响因素。结果表明,与1979年相比,1999年北京城市家庭人均及户均食物消费量分别减少了15.2%和38.6%,而食物碳消费总量增加了28.5%,食物碳消费结构由“以粮食为主”转变成“以粮食和肉类为主”。城市化进程中,以1993年为界,家庭食物人均及户均碳消费量均由明显减少趋势转变为明显增长趋势,变化的主要原因由“食物消费结构变化引起的人均谷物类碳消费量的减少”转变为“人均食物消费量增加引起的人均肉类碳消费量的增加”。北京城市家庭已基本完成食物消费结构的转变,人均食物消费量仍继续增加。GDP指数是影响人均食物碳消费量的主要经济因素,经济的继续增长可能带来人均食物碳消费量的增加,北京城市家庭食物碳消费尚未达到稳定状态。     

Roles of sulfhydrylases in microorganisms

sulfhydrylase (EC 4.2.99.10) is essential for certain microorganisms, functioning as a homocysteine synthase in the pathway of methionine synthesis. It participates in an alternative pathway of -homocysteine synthesis for those microbes in which homocysteine is synthesized mainly via cystathionine. The protein can also catalyze the de novo synthesis of -cysteine and in some microorganisms. The enzyme possibly recycles the methylthio group of methionine.