陆地生态系统碳水循环的相互作用及其模拟

回顾了近年来陆地生态系统碳循环与水循环相互作用及模拟方面的进展,指出了今后该领域研究的重点和发展方向。陆地生态系统碳水循环是两个相互耦合的生态学过程,二者及其相互作用均受气候、大气成分和人类活动的影响,并对气候系统具有强烈的反馈作用,因而成为当前全球变化研究的热点。近年来,国内外开展了大量观测和模拟研究,分析了碳循环和水循环在不同时空尺度上的相互作用及其对环境因子和土地利用/覆被变化的响应,发现土壤水分条件对陆地生态系统碳循环的主要分量（光合和呼吸）均具有显著作用,但作用的强度在不同的生态系统存在差异。精确模拟土壤水分动态及其对碳循环的影响是陆地生态系统碳收支估算的基础,碳循环和水循环的耦合模拟是生态和水文模型发展的方向。目前,大部分模型在模拟土壤水分动态时,未考虑地形对土壤水分水平移动的影响,土壤水分对土壤异养呼吸影响的模拟也多采用经验性模型,制约了碳收支模拟的精度,需要加以解决。     

Comparing analysis methods for mutation-accumulation data: a simulation study

We simulated single-generation data for a fitness trait in mutation-accumulation (MA) experiments, and we compared three methods of analysis. Bateman-Mukai (BM) and maximum likelihood (ML) need information on both the MA lines and control lines, while minimum distance (MD) can be applied with or without the control. Both MD and ML assume gamma-distributed mutational effects. ML estimates of the rate of deleterious mutation had larger mean square error (MSE) than MD or BM had due to large outliers. MD estimates obtained by ignoring the mean decline observed from comparison to a control are often better than those obtained using that information. When effects are simulated using the gamma distribution, reducing the precision with which the trait is assayed increases the probability of obtaining no ML or MD estimates but causes no appreciable increase of the MSE. When the residual errors for the means of the simulated lines are sampled from the empirical distribution in a MA experiment, instead of from a normal one, the MSEs of BM, ML, and MD are practically unaffected. When the simulated gamma distribution accounts for a high rate of mild deleterious mutation, BM detects only approximately 30% of the true deleterious mutation rate, while MD or ML detects substantially larger fractions. To test the robustness of the methods, we also added a high rate of common contaminant mutations with constant mild deleterious effect to a low rate of mutations with gamma-distributed deleterious effects and moderate average. In that case, BM detects roughly the same fraction as before, regardless of the precision of the assay, while ML fails to provide estimates. However, MD estimates are obtained by ignoring the control information, detecting approximately 70% of the total mutation rate when the mean of the lines is assayed with good precision, but only 15% for low-precision assays. Contaminant mutations with only tiny deleterious effects could not be detected with acceptable accuracy by any of the above methods.     

Stomach contents analysis—a review of methods and their application

Methods for analysing fish stomach contents are listed and critically assessed with a view to their suitability for determining dietary importance—this term is defined. Difficulties in the application of these methods are discussed and, where appropriate, alternative approaches proposed. Modifications which have practical value are also considered. The necessity of linking measurements of dietary importance to stomach capacity is emphasized and the effects of differential digestion upon interpretation of stomach contents outlined. The best measure of dietary importance is proposed as one where both the amount and bulk of a food category are recorded.     

A simulation study on the performance of differentiation-based methods to detect selected loci using linked neutral markers

We investigated the performance of two of the most popular differentiation-based methods to detect loci under selection (dfdist/fdist and bayescan) in order to ascertain the average chromosome map distance between the detected outlier markers and the nearest loci under selection. We used a model of neutral markers genetically linked to selected loci (QTL) controlling a quantitative trait subject to divergent selection in two subpopulations connected by migration. The results are not particularly encouraging because for chromosome lengths above 0.5 morgan, at least 30% of outliers detected were positioned in chromosomes where QTL were absent, clearly denoting false positives. Outliers linked to QTL were on average closer to the nearest QTL than randomly chosen markers, but the methods showed a substantial uncertainty about the genetic association between markers and selected loci, as this association could be shown significantly only in a moderate number of replicates for most scenarios. At equal conditions, bayescan seemed to perform somewhat more efficiently than dfdist/fdist, with little difference between results for dominant and codominant markers.     

生态社区评价指标体系研究进展

生态社区建设融合了建筑学、生态学、社会学等多学科原理,充分体现了人与自然和谐的理念,是符合可持续发展理念的社区发展模式。生态社区评价指标体系在一定的一级指标框架下,采用定性或定量的评价指标,评判社区的可持续发展水平。对生态社区的概念和内涵、形成与发展历程、国内外生态社区相关评价指标体系进行总结和归纳,在此基础上综述了生态社区评价指标体系的研究进展,包括评价主体、一级指标框架的构建、二三级指标使用的频度分析及指标权重的确定方法。最后总结分析了生态社区指标体系研究中对外环境关联、动态发展、参与性与适应性等方面的不足,提出将复杂性理论、生命周期分析方法和生态足迹分析引入生态社区评价指标体系的研究,以提高指标体系的系统性、科学性和参与性。     

Sensitivity of vertical jumping performance to changes in muscle stimulation onset times: a simulation study

The effect of muscle stimulation dynamics on the sensitivity of jumping achievement to variations in timing of muscle stimulation onsets was investigated. Vertical squat jumps were simulated using a forward dynamic model of the human musculoskeletal system. The model calculates the motion of body segments corresponding to STIM(t) of six major muscle groups of the lower extremity, where STIM is muscle stimulation level. For each muscle, STIM was allowed to switch “on” only once. The subsequent rise of STIM to its maximum was described using a sigmoidal curve, the dynamics of which was expressed as rise time (RT). For different values of stimulation RT, the optimal set of onset times was determined using dynamic optimization with height reached by the center of mass as performance criterion. Subsequently, 200 jumps were simulated in which the optimal muscle stimulation onset times were perturbed by adding to each a small number taken from a Gaussian-distributed set of pseudo-random numbers. The distribution of heights achieved in these perturbed jumps was used to quantify the sensitivity of jump height to variations in timing of muscle stimulation onsets. It was found that with increasing RT, the sensitivity of jump height to timing of stimulation onset times decreased. To try and understand this finding, a post-hoc analysis was performed on the perturbed jumps. Jump height was most sensitive to errors in the delay between stimulation onset times of proximal muscles and stimulation onset times of plantar flexors. It is explained how errors in this delay cause aberrations in the configuration of the system, which are regenerative and lead to relatively large jump height deficits. With increasing RT, the initial aberrations due to erroneous timing of muscle stimulation are smaller, and the regeneration is less pronounced. Finally, it is speculated that human subjects decrease or increase RT depending on the relative importance of different performance criteria. Received: 16 February 1998 / Accepted in revised form: 1 March 1999     

Interaction of firefly luciferase with substrates and their analogs: a study using fluorescence spectroscopy methods.

The results of the author's laboratory on the interaction of Luciola mingrelica firefly luciferase with substrates and their analogs using both steady-state and time resolved fluorescence are reviewed. The contribution of fluorescence of Trp and Tyr residues of the protein to its intrinsic fluorescence spectrum was estimated. Studies of quenching of Trp and Tyr fluorescence by luciferin and ATP allowed one to determine binding constants of the luciferase with substrates and to show that the binding of one substrate to the luciferase decreases the affinity of the enzyme for the other one. Fluorescence of oxyluciferin and its analogs (dimethyl- and monomethyloxyluciferins) was shown to be a good model of native firefly bioluminescence. A comparison of the fluorescence spectra of oxyluciferin and its analogs in aqueous solutions and in the presence of the luciferase revealed specific and nonspecific effects of the microenvironment on the equilibrium between different ionic forms of oxyluciferin. An approach based on photo-physical concepts of the correlation between luminescence spectra and structure of the emitter and its microenvironment was proposed and this approach was used to analyze bioluminescence spectra of wild-type and mutant luciferases.     

Bayesian hierarchical models combining different study types and adjusting for covariate imbalances: a simulation study to assess model performance

Background

Bayesian hierarchical models have been proposed to combine evidence from different types of study designs. However, when combining evidence from randomised and non-randomised controlled studies, imbalances in patient characteristics between study arms may bias the results. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of a proposed Bayesian approach to adjust for imbalances in patient level covariates when combining evidence from both types of study designs.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Simulation techniques, in which the truth is known, were used to generate sets of data for randomised and non-randomised studies. Covariate imbalances between study arms were introduced in the non-randomised studies. The performance of the Bayesian hierarchical model adjusted for imbalances was assessed in terms of bias. The data were also modelled using three other Bayesian approaches for synthesising evidence from randomised and non-randomised studies. The simulations considered six scenarios aimed at assessing the sensitivity of the results to changes in the impact of the imbalances and the relative number and size of studies of each type. For all six scenarios considered, the Bayesian hierarchical model adjusted for differences within studies gave results that were unbiased and closest to the true value compared to the other models.

Conclusions/Significance

Where informed health care decision making requires the synthesis of evidence from randomised and non-randomised study designs, the proposed hierarchical Bayesian method adjusted for differences in patient characteristics between study arms may facilitate the optimal use of all available evidence leading to unbiased results compared to unadjusted analyses.     

土壤有机碳分组方法及其在农田生态系统研究中的应用

农田土壤有机碳成分复杂,活性有机碳对管理措施具有敏感性,而惰性有机碳具有固碳作用.碳分组技术主要包括物理技术、化学技术和生物学技术.物理分组的依据是密度、粒径大小和空间分布,可分离出有机碳的活性组分和惰性组分.化学分组基于土壤有机碳在各种提取剂中的溶解性、水解性和化学反应性从而分离出各种组分:溶解性有机碳是生物可代谢有机碳,包括有机酸、酚类和糖类等;酸水解方法可将有机碳分成活性和惰性成分;利用KMnO4模拟酶氧化可分离出活性碳和非活性碳.利用生物技术可测定出微生物生物量碳和潜在可矿化碳.在不同农田管理措施下,有机碳组分的化学组成和库容会发生不同变化,对土壤有机碳沉积速率产生不同影响.为了探明土壤有机碳组分与碳沉积之间的定性或定量关系,今后应该加强对各种分组方法的标准化研究,探索不同分组方法的整合应用,针对不同农田管理措施,总结出适合的有机碳分组方法或联合分组方法.     

真菌对土壤N2O释放的贡献及其研究方法

N₂O是一种重要的温室气体,而土壤作为N₂O的重要来源之一,其N₂O主要产生于硝化和反硝化作用的生物过程.研究表明细菌和古菌是这些生物过程的主要参与者,然而在特定土壤生态系统中,真菌在N循环过程中起主要作用.但真菌对土壤N₂O释放贡献的研究报道甚少.本文阐述了土壤真菌N₂O产生机制的研究进展,介绍了自养硝化、异养硝化和反硝化过程的发生机理、关键微生物和功能基因.详细介绍了与真菌有关的N₂O产生过程,真菌的异养硝化作用和反硝化作用,并且比较了真菌和细菌反硝化系统的差异.此外,本文重点总结了研究土壤真菌N₂O产生的主要方法,包括选择抑制剂法、^15N标记、分离和纯培养以及免培养的分子生态学方法,对各种方法的优势和弊端进行了探讨,并对今后的研究工作提出了展望.     

中国区域可持续发展定量研究进展

基于CNKI中出现区域可持续发展定量研究以来的核心期刊文献视角,对文献的年度分布、期刊分布进行统计分析,继而从社会-经济学方法、生态学方法、系统学方法、新兴方法4个方面透视区域可持续发展定量研究方法的变动过程及趋势.分析表明,伴随文献的逐年递增,定量研究所涉及的学科领域不断拓展;方法体系由单调走向丰富,但模型的作用有被夸大的趋势;研究内容以水平评价为主,其余评价内容较少涉及;多尺度及动态的时间序列研究全面铺开,但时空结合研究有待深入.系统科学、复杂性理论及空间信息技术的综合运用将促进区域可持续发展定量研究的进一步发展和完善.     

Nanoparticle interactions with blood proteins and what it means: a tutorial review

Nanoparticles find many uses in medicine and biomedical technology. Such applications imply that they must be colloidally stable and do not interact with proteins in the blood or blood serum. A nanoparticle put into the blood will instantaneously be covered by a protein corona that compromises the function of the nanoparticle core, changes the effective size of the nanoparticle, and determines its biological fate. Strategies developed to gain control over nanoparticles in biological fluids, particular in blood, heavily rely on creating a hydrated polymer shell that sterically and osmotically prevents a protein corona from forming. In this tutorial review, we provide an overview of factors that affect the formation of the protein corona in blood and how to prevent it forming. We focus on describing the latest advances in our understanding of how small core-shell nanoparticles (core diameter 4-20 nm in diameter) with a shell of densely grafted polymer chains, a so-called polymer brush, interact with proteins and cells in vitro. Such nanoparticles are among the most well-defined and well-characterized colloids used for biomedical applications, from which an improved understanding of how nanoparticle architecture influences their biological fate can be obtained in detail.