Acclimation to irradiance of leaf photosynthesis and associated nitrogen reallocation in photosynthetic apparatus in the year following thinning of a young stand of Chamaecyparis obtusa

In order to quantify the effects of thinning on photosynthetic parameters and associated change in leaf nitrogen (N) contents, half of the trees in a 10-year-old Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.) Endl. stand (36° 3′N, 140°7′E) were removed, giving a final density of 1 500 trees ha⁻¹, in May 2004. Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and leaf N and carbon (C) contents in the lower (L), middle (M), and upper (U) crowns were monitored one, three, and five months after thinning in both the thinned stand and a non-thinned control stand. In addition, leaves’ photosynthetic responses to CO₂ concentration were simultaneously measured in situ to estimate the maximum rates of carboxylation (V_cmax) and electron transport (J_max). Thinning increased PPFD in the L and M crowns but not in the U crown. V_cmax in both the L and M crowns of the thinned stand increased significantly in comparison with the same crown position of the control stand in the three and five months following thinning. In addition, the thinned stand exhibited an increase in N partitioned to ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO) in the L and M crowns relative to the control stand three and five months after thinning, indicating that N had been redistributed within the photosynthetic machinery. Thinning did not affect N per unit area at any of the crown positions, but significantly increased the content of N as a fraction of the total leaf dry mass in the L and M crowns three and five months after thinning. This was a consequence of a decrease in leaf dry mass due to rapid shoot growth. Thus thinning did not cause a redistribution of N between leaves. Thinning improved irradiance in the L and M crowns of C. obtusa, leading to photosynthetic acclimation. Photosynthetic acclimation in the first year mainly occurred via redistribution of N within but not between leaves.     

Responses of photosynthetic parameters of Quercus mongolica to soil moisture stresses

The effect of drought on plant photosynthetic parameters has not been quantitatively described in the models of plant photosynthetic mechanism, so the seedlings of Quercus mongolica from Northeast China were used to study the responses of the photosynthetic parameters to soil water stresses. The results showed that the relationship between the maximum net leaf photosynthetic rate (P_max) of Quercus mongolica and soil moisture could be expressed as a quadratic curve (P < 0.01), and P_max reached the maximum when soil volume moisture was close to 35.45% of the field water holding capacity. The maximum rate of carboxylation (V_cmax), the maximum potential rate of electron transport (J_max) and triose phosphate utilization (TPU) rate of Quercus mongolica also had quadratic relationships with soil water content (P < 0.01). Namely, V_cmax, J_max and TPU had similar response curves to soil water, but had different optimal soil water contents. Based on the temperature and responses of plant photosynthetic parameters to water, this function provides researchers with the parameters and methodology for understanding and simulating the responses of plant photosynthetic parameters to drought stress.     

Responses of photosynthetic parameters of Quercus mongolica to soil moisture stresses

The effect of drought on plant photosynthetic parameters has not been quantitatively described in the models of plant photosynthetic mechanism, so the seedlings of Quercus mongolica from Northeast China were used to study the responses of the photosynthetic parameters to soil water stresses. The results showed that the relationship between the maximum net leaf photosynthetic rate (P_max) of Quercus mongolica and soil moisture could be expressed as a quadratic curve (P < 0.01), and P_max reached the maximum when soil volume moisture was close to 35.45% of the field water holding capacity. The maximum rate of carboxylation (V_cmax), the maximum potential rate of electron transport (J_max) and triose phosphate utilization (TPU) rate of Quercus mongolica also had quadratic relationships with soil water content (P < 0.01). Namely, V_cmax, J_max and TPU had similar response curves to soil water, but had different optimal soil water contents. Based on the temperature and responses of plant photosynthetic parameters to water, this function provides researchers with the parameters and methodology for understanding and simulating the responses of plant photosynthetic parameters to drought stress.     

蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica)光合参数对水分胁迫的响应机理

针对当前植物光合机理模型中植物光合参数没有考虑干旱胁迫影响的不足,以东北地区蒙古栎为研究对象,基于蒙古栎对不同水分响应的植物生理生态模拟试验,探讨了蒙古栎光合参数对水分胁迫的定量响应.结果表明,水分胁迫严重影响蒙古栎叶片的光合参数.其最大净光合速率(Pmax)与土壤含水量呈抛物线关系(P<0.01),且在土壤体积含水量35.45%(相当于土壤质量含水量23.63%)接近田间持水量(27.4%)时达到最大值.蒙古栎幼苗叶片的最大羧化速率(Vcmax)、最大电子传递速率(Jmax)和磷酸丙糖利用率(TPU)均与土壤水分呈抛物线关系(P<0.01),即Vcmax、Jmax 、TPU对土壤水分具有相同的响应趋势,但各光合参数达到最大时的土壤水分阈值却不相同.同时,基于蒙古栎光合作用参数对水分变化响应的定量分析,建立了水热因子协同影响的植物光合参数模型,为最终建立适用于所有植物的水热因子协同影响的光合参数模型提供了依据与技术示范.     

基于东北温带落叶阔叶林通量数据的BEPS 模型参数优化

控制其他参数为经验常数,利用迭代方法对主要光合作用参数最大羧化速率(V_{c max}) 及最大电子传递速率(J_max)进行不同数值组合,将得到的多组模拟结果的逐日总初级生产力(GPP)分别与东北帽儿山落叶阔叶林的通量观测数据进行比较,实现对小时步长BEPSHourly模型V_{c max}和J_max的参数优化.结果表明: 对于东北温带落叶阔叶林,当V_{c max}为41.1 μmol·m^-2·s^-1、J_max 为82.8 μmol·m^-2·s^-1时,模拟的2011年逐日GPP与观测数据比较的均方根误差(RMSE)最小,为1.10 g C·m^-2·d^-1,R²最高,为0.95.经过光合作用参数V_{c max}和J_max优化后,BEPSHourly模型能更好地模拟GPP的季节变化.     

Velocity of translation of single actin filaments (AF) by myosin heads from antigen-sensitized airway smooth muscle

We have previously reported increased velocity of shortening (V_o) in the sensitized airway (0.36 1_o/s, ± SE) smooth muscle compared to the control (0.26 1_o/s, ± 0.017 SE) and subsequent experiments indicated this was due to increased phosphorylation of the 20 kDa myosin light chain resulting from increased total myosin light chain kinase activity. The motility assay technique described by Kron and Spudich was employed to determine whether additionally the molecular motor (actomyosin crossbridge) itself was altered in airway smooth muscle by ragweed pollen sensitization. The motility assay measures the velocity of actin filament translation by myosin molecules. The negative results of the motility assay were valuable in determining that the pathogenesis of allergic bronchospasm is not at contractile protein level but at regulatory enzyme level.     

染色体着丝点结构变化与习惯性流产的关系

为探讨染色体Cd结构变化与习惯性流产关系,采用Cd-NOR同步银染技术,对38例习惯性流产患者和42例正常人Cd结构变异、Cd结构消失、Cd结构最大横径和Cd-NOR融合进行测量和比较分析。发现习惯性流产患者的Cd结构变异和Cd结构消失的频率明显高于正常人,Cd结构最大横径明显小于正常人。Cd结构消失和Cd结构变异频率的增高以及Cd结构最大横径变小可能是影响习惯性流产的相关因素。 Abstract:To study the correlation between chromosome centromeric dots and habitual abortions,Cd variation,Cd loss,maximum diameter of Cd and Cd-NOR of 38 habitual abortion patients and 42 healthy persons were measured,compared and analysed with Cd-banding technique.It was found that the frequencies of Cd variation and Cd loss were obviously higher and maximum diameter of Cd was smaller in habitual abortion patients than those in healthy persons.The increase of frequencies of Cd variation and Cd loss and the decrease of maximum diameter of Cd might be the causes affecting habitual abortions.     

Aperiodic variations of the turbidity maxima of two German coastal plain estuaries

Suspended particulate matter dynamics in estuaries can be split into more or less regular and periodic phenomena dominated by the tide and aperiodic events like river spates which have lasting effects on the suspended matter distribution. The catchment areas of the estuaries of both the River Elbe and R. Weser (Germany) are subject to almost the same meteorological conditions. But the mean freshwater runoff of R. Elbe is about twice the mean R. Weser runoff. In the turbidity maxima of both estuaries, suspended matter dynamics are dominated by the tide most of the year. The turbidity maxima are associated with the low salinity regions, and the locations of both the mixing zones and turbidity maxima depend on runoff. In both estuaries, mixing zone and turbidity maximum react almost immediately and simultaneously on strong increases of runoff. During river floods no turbidity maxima can be observed in the inner estuaries. With decreasing runoff after a river flood the re-establishment of the turbidity maximum lags behind the return of the mixing zone. The restoration of the turbidity maximum to its normal magnitude lasts for months. For the 7 river floods presented here the restoration period varied from 1 to 6 months for the Weser and from 5 to 7 months for the Elbe estuary.     

Estimation and Tests of Mendelian Inheritance in Small Samples of Human Families

Estimation of parameters in human genetics is usually performed by Maximum Likelihood methods for large samples relying on asymptotic results. With the aim of evaluating the importance of the bias resulting from sample size, two sets of human family data have been analysed. The bias is not very important, but programs have been elaborated, giving better estimations. The tests of hypotheses from these estimations have also been considered.     

Two Methods for reconstructing the empirical mortality profile

This paper goes one step beyond the age determination of the individual skeleton. It presents two methods for the reconstruction of the distribution of the age at death in a sample of skeletons. It is shown that the maximum likelihood method, in spite of certain weaknesses, is superior to the traditionally used proportional method, especially in situations when the analyzed sample consists of skeletons with very different conditions of preservation and thus age intervals of differing lengths. The maximum likelihood method eliminates a bias towards increased average age at death which is introduced by the proportional method. An analysis of an empirical example indicates that the difference between results obtained using the two methods increases with increasing age.     

A Procedure for the Common Estimation of Parameters Corresponding to Several Treatment Groups

In this article we give a procedure for the common estimation of parameters corresponding to several treatment groups. Thereby we assume that the distribution functions of the groups belong to the same family and differ only in the parameter values. The procedure allows the common estimation of some of these parameters. The parameters themselves will be estimated by the maximum likelihood method; the estimators will be calculated iteratively by the Newton-Raphson method. To prove if the common estimation is possible, we propose as a suitable test the maximum likelihood ratio test. Finally we show the application of our procedure in the case of the probit analysis.     

A Simple Numerical Procedure for Estimating the Prior Probability in the Biomathematical Proof of Paternity

This note gives a simple procedure for finding the maximum likelihood estimate of the prior probabilities in paternity cases. The procedure is based on a fixed point principle.     

北京主要气传致敏花粉年浓度峰值日期预测

花粉是我国北方引发过敏性鼻炎最主要过敏原,花粉症发病期与花粉浓度高峰期吻合。基于北京地区2012至2020年花粉季多站、逐日分类花粉浓度观测数据分析,得出北京地区花粉浓度在3月上旬至5月中旬(可进一步划分为3月中旬至4月上旬和4月下旬至5月上旬两个高峰期)和8月中旬至9月中旬分别存在两个高峰期,第一个高峰期内优势致敏花粉种类为柏科、杨柳科和松科,第二个高峰期内优势致敏花粉种类为桑科、菊科蒿属和藜科。根据优势致敏花粉年浓度峰值日期观测数据,使用与花粉采样站点位置相匹配的逐日气象观测数据累积值,基于作物模型概念和模糊逻辑原理建立了北京地区主要气传致敏花粉年浓度峰值日期预测模型。经检验,柏科、杨柳科、松科、桑科、菊科蒿属和藜科花粉模型预测准确率分别为87.8%、80.0%、64.4%、86.7%、78.8%和81.8%。基于北京地区主要气传致敏花粉年浓度峰值日期预测模型可为本地花粉症防治提供理论参考。     

Maximum likelihood outperforms maximum parsimony even when evolutionary rates are heterotachous

Heterotachy occurs when the relative evolutionary rates among sites are not the same across lineages. Sequence alignments are likely to exhibit heterotachy with varying severity because the intensity of purifying selection and adaptive forces at a given amino acid or DNA sequence position is unlikely to be the same in different species. In a recent study, the influence of heterotachy on the performance of different phylogenetic methods was examined using computer simulation for a four-species phylogeny. Maximum parsimony (MP) was reported to generally outperform maximum likelihood (ML). However, our comparisons of MP and ML methods using the methods and evaluation criteria employed in that study, but considering the possible range of proportions of sites involved in heterotachy, contradict their findings and indicate that, in fact, ML is significantly superior to MP even under heterotachy.     

Evolutionary diversification of structure and function in the family of intracellular calcium-binding proteins

Summary The maximum parsimony method was used to reconstruct the genealogical history of the family of intracellular calcium-binding proteins represented by six major present-day lineages, three of which - calcium dependent modulator protein, heart and skeletal muscle troponin Cs, and alkali light chains of myosin - were found to share a closer kinship with one another than with the other lineages. Similarly, parvalbumins and regulatory light chains of myosin were depicted as more closely related, whereas the branch of intestinal calcium-binding protein proved to have the most distant separation. The computer-generated amino acid sequence for the common ancestor of these six lineages described a four domain protein in which each domain of approximately 40 amino acid residues had a mid-region, 12 residue segment that bound calcium and had properties most resembling those of the calcium dependent modulator protein. It could then be deduced that parvalbumins evolved by deletion of domain I, inactivation of calcium-binding properties in domain II, and acquisition of increased affinity for Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ in domains III and IV. Regulatory light chains of myosin lost the cation binding property from three domains, retaining it in I, whereas alkali light chains of myosin lost this ability from each of the four domains. In skeletal muscle troponin C all domains retained their calcium-binding activity; however, like parvalbumins, domains III and IV acquired high affinity properties. Cardiac troponin C lost its binding activity from domain I but otherwise resembled the skeletal muscle form. Finally, intestinal calcium-binding protein evolved by deletion of domains III and IV.Positive selection could be implicated in these evolutionary changes in that the rate of fixation of mutations substantially increased in the mid portions of those domains which were loosing calcium-binding activity. Likewise, when the cation binding sites were changing from low to high affinity, an accelerated rate of fixed mutations was observed. Once this new functional parameter was selected these regions showed a remarkable conservatism, as did those binding sites which were maintaining the lower affinity. Moreover even in sequence regions not directly involved in cation binding, the lineage of troponin C became very conservative over the past 300 million years, perhaps because of the necessity for maintaining specific interfaces in order for the molecule to interact with troponin I and T in a functional thin myofilament. A similar phenomenon was observed in domain II of the regulatory light chains of the myosin lineage suggesting a possible binding site with the heavy chain of myosin.This paper is dedicated to the memory of Jean-Francois Pechère, deceased     

A method of selecting data points for fitting the maximum biomass-density line for stands undergoing self-thinning

Abstract A problem that has always existed in self-thinning studies is the lack of objectivity in determining which data points to include when fitting the maximum biomass-density line. This paper demonstrates a more objective method of selecting data points using data from 12 even-aged Pinus radiata stands undergoing self-thinning. The method involves the division of a cluster of data points into a specified number of intervals. From each interval, that point having the maximum stand biomass is selected to contribute to the fitting process. This process is repeated a specified number of times using an increasing number of intervals. Each time an estimate of the line is obtained. From these estimates, one can be chosen to represent the maximum biomass-density line. The method may also be useful in other areas involving the definition of a boundary condition.     

An upper limit to the abundance of aquatic organisms

Summary The maximum density achievable by aquatic organisms is an inverse linear function of their body size. As a consequence, the maximum achievable biomass is independent of body size, and is 2 orders of magnitude higher than the biomass in natural populations. The minimum interorganismic terorganismic distance, calculated from the maximum density to allow comparison between aquatic and terrestrial organisms, scales as the 1/3 power of body size in both habitats. The similarities in the interorganismic distance of terrestrial and aquatic plant and animal communities suggest a fundamental regularity in the way organisms use the space.