A review of evolutionary graph theory with applications to game theory

Evolutionary graph theory (EGT), studies the ability of a mutant gene to overtake a finite structured population. In this review, we describe the original framework for EGT and the major work that has followed it. This review looks at the calculation of the “fixation probability” - the probability of a mutant taking over a population and focuses on game-theoretic applications. We look at varying topics such as alternate evolutionary dynamics, time to fixation, special topological cases, and game theoretic results. Throughout the review, we examine several interesting open problems that warrant further research.     

Multiscale simulations of heterogeneous model membranes

This review will focus on computer modeling aimed at providing insights into the existence, structure, size, and thermodynamic stability of localized domains in membranes of heterogeneous composition. Modeling the lateral organization within a membrane is problematic due to the relatively slow lateral diffusion rate for lipid molecules so that microsecond or longer time scales are needed to fully model the formation and stability of a raft in a membrane. Although atomistic simulations currently are not able to reach this scale, they can provide data on the intermolecular forces and correlations that are involved in lateral organization. These data can be used to define coarse grained models that are capable of predictions of lateral organization in membranes. In this paper, we review modeling efforts that use interaction data from MD simulations to construct coarse grained models for heterogeneous bilayers. In this review we will discuss MD simulations done with the aim of gaining the information needed to build accurate coarse-grained models. We will then review some of the coarse-graining work, emphasizing modeling that has resulted from or has a basis in atomistic simulations.     

Multiscale simulations of heterogeneous model membranes

This review will focus on computer modeling aimed at providing insights into the existence, structure, size, and thermodynamic stability of localized domains in membranes of heterogeneous composition. Modeling the lateral organization within a membrane is problematic due to the relatively slow lateral diffusion rate for lipid molecules so that microsecond or longer time scales are needed to fully model the formation and stability of a raft in a membrane. Although atomistic simulations currently are not able to reach this scale, they can provide data on the intermolecular forces and correlations that are involved in lateral organization. These data can be used to define coarse grained models that are capable of predictions of lateral organization in membranes. In this paper, we review modeling efforts that use interaction data from MD simulations to construct coarse grained models for heterogeneous bilayers. In this review we will discuss MD simulations done with the aim of gaining the information needed to build accurate coarse-grained models. We will then review some of the coarse-graining work, emphasizing modeling that has resulted from or has a basis in atomistic simulations.     

An historical review of the fish and fisheries investigations of the Freshwater Biological Association, mainly at the Windermere Laboratory

This paper is a review of most of the research work on fish that has been carried out by the Freshwater Biological Association, and includes not only what has been done at Windermere, but also some past work carried out elsewhere. However, current work at the River Laboratory, which is now a separate establishment, has been excluded.
The history of the Association i s traced from its formation in 1929 and its first laboratory at Wray Castle, to its present quarters at the Ferry House. Thc pre-war work of Allen on trout, perch and salmon is described and an account is given of the war time research and fishery for eels and perch, and of how this has led to the experimental removal of perch and pike from Windermere on a large scale. The physiological research, and work on trout fry, on char and other species, as well as many subsidiary investigations, are mentioned. As far as possible brief summaries of the main results are given for most of the 99 papers mentioiicd.     

ELF Noise Fields: A Review

The debate as to whether low-level electromagnetic fields can affect biological systems and in the long term cause health effects has been going on for a long time. Yet the interaction of weak electromagnetic fields (EMF) with living cells, undoubtedly a most important phenomenon, is still not well understood. The exact mechanisms by which the effects are produced have not been identified. Furthermore, it is not possible to clearly define which aspects of an EMF exposure that constitute the “dose.” One of the groups that contributed to solving this problem is the Bioelectromagnetics group at Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, D.C. Their work has been devoted to investigating the physical parameters that are needed to obtain an effect of EMF exposure on biological systems, and also how to inhibit the effect. This is a review of their work on bioeffects caused by low-level EMF, their dependence on coherence time, constancy, spatial averaging, and also how the effects can be modified by an applied ELF noise magnetic field. The group has been using early chick embryos, and L929 and Daudi cells as their main experimental systems. The review also covers the work of other groups on low-level effects and the inhibition of the effects with an applied noise field. The group at CUA has shown that biological effects can be found after exposure to low-level ELF and RF electromagnetic fields, and when effects are observed, applying an ELF magnetic noise field inhibits the effects. Also, other research groups have tried to replicate the studies from the CUA group, or to apply EMF noise to suppress EMF-induced effects. Replications of the CUA effects have not always been successful. However, in all cases where the noise field has been applied to prevent an observed effect, it has been successful in eliminating the effect.     

New developments in umami (enhancing) molecules

As health has become one of the main drivers in nutrition, the scientific interest in taste receptors and taste molecules has increased considerably. Academia as well as flavor and food companies are searching for molecules that make food more healthy but not less appetizing. In the savory area, salt and umami taste are being investigated. This review deals with the progress made in umami tasting molecules. Umami taste has been known as a separate taste for a long time in Asian countries and has been generally accepted as the fifth basic taste in the last decade of the previous century. In this review, first the current level of understanding of the umami receptors will be described. The main part of the paper will deal with the umami-tasting molecules that have been published recently, including the work that has been performed within Givaudan itself. Lactoyl amides of GMP (guanosine monophosphate) appeared to have remarkably strong umami-tasting properties.     

向本刊2020年度审稿专家致谢

《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》（以下称《学报》）一直秉承严格的同行评议制度,2020年度共有411位审稿专家为《学报》审稿,他们的辛勤工作保证了本刊的学术质量。有作者向我们反映,每次投稿,都能收到编辑部的建设性意见,使他们的科研工作做得更加完善,提高了文章的学术水平和写作质量,受益匪浅。近几年《学报》的投稿量在持续增加,2020年增加幅度更大,同时也加大了审稿专家的工作量。在此,编辑部谨向所有的审稿专家致以最诚挚的感谢！以下为审稿专家名单,其中审稿3篇以上、审稿认真的专家被评为优秀审稿专家。 《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》编辑部 2021年1月     

How to trick mother nature into letting you fly around or stay up all night

Night shift work and rapid transmeridian travel result in a misalignment between circadian rhythms and the new times for sleep, wake, and work, which has health and safety implications for both the individual involved and the general public. Entrainment to the new sleep/wake schedule requires circadian rhythms to be phase-shifted, but this is often slow or impeded. The authors show superimposed light and melatonin PRCs to explain how to appropriately time these zeitgebers to promote circadian adaptation. They review studies in which bright light and melatonin were administered to try to counteract jet lag or to produce circadian adaptation to night work. They demonstrate how jet lag could be prevented entirely if rhythms are shifted before the flight using their preflight plan and discuss the combination of interventions that they now recommend for night shift workers.     

DNA疫苗免疫机制及构建优化载体的研究

自20世纪90年代DNA疫苗在免疫学上被第一次提出来以后,10多年来DNA疫苗以其独特的优点而倍受青睐,但近来越来越多关于其免疫效力低下和对灵长类及人等大型动物收效甚微的论证制约着其广泛的应用。即是从DNA疫苗免疫机制方面对构建优化疫苗载体的最新研究进展综述。     

The spatial spread of invasions: new developments in theory and evidence

We review and synthesize recent developments in the study of the spread of invasive species, emphasizing both empirical and theoretical approaches. Recent theoretical work has shown that invasive species spread is a much more complex process than the classical models suggested, as long range dispersal events can have a large influence on the rate of range expansion through time. Empirical work goes even further, emphasizing the role of spatial heterogeneity, temporal variability, other species, and evolution. As in some of the classic work on spread, the study of range expansion of invasive species provides unique opportunities to use differences between theory and data to determine the important underlying processes that control spread rates.     

Embryonic and adult neural stem cell research in China

Neural stem cells(NSCs) are one specific type of multipotential stem cells that have the ability to proliferate for a long time and to differentiate into neural cells,including neurons,astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.These NSCs exist in both the embryonic and adult central nervous system(CNS) of all mammalian species.Progress has been made in the understanding of the developmental regulation of NSCs and their function in neurogenesis.This review discusses recent progress in this area,with emphasis on work d...     

Circadian clocks: neural and peripheral pacemakers that impact upon the cell division cycle

Circadian clocks are pervasive entities that allow organisms to maintain rhythms of approximately 24h, independently of external cues, thereby adapting them to the solar cycle. Recent studies have shown that molecular circadian clocks are important for the proper orchestration of the cell division cycle. For the first time, this provides a framework to understand the interactions between these two evolutionarily linked timers. Here we review the current model of the circadian clock and the molecular methods that can be used to investigate its function. We then map out links to the cell cycle at the cellular level. Furthermore, we review recent progress that has linked dysfunction of the clockwork with the pathogenesis of cancer. Disruption of circadian timing (as occurs in jet-lag, shift work and dementia) thus has far reaching consequences for normal regulation of cell division. The implications of this for the health of a "24-h society" are apparent.     

Why are conversations limited to about four people? A theoretical exploration of the conversation size constraint

It is genuinely difficult to sustain a casual conversation that includes more than four speakers. Add a fifth speaker, and the conversation often quickly fissions into smaller groups. Termed ‘the dinner party problem,’ this four-person conversation size limit is believed to be caused by evolved cognitive constraints on human mentalizing capacities. In this view, people can mentally manage three other minds at any one time, leading to four-person conversations. But whereas existing work has posited and empirically tested alternative accounts of what drives the conversation size constraint, to our knowledge, no work has explored the question of why this capacity is specifically four? In this theoretical paper, we (a) review research demonstrating this cognitive constraint in sociality, (b) review the relevant working memory literature, which has explored the “why four” question at some length, and (c) we begin to pose possible answers to our specific social “why four” question. Using simple mathematical models of small-scale sociality, which we imbue with evolutionarily-relevant content, we present one novel possible explanation for the four-person conversation size constraint.     

Cadaveric tissue retrieval service for research: one-year review and options for the future

The Tissue Acquisition Unit at Peterborough has an established service for collecting cadaveric human tissue for research. A one-year, on-going, in-house review was undertaken to evaluate the cost- and time-effectiveness of the service. The review identified referrals that failed to result in post mortem tissue retrieval. Only 28.6% of potential donors referred to the Unit led to successful tissue retrieval and the main reason for failure was post mortem time delay in some cases related to distance of location of the body from the Unit. The evolving novel role of the Pathology Liaison Nurses in the Unit is expected to increase the proportion of tissue acquisition from the local population and provide a more efficient service for donors and their families and researchers who use human tissue. This work was presented at the BATB Annual Scientific meeting in Edinburgh, April 2004.     

Folate deficiency, mismatch repair-dependent apoptosis, and human disease

The vitamin that is most commonly deficient in the American diet is folate. Severe folate deficiency in humans is known to cause megaloblastic anemia and developmental defects, and is associated with an increased incidence of several forms of human cancer. Although the exact mechanisms by which this vitamin deficiency may cause these diseases are not known at the present time, recent work has shown that folate deficiency also causes genomic instability and programmed cell death (or apoptosis). Additionally, it is known that the DNA mismatch repair pathway mediates folate deficiency-induced apoptosis. This review will first describe work suggesting that folate deficiency causes genomic instability and apoptosis, then discuss possible mechanisms by which the mismatch repair pathway could trigger folate deficiency-induced apoptosis, which has either protective or destructive effects on tissue.     

Vector NTI, a balanced all-in-one sequence analysis suite

Vector NTI is a well-balanced desktop application integrated for molecular sequence analysis and biological data management. It has a centralised database and five application modules: Vector NTI, AlignX, BioAnnotator, ContigExpress and GenomBench. In this review, the features and functions available in this software are examined. These include database management, primer design, virtual cloning, alignments, sequence assembly, 3D molecular viewer and internet tools. Some problems encountered when using this software are also discussed. It is hoped that this review will introduce this software to more molecular biologists so they can make better-informed decisions when choosing computational tools to facilitate their everyday laboratory work. This tool can save time and enhance analysis but it requires some learning on the user's part and there are some issues that need to be addressed by the developer.     

Relationship between secondary metabolism and fungal development.

Filamentous fungi are unique organisms-rivaled only by actinomycetes and plants-in producing a wide range of natural products called secondary metabolites. These compounds are very diverse in structure and perform functions that are not always known. However, most secondary metabolites are produced after the fungus has completed its initial growth phase and is beginning a stage of development represented by the formation of spores. In this review, we describe secondary metabolites produced by fungi that act as sporogenic factors to influence fungal development, are required for spore viability, or are produced at a time in the life cycle that coincides with development. We describe environmental and genetic factors that can influence the production of secondary metabolites. In the case of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, we review the only described work that genetically links the sporulation of this fungus to the production of the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin through a shared G-protein signaling pathway.     

Medicinal legumes of Mexico: Fabaceae,papilionoideae, part one

Trees and shrubs of Mexicoby P. C. Standley (1920-1926) gives medicinaluses and poisonous properties for a variety of plants. The literature since 1920 has been reviewed for further properties of the medicinal papilionoid legumes mentioned by Standley, as well as some of their allies, and the results are presented here. It is hoped that this review will not only provide a useful update to Standley’s work, but will also draw attention to certain species which have been little studied since Standley’s time.     

How do Rab proteins function in membrane traffic?

The Rabs are a group of GTP-binding proteins implicated for some time in the targeting of different transport vesicles within the cell, but it has been unclear how they function, or how they relate to a second group of targeting proteins, the SNAREs. Recent work, discussed in this review, has used biophysical, biochemical and genetic approaches to begin to answer these questions for Rab3, Rab5 and the yeast protein Sec4p. However, the results from these three Rabs lead to a surprising conclusion: the different Rabs seem to function via highly diverse target proteins.