Factors determining distributions of tree species and plant functional types

Plant functional types have been identified by the International Geosphere Biosphere Program as functionally similar basic plant types, especially trees, as needed for global ecological modeling. Based to some extent on an earlier set of pheno-physiognomically defined plant types, a Global Biome Model was produced but has not satisfied all the desired functional criteria posed by IGBP physiologists and modelers. This paper asks two questions: what are the main environmental factors which limit terrestrial plant types, especially tree types; and how many types of potential vegetation are needed to cover the world's terrestrial vegetation patterns? Based on the main environmental factors recognized, a model of world potential dominant vegetation types was produced and used to estimate the minimal number of vegetation types needed. The resulting set of 40 potential dominant vegetation types may serve as an initial basis for a structural-functionally based set of world plant functional types.     

中国轮藻植物区系研究

中国轮藻植物有13种分布区类型,其中以中国特有分布占绝对优势,其它分布类型所占比例较低,说明中国轮藻植物与其它地区轮藻植物联系较少。丽藻属有10种分布区类型,缺少温带特性的分布区类型,如北温带分布、旧世界温带分布,其它分布区类型显示丽藻属主要分布在热带和亚热带地区,而轮藻属有13种分布区类型,温带特性的分布区类型所占比例较高,如旧世界温带分布,其它分布区类型显示轮藻属主要分布在温带地区。     

The key role of atom types, reference states, and interaction cutoff radii in the knowledge-based method: new variational approach

We present a variational method to derive knowledge-based potentials. The method is based on an optimization procedure of objective variables: atom types, reference states, and interaction cutoff radii. We suggest and apply new unsymmetrical reference states. The cutoff radii and atom types are optimized to improve docking accuracy of the corresponding potentials. The atom types are varied along an atom type tree, with 6 root and 49 top atom types, and the set of 18 optimal atom types is obtained. We demonstrate strong dependence between the choice of atom types and the docking accuracy of the potentials derived with these atom types. The averaged root-mean square deviations (RMSDs) of the ligand docked positions relative to the experimentally determined positions decrease when the elements C, N, O are split into the optimal types.     

INTERMINGLING OF DALLI-TYPE DALL'S PORPOISES INTO A WINTERING TRUEI-TYPE POPULATION OFF JAPAN: IMPLICATIONS FROM COLOR PATTERNS

There are two major color morphs, truei and dalli types, of the Dall's porpoise and the latter includes two minor morphs. A small number of dalli types are found among truei types off the Pacific coast of Japan, where truei types normally winter. Based on differences in the patch size of dalli -type porpoises taken by the harpoon fishery, we determined that those dalli types contain both minor morphs. Although the total number of both types in the sample was similar, the proportion of the two types varied seasonally. Sex ratio, body length, and maturity rate were different among the dalli and truei types. These facts strongly suggest that these dalli types were not members of the truei -type population and were actually migrants from adjacent dalli -type populations. The definition of the subspecies Phocoenoides dalli dalli and P. d. truei as polymorphic groups is not supported, although we consider that each of the three color morphs is worthy of full subspecific status.     

The location of structural difference between ovotransferrin types A and B in hens

A comparison of ovotransferrin types A and B showed that in starch gel electrophoresis both types consisted of one major and one minor component. Both types have a similar amino acid composition as do the fragments from each type. Starch gel electrophoresis shows that the cause of the difference in the elec-trophoretic mobilities between ovotransferrin types A and B lies in the C-termi-nal half of the molecule. No physiological difference was found between types A and B, both types donate iron to chicken embryo red cells at equal rate.     

白头鹎的鸣唱结构及其鸣唱微地理变异

对武汉市区白头鹎(Pycnonotus sinensis)的鸣唱类型和音节类型进行了统计、分析,并按照采样地点划分为组(微地理种群),对组间、组内不同白头鹎个体间的鸣唱差异进行了探讨.分析来自市区5个样点的26只雄性白头鹎的667个鸣唱,共发现18种基本鸣唱型、53种音节类型.每只雄性白头鹎具有1-3种基本鸣唱型,每只个体能唱6.7(4-1 4)种音节类型.平均每个鸣唱由5.0(3-11)个音节、4.6(3-8)种音节类型组成.白头鹎的鸣唱顺序模式为平稳过渡型,并能通过以下三种方式在基本鸣唱型的基础上产生鸣唱变异:1)省略、添加或替换鸣唱中的个别音节;2)对鸣唱中的某个部分进行重复或重复不同次数;3)将不同的鸣唱型进行拼接组合.每只个体每种基本鸣唱型至少具有2.0(1-5)个变 异类型,这种变异在个体间和个体内普遍存在.个体间能共享1-2种鸣唱型.所划分的5个组内普遍存在鸣唱型和音节类型的共享,而组间则无鸣唱型共享,有音节类型共享.采用Jaccard相似性系数衡量白头鹎个体间音节的共享情况,发现个体间的音节共享程度在组内 明显大于组间,因此认为越是邻近分布的白头鹎个体具有越相似的鸣唱     

Classification of types of ontogenetic reproduction

The object of this paper is to present an original classification of ontogenetic reproduction. The main general criterion used is the degree and type of phylogenetic differentiation. In relation to this criterion, criteria are given for the classification of the fundamental types of ontogenetic reproduction and for the classification of the types of ontogenetic generation cycles. Between the fundamental types of ontogenetic reproduction and the types of ontogenetic generation cycles there is a hierarchical relationship which shows that the former are components of the latter. Between the well-defined types of ontogenetic reproduction there exist many intermediate types.     

Linking riparian vegetation types and fluvial geomorphology along the Sabie River within the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Vegetation types were studied in relation to the fluvial geomorphology along the mixed bedrock‐alluvial Sabie River within the Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Six vegetation types were identified using TWINSPAN analysis, namely: Phragmites mauritianus , Phyllanthus reticulatus , Breonadia salicina , Combretum erythrophyllum , Diospyros mespiliformis and Spirostachys africana vegetation types. Spirostachys africana and Diospyros mespiliformis vegetation types were found to occur predominantly on the stable, infrequently flooded macro‐channel banks, while the remaining four vegetation types were found almost exclusively along the more geomorphically and hydrologically dynamic macro‐channel floor. The degree of bedrock or alluvial influence was identified as being an integral factor in the distribution of the four macro‐channel floor vegetation types at both the morphological unit and the channel type scale. The geomorphological continuum from the bedrock influenced bedrock anastomosing channel types, to mixed anastomosing and pool‐rapid channel types, to the fully alluvial braided channel types, is reflected in the change in species composition from Breonadia salicina vegetation type, to Phyllanthus reticulatus and Phragmites mauritianus vegetation types, to Combretum erythrophyllum vegetation types, respectively. Given the vegetation/fluvial geomorphology links established, changes in vegetation composition are proposed in response to scenarios of geomorphological change as a result of progressive sedimentation.     

Temporal and Contextual Patterns of Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Call Type Production

Fish-eating killer whales Orcinus orca in the northeastern Pacific live in highly stable matrifocal social groups called pods. Each pod produces a repertoire of seven or more stereotyped call types. We compared the relative production of call types of free-ranging killer whale pods over time and between social contexts. The relative production of call types by each pod during directional travel was distinct over a 27-yr period; however, both temporal stability and pod distinctiveness were strongly influenced by a subset of dominant call types within the repertoire of each pod. Some call types within the repertoires contain biphonation (two overlapping independently modulated tones) and have a higher estimated active space than call types containing just one tone. In multi-pod aggregations the relative production of the dominant call types of each pod decreased and the relative production of a subset of call types that are rarely recorded from single-pod groupings increased. The majority of these contained biphonation. The data suggest a distinction between a subset of dominant call types that may function to identify the pod and a subset of less common call types including several call types containing biphonation that are more commonly produced during inter-pod affiliations.     

Sexual dimorphism in antennal receptors of Phyllophaga ravida Blanchard (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Melolonthidae)

The external morphology of sensilla on the antennae of males and females of Phyllophaga ravida Blanchard is described using scanning electron microscopy. Sexual dimorphism in body and antennal dimensions and in antennal receptor types was found. The female's body is slightly larger than the male's, although male antennal lamellae are longer than in females. Sixteen types of sensilla were identified on the proximal and distal surfaces of lamellae from both sexes, most of them in males: three types of placodea sensilla, four types of auricilica sensilla, five types of basiconica sensilla, and four types of coeloconica sensilla. Also, two types of mechanoreceptor sensilla were present on the lamellae periphery. Furthermore, males had larger placodea, auricilica and some types of basiconica sensilla.     

Aggregation and Competitive Exclusion: Explaining the Coexistence of Human Papillomavirus Types and the Effectiveness of Limited Vaccine Conferred Cross-Immunity

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types are sexually transmitted infections that cause a number of human cancers. According to the competitive exclusion principle in ecology, HPV types that have lower transmission probabilities and shorter durations of infection should be outcompeted by more virulent types. This, however, is not the case, as numerous HPV types co-exist, some which are less transmissible and more easily cleared than others. This paper examines whether this exception to the competitive exclusion principle can be explained by the aggregation of infection with HPV types, which results in patchy spatial distributions of infection, and what implications this has for the effect of vaccination on multiple HPV types. A deterministic transmission model is presented that models the patchy distribution of infected individuals using Lloyd??s mean crowding. It is first shown that higher aggregation can result in a reduced capacity for onward transmission and reduce the required efficacy of vaccination. It is shown that greater patchiness in the distribution of lower prevalence HPV types permits co-existence. This affirms the hypothesis that the aggregation of HPV types provides an explanation for the violation of the competitive exclusion principle. Greater aggregation of lower prevalence types has important implications where type-specific HPV vaccines also offer cross-protection against non-target types. It is demonstrated that the degree of cross-protection can be less than the degree of vaccine protection conferred against directly targeted types and still result in the elimination of non-target types when these non-target types are patchily distributed.     

Genetic differentiation among eight color types of the freshwater goby,Rhinogobius brunneus,from western Japan

Genetic differentiation among eight color types of the freshwater goby,Rhinogobius brunneus, from the western part of Japan was investigated by using electrophoretic methods. Four sympatric types (Cross-band, Dark, Cobalt and Large-Dark (A) types) did not share alleles at between one and six loci out of 12 loci tested. No hybrid specimens were found among these types. The average genetic distances among these four types ranged from 0.13 to 0.72, which fall within the range of values among congeneric species of fishes. The average genetic distances among the other four types, Large-Dark (B), Orange, Shinji-Lake and Boso types, were only 0.01 to 0.03, and fall within the range of values among conspecific populations. These results suggest that the former four types are clearly discrete species and the latter four types may be considered as intraspecific variations of a fifth species.     

Parvalbumin-immunoreactive structures in the hippocampus of the human adult

Summary Parvalbumin-immunoreactive structures in the fascia dentata and Ammon's horn of the adult human brain were studied using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. Thin fibres (probably axons) were found to form dense networks throughout the cellular layers. Parvalbumin immunoreactivity is observed in even distal portions of nerve cell processes. The excellent quality of the immunoreaction renders the distinction of a large number of possible neuronal types. All parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons belong to the class of non-granule cells in the fascia dentata and non-pyramidal neurons in Ammon's horn. The fascia dentata harbours four types of neurons in the molecular layer, one type within the granule cell layer and four types in the plexi-form layer. The frequently described basket cells are contained in the group of immunoreactive non-granule cells in the plexiform layer. In field CA4 two neuronal types can be distinguished. Field CA3 reveals a slender cell type in the stratum radiatum, three types in the pyramidal cell layer and three types in the stratum oriens. In field CA2 three neuronal types can be differentiated in the stratum pyramidale. The extended field CA1 is endowed with two types of nerve cells within the stratum moleculare, two types in the stratum radiatum, five neuronal types in the stratum pyramidale, and one spindle-shaped type in the stratum oriens. The morphological features of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neuronal types in the adult human brain are compared with those found in Golgi-studies of mostly young animals or in labelling experiments. This study serves as a basis for further analyzes involving specific diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or epilepsy, where it needs to be clarified to which extent certain neuronal types are afflicted.     

北京东灵山区景观类型空间邻接与分布规律

景观由斑块实间镶嵌而成。如何从错综复杂的斑块镶嵌中发现景观类型的空间分布规律,是景观格局研究中亟待解决的问题。通过对北京东灵山地区景观类型空间邻接关系的研究,借鉴群落生态学方法对其空间分布规律进行了探讨。结果表明,各个景观类型的空间邻接特征明显差异,可依紧密邻接的类型数目和程度分为３类;决定景观类型邻接多样性的主要因素是邻接类型的数目;采用作者提出的以景观类型空间邻接长度替代群落学数据的群落分类方     

Histochemical study of the forelimb muscles in Rana temporaria L

Fibre types in the 7 forelimb muscles of Rana temporaria were characterized according to actomyosin ATP-ase activity and 5 distinct fibre types were distinguished. Besides the twitch fibres of type I, IIA, IIB, and IIC, also the tonic fibres were found in the examined muscles. The metabolic profiles of these fibre types was identified on the basis of SDH activity. The scores of SDH activity of different fibre types overlapped and correlation between fibre types defined by ATP-ase activity and their metabolic profiles was not found. All investigated muscles showed the heterogenous distribution of fibre types. Caput superius m. extensoris carpi radialis and caput mediale m. anconei were composed of 4 and 3 fibre types, respectively, in the opposite to the other ones which contained all 5 types of fibres.     

PRASA: An integrated web server that analyzes protein interaction types

This work presents the Protein Association Analyzer (PRASA) (http://zoro.ee.ncku.edu.tw/prasa/) that predicts protein interactions as well as interaction types. Protein interactions are essential to most biological functions. The existence of diverse interaction types, such as physically contacted or functionally related interactions, makes protein interactions complex. Different interaction types are distinct and should not be confused. However, most existing tools focus on a specific interaction type or mix different interaction types. This work collected 7234058 associations with experimentally verified interaction types from five databases and compiled individual probabilistic models for different interaction types. The PRASA result page shows predicted associations and their related references by interaction type. Experimental results demonstrate the performance difference when distinguishing between different interaction types. The PRASA provides a centralized and organized platform for easy browsing, downloading and comparing of interaction types, which helps reveal insights into the complex roles that proteins play in organisms.     

敦化南北不同景观生态类型鸟类群的比较研究

敦化县位于吉林省东部,长白山系的北段。北处张广才岭的东翼,与黑龙江省为邻;南隔牡丹岭与延边的安图、抚松县相望。 关于鸟类分布研究的文章甚多,大多是以植被为界限。并参考鸟类的分布规律对鸟类群进行划分。植被是影响鸟类分布的因素,但全面研究鸟类群生态地理规律,仅考虑植被因素的影响往往是不够的。笔者依据敦化南北部所进行的工作,试图选取一种综合     

Gamete signalling underlies the evolution of mating types and their number

The gametes of unicellular eukaryotes are morphologically identical, but are nonetheless divided into distinct mating types. The number of mating types varies enormously and can reach several thousand, yet most species have only two. Why do morphologically identical gametes need to be differentiated into self-incompatible mating types, and why is two the most common number of mating types? In this work, we explore a neglected hypothesis that there is a need for asymmetric signalling interactions between mating partners. Our review shows that isogamous gametes always interact asymmetrically throughout sex and argue that this asymmetry is favoured because it enhances the efficiency of the mating process. We further develop a simple mathematical model that allows us to study the evolution of the number of mating types based on the strength of signalling interactions between gametes. Novel mating types have an advantage as they are compatible with all others and rarely meet their own type. But if existing mating types coevolve to have strong mutual interactions, this restricts the spread of novel types. Similarly, coevolution is likely to drive out less attractive mating types. These countervailing forces specify the number of mating types that are evolutionarily stable.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction’.     

The typological organization and microgeographical variation of chaffinch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fringilla coelebs</Emphasis> L.) songs in the population of the Curonian Spit

The song repertoire of many sparrow species (Passeriformes) has not one but several song types. In the investigated chaffinch population (Fringilla coelebs L.), we revealed 22 types of songs, of which four turned out to be rare (they were found in 1—2 points), and five song types were combined (they consisted of phrases of different song types). The average size of the chaffinch repertoire in the Curonian Spit was represented by 2—3 song types (max of 6 song types and min of 1 song type). The variation in song types considered by us can speak for genetic heterogeneity.     

Predicting the nuclear localization signals of 107 types of HPV L1 proteins by bioinformatic analysis

In this study, 107 types of human papillomavirus （HPV） L1 protein sequences were obtained from available databases, and the nuclear localization signals （NLSs） of these HPV L1 proteins were analyzed and predicted by bioinformatic analysis. Out of the 107 types, the NLSs of 39 types were predicted by PredictNLS software （35 types of bipartite NLSs and 4 types of monopartite NLSs）. The NLSs of the remaining HPV types were predicted according to the characteristics and the homology of the already predicted NLSs as well as the general rule of NLSs. According to the result, the NLSs of 107 types of HPV L1 proteins were classified into 15 categories. The different types of HPV L1 proteins in the same NLS category could share the similar or the same nucleocytoplasmic transport pathway. They might be used as the same target to prevent and treat different types of HPV infection. The results also showed that bioinformatic technology could be used to analyze and predict NLSs of proteins.