On the Adaptive Value of Some Mate Selection Strategies

Results of an agent-based computer simulation of the evolution of diploid sexual organisms showed that several mate selection strategies confer much higher average fitness to the simulated populations, and higher evolutionary stability to the alleles coding for these strategies, than random mating. Strategies which select for 'good genes' were very successful, and so were strategies based on assortative mating. The results support the hypothesis that mating is not likely to be random in nature and that the most successful mate selection strategies are those based on assortative mating or on advantageous genes.     

广东省养蛇业的现状与发展策略的研究

目的探讨广东省蛇类养殖业的现状与发展的策略方法在全省范围内按各市县养殖场逐个进行实地考查,调查蛇类养殖场的分布、规模、面积、养殖技术和投资金额以及蛇的种类、数量、来源和贸易情况,分析蛇类养殖存在的问题和经营利用的可能性。并以表格的形式搜集各养蛇场的基础资料、近年来的养殖情况及意见和建议。结果3个养殖最成功的蛇场饲养的主要蛇种类有眼镜蛇、眼镜王蛇、滑鼠蛇、乌梢蛇,目前已基本上解决了蛇类养殖的难题,掌握了蛇类冬眠和管理等关键技术,蛇类存栏量都达到10万条以上,存栏的个体都在第三代以上;养殖成本明显下降,经济效益可观。结论眼镜蛇、眼镜王蛇、滑鼠蛇、乌梢蛇是人工养殖成功的种类,提出发展我国蛇类产业的具体措施和策略,为蛇类养殖产业化、规模化和集约化提出合理化的建议。     

Open LED Illuminator: A Simple and Inexpensive LED Illuminator for Fast Multicolor Particle Tracking in Neurons

Dual-color live cell fluorescence microscopy of fast intracellular trafficking processes, such as axonal transport, requires rapid switching of illumination channels. Typical broad-spectrum sources necessitate the use of mechanical filter switching, which introduces delays between acquisition of different fluorescence channels, impeding the interpretation and quantification of highly dynamic processes. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), however, allow modulation of excitation light in microseconds. Here we provide a step-by-step protocol to enable any scientist to build a research-grade LED illuminator for live cell microscopy, even without prior experience with electronics or optics. We quantify and compare components, discuss our design considerations, and demonstrate the performance of our LED illuminator by imaging axonal transport of herpes virus particles with high temporal resolution.     

Patent ductus arteriosus in adults

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect in which the ductus arteriosus, a vascular structure between the pulmonary artery and the aorta that normally closes shortly after birth, remains open. We present two cases of adults with PDA. A 28-year-old lady had a small PDA without any symptoms or left heart overload. The PDA was closed for endocarditis prevention using a coil. In a 37-year-old lady with palpitations, collapse, dyspnoea and left heart overload caused by a large PDA, percutaneous closure of the PDA was performed with an Amplatzer device. Transcatheter closure has been established to be the method of choice for treating a PDA in adults. (Neth Heart J 2008;16:255-9.)     

Dangers in EST Patent Law

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter -     

Patent pools and diagnostic testing

There is increasing concern that overlapping patents in the field of genetics will create a costly and legally complex situation known as a patent thicket, which, along with the associated issues of accumulating royalty payments, can act as a disincentive for innovation. One potential means of preventing this is for the patent holders to enter into a so-called patent pool, such as those established in the electronics and telecommunications industries. Precedents for these also exist in the field of genetics, notably with the patents pertaining to the SARS genome. In this review, we initially address the patent pool concept in general and its application in genetics. Following this, we will explore patent pools in the diagnostic field in more detail, and examine some existing and novel examples of patent pools in genetics.     

Patent pools and clearinghouses in the life sciences

The biopharmaceutical industry is slowly absorbing the idea of collaborative patent licensing models. Recently, two patent pools for developing countries have been launched: the Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases initiated by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which is referred to as the BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) pool, and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) initiated by UNITAID. Various organizations have recommended using pools or clearinghouses beyond the humanitarian dimension where many patents are owned by many different actors. As a first attempt, MPEG LA, which administers patent pools in various technology fields, is now setting up a clearinghouse for patents related to molecular diagnostics. These examples as well as the results from an empirical study provide useful insights for the design and administration of future pools and clearinghouses in the life sciences.     

固态发酵技术在提升工农业副产品价值中的应用

废弃物是人类为满足自身需要的产物,如菜籽饼来自于油菜籽取油,果渣来自于水果取汁,鸡粪来自于规模化养鸡。虽然许多废弃物含有较高的难于被微生物快速利用的纤维素、木质素等,但可以用微生物的转化技术生产单细胞蛋白、饲用酶制剂以及生物脱毒应用于养殖业,也可以转化为其它工农业产品。一方面可以解决环境污染的问题,另一方面,提升工农业副产物的价值。固态发酵法有处理量大,操作简单,成本低等特点,对于大多数生物过程来说,发酵产物就是产品的全部,不再有二次污染的发生。     

Biological Diversity in the Patent System

Biological diversity in the patent system is an enduring focus of controversy but empirical analysis of the presence of biodiversity in the patent system has been limited. To address this problem we text mined 11 million patent documents for 6 million Latin species names from the Global Names Index (GNI) established by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Encyclopedia of Life (EOL). We identified 76,274 full Latin species names from 23,882 genera in 767,955 patent documents. 25,595 species appeared in the claims section of 136,880 patent documents. This reveals that human innovative activity involving biodiversity in the patent system focuses on approximately 4% of taxonomically described species and between 0.8–1% of predicted global species. In this article we identify the major features of the patent landscape for biological diversity by focusing on key areas including pharmaceuticals, neglected diseases, traditional medicines, genetic engineering, foods, biocides, marine genetic resources and Antarctica. We conclude that the narrow focus of human innovative activity and ownership of genetic resources is unlikely to be in the long term interest of humanity. We argue that a broader spectrum of biodiversity needs to be opened up to research and development based on the principles of equitable benefit-sharing, respect for the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, human rights and ethics. Finally, we argue that alternative models of innovation, such as open source and commons models, are required to open up biodiversity for research that addresses actual and neglected areas of human need. The research aims to inform the implementation of the 2010 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization and international debates directed to the governance of genetic resources. Our research also aims to inform debates under the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore at the World Intellectual Property Organization.     

试论蛋白质组学的专利保护

蛋白质组学是后基因组时代的新兴学科,是当今生命科学领域新的增长点.蛋白质组学的研究为药物筛选、新药开发、临床诊断及新陈代谢途径研究等提供理论依据和研究基础.对蛋白质组学领域中涉及的蛋白质药物、数据库及检测分离设备等的专利保护现状和策略进行了初步探讨,并强调了加强我国蛋白质组学知识产权保护特别是专利保护的重要性.     

Strategies, Conflict, and the Emergence of Territoriality: The Case of the Maine Lobster Industry

In this article, we use game theory to understand the emergence of various kinds of territorial arrangements in the Maine lobster fishery during the past century. Using the Nash equilibria of models of the fishery as our theoretical framework, we show that informal territorial arrangements in this fishery went through three sequential stages. These stages are the result of decisions by groups of lobster fishermen to defend fishing areas or invade those of other groups. A large number of factors influence these defensive and offensive strategies: concentrations of lobsters, the adoption of better technology, transportation costs, ecological changes, trap monitoring costs, the ability to organize defensive and offensive groups, and better law enforcement---all of which are captured by crucial parameters of our model. We argue that this technique can be applied to elucidate territorial changes more generally.