Dermatoglyphic study among sex and other crime convicts

An attempt was made to investigate dermatoglyphic variation between four sex-crimes (SC) and four sex and other crime (SOC) convicts. These were compared with 10 endogamous and 11 penal populations. The results indicate that the two closely related sex crime cases IPC-363 and IPC 366 («kidnap» and «abducting») show wide differences in dermatoglyphic characters. A comparison of sex crimes with sex and other crime cases showed least differences in the case of IPC-363, IPC-363 KC and in IPC 366 and IPC-366 AC but wide differences in IPC-354 («molestation») cases. The dendrograms suggest that the eight sex crime cases cluster together and are different from other endogamous and penal populations. The significant low mean finger ridge count observed in the case of IPC-366 is in agreement with other studies, suggesting a strong association between crime (sex) and dermatoglyphics.     

Anthropometric variationin the Yanadi: Population structure and sex differences

Anthropometric variation and sex differences were investigated among the Yanadi tribe, who live in different regions and show differences in population structure variables and form regional breeding populations. In case of within population variation in anthropometric characters, both males and females show greater variation in a few specific characters (e.g., HB, LL) and almost no variation in FB, but least variation in HL and NB in males and in ZB, LB in females and show sex differences. Overall, females showed greater variation in more number of characters than males. In case of between population variation a few traits show clinal trend between male-female comparisons. Each character shows a specific pattern (e.g., HB, ZB, EL, GB) which vary according to the spatial distribution of the regional populations. The curves also indicate least average differences corresponding to within regional homogeneity among males and females (e.g., HB, ECD, EB) and increasing differences with males and females of other regions. A comparison of anthropometric profiles of the five populations show significant sex differences in IY subpopulation. The three mainland subpopulations show wide morphological differentiation with two coastal subpopulations, who also differ in subsistence pattern and geographically isolated. A comparison of anthropometric profiles between males and females across five populations show positive association between P1, HF and P₂ populations, whereas significant negative association with CY and HF. The correllelographs based on the male-female comparisons also indicate greater morphological similarity between sexes in cases of within regional population. They also show clinal changes of either decreasing or increasing trends of morphological variation between populations in association with spatial distribution and population structure differences. The results obtained are in agreement with the expectations from the population structure of the tribe.     

基于性信息诱捕监测广东桔小实蝇和瓜实蝇发生动态及其对2种常用农药的抗药性评价

利用性信息素诱捕的方法对广东省茂名、佛山、梅州和韶关的桔小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)和瓜实蝇Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett)种群动态进行监测;并用药膜法测定了两种实蝇不同地理种群成虫对阿维菌素和甲维盐的抗药性情况。结果表明,桔小实蝇和瓜实蝇在所监测的4个地市全年均有发生,桔小实蝇和瓜实蝇种群数量发生高峰期集中在5月中旬至8月中旬,从4月中旬开始田间种群数量开始增加,10月中旬以后种群数量急剧下降,高峰期与果实成熟期基本吻合。抗药性监测结果表明,桔小实蝇和瓜实蝇对阿维菌素和甲维盐的抗药性有逐年上升趋势,广东4个地市桔小实蝇和瓜实蝇已对阿维菌素产生中等抗性水平;2019年11月监测梅州地区桔小实蝇种群和韶关瓜实蝇种群对甲维盐抗性倍数分别为4.32和3.42倍,仍处于敏感水平,其余地区种群对甲维盐均达到了低水平或中等水平抗性。     

高原裸裂尻鱼头部轮廓形状及其变异的几何形态测量分析

为了明确描述高原裸裂尻鱼的表型多样性,运用现代几何形态测量法,基于高原裸裂尻鱼头部轮廓的形态坐标数据,对其5个地理种群的样本做了定量分析。结果主要如下:①主成分分析（PCA）和典型变量分析（CVA）显示,5个地理种群的样本的变异主要位于口型特征、下吻部形状、下颌骨形状、下颌锐利角质程度和头部形状等性状。②基于主成分分析、典型变量分析和聚类分析,高原裸裂尻鱼三个亚种（班公湖亚种、玛法木湖亚种和指名亚种）相互分开,在PC1轴上从负值到正值依次排列,从而确定了高原裸裂尻鱼亚种划分的有效性。③通过形态差异的显著性检验,基于马氏距离和普氏距离分析了高原裸裂尻鱼各地理种群之间的形态变异距离,根据差异显著性将该5个地理种群的高原裸裂尻鱼分为湖泊型亚种和河流型亚种,随后的聚类分析同样支持该结果。总之,通过几何形态测量法,准确描述了高原裸裂尻鱼头部轮廓的形态多样性,按照外形的差异,将5个地理种群分为两种生态型,并推测该差异主要是由于所生活的水体环境和食物差异所造成。对高原裸裂尻鱼形态差异的识别和研究,能为其生态学研究和物种多样性保护提供相应指导,丰富微进化理论。     

Quasi-Local Competition in Stage-Structured Metapopulations: A New Mechanism of Pattern Formation

A central question of ecology is what determines the presence and abundance of species at different locations. In cases of ecological pattern formation, population sizes are largely determined by spatially distributed interactions and may have very little to do with the habitat template. We find pattern formation in a single-species metapopulation model with quasi-local competition, but only if the populations have (at least) two age or stage classes. Quasi-local competition is modeled using an explicit resource competition model with fast resource dynamics, and assuming that adults, but not juveniles, spend a fraction of their foraging time in habitat patches adjacent to their home patch. Pattern formation occurs if one stage class depletes the common resource but the shortage of resource affects mostly the other stage. When the two stages are spatially separated due to quasi-local competition, this results in competitive exclusion between the populations. We find deep similarity between spatial pattern formation and population cycles due to competitive exclusion between cohorts of biennial species, and discuss the differences between the present mechanism and established ways of pattern formation such as diffusive instability and distributed competition with local Allee-effects.     

Digital dermatoglyphics in the Basque population: univariate and multivariate comparison with other Spanish populations

We have analyzed dermatoglyphic finger patterns in a Spanish Basque population (841 males and 911 females). Bimanual and sexual comparisons have been carried out by means of contingency analysis. The results in the Basque population are compared with those of other Spanish populations, based on univariate (chi 2 contingency test and Student's t-test) and multivariate (principal components analyses) statistical methods. Bilateral distribution asymmetry and sexual dimorphism were observed in the Basque sample. The results of the chi 2 test for pattern types in males and females show statistically significant differences between the Basques and other Spanish populations, with the exception of the males from El Bierzo. Comparing populations with regard to the Pattern Intensity Index, the differences observed are much lower; therefore, this confirms what other authors have suggested regarding the limited usefulness of indexes in populational comparisons. In the Caucasian variation range of pattern types, Basques are located in the high part with regard to arches, in the low part with regard to whorls and radial loops, and in an intermediate part in relation to ulnar loops and overall pattern intensity. Results of the multivariate comparisons show which populations are more or less distant from the Basque population and which variables are significant in contributing to these population relationships.     

Pattern recognition methods in evaluation of the structure of the laboratory data biominerals,antioxidant enzymes,selected biochemical parameters,and pulmonary function of welders

A wide set of biochemical and spirometrical parameters was applied to a group of 41 welders. The obtained parameters were analyzed by the pattern recognition method: principal-components analysis (PCA) and mutual contribution analysis (MCA). The aim of the investigation was to find out which of 23 parameters had an influence on the pulmonological indices of COPD. It was found that PCA gave a substantial reduction of dimensionality. The most relevant parameters were Fe, Zn, Cu (all elements in blood, not in hair), FEV1, MEF50, bilirubin, TAS, and SOD. Only the relationships of MEF50, Cu, and TAS were statistically valid.     

Detection of genetic polymorphism in the populations of brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis (Guenee)

In the present study six different populations of L. orbonalis were collected and subjected to analysis of genetic variability in terms of carboxylesterase isozyme pattern and DNA polymorphism using RAPD-PCR. Pattern of carboxylesterase revealed a similar isozyme cluster in the populations namely, sivaganga (population-3), dindigal (population-4), virudhunagar (population-5) and coimbatore (population-6). Similarly, the populations of L. orbonalis recorded 3 distinct randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers in all populations grouped above. This pattern of genetic variability in the populations was also supported by the analysis of the similarity indices and UPGMA dendrogram.     

Inheritance of dermatoglyphic configurations in the rat

Inheritance of dermatoglyphic configurations was studied on the palmar III interdigital pad of the rat (Rattus norvegicus). Four rats from each of the WKS and ACI/N inbred strains were mated with each other, and 54 F1 and 88 F2 hybrids were obtained. In addition, 52 offspring were produced by backcross mating between F1 hybrids and WKS and ACI/N parents. Whorls were the predominant pattern in the WKS strain and triradial patterns characterized the ACI/N strains. The F1 hybrids showed a wide range of pattern types, consisting of whorls, loops, cusps, arches, and triradial patterns. These patterns were intermediate in size between the two inbred strains. The F2 hybrids presented a distribution of patterns with a similar range as the F1, but the frequencies of some types were different. Patterns in the offspring of each backcross demonstrated a slight shift towards the characteristic pattern of the parental inbred strain. No sex difference was observed. Generally, the bilateral differences were striking, with a radial direction predominating on the left palm, and an ulnar one on the right palm, respectively. This study suggests that the dermal patterns are genetically determined, but also are influenced by environmental factors, especially in the hybrids.     

Multivariate analysis of sexual dimorphism in two types of dermatoglyphic traits in five endogamous populations of West Bengal, India

Five different endogamous populations who encompass the main social rank in the caste hierarchy of West Bengal were analysed for this report. The present approach is to compare the pattern of sex differences/similarities exhibited by two different sets of dermatoglyphic traits. Cluster and discriminant analysis and Mantel test of matrix correlations were performed. The nature of variation between sexes within population groups and two types of variable sets has a good similarity in all five populations. These results strongly suggest that the two categories of dermatoglyphic variables provide similar possibilities to discriminate between the sexes in populations.     

Principal components analysis of population admixture

With the availability of high-density genotype information, principal components analysis (PCA) is now routinely used to detect and quantify the genetic structure of populations in both population genetics and genetic epidemiology. An important issue is how to make appropriate and correct inferences about population relationships from the results of PCA, especially when admixed individuals are included in the analysis. We extend our recently developed theoretical formulation of PCA to allow for admixed populations. Because the sampled individuals are treated as features, our generalized formulation of PCA directly relates the pattern of the scatter plot of the top eigenvectors to the admixture proportions and parameters reflecting the population relationships, and thus can provide valuable guidance on how to properly interpret the results of PCA in practice. Using our formulation, we theoretically justify the diagnostic of two-way admixture. More importantly, our theoretical investigations based on the proposed formulation yield a diagnostic of multi-way admixture. For instance, we found that admixed individuals with three parental populations are distributed inside the triangle formed by their parental populations and divide the triangle into three smaller triangles whose areas have the same proportions in the big triangle as the corresponding admixture proportions. We tested and illustrated these findings using simulated data and data from HapMap III and the Human Genome Diversity Project.     

Relationship between horizontal pattern and vertical structure in a chalk grassland

Our objective was to examine the relationships between patterns of vertical structure and species microassociations at various scales in a species-rich chalk grassland.Transect data were analyzed for species microassociations by multiscale ordination of presence data from the Gerendal Nature Reserve, The Netherlands. Results indicated microassociations at scales of 30 cm, 2 m, 3 m, and 10 or more m. The microassociations at each scale comprised different but overlapping constellations of species.For the same transect, profile photographs were taken through the vegetation against a white background, and image analysis was used to provide indices of vegetation vertical cover, height and vertical center of biomass. Pattern analysis of these data indicated a regular pattern at a scale of 3 m.Standardized cross-variograms of the patterns of microassociations and vertical structure revealed only very weak relationships, even though one microassociation pattern and the vertical structure patterns occurred at the scale of 3 m. This is because the two 3 m patterns fell in and out of phase.Abbreviations PCA principal components analysis     

Multiple origin of metallicolous populations of the pseudometallophyte Arabidopsis halleri (Brassicaceae) in central Europe: the cpDNA testimony

The population structure of the pseudo-metallophyte herb, Arabidopsis halleri, was studied using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) on chloroplast DNA (cpDNA). The history of metallicolous (M) populations showing increased zinc tolerance was investigated. Eight primer-enzyme combinations out of 72 tested were applied to a total of 625 individuals from 28 widespread populations, 14 of them being M. Eleven distinct chlorotypes were found: five were common to nonmetallicolous (NM) and M populations, whereas six were only observed in one edaphic type (five in NM and one in M). No difference in chlorotype diversity between edaphic types was detected. Computed on the basis of chlorotype frequencies, the level of population differentiation was high but remained the same when taking into account levels of molecular divergence between chlorotypes. Isolation by distance was largely responsible for population differentiation. Geographically isolated groups of M populations were more genetically related to their closest NM populations than to each other. Our results suggest that M populations have been founded separately from distinct NM populations without suffering founding events and that the evolution towards increased tolerance observed in the distinct M population groups occurred independently.     

陕西关中地区杂种小麦强优势组合优势型研究

选用在陕西关中地区表现优良且某一农艺性状表现突出的11个冬小麦品种(系),根据农艺性状分为大粒型、多穗型、穗重型和中间型4类,组成6种NCII杂交组合模式,研究不同组合模式的杂种优势,探讨根据农艺性状划分杂种小麦亲本优势型在杂种小麦强优势组合选配中的应用.结果表明:在所组配的6种组合模式中,以大粒×多穗型组合模式表现突出,其杂种优势、超亲优势和超标优势均明显高于其它组合,分别达到了59.9%、37.1%和22.5%,因此,依据杂种小麦亲本农艺性状进行亲本优势型划分可以作为杂种小麦亲本选配的依据之一.在陕西关中地区以大粒×多穗型为杂种小麦强优势组合组配模式.     

Chemical variations of the essential oils in flower heads of Chrysanthemum indicum L. from China

The volatile compositions of hydrodistilled essential oils in the flower heads of Chrysanthemum indicum L. from eight populations in China were analyzed by GC/MS. A total of 169 compounds representing 88.79-99.53% of the oils were identified, and some remarkable differences were found in the constituent percentages of the eight populations. The predominant components of the essential oils were 1,8-cineole (0.62-7.34%), (+)-(1R,4R)-camphor (0.17-27.56%), caryophyllene oxide (0.54-5.8%), β-phellandrene (0.72-1.87%), (-)-(1S,2R,4S)-borneol acetate (0.33-8.46%), 2-methyl-6-(p-tolyl)hept-2-ene (0.3-8.6%), 4,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-en-2-yl acetate (0.17-26.48%), and hexadecanoic acid (0.72-15.97%). The chemotaxonomic value of the essential-oil compositions was discussed according to the results of cluster analysis (CA) and principal-component analysis (PCA). The eight populations were divided into five groups as different chemotypes (Groups A-E), and the scores together with the loadings revealed clearly different chemical properties of each population. In conclusion, GC/MS in combination with chemometric techniques provided a flexible and reliable method for characterizing the essential oils of different populations of C. indicum L.     

黄丘区特色治理开发小流域土壤侵蚀变化对景观格局演变的响应

研究土壤侵蚀与景观格局变化的关系对小流域的治理开发具有重要的指导意义。本研究以实施退耕还林草、生态农业、生态旅游及科技示范的黄土高原安塞南沟特色治理小流域为研究对象,基于GIS平台和通用土壤流失方程,分析小流域1981—2018年景观格局和土壤侵蚀量的时空演化特征,并利用主成分回归法,从斑块类型水平和景观水平两个尺度分析土壤侵蚀模数与3类9个景观格局指标的关系。结果表明: 研究期间,在5种景观类型中,耕地和林地面积的时空变化主导了南沟小流域景观格局的演化,并且影响整个小流域的聚集分散程度;南沟小流域的土壤侵蚀量逐年减少,1981—2018年土壤侵蚀面积减少29.7%,侵蚀模数减少61.2%,且有73.4%的区域土壤侵蚀强度减轻;耕地和林地面积的变化决定了整个小流域土壤侵蚀模数的变化,其景观格局指数的变化方向与该景观类型土壤侵蚀的变化方向一致;退耕还林草工程是流域景观格局变化、土壤侵蚀减轻的主要原因,特色开发治理可以减弱局部地区土壤侵蚀强度。景观类型的合理化配置能有效地防治小流域土壤侵蚀,将其与特色治理开发相结合有助于实现小流域可持续高质量发展。     

Modeling the solubility and activity of amino acids with the LCCI method

Summary The linear combinations of connectivity indices method (LCCI) is here employed to model the water solubility and activity of 19 natural amino acids. Starting with the molecular connectivity indices, reciprocal and supra molecular connectivity indices are designed to model the solubility and activity spaces of the natural amino acids. The reciprocal and supra molecular reciprocal connectivity indices have been obtained following the variability of the connectivity indices along solubility space of the natural amino acids. A linear combination of the reciprocals of the connectivity indices (LCRCI) showed a satisfactory modelling of the solubility and activity space while a model based on the LCRCI together with the introduction of supra reciprocal molecular connectivity indices for Pro, Ser and Arg achieved an optimal modelling of the solubility and activity space of the natural amino acids. Because the properties are a consequence of the structure (Kier and Hall, 1986)     

Inference on population history and model checking using DNA sequence and microsatellite data with the software DIYABC (v1.0)

Background  

Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is a recent flexible class of Monte-Carlo algorithms increasingly used to make model-based inference on complex evolutionary scenarios that have acted on natural populations. The software DIYABC offers a user-friendly interface allowing non-expert users to consider population histories involving any combination of population divergences, admixtures and population size changes. We here describe and illustrate new developments of this software that mainly include (i) inference from DNA sequence data in addition or separately to microsatellite data, (ii) the possibility to analyze five categories of loci considering balanced or non balanced sex ratios: autosomal diploid, autosomal haploid, X-linked, Y-linked and mitochondrial, and (iii) the possibility to perform model checking computation to assess the "goodness-of-fit" of a model, a feature of ABC analysis that has been so far neglected.     

Small-scale Environmental Heterogeneity and Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Seedling Establishment in a Semiarid Degraded Ecosystem

In semiarid environments, surface soil properties play a major role in ecosystem dynamics, through their influence on processes such as runoff, infiltration, seed germination, and seedling establishment. Surface soil properties usually show a high degree of spatial heterogeneity in semiarid areas, but direct tests to evaluate the consequences of this heterogeneity on seedling establishment are limited. Using a combination of spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE) and principal components analysis (PCA) we quantified the spatiotemporal patterns of seedling survival of a Mediterranean native shrub (Pistacia lentiscus) during the first 3 years after planting on a semiarid degraded site in southeastern Spain. We used a variation partitioning method to identify environmental variables associated with seedling survival patterns. Three years after planting, only 36% of the seedlings survived. During the first summer, one-third of the seedlings died, with secondary major mortality in the 3rd summer after planting. The spatial pattern of survival became strongly clumped by the end of the first summer, with clearly defined patches (areas of high survival) and gaps (areas of low survival). The intensity of this pattern increased after subsequent high-mortality periods. Of the 14 variables, the ones most strongly coupled to seedling survival were bare soil cover, sand content, and soil compaction. These findings contribute to our understanding of the linkages between the spatial heterogeneity of abiotic factors and the response of plant populations in semiarid degraded ecosystems and can be used to optimize restoration practices in these areas.     

Behavioural syndromes differ predictably between 12 populations of three-spined stickleback

Animals often differ in suites of correlated behaviours, comparable with how humans differ in personality. Constraints on the architecture of behaviour have been invoked to explain why such 'behavioural syndromes' exist. From an adaptationist viewpoint, however, behavioural syndromes should evolve only in those populations where natural selection has favoured such trait covariance, and they should therefore exist only in particular types of population. A comparative approach was used to examine this prediction of the adaptive hypothesis. We measured behavioural correlations in 12 different populations of three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and assessed whether they indeed varied consistently according to the selective environment, where population was unit of analysis. For a sample of fry from each population, we measured five different behaviours within the categories of (i) aggression (towards conspecifics); (ii) general activity; and (iii) exploration-avoidance (of novel foods, novel environments and altered environments). We show that behavioural syndromes are not always the same in different types of stickleback population: the often-documented syndrome between aggressiveness, activity and exploratory behaviour existed only in large ponds where piscivorous predators were present. In small ponds where predators were absent, these behaviours were not (or only weakly) associated. Our findings imply that population variation in behavioural syndromes does not result from stochastic evolutionary processes, but may result instead from adaptive evolution of behaviour favouring what should prove to be optimal trait combinations.