Mortality and survival for Down syndrome in Japan.

Mortality and survival data for 1,052 Japanese patients with Down syndrome who were born between 1966 and 1975 were analyzed. The survival rate at age 10 was estimated to be about 86%. Mortality in each age group for Down syndrome was elevated over that of the general population. In the survival rate at age 10, there was no significant difference between males and females, but the difference between cases with and without congenital heart disease was highly significant. Using data from this study-for mortality up to age 10-and from the study of institutionalized cases for mortality over age 10, a hypothetical life table was constructed; it shows that the life expectancy at birth for cases with Down syndrome is nearly 50 years.     

Socioeconomic factors affecting the longevity of the Japanese population: a study for 1980 and 1985.

The effects of urbanisation, low income and rejuvenation of the population on life expectancy at birth and at 20, 40 and 65 years of age for males and females in Japan were examined twice, in 1980 and 1985. For males, urbanisation was the major factor determining life expectancy at birth and at age 20 years, and low income was the key determinant of decreased life expectancy except at 65 years of age. For females high income was the factor significantly decreasing life expectancy at 65 years of age in 1980, and rejuvenation of the population inversely influenced life expectancy except at birth in 1985. Life expectancy for all age groups in 1985 was significantly longer than in 1980 for both males and females.     

滇牡丹自然种群数量动态

运用种群静态生命表、存活曲线、生殖力表和Leslie矩阵模型研究了中国西南特有濒危植物滇牡丹(Paeonia delavayi)种群数量动态过程。静态生命表和种群存活曲线表明: 滇牡丹在株龄3-6 a之间经历了较强的环境筛, 其单株生理寿命为15 a左右, 平均周期为8 a, 种群的净增殖率(R₀ = 0.985 7)、内禀增长率(r_m = -0.001 7)和周限增长率(λ = 0.998 3)表明其为衰退型种群; 滇牡丹种群存活表现为台阶型曲线(B1型), 分别在6 a和12 a阶段种群消亡率(K_x)较高。Leslie矩阵模型的模拟结果表明, 在未来30 a内种群数量呈现出下降趋势, 大约下降了50%, 其种群数量靠自身根系的萌蘖和种子繁殖共同维持。野生滇牡丹种群数量下降与其自身繁殖特性有关, 但主要原因是人为采挖和生态环境的破坏。     

Life cycle and reproductive parameters of Clerada apicicornis signoret (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) under laboratory conditions

The life cycle of Clerada apicicornis was determined under laboratory conditions. Mean development times in days were: egg 27.2, nymph I 12.5, nymph II 12, nymph III 13.4, nymph IV 16.4, nymph V 26. The life expectancy of adults ranged from 117 to 317 days (mean 196 days). Based on a cohort of 29 females of C. apicicornis, a horizontal life table was constructed. The following predictive parameters were obtained: net rate of reproduction (Ro = 48.31), intrinsic rate of population increase (r(m) = 0.153), generation time (Tc = 28.20 weeks), and finite rate of population increment (lambda = 1.16). The reproductive value (Vx) for each age class of the cohort females was calculated. The following observed parameters were calculated after mortality in each stage: net rate of reproduction (R'o=13.4), intrinsic rate of population increase (r c' =0.09 ), and finite rate of population increment (lambda' =1.1). The generation time (Tc' =27.4) was estimated using the methods of Laughlin and Bengstron. A vertical life table was elaborated and mortality was described for one generation of the cohort.     

Constitution and By-Laws of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists

From parent populations (N = 50,000) statistically generated, representing different levels of correlation (r) between the age at death and a hypothetical biological indicator (r = 0.8-0.98), reference samples and target demographic samples are randomly drawn. Two iterative techniques, proportional fitting procedure and Bayesian, are used to estimate from the reference samples the age distribution of the targets. Due to the random fluctuations of the pattern of aging, both in the reference and target samples, these techniques converge only in expectation toward the true value of a distribution, but not in practice for any particular realization. Nevertheless, these techniques allow the estimation of the average of an age distribution, even if its shape is unknown. Under the hypothesis that the target sample is drawn from a stationary population, this average represents the life expectancy at 20 years (plus 20 years). Using this mean age at death for the adults and the juvenility index at death (D5-14/D20-ω), a new set of paleodemographic estimators were derived from 40 archaic life tables. For a hypothesized stable population, they give the life expectancy at birth and at 20 years, and the probability of death at 1 and 5 years. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Mortality in neurofibromatosis 1: an analysis using U.S. death certificates

Although neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a relatively common autosomal dominant condition, information about its effect on mortality is limited. We used Multiple-Cause Mortality Files, compiled from U.S. death certificates by the National Center for Health Statistics, for 1983 through 1997. We identified 3,770 cases of presumed NF1 among 32,722,122 deaths in the United States, a frequency of 1/8,700, which is one-third to one-half the estimated prevalence. Mean and median ages at death for persons with NF1 were 54.4 and 59 years, respectively, compared with 70.1 and 74 years in the general population. Results of proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) analyses showed that persons with NF1 were 34 times more likely (PMR=34.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 30.8-38.0) to have a malignant connective or other soft-tissue neoplasm listed on their death certificates than were persons without NF1. Overall, persons with NF1 were 1.2 times more likely than expected (PMR=1.21, 95% CI 1.14-1.28) to have a malignant neoplasm listed on their death certificates, but the PMR was 6.07 (95% CI 4.88-7.45) for persons who died at 10-19 years of age and was 4.93 (95% CI 4.14-5.82) for those who died at 20-29 years of age. Similarly, vascular disease was recorded more often than expected on death certificates of persons with NF1 who died at <30 years of age (PMR=3.26, 95% CI 1.31-6.71 at age <10 years; PMR=2.68, 95% CI 1.38-4.68 at age 10-19 years; and PMR=2.25, 95% CI 1.46-3.32 at 20-29 years) but not in older persons. This study supports previous findings of decreased life expectancy for persons with NF1 and, within the limitations of death certificates, provides population-based data about NF1 morbidity and mortality that are useful to clinicians caring for patients with NF1.     

独叶草种群年龄结构及动态分析

对太白山不同生境条件下的独叶草种群年龄结构、生命表及存活曲线进行了研究,结果表明,不同生境的独叶草种群在3～6年生阶段个体数量最多。幼年个体和老年个体数量较少,生命表中。幼龄级的dx、qx、Kx等为负数,可以反映种群幼龄个体缺乏程度．以无性繁殖独叶草不同与以有性生殖为主的植物,它可产生不同龄级的无性系分株,幼龄个体少的年龄结构并不代表种群必然衰退．随海拔升高,种群密度增加,个体寿命延长,反映了种群在适应性方面的调整．独叶草种群根状茎生存于腐殖质层中,仅有叶片露出地面;种群所在的牛皮桦、巴山冷杉和太白红杉群落人为干扰较少。生境相对稳定,种群可以长期维持．对种群保护应注重所处的环境及森林群落保护。     

濒危植物大花黄牡丹(Paeonia ludlowii)种群数量动态

运用种群静态生命表、存活曲线、生殖力表和Leslie矩阵模型,研究了西藏特有的濒危植物大花黄牡丹种群数量动态过程。静态生命表和种群存活曲线反映出大花黄牡丹在树龄10a之前和20~25a之间分别经历了强烈的环境筛和竞争自疏,20a左右为其生理寿命,35a左右为极限寿命;大花黄牡丹种群的净增长率、内禀增长率和周限增长率较低,表现为衰退型种群;Leslie矩阵模型的模拟结果表明,在20a内种群幼苗数量和总数量呈现出下降趋势,下降了大约30%;大花黄牡丹种群存活表现为Deevey-Ⅰ型,早期个体死亡极高,幼龄苗木严重不足;现行种群数量主要是靠自身的萌蘖繁殖来维持。导致大花黄牡丹濒危的可能原因是大花黄牡丹的生物学特性以及人为干扰。     

New approaches to the pre- and post-contact history of Arctic peoples.

The last few years have witnessed the addition of new techniques and research strategies to the study of the population history of Arctic peoples. Osteon-photon analysis of bone cores provides an improved method of assigning age at death to skeletons. Consequently, it is possible to improve calculations of life expectancy and relate them to pathological correlates such as osteoporosis, separate neural arches, spina bifida and arthritis along with regular growth changes. This capability enables much better utilization of pre-contact skeletons and therefore of the numbers, density and composition of populations before European contact. The general picture emerging from skeletal studies, census records and living populations is, in Arctic Eskimos, one of high fertility, high mortality and short length of life, with a slow population growth rate. Aleuts show lower fertility, lower mortality and longer length of life, also with a low population growth rate.     

Growth and population dynamic model of the reef coral Fungia granulosa Klunzinger, 1879 at Eilat, northern Red Sea

The lack of population dynamic information for most species of stony corals is due in part to their complicated life histories that may include fission, fusion and partial mortality of colonies, leading to an uncoupling of coral age and size. However, some reef-building corals may produce compact upright or free-living individuals in which the above processes rarely occur, or are clearly detectable. In some of these corals, individual age may be determined from size, and standard growth and population dynamic models may be applied to gain an accurate picture of their life history. We measured long-term growth rates (up to 2.5 years) of individuals of the free-living mushroom coral Fungia granulosa Klunzinger, 1879 at Eilat, northern Red Sea, and determined the size structure of a population on the shallow reef slope. We then applied growth and population models to the data to obtain estimates of coral age, mortality rate, and life expectancy in members of this species. In the field, few F. granulosa polyps suffered partial mortality of >10% of their tissues. Thus, the majority of polyps grew isometrically and determinately, virtually ceasing growth by about 30-40 years of age. Coral ages as revealed by skeletal growth rings were similar to those estimated from a growth curve based on field data. The frequency of individuals in each age class on the reef slope decreased exponentially with coral age, indicating high mortality rates when corals were young. The maximum coral age observed in the field population (31 years) was similar to that estimated by application of a population dynamic model (30 years). Calculated rates of growth, mortality and life expectancy for F. granulosa were within the range of those known for other stony corals. Our results reveal a young, dynamic population of this species on Eilat reefs, with high turnover rates and short lifespans. Such information is important for understanding recovery of coral reefs from disturbances, and for application to the management of commercially exploited coral populations.     

Rhizome age structure of three populations ofPhragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.: Biomass and mineral nutrient concentrations

The rhizome age structure for populations ofPhragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. exSteud. was determined at three sites of the T?eboň Biosphere Reserve (Czech Republic). These sites were classified according to plant species composition and phosphorus availability as oligotrophic (Branná), mesotrophic (Ro?mberk East) and hypertrophic (Ro?mberk West).P.australis stands at these sites were expanding, stabilized and retreating, respectively. Rhizomes were sampled within the terrestrial parts of the reed stands (at a water depth of about 10 cm). The rhizomes were dated according to the position in the branching hierarchy and to supplementary morphological criteria. The analysis of the branching pattern revealed that at the sites studied, the rhizomes typically branch only once a year. The longest life span of rhizomes (six years) was found for the stable reed population at Ro?mberk East. The reduced rhizome life span at Ro?mberk West (four to five years), accompanied by a reduced branching frequency of horizontal rhizomes, was ascribed to a greater incidence of anaerobic conditions associated with the permanent flooding of the hypertrophic organic soil. The maximum life span of the Branná population (four years) probably corresponds to the total age of the reed population. The concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the tissue decreased with rhizome age while those of calcium and magnesium increased. The effect of rhizome age on mineral-nutrient concentrations was more pronounced than the effect of site on these concentrations. The mineral nutrient concentrations were not closely associated with reed performance.     

Geographic differentiation of life table attributes among Anopheles sacharovi (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in Turkey.

Biological data were compared under laboratory conditions for four local populations of the malaria vector, Anopheles sacharovi (Favre, 1903) in different ecological conditions at altitudes between 353 and 1,126 m in the Sanliurfa province of Turkey. No significant differences were found for complete development time from egg to adult among the populations and development times were not correlated with altitude. Based on cohorts of adults in each population, horizontal life tables were constructed. The average longevity was in the range of 15.19 +/- 0.69 to 21.86 +/- 1.04 days for adult females, which was longer than for adult males. No significant difference was found in life expectancy at emergence, e(x) when x = 1, between females and males in general (P > 0.05) in all populations. The net reproductive rate, R(o), was the highest for the SND population, while the rest of the populations showed very low reproductive rates independent of altitudinal effects. Populations that produced offspring earlier in life also produced more total female offspring, since the generation time, T(c), was negatively correlated with R(o) among the populations (r = -0.712, P < 0.05). Important parameters to explain the population growth, the intrinsic rate of increase, r(m) and birth rate, b, were found to be higher in the SND (0.13 and 0.30, respectively). Time required for the population to increase two-fold (doubling time, DT) was also significantly shorter in the SND population. Nineteen parameters in all life stages, both pre-adult and adult features of An. sacharovi, were used as physiological variables and these Operational Taxonomic Units were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Analyses confirmed results from the previous molecular studies that BRC and SND formed a distinct group from the other pair, PMK and GDK, along the first two principal components.     

灰旱獭生命表和繁殖的初步研究

1985年4-9月,于野外捕捉灰旱獭(Marmota baibacina)911只,经鉴定划分为12个年龄组,用生命表法探讨该种群数量动态。灰旱獭的期望寿命(e_x)雌雄分别为3.4393、2.8798年,平均死亡率(q)雌雄分别为0.2956、0.2538。繁殖力以第5-8年龄组较强。妊娠期35-40天。哺乳期约30天。平均产仔数6.027只。内禀增长率(r_m)为0.1695/年。周限增长率(λ)为1.1847/年。世代时间(T)为7.1436/年。种群经一世代的净增殖率(R₀)为3.3574。     

黑熊种群年龄结构和生命表初探

本文以四川野生黑熊（Ｓｅｌｅｎａｒｃｔｏｓ ｔｈｉｂｅｔａｎｕｓ）的头骨标本为基础材料,结合养熊场所积累的有关黑熊的年龄构成、繁殖、死亡等资料,运用数学分析方法对四川黑熊种群的年龄儿性比进行了分析研究,编制出黑熊的静态生命表,分析了黑熊种群的内禀增长能力,并得出了野生黑熊种群的平均期望寿命为６．３６６岁,净生殖率（Ｒｏ）为１．６９３２５,平均世代时间（Ｔ）为１１．５４４年,内禀增长率（ｒｍ）为０．     

濒危植物大花黄牡丹（Paeonia ludlowii）种群数量动态

运用种群静态生命表、存活曲线、生殖力表和Leslie矩阵模型,研究了西藏特有的濒危植物大花黄牡丹种群数量动态过程。静态生命表和种群存活曲线反映出大花黄牡丹在树龄10a之前和20～25a之间分别经历了强烈的环境筛和竞争自疏,20a左右为其生理寿命,35a左右为极限寿命;大花黄牡丹种群的净增长率、内禀增长率和周限增长率较低,表现为衰退型种群;Leslie矩阵模型的模拟结果表明,在20a内种群幼苗数量和总数量呈现出下降趋势,下降了大约30%;大花黄牡丹种群存活表现为Deevey-Ⅰ型,早期个体死亡极高,幼龄苗木严重不足;现行种群数量主要是靠自身的萌蘖繁殖来维持。导致大花黄牡丹濒危的可能原因是大花黄牡丹的生物学特性以及人为干扰。     

Estimating density dependence in time-series of age-structured populations

For a life history with age at maturity alpha, and stochasticity and density dependence in adult recruitment and mortality, we derive a linearized autoregressive equation with time-lags of from 1 to alpha years. Contrary to current interpretations, the coefficients for different time-lags in the autoregressive dynamics do not simply measure delayed density dependence, but also depend on life-history parameters. We define a new measure of total density dependence in a life history, D, as the negative elasticity of population growth rate per generation with respect to change in population size, D = - partial differential lnlambda(T)/partial differential lnN, where lambda is the asymptotic multiplicative growth rate per year, T is the generation time and N is adult population size. We show that D can be estimated from the sum of the autoregression coefficients. We estimated D in populations of six avian species for which life-history data and unusually long time-series of complete population censuses were available. Estimates of D were in the order of 1 or higher, indicating strong, statistically significant density dependence in four of the six species.     

Morphophysiological patterns of life history strategy adoption in Dolly Varden <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvelinus malma</Emphasis> in Kamchatka

Growth, age composition, gonad maturity and patterns of life history strategy adoption in the population of Dolly Varden from the Kol River (West Kamchatka) are studied. Major factors controlling differentiation of juveniles and trajectories of ontogenetic developments, growth rate and gametogenesis in generations in particular years. The differentiation in a generation into anadromous and resident groupings is completed mainly at the age of 4 years. The process of formation of resident and migratory life history strategy in Dolly Varden is epigenetic. Bifurcation in the life of one specimen is observed once in life, and that in a generation is observed four times: at the first, the second, the third, or the fourth year. The life cycle of females from the Kol River is invariant until they reach the age of 1 year, and that in males is during the 4 years of the freshwater phase. In Kamchatka, all spawners, including precocious males, may reproduce several times during life.     

Epidemiology of bacillary dysentery in Algeria. I. The epidemiological aspects of dysentery in Algeria

Bacterial dysentery plays an important role among infectious diseases in Algeria. A tendency to the growth of the morbidity rate has been observed. Dysentery is irregularly spread in different zones of the country. The highest morbidity rate is registered in the Sahara zone and in the eastern part of the country. The morbidity rate among the urban population is higher than among the rural population. S. flexneri prevail in the etiological structure of dysentery infection. Of all age groups, the highest morbidity rate is observed among children during the first 2 years of life. In recent years lethality varies between 2.9% and 7.5%. Patients are hospitalized mainly on the basis of clinical symptoms.     

The biology of the scaldfish, Arnoglossus laterna (Walbaum) on the west coast of Scotland.

The biology of a Scottish population of the small bothid flatfish, Arnoglossus laterna , was studied from January 1975 until September 1976. The data were taken from monthly samples totalling over 500 fish trawled in 18–36 m on a soft mud bottom. Otoliths were used for age determination and a growth curve was constructed which showed that most growth occurs in the first 2–3 years of life. The maximum age recorded was 8+ years. The fish first mature sexually in their second year at a standard length of 6–7 cm and the short spawning season lasts from the late June to August. Fecundity is length-dependent and the relationship could be described by the regression equation: log fecundity = 3·3472 log standard length (mm) -2·1064. The diet consists mainly of decapod crustaceans (particularly crangonid shrimps), polychaetes, mysids and small fish.     

梵净山自然保护区珙桐天然种群生命表与生存分析

以种群生命表和生存分析理论为基础,采用空间代替时间法和分段匀滑技术,编制梵净山自然保护区珙桐天然种群特定时间生命表,绘制其死亡率曲线、消失率曲线、存活曲线和生存函数曲线,分析种群数量动态变化。结果表明:珙桐种群结构存在波动性,趋于DeeveyⅢ型,其幼年阶段的个体较丰富;珙桐种群死亡率和消失率曲线变化趋势基本一致,在这一发育过程中有两个死亡高峰,一个出现在幼苗向幼树的过渡期(Ⅰ龄级→Ⅱ龄级),另一个出现在从中龄向老龄过渡的阶段(Ⅷ龄级→Ⅸ龄级);种群生存分析表明,珙桐种群的生存率单调下降,累计死亡率单调上升,Ⅷ龄级后,种群生存率小于8%,累计死亡率大于92%,危险率超过生存率;4个生存函数曲线表明,梵净山珙桐有前期锐减、中期稳定和后期衰退的特点。幼苗和中龄级个体的不足是导致珙桐濒危的重要原因。