Information‐theoretic model selection affects home‐range estimation and habitat preference inference: a case study of male Reeves’s Pheasants Syrmaticus reevesii

Reeves’s Pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii is a vulnerable forest bird inhabiting broadleaved habitats dominated by oaks Quercus spp. in central China. Identifying home‐ranges and habitat associations is important for understanding the biology of this species and developing effective management and conservation plans. We used information‐theoretic criteria to evaluate the relative performance of four parametric (exponential power, one‐mode bivariate normal, two‐mode bivariate normal and two‐mode bivariate circle) and two non‐parametric models (adaptive and fixed kernel) for estimating home‐ranges and habitat associations of Reeves’s Pheasants. For parametric models, Akaike’s information criterion (AIC_c) and the likelihood cross‐validation criterion (CVC) were relatively consistent in ranking the bivariate exponential power model the least acceptable, whereas the two‐mode bivariate models performed better. The CVC suggested that kernel models, particularly the adaptive kernel, performed best among all six models evaluated. The average core area and 95% contour area based on the model with greatest support were 6.1 and 54.9 ha, respectively, and were larger than those estimated from other models. The discrepancy in estimates between models with highest and the lowest support decreased as the contour size increased; however, home‐range shapes differed between models. Minimum convex polygons that removed 5% of extreme data points (MCP95) were roughly half the size of home‐ranges based on kernel models. Estimates of home‐range and model evaluation were not affected by sample size (> 50 observations for each bird). Inference about habitat preference based on composition analysis and home‐range overlap varied between models. That with strongest support suggested that Reeves’s Pheasants selected mature fir and mixed forest, avoided farmland, and had mean among‐individual home‐range overlaps of 20%. We recommend non‐parametric methods, particularly the adaptive kernel method, for estimating home‐ranges and core areas for species with complex multi‐polar habitat preferences in heterogeneous environments with large habitat patches. However, we caution against the traditional convenience of using a single model to estimate home‐ranges and recommend exploration of multiple models for describing and understanding the ecological processes underlying space use and habitat associations.     

研究生在基础与临床相结合科研项目中培养方法的几点思考

随着我国科研创新的开展与推进,学生进入实际科研项目已逐渐成为研究生培养的重要方式。基础与,临床相结合的科研项目立论均来自于临床问题,把在患者身上无法实现的方法通过基础实验的手段加以实施和验证,从而达到发现和揭示病因与发病机制的目的,结果甚或对临床产生指导意义。首都医科大学病理与病理生理学系研究生培养点结合这类研究项目的推进,在规范的方法和流程中引导和培养研究生从临床现象中设问、从海量数据中分析和论证的能力,并通过这些训练,使研究生为进一步深入研究奠定基础,共同为转化医学研究做出贡献。     

木糖高效生物转化的新出路

木糖的高效利用是影响木质纤维资源生物炼制经济效益的关键因素之一,也是构建其工业化生产体系的必要前提,但是木糖生物转化面临着重要的技术瓶颈,必须寻求新的思路。基于对木糖利用的现状及产业发展的综合分析,提出了木糖高效发酵制取木糖酸的新出路,论述了本领域首要的科学和技术问题是发酵抑制物的控制与消除;针对抑制物的问题,提出了细胞生理生化、代谢流分析及分子生物学的多层次和多尺度解析的研究方法;在此基础上,基于系统论的观点提出了菌种选育、原料预处理、抑制物控制与脱除、木糖酸高效发酵的技术集成的研究思路。     

树干毕赤酵母和酿酒酵母混合糖发酵产乙醇

以树干毕赤酵母和酿酒酵母为发酵菌株,酸性蒸汽爆破玉米秸秆预水解液和纯糖模拟液为C源,采用固定化酵母细胞的方法,研究了酸爆玉米秸秆预水解液初始pH、N源种类及其浓度、3种发酵模式对树干毕赤酵母戊糖发酵的影响。结果表明:玉米秸秆预水解液适合发酵的初始pH范围为6.0～7.0;1.0 g/L的(NH4)2SO4作为N源,在40 g/L葡萄糖和25 g/L木糖培养基中发酵24 h,糖利用率达到99.47%,乙醇质量浓度为24.72 g/L,优于尿素和蛋白胨作为N源;3种模式的发酵体系中,以游离树干毕赤酵母和固定化酿酒酵母发酵性能最好,糖利用率和乙醇得率分别为99.43%和96.39%。     

利用反义RNA技术分析春化相关基因VER17在冬小麦花发育过程中的功能

为了研究小麦春化相关基因VER17的功能,应用反义RNA技术,将VER17基因的反义片段构建到载体pBI121上,通过花粉管通道法获取转基因小麦.对T0代转基因植株GUS染色以及PCR等分子鉴定,得到14株含反义VERJ7基因片段的阳性转基因植株.对T0代和T1代的表型观察结果显示,VER17反义转基因植株开花时间延迟,并且穗的顶部和基部小花出现明显的退化.表明春化相关基因VER17在小麦发育过程中可能起到促进植物开花以及穗顶端和基部花发育的作用,减少小花退化,同时对雄蕊的发育也有影响.     

研究生生物化学课程教学改革的尝试

针对化工和轻化工专业研究生生物化学的教学特点,从教学方法、教学内容和教学手段上进行了一些改革和尝试。     

佛坪自然保护区野生大熊猫交配行为的观察

On March 26 and 27, 2003, we observed six and five giant pandas assembled together respectively in Huodiba and Lijiagou districts of Sanguanmiao, Foping Nature Reserve, Shaanxi Province, China. The mating sites were located in the coniferous forest and mixed coniferous and deciduous forest, with steep slope and sparse shrubs and bamboos. Wind power was estimated over 3rd category in those two days. The competition and lighting among male pandas were observed, and the mating right with the female panda was mainly based on the hierarchical ordering. However, not all the winners during competition can be access to mating with the female panda. For wild giant panda, its mating system is maybe plastic, which perhaps is affected by environment, time and panda population itself. Cubs or sub-adults are observed oceurring at the mating site, which is considered to be linked with the learning of the reproductive behavior. Our results maybe provide a useful guideline to the management and breeding of giant pandas in the captivity.     

High IFN－α expression is associated with the induction of experimental autoimmune uveitis （EAU） in Fischer 344 rat

INTRODUCTIONThe CD4 T cells can be subdivided intoTh1 and Th2 subsets based on their secreted cy-tokine profile. Th1 cells characteristical1y secreteInterferonry (IFN--ry), whereas Th2 cells maiuly pro--duce IL--4[1]. IL-12 po1arizes the differentiation ofnaitre, CD4 T cells towards Th1 pathWay, in con-trast IL--4 directs T cell differentiation towards Th2pathWay The broken balance between Th1 and Th2immune responses and predominant Th1 responseare crucial factors in initiation…     

Cloning and characterization of a mouse liver-specific gene mfrep-1, upregulated in liver regeneration

Human fibrinogen-related protein-1/liver fibrinogen-related protein-1 (HFREP-1/LFIRE-1), a liver-specificprotein, is a member of fibrinogen superfamily that exerts various biological activities. However, the func-tion of HFREP-1/LFIRE-1 in liver remains unknown. Here we isolated its mouse ortholog gene-mousefibrinogen-related protein-1 (mfrep-1), which encoded 314 amino acids, exhibiting 80.4% similarity toHFREP-1/LFIRE-1. Northern blot analysis revealed that 1.2-kb mfrep-1 mRNA was detected selectivelyin mouse liver. To explore the function of MFREP-1, we examined the levels of mfrep-1 mRNA duringregeneration after 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) in mice. mfrep-1 mRNA increased in the regeneratingliver and reached the first shoulder peak at 2-4 h after PHx. Cycloheximide pretreatment could suppress theinduction of mfrep-1, indicating the up-regulation of this gene need de novo protein synthesis. Its mRNAcontinued to elevate at 6 h thereafter and reached the second peak at 24 h. The enhanced expression ofmfrep-1 maintained high until 72 h and then declined slowly to the basal level. Immunohistochemistryassessment confirmed the up-regulated expression of MFREP-1 protein in parenchymal cells during liverregeneration. These data suggested that MFREP-1 might play an important role in liver regeneration andbe involved in the regulation of cell growth.