Energy determines broad pattern of plant distribution in Western Himalaya

Several factors describe the broad pattern of diversity in plant species distribution. We explore these determinants of species richness in Western Himalayas using high‐resolution species data available for the area to energy, water, physiography and anthropogenic disturbance. The floral data involves 1279 species from 1178 spatial locations and 738 sample plots of a national database. We evaluated their correlation with 8‐environmental variables, selected on the basis of correlation coefficients and principal component loadings, using both linear (structural equation model) and nonlinear (generalised additive model) techniques. There were 645 genera and 176 families including 815 herbs, 213 shrubs, 190 trees, and 61 lianas. The nonlinear model explained the maximum deviance of 67.4% and showed the dominant contribution of climate on species richness with a 59% share. Energy variables (potential evapotranspiration and temperature seasonality) explained the deviance better than did water variables (aridity index and precipitation of the driest quarter). Temperature seasonality had the maximum impact on the species richness. The structural equation model confirmed the results of the nonlinear model but less efficiently. The mutual influences of the climatic variables were found to affect the predictions of the model significantly. To our knowledge, the 67.4% deviance found in the species richness pattern is one of the highest values reported in mountain studies. Broadly, climate described by water–energy dynamics provides the best explanation for the species richness pattern. Both modeling approaches supported the same conclusion that energy is the best predictor of species richness. The dry and cold conditions of the region account for the dominant contribution of energy on species richness.     

VoroMQA: Assessment of protein structure quality using interatomic contact areas

In the absence of experimentally determined protein structure many biological questions can be addressed using computational structural models. However, the utility of protein structural models depends on their quality. Therefore, the estimation of the quality of predicted structures is an important problem. One of the approaches to this problem is the use of knowledge‐based statistical potentials. Such methods typically rely on the statistics of distances and angles of residue‐residue or atom‐atom interactions collected from experimentally determined structures. Here, we present VoroMQA (Voronoi tessellation‐based Model Quality Assessment), a new method for the estimation of protein structure quality. Our method combines the idea of statistical potentials with the use of interatomic contact areas instead of distances. Contact areas, derived using Voronoi tessellation of protein structure, are used to describe and seamlessly integrate both explicit interactions between protein atoms and implicit interactions of protein atoms with solvent. VoroMQA produces scores at atomic, residue, and global levels, all in the fixed range from 0 to 1. The method was tested on the CASP data and compared to several other single‐model quality assessment methods. VoroMQA showed strong performance in the recognition of the native structure and in the structural model selection tests, thus demonstrating the efficacy of interatomic contact areas in estimating protein structure quality. The software implementation of VoroMQA is freely available as a standalone application and as a web server at http://bioinformatics.lt/software/voromqa . Proteins 2017; 85:1131–1145. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

化疗性静脉炎小鼠模型的建立

目的通过静脉注射盖诺(vinorelbine,VNB)为化疗性静脉炎(chemotherapy induced phlebitis,CIP)研究,提供效果稳定的CIP模型。方法49只成年小鼠随机分为6个实验组和1个对照组。实验组小鼠分别从右侧鼠尾静脉注射不同浓度的等体积VNB溶液,对照组则注射等体积生理盐水。注射后第5天对CIP临床表现进行分级评价后处死。制作石蜡切片并进行镜下分级。结果随注射VNB浓度及剂量的增加,小鼠静脉炎发生率也逐渐增高,但浓度剂量过高动物出现中毒死亡。用3.2mg/ml的VNB按38mg/kg注射组CIP发生率达100%,无动物死亡,出现红斑、水肿、条索状改变等典型CIP临床症状和内皮脱落、炎细胞浸润、组织水肿等CIP镜下改变,对照组未出现类似变化。结论本实验通过鼠尾静脉注射VNB成功建立了小鼠CIP模型。     

基于随机效应的兴安落叶松材积生长模拟

基于黑龙江省带岭林业局大青川林场80株人工兴安落叶松解析木数据和Logistic生长模型,分别考虑单木效应和样地效应,利用S-PLUS软件中的NLME过程拟合非线性材积生长模型,采用赤池信息准则(AIC)、贝叶斯信息准则(BIC)、对数似然值和似然比检验等模型评价指标对不同模型的精度进行比较.结果表明：当考虑单木效应影响时,b₁、b₂、b₃（分别代表Logistic模型中的渐进、尺度和形状的随机参数）同时作为随机参数时模型拟合效果最好; 当考虑样地效应影响时,b₁作为随机参数时模型拟合效果最好.基于单木效应和样地效应的混合模型的拟合精度高于基本模型（Logistic生长模型）,考虑单木效应影响的混合模型的精度高于考虑样地效应影响的模型.模型检验结果表明,随机效应模型不但能反映单木材积的总体平均变化趋势,还能反映个体之间的差异;随机效应模型通过校正随机参数值能提高模型的预测精度.     

Habitat suitability and nest survival of white-headed woodpeckers in unburned forests of Oregon

We evaluated habitat suitability and nest survival of breeding white-headed woodpeckers (Picoides albolarvatus) in unburned forests of central Oregon, USA. Daily nest-survival rate was positively related to maximum daily temperature during the nest interval and to density of large-diameter trees surrounding the nest tree. We developed a niche-based habitat suitability model (partitioned Mahalanobis distance) for nesting white-headed woodpeckers using remotely sensed data. Along with low elevation, high density of large trees, and low slope, our habitat suitability model suggested that interspersion–juxtaposition of low- and high-canopy cover ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) patches was important for nest-site suitability. Cross-validation suggested the model performed adequately for management planning at a scale >1 ha. Evaluation of mapped habitat suitability index (HSI) suggested that the maximum predictive gain (HSI = 0.36), where the number of nest locations are maximized in the smallest proportion of the modeled landscape, provided an objective initial threshold for identification of suitable habitat. However, managers can choose the threshold HSI most appropriate for their purposes (e.g., locating regions of low–moderate suitability that have potential for habitat restoration). Consequently, our habitat suitability model may be useful for managing dry coniferous forests for white-headed woodpeckers in central Oregon; however, model validation is necessary before our model could be applied to other locations. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

糖尿病肾病动物模型的研究进展

糖尿病肾病是糖尿病的主要并发症之一,也是终末期肾衰的元凶,其发病机制至今尚未阐明。因此,建立理想的实验动物模型是研究糖尿病肾病发病机制、疾病防治、新药开发的关键环节。本文回顾并分析了有关该疾病模型的国内外文献,从造模方法、发病机制、病理改变、适用条件、模型的优缺点等方面进行比较分析,为选择合适的动物模型应用于糖尿病肾病的研究提供参考。     

我国公立医院与社区卫生服务中心合作模式的比较与分析

通过文献评阅、专家访谈和现场调研等方法,对我国公立医院和社区卫生服务中心目前的合作模式进行了归纳,并对每种模式的成效、优缺点进行了分析。

     

Effects of density-dependent migrations on stability of a two-patch predator-prey model

We consider a predator-prey model in a two-patch environment and assume that migration between patches is faster than prey growth, predator mortality and predator-prey interactions. Prey (resp. predator) migration rates are considered to be predator (resp. prey) density-dependent. Prey leave a patch at a migration rate proportional to the local predator density. Predators leave a patch at a migration rate inversely proportional to local prey population density. Taking advantage of the two different time scales, we use aggregation methods to obtain a reduced (aggregated) model governing the total prey and predator densities. First, we show that for a large class of density-dependent migration rules for predators and prey there exists a unique and stable equilibrium for migration. Second, a numerical bifurcation analysis is presented. We show that bifurcation diagrams obtained from the complete and aggregated models are consistent with each other for reasonable values of the ratio between the two time scales, fast for migration and slow for local demography. Our results show that, under some particular conditions, the density dependence of migrations can generate a limit cycle. Also a co-dim two Bautin bifurcation point is observed in some range of migration parameters and this implies that bistability of an equilibrium and limit cycle is possible.     

Assembly of the protoplasm of Codium fragile (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) into new protoplasts

The cell organelles of the coenocytic alga Codium fragile (Sun) Hariot aggregated rapidly and protoplasts were formed when its protoplasm was extruded out in seawater. Continuous observation showed that there were long and gelatinous threads connecting the cell organelles. The threads contracted, and thus the cell organelles aggregated into protoplasmic masses. The enzyme digestion experiments and Coomassie Brilliant Blue and Anthrone stainings showed that the long and gelatinous threads involved in the formation of the protoplasts might Include protein and saccharides as structure components. Nile Red staining Indicated that the protoplast primary envelope was non-lipid at first, and then lipid materials Integrated Into its surface gradually. The fluorescent brightener staining Indicated that the cell wall did not regenerate in the newly formed protoplasts and they all disintegrated within 72 h after formation. Transmission electron microscopy of the cell wall of wild C. fragile showed electron-dense material embedded in the whole cell wall at regular intervals. The experiments indicated that C. fragile would be a suitable model alga for studying the formation of protoplasts.     

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics of Lotka-Volterra ecosystems: Stability and evolution

A non-equilibrium thermodynamic theory of generalized Lotka-Volterra ecosystem has been presented. The main results consist of the derivation of a generalized expression of entropy-production for the evolutionary ecosystem and the study of its role in the analysis of ecological stability, succession and also in the formulation of some extremum principles characterising the evolution of the ecosystem.