Additional Circular Systematic Sampling Methods

Several systematic sampling methods have been used to estimate the population mean when size of the population is a multiple of sample size. Among these, only few methods have been extended and used to estimate mean of the population when its size is not a multiple of sample size. In this paper, new methods called balanced circular systematic sampling and centered circular systematic sampling are introduced by extending balanced systematic sampling method and centered systematic sampling method respectively. These methods are compared with circular systematic sampling using average variance of corrected sample means for populations exhibiting approximate linear and parabolic trends. The suggested methods are found suitable to estimate the population mean.     

Metabolic acidosis and the importance of balanced equations

Balancing biochemical equations for both mass and charge in metabolic networks is critical but unfortunately ignored too often. Failure to do so, for example, results in a common misconception about the origin of protons during lactic fermentation. Lactate, rather than lactic acid, is produced by glycolysis, and its production is a mechanism for alleviating intracellular acidosis due to glycolysis. This error is at the core of some recent papers, and is often ambiguous in biochemistry textbooks.     

Towards a metabolic and isotopic steady state in CHO batch cultures for reliable isotope-based metabolic profiling

Attaining metabolic and isotopic balanced growth is one critical condition for physiological studies using isotope-labeled tracers, but is very difficult to obtain in batch culture due to the extensive metabolite exchange with the surrounding medium and related physiological changes. In the present study, we investigated metabolic and isotopic behavior of CHO cells in differently designed media. We observed that the assumption of balanced cell growth cannot be justified in batch culture of CHO cells directly using conventional, commercially available media. By systematically redesigning media composition and characterizing metabolic steady state based on mass balances and measurement of labeling dynamics, we achieved balanced cell growth for the main cellular substrates in CHO cells. This was done in a step-by-step analysis of growth and primary metabolism of CHO cells with the use of [U-¹³C]glucose feeding and adjusting concentrations of amino acids in the growth medium. The optimized media obtained at the end of the study provide balanced growth and isotopic steady state or at least asymptotic steady state. As a result, we established a platform to conduct isotope-based physiological studies of mammalian systems more reliably and therefore well suited for later use in metabolic profiling of mammalian systems such as ¹³C-labeled metabolic flux analysis.     

Unexpected Inheritance of a Balanced Homologous translocation t(22q;22q) from father to a phenotypically normal daughter

Rearrangements between homologous chromosomes are extremely rare and manifest mainly as monosomic or trisomic offsprings. There are remarkably few reports of balanced homologous chromosomal translocation t (22q; 22q) and only two cases of transmission of this balanced homohologous rearrangement from mother to normal daughter are reported. Robersonian translocation carriers in non-homologous chromosomes have the ability to have an unaffected child. However, it is not possible to have an unaffected child in cases with Robersonian translocations in homologous chromosomes. Carriers of homologous chromosome 22 translocations with maternal uniparental disomy do not have any impact on their phenotype. We are presenting a family with a history of multiple first trimester miscarriages and an unexpected inheritance of balanced homologous translocation of chromosome 22 with paternal uniparental disomy. There are no data available regarding the impact of paternal UPD 22 on the phenotype. We claim this to be the first report explaining that paternal UPD 22 does not impact the phenotype.     

Metagenomics analysis of the fecal microbiota in Ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and Green pheasants (Phasianus versicolor) using next generation sequencing

Pheasant reintroduction and conservation efforts have been in place in Pakistan since the 1980 s, yet there is still a scarcity of data on pheasant microbiome and zoonosis. Instead of growing vast numbers of bacteria in the laboratory, to investigate the fecal microbiome, pheasants (green and ring neck pheasant) were analyzed using 16S rRNA metagenomics and using IonS5TMXL sequencing from two flocks more than 10 birds. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) cluster analysis and phylogenetic tree analysis was performed using Mothur software against the SSUrRNA database of SILVA and the MUSCLE (Version 3.8.31) software. Results of the analysis showed that firmicutes were the most abundant phylum among the top ten phyla, in both pheasant species, followed by other phyla such as actinobacteria and proteobacteria in ring necked pheasant and bacteroidetes in green necked pheasant. Bacillus was the most relatively abundant genus in both pheasants followed by Oceanobacillus and Teribacillus for ring necked pheasant and Lactobacillus for green necked pheasant. Because of their well-known beneficial characteristics, these genus warrants special attention. Bird droppings comprise germs from the urinary system, gut, and reproductive sites, making it difficult to research each anatomical site at the same time. We conclude that metagenomic analysis and classification provides baseline information of the pheasant fecal microbiome that plays a role in disease and health.     

Stability of the steady-state size distribution in a model of cell growth and division

The approach to steady-state size distribution is studied for a growing population of cells. The model incorporates cell growth at a linear rate and division into two equal daughters after a random time composed of an exponentially distributed phase and a constant deterministic phase.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MCS 8300559This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MCS 8301104     

成年龙眼园平衡施肥示范试验

示范试验结果表明,成年龙眼的平衡施肥对提高土壤肥力、保持树体适宜营养水平以及增加果实产量有明显作用,从而证实平衡施肥方案的可行性。作者推荐,闽南丘陵地成年龙眼园的年施肥方案（667m2,产果1吨）：N20～25kg（有机肥的N约占年施N量的40％）;N：P2O5：K2O：CaO：MgO=1．0：0．5～0．6：1．0～1．1：0．8：0．4。