A probabilistic approach to the construction of competing-risk life tables

"This paper aims to identify net and partial-crude probabilities in the competing-risk life table context, by using probabilistic approaches. Five types of lifelength random variables are defined to formulate these nonidentifiable probabilities. General expressions for net and partial-crude probabilities are first derived under independent risks assumptions. Two sets of explicit formulas for estimating the net and partial-crude probabilities are then derived in terms of the identifiable overall and crude probabilities by making the additional assumption of piecewise uniform distribution of the lifelength random variables. A study of the degree to which nonidentifiability can affect the net and partial-crude probabilities in a variety of situations is developed. An example from cross-sectional studies is employed to illustrate the methodology developed."     

Inbreeding depression in Lychnis flos-cuculi (Caryophyllaceae): effects of different levels of inbreeding

In a controlled crossing experiment on Lychnis flos-cuculi plants in the greenhouse, outbred and selfed maternal plants were each treated with pollen from unrelated plants, siblings and selves. The seeds thus obtained had expected inbreeding coefficients of 0, 0.25 and 0.5 for the outbred maternal plants, and 0, 0.5 and 0.75 for the selfed maternal plants. Seed abortion rate, seed weight and germination rate were estimated. Seedlings were transplanted to an outdoor garden, and monitored for survival, probability of flowering, number of capsules and area of capsules next spring. Inbred seeds germinated slower and in lower proportions than those less inbred, and seedlings had lower survival, flowering, fruit set and area of capsules if inbred. Combined fitness values were estimated from the survival and fecundity components, and severe inbreeding depression was detected for these estimates (0.51 and 0.56 for one generation of selfing). The fitness function decreased linearly with the increase in inbreeding coefficient, which is as expected if the inbreeding depression is additive among loci.     

Integrated planning and management of freshwater habitats,including wetlands

Freshwater habitats play a very important role in sustaining human activities. Natural functions of wetlands, and other freshwater habitats, generate a wide array of resources that directly or indirectly support the economic and social welfare of diverse groups of people. This role is being seriously weakened as a result of inappropriate planning and management approaches which fail to maintain the functional integrity of the freshwater ecosystems with the result that the flow and quality of resources is degraded. This paper illustrates some of the major functions of wetlands and presents a case for developing integrated planning and management practices that protect the health and productivity of freshwater wetlands and seek to optimise the sustainable use of the flows of resources they generate.     

Optimization of the electrostatic interactions in proteins of different functional and folding type

The 3-dimensional optimization of the electrostatic interactions between the charged amino acid residues was studied by Monte Carlo simulations on an extended representative set of 141 protein structures with known atomic coordinates. The proteins were classified by different functional and structural criteria, and the optimization of the electrostatic interactions was analyzed. The optimization parameters were obtained by comparison of the contribution of charge-charge interactions to the free energy of the native protein structures and for a large number of randomly distributed charge constellations obtained by the Monte Carlo technique. On the basis of the results obtained, one can conclude that the charge-charge interactions are better optimized in the enzymes than in the proteins without enzymatic functions. Proteins that belong to the mixed αβ folding type are electrostatically better optimized than pure α-helical or β-strand structures. Proteins that are stabilized by disulfide bonds show a lower degree of electrostatic optimization. The electrostatic interactions in a native protein are effectively optimized by rejection of the conformers that lead to repulsive charge-charge interactions. Particularly, the rejection of the repulsive contacts seems to be a major goal in the protein folding process. The dependence of the optimization parameters on the choice of the potential function was tested. The majority of the potential functions gave practically identical results.     

A deterministic analysis of self-incompatibility alleles

A number of plant species have a self-incompatibility locus that prevents self-fertilization. We 'analyse a deterministic model with an arbitrary number of alleles. We prove that the only polymorphic equilibrium is the one for which all (heterozygous) genotypes are equally frequent, and we prove that all (initially) polymorphic populations converge to this equilibrium.     

人源溶菌酶结构与功能的研究进展

人溶菌酶是一类人体内天然存在的能够溶解细菌细胞壁的碱性蛋白的总称。其作用特征是能够裂解肽聚糖中的N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖与N-乙酰氨基甲酸之间的β-(1,4)-糖苷键。人溶菌酶具有抗菌、抗炎、抗病毒和增强免疫力等多种特性,因此在国内外市场上应用广泛。本文就人溶菌酶的结构特点、表达部位、功能表达以及应用情况进行综述。     

广西北部湾海岸带、海岛的外来入侵植物

为保护广西北部湾海岸带、海岛的植物多样性和生态系统多样性,通过样方、样带法野外实地调查并结合文献资料,对其外来入侵植物的物种组成、原产地、生活型、入侵途径和危害状况等进行了分析。结果表明,广西北部湾海岸带、海岛共有入侵植物64种,隶属28科55属,其中菊科(Asteraceae)最多(15种)。草本植物最多,有48种(75.00%)。原产地来自美洲的植物最多,有49种。入侵风险等级可划分为5个等级,其中Ⅰ级严重危害的有8种(12.50%)。与广西、广东、海南及华南地区的外来入侵植物在物种组成、生活型和原产地等方面呈现出较强的相似性;北部湾与广西中越边境内陆地区来自美洲的入侵植物都超过60%。因此推测广西外来入侵植物有两条可能的入侵线路：一是从海南登录,二是从中越边境跨入。广西北部湾海岸带、海岛的外来入侵植物总数(相对整个广西)虽较少,但其8种Ⅰ级严重危害植物的防治,仍需引起重视。     

Conformational analysis and clustering of short and medium size loops connecting regular secondary structures: a database for modeling and prediction.

Loops are regions of nonrepetitive conformation connecting regular secondary structures. We identified 2,024 loops of one to eight residues in length, with acceptable main-chain bond lengths and peptide bond angles, from a database of 223 protein and protein-domain structures. Each loop is characterized by its sequence, main-chain conformation, and relative disposition of its bounding secondary structures as described by the separation between the tips of their axes and the angle between them. Loops, grouped according to their length and type of their bounding secondary structures, were superposed and clustered into 161 conformational classes, corresponding to 63% of all loops. Of these, 109 (51% of the loops) were populated by at least four nonhomologous loops or four loops sharing a low sequence identity. Another 52 classes, including 12% of the loops, were populated by at least three loops of low sequence similarity from three or fewer nonhomologous groups. Loop class suprafamilies resulting from variations in the termini of secondary structures are discussed in this article. Most previously described loop conformations were found among the classes. New classes included a 2:4 type IV hairpin, a helix-capping loop, and a loop that mediates dinucleotide-binding. The relative disposition of bounding secondary structures varies among loop classes, with some classes such as beta-hairpins being very restrictive. For each class, sequence preferences as key residues were identified; those most frequently at these conserved positions than in proteins were Gly, Asp, Pro, Phe, and Cys. Most of these residues are involved in stabilizing loop conformation, often through a positive phi conformation or secondary structure capping. Identification of helix-capping residues and beta-breakers among the highly conserved positions supported our decision to group loops according to their bounding secondary structures. Several of the identified loop classes were associated with specific functions, and all of the member loops had the same function; key residues were conserved for this purpose, as is the case for the parvalbumin-like calcium-binding loops. A significant number, but not all, of the member loops of other loop classes had the same function, as is the case for the helix-turn-helix DNA-binding loops. This article provides a systematic and coherent conformational classification of loops, covering a broad range of lengths and all four combinations of bounding secondary structure types, and supplies a useful basis for modelling of loop conformations where the bounding secondary structures are known or reliably predicted.