基于支持向量机的人类5’非翻译区剪接位点识别

基因非编码区域剪接位点的识别是基因识别中一个非常具有挑战性的问题,尤其是5’非翻译区中剪接位点的识别。与一般剪接位点不同,5’非翻译区剪接位点的两侧不存在由编码到非编码的状态转移,所以通常的剪接位点识别算法在非翻译区的性能不太理想。文章采用了基于支持向量机的方法对5’非翻译区中的剪接位点进行识别。为了提高识别精度,采用了基于矩阵相似性度量的核函数参数选取方法,它能够简单快速地确定合适的核函数参数,进而提高核函数的识别性能。通过实验验证,经过参数选择后的支持向量机能够较好地识别5＇非翻译区剪接位点。     

Developmental profiles of three embryo-lethal maize mutants lacking leaf primordia: ptd*-1130, cp*-1418, and bno*-747B

The defective kernel (dek) mutants of maize are altered in both their embryo and endosperm development. Earlier studies have indicated that some of the dek mutants are unable to form shoot apical meristems or leaf primoirda. We have examined three embryo lethal dek mutants of this type, ptd*-1130, cp*-1418, and bno*-747B, to obtain a developmental profile for each. Allelism tests show that these three mutants are not allelic. Embryos were examined in early, mid-, and late kernel development as well as at kernel maturity by dissection and sectioning procedures and also at kernel maturity by scanning electron microscopy. All three mutants lag behind normal embryos in their rate of development. Embryos of ptd*-1130 reached the transition stage by early kernel development and progressed no further but underwent cell enlargement and necrosis during late kernel development. Embryos of cp*-1418 reached an early coleoptilar stage by midkernel development. They subsequently increased in size but did not form any leaf primordia. At kernel maturity, they no longer had a shoot apical meristem but often had a well formed root meristem. They appeared to remain healthy and did not become necrotic. Embryos of bno*747B reached the early coleoptilar stage by early kernel development but progressed no further. By kernel maturity, they had grown into masses of irregularly shaped embryonic tissue that no longer resembled any normal embryo stage but were not necrotic. None of these three mutants responded to attempts to support continued embryo development when cultured, but all three mutants formed callus on N6 and MS media supplemented with 2,4-D. These results indicate that these mutants are all uniformly blocked at specific stages early in embryonic development, have different subsequent developmental fates, and represent three different genes performing unique functions that are essential for embryogenesis.     

钙对镉胁迫下花生生理特性、产量和品质的影响

通过盆栽试验,选用高油品种豫花15和高蛋白品种XB023,研究了不同浓度钙对镉胁迫下不同类型花生品种营养生长、叶片叶绿素含量、光合速率、保护酶活性等生理特性及产量和品质的影响.结果表明： 施钙可以缓解镉胁迫对花生植株主茎高和侧枝长的抑制作用,增加花生植株干物质量,提高叶片叶绿素含量和光合速率,提高叶片超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、过氧化物酶（POD）活性和可溶性蛋白质含量,降低丙二醛（MDA）的积累量,减轻镉胁迫对花生叶片的伤害;施钙可以缓解镉胁迫对花生的减产作用,增加花生荚果和籽仁产量,其增产的主要原因是增加了单株结荚数和出仁率;施钙可以促使籽仁中可溶性糖向粗脂肪和蛋白质转化,增加籽仁中脂肪和蛋白质含量,改善镉胁迫下花生籽仁品质.施钙可以降低两花生品种籽仁中镉含量,对豫花15的降低效果好于XB023.     

Estimating utilization distributions with kernel versus local convex hull methods

Estimates of utilization distributions (UDs) are used in analyses of home-range area, habitat and resource selection, and social interactions. We simulated data from 12 parent UDs, representing 3 series of increasingly intense space-use patterns (clustering of points around a home site, restriction of locations to a network of nodes and corridors, and dominance of a central hole in the UD) and compared the ability of kernel density estimation (KDE) and local convex hull (LCH) construction to reconstruct known UDs from samples of 10, 50, 250, and 1,000 location points. For KDE, we considered 4 bandwidth selectors: the reference bandwidth, least-squares cross-validation (LSCV), direct plug-in (DPI), and solve-the-equation (STE). For the sample sizes and UD patterns tested here, KDE achieved significantly higher volume-of-intersection (VI) scores with known parent UDs than did LCH; KDE also provided less biased home-range area estimates under many conditions. However, LCH minimized the UD volume that occurred outside the true home range boundary (V_out). Among the KDE bandwidth estimators, relative performance depended on the type and intensity of space use patterns, sample size, and the metric used to evaluate performance. Biologists should use KDE for UD and home range estimation within a probabilistic context, unless their objective is to exclude potentially unused areas by defining the area delimited by data. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Intraspecific and interspecific competition induces density‐dependent habitat niche shifts in an endangered steppe bird

Interspecific competition is a dominant force in animal communities that induces niche shifts in ecological and evolutionary time. If competition occurs, niche expansion can be expected when the competitor disappears because resources previously inaccessible due to competitive constraints can then be exploited (i.e., ecological release). Here, we aimed to determine the potential effects of interspecific competition between the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) and the great bustard (Otis tarda) using a multidimensional niche approach with habitat distribution data. We explored whether the degree of niche overlap between the species was a density‐dependent function of interspecific competition. We then looked for evidences of ecological release by comparing measures of niche breadth and position of the little bustard between allopatric and sympatric situations. Furthermore, we evaluated whether niche shifts could depend not only on the presence of great bustard but also on the density of little and great bustards. The habitat niches of these bustard species partially overlapped when co‐occurring, but we found no relationship between degree of overlap and great bustard density. In the presence of the competitor, little bustard's niche was displaced toward increased use of the species' primary habitat. Little bustard's niche breadth decreased proportionally with great bustard density in sympatric sites, in consistence with theory. Overall, our results suggest that density‐dependent variation in little bustard's niche is the outcome of interspecific competition with the great bustard. The use of computational tools like kernel density estimators to obtain multidimensional niches should bring novel insights on how species' ecological niches behave under the effects of interspecific competition in ecological communities.     

野生经济植物资源橡籽仁可利用价值的研究

以京白种鸡作鸡作试验动,以玉米、稻谷作对照,采用鸡真代谢能（ＴＭＥ）法研究野生经济植物资源橡胶籽仁的可利用营养价值。结果表明,橡籽仁１ｋｇ含量总能（ＧＥ）１６．５３ＭＪ,表观代谢能（ＡＭＥ）１１．１３ＭＪ,真代谢能（ＴＭＥ）１１．６６ＭＪ,,含粗蛋白（ＣＰ）１０．６３％,ＣＰ的表观利用率（ＣＰＡＡ）４５．５５％,真利用率（ＣＰＴＡ）４９．８３％,１７种氨基酸（ＡＡ）总含量９．２３％,必需氨基酸（Ｅ     

Genetics of dispersal

Dispersal is a process of central importance for the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of populations and communities, because of its diverse consequences for gene flow and demography. It is subject to evolutionary change, which begs the question, what is the genetic basis of this potentially complex trait? To address this question, we (i) review the empirical literature on the genetic basis of dispersal, (ii) explore how theoretical investigations of the evolution of dispersal have represented the genetics of dispersal, and (iii) discuss how the genetic basis of dispersal influences theoretical predictions of the evolution of dispersal and potential consequences. Dispersal has a detectable genetic basis in many organisms, from bacteria to plants and animals. Generally, there is evidence for significant genetic variation for dispersal or dispersal‐related phenotypes or evidence for the micro‐evolution of dispersal in natural populations. Dispersal is typically the outcome of several interacting traits, and this complexity is reflected in its genetic architecture: while some genes of moderate to large effect can influence certain aspects of dispersal, dispersal traits are typically polygenic. Correlations among dispersal traits as well as between dispersal traits and other traits under selection are common, and the genetic basis of dispersal can be highly environment‐dependent. By contrast, models have historically considered a highly simplified genetic architecture of dispersal. It is only recently that models have started to consider multiple loci influencing dispersal, as well as non‐additive effects such as dominance and epistasis, showing that the genetic basis of dispersal can influence evolutionary rates and outcomes, especially under non‐equilibrium conditions. For example, the number of loci controlling dispersal can influence projected rates of dispersal evolution during range shifts and corresponding demographic impacts. Incorporating more realism in the genetic architecture of dispersal is thus necessary to enable models to move beyond the purely theoretical towards making more useful predictions of evolutionary and ecological dynamics under current and future environmental conditions. To inform these advances, empirical studies need to answer outstanding questions concerning whether specific genes underlie dispersal variation, the genetic architecture of context‐dependent dispersal phenotypes and behaviours, and correlations among dispersal and other traits.     

响应面法优化微波辅助提取山苍子核仁油的研究

通过微波辅助提取技术结合响应面法优化山苍子核仁油提取条件,以期建立更高产率的提取方法。该研究在单因素设计基础上,选取液料比、微波功率、萃取时间、萃取温度4个主要因素,分析这4个因素对山苍子核仁油提取率的影响。结果表明:通过建立多元回归拟合分析,得出山苍子核仁油提取最佳工艺条件为液料比1∶16,萃取温度为69℃,微波功率为337 W,萃取时间为63 min,在此条件下山苍子核仁油提取率为37.42%,与环己烷溶剂回流法相比较提取率提高了30.11%。气质联用仪分析结果显示,山苍子核仁油主要成分有16种占总成分的88.21%,鉴定出10种脂肪酸占总成分的78.24%,饱和脂肪酸有4种占总成分的43.23%,不饱和脂肪酸有6种占总成分的35.01%,脂肪酸中含量最高的为月桂酸(31.36%)。该研究结果表明该方法严谨、可靠,采用微波辅助提取山苍子核仁油是可行的。     

青海湖棕头鸥(Larus brunnicephalus)夏秋季活动区研究

2006年4～9月,采用无线电遥测技术对青海湖重要繁殖水鸟棕头鸥(Larus brunnicephalus)在不同繁殖阶段的活动性,以及与人和鸟的关系进行了研究.对6只棕头鸥个体的遥测结果表明,繁殖初期棕头鸥的活动区较大,进入繁殖中期,活动区明显变小;随后繁殖后期的活动区面积有所增加,到了迁徙前期,活动区面积已接近繁殖初期.不同阶段活动区核心面积(50%Fixed Kernel)与活动区变化趋势基本一致.繁殖初期、中期、后期和迁徙前期活动区面积分别为(15.48 km2±4.54 km2)、(1.61 km2±0.41 km2)、(3.53 km2±2.63 km2)和(11.61 km2±9.36 km2).棕头鸥在不同繁殖阶段的日活动区大小有显著差异.繁殖初期,棕头鸥经常活动于鸬鹚岛、蛋岛和布哈河口,它们都是棕头鸥较好的取食地,鸬鹚岛和蛋岛由于有许多游客投喂食物;在繁殖中期,棕头鸥进入孵化阶段,活动区较繁殖前期明显缩小.由于湟鱼返回布哈河口一带产卵繁殖,棕头鸥经常聚集在此地取食;在繁殖后期,棕头鸥需要寻找大量的食物进行育雏,因此活动范围再度扩大;进入迁徙前期,幼鸟已经长大并学会飞翔,其活动区进一步扩大,与繁殖初期较为接近.     

Performance of individual vs. group sampling for inferring dispersal under isolation‐by‐distance

Models of isolation‐by‐distance formalize the effects of genetic drift and gene flow in a spatial context where gene dispersal is spatially limited. These models have been used to show that, at an appropriate spatial scale, dispersal parameters can be inferred from the regression of genetic differentiation against geographic distance between sampling locations. This approach is compelling because it is relatively simple and robust and has rather low sampling requirements. In continuous populations, dispersal can be inferred from isolation‐by‐distance patterns using either individuals or groups as sampling units. Intrigued by empirical findings where individual samples seemed to provide more power, we used simulations to compare the performances of the two methods in a range of situations with different dispersal distributions. We found that sampling individuals provide more power in a range of dispersal conditions that is narrow but fits many realistic situations. These situations were characterized not only by the general steepness of isolation‐by‐distance but also by the intrinsic shape of the dispersal kernel. The performances of the two approaches are otherwise similar, suggesting that the choice of a sampling unit is globally less important than other settings such as a study's spatial scale.