Effects of Global Positioning System Collar Weight on Zebra Behavior and Location Error

ABSTRACT Global Positioning System (GPS) collars are increasingly being used to study fine-scale patterns of animal behavior. Previous studies on GPS collars have tried to determine the causes of location error without attempting to investigate whether the accuracy of fixes provides a correspondingly accurate measure of the animal's natural behavior. When comparing 2 types of GPS collar, we found a significant effect of collar weight and fit on the rate of travel of plains zebra (Equus burchelli antiquorum) females in the Makgadikgadi, Botswana. Although both types of collar were well within accepted norms of collar weight, the slightly heavier collars (0.6% of total body mass [TBM]) reduced rate of travel by >50% when foraging compared with the collar that was 0.4% of TBM. Collar effect was activity specific, particularly interfering with grazing behavior; the effect was less noticeable when zebras crossed larger interpatch distances. We highlight that small differences in collar weight or fit can affect specific behaviors, limiting the extrapolation of fine-scaled GPS data. This has important implications for wildlife biologists, who hitherto have assumed that collars within accepted weight limits have little or no effect on animal movement parameters.     

Method for inferring and extracting reliable genetic interactions from time-series profile of gene expression

Recent advances in technologies such as DNA microarrays have provided an abundance of gene expression data on the genomic scale. One of the most important projects in the post-genome-era is the systemic identification of gene expression networks. However, inferring internal gene expression structure from experimentally observed time-series data are an inverse problem. We have therefore developed a system for inferring network candidates based on experimental observations. Moreover, we have proposed an analytical method for extracting common core binomial genetic interactions from various network candidates. Common core binomial genetic interactions are reliable interactions with a higher possibility of existence, and are important for understanding the dynamic behavior of gene expression networks. Here, we discuss an efficient method for inferring genetic interactions that combines a Step-by-step strategy (Y. Maki, Y. Takahashi, Y. Arikawa, S. Watanabe, K. Aoshima, Y. Eguchi, T. Ueda, S. Aburatani, S. Kuhara, M. Okamoto, An integrated comprehensive workbench for inferring genetic networks: Voyagene, Journal of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology 2(3) (2004) 533.) with an analysis method for extracting common core binomial genetic interactions.     

玉米根系分布空间和空间密度分布的数学模型

应用重积分研究了土壤层中散根型和直根型玉米根系的分布空间,同时研究了玉米根系的空间密度分布．     

外阴诱发电位及其应用

诱发电位（EP）是继脑电图和肌电图之后临床神经电生理的第三大进展,在检测神经系统的状态和变化上有重要意义,常常用来协助确定神经系统的可疑病变,检出亚临床病灶,帮助病损定位,监护感觉系统的功能状态。其中,视觉、听觉和部分体感诱发电位已得到广泛应用。本文介绍了外阴诱发电位的相关原理及其应用等。     

系统理论指导下辩证思维模式与抗休克决策

休克是由于有效循环血量不足引发的微循环障碍而表现一系列症候群,作为一种系统性疾病,病因十分复杂多样,诊疗过程中的临床决策应全面而富有针对性,并充分考虑到救治措施的协调一致和互相配合。系统论主张整体大于部分之和强调的就是措施之间的整体化效果,充分考虑到患者个体间差异,辩证分析不同类型休克、不同个体间不同表现,在系统理论指导下的富有针对性措施间协调一致的决策模式才是较为完整的休克救治临床决策模式。     

IMGT-Kaleidoscope, the formal IMGT-ONTOLOGY paradigm

IMGT, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system (http://imgt.cines.fr), is the reference in immunogenetics and immunoinformatics. IMGT standardizes and manages the complex immunogenetic data which include the immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies, the T cell receptors (TR), the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and the related proteins of the immune system (RPI) which belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) and the MHC superfamily (MhcSF). The accuracy and consistency of IMGT data and the coherence between the different IMGT components (databases, tools and Web resources) are based on IMGT-ONTOLOGY, the first ontology for immunogenetics and immunoinformatics. IMGT-ONTOLOGY manages the immunogenetics knowledge through diverse facets relying on seven axioms, "IDENTIFICATION", "DESCRIPTION", "CLASSIFICATION", "NUMEROTATION", "LOCALIZATION", "ORIENTATION" and "OBTENTION", that postulate that objects, processes and relations have to be identified, described, classified, numerotated, localized, orientated, and that the way they are obtained has to be determined. These axioms constitute the Formal IMGT-ONTOLOGY, also designated as IMGT-Kaleidoscope. Through the example of the IG molecular synthesis, the concepts generated from the "IDENTIFICATION", "DESCRIPTION", "CLASSIFICATION" and "NUMEROTATION" axioms are detailed with their main instances and semantic relations. The axioms have been essential for the conceptualization of the molecular immunogenetics knowledge and can be used to generate concepts for multi scale approaches at the molecule, cell, tissue, organ, organism or population level, emphasizing the generalization of the application domain. In that way the Formal IMGT-ONTOLOGY represents a paradigm for the elaboration of ontologies in system biology.     

Imprint cytology of vacuum-assisted breast biopsy specimens: a rapid diagnostic tool in non-palpable solid lesions

Objective:  Imprint cytology provides a rapid preliminary diagnosis shortly after the completion of breast biopsy. This study aims to assess the validity of imprint cytology for the pre-operative diagnosis of non-palpable mammographic solid lesions excised by vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB).
Methods:  Seventy-two women with non-palpable Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 3 and 4 mammographic solid lesions without microcalcifications underwent VABB on the stereotactic Fischer's table with 11-G Mammotome vacuum probes. Imprint samples were examined (Diff-Quick stain, modified Papanicolaou stain and May-Grünwald–Giemsa). The cores were dipped into a CytoRich Red Collection fluid for a few seconds in order to obtain samples with the use of the specimen wash. After the completion of cytological procedures, the core was prepared for routine pathological study. The pathologist was blind to the preliminary cytological results. The cytological and pathological diagnoses were comparatively evaluated.
Results:  The sensitivity of the cytological imprints for cancer was 90%. The specificity of the method for cancer diagnosis was 100%. Two precursor lesions were present in the material: one case of atypical ductal hyperplasia, which was successfully detected, and one case of lobular neoplasia, which escaped detection. The cytological imprints were inadequate in four out of 72 cases (5.6%), but none of them were included within the malignant subgroup.
Conclusions:  Imprint cytology seems to be an important adjunctive tool in the management of patients with non-palpable mammographic solid lesions. Its very satisfactory sensitivity and optimal specificity could establish its use in general clinical practice.     

马铃薯干物质分配与器官建成的动态模拟研究

根据多年不同保护地栽培田间试验的结果,利用Origin软件结合马铃薯生长发育的基本特点,提出了以发育生理日为驱动变量的光合产物在不同器官间分布的数值模型,方法简便,机理明确,模拟精度高.研究还给出了不同发育时期马铃薯不同器官的干物率变化模型,并依此推导出器官的鲜重模型,进行了马铃薯块茎产量的模拟,结果表明模拟值与实测值具有良好的一致性。     

中国部分地区种子植物区系亲缘关系的研究

以植物属分布区类型的百分比为指标,分别采用系统聚类分析的最短距离法、最长距离法、中间距离法、重心法、离差平方和法、类平均法和可变法等7种方法,对中国46个地区的植物区系进行了分析研究,给出了其种子植物属的分布区类型的树状聚类图,求得各地区植物区系之间的亲缘关系。结果表明：在一定的经度范围内(中国东半部地区),两个地区植物区系之间的亲缘关系与其所处的纬度相关,即纬度相近其亲缘关系也相近,反之即疏远。运用系统聚类分析方法所得到的中国46个地区植物区系之间亲缘关系的结果与经典的理论基本吻合。     

混合蛋白质体系中魟鱼和海兔肝铁蛋白释放铁的动力学研究

分别制备含有魟鱼肝铁蛋白(1iver ferritin of Dasyatis akajei,DALF)和海兔肝铁蛋白(Liver ferritin of Aplysia,ALF)的混合蛋白质体系。选用电子光谱技术和不同电子供体,研究在混合蛋白质体系中,DALF和ALF释放铁的动力学过程和规律。实验结果表明,采用Na2S2O4作为还原剂时,DALF以两相行为进行释放铁的反应;而选用抗坏血酸作为还原剂时,DALF却以一级反应动力学方式进行释放铁的反应,简化释放铁的过程。在混合蛋白质体系中且以抗坏血酸和Na2S2O4为电子供体时,ALF均以一级反应动力学过程进行释放铁的反应,认为某些蛋白质参与协助ALF释放铁反应,从而简化释放铁的过程。