Evolutionary radiations and convergences in the structural organization of mammalian brains

The sizes of mammalian brain components seem to be mostly related to the sizes of the whole brain (and body), suggesting a one-dimensional scale of encephalization. Previous multivariate study of such data concludes that evolutionary selection for enlargement of any one brain part is constrained to selection for a concerted enlargement of the whole brain. However, interactions between structurally related pairs of brain parts confirm reports of differential change in brain nuclei, and imply mosaic rather than concerted evolution. Here we analyse a large number of variables simultaneously using multi-dimensional methods. We show that the relative proportions of different systems of functionally integrated brain structures vary independently between different mammalian orders, demonstrating separate evolutionary radiations in mammalian brain organization. Within each major order we identify clusters of unrelated species that occupy similar behavioural niches and have convergently evolved similar brain proportions. We conclude that within orders, mosaic brain organization is caused by selective adaptation, whereas between orders it suggests an interplay between selection and constraints.     

稀有气体小团簇研究

原子团簇是几个至上千个原子组成的相对稳定的聚集体,其性质与单个原子、分子和大块固体均不相同,例如幻数和壳层结构、热力学效应等．正为物理、化学和材料科学共同关注。介绍形成团簇的实验质谱技术,结合MonteCartt,方法模拟部分IJ团簇的结构,分析稀有气体团簇幻数规律和特性。     

土壤生态系统可持续性评价研究

土壤生态系统可持续性是指土壤生态系统持久地维持和支持其内在组份、组织结构和功能动态健康及其化发展的各种能动性的总和，它是由生态整合性、自维持活力、抵抗力和自组织力所构成的综合能力体系，土壤生态系统持续性是由系统自身的组份、结构和功能动态来体现的。因此，对系统组份、结构和功能动态的认识和评价研究是衡量土壤生态系统持续性的方法论基础。     

Energetics and the evolution of human brain size

The human brain stands out among mammals by being unusually large. The expensive-tissue hypothesis explains its evolution by proposing a trade-off between the size of the brain and that of the digestive tract, which is smaller than expected for a primate of our body size. Although this hypothesis is widely accepted, empirical support so far has been equivocal. Here we test it in a sample of 100 mammalian species, including 23 primates, by analysing brain size and organ mass data. We found that, controlling for fat-free body mass, brain size is not negatively correlated with the mass of the digestive tract or any other expensive organ, thus refuting the expensive-tissue hypothesis. Nonetheless, consistent with the existence of energy trade-offs with brain size, we find that the size of brains and adipose depots are negatively correlated in mammals, indicating that encephalization and fat storage are compensatory strategies to buffer against starvation. However, these two strategies can be combined if fat storage does not unduly hamper locomotor efficiency. We propose that human encephalization was made possible by a combination of stabilization of energy inputs and a redirection of energy from locomotion, growth and reproduction.     

Selective assembly on a surface of supramolecular aggregates with controlled size and shape.

The realization of molecule-based miniature devices with advanced functions requires the development of new and efficient approaches for combining molecular building blocks into desired functional structures, ideally with these structures supported on suitable substrates 1-4.Supramolecular aggregation occurs spontaneously and can lead to controlled structures if selective and directional non-covalent interactions are exploited. But such selective supramolecular assembly has yielded almost exclusively crystals or dissolved structures 5; the self-assembly of absorbed molecules into larger structures 6-8, in contrast, has not yet been directed by controlling selective intermolecular interactions. Here we report the formation of surface-supported supramolecular structures whose size and aggregation pattern are rationally controlled by tuning the non-covalent interactions between individual absorbed molecules.Using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy, we show that substituted porphyrin molecules adsorbed on a gold surface form monomers, trimers, tetramers or extended wire-like structures. We find that each structure corresponds in a predictable fashion to the geometric and chemical nature of the porphyrin substituents that mediate the interactions between individual adsorbed molecules.Our findings suggest that careful placement of functional groups that are able to participate in directed non-covalent interactions will allow the rational design and construction of a wide range of supramolecular architectures absorbed to surfaces.     

Repeated, recent and diverse transfers of a mitochondrial gene to the nucleus in flowering plants

A central component of the endosymbiotic theory for the bacterial origin of the mitochondrion is that many of its genes were transferred to the nucleus. Most of this transfer occurred early in mitochondrial evolution; functional transfer of mitochondrial genes has ceased in animals. Although mitochondrial gene transfer continues to occur in plants, no comprehensive study of the frequency and timing of transfers during plant evolution has been conducted. Here we report frequent loss (26 times) and transfer to the nucleus of the mitochondrial gene rps10 among 277 diverse angiosperms. Characterization of nuclear rps10 genes from 16 out of 26 loss lineages implies that many independent, RNA-mediated rps10 transfers occurred during recent angiosperm evolution; each of the genes may represent a separate functional gene transfer. Thus, rps10 has been transferred to the nucleus at a surprisingly high rate during angiosperm evolution. The structures of several nuclear rps10 genes reveal diverse mechanisms by which transferred genes become activated, including parasitism of pre-existing nuclear genes for mitochondrial or cytoplasmic proteins, and activation without gain of a mitochondrial targeting sequence.     

High-level similarity of dentitions in carnivorans and rodents

The study of mammalian evolution depends greatly on understanding the evolution of teeth and the relationship of tooth shape to diet. Links between gross tooth shape, function and diet have been proposed since antiquity, stretching from Aristotle to Cuvier, Owen and Osborn. So far, however, the possibilities for exhaustive, quantitative comparisons between greatly different tooth shapes have been limited. Cat teeth and mouse teeth, for example, are fundamentally distinct in shape and structure as a result of independent evolutionary change over tens of millions of years. There is difficulty in establishing homology between their tooth components or in summarizing their tooth shapes, yet both carnivorans and rodents possess a comparable spectrum of dietary specializations from animals to plants. Here we introduce homology-free techniques to measure the phenotypic complexity of the three-dimensional shape of tooth crowns. In our geographic information systems (GIS) analysis of 441 teeth from 81 species of carnivorans and rodents, we show that the surface complexity of tooth crowns directly reflects the foods they consume. Moreover, the absolute values of dental complexity for individual dietary classes correspond between carnivorans and rodents, illustrating a high-level similarity between overall tooth shapes despite a lack of low-level similarity of specific tooth components. These results suggest that scale-independent forces have determined the high-level dental shape in lineages that are widely divergent in size, ecology and life history. This link between diet and phenotype will be useful for inferring the ecology of extinct species and illustrates the potential of fast-throughput, high-level analysis of the phenotype.     

含似球型分子─正烷烃过量热容的测定与研究

本文测定了苯—正壬烷、苯—正十一烷、环已烷—正壬烷、环已烷—正十一烷、四氯化碳—正辛烷五个二元物系过量热容Ｃ，并与Ｆｌｏｒｙ理论对Ｃ的预测值进行了比较，得到了分子取向次序变化对Ｃ的贡献大小。结果发现Ｆｌｏｒｙ理论对Ｃ的预测值与Ｃ的实验值偏差很大，分子取向次序的破坏对Ｃ的贡献为负值。     

Detection of dynamic brain networks modulated by acupuncture using a graph theory model

Neuroimaging studies involving acute acupuncture manipulation have already demonstrated significant modulatory effects on wide limbic/paralimbic nuclei, subcortical gray structures and the neocortical system of the brain. Due to the sustained effect of acupuncture, however, knowledge on the organization of such large-scale cortical networks behind the active needle stimulation phase is lacking. In this study, we originally adopted a network model analysis from graph theory to evaluate the functional connectivity among multiple brain regions during the post-stimulus phase. Evidence from our findings clearly supported the existence of a large organized functional connectivity network related to acupuncture function in the resting brain. More importantly, acupuncture can change such a network into a functional state underlying both pain perception and modulation, which is exhibited by significant changes in the functional connectivity of some brain regions. This analysis may help us to better understand the long-lasting effects of acupuncture on brain function, as well as the potential benefits of clinical treatments.     

基于局域社团的人类脑功能网络生成模型

研究了人类脑功能区域间拓扑结构与解剖结构两种因素对脑功能网络建模的影响,提出了基于局域社团的人类脑功能网络生成模型.模型中的局域社团拓扑结构采用功能区域间的共同邻居及邻居间的局域连接表示,解剖结构用人脑区域间的解剖距离代表.为了衡量模型生成网络与基于fMRI数据构建的真实数据网络之间的相似性,提出了用于校验网络间接近程度的相似性能量指标.实验结果表明,相比传统生成模型,基于局域社团的脑功能网络生成模型在网络效益、聚集系数、模块性、度分布等属性方面都能够更精确地模拟真实数据网络.     

Analysis of a Firm's Optimal Size Based on Accessible Market Capacity

E-commerce has dramatically reduced the limitation of space and time on economic activities,resulting in individuals having access to a huge number of consumers.In this paper,we propose a company's optimal size decision model containing management costs as a means of investigating the evolution of the company size in e-commerce.Given that production decisions are made based on accessible market capacity,we explain how a company enters the market,and we draw an evolutionary path of the optimal company size.The results show that in the early expansion stage of accessible market capacity,a firm's optimal size keeps increasing;after reaching a peak,the change in a firm's optimal size depends on its cost management.When the accessible market capacity reaches a threshold,the firm will no longer be in the market,and may no longer exist.Finally,we construct a simulation framework based on complex adaptive systems to validate our proposed model.A simulation experiment confirms our model and reveals the dynamic co-evolution process of individual producers and firms.     

A Chinese triconodont mammal and mosaic evolution of the mammalian skeleton

Here we describe a new triconodont mammal from the Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous period of Liaoning, China. This new mammal is represented by the best-preserved skeleton known so far for triconodonts which form one of the earliest Mesozoic mammalian groups with high diversity. The postcranial skeleton of this new triconodont shows a mosaic of characters, including a primitive pelvic girdle and hindlimb but a very derived pectoral girdle that is closely comparable to those of derived therians. Given the basal position of this taxon in mammalian phylogeny, its derived pectoral girdle indicates that homoplasies (similarities resulting from independent evolution among unrelated lineages) are as common in the postcranial skeleton as they are in the skull and dentition in the evolution of Mesozoic mammals. Limb structures of the new triconodont indicate that it was probably a ground-dwelling animal.     

Behaviourally driven gene expression reveals song nuclei in hummingbird brain

Hummingbirds have developed a wealth of intriguing features, such as backwards flight, ultraviolet vision, extremely high metabolic rates, nocturnal hibernation, high brain-to-body size ratio and a remarkable species-specific diversity of vocalizations. Like humans, they have also developed the rare trait of vocal learning, this being the ability to acquire vocalizations through imitation rather than instinct. Here we show, using behaviourally driven gene expression in freely ranging tropical animals, that the forebrain of hummingbirds contains seven discrete structures that are active during singing, providing the first anatomical and functional demonstration of vocal nuclei in hummingbirds. These structures are strikingly similar to seven forebrain regions that are involved in vocal learning and production in songbirds and parrots--the only other avian orders known to be vocal learners. This similarity is surprising, as songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds are thought to have evolved vocal learning and associated brain structures independently, and it indicates that strong constraints may influence the evolution of forebrain vocal nuclei.     

球磨中B_2型FeAl的嵌镶碎化和长程有序度

研究了Ｂ２型金属间化合物 ＦｅＡｌ在机械球磨过程中的嵌镶碎块尺寸与长程有序度之间的关系。发现随球磨时间的增长，嵌镶碎块尺寸和长程有序度同时减小。由于嵌镶碎化主要由位错亚晶粒造成，应用Ｃｏｔｔｒｅｌｌ气团模型可建立嵌镶碎块尺寸与长程有序度之间的关系式。所得的这个关系式表明，长程有序度的降低主要是由位错与点阵原子的相互作用引起的。     

Analysis of mammalian brain architecture.

The mammalian brain is composed of several distinct parts which show different growth in evolution. Clark, Mitra and Wang found that the two main cortices of the brain - the cerebral (neo-) cortex and the cerebellum - show very different growth, and that whereas the ratio of neocortex volume to total brain volume increases with evolution, the cerebellum occupies a constant proportion in different species. Here I compare the surface areas of the two cortices in different species and find that these show a simple proportionality. Contrary to the conclusion drawn by Clark et al., this linear dependence of size implies that the two major cortices increase their computational capacity in parallel, suggesting a functional dependence of the one upon the other.     

Massive gene decay in the leprosy bacillus

Leprosy, a chronic human neurological disease, results from infection with the obligate intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium leprae, a close relative of the tubercle bacillus. Mycobacterium leprae has the longest doubling time of all known bacteria and has thwarted every effort at culture in the laboratory. Comparing the 3.27-megabase (Mb) genome sequence of an armadillo-derived Indian isolate of the leprosy bacillus with that of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (4.41 Mb) provides clear explanations for these properties and reveals an extreme case of reductive evolution. Less than half of the genome contains functional genes but pseudogenes, with intact counterparts in M. tuberculosis, abound. Genome downsizing and the current mosaic arrangement appear to have resulted from extensive recombination events between dispersed repetitive sequences. Gene deletion and decay have eliminated many important metabolic activities including siderophore production, part of the oxidative and most of the microaerophilic and anaerobic respiratory chains, and numerous catabolic systems and their regulatory circuits.     

Endocasts—the direct evidence and recent advances in the study of human brain evolution

Brain evolution is one of the most important aspects of human evolution,usually studied through endocasts.Analysis of fossil hominid endocasts allows inferences on functional anatomy,physiology,and phylogeny.In this paper,we describe the general features of endocast studies and review some of the major topics in paleoneurology.These are:absolute and relative brain size evolution;brain shape variation;brain asymmetry and lateralization;middle meningeal vessels and venous sinuses;application of computed tomography and virtual imaging;the history of Chinese brain endocast studies.In particular,this review emphasizes endocast studies on Chinese hominin fossils.     

任务背景下腹侧注意功能网络的fMRI研究

基于静息状态的功能磁共振成像(functional MRI,fMRI)已经成为当前人脑功能研究的重要手段之一,本研究采用任务背景来获取一种更为"纯净"的静息状态,其中脑区的"任务背景"被定义为那些不会激活感兴趣脑区的任务.由于到目前为止还不清楚在"任务背景"下人脑除默认网络外的其他"高级"功能网络内部是否被中断,本文研究了人脑听觉背景下腹侧注意网络内部的功能连接.结果表明在听觉背景下该网络内部存在显著的功能连接,这一结果说明简单的感觉任务不会中断人脑的腹侧注意网络.本研究首次证明在任务背景下,除默认网络之外,人脑还有一些高级功能网络内部存在显著功能连接.     

Rapid evolution of reproductive barriers driven by sexual conflict

A growing amount of experimental data indicates extremely rapid evolution of traits and proteins related to fertilization in many diverging taxa. These data come from studies of sperm or pollen competition between closely related species, and from molecular studies of fertilization proteins. The positive selection for evolutionary novelty that appears to be acting on fertilization systems seems paradoxical because successful reproduction requires the close matching of female and male traits. It has been suggested that perpetual coevolution between the sexes can result from sexual conflict in mating. Sexual conflict occurs when characteristics that enhance the reproductive success of one sex reduce the fitness of the other sex. Numerous examples of sexual conflict resulting from sensory exploitation, polyspermy and the cost of mating have been discussed in detail. The potential for coevolution due to such conflict has been evaluated experimentally. Here I develop a simple mathematical model describing coevolutionary dynamics of male and female traits involved in reproduction. The model shows that continual change in such traits at a constant speed is expected whenever females (or eggs) experience fitness loss from having too many compatible males (or sperms). The plausibility of runaway coevolution increases with increasing population size. Rapid evolution of reproductive barriers driven by sexual conflict may explain increased speciation rates after colonization of new habitats ('adaptive radiation') and high species richness in resource-rich environments.     

Endocasts—the direct evidence and recent advances in the study of human brain evolution

Brain evolution is one of the most important aspects of human evolution, usually studied through endocasts. Analysis of fossil hominid endocasts allows inferences on functional anatomy, physiology, and phylogeny. In this paper, we describe the general features of endocast studies and review some of the major topics in paleoneurology. These are: absolute and relative brain size evolution; brain shape variation; brain asymmetry and lateralization; middle meningeal vessels and venous sinuses; application of computed tomography and virtual imaging; the history of Chinese brain endocast studies. In particular, this review emphasizes endocast studies on Chinese hominin fossils.