沙能杂种山羊的生长发育研究

本研究对英国沙能山羊的杂种,进行了长达十数年的系列研究,不仅测定了一、二、三代杂种羊从初生到成年8个主要阶段的生长发育特点,而且将处于同等饲养条件下的父、母系品种作为对照,进行了同样测定,从而揭示了各代杂种羊的生长发育规律和体重体尺等性状的遗传特点。     

Rebasing the annual mid-year population estimates for England and Wales

The ONS produces mid-year population estimates annually, which are based on updating from the most recent census. Therefore, whenever results become available from a census, a new base is created for the population estimates. This has implications for historic series, which need to be revised to be consistent with both the past and the most recent census. This article describes the methodology that will be used for this rebasing of the mid-year population estimates following the availability of results from the 2001 Census. Census results also provide a unique opportunity to assess the accuracy of the population estimates that are based on the previous census and this article also describes the approach that will be taken to the assessment of accuracy.     

2013十大太空故事

正美国《天文学》杂志评选出2013年十大太空故事(发刊时"嫦娥三号"尚未发射),我们不会忘记在这一年出现了两颗明亮的彗星以及百年一遇的流星爆炸——对于空间科学而言,2013年无疑是一个丰收年2013年大部分的天文头条都涉及到了宇宙中最极端的天体和事件,例如黑洞、高能宇宙线以及宇宙的开端。不过,行星科学也不甘示弱。近期,美国《天文学》杂志评选出2013年十大太空故事。     

Models as Points of View: The Case of System Dynamics

We propose an analysis of the notion of model as crucially related to the notion of point of view. A model in this sense would always suggest a certain way of looking at a real system, a certain way of thinking about it and a certain way of acting upon it. We focus on System Dynamics as a paradigmatic case with respect to many of the features and problems we can find in the field of modelling and simulation. We analyse in detail some of those features. All of them would be present in many other cases of construction and use of models. Furthermore, they would support the thesis that a model can be fruitfully understood as offering a point of view capable of improving our own points of view over a certain system. The point of view offered by the model could include both non-conceptual and conceptual contents, it would have a complex structure and behaviour, and it would have direct consequences on the decisions made by the subjects adopting that point of view.     

Deciphering cryptic proteases

Proteases are deeply involved in physiology and pathology. For most, the mechanism is well defined but several fail to display typical protease features (as is the case of the four proteases contained in fibronectin, the inhibitor-resistant mesotrypsin and the proteosomal deubiquitinating enzyme) or have unclear physiological function (such as calpain-like proteins, transthyretin and factor seven activating protease). In other cases, such as in peroxisomal processing proteases, although substrates are defined, the enzyme remains undiscovered. Furthermore, several proteases were identified in pathological conditions, namely secretases in Alzheimers disease and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 kDa in breast cancer, when most likely their physiological substrate is still hidden. Lastly, the evolutionary conservation of proteolytic enzymes raises questions related to the origin of biological events, such as the origin of cystein proteases and cell death responses. In this review we will discuss the above cryptic enzymes, as they will probably be relevant in the future.Received 7 December 2004; received after revision 5 January 2005; accepted 10 January 2005 Available online 09 March 2005