Overcompensation and population cycles in an ungulate.

Although theoretical studies show that overcompensatory density-dependent mechanisms can potentially generate regular or chaotic fluctuations in animal numbers, the majority of realistic single-species models of invertebrate populations are not overcompensatory enough to cause sustained population cycles. The possibility that overcompensation may generate cycles or chaos in vertebrate populations has seldom been considered. Here we show that highly overcompensatng density-dependent mortality can generate recurrent population crashes consistent with those observed in a naturally limited population of Soay sheep. The observed interval of three or more years between crashes points to sharp 'focusing' of mortality over a narrow range of population density.     

基于Agent的农田生态细胞自动机模型

提出一种基于Agent的细胞自动机(CA)演化模型，并采用整体建模仿真的方法，对农田虫害的演化进行了模拟．它采用自底向上的建模思想，利用Agent的局部连接规则，建立复杂系统的整体模型．针对不同环境条件设定相应的仿真参数，可以得到恰当的害虫种群演化结果，有助于农田生态管理的科学决策．同时，农田虫害的管理是预测专家系统的重要应用领域，该模型与专家系统的最终集成，可以提高专家系统的预测能力．     

Verbal and non-verbal intelligence changes in the teenage brain

Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a standardized measure of human intellectual capacity that takes into account a wide range of cognitive skills. IQ is generally considered to be stable across the lifespan, with scores at one time point used to predict educational achievement and employment prospects in later years. Neuroimaging allows us to test whether unexpected longitudinal fluctuations in measured IQ are related to brain development. Here we show that verbal and non-verbal IQ can rise or fall in the teenage years, with these changes in performance validated by their close correlation with changes in local brain structure. A combination of structural and functional imaging showed that verbal IQ changed with grey matter in a region that was activated by speech, whereas non-verbal IQ changed with grey matter in a region that was activated by finger movements. By using longitudinal assessments of the same individuals, we obviated the many sources of variation in brain structure that confound cross-sectional studies. This allowed us to dissociate neural markers for the two types of IQ and to show that general verbal and non-verbal abilities are closely linked to the sensorimotor skills involved in learning. More generally, our results emphasize the possibility that an individual's intellectual capacity relative to their peers can decrease or increase in the teenage years. This would be encouraging to those whose intellectual potential may improve, and would be a warning that early achievers may not maintain their potential.     

Extremely low-coverage sequencing and imputation increases power for genome-wide association studies

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have proven to be a powerful method to identify common genetic variants contributing to susceptibility to common diseases. Here, we show that extremely low-coverage sequencing (0.1-0.5×) captures almost as much of the common (>5%) and low-frequency (1-5%) variation across the genome as SNP arrays. As an empirical demonstration, we show that genome-wide SNP genotypes can be inferred at a mean r(2) of 0.71 using off-target data (0.24× average coverage) in a whole-exome study of 909 samples. Using both simulated and real exome-sequencing data sets, we show that association statistics obtained using extremely low-coverage sequencing data attain similar P values at known associated variants as data from genotyping arrays, without an excess of false positives. Within the context of reductions in sample preparation and sequencing costs, funds invested in extremely low-coverage sequencing can yield several times the effective sample size of GWAS based on SNP array data and a commensurate increase in statistical power.     

The landing zone – Ground for model transfer in chemistry

This essay proposes a new notion - the landing zone - in order to identify conceptual features that allow modelers to transfer mathematical tools across disciplinary borders. This discussion refers to the transferable models as ‘templates’. Templates are functions, equations, or computational methods that are capable of being generalized from a particular subject matter. There are formal and conceptual prerequisites for the transfer of a template to a new domain. A landing zone is an ontology that contributes to the satisfaction of these conditions for successful transfer. This paper presents a case study on a model in chemistry - the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) - that makes use of transferred templates from physics - the virial theorem and the wave function. The landing zone in this case is a new ontological notion, that of the topological atom, which prepares ground for the use of the virial theorem and the wave function in chemistry. The virial theorem requires that there exists in-principle stability to the system that it represents, and the wave function requires transformation in its representation that is justified. The ontology of QTAIM - the landing zone for these templates - grounds the scientific use of these templates in the context of chemistry.     

两种消除Klebsiella pneumoniae重组型质粒的方法

对于工业发酵菌种肺炎克雷伯氏菌(Klebsiella pneumoniae),研究发现有两种消除其重组型质粒的有效方法,一种是连续传代培养,另一种是使用消除剂十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)。对K.pneumoniae重组菌连续20代传代培养后,发现其质粒具有较高的消除率;而以0.2%SDS复合Ca2+处理K.pneumoniae重组菌,也能有效消除其重组型质粒,且该方法省却了反复的传代培养,能快速得到质粒消除菌,更具简便易操作性。消除了质粒的K.pneumoniae能再次接纳新的质粒,有效避免了因质粒不相容性带来的转化不成功,进而可用作宿主菌积累更多的生理性状。     

高位钻孔瓦斯抽采参数优化设计

基于采空区覆岩裂隙分布规律、覆岩裂隙瓦斯流动规律和高位钻孔抽采技术研究现状,从覆岩"竖三带"、"O"形圈和U型通风条件下采动裂隙瓦斯流动规律出发,找出高位钻孔的理论合理布置区域,指出工作面后方50m范围内覆岩裂隙发育状况是高位钻孔层位设计的关键,针对祁南煤矿32煤层的特点,结合现场采用数值模拟方法模拟不同开采速度条件下覆岩裂隙发育规律,优化设计高位钻孔的抽采参数,在34下2工作面和3410工作面的现场试验中,高位钻孔抽采浓度和抽采率得到大大提高,取得了较好的抽采效果,验证了研究的正确性。