New symbiotic hypothesis on the origin of eukaryotic flagella

The origin of eukaryotic flagella has long been a mystery. Here we review the possibility that flagella sprouted evolutionarily from the eukaryotic cell proper seems very unlikely because it is hard to imagine what function and benefit in natural selection the flagella would have provided to the cells when they first emerged as simple buds. Lynn Margulis' 1970 spirochete hypothesis, though popular still, has never been confirmed. Moreover, the absence of tubulin and axonemal dynein in the spirochetes and the incapability of the bacterial and eukaryotic membranes' making a continuum now suggest that the hypothesis is outdated. Tubulin genes were recently identified in a new bacteria division, verrucomicrobia, and microtubules have also been found in one of these species, epixenosomes, the defensive ectosymbionts. On the basis of these data, we propose a new symbiotic hypothesis: that the mid-ancestor of eukaryotic cells obtained epixenosomelike verrucomicrobia as defensive ectosymbionts and the ectosymbionts later became endosymbiotic. They still, however, protruded from the surface of their host to play their role. Later, many genes were lost or incorporated into the host genome. Finally, the genome, the bacterial membrane, and the endosymbiotic vesicle membrane were totally lost, and fingerlike protrusions with microtubules formed. As the cells grew larger, the defensive function of the protrusions eventually weakened and then vanished. Some of the protrusions took on a new role in cell movement, which led them to evolve into flagella. The key step in this process was that the dynein obtained from the host evolved into axonemal dyneins, attaching onto the microtubules and forming motile axonemes. Our hypothesis is unproven, but it offers a possible explanation that is consistent with current scientific thought. We hope that our ideas will stimulate additional studies on the origin of eukaryotic flagella and on investigations of verrucomicrobia. Whether such studies confirm, refine, or replace our hypothesis, they should nevertheless further our understanding of the origin of eukaryotic cells.

近邻边界Fisher判别分析

将数据集进行合理的维数约简对于一些机器学习算法效率的提高起着至关重要的影响.该文提出了一种利用数据点邻域信息的线性监督降维算法:近邻边界Fisher判别分析(Neighborhood Margin Fisher Discriminant Analysis,NMFDA).NMFDA尝试将每一数据点邻域内最远的同类数据点和最近的异类数据点之间的边界在投影子空间内尽可能地扩大,从而提高基于距离的识别算法的准确率.同时为了解决非线性降维问题,提出了Kernel NMFDA,通过在几个标准人脸数据库上与其它降维算法的对比识别实验,验证了提出算法的有效性.

Small-scale turbulent fluctuations beyond Taylor's frozen-flow hypothesis

The space-time cross-correlation function C-T(r, tau) of local temperature fluctuations in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection is obtained from simultaneous two-point time series measurements. The obtained C-T(r, tau) is found to have the scaling form C-T(r(E), 0) with r(E)=[(r-U tau)(2)+ V-2 tau(2)](1/2), where U and V are two characteristic velocities associated with the mean and rms velocities of the flow. The experiment verifies the theory and demonstrates its applications to a class of turbulent flows in which the requirement of Taylor's frozen flow hypothesis is not met.

模型药物毒性血清1H NMR谱代谢组学的Fisher判别分析研究

基于核磁共振技术的代谢组学是近年发展起来的一种新的组学技术,主要利用生物体液的核磁共振谱提供生物体内全部小分子代谢物的丰富信息。然而,噪声的存在影响了模式识别方法分析的准确度。近年来小波变换以其多分辨率分析的特性、方法简单、快速等优点成为一种有效的去除分析信号噪声的方法。本实验通过运用小波变换去除噪声、校正基线后,再进行Fisher判别分析,得到了较传统分析更为清晰的代谢标识物,建立了良好的代谢模型

Traveling wave front for the Fisher equation on an infinite band region

Instead of discussing the existence of a one-dimensional traveling wave front solution which connects two constant steady states, the present work deals with the case connecting a constant and a nonhomogeneous steady state on an infinite band region. The corresponding model is the well-known Fisher equation with variational coefficient and Dirichlet boundary condition. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vitro iron enrichment experiments in the Prydz Bay, the Southern Ocean: A test of the iron hypothesis

In "high nitrate, low chlorophyll" (HNLC) ocean regions, iron has been typically regarded as the limiting factor for phytoplankton production. This "iron hypothesis" needs to be tested in various oceanic environments to understand the role of iron in marine biological and biogeochemical processes. In this paper, three in vitro iron enrichment experiments were performed in Prydz Bay and at the Polar Front north of the Ross Sea, to study the role of iron on phytoplankton production. At the Polar Front of Ross Sea, iron addition significantly (P < 0.05, Student's t-test) stimulated phytoplankton growth. In Prydz Bay, however, both the iron treatments and the controls showed rapid phytoplankton growth, and no significant effect (P > 0.05, Student's t-test) as a consequence of iron addition was observed. These results confirmed the limiting role of iron in the Ross Sea and indicated that iron was not the primary factor limiting phytoplankton growth in Prydz Bay. Because the light environment for phytoplankton was enhanced in experimental bottles, light was assumed to be responsible for the rapid growth of phytoplankton in all treatments and to be the limiting factor controlling field phytoplankton growth in Prydz Bay. During the incubation experiments, nutrient consumption ratios also changed with the physiological status and the growth phases of phytoplankton cells. When phytoplankton growth was stimulated by iron addition, N was the first and Si was the last nutrient which absorption enhanced. The Si/N and Si/P consumption ratios of phytoplankton in the stationary and decay phases were significantly higher than those of rapidly growing phytoplankton. These findings were helpful for studies of the marine ecosystem and biogeochemistry in Prydz Bay, and were also valuable for biogeochemical studies of carbon and nutrients in various marine environments.