Hydrothermal vents: a novel theory of illumination

The European Union (EU) is facing one of the rockiest periods in its existence. At no time in its history has it looked so economically fragile, so insecure about how to protect its borders, so divided over how to tackle the crisis of legitimacy facing its institutions, and so under assault by Eurosceptic parties. The unprecedented levels of integration in recent decades have led to increased public contestation, yet at the same the EU is more reliant on public support for its continued legitimacy than ever before. This book examines the role of public opinion in the European integration process. It develops a novel theory of public opinion that stresses the deep interconnectedness between people’s views about European and national politics. It suggests that public opinion cannot simply be characterized as either Eurosceptic or not, but rather that it consists of different types. This is important because these types coincide with fundamentally different views about the way the EU should be reformed and which policy priorities should be pursued. These types also have very different consequences for behaviour in elections and referendums. Euroscepticism is such a diverse phenomenon because the Eurozone crisis has exacerbated the structural imbalances within the EU. As the economic and political fates of member states have diverged, people’s experiences with and evaluations of the EU and national political systems have also grown further apart. The heterogeneity in public preferences that this book has uncovered makes a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing Euroscepticism unlikely to be successful.

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Theoretical Ecology

10.1093/oso/9780198824282.001.0001 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Global Change ◽

Food Webs ◽

Change Theory ◽

Theoretical Ecology ◽

Novel Theory ◽

Ecological Applications ◽

Population Interactions ◽

Theoretical Science ◽

The Way ◽

Forward Looking

This book continues the authoritative and established edited series of theoretical ecology books initiated by Robert May which helped pave the way for ecology to become a more robust theoretical science, encouraging the modern biologist to better understand the mathematics behind their theories. This latest instalment in the Theoretical Ecology series builds on the legacy of its predecessors with a completely new set of contributions. Rather than placing emphasis on the historical ideas in theoretical ecology, the editors have encouraged each contribution to: i) synthesize historical theoretical ideas within modern frameworks that have emerged in the last ten to twenty years (e.g., bridging population interactions to whole food webs); ii) describe novel theory that has emerged in the last twenty years from historical empirical areas (e.g., macro-ecology); and iii) cover the booming area of theoretical ecological applications (e.g., disease theory and global change theory). The result is a forward-looking synthesis that will help guide the field through a further decade of development and discovery.

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A novel model for the interpretation of small-angle scattering experiments of self-affine structures

Journal of Applied Crystallography ◽

10.1107/s0021889809048791 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 12-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Gerald J. Schneider ◽

D. Göritz

Keyword(s):

Small Angle ◽

Analytical Description ◽

Small Angle Scattering ◽

Filled Rubber ◽

Angle Scattering ◽

Affine Structures ◽

Novel Theory ◽

First Time ◽

Novel Model ◽

Solid Spheres

A novel theory is presented which allows, for the first time, the analytical description of small-angle scattering experiments on anisotropic shaped clusters of nanoparticles. Experimentally, silica-filled rubber which is deformed is used as an example. The silica can be modelled by solid spheres which form clusters. The experiments demonstrate that the clusters become anisotropic as a result of the deformation whereas the spheres are not affected. A comparison of the newly derived model function and the experiments provides, for the first time, microscopic evidence of the inhomogeneous deformation of clusters in the rubbery matrix.

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From wood to vent: first cocculinid limpet associated with hydrothermal activity discovered in the Weddell Sea

Antarctic Science ◽

10.1017/s095410202000022x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 354-366

Author(s):

Chong Chen ◽

Katrin Linse

Keyword(s):

Hydrothermal Vents ◽

Deep Ocean ◽

First Record ◽

Hydrothermal Activity ◽

Integrative Taxonomy ◽

Weddell Sea ◽

Anatomical Reconstruction ◽

Cold Seeps ◽

Evolutionary Trajectory ◽

Genetic Sequencing

AbstractLush ‘oases’ of life seen in chemosynthetic ecosystems such as hot vents and cold seeps represent rare, localized exceptions to the generally oligotrophic deep ocean floor. Organic falls, best known from sunken wood and whale carcasses, are additional sources of such oases. Kemp Caldera (59°42'S, 28°20'W) in the Weddell Sea exhibits active hydrothermal vents and a natural whale fall in close proximity, where an undescribed cocculinid limpet was found living in both types of chemosynthetic habitats. This represents the first member of the gastropod order Cocculinida discovered from hot vents, and also the first record from the Southern Ocean. Here, we applied an integrative taxonomy framework incorporating traditional dissection, electron microscopy, genetic sequencing and 3D anatomical reconstruction through synchrotron computed tomography in order to characterize this species. Together, our data revealed an unusual member of the genus Cocculina with a highly modified radula for feeding on bacterial film, described herein as Cocculina enigmadonta n. sp. Its phylogenetically derived position within the largely wood-inhabiting Cocculina indicates that it probably evolved from an ancestor adapted to living on sunken wood, providing a compelling case of the ‘stepping stone’ evolutionary trajectory from organic falls to seeps and vents.

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