scholarly journals Integrating multiple species criteria and species hypotheses in subterranean biology

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Malard ◽  
Philippe Grison ◽  
David Eme ◽  
Cene Fiser ◽  
Jean-François Flot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Species Concept ◽  
Genetic Isolation ◽  
Scientific Rigor ◽  
Geographic Range Size ◽  
Biodiversity Science ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Methodological Advance ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Scientific Hypotheses

Decades of debates around the species problem have resulted in the emergence of a unified species concept with multiple criteria to delimit species taxa. Many biologists now agree to consider species as separately evolving segments of metapopulation lineages (i.e. the species concept), and to consider species taxa (i.e. the elementary units used in biodiversity science) as scientific hypotheses of separately evolving entities. In this framework, sets of species hypotheses are generated using different criteria (i.e. morphological distinguishability, genetic isolation) that mirror the properties expressed by species at different times and sequential orders during the extended and heterogeneous process of speciation. This conceptual and methodological advance in taxonomy has several implications for biodiversity science. First, species taxa represent a heterogeneous set of hypotheses whose properties are contingent on the heterogeneous, continuous and extended nature of speciation. Second, species databases need to integrate information on the diverse properties of species by attributing specimens to multiple species hypotheses generated using different delimitation criteria. Third, biodiversity science at large can provide novel insights into biodiversity processes by incorporating multiple species hypotheses into the analysis of biodiversity patterns. Here, we show how these implications have been taken into account by subterranean biologists. First, we briefly review the criteria and methods used to delimit species in subterranean biology and the diverse sets of species hypotheses they generated. Second, we present a new generation of species occurrence databases that integrate different species criteria and hypotheses while fully respecting the scientific rigor of taxonomy. Last, we show how incorporating multiple species hypotheses into macroecological analyses of European groundwater fauna bolsters our under­standing of the factors shaping large-scale patterns of species richness and geographic range size.

Molecular Epidemiology and Biomarkers in Etiologic Cancer Research: The New in Light of the Old

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungwani Muungo
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cancer Research ◽  
Molecular Epidemiology ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Cancer Epidemiology ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
The Past ◽  
New Generation

The purpose of this review is to evaluate progress inmolecular epidemiology over the past 24 years in canceretiology and prevention to draw lessons for futureresearch incorporating the new generation of biomarkers.Molecular epidemiology was introduced inthe study of cancer in the early 1980s, with theexpectation that it would help overcome some majorlimitations of epidemiology and facilitate cancerprevention. The expectation was that biomarkerswould improve exposure assessment, document earlychanges preceding disease, and identify subgroupsin the population with greater susceptibility to cancer,thereby increasing the ability of epidemiologic studiesto identify causes and elucidate mechanisms incarcinogenesis. The first generation of biomarkers hasindeed contributed to our understanding of riskandsusceptibility related largely to genotoxic carcinogens.Consequently, interventions and policy changes havebeen mounted to reduce riskfrom several importantenvironmental carcinogens. Several new and promisingbiomarkers are now becoming available for epidemiologicstudies, thanks to the development of highthroughputtechnologies and theoretical advances inbiology. These include toxicogenomics, alterations ingene methylation and gene expression, proteomics, andmetabonomics, which allow large-scale studies, includingdiscovery-oriented as well as hypothesis-testinginvestigations. However, most of these newer biomarkershave not been adequately validated, and theirrole in the causal paradigm is not clear. There is a needfor their systematic validation using principles andcriteria established over the past several decades inmolecular cancer epidemiology.

scholarly journals Challenges and Approaches to Scaling the Global Commons

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Fritsch ◽  
Jeff Emmett ◽  
Emaline Friedman ◽  
Rok Kranjc ◽  
Sarah Manski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Common Value ◽  
Exchange Value ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
The Commons ◽  
Common Goals ◽  
Distribution Of Power ◽  
New Generation

The re-emergence of commoning over the last decades is not incidental, but rather indicative of a large-scale transition to a more “generative” organization of society that is oriented toward the planet’s global carrying capacity. Digital commons governance frameworks are of particular importance for a new global paradigm of cooperation, one that can scale the organization of communities around common goals and resources to unprecedented levels of size, complexity and granularity. Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) such as blockchain have lately given new impetus to the emergence of a new generation of authentic “sharing economy,” protected from capture by thorough distribution of power over infrastructure, that spans not only digital but also physical production of common value. The exploration of the frontiers of DLT-based commoning at the heart of this article considers three exemplary cases for this new generation of commons-oriented community frameworks: the Commons Stack, Holochain and the Commons Engine, and the Economic Space Agency. While these projects differ in their scope as well as in their relation to physical common-pool resources (CPRs), they all share the task of redefining markets so as to be more conducive to the production and sustainment of common value(s). After introducing each of them with regards to their specificities and commonalities, we analyze their capacity to foster commons-oriented economies and “money for the commons” that limit speculation, emphasize use-value over exchange-value, favor equity in human relations, and promote responsibility for the preservation of natural habitats. Our findings highlight the strengths of DLTs for a federated scaling of CPR governance frameworks that accommodates rather than obliterates cultural differences and creates webs of fractal belonging among nested communities.

scholarly journals Frequent birth-and-death events throughout perforin-1 evolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Araujo-Voces ◽  
Victor Quesada
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Start Codon ◽  
High Similarity ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Coding Sequences ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Multiple Species

Abstract Background Through its ability to open pores in cell membranes, perforin-1 plays a key role in the immune system. Consistent with this role, the gene encoding perforin shows hallmarks of complex evolutionary events, including amplification and pseudogenization, in multiple species. A large proportion of these events occurred in phyla for which scarce genomic data were available. However, recent large-scale genomics projects have added a wealth of information on those phyla. Using this input, we annotated perforin-1 homologs in more than eighty species including mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians and fishes. Results We have annotated more than 400 perforin genes in all groups studied. Most mammalian species only have one perforin locus, which may contain a related pseudogene. However, we found four independent small expansions in unrelated members of this class. We could reconstruct the full-length coding sequences of only a few avian perforin genes, although we found incomplete and truncated forms of these gene in other birds. In the rest of reptilia, perforin-like genes can be found in at least three different loci containing up to twelve copies. Notably, mammals, non-avian reptiles, amphibians, and possibly teleosts share at least one perforin-1 locus as assessed by flanking genes. Finally, fish genomes contain multiple perforin loci with varying copy numbers and diverse exon/intron patterns. We have also found evidence for shorter genes with high similarity to the C2 domain of perforin in several teleosts. A preliminary analysis suggests that these genes arose at least twice during evolution from perforin-1 homologs. Conclusions The assisted annotation of new genomic assemblies shows complex patterns of birth-and-death events in the evolution of perforin. These events include duplication/pseudogenization in mammals, multiple amplifications and losses in reptiles and fishes and at least one case of partial duplication with a novel start codon in fishes.

Biden backing spurs US offshore wind development

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Employment Opportunities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Generation Capacity ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Electricity Systems

Significance Two large-scale wind farms have now received federal approval and Washington is bolstering its permitting capacity in response to a pipeline of projects now totalling more than 35 gigawatts. The emergence of offshore wind means renewables are likely to extend their already impressive domination of new generation capacity additions. Impacts System flexibility requirements will grow as a higher proportion of generation comes from variable sources. The growth of offshore wind supply chains should support substantial employment opportunities, both direct and indirect. As in Europe, US electricity systems are likely to face new grid investment and congestion challenges related to offshore wind.

Ergodic Capacity and Symbol Error Rate Analysis of a Wireless System with α-μ Composite Fading Channel

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fereshteh salimian rizi ◽  
Abolfazl Falahati
Keyword(s):  
Error Rate ◽  
Fading Channel ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Ergodic Capacity ◽  
Symbol Error Rate ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Rate Analysis ◽  
New Generation

Abstract A composite α-µ/Lognormal fading channel is proposed with several channel performance criteria. This model considers the most effective occurrences in a fading channel, mainly non-linearity, multi-cluster nature of propagation medium, and shadowing effects. The new generation of communication systems is moving towards the use of millimetre waves (mmW). In this type of propagation, large-scale effects of fading channel on the received signal are significant, so in the proposed composite model, the lognormal distribution is considered to model large-scale effects of fading, which is the most accurate distribution to model shadowing. The Gaussian-Hermite quadrature sum is used to approximate the probability distribution function (PDF) of the proposed model. After calculating the statistics, the symbol error rate (SER) and ergodic capacity are computed. The Mellin transform technique is used to calculate the SER expression of different modulation schemes; then, ergodic capacity is computed for a diverse frequency spectrum. Finally, the Monte Carlo method is used to evaluate the analyses.

Legislating Civil and Human Rights Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 80-108
Author(s):  
Claire Whitlinger
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Human Rights Education ◽  
Causal Connection ◽  
Holocaust Education ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Generation

This chapter investigates the causal connection between the 2004 commemoration and another racially significant transformation: Mississippi Senate Bill 2718, an education bill mandating civil rights and human rights education in Mississippi schools. Providing historical perspective on the legislation—the first of its kind in the country—the chapter traces its origins to the fortieth anniversary commemoration in Philadelphia, Mississippi in 2004. After providing a brief history of school desegregation in Mississippi and previous efforts to mandate Holocaust education in the state, the chapter demonstrates how the 2004 commemoration and subsequent civil rights trial mobilized a new generation of local memory activists. When joined with institutional resources at the state-level, these developments generated the commemorative capacity for local organizers to institutionalize civil rights memory through curricular change. Thus, in contrast to other multicultural or human rights education mandates, which have typically been outgrowths of large-scale progressive social movements or the diffusion of global norms, Mississippi’s civil and human rights education bill emerged out of local commemorative efforts.

Cyber Space and Aviation 4.0 – New Testing Facilities for Next Generation of Cyber-Physical, Autonomous and Air Traffic Control Systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslaw Nawrocki ◽  
Krzysztof Kurowski ◽  
Radoslaw Gorzenski
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Traffic Control ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gradual Transition ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Early Experiences ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
Service Oriented ◽  
Cyber Space ◽  
New Generation

Transforming basic multi-disciplinary research into applied research in the area of a new generation of networks, sensors, cyber-physical, and edge-cloud systems used for cyber space is a difficult task. However, moving even a step forward by providing advanced field and testing facilities for ground-air demonstrations for appearing Aviation 4.0 scenarios is a real challenge. In our opinion, such a rapid and dynamic process should be powered by many research and infrastructure projects. New development strategies are needed in the upcoming future to link emerging trends in information and communications technologies together with increased competitiveness and users expectations from fully autonomous drones, robots, cars, etc. This paper aims to share our early experiences in setting and providing distributed testbeds to cross different hardware, software, and cyber-physical components and pave the way for air-ground demonstrations of the new emerging IT paradigm – digital continuum. We also share our vision of implementing virtual and digital spaces at a large scale by the gradual transition towards higher levels of cyber-physical systems automation and autonomy. Finally, we promote dynamic, data-driven, service-oriented approaches and network-centric platforms for a new generation of air and ground control systems which will be validated in real conditions established thanks to our new airfield-based laboratories used in many ongoing and future R&D projects.

Runtime Service Discovery for Grid Applications

2009 ◽  
pp. 212-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Dooley ◽  
Andrea Zisman ◽  
George Spanoudakis
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Service Discovery ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Virtual Organisations ◽  
Small World ◽  
Resource Discovery ◽  
Local Network ◽  
Network Node ◽  
Grid Resource ◽  
New Generation

A Virtual Organisation in large-scale distributed systems is a set of individuals and/or institutions with some common purposes or interests that need to share their resources to further their objectives, which is similar to a human community in social networks that consists of people have common interests or goals. Due to the similarity between social networks and Grids, the concepts in social science (e.g. small world phenomenon) can be adopted for the design of new generation Grid systems. This chapter presents a Small World Architecture for Effective Virtual Organisations (SWEVO) for Grid resource discovery in Virtual Organisations, which enables Virtual Organisations working in a more collaborative manner to support decision makers. In SWEVO, Virtual Organisations are connected by a small number of interorganisational links. Not every local network node needs to be connected to remote Virtual Organisations, but every network node can efficiently find connections to specific Virtual Organisations.

scholarly journals Editorial: Linking experimental and computational connectomics

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 902-904
Author(s):  
Alexander Peyser ◽  
Sandra Diaz Pier ◽  
Wouter Klijn ◽  
Abigail Morrison ◽  
Jochen Triesch
Keyword(s):  
High Performance Computing ◽  
In Silico ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Generative Models ◽  
Anatomical Structure ◽  
Global Function ◽  
Theoretical Neuroscience ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Performance Computing

Large-scale in silico experimentation depends on the generation of connectomes beyond available anatomical structure. We suggest that linking research across the fields of experimental connectomics, theoretical neuroscience, and high-performance computing can enable a new generation of models bridging the gap between biophysical detail and global function. This Focus Feature on ”Linking Experimental and Computational Connectomics” aims to bring together some examples from these domains as a step toward the development of more comprehensive generative models of multiscale connectomes.

scholarly journals Frequent birth-and-death events throughout perforin-1 evolution

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Araujo-Voces ◽  
Víctor Quesada
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Start Codon ◽  
High Similarity ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Coding Sequences ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Multiple Species

Abstract Background Through its ability to open pores in cell membranes, perforin-1 plays a key role in the immune system. Consistent with this role, the gene encoding perforin shows hallmarks of complex evolutionary events, including amplification and pseudogenization, in multiple species. A large proportion of these events occurred in phyla for which scarce genomic data were available. However, recent large-scale genomics projects have added a wealth of information on those phyla. Using this input, we annotated perforin-1 homologs in more than eighty species including mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians and fishes. Results We have annotated more than 400 perforin genes in all groups studied. Most mammalian species only have one perforin locus, which may contain a related pseudogene. However, we found four independent small expansions in unrelated members of this class. We could reconstruct the full-length coding sequences of only a few avian perforin genes, although we found incomplete and truncated forms of these gene in other birds. In the rest of reptilia, perforin-like genes can be found in at least three different loci containing up to twelve copies. Notably, mammals, non-avian reptiles, amphibians, and possibly teleosts share at least one perforin-1 locus as assessed by flanking genes. Finally, fish genomes contain multiple perforin loci with varying copy numbers and diverse exon/intron patterns. We have also found evidence for shorter genes with high similarity to the C2 domain of perforin in several teleosts. A preliminary analysis suggests that these genes arose at least twice during evolution from perforin-1 homologs. Conclusions The assisted annotation of new genomic assemblies shows complex patterns of birth-and-death events in the evolution of perforin. These events include duplication/pseudogenization in mammals, multiple amplifications and losses in reptiles and fishes and at least one case of partial duplication with a novel start codon in fishes.

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