scholarly journals Branch prioritization motifs in biochemical networks with sharp activation

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1115-1146
Author(s):  
Roderick Edwards ◽  
◽  
Michelle Wood
Keyword(s):  
Open Systems ◽  
Biochemical Networks ◽  
Biochemical Network ◽  
Separation Mechanism ◽  
Activation Functions ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Low Input ◽  
Pathway Prioritization

<abstract><p>The Precursor Shutoff Valve (PSV) has been proposed as a motif in biochemical networks, active for example in prioritization of primary over secondary metabolism in plants in low-input conditions. Another branch prioritization mechanism in a biochemical network is a difference in thresholds for activation of the two pathways from the branch point. It has been shown by Adams and colleagues that both mechanisms can play a part in a model of plant metabolism involving Michaelis-Menten kinetics <sup>[<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="b1">1</xref>]</sup>. Here we investigate the potential role of these two mechanisms in systems with steeper activation functions, such as those involving highly cooperative reactions, by considering the limit of infinitely steep activation functions, as is done in Glass networks as models of gene regulation. We find that the Threshold Separation mechanism is completely effective in pathway prioritization in such a model framework, while the PSV adds no additional benefit, and is ineffective on its own. This makes clear that the PSV uses the gradual nature of activation functions to help shut off one branch at low input levels, and has no effect if activation is sharp. The analysis also serves as a case study in assessing behaviour of sharply-switching open systems without degradation of species.</p></abstract>

The Role of Business in the Innovation Ecosystem

2020 ◽  
pp. 19-36
Author(s):  
Manuela Gutiérrez-Leefmans
Keyword(s):  
Smart City ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Technology Sector ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Private Organizations

The rapid advance in the technology sector in the last decades has ignited smart city initiatives all over the world, which aim to provide solutions to current urban problems related to energy, waste management, traffic, and security, among others. However, although smart territories have been studied from different approaches, there seems to be a gap in the relationship between smart cities and businesses. Private entities have the knowledge, experience and in most cases, the resources to contribute to the synergy between governmental agencies and entrepreneurs. Three case studies from successful smart cities are presented together with an additional case study using original research in order to study the smart city under a business model framework, where each actor generates and captures value. Results indicate that private organizations play a key role in the innovation ecosystem, and they are crucial for collaboration with universities to encourage civil society participation in the smart city.

The role of multiplicity in a cult: A case study

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Worrall ◽  
Ann W. Stockman

Endangered Butterflies and their Non-Native Host Plants: Examining Shifting Values of Belonging in Restoration

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Robert M. Anderson ◽  
Amy M. Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Puget Sound ◽  
A Value ◽  
The Social ◽  
Remote Island ◽  
Scientific Truth ◽  
Native Host

The island marble butterfly (Euchloe ausonides insulanus), thought to be extinct throughout the 20th century until re-discovered on a single remote island in Puget Sound in 1998, has become the focus of a concerted protection effort to prevent its extinction. However, efforts to “restore” island marble habitat conflict with efforts to “restore” the prairie ecosystem where it lives, because of the butterfly’s use of a non-native “weedy” host plant. Through a case study of the island marble project, we examine the practice of ecological restoration as the enactment of particular norms that define which species are understood to belong in the place being restored. We contextualize this case study within ongoing debates over the value of “native” species, indicative of deep-seated uncertainties and anxieties about the role of human intervention to alter or manage landscapes and ecosystems, in the time commonly described as the “Anthropocene.” We interpret the question of “what plants and animals belong in a particular place?” as not a question of scientific truth, but a value-laden construct of environmental management in practice, and we argue for deeper reflexivity on the part of environmental scientists and managers about the social values that inform ecological restoration.

Drama in Education Reaching Beyond the “Art Form or Teaching Tool” Dichotomy

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 70-77
Author(s):  
Irina Lešnik
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Drama In Education ◽  
History Curriculum ◽  
Art Form ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
Theatre Pedagogy ◽  
Emotional Level

Abstract In the following article we try to re-evaluate, the place drama occupies in contemporary elementary education. By limiting the role of drama to literature studies and theatre productions, we lose a greater potential Theatre Pedagogy has to offer to a much broader educational spectrum. The participatory practices of Theatre and Drama in Education (TiE, DiE) promote active learning, based on a most organic children’s activity - play. While students co-create the fictional world of drama, teacher's guidance is crucial in setting new challenges, encouraging students to find creative solutions and reflect on often-complex social issues. Because of its art component, drama challenges the participants on a cognitive as well as emotional level, becoming a truly transformational experience. As such, Drama in Education is especially useful when approaching sensitive and controversial topics. This thesis is presented on a case study observing Year 6 students at St’ Michael’s CE Academy in Birmingham, UK, using Drama in Education method as part of History curriculum.

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS CASE STUDY OF 2012 INDIAN OCEAN EARTHQUAKES ON THAILAND’S

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raya Muttarak ◽  
Wiraporn Pothisiri
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Disaster Experience ◽  
Individual Household ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
The Individual

In this paper we investigate how well residents of the Andaman coast in Phang Nga province, Thailand, are prepared for earthquakes and tsunami. It is hypothesized that formal education can promote disaster preparedness because education enhances individual cognitive and learning skills, as well as access to information. A survey was conducted of 557 households in the areas that received tsunami warnings following the Indian Ocean earthquakes on 11 April 2012. Interviews were carried out during the period of numerous aftershocks, which put residents in the region on high alert. The respondents were asked what emergency preparedness measures they had taken following the 11 April earthquakes. Using the partial proportional odds model, the paper investigates determinants of personal disaster preparedness measured as the number of preparedness actions taken. Controlling for village effects, we find that formal education, measured at the individual, household, and community levels, has a positive relationship with taking preparedness measures. For the survey group without past disaster experience, the education level of household members is positively related to disaster preparedness. The findings also show that disaster related training is most effective for individuals with high educational attainment. Furthermore, living in a community with a higher proportion of women who have at least a secondary education increases the likelihood of disaster preparedness. In conclusion, we found that formal education can increase disaster preparedness and reduce vulnerability to natural hazards.

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