Dike-induced contraction along oceanic and continental divergent plate boundaries

KAUST Repository

Trippanera, D.; Acocella, V.; Ruch, Joel

2014-01-01

The axis of divergent plate boundaries shows extension fractures and normal faults at the surface. Here we present evidence of contraction along the axis of the oceanic ridge of Iceland and the continental Main Ethiopian Rift. Contraction is found at the base of the tilted hanging wall of dilational normal faults, balancing part of their extension. Our experiments suggest that these structures result from dike emplacement. Multiple dike injection induces subsidence above and uplift to the sides of the dikes; the transition in between is accommodated by reverse faults and subsequent peripheral inward dipping normal faults. Our results suggest that contraction is a direct product of magma emplacement along divergent plate boundaries, at various scales, marking a precise evolutionary stage and initiating part of the extensional structures (extension fractures and normal faults). Key Points Contraction along divergent plate boundaries results from dike emplacementContraction generates extensional structures along divergent plate boundariesSurface deformation along divergent plate boundaries may be magma induced

Local divergence and curvature divergence in first order optics

Science.gov (United States)

Mafusire, Cosmas; Krüger, Tjaart P. J.

2018-06-01

The far-field divergence of a light beam propagating through a first order optical system is presented as a square root of the sum of the squares of the local divergence and the curvature divergence. The local divergence is defined as the ratio of the beam parameter product to the beam width whilst the curvature divergence is a ratio of the space-angular moment also to the beam width. It is established that the beam’s focusing parameter can be defined as a ratio of the local divergence to the curvature divergence. The relationships between the two divergences and other second moment-based beam parameters are presented. Their various mathematical properties are presented such as their evolution through first order systems. The efficacy of the model in the analysis of high power continuous wave laser-based welding systems is briefly discussed.

Opportunity structures for selective exposure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skovsgaard, Morten; Shehata, Adam; Strömbäck, Jesper

2016-01-01

Abstract The transition from low-choice to high-choice media environments has raised new concerns about selective exposure. In this context, two types of selective media exposure are relevant. One is selectivity based on political ideological preferences, the other selectivity based on political...... interest. Evidence for both has been found primarily in an American context, while there is less research on European countries. This is problematic, as the opportunity structures for different forms of selectivity vary across media environments. Against this background, the purpose of this study...

Semantic search during divergent thinking.

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Hass, Richard W

2017-09-01

Divergent thinking, as a method of examining creative cognition, has not been adequately analyzed in the context of modern cognitive theories. This article casts divergent thinking responding in the context of theories of memory search. First, it was argued that divergent thinking tasks are similar to semantic fluency tasks, but are more constrained, and less well structured. Next, response time distributions from 54 participants were analyzed for temporal and semantic clustering. Participants responded to two prompts from the alternative uses test: uses for a brick and uses for a bottle, for two minutes each. Participants' cumulative response curves were negatively accelerating, in line with theories of search of associative memory. However, results of analyses of semantic and temporal clustering suggested that clustering is less evident in alternative uses responding compared to semantic fluency tasks. This suggests either that divergent thinking responding does not involve an exhaustive search through a clustered memory trace, but rather that the process is more exploratory, yielding fewer overall responses that tend to drift away from close associates of the divergent thinking prompt. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compositional divergence and convergence in local communities and spatially structured landscapes.

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Tancredi Caruso

Full Text Available Community structure depends on both deterministic and stochastic processes. However, patterns of community dissimilarity (e.g. difference in species composition are difficult to interpret in terms of the relative roles of these processes. Local communities can be more dissimilar (divergence than, less dissimilar (convergence than, or as dissimilar as a hypothetical control based on either null or neutral models. However, several mechanisms may result in the same pattern, or act concurrently to generate a pattern, and much research has recently been focusing on unravelling these mechanisms and their relative contributions. Using a simulation approach, we addressed the effect of a complex but realistic spatial structure in the distribution of the niche axis and we analysed patterns of species co-occurrence and beta diversity as measured by dissimilarity indices (e.g. Jaccard index using either expectations under a null model or neutral dynamics (i.e., based on switching off the niche effect. The strength of niche processes, dispersal, and environmental noise strongly interacted so that niche-driven dynamics may result in local communities that either diverge or converge depending on the combination of these factors. Thus, a fundamental result is that, in real systems, interacting processes of community assembly can be disentangled only by measuring traits such as niche breadth and dispersal. The ability to detect the signal of the niche was also dependent on the spatial resolution of the sampling strategy, which must account for the multiple scale spatial patterns in the niche axis. Notably, some of the patterns we observed correspond to patterns of community dissimilarities previously observed in the field and suggest mechanistic explanations for them or the data required to solve them. Our framework offers a synthesis of the patterns of community dissimilarity produced by the interaction of deterministic and stochastic determinants of community

Genetic structure and hierarchical population divergence history of Acer mono var. mono in South and Northeast China.

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Chunping Liu

Full Text Available Knowledge of the genetic structure and evolutionary history of tree species across their ranges is essential for the development of effective conservation and forest management strategies. Acer mono var. mono, an economically and ecologically important maple species, is extensively distributed in Northeast China (NE, whereas it has a scattered and patchy distribution in South China (SC. In this study, the genetic structure and demographic history of 56 natural populations of A. mono var. mono were evaluated using seven nuclear microsatellite markers. Neighbor-joining tree and STRUCTURE analysis clearly separated populations into NE and SC groups with two admixed-like populations. Allelic richness significantly decreased with increasing latitude within the NE group while both allelic richness and expected heterozygosity showed significant positive correlation with latitude within the SC group. Especially in the NE region, previous studies in Quercus mongolica and Fraxinus mandshurica have also detected reductions in genetic diversity with increases in latitude, suggesting this pattern may be common for tree species in this region, probably due to expansion from single refugium following the last glacial maximum (LGM. Approximate Bayesian Computation-based analysis revealed two major features of hierarchical population divergence in the species' evolutionary history. Recent divergence between the NE group and the admixed-like group corresponded to the LGM period and ancient divergence of SC groups took place during mid-late Pleistocene period. The level of genetic differentiation was moderate (FST  = 0.073; G'ST  = 0.278 among all populations, but significantly higher in the SC group than the NE group, mirroring the species' more scattered distribution in SC. Conservation measures for this species are proposed, taking into account the genetic structure and past demographic history identified in this study.

Genetic Structure and Hierarchical Population Divergence History of Acer mono var. mono in South and Northeast China

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Shen, Hailong; Hu, Lijiang; Saito, Yoko; Ide, Yuji

2014-01-01

Knowledge of the genetic structure and evolutionary history of tree species across their ranges is essential for the development of effective conservation and forest management strategies. Acer mono var. mono, an economically and ecologically important maple species, is extensively distributed in Northeast China (NE), whereas it has a scattered and patchy distribution in South China (SC). In this study, the genetic structure and demographic history of 56 natural populations of A. mono var. mono were evaluated using seven nuclear microsatellite markers. Neighbor-joining tree and STRUCTURE analysis clearly separated populations into NE and SC groups with two admixed-like populations. Allelic richness significantly decreased with increasing latitude within the NE group while both allelic richness and expected heterozygosity showed significant positive correlation with latitude within the SC group. Especially in the NE region, previous studies in Quercus mongolica and Fraxinus mandshurica have also detected reductions in genetic diversity with increases in latitude, suggesting this pattern may be common for tree species in this region, probably due to expansion from single refugium following the last glacial maximum (LGM). Approximate Bayesian Computation-based analysis revealed two major features of hierarchical population divergence in the species’ evolutionary history. Recent divergence between the NE group and the admixed-like group corresponded to the LGM period and ancient divergence of SC groups took place during mid-late Pleistocene period. The level of genetic differentiation was moderate (FST = 0.073; G′ST = 0.278) among all populations, but significantly higher in the SC group than the NE group, mirroring the species’ more scattered distribution in SC. Conservation measures for this species are proposed, taking into account the genetic structure and past demographic history identified in this study. PMID:24498039

Genetic structure and hierarchical population divergence history of Acer mono var. mono in South and Northeast China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chunping; Tsuda, Yoshiaki; Shen, Hailong; Hu, Lijiang; Saito, Yoko; Ide, Yuji

2014-01-01

Knowledge of the genetic structure and evolutionary history of tree species across their ranges is essential for the development of effective conservation and forest management strategies. Acer mono var. mono, an economically and ecologically important maple species, is extensively distributed in Northeast China (NE), whereas it has a scattered and patchy distribution in South China (SC). In this study, the genetic structure and demographic history of 56 natural populations of A. mono var. mono were evaluated using seven nuclear microsatellite markers. Neighbor-joining tree and STRUCTURE analysis clearly separated populations into NE and SC groups with two admixed-like populations. Allelic richness significantly decreased with increasing latitude within the NE group while both allelic richness and expected heterozygosity showed significant positive correlation with latitude within the SC group. Especially in the NE region, previous studies in Quercus mongolica and Fraxinus mandshurica have also detected reductions in genetic diversity with increases in latitude, suggesting this pattern may be common for tree species in this region, probably due to expansion from single refugium following the last glacial maximum (LGM). Approximate Bayesian Computation-based analysis revealed two major features of hierarchical population divergence in the species' evolutionary history. Recent divergence between the NE group and the admixed-like group corresponded to the LGM period and ancient divergence of SC groups took place during mid-late Pleistocene period. The level of genetic differentiation was moderate (FST  = 0.073; G'ST  = 0.278) among all populations, but significantly higher in the SC group than the NE group, mirroring the species' more scattered distribution in SC. Conservation measures for this species are proposed, taking into account the genetic structure and past demographic history identified in this study.

How diking affects the longer-term structure and evolution of divergent plate boundaries

KAUST Repository

Trippanera, Daniele

2015-04-01

Recurrent diking episodes along divergent plate boundaries, as at Dabbahu (2005, Afar) or at Bardarbunga (2014, Iceland) , highlight the possibility to have m-wide opening in a short time (days to weeks). This suggests a prominent role of magma enhancing transient plate separations. However, the role of diking on a longer term (> 102 years) and its influence on the structure and the evolution of a divergent plate boundary is still poorly investigated. Here we use field surveys along the oceanic Icelandic and continental Ethiopian plate boundaries, along five eruptive fissures and four rift segments. Field observations have also been integrated with analogue and numerical models of dike emplacement to better understand the effect of dike emplacement at depth and at the surface. Our results show that the dike-fed eruptive fissures are systematically associated with graben structures formed by inward dipping normal faults having throws up to 10 m and commonly propagating downward. Moreover, rift segments (i.e. mature rift zones), despite any asymmetry and repetition, are characterized by the same features as the eruptive fissures, the only difference lying in the larger size (higher fault throws, up to 40 m, and wider deformation zones). Analogue and numerical models of dike intrusion confirm that all the structural features observed along the rift segments may be dike-induced; these features include downward propagating normal faults bordering graben structures, contraction at the base of the hanging walls of the faults and upward propagating faults. Simple calculations based on the deeper structure of the eroded rift segments in eastern and western Iceland also suggest that all the fault slip in the active rift segments may result from diking. These results suggest that the overall deformation pattern of eruptive fissures and rift segments may be explained only by dike emplacement. In a magmatic rift, the regional tectonic stress may rarely be high enough to be

Ecological opportunity and the adaptive diversification of lineages.

Science.gov (United States)

Wellborn, Gary A; Langerhans, R Brian

2015-01-01

The tenet that ecological opportunity drives adaptive diversification has been central to theories of speciation since Darwin, yet no widely accepted definition or mechanistic framework for the concept currently exists. We propose a definition for ecological opportunity that provides an explicit mechanism for its action. In our formulation, ecological opportunity refers to environmental conditions that both permit the persistence of a lineage within a community, as well as generate divergent natural selection within that lineage. Thus, ecological opportunity arises from two fundamental elements: (1) niche availability, the ability of a population with a phenotype previously absent from a community to persist within that community and (2) niche discordance, the diversifying selection generated by the adaptive mismatch between a population's niche-related traits and the newly encountered ecological conditions. Evolutionary response to ecological opportunity is primarily governed by (1) spatiotemporal structure of ecological opportunity, which influences dynamics of selection and development of reproductive isolation and (2) diversification potential, the biological properties of a lineage that determine its capacity to diversify. Diversification under ecological opportunity proceeds as an increase in niche breadth, development of intraspecific ecotypes, speciation, and additional cycles of diversification that may themselves be triggered by speciation. Extensive ecological opportunity may exist in depauperate communities, but it is unclear whether ecological opportunity abates in species-rich communities. Because ecological opportunity should generally increase during times of rapid and multifarious environmental change, human activities may currently be generating elevated ecological opportunity - but so far little work has directly addressed this topic. Our framework highlights the need for greater synthesis of community ecology and evolutionary biology, unifying

Genetic divergence of common bean cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Veloso, J S; Silva, W; Pinheiro, L R; Dos Santos, J B; Fonseca, N S; Euzebio, M P

2015-09-22

The aim of this study was to evaluate genetic divergence in the 'Carioca' (beige with brown stripes) common bean cultivar used by different institutions and in 16 other common bean cultivars used in the Rede Cooperativa de Pesquisa de Feijão (Cooperative Network of Common Bean Research), by using simple sequence repeats associated with agronomic traits that are highly distributed in the common bean genome. We evaluated 22 polymorphic loci using bulks containing DNA from 30 plants. There was genetic divergence among the Carioca cultivar provided by the institutions. Nevertheless, there was lower divergence among them than among the other cultivars. The cultivar used by Instituto Agronômico do Paraná was the most divergent in relation to the Carioca samples. The least divergence was observed among the samples used by Universidade Federal de Lavras and by Embrapa Arroz e Feijão. Of all the cultivars, 'CNFP 10104' and 'BRSMG Realce' showed the greatest dissimilarity. The cultivars were separated in two groups of greatest similarity using the Structure software. Genetic variation among cultivars was greater than the variation within or between the groups formed. This fact, together with the high estimate of heterozygosity observed and the genetic divergence of the samples of the Carioca cultivar in relation to the original provided by Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, indicates a mixture of cultivars. The high divergence among cultivars provides potential for the utilization of this genetic variability in plant breeding.

Multiloop divergences in the closed bosonic string theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gava, E.; Iengo, R.; Jayaraman, T.; Ramachandran, R.

1985-12-01

We discuss the structure of the divergences in the multiloop vacuum diagrams for the closed bosonic strings in the framework of the Polyakov covariant formalism. We find, by an explicit computation, that all the divergences in the theory may be interpreted as due to tadpole diagrams in which the dilation goes into the vacuum. (author)

Opportunity Structure for Gambling and Problem Gambling among Employees in the Transport Industry

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Revheim, Tevje; Buvik, Kristin

2009-01-01

Working conditions for employees in the transport sector might present an opportunity structure for gambling by providing access to gambling during the workday. This study investigates connections between opportunity structure, gambling during the workday, and gambling problems among employees in the transport sector. Data has been collected from…

Tracing early stages of species differentiation: Ecological, morphological and genetic divergence of Galápagos sea lion populations

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Brunner Sylvia

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oceans are high gene flow environments that are traditionally believed to hamper the build-up of genetic divergence. Despite this, divergence appears to occur occasionally at surprisingly small scales. The Galápagos archipelago provides an ideal opportunity to examine the evolutionary processes of local divergence in an isolated marine environment. Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki are top predators in this unique setting and have an essentially unlimited dispersal capacity across the entire species range. In theory, this should oppose any genetic differentiation. Results We find significant ecological, morphological and genetic divergence between the western colonies and colonies from the central region of the archipelago that are exposed to different ecological conditions. Stable isotope analyses indicate that western animals use different food sources than those from the central area. This is likely due to niche partitioning with the second Galápagos eared seal species, the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis that exclusively dwells in the west. Stable isotope patterns correlate with significant differences in foraging-related skull morphology. Analyses of mitochondrial sequences as well as microsatellites reveal signs of initial genetic differentiation. Conclusion Our results suggest a key role of intra- as well as inter-specific niche segregation in the evolution of genetic structure among populations of a highly mobile species under conditions of free movement. Given the monophyletic arrival of the sea lions on the archipelago, our study challenges the view that geographical barriers are strictly needed for the build-up of genetic divergence. The study further raises the interesting prospect that in social, colonially breeding mammals additional forces, such as social structure or feeding traditions, might bear on the genetic partitioning of populations.

Invited Reaction: Black and White Women Managers--Access to Opportunity

Science.gov (United States)

Higginbotham, Elizabeth

2004-01-01

In a survey of Black and White women managers, Linda M. Hite identifies differences in the managers' perceptions of opportunities available to different race and gender groups. Her findings reveal divergent beliefs about the opportunities for people of color; there is more similarity in Black and White women's views when comparing opportunities…

Vibhakti Divergence between Sanskrit and Hindi

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Preeti; Shukl, Devanand; Kulkarni, Amba

Translation divergence at various levels between languages arises due to the different conventions followed by different languages for coding the information of grammatical relations. Though Sanskrit and Hindi belong to the same Indo-Aryan family and structurally as well as lexically Hindi inherits a lot from Sanskrit, yet divergences are observed at the level of function words such as vibhaktis. Pāṇini in his Aṣṭādhyāyī has assigned a default vibhakti to kārakas alongwith many scopes for exceptions. He handles these exceptions either by imposing a new kāraka role or by assigning a special vibhakti. However, these methods are not acceptable in Hindi in toto. Based on the nature of deviation, we propose seven cases of divergences in this paper.

Population structure, genetic variation and linkage disequilibrium in perennial ryegrass populations divergently selected for freezing tolerance

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Mallikarjuna Rao eKovi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Low temperature is one of the abiotic stresses seriously affecting the growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. Understanding the genetic control of freezing tolerance would aid in the development of cultivars of perennial ryegrass with improved adaptation to frost. A total number of 80 individuals (24 of High frost [HF]; 29 of Low frost [LF] and 27 of Unselected [US] from the second generation of the two divergently selected populations and an unselected control population were genotyped using 278 genome-wide SNPs derived from Lolium perenne L. transcriptome sequence. Our studies showed that the HF and LF populations are very divergent after selection for freezing tolerance, whereas the HF and US populations are more similar. Linkage disequilibrium (LD decay varied across the seven chromosomes and the conspicuous pattern of LD between the HF and LF population confirmed their divergence in freezing tolerance. Furthermore, two Fst outlier methods; finite island model (fdist by LOSITAN and hierarchical structure model using ARLEQUIN detected six loci under directional selection. These outlier loci are most probably linked to genes involved in freezing tolerance, cold adaptation and abiotic stress and might be the potential marker resources for breeding perennial ryegrass cultivars with improved freezing tolerance.

Far-field divergence of a vectorial plane wave diffracted by a circular aperture from the vectorial structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Guo-Quan

2011-01-01

Based on the vectorial structure of an electromagnetic wave, the analytical and concise expressions for the TE and TM terms of a vectorial plane wave diffracted by a circular aperture are derived in the far-field. The expressions of the energy flux distributions of the TE term, the TM term and the diffracted plane wave are also presented. The ratios of the power of the TE and TM terms to that of the diffracted plane wave are examined in the far-field. In addition, the far-field divergence angles of the TE term, the TM term and the diffracted plane wave, which are related to the energy flux distribution, are investigated. The different energy flux distributions of the TE and TM terms result in the discrepancy of their divergence angles. The influences of the linearly polarized angle and the radius of the circular aperture on the far-field divergence angles of the TE term, the TM term and the diffracted plane wave are discussed in detail. This research may promote the recognition of the optical propagation through a circular aperture. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Facile construction of structurally diverse thiazolidinedione-derived compounds via divergent stereoselective cascade organocatalysis and their biological exploratory studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yongqiang; Wang, Shengzheng; Wu, Shanchao; Zhu, Shiping; Dong, Guoqiang; Miao, Zhenyuan; Yao, Jianzhong; Zhang, Wannian; Sheng, Chunquan; Wang, Wei

2013-06-10

In this article, we present a new approach by merging two powerful synthetic tactics, divergent synthesis and cascade organocatalysis, to create a divergent cascade organocatalysis strategy for the facile construction of new "privileged" substructure-based DOS (pDOS) library. As demonstrated, notably 5 distinct molecular architectures are produced facilely from readily available simple synthons thiazolidinedione and its analogues and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes in 1-3 steps with the powerful strategy. The beauty of the chemistry is highlighted by the efficient formation of structurally new and diverse products from structurally close reactants under the similar reaction conditions. Notably, structurally diverse spiro-thiazolidinediones and -rhodanines are produced from organocatalytic enantioselective 3-component Michael-Michael-aldol cascade reactions of respective thiazolidinediones and rhodanines with enals. Nevertheless, under the similar reaction conditions, reactions of isorhodanine via a Michael-cyclization cascade lead to structurally different fused thiopyranoid scaffolds. This strategy significantly minimizes time- and cost-consuming synthetic works. Furthermore, these molecules possess high structural complexity and functional, stereochemical, and skeletal diversity with similarity to natural scaffolds. In the preliminary biological studies of these molecules, compounds 4f, 8a, and 10a exhibit inhibitory activity against the human breast cancer cells, while compounds 8a, 9a, and 9b display good antifungal activities against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Notably, their structures are different from clinically used triazole antifungal drugs. Therefore, they could serve as good lead compounds for the development of new generation of antifungal agents.

Divergence, recombination and retention of functionality during protein evolution

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Xu Yanlong O

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract We have only a vague idea of precisely how protein sequences evolve in the context of protein structure and function. This is primarily because structural and functional contexts are not easily predictable from the primary sequence, and evaluating patterns of evolution at individual residue positions is also difficult. As a result of increasing biodiversity in genomics studies, progress is being made in detecting context-dependent variation in substitution processes, but it remains unclear exactly what context-dependent patterns we should be looking for. To address this, we have been simulating protein evolution in the context of structure and function using lattice models of proteins and ligands (or substrates. These simulations include thermodynamic features of protein stability and population dynamics. We refer to this approach as 'ab initio evolution' to emphasise the fact that the equilibrium details of fitness distributions arise from the physical principles of the system and not from any preconceived notions or arbitrary mathematical distributions. Here, we present results on the retention of functionality in homologous recombinants following population divergence. A central result is that protein structure characteristics can strongly influence recombinant functionality. Exceptional structures with many sequence options evolve quickly and tend to retain functionality -- even in highly diverged recombinants. By contrast, the more common structures with fewer sequence options evolve more slowly, but the fitness of recombinants drops off rapidly as homologous proteins diverge. These results have implications for understanding viral evolution, speciation and directed evolutionary experiments. Our analysis of the divergence process can also guide improved methods for accurately approximating folding probabilities in more complex but realistic systems.

Lineage divergence and historical gene flow in the Chinese horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus sinicus.

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Xiuguang Mao

Full Text Available Closely related taxa living in sympatry provide good opportunities to investigate the origin of barriers to gene flow as well as the extent of reproductive isolation. The only two recognized subspecies of the Chinese rufous horseshoe bat Rhinolophus sinicus are characterized by unusual relative distributions in which R. s. septentrionalis is restricted to a small area within the much wider range of its sister taxon R. s. sinicus. To determine the history of lineage divergence and gene flow between these taxa, we applied phylogenetic, demographic and coalescent analyses to multi-locus datasets. MtDNA gene genealogies and microsatellite-based clustering together revealed three divergent lineages of sinicus, corresponding to Central China, East China and the offshore Hainan Island. However, the central lineage of sinicus showed a closer relationship with septentrionalis than with other lineages of R. s. sinicus, in contrary to morphological data. Paraphyly of sinicus could result from either past asymmetric mtDNA introgression between these two taxa, or could suggest septentrionalis evolved in situ from its more widespread sister subspecies. To test between these hypotheses, we applied coalescent-based phylogenetic reconstruction and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC. We found that septentrionalis is likely to be the ancestral taxon and therefore a recent origin of this subspecies can be ruled out. On the other hand, we found a clear signature of asymmetric mtDNA gene flow from septentrionalis into central populations of sinicus yet no nuclear gene flow, thus strongly pointing to historical mtDNA introgression. We suggest that the observed deeply divergent lineages within R. sinicus probably evolved in isolation in separate Pleistocene refugia, although their close phylogeographic correspondence with distinct eco-environmental zones suggests that divergent selection might also have promoted broad patterns of population genetic structure.

Addressing health inequalities by using Structural Funds. A question of opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Neagu, Oana Maria; Michelsen, Kai; Watson, Jonathan; Dowdeswell, Barrie; Brand, Helmut

2017-03-01

Making up a third of the EU budget, Structural and Investment Funds can provide important opportunities for investing in policies that tackle inequalities in health. This article looks back and forward at the 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 financial periods in an attempt to inform the development of health equity as a strand of policy intervention under regional development. It combines evidence from health projects funded through Structural Funds and a document analyses that locates interventions for health equity under the new regulations. The map of opportunities has changed considerably since the last programming period, creating more visibility for vulnerable groups, social determinants of health and health systems sustainability. As the current programming period is progressing, this paper contributes to maximizing this potential but also identifying challenges and implementation gaps for prospective health system engagement in pursuing health equity as part of Structural Funds projects. The austerity measures and their impact on public spending, building political support for investments as well as the difficulties around pursuing health gains as an objective of other policy areas are some of the challenges to overcome. European Structural and Investment Funds could be a window of opportunity that triggers engagement for health equity if sectors adopt a transformative approach and overcome barriers, cooperate for common goals and make better use of the availability of these resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Niche divergence facilitated by fine-scale ecological partitioning in a recent cichlid fish adaptive radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Antonia G P; Rüber, Lukas; Newton, Jason; Dasmahapatra, Kanchon K; Balarin, John D; Bruun, Kristoffer; Day, Julia J

2016-12-01

Ecomorphological differentiation is a key feature of adaptive radiations, with a general trend for specialization and niche expansion following divergence. Ecological opportunity afforded by invasion of a new habitat is thought to act as an ecological release, facilitating divergence, and speciation. Here, we investigate trophic adaptive morphology and ecology of an endemic clade of oreochromine cichlid fishes (Alcolapia) that radiated along a herbivorous trophic axis following colonization of an isolated lacustrine environment, and demonstrate phenotype-environment correlation. Ecological and morphological divergence of the Alcolapia species flock are examined in a phylogenomic context, to infer ecological niche occupation within the radiation. Species divergence is observed in both ecology and morphology, supporting the importance of ecological speciation within the radiation. Comparison with an outgroup taxon reveals large-scale ecomorphological divergence but shallow genomic differentiation within the Alcolapia adaptive radiation. Ancestral morphological reconstruction suggests lake colonization by a generalist oreochromine phenotype that diverged in Lake Natron to varied herbivorous morphologies akin to specialist herbivores in Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Chromosomal structures and repetitive sequences divergence in Cucumis species revealed by comparative cytogenetic mapping.

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Zhang, Yunxia; Cheng, Chunyan; Li, Ji; Yang, Shuqiong; Wang, Yunzhu; Li, Ziang; Chen, Jinfeng; Lou, Qunfeng

2015-09-25

Differentiation and copy number of repetitive sequences affect directly chromosome structure which contributes to reproductive isolation and speciation. Comparative cytogenetic mapping has been verified an efficient tool to elucidate the differentiation and distribution of repetitive sequences in genome. In present study, the distinct chromosomal structures of five Cucumis species were revealed through genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) technique and comparative cytogenetic mapping of major satellite repeats. Chromosome structures of five Cucumis species were investigated using GISH and comparative mapping of specific satellites. Southern hybridization was employed to study the proliferation of satellites, whose structural characteristics were helpful for analyzing chromosome evolution. Preferential distribution of repetitive DNAs at the subtelomeric regions was found in C. sativus, C hystrix and C. metuliferus, while majority was positioned at the pericentromeric heterochromatin regions in C. melo and C. anguria. Further, comparative GISH (cGISH) through using genomic DNA of other species as probes revealed high homology of repeats between C. sativus and C. hystrix. Specific satellites including 45S rDNA, Type I/II, Type III, Type IV, CentM and telomeric repeat were then comparatively mapped in these species. Type I/II and Type IV produced bright signals at the subtelomeric regions of C. sativus and C. hystrix simultaneously, which might explain the significance of their amplification in the divergence of Cucumis subgenus from the ancient ancestor. Unique positioning of Type III and CentM only at the centromeric domains of C. sativus and C. melo, respectively, combining with unique southern bands, revealed rapid evolutionary patterns of centromeric DNA in Cucumis. Obvious interstitial telomeric repeats were observed in chromosomes 1 and 2 of C. sativus, which might provide evidence of the fusion hypothesis of chromosome evolution from x = 12 to x = 7 in

Genetic structure and divergence in populations of Lutzomyia cruciata, a phlebotomine sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) vector of Leishmania mexicana in southeastern Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Pech-May, Angélica; Marina, Carlos F; Vázquez-Domínguez, Ella; Berzunza-Cruz, Miriam; Rebollar-Téllez, Eduardo A; Narváez-Zapata, José A; Moo-Llanes, David; Ibáñez-Bernal, Sergio; Ramsey, Janine M; Becker, Ingeborg

2013-06-01

The low dispersal capacity of sand flies could lead to population isolation due to geographic barriers, climate variation, or to population fragmentation associated with specific local habitats due to landscape modification. The phlebotomine sand fly Lutzomyia cruciata has a wide distribution throughout Mexico and is a vector of Leishmania mexicana in the southeast. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity, structure, and divergence within and among populations of Lu. cruciata in the state of Chiapas, and to infer the intra-specific phylogeny using the 3' end of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. We analyzed 62 sequences from four Lu. cruciata populations and found 26 haplotypes, high genetic differentiation and restricted gene flow among populations (Fst=0.416, Nm=0.701, p<0.001). The highest diversity values were recorded in populations from Loma Bonita and Guadalupe Miramar. Three lineages (100% bootstrap and 7% overall divergence) were identified using a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis which showed high genetic divergence (17.2-22.7%). A minimum spanning haplotype network also supported separation into three lineages. Genetic structure and divergence within and among Lu. cruciata populations are hence affected by geographic heterogeneity and evolutionary background. Data obtained in the present study suggest that Lu. cruciata in the state of Chiapas consists of at least three lineages. Such findings may have implications for vector capacity and hence for vector control strategies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diverging Cohesion?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Charron, Nicholas

2016-01-01

– which we define here as a combination of impartial bureaucratic practices, corruption and the rule of law – limits, and in some cases reverses the tendency towards greater divergence linked to trade. Countries with high levels of state capacity – that is, those that have greater government effectiveness......, stronger rule of law and lower corruption – experience lower levels of divergence, as they have the mechanisms to counterbalance the strong centripetal forces linked to openness. This claim is tested on countries that have experienced relatively high levels of increases in levels of economic and political......Why do increases in globalisation in the face of European expansion lead to sharp levels of regional divergences in wealth in some countries but not in others? The central crux of this paper is that convergence/divergence trends in European states are conditioned by ‘state capacity’. State capacity...

Health visiting and district nursing in Victorian Manchester; divergent and convergent vocations.

Science.gov (United States)

Heggie, Vanessa

2011-01-01

Community nursing and public health work provided many Victorian and Edwardian women in Britain with the opportunity of a career and professional training. Such work created contradictions, not least the tension between 'inherent' female skills and the role of learnt professionalism. This article discusses Manchester's neglected district nurses alongside the city's more well-studied health visiting scheme. Comparing these occupations in one city highlights continuities in origins and practice, but a clear divergence in terms of class and purpose. These differences provide historians with opportunities to reconsider the inherent tensions and varied identities of employed women in Victorian and Edwardian Britain.

Acidic ribosomal proteins and histone H3 from Leishmania present a high rate of divergence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ysabel Montoya

2000-08-01

Full Text Available Another additional peculiarity in Leishmania will be discussed about of the amino acid divergence rate of three structural proteins: acidic ribosomal P1 and P2b proteins, and histone H3 by using multiple sequence alignment and dendrograms. These structural proteins present a high rate of divergence regarding to their homologous protein in Trypanosoma cruzi. At this regard, L. (V. peruviana P1 and T. cruzi P1 showed 57.4% of divergence rate. Likewise, L. (V. braziliensis histone H3 and acidic ribosomal P2 protein exhibited 31.8% and 41.7% respectively of rate of divergence in comparison with their homologous in T. cruzi.

Population structure and strong divergent selection shape phenotypic diversification in maize landraces.

Science.gov (United States)

Pressoir, G; Berthaud, J

2004-02-01

To conserve the long-term selection potential of maize, it is necessary to investigate past and present evolutionary processes that have shaped quantitative trait variation. Understanding the dynamics of quantitative trait evolution is crucial to future crop breeding. We characterized population differentiation of maize landraces from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico for quantitative traits and molecular markers. Qst values were much higher than Fst values obtained for molecular markers. While low values of Fst (0.011 within-village and 0.003 among-villages) suggest that considerable gene flow occurred among the studied populations, high levels of population differentiation for quantitative traits were observed (ie an among-village Qst value of 0.535 for kernel weight). Our results suggest that although quantitative traits appear to be under strong divergent selection, a considerable amount of gene flow occurs among populations. Furthermore, we characterized nonproportional changes in the G matrix structure both within and among villages that are consequences of farmer selection. As a consequence of these differences in the G matrix structure, the response to multivariate selection will be different from one population to another. Large changes in the G matrix structure could indicate that farmers select for genes of major and pleiotropic effect. Farmers' decision and selection strategies have a great impact on phenotypic diversification in maize landraces.

An Empirical Examination of Ownership Structure, Earnings Management and Growth Opportunities in Mexican Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Manuel San Martín Reyna

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the influence of ownership structure, board and leverage on the earnings management when companies either face, or do not face, profitable growth opportunities for a sample of 90 listed Mexican firms during the period 2005-2009. The results confirm the relevance of debt and board of directors in terms of earnings management by showing a positive relationship between earnings management and both board of directors and leverage in the presence of growth opportunities. In contrast, this relationship becomes negative when firms have no profitable investment projects. The results also demonstrate the relevance of controlling shareholders on earnings management under a growth opportunity setting.Therefore, our results show that ownership structure, composition and size of board and leverage play a dual role: reduce the earnings management when there are no investments projects, but impact positively in presence of growth opportunities.

Quantum skew divergence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Audenaert, Koenraad M. R., E-mail: koenraad.audenaert@rhul.ac.uk [Department of Mathematics, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, United Kingdom and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Ghent, S9, Krijgslaan 281, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium)

2014-11-15

In this paper, we study the quantum generalisation of the skew divergence, which is a dissimilarity measure between distributions introduced by Lee in the context of natural language processing. We provide an in-depth study of the quantum skew divergence, including its relation to other state distinguishability measures. Finally, we present a number of important applications: new continuity inequalities for the quantum Jensen-Shannon divergence and the Holevo information, and a new and short proof of Bravyi's Small Incremental Mixing conjecture.

On Hölder Projective Divergences

KAUST Repository

Nielsen, Frank

2017-03-16

We describe a framework to build distances by measuring the tightness of inequalities and introduce the notion of proper statistical divergences and improper pseudo-divergences. We then consider the Holder ordinary and reverse inequalities and present two novel classes of Holder divergences and pseudo-divergences that both encapsulate the special case of the Cauchy-Schwarz divergence. We report closed-form formulas for those statistical dissimilarities when considering distributions belonging to the same exponential family provided that the natural parameter space is a cone (e.g., multivariate Gaussians) or affine (e.g., categorical distributions). Those new classes of Holder distances are invariant to rescaling and thus do not require distributions to be normalized. Finally, we show how to compute statistical Holder centroids with respect to those divergences and carry out center-based clustering toy experiments on a set of Gaussian distributions which demonstrate empirically that symmetrized Holder divergences outperform the symmetric Cauchy-Schwarz divergence.

On Hölder Projective Divergences

KAUST Repository

Nielsen, Frank; Sun, Ke; Marchand-Maillet, Stephane

2017-01-01

We describe a framework to build distances by measuring the tightness of inequalities and introduce the notion of proper statistical divergences and improper pseudo-divergences. We then consider the Holder ordinary and reverse inequalities and present two novel classes of Holder divergences and pseudo-divergences that both encapsulate the special case of the Cauchy-Schwarz divergence. We report closed-form formulas for those statistical dissimilarities when considering distributions belonging to the same exponential family provided that the natural parameter space is a cone (e.g., multivariate Gaussians) or affine (e.g., categorical distributions). Those new classes of Holder distances are invariant to rescaling and thus do not require distributions to be normalized. Finally, we show how to compute statistical Holder centroids with respect to those divergences and carry out center-based clustering toy experiments on a set of Gaussian distributions which demonstrate empirically that symmetrized Holder divergences outperform the symmetric Cauchy-Schwarz divergence.

Evolution of cichlid vision via trans-regulatory divergence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O’Quin Kelly E

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Phenotypic evolution may occur through mutations that affect either the structure or expression of protein-coding genes. Although the evolution of color vision has historically been attributed to structural mutations within the opsin genes, recent research has shown that opsin regulatory mutations can also tune photoreceptor sensitivity and color vision. Visual sensitivity in African cichlid fishes varies as a result of the differential expression of seven opsin genes. We crossed cichlid species that express different opsin gene sets and scanned their genome for expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTL responsible for these differences. Our results shed light on the role that different structural, cis-, and trans-regulatory mutations play in the evolution of color vision. Results We identified 11 eQTL that contribute to the divergent expression of five opsin genes. On three linkage groups, several eQTL formed regulatory “hotspots” associated with the expression of multiple opsins. Importantly, however, the majority of the eQTL we identified (8/11 or 73% occur on linkage groups located trans to the opsin genes, suggesting that cichlid color vision has evolved primarily via trans-regulatory divergence. By modeling the impact of just two of these trans-regulatory eQTL, we show that opsin regulatory mutations can alter cichlid photoreceptor sensitivity and color vision at least as much as opsin structural mutations can. Conclusions Combined with previous work, we demonstrate that the evolution of cichlid color vision results from the interplay of structural, cis-, and especially trans-regulatory loci. Although there are numerous examples of structural and cis-regulatory mutations that contribute to phenotypic evolution, our results suggest that trans-regulatory mutations could contribute to phenotypic divergence more commonly than previously expected, especially in systems like color vision, where compensatory changes in the

String perturbation theory diverges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, D.J.; Periwal, V.

1988-01-01

We prove that perturbation theory for the bosonic string diverges for arbitrary values of the coupling constant and is not Borel summable. This divergence is independent of the existence of the infinities that occur in the theory due to the presence of tachyons and dilaton tadpoles. We discuss the physical implications of such a divergence

Structural divergence of chromosomes between malaria vectors Anopheles lesteri and Anopheles sinensis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiangtao Liang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anopheles lesteri and Anopheles sinensis are two major malaria vectors in China and Southeast Asia. They are dramatically different in terms of geographical distribution, host preference, resting habitats, and other traits associated with ecological adaptation and malaria transmission. Both species belong to the Anopheles hyrcanus group, but the extent of genetic differences between them is not well understood. To provide an effective way to differentiate between species and to find useful markers for population genetics studies, we performed a comparative cytogenetic analysis of these two malaria vectors. Results Presented here is a standard cytogenetic map for An. lesteri, and a comparative analysis of chromosome structure and gene order between An. lesteri and An. sinensis. Our results demonstrate that much of the gene order on chromosomes X and 2 was reshuffled between the two species. However, the banding pattern and the gene order on chromosome 3 appeared to be conserved. We also found two new polymorphic inversions, 2Lc and 3Rb, in An. lesteri, and we mapped the breakpoints of these two inversions on polytene chromosomes. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the extent of structural divergence of chromosomes between An. lesteri and An. sinensis, and provide a new taxonomic cytogenetic tool to distinguish between these two species. Polymorphic inversions of An. lesteri could serve as markers for studies of the population structure and ecological adaptations of this major malaria vector.

Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children's Life Chances

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Greg J., Ed.; Murnane, Richard, Ed.

2011-01-01

As the incomes of affluent and poor families have diverged over the past three decades, so too has the educational performance of their children. But how exactly do the forces of rising inequality affect the educational attainment and life chances of low-income children? In "Whither Opportunity?" a distinguished team of economists,…

Genetic structure, divergence and admixture of Han Chinese, Japanese and Korean populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuchen; Lu, Dongsheng; Chung, Yeun-Jun; Xu, Shuhua

2018-01-01

Han Chinese, Japanese and Korean, the three major ethnic groups of East Asia, share many similarities in appearance, language and culture etc., but their genetic relationships, divergence times and subsequent genetic exchanges have not been well studied. We conducted a genome-wide study and evaluated the population structure of 182 Han Chinese, 90 Japanese and 100 Korean individuals, together with the data of 630 individuals representing 8 populations wordwide. Our analyses revealed that Han Chinese, Japanese and Korean populations have distinct genetic makeup and can be well distinguished based on either the genome wide data or a panel of ancestry informative markers (AIMs). Their genetic structure corresponds well to their geographical distributions, indicating geographical isolation played a critical role in driving population differentiation in East Asia. The most recent common ancestor of the three populations was dated back to 3000 ~ 3600 years ago. Our analyses also revealed substantial admixture within the three populations which occurred subsequent to initial splits, and distinct gene introgression from surrounding populations, of which northern ancestral component is dominant. These estimations and findings facilitate to understanding population history and mechanism of human genetic diversity in East Asia, and have implications for both evolutionary and medical studies.

Opportunity structures for adult educators to acquire (pedagogical) qualifications in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milana, Marcella

2009-01-01

The contribution aims at mapping initial education and training opportunities for Danish adult educators and to examine key structural features that characterise professionalization processes in the field. The analysis highlights that little attention is being paid on initial qualifications of ad...

The impact of divergence time on the nature of population structure: an example from Iceland.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alkes L Price

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The Icelandic population has been sampled in many disease association studies, providing a strong motivation to understand the structure of this population and its ramifications for disease gene mapping. Previous work using 40 microsatellites showed that the Icelandic population is relatively homogeneous, but exhibits subtle population structure that can bias disease association statistics. Here, we show that regional geographic ancestries of individuals from Iceland can be distinguished using 292,289 autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs. We further show that subpopulation differences are due to genetic drift since the settlement of Iceland 1100 years ago, and not to varying contributions from different ancestral populations. A consequence of the recent origin of Icelandic population structure is that allele frequency differences follow a null distribution devoid of outliers, so that the risk of false positive associations due to stratification is minimal. Our results highlight an important distinction between population differences attributable to recent drift and those arising from more ancient divergence, which has implications both for association studies and for efforts to detect natural selection using population differentiation.

Limit sets and global dynamic for 2-D divergence-free vector fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marzougui, H.

2004-08-01

T. Ma and S. Wang studied the global structure of regular divergence-free vector fields on compact surfaces with or without boundary. This paper extends their study to the general case of divergence-free vector fields (regular or not) on closed surfaces and gives as a consequence a simple proof of their results. (author)

Divergent Cumulative Cultural Evolution

OpenAIRE

Marriott, Chris; Chebib, Jobran

2016-01-01

Divergent cumulative cultural evolution occurs when the cultural evolutionary trajectory diverges from the biological evolutionary trajectory. We consider the conditions under which divergent cumulative cultural evolution can occur. We hypothesize that two conditions are necessary. First that genetic and cultural information are stored separately in the agent. Second cultural information must be transferred horizontally between agents of different generations. We implement a model with these ...

Equality of Opportunities, Divergent Conceptualisations and Their Implications for Early Childhood Care and Education Policies

Science.gov (United States)

Morabito, Christian; Vandenbroeck, Michel

2015-01-01

This article aims to explore the relations between equality of opportunity and early childhood. By referring to the work of contemporary philosophers, i.e. Rawls, Sen, Dworkin, Cohen and Roemer, we argue for different possible interpretations, based on political discussions, concerning how to operationalize equality of opportunities. We represent…

Asymptotic states and infrared divergences in gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler, D.R.

1981-01-01

The gauge theories, Gravity and QCD are shown to be infrared finite to a non-trival order by a generalization of the coherent state approach. The asymptotic Hamiltonian operator is used, along with a mathematical theorem by Magnus, to specify a S-operator and to show cancellation of infrared divergences at the amplitude level. This procedure is exemplified in Gravity to third order and applied to QCD for leading order divergences to fifth order in the coupling constant. Dimensional regularization is used to isolate the infrared singularities in QCD. The sections on Gravity include a derivation of the infrared structure of the propagators for a massive particle and the graviton

k-Means Clustering with Hölder Divergences

KAUST Repository

Nielsen, Frank

2017-10-24

We introduced two novel classes of Hölder divergences and Hölder pseudo-divergences that are both invariant to rescaling, and that both encapsulate the Cauchy-Schwarz divergence and the skew Bhattacharyya divergences. We review the elementary concepts of those parametric divergences, and perform a clustering analysis on two synthetic datasets. It is shown experimentally that the symmetrized Hölder divergences consistently outperform significantly the Cauchy-Schwarz divergence in clustering tasks.

k-Means Clustering with Hölder Divergences

KAUST Repository

Nielsen, Frank; Sun, Ke; Marchand-Maillet, Sté phane

2017-01-01

We introduced two novel classes of Hölder divergences and Hölder pseudo-divergences that are both invariant to rescaling, and that both encapsulate the Cauchy-Schwarz divergence and the skew Bhattacharyya divergences. We review the elementary concepts of those parametric divergences, and perform a clustering analysis on two synthetic datasets. It is shown experimentally that the symmetrized Hölder divergences consistently outperform significantly the Cauchy-Schwarz divergence in clustering tasks.

Hyperreal Numbers for Infinite Divergent Series

OpenAIRE

Bartlett, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Treating divergent series properly has been an ongoing issue in mathematics. However, many of the problems in divergent series stem from the fact that divergent series were discovered prior to having a number system which could handle them. The infinities that resulted from divergent series led to contradictions within the real number system, but these contradictions are largely alleviated with the hyperreal number system. Hyperreal numbers provide a framework for dealing with divergent serie...

Match or mismatch: the influence of phenology on size-dependent life history and divergence in population structure

Science.gov (United States)

Borcherding, Jost; Beeck, Peter; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Scharf, Werner R.

2010-01-01

Summary 1. In gape-limited predators, body size asymmetries determine the outcome of predator-prey interactions. Due to ontogenetic changes in body size, the intensity of intra- and interspecific interactions may change rapidly between the match situation of a predator-prey system and the mismatch situation in which competition, including competition with the prey, dominates. 2. Based on a physiologically structured population model using the European perch (Perca fluviatilis), analysis was performed on how prey density (bream, Abramis brama), initial size differences in the young-of-the-year (YOY) age cohort of the predator, and phenology (time-gap in hatching of predator and prey) influence the size structure of the predator cohort. 3. In relation to the seasonality of reproduction, the match situation of the predator-prey system occurred when perch hatched earlier than bream and when no gape-size limitations existed, leading to decreased size divergence in the predator age cohort. Decreased size divergence was also found when bream hatched much earlier than perch, preventing perch predation on bream occurring, which, in turn, increased the competitive interaction of the perch with bream for the common prey, zooplankton; i.e. the mismatch situation in which also the mean size of the age cohort of the predator decreased. 4. In between the total match and the mismatch, however, only the largest individuals of the perch age cohort were able to prey on the bream, while smaller conspecifics got trapped in competition with each other and with bream for zooplankton, leading to enlarged differences in growth that increased size divergence. 5. The modelling results were combined with 7 years of field data in a lake, where large differences in the length-frequency distribution of YOY perch were observed after their first summer. These field data corroborate that phenology and prey density per predator are important mechanisms in determining size differences within the YOY

The divergence theorem for divergence measure vectorfields on sets with fractal boundaries

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šilhavý, Miroslav

2009-01-01

Roč. 14, č. 5 (2009), s. 445-455 ISSN 1081-2865 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : divergence measure vectorfields * fractal s * divergence theorem Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.065, year: 2009

The Patchwork Divergence Theorem

OpenAIRE

Dray, Tevian; Hellaby, Charles

1994-01-01

The divergence theorem in its usual form applies only to suitably smooth vector fields. For vector fields which are merely piecewise smooth, as is natural at a boundary between regions with different physical properties, one must patch together the divergence theorem applied separately in each region. We give an elegant derivation of the resulting "patchwork divergence theorem" which is independent of the metric signature in either region, and which is thus valid if the signature changes. (PA...

Activism and the Online Mediation Opportunity Structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uldam, Julie

2013-01-01

The annual United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change conferences provides a transnational mediation opportunity structure for activist networks to contest policies that favor market-based models for solving the climate crisis. Online technologies, including commercial social media......, have arguably increased possibilities for being involved in protests on a transnational level. However, this article shows how online modes of action privilege lobbying tactics over civil disobedience tactics, arguing that the former is often incommensurate with an anticapitalist climate approach...... to climate change activism. This impedes possibilities for using online media to protest at the radical end of the climate justice movement spectrum. This article explores this interrelationship between activist demands and (online) modes of action through a focus on the mobilization efforts of London...

Altitudinal divergence in maternal thermoregulatory behaviour may be driven by differences in selection on offspring survival in a viviparous lizard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uller, Tobias; While, Geoffrey M.; Cadby, Chloe D.; Harts, Anna; O'Connor, Katherine; Pen, Ido; Wapstra, Erik

Plastic responses to temperature during embryonic development are common in ectotherms, but their evolutionary relevance is poorly understood. Using a combination of field and laboratory approaches, we demonstrate altitudinal divergence in the strength of effects of maternal thermal opportunity on

Creative Cognition in Secondary Science: An exploration of divergent thinking in science among adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Antink-Meyer, Allison; Lederman, Norman G.

2015-07-01

The divergent thinking skills in science of 282 US high school students were investigated across 16 weeks of instruction in order to determine whether typical academic time periods can significantly influence changes in thinking skills. Students' from 6 high school science classrooms completed the Scientific Structures Creativity Measure (SSCM) before and after a semester of instruction. Even the short time frame of a typical academic term was found to be sufficient to promote both improvements in divergent thinking skills as well as declining divergent thinking. Declining divergent thinking skills were more common in this time frame than were improvements. The nature of student performance on the SSCM and implications are discussed.

String loop divergences and effective lagrangians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischler, W.; Klebanov, I.; Susskind, L.

1988-01-01

We isolate logarithmic divergences from bosonic string amplitudes on a disc. These divergences are compared with 'tadpole' divergences in the effective field theory, with a covariant cosmological term implied by the counting of string coupling constants. We find an inconsistency between the two. This might be a problem in eliminating divergences from the bosonic string. (orig.)

Statistical inference based on divergence measures

CERN Document Server

Pardo, Leandro

2005-01-01

The idea of using functionals of Information Theory, such as entropies or divergences, in statistical inference is not new. However, in spite of the fact that divergence statistics have become a very good alternative to the classical likelihood ratio test and the Pearson-type statistic in discrete models, many statisticians remain unaware of this powerful approach.Statistical Inference Based on Divergence Measures explores classical problems of statistical inference, such as estimation and hypothesis testing, on the basis of measures of entropy and divergence. The first two chapters form an overview, from a statistical perspective, of the most important measures of entropy and divergence and study their properties. The author then examines the statistical analysis of discrete multivariate data with emphasis is on problems in contingency tables and loglinear models using phi-divergence test statistics as well as minimum phi-divergence estimators. The final chapter looks at testing in general populations, prese...

Typing Speed as a Confounding Variable and the Measurement of Quality in Divergent Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Forthmann, Boris; Holling, Heinz; Çelik, Pinar; Storme, Martin; Lubart, Todd

2017-01-01

The need to control for writing or typing speed when assessing divergent-thinking performance has been recognized since the early '90s. An even longer tradition in divergent-thinking research has the issue of scoring the responses for quality. This research addressed both issues within structural equation modeling. Three dimensions of…

Divergent thinking and constructing episodic simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Addis, Donna Rose; Pan, Ling; Musicaro, Regina; Schacter, Daniel L

2016-01-01

Divergent thinking likely plays an important role in simulating autobiographical events. We investigated whether divergent thinking is differentially associated with the ability to construct detailed imagined future and imagined past events as opposed to recalling past events. We also examined whether age differences in divergent thinking might underlie the reduced episodic detail generated by older adults. The richness of episodic detail comprising autobiographical events in young and older adults was assessed using the Autobiographical Interview. Divergent thinking abilities were measured using the Alternative Uses Task. Divergent thinking was significantly associated with the amount of episodic detail for imagined future events. Moreover, while age was significantly associated with imagined episodic detail, this effect was strongly related to age-related changes in episodic retrieval rather than divergent thinking.

Structuring injustice: partisan politics in the making and unmaking of James Madison University's equal opportunity policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Christine M; Spivey, Sue E

2011-01-01

This analysis contributes to LGBT campus climate research on the quality of campus life in higher education in the United States. We argue that public education institutions in different states face divergent impediments to improving campus climate, and that more research is needed identifying structural factors affecting campus climate. Using a social systems analysis of policymaking at one university as a case study, we illustrate how partisan politics and state regulation make Virginia colleges and universities more vulnerable to political scrutiny and control. Finally, we propose a social justice-oriented policy agenda to address structural inequalities.

An Exponential Regulator for Rapidity Divergences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Ye [Fermilab; Neill, Duff [MIT, Cambridge, CTP; Zhu, Hua Xing [MIT, Cambridge, CTP

2016-04-01

Finding an efficient and compelling regularization of soft and collinear degrees of freedom at the same invariant mass scale, but separated in rapidity is a persistent problem in high-energy factorization. In the course of a calculation, one encounters divergences unregulated by dimensional regularization, often called rapidity divergences. Once regulated, a general framework exists for their renormalization, the rapidity renormalization group (RRG), leading to fully resummed calculations of transverse momentum (to the jet axis) sensitive quantities. We examine how this regularization can be implemented via a multi-differential factorization of the soft-collinear phase-space, leading to an (in principle) alternative non-perturbative regularization of rapidity divergences. As an example, we examine the fully-differential factorization of a color singlet's momentum spectrum in a hadron-hadron collision at threshold. We show how this factorization acts as a mother theory to both traditional threshold and transverse momentum resummation, recovering the classical results for both resummations. Examining the refactorization of the transverse momentum beam functions in the threshold region, we show that one can directly calculate the rapidity renormalized function, while shedding light on the structure of joint resummation. Finally, we show how using modern bootstrap techniques, the transverse momentum spectrum is determined by an expansion about the threshold factorization, leading to a viable higher loop scheme for calculating the relevant anomalous dimensions for the transverse momentum spectrum.

Validation of the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale: factor, convergent, and divergent validity.

Science.gov (United States)

Levinson, Cheri A; Rodebaugh, Thomas L

2011-09-01

The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) was created to assess fear of overall appearance evaluation. Initial psychometric work indicated that the measure had a single-factor structure and exhibited excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity. In the current study, the authors further examined the factor, convergent, and divergent validity of the SAAS in two samples of undergraduates. In Study 1 (N = 323), the authors tested the factor structure, convergent, and divergent validity of the SAAS with measures of the Big Five personality traits, negative affect, fear of negative evaluation, and social interaction anxiety. In Study 2 (N = 118), participants completed a body evaluation that included measurements of height, weight, and body fat content. The SAAS exhibited excellent convergent and divergent validity with self-report measures (i.e., self-esteem, trait anxiety, ethnic identity, and sympathy), predicted state anxiety experienced during the body evaluation, and predicted body fat content. In both studies, results confirmed a single-factor structure as the best fit to the data. These results lend additional support for the use of the SAAS as a valid measure of social appearance anxiety.

Genetic divergence is decoupled from ecological diversification in the Hawaiian Nesosydne planthoppers.

Science.gov (United States)

Roesch Goodman, Kari; Welter, Stephen C; Roderick, George K

2012-09-01

Adaptive radiation involves ecological shifts coupled with isolation of gene pools. However, we know little about what drives the initial stages of divergence. We study a system in which ecological diversification is found within a chronologically well-defined geological matrix to provide insight into this enigmatic phase of radiation. We tested the hypothesis that a period of geographic isolation precedes ecological specialization in an adaptive radiation of host-specialized Hawaiian planthoppers. We examined population structure and history using mitochondrial and multiple independent microsatellite loci in a species whose geographic distribution on the island of Hawaii enabled us to observe the chronology of divergence in its very earliest stages. We found that genetic divergence is associated with geographic features but not different plant hosts and that divergence times are very recent and on the same timescales as the dynamic geology of the island. Our results suggest an important role for geography in the dynamics of the early stages of divergence. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Highly divergent 16S rRNA sequences in ribosomal operons of Scytonema hyalinum (Cyanobacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey R Johansen

Full Text Available A highly divergent 16S rRNA gene was found in one of the five ribosomal operons present in a species complex currently circumscribed as Scytonema hyalinum (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria using clone libraries. If 16S rRNA sequence macroheterogeneity among ribosomal operons due to insertions, deletions or truncation is excluded, the sequence heterogeneity observed in S. hyalinum was the highest observed in any prokaryotic species thus far (7.3-9.0%. The secondary structure of the 16S rRNA molecules encoded by the two divergent operons was nearly identical, indicating possible functionality. The 23S rRNA gene was examined for a few strains in this complex, and it was also found to be highly divergent from the gene in Type 2 operons (8.7%, and likewise had nearly identical secondary structure between the Type 1 and Type 2 operons. Furthermore, the 16S-23S ITS showed marked differences consistent between operons among numerous strains. Both operons have promoter sequences that satisfy consensus requirements for functional prokaryotic transcription initiation. Horizontal gene transfer from another unknown heterocytous cyanobacterium is considered the most likely explanation for the origin of this molecule, but does not explain the ultimate origin of this sequence, which is very divergent from all 16S rRNA sequences found thus far in cyanobacteria. The divergent sequence is highly conserved among numerous strains of S. hyalinum, suggesting adaptive advantage and selective constraint of the divergent sequence.

Ownership Structure, Earnings Management and Investment Opportunity Set: Evidence from Mexican Firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan M. San Martin-Reyna

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the influence of ownership, board of directors, and financial leverage on companies’ performance when these either face, or do not face, profitable growth opportunities. Towards that end we examined a sample of 83 listed Mexican firms during the period 2005-2011. The results confirm the relevance of debt and board of directors in terms of firm market value by showing a negative relationship between performance and both, board of directors and leverage, in the presence of growth opportunities. In contrast, the relationship between debt and performance becomes positive when firms have no profitable investment projects. The results also demonstrate that the relevance of controlling shareholders on firm value is different when firms have or not growth opportunities. Therefore, our results show that ownership structure, composition and size of board and the level of leverage play a dual role on performance (increase or decrease the firm value and determinewhether the firms have profitable investment projects.

Chained Kullback-Leibler Divergences

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlichin, Dmitri S.; Weissman, Tsachy

2017-01-01

We define and characterize the “chained” Kullback-Leibler divergence minw D(p‖w) + D(w‖q) minimized over all intermediate distributions w and the analogous k-fold chained K-L divergence min D(p‖wk−1) + … + D(w2‖w1) + D(w1‖q) minimized over the entire path (w1,…,wk−1). This quantity arises in a large deviations analysis of a Markov chain on the set of types – the Wright-Fisher model of neutral genetic drift: a population with allele distribution q produces offspring with allele distribution w, which then produce offspring with allele distribution p, and so on. The chained divergences enjoy some of the same properties as the K-L divergence (like joint convexity in the arguments) and appear in k-step versions of some of the same settings as the K-L divergence (like information projections and a conditional limit theorem). We further characterize the optimal k-step “path” of distributions appearing in the definition and apply our findings in a large deviations analysis of the Wright-Fisher process. We make a connection to information geometry via the previously studied continuum limit, where the number of steps tends to infinity, and the limiting path is a geodesic in the Fisher information metric. Finally, we offer a thermodynamic interpretation of the chained divergence (as the rate of operation of an appropriately defined Maxwell’s demon) and we state some natural extensions and applications (a k-step mutual information and k-step maximum likelihood inference). We release code for computing the objects we study. PMID:29130024

Symbolic interactionism and critical perspective: divergent or synergistic?

Science.gov (United States)

Burbank, Patricia M; Martins, Diane C

2010-01-01

Throughout their history, symbolic interactionism and critical perspective have been viewed as divergent theoretical perspectives with different philosophical underpinnings. A review of their historical and philosophical origins reveals both points of divergence and areas of convergence. Their underlying philosophies of science and views of human freedom are different as is their level of focus with symbolic interactionism having a micro perspective and critical perspective using a macro perspective. This micro/macro difference is reflected in the divergence of their major concepts, goals and basic tenets. While their underlying philosophies are different, however, they are not necessarily contradictory and areas of convergence may include the concepts of reference groups and looking glass self within symbolic interactionism and ideological hegemony within critical perspective. By using a pragmatic approach and combining symbolic interactionism and critical perspectives, both micro and macro levels come into focus and strategies for change across individual and societal levels can be developed and applied. Application of both symbolic interactionism and critical perspective to nursing research and scholarship offers exciting new opportunities for theory development and research methodologies. In nursing education, these two perspectives can give students added insight into patients' and families' problems at the micro level while, at the same time, giving them a lens to see and tools to apply to problems at the macro level in health care. In nursing practice, a combined symbolic interactionism/critical perspective approach assists nurses to give high-quality care at the individual level while also working at the macro level to address the manufacturers of illness. New research questions emerge from this combination of perspectives with new possibilities for theory development, a transformation in nursing education, and the potential for new practice strategies that

COMPARATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. CONVERGENCE VERSUS DIVERGENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolae ECOBICI

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper I compared the Romanian financial statements with the US GAAP financial statements in terms of two criteria: first the reference period and secondly the shape, structure and content of financial statements. Nowadays the two accounting systems, the French and Anglo-Saxon, tend to harmonize. I will present the convergences and the divergences between the financial statements of Romania, subject to OMFP 3055/2009, in parallel with the Anglo-Saxon accounting system.

How diking affects the longer-term structure and evolution of divergent plate boundaries

KAUST Repository

Trippanera, Daniele; Acocella, Valerio; Ruch, Joel; Rivalta, Eleonora

2015-01-01

Recurrent diking episodes along divergent plate boundaries, as at Dabbahu (2005, Afar) or at Bardarbunga (2014, Iceland) , highlight the possibility to have m-wide opening in a short time (days to weeks). This suggests a prominent role of magma

Divergent modes of enzyme inhibition in a homologous structure-activity series.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Rafaela S; Bryant, Clifford; Ang, Kenny K H; McKerrow, James H; Shoichet, Brian K; Renslo, Adam R

2009-08-27

A docking screen identified reversible, noncovalent inhibitors (e.g., 1) of the parasite cysteine protease cruzain. Chemical optimization of 1 led to a series of oxadiazoles possessing interpretable SAR and potencies as much as 500-fold greater than 1. Detailed investigation of the SAR series subsequently revealed that many members of the oxadiazole class (and surprisingly also 1) act via divergent modes of inhibition (competitive or via colloidal aggregation) depending on the assay conditions employed.

Multi-locus estimates of population structure and migration in a fence lizard hybrid zone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam D Leaché

Full Text Available A hybrid zone between two species of lizards in the genus Sceloporus (S. cowlesi and S. tristichus on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona provides a unique opportunity to study the processes of lineage divergence and merging. This hybrid zone involves complex interactions between 2 morphologically and ecologically divergent subspecies, 3 chromosomal groups, and 4 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA clades. The spatial patterns of divergence between morphology, chromosomes and mtDNA are discordant, and determining which of these character types (if any reflects the underlying population-level lineages that are of interest has remained impeded by character conflict. The focus of this study is to estimate the number of populations interacting in the hybrid zone using multi-locus nuclear data, and to then estimate the migration rates and divergence time between the inferred populations. Multi-locus estimates of population structure and gene flow were obtained from 12 anonymous nuclear loci sequenced for 93 specimens of Sceloporus. Population structure estimates support two populations, and this result is robust to changes to the prior probability distribution used in the Bayesian analysis and the use of spatially-explicit or non-spatial models. A coalescent analysis of population divergence suggests that gene flow is high between the two populations, and that the timing of divergence is restricted to the Pleistocene. The hybrid zone is more accurately described as involving two populations belonging to S. tristichus, and the presence of S. cowlesi mtDNA haplotypes in the hybrid zone is an anomaly resulting from mitochondrial introgression.

Common and divergent structural features of a series of corticotropin releasing factor-related peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Christy Rani R; Perrin, Marilyn H; Cantle, Jeffrey P; Vale, Wylie W; Rivier, Jean E; Riek, Roland

2007-12-26

Members of the corticoliberin family include the corticotropin releasing factors (CRFs), sauvagine, the urotensins, and urocortin 1 (Ucn1), which bind to both the CRF receptors CRF-R1 and CRF-R2, and the urocortins 2 (Ucn2) and 3 (Ucn3), which are selective agonists of CRF-R2. Structure activity relationship studies led to several potent and long-acting analogues with selective binding to either one of the receptors. NMR structures of six ligands of this family (the antagonists astressin B and astressin2-B, the agonists stressin1, and the natural ligands human Ucn1, Ucn2, and Ucn3) were determined in DMSO. These six peptides show differences in binding affinities, receptor-selectivity, and NMR structure. Overall, their backbones are alpha-helical, with a small kink or a turn around residues 25-27, resulting in a helix-loop-helix motif. The C-terminal helices are of amphipathic nature, whereas the N-terminal helices vary in their amphipathicity. The C-terminal helices thereby assume a conformation very similar to that of astressin bound to the ECD1 of CRF-R2 recently reported by our group.1 On the basis of an analysis of the observed 3D structures and relative potencies of [Ala]-substituted analogues, it is proposed that both helices could play a crucial role in receptor binding and selectivity. In conclusion, the C-terminal helices may interact along their hydrophobic faces with the ECD1, whereas the entire N-terminal helical surface may be involved in receptor activation. On the basis of the common and divergent features observed in the 3D structures of these ligands, multiple binding models are proposed that may explain their plurality of actions.

Collinearity, convergence and cancelling infrared divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavelle, Martin; McMullan, David

2006-01-01

The Lee-Nauenberg theorem is a fundamental quantum mechanical result which provides the standard theoretical response to the problem of collinear and infrared divergences. Its argument, that the divergences due to massless charged particles can be removed by summing over degenerate states, has been successfully applied to systems with final state degeneracies such as LEP processes. If there are massless particles in both the initial and final states, as will be the case at the LHC, the theorem requires the incorporation of disconnected diagrams which produce connected interference effects at the level of the cross-section. However, this aspect of the theory has never been fully tested in the calculation of a cross-section. We show through explicit examples that in such cases the theorem introduces a divergent series of diagrams and hence fails to cancel the infrared divergences. It is also demonstrated that the widespread practice of treating soft infrared divergences by the Bloch-Nordsieck method and handling collinear divergences by the Lee-Nauenberg method is not consistent in such cases

The genomic distribution of intraspecific and interspecific sequence divergence of human segmental duplications relative to human/chimpanzee chromosomal rearrangements

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Eichler Evan E

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been suggested that chromosomal rearrangements harbor the molecular footprint of the biological phenomena which they induce, in the form, for instance, of changes in the sequence divergence rates of linked genes. So far, all the studies of these potential associations have focused on the relationship between structural changes and the rates of evolution of single-copy DNA and have tried to exclude segmental duplications (SDs. This is paradoxical, since SDs are one of the primary forces driving the evolution of structure and function in our genomes and have been linked not only with novel genes acquiring new functions, but also with overall higher DNA sequence divergence and major chromosomal rearrangements. Results Here we take the opposite view and focus on SDs. We analyze several of the features of SDs, including the rates of intraspecific divergence between paralogous copies of human SDs and of interspecific divergence between human SDs and chimpanzee DNA. We study how divergence measures relate to chromosomal rearrangements, while considering other factors that affect evolutionary rates in single copy DNA. Conclusion We find that interspecific SD divergence behaves similarly to divergence of single-copy DNA. In contrast, old and recent paralogous copies of SDs do present different patterns of intraspecific divergence. Also, we show that some relatively recent SDs accumulate in regions that carry inversions in sister lineages.

Molecular Evolution and Expression Divergence of HMT Gene Family in Plants

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Man Zhao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Homocysteine methyltransferase (HMT converts homocysteine to methionine using S-methylmethionine (SMM or S-adenosylmethionine (SAM as methyl donors in organisms, playing an important role in supplying methionine for the growth and the development of plants. To better understand the functions of the HMT genes in plants, we conducted a wide evolution and expression analysis of these genes. Reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationship showed that the HMT gene family was divided into Class 1 and Class 2. In Class 1, HMTs were only found in seed plants, while Class 2 presented in all land plants, which hinted that the HMT genes might have diverged in seed plants. The analysis of gene structures and selection pressures showed that they were relatively conserved during evolution. However, type I functional divergence had been detected in the HMTs. Furthermore, the expression profiles of HMTs showed their distinct expression patterns in different tissues, in which some HMTs were widely expressed in various organs, whereas the others were highly expressed in some specific organs, such as seeds or leaves. Therefore, according to our results in the evolution, functional divergence, and expression, the HMT genes might have diverged during evolution. Further analysis in the expression patterns of AthHMTs with their methyl donors suggested that the diverged HMTs might be related to supply methionine for the development of plant seeds.

Guises and disguises of quadratic divergences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cherchiglia, A.L., E-mail: adriano@fisica.ufmg.br [Departamento de Física, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. BOX 702, 30.161-970, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Vieira, A.R., E-mail: arvieira@fisica.ufmg.br [Departamento de Física, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. BOX 702, 30.161-970, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Hiller, Brigitte, E-mail: brigitte@teor.fis.uc.pt [Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-516 Coimbra (Portugal); Baêta Scarpelli, A.P., E-mail: scarpelli.apbs@dpf.gov.br [Setor Técnico-Científico, Departamento de Polícia Federal, Rua Hugo D’Antola, 95 - Lapa, São Paulo (Brazil); Sampaio, Marcos, E-mail: marcos.sampaio@durham.ac.uk [Departamento de Física, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. BOX 702, 30.161-970, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Centre for Particle Theory, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, South Road Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2014-12-15

In this contribution, we present a new perspective on the control of quadratic divergences in quantum field theory, in general, and in the Higgs naturalness problem, in particular. Our discussion is essentially based on an approach where UV divergences are parameterized, after being reduced to basic divergent integrals (BDI) in one internal momentum, as functions of a cutoff and a renormalization group scale λ. We illustrate our proposal with well-known examples, such as the gluon vacuum self energy of QCD and the Higgs decay in two photons within this approach. We also discuss frameworks in effective low-energy QCD models, where quadratic divergences are indeed fundamental.

Computer recognition of divergences in Feynman graphs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calmet, J

1973-05-01

The program described recognizes whether or not a graph is divergent. It determines the kind of the divergences found: vacuum polarizations, electron self energies and vertices. it does not consider infrared divergences. The programming language used is REDUCE. A LISP version is also available. The nature of the divergences and their counter terms was extensively used to write down this program, therefore it is limited to the case of quantum electrodynamics. (auth)

Lifespan divergence between social insect castes : Challenges and opportunities for evolutionary theories of aging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kramer, Boris H; van Doorn, G Sander; Weissing, Franz J; Pen, Ido

The extraordinarily long lifespans of queens (and kings) in eusocial insects and the strikingly large differences in life expectancy between workers and queens challenge our understanding of the evolution of aging and provide unique opportunities for studying the causes underlying adaptive variation

Properties of classical and quantum Jensen-Shannon divergence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Briët (Jop); P. Harremoës (Peter)

2009-01-01

htmlabstractJensen-Shannon divergence (JD) is a symmetrized and smoothed version of the most important divergence measure of information theory, Kullback divergence. As opposed to Kullback divergence it determines in a very direct way a metric; indeed, it is the square of a metric. We consider a

Enhanced vulnerability of human proteins towards disease-associated inactivation through divergent evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Medina-Carmona, Encarnación; Fuchs, Julian E; Gavira, Jose A; Mesa-Torres, Noel; Neira, Jose L; Salido, Eduardo; Palomino-Morales, Rogelio; Burgos, Miguel; Timson, David J; Pey, Angel L

2017-09-15

Human proteins are vulnerable towards disease-associated single amino acid replacements affecting protein stability and function. Interestingly, a few studies have shown that consensus amino acids from mammals or vertebrates can enhance protein stability when incorporated into human proteins. Here, we investigate yet unexplored relationships between the high vulnerability of human proteins towards disease-associated inactivation and recent evolutionary site-specific divergence of stabilizing amino acids. Using phylogenetic, structural and experimental analyses, we show that divergence from the consensus amino acids at several sites during mammalian evolution has caused local protein destabilization in two human proteins linked to disease: cancer-associated NQO1 and alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase, mutated in primary hyperoxaluria type I. We demonstrate that a single consensus mutation (H80R) acts as a disease suppressor on the most common cancer-associated polymorphism in NQO1 (P187S). The H80R mutation reactivates P187S by enhancing FAD binding affinity through local and dynamic stabilization of its binding site. Furthermore, we show how a second suppressor mutation (E247Q) cooperates with H80R in protecting the P187S polymorphism towards inactivation through long-range allosteric communication within the structural ensemble of the protein. Our results support that recent divergence of consensus amino acids may have occurred with neutral effects on many functional and regulatory traits of wild-type human proteins. However, divergence at certain sites may have increased the propensity of some human proteins towards inactivation due to disease-associated mutations and polymorphisms. Consensus mutations also emerge as a potential strategy to identify structural hot-spots in proteins as targets for pharmacological rescue in loss-of-function genetic diseases. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please

Jensen divergence based on Fisher’s information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sánchez-Moreno, P; Zarzo, A; Dehesa, J S

2012-01-01

The measure of Jensen–Fisher divergence between probability distributions is introduced and its theoretical grounds set up. This quantity, in contrast to the remaining Jensen divergences, grasps the fluctuations of the probability distributions because it is controlled by the (local) Fisher information, which is a gradient functional of the distribution. So it is appropriate and informative when studying the similarity of distributions, mainly for those having oscillatory character. The new Jensen–Fisher divergence shares with the Jensen–Shannon divergence the following properties: non-negativity, additivity when applied to an arbitrary number of probability densities, symmetry under exchange of these densities, vanishing under certain conditions and definiteness even when these densities present non-common zeros. Moreover, the Jensen–Fisher divergence is shown to be expressed in terms of the relative Fisher information as the Jensen–Shannon divergence does in terms of the Kullback–Leibler or relative Shannon entropy. Finally, the Jensen–Shannon and Jensen–Fisher divergences are compared for the following three large, non-trivial and qualitatively different families of probability distributions: the sinusoidal, generalized gamma-like and Rakhmanov–Hermite distributions, which are closely related to the quantum-mechanical probability densities of numerous physical systems. (paper)

Trophic divergence despite morphological convergence in a continental radiation of snakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Grundler, Michael C; Rabosky, Daniel L

2014-07-22

Ecological and phenotypic convergence is a potential outcome of adaptive radiation in response to ecological opportunity. However, a number of factors may limit convergence during evolutionary radiations, including interregional differences in biogeographic history and clade-specific constraints on form and function. Here, we demonstrate that a single clade of terrestrial snakes from Australia--the oxyuranine elapids--exhibits widespread morphological convergence with a phylogenetically diverse and distantly related assemblage of snakes from North America. Australian elapids have evolved nearly the full spectrum of phenotypic modalities that occurs among North American snakes. Much of the convergence appears to involve the recurrent evolution of stereotyped morphologies associated with foraging mode, locomotion and habitat use. By contrast, analysis of snake diets indicates striking divergence in feeding ecology between these faunas, partially reflecting regional differences in ecological allometry between Australia and North America. Widespread phenotypic convergence with the North American snake fauna coupled with divergence in feeding ecology are clear examples of how independent continental radiations may converge along some ecological axes yet differ profoundly along others. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Nanocomposites: synthesis, structure, properties and new application opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Henrique Cury Camargo

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Nanocomposites, a high performance material exhibit unusual property combinations and unique design possibilities. With an estimated annual growth rate of about 25% and fastest demand to be in engineering plastics and elastomers, their potential is so striking that they are useful in several areas ranging from packaging to biomedical applications. In this unified overview the three types of matrix nanocomposites are presented underlining the need for these materials, their processing methods and some recent results on structure, properties and potential applications, perspectives including need for such materials in future space mission and other interesting applications together with market and safety aspects. Possible uses of natural materials such as clay based minerals, chrysotile and lignocellulosic fibers are highlighted. Being environmentally friendly, applications of nanocomposites offer new technology and business opportunities for several sectors of the aerospace, automotive, electronics and biotechnology industries.

Structural divergence of Plant TCTPs

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Diego eGutiérrez-Galeano

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP is a highly conserved protein at the level of sequence, considered to play an essential role in the regulation of growth and development in eukaryotes. However, this function has been inferred from studies in a few model systems, such as mice and mammalian cell lines, Drosophila and Arabidopsis. Thus, the knowledge regarding this protein is far from complete. In the present study bioinformatic analysis showed the presence of one or more TCTP genes per genome in plants with highly conserved signatures and subtle variations at the level of primary structure but with more noticeable differences at the level of predicted three-dimensional structures. These structures show differences in the pocket region close to the center of the protein and in its flexible loop domain. In fact, all predictive TCTP structures can be divided into two groups: 1 AtTCTP1-like and 2 CmTCTP-like, based on the predicted structures of an Arabidopsis TCTP and a Cucurbita maxima TCTP; according to this classification we propose that their probable function in plants may be inferred in principle. Thus different TCTP genes in a single organism may have different functions; additionally, in those species harboring a single TCTP gene this could carry multiple functions. On the other hand, in silico analysis of AtTCTP1-like and CmTCTP-like promoters suggest that these share common motifs but with different abundance, which may underscore differences in their gene expression patterns. Finally, the absence of TCTP genes in most chlorophytes with the exception of Coccomyxa subellipsoidea, indicates that other proteins perform the roles played by TCTP or the pathways regulated by TCTP occur through alternative routes. These findings provide insight into the evolution of this gene family in plants.

32 CFR 644.551 - Equal opportunity-sales of timber, embedded sand, gravel, stone, and surplus structures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... § 644.551 Equal opportunity—sales of timber, embedded sand, gravel, stone, and surplus structures... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Equal opportunity-sales of timber, embedded sand, gravel, stone, and surplus structures. 644.551 Section 644.551 National Defense Department of Defense...

Verbal and visual divergent thinking in aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmiero, Massimiliano; Nori, Raffaella; Piccardi, Laura

2017-04-01

According to the peak and decline model divergent thinking declines at a specific age (in or after middle age). However, if divergent thinking declines steadily in aging still has to be clarified. In order to explore the age-related changes in verbal and visual divergent thinking, in the present study a sample of 159 participants was divided in five age groups: young adults (18-35 years), middle-aged adults (36-55), young old (56-74), old (75-85) and the oldest-old (86-98). Two divergent thinking tasks were administered: the alternative uses for cardboard boxes, aimed at assessing verbal ideational fluency, flexibility and originality; the completion drawing task, aimed at assessing visual ideational fluency, flexibility and originality. Results showed that after peaking in the young adult group (20-35 years) all components of verbal and visual divergent thinking stabilized in the middle-aged adult group (36-55 years) and then started declining in the young old group (56-75). Interestingly, all components were found to be preserved after declining. Yet, verbal and visual divergent thinking were found at the same extent across age groups, with the exception of visual ideational fluency, that was higher in the young old group, the old group and the oldest-old group than verbal ideational fluency. These results support the idea that divergent thinking does not decline steadily in the elderly. Given that older people can preserve to some extent verbal and visual divergent thinking, these findings have important implications for active aging, that is, divergent thinking might be fostered in aging in order to prevent the cognitive decline.

Quadratic divergences and dimensional regularisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jack, I.; Jones, D.R.T.

1990-01-01

We present a detailed analysis of quadratic and quartic divergences in dimensionally regulated renormalisable theories. We perform explicit three-loop calculations for a general theory of scalars and fermions. We find that the higher-order quartic divergences are related to the lower-order ones by the renormalisation group β-functions. (orig.)

Happy creativity: Listening to happy music facilitates divergent thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritter, Simone M; Ferguson, Sam

2017-01-01

Creativity can be considered one of the key competencies for the twenty-first century. It provides us with the capacity to deal with the opportunities and challenges that are part of our complex and fast-changing world. The question as to what facilitates creative cognition-the ability to come up with creative ideas, problem solutions and products-is as old as the human sciences, and various means to enhance creative cognition have been studied. Despite earlier scientific studies demonstrating a beneficial effect of music on cognition, the effect of music listening on creative cognition has remained largely unexplored. The current study experimentally tests whether listening to specific types of music (four classical music excerpts systematically varying on valance and arousal), as compared to a silence control condition, facilitates divergent and convergent creativity. Creativity was higher for participants who listened to 'happy music' (i.e., classical music high on arousal and positive mood) while performing the divergent creativity task, than for participants who performed the task in silence. No effect of music was found for convergent creativity. In addition to the scientific contribution, the current findings may have important practical implications. Music listening can be easily integrated into daily life and may provide an innovative means to facilitate creative cognition in an efficient way in various scientific, educational and organizational settings when creative thinking is needed.

Social opportunity cost of capital: empirical estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Townsend, S.

1978-02-01

This report develops estimates of the social-opportunity cost of public capital. The private and social costs of capital are found to diverge primarily because of the effects of corporate and personal income taxes. Following Harberger, the social-opportunity cost of capital is approximated by a weighted average of the returns to different classes of savers and investors where the weights are the flows of savings or investments in each class multiplied by the relevant elasticity. Estimates of these parameters are obtained and the social-opportunity cost of capital is determined to be in the range of 6.2 to 10.8%, depending upon the parameter values used. Uncertainty is found to affect the social-opportunity cost of capital in two ways. First, some allowance must be made for the chance of failure or at least of not realizing claims of a project's proponents. Second, a particular government project will change the expected variability of the returns to the government's entire portfolio of projects. In the absence of specific information about each project, the use of the economy-wide average default and risk adjustments is suggested. These are included in the empirical estimates reported. International capital markets make available private capital, the price of which is not distorted by the U.S. tax system. The inclusion of foreign sources slightly reduces the social-opportunity cost of capital. 21 references.

Opportunities and challenges for structural health monitoring of radioactive waste systems and structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giurgiutiu, Victor [University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Mendez Torres, Adrian E. [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States)

2013-07-01

Radioactive waste systems and structures (RWSS) are safety-critical facilities in need of monitoring over prolonged periods of time. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an emerging technology that aims at monitoring the state of a structure through the use of networks of permanently mounted sensors. SHM technologies have been developed primarily within the aerospace and civil engineering communities. This paper addresses the issue of transitioning the SHM concept to the monitoring of RWSS and evaluates the opportunities and challenges associated with this process. Guided wave SHM technologies utilizing structurally-mounted piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) have a wide range of applications based on both propagating-wave and standing-wave methodologies. Hence, opportunities exist for transitioning these SHM technologies into RWSS monitoring. However, there exist certain special operational conditions specific to RWSS such as: radiation field, caustic environments, marine environments, and chemical, mechanical and thermal stressors. In order to address the high discharge of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and the limited space in the storage pools the U.S. the Department of Energy (DOE) has adopted a 'Strategy for the Management and Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste' (January 2013). This strategy endorses the key principles that underpin the Blue Ribbon Commission's on America's Nuclear Future recommendations to develop a sustainable program for deploying an integrated system capable of transporting, storing, and disposing of UNF and high-level radioactive waste from civilian nuclear power generation, defense, national security, and other activities. This will require research to develop monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis tools that can aid to establish a strong technical basis for extended storage and transportation of UNF. Monitoring of such structures is critical for assuring the safety and security of the

Cancellation of soft and collinear divergences in noncommutative QED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirza, B.; Zarei, M.

2006-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the behavior of noncommutative IR divergences and will also discuss their cancellation in the physical cross sections. The commutative IR (soft) divergences existing in the nonplanar diagrams will be examined in order to prove an all-order cancellation of these divergences using the Weinberg's method. In noncommutative QED, collinear divergences due to triple photon splitting vertex, were encountered, which are shown to be canceled out by the noncommutative version of KLN theorem. This guarantees that there is no mixing between the Collinear, soft divergences and noncommutative IR divergences

A Contigency Model for Predicting Institutionalization of Innovation Across Divergent Organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Howes, Nancy J.

This study was undertaken to compare the variables related to the successful institutionalization of changes across divergent organizations, and to design, through cross-validation, an interorganization model of change. Descriptive survey questionnaires and structured interviews were the instruments used. The respondent sample consisted of 1,500…

Deep phylogeographic divergence and cytonuclear discordance in the grasshopper Oedaleus decorus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kindler, Eveline; Arlettaz, Raphaël; Heckel, Gerald

2012-11-01

The grasshopper Oedaleus decorus is a thermophilic insect with a large, mostly south-Palaearctic distribution range, stretching from the Mediterranean regions in Europe to Central-Asia and China. In this study, we analyzed the extent of phylogenetic divergence and the recent evolutionary history of the species based on 274 specimens from 26 localities across the distribution range in Europe. Phylogenetic relationships were determined using sequences of two mitochondrial loci (ctr, ND2) with neighbour-joining and Bayesian methods. Additionally, genetic differentiation was analyzed based on mitochondrial DNA and 11 microsatellite markers using F-statistics, model-free multivariate and model-based Bayesian clustering approaches. Phylogenetic analyses detected consistently two highly divergent, allopatrically distributed lineages within O. decorus. The divergence among these Western and Eastern lineages meeting in the region of the Alps was similar to the divergence of each lineage to the sister species O. asiaticus. Genetic differentiation for ctr was extremely high between Western and Eastern grasshopper populations (F(ct)=0.95). Microsatellite markers detected much lower but nevertheless very significant genetic structure among population samples. The nuclear data also demonstrated a case of cytonuclear discordance because the affiliation with mitochondrial lineages was incongruent in Northern Italy. Taken together these results provide evidence of an ancient separation within Oedaleus and either historical introgression of mtDNA among lineages and/or ongoing sex-specific gene flow in this grasshopper. Our study stresses the importance of multilocus approaches for unravelling the history and status of taxa of uncertain evolutionary divergence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chloroplast DNA Structural Variation, Phylogeny, and Age of Divergence among Diploid Cotton Species

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Pengbo; Liu, Fang; Wang, Yumei; Xu, Qin; Shang, Mingzhao; Zhou, Zhongli; Cai, Xiaoyan; Wang, Xingxing; Wendel, Jonathan F.; Wang, Kunbo

2016-01-01

The cotton genus (Gossypium spp.) contains 8 monophyletic diploid genome groups (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, K) and a single allotetraploid clade (AD). To gain insight into the phylogeny of Gossypium and molecular evolution of the chloroplast genome in this group, we performed a comparative analysis of 19 Gossypium chloroplast genomes, six reported here for the first time. Nucleotide distance in non-coding regions was about three times that of coding regions. As expected, distances were smaller within than among genome groups. Phylogenetic topologies based on nucleotide and indel data support for the resolution of the 8 genome groups into 6 clades. Phylogenetic analysis of indel distribution among the 19 genomes demonstrates contrasting evolutionary dynamics in different clades, with a parallel genome downsizing in two genome groups and a biased accumulation of insertions in the clade containing the cultivated cottons leading to large (for Gossypium) chloroplast genomes. Divergence time estimates derived from the cpDNA sequence suggest that the major diploid clades had diverged approximately 10 to 11 million years ago. The complete nucleotide sequences of 6 cpDNA genomes are provided, offering a resource for cytonuclear studies in Gossypium. PMID:27309527

Theories of opportunity creation and effective entrepreneurial actions in opportunity creation context

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Behrooz Jamali

2018-09-01

Full Text Available Created opportunities are refered as the opportunities in which none of the supply and demand parties exists clearly and obviously one or both of them must be created. Therefore, several economic inventions should take place in marketing, franchising, etc. so that opportunity can be created. This perception of opportunity deals with the creation of new markets. In the meantime, identifying some entrepreneurial actions influencing on the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities can provide backgrounds for the formation and empowering the opportunity creation. In this paper, some basic ideas about the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities and the evolution of opportunity creation theories are examined. Then effective actions on the opportunity creation are identified. Finally, the structure of the investigated actions is examined using the DEMATLE Method. The results which were according to the opinions of 15 experts of entrepreneurship showed that leadership, decision making, and strategy actions influence other entrepreneurial actions.

Divergence Palsy due to Divalproex and Oxcarbazepine.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouffard, Marc Albert; Caplan, Louis R; Torun, Nurhan

This case series is the first to describe divergence palsy as an adverse effect of antiepileptic drug use. Diplopia is a common adverse effect of antiepileptic drugs, but no explanatory motility deficit has ever been reported. We present 2 patients, 1 on oxcarbazepine and 1 on divalproex, each with a normal examination result between spells and divergency palsy when symptomatic. Discontinuation of the antiepileptic medication led to resolution of the episodes in both cases. Rechallenge with the offending agent after washout in one patient resulted in recurrence of diplopia and divergence palsy, both resolving after subsequent withdrawal of the antiepileptic. Antiepileptic drugs may cause divergence palsy.

Beam divergence scaling in neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmes, A.J.T.

1976-01-01

One of the main considerations in the design of neutral beam injectors is to monimize the divergence of the primary ion beam and hence maximize the beam transport and minimize the input of thermal gas. Experimental measurements of the divergence of a cylindrical ion beam are presented and these measurements are used to analyze the major components of ion beam divergence, namely: space charge expansion, gas-ion scattering, emittance and optical aberrations. The implication of these divergence components in the design of a neutral beam injector system is discussed and a method of maximizing the beam current is described for a given area of source plasma

Escort entropies and divergences and related canonical distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bercher, J.-F.

2011-01-01

We discuss two families of two-parameter entropies and divergences, derived from the standard Renyi and Tsallis entropies and divergences. These divergences and entropies are found as divergences or entropies of escort distributions. Exploiting the nonnegativity of the divergences, we derive the expression of the canonical distribution associated to the new entropies and a observable given as an escort-mean value. We show that this canonical distribution extends, and smoothly connects, the results obtained in nonextensive thermodynamics for the standard and generalized mean value constraints. -- Highlights: → Two-parameter entropies are derived from q-entropies and escort distributions. → The related canonical distribution is derived. → This connects and extends known results in nonextensive statistics.

Conversion of isotropic fluorescence into a long-range non-diverging beam

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Douguo; Zhu, Liangfu; Chen, Junxue; Wang, Ruxue; Wang, Pei; Ming, Hai; Badugu, Ramachandram; Rosenfeld, Mary; Zhan, Qiwen; Kuang, Cuifang; Liu, Xu; Lakowicz, Joseph R.

2018-04-01

Fluorescent samples typically emit isotropically in all directions. Large lenses and other optical components are needed to capture a significant fraction of the emission, and complex confocal microscopes are required for high resolution focal-plane imaging. It is known that Bessel beams have remarkable properties of being able to travel over long distances, over 1000 times the wavelength, without diverging, and hence are called non-diffracting beams. In previous reports the Bessel beams were formed by an incident light source, typically with plane-wave illumination on a circular aperture. It was not known if Bessel beams could form from fluorescent light sources. We demonstrate transformation of the emission from fluorescent polystyrene spheres (FPS) into non-diverging beams which propagate up to 130 mm (13 cm) along the optical axis with a constant diameter. This is accomplished using a planar metal film, with no nanoscale features in the X-Y plane, using surface plasmon-coupled emission. Using samples which contain many FPS in the field-of-view, we demonstrate that an independent Bessel beam can be generated from any location on the metal film. The extremely long non-diffracted propagation distances, and self-healing properties of Bessel beams, offer new opportunities in fluorescence sensing and imaging.

Toxic hydrogen sulfide and dark caves: phenotypic and genetic divergence across two abiotic environmental gradients in Poecilia mexicana.

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Tobler, Michael; Dewitt, Thomas J; Schlupp, Ingo; García de León, Francisco J; Herrmann, Roger; Feulner, Philine G D; Tiedemann, Ralph; Plath, Martin

2008-10-01

Divergent natural selection drives evolutionary diversification. It creates phenotypic diversity by favoring developmental plasticity within populations or genetic differentiation and local adaptation among populations. We investigated phenotypic and genetic divergence in the livebearing fish Poecilia mexicana along two abiotic environmental gradients. These fish typically inhabit nonsulfidic surface rivers, but also colonized sulfidic and cave habitats. We assessed phenotypic variation among a factorial combination of habitat types using geometric and traditional morphometrics, and genetic divergence using quantitative and molecular genetic analyses. Fish in caves (sulfidic or not) exhibited reduced eyes and slender bodies. Fish from sulfidic habitats (surface or cave) exhibited larger heads and longer gill filaments. Common-garden rearing suggested that these morphological differences are partly heritable. Population genetic analyses using microsatellites as well as cytochrome b gene sequences indicate high population differentiation over small spatial scale and very low rates of gene flow, especially among different habitat types. This suggests that divergent environmental conditions constitute barriers to gene flow. Strong molecular divergence over short distances as well as phenotypic and quantitative genetic divergence across habitats in directions classic to fish ecomorphology suggest that divergent selection is structuring phenotypic variation in this system.

Testing evolutionary hypotheses for phenotypic divergence using landscape genetics.

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Funk, W Chris; Murphy, Melanie A

2010-02-01

Understanding the evolutionary causes of phenotypic variation among populations has long been a central theme in evolutionary biology. Several factors can influence phenotypic divergence, including geographic isolation, genetic drift, divergent natural or sexual selection, and phenotypic plasticity. But the relative importance of these factors in generating phenotypic divergence in nature is still a tantalizing and unresolved problem in evolutionary biology. The origin and maintenance of phenotypic divergence is also at the root of many ongoing debates in evolutionary biology, such as the extent to which gene flow constrains adaptive divergence (Garant et al. 2007) and the relative importance of genetic drift, natural selection, and sexual selection in initiating reproductive isolation and speciation (Coyne & Orr 2004). In this issue, Wang & Summers (2010) test the causes of one of the most fantastic examples of phenotypic divergence in nature: colour pattern divergence among populations of the strawberry poison frog (Dendrobates pumilio) in Panama and Costa Rica (Fig. 1). This study provides a beautiful example of the use of the emerging field of landscape genetics to differentiate among hypotheses for phenotypic divergence. Using landscape genetic analyses, Wang & Summers were able to reject the hypotheses that colour pattern divergence is due to isolation-by-distance (IBD) or landscape resistance. Instead, the hypothesis left standing is that colour divergence is due to divergent selection, in turn driving reproductive isolation among populations with different colour morphs. More generally, this study provides a wonderful example of how the emerging field of landscape genetics, which has primarily been applied to questions in conservation and ecology, now plays an essential role in evolutionary research.

Using Common Spatial Distributions of Atoms to Relate Functionally Divergent Influenza Virus N10 and N11 Protein Structures to Functionally Characterized Neuraminidase Structures, Toxin Cell Entry Domains, and Non-Influenza Virus Cell Entry Domains

Science.gov (United States)

Weininger, Arthur; Weininger, Susan

2015-01-01

The ability to identify the functional correlates of structural and sequence variation in proteins is a critical capability. We related structures of influenza A N10 and N11 proteins that have no established function to structures of proteins with known function by identifying spatially conserved atoms. We identified atoms with common distributed spatial occupancy in PDB structures of N10 protein, N11 protein, an influenza A neuraminidase, an influenza B neuraminidase, and a bacterial neuraminidase. By superposing these spatially conserved atoms, we aligned the structures and associated molecules. We report spatially and sequence invariant residues in the aligned structures. Spatially invariant residues in the N6 and influenza B neuraminidase active sites were found in previously unidentified spatially equivalent sites in the N10 and N11 proteins. We found the corresponding secondary and tertiary structures of the aligned proteins to be largely identical despite significant sequence divergence. We found structural precedent in known non-neuraminidase structures for residues exhibiting structural and sequence divergence in the aligned structures. In N10 protein, we identified staphylococcal enterotoxin I-like domains. In N11 protein, we identified hepatitis E E2S-like domains, SARS spike protein-like domains, and toxin components shared by alpha-bungarotoxin, staphylococcal enterotoxin I, anthrax lethal factor, clostridium botulinum neurotoxin, and clostridium tetanus toxin. The presence of active site components common to the N6, influenza B, and S. pneumoniae neuraminidases in the N10 and N11 proteins, combined with the absence of apparent neuraminidase function, suggests that the role of neuraminidases in H17N10 and H18N11 emerging influenza A viruses may have changed. The presentation of E2S-like, SARS spike protein-like, or toxin-like domains by the N10 and N11 proteins in these emerging viruses may indicate that H17N10 and H18N11 sialidase-facilitated cell

Treatment of divergent expansions in scattering theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gersten, A.; Malin, S.

1978-01-01

One of the biggest obstacles in applying quantum field theory to realistic scattering problems are the divergencies of pertubation expansions for large coupling constants and the divergencies of partial wave expansions for massless particles exchanges. There exist, however, methods of summation of the divergent expansions which can lead to significant application in physics. In this paper we treat the problem of summing such expansions using three methods: (i) a generalization of the Pade approximation to the multivariable case. The suggested definition is unique and preserves unitarity. (ii) The summation of divergent partial waves for arbitrary spins. (iii) A successful application of a series inversion to the 3 P 1 nucleon-nucleon phase shift up to 200 MeV. (orig./WL) [de

Convergence from divergence

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Costin, Ovidiu; Dunne, Gerald V.

2018-01-01

We show how to convert divergent series, which typically occur in many applications in physics, into rapidly convergent inverse factorial series. This can be interpreted physically as a novel resummation of perturbative series. Being convergent, these new series allow rigorous extrapolation from an asymptotic region with a large parameter, to the opposite region where the parameter is small. We illustrate the method with various physical examples, and discuss how these convergent series relate to standard methods such as Borel summation, and also how they incorporate the physical Stokes phenomenon. We comment on the relation of these results to Dyson’s physical argument for the divergence of perturbation theory. This approach also leads naturally to a wide class of relations between bosonic and fermionic partition functions, and Klein-Gordon and Dirac determinants.

The relation between gray matter morphology and divergent thinking in adolescents and young adults.

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Janna Cousijn

Full Text Available Adolescence and early adulthood are developmental time periods during which creative cognition is highly important for adapting to environmental changes. Divergent thinking, which refers to generating novel and useful solutions to open-ended problems, has often been used as a measure of creative cognition. The first goal of this structural neuroimaging study was to elucidate the relationship between gray matter morphology and performance in the verbal (AUT; alternative uses task and visuo-spatial (CAT; creative ability test domain of divergent thinking in adolescents and young adults. The second goal was to test if gray matter morphology is related to brain activity during AUT performance. Neural and behavioral data were combined from a cross-sectional study including 25 adolescents aged 15-17 and 20 young adults aged 25-30. Brain-behavior relationships were assessed without a priori location assumptions and within areas that were activated during an AUT-scanner task. Gray matter volume and cortical thickness were not significantly associated with verbal divergent thinking. However, visuo-spatial divergent thinking (CAT originality and fluency was positively associated with cortical thickness of the right middle temporal gyrus and left brain areas including the superior frontal gyrus and various occipital, parietal, and temporal areas, independently of age. AUT brain activity was not associated with cortical thickness. The results support an important role of a widespread brain network involved in flexible visuo-spatial divergent thinking, providing evidence for a relation between cortical thickness and visuo-spatial divergent thinking in adolescents and young adults. However, studies including visuo-spatial divergent thinking tasks in the scanner are warranted.

Atmospheric horizontal divergence and diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castans, M.

1981-01-01

The action of horizontal divergence on diffusion near the ground is established through.a very simple flow model. The shape of the well-known Pasquill-Gifford-Turner curves, that apparently take account in some way of divergence, is justified. The possibility of explaining the discre--pancies between the conventional straight line model and experimental results, mainly under low-wind-speed satable conditions, is considered. Some hints for further research are made. (auth.)

Ion divergence in magnetically insulated diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slutz, S.A.; Lemke, R.W.; Pointon, T.D.; Desjarlais, M.P.; Johnson, D.J.; Mehlhorn, T.A.; Filuk, A.; Bailey, J.

1995-01-01

Magnetically insulated ion diodes are being developed to drive inertial confinement fusion. Ion beam microdivergence must be reduced to achieve the very high beam intensities required to achieve this goal. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations indicate that instability induced fluctuations can produce significant ion divergence during acceleration. These simulations exhibit a fast growing mode early in time, which has been identified as the diocotron instability. The divergence generated by this mode is modest due to the relatively high frequency (>1GHz). Later, a low-frequency low-phase-velocity instability develops. This instability couples effectively to the ions, since the frequency is approximately the reciprocal of the ion transit time, and can generate unacceptably large ion divergences (>30 mrad). Linear stability theory reveals that this mode requires perturbations parallel to the applied magnetic field and is related to the modified two stream instability. Measurements of ion density fluctuations and energy-momentum correlations have confirmed that instabilities develop in ion diodes and contribute to the ion divergence. In addition, spectroscopic measurements indicate that the ions have a significant transverse temperature very close to the emission surface. Passive lithium fluoride (LiF) anodes have larger transverse beam temperatures than laser irradiated active sources. Calculations of source divergence expected from the roughness of LiF surfaces and the possible removal of this layer is presented

Chloroplast Genome Evolution in Early Diverged Leptosporangiate Ferns

OpenAIRE

Kim, Hyoung Tae; Chung, Myong Gi; Kim, Ki-Joong

2014-01-01

In this study, the chloroplast (cp) genome sequences from three early diverged leptosporangiate ferns were completed and analyzed in order to understand the evolution of the genome of the fern lineages. The complete cp genome sequence of Osmunda cinnamomea (Osmundales) was 142,812 base pairs (bp). The cp genome structure was similar to that of eusporangiate ferns. The gene/intron losses that frequently occurred in the cp genome of leptosporangiate ferns were not found in the cp genome of O. c...

Numerical simulation of the divergence of a wind turbine airfoil : part 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramdenee, D.; Minea, I.S.; Tardiff d' Hamonville, T.; Illinca, A. [Quebec Univ., Rimouski, PQ (Canada). Laboratoire de Recherche en Energie Eolienne

2010-07-01

The development of larger, more flexible wind turbine blades is creating the need for an improved understanding of the mechanisms surrounding unsteady flow-structure interactions. This 2-part study used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to identify and model the aerodynamic and aeroelastic phenomena around wind turbine blades. Aeroelastic divergence was modelled using coupled aerodynamic and elastic models with an ANSYS software program. The fluid-structure interactions of an NACA0012 airfoil were simulated in order to determine the divergence phenomenon created by aerodynamic loads and transient fluid flow. The airfoil profile was fixed and exempted from all rotational degrees of liberty while being subjected to a constant flow of velocity. The fixing was then removed and the constant flow was compared with a shock wave on the airfoil profile. The profile then oscillated with damped amplitude due to the aerodynamic damping imposed. Results of the analysis will be compared with results obtained in future studies. 7 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs.

Using Dendritic Heat Maps to Simultaneously Display Genotype Divergence with Phenotype Divergence.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellom, Matthew; Raymond, Jason

2016-01-01

The advancement of techniques to visualize and analyze large-scale sequencing datasets is an area of active research and is rooted in traditional techniques such as heat maps and dendrograms. We introduce dendritic heat maps that display heat map results over aligned DNA sequence clusters for a range of clustering cutoffs. Dendritic heat maps aid in visualizing the effects of group differences on clustering hierarchy and relative abundance of sampled sequences. Here, we artificially generate two separate datasets with simplified mutation and population growth procedures with GC content group separation to use as example phenotypes. In this work, we use the term phenotype to represent any feature by which groups can be separated. These sequences were clustered in a fractional identity range of 0.75 to 1.0 using agglomerative minimum-, maximum-, and average-linkage algorithms, as well as a divisive centroid-based algorithm. We demonstrate that dendritic heat maps give freedom to scrutinize specific clustering levels across a range of cutoffs, track changes in phenotype inequity across multiple levels of sequence clustering specificity, and easily visualize how deeply rooted changes in phenotype inequity are in a dataset. As genotypes diverge in sample populations, clusters are shown to break apart into smaller clusters at higher identity cutoff levels, similar to a dendrogram. Phenotype divergence, which is shown as a heat map of relative abundance bin response, may or may not follow genotype divergences. This joined view highlights the relationship between genotype and phenotype divergence for treatment groups. We discuss the minimum-, maximum-, average-, and centroid-linkage algorithm approaches to building dendritic heat maps and make a case for the divisive "top-down" centroid-based clustering methodology as being the best option visualize the effects of changing factors on clustering hierarchy and relative abundance.

Using Dendritic Heat Maps to Simultaneously Display Genotype Divergence with Phenotype Divergence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Kellom

Full Text Available The advancement of techniques to visualize and analyze large-scale sequencing datasets is an area of active research and is rooted in traditional techniques such as heat maps and dendrograms. We introduce dendritic heat maps that display heat map results over aligned DNA sequence clusters for a range of clustering cutoffs. Dendritic heat maps aid in visualizing the effects of group differences on clustering hierarchy and relative abundance of sampled sequences. Here, we artificially generate two separate datasets with simplified mutation and population growth procedures with GC content group separation to use as example phenotypes. In this work, we use the term phenotype to represent any feature by which groups can be separated. These sequences were clustered in a fractional identity range of 0.75 to 1.0 using agglomerative minimum-, maximum-, and average-linkage algorithms, as well as a divisive centroid-based algorithm. We demonstrate that dendritic heat maps give freedom to scrutinize specific clustering levels across a range of cutoffs, track changes in phenotype inequity across multiple levels of sequence clustering specificity, and easily visualize how deeply rooted changes in phenotype inequity are in a dataset. As genotypes diverge in sample populations, clusters are shown to break apart into smaller clusters at higher identity cutoff levels, similar to a dendrogram. Phenotype divergence, which is shown as a heat map of relative abundance bin response, may or may not follow genotype divergences. This joined view highlights the relationship between genotype and phenotype divergence for treatment groups. We discuss the minimum-, maximum-, average-, and centroid-linkage algorithm approaches to building dendritic heat maps and make a case for the divisive "top-down" centroid-based clustering methodology as being the best option visualize the effects of changing factors on clustering hierarchy and relative abundance.

Transcriptome-wide patterns of divergence during allopatric evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Ricardo J; Barreto, Felipe S; Pierce, N Tessa; Carneiro, Miguel; Burton, Ronald S

2016-04-01

Recent studies have revealed repeated patterns of genomic divergence associated with species formation. Such patterns suggest that natural selection tends to target a set of available genes, but is also indicative that closely related taxa share evolutionary constraints that limit genetic variability. Studying patterns of genomic divergence among populations within the same species may shed light on the underlying evolutionary processes. Here, we examine transcriptome-wide divergence and polymorphism in the marine copepod Tigriopus californicus, a species where allopatric evolution has led to replicate sets of populations with varying degrees of divergence and hybrid incompatibility. Our analyses suggest that relatively small effective population sizes have resulted in an exponential decline of shared polymorphisms during population divergence and also facilitated the fixation of slightly deleterious mutations within allopatric populations. Five interpopulation comparisons at three different stages of divergence show that nonsynonymous mutations tend to accumulate in a specific set of proteins. These include proteins with central roles in cellular metabolism, such as those encoded in mtDNA, but also include an additional set of proteins that repeatedly show signatures of positive selection during allopatric divergence. Although our results are consistent with a contribution of nonadaptive processes, such as genetic drift and gene expression levels, generating repeatable patterns of genomic divergence in closely related taxa, they also indicate that adaptive evolution targeting a specific set of genes contributes to this pattern. Our results yield insights into the predictability of evolution at the gene level. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Waveguide and active region structure optimization for low-divergence InAs/InGaAs quantum dot comb lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Korenev, Vladimir V.; Savelyev, Artem V.; Zhukov, Alexey E.; Maximov, Mikhail V.; Omelchenko, Alexander V.

2015-05-01

Ways to improve beam divergence and energy consumption of quantum dot lasers emitting via the ground-state optical transitions by optimization of the key parameters of laser active region are discussed. It is shown that there exist an optimal cavity length, dispersion of inhomogeneous broadening and number of QD layers in active region allowing to obtain lasing spectrum of a given width at minimum injection current. The planar dielectric waveguide of the laser is optimized by analytical means for a better trade-off between high Γ-factor and low beam divergence.

Divergent Thinking and Age-Related Changes

Science.gov (United States)

Palmiero, Massimiliano; Di Giacomo, Dina; Passafiume, Domenico

2014-01-01

Aging can affect cognition in different ways. The extent to which aging affects divergent thinking is unclear. In this study, younger and older adults were compared at the performance on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking in visual and verbal form. Results showed that older adults can think divergently as younger participants, although they…

Two New Measures of Fuzzy Divergence and Their Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Om Parkash

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Several measures of directed divergence and their corresponding measures of fuzzy divergence are available in the exiting literature. Two new measures of fuzzy divergence have been developed and their desirable properties have been discussed.

Minimising the Kullback–Leibler Divergence for Model Selection in Distributed Nonlinear Systems

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Oliver M. Cliff

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Kullback–Leibler (KL divergence is a fundamental measure of information geometry that is used in a variety of contexts in artificial intelligence. We show that, when system dynamics are given by distributed nonlinear systems, this measure can be decomposed as a function of two information-theoretic measures, transfer entropy and stochastic interaction. More specifically, these measures are applicable when selecting a candidate model for a distributed system, where individual subsystems are coupled via latent variables and observed through a filter. We represent this model as a directed acyclic graph (DAG that characterises the unidirectional coupling between subsystems. Standard approaches to structure learning are not applicable in this framework due to the hidden variables; however, we can exploit the properties of certain dynamical systems to formulate exact methods based on differential topology. We approach the problem by using reconstruction theorems to derive an analytical expression for the KL divergence of a candidate DAG from the observed dataset. Using this result, we present a scoring function based on transfer entropy to be used as a subroutine in a structure learning algorithm. We then demonstrate its use in recovering the structure of coupled Lorenz and Rössler systems.

Does gene flow constrain adaptive divergence or vice versa? A test using ecomorphology and sexual isolation in Timema cristinae walking-sticks.

Science.gov (United States)

Nosil, P; Crespi, B J

2004-01-01

Population differentiation often reflects a balance between divergent natural selection and the opportunity for homogenizing gene flow to erode the effects of selection. However, during ecological speciation, trait divergence results in reproductive isolation and becomes a cause, rather than a consequence, of reductions in gene flow. To assess both the causes and the reproductive consequences of morphological differentiation, we examined morphological divergence and sexual isolation among 17 populations of Timema cristinae walking-sticks. Individuals from populations adapted to using Adenostoma as a host plant tended to exhibit smaller overall body size, wide heads, and short legs relative to individuals using Ceonothus as a host. However, there was also significant variation in morphology among populations within host-plant species. Mean trait values for each single population could be reliably predicted based upon host-plant used and the potential for homogenizing gene flow, inferred from the size of the neighboring population using the alternate host and mitochondrial DNA estimates of gene flow. Morphology did not influence the probability of copulation in between-population mating trials. Thus, morphological divergence is facilitated by reductions in gene flow, but does not cause reductions in gene flow via the evolution of sexual isolation. Combined with rearing data indicating that size and shape have a partial genetic basis, evidence for parallel origins of the host-associated forms, and inferences from functional morphology, these results indicate that morphological divergence in T. cristinae reflects a balance between the effects of host-specific natural selection and gene flow. Our findings illustrate how data on mating preferences can help determine the causal associations between trait divergence and levels of gene flow.

One-loop divergences in the quantum theory of supergravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieuwenhuizen, P. van; Vermaseren, J.A.M.

1976-01-01

Supergravity does not lead to a finite quantum theory of gravitation when coupled to the spin 1, 1/2 matter multiplet. The S-matrix of photon-photon scattering diverges; its divergences are proportional to the square of the photon energy-momentum tensor, in agreement with electro-magnetic duality and chiral invariance. The graviton self-energy corrections are divergent in pure supergravity as well as in the coupled Maxwell-Einstein system and satisfy their Ward identity because the supersymmetry ghost field is commuting. The photon-graviton vertex corrections diverge, as expected from the non-invariance of the action under local scale transformations, and satisfy the equivalence principle at the quantum level. The photon self-energy is divergent. (Auth.)

Evolutionary divergence in sexual signals: Insights from within and among barn swallow populations

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Matthew Reed

A wealth of studies across diverse animal groups indicate the importance of sexual selection in shaping phenotypes within and across breeding populations. In recent decades, much research has focused on how divergent sexual selection pressures among populations may lead to speciation. For my first dissertation chapter, I performed a literature review on the causes and consequences of evolutionary divergence in acoustic signals and developed the acoustic window conceptual framework for understanding the contributions of selection, genetic drift, and evolutionary constraint to signal divergence. Further, I found that sexual selection explains acoustic differences between recently diverged populations of the best-studied taxa. However, the relative contributions of ecological selection, sexual selection, and drift to acoustic divergence have not typically been considered within the same study systems. The remainder of my dissertation used the Northern Hemisphere-distributed barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica) species complex as a model system to study sender-receiver dynamics, intra- and intersexual selection pressures, and visual and acoustic signal interactions at the local scale, and signal divergence across populations at the global scale. From song recordings taken across 19 sampling sites, spanning five of six described subspecies, I demonstrated considerable conservation in song structure. However, temporal traits were highly divergent across subspecies, and in particular, the speed of the terminal trill of songs. In a detailed study of the multimodal communication system of the barn swallow (including visual and acoustic traits), I demonstrated that males and females use different types of signals to mediate competition and mate choice. One of the only exceptions to this rule was trill rate, which was also implicated in song divergence across populations. In order to test the function of trill rate in communication, I performed a two-year playback study within the

Sandwiched Rényi divergence satisfies data processing inequality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beigi, Salman

2013-01-01

Sandwiched (quantum) α-Rényi divergence has been recently defined in the independent works of Wilde et al. [“Strong converse for the classical capacity of entanglement-breaking channels,” preprint http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1306.1586 (2013)] and Müller-Lennert et al. [“On quantum Rényi entropies: a new definition, some properties and several conjectures,” preprint http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1306.3142v1 (2013)]. This new quantum divergence has already found applications in quantum information theory. Here we further investigate properties of this new quantum divergence. In particular, we show that sandwiched α-Rényi divergence satisfies the data processing inequality for all values of α > 1. Moreover we prove that α-Holevo information, a variant of Holevo information defined in terms of sandwiched α-Rényi divergence, is super-additive. Our results are based on Hölder's inequality, the Riesz-Thorin theorem and ideas from the theory of complex interpolation. We also employ Sion's minimax theorem

Where the lake meets the sea: strong reproductive isolation is associated with adaptive divergence between lake resident and anadromous three-spined sticklebacks.

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Mark Ravinet

Full Text Available Contact zones between divergent forms of the same species are often characterised by high levels of phenotypic diversity over small geographic distances. What processes are involved in generating such high phenotypic diversity? One possibility is that introgression and recombination between divergent forms in contact zones results in greater phenotypic and genetic polymorphism. Alternatively, strong reproductive isolation between forms may maintain distinct phenotypes, preventing homogenisation by gene flow. Contact zones between divergent freshwater-resident and anadromous stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L. forms are numerous and common throughout the species distribution, offering an opportunity to examine these contrasting hypotheses in greater detail. This study reports on an interesting new contact zone located in a tidally influenced lake catchment in western Ireland, characterised by high polymorphism for lateral plate phenotypes. Using neutral and QTL-linked microsatellite markers, we tested whether the high diversity observed in this contact zone arose as a result of introgression or reproductive isolation between divergent forms: we found strong support for the latter hypothesis. Three phenotypic and genetic clusters were identified, consistent with two divergent resident forms and a distinct anadromous completely plated population that migrates in and out of the system. Given the strong neutral differentiation detected between all three morphotypes (mean FST = 0.12, we hypothesised that divergent selection between forms maintains reproductive isolation. We found a correlation between neutral genetic and adaptive genetic differentiation that support this. While strong associations between QTL linked markers and phenotypes were also observed in this wild population, our results support the suggestion that such associations may be more complex in some Atlantic populations compared to those in the Pacific. These findings provide an

Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites: Structural Diversity and Opportunities for Semiconductor Design

Science.gov (United States)

Mitzi, David

Photovoltaic (PV) devices based on three-dimensional perovskites, (Cs, MA, FA)Pb(I, Br)3 (MA =methylammonium, FA =formamidinium), have attracted substantial recent interest, because of the unprecedented rise in power conversion efficiency to values above 20%, which in turn is made possible by the near ideal band gap, strong optical absorption, high carrier mobilities, long minority carrier lifetimes, and relatively benign defects and grain boundaries for the absorbers. Some of the same properties that render these materials near-ideal for PV, also make them attractive for LED and other optoelectronic applications. Despite the high levels of device performance, the incorporation of the heavy metal lead, coupled with issues of device stability and electrical hysteresis pose challenges for commercializing these exciting technologies. This talk will provide a perspective on and discuss recent advances related to the broader perovskite family, focusing on the extraordinary structural/chemical diversity, including ability to control structural/electronic dimensionality, substitute on the organic cation, metal or halogen sites, and prospects of multi-functionality arising from separately engineered organic/inorganic structural components (e.g., see). Further exploration within this perovskite structural and chemical space offers exciting opportunities for future energy and electronic materials design. This work has been financially supported by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), U.S. Dept. of Energy, under Award Number DE-EE0006712.

Lexicographic presentation of grammatical divergence in Sesotho ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Relying on existing insights from the field of theoretical lexicography this article gives an innovative application to the relation of divergence by introducing the notion of grammatical divergence. In bilingual dictionaries with English and Sesotho sa Leboa as language pair lexicographers are confronted with a real challenge ...

Hermite-Pade approximation approach to hydromagnetic flows in convergent-divergent channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makinde, O.D.

2005-10-01

The problem of two-dimensional, steady, nonlinear flow of an incompressible conducting viscous fluid in convergent-divergent channels under the influence of an externally applied homogeneous magnetic field is studied using a special type of Hermite-Pade approximation approach. This semi-numerical scheme offers some advantages over solutions obtained by using traditional methods such as finite differences, spectral method, shooting method, etc. It reveals the analytical structure of the solution function and the important properties of overall flow structure including velocity field, flow reversal control and bifurcations are discussed. (author)

Variational divergence in wave scattering theory with Kirchhoffean trial functions

Science.gov (United States)

Bird, J. F.

1986-01-01

In a recent study of variational improvement of the Kirchhoff approximation for electromagnetic scattering by rough surfaces, a key ingredient in the variational principle was found to diverge for important configurations (e.g., backscatter) if the polarization had any vertical component. The cause and a cure of this divergence are discussed here. The divergence is demonstrated to occur for arbitrary perfectly conducting scatterers and its universal characterstics are determined, by means of a general divergence criterion that is derived. A variational cure for the divergence is prescribed, and it is tested successfully on a standard scattering model.

Positive selection and propeptide repeats promote rapid interspecific divergence of a gastropod sperm protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellberg, M E; Moy, G W; Vacquier, V D

2000-03-01

Male-specific proteins have increasingly been reported as targets of positive selection and are of special interest because of the role they may play in the evolution of reproductive isolation. We report the rapid interspecific divergence of cDNA encoding a major acrosomal protein of unknown function (TMAP) of sperm from five species of teguline gastropods. A mitochondrial DNA clock (calibrated by congeneric species divided by the Isthmus of Panama) estimates that these five species diverged 2-10 MYA. Inferred amino acid sequences reveal a propeptide that has diverged rapidly between species. The mature protein has diverged faster still due to high nonsynonymous substitution rates (> 25 nonsynonymous substitutions per site per 10(9) years). cDNA encoding the mature protein (89-100 residues) shows evidence of positive selection (Dn/Ds > 1) for 4 of 10 pairwise species comparisons. cDNA and predicted secondary-structure comparisons suggest that TMAP is neither orthologous nor paralogous to abalone lysin, and thus marks a second, phylogenetically independent, protein subject to strong positive selection in free-spawning marine gastropods. In addition, an internal repeat in one species (Tegula aureotincta) produces a duplicated cleavage site which results in two alternatively processed mature proteins differing by nine amino acid residues. Such alternative processing may provide a mechanism for introducing novel amino acid sequence variation at the amino-termini of proteins. Highly divergent TMAP N-termini from two other tegulines (Tegula regina and Norrisia norrisii) may have originated by such a mechanism.

Does niche divergence accompany allopatric divergence in Aphelocoma jays as predicted under ecological speciation? Insights from tests with niche models.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormack, John E; Zellmer, Amanda J; Knowles, L Lacey

2010-05-01

The role of ecology in the origin of species has been the subject of long-standing interest to evolutionary biologists. New sources of spatially explicit ecological data allow for large-scale tests of whether speciation is associated with niche divergence or whether closely related species tend to be similar ecologically (niche conservatism). Because of the confounding effects of spatial autocorrelation of environmental variables, we generate null expectations for niche divergence for both an ecological-niche modeling and a multivariate approach to address the question: do allopatrically distributed taxa occupy similar niches? In a classic system for the study of niche evolution--the Aphelocoma jays--we show that there is little evidence for niche divergence among Mexican Jay (A. ultramarina) lineages in the process of speciation, contrary to previous results. In contrast, Aphelocoma species that exist in partial sympatry in some regions show evidence for niche divergence. Our approach is widely applicable to the many cases of allopatric lineages in the beginning stages of speciation. These results do not support an ecological speciation model for Mexican Jay lineages because, in most cases, the allopatric environments they occupy are not significantly more divergent than expected under a null model.

Beam Angular Divergence Effects in Ion Implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horsky, T. N.; Hahto, S. K.; Bilbrough, D. G.; Jacobson, D. C.; Krull, W. A.; Goldberg, R. D.; Current, M. I.; Hamamoto, N.; Umisedo, S.

2008-01-01

An important difference between monomer ion beams and heavy molecular beams is a significant reduction in beam angular divergence and increased on-wafer angular accuracy for molecular beams. This advantage in beam quality stems from a reduction in space-charge effects within the beam. Such improved angular accuracy has been shown to have a significant impact on the quality and yield of transistor devices [1,12]. In this study, B 18 H x + beam current and angular divergence data collected on a hybrid scanned beam line that magnetically scans the beam across the wafer is presented. Angular divergence is kept below 0.5 deg from an effective boron energy of 200 eV to 3000 eV. Under these conditions, the beam current is shown analytically to be limited by space charge below about 1 keV, but by the matching of the beam emittance to the acceptance of the beam line above 1 keV. In addition, results of a beam transport model which includes variable space charge compensation are presented, in which a drift mode B 18 H x + beam is compared to an otherwise identical boron beam after deceleration. Deceleration is shown to introduce significant space-charge blow up resulting in a large on-wafer angular divergence. The divergence effects introduced by wafer charging are also discussed.

Divergent structural brain abnormalities between different genetic subtypes of children with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukoshe, Akvile; White, Tonya; Schmidt, Marcus N; van der Lugt, Aad; Hokken-Koelega, Anita C

2013-10-22

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex neurogenetic disorder with symptoms that indicate not only hypothalamic, but also a global, central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. However, little is known about developmental differences in brain structure in children with PWS. Thus, our aim was to investigate global brain morphology in children with PWS, including the comparison between different genetic subtypes of PWS. In addition, we performed exploratory cortical and subcortical focal analyses. High resolution structural magnetic resonance images were acquired in 20 children with genetically confirmed PWS (11 children carrying a deletion (DEL), 9 children with maternal uniparental disomy (mUPD)), and compared with 11 age- and gender-matched typically developing siblings as controls. Brain morphology measures were obtained using the FreeSurfer software suite. Both children with DEL and mUPD showed smaller brainstem volume, and a trend towards smaller cortical surface area and white matter volume. Children with mUPD had enlarged lateral ventricles and larger cortical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume. Further, a trend towards increased cortical thickness was found in children with mUPD. Children with DEL had a smaller cerebellum, and smaller cortical and subcortical grey matter volumes. Focal analyses revealed smaller white matter volumes in left superior and bilateral inferior frontal gyri, right cingulate cortex, and bilateral precuneus areas associated with the default mode network (DMN) in children with mUPD. Children with PWS show signs of impaired brain growth. Those with mUPD show signs of early brain atrophy. In contrast, children with DEL show signs of fundamentally arrested, although not deviant brain development and presented few signs of cortical atrophy. Our results of global brain measurements suggest divergent neurodevelopmental patterns in children with DEL and mUPD.

Active learning for noisy oracle via density power divergence.

Science.gov (United States)

Sogawa, Yasuhiro; Ueno, Tsuyoshi; Kawahara, Yoshinobu; Washio, Takashi

2013-10-01

The accuracy of active learning is critically influenced by the existence of noisy labels given by a noisy oracle. In this paper, we propose a novel pool-based active learning framework through robust measures based on density power divergence. By minimizing density power divergence, such as β-divergence and γ-divergence, one can estimate the model accurately even under the existence of noisy labels within data. Accordingly, we develop query selecting measures for pool-based active learning using these divergences. In addition, we propose an evaluation scheme for these measures based on asymptotic statistical analyses, which enables us to perform active learning by evaluating an estimation error directly. Experiments with benchmark datasets and real-world image datasets show that our active learning scheme performs better than several baseline methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decoding divergent series in nonparaxial optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Borghi, Riccardo; Gori, Franco; Guattari, Giorgio; Santarsiero, Massimo

2011-03-15

A theoretical analysis aimed at investigating the divergent character of perturbative series involved in the study of free-space nonparaxial propagation of vectorial optical beams is proposed. Our analysis predicts a factorial divergence for such series and provides a theoretical framework within which the results of recently published numerical experiments concerning nonparaxial propagation of vectorial Gaussian beams find a meaningful interpretation in terms of the decoding operated on such series by the Weniger transformation.

Phenotypic Divergence in the Reproductive Traits of Marbled ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Overall, the results indicated some level of phenotypic divergence of the fish ... divergence cannot be partitioned between fishing mortality, genetic .... female fish was estimated from the egg counts ..... that greatly improved the quality of the.

Robust boundary treatment for open-channel flows in divergence-free incompressible SPH

Science.gov (United States)

Pahar, Gourabananda; Dhar, Anirban

2017-03-01

A robust Incompressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ISPH) framework is developed to simulate specified inflow and outflow boundary conditions for open-channel flow. Being purely divergence-free, the framework offers smoothed and structured pressure distribution. An implicit treatment of Pressure Poison Equation and Dirichlet boundary condition is applied on free-surface to minimize error in velocity-divergence. Beyond inflow and outflow threshold, multiple layers of dummy particles are created according to specified boundary condition. Inflow boundary acts as a soluble wave-maker. Fluid particles beyond outflow threshold are removed and replaced with dummy particles with specified boundary velocity. The framework is validated against different cases of open channel flow with different boundary conditions. The model can efficiently capture flow evolution and vortex generation for random geometry and variable boundary conditions.

Taming infrared divergences in the effective potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elias-Miro, J. [IFAE, Univ. Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain); Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain). Dept. de Fisica; Espinosa, J.R. [IFAE, Univ. Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain); ICREA, Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats, Barcelona (Spain); Konstandin, T. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2014-06-15

The Higgs effective potential in the Standard Model (SM), calculated perturbatively, generically suffers from infrared (IR) divergences when the (field-dependent) tree-level mass of the Goldstone bosons goes to zero. Such divergences can affect both the potential and its first derivative and become worse with increasing loop order. In this paper we show that these IR divergences are spurious, we perform a simple resummation of all IR-problematic terms known (up to three loops) and explain how to extend the resummation to cure all such divergences to any order. The method is of general applicability and would work in scenarios other than the SM. Our discussion has some bearing on a scenario recently proposed as a mechanism for gauge mediation of scale breaking in the ultraviolet, in which it is claimed that the low-energy Higgs potential is non-standard. We argue that all non-decoupling effects from the heavy sector can be absorbed in the renormalization of low-energy parameters leading to a SM-like effective theory.

Taming infrared divergences in the effective potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elias-Miro, J.; Konstandin, T.

2014-06-01

The Higgs effective potential in the Standard Model (SM), calculated perturbatively, generically suffers from infrared (IR) divergences when the (field-dependent) tree-level mass of the Goldstone bosons goes to zero. Such divergences can affect both the potential and its first derivative and become worse with increasing loop order. In this paper we show that these IR divergences are spurious, we perform a simple resummation of all IR-problematic terms known (up to three loops) and explain how to extend the resummation to cure all such divergences to any order. The method is of general applicability and would work in scenarios other than the SM. Our discussion has some bearing on a scenario recently proposed as a mechanism for gauge mediation of scale breaking in the ultraviolet, in which it is claimed that the low-energy Higgs potential is non-standard. We argue that all non-decoupling effects from the heavy sector can be absorbed in the renormalization of low-energy parameters leading to a SM-like effective theory.

Nonparametric Information Geometry: From Divergence Function to Referential-Representational Biduality on Statistical Manifolds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Zhang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Divergence functions are the non-symmetric “distance” on the manifold, Μθ, of parametric probability density functions over a measure space, (Χ,μ. Classical information geometry prescribes, on Μθ: (i a Riemannian metric given by the Fisher information; (ii a pair of dual connections (giving rise to the family of α-connections that preserve the metric under parallel transport by their joint actions; and (iii a family of divergence functions ( α-divergence defined on Μθ x Μθ, which induce the metric and the dual connections. Here, we construct an extension of this differential geometric structure from Μθ (that of parametric probability density functions to the manifold, Μ, of non-parametric functions on X, removing the positivity and normalization constraints. The generalized Fisher information and α-connections on M are induced by an α-parameterized family of divergence functions, reflecting the fundamental convex inequality associated with any smooth and strictly convex function. The infinite-dimensional manifold, M, has zero curvature for all these α-connections; hence, the generally non-zero curvature of M can be interpreted as arising from an embedding of Μθ into Μ. Furthermore, when a parametric model (after a monotonic scaling forms an affine submanifold, its natural and expectation parameters form biorthogonal coordinates, and such a submanifold is dually flat for α = ± 1, generalizing the results of Amari’s α-embedding. The present analysis illuminates two different types of duality in information geometry, one concerning the referential status of a point (measurable function expressed in the divergence function (“referential duality” and the other concerning its representation under an arbitrary monotone scaling (“representational duality”.

Exact cancellation of quadratic divergences in top condensation models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumhofer, A.

1995-01-01

We discuss the hierarchy problem and the corresponding quadratic divergences in the top mode Standard Model. Quadratic divergences appear at each order 1/N c since fermionic and bosonic contributions are of different order 1/N c . It is shown that the full dynamical system to all orders in 1/N c admits a solution, where the sum of all quadratic divergent contributions disappears. ((orig.))

Conductive solar wind models in rapidly diverging flow geometries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holzer, T.E.; Leer, E.

1980-01-01

A detailed parameter study of conductive models of the solar wind has been carried out, extending the previous similar studies of Durney (1972) and Durney and Hundhausen (1974) by considering collisionless inhibition of thermal conduction, rapidly diverging flow geometries, and the structure of solutions for the entire n 0 -T 0 plane (n 0 and T 0 are the coronal base density and temperature). Primary emphasis is placed on understanding the complex effects of the physical processes operative in conductive solar wind models. There are five points of particular interest that have arisen from the study: (1) neither collisionless inhibition of thermal conduction nor rapidly diverging flow geometries can significantly increase the solar wind speed at 1 AU; (2) there exists a firm upper limit on the coronal base temperature consistent with observed values of the coronal base pressure and solar wind mass flux density; (3) the principal effect of rapidly diverging flow geometries is a decrease in the solar wind mass flux density at 1 AU and an increase in the mass flux density at the coronal base; (4) collisionless inhibition of thermal conduction can lead to a solar wind flow speed that either increases or decreases with increasing coronal base density (n 0 ) and temperature (T 0 , depending on the region of the n 0 -T 0 plane considered; (5) there is a region of the n 0 -T/sub o/ plane at high coronal base densities where low-speed, high-mass-flux, transonic solar wind flows exist: a region not previously considered

Interaction between central volcanoes and regional tectonics along divergent plate boundaries: Askja, Iceland

Science.gov (United States)

Trippanera, Daniele; Ruch, Joël; Acocella, Valerio; Thordarson, Thor; Urbani, Stefano

2018-01-01

Activity within magmatic divergent plate boundaries (MDPB) focuses along both regional fissure swarms and central volcanoes. An ideal place to investigate their mutual relationship is the Askja central volcano in Iceland. Askja consists of three nested calderas (namely Kollur, Askja and Öskjuvatn) located within a hyaloclastite massif along the NNE-SSW trending Icelandic MDPB. We performed an extensive field-based structural analysis supported by a remote sensing study of tectonic and volcanic features of Askja's calderas and of the eastern flank of the hyaloclastite massif. In the massif, volcano-tectonic structures trend N 10° E to N 40° E, but they vary around the Askja caldera being both parallel to the caldera rim and cross-cutting on the Western side. Structural trends around the Öskjuvatn caldera are typically rim parallel. Volcanic vents and dikes are preferentially distributed along the caldera ring faults; however, they follow the NNE-SSW regional structures when located outside the calderas. Our results highlight that the Askja volcano displays a balanced amount of regional (fissure-swarm related) and local (shallow-magma-chamber related) tectonic structures along with a mutual interaction among these. This is different from Krafla volcano (to the north of Askja) dominated by regional structures and Grímsvötn (to the South) dominated by local structures. Therefore, Askja represents an intermediate tectono-magmatic setting for volcanoes located in a slow divergent plate boundary. This is also likely in accordance with a northward increase in the spreading rate along the Icelandic MDPB.

Interaction between central volcanoes and regional tectonics along divergent plate boundaries: Askja, Iceland

KAUST Repository

Trippanera, Daniele

2017-12-04

Activity within magmatic divergent plate boundaries (MDPB) focuses along both regional fissure swarms and central volcanoes. An ideal place to investigate their mutual relationship is the Askja central volcano in Iceland. Askja consists of three nested calderas (namely Kollur, Askja and Öskjuvatn) located within a hyaloclastite massif along the NNE-SSW trending Icelandic MDPB. We performed an extensive field-based structural analysis supported by a remote sensing study of tectonic and volcanic features of Askja’s calderas and of the eastern flank of the hyaloclastite massif. In the massif, volcano-tectonic structures trend N 10° E to N 40° E, but they vary around the Askja caldera being both parallel to the caldera rim and cross-cutting on the Western side. Structural trends around the Öskjuvatn caldera are typically rim parallel. Volcanic vents and dikes are preferentially distributed along the caldera ring faults; however, they follow the NNE-SSW regional structures when located outside the calderas. Our results highlight that the Askja volcano displays a balanced amount of regional (fissure-swarm related) and local (shallow-magma-chamber related) tectonic structures along with a mutual interaction among these. This is different from Krafla volcano (to the north of Askja) dominated by regional structures and Grímsvötn (to the South) dominated by local structures. Therefore, Askja represents an intermediate tectono-magmatic setting for volcanoes located in a slow divergent plate boundary. This is also likely in accordance with a northward increase in the spreading rate along the Icelandic MDPB.

Total Bregman Divergence and its Applications to Shape Retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Meizhu; Vemuri, Baba C; Amari, Shun-Ichi; Nielsen, Frank

2010-01-01

Shape database search is ubiquitous in the world of biometric systems, CAD systems etc. Shape data in these domains is experiencing an explosive growth and usually requires search of whole shape databases to retrieve the best matches with accuracy and efficiency for a variety of tasks. In this paper, we present a novel divergence measure between any two given points in [Formula: see text] or two distribution functions. This divergence measures the orthogonal distance between the tangent to the convex function (used in the definition of the divergence) at one of its input arguments and its second argument. This is in contrast to the ordinate distance taken in the usual definition of the Bregman class of divergences [4]. We use this orthogonal distance to redefine the Bregman class of divergences and develop a new theory for estimating the center of a set of vectors as well as probability distribution functions. The new class of divergences are dubbed the total Bregman divergence (TBD). We present the l 1 -norm based TBD center that is dubbed the t-center which is then used as a cluster center of a class of shapes The t-center is weighted mean and this weight is small for noise and outliers. We present a shape retrieval scheme using TBD and the t-center for representing the classes of shapes from the MPEG-7 database and compare the results with other state-of-the-art methods in literature.

Demography and genome divergence of lake and stream populations of an East African cichlid fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Egger, Bernd; Roesti, Marius; Böhne, Astrid; Roth, Olivia; Salzburger, Walter

2017-10-01

Disentangling the processes and mechanisms underlying adaptive diversification is facilitated by the comparative study of replicate population pairs that have diverged along a similar environmental gradient. Such a setting is realized in a cichlid fish from southern Lake Tanganyika, Astatotilapia burtoni, which occurs within the lake proper as well as in various affluent rivers. Previously, we demonstrated that independent lake and stream populations show similar adaptations to the two habitat regimes. However, little is known about the evolutionary and demographic history of the A. burtoni populations in question and the patterns of genome divergence among them. Here, we apply restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to examine the evolutionary history, the population structure and genomic differentiation of lake and stream populations in A. burtoni. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on genome-wide molecular data largely resolved the evolutionary relationships among populations, allowing us to re-evaluate the independence of replicate lake-stream population clusters. Further, we detected a strong pattern of isolation by distance, with baseline genomic divergence increasing with geographic distance and decreasing with the level of gene flow between lake and stream populations. Genome divergence patterns were heterogeneous and inconsistent among lake-stream population clusters, which is explained by differences in divergence times, levels of gene flow and local selection regimes. In line with the latter, we only detected consistent outlier loci when the most divergent lake-stream population pair was excluded. Several of the thus identified candidate genes have inferred functions in immune and neuronal systems and show differences in gene expression between lake and stream populations. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How Context Matters? Mobilization, Political Opportunity Structures and Non-Electoral Political Participation in Old and New Democracies

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vráblíková, Kateřina

2014-01-01

Roč. 47, č. 2 (2014), s. 203-229 ISSN 0010-4140 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP408/12/1474 Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : Political participation * political opportunity structure * national institutions Subject RIV: AD - Politology ; Political Sciences Impact factor: 2.028, year: 2014

Vorticity and divergence in the high-latitude upper thermosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thayer, J.P.; Killeen, T.L.

1991-01-01

Measurements made from the Dynamics Explorer-2 satellite in November 1981 through January 1982 and November 1982 through January 1983 have been analyzed to determine the divergence and vertical component of vorticity of the high-latitude neutral wind field in the upper thermosphere for quiet (kp≤6) geomagnetic conditions and for both northern (winter) and southern (summer) hemispheres in the polar thermosphere and provides insight into the relative strengths of the different sources of momentum and energy responsible for driving the winds. The principal findings from this work include the following: The mean neutral wind pattern is dominated by rotational flow rather than by divergent flow, with a typical vorticity: divergence ratio of ∼ 2:1 for active conditions and ∼ 4:1 for quiet conditions. Comparison of the divergence and vorticity patterns for quiet and active conditions indicates that the divergent component of the neutral flow intensifies more significantly with increasing geomagnetic activity than does the rotational component

A Separation between Divergence and Holevo Information for Ensembles

OpenAIRE

Jain, Rahul; Nayak, Ashwin; Su, Yi

2007-01-01

The notion of divergence information of an ensemble of probability distributions was introduced by Jain, Radhakrishnan, and Sen in the context of the ``substate theorem''. Since then, divergence has been recognized as a more natural measure of information in several situations in quantum and classical communication. We construct ensembles of probability distributions for which divergence information may be significantly smaller than the more standard Holevo information. As a result, we establ...

Divergência genética entre cultivares de gérbera utilizando marcadores RAPD Genetic divergence among cultivars of gerbera using RAPD markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Kelson Silva Rezende

2009-11-01

genetic divergence among cultivars of gerbera was carried out with 21 primers, which amplified 37 DNA polymorphic fragments, used to estimate the Jaccard index and presented an average of 0,38, ranging from 0,28 to 0,56. The genetic structure among cultivars was estimated by UPGMA and revealed two distinct groups, at 38% genetic similarity. The largest genetic similarity found (56% was between cultivars 'Jaguar Yellow' and 'Jaguar Lemon'. The results showed that the RAPD is a fast, relatively inexpensive and useful technique for genetic divergence characterization between different cultivars of Gerbera jamesonii.

Chloroplast genome evolution in early diverged leptosporangiate ferns.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyoung Tae; Chung, Myong Gi; Kim, Ki-Joong

2014-05-01

In this study, the chloroplast (cp) genome sequences from three early diverged leptosporangiate ferns were completed and analyzed in order to understand the evolution of the genome of the fern lineages. The complete cp genome sequence of Osmunda cinnamomea (Osmundales) was 142,812 base pairs (bp). The cp genome structure was similar to that of eusporangiate ferns. The gene/intron losses that frequently occurred in the cp genome of leptosporangiate ferns were not found in the cp genome of O. cinnamomea. In addition, putative RNA editing sites in the cp genome were rare in O. cinnamomea, even though the sites were frequently predicted to be present in leptosporangiate ferns. The complete cp genome sequence of Diplopterygium glaucum (Gleicheniales) was 151,007 bp and has a 9.7 kb inversion between the trnL-CAA and trnVGCA genes when compared to O. cinnamomea. Several repeated sequences were detected around the inversion break points. The complete cp genome sequence of Lygodium japonicum (Schizaeales) was 157,142 bp and a deletion of the rpoC1 intron was detected. This intron loss was shared by all of the studied species of the genus Lygodium. The GC contents and the effective numbers of codons (ENCs) in ferns varied significantly when compared to seed plants. The ENC values of the early diverged leptosporangiate ferns showed intermediate levels between eusporangiate and core leptosporangiate ferns. However, our phylogenetic tree based on all of the cp gene sequences clearly indicated that the cp genome similarity between O. cinnamomea (Osmundales) and eusporangiate ferns are symplesiomorphies, rather than synapomorphies. Therefore, our data is in agreement with the view that Osmundales is a distinct early diverged lineage in the leptosporangiate ferns.

Evidence of multiple divergent mitochondrial lineages within the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

On this basis, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) was used to reconstruct the phylogeny of Bicoxidens and reveal divergent lineages within the genus. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses recovered a paraphyletic Bicoxidens phylogram with divergent lineages present in three species ...

Diverging expectations in buyer-seller relationships

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Poul Houman; Christensen, Poul Rind; Damgaard, Torben

2009-01-01

Many firms assume that outsourcing partnerships may allow them to strengthen their overall competitiveness. Lured by its intuitive appeal, several enter into such partnerships, only to realize that they represent a marginal rather than a magical solution to their quest for increasing market...... performance. We explore the proposed impact of diverging relationship norms on relationship expectations using data from an ongoing field study of Danish buyers and Chinese suppliers. We link these diverging expectations to the business practices of Danish buyers and Chinese and their institutional contexts...

Four-loop divergences of the two-dimensional (1,1) supersymmetric non-linear sigma model with a Wess-Zumino-Witten term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deriglazov, A.A.; Ketov, S.V.

1991-01-01

The four-loop divergences of the (1,1) supersymmetric two-dimensional non-linear σ-model with a Wess-Zumino-Witten term are analyzed. All the four-loop 1/ε-divergences in the general case (and an overall coefficient at the total four-loop contribution to the β-function) are shown to be reducible to only structures proportional to ζ(3). We explicitly calculate non-derivative contributions to the four-loop β-function from logarithmically divergent graphs. As a by-product, we obtain the complete four-loop β-function for the supersymmetric Wess-Zumino-Witten model. We use the partial results for the general four-loop β-function to shed some light on the structure of the (α') 3 -corrections to the superstring effective-action with antisymmetric-tensor field coupling. An inconsistency of the supersymmetrical dimensional regularisation via dimensional reduction in the presence of torsion is discovered at four loops, unless the string interpretation for the σ-model is adopted. (orig.)

Divergence of gene body DNA methylation and evolution of plant duplicate genes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Wang

Full Text Available It has been shown that gene body DNA methylation is associated with gene expression. However, whether and how deviation of gene body DNA methylation between duplicate genes can influence their divergence remains largely unexplored. Here, we aim to elucidate the potential role of gene body DNA methylation in the fate of duplicate genes. We identified paralogous gene pairs from Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica genomes and reprocessed their single-base resolution methylome data. We show that methylation in paralogous genes nonlinearly correlates with several gene properties including exon number/gene length, expression level and mutation rate. Further, we demonstrated that divergence of methylation level and pattern in paralogs indeed positively correlate with their sequence and expression divergences. This result held even after controlling for other confounding factors known to influence the divergence of paralogs. We observed that methylation level divergence might be more relevant to the expression divergence of paralogs than methylation pattern divergence. Finally, we explored the mechanisms that might give rise to the divergence of gene body methylation in paralogs. We found that exonic methylation divergence more closely correlates with expression divergence than intronic methylation divergence. We show that genomic environments (e.g., flanked by transposable elements and repetitive sequences of paralogs generated by various duplication mechanisms are associated with the methylation divergence of paralogs. Overall, our results suggest that the changes in gene body DNA methylation could provide another avenue for duplicate genes to develop differential expression patterns and undergo different evolutionary fates in plant genomes.

Kullback–Leibler quantum divergence as an indicator of quantum chaos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kowalewska-Kudłaszyk, A.; Kalaga, J.K.; Leoński, W.; Cao Long, V.

2012-01-01

We discuss a system of a nonlinear Kerr-like oscillator externally pumped by ultra-short, coherent pulses. For such a system, we analyse the application of the Kullback–Leibler quantum divergence K[ρ||σ] to the detection of quantum chaotic behaviour. Defining linear and nonlinear quantum divergences, and calculating their power spectra, we show that these parameters are more suitable indicators of quantum chaos than the fidelity commonly discussed in the literature, and are useful for dealing with short time series. Moreover, the nonlinear divergence is more sensitive to chaotic bands and to boundaries of chaotic regions, compared to its linear counterpart. -- Highlights: ► A nonlinear Kerr-like oscillator pumped by ultra-short coherent pulses is discussed. ► The Kullback–Leibler quantum divergence is analysed as an detector of quantum chaos. ► Linear and nonlinear quantum divergences and their power spectra are applied. ► The divergences are more adequate chaos's indicators than those based on fidelity. ► Defined nonlinear parameters are useful for dealing with short time series.

Creative Cognition in Secondary Science: An Exploration of Divergent Thinking in Science among Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Antink-Meyer, Allison; Lederman, Norman G.

2015-01-01

The divergent thinking skills in science of 282 US high school students were investigated across 16 weeks of instruction in order to determine whether typical academic time periods can significantly influence changes in thinking skills. Students' from 6 high school science classrooms completed the Scientific Structures Creativity Measure (SSCM)…

Epigenetic differentiation and relationship to adaptive genetic divergence in discrete populations of the violet Viola cazorlensis.

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Herrera, Carlos M; Bazaga, Pilar

2010-08-01

*In plants, epigenetic variations based on DNA methylation are often heritable and could influence the course of evolution. Before this hypothesis can be assessed, fundamental questions about epigenetic variation remain to be addressed in a real-world context, including its magnitude, structuring within and among natural populations, and autonomy in relation to the genetic context. *Extent and patterns of cytosine methylation, and the relationship to adaptive genetic divergence between populations, were investigated for wild populations of the southern Spanish violet Viola cazorlensis (Violaceae) using the methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) technique, a modification of the amplified fragment length polymorphism method (AFLP) based on the differential sensitivity of isoschizomeric restriction enzymes to site-specific cytosine methylation. *The genome of V. cazorlensis plants exhibited extensive levels of methylation, and methylation-based epigenetic variation was structured into distinct between- and within- population components. Epigenetic differentiation of populations was correlated with adaptive genetic divergence revealed by a Bayesian population-genomic analysis of AFLP data. Significant associations existed at the individual genome level between adaptive AFLP loci and the methylation state of methylation-susceptible MSAP loci. *Population-specific, divergent patterns of correlated selection on epigenetic and genetic individual variation could account for the coordinated epigenetic-genetic adaptive population differentiation revealed by this study.

Electroluminescence and electrical degradation of insulating polymers at electrode interfaces under divergent fields

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Zhang, Shuai; Li, Qi; Hu, Jun; Zhang, Bo; He, Jinliang

2018-04-01

Electrical degradation of insulating polymers at electrode interfaces is an essential factor in determining long-term reliability. A critical challenge is that the exact mechanism of degradation is not fully understood, either experimentally or theoretically, due to the inherent complex processes. Consequently, in this study, we investigate electroluminescence (EL) at the interface of an electrode and insulator, and determine the relationship between EL and electrical degradation. Using a tip-plate electrode structure, the unique features of EL under a highly divergent field are investigated. The voltage type (alternating or direct current), the polymer matrix, and the time of pressing are also investigated separately. A study of EL from insulators under a divergent field is provided, and the relationship between EL spectra and degradation is discussed. It is shown that EL spectra under a divergent field have unique characteristics compared with EL spectra from polymer films under a uniform field and the most obvious one is the UV emission. The results obtained in the current investigation bring us a step closer to understanding the process of electrical degradation and provide a potential way to diagnose insulator defects.

Impact of urothelial carcinoma with divergent differentiation on tumor stage

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S Chalise

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Urinary bladder cancer is classified as urothelial or non-urothelial. Ninenty percent of bladder cancer are urothelial and has propensity for divergent differentiation. Squamous differentiation is associated with unfavourable prognostic features. The aim of this study is to determine the significance of urothelial carcinoma with divergent differentiation in relation to tumor stage and lymphovascular as well as perineural invasion in radical cystectomy and partial cystectomy specimen.Materials and methods: This prospective study was done among 51 patients who underwent radical cystectomy or partial cystectomy at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital from 1st August 2013 to 31st December 2015. Received specimen was grossed following standard protocol and histopathological evaluation was done in relation to tumor type, depth of invasion, Lymphovascular and perineural invasion.Results: Pure urothelial carcinoma comprises 47.1% of cases. Among the divergent differentiation, urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation was the commonest one (39.2% followed by glandular differentiation (5.9%, sarcomatoid differentiation (3.9%, clear cell variant (2.0% and squamous along with sarcomatoid variant (2.0%. Statistical significant correlation was found between urothelial carcinoma with divergent differentiation and tumor stage (p<0.012. Statistically significant correlation was also found between urothelial carcinoma with divergent differentiation and lymphovascular invasion (p=0.012 as well as perineural invasion (p=0.037.Conclusion:  Most common divergent differentiation was squamous differentiation. Urothelial carcinoma with divergent differentiation was associated with higher stage and lymphovascular as well as perineural invasion. So it is mandatory to search for the divergent differentiation in urothelial carcinoma as this may be associated with unfavourable prognosis.

Sufficient Statistics for Divergence and the Probability of Misclassification

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Quirein, J.

1972-01-01

One particular aspect is considered of the feature selection problem which results from the transformation x=Bz, where B is a k by n matrix of rank k and k is or = to n. It is shown that in general, such a transformation results in a loss of information. In terms of the divergence, this is equivalent to the fact that the average divergence computed using the variable x is less than or equal to the average divergence computed using the variable z. A loss of information in terms of the probability of misclassification is shown to be equivalent to the fact that the probability of misclassification computed using variable x is greater than or equal to the probability of misclassification computed using variable z. First, the necessary facts relating k-dimensional and n-dimensional integrals are derived. Then the mentioned results about the divergence and probability of misclassification are derived. Finally it is shown that if no information is lost (in x = Bz) as measured by the divergence, then no information is lost as measured by the probability of misclassification.

Segmenting the human genome based on states of neutral genetic divergence.

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Kuruppumullage Don, Prabhani; Ananda, Guruprasad; Chiaromonte, Francesca; Makova, Kateryna D

2013-09-03

Many studies have demonstrated that divergence levels generated by different mutation types vary and covary across the human genome. To improve our still-incomplete understanding of the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon, we analyze several mutation types simultaneously, anchoring their variation to specific regions of the genome. Using hidden Markov models on insertion, deletion, nucleotide substitution, and microsatellite divergence estimates inferred from human-orangutan alignments of neutrally evolving genomic sequences, we segment the human genome into regions corresponding to different divergence states--each uniquely characterized by specific combinations of divergence levels. We then parsed the mutagenic contributions of various biochemical processes associating divergence states with a broad range of genomic landscape features. We find that high divergence states inhabit guanine- and cytosine (GC)-rich, highly recombining subtelomeric regions; low divergence states cover inner parts of autosomes; chromosome X forms its own state with lowest divergence; and a state of elevated microsatellite mutability is interspersed across the genome. These general trends are mirrored in human diversity data from the 1000 Genomes Project, and departures from them highlight the evolutionary history of primate chromosomes. We also find that genes and noncoding functional marks [annotations from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE)] are concentrated in high divergence states. Our results provide a powerful tool for biomedical data analysis: segmentations can be used to screen personal genome variants--including those associated with cancer and other diseases--and to improve computational predictions of noncoding functional elements.

On the absence of large-order divergences in superstring theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, S.

2003-01-01

The genus-dependence of multi-loop superstring amplitudes is estimated at large orders in perturbation theory using the super-Schottky group parameterization of supermoduli space. Restriction of the integration region to a subset of supermoduli space and a single fundamental domain of the super-modular group suggests an exponential dependence on the genus. Upper bounds for these estimates are obtained for arbitrary N-point superstring scattering amplitudes and are shown to be consistent with exact results obtained for special type II string amplitudes for orbifold or Calabi-Yau compactifications. The genus-dependence is then obtained by considering the effect of the remaining contribution to the superstring amplitudes after the coefficients of the formally divergent parts of the integrals vanish as a result of a sum over spin structures. The introduction of supersymmetry therefore leads to the elimination of large-order divergences in string perturbation theory, a result which is based only on the supersymmetric generalization of the Polyakov measure and not the gauge group of the string model. (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

GENDER-BASED DIFFERENCES IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN’S DIVERGENT THINKING

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Leah Roue

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study examines whether the shortage of females in science and engineering is linked to possible gender-based differences in school-aged children’s divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a direct measure of creativity and an important characteristic in science and engineering. A survey instrument designed to measure divergent thinking was administered to 8th and 11th graders in a mid-western United States school district. Results showed that there were no difference between girls and boys on the three measures of divergent thinking: fluency, flexibility, and originality. These results indicate little reason as to why participation in science and engineering is male dominated, and support the notion that additional exposure to science and engineering through divergent-thinking activities will provide girls with the self-knowledge that they are capable of solving open-ended problems and engineering tasks.

Frequencies of digits, divergence points, and Schmidt games

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, L.

2009-01-01

Sets of divergence points, i.e. numbers x (or tuples of numbers) for which the limiting frequency of a given string of N-adic digits of x fails to exist, have recently attracted huge interest in the literature. In this paper we consider sets of simultaneous divergence points, i.e. numbers x (or tuples of numbers) for which the limiting frequencies of all strings of N-adic digits of x fail to exist. We show that many natural sets of simultaneous divergence points are (α, β)-wining sets in the sense of the Schmidt game. As an application we obtain lower bounds for the Hausdorff dimension of these sets.

Information Geometry of Positive Measures and Positive-Definite Matrices: Decomposable Dually Flat Structure

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Shun-ichi Amari

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Information geometry studies the dually flat structure of a manifold, highlighted by the generalized Pythagorean theorem. The present paper studies a class of Bregman divergences called the (ρ,τ-divergence. A (ρ,τ -divergence generates a dually flat structure in the manifold of positive measures, as well as in the manifold of positive-definite matrices. The class is composed of decomposable divergences, which are written as a sum of componentwise divergences. Conversely, a decomposable dually flat divergence is shown to be a (ρ,τ -divergence. A (ρ,τ -divergence is determined from two monotone scalar functions, ρ and τ. The class includes the KL-divergence, α-, β- and (α, β-divergences as special cases. The transformation between an affine parameter and its dual is easily calculated in the case of a decomposable divergence. Therefore, such a divergence is useful for obtaining the center for a cluster of points, which will be applied to classification and information retrieval in vision. For the manifold of positive-definite matrices, in addition to the dually flatness and decomposability, we require the invariance under linear transformations, in particular under orthogonal transformations. This opens a way to define a new class of divergences, called the (ρ,τ -structure in the manifold of positive-definite matrices.

Polyketide synthase chemistry does not direct biosynthetic divergence between 9- and 10-membered enediynes

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Horsman, Geoff P.; Chen, Yihua; Thorson, Jon S.; Shen, Ben

2010-01-01

Enediynes are potent antitumor antibiotics that are classified as 9- or 10-membered according to the size of the enediyne core structure. However, almost nothing is known about enediyne core biosynthesis, and the determinants of 9- versus 10-membered enediyne core biosynthetic divergence remain elusive. Previous work identified enediyne-specific polyketide synthases (PKSEs) that can be phylogenetically distinguished as being involved in 9- versus 10-membered enediyne biosynthesis, suggesting that biosynthetic divergence might originate from differing PKSE chemistries. Recent in vitro studies have identified several compounds produced by the PKSE and associated thioesterase (TE), but condition-dependent product profiles make it difficult to ascertain a true catalytic difference between 9- and 10-membered PKSE-TE systems. Here we report that PKSE chemistry does not direct 9- versus 10-membered enediyne core biosynthetic divergence as revealed by comparing the products from three 9-membered and two 10-membered PKSE-TE systems under identical conditions using robust in vivo assays. Three independent experiments support a common catalytic function for 9- and 10-membered PKSEs by the production of a heptaene metabolite from: (i) all five cognate PKSE-TE pairs in Escherichia coli; (ii) the C-1027 and calicheamicin cognate PKSE-TEs in Streptomyces lividans K4-114; and (iii) selected native producers of both 9- and 10-membered enediynes. Furthermore, PKSEs and TEs from different 9- and 10-membered enediyne biosynthetic machineries are freely interchangeable, revealing that 9- versus 10-membered enediyne core biosynthetic divergence occurs beyond the PKSE-TE level. These findings establish a starting point for determining the origins of this biosynthetic divergence. PMID:20534556

Comparative genomics and repetitive sequence divergence in the species of diploid Nicotiana section Alatae.

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Lim, K Yoong; Kovarik, Ales; Matyasek, Roman; Chase, Mark W; Knapp, Sandra; McCarthy, Elizabeth; Clarkson, James J; Leitch, Andrew R

2006-12-01

Combining phylogenetic reconstructions of species relationships with comparative genomic approaches is a powerful way to decipher evolutionary events associated with genome divergence. Here, we reconstruct the history of karyotype and tandem repeat evolution in species of diploid Nicotiana section Alatae. By analysis of plastid DNA, we resolved two clades with high bootstrap support, one containing N. alata, N. langsdorffii, N. forgetiana and N. bonariensis (called the n = 9 group) and another containing N. plumbaginifolia and N. longiflora (called the n = 10 group). Despite little plastid DNA sequence divergence, we observed, via fluorescent in situ hybridization, substantial chromosomal repatterning, including altered chromosome numbers, structure and distribution of repeats. Effort was focussed on 35S and 5S nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and the HRS60 satellite family of tandem repeats comprising the elements HRS60, NP3R and NP4R. We compared divergence of these repeats in diploids and polyploids of Nicotiana. There are dramatic shifts in the distribution of the satellite repeats and complete replacement of intergenic spacers (IGSs) of 35S rDNA associated with divergence of the species in section Alatae. We suggest that sequence homogenization has replaced HRS60 family repeats at sub-telomeric regions, but that this process may not occur, or occurs more slowly, when the repeats are found at intercalary locations. Sequence homogenization acts more rapidly (at least two orders of magnitude) on 35S rDNA than 5S rDNA and sub-telomeric satellite sequences. This rapid rate of divergence is analogous to that found in polyploid species, and is therefore, in plants, not only associated with polyploidy.

Soil science and geology: Connects, disconnects and new opportunities in geoscience education

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Landa, E.R.

2004-01-01

Despite historical linkages, the fields of geology and soil science have developed along largely divergent paths in the United States during much of the mid- to late- twentieth century. The shift in recent decades within both disciplines to greater emphasis on environmental quality issues and a systems approach has created new opportunities for collaboration and cross-training. Because of the importance of the soil as a dynamic interface between the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere, introductory and advanced soil science classes are now being taught in a number of earth and environmental science departments. The National Research Council's recent report, Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science, highlights the soil zone as part of the land surface-to-groundwater "critical zone" requiring additional investigation. To better prepare geology undergraduates to deal with complex environmental problems, their training should include a fundamental understanding of the nature and properties of soils. Those undergraduate geology students with an interest in this area should be encouraged to view soil science as a viable earth science specialty area for graduate study. Summer internships such as those offered by the National Science Foundation-funded Integrative Graduate Education, Research, and Training (IGERT) programs offer geology undergraduates the opportunity to explore research and career opportunities in soil science.

Next-generation sequencing reveals phylogeographic structure and a species tree for recent bird divergences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McCormack, John E.; Maley, James M.; Hird, Sarah M.

2012-01-01

divergence in four phylogenetically diverse avian systems using a method for quick and cost-effective generation of primary DNA sequence data using pyrosequencing. NGS data were processed using an analytical pipeline that reduces many reads into two called alleles per locus per individual. Using single...... throughout the genome. Using eight loci found in Zonotrichia and Junco lineages, we were also able to generate a species tree of these sparrow sister genera, demonstrating the potential of this method for generating data amenable to coalescent-based analysis. We discuss improvements that should enhance...

The direct Flow parametric Proof of Gauss' Divergence Theorem revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markvorsen, Steen

The standard proof of the divergence theorem in undergraduate calculus courses covers the theorem for static domains between two graph surfaces. We show that within first year undergraduate curriculum, the flow proof of the dynamic version of the divergence theorem - which is usually considered...... we apply the key instrumental concepts and verify the various steps towards this alternative proof of the divergence theorem....

Endemic infrared divergences in QED3 at finite temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo, Pok Man; Swanson, Eric S.

2011-01-01

We demonstrate that massless QED in three dimensions contains endemic infrared divergences. It is argued that these divergences do not affect observables; furthermore, it is possible to choose a gauge that renders the theory finite.

Design of a divergence and alignment indicator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenizer, J.S. Jr.; Raine, D.A.; Gao, J.; Chen, J.

1996-01-01

The divergence and alignment indicator (DAI) is an extension of the ASTM E803 L/D thermal neutron radiography L/D device that allows the user to determine both the beam centerline and the beam divergence. The DAI was made using aluminium plate and rods, and incorporated cadmium wire for contrast. Circular symmetry was utilized to simplify manufacture. The DAI was placed with the five posts against the film cassette or radioscopic imaging device in the physical center of the beam. The DAI was perpendicular to the selected beam radius when the front and back center Cd wire images overlap. The degree of misalignment was indicated by their image positions. After the DAI was aligned, analysis of the cadmium wire ''+'' image spacing yielded the beam divergence. The DAI was tested in a neutron beam which has an L/D of 30 but a small degree of divergence. The DAI was also imaged using an X-ray source. The point source predictions of Cd wire image locations showed good agreement with those measured from the X-ray radiograph. The neutron radiographic locations could be predicted using the point source equations, even though the neutron beam was a complex distributed source. (orig.)

Divergence with gene flow across a speciation continuum of Heliconius butterflies.

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Supple, Megan A; Papa, Riccardo; Hines, Heather M; McMillan, W Owen; Counterman, Brian A

2015-09-24

A key to understanding the origins of species is determining the evolutionary processes that drive the patterns of genomic divergence during speciation. New genomic technologies enable the study of high-resolution genomic patterns of divergence across natural speciation continua, where taxa pairs with different levels of reproductive isolation can be used as proxies for different stages of speciation. Empirical studies of these speciation continua can provide valuable insights into how genomes diverge during speciation. We examine variation across a handful of genomic regions in parapatric and allopatric populations of Heliconius butterflies with varying levels of reproductive isolation. Genome sequences were mapped to 2.2-Mb of the H. erato genome, including 1-Mb across the red color pattern locus and multiple regions unlinked to color pattern variation. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a speciation continuum of pairs of hybridizing races and incipient species in the Heliconius erato clade. Comparisons of hybridizing pairs of divergently colored races and incipient species reveal that genomic divergence increases with ecological and reproductive isolation, not only across the locus responsible for adaptive variation in red wing coloration, but also at genomic regions unlinked to color pattern. We observe high levels of divergence between the incipient species H. erato and H. himera, suggesting that divergence may accumulate early in the speciation process. Comparisons of genomic divergence between the incipient species and allopatric races suggest that limited gene flow cannot account for the observed high levels of divergence between the incipient species. Our results provide a reconstruction of the speciation continuum across the H. erato clade and provide insights into the processes that drive genomic divergence during speciation, establishing the H. erato clade as a powerful framework for the study of speciation.

Performance analysis of alpha divergence in nonnegative matrix ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This is achieved by using a suitable cost function to determine the optimal factorization. Most work in this field has focused on the use of Euclidean and Kullback-Liebler (KL) divergence. This study looks into the use of α-divergence based non negative factorization in the context of single channel musical sound separation.

Seismic characteristics and identification of negative flower structures, positive flower structures, and positive structural inversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harding, T.P.

1985-04-01

Negative and positive flower structures and positive inverted structures imply specific modes of formation, and their distinctive characteristics make them important criteria for the identification of certain structural styles. A negative flower structure from the Andaman Sea consists of a shallow synform bounded by upward-spreading strands of a wrench fault that have mostly normal separations. Paralleling monoclines and oblique, en echelon normal faults flank the divergent wrench fault. A positive flower structure from the Ardmore basin, Oklahoma, consists of a shallow antiform displaced by the upward diverging strands of a wrench fault that have mostly reverse separations. En echelon folds are present on either side of this convergent wrench fault. Positive structural inversion at the Rambutan oil field, South Sumatra basin, has formed a shallow anticlinorium and has partly uplifted the underlying graben. Deeper fault segments bounding the graben have retained their normal fault profiles, but at shallow levels some of these faults have reverse separations.

Are habitat fragmentation, local adaptation and isolation-by-distance driving population divergence in wild rice Oryza rufipogon?

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Zhao, Yao; Vrieling, Klaas; Liao, Hui; Xiao, Manqiu; Zhu, Yongqing; Rong, Jun; Zhang, Wenju; Wang, Yuguo; Yang, Ji; Chen, Jiakuan; Song, Zhiping

2013-11-01

Habitat fragmentation weakens the connection between populations and is accompanied with isolation by distance (IBD) and local adaptation (isolation by adaptation, IBA), both leading to genetic divergence between populations. To understand the evolutionary potential of a population and to formulate proper conservation strategies, information on the roles of IBD and IBA in driving population divergence is critical. The putative ancestor of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) is endangered in China due to habitat loss and fragmentation. We investigated the genetic variation in 11 Chinese Oryza rufipogon populations using 79 microsatellite loci to infer the effects of habitat fragmentation, IBD and IBA on genetic structure. Historical and current gene flows were found to be rare (mh  = 0.0002-0.0013, mc  = 0.007-0.029), indicating IBD and resulting in a high level of population divergence (FST  = 0.343). High within-population genetic variation (HE  = 0.377-0.515), relatively large effective population sizes (Ne  = 96-158), absence of bottlenecks and limited gene flow were found, demonstrating little impact of recent habitat fragmentation on these populations. Eleven gene-linked microsatellite loci were identified as outliers, indicating local adaptation. Hierarchical AMOVA and partial Mantel tests indicated that population divergence of Chinese O. rufipogon was significantly correlated with environmental factors, especially habitat temperature. Common garden trials detected a significant adaptive population divergence associated with latitude. Collectively, these findings imply that IBD due to historical rather than recent fragmentation, followed by local adaptation, has driven population divergence in O. rufipogon. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Divergence in function and expression of the NOD26-like intrinsic proteins in plants

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Feng Ying

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs that belong to the aquaporin superfamily are plant-specific and exhibit a similar three-dimensional structure. Experimental evidences however revealed that functional divergence should have extensively occurred among NIP genes. It is therefore intriguing to further investigate the evolutionary mechanisms being responsible for the functional diversification of the NIP genes. To better understand this process, a comprehensive analysis including the phylogenetic, positive selection, functional divergence, and transcriptional analysis was carried out. Results The origination of NIPs could be dated back to the primitive land plants, and their diversification would be no younger than the emergence time of the moss P. patens. The rapid proliferation of NIPs in plants may be primarily attributed to the segmental chromosome duplication produced by polyploidy and tandem duplications. The maximum likelihood analysis revealed that NIPs should have experienced strong selective pressure for adaptive evolution after gene duplication and/or speciation, prompting the formation of distinct NIP groups. Functional divergence analysis at the amino acid level has provided strong statistical evidence for shifted evolutionary rate and/or radical change of the physiochemical properties of amino acids after gene duplication, and DIVERGE2 has identified the critical amino acid sites that are thought to be responsible for the divergence for further investigation. The expression of plant NIPs displays a distinct tissue-, cell-type-, and developmental specific pattern, and their responses to various stress treatments are quite different also. The differences in organization of cis-acting regulatory elements in the promoter regions may partially explain their distinction in expression. Conclusion A number of analyses both at the DNA and amino acid sequence levels have provided strong evidences that plant NIPs have

Phylogeographic structure in long-tailed voles (Rodentia: Arvicolinae) belies the complex Pleistocene history of isolation, divergence, and recolonization of Northwest North America's fauna.

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Sawyer, Yadéeh E; Cook, Joseph A

2016-09-01

Quaternary climate fluctuations restructured biodiversity across North American high latitudes through repeated episodes of range contraction, population isolation and divergence, and subsequent expansion. Identifying how species responded to changing environmental conditions not only allows us to explore the mode and tempo of evolution in northern taxa, but also provides a basis for forecasting future biotic response across the highly variable topography of western North America. Using a multilocus approach under a Bayesian coalescent framework, we investigated the phylogeography of a wide-ranging mammal, the long-tailed vole, Microtus longicaudus . We focused on populations along the North Pacific Coast to refine our understanding of diversification by exploring the potentially compounding roles of multiple glacial refugia and more recent fragmentation of an extensive coastal archipelago. Through a combination of genetic data and species distribution models (SDMs), we found that historical climate variability influenced contemporary genetic structure, with multiple isolated locations of persistence (refugia) producing multiple divergent lineages (Beringian or northern, southeast Alaska or coastal, and southern or continental) during glacial advances. These vole lineages all occur along the North Pacific Coast where the confluence of numerous independent lineages in other species has produced overlapping zones of secondary contact, collectively a suture zone. Finally, we detected high levels of neoendemism due to complex island geography that developed in the last 10,000 years with the rising sea levels of the Holocene.

Evidence for extreme divergence of open field lines from solar activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dulk, G.A.; Suzuki, S.; Melrose, D.B.

1979-01-01

This paper reviews the evidence on the structure of the open magnetic field lines that emerge from solar active regions into interplanetary space. The evidence comes mainly from the measured sizes, positions and polarization of Type III and Type V bursts, and from electron streams observed from space. It is found that the observations are best interpreted in terms of a strongly-diverging field topology, with the open field lines filling a cone of angle approx. 60 0

Mass generation and the problem of seagull divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueiredo, C. T.; Aguilar, A. C.

2016-01-01

The gluon mass generation is a purely non-perturbative effect, and the natural framework to study it in the continuum are the Schwinger-Dyson equations (SDEs) of the theory. At the level of the SDEs the generation of such a mass is associated with the existence of infrared finite solutions for the gluon propagator. From the theoretical point of view, the dynamical gluon mass generation has been traditionally plagued with seagull divergences. In this work, we will review how such divergences can be eliminated completely by virtue of a characteristic identity, valid in dimensional regularization. As a pedagogical example, we will first discuss in the context of scalar QED how it is possible to eliminate all seagull divergences, by triggering the aforementioned special identity, which enforces the masslessness of the photon. Then, we will discuss what happens in QCD and present an Ansatz for the three gluon vertex, which completely eliminates all seagull divergences and at same time allows for the possibility of a dynamical gluon mass generation. (paper)

Concrete ensemble Kalman filters with rigorous catastrophic filter divergence.

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Kelly, David; Majda, Andrew J; Tong, Xin T

2015-08-25

The ensemble Kalman filter and ensemble square root filters are data assimilation methods used to combine high-dimensional, nonlinear dynamical models with observed data. Ensemble methods are indispensable tools in science and engineering and have enjoyed great success in geophysical sciences, because they allow for computationally cheap low-ensemble-state approximation for extremely high-dimensional turbulent forecast models. From a theoretical perspective, the dynamical properties of these methods are poorly understood. One of the central mysteries is the numerical phenomenon known as catastrophic filter divergence, whereby ensemble-state estimates explode to machine infinity, despite the true state remaining in a bounded region. In this article we provide a breakthrough insight into the phenomenon, by introducing a simple and natural forecast model that transparently exhibits catastrophic filter divergence under all ensemble methods and a large set of initializations. For this model, catastrophic filter divergence is not an artifact of numerical instability, but rather a true dynamical property of the filter. The divergence is not only validated numerically but also proven rigorously. The model cleanly illustrates mechanisms that give rise to catastrophic divergence and confirms intuitive accounts of the phenomena given in past literature.

Island biology and morphological divergence of the Skyros wall lizard Podarcis gaigeae: a combined role for local selection and genetic drift on color morph frequency divergence?

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Runemark Anna

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patterns of spatial variation in discrete phenotypic traits can be used to draw inferences about the adaptive significance of traits and evolutionary processes, especially when compared to patterns of neutral genetic variation. Population divergence in adaptive traits such as color morphs can be influenced by both local ecology and stochastic factors such as genetic drift or founder events. Here, we use quantitative color measurements of males and females of Skyros wall lizard, Podarcis gaigeae, to demonstrate that this species is polymorphic with respect to throat color, and the morphs form discrete phenotypic clusters with limited overlap between categories. We use divergence in throat color morph frequencies and compare that to neutral genetic variation to infer the evolutionary processes acting on islet- and mainland populations. Results Geographically close islet- and mainland populations of the Skyros wall lizard exhibit strong divergence in throat color morph frequencies. Population variation in throat color morph frequencies between islets was higher than that between mainland populations, and the effective population sizes on the islets were small (Ne:s ST for throat color morph frequencies fell within the neutral FST-distribution estimated from microsatellite markers, and genetic drift could thus not be rejected as an explanation for the pattern. Moreover, for both comparisons among mainland-mainland population pairs and between mainland-islet population pairs, morph frequency divergence was significantly correlated with neutral divergence, further pointing to some role for genetic drift in divergence also at the phenotypic level of throat color morphs. Conclusions Genetic drift could not be rejected as an explanation for the pattern of population divergence in morph frequencies. In spite of an expected stabilising selection, throat color frequencies diverged in the islet populations. These results suggest that

Anthropogenic habitat disturbance and ecological divergence between incipient species of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamdem, Colince; Tene Fossog, Billy; Simard, Frédéric; Etouna, Joachim; Ndo, Cyrille; Kengne, Pierre; Boussès, Philippe; Etoa, François-Xavier; Awono-Ambene, Parfait; Fontenille, Didier; Antonio-Nkondjio, Christophe; Besansky, Nora J; Costantini, Carlo

2012-01-01

Anthropogenic habitat disturbance is a prime cause in the current trend of the Earth's reduction in biodiversity. Here we show that the human footprint on the Central African rainforest, which is resulting in deforestation and growth of densely populated urban agglomerates, is associated to ecological divergence and cryptic speciation leading to adaptive radiation within the major malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. In southern Cameroon, the frequency of two molecular forms--M and S--among which reproductive isolation is strong but still incomplete, was correlated to an index of urbanisation extracted from remotely sensed data, expressed as the proportion of built-up surface in each sampling unit. The two forms markedly segregated along an urbanisation gradient forming a bimodal cline of ∼6-km width: the S form was exclusive to the rural habitat, whereas only the M form was present in the core of densely urbanised settings, co-occurring at times in the same polluted larval habitats of the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus--a species association that was not historically recorded before. Our results indicate that when humans create novel habitats and ecological heterogeneities, they can provide evolutionary opportunities for rapid adaptive niche shifts associated with lineage divergence, whose consequences upon malaria transmission might be significant.

Genetic divergence of tomato subsamples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Pugnal Mattedi

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Understanding the genetic variability of a species is crucial for the progress of a genetic breeding program and requires characterization and evaluation of germplasm. This study aimed to characterize and evaluate 101 tomato subsamples of the Salad group (fresh market and two commercial controls, one of the Salad group (cv. Fanny and another of the Santa Cruz group (cv. Santa Clara. Four experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with three replications and five plants per plot. The joint analysis of variance was performed and characteristics with significant complex interaction between control and experiment were excluded. Subsequently, the multicollinearity diagnostic test was carried out and characteristics that contributed to severe multicollinearity were excluded. The relative importance of each characteristics for genetic divergence was calculated by the Singh's method (Singh, 1981, and the less important ones were excluded according to Garcia (1998. Results showed large genetic divergence among the subsamples for morphological, agronomic and organoleptic characteristics, indicating potential for genetic improvement. The characteristics total soluble solids, mean number of good fruits per plant, endocarp thickness, mean mass of marketable fruit per plant, total acidity, mean number of unmarketable fruit per plant, internode diameter, internode length, main stem thickness and leaf width contributed little to the genetic divergence between the subsamples and may be excluded in future studies.

Conservation and Divergence in the Candida Species Biofilm Matrix Mannan-Glucan Complex Structure, Function, and Genetic Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Dominguez, Eddie; Zarnowski, Robert; Sanchez, Hiram; Covelli, Antonio S; Westler, William M; Azadi, Parastoo; Nett, Jeniel; Mitchell, Aaron P; Andes, David R

2018-04-03

Candida biofilms resist the effects of available antifungal therapies. Prior studies with Candida albicans biofilms show that an extracellular matrix mannan-glucan complex (MGCx) contributes to antifungal sequestration, leading to drug resistance. Here we implement biochemical, pharmacological, and genetic approaches to explore a similar mechanism of resistance for the three most common clinically encountered non- albicans Candida species (NAC). Our findings reveal that each Candida species biofilm synthesizes a mannan-glucan complex and that the antifungal-protective function of this complex is conserved. Structural similarities extended primarily to the polysaccharide backbone (α-1,6-mannan and β-1,6-glucan). Surprisingly, biochemical analysis uncovered stark differences in the branching side chains of the MGCx among the species. Consistent with the structural analysis, similarities in the genetic control of MGCx production for each Candida species also appeared limited to the synthesis of the polysaccharide backbone. Each species appears to employ a unique subset of modification enzymes for MGCx synthesis, likely accounting for the observed side chain diversity. Our results argue for the conservation of matrix function among Candida spp. While biogenesis is preserved at the level of the mannan-glucan complex backbone, divergence emerges for construction of branching side chains. Thus, the MGCx backbone represents an ideal drug target for effective pan- Candida species biofilm therapy. IMPORTANCE Candida species, the most common fungal pathogens, frequently grow as a biofilm. These adherent communities tolerate extremely high concentrations of antifungal agents, due in large part, to a protective extracellular matrix. The present studies define the structural, functional, and genetic similarities and differences in the biofilm matrix from the four most common Candida species. Each species synthesizes an extracellular mannan-glucan complex (MGCx) which

Spectroscopic determination of species and divergence of hydrogen beams in the W7AS neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, W.; Penningsfeld, F.P.

1993-01-01

Light-collecting systems are installed at the neutralizers of the W7AS neutral beam lines. They receive light emitted at an angle of 120 to the beam axes. Hydrogen beams are analyzed at around the wavelength of H α (6562.8 A), helium beams at around 5875.6 A. The hydrogen spectra show the well-known shifted and unshifted lines emitted by the different beam species and the background gas. The line widths are mainly determined by the beam focussing, the beamlet divergence and the apparatus profile. Knowing the focussing properties of the ion source and the instrument function of the spectrometer, one can determine the beamlet divergence. The spectrum is approximated by a series of Gaussians using least-squares fitting methods and evaluated with respect to beam species and divergence. Evaluation of the spectra proved difficult because they show a structured background, which is observed in the whole range of the Doppler shift. It is shown with helium beams that the background is caused by wall reflection of light emitted by the beam in the whole angular range between 0 and 180 . The knowledge of the background structure gained with He beams allows interpretation of the more complicated hydrogen spectra. (orig.)

Divergent evapotranspiration partition dynamics between shrubs and grasses in a shrub-encroached steppe ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pei; Li, Xiao-Yan; Wang, Lixin; Wu, Xiuchen; Hu, Xia; Fan, Ying; Tong, Yaqin

2018-06-04

Previous evapotranspiration (ET) partitioning studies have usually neglected competitions and interactions between antagonistic plant functional types. This study investigated whether shrubs and grasses have divergent ET partition dynamics impacted by different water-use patterns, canopy structures, and physiological properties in a shrub-encroached steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China. The soil water-use patterns of shrubs and grasses have been quantified by an isotopic tracing approach and coupled into an improved multisource energy balance model to partition ET fluxes into soil evaporation, grass transpiration, and shrub transpiration. The mean fractional contributions to total ET were 24 ± 13%, 20 ± 4%, and 56 ± 16% for shrub transpiration, grass transpiration, and soil evaporation respectively during the growing season. Difference in ecohydrological connectivity and leaf development both contributed to divergent transpiration partitioning between shrubs and grasses. Shrub-encroachment processes result in larger changes in the ET components than in total ET flux, which could be well explained by changes in canopy resistance, an ecosystem function dominated by the interaction of soil water-use patterns and ecosystem structure. The analyses presented here highlight the crucial effects of vegetation structural changes on the processes of land-atmosphere interaction and climate feedback. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

The French Version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-Revised (Scared-R: Factor Structure, Convergent and Divergent Validity in a Sample of Teenagers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martine Bouvard

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The principal objective of this study is to provide data on the French version of the SCARED-R. This article investigates the factor structure of the French version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-Revised (SCARED-R and its convergent and divergent validity. 704 normal adolescents aged 10 to 19 years completed the questionnaires in their classrooms. A sub-sample of 595 adolescents also completed an anxiety questionnaire (the French version of the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised, FSSC-R and a depression questionnaire (the French version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D. Confirmatory factor analysis of the SCARED-R suggested reasonable fit for the 9-factor model. The comparison of the convergent and divergent validity revealed that the SCARED-R total score and five SCARED-R subscales (SAD, Social Phobia and the three Specific Phobias correlated more strongly with anxiety than depression. The other SCARED-R subscales (GAD, Panic Disorder, OCD and PTSD are positively related to levels of anxiety and depression. Altogether, the French version of the SCARED-R showed reasonable psychometric properties.

Sex-Linked Mating Strategies Diverge with a Manipulation of Genital Salience.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetterman, Adam K; Kruger, Nicole N; Robinson, Michael D

2015-02-01

Trivers (1972) proposed that evolutionary factors should favor divergent mating strategies for males versus females. Such differences may be less pronounced among human beings than other animals and social norms and sex roles are also pertinent influences. The present experiment ( N = 133 college undergraduates, 74 female) sought to bypass some of these other influences. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition designed to increase attention to the genital region (a downward pointing arrow) or not (an upward pointing arrow). They then reported on their interest in short-term (e.g., a one-night stand) and long-term (e.g., a potential marital partner) mating opportunities. A theory-consistent three-way interaction occurred such that the genital salience manipulation primed a shorter-term reproductive strategy among men and a longer-term reproductive strategy among women. The results provide unique support for evolution-linked ideas about sex differences in the form of a role for bodily attention.

Dimensional regularization and infrared divergences in quantum electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marculescu, S.

1979-01-01

Dimensional continuation was devised as a powerful regularization method for ultraviolet divergences in quantum field theories. Recently it was clear, at least for quantum electrodynamics, that such a method could be employed for factorizing out infrared divergences from the on-shell S-matrix elements. This provides a renormalization scheme on the electron mass-shell without using a gauge violating ''photon mass''. (author)

Neural Mechanisms of Episodic Retrieval Support Divergent Creative Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Madore, Kevin P; Thakral, Preston P; Beaty, Roger E; Addis, Donna Rose; Schacter, Daniel L

2017-11-17

Prior research has indicated that brain regions and networks that support semantic memory, top-down and bottom-up attention, and cognitive control are all involved in divergent creative thinking. Kernels of evidence suggest that neural processes supporting episodic memory-the retrieval of particular elements of prior experiences-may also be involved in divergent thinking, but such processes have typically been characterized as not very relevant for, or even a hindrance to, creative output. In the present study, we combine functional magnetic resonance imaging with an experimental manipulation to test formally, for the first time, episodic memory's involvement in divergent thinking. Following a manipulation that facilitates detailed episodic retrieval, we observed greater neural activity in the hippocampus and stronger connectivity between a core brain network linked to episodic processing and a frontoparietal brain network linked to cognitive control during divergent thinking relative to an object association control task that requires little divergent thinking. Stronger coupling following the retrieval manipulation extended to a subsequent resting-state scan. Neural effects of the episodic manipulation were consistent with behavioral effects of enhanced idea production on divergent thinking but not object association. The results indicate that conceptual frameworks should accommodate the idea that episodic retrieval can function as a component process of creative idea generation, and highlight how the brain flexibly utilizes the retrieval of episodic details for tasks beyond simple remembering. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Global similarity and local divergence in human and mouse gene co-expression networks

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Koonin Eugene V

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A genome-wide comparative analysis of human and mouse gene expression patterns was performed in order to evaluate the evolutionary divergence of mammalian gene expression. Tissue-specific expression profiles were analyzed for 9,105 human-mouse orthologous gene pairs across 28 tissues. Expression profiles were resolved into species-specific coexpression networks, and the topological properties of the networks were compared between species. Results At the global level, the topological properties of the human and mouse gene coexpression networks are, essentially, identical. For instance, both networks have topologies with small-world and scale-free properties as well as closely similar average node degrees, clustering coefficients, and path lengths. However, the human and mouse coexpression networks are highly divergent at the local level: only a small fraction ( Conclusion The dissonance between global versus local network divergence suggests that the interspecies similarity of the global network properties is of limited biological significance, at best, and that the biologically relevant aspects of the architectures of gene coexpression are specific and particular, rather than universal. Nevertheless, there is substantial evolutionary conservation of the local network structure which is compatible with the notion that gene coexpression networks are subject to purifying selection.

Divergent Perturbation Series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suslov, I.M.

2005-01-01

Various perturbation series are factorially divergent. The behavior of their high-order terms can be determined by Lipatov's method, which involves the use of instanton configurations of appropriate functional integrals. When the Lipatov asymptotic form is known and several lowest order terms of the perturbation series are found by direct calculation of diagrams, one can gain insight into the behavior of the remaining terms of the series, which can be resummed to solve various strong-coupling problems in a certain approximation. This approach is demonstrated by determining the Gell-Mann-Low functions in φ 4 theory, QED, and QCD with arbitrary coupling constants. An overview of the mathematical theory of divergent series is presented, and interpretation of perturbation series is discussed. Explicit derivations of the Lipatov asymptotic form are presented for some basic problems in theoretical physics. A solution is proposed to the problem of renormalon contributions, which hampered progress in this field in the late 1970s. Practical perturbation-series summation schemes are described both for a coupling constant of order unity and in the strong-coupling limit. An interpretation of the Borel integral is given for 'non-Borel-summable' series. Higher order corrections to the Lipatov asymptotic form are discussed

Divergência genética entre progênies de café robusta Genetic divergence among robusta coffe progenies

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Milana Gonçalves Ivoglo

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Estudou-se a divergência genética de 21 progênies de meios-irmãos - 19 do grupo Congolês e duas do grupo Guineano - de introduções do germoplasma de café robusta (Coffea canephora do IAC. O estudo baseou-se em análises multivariadas de 14 características morfo-agronômicas, com o propósito de selecionar as progênies mais divergentes, visando à definição de população-base para posterior seleção e produção de híbridos. Avaliou-se também a importância das características discriminantes para análises de divergência, visando ao descarte das variáveis, segundo suas contribuições relativas. O experimento foi plantado e desenvolvido em campo experimental localizado no Pólo Regional do Nordeste Paulista, Mococa (SP, em blocos casualizados, com 21 tratamentos e 24 repetições. O agrupamento dos genótipos foi realizado com base nos métodos de Tocher e UPGMA. A matriz de dissimilaridade genética foi obtida por meio da distância generalizada de Mahalanobis, que serviu de base para a formação dos grupos. Os métodos empregados foram eficientes em detectar ampla variabilidade genética entre as progênies avaliadas. Vários grupos dissimilares foram identificados. As progênies IAC 2262, IAC 2290, IAC 2286, IAC 2292 e IAC 2291 são indicadas para compor programas de intercruzamentos, por terem sido consideradas as mais promissoras na obtenção de populações segregantes ou híbridos heteróticos. As características que menos contribuíram para a divergência genética foram, hierarquicamente: diâmetro da copa antes da poda, altura da planta antes da poda e área foliar.It was studied genetic divergence of 21 half-sib progenies, being 19 of the Congolês group and two of the Guineano group, introductions of germoplasma robust (Coffea canephora, based in 14 morpho-agronomic traits and multivariate procedures. It's aims to select the lineages most divergent for definition of population-base for posterior reciprocal

mRNA export in the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii: emerging divergent components of a crucial pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ávila, Andréa Rodrigues; Cabezas-Cruz, Alexjandro; Gissot, Mathieu

2018-01-25

Control of gene expression is crucial for parasite survival and is the result of a series of processes that are regulated to permit fine-tuning of gene expression in response to biological changes during the life-cycle of apicomplexan parasites. Control of mRNA nuclear export is a key process in eukaryotic cells but is poorly understood in apicomplexan parasites. Here, we review recent knowledge regarding this process with an emphasis on T. gondii. We describe the presence of divergent orthologs and discuss structural and functional differences in export factors between apicomplexans and other eukaryotic lineages. Undoubtedly, the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in high throughput screenings associated with the discovery of mRNA nuclear export complexes by proteomic analysis will contribute to identify these divergent factors. Ligand-based or structure-based strategies may be applied to investigate the potential use of these proteins as targets for new antiprotozoal agents.

Micropolar Fluids Using B-spline Divergence Conforming Spaces

KAUST Repository

Sarmiento, Adel

2014-06-06

We discretized the two-dimensional linear momentum, microrotation, energy and mass conservation equations from micropolar fluids theory, with the finite element method, creating divergence conforming spaces based on B-spline basis functions to obtain pointwise divergence free solutions [8]. Weak boundary conditions were imposed using Nitsche\\'s method for tangential conditions, while normal conditions were imposed strongly. Once the exact mass conservation was provided by the divergence free formulation, we focused on evaluating the differences between micropolar fluids and conventional fluids, to show the advantages of using the micropolar fluid model to capture the features of complex fluids. A square and an arc heat driven cavities were solved as test cases. A variation of the parameters of the model, along with the variation of Rayleigh number were performed for a better understanding of the system. The divergence free formulation was used to guarantee an accurate solution of the flow. This formulation was implemented using the framework PetIGA as a basis, using its parallel stuctures to achieve high scalability. The results of the square heat driven cavity test case are in good agreement with those reported earlier.

Gauge-invariance and infrared divergences in the luminosity distance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biern, Sang Gyu; Yoo, Jaiyul

2017-01-01

Measurements of the luminosity distance have played a key role in discovering the late-time cosmic acceleration. However, when accounting for inhomogeneities in the Universe, its interpretation has been plagued with infrared divergences in its theoretical predictions, which are in some cases used to explain the cosmic acceleration without dark energy. The infrared divergences in most calculations are artificially removed by imposing an infrared cut-off scale. We show that a gauge-invariant calculation of the luminosity distance is devoid of such divergences and consistent with the equivalence principle, eliminating the need to impose a cut-off scale. We present proper numerical calculations of the luminosity distance using the gauge-invariant expression and demonstrate that the numerical results with an ad hoc cut-off scale in previous calculations have negligible systematic errors as long as the cut-off scale is larger than the horizon scale. We discuss the origin of infrared divergences and their cancellation in the luminosity distance.

Gauge-invariance and infrared divergences in the luminosity distance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biern, Sang Gyu; Yoo, Jaiyul, E-mail: sgbiern@physik.uzh.ch, E-mail: jyoo@physik.uzh.ch [Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich (Switzerland)

2017-04-01

Measurements of the luminosity distance have played a key role in discovering the late-time cosmic acceleration. However, when accounting for inhomogeneities in the Universe, its interpretation has been plagued with infrared divergences in its theoretical predictions, which are in some cases used to explain the cosmic acceleration without dark energy. The infrared divergences in most calculations are artificially removed by imposing an infrared cut-off scale. We show that a gauge-invariant calculation of the luminosity distance is devoid of such divergences and consistent with the equivalence principle, eliminating the need to impose a cut-off scale. We present proper numerical calculations of the luminosity distance using the gauge-invariant expression and demonstrate that the numerical results with an ad hoc cut-off scale in previous calculations have negligible systematic errors as long as the cut-off scale is larger than the horizon scale. We discuss the origin of infrared divergences and their cancellation in the luminosity distance.

Rotational and divergent kinetic energy in the mesoscale model ALADIN

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V. Blažica

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Kinetic energy spectra from the mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP model ALADIN with horizontal resolution 4.4 km are split into divergent and rotational components which are then compared at horizontal scales below 300 km and various vertical levels. It is shown that about 50% of kinetic energy in the free troposphere in ALADIN is divergent energy. The percentage increases towards 70% near the surface and in the upper troposphere towards 100 hPa. The maximal percentage of divergent energy is found at stratospheric levels around 100 hPa and at scales below 100 km which are not represented by the global models. At all levels, the divergent energy spectra are characterised by shallower slopes than the rotational energy spectra, and the difference increases as horizontal scales become larger. A very similar vertical distribution of divergent energy is obtained by using the standard ALADIN approach for the computation of spectra based on the extension zone and by applying detrending approach commonly used in mesoscale NWP community.

Boiling flow through diverging microchannel

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

such systems, for small pressure drop penalty and with good flow stability. .... ied the effect of divergence angle on mean and transient pressure/temperature distribution and .... supplying a fixed voltage and current using a power source meter.

Deformed statistics Kullback–Leibler divergence minimization within a scaled Bregman framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkatesan, R.C.; Plastino, A.

2011-01-01

The generalized Kullback–Leibler divergence (K–Ld) in Tsallis statistics [constrained by the additive duality of generalized statistics (dual generalized K–Ld)] is here reconciled with the theory of Bregman divergences for expectations defined by normal averages, within a measure-theoretic framework. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the dual generalized K–Ld is a scaled Bregman divergence. The Pythagorean theorem is derived from the minimum discrimination information principle using the dual generalized K–Ld as the measure of uncertainty, with constraints defined by normal averages. The minimization of the dual generalized K–Ld, with normal averages constraints, is shown to exhibit distinctly unique features. -- Highlights: ► Dual generalized Kullback–Leibler divergence (K–Ld) proven to be scaled Bregman divergence in continuous measure-theoretic framework. ► Minimum dual generalized K–Ld condition established with normal averages constraints. ► Pythagorean theorem derived.

O Cabimento dos Embargos de Divergência

OpenAIRE

LOURENCO, S. R.

2012-01-01

A presente pesquisa objetiva demonstrar os embargos de divergência com enfoque nos elementos processuais do cabimento de tal modalidade recursal em nosso ordenamento jurídico. Para tanto, investigaremos os aspectos gerais dos embargos de divergência, a partir da análise dos elementos históricos enquanto a criação do instituto, como também sua finalidade e classificação no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Após, analisaremos o requisito de admissibilidade do cabimento dos embargo...

Riverscape genetics identifies replicated ecological divergence across an Amazonian ecotone.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooke, Georgina M; Landguth, Erin L; Beheregaray, Luciano B

2014-07-01

Ecological speciation involves the evolution of reproductive isolation and niche divergence in the absence of a physical barrier to gene flow. The process is one of the most controversial topics of the speciation debate, particularly in tropical regions. Here, we investigate ecologically based divergence across an Amazonian ecotone in the electric fish, Steatogenys elegans. We combine phylogenetics, genome scans, and population genetics with a recently developed individual-based evolutionary landscape genetics approach that incorporates selection. This framework is used to assess the relative contributions of geography and divergent natural selection between environments as biodiversity drivers. We report on two closely related and sympatric lineages that exemplify how divergent selection across a major Amazonian aquatic ecotone (i.e., between rivers with markedly different hydrochemical properties) may result in replicated ecologically mediated speciation. The results link selection across an ecological gradient with reproductive isolation and we propose that assortative mating based on water color may be driving the divergence. Divergence resulting from ecologically driven selection highlights the importance of considering environmental heterogeneity in studies of speciation in tropical regions. Furthermore, we show that framing ecological speciation in a spatially explicit evolutionary landscape genetics framework provides an important first step in exploring a wide range of the potential effects of spatial dependence in natural selection. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Converging or Diverging Lens?

Science.gov (United States)

Branca, Mario

2013-01-01

Why does a lens magnify? Why does it shrink objects? Why does this happen? The activities that we propose here are useful in helping us to understand how lenses work, and they show that the same lens can have different magnification capabilities. A converging lens can also act as a diverging lens. (Contains 4 figures.)

The geographic scale of diversification on islands: genetic and morphological divergence at a very small spatial scale in the Mascarene grey white-eye (Aves: Zosterops borbonicus

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Thébaud Christophe

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oceanic islands provide unique scenarios for studying the roles of geography and ecology in driving population divergence and speciation. Assessing the relative importance of selective and neutral factors in driving population divergence is central to understanding how such divergence may lead to speciation in small oceanic islands, where opportunities for gene flow and population mixing are potentially high. Here we report a case of genetic and morphological structure in the Mascarene grey white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus a species that shows a striking, geographically structured plumage polymorphism on the topographically and ecologically complex island of Réunion, yet is monotypic on the relatively uniform neighbouring island of Mauritius. Results Analysis of 276 AFLP loci in 197 individuals revealed prolonged independent evolution of Réunion and Mauritius populations, which is congruent with previous mtDNA assessments. Furthermore, populations on Réunion showed significant differentiation into three main genetic groups separating lowland from highland areas despite the small geographic distances involved. Genetic differentiation along the altitudinal gradient is consistent with morphometric analysis of fitness-related traits. Birds in the highlands were larger, yet had relatively smaller beaks than in the lowlands, suggesting the role of selection in shaping morphology and restricting gene flow along the gradient. No genetic differentiation between plumage morphs was detected in neutral markers, suggesting that plumage differences are of recent origin. Conclusions Our results suggest a dual role of vicariance and natural selection in differentiating populations of a passerine bird in an oceanic island at very small spatial scales. We propose a combination of past microallopatry driven by volcanic activity and selection-constrained dispersal along steep ecological gradients to explain the striking levels of population

Whole genome investigation of a divergent clade of the pathogen Streptococcus suis

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Abiyad eBaig

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Streptococcus suis is a major porcine and zoonotic pathogen responsible for significant economic losses in the pig industry and an increasing number of human cases. Multiple isolates of S. suis show marked genomic diversity. Here we report the analysis of whole genome sequences of nine pig isolates that caused disease typical of S. suis and had phenotypic characteristics of S. suis, but their genomes were divergent from those of many other S. suis isolates. Comparison of protein sequences predicted from divergent genomes with those from normal S. suis reduced the size of core genome from 793 to only 397 genes. Divergence was clear if phylogenetic analysis was performed on reduced core genes and MLST alleles. Phylogenies based on certain other genes (16S rRNA, sodA, recN and cpn60 did not show divergence for all isolates, suggesting recombination between some divergent isolates with normal S. suis for these genes. Indeed, there is evidence of recent recombination between the divergent and normal S. suis genomes for 249 of 397 core genes. In addition, phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and 132 genes that were conserved between the divergent isolates and representatives of the broader Streptococcus genus showed that divergent isolates were more closely related to S. suis. Six out of nine divergent isolates possessed a S. suis-like capsule region with variation in capsular gene sequences but the remaining three did not have a discrete capsule locus. The majority (40/70, of virulence-associated genes in normal S. suis were present in the divergent genomes. Overall, the divergent isolates extend the current diversity of S. suis species but the phenotypic similarities and the large amount of gene exchange with normal S. suis gives insufficient evidence to assign these isolates to a new species or subspecies. Further sampling and whole genome analysis of more isolates is warranted to understand the diversity of the species.

Determining the Effect of Natural Selection on Linked Neutral Divergence across Species.

Science.gov (United States)

Phung, Tanya N; Huber, Christian D; Lohmueller, Kirk E

2016-08-01

A major goal in evolutionary biology is to understand how natural selection has shaped patterns of genetic variation across genomes. Studies in a variety of species have shown that neutral genetic diversity (intra-species differences) has been reduced at sites linked to those under direct selection. However, the effect of linked selection on neutral sequence divergence (inter-species differences) remains ambiguous. While empirical studies have reported correlations between divergence and recombination, which is interpreted as evidence for natural selection reducing linked neutral divergence, theory argues otherwise, especially for species that have diverged long ago. Here we address these outstanding issues by examining whether natural selection can affect divergence between both closely and distantly related species. We show that neutral divergence between closely related species (e.g. human-primate) is negatively correlated with functional content and positively correlated with human recombination rate. We also find that neutral divergence between distantly related species (e.g. human-rodent) is negatively correlated with functional content and positively correlated with estimates of background selection from primates. These patterns persist after accounting for the confounding factors of hypermutable CpG sites, GC content, and biased gene conversion. Coalescent models indicate that even when the contribution of ancestral polymorphism to divergence is small, background selection in the ancestral population can still explain a large proportion of the variance in divergence across the genome, generating the observed correlations. Our findings reveal that, contrary to previous intuition, natural selection can indirectly affect linked neutral divergence between both closely and distantly related species. Though we cannot formally exclude the possibility that the direct effects of purifying selection drive some of these patterns, such a scenario would be possible only

Behavioural divergence, interfertility and speciation: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillay, Neville; Rymer, Tasmin L

2012-11-01

Behavioural compatibility between mates is fundamental for maintaining species boundaries and is achieved through appropriate communication between males and females. A breakdown in communication will lead to behavioural divergence and reduced interfertility. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge on male signals and female perception of these signals, integrating the literature from several taxa. We advocate that signaller-perceiver coevolution, which is usually under strong stabilising selection to enable mating, forms the basis of species-specific mate recognition systems. The mechanisms (phylogeny, geography, ecology, biology) shaping signaller-perceiver systems are briefly discussed to demonstrate the factors underpinning the evolution of signaller-perceiver couplings. Since divergence and diversification of communication systems is driven by changes in the mechanical properties of sensory pathways and morphology of sensory organs, we highlight signal modalities (auditory, olfactory, visual, tactile) and their importance in communication, particularly in mate selection. Next, using available examples and generating a stylised model, we suggest how disruption (biological, ecological, stochastic) of signaller-perceiver systems drives behavioural divergence and consequently results in reduced interfertility and speciation. Future studies should adopt an integrative approach, combining multiple parameters (phylogeny, adaptive utility of communication systems, genetics and biomechanical/biochemical properties of signals and perception) to explore how disruption of signaller-perceiver systems results in behavioural divergence and reduced interfertility. Finally, we question the impact that rapid environmental change will have on disruption of communication systems, potentially interfering with signaller-perceiver couplings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

14-19 Education across Great Britain--Convergence or Divergence?

Science.gov (United States)

Gunning, Dennis; Raffe, David

2011-01-01

This article reviews recent policies for 14-19 learning in Wales and Scotland, and discusses the extent to which these policies have diverged from England following parliamentary devolution in 1999. It distinguishes different types of divergence and suggests that many policy differences have not been about major issues of educational philosophy or…

Divergence-free MHD on unstructured meshes using high order finite volume schemes based on multidimensional Riemann solvers

Science.gov (United States)

Balsara, Dinshaw S.; Dumbser, Michael

2015-10-01

Several advances have been reported in the recent literature on divergence-free finite volume schemes for Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Almost all of these advances are restricted to structured meshes. To retain full geometric versatility, however, it is also very important to make analogous advances in divergence-free schemes for MHD on unstructured meshes. Such schemes utilize a staggered Yee-type mesh, where all hydrodynamic quantities (mass, momentum and energy density) are cell-centered, while the magnetic fields are face-centered and the electric fields, which are so useful for the time update of the magnetic field, are centered at the edges. Three important advances are brought together in this paper in order to make it possible to have high order accurate finite volume schemes for the MHD equations on unstructured meshes. First, it is shown that a divergence-free WENO reconstruction of the magnetic field can be developed for unstructured meshes in two and three space dimensions using a classical cell-centered WENO algorithm, without the need to do a WENO reconstruction for the magnetic field on the faces. This is achieved via a novel constrained L2-projection operator that is used in each time step as a postprocessor of the cell-centered WENO reconstruction so that the magnetic field becomes locally and globally divergence free. Second, it is shown that recently-developed genuinely multidimensional Riemann solvers (called MuSIC Riemann solvers) can be used on unstructured meshes to obtain a multidimensionally upwinded representation of the electric field at each edge. Third, the above two innovations work well together with a high order accurate one-step ADER time stepping strategy, which requires the divergence-free nonlinear WENO reconstruction procedure to be carried out only once per time step. The resulting divergence-free ADER-WENO schemes with MuSIC Riemann solvers give us an efficient and easily-implemented strategy for divergence-free MHD on

Navier–Stokes flow in converging–diverging distensible tubes

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Taha Sochi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We use a method based on the lubrication approximation in conjunction with a residual-based mass-continuity iterative solution scheme to compute the flow rate and pressure field in distensible converging–diverging tubes for Navier–Stokes fluids. We employ an analytical formula derived from a one-dimensional version of the Navier–Stokes equations to describe the underlying flow model that provides the residual function. This formula correlates the flow rate to the boundary pressures in straight cylindrical elastic tubes with constant-radius. We validate our findings by the convergence toward a final solution with fine discretization as well as by comparison to the Poiseuille-type flow in its convergence toward analytic solutions found earlier in rigid converging–diverging tubes. We also tested the method on limiting special cases of cylindrical elastic tubes with constant-radius where the numerical solutions converged to the expected analytical solutions. The distensible model has also been endorsed by its convergence toward the rigid Poiseuille-type model with increasing the tube wall stiffness. Lubrication-based one-dimensional finite element method was also used for verification. In this investigation five converging–diverging geometries are used for demonstration, validation and as prototypes for modeling converging–diverging geometries in general.

Predictors for reproductive isolation in a ring species complex following genetic and ecological divergence.

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Pereira, Ricardo J; Monahan, William B; Wake, David B

2011-07-06

Reproductive isolation (RI) is widely accepted as an important "check point" in the diversification process, since it defines irreversible evolutionary trajectories. Much less consensus exists about the processes that might drive RI. Here, we employ a formal quantitative analysis of genetic interactions at several stages of divergence within the ring species complex Ensatina eschscholtzii in order to assess the relative contribution of genetic and ecological divergence for the development of RI. By augmenting previous genetic datasets and adding new ecological data, we quantify levels of genetic and ecological divergence between populations and test how they correlate with a restriction of genetic admixture upon secondary contact. Our results indicate that the isolated effect of ecological divergence between parental populations does not result in reproductively isolated taxa, even when genetic transitions between parental taxa are narrow. Instead, processes associated with overall genetic divergence are the best predictors of reproductive isolation, and when parental taxa diverge in nuclear markers we observe a complete cessation of hybridization, even to sympatric occurrence of distinct evolutionary lineages. Although every parental population has diverged in mitochondrial DNA, its degree of divergence does not predict the extent of RI. These results show that in Ensatina, the evolutionary outcomes of ecological divergence differ from those of genetic divergence. While evident properties of taxa may emerge via ecological divergence, such as adaptation to local environment, RI is likely to be a byproduct of processes that contribute to overall genetic divergence, such as time in geographic isolation, rather than being a direct outcome of local adaptation.

The effects of Medieval dams on genetic divergence and demographic history in brown trout populations.

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Hansen, Michael M; Limborg, Morten T; Ferchaud, Anne-Laure; Pujolar, José-Martin

2014-06-05

Habitat fragmentation has accelerated within the last century, but may have been ongoing over longer time scales. We analyzed the timing and genetic consequences of fragmentation in two isolated lake-dwelling brown trout populations. They are from the same river system (the Gudenå River, Denmark) and have been isolated from downstream anadromous trout by dams established ca. 600-800 years ago. For reference, we included ten other anadromous populations and two hatchery strains. Based on analysis of 44 microsatellite loci we investigated if the lake populations have been naturally genetically differentiated from anadromous trout for thousands of years, or have diverged recently due to the establishment of dams. Divergence time estimates were based on 1) Approximate Bayesian Computation and 2) a coalescent-based isolation-with-gene-flow model. Both methods suggested divergence times ca. 600-800 years bp, providing strong evidence for establishment of dams in the Medieval as the factor causing divergence. Bayesian cluster analysis showed influence of stocked trout in several reference populations, but not in the focal lake and anadromous populations. Estimates of effective population size using a linkage disequilibrium method ranged from 244 to > 1,000 in all but one anadromous population, but were lower (153 and 252) in the lake populations. We show that genetic divergence of lake-dwelling trout in two Danish lakes reflects establishment of water mills and impassable dams ca. 600-800 years ago rather than a natural genetic population structure. Although effective population sizes of the two lake populations are not critically low they may ultimately limit response to selection and thereby future adaptation. Our results demonstrate that populations may have been affected by anthropogenic disturbance over longer time scales than normally assumed.

Camouflage target detection via hyperspectral imaging plus information divergence measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuheng; Chen, Xinhua; Zhou, Jiankang; Ji, Yiqun; Shen, Weimin

2016-01-01

Target detection is one of most important applications in remote sensing. Nowadays accurate camouflage target distinction is often resorted to spectral imaging technique due to its high-resolution spectral/spatial information acquisition ability as well as plenty of data processing methods. In this paper, hyper-spectral imaging technique together with spectral information divergence measure method is used to solve camouflage target detection problem. A self-developed visual-band hyper-spectral imaging device is adopted to collect data cubes of certain experimental scene before spectral information divergences are worked out so as to discriminate target camouflage and anomaly. Full-band information divergences are measured to evaluate target detection effect visually and quantitatively. Information divergence measurement is proved to be a low-cost and effective tool for target detection task and can be further developed to other target detection applications beyond spectral imaging technique.

Fast algorithms for computing phylogenetic divergence time.

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Crosby, Ralph W; Williams, Tiffani L

2017-12-06

The inference of species divergence time is a key step in most phylogenetic studies. Methods have been available for the last ten years to perform the inference, but the performance of the methods does not yet scale well to studies with hundreds of taxa and thousands of DNA base pairs. For example a study of 349 primate taxa was estimated to require over 9 months of processing time. In this work, we present a new algorithm, AncestralAge, that significantly improves the performance of the divergence time process. As part of AncestralAge, we demonstrate a new method for the computation of phylogenetic likelihood and our experiments show a 90% improvement in likelihood computation time on the aforementioned dataset of 349 primates taxa with over 60,000 DNA base pairs. Additionally, we show that our new method for the computation of the Bayesian prior on node ages reduces the running time for this computation on the 349 taxa dataset by 99%. Through the use of these new algorithms we open up the ability to perform divergence time inference on large phylogenetic studies.

Contemporary and historical evolutionary processes interact to shape patterns of within-lake phenotypic divergences in polyphenic pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Weese, Dylan J; Ferguson, Moira M; Robinson, Beren W

2012-03-01

Historical and contemporary evolutionary processes can both contribute to patterns of phenotypic variation among populations of a species. Recent studies are revealing how interactions between historical and contemporary processes better explain observed patterns of phenotypic divergence than either process alone. Here, we investigate the roles of evolutionary history and adaptation to current environmental conditions in structuring phenotypic variation among polyphenic populations of sunfish inhabiting 12 postglacial lakes in eastern North America. The pumpkinseed sunfish polyphenism includes sympatric ecomorphs specialized for littoral or pelagic lake habitats. First, we use population genetic methods to test the evolutionary independence of within-lake phenotypic divergences of ecomorphs and to describe patterns of genetic structure among lake populations that clustered into three geographical groupings. We then used multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) to partition body shape variation (quantified with geometric morphometrics) among the effects of evolutionary history (reflecting phenotypic variation among genetic clusters), the shared phenotypic response of all populations to alternate habitats within lakes (reflecting adaptation to contemporary conditions), and unique phenotypic responses to habitats within lakes nested within genetic clusters. All effects had a significant influence on body form, but the effects of history and the interaction between history and contemporary habitat were larger than contemporary processes in structuring phenotypic variation. This highlights how divergence can be better understood against a known backdrop of evolutionary history.

Ion diode optics: measurement of divergence and aiming of beams for transport to light-ion ICF targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krastelev, E.G.; Kniazev, B.A.; Lindholm, F.; Hammer, D.A.; Kusse, B.R.; Greenly, J.B.

1996-01-01

Diagnostic development for measurements of anode plasma structure and ion beam local aiming and micro-divergence are being developed on the COBRA accelerator at Cornell University. Results of streaked-scintillator and tracer target beam diagnostics, and streaked anode light imaging are described. (author). 5 figs., 1 ref

Ion diode optics: measurement of divergence and aiming of beams for transport to light-ion ICF targets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krastelev, E G; Kniazev, B A; Lindholm, F; Hammer, D A; Kusse, B R; Greenly, J B [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Lab. of Plasma Studies

1997-12-31

Diagnostic development for measurements of anode plasma structure and ion beam local aiming and micro-divergence are being developed on the COBRA accelerator at Cornell University. Results of streaked-scintillator and tracer target beam diagnostics, and streaked anode light imaging are described. (author). 5 figs., 1 ref.

Design and testing of low-divergence elliptical-jet nozzles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rouly, Etienne; Warkentin, Andrew; Bauer, Robert [Dalhousie University, Halifax (China)

2015-05-15

A novel approach was developed to design and fabricate nozzles to produce high-pressure low-divergence fluid jets. Rapid-prototype fabrication allowed for myriad experiments investigating effects of different geometric characteristics of nozzle internal geometry on jet divergence angle and fluid distribution. Nozzle apertures were elliptical in shape with aspect ratios between 1.00 and 2.45. The resulting nozzle designs were tested and the lowest elliptical jet divergence angle was 0.4 degrees. Nozzle pressures and flowrates ranged from 0.32 to 4.45 MPa and 13.6 to 37.9 LPM, respectively. CimCool CimTech 310 machining fluid was used in all experiments at a Brix concentration of 6.6 percent.

Chromatin structure and evolution in the human genome

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Dunlop Malcolm G

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Evolutionary rates are not constant across the human genome but genes in close proximity have been shown to experience similar levels of divergence and selection. The higher-order organisation of chromosomes has often been invoked to explain such phenomena but previously there has been insufficient data on chromosome structure to investigate this rigorously. Using the results of a recent genome-wide analysis of open and closed human chromatin structures we have investigated the global association between divergence, selection and chromatin structure for the first time. Results In this study we have shown that, paradoxically, synonymous site divergence (dS at non-CpG sites is highest in regions of open chromatin, primarily as a result of an increased number of transitions, while the rates of other traditional measures of mutation (intergenic, intronic and ancient repeat divergence as well as SNP density are highest in closed regions of the genome. Analysis of human-chimpanzee divergence across intron-exon boundaries indicates that although genes in relatively open chromatin generally display little selection at their synonymous sites, those in closed regions show markedly lower divergence at their fourfold degenerate sites than in neighbouring introns and intergenic regions. Exclusion of known Exonic Splice Enhancer hexamers has little affect on the divergence observed at fourfold degenerate sites across chromatin categories; however, we show that closed chromatin is enriched with certain classes of ncRNA genes whose RNA secondary structure may be particularly important. Conclusion We conclude that, overall, non-CpG mutation rates are lowest in open regions of the genome and that regions of the genome with a closed chromatin structure have the highest background mutation rate. This might reflect lower rates of DNA damage or enhanced DNA repair processes in regions of open chromatin. Our results also indicate that dS is a poor

On the Borel summability of divergent solutions of the heat equation

OpenAIRE

Lutz, D. A.; Miyake, M.; Schäfke, R.

1999-01-01

In recent years, the theory of Borel summability or multisummability of divergent power series of one variable has been established and it has been proved that every formal solution of an ordinary differential equation with irregular singular point is multisummable. For partial differential equations the summability problem for divergent solutions has not been studied so well, and in this paper we shall try to develop the Borel summability of divergent solutions of the Cauch...

Universal portfolios generated by the Bregman divergence

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Choon Peng; Kuang, Kee Seng

2017-04-01

The Bregman divergence of two probability vectors is a stronger form of the f-divergence introduced by Csiszar. Two versions of the Bregman universal portfolio are presented by exploiting the mean-value theorem. The explicit form of the Bregman universal portfolio generated by a function of a convex polynomial is derived and studied empirically. This portfolio can be regarded as another generalized of the well-known Helmbold portfolio. By running the portfolios on selected stock-price data sets from the local stock exchange, it is shown that it is possible to increase the wealth of the investor by using the portfolios in investment.

Static Internal Performance of a Two-Dimensional Convergent-Divergent Nozzle with External Shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Milton; Taylor, John G.; Frassinelli, Mark C.

1996-01-01

An investigation was conducted in the static test facility of the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the internal performance of a two-dimensional convergent-divergent nozzle. The nozzle design was tested with dry and afterburning throat areas, which represent different power settings and three expansion ratios. For each of these configurations, three trailing-edge geometries were tested. The baseline geometry had a straight trailing edge. Two different shaping techniques were applied to the baseline nozzle design to reduce radar observables: the scarfed design and the sawtooth design. A flat plate extended downstream of the lower divergent flap trailing edge parallel to the model centerline to form a shelf-like expansion surface. This shelf was designed to shield the plume from ground observation (infrared radiation (IR) signature suppression). The shelf represents the part of the aircraft structure that might be present in an installed configuration. These configurations were tested at nozzle pressure ratios from 2.0 to 12.0.

Divergent plate motion drives rapid exhumation of (ultra)high pressure rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Jie; Malusà, Marco G.; Zhao, Liang; Baldwin, Suzanne L.; Fitzgerald, Paul G.; Gerya, Taras

2018-06-01

Exhumation of (ultra)high pressure [(U)HP] rocks by upper-plate divergent motion above an unbroken slab, first proposed in the Western Alps, has never been tested by numerical methods. We present 2D thermo-mechanical models incorporating subduction of a thinned continental margin beneath either a continental or oceanic upper plate, followed by upper-plate divergent motion away from the lower plate. Results demonstrate how divergent plate motion may trigger rapid exhumation of large volumes of (U)HP rocks directly to the Earth's surface, without the need for significant overburden removal by erosion. Model exhumation paths are fully consistent with natural examples for a wide range of upper-plate divergence rates. Exhumation rates are systematically higher than the divergent rate imposed to the upper plate, and the modeled size of exhumed (U)HP domes is invariant for different rates of upper-plate divergence. Major variations are instead predicted at depth for differing model scenarios, as larger amounts of divergent motion may allow mantle-wedge exhumation to shallow depth under the exhuming domes. The transient temperature increase, due to ascent of mantle-wedge material in the subduction channel, has a limited effect on exhumed continental (U)HP rocks already at the surface. We test two examples, the Cenozoic (U)HP terranes of the Western Alps (continental upper plate) and eastern Papua New Guinea (oceanic upper plate). The good fit between model predictions and the geologic record in these terranes encourages the application of these models globally to pre-Cenozoic (U)HP terranes where the geologic record of exhumation is only partly preserved.

Potencial de melhoramento e divergência genética de cultivares de milho-pipoca Potential to breeding and genetic divergence in popcorn cultivars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glauco Vieira Miranda

2003-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial de melhoramento e a divergência genética de nove cultivares tropicais de milho-pipoca. A divergência genética foi estimada por meio da técnica de análise multivariada e as cultivares foram agrupadas com base na distância generalizada de Mahalanobis (DGM, utilizando o método de otimização de Tocher e a dispersão gráfica. Com produtividade de grãos acima de 3 t/ha, destacaram-se as cultivares CMS 43, IAC 112, Viçosa, CMS 42 e Branco, e com índices de capacidade de expansão acima de 24 (v/v, as cultivares IAC 112, RS 20 e Zélia. As estimativas da DGM indicaram (RS 20 e Beija-flor e (Rosa-claro e RS 20 os pares de cultivares mais distantes geneticamente, e (IAC 112 e Viçosa e (Branco e CMS 42, os pares mais similares. Foram identificados três ou quatro grupos divergentes dependendo do método de agrupamento. Para o melhoramento de milho-pipoca, as cultivares com maiores potenciais são RS 20, Zélia, IAC 112 e Beija-flor. As cultivares apresentam divergência genética.The objective of this paper was to evaluate the potential of breeding and genetic divergence in nine tropical popcorn cultivars. The genetic divergence was estimated using multivariate analysis techniques and the cultivars were grouped based in Mahalanobis' generalized distance (MGD, using Tocher's optimization and graphic dispersion. The best cultivars concerning the yield grain above 3 ton/ha were CMS 43, IAC 112, Viçosa, CMS 42 and Branco, and to popping expansion above 24 (v/v were IAC 112, RS 20 and Zélia. The estimates of MGD indicated the pairs genetically more distant (RS 20, Beija-flor and (Rosa-claro, RS 20 as well as pairs genetically more similar (IAC 112, Viçosa and (Branco, CMS 42. Tree or four genetic divergences groups were formed depending on the method. To popcorn breeding, cultivars with best potential are RS 20, Zélia, IAC 112, and Beija-flor. The cultivars show genetic divergence.

Isolation with asymmetric gene flow during the nonsynchronous divergence of dry forest birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Oswald, Jessica A; Overcast, Isaac; Mauck, William M; Andersen, Michael J; Smith, Brian Tilston

2017-03-01

Dry forest bird communities in South America are often fragmented by intervening mountains and rainforests, generating high local endemism. The historical assembly of dry forest communities likely results from dynamic processes linked to numerous population histories among codistributed species. Nevertheless, species may diversify in the same way through time if landscape and environmental features, or species ecologies, similarly structure populations. Here we tested whether six co-distributed taxon pairs that occur in the dry forests of the Tumbes and Marañón Valley of northwestern South America show concordant patterns and modes of diversification. We employed a genome reduction technique, double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing, and obtained 4407-7186 genomewide SNPs. We estimated demographic history in each taxon pair and inferred that all pairs had the same best-fit demographic model: isolation with asymmetric gene flow from the Tumbes into the Marañón Valley, suggesting a common diversification mode. Overall, we also observed congruence in effective population size (N e ) patterns where ancestral N e were 2.9-11.0× larger than present-day Marañón Valley populations and 0.3-2.0× larger than Tumbesian populations. Present-day Marañón Valley N e was smaller than Tumbes. In contrast, we found simultaneous population isolation due to a single event to be unlikely as taxon pairs diverged over an extended period of time (0.1-2.9 Ma) with multiple nonoverlapping divergence periods. Our results show that even when populations of codistributed species asynchronously diverge, the mode of their differentiation can remain conserved over millions of years. Divergence by allopatric isolation due to barrier formation does not explain the mode of differentiation between these two bird assemblages; rather, migration of individuals occurred before and after geographic isolation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Inference of expanded Lrp-like feast/famine transcription factor targets in a non-model organism using protein structure-based prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashworth, Justin; Plaisier, Christopher L; Lo, Fang Yin; Reiss, David J; Baliga, Nitin S

2014-01-01

Widespread microbial genome sequencing presents an opportunity to understand the gene regulatory networks of non-model organisms. This requires knowledge of the binding sites for transcription factors whose DNA-binding properties are unknown or difficult to infer. We adapted a protein structure-based method to predict the specificities and putative regulons of homologous transcription factors across diverse species. As a proof-of-concept we predicted the specificities and transcriptional target genes of divergent archaeal feast/famine regulatory proteins, several of which are encoded in the genome of Halobacterium salinarum. This was validated by comparison to experimentally determined specificities for transcription factors in distantly related extremophiles, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments, and cis-regulatory sequence conservation across eighteen related species of halobacteria. Through this analysis we were able to infer that Halobacterium salinarum employs a divergent local trans-regulatory strategy to regulate genes (carA and carB) involved in arginine and pyrimidine metabolism, whereas Escherichia coli employs an operon. The prediction of gene regulatory binding sites using structure-based methods is useful for the inference of gene regulatory relationships in new species that are otherwise difficult to infer.

Topologically convergent and divergent structural connectivity patterns between patients with remitted geriatric depression and amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Feng; Shu, Ni; Yuan, Yonggui; Shi, Yongmei; Yu, Hui; Wu, Di; Wang, Jinhui; Xia, Mingrui; He, Yong; Zhang, Zhijun

2012-03-21

Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be conceptualized as a disconnection syndrome. Both remitted geriatric depression (RGD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are associated with a high risk for developing AD. However, little is known about the similarities and differences in the topological patterns of white matter (WM) structural networks between RGD and aMCI. In this study, diffusion tensor imaging and deterministic tractography were used to map the human WM networks of 35 RGD patients, 38 aMCI patients, and 30 healthy subjects. Furthermore, graph theoretical methods were applied to investigate the alterations in the global and regional properties of the WM network in these patients. First, both the RGD and aMCI patients showed abnormal global topology in their WM networks (i.e., reduced network strength, reduced global efficiency, and increased absolute path length) compared with the controls, and there were no significant differences in these global network properties between the patient groups. Second, similar deficits of the regional and connectivity characteristics in the WM networks were primarily found in the frontal brain regions of RGD and aMCI patients compared with the controls, while a different nodal efficiency of the posterior cingulate cortex and several prefrontal brain regions were also observed between the patient groups. Together, our study provides direct evidence for the association of a great majority of convergent and a minority of divergent connectivity of WM structural networks between RGD and aMCI patients, which may lead to increasing attention in defining a population at risk of AD.

Regulatory divergence of X-linked genes and hybrid male sterility in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Oka, Ayako; Shiroishi, Toshihiko

2014-01-01

Postzygotic reproductive isolation is the reduction of fertility or viability in hybrids between genetically diverged populations. One example of reproductive isolation, hybrid male sterility, may be caused by genetic incompatibility between diverged genetic factors in two distinct populations. Genetic factors involved in hybrid male sterility are disproportionately located on the X chromosome. Recent studies showing the evolutionary divergence in gene regulatory networks or epigenetic effects suggest that the genetic incompatibilities occur at much broader levels than had previously been thought (e.g., incompatibility of protein-protein interactions). The latest studies suggest that evolutionary divergence of transcriptional regulation causes genetic incompatibilities in hybrid animals, and that such incompatibilities preferentially involve X-linked genes. In this review, we focus on recent progress in understanding hybrid sterility in mice, including our studies, and we discuss the evolutionary significance of regulatory divergence for speciation.

Short-range phenotypic divergence among genetically distinct parapatric populations of an Australian funnel-web spider.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Mark K L; Woodman, James D; Rowell, David M

2017-07-01

Speciation involves divergence at genetic and phenotypic levels. Where substantial genetic differentiation exists among populations, examining variation in multiple phenotypic characters may elucidate the mechanisms by which divergence and speciation unfold. Previous work on the Australian funnel-web spider Atrax sutherlandi Gray (2010; Records of the Australian Museum 62 , 285-392; Mygalomorphae: Hexathelidae: Atracinae) has revealed a marked genetic structure along a 110-kilometer transect, with six genetically distinct, parapatric populations attributable to past glacial cycles. In the present study, we explore variation in three classes of phenotypic characters (metabolic rate, water loss, and morphological traits) within the context of this phylogeographic structuring. Variation in metabolic and water loss rates shows no detectable association with genetic structure; the little variation observed in these rates may be due to the spiders' behavioral adaptations (i.e., burrowing), which buffer the effects of climatic gradients across the landscape. However, of 17 morphological traits measured, 10 show significant variation among genetic populations, in a disjunct manner that is clearly not latitudinal. Moreover, patterns of variation observed for morphological traits serving different organismic functions (e.g., prey capture, burrowing, and locomotion) are dissimilar. In contrast, a previous study of an ecologically similar sympatric spider with little genetic structure indicated a strong latitudinal response in 10 traits over the same range. The congruence of morphological variation with deep phylogeographic structure in Tallaganda's A. sutherlandi populations, as well as the inconsistent patterns of variation across separate functional traits, suggest that the spiders are likely in early stages of speciation, with parapatric populations independently responding to local selective forces.

Summation of all-loop UV divergences in maximally supersymmetric gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borlakov, A.T.; Kazakov, D.I.; Tolkachev, D.M.; Vlasenko, D.E.

2016-01-01

We consider the leading and subleading UV divergences for the four-point on-shell scattering amplitudes in D=6,8,10 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in the planar limit. These theories belong to the class of maximally supersymmetric gauge theories and presumably possess distinguished properties beyond perturbation theory. In the previous works, we obtained the recursive relations that allow one to get the leading and subleading divergences in all loops in a pure algebraic way. The all loop summation of the leading divergences is performed with the help of the differential equations which are the generalization of the RG equations for non-renormalizable theories. Here we mainly focus on solving and analyzing these equations. We discuss the properties of the obtained solutions and interpretation of the results. The key issue is that the summation of infinite series for the leading and the subleading divergences does improve the situation and does not allow one to remove the regularization and obtain the finite answer. This means that despite numerous cancellations of divergent diagrams these theories remain non-renormalizable.

Summation of all-loop UV divergences in maximally supersymmetric gauge theories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borlakov, A.T. [Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research,Dubna (Russian Federation); Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology,Dolgoprudny (Russian Federation); Kazakov, D.I. [Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research,Dubna (Russian Federation); Alikhanov Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics,Moscow (Russian Federation); Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology,Dolgoprudny (Russian Federation); Tolkachev, D.M. [Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research,Dubna (Russian Federation); Stepanov Institute of Physics,Minsk (Belarus); Vlasenko, D.E. [Department of Physics, South Federal State University,Rostov-Don (Russian Federation)

2016-12-29

We consider the leading and subleading UV divergences for the four-point on-shell scattering amplitudes in D=6,8,10 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in the planar limit. These theories belong to the class of maximally supersymmetric gauge theories and presumably possess distinguished properties beyond perturbation theory. In the previous works, we obtained the recursive relations that allow one to get the leading and subleading divergences in all loops in a pure algebraic way. The all loop summation of the leading divergences is performed with the help of the differential equations which are the generalization of the RG equations for non-renormalizable theories. Here we mainly focus on solving and analyzing these equations. We discuss the properties of the obtained solutions and interpretation of the results. The key issue is that the summation of infinite series for the leading and the subleading divergences does improve the situation and does not allow one to remove the regularization and obtain the finite answer. This means that despite numerous cancellations of divergent diagrams these theories remain non-renormalizable.

Principal Curves for Statistical Divergences and an Application to Finance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Flávia P. Rodrigues

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a method for the beta pricing model under the consideration of non-Gaussian returns by means of a generalization of the mean-variance model and the use of principal curves to define a divergence model for the optimization of the pricing model. We rely on the q-exponential model so consider the properties of the divergences which are used to describe the statistical model and fully characterize the behavior of the assets. We derive the minimum divergence portfolio, which generalizes the Markowitz’s (mean-divergence approach and relying on the information geometrical aspects of the distributions the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM is then derived under the geometrical characterization of the distributions which model the data, all by the consideration of principal curves approach. We discuss the possibility of integration of our model into an adaptive procedure that can be used for the search of optimum points on finance applications.

Speciation in rapidly diverging systems: lessons from Lake Malawi.

Science.gov (United States)

Danley, P D; Kocher, T D

2001-05-01

Rapid evolutionary radiations provide insight into the fundamental processes involved in species formation. Here we examine the diversification of one such group, the cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi, which have radiated from a single ancestor into more than 400 species over the past 700 000 years. The phylogenetic history of this group suggests: (i) that their divergence has proceeded in three major bursts of cladogenesis; and (ii) that different selective forces have dominated each cladogenic event. The first episode resulted in the divergence of two major lineages, the sand- and rock-dwellers, each adapted to a major benthic macrohabitat. Among the rock-dwellers, competition for trophic resources then drove a second burst of cladogenesis, which resulted in the differentiation of trophic morphology. The third episode of cladogenesis is associated with differentiation of male nuptial colouration, most likely in response to divergent sexual selection. We discuss models of speciation in relation to this observed pattern. We advocate a model, divergence with gene flow, which reconciles the disparate selective forces responsible for the diversification of this group and suggest that the nonadaptive nature of the tertiary episode has significantly contributed to the extraordinary species richness of this group.

ADP-ribosyl-N₃: A Versatile Precursor for Divergent Syntheses of ADP-ribosylated Compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lingjun; Li, Qianqian; Ding, Shengqiang; Xin, Pengyang; Zhang, Yuqin; Huang, Shenlong; Zhang, Guisheng

2017-08-14

Adenosine diphosphate-ribose (ADP-ribose) and its derivatives play important roles in a series of complex physiological procedures. The design and synthesis of artificial ADP-ribosylated compounds is an efficient way to develop valuable chemical biology tools and discover new drug candidates. However, the synthesis of ADP-ribosylated compounds is currently difficult due to structural complexity, easily broken pyrophosphate bond and high hydrophilicity. In this paper, ADP-ribosyl-N₃ was designed and synthesized for the first time. With ADP-ribosyl-N₃ as the key precursor, a divergent post-modification strategy was developed to prepare structurally diverse ADP-ribosylated compounds including novel nucleotides and peptides bearing ADP-ribosyl moieties.

Convergent and divergent validity of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning in young children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Swineford, Lauren B; Guthrie, Whitney; Thurm, Audrey

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to report on the construct, convergent, and divergent validity of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), a widely used test of development for young children. The sample consisted of 399 children with a mean age of 3.38 years (SD = 1.14) divided into a group of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a group of children not on the autism spectrum, with and without developmental delays. The study used the MSEL and several other measures assessing constructs relevant to the age range--including developmental skills, autism symptoms, and psychopathology symptoms--across multiple methods of assessment. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses revealed good overall fit and equal form of the MSEL 1-factor model across the ASD and nonspectrum groups, supporting the construct validity of the MSEL. However, neither full nor partial invariance of factor loadings was established because of the lower loadings in the ASD group compared with the nonspectrum group. Exploratory structural equation modeling revealed that other measures of developmental skills loaded together with the MSEL domain scores on a Developmental Functioning factor, supporting convergent validity of the MSEL. Divergent validity was supported by the lack of loading of MSEL domain scores on Autism Symptoms or Emotion/Behavior Problems factors. Although factor structure and loadings varied across groups, convergent and divergent validity findings were similar in the ASD and nonspectrum samples. Together, these results demonstrate evidence for the construct, convergent, and divergent validity of the MSEL using powerful data-analytic techniques. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Optimization Models for Reaction Networks: Information Divergence, Quadratic Programming and Kirchhoff’s Laws

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Michael Stern

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This article presents a simple derivation of optimization models for reaction networks leading to a generalized form of the mass-action law, and compares the formal structure of Minimum Information Divergence, Quadratic Programming and Kirchhoff type network models. These optimization models are used in related articles to develop and illustrate the operation of ontology alignment algorithms and to discuss closely connected issues concerning the epistemological and statistical significance of sharp or precise hypotheses in empirical science.

The Global Monsoon as Seen through the Divergent Atmospheric Circulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Trenberth, Kevin E.; Stepaniak, David P.; Caron, Julie M.

2000-11-01

A comprehensive description is given of the global monsoon as seen through the large-scale overturning in the atmosphere that changes with the seasons, and it provides a basis for delimiting the monsoon regions of the world. The analysis focuses on the mean annual cycle of the divergent winds and associated vertical motions, as given by the monthly mean fields for 1979-93 reanalyses from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which are able to reproduce the dominant modes. A complex empirical orthogonal function analysis of the divergent circulation brings out two dominant modes with essentially the same vertical structures in all months of the year. The first mode, which depicts the global monsoon, has a simple vertical structure with a maximum in vertical motion at about 400 mb, divergence in the upper troposphere that is strongest at 150 mb and decays to zero amplitude above 70 mb, and convergence in the lower troposphere with a maximum at 925 mb (ECMWF) or 850 mb (NCEP). However, this mode has a rich three-dimensional spatial structure that evolves with the seasons. It accounts for 60% of the annual cycle variance of the divergent mass circulation and dominates the Hadley circulation as well as three overturning transverse cells. These include the Pacific Walker circulation; an Americas-Atlantic Walker circulation, both of which comprise rising motion in the west and sinking in the east; and a transverse cell over Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian Ocean that has rising motion in the east and sinking toward the west. These exist year-round but migrate and evolve considerably with the seasons and have about a third to half of the mass flux of the peak Hadley cell. The annual cycle of the two Hadley cells reveals peak strength in early February and early August in both reanalyses.A second monsoon mode, which accounts for

Comparative epigenetic and genetic spatial structure of the perennial herb Helleborus foetidus: Isolation by environment, isolation by distance, and functional trait divergence.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Carlos M; Medrano, Mónica; Bazaga, Pilar

2017-08-16

Epigenetic variation can play a role in local adaptation; thus, there should be associations among epigenetic variation, environmental variation, and functional trait variation across populations. This study examines these relationships in the perennial herb Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae). Plants from 10 subpopulations were characterized genetically (AFLP, SSR markers), epigenetically (MSAP markers), and phenotypically (20 functional traits). Habitats were characterized using six environmental variables. Isolation-by-distance (IBD) and isolation-by-environment (IBE) patterns of genetic and epigenetic divergence were assessed, as was the comparative explanatory value of geographical and environmental distance as predictors of epigenetic, genetic, and functional differentiation. Subpopulations were differentiated genetically, epigenetically, and phenotypically. Genetic differentiation was best explained by geographical distance, while epigenetic differentiation was best explained by environmental distance. Divergence in functional traits was correlated with environmental and epigenetic distances, but not with geographical and genetic distances. Results are compatible with the hypothesis that epigenetic IBE and functional divergence reflected responses to environmental variation. Spatial analyses simultaneously considering epigenetic, genetic, phenotypic and environmental information provide a useful tool to evaluate the role of environmental features as drivers of natural epigenetic variation between populations. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

Rim Structure, Stratigraphy, and Aqueous Alteration Exposures Along Opportunity Rover's Traverse of the Noachian Endeavour Crater

Science.gov (United States)

Crumpler, L.S.; Arvidson, R. E.; Golombek, M.; Grant, J. A.; Jolliff, B. L.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.

2017-01-01

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has traversed 10.2 kilometers along segments of the west rim of the 22-kilometer-diameter Noachian Endeavour impact crater as of sol 4608 (01/09/17). The stratigraphy, attitude of units, lithology, and degradation state of bedrock outcrops exposed on the crater rim have been examined in situ and placed in geologic context. Structures within the rim and differences in physical properties of the identified lithologies have played important roles in localizing outcrops bearing evidence of aqueous alteration.

Structural and functional divergence of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptors in early sarcopterygians: lungfish and Xenopus.

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Janice K V Tam

Full Text Available The evolutionary trajectories of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH receptor remain enigmatic since the discovery of physiologically functional GHRH-GHRH receptor (GHRHR in non-mammalian vertebrates in 2007. Interestingly, subsequent studies have described the identification of a GHRHR(2 in chicken in addition to the GHRHR and the closely related paralogous receptor, PACAP-related peptide (PRP receptor (PRPR. In this article, we provide information, for the first time, on the GHRHR in sarcopterygian fish and amphibians by the cloning and characterization of GHRHRs from lungfish (P. dolloi and X. laevis. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated structural resemblance of lungfish GHRHR to their mammalian orthologs, while the X. laevis GHRHR showed the highest homology to GHRHR(2 in zebrafish and chicken. Functionally, lungfish GHRHR displayed high affinity towards GHRH in triggering intracellular cAMP and calcium accumulation, while X. laevis GHRHR(2 was able to react with both endogenous GHRH and PRP. Tissue distribution analyses showed that both lungfish GHRHR and X. laevis GHRHR(2 had the highest expression in brain, and interestingly, X. laevis(GHRHR2 also had high abundance in the reproductive organs. These findings, together with previous reports, suggest that early in the Sarcopterygii lineage, GHRHR and PRPR have already established diverged and specific affinities towards their cognate ligands. GHRHR(2, which has only been found in xenopus, zebrafish and chicken hitherto, accommodates both GHRH and PRP.

Genomic islands of divergence are not affected by geography of speciation in sunflowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Renaut, S; Grassa, C J; Yeaman, S; Moyers, B T; Lai, Z; Kane, N C; Bowers, J E; Burke, J M; Rieseberg, L H

2013-01-01

Genomic studies of speciation often report the presence of highly differentiated genomic regions interspersed within a milieu of weakly diverged loci. The formation of these speciation islands is generally attributed to reduced inter-population gene flow near loci under divergent selection, but few studies have critically evaluated this hypothesis. Here, we report on transcriptome scans among four recently diverged pairs of sunflower (Helianthus) species that vary in the geographical context of speciation. We find that genetic divergence is lower in sympatric and parapatric comparisons, consistent with a role for gene flow in eroding neutral differences. However, genomic islands of divergence are numerous and small in all comparisons, and contrary to expectations, island number and size are not significantly affected by levels of interspecific gene flow. Rather, island formation is strongly associated with reduced recombination rates. Overall, our results indicate that the functional architecture of genomes plays a larger role in shaping genomic divergence than does the geography of speciation.

Paralog-divergent Features May Help Reduce Off-target Effects of Drugs: Hints from Glucagon Subfamily Analysis

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Zhining Sa

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Side effects from targeted drugs remain a serious concern. One reason is the nonselective binding of a drug to unintended proteins such as its paralogs, which are highly homologous in sequences and have similar structures and drug-binding pockets. To identify targetable differences between paralogs, we analyzed two types (type-I and type-II of functional divergence between two paralogs in the known target protein receptor family G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs at the amino acid level. Paralogous protein receptors in glucagon-like subfamily, glucagon receptor (GCGR and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R, exhibit divergence in ligands and are clinically validated drug targets for type 2 diabetes. Our data showed that type-II amino acids were significantly enriched in the binding sites of antagonist MK-0893 to GCGR, which had a radical shift in physicochemical properties between GCGR and GLP-1R. We also examined the role of type-I amino acids between GCGR and GLP-1R. The divergent features between GCGR and GLP-1R paralogs may be helpful in their discrimination, thus enabling the identification of binding sites to reduce undesirable side effects and increase the target specificity of drugs.

Reverse engineering development: Crosstalk opportunities between developmental biology and tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcucio, Ralph S; Qin, Ling; Alsberg, Eben; Boerckel, Joel D

2017-11-01

The fields of developmental biology and tissue engineering have been revolutionized in recent years by technological advancements, expanded understanding, and biomaterials design, leading to the emerging paradigm of "developmental" or "biomimetic" tissue engineering. While developmental biology and tissue engineering have long overlapping histories, the fields have largely diverged in recent years at the same time that crosstalk opportunities for mutual benefit are more salient than ever. In this perspective article, we will use musculoskeletal development and tissue engineering as a platform on which to discuss these emerging crosstalk opportunities and will present our opinions on the bright future of these overlapping spheres of influence. The multicellular programs that control musculoskeletal development are rapidly becoming clarified, represented by shifting paradigms in our understanding of cellular function, identity, and lineage specification during development. Simultaneously, advancements in bioartificial matrices that replicate the biochemical, microstructural, and mechanical properties of developing tissues present new tools and approaches for recapitulating development in tissue engineering. Here, we introduce concepts and experimental approaches in musculoskeletal developmental biology and biomaterials design and discuss applications in tissue engineering as well as opportunities for tissue engineering approaches to inform our understanding of fundamental biology. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:2356-2368, 2017. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ultraviolet divergences in non-renormalizable supersymmetric theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smilga, A.

2017-01-01

We present a pedagogical review of our current understanding of the ultraviolet structure of N =(1, 1) 6D supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and of N = 8 4D supergravity. These theories are not renormalizable, they involve power ultraviolet divergences and, in all probability, an infinite set of higher-dimensional counterterms that contribute to on-mass-shell scattering amplitudes. A specific feature of supersymmetric theories (especially of extended supersymmetric theories) is that these counterterms may not be invariant off-shell under the full set of supersymmetry transformations. The lowest-dimensional nontrivial counterterm is supersymmetric on-shell. Still higher counterterms may lose even the on-shell invariance. On the other hand, the full effective Lagrangian, generating the amplitudes and representing an infinite sum of counterterms, still enjoys the complete symmetry of original theory. We also discuss simple supersymmetric quantum-mechanical models that exhibit the same behavior.

Divergence of RNA polymerase α subunits in angiosperm plastid genomes is mediated by genomic rearrangement.

Science.gov (United States)

Blazier, J Chris; Ruhlman, Tracey A; Weng, Mao-Lun; Rehman, Sumaiyah K; Sabir, Jamal S M; Jansen, Robert K

2016-04-18

Genes for the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) persist in the plastid genomes of all photosynthetic angiosperms. However, three unrelated lineages (Annonaceae, Passifloraceae and Geraniaceae) have been identified with unusually divergent open reading frames (ORFs) in the conserved region of rpoA, the gene encoding the PEP α subunit. We used sequence-based approaches to evaluate whether these genes retain function. Both gene sequences and complete plastid genome sequences were assembled and analyzed from each of the three angiosperm families. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that the rpoA sequences are likely functional despite retaining as low as 30% nucleotide sequence identity with rpoA genes from outgroups in the same angiosperm order. The ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions indicated that these genes are under purifying selection, and bioinformatic prediction of conserved domains indicated that functional domains are preserved. One of the lineages (Pelargonium, Geraniaceae) contains species with multiple rpoA-like ORFs that show evidence of ongoing inter-paralog gene conversion. The plastid genomes containing these divergent rpoA genes have experienced extensive structural rearrangement, including large expansions of the inverted repeat. We propose that illegitimate recombination, not positive selection, has driven the divergence of rpoA.

Diverging Trade Strategies in Latin America: An Analytical Framework

OpenAIRE

Aggarwal, Vinod K.; Espach, Ralph H.

2003-01-01

Although there is increasing divergence among the trade policies of various Latin American nations, overall the last twenty years have seen a dramatic shift away from protectionism towards liberalization. Focusing on case studies of four Latin American nations — Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina — the authors use an analytical framework to explain the rationales behind divergent policies. The analytical approach used considers the combination of economic, political and strategic objectives ...

Robust bounds on risk-sensitive functionals via Renyi divergence

OpenAIRE

Atar, Rami; Chowdhary, Kamaljit; Dupuis, Paul

2013-01-01

We extend the duality between exponential integrals and relative entropy to a variational formula for exponential integrals involving the Renyi divergence. This formula characterizes the dependence of risk-sensitive functionals and related quantities determined by tail behavior to perturbations in the underlying distributions, in terms of the Renyi divergence. The characterization gives rise to upper and lower bounds that are meaningful for all values of a large deviation scaling parameter, a...

Convergent and Divergent Thinking in the Context of Narrative Mysteries

Science.gov (United States)

Wenzel, William G.; Gerrig, Richard J.

2015-01-01

This project demonstrates how narrative mysteries provide a context in which readers engage in creative cognition. Drawing on the concepts of convergent and divergent thinking, we wrote stories that had either convergent or divergent outcomes. For example, one story had a character give his girlfriend a ring (a convergent outcome), whereas the…

SU-F-T-504: Non-Divergent Planning Method for Craniospinal Irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sperling, N; Bogue, J; Parsai, E [University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Traditional Craniospinal Irradiation (CSI) planning techniques require careful field placement to allow optimal divergence and field overlap at depth, and measurement of skin gap. The result of this is a necessary field overlap resulting in dose heterogeneity in the spinal canal. A novel, nondivergent field matching method has been developed to allow simple treatment planning and delivery without the need to measure skin gap. Methods: The CSI patient was simulated in the prone, and a plan was developed. Bilateral cranial fields were designed with couch and collimator rotation to eliminate divergence with the upper spine field and minimize anterior divergence into the lenses. Spinal posterior-to-anterior fields were designed with the couch rotated to 90 degrees to allow gantry rotation to eliminate divergence at the match line, and the collimator rotated to 90 degrees to allow appropriate field blocking with the MLCs. A match line for the two spinal fields was placed and the gantry rotated to equal angles in opposite directions about the match line. Jaw positions were then defined to allow 1mm overlap at the match line to avoid cold spots. A traditional CSI plan was generated using diverging spinal fields, and a comparison between the two techniques was generated. Results: The non-divergent treatment plan was able to deliver a highly uniform dose to the spinal cord with a cold spot of only 95% and maximum point dose of 115.8%, as compared to traditional plan cold spots of 87% and hot spots of 132% of the prescription dose. Conclusion: A non-divergent method for planning CSI patients has been developed and clinically implemented. Planning requires some geometric manipulation in order to achieve an adequate dose distribution, however, it can help to manage cold spots and simplify the shifts needed between spinal fields.

SU-F-T-504: Non-Divergent Planning Method for Craniospinal Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sperling, N; Bogue, J; Parsai, E

2016-01-01

Purpose: Traditional Craniospinal Irradiation (CSI) planning techniques require careful field placement to allow optimal divergence and field overlap at depth, and measurement of skin gap. The result of this is a necessary field overlap resulting in dose heterogeneity in the spinal canal. A novel, nondivergent field matching method has been developed to allow simple treatment planning and delivery without the need to measure skin gap. Methods: The CSI patient was simulated in the prone, and a plan was developed. Bilateral cranial fields were designed with couch and collimator rotation to eliminate divergence with the upper spine field and minimize anterior divergence into the lenses. Spinal posterior-to-anterior fields were designed with the couch rotated to 90 degrees to allow gantry rotation to eliminate divergence at the match line, and the collimator rotated to 90 degrees to allow appropriate field blocking with the MLCs. A match line for the two spinal fields was placed and the gantry rotated to equal angles in opposite directions about the match line. Jaw positions were then defined to allow 1mm overlap at the match line to avoid cold spots. A traditional CSI plan was generated using diverging spinal fields, and a comparison between the two techniques was generated. Results: The non-divergent treatment plan was able to deliver a highly uniform dose to the spinal cord with a cold spot of only 95% and maximum point dose of 115.8%, as compared to traditional plan cold spots of 87% and hot spots of 132% of the prescription dose. Conclusion: A non-divergent method for planning CSI patients has been developed and clinically implemented. Planning requires some geometric manipulation in order to achieve an adequate dose distribution, however, it can help to manage cold spots and simplify the shifts needed between spinal fields.

Creativity and Memory: Effects of an Episodic-Specificity Induction on Divergent Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Madore, Kevin P; Addis, Donna Rose; Schacter, Daniel L

2015-09-01

People produce more episodic details when imagining future events and solving means-end problems after receiving an episodic-specificity induction-brief training in recollecting details of a recent event-than after receiving a control induction not focused on episodic retrieval. Here we show for the first time that an episodic-specificity induction also enhances divergent creative thinking. In Experiment 1, participants exhibited a selective boost on a divergent-thinking task (generating unusual uses of common objects) after a specificity induction compared with a control induction; by contrast, performance following the two inductions was similar on an object association task thought to involve little divergent thinking. In Experiment 2, we replicated the specificity-induction effect on divergent thinking using a different control induction, and also found that participants performed similarly on a convergent-thinking task following the two inductions. These experiments provide novel evidence that episodic memory is involved in divergent creative thinking. © The Author(s) 2015.

Hemispheric connectivity and the visual-spatial divergent-thinking component of creativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Dana W; Bhadelia, Rafeeque A; Billings, Rebecca L; Fulwiler, Carl; Heilman, Kenneth M; Rood, Kenneth M J; Gansler, David A

2009-08-01

Divergent thinking is an important measurable component of creativity. This study tested the postulate that divergent thinking depends on large distributed inter- and intra-hemispheric networks. Although preliminary evidence supports increased brain connectivity during divergent thinking, the neural correlates of this characteristic have not been entirely specified. It was predicted that visuospatial divergent thinking would correlate with right hemisphere white matter volume (WMV) and with the size of the corpus callosum (CC). Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) were completed among 21 normal right-handed adult males. TTCT scores correlated negatively with the size of the CC and were not correlated with right or, incidentally, left WMV. Although these results were not predicted, perhaps, as suggested by Bogen and Bogen (1988), decreased callosal connectivity enhances hemispheric specialization, which benefits the incubation of ideas that are critical for the divergent-thinking component of creativity, and it is the momentary inhibition of this hemispheric independence that accounts for the illumination that is part of the innovative stage of creativity. Alternatively, decreased CC size may reflect more selective developmental pruning, thereby facilitating efficient functional connectivity.

Wetlands explain most in the genetic divergence pattern of Oncomelania hupensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Lu; Liu, Yang; Liao, Jishan; Gong, Peng

2014-10-01

Understanding the divergence patterns of hosts could shed lights on the prediction of their parasite transmission. No effort has been devoted to understand the drivers of genetic divergence pattern of Oncomelania hupensis, the only intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum. Based on a compilation of two O. hupensis gene datasets covering a wide geographic range in China and an array of geographical distance and environmental dissimilarity metrics built from earth observation data and ecological niche modeling, we conducted causal modeling analysis via simple, partial Mantel test and local polynomial fitting to understand the interactions among isolation-by-distance, isolation-by-environment, and genetic divergence. We found that geography contributes more to genetic divergence than environmental isolation, and among all variables involved, wetland showed the strongest correlation with the genetic pairwise distances. These results suggested that in China, O. hupensis dispersal is strongly linked to the distribution of wetlands, and the current divergence pattern of both O. hupensis and schistosomiasis might be altered due to the changed wetland pattern with the accomplishment of the Three Gorges Dam and the South-to-North water transfer project. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RECONCILIATION OF LANGUAGE VERSIONS WITH DIVERGING MEANINGS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura-Cristiana SPĂTARU-NEGURĂ

2015-07-01

Full Text Available As emphasized in a study published last year, when multiple legal orders and languages co-exist within a single legal regime, there is potential for divergences between the legal texts. The European Union gives rise to such divergences, having in mind that it integrates 28 Member States and 24 official languages. After discovering how the multilingual and multicultural environment of the European Union affects its legislative and judicial processes and arguing the problem of translation divergences between the authentic texts of the European Union, it is nowadays our concern to analyse the reconciliation of language versions with diverging meanings in the EU legal order. The present study is part of a more complex research on this theme and it is meant to approach certain important points of the master thesis prepared in Switzerland for a LL.M. program.

Divergência genética entre cinco genótipos de melão rendilhado Genetic divergence among five muskmelon cultivars

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Adriana Antonieta do Nascimento Rizzo

2002-06-01

Full Text Available Estimou-se a divergência genética entre cinco genótipos de melão rendilhado (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus Naud. (JAB-20, JAB-21, JAB-22, JAB-23 e 'Bônus nº 2' e determinou-se qual a contribuição relativa das 16 características avaliadas [nº médio de flores masculinas, hermafroditas/planta; produção total de frutos/m², peso médio dos frutos comerciáveis; diâmetro médio transversal e longitudinal do fruto (DMTF e DMLF; diâmetro médio transversal da inserção do pedúculo (DMTP; espessura média do mesocarpo e epicarpo (EMM e EME; diâmetro médio longitudinal e transversal do lóculo (DMTL e DMLL; proporção da cavidade (PC; desprendimento de sementes (DS; teor de sólidos solúveis totais (SST, pH e acidez titulável (AT] na divergência gen��tica. Obtiveram-se dois grupos de similaridade: I- JAB-20, JAB-21 e 'Bônus nº2' e II- JAB-22 e JAB-23. As características DMLF, DMTP, DMLL, DS e SST foram as que mais contribuíram para a divergência genética entre os genótipos.The genetic divergence of five cultivars of muskmelon was estimated (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus Naud (JAB-20, JAB-21, JAB-22, JAB-23 and 'Bônus nº2' and the relative contribution of each 16 characteristics were determined (number of male flowers per plant; total production of fruit, weight of fruits; longitudinal and transversal diameters of fruits; thickness and color of flesh and skin; longitudinal and transversal loculos diameter of fruits; seed loosing; netting thickness; and % total solvers solids, pH and total acidity in genetic divergence. Two groups of similarity were formed between the genitors by the values of D², one of then was constituted of the JAB-20 and JAB-21 and 'Bônus nº 2' genotypes, and another of the JAB-22 and JAB-23. The characteristics of longitudinal loculos diameters, longitudinal diameter of fruits, transversal diameter of peduncle insertion, % total solvers solids and seed loosing contributed to for genetic

Rates of genomic divergence in humans, chimpanzees and their lice.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kevin P; Allen, Julie M; Olds, Brett P; Mugisha, Lawrence; Reed, David L; Paige, Ken N; Pittendrigh, Barry R

2014-02-22

The rate of DNA mutation and divergence is highly variable across the tree of life. However, the reasons underlying this variation are not well understood. Comparing the rates of genetic changes between hosts and parasite lineages that diverged at the same time is one way to begin to understand differences in genetic mutation and substitution rates. Such studies have indicated that the rate of genetic divergence in parasites is often faster than that of their hosts when comparing single genes. However, the variation in this relative rate of molecular evolution across different genes in the genome is unknown. We compared the rate of DNA sequence divergence between humans, chimpanzees and their ectoparasitic lice for 1534 protein-coding genes across their genomes. The rate of DNA substitution in these orthologous genes was on average 14 times faster for lice than for humans and chimpanzees. In addition, these rates were positively correlated across genes. Because this correlation only occurred for substitutions that changed the amino acid, this pattern is probably produced by similar functional constraints across the same genes in humans, chimpanzees and their ectoparasites.

Ground state energies from converging and diverging power series expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisowski, C.; Norris, S.; Pelphrey, R.; Stefanovich, E.; Su, Q.; Grobe, R.

2016-01-01

It is often assumed that bound states of quantum mechanical systems are intrinsically non-perturbative in nature and therefore any power series expansion methods should be inapplicable to predict the energies for attractive potentials. However, if the spatial domain of the Schrödinger Hamiltonian for attractive one-dimensional potentials is confined to a finite length L, the usual Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory can converge rapidly and is perfectly accurate in the weak-binding region where the ground state’s spatial extension is comparable to L. Once the binding strength is so strong that the ground state’s extension is less than L, the power expansion becomes divergent, consistent with the expectation that bound states are non-perturbative. However, we propose a new truncated Borel-like summation technique that can recover the bound state energy from the diverging sum. We also show that perturbation theory becomes divergent in the vicinity of an avoided-level crossing. Here the same numerical summation technique can be applied to reproduce the energies from the diverging perturbative sums.

Ground state energies from converging and diverging power series expansions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lisowski, C.; Norris, S.; Pelphrey, R.; Stefanovich, E., E-mail: eugene-stefanovich@usa.net; Su, Q.; Grobe, R.

2016-10-15

It is often assumed that bound states of quantum mechanical systems are intrinsically non-perturbative in nature and therefore any power series expansion methods should be inapplicable to predict the energies for attractive potentials. However, if the spatial domain of the Schrödinger Hamiltonian for attractive one-dimensional potentials is confined to a finite length L, the usual Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory can converge rapidly and is perfectly accurate in the weak-binding region where the ground state’s spatial extension is comparable to L. Once the binding strength is so strong that the ground state’s extension is less than L, the power expansion becomes divergent, consistent with the expectation that bound states are non-perturbative. However, we propose a new truncated Borel-like summation technique that can recover the bound state energy from the diverging sum. We also show that perturbation theory becomes divergent in the vicinity of an avoided-level crossing. Here the same numerical summation technique can be applied to reproduce the energies from the diverging perturbative sums.

Divergent Thinking and Hemispheric Dominance for Language Function among Preschool Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Tegano, Deborah Walker; And Others

1983-01-01

An investigation of the relationship of hemispheric dominance (dichotic listening) and divergent thinking (Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking) with 27 preschool children indicates that divergent thinking is associated with right hemispheric dominance in children as young as four years. (Author/PN)

Ecological Divergence and the Origins of Intrinsic Postmating Isolation with Gene Flow

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Aneil F. Agrawal

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The evolution of intrinsic postmating isolation has received much attention, both historically and in recent studies of speciation genes. Intrinsic isolation often stems from between-locus genetic incompatibilities, where alleles that function well within species are incompatible with one another when brought together in the genome of a hybrid. It can be difficult for such incompatibilities to originate when populations diverge with gene flow, because deleterious genotypic combinations will be created and then purged by selection. However, it has been argued that if genes underlying incompatibilities are themselves subject to divergent selection, then they might overcome gene flow to diverge between populations, resulting in the origin of incompatibilities. Nonetheless, there has been little explicit mathematical exploration of such scenarios for the origin of intrinsic incompatibilities during ecological speciation with gene flow. Here we explore theoretical models for the origin of intrinsic isolation where genes subject to divergent natural selection also affect intrinsic isolation, either directly or via linkage disequilibrium with other loci. Such genes indeed overcome gene flow, diverge between populations, and thus result in the evolution of intrinsic isolation. We also examine barriers to neutral gene flow. Surprisingly, we find that intrinsic isolation sometimes weakens this barrier, by impeding differentiation via ecologically based divergent selection.

Computational Investigations in Rectangular Convergent and Divergent Ribbed Channels

Science.gov (United States)

Sivakumar, Karthikeyan; Kulasekharan, N.; Natarajan, E.

2018-05-01

Computational investigations on the rib turbulated flow inside a convergent and divergent rectangular channel with square ribs of different rib heights and different Reynolds numbers (Re=20,000, 40,000 and 60,000). The ribs were arranged in a staggered fashion between the upper and lower surfaces of the test section. Computational investigations are carried out using computational fluid dynamic software ANSYS Fluent 14.0. Suitable solver settings like turbulence models were identified from the literature and the boundary conditions for the simulations on a solution of independent grid. Computations were carried out for both convergent and divergent channels with 0 (smooth duct), 1.5, 3, 6, 9 and 12 mm rib heights, to identify the ribbed channel with optimal performance, assessed using a thermo hydraulic performance parameter. The convergent and divergent rectangular channels show higher Nu values than the standard correlation values.

Divergence and convergence in nutrition science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Penders, Bart; Spruit, Shannon L.; Sikkema, Jan; Maat, Jan; Schuurbiers, Daan

2015-01-01

Nutrigenomics diverged from mainstream nutrition science, ideologically, instrumentally and culturally, due to the establishment of a protective niche. That protection is fading. This article chronicles a case in which convergence between nutrigenomics and nutrition science is pursued. Here we

Phylogeography of speciation: allopatric divergence and secondary contact between outcrossing and selfing Clarkia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettengill, James B; Moeller, David A

2012-09-01

The origins of hybrid zones between parapatric taxa have been of particular interest for understanding the evolution of reproductive isolation and the geographic context of species divergence. One challenge has been to distinguish between allopatric divergence (followed by secondary contact) versus primary intergradation (parapatric speciation) as alternative divergence histories. Here, we use complementary phylogeographic and population genetic analyses to investigate the recent divergence of two subspecies of Clarkia xantiana and the formation of a hybrid zone within the narrow region of sympatry. We tested alternative phylogeographic models of divergence using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) and found strong support for a secondary contact model and little support for a model allowing for gene flow throughout the divergence process (i.e. primary intergradation). Two independent methods for inferring the ancestral geography of each subspecies, one based on probabilistic character state reconstructions and the other on palaeo-distribution modelling, also support a model of divergence in allopatry and range expansion leading to secondary contact. The membership of individuals to genetic clusters suggests geographic substructure within each taxon where allopatric and sympatric samples are primarily found in separate clusters. We also observed coincidence and concordance of genetic clines across three types of molecular markers, which suggests that there is a strong barrier to gene flow. Taken together, our results provide evidence for allopatric divergence followed by range expansion leading to secondary contact. The location of refugial populations and the directionality of range expansion are consistent with expectations based on climate change since the last glacial maximum. Our approach also illustrates the utility of combining phylogeographic hypothesis testing with species distribution modelling and fine-scale population genetic analyses for inferring

Flow over convergent and divergent wall riblets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koeltzsch, K.; Dinkelacker, A.; Grundmann, R. [Institut fuer Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik, Technische Universitaet Dresden, 36460 Merkers (Germany)

2002-08-01

Fast swimming sharks have small riblets on their skin, which are assumed to improve the swimming performance of the fish. Fluid dynamic experiments in water as well as in air confirm this assumption. With riblet surfaces as compared to smooth surfaces, drag reductions up to about 10% were measured. The overall riblet pattern on sharks shows parallel riblets directed from head to tail, but besides this overall pattern fast swimming sharks have also small areas with converging riblets and others with diverging riblets. In the present study the velocity field over convergent and divergent riblet patterns is investigated by hot-wire measurements in turbulent pipe flow. Significant changes in the near wall velocity field were found. (orig.)

Genetic Divergence between Freshwater and Marine Morphs of Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus): A ‘Next-Generation’ Sequencing Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Czesny, Sergiusz; Epifanio, John; Michalak, Pawel

2012-01-01

Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, a small clupeid fish native to Atlantic Ocean, has recently (∼150 years ago) invaded the North American Great Lakes and despite challenges of freshwater environment its populations exploded and disrupted local food web structures. This range expansion has been accompanied by dramatic changes at all levels of organization. Growth rates, size at maturation, or fecundity are only a few of the most distinct morphological and life history traits that contrast the two alewife morphs. A question arises to what extent these rapidly evolving differences between marine and freshwater varieties result from regulatory (including phenotypic plasticity) or structural mutations. To gain insights into expression changes and sequence divergence between marine and freshwater alewives, we sequenced transcriptomes of individuals from Lake Michigan and Atlantic Ocean. Population specific single nucleotide polymorphisms were rare but interestingly occurred in sequences of genes that also tended to show large differences in expression. Our results show that the striking phenotypic divergence between anadromous and lake alewives can be attributed to massive regulatory modifications rather than coding changes. PMID:22438868

Ultraviolet divergences in 1/N expansions of quantum field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rim, C.

1984-01-01

For asymptotically free theories, ultraviolet divergencies computed in 1/N expansion with dimensional regularization reduces to simple poles plus powers of Inelement of or finite terms. All divergences are determined by the two loop perturbative renormalization group functions. In an infrared free theory, however, element of = 0 becomes an essential singularity in the 1/N expansion

Combinatorial bounds on the α-divergence of univariate mixture models

KAUST Repository

Nielsen, Frank

2017-06-20

We derive lower- and upper-bounds of α-divergence between univariate mixture models with components in the exponential family. Three pairs of bounds are presented in order with increasing quality and increasing computational cost. They are verified empirically through simulated Gaussian mixture models. The presented methodology generalizes to other divergence families relying on Hellinger-type integrals.

Stora's fine notion of divergent amplitudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph C. Várilly

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Stora and coworkers refined the notion of divergent quantum amplitude, somewhat upsetting the standard power-counting recipe. This unexpectedly clears the way to new prototypes for free and interacting field theories of bosons of any mass and spin.

Functional divergence caused by ancient positive selection of a Drosophila hybrid incompatibility locus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel A Barbash

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Interspecific hybrid lethality and sterility are a consequence of divergent evolution between species and serve to maintain the discrete identities of species. The evolution of hybrid incompatibilities has been described in widely accepted models by Dobzhansky and Muller where lineage-specific functional divergence is the essential characteristic of hybrid incompatibility genes. Experimentally tractable models are required to identify and test candidate hybrid incompatibility genes. Several Drosophila melanogaster genes involved in hybrid incompatibility have been identified but none has yet been shown to have functionally diverged in accordance with the Dobzhansky-Muller model. By introducing transgenic copies of the X-linked Hybrid male rescue (Hmr gene into D. melanogaster from its sibling species D. simulans and D. mauritiana, we demonstrate that Hmr has functionally diverged to cause F1 hybrid incompatibility between these species. Consistent with the Dobzhansky-Muller model, we find that Hmr has diverged extensively in the D. melanogaster lineage, but we also find extensive divergence in the sibling-species lineage. Together, these findings implicate over 13% of the amino acids encoded by Hmr as candidates for causing hybrid incompatibility. The exceptional level of divergence at Hmr cannot be explained by neutral processes because we use phylogenetic methods and population genetic analyses to show that the elevated amino-acid divergence in both lineages is due to positive selection in the distant past-at least one million generations ago. Our findings suggest that multiple substitutions driven by natural selection may be a general phenomenon required to generate hybrid incompatibility alleles.

A limit of the quantum Rényi divergence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, Nilanjana; Leditzky, Felix

2014-01-01

Recently, an interesting quantity called the quantum Rényi divergence (or ‘sandwiched’ Rényi relative entropy) was defined for pairs of positive semi-definite operators ρ and σ. It depends on a parameter α and acts as a parent quantity for other relative entropies which have important operational significance in quantum information theory: the quantum relative entropy and the min- and max-relative entropies. There is, however, another relative entropy, called the 0-relative Rényi entropy, which plays a key role in the analysis of various quantum information-processing tasks in the one-shot setting. We prove that the 0-relative Rényi entropy is obtainable from the quantum Rényi divergence only if ρ and σ have equal supports. This, along with existing results in the literature, suggests that it suffices to consider two essential parent quantities from which operationally relevant entropic quantities can be derived—the quantum Rényi divergence with parameter α ⩾ 1/2, and the α-relative Rényi entropy with α ∈ [0, 1). (paper)

Ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking while decreasing conventional convergent thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuypers, K P C; Riba, J; de la Fuente Revenga, M; Barker, S; Theunissen, E L; Ramaekers, J G

2016-09-01

Ayahuasca is a South American psychotropic plant tea traditionally used in Amazonian shamanism. The tea contains the psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), plus β-carboline alkaloids with monoamine oxidase-inhibiting properties. Increasing evidence from anecdotal reports and open-label studies indicates that ayahuasca may have therapeutic effects in treatment of substance use disorders and depression. A recent study on the psychological effects of ayahuasca found that the tea reduces judgmental processing and inner reactivity, classic goals of mindfulness psychotherapy. Another psychological facet that could potentially be targeted by ayahuasca is creative divergent thinking. This mode of thinking can enhance and strengthen psychological flexibility by allowing individuals to generate new and effective cognitive, emotional, and behavioral strategies. The present study aimed to assess the potential effects of ayahuasca on creative thinking. We visited two spiritual ayahuasca workshops and invited participants to conduct creativity tests before and during the acute effects of ayahuasca. In total, 26 participants consented. Creativity tests included the "pattern/line meanings test" (PLMT) and the "picture concept test" (PCT), both assessing divergent thinking and the latter also assessing convergent thinking. While no significant effects were found for the PLMT, ayahuasca intake significantly modified divergent and convergent thinking as measured by the PCT. While convergent thinking decreased after intake, divergent thinking increased. The present data indicate that ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking. They suggest that ayahuasca increases psychological flexibility, which may facilitate psychotherapeutic interventions and support clinical trial initiatives.

The genetic structure of populations from Haiti and Jamaica reflect divergent demographic histories.

Science.gov (United States)

Simms, Tanya M; Rodriguez, Carol E; Rodriguez, Rosa; Herrera, Rene J

2010-05-01

The West Indies represent an amalgamation of African, European and in some cases, East Asian sources, but the contributions from each ethnic group remain relatively unexplored from a genetic perspective. In the present study, we report, for the first time, allelic frequency data across the complete set of 15 autosomal STR loci for general collections from Haiti and Jamaica, which were subsequently used to examine the genetic diversity present in each island population. Our results indicate that although both Haiti and Jamaica display genetic affinities with the continental African collections, a stronger African signal is detected in Haiti than in Jamaica. Although only minimal contributions from non-African sources were observed in Haiti, Jamaica displays genetic input from both European and East Asian sources, an admixture profile similar to other New World collections of African descent analyzed in this report. The divergent genetic signatures present in these populations allude to the different migratory events of Africans, Europeans, and East Asians into the New World.

Challenges and Opportunities to Developing Synergies Among Diverse Environmental Observatories: FSML, NEON, and GLEON

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, C. E.; Weathers, K. C.; Knoll, L. B.; Brentrup, J.

2012-12-01

Recent rapid advances in sensor technology and cyberinfrastructure have enabled the development of numerous environmental observatories ranging from local networks at field stations and marine laboratories (FSML) to continental scale observatories such as the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) to global scale observatories such as the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON). While divergent goals underlie the initial development of these observatories, and they are often designed to serve different communities, many opportunities for synergies exist. In addition, the use of existing infrastructure may enhance the cost-effectiveness of building and maintaining large scale observatories. For example, FSMLs are established facilities with the staff and infrastructure to host sensor nodes of larger networks. Many field stations have existing staff and long-term databases as well as smaller sensor networks that are the product of a single or small group of investigators with a unique data management system embedded in a local or regional community. These field station based facilities and data are a potentially untapped gold mine for larger continental and global scale observatories; common ecological and environmental challenges centered on understanding the impacts of changing climate, land use, and invasive species often underlie these efforts. The purpose of this talk is to stimulate a dialog on the challenges of merging efforts across these different spatial and temporal scales, as well as addressing how to develop synergies among observatory networks with divergent roots and philosophical approaches. For example, FSMLs have existing long-term databases and facilities, while NEON has sparse past data but a well-developed template and closely coordinated team working in a coherent format across a continental scale. GLEON on the other hand is a grass-roots network of experts in science, information technology, and engineering with a common goal

Pollinator Competition as a Driver of Floral Divergence: An Experimental Test.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ethan J Temeles

Full Text Available Optimal foraging models of floral divergence predict that competition between two different types of pollinators will result in partitioning, increased assortative mating, and divergence of two floral phenotypes. We tested these predictions in a tropical plant-pollinator system using sexes of purple-throated carib hummingbirds (Anthracothorax jugularis as the pollinators, red and yellow inflorescence morphs of Heliconia caribaea as the plants, and fluorescent dyes as pollen analogs in an enclosed outdoor garden. When foraging alone, males exhibited a significant preference for the yellow morph of H. caribaea, whereas females exhibited no preference. In competition, males maintained their preference for the yellow morph and through aggression caused females to over-visit the red morph, resulting in resource partitioning. Competition significantly increased within-morph dye transfer (assortative mating relative to non-competitive environments. Competition and partitioning of color morphs by sexes of purple-throated caribs also resulted in selection for floral divergence as measured by dye deposition on stigmas. Red and yellow morphs did not differ significantly in dye deposition in the competition trials, but differences in dye deposition and preferences for morphs when sexes of purple-throated caribs foraged alone implied fixation of one or the other color morph in the absence of competition. Competition also resulted in selection for divergence in corolla length, with the red morph experiencing directional selection for longer corollas and the yellow morph experiencing stabilizing selection on corolla length. Our results thus support predictions of foraging models of floral divergence and indicate that pollinator competition is a viable mechanism for divergence in floral traits of plants.

Divergent evolution of multiple virus-resistance genes from a progenitor in Capsicum spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Saet-Byul; Kang, Won-Hee; Huy, Hoang Ngoc; Yeom, Seon-In; An, Jeong-Tak; Kim, Seungill; Kang, Min-Young; Kim, Hyun Jung; Jo, Yeong Deuk; Ha, Yeaseong; Choi, Doil; Kang, Byoung-Cheorl

2017-01-01

Plants have evolved hundreds of nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich domain proteins (NLRs) as potential intracellular immune receptors, but the evolutionary mechanism leading to the ability to recognize specific pathogen effectors is elusive. Here, we cloned Pvr4 (a Potyvirus resistance gene in Capsicum annuum) and Tsw (a Tomato spotted wilt virus resistance gene in Capsicum chinense) via a genome-based approach using independent segregating populations. The genes both encode typical NLRs and are located at the same locus on pepper chromosome 10. Despite the fact that these two genes recognize completely different viral effectors, the genomic structures and coding sequences of the two genes are strikingly similar. Phylogenetic studies revealed that these two immune receptors diverged from a progenitor gene of a common ancestor. Our results suggest that sequence variations caused by gene duplication and neofunctionalization may underlie the evolution of the ability to specifically recognize different effectors. These findings thereby provide insight into the divergent evolution of plant immune receptors. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

A New Study of Two Divergence Metrics for Change Detection in Data Streams

KAUST Repository

Qahtan, Abdulhakim Ali Ali; Wang, Suojin; Carroll, Raymond; Zhang, Xiangliang

2014-01-01

Streaming data are dynamic in nature with frequent changes. To detect such changes, most methods measure the difference between the data distributions in a current time window and a reference window. Divergence metrics and density estimation are required to measure the difference between the data distributions. Our study shows that the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, the most popular metric for comparing distributions, fails to detect certain changes due to its asymmetric property and its dependence on the variance of the data. We thus consider two metrics for detecting changes in univariate data streams: a symmetric KL-divergence and a divergence metric measuring the intersection area of two distributions. The experimental results show that these two metrics lead to more accurate results in change detection than baseline methods such as Change Finder and using conventional KL-divergence.

A New Study of Two Divergence Metrics for Change Detection in Data Streams

KAUST Repository

Qahtan, Abdulhakim Ali Ali

2014-08-01

Streaming data are dynamic in nature with frequent changes. To detect such changes, most methods measure the difference between the data distributions in a current time window and a reference window. Divergence metrics and density estimation are required to measure the difference between the data distributions. Our study shows that the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, the most popular metric for comparing distributions, fails to detect certain changes due to its asymmetric property and its dependence on the variance of the data. We thus consider two metrics for detecting changes in univariate data streams: a symmetric KL-divergence and a divergence metric measuring the intersection area of two distributions. The experimental results show that these two metrics lead to more accurate results in change detection than baseline methods such as Change Finder and using conventional KL-divergence.

ON A PROLONGATION CONSTRUCTION FOR LOCAL NON-DIVERGENT VECTOR FIELDS ON Rn

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Lukatsky

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of a prolongation of non-divergent vector field, defined in a vicinity of zero in Rn t, to a finite non-divergent vector field on Rn is considered. Explicit formulas for the elements of the simple Lie algebra of non-divergent vector from the well-known Cartan series are obtained. This construction allows to move from the Euler equations for the ideal incompressible fluid to the Euler equations on finite-dimensional Lie groups.

Boreal Tree Light- and Water-Use: Asynchronous, Diverging, yet Complementary

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, C.; Baltzer, J. L.; Barr, A.; Black, T. A.; Bohrer, G.; Detto, M.; Maillet, J.; Matheny, A. M.; Roy, A.; Sonnentag, O.; Stephens, J.

2017-12-01

Water stress has been suggested as a key mechanism behind the contemporary increase in tree mortality rates in northwestern North America. However, a detailed analysis of boreal tree light- and water-use strategies as well as their interspecific differences are still lacking. Here, we examine the tree hydraulic behaviour of co-occurring larch (Larix laricina) and black spruce (Picea mariana), two characteristic boreal tree species, near the southern limit of the boreal ecozone in central Canada. Sap flux density (Js) and concurrently recorded stem radius fluctuations and meteorological conditions are used to quantify tree hydraulic functioning and to scrutinize tree light- and water-use strategies. Our analysis reveals an asynchrony in the diel hydrodynamics of the two species with the initial rise in Js occurring two hours earlier in larch than in black spruce. Structural differences in the crown architecture of larch and black spruce lead to interspecific differences in light harvesting that can explain the observed asynchrony in their hydraulic function. Furthermore, the two species exhibit diverging stomatal regulation strategies with larch employing relatively isohydric whereas black spruce anisohydric behaviour. Such asynchronous and diverging tree-level light- and water-use strategies provide new insights into the ecosystem-level complementarity of tree form and function, with implications for understanding boreal forests' water and carbon dynamics and resilience to environmental stress.

Enhancing Divergent Search through Extinction Events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lehman, Joel; Miikkulainen, Risto

2015-01-01

for the capacity to evolve. This hypothesis is tested through experiments in two evolutionary robotics domains. The results show that combining extinction events with divergent search increases evolvability, while combining them with convergent search offers no similar benefit. The conclusion is that extinction...

Regularization of divergent integrals

OpenAIRE

Felder, Giovanni; Kazhdan, David

2016-01-01

We study the Hadamard finite part of divergent integrals of differential forms with singularities on submanifolds. We give formulae for the dependence of the finite part on the choice of regularization and express them in terms of a suitable local residue map. The cases where the submanifold is a complex hypersurface in a complex manifold and where it is a boundary component of a manifold with boundary, arising in string perturbation theory, are treated in more detail.

Parallel and four-step synthesis of natural-product-inspired scaffolds through modular assembly and divergent cyclization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroki Oguri

2012-06-01

Full Text Available By emulating the universal biosynthetic strategy, which employs modular assembly and divergent cyclizations, we have developed a four-step synthetic process to yield a collection of natural-product-inspired scaffolds. Modular assembly of building blocks onto a piperidine-based manifold 6, having a carboxylic acid group, was achieved through Ugi condensation, N-acetoacetylation and diazotransfer, leading to cyclization precursors. The rhodium-catalyzed tandem cyclization and divergent cycloaddition gave rise to tetracyclic and hexacyclic scaffolds by the appropriate choice of dipolarophiles installed at modules 3 and 4. A different piperidine-based manifold 15 bearing an amino group was successfully applied to demonstrate the flexibility and scope of the unified four-step process for the generation of structural diversity in the fused scaffolds. Evaluation of in vitro antitrypanosomal activities of the collections and preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR studies were also undertaken.

Gluon mass generation without seagull divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilar, Arlene C.; Papavassiliou, Joannis

2010-01-01

Dynamical gluon mass generation has been traditionally plagued with seagull divergences, and all regularization procedures proposed over the years yield finite but scheme-dependent gluon masses. In this work we show how such divergences can be eliminated completely by virtue of a characteristic identity, valid in dimensional regularization. The ability to trigger the aforementioned identity hinges crucially on the particular Ansatz employed for the three-gluon vertex entering into the Schwinger-Dyson equation governing the gluon propagator. The use of the appropriate three-gluon vertex brings about an additional advantage: one obtains two separate (but coupled) integral equations, one for the effective charge and one for the gluon mass. This system of integral equations has a unique solution, which unambiguously determines these two quantities. Most notably, the effective charge freezes in the infrared, and the gluon mass displays power-law running in the ultraviolet, in agreement with earlier considerations.

Conformal anomaly and elimination of infrared divergences in curved spacetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grib, A.A.; Nesteruk, A.V.; Pritomanov, S.A.

1984-01-01

The relation between the problem of eliminating the infrared divergences and the conformal anomaly of the regularized energy-momentum tensor is studied in homogeneous isotropic and anisotropic spacetime. It is shown that elimination of the infrared divergence by means of a cutoff or the introduction of a conformally invariant mass of the field leads to the absence of the conformal anomaly

Genetic divergence among Brazilian turmeric germplasm using morpho-agronomical descriptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mário Sérgio Sigrist

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Turmeric (Curcuma longa L. is a vegetatively-propagated crop which is used as a natural dye in the food industryand also presents many biological active compounds. Turmeric conventional breeding is difficult and often limited to germplasmselection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic divergence among turmeric accessions available in Brazil using sevenmorpho-agronomical descriptors. Overall genetic divergence was low, although some divergent genotypes were identified. Fourmain groups of genotypes were identified and could be further used in breeding programs. Canonical variable analysis suggestedthat some descriptors were more important to discriminate accessions and also that one of the descriptors could be discarded. Theresults provided useful insights for better management of the germplasm collection, optimizing conservational and breeding efforts.

Genetic divergence in sesame based on morphological and agronomic traits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nair Helena Castro Arriel

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The evaluation of diversity in germplasm collections is important for both plant breeders and germplasmcurators to optimize the use of the variability available. Diversity can be estimated by different genetic markers. The purposeof this study was to estimate the genetic divergence of 30 morphological and agronomic traits in 108 sesame genotypes bymultivariate analysis. The Cole-Rodgers index was used to establish the dissimilarity matrices. The principal componentanalysis identified the traits that contributed most to the divergence and the genotypes were clustered by Tocher’s optimization.Despite the narrow genetic basis, the markers were efficient to characterize the genotypes and identify the most similar groupsor duplicate and divergent genotypes. Greatest variation was found for the traits number of capsules per plant and grain yield.

Divergence-Measure Fields, Sets of Finite Perimeter, and Conservation Laws

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Gui-Qiang; Torres, Monica

2005-02-01

Divergence-measure fields in L∞ over sets of finite perimeter are analyzed. A notion of normal traces over boundaries of sets of finite perimeter is introduced, and the Gauss-Green formula over sets of finite perimeter is established for divergence-measure fields in L∞. The normal trace introduced here over a class of surfaces of finite perimeter is shown to be the weak-star limit of the normal traces introduced in Chen & Frid [6] over the Lipschitz deformation surfaces, which implies their consistency. As a corollary, an extension theorem of divergence-measure fields in L∞ over sets of finite perimeter is also established. Then we apply the theory to the initial-boundary value problem of nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws over sets of finite perimeter.

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) enhances divergent thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Colzato, Lorenza S; Ritter, Simone M; Steenbergen, Laura

2018-03-01

Creativity is one of the most important cognitive skills in our complex and fast-changing world. Previous correlative evidence showed that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is involved in divergent but not convergent thinking. In the current study, a placebo/sham-controlled, randomized between-group design was used to test a causal relation between vagus nerve and creativity. We employed transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique to stimulate afferent fibers of the vagus nerve and speculated to increase GABA levels, in 80 healthy young volunteers. Creative performance was assessed in terms of divergent thinking (Alternate Uses Task) and convergent thinking tasks (Remote Associates Test, Creative Problem Solving Task, Idea Selection Task). Results demonstrate active tVNS, compared to sham stimulation, enhanced divergent thinking. Bayesian analysis reported the data to be inconclusive regarding a possible effect of tVNS on convergent thinking. Therefore, our findings corroborate the idea that the vagus nerve is causally involved in creative performance. Even thought we did not directly measure GABA levels, our results suggest that GABA (likely to be increased in active tVNS condition) supports the ability to select among competing options in high selection demand (divergent thinking) but not in low selection demand (convergent thinking). Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Experimental results on the MOX fuel. Study of the calculus/measures divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, S.

1997-01-01

For each nuclear plant unit restart, all safety criterion have to be respected. Various parameters as boron concentration, temperature coefficient, worth or power and activity distributions related to fuel assemblies, have to be calculated. To compute these parameters Framatome uses the neutronic channel Science. Before the validation they are compare to experimental measures. For UO 2 fuel the divergence calculus/measures are correct. But for MOX fuels the divergence worsening. This paper discusses tis divergence and research the origin. (A.L.B.)

Divergences in maximal supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in diverse dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bork, L.V.; Kazakov, D.I.; Kompaniets, M.V.; Tolkachev, D.M.; Vlasenko, D.E.

2015-01-01

The main aim of this paper is to study the scattering amplitudes in gauge field theories with maximal supersymmetry in dimensions D=6,8 and 10. We perform a systematic study of the leading ultraviolet divergences using the spinor helicity and on-shell momentum superspace framework. In D=6 the first divergences start at 3 loops and we calculate them up to 5 loops, in D=8,10 the first divergences start at 1 loop and we calculate them up to 4 loops. The leading divergences in a given order are the polynomials of Mandelstam variables. To be on the safe side, we check our analytical calculations by numerical ones applying the alpha-representation and the dedicated routines. Then we derive an analog of the RG equations for the leading pole that allows us to get the recursive relations and construct the generating procedure to obtain the polynomials at any order of perturbation theory (PT). At last, we make an attempt to sum the PT series and derive the differential equation for the infinite sum. This equation possesses a fixed point which might be stable or unstable depending on the kinematics. Some consequences of these fixed points are discussed.

The influence of life-history strategy on genetic differentiation and lineage divergence in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae).

Science.gov (United States)

Fluker, Brook L; Kuhajda, Bernard R; Harris, Phillip M

2014-11-01

Recent studies determined that darters with specialized breeding strategies can exhibit deep lineage divergence over fine geographic scales without apparent physical barriers to gene flow. However, the extent to which intrinsic characteristics interact with extrinsic factors to influence population divergence and lineage diversification in darters is not well understood. This study employed comparative phylogeographic and population genetic methods to investigate the influence of life history on gene flow, dispersal ability, and lineage divergence in two sympatric sister darters with differing breeding strategies. Our results revealed highly disparate phylogeographic histories, patterns of genetic structure, and dispersal abilities between the two species suggesting that life history may contribute to lineage diversification in darters, especially by limiting dispersal among large river courses. Both species also showed striking differences in demographic history, indicating that extrinsic factors differentially affected each species during the Pleistocene. Collectively, our results indicate that intrinsic and extrinsic factors have influenced levels of gene flow among populations within both species examined. However, we suggest that life-history strategy may play a more important role in lineage diversification in darters than previously appreciated, a finding that has potentially important implications for understanding diversification of the rich North American freshwater fish fauna. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Opportunity Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Louise Møller; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann; Tollestrup, Christian

2012-01-01

Creating and growing new businesses is basically about turning an entrepreneurial opportunity into future business. In literature the emergence of opportunities is often described as opportunity recognition or opportunity discovery, which points to the understanding that opportunities are out the...

Ultraviolet divergences in higher dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, P.S.; Stelle, K.S.

1984-01-01

We determine the loop orders for the onset of allowed ultra-violet divergences in higher dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories. Cancellations are controlled by the non-renormalization theorems for the linearly realizable supersymmetries and by the requirement that counterterms display the full non-linear supersymmetries when the classical equations of motion are imposed. The first allowed divergences in the maximal super Yang-Mills theories occur at four loops in five dimensions, three loops in six dimensions and two loops in seven dimensions. (orig.)

Selection is stronger in early-versus-late stages of divergence in a Neotropical livebearing fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingley, Spencer J; Johnson, Jerald B

2016-03-01

How selection acts to drive trait evolution at different stages of divergence is of fundamental importance in our understanding of the origins of biodiversity. Yet, most studies have focused on a single point along an evolutionary trajectory. Here, we provide a case study evaluating the strength of divergent selection acting on life-history traits at early-versus-late stages of divergence in Brachyrhaphis fishes. We find that the difference in selection is stronger in the early-diverged population than the late-diverged population, and that trait differences acquired early are maintained over time. © 2016 The Author(s).

Creative Self-Efficacy: The Influence of Affective States and Social Persuasion as Antecedents and Imagination and Divergent Thinking as Consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Puente-Díaz, Rogelio; Cavazos-Arroyo, Judith

2017-01-01

Two studies examined the influence of encouragement for creativity, curiosity, harmonious passion, and autonomy support as antecedents of creative self-efficacy and imagination and divergent thinking as consequences. College students completed a battery of questionnaires. Structural equation modeling treating the variables as latent and not…

Nonnegative matrix factorization with the Itakura-Saito divergence: with application to music analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Févotte, Cédric; Bertin, Nancy; Durrieu, Jean-Louis

2009-03-01

This letter presents theoretical, algorithmic, and experimental results about nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) with the Itakura-Saito (IS) divergence. We describe how IS-NMF is underlaid by a well-defined statistical model of superimposed gaussian components and is equivalent to maximum likelihood estimation of variance parameters. This setting can accommodate regularization constraints on the factors through Bayesian priors. In particular, inverse-gamma and gamma Markov chain priors are considered in this work. Estimation can be carried out using a space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization (SAGE) algorithm; this leads to a novel type of NMF algorithm, whose convergence to a stationary point of the IS cost function is guaranteed. We also discuss the links between the IS divergence and other cost functions used in NMF, in particular, the Euclidean distance and the generalized Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. As such, we describe how IS-NMF can also be performed using a gradient multiplicative algorithm (a standard algorithm structure in NMF) whose convergence is observed in practice, though not proven. Finally, we report a furnished experimental comparative study of Euclidean-NMF, KL-NMF, and IS-NMF algorithms applied to the power spectrogram of a short piano sequence recorded in real conditions, with various initializations and model orders. Then we show how IS-NMF can successfully be employed for denoising and upmix (mono to stereo conversion) of an original piece of early jazz music. These experiments indicate that IS-NMF correctly captures the semantics of audio and is better suited to the representation of music signals than NMF with the usual Euclidean and KL costs.

On non-primitively divergent vertices of Yang-Mills theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huber, Markus Q. [Institute of Physics, University of Graz, NAWI Graz (Austria)

2017-11-15

Two correlation functions of Yang-Mills beyond the primitively divergent ones, the two-ghost-two-gluon and the four-ghost vertices, are calculated and their influence on lower vertices is examined. Their full (transverse) tensor structure is taken into account. As input, a solution of the full two-point equations - including two-loop terms - is used that respects the resummed perturbative ultraviolet behavior. A clear hierarchy is found with regard to the color structure that reduces the number of relevant dressing functions. The impact of the two-ghost-two-gluon vertex on the three-gluon vertex is negligible, which is explained by the fact that all non-small dressing functions drop out due to their color factors. Only in the ghost-gluon vertex a small net effect below 2% is seen. The four-ghost vertex is found to be extremely small in general. Since these two four-point functions do not enter into the propagator equations, these findings establish their small overall effect on lower correlation functions. (orig.)

Modified Chapman–Enskog expansion: A new way to treat divergent series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

She Zhen-Su

2017-01-01

The resolution by Chen and Sun of divergent Chapman–Enskog expansion problem will not only build a unified foundation for non-equilibrium dynamics modeling at all Mach number and Knudsen number, but also shed light to a large class of difficult theoretical problems involving divergent expansion on strong nonlinearity. (paper)

Multivariate genetic divergence among sugarcane clones by multivariate analysis associated with mixed models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valéria Rosa Lopes

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This work had the aim to evaluate the genetic divergence in sugarcane clones using the methodology of graphic dispersion by principal components analysis associated to linear mixed models, indentifying the more divergent and productive genotypes with more precision, for a subsequent combination. 138 sugarcane clones of the RB97 series of the Sugarcane Breeding Program of the Universidade Federal do Parana, more two standard cultivars were evaluated in three environments, with two replications. The two first components explained 96% of the total variation, sufficiently for explaining the divergence found. The variable that contributed the most to de divergence was kilogram of brix per plot (BKP followed by brix, mass of 10 stalks and number of stalks per plot. The more divergent sugarcane clones were RB975008, RB975112, RB975019, RB975153 and RB975067 and the more productive clones were RB975269, RB977533, RB975102, RB975317 and RB975038.

Increasing interpersonal trust through divergent thinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta eSellaro

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Interpersonal trust is an essential ingredient of many social relationships but how stable is it actually, and how is it controlled? There is evidence that the degree of trust into others might be rather volatile and can be affected by manipulations like drawing attention to personal interdependence or independence. Here we investigated whether the degree of interpersonal trust can be biased by inducing either a more integrative or a more cognitive-control mode by means of a creativity task requiring divergent or convergent thinking, respectively. Participants then performed the Trust Game, which provides an index of interpersonal trust by assessing the money units one participant (the trustor transfers to another participant (the trustee. As expected, participants transferred significantly more money to the trustee after engaging in divergent thinking as compared to convergent thinking. This observation provides support for the idea that interpersonal trust is controlled by domain-general (i.e., not socially dedicated cognitive states.

Genetic divergence of a sympatric lake-resident-anadromous three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus species pair.

Science.gov (United States)

Drevecky, C J; Falco, R; Aguirre, W E

2013-07-01

The genetic relationship between sympatric, morphologically divergent populations of anadromous and lake-resident three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus in the Jim Creek drainage of Cook Inlet, Alaska, was examined using microsatellite loci and mitochondrial d-loop sequence data. Resident samples differed substantially from sympatric anadromous samples in the Jim Creek drainage with the magnitude of the genetic divergence being similar to that between allopatric resident and anadromous populations in other areas. Resident samples were genetically similar within the Jim Creek drainage, as were the anadromous samples surveyed. Neighbour-joining and Structure cluster analysis grouped the samples into four genetic clusters by ecomorph (anadromous v. all resident) and geographic location of the resident samples (Jim Creek, Mat-Su and Kenai). There was no evidence of hybridization between resident and anadromous G. aculeatus in the Jim Creek drainage, which thus appear to be reproductively isolated. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Trajectory structures and transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlad, Madalina; Spineanu, Florin

2004-01-01

The special problem of transport in two-dimensional divergence-free stochastic velocity fields is studied by developing a statistical approach, the nested subensemble method. The nonlinear process of trapping determined by such fields generates trajectory structures whose statistical characteristics are determined. These structures strongly influence the transport

An ancient divergence among the bacteria. [methanogenic phylogeny

Science.gov (United States)

Balch, W. E.; Magrum, L. J.; Fox, G. E.; Wolfe, R. S.; Woese, C. R.

1977-01-01

The 16S ribosomal RNZs from two species of met methanogenic bacteria, the mesophile Methanobacterium ruminantium and the thermophile Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, have been characterized in terms of the oligonucleotides produced by digestion with T1 ribonuclease. These two organisms are found to be sufficiently related that they can be considered members of the same genus or family. However, they bear only slight resemblance to 'typical' Procaryotic genera; such as Escherichia, Bacillus and Anacystis. The divergence of the methanogenic bacteria from other bacteria may be the most ancient phylogenetic event yet detected - antedating considerably the divergence of the blue green algal line for example, from the main bacterial line.

Mechanistically Distinct Pathways of Divergent Regulatory DNA Creation Contribute to Evolution of Human-Specific Genomic Regulatory Networks Driving Phenotypic Divergence of Homo sapiens.

Science.gov (United States)

Glinsky, Gennadi V

2016-09-19

Thousands of candidate human-specific regulatory sequences (HSRS) have been identified, supporting the hypothesis that unique to human phenotypes result from human-specific alterations of genomic regulatory networks. Collectively, a compendium of multiple diverse families of HSRS that are functionally and structurally divergent from Great Apes could be defined as the backbone of human-specific genomic regulatory networks. Here, the conservation patterns analysis of 18,364 candidate HSRS was carried out requiring that 100% of bases must remap during the alignments of human, chimpanzee, and bonobo sequences. A total of 5,535 candidate HSRS were identified that are: (i) highly conserved in Great Apes; (ii) evolved by the exaptation of highly conserved ancestral DNA; (iii) defined by either the acceleration of mutation rates on the human lineage or the functional divergence from non-human primates. The exaptation of highly conserved ancestral DNA pathway seems mechanistically distinct from the evolution of regulatory DNA segments driven by the species-specific expansion of transposable elements. Genome-wide proximity placement analysis of HSRS revealed that a small fraction of topologically associating domains (TADs) contain more than half of HSRS from four distinct families. TADs that are enriched for HSRS and termed rapidly evolving in humans TADs (revTADs) comprise 0.8-10.3% of 3,127 TADs in the hESC genome. RevTADs manifest distinct correlation patterns between placements of human accelerated regions, human-specific transcription factor-binding sites, and recombination rates. There is a significant enrichment within revTAD boundaries of hESC-enhancers, primate-specific CTCF-binding sites, human-specific RNAPII-binding sites, hCONDELs, and H3K4me3 peaks with human-specific enrichment at TSS in prefrontal cortex neurons (P sapiens is driven by the evolution of human-specific genomic regulatory networks via at least two mechanistically distinct pathways of creation of

Ancient geographical barriers drive differentiation among Sonneratia caseolaris populations and recent divergence from S. lanceolata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuchen Yang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Glacial vicariance is thought to influence population dynamics and speciation of many marine organisms. Mangroves, a plant group inhabiting intertidal zones, were also profoundly influenced by Pleistocene glaciations. In this study, we investigated phylogeographic patterns of a widespread mangrove species Sonneratia caseolaris and a narrowly distributed, closely related species S. lanceolata to infer their divergence histories and related it to historical geological events. We sequenced two chloroplast fragments and five nuclear genes for one population of S. lanceolata and 12 populations of S. caseolaris across the Indo-West Pacific (IWP region to evaluate genetic differentiation and divergence time among them. Phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS and a nuclear gene rpl9 for all Sonneratia species indicate that S. lanceolata individuals are nested within S. caseolaris. We found strong genetic structure among geographic regions (South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and eastern Australia inhabited by S. caseolaris. We estimated that divergence between the Indo-Malesia and Australasia populations occurred 4.035 million years ago (MYA, prior to the onset of Pleistocene. BARRIERS analysis suggested that complex geographic features in the IWP region had largely shaped the phylogeographic patterns of S. caseolaris. Furthermore, haplotype analyses provided convincing evidence for secondary contact of the South China Sea (SCS and the Indian Ocean lineages at the Indo-Pacific boundary. Demographic history inference under isolation and migration (IM model detected substantial gene flow from the Sri Lanka populations to the populations in the Java Island. Moreover, multi-locus sequence analysis indicated that S. lanceolata was most closely related to the Indian Ocean populations of S. caseolaris and the divergence time between them was 2.057 MYA, coinciding with the onset of the Pleistocene

Ultrasonic divergent-beam scanner for time-of-flight tomography with computer evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glover, G H

1978-03-02

The rotatable ultrasonic divergent-beam scanner is designed for time-of-flight tomography with computer evaluation. With it there can be measured parameters that are of importance for the structure of soft tissues, e.g. time as a function of the velocity distribution along a certain path of flight(the method is analogous to the transaxial X-ray tomography). Moreover it permits to perform the quantitative measurement of two-dimensional velocity distributions and may therefore be applied to serial examinations for detecting cancer of the breast. As computers digital memories as well as analog-digital-hybrid systems are suitable.

Influence of beam divergence on form-factor in X-ray diffraction radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sergeeva, D.Yu.; Tishchenko, A.A.; Strikhanov, M.N.

2015-01-01

Diffraction radiation from divergent beam is considered in terms of radiation in UV and X-ray range. Scedastic form of Gaussian distribution of the particle in the bunch, i.e. Gaussian distribution with changing dispersion has been used, which is more adequate for description of divergent beams than often used Gaussian distribution with constant dispersion. Both coherent and incoherent form-factors are taken into account. The conical diffraction effect in diffraction radiation is proved to make essential contribution in spectral-angular characteristics of radiation from a divergent beam

Intrinsic incompatibilities evolving as a by-product of divergent ecological selection: Considering them in empirical studies on divergence with gene flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulmuni, J; Westram, A M

2017-06-01

The possibility of intrinsic barriers to gene flow is often neglected in empirical research on local adaptation and speciation with gene flow, for example when interpreting patterns observed in genome scans. However, we draw attention to the fact that, even with gene flow, divergent ecological selection may generate intrinsic barriers involving both ecologically selected and other interacting loci. Mechanistically, the link between the two types of barriers may be generated by genes that have multiple functions (i.e., pleiotropy), and/or by gene interaction networks. Because most genes function in complex networks, and their evolution is not independent of other genes, changes evolving in response to ecological selection can generate intrinsic barriers as a by-product. A crucial question is to what extent such by-product barriers contribute to divergence and speciation-that is whether they stably reduce gene flow. We discuss under which conditions by-product barriers may increase isolation. However, we also highlight that, depending on the conditions (e.g., the amount of gene flow and the strength of selection acting on the intrinsic vs. the ecological barrier component), the intrinsic incompatibility may actually destabilize barriers to gene flow. In practice, intrinsic barriers generated as a by-product of divergent ecological selection may generate peaks in genome scans that cannot easily be interpreted. We argue that empirical studies on divergence with gene flow should consider the possibility of both ecological and intrinsic barriers. Future progress will likely come from work combining population genomic studies, experiments quantifying fitness and molecular studies on protein function and interactions. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Viewpoint Environmental Slogans: Memes with Diverging ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Environmental slogans can be seen as memes, i.e. cultural constructs that, not unlike genes, replicate themselves from one generation to the next. Memes may, however, be divergently interpreted and some memes can even have unwanted side-effects. We wanted to find out how supporters of an environmental ...

Genetic Divergence in Sugarcane Genotypes

OpenAIRE

Tahir, Mohammad; Rahman, Hidayatur; Gul, Rahmani; Ali, Amjad; Khalid, Muhammad

2012-01-01

To assess genetic divergence of sugarcane germplasm, an experiment comprising 25 sugarcane genotypes was conducted at Sugar Crops Research Institute (SCRI), Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, in quadruple lattice design during 2008-09. Among the 14 parameters evaluated, majority exhibited significant differences while some showed nonsignificant mean squares. The initial correlation matrix revealed medium to high correlations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that there were two pr...

Linkographic Evidence for Concurrent Divergent and Convergent Thinking in Creative Design

Science.gov (United States)

Goldschmidt, Gabriela

2016-01-01

For a long time, the creativity literature has stressed the role of divergent thinking in creative endeavor. More recently, it has been recognized that convergent thinking also has a role in creativity, and the design literature, which sees design as a creative activity a priori, has largely adopted this view: Divergent and convergent thinking are…

Genetic and epigenetic divergence between disturbed and undisturbed subpopulations of a Mediterranean shrub: a 20-year field experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Carlos M; Bazaga, Pilar

2016-06-01

Little is known on the potential of ecological disturbance to cause genetic and epigenetic changes in plant populations. We take advantage of a long-term field experiment initiated in 1986 to study the demography of the shrub Lavandula latifolia , and compare genetic and epigenetic characteristics of plants in two adjacent subplots, one experimentally disturbed and one left undisturbed, 20 years after disturbance. Experimental setup was comparable to an unreplicated 'Before-After-Control-Impact' (BACI) design where a single pair of perturbed and control areas were compared. When sampled in 2005, plants in the two subplots had roughly similar ages, but they had established in contrasting environments: dense conspecific population ('Undisturbed' subpopulation) versus open area with all conspecifics removed ('Disturbed' subpopulation). Plants were characterized genetically and epigenetically using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and two classes of methylation-sensitive AFLP (MSAP) markers. Subpopulations were similar in genetic diversity but differed in epigenetic diversity and multilocus genetic and epigenetic characteristics. Epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was statistically unrelated to genetic divergence. Bayesian clustering revealed an abrupt linear boundary between subpopulations closely coincident with the arbitrary demarcation line between subplots drawn 20 years back, which supports that genetic and epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was caused by artificial disturbance. There was significant fine-scale spatial structuring of MSAP markers in both subpopulations, which in the Undisturbed one was indistinguishable from that of AFLP markers. Genetic differences between subpopulations could be explained by divergent selection alone, while the concerted action of divergent selection and disturbance-driven appearance of new methylation variants in the Disturbed subpopulation is proposed to explain epigenetic differences. This

Multi-heme Cytochromes in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1: Structures, functions and opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breuer, Marian; Rosso, Kevin M.; Blumberger, Jochen; Butt, Julea N.

2014-11-05

Multi-heme cytochromes are employed by a range of microorganisms to transport electrons over distances of up to tens of nanometers. Perhaps the most spectacular utilization of these proteins is in the reduction of extracellular solid substrates, including electrodes and insoluble mineral oxides of Fe(III) and Mn(III/IV), by species of Shewanella and Geobacter. However, multi-heme cytochromes are found in numerous and phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes where they participate in electron transfer and redox catalysis that contributes to biogeochemical cycling of N, S and Fe on the global scale. These properties of multi-heme cytochromes have attracted much interest and contributed to advances in bioenergy applications and bioremediation of contaminated soils. Looking forward there are opportunities to engage multi-heme cytochromes for biological photovoltaic cells, microbial electrosynthesis and developing bespoke molecular devices. As a consequence it is timely to review our present understanding of these proteins and we do this here with a focus on the multitude of functionally diverse multi-heme cytochromes in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. We draw on findings from experimental and computational approaches which ideally complement each other in the study of these systems: computational methods can interpret experimentally determined properties in terms of molecular structure to cast light on the relation between structure and function. We show how this synergy has contributed to our understanding of multi-heme cytochromes and can be expected to continue to do so for greater insight into natural processes and their informed exploitation in biotechnologies.

Social class and the STEM career pipeline an ethnographic investigation of opportunity structures in a high-poverty versus affluent high school

Science.gov (United States)

Nikischer, Andrea B.

This research investigates science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) high school opportunity structures, including student experiences with math and science course sequences and progress, college guidance and counseling, and STEM extracurricular activities (Weis and Eisenhart, 2009), specifically related to STEM fields and career and college choice, for top-performing math and science students. Differences in these structures and processes as they play out in two representative high schools that vary by social class and racial/ethnic makeup are examined. This comparative ethnography includes 36 school and classroom observations, 56 semi-structured individual interviews, and a review of relevant documents, all gathered during the focal students' junior year of high school. Three data chapters are presented, discussing three distinct, yet interconnected themes. In the first, I examine the ways in which chronic attendance problems and classroom distractions negatively impact math and science instruction time and lead to an instruction (time) deficit. In the second, I compare the math and science course and extra-curricular offerings at each school, and discuss the significant differences between sites regarding available STEM exposure and experience, also known as "STEM educational dose" (Wai, et al., 2010). In the third, I investigate available guidance counseling services and STEM and college-linking at each site. Perceived failures in the counseling services available are discussed. This dissertation is grounded in the literature on differences in academic achievement based on school setting, the nature/distribution of knowledge based on social class, and STEM opportunity structures. The concepts of "social capital" and "STEM capital" are engaged throughout. Ultimately, I argue through this dissertation that segregation by race, and most importantly social class, both between and within districts, damages the STEM pipeline for high-performing math and

The mitochondrial genomes of Campodea fragilis and C. lubbocki(Hexapoda: Diplura): high genetic divergence in a morphologically uniformtaxon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Podsiadlowski, L.; Carapelli, A.; Nardi, F.; Dallai, R.; Koch,M.; Boore, J.L.; Frati, F.

2005-12-01

Mitochondrial genomes from two dipluran hexapods of the genus Campodea have been sequenced. Gene order is the same as in most other hexapods and crustaceans. Secondary structures of tRNAs reveal specific structural changes in tRNA-C, tRNA-R, tRNA-S1 and tRNA-S2. Comparative analyses of nucleotide and amino acid composition, as well as structural features of both ribosomal RNA subunits, reveal substantial differences among the analyzed taxa. Although the two Campodea species are morphologically highly uniform, genetic divergence is larger than expected, suggesting a long evolutionary history under stable ecological conditions.

Determining divergence times with a protein clock: update and reevaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, D. F.; Cho, G.; Doolittle, R. F.; Bada, J. L. (Principal Investigator)

1997-01-01

A recent study of the divergence times of the major groups of organisms as gauged by amino acid sequence comparison has been expanded and the data have been reanalyzed with a distance measure that corrects for both constraints on amino acid interchange and variation in substitution rate at different sites. Beyond that, the availability of complete genome sequences for several eubacteria and an archaebacterium has had a great impact on the interpretation of certain aspects of the data. Thus, the majority of the archaebacterial sequences are not consistent with currently accepted views of the Tree of Life which cluster the archaebacteria with eukaryotes. Instead, they are either outliers or mixed in with eubacterial orthologs. The simplest resolution of the problem is to postulate that many of these sequences were carried into eukaryotes by early eubacterial endosymbionts about 2 billion years ago, only very shortly after or even coincident with the divergence of eukaryotes and archaebacteria. The strong resemblances of these same enzymes among the major eubacterial groups suggest that the cyanobacteria and Gram-positive and Gram-negative eubacteria also diverged at about this same time, whereas the much greater differences between archaebacterial and eubacterial sequences indicate these two groups may have diverged between 3 and 4 billion years ago.

When can stress facilitate divergence by altering time to flowering?

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Crispin Y; Ally, Dilara; Hodgins, Kathryn A

2015-12-01

Stressors and heterogeneity are ubiquitous features of natural environments, and theory suggests that when environmental qualities alter flowering schedules through phenotypic plasticity, assortative mating can result that promotes evolutionary divergence. Therefore, it is important to determine whether common ecological stressors induce similar changes in flowering time. We review previous studies to determine whether two important stressors, water restriction and herbivory, induce consistent flowering time responses among species; for example, how often do water restriction and herbivory both delay flowering? We focus on the direction of change in flowering time, which affects the potential for divergence in heterogeneous environments. We also tested whether these stressors influenced time to flowering and nonphenology traits using Mimulus guttatus. The literature review suggests that water restriction has variable effects on flowering time, whereas herbivory delays flowering with exceptional consistency. In the Mimulus experiment, low water and herbivory advanced and delayed flowering, respectively. Overall, our results temper theoretical predictions for evolutionary divergence due to habitat-induced changes in flowering time; in particular, we discuss how accounting for variation in the direction of change in flowering time can either increase or decrease the potential for divergence. In addition, we caution against adaptive interpretations of stress-induced phenology shifts.

Divergence from factorizable distributions and matroid representations by partitions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matúš, František

2009-01-01

Roč. 55, č. 12 (2009), s. 5375-5381 ISSN 0018-9448 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750603; GA ČR GA201/04/0393 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Information divergence * relative entropy * Shannon entropy * exponential family * hierarchical model * log-linear model * contingency table * Gibbs distribution * matroid representation * secret sharing scheme * maximum likelihood. Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.357, year: 2009 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/MTR/matus-divergence from factorizable distributions and matroid representations by partitions.pdf

A possible explanation for the divergent projection of ENSO amplitude change under global warming

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lin; Li, Tim; Yu, Yongqiang; Behera, Swadhin K.

2017-12-01

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the greatest climate variability on interannual time scale, yet what controls ENSO amplitude changes under global warming (GW) is uncertain. Here we show that the fundamental factor that controls the divergent projections of ENSO amplitude change within 20 coupled general circulation models that participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase-5 is the change of climatologic mean Pacific subtropical cell (STC), whose strength determines the meridional structure of ENSO perturbations and thus the anomalous thermocline response to the wind forcing. The change of the thermocline response is a key factor regulating the strength of Bjerknes thermocline and zonal advective feedbacks, which ultimately lead to the divergent changes in ENSO amplitude. Furthermore, by forcing an ocean general circulation mode with the change of zonal mean zonal wind stress estimated by a simple theoretical model, a weakening of the STC in future is obtained. Such a change implies that ENSO variability might strengthen under GW, which could have a profound socio-economic consequence.

To be liked versus respected: Divergent goals in interracial interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergsieker, Hilary B; Shelton, J Nicole; Richeson, Jennifer A

2010-08-01

Pervasive representations of Blacks and Latinos as unintelligent and of Whites as racist may give rise to divergent impression management goals in interracial interactions. We present studies showing that in interracial interactions racial minorities seek to be respected and seen as competent more than Whites do, whereas Whites seek to be liked and seen as moral more than racial minorities do. These divergent impression management goals are reflected in Whites' and racial minorities' self-report responses (Studies 1a, 1b, 2, and 4) and behaviors (Studies 3a and 3b). Divergent goals are observed in pre-existing relationships (Study 2), as well as in live interactions (Studies 3a, 3b, and 4), and are associated with higher levels of negative other-directed affect (Study 4). Implications of these goals for interracial communication and misunderstandings are discussed.

Engaging Students in Designing Movement: The Divergent Discovery Style of Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Chatoupis, Constantine

2018-01-01

In the divergent discovery style of teaching the teacher designs problems that engage students in finding multiple solutions. The purpose of this article is to show how physical educators can use the divergent discovery style in the gymnasium. A brief description of this style and its connection to the SHAPE America National Standards for K-12…

Evaluating the relationship between evolutionary divergence and phylogenetic accuracy in AFLP data sets.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Pereira, María Jesús; Caballero, Armando; Quesada, Humberto

2010-05-01

Using in silico amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints, we explore the relationship between sequence similarity and phylogeny accuracy to test when, in terms of genetic divergence, the quality of AFLP data becomes too low to be informative for a reliable phylogenetic reconstruction. We generated DNA sequences with known phylogenies using balanced and unbalanced trees with recent, uniform and ancient radiations, and average branch lengths (from the most internal node to the tip) ranging from 0.02 to 0.4 substitutions per site. The resulting sequences were used to emulate the AFLP procedure. Trees were estimated by maximum parsimony (MP), neighbor-joining (NJ), and minimum evolution (ME) methods from both DNA sequences and virtual AFLP fingerprints. The estimated trees were compared with the reference trees using a score that measures overall differences in both topology and relative branch length. As expected, the accuracy of AFLP-based phylogenies decreased dramatically in the more divergent data sets. Above a divergence of approximately 0.05, AFLP-based phylogenies were largely inaccurate irrespective of the distinct topology, radiation model, or phylogenetic method used. This value represents an upper bound of expected tree accuracy for data sets with a simple divergence history; AFLP data sets with a similar divergence but with unbalanced topologies and short ancestral branches produced much less accurate trees. The lack of homology of AFLP bands quickly increases with divergence and reaches its maximum value (100%) at a divergence of only 0.4. Low guanine-cytosine (GC) contents increase the number of nonhomologous bands in AFLP data sets and lead to less reliable trees. However, the effect of the lack of band homology on tree accuracy is surprisingly small relative to the negative impact due to the low information content of AFLP characters. Tree-building methods based on genetic distance displayed similar trends and outperformed parsimony

Selection from parasites favours immunogenetic diversity but not divergence among locally adapted host populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobler, M; Plath, M; Riesch, R; Schlupp, I; Grasse, A; Munimanda, G K; Setzer, C; Penn, D J; Moodley, Y

2014-05-01

The unprecedented polymorphism in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes is thought to be maintained by balancing selection from parasites. However, do parasites also drive divergence at MHC loci between host populations, or do the effects of balancing selection maintain similarities among populations? We examined MHC variation in populations of the livebearing fish Poecilia mexicana and characterized their parasite communities. Poecilia mexicana populations in the Cueva del Azufre system are locally adapted to darkness and the presence of toxic hydrogen sulphide, representing highly divergent ecotypes or incipient species. Parasite communities differed significantly across populations, and populations with higher parasite loads had higher levels of diversity at class II MHC genes. However, despite different parasite communities, marked divergence in adaptive traits and in neutral genetic markers, we found MHC alleles to be remarkably similar among host populations. Our findings indicate that balancing selection from parasites maintains immunogenetic diversity of hosts, but this process does not promote MHC divergence in this system. On the contrary, we suggest that balancing selection on immunogenetic loci may outweigh divergent selection causing divergence, thereby hindering host divergence and speciation. Our findings support the hypothesis that balancing selection maintains MHC similarities among lineages during and after speciation (trans-species evolution). © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Minimization and parameter estimation for seminorm regularization models with I-divergence constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teuber, T; Steidl, G; Chan, R H

2013-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the minimization of seminorms ‖L · ‖ on R n under the constraint of a bounded I-divergence D(b, H · ) for rather general linear operators H and L. The I-divergence is also known as Kullback–Leibler divergence and appears in many models in imaging science, in particular when dealing with Poisson data but also in the case of multiplicative Gamma noise. Often H represents, e.g., a linear blur operator and L is some discrete derivative or frame analysis operator. A central part of this paper consists in proving relations between the parameters of I-divergence constrained and penalized problems. To solve the I-divergence constrained problem, we consider various first-order primal–dual algorithms which reduce the problem to the solution of certain proximal minimization problems in each iteration step. One of these proximation problems is an I-divergence constrained least-squares problem which can be solved based on Morozov’s discrepancy principle by a Newton method. We prove that these algorithms produce not only a sequence of vectors which converges to a minimizer of the constrained problem but also a sequence of parameters which converges to a regularization parameter so that the corresponding penalized problem has the same solution. Furthermore, we derive a rule for automatically setting the constraint parameter for data corrupted by multiplicative Gamma noise. The performance of the various algorithms is finally demonstrated for different image restoration tasks both for images corrupted by Poisson noise and multiplicative Gamma noise. (paper)

Genetic divergence among interspecific Paspalum hybrids based on seed production traits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Ramos Lopes

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The use of genetic divergence as a basis for identifying superior individuals, with greater heterozygosity, is important in view of the difficulty when selecting of dissimilar genotypes exhibiting high average for interest traits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic divergence and the expression of seed production traits in seventeen apomictic Paspalum plicatulum × Paspalum guenoarum hybrids and two male parents (P. guenoarum. A randomized block design was used, with genotypes individually arranged into ten blocks. The following traits were assessed: total number of tillers/plant (TT, reproductive tiller/plant (RT, number of racemes per inflorescence (NRI, reproductive tiller height (RTH, inflorescence rachis length (IRL, number of seeds/inflorescence (NSI, weight of a thousand seeds (WTS and seed production (SP. Genetic divergence among the genotypes was estimated using the Tocher method and UPGMA clustering, based on the generalized Mahalanobis distance (D2 ii’. The Tocher and UPGMA optimization methods showed high concordance. The traits that most contributed to genetic divergence were RTH (23.59%, IRL (21.63%, WTS (16.67% and SP (14.23%. The presence of genetic diversity made it possible to identify divergent genotypes and those with high means for the traits studied, allowing the selection of genotypes with significant breeding potential. Repeated cross-breeding of female superior plants with the genotypes Azulão and H20 can result in a high heterosis effect on seed production characteristics.

Two families of astrophysical diverging lens models

Science.gov (United States)

Er, Xinzhong; Rogers, Adam

2018-03-01

In the standard gravitational lensing scenario, rays from a background source are bent in the direction of a foreground lensing mass distribution. Diverging lens behaviour produces deflections in the opposite sense to gravitational lensing, and is also of astrophysical interest. In fact, diverging lensing due to compact distributions of plasma has been proposed as an explanation for the extreme scattering events that produce frequency-dependent dimming of extragalactic radio sources, and may also be related to the refractive radio wave phenomena observed to affect the flux density of pulsars. In this work we study the behaviour of two families of astrophysical diverging lenses in the geometric optics limit, the power law, and the exponential plasma lenses. Generally, the members of these model families show distinct behaviour in terms of image formation and magnification, however the inclusion of a finite core for certain power-law lenses can produce a caustic and critical curve morphology that is similar to the well-studied Gaussian plasma lens. Both model families can produce dual radial critical curves, a novel distinction from the tangential distortion usually produced by gravitational (converging) lenses. The deflection angle and magnification of a plasma lens vary with the observational frequency, producing wavelength-dependent magnifications that alter the amplitudes and the shape of the light curves. Thus, multiwavelength observations can be used to physically constrain the distribution of the electron density in such lenses.

A divergence theorem for pseudo-Finsler spaces

OpenAIRE

Minguzzi, E.

2015-01-01

We study the divergence theorem on pseudo-Finsler spaces and obtain a completely Finslerian version for spaces having a vanishing mean Cartan torsion. This result helps to clarify the problem of energy-momentum conservation in Finsler gravity theories.

Evidence for Divergent Evolution of Growth Temperature Preference in Sympatric Saccharomyces Species

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Paula; Valério, Elisabete; Correia, Cláudia; de Almeida, João M. G. C. F.; Sampaio, José Paulo

2011-01-01

The genus Saccharomyces currently includes eight species in addition to the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, most of which can be consistently isolated from tree bark and soil. We recently found sympatric pairs of Saccharomyces species, composed of one cryotolerant and one thermotolerant species in oak bark samples of various geographic origins. In order to contribute to explain the occurrence in sympatry of Saccharomyces species, we screened Saccharomyces genomic data for protein divergence that might be correlated to distinct growth temperature preferences of the species, using the dN/dS ratio as a measure of protein evolution rates and pair-wise species comparisons. In addition to proteins previously implicated in growth at suboptimal temperatures, we found that glycolytic enzymes were among the proteins exhibiting higher than expected divergence when one cryotolerant and one thermotolerant species are compared. By measuring glycolytic fluxes and glycolytic enzymatic activities in different species and at different temperatures, we subsequently show that the unusual divergence of glycolytic genes may be related to divergent evolution of the glycolytic pathway aligning its performance to the growth temperature profiles of the different species. In general, our results support the view that growth temperature preference is a trait that may have undergone divergent selection in the course of ecological speciation in Saccharomyces. PMID:21674061

Relations between heat exchange and Rényi divergences

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Bo-Bo

2018-04-01

In this work, we establish an exact relation which connects the heat exchange between two systems initialized in their thermodynamic equilibrium states at different temperatures and the Rényi divergences between the initial thermodynamic equilibrium state and the final nonequilibrium state of the total system. The relation tells us that the various moments of the heat statistics are determined by the Renyi divergences between the initial equilibrium state and the final nonequilibrium state of the global system. In particular the average heat exchange is quantified by the relative entropy between the initial equilibrium state and the final nonequilibrium state of the global system. The relation is applicable to both finite classical systems and finite quantum systems.

Hamiltonian representation of divergence-free fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boozer, A.H.

1984-11-01

Globally divergence-free fields, such as the magnetic field and the vorticity, can be described by a two degree of freedom Hamiltonian. The Hamiltonian function provides a complete topological description of the field lines. The formulation also separates the dissipative and inertial time scale evolution of the magnetic and the vorticity fields

High temperature phase transitions without infrared divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tetradis, N.; Wetterich, C.

1993-09-01

The most commonly used method for the study of high temperature phase transitions is based on the perturbative evaluation of the temperature dependent effective potential. This method becomes unreliable in the case of a second order or weakly first order phase transition, due to the appearance of infrared divergences. These divergences can be controlled through the method of the effective average action which employs renormalization group ideas. We report on the study of the high temperature phase transition for the N-component φ 4 theory. A detailed quantitative picture of the second order phase transition is presented, including the critical exponents for the behaviour in the vicinity of the critical temperature. An independent check of the results is obtained in the large N limit, and contact with the perturbative approach is established through the study of the Schwinger-Dyson equations. (orig.)

Connecting Amazonian, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest histories: Paraphyly, old divergences, and modern population dynamics in tyrant-manakins (Neopelma/Tyranneutes, Aves: Pipridae).

Science.gov (United States)

Capurucho, João Marcos Guimarães; Ashley, Mary V; Ribas, Camila C; Bates, John M

2018-06-11

Several biogeographic hypotheses have been proposed to explain connections between Amazonian and Atlantic forest biotas. These hypotheses are related to the timing of the connections and their geographic patterns. We performed a phylogeographic investigation of Tyrant-manakins (Aves: Pipridae, Neopelma/Tyranneutes) which include species inhabiting the Amazon and Atlantic forests, as well as gallery forests of the Cerrado. Using DNA sequence data, we determined phylogenetic relationships, temporal and geographic patterns of diversification, and recent intraspecific population genetic patterns, relative to the history of these biomes. We found Neopelma to be a paraphyletic genus, as N. chrysolophum is sister to Neopelma + Tyranneutes, with an estimated divergence of approximately 18 Myrs BP, within the oldest estimated divergence times of other Amazonian and Atlantic forest avian taxa. Subsequent divergences in the group occurred from Mid Miocene to Early Pliocene and involved mainly the Amazonian species, with an expansion into and subsequent speciation in the Cerrado gallery forests by N. pallescens. We found additional structure within N. chrysocephalum and N. sulphureiventer. Analysis of recent population dynamics in N. chrysocephalum, N. sulphureiventer, and N. pallescens revealed recent demographic fluctuations and restrictions to gene flow related to environmental changes since the last glacial cycle. No genetic structure was detected across the Amazon River in N. pallescens. The tyrant-manakins represent an old historical connection between the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A stakeholder analysis of divergent supply-chain trends for the European onshore and offshore wind installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wüstemeyer, Christoph; Madlener, Reinhard; Bunn, Derek W.

2015-01-01

This paper provides a survey-based analysis of investment decisions and structural shifts related to onshore and offshore wind power supply chains. Insights on cost reductions are obtained from a detailed stakeholder survey conducted amongst the European wind power industry in 2012. Overall, a rather more optimistic view of the scope for cost reductions in offshore technology is presented than has previously been evident in empirical analysis. From the analysis we conclude that the wind power industry has experienced a decoupling process of the offshore supply chain from its onshore counterpart with diverging technological requirements. For policy-makers, it is essential to acknowledge that barriers to adoption and the consequent needs for subsidies among the players in the onshore and offshore supply chains seem to differ, and that a micro-level analysis of the innovations and risks involved at the various stages in the supply chain is necessary. - Highlights: • Survey-based analysis of supply chain trends in the European wind energy industry. • Study of technology adoption decisions, structural shifts, and cost projections. • Results reveal a decoupling process between onshore and offshore supply chains. • Possibilities to transfer knowledge from the onshore to the offshore product vary. • The divergent barriers to adoption need to be accounted for by policy-makers

Hypergeometric continuation of divergent perturbation series: I. Critical exponents of the Bose–Hubbard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, Sören; Holthaus, Martin

2017-01-01

We study the connection between the exponent of the order parameter of the Mott insulator-to-superfluid transition occurring in the two-dimensional Bose–Hubbard model, and the divergence exponents of its one- and two-particle correlation functions. We find that at the multicritical points all divergence exponents are related to each other, allowing us to express the critical exponent in terms of one single divergence exponent. This approach correctly reproduces the critical exponent of the three-dimensional XY universality class. Because divergence exponents can be computed in an efficient manner by hypergeometric analytic continuation, our strategy is applicable to a wide class of systems. (paper)

Hypergeometric continuation of divergent perturbation series: I. Critical exponents of the Bose-Hubbard model

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Sören; Holthaus, Martin

2017-10-01

We study the connection between the exponent of the order parameter of the Mott insulator-to-superfluid transition occurring in the two-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model, and the divergence exponents of its one- and two-particle correlation functions. We find that at the multicritical points all divergence exponents are related to each other, allowing us to express the critical exponent in terms of one single divergence exponent. This approach correctly reproduces the critical exponent of the three-dimensional XY universality class. Because divergence exponents can be computed in an efficient manner by hypergeometric analytic continuation, our strategy is applicable to a wide class of systems.

Rigid-body rotation of an electron cloud in divergent magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fruchtman, A.; Gueroult, R.; Fisch, N. J.

2013-01-01

For a given voltage across a divergent poloidal magnetic field, two electric potential distributions, each supported by a rigid-rotor electron cloud rotating with a different frequency, are found analytically. The two rotation frequencies correspond to the slow and fast rotation frequencies known in uniform plasma. Due to the centrifugal force, the equipotential surfaces, that correspond to the two electric potential distributions, diverge more than the magnetic surfaces do, the equipotential surfaces in the fast mode diverge largely in particular. The departure of the equipotential surfaces from the magnetic field surfaces may have a significant focusing effect on the ions accelerated by the electric field. The focusing effect could be important for laboratory plasma accelerators as well as for collimation of astrophysical jets

Construction and Validation of the Perceived Opportunity to Craft Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wingerden, Jessica; Niks, Irene M W

2017-01-01

We developed and validated a scale to measure employees' perceived opportunity to craft (POC) in two separate studies conducted in the Netherlands (total N = 2329). POC is defined as employees' perception of their opportunity to craft their job. In Study 1, the perceived opportunity to craft scale (POCS) was developed and tested for its factor structure and reliability in an explorative way. Study 2 consisted of confirmatory analyses of the factor structure and reliability of the scale as well as examination of the discriminant and criterion-related validity of the POCS. The results indicated that the scale consists of one dimension and could be reliably measured with five items. Evidence was found for the discriminant validity of the POCS. The scale also showed criterion-related validity when correlated with job crafting (+), job resources (autonomy +; opportunities for professional development +), work engagement (+), and the inactive construct cynicism (-). We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.

Extensive behavioural divergence following colonisation of the freshwater environment in threespine sticklebacks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carole Di-Poi

Full Text Available Colonisation of novel environments means facing new ecological challenges often resulting in the evolution of striking divergence in phenotypes. However, little is known about behavioural divergence following colonisation, despite the predicted importance of the role of behavioural phenotype-environment associations in adaptive divergence. We studied the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus, a model system for postglacial colonisation of freshwater habitats largely differing in ecological conditions from the ones faced by the descendants of the marine ancestor. We found that common-environment reared freshwater juveniles were less social, more active and more aggressive than their marine counterparts. This behavioural divergence could represent the result of natural selection that acted on individuals following freshwater colonisation, with predation as a key selection agent. Alternatively, the behavioural profile of freshwater juveniles could represent the characteristics of individuals that preferentially invaded freshwater after the glacial retreat, drawn from the standing variation present in the marine population.

The direct Flow parametric Proof of Gauss' Divergence Theorem revisited

OpenAIRE

Markvorsen, Steen

2006-01-01

The standard proof of the divergence theorem in undergraduate calculus courses covers the theorem for static domains between two graph surfaces. We show that within first year undergraduate curriculum, the flow proof of the dynamic version of the divergence theorem - which is usually considered only much later in more advanced math courses - is comprehensible with only a little extension of the first year curriculum. Moreover, it is more intuitive than the static proof. We support this intuit...

Divergent Priors and well Behaved Bayes Factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.W. Strachan (Rodney); H.K. van Dijk (Herman)

2011-01-01

textabstractDivergent priors are improper when defined on unbounded supports. Bartlett's paradox has been taken to imply that using improper priors results in ill-defined Bayes factors, preventing model comparison by posterior probabilities. However many improper priors have attractive properties

Genetic, ecological and morphological divergence between populations of the endangered Mexican Sheartail hummingbird (Doricha eliza.

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Yuyini Licona-Vera

Full Text Available The Mexican Sheartail (Doricha eliza, an endangered hummingbird, is endemic to Mexico where two populations have a disjunct distribution. One population is distributed along the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula whereas the other is mostly restricted to central Veracruz. Despite their disjunct distribution, previous work has failed to detect morphological or behavioral differences between these populations. Here we use variation in morphology, mtDNA and nuDNA sequences to determine the degree of morphological and molecular divergence between populations, their divergence time, and historical demography. We use species distribution modeling and niche divergence tests to infer the relative roles of vicariance and dispersal in driving divergence in the genus. Our Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses revealed that Doricha eliza populations form a monophyletic clade and support their sister relationship with D. enicura. We found marked genetic differentiation, with reciprocal monophyly of haplotypes and highly restricted gene flow, supporting a history of isolation over the last 120,000 years. Genetic divergence between populations is consistent with the lack of overlap in environmental space and slight morphological differences between males. Our findings indicate that the divergence of the Veracruz and Yucatan populations is best explained by a combination of a short period of isolation exacerbated by subsequent divergence in climate conditions, and that rather than vicariance, the two isolated ranges of D. eliza are the product of recent colonization and divergence in isolation.

Laughter and the Management of Divergent Positions in Peer Review Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Raclaw, Joshua; Ford, Cecilia E.

2017-01-01

In this paper we focus on how participants in peer review interactions use laughter as a resource as they publicly report divergence of evaluative positions, divergence that is typical in the give and take of joint grant evaluation. Using the framework of conversation analysis, we examine the infusion of laughter and multimodal laugh-relevant practices into sequences of talk in meetings of grant reviewers deliberating on the evaluation and scoring of high-level scientific grant applications. We focus on a recurrent sequence in these meetings, what we call the score-reporting sequence, in which the assigned reviewers first announce the preliminary scores they have assigned to the grant. We demonstrate that such sequences are routine sites for the use of laugh practices to navigate the initial moments in which divergence of opinion is made explicit. In the context of meetings convened for the purposes of peer review, laughter thus serves as a valuable resource for managing the socially delicate but institutionally required reporting of divergence and disagreement that is endemic to meetings where these types of evaluative tasks are a focal activity. PMID:29170594

Recent divergence, intercontinental dispersal and shared polymorphism are shaping the genetic structure of amphi-Atlantic peatmoss populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Szövényi, P; Terracciano, S; Ricca, M; Giordano, S; Shaw, A J

2008-12-01

Several lines of evidence suggest that recent long-distance dispersal may have been important in the evolution of intercontinental distribution ranges of bryophytes. However, the absolute rate of intercontinental migration and its relative role in the development of certain distribution ranges is still poorly understood. To this end, the genetic structure of intercontinental populations of six peatmoss species showing an amphi-Atlantic distribution was investigated using microsatellite markers. Methods relying on the coalescent were applied (IM and MIGRATE) to understand the evolution of this distribution pattern in peatmosses. Intercontinental populations of the six peatmoss species were weakly albeit significantly differentiated (average F(ST) = 0.104). This suggests that the North Atlantic Ocean is acting as a barrier to gene flow even in bryophytes adapted to long-range dispersal. The im analysis suggested a relatively recent split of intercontinental populations dating back to the last two glacial periods (9000-289,000 years ago). In contrast to previous hypotheses, analyses indicated that both ongoing migration and ancestral polymorphism are important in explaining the intercontinental genetic similarity of peatmoss populations, but their relative contribution varies with species. Migration rates were significantly asymmetric towards America suggesting differential extinction of genotypes on the two continents or invasion of the American continent by European lineages. These results indicate that low genetic divergence of amphi-Atlantic populations is a general pattern across numerous flowering plants and bryophytes. However, in bryophytes, ongoing intercontinental gene flow and retained shared ancestral polymorphism must both be considered to explain the genetic similarity of intercontinental populations.

Divergent primary moult-A rare moult sequence among Western Palaearctic passerines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yosef Kiat

Full Text Available Wing morphology strongly affects flight performance which may consequently decline during feather moult due to the creation of feather gaps in the wing. Hence, the size and shape of moult-related wing gap may directly affect flight capacity. Here I examined the rare divergent primary moult sequence compared to the more common descendant moult sequence. In the divergent moult, the focus of primary moult is shifted from P1 (primary feather numbered descendantly to another primary between P2 and P5, and then primaries are moulted in two concurrent waves, one descendant and the other ascendant. The result of this rare moult sequence is the splitting of the wing gap to two smaller gaps. Using a large moult database including 6,763 individuals of 32 Western Palaearctic passerine species, I found evidence of divergent moult only among 27 individuals of 12 species. I examined the speed of wing-feather moult for each individual that moulted divergently compared to a control group of individuals at the same moult stage which moulted following the common descending sequence. The results indicate that the sequence of primary moult and moult speed are correlated. Individuals which moulted divergently moulted their primaries with higher moult speed than descendant moulters. The applicability of this study is weakened by the dearth of moult data, thus making it difficult to draw conclusions for a large range of species. Ornithologists and bird ringers are therefore encouraged to collect more basic moult data during their field study.

Mind the Gap: What explains the education-related inequality in missed opportunities for vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa? Compositional and structural characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sambala, Evanson Z; Uthman, Olalekan A; Adamu, Abdu; Ndwandwe, Duduzile; Wiyeh, Alison B; Olukade, Tawa; Bishwajit, Ghose; Yaya, Sanni; Okwo-Bele, Jean-Marie; Wiysonge, Charles S

2018-04-09

Missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) is an important barrier hindering full immunisation coverage among eligible children. Though factors responsible for MOV are well documented in literature, little attention has been paid to the role of inequalities. The aim of this study is to examine the association between structural or compositional factors and education inequalities in MOV. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique was used to explain the factors contributing to the average gap in missed opportunities for vaccination between uneducated and educated mothers in sub-Saharan Africa using DHS survey data from 35 sub Saharan African countries collected between 2007 and 2016. The sample contained 69,657 children aged 12 to 23 months. We observed a wide variation and inter-country differences in the prevalence of missed opportunity for vaccination across populations and geographical locations. Our results show that the prevalence of MOV in Zimbabwe among uneducated and educated mothers was 9% and 21% respectively while in Gabon corresponding numbers were 85% and 89% respectively. In 15 countries, MOV was significantly prevalent among children born to uneducated mothers (pro-illiterate inequality) while in 5 countries MOV was significantly prevalent among educated mothers (pro-educated inequality). Our results suggest that education-related inequalities in missed opportunities for vaccination are explained by compositional and structural characteristics; and that neighbourhood socio-economic status was the most important contributor to education-related inequalities across countries followed by either the presence of under-five children, media access or household wealth index. The results showed that differential effects such as neighbourhood socio-economic status, presence of under-five children, media access and household wealth index, primarily explained education-related inequality in MOV. Interventions to reduce gaps in education-related inequality in MOV

The Influence of Building Block Play on Mathematics Achievement and Logical and Divergent Thinking in Italian Primary School Mathematics Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Pirrone, Concetta; Tienken, Christopher H.; Pagano, Tatiana; Di Nuovo, Santo

2018-01-01

In an experimental study to explain the effect of structured Building Block Play with LEGO™ bricks on 6-year-old student mathematics achievement and in the areas of logical thinking, divergent thinking, nonverbal reasoning, and mental imagery, students in the experimental group scored significantly higher (p = 0.05) in mathematics achievement and…

Summation of Divergent Series and Zeldovich's Regularization Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mur, V.D.; Pozdnyakov, S.G.; Popruzhenko, S.V.; Popov, V.S.

2005-01-01

A method for summing divergent series, including perturbation-theory series, is considered. This method is an analog of Zeldovich's regularization method in the theory of quasistationary states. It is shown that the method in question is more powerful than the well-known Abel and Borel methods, but that it is compatible with them (that is, it leads to the same value for the sum of a series). The constraints on the parameter domain that arise upon the removal of the regularization of divergent integrals by this method are discussed. The dynamical Stark shifts and widths of loosely bound s states in the field of a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave are calculated at various values of the Keldysh adiabaticity parameter and the multiquantum parameter

The fossilized birth–death process for coherent calibration of divergence-time estimates

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Heath, Tracy A.; Huelsenbeck, John P.; Stadler, Tanja

2014-01-01

Time-calibrated species phylogenies are critical for addressing a wide range of questions in evolutionary biology, such as those that elucidate historical biogeography or uncover patterns of coevolution and diversification. Because molecular sequence data are not informative on absolute time, external data—most commonly, fossil age estimates—are required to calibrate estimates of species divergence dates. For Bayesian divergence time methods, the common practice for calibration using fossil information involves placing arbitrarily chosen parametric distributions on internal nodes, often disregarding most of the information in the fossil record. We introduce the “fossilized birth–death” (FBD) process—a model for calibrating divergence time estimates in a Bayesian framework, explicitly acknowledging that extant species and fossils are part of the same macroevolutionary process. Under this model, absolute node age estimates are calibrated by a single diversification model and arbitrary calibration densities are not necessary. Moreover, the FBD model allows for inclusion of all available fossils. We performed analyses of simulated data and show that node age estimation under the FBD model results in robust and accurate estimates of species divergence times with realistic measures of statistical uncertainty, overcoming major limitations of standard divergence time estimation methods. We used this model to estimate the speciation times for a dataset composed of all living bears, indicating that the genus Ursus diversified in the Late Miocene to Middle Pliocene. PMID:25009181

Genetic surfing, not allopatric divergence, explains spatial sorting of mitochondrial haplotypes in venomous coralsnakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Streicher, Jeffrey W; McEntee, Jay P; Drzich, Laura C; Card, Daren C; Schield, Drew R; Smart, Utpal; Parkinson, Christopher L; Jezkova, Tereza; Smith, Eric N; Castoe, Todd A

2016-07-01

Strong spatial sorting of genetic variation in contiguous populations is often explained by local adaptation or secondary contact following allopatric divergence. A third explanation, spatial sorting by stochastic effects of range expansion, has been considered less often though theoretical models suggest it should be widespread, if ephemeral. In a study designed to delimit species within a clade of venomous coralsnakes, we identified an unusual pattern within the Texas coral snake (Micrurus tener): strong spatial sorting of divergent mitochondrial (mtDNA) lineages over a portion of its range, but weak sorting of these lineages elsewhere. We tested three alternative hypotheses to explain this pattern-local adaptation, secondary contact following allopatric divergence, and range expansion. Collectively, near panmixia of nuclear DNA, the signal of range expansion associated sampling drift, expansion origins in the Gulf Coast of Mexico, and species distribution modeling suggest that the spatial sorting of divergent mtDNA lineages within M. tener has resulted from genetic surfing of standing mtDNA variation-not local adaptation or allopatric divergence. Our findings highlight the potential for the stochastic effects of recent range expansion to mislead estimations of population divergence made from mtDNA, which may be exacerbated in systems with low vagility, ancestral mtDNA polymorphism, and male-biased dispersal. © 2016 The Author(s).

Divergence in technical efficiency of electric utilities: Evidence from the SAPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaunky, Vishal Chandr

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the convergence pattern of technical efficiency of the South Africa Power Pool (SAPP) utilities over the period April 2003–March 2010 by means of parametric and non-parametric techniques. Technical efficiency scores are computed via both stochastic frontier analysis and data envelopment analysis. Mixed results are obtained from the neoclassical convergence approaches. In addition, distribution dynamics methods reveal some evidence of club-formation and this result is supported with the occurrence of γ-divergence. Taken as a whole, technical efficiency is found to diverge among the utilities operating in the power pool. -- Highlights: •The technical efficiency convergence pattern within the South Africa Power Pool is assessed. •Mixed results are obtained from the parametric neoclassical convergence approaches. •Evidence of divergence is revealed by the non-parametric convergence approaches

On divergence of finite measures and their applicability in statistics and information theory

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vajda, Igor; Stummer, W.

2009-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 2 (2009), s. 169-187 ISSN 0233-1888 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M0572; GA ČR(CZ) GA102/07/1131 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Local and global divergences of finite measures * Divergences of sigma-finite measures * Statistical censoring * Pinsker's inequality, Ornstein's distance * Differential power entropies Subject RIV: BD - Theory of Information Impact factor: 0.759, year: 2009 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/SI/vajda-on divergence of finite measures and their applicability in statistics and information theory.pdf

A Multiparameter Network Reveals Extensive Divergence between C. elegans bHLH Transcription Factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grove, C.; De Masi, Federico; Newburger, Daniel

2009-01-01

parameters remain undetermined. We comprehensively identify dimerization partners, spatiotemporal expression patterns, and DNA-binding specificities for the C. elegans bHLH family of TFs, and model these data into an integrated network. This network displays both specificity and promiscuity, as some b......HLH proteins, DNA sequences, and tissues are highly connected, whereas others are not. By comparing all bHLH TFs, we find extensive divergence and that all three parameters contribute equally to bHLH divergence. Our approach provides a framework for examining divergence for other protein families in C. elegans...

Creating Structured Opportunities for Social Engagement to Promote Well-Being and Reduce Burnout in Medical Students and Residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegelstein, Roy C

2017-12-26

Increasing attention is being paid to medical student and resident well-being, as well as to enhancing resilience and avoiding burnout in medical trainees. Medical schools and residency programs are implementing wellness initiatives that often include meditation and other mindfulness activities, self-reflection, journaling, and lectures or workshops on resilience tools such as metacognition and cognitive restructuring. These interventions have in common the creation of opportunities for trainees to become more aware of their experiences, to better recognize stressors, and to regulate their thoughts and feelings so that stressors are less likely to have harmful effects. They often enable trainees to temporarily distance themselves mentally and emotionally from a stressful environment. In this Invited Commentary, the author suggests that medical school leaders and residency program directors should also create structured opportunities for trainees to establish meaningful connections with each other in order to provide greater social support and thereby reduce the harmful effects of stress. Social connection and engagement, as well as group identification, have potential to promote well-being and reduce burnout during training.

Mechanisms of peripheral phylogeographic divergence in the indo-Pacific: lessons from the spiny lobster Panulirus homarus.

Science.gov (United States)

Farhadi, Ahmad; Jeffs, Andrew G; Farahmand, Hamid; Rejiniemon, Thankappan Sarasam; Smith, Greg; Lavery, Shane D

2017-08-18

There is increasing recognition of the concordance between marine biogeographic and phylogeographic boundaries. However, it is still unclear how population-level divergence translates into species-level divergence, and what are the principal factors that first initiate that divergence, and then maintain reproductive isolation. This study examines the likely forces driving population and lineage divergences in the broadly-distributed Indo-Pacific spiny lobster Panulirus homarus, which has peripheral divergent lineages in the west and east. The study focuses particularly on the West Indian Ocean, which is emerging as a region of unexpected diversity. Mitochondrial control region (mtCR) and COI sequences as well as genotypes of 9 microsatellite loci were examined in 410 individuals from 17 locations grouped into 7 regions from South Africa in the west, and eastward across to Taiwan and the Marquesas Islands. Phylogenetic and population-level analyses were used to test the significance and timing of divergences and describe the genetic relationships among populations. Analyses of the mtCR revealed high levels of divergence among the seven regions (Ф ST  = 0.594, P Indo-Pacific that helps drive some of the regions' recognized biogeographic boundaries.

Long range surface plasmon resonance with ultra-high penetration depth for self-referenced sensing and ultra-low detection limit using diverging beam approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isaacs, Sivan, E-mail: sivan.isaacs@gmail.com; Abdulhalim, Ibrahim [Department of Electro-Optical Engineering and TheIlse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105 (Israel); NEW CREATE Programme, School of Materials Science and Engineering, 1 CREATE Way, Research Wing, #02-06/08, Singapore 138602 (Singapore)

2015-05-11

Using an insulator-metal-insulator structure with dielectric having refractive index (RI) larger than the analyte, long range surface plasmon (SP) resonance exhibiting ultra-high penetration depth is demonstrated for sensing applications of large bioentities at wavelengths in the visible range. Based on the diverging beam approach in Kretschmann-Raether configuration, one of the SP resonances is shown to shift in response to changes in the analyte RI while the other is fixed; thus, it can be used as a built in reference. The combination of the high sensitivity, high penetration depth and self-reference using the diverging beam approach in which a dark line is detected of the high sensitivity, high penetration depth, self-reference, and the diverging beam approach in which a dark line is detected using large number of camera pixels with a smart algorithm for sub-pixel resolution, a sensor with ultra-low detection limit is demonstrated suitable for large bioentities.

On the summability of divergent power series solutions for certain first-order linear PDEs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masaki Hibino

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This article is concerned with the study of the Borel summability of divergent power series solutions for certain singular first-order linear partial differential equations of nilpotent type. Our main purpose is to obtain conditions which coefficients of equations should satisfy in order to ensure the Borel summability of divergent solutions. We will see that there is a close affinity between the Borel summability of divergent solutions and global analytic continuation properties for coefficients of equations.

Worldwide Patterns of Ancestry, Divergence, and Admixture in Domesticated Cattle

Science.gov (United States)

Decker, Jared E.; McKay, Stephanie D.; Rolf, Megan M.; Kim, JaeWoo; Molina Alcalá, Antonio; Sonstegard, Tad S.; Hanotte, Olivier; Götherström, Anders; Seabury, Christopher M.; Praharani, Lisa; Babar, Masroor Ellahi; Correia de Almeida Regitano, Luciana; Yildiz, Mehmet Ali; Heaton, Michael P.; Liu, Wan-Sheng; Lei, Chu-Zhao; Reecy, James M.; Saif-Ur-Rehman, Muhammad; Schnabel, Robert D.; Taylor, Jeremy F.

2014-01-01

The domestication and development of cattle has considerably impacted human societies, but the histories of cattle breeds and populations have been poorly understood especially for African, Asian, and American breeds. Using genotypes from 43,043 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphism markers scored in 1,543 animals, we evaluate the population structure of 134 domesticated bovid breeds. Regardless of the analytical method or sample subset, the three major groups of Asian indicine, Eurasian taurine, and African taurine were consistently observed. Patterns of geographic dispersal resulting from co-migration with humans and exportation are recognizable in phylogenetic networks. All analytical methods reveal patterns of hybridization which occurred after divergence. Using 19 breeds, we map the cline of indicine introgression into Africa. We infer that African taurine possess a large portion of wild African auroch ancestry, causing their divergence from Eurasian taurine. We detect exportation patterns in Asia and identify a cline of Eurasian taurine/indicine hybridization in Asia. We also identify the influence of species other than Bos taurus taurus and B. t. indicus in the formation of Asian breeds. We detect the pronounced influence of Shorthorn cattle in the formation of European breeds. Iberian and Italian cattle possess introgression from African taurine. American Criollo cattle originate from Iberia, and not directly from Africa with African ancestry inherited via Iberian ancestors. Indicine introgression into American cattle occurred in the Americas, and not Europe. We argue that cattle migration, movement and trading followed by admixture have been important forces in shaping modern bovine genomic variation. PMID:24675901

Water transparency drives intra-population divergence in Eurasian Perch (Perca fluviatilis).

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Bartels, Pia; Hirsch, Philipp E; Svanbäck, Richard; Eklöv, Peter

2012-01-01

Trait combinations that lead to a higher efficiency in resource utilization are important drivers of divergent natural selection and adaptive radiation. However, variation in environmental features might constrain foraging in complex ways and therefore impede the exploitation of critical resources. We tested the effect of water transparency on intra-population divergence in morphology of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) across seven lakes in central Sweden. Morphological divergence between near-shore littoral and open-water pelagic perch substantially increased with increasing water transparency. Reliance on littoral resources increased strongly with increasing water transparency in littoral populations, whereas littoral reliance was not affected by water transparency in pelagic populations. Despite the similar reliance on pelagic resources in pelagic populations along the water transparency gradient, the utilization of particular pelagic prey items differed with variation in water transparency in pelagic populations. Pelagic perch utilized cladocerans in lakes with high water transparency and copepods in lakes with low water transparency. We suggest that under impaired visual conditions low utilization of littoral resources by littoral perch and utilization of evasive copepods by pelagic perch may lead to changes in morphology. Our findings indicate that visual conditions can affect population divergence in predator populations through their effects on resource utilization.

Host-driven divergence in the parasitic plant Orobanche minor Sm. (Orobanchaceae).

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Thorogood, C J; Rumsey, F J; Harris, S A; Hiscock, S J

2008-10-01

Many parasitic angiosperms have a broad host range and are therefore considered to be host generalists. Orobanche minor is a nonphotosynthetic root parasite that attacks a range of hosts from taxonomically disparate families. In the present study, we show that O. minor sensu lato may comprise distinct, genetically divergent races isolated by the different ecologies of their hosts. Using a three-pronged approach, we tested the hypothesis that intraspecific taxa O. minor var. minor and O. minor ssp. maritima parasitizing either clover (Trifolium pratense) or sea carrot (Daucus carota ssp.gummifer), respectively, are in allopatric isolation. Morphometric analysis revealed evidence of divergence but this was insufficient to define discrete, host-specific taxa. Intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker-based data provided stronger evidence of divergence, suggesting that populations were isolated from gene flow. Phylogenetic analysis, using sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers derived from ISSR loci, provided strong evidence for divergence by clearly differentiating sea carrot-specific clades and mixed-host clades. Low levels of intrapopulation SCAR marker sequence variation and floral morphology suggest that populations on different hosts are probably selfing and inbreeding. Morphologically cryptic Orobanche taxa may therefore be isolated from gene flow by host ecology. Together, these data suggest that host specificity may be an important driver of allopatric speciation in parasitic plants.

Divergent Geophysical Evolution of Vesta and Ceres

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, C. A.; Ermakov, A.; Castillo, J. C.; Fu, R. R.; McSween, H. Y., Jr.; McCord, T. B.; Park, R. S.; Russell, C. T.; De Sanctis, M. C.; Jaumann, R.; Konopliv, A. S.

2017-12-01

The Dawn mission explored two massive protoplanets in the main asteroid belt, Vesta and Ceres, that are fossils from the earliest epoch of solar system formation. Dawn's data provide evidence that these bodies formed very early, within the first few million years after CAIs, yet they followed divergent evolutionary paths. Vesta formed globally homogeneous distribution of minerals across the surface indicates that Ceres' interior experienced pervasive alteration. Topography and morphology of the surface reveals smoother, apparently resurfaced areas, generally at lower elevation, and rougher areas with greater relief. Local morphology such as crater floor deposits, isolated mountains, and enigmatic bright areas indicate recently active processes on Ceres, likely driven by brine cryovolcanism. Causes of the divergent evolution of these bodies include their accretionary environment, timing of accretion and size. Acknowledgements: Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

PUBLIC INTEGRITY AND THE DIVERGENCE FROM IT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona‐Roxana ULMAN

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Public Integrity is one of the public sector’s essential objectives to attain. In contradiction, as a divergence from it, corruption is one of the persistent problems of the societies over years and it affects the credibility of public institutions and its ambassadors in front of the citizens and of the other related countries. All nations complain of corruption and, as it is observed in the Corruption Perception Index 2012, no country has a maximum score which shows that a country is totally clean. In this context, the study of the most important elements of the public integrity concept, the identification of what causes the divergence from it and the solutions detection become a relevant option for economic literature. In this context, the main objective of this paper is to emphasize the public integrity concept and its main aspects and to make a comparison between countries to achieve a large perspective of the world’s public integrity juncture.

Integrating protein structures and precomputed genealogies in the Magnum database: Examples with cellular retinoid binding proteins

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Bradley Michael E

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background When accurate models for the divergent evolution of protein sequences are integrated with complementary biological information, such as folded protein structures, analyses of the combined data often lead to new hypotheses about molecular physiology. This represents an excellent example of how bioinformatics can be used to guide experimental research. However, progress in this direction has been slowed by the lack of a publicly available resource suitable for general use. Results The precomputed Magnum database offers a solution to this problem for ca. 1,800 full-length protein families with at least one crystal structure. The Magnum deliverables include 1 multiple sequence alignments, 2 mapping of alignment sites to crystal structure sites, 3 phylogenetic trees, 4 inferred ancestral sequences at internal tree nodes, and 5 amino acid replacements along tree branches. Comprehensive evaluations revealed that the automated procedures used to construct Magnum produced accurate models of how proteins divergently evolve, or genealogies, and correctly integrated these with the structural data. To demonstrate Magnum's capabilities, we asked for amino acid replacements requiring three nucleotide substitutions, located at internal protein structure sites, and occurring on short phylogenetic tree branches. In the cellular retinoid binding protein family a site that potentially modulates ligand binding affinity was discovered. Recruitment of cellular retinol binding protein to function as a lens crystallin in the diurnal gecko afforded another opportunity to showcase the predictive value of a browsable database containing branch replacement patterns integrated with protein structures. Conclusion We integrated two areas of protein science, evolution and structure, on a large scale and created a precomputed database, known as Magnum, which is the first freely available resource of its kind. Magnum provides evolutionary and structural

Interplay of infrared divergences and gauge-dependence of the effective potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espinosa, J.R.; Garny, M.; Konstandin, T.

2016-07-01

The perturbative effective potential suffers infrared (IR) divergences in gauges with massless Goldstones in their minima (like Landau or Fermi gauges) but the problem can be fixed by a suitable resummation of the Goldstone propagators. When the potential minimum is generated radiatively, gauge-independence of the potential at the minimum also requires resummation and we demonstrate that the resummation that solves the IR problem also cures the gauge-dependence issue, showing this explicitly in the Abelian Higgs model in Fermi gauge. In the process we find an IR divergence (in the location of the minimum) specific to Fermi gauge and not appreciated in recent literature. We show that physical observables can still be computed in this gauge and we further show how to get rid of this divergence by a field redefinition. All these results generalize to the Standard Model case.

Interplay of Infrared Divergences and Gauge-Dependence of the Effective Potential

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Espinosa, J.R.; Konstandin, T.

2016-01-01

The perturbative effective potential suffers infrared (IR) divergences in gauges with massless Goldstones in their minima (like Landau or Fermi gauges) but the problem can be fixed by a suitable resummation of the Goldstone propagators. When the potential minimum is generated radiatively, gauge-independence of the potential at the minimum also requires resummation and we demonstrate that the resummation that solves the IR problem also cures the gauge-dependence issue, showing this explicitly in the Abelian Higgs model in Fermi gauge. In the process we find an IR divergence (in the location of the minimum) specific to Fermi gauge and not appreciated in recent literature. We show that physical observables can still be computed in this gauge and we further show how to get rid of this divergence by a field redefinition. All these results generalize to the Standard Model case.

Alongshore wind stress and heat flux divergence off Visakhapatnam, east coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sadhuram, Y.; Rao, B.P.; Rao, D.P.

Annual variation of heat flux divergence (Qv) was computed for the coastal waters of Visakhapatnam. The mean values of net heat exchange (Qn) and heat flux divergence (Qv) were found to be 114 and 115 W.m/2 respectively on annual scale. The net heat...

Divergent biparietal diameter growth rates in twin pregnancies.

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Houlton, M C

1977-05-01

Twenty-eight twin pregnancies were monitored by serial ultrasonic cephalometry from 30 or 31 weeks' gestation. The rates of growth of the individual twins as determined by biparietal diameters were similar in 11 cases (39%) and divergent in 17 (61%). When the rates of growth were divergent, the lesser rate was always below the mean for singleton pregnancies, and the incidence of small-for-gestational-age babies was 18 of 34 (53%). It was apparent that the greater the difference in biparietal diameters within the 2 weeks preceding delivery, the higher the risk of a small-for-gestation-age baby being delivered. No comment could be made on the growth rate prior to 28 weeks except that at diagnosis there was little or no difference in biparietal diameters.

Divergence-free MHD Simulations with the HERACLES Code

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Vides J.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Numerical simulations of the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD equations have played a significant role in plasma research over the years. The need of obtaining physical and stable solutions to these equations has led to the development of several schemes, all requiring to satisfy and preserve the divergence constraint of the magnetic field numerically. In this paper, we aim to show the importance of maintaining this constraint numerically. We investigate in particular the hyperbolic divergence cleaning technique applied to the ideal MHD equations on a collocated grid and compare it to the constrained transport technique that uses a staggered grid to maintain the property. The methods are implemented in the software HERACLES and several numerical tests are presented, where the robustness and accuracy of the different schemes can be directly compared.

Divergence-ratio axi-vision camera (Divcam): A distance mapping camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iizuka, Keigo

2006-01-01

A novel distance mapping camera the divergence-ratio axi-vision camera (Divcam) is proposed. The decay rate of the illuminating light with distance due to the divergence of the light is used as means of mapping the distance. Resolutions of 10 mm over a range of meters and 0.5 mm over a range of decimeters were achieved. The special features of this camera are its high resolution real-time operation, simplicity, compactness, light weight, portability, and yet low fabrication cost. The feasibility of various potential applications is also included

Anomalous ultraviolet divergences and renormalizability of the light-cone gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, H.C.; Milgram, M.S.

1985-01-01

The one-loop renormalizability of both the two-component (LC2) and four-component (LC4) formulations of the light-cone gauge is demonstrated by construction of the complete one-loop counter Lagrangians. The Mandelstam-Leibbrandt prescription is used to regularize the singular 1/p + factor. In LC4, the one-loop self-energy and three-vertex both have anomalous, unrenormalizable ultraviolet divergences, but the counterterms associated with these divergences cancel exactly, rendering the total counter Lagrangians for the two formulations identical, at least to O(g 3 )

Anomalous ultraviolet divergences and renormalizability of the light-cone gauge

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, H. C.; Milgram, M. S.

1985-11-01

The one-loop renormalizability of both the two-component (LC2) and four-component (LC4) formulations of the light-cone gauge is demonstrated by construction of the complete one-loop counter Lagrangians. The Mandelstam-Leibbrandt prescription is used to regularize the singular 1/p+ factor. In LC4, the one-loop self-energy and three-vertex both have anomalous, unrenormalizable ultraviolet divergences, but the counterterms associated with these divergences cancel exactly, rendering the total counter Lagrangians for the two formulations identical, at least to O(g3).

Host and parasite life history interplay to yield divergent population genetic structures in two ectoparasites living on the same bat species.

Science.gov (United States)

van Schaik, J; Dekeukeleire, D; Kerth, G

2015-05-01

Host-parasite interactions are ubiquitous in nature. However, how parasite population genetic structure is shaped by the interaction between host and parasite life history remains understudied. Studies comparing multiple parasites infecting a single host can be used to investigate how different parasite life history traits interplay with host behaviour and life history. In this study, we used 10 newly developed microsatellite loci to investigate the genetic structure of a parasitic bat fly (Basilia nana). Its host, the Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii), has a social system and roosting behaviour that restrict opportunities for parasite transmission. We compared fly genetic structure to that of the host and another parasite, the wing-mite, Spinturnix bechsteini. We found little spatial or temporal genetic structure in B. nana, suggesting a large, stable population with frequent genetic exchange between fly populations from different bat colonies. This contrasts sharply with the genetic structure of the wing-mite, which is highly substructured between the same bat colonies as well as temporally unstable. Our results suggest that although host and parasite life history interact to yield similar transmission patterns in both parasite species, the level of gene flow and eventual spatiotemporal genetic stability is differentially affected. This can be explained by the differences in generation time and winter survival between the flies and wing-mites. Our study thus exemplifies that the population genetic structure of parasites on a single host can vary strongly as a result of how their individual life history characteristics interact with host behaviour and life history traits. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Computation of diverging sums based on a finite number of terms

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Q. Z.; Norris, S.; Pelphrey, R.; Su, Q.; Grobe, R.

2017-10-01

We propose a numerical method that permits us to compute the sum of a diverging series from only the first N terms by generalizing the traditional Borel technique. The method is rather robust and can be used to recover the ground state energy from the diverging perturbation theory for quantum field theoretical systems that are spatially constrained. Surprisingly, even the corresponding eigenvectors can be generated despite the intrinsic non-perturbative nature of bound state problems.

Control of proton beam divergence in intense-laser foil-plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawata, S.; Sonobe, R.; Miyazaki, S.; Sakai, K.; Kikuchi, T.

2006-01-01

Quality of an ion beam is one of the critical factors in intense-laser ion beam generation. A purpose of this study is the suppression of transverse proton divergence by a controlled electron cloud in laser-foil interactions. In this study, the foil target has a hole at the opposite side of the laser illumination. The electrons accelerated by an intense laser are limited in transverse by a neutral plasma at a protuberant part. Therefore the protons are accelerated and also controlled transversely by the electron cloud structure. In our 2.5-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations we demonstrate that the transverse shape of the electron cloud is well controlled and the collimated proton beam is generated successfully in the target with the hole. (authors)

Reduction of angular divergence of laser-driven ion beams during their acceleration and transport

Science.gov (United States)

Zakova, M.; Pšikal, Jan; Margarone, Daniele; Maggiore, Mario; Korn, G.

2015-05-01

Laser plasma physics is a field of big interest because of its implications in basic science, fast ignition, medicine (i.e. hadrontherapy), astrophysics, material science, particle acceleration etc. 100-MeV class protons accelerated from the interaction of a short laser pulse with a thin target have been demonstrated. With continuing development of laser technology, greater and greater energies are expected, therefore projects focusing on various applications are being formed, e.g. ELIMAIA (ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration). One of the main characteristic and crucial disadvantage of ion beams accelerated by ultra-short intense laser pulses is their large divergence, not suitable for the most of applications. In this paper two ways how to decrease beam divergence are proposed. Firstly, impact of different design of targets on beam divergence is studied by using 2D Particlein-cell simulations (PIC). Namely, various types of targets include at foils, curved foil and foils with diverse microstructures. Obtained results show that well-designed microstructures, i.e. a hole in the center of the target, can produce proton beam with the lowest divergence. Moreover, the particle beam accelerated from a curved foil has lower divergence compared to the beam from a flat foil. Secondly, another proposed method for the divergence reduction is using of a magnetic solenoid. The trajectories of the laser accelerated particles passing through the solenoid are modeled in a simple Matlab program. Results from PIC simulations are used as input in the program. The divergence is controlled by optimizing the magnetic field inside the solenoid and installing an aperture in front of the device.

Criterion and Divergent Validity of the Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory

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Jeremy T. Goldbach

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Sexual minority adolescents (SMA consistently report health disparities compared to their heterosexual counterparts, yet the underlying mechanisms of these negative health outcomes remain unclear. The predominant explanatory model is the minority stress theory; however, this model was developed largely with adults, and no valid and comprehensive measure of minority stress has been developed for adolescents. The present study validated a newly developed instrument to measure minority stress among racially and ethnically diverse SMA. A sample of 346 SMA aged 14–17 was recruited and surveyed between February 2015 and July 2016. The focal measure of interest was the 64-item, 11-factor Sexual Minority Adolescent Stress Inventory (SMASI developed in the initial phase of this study. Criterion validation measures included measures of depressive symptoms, suicidality and self-harm, youth problem behaviors, and substance use; the general Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ was included as a measure of divergent validity. Analyses included Pearson and tetrachoric correlations to establish criterion and divergent validity and structural equation modeling to assess the explanatory utility of the SMASI relative to the ASQ. SMASI scores were significantly associated with all outcomes but only moderately associated with the ASQ (r = −0.13 to 0.51. Analyses revealed significant associations of a latent minority stress variable with both proximal and distal health outcomes beyond the variation explained by general stress. Results show that the SMASI is the first instrument to validly measure minority stress among SMA.

Implementing 'translational' biomedical research: convergence and divergence among clinical and basic scientists.

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Morgan, Myfanwy; Barry, Christine A; Donovan, Jenny L; Sandall, Jane; Wolfe, Charles D A; Boaz, Annette

2011-10-01

Universities are increasingly regarded as key actors in the new 'knowledge economy', with requirements to produce market-oriented knowledge and engage in commercialization. This is of particular significance in the biomedical field, reflecting the perceived gap between success in terms of scientific discoveries and its transformation into products. The dominant discourse attributes this situation to 'blocks' in the translational pathway from 'bench to bedside', leading to policies to 'reengineer' the research enterprise. This study examines a pilot initiative established by the UK's Medical Research Council (MRC). This involved employing a change agent (Research Translator) supported by a small amount of translational funding to promote the culture and practice of translational research at a university/hospital site in England. An ethnographically informed case study involving semi-structured and open exploratory interviews, observation and document review, was conducted in 2008. Analysis and interpretation were informed by Bourdieu's logic of practice applied to science. The requirements of translational research promoted by the Research Translator and its sources of capital (authority, prestige etc) were largely congruent with the 'field' of clinical science. In contrast, translational research diverged from perceptions of 'legitimate' science and requirements for capital accumulation held by the majority of basic scientists who often described this research as 'high risk' and were resistant to the Research Translator's advice. However some differences in motivations and practices were identified within groups of scientists associated with career stage, work environment and specialty. We argue that there are convergent and divergent forces that influence scientists' readiness to adopt a market-oriented translational research model and in turn facilitate or constrain the effectiveness of a knowledge broker. We also identify ways in which current structures and

Rift propagation at craton margin.: Distribution of faulting and volcanism in the North Tanzanian Divergence (East Africa) during Neogene times

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Le Gall, B.; Nonnotte, P.; Rolet, J.; Benoit, M.; Guillou, H.; Mousseau-Nonnotte, M.; Albaric, J.; Deverchère, J.

2008-02-01

A revised kinematic model is proposed for the Neogene tectono-magmatic development of the North Tanzanian Divergence where the axial valley in S Kenya splits southwards into a wide diverging pattern of block faulting in association with the disappearance of volcanism. Propagation of rifting along the S Kenya proto-rift during the last 8 Ma is first assumed to have operated by linkage of discrete magmatic cells as far S as the Ngorongoro-Kilimanjaro transverse volcanic belt that follows the margin of cratonic blocks in N Tanzania. Strain is believed to have nucleated throughout the thermally-weakened lithosphere in the transverse volcanic belt that might have later linked the S Kenya and N Tanzania rift segments with marked structural changes along-strike. The North Tanzanian Divergence is now regarded as a two-armed rift pattern involving: (1) a wide domain of tilted fault blocks to the W (Mbulu) that encompasses the Eyasi and Manyara fault systems, in direct continuation with the Natron northern trough. The reactivation of basement fabrics in the cold and intact Precambrian lithosphere in the Mbulu domain resulted in an oblique rift pattern that contrasts with the orthogonal extension that prevailed in the Magadi-Natron trough above a more attenuated lithosphere. (2) To the E, the Pangani horst-like range is thought to be a younger (< 1 Ma) structure that formed in response to the relocation of extension S of the Kilimanjaro magmatic center. A significant contrast in the mechanical behaviour of the stretched lithosphere in the North Tanzanian diverging rift is assumed to have occurred on both sides of the Masai cratonic block with a mid-crustal decoupling level to the W where asymmetrical fault-basin patterns are dominant (Magadi-Natron and Mbulu), whereas a component of dynamical uplift is suspected to have caused the topographic elevation of the Pangani range in relation with possible far-travelled mantle melts produced at depth further N.

Bilingualism and Creativity: Benefits in Convergent Thinking Come with Losses in Divergent Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Hommel, Bernhard; Colzato, Lorenza S.; Fischer, Rico; Christoffels, Ingrid K.

2011-01-01

Bilingualism is commonly assumed to improve creativity but the mechanisms underlying creative acts, and the way these mechanisms are affected by bilingualism, are not very well understood. We hypothesize that learning to master multiple languages drives individuals toward a relatively focused cognitive-control state that exerts strong top-down impact on information processing and creates strong local competition for selection between cognitive codes. Considering the control requirements posed by creativity tasks tapping into convergent and divergent thinking, this predicts that high-proficient bilinguals should outperform low-proficient bilinguals in convergent thinking, while low-proficient bilinguals might be better in divergent thinking. Comparing low- and high-proficient bilinguals on convergent-thinking and divergent-thinking tasks indeed showed a high-proficient bilingual advantage for convergent thinking but a low-proficient bilingual advantage for fluency in divergent thinking. These findings suggest that bilingualism should not be related to “creativity” as a unitary concept but, rather, to the specific processes and mechanisms that underlie creativity. PMID:22084634

Bilingualism and creativity: Benefits in convergent thinking come with losses in divergent thinking

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Bernhard eHommel

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Bilingualism is commonly assumed to improve creativity but the mechanisms underlying creative acts, and the way these mechanisms are affected by bilingualism, are not very well understood. We hypothesize that learning to master multiple languages drives individuals towards a strongly focused cognitive-control state that exerts strong top-down impact on information processing and creates strong local competition for selection between cognitive codes. Considering the control requirements posed by creativity tasks tapping into convergent and divergent thinking, this predicts that high-proficient bilinguals should outperform low-proficient bilinguals in convergent thinking, while low-proficient bilinguals might be better in divergent thinking. Comparing low- and high-proficient bilinguals on convergent-thinking and divergent-thinking tasks indeed showed a high-proficient bilingual advantage for convergent thinking but a low-proficient bilingual advantage for fluency in divergent thinking. These findings suggest that bilingualism should not be related to creativity as a unitary concept but, rather, to the specific processes and mechanisms that underlie creativity.

Natural and sexual selection giveth and taketh away reproductive barriers: models of population divergence in guppies.

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Labonne, Jacques; Hendry, Andrew P

2010-07-01

The standard predictions of ecological speciation might be nuanced by the interaction between natural and sexual selection. We investigated this hypothesis with an individual-based model tailored to the biology of guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We specifically modeled the situation where a high-predation population below a waterfall colonizes a low-predation population above a waterfall. Focusing on the evolution of male color, we confirm that divergent selection causes the appreciable evolution of male color within 20 generations. The rate and magnitude of this divergence were reduced when dispersal rates were high and when female choice did not differ between environments. Adaptive divergence was always coupled to the evolution of two reproductive barriers: viability selection against immigrants and hybrids. Different types of sexual selection, however, led to contrasting results for another potential reproductive barrier: mating success of immigrants. In some cases, the effects of natural and sexual selection offset each other, leading to no overall reproductive isolation despite strong adaptive divergence. Sexual selection acting through female choice can thus strongly modify the effects of divergent natural selection and thereby alter the standard predictions of ecological speciation. We also found that under no circumstances did divergent selection cause appreciable divergence in neutral genetic markers.

Divergência genética entre acessos de feijão-de-vagem de hábito de crescimento indeterminado Genetic divergence among climbing snap bean accessions

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Flávia B. Abreu

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Devido à importância da cultura do feijão-de-vagem no contexto da agricultura do RJ, a busca por cultivares com maior produção e melhor qualidade é de elevada importância. A determinação da divergência genética, com o uso da análise multivariada, em que diversos caracteres podem ser dimensionados simultaneamente, apresenta-se bastante vantajosa, podendo-se identificar fontes de variabilidade genética, avaliar a importância dos caracteres para a divergência genética, além de permitir aos melhoristas identificar combinações genéticas com maiores chances de sucesso, antes de se realizarem os cruzamentos. Através de técnicas de análise multivariada, verificou-se que acessos de feijão-de-vagem de hábito de crescimento indeterminado, do banco de germoplasma da UENF, apresentaram variabilidade em relação às características avaliadas. O método de otimização de Tocher permitiu a formação de dois grupos, todavia o subagrupamento pelo mesmo método confirmou a presença de variabilidade entre os acessos do grupo 1, pela formação de seis subgrupos. Por este método, verificou-se que não houve relação entre a diversidade genética e a origem geográfica dos acessos. A divergência genética observada entre os acessos de feijão-de-vagem foi quantificada pelas três primeiras variáveis canônicas, que explicaram cerca de 79% da variação total disponível. O descarte das variáveis de menor importância relativa permitiu identificar as características que realmente contribuíram para a determinação da divergência genética: peso de cem sementes, dias para florescimento, diâmetro de vagem, comprimento de vagem, número total de vagens e número médio de vagens. Os acessos UENF-1429, UENF-1432, UENF-1442, UENF-1445 e UENF-1448 apresentaram bom desempenho para as características avaliadas e boa divergência genética entre si, sendo indicadas para o uso do programa de melhoramento genético do feij

Eco-evo-devo in the Study of Adaptive Divergence: Examples from Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Jamniczky, Heather A; Barry, Tegan N; Rogers, Sean M

2015-07-01

The tight fit between form and function in organisms suggests the influence of adaptive evolution in biomechanics; however, the prevalence of adaptive traits, the mechanisms by which they arise and the corresponding responses to selection are subjects of extensive debate. We used three-dimensional microcomputed tomography and geometric morphometrics to characterize the structure of phenotypic covariance within the G. aculeatus trophic apparatus and its supporting structures in wild and controlled crosses of fish from two different localities. Our results reveal that while the structure of phenotypic covariance is conserved in marine and freshwater forms, it may be disrupted in the progeny of artificial crosses or during rapid adaptive divergence events. We discuss these results within the context of integrating covariance structure with quantitative genetics, toward establishing predictive links between genes, development, biomechanics, and the environment. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Genetic divergence among hybrids of 'Cravo' mandarin with 'Pêra' sweet orange Divergência genética entre híbridos de tangerina 'Cravo' com laranja 'Pêra'

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Roberto Pedroso de Oliveira

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Molecular markers have been used as tools in breading programs of sexual hybridation, allowing the genetic characterization of a large number of genotypes. The RADP markers are the most used since the employed techniques are simple and of low cost. To evaluate the genetic divergence among F1 hybrids of 'Cravo' mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco and 'Pêra' sweet orange (C. sinensis (L. Osbeck, this study analyses the variability and similarity of the hybrids among themselves and with their parents. Random Amplified Polimorfic DNA marker analysis, with 102 primers, were applied to a population composed of 94 hybrids and their parents. Multivariate genetic divergence analysis of the principal components and Tocher grouping were carried out only considering the polymorphic fragments. Genetic distances were calculated by the arithmetic complement of the Jaccard index. Bidimensional dispersion graphs among hybrid and parent distances and of the divergence analysis by principal components were constructed. High genetic similarity among Cravo and Pêra varieties and their hybrids was verified, showing a casual distribution from the hybrids in relation to the parents, but in intermediary positions. The principal component analysis showed little applicability in the study of hybrid genetic divergence. The hybrids and parents were classified in groups based on the genetic similarity, using the Tocher optimization method.Os marcadores moleculares têm sido utilizados como ferramentas em programas de melhoramento por hibridação sexual, permitindo a caracterização genética de grande número de genótipos. Os marcadores moleculares RAPD são os mais utilizados pois as técnicas empregadas são simples e de baixo custo. Avaliou-se a divergência genética entre híbridos F1 de tangerina 'Cravo' (Citrus reticulata Blanco com laranja 'Pêra' (C. sinensis (L. Osbeck e estudou-se a variabilidade e a similaridade desses materiais entre si e em relação aos

Bounding the bias of contrastive divergence learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Anja; Igel, Christian

2011-01-01

Optimization based on k-step contrastive divergence (CD) has become a common way to train restricted Boltzmann machines (RBMs). The k-step CD is a biased estimator of the log-likelihood gradient relying on Gibbs sampling. We derive a new upper bound for this bias. Its magnitude depends on k...

Statistics of surface divergence and their relation to air-water gas transfer velocity

Science.gov (United States)

Asher, William E.; Liang, Hanzhuang; Zappa, Christopher J.; Loewen, Mark R.; Mukto, Moniz A.; Litchendorf, Trina M.; Jessup, Andrew T.

2012-05-01

Air-sea gas fluxes are generally defined in terms of the air/water concentration difference of the gas and the gas transfer velocity,kL. Because it is difficult to measure kLin the ocean, it is often parameterized using more easily measured physical properties. Surface divergence theory suggests that infrared (IR) images of the water surface, which contain information concerning the movement of water very near the air-water interface, might be used to estimatekL. Therefore, a series of experiments testing whether IR imagery could provide a convenient means for estimating the surface divergence applicable to air-sea exchange were conducted in a synthetic jet array tank embedded in a wind tunnel. Gas transfer velocities were measured as a function of wind stress and mechanically generated turbulence; laser-induced fluorescence was used to measure the concentration of carbon dioxide in the top 300 μm of the water surface; IR imagery was used to measure the spatial and temporal distribution of the aqueous skin temperature; and particle image velocimetry was used to measure turbulence at a depth of 1 cm below the air-water interface. It is shown that an estimate of the surface divergence for both wind-shear driven turbulence and mechanically generated turbulence can be derived from the surface skin temperature. The estimates derived from the IR images are compared to velocity field divergences measured by the PIV and to independent estimates of the divergence made using the laser-induced fluorescence data. Divergence is shown to scale withkLvalues measured using gaseous tracers as predicted by conceptual models for both wind-driven and mechanically generated turbulence.

DNA barcoding of recently diverged species: relative performance of matching methods.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin van Velzen

Full Text Available Recently diverged species are challenging for identification, yet they are frequently of special interest scientifically as well as from a regulatory perspective. DNA barcoding has proven instrumental in species identification, especially in insects and vertebrates, but for the identification of recently diverged species it has been reported to be problematic in some cases. Problems are mostly due to incomplete lineage sorting or simply lack of a 'barcode gap' and probably related to large effective population size and/or low mutation rate. Our objective was to compare six methods in their ability to correctly identify recently diverged species with DNA barcodes: neighbor joining and parsimony (both tree-based, nearest neighbor and BLAST (similarity-based, and the diagnostic methods DNA-BAR, and BLOG. We analyzed simulated data assuming three different effective population sizes as well as three selected empirical data sets from published studies. Results show, as expected, that success rates are significantly lower for recently diverged species (∼75% than for older species (∼97% (P<0.00001. Similarity-based and diagnostic methods significantly outperform tree-based methods, when applied to simulated DNA barcode data (P<0.00001. The diagnostic method BLOG had highest correct query identification rate based on simulated (86.2% as well as empirical data (93.1%, indicating that it is a consistently better method overall. Another advantage of BLOG is that it offers species-level information that can be used outside the realm of DNA barcoding, for instance in species description or molecular detection assays. Even though we can confirm that identification success based on DNA barcoding is generally high in our data, recently diverged species remain difficult to identify. Nevertheless, our results contribute to improved solutions for their accurate identification.

Niche evolution and adaptive radiation: Testing the order of trait divergence

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Ackerly, D.D.; Schwilk, D.W.; Webb, C.O.

2006-01-01

In the course of an adaptive radiation, the evolution of niche parameters is of particular interest for understanding modes of speciation and the consequences for coexistence of related species within communities. We pose a general question: In the course of an evolutionary radiation, do traits related to within-community niche differences (?? niche) evolve before or after differentiation of macrohabitat affinity or climatic tolerances (?? niche)? Here we introduce a new test to address this question, based on a modification of the method of independent contrasts. The divergence order test (DOT) is based on the average age of the nodes on a tree, weighted by the absolute magnitude of the contrast at each node for a particular trait. The comparison of these weighted averages reveals whether large divergences for one trait have occurred earlier or later in the course of diversification, relative to a second trait; significance is determined by bootstrapping from maximum-likelihood ancestral state reconstructions. The method is applied to the evolution of Ceanothus, a woody plant group in California, in which co-occurring species exhibit significant differences in a key leaf trait (specific leaf area) associated with contrasting physiological and life history strategies. Co-occurring species differ more for this trait than expected under a null model of community assembly. This ?? niche difference evolved early in the divergence of two major subclades within Ceanothus, whereas climatic distributions (?? niche traits) diversified later within each of the subclades. However, rapid evolution of climate parameters makes inferences of early divergence events highly uncertain, and differentiation of the ?? niche might have taken place throughout the evolution of the group, without leaving a clear phylogenetic signal. Similar patterns observed in several plant and animal groups suggest that early divergence of ?? niche traits might be a common feature of niche evolution in

The impact of selection, gene flow and demographic history on heterogeneous genomic divergence: three-spine sticklebacks in divergent environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferchaud, Anne-Laure; Hansen, Michael M

2016-01-01

Heterogeneous genomic divergence between populations may reflect selection, but should also be seen in conjunction with gene flow and drift, particularly population bottlenecks. Marine and freshwater three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations often exhibit different lateral armour plate morphs. Moreover, strikingly parallel genomic footprints across different marine-freshwater population pairs are interpreted as parallel evolution and gene reuse. Nevertheless, in some geographic regions like the North Sea and Baltic Sea, different patterns are observed. Freshwater populations in coastal regions are often dominated by marine morphs, suggesting that gene flow overwhelms selection, and genomic parallelism may also be less pronounced. We used RAD sequencing for analysing 28 888 SNPs in two marine and seven freshwater populations in Denmark, Europe. Freshwater populations represented a variety of environments: river populations accessible to gene flow from marine sticklebacks and large and small isolated lakes with and without fish predators. Sticklebacks in an accessible river environment showed minimal morphological and genomewide divergence from marine populations, supporting the hypothesis of gene flow overriding selection. Allele frequency spectra suggested bottlenecks in all freshwater populations, and particularly two small lake populations. However, genomic footprints ascribed to selection could nevertheless be identified. No genomic regions were consistent freshwater-marine outliers, and parallelism was much lower than in other comparable studies. Two genomic regions previously described to be under divergent selection in freshwater and marine populations were outliers between different freshwater populations. We ascribe these patterns to stronger environmental heterogeneity among freshwater populations in our study as compared to most other studies, although the demographic history involving bottlenecks should also be considered in the

Kinematics and geometry of structures in the southern limb of the Paraíba do Sul divergent structural fan, SE Brazil: a true transtensional shear

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Nolan M. Dehler

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Shear zones geometry in the Paraíba do Sul belt, southeastern Brazil, delineates a NE-trending fan-like structure. Shear zones dip towards SE in the northern limb, and towards NW in the southern one. This geometry has been interpreted either due to transpression or to late folding of flat-lying thrust surfaces. Stretching lineation plunges to ENE-ESE in the northern limb and towards NNE-NE in the southern one. Structural data in the southern limb of the divergent fan suggest a two stage kinematic evolution in high-temperature conditions: an earlier stage with top-to-SSW/SW sinistral thrusting and orogenic-parallel tangential motion, and a later stage with top-down to NNE/NE transtensional deformation. We propose a heterogeneous deformation model to explain the observed shear reversal, and suggest that the imposed transpressional displacement gradient may change during progressive deformation due to transient rheological inhomogeneities in bulk pure shear strain. In the earlier stage, the partially molten material could easily accommodate the imposed strain rates, giving rise firstly to the SW-directed shearing. As the thermal disturbance tended to vanish and the convergence increased, the NNE-directed transtensional shearing developed. We propose that the transtensional deformation characterized in this paper could be related to extrusion processes during regional transpressional strain.A geometria das zonas de cisalhamento no CinturãoParaíba do Sul no Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil, delineia uma estrutura-em-leque com direção NE. Estaszonas de cisalhamento mergulham para SE no flanco norte, e para NW no flanco sul da estrutura. Esta geometria tem sido interpretada de duas formas: (a implantação de um regime transpressivo ou (b dobramento tardio de superfícies de empurrão originalmente sub-horizontais. A lineação de estiramento mineral mostra caimento para ENE-ESE, no flanco norte, e para NNE-NE, no flanco sul, onde ocorre a Zona

Divergence of iron metabolism in wild Malaysian yeast.

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Lee, Hana N; Mostovoy, Yulia; Hsu, Tiffany Y; Chang, Amanda H; Brem, Rachel B

2013-12-09

Comparative genomic studies have reported widespread variation in levels of gene expression within and between species. Using these data to infer organism-level trait divergence has proven to be a key challenge in the field. We have used a wild Malaysian population of S. cerevisiae as a test bed in the search to predict and validate trait differences based on observations of regulatory variation. Malaysian yeast, when cultured in standard medium, activated regulatory programs that protect cells from the toxic effects of high iron. Malaysian yeast also showed a hyperactive regulatory response during culture in the presence of excess iron and had a unique growth defect in conditions of high iron. Molecular validation experiments pinpointed the iron metabolism factors AFT1, CCC1, and YAP5 as contributors to these molecular and cellular phenotypes; in genome-scale sequence analyses, a suite of iron toxicity response genes showed evidence for rapid protein evolution in Malaysian yeast. Our findings support a model in which iron metabolism has diverged in Malaysian yeast as a consequence of a change in selective pressure, with Malaysian alleles shifting the dynamic range of iron response to low-iron concentrations and weakening resistance to extreme iron toxicity. By dissecting the iron scarcity specialist behavior of Malaysian yeast, our work highlights the power of expression divergence as a signpost for biologically and evolutionarily relevant variation at the organismal level. Interpreting the phenotypic relevance of gene expression variation is one of the primary challenges of modern genomics.

A vadose zone water fluxmeter with divergence control

Science.gov (United States)

Gee, G.W.; Ward, A.L.; Caldwell, T.G.; Ritter, J.C.

2002-01-01

Unsaturated water flux densities are needed to quantify water and contaminant transfer within the vadose zone. However, water flux densities are seldom measured directly and often are predicted with uncertainties of an order or magnitude or more. A water fluxmeter was designed, constructed, and tested to directly measure drainage fluxes in field soils. The fluxmeter was designed to minimize divergence. It concentrates flow into a narrow sensing region filled with a fiberglass wick. The wick applies suction, proportional to its length, and passively drains the meter. The meter can be installed in an augured borehole at almost any depth below the root zone. Water flux through the meter is measured with a self‐calibrating tipping bucket, with a sensitivity of ∼4 mL tip−1. For our meter this is equivalent to detection limit of ∼0.1 mm. Passive‐wick devices previously have not properly corrected for flow divergence. Laboratory measurements supported predictions of a two‐dimensional (2‐D) numerical model, which showed that control of the collector height H and knowledge of soil hydraulic properties are required for improving divergence control, particularly at fluxes below 1000 mm yr−1. The water fluxmeter is simple in concept, is inexpensive, and has the capability of providing continuous and reliable monitoring of unsaturated water fluxes ranging from less than 1 mm yr−1 to more than 1000 mm yr−1.

Stora's fine notion of divergent amplitudes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Várilly, Joseph C.; Gracia-Bondía, José M.

2016-01-01

Stora and coworkers refined the notion of divergent quantum amplitude, somewhat upsetting the standard power-counting recipe. This unexpectedly clears the way to new prototypes for free and interacting field theories of bosons of any mass and spin.

Rapid divergence of mussel populations despite incomplete barriers to dispersal.

Science.gov (United States)

Maas, Diede L; Prost, Stefan; Bi, Ke; Smith, Lydia L; Armstrong, Ellie E; Aji, Ludi P; Toha, Abdul Hamid A; Gillespie, Rosemary G; Becking, Leontine E

2018-04-01

Striking genetic structure among marine populations at small spatial scales is becoming evident with extensive molecular studies. Such observations suggest isolation at small scales may play an important role in forming patterns of genetic diversity within species. Isolation-by-distance, isolation-by-environment and historical priority effects are umbrella terms for a suite of processes that underlie genetic structure, but their relative importance at different spatial and temporal scales remains elusive. Here, we use marine lakes in Indonesia to assess genetic structure and assess the relative roles of the processes in shaping genetic differentiation in populations of a bivalve mussel (Brachidontes sp.). Marine lakes are landlocked waterbodies of similar age (6,000-10,000 years), but with heterogeneous environments and varying degrees of connection to the sea. Using a population genomic approach (double-digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing), we show strong genetic structuring across populations (range F ST : 0.07-0.24) and find limited gene flow through admixture plots. At large spatial scales (>1,400 km), a clear isolation-by-distance pattern was detected. At smaller spatial scales (connection. We hypothesize that (incomplete) dispersal barriers can cause initial isolation, allowing priority effects to give the numerical advantage necessary to initiate strong genetic structure. Priority effects may be strengthened by local adaptation, which the data may corroborate by showing a high correlation between mussel genotypes and temperature. Our study indicates an often-neglected role of (evolution-mediated) priority effects in shaping population divergence. © 2018 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Space lattice focusing on the way to extremely low accelerated beam divergence

CERN Document Server

Kushin, V V

1999-01-01

It is widely known the multiple channel acceleration is the most adequate way to save initial beam parameters due to the possibility of decreasing Coulomb forces in intensive input beams. To keep beam initial emittance and divergence for high enough specific value of the injection ion beam during acceleration the input beam should be split on multiple beams and every the micro beam must be screened from each other as much as possible. On the other hand, it is very much desirable to keep the total macro beam rather compact transversally and try to accelerate all the micro beams within the same accelerator structure at the same RF field. Attempts to use conventional quadruple focusing channels both RF and electrostatic for multiple beam acceleration usually lead to extremely complicate and bulky construction of the structure. We suppose multiple beam linac channels with alternating phase focusing (APF) as more adequate for the purpose while they are limited by less values of beam capture into acceleration proce...

Antisocial personality disorder in DSM-5: missteps and missed opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynam, Donald R; Vachon, David D

2012-10-01

This paper evaluates the proposal for antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5). Some aspects of the proposal are appealing: personality disorders will be assessed using trait criteria, and these criteria are similar to trait descriptions of DSM-IV ASPD. Other aspects of the proposal are less appealing. First, the DSM-5 will depend on a newly constructed personality trait system rather than relying on a well validated, widely studied one. Second, the trait profile of ASPD is incomplete; although this profile reflects the traits included in DSM-IV, it maps poorly onto the full personality profile of ASPD. Third, the DSM Workgroup missed an opportunity to finally unify ASPD and psychopathy; history and research suggest that these disorders have diverged mistakenly. Fourth, the newly proposed criteria of impairments in self- and interpersonal functioning are of questionable derivation and utility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

[Phylogeny and divergence time estimation of Schizothoracinae fishes in Xinjiang].

Science.gov (United States)

Ayelhan, Haysa; Guo, Yan; Meng, Wei; Yang, Tianyan; Ma, Yanwu

2014-10-01

Based on combined data of mitochondrial COI, ND4 and 16S RNA genes, molecular phylogeny of 4 genera, 10 species or subspecies of Schizothoracinae fishes distributed in Xinjiang were analyzed. The molecular clock was calibrated by divergence time of Cyprininae and geological segregation event between the upper Yellow River and Qinghai Lake. Divergence time of Schizothoracinae fishes was calculated, and its relationship with the major geological events and the climate changes in surrounding areas of Tarim Basin was discussed. The results showed that genus Aspiorhynchus did not form an independent clade, but clustered with Schizothorax biddulphi and S. irregularis. Kimura 2-parameter model was used to calculate the genetic distance of COI gene, the genetic distance between genus Aspiorhynchus and Schizothorax did not reach genus level, and Aspiorhynchus laticeps might be a specialized species of genus Schizothorax. Cluster analysis showed a different result with morphological classification method, and it did not support the subgenus division of Schizothorax fishes. Divergence of two groups of primitive Schizothoracinae (8.18Ma) and divergence of Gymnodiptychus dybowskii and Diptychus maculates (7.67Ma) occurred in late Miocene, which might be related with the separation of Kunlun Mountain and north Tianshan Mountain River system that was caused by the uplift of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Tianshan Mountain, and the aridification of Tarim Basin. The terrain of Tarim Basin that was affected by Quaternary Himalayan movement was high in west but low in east, as a result, Lop Nor became the center of surrounding mountain rivers in Tarim Basin, which shaped the distribution pattern of genus Schizothorax.

Convergence accommodation to convergence CA/C ratio: convergence versus divergence.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Joshua M; Firth, Alison Y

2014-09-01

To determine whether the convergence accommodation to convergence (CA/C) ratio during divergence with base-in (BI) prisms is of a similar or different magnitude to that measured during convergence with base-out (BO) prisms. Eighteen participants with normal binocular single vision were recruited. The participants viewed a pseudo-Gaussian target, which consisted of a light emitting diode (LED) behind a diffusing screen at 40 cm. After 5 minutes of dark adaptation, the refractive status of the eye was measured without any prism using a Shin-Nippon SRW-5000 autorefractor. The participant held the selected prism (5Δ or 10Δ BO or BI, counterbalanced) in front of their right eye and obtained a single, fused image of the target while refractive measures were taken with each. A 30-second rest period was given between measurements. The mean age of the participants was 20.6±3.22 years. The mean CA/C ratios for the 5Δ BO, 10Δ BO, 5Δ BI, and 10Δ BI were 0.108 (±0.074) D/Δ, 0.110 (±0.056) D/Δ, 0.100 (±0.090) D/Δ, and 0.089 (±0.055) D/Δ, respectively. A 2-factor repeated measures ANOVA found that the CA/C ratio did not significantly change with differing levels of prism-induced convergence and divergence (p=0.649). Change in accommodation induced by manipulating vergence is similar whether convergence or divergence are induced. The CA/C ratio did not show any change with differing levels of prism-induced convergence and divergence.

New hybrid non-linear transformations of divergent perturbation series for quadratic Zeeman effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belkic, D.

1989-01-01

The problem of hydrogen atoms in an external uniform magnetic field (quadratic Zeeman effect) is studied by means of perturbation theory. The power series for the ground-state energy in terms of magnetic-field strength B is divergent. Nevertheless, it is possible to induce convergence of this divergent series by applying various non-linear transformations. These transformations of originally divergent perturbation series yield new sequences, which then converge. The induced convergence is, however, quite slow. A new hybrid Shanks-Levin non-linear transform is devised here for accelerating these slowly converging series and sequences. Significant improvement in the convergence rate is obtained. Agreement with the exact results is excellent. (author)

Ultraviolet divergences and supersymmetric theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagnotti, A.

1984-09-01

This article is closely related to the one by Ferrara in these same Proceedings. It deals with what is perhaps the most fascinating property of supersymmetric theories, their improved ultraviolet behavior. My aim here is to present a survey of the state of the art as of August, 1984, and a somewhat more detailed discussion of the breakdown of the superspace power-counting beyond N = 2 superfields. A method is also described for simplifying divergence calculations that uses the locality of subtracted Feynman integrals. 74 references

Adaptive genomic divergence under high gene flow between freshwater and brackish-water ecotypes of prickly sculpin (Cottus asper) revealed by Pool-Seq.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennenmoser, Stefan; Vamosi, Steven M; Nolte, Arne W; Rogers, Sean M

2017-01-01

Understanding the genomic basis of adaptive divergence in the presence of gene flow remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology. In prickly sculpin (Cottus asper), an abundant euryhaline fish in northwestern North America, high genetic connectivity among brackish-water (estuarine) and freshwater (tributary) habitats of coastal rivers does not preclude the build-up of neutral genetic differentiation and emergence of different life history strategies. Because these two habitats present different osmotic niches, we predicted high genetic differentiation at known teleost candidate genes underlying salinity tolerance and osmoregulation. We applied whole-genome sequencing of pooled DNA samples (Pool-Seq) to explore adaptive divergence between two estuarine and two tributary habitats. Paired-end sequence reads were mapped against genomic contigs of European Cottus, and the gene content of candidate regions was explored based on comparisons with the threespine stickleback genome. Genes showing signals of repeated differentiation among brackish-water and freshwater habitats included functions such as ion transport and structural permeability in freshwater gills, which suggests that local adaptation to different osmotic niches might contribute to genomic divergence among habitats. Overall, the presence of both repeated and unique signatures of differentiation across many loci scattered throughout the genome is consistent with polygenic adaptation from standing genetic variation and locally variable selection pressures in the early stages of life history divergence. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Challenges and Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-27

close the gap between aspiration and performance…makes the difference between civilisation and chaos” AND OPPORTUNITIES - Dag Hammarskjöld...ONUB) and left behind a democratic local and national structure. 10 UN also successfully completed the referendum in Sudan in 2011(UNMIS) which

Ecological divergence and conservatism: spatiotemporal patterns of niche evolution in a genus of livebearing fishes (Poeciliidae: Xiphophorus).

Science.gov (United States)

Culumber, Zachary W; Tobler, Michael

2016-02-19

Ecological factors often have a strong impact on spatiotemporal patterns of biodiversity. The integration of spatial ecology and phylogenetics allows for rigorous tests of whether speciation is associated with niche conservatism (constraints on ecological divergence) or niche divergence. We address this question in a genus of livebearing fishes for which the role of sexual selection in speciation has long been studied, but in which the potential role of ecological divergence during speciation has not been tested. By combining reconstruction of ancestral climate tolerances and disparity indices, we show that the earliest evolutionary split in Xiphophorus was associated with significant divergence for temperature variables. Niche evolution and present day niches were most closely associated with each species' geographic distribution relative to a biogeographic barrier, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Tests for similarity of the environmental backgrounds of closely related species suggested that the relative importance of niche conservatism and divergence during speciation varied among the primary clades of Xiphophorus. Closely related species in the two swordtail clades exhibited higher levels of niche overlap than expected given environmental background similarity indicative of niche conservatism. In contrast, almost all species of platyfish had significantly divergent niches compared to environmental backgrounds, which is indicative of niche divergence. The results suggest that the relative importance of niche conservatism and divergence differed among the clades of Xiphophorus and that traits associated with niche evolution may be more evolutionarily labile in the platyfishes. Our results ultimately suggest that the taxonomic scale of tests for conservatism and divergence could greatly influence inferences of their relative importance in the speciation process.

Functional genetic divergence in high CO2 adapted Emiliania huxleyi populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohbeck, Kai T; Riebesell, Ulf; Collins, Sinéad; Reusch, Thorsten B H

2013-07-01

Predicting the impacts of environmental change on marine organisms, food webs, and biogeochemical cycles presently relies almost exclusively on short-term physiological studies, while the possibility of adaptive evolution is often ignored. Here, we assess adaptive evolution in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi, a well-established model species in biological oceanography, in response to ocean acidification. We previously demonstrated that this globally important marine phytoplankton species adapts within 500 generations to elevated CO2 . After 750 and 1000 generations, no further fitness increase occurred, and we observed phenotypic convergence between replicate populations. We then exposed adapted populations to two novel environments to investigate whether or not the underlying basis for high CO2 -adaptation involves functional genetic divergence, assuming that different novel mutations become apparent via divergent pleiotropic effects. The novel environment "high light" did not reveal such genetic divergence whereas growth in a low-salinity environment revealed strong pleiotropic effects in high CO2 adapted populations, indicating divergent genetic bases for adaptation to high CO2 . This suggests that pleiotropy plays an important role in adaptation of natural E. huxleyi populations to ocean acidification. Our study highlights the potential mutual benefits for oceanography and evolutionary biology of using ecologically important marine phytoplankton for microbial evolution experiments. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution © 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Genome-Wide Divergence in the West-African Malaria Vector Anopheles melas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin C. Deitz

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Anopheles melas is a member of the recently diverged An. gambiae species complex, a model for speciation studies, and is a locally important malaria vector along the West-African coast where it breeds in brackish water. A recent population genetic study of An. melas revealed species-level genetic differentiation between three population clusters. An. melas West extends from The Gambia to the village of Tiko, Cameroon. The other mainland cluster, An. melas South, extends from the southern Cameroonian village of Ipono to Angola. Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea An. melas populations are genetically isolated from mainland populations. To examine how genetic differentiation between these An. melas forms is distributed across their genomes, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of genetic differentiation and selection using whole genome sequencing data of pooled individuals (Pool-seq from a representative population of each cluster. The An. melas forms exhibit high levels of genetic differentiation throughout their genomes, including the presence of numerous fixed differences between clusters. Although the level of divergence between the clusters is on a par with that of other species within the An. gambiae complex, patterns of genome-wide divergence and diversity do not provide evidence for the presence of pre- and/or postmating isolating mechanisms in the form of speciation islands. These results are consistent with an allopatric divergence process with little or no introgression.

Increased genetic divergence between two closely related fir species in areas of range overlap

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing; Abbott, Richard J; Ingvarsson, Pär K; Liu, Jianquan

2014-01-01

Because of introgressive hybridization, closely related species can be more similar to each other in areas of range overlap (parapatry or sympatry) than in areas where they are geographically isolated from each other (allopatry). Here, we report the reverse situation based on nuclear genetic divergence between two fir species, Abies chensiensis and Abies fargesii, in China, at sites where they are parapatric relative to where they are allopatric. We examined genetic divergence across 126 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers in a set of 172 individuals sampled from both allopatric and parapatric populations of the two species. Our analyses demonstrated that AFLP divergence was much greater between the species when comparisons were made between parapatric populations than between allopatric populations. We suggest that selection in parapatry may have largely contributed to this increased divergence. PMID:24772279

Holstein-Friesian calves selected for divergence in residual feed intake during growth exhibited significant but reduced residual feed intake divergence in their first lactation.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, K A; Pryce, J E; Spelman, R J; Davis, S R; Wales, W J; Waghorn, G C; Williams, Y J; Marett, L C; Hayes, B J

2014-03-01

Residual feed intake (RFI), as a measure of feed conversion during growth, was estimated for around 2,000 growing Holstein-Friesian heifer calves aged 6 to 9 mo in New Zealand and Australia, and individuals from the most and least efficient deciles (low and high RFI phenotypes) were retained. These animals (78 New Zealand cows, 105 Australian cows) were reevaluated during their first lactation to determine if divergence for RFI observed during growth was maintained during lactation. Mean daily body weight (BW) gain during assessment as calves had been 0.86 and 1.15 kg for the respective countries, and the divergence in RFI between most and least efficient deciles for growth was 21% (1.39 and 1.42 kg of dry matter, for New Zealand and Australia, respectively). At the commencement of evaluation during lactation, the cows were aged 26 to 29 mo. All were fed alfalfa and grass cubes; it was the sole diet in New Zealand, whereas 6 kg of crushed wheat/d was also fed in Australia. Measurements of RFI during lactation occurred for 34 to 37 d with measurements of milk production (daily), milk composition (2 to 3 times per week), BW and BW change (1 to 3 times per week), as well as body condition score (BCS). Daily milk production averaged 13.8 kg for New Zealand cows and 20.0 kg in Australia. No statistically significant differences were observed between calf RFI decile groups for dry matter intake, milk production, BW change, or BCS; however a significant difference was noted between groups for lactating RFI. Residual feed intake was about 3% lower for lactating cows identified as most efficient as growing calves, and no negative effects on production were observed. These results support the hypothesis that calves divergent for RFI during growth are also divergent for RFI when lactating. The causes for this reduced divergence need to be investigated to ensure that genetic selection programs based on low RFI (better efficiency) are robust. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy

How Power Mechanism Influence Channel Bilateral Opportunism

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yu; Chen, Shaodan

In the background of marketing channel power asymmetry structure, this article discuss the relation between power dominant member’s use of power mechanism and the opportunism behavior of both Power disadvantage member and the power dominant member itself, and test whether distributive fairness perception and procedural fairness perception have moderate effects on this relation. The result shows that, the power dominant member’s use of coercive power will increase the opportunistic tendency of both sides; in contrast, the power dominant member’s use of noncorecive power will inhibit such tendency. Distributive fairness perception and procedural fairness perception negatively moderate the relation between power dominant member’s use of noncorecive power and power disadvantage member’s opportunism. Procedural fairness perception also negatively moderates the relation between power dominant member’s use of coercive power and the other side’s opportunism.

Description of the Magnetic Field and Divergence of Multisolenoid Aharonov-Bohm Potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Araz R. Aliev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Explicit formulas for the magnetic field and divergence of multisolenoid Aharonov-Bohm potential are obtained; the mathematical essence of this potential is explained. It is shown that the magnetic field and divergence of this potential are very singular generalized functions concentrated at a finite number of thin solenoids. Deficiency index is found for the minimal operator generated by the Aharonov-Bohm differential expression.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms unravel hierarchical divergence and signatures of selection among Alaskan sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka populations

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Habicht Christopher

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Disentangling the roles of geography and ecology driving population divergence and distinguishing adaptive from neutral evolution at the molecular level have been common goals among evolutionary and conservation biologists. Using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP multilocus genotypes for 31 sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka populations from the Kvichak River, Alaska, we assessed the relative roles of geography (discrete boundaries or continuous distance and ecology (spawning habitat and timing driving genetic divergence in this species at varying spatial scales within the drainage. We also evaluated two outlier detection methods to characterize candidate SNPs responding to environmental selection, emphasizing which mechanism(s may maintain the genetic variation of outlier loci. Results For the entire drainage, Mantel tests suggested a greater role of geographic distance on population divergence than differences in spawn timing when each variable was correlated with pairwise genetic distances. Clustering and hierarchical analyses of molecular variance indicated that the largest genetic differentiation occurred between populations from distinct lakes or subdrainages. Within one population-rich lake, however, Mantel tests suggested a greater role of spawn timing than geographic distance on population divergence when each variable was correlated with pairwise genetic distances. Variable spawn timing among populations was linked to specific spawning habitats as revealed by principal coordinate analyses. We additionally identified two outlier SNPs located in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC class II that appeared robust to violations of demographic assumptions from an initial pool of eight candidates for selection. Conclusions First, our results suggest that geography and ecology have influenced genetic divergence between Alaskan sockeye salmon populations in a hierarchical manner depending on the spatial scale. Second

Sensible and latent heat forced divergent circulations in the West African Monsoon System

Science.gov (United States)

Hagos, S.; Zhang, C.

2008-12-01

Field properties of divergent circulation are utilized to identify the roles of various diabatic processes in forcing moisture transport in the dynamics of the West African Monsoon and its seasonal cycle. In this analysis, the divergence field is treated as a set of point sources and is partitioned into two sub-sets corresponding to latent heat release and surface sensible heat flux at each respective point. The divergent circulation associated with each set is then calculated from the Poisson's equation using Gauss-Seidel iteration. Moisture transport by each set of divergent circulation is subsequently estimated. The results show different roles of the divergent circulations forced by surface sensible and latent heating in the monsoon dynamics. Surface sensible heating drives a shallow meridional circulation, which transports moisture deep into the continent at the polar side of the monsoon rain band and thereby promotes the seasonal northward migration of monsoon precipitation during the monsoon onset season. In contrast, the circulation directly associated with latent heating is deep and the corresponding moisture convergence is within the region of precipitation. Latent heating also induces dry air advection from the north. Neither effect promotes the seasonal northward migration of precipitation. The relative contributions of the processes associated with latent and sensible heating to the net moisture convergence, and hence the seasonal evolution of monsoon precipitation, depend on the background moisture.

The divergence theorem for unbounded vector fields

OpenAIRE

De Pauw, Thierry; Pfeffer, Washek F.

2007-01-01

In the context of Lebesgue integration, we derive the divergence theorem for unbounded vector. elds that can have singularities at every point of a compact set whose Minkowski content of codimension greater than two is. nite. The resulting integration by parts theorem is applied to removable sets of holomorphic and harmonic functions.

Complex patterns of genetic and phenotypic divergence in an island bird and the consequences for delimiting conservation units.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillimore, A B; Owens, I P F; Black, R A; Chittock, J; Burke, T; Clegg, S M

2008-06-01

Substantial phenotypic and genetic variation is often found below the species level and this may be useful in quantifying biodiversity and predicting future diversification. However, relatively few studies have tested whether different aspects of intraspecific variation show congruent patterns across populations. Here, we quantify several aspects of divergence between 13 insular populations of an island endemic bird, the Vanuatu white-eye (Zosterops flavifrons). The components of divergence studied are mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), nuclear DNA microsatellites and morphology. These different aspects of divergence present subtly different scenarios. For instance, an mtDNA phylogenetic tree reveals a potential cryptic species on the most southerly island in Vanuatu and considerable divergence between at least two other major phylogroups. Microsatellite loci suggest that population genetic divergence between insular populations, both between and within phylogroups, is substantial, a result that is consistent with a low level of interisland gene flow. Finally, most populations were found to be strongly morphologically divergent, but no single population was morphologically diagnosable from all others. Taken together, our results show that, although many measures of divergence are concordant in this system, the number of divergent units identified varies widely depending on the characters considered and approach used. A continuum of divergence and a degree of discordance between different characters are both to be expected under simple models of evolution, but they present problems in terms of delimiting conservation units.

Initial States: IR and Collinear Divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavelle, Martin; McMullan, David

2007-01-01

The standard approach to the infra-red problem is to use the Bloch-Nordsieck trick to handle soft divergences and the Lee-Nauenberg (LN) theorem for collinear singularities. We show that this is inconsistent in the presence of massless initial particles. Furthermore, we show that using the LN theorem with such initial states introduces a non-convergent infinite series of diagrams at any fixed order in perturbation theory

Open Day at EVE and School of CERN Staff Association: an opportunity for many parents to discover the structure.

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2017-01-01

On Saturday, 4 March 2017, the Children’s Day-Care Centre EVE and School of CERN Staff Association opened its doors to allow interested parents to visit the structure. Staff Association - Carole Dargagnon presents the EVE and school during the open day. This event was a great success and brought together many families. The Open Day was held in two sessions (first session at 10 am and second at 11 am), each consisting in two parts: a general presentation of the structure by the Headmistress Carole Dargagnon, a tour of the installations with Marie-Luz Cavagna and Stéphanie Palluel, the administrative assistants. The management team was delighted to offer parents the opportunity to participate in this pleasant event, where everyone could express themselves, ask questions and find answers in a friendly atmosphere.

Little Divergence Among Mitochondrial Lineages of Prochilodus (Teleostei, Characiformes

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Bruno F. Melo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Evidence that migration prevents population structure among Neotropical characiform fishes has been reported recently but the effects upon species diversification remain unclear. Migratory species of Prochilodus have complex species boundaries and intrincate taxonomy representing a good model to address such questions. Here, we analyzed 147 specimens through barcode sequences covering all species of Prochilodus across a broad geographic area of South America. Species delimitation and population genetic methods revealed very little genetic divergence among mitochondrial lineages suggesting that extensive gene flow resulted likely from the highly migratory behavior, natural hybridization or recent radiation prevent accumulation of genetic disparity among lineages. Our results clearly delimit eight genetic lineages in which four of them contain a single species and four contain more than one morphologically problematic taxon including a trans-Andean species pair and species of the P. nigricans group. Information about biogeographic distribution of haplotypes presented here might contribute to further research on the population genetics and taxonomy of Prochilodus.

Trends and Divergences in Childhood Income Dynamics, 1970-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Heather D

2018-01-01

Earnings and income variability have increased since the 1970s, particularly at the bottom of the income distribution. Considerable evidence suggests that childhood income levels-captured as average or point-in-time yearly income-are associated with numerous child and adult outcomes. The importance to child development of stable proximal processes during childhood suggests that income variability may also be important, particularly if it is unpredictable, unintentional, or does not reflect an upward trend in family income. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study documents trends since the 1970s in three dimensions of childhood income dynamics: level, variability, and growth (n=7991). The analysis reveals that income variability during childhood has grown over time, while income growth rates have not. In addition, the economic context of childhood has diverged substantially by socioeconomic status, race, and family structure, with the most disadvantaged children facing a double-whammy of low income and high variability. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low Divergence of Clonorchis sinensis in China Based on Multilocus Analysis.

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Jiufeng Sun

Full Text Available Clonorchis sinensis, an ancient parasite that infects a number of piscivorous mammals, attracts significant public health interest due to zoonotic exposure risks in Asia. The available studies are insufficient to reflect the prevalence, geographic distribution, and intraspecific genetic diversity of C. sinensis in endemic areas. Here, a multilocus analysis based on eight genes (ITS1, act, tub, ef-1a, cox1, cox3, nad4 and nad5 [4.986 kb] was employed to explore the intra-species genetic construction of C. sinensis in China. Two hundred and fifty-six C. sinensis isolates were obtained from environmental reservoirs from 17 provinces of China. A total of 254 recognized Multilocus Types (MSTs showed high diversity among these isolates using multilocus analysis. The comparison analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial phylogeny supports separate clusters in a nuclear dendrogram. Genetic differentiation analysis of three clusters (A, B, and C showed low divergence within populations. Most isolates from clusters B and C are geographically limited to central China, while cluster A is extraordinarily genetically diverse. Further genetic analyses between different geographic distributions, water bodies and hosts support the low population divergence. The latter haplotype analyses were consistent with the phylogenetic and genetic differentiation results. A recombination network based on concatenated sequences showed a concentrated linkage recombination population in cox1, cox3, nad4 and nad5, with spatial structuring in ITS1. Coupled with the history record and archaeological evidence of C. sinensis infection in mummified desiccated feces, these data point to an ancient origin of C. sinensis in China. In conclusion, we present a likely phylogenetic structure of the C. sinensis population in mainland China, highlighting its possible tendency for biogeographic expansion. Meanwhile, ITS1 was found to be an effective marker for tracking C. sinensis infection

Low Divergence of Clonorchis sinensis in China Based on Multilocus Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jiufeng; Huang, Yan; Huang, Huaiqiu; Liang, Pei; Wang, Xiaoyun; Mao, Qiang; Men, Jingtao; Chen, Wenjun; Deng, Chuanhuan; Zhou, Chenhui; Lv, Xiaoli; Zhou, Juanjuan; Zhang, Fan; Li, Ran; Tian, Yanli; Lei, Huali; Liang, Chi; Hu, Xuchu; Xu, Jin; Li, Xuerong; XinbingYu

2013-01-01

Clonorchis sinensis, an ancient parasite that infects a number of piscivorous mammals, attracts significant public health interest due to zoonotic exposure risks in Asia. The available studies are insufficient to reflect the prevalence, geographic distribution, and intraspecific genetic diversity of C. sinensis in endemic areas. Here, a multilocus analysis based on eight genes (ITS1, act, tub, ef-1a, cox1, cox3, nad4 and nad5 [4.986 kb]) was employed to explore the intra-species genetic construction of C. sinensis in China. Two hundred and fifty-six C. sinensis isolates were obtained from environmental reservoirs from 17 provinces of China. A total of 254 recognized Multilocus Types (MSTs) showed high diversity among these isolates using multilocus analysis. The comparison analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial phylogeny supports separate clusters in a nuclear dendrogram. Genetic differentiation analysis of three clusters (A, B, and C) showed low divergence within populations. Most isolates from clusters B and C are geographically limited to central China, while cluster A is extraordinarily genetically diverse. Further genetic analyses between different geographic distributions, water bodies and hosts support the low population divergence. The latter haplotype analyses were consistent with the phylogenetic and genetic differentiation results. A recombination network based on concatenated sequences showed a concentrated linkage recombination population in cox1, cox3, nad4 and nad5, with spatial structuring in ITS1. Coupled with the history record and archaeological evidence of C. sinensis infection in mummified desiccated feces, these data point to an ancient origin of C. sinensis in China. In conclusion, we present a likely phylogenetic structure of the C. sinensis population in mainland China, highlighting its possible tendency for biogeographic expansion. Meanwhile, ITS1 was found to be an effective marker for tracking C. sinensis infection worldwide. Thus, the

Job enrichment: creating meaningful career development opportunities for nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffield, Christine; Baldwin, Richard; Roche, Michael; Wise, Sarah

2014-09-01

This paper presents an evaluation of a career development policy in South Australia which increased the number of senior staff nurse positions and provided senior registered nurses with time away from clinical duties to undertake agreed projects. We use Kanter's model of structural power and commitment theory to understand the dimensions of this policy. Development strategies for experienced staff who wish to remain at the bedside are needed, especially in smaller health services with limited opportunities for horizontal or vertical mobility. Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with 54 senior staff nurses who participated in the career structure arrangements. The policy enhanced the structure of opportunity in three ways: by increasing the number of senior staff nurse positions, the ladder steps were improved; undertaking strategic projects developed new skills; and the job enrichment approach facilitated time out from the immediate pressures of ward work and challenged nurses in a different way. Through job enrichment, South Australia has found a novel way of providing meaningful career development opportunities for experienced nurses. Methods of job enrichment need to be considered as part of career development policy, especially where movement between clinical facilities is limited and staff wish to remain at the bedside. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Electrokinetically driven continuous-flow enrichment of colloidal particles by Joule heating induced temperature gradient focusing in a convergent-divergent microfluidic structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Cunlu; Ge, Zhengwei; Song, Yongxin; Yang, Chun

2017-09-07

Enrichment of colloidal particles in continuous flow has not only numerous applications but also poses a great challenge in controlling physical forces that are required for achieving particle enrichment. Here, we for the first time experimentally demonstrate the electrokinetically-driven continuous-flow enrichment of colloidal particles with Joule heating induced temperature gradient focusing (TGF) in a microfluidic convergent-divergent structure. We consider four mechanisms of particle transport, i.e., advection due to electroosmosis, electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis and, and further clarify their roles in the particle enrichment. It is experimentally determined and numerically verified that the particle thermophoresis plays dominant roles in enrichment of all particle sizes considered in this study and the combined effect of electroosmosis-induced advection and electrophoresis is mainly to transport particles to the zone of enrichment. Specifically, the enrichment of particles is achieved with combined DC and AC voltages rather than a sole DC or AC voltage. A numerical model is formulated with consideration of the abovementioned four mechanisms, and the model can rationalize the experimental observations. Particularly, our analysis of numerical and experimental results indicates that thermophoresis which is usually an overlooked mechanism of material transport is crucial for the successful electrokinetic enrichment of particles with Joule heating induced TGF.

Differential Modulation of Performance in Insight and Divergent Thinking Tasks with tDCS

Science.gov (United States)

Goel, Vinod; Eimontaite, Iveta; Goel, Amit; Schindler, Igor

2015-01-01

While both insight and divergent thinking tasks are used to study creativity, there are reasons to believe that the two may call upon very different mechanisms. To explore this hypothesis, we administered a verbal insight task (riddles) and a divergent thinking task (verbal fluency) to 16 native English speakers and 16 non-native English speakers…

Divergent growth of Norway spruce on Babia Góra Mountain in the western Carpathians

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buras, Allan; Spyt, Barbara; Janecka, Karolina; Kaczka, Ryszard

2018-01-01

Growth divergence – i.e. the expression of divergent growth trends of neighboring trees – has certain implications for dendrochronological research, for instance in the context of climate reconstructions but also in terms of estimating net ecosystem productivity. Thus, understanding the underlying

Crystal structure of LGR4-Rspo1 complex: insights into the divergent mechanisms of ligand recognition by leucine-rich repeat G-protein-coupled receptors (LGRs).

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jin-Gen; Huang, Chunfeng; Yang, Zhengfeng; Jin, Mengmeng; Fu, Panhan; Zhang, Ni; Luo, Jian; Li, Dali; Liu, Mingyao; Zhou, Yan; Zhu, Yongqun

2015-01-23

Leucine-rich repeat G-protein-coupled receptors (LGRs) are a unique class of G-protein-coupled receptors characterized by a large extracellular domain to recognize ligands and regulate many important developmental processes. Among the three groups of LGRs, group B members (LGR4-6) recognize R-spondin family proteins (Rspo1-4) to stimulate Wnt signaling. In this study, we successfully utilized the "hybrid leucine-rich repeat technique," which fused LGR4 with the hagfish VLR protein, to obtain two recombinant human LGR4 proteins, LGR415 and LGR49. We determined the crystal structures of ligand-free LGR415 and the LGR49-Rspo1 complex. LGR4 exhibits a twisted horseshoe-like structure. Rspo1 adopts a flat and β-fold architecture and is bound in the concave surface of LGR4 in the complex through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. All the Rspo1-binding residues are conserved in LGR4-6, suggesting that LGR4-6 bind R-spondins through an identical surface. Structural analysis of our LGR4-Rspo1 complex with the previously determined LGR4 and LGR5 structures revealed that the concave surface of LGR4 is the sole binding site for R-spondins, suggesting a one-site binding model of LGR4-6 in ligand recognition. The molecular mechanism of LGR4-6 is distinct from the two-step mechanism of group A receptors LGR1-3 and the multiple-interface binding model of group C receptors LGR7-8, suggesting LGRs utilize the divergent mechanisms for ligand recognition. Our structures, together with previous reports, provide a comprehensive understanding of the ligand recognition by LGRs. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Convergence and divergence, a concept for explaining drug actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Takehiko; Kamisaki, Yoshinori; Timmerman, Henk

2004-10-01

For the teaching and/or learning about drug actions and for the discovery and development of new drugs, it is important to understand how drugs act on living bodies. So far, there has been no clear description on the general principle of drug action in pharmacology textbooks. We propose two principles to depict the action mechanism of drugs. The first is that most, if not all, drugs act on proteins at the molecular level, that is, enzymes, receptors, ion channels, and transporters. The second is that a drug may cause divergent or convergent responses, resulting in changes of a physiological or pathological function of the human body. The concept of divergence and convergence can be used to explain the complex individuality of drug actions.

Opportunistic maintenance considering non-homogenous opportunity arrivals and stochastic opportunity durations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truong Ba, H.; Cholette, M.E.; Borghesani, P.; Zhou, Y.; Ma, L.

2017-01-01

Many systems and manufacturing processes undergo intermittent operation due to external factors (e.g. weather, low market prices), offering opportunities to conduct maintenance with reduced production losses. Making use of appropriate opportunities can thus lead to significant reduction in the total cost of maintenance and improvement in productivity. In this paper, an opportunistic maintenance (OM) model is developed considering two critical properties of real world opportunities: (i) non-homogeneous opportunity arrivals and (ii) stochastic opportunity duration. The model enables exploiting downtime cost savings from “partial” opportunities (stops shorter than the required maintenance time) thus extending the potential benefit of OM. The criteria for accepting maintenance opportunities are found by minimizing the single-cycle total cost. A closed form expression of the single-cycle total cost is derived for a given PM/OM policy and then a Genetic Algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. Numerical results are presented to assess the benefit of opportunistic maintenance and the marginal benefit of considering partial opportunities. Results indicate that significant savings can be achieved by considering OM. Moreover, it is shown that the novel consideration of partial opportunities significantly increase the benefit of OM. - Highlights: • Opportunistic and time-based preventive maintenance jointly optimized. • Non-homogeneous opportunity arrivals and stochastic durations considered. • “Partial” opportunities considered for the first time. • Opportunity duration thresholds used as a decision criterion. • Numerical study conducted to evaluate benefit of optimized policy.

Several one-loop calculations in a formulation of massive quantum electrodynamics possessing only vacuum-polarization divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, S.

1985-01-01

An alternative formulation of path-integral quantization for gauge theories is proposed in which the gauge-fixing condition, normally imposed on just the gauge field itself, is imposed on the gauge-transformed gauge field, a continuous sum now being included over all configurations of the transformation field, Λ(x) that satisfy the gauge condition. It is shown, by explicit calculation, that when bilinear counterterms in the Lagrangian field density are included so as to render the two-point gauge- and fermion-field Green's functions finite, the fermion-fermion-gauge-field Green's function is divergence free. Unlike the more conventional approaches, there is no divergent vertex counterterm needed. Furthermore, the form of the fermion counterterm is a simple mass insertion only. There is no need for a divergent fermion wave-function renormalization. The cancellation of the divergences that are normally present is accomplished by the effect of, heretofor uncommon in perturbative quantum-field theory, infrared-divergent integrals. It is argued heuristically how these may be regulated by the same parameter, Λ, that is used for ultraviolet-divergent integrals, where now the cutoff is towards the lower limit of integration

A combinatorial approach to detect coevolved amino acid networks in protein families of variable divergence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie Baussand

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Communication between distant sites often defines the biological role of a protein: amino acid long-range interactions are as important in binding specificity, allosteric regulation and conformational change as residues directly contacting the substrate. The maintaining of functional and structural coupling of long-range interacting residues requires coevolution of these residues. Networks of interaction between coevolved residues can be reconstructed, and from the networks, one can possibly derive insights into functional mechanisms for the protein family. We propose a combinatorial method for mapping conserved networks of amino acid interactions in a protein which is based on the analysis of a set of aligned sequences, the associated distance tree and the combinatorics of its subtrees. The degree of coevolution of all pairs of coevolved residues is identified numerically, and networks are reconstructed with a dedicated clustering algorithm. The method drops the constraints on high sequence divergence limiting the range of applicability of the statistical approaches previously proposed. We apply the method to four protein families where we show an accurate detection of functional networks and the possibility to treat sets of protein sequences of variable divergence.

Relations between dissipated work in non-equilibrium process and the family of Rényi divergences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Bo-Bo; Plenio, M B

2017-01-01

In this paper, we establish a general relation which directly links the dissipated work done on a system driven arbitrarily far from equilibrium, a fundamental quantity in thermodynamics, and the family of Rényi divergences between two states along the forward and reversed dynamics, a fundamental concept in information theory. Specifically, we find that the generating function of the dissipated work under an arbitrary time-dependent driving is related to the family of Rényi divergences between a non-equilibrium state along the forward process and a non-equilibrium state along its time-reversed process. This relation is a consequence of the principle of conservation of information and time reversal symmetry and is universally applicable to both finite classical system and finite quantum system under arbitrary driving process. The significance of the relation between the generating function of dissipated work and the family of Rényi divergences are two fold. On the one hand, the relation establishes that the macroscopic entropy production and its fluctuations are determined by the family of Rényi divergences, a measure of distinguishability of two states, between a microscopic process and its time reversal. On the other hand, this relation tells us that we can extract the family of Renyi divergences from the work measurement in a microscopic process. For classical systems the work measurement is straightforward, from which the family of Rényi divergences can be obtained; for quantum systems under time-dependent driving the characteristic function of work distributions can be measured from Ramsey interferences of a single spin, then we can extract the family of Renyi divergences from Ramsey interferences of a single spin. (paper)

The Harmonic Series Diverges Again and Again

Science.gov (United States)

Kifowit, Steven J.; Stamps, Terra A.

2006-01-01

The harmonic series is one of the most celebrated infinite series of mathematics. A quick glance at a variety of modern calculus textbooks reveals that there are two very popular proofs of the divergence of the harmonic series. In this article, the authors survey these popular proofs along with many other proofs that are equally simple and…

Factor analysis models via I-divergence optimization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Finesso, L.; Spreij, P.

2016-01-01

Given a positive definite covariance matrix Σˆ of dimension n, we approximate it with a covariance of the form HH⊤+D, where H has a prescribed number k0 is diagonal. The quality of the approximation is gauged by the I-divergence between the zero mean normal laws with covariances

Dissecting molecular stress networks: identifying nodes of divergence between life-history phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Tonia S; Bronikowski, Anne M

2013-02-01

The complex molecular network that underlies physiological stress response is comprised of nodes (proteins, metabolites, mRNAs, etc.) whose connections span cells, tissues and organs. Variable nodes are points in the network upon which natural selection may act. Thus, identifying variable nodes will reveal how this molecular stress network may evolve among populations in different habitats and how it might impact life-history evolution. Here, we use physiological and genetic assays to test whether laboratory-born juveniles from natural populations of garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans), which have diverged in their life-history phenotypes, vary concomitantly at candidate nodes of the stress response network, (i) under unstressed conditions and (ii) in response to an induced stress. We found that two common measures of stress (plasma corticosterone and liver gene expression of heat shock proteins) increased under stress in both life-history phenotypes. In contrast, the phenotypes diverged at four nodes both under unstressed conditions and in response to stress: circulating levels of reactive oxygen species (superoxide, H(2)O(2)); liver gene expression of GPX1 and erythrocyte DNA damage. Additionally, allele frequencies for SOD2 diverge from neutral markers, suggesting diversifying selection on SOD2 alleles. This study supports the hypothesis that these life-history phenotypes have diverged at the molecular level in how they respond to stress, particularly in nodes regulating oxidative stress. Furthermore, the differences between the life-history phenotypes were more pronounced in females. We discuss the responses to stress in the context of the associated life-history phenotype and the evolutionary pressures thought to be responsible for divergence between the phenotypes. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Divergence time estimates and the evolution of major lineages in the florideophyte red algae

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Eun Chan; Boo, Sung Min; Bhattacharya, Debashish; Saunders, Gary W.; Knoll, Andrew H.; Fredericq, Suzanne; Graf, Louis; Yoon, Hwan Su

2016-01-01

The Florideophyceae is the most abundant and taxonomically diverse class of red algae (Rhodophyta). However, many aspects of the systematics and divergence times of the group remain unresolved. Using a seven-gene concatenated dataset (nuclear EF2, LSU and SSU rRNAs, mitochondrial cox1, and plastid rbcL, psaA and psbA genes), we generated a robust phylogeny of red algae to provide an evolutionary timeline for florideophyte diversification. Our relaxed molecular clock analysis suggests that the Florideophyceae diverged approximately 943 (817–1,049) million years ago (Ma). The major divergences in this class involved the emergence of Hildenbrandiophycidae [ca. 781 (681–879) Ma], Nemaliophycidae [ca. 661 (597–736) Ma], Corallinophycidae [ca. 579 (543–617) Ma], and the split of Ahnfeltiophycidae and Rhodymeniophycidae [ca. 508 (442–580) Ma]. Within these clades, extant diversity reflects largely Phanerozoic diversification. Divergences within Florideophyceae were accompanied by evolutionary changes in the carposporophyte stage, leading to a successful strategy for maximizing spore production from each fertilization event. Our research provides robust estimates for the divergence times of major lineages within the Florideophyceae. This timeline was used to interpret the emergence of key morphological innovations that characterize these multicellular red algae. PMID:26892537

Flutter and divergence instability of supported piezoelectric nanotubes conveying fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Bahaadini, Reza; Hosseini, Mohammad; Jamali, Behnam

2018-01-01

In this paper, divergence and flutter instabilities of supported piezoelectric nanotubes containing flowing fluid are investigated. To take the size effects into account, the nonlocal elasticity theory is implemented in conjunction with the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory incorporating surface stress effects. The Knudsen number is applied to investigate the slip boundary conditions between the flow and wall of nanotube. The nonlocal governing equations of nanotube are obtained using Newtonian method, including the influence of piezoelectric voltage, surface effects, Knudsen number and nonlocal parameter. Applying Galerkin approach to transform resulting equations into a set of eigenvalue equations under the simple-simple (S-S) and clamped-clamped (C-C) boundary conditions. The effects of the piezoelectric voltage, surface effects, Knudsen number, nonlocal parameter and boundary conditions on the divergence and flutter boundaries of nanotubes are discussed. It is observed that the fluid-conveying nanotubes with both ends supported lose their stability by divergence first and then by flutter with increase in fluid velocity. Results indicate the importance of using piezoelectric voltage, nonlocal parameter and Knudsen number in decrease of critical flow velocities of system. Moreover, the surface effects have a significant role on the eigenfrequencies and critical fluid velocity.

The Effect of Structured Divergent Prompts on Knowledge Construction

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Ginger S.; Akpanudo, Usenime; Chen, Mengyi; Sutherlin, Autumn L.; James, Laura E.

2014-01-01

Discussion forums are a widely used activity in online courses. However, knowledge construction within online discussion rarely reaches higher levels. Therefore, it is important to understand which aspects of online discussion encourage learning and increase knowledge construction. This paper investigates the effect three Structured Divergent…

Numerical simulation of divergent rocket-based-combined-cycle performances under the flight condition of Mach 3

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Peng; Xu, WanWu; Li, Qinglian

2018-01-01

Currently, the upper operating limit of the turbine engine is Mach 2+, and the lower limit of the dual-mode scramjet is Mach 4. Therefore no single power systems can operate within the range between Mach 2 + and Mach 4. By using ejector rockets, Rocket-based-combined-cycle can work well in the above scope. As the key component of Rocket-based-combined-cycle, the ejector rocket has significant influence on Rocket-based-combined-cycle performance. Research on the influence of rocket parameters on Rocket-based-combined-cycle in the speed range of Mach 2 + to Mach 4 is scarce. In the present study, influences of Mach number and total pressure of the ejector rocket on Rocket-based-combined-cycle were analyzed numerically. Due to the significant effects of the flight conditions and the Rocket-based-combined-cycle configuration on Rocket-based-combined-cycle performances, flight altitude, flight Mach number, and divergence ratio were also considered. The simulation results indicate that matching lower altitude with higher flight Mach numbers can increase Rocket-based-combined-cycle thrust. For another thing, with an increase of the divergent ratio, the effect of the divergent configuration will strengthen and there is a limit on the divergent ratio. When the divergent ratio is greater than the limit, the effect of divergent configuration will gradually exceed that of combustion on supersonic flows. Further increases in the divergent ratio will decrease Rocket-based-combined-cycle thrust.

A scalable block-preconditioning strategy for divergence-conforming B-spline discretizations of the Stokes problem

KAUST Repository

Cortes, Adriano Mauricio; Dalcin, Lisandro; Sarmiento, Adel; Collier, N.; Calo, Victor M.

2016-01-01

The recently introduced divergence-conforming B-spline discretizations allow the construction of smooth discrete velocity-pressure pairs for viscous incompressible flows that are at the same time inf−supinf−sup stable and pointwise divergence

Genetic Coupling of Female Mate Choice with Polygenic Ecological Divergence Facilitates Stickleback Speciation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bay, Rachael A; Arnegard, Matthew E; Conte, Gina L; Best, Jacob; Bedford, Nicole L; McCann, Shaugnessy R; Dubin, Matthew E; Chan, Yingguang Frank; Jones, Felicity C; Kingsley, David M; Schluter, Dolph; Peichel, Catherine L

2017-11-06

Ecological speciation with gene flow is widespread in nature [1], but it presents a conundrum: how are associations between traits under divergent natural selection and traits that contribute to assortative mating maintained? Theoretical models suggest that genetic mechanisms inhibiting free recombination between loci underlying these two types of traits (hereafter, "genetic coupling") can facilitate speciation [2-4]. Here, we perform a direct test for genetic coupling by mapping both divergent traits and female mate choice in a classic model of ecological speciation: sympatric benthic and limnetic threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). By measuring mate choice in F2 hybrid females, we allowed for recombination between loci underlying assortative mating and those under divergent ecological selection. In semi-natural mating arenas in which females had access to both benthic and limnetic males, we found that F2 females mated with males similar to themselves in body size and shape. In addition, we found two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with female mate choice that also predicted female morphology along the benthic-limnetic trait axis. Furthermore, a polygenic genetic model that explains adaptation to contrasting benthic and limnetic feeding niches [5] also predicted F2 female mate choice. Together, these results provide empirical evidence that genetic coupling of assortative mating with traits under divergent ecological selection helps maintain species in the face of gene flow, despite a polygenic basis for adaptation to divergent environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Divergence of sun-rays by atmospheric refraction at large solar zenith angles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Uhl

2004-01-01

Full Text Available For the determination of photolysis rates at large zenith angles it has been demonstrated that refraction by the earth's atmosphere must be taken into account. In fact, due to the modified optical path the optical transmittance is thereby increased in most instances. Here we show that in addition the divergence of sun-rays, which is also caused by refraction but which reduces the direct solar irradiance, should not be neglected. Our calculations are based on a spherically symmetric atmosphere and include extinction by Rayleigh scattering, ozone, and background aerosol. For rays with 10km tangent altitude the divergence yields a reduction of about 10% to 40% at solar zenith angles of 91° to 96°. Moreover, we find that the divergence effect can completely cancel the relative enhancement caused by the increase of transmittance.

Measurements of the divergence of fast electrons in laser-irradiated spherical targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaakobi, B.; Solodov, A. A.; Myatt, J. F.; Delettrez, J. A.; Stoeckl, C.; Froula, D. H.

2013-01-01

In recent experiments using directly driven spherical targets on the OMEGA laser system, the energy in fast electrons was found to reach ∼1% of the laser energy at an irradiance of ∼1.1 × 10 15 W/cm 2 . The fraction of these fast electrons absorbed in the compressed fuel shell depends on their angular divergence. This paper describes measurements of this divergence deduced from a series of shots where Mo-coated shells of increasing diameter (D) were suspended within an outer CH shell. The intensity of the Mo–Kα line and the hard x-ray radiation were found to increase approximately as ∼D 2 , indicating wide divergence of the fast electrons. Alternative interpretations of these results (electron scattering, radiation excitation of Kα, and an electric field due to return current) are shown to be unimportant

Future Scientific Opportunities At Jefferson Lab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Anthony

2007-01-01

Nuclear physics requires at least one major facility world-wide which is capable of fully exploiting the properties of the electro-weak force to investigate precisely the structure of strongly interacting systems. At its current maximum energy of 6 GeV Jefferson Lab has provided a wealth of important information on the structure of nucleons and nuclei. However, the plans to double the energy over the next seven years promise to open new frontiers in nuclear and particle physics. We briefly describe the plans for the 12 GeV Upgrade and the associated physics opportunities.

Zimmermann's forest formula, infrared divergences and the QCD beta function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franz Herzog

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We review Zimmermann's forest formula, which solves Bogoliubov's recursive R-operation for the subtraction of ultraviolet divergences in perturbative Quantum Field Theory. We further discuss a generalisation of the R-operation which subtracts besides ultraviolet also Euclidean infrared divergences. This generalisation, which goes under the name of the R⁎-operation, can be used efficiently to compute renormalisation constants. We will discuss several results obtained by this method with focus on the QCD beta function at five loops as well as the application to hadronic Higgs boson decay rates at N4LO. This article summarizes a talk given at the Wolfhart Zimmermann Memorial Symposium.

Monoparametric family of metrics derived from classical Jensen-Shannon divergence

Science.gov (United States)

Osán, Tristán M.; Bussandri, Diego G.; Lamberti, Pedro W.

2018-04-01

Jensen-Shannon divergence is a well known multi-purpose measure of dissimilarity between probability distributions. It has been proven that the square root of this quantity is a true metric in the sense that, in addition to the basic properties of a distance, it also satisfies the triangle inequality. In this work we extend this last result to prove that in fact it is possible to derive a monoparametric family of metrics from the classical Jensen-Shannon divergence. Motivated by our results, an application into the field of symbolic sequences segmentation is explored. Additionally, we analyze the possibility to extend this result into the quantum realm.

Infrared divergences for free quantum fields in cosmological spacetimes

Science.gov (United States)

Higuchi, Atsushi; Rendell, Nicola

2018-06-01

We investigate the nature of infrared divergences for the free graviton and inflaton two-point functions in flat Friedman–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker spacetime. These divergences arise because the momentum integral for these two-point functions diverges in the infrared. It is straightforward to see that the power of the momentum in the integrand can be increased by 2 in the infrared using large gauge transformations, which are sufficient for rendering these two-point functions infrared finite for slow-roll inflation. In other words, if the integrand of the momentum integral for these two-point functions behaves like , where p is the momentum, in the infrared, then it can be made to behave like by large gauge transformations. On the other hand, it is known that, if one smears these two-point functions in a gauge-invariant manner, the power of the momentum in the integrand is changed from to . This fact suggests that the power of the momentum in the integrand for these two-point functions can be increased by 4 using large gauge transformations. In this paper we show that this is indeed the case. Thus, the two-point functions for the graviton and inflaton fields can be made finite by large gauge transformations for a large class of potentials and states in single-field inflation.

Sand-mediated divergence between shallow reef communities on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sand-mediated divergence between shallow reef communities on horizontal and vertical substrata in the western Indian Ocean. SN Porter, GM Branch, KJ Sink. Abstract. Distinctions are rarely made between vertical and horizontal surfaces when assessing reef community composition, yet physical differences are expected ...

Kullback–Leibler Divergence of the γ–ordered Normal over t–distribution

OpenAIRE

Toulias, T-L.; Kitsos, C-P.

2012-01-01

The aim of this paper is to evaluate and study the Kullback–Leibler divergence of the γ–ordered Normal distribution, a generalization of Normal distribution emerged from the generalized Fisher’s information measure, over the scaled t–distribution. We investigate this evaluation through a series of bounds and approximations while the asymptotic behavior of the divergence is also studied. Moreover, we obtain a generalization of the known Kullback–Leibler information measure betwe...

Genetic Divergence in Eucalyptus camaldulensis Progenies in the Savanna Biome in Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reginaldo Brito da Costa

Full Text Available Assessing the parental genetic differences and their subsequent prediction of progeny performance is an important first step to assure the efficiency of any breeding program. In this study, we estimate the genetic divergence in Eucalyptus camaldulensis based on the morphological traits of 132 progenies grown in a savanna biome. Thus, a field experiment was performed using a randomized block design and five replications to compare divergences in total height, commercial height, diameter at breast height, stem form and survival rate at 48 months. Tocher's clustering method was performed using the Mahalanobis and Euclidian distances. The Mahalanobis distance seemed more reliable for the assessed parameters and clustered all of the progenies into fourteen major groups. The most similar progenies (86 accessions were clustered into Group I, while the most dissimilar (1 progeny represented Group XIV. The divergence analysis indicated that promising crosses could be made between progenies allocated in different groups for high genetic divergence and for favorable morphological traits.

Adaptive Genetic Divergence Despite Significant Isolation-by-Distance in Populations of Taiwan Cow-Tail Fir (Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana).

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Kai-Ming; Chang, Chung-Te; Chung, Jeng-Der; Chiang, Yu-Chung; Hwang, Shih-Ying

2018-01-01

Double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) is a tool for delivering genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for non-model organisms useful in resolving fine-scale population structure and detecting signatures of selection. This study performs population genetic analysis, based on ddRADseq data, of a coniferous species, Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana , disjunctly distributed in northern and southern Taiwan, for investigation of population adaptive divergence in response to environmental heterogeneity. A total of 13,914 SNPs were detected and used to assess genetic diversity, F ST outlier detection, population genetic structure, and individual assignments of five populations (62 individuals) of K. davidiana var. formosana . Principal component analysis (PCA), individual assignments, and the neighbor-joining tree were successful in differentiating individuals between northern and southern populations of K. davidiana var. formosana , but apparent gene flow between the southern DW30 population and northern populations was also revealed. Fifteen of 23 highly differentiated SNPs identified were found to be strongly associated with environmental variables, suggesting isolation-by-environment (IBE). However, multiple matrix regression with randomization analysis revealed strong IBE as well as significant isolation-by-distance. Environmental impacts on divergence were found between populations of the North and South regions and also between the two southern neighboring populations. BLASTN annotation of the sequences flanking outlier SNPs gave significant hits for three of 23 markers that might have biological relevance to mitochondrial homeostasis involved in the survival of locally adapted lineages. Species delimitation between K. davidiana var. formosana and its ancestor, K. davidiana , was also examined (72 individuals). This study has produced highly informative population genomic data for the understanding of population

Adaptive Genetic Divergence Despite Significant Isolation-by-Distance in Populations of Taiwan Cow-Tail Fir (Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai-Ming Shih

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq is a tool for delivering genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers for non-model organisms useful in resolving fine-scale population structure and detecting signatures of selection. This study performs population genetic analysis, based on ddRADseq data, of a coniferous species, Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana, disjunctly distributed in northern and southern Taiwan, for investigation of population adaptive divergence in response to environmental heterogeneity. A total of 13,914 SNPs were detected and used to assess genetic diversity, FST outlier detection, population genetic structure, and individual assignments of five populations (62 individuals of K. davidiana var. formosana. Principal component analysis (PCA, individual assignments, and the neighbor-joining tree were successful in differentiating individuals between northern and southern populations of K. davidiana var. formosana, but apparent gene flow between the southern DW30 population and northern populations was also revealed. Fifteen of 23 highly differentiated SNPs identified were found to be strongly associated with environmental variables, suggesting isolation-by-environment (IBE. However, multiple matrix regression with randomization analysis revealed strong IBE as well as significant isolation-by-distance. Environmental impacts on divergence were found between populations of the North and South regions and also between the two southern neighboring populations. BLASTN annotation of the sequences flanking outlier SNPs gave significant hits for three of 23 markers that might have biological relevance to mitochondrial homeostasis involved in the survival of locally adapted lineages. Species delimitation between K. davidiana var. formosana and its ancestor, K. davidiana, was also examined (72 individuals. This study has produced highly informative population genomic data for the understanding of

A novel methodology to determine the divergence of a neutron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, E.S., E-mail: msouza@ien.gov.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, COPPE, Centro de Tecnologia, Cidade Universitaria, Bloco G, Ilha do Fundao, 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Almeida, G.L., E-mail: gevlisb@hotmail.com [Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear, Reator Argonauta - CNEN Rua Helio de Almeida 75, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundao, Caixa Postal 68550, CEP 21941-972 Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Lopes, R.T., E-mail: ricardo@lin.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, COPPE, Centro de Tecnologia, Cidade Universitaria, Bloco G, Ilha do Fundao, 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2016-12-01

This work posits a novel approach to characterize the divergence of a neutron beam emerging from a reactor port. Unlike the usual inverse of the L/D ratio, the term divergence as employed here refers to the deviation from an ideal parallel beam emitted from a surface source. Within this concept, an ideal point source in spite of its conical beam would not exhibit any divergence. Hence, the beam divergence of a surface source is more adequately characterized adopting the notion of Rocking Curve - RC, a term borrowed from the X-ray diffraction field. After this idea, every point of the surface source emits neutrons in all directions but with different intensities following a bell-shaped profile. Once the RC semi-width is determined, it is possible to assess its effect upon the quality of an acquired neutron radiograph, since it incorporates degrading agents such as geometrical unsharpness, neutron scattering, noise and statistical dispersion. In this work an inverse procedure is applied, i.e., to use an actual neutron radiograph to find the RC semi-width. To accomplish this task, synthetic images - generated with defined RC semi-widths and object-detector gaps - are compared with experimental ones acquired with the same gaps in order to find the most resemblance between them. The angular semi-width of the best synthetic image is assigned to that of the experimental one, defining thus the aimed beam divergence, which has been compared with a different method with a fair agreement. An equivalent procedure embedded in the algorithm has been employed to evaluate the L/D using the same radiographic images. The outcome fairly agrees with the value inferred from the neutron flux ratio at different locations. Both approaches RC semi-width and L/D ratio yielded consistent results with other utterly different methods. Yet, the rocking curve approach forecasts more precisely the neutron pattern hitting the detector and does not need a precisely machined test-object as required

A novel methodology to determine the divergence of a neutron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, E.S.; Almeida, G.L.; Lopes, R.T.

2016-01-01

This work posits a novel approach to characterize the divergence of a neutron beam emerging from a reactor port. Unlike the usual inverse of the L/D ratio, the term divergence as employed here refers to the deviation from an ideal parallel beam emitted from a surface source. Within this concept, an ideal point source in spite of its conical beam would not exhibit any divergence. Hence, the beam divergence of a surface source is more adequately characterized adopting the notion of Rocking Curve - RC, a term borrowed from the X-ray diffraction field. After this idea, every point of the surface source emits neutrons in all directions but with different intensities following a bell-shaped profile. Once the RC semi-width is determined, it is possible to assess its effect upon the quality of an acquired neutron radiograph, since it incorporates degrading agents such as geometrical unsharpness, neutron scattering, noise and statistical dispersion. In this work an inverse procedure is applied, i.e., to use an actual neutron radiograph to find the RC semi-width. To accomplish this task, synthetic images - generated with defined RC semi-widths and object-detector gaps - are compared with experimental ones acquired with the same gaps in order to find the most resemblance between them. The angular semi-width of the best synthetic image is assigned to that of the experimental one, defining thus the aimed beam divergence, which has been compared with a different method with a fair agreement. An equivalent procedure embedded in the algorithm has been employed to evaluate the L/D using the same radiographic images. The outcome fairly agrees with the value inferred from the neutron flux ratio at different locations. Both approaches RC semi-width and L/D ratio yielded consistent results with other utterly different methods. Yet, the rocking curve approach forecasts more precisely the neutron pattern hitting the detector and does not need a precisely machined test-object as required

An investigation of merging and diverging cars on a multi-lane road using a cellular automation model

Science.gov (United States)

Jetto, K.; Ez-Zahraouy, H.; Benyoussef, A.

2012-11-01

In this paper, we have investigated two observed situations in a multi-lane road. The first one concerns a fast merging vehicle. The second situation is related to the case of a fast vehicle leaving the fastest lane back into the slowest lane and targeting a specific way out. We are interested in the relaxation time τ, i.e., which is the time that the merging (diverging) vehicle spends before reaching the desired lane. Using analytical treatment and numerical simulations for the NaSch model, we have found two states, namely, the free state in which the merging (diverging) vehicle reaches the desired lane, and the trapped state in which τ diverges. We have established phase diagrams for several values of the braking probability. In the second situation, we have shown that diverging from the fast lane targeting a specific way out is not a simple task. Even if the diverging vehicle is in the free phase, two different states can be distinguished. One is the critical state, in which the diverging car can probably reach the desired way out. The other is the safe state, in which the diverging car can surely reach the desired way out. In order to be in the safe state, we have found that the driver of the diverging car must know the critical distance (below which the way out will be out of his reach) in each lane. Furthermore, this critical distance depends on the density of cars, and it follows an exponential law.

Little evidence for dynamic divergences in ultraviscous molecular liquids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hecksher, Tina; Nielsen, Albena; Olsen, Niels Boye

2008-01-01

The physics of the ultraviscous liquid phase preceding glass formation continues to pose major problems that remain unsolved. It is actively debated, for instance, whether the marked increase of the relaxation time reflects an underlying phase transition to a state of infinite relaxation time....... To elucidate the empirical evidence for this intriguing scenario, some of the most accurate relaxationtime data available for any class of ultraviscous liquids-those obtained by dielectric relaxation experiments on organic liquids just above the glass transition-were compiled. Analysis of data for 42 liquids...... shows that there is no compelling evidence for the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) prediction that the relaxation time diverges at a finite temperature.We conclude that theories with a dynamic divergence of the VFT formlack a direct experimental basis....

Divergent apparent temperature sensitivity of terrestrial ecosystem respiration

Science.gov (United States)

Bing Song; Shuli Niu; Ruise Luo; Yiqi Luo; Jiquan Chen; Guirui Yu; Janusz Olejnik; Georg Wohlfahrt; Gerard Kiely; Ako Noormets; Leonardo Montagnani; Alessandro Cescatti; Vincenzo Magliulo; Beverly Elizabeth Law; Magnus Lund; Andrej Varlagin; Antonio Raschi; Matthias Peichl; Mats B. Nilsson; Lutz Merbold

2014-01-01

Recent studies revealed convergent temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration (Re) within aquatic ecosystems and between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We do not know yet whether various terrestrial ecosystems have consistent or divergent temperature sensitivity. Here, we synthesized 163 eddy covariance flux sites across the world and...

Structured packing: an opportunity for energy savings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavez T, R.H.; Guadarrama G, J.J.

1996-01-01

This work emphasizes the advantages about the use of structured packing. This type of packings allows by its geometry to reduce the processing time giving energy savings and throw down the production costs in several industries such as heavy water production plants, petrochemical industry and all industries involved with separation processes. There is a comparative results of energy consumption utilizing the structured vs. Raschig packings. (Author)

East-west genetic differentiation in Musk Ducks (Biziura lobata) of Australia suggests late Pleistocene divergence at the Nullarbor Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Guay, P.-J.; Chesser, R.T.; Mulder, R.A.; Afton, A.D.; Paton, D.C.; McCracken, K.G.

2010-01-01

Musk Ducks (Biziura lobata) are endemic to Australia and occur as two geographically isolated populations separated by the Nullarbor Plain, a vast arid region in southern Australia. We studied genetic variation in Musk Duck populations at coarse (eastern versus western Australia) and fine scales (four sites within eastern Australia). We found significant genetic structure between eastern and western Australia in the mtDNA control region (??ST = 0. 747), one nuclear intron (??ST = 0.193) and eight microsatellite loci (FST = 0.035). In contrast, there was little genetic structure between Kangaroo Island and adjacent mainland regions within eastern Australia. One small population of Musk Ducks in Victoria (Lake Wendouree) differed from both Kangaroo Island and the remainder of mainland eastern Australia, possibly due to genetic drift exacerbated by inbreeding and small population size. The observed low pairwise distance between the eastern and western mtDNA lineages (0.36%) suggests that they diverged near the end of the Pleistocene, a period characterised by frequent shifts between wet and arid conditions in central Australia. Our genetic results corroborate the display call divergence and Mathews' (Austral Avian Record 2:83-107, 1914) subspecies classification, and confirm that eastern and western populations of Musk Duck are currently isolated from each other. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Rapid forest change in the interior west presents analysis opportunities and challenges

Science.gov (United States)

John D. Shaw

2007-01-01

A recent drought has caused compositional and structural changes in Interior West forests. Recent periodic and annual inventory data provide an opportunity to analyze forest changes on a grand scale. This "natural experiment" also provides opportunities to test the effectiveness of Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) methodologies. It also presents some...

Understanding Spatiotemporal Patterns of Human Convergence and Divergence Using Mobile Phone Location Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiping Yang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Investigating human mobility patterns can help researchers and agencies understand the driving forces of human movement, with potential benefits for urban planning and traffic management. Recent advances in location-aware technologies have provided many new data sources (e.g., mobile phone and social media data for studying human space-time behavioral regularity. Although existing studies have utilized these new datasets to characterize human mobility patterns from various aspects, such as predicting human mobility and monitoring urban dynamics, few studies have focused on human convergence and divergence patterns within a city. This study aims to explore human spatial convergence and divergence and their evolutions over time using large-scale mobile phone location data. Using a dataset from Shenzhen, China, we developed a method to identify spatiotemporal patterns of human convergence and divergence. Eight distinct patterns were extracted, and the spatial distributions of these patterns are discussed in the context of urban functional regions. Thus, this study investigates urban human convergence and divergence patterns and their relationships with the urban functional environment, which is helpful for urban policy development, urban planning and traffic management.

Species divergence and phylogenetic variation of ecophysiological traits in lianas and trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Rios, Rodrigo S; Salgado-Luarte, Cristian; Gianoli, Ernesto

2014-01-01

The climbing habit is an evolutionary key innovation in plants because it is associated with enhanced clade diversification. We tested whether patterns of species divergence and variation of three ecophysiological traits that are fundamental for plant adaptation to light environments (maximum photosynthetic rate [A(max)], dark respiration rate [R(d)], and specific leaf area [SLA]) are consistent with this key innovation. Using data reported from four tropical forests and three temperate forests, we compared phylogenetic distance among species as well as the evolutionary rate, phylogenetic distance and phylogenetic signal of those traits in lianas and trees. Estimates of evolutionary rates showed that R(d) evolved faster in lianas, while SLA evolved faster in trees. The mean phylogenetic distance was 1.2 times greater among liana species than among tree species. Likewise, estimates of phylogenetic distance indicated that lianas were less related than by chance alone (phylogenetic evenness across 63 species), and trees were more related than expected by chance (phylogenetic clustering across 71 species). Lianas showed evenness for R(d), while trees showed phylogenetic clustering for this trait. In contrast, for SLA, lianas exhibited phylogenetic clustering and trees showed phylogenetic evenness. Lianas and trees showed patterns of ecophysiological trait variation among species that were independent of phylogenetic relatedness. We found support for the expected pattern of greater species divergence in lianas, but did not find consistent patterns regarding ecophysiological trait evolution and divergence. R(d) followed the species-level pattern, i.e., greater divergence/evolution in lianas compared to trees, while the opposite occurred for SLA and no pattern was detected for A(max). R(d) may have driven lianas' divergence across forest environments, and might contribute to diversification in climber clades.

Dynamical structure of space and time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sannikov-Proskuryakov, S.S.

2000-01-01

A mathematically correct solution of the problem of ultraviolet divergences requires a radical change of our ideas on space and matter. We show that the space is a discontinuum in small which is the carrier of a new dynamical structure. Taking into account this structure, a new theory of elementary particles can be suggested

The Creation and Physiological Relevance of Divergent Hydroxylation Patterns in the Flavonoid Pathway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heidi Halbwirth

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Flavonoids and biochemically-related chalcones are important secondary metabolites, which are ubiquitously present in plants and therefore also in human food. They fulfill a broad range of physiological functions in planta and there are numerous reports about their physiological relevance for humans. Flavonoids have in common a basic C6-C3-C6 skeleton structure consisting of two aromatic rings (A and B and a heterocyclic ring (C containing one oxygen atom, whereas chalcones, as the intermediates in the formation of flavonoids, have not yet established the heterocyclic C-ring. Flavonoids are grouped into eight different classes, according to the oxidative status of the C-ring. The large number of divergent chalcones and flavonoid structures is from the extensive modification of the basic molecules. The hydroxylation pattern influences physiological properties such as light absorption and antioxidative activity, which is the base for many beneficial health effects of flavonoids. In some cases antiinfective properties are also effected.

Divergence and genetic variability among superior rubber tree genotypes Divergência e variabilidade genética de genótipos superiores de seringueira

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lígia Regina Lima Gouvêa

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to estimate the genetic variability and divergence among 22 superior rubber tree (Hevea sp. genotypes of the IAC 400 series. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using eight quantitative traits (descriptors, including yield. In the univariate analyses, the estimated parameters were: genetic and environmental variances; genetic and environmental coefficients of variation; and the variation index. The Mahalanobis generalized distance, the Tocher agglomerative method and canonical variables were used for the multivariate analyses. In the univariate analyses, variability was verified among the genotypes for all the variables evaluated. The Tocher method grouped the genotypes into 11 clusters of dissimilarity. The first four canonical variables explained 87.93% of the cumulative variation. The highest genetic variability was found in rubber yield-related traits, which contributed the most to the genetic divergence. The most divergent pairs of genotypes are suggested for crossbreeding. The genotypes evaluated are suitable for breeding and may be used to continue the IAC rubber tree breeding program.O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar a divergência e a variabilidade genética entre 22 genótipos superiores de seringueira (Hevea sp. da série IAC 400. Análises univariadas e multivariadas foram realizadas com oito caracteres quantitativos (descritores, incluindo produtividade. Na análise univariada, os parâmetros estimados foram: variâncias genética e ambiental, coeficientes de variação genética e ambiental, e índice de variação. A distância generalizada de Mahalanobis, o método aglomerativo de Tocher e variáveis canônicas foram utilizados nas análises multivariadas. Nas análises univariadas, verificou-se variabilidade entre os genótipos para todas as variáveis avaliadas. O método de Tocher agrupou os genótipos em 11 grupos de dissimilaridade. As quatro primeiras variáveis can

Equal Opportunities Questionnaire

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

The initiative to promote Equal Opportunities at CERN started in 1993. The first Equal Opportunities Officer was appointed in 1996, which was followed by the creation of the Equal Opportunities Advisory Panel in 1998. Initially the concern was mainly the fair treatment of women in the work-place. Today the emphasis has evolved to ensuring that diversity is used to increase creativity and productivity in the work-place. In order to ensure that all aspects of Equal Opportunities and Diversity are covered, CERN’s Equal Opportunities team has prepared a survey to obtain your input. Your answers are confidential and will only be used for generating statistics. The questionnaire is on-line and can be accessed via: https://espace.cern.ch/EOQ. We hope that you will take a few minutes of your time to give your input and would be grateful if you could reply before 15/10/07. For further information about Equal Opportunities at CERN see: http://cern.ch/equal-opportunities The Equa...

Equal Opportunities Questionnaire

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

The initiative to promote Equal Opportunities at CERN started in 1993. The first Equal Opportunities Officer was appointed in 1996 followed by the creation of the Equal Opportunities Advisory Panel in 1998. Initially the concern was mainly the fair treatment of women in the work-place. Today the emphasis has evolved to ensuring that diversity is used to increase creativity and productivity in the work-place. In order to ensure that all aspects of Equal Opportunities and Diversity are covered, CERN’s Equal Opportunities team has prepared a survey to obtain your input. Your answers are confidential and will only be used for generating statistics. The questionnaire is on-line and can be accessed via: https://espace.cern.ch/EOQ. We hope that you will take a few minutes of your time to give your input and would be grateful if you could reply before 15/10/07. For further information about Equal Opportunities at CERN see: http://cern.ch/equal-opportunities The Equal Opportuni...

Influence of divergent and convergent thinking on visuomotor adaptation in young and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Anja; Bock, Otmar

2016-04-01

Visuomotor adaptation declines in older age. This has been attributed to cognitive impairments. One relevant cognitive function could be creativity, since creativity is implicated as mediator of early learning. The present study therefore evaluates whether two aspects of creativity, divergent and convergent thinking, are differentially involved in the age-dependent decline of visuomotor adaptation. In 25 young and 24 older volunteers, divergent thinking was assessed by the alternative-uses-task (AUT), convergent thinking by the Intelligenz-Struktur-Test-2000 (IST), and sensorimotor-adaptation by a pointing task with 60° rotated visual feedback. Young participants outperformed older participants in all three tasks. AUT scores were positively associated with young but not older participants' adaptive performance, whereas IST scores were negatively associated with older but not young participants' adaptive performance. This pattern of findings could be attributed to a consistent relationship between AUT, IST and adaptation; taking this into account, adaptation deficits of older participants were no longer significant. We conclude that divergent thinking supports workaround-strategies during adaptation, but doesn't influence visuomotor recalibration. Furthermore, the decay of divergent thinking in older adults may explain most of age-related decline of adaptive strategies. When the age-related decay of divergent thinking coincides with well-preserved convergent thinking, adaptation suffers most. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Divergence in sex steroid hormone signaling between sympatric species of Japanese threespine stickleback.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Kitano

Full Text Available Sex steroids mediate the expression of sexually dimorphic or sex-specific traits that are important both for mate choice within species and for behavioral isolation between species. We investigated divergence in sex steroid signaling between two sympatric species of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus: the Japan Sea form and the Pacific Ocean form. These sympatric forms diverge in both male display traits and female mate choice behaviors, which together contribute to asymmetric behavioral isolation in sympatry. Here, we found that plasma levels of testosterone and 17β-estradiol differed between spawning females of the two sympatric forms. Transcript levels of follicle-stimulating hormone-β (FSHβ gene were also higher in the pituitary gland of spawning Japan Sea females than in the pituitary gland of spawning Pacific Ocean females. By contrast, none of the sex steroids examined were significantly different between nesting males of the two forms. However, combining the plasma sex steroid data with testis transcriptome data suggested that the efficiency of the conversion of testosterone into 11-ketotestosterone has likely diverged between forms. Within forms, plasma testosterone levels in males were significantly correlated with male body size, a trait important for female mate choice in the two sympatric species. These results demonstrate that substantial divergence in sex steroid signaling can occur between incipient sympatric species. We suggest that investigation of the genetic and ecological mechanisms underlying divergence in hormonal signaling between incipient sympatric species will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of speciation in animals.

Robust Covariance Estimators Based on Information Divergences and Riemannian Manifold

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoqiang Hua

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a class of covariance estimators based on information divergences in heterogeneous environments. In particular, the problem of covariance estimation is reformulated on the Riemannian manifold of Hermitian positive-definite (HPD matrices. The means associated with information divergences are derived and used as the estimators. Without resorting to the complete knowledge of the probability distribution of the sample data, the geometry of the Riemannian manifold of HPD matrices is considered in mean estimators. Moreover, the robustness of mean estimators is analyzed using the influence function. Simulation results indicate the robustness and superiority of an adaptive normalized matched filter with our proposed estimators compared with the existing alternatives.

Ecological divergence and evolutionary transition of resprouting types in Banksia attenuata.

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He, Tianhua

2014-08-01

Resprouting is a key functional trait that allows plants to survive diverse disturbances. The fitness benefits associated with resprouting include a rapid return to adult growth, early flowering, and setting seed. The resprouting responses observed following fire are varied, as are the ecological outcomes. Understanding the ecological divergence and evolutionary pathways of different resprouting types and how the environment and genetics interact to drive such morphological evolution represents an important, but under-studied, topic. In the present study, microsatellite markers and microevolutionary approaches were used to better understand: (1) whether genetic differentiation is related to morphological divergence among resprouting types and if so, whether there are any specific genetic variations associated with morphological divergence and (2) the evolutionary pathway of the transitions between two resprouting types in Banksia attenuata (epicormic resprouting from aerial stems or branch; resprouting from a underground lignotuber). The results revealed an association between population genetic differentiation and the morphological divergence of postfire resprouting types in B. attenuata. A microsatellite allele has been shown to be associated with epicormic populations. Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis revealed a likely evolutionary transition from epicormic to lignotuberous resprouting in B. attenuata. It is concluded that the postfire resprouting type in B. attenuata is likely determined by the fire's characteristics. The differentiated expression of postfire resprouting types in different environments is likely a consequence of local genetic adaptation. The capacity to shift the postfire resprouting type to adapt to diverse fire regimes is most likely the key factor explaining why B. attenuata is the most widespread member of the Banksia genus.

World health inequality: convergence, divergence, and development.

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Clark, Rob

2011-02-01

Recent studies characterize the last half of the twentieth century as an era of cross-national health convergence, with some attributing welfare gains in the developing world to economic growth. In this study, I examine the extent to which welfare outcomes have actually converged and the extent to which economic development is responsible for the observed trends. Drawing from estimates covering 195 nations during the 1955-2005 period, I find that life expectancy averages converged during this time, but that infant mortality rates continuously diverged. I develop a narrative that implicates economic development in these contrasting trends, suggesting that health outcomes follow a "welfare Kuznets curve." Among poor countries, economic development improves life expectancy more than it reduces infant mortality, whereas the situation is reversed among wealthier nations. In this way, development has contributed to both convergence in life expectancy and divergence in infant mortality. Drawing from 674 observations across 163 countries during the 1980-2005 period, I find that the positive effect of GDP PC on life expectancy attenuates at higher levels of development, while the negative effect of GDP PC on infant mortality grows stronger. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extensive genetic divergence among Diptychus maculatus populations in northwest China

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Meng, Wei; Yang, Tianyan; Hai, Sa; Ma, Yanwu; Cai, Lingang; Ma, Xufa; Gao, Tianxiang; Guo, Yan

2015-05-01

D. maculates is a kind of specialized Schizothoracinae fish has been locally listed as a protected animal in Xinjiang Province, China. Ili River located in north of Tianshan Mountain and Tarim River located in north of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were two main distribution areas of this fish. To investigate the genetic diversity and genetic structure of D. maculates, four populations from Tarim River system and two populations from Ili River system were collected in this study. A 570-bp sequence of the control region was obtained for 105 specimens. Twenty-four haplotypes were detected from six populations, only Kunes River population and Kashi River population shared haplotypes with each other. For all the populations examined, the haplotype diversity ( h) was 0.904 8±0.012 6, nucleotide diversity (π) was 0.027 9±0.013 9, and the average number of pairwise nucleotide differences ( k) was 15.878 3±7.139 1. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 86.31% of the total genetic variation was apportioned among populations, and the variation within sampled populations was 13.69%. Genetic differences among sampled populations were highly significant. F st statistical test indicated that all populations were significantly divergent from each other ( P<0.01). The largest F st value was between Yurungkash River population and Muzat River population, while the smallest F st value was between Kunes River population and Kashi River population. NJ phylogenetic tree of D-loop haplotypes revealed two main clades. The neutrality test and mismatch distribution analysis suggested that the fish had went through a recent population expansion. The uplift of Tianshan Mountain and movement of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau might contribute to the wide genetic divergence of D. maculates in northwest China.