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According to the nearly-neutral theory of evolution, the relative strengths of selection and drift shift in favour of drift at small population sizes. Numerous studies have analysed the effect of bottlenecks and small population sizes on genetic diversity in the MHC, which plays a central role in pathogen recognition and immune defense and is thus considered a model example for the study of adapti
The onset of the Holocene was associated with a global temperature increase, which led to a rise in sea levels and isolation of the last surviving population of woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island. Understanding what happened with the population's genetic diversity at the time of the isolation and during the ensuing 6000 years can help clarify the effects of bottlenecks and subsequent limited popula
Tropical forests of Central and South America represent hotspots of biological diversity. Tree squirrels of the tribe Sciurini are an excellent model system for the study of tropical biodiversity as these squirrels disperse exceptional distances, and after colonizing the tropics of the Central and South America, they have diversified rapidly. Here, we compare signals from DNA sequences with morpho
BACKGROUND: After over a decade of developments in field collection, laboratory methods and advances in high-throughput sequencing, contamination remains a key issue in ancient DNA research. Currently, human and microbial contaminant DNA still impose challenges on cost-effective sequencing and accurate interpretation of ancient DNA data.RESULTS: Here we investigate whether human contaminating DNA
Optimization of vehicle maneuvers using dynamic models in constrained spaces is challenging. Homotopic optimization, which has shown success for vehicle maneuvers with kinematic models, is studied in the case where the vehicle model is governed by dynamic equations considering road-tire interactions. This method involves a sequence of optimization problems that start with a large free space. By it
In October 2023, Claudia Goldin, professor at Harvard University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, in recognition of her pioneering contributions to economics, particularly for her in-depth analysis of women’s place in the labor market. Goldin explored the evolution of women’s income and participation in the labor market over the long term, highlighting the causes of these changes
The potential of additional steering possibilities (like rear-wheel or all-wheel steering) is analyzed for critical situations to investigate possible safety improvements. For this purpose, a dynamic optimization problem is formulated to find the best possible maneuver. The optimization criterion is to maximize the entry speed into a constant radius 90°-curve. The optimization problem is solved fo
The objective of this article is to study the links between the funding of primary education, access to education and economic growth in France in the 19th century. To do this, we use information on the funding allocated by the state, départements, local authorities, and households over the period 1820-1913. Our analysis consists of two stages. Firstly, we analyse the evolution of these different
Research comparing equal and expanding spacing schedules in relation to L2 single words is limited. Moreover, none of the existing studies has examined the learning of formulaic language. The current study aims to address this gap by investigating the impact of equal and expanding intervals on the long-term retention of L2 collocations in deliberate learning contexts. Eighty-three university learnResearch comparing equal and expanding spacing schedules in relation to L2 single words is limited. Moreover, none of the existing studies has examined the learning of formulaic language. The current study aims to address this gap by investigating the impact of equal and expanding intervals on the long-term retention of L2 collocations in deliberate learning contexts. Eighty-three university learn
The relationship between the evolutionary dynamics observed in contemporary populations (microevolution) and evolution on timescales of millions of years (macroevolution) has been a topic of considerable debate. Historically, this debate centers on inconsistencies between microevolutionary processes and macroevolutionary patterns. Here, we characterize a striking exception: emerging evidence indic
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a common but frequently unrecognized complication of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The association between these conditions is multifaceted and involves complex interactions between metabolic, inflammatory, and genetic factors. Here we assess the underlying structural and molecular processes focusing on the immunological phase of MASH in th
Neurogenesis continues throughout life in two key regions, the subventricular zone (SVZ) and dentate gyrus (DG), but declines with age alongside increased chronic inflammation and microglial activation. These neurogenic niches differ in their susceptibility to systemic changes, with the SVZ located near cerebrospinal fluid and the DG influenced by local neural activity. We found that immune change
The chapter examines and draws comparisons between modularity as a foundational production paradigm across code, platform society and electronic music production. It delves into the evolving landscape of music production within the context of platformization, highlighting the growing prevalence of modularity influenced by genres such as hip-hop and EDM. Additionally, the chapter explores how inter
FLASH radiotherapy, which refers to the delivery of radiation at ultra-high dose-rates (UHDRs), has been demonstrated with various forms of radiation and is the subject of intense research and development recently, including the use of very high-energy electrons (VHEEs) to treat deep-seated tumors. Delivering FLASH radiotherapy in a clinical setting is expected to place high demands on real-time q
Background: Variation in residual volume between peritoneal dialysis dwells creates uncertainty in ultrafiltration determination, dialysis efficiency, and poses a risk of overfill if the residual volume is large. Measuring the dilution of a marker molecule during fluid fill offers a convenient approach, however, estimation accuracy depends on the choice of dilution marker. We here evaluate the fea
We consider two-dimensional steady periodic gravity waves on water of finite depth with a prescribed but arbitrary vorticity distribution. The water surface is allowed to be overhanging, and no assumptions regarding the absence of stagnation points and critical layers are made. Using conformal mappings and a new reformulation of Bernoulli’s equation, we uncover an equivalent formulation as “identi
New results on continuous time nonlinear consensus under varying topology are presented. The results are proved utilizing non Lyapunov based methods, i.e., the Hilbert metric, showing the possibility of further investigation of Hilbert metric for consensus and synchronization problems.
