29,090 research outputs found
The emerging structure of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis: where does Evo-Devo fit in?
The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) debate is gaining ground in contemporary evolutionary biology. In parallel, a number of philosophical standpoints have emerged in an attempt to clarify what exactly is represented by the EES. For Massimo Pigliucci, we are in the wake of the newest instantiation of a persisting Kuhnian paradigm; in contrast, Telmo Pievani has contended that the transition to an EES could be best represented as a progressive reformation of a prior Lakatosian scientific research program, with the extension of its Neo-Darwinian core and the addition of a brand-new protective belt of assumptions and auxiliary hypotheses. Here, we argue that those philosophical vantage points are not the only ways to interpret what current proposals to âextendâ the Modern Synthesis-derived âstandard evolutionary theoryâ (SET) entail in terms of theoretical change in evolutionary biology. We specifically propose the image of the emergent EES as a vast network of models and interweaved representations that, instantiated in diverse practices, are connected and related in multiple ways. Under that assumption, the EES could be articulated around a paraconsistent network of evolutionary theories (including some elements of the SET), as well as models, practices and representation systems of contemporary evolutionary biology, with edges and nodes that change their position and centrality as a consequence of the co-construction and stabilization of facts and historical discussions revolving around the epistemic goals of this area of the life sciences. We then critically examine the purported structure of the EESâpublished by Laland and collaborators in 2015âin light of our own network-based proposal. Finally, we consider which epistemic units of Evo-Devo are present or still missing from the EES, in preparation for further analyses of the topic of explanatory integration in this conceptual framework
Receptor uptake arrays for vitamin B12, siderophores and glycans shape bacterial communities
Molecular variants of vitamin B12, siderophores and glycans occur. To take up
variant forms, bacteria may express an array of receptors. The gut microbe
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron has three different receptors to take up variants
of vitamin B12 and 88 receptors to take up various glycans. The design of
receptor arrays reflects key processes that shape cellular evolution.
Competition may focus each species on a subset of the available nutrient
diversity. Some gut bacteria can take up only a narrow range of carbohydrates,
whereas species such as B.~thetaiotaomicron can digest many different complex
glycans. Comparison of different nutrients, habitats, and genomes provide
opportunity to test hypotheses about the breadth of receptor arrays. Another
important process concerns fluctuations in nutrient availability. Such
fluctuations enhance the value of cellular sensors, which gain information
about environmental availability and adjust receptor deployment. Bacteria often
adjust receptor expression in response to fluctuations of particular
carbohydrate food sources. Some species may adjust expression of uptake
receptors for specific siderophores. How do cells use sensor information to
control the response to fluctuations? That question about regulatory wiring
relates to problems that arise in control theory and artificial intelligence.
Control theory clarifies how to analyze environmental fluctuations in relation
to the design of sensors and response systems. Recent advances in deep learning
studies of artificial intelligence focus on the architecture of regulatory
wiring and the ways in which complex control networks represent and classify
environmental states. I emphasize the similar design problems that arise in
cellular evolution, control theory, and artificial intelligence. I connect
those broad concepts to testable hypotheses for bacterial uptake of B12,
siderophores and glycans.Comment: Added many new references, edited throughou
Words Functioning in Lexicon
AbstractInvestigations of word semantics focusing on forms of words formation and their functions in memory lead to the theory of lexicon organization. Interest in the theory of lexicon organization lies in the linguistics sphere and the personality of the speaker (the subject of the language). Particularly noteworthy is the question of the place of the image when discussing the lexical, phraseological values and the relationship of imagery and metaphors
-ilities Tradespace and Affordability Project â Phase 3
One of the key elements of the SERCâs research strategy is transforming the practice of systems engineering and associated management practices â âSE and Management Transformation (SEMT).â The Grand Challenge goal for SEMT is to transform the DoD communityâs current systems engineering and management methods, processes, and tools (MPTs) and practices away from sequential, single stovepipe system, hardware-first, document-driven, point- solution, acquisition-oriented approaches; and toward concurrent, portfolio and enterprise- oriented, hardware-software-human engineered, model-driven, set-based, full life cycle approaches.This material is based upon work supported, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)) under Contract H98230-08- D-0171 (Task Order 0031, RT 046).This material is based upon work supported, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)) under Contract H98230-08- D-0171 (Task Order 0031, RT 046)
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