Operads and Phylogenetic Trees

We construct an operad $\mathrm{Phyl}$ whose operations are the edge-labelled trees used in phylogenetics. This operad is the coproduct of $\mathrm{Com}$, the operad for commutative semigroups, and $[0,\infty)$, the operad with unary operations corresponding to nonnegative real numbers, where composition is addition. We show that there is a homeomorphism between the space of $n$-ary operations of $\mathrm{Phyl}$ and $\mathcal{T}_n\times [0,\infty)^{n+1}$, where $\mathcal{T}_n$ is the space of metric $n$-trees introduced by Billera, Holmes and Vogtmann. Furthermore, we show that the Markov models used to reconstruct phylogenetic trees from genome data give coalgebras of $\mathrm{Phyl}$. These always extend to coalgebras of the larger operad $\mathrm{Com} + [0,\infty]$, since Markov processes on finite sets converge to an equilibrium as time approaches infinity. We show that for any operad $O$, its coproduct with $[0,\infty]$ contains the operad $W(O)$ constucted by Boardman and Vogt. To prove these results, we explicitly describe the coproduct of operads in terms of labelled trees.Comment: 48 pages, 3 figure

Testing and validating the CERES-wheat (Crop Estimation through Resource and Environment Synthesis-wheat) model in diverse environments

CERES-Wheat is a computer simulation model of the growth, development, and yield of spring and winter wheat. It was designed to be used in any location throughout the world where wheat can be grown. The model is written in Fortran 77, operates on a daily time stop, and runs on a range of computer systems from microcomputers to mainframes. Two versions of the model were developed: one, CERES-Wheat, assumes nitrogen to be nonlimiting; in the other, CERES-Wheat-N, the effects of nitrogen deficiency are simulated. The report provides the comparisons of simulations and measurements of about 350 wheat data sets collected from throughout the world

Three May Not Be a Crowd: The Case for a Constitutional Right to Plural Marriage

This Article takes seriously the substantive due process and equal protection arguments that support plural marriage (being able to marry more than one person at the same time). While numerous scholars have written about same-sex marriage, few of them have had much to say about marriages among three or more individuals. As progressive, successful, and important as the Marriage Equality Movement has been, it focuses on same-sex marriage at the expense of other possible kinds of marriages that may be equally worthwhile. The vast majority of Americans still do not discuss plural marriage openly and fairly, as if the topic were taboo. One of the goals of this Article is to convince readers that marriage in the future could be a much more diverse institution that does a better job of meeting individual needs. After all, one size may not fit all. Unfortunately, too often, scholars reduce plural marriage to the exploitation of women and the abuse of children. This approach makes it too easy to dismiss the possibility that a plural marriage might work better than the alternatives for at least some individuals in some circumstances

The Impact of Link Suggestions on User Navigation and User Perception

The study reported in this paper explores the effects of providing web users with link suggestions that are relevant to their tasks. Results indicate that link suggestions were positively received. Furthermore, users perceived sites with link suggestions as more usable and themselves as less disoriented. The average task execution time was significantly lower than in the control condition and users appeared to navigate in a more structured manner. Unexpectedly, men took more advantage from link suggestions than women

Microwave-to-terahertz dielectric resonators for liquid sensing in microfluidic systems

The microwave-to-terahertz frequency range offers unique opportunities for the sensing of liquids based on the degree of molecular orientational and electronic polarization, Debye relaxation due to intermolecular forces between (semi-)polar molecules and collective vibrational modes within complex molecules. Methods for the fast dielectric characterization of (sub-)nanolitre volumes of mostly aqueous liquids and biological cell suspensions are discussed, with emphasis on labon- chip approaches aimed towards single-cell detection and label-free flow cytometry at microwave-to-terahertz frequencies. Among the most promising approaches, photonic crystal defect cavities made from high-resistivity silicon are compared with metallic split-ring resonant systems and high quality factor (Q-factor) whispering gallery-type resonances in dielectric resonators. Applications range from accurate haemoglobin measurements on nanolitre samples to label-free detection of circulating tumor cells. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Rare insights into intraspecific brood parasitism and apparent quasi–parasitism in black–capped chickadees

Genetic analysis of passerine birds often finds evidence of extra–pair copulations within species, but genetic evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) and quasi–parasitism (Q–P) are relatively rare. Further, it is even rarer for genetic patterns that might indicate quasi–parasitism (resident male sires offspring through extra–pair copulations, and allows the female to lay these within the male’s nest) to be coupled with observational evidence of this behavior. In this paper, we report behavioral observations surrounding the nest of black–capped chickadee, one of the few species in which both IBP and Q–P have been detected through a genetic analysis. These were later confirmed to have young genetically mismatched with both attending parents, as well as mismatched with the attending female but sired by the attending male. The behavioral patterns associated with this nest are contrasted with the two previously reported cases of IPB/Q–P in this species, and suggest that rare ‘detection’ of quasi–parasitism may be explained by converging patterns of extra–pair behavior and the rarer strategy of intraspecific brood parasitism. Key words: Interspecific brood parasitism, Quasi–parasitism, Black–capped chickadees.El análisis genético de los paseriformes a menudo se tropieza con evidencias de cópulas fuera de pareja ocurridas dentro de la misma especie, sin embargo las evidencias genéticas del parasitismo de puesta intraespecífico (IBP) y el cuasiparasitismo (Q–P) son relativamente raras. Además, es incluso más raro que los patrones genéticos que podrían indicar el cuasiparasitismo (un macho residente engendra hijos mediante una cópula fuera de su pareja, y permite que la hembra ponga los huevos dentro del nido masculino) estén respaldados por evidencias observadas de esta conducta. En este artículo, informamos de las observaciones etológicas que tuvieron lugar en torno a un nido de carbonero cabecinegro, una de las pocas especies en las que se ha detectado tanto el IBP como el Q–P mediante análisis genético. Más adelante se confrimó que los jóvenes no coincidían genéticamente con ambos padres cuidadores, así como tampoco coincidían con la hembra cuidadora, pero si con el macho cuidador. Los patrones conductuales asociados a este nido se comparan con los otros dos casos conocidos con anterioridad de IPB/Q–P en esta especie, y se sugiere que la "detección” poco frecuente del cuasiparasitismo puede explicarse mediante los patrones convergentes de las conductas extra pareja y la estrategia aún más rara del parasitismo de puesta intraespecífico. Palabras clave: Parasitismo de puesta intraespecífico, Cuasiparasitismo, Carbonero cabecinegro.Genetic analysis of passerine birds often finds evidence of extra–pair copulations within species, but genetic evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) and quasi–parasitism (Q–P) are relatively rare. Further, it is even rarer for genetic patterns that might indicate quasi–parasitism (resident male sires offspring through extra–pair copulations, and allows the female to lay these within the male’s nest) to be coupled with observational evidence of this behavior. In this paper, we report behavioral observations surrounding the nest of black–capped chickadee, one of the few species in which both IBP and Q–P have been detected through a genetic analysis. These were later confirmed to have young genetically mismatched with both attending parents, as well as mismatched with the attending female but sired by the attending male. The behavioral patterns associated with this nest are contrasted with the two previously reported cases of IPB/Q–P in this species, and suggest that rare ‘detection’ of quasi–parasitism may be explained by converging patterns of extra–pair behavior and the rarer strategy of intraspecific brood parasitism. Key words: Interspecific brood parasitism, Quasi–parasitism, Black–capped chickadees