Do clones degenerate over time? Explaining the genetic variability of asexuals through population genetic models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Quest for understanding the nature of mechanisms governing the life span of clonal organisms lasts for several decades. Phylogenetic evidence for recent origins of most clones is usually interpreted as proof that clones suffer from gradual age-dependent fitness decay (e.g. Muller's ratchet). However, we have shown that a neutral drift can also qualitatively explain the observed distribution of clonal ages. This finding was followed by several attempts to distinguish the effects of neutral and non-neutral processes. Most recently, Neiman et al. 2009 (Ann N Y Acad Sci.:1168:185-200.) reviewed the distribution of asexual lineage ages estimated from a diverse array of taxa and concluded that neutral processes alone may not explain the observed data. Moreover, the authors inferred that similar types of mechanisms determine maximum asexual lineage ages in all asexual taxa. In this paper we review recent methods for distinguishing the effects of neutral and non-neutral processes and point at methodological problems related with them.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>We found that contemporary analyses based on phylogenetic data are inadequate to provide any clear-cut answer about the nature and generality of processes affecting evolution of clones. As an alternative approach, we demonstrate that sequence variability in asexual populations is suitable to detect age-dependent selection against clonal lineages. We found that asexual taxa with relatively old clonal lineages are characterised by progressively stronger deviations from neutrality.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that some type of age-dependent selection against clones is generally operational in asexual animals, which cover a wide taxonomic range spanning from flatworms to vertebrates. However, we also found a notable difference between the data distribution predicted by available models of sequence evolution and those observed in empirical data. These findings point at the possibility that processes affecting clonal evolution differ from those described in recent studies, suggesting that theoretical models of asexual populations must evolve to address this problem in detail.</p> <p>Reviewers</p> <p>This article was reviewed by Isa Schön (nominated by John Logsdon), Arcady Mushegian and Timothy G. Barraclough (nominated by Laurence Hurst).</p

Superplastic Behaviour of Selected Magnesium Alloys

Superplastic materials exhibit anomalous plasticity, achieving strain until several thousand per cent. The phenomenon of plasticity is limited on special microstructure, temperatures and strain rates. Magnesium and magnesium alloys are known as materials with limited plasticity. This is due to their hexagonal structure of these materials. Finding the superplasticity conditions has a crucial importance for applications of magnesium alloys. In this chapter, we will deal with the superplastic behaviour of AZ91, QE22, AE42 and EZ33 magnesium alloys. Materials were prepared by various techniques: thermomechanical treatments, equal channel angular pressing, hot extrusion, rolling, friction stirring and high-pressure torsion. Strain rate sensitivity and elongation to fracture were estimated at various temperatures. Mechanisms of superplastic flow are discussed. Grain boundary sliding and diffusional processes were depicted as the main mechanisms responsible for high plasticity of these alloys. On the other hand, cavitation at elevated temperatures deteriorates the superplastic properties

Magic in the spectra of the XXZ quantum chain with boundaries at Delta=0 and Delta=-1/2

We show that from the spectra of the U_q (sl(2)) symmetric XXZ spin-1/2 finite quantum chain at Delta=-1/2 (q=e^{pi i/3}) one can obtain the spectra of certain XXZ quantum chains with diagonal and non-diagonal boundary conditions. Similar observations are made for Delta=0 (q=e^{pi i/2}). In the finite-size scaling limit the relations among the various spectra are the result of identities satisfied by known character functions. For the finite chains the origin of the remarkable spectral identities can be found in the representation theory of one and two boundaries Temperley-Lieb algebras at exceptional points. Inspired by these observations we have discovered other spectral identities between chains with different boundary conditions.Comment: 29 page

Language and ethnobiological skills decline precipitously in Papua New Guinea, the world's most linguistically diverse nation

Papua New Guinea is home to >10% of the world’s languages and rich and varied biocultural knowledge, but the future of this diversity remains unclear. We measured language skills of 6,190 students speaking 392 languages (5.5% of the global total) and modeled their future trends using individual-level variables characterizing family language use, socioeconomic conditions, students’ skills, and language traits. This approach showed that only 58% of the students, compared to 91% of their parents, were fluent in indigenous languages, while the trends in key drivers of language skills (language use at home, proportion of mixed-language families, urbanization, students’ traditional skills) predicted accelerating decline of fluency to an estimated 26% in the next generation of students. Ethnobiological knowledge declined in close parallel with language skills. Varied medicinal plant uses known to the students speaking indigenous languages are replaced by a few, mostly nonnative species for the students speaking English or Tok Pisin, the national lingua franca. Most (88%) students want to teach indigenous language to their children. While crucial for keeping languages alive, this intention faces powerful external pressures as key factors (education, cash economy, road networks, and urbanization) associated with language attrition are valued in contemporary society

Emergency planning in the surroundings of nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic's territory

Import 10/12/2009Prezenční030 - Katedra požární ochrany a ochrany obyvatelstvaNeuveden

Havarijní plánování v okolí jaderných elektráren na území České republiky

Import 20/04/2006Prezenční výpůjčkaVŠB - Technická univerzita Ostrava. Fakulta bezpečnostního inženýrství. Katedra (030) požární ochrany a ochrany obyvatelstv

Studying the Thermally Activated Processes Operating during Deformation of hcp and bcc Mg–Li Metal-Matrix Composites

Stress-relaxation tests were performed during plastic deformation at room temperature of three magnesium Mg–Li alloys reinforced with 10 vol% of short Saffil fibers. For comparison, the composite with the Mg matrix was studied. The time dependencies of the stress decrease were analyzed with the aim to determine the activation volume and the main types of thermally activated processes occurring during plastic flow. The Mg4Li matrix alloy exhibited the hcp structure, while the composite with the Mg12Li matrix alloy had the bcc structure. The third alloy, Mg8Li, combined both phases, hcp and bcc. The stress acting in the matrix was divided into two components: the internal stress and the effective stress. Activation volume and stress-sensitivity parameters were determined as a function of effective stress and strain. While the values of the activation volume depending on the effective stress lay on one “master” curve, the strain dependence was different for all materials. The main thermally activated process in the hcp structure was the dislocation motion in the noncompact planes, while in the bcc structure, massive recovery processes connected with an increase in dislocations were identified

How do soil factors determine vegetation structure and species richness in post-smelting dumps?

This study aims to determine the effects of extreme heavy metal contamination and other soil factors on the structure and species richness of pioneer communities on artificial slag-soil substrates. Lichens, bryophytes, and vascular plants were examined in study plots and chemical properties of corresponding substrate samples were analyzed. Species responses to soil factors were identified by detrended correspondence analysis with interpretation of ordination axes and identification of significant soil parameters using linear mixed-effects models. The interrelationships between species richness and soil factors were evaluated by generalized linear mixed-effects model with Poisson error distribution. Three different responses to substrate contamination were recognized: species most tolerant and favored by strong contamination, less resistant species appearing only on less contaminated dumps and cryptogams indifferent to heavy metal contamination and abundant on all dumps. The species richness of lichens and vascular plants respond differently in relation to heavy metal contamination. Our results indicate that certain cryptogamic species are indifferent to enormous contamination and well adapted to slag substrate. In contrast, highly elevated levels of heavy metals negatively affect vascular plant species richness. Assemblages of pioneer cryptogams are an important element in the natural regeneration of post-smelting wastes and should be taken into account when reclamation activities are planned