Phase Diagrams of Quasispecies Theory with Recombination and Horizontal Gene Transfer

We consider how transfer of genetic information between individuals influences the phase diagram and mean fitness of both the Eigen and the parallel, or Crow-Kimura, models of evolution. In the absence of genetic transfer, these physical models of evolution consider the replication and point mutation of the genomes of independent individuals in a large population. A phase transition occurs, such that below a critical mutation rate an identifiable quasispecies forms. We generalize these models of quasispecies evolution to include horizontal gene transfer. We show how transfer of genetic information changes the phase diagram and mean fitness and introduces metastability in quasispecies theory, via an analytic field theoretic mapping.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Physics Review Letter

The synthesis of potential antimalarials. Derivatives of pantoyltaurine

The general hypothesis as to the mode of action of chemotherapeutic agents, which has been formulated by Fildes, Woods, McIlwain, and others (2), offers a rational and useful guide to the design of new drugs. Thus, bacteriostasis is pictured as caused by the blocking of reactions essential to growth by an inhibiting substance which has a structure similar to that of one of the normal enzymes or metabolites essential to the growth of the organism

Data base development for characterizing contaminated sediments in the Chesapeake Bay region

This project is one component of the U.S. Geological Survey\u27s National Coastal Geology Program directed to polluted sediments. Its long-term aim is to develop a comprehensive database on estuarine contaminated sediments that provides a summary of information and a digital reference source of detailed and readily accessible data. It focuses on Chesapeake Bay because there is a wealth of data on bottom sediments and sedimentary contaminants. However, this data is fragmented, uncollated and dispersed in many papers, books, reports, files and documents, often local sources, outside the mainstream of national consideration and scientific knowledge. Without an organized body of data, resource managers and research scientists are handicapped in structuring decisions and preparing plans. They may not know what data exists, where to find it and how to obtain it. Potentially valuable data may go unused because it is overlooked, poorly documented or difficult to obtain. To address problems of contaminated sediment the U.S. Geologtcal Survey\u27s Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology (Woods Hole) executed a cooperative agreement in May 1992 with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The project aims to structure a PC accessible database for incorporation into CD ROM media. It draws on existing historical data, mainly from published and unpublished grey literature spanning the last 55 years. This contrasts to databases of NOAA\u27s Status and Trends Monitoring Program and EPA\u27s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) that draw on new data from field surveys. The data sources come from diverse scientific, academic, commercial and government organizations, and from a range of fields including sedimentology, geochemistry, estuarine marine science, pollution and benthic biology. Historical data are of value for evaluating changes caused by dredging and disposal as well as storms and to assess baseline concentrations prior to contamination. Database development of this project consists of four components or tasks: 1. To organize and structure a database with a set of procedures, data dictionary and codebook, formatted for transfer to a CD ROM file. 2. A search for data sources in the literature and in files on bottom sediments and their contaminants. 3. An inventory of relevant data sources according to location, station abundance, occurrence of variables, etc. 4. Compilation of prototype digital data files from selected data sources

Metastability and anomalous fixation in evolutionary games on scale-free networks

We study the influence of complex graphs on the metastability and fixation properties of a set of evolutionary processes. In the framework of evolutionary game theory, where the fitness and selection are frequency-dependent and vary with the population composition, we analyze the dynamics of snowdrift games (characterized by a metastable coexistence state) on scale-free networks. Using an effective diffusion theory in the weak selection limit, we demonstrate how the scale-free structure affects the system's metastable state and leads to anomalous fixation. In particular, we analytically and numerically show that the probability and mean time of fixation are characterized by stretched exponential behaviors with exponents depending on the network's degree distribution.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter

Metodologias de índices para análise da sustentabilidade em bacias hidrográficas.

A manutenção da quantidade e qualidade dos recursos hídricos é um desafio a ser equacionado na atualidade, tendo em vista que este recurso é indispensável para diversas formas de vida na terra. Os Índices e os indicadores de sustentabilidade tem sido utilizados como importantes ferramentas no processo de planejamento e gestão dos recursos hídricos. Os índices/indicadores podem expressar a situação atual de uma bacia hidrográfica, em dados quantitativos, tornando a análise de uma situação, mensurável. Este trabalho teve como o objetivo analisar seis publicações científicas disponíveis em periódicos na web que utilizaram índices de sustentabilidade em bacias hidrográficas. O procedimento metodológico consiste em uma revisão bibliográfica, que analisa algumas metodologias com propostas de fornecer informações de modo a subsidiar a gestão dos recursos hídricos

Group selection models in prebiotic evolution

The evolution of enzyme production is studied analytically using ideas of the group selection theory for the evolution of altruistic behavior. In particular, we argue that the mathematical formulation of Wilson's structured deme model ({\it The Evolution of Populations and Communities}, Benjamin/Cumings, Menlo Park, 1980) is a mean-field approach in which the actual environment that a particular individual experiences is replaced by an {\it average} environment. That formalism is further developed so as to avoid the mean-field approximation and then applied to the problem of enzyme production in the prebiotic context, where the enzyme producer molecules play the altruists role while the molecules that benefit from the catalyst without paying its production cost play the non-altruists role. The effects of synergism (i.e., division of labor) as well as of mutations are also considered and the results of the equilibrium analysis are summarized in phase diagrams showing the regions of the space of parameters where the altruistic, non-altruistic and the coexistence regimes are stable. In general, those regions are delimitated by discontinuous transition lines which end at critical points.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure