Antarctica\u27s \u27moss forests\u27 are drying and dying

The lush moss beds that grow near East Antarctica\u27s coast are among the only plants that can withstand life on the frozen continent. But our new research shows that these slow-growing plants are changing at a far faster rate than anticipated

A New Simulated Annealing Algorithm for the Multiple Sequence Alignment Problem: The approach of Polymers in a Random Media

We proposed a probabilistic algorithm to solve the Multiple Sequence Alignment problem. The algorithm is a Simulated Annealing (SA) that exploits the representation of the Multiple Alignment between $D$ sequences as a directed polymer in $D$ dimensions. Within this representation we can easily track the evolution in the configuration space of the alignment through local moves of low computational cost. At variance with other probabilistic algorithms proposed to solve this problem, our approach allows for the creation and deletion of gaps without extra computational cost. The algorithm was tested aligning proteins from the kinases family. When D=3 the results are consistent with those obtained using a complete algorithm. For $D>3$ where the complete algorithm fails, we show that our algorithm still converges to reasonable alignments. Moreover, we study the space of solutions obtained and show that depending on the number of sequences aligned the solutions are organized in different ways, suggesting a possible source of errors for progressive algorithms.Comment: 7 pages and 11 figure

Bridging the Gaps between eTransforming SMEs and SME - ICT Providers

Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to find ICT Providers who could assist them when identifying and implementing adequate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Based on this, we conducted a study with 30 SMEs from various industry sectors within Sydney metropolitan region to identify the type of ICT assistance eTransforming SMEs require. Furthermore, to better understand the struggles SMEs go through, we also studied eight ICT Providers. Our findings indicate that in order for the SMEs to successfully eTransform, select and implement appropriate ICT there is need for the ICT Providers to bridge the gaps and understand needs and requirements of the eTransforming companies taking into consideration a holistic view of what eTransforming SMEs need based on their current technology and future business requirements

Let me Google that for you:a time series analysis of seasonality in internet search trends for terms related to foot and ankle pain

BACKGROUND: The analysis of internet search traffic may present the opportunity to gain insights into general trends and patterns in information seeking behaviour related to medical conditions at a population level. For prevalent and widespread problems such as foot and ankle pain, this information has the potential to improve our understanding of seasonality and trends within these conditions and their treatments, and may act as a useful proxy for their true incidence/prevalence characteristics. This study aimed to explore seasonal effects, general trends and relative popularity of internet search terms related to foot and ankle pain over the past decade. METHODS: We used the Google Trends tool to obtain relative search engine traffic for terms relating to foot and ankle pain and common treatments from Google search and affiliated pages for major northern and southern hemisphere English speaking nations. Analysis of overall trends and seasonality including summer/winter differences was carried out on these terms. RESULTS: Searches relating to general foot pain were on average 3.4 times more common than those relating to ankle pain, and twice as common as searches relating to heel pain. Distinct seasonal effects were seen in the northern hemisphere, with large increases in search volumes in the summer months compared to winter for foot (p = 0.004, 95 % CI [22.2–32.1]), ankle (p = 0.0078, 95 % CI [20.9–35.5]), and heel pain (p = 0.004, 95 % CI [29.1–45.6]). These seasonal effects were reflected by data from Australia, with the exception of ankle pain. Annual seasonal effects for treatment options were limited to terms related to foot surgery and ankle orthoses (p = 0.031, 95 % CI [3.5–20.9]; p = 0.004, 95 % CI [7.6–25.2] respectively), again increasing in the summer months. CONCLUSIONS: A number of general trends and annual seasonal effects were found in time series internet search data for terms relating to foot and ankle pain. This data may provide insights into these conditions at population levels. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13047-015-0074-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Global unions: chasing the dream or building the reality?

This article takes as its theme the global restructuring of capital and its impact on worker organization. It argues for a reassertion of class in any analysis of global solidarity, and assesses the opportunities and barriers to effective global unionization. Rooted in the UK experience, the article analyzes the impact of the European social dimension on trade unions, before taking the discussion into a global dimension. It concludes by suggesting that there are reasons for cautious optimism in terms of solidarity building, despite difficult historical legacies and the common replacement of action with rhetoric

Evolution Equation of Phenotype Distribution: General Formulation and Application to Error Catastrophe

An equation describing the evolution of phenotypic distribution is derived using methods developed in statistical physics. The equation is solved by using the singular perturbation method, and assuming that the number of bases in the genetic sequence is large. Applying the equation to the mutation-selection model by Eigen provides the critical mutation rate for the error catastrophe. Phenotypic fluctuation of clones (individuals sharing the same gene) is introduced into this evolution equation. With this formalism, it is found that the critical mutation rate is sometimes increased by the phenotypic fluctuations, i.e., noise can enhance robustness of a fitted state to mutation. Our formalism is systematic and general, while approximations to derive more tractable evolution equations are also discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figure