scholarly journals Vacated niches, competitive release and the community ecology of pathogen eradication

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1623) ◽  
pp. 20120150 ◽  
Author(s):  
James O. Lloyd-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Community Ecology ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Theory ◽  
Evolutionary Adaptation ◽  
Disease Eradication ◽  
Competitive Release

A recurring theme in the epidemiological literature on disease eradication is that each pathogen occupies an ecological niche, and eradication of one pathogen leaves a vacant niche that favours the emergence of new pathogens to replace it. However, eminent figures have rejected this view unequivocally, stating that there is no basis to fear pathogen replacement and even that pathogen niches do not exist. After exploring the roots of this controversy, I propose resolutions to disputed issues by drawing on broader ecological theory, and advance a new consensus based on robust mechanistic principles. I argue that pathogen eradication (and cessation of vaccination) leads to a ‘vacated niche’, which could be re-invaded by the original pathogen if introduced. Consequences for other pathogens will vary, with the crucial mechanisms being competitive release, whereby the decline of one species allows its competitors to perform better, and evolutionary adaptation. Hence, eradication can cause a quantitative rise in the incidence of another infection, but whether this leads to emergence as an endemic pathogen depends on additional factors. I focus on the case study of human monkeypox and its rise following smallpox eradication, but also survey how these ideas apply to other pathogens and discuss implications for eradication policy.

Pavel Datsyuk: Learning, Development, and Becoming the “Magic Man”

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-183
Author(s):  
Mark O’Sullivan ◽  
Vladislav A. Bespomoshchnov ◽  
Clifford J. Mallett
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
National Hockey League ◽  
Ecological Constraints ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Learning Development ◽  
Insight Into

Who is the “Magic Man” (https://youtu.be/5EgNF6X2MJs?t=78)? In 2017, Pavel Datsyuk was named as one of the 100 greatest National Hockey League players in ice hockey history. His Detroit Red Wings teammate Niklas Kronwall quipped, “Pav is the Magic Man for a reason. He does things out there with the puck that no one else can do.” This statement begs the questions: When, where, and how did Pavel learn those creative skills? To gain insight into how the “Magic Man,” Pavel Datsyuk, acquired such sophisticated yet unorthodox skills, we endeavored to investigate the preprofessional years of Pavel’s development. Utilizing a case study methodology and leaning on the theoretical framework of ecological dynamics, we sought to examine the ecological niche that helped shape Pavel’s learning in development. Our case study highlights the ecological nature of the development of expertise and the nonlinear impact ecological constraints had on the development of Pavel’s expertise.

scholarly journals Orthorexia: eating right in the context of healthism

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Hanganu-Bresch
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
The Self

Orthorexia is a putative new eating disorder vying for a place in the DSM, roughly meaning “eating right”. While a continuum can be drawn between anorexia and orthorexia, there are enough differences to make this disorder a distinct one. In this paper, I trace the origins of the term and its clinical career to date, employing Ian Hacking’s concept of “ecological niche” to establish the place of orthorexia as a contemporary cyberpathy, a digitally transmitted disorder inwardly and narrowly focused on health through the consumption of “pure” foods. I critique both the notions of “health” and “purity” in this context, showing that orthorexia can only be understood in the context of healthism, an individual preoccupation with health in the context of neoliberalism. Using Jordan Younger's Breaking Vegan memoir (2015) and “Balanced Blonde” blog as a case study, I argue that orthorexia replicates via a digital proliferation of entrepreneurship of the self. Ultimately, this excessive preoccupation with health as a neoliberal cultural pathology bares life of meaning.

An ecological niche evaluation model of social, economic, and natural complex ecosystems: A case study in Sichuan Province

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
汪嘉杨 WANG Jiayang ◽  
宋培争 SONG Peizheng ◽  
张碧 ZHANG Bi ◽  
刘伟 LIU Wei ◽  
张菊 ZHANG Ju
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Sichuan Province ◽  
Natural Complex

scholarly journals Integrating Life Stages into Ecological Niche Models: A Case Study on Tiger Beetles

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e70038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Taboada ◽  
Henrik von Wehrden ◽  
Thorsten Assmann
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Tiger Beetles ◽  
Niche Models

Melanism and ontogeny: a case study in lizards of the Liolaemus fitzingerii group (Squamata: Liolaemini)

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.C. Escudero ◽  
I. Minoli ◽  
M.A. González Marín ◽  
M. Morando ◽  
L.J. Avila
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Evolutionary Adaptation ◽  
Body Measurements ◽  
Adaptation Studies ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Over Time

Color polymorphisms in general and melanism in particular have been the focus of many evolutionary adaptation studies. In lizards of the genus Liolaemus Wiegmann, 1834, patterns of melanism have been poorly studied, although they have been used as diagnostic characters for identifying and describing new species. We investigated the relationships between melanism, body size, sex, and time in a population of Rawson Lizard (Liolaemus xanthoviridis Cei and Scolaro, 1980) with extensive ventral melanism. The study took place in Bahía Isla Escondida, Chubut (Argentina), during three summer seasons (2012 to 2014). We tagged each individual, recorded body measurements and sex, and took ventral photographs to estimate the proportion of melanism. Our results showed that ventral melanism increased over time as each individual increased its snout–vent length (SVL). Body size explained 44% of the variation in melanism and males were more melanistic than females. Previous comparative studies of lizards in this species group showed no relationship between melanism and different taxonomic units or with thermal functionality. Here, we present evidence suggesting that melanism might be a character with an ontogenetic origin that is strongly associated with sex and body size. This pattern could be shared among species of this group of lizards, and even more importantly, it may be related to variable selection forces occurring throughout ontogeny.

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