Constraints on the genetic process of biochemical adaptation

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 1139-1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant H. Pogson
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Method ◽  
Biological Organization ◽  
Biochemical Adaptation ◽  
Adaptive Process ◽  
Genetic Process ◽  
Metabolic Systems ◽  
Evolutionary Genetic ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Evolutionary Lineages

The identification of selective constraints impeding the adaptive evolution of macromolecules and metabolic systems is compared between the two most prevalent approaches to the study of biochemical adaptation. Constraints discerned from the interspecific comparative method address the features of enzymes that are conserved across evolutionary lineages; constraints determined from the evolutionary genetic approach involve factors that interfere with the ability of natural selection to direct the adaptive process. Difficulties associated with the constraints identified by the comparative method are examined. These are shown to arise from the lack of an adequate definition of molecular adaptedness and from the confounding effects of factors that may act to constrain the process of biochemical adaptation. Constraints on this genetic process of biochemical adaptation are discussed at three levels of biological organization: populations, multienzyme pathways, and individual enzymes embedded within these pathways. A model is presented that allows for adaptive change in any pathway enzyme irrespective of its role in determining system flux.

Ambiguous terminology in animal personality research: a self-report questionnaire and a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar ◽  
Maria Moiron ◽  
Petri Toivo Niemelä
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Animal Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Behavioural Ecology ◽  
Biological Organization ◽  
Personality Research ◽  
Conceptual Definition ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Key Questions

Whether animal personality studies provide insights of broader evolutionary and ecological relevance to behavioural ecology is frequently questioned. One source of controversy is the vast, but often vague conceptual terminology used. From a statistical perspective, animal personality is defined as repeatable among-individual variance in behaviour; however, numerous conceptual definitions of animal personality exist. Here, we performed a 1) self-report questionnaire and 2) systematic literature review to quantify how researchers interpret conceptual and statistical definitions commonly used in animal personality research. We also investigated whether results from the questionnaire agree with those of the literature review. Among the 430 self-reported researchers that participated in our questionnaire, we observed discrepancies in key questions such as the conceptual definition of animal personality or the interpretation of repeatability. Our literature review generally confirmed the global patterns revealed by the questionnaire. Overall, we identified common disagreements in animal personality research and discussed potential solutions. We advocate for the usage of statistically-oriented terminology because conceptual definitions can seemingly be interpreted at multiple levels of biological organization. We expect that adopting such statistically-oriented terminology will, at least partly, avoid the confusion generated by the label “animal personality”, and ultimately help to clarify and move the field forward.

scholarly journals When is a Learning Object not an Object: A first step towards a theory of learning objects

2002 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Sosteric ◽  
Susan Hesemeier
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Learning Objects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Object A ◽  
Smart Learning ◽  
Smart Learning Environments ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Conceptual Confusion

<p> For some, “learning objects" are the “next big thing” in distance education promising smart learning environments, fantastic economies of scale, and the power to tap into expanding educational markets. While learning objects may be revolutionary in the long term, in the short term, definitional problems and conceptual confusion undermine our ability to understand and critically evaluate the emerging field. This article is an attempt to provide an adequate definition of learning objects by (a) jettisoning useless theoretical links hitherto invoked to theorize learning objects, and (b) reducing the definition of learning objects to the bare essentials. The article closes with suggestions for further research and further refinement of the definition of learning objects. </P>

scholarly journals On the notion of visual illusions

Psihologija ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dejan Todorovic
Keyword(s):  
Visual Illusions ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
Definition Of

The usual definitions of illusions, as incorrect perceptions or cases of discrepancies between reality and our perception of reality, have been criticized as inadequate. The reason is that it is not clear how to apply this notion in a number of interesting cases. This paper is an attempt to provide an adequate definition of illusions, appropriate for many classical phenomena usually referred to as illusions.

scholarly journals The Use and Meaning of the Past in Plato

Plato Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 43-58
Author(s):  
Maurizio Migliori
Keyword(s):  
Historical Analysis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Philosophical Writing ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship

This essay is based on two premises. The first concerns the vision of writing proposed by Plato in Phaedrus and especially the conception of philosophical writing as a maieutic game. The structurally polyvalent way in which Plato approaches philosophical issues also emerges in the dialogues. The second concerns the birth and the development of historical analysis in parallel with the birth of philosophy. On this basis the text investigates a series of data about the relationship between Plato and "the facts". 1) If we compare the Apology of Socrates with other sources, we discover a series of important “games” that Plato performs to achieve the results he proposes. 2) The famous passage of Phaedo 96A-102A, which concludes with the Ideas and with a reference to the Principles, expresses definite judgments on the Presocratics. 3) In his works Plato attributes to the sophists some merits, even if the outcome of their contri-bution is overall negative. 4) However, in the fourth complicated diairesis of the Sophist, there is a "sophist of noble stock", an educator who can only be Socrates. 5) Plato in the Sophist shows the weakness of the Gigantomachy, and proposes an adequate definition of the beings: the power of undergoing or acting. This reveals, before the Philebus and the Timaeus, the dynamic and dialectical nature of his philosophy In summary, a multifocal vision emerges, adapted to an intrinsically complex reality.

scholarly journals THE CIVIL LAW NATURE OF ELECTRONIC MONEY

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Liudmyla Panova ◽  
Vitalii Makhinchuk
Keyword(s):  
Practical Implication ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Civil Law ◽  
Synthesis Method ◽  
Electronic Money ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Logical Method ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right

The purpose of the article is to examine the civil law nature of electronic money. The subject of the research is the features of the civil law nature of electronic money. Methodology. Research methods are chosen based on the object, subject and purpose of the study. The study used general scientific and special methods of legal science. Thus, the analysis and synthesis method as well as the logical method were used to formulate a holistic view on electronic money, their features and legal nature. The logical-semantic method was used to establish the meaning of the concepts “electronic money”, “non-cash money”, “payment instrument”, “electronic payment instrument”. The comparative method was used when analyzing scientific categories, definitions and approaches. The legal modeling method was applied to formulate the author’s definition of the term “electronic money”. Results. The article generalizes scientific views on the civil law nature of electronic money. A distinction has been made between electronic money and currency unit, non-cash money and the right to claim. As the result it has been established that electronic money is the monetary obligation. Practical implication. The study should assist in developing the unified approach to the issue of the civil law nature of electronic money. Value/originality. As the result of the study the author’s definition of the concept “electronic money” with regard to its civil law nature has been proposed.

scholarly journals Lumbar Intervertebral Motion in Healthy Male Participants: Protocol for a Motion Analysis During Flexion and Extension Cinematographic Recordings

10.2196/14741 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e14741
Author(s):  
Inge J M H Caelers ◽  
Toon F M Boselie ◽  
Kim Rijkers ◽  
Wouter L W Van Hemert ◽  
Rob A De Bie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lumbar Spine ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Healthy Male ◽  
Motion Patterns ◽  
Maximum Flexion ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
Physiological Motion ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Medical Research Ethics ◽  
Flexion And Extension

Background Physiological motion of the lumbar spine is a subject of interest for musculoskeletal health care professionals, as abnormal motion is believed to be related to lumbar conditions and complaints. Many researchers have described ranges of motion for the lumbar spine, but only a few have mentioned specific motion patterns of each individual segment during flexion and extension. These motion patterns mostly comprise the sequence of segmental initiation in sagittal rotation. However, an adequate definition of physiological motion of the lumbar spine is still lacking. The reason for this is the reporting of different ranges of motion and sequences of segmental initiation in previous studies. Furthermore, due to insufficient fields of view, none of these papers have reported on maximum flexion and extension motion patterns of L1 to S1. In the lower cervical spine, a consistent pattern of segmental contributions was recently described. In order to understand physiological motion of the lumbar spine, it is necessary to systematically study motion patterns, including the sequence of segmental contribution, of vertebrae L1 to S1 in healthy individuals during maximum flexion and extension. Objective This study aims to define the lumbar spines’ physiological motion pattern of vertebrae L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, and S1 by determining the sequence of segmental contribution and the sequence of segmental initiation of motion in sagittal rotation of each vertebra during maximum flexion and extension. The secondary endpoint will be exploring the possibility of analyzing the intervertebral horizontal and vertical translation of each vertebra during maximum flexion and extension. Methods Cinematographic recordings will be performed on 11 healthy male participants, aged 18-25 years, without a history of spine problems. Cinematographic flexion and extension recordings will be made at two time points with a minimum 2-week interval in between. Results The study has been approved by the local institutional medical ethical committee (Medical Research Ethics Committee of Zuyderland and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences) on September 24, 2018. Inclusion of participants will be completed in 2020. Conclusions If successful, these physiological motion patterns can be compared with motion patterns of patients with lumbar conditions before or after surgery. Ultimately, researchers may be able to determine differences in biomechanics that can potentially be linked to physical complaints like low back pain. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03737227; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03737227 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/14741

scholarly journals Multivocity in Topics 1.15

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-86
Author(s):  
Mikołaj Domaradzki
Keyword(s):  
Different Types ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
The Many ◽  
Definition Of

This paper discusses Aristotle’s account of multivocity (πολλαχῶς/ πλεοναχῶς λέγεται) as expounded in Topics 1.15. This article argues that an inquiry into how many ways (ποσαχῶς) something is said becomes for Aristotle a tool of dialectical examination that he employs throughout his entire philosophical career: investigating the many/multiple ways (πολλαχῶς/πλεοναχῶς) something is said allows one to recognize the ambiguity of the term in question and, consequently, to construct an adequate definition of its referent. The present study reconstructs the various strategies for detecting ambiguity and discusses its different types. Subsequently, the paper accounts for why Aristotle moves so easily from words and their meanings to things and their essences. Finally, the article presents an analysis of the connection between the many ways something is said and the various categories it is predicated in. The considerations are supported by a new translation of Topics 1.15.

scholarly journals From genomes to systems: the path with yeast

2006 ◽  
Vol 361 (1467) ◽  
pp. 477-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen G Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Eukaryotic Cell ◽  
Metabolic Control Analysis ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Control Analysis ◽  
Individual Gene ◽  
Metabolic Systems ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Balance Analysis ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) is a conceptual and mathematical formalism that models the relative contributions of individual effectors in a pathway to both the flux through the pathway and the concentrations of individual intermediates within it. To exploit MCA in an initial Systems Biology analysis of the eukaryotic cell, two categories of experiments are required. In category 1 experiments, flux is changed and the impact on the levels of the direct and indirect products of gene action is measured. We have measured the impact of changing the flux on the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . In this whole-cell analysis, flux equates to growth rate. In category 2 experiments, the levels of individual gene products are altered, and the impact on the flux is measured. We have used competition analyses between the complete set of heterozygous yeast deletion mutants to reveal genes encoding proteins with high flux control coefficients. These genes may be exploited, in a top-down analysis, to build a coarse-grained model of the eukaryotic cell, as exemplified by yeast. More detailed modelling requires that ‘natural’ biological systems be identified. The combination of flux balance analysis with both genetics and metabolomics in the definition of metabolic systems is discussed.

Community Pharmacists' Knowledge of Antioxidant Vitamins

1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 149-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra M Offricht ◽  
Margaret Malone
Keyword(s):  
Current Literature ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Antioxidant Vitamins ◽  
Telephone Directory ◽  
Inadequate Information ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
Antioxidant Supplements ◽  
Definition Of

Objective: The current interest in antioxidant vitamins has led consumers to seek advice from community pharmacists. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge of antioxidant vitamins. Design: An interviewer-based questionnaire was developed to represent the questions most frequently asked by consumers in community pharmacies about antioxidant vitamins. Setting: Pharmacies in the Tri-cities area (Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, NY) were identified from the Yellow Pages of the Albany, NY telephone directory, and each was visited by the interviewer (DMO). Main Outcome Measures: Questions were divided into the demographic data and practice setting of the participant; the antioxidant vitamins, knowledge of supplements and foods containing antioxidants, dosage recommendations, and toxicities; and therapeutic claims attributed to their use. Results: Of 75 pharmacists approached, 70 agreed to participate in the study. The number of questions per week received from customers regarding antioxidant vitamins was estimated to be between 0 and 25. All pharmacists had heard of the terms “free radical” and “antioxidant,” but few were able to provide an adequate definition of either term. The majority of pharmacists knew which vitamins are considered to be antioxidants, but were unfamiliar with appropriate dosage recommendations. In keeping with current literature recommendations, the use of antioxidant supplements was generally not advocated. Conclusions: In this study, pharmacists provided inadequate information regarding antioxidant vitamins. Because antioxidants are rarely indicated according to the current literature, pharmacists have a responsibility to base their recommendations to customers on substantiated data.

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