scholarly journals A new conceptual model of coral biomineralisation: hypoxia as the physiological driver of skeletal extension

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2867-2884 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Wooldridge

Abstract. That corals skeletons are built of aragonite crystals with taxonomy-linked ultrastructure has been well understood since the 19th century. Yet, the way by which corals control this crystallization process remains an unsolved question. Here, I outline a new conceptual model of coral biomineralisation that endeavours to relate known skeletal features with homeostatic functions beyond traditional growth (structural) determinants. In particular, I propose that the dominant physiological driver of skeletal extension is night-time hypoxia, which is exacerbated by the respiratory oxygen demands of the coral's algal symbionts (= zooxanthellae). The model thus provides a new narrative to explain the high growth rate of symbiotic corals, by equating skeletal deposition with the "work-rate" of the coral host needed to maintain a stable and beneficial symbiosis. In this way, coral skeletons are interpreted as a continuous (long-run) recording unit of the stability and functioning of the coral–algae endosymbiosis. After providing supportive evidence for the model across multiple scales of observation, I use coral core data from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) to highlight the disturbed nature of the symbiosis in recent decades, but suggest that its onset is consistent with a trajectory that has been followed since at least the start of the 1900s. In concluding, I outline how the proposed capacity of cnidarians (which includes modern reef corals) to overcome the metabolic limitation of hypoxia via skeletogenesis also provides a new hypothesis to explain the sudden appearance in the fossil record of calcified skeletons at the Precambrian–Cambrian transition – and the ensuing rapid appearance of most major animal phyla.

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 12627-12666 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Wooldridge

Abstract. That corals skeletons are built of aragonite crystals with taxonomy-linked ultrastructure has been well understood since the 19th century. Yet, the way by which corals control this crystallization process remains an unsolved question. Here, I outline a new conceptual model of coral biominerationsation that endeavours to relate known skeletal features with homeostatic functions beyond traditional growth (structural) determinants. In particular, I propose that the dominant physiological driver of skeletal extension is night-time hypoxia, which is exacerbated by the respiratory oxygen demands of the coral's algal symbionts (= zooxanthellae). The model thus provides a new narrative to explain the high growth rate of symbiotic corals, by equating skeletal deposition with the "work-rate" of the coral host needed to maintain a stable and beneficial symbiosis. In this way, coral skeletons are interpreted as a continuous (long-run) recording unit of the stability and functioning of the coral-algae endosymbiosis. After providing supportive evidence for the model across multiple scales of observation, I use coral core data from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) to highlight the disturbed nature of the symbiosis in recent decades, but suggest that its onset is consistent with a trajectory that has been followed since at least the start of the 1900's. In concluding, I explain how the evolved capacity of the cnidarians (which now includes modern reef corals) to overcome the metabolic limitation of hypoxia via skeletogenesis, may underpin the sudden appearance in the fossil record of calcified skeletons at the Precambrian-Cambrian transition – and the ensuing rapid appearance of most major animal phyla.


2015 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Oreiro ◽  
Fabricio Missio ◽  
Frederico Jayme

The aim of this paper is to show at theoretical level that maintaining a competitive real exchange rate positively affects the economic growth of developing countries by means of a Keynesian-Structuralist model that combines elements of Kaleckian growth models with the balance of payments constrained growth models pioneered developed by Thirlwall. In this setting, the level of real exchange rate is capable, due to its effect over capital accumulation, to induce a structural change in the economy, making endogenous income elasticities of exports and imports. For reasonable parameter values it is shown that in steady-state growth there is two long-run equilibrium values for real exchange rate, one that corresponds to an under-valued currency and another that corresponds to an over-valued currency. If monetary authorities run exchange rate policy in order to target a competitive level for real exchange rate, than under-valued equilibrium is stable and the economy will show a high growth rate in the long-run.


2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 179-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomonori Nishimoto ◽  
Tomoko Takagi ◽  
Michio Kondo ◽  
Akihisa Matsuda

Author(s):  
Debashis Chakraboty ◽  
Julien Chaisse ◽  
Jaydeep Mukherjee

While India has gradually embraced a unilateral liberal policy on the limit of inward foreign investment in the country, its negotiating position on the same at the multilateral forum, i.e., WTO, is still comparatively defensive. The key question raised by the current analysis is, whether India is right to adopt a hard negotiating stand at WTO on investment issues, covered under GATS Mode 3 and Trade and Investment Negotiations. An associated concern is whether a softening of India’s present standpoint is expected in coming future. For this purpose, the current study explores the long-run co-integrating relationship between India’s FDI and economic growth, in addition to exploring their direction of causality applying Granger causality test. The obtained empirical results lead to the following observations. First, regarding the question of the justifiability of the Indian standpoint, it is observed that though foreign investment inflow in the country continues to benefit several sectors through backward and forward linkage effects, the role of FDI on overall growth has not been statistically significant. Second, it can be concluded from the findings of the Granger causality test that a number of foreign investors has targeted India in recent period, given the high growth rate witnessed by Indian economy even in the aftermath of the 2009 recession vis-à-vis other developing economies. We conclude that India’s present standpoint at WTO negotiations on investment reflects the uncertain trade-off between growth repercussion expectations from the incremental FDI inflows resulting from the additional multilateral commitments. Therefore, a quick transformation of the present negotiating standpoint is not expected in India’s case.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. 236-240
Author(s):  
Dr.R. Murugesan ◽  
M. Leelavathi ◽  
Dr. K. Ravindran

towards jumping from the category of developing economy to developed economy there is one big factor that stops and poses a hindrance in its path of advancement and that obstacle is termed as Poverty. The Indian economic policy focuses on a high growth rate along with a equal participation of the poor so that they avail the opportunities available in the market economy. And in order to ensure the participation of the poor it has become important for the country to create a platform where the poor can easily access the various financial products. Microfinance is one such strategy for inclusive growth. Microfinance can change the life of the poor though not completely but a reasonable change can be ensured. In different phases of life women play a crucial role despite the discrimination that is faced by them. But equality can be endowed to women by enhancing the entrepreneurial skills in them. This is possible through Self Help Groups (SHGs). In India women produce around 30% of the total food consumed but she gets only 10% of the property or wealth of the country. Development of women is inevitable for the development and growth of any economy. SHGs happen to be a positive step in this direction. Along with these mediums there should be a cheap and easy source of credit for them and Microfinance fulfills the requirement. This study aims to find the role of this strong medium of Microfinance in the advancement of SHGs in India


2013 ◽  
Vol 740-742 ◽  
pp. 323-326
Author(s):  
Kassem Alassaad ◽  
François Cauwet ◽  
Davy Carole ◽  
Véronique Soulière ◽  
Gabriel Ferro

Abstract. In this paper, conditions for obtaining high growth rate during epitaxial growth of SiC by vapor-liquid-solid mechanism are investigated. The alloys studied were Ge-Si, Al-Si and Al-Ge-Si with various compositions. Temperature was varied between 1100 and 1300°C and the carbon precursor was either propane or methane. The variation of layers thickness was studied at low and high precursor partial pressure. It was found that growth rates obtained with both methane and propane are rather similar at low precursor partial pressures. However, when using Ge based melts, the use of high propane flux leads to the formation of a SiC crust on top of the liquid, which limits the growth by VLS. But when methane is used, even at extremely high flux (up to 100 sccm), no crust could be detected on top of the liquid while the deposit thickness was still rather small (between 1.12 μm and 1.30 μm). When using Al-Si alloys, no crust was also observed under 100 sccm methane but the thickness was as high as 11.5 µm after 30 min growth. It is proposed that the upper limitation of VLS growth rate depends mainly on C solubility of the liquid phase.


Games ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Roberto Rozzi

We consider an evolutionary model of social coordination in a 2 × 2 game where two groups of players prefer to coordinate on different actions. Players can pay a cost to learn their opponent’s group: if they pay it, they can condition their actions concerning the groups. We assess the stability of outcomes in the long run using stochastic stability analysis. We find that three elements matter for the equilibrium selection: the group size, the strength of preferences, and the information’s cost. If the cost is too high, players never learn the group of their opponents in the long run. If one group is stronger in preferences for its favorite action than the other, or its size is sufficiently large compared to the other group, every player plays that group’s favorite action. If both groups are strong enough in preferences, or if none of the groups’ sizes is large enough, players play their favorite actions and miscoordinate in inter-group interactions. Lower levels of the cost favor coordination. Indeed, when the cost is low, in inside-group interactions, players always coordinate on their favorite action, while in inter-group interactions, they coordinate on the favorite action of the group that is stronger in preferences or large enough.


2013 ◽  
Vol 687 ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Cunha ◽  
José Barroso Aguiar ◽  
Victor Ferreira ◽  
António Tadeu

Increasingly in a society with a high growth rate and standards of comfort, the need to minimize the currently high energy consumption by taking advantage of renewable energy sources arises. The mortars with incorporation of phase change materials (PCM) have the ability to regulate the temperature inside buildings, contributing for an increase in the level of thermal comfort and reduction of the use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, using only the energy supplied by the sun. However, the incorporation of PCM in mortars modifies some of its characteristics. Therefore, the main objective of this study was the characterization of mortars doped with two different phase change materials. Specific properties of different PCM, such as particle size, shape and enthalpy were studied, as well as the properties of the fresh and hardened state of these mortars. Nine different compositions were developed which were initially doped with microcapsules of PCM A and subsequently doped with microcapsules of PCM B. It was possible to observe that the incorporation of phase change materials in mortars causes differences in properties such as compressive strength, flexural strength and shrinkage. After the study of the behaviour of these mortars with the incorporation of two different phase change materials, it was possible to select the composition with a better compromise between its aesthetic appearance, physical and mechanical characteristics.


2004 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsten Hefeker ◽  
Friedrich Heinemann ◽  
Klaus F. Zimmermann

AbstractIn his contribution Carsten Hefeker points out that most of the official arguments concerning the necessity of the Stability and Growth Pact are not convincing. Nevertheless, a mechanism that credibly avoids excessive debts and deficits is needed in most member states. It would be more useful, however, if such rules would focus on overall debt rather than on deficits. In addition, he advocates to create an external control for such fiscal rules, independent from the Commission and ECOFIN. He concludes that the Pact does not need to become more flexible, but more credible.Friedrich Heinemann states that much of the recent reform debate on the Stability Pact is based on a fundamental misconception: The Pact has not been established as a guiding tool for welfare - maximising politicians, but in order to limit detrimental incentives from fiscal short-sightedness. “Stupid” elements like the three-per-cent deficit ceiling have a clear and beneficial strategic function as boundary within the national budgetary process. Furthermore, simple rules are superior to smart ones in increasing the political costs of high deficits in terms of public awareness. The critique on the pact′s missing flexibility is correct mainly regarding its lose logical link to long-run sustainability. Increasing flexibility in a cyclical sense, however, is not a reform priority. Already today the Pact leaves sufficient leeway for responsible politicians. Instead, the reform focus must be on depoliticising the pact in the sense of limiting Council power in the deficit procedure. More flexibility must not come without depoliticising. He recommends that any reform should only be carried into effect with a significant time lag in order to limit the reputation damage which would be the consequence of any quick institutional response to the Pact′s recent crisis.In his paper Klaus F. Zimmermann argues that the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) has been subject to criticism ever since its inception. He points out that it overlooks business cycle developments within the framework of the consolidation process; it adopts a too short-term view of the stabilisation target which is also hardly under control of policy-makers; and it deals with policy imperfections in a sub-optimal way. Therefore, a reform of the SGP is urgent. The author suggests that the rules must be handled more flexibly. In his opinion, a mediumterm budgetary target and a focus on public expenditures to tackle the pro-cyclical bias is needed. To restore credibility, the task of supervision should be transferred to an independent European institution.


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