Spin populations in one-dimensional alternant spin systems: A theoretical approach

Spin-density maps, deduced from polarized neutron diffraction experiments, for both the pair and chain compounds of the system Mn2+Cu2+ have been reported recently. These results have motivated us to investigate theoretically the spin populations in such alternant mixed-spin systems. In this paper, we report our studies on the one-dimensional ferrimagnetic systems (S-A,S-B)(N) where hi is the number of AB pairs. We have considered all cases in which the spin Sri takes on allowed values in the range I to 7/2 while the spin S-B is held fixed at 1/2. The theoretical studies have been carried out on the isotropic Heisenberg model, using the density matrix renormalization group method. The effect of the magnitude of the larger spin SA On the quantum fluctuations in both A and B sublattices has been studied as a function of the system size N. We have investigated systems with both periodic and open boundary conditions, the latter with a view to understanding end-of-chain effects. The spin populations have been followed as a function of temperature as well as an applied magnetic field. High-magnetic fields are found to lead to interesting re-entrant behavior. The ratio of spin populations P-A-P-B is not sensitive to temperature at low temperatures.

Impact of Grazing, Fire and Extraction on the Bamboo (Dendrocalamus-Strictus and Bambusa-Arundinacea) Populations of Karnataka

Dendrocalamus strictus and Bambusa arundinacea are monocarpic, gregariously flowering species of bamboo, common in the deciduous forests of the State of Karnataka in India. Their populations have significantly declined, especially since the last flowering. This decline parelleis increasing incidence of grazing, fire and extraction in recent decades. Results of an experiment in which the intensities of grazing and fire were varied, indicate that while grazing significantly depresses the survival of seedlings and the recruitment of new eulms of bamboo clumps, fire appeared to enhance seedling survival, presumably by reducing competition of lass fire-resistant species. New shoots of bamboo are destroyed by insects and a variety of herbivorous mammals. In areas of intense herbivore pressure, a bamboo clump initiates the production of a much larger number of new culrm, but results in many fewer and shorter intact culms. Extraction renders the new shoots more susceptible to herbivore pressure by removal of the protective covering of branches at the base of a bamboo clump. Hence, regular and extensive extraction by the paper mills in conjuction with intense grazing pressure strongly depresses the addition of new culms to bamboo clumps. Regulation of grazing in the forest by domestic livestock along with maintenance of the cover at the base of the clumps by extracting the culms at a higher level should reduce the rate of decline of the bamboo stocks.

On evolutionarily stable compositions of populations of interacting genotypes.

Consider an organism in which the genetic fitness of an individual depends to a large extent on its social interactions. Assuming the genotypes to differ only in the choice of strategies they adopt in social interactions, and equating the variation in genetic fitness to the mean payoff to an individual averaged over all possible encounters, we develop a dynamical model for the evolution of genotypic frequencies in such a population. Such a system is characterised by frequency dependent selection, and depending on the initial composition, the population evolves towards one of several possible compositions. We term as evolutionarily stable compositions (ESC) any such composition towards which a population can evolve and which is stable against small fluctuations in the frequencies of existing genotypes as well as to invasions by any other postulated genotype. We state the necessary and sufficient conditions for the identification of all possible ESC's for any number of interacting genotypes. Our results conform to those derived earlier in connection with the concept of evolutionarily stable strategies only in the case of two interacting genotypes; when more than two genotypes interact the conditions under which various ESC's exist become far richer. We consider interactions with mixed strategists and show that in a conflict with pure strategists the optimal mixed strategist will be the only one to ultimately survive. We illustrate our approach by considering the specific case of a primitively social wasp.

The RecA intein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis promotes cleavage of ectopic DNA sites. Implications for the dispersal of inteins in natural populations

The RecA intein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a novel double-stranded DNA endonuclease, requires both Mn(2+) and ATP for efficient cleavage of the inteinless recA allele. In this study, we show that Mg(2+) alone was sufficient to stimulate PI-MtuI to cleave double-stranded DNA at ectopic sites. In the absence of Mg(2+), PI-MtuI formed complexes with topologically different forms of DNA containing ectopic recognition sequences with equal affinity but failed to cleave DNA. We observed that PI-MtuI was able to inflict double-strand breaks robustly within the ectopic recognition sequence to generate either a blunt end or 1-2-nucleotide 3'-hydroxyl overhangs. Mutational analyses of the presumptive metal ion-binding ligands (Asp(122), Asp(222), and Glu(220)) together with immunoprecipitation assays provided compelling evidence to link both the Mg(2+)- and Mn(2+) and ATP-dependent endonuclease activities to PI-MtuI. The kinetic mechanism of PI-MtuI promoted cleavage of ectopic DNA sites proceeded through a sequential mechanism with transient accumulation of nicked circular duplex DNA as an intermediate. Together, these data suggest that PI-MtuI, like group II introns, might mediate ectopic DNA transposition and hence its lateral transfer in natural populations.

A genetic algorithm with characteristic amplification through multiple geographically isolated populations and varied fitness landscapes

This paper proposes a new approach, wherein multiple populations are evolved on different landscapes. The problem statement is broken down, to describe discrete characteristics. Each landscape, described by its fitness landscape is used to optimize or amplify a certain characteristic or set of characteristics. Individuals from each of these populations are kept geographically isolated from each other Each population is evolved individually. After a predetermined number of evolutions, the system of populations is analysed against a normalized fitness function. Depending on this score and a predefined merging scheme, the populations are merged, one at a time, while continuing evolution. Merging continues until only one final population remains. This population is then evolved, following which the resulting population will contain the optimal solution. The final resulting population will contain individuals which have been optimized against all characteristics as desired by the problem statement. Each individual population is optimized for a local maxima. Thus when populations are merged, the effect is to produce a new population which is closer to the global maxima.

A genetic algorithm with characteristic amplification through multiple geographically isolated populations and varied fitness landscapes

This paper proposes a new approach, wherein multiple populations are evolved on different landscapes. The problem statement is broken down, to describe discrete characteristics. Each landscape, described by its fitness landscape is used to optimize or amplify a certain characteristic or set of characteristics. Individuals from each of these populations are kept geographically isolated from each other Each population is evolved individually. After a predetermined number of evolutions, the system of populations is analysed against a normalized fitness function. Depending on this score and a predefined merging scheme, the populations are merged, one at a time, while continuing evolution. Merging continues until only one final population remains. This population is then evolved, following which the resulting population will contain the optimal solution. The final resulting population will contain individuals which have been optimized against all characteristics as desired by the problem statement. Each individual population is optimized for a local maxima. Thus when populations are merged, the effect is to produce a new population which is closer to the global maxima.

Evolution of polyandry by reduction in progeny number variance in structured populations

When there is a variation in the quality of males in a population, multiple mating can lead to an increase in the genetic fitness of a female by reducing the variance of the progeny number. The extent of selective advantage obtainable by this process is investigated for a population subdivided into structured demes. It is seen that for a wide range of model parameters (deme size, distribution of male quality, local resource level), multiple mating leads to a considerable increase in the fitness. Frequency-dependent selection or a stable coexistence between polyandry and monandry can also result when the possible costs involved in multiple mating are taken into account.

Minor mergers and their impact on the kinematics of old and young stellar populations in disk galaxies

By means of N-body simulations we investigate the impact of minor mergers on the angular momentum and dynamical properties of the merger remnant. Our simulations cover a range of initial orbital characteristics and gas-to-stellar mass fractions (from 0 to 20%), and include star formation and supernova feedback. We confirm and extend previous results by showing that the specific angular momentum of the stellar component always decreases independently of the orbital parameters or morphology of the satellite, and that the decrease in the rotation velocity of the primary galaxy is accompanied by a change in the anisotropy of the orbits. However, the decrease affects only the old stellar population, and not the new population formed from gas during the merging process. This means that the merging process induces an increasing difference in the rotational support of the old and young stellar components, with the old one lagging with respect to the new. Even if our models are not intended specifically to reproduce the Milky Way and its accretion history, we find that, under certain conditions, the modeled rotational lag found is compatible with that observed in the Milky Way disk, thus indicating that minor mergers can be a viable way to produce it. The lag can increase with the vertical distance from the disk midplane, but only if the satellite is accreted along a direct orbit, and in all cases the main contribution to the lag comes from stars originally in the primary disk rather than from stars in the satellite galaxy. We also discuss the possibility of creating counter-rotating stars in the remnant disk, their fraction as a function of the vertical distance from the galaxy midplane, and the cumulative effect of multiple mergers on their creation.

Modeling harvest rates and numbers from age and sex ratios: A demonstration for elephant populations

Illegal harvest rates of wildlife populations are often unknown or difficult to estimate from field data due to under-reporting or incomplete detection of carcasses. This is especially true for elephants that are killed for ivory or in conflicts with people. We describe a method to infer harvest rates from coarse field data of three population parameters, namely, adult female to male ratio, male old-adult to young-adult ratio, and proportion of adult males in the population using Jensen's (2000) 2-sex, density-dependent Leslie matrix model. The specific combination of male and female harvest rates and numbers can be determined from the history of harvest and estimate of population size. We applied this technique to two populations of elephants for which data on age structure and records of mortality were available-a forest-dwelling population of the Asian elephant (at Nagarahole, India) and an African savannah elephant population (at Samburu, Kenya) that had experienced male-biased harvest regimes over 2-3 decades. For the Nagarahole population, the recorded numbers of male and female elephants killed illegally during 1981-2000 were 64% and 88% of the values predicted by the model, respectively, implying some non-detection or incomplete reporting while for the Samburu population the recorded and modeled numbers of harvest during 1990-1999 closely matched. This technique, applicable to any animal population following logistic growth model, can be especially useful for inferring illegal harvest numbers of forest elephants in Africa and Asia.

Synconset Waves and Chains: Spiking Onsets in Synchronous Populations Predict and Are Predicted by Network Structure

Synfire waves are propagating spike packets in synfire chains, which are feedforward chains embedded in random networks. Although synfire waves have proved to be effective quantification for network activity with clear relations to network structure, their utilities are largely limited to feedforward networks with low background activity. To overcome these shortcomings, we describe a novel generalisation of synfire waves, and define `synconset wave' as a cascade of first spikes within a synchronisation event. Synconset waves would occur in `synconset chains', which are feedforward chains embedded in possibly heavily recurrent networks with heavy background activity. We probed the utility of synconset waves using simulation of single compartment neuron network models with biophysically realistic conductances, and demonstrated that the spread of synconset waves directly follows from the network connectivity matrix and is modulated by top-down inputs and the resultant oscillations. Such synconset profiles lend intuitive insights into network organisation in terms of connection probabilities between various network regions rather than an adjacency matrix. To test this intuition, we develop a Bayesian likelihood function that quantifies the probability that an observed synfire wave was caused by a given network. Further, we demonstrate it's utility in the inverse problem of identifying the network that caused a given synfire wave. This method was effective even in highly subsampled networks where only a small subset of neurons were accessible, thus showing it's utility in experimental estimation of connectomes in real neuronal-networks. Together, we propose synconset chains/waves as an effective framework for understanding the impact of network structure on function, and as a step towards developing physiology-driven network identification methods. Finally, as synconset chains extend the utilities of synfire chains to arbitrary networks, we suggest utilities of our framework to several aspects of network physiology including cell assemblies, population codes, and oscillatory synchrony.

Molecules support morphology: species status of South Indian populations of the widely distributed Hanuman langur

The taxonomy of the Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus spp.), a widely distributed Asian colobine monkey, has been in a flux for a long time due to much disagreement between various classification schemes. However, results from a recent field-based morphological study were consistent with Hill's (Ceylon J Sci 21:277-305, 1939) species level classification scheme. Here we tested the validity of S. hypoleucos and S. priam, the two South Indian species recognized by Hill. To this end, one mitochondrial and four nuclear markers were sequenced from over 72 non-invasive samples of Hanuman langurs and S. johnii collected from across India. The molecular data were subjected to various tree building methods. The nuclear data was also used in a Bayesian structure analysis and to determine the genealogical sorting index of each hypothesized species. Results from nuclear data suggest that the South Indian population of Hanuman langur consists of two units that correspond to the species recognized by Hill. However in the mitochondrial tree S. johnii and S. priam were polyphyletic probably due to retention of ancestral polymorphism and/or low levels of hybridization. Implications of these results on conservation of Hanuman langurs are also discussed.

Modeling harvest rates and numbers from age and sex ratios: A demonstration for elephant populations

Illegal harvest rates of wildlife populations are often unknown or difficult to estimate from field data due to under-reporting or incomplete detection of carcasses. This is especially true for elephants that are killed for ivory or in conflicts with people. We describe a method to infer harvest rates from coarse field data of three population parameters, namely, adult female to male ratio, male old-adult to young-adult ratio, and proportion of adult males in the population using Jensen's (2000) 2-sex, density-dependent Leslie matrix model. The specific combination of male and female harvest rates and numbers can be determined from the history of harvest and estimate of population size. We applied this technique to two populations of elephants for which data on age structure and records of mortality were available-a forest-dwelling population of the Asian elephant (at Nagarahole, India) and an African savannah elephant population (at Samburu, Kenya) that had experienced male-biased harvest regimes over 2-3 decades. For the Nagarahole population, the recorded numbers of male and female elephants killed illegally during 1981-2000 were 64% and 88% of the values predicted by the model, respectively, implying some non-detection or incomplete reporting while for the Samburu population the recorded and modeled numbers of harvest during 1990-1999 closely matched. This technique, applicable to any animal population following logistic growth model, can be especially useful for inferring illegal harvest numbers of forest elephants in Africa and Asia. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic analysis of Indian tasar silkmoth (Antheraea mylitta) populations

Indian tasar silkmoth, Antheraea mylitta is an economically important wild silkmoth species distributed across India. A number of morphologically and ethologically well-defined ecotypes are known for this species that differ in their primary food plant specificity. Most of these ecotypes do not interbreed in nature, but are able to produce offspring under captive conditions. Microsatellite markers were developed for A. mylitta, and out of these, ten well-behaved microsatellite loci were used to analyze the population structure of different ecoraces. A total of 154 individual moths belonging to eight different ecoraces, were screened at each locus. Hierarchical analysis of population structure using Analysis of MOlecular VAriance (AMOVA) revealed significant structuring (F-ST = 0.154) and considerable inbreeding (F-IS = 0.505). A significant isolation by distance was also observed. The number of possible population clusters was investigated using distance method, Bayesian algorithm and self organization maps (SOM). The first two methods revealed two distinct clusters, whereas the SOM showed the different ecoraces not to be clearly differentiated. These results suggest that although there is a large degree of phenotypic variation among the different ecoraces of A. mylitta, genetically they are not very different, and the phenotypic differences may largely be a result of their respective ecology.