Search results for "Genetic algorithm"

Sexual selection and intelligence: Does sexual reproduction drive the evolution of intelligence?

2009

Abstract The basal hypothesis discussed here is the idea that brain architecture could be plastic on a very basal, genetic level due to sexual recombination and reassortment of alleles of genes related to brain development, e.g., neuronal cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs) and others. The role of sexual reassortment leads the study of brain development, species behavior and intelligence to a new version of the so-called “Red Queen Hypothesis”: using the mechanism described here, a kind of runaway selection mechanism seems to arise. Even if NCAMs are almost constant within an individual, they seem to act very differently at the population level and so the role of reassorting polymorphic NCAM- (…

Viral mutation and substitution: units and levels.

2011

Viruses evolve within a hierarchy of organisational levels, from cells to host species. We discuss how these nested population structures complicate the meaning and interpretation of two apparently simple evolutionary concepts: mutation rate and substitution rate. We discuss the units in which these fundamental processes should be measured, and explore why, even for the same virus, mutation and substitution can occur at very different tempos at different biological levels. In addition, we explore the ability of whole genome evolutionary analyses to distinguish between natural selection and other population genetic processes. A better understanding of the complexities underlying the molecula…

A novel approach to CFTR mutation testing by pyrosequencing-based assay panels adapted to ethnicities.

2009

Abstract Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by a variety of sequence alterations in the CFTR gene [cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (ATP-binding cassette sub-family C, member 7)]. Because the relative prevalence of mutations strongly depends on the ethnic background, first-level testing of CF as defined by recent consensus recommendations ought to be adaptable to the ethnicity of patients. Methods: We therefore developed and implemented a diagnostic approach to first-level testing for CF based on published mutation frequencies and Pyrosequencing (PSQ) technology that we complemented with standard procedures of mutation…

Comparative Cytogenetics Allows the Reconstruction of Human Chromosome History: The Case of Human Chromosome 13

2019

Comparative cytogenetics permits the identification of human chromosomal homologies and rearrangements between species, allowing the reconstruction of the history of each human chromosome. The aim of this work is to review evolutionary aspects regarding human chromosome 13. Classic and molecular cytogenetics using comparative banding, chromosome painting, and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) mapping can help us formulate hypotheses about chromosome ancestral forms; more recently, sequence data have been integrated as well. Although it has been previously shown to be conserved when compared to the ancestral primate chromosome, it shows a degree of rearrangements in some primate taxa; fu…

Genetic analysis of 2299delG and C759F mutations (USH2A) in patients with visual and/or auditory impairments

2004

The most common mutation in the USH2A gene (Usherin), 2299delG, causes both typical Usher (USH) syndrome type II and atypical USH syndrome, two autosomal recessive disorders, characterised by moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Furthermore, the C759F mutation in the USH2A gene has been described in 4.5% of patients with nonsyndromic recessive RP. We have investigated the presence of the 2299delG and/or the C759F mutations in 191 unrelated Spanish patients with different syndromic and nonsyndromic retinal diseases, or with nonsyndromic hearing impairment. The 2299delG mutation was observed in patients with clinical signs of USHII or of atypical USH sy…

The Genus Homo: Origin, Speciation and Dispersal

2011

The taxonomical interpretation of the fossil record of our own genus Homo is still highly controversial. In spite of obvious major advances concerning the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of the fossil specimens there currently remain unbridgeable disagreements concerning the origin, speciation and dispersal of our genus. The polarized positions result foremost from different methodological approaches for species recognition (e.g., Tattersall 1986; Wolpoff and Caspari 1997; Schwartz 2000a; Wiesemuller et al. 2003; Jobling et al. 2004; Rothe and Henke 2006). Beside the Multiregional Evolutionary Model (MRE) there are different Recent African Origin Models (RAOMs) with varying numbers…

Forest road planning to improve tourism accessibility: a comparison of different methods applied in a real case study

2022

Forest road planning with the available tools, e.g. PEGGER and GIS, still requires a lot of time of an expert, and the designed roads are not guaranteed to be efficient in terms of the cost or suitability of the road. In this article, we propose a novel Genetic Algorithm (GA) based method for forest road planning. To do so, each road is represented as a sequence of fixed and variable (control) points. A novel objective (fitness) function is defined based on the length, gradient, and suitability of the roads (individuals). The proposed algorithm is applied to the Arasbaran forest area and the resulted roads are compared with PEGGER-designed roads regarding length, Bachmund index, accessibili…

Melanoma Clinics and Treatment

2013

Road Planning and Route Alignment Selection Criteria in the Norwegian Context

2019

This paper reveals the main factors that guide road alignment design process in Norway. The goal is to discover what constitutes the main priorities for road planners, how these priorities are ranked when it comes to alignment selection, and how they are related to guiding factors identified in official planning documents and government transport plans throughout the life cycle of a road. This is done through a comprehensive literature and data search, involving published academic research in the road alignment design field, and by exploring Norwegian road planning documents and guidelines. Examples from a recently implemented road project are also included as a way to illustrate alignment …

Social Interactions Among Bacteriophages

2020

Although viruses lack many of the social adaptations shown by more complex organisms, different types of social interactions have been unraveled in viruses. Phage research has contributed significantly to the development of this field, called sociovirology, with the discovery of processes such as intracellular and extracellular public good production, prudent host exploitation, cheating, and inter-phage communication. We here review and discuss these processes from a social evolution approach. Similar to other organisms, the origin and maintenance of phage-phage interactions can be explained using kin selection, group selection and game theory approaches. Key determinants of phage social ev…