Search results for "IFT"
showing 10 items of 2193 documents
Wind effects on the migration routes of trans-Saharan soaring raptors: geographical, seasonal, and interspecific variation
2016
Wind is among the most important environmental factors shaping birds’ migration patterns. Birds must deal with the displacement caused by crosswinds and their behavior can vary according to different factors such as flight mode, migratory season, experience, and distance to goal areas. Here we analyze the relationship between wind and migratory movements of three raptor species which migrate by soaring–gliding flight: Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus, booted eagle Aquila pennata, and short-toed snake eagle Circaetus gallicus. We analyzed daily migratory segments (i.e., the path joining consecutive roosting locations) using data recorded by GPS satellite telemetry. Daily movements of E…
Seasonal changes in European whitefish muscle and invertebrate prey fatty acid composition in a subarctic lake
2019
Ambient light and temperature show extreme seasonal variation in subarctic lakes due to the midnight sun period in summer and cold polar night period in winter. These changes have clear impacts on fish feeding and reproduction cycles, potentially affecting the fatty acid (FA) composition of muscle. Despite extensive research into fish FA over recent decades, we know little about intra‐annual changes of fish FA profile and content. We studied intra‐annual changes in the FA profile (mol%) and content (mg g‐1 dry weight) of sexually mature European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) muscle in a large and deep subarctic lake located in northern Fennoscandia. We collected fish, zooplankton, and ben…
Why aren't warning signals everywhere? : On the prevalence of aposematism and mimicry in communities
2021
Warning signals are a striking example of natural selection present in almost every ecological community - from Nordic meadows to tropical rainforests, defended prey species and their mimics ward off potential predators before they attack. Yet despite the wide distribution of warning signals, they are relatively scarce as a proportion of the total prey available, and more so in some biomes than others. Classically, warning signals are thought to be governed by positive density-dependent selection, i.e. they succeed better when they are more common. Therefore, after surmounting this initial barrier to their evolution, it is puzzling that they remain uncommon on the scale of the community. He…
The evolution, diversity and host associations of rhabdoviruses
2015
Metagenomic studies are leading to the discovery of a hidden diversity of RNA viruses, but new approaches are needed predict the host species these poorly characterised viruses pose a risk to. The rhabdoviruses are a diverse family of RNA viruses that includes important pathogens of humans, animals and plants. We have discovered the sequences of 32 new rhabdoviruses through a combination of our own RNA sequencing of insects and searching public sequence databases. Combining these with previously known sequences we reconstructed the phylogeny of 195 rhabdovirus sequences producing the most in depth analysis of the family to date. In most cases we know nothing about the biology of the viruses…
Economic feasibility of stationary electrochemical storages for electric bill management applications: The Italian scenario
2016
Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are expected to become a fundamental element of the electricity infrastructure, thanks to their ability to decouple generation and demand over time. BESSs can also be used to store electricity during low-price hours, when the demand is low, and to meet the demand during peak hours, thus leading to savings for the consumer. This work focuses on the economic viability of BESS from the point of view of the electricity customer. The analysis refers to a lithium-ion (Li-ion), an advanced lead-acid, a zinc-based, a sodium-sulphur (NaS) and a flow battery. The total investment and replacement costs are estimated in order to calculate the cumulated cash flow, …
Orchestrated learning: creating a company-specific production system (XPS)
2021
Purpose Companies create company-specific production systems (XPS) by tailoring generic concepts to fit their unique situation. However, little is known about how an XPS is created. This paper aims to provide insights into the creation of an XPS. Design/methodology/approach A retrospective case study was conducted in a Norwegian multinational company over the period 1991–2006, using archival data and interviews. Findings The development of the XPS did not start with a master plan. Instead, dispersed existing initiatives were built upon, along with an external search for novel ideas. Widespread experimentation took place, only later to be combined into a coherent approach. Once established,…
Real-time biomechanical modeling of the liver using Machine Learning models trained on Finite Element Method simulations
2020
[EN] The development of accurate real-time models of the biomechanical behavior of different organs and tissues still poses a challenge in the field of biomechanical engineering. In the case of the liver, specifically, such a model would constitute a great leap forward in the implementation of complex applications such as surgical simulators, computed-assisted surgery or guided tumor irradiation. In this work, a relatively novel approach for developing such a model is presented. It consists in the use of a machine learning algorithm, which provides real-time inference, trained on tens of thousands of simulations of the biomechanical behavior of the liver carried out by the finite element me…
Modular Contact-Free Conveyors for Handling Planar Fragile Objects
2017
Recent studies show that the handling of thin wafers in the photovoltaic industry can lead to unacceptable yields due to cell scratching and breaking. This paper presents the concept and design of a novel modular conveyor that is intended for handling planar fragile objects at a high speed without contact. Each element of the conveyor is a square block that is able to generate tilted air jets that lift and push the object in a single direction. Various handling functions can thus be achieved by the assembly of several blocks. To manage the complexity of assembling systems composed of hundreds of blocks, an automatized design methodology is proposed. This process gives the best topology of t…
Consequences of single-locus and tightly linked genomic architectures for evolutionary responses to environmental change
2020
AbstractGenetic and genomic architectures of traits under selection are key factors influencing evolutionary responses. Yet, knowledge of their impacts has been limited by a widespread assumption that most traits are controlled by unlinked polygenic architectures. Recent advances in genome sequencing and eco-evolutionary modelling are unlocking the potential for integrating genomic information into predictions of population responses to environmental change. Using eco-evolutionary simulations, we demonstrate that hypothetical single-locus control of a life history trait produces highly variable and unpredictable harvesting-induced evolution relative to the classically applied multi-locus mo…
Genome-Wide Estimation of the Spontaneous Mutation Rate of Human Adenovirus 5 by High-Fidelity Deep Sequencing
2016
Rates of spontaneous mutation determine the ability of viruses to evolve, infect new hosts, evade immunity and undergo drug resistance. Contrarily to RNA viruses, few mutation rate estimates have been obtained for DNA viruses, because their high replication fidelity implies that new mutations typically fall below the detection limits of Sanger and standard next-generation sequencing. Here, we have used a recently developed high-fidelity deep sequencing technique (Duplex Sequencing) to score spontaneous mutations in human adenovirus 5 under conditions of minimal selection. Based on >200 single-base spontaneous mutations detected throughout the entire viral genome, we infer an average mutatio…