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Data and code from: Network theory predicts ecosystem robustness across environmental conditions
No full textNetwork theory quantifies how changes in species richness, S, lead to changes in the number of interactions (or links) between species, L. Networks with a steep relationship between L and S have a high number of links per species, making the network resistant to collapse and therefore more robust. However, changes in S often coincide with environmental shifts, which can lead to impacts on L that are not expected from network theory. In this paper, we constructed relationships between L and S for 18 ecosystems using 1081 observations collected across 420 environmental conditions. We found that environmental noise (unspecified spatiotemporal variation) and environmental gradients (directional environmental change) commonly affected ecological network size (S and L), community composition, and also induced network rewiring, which means that species changed interaction partners as the environment changed. Yet, we found the log(L) ~ log(S) relationship to be remarkably constant across environmental conditions. Specifically, the slope of this relationship remained constant across conditions, implying consistency in how species loss proportionally affects L. Our results therefore show that network theory predicts ecosystem robustness across environmental conditions. These results suggest generality to how environmental drivers operate at the level of ecological networks, which is encouraging for conservation. We searched the literature to collect ecological network datasets with at least eight observations per ecosystem (to allow for meaningful linear regressions), ensuring that these datasets were based on field observations rather than simulations. Network observations were coded as undirected adjacency matrices, where 0 and 1 indicated the absence or presence of an interaction, respectively. For each network observation, we recorded the number of species (S), the number of interactions (or links, L), and the composition of observed species and links. In cases where organisms were not identified at the species level, the term "species" referred to taxa. # Data and code from: Network theory predicts ecosystem robustness across environmental conditions Title: Network theory predicts ecosystem robustness across environmental conditions Authors: Germain Agazzi, Camille Carpentier, Olivia Bleeckx, and Frédérik De Laender Contact: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) ### Introduction In this paper, we reused datasets from previously published papers in the literature. The zip file "Datasets_NetworkPredictRobustnessEnvironmentalConditions" contains these datasets, which have been transformed from their original to fit to the format used in this study. All of these datasets are described in more detail in their original publications (references are in the following text). The "dataset" section summarizes them, and the "code" section explains the code. ### Dataset All datasets contain common columns: * A and B: names of the two interacting species (sometimes represented by codes) * inter: name of the interaction between A and B * category: category of the network (antagonistic or mutualistic) * partition: partition type of the network (unipartite or bipartite) All of them also contain other columns that are detailed below. File Alcantara (from Julio M. Alcántara and Pedro J. Rey. Linking Topological Structure and Dynamics in Ecological Networks. The American Naturalist, August 2012): * web: code for the web (location_code) * location: location name * code: treatment code File Chiu (from Chun-Huo Chiu, Anne Chao, Sebastian Vogel, Peter Kriegel, and Simon Thorn. Quantifying and estimating ecological network diversity based on incomplete sampling data. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 378(1881):20220183, May 2023): * plot: code referring to the plot * treatment: treatment abbreviation, "G" for naturally shaded, "N" for artificially shaded, and "O" for open * year: sampling year File David (from Jeanne David and Renate A. Wesselingh. Étude de la biodiversité des espaces vert gérés par l’UCLouvain sur le campus de Louvain-la-Neuve: type de gestion et réseaux plantes-pollinisateurs. Master thesis, Catholic university of Louvain La Neuve, 2023): * site: site name * gestion: gestion method, "Tonte" for mowing and "Fauche" for reaping * date: sampling month, 'Juin" for June "miJuillet" for "mid July" and "finJuillet" for "end July" File Guardiola (from Moisès Guardiola, Constanti Stefanescu, Ferran Roda, and Joan Pino. Do asynchronies in extinction debt affect the structure of trophic networks? A case study of antagonistic butterfly larvaeplant networks - Guardiola - 2018 - Oikos - Wiley Online Library. Oikos, November 2017): * web: Id of the web File Kemp (from Jurene E. Kemp, Darren M. Evans, Willem J. Augustyn, and Allan G. Ellis. Invariant antagonistic network structure despite high spatial and temporal turnover of interactions. Ecography, 40(11):1315–1324, 2017): * location: location name * date: season File Nielsen (from Anders Nielsen and Ørjan Totland. Structural properties of mutualistic networks withstand habitat degradation while species functional roles might change. Oikos, 123(3):323–333, 2014): * site: site code * web: ID web (site_state) * state: gestion state, "CC" for clear cut, "YF" for young forest, and "OGF" for old growth forest File Olito (from Colin Olito and Jeremy W. Fox. Species traits and abundances predict metrics of plant–pollinator network structure, but not pairwise interactions. Oikos, 124(4):428–436, 2015.): * tsect: transect code * jdate: sampling day * meter: altitude File Saavedra(from Serguei Saavedra, Simone Cenci, Ek Del-Kal, Karina Boege, and Rudolf P. Rohr. Reorganization of interaction networks modulates the persistence of species in late successional stages. Journal of Animal Ecology, May 2017): * state: successional state * location: location code * date: date code File Saravia (from Leonardo A. Saravia, Tomás I. Marina, Nadiah P. Kristensen, Marleen De Troch, and Fernando R. Momo. Ecological network assembly: How the regional metaweb influences local food webs. Journal of Animal Ecology, 91(3):630-642, 2022): * foodweb.name: web name * study.site: ecosystem name File VanderZee (from Els M. van der Zee, Christine Angelini, Laura L. Govers, Marjolijn J. A. Christianen, Andrew H. Altieri, Karin J. van der Reijden, Brian R. Silliman, Johan van de Koppel, Matthijs van der Geest, Jan A. van Gils, Henk W. van der Veer, Theunis Piersma, Peter C. de Ruiter, Han Olff, and Tjisse van der Heide. How habitat-modifying organisms structure the food web of two coastal ecosystems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283(1826):20152326, March 2016): * site: site code, "BdA" for Africa and "RI" for America * treatment: treatment code, "B" for bare ground, "C" for cobblestone, and "E" for colonized * plot: plot code File Welti (from Ellen A.R. Welti, Fan Qiu, Hannah M. Tetreault, Mark Ungener, John Blair, and Anthony Joern. Fire, grazing, and climate shape plant–grasshopper interactions in a tallgrass prairie. Functional Ecology, December 2018.): * year: sampling year * plot: plot code File Wood (from Spencer A. Wood, Roly Russell, Dieta Hanson, Richard J. Williams, and Jennifer A. Dunne. Effects of spatial scale of sampling on food web structure. Ecology and Evolution, 5(17):3769–3782, September 2015.): * WebID: web ID * WebScale: sampling scale, "Q" for quadrats, "L" for locales and "S" for sites ### Code The code (Code_NetworkPredictRobustnessEnvironmentalConditions.R) is run under R 4.4.2 with the Following packages: * reshape2 1.4.4 * tidyverse 2.0.0 * car 3.1-3 * arm 1.14-4 * rstatix 0.7.2 * fitdistrplus 1.2-1 * lme4 1.1-35.5 * ade4 1.7-22 * factoextra 1.0.7 * lmerTest 3.1-3 * MuMIn 1.48.4 * performance 0.12.4 * stringr 1.5.1 * vegan 2.6-8 * ggpmisc 0.6.1 * cowplot 1.1.3 * patchwork 1.3.0 * ggpubr 0.6.0 The code is divided into several parts: * setup: setup, importations, commands, and packages * analyses: individual analyses for each dataset * all: merging of all datasets and analyses * graphs: code for generating figures * Diff: beta diversity analyse
La mémoire censurée des habitants d'Ardres:les origines seigneuriales selon le chroniqueur Lambert (vers 1200)
Get PDFLa narration des origines de la seigneurie d’Ardres donnée par Lambert dans son Histoire des comtes de Guînes et des seigneurs d’Ardres a fasciné les historiens, qui ont voulu y reconnaître les traits caractéristiques de la formation des seigneuries castrales au XIe siècle et un fond légendaire commun aux récits de fondation dynastique. Ils n’en ont cependant pas fait une critique en règle. Or, une confrontation avec les écrits d’archive montre que Lambert s’est livré à un maquillage mémoriel en escamotant le souvenir de l’appartenance du premier sire d’Ardres, Arnoul Ier, à un large groupe de parenté implanté en différents lieux du comté de Guînes ; un souvenir bien vivant dans la mémoire collective des habitants d’Ardres, ouvertement dénigré par Lambert, mais corroboré dans ses grandes lignes par les sources diplomatiques. C’est sa vision dogmatique du lignage patrilinéaire qui a poussé Lambert à inventer de toutes pièces un passé de substitution (légende d’Adèle de Selnesse et de ses maris flamands) afin de déconnecter radicalement les sires d’Ardres de toute parenté périphérique
Original Sin and Infant Baptism
No full textThis chapter discusses original sin and infant baptism before the Pelagian controversy, in the writings of Augustine, Jerome and the Roman bishops, and of the main figures associated with Pelagianism (Caelestius, Pelagius, Julian). Although Augustine’s fully fledged concept is not found in earlier writers, an examination of their work sheds light on the roots on which it developed : the consequences of Adam’s sin are widely underlined by both Greek and Latin authors. Tertullian, Cyprian and Ambrose also discuss the idea of an inherited decayed state through procreation, and the latter two, as well as Origen, assert the necessity of baptising infants because of their sinful condition. The Pelagian controversy then opposed two different views on Adam’s sin : Augustine, later followed by Jerome and the Roman bishops, argued for the transmission of Adam’s sin through generations and understood the presence of this sin in infants as the rationale behind their baptism ; on the opposite end, Caelestius, Pelagius and Julian, albeit with different emphases and interpretations, accepted the practice of infant baptism but opposed the idea of inherited sin which they understood as an attack on free will and God’s justice
A Comparative Study on Decision-Making Mechanisms in a Site Selection Task
Get PDFIn swarm robotics, it is crucial for swarm members to reach a consensus on a single option from a set of alternatives to complete complex tasks autonomously. Typically, individual mechanisms underpinning such collective behaviour are designed using either hand-coded or automatic approaches. In this paper, we aim to compare the performance of robotic swarms controlled by mechanisms designed using both types of techniques in a site-selection task. The evaluated hand-coded mechanisms are based on the voter model and majority rule, while the automatic design approach involves an evolved dynamic neural network mechanism. The evaluation is conducted in a simulated environment that represents different operating conditions and swarm sizes and follows the same protocol for all decision-making mechanisms. The results reveal that the evolved neural network controller demonstrates better behavioural responses, including more accurate decision-making and increased resilience to varying environments and group sizes, compared to traditional hand-coded approaches.</p
AMPK protects proximal tubular epithelial cells from lysosomal dysfunction and dedifferentiation induced by lipotoxicity
Get PDFRenal proximal tubules are a primary site of injury in metabolic diseases. In obese patients and animal models, proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) display dysregulated lipid metabolism, organelle dysfunctions, and oxidative stress that contribute to interstitial inflammation, fibrosis and ultimatelyend-stage renal failure. Our research group previously pointed out AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) decline as a driver of obesity-induced renal disease. Because PTECs display high macroautophagic/autophagicactivity and rely heavily on their endo-lysosomal system, we investigated theeffect of lipid stress on autophagic flux and lysosomes in these cells. Using a model of highly differentiated primary PTECs challenged with palmitate, our data placed lysosomes at the cornerstone of the lipotoxic phenotype. As soon as 6 h after palmitate exposure, cells displayed impaired lysosomal acidification subsequently leading to autophagosome accumulation and activation oflysosomal biogenesis. We also showed the inability of lysosomal quality control to restore acidic pH which finally drove PTECs dedifferentiation. When palmitate-induced AMPK activity decline was prevented by AMPK activators, lysosomal acidification and the differentiation profile of PTECs were preserved. Our work provided key insights on the importance of lysosomes in PTECs homeostasis andlipotoxicity and demonstrated the potential of AMPK in protecting the organelle from lipid stress
Putting the European Parliament’s gender exceptionalism to the test:MEPs’ specialisation in masculine and feminine policy domains in parliamentary questions
No full textThe European Parliament is often presented as a success story regarding women’s representation. Yet, recent studies observe gendered patterns in parliamentary behaviour. This article contributes to this scholarship by studying gender differences in MEPs’ parliamentary behaviour on ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ policy domains. Analyzing 136,787 parliamentary questions over 25 years (1994-2019), the study reveals moderate gender differences in MEPs’ behaviour. Moreover, gender differences are influenced by seniority and women’s numerical presence in the European Parliament’s political groups. Gender-stereotypical policy foci are more pronounced among newcomers and disappear for experienced MEPs. In political groups with fewer women, seniority is key for women MEPs seeking engagement in masculine policy domains. Overall, our findings underscore the interplay between gender, seniority, and women’s presence in shaping MEPs’ parliamentary behaviour within the European Parliament’s gendered context.The European Parliament is often presented as a success story regarding women's representation. Yet, recent studies observe gendered patterns in parliamentary behaviour. This article contributes to this scholarship by studying gender differences in MEPs’ parliamentary behaviour on ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ policy domains. Analysing 136,787 parliamentary questions over 25 years (1994–2019), the study reveals moderate gender differences in MEPs’ behaviour. Moreover, gender differences are influenced by seniority and women's numerical presence in the European Parliament's political groups. Gender-stereotypical policy foci are more pronounced among newcomers and disappear for experienced MEPs. In political groups with fewer women, seniority is key for women MEPs seeking engagement in masculine policy domains. Overall, our findings underscore the interplay between gender, seniority, and women's presence in shaping MEPs’ parliamentary behaviour within the European Parliament’s gendered context.</p
Clinical and demographic factors determining patient fracture risk decision point (FRDP):The improving risk communication in osteoporosis (RICO) project
No full textSummary: This study aims to understand how osteoporosis medication acceptance varies across countries with differing guidance on treatment threshold and influence of clinical and demographic factors. A total of 79.2% accepted treatment at a fracture probability at or below the treatment threshold. Fracture history and age did not strongly impact acceptance, suggesting a need for improved fracture risk communication. Purpose: This part of the Improving Risk Communication in Osteoporosis (RICO) study aims to understand patients’ willingness to initiate osteoporosis treatment given a hypothetical fracture probability—derived from the FRAX® Risk Assessment Tool—and how age, fracture history, and numeric literacy may influence this. Methods: In 2022–2023, 332 postmenopausal women at risk of fracture were interviewed from nine countries to determine participants’ Fracture Risk Decision Point (FRDP), the lowest probability of major osteoporotic fracture at which they would accept an osteoporosis medication. Participants’ FRDP was evaluated given eight hypothetical 10-year FRAX scores. Results: In countries with FRAX-based treatment thresholds, over half of the participants per country reported an FRDP that was below the threshold. Collectively, 79.2% demonstrated FRDPs at or below their respective threshold. Age and fracture history did not have a strong influence on FRDP; however, those who demonstrated higher levels of numeric literacy reported a significantly higher median FRDP (10%) compared to those who showed lower levels (5%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Most patients were willing to accept an osteoporosis medication prescription at a hypothetical FRAX probability that was even lower than that of their nationally recommended treatment threshold. Literacy scores had a significant influence on FRDP whereas age and fracture history did not.</p
The Computational Learning of Construction Grammars:State of the Art and Prospective Roadmap
No full textThis paper documents and reviews the state of the art concerning computational models of construction grammar learning. It brings together prior work on the computational learning of form-meaning pairings, which has so far been studied in several distinct areas of research. The goal of this paper is threefold. First of all, it aims to synthesise the variety of methodologies that have been proposed to date and the results that have been obtained. Second, it aims to identify those parts of the challenge that have been successfully tackled and reveal those that require further research. Finally, it aims to provide a roadmap which can help to boost and streamline future research efforts on the computational learning of large-scale, usage-based construction grammars