1,721,026 research outputs found
Is the contribution of Mathematical Models to Biology limited to supply correct predictions?
No full textAbstract: Two simple mathematical models of Population Genetics are introduced to master students in Biology. The first model shows that, in asexual populations, frequency independent selection alone cannot explain the maintenance of polymorphisms. In the second we see that, with the introduction
of sexual reproduction, natural selection may allow a stable polymorphism, at least in large populations. A necessary and sufficient condition for it, in the case of two alleles on one locus, is heterozygote advantage. The result is applied to the case of sickle-cell anemia, where a polymorphism is apparently maintained without heterozygote advantage. This example underlines how the contribution of a mathematical model to Biology is not only in supplying correct quantitative
predictions, but also in forcing to reconsider the assumptions, hence the entire view of a situation, when the predictions do not fit reality
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Balancing Energy Saving and QoS in the Mobile Internet: an Application-Independent Approach
No full textAppropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Towards a Novel Transport Protocol for Ad Hoc Networks
Full text linkAbstract. The TCP protocol exhibits poor performance in multi-hop Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs). The ultimate reason for this is that MANETs behave in a significantly different way from traditional wired networks (like the Internet) for which the TCP protocol was originally designed. In particular, route failures and route changes due to node mobility may be frequent events in MANETs. Furthermore, congestion phenomena in MANETs are essentially different from traditional wired networks. In this paper we propose a novel transport protocol for MANETs. Unlike other proposals, our protocol is not a modification of the TCP but is specifically tailored to the characteristics of the MANET environment. It is able to manage efficiently route changes and route failures. Furthermore, it includes a completely re-designed congestion control mechanism. Finally, it is designed in such a way to reduce as much as possible the number of useless retransmissions. This is extremely important since retransmissions consume energy
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