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Nature in Silico: Population Genetic Simulation and its Evolutionary Interpretation Using C++ and R
by Ryan J. HaaslDramatic advances in computing power enable simulation of DNA sequences generated by complex microevolutionary scenarios that include mutation, population structure, natural selection, meiotic recombination, demographic change, and explicit spatial geographies. Although retrospective, coalescent simulation is computationally efficient—and covered here—the primary focus of this book is forward-in-time simulation, which frees us to simulate a wider variety of realistic microevolutionary models. The book walks the reader through the development of a forward-in-time evolutionary simulator dubbed FORward Time simUlatioN Application (FORTUNA). The capacity of FORTUNA grows with each chapter through the addition of a new evolutionary factor to its code. Each chapter also reviews the relevant theory and links simulation results to key evolutionary insights. The book addresses visualization of results through development of R code and reference to more than 100 figures. All code discussed in the book is freely available, which the reader may use directly or modify to better suit his or her own research needs. Advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional researchers will all benefit from this introduction to the increasingly important skill of population genetic simulation.
Nature-Inspired Intelligent Computing Techniques in Bioinformatics (Studies in Computational Intelligence #1066)
by Khalid RazaThis book encapsulates and occupies recent advances and state-of-the-art applications of nature-inspired computing (NIC) techniques in the field of bioinformatics and computational biology, which would aid medical sciences in various clinical applications. This edited volume covers fundamental applications, scope, and future perspectives of NIC techniques in bioinformatics including genomic profiling, gene expression data classification, DNA computation, systems and network biology, solving personalized therapy complications, antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens, and computer-aided drug design, discovery, and therapeutics. It also covers the role of NIC techniques in various diseases and disorders, including cancer detection and diagnosis, breast cancer, lung disorder detection, disease biomarkers, and potential therapeutics identifications.
Nature-Inspired Methods for Metaheuristics Optimization: Algorithms and Applications in Science and Engineering (Modeling and Optimization in Science and Technologies #16)
by Fouad Bennis Rajib Kumar BhattacharjyaThis book gathers together a set of chapters covering recent development in optimization methods that are inspired by nature. The first group of chapters describes in detail different meta-heuristic algorithms, and shows their applicability using some test or real-world problems. The second part of the book is especially focused on advanced applications and case studies. They span different engineering fields, including mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, and earth/environmental science, and covers topics such as robotics, water management, process optimization, among others. The book covers both basic concepts and advanced issues, offering a timely introduction to nature-inspired optimization method for newcomers and students, and a source of inspiration as well as important practical insights to engineers and researchers.
Nature-Inspired Optimization Methodologies in Biomedical and Healthcare (Intelligent Systems Reference Library #233)
by Janmenjoy Nayak Asit Kumar Das Bighnaraj Naik Saroj K. Meher Sheryl BrahnamThis book introduces a variety of well-proven and newly developed nature-inspired optimization algorithms solving a wide range of real-life biomedical and healthcare problems. Few solo and hybrid approaches are demonstrated in a lucid manner for the effective integration and finding solution for a large-scale complex healthcare problem. In the present bigdata-based computing scenario, nature-inspired optimization techniques present adaptive mechanisms that permit the understanding of complex data and altering environments. This book is a voluminous collection for the confront faced by the healthcare institutions and hospitals for practical analysis, storage, and data analysis. It explores the distinct nature-inspired optimization-based approaches that are able to handle more accurate outcomes for the current biomedical and healthcare problems. In addition to providing a state-of-the-art and advanced intelligent methods, it also enlightens an insight for solving diversified healthcare problems such as cancer and diabetes.
Nature-inspired Optimization of Type-2 Fuzzy Neural Hybrid Models for Classification in Medical Diagnosis (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Patricia Melin Ivette Miramontes German Prado ArechigaThis book describes the utilization of different soft computing techniques and their optimization for providing an accurate and efficient medical diagnosis. The proposed method provides a precise and timely diagnosis of the risk that a person has to develop a particular disease, but it can be adaptable to provide the diagnosis of different diseases. This book reflects the experimentation that was carried out, based on the different optimizations using bio-inspired algorithms (such as bird swarm algorithm, flower pollination algorithms, and others). In particular, the optimizations were carried out to design the fuzzy classifiers of the nocturnal blood pressure profile and heart rate level. In addition, to obtain the architecture that provides the best result, the neurons and the number of neurons per layers of the artificial neural networks used in the model are optimized. Furthermore, different tests were carried out with the complete optimized model. Another work that is presented in this book is the dynamic parameter adaptation of the bird swarm algorithm using fuzzy inference systems, with the aim of improving its performance. For this, different experiments are carried out, where mathematical functions and a monolithic neural network are optimized to compare the results obtained with the original algorithm. The book will be of interest for graduate students of engineering and medicine, as well as researchers and professors aiming at proposing and developing new intelligent models for medical diagnosis. In addition, it also will be of interest for people working on metaheuristic algorithms and their applications on medicine.
Nature-Inspired Structured Functional Surfaces: Design, Fabrication, Characterization, and Applications
by Zhiwu HanGives a comprehensive description on the biological model, basic physical models, fabrication/characterization of bioinspired materials and their functions.
Nature Law and Policy in Europe (Routledge Research in International Environmental Law)
by Andrew L. R. JacksonThis volume considers current and future challenges for nature law and policy in Europe. Following the Fitness Check evaluation of the Birds and Habitats Directives, in 2017 the EU adopted an Action Plan for nature, people and the economy to rapidly improve the Directives’ implementation and accelerate progress towards the EU's biodiversity targets for 2020. More recently, the EU has adopted a Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and proposed an EU Nature Restoration Law. This book makes a timely contribution by examining the current state of play in light of recent and historical developments, as well as the post-2020 nature law and policy landscape. While evidence suggests that Natura 2000 and the Habitats and Birds Directives have delivered conservation benefits for wildlife in Europe, biodiversity loss continues apace. The book reviews the requirements for an effective international nature conservation system, with reference to the Birds and Habitats Directives. It examines regulatory regimes, current legal issues in the fields of site protection and species protection, the protection of areas outside Natura 2000, recent developments in the EU and the UK, including the implications of Brexit, agriculture and nature conservation, litigation, science and access to justice. Written by leading experts in the field, from a range of stakeholder groups, the volume draws on diverse experiences as well as providing interdisciplinary perspectives. This volume will be essential reading for students, scholars, practitioners, NGOs and policy-makers interested in European environmental policy and law, including for example lawyers, ecologists, environmental scientists, political scientists, natural resource managers, planners and civil servants.
Nature (Merit Badge Series)
by Boy Scouts of AmericaThis book takes the reader to a world of nature to learn about Wildlife Communities, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians, Insects and Spiders, Fish, Mollusks and Crustaceans, Plants, Soil and Rocks.
The Nature-Nurture Debates
by Dale GoldhaberHow is it possible that in more than one hundred years, the nature-nurture debate has not come to a satisfactory resolution? The problem, Dale Goldhaber argues, lies not with the proposed answers, but with the question itself. In The Nature-Nurture Debate, Goldhaber reviews the four major perspectives on the issue - behavior genetics, environment, evolutionary psychology and developmental systems theory - and shows that the classic, reductionist strategies (behavior genetics and environmental approaches) are incapable of resolving the issue because they each offer a false perspective on the process of human development. It is only through a synthesis of the two holistic perspectives of evolutionary psychology and developmental systems theory that we will be able to understand the nature of human behavior.
The Nature of Being Human: From Environmentalism to Consciousness
by Harold FrommAlthough the physical relationship between the natural world and individuals is quantifiable, the psychosocial effect of the former on the latter is often less tangible. What, for instance, is the connection between the environment in which we live and our creativity? How is our consciousness bounded and delimited by our materiality? And from whence does our idea of self and our belief in free will derive and when do our surroundings challenge these basic assumptions? Ecocritic Harold Fromm's challenging exploration of these and related questions twines his own physical experiences and observations with insights gathered from both the humanities and the sciences. Writing broadly and personally, Fromm explores our views of nature and how we write about it. He ties together ecology, evolutionary psychology, and consciousness studies to show that our perceived separation from our surroundings is an illusory construct. He argues for a naturalistic vision of creativity, free will, and the literary arts unimpeded by common academic and professional restraints. At each point of this intellectual journey, Fromm is honest, engaging, and unsparing.Philosophical, critical, often personal, Fromm's sweeping, interdisciplinary, and sometimes combative essays will change the way you think about your place in the environment.
The Nature Of Classification
by John S. Wilkins Malte C. EbachDiscussing the generally ignored issue of the classification of natural objects in the philosophy of science, this book focuses on knowledge and social relations, and offers a way to understand classification as a necessary aspect of doing science.
The Nature of Culture
by Miriam N. Haidle Nicholas J. Conard Michael BolusThis volume introduces a model of the expansion of cultural capacity as a systemic approach with biological, historical and individual dimensions. It is contrasted with existing approaches from primatology and behavioural ecology; influential factors like differences in life history and demography are discussed; and the different stages of the development of cultural capacity in human evolution are traced in the archaeological record. The volume provides a synthetic view on a) the different factors and mechanisms of cultural development, and b) expansions of cultural capacities in human evolution beyond the capacities observed in animal culture so far. It is an important topic because only a volume of contributions from different disciplines can yield the necessary breadth to discuss the complex subject. The model introduced and discussed originates in the naturalist context and tries to open the discussion to some culturalist aspects, thus the publication in a series with archaeological and biological emphasis is apt. As a new development the synthetic model of expansion of cultural capacity is introduced and discussed in a broad perspective.
The Nature of Diversity: An Evolutionary Voyage of Discovery
by Daniel R. BrooksAll living things on earth—from individual species to entire ecosystems—have evolved through time, and evolution is the acknowledged framework of modern biology. Yet many areas of biology have moved from a focus on evolution to much narrower perspectives. Daniel R. Brooks and Deborah A. McLennan argue that it is impossible to comprehend the nature of life on earth unless evolution—the history of organisms—is restored to a central position in research. They demonstrate how the phylogenetic approach can be integrated with ecological and behavioral studies to produce a richer and more complete picture of evolution. Clearly setting out the conceptual, methodological, and empirical foundations of their research program, Brooks and McLennan show how scientists can use it to unravel the evolutionary history of virtually any characteristic of any living thing, from behaviors to ecosystems. They illustrate and test their approach with examples drawn from a wide variety of species and habitats. The Nature of Diversity provides a powerful new tool for understanding, documenting, and preserving the world's biodiversity. It is an essential book for biologists working in evolution, ecology, behavior, conservation, and systematics. The argument in The Nature of Diversity greatly expands upon and refines the arguments made in the authors' previous book Phylogeny, Ecology, and Behavior.
The Nature of Fear: Survival Lessons From The Wild
by Daniel T. BlumsteinA leading expert in animal behavior takes us into the wild to better understand and manage our fears.Fear, honed by millions of years of natural selection, kept our ancestors alive. Whether by slithering away, curling up in a ball, or standing still in the presence of a predator, humans and other animals have evolved complex behaviors in order to survive the hazards the world presents. But, despite our evolutionary endurance, we still have much to learn about how to manage our response to danger.For more than thirty years, Daniel Blumstein has been studying animals’ fear responses. His observations lead to a firm conclusion: fear preserves security, but at great cost. A foraging flock of birds expends valuable energy by quickly taking flight when a raptor appears. And though the birds might successfully escape, they leave their food source behind. Giant clams protect their valuable tissue by retracting their mantles and closing their shells when a shadow passes overhead, but then they are unable to photosynthesize, losing the capacity to grow. Among humans, fear is often an understandable and justifiable response to sources of threat, but it can exact a high toll on health and productivity.Delving into the evolutionary origins and ecological contexts of fear across species, The Nature of Fear considers what we can learn from our fellow animals—from successes and failures. By observing how animals leverage alarm to their advantage, we can develop new strategies for facing risks without panic.
The Nature of Geomorphological Hazards in the Nepal Himalaya (Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction)
by Jan Kalvoda Eva NovotnáThe book offers a wide range of research topics that are addressed with the aim of contributing to the knowledge of geomorphological hazards in the Himalaya. It is emphasized the integration of climate-driven morphogenetic and tectonic processes in the Nepal Himalaya as a substantial phenomenon of active collisional orogeny. The extreme dynamics of landform evolution in the Himalayan terranes triggers severe natural hazards and risks. Interdisciplinary research of geomorphological processes and events related to natural hazards in the Nepal Himalaya follows general efforts to reduce geoenvironmental disasters. Visual documentation is of particular importance in the conception of the book, which is intended for specialized researchers as well as students.
The Nature of Horses: Exploring Equine Evolution, Intelligence, and Behavior
by Stephen BudianskyA scientific look at the origins, behavior, intelligence and language of the horse, based on cutting-edge research on horses' vision, biology and movement. Horses have a shared history with man going back millennia to their domestication around 4000 B. C. Yet only in very recent years have scientists begun to turn the tools of modern science on this remarkable animal that has been so wrapped up in human dreams and legends. Now modern scientific research is beginning to explain long-standing mysteries about the true nature of the horse. How well can horses really see? What causes breakdowns in racehorses? How intelligent are they compared to other animals, and are some breeds smarter than others? Does nature or nurture matter more in creating a great sport horse? What causes cribbing and other vices? In this beautifully illustrated, compelling narrative, Budiansky tells the story of the origins, behavior, intelligence and language of the horse. For the first time, horse lovers will have access to cutting-edge research on topics of interest including new information on horse vision, horse biology and movement. Introducing the latest archeological findings, Budiansky presents a fascinating discussion of how the horse evolved as well as a dramatic and provocative history of man's use and abuse of the horse from prehistoric times to today. In a revealing chapter on horse intelligence, he debunks the commonly held belief that horses are stupid and also presents compelling new scientific information on horse language which will greatly benefit the horse rider and trainer. Finally, drawing together the latest research on horse physiology, genetics and biomechanics, Budiansky asks the million dollar question -- what makes for a winning racehorse? Anyone who loves horses will find this an invaluable resource as well as a fascinating read.
The Nature of Human Creativity
by Robert J. Sternberg James C. KaufmanThis book provides an overview of the approaches of leading scholars to understanding the nature of creativity, its measurement, its investigation, its development, and its importance to society. <P><P>The authors are the twenty-four psychological scientists who are most frequently cited in the four major textbooks on creativity, and they can thus be considered among the most eminent living scholars in the field. <P>Authors discuss how they define creativity, the kinds of questions they have addressed, theories they have proposed, and a description of their research and the most interesting empirical results it has produced. The chapters represent a wide range of substantive and methodological emphases, including psychometric, cognitive, expertise-based, developmental, neuropsychological, cultural, systems, and group-difference approaches. <P>The Nature of Human Creativity brings together an incredible diversity of viewpoints, helping students and researchers to see the points of consensus as well as the differences in contemporary perspectives.<P>The authors are the most commonly cited in the major texts in the field, allowing readers to learn from the research of the leaders in the field.<P> Each chapter author answers a standardized list of questions, making the volume easy to navigate.<P> A wide variety of approaches to human creativity are presented, helping readers to see the points of consensus and differences in perspective within the field.
The Nature of Life: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives from Philosophy and Science
by Mark A. Bedau Carol E. Cleland"Bringing together the latest scientific advances and some of the most enduring subtle philosophical puzzles and problems, this book collects original historical and contemporary sources to explore the wide range of issues surrounding the nature of life. Selections ranging from Aristotle and Descartes to Sagan and Dawkins are organised around four broad themes covering classical discussions of life, the origins and extent of natural life, contemporary artificial life creations and the definition and meaning of 'life' in its most general form. Each section is preceded by an extensive introduction connecting the various ideas discussed in individual chapters and providing helpful background material for understanding them. With its interdisciplinary perspective, this fascinating collection is essential reading for scientists and philosophers interested in astrobiology, synthetic biology and the philosophy of life"--
The Nature of Life: Readings in Biology
by Nancy Carr Joseph Coulson Mike Levine Gary Schoepfel Donald Whitfield Mark StefanskiHow did life begin? How is it changing? How do we understand our place in the world in relation to other living beings? The Nature of Life: Readings in Biology encourages inquiry-based discussion of scientific writings that attempt to answer universal questions about the nature of life. The anthology includes 19 selections written by major scientists and questions designed to spark lively shared inquiry discussion. This anthology is ideal for students and adult readers interested in developing a deeper understanding of the life sciences. Selections from: Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Claude Bernard, Rachel Carson, Paul Colinvaux, Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins, Loren Eiseley, Stephen Jay Gould, Konrad Lorenz, Lucretius, Lynn Margulis, Gregor Mendel, James D. Watson, and Edward O. Wilson.
The Nature of Life (Routledge Revivals: Selected Works of C. H. Waddington)
by C. H. WaddingtonFirst published in 1961, this book explains the main trends and problems in modern biological thought, at that time. It was based on lectures presented at the University College of the West Indies, Jamaica, in 1960 to members from different faculties and is therefore an accessible guide for all to the subject.
The Nature of Life and Death: Every Body Leaves a Trace
by Patricia WiltshireA riveting blend of science writing and true-crime narrative that explores the valuable but often shocking interface between crime and nature--and the secrets each can reveal about the other--from a pioneer in forensic ecology and a trailblazing female scientist.From mud tracks on a quiet country road to dirt specks on the soles of walking boots, forensic ecologist Patricia Wiltshire uses her decades of scientific expertise to find often-overlooked clues left behind by criminal activity. She detects evidence and eliminates hypotheses armed with little more than a microscope, eventually developing a compelling thesis of the who, what, how, and when of a crime. Wiltshire's remarkable accuracy has made her one of the most in-demand police consultants in the world, and her curiosity, humility, and passion for the truth have guided her every step of the way.A riveting blend of science writing and true-crime narrative, The Nature of Life and Death details Wiltshire's unique journey from college professor to crime fighter: solving murders, locating corpses, and exonerating the falsely accused. Along the way, she introduces us to the unseen world all around us and underneath our feet: plants, animals, pollen, spores, fungi, and microbes that we move through every day. Her story is a testament to the power of persistence and reveals how our relationship with the vast natural world reaches far deeper than we might think.
The Nature of Life and Its Potential to Survive
by David S. StevensonThis book looks at the persistence of life and how difficult it would be to annihilate life, especially a species as successful as humanity. The idea that life in general is fragile is challenged by the hardiness of microbes, which shows that astrobiology on exoplanets and other satellites must be robust and plentiful. Microbes have adapted to virtually every niche on the planet, from the deep, hot biosphere, to the frigid heights of the upper troposphere. Life, it seems, is almost indestructible. The chapters in this work examine the various scenarios that might lead to the extermination of life, and why they will almost always fail. Life's highly adaptive nature ensures that it will cling on no matter how difficult the circumstances. Scientists are increasingly probing and questioning life's true limits in, on and above the Earth, and how these limits could be pushed elsewhere in the universe. This investigation puts life in its true astronomical context, with the reader taken on a journey to illustrate life's potential and perseverance.
The Nature of Light: What is a Photon? (Optical Science and Engineering)
by AntonioFocusing on the unresolved debate between Newton and Huygens from 300 years ago, The Nature of Light: What is a Photon? discusses the reality behind enigmatic photons. It explores the fundamental issues pertaining to light that still exist today. Gathering contributions from globally recognized specialists in electrodynamics and quantum optics, the book begins by clearly presenting the mainstream view of the nature of light and photons. It then provides a new and challenging scientific epistemology that explains how to overcome the prevailing paradoxes and confusions arising from the accepted definition of a photon as a monochromatic Fourier mode of the vacuum. The book concludes with an array of experiments that demonstrate the innovative thinking needed to examine the wave-particle duality of photons. Looking at photons from both mainstream and out-of-box viewpoints, this volume is sure to inspire the next generation of quantum optics scientists and engineers to go beyond the Copenhagen interpretation and formulate new conceptual ideas about light–matter interactions and substantiate them through inventive applications.
The Nature of Light and Colour in the Open Air
by M. MinnaertRainbows, mirages, multiple moons, black snow, colored shadows, irridescent clouds, halos, green surf, and hundreds of other natural phenomena are clearly and simply explained in this unique book by Professor Minnaert of the University of Utrecht. Written with complete lucidity, it is a book not only for astronomers, physicists, and geographers, but also for artists and photographers and for anyone else who would like to know more about how to observe and understand the strange behavior of light and color in nature.The author shows just how, when, and under what conditions to observe the fata morgana (a complex mirage in the form of a city in the sky), the scintillation of stars and planets, apparent motion in shadows and objects due to air currents, color changes due to refraction and reflection, illusions of motion and direction, effects of rapidly moving spokes, the changes in color and light due to eclipses of the sun and moon, magnificent colors on a frozen window pane, or an extended body of water, the deceptive appearance of objects beneath the surface of water, and many other such phenomena.The theory explaining most of these effects is given in ordinary language only occasionally supplemented by elementary mathematical demonstrations. In addition, Professor Minnaert has included 202 illustrations (including 42 photographs) covering practically every phenomenon discussed. These illustrations make hundreds of details explicit so that you can identify them at sight and try the experiments outlined.
The Nature of Mathematics
by Philip E. JourdainAnyone with an interest in mathematics will welcome the republication of this little volume by a remarkable mathematician who was also a logician, a philosopher, and an occasional writer of fiction and poetry. Originally published in 1913, and later included in the acclaimed anthology The World of Mathematics, Jourdain's survey shows how and why the methods of mathematics were developed, traces the development of mathematical science from the earliest to modern times, and chronicles the application of mathematics to natural science.Starting with the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, the author profiles mathematics' rise and progress with the development of analytical methods by Descartes, Galileo, Newton, Leibnitz, and others. The text focuses on principles rather than techniques, exploring the foundations of algebra, analytical geometry, and the method of indivisibles. It discusses the beginnings of the correlation of mathematics and natural science in the study of dynamics as well as the emergence of modern mathematics with the infinitesimal calculus. Additional topics include contemporary views of limits and numbers and a brief summation of the nature of mathematics.