Divergence Analysis Research Articles

Latitudinal variation and plasticity in response to temperature in Geukensia demissa.

As global temperatures warm, species must adapt to a changing climate or transition to a different location suitable for their survival. Understanding the extent to which species are able to do so, particularly keystone species, is imperative to ensuring the survival of key ecosystems. The ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa is an integral part of salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of North America. Spatial patterns of genomic and phenotypic divergence have been previously documented, although their link with coastal environmental variation is unknown. Here, we study how populations of G. demissa in the northern (Massachusetts) and southern (Georgia) portions of the species range respond to changes in temperature. We combine assays of variation in oxygen consumption and RNA transcriptomic data with genomic divergence analyses to identify how separate populations of G. demissa may vary in distinct thermal environments. Our results show differences in constitutive oxygen consumption between mussels from Georgia and Massachusetts, as well as shared and disparate patterns of gene expression across temperature profiles. We also find that metabolic genes seem to be a strong component of divergence between these two populations. Our analysis highlights the importance of studying integrative patterns of genomic and phenotypic variation in species that are key for particular ecosystems, and how they might respond to further changes in climate.

Plastome evolution and phylogeny of the tribe Ruteae (Rutaceae).

Rutaceae is a large family, and the genus-level classification in the subfamilies or tribes of this family is not unified based on different taxonomic treatments. Until now, phylogenetic relationships of some genera in traditional tribe Ruteae have not been clearly resolved. In this study, seven new complete plastomes of this tribe were sequenced, and a comparative analysis was performed to investigate their plastome characteristics and evolution. In addition, we inferred the phylogenetic relationships of Ruteae based on complete plastome and nuclear ITS data. All plastomes exhibited a typical quadripartite structure and were relatively conserved in their structure and gene arrangement. Their genome sizes ranged from 154,656 bp to 160,677 bp, and the size variation was found to be associated with differences in IR expansion and gene loss. A total of 112 to 114 genes were identified in the genomes, including 78 to 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 2 pseudogenes. Sequence divergence analysis indicated that non-coding regions exhibited a higher percentage of variable characters, and nine non-coding and six coding regions were identified as divergent hotspots. Phylogenetic results based on different datasets showed that this tribe was divided into three reciprocally exclusive groups. The phylogenetic analyses between plastome and nuclear ITS data were partly incongruent with each other. This study provides new insights into plastome evolution of Ruteae as well as Rutaceae. The availability of these plastomes provides useful genomic resources for molecular DNA barcodes and phylogenetically informative markers and deepens our understanding of the phylogeny in Ruteae.

A model proposal for measuring service quality of eduaction with fuzzy rule-based approach and fuzzy ranking and an application

In today’s understanding, the universities are considered as service providers besides their institutional functions. Because the universities shape the future of the country via the services they provide, it is a necessity that their service quality must be assessed by using scientific analyses, and their service quality must be improved based on such scientific findings. The Generation Z, whose members are currently receiving university education carries unique features that distinguish them from the previous generations. When this fact is considered, it is understood that the constant research and monitoring of the learning environment of the Generation Z is important. In this study, as a result of a detailed literature search, a scale consisting of 7 dimensions and 36 indicators was developed in order to measure the higher education service quality of the Z generation. The validity and reliability tests of this scale are completed via the convergent and divergent validity analyses, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Because the answers provided to the surveys reflect the personal evaluation of the participants, the Fuzzy Logic is employed, and the study is conducted by using the fuzzy modelling and fuzzy ranking. As a result of this study, the General Satisfaction Index is created, and improving recommendations are carried out based on the scores.

Molecular evolution and population genetics of glutamate decarboxylase acid resistance pathway in lactic acid bacteria.

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) pathway (GDP) is a major acid resistance mechanism enabling microorganisms' survival in low pH environments. We aimed to study the molecular evolution and population genetics of GDP in Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) to understand evolutionary processes shaping adaptation to acidic environments comparing species where the GDP genes are organized in an operon structure (Levilactobacillus brevis) versus lack of an operon structure (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum). Within species molecular population genetic analyses of GDP genes in L. brevis and L. plantarum sampled from diverse fermented food and other environments showed abundant synonymous and non-synonymous nucleotide diversity, mostly driven by low frequency changes, distributed throughout the coding regions for all genes in both species. GAD genes showed higher level of replacement polymorphism compared to transporter genes (gadC and YjeM) for both species, and GAD genes that are outside of an operon structure showed even higher level of replacement polymorphism. Population genetic tests suggest negative selection against replacement changes in all genes. Molecular structure and amino acid characteristics analyses showed that in none of the GDP genes replacement changes alter 3D structure or charge distribution supporting negative selection against non-conservative amino acid changes. Phylogenetic and between species divergence analyses suggested adaptive protein evolution on GDP genes comparing phylogenetically distant species, but conservative evolution comparing closely related species. GDP genes within an operon structure showed slower molecular evolution and higher conservation. All GAD and transporter genes showed high codon usage bias in examined LAB species suggesting high expression and utilization of acid resistance genes. Substantial discordances between species, GAD, and transporter gene tree topologies were observed suggesting molecular evolution of GDP genes do not follow speciation events. Distribution of operon structure on the species tree suggested multiple independent gain or loss of operon structure in LABs. In conclusion, GDP genes in LABs exhibit a dynamic molecular evolutionary history shaped by gene loss, gene transfer, negative and positive selection to maintain its active role in acid resistance mechanism, and enable organisms to thrive in acidic environments.

Relationship between fruit phenotypes and domestication in hexaploid populations of biribá (Annona mucosa) in Brazilian Amazonia.

Biribá (Annona mucosa Jacq.) is a fruit tree domesticated in Amazonia and has polyploid populations. The species presents ample phenotypic variation in fruit characteristics, including weight (100-4,000 g) and differences in carpel protrusions. Two cytotypes are recorded in the literature (2n = 28, 42) and genome size records are divergent (2C = 4.77, 5.42 and 6.00 pg). To decipher the role of polyploidy in the domestication of A. mucosa, we examined the relationships among phenotypic variation, chromosome number and genome size, and which came first, polyploidization or domestication. We performed chromosome counts of A. mucosa from central and western Brazilian Amazonia, and estimated genome size by flow cytometry. We performed phylogenetic reconstruction with publicly available data using a Bayesian framework, time divergence analysis and reconstructed the ancestral chromosome number for the genus Annona and for A. mucosa. We observed that variation in fruit phenotypes is not associated with variation in chromosome number and genome size. The most recent common ancestor of A. mucosa is inferred to be polyploid and diverged before domestication. We conclude that, when domesticated, A. mucosa was already polyploid and we suggest that human selection is the main evolutionary force behind fruit size and fruit morphological variation in Annona mucosa.

Why and how do Y chromosome stop recombining?

Why and how do Y chromosome stop recombining?

Complete chloroplast genomes provide insights into evolution and phylogeny of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae)

BackgroundThe genus Zingiber of the Zingiberaceae is distributed in tropical, subtropical, and in Far East Asia. This genus contains about 100–150 species, with many species valued as important agricultural, medicinal and horticultural resources. However, genomic resources and suitable molecular markers for species identification are currently sparse.ResultsWe conducted comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses on Zingiber species. The Zingiber chloroplast genome (size range 162,507–163,711 bp) possess typical quadripartite structures that consist of a large single copy (LSC, 86,986–88,200 bp), a small single copy (SSC, 15,498–15,891 bp) and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 29,765–29,934 bp). The genomes contain 113 unique genes, including 79 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA and 4 rRNA genes. The genome structures, gene contents, amino acid frequencies, codon usage patterns, RNA editing sites, simple sequence repeats and long repeats are conservative in the genomes of Zingiber. The analysis of sequence divergence indicates that the following genes undergo positive selection (ccsA, ndhA, ndhB, petD, psbA, psbB, psbC, rbcL, rpl12, rpl20, rpl23, rpl33, rpoC2, rps7, rps12 and ycf3). Eight highly variable regions are identified including seven intergenic regions (petA-pabJ, rbcL-accD, rpl32-trnL-UAG, rps16-trnQ-UUG, trnC-GCA-psbM, psbC-trnS-UGA and ndhF-rpl32) and one genic regions (ycf1). The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the sect. Zingiber was sister to sect. Cryptanthium rather than sect. Pleuranthesis.ConclusionsThis study reports 14 complete chloroplast genomes of Zingiber species. Overall, this study provided a solid backbone phylogeny of Zingiber. The polymorphisms we have uncovered in the sequencing of the genome offer a rare possibility (for Zingiber) of the generation of DNA markers. These results provide a foundation for future studies that seek to understand the molecular evolutionary dynamics or individual population variation in the genus Zingiber.

Genetic basis underlying Lassa fever endemics in the Mano River region, West Africa

Lassa fever (LF), a haemorrhagic fever disease caused by Lassa virus (LASV), is a serious public health burden in West Africa. The Mano River region (Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire) has been an endemic focus of the disease over the past decades. Here, we deciphered the genetic basis underlying LF endemics in this region. Clade model and type I functional divergence analyses revealed that the major LASV group, Kenema sub-clade, which is currently circulating in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, has been affected by different selective pressure compared to isolates from the other areas with effects on the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L protein) and probably nucleoprotein (NP). Further, contingency analysis showed that, in the early endemic, the sub-clade has undergone adaptive diversification via acceleration of amino acid substitutions in L protein. These findings highlight the key viral factor and local adaptation regarding the endemicity of LF.

Identification of a novel porcine Teschovirus 2 strain as causative agent of encephalomyelitis in suckling piglets with high mortality in China

BackgroundPorcine Teschovirus (PTV), also named Teschovirus A, is prevalent in pig populations, mainly causing neurological symptoms, diarrhea, pneumonia, and reproductive failure, however the morbidity and mortality are usually low in pig farms.Case presentationIn this study, we reported a PTV outbreak investigation in one large-scale pig farm in China with severe symptoms including diarrhea, lethargy, locomotor ataxia, nystagmus, paralysis of the hind limbs, and coma in piglets. More importantly, the mortality reached 38% in suckling pigs, which is remarkably high in PTV history. A novel PTV strain, named HeNZ1, was isolated from cerebral samples of one suckling pig and the genome sequence was obtained by NGS sequencing. Phylogenetic and evolutionary divergence analyses revealed that HeNZ1 belongs to PTV genotype 2. Surprisingly, the VP1 coding region of HeNZ1 shares the highest sequence similarity with European PTV-2 strains, instead of China domestic PTV-2 strains, implying it may not derive from China local PTV-2 strains. Multiple sequence alignment and B cell epitope prediction of PTV VP1 and VP2 protein revealed 10 B cell epitopes, 5 mutant clusters and 36 unique mutation sites, of which 19 unique mutation sites are located in B cell epitopes and exposed on the surface of VP1 or VP2, implying significant antigenic drift potential of HeNZ1.ConclusionThese results indicate that HeNZ1 is a highly virulent PTV-2 strain, which capable of causing severe neurological symptoms and high mortality in piglets. Bioinformatic analysis suggest that HeNZ1 is genetically and antigenically different from other Chinese PTV-2 strains. Overall, current case expanded our understanding of PTV-2 clinical spectrum and revealed the emergence of a highly virulent PTV-2 strain with substantial genetic diversity and antigenic drift potential in VP1 and VP2.

Turkish Adaptation and Validation of Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire Parent Form.

Behavioral inhibition has been proposed as a temperamental risk factor for the development of childhood anxiety disorders universally; however, there is no validated instrument for, especially, its evaluation in Turkish children. This study aimed to examine reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire parent form for children aged 3-7 years. Around 250 mothers or fathers of 3-7 years old children were recruited from non-clinical population to collect responses to the questionnaires. The sample was created by reaching 3 schools at preschool or elementary grade for the purpose of providing the questionnaires filled about the student and/or his/her little sisters and brothers by their parents; questionnaires were sent out to parents and then gathered. Parents were asked to fill sociodemographic data form, Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire parent form, Children Behavior Questionnaire, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionaire parent form in order to perform convergent and divergent validity analyses. As a result of reliability analysis, total Cronbach alpha coefficient for Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire was determined as 0.92 with strong reliability. The internal consistency coefficients for Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire subscales also showed strong reliability with alphas ranging between 0.81 and 0.87 except for the performance (α = 0.69) and physical challenges (α = 0.19) subscales of which some items were excluded due to item-total correlations and confirmatory factor analysis results. In the validity assessment analyses, confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire has a construct validity with 5 factors loaded on the 2-second order main factors and one third-order final factor (root mean square error = 0.032, root mean square residual = 0.153, Comparative Fit Index = 0.978, Goodness of Fit İndex = 0.915, and Turker-Lewis Index = 0.970). While the strongest correlations with the overall Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire score were found for 2 main subscales, inhibition to social novelties (r = 0.926, P < .001) and situational novelties (r = 0.928, P < .001), similarly peers (r = 0.848, P < .001) and new situations (r = 0.898, P < .001) subscales, had strong correlations with the overall Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire score. The weakest correlation with overall Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire score was observed for physical challenges subscale even though this subscale displayed moderate association (r = 0.454, P < .001). A good convergent validity was determined accompanied by significant moderate positive correlations with Children Behavior Questionnaire shyness and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire internalizing scales. An adequate divergent validity was also demonstrated based on significant positive mild to moderate correlations with Children Behavior Questionnaire impulsivity, Children Behavior Questionnaire smiling/laugh, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire prosocial scales, and non-significant correlation with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire externalizing scale. The study demonstrated that the Turkish version of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire parent form is an effective tool with good reliability and validity among 3-7 years old children.

The independent and impartial judge as the sole issuing “judicial authority” of the European arrest warrant versus the public prosecutor´s office - A divergent analysis vis-à-vis the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

The independent and impartial judge as the sole issuing “judicial authority” of the European arrest warrant versus the public prosecutor´s office - A divergent analysis vis-à-vis the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

112 - Analysis of the Beam Divergence and Collimation of Light-Curing Units

112 - Analysis of the Beam Divergence and Collimation of Light-Curing Units

Franz Neumann and Ernst Fraenkel on the Liberal Democratic Constitutional Project

I want to explore a tension in Anna Saunders's rich argument because it confronts much scholarship critical of what we can think of as the liberal democratic constitutional project (LDCP), and which has its roots in debates in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries sparked by the Marxist critique of capitalism. The tension is between the following two claims that she makes in her article, “Constitution-Making as a Technique of International Law: Reconsidering the Post-war Inheritance.” First, LDCP focuses on the formal dimension of institutional design and thereby fails to pay attention to a significant dimension of a constitutional order: its material basis. In this case, the remedy might seem simple: “Pay attention!” The second claim, however, is that the formal structure of LDCP is formal in name only. It has its own material basis in the ideology of neoliberalism. If, then, one is concerned as Saunders is about a material basis that reproduces social inequality and economic exploitation, the remedy is to abandon LDCP. My exploration is through Saunders's attention to the divergent analyses of the Nazi state set out by Franz Neumann and Ernst Fraenkel in the 1930s as the launching pad for her investigation of the structure of thought that underpins LDCP and her suggestion that Fraenkel is responsible for the juridical turn in LDCP. I start with some biography, in part inspired by the way in which Saunders weaves the personal and the political into her narrative. It helps to show that the turn is not in itself problematic and, as I conclude, that material questions need to be posed and answered within the framework of a well-designed constitutional order.

Functional Characterization of the Cystine-Rich-Receptor-like Kinases (CRKs) and Their Expression Response to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Abiotic Stresses in Brassica napus.

Cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) are transmembrane proteins that bind to the calcium ion to regulate stress-signaling and plant development-related pathways, as indicated by several pieces of evidence. However, the CRK gene family hasn't been inadequately examined in Brassica napus. In our study, 27 members of the CRK gene family were identified in Brassica napus, which are categorized into three phylogenetic groups and display synteny relationship to the Arabidopsis thaliana orthologs. All the CRK genes contain highly conserved N-terminal PKINASE domain; however, the distribution of motifs and gene structure were variable conserved. The functional divergence analysis between BnaCRK groups indicates a shift in evolutionary rate after duplication events, demonstrating that BnaCRKs might direct a specific function. RNA-Seq datasets and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) exhibit the complex expression profile of the BnaCRKs in plant tissues under multiple stresses. Nevertheless, BnaA06CRK6-1 and BnaA08CRK8 from group B were perceived to play a predominant role in the Brassica napus stress signaling pathway in response to drought, salinity, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection. Insights gained from this study improve our knowledge about the Brassica napus&amp;nbsp;CRK gene family and provide a basis for enhancing the quality of rapeseed.

Origin and evolutionary history of Populus (Salicaceae): Further insights based on time divergence and biogeographic analysis.

Populus (Salicaceae) species harbour rich biodiversity and are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. However, the origin and biogeography of Populus remain poorly understood. We infer the divergence times and the historical biogeography of the genus Populus through phylogenetic analysis of 34 chloroplast fragments based on a large sample. Eurasia is the likely location of the early divergences of Salicaceae after the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction, followed by recurrent spread to the remainder of the Old World and the New World beginning in the Eocene; the extant Populus species began to diversity during the early Oligocene (approximately 27.24 Ma), climate changes during the Oligocene may have facilitated the diversification of modern poplar species; three separate lineages of Populus from Eurasia colonized North America in the Cenozoic via the Bering Land Bridges (BLB); We hypothesize that the present day disjunction in Populus can be explained by two scenarios: (i) Populus likely originated in Eurasia and subsequently colonized other regions, including North America; and (ii) the fact that the ancestor of the genus Populus that was once widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and eventually wiped out due to the higher extinction rates in North America, similar to the African Rand flora. We hypothesize that disparities in extinction across the evolutionary history of Populus in different regions shape the modern biogeography of Populus. Further studies with dense sampling and more evidence are required to test these hypotheses. Our research underscores the significance of combining phylogenetic analyses with biogeographic interpretations to enhance our knowledge of the origin, divergence, and distribution of biodiversity in temperate plant floras.

Genomic organization and gene evolution of two warm temperature acclimation proteins (Wap65s) of Micropterus salmoides and their responses to temperature and bacterial/viral infections

Warm temperature acclimation-related 65-kDa proteins (Wap65s) are fish plasma acute-phase glycoproteins homologous to hemopexin with high affinity and clearance for heme. The study characterized Mswap65-1 and Mswap65-2 genes in Micropterus salmoides. Structural analysis showed MsWap65s contained conserved heme-binding sites. MsWap65-1 had a chloride-binding site similar to hemopexin, while MsWap65-2 had an additional calcium-binding site. Phylogenetic and Ka/Ks analysis showed that fish Wap65s were evolutionarily conserved and underwent strong purifying selection. Functional divergence analysis indicated that fish Wap65-2 retained the putative function of ancestral Wap65, while Wap65-1 underwent neofunctional differentiation. QPCR showed Mswap65s were predominantly expressed in liver, but prolonged hyperthermy inhibited Mswap65-2 expression. Mswap65-2 expression was up-regulated in liver and spleen after Nocardia seriolae infection, while Mswap65-1 was down-regulated. MsWap65-2 may be associated with pathogenesis and play potential role in pathogen resistance. LMBV infection resulted in both significant downregulation of Mswap65s were both significantly down-regulated, with differences observed between sexes. We speculated the immune system might suppress expression after viral infection. Exogenous rMsWap65s were prepared, and injection of rMsWap65s alleviated phenylhydrazine-induced hemolysis and inhibited increases in heme, complement C3 and inflammatory symptoms. Our results contribute to an advanced understanding of the functions and mechanisms of MsWap65s in stress resistance.

Construction and experimental validation of an acetylation-related gene signature to evaluate the recurrence and immunotherapeutic response in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma

BackgroundAcetylation is a reversible epigenetic process, playing an important role in the initiation and progression of malignant tumors. However, the prognosis value of acetylation-related genes in the early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains obscure.Materials and methodsThe acetylation-related genes were collected and clustered based on transcriptome sequencing of the patients with early-stage LUAD from the Cancer Genome Atlas. The genomic divergence analysis, protein–protein interaction network construction, Lasso regression, and univariate Cox regression were used to identify the significant biomarkers for the recurrence of the early-stage LUAD. The multivariate Cox regression was used to establish the predictive model. Gene Expression Omnibus was systemically retrieved and four independent datasets were used for external validation. 23 early-stage LUAD samples were collected from the local hospital to detect the expression difference of the genes in the model. Transfection assays were performed to verify the regulatory ability of the screened gene to the proliferation of LUAD cell lines. The single-cell RNA sequencing of the early-stage LUAD patients and two lung cancer cohorts receiving immunotherapy were utilized to explore the predictive ability of the established model to immunotherapeutic sensitivity.ResultsThe clustering based on acetylation-related genes was significantly associated with the recurrence (P < 0.01) and immune infiltration statuses. Through a series of bioinformatical and machine learning methods, RBBP7 and YEATS2 were ultimately identified. Accordingly, a novel gene signature containing RBBP7 and YEATS2 was developed to evaluate the recurrence-free survival of early-stage LUAD, which was then validated in five independent cohorts (pooled hazard ratio = 1.88, 95% confidence interval = 1.49–2.37) and 23 local clinical samples (P < 0.01). The knock-down of YEATS2 obviously suppressed proliferation of H1975 and HCC-827 cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses indicated that RBBP7 and YEATS2 were both associated with the tumor immune response, and the prognosis signature could predict the immunotherapeutic response in two cohorts receiving immunotherapy (P < 0.05; P < 0.01).ConclusionsTotally, an acetylation-related gene signature is constructed, helping to evaluate the recurrence and immunotherapeutic effectiveness of early-stage LUAD patients.

Who Were the Hyksos?

The term “Hyksos” commonly refers to the foreign dynasty that inhabited and held power in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, ca. 1650–1550 BCE. The later historian Manetho described the Hyksos as invading foreigners, and this view persisted until the modern period. Recent research has integrated archaeological, artistic, and textual evidence revealing the Hyksos origin and presence in Egypt to be more complex than previously envisioned. To investigate the provenance of the so-called Hyksos, human remains from Tell el-Dab’a, the ancient Hyksos capital of Avaris, were analyzed using Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System dental nonmetric traits. An intra- and intersite biodistance analysis of individuals from Tell el-Dab’a (n = 92) and other contemporary sites in the Near East (n = 285) was conducted. Two statistical tests, mean measure of divergence and Gower distance analysis, were selected. The archaeological and biological evidence suggests continued occupation spanning from the end of the Middle Kingdom through the Hyksos dynasty, offering further evidence contra Manetho, who described a sudden invasion. The intersite analysis supports the archaeological finds from Tell el-Dab’a, suggesting that not only commodities but also people made their way to Tell el-Dab’a.

Outlier mining in high-dimensional data using the Jensen–Shannon divergence and graph structure analysis

Reliable anomaly/outlier detection algorithms have practical applications in many fields. For instance, anomaly detection allows to filter and clean the data used to train machine learning algorithms, improving their performance. However, outlier mining is challenging when the data is high-dimensional, and different approaches have been proposed for different types of data (temporal, spatial, network, etc). Here we propose a methodology to mine outliers in generic datasets in which it is possible to define a meaningful distance between elements of the dataset. The methodology is based on defining a fully connected, undirected graph, where the nodes are the elements of the dataset and the links have weights that are the distances between the nodes. Outlier scores are defined by analyzing the structure of the graph, in particular, by using the Jensen–Shannon (JS) divergence to compare the distributions of weights of different nodes. We demonstrate the method using a publicly available database of credit-card transactions, where some of the transactions are labeled as frauds. We compare with the performance obtained when using Euclidean distances and graph percolation, and show that the JS divergence leads to performance improvement, but increases the computational cost.

Comparative Habitat Divergence and Fragmentation Analysis of Two Sympatric Pheasants in the Qilian Mountains, China

Habitat fragmentation is considered a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. Two endangered species, the blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus) and the blue eared pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum), co-exist in a fragmented forest in the Qilian Mountains. However, how their habitats react to the fragmenting landscape remains unclear. Therefore, we carried out a field survey in the core habitat of the two species in Qilian Mountains National Park and used the MaxEnt Model to predict their potential distribution and to assess the protection efficiency. Then, we utilized a modified within-patch fragmentation categorizing model to identify how their functional fragmentations differentiated. The results showed that the habitat utilization of the two pheasant species was significantly different, with a potential distribution area of 18,281 km2 for the blood pheasant and 43,223 km2 for the blue eared pheasant. The habitat of the blue eared pheasant is highly fragmented with 27.7% categorized as ‘Interior’ and 49.3% as ‘Edge’, while the habitat of the blood pheasant is more severe with 2.1% categorized as ‘Interior’ and 50.4% as ‘Edge’. Analysis shows that large areas of habitat for the two pheasants remain unprotected by the Qilian Mountains National Park. The intense grazing and human infrastructure may have a large effect on the currently highly fragmented landscape. Future measurements are needed to alleviate this conflict.