Hypotheses Of Similarity Research Articles

Aristov, V. (2023). Idem-forma: The search of ‘identity in the dissimilar’ in literature and other arts. Moscow, St. Petersburg: Tsent gumanitarnykh initsiativ. (In Russ.)

The central notion in Vladimir Aristov’s book is Idem-forma, advanced by the author for the analysis of literary similarities that are not covered by the traditional comparative terms, e. g., contacts or typology. A physicist and a poet, Aristov undertakes the task of scholarly investigation in the style of an essay. The first three of twelve chapters in his book treat the problem theoretically in a broad context of the modern mind. Nine chapters deal with the cases of the ‘identity in the dissimilar,’ suggesting hypotheses of similarity in poetry, prose, and interdisciplinary affinities. The major cases are those where the similarity, no matter how much open to comparative argumentation, allows for viewing two works in a new light, or establishing a plausible typological parallel between them, as it is done for the novels by A. Platonov and W. Faulkner, M. Bulgakov and T. Mann. Idem-forma is an attempt to attract attention to those literary and artistic events that demand an attentive eye towards similar syntactic and rhythmic patterns in poetry, or plots and characters in prose which do not lie on the surface to be related or explained but are supposed to interact in the domain of world literature.

Kolmogorov's similarity hypotheses application in research of the turbulent swirl flows in pipe generated by the various axial fan geometries

AbstractKolmogorov has formulated his two hypotheses of similarity in 1941 considering local‐isotropic turbulence, and later has refined his theory [1, 2]. In this paper are discussed three turbulent swirl flows generated by the three various axial fan types in‐built in the pipe. The spectral characteristics of the generated turbulent swirl flows are determined on the basis on the LDA (laser Doppler anemometry) experimental data for the circumferential velocity. In the inertial subranges these curves have the same tangent and obey the “‐ 5/3” Kolmogorov law. It is shown that in the generated turbulent swirl flows occur eddies of various scales, encompassing very wide spectra of wave numbers, i.e. frequencies.

Multilocus, phenotypic, behavioral, and ecological niche analyses provide evidence for two species within Euphonia affinis (Aves, Fringillidae).

The integration of genetic, morphological, behavioral, and ecological information in the analysis of species boundaries has increased, allowing integrative systematics that better reflect the evolutionary history of biological groups. In this context, the goal of this study was to recognize independent evolutionary lineages within Euphonia affinis at the genetic, morphological, and ecological levels. Three subspecies have been described: E. affinis godmani, distributed in the Pacific slope from southern Sonora to Guerrero; E. affinis affinis, from Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula to Costa Rica; and E. affinis olmecorum from Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi east to northern Chiapas (not recognized by some authors). A multilocus analysis was performed using mitochondrial and nuclear genes. These analyses suggest two genetic lineages: E. godmani and E. affinis, which diverged between 1.34 and 4.3 My, a period in which the ice ages and global cooling fragmented the tropical forests throughout the Neotropics. To analyze morphometric variations, six morphometric measurements were taken, and the Wilcoxon Test was applied to look for sexual dimorphism and differences between the lineages. Behavioral information was included, by performing vocalization analysis which showed significant differences in the temporal characteristics of calls. Finally, Ecological Niche Models were estimated with MaxEnt, and then compared using the method of Broennimann. These analyses showed that the lineage distributed in western Mexico (E. godmani) has a more restricted niche than the eastern lineage (E. affinis) and thus we rejected the hypotheses of niche equivalence and similarity. Based on the combined evidence from genetic, morphological, behavioral, and ecological data, it is concluded that E. affinis (with E. olmecorum as its synonym) and E. godmani represent two independent evolutionary lineages.

Niche divergence and paleo-distributions of Lutzomyia longipalpis mitochondrial haplogroups (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Lutzomyia longipalpis is a complex of species which has a wide but discontinuous distribution from southeastern Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay. To date, eight mitochondrial haplogroups have been identified along its distribution although key environmental tolerances and ecological niche models have been analyzed only at the complex level. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether genetic diversification using three mitochondrial genes of the Lu. longipalpis complex is associated with niche divergence and to explore evolution of distributional projections of all haplogroups between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21,000 yrs ago) and the present. Current occurrence of all haplogroups was used to develop ecological niche models (ENM) and these were projected in both periods to quantify and identify geographic area shifts. Environmental space was used to estimate niche similarity between major clades and pairwise between individual haplogroups. The two major Lu. longipalpis clades (Mex, CA, Col and Ven vs Arg and Bra) had significantly different environmental space, indicating niche divergence. Environmental space overlap of southern haplogroups was variable, with divergent niche, except between Arg and ArgBra. The most suitable regions for the ArgBra haplogroup were northeastern and southeastern Brazil, and the Gran Chaco region. In contrast, ENM of haplogroups within the northern major clade have significantly similar niche, with highest geographic ENM suitability along both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. The intensity and coverage of high suitability areas in the LGM decreased for most haplogroups in the present. Integrating ENM and phylogenetic analyses has allowed us to test hypotheses of niche similarity between Lu. longipalpis haplogroups and major clades, and to identify conserved distributional areas of haplogroups since the LGM, with the exception of Arg. Evidence for distributional shifts and overlap of haplogroups is important to analyze Leishmaniasis´ eco-epidemiology and to successfully monitor and control transmission.

Mapping Brazilian spotted fever: Linking etiological agent, vectors, and hosts

Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is a highly lethal disease in southeastern Brazil. BSF is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii and is transmitted by the bites of the tick of the genus Amblyomma. The spatial distribution of BSF risk areas is not well known in the country given the complexity of the transmission cycle. This study used the ecological niche modeling (ENM) approach to anticipate the potential distribution of the etiological agent (Rickettsia rickettsii), vectors (Amblyomma sculptum and A. dubitatum), and hosts (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Didelphis aurita, and D. marsupialis) of BSF in Brazil. We compiled occurrence records for all vectors, hosts, and BSF from our own field surveillance, online repositories, and literature. ENM identified BSF risk areas in southeastern and southern Brazil, and anticipated other dispersed suitable areas in the western, central, and northeastern coast regions of Brazil. Tick vectors and mammalian hosts were confined to these same areas; however, host species showed broader suitability in northern Brazil. All species ENMs performed significantly better than random expectations. We also tested the BSF prediction based on 253 additional independent cases identified in our surveillance; the model anticipated 251 out of 253 of these independent cases. Background similarity tests comparing the ENMs of R. rickettsii, tick vectors, and mammalian hosts were unable to reject null hypotheses of niche similarity. Finally, we observed close coincidence between independent BSF cases, and areas suitable for combinations of vectors and hosts, reflecting the ability of these model pairs to anticipate the distribution of BSF cases across Brazil.

Mapping the environmental suitability of etiological agent and tick vectors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the most important public health threats in many regions across Africa, Europe, and Asia. This study used ecological niche modeling analyses to map the environmental suitability of both CCHF virus (CCHFV), and its tick vectors (Amblyomma variegatum, Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi) in the Old World countries. The CCHFV was anticipated to occur with high environmental suitability across southern and central Europe, northwestern Africa, central Asia, and western Mediterranean region. Ecological niche models of tick vectors anticipated diverse patterns based on the tick species in question; D. marginatus and H. marginatum showed high environmental suitability in southern and central Europe, and North Africa. The remaining vector species were anticipated to occur in Africa. All models were statistically robust and performed better than random (P < 0.001). Finally, we tested the niche similarities between CCHFV and diverse tick vectors and could not reject the null hypotheses of niche similarity in all vector-virus combinations (P > 0.05) except the combinations of CCHFV with A. variegatum, R. evertsi evertsi and R. appendiculatus (P < 0.05).

Bulk models of sheared boundary layer convection

The paper discusses approaches to the construction of integral models of the convective boundary layer (CBL), based on the concept of complete mixing. To test analytic bulk models and the basic hypotheses of similarity, we use the results of eddy modeling (LES – Large Eddy Simulation). The empirical constants of the CBL integral models obtained according to the LES data for the case of free convection, are in good agreement with the previously published data of laboratory experiments. It is also shown that the flow of kinetic energy from the upper boundary of the CPS, carried out by gravitational waves, is small compared with other components of the balance of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the convective layer. Parametrization of TKE generation for the case of sheared convective boundary layer in terms of the friction velocity and the average wind velocity in the CBL derived; resulting dimensionless constants are obtained from LES data. The results of the work allow us to formulate an integral model of the shear KPS suitable for practical use.

Bulk Models of Sheared Boundary Layer Convection

The paper discusses approaches to the construction of integral models of the convective boundary layer (CBL), based on the concept of complete mixing. To test analytic bulk models and the basic hypotheses of similarity, we use the results of eddy modeling (LES – Large Eddy Simulation). The empirical constants of the CBL integral models obtained according to the LES data for the case of free convection, are in good agreement with the previously published data of laboratory experiments. It is also shown that the flow of kinetic energy from the upper boundary of the CPS, carried out by gravitational waves, is small compared with other components of the balance of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the convective layer. Parametrization of TKE generation for the case of sheared convective boundary layer in terms of the friction velocity and the average wind velocity in the CBL derived; resulting dimensionless constants are obtained from LES data. The results of the work allow us to formulate an integral model of the shear KPS suitable for practical use.

Mapping the potential distributions of etiological agent, vectors, and reservoirs of Japanese Encephalitis in Asia and Australia

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a substantial cause of viral encephalitis, morbidity, and mortality in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. World Health Organization recognized Japanese Encephalitis (JE) as a public health priority in demands to initiate active vaccination programs. Recently, the geographic distribution of JEV has apparently expanded into other areas in the Pacific islands and northern Australia; however, major gaps exist in knowledge in regard to its current distribution. Here, we mapped the potential distribution of mosquito vectors of JEV (Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. pseudovishnui, Cx. vishnui, Cx. fuscocephala, Cx. gelidus), and reservoirs (Egretta garzetta, E. intermedia, Nycticorax nycticorax) based on ecological niche modeling approach. Ecological niche models predicted all species to occur across Central, South and South East Asia; however, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, E. garzetta, E. intermedia, and N. nycticorax had broader potential distributions extending west to parts of the Arabian Peninsula. All predictions were robust and significantly better than random (P < 0.001). We also tested the JEV prediction based on 4335 additional independent human case records collected by the Chinese Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP); 4075 cases were successfully predicted by the model (P < 0.001). Finally, we tested the ecological niche similarity among JEV, vector, and reservoir species and could not reject any of the null hypotheses of niche similarity in all combination pairs.

Endemicity and climatic niche differentiation in three marine ciliated protists

AbstractThe biogeographic pattern of single‐celled eukaryotes (protists), including ciliates, is poorly understood. Most marine species are believed to have a relatively high dispersal potential, such that both globally distributed and geographically isolated taxa exist. Primary occurrence data for three large, easily identified ciliate species, Parafavella gigantea, Schmidingerella serrata, and Zoothamnium pelagicum, and environmental data drawn from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's World Ocean Atlas were used to estimate each species’ spatial and environmental distributions using Maxent v3.3.3k. The predictive power of the models was tested with a series of spatial stratification studies, which were evaluated using partial receiver operating characteristic (ROC) statistics. Differences between niches occupied by each taxon were evaluated using background similarity tests. All predictions showed significant ability to anticipate test points. The null hypotheses of niche similarity were rejected in all background similarity tests comparing the niches among the three species. This article provides the first quantitative assessment of environmental conditions associated with three species of ciliates and a first estimate of their spatial distributions in the North Atlantic, which can serve as a benchmark against which to document distributional shifts. These species follow consistent, predictable patterns related to climate and environmental biochemistry; the importance of climatic conditions as regards protist distributions is noteworthy considering the effects of global climate change.

Compatible ecological niche signals between biological and archaeological datasets for late-surviving Neandertals.

To assess ecological niche similarity for biological and archaeological samples representing late-surviving Neandertals in Europe to evaluate the validity of combining these two types of data in ecological niche modeling analyses. Tests of niche conservatism were used to assess niche similarity and niche identity of samples of morphologically diagnostic Neandertal remains and Middle Paleolithic (MP) archaeological sites dating to the time period leading up to Neandertal extinction. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions for the Pre-H4 (43.3-40.2 ky cal BP) were used as environmental space analyses. Null hypotheses of niche similarity and identity of the two types of samples could not be rejected. As primary and secondary evidence of Neandertal occurrence during the Pre-H4 show high levels of niche similarity and identity, combining the two types of occurrence data to create larger samples for niche analyses is justified without the concern that different environmental signals could complicate future research.

Potential distribution of mosquito vector species in a primary malaria endemic region of Colombia.

Rapid transformation of natural ecosystems changes ecological conditions for important human disease vector species; therefore, an essential task is to identify and understand the variables that shape distributions of these species to optimize efforts toward control and mitigation. Ecological niche modeling was used to estimate the potential distribution and to assess hypotheses of niche similarity among the three main malaria vector species in northern Colombia: Anopheles nuneztovari, An. albimanus, and An. darlingi. Georeferenced point collection data and remotely sensed, fine-resolution satellite imagery were integrated across the Urabá –Bajo Cauca–Alto Sinú malaria endemic area using a maximum entropy algorithm. Results showed that An. nuneztovari has the widest geographic distribution, occupying almost the entire study region; this niche breadth is probably related to the ability of this species to colonize both, natural and disturbed environments. The model for An. darlingi showed that most suitable localities for this species in Bajo Cauca were along the Cauca and Nechí river. The riparian ecosystems in this region and the potential for rapid adaptation by this species to novel environments, may favor the establishment of populations of this species. Apparently, the three main Colombian Anopheles vector species in this endemic area do not occupy environments either with high seasonality, or with low seasonality and high NDVI values. Estimated overlap in geographic space between An. nuneztovari and An. albimanus indicated broad spatial and environmental similarity between these species. An. nuneztovari has a broader niche and potential distribution. Dispersal ability of these species and their ability to occupy diverse environmental situations may facilitate sympatry across many environmental and geographic contexts. These model results may be useful for the design and implementation of malaria species-specific vector control interventions optimized for this important malaria region.

Climate Change Influences on the Global Potential Distribution of Bluetongue Virus.

The geographic distribution of arboviruses has received considerable attention after several dramatic emergence events around the world. Bluetongue virus (BTV) is classified among category “A” diseases notifiable to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE), and is transmitted among ruminants by biting midges of the genus Culicoides. Here, we developed a comprehensive occurrence data set to map the current distribution, estimate the ecological niche, and explore the future potential distribution of BTV globally using ecological niche modeling and based on diverse future climate scenarios from general circulation models (GCMs) for four representative concentration pathways (RCPs). The broad ecological niche and potential geographic distribution of BTV under present-day conditions reflected the disease’s current distribution across the world in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. All model predictions were significantly better than random expectations. As a further evaluation of model robustness, we compared our model predictions to 331 independent records from most recent outbreaks from the Food and Agriculture Organization Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases Information System (EMPRES-i); all were successfully anticipated by the BTV model. Finally, we tested ecological niche similarity among possible vectors and BTV, and could not reject hypotheses of niche similarity. Under future-climate conditions, the potential distribution of BTV was predicted to broaden, especially in central Africa, United States, and western Russia.

Coarse-resolution Ecology of Etiological Agent, Vector, and Reservoirs of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Libya

Cutaneous leishmaniasis ranks among the tropical diseases least known and most neglected in Libya. World Health Organization reports recognized associations of Phlebotomus papatasi, Psammomys obesus, and Meriones spp., with transmission of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL; caused by Leishmania major) across Libya. Here, we map risk of ZCL infection based on occurrence records of L. major, P. papatasi, and four potential animal reservoirs (Meriones libycus, Meriones shawi, Psammomys obesus, and Gerbillus gerbillus). Ecological niche models identified limited risk areas for ZCL across the northern coast of the country; most species associated with ZCL transmission were confined to this same region, but some had ranges extending to central Libya. All ENM predictions were significant based on partial ROC tests. As a further evaluation of L. major ENM predictions, we compared predictions with 98 additional independent records provided by the Libyan National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); all of these records fell inside the belt predicted as suitable for ZCL. We tested ecological niche similarity among vector, parasite, and reservoir species and could not reject any null hypotheses of niche similarity. Finally, we tested among possible combinations of vector and reservoir that could predict all recent human ZCL cases reported by NCDC; only three combinations could anticipate the distribution of human cases across the country.

Plant-herbivore interactions in a trispecific hybrid swarm of Populus: assessing support for hypotheses of hybrid bridges, evolutionary novelty and genetic similarity.

Natural systems of hybridizing plants are powerful tools with which to assess evolutionary processes between parental species and their associated arthropods. Here we report on these processes in a trispecific hybrid swarm of Populus trees. Using field observations, common garden experiments and genetic markers, we tested the hypothesis that genetic similarities among hosts underlie the distributions of 10 species of gall-forming arthropods and their ability to adapt to new host genotypes. the degree of genetic relatedness among parental species determines whether hybridization is primarily bidirectional or unidirectional; host genotype and genetic similarity strongly affect the distributions of gall-forming species, individually and as a community. These effects were detected observationally in the wild and experimentally in common gardens; correlations between the diversity of host genotypes and their associated arthropods identify hybrid zones as centres of biodiversity and potential species interactions with important ecological and evolutionary consequences. These findings support both hybrid bridge and evolutionary novelty hypotheses. However, the lack of parallel genetic studies on gall-forming arthropods limits our ability to define the host of origin with their subsequent shift to other host species or their evolution on hybrids as their final destination.

Similarity computation using semantic networks created from web-harvested data

AbstractWe investigate language-agnostic algorithms for the construction of unsupervised distributional semantic models using web-harvested corpora. Specifically, a corpus is created from web document snippets, and the relevant semantic similarity statistics are encoded in a semantic network. We propose the notion of semantic neighborhoods that are defined using co-occurrence or context similarity features. Three neighborhood-based similarity metrics are proposed, motivated by the hypotheses of attributional and maximum sense similarity. The proposed metrics are evaluated against human similarity ratings achieving state-of-the-art results.

Scaling of the ballistic tongue apparatus in chameleons

Body dimensions of organisms can have a profound impact on their functional and structural properties. We examined the morphological proportions of the feeding apparatus of 105 chameleon specimens representing 23 species in seven genera, spanning a 1,000-fold range in body mass to test whether the feeding apparatus conforms to the null hypotheses of geometric similarity that is based on the prevalence of geometric similarity in other ectothermic vertebrates. We used a phylogenetically corrected regression analysis based on a composite phylogenetic hypothesis to determine the interspecific scaling patterns of the feeding apparatus. We also determined the intraspecific (ontogenetic) scaling patterns for the feeding apparatus in three species. We found that both intraspecifically and interspecifically, the musculoskeletal components of the feeding apparatus scale isometrically among themselves, independent of body length. The feeding apparatus is thus of conserved proportions regardless of overall body length. In contrast, we found that the tongue apparatus as a whole and its musculoskeletal components scale with negative allometry with respect to snout-vent length--smaller individuals have a proportionately larger feeding apparatus than larger individuals, both within and among species. Finally, the tongue apparatus as a whole scales with negative allometry with respect to body mass through ontogeny, but with isometry interspecifically. We suggest that the observed allometry may be maintained by natural selection because an enlarged feeding apparatus at small body size may maximize projection distance and the size of prey that smaller animals with higher mass-specific metabolic rates can capture.

Matching Hypotheses of Similarity of Shapes of Faces and of Similarity of Attractiveness of Faces

신혼부부의 사진 20개로 제작한 실제 커플 얼굴 사진 20개와 무선 커플 얼굴 사진 20개를 제시하고 얼굴의 매력 유사성과 얼굴의 모양(형) 유사성을 평정받았다. 매력 유사성과 모양 유사성 모두 실제 커플에서 무선 커플보다 높았다. 실제 커플의 매력 유사성의 검증은 이미 사회심리학에서 확립된 것으로 볼 수 있는 이론의 재검증이지만 서양인보다 얼굴 특징 요소가 풍부하지 않은 우리나라 사람들의 얼굴 사진도 유사성 연구에 재료로 사용가능함을 확인한데 의의를 찾을 수 있다. 신혼부부 사진을 재료로 한 실험에서의 얼굴 모양 유사성 검증은 얼굴 모양의 유사성에 따른 동류 짝 결정(Assortative Mating) 혹은 “맞춤원리(Matching Priniple)”의 네 가지 이론들(Zajonc의 정서 원심성 이론, 단순노출 효과 이론, 각인이론, Bateson의 Optimal outbreeding 이론) 중 단순노출 효과와 각인이론을 지지하는 것으로 해석되었다. 커플의 매력 유사성과 모양 유사성을 커플 사진 판단 이외의 방법으로 검증하기 위하여 두 실험이 추가로 시도되었다. 얼굴 사진을 하나씩 제시하고 매력 정도를 평정케 하여 그 자료에 기초한 실제 커플과 무선 커플의 매력 유사성을 비교한 분석 결과는 통계적으로 유의하지는 않지만 예언과 일치하는 방향의 결과 양상을 보였다. 얼굴 사진을 하나씩 제시하고 각 얼굴이 일곱 범주(정사각형, 직사각형, 원, 타원, 다이아몬드 형, 삼각형, 역삼각형) 중 어디에 해당되는지를 고르게 한 자료로부터 두 가지 얼굴 유사성 지표를 산출하여 실제 커플과 무선 커플을 비교한 결과 역시 통계적 유의수준에는 달하지 못하였지만 예언과 일치하는 방향의 결과 양상을 보였다. 각 이론을 검증하기 위한 후속 연구에 관하여 논의하였다.

Patrocladistics, nothing new

AbstractPatrocladograms that are logically inconsistent with phylogenetic tree hypotheses cannot be used to circumscribe monophyletic ("holophyletic") groups. Patrocladograms are graphs that assert hypotheses of similarity. Phylogenetic trees are graphs that assert hypotheses of common (or unique) ancestry. Monophyly is a concept derived from ancestry, not similarity. Further, patrocladograms that are logically inconsistent with phylogenetic trees also distort interpretations of character evolution, rendering characters homoplastic on patrocladograms that appear homologous on phylogenetic trees. "Patrocladistics" is simply another variety of evolutionary taxonomy that generates paraphyletic groups, resulting in classifications that are logically inconsistent with the phylogenies on which they are supposedly based. Contrary to the conclusions of Stuessy &amp; König (2008), if one wishes to maintain a logically consistent system relevant to the evolutionary paradigm, there is every reason to constrain classification by branching structure of well‐corroborated phylogenetic trees in a cladistic context.

Procedures that assess inconsistency in meta-analyses can assess the likelihood of response bias in multiwave surveys

Background and Objective Response bias may affect the result of surveys with <100% response rate. We applied methods commonly used in meta-analysis to ascertain the extent to which response bias affects multiwave survey results. Methods To test hypotheses of between-wave similarity, we used the Cochran–Armitage test for trends and the Q-test of heterogeneity across waves in a survey of 2,127 North American clinicians using six e-mail waves and one fax wave and achieving a response rate of 22%. We used the I 2 statistic To quantify the extent of inconsistency in survey outcomes across waves not due to within-wave random error (i.e., inconsistency due to response bias). Results With this survey, tests of heterogeneity and trend were not significant and I 2 equaled 0%. These results suggest that the underlying responses did not differ across waves and thus strengthened the inference that response bias was not affecting the interpretation of the survey. Conclusion Researchers can use procedures that assess inconsistency in meta-analyses to evaluate the validity of a multiwave survey with a less than optimal response rate.