Perceptron capacity revisited: classification ability for correlated patterns

In this paper, we address the problem of how many randomly labeled patterns can be correctly classified by a single-layer perceptron when the patterns are correlated with each other. In order to solve this problem, two analytical schemes are developed based on the replica method and Thouless-Anderson-Palmer (TAP) approach by utilizing an integral formula concerning random rectangular matrices. The validity and relevance of the developed methodologies are shown for one known result and two example problems. A message-passing algorithm to perform the TAP scheme is also presented

Formyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase Gene Diversity in the Guts of Higher Termites with Different Diets and Lifestyles

In this study, we examine gene diversity for formyl-tetrahydrofolate synthetase (FTHFS), a key enzyme in homoacetogenesis, recovered from the gut microbiota of six species of higher termites. The "higher" termites (family Termitidae), which represent the majority of extant termite species and genera, engage in a broader diversity of feeding and nesting styles than the "lower" termites. Previous studies of termite gut homoacetogenesis have focused on wood-feeding lower termites, from which the preponderance of FTHFS sequences recovered were related to those from acetogenic treponemes. While sequences belonging to this group were present in the guts of all six higher termites examined, treponeme-like FTHFS sequences represented the majority of recovered sequences in only two species (a wood-feeding Nasutitermes sp. and a palm-feeding Microcerotermes sp.). The remaining four termite species analyzed (a Gnathamitermes sp. and two Amitermes spp. that were recovered from subterranean nests with indeterminate feeding strategies and a litter-feeding Rhynchotermes sp.) yielded novel FTHFS clades not observed in lower termites. These termites yielded two distinct clusters of probable purinolytic Firmicutes and a large group of potential homoacetogens related to sequences previously recovered from the guts of omnivorous cockroaches. These findings suggest that the gut environments of different higher termite species may select for different groups of homoacetogens, with some species hosting treponeme-dominated homoacetogen populations similar to those of wood-feeding, lower termites while others host Firmicutes-dominated communities more similar to those of omnivorous cockroaches

Transcriptomes and expression profiling of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea provide insight into the biology of azooxanthellate corals

Despite the importance of deep-sea corals, our current understanding of their ecology and evolutionis limited due to difficulties in sampling and studying deep-sea environments. Moreover, a recent reevaluation of habitat limitations has been suggested after characterization of deep-sea corals in the Red Sea, where they live at temperatures of above 20 °C at low oxygen concentrations. To gain further insight into the biology of deep-sea corals, we produced reference transcriptomes and studied gene expression of three deep-sea coral species from the Red Sea, i.e. Dendrophyllia sp., Eguchipsammia fistula, and Rhizotrochus typus. Our analyses suggest that deep-sea coral employ mitochondrial hypometabolism and anaerobic glycolysis to manage low oxygen conditions present in the Red Sea. Notably, we found expression of genes related to surface cilia motion that presumably enhance small particle transport rates in the oligotrophic deep-sea environment. This is the first study to characterize transcriptomes and in situ gene expression for deep-sea corals. Our work offers several mechanisms by which deep-sea corals might cope with the distinct environmental conditions present in the Red Sea. As such, our data provides direction for future research and further insight to organismal response of deep sea coral to environmental change and ocean warming.Tis work was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), baseline funds to CRV and Center Competitive Funding (CCF) Program FCC/1/1973-18-01

Contrasting patterns of population structure and gene flow facilitate exploration of connectivity in two widely distributed temperate octocorals

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Nature via the DOI in this record.Connectivity is an important component of metapopulation dynamics in marine systems and can influence population persistence, migration rates and conservation decisions associated with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In this study, we compared the genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure of two octocoral species, Eunicella verrucosa and Alcyonium digitatum, in the northeast Atlantic (ranging from the northwest of Ireland and the southern North Sea, to southern Portugal), using two panels of thirteen and eight microsatellite loci, respectively. Our results identified regional genetic structure in E. verrucosa partitioned between populations from southern Portugal, northwest Ireland, and Britain/France; subsequent hierarchical analysis of population structure also indicated reduced gene flow between southwest Britain and northwest France. However, over a similar geographical area, A. digitatum showed little evidence of population structure, suggesting high gene flow and/or a large effective population size; indeed, the only significant genetic differentiation detected in A. digitatum occurred between North Sea samples and those from the English Channel/northeast Atlantic. In both species the vast majority of gene flow originated from sample sites within regions, with populations in southwest Britain being the predominant source of contemporary exogenous genetic variants for the populations studied. Unsurprisingly, historical patterns of gene flow appeared more complex, though again southwest Britain appeared an important source of genetic variation for both species. Our findings have major conservation implications, particularly for E. verrucosa, a protected species in UK waters and listed by the IUCN as ‘Vulnerable’, and for the designation and management of European MPAs.We thank Natural England (project No. RP0286, contract No. SAE 03-02-146), the NERC (grant No. NE/L002434/1) and the University of Exeter for funding this research. Additional funding for sample collection, travel and microsatellite development was provided by the EU Framework 7 ASSEMBLE programme, agreement no. 227799, and NERC grant No. NBAF-362

PronaSolos: The Brazilian National Soil Program.

PronaSolos is the largest Brazilian technical-scientific program in the area of soils, whose objective is to carry out the largest pedological survey ever carried out in Brazil, as well as to perform the soil governance in Brazil. This is a Program to be performed over the next 30 years, with the following goals: i) define priority areas and the work agenda for carrying out soil surveys on geographic scales equal to 1:100,000 or more detailed; ii) carry out soil surveys and their interpretations; iii) structure and operationalise the national soil information system, with public access; iv) organise the existing soil data obtained from soil surveys; v) implement innovations in soil surveys methods and related topic

Diretrizes de infraestrutura verde para o desenho urbano: um exercício de planejamento paisagístico na área da Luz, São Paulo

A presente pesquisa apresenta diretrizes projetuais para o planejamento e projeto de novas áreas verdes públicas e semi-públicas, cujas funções e distribuição foram definidas a partir dos conceitos de infraestrutura verde e aplicadas na Área da Luz, na cidade de São Paulo. Esta pesquisa está inserida em um projeto interdisciplinar desenvolvido pelo Laboratório de Conforto Ambiental e Eficiência Energética (Labaut) da Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Universidade de São Paulo que propõe uma intervenção no ambiente construído visando o adensamento populacional e construtivo sob a perspectiva do desempenho ambiental. O método de trabalho consistiu primeiramente na caracterização das seguintes questões: áreas verdes existentes dentro da área de estudo e do entorno; fluxo de pedestres e ciclistas e dinâmica de insolação da área. O cruzamento dos resultados permitiu direcionar a vocação das áreas verdes e definir objetivos, diretrizes e estratégias. Os quatro principais objetivos definidos foram ampliar a oferta de espaços livres, proporcionar qualidade ambiental para o pedestre, melhorar drenagem e aumentar a biodiversidade local. Como resultado verificou-se um aumento de 1.200% na quantidade de espaços livres vegetados da área de estudo, passando de 5.033m² para 60.450m². A pesquisa insere conceitos ainda pouco utilizados na prática comum de projetos paisagístico na escala urbana em cidades brasileiras, partindo-se da premissa que as áreas verdes fazem parte de um sistema infra-estrutural e que desempenham diversas funções na cidade.This research presents projective guidelines for the planning and design of new public and semi-public green areas, which functions and distribution were defined based on the concepts of green infrastructure and applied at the area of Luz District, in São Paulo. This research is part of a multidisciplinary project developed by Laboratory of Environmental Comfort and Energy Efficiency (LABAUT), of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of São Paulo, and propose an intervention in the built environment aiming the population and constructive densification under the perspective of environmental performance. The working method consisted primarily in the characterization of the following issues: existing green areas within the analyzed area and surroundings; flow of pedestrians; and, cyclists and insolation dynamic of that area. The intersection of results allowed conducting the vocation of green areas and setting targets, guidelines and strategies. The four main objectives were defined to increase the offer of open spaces, provide an environmental quality for pedestrians, improve drainage and increase local biodiversity. As a result there was an increase of 1,200% in the amount of green open spaces in the focused area, rising from 5.033sqm to 60.450sqm. The research includes concepts still little used in common practice of landscape projects in urban scale at Brazilian cities, starting from the premise that the green areas take part of a infrastructural system that perform various functions in the city

IS_AGRO, módulo digital: o uso da arquitetura medallion como base para automação de rotinas de execução de pipelines.

O projeto IS_Agro é uma iniciativa voltada à avaliação crítica e à subsequente adaptação de metodologias concebidas em fóruns globais, com vistas à sua aplicação no contexto nacional a partir da elaboração de novas métricas e indicadores agro-socioambientais (IASs) que almejam fornecer uma representação mais precisa e autêntica do panorama agropecuário em território nacional. Os IASs são medidas utilizadas para monitorar e avaliar o desempenho agropecuário relacionado aos aspectos sociais, econômicos e ambientais, assim tendo grande importância na orientação de estratégias políticas e práticas agrícolas mais sustentáveis, seja pelo ente público ou privado, servindo “para avaliar a performance da agropecuária quanto ao seu desempenho ambiental, social e econômico, fornecendo dados e informações comparativos entre as entidades federativas ou países, dentre diversas outras aplicações” [1]. Neste projeto, os IASs são desenvolvidos por diferentes equipes especializadas nas temáticas propostas, cujos trabalhos são previamente aprovados e publicados no cenário científico. Para automação das coletas dos dados, alocação, cálculos e constantes atualizações dos IASs há a equipe do chamado Módulo Digital, que desenvolve soluções para cada indicador, transformando-os em algoritmos digitais. São coletados dados cadastrais estruturados, semi-estruturados e não estruturados guardados em um data

Cobertura vegetal e uso do solo no município de Prado, Bahia: subsídio à gestão ambiental.

O Brasil possui problemas crônicos de destruição de suas florestas, tornando-se alvo de reações envolvendo os diferentes setores da sociedade. No Estado da Bahia, as maiores florestas do extremo sul estão localizadas na Costa do Descobrimento, nos parques nacionais do Monte Pascoal e do Descobrimento e nas Estações Veracruz e Pau-Brasil, totalizando uma área de cerca de 85.000 ha, representando menos de 3% (3.200.000 ha) da área total, (Rizzini & Moors, 1976; Aguiar & Pinho, 1986). A ocupação desordenada e o uso inadequado do solo têm contribuído para a diminuição do patrimônio genético, com implicações incalculáveis à biodiversidade, à agricultura, à silvicultura, à pesca e ao ecoturismo. Nestas áreas as pressões antrópicas advêm de três tipos de ocupações: assentamentos rurais, reservas indígenas e fazendeiros comerciais. Este trabalho é parte integrante do Zoneamento Agroecológico do Município de Prado, localizado no extremo sul da Bahia. Objetiva municiar as autoridades locais/regionais com subsídios técnico-científicos do uso do solo para a reordenação territorial, à planificação da assistência técnica e da pesquisa e experimentação agrícola, visando o aumento do abastecimento alimentar, da renda e da melhoria da qualidade de vida da população, bem como o desenvolvimento rural sustentável

Heterotrophic feeding as a newly identified survival strategy of the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium

Survival of free-living and symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) in coral reefs is critical to the maintenance of a healthy coral community. Most coral reefs exist in oligotrophic waters, and their survival strategy in such nutrient-depleted waters remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that two strains of Symbiodinium spp. cultured from the environment and acquired from the tissues of the coral Alveopora japonica had the ability to feed heterotrophically. Symbiodinium spp. fed on heterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria (Synechococcus spp.), and small microalgae in both nutrient-replete and nutrient-depleted conditions. Cultured free-living Symbiodinium spp. displayed no autotrophic growth under nitrogen-depleted conditions, but grew when provided with prey. Our results indicate that Symbiodinium spp.’s mixotrophic activity greatly increases their chance of survival and their population growth under nitrogen-depleted conditions, which tend to prevail in coral habitats. In particular, free-living Symbiodinium cells acquired considerable nitrogen from algal prey, comparable to or greater than the direct uptake of ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, or urea. In addition, free-living Symbiodinium spp. can be a sink for planktonic cyanobacteria (Synechococcus spp.) and remove substantial portions of Synechococcus populations from coral reef waters. Our discovery of Symbiodinium’s feeding alters our conventional views of the survival strategies of photosynthetic Symbiodinium and corals