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Biological processes involve movements across all measurable scales. Similarity measures can be applied to compare and analyze these movements but differ in how differences in movement are aggregated across space and time. The present study reviews frequently-used similarity measures, such as the Hausdorff distance, Fréchet distance, Dynamic Time Warping, and Longest Common Subsequence, jointly with several measures less used in biological applications (Wasserstein distance, weak Fréchet distance, and Kullback-Leibler divergence), and provides computational tools for each of them that may be used in computational biology. We illustrate the use of the selected similarity measures in diagnosing differences within two extremely contrasting sets of biological data, which, remarkably, may both be relevant for magnetic field perception by migratory birds. Specifically, we assess and discuss cryptochrome protein conformational dynamics and extreme migratory trajectories of songbirds between Alaska and Africa. We highlight how similarity measures contrast regarding computational complexity and discuss those which can be useful in noise elimination or, conversely, are sensitive to spatiotemporal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity has a direct influence on the climate on our planet. In recent decades, the greater part of the scientific community has united around the concept of Global Warming (GW). This process highly impacts the geographical distribution of mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Diseases (MBD). The examined scientific publications show that Africa, especially sub-Saharan countries were and still hot spot of MBD globally. The economic, social, and environmental conditions prevailing in most African countries have effectively contributed to the spread of MBD. The current situation is very worrying, and it will get even more complicated as GW gets worse. In this regard, health systems in developing countries will have serious difficulties in health policies and public health activities to control the spread on MBD. Therefore, the governments of African countries should do more to combat MBD. However, a part of the responsibility lies with the international community, especially countries that contribute to GW. In conclusion, the analysis of the scientific literature showed that with increasing importance of GW leads to an increase in the prevalence of MBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical isolation facilitates the emergence of distinct phenotypes within a single species, but reproductive barriers or selection are needed to maintain the polymorphism after secondary contact. Here, we explore the processes that maintain intraspecific variation of C4 photosynthesis, a complex trait that results from the combined action of multiple genes. The grass Alloteropsis semialata includes C4 and non‐C4 populations, which have coexisted as a polyploid series for more than 1 million years in the miombo woodlands of Africa. Using population genomics, we show that there is genome‐wide divergence for the photosynthetic types, but the current geographical distribution does not reflect a simple habitat displacement scenario as the genetic clusters overlap, being occasionally mixed within a given habitat. Despite evidence of recurrent introgression between non‐C4 and C4 groups, in both diploids and polyploids, the distinct genetic lineages retain their identity, potentially because of selection against hybrids. Coupled with strong isolation by distance within each genetic group, this selection created a geographical mosaic of photosynthetic types. Diploid C4 and non‐C4 types never grew together, and the C4 type from mixed populations constantly belonged to the hexaploid lineage. By limiting reproductive interactions between photosynthetic types, the ploidy difference probably allows their co‐occurrence, reinforcing the functional diversity within this species. Together, these factors enabled the persistence of divergent physiological traits of ecological importance within a single species despite gene flow and habitat overlap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we reassess the role of ethnic favoritism in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from 18 African countries, we study how the primary education and infant mortality of ethnic groups were affected by changes in the ethnicity of the countries’ leaders during the last 50 years. Our results indicate that the effects of ethnic favoritism are large and widespread, thus providing support for ethnicity-based explanations of Africa's underdevelopment. We also conduct a cross-country analysis of ethnic favoritism in Africa. We find that ethnic favoritism is less prevalent in countries with one dominant religion. In addition, our evidence suggests that stronger fiscal capacity may have enabled African leaders to provide more ethnic favors in education but not in infant mortality. Finally, political factors, linguistic differences, and patterns of ethnic segregation are found to be poor predictors of ethnic favoritism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We empirically assess the possibility, stressed by African scholars, that stronger precolonial political institutions allowed colonial and postcolonial African governments to better implement modernization programs in rural areas. Using anthropological data, we document a strong positive association between the provision of public goods such as education, health, and infrastructure in African countries and the centralization of their ethnic groups’ precolonial institutions. We develop an empirical test to distinguish among alternative explanations for this finding. The evidence supports the view that precolonial centralization improved public goods provision by increasing the accountability of local chiefs. Our results stress the importance for developing countries to create mechanisms to monitor local administrators of public projects. These mechanisms should be consistent with these countries’ preexisting and informal arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature views many African cities as dysfunctional with a hodgepodge of land uses and poor "connectivity." One driver of inefficient land uses is construction decisions for highly durable buildings made under weak institutions. In a novel approach, we model the dynamics of urban land use with both formal and slum dwellings and ongoing urban redevelopment to higher building heights in the formal sector as a city grows.We analyze the evolution of Nairobi using a unique high-spatial resolution data set.The analysis suggests insufficient building volume throughmost of the city and large slum areas with low housing volumes near the center, where corrupted institutions deter conversion to formal sector usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]