M. Novak

Information theory of chemotactic agents using both spatial and temporal gradient-sensing

This study uses information theory to show that spatial gradient-sensing becomes more beneficial for larger, slower, and less persistent chemotactic agents, under physical noise constraints.

Predator feeding rates may often be unsaturated under typical prey densities

The paper calculates a feeding rate saturation index using two databases and finds that predator feeding rates may often be unsaturated at natural prey densities.

High variation in handling times confers 35-year stability to predatorfeeding rates despite altered prey abundances and apparent diet proportions

The paper estimates the feeding rates of a predator over 35 years, finding stable rates despite changes in prey abundance and diet proportions.

Geometric complexity and the information-theoretic comparison of functional-response models

This paper introduces the Fisher Information Approximation to assess geometric complexity in functional-response models, showing how model flexibility affects inference and highlighting limitations of AIC/BIC.

Second Generation Antibodies Neutralize Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern

The paper develops two monoclonal antibodies that neutralize emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and prevent escape mutations.

Epilepsy kinase CDKL5 is a DNA damage sensor which controls transcriptional activity at DNA breaks

CDKL5 is a DNA damage-sensing kinase that modulates transcriptional activity near DNA breaks.

Hidden layers of density dependence in consumer feeding rates

The paper reveals hidden density dependence in consumer feeding rates by analyzing functional-response datasets and showing pervasive non-independence between feeding processes.

Systematic bias in studies of consumer functional responses

The paper identifies systematic bias in the statistical comparison and parameter estimation of functional-response models due to low sample sizes and insufficient replication.

Temporal shifts in intraspecific and interspecific diet variation: effects of predator body size and identity across seasons in a stream community

The paper examines how intraspecific and interspecific diet variation in stream predators changes seasonally, showing that species identity and body size influence dietary patterns and trophic interactions.

Food web interaction strength distributions are conserved by greater variation between than within predator-prey pairs

The paper examines variation in trophic interaction strengths across and within predator-prey pairs in stream ecosystems, finding that interaction strength distributions remain consistently skewed despite significant variation in feeding rates.

The intrinsic predictability of ecological time series and its potential to guide forecasting

The paper quantifies intrinsic predictability of ecological time series using permutation entropy and shows its relationship with model forecasting error.

What drives interaction strengths in complex food webs? A test with feeding rates of a generalist stream predator

The paper tests factors influencing feeding rates of a stream predator in natural conditions, finding prey density and identity as key predictors.

The mitotic spindle is chiral due to torques generated by motor proteins

The paper shows that the mitotic spindle is chiral due to torques from motor proteins, demonstrated through microscopy and a theoretical model.

The Stone Age Plague: 1000 years of Persistence in Eurasia

This study identifies six new Yersinia pestis genomes from the European Late Neolithic to Bronze Age, suggesting a single genetic clade that may have persisted in Europe until the mid Bronze Age.

Exact probabilities for the indeterminacy of complex networks as perceived through press perturbations

The paper derives exact formulas to predict how uncertain complex networks respond to perturbations, offering tools to assess prediction reliability and error sensitivity.

Quantifying predator dependence in the functional response of generalist predators.

The paper evaluates predator dependence in generalist predators using field surveys and experiments, finding weak predator dependence closer to prey dependence than ratio dependence.