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Nucleic acid sequencing methods, which determine the order of nucleotides in DNA fragments, are rapidly progressing. These processes yield large quantities of sequence data -- some of which is dynamic -- that helps researchers understand how and why organisms function like they do. Sequencing also benefits epidemiological studies, such as the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of genetic and/or contagious diseases. Advanced sequencing technologies reveal valuable information about the time evolution of pathogen sequences. Because researchers can estimate how a mutation behaves under the pressure of natural selection, they are thus able to predict the impact of each mutation -- in terms of survival and propagation -- on the fitness of the pathogen in question. These predictions lend insight to infectious disease epistemology, pathogen evolution, and population dynamics. In a paper published earlier this month in the   SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics , Ryosuke Omori an...

What’s in a name? If you’re a fan of the simple, no-fuss naming scheme utilized by   Porsche, you have Peugeot to thank. In a short and sweet informational video, the German automaker outlined the history behind the   legendary “911” badge. As the video enumerates, production was winding down on the 356, making room for a newly minted six-cylinder sports coupe. Porsche called its newest entry the 901, and ordered up a batch of  gold nines, zeroes, and ones for the model badging in preparation for a full-scale launch. At the 1963 Frankfurt auto show, Porsche proudly presented the   new 901 coupe   to the world. Peugeot wasn’t pleased the French automaker had semi-official rights to automotive numeric nameplates with zero in the middle. It had already sold quite a few models using this naming scheme, so it sent a “friendly but distinct” letter to Porsche requesting the 901 be changed to something else. So, Porsche sliced the zero out of the equation an...

  Last December, I   continued   my annual tradition of offering a few predictions for the coming year. Among my prognostications: big years for Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Spotify and protest music. So how'd I do? My first pick was the biggest win. Granted, picking  Beyoncé is sort of like betting on the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. But Queen Bey outdid herself in 2017, earning a whopping $105 million--nearly double her 2016 total, and second among all musicians--even while taking time off to have twins. Bruno Mars collected $39 million and six Grammy nominations, another clear success. The other two are a bit more complicated. Spotify continued to grow, yet the IPO I predicted has yet to materialize; the company will likely go public in 2018, though   not necessarily   through traditional means. The spotlight on protest music hasn't been quite as bright as I thought it would be. But there's plenty of material--in the form of incis...

Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga For some Nigerians, the year 2017 may not have brought the needed change they expected due to several factors occasioned mainly by the poor economic situation of the country. Notwithstanding, the nation’s sports was able to weather the storm, with some individuals and teams going the extra mile to put smiles on the faces of millions of Nigerians. Gowon Akpodonor looks at some of these events that shaped the nation’s sports in 2017 Super Eagles’ Smooth Flight To Russia 2018 World After a few years of underwhelming results coupled with failure to qualify for the last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments, the Super Eagles were able to display performances reminiscent of the glory days of Nigerian football. The team did not only survive the ‘group of death’ but posted a fantastic result in their journey to Russia 2018 World Cup. With a group that had dangerous customers- Algeria, Cameroun and Zambia, the Eagles...

Manchester United’s Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku reacts as he leaves the pitch at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on November 25, 2017. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admits striker Romelu Lukaku is “tired” but says he cannot afford to rest him. The 24-year-old has played every minute of his club’s Premier League campaign so far because of the injury problems of fellow striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Lukaku started the season with 11 goals in 10 games, but has only scored four times in his last 19 outings. “The boy is tired. He is physically a monster but not a machine and he is feeling it,” Mourinho said. “The guy is fantastic for me. But no, I cannot rest him.” Lukaku has been involved in errors in his own penalty area in recent weeks that have led to goals for Manchester City and Burnley. But the United manager refused to criticise the ...

former international football star George Weah  My wish and prayer are that the New Year brings happy times to all the readers of this column. The tail end of 2017 has come with one truly terrific development for sports. George Opong Weah, the first African to be African, European and World’s best football player over a decade ago, has won the elections for the presidency of his country, Liberia. He thus becomes the first African, and probably the second human being, to become president of a country after being an international football player for his country. George Weah’s success in politics is a big deal. It is worth celebrating because it establishes a watershed of some sort, and possibly a turning point in the relationship between government and sports particularly in the Third World. Before now, the prescription by international sports bodies for sports development is a fundamental divorce of government from sports, making interference (including by government) in...

Arsenal’s Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park in south London on December 28, 2017. Manager Arsene Wenger says he cannot guarantee that striker Alexis Sanchez will remain at Arsenal long term, after the forward scored twice in the victory at Crystal Palace on Thursday night. The Chile striker can leave for free this summer when his contract expires and he has been linked with a move to league leaders Manchester City, who failed in their bid to sign him on deadline day.When asked about the 29-year-old’s future, the Frenchman said: “Nobody knows what will happen. It’s difficult to speculate. “We are focused on short term, that means the next game with the players committed and ready to fight. It’s not a guarantee of how long you stay somewhere.“They are questioned, always, when people don’t have long contracts. The best way to show they are co...