Show HN: How I wrote a LaTeX paper without writing any LaTeX
A new model explains non-linear metabolic scaling in small cells, revealing distinct patterns for prokaryotes and eukaryotes, emphasizing the balance between reaction velocity and molecular transport efficiency.
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Metabolic scaling is a crucial aspect of biology, particularly in understanding how metabolic rates vary with organism size. A new model has been proposed to explain the non-linear scaling of metabolic rates in small life forms, specifically cells smaller than 10^-8 m³. This model focuses on optimizing the power output from enzyme-catalyzed reactions by balancing the volume allocated for reaction velocity and molecular movement. For cells smaller than 10^-17 m³, metabolic power is generated through diffusion, which leads to a dilution of enzyme concentration as cell volume increases. In contrast, larger cells depend on the bulk flow of cytoplasm facilitated by molecular motors.
The study reveals that metabolic scaling varies significantly across different size ranges, with smaller organisms exhibiting super-linear scaling and larger ones approaching a 3/4 power law. The model integrates thermodynamic principles to describe the trade-offs between reaction volume and transport volume, predicting that optimal enzyme concentrations decrease as cell size increases. This relationship aligns with empirical data on protein concentration scaling with cell size.
The findings suggest that the metabolic rates of prokaryotes and eukaryotes follow distinct scaling patterns, influenced by physical constraints and the need for efficient transport mechanisms. The model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding metabolic scaling across various life forms, highlighting the complexity of biological systems and the necessity for tailored approaches to study metabolic processes in small organisms.
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- Users express appreciation for the work and its potential utility in academic settings.
- There are requests for enhanced features in the editor, such as image annotation and better integration with existing tools.
- Concerns are raised about the limitations of current formats like PDF for information transfer and reproducibility.
- Some commenters advocate for open-source elements to encourage wider adoption.
- There is a call for a shift towards more thoughtful, slower scientific writing rather than faster production.
16 commentsJust so you know, the vast majority (I'd say everything but molecules) of this is already possible with Org Mode, and can be done just as quickly with Evil (VIM keybindings). That said, I'm sure that people will love this.
I use a tiled text editor/quarto preview browser pane with a lot of success for scientific notes.
A LaTeX using collegue I forwarded this to objected that you need to approve latex keywords (\alpha) and can't just keep on typing.
Not much of a LaTeX user myself, so just forwarding the feedback as is.
Perhaps it's just a personal preference, but I'm just reticent to fall into the habit of using something which requires an internet connection, you know?
If I'm going to be using something for writing or notes, I needs to be snappy. You need to do some profiling and debug the lag. Other than that, great work!
Regarding the editor, seems math and text cannot be written together. Copying math and pasting to text field results in pasting LaTeX code.
Now if just said made this because wanted to wouldn't have mentioned it, but as you provide a reasoning, LyX (LaTeX frontend) and TeXmacs (not frontend but can export to LaTeX) provide a way to get LaTeX documents without writing LaTeX.
Overall the site can function as cool math-enabled notepad but (for now at least) seems hard to use it as platform to author papers.
We need slower scientific writing.
Edit: While I understand policy involved, apologies, I'd contend 'shallow'. Not lengthy? Sure. But the point was made enough @kbk et al. got it
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Research by Carl Simpson suggests that frigid "Snowball Earth" conditions may have driven the evolution of multicellular life by increasing seawater viscosity, prompting single-celled organisms to form larger, coordinated groups.