Developmental and Evolutionary Lexicon Acquisition in Cognitive Agents/Robots with Grounding Principle: A Short Review

PubMed Central

Rasheed, Nadia; Amin, Shamsudin H. M.

2016-01-01

Grounded language acquisition is an important issue, particularly to facilitate human-robot interactions in an intelligent and effective way. The evolutionary and developmental language acquisition are two innovative and important methodologies for the grounding of language in cognitive agents or robots, the aim of which is to address current limitations in robot design. This paper concentrates on these two main modelling methods with the grounding principle for the acquisition of linguistic ability in cognitive agents or robots. This review not only presents a survey of the methodologies and relevant computational cognitive agents or robotic models, but also highlights the advantages and progress of these approaches for the language grounding issue. PMID:27069470

Evolutionary molecular medicine.

PubMed

Nesse, Randolph M; Ganten, Detlev; Gregory, T Ryan; Omenn, Gilbert S

2012-05-01

Evolution has long provided a foundation for population genetics, but some major advances in evolutionary biology from the twentieth century that provide foundations for evolutionary medicine are only now being applied in molecular medicine. They include the need for both proximate and evolutionary explanations, kin selection, evolutionary models for cooperation, competition between alleles, co-evolution, and new strategies for tracing phylogenies and identifying signals of selection. Recent advances in genomics are transforming evolutionary biology in ways that create even more opportunities for progress at its interfaces with genetics, medicine, and public health. This article reviews 15 evolutionary principles and their applications in molecular medicine in hopes that readers will use them and related principles to speed the development of evolutionary molecular medicine.

An Evolutionary Comparison of the Handicap Principle and Hybrid Equilibrium Theories of Signaling.

PubMed

Kane, Patrick; Zollman, Kevin J S

2015-01-01

The handicap principle has come under significant challenge both from empirical studies and from theoretical work. As a result, a number of alternative explanations for honest signaling have been proposed. This paper compares the evolutionary plausibility of one such alternative, the "hybrid equilibrium," to the handicap principle. We utilize computer simulations to compare these two theories as they are instantiated in Maynard Smith's Sir Philip Sidney game. We conclude that, when both types of communication are possible, evolution is unlikely to lead to handicap signaling and is far more likely to result in the partially honest signaling predicted by hybrid equilibrium theory.

Visual Design Principles: An Empirical Study of Design Lore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimball, Miles A.

2013-01-01

Many books, designers, and design educators talk about visual design principles such as balance, contrast, and alignment, but with little consistency. This study uses empirical methods to explore the lore surrounding design principles. The study took the form of two stages: a quantitative literature review to determine what design principles are…

An Evolutionary Comparison of the Handicap Principle and Hybrid Equilibrium Theories of Signaling

PubMed Central

Kane, Patrick; Zollman, Kevin J. S.

2015-01-01

The handicap principle has come under significant challenge both from empirical studies and from theoretical work. As a result, a number of alternative explanations for honest signaling have been proposed. This paper compares the evolutionary plausibility of one such alternative, the “hybrid equilibrium,” to the handicap principle. We utilize computer simulations to compare these two theories as they are instantiated in Maynard Smith’s Sir Philip Sidney game. We conclude that, when both types of communication are possible, evolution is unlikely to lead to handicap signaling and is far more likely to result in the partially honest signaling predicted by hybrid equilibrium theory. PMID:26348617

Principles of Protein Stability and Their Application in Computational Design.

PubMed

Goldenzweig, Adi; Fleishman, Sarel

2018-01-26

Proteins are increasingly used in basic and applied biomedical research.Many proteins, however, are only marginally stable and can be expressed in limited amounts, thus hampering research and applications. Research has revealed the thermodynamic, cellular, and evolutionary principles and mechanisms that underlie marginal stability. With this growing understanding, computational stability design methods have advanced over the past two decades starting from methods that selectively addressed only some aspects of marginal stability. Current methods are more general and, by combining phylogenetic analysis with atomistic design, have shown drastic improvements in solubility, thermal stability, and aggregation resistance while maintaining the protein's primary molecular activity. Stability design is opening the way to rational engineering of improved enzymes, therapeutics, and vaccines and to the application of protein design methodology to large proteins and molecular activities that have proven challenging in the past. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry Volume 87 is June 20, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Materials design principles of ancient fish armour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruet, Benjamin J. F.; Song, Juha; Boyce, Mary C.; Ortiz, Christine

2008-09-01

Knowledge of the structure-property-function relationships of dermal scales of armoured fish could enable pathways to improved bioinspired human body armour, and may provide clues to the evolutionary origins of mineralized tissues. Here, we present a multiscale experimental and computational approach that reveals the materials design principles present within individual ganoid scales from the `living fossil' Polypterus senegalus. This fish belongs to the ancient family Polypteridae, which first appeared 96 million years ago during the Cretaceous period and still retains many of their characteristics. The mechanistic origins of penetration resistance (approximating a biting attack) were investigated and found to include the juxtaposition of multiple distinct reinforcing composite layers that each undergo their own unique deformation mechanisms, a unique spatial functional form of mechanical properties with regions of differing levels of gradation within and between material layers, and layers with an undetectable gradation, load-dependent effective material properties, circumferential surface cracking, orthogonal microcracking in laminated sublayers and geometrically corrugated junctions between layers.

Materials design principles of ancient fish armour.

PubMed

Bruet, Benjamin J F; Song, Juha; Boyce, Mary C; Ortiz, Christine

2008-09-01

Knowledge of the structure-property-function relationships of dermal scales of armoured fish could enable pathways to improved bioinspired human body armour, and may provide clues to the evolutionary origins of mineralized tissues. Here, we present a multiscale experimental and computational approach that reveals the materials design principles present within individual ganoid scales from the 'living fossil' Polypterus senegalus. This fish belongs to the ancient family Polypteridae, which first appeared 96 million years ago during the Cretaceous period and still retains many of their characteristics. The mechanistic origins of penetration resistance (approximating a biting attack) were investigated and found to include the juxtaposition of multiple distinct reinforcing composite layers that each undergo their own unique deformation mechanisms, a unique spatial functional form of mechanical properties with regions of differing levels of gradation within and between material layers, and layers with an undetectable gradation, load-dependent effective material properties, circumferential surface cracking, orthogonal microcracking in laminated sublayers and geometrically corrugated junctions between layers.

Evolutionary Design and Simulation of a Tube Crawling Inspection Robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craft, Michael; Howsman, Tom; ONeil, Daniel; Howell, Joe T. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Space Robotics Assembly Team Simulation (SpaceRATS) is an expansive concept that will hopefully lead to a space flight demonstration of a robotic team cooperatively assembling a system from its constitutive parts. A primary objective of the SpaceRATS project is to develop a generalized evolutionary design approach for multiple classes of robots. The portion of the overall SpaceRats program associated with the evolutionary design and simulation of an inspection robot's morphology is the subject of this paper. The vast majority of this effort has concentrated on the use and modification of Darwin2K, a robotic design and simulation software package, to analyze the design of a tube crawling robot. This robot is designed for carrying out inspection duties in relatively inaccessible locations within a liquid rocket engine similar to the SSME. A preliminary design of the tube crawler robot was completed, and the mechanical dynamics of the system were simulated. An evolutionary approach to optimizing a few parameters of the system was utilized, resulting in a more optimum design.

Robust Design of Biological Circuits: Evolutionary Systems Biology Approach

PubMed Central

Chen, Bor-Sen; Hsu, Chih-Yuan; Liou, Jing-Jia

2011-01-01

Artificial gene circuits have been proposed to be embedded into microbial cells that function as switches, timers, oscillators, and the Boolean logic gates. Building more complex systems from these basic gene circuit components is one key advance for biologic circuit design and synthetic biology. However, the behavior of bioengineered gene circuits remains unstable and uncertain. In this study, a nonlinear stochastic system is proposed to model the biological systems with intrinsic parameter fluctuations and environmental molecular noise from the cellular context in the host cell. Based on evolutionary systems biology algorithm, the design parameters of target gene circuits can evolve to specific values in order to robustly track a desired biologic function in spite of intrinsic and environmental noise. The fitness function is selected to be inversely proportional to the tracking error so that the evolutionary biological circuit can achieve the optimal tracking mimicking the evolutionary process of a gene circuit. Finally, several design examples are given in silico with the Monte Carlo simulation to illustrate the design procedure and to confirm the robust performance of the proposed design method. The result shows that the designed gene circuits can robustly track desired behaviors with minimal errors even with nontrivial intrinsic and external noise. PMID:22187523

Robust design of biological circuits: evolutionary systems biology approach.

PubMed

Chen, Bor-Sen; Hsu, Chih-Yuan; Liou, Jing-Jia

2011-01-01

Artificial gene circuits have been proposed to be embedded into microbial cells that function as switches, timers, oscillators, and the Boolean logic gates. Building more complex systems from these basic gene circuit components is one key advance for biologic circuit design and synthetic biology. However, the behavior of bioengineered gene circuits remains unstable and uncertain. In this study, a nonlinear stochastic system is proposed to model the biological systems with intrinsic parameter fluctuations and environmental molecular noise from the cellular context in the host cell. Based on evolutionary systems biology algorithm, the design parameters of target gene circuits can evolve to specific values in order to robustly track a desired biologic function in spite of intrinsic and environmental noise. The fitness function is selected to be inversely proportional to the tracking error so that the evolutionary biological circuit can achieve the optimal tracking mimicking the evolutionary process of a gene circuit. Finally, several design examples are given in silico with the Monte Carlo simulation to illustrate the design procedure and to confirm the robust performance of the proposed design method. The result shows that the designed gene circuits can robustly track desired behaviors with minimal errors even with nontrivial intrinsic and external noise.

Regulatory RNA design through evolutionary computation and strand displacement.

PubMed

Rostain, William; Landrain, Thomas E; Rodrigo, Guillermo; Jaramillo, Alfonso

2015-01-01

The discovery and study of a vast number of regulatory RNAs in all kingdoms of life over the past decades has allowed the design of new synthetic RNAs that can regulate gene expression in vivo. Riboregulators, in particular, have been used to activate or repress gene expression. However, to accelerate and scale up the design process, synthetic biologists require computer-assisted design tools, without which riboregulator engineering will remain a case-by-case design process requiring expert attention. Recently, the design of RNA circuits by evolutionary computation and adapting strand displacement techniques from nanotechnology has proven to be suited to the automated generation of DNA sequences implementing regulatory RNA systems in bacteria. Herein, we present our method to carry out such evolutionary design and how to use it to create various types of riboregulators, allowing the systematic de novo design of genetic control systems in synthetic biology.

Development of X-TOOLSS: Preliminary Design of Space Systems Using Evolutionary Computation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnell, Andrew R.; Hull, Patrick V.; Turner, Mike L.; Dozier, Gerry; Alverson, Lauren; Garrett, Aaron; Reneau, Jarred

2008-01-01

Evolutionary computational (EC) techniques such as genetic algorithms (GA) have been identified as promising methods to explore the design space of mechanical and electrical systems at the earliest stages of design. In this paper the authors summarize their research in the use of evolutionary computation to develop preliminary designs for various space systems. An evolutionary computational solver developed over the course of the research, X-TOOLSS (Exploration Toolset for the Optimization of Launch and Space Systems) is discussed. With the success of early, low-fidelity example problems, an outline of work involving more computationally complex models is discussed.

An evolutionary reduction principle for mutation rates at multiple Loci.

PubMed

Altenberg, Lee

2011-06-01

A model of mutation rate evolution for multiple loci under arbitrary selection is analyzed. Results are obtained using techniques from Karlin (Evolutionary Biology, vol. 14, pp. 61-204, 1982) that overcome the weak selection constraints needed for tractability in prior studies of multilocus event models.A multivariate form of the reduction principle is found: reduction results at individual loci combine topologically to produce a surface of mutation rate alterations that are neutral for a new modifier allele. New mutation rates survive if and only if they fall below this surface-a generalization of the hyperplane found by Zhivotovsky et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 1079-1083, 1994) for a multilocus recombination modifier. Increases in mutation rates at some loci may evolve if compensated for by decreases at other loci. The strength of selection on the modifier scales in proportion to the number of germline cell divisions, and increases with the number of loci affected. Loci that do not make a difference to marginal fitnesses at equilibrium are not subject to the reduction principle, and under fine tuning of mutation rates would be expected to have higher mutation rates than loci in mutation-selection balance.Other results include the nonexistence of 'viability analogous, Hardy-Weinberg' modifier polymorphisms under multiplicative mutation, and the sufficiency of average transmission rates to encapsulate the effect of modifier polymorphisms on the transmission of loci under selection. A conjecture is offered regarding situations, like recombination in the presence of mutation, that exhibit departures from the reduction principle. Constraints for tractability are: tight linkage of all loci, initial fixation at the modifier locus, and mutation distributions comprising transition probabilities of reversible Markov chains.

Quantitative evolutionary design

PubMed Central

Diamond, Jared

2002-01-01

The field of quantitative evolutionary design uses evolutionary reasoning (in terms of natural selection and ultimate causation) to understand the magnitudes of biological reserve capacities, i.e. excesses of capacities over natural loads. Ratios of capacities to loads, defined as safety factors, fall in the range 1.2-10 for most engineered and biological components, even though engineered safety factors are specified intentionally by humans while biological safety factors arise through natural selection. Familiar examples of engineered safety factors include those of buildings, bridges and elevators (lifts), while biological examples include factors of bones and other structural elements, of enzymes and transporters, and of organ metabolic performances. Safety factors serve to minimize the overlap zone (resulting in performance failure) between the low tail of capacity distributions and the high tail of load distributions. Safety factors increase with coefficients of variation of load and capacity, with capacity deterioration with time, and with cost of failure, and decrease with costs of initial construction, maintenance, operation, and opportunity. Adaptive regulation of many biological systems involves capacity increases with increasing load; several quantitative examples suggest sublinear increases, such that safety factors decrease towards 1.0. Unsolved questions include safety factors of series systems, parallel or branched pathways, elements with multiple functions, enzyme reaction chains, and equilibrium enzymes. The modest sizes of safety factors imply the existence of costs that penalize excess capacities. Those costs are likely to involve wasted energy or space for large or expensive components, but opportunity costs of wasted space at the molecular level for minor components. PMID:12122135

The ABCs of an evolutionary education science: The academic, behavioral, and cultural implications of an evolutionary approach to education theory and practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffman, Rick, Jr.

Calls for improving research-informed policy in education are everywhere. Yet, while there is an increasing trend towards science-based practice, there remains little agreement over which of the sciences to consult and how to organize a collective effort between them. What Education lacks is a general theoretical framework through which policies can be constructed, implemented, and assessed. This dissertation submits that evolutionary theory can provide a suitable framework for coordinating educational policies and practice, and can provide the entire field of education with a clearer sense of how to better manage the learning environment. This dissertation explores two broad paths that outline the conceptual foundations for an Evolutionary Education Science: "Teaching Evolution" and "Using Evolution to Teach." Chapter 1 introduces both of these themes. After describing why evolutionary science is best suited for organizing education research and practice, Chapter 1 proceeds to "teach" an overview of the "evolutionary toolkit"---the mechanisms and principles that underlie the modern evolutionary perspective. The chapter then employs the "toolkit" in examining education from an evolutionary perspective, outlining the evolutionary precepts that can guide theorizing and research in education, describing how educators can "use evolution to teach.". Chapters 2-4 expand on this second theme. Chapters 2 and 3 describe an education program for at-risk 9th and 10th grade students, the Regents Academy, designed entirely with evolutionary principles in mind. The program was rigorously assessed in a randomized control design and has demonstrated success at improving students' academic performance (Chapter 2) and social & behavioral development (Chapter 3). Chapter 4 examines current teaching strategies that underlie effective curriculum-instruction-assessment practices and proposes a framework for organizing successful, evidence-based strategies for neural

A Bright Future for Evolutionary Methods in Drug Design.

PubMed

Le, Tu C; Winkler, David A

2015-08-01

Most medicinal chemists understand that chemical space is extremely large, essentially infinite. Although high-throughput experimental methods allow exploration of drug-like space more rapidly, they are still insufficient to fully exploit the opportunities that such large chemical space offers. Evolutionary methods can synergistically blend automated synthesis and characterization methods with computational design to identify promising regions of chemical space more efficiently. We describe how evolutionary methods are implemented, and provide examples of published drug development research in which these methods have generated molecules with increased efficacy. We anticipate that evolutionary methods will play an important role in future drug discovery. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Utilization of Design Principles for Hybrid Learning Configurations by Interprofessional Design Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cremers, Petra H. M.; Wals, Arjen E. J.; Wesselink, Renate; Mulder, Martin

2017-01-01

Educational design research yields design knowledge, often in the form of design principles or guidelines that provide the rationale or "know-why" for the design of educational interventions. As such, design principles can be utilized by designers in contexts other than the research context in which they were generated. Although research…

Integrating Evolutionary Game Theory into Mechanistic Genotype-Phenotype Mapping.

PubMed

Zhu, Xuli; Jiang, Libo; Ye, Meixia; Sun, Lidan; Gragnoli, Claudia; Wu, Rongling

2016-05-01

Natural selection has shaped the evolution of organisms toward optimizing their structural and functional design. However, how this universal principle can enhance genotype-phenotype mapping of quantitative traits has remained unexplored. Here we show that the integration of this principle and functional mapping through evolutionary game theory gains new insight into the genetic architecture of complex traits. By viewing phenotype formation as an evolutionary system, we formulate mathematical equations to model the ecological mechanisms that drive the interaction and coordination of its constituent components toward population dynamics and stability. Functional mapping provides a procedure for estimating the genetic parameters that specify the dynamic relationship of competition and cooperation and predicting how genes mediate the evolution of this relationship during trait formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The great opportunity: Evolutionary applications to medicine and public health.

PubMed

Nesse, Randolph M; Stearns, Stephen C

2008-02-01

Evolutionary biology is an essential basic science for medicine, but few doctors and medical researchers are familiar with its most relevant principles. Most medical schools have geneticists who understand evolution, but few have even one evolutionary biologist to suggest other possible applications. The canyon between evolutionary biology and medicine is wide. The question is whether they offer each other enough to make bridge building worthwhile. What benefits could be expected if evolution were brought fully to bear on the problems of medicine? How would studying medical problems advance evolutionary research? Do doctors need to learn evolution, or is it valuable mainly for researchers? What practical steps will promote the application of evolutionary biology in the areas of medicine where it offers the most? To address these questions, we review current and potential applications of evolutionary biology to medicine and public health. Some evolutionary technologies, such as population genetics, serial transfer production of live vaccines, and phylogenetic analysis, have been widely applied. Other areas, such as infectious disease and aging research, illustrate the dramatic recent progress made possible by evolutionary insights. In still other areas, such as epidemiology, psychiatry, and understanding the regulation of bodily defenses, applying evolutionary principles remains an open opportunity. In addition to the utility of specific applications, an evolutionary perspective fundamentally challenges the prevalent but fundamentally incorrect metaphor of the body as a machine designed by an engineer. Bodies are vulnerable to disease - and remarkably resilient - precisely because they are not machines built from a plan. They are, instead, bundles of compromises shaped by natural selection in small increments to maximize reproduction, not health. Understanding the body as a product of natural selection, not design, offers new research questions and a framework for

Using Design Principles to Teach Technical Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markel, Mike

1995-01-01

Compares the writing of two students--a competent writer and a weak one--in a technical communication course before and after discussion of design principles. Finds that a basic understanding of design principles helped them improve document macrostructure but had little effect on document microstructure. Suggests that integrating document design…

Generative Representations for Computer-Automated Evolutionary Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornby, Gregory S.

2006-01-01

With the increasing computational power of computers, software design systems are progressing from being tools for architects and designers to express their ideas to tools capable of creating designs under human guidance. One of the main limitations for these computer-automated design systems is the representation with which they encode designs. If the representation cannot encode a certain design, then the design system cannot produce it. To be able to produce new types of designs, and not just optimize pre-defined parameterizations, evolutionary design systems must use generative representations. Generative representations are assembly procedures, or algorithms, for constructing a design thereby allowing for truly novel design solutions to be encoded. In addition, by enabling modularity, regularity and hierarchy, the level of sophistication that can be evolved is increased. We demonstrate the advantages of generative representations on two different design domains: the evolution of spacecraft antennas and the evolution of 3D objects.

The evolutionary diversity of insect retinal mosaics: common design principles and emerging molecular logic.

PubMed

Wernet, Mathias F; Perry, Michael W; Desplan, Claude

2015-06-01

Independent evolution has resulted in a vast diversity of eyes. Despite the lack of a common Bauplan or ancestral structure, similar developmental strategies are used. For instance, different classes of photoreceptor cells (PRs) are distributed stochastically and/or localized in different regions of the retina. Here, we focus on recent progress made towards understanding the molecular principles behind patterning retinal mosaics of insects, one of the most diverse groups of animals adapted to life on land, in the air, under water, or on the water surface. Morphological, physiological, and behavioral studies from many species provide detailed descriptions of the vast variation in retinal design and function. By integrating this knowledge with recent progress in the characterization of insect Rhodopsins as well as insight from the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, we seek to identify the molecular logic behind the adaptation of retinal mosaics to the habitat and way of life of an animal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The evolutionary diversity of insect retinal mosaics: Common design principles and emerging molecular logic

PubMed Central

Wernet, Mathias F.; Perry, Michael W.; Desplan, Claude

2015-01-01

Independent evolution has resulted in a vast diversity of eyes. Despite the lack of a common Bauplan or ancestral structure, similar developmental strategies are used. For instance, different classes of photoreceptor cells (PRs) are distributed stochastically and/or localized in different regions of the retina. Here we focus on recent progress made towards understanding the molecular principles behind patterning retinal mosaics of insects, one of the most diverse groups of animals adapted to life on land, in the air, under water, or on the water surface. Morphological, physiological, and behavioral studies from many species provide detailed descriptions of the vast variation in retinal design and function. By integrating this knowledge with recent progress in the characterization of insect Rhodopsins as well as insight from the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, we seek to identify the molecular logic behind the adaptation of retinal mosaics to an animal’s habitat and way of life. PMID:26025917

Underlying Principles of Natural Selection in Network Evolution: Systems Biology Approach

PubMed Central

Chen, Bor-Sen; Wu, Wei-Sheng

2007-01-01

Systems biology is a rapidly expanding field that integrates diverse areas of science such as physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, and biology toward the goal of elucidating the underlying principles of hierarchical metabolic and regulatory systems in the cell, and ultimately leading to predictive understanding of cellular response to perturbations. Because post-genomics research is taking place throughout the tree of life, comparative approaches offer a way for combining data from many organisms to shed light on the evolution and function of biological networks from the gene to the organismal level. Therefore, systems biology can build on decades of theoretical work in evolutionary biology, and at the same time evolutionary biology can use the systems biology approach to go in new uncharted directions. In this study, we present a review of how the post-genomics era is adopting comparative approaches and dynamic system methods to understand the underlying design principles of network evolution and to shape the nascent field of evolutionary systems biology. Finally, the application of evolutionary systems biology to robust biological network designs is also discussed from the synthetic biology perspective. PMID:19468310

New robotics: design principles for intelligent systems.

PubMed

Pfeifer, Rolf; Iida, Fumiya; Bongard, Josh

2005-01-01

New robotics is an approach to robotics that, in contrast to traditional robotics, employs ideas and principles from biology. While in the traditional approach there are generally accepted methods (e. g., from control theory), designing agents in the new robotics approach is still largely considered an art. In recent years, we have been developing a set of heuristics, or design principles, that on the one hand capture theoretical insights about intelligent (adaptive) behavior, and on the other provide guidance in actually designing and building systems. In this article we provide an overview of all the principles but focus on the principles of ecological balance, which concerns the relation between environment, morphology, materials, and control, and sensory-motor coordination, which concerns self-generated sensory stimulation as the agent interacts with the environment and which is a key to the development of high-level intelligence. As we argue, artificial evolution together with morphogenesis is not only "nice to have" but is in fact a necessary tool for designing embodied agents.

Design principles for nickel-hydrogen cells and batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thaller, L. H.; Manzo, M. A.; Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.

1985-01-01

Nickel-hydrogen cells and, more recently, bipolar batteries have been built by a variety of organizations. The design principles that have been used by the technology group at the NASA Lewis Research Center draw upon their extensive background in separator technology, alkaline fuel cell technology, and several alkaline cell technology areas. These design principles have been incorporated into both the more contemporary individual pressure vessel (IPV) designs that were pioneered by other groups, as well as the more recent bipolar battery designs using active cooling that are being developed at NASA Lewis Research Center and under contract. These principles are rather straightforward applications of capillary force formalisms, coupled with the slowly developing data base resulting from careful post test analyses. The objective of this overall effort is directed towards the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) application where the cycle life requirements are much more severe than the geosynchronous-orbit (GEO) application. A summary of the design principles employed is presented along with a discussion of the recommendations for component pore sizes and pore size distributions, as well as suggested materials of construction. These will be made based on our experience in these areas to show how these design principles have been translated into operating hardware.

Design principles for nickel-hydrogen cells and batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thaller, L. H.; Manzo, M. A.; Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.

1985-01-01

Nickel-hydrogen cells and, more recently, bipolar batteries have been built by a variety of organizations. The design principles that have been used by the technology group at the NASA Lewis Research Center draw upon their extensive background in separator technology, alkaline fuel cell technology, and several alkaline cell technology areas. These design principles have been incorporated into both the more contemporary individual pressure vessel (IPV) designs that were pioneered by other groups, as well as the more recent bipolar battery designs using active cooling that are being developed at NASA Lewis Research Center and under contract. These principles are rather straightforward applications of capillary force formalisms, coupled with the slowly developing data base resulting from careful post test analyses. The objective of this overall effort is directed towards the low-earth-orbit (LEO) application where the cycle life requirements are much more severe than the geosynchronous-orbit (GEO) application. A summary of the design principles employed is presented along with a discussion of the recommendations for component pore sizes and pore size distributions, as well as suggested materials of construction. These will be made based on our experience in these areas to show how these design principles have been translated into operating hardware.

EVOLUTIONARY FOUNDATIONS FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE

PubMed Central

Nesse, Randolph M.; Ganten, Detlev; Gregory, T. Ryan; Omenn, Gilbert S.

2015-01-01

Evolution has long provided a foundation for population genetics, but many major advances in evolutionary biology from the 20th century are only now being applied in molecular medicine. They include the distinction between proximate and evolutionary explanations, kin selection, evolutionary models for cooperation, and new strategies for tracing phylogenies and identifying signals of selection. Recent advances in genomics are further transforming evolutionary biology and creating yet more opportunities for progress at the interface of evolution with genetics, medicine, and public health. This article reviews 15 evolutionary principles and their applications in molecular medicine in hopes that readers will use them and others to speed the development of evolutionary molecular medicine. PMID:22544168

Evolutionary Science as a Method to Facilitate Higher Level Thinking and Reasoning in Medical Training.

PubMed

Graves, Joseph L; Reiber, Chris; Thanukos, Anna; Hurtado, Magdalena; Wolpaw, Terry

2016-10-15

Evolutionary science is indispensable for understanding biological processes. Effective medical treatment must be anchored in sound biology. However, currently the insights available from evolutionary science are not adequately incorporated in either pre-medical or medical school curricula. To illuminate how evolution may be helpful in these areas, examples in which the insights of evolutionary science are already improving medical treatment and ways in which evolutionary reasoning can be practiced in the context of medicine are provided. In order to facilitate the learning of evolutionary principles, concepts derived from evolutionary science that medical students and professionals should understand are outlined. These concepts are designed to be authoritative and at the same time easily accessible for anyone with the general biological knowledge of a first-year medical student. Thus we conclude that medical practice informed by evolutionary principles will be more effective and lead to better patient outcomes.Furthermore, it is argued that evolutionary medicine complements general medical training because it provides an additional means by which medical students can practice the critical thinking skills that will be important in their future practice. We argue that core concepts from evolutionary science have the potential to improve critical thinking and facilitate more effective learning in medical training. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Foundation for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.

Evolutionary Connectionism: Algorithmic Principles Underlying the Evolution of Biological Organisation in Evo-Devo, Evo-Eco and Evolutionary Transitions.

PubMed

Watson, Richard A; Mills, Rob; Buckley, C L; Kouvaris, Kostas; Jackson, Adam; Powers, Simon T; Cox, Chris; Tudge, Simon; Davies, Adam; Kounios, Loizos; Power, Daniel

2016-01-01

The mechanisms of variation, selection and inheritance, on which evolution by natural selection depends, are not fixed over evolutionary time. Current evolutionary biology is increasingly focussed on understanding how the evolution of developmental organisations modifies the distribution of phenotypic variation, the evolution of ecological relationships modifies the selective environment, and the evolution of reproductive relationships modifies the heritability of the evolutionary unit. The major transitions in evolution, in particular, involve radical changes in developmental, ecological and reproductive organisations that instantiate variation, selection and inheritance at a higher level of biological organisation. However, current evolutionary theory is poorly equipped to describe how these organisations change over evolutionary time and especially how that results in adaptive complexes at successive scales of organisation (the key problem is that evolution is self-referential, i.e. the products of evolution change the parameters of the evolutionary process). Here we first reinterpret the central open questions in these domains from a perspective that emphasises the common underlying themes. We then synthesise the findings from a developing body of work that is building a new theoretical approach to these questions by converting well-understood theory and results from models of cognitive learning. Specifically, connectionist models of memory and learning demonstrate how simple incremental mechanisms, adjusting the relationships between individually-simple components, can produce organisations that exhibit complex system-level behaviours and improve the adaptive capabilities of the system. We use the term "evolutionary connectionism" to recognise that, by functionally equivalent processes, natural selection acting on the relationships within and between evolutionary entities can result in organisations that produce complex system-level behaviours in evolutionary

Sum-of-squares-based fuzzy controller design using quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Gwo-Ruey; Huang, Yu-Chia; Cheng, Chih-Yung

2016-07-01

In the field of fuzzy control, control gains are obtained by solving stabilisation conditions in linear-matrix-inequality-based Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy control method and sum-of-squares-based polynomial fuzzy control method. However, the optimal performance requirements are not considered under those stabilisation conditions. In order to handle specific performance problems, this paper proposes a novel design procedure with regard to polynomial fuzzy controllers using quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithms. The first contribution of this paper is a combination of polynomial fuzzy control and quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithms to undertake an optimal performance controller design. The second contribution is the proposed stability condition derived from the polynomial Lyapunov function. The proposed design approach is dissimilar to the traditional approach, in which control gains are obtained by solving the stabilisation conditions. The first step of the controller design uses the quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithms to determine the control gains with the best performance. Then, the stability of the closed-loop system is analysed under the proposed stability conditions. To illustrate effectiveness and validity, the problem of balancing and the up-swing of an inverted pendulum on a cart is used.

Applying multimedia design principles enhances learning in medical education.

PubMed

Issa, Nabil; Schuller, Mary; Santacaterina, Susan; Shapiro, Michael; Wang, Edward; Mayer, Richard E; DaRosa, Debra A

2011-08-01

The Association of American Medical Colleges' Institute for Improving Medical Education's report entitled 'Effective Use of Educational Technology' called on researchers to study the effectiveness of multimedia design principles. These principles were empirically shown to result in superior learning when used with college students in laboratory studies, but have not been studied with undergraduate medical students as participants. A pre-test/post-test control group design was used, in which the traditional-learning group received a lecture on shock using traditionally designed slides and the modified-design group received the same lecture using slides modified in accord with Mayer's principles of multimedia design. Participants included Year 3 medical students at a private, midwestern medical school progressing through their surgery clerkship during the academic year 2009-2010. The medical school divides students into four groups; each group attends the surgery clerkship during one of the four quarters of the academic year. Students in the second and third quarters served as the modified-design group (n=91) and students in the fourth-quarter clerkship served as the traditional-design group (n=39). Both student cohorts had similar levels of pre-lecture knowledge. Both groups showed significant improvements in retention (p<0.0001), transfer (p<0.05) and total scores (p<0.0001) between the pre- and post-tests. Repeated-measures anova analysis showed statistically significant greater improvements in retention (F=10.2, p=0.0016) and total scores (F=7.13, p=0.0081) for those students instructed using principles of multimedia design compared with those instructed using the traditional design. Multimedia design principles are easy to implement and result in improved short-term retention among medical students, but empirical research is still needed to determine how these principles affect transfer of learning. Further research on applying the principles of multimedia

Mechatronics design principles for biotechnology product development.

PubMed

Mandenius, Carl-Fredrik; Björkman, Mats

2010-05-01

Traditionally, biotechnology design has focused on the manufacture of chemicals and biologics. Still, a majority of biotechnology products that appear on the market today is the result of mechanical-electric (mechatronic) construction. For these, the biological components play decisive roles in the design solution; the biological entities are either integral parts of the design, or are transformed by the mechatronic system. This article explains how the development and production engineering design principles used for typical mechanical products can be adapted to the demands of biotechnology products, and how electronics, mechanics and biology can be integrated more successfully. We discuss three emerging areas of biotechnology in which mechatronic design principles can apply: stem cell manufacture, artificial organs, and bioreactors. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Exploratory Review of Design Principles in Constructivist Gaming Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosario, Roberto A. Munoz; Widmeyer, George R.

2009-01-01

Creating a design theory for Constructivist Gaming Learning Environment necessitates, among other things, the establishment of design principles. These principles have the potential to help designers produce games, where users achieve higher levels of learning. This paper focuses on twelve design principles: Probing, Distributed, Multiple Routes,…

Enhancing the Therapy Experience Using Principles of Video Game Design.

PubMed

Folkins, John Wm; Brackenbury, Tim; Krause, Miriam; Haviland, Allison

2016-02-01

This article considers the potential benefits that applying design principles from contemporary video games may have on enhancing therapy experiences. Six principles of video game design are presented, and their relevance for enriching clinical experiences is discussed. The motivational and learning benefits of each design principle have been discussed in the education literature as having positive impacts on student motivation and learning and are related here to aspects of clinical practice. The essential experience principle suggests connecting all aspects of the experience around a central emotion or cognitive connection. The discovery principle promotes indirect learning in focused environments. The risk-taking principle addresses the uncertainties clients face when attempting newly learned skills in novel situations. The generalization principle encourages multiple opportunities for skill transfer. The reward system principle directly relates to the scaffolding of frequent and varied feedback in treatment. Last, the identity principle can assist clients in using their newly learned communication skills to redefine self-perceptions. These principles highlight areas for research and interventions that may be used to reinforce or advance current practice.

EvoluCode: Evolutionary Barcodes as a Unifying Framework for Multilevel Evolutionary Data.

PubMed

Linard, Benjamin; Nguyen, Ngoc Hoan; Prosdocimi, Francisco; Poch, Olivier; Thompson, Julie D

2012-01-01

Evolutionary systems biology aims to uncover the general trends and principles governing the evolution of biological networks. An essential part of this process is the reconstruction and analysis of the evolutionary histories of these complex, dynamic networks. Unfortunately, the methodologies for representing and exploiting such complex evolutionary histories in large scale studies are currently limited. Here, we propose a new formalism, called EvoluCode (Evolutionary barCode), which allows the integration of different evolutionary parameters (eg, sequence conservation, orthology, synteny …) in a unifying format and facilitates the multilevel analysis and visualization of complex evolutionary histories at the genome scale. The advantages of the approach are demonstrated by constructing barcodes representing the evolution of the complete human proteome. Two large-scale studies are then described: (i) the mapping and visualization of the barcodes on the human chromosomes and (ii) automatic clustering of the barcodes to highlight protein subsets sharing similar evolutionary histories and their functional analysis. The methodologies developed here open the way to the efficient application of other data mining and knowledge extraction techniques in evolutionary systems biology studies. A database containing all EvoluCode data is available at: http://lbgi.igbmc.fr/barcodes.

Designing synthetic networks in silico: a generalised evolutionary algorithm approach.

PubMed

Smith, Robert W; van Sluijs, Bob; Fleck, Christian

2017-12-02

Evolution has led to the development of biological networks that are shaped by environmental signals. Elucidating, understanding and then reconstructing important network motifs is one of the principal aims of Systems & Synthetic Biology. Consequently, previous research has focused on finding optimal network structures and reaction rates that respond to pulses or produce stable oscillations. In this work we present a generalised in silico evolutionary algorithm that simultaneously finds network structures and reaction rates (genotypes) that can satisfy multiple defined objectives (phenotypes). The key step to our approach is to translate a schema/binary-based description of biological networks into systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The ODEs can then be solved numerically to provide dynamic information about an evolved networks functionality. Initially we benchmark algorithm performance by finding optimal networks that can recapitulate concentration time-series data and perform parameter optimisation on oscillatory dynamics of the Repressilator. We go on to show the utility of our algorithm by finding new designs for robust synthetic oscillators, and by performing multi-objective optimisation to find a set of oscillators and feed-forward loops that are optimal at balancing different system properties. In sum, our results not only confirm and build on previous observations but we also provide new designs of synthetic oscillators for experimental construction. In this work we have presented and tested an evolutionary algorithm that can design a biological network to produce desired output. Given that previous designs of synthetic networks have been limited to subregions of network- and parameter-space, the use of our evolutionary optimisation algorithm will enable Synthetic Biologists to construct new systems with the potential to display a wider range of complex responses.

System Design under Uncertainty: Evolutionary Optimization of the Gravity Probe-B Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pullen, Samuel P.; Parkinson, Bradford W.

1994-01-01

This paper discusses the application of evolutionary random-search algorithms (Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithms) to the problem of spacecraft design under performance uncertainty. Traditionally, spacecraft performance uncertainty has been measured by reliability. Published algorithms for reliability optimization are seldom used in practice because they oversimplify reality. The algorithm developed here uses random-search optimization to allow us to model the problem more realistically. Monte Carlo simulations are used to evaluate the objective function for each trial design solution. These methods have been applied to the Gravity Probe-B (GP-B) spacecraft being developed at Stanford University for launch in 1999, Results of the algorithm developed here for GP-13 are shown, and their implications for design optimization by evolutionary algorithms are discussed.

Design Principles for Augmented Reality Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunleavy, Matt

2014-01-01

Augmented reality is an emerging technology that utilizes mobile, context-aware devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets) that enable participants to interact with digital information embedded within the physical environment. This overview of design principles focuses on specific strategies that instructional designers can use to develop AR learning…

Urban Environment Development based on Universal Design Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harsritanto, Bangun Ir

2018-02-01

Universal Design is a design which facilitated full range of human diversity. By applying Universal design principles, urban environment can be more functional and more user-friendly for everyone. This study examined five urban streets of South Korea as a country experienced on developing various urban street designs based on universal design. This study aimed to examine and compare the South Korea cases using seven principles of universal design. The research methods of this study are literature study, case study, and site observation. The results of this study are: South Korea cases are good practices, urgency of implementing the direction into local regulations; and change of urban development paradigm.

Applying evolutionary concepts to wildlife disease ecology and management

PubMed Central

Vander Wal, Eric; Garant, Dany; Calmé, Sophie; Chapman, Colin A; Festa-Bianchet, Marco; Millien, Virginie; Rioux-Paquette, Sébastien; Pelletier, Fanie

2014-01-01

Existing and emerging infectious diseases are among the most pressing global threats to biodiversity, food safety and human health. The complex interplay between host, pathogen and environment creates a challenge for conserving species, communities and ecosystem functions, while mediating the many known ecological and socio-economic negative effects of disease. Despite the clear ecological and evolutionary contexts of host–pathogen dynamics, approaches to managing wildlife disease remain predominantly reactionary, focusing on surveillance and some attempts at eradication. A few exceptional studies have heeded recent calls for better integration of ecological concepts in the study and management of wildlife disease; however, evolutionary concepts remain underused. Applied evolution consists of four principles: evolutionary history, genetic and phenotypic variation, selection and eco-evolutionary dynamics. In this article, we first update a classical framework for understanding wildlife disease to integrate better these principles. Within this framework, we explore the evolutionary implications of environment–disease interactions. Subsequently, we synthesize areas where applied evolution can be employed in wildlife disease management. Finally, we discuss some future directions and challenges. Here, we underscore that despite some evolutionary principles currently playing an important role in our understanding of disease in wild animals, considerable opportunities remain for fostering the practice of evolutionarily enlightened wildlife disease management. PMID:25469163

Applying evolutionary concepts to wildlife disease ecology and management.

PubMed

Vander Wal, Eric; Garant, Dany; Calmé, Sophie; Chapman, Colin A; Festa-Bianchet, Marco; Millien, Virginie; Rioux-Paquette, Sébastien; Pelletier, Fanie

2014-08-01

Existing and emerging infectious diseases are among the most pressing global threats to biodiversity, food safety and human health. The complex interplay between host, pathogen and environment creates a challenge for conserving species, communities and ecosystem functions, while mediating the many known ecological and socio-economic negative effects of disease. Despite the clear ecological and evolutionary contexts of host-pathogen dynamics, approaches to managing wildlife disease remain predominantly reactionary, focusing on surveillance and some attempts at eradication. A few exceptional studies have heeded recent calls for better integration of ecological concepts in the study and management of wildlife disease; however, evolutionary concepts remain underused. Applied evolution consists of four principles: evolutionary history, genetic and phenotypic variation, selection and eco-evolutionary dynamics. In this article, we first update a classical framework for understanding wildlife disease to integrate better these principles. Within this framework, we explore the evolutionary implications of environment-disease interactions. Subsequently, we synthesize areas where applied evolution can be employed in wildlife disease management. Finally, we discuss some future directions and challenges. Here, we underscore that despite some evolutionary principles currently playing an important role in our understanding of disease in wild animals, considerable opportunities remain for fostering the practice of evolutionarily enlightened wildlife disease management.

Designing for Success: Developing Engineers Who Consider Universal Design Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigelow, Kimberly Edginton

2012-01-01

Engineers must design for a diverse group of potential users of their products; however, engineering curricula rarely include an emphasis on universal design principles. This research article details the effectiveness of a design project implemented in a first-year engineering course in an effort to raise awareness of the need for engineers to be…

Evolutionary perspectives on wildlife disease: concepts and applications

PubMed Central

Vander Wal, Eric; Garant, Dany; Pelletier, Fanie

2014-01-01

Wildlife disease has the potential to cause significant ecological, socioeconomic, and health impacts. As a result, all tools available need to be employed when host–pathogen dynamics merit conservation or management interventions. Evolutionary principles, such as evolutionary history, phenotypic and genetic variation, and selection, have the potential to unravel many of the complex ecological realities of infectious disease in the wild. Despite this, their application to wildlife disease ecology and management remains in its infancy. In this article, we outline the impetus behind applying evolutionary principles to disease ecology and management issues in the wild. We then introduce articles from this special issue on Evolutionary Perspectives on Wildlife Disease: Concepts and Applications, outlining how each is exemplar of a practical wildlife disease challenge that can be enlightened by applied evolution. Ultimately, we aim to bring new insights to wildlife disease ecology and its management using tools and techniques commonly employed in evolutionary ecology. PMID:25469154

Expert-guided evolutionary algorithm for layout design of complex space stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Zhiqin; Bi, Zhuming; Cao, Qun; Ju, Weiguo; Teng, Hongfei; Zheng, Yang; Zheng, Siyu

2017-08-01

The layout of a space station should be designed in such a way that different equipment and instruments are placed for the station as a whole to achieve the best overall performance. The station layout design is a typical nondeterministic polynomial problem. In particular, how to manage the design complexity to achieve an acceptable solution within a reasonable timeframe poses a great challenge. In this article, a new evolutionary algorithm has been proposed to meet such a challenge. It is called as the expert-guided evolutionary algorithm with a tree-like structure decomposition (EGEA-TSD). Two innovations in EGEA-TSD are (i) to deal with the design complexity, the entire design space is divided into subspaces with a tree-like structure; it reduces the computation and facilitates experts' involvement in the solving process. (ii) A human-intervention interface is developed to allow experts' involvement in avoiding local optimums and accelerating convergence. To validate the proposed algorithm, the layout design of one-space station is formulated as a multi-disciplinary design problem, the developed algorithm is programmed and executed, and the result is compared with those from other two algorithms; it has illustrated the superior performance of the proposed EGEA-TSD.

On evolutionary systems.

PubMed

Alvarez de Lorenzana, J M; Ward, L M

1987-01-01

This paper develops a metatheoretical framework for understanding evolutionary systems (systems that develop in ways that increase their own variety). The framework addresses shortcomings seen in other popular systems theories. It concerns both living and nonliving systems, and proposes a metahierarchy of hierarchical systems. Thus, it potentially addresses systems at all descriptive levels. We restrict our definition of system to that of a core system whose parts have a different ontological status than the system, and characterize the core system in terms of five global properties: minimal length interval, minimal time interval, system cycle, total receptive capacity, and system potential. We propose two principles through the interaction of which evolutionary systems develop. The Principle of Combinatorial Expansion describes how a core system realizes its developmental potential through a process of progressive differentiation of the single primal state up to a limit stage. The Principle of Generative Condensation describes how the components of the last stage of combinatorial expansion condense and become the environment for and components of new, enriched systems. The early evolution of the Universe after the "big bang" is discussed in light of these ideas as an example of the application of the framework.

DeafSpace and the principles of universal design.

PubMed

Edwards, Claire; Harold, Gill

2014-01-01

Recent debates about the epistemological origins of Universal Design (UD) have questioned how far universalist design approaches can address the particularities and diversities of the human form through a series of standardised, technical responses. This article contributes to these debates by discussing an emergent architectural paradigm known as DeafSpace, which articulates a set of design principles originating from the d/Deaf community in the US. Commentary. DeafSpace has emerged as a design paradigm rooted in an expression of d/Deaf cultural identity based around sign language, rather than as a response designed to compensate for, or minimise, impairment. It distinguishes itself from UD by articulating a more user-centred design process, but its principles are arguably rooted in notions of d/Deaf identity based around consensus and homogeneity, with less attention paid to the socio-political contexts which shape diverse experiences of d/Deafness and the exclusion(s) of d/Deaf people from the built environment. While proponents of DeafSpace argue that UD and DeafSpace are not mutually exclusive, nor DeafSpace principles applicable only to d/Deaf people, questions remain about the type of spaces DeafSpace creates, most notably whether they lead to the creation of particularist spaces of and for the d/Deaf community, or reflect a set of design principles which can be embedded across a range of different environments. Implications for Rehabilitation UD as a basis for rehabilitation has been critiqued on the basis that creates "standardised", or universal solutions, thus negating the particularities of the human form. DeafSpace is an architectural paradigm rooted in socio-linguistic understandings of Deafness and the cultural identity of the Deaf community. It challenges UD's technocratic emphasis on minimising impairment and asserts design which is rooted in a more qualitative understanding of individuals' relationship with their environment. DeafSpace seeks to

Instructional Audio Guidelines: Four Design Principles to Consider for Every Instructional Audio Design Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Curtis W.

2012-01-01

This article contends that instructional designers and developers should attend to four particular design principles when creating instructional audio. Support for this view is presented by referencing the limited research that has been done in this area, and by indicating how and why each of the four principles is important to the design process.…

Design principles for nickel hydrogen cells and batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thaller, L. H.

1985-01-01

Nickel hydrogen cells, and more recently, bipolar batteries have been built by a variety of organizations. The design principles that have been used by the technology group at the Lewis Research Center draw upon their extensive background in separator technology, alkaline fuel cell technology, and several alkaline cell technology areas. These design principles have been incorporated into both the more contemporary individual pressure vessel (IPV) designs that were pioneered by other groups, as well as the more recent bipolar battery designs using active cooling that are being developed at LeRC and their contractors. These principles are rather straightforward applications of capillary force formalisms, coupled with the slowly developing data base resulting from careful post test analyses. The objective of this overall effort is directed towards the low Earth orbit (LEO) application where the cycle life requirements are much more severe than the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) application. Nickel hydrogen cells have already been successfully flown in an increasing number of GEO missions.

Design principles and developmental mechanisms underlying retinal mosaics.

PubMed

Reese, Benjamin E; Keeley, Patrick W

2015-08-01

Most structures within the central nervous system (CNS) are composed of different types of neuron that vary in both number and morphology, but relatively little is known about the interplay between these two features, i.e. about the population dynamics of a given cell type. How such arrays of neurons are distributed within a structure, and how they differentiate their dendrites relative to each other, are issues that have recently drawn attention in the invertebrate nervous system, where the genetic and molecular underpinnings of these organizing principles are being revealed in exquisite detail. The retina is one of the few locations where these principles have been extensively studied in the vertebrate CNS, indeed, where the design principles of 'mosaic regularity' and 'uniformity of coverage' were first explicitly defined, quantified, and related to each other. Recent studies have revealed a number of genes that influence the formation of these histotypical features in the retina, including homologues of those invertebrate genes, although close inspection reveals that they do not always mediate comparable developmental processes nor elucidate fundamental design principles. The present review considers just how pervasive these features of 'mosaic regularity' and 'uniform dendritic coverage' are within the mammalian retina, discussing the means by which such features can be assessed in the mature and developing nervous system and examining the limitations associated with those assessments. We then address the extent to which these two design principles co-exist within different populations of neurons, and how they are achieved during development. Finally, we consider the neural phenotypes obtained in mutant nervous systems, to address whether a prospective gene of interest underlies those very design principles. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2014 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Integrating genomics into evolutionary medicine.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Juan Antonio; Marigorta, Urko M; Navarro, Arcadi

2014-12-01

The application of the principles of evolutionary biology into medicine was suggested long ago and is already providing insight into the ultimate causes of disease. However, a full systematic integration of medical genomics and evolutionary medicine is still missing. Here, we briefly review some cases where the combination of the two fields has proven profitable and highlight two of the main issues hindering the development of evolutionary genomic medicine as a mature field, namely the dissociation between fitness and health and the still considerable difficulties in predicting phenotypes from genotypes. We use publicly available data to illustrate both problems and conclude that new approaches are needed for evolutionary genomic medicine to overcome these obstacles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design principles for elementary gene circuits: Elements, methods, and examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savageau, Michael A.

2001-03-01

The control of gene expression involves complex circuits that exhibit enormous variation in design. For years the most convenient explanation for these variations was historical accident. According to this view, evolution is a haphazard process in which many different designs are generated by chance; there are many ways to accomplish the same thing, and so no further meaning can be attached to such different but equivalent designs. In recent years a more satisfying explanation based on design principles has been found for at least certain aspects of gene circuitry. By design principle we mean a rule that characterizes some biological feature exhibited by a class of systems such that discovery of the rule allows one not only to understand known instances but also to predict new instances within the class. The central importance of gene regulation in modern molecular biology provides strong motivation to search for more of these underlying design principles. The search is in its infancy and there are undoubtedly many design principles that remain to be discovered. The focus of this three-part review will be the class of elementary gene circuits in bacteria. The first part reviews several elements of design that enter into the characterization of elementary gene circuits in prokaryotic organisms. Each of these elements exhibits a variety of realizations whose meaning is generally unclear. The second part reviews mathematical methods used to represent, analyze, and compare alternative designs. Emphasis is placed on particular methods that have been used successfully to identify design principles for elementary gene circuits. The third part reviews four design principles that make specific predictions regarding (1) two alternative modes of gene control, (2) three patterns of coupling gene expression in elementary circuits, (3) two types of switches in inducible gene circuits, and (4) the realizability of alternative gene circuits and their response to phased

Principles for computational design of binding antibodies

PubMed Central

Pszolla, M. Gabriele; Lapidoth, Gideon D.; Norn, Christoffer; Dym, Orly; Unger, Tamar; Albeck, Shira; Tyka, Michael D.; Fleishman, Sarel J.

2017-01-01

Natural proteins must both fold into a stable conformation and exert their molecular function. To date, computational design has successfully produced stable and atomically accurate proteins by using so-called “ideal” folds rich in regular secondary structures and almost devoid of loops and destabilizing elements, such as cavities. Molecular function, such as binding and catalysis, however, often demands nonideal features, including large and irregular loops and buried polar interaction networks, which have remained challenging for fold design. Through five design/experiment cycles, we learned principles for designing stable and functional antibody variable fragments (Fvs). Specifically, we (i) used sequence-design constraints derived from antibody multiple-sequence alignments, and (ii) during backbone design, maintained stabilizing interactions observed in natural antibodies between the framework and loops of complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) 1 and 2. Designed Fvs bound their ligands with midnanomolar affinities and were as stable as natural antibodies, despite having >30 mutations from mammalian antibody germlines. Furthermore, crystallographic analysis demonstrated atomic accuracy throughout the framework and in four of six CDRs in one design and atomic accuracy in the entire Fv in another. The principles we learned are general, and can be implemented to design other nonideal folds, generating stable, specific, and precise antibodies and enzymes. PMID:28973872

Applying Evolutionary Genetics to Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment

PubMed Central

Leung, Maxwell C. K.; Procter, Andrew C.; Goldstone, Jared V.; Foox, Jonathan; DeSalle, Robert; Mattingly, Carolyn J.; Siddall, Mark E.; Timme-Laragy, Alicia R.

2018-01-01

Evolutionary thinking continues to challenge our views on health and disease. Yet, there is a communication gap between evolutionary biologists and toxicologists in recognizing the connections among developmental pathways, high-throughput screening, and birth defects in humans. To increase our capability in identifying potential developmental toxicants in humans, we propose to apply evolutionary genetics to improve the experimental design and data interpretation with various in vitro and whole-organism models. We review five molecular systems of stress response and update 18 consensual cell-cell signaling pathways that are the hallmark for early development, organogenesis, and differentiation; and revisit the principles of teratology in light of recent advances in high-throughput screening, big data techniques, and systems toxicology. Multiscale systems modeling plays an integral role in the evolutionary approach to cross-species extrapolation. Phylogenetic analysis and comparative bioinformatics are both valuable tools in identifying and validating the molecular initiating events that account for adverse developmental outcomes in humans. The discordance of susceptibility between test species and humans (ontogeny) reflects their differences in evolutionary history (phylogeny). This synthesis not only can lead to novel applications in developmental toxicity and risk assessment, but also can pave the way for applying an evo-devo perspective to the study of developmental origins of health and disease. PMID:28267574

Perspective: Evolutionary design of granular media and block copolymer patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaeger, Heinrich M.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2016-05-01

The creation of new materials "by design" is a process that starts from desired materials properties and proceeds to identify requirements for the constituent components. Such process is challenging because it inverts the typical modeling approach, which starts from given micro-level components to predict macro-level properties. We describe how to tackle this inverse problem using concepts from evolutionary computation. These concepts have widespread applicability and open up new opportunities for design as well as discovery. Here we apply them to design tasks involving two very different classes of soft materials, shape-optimized granular media and nanopatterned block copolymer thin films.

School Building Designs: Principles and Challenges of the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, T. C.

2002-01-01

Reviews school-facility challenges and design principles described in 2000 U.S. Department of Education report on school planning and design. Describes additional school-facility design challenges and planning principles. Describes five critical facility-planning issues for the 21st Century. (Contains 14 references.) (PKP)

Evolutionary design optimization of traffic signals applied to Quito city.

PubMed

Armas, Rolando; Aguirre, Hernán; Daolio, Fabio; Tanaka, Kiyoshi

2017-01-01

This work applies evolutionary computation and machine learning methods to study the transportation system of Quito from a design optimization perspective. It couples an evolutionary algorithm with a microscopic transport simulator and uses the outcome of the optimization process to deepen our understanding of the problem and gain knowledge about the system. The work focuses on the optimization of a large number of traffic lights deployed on a wide area of the city and studies their impact on travel time, emissions and fuel consumption. An evolutionary algorithm with specialized mutation operators is proposed to search effectively in large decision spaces, evolving small populations for a short number of generations. The effects of the operators combined with a varying mutation schedule are studied, and an analysis of the parameters of the algorithm is also included. In addition, hierarchical clustering is performed on the best solutions found in several runs of the algorithm. An analysis of signal clusters and their geolocation, estimation of fuel consumption, spatial analysis of emissions, and an analysis of signal coordination provide an overall picture of the systemic effects of the optimization process.

Evolutionary design optimization of traffic signals applied to Quito city

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This work applies evolutionary computation and machine learning methods to study the transportation system of Quito from a design optimization perspective. It couples an evolutionary algorithm with a microscopic transport simulator and uses the outcome of the optimization process to deepen our understanding of the problem and gain knowledge about the system. The work focuses on the optimization of a large number of traffic lights deployed on a wide area of the city and studies their impact on travel time, emissions and fuel consumption. An evolutionary algorithm with specialized mutation operators is proposed to search effectively in large decision spaces, evolving small populations for a short number of generations. The effects of the operators combined with a varying mutation schedule are studied, and an analysis of the parameters of the algorithm is also included. In addition, hierarchical clustering is performed on the best solutions found in several runs of the algorithm. An analysis of signal clusters and their geolocation, estimation of fuel consumption, spatial analysis of emissions, and an analysis of signal coordination provide an overall picture of the systemic effects of the optimization process. PMID:29236733

A framework for evolutionary systems biology

PubMed Central

Loewe, Laurence

2009-01-01

Background Many difficult problems in evolutionary genomics are related to mutations that have weak effects on fitness, as the consequences of mutations with large effects are often simple to predict. Current systems biology has accumulated much data on mutations with large effects and can predict the properties of knockout mutants in some systems. However experimental methods are too insensitive to observe small effects. Results Here I propose a novel framework that brings together evolutionary theory and current systems biology approaches in order to quantify small effects of mutations and their epistatic interactions in silico. Central to this approach is the definition of fitness correlates that can be computed in some current systems biology models employing the rigorous algorithms that are at the core of much work in computational systems biology. The framework exploits synergies between the realism of such models and the need to understand real systems in evolutionary theory. This framework can address many longstanding topics in evolutionary biology by defining various 'levels' of the adaptive landscape. Addressed topics include the distribution of mutational effects on fitness, as well as the nature of advantageous mutations, epistasis and robustness. Combining corresponding parameter estimates with population genetics models raises the possibility of testing evolutionary hypotheses at a new level of realism. Conclusion EvoSysBio is expected to lead to a more detailed understanding of the fundamental principles of life by combining knowledge about well-known biological systems from several disciplines. This will benefit both evolutionary theory and current systems biology. Understanding robustness by analysing distributions of mutational effects and epistasis is pivotal for drug design, cancer research, responsible genetic engineering in synthetic biology and many other practical applications. PMID:19239699

Evolutionary Design of Controlled Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masters, Brett P.; Crawley, Edward F.

1997-01-01

Basic physical concepts of structural delay and transmissibility are provided for simple rod and beam structures. Investigations show the sensitivity of these concepts to differing controlled-structures variables, and to rational system modeling effects. An evolutionary controls/structures design method is developed. The basis of the method is an accurate model formulation for dynamic compensator optimization and Genetic Algorithm based updating of sensor/actuator placement and structural attributes. One and three dimensional examples from the literature are used to validate the method. Frequency domain interpretation of these controlled structure systems provide physical insight as to how the objective is optimized and consequently what is important in the objective. Several disturbance rejection type controls-structures systems are optimized for a stellar interferometer spacecraft application. The interferometric designs include closed loop tracking optics. Designs are generated for differing structural aspect ratios, differing disturbance attributes, and differing sensor selections. Physical limitations in achieving performance are given in terms of average system transfer function gains and system phase loss. A spacecraft-like optical interferometry system is investigated experimentally over several different optimized controlled structures configurations. Configurations represent common and not-so-common approaches to mitigating pathlength errors induced by disturbances of two different spectra. Results show that an optimized controlled structure for low frequency broadband disturbances achieves modest performance gains over a mass equivalent regular structure, while an optimized structure for high frequency narrow band disturbances is four times better in terms of root-mean-square pathlength. These results are predictable given the nature of the physical system and the optimization design variables. Fundamental limits on controlled performance are discussed

Design principles for data- and change-oriented organisational analysis in workplace health promotion.

PubMed

Inauen, A; Jenny, G J; Bauer, G F

2012-06-01

This article focuses on organizational analysis in workplace health promotion (WHP) projects. It shows how this analysis can be designed such that it provides rational data relevant to the further context-specific and goal-oriented planning of WHP and equally supports individual and organizational change processes implied by WHP. Design principles for organizational analysis were developed on the basis of a narrative review of the guiding principles of WHP interventions and organizational change as well as the scientific principles of data collection. Further, the practical experience of WHP consultants who routinely conduct organizational analysis was considered. This resulted in a framework with data-oriented and change-oriented design principles, addressing the following elements of organizational analysis in WHP: planning the overall procedure, data content, data-collection methods and information processing. Overall, the data-oriented design principles aim to produce valid, reliable and representative data, whereas the change-oriented design principles aim to promote motivation, coherence and a capacity for self-analysis. We expect that the simultaneous consideration of data- and change-oriented design principles for organizational analysis will strongly support the WHP process. We finally illustrate the applicability of the design principles to health promotion within a WHP case study.

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Design, Part 2: Principles.

PubMed

Manja, Veena; Lakshminrusimha, Satyan

This is the third article covering core knowledge in scholarly activities for neonatal physicians. In this article, we discuss various principles of epidemiology and clinical research design. A basic knowledge of these principles is necessary for conducting clinical research and for proper interpretation of studies. This article reviews bias and confounding, causation, incidence and prevalence, decision analysis, cost-effectiveness, sensitivity analysis, and measurement.

Optimizing a reconfigurable material via evolutionary computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilken, Sam; Miskin, Marc Z.; Jaeger, Heinrich M.

2015-08-01

Rapid prototyping by combining evolutionary computation with simulations is becoming a powerful tool for solving complex design problems in materials science. This method of optimization operates in a virtual design space that simulates potential material behaviors and after completion needs to be validated by experiment. However, in principle an evolutionary optimizer can also operate on an actual physical structure or laboratory experiment directly, provided the relevant material parameters can be accessed by the optimizer and information about the material's performance can be updated by direct measurements. Here we provide a proof of concept of such direct, physical optimization by showing how a reconfigurable, highly nonlinear material can be tuned to respond to impact. We report on an entirely computer controlled laboratory experiment in which a 6 ×6 grid of electromagnets creates a magnetic field pattern that tunes the local rigidity of a concentrated suspension of ferrofluid and iron filings. A genetic algorithm is implemented and tasked to find field patterns that minimize the force transmitted through the suspension. Searching within a space of roughly 1010 possible configurations, after testing only 1500 independent trials the algorithm identifies an optimized configuration of layered rigid and compliant regions.

Evolutionary Design of a Phased Array Antenna Element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Globus, Al; Linden, Derek; Lohn, Jason

2006-01-01

We present an evolved S-band phased array antenna element design that meets the requirements of NASA's TDRS-C communications satellite scheduled for launch early next decade. The original specification called for two types of elements, one for receive only and one for transmit/receive. We were able to evolve a single element design that meets both specifications thereby simplifying the antenna and reducing testing and integration costs. The highest performance antenna found using a genetic algorithm and stochastic hill-climbing has been fabricated and tested. Laboratory results are largely consistent with simulation. Researchers have been investigating evolutionary antenna design and optimization since the early 1990s, and the field has grown in recent years its computer speed has increased and electromagnetic simulators have improved. Many antenna types have been investigated, including wire antennas, antenna arrays and quadrifilar helical antennas. In particular, our laboratory evolved a wire antenna design for NASA's Space Technology 5 (ST5) spacecraft. This antenna has been fabricated, tested, and is scheduled for launch on the three spacecraft in 2006.

Design Principles for the Information Architecture of a SMET Education Digital Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dong, Andy; Agogino, Alice M.

This implementation paper introduces principles for the information architecture of an educational digital library, principles that address the distinction between designing digital libraries for education and designing digital libraries for information retrieval in general. Design is a key element of any successful product. Good designers and…

Ten Principles of Effective School Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Visions for Public Schools, 2006

2006-01-01

This brief document offers ten principles of effective school design. They are: (1) Clear Focus and High Expectations for staff and students are defining features of an effective school; (2) A Rigorous Instructional Program provides equitable opportunities to learn and enables every student to master challenging content, skills, and learning…

Le Chatelier's principle in replicator dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allahverdyan, Armen E.; Galstyan, Aram

2011-10-01

The Le Chatelier principle states that physical equilibria are not only stable, but they also resist external perturbations via short-time negative-feedback mechanisms: a perturbation induces processes tending to diminish its results. The principle has deep roots, e.g., in thermodynamics it is closely related to the second law and the positivity of the entropy production. Here we study the applicability of the Le Chatelier principle to evolutionary game theory, i.e., to perturbations of a Nash equilibrium within the replicator dynamics. We show that the principle can be reformulated as a majorization relation. This defines a stability notion that generalizes the concept of evolutionary stability. We determine criteria for a Nash equilibrium to satisfy the Le Chatelier principle and relate them to mutualistic interactions (game-theoretical anticoordination) showing in which sense mutualistic replicators can be more stable than (say) competing ones. There are globally stable Nash equilibria, where the Le Chatelier principle is violated even locally: in contrast to the thermodynamic equilibrium a Nash equilibrium can amplify small perturbations, though both types of equilibria satisfy the detailed balance condition.

Le Chatelier's principle in replicator dynamics.

PubMed

Allahverdyan, Armen E; Galstyan, Aram

2011-10-01

The Le Chatelier principle states that physical equilibria are not only stable, but they also resist external perturbations via short-time negative-feedback mechanisms: a perturbation induces processes tending to diminish its results. The principle has deep roots, e.g., in thermodynamics it is closely related to the second law and the positivity of the entropy production. Here we study the applicability of the Le Chatelier principle to evolutionary game theory, i.e., to perturbations of a Nash equilibrium within the replicator dynamics. We show that the principle can be reformulated as a majorization relation. This defines a stability notion that generalizes the concept of evolutionary stability. We determine criteria for a Nash equilibrium to satisfy the Le Chatelier principle and relate them to mutualistic interactions (game-theoretical anticoordination) showing in which sense mutualistic replicators can be more stable than (say) competing ones. There are globally stable Nash equilibria, where the Le Chatelier principle is violated even locally: in contrast to the thermodynamic equilibrium a Nash equilibrium can amplify small perturbations, though both types of equilibria satisfy the detailed balance condition.

Effective Principles in Designing E-Course in Light of Learning Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afifi, Muhammad K.; Alamri, Saad S.

2014-01-01

The researchers conducted an exploratory study to determine the design quality of some E-courses delivered via the web to a number of colleagues at the university. Results revealed a number of shortcomings in the design of these courses, mostly due to the absence of effective principles in the design of these E-courses, especially principles of…

Principles and Heuristics for Designing Minimalist Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Meij, Hans; Carroll, John M.

1995-01-01

Presents an overview of principles and heuristics for designing minimalist instruction, with examples and theoretical or empirical arguments. Provides a starting point from which to create minimalist instruction to suit a variety of uses. (SR)

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Design, Part 2: Principles

PubMed Central

Manja, Veena; Lakshminrusimha, Satyan

2015-01-01

This is the third article covering core knowledge in scholarly activities for neonatal physicians. In this article, we discuss various principles of epidemiology and clinical research design. A basic knowledge of these principles is necessary for conducting clinical research and for proper interpretation of studies. This article reviews bias and confounding, causation, incidence and prevalence, decision analysis, cost-effectiveness, sensitivity analysis, and measurement. PMID:26236171

75 FR 80571 - Core Principles and Other Requirements for Designated Contract Markets

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-22

... Part II Commodity Futures Trading Commission 17 CFR Parts 1, 16, and 38 Core Principles and Other... CFR Parts 1, 16, and 38 RIN 3038-AD09 Core Principles and Other Requirements for Designated Contract... Principles 1. Subpart B--Designation as Contract Market 2. Subpart C--Compliance With Rules i. Proposed Sec...

Guided design of copper oxysulfide superconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yee, Chuck-Hou; Birol, Turan; Kotliar, Gabriel

2015-07-01

We describe a framework for designing novel materials, combining modern first-principles electronic-structure tools, materials databases, and evolutionary algorithms capable of exploring large configurational spaces. Guided by the chemical principles introduced by Antipov et al., for the design and synthesis of the Hg-based high-temperature superconductors, we apply our framework to screen 333 proposed compositions to design a new layered copper oxysulfide, Hg(CaS)2CuO2. We evaluate the prospects of superconductivity in this oxysulfide using theories based on charge-transfer energies, orbital distillation and uniaxial strain.

The Value of the Operational Principle in Instructional Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Andrew S.

2009-01-01

Formal design studies are increasing our insight into design processes, including those of instructional design. Lessons are being learned from other design fields, and new techniques and concepts can be imported as they are demonstrated effective. The purpose of this article is to introduce a design concept--the "operational principle"--for…

Emergent features and perceptual objects: re-examining fundamental principles in analogical display design.

PubMed

Holt, Jerred; Bennett, Kevin B; Flach, John M

2015-01-01

Two sets of design principles for analogical visual displays, based on the concepts of emergent features and perceptual objects, are described. An interpretation of previous empirical findings for three displays (bar graph, polar graphic, alphanumeric) is provided from both perspectives. A fourth display (configural coordinate) was designed using principles of ecological interface design (i.e. direct perception). An experiment was conducted to evaluate performance (accuracy and latency of state identification) with these four displays. Numerous significant effects were obtained and a clear rank ordering of performance emerged (from best to worst): configural coordinate, bar graph, alphanumeric and polar graphic. These findings are consistent with principles of design based on emergent features; they are inconsistent with principles based on perceptual objects. Some limitations of the configural coordinate display are discussed and a redesign is provided. Practitioner Summary: Principles of ecological interface design, which emphasise the quality of very specific mappings between domain, display and observer constraints, are described; these principles are applicable to the design of all analogical graphical displays.

Designing User-Computer Dialogues: Basic Principles and Guidelines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrell, Thomas H.

This discussion of the design of computerized psychological assessment or testing instruments stresses the importance of the well-designed computer-user interface. The principles underlying the three main functional elements of computer-user dialogue--data entry, data display, and sequential control--are discussed, and basic guidelines derived…

Evaluating Course Design Principles for Multimedia Learning Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Bernard; Cong, Chunyu

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to report on evaluation studies of principles of course design for interactive multimedia learning materials. Design/methodology/approach: At the Defence Academy of the UK, Cranfield University has worked with military colleagues to produce multimedia learning materials for courses on "Military Knowledge". The…

Developing design principles for a Virtual Hospice: improving access to care.

PubMed

Taylor, Andrea; French, Tara; Raman, Sneha

2018-03-01

Providing access to hospice services will become increasingly difficult due to the pressures of an ageing population and limited resources. To help address this challenge, a small number of services called Virtual Hospice have been established. This paper presents early-stage design work on a Virtual Hospice to improve access to services provided by a hospice (Highland Hospice) serving a largely remote and rural population in Scotland, UK. The study was structured as a series of Experience Labs with Highland Hospice staff, healthcare professionals and patients. Experience Labs employ a participatory design approach where participants are placed at the centre of the design process, helping to ensure that the resultant service meets their needs. Data from the Experience Labs were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis and design analysis. A number of themes and barriers to accessing Highland Hospice services were identified. In response, an initial set of seven design principles was developed. Design principles are high-level guidelines that are used to improve prioritisation and decision making during the design process by ensuring alignment with research insights. The design principles were piloted with a group of stakeholders and gained positive feedback. The design principles are intended to guide the ongoing development of the Highland Hospice Virtual Hospice. However, the challenges faced by Highland Hospice in delivering services in a largely remote and rural setting are not unique. The design principles, encompassing digital and non-digital guidelines, or the design approach could be applied by other hospices in the UK or overseas. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Evolutionary Study of Interethnic Cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvasnicka, Vladimir; Pospichal, Jiri

The purpose of this communication is to present an evolutionary study of cooperation between two ethnic groups. The used model is stimulated by the seminal paper of J. D. Fearon and D. D. Laitin (Explaining Interethnic Cooperation, American Political Science Review, 90 (1996), pp. 715-735), where the iterated prisoner's dilemma was used to model intra- and interethnic interactions. We reformulated their approach in a form of evolutionary prisoner's dilemma method, where a population of strategies is evolved by applying simple reproduction process with a Darwin metaphor of natural selection (a probability of selection to the reproduction is proportional to a fitness). Our computer simulations show that an application of a principle of collective guilt does not lead to an emergence of an interethnic cooperation. When an administrator is introduced, then an emergence of interethnic cooperation may be observed. Furthermore, if the ethnic groups are of very different sizes, then the principle of collective guilt may be very devastating for smaller group so that intraethnic cooperation is destroyed. The second strategy of cooperation is called the personal responsibility, where agents that defected within interethnic interactions are punished inside of their ethnic groups. It means, unlikely to the principle of collective guilt, that there exists only one type of punishment, loosely speaking, agents are punished "personally." All the substantial computational results were checked and interpreted analytically within the theory of evolutionary stable strategies. Moreover, this theoretical approach offers mechanisms of simple scenarios explaining why some particular strategies are stable or not.

Toward A New Evolutionary Synthesis.

PubMed

Flannery, Michael A

2017-01-01

This essay responds to Peter T. Saunders's call to go Beyond the neo-Darwinist Paradigm. While there is much to commend in his analysis, especially his suggestion that the extended evolutionary synthesis (EES) may not go far enough, he leaves the question of whether this should involve mere revision or total replacement open. A historiographical review reveals significant problems stemming from certain positivist assumptions and commitments within neo-Darwinian orthodoxy and the EES over and above any scientific considerations. As such, mere tweaking of the existing paradigm or its extension will do little to remedy the intellectual prejudices currently plaguing it. A complete overhaul is suggested by applying the López Ontological Demarcation Design (LODD) principle with biology in a multidisciplinary, non-reductionist philosophical framework. Building on the concept of Organismic-Systems Biology (OSB), a component of General Systems Theory (GTS) associated with polymathic biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901-1972), and cosmic evolution (CE) proposed by UCLA philosopher John Elof Boodin (1869-1950), the outline of a new evolutionary synthesis is offered as a prolegomenon to further study and evaluation. Copyright: © 2016 by Fabrizio Serra editore, Pisa · Roma.

A performance-oriented power transformer design methodology using multi-objective evolutionary optimization

PubMed Central

Adly, Amr A.; Abd-El-Hafiz, Salwa K.

2014-01-01

Transformers are regarded as crucial components in power systems. Due to market globalization, power transformer manufacturers are facing an increasingly competitive environment that mandates the adoption of design strategies yielding better performance at lower costs. In this paper, a power transformer design methodology using multi-objective evolutionary optimization is proposed. Using this methodology, which is tailored to be target performance design-oriented, quick rough estimation of transformer design specifics may be inferred. Testing of the suggested approach revealed significant qualitative and quantitative match with measured design and performance values. Details of the proposed methodology as well as sample design results are reported in the paper. PMID:26257939

A performance-oriented power transformer design methodology using multi-objective evolutionary optimization.

PubMed

Adly, Amr A; Abd-El-Hafiz, Salwa K

2015-05-01

Transformers are regarded as crucial components in power systems. Due to market globalization, power transformer manufacturers are facing an increasingly competitive environment that mandates the adoption of design strategies yielding better performance at lower costs. In this paper, a power transformer design methodology using multi-objective evolutionary optimization is proposed. Using this methodology, which is tailored to be target performance design-oriented, quick rough estimation of transformer design specifics may be inferred. Testing of the suggested approach revealed significant qualitative and quantitative match with measured design and performance values. Details of the proposed methodology as well as sample design results are reported in the paper.

Optimality Principles in the Regulation of Metabolic Networks

PubMed Central

Berkhout, Jan; Bruggeman, Frank J.; Teusink, Bas

2012-01-01

One of the challenging tasks in systems biology is to understand how molecular networks give rise to emergent functionality and whether universal design principles apply to molecular networks. To achieve this, the biophysical, evolutionary and physiological constraints that act on those networks need to be identified in addition to the characterisation of the molecular components and interactions. Then, the cellular “task” of the network—its function—should be identified. A network contributes to organismal fitness through its function. The premise is that the same functions are often implemented in different organisms by the same type of network; hence, the concept of design principles. In biology, due to the strong forces of selective pressure and natural selection, network functions can often be understood as the outcome of fitness optimisation. The hypothesis of fitness optimisation to understand the design of a network has proven to be a powerful strategy. Here, we outline the use of several optimisation principles applied to biological networks, with an emphasis on metabolic regulatory networks. We discuss the different objective functions and constraints that are considered and the kind of understanding that they provide. PMID:24957646

Optimality principles in the regulation of metabolic networks.

PubMed

Berkhout, Jan; Bruggeman, Frank J; Teusink, Bas

2012-08-29

One of the challenging tasks in systems biology is to understand how molecular networks give rise to emergent functionality and whether universal design principles apply to molecular networks. To achieve this, the biophysical, evolutionary and physiological constraints that act on those networks need to be identified in addition to the characterisation of the molecular components and interactions. Then, the cellular "task" of the network-its function-should be identified. A network contributes to organismal fitness through its function. The premise is that the same functions are often implemented in different organisms by the same type of network; hence, the concept of design principles. In biology, due to the strong forces of selective pressure and natural selection, network functions can often be understood as the outcome of fitness optimisation. The hypothesis of fitness optimisation to understand the design of a network has proven to be a powerful strategy. Here, we outline the use of several optimisation principles applied to biological networks, with an emphasis on metabolic regulatory networks. We discuss the different objective functions and constraints that are considered and the kind of understanding that they provide.

Universal Design for Online Courses: Applying Principles to Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rao, Kavita; Edelen-Smith, Patricia; Wailehua, Cat-Uyen

2015-01-01

Universal design (UD) educational frameworks provide useful guidelines for designing accessible learning environments with the intention of supporting students with and without disabilities. This article describes how one university instructor defined and applied the principles of Universal Instructional Design (UID) to pedagogy, while designing…

Designing the Electronic Classroom: Applying Learning Theory and Ergonomic Design Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emmons, Mark; Wilkinson, Frances C.

2001-01-01

Applies learning theory and ergonomic principles to the design of effective learning environments for library instruction. Discusses features of electronic classroom ergonomics, including the ergonomics of physical space, environmental factors, and workstations; and includes classroom layouts. (Author/LRW)

78 FR 32988 - Core Principles and Other Requirements for Designated Contract Markets; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-03

... COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 17 CFR Part 38 RIN 3038-AD09 Core Principles and Other... regarding Core Principles and Other Requirements for Designated Contract Markets by inserting a missing... regarding Core Principles and Other Requirements for Designated Contract Markets (77 FR 36612, June 19, 2012...

A Review: Principles of Design and Analysis of Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durney, Carl H.

1973-01-01

Analyzes a traditional and an innovative course in terms of learning principles, involving Erickson's management methods and Gagne's learning activities. Suggests that learning systems should be designed by applying all principles rather than emphasizing one or two of them. (CC)

10 CFR 433.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction... FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS § 433.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] ...

10 CFR 433.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction... FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS § 433.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] ...

10 CFR 433.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction... FOR NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS § 433.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] ...

Integrating principles and multidisciplinary projects in design education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nevill, Gale E., Jr.

1992-01-01

The critical need to improve engineering design education in the U.S. is presented and a number of actions to achieve that end are discussed. The importance of teaching undergraduates the latest methods and principles through the means of team design in multidisciplinary projects leading to a testable product is emphasized. Desirable training for design instructors is described and techniques for selecting and managing projects that teach effectively are discussed.

Two Eyes, 3D: Stereoscopic Design Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Aaron; Subbarao, M.; Wyatt, R.

2013-01-01

Two Eyes, 3D is a NSF-funded research project about how people perceive highly spatial objects when shown with 2D or stereoscopic ("3D") representations. As part of the project, we produced a short film about SN 2011fe. The high definition film has been rendered in both 2D and stereoscopic formats. It was developed according to a set of stereoscopic design principles we derived from the literature and past experience producing and studying stereoscopic films. Study participants take a pre- and post-test that involves a spatial cognition assessment and scientific knowledge questions about Type-1a supernovae. For the evaluation, participants use iPads in order to record spatial manipulation of the device and look for elements of embodied cognition. We will present early results and also describe the stereoscopic design principles and the rationale behind them. All of our content and software is available under open source licenses. More information is at www.twoeyes3d.org.

Design principles for wave plate metasurfaces using plasmonic L-shaped nanoantennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahir, Asad A.; Schulz, Sebastian A.; De Leon, Israel; Boyd, Robert W.

2017-03-01

Plasmonic L-shaped antennas are an important building block of metasurfaces and have been used to fabricate ultra-thin wave plates. In this work we present principles that can be used to design wave plates at a wavelength of choice and for diverse application requirements using arrays of L-shaped plasmonic antennas. We derive these design principles by studying the behavior of the vast parameter space of these antenna arrays. We show that there are two distinct regimes: a weak inter-particle coupling and a strong inter-particle coupling regime. We describe the behavior of the antenna array in each regime with regards to wave plate functionality, without resorting to approximate theoretical models. Our work is the first to explain these design principles and serves as a guide for designing wave plates for specific application requirements using plasmonic L-shaped antenna arrays.

Design of a Blended Learning Environment Based on Merrill’s Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simarmata, Janner; Djohar, Asari; Purba, Janulis; Juanda, Enjang A.

2018-01-01

Designing blended learning courses requires a systematic approach, in instructional design decisions and implementations, instructional principles help educators not only to specify the elements of the course, but also to provide a solid base from which to build the technology. The blended learning course was designed based on Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction with five phases. This paper helps inform educators about how to develop appropriate learning styles and preferences according to students’ learning needs.

On the search for design principles in biological systems.

PubMed

Poyatos, Juan F

2012-01-01

The search for basic concepts and underlying principles was at the core of the systems approach to science and technology. This approach was somehow abandoned in mainstream biology after its initial proposal, due to the rise and success of molecular biology. This situation has changed. The accumulated knowledge of decades of molecular studies in combination with new technological advances, while further highlighting the intricacies of natural systems, is also bringing back the quest-for-principles research program. Here, I present two lessons that I derived from my own quest: the importance of studying biological information processing to identify common principles in seemingly unrelated contexts and the adequacy of using known design principles at one level of biological organization as a valuable tool to help recognizing principles at an alternative one. These and additional lessons should contribute to the ultimate goal of establishing principles able to integrate the many scales of biological complexity.

Toward Instructional Design Principles: Inducing Faraday's Law with Contrasting Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuo, Eric; Wieman, Carl E.

2016-01-01

Although physics education research (PER) has improved instructional practices, there are not agreed upon principles for designing effective instructional materials. Here, we illustrate how close comparison of instructional materials could support the development of such principles. Specifically, in discussion sections of a large, introductory…

A Protocol for Evaluating Contextual Design Principles

PubMed Central

Stamps, Arthur

2014-01-01

This paper explains how scientific data can be incorporated into urban design decisions, such as evaluating contextual design principles. The recommended protocols are based on the Cochrane Reviews that have been widely used in medical research. The major concepts of a Cochrane Review are explained, as well as the underlying mathematics. The underlying math is meta-analysis. Data are reported for three applications and seven contextual design policies. It is suggested that use of the Cochrane protocols will be of great assistance to planners by providing scientific data that can be used to evaluate the efficacies of contextual design policies prior to implementing those policies. PMID:25431448

Evolutionary Determinants of Cancer

PubMed Central

Greaves, Mel

2015-01-01

‘Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution’ Th. Dobzhansky, 1973 Our understanding of cancer is being transformed by exploring clonal diversity, drug resistance and causation within an evolutionary framework. The therapeutic resilience of advanced cancer is a consequence of its character as complex, dynamic and adaptive ecosystem engendering robustness, underpinned by genetic diversity and epigenetic plasticity. The risk of mutation-driven escape by self-renewing cells is intrinsic to multicellularity but is countered by multiple restraints facilitating increasing complexity and longevity of species. But our own has disrupted this historical narrative by rapidly escalating intrinsic risk. Evolutionary principles illuminate these challenges and provide new avenues to explore for more effective control. PMID:26193902

Principles of Space Plasma Wave Instrument Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurnett, Donald A.

1998-01-01

Space plasma waves span the frequency range from somewhat below the ion cyclotron frequency to well above the electron cyclotron frequency and plasma frequency. Because of the large frequency range involved, the design of space plasma wave instrumentation presents many interesting challenges. This chapter discusses the principles of space plasma wave instrument design. The topics covered include: performance requirements, electric antennas, magnetic antennas, and signal processing. Where appropriate, comments are made on the likely direction of future developments.

Evolutionary Design of a Robotic Material Defect Detection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballard, Gary; Howsman, Tom; Craft, Mike; ONeil, Daniel; Steincamp, Jim; Howell, Joe T. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

During the post-flight inspection of SSME engines, several inaccessible regions must be disassembled to inspect for defects such as cracks, scratches, gouges, etc. An improvement to the inspection process would be the design and development of very small robots capable of penetrating these inaccessible regions and detecting the defects. The goal of this research was to utilize an evolutionary design approach for the robotic detection of these types of defects. A simulation and visualization tool was developed prior to receiving the hardware as a development test bed. A small, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) robot was selected from several candidates as the proof of concept robot. The basic approach to detect the defects was to utilize Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) sensors to detect changes in contrast of an illuminated surface. A neural network, optimally designed utilizing a genetic algorithm, was employed to detect the presence of the defects (cracks). By utilization of the COTS robot and US sensors, the research successfully demonstrated that an evolutionarily designed neural network can detect the presence of surface defects.

10 CFR 435.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] 435.6 Section 435.6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS...-Rise Residential Buildings. § 435.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction...

10 CFR 435.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] 435.6 Section 435.6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS...-Rise Residential Buildings. § 435.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction...

10 CFR 435.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] 435.6 Section 435.6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS...-Rise Residential Buildings. § 435.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction...

The design principles of edutainment system for autistic children with communication difficulties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Azham; Abdullah, Adil; Husni, Husniza

2016-08-01

Approximately 50% of all individuals with Autism have difficulties in developing functional language owing to communication deterioration. Mobile devices with installed educational games help these individuals feel more comfortable and relaxed doing such activities. Although numerous mobile applications are available for individuals with Autism, they are difficult to use; particularly in terms of user-interface design. From the analysis of existing apps for autistic children, an app design principles are proposed based on interaction design (IxD), that would fulfil the users' requirements in a better manner. Five applications were involved in this analysis. The analysis identified fifteen suggestions for the design principles. These recommendations are offered by this paper towards designing and developing a prototype app for autistic children. This paper introduces an edutainment-system design principle formulated to help develop the communication skills of children with Autism-spectrum disorders.

Evolutionary optimization methods for accelerator design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poklonskiy, Alexey A.

Many problems from the fields of accelerator physics and beam theory can be formulated as optimization problems and, as such, solved using optimization methods. Despite growing efficiency of the optimization methods, the adoption of modern optimization techniques in these fields is rather limited. Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) form a relatively new and actively developed optimization methods family. They possess many attractive features such as: ease of the implementation, modest requirements on the objective function, a good tolerance to noise, robustness, and the ability to perform a global search efficiently. In this work we study the application of EAs to problems from accelerator physics and beam theory. We review the most commonly used methods of unconstrained optimization and describe the GATool, evolutionary algorithm and the software package, used in this work, in detail. Then we use a set of test problems to assess its performance in terms of computational resources, quality of the obtained result, and the tradeoff between them. We justify the choice of GATool as a heuristic method to generate cutoff values for the COSY-GO rigorous global optimization package for the COSY Infinity scientific computing package. We design the model of their mutual interaction and demonstrate that the quality of the result obtained by GATool increases as the information about the search domain is refined, which supports the usefulness of this model. We Giscuss GATool's performance on the problems suffering from static and dynamic noise and study useful strategies of GATool parameter tuning for these and other difficult problems. We review the challenges of constrained optimization with EAs and methods commonly used to overcome them. We describe REPA, a new constrained optimization method based on repairing, in exquisite detail, including the properties of its two repairing techniques: REFIND and REPROPT. We assess REPROPT's performance on the standard constrained

Insurance principles and the design of prospective payment systems.

PubMed

Ellis, R P; McGuire, T G

1988-09-01

This paper applies insurance principles to the issues of optimal outlier payments and designation of peer groups in Medicare's case-based prospective payment system for hospital care. Arrow's principle that full insurance after a deductible is optimal implies that, to minimize hospital risk, outlier payments should be based on hospital average loss per case rather than, as at present, based on individual case-level losses. The principle of experience rating implies defining more homogenous peer groups for the purpose of figuring average cost. The empirical significance of these results is examined using a sample of 470,568 discharges from 469 hospitals.

Design Principles for E-Government Architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoz, Alain

The paper introduces a holistic approach for architecting systems which must sustain the entire e-government activity of a public authority. Four principles directly impact the architecture: Legality, Responsibility, Transparency, and Symmetry leading to coherent representations of the architecture for the client, the designer and the builder. The approach enables to deploy multipartite, distributed public services, including legal delegation of roles and outsourcing of non mandatory tasks through PPP.

Conceptual Learning in a Principled Design Problem Solving Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prusak, Naomi; Hershkowitz, Rina; Schwarz, Baruch B.

2013-01-01

To what extent can instructional design be based on principles for instilling a culture of problem solving and conceptual learning? This is the main focus of the study described in this paper, in which third grade students participated in a one-year course designed to foster problem solving and mathematical reasoning. The design relied on five…

Evolutionary computing for the design search and optimization of space vehicle power subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kordon, M.; Klimeck, G.; Hanks, D.

2004-01-01

Evolutionary computing has proven to be a straightforward and robust approach for optimizing a wide range of difficult analysis and design problems. This paper discusses the application of these techniques to an existing space vehicle power subsystem resource and performance analysis simulation in a parallel processing environment.

Optimal lunar soft landing trajectories using taboo evolutionary programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutyalarao, M.; Raj, M. Xavier James

A safe lunar landing is a key factor to undertake an effective lunar exploration. Lunar lander consists of four phases such as launch phase, the earth-moon transfer phase, circumlunar phase and landing phase. The landing phase can be either hard landing or soft landing. Hard landing means the vehicle lands under the influence of gravity without any deceleration measures. However, soft landing reduces the vertical velocity of the vehicle before landing. Therefore, for the safety of the astronauts as well as the vehicle lunar soft landing with an acceptable velocity is very much essential. So it is important to design the optimal lunar soft landing trajectory with minimum fuel consumption. Optimization of Lunar Soft landing is a complex optimal control problem. In this paper, an analysis related to lunar soft landing from a parking orbit around Moon has been carried out. A two-dimensional trajectory optimization problem is attempted. The problem is complex due to the presence of system constraints. To solve the time-history of control parameters, the problem is converted into two point boundary value problem by using the maximum principle of Pontrygen. Taboo Evolutionary Programming (TEP) technique is a stochastic method developed in recent years and successfully implemented in several fields of research. It combines the features of taboo search and single-point mutation evolutionary programming. Identifying the best unknown parameters of the problem under consideration is the central idea for many space trajectory optimization problems. The TEP technique is used in the present methodology for the best estimation of initial unknown parameters by minimizing objective function interms of fuel requirements. The optimal estimation subsequently results into an optimal trajectory design of a module for soft landing on the Moon from a lunar parking orbit. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed approach is highly efficient and it reduces the minimum fuel

The Elements and Principles of Design: A Baseline Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Erin

2013-01-01

Critical to the discipline, both professionally and academically, are the fundamentals of interior design. These fundamentals include the elements and principles of interior design: the commonly accepted tools and vocabulary used to create and communicate successful interior environments. Research indicates a lack of consistency in both the…

Design principles for therapeutic angiogenic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briquez, Priscilla S.; Clegg, Lindsay E.; Martino, Mikaël M.; Gabhann, Feilim Mac; Hubbell, Jeffrey A.

2016-01-01

Despite extensive research, pro-angiogenic drugs have failed to translate clinically, and therapeutic angiogenesis, which has potential in the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases, remains a major challenge. Physiologically, angiogenesis — the process of blood-vessel growth from existing vasculature — is regulated by a complex interplay of biophysical and biochemical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM), angiogenic factors and multiple cell types. The ECM can be regarded as the natural 3D material that regulates angiogenesis. Here, we leverage knowledge of ECM properties to derive design rules for engineering pro-angiogenic materials. We propose that pro-angiogenic materials should be biomimetic, incorporate angiogenic factors and mimic cooperative interactions between growth factors and the ECM. We highlight examples of material designs that demonstrate these principles and considerations for designing better angiogenic materials.

Research traditions and evolutionary explanations in medicine.

PubMed

Méthot, Pierre-Olivier

2011-02-01

In this article, I argue that distinguishing 'evolutionary' from 'Darwinian' medicine will help us assess the variety of roles that evolutionary explanations can play in a number of medical contexts. Because the boundaries of evolutionary and Darwinian medicine overlap to some extent, however, they are best described as distinct 'research traditions' rather than as competing paradigms. But while evolutionary medicine does not stand out as a new scientific field of its own, Darwinian medicine is united by a number of distinctive theoretical and methodological claims. For example, evolutionary medicine and Darwinian medicine can be distinguished with respect to the styles of evolutionary explanations they employ. While the former primarily involves 'forward looking' explanations, the latter depends mostly on 'backward looking' explanations. A forward looking explanation tries to predict the effects of ongoing evolutionary processes on human health and disease in contemporary environments (e.g., hospitals). In contrast, a backward looking explanation typically applies evolutionary principles from the vantage point of humans' distant biological past in order to assess present states of health and disease. Both approaches, however, are concerned with the prevention and control of human diseases. In conclusion, I raise some concerns about the claim that 'nothing in medicine makes sense except in the light of evolution'.

Design principles for simulation games for learning clinical reasoning: A design-based research approach.

PubMed

Koivisto, J-M; Haavisto, E; Niemi, H; Haho, P; Nylund, S; Multisilta, J

2018-01-01

Nurses sometimes lack the competence needed for recognising deterioration in patient conditions and this is often due to poor clinical reasoning. There is a need to develop new possibilities for learning this crucial competence area. In addition, educators need to be future oriented; they need to be able to design and adopt new pedagogical innovations. The purpose of the study is to describe the development process and to generate principles for the design of nursing simulation games. A design-based research methodology is applied in this study. Iterative cycles of analysis, design, development, testing and refinement were conducted via collaboration among researchers, educators, students, and game designers. The study facilitated the generation of reusable design principles for simulation games to guide future designers when designing and developing simulation games for learning clinical reasoning. This study makes a major contribution to research on simulation game development in the field of nursing education. The results of this study provide important insights into the significance of involving nurse educators in the design and development process of educational simulation games for the purpose of nursing education. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design principles and operating principles: the yin and yang of optimal functioning.

PubMed

Voit, Eberhard O

2003-03-01

Metabolic engineering has as a goal the improvement of yield of desired products from microorganisms and cell lines. This goal has traditionally been approached with experimental biotechnological methods, but it is becoming increasingly popular to precede the experimental phase by a mathematical modeling step that allows objective pre-screening of possible improvement strategies. The models are either linear and represent the stoichiometry and flux distribution in pathways or they are non-linear and account for the full kinetic behavior of the pathway, which is often significantly effected by regulatory signals. Linear flux analysis is simpler and requires less input information than a full kinetic analysis, and the question arises whether the consideration of non-linearities is really necessary for devising optimal strategies for yield improvements. The article analyzes this question with a generic, representative pathway. It shows that flux split ratios, which are the key criterion for linear flux analysis, are essentially sufficient for unregulated, but not for regulated branch points. The interrelationships between regulatory design on one hand and optimal patterns of operation on the other suggest the investigation of operating principles that complement design principles, like a user's manual complements the hardwiring of electronic equipment.

Evolutionary Medicine: The Ongoing Evolution of Human Physiology and Metabolism.

PubMed

Rühli, Frank; van Schaik, Katherine; Henneberg, Maciej

2016-11-01

The field of evolutionary medicine uses evolutionary principles to understand changes in human anatomy and physiology that have occurred over time in response to environmental changes. Through this evolutionary-based approach, we can understand disease as a consequence of anatomical and physiological "trade-offs" that develop to facilitate survival and reproduction. We demonstrate how diachronic study of human anatomy and physiology is fundamental for an increased understanding of human health and disease. ©2016 Int. Union Physiol. Sci./Am. Physiol. Soc.

Design principles for achieving integrated healthcare information systems.

PubMed

Jensen, Tina Blegind

2013-03-01

Achieving integrated healthcare information systems has become a common goal for many countries in their pursuit of obtaining coordinated and comprehensive healthcare services. This article focuses on how a small local project termed 'Standardized pull of patient data' expanded and is now used on a large scale providing a majority of hospitals, general practitioners and citizens across Denmark with the possibility of accessing healthcare data from different electronic patient record systems and other systems. I build on design theory for information infrastructures, as presented by Hanseth and Lyytinen, to examine the design principles that facilitated this smallscale project to expand and become widespread. As a result of my findings, I outline three lessons learned that emphasize: (i) principles of flexibility, (ii) expansion from the installed base through modular strategies and (iii) identification of key healthcare actors to provide them with immediate benefits.

How bioethics principles can aid design of electronic health records to accommodate patient granular control.

PubMed

Meslin, Eric M; Schwartz, Peter H

2015-01-01

Ethics should guide the design of electronic health records (EHR), and recognized principles of bioethics can play an important role. This approach was recently adopted by a team of informaticists who are designing and testing a system where patients exert granular control over who views their personal health information. While this method of building ethics in from the start of the design process has significant benefits, questions remain about how useful the application of bioethics principles can be in this process, especially when principles conflict. For instance, while the ethical principle of respect for autonomy supports a robust system of granular control, the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence counsel restraint due to the danger of patients being harmed by restrictions on provider access to data. Conflict between principles has long been recognized by ethicists and has even motivated attacks on approaches that state and apply principles. In this paper, we show how using ethical principles can help in the design of EHRs by first explaining how ethical principles can and should be used generally, and then by discussing how attention to details in specific cases can show that the tension between principles is not as bad as it initially appeared. We conclude by suggesting ways in which the application of these (and other) principles can add value to the ongoing discussion of patient involvement in their health care. This is a new approach to linking principles to informatics design that we expect will stimulate further interest.

Design Principles for New Systems of Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepard, Lorrie A.; Penuel, William R.; Davidson, Kristen L.

2017-01-01

The Every Student Succeeds Act grants states new flexibility to create more balanced assessment systems with a greater role for formative assessment. Drawing on lessons learned over three decades of research and reform, we argue that state and local leaders should take the lead in designing new assessments guided by two core principles: First,…

Devising Principles of Design for Numeracy Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiger, Vince; Forgasz, Helen; Goos, Merrilyn; Bennison, Anne

2014-01-01

Numeracy is a fundamental component of the Australian National Curriculum as a General Capability identified in each F-10 subject. In this paper, we consider the principles of design necessary for the development of numeracy tasks specific to subjects other than mathematics--in this case, the subject of English. We explore the nature of potential…

Rapid Preliminary Design of Interplanetary Trajectories Using the Evolutionary Mission Trajectory Generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Englander, Jacob

2016-01-01

This set of tutorial slides is an introduction to the Evolutionary Mission Trajectory Generator (EMTG), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's autonomous tool for preliminary design of interplanetary missions. This slide set covers the basics of creating and post-processing simple interplanetary missions in EMTG using both high-thrust chemical and low-thrust electric propulsion along with a variety of operational constraints.

Mechanical-Kinetic Modeling of a Molecular Walker from a Modular Design Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Ruizheng; Loh, Iong Ying; Li, Hongrong; Wang, Zhisong

2017-02-01

Artificial molecular walkers beyond burnt-bridge designs are complex nanomachines that potentially replicate biological walkers in mechanisms and functionalities. Improving the man-made walkers up to performance for widespread applications remains difficult, largely because their biomimetic design principles involve entangled kinetic and mechanical effects to complicate the link between a walker's construction and ultimate performance. Here, a synergic mechanical-kinetic model is developed for a recently reported DNA bipedal walker, which is based on a modular design principle, potentially enabling many directional walkers driven by a length-switching engine. The model reproduces the experimental data of the walker, and identifies its performance-limiting factors. The model also captures features common to the underlying design principle, including counterintuitive performance-construction relations that are explained by detailed balance, entropy production, and bias cancellation. While indicating a low directional fidelity for the present walker, the model suggests the possibility of improving the fidelity above 90% by a more powerful engine, which may be an improved version of the present engine or an entirely new engine motif, thanks to the flexible design principle. The model is readily adaptable to aid these experimental developments towards high-performance molecular walkers.

Reconfigurable manufacturing systems: Principles, design, and future trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koren, Yoram; Gu, Xi; Guo, Weihong

2018-06-01

Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs), which possess the advantages of both dedicated serial lines and flexible manufacturing systems, were introduced in the mid-1990s to address the challenges initiated by globalization. The principal goal of an RMS is to enhance the responsiveness of manufacturing systems to unforeseen changes in product demand. RMSs are costeffective because they boost productivity, and increase the lifetime of the manufacturing system. Because of the many streams in which a product may be produced on an RMS, maintaining product precision in an RMS is a challenge. But the experience with RMS in the last 20 years indicates that product quality can be definitely maintained by inserting in-line inspection stations. In this paper, we formulate the design and operational principles for RMSs, and provide a state-of-the-art review of the design and operations methodologies of RMSs according to these principles. Finally, we propose future research directions, and deliberate on how recent intelligent manufacturing technologies may advance the design and operations of RMSs.

Integrated Controls-Structures Design Methodology: Redesign of an Evolutionary Test Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maghami, Peiman G.; Gupta, Sandeep; Elliot, Kenny B.; Joshi, Suresh M.

1997-01-01

An optimization-based integrated controls-structures design methodology for a class of flexible space structures is described, and the phase-0 Controls-Structures-Integration evolutionary model, a laboratory testbed at NASA Langley, is redesigned using this integrated design methodology. The integrated controls-structures design is posed as a nonlinear programming problem to minimize the control effort required to maintain a specified line-of-sight pointing performance, under persistent white noise disturbance. Static and dynamic dissipative control strategies are employed for feedback control, and parameters of these controllers are considered as the control design variables. Sizes of strut elements in various sections of the CEM are used as the structural design variables. Design guides for the struts are developed and employed in the integrated design process, to ensure that the redesigned structure can be effectively fabricated. The superiority of the integrated design methodology over the conventional design approach is demonstrated analytically by observing a significant reduction in the average control power needed to maintain specified pointing performance with the integrated design approach.

Quantum Mechanics predicts evolutionary biology.

PubMed

Torday, J S

2018-07-01

Nowhere are the shortcomings of conventional descriptive biology more evident than in the literature on Quantum Biology. In the on-going effort to apply Quantum Mechanics to evolutionary biology, merging Quantum Mechanics with the fundamentals of evolution as the First Principles of Physiology-namely negentropy, chemiosmosis and homeostasis-offers an authentic opportunity to understand how and why physics constitutes the basic principles of biology. Negentropy and chemiosmosis confer determinism on the unicell, whereas homeostasis constitutes Free Will because it offers a probabilistic range of physiologic set points. Similarly, on this basis several principles of Quantum Mechanics also apply directly to biology. The Pauli Exclusion Principle is both deterministic and probabilistic, whereas non-localization and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle are both probabilistic, providing the long-sought after ontologic and causal continuum from physics to biology and evolution as the holistic integration recognized as consciousness for the first time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary foundations for cancer biology.

PubMed

Aktipis, C Athena; Nesse, Randolph M

2013-01-01

New applications of evolutionary biology are transforming our understanding of cancer. The articles in this special issue provide many specific examples, such as microorganisms inducing cancers, the significance of within-tumor heterogeneity, and the possibility that lower dose chemotherapy may sometimes promote longer survival. Underlying these specific advances is a large-scale transformation, as cancer research incorporates evolutionary methods into its toolkit, and asks new evolutionary questions about why we are vulnerable to cancer. Evolution explains why cancer exists at all, how neoplasms grow, why cancer is remarkably rare, and why it occurs despite powerful cancer suppression mechanisms. Cancer exists because of somatic selection; mutations in somatic cells result in some dividing faster than others, in some cases generating neoplasms. Neoplasms grow, or do not, in complex cellular ecosystems. Cancer is relatively rare because of natural selection; our genomes were derived disproportionally from individuals with effective mechanisms for suppressing cancer. Cancer occurs nonetheless for the same six evolutionary reasons that explain why we remain vulnerable to other diseases. These four principles-cancers evolve by somatic selection, neoplasms grow in complex ecosystems, natural selection has shaped powerful cancer defenses, and the limitations of those defenses have evolutionary explanations-provide a foundation for understanding, preventing, and treating cancer.

Design Principles of Next-Generation Digital Gaming for Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squire, Kurt; Jenkins, Henry; Holland, Walter; Miller, Heather; O'Driscoll, Alice; Tan, Katie Philip; Todd, Katie.

2003-01-01

Discusses the rapid growth of digital games, describes research at MIT that is exploring the potential of digital games for supporting learning, and offers hypotheses about the design of next-generation educational video and computer games. Highlights include simulations and games; and design principles, including context and using information to…

Measuring, Enabling and Comparing Modularity, Regularity and Hierarchy in Evolutionary Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornby, Gregory S.

2005-01-01

For computer-automated design systems to scale to complex designs they must be able to produce designs that exhibit the characteristics of modularity, regularity and hierarchy - characteristics that are found both in man-made and natural designs. Here we claim that these characteristics are enabled by implementing the attributes of combination, control-flow and abstraction in the representation. To support this claim we use an evolutionary algorithm to evolve solutions to different sizes of a table design problem using five different representations, each with different combinations of modularity, regularity and hierarchy enabled and show that the best performance happens when all three of these attributes are enabled. We also define metrics for modularity, regularity and hierarchy in design encodings and demonstrate that high fitness values are achieved with high values of modularity, regularity and hierarchy and that there is a positive correlation between increases in fitness and increases in modularity. regularity and hierarchy.

Literary study and evolutionary theory : A review essay.

PubMed

Carroll, J

1998-09-01

Several recent books have claimed to integrate literary study with evolutionary biology. All of the books here considered, except Robert Storey's, adopt conceptions of evolutionary theory that are in some way marginal to the Darwinian adaptationist program. All the works attempt to connect evolutionary study with various other disciplines or methodologies: for example, with cultural anthropology, cognitive psychology, the psychology of emotion, neurobiology, chaos theory, or structuralist linguistics. No empirical paradigm has yet been established for this field, but important steps have been taken, especially by Storey, in formulating basic principles, identifying appropriate disciplinary connections, and marking out lines of inquiry. Reciprocal efforts are needed from biologists and social scientists.

Multidisciplinary Multiobjective Optimal Design for Turbomachinery Using Evolutionary Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This report summarizes Dr. Lian s efforts toward developing a robust and efficient tool for multidisciplinary and multi-objective optimal design for turbomachinery using evolutionary algorithms. This work consisted of two stages. The first stage (from July 2003 to June 2004) Dr. Lian focused on building essential capabilities required for the project. More specifically, Dr. Lian worked on two subjects: an enhanced genetic algorithm (GA) and an integrated optimization system with a GA and a surrogate model. The second stage (from July 2004 to February 2005) Dr. Lian formulated aerodynamic optimization and structural optimization into a multi-objective optimization problem and performed multidisciplinary and multi-objective optimizations on a transonic compressor blade based on the proposed model. Dr. Lian s numerical results showed that the proposed approach can effectively reduce the blade weight and increase the stage pressure ratio in an efficient manner. In addition, the new design was structurally safer than the original design. Five conference papers and three journal papers were published on this topic by Dr. Lian.

Four principles for user interface design of computerised clinical decision support systems.

PubMed

Kanstrup, Anne Marie; Christiansen, Marion Berg; Nøhr, Christian

2011-01-01

The paper presents results from a design research project of a user interface (UI) for a Computerised Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS). The ambition has been to design Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) that can minimise medication errors. Through an iterative design process a digital prototype for prescription of medicine has been developed. This paper presents results from the formative evaluation of the prototype conducted in a simulation laboratory with ten participating physicians. Data from the simulation is analysed by use of theory on how users perceive information. The conclusion is a model, which sum up four principles of interaction for design of CDSS. The four principles for design of user interfaces for CDSS are summarised as four A's: All in one, At a glance, At hand and Attention. The model emphasises integration of all four interaction principles in the design of user interfaces for CDSS, i.e. the model is an integrated model which we suggest as a guide for interaction design when working with preventing medication errors.

The role of evolutionary biology in research and control of liver flukes in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Echaubard, Pierre; Sripa, Banchob; Mallory, Frank F; Wilcox, Bruce A

2016-09-01

Stimulated largely by the availability of new technology, biomedical research at the molecular-level and chemical-based control approaches arguably dominate the field of infectious diseases. Along with this, the proximate view of disease etiology predominates to the exclusion of the ultimate, evolutionary biology-based, causation perspective. Yet, historically and up to today, research in evolutionary biology has provided much of the foundation for understanding the mechanisms underlying disease transmission dynamics, virulence, and the design of effective integrated control strategies. Here we review the state of knowledge regarding the biology of Asian liver Fluke-host relationship, parasitology, phylodynamics, drug-based interventions and liver Fluke-related cancer etiology from an evolutionary biology perspective. We consider how evolutionary principles, mechanisms and research methods could help refine our understanding of clinical disease associated with infection by Liver Flukes as well as their transmission dynamics. We identify a series of questions for an evolutionary biology research agenda for the liver Fluke that should contribute to an increased understanding of liver Fluke-associated diseases. Finally, we describe an integrative evolutionary medicine approach to liver Fluke prevention and control highlighting the need to better contextualize interventions within a broader human health and sustainable development framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of Evolutionary Biology in Research and Control of Liver Flukes in Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Echaubard, Pierre; Sripa, Banchob; Mallory, Frank F.; Wilcox, Bruce A.

2016-01-01

Stimulated largely by the availability of new technology, biomedical research at the molecular-level and chemical-based control approaches arguably dominate the field of infectious diseases. Along with this, the proximate view of disease etiology predominates to the exclusion of the ultimate, evolutionary biology-based, causation perspective. Yet, historically and up to today, research in evolutionary biology has provided much of the foundation for understanding the mechanisms underlying disease transmission dynamics, virulence, and the design of effective integrated control strategies. Here we review the state of knowledge regarding the biology of Asian liver Fluke-host relationship, parasitology, phylodynamics, drug-based interventions and liver Fluke-related cancer etiology from an evolutionary biology perspective. We consider how evolutionary principles, mechanisms and research methods could help refine our understanding of clinical disease associated with infection by Liver Flukes as well as their transmission dynamics. We identify a series of questions for an evolutionary biology research agenda for the liver Fluke that should contribute to an increased understanding of liver Fluke-associated diseases. Finally, we describe an integrative evolutionary medicine approach to liver Fluke prevention and control highlighting the need to better contextualize interventions within a broader human health and sustainable development framework. PMID:27197053

Ecological and evolutionary approaches to managing honeybee disease.

PubMed

Brosi, Berry J; Delaplane, Keith S; Boots, Michael; de Roode, Jacobus C

2017-09-01

Honeybee declines are a serious threat to global agricultural security and productivity. Although multiple factors contribute to these declines, parasites are a key driver. Disease problems in honeybees have intensified in recent years, despite increasing attention to addressing them. Here we argue that we must focus on the principles of disease ecology and evolution to understand disease dynamics, assess the severity of disease threats, and control these threats via honeybee management. We cover the ecological context of honeybee disease, including both host and parasite factors driving current transmission dynamics, and then discuss evolutionary dynamics including how beekeeping management practices may drive selection for more virulent parasites. We then outline how ecological and evolutionary principles can guide disease mitigation in honeybees, including several practical management suggestions for addressing short- and long-term disease dynamics and consequences.

Design principles for shift current photovoltaics

DOE PAGES

Cook, Ashley M.; M. Fregoso, Benjamin; de Juan, Fernando; ...

2017-01-25

While the basic principles of conventional solar cells are well understood, little attention has gone towards maximizing the efficiency of photovoltaic devices based on shift currents. Furthermore, by analysing effective models, here we outline simple design principles for the optimization of shift currents for frequencies near the band gap. This method allows us to express the band edge shift current in terms of a few model parameters and to show it depends explicitly on wavefunctions in addition to standard band structure. We use our approach to identify two classes of shift current photovoltaics, ferroelectric polymer films and single-layer orthorhombic monochalcogenidesmore » such as GeS, which display the largest band edge responsivities reported so far. Moreover, exploring the parameter space of the tight-binding models that describe them we find photoresponsivities that can exceed 100 mA W -1 . Our results illustrate the great potential of shift current photovoltaics to compete with conventional solar cells.« less

Design principles for shift current photovoltaics

PubMed Central

Cook, Ashley M.; M. Fregoso, Benjamin; de Juan, Fernando; Coh, Sinisa; Moore, Joel E.

2017-01-01

While the basic principles of conventional solar cells are well understood, little attention has gone towards maximizing the efficiency of photovoltaic devices based on shift currents. By analysing effective models, here we outline simple design principles for the optimization of shift currents for frequencies near the band gap. Our method allows us to express the band edge shift current in terms of a few model parameters and to show it depends explicitly on wavefunctions in addition to standard band structure. We use our approach to identify two classes of shift current photovoltaics, ferroelectric polymer films and single-layer orthorhombic monochalcogenides such as GeS, which display the largest band edge responsivities reported so far. Moreover, exploring the parameter space of the tight-binding models that describe them we find photoresponsivities that can exceed 100 mA W−1. Our results illustrate the great potential of shift current photovoltaics to compete with conventional solar cells. PMID:28120823

Design principles for shift current photovoltaics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cook, Ashley M.; M. Fregoso, Benjamin; de Juan, Fernando

While the basic principles of conventional solar cells are well understood, little attention has gone towards maximizing the efficiency of photovoltaic devices based on shift currents. Furthermore, by analysing effective models, here we outline simple design principles for the optimization of shift currents for frequencies near the band gap. This method allows us to express the band edge shift current in terms of a few model parameters and to show it depends explicitly on wavefunctions in addition to standard band structure. We use our approach to identify two classes of shift current photovoltaics, ferroelectric polymer films and single-layer orthorhombic monochalcogenidesmore » such as GeS, which display the largest band edge responsivities reported so far. Moreover, exploring the parameter space of the tight-binding models that describe them we find photoresponsivities that can exceed 100 mA W -1 . Our results illustrate the great potential of shift current photovoltaics to compete with conventional solar cells.« less

Characterizing behavioural ‘characters’: an evolutionary framework

PubMed Central

Araya-Ajoy, Yimen G.; Dingemanse, Niels J.

2014-01-01

Biologists often study phenotypic evolution assuming that phenotypes consist of a set of quasi-independent units that have been shaped by selection to accomplish a particular function. In the evolutionary literature, such quasi-independent functional units are called ‘evolutionary characters’, and a framework based on evolutionary principles has been developed to characterize them. This framework mainly focuses on ‘fixed’ characters, i.e. those that vary exclusively between individuals. In this paper, we introduce multi-level variation and thereby expand the framework to labile characters, focusing on behaviour as a worked example. We first propose a concept of ‘behavioural characters’ based on the original evolutionary character concept. We then detail how integration of variation between individuals (cf. ‘personality’) and within individuals (cf. ‘individual plasticity’) into the framework gives rise to a whole suite of novel testable predictions about the evolutionary character concept. We further propose a corresponding statistical methodology to test whether observed behaviours should be considered expressions of a hypothesized evolutionary character. We illustrate the application of our framework by characterizing the behavioural character ‘aggressiveness’ in wild great tits, Parus major. PMID:24335984

Evolution of microbes and viruses: a paradigm shift in evolutionary biology?

PubMed Central

Koonin, Eugene V.; Wolf, Yuri I.

2012-01-01

When Charles Darwin formulated the central principles of evolutionary biology in the Origin of Species in 1859 and the architects of the Modern Synthesis integrated these principles with population genetics almost a century later, the principal if not the sole objects of evolutionary biology were multicellular eukaryotes, primarily animals and plants. Before the advent of efficient gene sequencing, all attempts to extend evolutionary studies to bacteria have been futile. Sequencing of the rRNA genes in thousands of microbes allowed the construction of the three- domain “ribosomal Tree of Life” that was widely thought to have resolved the evolutionary relationships between the cellular life forms. However, subsequent massive sequencing of numerous, complete microbial genomes revealed novel evolutionary phenomena, the most fundamental of these being: (1) pervasive horizontal gene transfer (HGT), in large part mediated by viruses and plasmids, that shapes the genomes of archaea and bacteria and call for a radical revision (if not abandonment) of the Tree of Life concept, (2) Lamarckian-type inheritance that appears to be critical for antivirus defense and other forms of adaptation in prokaryotes, and (3) evolution of evolvability, i.e., dedicated mechanisms for evolution such as vehicles for HGT and stress-induced mutagenesis systems. In the non-cellular part of the microbial world, phylogenomics and metagenomics of viruses and related selfish genetic elements revealed enormous genetic and molecular diversity and extremely high abundance of viruses that come across as the dominant biological entities on earth. Furthermore, the perennial arms race between viruses and their hosts is one of the defining factors of evolution. Thus, microbial phylogenomics adds new dimensions to the fundamental picture of evolution even as the principle of descent with modification discovered by Darwin and the laws of population genetics remain at the core of evolutionary biology. PMID

Computer-based teaching module design: principles derived from learning theories.

PubMed

Lau, K H Vincent

2014-03-01

The computer-based teaching module (CBTM), which has recently gained prominence in medical education, is a teaching format in which a multimedia program serves as a single source for knowledge acquisition rather than playing an adjunctive role as it does in computer-assisted learning (CAL). Despite empirical validation in the past decade, there is limited research into the optimisation of CBTM design. This review aims to summarise research in classic and modern multimedia-specific learning theories applied to computer learning, and to collapse the findings into a set of design principles to guide the development of CBTMs. Scopus was searched for: (i) studies of classic cognitivism, constructivism and behaviourism theories (search terms: 'cognitive theory' OR 'constructivism theory' OR 'behaviourism theory' AND 'e-learning' OR 'web-based learning') and their sub-theories applied to computer learning, and (ii) recent studies of modern learning theories applied to computer learning (search terms: 'learning theory' AND 'e-learning' OR 'web-based learning') for articles published between 1990 and 2012. The first search identified 29 studies, dominated in topic by the cognitive load, elaboration and scaffolding theories. The second search identified 139 studies, with diverse topics in connectivism, discovery and technical scaffolding. Based on their relative representation in the literature, the applications of these theories were collapsed into a list of CBTM design principles. Ten principles were identified and categorised into three levels of design: the global level (managing objectives, framing, minimising technical load); the rhetoric level (optimising modality, making modality explicit, scaffolding, elaboration, spaced repeating), and the detail level (managing text, managing devices). This review examined the literature in the application of learning theories to CAL to develop a set of principles that guide CBTM design. Further research will enable educators to

Novel Natural Convection Heat Sink Design Concepts From First Principles

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited NOVEL NATURAL ...COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE NOVEL NATURAL CONVECTION HEAT SINK DESIGN CONCEPTS FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6...geometric structures that incorporate the principles of the stack effect to improve the heat transfer capability of a heat sink under natural convection

Design principles for nuclease-deficient CRISPR-based transcriptional regulators

PubMed Central

Jensen, Michael K

2018-01-01

Abstract The engineering of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated proteins continues to expand the toolkit available for genome editing, reprogramming gene regulation, genome visualisation and epigenetic studies of living organisms. In this review, the emerging design principles on the use of nuclease-deficient CRISPR-based reprogramming of gene expression will be presented. The review will focus on the designs implemented in yeast both at the level of CRISPR proteins and guide RNA (gRNA), but will lend due credits to the seminal studies performed in other species where relevant. In addition to design principles, this review also highlights applications benefitting from the use of CRISPR-mediated transcriptional regulation and discusses the future directions to further expand the toolkit for nuclease-deficient reprogramming of genomes. As such, this review should be of general interest for experimentalists to get familiarised with the parameters underlying the power of reprogramming genomic functions by use of nuclease-deficient CRISPR technologies. PMID:29726937

Design principles for nuclease-deficient CRISPR-based transcriptional regulators.

PubMed

Jensen, Michael K

2018-06-01

The engineering of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated proteins continues to expand the toolkit available for genome editing, reprogramming gene regulation, genome visualisation and epigenetic studies of living organisms. In this review, the emerging design principles on the use of nuclease-deficient CRISPR-based reprogramming of gene expression will be presented. The review will focus on the designs implemented in yeast both at the level of CRISPR proteins and guide RNA (gRNA), but will lend due credits to the seminal studies performed in other species where relevant. In addition to design principles, this review also highlights applications benefitting from the use of CRISPR-mediated transcriptional regulation and discusses the future directions to further expand the toolkit for nuclease-deficient reprogramming of genomes. As such, this review should be of general interest for experimentalists to get familiarised with the parameters underlying the power of reprogramming genomic functions by use of nuclease-deficient CRISPR technologies.

Representing Clarity: Using Universal Design Principles to Create Effective Hybrid Course Learning Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiegel, Cheri Lemieux

2012-01-01

This article describes how the author applied principles of universal design to hybrid course materials to increase student understanding and, ultimately, success. Pulling the three principles of universal design--consistency, color, and icon representation--into the author's Blackboard course allowed her to change the types of reading skills…

PubMed on Tap: discovering design principles for online information delivery to handheld computers.

PubMed

Hauser, Susan E; Demner-Fushman, Dina; Ford, Glenn; Thoma, George R

2004-01-01

Online access to biomedical information from handheld computers will be a valuable adjunct to other popular medical applications if information delivery systems are designed with handheld computers in mind. The goal of this project is to discover design principles to facilitate practitioners' access to online medical information at the point-of-care. A prototype system was developed to serve as a testbed for this research. Using the testbed, an initial evaluation has yielded several user interface design principles. Continued research is expected to discover additional user interface design principles as well as guidelines for results organization and system performance

An evolutionary advantage for extravagant honesty.

PubMed

Bullock, Seth

2012-01-07

A game-theoretic model of handicap signalling over a pair of signalling channels is introduced in order to determine when one channel has an evolutionary advantage over the other. The stability conditions for honest handicap signalling are presented for a single channel and are shown to conform with the results of prior handicap signalling models. Evolutionary simulations are then used to show that, for a two-channel system in which honest signalling is possible on both channels, the channel featuring larger advertisements at equilibrium is favoured by evolution. This result helps to address a significant tension in the handicap principle literature. While the original theory was motivated by the prevalence of extravagant natural signalling, contemporary models have demonstrated that it is the cost associated with deception that stabilises honesty, and that the honest signals exhibited at equilibrium need not be extravagant at all. The current model suggests that while extravagant and wasteful signals are not required to ensure a signalling system's evolutionary stability, extravagant signalling systems may enjoy an advantage in terms of evolutionary attainability. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First principles design of a core bioenergetic transmembrane electron-transfer protein

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goparaju, Geetha; Fry, Bryan A.; Chobot, Sarah E.

Here we describe the design, Escherichia coli expression and characterization of a simplified, adaptable and functionally transparent single chain 4-α-helix transmembrane protein frame that binds multiple heme and light activatable porphyrins. Such man-made cofactor-binding oxidoreductases, designed from first principles with minimal reference to natural protein sequences, are known as maquettes. This design is an adaptable frame aiming to uncover core engineering principles governing bioenergetic transmembrane electron-transfer function and recapitulate protein archetypes proposed to represent the origins of photosynthesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biodesign for Bioenergetics — the design and engineering of electronic transfer cofactors, proteinsmore » and protein networks, edited by Ronald L. Koder and J.L. Ross Anderson.« less

Research-Informed Principles for (Re)Designing Teaching and Learning Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkelstein, Adam; Ferris, Jennie; Weston, Cynthia; Winer, Laura

2016-01-01

Designing physical learning environments that connect to indicators of effective educational practice reflects a university's pedagogical commitment to student success. This article describes an approach to teaching and learning space design based on research-informed pedagogical principles successfully implemented at our university. It then…

Integrating Quality Matters into Hybrid Course Design: A Principles of Marketing Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Mark R.

2014-01-01

Previous research supports the idea that the success of hybrid or online delivery modes is more a function of course design than delivery media. This article describes a case study of a hybrid Principles of Marketing course that implemented a comprehensive redesign based on design principles espoused by the Quality Matters Program, a center for…

Climate change and evolutionary adaptation.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Ary A; Sgrò, Carla M

2011-02-24

Evolutionary adaptation can be rapid and potentially help species counter stressful conditions or realize ecological opportunities arising from climate change. The challenges are to understand when evolution will occur and to identify potential evolutionary winners as well as losers, such as species lacking adaptive capacity living near physiological limits. Evolutionary processes also need to be incorporated into management programmes designed to minimize biodiversity loss under rapid climate change. These challenges can be met through realistic models of evolutionary change linked to experimental data across a range of taxa.

Making evolutionary biology a basic science for medicine

PubMed Central

Nesse, Randolph M.; Bergstrom, Carl T.; Ellison, Peter T.; Flier, Jeffrey S.; Gluckman, Peter; Govindaraju, Diddahally R.; Niethammer, Dietrich; Omenn, Gilbert S.; Perlman, Robert L.; Schwartz, Mark D.; Thomas, Mark G.; Stearns, Stephen C.; Valle, David

2010-01-01

New applications of evolutionary biology in medicine are being discovered at an accelerating rate, but few physicians have sufficient educational background to use them fully. This article summarizes suggestions from several groups that have considered how evolutionary biology can be useful in medicine, what physicians should learn about it, and when and how they should learn it. Our general conclusion is that evolutionary biology is a crucial basic science for medicine. In addition to looking at established evolutionary methods and topics, such as population genetics and pathogen evolution, we highlight questions about why natural selection leaves bodies vulnerable to disease. Knowledge about evolution provides physicians with an integrative framework that links otherwise disparate bits of knowledge. It replaces the prevalent view of bodies as machines with a biological view of bodies shaped by evolutionary processes. Like other basic sciences, evolutionary biology needs to be taught both before and during medical school. Most introductory biology courses are insufficient to establish competency in evolutionary biology. Premedical students need evolution courses, possibly ones that emphasize medically relevant aspects. In medical school, evolutionary biology should be taught as one of the basic medical sciences. This will require a course that reviews basic principles and specific medical applications, followed by an integrated presentation of evolutionary aspects that apply to each disease and organ system. Evolutionary biology is not just another topic vying for inclusion in the curriculum; it is an essential foundation for a biological understanding of health and disease. PMID:19918069

Evolutionary and Comparative Genomics to Drive Rational Drug Design, with Particular Focus on Neuropeptide Seven-Transmembrane Receptors.

PubMed

Furlong, Michael; Seong, Jae Young

2017-01-01

Seven transmembrane receptors (7TMRs), also known as G protein-coupled receptors, are popular targets of drug development, particularly 7TMR systems that are activated by peptide ligands. Although many pharmaceutical drugs have been discovered via conventional bulk analysis techniques the increasing availability of structural and evolutionary data are facilitating change to rational, targeted drug design. This article discusses the appeal of neuropeptide-7TMR systems as drug targets and provides an overview of concepts in the evolution of vertebrate genomes and gene families. Subsequently, methods that use evolutionary concepts and comparative analysis techniques to aid in gene discovery, gene function identification, and novel drug design are provided along with case study examples.

Evolutionary and Comparative Genomics to Drive Rational Drug Design, with Particular Focus on Neuropeptide Seven-Transmembrane Receptors

PubMed Central

Furlong, Michael; Seong, Jae Young

2017-01-01

Seven transmembrane receptors (7TMRs), also known as G protein-coupled receptors, are popular targets of drug development, particularly 7TMR systems that are activated by peptide ligands. Although many pharmaceutical drugs have been discovered via conventional bulk analysis techniques the increasing availability of structural and evolutionary data are facilitating change to rational, targeted drug design. This article discusses the appeal of neuropeptide-7TMR systems as drug targets and provides an overview of concepts in the evolution of vertebrate genomes and gene families. Subsequently, methods that use evolutionary concepts and comparative analysis techniques to aid in gene discovery, gene function identification, and novel drug design are provided along with case study examples. PMID:28035082

Testing inferences in developmental evolution: the forensic evidence principle.

PubMed

Larsson, Hans C E; Wagner, Günter P

2012-09-01

Developmental evolution (DE) examines the influence of developmental mechanisms on biological evolution. Here we consider the question: "what is the evidence that allows us to decide whether a certain developmental scenario for an evolutionary change is in fact "correct" or at least falsifiable?" We argue that the comparative method linked with what we call the "forensic evidence principle" (FEP) is sufficient to conduct rigorous tests of DE scenarios. The FEP states that different genetically mediated developmental causes of an evolutionary transformation will leave different signatures in the development of the derived character. Although similar inference rules have been used in practically every empirical science, we expand this approach here in two ways: (1) we justify the validity of this principle with reference to a well-known result from mathematical physics, known as the symmetry principle, and (2) propose a specific form of the FEP for DE: given two or more developmental explanations for a certain evolutionary event, say an evolutionary novelty, then the evidence discriminating between these hypotheses will be found in the most proximal internal drivers of the derived character. Hence, a detailed description of the ancestral and derived states, and their most proximal developmental drivers are necessary to discriminate between various evolutionary developmental hypotheses. We discuss how this stepwise order of testing is necessary, establishes a formal test, and how skipping this order of examination may violate a more accurate examination of DE. We illustrate the approach with an example from avian digit evolution. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evolutionary public health: introducing the concept.

PubMed

Wells, Jonathan C K; Nesse, Randolph M; Sear, Rebecca; Johnstone, Rufus A; Stearns, Stephen C

2017-07-29

The emerging discipline of evolutionary medicine is breaking new ground in understanding why people become ill. However, the value of evolutionary analyses of human physiology and behaviour is only beginning to be recognised in the field of public health. Core principles come from life history theory, which analyses the allocation of finite amounts of energy between four competing functions-maintenance, growth, reproduction, and defence. A central tenet of evolutionary theory is that organisms are selected to allocate energy and time to maximise reproductive success, rather than health or longevity. Ecological interactions that influence mortality risk, nutrient availability, and pathogen burden shape energy allocation strategies throughout the life course, thereby affecting diverse health outcomes. Public health interventions could improve their own effectiveness by incorporating an evolutionary perspective. In particular, evolutionary approaches offer new opportunities to address the complex challenges of global health, in which populations are differentially exposed to the metabolic consequences of poverty, high fertility, infectious diseases, and rapid changes in nutrition and lifestyle. The effect of specific interventions is predicted to depend on broader factors shaping life expectancy. Among the important tools in this approach are mathematical models, which can explore probable benefits and limitations of interventions in silico, before their implementation in human populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary Models of Irregular Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

repro- duction. These adaptations include both physiological and behavioral strategies ranging from armour and immunity to complex nervous sys- tems...evolutionary principles to the level of grand strategy and international politics. This has given rise to some unexpected results: for example, work...forces, while only needing a small number of parameters to do so. Furthermore, they allow one to explore the effect of alternative strategies —whether

Rapid, Value-based, Evolutionary Acquisition and Its Application to a USMC Tactical Service Oriented Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Availability C2PC Command and Control Personal Computer CAS Close Air Support CCA Clinger-Cohen Act CDR Critical Design Review CJCSI Chairman of the Joint... kids , Jackie and Anna and my future boy whose name is TBD, I think my time at NPS has made me a better person and hopefully a better father. Thank... can the USMC apply the essential principles of rapid, value-based, evolutionary acquisition to the development and procurement of a TSOA? 4 THIS

Design principles of water sensitive in settlement area on the river banks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryanti, E.; Hasriyanti, N.; Utami, W. D.

2018-03-01

This research will formulate the principle of designing settlement area of Kapuas River Pontianak with the approach of water sensitive concept of urban design (WSUD) the densely populated settlement area. By using a case study the approach that is a dense settlement area located on the banks of the river with literature study techniques to formulate the aspects considered and components that are set in the design, descriptive analysis with the rationalistic paradigm for identification characteristics of the settlement in the river banks areas with consideration of WSUD elements and formulate the principles of designing water-sensitive settlement areas. This research is important to do because the problems related to the water management system in the existing riverside settlement in Pontianak has not been maximal to do. So the primary of this research contains several objectives that will be achieved that is identifying the characteristics of riverside settlement area based on consideration of design aspects of the area that are sensitive to water and the principle of designing the area so that the existing problem structure will be formulated in relation to the community’s need for infrastructure in settlement environment and formulate and develop appropriate technology guidelines for integrated water management systems in riverside settlement areas and design techniques for water-sensitive settlements (WSUD).

Using Green Chemistry and Engineering Principles to Design ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The concepts of green chemistry and engineering (GC&E) have been promoted as an effective qualitative framework for developing more sustainable chemical syntheses, processes, and material management techniques. This has been demonstrated by many theoretical and practical cases. In addition, there are several approaches and frameworks focused on demonstrating that improvements were achieved through GC&E technologies. However, the application of these principles is not always straightforward. We propose using systematic frameworks and tools that help practitioners when deciding which principles can be applied, the levels of implementation, prospective of obtaining simultaneous improvements in all sustainability aspects, and ways to deal with multiobjective problems. Therefore, this contribution aims to provide a systematic combination of three different and complementary design tools for assisting designers in evaluating, developing, and improving chemical manufacturing and material management systems under GC&E perspectives. The WAR Algorithm, GREENSCOPE, and SustainPro were employed for this synergistic approach of incorporating sustainability at early stages of process development. In this demonstration, simulated ammonia production is used as a case study to illustrate this advancement. Results show how to identify process design areas for improvements, key factors, multi-criteria decision-making solutions, and optimal tradeoffs. Finally, conclusions were pre

Design Principles for Nickel/Hydrogen Cells and Batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thaller, Lawrence H.; Manzo, Michelle A.; Gonzalez-Sanabria, Olga D.

1987-01-01

Individual-pressure-vessel (IPV) nickel/hydrogen cells and bipolar batteries developed for use as energy-storage subsystems for satelite applications. Design principles applied draw upon extensive background in separator technology, alkaline-fuel-cell technology and several alkaline-cell technology areas. Principals are rather straightforward applications of capillary-force formalisms, coupled with slowly developing data base resulting from careful post-test analyses. Based on preconceived assumptions relative to how devices work and how to be designed so they display longer cycle lives at deep discharge.

Applying Evolutionary Anthropology

PubMed Central

Gibson, Mhairi A; Lawson, David W

2015-01-01

Evolutionary anthropology provides a powerful theoretical framework for understanding how both current environments and legacies of past selection shape human behavioral diversity. This integrative and pluralistic field, combining ethnographic, demographic, and sociological methods, has provided new insights into the ultimate forces and proximate pathways that guide human adaptation and variation. Here, we present the argument that evolutionary anthropological studies of human behavior also hold great, largely untapped, potential to guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of social and public health policy. Focusing on the key anthropological themes of reproduction, production, and distribution we highlight classic and recent research demonstrating the value of an evolutionary perspective to improving human well-being. The challenge now comes in transforming relevance into action and, for that, evolutionary behavioral anthropologists will need to forge deeper connections with other applied social scientists and policy-makers. We are hopeful that these developments are underway and that, with the current tide of enthusiasm for evidence-based approaches to policy, evolutionary anthropology is well positioned to make a strong contribution. PMID:25684561

Applying evolutionary anthropology.

PubMed

Gibson, Mhairi A; Lawson, David W

2015-01-01

Evolutionary anthropology provides a powerful theoretical framework for understanding how both current environments and legacies of past selection shape human behavioral diversity. This integrative and pluralistic field, combining ethnographic, demographic, and sociological methods, has provided new insights into the ultimate forces and proximate pathways that guide human adaptation and variation. Here, we present the argument that evolutionary anthropological studies of human behavior also hold great, largely untapped, potential to guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of social and public health policy. Focusing on the key anthropological themes of reproduction, production, and distribution we highlight classic and recent research demonstrating the value of an evolutionary perspective to improving human well-being. The challenge now comes in transforming relevance into action and, for that, evolutionary behavioral anthropologists will need to forge deeper connections with other applied social scientists and policy-makers. We are hopeful that these developments are underway and that, with the current tide of enthusiasm for evidence-based approaches to policy, evolutionary anthropology is well positioned to make a strong contribution. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Design Principles for Cell Phone Learning in EFL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Feihong

2010-01-01

Cell phone learning (C-learning), as an instructional approach, has been gaining more and more attention in the field of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in the last 10 years. While studies have proved C-learning an effective instructional approach in research settings, a review of literature indicates the lack of design principles to…

Elements and Principles of Design Posters. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1996

This book accompanies a poster series and allows the teacher to pre-plan a lesson or activity for students with the objectives shown for each element or principle of design to be presented. Along with a black-and-white reproduction of each poster, major concepts are discussed. Suggested student activities relating to a particular element or…

Evolutionary computation in zoology and ecology.

PubMed

Boone, Randall B

2017-12-01

Evolutionary computational methods have adopted attributes of natural selection and evolution to solve problems in computer science, engineering, and other fields. The method is growing in use in zoology and ecology. Evolutionary principles may be merged with an agent-based modeling perspective to have individual animals or other agents compete. Four main categories are discussed: genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, genetic programming, and evolutionary strategies. In evolutionary computation, a population is represented in a way that allows for an objective function to be assessed that is relevant to the problem of interest. The poorest performing members are removed from the population, and remaining members reproduce and may be mutated. The fitness of the members is again assessed, and the cycle continues until a stopping condition is met. Case studies include optimizing: egg shape given different clutch sizes, mate selection, migration of wildebeest, birds, and elk, vulture foraging behavior, algal bloom prediction, and species richness given energy constraints. Other case studies simulate the evolution of species and a means to project shifts in species ranges in response to a changing climate that includes competition and phenotypic plasticity. This introduction concludes by citing other uses of evolutionary computation and a review of the flexibility of the methods. For example, representing species' niche spaces subject to selective pressure allows studies on cladistics, the taxon cycle, neutral versus niche paradigms, fundamental versus realized niches, community structure and order of colonization, invasiveness, and responses to a changing climate.

Evolutionary computation in zoology and ecology

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract Evolutionary computational methods have adopted attributes of natural selection and evolution to solve problems in computer science, engineering, and other fields. The method is growing in use in zoology and ecology. Evolutionary principles may be merged with an agent-based modeling perspective to have individual animals or other agents compete. Four main categories are discussed: genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, genetic programming, and evolutionary strategies. In evolutionary computation, a population is represented in a way that allows for an objective function to be assessed that is relevant to the problem of interest. The poorest performing members are removed from the population, and remaining members reproduce and may be mutated. The fitness of the members is again assessed, and the cycle continues until a stopping condition is met. Case studies include optimizing: egg shape given different clutch sizes, mate selection, migration of wildebeest, birds, and elk, vulture foraging behavior, algal bloom prediction, and species richness given energy constraints. Other case studies simulate the evolution of species and a means to project shifts in species ranges in response to a changing climate that includes competition and phenotypic plasticity. This introduction concludes by citing other uses of evolutionary computation and a review of the flexibility of the methods. For example, representing species’ niche spaces subject to selective pressure allows studies on cladistics, the taxon cycle, neutral versus niche paradigms, fundamental versus realized niches, community structure and order of colonization, invasiveness, and responses to a changing climate. PMID:29492029

Gender approaches to evolutionary multi-objective optimization using pre-selection of criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalczuk, Zdzisław; Białaszewski, Tomasz

2018-01-01

A novel idea to perform evolutionary computations (ECs) for solving highly dimensional multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems is proposed. Following the general idea of evolution, it is proposed that information about gender is used to distinguish between various groups of objectives and identify the (aggregate) nature of optimality of individuals (solutions). This identification is drawn out of the fitness of individuals and applied during parental crossover in the processes of evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMOO). The article introduces the principles of the genetic-gender approach (GGA) and virtual gender approach (VGA), which are not just evolutionary techniques, but constitute a completely new rule (philosophy) for use in solving MOO tasks. The proposed approaches are validated against principal representatives of the EMOO algorithms of the state of the art in solving benchmark problems in the light of recognized EC performance criteria. The research shows the superiority of the gender approach in terms of effectiveness, reliability, transparency, intelligibility and MOO problem simplification, resulting in the great usefulness and practicability of GGA and VGA. Moreover, an important feature of GGA and VGA is that they alleviate the 'curse' of dimensionality typical of many engineering designs.

A study of usability principles and interface design for mobile e-books.

PubMed

Wang, Chao-Ming; Huang, Ching-Hua

2015-01-01

This study examined usability principles and interface designs in order to understand the relationship between the intentions of mobile e-book interface designs and users' perceptions. First, this study summarised 4 usability principles and 16 interface attributes, in order to conduct usability testing and questionnaire survey by referring to Nielsen (1993), Norman (2002), and Yeh (2010), who proposed the usability principles. Second, this study used the interviews to explore the perceptions and behaviours of user operations through senior users of multi-touch prototype devices. The results of this study are as follows: (1) users' behaviour of operating an interactive interface is related to user prior experience; (2) users' rating of the visibility principle is related to users' subjective perception but not related to user prior experience; however, users' ratings of the ease, efficiency, and enjoyment principles are related to user prior experience; (3) the interview survey reveals that the key attributes affecting users' behaviour of operating an interface include aesthetics, achievement, and friendliness. This study conducts experiments to explore the effects of users’ prior multi-touch experience on users’ behaviour of operating a mobile e-book interface and users’ rating of usability principles. Both qualitative and quantitative data analyses were performed. By applying protocol analysis, key attributes affecting users’ behaviour of operation were determined.

Elastohydrodynamic principles applied to the design of helicopter components.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townsend, D. P.

1973-01-01

Elastohydrodynamic principles affecting the lubrication of transmission components are presented and discussed. Surface temperatures of the transmission bearings and gears affect elastohydrodynamic film thickness. Traction forces and sliding as well as the inlet temperature determine surface temperatures. High contact ratio gears cause increased sliding and may run at higher surface temperatures. Component life is a function of the ratio of elastohydrodynamic film thickness to composite surface roughness. Lubricant starvation reduces elastohydrodynamic film thickness and increases surface temperatures. Methods are presented which allow for the application of elastohydrodynamic principles to transmission design in order to increase system life and reliability.

Elastohydrodynamic principles applied to the design of helicopter components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townsend, D. P.

1973-01-01

Elastohydrodynamic principles affecting the lubrication of transmission components are presented and discussed. Surface temperature of the transmission bearings and gears affect elastohydrodynamic film thickness. Traction forces and sliding as well as the inlet temperature determine surface temperatures. High contact ratio gears cause increased sliding and may run at higher surface temperatures. Component life is a function of the ratio of elastohydrodynamic film thickness to composite surface roughness. Lubricant starvation reduces elastrohydrodynamic film thickness and increases surface temperatures. Methods are presented which allow for the application of elastohydrodynamic principles to transmission design in order to increase system life and reliability.

Using the Movies to Illustrate the Principles of Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strelan, Peter

2018-01-01

This article presents an innovative technique for teaching the principles of experimental design in a way that is entertaining and engaging for students. Following a lecture on experimental design, students participate in an experiment in which the teacher uses a funny segment from a movie to test the influence of implicit social norms. Randomly…

Ecological and evolutionary approaches to managing honey bee disease

PubMed Central

Brosi, Berry J.; Delaplane, Keith S.; Boots, Michael; de Roode, Jacobus C.

2017-01-01

Honey bee declines are a serious threat to global agricultural security and productivity. While multiple factors contribute to these declines, parasites are a key driver. Disease problems in honey bees have intensified in recent years, despite increasing attention to addressing them. Here we argue that we must focus on the principles of disease ecology and evolution to understand disease dynamics, assess the severity of disease threats, and manage these threats via honey bee management. We cover the ecological context of honey bee disease, including both host and parasite factors driving current transmission dynamics, and then discuss evolutionary dynamics including how beekeeping management practices may drive selection for more virulent parasites. We then outline how ecological and evolutionary principles can guide disease mitigation in honey bees, including several practical management suggestions for addressing short- and long-term disease dynamics and consequences. PMID:29046562

Operationalising the Lean principles in maternity service design using 3P methodology

PubMed Central

Smith, Iain

2016-01-01

The last half century has seen significant changes to Maternity services in England. Though rates of maternal and infant mortality have fallen to very low levels, this has been achieved largely through hospital admission. It has been argued that maternity services may have become over-medicalised and service users have expressed a preference for more personalised care. NHS England's national strategy sets out a vision for a modern maternity service that continues to deliver safe care whilst also adopting the principles of personalisation. Therefore, there is a need to develop maternity services that balance safety with personal choice. To address this challenge, a maternity unit in North East England considered improving their service through refurbishment or building new facilities. Using a design process known as the production preparation process (or 3P), the Lean principles of understanding user value, mapping value-streams, creating flow, developing pull processes and continuous improvement were applied to the design of a new maternity department. Multiple stakeholders were engaged in the design through participation in a time-out (3P) workshop in which an innovative pathway and facility for maternity services were co-designed. The team created a hybrid model that they described as “wrap around care” in which the Lean concept of pull was applied to create a service and facility design in which expectant mothers were put at the centre of care with clinicians, skills, equipment and supplies drawn towards them in line with acuity changes as needed. Applying the Lean principles using the 3P method helped stakeholders to create an innovative design in line with the aspirations and objectives of the National Maternity Review. The case provides a practical example of stakeholders applying the Lean principles to maternity services and demonstrates the potential applicability of the Lean 3P approach to design healthcare services in line with policy requirements

Operationalising the Lean principles in maternity service design using 3P methodology.

PubMed

Smith, Iain

2016-01-01

The last half century has seen significant changes to Maternity services in England. Though rates of maternal and infant mortality have fallen to very low levels, this has been achieved largely through hospital admission. It has been argued that maternity services may have become over-medicalised and service users have expressed a preference for more personalised care. NHS England's national strategy sets out a vision for a modern maternity service that continues to deliver safe care whilst also adopting the principles of personalisation. Therefore, there is a need to develop maternity services that balance safety with personal choice. To address this challenge, a maternity unit in North East England considered improving their service through refurbishment or building new facilities. Using a design process known as the production preparation process (or 3P), the Lean principles of understanding user value, mapping value-streams, creating flow, developing pull processes and continuous improvement were applied to the design of a new maternity department. Multiple stakeholders were engaged in the design through participation in a time-out (3P) workshop in which an innovative pathway and facility for maternity services were co-designed. The team created a hybrid model that they described as "wrap around care" in which the Lean concept of pull was applied to create a service and facility design in which expectant mothers were put at the centre of care with clinicians, skills, equipment and supplies drawn towards them in line with acuity changes as needed. Applying the Lean principles using the 3P method helped stakeholders to create an innovative design in line with the aspirations and objectives of the National Maternity Review. The case provides a practical example of stakeholders applying the Lean principles to maternity services and demonstrates the potential applicability of the Lean 3P approach to design healthcare services in line with policy requirements.

Nonlinear Shaping Architecture Designed with Using Evolutionary Structural Optimization Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Januszkiewicz, Krystyna; Banachowicz, Marta

2017-10-01

The paper explores the possibilities of using Structural Optimization Tools (ESO) digital tools in an integrated structural and architectural design in response to the current needs geared towards sustainability, combining ecological and economic efficiency. The first part of the paper defines the Evolutionary Structural Optimization tools, which were developed specifically for engineering purposes using finite element analysis as a framework. The development of ESO has led to several incarnations, which are all briefly discussed (Additive ESO, Bi-directional ESO, Extended ESO). The second part presents result of using these tools in structural and architectural design. Actual building projects which involve optimization as a part of the original design process will be presented (Crematorium in Kakamigahara Gifu, Japan, 2006 SANAA“s Learning Centre, EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland 2008 among others). The conclusion emphasizes that the structural engineering and architectural design mean directing attention to the solutions which are used by Nature, designing works optimally shaped and forming their own environments. Architectural forms never constitute the optimum shape derived through a form-finding process driven only by structural optimization, but rather embody and integrate a multitude of parameters. It might be assumed that there is a similarity between these processes in nature and the presented design methods. Contemporary digital methods make the simulation of such processes possible, and thus enable us to refer back to the empirical methods of previous generations.

On Polymorphic Circuits and Their Design Using Evolutionary Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoica, Adrian; Zebulum, Ricardo; Keymeulen, Didier; Lohn, Jason; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

This paper introduces the concept of polymorphic electronics (polytronics) - referring to electronics with superimposed built-in functionality. A function change does not require switches/reconfiguration as in traditional approaches. Instead the change comes from modifications in the characteristics of devices involved in the circuit, in response to controls such as temperature, power supply voltage (VDD), control signals, light, etc. The paper illustrates polytronic circuits in which the control is done by temperature, morphing signals, and VDD respectively. Polytronic circuits are obtained by evolutionary design/evolvable hardware techniques. These techniques are ideal for the polytronics design, a new area that lacks design guidelines, know-how,- yet the requirements/objectives are easy to specify and test. The circuits are evolved/synthesized in two different modes. The first mode explores an unstructured space, in which transistors can be interconnected freely in any arrangement (in simulations only). The second mode uses a Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA) model, and the circuit topology is sought as a mapping onto a programmable architecture (these experiments are performed both in simulations and on FPTA chips). The experiments demonstrated the synthesis. of polytronic circuits by evolution. The capacity of storing/hiding "extra" functions provides for watermark/invisible functionality, thus polytronics may find uses in intelligence/security applications.

Findings in Experimental Psychology as Functioning Principles of Theatrical Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, George

A gestalt approach to theatrical design seems to provide some ready and stable explanations for a number of issues in the scenic arts. Gestalt serves as the theoretical base for a number of experiments in psychology whose findings appear to delineate the principles of art to be used in scene design. The fundamental notion of gestalt theory…

Automatic Molecular Design using Evolutionary Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Globus, Al; Lawton, John; Wipke, Todd; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Molecular nanotechnology is the precise, three-dimensional control of materials and devices at the atomic scale. An important part of nanotechnology is the design of molecules for specific purposes. This paper describes early results using genetic software techniques to automatically design molecules under the control of a fitness function. The fitness function must be capable of determining which of two arbitrary molecules is better for a specific task. The software begins by generating a population of random molecules. The population is then evolved towards greater fitness by randomly combining parts of the better individuals to create new molecules. These new molecules then replace some of the worst molecules in the population. The unique aspect of our approach is that we apply genetic crossover to molecules represented by graphs, i.e., sets of atoms and the bonds that connect them. We present evidence suggesting that crossover alone, operating on graphs, can evolve any possible molecule given an appropriate fitness function and a population containing both rings and chains. Prior work evolved strings or trees that were subsequently processed to generate molecular graphs. In principle, genetic graph software should be able to evolve other graph representable systems such as circuits, transportation networks, metabolic pathways, computer networks, etc.

Application of evolutionary computation in ECAD problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dae-Hyun; Hwang, Seung H.

1998-10-01

Design of modern electronic system is a complicated task which demands the use of computer- aided design (CAD) tools. Since a lot of problems in ECAD are combinatorial optimization problems, evolutionary computations such as genetic algorithms and evolutionary programming have been widely employed to solve those problems. We have applied evolutionary computation techniques to solve ECAD problems such as technology mapping, microcode-bit optimization, data path ordering and peak power estimation, where their benefits are well observed. This paper presents experiences and discusses issues in those applications.

Urban Principle of Water Sensitive Design in Kampung Kamboja at Pontianak City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasriyanti, N.; Ryanti, E.

2017-07-01

This study will define the design principles of settlement area banks of the Kapuas Pontianak to approach the concept of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) in densely populated residential areas. Using a case study of a region densely located on the banks of the river with engineering literature to formulate the aspects taken into consideration and the components are arranged in the design, analysis descriptive paradigm rationalistic to identify the characteristics of residential areas riverbank with consideration of elements WSUD and formulate design principles residential area that is sensitive to water. This research is important to do because of problems related to the water management system in the settlement bank of the river in the city of Pontianak do not maximize. So that the primacy of this study contains several objectives to be achieved is to identify the characteristics of the settlement area riverbanks under consideration aspects areas design that is sensitive to water and principle areas design that will formulate the structure of the existing problems related to the needs of the community infrastructure facilities infrastructure neighborhoods and formulate and create guidelines for appropriate technology for integrated water management systems in the residential area of the riverbank and engineering design for the settlements are sensitive to water (WSUD). The final aim of the study is expected to achieve water management systems in residential areas by utilizing the abundant rainwater availability by using LID (Low Impact Development) through the concept of urban design that sensitive water

Evolutionary mechanics: new engineering principles for the emergence of flexibility in a dynamic and uncertain world.

PubMed

Whitacre, James M; Rohlfshagen, Philipp; Bender, Axel; Yao, Xin

2012-09-01

Engineered systems are designed to deftly operate under predetermined conditions yet are notoriously fragile when unexpected perturbations arise. In contrast, biological systems operate in a highly flexible manner; learn quickly adequate responses to novel conditions, and evolve new routines and traits to remain competitive under persistent environmental change. A recent theory on the origins of biological flexibility has proposed that degeneracy-the existence of multi-functional components with partially overlapping functions-is a primary determinant of the robustness and adaptability found in evolved systems. While degeneracy's contribution to biological flexibility is well documented, there has been little investigation of degeneracy design principles for achieving flexibility in systems engineering. Actually, the conditions that can lead to degeneracy are routinely eliminated in engineering design. With the planning of transportation vehicle fleets taken as a case study, this article reports evidence that degeneracy improves the robustness and adaptability of a simulated fleet towards unpredicted changes in task requirements without incurring costs to fleet efficiency. We find that degeneracy supports faster rates of design adaptation and ultimately leads to better fleet designs. In investigating the limitations of degeneracy as a design principle, we consider decision-making difficulties that arise from degeneracy's influence on fleet complexity. While global decision-making becomes more challenging, we also find degeneracy accommodates rapid distributed decision-making leading to (near-optimal) robust system performance. Given the range of conditions where favorable short-term and long-term performance outcomes are observed, we propose that degeneracy may fundamentally alter the propensity for adaptation and is useful within different engineering and planning contexts.

How to Present Evidence-Based Usability Design Principles Dedicated to Medication-Related Alerting Systems to Designers and Evaluators? Results from a Workshop.

PubMed

Marcilly, Romaric; Monkman, Helen; Villumsen, Sidsel; Kaufman, David; Beuscart-Zephir, Marie-Catherine

2016-01-01

Medication alerting system use errors and lack of adoption are often attributed to usability issues. Previous work has used evidence from the literature to reveal usability principles specific to medication alerting systems and identify potential consequences of violating these principles. The current study sought to explore how best to convey these principles to designers and evaluators of these systems to facilitate their work. To this aim, a workshop with 19 participants was used to generate ideas and opinions on how to deliver these topic-specific design principles in a way that would be most helpful for them. Participants generated ideas for how (e.g., a collaborative, continuously updated forum) and what (e.g., illustrations, checklists, evidence sources and strength, consequences of violations) information is most useful to disseminate usability principles for medication alerting systems. Participants, especially designers, expressed desire to use these principles in practice and avoid previously documented mistakes and therefore make design and evaluation of these systems more effective and efficient. Those insights are discussed in terms of feasibility and logistical challenges to developing the proposed documentation). To move this work forward, a more collaborative approach of Human Factors specialists in medical informatics is necessary.

Turning challenges into design principles: Telemonitoring systems for patients with multiple chronic conditions.

PubMed

Sultan, Mehwish; Kuluski, Kerry; McIsaac, Warren J; Cafazzo, Joseph A; Seto, Emily

2018-01-01

People with multiple chronic conditions often struggle with managing their health. The purpose of this research was to identify specific challenges of patients with multiple chronic conditions and to use the findings to form design principles for a telemonitoring system tailored for these patients. Semi-structured interviews with 15 patients with multiple chronic conditions and 10 clinicians were conducted to gain an understanding of their needs and preferences for a smartphone-based telemonitoring system. The interviews were analyzed using a conventional content analysis technique, resulting in six themes. Design principles developed from the themes included that the system must be modular to accommodate various combinations of conditions, reinforce a routine, consolidate record keeping, as well as provide actionable feedback to the patients. Designing an application for multiple chronic conditions is complex due to variability in patient conditions, and therefore, design principles developed in this study can help with future innovations aimed to help manage this population.

Understanding the mind from an evolutionary perspective: an overview of evolutionary psychology.

PubMed

Shackelford, Todd K; Liddle, James R

2014-05-01

The theory of evolution by natural selection provides the only scientific explanation for the existence of complex adaptations. The design features of the brain, like any organ, are the result of selection pressures operating over deep time. Evolutionary psychology posits that the human brain comprises a multitude of evolved psychological mechanisms, adaptations to specific and recurrent problems of survival and reproduction faced over human evolutionary history. Although some mistakenly view evolutionary psychology as promoting genetic determinism, evolutionary psychologists appreciate and emphasize the interactions between genes and environments. This approach to psychology has led to a richer understanding of a variety of psychological phenomena, and has provided a powerful foundation for generating novel hypotheses. Critics argue that evolutionary psychologists resort to storytelling, but as with any branch of science, empirical testing is a vital component of the field, with hypotheses standing or falling with the weight of the evidence. Evolutionary psychology is uniquely suited to provide a unifying theoretical framework for the disparate subdisciplines of psychology. An evolutionary perspective has provided insights into several subdisciplines of psychology, while simultaneously demonstrating the arbitrary nature of dividing psychological science into such subdisciplines. Evolutionary psychologists have amassed a substantial empirical and theoretical literature, but as a relatively new approach to psychology, many questions remain, with several promising directions for future research. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Top 10 principles for designing healthy coastal ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gaydos, Joseph K.; Dierauf, Leslie; Kirby, Grant; Brosnan, Deborah; Gilardi, Kirsten; Davis, Gary E.

2008-01-01

Like other coastal zones around the world, the inland sea ecosystem of Washington (USA) and British Columbia (Canada), an area known as the Salish Sea, is changing under pressure from a growing human population, conversion of native forest and shoreline habitat to urban development, toxic contamination of sediments and species, and overharvest of resources. While billions of dollars have been spent trying to restore other coastal ecosystems around the world, there still is no successful model for restoring estuarine or marine ecosystems like the Salish Sea. Despite the lack of a guiding model, major ecological principles do exist that should be applied as people work to design the Salish Sea and other large marine ecosystems for the future. We suggest that the following 10 ecological principles serve as a foundation for educating the public and for designing a healthy Salish Sea and other coastal ecosystems for future generations: (1) Think ecosystem: political boundaries are arbitrary; (2) Account for ecosystem connectivity; (3) Understand the food web; (4) Avoid fragmentation; (5) Respect ecosystem integrity; (6) Support nature's resilience; (7) Value nature: it's money in your pocket; (8) Watch wildlife health; (9) Plan for extremes; and (10) Share the knowledge.

The new international certification and design principles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heijnen, W.H.P.M.; Heineman, H.

1995-12-01

ISO/TC 67 deals with standardization of Equipment for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries at a global level. The paper will provide the reader with insight in the Certification system as well as its link with Design. It will explain how the total process fits in the business structure of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry, with the focus on the emerging concepts such as partnering, turn key contracts, the developments in the EC and the need to reduce costs at a global basis. The paper will also address the topic of Design Principles based on the results of themore » study performed for ISO/TC 67. The paper will provide a framework that can be used by the industry in how to deal with issues such as, there shall the activity of the Operator be focused on when ordering equipment or services and how the manufacturer or service provider should prepare himself to become an equal partner with regard to the required equipment, service and its associated technology now and in the future. In the changing world with ever increasing focus on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), the topic efficiency, technology, equipment performance and functionality should not be overlooked or been given less attention. The Certification and Design principles, implemented in standards, aim predominantly at Fitness for Purpose of equipment and/or services to regain the balance. A further aim is to limit consequential costs due to deficiencies in the broadest sense, allowing the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry to produce oil and gas in a cost effective manner with the highest possible HSE targets.« less

Computing design principles for robotic telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, Mark K.; Ford, Martyn J.; Lett, Robert D. J.; McKay, Derek J.; Mücke-Herzberg, Dorothy; Norbury, Martin A.

2002-12-01

Telescopes capable of making observing decisions independent of human supervision have become a reality in the 21st century. These new telescopes are likely to replace automated systems as the telescopes of choice. A fully robotic implementation offers not only reduced operating costs, but also significant gains in scientific output over automated or remotely operated systems. The design goals are to maximise the telescope operating time and minimise the cost of diagnosis and repair. However, the demands of a robotic telescope greatly exceed those of its remotely operated counterpart, and the design of the computing system is key to its operational performance. This paper outlines the challenges facing the designer of these computing systems, and describes some of the principles of design which may be applied. Issues considered include automatic control and efficiency, system awareness, robustness and reliability, access, security and safety, as well as ease-of-use and maintenance. These requirements cannot be considered simply within the context of the application software. Hence, this paper takes into account operating system, hardware and environmental issues. Consideration is also given to accommodating different levels of manual control within robotic telescopes, as well as methods of accessing and overriding the system in the event of failure.

Bell-Curve Based Evolutionary Strategies for Structural Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kincaid, Rex K.

2001-01-01

Evolutionary methods are exceedingly popular with practitioners of many fields; more so than perhaps any optimization tool in existence. Historically Genetic Algorithms (GAs) led the way in practitioner popularity. However, in the last ten years Evolutionary Strategies (ESs) and Evolutionary Programs (EPS) have gained a significant foothold. One partial explanation for this shift is the interest in using GAs to solve continuous optimization problems. The typical GA relies upon a cumbersome binary representation of the design variables. An ES or EP, however, works directly with the real-valued design variables. For detailed references on evolutionary methods in general and ES or EP in specific see Back and Dasgupta and Michalesicz. We call our evolutionary algorithm BCB (bell curve based) since it is based upon two normal distributions.

Design Principles of Bioresorbable Polymeric Scaffolds.

PubMed

Kossuth, Mary Beth; Perkins, Laura E L; Rapoza, Richard J

2016-07-01

The concept for a bioresorbable vascular scaffold combines the best features of the first 3 generations of percutaneous coronary intervention (namely), balloon angioplasty, bare metallic stents, and drug-eluting stents, into a single device. The principles of operation of a BRS follow 3 phases of functionality that reflect the different physiologic requirements over time; revascularization, restoration, and resorption. Most BRS designs make use of the continuum of hydrolytic degradation in aliphatic polyesters, such as poly(l-lactide), in which molecular weight, strength, and mass decrease progressively in 3 distinct stages, consistent with the in vivo requirements of each performance phase. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary variational-hemivariational inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carl, Siegfried; Le, Vy K.; Motreanu, Dumitru

2008-09-01

We consider an evolutionary quasilinear hemivariational inequality under constraints represented by some closed and convex subset. Our main goal is to systematically develop the method of sub-supersolution on the basis of which we then prove existence, comparison, compactness and extremality results. The obtained results are applied to a general obstacle problem. We improve the corresponding results in the recent monograph [S. Carl, V.K. Le, DE Motreanu, Nonsmooth Variational Problems and Their Inequalities. Comparison Principles and Applications, Springer Monogr. Math., Springer, New York, 2007].

Visual Design Principles Applied To World Wide Web Construction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luck, Donald D.; Hunter, J. Mark

This paper describes basic types of World Wide Web pages and presents design criteria for page layout based on principles of visual literacy. Discussion focuses on pages that present information in the following styles: billboard; directory/index; textual; and graphics. Problems and solutions in Web page construction are explored according to…

Design principles for robust oscillatory behavior.

PubMed

Castillo-Hair, Sebastian M; Villota, Elizabeth R; Coronado, Alberto M

2015-09-01

Oscillatory responses are ubiquitous in regulatory networks of living organisms, a fact that has led to extensive efforts to study and replicate the circuits involved. However, to date, design principles that underlie the robustness of natural oscillators are not completely known. Here we study a three-component enzymatic network model in order to determine the topological requirements for robust oscillation. First, by simulating every possible topological arrangement and varying their parameter values, we demonstrate that robust oscillators can be obtained by augmenting the number of both negative feedback loops and positive autoregulations while maintaining an appropriate balance of positive and negative interactions. We then identify network motifs, whose presence in more complex topologies is a necessary condition for obtaining oscillatory responses. Finally, we pinpoint a series of simple architectural patterns that progressively render more robust oscillators. Together, these findings can help in the design of more reliable synthetic biomolecular networks and may also have implications in the understanding of other oscillatory systems.

Dynamics, morphogenesis and convergence of evolutionary quantum Prisoner's Dilemma games on networks

PubMed Central

Yong, Xi

2016-01-01

The authors proposed a quantum Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) game as a natural extension of the classic PD game to resolve the dilemma. Here, we establish a new Nash equilibrium principle of the game, propose the notion of convergence and discover the convergence and phase-transition phenomena of the evolutionary games on networks. We investigate the many-body extension of the game or evolutionary games in networks. For homogeneous networks, we show that entanglement guarantees a quick convergence of super cooperation, that there is a phase transition from the convergence of defection to the convergence of super cooperation, and that the threshold for the phase transitions is principally determined by the Nash equilibrium principle of the game, with an accompanying perturbation by the variations of structures of networks. For heterogeneous networks, we show that the equilibrium frequencies of super-cooperators are divergent, that entanglement guarantees emergence of super-cooperation and that there is a phase transition of the emergence with the threshold determined by the Nash equilibrium principle, accompanied by a perturbation by the variations of structures of networks. Our results explore systematically, for the first time, the dynamics, morphogenesis and convergence of evolutionary games in interacting and competing systems. PMID:27118882

Ten Guiding Principles for Designing Online Modules That Involve International Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porcaro, David; Carrier, Carol

2014-01-01

As ideas and personnel flow across borders, there are many opportunities for instructional designers to collaboratively design online modules with international teams. These collaborations can take many shapes, as varying levels of localization and within-team communication are employed. This paper looks at ten guiding principles that are shaping…

In Search of Design Principles for Developing Digital Learning and Performance Support for a Student Design Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bollen, Lars; van der Meij, Hans; Leemkuil, Henny; McKenney, Susan

2015-01-01

A digital learning and performance support environment for university student design tasks was developed. This paper describes on the design rationale, process, and the usage results to arrive at a core set of design principles for the construction of such an environment. We present a collection of organizational, technical, and course-related…

Bell-Curve Based Evolutionary Strategies for Structural Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kincaid, Rex K.

2000-01-01

Evolutionary methods are exceedingly popular with practitioners of many fields; more so than perhaps any optimization tool in existence. Historically Genetic Algorithms (GAs) led the way in practitioner popularity (Reeves 1997). However, in the last ten years Evolutionary Strategies (ESs) and Evolutionary Programs (EPS) have gained a significant foothold (Glover 1998). One partial explanation for this shift is the interest in using GAs to solve continuous optimization problems. The typical GA relies upon a cumber-some binary representation of the design variables. An ES or EP, however, works directly with the real-valued design variables. For detailed references on evolutionary methods in general and ES or EP in specific see Back (1996) and Dasgupta and Michalesicz (1997). We call our evolutionary algorithm BCB (bell curve based) since it is based upon two normal distributions.

Evolutionary Optimization of a Quadrifilar Helical Antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohn, Jason D.; Kraus, William F.; Linden, Derek S.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Automated antenna synthesis via evolutionary design has recently garnered much attention in the research literature. Evolutionary algorithms show promise because, among search algorithms, they are able to effectively search large, unknown design spaces. NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft is due to reach final Martian orbit insertion in January, 2002. Onboard the spacecraft is a quadrifilar helical antenna that provides telecommunications in the UHF band with landed assets, such as robotic rovers. Each helix is driven by the same signal which is phase-delayed in 90 deg increments. A small ground plane is provided at the base. It is designed to operate in the frequency band of 400-438 MHz. Based on encouraging previous results in automated antenna design using evolutionary search, we wanted to see whether such techniques could improve upon Mars Odyssey antenna design. Specifically, a co-evolutionary genetic algorithm is applied to optimize the gain and size of the quadrifilar helical antenna. The optimization was performed in-situ in the presence of a neighboring spacecraft structure. On the spacecraft, a large aluminum fuel tank is adjacent to the antenna. Since this fuel tank can dramatically affect the antenna's performance, we leave it to the evolutionary process to see if it can exploit the fuel tank's properties advantageously. Optimizing in the presence of surrounding structures would be quite difficult for human antenna designers, and thus the actual antenna was designed for free space (with a small ground plane). In fact, when flying on the spacecraft, surrounding structures that are moveable (e.g., solar panels) may be moved during the mission in order to improve the antenna's performance.

Designing future landscapes from principles of form and function

Treesearch

Larry D. Harris; Patrick Kangas

1979-01-01

Future landscapes will consist of a gradient of types ranging from wilderness areas to totally "humanized" environments. The man-dominated landscapes will be required to fulfill multiple functions only one of which is aesthetic enjoyment. It is suggested that basic principles of form and function may contribute to design criteria. Applications to the...

Design principles of a rotating medium speed mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hostenkamp, R. G.; Achtermann, E.; Bentall, R. H.

1976-01-01

Design principles of a medium speed mechanism (MSM) are presented, including discussion on the relative merits of beryllium and aluminium as structural materials. Rotating at a speed of 60 rpm, the application envisaged for the MSM was as a despin bearing for the despun platform or despun antenna of a spin stabilized satellite. The MSM was built and tested to qualification level and is currently undergoing real time life testing.

The Design and Transformation of Biofundamentals: A Nonsurvey Introductory Evolutionary and Molecular Biology Course

PubMed Central

Klymkowsky, Michael W.; Rentsch, Jeremy D.; Begovic, Emina; Cooper, Melanie M.

2016-01-01

Many introductory biology courses amount to superficial surveys of disconnected topics. Often, foundational observations and the concepts derived from them and students’ ability to use these ideas appropriately are overlooked, leading to unrealistic expectations and unrecognized learning obstacles. The result can be a focus on memorization at the expense of the development of a meaningful framework within which to consider biological phenomena. About a decade ago, we began a reconsideration of what an introductory course should present to students and the skills they need to master. The original Web-based course’s design presaged many of the recommendations of the Vision and Change report; in particular, a focus on social evolutionary mechanisms, stochastic (evolutionary and molecular) processes, and core ideas (cellular continuity, evolutionary homology, molecular interactions, coupled chemical reactions, and molecular machines). Inspired by insights from the Chemistry, Life, the Universe & Everything general chemistry project, we transformed the original Web version into a (freely available) book with a more unified narrative flow and a set of formative assessments delivered through the beSocratic system. We outline how student responses to course materials are guiding future course modifications, in particular a more concerted effort at helping students to construct logical, empirically based arguments, explanations, and models. PMID:27909020

Rational, computer-enabled peptide drug design: principles, methods, applications and future directions.

PubMed

Diller, David J; Swanson, Jon; Bayden, Alexander S; Jarosinski, Mark; Audie, Joseph

2015-01-01

Peptides provide promising templates for developing drugs to occupy a middle space between small molecules and antibodies and for targeting 'undruggable' intracellular protein-protein interactions. Importantly, rational or in cerebro design, especially when coupled with validated in silico tools, can be used to efficiently explore chemical space and identify islands of 'drug-like' peptides to satisfy diverse drug discovery program objectives. Here, we consider the underlying principles of and recent advances in rational, computer-enabled peptide drug design. In particular, we consider the impact of basic physicochemical properties, potency and ADME/Tox opportunities and challenges, and recently developed computational tools for enabling rational peptide drug design. Key principles and practices are spotlighted by recent case studies. We close with a hypothetical future case study.

An evolutionary behaviorist perspective on orgasm

PubMed Central

Fleischman, Diana S.

2016-01-01

Evolutionary explanations for sexual behavior and orgasm most often posit facilitating reproduction as the primary function (i.e. greater rate of fertilization). Other reproductive benefits of sexual pleasure and orgasm such as improved bonding of parents have also been discussed but not thoroughly. Although sex is known to be highly reinforcing, behaviorist principles are rarely invoked alongside evolutionary psychology in order to account for human sexual and social behavior. In this paper, I will argue that intense sexual pleasure, especially orgasm, can be understood as a primary reinforcer shaped by evolution to reinforce behavior that facilitates reproductive success (i.e. conception through copulation). Next, I will describe an evolutionary account of social shaping. In particular, I will focus on how humans evolved to use orgasm and sexual arousal to shape the social behavior and emotional states of others through both classical and operant conditioning and through both reproductive and non-reproductive forms of sexual behavior. Finally, I will describe how orgasm is a signal of sensitivity to reinforcement that is itself reinforcing. PMID:27799083

Ergonomics and design: its principles applied in the industry.

PubMed

Tavares, Ademario Santos; Silva, Francisco Nilson da

2012-01-01

Industrial Design encompasses both product development and optimization of production process. In this sense, Ergonomics plays a fundamental role, because its principles, methods and techniques can help operators to carry out their tasks most successfully. A case study carried out in an industry shows that the interaction among Design, Production Engineering and Materials Engineering departments may improve some aspects concerned security, comfort, efficiency and performance. In this process, Ergonomics had shown to be of essential importance to strategic decision making to the improvement of production section.

Objects and mappings: incompatible principles of display design - a critique of Marino and Mahan.

PubMed

Bennett, Kevin B

2005-01-01

Representation aiding (and similar approaches that share the general orientation) has a great deal of utility, predictive ability, and explanatory power. Marino and Mahan (2005) discuss principles that are critical to the RA approach (configurality, emergent features, and mappings) in a reasonable fashion. However, the application of these principles is far from reasonable. The authors explicitly realize the potential for interactions between nutrients: "The nutritional quality of a food product is a multidimensional concept, and higher order interactions between nutrients may exist" (p. 126). However, they made no effort to discover the nature of these interactions: "No attempt was made to identify contingent interactions between nutrients" (p. 126). Despite not knowing the nature of the interactions between nutrients, they purposely chose a highly configural display that produced numerous emergent features dependent upon these interactions: "A radial spoke display was selected because of the strong configural properties of such display formats (Bennett & Flach, 1992)" (p. 124). Finally, the authors show apparent disdain for the specific mappings among domain, agent, and display that are fundamental to the RA approach: "[O]ther configural display formats could have been used" (p. 124). It is impossible to reconcile these statements and the RA approach to display design. However, these statements make perfect sense if a perceptual object is a guiding principle in one's approach to display design. Marino and Mahan (2005) draw heavily upon the principle of a perceptual object in their design justifications, experimental predictions, and interpretations of results. As we have indicated here and elsewhere (Bennett & Flach, 1992), we believe that these two sets of organizing principles for display design (i.e., objects and mappings) are incompatible. Display design will never be an exact science; there will always be elements of art and creativity. However, the guiding

Achieving integration in mixed methods designs-principles and practices.

PubMed

Fetters, Michael D; Curry, Leslie A; Creswell, John W

2013-12-01

Mixed methods research offers powerful tools for investigating complex processes and systems in health and health care. This article describes integration principles and practices at three levels in mixed methods research and provides illustrative examples. Integration at the study design level occurs through three basic mixed method designs-exploratory sequential, explanatory sequential, and convergent-and through four advanced frameworks-multistage, intervention, case study, and participatory. Integration at the methods level occurs through four approaches. In connecting, one database links to the other through sampling. With building, one database informs the data collection approach of the other. When merging, the two databases are brought together for analysis. With embedding, data collection and analysis link at multiple points. Integration at the interpretation and reporting level occurs through narrative, data transformation, and joint display. The fit of integration describes the extent the qualitative and quantitative findings cohere. Understanding these principles and practices of integration can help health services researchers leverage the strengths of mixed methods. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

First principles prediction of amorphous phases using evolutionary algorithms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nahas, Suhas, E-mail: shsnhs@iitk.ac.in; Gaur, Anshu, E-mail: agaur@iitk.ac.in; Bhowmick, Somnath, E-mail: bsomnath@iitk.ac.in

2016-07-07

We discuss the efficacy of evolutionary method for the purpose of structural analysis of amorphous solids. At present, ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) based melt-quench technique is used and this deterministic approach has proven to be successful to study amorphous materials. We show that a stochastic approach motivated by Darwinian evolution can also be used to simulate amorphous structures. Applying this method, in conjunction with density functional theory based electronic, ionic and cell relaxation, we re-investigate two well known amorphous semiconductors, namely silicon and indium gallium zinc oxide. We find that characteristic structural parameters like average bond length and bondmore » angle are within ∼2% of those reported by ab initio MD calculations and experimental studies.« less

A pilot study designed to acquaint medical educators with basic pedagogic principles.

PubMed

McLeod, P J; Brawer, J; Steinert, Y; Chalk, C; McLeod, A

2008-02-01

Faculty development activities in medical schools regularly target teaching behaviours but rarely address basic pedagogic principles underlying those behaviours. Although many teachers have an intuitive or tacit knowledge of basic pedagogic principles, overt knowledge of fundamental educational principles is rare. We conducted a short-term pilot study designed to transform teachers' tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge of pedagogic principles. We hypothesized that conscious awareness of these principles will positively influence their teaching effectiveness. The intervention included a workshop, provision of a workbook on pedagogic principles and free access to educational consultants. For the intervention, we chose a purposive sample of experienced teachers at our medical school. Evaluation of the impact of the intervention using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews revealed three notable findings; 1. Participants were surprised to discover the existence of an extensive body of pedagogic science underlying teaching and learning. 2. They were enthusiastic about the intervention and expressed interest in learning more about basic pedagogic principles. 3. The knowledge acquired had an immediate impact on their teaching.

Architectural design of heterogeneous metallic nanocrystals--principles and processes.

PubMed

Yu, Yue; Zhang, Qingbo; Yao, Qiaofeng; Xie, Jianping; Lee, Jim Yang

2014-12-16

CONSPECTUS: Heterogeneous metal nanocrystals (HMNCs) are a natural extension of simple metal nanocrystals (NCs), but as a research topic, they have been much less explored until recently. HMNCs are formed by integrating metal NCs of different compositions into a common entity, similar to the way atoms are bonded to form molecules. HMNCs can be built to exhibit an unprecedented architectural diversity and complexity by programming the arrangement of the NC building blocks ("unit NCs"). The architectural engineering of HMNCs involves the design and fabrication of the architecture-determining elements (ADEs), i.e., unit NCs with precise control of shape and size, and their relative positions in the design. Similar to molecular engineering, where structural diversity is used to create more property variations for application explorations, the architectural engineering of HMNCs can similarly increase the utility of metal NCs by offering a suite of properties to support multifunctionality in applications. The architectural engineering of HMNCs calls for processes and operations that can execute the design. Some enabling technologies already exist in the form of classical micro- and macroscale fabrication techniques, such as masking and etching. These processes, when used singly or in combination, are fully capable of fabricating nanoscopic objects. What is needed is a detailed understanding of the engineering control of ADEs and the translation of these principles into actual processes. For simplicity of execution, these processes should be integrated into a common reaction system and yet retain independence of control. The key to architectural diversity is therefore the independent controllability of each ADE in the design blueprint. The right chemical tools must be applied under the right circumstances in order to achieve the desired outcome. In this Account, after a short illustration of the infinite possibility of combining different ADEs to create HMNC design

Web Interface Design Principles for Adults' Self-Directed Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firat, Mehmet; Sakar, A. Nurhan; Kabakci Yurdakul, Isil

2016-01-01

One of the most important features which e-learning tools and environments must possess within the scope of lifelong learning is self-directed learning, which can be considered as a form of self-learning. The aim of this study was to determine, based on the views and recommendations of experts, interface design principles for the development of…

Teaching for understanding in medical classrooms using multimedia design principles.

PubMed

Issa, Nabil; Mayer, Richard E; Schuller, Mary; Wang, Edward; Shapiro, Michael B; DaRosa, Debra A

2013-04-01

In line with a recent report entitled Effective Use of Educational Technology in Medical Education from the Association of American Medical Colleges Institute for Improving Medical Education (AAMC-IME), this study examined whether revising a medical lecture based on evidence-based principles of multimedia design would lead to improved long-term transfer and retention in Year 3 medical students. A previous study yielded positive effects on an immediate retention test, but did not investigate long-term effects. In a pre-test/post-test control design, a cohort of 37 Year 3 medical students at a private, midwestern medical school received a bullet point-based PowerPoint™ lecture on shock developed by the instructor as part of their core curriculum (the traditional condition group). Another cohort of 43 similar medical students received a lecture covering identical content using slides redesigned according to Mayer's evidence-based principles of multimedia design (the modified condition group). Findings showed that the modified condition group significantly outscored the traditional condition group on delayed tests of transfer given 1 week (d = 0.83) and 4 weeks (d = 1.17) after instruction, and on delayed tests of retention given 1 week (d = 0.83) and 4 weeks (d = 0.79) after instruction. The modified condition group also significantly outperformed the traditional condition group on immediate tests of retention (d = 1.49) and transfer (d = 0.76). This study provides the first evidence that applying multimedia design principles to an actual medical lecture has significant effects on measures of learner understanding (i.e. long-term transfer and long-term retention). This work reinforces the need to apply the science of learning and instruction in medical education. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2013.

Design for Natural Breast Augmentation: The ICE Principle.

PubMed

Mallucci, Patrick; Branford, Olivier Alexandre

2016-06-01

The authors' published studies have helped define breast beauty in outlining key parameters that contribute to breast attractiveness. The "ICE" principle puts design into practice. It is a simplified formula for inframammary fold incision planning as part of the process for determining implant selection and placement to reproduce the 45:55 ratio previously described as fundamental to natural breast appearance. The formula is as follows: implant dimensions (I) - capacity of the breast (C) = excess tissue required (E). The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of the ICE principle for producing consistent natural beautiful results in breast augmentation. A prospective analysis of 50 consecutive women undergoing primary breast augmentation by means of an inframammary fold incision with anatomical or round implants was performed. The ICE principle was applied to all cases to determine implant selection, placement, and incision position. Changes in parameters between preoperative and postoperative digital clinical photographs were analyzed. The mean upper pole-to-lower pole ratio changed from 52:48 preoperatively to 45:55 postoperatively (p < 0.0001). Mean nipple angulation was also statistically significantly elevated from 11 degrees to 19 degrees skyward (p ≤ 0.0005). Accuracy of incision placement in the fold was 99.7 percent on the right and 99.6 percent on the left, with a standard error of only 0.2 percent. There was a reduction in variability for all key parameters. The authors have shown using the simple ICE principle for surgical planning in breast augmentation that attractive natural breasts may be achieved consistently and with precision. Therapeutic, IV.

Babinet principle applied to the design of metasurfaces and metamaterials.

PubMed

Falcone, F; Lopetegi, T; Laso, M A G; Baena, J D; Bonache, J; Beruete, M; Marqués, R; Martín, F; Sorolla, M

2004-11-05

The electromagnetic theory of diffraction and the Babinet principle are applied to the design of artificial metasurfaces and metamaterials. A new particle, the complementary split rings resonator, is proposed for the design of metasurfaces with high frequency selectivity and planar metamaterials with a negative dielectric permittivity. Applications in the fields of frequency selective surfaces and polarizers, as well as in microwave antennas and filter design, can be envisaged. The tunability of all these devices by an applied dc voltage is also achievable if these particles are etched on the appropriate substrate.

Applying design principles to fusion reactor configurations for propulsion in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, Scott A.; Deveny, Marc E.; Schulze, Norman R.

1993-01-01

The application of fusion power to space propulsion requires rethinking the engineering-design solution to controlled-fusion energy. Whereas the unit cost of electricity (COE) drives the engineering-design solution for utility-based fusion reactor configurations; initial mass to low earth orbit (IMLEO), specific jet power (kW(thrust)/kg(engine)), and reusability drive the engineering-design solution for successful application of fusion power to space propulsion. We applied three design principles (DP's) to adapt and optimize three candidate-terrestrial-fusion-reactor configurations for propulsion in space. The three design principles are: provide maximum direct access to space for waste radiation, operate components as passive radiators to minimize cooling-system mass, and optimize the plasma fuel, fuel mix, and temperature for best specific jet power. The three candidate terrestrial fusion reactor configurations are: the thermal barrier tandem mirror (TBTM), field reversed mirror (FRM), and levitated dipole field (LDF). The resulting three candidate space fusion propulsion systems have their IMLEO minimized and their specific jet power and reusability maximized. We performed a preliminary rating of these configurations and concluded that the leading engineering-design solution to space fusion propulsion is a modified TBTM that we call the Mirror Fusion Propulsion System (MFPS).

Human experience and product usability: principles to assist the design of user-product interactions.

PubMed

Chamorro-Koc, Marianella; Popovic, Vesna; Emmison, Michael

2009-07-01

This paper introduces research that investigates how human experience influences people's understandings of product usability. It describes an experiment that employs visual representation of concepts to elicit participants' ideas of a product's use. Results from the experiment lead to the identification of relationships between human experience, knowledge, and context-of-use--relationships that influence designers' and users' concepts of product usability. These relationships are translated into design principles that inform the design activity with respect to the aspects of experience that trigger people's understanding of a product's use. A design tool (ECEDT) is devised to aid designers in the application of these principles. This tool is then trialled in the context of a design task in order to verify applicability of the findings.

Evolutionary theory and teleology.

PubMed

O'Grady, R T

1984-04-21

The order within and among living systems can be explained rationally by postulating a process of descent with modification, effected by factors which are extrinsic or intrinsic to the organisms. Because at the time Darwin proposed his theory of evolution there was no concept of intrinsic factors which could evolve, he postulated a process of extrinsic effects--natural selection. Biological order was thus seen as an imposed, rather than an emergent, property. Evolutionary change was seen as being determined by the functional efficiency (adaptedness) of the organism in its environment, rather than by spontaneous changes in intrinsically generated organizing factors. The initial incompleteness of Darwin's explanatory model, and the axiomatization of its postulates in neo-Darwinism, has resulted in a theory of functionalism, rather than structuralism. As such, it introduces an unnecessary teleology which confounds evolutionary studies and reduces the usefulness of the theory. This problem cannot be detected from within the neo-Darwinian paradigm because the different levels of end-directed activity--teleomatic, teleonomic, and teleological--are not recognized. They are, in fact, considered to influence one another. The theory of nonequilibrium evolution avoids these problems by returning to the basic principles of biological order and developing a structuralist explanation of intrinsically generated change. Extrinsic factors may affect the resultant evolutionary pattern, but they are neither necessary nor sufficient for evolution to occur.

Evolutionary Design of Convolutional Neural Networks for Human Activity Recognition in Sensor-Rich Environments.

PubMed

Baldominos, Alejandro; Saez, Yago; Isasi, Pedro

2018-04-23

Human activity recognition is a challenging problem for context-aware systems and applications. It is gaining interest due to the ubiquity of different sensor sources, wearable smart objects, ambient sensors, etc. This task is usually approached as a supervised machine learning problem, where a label is to be predicted given some input data, such as the signals retrieved from different sensors. For tackling the human activity recognition problem in sensor network environments, in this paper we propose the use of deep learning (convolutional neural networks) to perform activity recognition using the publicly available OPPORTUNITY dataset. Instead of manually choosing a suitable topology, we will let an evolutionary algorithm design the optimal topology in order to maximize the classification F1 score. After that, we will also explore the performance of committees of the models resulting from the evolutionary process. Results analysis indicates that the proposed model was able to perform activity recognition within a heterogeneous sensor network environment, achieving very high accuracies when tested with new sensor data. Based on all conducted experiments, the proposed neuroevolutionary system has proved to be able to systematically find a classification model which is capable of outperforming previous results reported in the state-of-the-art, showing that this approach is useful and improves upon previously manually-designed architectures.

Semiconductor-inspired design principles for superconducting quantum computing.

PubMed

Shim, Yun-Pil; Tahan, Charles

2016-03-17

Superconducting circuits offer tremendous design flexibility in the quantum regime culminating most recently in the demonstration of few qubit systems supposedly approaching the threshold for fault-tolerant quantum information processing. Competition in the solid-state comes from semiconductor qubits, where nature has bestowed some very useful properties which can be utilized for spin qubit-based quantum computing. Here we begin to explore how selective design principles deduced from spin-based systems could be used to advance superconducting qubit science. We take an initial step along this path proposing an encoded qubit approach realizable with state-of-the-art tunable Josephson junction qubits. Our results show that this design philosophy holds promise, enables microwave-free control, and offers a pathway to future qubit designs with new capabilities such as with higher fidelity or, perhaps, operation at higher temperature. The approach is also especially suited to qubits on the basis of variable super-semi junctions.

Evolutionary medicine: update on the relevance to family practice.

PubMed

Naugler, Christopher T

2008-09-01

To review the relevance of evolutionary medicine to family practice and family physician training. Articles were located through a MEDLINE search, using the key words evolution, Darwin, and adaptation. Most references presented level III evidence (expert opinion), while a minority provided level II evidence (epidemiologic studies). Evolutionary medicine deals with the interplay of biology and the environment in the understanding of human disease. Yet medical schools have virtually ignored the need for family physicians to have more than a cursory knowledge of this topic. A review of the main trends in this field most relevant to family practice revealed that a basic knowledge of evolutionary medicine might help in explaining the causation of diseases to patients. Evolutionary medicine has also proven key to explaining the reasons for the development of antibiotic resistance and has the potential to explain cancer pathogenesis. As an organizing principle, this field also has potential in the teaching of family medicine. Evolutionary medicine should be studied further and incorporated into medical training and practice. Its practical utility will be proven through the generation of testable hypotheses and their application in relation to disease causation and possible prevention.

Cognitive Adaptations for n-person Exchange: The Evolutionary Roots of Organizational Behavior.

PubMed

Tooby, John; Cosmides, Leda; Price, Michael E

2006-03-01

Organizations are composed of stable, predominantly cooperative interactions or n -person exchanges. Humans have been engaging in n -person exchanges for a great enough period of evolutionary time that we appear to have evolved a distinct constellation of species-typical mechanisms specialized to solve the adaptive problems posed by this form of social interaction. These mechanisms appear to have been evolutionarily elaborated out of the cognitive infrastructure that initially evolved for dyadic exchange. Key adaptive problems that these mechanisms are designed to solve include coordination among individuals, and defense against exploitation by free riders. Multi-individual cooperation could not have been maintained over evolutionary time if free riders reliably benefited more than contributors to collective enterprises, and so outcompeted them. As a result, humans evolved mechanisms that implement an aversion to exploitation by free riding, and a strategy of conditional cooperation, supplemented by punitive sentiment towards free riders. Because of the design of these mechanisms, how free riding is treated is a central determinant of the survival and health of cooperative organizations. The mapping of the evolved psychology of n -party exchange cooperation may contribute to the construction of a principled theoretical foundation for the understanding of human behavior in organizations.

Cognitive Adaptations for n-person Exchange: The Evolutionary Roots of Organizational Behavior

PubMed Central

Tooby, John; Cosmides, Leda; Price, Michael E.

2013-01-01

Organizations are composed of stable, predominantly cooperative interactions or n-person exchanges. Humans have been engaging in n-person exchanges for a great enough period of evolutionary time that we appear to have evolved a distinct constellation of species-typical mechanisms specialized to solve the adaptive problems posed by this form of social interaction. These mechanisms appear to have been evolutionarily elaborated out of the cognitive infrastructure that initially evolved for dyadic exchange. Key adaptive problems that these mechanisms are designed to solve include coordination among individuals, and defense against exploitation by free riders. Multi-individual cooperation could not have been maintained over evolutionary time if free riders reliably benefited more than contributors to collective enterprises, and so outcompeted them. As a result, humans evolved mechanisms that implement an aversion to exploitation by free riding, and a strategy of conditional cooperation, supplemented by punitive sentiment towards free riders. Because of the design of these mechanisms, how free riding is treated is a central determinant of the survival and health of cooperative organizations. The mapping of the evolved psychology of n-party exchange cooperation may contribute to the construction of a principled theoretical foundation for the understanding of human behavior in organizations. PMID:23814325

10 CFR 433.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] 433.6 Section 433.6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL...

10 CFR 433.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved] 433.6 Section 433.6 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FEDERAL COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL...

Some Novel Design Principles for Collective Behaviors in Mobile Robots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

OSBOURN, GORDON C.

2002-09-01

We present a set of novel design principles to aid in the development of complex collective behaviors in fleets of mobile robots. The key elements are: the use of a graph algorithm that we have created, with certain proven properties, that guarantee scalable local communications for fleets of arbitrary size; the use of artificial forces to simplify the design of motion control; the use of certain proximity values in the graph algorithm to simplify the sharing of robust navigation and sensor information among the robots. We describe these design elements and present a computer simulation that illustrates the behaviors readilymore » achievable with these design tools.« less

Toward instructional design principles: Inducing Faraday's law with contrasting cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Eric; Wieman, Carl E.

2016-06-01

Although physics education research (PER) has improved instructional practices, there are not agreed upon principles for designing effective instructional materials. Here, we illustrate how close comparison of instructional materials could support the development of such principles. Specifically, in discussion sections of a large, introductory physics course, a pair of studies compare two instructional strategies for teaching a physics concept: having students (i) explain a set of contrasting cases or (ii) apply and build on previously learned concepts. We compare these strategies for the teaching of Faraday's law, showing that explaining a set of related contrasting cases not only improves student performance on Faraday's law questions over building on a previously learned concept (i.e., Lorentz force), but also prepares students to better learn subsequent topics, such as Lenz's law. These differences persist to the final exam. We argue that early exposure to contrasting cases better focuses student attention on a key feature related to both concepts: change in magnetic flux. Importantly, the benefits of contrasting cases for both learning and enjoyment are enhanced for students who did not first attend a Faraday's law lecture, consistent with previous research suggesting that being told a solution can circumvent the benefits of its discovery. These studies illustrate an experimental approach for understanding how the structure of activities affects learning and performance outcomes, a first step toward design principles for effective instructional materials.

Design of Learning Objects for Concept Learning: Effects of Multimedia Learning Principles and an Instructional Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Thomas K. F.; Churchill, Daniel

2016-01-01

Literature suggests using multimedia learning principles in the design of instructional material. However, these principles may not be sufficient for the design of learning objects for concept learning in mathematics. This paper reports on an experimental study that investigated the effects of an instructional approach, which includes two teaching…

Evolutionary and molecular foundations of multiple contemporary functions of the nitroreductase superfamily

PubMed Central

Akiva, Eyal; Copp, Janine N.; Tokuriki, Nobuhiko; Babbitt, Patricia C.

2017-01-01

Insight regarding how diverse enzymatic functions and reactions have evolved from ancestral scaffolds is fundamental to understanding chemical and evolutionary biology, and for the exploitation of enzymes for biotechnology. We undertook an extensive computational analysis using a unique and comprehensive combination of tools that include large-scale phylogenetic reconstruction to determine the sequence, structural, and functional relationships of the functionally diverse flavin mononucleotide-dependent nitroreductase (NTR) superfamily (>24,000 sequences from all domains of life, 54 structures, and >10 enzymatic functions). Our results suggest an evolutionary model in which contemporary subgroups of the superfamily have diverged in a radial manner from a minimal flavin-binding scaffold. We identified the structural design principle for this divergence: Insertions at key positions in the minimal scaffold that, combined with the fixation of key residues, have led to functional specialization. These results will aid future efforts to delineate the emergence of functional diversity in enzyme superfamilies, provide clues for functional inference for superfamily members of unknown function, and facilitate rational redesign of the NTR scaffold. PMID:29078300

Evolutionary multiobjective design of a flexible caudal fin for robotic fish.

PubMed

Clark, Anthony J; Tan, Xiaobo; McKinley, Philip K

2015-11-25

Robotic fish accomplish swimming by deforming their bodies or other fin-like appendages. As an emerging class of embedded computing system, robotic fish are anticipated to play an important role in environmental monitoring, inspection of underwater structures, tracking of hazardous wastes and oil spills, and the study of live fish behaviors. While integration of flexible materials (into the fins and/or body) holds the promise of improved swimming performance (in terms of both speed and maneuverability) for these robots, such components also introduce significant design challenges due to the complex material mechanics and hydrodynamic interactions. The problem is further exacerbated by the need for the robots to meet multiple objectives (e.g., both speed and energy efficiency). In this paper, we propose an evolutionary multiobjective optimization approach to the design and control of a robotic fish with a flexible caudal fin. Specifically, we use the NSGA-II algorithm to investigate morphological and control parameter values that optimize swimming speed and power usage. Several evolved fin designs are validated experimentally with a small robotic fish, where fins of different stiffness values and sizes are printed with a multi-material 3D printer. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed design approach in balancing the two competing objectives.

Multiobjective Multifactorial Optimization in Evolutionary Multitasking.

PubMed

Gupta, Abhishek; Ong, Yew-Soon; Feng, Liang; Tan, Kay Chen

2016-05-03

In recent decades, the field of multiobjective optimization has attracted considerable interest among evolutionary computation researchers. One of the main features that makes evolutionary methods particularly appealing for multiobjective problems is the implicit parallelism offered by a population, which enables simultaneous convergence toward the entire Pareto front. While a plethora of related algorithms have been proposed till date, a common attribute among them is that they focus on efficiently solving only a single optimization problem at a time. Despite the known power of implicit parallelism, seldom has an attempt been made to multitask, i.e., to solve multiple optimization problems simultaneously. It is contended that the notion of evolutionary multitasking leads to the possibility of automated transfer of information across different optimization exercises that may share underlying similarities, thereby facilitating improved convergence characteristics. In particular, the potential for automated transfer is deemed invaluable from the standpoint of engineering design exercises where manual knowledge adaptation and reuse are routine. Accordingly, in this paper, we present a realization of the evolutionary multitasking paradigm within the domain of multiobjective optimization. The efficacy of the associated evolutionary algorithm is demonstrated on some benchmark test functions as well as on a real-world manufacturing process design problem from the composites industry.

10 CFR 435.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... FOR NEW FEDERAL LOW-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards for Federal Low-Rise Residential Buildings. § 435.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction...

10 CFR 435.6 - Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction. [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... FOR NEW FEDERAL LOW-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards for Federal Low-Rise Residential Buildings. § 435.6 Sustainable principles for siting, design and construction...

SPICA/SAFARI Fourier transform spectrometer mechanism evolutionary design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Dool, Teun C.; Kruizinga, Bob; Braam, Ben C.; Hamelinck, Roger F. M. M.; Loix, Nicolas; Van Loon, Dennis; Dams, Johan

2012-09-01

TNO, together with its partners, have designed a cryogenic scanning mechanism for use in the SAFARI1 Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) on board of the SPICA mission. SPICA is one of the M-class missions competing to be launched in ESA's Cosmic Vision Programme2 in 2022. JAXA3 leads the development of the SPICA satellite and SRON is the prime investigator of the Safari instrument. The FTS scanning mechanism (FTSM) has to meet a 35 mm stroke requirement with an Optical Path Difference resolution of less then 15 nm and must fit in a small volume. It consists of two back-to-back roof-top mirrors mounted on a small carriage, which is moved using a magnetic bearing linear guiding system in combination with a magnetic linear motor serving as the OPD actuator. The FTSM will be used at cryogenic temperatures of 4 Kelvin inducing challenging requirements on the thermal power dissipation and heat leak. The magnetic bearing enables movements over a scanning stroke of 35.5 mm in a small volume. It supports the optics in a free-floating way with no friction, or other non-linearities, with sub-nanometer accuracy. This solution is based on the design of the breadboard ODL (Optical Delay Line) developed for the ESA Darwin mission4 and the MABE mechanism developed by Micromega Dynamics. During the last couple of years the initial design of the SAFARI instrument, as described in an earlier SPIE 2010 paper5, was adapted by the SAFARI team in an evolutionary way to meet the changing requirements of the SPICA payload module. This presentation will focus on the evolution of the FTSM to meet these changing requirements. This work is supported by the Netherlands Space Office (NSO).

Maximum Principle in the Optimal Design of Plates with Stratified Thickness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roubicek, Tomas

2005-03-15

An optimal design problem for a plate governed by a linear, elliptic equation with bounded thickness varying only in a single prescribed direction and with unilateral isoperimetrical-type constraints is considered. Using Murat-Tartar's homogenization theory for stratified plates and Young-measure relaxation theory, smoothness of the extended cost and constraint functionals is proved, and then the maximum principle necessary for an optimal relaxed design is derived.

Using articulation and inscription as catalysts for reflection: Design principles for reflective inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loh, Ben Tun-Bin

2003-07-01

The demand for students to engage in complex student-driven and information-rich inquiry investigations poses challenges to existing learning environments. Students are not familiar with this style of work, and lack the skills, tools, and expectations it demands, often forging blindly forward in the investigation. If students are to be successful, they need to learn to be reflective inquirers, periodically stepping back from an investigation to evaluate their work. The fundamental goal of my dissertation is to understand how to design learning environments to promote and support reflective inquiry. I have three basic research questions: how to define this mode of work, how to help students learn it, and understanding how it facilitates reflection when enacted in a classroom. I take an exploratory approach in which, through iterative cycles of design, development, and reflection, I develop principles of design for reflective inquiry, instantiate those principles in the design of a software environment, and test that software in the context of classroom work. My work contributes to the understanding of reflective inquiry in three ways: First, I define a task model that describes the kinds of operations (cognitive tasks) that students should engage in as reflective inquirers. These operations are defined in terms of two basic tasks: articulation and inscription, which serve as catalysts for externalizing student thinking as objects of and triggers for reflection. Second, I instantiate the task model in the design of software tools (the Progress Portfolio). And, through proof of concept pilot studies, I examine how the task model and tools helped students with their investigative classroom work. Finally, I take a step back from these implementations and articulate general design principles for reflective inquiry with the goal of informing the design of other reflective inquiry learning environments. There are three design principles: (1) Provide a designated work space

Eco-evolutionary feedbacks, adaptive dynamics and evolutionary rescue theory

PubMed Central

Ferriere, Regis; Legendre, Stéphane

2013-01-01

Adaptive dynamics theory has been devised to account for feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes. Doing so opens new dimensions to and raises new challenges about evolutionary rescue. Adaptive dynamics theory predicts that successive trait substitutions driven by eco-evolutionary feedbacks can gradually erode population size or growth rate, thus potentially raising the extinction risk. Even a single trait substitution can suffice to degrade population viability drastically at once and cause ‘evolutionary suicide’. In a changing environment, a population may track a viable evolutionary attractor that leads to evolutionary suicide, a phenomenon called ‘evolutionary trapping’. Evolutionary trapping and suicide are commonly observed in adaptive dynamics models in which the smooth variation of traits causes catastrophic changes in ecological state. In the face of trapping and suicide, evolutionary rescue requires that the population overcome evolutionary threats generated by the adaptive process itself. Evolutionary repellors play an important role in determining how variation in environmental conditions correlates with the occurrence of evolutionary trapping and suicide, and what evolutionary pathways rescue may follow. In contrast with standard predictions of evolutionary rescue theory, low genetic variation may attenuate the threat of evolutionary suicide and small population sizes may facilitate escape from evolutionary traps. PMID:23209163

Towards the design of novel cuprate-based superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Chuck-Hou

The rapid maturation of materials databases combined with recent development of theories seeking to quantitatively link chemical properties to superconductivity in the cuprates provide the context to design novel superconductors. In this talk, we describe a framework designed to search for new superconductors, which combines chemical rules-of-thumb, insights of transition temperatures from dynamical mean-field theory, first-principles electronic structure tools, materials databases and structure prediction via evolutionary algorithms. We apply the framework to design a family of copper oxysulfides and evaluate the prospects of superconductivity.

Novel Principles and Techniques to Create a Natural Design in Female Hairline Correction Surgery.

PubMed

Park, Jae Hyun

2015-12-01

Female hairline correction surgery is becoming increasingly popular. However, no guidelines or methods of female hairline design have been introduced to date. The purpose of this study was to create an initial framework based on the novel principles of female hairline design and then use artistic ability and experience to fine tune this framework. An understanding of the concept of 5 areas (frontal area, frontotemporal recess area, temporal peak, infratemple area, and sideburns) and 5 points (C, A, B, T, and S) is required for female hairline correction surgery (the 5A5P principle). The general concepts of female hairline correction surgery and natural design methods are, herein, explained with a focus on the correlations between these 5 areas and 5 points. A natural and aesthetic female hairline can be created with application of the above-mentioned concepts. The 5A5P principle of forming the female hairline is very useful in female hairline correction surgery.

Novel Principles and Techniques to Create a Natural Design in Female Hairline Correction Surgery

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: Female hairline correction surgery is becoming increasingly popular. However, no guidelines or methods of female hairline design have been introduced to date. Methods: The purpose of this study was to create an initial framework based on the novel principles of female hairline design and then use artistic ability and experience to fine tune this framework. An understanding of the concept of 5 areas (frontal area, frontotemporal recess area, temporal peak, infratemple area, and sideburns) and 5 points (C, A, B, T, and S) is required for female hairline correction surgery (the 5A5P principle). The general concepts of female hairline correction surgery and natural design methods are, herein, explained with a focus on the correlations between these 5 areas and 5 points. Results: A natural and aesthetic female hairline can be created with application of the above-mentioned concepts. Conclusion: The 5A5P principle of forming the female hairline is very useful in female hairline correction surgery. PMID:26894014

Evolutionary Design of Convolutional Neural Networks for Human Activity Recognition in Sensor-Rich Environments

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Human activity recognition is a challenging problem for context-aware systems and applications. It is gaining interest due to the ubiquity of different sensor sources, wearable smart objects, ambient sensors, etc. This task is usually approached as a supervised machine learning problem, where a label is to be predicted given some input data, such as the signals retrieved from different sensors. For tackling the human activity recognition problem in sensor network environments, in this paper we propose the use of deep learning (convolutional neural networks) to perform activity recognition using the publicly available OPPORTUNITY dataset. Instead of manually choosing a suitable topology, we will let an evolutionary algorithm design the optimal topology in order to maximize the classification F1 score. After that, we will also explore the performance of committees of the models resulting from the evolutionary process. Results analysis indicates that the proposed model was able to perform activity recognition within a heterogeneous sensor network environment, achieving very high accuracies when tested with new sensor data. Based on all conducted experiments, the proposed neuroevolutionary system has proved to be able to systematically find a classification model which is capable of outperforming previous results reported in the state-of-the-art, showing that this approach is useful and improves upon previously manually-designed architectures. PMID:29690587

Serious game design principles: The impact of game design on learning outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Michael W.

This dissertation examines the research question "How do video game design principles affect learning outcomes in serious games?" This research first develops a theoretical foundation concerning the meaning of the terms "game" and "serious game". This conceptual clarification is broken down into analytic propositions, which state that games have participants, rules, goals and challenges, and synthetic propositions, which state that the games should be intrinsically compelling, provide meaningful choices, and be self encapsulated. Based on these synthetic propositions, three hypotheses were developed. The hypotheses are that games with an enhanced aesthetic presentation, more meaningful choices, or provide player competition will elicit higher learning outcomes than identical games without these factors. These hypotheses were tested via a quantitative experiment involving 172 undergraduate students in the Old Dominion University Chemistry Department. The students were asked to play a chemistry-oriented serious game entitled Element Solitaire©, which was created by the research author. The students were randomly given different treatments of the Element Solitaire© game to play, and the difference between their learning outcomes were compared. The experimental results demonstrated that the aesthetic presentation of a game can have a significant impact upon the learning outcome. The experiment was not able to discern significant effects from the choice or competition conditions, but further examination of the experimental data did reveal some insight into these aspects of serious game design. Choices need to provide the player with options that have a sufficient value that they will be considered and the application of competition within games needs to be judiciously implemented to promote a positive affect for all players. The results of the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence were then combined with additional theoretical research to develop a set of

Evolutionary transitions in controls reconcile adaptation with continuity of evolution.

PubMed

Badyaev, Alexander V

2018-05-19

Evolution proceeds by accumulating functional solutions, necessarily forming an uninterrupted lineage from past solutions of ancestors to the current design of extant forms. At the population level, this process requires an organismal architecture in which the maintenance of local adaptation does not preclude the ability to innovate in the same traits and their continuous evolution. Representing complex traits as networks enables us to visualize a fundamental principle that resolves tension between adaptation and continuous evolution: phenotypic states encompassing adaptations traverse the continuous multi-layered landscape of past physical, developmental and functional associations among traits. The key concept that captures such traversing is network controllability - the ability to move a network from one state into another while maintaining its functionality (reflecting evolvability) and to efficiently propagate information or products through the network within a phenotypic state (maintaining its robustness). Here I suggest that transitions in network controllability - specifically in the topology of controls - help to explain how robustness and evolvability are balanced during evolution. I will focus on evolutionary transitions in degeneracy of metabolic networks - a ubiquitous property of phenotypic robustness where distinct pathways achieve the same end product - to suggest that associated changes in network controls is a common rule underlying phenomena as distinct as phenotypic plasticity, organismal accommodation of novelties, genetic assimilation, and macroevolutionary diversification. Capitalizing on well understood principles by which network structure translates into function of control nodes, I show that accumulating redundancy in one type of network controls inevitably leads to the emergence of another type of controls, forming evolutionary cycles of network controllability that, ultimately, reconcile local adaptation with continuity of evolution

Proof of principle for epitope-focused vaccine design

PubMed Central

Correia, Bruno E.; Bates, John T.; Loomis, Rebecca J.; Baneyx, Gretchen; Carrico, Christopher; Jardine, Joseph G.; Rupert, Peter; Correnti, Colin; Kalyuzhniy, Oleksandr; Vittal, Vinayak; Connell, Mary J.; Stevens, Eric; Schroeter, Alexandria; Chen, Man; MacPherson, Skye; Serra, Andreia M.; Adachi, Yumiko; Holmes, Margaret A.; Li, Yuxing; Klevit, Rachel E.; Graham, Barney S.; Wyatt, Richard T.; Baker, David; Strong, Roland K.; Crowe, James E.; Johnson, Philip R.; Schief, William R.

2014-01-01

Summary Vaccines prevent infectious disease largely by inducing protective neutralizing antibodies against vulnerable epitopes. Multiple major pathogens have resisted traditional vaccine development, although vulnerable epitopes targeted by neutralizing antibodies have been identified for several such cases. Hence, new vaccine design methods to induce epitope-specific neutralizing antibodies are needed. Here we show, with a neutralization epitope from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that computational protein design can generate small, thermally and conformationally stable protein scaffolds that accurately mimic the viral epitope structure and induce potent neutralizing antibodies. These scaffolds represent promising leads for research and development of a human RSV vaccine needed to protect infants, young children and the elderly. More generally, the results provide proof of principle for epitope-focused and scaffold-based vaccine design, and encourage the evaluation and further development of these strategies for a variety of other vaccine targets including antigenically highly variable pathogens such as HIV and influenza. PMID:24499818

Proof of principle for epitope-focused vaccine design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correia, Bruno E.; Bates, John T.; Loomis, Rebecca J.; Baneyx, Gretchen; Carrico, Chris; Jardine, Joseph G.; Rupert, Peter; Correnti, Colin; Kalyuzhniy, Oleksandr; Vittal, Vinayak; Connell, Mary J.; Stevens, Eric; Schroeter, Alexandria; Chen, Man; MacPherson, Skye; Serra, Andreia M.; Adachi, Yumiko; Holmes, Margaret A.; Li, Yuxing; Klevit, Rachel E.; Graham, Barney S.; Wyatt, Richard T.; Baker, David; Strong, Roland K.; Crowe, James E.; Johnson, Philip R.; Schief, William R.

2014-03-01

Vaccines prevent infectious disease largely by inducing protective neutralizing antibodies against vulnerable epitopes. Several major pathogens have resisted traditional vaccine development, although vulnerable epitopes targeted by neutralizing antibodies have been identified for several such cases. Hence, new vaccine design methods to induce epitope-specific neutralizing antibodies are needed. Here we show, with a neutralization epitope from respiratory syncytial virus, that computational protein design can generate small, thermally and conformationally stable protein scaffolds that accurately mimic the viral epitope structure and induce potent neutralizing antibodies. These scaffolds represent promising leads for the research and development of a human respiratory syncytial virus vaccine needed to protect infants, young children and the elderly. More generally, the results provide proof of principle for epitope-focused and scaffold-based vaccine design, and encourage the evaluation and further development of these strategies for a variety of other vaccine targets, including antigenically highly variable pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus and influenza.

Deep Rationality: The Evolutionary Economics of Decision Making.

PubMed

Kenrick, Douglas T; Griskevicius, Vladas; Sundie, Jill M; Li, Norman P; Li, Yexin Jessica; Neuberg, Steven L

2009-10-01

What is a "rational" decision? Economists traditionally viewed rationality as maximizing expected satisfaction. This view has been useful in modeling basic microeconomic concepts, but falls short in accounting for many everyday human decisions. It leaves unanswered why some things reliably make people more satisfied than others, and why people frequently act to make others happy at a cost to themselves. Drawing on an evolutionary perspective, we propose that people make decisions according to a set of principles that may not appear to make sense at the superficial level, but that demonstrate rationality at a deeper evolutionary level. By this, we mean that people use adaptive domain-specific decision-rules that, on average, would have resulted in fitness benefits. Using this framework, we re-examine several economic principles. We suggest that traditional psychological functions governing risk aversion, discounting of future benefits, and budget allocations to multiple goods, for example, vary in predictable ways as a function of the underlying motive of the decision-maker and individual differences linked to evolved life-history strategies. A deep rationality framework not only helps explain why people make the decisions they do, but also inspires multiple directions for future research.

Deep Rationality: The Evolutionary Economics of Decision Making

PubMed Central

Kenrick, Douglas T.; Griskevicius, Vladas; Sundie, Jill M.; Li, Norman P.; Li, Yexin Jessica; Neuberg, Steven L.

2009-01-01

What is a “rational” decision? Economists traditionally viewed rationality as maximizing expected satisfaction. This view has been useful in modeling basic microeconomic concepts, but falls short in accounting for many everyday human decisions. It leaves unanswered why some things reliably make people more satisfied than others, and why people frequently act to make others happy at a cost to themselves. Drawing on an evolutionary perspective, we propose that people make decisions according to a set of principles that may not appear to make sense at the superficial level, but that demonstrate rationality at a deeper evolutionary level. By this, we mean that people use adaptive domain-specific decision-rules that, on average, would have resulted in fitness benefits. Using this framework, we re-examine several economic principles. We suggest that traditional psychological functions governing risk aversion, discounting of future benefits, and budget allocations to multiple goods, for example, vary in predictable ways as a function of the underlying motive of the decision-maker and individual differences linked to evolved life-history strategies. A deep rationality framework not only helps explain why people make the decisions they do, but also inspires multiple directions for future research. PMID:20686634

The emergence of human-evolutionary medical genomics

PubMed Central

Crespi, Bernard J

2011-01-01

In this review, I describe how evolutionary genomics is uniquely suited to spearhead advances in understanding human disease risk, owing to the privileged position of genes as fundamental causes of phenotypic variation, and the ability of population genetic and phylogenetic methods to robustly infer processes of natural selection, drift, and mutation from genetic variation at the levels of family, population, species, and clade. I first provide an overview of models for the origins and maintenance of genetically based disease risk in humans. I then discuss how analyses of genetic disease risk can be dovetailed with studies of positive and balancing selection, to evaluate the degree to which the ‘genes that make us human’ also represent the genes that mediate risk of polygenic disease. Finally, I present four basic principles for the nascent field of human evolutionary medical genomics, each of which represents a process that is nonintuitive from a proximate perspective. Joint consideration of these principles compels novel forms of interdisciplinary analyses, most notably studies that (i) analyze tradeoffs at the level of molecular genetics, and (ii) identify genetic variants that are derived in the human lineage or in specific populations, and then compare individuals with derived versus ancestral alleles. PMID:25567974

Principles of Biomimetic Vascular Network Design Applied to a Tissue-Engineered Liver Scaffold

PubMed Central

Hoganson, David M.; Pryor, Howard I.; Spool, Ira D.; Burns, Owen H.; Gilmore, J. Randall

2010-01-01

Branched vascular networks are a central component of scaffold architecture for solid organ tissue engineering. In this work, seven biomimetic principles were established as the major guiding technical design considerations of a branched vascular network for a tissue-engineered scaffold. These biomimetic design principles were applied to a branched radial architecture to develop a liver-specific vascular network. Iterative design changes and computational fluid dynamic analysis were used to optimize the network before mold manufacturing. The vascular network mold was created using a new mold technique that achieves a 1:1 aspect ratio for all channels. In vitro blood flow testing confirmed the physiologic hemodynamics of the network as predicted by computational fluid dynamic analysis. These results indicate that this biomimetic liver vascular network design will provide a foundation for developing complex vascular networks for solid organ tissue engineering that achieve physiologic blood flow. PMID:20001254

Principles of biomimetic vascular network design applied to a tissue-engineered liver scaffold.

PubMed

Hoganson, David M; Pryor, Howard I; Spool, Ira D; Burns, Owen H; Gilmore, J Randall; Vacanti, Joseph P

2010-05-01

Branched vascular networks are a central component of scaffold architecture for solid organ tissue engineering. In this work, seven biomimetic principles were established as the major guiding technical design considerations of a branched vascular network for a tissue-engineered scaffold. These biomimetic design principles were applied to a branched radial architecture to develop a liver-specific vascular network. Iterative design changes and computational fluid dynamic analysis were used to optimize the network before mold manufacturing. The vascular network mold was created using a new mold technique that achieves a 1:1 aspect ratio for all channels. In vitro blood flow testing confirmed the physiologic hemodynamics of the network as predicted by computational fluid dynamic analysis. These results indicate that this biomimetic liver vascular network design will provide a foundation for developing complex vascular networks for solid organ tissue engineering that achieve physiologic blood flow.

The evolution of tumour phylogenetics: principles and practice

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Russell; Schäffer, Alejandro A.

2018-01-01

Rapid advances in high-throughput sequencing and a growing realization of the importance of evolutionary theory to cancer genomics have led to a proliferation of phylogenetic studies of tumour progression. These studies have yielded not only new insights but also a plethora of experimental approaches, sometimes reaching conflicting or poorly supported conclusions. Here, we consider this body of work in light of the key computational principles underpinning phylogenetic inference, with the goal of providing practical guidance on the design and analysis of scientifically rigorous tumour phylogeny studies. We survey the range of methods and tools available to the researcher, their key applications, and the various unsolved problems, closing with a perspective on the prospects and broader implications of this field. PMID:28190876

The evolution of tumour phylogenetics: principles and practice.

PubMed

Schwartz, Russell; Schäffer, Alejandro A

2017-04-01

Rapid advances in high-throughput sequencing and a growing realization of the importance of evolutionary theory to cancer genomics have led to a proliferation of phylogenetic studies of tumour progression. These studies have yielded not only new insights but also a plethora of experimental approaches, sometimes reaching conflicting or poorly supported conclusions. Here, we consider this body of work in light of the key computational principles underpinning phylogenetic inference, with the goal of providing practical guidance on the design and analysis of scientifically rigorous tumour phylogeny studies. We survey the range of methods and tools available to the researcher, their key applications, and the various unsolved problems, closing with a perspective on the prospects and broader implications of this field.

Key principles to guide development of consumer medicine information--content analysis of information design texts.

PubMed

Raynor, David K; Dickinson, David

2009-04-01

Effective written consumer medicines information is essential to support safe and effective medicine taking, but the wording and layout of currently provided materials do not meet patients' needs. To identify principles from the wider discipline of information design for use by health professionals when developing or assessing written drug information for patients. Six experts in information design nominated texts on best practice in information design applicable to consumer medicines information. A content analysis identified key principles that were tabulated to bring out key themes. Six texts that met the inclusion criteria, were identified, and content analysis indentified 4 themes: words, type, lines, and layout. Within these main themes, there were 24 subthemes. Selected principles relating to these subthemes were: use short familiar words, short sentences, and short headings that stand out from the text; use a conversational tone of voice, addressing the reader as "you"; use a large type size while retaining sufficient white space; use bullet points to organize lists; use unjustified text (ragged right) and bold, lower-case text for emphasis. Pictures or graphics do not necessarily improve a document. Applying the good information design principles identified to written consumer medicines information could support health professionals when developing and assessing drug information for patients.

The Effect of Content Representation Design Principles on Users' Intuitive Beliefs and Use of E-Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Samarraie, Hosam; Selim, Hassan; Zaqout, Fahed

2016-01-01

A model is proposed to assess the effect of different content representation design principles on learners' intuitive beliefs about using e-learning. We hypothesized that the impact of the representation of course contents is mediated by the design principles of alignment, quantity, clarity, simplicity, and affordance, which influence the…

Evolutionary computing for the design search and optimization of space vehicle power subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kordon, Mark; Klimeck, Gerhard; Hanks, David; Hua, Hook

2004-01-01

Evolutionary computing has proven to be a straightforward and robust approach for optimizing a wide range of difficult analysis and design problems. This paper discusses the application of these techniques to an existing space vehicle power subsystem resource and performance analysis simulation in a parallel processing environment. Out preliminary results demonstrate that this approach has the potential to improve the space system trade study process by allowing engineers to statistically weight subsystem goals of mass, cost and performance then automatically size power elements based on anticipated performance of the subsystem rather than on worst-case estimates.

Design, analysis, and testing of the Phase 1 CSI Evolutionary Model erectable truss

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gronet, M. J.; Davis, D. A.; Kintis, D. H.; Brillhart, R. D.; Atkins, E. M.

1992-01-01

This report addressed the design, analysis, and testing of the erectable truss structure for the Phase 1 CSI Evolutionary Model (CEM) testbed. The Phase 1 CEM testbed is the second testbed to form part of an ongoing program of focused research at NASA/LaRC in the development of Controls-Structures Integration (CSI) technology. The Phase 1 CEM contains the same overall geometry, weight, and sensor locations as the Phase 0 CEM, but is based in an integrated controller and structure design, whereby both structure and controller design variables are sized simultaneously. The Phase 1 CEM design features seven truss sections composed of struts with tailored mass and stiffness properties. A common erectable joint is used and the strut stiffness is tailored by varying the cross-sectional area. To characterize the structure, static tests were conducted on individual struts and 10-bay truss assemblies. Dynamic tests were conducted on 10-bay truss assemblies as well as the fully-assembled CEM truss. The results indicate that the static and dynamic properties of the structure are predictable, well-characterized, and within the performance requirements established during the Phase 1 CEM integrated controller/structure design analysis.

Virtual Worlds; Real Learning: Design Principles for Engaging Immersive Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu (u. Sjarpm)

2012-01-01

The EMDT master's program at Full Sail University embarked on a small project to use a virtual environment to teach graduate students. The property used for this project has evolved our several iterations and has yielded some basic design principles and pedagogy for virtual spaces. As a result, students are emerging from the program with a better grasp of future possibilities.

Evolutionary genomics of dog domestication.

PubMed

Wayne, Robert K; vonHoldt, Bridgett M

2012-02-01

We review the underlying principles and tools used in genomic studies of domestic dogs aimed at understanding the genetic changes that have occurred during domestication. We show that there are two principle modes of evolution within dogs. One primary mode that accounts for much of the remarkable diversity of dog breeds is the fixation of discrete mutations of large effect in individual lineages that are then crossed to various breed groupings. This transfer of mutations across the dog evolutionary tree leads to the appearance of high phenotypic diversity that in actuality reflects a small number of major genes. A second mechanism causing diversification involves the selective breeding of dogs within distinct phenotypic or functional groups, which enhances specific group attributes such as heading or tracking. Such progressive selection leads to a distinct genetic structure in evolutionary trees such that functional and phenotypic groups cluster genetically. We trace the origin of the nuclear genome in dogs based on haplotype-sharing analyses between dogs and gray wolves and show that contrary to previous mtDNA analyses, the nuclear genome of dogs derives primarily from Middle Eastern or European wolves, a result more consistent with the archeological record. Sequencing analysis of the IGF1 gene, which has been the target of size selection in small breeds, further supports this conclusion. Finally, we discuss how a black coat color mutation that evolved in dogs has transformed North American gray wolf populations, providing a first example of a mutation that appeared under domestication and selectively swept through a wild relative.

Supracolloidal fullerene-like cages: design principles and formation mechanisms.

PubMed

Li, Zhan-Wei; Zhu, You-Liang; Lu, Zhong-Yuan; Sun, Zhao-Yan

2016-11-30

How to create novel desired structures by rational design of building blocks represents a significant challenge in materials science. Here we report a conceptually new design principle for creating supracolloidal fullerene-like cages through the self-assembly of soft patchy particles interacting via directional nonbonded interactions by mimicking non-planar sp 2 hybridized carbon atoms in C 60 . Our numerical investigations demonstrate that the rational design of patch configuration, size, and interaction can drive soft three-patch particles to reversibly self-assemble into a vast collection of supracolloidal fullerene-like cages. We further elucidate the formation mechanisms of supracolloidal fullerene-like cages by analyzing the structural characteristics and the formation process. Our results provide conceptual and practical guidance towards the experimental realization of supracolloidal fullerene-like cages, as well as a new perspective on understanding the fullerene formation mechanisms.

Design principles for enhancing phase sensitivity and suppressing phase fluctuations simultaneously in biochemical oscillatory systems.

PubMed

Fei, Chenyi; Cao, Yuansheng; Ouyang, Qi; Tu, Yuhai

2018-04-12

Biological systems need to function accurately in the presence of strong noise and at the same time respond sensitively to subtle external cues. Here we study design principles in biochemical oscillatory circuits to achieve these two seemingly incompatible goals. We show that energy dissipation can enhance phase sensitivity linearly by driving the phase-amplitude coupling and increase timing accuracy by suppressing phase diffusion. Two general design principles in the key underlying reaction loop formed by two antiparallel pathways are found to optimize oscillation performance with a given energy budget: balancing the forward-to-backward flux ratio between the two pathways to reduce phase diffusion and maximizing the net flux of the phase-advancing pathway relative to that of the phase-retreating pathway to enhance phase sensitivity. Experimental evidences consistent with these design principles are found in the circadian clock of cyanobacteria. Future experiments to test the predicted dependence of phase sensitivity on energy dissipation are proposed.

Computational Evolutionary Methodology for Knowledge Discovery and Forecasting in Epidemiology and Medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, Dhananjai M.; Chernyakhovsky, Alexander; Rao, Victoria

2008-05-01

Humanity is facing an increasing number of highly virulent and communicable diseases such as avian influenza. Researchers believe that avian influenza has potential to evolve into one of the deadliest pandemics. Combating these diseases requires in-depth knowledge of their epidemiology. An effective methodology for discovering epidemiological knowledge is to utilize a descriptive, evolutionary, ecological model and use bio-simulations to study and analyze it. These types of bio-simulations fall under the category of computational evolutionary methods because the individual entities participating in the simulation are permitted to evolve in a natural manner by reacting to changes in the simulated ecosystem. This work describes the application of the aforementioned methodology to discover epidemiological knowledge about avian influenza using a novel eco-modeling and bio-simulation environment called SEARUMS. The mathematical principles underlying SEARUMS, its design, and the procedure for using SEARUMS are discussed. The bio-simulations and multi-faceted case studies conducted using SEARUMS elucidate its ability to pinpoint timelines, epicenters, and socio-economic impacts of avian influenza. This knowledge is invaluable for proactive deployment of countermeasures in order to minimize negative socioeconomic impacts, combat the disease, and avert a pandemic.

Computational Evolutionary Methodology for Knowledge Discovery and Forecasting in Epidemiology and Medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rao, Dhananjai M.; Chernyakhovsky, Alexander; Rao, Victoria

2008-05-08

Humanity is facing an increasing number of highly virulent and communicable diseases such as avian influenza. Researchers believe that avian influenza has potential to evolve into one of the deadliest pandemics. Combating these diseases requires in-depth knowledge of their epidemiology. An effective methodology for discovering epidemiological knowledge is to utilize a descriptive, evolutionary, ecological model and use bio-simulations to study and analyze it. These types of bio-simulations fall under the category of computational evolutionary methods because the individual entities participating in the simulation are permitted to evolve in a natural manner by reacting to changes in the simulated ecosystem. Thismore » work describes the application of the aforementioned methodology to discover epidemiological knowledge about avian influenza using a novel eco-modeling and bio-simulation environment called SEARUMS. The mathematical principles underlying SEARUMS, its design, and the procedure for using SEARUMS are discussed. The bio-simulations and multi-faceted case studies conducted using SEARUMS elucidate its ability to pinpoint timelines, epicenters, and socio-economic impacts of avian influenza. This knowledge is invaluable for proactive deployment of countermeasures in order to minimize negative socioeconomic impacts, combat the disease, and avert a pandemic.« less

Scientific Change as AN Evolutionary, Information Process: its Structural, Conceptual and Cultural Elements.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Bustany, Fatin Khalil Ismail

1989-09-01

My aim in this dissertation is to develop an evolutionary conception of science based on recent studies in evolution theory, the thermodynamics of non-equilibrium and information theory, as exemplified in the works of Prigogine, Jantsch, Wicken and Gatlin. The nature of scientific change is of interest to philosophers and historians of science. Some construe it after a revolutionary model (e.g. Kuhn), others adopt an evolutionary view (e.g. Toulmin). It appears to me that it is possible to construct an evolutionary model encompassing the revolutionary mode as well. The following strategies are employed: (1) A distinction is made between two types of growth: one represents gradual change, the other designates radical transformations, and two principles underlying the process of change, one of conservation, the other of innovation. (2) Science in general, and scientific theories in particular, are looked upon as dissipative structures. These are characterised by openness, irreversibility and self-organisation. In terms of these, one may identify a state of "normal" growth and another of violent fluctuations leading to a new order (revolutionary phase). These fluctuations are generated by the flow of information coming from the observable world. The chief merits of this evolutionary model of the development of science lie in the emphasis it puts on the relation of science to its environment, in the description of scientific change as a process of interaction between internal and external elements (structural, conceptual, and cultural), in the enhancement of our understanding progress and rationality in science, and in the post Neo -Darwinian conception of evolution, stressing self-organisation, the innovativeness of the evolutionary process and the trend toward complexification. These features are also manifested in the process of discovery, which is a fundamental part of the scientific enterprise. In addition, a distinction is made between two types of discovery

Turbopump Performance Improved by Evolutionary Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oyama, Akira; Liou, Meng-Sing

2002-01-01

The development of design optimization technology for turbomachinery has been initiated using the multiobjective evolutionary algorithm under NASA's Intelligent Synthesis Environment and Revolutionary Aeropropulsion Concepts programs. As an alternative to the traditional gradient-based methods, evolutionary algorithms (EA's) are emergent design-optimization algorithms modeled after the mechanisms found in natural evolution. EA's search from multiple points, instead of moving from a single point. In addition, they require no derivatives or gradients of the objective function, leading to robustness and simplicity in coupling any evaluation codes. Parallel efficiency also becomes very high by using a simple master-slave concept for function evaluations, since such evaluations often consume the most CPU time, such as computational fluid dynamics. Application of EA's to multiobjective design problems is also straightforward because EA's maintain a population of design candidates in parallel. Because of these advantages, EA's are a unique and attractive approach to real-world design optimization problems.

The evolution of cell types in animals: emerging principles from molecular studies.

PubMed

Arendt, Detlev

2008-11-01

Cell types are fundamental units of multicellular life but their evolution is obscure. How did the first cell types emerge and become distinct in animal evolution? What were the sets of cell types that existed at important evolutionary nodes that represent eumetazoan or bilaterian ancestors? How did these ancient cell types diversify further during the evolution of organ systems in the descending evolutionary lines? The recent advent of cell type molecular fingerprinting has yielded initial insights into the evolutionary interrelationships of cell types between remote animal phyla and has allowed us to define some first principles of cell type diversification in animal evolution.

How eco-evolutionary principles can guide tree breeding and tree biotechnology for enhanced productivity.

PubMed

Franklin, Oskar; Palmroth, Sari; Näsholm, Torgny

2014-11-01

Tree breeding and biotechnology can enhance forest productivity and help alleviate the rising pressure on forests from climate change and human exploitation. While many physiological processes and genes are targeted in search of genetically improved tree productivity, an overarching principle to guide this search is missing. Here, we propose a method to identify the traits that can be modified to enhance productivity, based on the differences between trees shaped by natural selection and 'improved' trees with traits optimized for productivity. We developed a tractable model of plant growth and survival to explore such potential modifications under a range of environmental conditions, from non-water limited to severely drought-limited sites. We show how key traits are controlled by a trade-off between productivity and survival, and that productivity can be increased at the expense of long-term survival by reducing isohydric behavior (stomatal regulation of leaf water potential) and allocation to defense against pests compared with native trees. In contrast, at dry sites occupied by naturally drought-resistant trees, the model suggests a better strategy may be to select trees with slightly lower wood density than the native trees and to augment isohydric behavior and allocation to defense. Thus, which traits to modify, and in which direction, depend on the original tree species or genotype, the growth environment and wood-quality versus volume production preferences. In contrast to this need for customization of drought and pest resistances, consistent large gains in productivity for all genotypes can be obtained if root traits can be altered to reduce competition for water and nutrients. Our approach illustrates the potential of using eco-evolutionary theory and modeling to guide plant breeding and genetic technology in selecting target traits in the quest for higher forest productivity. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

Evolutionary psychology and intelligence research.

PubMed

Kanazawa, Satoshi

2010-01-01

This article seeks to unify two subfields of psychology that have hitherto stood separately: evolutionary psychology and intelligence research/differential psychology. I suggest that general intelligence may simultaneously be an evolved adaptation and an individual-difference variable. Tooby and Cosmides's (1990a) notion of random quantitative variation on a monomorphic design allows us to incorporate heritable individual differences in evolved adaptations. The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis, which is one consequence of the integration of evolutionary psychology and intelligence research, can potentially explain why less intelligent individuals enjoy TV more, why liberals are more intelligent than conservatives, and why night owls are more intelligent than morning larks, among many other findings. The general approach proposed here will allow us to integrate evolutionary psychology with any other aspect of differential psychology. Copyright 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

The evolutionary sequence: origin and emergences.

PubMed

Fox, S W

1986-03-01

The evolutionary sequence is being reexamined experimentally from a "Big Bang"origin to the protocell and from the emergence of protocell and variety of species to Darwin's mental power (mind) and society (The Descent of Man). A most fundamentally revisionary consequence of experiments is an emphasis on endogenous ordering. This principle, seen vividly in ordered copolymerization of amino acids, has had new impact on the theory of Darwinian evolution and has been found to apply to the entire sequence. Herein, I will discuss some problems of dealing with teaching controversial subjects.

The evolutionary sequence: origin and emergences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, S. W.

1986-01-01

The evolutionary sequence is being reexamined experimentally from a "Big Bang"origin to the protocell and from the emergence of protocell and variety of species to Darwin's mental power (mind) and society (The Descent of Man). A most fundamentally revisionary consequence of experiments is an emphasis on endogenous ordering. This principle, seen vividly in ordered copolymerization of amino acids, has had new impact on the theory of Darwinian evolution and has been found to apply to the entire sequence. Herein, I will discuss some problems of dealing with teaching controversial subjects.

Design Principles of Regulatory Networks: Searching for the Molecular Algorithms of the Cell

PubMed Central

Lim, Wendell A.; Lee, Connie M.; Tang, Chao

2013-01-01

A challenge in biology is to understand how complex molecular networks in the cell execute sophisticated regulatory functions. Here we explore the idea that there are common and general principles that link network structures to biological functions, principles that constrain the design solutions that evolution can converge upon for accomplishing a given cellular task. We describe approaches for classifying networks based on abstract architectures and functions, rather than on the specific molecular components of the networks. For any common regulatory task, can we define the space of all possible molecular solutions? Such inverse approaches might ultimately allow the assembly of a design table of core molecular algorithms that could serve as a guide for building synthetic networks and modulating disease networks. PMID:23352241

Common evolutionary trends underlie the four-bar linkage systems of sunfish and mantis shrimp.

PubMed

Hu, Yinan; Nelson-Maney, Nathan; Anderson, Philip S L

2017-05-01

Comparative biomechanics offers an opportunity to explore the evolution of disparate biological systems that share common underlying mechanics. Four-bar linkage modeling has been applied to various biological systems such as fish jaws and crustacean appendages to explore the relationship between biomechanics and evolutionary diversification. Mechanical sensitivity states that the functional output of a mechanical system will show differential sensitivity to changes in specific morphological components. We document similar patterns of mechanical sensitivity in two disparate four-bar systems from different phyla: the opercular four-bar system in centrarchid fishes and the raptorial appendage of stomatopods. We built dynamic linkage models of 19 centrarchid and 36 stomatopod species and used phylogenetic generalized least squares regression (PGLS) to compare evolutionary shifts in linkage morphology and mechanical outputs derived from the models. In both systems, the kinematics of the four-bar mechanism show significant evolutionary correlation with the output link, while travel distance of the output arm is correlated with the coupler link. This common evolutionary pattern seen in both fish and crustacean taxa is a potential consequence of the mechanical principles underlying four-bar systems. Our results illustrate the potential influence of physical principles on morphological evolution across biological systems with different structures, behaviors, and ecologies. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Why Is the Correlation between Gene Importance and Gene Evolutionary Rate So Weak?

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhi; Zhang, Jianzhi

2009-01-01

One of the few commonly believed principles of molecular evolution is that functionally more important genes (or DNA sequences) evolve more slowly than less important ones. This principle is widely used by molecular biologists in daily practice. However, recent genomic analysis of a diverse array of organisms found only weak, negative correlations between the evolutionary rate of a gene and its functional importance, typically measured under a single benign lab condition. A frequently suggested cause of the above finding is that gene importance determined in the lab differs from that in an organism's natural environment. Here, we test this hypothesis in yeast using gene importance values experimentally determined in 418 lab conditions or computationally predicted for 10,000 nutritional conditions. In no single condition or combination of conditions did we find a much stronger negative correlation, which is explainable by our subsequent finding that always-essential (enzyme) genes do not evolve significantly more slowly than sometimes-essential or always-nonessential ones. Furthermore, we verified that functional density, approximated by the fraction of amino acid sites within protein domains, is uncorrelated with gene importance. Thus, neither the lab-nature mismatch nor a potentially biased among-gene distribution of functional density explains the observed weakness of the correlation between gene importance and evolutionary rate. We conclude that the weakness is factual, rather than artifactual. In addition to being weakened by population genetic reasons, the correlation is likely to have been further weakened by the presence of multiple nontrivial rate determinants that are independent from gene importance. These findings notwithstanding, we show that the principle of slower evolution of more important genes does have some predictive power when genes with vastly different evolutionary rates are compared, explaining why the principle can be practically useful

Why is the correlation between gene importance and gene evolutionary rate so weak?

PubMed

Wang, Zhi; Zhang, Jianzhi

2009-01-01

One of the few commonly believed principles of molecular evolution is that functionally more important genes (or DNA sequences) evolve more slowly than less important ones. This principle is widely used by molecular biologists in daily practice. However, recent genomic analysis of a diverse array of organisms found only weak, negative correlations between the evolutionary rate of a gene and its functional importance, typically measured under a single benign lab condition. A frequently suggested cause of the above finding is that gene importance determined in the lab differs from that in an organism's natural environment. Here, we test this hypothesis in yeast using gene importance values experimentally determined in 418 lab conditions or computationally predicted for 10,000 nutritional conditions. In no single condition or combination of conditions did we find a much stronger negative correlation, which is explainable by our subsequent finding that always-essential (enzyme) genes do not evolve significantly more slowly than sometimes-essential or always-nonessential ones. Furthermore, we verified that functional density, approximated by the fraction of amino acid sites within protein domains, is uncorrelated with gene importance. Thus, neither the lab-nature mismatch nor a potentially biased among-gene distribution of functional density explains the observed weakness of the correlation between gene importance and evolutionary rate. We conclude that the weakness is factual, rather than artifactual. In addition to being weakened by population genetic reasons, the correlation is likely to have been further weakened by the presence of multiple nontrivial rate determinants that are independent from gene importance. These findings notwithstanding, we show that the principle of slower evolution of more important genes does have some predictive power when genes with vastly different evolutionary rates are compared, explaining why the principle can be practically useful

Ecological and evolutionary traps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schlaepfer, Martin A.; Runge, M.C.; Sherman, P.W.

2002-01-01

Organisms often rely on environmental cues to make behavioral and life-history decisions. However, in environments that have been altered suddenly by humans, formerly reliable cues might no longer be associated with adaptive outcomes. In such cases, organisms can become 'trapped' by their evolutionary responses to the cues and experience reduced survival or reproduction. Ecological traps occur when organisms make poor habitat choices based on cues that correlated formerly with habitat quality. Ecological traps are part of a broader phenomenon, evolutionary traps, involving a dissociation between cues that organisms use to make any behavioral or life-history decision and outcomes normally associated with that decision. A trap can lead to extinction if a population falls below a critical size threshold before adaptation to the novel environment occurs. Conservation and management protocols must be designed in light of, rather than in spite of, the behavioral mechanisms and evolutionary history of populations and species to avoid 'trapping' them.

Design principles of a microtubule polymerase

PubMed Central

Geyer, Elisabeth A; Miller, Matthew P; Brautigam, Chad A; Biggins, Sue

2018-01-01

Stu2/XMAP215 microtubule polymerases use multiple tubulin-binding TOG domains and a lattice-binding basic region to processively promote faster elongation. How the domain composition and organization of these proteins dictate polymerase activity, end localization, and processivity is unknown. We show that polymerase activity does not require different kinds of TOGs, nor are there strict requirements for how the TOGs are linked. We identify an unexpected antagonism between the tubulin-binding TOGs and the lattice-binding basic region: lattice binding by the basic region is weak when at least two TOGs engage tubulins, strong when TOGs are empty. End-localization of Stu2 requires unpolymerized tubulin, at least two TOGs, and polymerase competence. We propose a ‘ratcheting’ model for processivity: transfer of tubulin from TOGs to the lattice activates the basic region, retaining the polymerase at the end for subsequent rounds of tubulin binding and incorporation. These results clarify design principles of the polymerase. PMID:29897335

Spatial design principles for sustainable hydropower development in river basins

DOE PAGES

Jager, Henriëtte I.; Efroymson, Rebecca A.; Opperman, Jeff J.; ...

2015-02-27

How can dams be arranged within a river basin such that they benefit society? Recent interest in this question has grown in response to the worldwide trend toward developing hydropower as a source of renewable energy in Asia and South America, and the movement toward removing unnecessary dams in the US. Environmental and energy sustainability are important practical concerns, and yet river development has rarely been planned with the goal of providing society with a portfolio of ecosystem services into the future. We organized a review and synthesis of the growing research in sustainable river basin design around four spatialmore » decisions: Is it better to build fewer mainstem dams or more tributary dams? Should dams be clustered or distributed among distant subbasins? Where should dams be placed along a river? At what spatial scale should decisions be made? We came up with the following design principles for increasing ecological sustainability: (i) concentrate dams within a subset of tributary watersheds and avoid downstream mainstems of rivers, (ii) disperse freshwater reserves among the remaining tributary catchments, (iii) ensure that habitat provided between dams will support reproduction and retain offspring, and (iv) formulate spatial decision problems at the scale of large river basins. Based on our review, we discuss trade-offs between hydropower and ecological objectives when planning river basin development. We hope that future testing and refinement of principles extracted from our review will define a path toward sustainable river basin design.« less

Darwinian demons, evolutionary complexity, and information maximization.

PubMed

Krakauer, David C

2011-09-01

Natural selection is shown to be an extended instance of a Maxwell's demon device. A demonic selection principle is introduced that states that organisms cannot exceed the complexity of their selective environment. Thermodynamic constraints on error repair impose a fundamental limit to the rate that information can be transferred from the environment (via the selective demon) to the genome. Evolved mechanisms of learning and inference can overcome this limitation, but remain subject to the same fundamental constraint, such that plastic behaviors cannot exceed the complexity of reward signals. A natural measure of evolutionary complexity is provided by mutual information, and niche construction activity--the organismal contribution to the construction of selection pressures--might in principle lead to its increase, bounded by thermodynamic free energy required for error correction.

High-throughput spectrometer designs in a compact form-factor: principles and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norton, S. M.

2013-05-01

Many compact, portable Raman spectrometers have entered the market in the past few years with applications in narcotics and hazardous material identification, as well as verification applications in pharmaceuticals and security screening. Often, the required compact form-factor has forced designers to sacrifice throughput and sensitivity for portability and low-cost. We will show that a volume phase holographic (VPH)-based spectrometer design can achieve superior throughput and thus sensitivity over conventional Czerny-Turner reflective designs. We will look in depth at the factors influencing throughput and sensitivity and illustrate specific VPH-based spectrometer examples that highlight these design principles.

Advanced Targeting Cost Function Design for Evolutionary Optimization of Control of Logistic Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senkerik, Roman; Zelinka, Ivan; Davendra, Donald; Oplatkova, Zuzana

2010-06-01

This research deals with the optimization of the control of chaos by means of evolutionary algorithms. This work is aimed on an explanation of how to use evolutionary algorithms (EAs) and how to properly define the advanced targeting cost function (CF) securing very fast and precise stabilization of desired state for any initial conditions. As a model of deterministic chaotic system, the one dimensional Logistic equation was used. The evolutionary algorithm Self-Organizing Migrating Algorithm (SOMA) was used in four versions. For each version, repeated simulations were conducted to outline the effectiveness and robustness of used method and targeting CF.

The Design and Transformation of Biofundamentals: A Nonsurvey Introductory Evolutionary and Molecular Biology Course.

PubMed

Klymkowsky, Michael W; Rentsch, Jeremy D; Begovic, Emina; Cooper, Melanie M

2016-01-01

Many introductory biology courses amount to superficial surveys of disconnected topics. Often, foundational observations and the concepts derived from them and students' ability to use these ideas appropriately are overlooked, leading to unrealistic expectations and unrecognized learning obstacles. The result can be a focus on memorization at the expense of the development of a meaningful framework within which to consider biological phenomena. About a decade ago, we began a reconsideration of what an introductory course should present to students and the skills they need to master. The original Web-based course's design presaged many of the recommendations of the Vision and Change report; in particular, a focus on social evolutionary mechanisms, stochastic (evolutionary and molecular) processes, and core ideas (cellular continuity, evolutionary homology, molecular interactions, coupled chemical reactions, and molecular machines). Inspired by insights from the Chemistry, Life, the Universe & Everything general chemistry project, we transformed the original Web version into a (freely available) book with a more unified narrative flow and a set of formative assessments delivered through the beSocratic system. We outline how student responses to course materials are guiding future course modifications, in particular a more concerted effort at helping students to construct logical, empirically based arguments, explanations, and models. © 2016 M. W. Klymkowsky et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

The Langley Research Center CSI phase-0 evolutionary model testbed-design and experimental results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, W. K.; Horta, Lucas G.; Elliott, K. B.

1991-01-01

A testbed for the development of Controls Structures Interaction (CSI) technology is described. The design philosophy, capabilities, and early experimental results are presented to introduce some of the ongoing CSI research at NASA-Langley. The testbed, referred to as the Phase 0 version of the CSI Evolutionary model (CEM), is the first stage of model complexity designed to show the benefits of CSI technology and to identify weaknesses in current capabilities. Early closed loop test results have shown non-model based controllers can provide an order of magnitude increase in damping in the first few flexible vibration modes. Model based controllers for higher performance will need to be robust to model uncertainty as verified by System ID tests. Data are presented that show finite element model predictions of frequency differ from those obtained from tests. Plans are also presented for evolution of the CEM to study integrated controller and structure design as well as multiple payload dynamics.

A review of human factors principles for the design and implementation of medication safety alerts in clinical information systems.

PubMed

Phansalkar, Shobha; Edworthy, Judy; Hellier, Elizabeth; Seger, Diane L; Schedlbauer, Angela; Avery, Anthony J; Bates, David W

2010-01-01

The objective of this review is to describe the implementation of human factors principles for the design of alerts in clinical information systems. First, we conduct a review of alarm systems to identify human factors principles that are employed in the design and implementation of alerts. Second, we review the medical informatics literature to provide examples of the implementation of human factors principles in current clinical information systems using alerts to provide medication decision support. Last, we suggest actionable recommendations for delivering effective clinical decision support using alerts. A review of studies from the medical informatics literature suggests that many basic human factors principles are not followed, possibly contributing to the lack of acceptance of alerts in clinical information systems. We evaluate the limitations of current alerting philosophies and provide recommendations for improving acceptance of alerts by incorporating human factors principles in their design.

76 FR 14825 - Core Principles and Other Requirements for Designated Contact Markets

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

... COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 17 CFR Parts 1, 16, and 38 RIN 3038-AD09 Core Principles and Other Requirements for Designated Contact Markets AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading Commission. ACTION... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Markowitz, Assistant Deputy Director, 202-418-5453, [email protected

Design principles for solid-state lithium superionic conductors.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Richards, William Davidson; Ong, Shyue Ping; Miara, Lincoln J; Kim, Jae Chul; Mo, Yifei; Ceder, Gerbrand

2015-10-01

Lithium solid electrolytes can potentially address two key limitations of the organic electrolytes used in today's lithium-ion batteries, namely, their flammability and limited electrochemical stability. However, achieving a Li(+) conductivity in the solid state comparable to existing liquid electrolytes (>1 mS cm(-1)) is particularly challenging. In this work, we reveal a fundamental relationship between anion packing and ionic transport in fast Li-conducting materials and expose the desirable structural attributes of good Li-ion conductors. We find that an underlying body-centred cubic-like anion framework, which allows direct Li hops between adjacent tetrahedral sites, is most desirable for achieving high ionic conductivity, and that indeed this anion arrangement is present in several known fast Li-conducting materials and other fast ion conductors. These findings provide important insight towards the understanding of ionic transport in Li-ion conductors and serve as design principles for future discovery and design of improved electrolytes for Li-ion batteries.

Using Evolutionary Theory to Guide Mental Health Research.

PubMed

Durisko, Zachary; Mulsant, Benoit H; McKenzie, Kwame; Andrews, Paul W

2016-03-01

Evolutionary approaches to medicine can shed light on the origins and etiology of disease. Such an approach may be especially useful in psychiatry, which frequently addresses conditions with heterogeneous presentation and unknown causes. We review several previous applications of evolutionary theory that highlight the ways in which psychiatric conditions may persist despite and because of natural selection. One lesson from the evolutionary approach is that some conditions currently classified as disorders (because they cause distress and impairment) may actually be caused by functioning adaptations operating "normally" (as designed by natural selection). Such conditions suggest an alternative illness model that may generate alternative intervention strategies. Thus, the evolutionary approach suggests that psychiatry should sometimes think differently about distress and impairment. The complexity of the human brain, including normal functioning and potential for dysfunctions, has developed over evolutionary time and has been shaped by natural selection. Understanding the evolutionary origins of psychiatric conditions is therefore a crucial component to a complete understanding of etiology. © The Author(s) 2016.

Using Evolutionary Theory to Guide Mental Health Research

PubMed Central

Mulsant, Benoit H.; McKenzie, Kwame; Andrews, Paul W.

2016-01-01

Evolutionary approaches to medicine can shed light on the origins and etiology of disease. Such an approach may be especially useful in psychiatry, which frequently addresses conditions with heterogeneous presentation and unknown causes. We review several previous applications of evolutionary theory that highlight the ways in which psychiatric conditions may persist despite and because of natural selection. One lesson from the evolutionary approach is that some conditions currently classified as disorders (because they cause distress and impairment) may actually be caused by functioning adaptations operating “normally” (as designed by natural selection). Such conditions suggest an alternative illness model that may generate alternative intervention strategies. Thus, the evolutionary approach suggests that psychiatry should sometimes think differently about distress and impairment. The complexity of the human brain, including normal functioning and potential for dysfunctions, has developed over evolutionary time and has been shaped by natural selection. Understanding the evolutionary origins of psychiatric conditions is therefore a crucial component to a complete understanding of etiology. PMID:27254091

A comparative study of corrugated horn design by evolutionary techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoorfar, A.

2003-01-01

Here an evolutionary programming algorithm is used to optimize the pattern of a corrugated circular horn subject to various constraints on return loss, antenna beamwidth, pattern circularity, and low cross polarization.

Design principles and algorithms for automated air traffic management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erzberger, Heinz

1995-01-01

This paper presents design principles and algorithm for building a real time scheduler. The primary objective of the scheduler is to assign arrival aircraft to a favorable landing runway and schedule them to land at times that minimize delays. A further objective of the scheduler is to allocate delays between high altitude airspace far from the airport and low altitude airspace near the airport. A method of delay allocation is described that minimizes the average operating cost in the presence of errors in controlling aircraft to a specified landing time.

The co-evolutionary dynamics of directed network of spin market agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horváth, Denis; Kuscsik, Zoltán; Gmitra, Martin

2006-09-01

The spin market model [S. Bornholdt, Int. J. Mod. Phys. C 12 (2001) 667] is generalized by employing co-evolutionary principles, where strategies of the interacting and competitive traders are represented by local and global couplings between the nodes of dynamic directed stochastic network. The co-evolutionary principles are applied in the frame of Bak-Sneppen self-organized dynamics [P. Bak, K. Sneppen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 71 (1993) 4083] that includes the processes of selection and extinction actuated by the local (node) fitness. The local fitness is related to orientation of spin agent with respect to the instant magnetization. The stationary regime is formed due to the interplay of self-organization and adaptivity effects. The fat tailed distributions of log-price returns are identified numerically. The non-trivial model consequence is the evidence of the long time market memory indicated by the power-law range of the autocorrelation function of volatility with exponent smaller than one. The simulations yield network topology with broad-scale node degree distribution characterized by the range of exponents 1.3<γin<3 coinciding with social networks.

Biological differences between the evolutionary lineages within Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora lateralis: Should the lineages be formally taxonomically designated?

Treesearch

Clive Brasier

2017-01-01

It is now generally accepted that the four evolutionary lineages of Phytophthora ramorum (informally designated NA1, NA2, EU1, and EU2) are relatively anciently divergent populations, recently introduced into Europe and North America from different, unknown geographic locations; that recombinants between them are genetically unstable and probably...

Mutual interferences and design principles for mechatronic devices in magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Yu, Ningbo; Gassert, Roger; Riener, Robert

2011-07-01

Robotic and mechatronic devices that work compatibly with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are applied in diagnostic MRI, image-guided surgery, neurorehabilitation and neuroscience. MRI-compatible mechatronic systems must address the challenges imposed by the scanner's electromagnetic fields. We have developed objective quantitative evaluation criteria for device characteristics needed to formulate design guidelines that ensure MRI-compatibility based on safety, device functionality and image quality. The mutual interferences between an MRI system and mechatronic devices working in its vicinity are modeled and tested. For each interference, the involved components are listed, and a numerical measure for "MRI-compatibility" is proposed. These interferences are categorized into an MRI-compatibility matrix, with each element representing possible interactions between one part of the mechatronic system and one component of the electromagnetic fields. Based on this formulation, design principles for MRI-compatible mechatronic systems are proposed. Furthermore, test methods are developed to examine whether a mechatronic device indeed works without interferences within an MRI system. Finally, the proposed MRI-compatibility criteria and design guidelines have been applied to an actual design process that has been validated by the test procedures. Objective and quantitative MRI-compatibility measures for mechatronic and robotic devices have been established. Applying the proposed design principles, potential problems in safety, device functionality and image quality can be considered in the design phase to ensure that the mechatronic system will fulfill the MRI-compatibility criteria. New guidelines and test procedures for MRI instrument compatibility provide a rational basis for design and evaluation of mechatronic devices in various MRI applications. Designers can apply these criteria and use the tests, so that MRI-compatibility results can accrue to build an experiential

Diminishing-returns epistasis decreases adaptability along an evolutionary trajectory.

PubMed

Wünsche, Andrea; Dinh, Duy M; Satterwhite, Rebecca S; Arenas, Carolina Diaz; Stoebel, Daniel M; Cooper, Tim F

2017-03-01

Populations evolving in constant environments exhibit declining adaptability. Understanding the basis of this pattern could reveal underlying processes determining the repeatability of evolutionary outcomes. In principle, declining adaptability can be due to a decrease in the effect size of beneficial mutations, a decrease in the rate at which they occur, or some combination of both. By evolving Escherichia coli populations started from different steps along a single evolutionary trajectory, we show that declining adaptability is best explained by a decrease in the size of available beneficial mutations. This pattern reflected the dominant influence of negative genetic interactions that caused new beneficial mutations to confer smaller benefits in fitter genotypes. Genome sequencing revealed that starting genotypes that were more similar to one another did not exhibit greater similarity in terms of new beneficial mutations, supporting the view that epistasis acts globally, having a greater influence on the effect than on the identity of available mutations along an adaptive trajectory. Our findings provide support for a general mechanism that leads to predictable phenotypic evolutionary trajectories.

Evolutionary plant physiology: Charles Darwin's forgotten synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutschera, Ulrich; Niklas, Karl J.

2009-11-01

Charles Darwin dedicated more than 20 years of his life to a variety of investigations on higher plants (angiosperms). It has been implicitly assumed that these studies in the fields of descriptive botany and experimental plant physiology were carried out to corroborate his principle of descent with modification. However, Darwin’s son Francis, who was a professional plant biologist, pointed out that the interests of his father were both of a physiological and an evolutionary nature. In this article, we describe Darwin’s work on the physiology of higher plants from a modern perspective, with reference to the following topics: circumnutations, tropisms and the endogenous oscillator model; the evolutionary patterns of auxin action; the root-brain hypothesis; phloem structure and photosynthesis research; endosymbioses and growth-promoting bacteria; photomorphogenesis and phenotypic plasticity; basal metabolic rate, the Pfeffer-Kleiber relationship and metabolic optimality theory with respect to adaptive evolution; and developmental constraints versus functional equivalence in relationship to directional natural selection. Based on a review of these various fields of inquiry, we deduce the existence of a Darwinian (evolutionary) approach to plant physiology and define this emerging scientific discipline as the experimental study and theoretical analysis of the functions of green, sessile organisms from a phylogenetic perspective.

Principles for designing proteins with cavities formed by curved β sheets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marcos, Enrique; Basanta, Benjamin; Chidyausiku, Tamuka M.

Active sites and ligand-binding cavities in native proteins are often formed by curved β sheets, and the ability to control β-sheet curvature would allow design of binding proteins with cavities customized to specific ligands. Toward this end, we investigated the mechanisms controlling β-sheet curvature by studying the geometry of β sheets in naturally occurring protein structures and folding simulations. The principles emerging from this analysis were used to design, de novo, a series of proteins with curved β sheets topped with α helices. Nuclear magnetic resonance and crystal structures of the designs closely match the computational models, showing that β-sheetmore » curvature can be controlled with atomic-level accuracy. Our approach enables the design of proteins with cavities and provides a route to custom design ligand-binding and catalytic sites.« less

Design and Optimization of Low-thrust Orbit Transfers Using Q-law and Evolutionary Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Seungwon; vonAllmen, Paul; Fink, Wolfgang; Petropoulos, Anastassios; Terrile, Richard

2005-01-01

Future space missions will depend more on low-thrust propulsion (such as ion engines) thanks to its high specific impulse. Yet, the design of low-thrust trajectories is complex and challenging. Third-body perturbations often dominate the thrust, and a significant change to the orbit requires a long duration of thrust. In order to guide the early design phases, we have developed an efficient and efficacious method to obtain approximate propellant and flight-time requirements (i.e., the Pareto front) for orbit transfers. A search for the Pareto-optimal trajectories is done in two levels: optimal thrust angles and locations are determined by Q-law, while the Q-law is optimized with two evolutionary algorithms: a genetic algorithm and a simulated-annealing-related algorithm. The examples considered are several types of orbit transfers around the Earth and the asteroid Vesta.

Three Principles of Perception for Instructional Interface Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lohr, Linda L.

2000-01-01

Discusses graphical user interfaces used for instructional purposes in educational environments, which promote learning goals, and in support environments, which promote performance goals. Explains three key principles of perception and gives guidelines for their use, including the figure/ground principle, the hierarchy principle, and the gestalt…

Synthetic Elucidation of Design Principles for Molecular Qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Michael James

Quantum information processing (QIP) is an emerging computational paradigm with the potential to enable a vast increase in computational power, fundamentally transforming fields from structural biology to finance. QIP employs qubits, or quantum bits, as its fundamental units of information, which can exist in not just the classical states of 0 or 1, but in a superposition of the two. In order to successfully perform QIP, this superposition state must be sufficiently long-lived. One promising paradigm for the implementation of QIP involves employing unpaired electrons in coordination complexes as qubits. This architecture is highly tunable and scalable, however coordination complexes frequently suffer from short superposition lifetimes, or T2. In order to capitalize on the promise of molecular qubits, it is necessary to develop a set of design principles that allow the rational synthesis of complexes with sufficiently long values of T2. In this dissertation, I report efforts to use the synthesis of series of complexes to elucidate design principles for molecular qubits. Chapter 1 details previous work by our group and others in the field. Chapter 2 details the first efforts of our group to determine the impact of varying spin and spin-orbit coupling on T2. Chapter 3 examines the effect of removing nuclear spins on coherence time, and reports a series of vanadyl bis(dithiolene) complexes which exhibit extremely long coherence lifetimes, in excess of the 100 mus threshold for qubit viability. Chapters 4 and 5 form two complimentary halves of a study to determine the exact relationship between electronic spin-nuclear spin distance and the effect of the nuclear spins on T2. Finally, chapter 6 suggests next directions for the field as a whole, including the potential for work in this field to impact the development of other technologies as diverse as quantum sensors and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.

Synthetic RNAs for Gene Regulation: Design Principles and Computational Tools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laganà, Alessandro, E-mail: alessandro.lagana@osumc.edu; Shasha, Dennis; Croce, Carlo Maria

The use of synthetic non-coding RNAs for post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression has not only become a standard laboratory tool for gene functional studies but it has also opened up new perspectives in the design of new and potentially promising therapeutic strategies. Bioinformatics has provided researchers with a variety of tools for the design, the analysis, and the evaluation of RNAi agents such as small-interfering RNA (siRNA), short-hairpin RNA (shRNA), artificial microRNA (a-miR), and microRNA sponges. More recently, a new system for genome engineering based on the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 system (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), was shown to havemore » the potential to also regulate gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional level in a more specific way. In this mini review, we present RNAi and CRISPRi design principles and discuss the advantages and limitations of the current design approaches.« less

Synthetic RNAs for Gene Regulation: Design Principles and Computational Tools

PubMed Central

Laganà, Alessandro; Shasha, Dennis; Croce, Carlo Maria

2014-01-01

The use of synthetic non-coding RNAs for post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression has not only become a standard laboratory tool for gene functional studies but it has also opened up new perspectives in the design of new and potentially promising therapeutic strategies. Bioinformatics has provided researchers with a variety of tools for the design, the analysis, and the evaluation of RNAi agents such as small-interfering RNA (siRNA), short-hairpin RNA (shRNA), artificial microRNA (a-miR), and microRNA sponges. More recently, a new system for genome engineering based on the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 system (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), was shown to have the potential to also regulate gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional level in a more specific way. In this mini review, we present RNAi and CRISPRi design principles and discuss the advantages and limitations of the current design approaches. PMID:25566532

Automated Design of Quantum Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Colin P.; Gray, Alexander G.

2000-01-01

In order to design a quantum circuit that performs a desired quantum computation, it is necessary to find a decomposition of the unitary matrix that represents that computation in terms of a sequence of quantum gate operations. To date, such designs have either been found by hand or by exhaustive enumeration of all possible circuit topologies. In this paper we propose an automated approach to quantum circuit design using search heuristics based on principles abstracted from evolutionary genetics, i.e. using a genetic programming algorithm adapted specially for this problem. We demonstrate the method on the task of discovering quantum circuit designs for quantum teleportation. We show that to find a given known circuit design (one which was hand-crafted by a human), the method considers roughly an order of magnitude fewer designs than naive enumeration. In addition, the method finds novel circuit designs superior to those previously known.

Seeing is believing: good graphic design principles for medical research.

PubMed

Duke, Susan P; Bancken, Fabrice; Crowe, Brenda; Soukup, Mat; Botsis, Taxiarchis; Forshee, Richard

2015-09-30

Have you noticed when you browse a book, journal, study report, or product label how your eye is drawn to figures more than to words and tables? Statistical graphs are powerful ways to transparently and succinctly communicate the key points of medical research. Furthermore, the graphic design itself adds to the clarity of the messages in the data. The goal of this paper is to provide a mechanism for selecting the appropriate graph to thoughtfully construct quality deliverables using good graphic design principles. Examples are motivated by the efforts of a Safety Graphics Working Group that consisted of scientists from the pharmaceutical industry, Food and Drug Administration, and academic institutions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Intelligence's likelihood and evolutionary time frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogonovich, Marc

2011-04-01

This paper outlines hypotheses relevant to the evolution of intelligent life and encephalization in the Phanerozoic. If general principles are inferable from patterns of Earth life, implications could be drawn for astrobiology. Many of the outlined hypotheses, relevant data, and associated evolutionary and ecological theory are not frequently cited in astrobiological journals. Thus opportunity exists to evaluate reviewed hypotheses with an astrobiological perspective. A quantitative method is presented for testing one of the reviewed hypotheses (hypothesis i; the diffusion hypothesis). Questions are presented throughout, which illustrate that the question of intelligent life's likelihood can be expressed as multiple, broadly ranging, more tractable questions.

Open-Shell-Character-Based Molecular Design Principles: Applications to Nonlinear Optics and Singlet Fission.

PubMed

Nakano, Masayoshi

2017-01-01

Open-shell character, e. g., diradical character, is a quantum chemically well-defined quantity in ground-state molecular systems, which is not an observable but can quantify the degree of effective bond weakness in the chemical sense or electron correlation strength in the physical sense. Because this quantity also correlates to specific excited states, physicochemical properties concerned with those states are expected to strongly correlate to the open-shell character. This feature enables us to open a new path to revealing the mechanism of these properties as well as to realizing new design principles for efficient functional molecular systems. This account explains the open-shell-character-based molecular design principles and introduces their applications to the rational design of highly efficient nonlinear optical and singlet fission molecular systems. © 2017 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

"Citizen Jane": Rethinking Design Principles for Closing the Gender Gap in Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raphael, Chad

This paper identifies three rationales in the relevant literature for closing the gender gap in computing: economic, cultural and political. Each rationale implies a different set of indicators of present inequalities, disparate goals for creating equality, and distinct principles for software and web site design that aims to help girls overcome…

Basic design principles of colorimetric vision systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mumzhiu, Alex M.

1998-10-01

Color measurement is an important part of overall production quality control in textile, coating, plastics, food, paper and other industries. The color measurement instruments such as colorimeters and spectrophotometers, used for production quality control have many limitations. In many applications they cannot be used for a variety of reasons and have to be replaced with human operators. Machine vision has great potential for color measurement. The components for color machine vision systems, such as broadcast quality 3-CCD cameras, fast and inexpensive PCI frame grabbers, and sophisticated image processing software packages are available. However the machine vision industry has only started to approach the color domain. The few color machine vision systems on the market, produced by the largest machine vision manufacturers have very limited capabilities. A lack of understanding that a vision based color measurement system could fail if it ignores the basic principles of colorimetry is the main reason for the slow progress of color vision systems. the purpose of this paper is to clarify how color measurement principles have to be applied to vision systems and how the electro-optical design features of colorimeters have to be modified in order to implement them for vision systems. The subject of this presentation far exceeds the limitations of a journal paper so only the most important aspects will be discussed. An overview of the major areas of applications for colorimetric vision system will be discussed. Finally, the reasons why some customers are happy with their vision systems and some are not will be analyzed.

Design and evaluation of potentiometric principles for bladder volume monitoring: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Chen, Shih-Ching; Hsieh, Tsung-Hsun; Fan, Wen-Jia; Lai, Chien-Hung; Chen, Chun-Lung; Wei, Wei-Feng; Peng, Chih-Wei

2015-06-01

Recent advances in microelectronics and wireless transmission technology have led to the development of various implantable sensors for real-time monitoring of bladder conditions. Although various sensing approaches for monitoring bladder conditions were reported, most such sensors have remained at the laboratory stage due to the existence of vital drawbacks. In the present study, we explored a new concept for monitoring the bladder capacity on the basis of potentiometric principles. A prototype of a potentiometer module was designed and fabricated and integrated with a commercial wireless transmission module and power unit. A series of in vitro pig bladder experiments was conducted to determine the best design parameters for implementing the prototype potentiometric device and to prove its feasibility. We successfully implemented the potentiometric module in a pig bladder model in vitro, and the error of the accuracy of bladder volume detection was <±3%. Although the proposed potentiometric device was built using a commercial wireless module, the design principles and animal experience gathered from this research can serve as a basis for developing new implantable bladder sensors in the future.

Evolutionary scalpels for dissecting tumor ecosystems

PubMed Central

Rosenbloom, Daniel I. S.; Camara, Pablo G.; Chu, Tim; Rabadan, Raul

2017-01-01

Amidst the growing literature on cancer genomics and intratumor heterogeneity, essential principles in evolutionary biology recur time and time again. Here we use these principles to guide the reader through major advances in cancer research, highlighting issues of “hit hard, hit early” treatment strategies, drug resistance, and metastasis. We distinguish between two frameworks for understanding heterogeneous tumors, both of which can inform treatment strategies: (1) The tumor as diverse ecosystem, a Darwinian population of sometimes-competing, sometimes-cooperating cells; (2) The tumor as tightly integrated, self-regulating organ, which may hijack developmental signals to restore functional heterogeneity after treatment. While the first framework dominates literature on cancer evolution, the second framework enjoys support as well. Throughout this review, we illustrate how mathematical models inform understanding of tumor progression and treatment outcomes. Connecting models to genomic data faces computational and technical hurdles, but high-throughput single-cell technologies show promise to clear these hurdles. PMID:27923679

Basic principles of test-negative design in evaluating influenza vaccine effectiveness.

PubMed

Fukushima, Wakaba; Hirota, Yoshio

2017-08-24

Based on the unique characteristics of influenza, the concept of "monitoring" influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) across the seasons using the same observational study design has been developed. In recent years, there has been a growing number of influenza VE reports using the test-negative design, which can minimize both misclassification of diseases and confounding by health care-seeking behavior. Although the test-negative designs offer considerable advantages, there are some concerns that widespread use of the test-negative design without knowledge of the basic principles of epidemiology could produce invalid findings. In this article, we briefly review the basic concepts of the test-negative design with respect to classic study design such as cohort studies or case-control studies. We also mention selection bias, which may be of concern in some countries where rapid diagnostic testing is frequently used in routine clinical practices, as in Japan. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Experimental results in evolutionary fault-recovery for field programmable analog devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zebulum, Ricardo S.; Keymeulen, Didier; Duong, Vu; Guo, Xin; Ferguson, M. I.; Stoica, Adrian

2003-01-01

This paper presents experimental results of fast intrinsic evolutionary design and evolutionary fault recovery of a 4-bit Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) using the JPL stand-alone board-level evolvable system (SABLES).

Reconstructing evolutionary trees in parallel for massive sequences.

PubMed

Zou, Quan; Wan, Shixiang; Zeng, Xiangxiang; Ma, Zhanshan Sam

2017-12-14

Building the evolutionary trees for massive unaligned DNA sequences is challenging and crucial. However, reconstructing evolutionary tree for ultra-large sequences is hard. Massive multiple sequence alignment is also challenging and time/space consuming. Hadoop and Spark are developed recently, which bring spring light for the classical computational biology problems. In this paper, we tried to solve the multiple sequence alignment and evolutionary reconstruction in parallel. HPTree, which is developed in this paper, can deal with big DNA sequence files quickly. It works well on the >1GB files, and gets better performance than other evolutionary reconstruction tools. Users could use HPTree for reonstructing evolutioanry trees on the computer clusters or cloud platform (eg. Amazon Cloud). HPTree could help on population evolution research and metagenomics analysis. In this paper, we employ the Hadoop and Spark platform and design an evolutionary tree reconstruction software tool for unaligned massive DNA sequences. Clustering and multiple sequence alignment are done in parallel. Neighbour-joining model was employed for the evolutionary tree building. We opened our software together with source codes via http://lab.malab.cn/soft/HPtree/ .

Design principles for functional liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedolla Pantoja, Marco A.

dense mats of polymer fibers that extended from the solid substrate across the thickness of the LC film. Remarkably, these fibers possess uniform shapes, diameters and lengths. The results demonstrate that the morphological properties of the fibers (shape, diameter and length) are determined by the orientation, chemical structure and thickness of the LC used during polymerization. In a demonstration of these effects, mats of nanofibers exhibiting left-handed or right-handed optical activity were synthesized using left-handed or right-handed cholesteric LCs. The results presented in this dissertation are also used to motivate the proposal that growth of the nanofibers is controlled by local regions of high elastic strain in the LC at the tip of the nanofiber, which lead to preferential diffusion and subsequent addition of monomer to the apex of the growing polymeric structure. Finally, I discuss two examples that demonstrate potential applications of these nanofibers: (1) functionalization of mats of fibers with biologically-relevant molecules, and (2) fabrication of nanofibers in complex geometries. These experiments suggest that mats of polymeric nanofibers could find applications in biomedicine, filtration, chemical sensing or separation systems. Overall, these studies contribute new principles for the design of LC-based stimuli-responsive materials and for LC-templated synthesis of polymeric nanostructures using chemical vapor deposition. The principles reported in this dissertation provide guidance to the design of LC-based materials with broad potential engineering applications.

Incorporating Eco-Evolutionary Processes into Population Models:Design and Applications

EPA Science Inventory

Eco-evolutionary population models are powerful new tools for exploring howevolutionary processes influence plant and animal population dynamics andvice-versa. The need to manage for climate change and other dynamicdisturbance regimes is creating a demand for the incorporation of...

Structural principles for computational and de novo design of 4Fe-4S metalloproteins

PubMed Central

Nanda, Vikas; Senn, Stefan; Pike, Douglas H.; Rodriguez-Granillo, Agustina; Hansen, Will; Khare, Sagar D.; Noy, Dror

2017-01-01

Iron-sulfur centers in metalloproteins can access multiple oxidation states over a broad range of potentials, allowing them to participate in a variety of electron transfer reactions and serving as catalysts for high-energy redox processes. The nitrogenase FeMoCO cluster converts di-nitrogen to ammonia in an eight-electron transfer step. The 2(Fe4S4) containing bacterial ferredoxin is an evolutionarily ancient metalloprotein fold and is thought to be a primordial progenitor of extant oxidoreductases. Controlling chemical transformations mediated by iron-sulfur centers such as nitrogen fixation, hydrogen production as well as electron transfer reactions involved in photosynthesis are of tremendous importance for sustainable chemistry and energy production initiatives. As such, there is significant interest in the design of iron-sulfur proteins as minimal models to gain fundamental understanding of complex natural systems and as lead-molecules for industrial and energy applications. Herein, we discuss salient structural characteristics of natural iron-sulfur proteins and how they guide principles for design. Model structures of past designs are analyzed in the context of these principles and potential directions for enhanced designs are presented, and new areas of iron-sulfur protein design are proposed. PMID:26449207

Design principles for hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst materials

DOE PAGES

Strmcnik, Dusan; Lopes, Pietro Papa; Genorio, Bostjan; ...

2016-04-19

Design and synthesis of active, stable and cost-effective materials for efficient hydrogen production (hydrogen evolution reaction, HER) is of paramount importance for the successful deployment of hydrogen -based alternative energy technologies. The HER, seemingly one of the simplest electrochemical reactions, has served for decades to bridge the gap between fundamental electrocatalysis and practical catalyst design. However, there are still many open questions that need to be answered before it would be possible to claim that design principles of catalyst materials are fully developed for the efficient hydrogen production. Here in this review, by summarizing key results for the HER onmore » well-characterized electrochemical interfaces in acidic and alkaline media, we have broadened our understanding of the HER in the whole range of pH by considering three main parameters: the nature of the proton donor (H 3O + in acid and H 2O in alkaline), the energy of adsorption of H ad and OH ad, and the presence of spectator species. Simply by considering these three parameters we show that great deal has already been learned and new trends are beginning to emerge, giving some predictive ability with respect to the nature of electrochemical interface and electrocatalytic activity of the HER.« less

Evolutionary Nephrology.

PubMed

Chevalier, Robert L

2017-05-01

Progressive kidney disease follows nephron loss, hyperfiltration, and incomplete repair, a process described as "maladaptive." In the past 20 years, a new discipline has emerged that expands research horizons: evolutionary medicine. In contrast to physiologic (homeostatic) adaptation, evolutionary adaptation is the result of reproductive success that reflects natural selection. Evolutionary explanations for physiologically maladaptive responses can emerge from mismatch of the phenotype with environment or evolutionary tradeoffs. Evolutionary adaptation to a terrestrial environment resulted in a vulnerable energy-consuming renal tubule and a hypoxic, hyperosmolar microenvironment. Natural selection favors successful energy investment strategy: energy is allocated to maintenance of nephron integrity through reproductive years, but this declines with increasing senescence after ~40 years of age. Risk factors for chronic kidney disease include restricted fetal growth or preterm birth (life history tradeoff resulting in fewer nephrons), evolutionary selection for APOL1 mutations (that provide resistance to trypanosome infection, a tradeoff), and modern life experience (Western diet mismatch leading to diabetes and hypertension). Current advances in genomics, epigenetics, and developmental biology have revealed proximate causes of kidney disease, but attempts to slow kidney disease remain elusive. Evolutionary medicine provides a complementary approach by addressing ultimate causes of kidney disease. Marked variation in nephron number at birth, nephron heterogeneity, and changing susceptibility to kidney injury throughout life history are the result of evolutionary processes. Combined application of molecular genetics, evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo), developmental programming and life history theory may yield new strategies for prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease.

From evolutionary computation to the evolution of things.

PubMed

Eiben, Agoston E; Smith, Jim

2015-05-28

Evolution has provided a source of inspiration for algorithm designers since the birth of computers. The resulting field, evolutionary computation, has been successful in solving engineering tasks ranging in outlook from the molecular to the astronomical. Today, the field is entering a new phase as evolutionary algorithms that take place in hardware are developed, opening up new avenues towards autonomous machines that can adapt to their environment. We discuss how evolutionary computation compares with natural evolution and what its benefits are relative to other computing approaches, and we introduce the emerging area of artificial evolution in physical systems.

Evolution in health and medicine Sackler colloquium: Making evolutionary biology a basic science for medicine.

PubMed

Nesse, Randolph M; Bergstrom, Carl T; Ellison, Peter T; Flier, Jeffrey S; Gluckman, Peter; Govindaraju, Diddahally R; Niethammer, Dietrich; Omenn, Gilbert S; Perlman, Robert L; Schwartz, Mark D; Thomas, Mark G; Stearns, Stephen C; Valle, David

2010-01-26

New applications of evolutionary biology in medicine are being discovered at an accelerating rate, but few physicians have sufficient educational background to use them fully. This article summarizes suggestions from several groups that have considered how evolutionary biology can be useful in medicine, what physicians should learn about it, and when and how they should learn it. Our general conclusion is that evolutionary biology is a crucial basic science for medicine. In addition to looking at established evolutionary methods and topics, such as population genetics and pathogen evolution, we highlight questions about why natural selection leaves bodies vulnerable to disease. Knowledge about evolution provides physicians with an integrative framework that links otherwise disparate bits of knowledge. It replaces the prevalent view of bodies as machines with a biological view of bodies shaped by evolutionary processes. Like other basic sciences, evolutionary biology needs to be taught both before and during medical school. Most introductory biology courses are insufficient to establish competency in evolutionary biology. Premedical students need evolution courses, possibly ones that emphasize medically relevant aspects. In medical school, evolutionary biology should be taught as one of the basic medical sciences. This will require a course that reviews basic principles and specific medical applications, followed by an integrated presentation of evolutionary aspects that apply to each disease and organ system. Evolutionary biology is not just another topic vying for inclusion in the curriculum; it is an essential foundation for a biological understanding of health and disease.

Accessible by Design: Applying UDL Principles in a First Year Undergraduate Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Kari Lynne; Wideman, Maureen

2014-01-01

This article presents a case study of a technology-enhanced face-to-face health sciences course in which the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) were applied. Students were offered a variety of means of representation, engagement, and expression throughout the course, and were surveyed and interviewed at the end of the term to…

Design and Properties Prediction of AMCO3F by First-Principles Calculations.

PubMed

Tian, Meng; Gao, Yurui; Ouyang, Chuying; Wang, Zhaoxiang; Chen, Liquan

2017-04-19

Computer simulation accelerates the rate of identification and application of new materials. To search for new materials to meet the increasing demands of secondary batteries with higher energy density, the properties of some transition-metal fluorocarbonates ([CO 3 F] 3- ) were simulated in this work as cathode materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries based on first-principles calculations. These materials were designed by substituting the K + ions in KCuCO 3 F with Li + or Na + ions and the Cu 2+ ions with transition-metal ions such as Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , and Mn 2+ ions, respectively. The phase stability, electronic conductivity, ionic diffusion, and electrochemical potential of these materials were calculated by first-principles calculations. After taking comprehensive consideration of the kinetic and thermodynamic properties, LiCoCO 3 F and LiFeCO 3 F are believed to be promising novel cathode materials in all of the calculated AMCO 3 F (A = Li and Na; M = Fe, Mn, Co, and Ni). These results will help the design and discovery of new materials for secondary batteries.

Applying Human Factors Principles to Mitigate Usability Issues Related to Embedded Assumptions in Health Information Technology Design

PubMed Central

Lowry, Svetlana Z; Patterson, Emily S

2014-01-01

Background There is growing recognition that design flaws in health information technology (HIT) lead to increased cognitive work, impact workflows, and produce other undesirable user experiences that contribute to usability issues and, in some cases, patient harm. These usability issues may in turn contribute to HIT utilization disparities and patient safety concerns, particularly among “non-typical” HIT users and their health care providers. Health care disparities are associated with poor health outcomes, premature death, and increased health care costs. HIT has the potential to reduce these disparate outcomes. In the computer science field, it has long been recognized that embedded cultural assumptions can reduce the usability, usefulness, and safety of HIT systems for populations whose characteristics differ from “stereotypical” users. Among these non-typical users, inappropriate embedded design assumptions may contribute to health care disparities. It is unclear how to address potentially inappropriate embedded HIT design assumptions once detected. Objective The objective of this paper is to explain HIT universal design principles derived from the human factors engineering literature that can help to overcome potential usability and/or patient safety issues that are associated with unrecognized, embedded assumptions about cultural groups when designing HIT systems. Methods Existing best practices, guidance, and standards in software usability and accessibility were subjected to a 5-step expert review process to identify and summarize those best practices, guidance, and standards that could help identify and/or address embedded design assumptions in HIT that could negatively impact patient safety, particularly for non-majority HIT user populations. An iterative consensus-based process was then used to derive evidence-based design principles from the data to address potentially inappropriate embedded cultural assumptions. Results Design principles that

Applying Human Factors Principles to Mitigate Usability Issues Related to Embedded Assumptions in Health Information Technology Design.

PubMed

Gibbons, Michael C; Lowry, Svetlana Z; Patterson, Emily S

2014-12-18

There is growing recognition that design flaws in health information technology (HIT) lead to increased cognitive work, impact workflows, and produce other undesirable user experiences that contribute to usability issues and, in some cases, patient harm. These usability issues may in turn contribute to HIT utilization disparities and patient safety concerns, particularly among "non-typical" HIT users and their health care providers. Health care disparities are associated with poor health outcomes, premature death, and increased health care costs. HIT has the potential to reduce these disparate outcomes. In the computer science field, it has long been recognized that embedded cultural assumptions can reduce the usability, usefulness, and safety of HIT systems for populations whose characteristics differ from "stereotypical" users. Among these non-typical users, inappropriate embedded design assumptions may contribute to health care disparities. It is unclear how to address potentially inappropriate embedded HIT design assumptions once detected. The objective of this paper is to explain HIT universal design principles derived from the human factors engineering literature that can help to overcome potential usability and/or patient safety issues that are associated with unrecognized, embedded assumptions about cultural groups when designing HIT systems. Existing best practices, guidance, and standards in software usability and accessibility were subjected to a 5-step expert review process to identify and summarize those best practices, guidance, and standards that could help identify and/or address embedded design assumptions in HIT that could negatively impact patient safety, particularly for non-majority HIT user populations. An iterative consensus-based process was then used to derive evidence-based design principles from the data to address potentially inappropriate embedded cultural assumptions. Design principles that may help identify and address embedded HIT

Understanding Phylogenies in Biology: The Influence of a Gestalt Perceptual Principle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novick, Laura R.; Catley, Kefyn M.

2007-01-01

Cladograms, hierarchical diagrams depicting evolutionary histories among (groups of) species, are commonly drawn in 2 informationally equivalent formats--tree and ladder. The authors hypothesize that these formats are not computationally equivalent because the Gestalt principle of good continuation obscures the hierarchical structure of ladders.…

Beyond Universal Design for Learning: Guiding Principles to Reduce Barriers to Digital & Media Literacy Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalton, Elizabeth M.

2017-01-01

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework for designing instruction to address the wide range of learner variation in today's inclusive classrooms, can be applied effectively to broaden access, understanding, and engagement in digital and media literacy learning for ALL. UDL supports constructivist learning principles. UDL strategies and…

Comparison of evolutionary algorithms for LPDA antenna optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazaridis, Pavlos I.; Tziris, Emmanouil N.; Zaharis, Zaharias D.; Xenos, Thomas D.; Cosmas, John P.; Gallion, Philippe B.; Holmes, Violeta; Glover, Ian A.

2016-08-01

A novel approach to broadband log-periodic antenna design is presented, where some of the most powerful evolutionary algorithms are applied and compared for the optimal design of wire log-periodic dipole arrays (LPDA) using Numerical Electromagnetics Code. The target is to achieve an optimal antenna design with respect to maximum gain, gain flatness, front-to-rear ratio (F/R) and standing wave ratio. The parameters of the LPDA optimized are the dipole lengths, the spacing between the dipoles, and the dipole wire diameters. The evolutionary algorithms compared are the Differential Evolution (DE), Particle Swarm (PSO), Taguchi, Invasive Weed (IWO), and Adaptive Invasive Weed Optimization (ADIWO). Superior performance is achieved by the IWO (best results) and PSO (fast convergence) algorithms.

Incorporating café design principles into End-of-Life discussions: an innovative method for continuing education.

PubMed

Kanaskie, Mary Louise

2011-04-01

Café design provides an innovative method for conducting continuing education activities. This method was chosen to elicit meaningful conversation based on issues related to End-of-Life care. Café design principles incorporate the following: setting the context, creating hospitable space, exploring questions that matter, encouraging everyone's contributions, connecting diverse perspectives, listening together for insights, and sharing collective discoveries. Key discussion questions were identified from the End-of Life Nursing Education Consortium Core Curriculum. Questions were revised to incorporate the principles of appreciative inquiry, which encourage a shift from traditional methods of problem identification to creation of a positive vision. Participants rated the café design method as an effective way to share their ideas and to stimulate conversation.

Kernel Method Based Human Model for Enhancing Interactive Evolutionary Optimization

PubMed Central

Zhao, Qiangfu; Liu, Yong

2015-01-01

A fitness landscape presents the relationship between individual and its reproductive success in evolutionary computation (EC). However, discrete and approximate landscape in an original search space may not support enough and accurate information for EC search, especially in interactive EC (IEC). The fitness landscape of human subjective evaluation in IEC is very difficult and impossible to model, even with a hypothesis of what its definition might be. In this paper, we propose a method to establish a human model in projected high dimensional search space by kernel classification for enhancing IEC search. Because bivalent logic is a simplest perceptual paradigm, the human model is established by considering this paradigm principle. In feature space, we design a linear classifier as a human model to obtain user preference knowledge, which cannot be supported linearly in original discrete search space. The human model is established by this method for predicting potential perceptual knowledge of human. With the human model, we design an evolution control method to enhance IEC search. From experimental evaluation results with a pseudo-IEC user, our proposed model and method can enhance IEC search significantly. PMID:25879050

Using biological principles to design MEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherge, M.; Gorb, S. N.

2000-09-01

In micromechanics the handling and positioning of microparts involves sophisticated assembly procedures and a good understanding of microtribological phenomena. Due to the very low object mass, adhesion between the micropart and the handling tool (usually a mechanical gripper) becomes a performance-limiting factor. Adhesion effects can be even larger than the force that frees the micropart from the handling tool thus making correct positioning impossible. Many useful design principles for optimized adhesion properties can be found in biological systems. In this paper adhesion between the foot of an insect and a surface was evaluated. The attachment pads of the great green bush cricket (Tettigonia viridissima) - used to attach the insect safely to a variety of different surfaces - were investigated to draw conclusions that could be implemented in future technical microsystems. It is shown that the attachment pads are flexible micromechanical units capable of self-adjusting to different scales of roughness. The erratic influence of capillary action due to adsorbed water is presumably suppressed by a hydrophobic layer on the pads. Attaching and releasing mechanisms as well as accurate measurement of the adhesion force are discussed in detail.

Attribute index and uniform design based multiobjective association rule mining with evolutionary algorithm.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Wang, Yuping; Feng, Junhong

2013-01-01

In association rule mining, evaluating an association rule needs to repeatedly scan database to compare the whole database with the antecedent, consequent of a rule and the whole rule. In order to decrease the number of comparisons and time consuming, we present an attribute index strategy. It only needs to scan database once to create the attribute index of each attribute. Then all metrics values to evaluate an association rule do not need to scan database any further, but acquire data only by means of the attribute indices. The paper visualizes association rule mining as a multiobjective problem rather than a single objective one. In order to make the acquired solutions scatter uniformly toward the Pareto frontier in the objective space, elitism policy and uniform design are introduced. The paper presents the algorithm of attribute index and uniform design based multiobjective association rule mining with evolutionary algorithm, abbreviated as IUARMMEA. It does not require the user-specified minimum support and minimum confidence anymore, but uses a simple attribute index. It uses a well-designed real encoding so as to extend its application scope. Experiments performed on several databases demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance, and it can significantly reduce the number of comparisons and time consumption.

Attribute Index and Uniform Design Based Multiobjective Association Rule Mining with Evolutionary Algorithm

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuping; Feng, Junhong

2013-01-01

In association rule mining, evaluating an association rule needs to repeatedly scan database to compare the whole database with the antecedent, consequent of a rule and the whole rule. In order to decrease the number of comparisons and time consuming, we present an attribute index strategy. It only needs to scan database once to create the attribute index of each attribute. Then all metrics values to evaluate an association rule do not need to scan database any further, but acquire data only by means of the attribute indices. The paper visualizes association rule mining as a multiobjective problem rather than a single objective one. In order to make the acquired solutions scatter uniformly toward the Pareto frontier in the objective space, elitism policy and uniform design are introduced. The paper presents the algorithm of attribute index and uniform design based multiobjective association rule mining with evolutionary algorithm, abbreviated as IUARMMEA. It does not require the user-specified minimum support and minimum confidence anymore, but uses a simple attribute index. It uses a well-designed real encoding so as to extend its application scope. Experiments performed on several databases demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance, and it can significantly reduce the number of comparisons and time consumption. PMID:23766683

Are hotspots of evolutionary potential adequately protected in southern California?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vandergast, A.G.; Bohonak, A.J.; Hathaway, S.A.; Boys, J.; Fisher, R.N.

2008-01-01

Reserves are often designed to protect rare habitats, or "typical" exemplars of ecoregions and geomorphic provinces. This approach focuses on current patterns of organismal and ecosystem-level biodiversity, but typically ignores the evolutionary processes that control the gain and loss of biodiversity at these and other levels (e.g., genetic, ecological). In order to include evolutionary processes in conservation planning efforts, their spatial components must first be identified and mapped. We describe a GIS-based approach for explicitly mapping patterns of genetic divergence and diversity for multiple species (a "multi-species genetic landscape"). Using this approach, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA datasets from 21 vertebrate and invertebrate species in southern California to identify areas with common phylogeographic breaks and high intrapopulation diversity. The result is an evolutionary framework for southern California within which patterns of genetic diversity can be analyzed in the context of historical processes, future evolutionary potential and current reserve design. Our multi-species genetic landscapes pinpoint six hotspots where interpopulation genetic divergence is consistently high, five evolutionary hotspots within which genetic connectivity is high, and three hotspots where intrapopulation genetic diversity is high. These 14 hotspots can be grouped into eight geographic areas, of which five largely are unprotected at this time. The multi-species genetic landscape approach may provide an avenue to readily incorporate measures of evolutionary process into GIS-based systematic conservation assessment and land-use planning.

Using Intelligent Tutoring Design Principles To Integrate Cognitive Theory into Computer-Based Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orey, Michael A.; Nelson, Wayne A.

Arguing that the evolution of intelligent tutoring systems better reflects the recent theoretical developments of cognitive science than traditional computer-based instruction (CBI), this paper describes a general model for an intelligent tutoring system and suggests ways to improve CBI using design principles derived from research in cognitive…

Zebrafish housing systems: a review of basic operating principles and considerations for design and functionality.

PubMed

Lawrence, Christian; Mason, Timothy

2012-01-01

The strategies for housing zebrafish used in biomedical research have evolved considerably over the past three decades. To keep pace with the rapid expansion and development of the zebrafish model system, the field has generally moved from keeping fish at the level of aquarium hobbyist to that of industrialized, recirculating aquaculture. Numerous commercial system vendors now offer increasingly sophisticated housing systems based on design principles that maximize the number of animals that can be housed in a given space footprint, and they are thus able to support large and diverse research programs. This review is designed to provide managers, lab animal veterinarians, investigators, and other parties responsible for care and use of these animals with a comprehensive overview of the basic operating and design principles of zebrafish housing systems. This information can be used to help plan the construction of new facilities and/or the upgrade and maintenance of existing operations.

Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers on the Design of a Learning Environment Based on the Seven Principles of Good Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Furaih, Suad Abdul Aziz

2017-01-01

This study explored the perceptions of 88 pre-service teachers on the design of a learning environment using the Seven Principles of Good Practice and its effect on participants' abilities to create their Cloud Learning Environment (CLE). In designing the learning environment, a conceptual model under the name 7 Principles and Integrated Learning…

Design principles and issues of rights expression languages for digital rights management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xin

2005-07-01

Digital rights management (DRM) provides a unified approach to specifying, interpreting, enforcing and managing digital rights throughout the entire life cycle of digital assets. Using a declarative rights expression language (REL) for specifying rights and conditions in the form of licenses, as opposite to some other approaches (such as data structures and imperative languages), has been considered and adopted as a superior technology for implementing effective, interoperable and scalable DRM systems. This paper discusses some principles and issues for designing RELs, based on the experiences of developing a family of REL"s (DPRL, XrML 1.x, XrML 2.0 and MPEG REL). It starts with an overview of a family tree of the past and current REL"s, and their development history, followed by an analysis of their data models and a comparison with access-control oriented models. It then presents a number of primary design principles such as syntactic and semantic un-ambiguity, system interoperability, expressiveness in supporting business models and future extensibility, and discusses a number of key design issues such as maintaining stateful information, multi-tier issuance of rights, meta rights, identification of individual and aggregate objects, late-binding of to-beidentified entities, as well as some advanced ones on revocation and delegation of rights. The paper concludes with some remarks on REL profiling and extension for specific application domains.

Evolutionary origins of mechanosensitive ion channels.

PubMed

Martinac, Boris; Kloda, Anna

2003-01-01

According to the recent revision, the universal phylogenetic tree is composed of three domains: Eukarya (eukaryotes), Bacteria (eubacteria) and Archaea (archaebacteria). Mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels have been documented in cells belonging to all three domains suggesting their very early appearance during evolution of life on Earth. The channels show great diversity in conductance, selectivity and voltage dependence, while sharing the property of being gated by mechanical stimuli exerted on cell membranes. In prokaryotes, MS channels were first documented in Bacteria followed by their discovery in Archaea. The finding of MS channels in archaeal cells helped to recognize and establish the evolutionary relationship between bacterial and archaeal MS channels and to show that this relationship extends to eukaryotic Fungi (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) and Plants (Arabidopsis thaliana). Similar to their bacterial and archaeal homologues, MS channels in eukaryotic cell-walled Fungi and Plants may serve in protecting the cellular plasma membrane from excessive dilation and rupture that may occur during osmotic stress. This review summarizes briefly some of the recent developments in the MS channel research field that may ultimately lead to elucidation of the biophysical and evolutionary principles underlying the mechanosensory transduction in living cells.

Evolutionary Agent-based Models to design distributed water management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuliani, M.; Castelletti, A.; Reed, P. M.

2012-12-01

There is growing awareness in the scientific community that the traditional centralized approach to water resources management, as described in much of the water resources literature, provides an ideal optimal solution, which is certainly useful to quantify the best physically achievable performance, but is generally inapplicable. Most real world water resources management problems are indeed characterized by the presence of multiple, distributed and institutionally-independent decision-makers. Multi-Agent Systems provide a potentially more realistic alternative framework to model multiple and self-interested decision-makers in a credible context. Each decision-maker can be represented by an agent who, being self-interested, acts according to local objective functions and produces negative externalities on system level objectives. Different levels of coordination can potentially be included in the framework by designing coordination mechanisms to drive the current decision-making structure toward the global system efficiency. Yet, the identification of effective coordination strategies can be particularly complex in modern institutional contexts and current practice is dependent on largely ad-hoc coordination strategies. In this work we propose a novel Evolutionary Agent-based Modeling (EAM) framework that enables a mapping of fully uncoordinated and centrally coordinated solutions into their relative "many-objective" tradeoffs using multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. Then, by analysing the conflicts between local individual agent and global system level objectives it is possible to more fully understand the causes, consequences, and potential solution strategies for coordination failures. Game-theoretic criteria have value for identifying the most interesting alternatives from a policy making point of view as well as the coordination mechanisms that can be applied to obtain these interesting solutions. The proposed approach is numerically tested on a

First-Principles Studies of Structure-Property Relationships: Enabling Design of Functional Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Qunfei

First-principles calculations based on quantum mechanics have been proved to be powerful for accurately regenerating experimental results, uncovering underlying myths of experimental phenomena, and accelerating the design of innovative materials. This work has been motivated by the demand to design next-generation thermionic emitting cathodes and techniques to allow for synthesis of photo-responsive polymers on complex surfaces with controlled thickness and patterns. For Os-coated tungsten thermionic dispenser cathodes, we used first-principles methods to explore the bulk and surface properties of W-Os alloys in order to explain the previously observed experimental phenomena that thermionic emission varies significantly with W-Os alloy composition. Meanwhile, we have developed a new quantum mechanical approach to quantitatively predict the thermionic emission current density from materials perspective without any semi-empirical approximations or complicated analytical models, which leads to better understanding of thermionic emission mechanism. The methods from this work could be used to accelerate the design of next-generation thermionic cathodes. For photoresponsive materials, we designed a novel type of azobenzene-containing monomer for light-mediated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) toward the fabrication of patterned, photo-responsive polymers by controlling ring strain energy (RSE) of the monomer that drives ROMP. This allows for unprecedented remote, noninvasive, instantaneous spatial and temporal control of photo-responsive polymer deposition on complex surfaces.This work on the above two different materials systems showed the power of quantum mechanical calculations on predicting, understanding and discovering the structures and properties of both known and unknown materials in a fast, efficient and reliable way.

De novo design of molecular architectures by evolutionary assembly of drug-derived building blocks.

PubMed

Schneider, G; Lee, M L; Stahl, M; Schneider, P

2000-07-01

An evolutionary algorithm was developed for fragment-based de novo design of molecules (TOPAS, TOPology-Assigning System). This stochastic method aims at generating a novel molecular structure mimicking a template structure. A set of approximately 25,000 fragment structures serves as the building block supply, which were obtained by a straightforward fragmentation procedure applied to 36,000 known drugs. Eleven reaction schemes were implemented for both fragmentation and building block assembly. This combination of drug-derived building blocks and a restricted set of reaction schemes proved to be a key for the automatic development of novel, synthetically tractable structures. In a cyclic optimization process, molecular architectures were generated from a parent structure by virtual synthesis, and the best structure of a generation was selected as the parent for the subsequent TOPAS cycle. Similarity measures were used to define 'fitness', based on 2D-structural similarity or topological pharmacophore distance between the template molecule and the variants. The concept of varying library 'diversity' during a design process was consequently implemented by using adaptive variant distributions. The efficiency of the design algorithm was demonstrated for the de novo construction of potential thrombin inhibitors mimicking peptide and non-peptide template structures.

Multi-objective optimization of an arch dam shape under static loads using an evolutionary game method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Rui; Cheong, Kang Hao; Bao, Wei; Wong, Kelvin Kian Loong; Wang, Lu; Xie, Neng-gang

2018-06-01

This article attempts to evaluate the safety and economic performance of an arch dam under the action of static loads. The geometric description of a crown cantilever section and the horizontal arch ring is presented. A three-objective optimization model of arch dam shape is established based on the arch dam volume, maximum principal tensile stress and total strain energy. The evolutionary game method is then applied to obtain the optimal solution. In the evolutionary game technique, a novel and more efficient exploration method of the game players' strategy space, named the 'sorting partition method under the threshold limit', is presented, with the game profit functions constructed according to both competitive and cooperative behaviour. By way of example, three optimization goals have all shown improvements over the initial solutions. In particular, the evolutionary game method has potentially faster convergence. This demonstrates the preliminary proof of principle of the evolutionary game method.

Sensor of total hip arthoplasty wear designed on principle of scanning profilometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rössler, Tomas; Mandat, Dusan; Gallo, Jiri; Hrabovsky, Miroslav; Pochmon, Michal; Havranek, Vitezslav

2008-12-01

Total hip arthroplasty significantly improves the quality of life in majority of patients with osteoarthritis. However, prosthetic wear is a problem because of inducing the development of aseptic loosening and periprosthetic osteolysis which needs the revision surgery. Thus, the polyethylene wear measurement is the central to contemporary orthopaedics and this interesting has encouraged the development and improvement of both radiologic (in vivo) and non-radiologic (in vitro) methods for polyethylene wear quantification. The principles of polyethylene liner wear measurements are predominantly geometric; nevertheless, the realization of individual types of in vivo measurements brings with it the necessity of many simplifications and compromising steps to acquire approximately accurate values. In fact, the volumetric wear can be obtained by mathematical conversion based on the most linear shift of femoral head in the cup. However, such approach is understood to be somewhat insufficient. Our ongoing research pointed to the development of optical non-contact method for wear measurement and its results are introduced in this paper including the methodology designed for the usability validation of the method for the given purpose and the description of sensor, its principle, technical realization, design and parameters.

Promoting knowledge integration of scientific principles and environmental stewardship: Assessing an issue-based approach to teaching evolution and marine conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmerman, Timothy David

2005-11-01

Students and citizens need to apply science to important issues every day. Yet the design of science curricula that foster integration of science and everyday decisions is not well understood. For example, can curricula be designed that help learners apply scientific reasons for choosing only environmentally sustainable seafood for dinner? Learners must develop integrated understandings of scientific principles, prior experiences, and current decisions in order to comprehend how everyday decisions impact environmental resources. In order to investigate how such integrated understandings can be promoted within school science classes, research was conducted with an inquiry-oriented curriculum that utilizes technology and a visit to an informal learning environment (aquarium) to promote the integration of scientific principles (adaptation) with environmental stewardship. This research used a knowledge integration approach to teaching and learning that provided a framework for promoting the application of science to environmental issues. Marine biology, often forsaken in classrooms for terrestrial biology, served as the scientific context for the curriculum. The curriculum design incorporated a three-phase pedagogical strategy and new technology tools to help students integrate knowledge and experiences across the classroom and aquarium learning environments. The research design and assessment protocols included comparisons among and within student populations using two versions of the curriculum: an issue-based version and a principle-based version. These inquiry curricula were tested with sophomore biology students attending a marine-focused academy within a coastal California high school. Pretest-posttest outcomes were compared between and within the curricular treatments. Additionally, comparisons were made between the inquiry groups and seniors in an Advanced Placement biology course who attend the same high school. Results indicate that the inquiry curricula

Towards automating the discovery of certain innovative design principles through a clustering-based optimization technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandaru, Sunith; Deb, Kalyanmoy

2011-09-01

In this article, a methodology is proposed for automatically extracting innovative design principles which make a system or process (subject to conflicting objectives) optimal using its Pareto-optimal dataset. Such 'higher knowledge' would not only help designers to execute the system better, but also enable them to predict how changes in one variable would affect other variables if the system has to retain its optimal behaviour. This in turn would help solve other similar systems with different parameter settings easily without the need to perform a fresh optimization task. The proposed methodology uses a clustering-based optimization technique and is capable of discovering hidden functional relationships between the variables, objective and constraint functions and any other function that the designer wishes to include as a 'basis function'. A number of engineering design problems are considered for which the mathematical structure of these explicit relationships exists and has been revealed by a previous study. A comparison with the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) approach reveals the practicality of the proposed approach due to its ability to find meaningful design principles. The success of this procedure for automated innovization is highly encouraging and indicates its suitability for further development in tackling more complex design scenarios.

Zebrafish Housing Systems: A Review of Basic Operating Principles and Considerations for Design and Functionality

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Christian; Mason, Timothy

2015-01-01

The strategies for housing zebrafish used in biomedical research have evolved considerably over the past three decades. To keep pace with the rapid expansion and development of the zebrafish model system, the field has generally moved from keeping fish at the level of aquarium hobbyist to that of industrialized, recirculating aquaculture. Numerous commercial system vendors now offer increasingly sophisticated housing systems based on design principles that maximize the number of animals that can be housed in a given space footprint, and they are thus able to support large and diverse research programs. This review is designed to provide managers, lab animal veterinarians, investigators, and other parties responsible for care and use of these animals with a comprehensive overview of the basic operating and design principles of zebrafish housing systems. This information can be used to help plan the construction of new facilities and/or the upgrade and maintenance of existing operations. PMID:23382349

Evolutionary thinking

PubMed Central

Hunt, Tam

2014-01-01

Evolution as an idea has a lengthy history, even though the idea of evolution is generally associated with Darwin today. Rebecca Stott provides an engaging and thoughtful overview of this history of evolutionary thinking in her 2013 book, Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution. Since Darwin, the debate over evolution—both how it takes place and, in a long war of words with religiously-oriented thinkers, whether it takes place—has been sustained and heated. A growing share of this debate is now devoted to examining how evolutionary thinking affects areas outside of biology. How do our lives change when we recognize that all is in flux? What can we learn about life more generally if we study change instead of stasis? Carter Phipps’ book, Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Cultural Potential of Science's Greatest Idea, delves deep into this relatively new development. Phipps generally takes as a given the validity of the Modern Synthesis of evolutionary biology. His story takes us into, as the subtitle suggests, the spiritual and cultural implications of evolutionary thinking. Can religion and evolution be reconciled? Can evolutionary thinking lead to a new type of spirituality? Is our culture already being changed in ways that we don't realize by evolutionary thinking? These are all important questions and Phipps book is a great introduction to this discussion. Phipps is an author, journalist, and contributor to the emerging “integral” or “evolutionary” cultural movement that combines the insights of Integral Philosophy, evolutionary science, developmental psychology, and the social sciences. He has served as the Executive Editor of EnlightenNext magazine (no longer published) and more recently is the co-founder of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, a public policy think tank addressing the cultural roots of America's political challenges. What follows is an email interview with Phipps. PMID:26478766

The Principle of Stasis: Why drift is not a Zero-Cause Law.

PubMed

Luque, Victor J

2016-06-01

This paper analyses the structure of evolutionary theory as a quasi-Newtonian theory and the need to establish a Zero-Cause Law. Several authors have postulated that the special character of drift is because it is the default behaviour or Zero-Cause Law of evolutionary systems, where change and not stasis is the normal state of them. For these authors, drift would be a Zero-Cause Law, the default behaviour and therefore a constituent assumption impossible to change without changing the system. I defend that drift's causal and explanatory power prevents it from being considered as a Zero-Cause Law. Instead, I propose that the default behaviour of evolutionary systems is what I call the Principle of Stasis, which posits that an evolutionary system where there is no selection, drift, mutation, migration, etc., and therefore no difference-maker, will not undergo any change (it will remain in stasis). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design principles and common pool resource management: an institutional approach to evaluating community management in semi-arid Tanzania.

PubMed

Quinn, Claire H; Huby, Meg; Kiwasila, Hilda; Lovett, Jon C

2007-07-01

This paper analyses the role of institutions in the management of common pool resources (CPRs) in semi-arid Tanzania. Common property regimes have often been considered inadequate for the management of CPRs because of the problems of excludability, but they are becoming more widely supported as the way forward to overcome the problems of resource use and degradation in developing countries. A series of design principles for long enduring common property institutions have been proposed by Ostrom, but there is concern that they are not applicable to a wide range of real life situations or that they may be specific to certain types of CPR. Here, we compare these principles to the situation prevailing in 12 villages in six districts in semi-arid Tanzania. Data on management institutions were collected through semi-structured interviews and meetings at district and village level. The combined information was used to make a qualitative assessment of the strength with which each design principle appeared to operate in the management of forest, pasture and water resources. Boundaries, conflict and negotiation in CPR management are of key importance in semi-arid regions. However, the need for flexibility in order to deal with ecological uncertainty means that many management institutions would be considered weak or absent according to the design principle approach. This supports the view that the design principles should not be used as a 'blueprint to be imposed on resource management regimes' rather that they provide a framework for investigating common property regimes with the proviso that, certainly for semi-arid regions, they may highlight where management cannot be explained by institutional theory alone.

Evolutionary Optimization of a Geometrically Refined Truss

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hull, P. V.; Tinker, M. L.; Dozier, G. V.

2007-01-01

Structural optimization is a field of research that has experienced noteworthy growth for many years. Researchers in this area have developed optimization tools to successfully design and model structures, typically minimizing mass while maintaining certain deflection and stress constraints. Numerous optimization studies have been performed to minimize mass, deflection, and stress on a benchmark cantilever truss problem. Predominantly traditional optimization theory is applied to this problem. The cross-sectional area of each member is optimized to minimize the aforementioned objectives. This Technical Publication (TP) presents a structural optimization technique that has been previously applied to compliant mechanism design. This technique demonstrates a method that combines topology optimization, geometric refinement, finite element analysis, and two forms of evolutionary computation: genetic algorithms and differential evolution to successfully optimize a benchmark structural optimization problem. A nontraditional solution to the benchmark problem is presented in this TP, specifically a geometrically refined topological solution. The design process begins with an alternate control mesh formulation, multilevel geometric smoothing operation, and an elastostatic structural analysis. The design process is wrapped in an evolutionary computing optimization toolset.

Applying human factors principles to alert design increases efficiency and reduces prescribing errors in a scenario-based simulation

PubMed Central

Russ, Alissa L; Zillich, Alan J; Melton, Brittany L; Russell, Scott A; Chen, Siying; Spina, Jeffrey R; Weiner, Michael; Johnson, Elizabette G; Daggy, Joanne K; McManus, M Sue; Hawsey, Jason M; Puleo, Anthony G; Doebbeling, Bradley N; Saleem, Jason J

2014-01-01

Objective To apply human factors engineering principles to improve alert interface design. We hypothesized that incorporating human factors principles into alerts would improve usability, reduce workload for prescribers, and reduce prescribing errors. Materials and methods We performed a scenario-based simulation study using a counterbalanced, crossover design with 20 Veterans Affairs prescribers to compare original versus redesigned alerts. We redesigned drug–allergy, drug–drug interaction, and drug–disease alerts based upon human factors principles. We assessed usability (learnability of redesign, efficiency, satisfaction, and usability errors), perceived workload, and prescribing errors. Results Although prescribers received no training on the design changes, prescribers were able to resolve redesigned alerts more efficiently (median (IQR): 56 (47) s) compared to the original alerts (85 (71) s; p=0.015). In addition, prescribers rated redesigned alerts significantly higher than original alerts across several dimensions of satisfaction. Redesigned alerts led to a modest but significant reduction in workload (p=0.042) and significantly reduced the number of prescribing errors per prescriber (median (range): 2 (1–5) compared to original alerts: 4 (1–7); p=0.024). Discussion Aspects of the redesigned alerts that likely contributed to better prescribing include design modifications that reduced usability-related errors, providing clinical data closer to the point of decision, and displaying alert text in a tabular format. Displaying alert text in a tabular format may help prescribers extract information quickly and thereby increase responsiveness to alerts. Conclusions This simulation study provides evidence that applying human factors design principles to medication alerts can improve usability and prescribing outcomes. PMID:24668841

The technology improvement and development of the new design-engineering principles of pilot bore directional drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadrina, A.; Saruev, L.; Vasenin, S.

2016-09-01

This paper addresses the effectiveness of impact energy use in pilot bore directional drilling at pipe driving. We establish and develop new design-engineering principles for this method. These principles are based on a drill string construction with a new nipple thread connection and a generator construction of strain waves transferred through the drill string. The experiment was conducted on a test bench. Strain measurement is used to estimate compression, tensile, shear and bending stresses in the drill string during the propagation of elastic waves. Finally, the main directions of pilot bore directional drilling improvement during pipe driving are determinated. The new engineering design, as components of the pilot bore directional drilling technology are presented.

Langley's CSI evolutionary model: Phase O

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, W. Keith; Elliott, Kenny B.; Horta, Lucas G.; Bailey, Jim P.; Bruner, Anne M.; Sulla, Jeffrey L.; Won, John; Ugoletti, Roberto M.

1991-01-01

A testbed for the development of Controls Structures Interaction (CSI) technology to improve space science platform pointing is described. The evolutionary nature of the testbed will permit the study of global line-of-sight pointing in phases 0 and 1, whereas, multipayload pointing systems will be studied beginning with phase 2. The design, capabilities, and typical dynamic behavior of the phase 0 version of the CSI evolutionary model (CEM) is documented for investigator both internal and external to NASA. The model description includes line-of-sight pointing measurement, testbed structure, actuators, sensors, and real time computers, as well as finite element and state space models of major components.

Design Principles for Rapid Prototyping Forces Sensors using 3D Printing.

PubMed

Kesner, Samuel B; Howe, Robert D

2011-07-21

Force sensors provide critical information for robot manipulators, manufacturing processes, and haptic interfaces. Commercial force sensors, however, are generally not adapted to specific system requirements, resulting in sensors with excess size, cost, and fragility. To overcome these issues, 3D printers can be used to create components for the quick and inexpensive development of force sensors. Limitations of this rapid prototyping technology, however, require specialized design principles. In this paper, we discuss techniques for rapidly developing simple force sensors, including selecting and attaching metal flexures, using inexpensive and simple displacement transducers, and 3D printing features to aid in assembly. These design methods are illustrated through the design and fabrication of a miniature force sensor for the tip of a robotic catheter system. The resulting force sensor prototype can measure forces with an accuracy of as low as 2% of the 10 N measurement range.

Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis.

PubMed

Sazer, Shelley; Lynch, Michael; Needleman, Daniel

2014-11-17

The origin of the nucleus at the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition represents one of the most important events in the evolution of cellular organization. The nuclear envelope encircles the chromosomes in interphase and is a selectively permeable barrier between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm and an organizational scaffold for the nucleus. It remains intact in the 'closed' mitosis of some yeasts, but loses its integrity in the 'open' mitosis of mammals. Instances of both types of mitosis within two evolutionary clades indicate multiple evolutionary transitions between open and closed mitosis, although the underlying genetic changes that influenced these transitions remain unknown. A survey of the diversity of mitotic nuclei that fall between these extremes is the starting point from which to determine the physiologically relevant characteristics distinguishing open from closed mitosis and to understand how they evolved and why they are retained in present-day organisms. The field is now poised to begin addressing these issues by defining and documenting patterns of mitotic nuclear variation within and among species and mapping them onto a phylogenic tree. Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis will complement cell biological and genetic approaches aimed at deciphering the fundamental organizational principles of the nucleus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis

PubMed Central

Sazer, Shelley; Lynch, Michael; Needleman, Daniel

2014-01-01

Summary The origin of the nucleus at the prokaryote to eukaryote transition represents one of the most important events in the evolution of cellular organization. The nuclear envelope encircles the chromosomes in interphase and is a selectively permeable barrier between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm and an organizational scaffold for the nucleus. It remains intact in the "closed" mitosis of some yeast but loses its integrity in the "open" mitosis of mammals. Instances of both types of mitosis within two evolutionary clades indicate multiple evolutionary transitions between open and closed mitosis, although the underlying genetic changes that influenced these transitions remain unknown. A survey of the diversity of mitotic nuclei that fall between these extremes is the starting point from which to determine the physiologically relevant characteristics distinguishing open from closed mitosis and to understand how they evolved and why they are retained in present-day organisms. The field is now poised to begin addressing these issues by defining and document patterns of mitotic nuclear variation within and among species and map them onto a phylogenic tree. Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis will complement cell biological and genetic approaches aimed at deciphering the fundamental organizational principles of the nucleus. PMID:25458223

Design principles for radiation-resistant solid solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuler, Thomas; Trinkle, Dallas R.; Bellon, Pascal; Averback, Robert

2017-05-01

We develop a multiscale approach to quantify the increase in the recombined fraction of point defects under irradiation resulting from dilute solute additions to a solid solution. This methodology provides design principles for radiation-resistant materials. Using an existing database of solute diffusivities, we identify Sb as one of the most efficient solutes for this purpose in a Cu matrix. We perform density-functional-theory calculations to obtain binding and migration energies of Sb atoms, vacancies, and self-interstitial atoms in various configurations. The computed data informs the self-consistent mean-field formalism to calculate transport coefficients, allowing us to make quantitative predictions of the recombined fraction of point defects as a function of temperature and irradiation rate using homogeneous rate equations. We identify two different mechanisms according to which solutes lead to an increase in the recombined fraction of point defects; at low temperature, solutes slow down vacancies (kinetic effect), while at high temperature, solutes stabilize vacancies in the solid solution (thermodynamic effect). Extension to other metallic matrices and solutes are discussed.

Learning Effects of a Science Textbook Designed with Adapted Cognitive Process Principles on Grade 5 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Ming-Chang; Chou, Pei-I; Wang, Ya-Ting; Lin, Chih-Ho

2015-01-01

This study investigates how the illustrations in a science textbook, with their design modified according to cognitive process principles, affected students' learning performance. The quasi-experimental design recruited two Grade 5 groups (N?=?58) as the research participants. The treatment group (n?=?30) used the modified version of the textbook,…

Using engineering control principles to inform the design of adaptive interventions: a conceptual introduction.

PubMed

Rivera, Daniel E; Pew, Michael D; Collins, Linda M

2007-05-01

The goal of this paper is to describe the role that control engineering principles can play in developing and improving the efficacy of adaptive, time-varying interventions. It is demonstrated that adaptive interventions constitute a form of feedback control system in the context of behavioral health. Consequently, drawing from ideas in control engineering has the potential to significantly inform the analysis, design, and implementation of adaptive interventions, leading to improved adherence, better management of limited resources, a reduction of negative effects, and overall more effective interventions. This article illustrates how to express an adaptive intervention in control engineering terms, and how to use this framework in a computer simulation to investigate the anticipated impact of intervention design choices on efficacy. The potential benefits of operationalizing decision rules based on control engineering principles are particularly significant for adaptive interventions that involve multiple components or address co-morbidities, situations that pose significant challenges to conventional clinical practice.

Using Engineering Control Principles to Inform the Design of Adaptive Interventions: A Conceptual Introduction

PubMed Central

Rivera, Daniel E.; Pew, Michael D.; Collins, Linda M.

2007-01-01

The goal of this paper is to describe the role that control engineering principles can play in developing and improving the efficacy of adaptive, time-varying interventions. It is demonstrated that adaptive interventions constitute a form of feedback control system in the context of behavioral health. Consequently, drawing from ideas in control engineering has the potential to significantly inform the analysis, design, and implementation of adaptive interventions, leading to improved adherence, better management of limited resources, a reduction of negative effects, and overall more effective interventions. This article illustrates how to express an adaptive intervention in control engineering terms, and how to use this framework in a computer simulation to investigate the anticipated impact of intervention design choices on efficacy. The potential benefits of operationalizing decision rules based on control engineering principles are particularly significant for adaptive interventions that involve multiple components or address co-morbidities, situations that pose significant challenges to conventional clinical practice. PMID:17169503

An Analysis of Factors that Inhibit Business Use of User-Centered Design Principles: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, Tod M.

2010-01-01

The use of user-centered design (UCD) principles has a positive impact on the use of web-based interactive systems in customer-centric organizations. User-centered design methodologies are not widely adopted in organizations due to intraorganizational factors. A qualitative study using a modified Delphi technique was used to identify the factors…

Investigations into the design principles in the chemotactic behavior of Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Kim, Tae-Hwan; Jung, Sung Hoon; Cho, Kwang-Hyun

2008-01-01

Inspired by the recent studies on the analysis of biased random walk behavior of Escherichia coli[Passino, K.M., 2002. Biomimicry of bacterial foraging for distributed optimization and control. IEEE Control Syst. Mag. 22 (3), 52-67; Passino, K.M., 2005. Biomimicry for Optimization, Control and Automation. Springer-Verlag, pp. 768-798; Liu, Y., Passino, K.M., 2002. Biomimicry of social foraging bacteria for distributed optimization: models, principles, and emergent behaviors. J. Optim. Theory Appl. 115 (3), 603-628], we have developed a model describing the motile behavior of E. coli by specifying some simple rules on the chemotaxis. Based on this model, we have analyzed the role of some key parameters involved in the chemotactic behavior to unravel the underlying design principles. By investigating the target tracking capability of E. coli in a maze through computer simulations, we found that E. coli clusters can be controlled as target trackers in a complex micro-scale-environment. In addition, we have explored the dynamical characteristics of this target tracking mechanism through perturbation of parameters under noisy environments. It turns out that the E. coli chemotaxis mechanism might be designed such that it is sensitive enough to efficiently track the target and also robust enough to overcome environmental noises.

On the application of motivation theory to human factors/ergonomics: motivational design principles for human-technology interaction.

PubMed

Szalma, James L

2014-12-01

Motivation is a driving force in human-technology interaction. This paper represents an effort to (a) describe a theoretical model of motivation in human technology interaction, (b) provide design principles and guidelines based on this theory, and (c) describe a sequence of steps for the. evaluation of motivational factors in human-technology interaction. Motivation theory has been relatively neglected in human factors/ergonomics (HF/E). In both research and practice, the (implicit) assumption has been that the operator is already motivated or that motivation is an organizational concern and beyond the purview of HF/E. However, technology can induce task-related boredom (e.g., automation) that can be stressful and also increase system vulnerability to performance failures. A theoretical model of motivation in human-technology interaction is proposed, based on extension of the self-determination theory of motivation to HF/E. This model provides the basis for both future research and for development of practical recommendations for design. General principles and guidelines for motivational design are described as well as a sequence of steps for the design process. Human motivation is an important concern for HF/E research and practice. Procedures in the design of both simple and complex technologies can, and should, include the evaluation of motivational characteristics of the task, interface, or system. In addition, researchers should investigate these factors in specific human-technology domains. The theory, principles, and guidelines described here can be incorporated into existing techniques for task analysis and for interface and system design.

The Roles and Uses of Design Principles for Developing the Trialogical Approach on Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paavola, Sami; Lakkala, Minna; Muukkonen, Hanni; Kosonen, Kari; Karlgren, Klas

2011-01-01

In the present paper, the development and use of a specific set of pedagogical design principles in a large research and development project are analysed. The project (the Knowledge Practices Laboratory) developed technology and a pedagogical approach to support certain kinds of collaborative knowledge creation practices related to the…

Creating, Evaluating, and Improving Humorous Cartoons Related to Design Principles for Gifted Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C.; Schneider, Jean S.

2009-01-01

Humor through cartoons is an interesting way to engage students in learning course content. The purpose of this study was to document the process of graduate student-made cartoons that portrayed content about principles of designing gifted education programs. Seventeen graduate students enrolled in an introductory gifted education course…

Spore: Spawning Evolutionary Misconceptions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bean, Thomas E.; Sinatra, Gale M.; Schrader, P. G.

2010-10-01

The use of computer simulations as educational tools may afford the means to develop understanding of evolution as a natural, emergent, and decentralized process. However, special consideration of developmental constraints on learning may be necessary when using these technologies. Specifically, the essentialist (biological forms possess an immutable essence), teleological (assignment of purpose to living things and/or parts of living things that may not be purposeful), and intentionality (assumption that events are caused by an intelligent agent) biases may be reinforced through the use of computer simulations, rather than addressed with instruction. We examine the video game Spore for its depiction of evolutionary content and its potential to reinforce these cognitive biases. In particular, we discuss three pedagogical strategies to mitigate weaknesses of Spore and other computer simulations: directly targeting misconceptions through refutational approaches, targeting specific principles of scientific inquiry, and directly addressing issues related to models as cognitive tools.

Perceived consequences of evolution: College students perceive negative personal and social impact in evolutionary theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brem, Sarah K.; Ranney, Michael; Schindel, Jennifer

2003-03-01

Evolutionary science has consequences for individuals and society, ranging from the way we interpret human behavior to our notions of spirituality and the purpose of our existence. Popular portrayals of evolution depict a paradoxical theory, a source of knowledge and human connections, but also a threat to our humanity and freedom. Using quantitative and qualitative methodology, we examined how college-educated adults (n = 135) from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds perceive the impact of evolutionary theory on individuals and society. We identified a continuum of perspectives, ranging from strong creationist to strong evolutionist. Using the model of knowledge as an ecology (Demastes, Good, & Peebles, Science Education, 79, 637-666, 1995; Nardi & O'Day, Information ecologies: Using technology with heart, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999), we examined the relationships among participants' beliefs, their perceptions regarding the social and personal impact of evolutionary theory, their prior exposure to and knowledge of evolutionary theory, and their opinions regarding the teaching of evolution. Evolutionists and creationists differed in their prior exposure to evolutionary theory, and their opinions about some aspects of teaching, but showed striking similarities regarding perceived impact. All groups viewed the consequences of accepting evolutionary principles in a way that might be considered undesirable: increased selfishness and racism, decreased spirituality, and a decreased sense of purpose and self-determination. From a science education perspective, this one-sided interpretation is troublesome because it runs counter to the available evidence and theories in evolutionary science, and we consider ways of fostering more balanced presentation and appraisal of evolutionary theory.

Application of Instructional Design Principles in Developing an Online Information Literacy Curriculum.

PubMed

Mi, Misa

2016-01-01

An online information literacy curriculum was developed as an intervention to engage students in independent study and self-assessment of their learning needs and learning outcomes, develop proficiency in information skills, and foster lifelong learning. This column demonstrates how instructional design principles were applied to create the learning experiences integrated into various courses of the medical curriculum to promote active learning of information skills and maximize self-directed learning outcomes for lifelong learning.

Towards Rational Design of Functional Fluoride and Oxyfluoride Materials from First Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, Nenian

Complex transition metal compounds (TMCs) research has produced functional materials with a range of properties, including ferroelectricity, colossal magnetoresistance, nonlinear optical activity and high-temperature superconductivity. Conventional routes to tune properties in transition metal oxides, for example, have relied primarily on cation chemical substitution and interfacial effects in thin film heterostructures. In heteroanionic TMCs, exhibiting two chemically distinct anions coordinating the same or different cations, engineering of the anion sub-lattice for property control is a promising alternative approach. The presence of multiple anions provides additional design variables, such as anion order, that are absent in homoanionic counterparts. The more complex structural and chemical phase space of heteroanionic materials provides a unique opportunity to realize enhanced or unanticipated electronic, optical, and magnetic responses. Although there is growing interest in heteroanionic materials, and synthetic and characterization advances are occurring for these materials, the crystal-chemistry principles for realizing structural and property control are only slowing emerging. This dissertation employs anion engineering to investigate phenomena in transition metal fluorides and oxyfluorides compounds using first principles density functional theory calculations. Oxyfluorides are particularly intriguing owing their tendency to stabilize highly ordered anion sublattices as well as the potential to combine the advantageous properties of transition metal oxides and fluorides. This work 1) addresses the challenges of studying fluorides and oxyfluorides using first principles calculations; 2) evaluates the feasibility of using external stimuli, such as epitaxial strain and hydrostatic pressure, to control properties of fluorides and oxyfluorides; and 3) formulates a computational workflow based on multiple levels of theory and computation to elucidate structure

Teaching the Toolkit: A Laboratory Series to Demonstrate the Evolutionary Conservation of Metazoan Cell Signaling Pathways

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeClair, Elizabeth E.

2008-01-01

A major finding of comparative genomics and developmental genetics is that metazoans share certain conserved, embryonically deployed signaling pathways that instruct cells as to their ultimate fate. Because the DNA encoding these pathways predates the evolutionary split of most animal groups, it should in principle be possible to clone…

On extracting design principles from biology: I. Method-General answers to high-level design questions for bioinspired robots.

PubMed

Haberland, M; Kim, S

2015-02-02

When millions of years of evolution suggest a particular design solution, we may be tempted to abandon traditional design methods and copy the biological example. However, biological solutions do not often translate directly into the engineering domain, and even when they do, copying eliminates the opportunity to improve. A better approach is to extract design principles relevant to the task of interest, incorporate them in engineering designs, and vet these candidates against others. This paper presents the first general framework for determining whether biologically inspired relationships between design input variables and output objectives and constraints are applicable to a variety of engineering systems. Using optimization and statistics to generalize the results beyond a particular system, the framework overcomes shortcomings observed of ad hoc methods, particularly those used in the challenging study of legged locomotion. The utility of the framework is demonstrated in a case study of the relative running efficiency of rotary-kneed and telescoping-legged robots.

Supporting Teachers in Designing CSCL Activities: A Case Study of Principle-Based Pedagogical Patterns in Networked Second Language Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wen, Yun; Looi, Chee-Kit; Chen, Wenli

2012-01-01

This paper proposes the identification and use of principle-based pedagogical patterns to help teachers to translate design principles into actionable teaching activities, and to scaffold student learning with sufficient flexibility and creativity. A set of pedagogical patterns for networked Second language (L2) learning, categorized and…

Understanding Evolutionary Potential in Virtual CPU Instruction Set Architectures

PubMed Central

Bryson, David M.; Ofria, Charles

2013-01-01

We investigate fundamental decisions in the design of instruction set architectures for linear genetic programs that are used as both model systems in evolutionary biology and underlying solution representations in evolutionary computation. We subjected digital organisms with each tested architecture to seven different computational environments designed to present a range of evolutionary challenges. Our goal was to engineer a general purpose architecture that would be effective under a broad range of evolutionary conditions. We evaluated six different types of architectural features for the virtual CPUs: (1) genetic flexibility: we allowed digital organisms to more precisely modify the function of genetic instructions, (2) memory: we provided an increased number of registers in the virtual CPUs, (3) decoupled sensors and actuators: we separated input and output operations to enable greater control over data flow. We also tested a variety of methods to regulate expression: (4) explicit labels that allow programs to dynamically refer to specific genome positions, (5) position-relative search instructions, and (6) multiple new flow control instructions, including conditionals and jumps. Each of these features also adds complication to the instruction set and risks slowing evolution due to epistatic interactions. Two features (multiple argument specification and separated I/O) demonstrated substantial improvements in the majority of test environments, along with versions of each of the remaining architecture modifications that show significant improvements in multiple environments. However, some tested modifications were detrimental, though most exhibit no systematic effects on evolutionary potential, highlighting the robustness of digital evolution. Combined, these observations enhance our understanding of how instruction architecture impacts evolutionary potential, enabling the creation of architectures that support more rapid evolution of complex solutions to a

The evolutionary theory of asymmetry by V. Geodakyan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geodakyan, Sergey V.

2015-08-01

For more than 150 years, all biological theories, including those of C. Darwin and Mendel, were based on the idea of synchronous evolution. They fit for unitary monomodal systems (asexual, symmetrical) but do not work for binary (dioecious, asymmetrical) ones. Examples of such binary conjugated differentiations are two sexes, DNA-proteins, autosomes-sex chromosomes, right and left brain hemispheres, and hands. For their understanding, "asynchronous" theories are needed. Such theories were proposed by Russian theoretical biologist Vigen A. Geodakyan for sexual, brain and body, and chromosomal differentiations. All theories are interconnected and are based on the principle of conjugated subsystems. This article covers the basic tenets of the evolutionary theory of asymmetry and answers the following questions: What benefits does lateralization provide? What logic, what principle is it based on? Why do brain hemispheres control the opposite sides of the body? Why laterality is closely related to sex? What are the biological prerequisites of terrorism?

Experimental evolution reveals hidden diversity in evolutionary pathways.

PubMed

Lind, Peter A; Farr, Andrew D; Rainey, Paul B

2015-03-25

Replicate populations of natural and experimental organisms often show evidence of parallel genetic evolution, but the causes are unclear. The wrinkly spreader morph of Pseudomonas fluorescens arises repeatedly during experimental evolution. The mutational causes reside exclusively within three pathways. By eliminating these, 13 new mutational pathways were discovered with the newly arising WS types having fitnesses similar to those arising from the commonly passaged routes. Our findings show that parallel genetic evolution is strongly biased by constraints and we reveal the genetic bases. From such knowledge, and in instances where new phenotypes arise via gene activation, we suggest a set of principles: evolution proceeds firstly via pathways subject to negative regulation, then via promoter mutations and gene fusions, and finally via activation by intragenic gain-of-function mutations. These principles inform evolutionary forecasting and have relevance to interpreting the diverse array of mutations associated with clinically identical instances of disease in humans.

Experimental evolution reveals hidden diversity in evolutionary pathways

PubMed Central

Lind, Peter A; Farr, Andrew D; Rainey, Paul B

2015-01-01

Replicate populations of natural and experimental organisms often show evidence of parallel genetic evolution, but the causes are unclear. The wrinkly spreader morph of Pseudomonas fluorescens arises repeatedly during experimental evolution. The mutational causes reside exclusively within three pathways. By eliminating these, 13 new mutational pathways were discovered with the newly arising WS types having fitnesses similar to those arising from the commonly passaged routes. Our findings show that parallel genetic evolution is strongly biased by constraints and we reveal the genetic bases. From such knowledge, and in instances where new phenotypes arise via gene activation, we suggest a set of principles: evolution proceeds firstly via pathways subject to negative regulation, then via promoter mutations and gene fusions, and finally via activation by intragenic gain-of-function mutations. These principles inform evolutionary forecasting and have relevance to interpreting the diverse array of mutations associated with clinically identical instances of disease in humans. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07074.001 PMID:25806684

Teacher Viewpoints of Instructional Design Principles for Visuals in a Middle School Math Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clinton, Virginia; Cooper, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

Instructional design principles for visuals in student materials have been developed through findings based on student-level measures. However, teacher viewpoints may be a rich source of information to better understand how visuals can be optimized for student learning. This study's purpose is to examine teacher viewpoints on visuals. In a…

Design of an Evolutionary Approach for Intrusion Detection

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

A novel evolutionary approach is proposed for effective intrusion detection based on benchmark datasets. The proposed approach can generate a pool of noninferior individual solutions and ensemble solutions thereof. The generated ensembles can be used to detect the intrusions accurately. For intrusion detection problem, the proposed approach could consider conflicting objectives simultaneously like detection rate of each attack class, error rate, accuracy, diversity, and so forth. The proposed approach can generate a pool of noninferior solutions and ensembles thereof having optimized trade-offs values of multiple conflicting objectives. In this paper, a three-phase, approach is proposed to generate solutions to a simple chromosome design in the first phase. In the first phase, a Pareto front of noninferior individual solutions is approximated. In the second phase of the proposed approach, the entire solution set is further refined to determine effective ensemble solutions considering solution interaction. In this phase, another improved Pareto front of ensemble solutions over that of individual solutions is approximated. The ensemble solutions in improved Pareto front reported improved detection results based on benchmark datasets for intrusion detection. In the third phase, a combination method like majority voting method is used to fuse the predictions of individual solutions for determining prediction of ensemble solution. Benchmark datasets, namely, KDD cup 1999 and ISCX 2012 dataset, are used to demonstrate and validate the performance of the proposed approach for intrusion detection. The proposed approach can discover individual solutions and ensemble solutions thereof with a good support and a detection rate from benchmark datasets (in comparison with well-known ensemble methods like bagging and boosting). In addition, the proposed approach is a generalized classification approach that is applicable to the problem of any field having multiple conflicting

Principles of parametric estimation in modeling language competition.

PubMed

Zhang, Menghan; Gong, Tao

2013-06-11

It is generally difficult to define reasonable parameters and interpret their values in mathematical models of social phenomena. Rather than directly fitting abstract parameters against empirical data, we should define some concrete parameters to denote the sociocultural factors relevant for particular phenomena, and compute the values of these parameters based upon the corresponding empirical data. Taking the example of modeling studies of language competition, we propose a language diffusion principle and two language inheritance principles to compute two critical parameters, namely the impacts and inheritance rates of competing languages, in our language competition model derived from the Lotka-Volterra competition model in evolutionary biology. These principles assign explicit sociolinguistic meanings to those parameters and calculate their values from the relevant data of population censuses and language surveys. Using four examples of language competition, we illustrate that our language competition model with thus-estimated parameter values can reliably replicate and predict the dynamics of language competition, and it is especially useful in cases lacking direct competition data.

Designing nanomaterials to maximize performance and minimize undesirable implications guided by the Principles of Green Chemistry.

PubMed

Gilbertson, Leanne M; Zimmerman, Julie B; Plata, Desiree L; Hutchison, James E; Anastas, Paul T

2015-08-21

The Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry were first published in 1998 and provide a framework that has been adopted not only by chemists, but also by design practitioners and decision-makers (e.g., materials scientists and regulators). The development of the Principles was initially motivated by the need to address decades of unintended environmental pollution and human health impacts from the production and use of hazardous chemicals. Yet, for over a decade now, the Principles have been applied to the synthesis and production of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and the products they enable. While the combined efforts of the global scientific community have led to promising advances in the field of nanotechnology, there remain significant research gaps and the opportunity to leverage the potential global economic, societal and environmental benefits of ENMs safely and sustainably. As such, this tutorial review benchmarks the successes to date and identifies critical research gaps to be considered as future opportunities for the community to address. A sustainable material design framework is proposed that emphasizes the importance of establishing structure-property-function (SPF) and structure-property-hazard (SPH) relationships to guide the rational design of ENMs. The goal is to achieve or exceed the functional performance of current materials and the technologies they enable, while minimizing inherent hazard to avoid risk to human health and the environment at all stages of the life cycle.

An evolutionary theory of human motivation.

PubMed

Bernard, Larry C; Mills, Michael; Swenson, Leland; Walsh, R Patricia

2005-05-01

The authors review psychology's historical, competing perspectives on human motivation and propose a new comprehensive theory. The new theory is based on evolutionary principles as proposed by C. Darwin (1859) and modified by W. D. Hamilton (1964, 1996), R. L. Trivers (1971, 1972), and R. Dawkins (1989). The theory unifies biological, behavioral, and cognitive approaches to motivation. The theory is neuropsychological and addresses conscious and nonconscious processes that underlie motivation, emotion, and self-control. The theory predicts a hierarchical structure of motives that are measurable as individual differences in human behavior. These motives are related to social problem domains (D. B. Bugental, 2000; D. T. Kenrick, N. P. Li, & J. Butner, 2003), and each is hypothesized to solve a particular problem of human inclusive fitness.

Design Principles for Covalent Organic Frameworks as Efficient Electrocatalysts in Clean Energy Conversion and Green Oxidizer Production.

PubMed

Lin, Chun-Yu; Zhang, Lipeng; Zhao, Zhenghang; Xia, Zhenhai

2017-05-01

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), an emerging class of framework materials linked by covalent bonds, hold potential for various applications such as efficient electrocatalysts, photovoltaics, and sensors. To rationally design COF-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions in fuel cells and metal-air batteries, activity descriptors, derived from orbital energy and bonding structures, are identified with the first-principle calculations for the COFs, which correlate COF structures with their catalytic activities. The calculations also predict that alkaline-earth metal-porphyrin COFs could catalyze the direct production of H 2 O 2 , a green oxidizer and an energy carrier. These predictions are supported by experimental data, and the design principles derived from the descriptors provide an approach for rational design of new electrocatalysts for both clean energy conversion and green oxidizer production. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Design Principles for Creating Locally-Rooted National Science and Mathematics Curricula in Timor-Leste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrielson, Curtis A.; Hsi, Sherry

2012-01-01

This paper articulates and illustrates design principles that guided the development of a set of hands-on teaching activities for the national science and mathematics curricula at junior-high and high-school level education in Timor-Leste, a small, low-income nation in Southeast Asia. A partnership between a university, an international science…

Why don't zebras have machine guns? Adaptation, selection, and constraints in evolutionary theory.

PubMed

Shanahan, Timothy

2008-03-01

In an influential paper, Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin (1979) contrasted selection-driven adaptation with phylogenetic, architectural, and developmental constraints as distinct causes of phenotypic evolution. In subsequent publications Gould (e.g., 1997a,b, 2002) has elaborated this distinction into one between a narrow "Darwinian Fundamentalist" emphasis on "external functionalist" processes, and a more inclusive "pluralist" emphasis on "internal structuralist" principles. Although theoretical integration of functionalist and structuralist explanations is the ultimate aim, natural selection and internal constraints are treated as distinct causes of evolutionary change. This distinction is now routinely taken for granted in the literature in evolutionary biology. I argue that this distinction is problematic because the effects attributed to non-selective constraints are more parsimoniously explained as the ordinary effects of selection itself. Although it may still be a useful shorthand to speak of phylogenetic, architectural, and developmental constraints on phenotypic evolution, it is important to understand that such "constraints" do not constitute an alternative set of causes of evolutionary change. The result of this analysis is a clearer understanding of the relationship between adaptation, selection and constraints as explanatory concepts in evolutionary theory.

Applying human factors principles to alert design increases efficiency and reduces prescribing errors in a scenario-based simulation.

PubMed

Russ, Alissa L; Zillich, Alan J; Melton, Brittany L; Russell, Scott A; Chen, Siying; Spina, Jeffrey R; Weiner, Michael; Johnson, Elizabette G; Daggy, Joanne K; McManus, M Sue; Hawsey, Jason M; Puleo, Anthony G; Doebbeling, Bradley N; Saleem, Jason J

2014-10-01

To apply human factors engineering principles to improve alert interface design. We hypothesized that incorporating human factors principles into alerts would improve usability, reduce workload for prescribers, and reduce prescribing errors. We performed a scenario-based simulation study using a counterbalanced, crossover design with 20 Veterans Affairs prescribers to compare original versus redesigned alerts. We redesigned drug-allergy, drug-drug interaction, and drug-disease alerts based upon human factors principles. We assessed usability (learnability of redesign, efficiency, satisfaction, and usability errors), perceived workload, and prescribing errors. Although prescribers received no training on the design changes, prescribers were able to resolve redesigned alerts more efficiently (median (IQR): 56 (47) s) compared to the original alerts (85 (71) s; p=0.015). In addition, prescribers rated redesigned alerts significantly higher than original alerts across several dimensions of satisfaction. Redesigned alerts led to a modest but significant reduction in workload (p=0.042) and significantly reduced the number of prescribing errors per prescriber (median (range): 2 (1-5) compared to original alerts: 4 (1-7); p=0.024). Aspects of the redesigned alerts that likely contributed to better prescribing include design modifications that reduced usability-related errors, providing clinical data closer to the point of decision, and displaying alert text in a tabular format. Displaying alert text in a tabular format may help prescribers extract information quickly and thereby increase responsiveness to alerts. This simulation study provides evidence that applying human factors design principles to medication alerts can improve usability and prescribing outcomes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Towards Synergistic Electrode-Electrolyte Design Principles for Nonaqueous Li-O[Formula: see text] batteries.

PubMed

Khetan, Abhishek; Krishnamurthy, Dilip; Viswanathan, Venkatasubramanian

2018-03-20

One route toward sustainable land and aerial transportation is based on electrified vehicles. To enable electrification in transportation, there is a need for high-energy-density batteries, and this has led to an enormous interest in lithium-oxygen batteries. Several critical challenges remain with respect to realizing a practical lithium-oxygen battery. In this article, we present a detailed overview of theoretical efforts to formulate design principles for identifying stable electrolytes and electrodes with the desired functionality and stability. We discuss design principles relating to electrolytes and the additional stability challenges that arise at the cathode-electrolyte interface. Based on a thermodynamic analysis, we discuss two important requirements for the cathode: the ability to nucleate the desired discharge product, Li[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text], and the ability to selectively activate only this discharge product while suppressing lithium oxide, the undesired secondary discharge product. We propose preliminary guidelines for determining the chemical stability of the electrode and illustrate the challenge associated with electrode selection using the examples of carbon cathodes and transition metals. We believe that a synergistic design framework for identifying electrolyte-electrode formulations is needed to realize a practical Li-O[Formula: see text] battery.

Charles Darwin and the Origins of Plant Evolutionary Developmental Biology

PubMed Central

Friedman, William E.; Diggle, Pamela K.

2011-01-01

Much has been written of the early history of comparative embryology and its influence on the emergence of an evolutionary developmental perspective. However, this literature, which dates back nearly a century, has been focused on metazoans, without acknowledgment of the contributions of comparative plant morphologists to the creation of a developmental view of biodiversity. We trace the origin of comparative plant developmental morphology from its inception in the eighteenth century works of Wolff and Goethe, through the mid nineteenth century discoveries of the general principles of leaf and floral organ morphogenesis. Much like the stimulus that von Baer provided as a nonevolutionary comparative embryologist to the creation of an evolutionary developmental view of animals, the comparative developmental studies of plant morphologists were the basis for the first articulation of the concept that plant (namely floral) evolution results from successive modifications of ontogeny. Perhaps most surprisingly, we show that the first person to carefully read and internalize the remarkable advances in the understanding of plant morphogenesis in the 1840s and 1850s is none other than Charles Darwin, whose notebooks, correspondence, and (then) unpublished manuscripts clearly demonstrate that he had discovered the developmental basis for the evolutionary transformation of plant form. PMID:21515816

Charles Darwin and the origins of plant evolutionary developmental biology.

PubMed

Friedman, William E; Diggle, Pamela K

2011-04-01

Much has been written of the early history of comparative embryology and its influence on the emergence of an evolutionary developmental perspective. However, this literature, which dates back nearly a century, has been focused on metazoans, without acknowledgment of the contributions of comparative plant morphologists to the creation of a developmental view of biodiversity. We trace the origin of comparative plant developmental morphology from its inception in the eighteenth century works of Wolff and Goethe, through the mid nineteenth century discoveries of the general principles of leaf and floral organ morphogenesis. Much like the stimulus that von Baer provided as a nonevolutionary comparative embryologist to the creation of an evolutionary developmental view of animals, the comparative developmental studies of plant morphologists were the basis for the first articulation of the concept that plant (namely floral) evolution results from successive modifications of ontogeny. Perhaps most surprisingly, we show that the first person to carefully read and internalize the remarkable advances in the understanding of plant morphogenesis in the 1840s and 1850s is none other than Charles Darwin, whose notebooks, correspondence, and (then) unpublished manuscripts clearly demonstrate that he had discovered the developmental basis for the evolutionary transformation of plant form.

Design principles for high efficiency small-grain polysilicon solar cells, with supporting experimental studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindholm, F. A.; Neugroschel, A.; Sah, C. T.

1982-01-01

Design principles suggested here aim toward high conversion efficiency (greater than 15 percent) in polysilicon cells. The principles seek to decrease the liabilities of both intragranular and grain-boundary-surface defects. The advantages of a phosphorus atom concentration gradient in a thin (less than 50 microns) base of a p(+)/n(x)/n(+) drift-field solar cell, which produces favorable gradients in chemical potential, minority-carrier mobility and diffusivity, and recombination lifetime (via phosphorus gettering) are suggested. The degrading effects of grain boundaries are reduced by these three gradients and by substituting atoms (P, H, F or Li) for vacancies on the grain-boundary surface. From recent experiments comes support for the benefits of P diffusion down grain boundaries and, for quasi-grain-boundary-free and related structures. New analytic solutions for the n(x)-base include the effect of a power-law dependence between P concentration and lifetime. These provide an upper-bound estimate on the open circuit voltage. Finite-difference numerical solutions of the six Shockley equations furnish complete information about all solar-cell parameters and add insight concerning design.

Energy and time determine scaling in biological and computer designs

PubMed Central

Bezerra, George; Edwards, Benjamin; Brown, James; Forrest, Stephanie

2016-01-01

Metabolic rate in animals and power consumption in computers are analogous quantities that scale similarly with size. We analyse vascular systems of mammals and on-chip networks of microprocessors, where natural selection and human engineering, respectively, have produced systems that minimize both energy dissipation and delivery times. Using a simple network model that simultaneously minimizes energy and time, our analysis explains empirically observed trends in the scaling of metabolic rate in mammals and power consumption and performance in microprocessors across several orders of magnitude in size. Just as the evolutionary transitions from unicellular to multicellular animals in biology are associated with shifts in metabolic scaling, our model suggests that the scaling of power and performance will change as computer designs transition to decentralized multi-core and distributed cyber-physical systems. More generally, a single energy–time minimization principle may govern the design of many complex systems that process energy, materials and information. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The major synthetic evolutionary transitions’. PMID:27431524

Energy and time determine scaling in biological and computer designs.

PubMed

Moses, Melanie; Bezerra, George; Edwards, Benjamin; Brown, James; Forrest, Stephanie

2016-08-19

Metabolic rate in animals and power consumption in computers are analogous quantities that scale similarly with size. We analyse vascular systems of mammals and on-chip networks of microprocessors, where natural selection and human engineering, respectively, have produced systems that minimize both energy dissipation and delivery times. Using a simple network model that simultaneously minimizes energy and time, our analysis explains empirically observed trends in the scaling of metabolic rate in mammals and power consumption and performance in microprocessors across several orders of magnitude in size. Just as the evolutionary transitions from unicellular to multicellular animals in biology are associated with shifts in metabolic scaling, our model suggests that the scaling of power and performance will change as computer designs transition to decentralized multi-core and distributed cyber-physical systems. More generally, a single energy-time minimization principle may govern the design of many complex systems that process energy, materials and information.This article is part of the themed issue 'The major synthetic evolutionary transitions'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Urban Space Innovation - “10+” Principles through Designing the New Image of the Existing Shopping Mall in Csepel, Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyergyak, Janos

2017-10-01

The first part of the paper is about to introduce the principles of “placemaking” as an innovation and important tool of the cities in the 21st century. The process helps designers to transform the spaces of “nobody” to a community-based space for supporting the connection among humans. The second part of the paper shows the process of the used principles by the author for designing the new image of the existing shopping mall in Csepel, Hungary. This work was selected as one of the best design ideas for renewing the existing underutilized space.

Evolutionary perspectives on the links between mitochondrial genotype and disease phenotype.

PubMed

Dowling, Damian K

2014-04-01

Disorders of the mitochondrial respiratory chain are heterogeneous in their symptoms and underlying genetics. Simple links between candidate mutations and expression of disease phenotype typically do not exist. It thus remains unclear how the genetic variation in the mitochondrial genome contributes to the phenotypic expression of complex traits and disease phenotypes. I summarize the basic genetic processes known to underpin mitochondrial disease. I highlight other plausible processes, drawn from the evolutionary biological literature, whose contribution to mitochondrial disease expression remains largely empirically unexplored. I highlight recent advances to the field, and discuss common-ground and -goals shared by researchers across medical and evolutionary domains. Mitochondrial genetic variance is linked to phenotypic variance across a variety of traits (e.g. reproductive function, life expectancy) fundamental to the upkeep of good health. Evolutionary theory predicts that mitochondrial genomes are destined to accumulate male-harming (but female-friendly) mutations, and this prediction has received proof-of-principle support. Furthermore, mitochondrial effects on the phenotype are typically manifested via interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Thus, whether a mitochondrial mutation is pathogenic in effect can depend on the nuclear genotype in which is it expressed. Many disease phenotypes associated with OXPHOS malfunction might be determined by the outcomes of mitochondrial-nuclear interactions, and by the evolutionary forces that historically shaped mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences. Concepts and results drawn from the evolutionary sciences can have broad, but currently under-utilized, applicability to the medical sciences and provide new insights into understanding the complex genetics of mitochondrial disease. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Frontiers of Mitochondrial Research. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Clinical trial design principles and endpoint definitions for transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement: part 1: clinical trial design principles: A consensus document from the mitral valve academic research consortium.

PubMed

Stone, Gregg W; Vahanian, Alec S; Adams, David H; Abraham, William T; Borer, Jeffrey S; Bax, Jeroen J; Schofer, Joachim; Cutlip, Donald E; Krucoff, Mitchell W; Blackstone, Eugene H; Généreux, Philippe; Mack, Michael J; Siegel, Robert J; Grayburn, Paul A; Enriquez-Sarano, Maurice; Lancellotti, Patrizio; Filippatos, Gerasimos; Kappetein, Arie Pieter

2015-08-01

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is one of the most prevalent valve disorders and has numerous aetiologies, including primary (organic) MR, due to underlying degenerative/structural mitral valve (MV) pathology, and secondary (functional) MR, which is principally caused by global or regional left ventricular remodelling and/or severe left atrial dilation. Diagnosis and optimal management of MR requires integration of valve disease and heart failure specialists, MV cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists with expertise in structural heart disease, and imaging experts. The introduction of transcatheter MV therapies has highlighted the need for a consensus approach to pragmatic clinical trial design and uniform endpoint definitions to evaluate outcomes in patients with MR. The Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium is a collaboration between leading academic research organizations and physician-scientists specializing in MV disease from the United States and Europe. Three in-person meetings were held in Virginia and New York during which 44 heart failure, valve, and imaging experts, MV surgeons and interventional cardiologists, clinical trial specialists and statisticians, and representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considered all aspects of MV pathophysiology, prognosis, and therapies, culminating in a 2-part document describing consensus recommendations for clinical trial design (Part 1) and endpoint definitions (Part 2) to guide evaluation of transcatheter and surgical therapies for MR. The adoption of these recommendations will afford robustness and consistency in the comparative effectiveness evaluation of new devices and approaches to treat MR. These principles may be useful for regulatory assessment of new transcatheter MV devices, as well as for monitoring local and regional outcomes to guide quality improvement initiatives. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © American College of Cardiology

The status of evolutionary medicine education in North American medical schools.

PubMed

Hidaka, Brandon H; Asghar, Anila; Aktipis, C Athena; Nesse, Randolph M; Wolpaw, Terry M; Skursky, Nicole K; Bennett, Katelyn J; Beyrouty, Matthew W; Schwartz, Mark D

2015-03-08

Medical and public health scientists are using evolution to devise new strategies to solve major health problems. But based on a 2003 survey, medical curricula may not adequately prepare physicians to evaluate and extend these advances. This study assessed the change in coverage of evolution in North American medical schools since 2003 and identified opportunities for enriching medical education. In 2013, curriculum deans for all North American medical schools were invited to rate curricular coverage and perceived importance of 12 core principles, the extent of anticipated controversy from adding evolution, and the usefulness of 13 teaching resources. Differences between schools were assessed by Pearson's chi-square test, Student's t-test, and Spearman's correlation. Open-ended questions sought insight into perceived barriers and benefits. Despite repeated follow-up, 60 schools (39%) responded to the survey. There was no evidence of sample bias. The three evolutionary principles rated most important were antibiotic resistance, environmental mismatch, and somatic selection in cancer. While importance and coverage of principles were correlated (r = 0.76, P < 0.01), coverage (at least moderate) lagged behind importance (at least moderate) by an average of 21% (SD = 6%). Compared to 2003, a range of evolutionary principles were covered by 4 to 74% more schools. Nearly half (48%) of responders anticipated igniting controversy at their medical school if they added evolution to their curriculum. The teaching resources ranked most useful were model test questions and answers, case studies, and model curricula for existing courses/rotations. Limited resources (faculty expertise) were cited as the major barrier to adding more evolution, but benefits included a deeper understanding and improved patient care. North American medical schools have increased the evolution content in their curricula over the past decade. However, coverage is not commensurate with

Computationally mapping sequence space to understand evolutionary protein engineering.

PubMed

Armstrong, Kathryn A; Tidor, Bruce

2008-01-01

Evolutionary protein engineering has been dramatically successful, producing a wide variety of new proteins with altered stability, binding affinity, and enzymatic activity. However, the success of such procedures is often unreliable, and the impact of the choice of protein, engineering goal, and evolutionary procedure is not well understood. We have created a framework for understanding aspects of the protein engineering process by computationally mapping regions of feasible sequence space for three small proteins using structure-based design protocols. We then tested the ability of different evolutionary search strategies to explore these sequence spaces. The results point to a non-intuitive relationship between the error-prone PCR mutation rate and the number of rounds of replication. The evolutionary relationships among feasible sequences reveal hub-like sequences that serve as particularly fruitful starting sequences for evolutionary search. Moreover, genetic recombination procedures were examined, and tradeoffs relating sequence diversity and search efficiency were identified. This framework allows us to consider the impact of protein structure on the allowed sequence space and therefore on the challenges that each protein presents to error-prone PCR and genetic recombination procedures.

Self-organized modularization in evolutionary algorithms.

PubMed

Dauscher, Peter; Uthmann, Thomas

2005-01-01

The principle of modularization has proven to be extremely successful in the field of technical applications and particularly for Software Engineering purposes. The question to be answered within the present article is whether mechanisms can also be identified within the framework of Evolutionary Computation that cause a modularization of solutions. We will concentrate on processes, where modularization results only from the typical evolutionary operators, i.e. selection and variation by recombination and mutation (and not, e.g., from special modularization operators). This is what we call Self-Organized Modularization. Based on a combination of two formalizations by Radcliffe and Altenberg, some quantitative measures of modularity are introduced. Particularly, we distinguish Built-in Modularity as an inherent property of a genotype and Effective Modularity, which depends on the rest of the population. These measures can easily be applied to a wide range of present Evolutionary Computation models. It will be shown, both theoretically and by simulation, that under certain conditions, Effective Modularity (as defined within this paper) can be a selection factor. This causes Self-Organized Modularization to take place. The experimental observations emphasize the importance of Effective Modularity in comparison with Built-in Modularity. Although the experimental results have been obtained using a minimalist toy model, they can lead to a number of consequences for existing models as well as for future approaches. Furthermore, the results suggest a complex self-amplification of highly modular equivalence classes in the case of respected relations. Since the well-known Holland schemata are just the equivalence classes of respected relations in most Simple Genetic Algorithms, this observation emphasizes the role of schemata as Building Blocks (in comparison with arbitrary subsets of the search space).

Darwin in Mind: New Opportunities for Evolutionary Psychology

PubMed Central

Bolhuis, Johan J.; Brown, Gillian R.; Richardson, Robert C.; Laland, Kevin N.

2011-01-01

Evolutionary Psychology (EP) views the human mind as organized into many modules, each underpinned by psychological adaptations designed to solve problems faced by our Pleistocene ancestors. We argue that the key tenets of the established EP paradigm require modification in the light of recent findings from a number of disciplines, including human genetics, evolutionary biology, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and paleoecology. For instance, many human genes have been subject to recent selective sweeps; humans play an active, constructive role in co-directing their own development and evolution; and experimental evidence often favours a general process, rather than a modular account, of cognition. A redefined EP could use the theoretical insights of modern evolutionary biology as a rich source of hypotheses concerning the human mind, and could exploit novel methods from a variety of adjacent research fields. PMID:21811401

What have humans done for evolutionary biology? Contributions from genes to populations.

PubMed

Briga, Michael; Griffin, Robert M; Berger, Vérane; Pettay, Jenni E; Lummaa, Virpi

2017-11-15

Many fundamental concepts in evolutionary biology were discovered using non-human study systems. Humans are poorly suited to key study designs used to advance this field, and are subject to cultural, technological, and medical influences often considered to restrict the pertinence of human studies to other species and general contexts. Whether studies using current and recent human populations provide insights that have broader biological relevance in evolutionary biology is, therefore, frequently questioned. We first surveyed researchers in evolutionary biology and related fields on their opinions regarding whether studies on contemporary humans can advance evolutionary biology. Almost all 442 participants agreed that humans still evolve, but fewer agreed that this occurs through natural selection. Most agreed that human studies made valuable contributions to evolutionary biology, although those less exposed to human studies expressed more negative views. With a series of examples, we discuss strengths and limitations of evolutionary studies on contemporary humans. These show that human studies provide fundamental insights into evolutionary processes, improve understanding of the biology of many other species, and will make valuable contributions to evolutionary biology in the future. © 2017 The Author(s).

What have humans done for evolutionary biology? Contributions from genes to populations

PubMed Central

Briga, Michael; Griffin, Robert M.; Berger, Vérane; Pettay, Jenni E.

2017-01-01

Many fundamental concepts in evolutionary biology were discovered using non-human study systems. Humans are poorly suited to key study designs used to advance this field, and are subject to cultural, technological, and medical influences often considered to restrict the pertinence of human studies to other species and general contexts. Whether studies using current and recent human populations provide insights that have broader biological relevance in evolutionary biology is, therefore, frequently questioned. We first surveyed researchers in evolutionary biology and related fields on their opinions regarding whether studies on contemporary humans can advance evolutionary biology. Almost all 442 participants agreed that humans still evolve, but fewer agreed that this occurs through natural selection. Most agreed that human studies made valuable contributions to evolutionary biology, although those less exposed to human studies expressed more negative views. With a series of examples, we discuss strengths and limitations of evolutionary studies on contemporary humans. These show that human studies provide fundamental insights into evolutionary processes, improve understanding of the biology of many other species, and will make valuable contributions to evolutionary biology in the future. PMID:29118130

Polymorphic Evolutionary Games.

PubMed

Fishman, Michael A

2016-06-07

In this paper, I present an analytical framework for polymorphic evolutionary games suitable for explicitly modeling evolutionary processes in diploid populations with sexual reproduction. The principal aspect of the proposed approach is adding diploid genetics cum sexual recombination to a traditional evolutionary game, and switching from phenotypes to haplotypes as the new game׳s pure strategies. Here, the relevant pure strategy׳s payoffs derived by summing the payoffs of all the phenotypes capable of producing gametes containing that particular haplotype weighted by the pertinent probabilities. The resulting game is structurally identical to the familiar Evolutionary Games with non-linear pure strategy payoffs (Hofbauer and Sigmund, 1998. Cambridge University Press), and can be analyzed in terms of an established analytical framework for such games. And these results can be translated into the terms of genotypic, and whence, phenotypic evolutionary stability pertinent to the original game. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can evolutionary theory explain the slow development of knowledge about the level of safety built into roads?

PubMed

Elvik, Rune

2017-09-01

In several papers, Hauer (1988, 1989, 2000a, 2000b, 2016) has argued that the level of safety built into roads is unpremeditated, i.e. not the result of decisions based on knowledge of the safety impacts of design standards. Hauer has pointed out that the development of knowledge about the level of safety built into roads has been slow and remains incomplete even today. Based on these observations, this paper asks whether evolutionary theory can contribute to explaining the slow development of knowledge. A key proposition of evolutionary theory is that knowledge is discovered through a process of learning-by-doing; it is not necessarily produced intentionally by means of research or development. An unintentional discovery of knowledge is treacherous as far as road safety is concerned, since an apparently effective safety treatment may simply be the result of regression-to-the-mean. The importance of regression-to-the-mean was not fully understood until about 1980, and a substantial part of what was regarded as known at that time may have been based on studies not controlling for regression-to-the-mean. An attempt to provide an axiomatic foundation for designing a safe road system was made by Gunnarsson and Lindström (1970). This had the ambition of providing universal guidelines that would facilitate a preventive approach, rather than the reactive approach based on accident history (i.e. designing a system known to be safe, rather than reacting to events in a system of unknown safety). Three facts are notable about these principles. First, they are stated in very general terms and do not address many of the details of road design or traffic control. Second, they are not based on experience showing their effectiveness. Third, they are partial and do not address the interaction between elements of the road traffic system, in particular road user adaptation to system design. Another notable fact consistent with evolutionary theory, is that the safety margins built

Remembering the evolutionary Freud.

PubMed

Young, Allan

2006-03-01

Throughout his career as a writer, Sigmund Freud maintained an interest in the evolutionary origins of the human mind and its neurotic and psychotic disorders. In common with many writers then and now, he believed that the evolutionary past is conserved in the mind and the brain. Today the "evolutionary Freud" is nearly forgotten. Even among Freudians, he is regarded to be a red herring, relevant only to the extent that he diverts attention from the enduring achievements of the authentic Freud. There are three ways to explain these attitudes. First, the evolutionary Freud's key work is the "Overview of the Transference Neurosis" (1915). But it was published at an inopportune moment, forty years after the author's death, during the so-called "Freud wars." Second, Freud eventually lost interest in the "Overview" and the prospect of a comprehensive evolutionary theory of psychopathology. The publication of The Ego and the Id (1923), introducing Freud's structural theory of the psyche, marked the point of no return. Finally, Freud's evolutionary theory is simply not credible. It is based on just-so stories and a thoroughly discredited evolutionary mechanism, Lamarckian use-inheritance. Explanations one and two are probably correct but also uninteresting. Explanation number three assumes that there is a fundamental difference between Freud's evolutionary narratives (not credible) and the evolutionary accounts of psychopathology that currently circulate in psychiatry and mainstream journals (credible). The assumption is mistaken but worth investigating.

Ab initio NMR Confirmed Evolutionary Structure Prediction for Organic Molecular Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Cong-Huy; Kucukbenli, Emine; de Gironcoli, Stefano

2015-03-01

Ab initio crystal structure prediction of even small organic compounds is extremely challenging due to polymorphism, molecular flexibility and difficulties in addressing the dispersion interaction from first principles. We recently implemented vdW-aware density functionals and demonstrated their success in energy ordering of aminoacid crystals. In this work we combine this development with the evolutionary structure prediction method to study cholesterol polymorphs. Cholesterol crystals have paramount importance in various diseases, from cancer to atherosclerosis. The structure of some polymorphs (e.g. ChM, ChAl, ChAh) have already been resolved while some others, which display distinct NMR spectra and are involved in disease formation, are yet to be determined. Here we thoroughly assess the applicability of evolutionary structure prediction to address such real world problems. We validate the newly predicted structures with ab initio NMR chemical shift data using secondary referencing for an improved comparison with experiments.

41 CFR 102-76.55 - What sustainable development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... construction of new facilities, which include— (a) Optimizing site potential; (b) Minimizing non-renewable... development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities... Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities? In keeping with the...

41 CFR 102-76.55 - What sustainable development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... construction of new facilities, which include— (a) Optimizing site potential; (b) Minimizing non-renewable... development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities... Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities? In keeping with the...

41 CFR 102-76.55 - What sustainable development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... construction of new facilities, which include— (a) Optimizing site potential; (b) Minimizing non-renewable... development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities... Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities? In keeping with the...

41 CFR 102-76.55 - What sustainable development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... construction of new facilities, which include— (a) Optimizing site potential; (b) Minimizing non-renewable... development principles must Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities... Federal agencies apply to the siting, design, and construction of new facilities? In keeping with the...

Effective Technology Insertion: The Key to Evolutionary Acquisition Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-05-03

Army War College, 7 April 2003. 47Orazia A. Di Marca ; Rejto, Stephen B. Rejto and Thomas Gomez, “ Open System Design and Evolutionary Acquisition...to Military Applications-Report No. D-2002-107. 14 June 2002. Di Marca , Orazia A.; Rejto, StephenB., and Gomez, Thomas, “ Open System Design and

Principles for designing future regimens for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

PubMed

Brigden, Grania; Nyang'wa, Bern-Thomas; du Cros, Philipp; Varaine, Francis; Hughes, Jennifer; Rich, Michael; Horsburgh, C Robert; Mitnick, Carole D; Nuermberger, Eric; McIlleron, Helen; Phillips, Patrick P J; Balasegaram, Manica

2014-01-01

Fewer than 20% of patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis are receiving treatment and there is an urgent need to scale up treatment programmes. One of the biggest barriers to scale-up is the treatment regimen, which is lengthy, complex, ineffective, poorly tolerated and expensive. For the first time in over 50 years, new drugs have been developed specifically to treat tuberculosis, with bedaquiline and potentially delamanid expected to be available soon for treatment of MDR cases. However, if the new drugs are merely added to the current treatment regimen, the new regimen will be at least as lengthy, cumbersome and toxic as the existing one. There is an urgent need for strategy and evidence on how to maximize the potential of the new drugs to improve outcomes and shorten treatment. We devised eight key principles for designing future treatment regimens to ensure that, once they are proven safe in clinical trials, they will be clinically effective and programmatically practicable. Regimens should contain at least one new class of drug; be broadly applicable for use against MDR and extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains; contain three to five effective drugs, each from a different drug class; be delivered orally; have a simple dosing schedule; have a good side-effect profile that allows limited monitoring; last a maximum of 6 months; and have minimal interaction with antiretrovirals. Following these principles will maximize the potential of new compounds and help to overcome the clinical and programmatic disadvantages and scale-up constraints that plague the current regimen.

Cognition and Culture in Evolutionary Context.

PubMed

Colmenares, Fernando; Hernández-Lloreda, María Victoria

2017-01-09

In humans and other animals, the individuals' ability to adapt efficiently and effectively to the niches they have actively contributed to construct relies heavily on an evolved psychology which has been shaped by biological, social, and cultural processes over evolutionary time. As expected, although many of the behavioral and cognitive components of this evolved psychology are widely shared across species, many others are species-unique. Although many animal species are known to acquire group-specific traditions (or cultures) via social learning, human culture is unique in terms of its contents and characteristics (observable and unobservable products, cumulative effects, norm conformity, and norm enforcement) and of its cognitive underpinnings (imitation, instructed teaching, and language). Here we provide a brief overview of some of the issues that are currently tackled in the field. We also highlight some of the strengths of a biological, comparative, non-anthropocentric and evolutionarily grounded approach to the study of culture. The main contributions of this approach to the science of culture are its emphasis (a) on the integration of information on mechanisms, function, and evolution, and on mechanistic factors located at different levels of the biological hierarchy, and (b) on the search for general principles that account for commonalities and differences between species, both in the cultural products and in the processes of innovation, dissemination, and accumulation involved that operate during developmental and evolutionary timespans.

Theoretical Foundation of the RelTime Method for Estimating Divergence Times from Variable Evolutionary Rates

PubMed Central

Tamura, Koichiro; Tao, Qiqing; Kumar, Sudhir

2018-01-01

Abstract RelTime estimates divergence times by relaxing the assumption of a strict molecular clock in a phylogeny. It shows excellent performance in estimating divergence times for both simulated and empirical molecular sequence data sets in which evolutionary rates varied extensively throughout the tree. RelTime is computationally efficient and scales well with increasing size of data sets. Until now, however, RelTime has not had a formal mathematical foundation. Here, we show that the basis of the RelTime approach is a relative rate framework (RRF) that combines comparisons of evolutionary rates in sister lineages with the principle of minimum rate change between evolutionary lineages and their respective descendants. We present analytical solutions for estimating relative lineage rates and divergence times under RRF. We also discuss the relationship of RRF with other approaches, including the Bayesian framework. We conclude that RelTime will be useful for phylogenies with branch lengths derived not only from molecular data, but also morphological and biochemical traits. PMID:29893954

Integrated active and passive control design methodology for the LaRC CSI evolutionary model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voth, Christopher T.; Richards, Kenneth E., Jr.; Schmitz, Eric; Gehling, Russel N.; Morgenthaler, Daniel R.

1994-01-01

A general design methodology to integrate active control with passive damping was demonstrated on the NASA LaRC CSI Evolutionary Model (CEM), a ground testbed for future large, flexible spacecraft. Vibration suppression controllers designed for Line-of Sight (LOS) minimization were successfully implemented on the CEM. A frequency-shaped H2 methodology was developed, allowing the designer to specify the roll-off of the MIMO compensator. A closed loop bandwidth of 4 Hz, including the six rigid body modes and the first three dominant elastic modes of the CEM was achieved. Good agreement was demonstrated between experimental data and analytical predictions for the closed loop frequency response and random tests. Using the Modal Strain Energy (MSE) method, a passive damping treatment consisting of 60 viscoelastically damped struts was designed, fabricated and implemented on the CEM. Damping levels for the targeted modes were more than an order of magnitude larger than for the undamped structure. Using measured loss and stiffness data for the individual damped struts, analytical predictions of the damping levels were very close to the experimental values in the (1-10) Hz frequency range where the open loop model matched the experimental data. An integrated active/passive controller was successfully implemented on the CEM and was evaluated against an active-only controller. A two-fold increase in the effective control bandwidth and further reductions of 30 percent to 50 percent in the LOS RMS outputs were achieved compared to an active-only controller. Superior performance was also obtained compared to a High-Authority/Low-Authority (HAC/LAC) controller.

Organisms as natural purposes: the contemporary evolutionary perspective.

PubMed

Walsh, D M

2006-12-01

Kant's conception of organisms as natural purposes raises a challenge to the adequacy of mechanistic explanation in biology. Certain features of organisms appear to be inexplicable by appeal to mechanical law alone. Some biological phenomena, it seems, can only be accounted for teleologically. Contemporary evolutionary biology has by and large ignored this challenge. It is widely held that Darwin's theory of natural selection gives us an adequate, wholly mechanical account of the nature of organisms. In contemporary biology, the category of the organism plays virtually no explanatory role. Contemporary evolutionary biology is a science of sub-organismal entities-replicators. I argue that recent advances in developmental biology demonstrate the inadequacy of sub-organismal mechanism. The category of the organism, construed as a 'natural purpose' should play an ineliminable role in explaining ontogenetic development and adaptive evolution. According to Kant the natural purposiveness of organisms cannot be demonstrated to be an objective principle in nature, nor can purposiveness figure in genuine explain. I attempt to argue, by appeal to recent work on self-organization, that the purposiveness of organisms is a natural phenomenon, and, by appeal to the apparatus of invariance explanation, that biological purposiveness provides genuine, ineliminable biological explanations.

Unified reduction principle for the evolution of mutation, migration, and recombination

PubMed Central

Altenberg, Lee; Liberman, Uri; Feldman, Marcus W.

2017-01-01

Modifier-gene models for the evolution of genetic information transmission between generations of organisms exhibit the reduction principle: Selection favors reduction in the rate of variation production in populations near equilibrium under a balance of constant viability selection and variation production. Whereas this outcome has been proven for a variety of genetic models, it has not been proven in general for multiallelic genetic models of mutation, migration, and recombination modification with arbitrary linkage between the modifier and major genes under viability selection. We show that the reduction principle holds for all of these cases by developing a unifying mathematical framework that characterizes all of these evolutionary models. PMID:28265103

[Evolutionary medicine].

PubMed

Wjst, M

2013-12-01

Evolutionary medicine allows new insights into long standing medical problems. Are we "really stoneagers on the fast lane"? This insight might have enormous consequences and will allow new answers that could never been provided by traditional anthropology. Only now this is made possible using data from molecular medicine and systems biology. Thereby evolutionary medicine takes a leap from a merely theoretical discipline to practical fields - reproductive, nutritional and preventive medicine, as well as microbiology, immunology and psychiatry. Evolutionary medicine is not another "just so story" but a serious candidate for the medical curriculum providing a universal understanding of health and disease based on our biological origin. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Evolutionary awareness.

PubMed

Gorelik, Gregory; Shackelford, Todd K

2014-08-27

In this article, we advance the concept of "evolutionary awareness," a metacognitive framework that examines human thought and emotion from a naturalistic, evolutionary perspective. We begin by discussing the evolution and current functioning of the moral foundations on which our framework rests. Next, we discuss the possible applications of such an evolutionarily-informed ethical framework to several domains of human behavior, namely: sexual maturation, mate attraction, intrasexual competition, culture, and the separation between various academic disciplines. Finally, we discuss ways in which an evolutionary awareness can inform our cross-generational activities-which we refer to as "intergenerational extended phenotypes"-by helping us to construct a better future for ourselves, for other sentient beings, and for our environment.

A game plan: Gamification design principles in mHealth applications for chronic disease management.

PubMed

Miller, Aaron S; Cafazzo, Joseph A; Seto, Emily

2016-06-01

Effective chronic disease management is essential to improve positive health outcomes, and incentive strategies are useful in promoting self-care with longevity. Gamification, applied with mHealth (mobile health) applications, has the potential to better facilitate patient self-management. This review article addresses a knowledge gap around the effective use of gamification design principles, or mechanics, in developing mHealth applications. Badges, leaderboards, points and levels, challenges and quests, social engagement loops, and onboarding are mechanics that comprise gamification. These mechanics are defined and explained from a design and development perspective. Health and fitness applications with gamification mechanics include: bant which uses points, levels, and social engagement, mySugr which uses challenges and quests, RunKeeper which uses leaderboards as well as social engagement loops and onboarding, Fitocracy which uses badges, and Mango Health, which uses points and levels. Specific design considerations are explored, an example of the efficacy of a gamified mHealth implementation in facilitating improved self-management is provided, limitations to this work are discussed, a link between the principles of gaming and gamification in health and wellness technologies is provided, and suggestions for future work are made. We conclude that gamification could be leveraged in developing applications with the potential to better facilitate self-management in persons with chronic conditions. © The Author(s) 2014.

A New Strategy to Control and Eradicate "Undruggable" Oncogenic K-RAS-Driven Pancreatic Cancer: Molecular Insights and Core Principles Learned from Developmental and Evolutionary Biology.

PubMed

Van Sciver, Robert E; Lee, Michael P; Lee, Caroline Dasom; Lafever, Alex C; Svyatova, Elizaveta; Kanda, Kevin; Colliver, Amber L; Siewertsz van Reesema, Lauren L; Tang-Tan, Angela M; Zheleva, Vasilena; Bwayi, Monicah N; Bian, Minglei; Schmidt, Rebecca L; Matrisian, Lynn M; Petersen, Gloria M; Tang, Amy H

2018-05-14

Oncogenic K-RAS mutations are found in virtually all pancreatic cancers, making K-RAS one of the most targeted oncoproteins for drug development in cancer therapies. Despite intense research efforts over the past three decades, oncogenic K-RAS has remained largely "undruggable". Rather than targeting an upstream component of the RAS signaling pathway (i.e., EGFR/HER2) and/or the midstream effector kinases (i.e., RAF/MEK/ERK/PI3K/mTOR), we propose an alternative strategy to control oncogenic K-RAS signal by targeting its most downstream signaling module, Seven-In-Absentia Homolog (SIAH). SIAH E3 ligase controls the signal output of oncogenic K-RAS hyperactivation that drives unchecked cell proliferation, uncontrolled tumor growth, and rapid cancer cell dissemination in human pancreatic cancer. Therefore, SIAH is an ideal therapeutic target as it is an extraordinarily conserved downstream signaling gatekeeper indispensable for proper RAS signaling. Guided by molecular insights and core principles obtained from developmental and evolutionary biology, we propose an anti-SIAH-centered anti-K-RAS strategy as a logical and alternative anticancer strategy to dampen uncontrolled K-RAS hyperactivation and halt tumor growth and metastasis in pancreatic cancer. The clinical utility of developing SIAH as both a tumor-specific and therapy-responsive biomarker, as well as a viable anti-K-RAS drug target, is logically simple and conceptually innovative. SIAH clearly constitutes a major tumor vulnerability and K-RAS signaling bottleneck in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Given the high degree of evolutionary conservation in the K-RAS/SIAH signaling pathway, an anti-SIAH-based anti-PDAC therapy will synergize with covalent K-RAS inhibitors and direct K-RAS targeted initiatives to control and eradicate pancreatic cancer in the future.

Fuzzy Controller Design Using Evolutionary Techniques for Twin Rotor MIMO System: A Comparative Study.

PubMed

Hashim, H A; Abido, M A

2015-01-01

This paper presents a comparative study of fuzzy controller design for the twin rotor multi-input multioutput (MIMO) system (TRMS) considering most promising evolutionary techniques. These are gravitational search algorithm (GSA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC), and differential evolution (DE). In this study, the gains of four fuzzy proportional derivative (PD) controllers for TRMS have been optimized using the considered techniques. The optimization techniques are developed to identify the optimal control parameters for system stability enhancement, to cancel high nonlinearities in the model, to reduce the coupling effect, and to drive TRMS pitch and yaw angles into the desired tracking trajectory efficiently and accurately. The most effective technique in terms of system response due to different disturbances has been investigated. In this work, it is observed that GSA is the most effective technique in terms of solution quality and convergence speed.

Fuzzy Controller Design Using Evolutionary Techniques for Twin Rotor MIMO System: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Hashim, H. A.; Abido, M. A.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a comparative study of fuzzy controller design for the twin rotor multi-input multioutput (MIMO) system (TRMS) considering most promising evolutionary techniques. These are gravitational search algorithm (GSA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC), and differential evolution (DE). In this study, the gains of four fuzzy proportional derivative (PD) controllers for TRMS have been optimized using the considered techniques. The optimization techniques are developed to identify the optimal control parameters for system stability enhancement, to cancel high nonlinearities in the model, to reduce the coupling effect, and to drive TRMS pitch and yaw angles into the desired tracking trajectory efficiently and accurately. The most effective technique in terms of system response due to different disturbances has been investigated. In this work, it is observed that GSA is the most effective technique in terms of solution quality and convergence speed. PMID:25960738

Hill-Climbing search and diversification within an evolutionary approach to protein structure prediction.

PubMed

Chira, Camelia; Horvath, Dragos; Dumitrescu, D

2011-07-30

Proteins are complex structures made of amino acids having a fundamental role in the correct functioning of living cells. The structure of a protein is the result of the protein folding process. However, the general principles that govern the folding of natural proteins into a native structure are unknown. The problem of predicting a protein structure with minimum-energy starting from the unfolded amino acid sequence is a highly complex and important task in molecular and computational biology. Protein structure prediction has important applications in fields such as drug design and disease prediction. The protein structure prediction problem is NP-hard even in simplified lattice protein models. An evolutionary model based on hill-climbing genetic operators is proposed for protein structure prediction in the hydrophobic - polar (HP) model. Problem-specific search operators are implemented and applied using a steepest-ascent hill-climbing approach. Furthermore, the proposed model enforces an explicit diversification stage during the evolution in order to avoid local optimum. The main features of the resulting evolutionary algorithm - hill-climbing mechanism and diversification strategy - are evaluated in a set of numerical experiments for the protein structure prediction problem to assess their impact to the efficiency of the search process. Furthermore, the emerging consolidated model is compared to relevant algorithms from the literature for a set of difficult bidimensional instances from lattice protein models. The results obtained by the proposed algorithm are promising and competitive with those of related methods.

Impact of first-principles properties of deuterium–tritium on inertial confinement fusion target designs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, S. X., E-mail: shu@lle.rochester.edu; Goncharov, V. N.; Boehly, T. R.

2015-05-15

A comprehensive knowledge of the properties of high-energy-density plasmas is crucial to understanding and designing low-adiabat, inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions through hydrodynamic simulations. Warm-dense-matter (WDM) conditions are routinely accessed by low-adiabat ICF implosions, in which strong coupling and electron degeneracy often play an important role in determining the properties of warm dense plasmas. The WDM properties of deuterium–tritium (DT) mixtures and ablator materials, such as the equation of state, thermal conductivity, opacity, and stopping power, were usually estimated by models in hydro-codes used for ICF simulations. In these models, many-body and quantum effects were only approximately taken into accountmore » in the WMD regime. Moreover, the self-consistency among these models was often missing. To examine the accuracy of these models, we have systematically calculated the static, transport, and optical properties of warm dense DT plasmas, using first-principles (FP) methods over a wide range of densities and temperatures that cover the ICF “path” to ignition. These FP methods include the path-integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) and quantum-molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations, which treat electrons with many-body quantum theory. The first-principles equation-of-state table, thermal conductivities (κ{sub QMD}), and first principles opacity table of DT have been self-consistently derived from the combined PIMC and QMD calculations. They have been compared with the typical models, and their effects to ICF simulations have been separately examined in previous publications. In this paper, we focus on their combined effects to ICF implosions through hydro-simulations using these FP-based properties of DT in comparison with the usual model simulations. We found that the predictions of ICF neutron yield could change by up to a factor of ∼2.5; the lower the adiabat of DT capsules, the more variations in hydro-simulations. The FP

Impact of first-principles properties of deuterium–tritium on inertial confinement fusion target designs

DOE PAGES