A novel class sensitive hashing technique for large-scale content-based remote sensing image retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reato, Thomas; Demir, Begüm; Bruzzone, Lorenzo

2017-10-01

This paper presents a novel class sensitive hashing technique in the framework of large-scale content-based remote sensing (RS) image retrieval. The proposed technique aims at representing each image with multi-hash codes, each of which corresponds to a primitive (i.e., land cover class) present in the image. To this end, the proposed method consists of a three-steps algorithm. The first step is devoted to characterize each image by primitive class descriptors. These descriptors are obtained through a supervised approach, which initially extracts the image regions and their descriptors that are then associated with primitives present in the images. This step requires a set of annotated training regions to define primitive classes. A correspondence between the regions of an image and the primitive classes is built based on the probability of each primitive class to be present at each region. All the regions belonging to the specific primitive class with a probability higher than a given threshold are highly representative of that class. Thus, the average value of the descriptors of these regions is used to characterize that primitive. In the second step, the descriptors of primitive classes are transformed into multi-hash codes to represent each image. This is achieved by adapting the kernel-based supervised locality sensitive hashing method to multi-code hashing problems. The first two steps of the proposed technique, unlike the standard hashing methods, allow one to represent each image by a set of primitive class sensitive descriptors and their hash codes. Then, in the last step, the images in the archive that are very similar to a query image are retrieved based on a multi-hash-code-matching scheme. Experimental results obtained on an archive of aerial images confirm the effectiveness of the proposed technique in terms of retrieval accuracy when compared to the standard hashing methods.

Determining robot actions for tasks requiring sensor interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budenske, John; Gini, Maria

1989-01-01

The performance of non-trivial tasks by a mobile robot has been a long term objective of robotic research. One of the major stumbling blocks to this goal is the conversion of the high-level planning goals and commands into the actuator and sensor processing controls. In order for a mobile robot to accomplish a non-trivial task, the task must be described in terms of primitive actions of the robot's actuators. Most non-trivial tasks require the robot to interact with its environment; thus necessitating coordination of sensor processing and actuator control to accomplish the task. The main contention is that the transformation from the high level description of the task to the primitive actions should be performed primarily at execution time, when knowledge about the environment can be obtained through sensors. It is proposed to produce the detailed plan of primitive actions by using a collection of low-level planning components that contain domain specific knowledge and knowledge about the available sensors, actuators, and sensor/actuator processing. This collection will perform signal and control processing as well as serve as a control interface between an actual mobile robot and a high-level planning system. Previous research has shown the usefulness of high-level planning systems to plan the coordination of activities such to achieve a goal, but none have been fully applied to actual mobile robots due to the complexity of interacting with sensors and actuators. This control interface is currently being implemented on a LABMATE mobile robot connected to a SUN workstation and will be developed such to enable the LABMATE to perform non-trivial, sensor-intensive tasks as specified by a planning system.

Organic cofactors participated more frequently than transition metals in redox reactions of primitive proteins.

PubMed

Ji, Hong-Fang; Chen, Lei; Zhang, Hong-Yu

2008-08-01

Protein redox reactions are one of the most basic and important biochemical actions. As amino acids are weak redox mediators, most protein redox functions are undertaken by protein cofactors, which include organic ligands and transition metal ions. Since both kinds of redox cofactors were available in the pre-protein RNA world, it is challenging to explore which one was more involved in redox processes of primitive proteins? In this paper, using an examination of the redox cofactor usage of putative ancient proteins, we infer that organic ligands participated more frequently than transition metals in redox reactions of primitive proteins, at least as protein cofactors. This is further supported by the relative abundance of amino acids in the primordial world. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the BioEssays website. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Representation primitives, process models and patient data in computer-interpretable clinical practice guidelines: a literature review of guideline representation models.

PubMed

Wang, Dongwen; Peleg, Mor; Tu, Samson W; Boxwala, Aziz A; Greenes, Robert A; Patel, Vimla L; Shortliffe, Edward H

2002-12-18

Representation of clinical practice guidelines in a computer-interpretable format is a critical issue for guideline development, implementation, and evaluation. We studied 11 types of guideline representation models that can be used to encode guidelines in computer-interpretable formats. We have consistently found in all reviewed models that primitives for representation of actions and decisions are necessary components of a guideline representation model. Patient states and execution states are important concepts that closely relate to each other. Scheduling constraints on representation primitives can be modeled as sequences, concurrences, alternatives, and loops in a guideline's application process. Nesting of guidelines provides multiple views to a guideline with different granularities. Integration of guidelines with electronic medical records can be facilitated by the introduction of a formal model for patient data. Data collection, decision, patient state, and intervention constitute four basic types of primitives in a guideline's logic flow. Decisions clarify our understanding on a patient's clinical state, while interventions lead to the change from one patient state to another.

Microcrystals and Amorphous Material in Comets and Primitive Meteorites: Keys to Understanding Processes in the Early Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nuth, J. A.; Brearley, A. J.; Scott, E. R. D.

2004-01-01

Comets, fine-grained matrices of chondrites, and chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are each composed of both crystalline and amorphous silicates. The primitive solar nebula, in which comets and asteroids accreted, was formed from the collapsed core of a Giant Molecular Cloud, that, in turn, condensed from materials present in the interstellar medium (ISM). Despite observations that reveal the presence of crystalline magnesium silicate minerals in the shells of very high mass-loss-rate stars [1,2], typical silicate grains in the ISM are most likely to be amorphous, given their relatively long residence time in such a high radiation environment. An upper limit of 3% crystalline grains can be derived from their non-detection in spectra of ISM solids [3]. If the vast majority of grains that enter the primitive solar nebula are amorphous, then the observation of crystalline dust in comets and primitive chondrite matrices indicates the action of specific processes required to transform the amorphous starting materials into the crystals that are observed.

75 FR 81561 - Huron-Manistee National Forests, Michigan, Land and Resource Management Plan Supplemental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-28

... State of Michigan, as required, to reduce duplication in recreation demands with respect to gun hunting... closing Primitive and Semiprimitive Nonmotorized areas to gun hunting and snowmobile use. Proposed Action...

Spectrum Analysis of Inertial and Subinertial Motions Based on Analyzed Winds and Wind-Driven Currents from a Primitive Equation General Ocean Circulation Model.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

1Muter.Te Motions Based on Ana lyzed Winds and wind-driven December 1982 Currents from. a Primitive Squat ion General a.OW -love"*..* Oean Circulation...mew se"$ (comeS.... do oISN..u am ae~ 00do OWaor NUN Fourier and Rotary Spc , Analysis Modeled Inertial and Subinrtial Motion 4 Primitive Equation

Insights to primitive replication derived from structures of small oligonucleotides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, G. K.; Fox, G. E.

1995-01-01

Available information on the structure of small oligonucleotides is surveyed. It is observed that even small oligomers typically exhibit defined structures over a wide range of pH and temperature. These structures rely on a plethora of non-standard base-base interactions in addition to the traditional Watson-Crick pairings. Stable duplexes, though typically antiparallel, can be parallel or staggered and perfect complementarity is not essential. These results imply that primitive template directed reactions do not require high fidelity. Hence, the extensive use of Watson-Crick complementarity in genes rather than being a direct consequence of the primitive condensation process, may instead reflect subsequent selection based on the advantage of accuracy in maintaining the primitive genetic machinery once it arose.

The primitive code and repeats of base oligomers as the primordial protein-encoding sequence.

PubMed Central

Ohno, S; Epplen, J T

1983-01-01

Even if the prebiotic self-replication of nucleic acids and the subsequent emergence of primitive, enzyme-independent tRNAs are accepted as plausible, the origin of life by spontaneous generation still appears improbable. This is because the just-emerged primitive translational machinery had to cope with base sequences that were not preselected for their coding potentials. Particularly if the primitive mitochondria-like code with four chain-terminating base triplets preceded the universal code, the translation of long, randomly generated, base sequences at this critical stage would have merely resulted in the production of short oligopeptides instead of long polypeptide chains. We present the base sequence of a mouse transcript containing tetranucleotide repeats conserved during evolution. Even if translated in accordance with the primitive mitochondria-like code, this transcript in its three reading frames can yield 245-, 246-, and 251-residue-long tetrapeptidic periodical polypeptides that are already acquiring longer periodicities. We contend that the first set of base sequences translated at the beginning of life were such oligonucleotide repeats. By quickly acquiring longer periodicities, their products must have soon gained characteristic secondary structures--alpha-helical or beta-sheet or both. PMID:6574491

Fast concurrent array-based stacks, queues and deques using fetch-and-increment-bounded, fetch-and-decrement-bounded and store-on-twin synchronization primitives

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

Chen, Dong; Gara, Alana; Heidelberger, Philip

Implementation primitives for concurrent array-based stacks, queues, double-ended queues (deques) and wrapped deques are provided. In one aspect, each element of the stack, queue, deque or wrapped deque data structure has its own ticket lock, allowing multiple threads to concurrently use multiple elements of the data structure and thus achieving high performance. In another aspect, new synchronization primitives FetchAndIncrementBounded (Counter, Bound) and FetchAndDecrementBounded (Counter, Bound) are implemented. These primitives can be implemented in hardware and thus promise a very fast throughput for queues, stacks and double-ended queues.

Raft cultivation area extraction from high resolution remote sensing imagery by fusing multi-scale region-line primitive association features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Min; Cui, Qi; Wang, Jie; Ming, Dongping; Lv, Guonian

2017-01-01

In this paper, we first propose several novel concepts for object-based image analysis, which include line-based shape regularity, line density, and scale-based best feature value (SBV), based on the region-line primitive association framework (RLPAF). We then propose a raft cultivation area (RCA) extraction method for high spatial resolution (HSR) remote sensing imagery based on multi-scale feature fusion and spatial rule induction. The proposed method includes the following steps: (1) Multi-scale region primitives (segments) are obtained by image segmentation method HBC-SEG, and line primitives (straight lines) are obtained by phase-based line detection method. (2) Association relationships between regions and lines are built based on RLPAF, and then multi-scale RLPAF features are extracted and SBVs are selected. (3) Several spatial rules are designed to extract RCAs within sea waters after land and water separation. Experiments show that the proposed method can successfully extract different-shaped RCAs from HR images with good performance.

Method for concurrent execution of primitive operations by dynamically assigning operations based upon computational marked graph and availability of data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mielke, Roland V. (Inventor); Stoughton, John W. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

Computationally complex primitive operations of an algorithm are executed concurrently in a plurality of functional units under the control of an assignment manager. The algorithm is preferably defined as a computationally marked graph contianing data status edges (paths) corresponding to each of the data flow edges. The assignment manager assigns primitive operations to the functional units and monitors completion of the primitive operations to determine data availability using the computational marked graph of the algorithm. All data accessing of the primitive operations is performed by the functional units independently of the assignment manager.

The properties of an ion selective enzymatic asymmetric synthetic membrane.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitz, M. A.

1971-01-01

With the aid of a simple model membrane system, the properties of cellulose enzymes and of membrane selectivity and pump-like action are considered. The model is based on materials possibly present on a primitive earth, as well as on a membrane able to sort or concentrate these materials. An overview of the model membrane system is presented in terms of how it is constructed, what its properties are, and what to expect in performance characteristics. The model system is shown to be useful for studying the selective and in some cases accelerated transfer of nutrients and metabolites.

A shape-based inter-layer contours correspondence method for ICT-based reverse engineering

PubMed Central

Duan, Liming; Yang, Shangpeng; Zhang, Gui; Feng, Fei; Gu, Minghui

2017-01-01

The correspondence of a stack of planar contours in ICT (industrial computed tomography)-based reverse engineering, a key step in surface reconstruction, is difficult when the contours or topology of the object are complex. Given the regularity of industrial parts and similarity of the inter-layer contours, a specialized shape-based inter-layer contours correspondence method for ICT-based reverse engineering was presented to solve the above problem based on the vectorized contours. In this paper, the vectorized contours extracted from the slices consist of three graphical primitives: circles, arcs and segments. First, the correspondence of the inter-layer primitives is conducted based on the characteristics of the primitives. Second, based on the corresponded primitives, the inter-layer contours correspond with each other using the proximity rules and exhaustive search. The proposed method can make full use of the shape information to handle industrial parts with complex structures. The feasibility and superiority of this method have been demonstrated via the related experiments. This method can play an instructive role in practice and provide a reference for the related research. PMID:28489867

A shape-based inter-layer contours correspondence method for ICT-based reverse engineering.

PubMed

Duan, Liming; Yang, Shangpeng; Zhang, Gui; Feng, Fei; Gu, Minghui

2017-01-01

The correspondence of a stack of planar contours in ICT (industrial computed tomography)-based reverse engineering, a key step in surface reconstruction, is difficult when the contours or topology of the object are complex. Given the regularity of industrial parts and similarity of the inter-layer contours, a specialized shape-based inter-layer contours correspondence method for ICT-based reverse engineering was presented to solve the above problem based on the vectorized contours. In this paper, the vectorized contours extracted from the slices consist of three graphical primitives: circles, arcs and segments. First, the correspondence of the inter-layer primitives is conducted based on the characteristics of the primitives. Second, based on the corresponded primitives, the inter-layer contours correspond with each other using the proximity rules and exhaustive search. The proposed method can make full use of the shape information to handle industrial parts with complex structures. The feasibility and superiority of this method have been demonstrated via the related experiments. This method can play an instructive role in practice and provide a reference for the related research.

A proposal of a renormalizable Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabo Montes de Oca, Alejandro

2018-03-01

A local and gauge invariant gauge field model including Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) and QCD Lagrangian terms in its action is introduced. Surprisingly, it becomes power counting renormalizable. This occurs thanks to the presence of action terms which modify the quark propagators, to become more decreasing that the Dirac one at large momenta in a Lee-Wick form, implying power counting renormalizability. The appearance of finite quark masses already in the tree approximation in the scheme is determined by the fact that the new action terms explicitly break chiral invariance. In this starting work we present the renormalized Feynman diagram expansion of the model and derive the formula for the degree of divergence of the diagrams. An explanation for the usual exclusion of the added Lagrangian terms is presented. In addition, the primitíve divergent graphs are identified. We start their evaluation by calculating the simpler contribution to the gluon polarization operator. The divergent and finite parts both result transverse as required by gauge invariance. The full evaluation of the various primitive divergences, which are required for completely defining the counterterm Feynman expansion will be considered in coming works, for further allowing to discuss the flavour symmetry breaking and unitarity.

Model-Free Primitive-Based Iterative Learning Control Approach to Trajectory Tracking of MIMO Systems With Experimental Validation.

PubMed

Radac, Mircea-Bogdan; Precup, Radu-Emil; Petriu, Emil M

2015-11-01

This paper proposes a novel model-free trajectory tracking of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems by the combination of iterative learning control (ILC) and primitives. The optimal trajectory tracking solution is obtained in terms of previously learned solutions to simple tasks called primitives. The library of primitives that are stored in memory consists of pairs of reference input/controlled output signals. The reference input primitives are optimized in a model-free ILC framework without using knowledge of the controlled process. The guaranteed convergence of the learning scheme is built upon a model-free virtual reference feedback tuning design of the feedback decoupling controller. Each new complex trajectory to be tracked is decomposed into the output primitives regarded as basis functions. The optimal reference input for the control system to track the desired trajectory is next recomposed from the reference input primitives. This is advantageous because the optimal reference input is computed straightforward without the need to learn from repeated executions of the tracking task. In addition, the optimization problem specific to trajectory tracking of square MIMO systems is decomposed in a set of optimization problems assigned to each separate single-input single-output control channel that ensures a convenient model-free decoupling. The new model-free primitive-based ILC approach is capable of planning, reasoning, and learning. A case study dealing with the model-free control tuning for a nonlinear aerodynamic system is included to validate the new approach. The experimental results are given.

Density of Primitive Pythagorean Triples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killen, Duncan A.

2004-01-01

Based on the properties of a Primitive Pythagorean Triple (PPT), a computer program was written to generate, print, and count all PPTs greater than or equal to I[subscript x], where I[subscript x] is an arbitrarily chosen integer. The Density of Primitive Pythagorean Triples may be defined as the ratio of the number of PPTs whose hypotenuse is…

Evaluating structural pattern recognition for handwritten math via primitive label graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanibbi, Richard; Mouchère, Harold; Viard-Gaudin, Christian

2013-01-01

Currently, structural pattern recognizer evaluations compare graphs of detected structure to target structures (i.e. ground truth) using recognition rates, recall and precision for object segmentation, classification and relationships. In document recognition, these target objects (e.g. symbols) are frequently comprised of multiple primitives (e.g. connected components, or strokes for online handwritten data), but current metrics do not characterize errors at the primitive level, from which object-level structure is obtained. Primitive label graphs are directed graphs defined over primitives and primitive pairs. We define new metrics obtained by Hamming distances over label graphs, which allow classification, segmentation and parsing errors to be characterized separately, or using a single measure. Recall and precision for detected objects may also be computed directly from label graphs. We illustrate the new metrics by comparing a new primitive-level evaluation to the symbol-level evaluation performed for the CROHME 2012 handwritten math recognition competition. A Python-based set of utilities for evaluating, visualizing and translating label graphs is publicly available.

SL(2, C) group action on cohomological field theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basalaev, Alexey

2018-01-01

We introduce the S} (2,C) group action on a partition function of a cohomological field theory via a certain Givental's action. Restricted to the small phase space we describe the action via the explicit formulae on a CohFT genus g potential. We prove that applied to the total ancestor potential of a simple-elliptic singularity the action introduced coincides with the transformation of Milanov-Ruan changing the primitive form (cf. Milanov and Ruan in Gromov-Witten theory of elliptic orbifold P1 and quasi-modular forms, arXiv:1106.2321 , 2011).

Fully automatic segmentation of the femur from 3D-CT images using primitive shape recognition and statistical shape models.

PubMed

Ben Younes, Lassad; Nakajima, Yoshikazu; Saito, Toki

2014-03-01

Femur segmentation is well established and widely used in computer-assisted orthopedic surgery. However, most of the robust segmentation methods such as statistical shape models (SSM) require human intervention to provide an initial position for the SSM. In this paper, we propose to overcome this problem and provide a fully automatic femur segmentation method for CT images based on primitive shape recognition and SSM. Femur segmentation in CT scans was performed using primitive shape recognition based on a robust algorithm such as the Hough transform and RANdom SAmple Consensus. The proposed method is divided into 3 steps: (1) detection of the femoral head as sphere and the femoral shaft as cylinder in the SSM and the CT images, (2) rigid registration between primitives of SSM and CT image to initialize the SSM into the CT image, and (3) fitting of the SSM to the CT image edge using an affine transformation followed by a nonlinear fitting. The automated method provided good results even with a high number of outliers. The difference of segmentation error between the proposed automatic initialization method and a manual initialization method is less than 1 mm. The proposed method detects primitive shape position to initialize the SSM into the target image. Based on primitive shapes, this method overcomes the problem of inter-patient variability. Moreover, the results demonstrate that our method of primitive shape recognition can be used for 3D SSM initialization to achieve fully automatic segmentation of the femur.

Semantically-Sensitive Macroprocessing

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-15

constr uct for protecting critical regions. Given the synchronization primitives P and V, we might implement the following transformation, where...By this we mean that the semantic model for the base language provides a primitive set of concepts, represented by data types and operations...the gener- ation of a (dynamic-) semantically equivalent program fragment ultimately expressible in terms of built-in primitives . Note that static

Basis set construction for molecular electronic structure theory: natural orbital and Gauss-Slater basis for smooth pseudopotentials.

PubMed

Petruzielo, F R; Toulouse, Julien; Umrigar, C J

2011-02-14

A simple yet general method for constructing basis sets for molecular electronic structure calculations is presented. These basis sets consist of atomic natural orbitals from a multiconfigurational self-consistent field calculation supplemented with primitive functions, chosen such that the asymptotics are appropriate for the potential of the system. Primitives are optimized for the homonuclear diatomic molecule to produce a balanced basis set. Two general features that facilitate this basis construction are demonstrated. First, weak coupling exists between the optimal exponents of primitives with different angular momenta. Second, the optimal primitive exponents for a chosen system depend weakly on the particular level of theory employed for optimization. The explicit case considered here is a basis set appropriate for the Burkatzki-Filippi-Dolg pseudopotentials. Since these pseudopotentials are finite at nuclei and have a Coulomb tail, the recently proposed Gauss-Slater functions are the appropriate primitives. Double- and triple-zeta bases are developed for elements hydrogen through argon. These new bases offer significant gains over the corresponding Burkatzki-Filippi-Dolg bases at various levels of theory. Using a Gaussian expansion of the basis functions, these bases can be employed in any electronic structure method. Quantum Monte Carlo provides an added benefit: expansions are unnecessary since the integrals are evaluated numerically.

Physarum attraction: Why slime mold behaves as cats do?

PubMed

Adamatzky, Andrew; Costello, Ben De Lacy

2012-05-01

We discuss potential chemical substances responsible for attracting acellular slime mold Physarun polycephalum to valerian root. The contributes toward fundamental research into pheromones and chemo-attracts of primitive organisms such as slime molds. The results show that significant information could be gained about the action of compounds on higher organisms.

Security Primitives for Reconfigurable Hardware-Based Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

work, we propose security primitives using ideas centered around the notion of “moats and drawbridges .” The primitives encompass four design properties...Santa Bar- bara, CA 93106; email: sherwood@cs.ucsb.edu; R. Kastner, Department of Computer Science and Engineering , University of California, San...fingerprint reader), the other to control the ethernet IP core—and an AES encryption engine used by both of the processor cores. These cores are all implemented

Technical design and system implementation of region-line primitive association framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Min; Xing, Jinjin; Wang, Jie; Lv, Guonian

2017-08-01

Apart from regions, image edge lines are an important information source, and they deserve more attention in object-based image analysis (OBIA) than they currently receive. In the region-line primitive association framework (RLPAF), we promote straight-edge lines as line primitives to achieve powerful OBIAs. Along with regions, straight lines become basic units for subsequent extraction and analysis of OBIA features. This study develops a new software system called remote-sensing knowledge finder (RSFinder) to implement RLPAF for engineering application purposes. This paper introduces the extended technical framework, a comprehensively designed feature set, key technology, and software implementation. To our knowledge, RSFinder is the world's first OBIA system based on two types of primitives, namely, regions and lines. It is fundamentally different from other well-known region-only-based OBIA systems, such as eCogntion and ENVI feature extraction module. This paper has important reference values for the development of similarly structured OBIA systems and line-involved extraction algorithms of remote sensing information.

Physarum attraction: Why slime mold behaves as cats do?

PubMed Central

Adamatzky, Andrew; Costello, Ben De Lacy

2012-01-01

We discuss potential chemical substances responsible for attracting acellular slime mold Physarun polycephalum to valerian root. The contributes toward fundamental research into pheromones and chemo-attracts of primitive organisms such as slime molds. The results show that significant information could be gained about the action of compounds on higher organisms. PMID:22896798

Small Cofactors May Assist Protein Emergence from RNA World: Clues from RNA-Protein Complexes

PubMed Central

Shen, Liang; Ji, Hong-Fang

2011-01-01

It is now widely accepted that at an early stage in the evolution of life an RNA world arose, in which RNAs both served as the genetic material and catalyzed diverse biochemical reactions. Then, proteins have gradually replaced RNAs because of their superior catalytic properties in catalysis over time. Therefore, it is important to investigate how primitive functional proteins emerged from RNA world, which can shed light on the evolutionary pathway of life from RNA world to the modern world. In this work, we proposed that the emergence of most primitive functional proteins are assisted by the early primitive nucleotide cofactors, while only a minority are induced directly by RNAs based on the analysis of RNA-protein complexes. Furthermore, the present findings have significant implication for exploring the composition of primitive RNA, i.e., adenine base as principal building blocks. PMID:21789260

Prebiotic Synthesis of Methionine and Other Sulfur-Containing Organic Compounds on the Primitive Earth: A Contemporary Reassessment Based on an Unpublished 1958 Stanley Miller Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Eric T.; Cleaves, H. James; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Lazcano, Antonio

2010-01-01

Original extracts from an unpublished 1958 experiment conducted by the late Stanley L. Miller were recently found and analyzed using modern state-of-the-art analytical methods. The extracts were produced by the action of an electric discharge on a mixture of methane (CH4), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Racemic methionine was farmed in significant yields, together with other sulfur-bearing organic compounds. The formation of methionine and other compounds from a model prebiotic atmosphere that contained H2S suggests that this type of synthesis is robust under reducing conditions, which may have existed either in the global primitive atmosphere or in localized volcanic environments on the early Earth. The presence of a wide array of sulfur-containing organic compounds produced by the decomposition of methionine and cysteine indicates that in addition to abiotic synthetic processes, degradation of organic compounds on the primordial Earth could have been important in diversifying the inventory of molecules of biochemical significance not readily formed from other abiotic reactions, or derived from extraterrestrial delivery.

Detailed Primitive-Based 3d Modeling of Architectural Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remondino, F.; Lo Buglio, D.; Nony, N.; De Luca, L.

2012-07-01

The article describes a pipeline, based on image-data, for the 3D reconstruction of building façades or architectural elements and the successive modeling using geometric primitives. The approach overcome some existing problems in modeling architectural elements and deliver efficient-in-size reality-based textured 3D models useful for metric applications. For the 3D reconstruction, an opensource pipeline developed within the TAPENADE project is employed. In the successive modeling steps, the user manually selects an area containing an architectural element (capital, column, bas-relief, window tympanum, etc.) and then the procedure fits geometric primitives and computes disparity and displacement maps in order to tie visual and geometric information together in a light but detailed 3D model. Examples are reported and commented.

A knowledge-based object recognition system for applications in the space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dhawan, Atam P.

1988-01-01

A knowledge-based three-dimensional (3D) object recognition system is being developed. The system uses primitive-based hierarchical relational and structural matching for the recognition of 3D objects in the two-dimensional (2D) image for interpretation of the 3D scene. At present, the pre-processing, low-level preliminary segmentation, rule-based segmentation, and the feature extraction are completed. The data structure of the primitive viewing knowledge-base (PVKB) is also completed. Algorithms and programs based on attribute-trees matching for decomposing the segmented data into valid primitives were developed. The frame-based structural and relational descriptions of some objects were created and stored in a knowledge-base. This knowledge-base of the frame-based descriptions were developed on the MICROVAX-AI microcomputer in LISP environment. The simulated 3D scene of simple non-overlapping objects as well as real camera data of images of 3D objects of low-complexity have been successfully interpreted.

The Self-Regulating Brain: Cortical-Subcortical Feedback and the Development of Intelligent Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Marc D.; Todd, Rebecca M.

2007-01-01

To speak of cognitive regulation versus emotion regulation may be misleading. However, some forms of regulation are carried out by executive processes, subject to voluntary control, while others are carried out by "automatic" processes that are far more primitive. Both sets of processes are in constant interaction, and that interaction gives rise…

Plant Reproduction. Plant Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

Plants are vital to all other life on this planet - without them, there would be no food, shelter or oxygen. Luckily, over millions of years plants have developed many different features in order to survive and reproduce. In Plant Reproduction, students will discover that primitive mosses and algae are dependent upon water for their reproduction.…

Biometric verification in dynamic writing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Susan E.

2002-03-01

Pen-tablet devices capable of capturing the dynamics of writing record temporal and pressure information as well as the spatial pattern. This paper explores biometric verification based upon the dynamics of writing where writers are distinguished not on the basis of what they write (ie the signature), but how they write. We have collected samples of dynamic writing from 38 Chinese writers. Each writer was asked to provide 10 copies of a paragraph of text and the same number of signature samples. From the data we have extracted stroke-based primitives from the sentence data utilizing pen-up/down information and heuristic rules about the shape of the character. The x, y and pressure values of each primitive were interpolated into an even temporal range based upon a 20 msec sampling rate. We applied the Daubechies 1 wavelet transform to the x signal, y signal and pressure signal using the coefficients as inputs to a multi-layer perceptron trained with back-propagation on the sentence data. We found a sensitivity of 0.977 and specificity of 0.990 recognizing writers based on test primitives extracted from sentence data and measures of 0.916 and 0.961 respectively, from test primitives extracted from signature data.

Elicitation and abrupt termination of behaviorally significant catchlike tension in a primitive insect.

PubMed

Hoyle, G; Field, L H

1983-07-01

Sustained steady contractural or catchlike tension (CT) occurs in the metathoracic extensor tibiae muscle of the primitive insect the weta (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae) during its characteristic leg-extension defense behavior or following leg-position conditioning. Similar action occurs occasionally in semi-intact preparations and is abruptly turned off by a single peripheral inhibitory impulse. These phenomena were reproduced routinely by first infusing saline containing 10(-8) M (or stronger) octopamine into the muscle for 12 min, and then stimulating the slow excitatory motor neuron SETi with a brief burst. Direct stimulation of the dorsal unpaired median neuron, innervating the extensor tibiae (DUMETi) prior to SETi stimulation, also led to CT. Both octopamine and DUMETi markedly enhanced the tension developed in response to a burst of impulses in SETi.

Photovoltaic panel extraction from very high-resolution aerial imagery using region-line primitive association analysis and template matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Min; Cui, Qi; Sun, Yujie; Wang, Qiao

2018-07-01

In object-based image analysis (OBIA), object classification performance is jointly determined by image segmentation, sample or rule setting, and classifiers. Typically, as a crucial step to obtain object primitives, image segmentation quality significantly influences subsequent feature extraction and analyses. By contrast, template matching extracts specific objects from images and prevents shape defects caused by image segmentation. However, creating or editing templates is tedious and sometimes results in incomplete or inaccurate templates. In this study, we combine OBIA and template matching techniques to address these problems and aim for accurate photovoltaic panel (PVP) extraction from very high-resolution (VHR) aerial imagery. The proposed method is based on the previously proposed region-line primitive association framework, in which complementary information between region (segment) and line (straight line) primitives is utilized to achieve a more powerful performance than routine OBIA. Several novel concepts, including the mutual fitting ratio and best-fitting template based on region-line primitive association analyses, are proposed. Automatic template generation and matching method for PVP extraction from VHR imagery are designed for concept and model validation. Results show that the proposed method can successfully extract PVPs without any user-specified matching template or training sample. High user independency and accuracy are the main characteristics of the proposed method in comparison with routine OBIA and template matching techniques.

Hierarchical Aligned Cluster Analysis for Temporal Clustering of Human Motion.

PubMed

Zhou, Feng; De la Torre, Fernando; Hodgins, Jessica K

2013-03-01

Temporal segmentation of human motion into plausible motion primitives is central to understanding and building computational models of human motion. Several issues contribute to the challenge of discovering motion primitives: the exponential nature of all possible movement combinations, the variability in the temporal scale of human actions, and the complexity of representing articulated motion. We pose the problem of learning motion primitives as one of temporal clustering, and derive an unsupervised hierarchical bottom-up framework called hierarchical aligned cluster analysis (HACA). HACA finds a partition of a given multidimensional time series into m disjoint segments such that each segment belongs to one of k clusters. HACA combines kernel k-means with the generalized dynamic time alignment kernel to cluster time series data. Moreover, it provides a natural framework to find a low-dimensional embedding for time series. HACA is efficiently optimized with a coordinate descent strategy and dynamic programming. Experimental results on motion capture and video data demonstrate the effectiveness of HACA for segmenting complex motions and as a visualization tool. We also compare the performance of HACA to state-of-the-art algorithms for temporal clustering on data of a honey bee dance. The HACA code is available online.

Formation of amino acids and nucleic acid constituents from simulated primitive planetary atmospheres by irradiation with high-energy protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, K.; Yamanashi, H.; Ohashi, A.; Kaneko, T.; Miyakawa, S.; Saito, T.

It is suggested that primitive Earth atmosphere was only slightly reduced, which w as composed of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and water. It has been shown that bioorganic compounds can be hardly formed by energies as UV light, heat and spark discharges. We therefore examined possible formation pat hways of bioorganic compounds in the primitive E arth. A mixt ure of carbon monoxide, nitrogen and water was irradiated with high-energy prot ons generated by a van de Graaff accelerator, whi c h simulated an action of cosm ic rays. Aqueous solution of the product was hydr olyzed, and then analyzed by chromatography and mass spectrometry. A wide variety of amino acids and uracil, one of the nucle ic acid bases, wer e identified. Ribose, the RNA sugar, has not been identified, but formation of reducing polyols was suggested. A mino acids and uracil were also formed from a mixture of carbo n dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and water, and their yields correlated to the ratio of carbon monoxide and nitrogen in the mixture. Since a certain percentage of carbon monoxide could be expected to be in it [1], cosmic radiation can be regarded as an effective energ so urce for prebiotic formation of life's building blocks in they primitive Earth [2]. In the conventional scenario of chemical evolution, amino acids were formed in t he primitive ocean from such intermediates as HCN an d HCHO formed in t he atmosphere. T his scenario seem s not to be possible due to the following reasons: (1) The irradiation products were quit e complex organic com pound s whose molecular weights were ca. 1000, and they gave amino acids after hydrolysis. (2) Energy yields of amino ac ids in the hydrolysates were comparable to those of HCN and HCHO in the irradiation pro duct s. (3) Irradiation products from a mixture of carbon monoxide and nitrogen without water als o gave amino acids aft er hydrolysis. T hes e observations strongly sugge s t e d that complex precursors of bioor ganic com poun ds could be formed directly in the atmosphere. A new scenario of chemical evolution via complex organics toward the origin of life will be prop o s e d. [1] J. Kasting, Origins Life Evol. Biosph ere, 20, 199 (1990). [2] K. Kobay ashi , et al., Origins Life Evol. Biosphere, 28, 155 (1998). * Present address: Rensselaer Polytechnic Ins titut e.

The difficulties of using MACSYMA and the function of user aids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Genesereth, M. R.

1977-01-01

The size and complexity of the MACSYMA system may create learning difficulties for users. Deficiency in understanding the system leads to resource knowledge difficulties. A communication factor arises from a difference between the primitive objects, actions, and relations of a user's problem and those provided by the system. The functions of various user aids in handling each of these difficulties are discussed.

Design principles of a cooperative robot controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayward, Vincent; Hayati, Samad

1987-01-01

The paper describes the design of a controller for cooperative robots being designed at McGill University in a collaborative effort with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The first part of the paper discusses the background and motivation for multiple arm control. Then, a set of programming primitives, which are based on the RCCL system and which permit a programmer to specify cooperative tasks are described. The first group of primitives are motion primitives which specify asynchronous motions, master/slave motions, and cooperative motions. In the context of cooperative robots, trajectory generation issues will be discussed and the implementation described. A second set of primitives provides for the specification of spatial relationships. The relations between programming and control in the case of multiple robot are examined. Finally, the paper describes the allocation of various tasks among a set of microprocessors sharing a common bus.

Emergence of Functional Hierarchy in a Multiple Timescale Neural Network Model: A Humanoid Robot Experiment

PubMed Central

Yamashita, Yuichi; Tani, Jun

2008-01-01

It is generally thought that skilled behavior in human beings results from a functional hierarchy of the motor control system, within which reusable motor primitives are flexibly integrated into various sensori-motor sequence patterns. The underlying neural mechanisms governing the way in which continuous sensori-motor flows are segmented into primitives and the way in which series of primitives are integrated into various behavior sequences have, however, not yet been clarified. In earlier studies, this functional hierarchy has been realized through the use of explicit hierarchical structure, with local modules representing motor primitives in the lower level and a higher module representing sequences of primitives switched via additional mechanisms such as gate-selecting. When sequences contain similarities and overlap, however, a conflict arises in such earlier models between generalization and segmentation, induced by this separated modular structure. To address this issue, we propose a different type of neural network model. The current model neither makes use of separate local modules to represent primitives nor introduces explicit hierarchical structure. Rather than forcing architectural hierarchy onto the system, functional hierarchy emerges through a form of self-organization that is based on two distinct types of neurons, each with different time properties (“multiple timescales”). Through the introduction of multiple timescales, continuous sequences of behavior are segmented into reusable primitives, and the primitives, in turn, are flexibly integrated into novel sequences. In experiments, the proposed network model, coordinating the physical body of a humanoid robot through high-dimensional sensori-motor control, also successfully situated itself within a physical environment. Our results suggest that it is not only the spatial connections between neurons but also the timescales of neural activity that act as important mechanisms leading to functional hierarchy in neural systems. PMID:18989398

Purification of zebrafish erythrocytes as a means of identifying a novel regulator of haematopoiesis.

PubMed

Kulkeaw, Kasem; Inoue, Tomoko; Ishitani, Tohru; Nakanishi, Yoichi; Zon, Leonard I; Sugiyama, Daisuke

2018-02-01

Zebrafish embryos are useful to study haematopoietic gene function in vertebrates, although lack of antibodies to zebrafish proteins has limited the purification of specific cell populations. Here, we purified primitive zebrafish erythrocytes using 1, 5-bis{[2-(di-methylamino)ethyl]amino}-4, 8-dihydroxyanthracene-9, 10-dione (DRAQ5 TM ), a DNA-staining fluorescent dye. At 48-h post-fertilization, we sorted small-sized cells from embryos using forward scatter and found that they consisted of DRAQ5 high and DRAQ5 low populations. DRAQ5 high cells contained haemoglobin, lacked myeloperoxidase activity and expressed high levels of embryonic globin (hbae3 and hbbe1.1) mRNA, all characteristics of primitive erythrocytes. Following DRAQ5 TM analysis of gata1:dsRed transgenic embryos, we purified primitive DRAQ5 high dsRed+ erythrocytes from haematopoietic progenitor cells. Using this method, we identified docking protein 2 (Dok2) as functioning in differentiation of primitive erythrocytes. We conclude that DRAQ5 TM -based flow cytometry enables purification of primitive zebrafish erythrocytes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Knowledge Based Synthesis of Efficient Structures for Concurrent Computation Using Fat-Trees and Pipelining.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-31

synthesize synchronization skeletons"Science of Computer Programming 2, 1982, pp. 241-266 [Gel85] Gelernter, David, "Generative communication in...effective computation based on given primitives . An architecture is an abstract object-type, whose instances are computing systems. By a parallel computing...explaining the language primitives on this basis. We explain how such a basis can be "simpler" than a general-purpose manual-programming language such as

Temporal Subtraction of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Images for Improved Mass Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

K. Fishman and B. M. W. Tsui, "Development of a computer-generated model for the coronary arterial tree based on multislice CT and morphometric data...mathematical models based on geometric primitives8-22. Bakic et al created synthetic x-ray mammograms using a 3D simulated breast tissue model consisting of...utilized a combination of voxel matrices and geometric primitives to create a breast phantom that includes the breast surface, the duct system, and

Local bone marrow renin-angiotensin system in primitive, definitive and neoplastic haematopoiesis.

PubMed

Haznedaroglu, Ibrahim C; Beyazit, Yavuz

2013-03-01

The locally active ligand peptides, mediators, receptors and signalling pathways of the haematopoietic BM (bone marrow) autocrine/paracrine RAS (renin-angiotensin system) affect the essential steps of definitive blood cell production. Haematopoiesis, erythropoiesis, myelopoiesis, formation of monocytic and lymphocytic lineages, thrombopoiesis and other stromal cellular elements are regulated by the local BM RAS. The local BM RAS is present and active even in primitive embryonic haematopoiesis. ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) is expressed on the surface of the first endothelial and haematopoietic cells, forming the marrow cavity in the embryo. ACE marks early haematopoietic precursor cells and long-term blood-forming CD34(+) BM cells. The local autocrine tissue BM RAS may also be active in neoplastic haematopoiesis. Critical RAS mediators such as renin, ACE, AngII (angiotensin II) and angiotensinogen have been identified in leukaemic blast cells. The local tissue RAS influences tumour growth and metastases in an autocrine and paracrine fashion via the modulation of numerous carcinogenic events, such as angiogenesis, apoptosis, cellular proliferation, immune responses, cell signalling and extracellular matrix formation. The aim of the present review is to outline the known functions of the local BM RAS within the context of primitive, definitive and neoplastic haematopoiesis. Targeting the actions of local RAS molecules could represent a valuable therapeutic option for the management of neoplastic disorders.

Computational simulation of probabilistic lifetime strength for aerospace materials subjected to high temperature, mechanical fatigue, creep and thermal fatigue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyce, Lola; Bast, Callie C.; Trimble, Greg A.

1992-01-01

This report presents the results of a fourth year effort of a research program, conducted for NASA-LeRC by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The research included on-going development of methodology that provides probabilistic lifetime strength of aerospace materials via computational simulation. A probabilistic material strength degradation model, in the form of a randomized multifactor interaction equation, is postulated for strength degradation of structural components of aerospace propulsion systems subject to a number of effects or primitive variables. These primitive variables may include high temperature, fatigue or creep. In most cases, strength is reduced as a result of the action of a variable. This multifactor interaction strength degradation equation has been randomized and is included in the computer program, PROMISS. Also included in the research is the development of methodology to calibrate the above-described constitutive equation using actual experimental materials data together with regression analysis of that data, thereby predicting values for the empirical material constants for each effect or primitive variable. This regression methodology is included in the computer program, PROMISC. Actual experimental materials data were obtained from industry and the open literature for materials typically for applications in aerospace propulsion system components. Material data for Inconel 718 has been analyzed using the developed methodology.

Computational simulation of probabilistic lifetime strength for aerospace materials subjected to high temperature, mechanical fatigue, creep, and thermal fatigue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyce, Lola; Bast, Callie C.; Trimble, Greg A.

1992-01-01

The results of a fourth year effort of a research program conducted for NASA-LeRC by The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) are presented. The research included on-going development of methodology that provides probabilistic lifetime strength of aerospace materials via computational simulation. A probabilistic material strength degradation model, in the form of a randomized multifactor interaction equation, is postulated for strength degradation of structural components of aerospace propulsion systems subjected to a number of effects or primitive variables. These primitive variables may include high temperature, fatigue, or creep. In most cases, strength is reduced as a result of the action of a variable. This multifactor interaction strength degradation equation was randomized and is included in the computer program, PROMISC. Also included in the research is the development of methodology to calibrate the above-described constitutive equation using actual experimental materials data together with regression analysis of that data, thereby predicting values for the empirical material constants for each effect or primitive variable. This regression methodology is included in the computer program, PROMISC. Actual experimental materials data were obtained from industry and the open literature for materials typically for applications in aerospace propulsion system components. Material data for Inconel 718 was analyzed using the developed methodology.

EMIR: a configurable hierarchical system for event monitoring and incident response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deich, William T. S.

2014-07-01

The Event Monitor and Incident Response system (emir) is a flexible, general-purpose system for monitoring and responding to all aspects of instrument, telescope, and general facility operations, and has been in use at the Automated Planet Finder telescope for two years. Responses to problems can include both passive actions (e.g. generating alerts) and active actions (e.g. modifying system settings). Emir includes a monitor-and-response daemon, plus graphical user interfaces and text-based clients that automatically configure themselves from data supplied at runtime by the daemon. The daemon is driven by a configuration file that describes each condition to be monitored, the actions to take when the condition is triggered, and how the conditions are aggregated into hierarchical groups of conditions. Emir has been implemented for the Keck Task Library (KTL) keyword-based systems used at Keck and Lick Observatories, but can be readily adapted to many event-driven architectures. This paper discusses the design and implementation of Emir , and the challenges in balancing the competing demands for simplicity, flexibility, power, and extensibility. Emir 's design lends itself well to multiple purposes, and in addition to its core monitor and response functions, it provides an effective framework for computing running statistics, aggregate values, and summary state values from the primitive state data generated by other subsystems, and even for creating quick-and-dirty control loops for simple systems.

Generic extravehicular (EVA) and telerobot task primitives for analysis, design, and integration. Version 1.0: Reference compilation for the EVA and telerobotics communities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Jeffrey H.; Drews, Michael

1990-01-01

The results are described of an effort to establish commonality and standardization of generic crew extravehicular (crew-EVA) and telerobotic task analysis primitives used for the study of spaceborne operations. Although direct crew-EVA plans are the most visible output of spaceborne operations, significant ongoing efforts by a wide variety of projects and organizations also require tools for estimation of crew-EVA and telerobotic times. Task analysis tools provide estimates for input to technical and cost tradeoff studies. A workshop was convened to identify the issues and needs to establish a common language and syntax for task analysis primitives. In addition, the importance of such a syntax was shown to have precedence over the level to which such a syntax is applied. The syntax, lists of crew-EVA and telerobotic primitives, and the data base in diskette form are presented.

Efficient conservative ADER schemes based on WENO reconstruction and space-time predictor in primitive variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanotti, Olindo; Dumbser, Michael

2016-01-01

We present a new version of conservative ADER-WENO finite volume schemes, in which both the high order spatial reconstruction as well as the time evolution of the reconstruction polynomials in the local space-time predictor stage are performed in primitive variables, rather than in conserved ones. To obtain a conservative method, the underlying finite volume scheme is still written in terms of the cell averages of the conserved quantities. Therefore, our new approach performs the spatial WENO reconstruction twice: the first WENO reconstruction is carried out on the known cell averages of the conservative variables. The WENO polynomials are then used at the cell centers to compute point values of the conserved variables, which are subsequently converted into point values of the primitive variables. This is the only place where the conversion from conservative to primitive variables is needed in the new scheme. Then, a second WENO reconstruction is performed on the point values of the primitive variables to obtain piecewise high order reconstruction polynomials of the primitive variables. The reconstruction polynomials are subsequently evolved in time with a novel space-time finite element predictor that is directly applied to the governing PDE written in primitive form. The resulting space-time polynomials of the primitive variables can then be directly used as input for the numerical fluxes at the cell boundaries in the underlying conservative finite volume scheme. Hence, the number of necessary conversions from the conserved to the primitive variables is reduced to just one single conversion at each cell center. We have verified the validity of the new approach over a wide range of hyperbolic systems, including the classical Euler equations of gas dynamics, the special relativistic hydrodynamics (RHD) and ideal magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) equations, as well as the Baer-Nunziato model for compressible two-phase flows. In all cases we have noticed that the new ADER schemes provide less oscillatory solutions when compared to ADER finite volume schemes based on the reconstruction in conserved variables, especially for the RMHD and the Baer-Nunziato equations. For the RHD and RMHD equations, the overall accuracy is improved and the CPU time is reduced by about 25 %. Because of its increased accuracy and due to the reduced computational cost, we recommend to use this version of ADER as the standard one in the relativistic framework. At the end of the paper, the new approach has also been extended to ADER-DG schemes on space-time adaptive grids (AMR).

Exploiting replication in distributed systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birman, Kenneth P.; Joseph, T. A.

1989-01-01

Techniques are examined for replicating data and execution in directly distributed systems: systems in which multiple processes interact directly with one another while continuously respecting constraints on their joint behavior. Directly distributed systems are often required to solve difficult problems, ranging from management of replicated data to dynamic reconfiguration in response to failures. It is shown that these problems reduce to more primitive, order-based consistency problems, which can be solved using primitives such as the reliable broadcast protocols. Moreover, given a system that implements reliable broadcast primitives, a flexible set of high-level tools can be provided for building a wide variety of directly distributed application programs.

Existence and Regularity of Invariant Measures for the Three Dimensional Stochastic Primitive Equations

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

Glatt-Holtz, Nathan, E-mail: negh@vt.edu; Kukavica, Igor, E-mail: kukavica@usc.edu; Ziane, Mohammed, E-mail: ziane@usc.edu

2014-05-15

We establish the continuity of the Markovian semigroup associated with strong solutions of the stochastic 3D Primitive Equations, and prove the existence of an invariant measure. The proof is based on new moment bounds for strong solutions. The invariant measure is supported on strong solutions and is furthermore shown to have higher regularity properties.

Primitive Photosynthetic Architectures Based on Self-Organization and Chemical Evolution of Amino Acids and Metal Ions.

PubMed

Liu, Kai; Ren, Xiaokang; Sun, Jianxuan; Zou, Qianli; Yan, Xuehai

2018-06-01

The emergence of light-energy-utilizing metabolism is likely to be a critical milestone in prebiotic chemistry and the origin of life. However, how the primitive pigment is spontaneously generated still remains unknown. Herein, a primitive pigment model based on adaptive self-organization of amino acids (Cystine, Cys) and metal ions (zinc ion, Zn 2+ ) followed by chemical evolution under hydrothermal conditions is developed. The resulting hybrid microspheres are composed of radially aligned cystine/zinc (Cys/Zn) assembly decorated with carbonate-doped zinc sulfide (C-ZnS) nanocrystals. The part of C-ZnS can work as a light-harvesting antenna to capture ultraviolet and visible light, and use it in various photochemical reactions, including hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) photoreduction, and reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride (NADH). Additionally, guest molecules (e.g., glutamate dehydrogenase, GDH) can be encapsulated within the hierarchical Cys/Zn framework, which facilitates sustainable photoenzymatic synthesis of glutamate. This study helps deepen insight into the emergent functionality (conversion of light energy) and complexity (hierarchical architecture) from interaction and reaction of prebiotic molecules. The primitive pigment model is also promising to work as an artificial photosynthetic microreactor.

Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Non-Metastatic Extracranial Ewing Sarcoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2018-02-09

Adult Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET); Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Ewing Sarcoma of Bone; Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma; Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Localized Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of the Kidney; Untreated Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor

Hierarchical HMM based learning of navigation primitives for cooperative robotic endovascular catheterization.

PubMed

Rafii-Tari, Hedyeh; Liu, Jindong; Payne, Christopher J; Bicknell, Colin; Yang, Guang-Zhong

2014-01-01

Despite increased use of remote-controlled steerable catheter navigation systems for endovascular intervention, most current designs are based on master configurations which tend to alter natural operator tool interactions. This introduces problems to both ergonomics and shared human-robot control. This paper proposes a novel cooperative robotic catheterization system based on learning-from-demonstration. By encoding the higher-level structure of a catheterization task as a sequence of primitive motions, we demonstrate how to achieve prospective learning for complex tasks whilst incorporating subject-specific variations. A hierarchical Hidden Markov Model is used to model each movement primitive as well as their sequential relationship. This model is applied to generation of motion sequences, recognition of operator input, and prediction of future movements for the robot. The framework is validated by comparing catheter tip motions against the manual approach, showing significant improvements in the quality of catheterization. The results motivate the design of collaborative robotic systems that are intuitive to use, while reducing the cognitive workload of the operator.

Melting of the primitive martian mantle at 0.5-2.2 GPa and the origin of basalts and alkaline rocks on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collinet, Max; Médard, Etienne; Charlier, Bernard; Vander Auwera, Jacqueline; Grove, Timothy L.

2015-10-01

We have performed piston-cylinder experiments on a primitive martian mantle composition between 0.5 and 2.2 GPa and 1160 to 1550 °C. The composition of melts and residual minerals constrain the possible melting processes on Mars at 50 to 200 km depth under nominally anhydrous conditions. Silicate melts produced by low degrees of melting (<10 wt.%) were analyzed in layers of vitreous carbon spheres or in micro-cracks inside the graphite capsule. The total range of melt fractions investigated extends from 5 to 50 wt.%, and the liquids produced display variable SiO2 (43.7-59.0 wt.%), MgO (5.3-18.6 wt.%) and Na2O + K2O (1.0-6.5 wt.%) contents. We provide a new equation to estimate the solidus temperature of the martian mantle: T (°C) = 1033 + 168.1 P (GPa) - 14.22P2 (GPa), which places the solidus 50 °C below that of fertile terrestrial peridotites. Low- and high-degree melts are compared to martian alkaline rocks and basalts, respectively. We suggest that the parental melt of Adirondack-class basalts was produced by ∼25 wt.% melting of the primitive martian mantle at 1.5 GPa (∼135 km) and ∼1400 °C. Despite its brecciated nature, NWA 7034/7533 might be composed of material that initially crystallized from a primary melt produced by ∼10-30 wt.% melting at the same pressure. Other igneous rocks from Mars require mantle reservoirs with different CaO/Al2O3 and FeO/MgO ratios or the action of fractional crystallization. Alkaline rocks can be derived from mantle sources with alkali contents (∼0.5 wt.%) similar to the primitive mantle.

Linear hypergeneralization of learned dynamics across movement speeds reveals anisotropic, gain-encoding primitives for motor adaptation.

PubMed

Joiner, Wilsaan M; Ajayi, Obafunso; Sing, Gary C; Smith, Maurice A

2011-01-01

The ability to generalize learned motor actions to new contexts is a key feature of the motor system. For example, the ability to ride a bicycle or swing a racket is often first developed at lower speeds and later applied to faster velocities. A number of previous studies have examined the generalization of motor adaptation across movement directions and found that the learned adaptation decays in a pattern consistent with the existence of motor primitives that display narrow Gaussian tuning. However, few studies have examined the generalization of motor adaptation across movement speeds. Following adaptation to linear velocity-dependent dynamics during point-to-point reaching arm movements at one speed, we tested the ability of subjects to transfer this adaptation to short-duration higher-speed movements aimed at the same target. We found near-perfect linear extrapolation of the trained adaptation with respect to both the magnitude and the time course of the velocity profiles associated with the high-speed movements: a 69% increase in movement speed corresponded to a 74% extrapolation of the trained adaptation. The close match between the increase in movement speed and the corresponding increase in adaptation beyond what was trained indicates linear hypergeneralization. Computational modeling shows that this pattern of linear hypergeneralization across movement speeds is not compatible with previous models of adaptation in which motor primitives display isotropic Gaussian tuning of motor output around their preferred velocities. Instead, we show that this generalization pattern indicates that the primitives involved in the adaptation to viscous dynamics display anisotropic tuning in velocity space and encode the gain between motor output and motion state rather than motor output itself.

GOOSE: semantic search on internet connected sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schutte, Klamer; Bomhof, Freek; Burghouts, Gertjan; van Diggelen, Jurriaan; Hiemstra, Peter; van't Hof, Jaap; Kraaij, Wessel; Pasman, Huib; Smith, Arthur; Versloot, Corne; de Wit, Joost

2013-05-01

More and more sensors are getting Internet connected. Examples are cameras on cell phones, CCTV cameras for traffic control as well as dedicated security and defense sensor systems. Due to the steadily increasing data volume, human exploitation of all this sensor data is impossible for effective mission execution. Smart access to all sensor data acts as enabler for questions such as "Is there a person behind this building" or "Alert me when a vehicle approaches". The GOOSE concept has the ambition to provide the capability to search semantically for any relevant information within "all" (including imaging) sensor streams in the entire Internet of sensors. This is similar to the capability provided by presently available Internet search engines which enable the retrieval of information on "all" web pages on the Internet. In line with current Internet search engines any indexing services shall be utilized cross-domain. The two main challenge for GOOSE is the Semantic Gap and Scalability. The GOOSE architecture consists of five elements: (1) an online extraction of primitives on each sensor stream; (2) an indexing and search mechanism for these primitives; (3) a ontology based semantic matching module; (4) a top-down hypothesis verification mechanism and (5) a controlling man-machine interface. This paper reports on the initial GOOSE demonstrator, which consists of the MES multimedia analysis platform and the CORTEX action recognition module. It also provides an outlook into future GOOSE development.

On Synchronization Primitive Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

The report studies the question: what synchronization primitive should be used to handle inter-process communication. A formal model is presented...between these synchronization primitives. Although only four synchronization primitives are compared, the general methods can be used to compare other... synchronization primitives. Moreover, in the definitions of these synchronization primitives, conditional branches are explicitly allowed. In addition

Modeling the Development of Goal-Specificity in Mirror Neurons.

PubMed

Thill, Serge; Svensson, Henrik; Ziemke, Tom

2011-12-01

Neurophysiological studies have shown that parietal mirror neurons encode not only actions but also the goal of these actions. Although some mirror neurons will fire whenever a certain action is perceived (goal-independently), most will only fire if the motion is perceived as part of an action with a specific goal. This result is important for the action-understanding hypothesis as it provides a potential neurological basis for such a cognitive ability. It is also relevant for the design of artificial cognitive systems, in particular robotic systems that rely on computational models of the mirror system in their interaction with other agents. Yet, to date, no computational model has explicitly addressed the mechanisms that give rise to both goal-specific and goal-independent parietal mirror neurons. In the present paper, we present a computational model based on a self-organizing map, which receives artificial inputs representing information about both the observed or executed actions and the context in which they were executed. We show that the map develops a biologically plausible organization in which goal-specific mirror neurons emerge. We further show that the fundamental cause for both the appearance and the number of goal-specific neurons can be found in geometric relationships between the different inputs to the map. The results are important to the action-understanding hypothesis as they provide a mechanism for the emergence of goal-specific parietal mirror neurons and lead to a number of predictions: (1) Learning of new goals may mostly reassign existing goal-specific neurons rather than recruit new ones; (2) input differences between executed and observed actions can explain observed corresponding differences in the number of goal-specific neurons; and (3) the percentage of goal-specific neurons may differ between motion primitives.

Designed to Win: An Agile Approach to Air Force Command and Control of Cyberspace

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

capabilities and limitations of technology with a level of control that synchronizes operations, yet allows independent action to take advantage of...was during the Roman Empire. With the exception of the semaphore telegraph and an improved road network, the same methods of communication used by...48 To provide information quickly to the ground commanders, the Aviation Section of the US Signal Corps installed primitive wireless radio sets in

Study on Army Aspects on the Military Assistance Program in Vietnam

DTIC Science & Technology

1960-06-10

eaten safely unless peeled or boiled. Local tropical fruit available includes bananas , pineapples, mangoes, papayas, pomelos (similar to grapefruit...The spirit gets the tokens, but the suppliants keep the substance. Such actions often appear to Americans to be pointless ezcept when they are used as a...distilleries use modern equipment and methods to work rice, molasses, and corn, but others use primitive equipment in making drinking alcohol , as well as

Execution time supports for adaptive scientific algorithms on distributed memory machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berryman, Harry; Saltz, Joel; Scroggs, Jeffrey

1990-01-01

Optimizations are considered that are required for efficient execution of code segments that consists of loops over distributed data structures. The PARTI (Parallel Automated Runtime Toolkit at ICASE) execution time primitives are designed to carry out these optimizations and can be used to implement a wide range of scientific algorithms on distributed memory machines. These primitives allow the user to control array mappings in a way that gives an appearance of shared memory. Computations can be based on a global index set. Primitives are used to carry out gather and scatter operations on distributed arrays. Communications patterns are derived at runtime, and the appropriate send and receive messages are automatically generated.

Execution time support for scientific programs on distributed memory machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berryman, Harry; Saltz, Joel; Scroggs, Jeffrey

1990-01-01

Optimizations are considered that are required for efficient execution of code segments that consists of loops over distributed data structures. The PARTI (Parallel Automated Runtime Toolkit at ICASE) execution time primitives are designed to carry out these optimizations and can be used to implement a wide range of scientific algorithms on distributed memory machines. These primitives allow the user to control array mappings in a way that gives an appearance of shared memory. Computations can be based on a global index set. Primitives are used to carry out gather and scatter operations on distributed arrays. Communications patterns are derived at runtime, and the appropriate send and receive messages are automatically generated.

Deictic primitives for general purpose navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crismann, Jill D.

1994-01-01

A visually-based deictic primative used as an elementary command set for general purpose navigation was investigated. It was shown that a simple 'follow your eyes' scenario is sufficient for tracking a moving target. Limitations of velocity, acceleration, and modeling of the response of the mechanical systems were enforced. Realistic paths of the robots were produced during the simulation. Scientists could remotely command a planetary rover to go to a particular rock formation that may be interesting. Similarly an expert at plant maintenance could obtain diagnostic information remotely by using deictic primitives on a mobile are used in the deictic primitives, we could imagine that the exact same control software could be used for all of these applications.

Secure and Authenticated Data Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Alfandi, Omar; Bochem, Arne; Kellner, Ansgar; Göge, Christian; Hogrefe, Dieter

2015-08-10

Securing communications in wireless sensor networks is increasingly important as the diversity of applications increases. However, even today, it is equally important for the measures employed to be energy efficient. For this reason, this publication analyzes the suitability of various cryptographic primitives for use in WSNs according to various criteria and, finally, describes a modular, PKI-based framework for confidential, authenticated, secure communications in which most suitable primitives can be employed. Due to the limited capabilities of common WSN motes, criteria for the selection of primitives are security, power efficiency and memory requirements. The implementation of the framework and the singular components have been tested and benchmarked in our testbed of IRISmotes.

Secure and Authenticated Data Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Alfandi, Omar; Bochem, Arne; Kellner, Ansgar; Göge, Christian; Hogrefe, Dieter

2015-01-01

Securing communications in wireless sensor networks is increasingly important as the diversity of applications increases. However, even today, it is equally important for the measures employed to be energy efficient. For this reason, this publication analyzes the suitability of various cryptographic primitives for use in WSNs according to various criteria and, finally, describes a modular, PKI-based framework for confidential, authenticated, secure communications in which most suitable primitives can be employed. Due to the limited capabilities of common WSN motes, criteria for the selection of primitives are security, power efficiency and memory requirements. The implementation of the framework and the singular components have been tested and benchmarked in our testbed of IRISmotes. PMID:26266413

Distributed computation of graphics primitives on a transputer network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Graham K.

1988-01-01

A method is developed for distributing the computation of graphics primitives on a parallel processing network. Off-the-shelf transputer boards are used to perform the graphics transformations and scan-conversion tasks that would normally be assigned to a single transputer based display processor. Each node in the network performs a single graphics primitive computation. Frequently requested tasks can be duplicated on several nodes. The results indicate that the current distribution of commands on the graphics network shows a performance degradation when compared to the graphics display board alone. A change to more computation per node for every communication (perform more complex tasks on each node) may cause the desired increase in throughput.

PRIMitive Asteroids Spectroscopic Survey - PRIMASS: First Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Leon, Julia; Pinilla-Alonso, Noemi; Campins, Humberto; Lorenzi, Vania; Licandro, Javier; Morate, David; Tanga, Paolo; Cellino, Alberto; Delbo, Marco

2015-11-01

NASA OSIRIS-REx and JAXA Hayabusa 2 sample-return missions have targeted two near-Earth asteroids: (101955) Bennu and (162173) 1999 JU3, respectively. These are primitive asteroids that are believed to originate in the inner belt, where five distinct sources have been identified: four primitive collisional families (Polana, Erigone, Sulamitis, and Clarissa), and a population of low-albedo and low-inclination background asteroids. Identifying and characterizing the populations from which these two NEAs might originate will enchance the science return of the two missions.With this main objective in mind, we initiated in 2010 a spectroscopic survey in the visible and the near-infrared to characterize the primitive collisional families in the inner belt and the low-albedo background population. This is the PRIMitive Asteroids Spectroscopic Survey - PRIMASS. So far we have obtained more than 200 spectra using telescopes located at different observatories. PRIMASS uses a variety of ground based facilities. Most of the spectra have been obtained using the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), and the 3.6m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), both located at the El Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma, Spain), and the 3.0m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea (Hawai, USA).We present the first results from our on-going survey (de Leon et al. 2015; Pinilla-Alonso et al. 2015; Morate et al. 2015), focused on the Polana and the Erigone primitive families, with visible and near-infrared spectra of more than 200 objects, most of them with no previous spectroscopic data. Our survey is already the largest database of primitive asteroids spectra, and we keep obtaining data on the Sulamitis and the Clarissa families, as well as on the background low-albedo population.

Experimental analysis of control mechanisms in somite segmentation in avian embryos. II. Reduction of material in the gastrula stages of the chick.

PubMed

Bellairs, R; Veini, M

1984-02-01

A new theory of control of somite segmentation in chick embryos is proposed. This supposses that tiny clusters of already programmed cells are present throughout the presumptive somite area at stage 4, but that in order to fulfill their destiny they probably depend on the addition of further cells from the primitive streak. Evidence is based on the two groups of experiments: a) Experiments involving transection across the primitive streak at various stages, (which results in a 'tail' which possesses mesodermal derivatives) and across the segmental plate (which results in a 'tail' lacking mesodermal derivatives). b) Experiments in which parts of embryos have been explanted with or without their primitive streak. It is suggested that the initial clusters of pre-programmed cells move further and further posteriorly, developing into somitomeres (the precursors of true somites) only as they receive re-inforcements from the primitive streak or, ultimately, from the tail bud.

Genetic origin, admixture and population history of aurochs (Bos primigenius) and primitive European cattle

PubMed Central

Upadhyay, M R; Chen, W; Lenstra, J A; Goderie, C R J; MacHugh, D E; Park, S D E; Magee, D A; Matassino, D; Ciani, F; Megens, H-J; van Arendonk, J A M; Groenen, M A M; Marsan, P A; Balteanu, V; Dunner, S; Garcia, J F; Ginja, C; Kantanen, J

2017-01-01

The domestication of taurine cattle initiated ~10 000 years ago in the Near East from a wild aurochs (Bos primigenius) population followed by their dispersal through migration of agriculturalists to Europe. Although gene flow from wild aurochs still present at the time of this early dispersion is still debated, some of the extant primitive cattle populations are believed to possess the aurochs-like primitive features. In this study, we use genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms to assess relationship, admixture patterns and demographic history of an ancient aurochs sample and European cattle populations, several of which have primitive features and are suitable for extensive management. The principal component analysis, the model-based clustering and a distance-based network analysis support previous works suggesting different histories for north-western and southern European cattle. Population admixture analysis indicates a zebu gene flow in the Balkan and Italian Podolic cattle populations. Our analysis supports the previous report of gene flow between British and Irish primitive cattle populations and local aurochs. In addition, we show evidence of aurochs gene flow in the Iberian cattle populations indicating wide geographical distribution of the aurochs. Runs of homozygosity (ROH) reveal that demographic processes like genetic isolation and breed formation have contributed to genomic variations of European cattle populations. The ROH also indicate recent inbreeding in southern European cattle populations. We conclude that in addition to factors such as ancient human migrations, isolation by distance and cross-breeding, gene flow between domestic and wild-cattle populations also has shaped genomic composition of European cattle populations. PMID:27677498

Genetic origin, admixture and population history of aurochs (Bos primigenius) and primitive European cattle.

PubMed

Upadhyay, M R; Chen, W; Lenstra, J A; Goderie, C R J; MacHugh, D E; Park, S D E; Magee, D A; Matassino, D; Ciani, F; Megens, H-J; van Arendonk, J A M; Groenen, M A M

2017-02-01

The domestication of taurine cattle initiated ~10 000 years ago in the Near East from a wild aurochs (Bos primigenius) population followed by their dispersal through migration of agriculturalists to Europe. Although gene flow from wild aurochs still present at the time of this early dispersion is still debated, some of the extant primitive cattle populations are believed to possess the aurochs-like primitive features. In this study, we use genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms to assess relationship, admixture patterns and demographic history of an ancient aurochs sample and European cattle populations, several of which have primitive features and are suitable for extensive management. The principal component analysis, the model-based clustering and a distance-based network analysis support previous works suggesting different histories for north-western and southern European cattle. Population admixture analysis indicates a zebu gene flow in the Balkan and Italian Podolic cattle populations. Our analysis supports the previous report of gene flow between British and Irish primitive cattle populations and local aurochs. In addition, we show evidence of aurochs gene flow in the Iberian cattle populations indicating wide geographical distribution of the aurochs. Runs of homozygosity (ROH) reveal that demographic processes like genetic isolation and breed formation have contributed to genomic variations of European cattle populations. The ROH also indicate recent inbreeding in southern European cattle populations. We conclude that in addition to factors such as ancient human migrations, isolation by distance and cross-breeding, gene flow between domestic and wild-cattle populations also has shaped genomic composition of European cattle populations.

Dynamic reasoning in a knowledge-based system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, Anand S.; Foo, Norman Y.

1988-01-01

Any space based system, whether it is a robot arm assembling parts in space or an onboard system monitoring the space station, has to react to changes which cannot be foreseen. As a result, apart from having domain-specific knowledge as in current expert systems, a space based AI system should also have general principles of change. This paper presents a modal logic which can not only represent change but also reason with it. Three primitive operations, expansion, contraction and revision are introduced and axioms which specify how the knowledge base should change when the external world changes are also specified. Accordingly the notion of dynamic reasoning is introduced, which unlike the existing forms of reasoning, provide general principles of change. Dynamic reasoning is based on two main principles, namely minimize change and maximize coherence. A possible-world semantics which incorporates the above two principles is also discussed. The paper concludes by discussing how the dynamic reasoning system can be used to specify actions and hence form an integral part of an autonomous reasoning and planning system.

Microfluidic assay of the deformability of primitive erythroblasts.

PubMed

Zhou, Sitong; Huang, Yu-Shan; Kingsley, Paul D; Cyr, Kathryn H; Palis, James; Wan, Jiandi

2017-09-01

Primitive erythroblasts (precursors of red blood cells) enter vascular circulation during the embryonic period and mature while circulating. As a result, primitive erythroblasts constantly experience significant hemodynamic shear stress. Shear-induced deformation of primitive erythroblasts however, is poorly studied. In this work, we examined the deformability of primitive erythroblasts at physiologically relevant flow conditions in microfluidic channels and identified the regulatory roles of the maturation stage of primitive erythroblasts and cytoskeletal protein 4.1 R in shear-induced cell deformation. The results showed that the maturation stage affected the deformability of primitive erythroblasts significantly and that primitive erythroblasts at later maturational stages exhibited a better deformability due to a matured cytoskeletal structure in the cell membrane.

Novel Target for Ameliorating Pain and Other Problems after SCI: Spontaneous Activity in Nociceptors

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

BSCB will permit blood-borne mye- loid and lymphoid immune cells to enter the spinal cord parenchyma and exert direct inflammatory actions on central...primitive innate immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens and toxins; it is always present and it depends upon diverse cell types that...adaptive immune system, the innate immune system does not em- ploy antigen-specific humoral and cell -mediated immunity mecha- nisms. Two innate immune

A knowledge based system for scientific data visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Senay, Hikmet; Ignatius, Eve

1992-01-01

A knowledge-based system, called visualization tool assistant (VISTA), which was developed to assist scientists in the design of scientific data visualization techniques, is described. The system derives its knowledge from several sources which provide information about data characteristics, visualization primitives, and effective visual perception. The design methodology employed by the system is based on a sequence of transformations which decomposes a data set into a set of data partitions, maps this set of partitions to visualization primitives, and combines these primitives into a composite visualization technique design. Although the primary function of the system is to generate an effective visualization technique design for a given data set by using principles of visual perception the system also allows users to interactively modify the design, and renders the resulting image using a variety of rendering algorithms. The current version of the system primarily supports visualization techniques having applicability in earth and space sciences, although it may easily be extended to include other techniques useful in other disciplines such as computational fluid dynamics, finite-element analysis and medical imaging.

Whole-Body Radiation Therapy, Systemic Chemotherapy, and High-Dose Chemotherapy Followed By Stem Cell Rescue in Treating Patients With Poor-Risk Ewing Sarcoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2015-01-07

Adult Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET); Ewing Sarcoma of Bone; Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Untreated Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor

A Formal Approach to the Provably Correct Synthesis of Mission Critical Embedded Software for Multi Core Embedded Platforms

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

synchronization primitives based on preset templates can result in over synchronization if unchecked, possibly creating deadlock situations. Further...inputs rather than enforcing synchronization with a global clock. MRICDF models software as a network of communicating actors. Four primitive actors...control wants to send interrupt or not. Since this is shared buffer, a semaphore mechanism is assumed to synchronize the read/write of this buffer. The

The emergence of mind and emotion in the evolution of neocortex.

PubMed

Freeman, Walter J

2011-01-01

The most deeply transformative concept for the growth of 21st Century psychiatry is the constellation of the chaotic dynamics of the brain. Brains are no longer seen as rational systems that are plagued with emotional disorders reflecting primitives inherited from our animal ancestors. Brains are dynamical systems that continually create patterns by acting intentionally into the environment and shaping themselves in accord with the sensory consequences of their intended actions. Emotions are now seen not as reversions to animal behaviors but as the sources of force and energy that brains require for the actions they take to understand the world and themselves. Humans are unique in experiencing consciousness of their own actions, which they experience as conscience: guilt, shame, pride and joy. Chaotic brain dynamics strives always for unity and harmony, but as a necessary condition for adaptation to a changing world, it repeatedly lapses into disorder. The successes are seen in the normal unity of consciousness; the failures are seen in the disorders that we rightly label the schizophrenias and the less severe character disorders. The foundation for healthy unity is revealed by studies in the evolution of brains, in particular the way in which neocortex of mammals emerged from the primitive allocortex of reptiles. The amazing facts of brain dynamics are now falling into several places. The power-law connectivity of cortex supports the scale-free dynamics of the global workspace in brains ranging from mouse to whale. That dynamics in humans holds the secrets of speech and symbol utilization. By recursive interactions in vast areas of human neocortex the scale-free connectivity supports our unified consciousness. Here in this dynamics are to be sought the keys to understanding and treating the disorders that uniquely plague the human mind.

Visibility-Based Hypothesis Testing Using Higher-Order Optical Interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jachura, Michał; Jarzyna, Marcin; Lipka, Michał; Wasilewski, Wojciech; Banaszek, Konrad

2018-03-01

Many quantum information protocols rely on optical interference to compare data sets with efficiency or security unattainable by classical means. Standard implementations exploit first-order coherence between signals whose preparation requires a shared phase reference. Here, we analyze and experimentally demonstrate the binary discrimination of visibility hypotheses based on higher-order interference for optical signals with a random relative phase. This provides a robust protocol implementation primitive when a phase lock is unavailable or impractical. With the primitive cost quantified by the total detected optical energy, optimal operation is typically reached in the few-photon regime.

An interval logic for higher-level temporal reasoning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, R. L.; Melliar-Smith, P. M.; Vogt, F. H.; Plaisted, D. A.

1983-01-01

Prior work explored temporal logics, based on classical modal logics, as a framework for specifying and reasoning about concurrent programs, distributed systems, and communications protocols, and reported on efforts using temporal reasoning primitives to express very high level abstract requirements that a program or system is to satisfy. Based on experience with those primitives, this report describes an Interval Logic that is more suitable for expressing such higher level temporal properties. The report provides a formal semantics for the Interval Logic, and several examples of its use. A description of decision procedures for the logic is also included.

Secure Heterogeneous Multicore Platform Through Diversity and Redundancy

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-31

implementation detects synchronization in this way. If a programmer uses custom synchronization primitives , our approach assumes that such primitives ... synchronization primitives . Primitives such as barriers and spinlocks explicitly enforce a pre- determined ordering among threads. Therefore, the outcome of...these synchronization operations are deterministic. In the discussion, we will refer to these primitives as ordering synchronization operations. On the

A Virtual Information-Action Workspace for Command and Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lintern, Gavan; Naikar, Neelam

2002-10-01

Information overload has become a critical challenge within military Command and Control. However, the problem is not so much one of too much information but of abundant information that is poorly organized and poorly represented. In addition, the capabilities to test the effects of decisions before they are implemented and to monitor the progress of events after a decision is implemented are primitive. A virtual information-action workspace could be designed to resolve these issues. The design of such a space would require a detailed understanding of the specific information needed to support decision making in Command and Control. That information can be obtained with the use of knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation tools from the field of applied cognitive psychology. In addition, it will be necessary to integrate forms for perception and action into a virtual space that will support access to the information and that will provide means for testing and implementing decisions. This paper presents a rationale for a virtual information-action workspace and outlines an approach to its design.

Sustained sensorimotor control as intermittent decisions about prediction errors: computational framework and application to ground vehicle steering.

PubMed

Markkula, Gustav; Boer, Erwin; Romano, Richard; Merat, Natasha

2018-06-01

A conceptual and computational framework is proposed for modelling of human sensorimotor control and is exemplified for the sensorimotor task of steering a car. The framework emphasises control intermittency and extends on existing models by suggesting that the nervous system implements intermittent control using a combination of (1) motor primitives, (2) prediction of sensory outcomes of motor actions, and (3) evidence accumulation of prediction errors. It is shown that approximate but useful sensory predictions in the intermittent control context can be constructed without detailed forward models, as a superposition of simple prediction primitives, resembling neurobiologically observed corollary discharges. The proposed mathematical framework allows straightforward extension to intermittent behaviour from existing one-dimensional continuous models in the linear control and ecological psychology traditions. Empirical data from a driving simulator are used in model-fitting analyses to test some of the framework's main theoretical predictions: it is shown that human steering control, in routine lane-keeping and in a demanding near-limit task, is better described as a sequence of discrete stepwise control adjustments, than as continuous control. Results on the possible roles of sensory prediction in control adjustment amplitudes, and of evidence accumulation mechanisms in control onset timing, show trends that match the theoretical predictions; these warrant further investigation. The results for the accumulation-based model align with other recent literature, in a possibly converging case against the type of threshold mechanisms that are often assumed in existing models of intermittent control.

Pseudo-random number generator for the Sigma 5 computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carroll, S. N.

1983-01-01

A technique is presented for developing a pseudo-random number generator based on the linear congruential form. The two numbers used for the generator are a prime number and a corresponding primitive root, where the prime is the largest prime number that can be accurately represented on a particular computer. The primitive root is selected by applying Marsaglia's lattice test. The technique presented was applied to write a random number program for the Sigma 5 computer. The new program, named S:RANDOM1, is judged to be superior to the older program named S:RANDOM. For applications requiring several independent random number generators, a table is included showing several acceptable primitive roots. The technique and programs described can be applied to any computer having word length different from that of the Sigma 5.

The Nature and Origin of Interplanetary Dust: High Temperature Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, L. P.; Messenger, S.

2004-01-01

The specific parent bodies of individual interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are un-known, but the anhydrous chondritic-porous (CP) sub-set has been linked directly to cometary sources [1]. The CP IDPs escaped the thermal processing and water-rock interactions that have severely modified or destroyed the original mineralogy of primitive meteorites. Their origin in the outer regions of the solar system suggests they should retain primitive chemical and physical characteristics from the earliest stages of solar system formation (including abundant presolar materials). Indeed, CP IDPs are the most primitive extraterrestrial materials available for laboratory studies based on their unequilibrated mineralogy [2], high concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and volatile trace elements relative to CI chondrites [3, 4, 5], presolar hydrogen and nitrogen isotopic signatures [6, 7] and abundant presolar silicates [8].

[The cultural history of palliative care in primitive societies: an integrative review].

PubMed

Siles González, José; Solano Ruiz, Maria Del Carmen

2012-08-01

The objective of this study is to describe the evolution of palliative care in order to reflect on the possibility of its origin in primitive cultures and their relationship with the beginnings of the cult of the dead. It describes the change in the symbolic structures and social interactions involved in palliative care during prehistory: functional unit, functional framework and functional element. The theoretical framework is based on cultural history, the dialectical structural model and symbolic interactionism. Categorization techniques, cultural history and dialectic structuralism analyses were performed. Palliative care existed in primitive societies, mostly associated with the rites of passage with a high symbolic content. The social structures - functional unit, functional framework and functional element - are the pillars that supported palliative care in prehistory societies.

Oparin's coacervates as an important milestone in chemical evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolb, Vera M.

2015-09-01

Although Oparin's coacervate model for the origin of life by chemical evolution is almost 100 years old, it is still valid. However, the structure of his originally proposed coacervate is not considered prebiotic, based on some recent developments in prebiotic chemistry. We have remedied this deficiency of the Oparin's model, by substituting his coacervate with a prebiotically feasible one. Oparin's coacervates are aqueous structures, but have a boundary with the rest of the aqueous medium. They exhibit properties of self-replication, and provide a path to a primitive metabolism, via chemical competition and thus a primitive selection. Thus, coacervates are good models for proto-cells. We review here some salient points of Oparin's model and address also some philosophical views on the beginning of natural selection in primitive chemical systems.

Lightweight causal and atomic group multicast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birman, Kenneth P.; Schiper, Andre; Stephenson, Pat

1991-01-01

The ISIS toolkit is a distributed programming environment based on support for virtually synchronous process groups and group communication. A suite of protocols is presented to support this model. The approach revolves around a multicast primitive, called CBCAST, which implements a fault-tolerant, causally ordered message delivery. This primitive can be used directly or extended into a totally ordered multicast primitive, called ABCAST. It normally delivers messages immediately upon reception, and imposes a space overhead proportional to the size of the groups to which the sender belongs, usually a small number. It is concluded that process groups and group communication can achieve performance and scaling comparable to that of a raw message transport layer. This finding contradicts the widespread concern that this style of distributed computing may be unacceptably costly.

The logical primitives of thought: Empirical foundations for compositional cognitive models.

PubMed

Piantadosi, Steven T; Tenenbaum, Joshua B; Goodman, Noah D

2016-07-01

The notion of a compositional language of thought (LOT) has been central in computational accounts of cognition from earliest attempts (Boole, 1854; Fodor, 1975) to the present day (Feldman, 2000; Penn, Holyoak, & Povinelli, 2008; Fodor, 2008; Kemp, 2012; Goodman, Tenenbaum, & Gerstenberg, 2015). Recent modeling work shows how statistical inferences over compositionally structured hypothesis spaces might explain learning and development across a variety of domains. However, the primitive components of such representations are typically assumed a priori by modelers and theoreticians rather than determined empirically. We show how different sets of LOT primitives, embedded in a psychologically realistic approximate Bayesian inference framework, systematically predict distinct learning curves in rule-based concept learning experiments. We use this feature of LOT models to design a set of large-scale concept learning experiments that can determine the most likely primitives for psychological concepts involving Boolean connectives and quantification. Subjects' inferences are most consistent with a rich (nonminimal) set of Boolean operations, including first-order, but not second-order, quantification. Our results more generally show how specific LOT theories can be distinguished empirically. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of an Instrument for Assessing the Effectiveness of Chemistry Classroom Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Changlong; Fu, Lihai; He, Peng

2014-04-01

Classroom teaching is a main frontier of the implementation of new curricular ideas in China. The study reported in this article is concerned with the effectiveness of system of classroom teaching (SCT) in chemistry lessons. According to the Systems Science theory, we took a macroscopic view on the SCT, arguing that SCT is a hierarchy of system, which includes class system, plate system, unit system, and primitive system. In this study, we focused on primitive system of classroom teaching (PrS)—the lowest level in a SCT. Using focus group interviews, this study investigated the variables related to the effectiveness of PrS. We found a total of 21 such variables. To identify the main factors underlying the effectiveness of PrS, we further used exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. We found five main factors: rational use of time, quality of teaching behavior chain, match degree, quality of using resource and technology, and rationality of primitive content. Based on these findings, we constructed an evaluation scale for assessing the effectiveness of primitive system of chemistry classroom teaching.

A Simulation System Based on the Actor Paradigm

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-01

of the protocol. Shared memory communication requires the programmer to wait and signal semaphores explicitly to synchronize the communicating parties...wide range of possibilities within the same basic protocol. - The simplicity of the primitive operation set affords those creating new operations...more flexibility (Ada has a large and complicated primitive set). -3- II I I I B A I -I I I I I . 0 1 2 3 4 5 Time 0: Both processes A and B are

Evolutionary anatomy of the Neandertal ulna and radius in the light of the new El Sidrón sample.

PubMed

Pérez-Criado, Laura; Rosas, Antonio

2017-05-01

This paper aims to improve our understanding of the phylogenetic trait polarity related to hominin forearm evolution, in particular those traits traditionally defined as "Neandertal features." To this aim, twelve adult and adolescent fragmented forelimb elements (including ulnae and radii) of Homo neanderthalensis recovered from the site of El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) were examined comparatively using three-dimensional geometric and traditional morphometrics. Mean centroid size and shape comparisons, principal components analysis, and phylogenetic signal analysis were undertaken. Our investigations revealed that the proximal region of the ulna discriminated best between Neandertals and modern humans, with fewer taxonomically-informative features in the distal ulna and radius. Compared to modern humans, the divergent features in the Neandertal ulna are an increase in olecranon breadth (a derived trait), lower coronoid length (primitive), and anterior orientation of the trochlear notch (primitive). In the Neandertal radius, we observe a larger neck length (primitive), medial orientation of the radial tubercle (secondarily primitive), and a curved diaphysis (secondarily primitive). Anatomically, we identified three units of evolutionary change: 1) the olecranon and its fossa, 2) the coronoid-radius neck complex, and 3) the tubercle and radial diaphysis. Based on our data, forearm evolution followed a mosaic pattern in which some features were inherited from a pre-Homo ancestor, others originated in some post-ergaster and pre-antecessor populations, and other characters emerged in the specific Homo sapiens and H. neanderthalensis lineages, sometimes appearing as secondarily primitive. Future investigations might consider the diverse phylogenetic origin of apomorphies while at the same time seeking to elucidate their functional meaning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New hybrid voxelized/analytical primitive in Monte Carlo simulations for medical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bert, Julien; Lemaréchal, Yannick; Visvikis, Dimitris

2016-05-01

Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) applied in particle physics play a key role in medical imaging and particle therapy. In such simulations, particles are transported through voxelized phantoms derived from predominantly patient CT images. However, such voxelized object representation limits the incorporation of fine elements, such as artificial implants from CAD modeling or anatomical and functional details extracted from other imaging modalities. In this work we propose a new hYbrid Voxelized/ANalytical primitive (YVAN) that combines both voxelized and analytical object descriptions within the same MCS, without the need to simultaneously run two parallel simulations, which is the current gold standard methodology. Given that YVAN is simply a new primitive object, it does not require any modifications on the underlying MC navigation code. The new proposed primitive was assessed through a first simple MCS. Results from the YVAN primitive were compared against an MCS using a pure analytical geometry and the layer mass geometry concept. A perfect agreement was found between these simulations, leading to the conclusion that the new hybrid primitive is able to accurately and efficiently handle phantoms defined by a mixture of voxelized and analytical objects. In addition, two application-based evaluation studies in coronary angiography and intra-operative radiotherapy showed that the use of YVAN was 6.5% and 12.2% faster than the layered mass geometry method, respectively, without any associated loss of accuracy. However, the simplification advantages and differences in computational time improvements obtained with YVAN depend on the relative proportion of the analytical and voxelized structures used in the simulation as well as the size and number of triangles used in the description of the analytical object meshes.

Prebiotic chemistry and nucleic acid replication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orgel, L. E.; Lohrmann, R.

1974-01-01

Recent work is reviewed on some reactions that could have occurred on the primitive earth and that could have played a part in the evolution of a self-replicating system. The transition from the primitive atmosphere to the simplest replicating molecules is considered in four stages: (1) the formation of a 'prebiotic soup' of organic precursors, including the purine and pyrimidine bases and the pentose sugars; (2) the condensation of these precursors and inorganic phosphate to form monomeric nucleotides and activated nucleotide derivatives; (3) the polymerization of nucleotide derivatives to oligonucleotides; and (4) the complementary replication of oligonucleotides in a template-directed process that depends on Watson-Crick base pairing.

Direct volumetric rendering based on point primitives in OpenGL.

PubMed

da Rosa, André Luiz Miranda; de Almeida Souza, Ilana; Yuuji Hira, Adilson; Zuffo, Marcelo Knörich

2006-01-01

The aim of this project is to present a renderization by software algorithm of acquired volumetric data. The algorithm was implemented in Java language and the LWJGL graphical library was used, allowing the volume renderization by software and thus preventing the necessity to acquire specific graphical boards for the 3D reconstruction. The considered algorithm creates a model in OpenGL, through point primitives, where each voxel becomes a point with the color values related to this pixel position in the corresponding images.

Very Massive Stars in the Primitive Galaxy, IZw 18

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sara

2012-01-01

IZw 18 is a local blue, compact dwarf galaxy that meets the requirements for a primitive galaxy: low halo mass greater than 10(exp 9) Msun, strong photoionizing radiation, no galactic outflow, and very low metallicity,log(O/H)+12=7.2. We will describe the properties and evolutionary status of very massive stars in IZw 18, based on UV photometry of individual stars in I Zw 18 and analysis of unresolved ultraviolet spectra of IZw 18-NW obtained with HST.

Efficient computation of optimal actions.

PubMed

Todorov, Emanuel

2009-07-14

Optimal choice of actions is a fundamental problem relevant to fields as diverse as neuroscience, psychology, economics, computer science, and control engineering. Despite this broad relevance the abstract setting is similar: we have an agent choosing actions over time, an uncertain dynamical system whose state is affected by those actions, and a performance criterion that the agent seeks to optimize. Solving problems of this kind remains hard, in part, because of overly generic formulations. Here, we propose a more structured formulation that greatly simplifies the construction of optimal control laws in both discrete and continuous domains. An exhaustive search over actions is avoided and the problem becomes linear. This yields algorithms that outperform Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning, and thereby solve traditional problems more efficiently. Our framework also enables computations that were not possible before: composing optimal control laws by mixing primitives, applying deterministic methods to stochastic systems, quantifying the benefits of error tolerance, and inferring goals from behavioral data via convex optimization. Development of a general class of easily solvable problems tends to accelerate progress--as linear systems theory has done, for example. Our framework may have similar impact in fields where optimal choice of actions is relevant.

QCAPUF: QCA-based physically unclonable function as a hardware security primitive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abutaleb, M. M.

2018-04-01

Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) are increasingly used as innovative security primitives to provide the hardware authentication and identification as well as the secret key generation based on unique and random variations in identically fabricated devices. Security and low power have appeared to become two crucial necessities to modern designs. As an emerging nanoelectronic technology, a quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) can achieve ultra-low power consumption as well as an extremely small area for implementing digital designs. However, there are various classes of permanent defects that can happen during the manufacture of QCA devices. The recent extensive research has been focused on how to eliminate errors in QCA structures resulting from fabrication variances. By a completely different vision, to turn this disadvantage into an advantage, this paper presents a novel QCA-based PUF (QCAPUF) architecture to exploit the unique physical characteristics of fabricated QCA cells in order to produce different hardware fingerprint instances. This architecture is composed of proposed logic and interconnect blocks that have critical vulnerabilities and perform unexpected logical operations. The behaviour of QCAPUF is thoroughly analysed through physical relations and simulations. Results confirm that the proposed QCAPUF has state of the art PUF characteristics in the QCA technology. This paper will serve as a basis for further research into QCA-based hardware security primitives and applications.

The mevalonate pathway regulates primitive streak formation via protein farnesylation

PubMed Central

Okamoto-Uchida, Yoshimi; Yu, Ruoxing; Miyamura, Norio; Arima, Norie; Ishigami-Yuasa, Mari; Kagechika, Hiroyuki; Yoshida, Suguru; Hosoya, Takamitsu; Nawa, Makiko; Kasama, Takeshi; Asaoka, Yoichi; Alois, Reiner Wimmer; Elling, Ulrich; Penninger, Josef M.; Nishina, Sachiko; Azuma, Noriyuki; Nishina, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

The primitive streak in peri-implantation embryos forms the mesoderm and endoderm and controls cell differentiation. The metabolic cues regulating primitive streak formation remain largely unknown. Here we utilised a mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation system and a library of well-characterised drugs to identify these metabolic factors. We found that statins, which inhibit the mevalonate metabolic pathway, suppressed primitive streak formation in vitro and in vivo. Using metabolomics and pharmacologic approaches we identified the downstream signalling pathway of mevalonate and revealed that primitive streak formation requires protein farnesylation but not cholesterol synthesis. A tagging-via-substrate approach revealed that nuclear lamin B1 and small G proteins were farnesylated in embryoid bodies and important for primitive streak gene expression. In conclusion, protein farnesylation driven by the mevalonate pathway is a metabolic cue essential for primitive streak formation. PMID:27883036

Convergent? Minds? Some questions about mental evolution.

PubMed

Cartmill, Matt

2017-06-06

In investigating convergent minds, we need to be sure that the things we are looking at are both minds and convergent. In determining whether a shared character state represents a convergence between two organisms, we must know the wider distribution and primitive state of that character so that we can map that character and its state transitions onto a phylogenetic tree. When we do this, some apparently primitive shared traits may prove to represent convergent losses of cognitive capacities. To avoid having to talk about the minds of plants and paramecia, we need to go beyond assessments of behaviourally defined cognition to ask questions about mind in the primary sense of the word, defined by the presence of mental events and consciousness. These phenomena depend upon the possession of brains of adequate size and centralized ontogeny and organization. They are probably limited to vertebrates. Recent discoveries suggest that consciousness is adaptively valuable as a late error-detection mechanism in the initiation of action, and point to experimental techniques for assessing its presence or absence in non-human mammals.

18F-FLT Positron Emission Tomography and Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Planning Surgery and Radiation Therapy and Measuring Response in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Ewing Sarcoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-11-16

Adult Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET); Ewing Sarcoma of Bone; Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma; Localized Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Untreated Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor

Development of hierarchical structures for actions and motor imagery: a constructivist view from synthetic neuro-robotics study.

PubMed

Nishimoto, Ryunosuke; Tani, Jun

2009-07-01

The current paper shows a neuro-robotics experiment on developmental learning of goal-directed actions. The robot was trained to predict visuo-proprioceptive flow of achieving a set of goal-directed behaviors through iterative tutor training processes. The learning was conducted by employing a dynamic neural network model which is characterized by their multiple time-scale dynamics. The experimental results showed that functional hierarchical structures emerge through stages of developments where behavior primitives are generated in earlier stages and their sequences of achieving goals appear in later stages. It was also observed that motor imagery is generated in earlier stages compared to actual behaviors. Our claim that manipulatable inner representation should emerge through the sensory-motor interactions is corresponded to Piaget's constructivist view.

Diagnostic Study of Tumor Characteristics in Patients With Ewing's Sarcoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-06-20

Localized Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor

Chromosomal evolution of the Canidae. II. Divergence from the primitive carnivore karyotype.

PubMed

Wayne, R K; Nash, W G; O'Brien, S J

1987-01-01

The Giemsa-banding patterns of chromosomes from the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the kit fox (Vulpes macrotis), and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) are compared. Despite their traditional placement in different genera, the arctic fox and the kit fox have an identical chromosome morphology and G-banding pattern. The red fox has extensive chromosome arm homoeology with these two species, but has only two entire chromosomes in common. All three species share some chromosomes with the raccoon dog, as does the high diploid-numbered grey wolf (Canis lupus, 2n = 78). Moreover, some chromosomes of the raccoon dog show partial or complete homoeology with metacentric feline chromosomes which suggests that these are primitive canid chromosomes. We present the history of chromosomal rearrangements within the Canidae family based on the assumption that a metacentric-dominated karyotype is primitive for the group.

Collecting and Storing Biological Samples From Patients With Ewing Sarcoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-12-11

Askin Tumor; Localized Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor

Typical Neural Representations of Action Verbs Develop without Vision

PubMed Central

Caramazza, A.; Pascual-Leone, A.; Saxe, R.

2012-01-01

Many empiricist theories hold that concepts are composed of sensory–motor primitives. For example, the meaning of the word “run” is in part a visual image of running. If action concepts are partly visual, then the concepts of congenitally blind individuals should be altered in that they lack these visual features. We compared semantic judgments and neural activity during action verb comprehension in congenitally blind and sighted individuals. Participants made similarity judgments about pairs of nouns and verbs that varied in the visual motion they conveyed. Blind adults showed the same pattern of similarity judgments as sighted adults. We identified the left middle temporal gyrus (lMTG) brain region that putatively stores visual–motion features relevant to action verbs. The functional profile and location of this region was identical in sighted and congenitally blind individuals. Furthermore, the lMTG was more active for all verbs than nouns, irrespective of visual–motion features. We conclude that the lMTG contains abstract representations of verb meanings rather than visual–motion images. Our data suggest that conceptual brain regions are not altered by the sensory modality of learning. PMID:21653285

Dual-Arm Generalized Compliant Motion With Shared Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backes, Paul G.

1994-01-01

Dual-Arm Generalized Compliant Motion (DAGCM) primitive computer program implementing improved unified control scheme for two manipulator arms cooperating in task in which both grasp same object. Provides capabilities for autonomous, teleoperation, and shared control of two robot arms. Unifies cooperative dual-arm control with multi-sensor-based task control and makes complete task-control capability available to higher-level task-planning computer system via large set of input parameters used to describe desired force and position trajectories followed by manipulator arms. Some concepts discussed in "A Generalized-Compliant-Motion Primitive" (NPO-18134).

Sandboxes for Model-Based Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brady, Corey; Holbert, Nathan; Soylu, Firat; Novak, Michael; Wilensky, Uri

2015-04-01

In this article, we introduce a class of constructionist learning environments that we call Emergent Systems Sandboxes ( ESSs), which have served as a centerpiece of our recent work in developing curriculum to support scalable model-based learning in classroom settings. ESSs are a carefully specified form of virtual construction environment that support students in creating, exploring, and sharing computational models of dynamic systems that exhibit emergent phenomena. They provide learners with "entity"-level construction primitives that reflect an underlying scientific model. These primitives can be directly "painted" into a sandbox space, where they can then be combined, arranged, and manipulated to construct complex systems and explore the emergent properties of those systems. We argue that ESSs offer a means of addressing some of the key barriers to adopting rich, constructionist model-based inquiry approaches in science classrooms at scale. Situating the ESS in a large-scale science modeling curriculum we are implementing across the USA, we describe how the unique "entity-level" primitive design of an ESS facilitates knowledge system refinement at both an individual and social level, we describe how it supports flexible modeling practices by providing both continuous and discrete modes of executability, and we illustrate how it offers students a variety of opportunities for validating their qualitative understandings of emergent systems as they develop.

A control theory approach to the analysis and synthesis of the experimentally observed motion primitives.

PubMed

Nori, Francesco; Frezza, Ruggero

2005-11-01

Recent experiments on frogs and rats, have led to the hypothesis that sensory-motor systems are organized into a finite number of linearly combinable modules; each module generates a motor command that drives the system to a predefined equilibrium. Surprisingly, in spite of the infiniteness of different movements that can be realized, there seems to be only a handful of these modules. The structure can be thought of as a vocabulary of "elementary control actions". Admissible controls, which in principle belong to an infinite dimensional space, are reduced to the linear vector space spanned by these elementary controls. In the present paper we address some theoretical questions that arise naturally once a similar structure is applied to the control of nonlinear kinematic chains. First of all, we show how to choose the modules so that the system does not loose its capability of generating a "complete" set of movements. Secondly, we realize a "complete" vocabulary with a minimal number of elementary control actions. Subsequently, we show how to modify the control scheme so as to compensate for parametric changes in the system to be controlled. Remarkably, we construct a set of modules with the property of being invariant with respect to the parameters that model the growth of an individual. Robustness against uncertainties is also considered showing how to optimally choose the modules equilibria so as to compensate for errors affecting the system. Finally, the motion primitive paradigm is extended to locomotion and a related formalization of internal (proprioceptive) and external (exteroceptive) variables is given.

Experimental Validation of Motor Primitive-Based Control for Leg Exoskeletons during Continuous Multi-Locomotion Tasks

PubMed Central

Ruiz Garate, Virginia; Parri, Andrea; Yan, Tingfang; Munih, Marko; Molino Lova, Raffaele; Vitiello, Nicola; Ronsse, Renaud

2017-01-01

An emerging approach to design locomotion assistive devices deals with reproducing desirable biological principles of human locomotion. In this paper, we present a bio-inspired controller for locomotion assistive devices based on the concept of motor primitives. The weighted combination of artificial primitives results in a set of virtual muscle stimulations. These stimulations then activate a virtual musculoskeletal model producing reference assistive torque profiles for different locomotion tasks (i.e., walking, ascending stairs, and descending stairs). The paper reports the validation of the controller through a set of experiments conducted with healthy participants. The proposed controller was tested for the first time with a unilateral leg exoskeleton assisting hip, knee, and ankle joints by delivering a fraction of the computed reference torques. Importantly, subjects performed a track involving ground-level walking, ascending stairs, and descending stairs and several transitions between these tasks. These experiments highlighted the capability of the controller to provide relevant assistive torques and to effectively handle transitions between the tasks. Subjects displayed a natural interaction with the device. Moreover, they significantly decreased the time needed to complete the track when the assistance was provided, as compared to wearing the device with no assistance. PMID:28367121

Automatic registration of panoramic image sequence and mobile laser scanning data using semantic features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianping; Yang, Bisheng; Chen, Chi; Huang, Ronggang; Dong, Zhen; Xiao, Wen

2018-02-01

Inaccurate exterior orientation parameters (EoPs) between sensors obtained by pre-calibration leads to failure of registration between panoramic image sequence and mobile laser scanning data. To address this challenge, this paper proposes an automatic registration method based on semantic features extracted from panoramic images and point clouds. Firstly, accurate rotation parameters between the panoramic camera and the laser scanner are estimated using GPS and IMU aided structure from motion (SfM). The initial EoPs of panoramic images are obtained at the same time. Secondly, vehicles in panoramic images are extracted by the Faster-RCNN as candidate primitives to be matched with potential corresponding primitives in point clouds according to the initial EoPs. Finally, translation between the panoramic camera and the laser scanner is refined by maximizing the overlapping area of corresponding primitive pairs based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), resulting in a finer registration between panoramic image sequences and point clouds. Two challenging urban scenes were experimented to assess the proposed method, and the final registration errors of these two scenes were both less than three pixels, which demonstrates a high level of automation, robustness and accuracy.

Neuromorphic VLSI Models of Selective Attention: From Single Chip Vision Sensors to Multi-chip Systems

PubMed Central

Indiveri, Giacomo

2008-01-01

Biological organisms perform complex selective attention operations continuously and effortlessly. These operations allow them to quickly determine the motor actions to take in response to combinations of external stimuli and internal states, and to pay attention to subsets of sensory inputs suppressing non salient ones. Selective attention strategies are extremely effective in both natural and artificial systems which have to cope with large amounts of input data and have limited computational resources. One of the main computational primitives used to perform these selection operations is the Winner-Take-All (WTA) network. These types of networks are formed by arrays of coupled computational nodes that selectively amplify the strongest input signals, and suppress the weaker ones. Neuromorphic circuits are an optimal medium for constructing WTA networks and for implementing efficient hardware models of selective attention systems. In this paper we present an overview of selective attention systems based on neuromorphic WTA circuits ranging from single-chip vision sensors for selecting and tracking the position of salient features, to multi-chip systems implement saliency-map based models of selective attention. PMID:27873818

Neuromorphic VLSI Models of Selective Attention: From Single Chip Vision Sensors to Multi-chip Systems.

PubMed

Indiveri, Giacomo

2008-09-03

Biological organisms perform complex selective attention operations continuously and effortlessly. These operations allow them to quickly determine the motor actions to take in response to combinations of external stimuli and internal states, and to pay attention to subsets of sensory inputs suppressing non salient ones. Selective attention strategies are extremely effective in both natural and artificial systems which have to cope with large amounts of input data and have limited computational resources. One of the main computational primitives used to perform these selection operations is the Winner-Take-All (WTA) network. These types of networks are formed by arrays of coupled computational nodes that selectively amplify the strongest input signals, and suppress the weaker ones. Neuromorphic circuits are an optimal medium for constructing WTA networks and for implementing efficient hardware models of selective attention systems. In this paper we present an overview of selective attention systems based on neuromorphic WTA circuits ranging from single-chip vision sensors for selecting and tracking the position of salient features, to multi-chip systems implement saliency-map based models of selective attention.

Use of Optical Storage Devices as Shared Resources in Local Area Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

13 3. SERVICE CALLS FOR MS-DOS CD-ROM EXTENSIONS . 14 4. MS-DOS PRIMITIVE GROUPS ....................... 15 5. RAM USAGE FOR VARIOUS LAN...17 2. Service Call Translation to DOS Primitives ............. 19 3. MS-DOS Device Drivers ............................. 21 4. MS-DOS/ROM...directed to I/O devices will be referred to as primitive instruction groups). These primitive instruction groups include keyboard, video, disk, serial

Communication scheme based on evolutionary spatial 2×2 games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziaukas, Pranas; Ragulskis, Tautvydas; Ragulskis, Minvydas

2014-06-01

A visual communication scheme based on evolutionary spatial 2×2 games is proposed in this paper. Self-organizing patterns induced by complex interactions between competing individuals are exploited for hiding and transmitting secret visual information. Properties of the proposed communication scheme are discussed in details. It is shown that the hiding capacity of the system (the minimum size of the detectable primitives and the minimum distance between two primitives) is sufficient for the effective transmission of digital dichotomous images. Also, it is demonstrated that the proposed communication scheme is resilient to time backwards, plain image attacks and is highly sensitive to perturbations of private and public keys. Several computational experiments are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed communication scheme.

How to Spot a Primitive Black Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-03-17

These two data plots from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope show a primitive supermassive black hole top compared to a typical one; usually, dust tori are missing and only gas disks are observed in primitive black holes.

Primitive erythrocytes are generated from hemogenic endothelial cells.

PubMed

Stefanska, Monika; Batta, Kiran; Patel, Rahima; Florkowska, Magdalena; Kouskoff, Valerie; Lacaud, Georges

2017-07-25

Primitive erythroblasts are the first blood cells generated during embryonic hematopoiesis. Tracking their emergence both in vivo and in vitro has remained challenging due to the lack of specific cell surface markers. To selectively investigate primitive erythropoiesis, we have engineered a new transgenic embryonic stem (ES) cell line, where eGFP expression is driven by the regulatory sequences of the embryonic βH1 hemoglobin gene expressed specifically in primitive erythroid cells. Using this ES cell line, we observed that the first primitive erythroblasts are detected in vitro around day 1.5 of blast colony differentiation, within the cell population positive for the early hematopoietic progenitor marker CD41. Moreover, we establish that these eGFP + cells emerge from a hemogenic endothelial cell population similarly to their definitive hematopoietic counterparts. We further generated a corresponding βH1-eGFP transgenic mouse model and demonstrated the presence of a primitive erythroid primed hemogenic endothelial cell population in the developing embryo. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that both in vivo and in vitro primitive erythrocytes are generated from hemogenic endothelial cells.

Discovery of survival factor for primitive chronic myeloid leukemia cells using induced pluripotent stem cells

PubMed Central

Suknuntha, Kran; Ishii, Yuki; Tao, Lihong; Hu, Kejin; McIntosh, Brian E.; Yang, David; Swanson, Scott; Stewart, Ron; Wang, Jean Y.J.; Thomson, James; Slukvin, Igor

2016-01-01

A definitive cure for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) requires identifying novel therapeutic targets to eradicate leukemia stem cells (LSCs). However, the rarity of LSCs within the primitive hematopoietic cell compartment remains a major limiting factor for their study in humans. Here we show that primitive hematopoietic cells with typical LSC features, including adhesion defect, increased long-term survival and proliferation, and innate resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) imatinib, can be generated de novo from reprogrammed primary CML cells. Using CML iPSC-derived primitive leukemia cells, we discovered olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) as a novel factor that contributes to survival and growth of somatic lin−CD34+ cells from bone marrow of patients with CML in chronic phase, but not primitive hematopoietic cells from normal bone marrow. Overall, this study shows the feasibility and advantages of using reprogramming technology to develop strategies for targeting primitive leukemia cells. PMID:26561938

Deducing trapdoor primitives in public key encryption schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Chandra

2005-03-01

Semantic security of public key encryption schemes is often interchangeable with the art of building trapdoors. In the frame of reference of Random Oracle methodology, the "Key Privacy" and "Anonymity" has often been discussed. However to a certain degree the security of most public key encryption schemes is required to be analyzed with formal proofs using one-way functions. This paper evaluates the design of El Gamal and RSA based schemes and attempts to parallelize the trapdoor primitives used in the computation of the cipher text, thereby magnifying the decryption error δp in the above schemes.

Rheumatic manifestations of hepatitis C virus chronic infection: Indications for a correct diagnosis.

PubMed

Palazzi, Carlo; D'Amico, Emilio; D'Angelo, Salvatore; Gilio, Michele; Olivieri, Ignazio

2016-01-28

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepato- and lymphotropic agent that is able to induce several autoimmune rheumatic disorders: vasculitis, sicca syndrome, arthralgias/arthritis and fibromyalgia. The severity of clinical manifestations is variable and sometimes life-threatening. HCV infection can mimic many primitive rheumatic diseases, therefore, it is mandatory to distinguish HCV-related manifestations from primitive ones because the prognosis and therapeutic strategies can be fairly dissimilar. The new direct-acting antivirals drugs can help to avoid the well-known risks of worsening or new onset of autoimmune diseases during the traditional interferon-based therapies.

A mutli-technique search for the most primitive CO chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, C. M. O'D.; Greenwood, R. C.; Bowden, R.; Gibson, J. M.; Howard, K. T.; Franchi, I. A.

2018-01-01

As part of a study to identify the most primitive COs and to look for weakly altered CMs amongst the COs, we have conducted a multi-technique study of 16 Antarctic meteorites that had been classified as primitive COs. For this study, we have determined: (1) the bulk H, C and N abundances and isotopes, (2) bulk O isotopic compositions, (3) bulk modal mineralogies, and (4) for some selected samples the abundances and compositions of their insoluble organic matter (IOM). Two of the 16 meteorites do appear to be CMs - BUC 10943 seems to be a fairly typical CM, while MIL 090073 has probably been heated. Of the COs, DOM 08006 appears to be the most primitive CO identified to date and is quite distinct from the other members of its pairing group. The other COs fall into two groups that are less primitive than DOM 08006 and ALH 77307, the previously most primitive CO. The first group is composed of members of the DOM 08004 pairing group, except DOM 08006. The second group is composed of meteorites belonging to the MIL 03377 and MIL 07099 pairing groups. These two pairing groups should probably be combined. There is a dichotomy in the bulk O isotopes between the primitive (all Antarctic finds) and the more metamorphosed COs (mostly falls). This dichotomy can only partly be explained by the terrestrial weathering experienced by the primitive Antarctic samples. It seems that the more equilibrated samples interacted to a greater extent with 16O-poor material, probably water, than the more primitive meteorites.

Dynamic primitives in the control of locomotion.

PubMed

Hogan, Neville; Sternad, Dagmar

2013-01-01

Humans achieve locomotor dexterity that far exceeds the capability of modern robots, yet this is achieved despite slower actuators, imprecise sensors, and vastly slower communication. We propose that this spectacular performance arises from encoding motor commands in terms of dynamic primitives. We propose three primitives as a foundation for a comprehensive theoretical framework that can embrace a wide range of upper- and lower-limb behaviors. Building on previous work that suggested discrete and rhythmic movements as elementary dynamic behaviors, we define submovements and oscillations: as discrete movements cannot be combined with sufficient flexibility, we argue that suitably-defined submovements are primitives. As the term "rhythmic" may be ambiguous, we define oscillations as the corresponding class of primitives. We further propose mechanical impedances as a third class of dynamic primitives, necessary for interaction with the physical environment. Combination of these three classes of primitive requires care. One approach is through a generalized equivalent network: a virtual trajectory composed of simultaneous and/or sequential submovements and/or oscillations that interacts with mechanical impedances to produce observable forces and motions. Reliable experimental identification of these dynamic primitives presents challenges: identification of mechanical impedances is exquisitely sensitive to assumptions about their dynamic structure; identification of submovements and oscillations is sensitive to their assumed form and to details of the algorithm used to extract them. Some methods to address these challenges are presented. Some implications of this theoretical framework for locomotor rehabilitation are considered.

Topological analysis of polymeric melts: chain-length effects and fast-converging estimators for entanglement length.

PubMed

Hoy, Robert S; Foteinopoulou, Katerina; Kröger, Martin

2009-09-01

Primitive path analyses of entanglements are performed over a wide range of chain lengths for both bead spring and atomistic polyethylene polymer melts. Estimators for the entanglement length N_{e} which operate on results for a single chain length N are shown to produce systematic O(1/N) errors. The mathematical roots of these errors are identified as (a) treating chain ends as entanglements and (b) neglecting non-Gaussian corrections to chain and primitive path dimensions. The prefactors for the O(1/N) errors may be large; in general their magnitude depends both on the polymer model and the method used to obtain primitive paths. We propose, derive, and test new estimators which eliminate these systematic errors using information obtainable from the variation in entanglement characteristics with chain length. The new estimators produce accurate results for N_{e} from marginally entangled systems. Formulas based on direct enumeration of entanglements appear to converge faster and are simpler to apply.

A hybrid multiview stereo algorithm for modeling urban scenes.

PubMed

Lafarge, Florent; Keriven, Renaud; Brédif, Mathieu; Vu, Hoang-Hiep

2013-01-01

We present an original multiview stereo reconstruction algorithm which allows the 3D-modeling of urban scenes as a combination of meshes and geometric primitives. The method provides a compact model while preserving details: Irregular elements such as statues and ornaments are described by meshes, whereas regular structures such as columns and walls are described by primitives (planes, spheres, cylinders, cones, and tori). We adopt a two-step strategy consisting first in segmenting the initial meshbased surface using a multilabel Markov Random Field-based model and second in sampling primitive and mesh components simultaneously on the obtained partition by a Jump-Diffusion process. The quality of a reconstruction is measured by a multi-object energy model which takes into account both photo-consistency and semantic considerations (i.e., geometry and shape layout). The segmentation and sampling steps are embedded into an iterative refinement procedure which provides an increasingly accurate hybrid representation. Experimental results on complex urban structures and large scenes are presented and compared to state-of-the-art multiview stereo meshing algorithms.

Fundamental physical theories: Mathematical structures grounded on a primitive ontology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allori, Valia

In my dissertation I analyze the structure of fundamental physical theories. I start with an analysis of what an adequate primitive ontology is, discussing the measurement problem in quantum mechanics and theirs solutions. It is commonly said that these theories have little in common. I argue instead that the moral of the measurement problem is that the wave function cannot represent physical objects and a common structure between these solutions can be recognized: each of them is about a clear three-dimensional primitive ontology that evolves according to a law determined by the wave function. The primitive ontology is what matter is made of while the wave function tells the matter how to move. One might think that what is important in the notion of primitive ontology is their three-dimensionality. If so, in a theory like classical electrodynamics electromagnetic fields would be part of the primitive ontology. I argue that, reflecting on what the purpose of a fundamental physical theory is, namely to explain the behavior of objects in three-dimensional space, one can recognize that a fundamental physical theory has a particular architecture. If so, electromagnetic fields play a different role in the theory than the particles and therefore should be considered, like the wave function, as part of the law. Therefore, we can characterize the general structure of a fundamental physical theory as a mathematical structure grounded on a primitive ontology. I explore this idea to better understand theories like classical mechanics and relativity, emphasizing that primitive ontology is crucial in the process of building new theories, being fundamental in identifying the symmetries. Finally, I analyze what it means to explain the word around us in terms of the notion of primitive ontology in the case of regularities of statistical character. Here is where the notion of typicality comes into play: we have explained a phenomenon if the typical histories of the primitive ontology give rise to the statistical regularities we observe.

High abundances of presolar grains and 15N-rich organic matter in CO3.0 chondrite Dominion Range 08006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nittler, Larry R.; Alexander, Conel M. O'D.; Davidson, Jemma; Riebe, My E. I.; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Wang, Jianhua

2018-04-01

NanoSIMS C-, N-, and O-isotopic mapping of matrix in CO3.0 chondrite Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 revealed it to have in its matrix the highest abundance of presolar O-rich grains (257 +76/-96 ppm, 2σ) of any meteorite. It also has a matrix abundance of presolar SiC of 35 (+25/-17, 2σ) ppm, similar to that seen across primitive chondrite classes. This provides additional support to bulk isotopic and petrologic evidence that DOM 08006 is the most primitive known CO meteorite. Transmission electron microscopy of five presolar silicate grains revealed one to have a composite mineralogy similar to larger amoeboid olivine aggregates and consistent with equilibrium condensation, two non-stoichiometric amorphous grains, and two olivine grains, though one is identified as such solely based on its composition. We also found insoluble organic matter (IOM) to be present primarily as sub-micron inclusions with ranges of C- and N-isotopic anomalies similar to those seen in primitive CR chondrites and interplanetary dust particles. In contrast to other primitive extraterrestrial materials, H isotopic imaging showed normal and homogeneous D/H. Most likely, DOM 08006 and other CO chondrites accreted a similar complement of primitive and isotopically anomalous organic matter to that found in other chondrite classes and IDPs, but the very limited amount of thermal metamorphism experienced by DOM 08006 has caused loss of D-rich organic moieties, while not substantially affecting either the molecular carriers of C and N anomalies or most inorganic phases in the meteorite. One C-rich grain that was highly depleted in 13C and 15N was identified; we propose it originated in the Sun's parental molecular cloud.

Learning multivariate distributions by competitive assembly of marginals.

PubMed

Sánchez-Vega, Francisco; Younes, Laurent; Geman, Donald

2013-02-01

We present a new framework for learning high-dimensional multivariate probability distributions from estimated marginals. The approach is motivated by compositional models and Bayesian networks, and designed to adapt to small sample sizes. We start with a large, overlapping set of elementary statistical building blocks, or "primitives," which are low-dimensional marginal distributions learned from data. Each variable may appear in many primitives. Subsets of primitives are combined in a Lego-like fashion to construct a probabilistic graphical model; only a small fraction of the primitives will participate in any valid construction. Since primitives can be precomputed, parameter estimation and structure search are separated. Model complexity is controlled by strong biases; we adapt the primitives to the amount of training data and impose rules which restrict the merging of them into allowable compositions. The likelihood of the data decomposes into a sum of local gains, one for each primitive in the final structure. We focus on a specific subclass of networks which are binary forests. Structure optimization corresponds to an integer linear program and the maximizing composition can be computed for reasonably large numbers of variables. Performance is evaluated using both synthetic data and real datasets from natural language processing and computational biology.

Cometary dust: the diversity of primitive refractory grains

PubMed Central

Ishii, H. A.

2017-01-01

Comet dust is primitive and shows significant diversity. Our knowledge of the properties of primitive cometary particles has expanded significantly through microscale investigations of cosmic dust samples (anhydrous interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), chondritic porous (CP) IDPs and UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites, Stardust and Rosetta), as well as through remote sensing (Spitzer IR spectroscopy). Comet dust are aggregate particles of materials unequilibrated at submicrometre scales. We discuss the properties and processes experienced by primitive matter in comets. Primitive particles exhibit a diverse range of: structure and typology; distribution of constituents; concentration and form of carbonaceous and refractory organic matter; Mg- and Fe-contents of the silicate minerals; sulfides; existence/abundance of type II chondrule fragments; high-temperature calcium–aluminium inclusions and ameboid-olivine aggregates; and rarely occurring Mg-carbonates and magnetite, whose explanation requires aqueous alteration on parent bodies. The properties of refractory materials imply there were disc processes that resulted in different comets having particular selections of primitive materials. The diversity of primitive particles has implications for the diversity of materials in the protoplanetary disc present at the time and in the region where the comets formed. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’. PMID:28554979

An enhanced multi-view vertical line locus matching algorithm of object space ground primitives based on positioning consistency for aerial and space images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ka; Sheng, Yehua; Wang, Meizhen; Fu, Suxia

2018-05-01

The traditional multi-view vertical line locus (TMVLL) matching method is an object-space-based method that is commonly used to directly acquire spatial 3D coordinates of ground objects in photogrammetry. However, the TMVLL method can only obtain one elevation and lacks an accurate means of validating the matching results. In this paper, we propose an enhanced multi-view vertical line locus (EMVLL) matching algorithm based on positioning consistency for aerial or space images. The algorithm involves three components: confirming candidate pixels of the ground primitive in the base image, multi-view image matching based on the object space constraints for all candidate pixels, and validating the consistency of the object space coordinates with the multi-view matching result. The proposed algorithm was tested using actual aerial images and space images. Experimental results show that the EMVLL method successfully solves the problems associated with the TMVLL method, and has greater reliability, accuracy and computing efficiency.

Basic primitives for molecular diagram sketching

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

A collection of primitive operations for molecular diagram sketching has been developed. These primitives compose a concise set of operations which can be used to construct publication-quality 2 D coordinates for molecular structures using a bare minimum of input bandwidth. The input requirements for each primitive consist of a small number of discrete choices, which means that these primitives can be used to form the basis of a user interface which does not require an accurate pointing device. This is particularly relevant to software designed for contemporary mobile platforms. The reduction of input bandwidth is accomplished by using algorithmic methods for anticipating probable geometries during the sketching process, and by intelligent use of template grafting. The algorithms and their uses are described in detail. PMID:20923555

Multi-processor including data flow accelerator module

DOEpatents

Davidson, George S.; Pierce, Paul E.

1990-01-01

An accelerator module for a data flow computer includes an intelligent memory. The module is added to a multiprocessor arrangement and uses a shared tagged memory architecture in the data flow computer. The intelligent memory module assigns locations for holding data values in correspondence with arcs leading to a node in a data dependency graph. Each primitive computation is associated with a corresponding memory cell, including a number of slots for operands needed to execute a primitive computation, a primitive identifying pointer, and linking slots for distributing the result of the cell computation to other cells requiring that result as an operand. Circuitry is provided for utilizing tag bits to determine automatically when all operands required by a processor are available and for scheduling the primitive for execution in a queue. Each memory cell of the module may be associated with any of the primitives, and the particular primitive to be executed by the processor associated with the cell is identified by providing an index, such as the cell number for the primitive, to the primitive lookup table of starting addresses. The module thus serves to perform functions previously performed by a number of sections of data flow architectures and coexists with conventional shared memory therein. A multiprocessing system including the module operates in a hybrid mode, wherein the same processing modules are used to perform some processing in a sequential mode, under immediate control of an operating system, while performing other processing in a data flow mode.

Dynamic primitives in the control of locomotion

PubMed Central

Hogan, Neville; Sternad, Dagmar

2013-01-01

Humans achieve locomotor dexterity that far exceeds the capability of modern robots, yet this is achieved despite slower actuators, imprecise sensors, and vastly slower communication. We propose that this spectacular performance arises from encoding motor commands in terms of dynamic primitives. We propose three primitives as a foundation for a comprehensive theoretical framework that can embrace a wide range of upper- and lower-limb behaviors. Building on previous work that suggested discrete and rhythmic movements as elementary dynamic behaviors, we define submovements and oscillations: as discrete movements cannot be combined with sufficient flexibility, we argue that suitably-defined submovements are primitives. As the term “rhythmic” may be ambiguous, we define oscillations as the corresponding class of primitives. We further propose mechanical impedances as a third class of dynamic primitives, necessary for interaction with the physical environment. Combination of these three classes of primitive requires care. One approach is through a generalized equivalent network: a virtual trajectory composed of simultaneous and/or sequential submovements and/or oscillations that interacts with mechanical impedances to produce observable forces and motions. Reliable experimental identification of these dynamic primitives presents challenges: identification of mechanical impedances is exquisitely sensitive to assumptions about their dynamic structure; identification of submovements and oscillations is sensitive to their assumed form and to details of the algorithm used to extract them. Some methods to address these challenges are presented. Some implications of this theoretical framework for locomotor rehabilitation are considered. PMID:23801959

The force on the flex: Global parallelism and portability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, H. F.

1986-01-01

A parallel programming methodology, called the force, supports the construction of programs to be executed in parallel by an unspecified, but potentially large, number of processes. The methodology was originally developed on a pipelined, shared memory multiprocessor, the Denelcor HEP, and embodies the primitive operations of the force in a set of macros which expand into multiprocessor Fortran code. A small set of primitives is sufficient to write large parallel programs, and the system has been used to produce 10,000 line programs in computational fluid dynamics. The level of complexity of the force primitives is intermediate. It is high enough to mask detailed architectural differences between multiprocessors but low enough to give the user control over performance. The system is being ported to a medium scale multiprocessor, the Flex/32, which is a 20 processor system with a mixture of shared and local memory. Memory organization and the type of processor synchronization supported by the hardware on the two machines lead to some differences in efficient implementations of the force primitives, but the user interface remains the same. An initial implementation was done by retargeting the macros to Flexible Computer Corporation's ConCurrent C language. Subsequently, the macros were caused to directly produce the system calls which form the basis for ConCurrent C. The implementation of the Fortran based system is in step with Flexible Computer Corporations's implementation of a Fortran system in the parallel environment.

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

Sobottka, Marcelo, E-mail: sobottka@mtm.ufsc.br; Hart, Andrew G., E-mail: ahart@dim.uchile.cl

Highlights: {yields} We propose a simple stochastic model to construct primitive DNA sequences. {yields} The model provide an explanation for Chargaff's second parity rule in primitive DNA sequences. {yields} The model is also used to predict a novel type of strand symmetry in primitive DNA sequences. {yields} We extend the results for bacterial DNA sequences and compare distributional properties intrinsic to the model to statistical estimates from 1049 bacterial genomes. {yields} We find out statistical evidences that the novel type of strand symmetry holds for bacterial DNA sequences. -- Abstract: Chargaff's second parity rule for short oligonucleotides states that themore » frequency of any short nucleotide sequence on a strand is approximately equal to the frequency of its reverse complement on the same strand. Recent studies have shown that, with the exception of organellar DNA, this parity rule generally holds for double-stranded DNA genomes and fails to hold for single-stranded genomes. While Chargaff's first parity rule is fully explained by the Watson-Crick pairing in the DNA double helix, a definitive explanation for the second parity rule has not yet been determined. In this work, we propose a model based on a hidden Markov process for approximating the distributional structure of primitive DNA sequences. Then, we use the model to provide another possible theoretical explanation for Chargaff's second parity rule, and to predict novel distributional aspects of bacterial DNA sequences.« less

How rare is complex life in the Milky Way?

PubMed

Bounama, Christine; von Bloh, Werner; Franck, Siegfried

2007-10-01

An integrated Earth system model was applied to calculate the number of habitable Earth-analog planets that are likely to have developed primitive (unicellular) and complex (multicellular) life in extrasolar planetary systems. The model is based on the global carbon cycle mediated by life and driven by increasing stellar luminosity and plate tectonics. We assumed that the hypothetical primitive and complex life forms differed in their temperature limits and CO(2) tolerances. Though complex life would be more vulnerable to environmental stress, its presence would amplify weathering processes on a terrestrial planet. The model allowed us to calculate the average number of Earth-analog planets that may harbor such life by using the formation rate of Earth-like planets in the Milky Way as well as the size of a habitable zone that could support primitive and complex life forms. The number of planets predicted to bear complex life was found to be approximately 2 orders of magnitude lower than the number predicted for primitive life forms. Our model predicted a maximum abundance of such planets around 1.8 Ga ago and allowed us to calculate the average distance between potentially habitable planets in the Milky Way. If the model predictions are accurate, the future missions DARWIN (up to a probability of 65%) and TPF (up to 20%) are likely to detect at least one planet with a biosphere composed of complex life.

36 CFR 261.21 - National Forest primitive areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National Forest primitive areas. 261.21 Section 261.21 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROHIBITIONS General Prohibitions § 261.21 National Forest primitive areas. The following are...

Effects of primitive photosynthesis on Earth's early climate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozaki, Kazumi; Tajika, Eiichi; Hong, Peng K.; Nakagawa, Yusuke; Reinhard, Christopher T.

2018-01-01

The evolution of different forms of photosynthetic life has profoundly altered the activity level of the biosphere, radically reshaping the composition of Earth's oceans and atmosphere over time. However, the mechanistic impacts of a primitive photosynthetic biosphere on Earth's early atmospheric chemistry and climate are poorly understood. Here, we use a global redox balance model to explore the biogeochemical and climatological effects of different forms of primitive photosynthesis. We find that a hybrid ecosystem of H2-based and Fe2+-based anoxygenic photoautotrophs—organisms that perform photosynthesis without producing oxygen—gives rise to a strong nonlinear amplification of Earth's methane (CH4) cycle, and would thus have represented a critical component of Earth's early climate system before the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis. Using a Monte Carlo approach, we find that a hybrid photosynthetic biosphere widens the range of geochemical conditions that allow for warm climate states well beyond either of these metabolic processes acting in isolation. Our results imply that the Earth's early climate was governed by a novel and poorly explored set of regulatory feedbacks linking the anoxic biosphere and the coupled H, C and Fe cycles. We suggest that similar processes should be considered when assessing the potential for sustained habitability on Earth-like planets with reducing atmospheres.

Learning Spatio-Temporal Representations for Action Recognition: A Genetic Programming Approach.

PubMed

Liu, Li; Shao, Ling; Li, Xuelong; Lu, Ke

2016-01-01

Extracting discriminative and robust features from video sequences is the first and most critical step in human action recognition. In this paper, instead of using handcrafted features, we automatically learn spatio-temporal motion features for action recognition. This is achieved via an evolutionary method, i.e., genetic programming (GP), which evolves the motion feature descriptor on a population of primitive 3D operators (e.g., 3D-Gabor and wavelet). In this way, the scale and shift invariant features can be effectively extracted from both color and optical flow sequences. We intend to learn data adaptive descriptors for different datasets with multiple layers, which makes fully use of the knowledge to mimic the physical structure of the human visual cortex for action recognition and simultaneously reduce the GP searching space to effectively accelerate the convergence of optimal solutions. In our evolutionary architecture, the average cross-validation classification error, which is calculated by an support-vector-machine classifier on the training set, is adopted as the evaluation criterion for the GP fitness function. After the entire evolution procedure finishes, the best-so-far solution selected by GP is regarded as the (near-)optimal action descriptor obtained. The GP-evolving feature extraction method is evaluated on four popular action datasets, namely KTH, HMDB51, UCF YouTube, and Hollywood2. Experimental results show that our method significantly outperforms other types of features, either hand-designed or machine-learned.

Influence of sediment recycling on the trace element composition of primitive arc lavas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collinet, M.; Jagoutz, O. E.

2017-12-01

Primitive calc-alkaline lavas from continental arcs are, on average, enriched in incompatible elements compared to those from intra-oceanic arcs. This relative enrichment is observed in different groups of trace elements: LILE (e.g. K, Rb), LREE to MREE (La-Dy) and HFSE (e.g.Zr, Nb) and is thought to result from (1) a transfer of material from the subducting slab to the mantle wedge at higher temperature than in intra-oceanic margins and/or (2) lower average degrees of melting in the mantle wedge, as a consequence of thicker overlying crusts and higher average pressures of melting. In addition to thicker overlying crusts and generally higher slab temperatures, continental margins are characterized by larger volumes of rock exposed above sea level and enhanced erosion rates compared to intra-oceanic arcs. As several geochemical signatures of arc lavas attest to the importance of sediment recycling in subduction zones, we explore the possibility that the high concentrations of incompatible elements in primitive lavas from continental arcs directly reflect a larger input of sediment to the subduction system. Previous efforts to quantify the sediment flux to oceanic trenches focused on the thickness of pelagic and hemipelagic sediments on top of the plate entering the subduction zone (Plank and Langmuir, 1993, Nature). These estimates primarily relied on the sediment layer drilled outboard from the subduction system and likely underestimate the volume of sediment derived from the arc itself. Accordingly, we find that such estimates of sediment flux do not correlate with the concentration of incompatible elements in primitive arc lavas. To account for regional contributions of coarser detrital sediments, usually delivered to oceanic trenches by turbidity currents, we apply to arc segments a model that quantifies the sediment load of rivers based on the average relief, area, temperature and runoff of their respective drainage areas (Syvitski et al., 2003, Sediment. Geol.). Our new estimates of sediment fluxes correlate positively with incompatible element concentrations in primitive arc lavas. We conclude that a large fraction of the local terrigenous sediments is subducted and contributes to the observed dichotomy in the trace element budget between primitive lavas from continental and oceanic margins.

The Distributed Memory Computing Conference (5th) Held in Charleston, South Carolina on April 8-12, 1990. Volume 1. Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-31

nodes, directional arrows show the parent and child rela- and the graphics driver runs on the CP, i.e., the tionship of processes. Although there is a...about ODB plus some number of transitory primitives, whether or not its child primitives are resident. Transitory primitives are discarded as needed...true if this Hnode’s child primitives approached. are not resident. This method of ODB decomposition has the ability to distribute a very large number of

Cross-domain expression recognition based on sparse coding and transfer learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong; Zhang, Weiyi; Huang, Yong

2017-05-01

Traditional facial expression recognition methods usually assume that the training set and the test set are independent and identically distributed. However, in actual expression recognition applications, the conditions of independent and identical distribution are hardly satisfied for the training set and test set because of the difference of light, shade, race and so on. In order to solve this problem and improve the performance of expression recognition in the actual applications, a novel method based on transfer learning and sparse coding is applied to facial expression recognition. First of all, a common primitive model, that is, the dictionary is learnt. Then, based on the idea of transfer learning, the learned primitive pattern is transferred to facial expression and the corresponding feature representation is obtained by sparse coding. The experimental results in CK +, JAFFE and NVIE database shows that the transfer learning based on sparse coding method can effectively improve the expression recognition rate in the cross-domain expression recognition task and is suitable for the practical facial expression recognition applications.

Observations of Nitrogen Fractionation in Prestellar Cores: Nitriles Tracing Interstellar Chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milam, S. N.; Charnley, S. B.

2012-01-01

Primitive materials provide important clues on the processes that occurred during the formation and early evolution of the Solar System. Space-based and ground-based observations of cometary comae show that comets appear to contain a mixture of the products of both interstellar and nebular chemistries. Significant 15-nitrogen enrichments have been measured in CN and HCN towards a number of comets and may suggest an origin of interstellar chemical fractionation. Additionally, large N-15 enhancements are found in meteorites and has also led to to the view that the N-15 traces material formed in the interstellar medium (ISM), although multiple sources cannot be excluded. Here, we show the results of observations of the nitrogen and carbon fractionation in prestellar cores for various N-bearing species to decipher the origin of primitive material isotopic enrichments.

Generalized compliant motion primitive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backes, Paul G. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

This invention relates to a general primitive for controlling a telerobot with a set of input parameters. The primitive includes a trajectory generator; a teleoperation sensor; a joint limit generator; a force setpoint generator; a dither function generator, which produces telerobot motion inputs in a common coordinate frame for simultaneous combination in sensor summers. Virtual return spring motion input is provided by a restoration spring subsystem. The novel features of this invention include use of a single general motion primitive at a remote site to permit the shared and supervisory control of the robot manipulator to perform tasks via a remotely transferred input parameter set.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system.

PubMed

Becker, L E; Hinton, D

1983-06-01

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors are morphologically similar malignant tumors arising in intracranial and peripheral sites of the nervous system, showing varying degrees of cellular differentiation with a tendency to disseminate along cerebrospinal fluid pathways. They occur primarily in children and young adults. Under the designation primitive neuroectodermal tumors are included medulloblastomas and tumors that may differentiate in other directions, such as medulloepithelioma, neuroblastoma, polar spongioblastoma, pineoblastoma, ependymoblastoma, retinoblastoma, and olfactory neuroblastoma. From a practical, histologic point of view, these tumors are often indistinguishable from one another and are best thought of as primitive neuroectodermal tumors with or without differentiating features.

Origin and Evolutionary Alteration of the Mitochondrial Import System in Eukaryotic Lineages

PubMed Central

Fukasawa, Yoshinori; Oda, Toshiyuki; Tomii, Kentaro

2017-01-01

Abstract Protein transport systems are fundamentally important for maintaining mitochondrial function. Nevertheless, mitochondrial protein translocases such as the kinetoplastid ATOM complex have recently been shown to vary in eukaryotic lineages. Various evolutionary hypotheses have been formulated to explain this diversity. To resolve any contradiction, estimating the primitive state and clarifying changes from that state are necessary. Here, we present more likely primitive models of mitochondrial translocases, specifically the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) and translocase of the inner membrane (TIM) complexes, using scrutinized phylogenetic profiles. We then analyzed the translocases’ evolution in eukaryotic lineages. Based on those results, we propose a novel evolutionary scenario for diversification of the mitochondrial transport system. Our results indicate that presequence transport machinery was mostly established in the last eukaryotic common ancestor, and that primitive translocases already had a pathway for transporting presequence-containing proteins. Moreover, secondary changes including convergent and migrational gains of a presequence receptor in TOM and TIM complexes, respectively, likely resulted from constrained evolution. The nature of a targeting signal can constrain alteration to the protein transport complex. PMID:28369657

Attributed relational graphs for cell nucleus segmentation in fluorescence microscopy images.

PubMed

Arslan, Salim; Ersahin, Tulin; Cetin-Atalay, Rengul; Gunduz-Demir, Cigdem

2013-06-01

More rapid and accurate high-throughput screening in molecular cellular biology research has become possible with the development of automated microscopy imaging, for which cell nucleus segmentation commonly constitutes the core step. Although several promising methods exist for segmenting the nuclei of monolayer isolated and less-confluent cells, it still remains an open problem to segment the nuclei of more-confluent cells, which tend to grow in overlayers. To address this problem, we propose a new model-based nucleus segmentation algorithm. This algorithm models how a human locates a nucleus by identifying the nucleus boundaries and piecing them together. In this algorithm, we define four types of primitives to represent nucleus boundaries at different orientations and construct an attributed relational graph on the primitives to represent their spatial relations. Then, we reduce the nucleus identification problem to finding predefined structural patterns in the constructed graph and also use the primitives in region growing to delineate the nucleus borders. Working with fluorescence microscopy images, our experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm identifies nuclei better than previous nucleus segmentation algorithms.

A Discussion on the Substitution Method for Trigonometric Rational Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponce-Campuzano, Juan Carlos; Rivera-Figueroa, Antonio

2011-01-01

It is common to see, in the books on calculus, primitives of functions (some authors use the word "antiderivative" instead of primitive). However, the majority of authors pay scant attention to the domains over which the primitives are valid, which could lead to errors in the evaluation of definite integrals. In the teaching of calculus, in…

Scientific Terminology and Minimum Terms in Speech Communication: Some Philosophical Ramblings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krivonos, Paul D.; Sussman, Lyle.

Philosophers of science have emphasized the need for primitive terms, or "givens," in the construction of theory for any discipline. While there are inherent dangers regarding the use of primitive terms, they can have great value in serving as the basis for minimum terms, which are primitive terms unique to a discipline. (Borrowed terms are those…

A manual for PARTI runtime primitives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berryman, Harry; Saltz, Joel

1990-01-01

Primitives are presented that are designed to help users efficiently program irregular problems (e.g., unstructured mesh sweeps, sparse matrix codes, adaptive mesh partial differential equations solvers) on distributed memory machines. These primitives are also designed for use in compilers for distributed memory multiprocessors. Communications patterns are captured at runtime, and the appropriate send and receive messages are automatically generated.

Comet Dust: The Diversity of "Primitive" Particles and Implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooden, Diane H.; Ishii, Hope A.; Bradley, John P.; Zolensky, Michael E.

2016-01-01

Comet dust is primitive and shows significant diversity. Our knowledge of the properties of primitive particles has expanded significantly through microscale investigations of cosmic dust samples ( IDP's(Interplanetary Dust Particles) and AMM's (Antarctic Micrometeorites)) and of comet dust samples (Stardust and Rosetta's COSIMA), as well as through remote sensing (spectroscopy and imaging) via Spitzer and via spacecraft encounters with 103P/Hartley 2 and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Microscale investigations show that comet dust and cosmic dust are particles of unequilibrated materials, including aggregates of materials unequilibrated at submicron scales. We call unequilibrated materials "primitive" and we deduce they were incorporated into ice-rich (H2O-, CO2-, and CO-ice) parent bodies that remained cold, i.e., into comets, because of the lack of aqueous or thermal alteration since particle aggregation; yet some Stardust olivines suggest mild thermal metamorphism. Primitive particles exhibit a diverse range of: structure and typology; size and size distribution of constituents; concentration and form of carbonaceous and organic matter; D-, N-, and O- isotopic enhancements over solar; Mg-, Fe-contents of the silicate minerals; the compositions and concentrations of sulfides, and of less abundant mineral species such as chondrules, CAIs and carbonates. The uniformity within a group of samples points to: aerodynamic sorting of particles and/or particle constituents; the inclusion of a limited range of oxygen fugacities; the inclusion or exclusion of chondrules; a selection of organics. The properties of primitive particles imply there were disk processes that resulted in different comets having particular selections of primitive materials. The diversity of primitive particles has implications for the diversity of materials in the protoplanetary disk present at the time and in the region where the comets formed.

Comet Dust: The Diversity of Primitive Particles and Implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

John Bradley; Zolensky, Michael E.

2016-01-01

Comet dust is primitive and shows significant diversity. Our knowledge of the properties of primitive particles has expanded significantly through microscale investigations of cosmic dust samples (IDPs and AMMs) and of comet dust samples (Stardust and Rosetta's COSIMA), as well as through remote sensing (spectroscopy and imaging) via Spitzer and via spacecraft encounters with 103P/Hartley 2 and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Microscale investigations show that comet dust and cosmic dust are particles of unequilibrated materials, including aggregates of materials unequilibrated at submicron scales. We call unequilibrated materials "primitive" and we deduce they were incorporated into ice-­-rich (H2O-, CO2-, and CO-ice) parent bodies that remained cold, i.e., into comets, because of the lack of aqueous or thermal alteration since particle aggregation; yet some Stardust olivines suggest mild thermal metamorphism. Primitive particles exhibit a diverse range of: structure and typology; size and size distribution of constituents; concentration and form of carbonaceous and organic matter; D-, N-, and O- isotopic enhancements over solar; Mg-, Fe-contentsof thesilicate minerals; the compositions and concentrations of sulfides, and of less abundant mineral species such as chondrules, CAIs and carbonates. The unifomity within a group of samples points to: aerodynamic sorting of particles and/or particle constituents; the inclusion of a limited range of oxygen fugacities; the inclusion or exclusion of chondrules; a selection of organics. The properites of primitive particles imply there were disk processes that resulted in different comets having particular selections of primitive materials. The diversity of primitive particles has implications for the diversity of materials in the protoplanetary disk present at the time and in the region where the comets formed.

Antitumor activity of a rhenium (I)-diselenoether complex in experimental models of human breast cancer.

PubMed

Collery, Philippe; Mohsen, Ahmed; Kermagoret, Anthony; Corre, Samantha; Bastian, Gérard; Tomas, Alain; Wei, Ming; Santoni, François; Guerra, Nadia; Desmaële, Didier; d'Angelo, Jean

2015-08-01

Rhenium (I)-diselenother (Re-diselenoether) is a water soluble metal-based compound, combining one atom of rhenium and two atoms of selenium. This compound has been reported to exhibit marked activities against several solid tumor cell lines. We now disclose an improved synthesis of this complex. The Re-diselenoether showed a potent inhibitory effect on MDA-MB231 cell division in vitro, which lasted when the complex was no longer present in the culture. Re-diselenoether induced a remarkable reduction of the volume of the primitive breast tumors and of the pulmonary metastases without clinical signs of toxicity, in mice-bearing a MDA-MB231 Luc+ tumor, orthotopically transplanted, after a daily oral administration at the dose of 10 mg/kg/d. Interestingly, an antagonism was observed when cisplatin was administered as a single i.p. injection 1 week after the end of the Re-diselenoether administration. In an effort to gain insight of the mechanisms of action of Re-diselenoether complex, interaction with 9-methylguanine as a nucleic acid base model was studied. We have shown that Re-diselenoether gave both mono- and bis-guanine Re adducts, the species assumed to be responsible for the DNA intrastrand lesions.

Circuit design tool. User's manual, revision 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyake, Keith M.; Smith, Donald E.

1992-01-01

The CAM chip design was produced in a UNIX software environment using a design tool that supports definition of digital electronic modules, composition of these modules into higher level circuits, and event-driven simulation of these circuits. Our design tool provides an interface whose goals include straightforward but flexible primitive module definition and circuit composition, efficient simulation, and a debugging environment that facilitates design verification and alteration. The tool provides a set of primitive modules which can be composed into higher level circuits. Each module is a C-language subroutine that uses a set of interface protocols understood by the design tool. Primitives can be altered simply by recoding their C-code image; in addition new primitives can be added allowing higher level circuits to be described in C-code rather than as a composition of primitive modules--this feature can greatly enhance the speed of simulation.

Retention of primitive reflexes and delayed motor development in very low birth weight infants.

PubMed

Marquis, P J; Ruiz, N A; Lundy, M S; Dillard, R G

1984-06-01

Primitive reflexes and motor development were evaluated in 127 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight less than 1501 grams) at four months corrected age. The asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, tonic labyrinth reflex, and Moro reflex were assessed for each child. The ability of each child to reach (obtain a red ring) and roll were observed. The child's performance on the gross motor scale of the Denver Development Screening Test was recorded. Thirty-seven term infants were administered identical evaluations at four months of age. The VLBW infants retained stronger primitive reflexes and exhibited a significantly higher incidence of motor delays than term infants. Significant correlations existed between the strength of the primitive reflexes and early motor development for VLBW infants. This study confirms a high incidence of motor delays among VLBW infants and demonstrates a clear association between retained primitive reflexes and delayed motor development in VLBW infants.

RIPE integrity primitives, part 2 (RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denboer, B.; Boly, J. P.; Bosselaers, A.; Brandt, J.; Chaum, D.; Damgaard, I.; Dichtl, M.; Fumy, W.; Vanderham, M.; Jansen, C. J. A.

1993-04-01

A manual intended for those seeking to secure information systems by applying modern cryptography is presented. It represents the successful attainment of goals by RIPE (RACE (Research and development of Advanced Communications technology in Europe) Integrity Primitives Evaluation). The recommended portfolio of integrity primitives, which is the main product of the project, forms the heart of the manual. By integrity, is meant the kinds of security that can be achieved through cryptography, apart from keeping messages secret. Thus included are ways to ensure that stored or communicated data is not illicitly modified, that parties exchanging messages are actually present, and that 'signed' electronic messages can be recognized as authentic by anyone. Of particular concern to the project were the high speed requirements of broadband communication. The project also aimed for completeness in its recommendations. As a result, the portfolio contains primitives, that is building blocks, that can meet most of today's perceived needs for integrity.

RIPE integrity primitives, part 1 (RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denboer, B.; Boly, J. P.; Bosselaers, A.; Brandt, J.; Chaum, D.; Damgaard, I.; Dichtl, M.; Fumy, W.; Vanderham, M.; Jansen, C. J. A.

1993-04-01

A manual intended for those seeking to secure information systems by applying modern cryptography is presented. It represents the successful attainment of goals by RIPE (RACE (Research and development of Advanced Communication technology in Europe) Integrity Primitives Evaluation). The recommended portfolio of integrity primitives, which is the main product of the project, forms the heart of the manual. By integrity, is meant the kinds of security that can be achieved through cryptography, apart from keeping messages secret. Thus included are ways to ensure that stored or communicated data is not illicitly modified, that parties exchanging messages are actually present, and that 'signed' electronic messages can be recognized as authentic by anyone. Of particular concern to the project were the high speed requirements of broadband communication. The project also aimed for completeness in its recommendations. As a result, the portfolio contains primitives, that is building blocks, that can meet most of today's perceived needs for integrity.

Remote direct memory access over datagrams

DOEpatents

Grant, Ryan Eric; Rashti, Mohammad Javad; Balaji, Pavan; Afsahi, Ahmad

2014-12-02

A communication stack for providing remote direct memory access (RDMA) over a datagram network is disclosed. The communication stack has a user level interface configured to accept datagram related input and communicate with an RDMA enabled network interface card (NIC) via an NIC driver. The communication stack also has an RDMA protocol layer configured to supply one or more data transfer primitives for the datagram related input of the user level. The communication stack further has a direct data placement (DDP) layer configured to transfer the datagram related input from a user storage to a transport layer based on the one or more data transfer primitives by way of a lower layer protocol (LLP) over the datagram network.

Mathematical modelling of animate and intentional motion.

PubMed Central

Rittscher, Jens; Blake, Andrew; Hoogs, Anthony; Stein, Gees

2003-01-01

Our aim is to enable a machine to observe and interpret the behaviour of others. Mathematical models are employed to describe certain biological motions. The main challenge is to design models that are both tractable and meaningful. In the first part we will describe how computer vision techniques, in particular visual tracking, can be applied to recognize a small vocabulary of human actions in a constrained scenario. Mainly the problems of viewpoint and scale invariance need to be overcome to formalize a general framework. Hence the second part of the article is devoted to the question whether a particular human action should be captured in a single complex model or whether it is more promising to make extensive use of semantic knowledge and a collection of low-level models that encode certain motion primitives. Scene context plays a crucial role if we intend to give a higher-level interpretation rather than a low-level physical description of the observed motion. A semantic knowledge base is used to establish the scene context. This approach consists of three main components: visual analysis, the mapping from vision to language and the search of the semantic database. A small number of robust visual detectors is used to generate a higher-level description of the scene. The approach together with a number of results is presented in the third part of this article. PMID:12689374

Using Abstraction in Explicity Parallel Programs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-01

However, we only rely on sequential consistency of memory operations. includ- ing reads. writes and any synchronization primitives provided by the...explicit synchronization primitives . This demonstrates the practical power of sequentially consistent memory, as opposed to weaker models of memory that...a small set of synchronization primitives , all pro- cedures have non-waiting specifications. This is in contrast to richer process-oriented

A manual for PARTI runtime primitives, revision 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Das, Raja; Saltz, Joel; Berryman, Harry

1991-01-01

Primitives are presented that are designed to help users efficiently program irregular problems (e.g., unstructured mesh sweeps, sparse matrix codes, adaptive mesh partial differential equations solvers) on distributed memory machines. These primitives are also designed for use in compilers for distributed memory multiprocessors. Communications patterns are captured at runtime, and the appropriate send and receive messages are automatically generated.

Probabilistic structural analysis of a truss typical for space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pai, Shantaram S.

1990-01-01

A three-bay, space, cantilever truss is probabilistically evaluated using the computer code NESSUS (Numerical Evaluation of Stochastic Structures Under Stress) to identify and quantify the uncertainties and respective sensitivities associated with corresponding uncertainties in the primitive variables (structural, material, and loads parameters) that defines the truss. The distribution of each of these primitive variables is described in terms of one of several available distributions such as the Weibull, exponential, normal, log-normal, etc. The cumulative distribution function (CDF's) for the response functions considered and sensitivities associated with the primitive variables for given response are investigated. These sensitivities help in determining the dominating primitive variables for that response.

Middle Pleistocene Hominin Teeth from Longtan Cave, Hexian, China

PubMed Central

Xing, Song; Martinón-Torres, María; Bermúdez de Castro, José María; Zhang, Yingqi; Fan, Xiaoxiao; Zheng, Longting; Huang, Wanbo; Liu, Wu

2014-01-01

Excavations at the Longtan Cave, Hexian, Anhui Province of Eastern China, have yielded several hominin fossils including crania, mandibular fragments, and teeth currently dated to 412±25 ka. While previous studies have focused on the cranial remains, there are no detailed analyses of the dental evidence. In this study, we provide metric and morphological descriptions and comparisons of ten teeth recovered from Hexian, including microcomputed tomography analyses. Our results indicate that the Hexian teeth are metrically and morphologically primitive and overlap with H. ergaster and East Asian Early and mid-Middle Pleistocene hominins in their large dimensions and occlusal complexities. However, the Hexian teeth differ from H. ergaster in features such as conspicuous vertical grooves on the labial/buccal surfaces of the central incisor and the upper premolar, the crown outline shapes of upper and lower molars and the numbers, shapes, and divergences of the roots. Despite their close geological ages, the Hexian teeth are also more primitive than Zhoukoudian specimens, and resemble Sangiran Early Pleistocene teeth. In addition, no typical Neanderthal features have been identified in the Hexian sample. Our study highlights the metrical and morphological primitive status of the Hexian sample in comparison to contemporaneous or even earlier populations of Asia. Based on this finding, we suggest that the primitive-derived gradients of the Asian hominins cannot be satisfactorily fitted along a chronological sequence, suggesting complex evolutionary scenarios with the coexistence and/or survival of different lineages in Eurasia. Hexian could represent the persistence in time of a H. erectus group that would have retained primitive features that were lost in other Asian populations such as Zhoukoudian or Panxian Dadong. Our study expands the metrical and morphological variations known for the East Asian hominins before the mid-Middle Pleistocene and warns about the possibility that the Asian hominin variability may have been taxonomically oversimplified. PMID:25551383

An error-tuned model for sensorimotor learning

PubMed Central

Sadeghi, Mohsen; Wolpert, Daniel M.

2017-01-01

Current models of sensorimotor control posit that motor commands are generated by combining multiple modules which may consist of internal models, motor primitives or motor synergies. The mechanisms which select modules based on task requirements and modify their output during learning are therefore critical to our understanding of sensorimotor control. Here we develop a novel modular architecture for multi-dimensional tasks in which a set of fixed primitives are each able to compensate for errors in a single direction in the task space. The contribution of the primitives to the motor output is determined by both top-down contextual information and bottom-up error information. We implement this model for a task in which subjects learn to manipulate a dynamic object whose orientation can vary. In the model, visual information regarding the context (the orientation of the object) allows the appropriate primitives to be engaged. This top-down module selection is implemented by a Gaussian function tuned for the visual orientation of the object. Second, each module's contribution adapts across trials in proportion to its ability to decrease the current kinematic error. Specifically, adaptation is implemented by cosine tuning of primitives to the current direction of the error, which we show to be theoretically optimal for reducing error. This error-tuned model makes two novel predictions. First, interference should occur between alternating dynamics only when the kinematic errors associated with each oppose one another. In contrast, dynamics which lead to orthogonal errors should not interfere. Second, kinematic errors alone should be sufficient to engage the appropriate modules, even in the absence of contextual information normally provided by vision. We confirm both these predictions experimentally and show that the model can also account for data from previous experiments. Our results suggest that two interacting processes account for module selection during sensorimotor control and learning. PMID:29253869

A Deformable Generic 3D Model of Haptoral Anchor of Monogenean

PubMed Central

Teo, Bee Guan; Dhillon, Sarinder Kaur; Lim, Lee Hong Susan

2013-01-01

In this paper, a digital 3D model which allows for visualisation in three dimensions and interactive manipulation is explored as a tool to help us understand the structural morphology and elucidate the functions of morphological structures of fragile microorganisms which defy live studies. We developed a deformable generic 3D model of haptoral anchor of dactylogyridean monogeneans that can subsequently be deformed into different desired anchor shapes by using direct manipulation deformation technique. We used point primitives to construct the rectangular building blocks to develop our deformable 3D model. Point primitives are manually marked on a 2D illustration of an anchor on a Cartesian graph paper and a set of Cartesian coordinates for each point primitive is manually extracted from the graph paper. A Python script is then written in Blender to construct 3D rectangular building blocks based on the Cartesian coordinates. The rectangular building blocks are stacked on top or by the side of each other following their respective Cartesian coordinates of point primitive. More point primitives are added at the sites in the 3D model where more structural variations are likely to occur, in order to generate complex anchor structures. We used Catmull-Clark subdivision surface modifier to smoothen the surface and edge of the generic 3D model to obtain a smoother and more natural 3D shape and antialiasing option to reduce the jagged edges of the 3D model. This deformable generic 3D model can be deformed into different desired 3D anchor shapes through direct manipulation deformation technique by aligning the vertices (pilot points) of the newly developed deformable generic 3D model onto the 2D illustrations of the desired shapes and moving the vertices until the desire 3D shapes are formed. In this generic 3D model all the vertices present are deployed for displacement during deformation. PMID:24204903

A deformable generic 3D model of haptoral anchor of Monogenean.

PubMed

Teo, Bee Guan; Dhillon, Sarinder Kaur; Lim, Lee Hong Susan

2013-01-01

In this paper, a digital 3D model which allows for visualisation in three dimensions and interactive manipulation is explored as a tool to help us understand the structural morphology and elucidate the functions of morphological structures of fragile microorganisms which defy live studies. We developed a deformable generic 3D model of haptoral anchor of dactylogyridean monogeneans that can subsequently be deformed into different desired anchor shapes by using direct manipulation deformation technique. We used point primitives to construct the rectangular building blocks to develop our deformable 3D model. Point primitives are manually marked on a 2D illustration of an anchor on a Cartesian graph paper and a set of Cartesian coordinates for each point primitive is manually extracted from the graph paper. A Python script is then written in Blender to construct 3D rectangular building blocks based on the Cartesian coordinates. The rectangular building blocks are stacked on top or by the side of each other following their respective Cartesian coordinates of point primitive. More point primitives are added at the sites in the 3D model where more structural variations are likely to occur, in order to generate complex anchor structures. We used Catmull-Clark subdivision surface modifier to smoothen the surface and edge of the generic 3D model to obtain a smoother and more natural 3D shape and antialiasing option to reduce the jagged edges of the 3D model. This deformable generic 3D model can be deformed into different desired 3D anchor shapes through direct manipulation deformation technique by aligning the vertices (pilot points) of the newly developed deformable generic 3D model onto the 2D illustrations of the desired shapes and moving the vertices until the desire 3D shapes are formed. In this generic 3D model all the vertices present are deployed for displacement during deformation.

A method of plane geometry primitive presentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Anbo; Luo, Haibo; Chang, Zheng; Hui, Bin

2014-11-01

Point feature and line feature are basic elements in object feature sets, and they play an important role in object matching and recognition. On one hand, point feature is sensitive to noise; on the other hand, there are usually a huge number of point features in an image, which makes it complex for matching. Line feature includes straight line segment and curve. One difficulty in straight line segment matching is the uncertainty of endpoint location, the other is straight line segment fracture problem or short straight line segments joined to form long straight line segment. While for the curve, in addition to the above problems, there is another difficulty in how to quantitatively describe the shape difference between curves. Due to the problems of point feature and line feature, the robustness and accuracy of target description will be affected; in this case, a method of plane geometry primitive presentation is proposed to describe the significant structure of an object. Firstly, two types of primitives are constructed, they are intersecting line primitive and blob primitive. Secondly, a line segment detector (LSD) is applied to detect line segment, and then intersecting line primitive is extracted. Finally, robustness and accuracy of the plane geometry primitive presentation method is studied. This method has a good ability to obtain structural information of the object, even if there is rotation or scale change of the object in the image. Experimental results verify the robustness and accuracy of this method.

A recursive vesicle-based model protocell with a primitive model cell cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurihara, Kensuke; Okura, Yusaku; Matsuo, Muneyuki; Toyota, Taro; Suzuki, Kentaro; Sugawara, Tadashi

2015-09-01

Self-organized lipid structures (protocells) have been proposed as an intermediate between nonliving material and cellular life. Synthetic production of model protocells can demonstrate the potential processes by which living cells first arose. While we have previously described a giant vesicle (GV)-based model protocell in which amplification of DNA was linked to self-reproduction, the ability of a protocell to recursively self-proliferate for multiple generations has not been demonstrated. Here we show that newborn daughter GVs can be restored to the status of their parental GVs by pH-induced vesicular fusion of daughter GVs with conveyer GVs filled with depleted substrates. We describe a primitive model cell cycle comprising four discrete phases (ingestion, replication, maturity and division), each of which is selectively activated by a specific external stimulus. The production of recursive self-proliferating model protocells represents a step towards eventual production of model protocells that are able to mimic evolution.

Experimental plug and play quantum coin flipping.

PubMed

Pappa, Anna; Jouguet, Paul; Lawson, Thomas; Chailloux, André; Legré, Matthieu; Trinkler, Patrick; Kerenidis, Iordanis; Diamanti, Eleni

2014-04-24

Performing complex cryptographic tasks will be an essential element in future quantum communication networks. These tasks are based on a handful of fundamental primitives, such as coin flipping, where two distrustful parties wish to agree on a randomly generated bit. Although it is known that quantum versions of these primitives can offer information-theoretic security advantages with respect to classical protocols, a demonstration of such an advantage in a practical communication scenario has remained elusive. Here we experimentally implement a quantum coin flipping protocol that performs strictly better than classically possible over a distance suitable for communication over metropolitan area optical networks. The implementation is based on a practical plug and play system, developed by significantly enhancing a commercial quantum key distribution device. Moreover, we provide combined quantum coin flipping protocols that are almost perfectly secure against bounded adversaries. Our results offer a useful toolbox for future secure quantum communications.

Telerobot control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backes, Paul G. (Inventor); Tso, Kam S. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

This invention relates to an operator interface for controlling a telerobot to perform tasks in a poorly modeled environment and/or within unplanned scenarios. The telerobot control system includes a remote robot manipulator linked to an operator interface. The operator interface includes a setup terminal, simulation terminal, and execution terminal for the control of the graphics simulator and local robot actuator as well as the remote robot actuator. These terminals may be combined in a single terminal. Complex tasks are developed from sequential combinations of parameterized task primitives and recorded teleoperations, and are tested by execution on a graphics simulator and/or local robot actuator, together with adjustable time delays. The novel features of this invention include the shared and supervisory control of the remote robot manipulator via operator interface by pretested complex tasks sequences based on sequences of parameterized task primitives combined with further teleoperation and run-time binding of parameters based on task context.

Comparative Anatomy of Maintenance Tasks (CAMT): A Feasibility Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

systems. Methods for task primitive definition were developed, then taken into the field for testing . Task primitives were defined to cover three remove...engine maintenance) and to test whether task primitives developed for one weapon system could have applicability to other weapon systems (Phase 2...requirements, levying MPT constraints and predicting MPT requirements are only ritualistic exercises until the operational test and evaluation of a

Origin of fatty acid synthesis - Thermodynamics and kinetics of reaction pathways

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weber, Arthur L.

1991-01-01

The primitiveness of contemporary fatty acid biosynthesis was evaluated by using the thermodynamics and kinetics of its component reactions to estimate the extent of its dependence on powerful and selective catalysis by enzymes. Since this analysis indicated that the modern pathway is not primitive because it requires sophisticated enzymatic catalysis, an alternative pathway of primitive fatty acid synthesis is proposed that uses glycolaldehyde as a substrate. In contrast to the modern pathway, this primitive pathway is not dependent on an exogenous source of phosphoanhydride energy. Furthermore, the chemical spontaneity of its reactions suggests that it could have been readily catalyzed by the rudimentary biocatalysts available at an early stage in the origin of life.

Physics of the primitive solar nebula and of giant gaseous protoplanets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, A. G. W.

1978-01-01

It has been proposed that the supernova responsible for injecting Al-26 into the early solar system was in fact responsible for triggering the collapse of an interstellar cloud in order to produce a system of stars, one of which would be the solar system. Details concerning the mechanism involved in such a process are discussed. Attention is given to the evolution of the primitive solar nebula, the instabilities in the primitive solar nebula, and the giant gaseous protoplanets. The principal conclusion to be drawn from the material presented is that the primitive solar nebula was a rather chaotic place, highly turbulent, with the multiple formation of giant gaseous protoplanets.

Multiple-Primitives Hierarchical Classification of Airborne Laser Scanning Data in Urban Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, H.; Lin, X. G.; Zhang, J. X.

2017-09-01

A hierarchical classification method for Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data of urban areas is proposed in this paper. This method is composed of three stages among which three types of primitives are utilized, i.e., smooth surface, rough surface, and individual point. In the first stage, the input ALS data is divided into smooth surfaces and rough surfaces by employing a step-wise point cloud segmentation method. In the second stage, classification based on smooth surfaces and rough surfaces is performed. Points in the smooth surfaces are first classified into ground and buildings based on semantic rules. Next, features of rough surfaces are extracted. Then, points in rough surfaces are classified into vegetation and vehicles based on the derived features and Random Forests (RF). In the third stage, point-based features are extracted for the ground points, and then, an individual point classification procedure is performed to classify the ground points into bare land, artificial ground and greenbelt. Moreover, the shortages of the existing studies are analyzed, and experiments show that the proposed method overcomes these shortages and handles more types of objects.

Assessment of WENO-extended two-fluid modelling in compressible multiphase flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitamura, Keiichi; Nonomura, Taku

2017-03-01

The two-fluid modelling based on an advection-upwind-splitting-method (AUSM)-family numerical flux function, AUSM+-up, following the work by Chang and Liou [Journal of Computational Physics 2007;225: 840-873], has been successfully extended to the fifth order by weighted-essentially-non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes. Then its performance is surveyed in several numerical tests. The results showed a desired performance in one-dimensional benchmark test problems: Without relying upon an anti-diffusion device, the higher-order two-fluid method captures the phase interface within a fewer grid points than the conventional second-order method, as well as a rarefaction wave and a very weak shock. At a high pressure ratio (e.g. 1,000), the interpolated variables appeared to affect the performance: the conservative-variable-based characteristic-wise WENO interpolation showed less sharper but more robust representations of the shocks and expansions than the primitive-variable-based counterpart did. In two-dimensional shock/droplet test case, however, only the primitive-variable-based WENO with a huge void fraction realised a stable computation.

Possible complex organic compounds on Mars.

PubMed

Kobayashi, K; Sato, T; Kajishima, S; Kaneko, T; Ishikawa, Y; Saito, T

1997-01-01

It is suggested that primitive Mars had somehow similar environments as primitive Earth. If life was born on the primitive earth using organic compounds which were produced from the early Earth environment, the same types of organic compounds were also formed on primitive Mars. Such organic compounds might have been preserved on Mars still now. We are studying possible organic formation on primitive and present Mars. A gaseous mixture of CO2, CO, N2 and H2O with various mixing ratios were irradiated with high energy protons (major components of cosmic rays). Hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde were detected among volatile products, and yellow-brown-colored water-soluble non-volatile substances were produced, which gave amino acids after acid-hydrolysis. Major part of "amino acid precursors" were not simple molecules like aminonitriles, but complex compounds which eluted earlier than free amino acids in cation-exchange HPLC. These organic compounds should be major targets in the future Mars mission. Strategy for the detection of the complex organics on Mars will be discussed.

Using Parallel Processing for Problem Solving.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

are the basic parallel proces- sing primitive . Different goals of the system can be pursued in parallel by placing them in separate activities...Language primitives are provided for manipulating running activities. Viewpoints are a generalization of context FOM -(over "*’ DD I FON 1473 ’EDITION OF I...arc the basic parallel processing primitive . Different goals of the system can be pursued in parallel by placing them in separate activities. Language

A Generalized-Compliant-Motion Primitive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backes, Paul G.

1993-01-01

Computer program bridges gap between planning and execution of compliant robotic motions developed and installed in control system of telerobot. Called "generalized-compliant-motion primitive," one of several task-execution-primitive computer programs, which receives commands from higher-level task-planning programs and executes commands by generating required trajectories and applying appropriate control laws. Program comprises four parts corresponding to nominal motion, compliant motion, ending motion, and monitoring. Written in C language.

Intrapartum synthetic oxytocin reduce the expression of primitive reflexes associated with breastfeeding.

PubMed

Marín Gabriel, Miguel A; Olza Fernández, Ibone; Malalana Martínez, Ana M; González Armengod, Carmen; Costarelli, Valeria; Millán Santos, Isabel; Fernández-Cañadas Morillo, Aurora; Pérez Riveiro, Pilar; López Sánchez, Francisco; García Murillo, Lourdes

2015-05-01

Several synthetic peptide manipulations during the time surrounding birth can alter the specific neurohormonal status in the newborn brain. This study is aimed at assessing whether intrapartum oxytocin administration has any effect on primitive neonatal reflexes and determining whether such an effect is dose-dependent. A cohort prospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital. Mother-infant dyads who received intrapartum oxytocin (n=53) were compared with mother-infant dyads who did not receive intrapartum oxytocin (n=45). Primitive neonatal reflexes (endogenous, antigravity, motor, and rhythmic reflexes) were quantified by analyzing videotaped breastfeeding sessions in a biological nurturing position. Two observers blind to the group assignment and the oxytocin dose analyzed the videotapes and assesed the newborn's state of consciousness according to the Brazelton scale. The release of all rhythmic reflexes (p=0.01), the antigravity reflex (p=0.04), and total primitive neonatal reflexes (p=0.02) in the group exposed to oxytocin was lower than in the group not exposed to oxytocin. No correlations were observed between the dose of oxytocin administered and the percentage of primitive neonatal reflexes released (r=0.03; p=0.82). Intrapartum oxytocin administration might inhibit the expression of several primitive neonatal reflexes associated with breastfeeding. This correlation does not seem to be dose-dependent.

MACOP modular architecture with control primitives

PubMed Central

Waegeman, Tim; Hermans, Michiel; Schrauwen, Benjamin

2013-01-01

Walking, catching a ball and reaching are all tasks in which humans and animals exhibit advanced motor skills. Findings in biological research concerning motor control suggest a modular control hierarchy which combines movement/motor primitives into complex and natural movements. Engineers inspire their research on these findings in the quest for adaptive and skillful control for robots. In this work we propose a modular architecture with control primitives (MACOP) which uses a set of controllers, where each controller becomes specialized in a subregion of its joint and task-space. Instead of having a single controller being used in this subregion [such as MOSAIC (modular selection and identification for control) on which MACOP is inspired], MACOP relates more to the idea of continuously mixing a limited set of primitive controllers. By enforcing a set of desired properties on the mixing mechanism, a mixture of primitives emerges unsupervised which successfully solves the control task. We evaluate MACOP on a numerical model of a robot arm by training it to generate desired trajectories. We investigate how the tracking performance is affected by the number of controllers in MACOP and examine how the individual controllers and their generated control primitives contribute to solving the task. Furthermore, we show how MACOP compensates for the dynamic effects caused by a fixed control rate and the inertia of the robot. PMID:23888140

A real-time robot arm collision detection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaffer, Clifford A.; Herb, Gregory M.

1990-01-01

A data structure and update algorithm are presented for a prototype real time collision detection safety system for a multi-robot environment. The data structure is a variant of the octree, which serves as a spatial index. An octree recursively decomposes 3-D space into eight equal cubic octants until each octant meets some decomposition criteria. The octree stores cylspheres (cylinders with spheres on each end) and rectangular solids as primitives (other primitives can easily be added as required). These primitives make up the two seven degrees-of-freedom robot arms and environment modeled by the system. Octree nodes containing more than a predetermined number N of primitives are decomposed. This rule keeps the octree small, as the entire environment for the application can be modeled using a few dozen primitives. As robot arms move, the octree is updated to reflect their changed positions. During most update cycles, any given primitive does not change which octree nodes it is in. Thus, modification to the octree is rarely required. Incidents in which one robot arm comes too close to another arm or an object are reported. Cycle time for interpreting current joint angles, updating the octree, and detecting/reporting imminent collisions averages 30 milliseconds on an Intel 80386 processor running at 20 MHz.

Dimensional analysis using toric ideals: primitive invariants.

PubMed

Atherton, Mark A; Bates, Ronald A; Wynn, Henry P

2014-01-01

Classical dimensional analysis in its original form starts by expressing the units for derived quantities, such as force, in terms of power products of basic units [Formula: see text] etc. This suggests the use of toric ideal theory from algebraic geometry. Within this the Graver basis provides a unique primitive basis in a well-defined sense, which typically has more terms than the standard Buckingham approach. Some textbook examples are revisited and the full set of primitive invariants found. First, a worked example based on convection is introduced to recall the Buckingham method, but using computer algebra to obtain an integer [Formula: see text] matrix from the initial integer [Formula: see text] matrix holding the exponents for the derived quantities. The [Formula: see text] matrix defines the dimensionless variables. But, rather than this integer linear algebra approach it is shown how, by staying with the power product representation, the full set of invariants (dimensionless groups) is obtained directly from the toric ideal defined by [Formula: see text]. One candidate for the set of invariants is a simple basis of the toric ideal. This, although larger than the rank of [Formula: see text], is typically not unique. However, the alternative Graver basis is unique and defines a maximal set of invariants, which are primitive in a simple sense. In addition to the running example four examples are taken from: a windmill, convection, electrodynamics and the hydrogen atom. The method reveals some named invariants. A selection of computer algebra packages is used to show the considerable ease with which both a simple basis and a Graver basis can be found.

Portable programming on parallel/networked computers using the Application Portable Parallel Library (APPL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quealy, Angela; Cole, Gary L.; Blech, Richard A.

1993-01-01

The Application Portable Parallel Library (APPL) is a subroutine-based library of communication primitives that is callable from applications written in FORTRAN or C. APPL provides a consistent programmer interface to a variety of distributed and shared-memory multiprocessor MIMD machines. The objective of APPL is to minimize the effort required to move parallel applications from one machine to another, or to a network of homogeneous machines. APPL encompasses many of the message-passing primitives that are currently available on commercial multiprocessor systems. This paper describes APPL (version 2.3.1) and its usage, reports the status of the APPL project, and indicates possible directions for the future. Several applications using APPL are discussed, as well as performance and overhead results.

Effects of Space Weathering on Reflectance Spectra of Ureilites: First Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodrich, C. A.; Gillis-Davis, J.; Cloutis, E.; Applin, D.; Takir, D.; Hibbitts, C.; Christoffersen, R.; Fries, M.; Klima, R.; Decker, S.

2018-01-01

Ureilites are differentiated meteorites (ultramafic rocks interpreted to be mantle residues) that contain as much carbon as the most carbon-rich carbonaceous chondrites (CCs). Reflectance spectra of ureilites are similar to those of some CCs. Hence, ureilitic asteroids may accidentally be categorized as primitive because their spectra could resemble those of C-complex asteroids, which are thought to be CC-like. We began spectral studies of progressively laser-weathered ureilites with the goals of predicting UV-VIS-IR spectra of ureilitic asteroids, and identifying features that could distinguish differentiated from primitive dark asteroids. Space weathering has not previously been studied for ureilites, and, based on space weathering studies of CCs and other C-rich materials, it could significantly alter their reflectance spectra.

Minimization In Digital Design As A Meta-Planning Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, William P. C.; Wu, Jung-Gen

1987-05-01

In our model-based expert system for automatic digital system design, we formalize the design process into three sub-processes - compiling high-level behavioral specifications into primitive behavioral operations, grouping primitive operations into behavioral functions, and grouping functions into modules. Consideration of design minimization explicitly controls decision-making in the last two subprocesses. Design minimization, a key task in the automatic design of digital systems, is complicated by the high degree of interaction among the time sequence and content of design decisions. In this paper, we present an AI approach which directly addresses these interactions and their consequences by modeling the minimization prob-lem as a planning problem, and the management of design decision-making as a meta-planning problem.

[The metabolic effects of contraception with oestrogen-progestogen products (author's transl)].

PubMed

Heim, J

1979-01-01

A synthesis has been attempted to explain the metabolic action of oestrogen-progestogens: and their action on carbohydrates, triglycerides, cholesterol, lipoproteins and coagulation has been reviewed. Carbohydrate tolerance can evolve in different ways, depending on the case. On the one hand hyperglycaemia, which is provoked by taking carbohydrates by mouth in a primitively pathological way, can be improved while on the other hand there can be diminution in carbohydrate tolerance in other cases. Two factors, however, remain constant, hyperinsulinism and resistance to insulin. There is no way of predicting how carbohydrate tolerance will behave. That is why pills that contain oestrogens and progestogens, even if they are "mini-dose" pills, are contra-indicated for women who have pancreatic diabetes. Pills with a high oestrogen content raise the triglycerides, while those which have a higher progestogen content tend to raise the blood cholesterol levels. High-density lipoprotein tends to be raised with an oestrogenic milieu and lowered with progestogens or with pills that have a strong progestogen content.

Formation of amino acids by cobalt-60 irradiation of hydrogen cyanide solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sweeney, M. A.; Toste, A. P.; Ponnamperuma, C.

1976-01-01

Experiments were conducted to study the pathway for the prebiotic origin of amino acids from hydrogen cyanide (HCN) under the action of ionizing radiation considered as an effective source of energy on the primitive earth. The irradiations were performed in a cobalt-60 source with a dose rate of 200,000 rad/hr. Seven naturally occurring amino acids are identified among the products formed by the hydrolysis of gamma-irradiated solutions of HCN: glycine, alanine, valine, serine, threonine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. The identity of these amino acids is established by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Control experiments provided evidence that the amino acids are not the result of contamination.

ATHENA: A Personalized Platform to Promote an Active Lifestyle and Wellbeing Based on Physical, Mental and Social Health Primitives

PubMed Central

Fahim, Muhammad; Idris, Muhammad; Ali, Rahman; Nugent, Christopher; Kang, Byeong; Huh, Eui-Nam; Lee, Sungyoung

2014-01-01

Technology provides ample opportunities for the acquisition and processing of physical, mental and social health primitives. However, several challenges remain for researchers as how to define the relationship between reported physical activities, mood and social interaction to define an active lifestyle. We are conducting a project, ATHENA(activity-awareness for human-engaged wellness applications) to design and integrate the relationship between these basic health primitives to approximate the human lifestyle and real-time recommendations for wellbeing services. Our goal is to develop a system to promote an active lifestyle for individuals and to recommend to them valuable interventions by making comparisons to their past habits. The proposed system processes sensory data through our developed machine learning algorithms inside smart devices and utilizes cloud infrastructure to reduce the cost. We exploit big data infrastructure for massive sensory data storage and fast retrieval for recommendations. Our contributions include the development of a prototype system to promote an active lifestyle and a visual design capable of engaging users in the goal of increasing self-motivation. We believe that our study will impact the design of future ubiquitous wellness applications. PMID:24859031

Origin and Evolutionary Alteration of the Mitochondrial Import System in Eukaryotic Lineages.

PubMed

Fukasawa, Yoshinori; Oda, Toshiyuki; Tomii, Kentaro; Imai, Kenichiro

2017-07-01

Protein transport systems are fundamentally important for maintaining mitochondrial function. Nevertheless, mitochondrial protein translocases such as the kinetoplastid ATOM complex have recently been shown to vary in eukaryotic lineages. Various evolutionary hypotheses have been formulated to explain this diversity. To resolve any contradiction, estimating the primitive state and clarifying changes from that state are necessary. Here, we present more likely primitive models of mitochondrial translocases, specifically the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) and translocase of the inner membrane (TIM) complexes, using scrutinized phylogenetic profiles. We then analyzed the translocases' evolution in eukaryotic lineages. Based on those results, we propose a novel evolutionary scenario for diversification of the mitochondrial transport system. Our results indicate that presequence transport machinery was mostly established in the last eukaryotic common ancestor, and that primitive translocases already had a pathway for transporting presequence-containing proteins. Moreover, secondary changes including convergent and migrational gains of a presequence receptor in TOM and TIM complexes, respectively, likely resulted from constrained evolution. The nature of a targeting signal can constrain alteration to the protein transport complex. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

An antiarch placoderm shows that pelvic girdles arose at the root of jawed vertebrates

PubMed Central

Zhu, Min; Yu, Xiaobo; Choo, Brian; Wang, Junqing; Jia, Liantao

2012-01-01

Almost all gnathostomes or jawed vertebrates (including osteichthyans, chondrichthyans, ‘acanthodians’ and most placoderms) possess paired pectoral and pelvic fins. To date, it has generally been believed that antiarch placoderms (extinct armoured jawed fishes from the Silurian–Devonian periods) lacked pelvic fins. The putative absence of pelvic fins is a key character bearing on the monophyly or paraphyly of placoderms. It also has far-reaching implications for studying the sequence of origin of pelvic girdles versus that of movable jaws in the course of vertebrate evolution. Parayunnanolepis xitunensis represents the only example of a primitive antiarch with extensive post-thoracic preservation, and its original description has been cited as confirming the primitive lack of pelvic fins in early antiarchs. Here, we present a revised description of Parayunnanolepis and offer the first unambiguous evidence for the presence of pelvic girdles in antiarchs. As antiarchs are placed at the base of the gnathostome radiation in several recent studies, our finding shows that all jawed vertebrates (including antiarch placoderms) primitively possess both pectoral and pelvic fins and that the pelvic fins did not arise within gnathostomes at a point subsequent to the origin of jaws. PMID:22219394

Fine resolution chronology based on initial Sr-87/Sr-86

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, B. W.; Papanastassiou, D. A.; Capo, R. C.; Wasserburg, G. J.

1993-01-01

It has been recognized that small variations in initial Sr-87/Sr-86 (Sr(sub I)), can provide a fine scale relative chronology for the chemical fractionation of materials with low Rb/Sr from parent reservoirs with high Rb/Sr. Similarly, Sr(sub I), as determined for low Rb/Sr phases in meteorites, may permit a fine resolution chronology of the recrystallization or metamorphism of planetary materials. For the establishment of a primitive Sr-87/Sr-86 chronology, it is important to search for samples with extremely low Rb/Sr for which the measured Sr-87/Sr-86 is below BABI, in which case the primitive nature of the Sr can be directly established. Using the measured Rb/Sr to calculate an initial Sr-87/Sr-86 can introduce substantial uncertainty if the Rb-Sr are disturbed. We report Sr-87/Sr-86 in plagioclase from silicate pebbles from the Vaca Muerta mesosiderite on which we have reported Sm-147-Nd-143 and Ne-142 correlations. For the purpose of cross-calibration with our previous work we have performed extensive new measurements on Angra dos Reis and on anorthite from Moore County, which have very low Rb/Sr and primitive Sr-87/Sr-86.

Next Generation, 4-D Distributed Modeling and Visualization of Battlefield

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-14

accurate. However, the effectiveness of such a view is determined by its usability. If the picture contained all the information that had been...major key to success in such missions is the ability to model real-world urban areas accurately and effectively , so as to support US military mission...primitives (including the standard CG primitives such as plane, cube, wedge, polyhedron, cylinder and sphere, and high-order surface primitives such as

A Guide to FASTGEN Target Geometric Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-01

component part is described in plate mode. These rules apply to all primitives with the exception of rod mode primitives which are always accompanied by a...format. A detailed discussion of the rules for preparing the target description file, where components are described using primitives defined as triangles...NN position is 99, the diameter of a rod mode component is limited to a maximum of 1.98-inches. Theie are several rules and cautions associated with

Hydrostatic calculations of axisymmetric flow and its stability for the AGCE model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, T. L.; Gall, R. L.

1981-01-01

Baroclinic waves in the atmospherics general circulation experiment (AGCE) apparatus by the use of numerical hydrostatic primitive equation models were determined. The calculation is accomplished by using an axisymmetric primitive equation model to compute, for a given set of experimental parameters, a steady state axisymmetric flow and then testing this axisymmetric flow for stability using a linear primitive equation model. Some axisymmetric flows are presented together with preliminary stability calculations.

Cave men: stone tools, Victorian science, and the 'primitive mind' of deep time.

PubMed

Pettitt, Paul B; White, Mark J

2011-03-20

Palaeoanthropology, the study of the evolution of humanity, arose in the nineteenth century. Excavations in Europe uncovered a series of archaeological sediments which provided proof that the antiquity of human life on Earth was far longer than the biblical six thousand years, and by the 1880s authors had constructed a basic paradigm of what 'primitive' human life was like. Here we examine the development of Victorian palaeoanthropology for what it reveals of the development of notions of cognitive evolution. It seems that Victorian specialists rarely addressed cognitive evolution explicitly, although several assumptions were generally made that arose from preconceptions derived from contemporary 'primitive' peoples. We identify three main phases of development of notions of the primitive mind in the period.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cervix: a case report

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Introduction Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cervix uteri is extremely rare. Between 1987 and 2010, there were only nine cases reported in the English literature, with considerably different management policies. Case presentation A 45-year-old Iranian woman presented to our facility with a primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cervix uteri. Her clinical stage IB2 tumor was treated successfully with chemotherapy. Our patient underwent radical hysterectomy. There was no trace of the tumor after four years of follow-up. Conclusions According to current knowledge, primitive neuroectodermal tumors belong to the Ewing's sarcoma family, and the improvement of treatment outcome in our patient was due to dose-intensive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery and consolidation chemotherapy in accordance with the protocol for bony Ewing's sarcoma. PMID:21962148

ARCGRAPH SYSTEM - AMES RESEARCH GRAPHICS SYSTEM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hibbard, E. A.

1994-01-01

Ames Research Graphics System, ARCGRAPH, is a collection of libraries and utilities which assist researchers in generating, manipulating, and visualizing graphical data. In addition, ARCGRAPH defines a metafile format that contains device independent graphical data. This file format is used with various computer graphics manipulation and animation packages at Ames, including SURF (COSMIC Program ARC-12381) and GAS (COSMIC Program ARC-12379). In its full configuration, the ARCGRAPH system consists of a two stage pipeline which may be used to output graphical primitives. Stage one is associated with the graphical primitives (i.e. moves, draws, color, etc.) along with the creation and manipulation of the metafiles. Five distinct data filters make up stage one. They are: 1) PLO which handles all 2D vector primitives, 2) POL which handles all 3D polygonal primitives, 3) RAS which handles all 2D raster primitives, 4) VEC which handles all 3D raster primitives, and 5) PO2 which handles all 2D polygonal primitives. Stage two is associated with the process of displaying graphical primitives on a device. To generate the various graphical primitives, create and reprocess ARCGRAPH metafiles, and access the device drivers in the VDI (Video Device Interface) library, users link their applications to ARCGRAPH's GRAFIX library routines. Both FORTRAN and C language versions of the GRAFIX and VDI libraries exist for enhanced portability within these respective programming environments. The ARCGRAPH libraries were developed on a VAX running VMS. Minor documented modification of various routines, however, allows the system to run on the following computers: Cray X-MP running COS (no C version); Cray 2 running UNICOS; DEC VAX running BSD 4.3 UNIX, or Ultrix; SGI IRIS Turbo running GL2-W3.5 and GL2-W3.6; Convex C1 running UNIX; Amhdahl 5840 running UTS; Alliant FX8 running UNIX; Sun 3/160 running UNIX (no native device driver); Stellar GS1000 running Stellex (no native device driver); and an SGI IRIS 4D running IRIX (no native device driver). Currently with version 7.0 of ARCGRAPH, the VDI library supports the following output devices: A VT100 terminal with a RETRO-GRAPHICS board installed, a VT240 using the Tektronix 4010 emulation capability, an SGI IRIS turbo using the native GL2 library, a Tektronix 4010, a Tektronix 4105, and the Tektronix 4014. ARCGRAPH version 7.0 was developed in 1988.

Generalizing on Multiple Grounds: Performance Learning in Model-Based Troubleshooting

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

Aritificial Intelligence , 24, 1984. [Ble88] Guy E. Blelloch. Scan Primitives and Parallel Vector Models. PhD thesis, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory...Diagnostic reasoning based on strcture and behavior. Aritificial Intelligence , 24, 1984. [dK86] J. de Kleer. An assumption-based truth maintenance system...diagnosis. Aritificial Intelligence , 24. �. )3 94 BIBLIOGRAPHY [Ham87] Kristian J. Hammond. Learning to anticipate and avoid planning prob- lems

Friend of GATA (FOG) Interacts with the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex (NuRD) to Support Primitive Erythropoiesis in Xenopus laevis

PubMed Central

Mimoto, Mizuho S.; Christian, Jan L.

2012-01-01

Friend of GATA (FOG) plays many diverse roles in adult and embryonic hematopoiesis, however the mechanisms by which it functions and the roles of potential interaction partners are not completely understood. Previous work has shown that overexpression of FOG in Xenopus laevis causes loss of blood suggesting that in contrast to its role in mammals, FOG might normally function to repress erythropoiesis in this species. Using loss-of-function analysis, we demonstrate that FOG is essential to support primitive red blood cell (RBC) development in Xenopus. Moreover, we show that it is specifically required to prevent excess apoptosis of circulating primitive RBCs and that in the absence of FOG, the pro-apoptotic gene Bim-1 is strongly upregulated. To identify domains of FOG that are essential for blood development and, conversely, to begin to understand the mechanism by which overexpressed FOG represses primitive erythropoiesis, we asked whether FOG mutants that are unable to interact with known co-factors retain their ability to rescue blood formation in FOG morphants and whether they repress erythropoiesis when overexpressed in wild type embryos. We find that interaction of FOG with the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase complex (NuRD), but not with C-terminal Binding Protein, is essential for normal primitive RBC development. In contrast, overexpression of all mutant and wild type constructs causes a comparable repression of primitive erythropoiesis. Together, our data suggest that a requirement for FOG and its interaction with NuRD during primitive erythropoiesis are conserved in Xenopus and that loss of blood upon FOG overexpression is due to a dominant-interfering effect. PMID:22235346

UNCOMPAHGRE PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luedke, R.G.; Sheridan, M.J.

1984-01-01

A mineral-resource study was made of that part of the Uncompahgre National Forest, Colorado constituting the officially designated primitive area. Because the primitive area and its southern border zone contained operating mines producing gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and minor amounts of a few other metals, and had been a part of a highly productive mining region, the area was concluded to have large segments of both probable and substantiated mineral-resource potential. No energy resources were identified in the study.

Primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy in a preterm infant.

PubMed

Lam, Joseph; Lara-Corrales, Irene; Cammisuli, Salvatore; Somers, Gino R; Pope, Elena

2010-01-01

Primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy is a recently recognized entity that has been added to the differential diagnosis of myxoid tumors of the soft tissue. Few cases have been reported of this entity in the literature, but none presenting in a preterm infant. We present the case and clinical course of a preterm boy with a primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy that occurred following excision of a congenital juvenile xanthogranuloma. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

HIGH UINTAS PRIMITIVE AREA, UTAH.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crittenden, Max D.; Sheridan, Michael J.

1984-01-01

Mineral surveys in the High Uintas Primitive Area, Utah and the additions subsequently proposed concluded that the area has little promise for mineral resources. Of the areas around the fringes, a strip along the north flank fault can be classed as having probable energy-resource potential for oil and gas. The oil and gas potential could be tested by additional seismic studies followed by drilling. Much of the necessary information probably could be obtained without drilling within the primitive area itself.

Intrapartum Synthetic Oxytocin Reduce the Expression of Primitive Reflexes Associated with Breastfeeding

PubMed Central

Olza Fernández, Ibone; Malalana Martínez, Ana M.; González Armengod, Carmen; Costarelli, Valeria; Millán Santos, Isabel; Fernández-Cañadas Morillo, Aurora; Pérez Riveiro, Pilar; López Sánchez, Francisco; García Murillo, Lourdes

2015-01-01

Abstract Aim: Several synthetic peptide manipulations during the time surrounding birth can alter the specific neurohormonal status in the newborn brain. This study is aimed at assessing whether intrapartum oxytocin administration has any effect on primitive neonatal reflexes and determining whether such an effect is dose-dependent. Materials and Methods: A cohort prospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital. Mother–infant dyads who received intrapartum oxytocin (n=53) were compared with mother–infant dyads who did not receive intrapartum oxytocin (n=45). Primitive neonatal reflexes (endogenous, antigravity, motor, and rhythmic reflexes) were quantified by analyzing videotaped breastfeeding sessions in a biological nurturing position. Two observers blind to the group assignment and the oxytocin dose analyzed the videotapes and assesed the newborn's state of consciousness according to the Brazelton scale. Results: The release of all rhythmic reflexes (p=0.01), the antigravity reflex (p=0.04), and total primitive neonatal reflexes (p=0.02) in the group exposed to oxytocin was lower than in the group not exposed to oxytocin. No correlations were observed between the dose of oxytocin administered and the percentage of primitive neonatal reflexes released (r=0.03; p=0.82). Conclusions: Intrapartum oxytocin administration might inhibit the expression of several primitive neonatal reflexes associated with breastfeeding. This correlation does not seem to be dose-dependent. PMID:25785487

An approach to the origin of self-replicating system. I - Intermolecular interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macelroy, R. D.; Coeckelenbergh, Y.; Rein, R.

1978-01-01

The present paper deals with the characteristics and potentialities of a recently developed computer-based molecular modeling system. Some characteristics of current coding systems are examined and are extrapolated to the apparent requirements of primitive prebiological coding systems.

Essential roles for Cdx in murine primitive hematopoiesis.

PubMed

Brooke-Bisschop, Travis; Savory, Joanne G A; Foley, Tanya; Ringuette, Randy; Lohnes, David

2017-02-15

The Cdx transcription factors play essential roles in primitive hematopoiesis in the zebrafish where they exert their effects, in part, through regulation of hox genes. Defects in hematopoiesis have also been reported in Cdx mutant murine embryonic stem cell models, however, to date no mouse model reflecting the zebrafish Cdx mutant hematopoietic phenotype has been described. This is likely due, in part, to functional redundancy among Cdx members and the early lethality of Cdx2 null mutants. To circumvent these limitations, we used Cre-mediated conditional deletion to assess the impact of concomitant loss of Cdx1 and Cdx2 on murine primitive hematopoiesis. We found that Cdx1/Cdx2 double mutants exhibited defects in primitive hematopoiesis and yolk sac vasculature concomitant with reduced expression of several genes encoding hematopoietic transcription factors including Scl/Tal1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that Scl was occupied by Cdx2 in vivo, and Cdx mutant hematopoietic yolk sac differentiation defects could be rescued by expression of exogenous Scl. These findings demonstrate critical roles for Cdx members in murine primitive hematopoiesis upstream of Scl. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A subjective study and an objective metric to quantify the granularity level of textures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subedar, Mahesh M.; Karam, Lina J.

2015-03-01

Texture granularity is an important visual characteristic that is useful in a variety of applications, including analysis, recognition, and compression, to name a few. A texture granularity measure can be used to quantify the perceived level of texture granularity. The granularity level of the textures is influenced by the size of the texture primitives. A primitive is defined as the smallest recognizable repetitive object in the texture. If the texture has large primitives then the perceived granularity level tends to be lower as compared to a texture with smaller primitives. In this work we are presenting a texture granularity database referred as GranTEX which consists of 30 textures with varying levels of primitive sizes and granularity levels. The GranTEX database consists of both natural and man-made textures. A subjective study is conducted to measure the perceived granularity level of textures present in the GranTEX database. An objective metric that automatically measures the perceived granularity level of textures is also presented as part of this work. It is shown that the proposed granularity metric correlates well with the subjective granularity scores.

Primitive erythropoiesis is regulated by miR-126 via nonhematopoietic Vcam-1+ cells.

PubMed

Sturgeon, Christopher M; Chicha, Laurie; Ditadi, Andrea; Zhou, Qinbo; McGrath, Kathleen E; Palis, James; Hammond, Scott M; Wang, Shusheng; Olson, Eric N; Keller, Gordon

2012-07-17

Primitive erythropoiesis defines the onset of hematopoiesis in the yolk sac of the early embryo and is initiated by the emergence of progenitors assayed as colony-forming cells (EryP-CFCs). EryP-CFCs are detected for only a narrow window during embryonic development, suggesting that both their initiation and termination are tightly controlled. Using the embryonic stem differentiation system to model primitive erythropoiesis, we found that miR-126 regulates the termination of EryP-CFC development. Analyses of miR-126 null embryos revealed that this miR also regulates EryP-CFCs in vivo. We identified vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (Vcam-1) expressed by a mesenchymal cell population as a relevant target of miR-126. Interaction of EryP-CFCs with Vcam-1 accelerated their maturation to ßh1-globin(+) and Ter119(+) cells through a Src family kinase. These findings uncover a cell nonautonomous regulatory pathway for primitive erythropoiesis that may provide insight into the mechanism(s) controlling the developmental switch from primitive to definitive hematopoiesis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Luteinizing hormone induces ovulation via tumor necrosis factor α-dependent increases in prostaglandin F2α in a nonmammalian vertebrate

PubMed Central

Crespo, Diego; Goetz, Frederick W.; Planas, Josep V.

2015-01-01

Ovulation is induced by the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) that acts on the ovary and triggers the rupture of the preovulatory ovarian follicle by stimulating proteolysis and apoptosis in the follicle wall, causing the release of the mature oocyte. The pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and prostaglandin (PG) F2α (PGF2α) are involved in the control of ovulation but their role mediating the pro-ovulatory actions of LH is not well established. Here we show that Lh induces PGF2α synthesis through its stimulation of Tnfα production in trout, a primitive teleost fish. Recombinant trout Tnfα (rTnfα) and PGF2α recapitulate the stimulatory in vitro effects of salmon Lh (sLh) on contraction, proteolysis and loss of cell viability in the preovulatory follicle wall and, finally, ovulation. Furthermore, all pro-ovulatory actions of sLh are blocked by inhibition of Tnfα secretion or PG synthesis and all actions of rTnfα are blocked by PG synthesis inhibitors. Therefore, we provide evidence that the Tnfα–dependent increase in PGF2α production is necessary for the pro-ovulatory actions of Lh. The results from this study shed light onto the mechanisms underlying the pro-ovulatory actions of LH in vertebrates and may prove important in clinical assessments of female infertility. PMID:26374476

Primitive African Medical Lore and Witchcraft *

PubMed Central

Thompson, Ethel E.

1965-01-01

This article presents a comprehensive study of the methods, practices, equipment, and paraphernalia of African witch doctors in carrying out primitive medical practices. The chief tribes studied are the Azandes of the Sudan, the Manos of Liberia, the Congo tribes, the Bundas of Angola, and the Zulus and other Bantu tribes of South Africa. Primitive beliefs and customs are discussed only insofar as they have a direct bearing on medical practices. The medical practices considered deal mainly with the application of general remedies for ailments and diseases, but certain specialized fields such as obstetrics, surgery, treatment for fractures, and dentistry are also included. Primitive medicaments are presented with reference to their application for various illnesses. An alphabetical list of these medicaments is given at the end of the article. PMID:14223742

Carotid-vertebrobasilar Anastomoses with Reference to Their Segmental Property.

PubMed

Namba, Katsunari

2017-06-15

The primitive carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses are primitive embryonic cerebral vessels that temporarily provide arterial supply from the internal carotid artery to the longitudinal neural artery, the future vertebrobasilar artery in the hindbrain. Four types known are the trigeminal, otic, hypoglossal, and proatlantal intersegmental arteries. The arteries are accompanied by their corresponding nerves and resemble an intersegmental pattern. These vessels exist in the very early period of cerebral arterial development and rapidly involute within a week. Occasionally, persistence of the carotid to vertebrobasilar anastomosis is discovered in the adult period, and is considered as the vestige of the corresponding primitive embryonic vessel. The embryonic development and the segmental property of the primitive carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses are discussed. This is followed by a brief description of the persisting anastomoses in adults.

Impact of Discrete Corrections in a Modular Approach for Trajectory Generation in Quadruped Robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinto, Carla M. A.; Santos, Cristina P.; Rocha, Diana; Matos, Vítor

2011-09-01

Online generation of trajectories in robots is a very complex task that involves the combination of different types of movements, i.e., distinct motor primitives. The later are used to model complex behaviors in robots, such as locomotion in irregular terrain and obstacle avoidance. In this paper, we consider two motor primitives: rhythmic and discrete. We study the effect on the robots' gaits of superimposing the two motor primitives, considering two distinct types of coupling. Additionally, we simulate two scenarios, where the discrete primitive is inserted in all of the four limbs, or is inserted in ipsilateral pairs of limbs. Numerical results show that amplitude and frequency of the periodic solutions, corresponding to the gaits trot and pace, are almost constant for diffusive and synaptic couplings.

Ultraviolet to near-infrared spectroscopy of the potentially hazardous, low delta-V asteroid (175706) 1996 FG3. Backup target of the sample return mission MarcoPolo-R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perna, D.; Dotto, E.; Barucci, M. A.; Fornasier, S.; Alvarez-Candal, A.; Gourgeot, F.; Brucato, J. R.; Rossi, A.

2013-07-01

Context. Primitive near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are important subjects of study for current planetary research. Their investigation can provide crucial information on topics such as the formation of the solar system, the emergence of life, and the mitigation of the risk of asteroid impact. Sample return missions from primitive asteroids have been scheduled or are being studied by space agencies, including the MarcoPolo-R mission selected for the assessment study phase of ESA M3 missions. Aims: We want to improve our knowledge of the surface composition and physical nature of the potentially hazardous, low delta-V asteroid (175706) 1996 FG3, backup target of MarcoPolo-R. This intriguing object shows an as-yet unexplained spectral variability. Methods: We performed spectroscopic observations of 1996 FG3 using the visible spectrograph DOLORES at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), and the UV-to-NIR X-Shooter instrument at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). Results: We find featureless spectra and we classify 1996 FG3 as a primitive Xc-type in the Bus-DeMeo taxonomy. Based on literature comparison, we confirm the spectral variability of this object at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, and find that spectral variations exist also for the visible spectral region. Phase reddening cannot explain such variations. Obtained with the same observational conditions for the whole 0.3-2.2 μm range, our X-Shooter spectrum allowed a proper comparison with the RELAB meteorite database. A very good fit is obtained with the very primitive C2 Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite (pressed powder), confirming 1996 FG3 as a suitable target for a sample return mission from primitive NEAs. Conclusions: We hypothesize a compacted/cemented surface for 1996 FG3, like that observed by the Hayabusa mission on (25143) Itokawa, with the possible presence of regions showing different degrees of surface roughness. This variegation could be related to the binary nature of 1996 FG3, but to check this hypothesis further observations are necessary. Based on observations carried out at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), Chile (programme 088.C-0695), and with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) operated on the island of La Palma by the Fundacion Galileo Galilei of the INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (programme AOT25/TAC13).

Improved full analytical polygon-based method using Fourier analysis of the three-dimensional affine transformation.

PubMed

Pan, Yijie; Wang, Yongtian; Liu, Juan; Li, Xin; Jia, Jia

2014-03-01

Previous research [Appl. Opt.52, A290 (2013)] has revealed that Fourier analysis of three-dimensional affine transformation theory can be used to improve the computation speed of the traditional polygon-based method. In this paper, we continue our research and propose an improved full analytical polygon-based method developed upon this theory. Vertex vectors of primitive and arbitrary triangles and the pseudo-inverse matrix were used to obtain an affine transformation matrix representing the spatial relationship between the two triangles. With this relationship and the primitive spectrum, we analytically obtained the spectrum of the arbitrary triangle. This algorithm discards low-level angular dependent computations. In order to add diffusive reflection to each arbitrary surface, we also propose a whole matrix computation approach that takes advantage of the affine transformation matrix and uses matrix multiplication to calculate shifting parameters of similar sub-polygons. The proposed method improves hologram computation speed for the conventional full analytical approach. Optical experimental results are demonstrated which prove that the proposed method can effectively reconstruct three-dimensional scenes.

Quantifying chain reptation in entangled polymer melts: Topological and dynamical mapping of atomistic simulation results onto the tube model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephanou, Pavlos S.; Baig, Chunggi; Tsolou, Georgia; Mavrantzas, Vlasis G.; Kröger, Martin

2010-03-01

The topological state of entangled polymers has been analyzed recently in terms of primitive paths which allowed obtaining reliable predictions of the static (statistical) properties of the underlying entanglement network for a number of polymer melts. Through a systematic methodology that first maps atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories onto time trajectories of primitive chains and then documents primitive chain motion in terms of a curvilinear diffusion in a tubelike region around the coarse-grained chain contour, we are extending these static approaches here even further by computing the most fundamental function of the reptation theory, namely, the probability ψ(s,t) that a segment s of the primitive chain remains inside the initial tube after time t, accounting directly for contour length fluctuations and constraint release. The effective diameter of the tube is independently evaluated by observing tube constraints either on atomistic displacements or on the displacement of primitive chain segments orthogonal to the initial primitive path. Having computed the tube diameter, the tube itself around each primitive path is constructed by visiting each entanglement strand along the primitive path one after the other and approximating it by the space of a small cylinder having the same axis as the entanglement strand itself and a diameter equal to the estimated effective tube diameter. Reptation of the primitive chain longitudinally inside the effective constraining tube as well as local transverse fluctuations of the chain driven mainly from constraint release and regeneration mechanisms are evident in the simulation results; the latter causes parts of the chains to venture outside their average tube surface for certain periods of time. The computed ψ(s,t) curves account directly for both of these phenomena, as well as for contour length fluctuations, since all of them are automatically captured in the atomistic simulations. Linear viscoelastic properties such as the zero shear rate viscosity and the spectra of storage and loss moduli obtained on the basis of the obtained ψ(s,t) curves for three different polymer melts (polyethylene, cis-1,4-polybutadiene, and trans-1,4-polybutadiene) are consistent with experimental rheological data and in qualitative agreement with the double reptation and dual constraint models. The new methodology is general and can be routinely applied to analyze primitive path dynamics and chain reptation in atomistic trajectories (accumulated through long MD simulations) of other model polymers or polymeric systems (e.g., bidisperse, branched, grafted, etc.); it is thus believed to be particularly useful in the future in evaluating proposed tube models and developing more accurate theories for entangled systems.

Distributed Computation and TENEX-Related Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-01

IPCF) which provides the inter-job communication functions required by MSG. MSG will be modified to use the IPCF primitives when running under TOPS...mmummi iiiwnrnrtnr’in i^WMBi. ■a^j.i.aiAj.k ■*"-’"’’"— •’ ’■■ BBN Report No. 3752 Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc. . . - . *. - primitive (e.g...from a process to MSG when a communication primitive is executed, and from MSG to a process when a pending event (e.g., outstanding receive operation

A comment on methanogenic bacteria and the primitive ecology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woese, C. R.

1977-01-01

As the phenotype of methanogenic bacteria is suggested to have been one of the major factors creating a dynamic balance between CO2 and CH4 in the primitive atmosphere, these organisms are thought to be very ancient. Their antiquity may be further postulated by comparative characterization of their ribosomal RNA. Accepting this antiquity, it is concluded that a carbon-dioxide-methane cycle, driven by photosynthesis, was the major carbon cycle in primitive ecology, and that photosynthesis and methanogens were thus contemporaneous.

Surface Antigens Common to Mouse Cleavage Embryos and Primitive Teratocarcinoma Cells in Culture

PubMed Central

Artzt, Karen; Dubois, Philippe; Bennett, Dorothea; Condamine, Hubert; Babinet, Charles; Jacob, François

1973-01-01

Syngeneic antisera have been produced in mouse strain 129/Sv-CP males against the primitive cells of teratocarcinoma. These sera react specifically with the primitive cells and are negative on various types of differentiated teratoma cells derived from the same original tumor. They are negative on all other mouse cells tested, with the exception of male germ cells and cleavage-stage embryos. Thus, teratoma cells possess cell-surface antigens in common with normal cleavage-stage embryos. Images PMID:4355379

Rhythm Patterns Interaction - Synchronization Behavior for Human-Robot Joint Action

PubMed Central

Mörtl, Alexander; Lorenz, Tamara; Hirche, Sandra

2014-01-01

Interactive behavior among humans is governed by the dynamics of movement synchronization in a variety of repetitive tasks. This requires the interaction partners to perform for example rhythmic limb swinging or even goal-directed arm movements. Inspired by that essential feature of human interaction, we present a novel concept and design methodology to synthesize goal-directed synchronization behavior for robotic agents in repetitive joint action tasks. The agents’ tasks are described by closed movement trajectories and interpreted as limit cycles, for which instantaneous phase variables are derived based on oscillator theory. Events segmenting the trajectories into multiple primitives are introduced as anchoring points for enhanced synchronization modes. Utilizing both continuous phases and discrete events in a unifying view, we design a continuous dynamical process synchronizing the derived modes. Inverse to the derivation of phases, we also address the generation of goal-directed movements from the behavioral dynamics. The developed concept is implemented to an anthropomorphic robot. For evaluation of the concept an experiment is designed and conducted in which the robot performs a prototypical pick-and-place task jointly with human partners. The effectiveness of the designed behavior is successfully evidenced by objective measures of phase and event synchronization. Feedback gathered from the participants of our exploratory study suggests a subjectively pleasant sense of interaction created by the interactive behavior. The results highlight potential applications of the synchronization concept both in motor coordination among robotic agents and in enhanced social interaction between humanoid agents and humans. PMID:24752212

Propagation of eigenmodes and transfer functions in waveguide WDM structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashkov, Vladimir A.; Francoeur, S.; Geuss, U.; Neiser, K.; Temkin, Henryk

1998-02-01

A method of propagation functions and transfer amplitudes suitable for the design of integrated optical circuits is presented. The method is based on vectorial formulation of electrodynamics: the distributions and propagation of electromagnetic fields in optical circuits is described by equivalent surface sources. This approach permits a division of complex optical waveguide structures into sets of primitive blocks and to separately calculate the transfer function and the transfer amplitude for each block. The transfer amplitude of the entire optical system is represented by a convolution of transfer amplitudes of its primitive blocks. The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of arbitrary waveguide structure are obtained in the WKB approximation and compared with other methods. The general approach is illustrated with the transfer amplitude calculations for Dragone's star coupler and router.

Construction of a magnetostrictive hysteresis operator using a tripod-like primitive hopfield neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adly, A. A.; Abd-El-Hafiz, S. K.

2018-05-01

It is well known that accurate modeling of magnetostrictive hysteresis is crucial to different industrial applications. Although several magnetostrictive models have been developed in the past, the accuracy-efficiency balance has always been crucial. Recently, the possibility of constructing a primitive vector hysteresis operator using a tri-node Hopfield Neural Network (HNN) was demonstrated. Based upon the fact that mechanical stress along a certain direction results in dimensional deformation, this paper introduces a novel extension to the aforementioned recently developed approach. More specifically, a stress-driven evolution of a tri-node HNN hysteresis operator pair is proposed, thus yielding a tripod-like HNN pair having different input offset values. Model identification, sample simulation results and comparison with experimental measurements are given in the paper.

Role of Massive Stars in the Evolution of Primitive Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sara

2012-01-01

An important factor controlling galaxy evolution is feedback from massive stars. It is believed that the nature and intensity of stellar feedback changes as a function of galaxy mass and metallicity. At low mass and metallicity, feedback from massive stars is mainly in the form of photoionizing radiation. At higher mass and metallicity, it is in stellar winds. IZw 18 is a local blue, compact dwarf galaxy that meets the requirements for a primitive galaxy: low halo mass greater than 10(exp 9)Msun, strong photoionizing radiation, no galactic outflow, and very low metallicity,log(O/H)+12=7.2. We will describe the properties of massive stars and their role in the evolution of IZw 18, based on analysis of ultraviolet images and spectra obtained with HST.

High grade primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus: A case report.

PubMed

Dizon, A Mitch; Kilgore, Larry C; Grindstaff, Alan; Winkler, Marcus; Kimball, Kristopher J

2014-01-01

•Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus is extremely rare.•Diagnosis requires timely evaluation with molecular analysis.•Different combinations of adjuvant chemotherapy have been reported.

Efficient Agent-Based Models for Non-Genomic Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gupta, Nachi; Agogino, Adrian; Tumer, Kagan

2006-01-01

Modeling dynamical systems composed of aggregations of primitive proteins is critical to the field of astrobiological science involving early evolutionary structures and the origins of life. Unfortunately traditional non-multi-agent methods either require oversimplified models or are slow to converge to adequate solutions. This paper shows how to address these deficiencies by modeling the protein aggregations through a utility based multi-agent system. In this method each agent controls the properties of a set of proteins assigned to that agent. Some of these properties determine the dynamics of the system, such as the ability for some proteins to join or split other proteins, while additional properties determine the aggregation s fitness as a viable primitive cell. We show that over a wide range of starting conditions, there are mechanisins that allow protein aggregations to achieve high values of overall fitness. In addition through the use of agent-specific utilities that remain aligned with the overall global utility, we are able to reach these conclusions with 50 times fewer learning steps.

A recursive vesicle-based model protocell with a primitive model cell cycle

PubMed Central

Kurihara, Kensuke; Okura, Yusaku; Matsuo, Muneyuki; Toyota, Taro; Suzuki, Kentaro; Sugawara, Tadashi

2015-01-01

Self-organized lipid structures (protocells) have been proposed as an intermediate between nonliving material and cellular life. Synthetic production of model protocells can demonstrate the potential processes by which living cells first arose. While we have previously described a giant vesicle (GV)-based model protocell in which amplification of DNA was linked to self-reproduction, the ability of a protocell to recursively self-proliferate for multiple generations has not been demonstrated. Here we show that newborn daughter GVs can be restored to the status of their parental GVs by pH-induced vesicular fusion of daughter GVs with conveyer GVs filled with depleted substrates. We describe a primitive model cell cycle comprising four discrete phases (ingestion, replication, maturity and division), each of which is selectively activated by a specific external stimulus. The production of recursive self-proliferating model protocells represents a step towards eventual production of model protocells that are able to mimic evolution. PMID:26418735

Ontology-Based High-Level Context Inference for Human Behavior Identification

PubMed Central

Villalonga, Claudia; Razzaq, Muhammad Asif; Khan, Wajahat Ali; Pomares, Hector; Rojas, Ignacio; Lee, Sungyoung; Banos, Oresti

2016-01-01

Recent years have witnessed a huge progress in the automatic identification of individual primitives of human behavior, such as activities or locations. However, the complex nature of human behavior demands more abstract contextual information for its analysis. This work presents an ontology-based method that combines low-level primitives of behavior, namely activity, locations and emotions, unprecedented to date, to intelligently derive more meaningful high-level context information. The paper contributes with a new open ontology describing both low-level and high-level context information, as well as their relationships. Furthermore, a framework building on the developed ontology and reasoning models is presented and evaluated. The proposed method proves to be robust while identifying high-level contexts even in the event of erroneously-detected low-level contexts. Despite reasonable inference times being obtained for a relevant set of users and instances, additional work is required to scale to long-term scenarios with a large number of users. PMID:27690050

Using an Analysis of Behavior Change to Inform Effective Digital Intervention Design: How Did the PRIMIT Website Change Hand Hygiene Behavior Across 8993 Users?

PubMed

Ainsworth, B; Steele, M; Stuart, B; Joseph, J; Miller, S; Morrison, L; Little, P; Yardley, L

2017-06-01

In designing digital interventions for healthcare, it is important to understand not just whether interventions work but also how and for whom-including whether individual intervention components have different effects, whether a certain usage threshold is required to change behavior in each intervention and whether usage differs across population subgroups. We investigated these questions using data from a large trial of the digital PRimary care trial of a website based Infection control intervention to Modify Influenza-like illness and respiratory tract infection Transmission) (PRIMIT) intervention, which aimed to reduce respiratory tract infections (RTIs) by increasing hand hygiene behavior. Baseline and follow-up questionnaires measured behaviors, intentions and attitudes in hand hygiene. In conjunction with objective measures of usage of the four PRIMIT sessions, we analysed these observational data to examine mechanisms of behavior change in 8993 intervention users. We found that the PRIMIT intervention changed behavior, intentions and attitudes, and this change was associated with reduced RTIs. The largest hand hygiene change occurred after the first session, with incrementally smaller changes after each subsequent session, suggesting that engagement with the core behavior change techniques included in the first session was necessary and sufficient for behavior change. The intervention was equally effective for men and women, older and younger people and was particularly effective for those with lower levels of education. Our well-powered analysis has implications for intervention development. We were able to determine a 'minimum threshold' of intervention engagement that is required for hand hygiene change, and we discuss the potential implications this (and other analyses of this type) may have for further intervention development. We also discuss the application of similar analyses to other interventions.

Versatility of `hemorheologic fitness' according to exercise intensity: emphasis on the "healthy primitive lifestyle"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brun, Jean-Frédéric; Varlet-Marie, Emmanuelle; Chevance, Guillaume; Pollatz, Marion; Fedou, Christine; de Mauverger, Eric Raynaud

2014-05-01

We recently proposed a unifying hypothesis to reconcile unexpected findings in exercise hemorheology and the classical concepts of "hemorheologic fitness" and the "triphasic effects of exercise", based on the "healthy primitive lifestyle" paradigm. This paradigm assumes that evolution has selected genetic polymorphisms leading to insulin resistance as an adaptative strategy to cope with continuous low intensity physical activity and a special alimentation moderately high in protein, rich in low glycemic index carbohydrates, and poor in saturated fat. According to this protocol the true physiological picture would be that of an individual whose exercise and nutritional habits are close from this lifestyle, both sedentary subjects and trained athletes representing situations on the edge of this model. Unfortunately samples of people truly adhering to this ancestral lifestyle are hard to obtain. In order to address this picture we tried to compare databases obtained with our preceding published studies. As a model of the "healthy primitive lifestyle" we selected patients trained at low intensity (LI) and given an advice of protein intake around 1.2 g/kg/day. Results show a continuum for plasma viscosity which seems to be lower in athletes than LI-trained and even more sedentaries. When sedentary subjects become obese the most obvious characteristic is an increase in red blood cell (RBC) aggregation correlated to the size of fat stores. It is clear that 3 months of LI are not a perfect model of "healthy primitive lifestyle", but these data suggest that the most important effect of LI regular exercise is to decrease plasma viscosity and that sedentarity increases RBC aggregation mostly when it results in increased fat storage.

Curveslam: Utilizing Higher Level Structure In Stereo Vision-Based Navigation

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

consider their applica- tion to SLAM . The work of [31] [32] develops a spline-based SLAM framework, but this is only for application to LIDAR -based SLAM ...Existing approaches to visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping ( SLAM ) typically utilize points as visual feature primitives to represent landmarks...regions of interest. Further, previous SLAM techniques that propose the use of higher level structures often place constraints on the environment, such as

Cognitive object recognition system (CORS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, Chaitanya; Varadarajan, Karthik Mahesh; Krishnamurthi, Niyant; Xu, Shuli; Biederman, Irving; Kelley, Troy

2010-04-01

We have developed a framework, Cognitive Object Recognition System (CORS), inspired by current neurocomputational models and psychophysical research in which multiple recognition algorithms (shape based geometric primitives, 'geons,' and non-geometric feature-based algorithms) are integrated to provide a comprehensive solution to object recognition and landmarking. Objects are defined as a combination of geons, corresponding to their simple parts, and the relations among the parts. However, those objects that are not easily decomposable into geons, such as bushes and trees, are recognized by CORS using "feature-based" algorithms. The unique interaction between these algorithms is a novel approach that combines the effectiveness of both algorithms and takes us closer to a generalized approach to object recognition. CORS allows recognition of objects through a larger range of poses using geometric primitives and performs well under heavy occlusion - about 35% of object surface is sufficient. Furthermore, geon composition of an object allows image understanding and reasoning even with novel objects. With reliable landmarking capability, the system improves vision-based robot navigation in GPS-denied environments. Feasibility of the CORS system was demonstrated with real stereo images captured from a Pioneer robot. The system can currently identify doors, door handles, staircases, trashcans and other relevant landmarks in the indoor environment.

Primitive macrophages control HSPC mobilization and definitive haematopoiesis.

PubMed

Travnickova, Jana; Tran Chau, Vanessa; Julien, Emmanuelle; Mateos-Langerak, Julio; Gonzalez, Catherine; Lelièvre, Etienne; Lutfalla, Georges; Tavian, Manuela; Kissa, Karima

2015-02-17

In vertebrates, haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) first emerge in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) before colonizing transitory and subsequently definitive haematopoietic organs allowing haematopoiesis throughout adult life. Here we identify an unexpected primitive macrophage population accumulated in the dorsal mesenteric mesoderm surrounding the dorsal aorta of the human embryo and study its function in the transparent zebrafish embryo. Our study reveals dynamic interactions occurring between the HSPCs and primitive macrophages in the AGM. Specific chemical and inducible genetic depletion of macrophages or inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (Mmps) leads to an accumulation of HSPCs in the AGM and a decrease in the colonization of haematopoietic organs. Finally, in vivo zymography demonstrates the function of primitive macrophages in extracellular matrix degradation, which allows HSPC migration through the AGM stroma, their intravasation, leading to the colonization of haematopoietic organs and the establishment of definitive haematopoiesis.

Physically Unclonable Cryptographic Primitives by Chemical Vapor Deposition of Layered MoS2.

PubMed

Alharbi, Abdullah; Armstrong, Darren; Alharbi, Somayah; Shahrjerdi, Davood

2017-12-26

Physically unclonable cryptographic primitives are promising for securing the rapidly growing number of electronic devices. Here, we introduce physically unclonable primitives from layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) by leveraging the natural randomness of their island growth during chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We synthesize a MoS 2 monolayer film covered with speckles of multilayer islands, where the growth process is engineered for an optimal speckle density. Using the Clark-Evans test, we confirm that the distribution of islands on the film exhibits complete spatial randomness, hence indicating the growth of multilayer speckles is a spatial Poisson process. Such a property is highly desirable for constructing unpredictable cryptographic primitives. The security primitive is an array of 2048 pixels fabricated from this film. The complex structure of the pixels makes the physical duplication of the array impossible (i.e., physically unclonable). A unique optical response is generated by applying an optical stimulus to the structure. The basis for this unique response is the dependence of the photoemission on the number of MoS 2 layers, which by design is random throughout the film. Using a threshold value for the photoemission, we convert the optical response into binary cryptographic keys. We show that the proper selection of this threshold is crucial for maximizing combination randomness and that the optimal value of the threshold is linked directly to the growth process. This study reveals an opportunity for generating robust and versatile security primitives from layered transition metal dichalcogenides.

Monaural Speech Segregation by Integrating Primitive and Schema-Based Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-03

vol. 19, pp. 475-492. Wang D.L. and Chang P.S. (2008): An oscillatory correlation model of auditory streaming. Cognitive Neurodynamics , vol. 2, pp...Subcontracts DeLiang Wang (Principal Investigator) March 2008 Department of Computer Science & Engineering and Center for Cognitive Science The

A Novel Non-Invasive Selection Criterion for the Preservation of Primitive Dutch Konik Horses

PubMed Central

May-Davis, Sharon; Shorter, Kathleen; Vermeulen, Zefanja; Butler, Raquel; Koekkoek, Marianne

2018-01-01

The Dutch Konik is valued from a genetic conservation perspective and also for its role in preservation of natural landscapes. The primary management objective for the captive breeding of this primitive horse is to maintain its genetic purity, whilst also maintaining the nature reserves on which they graze. Breeding selection has traditionally been based on phenotypic characteristics consistent with the breed description, and the selection of animals for removal from the breeding program is problematic at times due to high uniformity within the breed, particularly in height at the wither, colour (mouse to grey dun) and presence of primitive markings. With the objective of identifying an additional non-invasive selection criterion with potential uniqueness to the Dutch Konik, this study investigates the anatomic parameters of the distal equine limb, with a specific focus on the relative lengths of the individual splint bones. Post-mortem dissections performed on distal limbs of Dutch Konik (n = 47) and modern domesticated horses (n = 120) revealed significant differences in relation to the length and symmetry of the 2nd and 4th Metacarpals and Metatarsals. Distal limb characteristics with apparent uniqueness to the Dutch Konik are described which could be an important tool in the selection and preservation of the breed. PMID:29389896

The atmosphere of the primitive earth and the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, S. L.; Schlesinger, G.

1983-01-01

The prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds is investigated using a spark discharge on various simulated prebiotic atmospheres at 25 C. It is found that glycine is almost the only amino acid produced from the model atmospheres containing CO and CO2. These results show that the maximum yield is about the same for the three carbon sources (CO, CO2, and CH4) at high H2/carbon ratios, but that CH4 is superior at low H2/carbon ratios. CH4 is found to yield a much greater variety of amino acids than either CO or CO2. If it is assumed that amino acids more complex than glycine were required for the origin of life, then these findings indicate the need for CH4 in the primitive atmosphere. The yields of cyanide and formaldehyde are shown to parallel the amino acid results, with yields of HCN and H2CO as high as 13 percent based on carbon. Ammonia is also found to be produced from N2 in experiments with no added NH3 in yields as high as 4.9 percent. These results indicate that large amounts of NH3 would have been synthesized on the primitive earth by electric discharges.

Classical and molecular cytogenetic characterization of Agonostomus monticola, a primitive species of Mugilidae (Mugiliformes).

PubMed

Nirchio, Mauro; Oliveira, Claudio; Ferreira, Irani A; Martins, Cesar; Rossi, Anna Rita; Sola, Luciana

2009-01-01

This study reports the first description of the karyotype of Agonostomus monticola, a species belonging to a genus which is considered to be the most primitive among living mugilid fish. Specimens from Panama and Venezuela were cytogenetically analysed by conventional chromosome banding (Ag and base-specific-fluorochrome staining, C-banding) and by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Agonostomus monticola showed a chromosome complement of 2n = 48, composed of 23 acrocentric and one subtelocentric chromosome pairs and a pericentromeric distribution of the C-positive heterochromatin in all chromosomes. Major ribosomal genes were found to be located on the short arms of the subtelocentric chromosome pair number 24 and minor ribosomal genes in a paracentromeric position of a single medium-sized chromosome pair. All these observed cytogenetic features are similar to those previously described in four representatives of two genera, Liza and Chelon, which are considered to be among the most advanced in the family. Thus, this karyotypic form might represent the plesiomorphic condition for the mullets. This hypothesis regarding the plesiomorphic condition, if confirmed, would shed new light on the previously inferred cytotaxonomic relationships for the studied species of Mugilidae, because the karyotype with 48 acrocentric chromosomes, which has been so far regarded as primitive for the family, would have to be considered as derived.

A Novel Non-Invasive Selection Criterion for the Preservation of Primitive Dutch Konik Horses.

PubMed

May-Davis, Sharon; Brown, Wendy Y; Shorter, Kathleen; Vermeulen, Zefanja; Butler, Raquel; Koekkoek, Marianne

2018-02-01

The Dutch Konik is valued from a genetic conservation perspective and also for its role in preservation of natural landscapes. The primary management objective for the captive breeding of this primitive horse is to maintain its genetic purity, whilst also maintaining the nature reserves on which they graze. Breeding selection has traditionally been based on phenotypic characteristics consistent with the breed description, and the selection of animals for removal from the breeding program is problematic at times due to high uniformity within the breed, particularly in height at the wither, colour (mouse to grey dun) and presence of primitive markings. With the objective of identifying an additional non-invasive selection criterion with potential uniqueness to the Dutch Konik, this study investigates the anatomic parameters of the distal equine limb, with a specific focus on the relative lengths of the individual splint bones. Post-mortem dissections performed on distal limbs of Dutch Konik ( n = 47) and modern domesticated horses ( n = 120) revealed significant differences in relation to the length and symmetry of the 2nd and 4th Metacarpals and Metatarsals. Distal limb characteristics with apparent uniqueness to the Dutch Konik are described which could be an important tool in the selection and preservation of the breed.

Tholeiitic basalt magmatism of Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes of Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murata, K.J.

1970-01-01

The primitive magmas of Kilauca and Mauna Loa are generated by partial melting of mantle peridotite at depths of -60 km or more. Results of high-pressure melting experiments indicate that the primitive melt must contain at least 20% MgO in order to have olivine as a liquidus mineral. The least fractionated lavas of both volcanoes have olivine (Fa13) on the liquidus at 1 atmosphere, suggesting that the only substance lost from the primitive melt, during a rather rapid ascent to the surface, is olivine. This relation allows the primitive composition to be computed by adding olivine to the composition of an erupted lava until total MgO is at least 20 percent. Although roughly similar, historic lavas of the two volcanoes show a consistent difference in composition. The primitive melt of Mauna Loa contains 20% more dissolved orthopyroxene, a high-temperature melting phase in the mantle, and is deficient in elements such as potassium, uranium, and niobium, which presumably occur in minor low-melting phases. Mauna Loa appears to be the older volcano, deriving its magma at higher temperature and greater depth from a more depleted source rock. ?? 1970 Springer-Verlag.

Compositional study of asteroids in the Erigone collisional family using visible spectroscopy at the 10.4 m GTC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morate, David; de León, Julia; De Prá, Mário; Licandro, Javier; Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio; Campins, Humberto; Pinilla-Alonso, Noemí; Alí-Lagoa, Víctor

2016-02-01

Two primitive near-Earth asteroids, (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu, will be visited by a spacecraft with the aim of returning samples back to Earth. Since these objects are believed to originate in the inner main belt primitive collisional families (Erigone, Polana, Clarissa, and Sulamitis) or in the background of asteroids outside these families, the characterization of these primitive populations will enhance the scientific return of the missions. The main goal of this work is to shed light on the composition of the Erigone collisional family by means of visible spectroscopy. Asteroid (163) Erigone has been classified as a primitive object, and we expect the members of this family to be consistent with the spectral type of the parent body. We have obtained visible spectra (0.5-0.9 μm) for 101 members of the Erigone family, using the OSIRIS instrument at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias. We found that 87% of the objects have typically primitive visible spectra consistent with that of (163) Erigone. In addition, we found that a significant fraction of these objects (~50%) present evidence of aqueous alteration.

Capture, Learning, and Classification of Upper Extremity Movement Primitives in Healthy Controls and Stroke Patients

PubMed Central

Guerra, Jorge; Uddin, Jasim; Nilsen, Dawn; Mclnerney, James; Fadoo, Ammarah; Omofuma, Isirame B.; Hughes, Shatif; Agrawal, Sunil; Allen, Peter; Schambra, Heidi M.

2017-01-01

There currently exist no practical tools to identify functional movements in the upper extremities (UEs). This absence has limited the precise therapeutic dosing of patients recovering from stroke. In this proof-of-principle study, we aimed to develop an accurate approach for classifying UE functional movement primitives, which comprise functional movements. Data were generated from inertial measurement units (IMUs) placed on upper body segments of older healthy individuals and chronic stroke patients. Subjects performed activities commonly trained during rehabilitation after stroke. Data processing involved the use of a sliding window to obtain statistical descriptors, and resulting features were processed by a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). The likelihoods of the states, resulting from the HMM, were segmented by a second sliding window and their averages were calculated. The final predictions were mapped to human functional movement primitives using a Logistic Regression algorithm. Algorithm performance was assessed with a leave-one-out analysis, which determined its sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for all classified primitives. In healthy control and stroke participants, our approach identified functional movement primitives embedded in training activities with, on average, 80% precision. This approach may support functional movement dosing in stroke rehabilitation. PMID:28813877

Modern turtle origins: the oldest known cryptodire.

PubMed

Gaffney, E S; Hutchison, J H; Jenkins, F A; Meeker, L J

1987-07-17

The discovery of a turtle in the Early Jurassic(185 million years before present) Kayenta Formation of northeastern Arizona provides significant evidence about the origin of modern turtles. This new taxon possesses many of the primitive features expected in the hypothetical common ancestor of pleurodires and cryptodires, the two groups of modern turtles. It is identified as the oldest known cryptodire because of the presence of a distinctive cryptodiran jaw mechanism consisting of a trochlea over the otic chamber that redirects the line of action of the adductor muscle. Aquatic habits appear to have developed very early in turtle evolution. Kayentachelys extends the known record of cryptodires back at least 45 million years and documents a very early stage in the evolution of modern turtles.

Therapeutic Trial for Patients With Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumor and Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-09-18

Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor; Ewing Sarcoma of Bone or Soft Tissue; Localized Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor

On the Primitive Ideal spaces of the C(*) -algebras of graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bates, Teresa

2005-11-01

We characterise the topological spaces which arise as the primitive ideal spaces of the Cuntz-Krieger algebras of graphs satisfying condition (K): directed graphs in which every vertex lying on a loop lies on at least two loops. We deduce that the spaces which arise as Prim;C(*(E)) are precisely the spaces which arise as the primitive ideal spaces of AF-algebras. Finally, we construct a graph wt{E} from E such that C(*(wt{E})) is an AF-algebra and Prim;C(*(E)) and Prim;C(*(wt{E})) are homeomorphic.

Chemical evolution of primitive solar system bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oro, J.; Mills, T.

1989-01-01

Observations on organic molecules and compounds containing biogenic elements in the interstellar medium and in the primitive bodies of the solar system are reviewed. The discovery of phosphorus molecular species in dense interstellar clouds, the existence of organic ions in the dust and gas phase of the comas of Comet Halley, and the presence of presolar, deuterium-hydrogen ratios in the amino acids of carbonaceous chondrites are discussed. The relationships between comets, dark asteroids, and carbonaceous chondrites are examined. Also, consideration is given to the chemical evolution of Titan, the primitive earth, and early Mars.

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF VISUAL SYSTEMS IN THE SEA LAMPREY

PubMed Central

Wald, George

1957-01-01

The life cycle of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, includes two metamorphoses. At the end of a period spent as a blind larva, buried in the mud of streams, a first metamorphosis prepares it to migrate downstream to the sea or a lake for its growth phase. Then, following a second metamorphosis, it migrates upstream as a sexually mature adult to spawn and die. The downstream migrants have a visual system based upon rhodopsin and vitamin A1, whereas that of the upstream migrants is based upon porphyropsin and vitamin A2. The livers contain vitamin A1 at all stages. The sea lamprey therefore exhibits a metamorphosis of visual systems, like those observed earlier among amphibia. The presence of porphyropsin in this member of the most primitive living group of vertebrates, as in fishes and amphibia, supports the notion that porphyropsin may have been the primitive vertebrate visual pigment. Its association with fresh water existence throughout this range of organisms also is consistent with the view that the vertebrate stock originated in fresh water. The observation that in the life cycle of the lamprey rhodopsin precedes porphyropsin is not at variance with the idea that porphyropsin is the more primitive pigment, since this change is part of the second metamorphosis, marking the return to the original environment. The observation that in lampreys, fishes, and amphibia, porphyropsin maintains the same general association with fresh water, and rhodopsin with marine and terrestrial habit, suggests that a single genetic mechanism may govern this association throughout this wide span of organisms. PMID:13439167

Formal Verification of Digital Logic

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

INVERT circuit was based upon VHDL code provided in the Zycad Reference Manual [32:Ch 10,73]. The other circuits were based upon VHtDL code written...HALFADD.PL /* This file implements a simple half-adder that * /* is built from inverters and 2 input nand gates. * /* It is based upon a Zycad VHDL file...It is based upon a Zycad VHDL file written by * /* Capt Dave Banton, which is attached below the * /* Prolog code . *load..in(primitive). %h get nor2

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - Primitive pigment systems in the prebiotic environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deamer, D. W.

1992-01-01

The chemical evolution of meteoritic organics in the primitive earth is examined experimentally with attention given to the photochemical effects of hydrocarbon/water mixtures. Also addressed are the generation of amphiphilic products by photochemical reactions and the transduction of light energy into potentially useful forms. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) absorb light and exist in carbonaceous chondrites; PAHs are therefore examined as primitive pigments by means of salt solutions with pyrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene derivatives with hexadecane. The hexadecane undergoes photochemical oxidation and yields long-chain amphiphiles with oxygen supplied by water, and acid pH shifts also occur. PAHs are also tested in lipid bilayer membranes to examine light-energy transduction. Protons are found to accumulate within the membrane-bounded volume to form proton gradients, and this reaction is theorized to be a good model of primitive photochemical reactions that related to the transduction of light energy into useable forms.

Clay minerals in primitive meteorites and interplanetary dust 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, M. E.; Keller, L. P.

1991-01-01

Many meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) with primitive compositions contain significant amounts of phyllosilicate minerals, which are generally interpreted as evidence of protoplanetary aqueous alteration at an early period of the solar system. These meteorites are chondrites (near solar composition) of the carbonaceous and ordinary varieties. The former are subdivided (according to bulk composition and petrology) into CI, CM, CV, CO, CR, and ungrouped classes. IDPs are extraterrestrial particulates, collected in stratosphere, which have chemical compositions indicative of a primitive origin; they are typically distinct from the primitive meteorites. Characterization of phyllosilicates in these materials is a high priority because of the important physico-chemical information they hold. The most common phyllosilicates present in chondritic extraterrestrial materials are serpentine-group minerals, smectites, and micas. We discuss these phyllosilicates and describe the interpretation of their occurrence in meteorites and IDPs and what this indicates about history of their parent bodies, which are probably the hydrous asteroids.

78 FR 72605 - Special Regulations, Areas of the National Park System, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-03

... LAMR. LAMR provides some land-based recreational opportunities, such as hiking, horseback riding.... The multi-use trail will also provide additional hiking opportunities on the trail, and primitive... found in the report entitled ``Cost- Benefit and Regulatory Flexibility Analyses: Proposed Regulations...

Fragmentation of Thin Wires under High Voltage Pulses and Bipolar Fusion

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

Papageorgiou, C. D.; Raptis, T. E.

2010-01-21

In this article we present an alternative explanation of the phenomenon of wire fragmentation under high transient currents based on classical electromagnetism. We also explain how this phenomenon can be utilized as a primitive example of low energy-high power disruptive phenomena that can affect even nuclear matter.

Is alkaline phosphatase the smoking gun for highly refractory primitive leukemic cells?

PubMed Central

Rico, Laura G.; Juncà, Jordi; Ward, Mike D.; Bradford, Jolene; Petriz, Jordi

2016-01-01

With the aim to detect candidate malignant primitive progenitor populations, we modified an original alkaline phosphatase (ALP) stem cell detection method based on the identification of alkaline phosphatase fluorescent cells in combination with flow cytometry immunophenotyping. Over a period of one year, we have been using this technique to study its activity in patients with leukemia and lymphoma, showing that changes in the alkaline phosphatase levels can be used to detect rare populations of highly refractory malignant cells. By screening different blood cancers, we have observed that this activity is not always restricted to CD34+ leukemic cells, and can be overexpressed in CD34 negative leukemia. We have verified that this method gives accurate and reproducible measurements and our preliminary results suggest that CD34+/ALPhigh cells appear to sustain leukemogenesis over time. PMID:27732563

Electric Double-Layer Structure in Primitive Model Electrolytes. Comparing Molecular Dynamics with Local-Density Approximations

DOE PAGES

Giera, Brian; Lawrence Livermore National Lab.; Henson, Neil; ...

2015-02-27

We evaluate the accuracy of local-density approximations (LDAs) using explicit molecular dynamics simulations of binary electrolytes comprised of equisized ions in an implicit solvent. The Bikerman LDA, which considers ions to occupy a lattice, poorly captures excluded volume interactions between primitive model ions. Instead, LDAs based on the Carnahan–Starling (CS) hard-sphere equation of state capture simulated values of ideal and excess chemical potential profiles extremely well, as is the relationship between surface charge density and electrostatic potential. Excellent agreement between the EDL capacitances predicted by CS-LDAs and computed in molecular simulations is found even in systems where ion correlations drivemore » strong density and free charge oscillations within the EDL, despite the inability of LDAs to capture the oscillations in the detailed EDL profiles.« less

How early ferns became trees.

PubMed

Galtier, J; Hueber, F M

2001-09-22

A new anatomically preserved fern, discovered from the basalmost Carboniferous of Australia, shows a unique combination of very primitive anatomical characters (solid centrarch cauline protostele) with the elaboration of an original model of the arborescent habit. This plant possessed a false trunk composed of a repetitive branching system of very small stems, which established it as the oldest tree-fern known to date. The potential of this primitive zygopterid fern to produce such an unusual growth form-without real equivalent among living plants-is related to the possession of two kinds of roots that have complementary functional roles: (i) large roots produced by stems with immediate positive geotropism, strongly adapted to mechanical support and water uptake from the soil; and (ii) small roots borne either on large roots or on petiole bases for absorbing humidity inside the false trunk.

Possible origins of consciousness in simple control over "involuntary" neuroimmunological action.

PubMed

Clark, Kevin B

2018-05-01

The origin(s) and purpose(s) of consciousness continue to be fervently debated by neuroscientists. A recent unconventional hypothesis put forth by Morsella et al. suggests the primary function of consciousness is the integration, selection, and execution of advantageous lower-level voluntary skeletal muscle behavior on surrounding external environments. However, at main issue is whether more precise, adaptable voluntary skeletal motor action, and therefore the corresponding workings of consciousness, first emerged and evolved in animals to exert control over external environments or internal ones regulated by less flexible autonomic function. Using the example of voluntary immunomodulation, one can identify the strengths and weaknesses of either rationale. For instance, highly trained meditative techniques for immunomodulation more-or-less conform to Morsella et al.'s assumptions on higher-level indirect conscious control of autonomic function. Whereas, untrained skeletal motor resolution of infection-related approach-avoidance conflicts support conclusions contrary to those of Morsella et al. In such cases, primitive voluntary changes in host respiration rate and volume may selectively facilitate/inhibit acute autonomic psychophysiological stress responses to pathogen insult. This and other types of scenarios predictably give evolutionary and ecological rise to self-awareness of (visceral) internal states as well as to voluntary regulation of internal state action conflicts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A morphological analysis of the transition between the embryonic primitive intestine and yolk sac in bovine embryos and fetuses.

PubMed

Mançanares, Celina A F; Leiser, Rudolf; Favaron, Phelipe O; Carvalho, Ana F; Oliveira, Vanessa C De; Santos, José M Dos; Ambrósio, Carlos E; Miglino, Maria A

2013-07-01

The yolk sac (YS) is the main source of embryonic nutrition during the period when the placenta has not yet formed. It is also responsible for hematopoiesis because the blood cells develop from it as part of the primitive embryonic circulation. The objective of this study was to characterize the transitional area between the YS and primitive gut using the techniques of light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry to detect populations of pluripotent cells by labeling with Oct4 antibody. In all investigated embryos, serial sections were made to permit the identification of this small, restricted area. We identified the YS connection with the primitive intestine and found that it is composed of many blood islands, which correspond to the vessels covered by vitelline and mesenchymal cells. We identified large numbers of hemangioblasts inside the vessels. The mesenchymal layer was thin and composed of elongated cells, and the vitelline endodermal membrane was composed of large, mono- or binucleated cells. The epithelium of the primitive intestine comprised stratified columnar cells and undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. The transitional area between the YS and the primitive intestine was very thin and composed of cells with irregular shapes, which formed a delicate lumen containing hemangioblasts. In the mesenchyme of the transitional area, there were a considerable number of small vessels containing hemangioblasts. Using Oct4 as a primary antibody, we identified positive cells in the metanephros, primordial gonad, and hepatic parenchyma as well as in YS cells, suggesting that these regions contain populations of pluripotent cells. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Correct Patterning of the Primitive Streak Requires the Anterior Visceral Endoderm

PubMed Central

Stuckey, Daniel W.; Di Gregorio, Aida; Clements, Melanie; Rodriguez, Tristan A.

2011-01-01

Anterior-posterior axis specification in the mouse requires signalling from a specialised extra-embryonic tissue called the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE). AVE precursors are induced at the distal tip of the embryo and move to the prospective anterior. Embryological and genetic analysis has demonstrated that the AVE is required for anterior patterning and for correctly positioning the site of primitive streak formation by inhibiting Nodal activity. We have carried out a genetic ablation of the Hex-expressing cells of the AVE (Hex-AVE) by knocking the Diphtheria toxin subunit A into the Hex locus in an inducible manner. Using this model we have identified that, in addition to its requirement in the anterior of the embryo, the Hex-AVE sub-population has a novel role between 5.5 and 6.5dpc in patterning the primitive streak. Embryos lacking the Hex-AVE display delayed initiation of primitive streak formation and miss-patterning of the anterior primitive streak. We demonstrate that in the absence of the Hex-AVE the restriction of Bmp2 expression to the proximal visceral endoderm is also defective and expression of Wnt3 and Nodal is not correctly restricted to the posterior epiblast. These results, coupled with the observation that reducing Nodal signalling in Hex-AVE ablated embryos increases the frequency of phenotypes observed, suggests that these primitive streak patterning defects are due to defective Nodal signalling. Together, our experiments demonstrate that the AVE is not only required for anterior patterning, but also that specific sub-populations of this tissue are required to pattern the posterior of the embryo. PMID:21445260

Evolution of Computational Toxicology-from Primitive ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation at the Health Canada seminar in Ottawa, ON, Canada on Nov. 15. 2016 Presentation at the Health Canada seminar in Ottawa, ON, Canada on Nov. 15. 2016 on the Evolution of Computational Toxicology-from Primitive Beginnings to Sophisticated Application

Low-Resolution Spectroscopy of Primitive Asteroids: Progress Report for SARA/VSU Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leake, M. A.; Nogues, J. P.; Gaines, J. K.; Looper, J. K.; Freitas, K. A.

2001-01-01

Progress on a low-resolution survey of primitive C-class asteroids continues using new equipment (and its associated problems) to understand aqueous alteration in the solar system. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Design of Quasi-Terminator Orbits near Primitive Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lantoine, Gregory; Broschart, Stephen B.; Grebow, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

Quasi-terminator orbits are a class of quasi-periodic orbits around a primitive body that exist in the vicinity of the well-known terminator orbits. The inherent stability of quasi-terminator trajectories and their wide variety of viewing geometries make them a very compelling option for primitive body mapping missions. In this paper, we discuss orbit design methodologies for selection of an appropriate quasi-terminator orbit that would meet the needs of a specific mission. Convergence of these orbits in an eccentric, higher-fidelity model is also discussed with an example case at Bennu, the target of the upcoming NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission.

KSOS Computer Program Development Specifications (Type B-5). (Kernelized Secure Operating System). I. Security Kernel (CDRL 0002AF). II. UNIX Emulator (CDRL 0002AG). III. Security-Related Software (CDRL 0002AH).

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

Commun- ications Corporation, Palo Alto, CA (March 1978). g. [Walter at al. 74] Walter, K.G. et al., " Primitive Models for Computer .. Security", ESD-TR...discussion is followed by a presenta- tion of the Kernel primitive operations upon these objects. All Kernel objects shall be referenced by a common...set of sizes. All process segments, regardless of domain, shall be manipulated by the same set of Kernel segment primitives . User domain segments

SMP: A solid modeling program version 2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Randall, D. P.; Jones, K. H.; Vonofenheim, W. H.; Gates, R. L.; Matthews, C. G.

1986-01-01

The Solid Modeling Program (SMP) provides the capability to model complex solid objects through the composition of primitive geometric entities. In addition to the construction of solid models, SMP has extensive facilities for model editing, display, and analysis. The geometric model produced by the software system can be output in a format compatible with existing analysis programs such as PATRAN-G. The present version of the SMP software supports six primitives: boxes, cones, spheres, paraboloids, tori, and trusses. The details for creating each of the major primitive types is presented. The analysis capabilities of SMP, including interfaces to existing analysis programs, are discussed.

Utilizing semantic networks to database and retrieve generalized stochastic colored Petri nets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farah, Jeffrey J.; Kelley, Robert B.

1992-01-01

Previous work has introduced the Planning Coordinator (PCOORD), a coordinator functioning within the hierarchy of the Intelligent Machine Mode. Within the structure of the Planning Coordinator resides the Primitive Structure Database (PSDB) functioning to provide the primitive structures utilized by the Planning Coordinator in the establishing of error recovery or on-line path plans. This report further explores the Primitive Structure Database and establishes the potential of utilizing semantic networks as a means of efficiently storing and retrieving the Generalized Stochastic Colored Petri Nets from which the error recovery plans are derived.

AGUA TIBIA PRIMITIVE AREA, CALIFORNIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irwin, William P.; Thurber, Horace K.

1984-01-01

The Agua Tibia Primitive Area in southwestern California is underlain by igneous and metamorphic rocks that are siilar to those widely exposed throughout much of the Peninsular Ranges. To detect the presence of any concealed mineral deposits, samples of stream sediments were collected along the various creeks that head in the mountain. As an additional aid in evaluating the mineral potential, an aeromagnetic survey was made and interpreted. A search for records of past or existing mining claims within the primitive area was made but none was found. Evidence of deposits of metallic or nonmetallic minerals was not seen during the study.

Daily life activity routine discovery in hemiparetic rehabilitation patients using topic models.

PubMed

Seiter, J; Derungs, A; Schuster-Amft, C; Amft, O; Tröster, G

2015-01-01

Monitoring natural behavior and activity routines of hemiparetic rehabilitation patients across the day can provide valuable progress information for therapists and patients and contribute to an optimized rehabilitation process. In particular, continuous patient monitoring could add type, frequency and duration of daily life activity routines and hence complement standard clinical scores that are assessed for particular tasks only. Machine learning methods have been applied to infer activity routines from sensor data. However, supervised methods require activity annotations to build recognition models and thus require extensive patient supervision. Discovery methods, including topic models could provide patient routine information and deal with variability in activity and movement performance across patients. Topic models have been used to discover characteristic activity routine patterns of healthy individuals using activity primitives recognized from supervised sensor data. Yet, the applicability of topic models for hemiparetic rehabilitation patients and techniques to derive activity primitives without supervision needs to be addressed. We investigate, 1) whether a topic model-based activity routine discovery framework can infer activity routines of rehabilitation patients from wearable motion sensor data. 2) We compare the performance of our topic model-based activity routine discovery using rule-based and clustering-based activity vocabulary. We analyze the activity routine discovery in a dataset recorded with 11 hemiparetic rehabilitation patients during up to ten full recording days per individual in an ambulatory daycare rehabilitation center using wearable motion sensors attached to both wrists and the non-affected thigh. We introduce and compare rule-based and clustering-based activity vocabulary to process statistical and frequency acceleration features to activity words. Activity words were used for activity routine pattern discovery using topic models based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Discovered activity routine patterns were then mapped to six categorized activity routines. Using the rule-based approach, activity routines could be discovered with an average accuracy of 76% across all patients. The rule-based approach outperformed clustering by 10% and showed less confusions for predicted activity routines. Topic models are suitable to discover daily life activity routines in hemiparetic rehabilitation patients without trained classifiers and activity annotations. Activity routines show characteristic patterns regarding activity primitives including body and extremity postures and movement. A patient-independent rule set can be derived. Including expert knowledge supports successful activity routine discovery over completely data-driven clustering.

A direct Primitive Variable Recovery Scheme for hyperbolic conservative equations: The case of relativistic hydrodynamics.

PubMed

Aguayo-Ortiz, A; Mendoza, S; Olvera, D

2018-01-01

In this article we develop a Primitive Variable Recovery Scheme (PVRS) to solve any system of coupled differential conservative equations. This method obtains directly the primitive variables applying the chain rule to the time term of the conservative equations. With this, a traditional finite volume method for the flux is applied in order avoid violation of both, the entropy and "Rankine-Hugoniot" jump conditions. The time evolution is then computed using a forward finite difference scheme. This numerical technique evades the recovery of the primitive vector by solving an algebraic system of equations as it is often used and so, it generalises standard techniques to solve these kind of coupled systems. The article is presented bearing in mind special relativistic hydrodynamic numerical schemes with an added pedagogical view in the appendix section in order to easily comprehend the PVRS. We present the convergence of the method for standard shock-tube problems of special relativistic hydrodynamics and a graphical visualisation of the errors using the fluctuations of the numerical values with respect to exact analytic solutions. The PVRS circumvents the sometimes arduous computation that arises from standard numerical methods techniques, which obtain the desired primitive vector solution through an algebraic polynomial of the charges.

A direct Primitive Variable Recovery Scheme for hyperbolic conservative equations: The case of relativistic hydrodynamics

PubMed Central

Mendoza, S.; Olvera, D.

2018-01-01

In this article we develop a Primitive Variable Recovery Scheme (PVRS) to solve any system of coupled differential conservative equations. This method obtains directly the primitive variables applying the chain rule to the time term of the conservative equations. With this, a traditional finite volume method for the flux is applied in order avoid violation of both, the entropy and “Rankine-Hugoniot” jump conditions. The time evolution is then computed using a forward finite difference scheme. This numerical technique evades the recovery of the primitive vector by solving an algebraic system of equations as it is often used and so, it generalises standard techniques to solve these kind of coupled systems. The article is presented bearing in mind special relativistic hydrodynamic numerical schemes with an added pedagogical view in the appendix section in order to easily comprehend the PVRS. We present the convergence of the method for standard shock-tube problems of special relativistic hydrodynamics and a graphical visualisation of the errors using the fluctuations of the numerical values with respect to exact analytic solutions. The PVRS circumvents the sometimes arduous computation that arises from standard numerical methods techniques, which obtain the desired primitive vector solution through an algebraic polynomial of the charges. PMID:29659602

Primitive magmas at five Cascade volcanic fields: Melts from hot, heterogeneous sub-arc mantle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, C.R.; Bruggman, P.E.; Christiansen, R.L.; Clynne, M.A.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Hildreth, W.

1997-01-01

Major and trace element concentrations, including REE by isotope dilution, and Sr, Nd, Pb, and O isotope ratios have been determined for 38 mafic lavas from the Mount Adams, Crater Lake, Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake, and Lassen volcanic fields, in the Cascade arc, northwestern part of the United States. Many of the samples have a high Mg# [100Mg/(Mg + FeT) > 60] and Ni content (>140 ppm) such that we consider them to be primitive. We recognize three end-member primitive magma groups in the Cascades, characterized mainly by their trace-element and alkali-metal abundances: (1) High-alumina olivine tholeiite (HAOT) has trace element abundances similar to N-MORB, except for slightly elevated LILE, and has Eu/Eu* > 1. (2) Arc basalt and basaltic andesite have notably higher LILE contents, generally have higher SiO2 contents, are more oxidized, and have higher Cr for a given Ni abundance than HAOT. These lavas show relative depletion in HFSE, have lower HREE and higher LREE than HAOT, and have smaller Eu/Eu* (0.94-1.06). (3) Alkali basalt from the Simcoe volcanic field east of Mount Adams represents the third end-member, which contributes an intraplate geochemical signature to magma compositions. Notable geochemical features among the volcanic fields are: (1) Mount Adams rocks are richest in Fe and most incompatible elements including HFSE; (2) the most incompatible-element depleted lavas occur at Medicine Lake; (3) all centers have relatively primitive lavas with high LILE/HFSE ratios but only the Mount Adams, Lassen, and Medicine Lake volcanic fields also have relatively primitive rocks with an intraplate geochemical signature; (4) there is a tendency for increasing 87Sr/86Sr, 207Pb/204Pb, and ??18O and decreasing 206Pb/204Pb and 143Nd/144Nd from north to south. The three end-member Cascade magma types reflect contributions from three mantle components: depleted sub-arc mantle modestly enriched in LILE during ancient subduction; a modern, hydrous subduction component; and OIB-source-like domains. Lavas with arc and intraplate (OIB) geochemical signatures were erupted close to HAOT, and many lavas are blends of two or more magma types. Pre-eruptive H2O contents of HAOT, coupled with phase-equilibrium studies, suggest that these magmas were relatively dry and last equilibrated in the mantle wedge at temperatures of ???1300??C and depths of ???40 km, virtually at the base of the crust. Arc basalt and basaltic andesite represent greater extents of melting than HAOT, presumably in the same general thermal regime but at somewhat lower mantle separation temperatures, of domains of sub-arc mantle that have been enriched by a hydrous subduction component derived from the young, relatively hot Juan de Fuca plate. The primitive magmas originated by partial melting in response to adiabatic upwelling within the mantle wedge. Tectonic extension in this part of the Cascade arc, one characterized by slow oblique convergence, contributes to mantle upwelling and facilitates eruption of primitive magmas.

Dynamics of vascular branching morphogenesis: The effect of blood and tissue flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Thi-Hanh; Eichmann, Anne; Le Noble, Ferdinand; Fleury, Vincent

2006-06-01

Vascularization of embryonic organs or tumors starts from a primitive lattice of capillaries. Upon perfusion, this lattice is remodeled into branched arteries and veins. Adaptation to mechanical forces is implied to play a major role in arterial patterning. However, numerical simulations of vessel adaptation to haemodynamics has so far failed to predict any realistic vascular pattern. We present in this article a theoretical modeling of vascular development in the yolk sac based on three features of vascular morphogenesis: the disconnection of side branches from main branches, the reconnection of dangling sprouts (“dead ends”), and the plastic extension of interstitial tissue, which we have observed in vascular morphogenesis. We show that the effect of Poiseuille flow in the vessels can be modeled by aggregation of random walkers. Solid tissue expansion can be modeled by a Poiseuille (parabolic) deformation, hence by deformation under hits of random walkers. Incorporation of these features, which are of a mechanical nature, leads to realistic modeling of vessels, with important biological consequences. The model also predicts the outcome of simple mechanical actions, such as clamping of vessels or deformation of tissue by the presence of obstacles. This study offers an explanation for flow-driven control of vascular branching morphogenesis.

Heuristics for Cooperative Problem Solving

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

briefly, cooperation is a very common problem-solving technique in natural systems and occurs in a wide variety of animals ranging from termites and...primitive way with pheromones but sometimes more directly. As with social spiders, they show relatively primitive coordination of behavior. In spite

Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Ganitumab in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2018-06-28

Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma; Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Bone; Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Bone Marrow; Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Lung; Metastatic Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of Bone; Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of Soft Tissues

Cytological characteristics and classification of spindle inhibitors according to their effects on segmentation mitoses.

PubMed

Sentein, P; Ates, Y

1978-01-01

The effects of spindle inhibitors and of protein synthesis inhibitors on segmentation mitoses allow us to classify them into six groups : 1. Colchicine type : destruction of the whole achromatic apparatus and centrospheres without storing of dense bodies; 2. Quinoline type : same effect on the achromatic apparatus, but blocked centrospheres with accumulation of dense bodies; 3. Chloralhydrate type : Incomplete destruction of achromatic apparatus, spindle residue which maintains the chromosomes in a star shape, inactive centrospheres sequestered by the reticulum, but without accumulation of dense bodies; 4. Phenylurethane type : Incomplete and reversible action, which leads to easy production of pluripolar mitoses; 5. Carboxylic acid type : dissociation of the spindle, sometimes with blocking of the centrosphere, together with profound chromosome changes without primitive breaks; the intensity and quality of their action is related to the number of carbon atoms in the acid considered; 6. Protein synthesis inhibitor type : (cycloheximide, pederin) characterized by a stop of the nuclear cycle at telo-prophase when the action is sufficient, chromosome abnormalities, sometimes, reduced to strings of beads, and freeing of asters; at weaker concentrations mitosis is possible, but the congression of chromosomes at the equator is abnormal because of functional disturbance of the kinetochores. The nature and grading of these effects, their association (or non - association) to chromosome damage, the soundness of the spindle when only the chromosomes are affected (nitrogen mustard) make this one of the tests which gives the most specific data about the action of antimitotic substances.

Temporal Subtraction of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Images for Improved Mass Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

imaging using two distinct methods7-15: mathematically based models defined by geometric primitives and voxelized models derived from real human...trees to complete them. We also plan to add further detail by defining the Cooper’s ligaments using geometrical NURBS surfaces. Realistic...generated model for the coronary arterial tree based on multislice CT and morphometric data," Medical Imaging 2006: Physics of Medical Imaging 6142

A novel approach to locomotion learning: Actor-Critic architecture using central pattern generators and dynamic motor primitives.

PubMed

Li, Cai; Lowe, Robert; Ziemke, Tom

2014-01-01

In this article, we propose an architecture of a bio-inspired controller that addresses the problem of learning different locomotion gaits for different robot morphologies. The modeling objective is split into two: baseline motion modeling and dynamics adaptation. Baseline motion modeling aims to achieve fundamental functions of a certain type of locomotion and dynamics adaptation provides a "reshaping" function for adapting the baseline motion to desired motion. Based on this assumption, a three-layer architecture is developed using central pattern generators (CPGs, a bio-inspired locomotor center for the baseline motion) and dynamic motor primitives (DMPs, a model with universal "reshaping" functions). In this article, we use this architecture with the actor-critic algorithms for finding a good "reshaping" function. In order to demonstrate the learning power of the actor-critic based architecture, we tested it on two experiments: (1) learning to crawl on a humanoid and, (2) learning to gallop on a puppy robot. Two types of actor-critic algorithms (policy search and policy gradient) are compared in order to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different actor-critic based learning algorithms for different morphologies. Finally, based on the analysis of the experimental results, a generic view/architecture for locomotion learning is discussed in the conclusion.

A novel approach to locomotion learning: Actor-Critic architecture using central pattern generators and dynamic motor primitives

PubMed Central

Li, Cai; Lowe, Robert; Ziemke, Tom

2014-01-01

In this article, we propose an architecture of a bio-inspired controller that addresses the problem of learning different locomotion gaits for different robot morphologies. The modeling objective is split into two: baseline motion modeling and dynamics adaptation. Baseline motion modeling aims to achieve fundamental functions of a certain type of locomotion and dynamics adaptation provides a “reshaping” function for adapting the baseline motion to desired motion. Based on this assumption, a three-layer architecture is developed using central pattern generators (CPGs, a bio-inspired locomotor center for the baseline motion) and dynamic motor primitives (DMPs, a model with universal “reshaping” functions). In this article, we use this architecture with the actor-critic algorithms for finding a good “reshaping” function. In order to demonstrate the learning power of the actor-critic based architecture, we tested it on two experiments: (1) learning to crawl on a humanoid and, (2) learning to gallop on a puppy robot. Two types of actor-critic algorithms (policy search and policy gradient) are compared in order to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different actor-critic based learning algorithms for different morphologies. Finally, based on the analysis of the experimental results, a generic view/architecture for locomotion learning is discussed in the conclusion. PMID:25324773

Petrogenesis of the Late Triassic diorites in the Hoh Xil area, northern Tibet: Insights into the origin of the high-Mg# andesitic signature of continental crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Gou, Guo-Ning; Wang, Qiang; Zhang, Chunfu; Dan, Wei; Wyman, Derek A.; Zhang, Xiu-Zheng

2018-02-01

An integrated petrologic, geochronologic, major and trace element geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic study of Late Triassic ( 215 Ma) diorites from the Hoh Xil area, northern Tibet, provides new constraints on the genesis of intermediate magmas and insights into the origin of the high-Mg# andesitic signature of continental crust. These dioritic rocks are characterized by high MgO contents (3.3-5.0 wt%) and Mg# values (50-57) comparable to the estimates for the bulk continental crust at the same level of SiO2 contents (61.1-64.5 wt%). They also display continental crust-like trace element distribution patterns and uniformly enriched isotope compositions ([87Sr/86Sr]i = 0.7081 to 0.7094, ɛNd[t] = - 8.0 to - 6.9, and ɛHf[t]zircon = - 10.1 to - 5.0). Combining our results with published data from crystallization experiments, we propose that they were probably produced by fractional crystallization from a primitive andesite parent, rather than a primitive basalt parent. This parental magma may be geochemically similar to the roughly contemporaneous primitive andesites in the adjacent Malanshan area of northern Tibet. Our compilation of modern arc lavas shows that progressive fractional crystallization of primitive andesites is also required to reproduce the Mg# versus SiO2 array for natural arc magmas, in addition to differentiation of mantle-derived primitive basaltic magmas and/or mixing of basaltic with felsic magmas. Therefore, we emphasize that fractional crystallization of primitive andesitic magmas is potentially a frequent occurrence in arc crust and hence may play an important role in producing the high-Mg# signature of intermediate magmas comprising the continental crust.

Creative Drama: Origins and Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randall, Geoff

1967-01-01

The primitive elements from which drama evolved--group participation with no audience, a strong relationship between drama and other arts, and a sense of emotional release associated with physical expression--are also the bases for creative drama. Creative drama in the secondary school should (1) avoid a formal stage, the intrusion of an audience,…

Features and the ‘primal sketch’

PubMed Central

Morgan, Michael J.

2014-01-01

This review is concerned primarily with psychophysical and physiological evidence relevant to the question of the existence of spatial features or spatial primitives in human vision. The review will be almost exclusively confined to features defined in the luminance domain. The emphasis will be on the experimental and computational methods that have been used for revealing features, rather than on a detailed comparison between different models of feature extraction. Color and texture fall largely outside the scope of the review, though the principles may be similar. Stereo matching and motion matching are also largely excluded because they are covered in other contributions to this volume, although both have addressed the question of the spatial primitives involved in matching. Similarities between different psychophysically-based model will be emphasized rather than minor differences. All the models considered in the review are based on the extraction of directional spatial derivatives of the luminance profile, typically the first and second, but in one case the third order, and all have some form of non-linearity, be it rectification or thresholding. PMID:20696182

High profile students’ growth of mathematical understanding in solving linier programing problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utomo; Kusmayadi, TA; Pramudya, I.

2018-04-01

Linear program has an important role in human’s life. This linear program is learned in senior high school and college levels. This material is applied in economy, transportation, military and others. Therefore, mastering linear program is useful for provision of life. This research describes a growth of mathematical understanding in solving linear programming problems based on the growth of understanding by the Piere-Kieren model. Thus, this research used qualitative approach. The subjects were students of grade XI in Salatiga city. The subjects of this study were two students who had high profiles. The researcher generally chose the subjects based on the growth of understanding from a test result in the classroom; the mark from the prerequisite material was ≥ 75. Both of the subjects were interviewed by the researcher to know the students’ growth of mathematical understanding in solving linear programming problems. The finding of this research showed that the subjects often folding back to the primitive knowing level to go forward to the next level. It happened because the subjects’ primitive understanding was not comprehensive.

Generalized large-scale semigeostrophic approximations for the f-plane primitive equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Marcel; Vasylkevych, Sergiy

2016-05-01

We derive a family of balance models for rotating stratified flow in the primitive equation (PE) setting. By construction, the models possess conservation laws for energy and potential vorticity and are formally of the same order of accuracy as Hoskins’ semigeostrophic equations. Our construction is based on choosing a new coordinate frame for the PE variational principle in such a way that the consistently truncated Lagrangian degenerates. We show that the balance relations so obtained are elliptic when the fluid is stably stratified and certain smallness assumptions are satisfied. Moreover, the potential temperature can be recovered from the potential vorticity via inversion of a non-standard Monge-Ampère problem which is subject to the same ellipticity condition. While the present work is entirely formal, we conjecture, based on a careful rewriting of the equations of motion and a straightforward derivative count, that the Cauchy problem for the balance models is well posed subject to conditions on the initial data. Our family of models includes, in particular, the stratified analog of the L 1 balance model of Salmon.

A primitive therizinosauroid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirkland, J.I.; Zanno, L.E.; Sampson, S.D.; Clark, J.M.; DeBlieux, D.D.

2005-01-01

Therizinosauroids are an enigmatic group of dinosaurs known mostly from the Cretaceous period of Asia, whose derived members are characterized by elongate necks, laterally expanded pelves, small, leaf-shaped teeth, edentulous rostra and mandibular symphyses that probably bore keratinized beaks. Although more than a dozen therizinosauroid taxa are known, their relationships within Dinosauria have remained controversial because of fragmentary remains and an unusual suite of characters. The recently discovered 'feathered' therizinosauroid Beipiaosaurus from the Early Cretaceous of China helped to clarify the theropod affinities of the group. However, Beipiaosaurus is also poorly represented. Here we describe a new, primitive therizinosauroid from an extensive paucispecific bonebed at the base of the Cedar Mountain Formation (Early Cretaceous) of east-central Utah. This new taxon represents the most complete and most basal therizinosauroid yet discovered. Phylogenetic analysis of coelurosaurian theropods incorporating this taxon places it at the base of the clade Therizinosauroiden, indicating that this species documents the earliest known stage in the poorly understood transition from carnivory to herbivory within Therizinosauroidea. The taxon provides the first documentation, to our knowledge, of therizinosauroids in North America during the Early Cretaceous.

Evidence from Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions that the Martian Mantle has a Chondritic D/H Ratio and that Some Young Basalts have Assimilated Old Crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Usui, Tomohiro; Alexander, O'D.; Wang, J.; Simon, J. I.; Jones, J. H.

2012-01-01

Magmatic degassing of volatile elements affects the climate and near-surface environment of Mars. Telescopic and meteorite studies have revealed that the Martian atmosphere and near-surface materials have D/H ratios 5-6 times terrestrial values [e.g., 1, 2]. Such high D/H ratios are interpreted to result from the preferential loss of H relative to heavier D from the Martian atmosphere, assuming that the original Martian water inventory had a D/H ratio similar to terrestrial values and to H in primitive meteorites [e.g., 1, 3]. However, the primordial Martian D/H ratio has, until now, not been well constrained. The uncertainty over the Martian primordial D/H ratio has arisen both from the scarcity of primitive Martian meteorites and as a result of contamination by terrestrial and, perhaps, Martian surface waters that obscure the signature of the Martian mantle. This study reports a comprehensive dataset of magmatic volatiles and D/H ratios in Martian primary magmas based on low-contamination, in situ ion microprobe analyses of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from both depleted [Yamato 980459 (Y98)] and enriched [Larkman Nunatak 06319 (LAR06)] Martian basaltic meteorites. Analyses of these primitive melts provide definitive evidence that the Martian mantle has retained a primordial D/H ratio and that young Martian basalts have assimilated old Martian crust.

Human primitive meninges in and around the mesencephalic flexure and particularly their topographical relation to cranial nerves.

PubMed

Cho, Kwang Ho; Rodríguez-Vázquez, Jose Francisco; Han, Eui Hyeog; Verdugo-López, Samuel; Murakami, Gen; Cho, Baik Hwan

2010-09-20

Development of the meninges in and around the plica ventralis encephali has not been well documented. A distinct mesenchymal structure, the so-called plica ventralis encephali, is sandwiched by the fetal mesencephalic flexure. We histologically examined paraffin-embedded sections from 18 human embryos and fetuses at 6-12 weeks of gestation. In the loose tissues of the plica, the first meninx appeared as a narrow membrane along the oculomotor nerve at 7-8 weeks. Subsequently, the plica ventralis evolved into 3 parts: bilateral lateral mesenchymal condensations and a primitive membranous meninx extending between. Notably, the topographical anatomy of the oculomotor, trochlear and trigeminal nerves did not change: the oculomotor nerve ran along the rostral aspect of the membranous meninx, the trigeminal nerve ran along the caudal side of the lateral mesenchymal condensation, and the trochlear nerve remained embedded in the lateral condensation. Up to 9-10 weeks, the lateral mesenchymal condensations became tongue-like folds; i.e., the primitive form of the tentorium cerebelli, while the membranous meninx became the diaphragma sellae. The falx cerebri seemed to develop from the tongue-like folds. Overall, the final tentorium cerebelli corresponded to the regressed plica ventralis, while the parasellar area originated from the base of the plica and other tissues along the ventral aspects of the basisphenoid and basioccipital. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

New candidates for active asteroids: Main-belt (145) Adeona, (704) Interamnia, (779) Nina, (1474) Beira, and near-Earth (162,173) Ryugu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busarev, Vladimir V.; Makalkin, Andrei B.; Vilas, Faith; Barabanov, Sergey I.; Scherbina, Marina P.

2018-04-01

For the first time, spectral signs of subtle coma activity were observed for four main-belt primitive asteroids (145) Adeona, (704) Interamnia, (779) Nina, and (1474) Beira around their perihelion distances in September 2012, which were interpreted as manifestations of the sublimation of H2O ice in/under the surface matter (Busarev et al., 2015a, 2015b). We confirm the phenomenon for Nina when it approached perihelion in September 2016. At the same time, based on results of spectral observations of near-Earth asteroid (162,173) Ryugu (Vilas, 2008) being a target of Japan's Hayabusa 2 space mission, we suspected a periodic similar transient activity on the Cg-type asteroid. However, unlike the main-belt primitive asteroids demonstrating sublimation of ices close to their perihelion distances, the effect on Ryugu was apparently registered near aphelion. To explain the difference, we calculated the subsolar temperature depending on heliocentric distance of the asteroids, considered qualitative models of internal structure of main-belt and near-Earth primitive asteroids including ice and performed some analytical estimations. Presumed temporal sublimation/degassing activity of Ryugu is a sign of a residual frozen core in its interior. This could be an indication of a relatively recent transition of the asteroid from the main asteroid belt to the near-Earth area.

Lysophosphatidic acid acts as a nutrient-derived developmental cue to regulate early hematopoiesis

PubMed Central

Li, Haisen; Yue, Rui; Wei, Bin; Gao, Ge; Du, Jiulin; Pei, Gang

2014-01-01

Primitive hematopoiesis occurs in the yolk sac blood islands during vertebrate embryogenesis, where abundant phosphatidylcholines (PC) are available as important nutrients for the developing embryo. However, whether these phospholipids also generate developmental cues to promote hematopoiesis is largely unknown. Here, we show that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a signaling molecule derived from PC, regulated hemangioblast formation and primitive hematopoiesis. Pharmacological and genetic blockage of LPA receptor 1 (LPAR1) or autotoxin (ATX), a secretory lysophospholipase that catalyzes LPA production, inhibited hematopoietic differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells and impaired the formation of hemangioblasts. Mechanistic experiments revealed that the regulatory effect of ATX-LPA signaling was mediated by PI3K/Akt-Smad pathway. Furthermore, during in vivo embryogenesis in zebrafish, LPA functioned as a developmental cue for hemangioblast formation and primitive hematopoiesis. Taken together, we identified LPA as an important nutrient-derived developmental cue for primitive hematopoiesis as well as a novel mechanism of hemangioblast regulation. PMID:24829209

Lysophosphatidic acid acts as a nutrient-derived developmental cue to regulate early hematopoiesis.

PubMed

Li, Haisen; Yue, Rui; Wei, Bin; Gao, Ge; Du, Jiulin; Pei, Gang

2014-06-17

Primitive hematopoiesis occurs in the yolk sac blood islands during vertebrate embryogenesis, where abundant phosphatidylcholines (PC) are available as important nutrients for the developing embryo. However, whether these phospholipids also generate developmental cues to promote hematopoiesis is largely unknown. Here, we show that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a signaling molecule derived from PC, regulated hemangioblast formation and primitive hematopoiesis. Pharmacological and genetic blockage of LPA receptor 1 (LPAR1) or autotoxin (ATX), a secretory lysophospholipase that catalyzes LPA production, inhibited hematopoietic differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells and impaired the formation of hemangioblasts. Mechanistic experiments revealed that the regulatory effect of ATX-LPA signaling was mediated by PI3K/Akt-Smad pathway. Furthermore, during in vivo embryogenesis in zebrafish, LPA functioned as a developmental cue for hemangioblast formation and primitive hematopoiesis. Taken together, we identified LPA as an important nutrient-derived developmental cue for primitive hematopoiesis as well as a novel mechanism of hemangioblast regulation. © 2014 The Authors.

On the evolution of sport.

PubMed

Lombardo, Michael P

2012-01-02

Sports have received little attention from evolutionary biologists. I argue that sport began as a way for men to develop the skills needed in primitive hunting and warfare, then developed to act primarily as a lek where athletes display and male spectators evaluate the qualities of potential allies and rivals. This hypothesis predicts that (1) the most popular modern male sports require the skills needed for success in male-male physical competition and primitive hunting and warfare; (2) champion male athletes obtain high status and thereby reproductive opportunities in ways that parallel those gained by successful primitive hunters and warriors; (3) men pay closer attention than do women to male sports so they can evaluate potential allies and rivals; and (4) male sports became culturally more important when opportunities to evaluate potential allies and rivals declined as both the survival importance of hunting and the proportion of men who experience combat decreased. The characteristics of primitive and modern sports are more consistent with these predictions than those generated by intersexual sexual selection theories of sport.

Fine structures of embryonic discs of in vivo post-hatching porcine blastocysts at the pre-primitive streak stage.

PubMed

Xia, P; Liu, Z; Qin, P

2011-04-01

To date, reports about the ultrastructure of porcine embryonic discs have not shown details of the primitive streak. The main objective of this study was to examine the ultrastructure of interior and exterior embryonic discs in porcine in vivo blastocysts with diameters of 1, 3 and 9 mm using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. For the first time, we revealed the ultrastructure of the unusual group of cells in the pre-primitive streak area of embryonic discs. The cells were 1-2 μm in diameter, had high electron density and contained abundant, free ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum. These primitive streak cells could represent original embryonic stem cells or represent a stem cell niche. The results also showed three types of cells on the exterior surface of the embryonic discs. Moreover, our results provided morphological evidence of condensed nuclei in the smooth cells on the surface of the embryonic disc. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A Reexamination of the Carnivora Malleus (Mammalia, Placentalia)

PubMed Central

Wible, John R.; Spaulding, Michelle

2012-01-01

Authoritative anatomical references depict domestic dogs and cats as having a malleus with a short rostral (anterior) process that is connected via a ligament to the ectotympanic of the auditory bulla. Similar mallei have been reported for representatives of each of the 15 extant families of Carnivora, the placental order containing dogs and cats. This morphology is in contrast to a malleus with a long rostral process anchored to the ectotympanic that is considered to be primitive for mammals. Our reexamination of extant carnivorans found representatives from 12 families that possess an elongate rostral process anchored to the ectotympanic. Consequently, the malleus also is a component of the bulla. In a subset of our carnivoran sample, we confirmed that the elongate rostral process on the ectotympanic is continuous with the rest of the malleus through a thin osseous lamina. This morphology is reconstructed as primitive for Carnivora. Prior inaccurate descriptions of the taxa in our sample having mallei continuous with the bulla were based on damaged mallei. In addition to coupling to the ectotympanic, the rostral process of the malleus was found to have a hook-like process that fits in a facet on the skull base in representatives from seven families (felids, nandiniids, viverrids, canids, ursids, procyonids, and mustelids); its occurrence in the remaining families could not be ascertained. This feature is named herein the mallear hook and is likewise reconstructed to be primitive for Carnivora. We also investigated mallei in one additional placental order reported to have mallei not connected to the ectotympanic, Pholidota (pangolins), the extant sister group of Carnivora. We found pholidotans to also have anchored mallei with long rostral processes, but lacking mallear hooks. In light of our results, other mammals previously reported to have short rostral processes should be reexamined. PMID:23209753

Ultrastructural findings in transplanted experimental brain tumors and their significance for the cytogenesis of such tumors.

PubMed

Mennel, H D

1988-01-01

Tumors induced by transplacental action in the spinal cord of rats were transplanted into the brains of the same rat strain. They were followed up by electron microscopy during the first ten passages. Three architectural features were detected: First pure tumor parts, second myelin breakdown and phagocytosis, and third the resulting accumulation of resting macrophages. Architecture two and three were interpreted as result of considerable phagocytotic activity of tumor cells localized within the white substance of the brain and spinal cord. Only architecture one was considered to represent proper tumor. Since this was low differentiated and partial astrocytic differentiation only occurred around vessels to remarkable extent, the thesis is put forward that these transplacentally induced tumors correspond to human primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

Cartographic Modeling: Computer-assisted Analysis of Spatially Defined Neighborhoods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, J. K.; Tomlin, C. D.

1982-01-01

Cartographic models addressing a wide variety of applications are composed of fundamental map processing operations. These primitive operations are neither data base nor application-specific. By organizing the set of operations into a mathematical-like structure, the basis for a generalized cartographic modeling framework can be developed. Among the major classes of primitive operations are those associated with reclassifying map categories, overlaying maps, determining distance and connectivity, and characterizing cartographic neighborhoods. The conceptual framework of cartographic modeling is established and techniques for characterizing neighborhoods are used as a means of demonstrating some of the more sophisticated procedures of computer-assisted map analysis. A cartographic model for assessing effective roundwood supply is briefly described as an example of a computer analysis. Most of the techniques described have been implemented as part of the map analysis package developed at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Waste Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Recycling Techniques.

PubMed

Ning, Chao; Lin, Carol Sze Ki; Hui, David Chi Wai; McKay, Gordon

2017-04-01

With the development of technologies and the change of consumer attitudes, the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is increasing annually. As the core part of WEEE, the waste printed circuit board (WPCB) is a dangerous waste but at the same time a rich resource for various kinds of materials. In this work, various WPCB treatment methods as well as WPCB recycling techniques divided into direct treatment (landfill and incineration), primitive recycling technology (pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, biometallurgy and primitive full recovery of NMF-non metallic fraction), and advanced recycling technology (mechanical separation, direct use and modification of NMF) are reviewed and analyzed based on their advantages and disadvantages. Also, the evaluation criteria are discussed including economic, environmental, and gate-to-market ability. This review indicates the future research direction of WPCB recycling should focus on a combination of several techniques or in series recycling to maximize the benefits of process.

Properties of Massive Stars in Primitive Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sara

2012-01-01

According to R. Dave, the phases of galaxy formation are distinguished by their halo mass and governing feedback mechanism. Galaxies in the birth phase (our "primitive galaxies") have a low halo mass (M<10(exp 9) Msun); and star formation is affected by photoionizing radiation of massive stars. In contrast, galaxies in the growth phase (e.g. Lyman Break galaxies) are more massive (M=10(exp 9)-10(exp 12) Msun); star formation is fueled by cold accretion but modulated by strong outflows from massive stars. I Zw 18 is a local blue, compact dwarf galaxy that meets the requirements for a birth-phase galaxy: halo mass <10(exp 9) Msun, strong photo ionizing radiation, no galactic outflow, and very low metallicity, log(O/H)=7.2. We will describe the properties of massive stars in I Zw 18 based on analysis of ultraviolet spectra obtained with HST.

Is there a single origin of life?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soffen, Gerald A.

The emergence of the first life on the earth is now established as an early event, and closely related to the evolving earth. Laboratory experiments examining possible chemical events have revealed a multitude of plausible pathways. Lack of knowledge of the primitive terrestrial conditions contemporary with the evolving prebolic organic chemistry limits reconstruction techniques. The primitive earth's aqueous history is essential to unraveling this problem. Based on our current knowledge of other planets of the solar system, we do not expect close analogues to the early earth. We still do not know if there was a second origin or if only earth has life. This may depend upon the question of the survival of information bearing chemical systems in a dynamic or chaotic environment and the chemical protection afforded within such a system. Water is the central molecule of controversy: the blessing and the curse of the chemist. New and novel chemical mechanisms and systems abound.

Oxygen reservoirs in the early solar nebula inferred from an Allende CAI.

PubMed

Young, E D; Russell, S S

1998-10-16

Ultraviolet laser microprobe analyses of a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) from the Allende meteorite suggest that a line with a slope of exactly 1.00 on a plot of delta (17)O against delta (18)O represents the primitive oxygen isotope reservoir of the early solar nebula. Most meteorites are enriched in (17)O and (18)O relative to this line, and their oxygen isotope ratios can be explained by mass fractionation or isotope exchange initiating from the primitive reservoir. These data establish a link between the oxygen isotopic composition of the abundant ordinary chondrites and the primitive (16)O-rich component of CAIs.

Oxygen reservoirs in the early solar nebula inferred from an allende CAI

PubMed

Young; Russell

1998-10-16

Ultraviolet laser microprobe analyses of a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) from the Allende meteorite suggest that a line with a slope of exactly 1.00 on a plot of delta17O against delta18O represents the primitive oxygen isotope reservoir of the early solar nebula. Most meteorites are enriched in 17O and 18O relative to this line, and their oxygen isotope ratios can be explained by mass fractionation or isotope exchange initiating from the primitive reservoir. These data establish a link between the oxygen isotopic composition of the abundant ordinary chondrites and the primitive 16O-rich component of CAIs.

Deuterium enrichment in the primitive ices of the protosolar nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutz, Barry L.; Owen, Tobias; De Bergh, Catherine

1990-01-01

On the basis of CH3D/CH4-ratio observations in the outer planets, the present effort to estimate the D/H ratio of the protosolar nebula's primitive ices arrives at two simple, yet effectively limiting models which constrain the degree of dilution undergone by deuterated volatiles through mixing with the initial hydrogen envelopes. These volatiles would have been contributed to planetary atmospheres by evaporated primordial ices. Ice D/H ratio model results of 0.0001 to 0.001 are compared with values for other potentially primitive material-containing bodies in the solar system, as well as with D/H ratio values from interstellar polyatomic molecules.

Interstellar chemistry recorded in organic matter from primitive meteorites.

PubMed

Busemann, Henner; Young, Andrea F; Alexander, Conel M O'd; Hoppe, Peter; Mukhopadhyay, Sujoy; Nittler, Larry R

2006-05-05

Organic matter in extraterrestrial materials has isotopic anomalies in hydrogen and nitrogen that suggest an origin in the presolar molecular cloud or perhaps in the protoplanetary disk. Interplanetary dust particles are generally regarded as the most primitive solar system matter available, in part because until recently they exhibited the most extreme isotope anomalies. However, we show that hydrogen and nitrogen isotopic compositions in carbonaceous chondrite organic matter reach and even exceed those found in interplanetary dust particles. Hence, both meteorites (originating from the asteroid belt) and interplanetary dust particles (possibly from comets) preserve primitive organics that were a component of the original building blocks of the solar system.

Performance-based robotic assistance during rhythmic arm exercises.

PubMed

Leconte, Patricia; Ronsse, Renaud

2016-09-13

Rhythmic and discrete upper-limb movements are two fundamental motor primitives controlled by different neural pathways, at least partially. After stroke, both primitives can be impaired. Both conventional and robot-assisted therapies mainly train discrete functional movements like reaching and grasping. However, if the movements form two distinct neural and functional primitives, both should be trained to recover the complete motor repertoire. Recent studies show that rhythmic movements tend to be less impaired than discrete ones, so combining both movement types in therapy could support the execution of movements with a higher degree of impairment by movements that are performed more stably. A new performance-based assistance method was developed to train rhythmic movements with a rehabilitation robot. The algorithm uses the assist-as-needed paradigm by independently assessing and assisting movement features of smoothness, velocity, and amplitude. The method relies on different building blocks: (i) an adaptive oscillator captures the main movement harmonic in state variables, (ii) custom metrics measure the movement performance regarding the three features, and (iii) adaptive forces assist the patient. The patient is encouraged to improve performance regarding these three features with assistance forces computed in parallel to each other. The method was tested with simulated jerky signals and a pilot experiment with two stroke patients, who were instructed to make circular movements with an end-effector robot with assistance during half of the trials. Simulation data reveal sensitivity of the metrics for assessing the features while limiting interference between them. The assistance's effectiveness with stroke patients is established since it (i) adapts to the patient's real-time performance, (ii) improves patient motor performance, and (iii) does not lead the patient to slack. The smoothness assistance was by far the most used by both patients, while it provided no active mechanical work to the patient on average. Our performance-based assistance method for training rhythmic movements is a viable candidate to complement robot-assisted upper-limb therapies for training a larger motor repertoire.

Fractions We Cannot Ignore: The Nonsymbolic Ratio Congruity Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Percival G.; Lewis, Mark R.

2017-01-01

Although many researchers theorize that primitive numerosity processing abilities may lay the foundation for whole number concepts, other classes of numbers, like fractions, are sometimes assumed to be inaccessible to primitive architectures. This research presents evidence that the automatic processing of nonsymbolic magnitudes affects processing…

Intuitive Test Theory. CSE Report 631

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun, Henry I.; Mislevy, Robert J.

2004-01-01

Psychologist Andrea diSessa coined the term "phenomenological primitives", or p-prims, to talk about nonexperts' reasoning about physical situations. P-prims are primitive in the sense that they stand without significant explanatory substructure or explanation. Examples are "Heavy objects fall faster than light objects" and "Continuing force is…

A two-level generative model for cloth representation and shape from shading.

PubMed

Han, Feng; Zhu, Song-Chun

2007-07-01

In this paper, we present a two-level generative model for representing the images and surface depth maps of drapery and clothes. The upper level consists of a number of folds which will generate the high contrast (ridge) areas with a dictionary of shading primitives (for 2D images) and fold primitives (for 3D depth maps). These primitives are represented in parametric forms and are learned in a supervised learning phase using 3D surfaces of clothes acquired through photometric stereo. The lower level consists of the remaining flat areas which fill between the folds with a smoothness prior (Markov random field). We show that the classical ill-posed problem-shape from shading (SFS) can be much improved by this two-level model for its reduced dimensionality and incorporation of middle-level visual knowledge, i.e., the dictionary of primitives. Given an input image, we first infer the folds and compute a sketch graph using a sketch pursuit algorithm as in the primal sketch [10], [11]. The 3D folds are estimated by parameter fitting using the fold dictionary and they form the "skeleton" of the drapery/cloth surfaces. Then, the lower level is computed by conventional SFS method using the fold areas as boundary conditions. The two levels interact at the final stage by optimizing a joint Bayesian posterior probability on the depth map. We show a number of experiments which demonstrate more robust results in comparison with state-of-the-art work. In a broader scope, our representation can be viewed as a two-level inhomogeneous MRF model which is applicable to general shape-from-X problems. Our study is an attempt to revisit Marr's idea [23] of computing the 2(1/2)D sketch from primal sketch. In a companion paper [2], we study shape from stereo based on a similar two-level generative sketch representation.

Tipifarnib in Treating Young Patients With Recurrent or Progressive High-Grade Glioma, Medulloblastoma, Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor, or Brain Stem Glioma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-10-07

Childhood High-grade Cerebral Astrocytoma; Childhood Oligodendroglioma; Recurrent Childhood Brain Stem Glioma; Recurrent Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma; Recurrent Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma; Recurrent Childhood Medulloblastoma; Recurrent Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Childhood Visual Pathway and Hypothalamic Glioma

Mathematical Observations: The Genesis of Mathematical Discovery in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaugris, Louis M.

2013-01-01

In his "Proofs and Refutations," Lakatos identifies the "Primitive Conjecture" as the first stage in the pattern of mathematical discovery. In this article, I am interested in ways of reaching the "Primitive Conjecture" stage in an undergraduate classroom. I adapted Realistic Mathematics Education methods in an…

Multiphase Complete Exchange: A Theoretical Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

Birkhiuser, Boston, 1984. 24 [9] C-T. Ho and M. T. Raghunath . Efficient communication primitives on hy- percubes. In Proc. 6th. DMCC, pages 390-397...1991. [10] C-T. Ho and M. T. Raghunath . Efficient communication primitives on hy- percubes. Technical Report RJ 7932 (72915), IBM, T. J. Watson Center

36 CFR 294.23 - Road construction and reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas. (a) Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal... designated as Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive. However... Wild Land Recreation, Special Area of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive if pursuant to...

36 CFR 294.23 - Road construction and reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas. (a) Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal... designated as Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive. However... Wild Land Recreation, Special Area of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive if pursuant to...

36 CFR 294.23 - Road construction and reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... reconstruction in Idaho Roadless Areas. (a) Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal... designated as Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive. However... Wild Land Recreation, Special Area of Historic or Tribal Significance, or Primitive if pursuant to...

The Grammar of Mental Predicates in Japanese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onishi, Masayuki

1997-01-01

Examines Japanese equivalents of the six mental predicates defined as semantic universals in Natural Semantic Metalanguage theory, with special attention to syntax and semantics of complementation types. It is shown that each primitive predicate has a specific set of syntactic frames for expressing primitive meaning and that extended meanings that…

Nilpotent representations of classical quantum groups at roots of unity

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

Abe, Yuuki; Nakashima, Toshiki

2005-11-01

Properly specializing the parameters in 'Schnizer modules', for types A,B,C, and D, we get its unique primitive vector. Then we show that the module generated by the primitive vector is an irreducible highest weight module of finite dimensional classical quantum groups at roots of unity.

Could 433 Eros have a Primitive Achondritic Composition?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burbine, T. H.; McCoy, T. J.; Nittler, L. R.; Bell, J. F., III

2001-01-01

One of the goals of the NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission to 433 Eros is to determine if it has a meteoritic analog. We are currently investigating if primitive achondrites have bulk compositions and spectral properties similar to Eros. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

A Test of Durkheim's Theory of Suicide in Primitive Societies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, David

1992-01-01

Classified primitive societies as high, moderate, or low on independent measures of social integration and social regulation to test Durkheim's theory of suicide. Estimated frequency of suicide did not differ between those societies predicted to have high, moderate, and low suicide rates. Durkheim's theory was not confirmed. (Author/NB)

Interface Message Processors for the ARPA Computer Network

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-07-01

and then clear the location) as its primitive locking facility (i.e., as the necessary multiprocessor lock equivalent to Dijkstra semaphores )[37]. To...of the extra storage required for the redundant copies. There is the problem of maintaining synchronization of multiple copy data bases in the presence...through any of the data base sites. I Update synchronization . Races between conflicting, "concurrent" update requests are resolved in a manner that j

Data Warehouse Design from HL7 Clinical Document Architecture Schema.

PubMed

Pecoraro, Fabrizio; Luzi, Daniela; Ricci, Fabrizio L

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a semi-automatic approach to extract clinical information structured in a HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) and transform it in a data warehouse dimensional model schema. It is based on a conceptual framework published in a previous work that maps the dimensional model primitives with CDA elements. Its feasibility is demonstrated providing a case study based on the analysis of vital signs gathered during laboratory tests.

An Open Source Agenda for Research Linking Text and Image Content Features.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrum, Abby A.; Rorvig, Mark E.; Jeong, Ki-Tai; Suresh, Chitturi

2001-01-01

Proposes methods to utilize image primitives to support term assignment for image classification. Proposes to release code for image analysis in a common tool set for other researchers to use. Of particular focus is the expansion of work by researchers in image indexing to include image content-based feature extraction capabilities in their work.…

Production, Comprehension, and Theories of the Mental Lexicon. CUNYForum, Numbers 5-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowart, Wayne

Problems related to the structure of the mental lexicon are considered. The single access assumption, the passive memory assumption, and the heterogeneous memory assumption are rejected in favor of the theory which assumes several active memories, each able to store expression based on only one homogenous set of abstract primitives. One lexicon…

Computer-Based Practical Exams in an Applied Information Technology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newhouse, C. Paul

2013-01-01

Worldwide, fewer and fewer work tasks are done using paper and pen, yet most high-stakes assessment in schools continues to use this primitive technology. This paper reports on one component of a project investigating the use of digital technologies to facilitate assessment tasks for high-stakes summative purposes in senior secondary courses. It…

Hydrazines and carbohydrazides produced from oxidized carbon in earth's primitive environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Folsome, C. E.; Brittain, A.; Smith, A.; Chang, S.

1981-01-01

Whether abiological organic compounds can be formed from the interactions of energy sources with nitrogen, oxidized carbon and water is held to be of importance in geochemical models of the primordial earth atmosphere. It is reported that experiments using quenched spark discharges through molecular nitrogen on aqueous suspensions of CaCO3 and other reactants to simulate the hydrosphere/atmosphere interface yield hydrazine and carbohydrazine in significant but low yields. Such reactions in primitive aquatic environments may have supplied a pathway for chemical evolution and the origin of life, on a primitive earth in which fully oxidized states of carbon were available for the primary synthesis of organic matter.

On the zero-Rossby limit for the primitive equations of the atmosphere*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Gui-Qiang; Zhang, Ping

2001-09-01

The zero-Rossby limit for the primitive equations governing atmospheric motions is analysed. The limit is important in geophysics for large-scale models (cf Lions 1996 Int. Conf. IAM 95 (Hamburg 1995) (Math. Res. vol 87) (Berlin: Akademie) pp 177-212) and is in the level of the zero relaxation limit for nonlinear partial differential equations (cf Chen et al 1994 Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 47 787-830). It is proved that, if the initial data appropriately approximate data of geostrophic type, the corresponding solutions of the simplified primitive equations approximate the solutions of the quasigeostrophic equations with order ɛ accuracy as the Rossby number ɛ goes to zero.

Big data analytics workflow management for eScience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, Sandro; D'Anca, Alessandro; Palazzo, Cosimo; Elia, Donatello; Mariello, Andrea; Nassisi, Paola; Aloisio, Giovanni

2015-04-01

In many domains such as climate and astrophysics, scientific data is often n-dimensional and requires tools that support specialized data types and primitives if it is to be properly stored, accessed, analysed and visualized. Currently, scientific data analytics relies on domain-specific software and libraries providing a huge set of operators and functionalities. However, most of these software fail at large scale since they: (i) are desktop based, rely on local computing capabilities and need the data locally; (ii) cannot benefit from available multicore/parallel machines since they are based on sequential codes; (iii) do not provide declarative languages to express scientific data analysis tasks, and (iv) do not provide newer or more scalable storage models to better support the data multidimensionality. Additionally, most of them: (v) are domain-specific, which also means they support a limited set of data formats, and (vi) do not provide a workflow support, to enable the construction, execution and monitoring of more complex "experiments". The Ophidia project aims at facing most of the challenges highlighted above by providing a big data analytics framework for eScience. Ophidia provides several parallel operators to manipulate large datasets. Some relevant examples include: (i) data sub-setting (slicing and dicing), (ii) data aggregation, (iii) array-based primitives (the same operator applies to all the implemented UDF extensions), (iv) data cube duplication, (v) data cube pivoting, (vi) NetCDF-import and export. Metadata operators are available too. Additionally, the Ophidia framework provides array-based primitives to perform data sub-setting, data aggregation (i.e. max, min, avg), array concatenation, algebraic expressions and predicate evaluation on large arrays of scientific data. Bit-oriented plugins have also been implemented to manage binary data cubes. Defining processing chains and workflows with tens, hundreds of data analytics operators is the real challenge in many practical scientific use cases. This talk will specifically address the main needs, requirements and challenges regarding data analytics workflow management applied to large scientific datasets. Three real use cases concerning analytics workflows for sea situational awareness, fire danger prevention, climate change and biodiversity will be discussed in detail.

Transfer and Conceptual Change: The Change Process from the Theoretical Perspectives of Coordination Classes and Phenomenological Primitives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozdemir, Omer F.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to understand the nature of pre-instructional knowledge transferred by students into problem situations and the change process on students' knowledge system during classroom discussions. This study was framed by two interrelated theoretical frameworks on knowledge structures, phenomenological primitives and…

Addressing Nature Deficit Disorder through Primitive Camping Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Kevin; Varner, Keegan; Sallee, Jeff

2011-01-01

Today's youth suffer from Nature Deficit Disorder, a condition that has been connected to ADHD, shortage of creativity, and general lack of knowledge about the outdoors. A team of educators and specialists are addressing this issue with primitive camping. County educators were trained using experiential learning and train-the-trainer techniques.…

Topological versus rheological entanglement length in primitive-path analysis protocols, tube models, and slip-link models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everaers, Ralf

2012-08-01

We show that the front factor appearing in the shear modulus of a phantom network, Gph=(1-2/f)(ρkBT)/Ns, also controls the ratio of the strand length, Ns, and the number of monomers per Kuhn length of the primitive paths, NphPPKuhn, characterizing the average network conformation. In particular, NphPPKuhn=Ns/(1-2/f) and Gph=(ρkBT)/NphPPKuhn. Neglecting the difference between cross-links and slip-links, these results can be transferred to entangled systems and the interpretation of primitive path analysis data. In agreement with the tube model, the analogy to phantom networks suggest that the rheological entanglement length, Nerheo=(ρkBT)/Ge, should equal NePPKuhn. Assuming binary entanglements with f=4 functional junctions, we expect that Nerheo should be twice as large as the topological entanglement length, Netopo. These results are in good agreement with reported primitive path analysis results for model systems and a wide range of polymeric materials. Implications for tube and slip-link models are discussed.

The language of geometry: Fast comprehension of geometrical primitives and rules in human adults and preschoolers.

PubMed

Amalric, Marie; Wang, Liping; Pica, Pierre; Figueira, Santiago; Sigman, Mariano; Dehaene, Stanislas

2017-01-01

During language processing, humans form complex embedded representations from sequential inputs. Here, we ask whether a "geometrical language" with recursive embedding also underlies the human ability to encode sequences of spatial locations. We introduce a novel paradigm in which subjects are exposed to a sequence of spatial locations on an octagon, and are asked to predict future locations. The sequences vary in complexity according to a well-defined language comprising elementary primitives and recursive rules. A detailed analysis of error patterns indicates that primitives of symmetry and rotation are spontaneously detected and used by adults, preschoolers, and adult members of an indigene group in the Amazon, the Munduruku, who have a restricted numerical and geometrical lexicon and limited access to schooling. Furthermore, subjects readily combine these geometrical primitives into hierarchically organized expressions. By evaluating a large set of such combinations, we obtained a first view of the language needed to account for the representation of visuospatial sequences in humans, and conclude that they encode visuospatial sequences by minimizing the complexity of the structured expressions that capture them.

The language of geometry: Fast comprehension of geometrical primitives and rules in human adults and preschoolers

PubMed Central

Amalric, Marie; Wang, Liping; Figueira, Santiago; Sigman, Mariano; Dehaene, Stanislas

2017-01-01

During language processing, humans form complex embedded representations from sequential inputs. Here, we ask whether a “geometrical language” with recursive embedding also underlies the human ability to encode sequences of spatial locations. We introduce a novel paradigm in which subjects are exposed to a sequence of spatial locations on an octagon, and are asked to predict future locations. The sequences vary in complexity according to a well-defined language comprising elementary primitives and recursive rules. A detailed analysis of error patterns indicates that primitives of symmetry and rotation are spontaneously detected and used by adults, preschoolers, and adult members of an indigene group in the Amazon, the Munduruku, who have a restricted numerical and geometrical lexicon and limited access to schooling. Furthermore, subjects readily combine these geometrical primitives into hierarchically organized expressions. By evaluating a large set of such combinations, we obtained a first view of the language needed to account for the representation of visuospatial sequences in humans, and conclude that they encode visuospatial sequences by minimizing the complexity of the structured expressions that capture them. PMID:28125595

Odorant-binding proteins from a primitive termite.

PubMed

Ishida, Yuko; Chiang, Vicky P; Haverty, Michael I; Leal, Walter S

2002-09-01

Hitherto, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) have been identified from insects belonging to more highly evolved insect orders (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera), whereas only chemosensory proteins have been identified from more primitive species, such as orthopteran and phasmid species. Here, we report for the first time the isolation and cloning of odorant-binding proteins from a primitive termite species, the dampwood termite. Zootermopsis nevadensis nevadensis (Isoptera: Termopsidae). A major antennae-specific protein was detected by native PAGE along with four other minor proteins, which were also absent in the extract from control tissues (hindlegs). Multiple cDNA cloning led to the full characterization of the major antennae-specific protein (ZnevOBP1) and to the identification of two other antennae-specific cDNAs, encoding putative odorant-binding proteins (ZnevOBP2 and ZnevOBP3). N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the minor antennal bands and cDNA cloning showed that olfaction in Z. n. nevadensis may involve multiple odorant-binding proteins. Database searches suggest that the OBPs from this primitive termite are homologues of the pheromone-binding proteins from scarab beetles and antennal-binding proteins from moths.

The relative importance of prebiotic synthesis on the Earth and input from comets and meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, S. L.

1991-01-01

The prebiotic synthesis of hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde was studied by the action of electric discharges on various model primitive atmospheres containing CH4, CO, and CO2. Photochemical production rates would also have been important and were calculated for HCN and H2CO. A reasonable rate of synthesis of amino acids from these sources is about 10 n moles/(sq cm yr) or 0.10 moles/sq cm in 10(exp 7) yrs. This would give a concentration of 3 x 10(exp -4) M in an ocean of the present size (300 liters/sq cm). The amino acids cannot accumulate over a longer period because the entire ocean passes through the 350 C submarine vents in 10(exp 7) yrs, which decomposes all the organic compounds. A number of workers have calculated the influx of comets and meteorites on the primitive earth, both as a destructive process for organic compounds and for any life that was present, as well as a source of organic compounds. Some of the amino acids from the meteorite proposed to have hit the earth 65 x 10(exp 6) yrs ago were detected at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary sediments. The problem with proposing a large scale input of organic compounds from meteorites and comets is that they must survive passage through the atmosphere and impact. There are some processes that would allow survival such as showers of centimeter to meter sized meteorites and various aerodynamic braking processes for larger objects. Even if a significant amount of the organic material survived impact, the destructive processes in the hydrothermal vents would remove these compounds on the average in 10(exp 7) yrs or less. If it is assumed that the input rate was sufficient to overcome these destructive processes, then too much carbon and water, especially from comets, would have been added to the surface of the earth. It was concluded that while some organic material was added to the earth from comets and meteorites, the amount available from these sources at a given time was only a few percent of that from earth based syntheses.

What Factors Control Platinum-Group Element (PGE) Abundances in Basalts From the Ontong Java Plateau?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chazey, W. J.; Neal, C. R.

2002-12-01

Eleven samples encompassing four sites drilled by Ocean Drilling Program Leg 192 to the Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) were analyzed for major, trace and platinum-group (PGEs: Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, and Pd) elements. Based on major and trace element chemistry, these are divided into two groups: a primitive group, which was newly discovered on Leg 192, and Kwaimbaita-type basalts, which are ubiquitous on the OJP (cf. Tejada et al., 2002, J. Pet. 43:449). The primitive group is relatively enriched in MgO, Ni, and Cr and relatively depleted in incompatible elements compared to the Kwaimbaita-type basalts. Petrography indicates that the fractionating phases during emplacement of both types of basalts were olivine and Cr-spinel +/- plagioclase +/- cpx. Normalized PGE profiles are fractionated, but exhibit a flattening between Ru and Ir and occasionally an enrichment in Ir. It has been shown that chromite can preferentially incorporate Os and Ru (Kd ?150) over Ir (Kd ?100), which may account for the Ir and Ru systematics. We do not consider sulfide to be a factor in fractionating the PGEs because it is either absent or present as a trace phase in these basalts and the OJP basalts are sulfur undersaturated (Michael and Cornell, 1996, EOS 77:714). Additionally, the primitive samples from the OJP also have Cu/Pd ratios (4500-8000) that are roughly similar to primitive mantle (7300), and have a generally flat transition from Pd to Y on a primitive mantle-normalized plot. It is unlikely that these samples reached sulfur saturation. The Kwaimbaita-type basalts have slightly elevated Cu/Pd ratios (9000-14000). While there are subtle differences between the PGE profiles of basalts from the Leg 192 drill cores compared to OJP basalts from subaerial outcrops in the Solomon Islands (e.g., the former have general lower Pt/Rh and higher Rh/Ru ratios), it is apparent that silicate and oxide phases are controlling the PGE profiles and abundances. For example, the six samples analyzed from Site 1185 demonstrate a positive correlation of Ru and Ir with Cr and Ni, suggesting a close association of these elements with the observed olivine and Cr-spinel phenocrysts. For all OJP basalts for which we have PGE data, there is a general positive correlation using MgO (or Cr or Ni) as a fractionation index and PGE abundance as well as ratios such as Pt/Y. Therefore, fractional crystallization controls the PGE contents of the OJP basalts. However, as noted by Ely and Neal (2002, Chem. Geol., in press) the abundances require a source enriched in the PGEs over upper mantle and, in some cases, primitive mantle. Such sources require a PGE enriched component that could be from the outer core, although as noted by Parkinson et al. (2001, EOS 82:F1398) this component is not always required. Further work is underway to substantiate this.

ELIPS: Toward a Sensor Fusion Processor on a Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daud, Taher; Stoica, Adrian; Tyson, Thomas; Li, Wei-te; Fabunmi, James

1998-01-01

The paper presents the concept and initial tests from the hardware implementation of a low-power, high-speed reconfigurable sensor fusion processor. The Extended Logic Intelligent Processing System (ELIPS) processor is developed to seamlessly combine rule-based systems, fuzzy logic, and neural networks to achieve parallel fusion of sensor in compact low power VLSI. The first demonstration of the ELIPS concept targets interceptor functionality; other applications, mainly in robotics and autonomous systems are considered for the future. The main assumption behind ELIPS is that fuzzy, rule-based and neural forms of computation can serve as the main primitives of an "intelligent" processor. Thus, in the same way classic processors are designed to optimize the hardware implementation of a set of fundamental operations, ELIPS is developed as an efficient implementation of computational intelligence primitives, and relies on a set of fuzzy set, fuzzy inference and neural modules, built in programmable analog hardware. The hardware programmability allows the processor to reconfigure into different machines, taking the most efficient hardware implementation during each phase of information processing. Following software demonstrations on several interceptor data, three important ELIPS building blocks (a fuzzy set preprocessor, a rule-based fuzzy system and a neural network) have been fabricated in analog VLSI hardware and demonstrated microsecond-processing times.

Schema vs. primitive perceptual grouping: the relative weighting of sequential vs. spatial cues during an auditory grouping task in frogs.

PubMed

Farris, Hamilton E; Ryan, Michael J

2017-03-01

Perceptually, grouping sounds based on their sources is critical for communication. This is especially true in túngara frog breeding aggregations, where multiple males produce overlapping calls that consist of an FM 'whine' followed by harmonic bursts called 'chucks'. Phonotactic females use at least two cues to group whines and chucks: whine-chuck spatial separation and sequence. Spatial separation is a primitive cue, whereas sequence is schema-based, as chuck production is morphologically constrained to follow whines, meaning that males cannot produce the components simultaneously. When one cue is available, females perceptually group whines and chucks using relative comparisons: components with the smallest spatial separation or those closest to the natural sequence are more likely grouped. By simultaneously varying the temporal sequence and spatial separation of a single whine and two chucks, this study measured between-cue perceptual weighting during a specific grouping task. Results show that whine-chuck spatial separation is a stronger grouping cue than temporal sequence, as grouping is more likely for stimuli with smaller spatial separation and non-natural sequence than those with larger spatial separation and natural sequence. Compared to the schema-based whine-chuck sequence, we propose that spatial cues have less variance, potentially explaining their preferred use when grouping during directional behavioral responses.

Two different pathways for the transport of primitive and definitive blood cells from the yolk sac to the embryo in humans.

PubMed

Pereda, Jaime; Monge, Juan I; Niimi, Gen

2010-08-01

During the early human embryonic period nutrients and blood cells are temporarily provided by the extraembryonic yolk sac (YS). The YS before week six is involved not only in primitive but also in definitive erythropoiesis. While the destiny of primitive erythroid cells that fill the blood vessels of the YS is well known, the final destination of erythrocytes present in the endodermal vesicular system is unknown. In the present study we have investigated, step by step, the destiny of the erythrocytes present in the endodermal vesicles during the embryonic period. Twelve human YSs and their corresponding yolk stalks were analyzed between weeks 4 and 7 of embryonic age by light and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that erythrocytes (according to their size and morphological features) located within the endodermal vesicles of the YS wall are pulled out through endodermal pits into the YS cavity, from where they reach the lumen of the primitive gut of the embryo through the vitelline duct, a temporary pathway communicating both compartments. During the study period no erythrocytes were seen within the embryo's vascular network where only primitive erythroblasts were identified. Our results indicate that the vitelline duct plays an important transient role as a pathway for the transport of nutrients and blood cells between the YS and the embryo before week five of embryonic development that ends just at the time when YS-embryo circulation becomes established. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comparative analysis of the 5S rRNA and its associated proteins reveals unique primitive rather than parasitic features in Giardia lamblia.

PubMed

Feng, Jin-Mei; Sun, Jun; Xin, De-Dong; Wen, Jian-Fan

2012-01-01

5S rRNA is a highly conserved ribosomal component. Eukaryotic 5S rRNA and its associated proteins (5S rRNA system) have become very well understood. Giardia lamblia was thought by some researchers to be the most primitive extant eukaryote while others considered it a highly evolved parasite. Previous reports have indicated that some aspects of its 5S rRNA system are simpler than that of common eukaryotes. We here explore whether this is true to its entire system, and whether this simplicity is a primitive or parasitic feature. By collecting and confirming pre-existing data and identifying new data, we obtained almost complete datasets of the system of three isolates of G. lamblia, two other parasitic excavates (Trichomonas vaginalis, Trypanosoma cruzi), and one free-living one (Naegleria gruberi). After comprehensively comparing each aspect of the system among these excavates and also with those of archaea and common eukaryotes, we found all the three Giardia isolates to harbor a same simplified 5S rRNA system, which is not only much simpler than that of common eukaryotes but also the simplest one among those of these excavates, and is surprisingly very similar to that of archaea; we also found among these excavates the system in parasitic species is not necessarily simpler than that in free-living species, conversely, the system of free-living species is even simpler in some respects than those of parasitic ones. The simplicity of Giardia 5S rRNA system should be considered a primitive rather than parasitically-degenerated feature. Therefore, Giardia 5S rRNA system might be a primitive system that is intermediate between that of archaea and the common eukaryotic model system, and it may reflect the evolutionary history of the eukaryotic 5S rRNA system from the archaeal form. Our results also imply G. lamblia might be a primitive eukaryote with secondary parasitically-degenerated features.

Ordered versus Unordered Map for Primitive Data Types

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

mapped to some element. C++ provides two types of map containers within the standard template library, the std ::map and the std ::unordered_map...classes. As the name implies, the containers main functional difference is that the elements in the std ::map are ordered by the key, and the std ...unordered_map are not ordered based on their key. The std ::unordered_map elements are placed into “buckets” based on a hash value computed for their key

A browser-based tool for conversion between Fortran NAMELIST and XML/HTML

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naito, O.

A browser-based tool for conversion between Fortran NAMELIST and XML/HTML is presented. It runs on an HTML5 compliant browser and generates reusable XML files to aid interoperability. It also provides a graphical interface for editing and annotating variables in NAMELIST, hence serves as a primitive code documentation environment. Although the tool is not comprehensive, it could be viewed as a test bed for integrating legacy codes into modern systems.

Volatile and light lithophile elements in high-anorthite plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions from Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neave, David A.; Hartley, Margaret E.; Maclennan, John; Edmonds, Marie; Thordarson, Thorvaldur

2017-05-01

Melt inclusions formed during the early stages of magmatic evolution trap primitive melt compositions and enable the volatile contents of primary melts and the mantle to be estimated. However, the syn- and post-entrapment behaviour of volatiles in primitive high-anorthite plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions from oceanic basalts remains poorly constrained. To address this deficit, we present volatile and light lithophile element analyses from a well-characterised suite of nine matrix glasses and 102 melt inclusions from the 10 ka Grímsvötn tephra series (i.e., Saksunarvatn ash) of Iceland's Eastern Volcanic Zone (EVZ). High matrix glass H2O and S contents indicate that eruption-related exsolution was arrested by quenching in a phreatomagmatic setting; Li, B, F and Cl did not exsolve during eruption. The almost uniformly low CO2 content of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions cannot be explained by either shallow entrapment or the sequestration of CO2 into shrinkage bubbles, suggesting that inclusion CO2 contents were controlled by decrepitation instead. High H2O/Ce values in primitive plagioclase-hosted inclusions (182-823) generally exceed values expected for EVZ primary melts (∼ 180), and can be accounted for by diffusive H2O gain following the entrainment of primitive macrocrysts into evolved and H2O-rich melts a few days before eruption. A strong positive correlation between H2O and Li in plagioclase-hosted inclusions suggests that diffusive Li gain may also have occurred. Extreme F enrichments in primitive plagioclase-hosted inclusions (F/Nd = 51-216 versus ∼15 in matrix glasses) possibly reflect the entrapment of inclusions from high-Al/(Al + Si) melt pools formed by dissolution-crystallisation processes (as indicated by HFSE depletions in some inclusions), and into which F was concentrated by uphill diffusion since F is highly soluble in Al-rich melts. The high S/Dy of primitive inclusions (∼300) indicates that primary melts were S-rich in comparison with most oceanic basalts. Cl and B are unfractionated from similarly compatible trace elements, and preserve records of primary melt heterogeneity. Although primitive plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions from the 10 ka Grímsvötn tephra series record few primary signals in their volatile contents, they nevertheless record information about crustal magma processing that is not captured in olivine-hosted melt inclusions suites.

Prebiotic synthesis in atmospheres containing CH4, CO, and CO2. I - Amino acids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlesinger, G.; Miller, S. L.

1983-01-01

The prebiotic synthesis of amino acids, HCN, H2CO, and NH3 using a spark discharge on various simulated primitive earth atmospheres at 25 C is investigated. Various mixtures of CH4, CO, CO2, N2, NH3, H2O, and H2 were utilized in different experiments. The yields of amino acids (1.2-4.7 percent based on the carbon) are found to be approximately independent of the H2/CH4 ratio and the presence of NH3, and a wide variety of amino acids are obtained. Glycine is found to be almost the only amino acid produced from CO and CO2 model atmospheres, with the maximum yield being about the same for the three carbon sources at high H2/carbon ratios,whereas CH4 is superior at low H2/carbon ratios. In addition, it is found that the directly synthesized NH3 together with the NH3 obtained from the hydrolysis of HCN, nitriles, and urea could have been a major source of ammonia in the atmosphere and oceans of the primitive earth. It is determined that prebiotic syntheses from HCN and H2CO to give products such as purines and sugars and some amino acids could have occurred in primitive atmospheres containing CO and CO2 provided the H2/CO and H2/CO2 ratios were greater than about 1.0.

Agile Science Operations: A New Approach for Primitive Exploration Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve A.; Thompson, David R.; Castillo-Rogez, Julie C.; Doyle, Richard; Estlin, Tara; Mclaren, David

2012-01-01

Primitive body exploration missions such as potential Comet Surface Sample Return or Trojan Tour and Rendezvous would challenge traditional operations practices. Earth-based observations would provide only basic understanding before arrival and many science goals would be defined during the initial rendezvous. It could be necessary to revise trajectories and observation plans to quickly characterize the target for safe, effective observations. Detection of outgassing activity and monitoring of comet surface activity are even more time constrained, with events occurring faster than round-trip light time. "Agile science operations" address these challenges with contingency plans that recognize the intrinsic uncertainty in the operating environment and science objectives. Planning for multiple alternatives can significantly improve the time required to repair and validate spacecraft command sequences. When appropriate, time-critical decisions can be automated and shifted to the spacecraft for immediate access to instrument data. Mirrored planning systems on both sides of the light-time gap permit transfer of authority back and forth as needed. We survey relevant science objectives, identifying time bottlenecks and the techniques that could be used to speed missions' reaction to new science data. Finally, we discuss the results of a trade study simulating agile observations during flyby and comet rendezvous scenarios. These experiments quantify instrument coverage of key surface features as a function of planning turnaround time. Careful application of agile operations techniques can play a significant role in realizing the Decadal Survey plan for primitive body exploration

[Relationship between personality organization and the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among university students in health careers in the Region of Coquimbo, Chile].

PubMed

López, René Barraza; Navarro, Nadia Muñoz; Astorga, Ana Contreras

The literature reports a set of variables associated with depression, anxiety and stress in health career students. The only one of these that could have a constant input is the structure of personality organisation. The present study aims to determine the relationship between the dimensions of personality organization and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms reported by first-year university health career students. Under a non-experimental ex-post-facto design, the personality organisation was evaluated in 235 1st year university, medical, nursing, and kinesiology from three universities of La Serena and Coquimbo (Chile). Inventory of personality organization and scale of depression, anxiety and stress to sift participants was used. The relationship of personality with depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms was determined by multiple regression analysis. It was found that the primary and overall personality dimensions explained 28% of the variance of depression (P<.01), 20% of anxiety, and stress 22%, with the use of primitive defenses and identity diffusion dimensions that largely contribute to the explanatory model. The dimensions of personality organization could have a significant relationship with the emergence of depression, anxiety and stress, as the explanatory burden dimension provides the primitive defenses and identity diffusion. These results may be useful for early recognition of aspects of personality of applicants, and to perform actions that strengthen them in order to improve efficiency. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Mental models for cognitive control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schilling, Malte; Cruse, Holk; Schmitz, Josef

2007-05-01

Even so called "simple" organisms as insects are able to fastly adapt to changing conditions of their environment. Their behaviour is affected by many external influences and only its variability and adaptivity permits their survival. An intensively studied example concerns hexapod walking. 1,2 Complex walking behaviours in stick insects have been analysed and the results were used to construct a reactive model that controls walking in a robot. This model is now extended by higher levels of control: as a bottom-up approach the low-level reactive behaviours are modulated and activated through a medium level. In addition, the system grows up to an upper level for cognitive control of the robot: Cognition - as the ability to plan ahead - and cognitive skills involve internal representations of the subject itself and its environment. These representations are used for mental simulations: In difficult situations, for which neither motor primitives, nor whole sequences of these exist, available behaviours are varied and applied in the internal model while the body itself is decoupled from the controlling modules. The result of the internal simulation is evaluated. Successful actions are learned and applied to the robot. This constitutes a level for planning. Its elements (movements, behaviours) are embodied in the lower levels, whereby their meaning arises directly from these levels. The motor primitives are situation models represented as neural networks. The focus of this work concerns the general architecture of the framework as well as the reactive basic layer of the bottom-up architecture and its connection to higher level functions and its application on an internal model.

Tubular Heart Pumping Mechanisms in Ciona Intestinalis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battista, Nicholas; Miller, Laura

2015-11-01

In vertebrate embryogenesis, the first organ to form is the heart, beginning as a primitive heart tube. However, many invertebrates have tubular hearts from infancy through adulthood. Heart tubes have been described as peristaltic and impedance pumps. Impedance pumping assumes a single actuation point of contraction, while traditional peristalsis assumes a traveling wave of actuation. In addition to differences in flow, this inherently implies differences in the conduction system. It is possible to transition from pumping mechanism to the other with a change in the diffusivity of the action potential. In this work we consider the coupling between the fluid dynamics and electrophysiology of both mechanisms, within a basal chordate, the tunicate. Using CFD with a neuro-mechanical model of tubular pumping, we discuss implications of the both mechanisms. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of the pumping mechanism on evolution and development.

Klebsormidium flaccidum genome reveals primary factors for plant terrestrial adaptation

PubMed Central

Hori, Koichi; Maruyama, Fumito; Fujisawa, Takatomo; Togashi, Tomoaki; Yamamoto, Nozomi; Seo, Mitsunori; Sato, Syusei; Yamada, Takuji; Mori, Hiroshi; Tajima, Naoyuki; Moriyama, Takashi; Ikeuchi, Masahiko; Watanabe, Mai; Wada, Hajime; Kobayashi, Koichi; Saito, Masakazu; Masuda, Tatsuru; Sasaki-Sekimoto, Yuko; Mashiguchi, Kiyoshi; Awai, Koichiro; Shimojima, Mie; Masuda, Shinji; Iwai, Masako; Nobusawa, Takashi; Narise, Takafumi; Kondo, Satoshi; Saito, Hikaru; Sato, Ryoichi; Murakawa, Masato; Ihara, Yuta; Oshima-Yamada, Yui; Ohtaka, Kinuka; Satoh, Masanori; Sonobe, Kohei; Ishii, Midori; Ohtani, Ryosuke; Kanamori-Sato, Miyu; Honoki, Rina; Miyazaki, Daichi; Mochizuki, Hitoshi; Umetsu, Jumpei; Higashi, Kouichi; Shibata, Daisuke; Kamiya, Yuji; Sato, Naoki; Nakamura, Yasukazu; Tabata, Satoshi; Ida, Shigeru; Kurokawa, Ken; Ohta, Hiroyuki

2014-01-01

The colonization of land by plants was a key event in the evolution of life. Here we report the draft genome sequence of the filamentous terrestrial alga Klebsormidium flaccidum (Division Charophyta, Order Klebsormidiales) to elucidate the early transition step from aquatic algae to land plants. Comparison of the genome sequence with that of other algae and land plants demonstrate that K. flaccidum acquired many genes specific to land plants. We demonstrate that K. flaccidum indeed produces several plant hormones and homologues of some of the signalling intermediates required for hormone actions in higher plants. The K. flaccidum genome also encodes a primitive system to protect against the harmful effects of high-intensity light. The presence of these plant-related systems in K. flaccidum suggests that, during evolution, this alga acquired the fundamental machinery required for adaptation to terrestrial environments. PMID:24865297

MARCO POLO: near earth object sample return mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barucci, M. A.; Yoshikawa, M.; Michel, P.; Kawagushi, J.; Yano, H.; Brucato, J. R.; Franchi, I. A.; Dotto, E.; Fulchignoni, M.; Ulamec, S.

2009-03-01

MARCO POLO is a joint European-Japanese sample return mission to a Near-Earth Object. This Euro-Asian mission will go to a primitive Near-Earth Object (NEO), which we anticipate will contain primitive materials without any known meteorite analogue, scientifically characterize it at multiple scales, and bring samples back to Earth for detailed scientific investigation. Small bodies, as primitive leftover building blocks of the Solar System formation process, offer important clues to the chemical mixture from which the planets formed some 4.6 billion years ago. Current exobiological scenarios for the origin of Life invoke an exogenous delivery of organic matter to the early Earth: it has been proposed that primitive bodies could have brought these complex organic molecules capable of triggering the pre-biotic synthesis of biochemical compounds. Moreover, collisions of NEOs with the Earth pose a finite hazard to life. For all these reasons, the exploration of such objects is particularly interesting and urgent. The scientific objectives of MARCO POLO will therefore contribute to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the Solar System, the Earth, and possibly Life itself. Moreover, MARCO POLO provides important information on the volatile-rich (e.g. water) nature of primitive NEOs, which may be particularly important for future space resource utilization as well as providing critical information for the security of Earth. MARCO POLO is a proposal offering several options, leading to great flexibility in the actual implementation. The baseline mission scenario is based on a launch with a Soyuz-type launcher and consists of a Mother Spacecraft (MSC) carrying a possible Lander named SIFNOS, small hoppers, sampling devices, a re-entry capsule and scientific payloads. The MSC leaves Earth orbit, cruises toward the target with ion engines, rendezvous with the target, conducts a global characterization of the target to select a sampling site, and delivers small hoppers (MINERVA type, JAXA) and SIFNOS. The latter, if added, will perform a soft landing, anchor to the target surface, and make various in situ measurements of surface/subsurface materials near the sampling site. Two surface samples will be collected by the MSC using “touch and go” manoeuvres. Two complementary sample collection devices will be used in this phase: one developed by ESA and another provided by JAXA, mounted on a retractable extension arm. After the completion of the sampling and ascent of the MSC, the arm will be retracted to transfer the sample containers into the MSC. The MSC will then make its journey back to Earth and release the re-entry capsule into the Earth’s atmosphere.

A Symbolic Approach Using Feature Construction Capable of Acquiring Information/Knowledge for Building Expert Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Major, Raymond L.

1998-01-01

Presents a technique for developing a knowledge-base of information to use in an expert system. Proposed approach employs a popular machine-learning algorithm along with a method for forming a finite number of features or conjuncts of at most n primitive attributes. Illustrates this procedure by examining qualitative information represented in a…

A range-wide occupancy estimate and habitat model for the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

Treesearch

William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Jeffrey R. Dunk; Matthew J. Lau; James J. Graham

2015-01-01

The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is notably the most primitive North American rodent with a restricted distribution in the Pacific Northwest based on its physiological limits to heat stress and water needs. The Point Arena subspecies (A. r. nigra) is federally listed as endangered and is 1 of 2 subspecies that have extremely...

Using Spatial-Temporal Primitives to Improve Geographic Skills for Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Martin M.

2004-01-01

An exercise to help improve the geographic skills of preservice teachers was developed and tested during a six year period on over 500 students. The exercise required these students to map two arrangements of roads and facilities within a small neighborhood. A set of special-temporal primitives (place, size, shape, distance, direction,…

Android Protection Mechanism: A Signed Code Security Mechanism for Smartphone Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

status registers, exceptions, endian support, unaligned access support, synchronization primitives , the Jazelle Extension, and saturated integer...supports comprehensive non-blocking shared-memory synchronization primitives that scale for multiple-processor system designs. This is an improvement... synchronization . Memory semaphores can be loaded and altered without interruption because the load and store operations are atomic. Processor

Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcomas (Extremity Sarcoma Closed to Entry as of 5/30/07)

ClinicalTrials.gov

2014-04-01

Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Metastatic Osteosarcoma; Recurrent Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Osteosarcoma; Stage I Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage II Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage III Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage IV Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Primitive Reflexes and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Developmental Origins of Classroom Dysfunction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Myra; Houghton, Stephen; Chapman, Elaine

2004-01-01

The present research studied the symptomatologic overlap of AD/HD behaviours and retention of four primitive reflexes (Moro, Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex [TLR], Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex [ATNR], Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex [STNR]) in 109 boys aged 7-10 years. Of these, 54 were diagnosed with AD/HD, 34 manifested sub-syndromal coordination,…

On the origin of extraterrestrial stratospheric particles: Interplanetary dust or meteor ablation debris?. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyte, F. T.

1977-01-01

Meteor ablation debris was distinguished from unablated interplanetary dust in a collection of extraterrestrial particles collected in the stratosphere using NASA U-2 aircraft. A 62 g sample of the Murchison (C2) meteorite was artificially ablated to characterize ablation debris for comparison with the stratospheric particles. By using proper experimental conditions, artificial ablation debris can be produced that is similar to natural ablation debris. Analyses of natural fusion crusts, artificial fusion crust, and artificial ablation debris of the Murchison meteorite produced criteria for recognizing debris ablated by a primitive meteoroid. Ninety-five percent of the stratospheric particles can be described as either ablation debris from a primitive meteoroid, or as very primitive interplanetary dust.

A primitive protostegid from Australia and early sea turtle evolution

PubMed Central

Kear, Benjamin P; Lee, Michael S.Y

2005-01-01

Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are a prominent group of modern marine reptiles whose early history is poorly understood. Analysis of exceptionally well preserved fossils of Bouliachelys suteri gen. et sp. nov., a large-bodied basal protostegid (primitive chelonioid) from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) of Australia, indicates that early sea turtles were both larger and more diverse than previously thought. The analysis implies at least five distinct sea turtle lineages existed around 100 million years ago. Currently, the postcranially primitive Ctenochelys and Toxochelys are interpreted as crown-group sea turtles closely related to living cheloniids (e.g. Chelonia); in contrast, the new phylogeny suggests that they are transitional (intermediate stem-taxa) between continental testudines and derived, pelagic chelonioids. PMID:17148342

POPO AGIE PRIMITIVE AREA, WYOMING.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, Robert C.; Patten, L.L.

1984-01-01

A mineral-resource appraisal was made of the Popo Agie Primitive Area and some adjoining lands. This scenic mountainous region of the Wind River Range in west-central Wyoming is composed largely of ancient granitic rocks in which virtually no evidence of mineral deposits was found. Deep crustal seismic-reflection profiles obtained across the southern Wind River Range suggest the possibility that young sedimentary rocks, similar to those at the surface along the northeast flank of the range, are present at depth beneath the granite in the Popo Agie primitive Area. If present, such buried sedimentary rocks could be petroleum bearing. Additional seismic and gravity studies would probably add valuable information, but ultimately very expensive, very deep drilling will be necessary to test this possibility.

Quadruped robots' modular trajectories: Stability issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinto, Carla M. A.

2012-09-01

Pinto, Santos, Rocha and Matos [13, 12] study a CPG model for the generation of modular trajectories of quadruped robots. They consider that each movement is composed of two types of primitives: rhythmic and discrete. The rhythmic primitive models the periodic patterns and the discrete primitive is inserted as a perturbation of those patterns. In this paper we begin to tackle numerically the problem of the stability of that mathematical model. We observe that if the discrete part is inserted in all limbs, with equal values, and as an offset of the rhythmic part, the obtained gait is stable and has the same spatial and spatio-temporal symmetry groups as the purely rhythmic gait, differing only on the value of the offset.

Hard Spheres on the Primitive Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dotera, Tomonari; Takahashi, Yusuke

2015-03-01

Recently hierarchical structures associated with the gyroid in several soft-matter systems have been reported. One of fundamental questions is regular arrangement or tiling on minimal surfaces. We have found certain numbers of hard spheres per unit cell on the gyroid surface are entropically self-organized. Here, new results for the primitive surface are presented. 56/64/72 per unit cell on the primitive minimal surface are entropically self-organized. Numerical evidences for the fluid-solid transition as a function of hard sphere radius are obtained in terms of the acceptance ratio of Monte Carlo moves and order parameters. These arrangements, which are the extensions of the hexagonal arrangement on a flat surface, can be viewed as hyperbolic tiling on the Poincaré disk with a negative Gaussian curvature.

Concept-based query language approach to enterprise information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemi, Timo; Junkkari, Marko; Järvelin, Kalervo

2014-01-01

In enterprise information systems (EISs) it is necessary to model, integrate and compute very diverse data. In advanced EISs the stored data often are based both on structured (e.g. relational) and semi-structured (e.g. XML) data models. In addition, the ad hoc information needs of end-users may require the manipulation of data-oriented (structural), behavioural and deductive aspects of data. Contemporary languages capable of treating this kind of diversity suit only persons with good programming skills. In this paper we present a concept-oriented query language approach to manipulate this diversity so that the programming skill requirements are considerably reduced. In our query language, the features which need technical knowledge are hidden in application-specific concepts and structures. Therefore, users need not be aware of the underlying technology. Application-specific concepts and structures are represented by the modelling primitives of the extended RDOOM (relational deductive object-oriented modelling) which contains primitives for all crucial real world relationships (is-a relationship, part-of relationship, association), XML documents and views. Our query language also supports intensional and extensional-intensional queries, in addition to conventional extensional queries. In its query formulation, the end-user combines available application-specific concepts and structures through shared variables.

A Neural Network Architecture For Rapid Model Indexing In Computer Vision Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlicki, Ted

1988-03-01

Models of objects stored in memory have been shown to be useful for guiding the processing of computer vision systems. A major consideration in such systems, however, is how stored models are initially accessed and indexed by the system. As the number of stored models increases, the time required to search memory for the correct model becomes high. Parallel distributed, connectionist, neural networks' have been shown to have appealing content addressable memory properties. This paper discusses an architecture for efficient storage and reference of model memories stored as stable patterns of activity in a parallel, distributed, connectionist, neural network. The emergent properties of content addressability and resistance to noise are exploited to perform indexing of the appropriate object centered model from image centered primitives. The system consists of three network modules each of which represent information relative to a different frame of reference. The model memory network is a large state space vector where fields in the vector correspond to ordered component objects and relative, object based spatial relationships between the component objects. The component assertion network represents evidence about the existence of object primitives in the input image. It establishes local frames of reference for object primitives relative to the image based frame of reference. The spatial relationship constraint network is an intermediate representation which enables the association between the object based and the image based frames of reference. This intermediate level represents information about possible object orderings and establishes relative spatial relationships from the image based information in the component assertion network below. It is also constrained by the lawful object orderings in the model memory network above. The system design is consistent with current psychological theories of recognition by component. It also seems to support Marr's notions of hierarchical indexing. (i.e. the specificity, adjunct, and parent indices) It supports the notion that multiple canonical views of an object may have to be stored in memory to enable its efficient identification. The use of variable fields in the state space vectors appears to keep the number of required nodes in the network down to a tractable number while imposing a semantic value on different areas of the state space. This semantic imposition supports an interface between the analogical aspects of neural networks and the propositional paradigms of symbolic processing.

From imitation to meaning: circuit plasticity and the acquisition of a conventionalized semantics

PubMed Central

García, Ricardo R.; Zamorano, Francisco; Aboitiz, Francisco

2014-01-01

The capacity for language is arguably the most remarkable innovation of the human brain. A relatively recent interpretation prescribes that part of the language-related circuits were co-opted from circuitry involved in hand control—the mirror neuron system (MNS), involved both in the perception and in the execution of voluntary grasping actions. A less radical view is that in early humans, communication was opportunistic and multimodal, using signs, vocalizations or whatever means available to transmit social information. However, one point that is not yet clear under either perspective is how learned communication acquired a semantic property thereby allowing us to name objects and eventually describe our surrounding environment. Here we suggest a scenario involving both manual gestures and learned vocalizations that led to the development of a primitive form of conventionalized reference. This proposal is based on comparative evidence gathered from other species and on neurolinguistic evidence in humans, which points to a crucial role for vocal learning in the early development of language. Firstly, the capacity to direct the attention of others to a common object may have been crucial for developing a consensual referential system. Pointing, which is a ritualized grasping gesture, may have been crucial to this end. Vocalizations also served to generate joint attention among conversants, especially when combined with gaze direction. Another contributing element was the development of pantomimic actions resembling events or animals. In conjunction with this mimicry, the development of plastic neural circuits that support complex, learned vocalizations was probably a significant factor in the evolution of conventionalized semantics in our species. Thus, vocal imitations of sounds, as in onomatopoeias (words whose sound resembles their meaning), are possibly supported by mirror system circuits, and may have been relevant in the acquisition of early meanings. PMID:25152726

Efficient design of CMOS TSC checkers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biddappa, Anita; Shamanna, Manjunath K.; Maki, Gary; Whitaker, Sterling

1990-01-01

This paper considers the design of an efficient, robustly testable, CMOS Totally Self-Checking (TSC) Checker for k-out-of-2k codes. Most existing implementations use primitive gates and assume the single stuck-at fault model. The self-testing property has been found to fail for CMOS TSC checkers under the stuck-open fault model due to timing skews and arbitrary delays in the circuit. A new four level design using CMOS primitive gates (NAND, NOR, INVERTERS) is presented. This design retains its properties under the stuck-open fault model. Additionally, this method offers an impressive reduction (greater than 70 percent) in gate count, gate inputs, and test set size when compared to the existing method. This implementation is easily realizable and is based on Anderson's technique. A thorough comparative study has been made on the proposed implementation and Kundu's implementation and the results indicate that the proposed one is better than Kundu's in all respects for k-out-of-2k codes.

Laboratory Studies of Cometary Materials - Continuity Between Asteroid and Comet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messenger, Scott; Walker, Robert M.

2015-01-01

Laboratory analysis of cometary samples have been enabled by collection of cometary dust in the stratosphere by high altitude aircraft and by the direct sampling of the comet Wild-2 coma by the NASA Stardust spacecraft. Cometary materials are composed of a complex assemblage of highly primitive, unprocessed interstellar and primordial solar system materials as well as a variety of high temperature phases that must have condensed in the inner regions of the protoplanetary disk. These findings support and contradict conclusions of comet properties based solely on astronomical observations. These sample return missions have instead shown that there is a continuity of properties between comets and asteroids, where both types of materials show evidence for primitive and processed materials. Furthermore, these findings underscore the importance and value of direct sample return. There will be great value in comparing the findings of the Stardust cometary coma sample return mission with those of future asteroid surface sample returns OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa II as well as future comet nucleus sample returns.

The Composition and Organization of Cytoplasm in Prebiotic Cells

PubMed Central

Trevors, Jack T.

2011-01-01

This article discusses the hypothesized composition and organization of cytoplasm in prebiotic cells from a theoretical perspective and also based upon what is currently known about bacterial cytoplasm. It is unknown if the first prebiotic, microscopic scale, cytoplasm was initially contained within a primitive, continuous, semipermeable membrane, or was an uncontained gel substance, that later became enclosed by a continuous membrane. Another possibility is that the first cytoplasm in prebiotic cells and a primitive membrane organized at the same time, permitting a rapid transition to the first cell(s) capable of growth and division, thus assisting with the emergence of life on Earth less than a billion years after the formation of the Earth. It is hypothesized that the organization and composition of cytoplasm progressed initially from an unstructured, microscopic hydrogel to a more complex cytoplasm, that may have been in the volume magnitude of about 0.1–0.2 μm3 (possibly less if a nanocell) prior to the first cell division. PMID:21673913

Primitive chain network simulations for entangled DNA solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masubuchi, Yuichi; Furuichi, Kenji; Horio, Kazushi; Uneyama, Takashi; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Ianniruberto, Giovanni; Greco, Francesco; Marrucci, Giuseppe

2009-09-01

Molecular theories for polymer rheology are based on conformational dynamics of the polymeric chain. Hence, measurements directly related to molecular conformations appear more appealing than indirect ones obtained from rheology. In this study, primitive chain network simulations are compared to experimental data of entangled DNA solutions [Teixeira et al., Macromolecules 40, 2461 (2007)]. In addition to rheological comparisons of both linear and nonlinear viscoelasticities, a molecular extension measure obtained by Teixeira et al. through fluorescent microscopy is compared to simulations, in terms of both averages and distributions. The influence of flow on conformational distributions has never been simulated for the case of entangled polymers, and how DNA molecular individualism extends to the entangled regime is not known. The linear viscoelastic response and the viscosity growth curve in the nonlinear regime are found in good agreement with data for various DNA concentrations. Conversely, the molecular extension measure shows significant departures, even under equilibrium conditions. The reason for such discrepancies remains unknown.

Volatile trace elements and the characterization of the Cayley Formation and the primitive lunar crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jovanovic, S.; Reed, G. W., Jr.

1973-01-01

Two types of highland terrain appear to be present at the Apollo 16 landing site. The Plains Formation called Cayley is ubiquitous and blankets even those regions that were presumably a part of the mountainous Descartes Formation. The second type of terrain is that associated with the ejectae from North and South Ray craters. The stratigraphy sampled by the ejectae underlays the Cayley layer as characterized above and may permit a redefinition of Descartes Formation as that which underlays the smooth Plains deposits. These conclusions are based on the concentrations and chemical coherence between elements such as Cl-F-P2O5 and Ru-Os. The primitive lunar crust may be characterized by the type of feldspathic rocks which are enriched in trace elements, such as Cl, Br, U, Te, Ru, and Os, as found in 'rusty' rock 66095 and in 61016; other feldspathic rocks are depleted and may be of secondary origin.

Sr-isotopic, paleomagnetic, and biostratigraphic calibration of horse evolution: Evidence from the Miocene of Florida

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

MacFadden, B.J.; Bryant, J.D.; Mueller, P.A.

1991-03-01

During the middle Miocene an explosive adaptive radiation resulted in the advent of grazing horses with high-crowned teeth in North America. New Sr isotopic, paleomagnetic, and biostratigrahic evidence from the Miocene marine and nonmarine sequence of the Florida panhandle calibrates the base of this adaptive radiation. The transition from the primitive outgroup species 'Parahippus' leonensis to the most primitive high-crowned horse, 'Merychippus' gunteri occured after about 17.7 Ma. After this event, the lowest known stratigraphic level at which diversification (i.e., presence of two or more sympatric species) of grazing merychippine horses occurs is about 16.2 Ma, or within the earlymore » part of Chron C5BR. Although this currently is the only sequence where the parahippine-merychippine transition is directly calibrated, biochronologic evidence from other important, contemporaneous localities in Texas, Nebraska, and California indicate that diversification occured rapidly throughout North America between 15 and 16 Ma.« less

Ubiquitination dynamics in the early-branching eukaryote Giardia intestinalis

PubMed Central

Niño, Carlos A; Chaparro, Jenny; Soffientini, Paolo; Polo, Simona; Wasserman, Moises

2013-01-01

Ubiquitination is a highly dynamic and versatile posttranslational modification that regulates protein function, stability, and interactions. To investigate the roles of ubiquitination in a primitive eukaryotic lineage, we utilized the early-branching eukaryote Giardia intestinalis. Using a combination of biochemical, immunofluorescence-based, and proteomics approaches, we assessed the ubiquitination status during the process of differentiation in Giardia. We observed that different types of ubiquitin modifications present specific cellular and temporal distribution throughout the Giardia life cycle from trophozoites to cyst maturation. Ubiquitin signal was detected in the wall of mature cysts, and enzymes implicated in cyst wall biogenesis were identified as substrates for ubiquitination. Interestingly, inhibition of proteasome activity did not affect trophozoite replication and differentiation, while it caused a decrease in cyst viability, arguing for proteasome involvement in cyst wall maturation. Using a proteomics approach, we identified around 200 high-confidence ubiquitinated candidates that vary their ubiquitination status during differentiation. Our results indicate that ubiquitination is critical for several cellular processes in this primitive eukaryote. PMID:23613346

Primitive neuroectodermal tumour of the kidney: radiologic-pathological correlations.

PubMed

Chea, Y W; Agrawal, Rashi; Poh, Angeline C C

2008-06-01

A primitive neuroectodermal tumour of the kidney is a rare malignancy. We report the computed tomographic features and the histopathological correlation of such a tumour occurring in a middle-aged man. Although the radiological appearance has significant overlap with other renal tumours, this tumour should be included in the differential diagnosis of a large renal mass in younger patients.

Comprehensive BRL-CAD Primitive Database

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents. Citation of...database provides the target describers of BRL–CAD with a representative example of each primitive’s shape and its properties. In addition to the...database was completed, a tool was created to generate primitive shapes automatically. This provides target describers—CAD experts who generate

Counting Primitive Pythagorean Triples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayoub, Ayoub B.

2005-01-01

A triple (x,y,z) of natural numbers is called a Primitive Pythagorean Triple (PPT) if it satisfies two conditions: (1) x[squared] + y[squared] = z[squared]; and (2) x, y, and z have no common factor other than one. All the PPT's are given by the parametric equations: (1) x = m[squared] - n[squared]; (2) y = 2mn; and (3) z = m[squared] +…

Trace element distributions in primitive achondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Andrew M.; Prinz, Martin; Weisberg, Michael K.

1993-01-01

The primitive achondrites have approximately chondritic bulk chemical composition but achondritic textures. Clayton et al. show that nine of these meteorites, the acapulcoites and the lodranites, have similar oxygen isotopic compositions. The acapulcoites appear to be highly metamorphosed, but undifferentiated meteorites of chondritic composition; whereas, the lodranites appear to have lost a feldspathic partial melt. In order to learn more about metamorphic processes and partial melt removal, we have measured the trace element compositions of constituent phases of a number of primitive achondrites by ion microprobe. We have analyzed two acapulcoites, Acapulco and ALH81261 (paired with ALH77081), and three londranites, Lodran, LEW88280, and MAC88177. In addition, we analyzed LEW88663, which has the bulk composition, mineral chemistry, and oxygen isotopic composition of L-chondrites, but is metal-free and has an achondrite texture; and Divnoe, a plagioclase-poor, olivine-rich primitive achondrite with an oxygen isotopic composition similar to that of the group IAB iron meteorites. These meteorites show a variety of REE patterns in their constituent phases, and there are consistent differences between acapulcoites and lodranites that are consistent with removal of a LREE- and Eu-enriched melt that is apparently responsible for the low plagioclase content of lodranites.

A balanced motor primitive framework can simultaneously explain motor learning in unimanual and bimanual movements.

PubMed

Takiyama, Ken; Sakai, Yutaka

2017-02-01

Certain theoretical frameworks have successfully explained motor learning in either unimanual or bimanual movements. However, no single theoretical framework can comprehensively explain motor learning in both types of movement because the relationship between these two types of movement remains unclear. Although our recent model of a balanced motor primitive framework attempted to simultaneously explain motor learning in unimanual and bimanual movements, this model focused only on a limited subset of bimanual movements and therefore did not elucidate the relationships between unimanual movements and various bimanual movements. Here, we extend the balanced motor primitive framework to simultaneously explain motor learning in unimanual and various bimanual movements as well as the transfer of learning effects between unimanual and various bimanual movements; these phenomena can be simultaneously explained if the mean activity of each primitive for various unimanual movements is balanced with the corresponding mean activity for various bimanual movements. Using this balanced condition, we can reproduce the results of prior behavioral and neurophysiological experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the balanced condition can be implemented in a simple neural network model. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

What is ontic structural realism?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ainsworth, Peter Mark

In recent years a doctrine known as ontic structural realism (OSR) has achieved a degree of notoriety, but many people remain confused as to what exactly the doctrine amounts. In this paper three main variants of OSR are defined and discussed: (i) OSR1, which is the view that relations are ontologically primitive but objects and properties are not; (ii) OSR2, which is the view that objects and relations are ontologically primitive but properties are not; (iii) OSR3, which is the view that properties and relations are ontologically primitive but objects are not. Proponents of OSR claim that it is a "naturalistic" metaphysics, arguing that metaphysical views that take objects and/or properties as ontologically primitive are undermined by contemporary physics. In this paper it is argued that OSR1 and OSR2 are themselves undermined by contemporary physics. On the other hand, it is also argued that considerations about the objects of quantum mechanics and general relativity do seem to suggest that we should abandon some of our "common-sense" metaphysical intuitions, and that OSR3 is one of the metaphysical views that is compatible with what these theories seem to tell us about fundamental ontology.

Process Management and Exception Handling in Multiprocessor Operating Systems Using Object-Oriented Design Techniques. Revised Sep. 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russo, Vincent; Johnston, Gary; Campbell, Roy

1988-01-01

The programming of the interrupt handling mechanisms, process switching primitives, scheduling mechanism, and synchronization primitives of an operating system for a multiprocessor require both efficient code in order to support the needs of high- performance or real-time applications and careful organization to facilitate maintenance. Although many advantages have been claimed for object-oriented class hierarchical languages and their corresponding design methodologies, the application of these techniques to the design of the primitives within an operating system has not been widely demonstrated. To investigate the role of class hierarchical design in systems programming, the authors have constructed the Choices multiprocessor operating system architecture the C++ programming language. During the implementation, it was found that many operating system design concerns can be represented advantageously using a class hierarchical approach, including: the separation of mechanism and policy; the organization of an operating system into layers, each of which represents an abstract machine; and the notions of process and exception management. In this paper, we discuss an implementation of the low-level primitives of this system and outline the strategy by which we developed our solution.

Phosphorus, a key to life on the primitive earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffith, E. J.; Ponnamperuma, C.; Gabel, N. W.

1977-01-01

The phosphorus of the primitive earth was present as phosphates. It is strongly probable that a portion of the phosphate was present as condensed phosphates. The primitive earth was highly deficient in the total available phosphorus until a sufficient quantity of phosphorus weathered from the igneous rocks in which it was entrapped. Approximately three billion years were required for the seas to become saturated. Until this time passed the seas acted as a giant sink for phosphorus, diluting it to the extent that all forms of life were deprived of the vital nutrient. When the seas became saturated, the rate of turnover of the phosphorus increased rapidly. As the seas pulsated, they left the excess precipitate phosphorus as sedimentary rock in locally rich deposits on which life could thrive.

Morphological Study of Insoluble Organic Matter Residues from Primitive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Changela, H. G.; Stroud, R. M.; Peeters, Z.; Nittler, L. R.; Alexander, C. M. O'D.; DeGregorio, B. T.; Cody, G. D.

2012-01-01

Insoluble organic matter (IOM) constitutes a major proportion, 70-99%, of the total organic carbon found in primitive chondrites [1, 2]. One characteristic morphological component of IOM is nanoglobules [3, 4]. Some nanoglobules exhibit large N-15 and D enrichments relative to solar values, indicating that they likely originated in the ISM or the outskirts of the protoplanetary disk [3]. A recent study of samples from the Tagish Lake meteorite with varying levels of hydrothermal alteration suggest that nanoglobule abundance decreases with increasing hydrothermal alteration [5]. The aim of this study is to further document the morphologies of IOM from a range of primitive chondrites in order to determine any correlation of morphology with petrographic grade and chondrite class that could constrain the formation and/or alteration mechanisms.

Health status of the elderly population among four primitive tribes of Orissa, India: a clinico-epidemiological study.

PubMed

Kerketta, A S; Bulliyya, G; Babu, B V; Mohapatra, S S S; Nayak, R N

2009-02-01

Primitive tribal groups (PTGs) are the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in India. Clinico-epidemiological studies on morbidity patterns among the elderly primitive tribe members are essential to recommend special intervention programmes to improve the health of the elderly in these communities. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among the elderly populations of four different PTGs, namely Langia Saora (LS), Paudi Bhuiyan (PB), Kutia Kondh (KK) and Dongria Kondh (DK) living in the forests of Orissa, India. Clinical and anthropometric data were collected using standard methods and haemoglobin was estimated by the cyanomethaemoglobin method. The average number of illnesses per person was 3.0. Common disabilities like vision and hearing impairment and mobility-related problems were found in considerable numbers. Gastrointestinal problems like acid peptic disease were found among 2.6% to 20% of cases. Non-specific fever was marked in 10.2% to 24.2% of individuals. The iodine deficiency disorder, namely goitre, was found among 4.2% to 6.0% of individuals. Diseases of the respiratory tract, like upper and lower respiratory tract infection, asthma, tuberculosis and leprosy, were found in small numbers. The prevalence of hypertension among males and females was 31.8% and 42.2%, respectively. The LS had the highest prevalence of hypertension (63% among men and 68% among women). With regard to anaemia status, severe anaemia was marked in 70% of males and 76.7% of females in the LS, while in other groups the prevalence of severe anaemia ranged from 15% to 33%. Although the prevalence of severe anaemia in other tribal communities is lower than in the LS, mild to moderate anaemia was found to range from 60% to 80%. The present study revealed a high prevalence of physical disabilities with both non-communicable as well as communicable diseases among the elderly primitive tribal members. This warrants the implementation of a special health care strategy to reduce suffering at this crucial age and improve quality of life.

Novel Protein Folding Pathways for Protein Salvage and Recycling

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-26

cooperative protein folding and unfolding reactions. Archaea are primitive microorganisms placed by most taxonomic criteria at the base of the Tree of...Life. The Archaea have many molecular properties that are found universally in modern lineages of both Bacteria and Archaea , and many species are...specialized for survival and growth in extreme conditions, including at or above the normal boiling point of water. These hyperthermophilic archaea

Fossil Fishes from China Provide First Evidence of Dermal Pelvic Girdles in Osteichthyans

PubMed Central

Zhu, Min; Yu, Xiaobo; Choo, Brian; Qu, Qingming; Jia, Liantao; Zhao, Wenjin; Qiao, Tuo; Lu, Jing

2012-01-01

Background The pectoral and pelvic girdles support paired fins and limbs, and have transformed significantly in the diversification of gnathostomes or jawed vertebrates (including osteichthyans, chondrichthyans, acanthodians and placoderms). For instance, changes in the pectoral and pelvic girdles accompanied the transition of fins to limbs as some osteichthyans (a clade that contains the vast majority of vertebrates – bony fishes and tetrapods) ventured from aquatic to terrestrial environments. The fossil record shows that the pectoral girdles of early osteichthyans (e.g., Lophosteus, Andreolepis, Psarolepis and Guiyu) retained part of the primitive gnathostome pectoral girdle condition with spines and/or other dermal components. However, very little is known about the condition of the pelvic girdle in the earliest osteichthyans. Living osteichthyans, like chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fishes), have exclusively endoskeletal pelvic girdles, while dermal pelvic girdle components (plates and/or spines) have so far been found only in some extinct placoderms and acanthodians. Consequently, whether the pectoral and pelvic girdles are primitively similar in osteichthyans cannot be adequately evaluated, and phylogeny-based inferences regarding the primitive pelvic girdle condition in osteichthyans cannot be tested against available fossil evidence. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we report the first discovery of spine-bearing dermal pelvic girdles in early osteichthyans, based on a new articulated specimen of Guiyu oneiros from the Late Ludlow (Silurian) Kuanti Formation, Yunnan, as well as a re-examination of the previously described holotype. We also describe disarticulated pelvic girdles of Psarolepis romeri from the Lochkovian (Early Devonian) Xitun Formation, Yunnan, which resemble the previously reported pectoral girdles in having integrated dermal and endoskeletal components with polybasal fin articulation. Conclusions/Significance The new findings reveal hitherto unknown similarity in pectoral and pelvic girdles among early osteichthyans, and provide critical information for studying the evolution of pelvic girdles in osteichthyans and other gnathostomes. PMID:22509388

Software Assurance Curriculum Project Volume 1: Master of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

activity by providing a check on the relevance and currency of the process used to develop the MSwA2010 curriculum content. Figure 2 is an expansion of...random oracle model, symmetric crypto primitives, modes of operations, asymmetric crypto primitives (Chapter 5) [16] Detailed design...encryption, public key encryption, digital signatures, message authentication codes, crypto protocols, cryptanalysis, and further detailed crypto

Secure Computer System: Unified Exposition and Multics Interpretation

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-03-01

prearranged code to semaphore critical information to an undercleared subject/process. Neither of these topics is directly addressed by the mathematical...FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS. RULES OF OPERATION FOR A SECURE MULTICS Kernel primitives for a secure Multics will be derived from a higher level user...the Multics architecture as little as possible; this will account to a large extent for radical differences in form between actual kernel primitives

The Open Source Hardening Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

invariants have been violated. Further, despite the severity of storage system bugs, deployed testing meth- ods remain primitive , typically a combination of...an exponen- tially increasing number all-at-once. As a result, EX- PLODE unsurprisingly looks like a primitive operating system: it has a queue of...via semaphores . However, doing so requires intrusive changes and, in our experience [30], backfires with unexpected deadlock since semaphores prevent a

Synchronization of Concurrent Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-01

Pettersen Stanford Ur.iversity Artificial Intelligence Laboratory ABSTRACT Th oaoer gives an overview of commonly used synchronization primitives and...wr.ters . ut.l.z.ng the DroDo4d synchronization primitive . The solution is simpler and shorter than other known S’ms The first sections of the paper...un reicr»» side il nrcttaary and Identity by block number) Scheduling, process scheduling, synchronization , mutual exclusion, semaphores , critical

Specification and Verification of Secure Concurrent and Distributed Software Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

primitive search strategies work for operating systems that contain relatively few operations . As the number of operations increases, so does the the...others have granted him access to, etc . The burden of security falls on the operating system , although appropriate hardware support can minimize the...Guttag, J. Horning, and R. Levin. Synchronization primitives for a multiprocessor: a formal specification. Symposium on Operating System Principles

Primary extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour of breast.

PubMed

Ikhwan, S M; Kenneth, V K T; Seoparjoo, A; Zin, A A M

2013-06-21

Primary primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET) and extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma belongs to the Ewing's family of tumours. Primary tumours arising from breast are very rare. There are only a few case reports published on primary extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma and PNET arising from breast. We present an extremely rare case of an inoperable primary Ewing's sarcoma arising from left breast with contralateral breast, lymphatic and lung metastasis.

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy in Treating Younger Patients With Lung Metastases

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-09-23

Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma; Lung Metastases; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Previously Treated Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Recurrent Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Wilms Tumor and Other Childhood Kidney Tumors; Stage IV Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage IV Wilms Tumor; Stage V Wilms Tumor; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific; Unspecified Childhood Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Symbolic Dynamics and Grammatical Complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Bai-Lin; Zheng, Wei-Mou

The following sections are included: * Formal Languages and Their Complexity * Formal Language * Chomsky Hierarchy of Grammatical Complexity * The L-System * Regular Language and Finite Automaton * Finite Automaton * Regular Language * Stefan Matrix as Transfer Function for Automaton * Beyond Regular Languages * Feigenbaum and Generalized Feigenbaum Limiting Sets * Even and Odd Fibonacci Sequences * Odd Maximal Primitive Prefixes and Kneading Map * Even Maximal Primitive Prefixes and Distinct Excluded Blocks * Summary of Results

A Conditional Criterion for Identity, Leading to a Fourth Law of Logic

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

Identify by block number) Aristotle, Aristotlean logic, axiom, axioms of logic, change, Charles Muses, chronotopology, collapse of the wave function...of perception, merely accounting for the spatial aspects. In other words, Aristotlean logic is a synthesis of primitive observation, which has been...parameter, not an observable. Hence measurement/detection (observ- ables)deal with primitive observation and Aristotlean logic (topology), while total

Primitive Liquid Water of the Solar System in an Aqueous Altered Carbonaceous Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsuchiyama, A.; Miyake, A.; Kitayama, A.; Matsuno, J.; Takeuchi, A.; Uesugi, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Nakano, T.; Zolensky, M. E.

2016-01-01

Non-destructive 3D observations of the aqueous altered CM chondrite Sutter's Mill using scanning imaging x-ray microscopy (SIXM) showed that some of calcite and enstatite grains contain two-phase inclusion, which is most probably composed of liquid water and bubbles. This water should be primitive water responsible for aqueous alteration in an asteroid in the early solar system.

AMORE; The Advanced Multimedia Organizer for Requirements Elicitation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

terms of cinematic primitives, including: perspective, camera, sound, content, and context [Davenport 91]. Ambient sound can be used to provide...concept) [Dumais 88], [Salton 83]. Latent semantic indexing [Dumais 88] could improve the access to video shots described by cinematic primitives. As...into classes (includ- the cited articles) video source ing cinematic primi- tives) CMU/SEI-93-TR-12 33 A.6 Tree-Maps Retrieval Visualization

Tanespimycin in Treating Young Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Leukemia or Solid Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-06-03

Childhood Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia; Childhood Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor; Disseminated Neuroblastoma; Metastatic Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Metastatic Osteosarcoma; Previously Treated Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Recurrent Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Recurrent Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Neuroblastoma; Recurrent Osteosarcoma

Efficient Strategies for Active Interface-Level Network Topology Discovery

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Network Information Centre API Application Programming Interface APNIC Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre ARIN American Registry for Internet Numbers...very convenient Application Programming Interface ( API ) for easy primitive implementation. Ark’s API facilitates easy development and rapid...prototyping – important attributes as the char- acteristics of our primitives evolve. The API allows a high-level of abstraction, which in turn leads to rapid

Along-strike variability of primitive magmas (major and volatile elements) inferred from olivine-hosted melt inclusions, southernmost Andean Southern Volcanic Zone, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weller, D. J.; Stern, C. R.

2018-01-01

Glass compositions of melt inclusions in olivine phenocrysts found in tephras derived from explosive eruptions of the four volcanoes along the volcanic front of the southernmost Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SSVZ) are used to constrain primitive magma compositions and melt generation parameters. Primitive magmas from Hudson, Macá, and Melimoyu have similar compositions and are formed by low degrees (8-18%) of partial melting. Compared to these other three centers, primitive magmas from Mentolat have higher Al2O3 and lower MgO, TiO2 and other incompatible minor elements, and are generated by somewhat higher degrees (12-20%) of partial melting. The differences in the estimated primitive parental magma compositions between Mentolat and the other three volcanic centers are consistent with difference in the more evolved magmas erupted from these centers, Mentolat magmas having higher Al2O3 and lower MgO, TiO2 and other incompatible minor element contents, suggesting that these differences are controlled by melting processes in the mantle source region above the subducted oceanic plate. Parental magma S = 1430-594 and Cl = 777-125 (μg/g) contents of Hudson, Macá, and Melimoyu are similar to other volcanoes further north in the SVZ. However, Mentolat primitive magmas have notably higher concentrations of S = 2656-1227 and Cl = 1078-704 (μg/g). The observed along-arc changes in parental magma chemistry may be due to the close proximity below Mentolat of the subducted Guamblin Fracture Zone that could efficiently transport hydrous mineral phases, seawater, and sediment into the mantle, driving enhanced volatile fluxed melting beneath this center compared to the others. Table S2. Olivine-hosted melt inclusion compositions, host-olivine compositions, and the post-entrapment crystallization corrected melt inclusion compositions. Table S3. Olivine-hosted melt inclusion modeling information. Table S4. Major element compositions of the fractionation corrected melt inclusion in equilibrium with mantle olivine. Table S5. Melting parameters Fm and CoH2O. Table S6. Major element compositions of phenocrysts and glasses occurring with the olivine-hosted melt inclusions.

Comparative Analysis of the 5S rRNA and Its Associated Proteins Reveals Unique Primitive Rather Than Parasitic Features in Giardia lamblia

PubMed Central

Xin, De-Dong; Wen, Jian-Fan

2012-01-01

Background 5S rRNA is a highly conserved ribosomal component. Eukaryotic 5S rRNA and its associated proteins (5S rRNA system) have become very well understood. Giardia lamblia was thought by some researchers to be the most primitive extant eukaryote while others considered it a highly evolved parasite. Previous reports have indicated that some aspects of its 5S rRNA system are simpler than that of common eukaryotes. We here explore whether this is true to its entire system, and whether this simplicity is a primitive or parasitic feature. Methodology/Principal Findings By collecting and confirming pre-existing data and identifying new data, we obtained almost complete datasets of the system of three isolates of G. lamblia, two other parasitic excavates (Trichomonas vaginalis, Trypanosoma cruzi), and one free-living one (Naegleria gruberi). After comprehensively comparing each aspect of the system among these excavates and also with those of archaea and common eukaryotes, we found all the three Giardia isolates to harbor a same simplified 5S rRNA system, which is not only much simpler than that of common eukaryotes but also the simplest one among those of these excavates, and is surprisingly very similar to that of archaea; we also found among these excavates the system in parasitic species is not necessarily simpler than that in free-living species, conversely, the system of free-living species is even simpler in some respects than those of parasitic ones. Conclusion/Significance The simplicity of Giardia 5S rRNA system should be considered a primitive rather than parasitically-degenerated feature. Therefore, Giardia 5S rRNA system might be a primitive system that is intermediate between that of archaea and the common eukaryotic model system, and it may reflect the evolutionary history of the eukaryotic 5S rRNA system from the archaeal form. Our results also imply G. lamblia might be a primitive eukaryote with secondary parasitically-degenerated features. PMID:22685540

Melt Inclusions Record Extreme Compositional Variability in Primitive Magmas at Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamenetsky, V. S.; Norman, M. D.; Garcia, M. O.

2002-12-01

Melt inclusions carry potentially unique information about magmatic processes and the compositional evolution of erupted lavas. Major element compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions in submarine tholeiitic picrites from the southwest rift zone of Mauna Loa volcano have been studied to examine the compositional variability of primitive magmas feeding the world's largest volcano. Approximately 600 naturally quenched inclusions were examined from 8 samples with 3-25 vol% olivine phenocrysts and 9-22 wt% MgO. Olivine compositions ranged from Fo91-Fo82. The inclusions show a continuous variation in FeO contents from near-magmatic values (9 to 11 wt%) in the most evolved olivines to extremely low values (3.5 to 7.0 wt%) in the most primitive olivines. This appears to reflect a complex magmatic history for these crystals involving extensive re-equlibration of melts trapped by early formed phenocrysts with their host olivine. Extreme compositional variability also characterizes incompatible elements that would not be affected by equilibration with the host olivine. Inclusions trapped in relatively primitive olivines (Fo88-91) show a large range of K2O contents (0.1 to 2.1 wt%), whereas inclusions in more evolved olivines converge on whole rock compositions with 0.3 to 0.4 wt% K2O. Similarly, TiO2/K2O, Na2O/K2O, and K2O/P2O5 ratios of inclusions in primitive olivines span a much larger range than do inclusions hosted by more evolved olivines, with TiO2/K2O ratios extending from enriched to depleted compositions (1.2 to 24.7) in primitive olivines, and converging on whole rock compositions (TiO2/K2O = 6-9) in more evolved host olivine. This points toward extreme compositional variability in melts feeding Mauna Loa, and effective mixing of these melt parcels in the shallower summit reservoir to produce the restricted range of whole rock compositions sampled by erupted lavas. Whole rock compositions, therefore provide an integrated view of melting and high-level mixing processes, whereas melt inclusions provide more detailed information about source characteristics.

Accurate identification of RNA editing sites from primitive sequence with deep neural networks.

PubMed

Ouyang, Zhangyi; Liu, Feng; Zhao, Chenghui; Ren, Chao; An, Gaole; Mei, Chuan; Bo, Xiaochen; Shu, Wenjie

2018-04-16

RNA editing is a post-transcriptional RNA sequence alteration. Current methods have identified editing sites and facilitated research but require sufficient genomic annotations and prior-knowledge-based filtering steps, resulting in a cumbersome, time-consuming identification process. Moreover, these methods have limited generalizability and applicability in species with insufficient genomic annotations or in conditions of limited prior knowledge. We developed DeepRed, a deep learning-based method that identifies RNA editing from primitive RNA sequences without prior-knowledge-based filtering steps or genomic annotations. DeepRed achieved 98.1% and 97.9% area under the curve (AUC) in training and test sets, respectively. We further validated DeepRed using experimentally verified U87 cell RNA-seq data, achieving 97.9% positive predictive value (PPV). We demonstrated that DeepRed offers better prediction accuracy and computational efficiency than current methods with large-scale, mass RNA-seq data. We used DeepRed to assess the impact of multiple factors on editing identification with RNA-seq data from the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities and Sequencing Quality Control projects. We explored developmental RNA editing pattern changes during human early embryogenesis and evolutionary patterns in Drosophila species and the primate lineage using DeepRed. Our work illustrates DeepRed's state-of-the-art performance; it may decipher the hidden principles behind RNA editing, making editing detection convenient and effective.

A molecular phylogeny of the nightjars (Aves: Caprimulgidae) suggests extensive conservation of primitive morphological traits across multiple lineages.

PubMed

Larsen, Carl; Speed, Michael; Harvey, Nicholas; Noyes, Harry A

2007-03-01

We report a molecular re-assessment of the classification of the nightjars which draws conclusions that are strongly at odds with the traditional, morphology-based classifications. We used maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods to compare the cytochrome b gene for 14 species from seven of the 15 genera of the Caprimulgidae and partial cytochrome b sequence data was available for a further seven species including three further genera. We found that within the Caprimulgidae there were four geographically isolated clades with bootstrap support greater than 70%. One of these clades contained just Chordeiles species, the remaining three clades each contained a mixture of genera including Caprimulgus sp. A clade of exclusively South American nightjars included the genera Caprimulgus, Uropsalis, Eleopthreptus and Hydropsalis. A clade of African and Eurasian birds included Caprimulgus and Macrodipteryx. Phalaenoptilus nuttallii and Caprimulgus vociferous formed a clade of North American birds. Two ecological factors appear to make morphological classification potentially misleading: first, the apparent retention of primitive anti-predator and foraging-related traits across genetically divergent groups; second, rapid divergence in other traits, especially those related to mating, which generate high levels of morphological divergence between species that are genetically very similar. The cytochrome b data suggests that the genus Caprimulgus is not monophyletic and is restricted to Africa and Eurasia and that Caprimulgus species from outside this area have been misclassified as a consequence of retention of primitive adaptations for crepuscular/nocturnal living. Some other genera also appear to have little support from the cytochrome b data.

Insights into the evolution of an alkaline magmatic system: An in situ trace element study of clinopyroxenes from the Ditrău Alkaline Massif, Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batki, Anikó; Pál-Molnár, Elemér; Jankovics, M. Éva; Kerr, Andrew C.; Kiss, Balázs; Markl, Gregor; Heincz, Adrián; Harangi, Szabolcs

2018-02-01

Clinopyroxene is a major constituent in most igneous rock types (hornblendite, diorite, syenite, nepheline syenite, camptonite, tinguaite and ijolite) of the Ditrău Alkaline Massif, Eastern Carpathians, Romania. Phenocryst and antecryst populations have been distinguished based on mineral zoning patterns and geochemical characteristics. Major and trace element compositions of clinopyroxenes reflect three dominant pyroxene types including primitive high-Cr Fe-diopside, intermediate Na-diopside-hedenbergite and evolved high-Zr aegirine-augite. Clinopyroxenes record two major magma sources as well as distinct magma evolution trends. The primitive diopside population is derived from an early camptonitic magma related to basanitic parental melts, whilst the intermediate diopside-hedenbergite crystals represent a Na-, Nb- and Zr-rich magma source recognised for the first time in the Ditrău magmatic system. This magma fractionated towards ijolitic and later phonolitic compositions. Field observations, petrography and clinopyroxene-melt equilibrium calculations reveal magma recharge and mingling, pyroxene recycling, fractional crystallisation and accumulation. Repeated recharge events of the two principal magmas resulted in multiple interactions between more primitive and more fractionated co-existing magma batches. Magma mingling occurred between mafic and felsic magmas by injection of ijolitic magma into fissures (dykes) containing phonolitic (tinguaite) magma. This study shows that antecryst recycling, also described for the first time in Ditrău, is a significant process during magma recharge and demonstrates that incorporated crystals can crucially affect the host magma composition and so whole-rock chemical data should be interpreted with great care.

Preliminary embryological study of the radiological concept of retroperitoneal interfascial planes: what are the interfascial planes?

PubMed

Ishikawa, Kazuo; Nakao, Shota; Murakami, Gen; Rodríguez-Vázquez, Jose Francisco; Matsuoka, Tetsuya; Nakamuro, Makoto; Shimazu, Takeshi

2014-12-01

Recently, the radiological concept of retroperitoneal interfascial planes has been widely accepted to explain the extension of retroperitoneal pathologies. This study aimed to explore embryologically based corroborative evidence, which remains to be elucidated, for this concept. Using serial or semi-serial transverse sections from 29 human fetuses at the 5th-25th week of fetal age, we microscopically observed the development of the retroperitoneal fasciae and other structures in the retroperitoneal connective tissue. A hypothesis for the formation of the interfascial planes was generated from the developmental study and analysis of retroperitoneal fasciae in computed tomography images from 224 patients. Whereas the loose connective tissue was uniformly distributed in the retroperitoneum by the 9th week, the primitive renal and transversalis fasciae appeared at the 10th-12th week, as previous research has noted. By the 23rd week, the renal fascia, transversalis fascia, and primitive adipose tissue of the flank pad emerged. In addition, the primitive lateroconal fascia, which runs parallel to and close to the posterior renal fascia, emerged between the renal fascia and the adipose tissue of the flank pad. Conversely, pre-existing loose connective tissue was sandwiched between the opposing fasciae and was compressed and narrowed by the developing organs and fatty tissues. Through this developmental study, we provided the hypothesis that the compressed loose connective tissue and both opposed fasciae compose the interfascial planes. Analysis of the thickened retroperitoneal fasciae in computed tomography images supported this hypothesis. Further developmental or histological studies are required to verify our hypothesis.

Abiogenic synthesis of nucleotides on the surface of small space bodies with high energy particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simakov, M. B.; Kuzicheva, E. A.; Antropov, A. E.; Dodonova, N. Ya

Abiotic formation of such complex biochemical compounds as nucleotides and oligopeptides on the surface of interstellar and interplanetary dust particles (IDP) by cosmic radiation was examined. In order to study the formation of organic compounds on IDPs, solid films prepared from nucleososide and inorganic phosphate were irradiated with high energy protons. Irradiated products were analyzed with HPLC. The natural nucleotides were detected. The main products were 5' AMP (3.2%) and 2'3' cAMP (2.7%). The results were compared with others experiments on the action of ultraviolet radiation with different wavelengths, γ-radiation and heat on solid mixtures of biologically significant compounds. The experiment on abiogenic synthesis of nucleotides on board of space satellite "BION-11" was compared also. The present results suggest that a considerable amount of complex biochemical compounds formed in extraterrestrial environments could have been supplied to the primitive earth before the origin of life.

Purification and crystallization of Bacillus subtilis NrnA, a novel enzyme involved in nanoRNA degradation

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

Nelersa, Claudiu M.; Schmier, Brad J.; Malhotra, Arun

2012-05-08

The final step in RNA degradation is the hydrolysis of RNA fragments five nucleotides or less in length (nanoRNA) to mononucleotides. In Escherichia coli this step is carried out by oligoribonuclease (Orn), a DEDD-family exoribonuclease that is conserved throughout eukaryotes. However, many bacteria lack Orn homologs, and an unrelated DHH-family phosphoesterase, NrnA, has recently been identified as one of the enzymes responsible for nanoRNA degradation in Bacillus subtilis. To understand its mechanism of action, B. subtilis NrnA was purified and crystallized at room temperature using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method with PEG 4000, PEG 3350 or PEG MME 2000 as precipitant.more » The crystals belonged to the primitive monoclinic space group P2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 50.62, b = 121.3, c = 123.4 {angstrom}, {alpha} = 90, {beta} = 91.31, {gamma} = 90{sup o}.« less

Eliminating Cancer Stem Cells by Targeting Embryonic Signaling Pathways.

PubMed

Oren, Ohad; Smith, B Douglas

2017-02-01

Dramatic advances have been made in the understanding of cancer over the past decade. Prime among those are better appreciation of the biology of cancer and the development of targeted therapies. Despite these improvements, however, most tumors remain refractory to anti-cancer medications and frequently recur. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs), which in some cases express markers of pluripotency (e.g., Oct-4), share many of the molecular features of normal stem cells. These cells have been hypothesised to play a role in tumor resistance and relapse. They exhibit dependence on many primitive regulatory pathways and may be best viewed in the context of embryonic signaling pathways. In this article, we review important embryonic signaling cascades and their differential expression in CSCs. We also discuss these pathways as actionable targets for novel therapies in hopes that eliminating cancer stem cells will lead to an improvement in overall survival for patients.

NOW: A Workflow Language for Orchestration in Nomadic Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philips, Eline; van der Straeten, Ragnhild; Jonckers, Viviane

Existing workflow languages for nomadic or mobile ad hoc networks do not offer adequate support for dealing with the volatile connections inherent to these environments. Services residing on mobile devices are exposed to (temporary) network failures, which should be considered the rule rather than the exception. This paper proposes a nomadic workflow language built on top of an ambient-oriented programming language which supports dynamic service discovery and communication primitives resilient to network failures. Our proposed language provides high level workflow abstractions for control flow and supports rich network and service failure detection and handling through compensating actions. Moreover, we introduce a powerful variable binding mechanism which enables dynamic data flow between services in a nomadic environment. By adding this extra layer of abstraction on top of an ambient-oriented programming language, the application programmer is offered a flexible way to develop applications for nomadic networks.

Origin of primitive ocean island basalts by crustal gabbro assimilation and multiple recharge of plume-derived melts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borisova, Anastassia Y.; Bohrson, Wendy A.; Grégoire, Michel

2017-07-01

Chemical Geodynamics relies on a paradigm that the isotopic composition of ocean island basalt (OIB) represents equilibrium with its primary mantle sources. However, the discovery of huge isotopic heterogeneity within olivine-hosted melt inclusions in primitive basalts from Kerguelen, Iceland, Hawaii and South Pacific Polynesia islands implies open-system behavior of OIBs, where during magma residence and transport, basaltic melts are contaminated by surrounding lithosphere. To constrain the processes of crustal assimilation by OIBs, we employed the Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS), an energy-constrained thermodynamic model of recharge, assimilation and fractional crystallization. For a case study of the 21-19 Ma basaltic series, the most primitive series ever found among the Kerguelen OIBs, we performed sixty-seven simulations in the pressure range from 0.2 to 1.0 GPa using compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions as parental magmas, and metagabbro xenoliths from the Kerguelen Archipelago as wallrock. MCS modeling requires that the assimilant is anatectic crustal melts (P2O5 ≤ 0.4 wt.% contents) derived from the Kerguelen oceanic metagabbro wallrock. To best fit the phenocryst assemblage observed in the investigated basaltic series, recharge of relatively large masses of hydrous primitive basaltic melts (H2O = 2-3 wt%; MgO = 7-10 wt.%) into a middle crustal chamber at 0.2 to 0.3 GPa is required. Our results thus highlight the important impact that crustal gabbro assimilation and mantle recharge can have on the geochemistry of mantle-derived olivine-phyric OIBs. The importance of crustal assimilation affecting primitive plume-derived basaltic melts underscores that isotopic and chemical equilibrium between ocean island basalts and associated deep plume mantle source(s) may be the exception rather than the rule.

The cryopreservation protocol optimal for progenitor recovery is not optimal for preservation of marrow repopulating ability.

PubMed

Balint, B; Ivanović, Z; Petakov, M; Taseski, J; Jovcić, G; Stojanović, N; Milenković, P

1999-03-01

The efficiency of five different cryopreservation protocols (our original controlled-rate and noncontrolled-rate protocols) was evaluated on the basis of the recovery after thawing of very primitive pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (MRA(CFU-GM), pluripotent progenitors (CFU-Sd12) and committed granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (CFU-GM) in mouse bone marrow. Although the nucleated cell recovery and viability determined immediately after the thawing and washing of the cells were found to be similar, whether controlled-rate or noncontrolled-rate cryopreservation protocols were used, the recovery of MRA(CFU-GM), CFU-Sd12 and CFU-GM varied depending on the type of protocol and the cryoprotector (DMSO) concentrations used. It was shown that the controlled-rate protocol was more efficient, enabling better MRA(CFU-GM), CFU-Sd12 and CFU-GM recovery from frozen samples. The most efficient was the controlled-rate protocol of cryopreservation designed to compensate for the release of fusion heat, which enabled a better survival of CFU-Sd12 and CFU-GM when combined with a lower (5%) DMSO concentration. On the contrary, a satisfactory survival rate of very primitive stem cells (MRA(CFU-GM)) was achieved only when 10% DMSO was included with a five-step protocol of cryopreservation. These results point to adequately used controlled-rate freezing as essential for a highly efficient cryopreservation of some of the categories of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. At the same time, it was obvious that a higher DMSO concentration was necessary for the cryopreservation of very primitive stem cells, but not, however, for more mature progenitor cells (CFU-S, CFU-GM). These results imply the existence of a mechanism that decreases the intracellular concentration of DMSO in primitive MRA cells, which is not the case for less primitive progenitors.

Petrology of basaltic sills from ocean drilling program sites 794 and 797 in the Yamato Basin of the Japan Sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thy, P.

1992-01-01

The basaltic sills from ocean drilling program sites 794 and 797 in the Yamato Basin of the Japan Sea are characterized petrographically on the basis of a detailed study of the composition of relict phenocryst and groundmass phases. The systematic variation in the rock compositions is discussed. Results of 1-atm melting experiments on a relatively primitive basalt from site 797 are reported. The sills are found to constitute two distinct groups of suites: primitive, olivine-bearing suites with low potassium and primitive olivine-bearing to evolved, olivine-free suites with relatively high potassium. A pseudoinvariant reaction relationship between olivine and augite and magnetite is inferred. Complex magmatic and tectonic evolutions in the region, perhaps reflecting a transitional stage between subduction zone activity and back arc spreading, are suggested.

Piaget and Levy-Bruhl.

PubMed

Jahoda, G

2000-08-01

Levy-Bruhl exerted a powerful influence, seldom considered, on Piaget. The Levy-Bruhlian thesis of a "pre-logical mentality" characterized by "mystical participation" is outlined, together with its initial reception. The first evidence of Piaget's interest in it dates from 1920, and when he began his studies of children's thinking he compared it with that of 'primitives," also adopting Levy-Bruhl's concept of "participation." By 1928 Piaget had elaborated a theory of the social foundations of different types of thought, which he regarded as also explaining the alleged similarity between the thinking of primitives and children. Both are subject to constraint, primitives by elders and children by parents and teachers. Logical as opposed to pre-logical thought was said to depend on cooperation in free social interaction. Piaget continued to maintain essentially the same views long after Levy-Bruhl himself had renounced the notion of pre-logicality.

Postures and Motions Library Development for Verification of Ground Crew Human Systems Integration Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Mariea Dunn; Dischinger, Charles; Stambolian, Damon; Henderson, Gena

2012-01-01

Spacecraft and launch vehicle ground processing activities require a variety of unique human activities. These activities are being documented in a Primitive motion capture library. The Library will be used by the human factors engineering in the future to infuse real to life human activities into the CAD models to verify ground systems human factors requirements. As the Primitive models are being developed for the library the project has selected several current human factors issues to be addressed for the SLS and Orion launch systems. This paper explains how the Motion Capture of unique ground systems activities are being used to verify the human factors analysis requirements for ground system used to process the STS and Orion vehicles, and how the primitive models will be applied to future spacecraft and launch vehicle processing.

Postures and Motions Library Development for Verification of Ground Crew Human Factors Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stambolian, Damon; Henderson, Gena; Jackson, Mariea Dunn; Dischinger, Charles

2013-01-01

Spacecraft and launch vehicle ground processing activities require a variety of unique human activities. These activities are being documented in a primitive motion capture library. The library will be used by human factors engineering analysts to infuse real to life human activities into the CAD models to verify ground systems human factors requirements. As the primitive models are being developed for the library, the project has selected several current human factors issues to be addressed for the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion launch systems. This paper explains how the motion capture of unique ground systems activities is being used to verify the human factors engineering requirements for ground systems used to process the SLS and Orion vehicles, and how the primitive models will be applied to future spacecraft and launch vehicle processing.

Characterization of selected elementary motion detector cells to image primitives.

PubMed

Benson, Leslie A; Barrett, Steven F; Wright, Cameron H G

2008-01-01

Developing a visual sensing system, complete with motion processing hardware and software would have many applications to current technology. It could be mounted on many autonomous vehicles to provide information about the navigational environment, as well as obstacle avoidance features. Incorporating the motion processing capabilities into the sensor requires a new approach to the algorithm implementation. This research, and that of many others, have turned to nature for inspiration. Elementary motion detector (EMD) cells are involved in a biological preprocessing network to provide information to the motion processing lobes of the house degrees y Musca domestica. This paper describes the response of the photoreceptor inputs to the EMDs. The inputs to the EMD components are tested as they are stimulated with varying image primitives. This is the first of many steps in characterizing the EMD response to image primitives.

Search for Primitive Matter in the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Libourel, G.; Michel, P.; Delbo, M.; Ganino, C.; Recio-Blanco, A.; de Laverny, P.; Zolensky, M. E.; Krot, A. N.

2017-01-01

Recent astronomical observations and theoretical modeling led to a consensus regarding the global scenario of the formation of young stellar objects (YSO) from a cold molecular cloud of interstellar dust (organics and minerals) and gas that, in some cases, leads to the formation of a planetary system. In the case of our Solar System, which has already evolved for approximately 4567 Ma, the quest is to access, through the investigation of planets, moons, cometary and asteroidal bodies, meteorites, micrometeorites, and interplanetary dust particles, the primitive material that contains the key information about the early Solar System processes and its evolution. However, laboratory analyses of extraterrestrial samples, astronomical observations and dynamical models of the Solar System evolution have not brought yet any conclusive evidence on the nature and location of primitive matter in the Solar System, preventing a clear understanding of its early stages.

Deep circulations under simple classes of stratification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salby, Murry L.

1989-01-01

Deep circulations where the motion field is vertically aligned over one or more scale heights are studied under barotropic and equivalent barotropic stratifications. The study uses two-dimensional equations reduced from the three-dimensional primitive equations in spherical geometry. A mapping is established between the full primitive equations and general shallow water behavior and the correspondence between variables describing deep atmospheric motion and those of shallow water behavior is established.

Language Issues in Mobile Program Security

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

primitives for instance synchronous operations Nondeterminism and Privacy Now suppose we introduce nondeterminism via a simple concurrent language...code setting is that the only observable events are those that can be observed from within a mobile program using language primitives and any host...Possibilistic NI is given in It uses a main thread and two triggered threads each with a busy wait loop implementing a semaphore to copy every bit of

Advanced Numerical Techniques of Performance Evaluation. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

multiprocessor environment. This factor is determined by the overhead of the primitives available in the system ( semaphore , monitor , or message... semaphore , monitor , or message passing primitives ) and U the programming ability of the user who implements the simulation. " t,: the sequential...Warp Operating System . i Pro" lftevcnth ACM Symposum on Operating Systems Princlplcs, pages 77 9:3, Auslin, TX, Nov wicr 1987. ACM. [121 D.R. Jefferson

The DISCUS Hardware System,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-01

blocks. DISCUS has no form of hardware synchronisation between the processors. The only synchronisation is at an operating system level. ;ach processor is... operations in global store so that semaphoring on global objects can be done correctly. Write Protect is used by the operating system for read-only...the appropriate operating system program. String Handling primitives . The Z8000 has a rich set of string primitives . However as we saw before if a

Development of a reliable method for determining sex for a primitive rodent, the Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

Treesearch

Kristine L. Pilgrim; William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Michael K. Schwartz

2012-01-01

The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is a primitive species of rodent, often considered a living fossil. The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is an endangered subspecies that occurs in a very restricted range in northern California. Efforts to recover this taxon have been limited by the lack of knowledge on their demography, particularly sex and age...

Cometary Dust: The Diversity of Primitive Matter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooden, D. H.; Ishiiii, H. A.; Zolensky, M. E.

2017-01-01

The connections between comet dust and primitive chondrites from asteroids has strengthened considerably over the past decade. Understanding the importance of the connections between Stardust samples and chondrites requires geochemistry lingo as well as a perspective of other cometary dust samples besides Stardust. We present the principal findings of an extensive review prepared for by us for the June 2016 "Cometary Science After Rosetta" meeting at The Royal Society, London.

Kinematic primitives for walking and trotting gaits of a quadruped robot with compliant legs.

PubMed

Spröwitz, Alexander T; Ajallooeian, Mostafa; Tuleu, Alexandre; Ijspeert, Auke Jan

2014-01-01

In this work we research the role of body dynamics in the complexity of kinematic patterns in a quadruped robot with compliant legs. Two gait patterns, lateral sequence walk and trot, along with leg length control patterns of different complexity were implemented in a modular, feed-forward locomotion controller. The controller was tested on a small, quadruped robot with compliant, segmented leg design, and led to self-stable and self-stabilizing robot locomotion. In-air stepping and on-ground locomotion leg kinematics were recorded, and the number and shapes of motion primitives accounting for 95% of the variance of kinematic leg data were extracted. This revealed that kinematic patterns resulting from feed-forward control had a lower complexity (in-air stepping, 2-3 primitives) than kinematic patterns from on-ground locomotion (νm4 primitives), although both experiments applied identical motor patterns. The complexity of on-ground kinematic patterns had increased, through ground contact and mechanical entrainment. The complexity of observed kinematic on-ground data matches those reported from level-ground locomotion data of legged animals. Results indicate that a very low complexity of modular, rhythmic, feed-forward motor control is sufficient for level-ground locomotion in combination with passive compliant legged hardware.

Delivery of extraterrestrial amino acids to the primitive Earth. Exposure experiments in Earth orbit.

PubMed

Barbier, B; Bertrand, M; Boillot, F; Chabin, A; Chaput, D; Henin, O; Brack, A

1998-06-01

A large collection of micrometeorites has been recently extracted from Antarctic old blue ice. In the 50 to 100 micrometers size range, the carbonaceous micrometeorites represent 80% of the samples and contain 2% of carbon. They might have brought more carbon to the surface of the primitive Earth than that involved in the present surficial biomass. Amino acids such as "-amino isobutyric acid have been identified in these Antarctic micrometeorites. Enantiomeric excesses of L-amino acids have been detected in the Murchison meteorite. A large fraction of homochiral amino acids might have been delivered to the primitive Earth via meteorites and micrometeorites. Space technology in Earth orbit offers a unique opportunity to study the behaviour of amino acids required for the development of primitive life when they are exposed to space conditions, either free or associated with tiny mineral grains mimicking the micrometeorites. Our objectives are to demonstrate that porous mineral material protects amino acids in space from photolysis and racemization (the conversion of L-amino acids into a mixture of L- and D-molecules) and to test whether photosensitive amino acids derivatives can polymerize in mineral grains under space conditions. The results obtained in BIOPAN-1 and BIOPAN-2 exposure experiments on board unmanned satellite FOTON are presented.

A gene trap transposon eliminates haematopoietic expression of zebrafish Gfi1aa, but does not interfere with haematopoiesis.

PubMed

Thambyrajah, Roshana; Ucanok, Deniz; Jalali, Maryam; Hough, Yasmin; Wilkinson, Robert Neil; McMahon, Kathryn; Moore, Chris; Gering, Martin

2016-09-01

A transposon-mediated gene trap screen identified the zebrafish line qmc551 that expresses a GFP reporter in primitive erythrocytes and also in haemogenic endothelial cells, which give rise to haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) that seed sites of larval and adult haematopoiesis. The transposon that mediates this GFP expression is located in intron 1 of the gfi1aa gene, one of three zebrafish paralogs that encode transcriptional repressors homologous to mammalian Gfi1 and Gfi1b proteins. In qmc551 transgenics, GFP expression is under the control of the endogenous gfi1aa promoter, recapitulates early gfi1aa expression and allows live observation of gfi1aa promoter activity. While the transposon integration interferes with the expression of gfi1aa mRNA in haematopoietic cells, homozygous qmc551 fish are viable and fertile, and display normal primitive and definitive haematopoiesis. Retained expression of Gfi1b in primitive erythrocytes and up-regulation of Gfi1ab at the onset of definitive haematopoiesis in homozygous qmc551 carriers, are sufficient to allow normal haematopoiesis. This finding contradicts previously published morpholino data that suggested an essential role for zebrafish Gfi1aa in primitive erythropoiesis. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of refractory organic matter in the ionized gas phase of the solar nebula.

PubMed

Kuga, Maïa; Marty, Bernard; Marrocchi, Yves; Tissandier, Laurent

2015-06-09

In the nascent solar system, primitive organic matter was a major contributor of volatile elements to planetary bodies, and could have played a key role in the development of the biosphere. However, the origin of primitive organics is poorly understood. Most scenarios advocate cold synthesis in the interstellar medium or in the outer solar system. Here, we report the synthesis of solid organics under ionizing conditions in a plasma setup from gas mixtures (H2(O)-CO-N2-noble gases) reminiscent of the protosolar nebula composition. Ionization of the gas phase was achieved at temperatures up to 1,000 K. Synthesized solid compounds share chemical and structural features with chondritic organics, and noble gases trapped during the experiments reproduce the elemental and isotopic fractionations observed in primitive organics. These results strongly suggest that both the formation of chondritic refractory organics and the trapping of noble gases took place simultaneously in the ionized areas of the protoplanetary disk, via photon- and/or electron-driven reactions and processing. Thus, synthesis of primitive organics might not have required a cold environment and could have occurred anywhere the disk is ionized, including in its warm regions. This scenario also supports N2 photodissociation as the cause of the large nitrogen isotopic range in the solar system.

Synthesis of refractory organic matter in the ionized gas phase of the solar nebula

PubMed Central

Kuga, Maïa; Marty, Bernard; Marrocchi, Yves; Tissandier, Laurent

2015-01-01

In the nascent solar system, primitive organic matter was a major contributor of volatile elements to planetary bodies, and could have played a key role in the development of the biosphere. However, the origin of primitive organics is poorly understood. Most scenarios advocate cold synthesis in the interstellar medium or in the outer solar system. Here, we report the synthesis of solid organics under ionizing conditions in a plasma setup from gas mixtures (H2(O)−CO−N2−noble gases) reminiscent of the protosolar nebula composition. Ionization of the gas phase was achieved at temperatures up to 1,000 K. Synthesized solid compounds share chemical and structural features with chondritic organics, and noble gases trapped during the experiments reproduce the elemental and isotopic fractionations observed in primitive organics. These results strongly suggest that both the formation of chondritic refractory organics and the trapping of noble gases took place simultaneously in the ionized areas of the protoplanetary disk, via photon- and/or electron-driven reactions and processing. Thus, synthesis of primitive organics might not have required a cold environment and could have occurred anywhere the disk is ionized, including in its warm regions. This scenario also supports N2 photodissociation as the cause of the large nitrogen isotopic range in the solar system. PMID:26039983

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of α-11 giardin from Giardia lamblia

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

Pathuri, Puja; Nguyen, Emily Tam; Luecke, Hartmut, E-mail: hudel@uci.edu

2006-11-01

α-11 giardin from the intestinal protozoan parasite, G. lamblia has been cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized under two different conditions and in two different space groups. Crystals from the first condition diffracted to 1.1 Å and belong to a primitive orthorhombic space group and crystals obtained in the second condition diffracted to 2.93 Å and belong to a primitive monoclinic space group. α-11 Giardin, a protein from the annexin superfamily, is a 35.0 kDa protein from the intestinal protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia which triggers a form of diarrhea called giardiasis. Here, the cloning, expression, purification and the crystallization of α-11more » giardin under two different conditions and in two different space groups is reported. Crystals from the first condition diffracted to 1.1 Å and belong to a primitive orthorhombic space group, while crystals from the second condition, which included calcium in the crystallization solution, diffracted to 2.93 Å and belong to a primitive monoclinic space group. Determination of the detailed atomic structure of α-11 giardin will provide a better insight into its biological function and might establish whether this class of proteins is a potential drug target against giardiasis.« less

Looking for the most "primitive" organism(s) on Earth today: the state of the art.

PubMed

Forterre, P

1995-01-01

Molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed a tripartite division of the living world into two procaryotic groups, Bacteria and Archaea, and one eucaryotic group, Eucarya. Which group is the most "primitive"? Which groups are sister? The answer to these questions would help to delineate the characters of the last common ancestor to all living beings, as a first step to reconstruct the earliest periods of biological evolution on Earth. The current "Procaryotic dogma" claims that procaryotes are primitive. Since the ancestor of Archaea was most probably a hyperthermophile, and since bacteria too might have originated from hyperthermophiles, the procaryotic dogma has been recently connected to the hot origin of life hypothesis. However, the notion that present-day hyperthermophiles are primitive has been challenged by recent findings, in these unique microorganisms, of very elaborate adaptative devices for life at high temperature. Accordingly, I discuss here alternative hypotheses that challenge the procaryotic dogma, such as the idea of a universal ancestor with molecular features in between those of eucaryotes and procaryotes, or the origin of procaryotes via thermophilic adaptation. Clearly, major evolutionary questions about early cellular evolution on Earth remain to be settled before we can speculate with confidence about which kinds of life might have appeared on other planets.

Kinematic primitives for walking and trotting gaits of a quadruped robot with compliant legs

PubMed Central

Spröwitz, Alexander T.; Ajallooeian, Mostafa; Tuleu, Alexandre; Ijspeert, Auke Jan

2014-01-01

In this work we research the role of body dynamics in the complexity of kinematic patterns in a quadruped robot with compliant legs. Two gait patterns, lateral sequence walk and trot, along with leg length control patterns of different complexity were implemented in a modular, feed-forward locomotion controller. The controller was tested on a small, quadruped robot with compliant, segmented leg design, and led to self-stable and self-stabilizing robot locomotion. In-air stepping and on-ground locomotion leg kinematics were recorded, and the number and shapes of motion primitives accounting for 95% of the variance of kinematic leg data were extracted. This revealed that kinematic patterns resulting from feed-forward control had a lower complexity (in-air stepping, 2–3 primitives) than kinematic patterns from on-ground locomotion (νm4 primitives), although both experiments applied identical motor patterns. The complexity of on-ground kinematic patterns had increased, through ground contact and mechanical entrainment. The complexity of observed kinematic on-ground data matches those reported from level-ground locomotion data of legged animals. Results indicate that a very low complexity of modular, rhythmic, feed-forward motor control is sufficient for level-ground locomotion in combination with passive compliant legged hardware. PMID:24639645

Assessment of the number, biomass, and cell size of bacteria in different soils using the "cascade" filtration method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyanskaya, L. M.; Pinchuk, I. P.; Zvyagintsev, D. G.

2015-03-01

Soddy-podzolic, gray forest, brown forest, primitive Antarctic soils, typical chernozems, and solonchaks were studied. Many ultrafine bacterial cells, along with fine ones, were found in all the soils studied. The gray forest, brown forest, and primitive Antarctic soils were especially distinguished in this respect. Formerly, in the works on soil microbiology, the fact of the cell size reduction was insufficiently taken into account because of the absence of reliable methods. A decrease in the number and biomass of bacteria down the profile in all the soils, except for the solonchak, was shown. In the solonchak, the bacterial number and biomass increases with decreasing salinity of the soil horizons. The bacterial biomass mainly depends on the predominance of cells of definite sizes (0.38 and 0.23 μm). In the B1fungi horizon of the primitive Antarctic soil, a considerable number of large (1.85 μm) bacterial cells was recorded, and this resulted in the maximal microbial biomass in this horizon. The data on the average volume of a cell correlate with those on the number and biomass of bacteria. The largest diameters of cells were registered in the humus and B1fungi horizons of the primitive Antarctic soil.

Prebiotic significance of extraterrestrial ice photochemistry: detection of hydantoin in organic residues.

PubMed

de Marcellus, Pierre; Bertrand, Marylène; Nuevo, Michel; Westall, Frances; Le Sergeant d'Hendecourt, Louis

2011-11-01

The delivery of extraterrestrial organic materials to primitive Earth from meteorites or micrometeorites has long been postulated to be one of the origins of the prebiotic molecules involved in the subsequent apparition of life. Here, we report on experiments in which vacuum UV photo-irradiation of interstellar/circumstellar ice analogues containing H(2)O, CH(3)OH, and NH(3) led to the production of several molecules of prebiotic interest. These were recovered at room temperature in the semi-refractory, water-soluble residues after evaporation of the ice. In particular, we detected small quantities of hydantoin (2,4-imidazolidinedione), a species suspected to play an important role in the formation of poly- and oligopeptides. In addition, hydantoin is known to form under extraterrestrial, abiotic conditions, since it has been detected, along with various other derivatives, in the soluble part of organic matter of primitive carbonaceous meteorites. This result, together with other related experiments reported recently, points to the potential importance of the photochemistry of interstellar "dirty" ices in the formation of organics in Solar System materials. Such molecules could then have been delivered to the surface of primitive Earth, as well as other telluric (exo-) planets, to help trigger first prebiotic reactions with the capacity to lead to some form of primitive biomolecular activity.

Development of a Procurement Task Classification Scheme.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

Office of Sci- entific Research, Arlington, Virginia, January 1970. Tornow , Walter W . and Pinto, Patrick R. "The Development of a Man- agerial Job...classification. [Ref. 4:271 -. 20 6 %° w Numerical taxonomy proponents hold [Ref. 4:271, ... that the relationships of contiguity and similarity should be...solving. 22 W i * These primitive categories are based on a sorting of learning pro- cesses into classes that have obvious differences at the

Saguaro: A Distributed Operating System Based on Pools of Servers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-25

asynchronous message passing, multicast, and semaphores are supported. We have found this flexibility to be very useful for distributed programming. The...variety of communication primitives provided by SR has facilitated the research of Stella Atkins, who was a visiting professor at Arizona during Spring...data bits in a raw communication channel to help keep the source and destination synchronized , Psync explicitly embeds timing information drawn from the

An Operating Environment for the Jellybean Machine

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

MODEL 48 5.4.4 Restarting a Context The operating system provides one primitive message (RESTART-CONTEXT) and two system calls (XFERID and XFER.ADDR) to...efficient, powerful services is reqired to support this "stem. To provide this supportive operating environment, I developed an operating system kernel that...serves many of the initial needs of our machine. This Jellybean Operating System Software provides an object- based storage model, where typed

Winter and summer simulations with the GLAS climate model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shukla, J.; Straus, D.; Randall, D.; Sud, Y.; Marx, L.

1981-01-01

The GLAS climate model is a general circulation model based on the primitive equations in sigma coordinates on a global domain in the presence of orography. The model incorporates parameterizations of the effects of radiation, convection, large scale latent heat release, turbulent and boundary layer fluxes, and ground hydrology. Winter and summer simulations were carried out with this model, and the resulting data are compared to observations.

Formation of biologically relevant carboxylic acids during the gamma irradiation of acetic acid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Negron-Mendoza, A.; Ponnamperuma, C.

1976-01-01

Irradiation of aqueous solutions of acetic acid with gamma rays produced several carboxylic acids in small yield. Their identification was based on the technique of gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Some of these acids are Krebs Cycle intermediates. Their simultaneous formation in experiments simulating the primitive conditions on the earth suggests that metabolic pathways may have had their origin in prebiotic chemical processes.

Morphological decomposition of 2-D binary shapes into convex polygons: a heuristic algorithm.

PubMed

Xu, J

2001-01-01

In many morphological shape decomposition algorithms, either a shape can only be decomposed into shape components of extremely simple forms or a time consuming search process is employed to determine a decomposition. In this paper, we present a morphological shape decomposition algorithm that decomposes a two-dimensional (2-D) binary shape into a collection of convex polygonal components. A single convex polygonal approximation for a given image is first identified. This first component is determined incrementally by selecting a sequence of basic shape primitives. These shape primitives are chosen based on shape information extracted from the given shape at different scale levels. Additional shape components are identified recursively from the difference image between the given image and the first component. Simple operations are used to repair certain concavities caused by the set difference operation. The resulting hierarchical structure provides descriptions for the given shape at different detail levels. The experiments show that the decomposition results produced by the algorithm seem to be in good agreement with the natural structures of the given shapes. The computational cost of the algorithm is significantly lower than that of an earlier search-based convex decomposition algorithm. Compared to nonconvex decomposition algorithms, our algorithm allows accurate approximations for the given shapes at low coding costs.

First description of a musculoskeletal linkage in an adipose fin: innovations for active control in a primitively passive appendage

PubMed Central

Stewart, Thomas A.; Hale, Melina E.

2013-01-01

Adipose fins are enigmatic appendages found between the dorsal and caudal fins of some teleostean fishes. Long thought to be vestigial, degenerate second dorsal fins, remnants of the primitive gnathostome condition, adipose fins have since been recognized as novel morphologies. Unique among the fins of extant fishes, adipose fins have uniformly been described as passive structures, with no associated musculature. Here we provide the first description of a musculoskeletal linkage in an adipose fin, identified in the sun catfish Horabagrus brachysoma. Modified supracarinalis posterior muscles insert from the dorsal midline anterior to the adipose fin by tendons onto the fin base. An additional pair of posterior adipose-fin muscles also inserts upon the fin base and lay posterolateral to the fin, superficial to the axial muscle. This musculoskeletal linkage is an evolutionary innovation, a novel mechanism for controlling adipose-fin movement. These muscles appear to exemplify two approaches by which fins evolve to be actively controlled. We hypothesize that the anterior muscles arose through co-option of an existing fin linkage, while the posterior muscles originated as de novo fin muscles. These findings present adipose fins as a rich system within which to explore the evolution of novel vertebrate appendages. PMID:23135670

An Efficient Method for Automatic Road Extraction Based on Multiple Features from LiDAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Hu, X.; Guan, H.; Liu, P.

2016-06-01

The road extraction in urban areas is difficult task due to the complicated patterns and many contextual objects. LiDAR data directly provides three dimensional (3D) points with less occlusions and smaller shadows. The elevation information and surface roughness are distinguishing features to separate roads. However, LiDAR data has some disadvantages are not beneficial to object extraction, such as the irregular distribution of point clouds and lack of clear edges of roads. For these problems, this paper proposes an automatic road centerlines extraction method which has three major steps: (1) road center point detection based on multiple feature spatial clustering for separating road points from ground points, (2) local principal component analysis with least squares fitting for extracting the primitives of road centerlines, and (3) hierarchical grouping for connecting primitives into complete roads network. Compared with MTH (consist of Mean shift algorithm, Tensor voting, and Hough transform) proposed in our previous article, this method greatly reduced the computational cost. To evaluate the proposed method, the Vaihingen data set, a benchmark testing data provided by ISPRS for "Urban Classification and 3D Building Reconstruction" project, was selected. The experimental results show that our method achieve the same performance by less time in road extraction using LiDAR data.

G-autonomy of EEG recordings of psychotic patients undergoing the primitive expression form of dance therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ventouras, E.-C.; Lardi, I.; Dimitriou, S.; Margariti, A.; Chondraki, P.; Kalatzis, I.; Economou, N.-T.; Tsekou, H.; Paparrigopoulos, T.; Ktonas, P. Y.

2015-09-01

Primitive expression (PE) is a form of dance therapy (DT) that involves an interaction of ethologically and socially based forms which are supplied for re-enactment. Brain connectivity has been measured in electroencephalographic (EEG) data of patients with schizophrenia undergoing PE DT, using the correlation coefficient and mutual information. These parameters do not measure the existence or absence of directionality in the connectivity. The present study investigates the use of the G-autonomy measure of EEG electrode voltages of the same group of schizophrenic patients. G-autonomy is a measure of the “autonomy” of a system. It indicates the degree by which prediction of the system's future evolution is enhanced by taking into account its own past states, in comparison to predictions based on past states of a set of external variables. In the present research, “own” past states refer to voltage values in the time series recorded at a specific electrode and “external” variables refer to the voltage values recorded at other electrodes. Indication is provided for an acute effect of early-stage PE DT expressed by the augmentation of G-autonomy in the delta rhythm and an acute effect of late- stage PE DT expressed by the reduction of G-autonomy in the theta and alpha rhythms.

Drawbacks of the ancient RNA-based life-like system under primitive earth conditions.

PubMed

Kawamura, Kunio

2012-07-01

Following the discovery of ribozymes, the "RNA world" hypothesis has become the most accepted hypothesis concerning the origin of life and genetic information. However, this hypothesis has several drawbacks. Verification of the hypothesis from different viewpoints led us to proposals from the viewpoint of the hydrothermal origin of life, solubility of RNA and related biopolymers, and the possibility of creating an evolutionary system comparable to the in vitro selection technique for functional RNA molecules based on molecular biology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Real Time Programs: Design Implementation of Validation: A Survey.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

to implement the communication: *Using the operating system primitives . *Using a language facilkIt 121. Is *Using a module which provides the servie...Inertial Measurement System , the Head-Up display, the Doppler, Barometer etc .). The program’s main tasks are to calculate the navigation information...btsel using operating sistem primitives , ms implamemiaed in MASCOT channels). 4. ~Womm~om N~iat C...seA This comeeps (by Pamas) is powuin bailig to a

SPANISH PEAKS PRIMITIVE AREA, MONTANA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calkins, James A.; Pattee, Eldon C.

1984-01-01

A mineral survey of the Spanish Peaks Primitive Area, Montana, disclosed a small low-grade deposit of demonstrated chromite and asbestos resources. The chances for discovery of additional chrome resources are uncertain and the area has little promise for the occurrence of other mineral or energy resources. A reevaluation, sampling at depth, and testing for possible extensions of the Table Mountain asbestos and chromium deposit should be undertaken in the light of recent interpretations regarding its geologic setting.

Computer Graphics Research Laboratory Quarterly Progress Report Number 49, July-September 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-11-22

20 Texture Sampling and Strength Guided Motion: Jeffry S. Nimeroff 23 21 Radiosity : Min-Zhi Shao 24 22 Blended Shape Primitives: Douglas DeCarlo 25 23...placement. "* Extensions of radiosity rendering. "* A discussion of blended shape primitives and the applications in computer vision and computer...user. Radiosity : An improved version of the radiosity renderer is included. This version uses a fast over- relaxation progressive refinement algorithm

USAF Summer Research Program - 1993 Graduate Student Research Program Final Reports, Volume 6, AEDC, FJSRL and WHMC

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

Mechanical Engineering Associate, PhD Laboratory: PL/VT Division Engineering University of Texas, San Anton Vol-Page No: 3-26 San Antonio, TX 7824-9065...parameters. The modules can be primitive or compound. Primitive modules represent the elementary computation units and define their interfaces. The... linear under varying conditions for the range of processor numbers. Discussion Performance: Our evaluation of the performance measurement results is the

MOUNT JEFFERSON PRIMITIVE AREA, OREGON.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, George W.; Pattee, Eldon C.

1984-01-01

Mineral and reconnaissance geothermal surveys of the Mount Jefferson Primitive Area in the Cascade Range of Oregon indicate little likelihood that metallic or nonmetallic mineral or energy resources exist in the area. Several mining claims, presumably located for gold, are present, but analyses of samples from the claims failed to detect the presence of gold or other valuable metals. Rock for construction purposes is abundantly present, but better and more accessible deposits are available in adjacent areas.

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

Meijne, E.I.; van der Winden-van Groenewegen, R.J.; Ploemacher, R.E.

The sensitivity for x-irradiation of a series of hematopoietic stem cell populations has been determined. The most primitive cells identified, cells with marrow-repopulating ability (MRA), showed the highest degree of radioresistance. These MRA cells which generate many secondary day-twelve spleen colony-forming units (MRA(CFU-S-12)) or colony-forming units in culture (MRA(CFU-C)) in the marrow of primary recipients had Do values equal to 1.18 and 1.13 Gy, respectively. The more mature CFU-S-12 had intermediate radiosensitivity (Do = 0.94 Gy), whereas the less primitive CFU-S-7 were the most radiosensitive (Do = 0.71 Gy). The in vitro colony-forming precursor cells (CFU-C) showed low radiosensitivity. Thesemore » data clearly show that the most primitive hematopoietic stem cell measured is less sensitive to ionizing radiation than generally has been assumed on the basis of measurements on CFU-S-7 or CFU-S-12.« less

Recent collisional jet from a primitive asteroid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novaković, Bojan; Dell'Oro, Aldo; Cellino, Alberto; Knežević, Zoran

2012-09-01

In this paper we show an example of a young asteroid cluster located in a dynamically stable region, which was produced by partial disruption of a primitive body about 30 km in size. We estimate its age to be only 1.9 ± 0.3 Myr; thus, its post-impact evolution should have been very limited. The large difference in size between the largest object and the other cluster members means that this was a cratering event. The parent body had a large orbital inclination and was subject to collisions with typical impact speeds higher by a factor of 2 than in the most common situations encountered in the main belt. For the first time, we have at our disposal the observable outcome of a very recent event to study high-speed collisions involving primitive asteroids, providing very useful constraints to numerical simulations of these events and to laboratory experiments.

Quantifying Mapping Orbit Performance in the Vicinity of Primitive Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pavlak, Thomas A.; Broschart, Stephen B.; Lantoine, Gregory

2015-01-01

Predicting and quantifying the capability of mapping orbits in the vicinity of primitive bodies is challenging given the complex orbit geometries that exist and the irregular shape of the bodies themselves. This paper employs various quantitative metrics to characterize the performance and relative effectiveness of various types of mapping orbits including terminator, quasi-terminator, hovering, pingpong, and conic-like trajectories. Metrics of interest include surface area coverage, lighting conditions, and the variety of viewing angles achieved. The metrics discussed in this investigation are intended to enable mission designers and project stakeholders to better characterize candidate mapping orbits during preliminary mission formulation activities.The goal of this investigation is to understand the trade space associated with carrying out remotesensing campaigns at small primitive bodies in the context of a robotic space mission. Specifically,this study seeks to understand the surface viewing geometries, ranges, etc. that are available fromseveral commonly proposed mapping orbits architectures.

Quantifying Mapping Orbit Performance in the Vicinity of Primitive Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pavlak, Thomas A.; Broschart, Stephen B.; Lantoine, Gregory

2015-01-01

Predicting and quantifying the capability of mapping orbits in the vicinity of primitive bodies is challenging given the complex orbit geometries that exist and the irregular shape of the bodies themselves. This paper employs various quantitative metrics to characterize the performance and relative effectiveness of various types of mapping orbits including terminator, quasi-terminator, hovering, ping pong, and conic-like trajectories. Metrics of interest include surface area coverage, lighting conditions, and the variety of viewing angles achieved. The metrics discussed in this investigation are intended to enable mission designers and project stakeholders to better characterize candidate mapping orbits during preliminary mission formulation activities. The goal of this investigation is to understand the trade space associated with carrying out remote sensing campaigns at small primitive bodies in the context of a robotic space mission. Specifically, this study seeks to understand the surface viewing geometries, ranges, etc. that are available from several commonly proposed mapping orbits architectures

The trace element chemistry of CaS in enstatite chondrites and some implications regarding its origin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larimer, John W.; Ganapathy, R.

1987-01-01

The trace element distribution in oldhamite (CaS) extracted from enstatite chondrites was determined by INAA. Prior to extraction, the petrologic setting of the grains was studied microscopically, and their minor element contents determined by microprobe analysis; samples that displayed a wide range of minor element contents were selected for detailed elementary analysis. Those samples of CaS suspected to be more primitive on the basis of their minor element and petrologic siting contain the entire inventory of the host meteorite's light REE (LREE) and Eu, plus 30-50 percent of the heavy-REE inventory. In less primitive samples, the LREE are less enriched although Eu remains highly concentrated. Several other elements, including lithophiles and chalcophiles, are most enriched in the most primitive CaS. It is suggested that oldhamite played a key role in the redistribution of these elements during the metamorphism and evolution of enstatite-rich material.

A survey of DNA methylation across social insect species, life stages, and castes reveals abundant and caste-associated methylation in a primitively social wasp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiner, Susan A.; Galbraith, David A.; Adams, Dean C.; Valenzuela, Nicole; Noll, Fernando B.; Grozinger, Christina M.; Toth, Amy L.

2013-08-01

DNA methylation plays an important role in the epigenetic control of developmental and behavioral plasticity, with connections to the generation of striking phenotypic differences between castes (larger, reproductive queens and smaller, non-reproductive workers) in honeybees and ants. Here, we provide the first comparative investigation of caste- and life stage-associated DNA methylation in several species of bees and vespid wasps displaying different levels of social organization. Our results reveal moderate levels of DNA methylation in most bees and wasps, with no clear relationship to the level of sociality. Strikingly, primitively social Polistes dominula paper wasps show unusually high overall DNA methylation and caste-related differences in site-specific methylation. These results suggest DNA methylation may play a role in the regulation of behavioral and physiological differences in primitively social species with more flexible caste differences.

A model for the enantiomeric enrichment of polypeptides on the primitive earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blair, N. E.; Bonner, W. A.

1981-01-01

A potential model is presented for the origin of optical activity in polypeptides on the primitive earth due to enantiomeric enrichment in succeeding polymerization-hydrolysis cycles. The model was developed in experiments with the polymerization of a DL-leucine N-carboxyanhydride mixture with a 31.2% enantiomeric excess of the L isomer with sodium methoxide initiator to yield a polyleucine product which was in turn partially hydrolyzed by acid. The polymerization-hydrolysis was found to produce a net 23.8% increase in the enantiomeric excess of the remaining unhydrolyzed polypeptide (14.2% from the polymerization and 9.6% from the partial hydrolysis). On the basis of these results, it is suggested that a slight excess produced by an appropriate chiral physical process may be enhanced by cycles of stereoselective polymerization and hydrolysis driven by fluctuating wet and dry environmental cycles on the primitive earth.

Near-infrared spectroscopy of primitive solar system objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luu, Jane; Jewitt, David; Cloutis, Edward

1994-01-01

We have obtained near-infrared (H and K band at lambda/Delta(lambda) is approximately 480 to 600) spectra of a sample of primitive objects including 2 Centaur objects (2060 Chiron and 5145 Pholus) and 16 P- and D-type asteroids. The spectra were obtained at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope using the cooled grating spectrometer CGS4, and were used to search for chemically diagnostic vibrational features in these primitive objects. Pholus exhibits broad adsorption features at 2.07 and 2.27 micrometers, as well as a weak feature at 1.72 micrometers. The 1.72- and 2.27-micrometer features are similar to those seen in a laboratory tar sand sample. No distinct absorption features are found in other objects, including Chiron, which displays a spectrally neutral continuum. A comparison of the P- and D-type asteroid spectra with laboratory measurements of organic solids shows no compelling evidence for hydrocarbon overtones seen in terrestrial bituminous tar sands.

Listening to Quackery: Reading John Wesley's Primitive Physic in an Age of Health Care Reform.

PubMed

Skinner, Daniel; Schneider, Adam

2016-11-25

This article uses a reading of John Wesley's Primitive Physic, or An Easy and Natural Method of Curing Most Diseases (1747) to resist the common rejection-often as "quackery"-of Wesley's treatments for common maladies. We engage Wesley not because he was right but because his approach offers useful moments of pause in light of contemporary medical epistemology. Wesley's recommendations were primarily oriented towards the categories of personal responsibility and capability, but he also sought to empower individuals-especially the poor-with the knowledge to safely and affordably treat maladies of their own. We leverage Primitive Physic to rethink contemporary medical knowledge production, especially as sanctioned by randomized clinical trials and legitimate views of experience and contemporary institutions such as the AMA. Ultimately, we suggest that the medical humanities has a key role to play in mining the discarded and dismissed for what they can tell scholars about medical knowledge.

A real-time robot arm collision avoidance system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaffer, Clifford A.; Herb, Gregory M.

1992-01-01

A data structure and update algorithm are presented for a prototype real-time collision avoidance safety system simulating a multirobot workspace. The data structure is a variant of the octree, which serves as a spatial index. An octree recursively decomposes 3D space into eight equal cubic octants until each octant meets some decomposition criteria. The N-objects octree, which indexes a collection of 3D primitive solids is used. These primitives make up the two (seven-degrees-of-freedom) robot arms and workspace modeled by the system. As robot arms move, the octree is updated to reflect their changed positions. During most update cycles, any given primitive does not change which octree nodes it is in. Thus, modification to the octree is rarely required. Cycle time for interpreting current arm joint angles, updating the octree to reflect new positions, and detecting/reporting imminent collisions averages 30 ms on an Intel 80386 processor running at 20 MHz.

Primal negation as a primitive agony: reflections on the absence of a place-for-becoming.

PubMed

Dowd, Amanda

2012-02-01

The fundamental existential question for the borderline/ hysteric patient is not 'who am I?' but 'where am I?' or perhaps 'where can I be?'. This paper(1) explores this statement with reference to a pivotal clinical experience which changed the author's thinking and theorizing about this state. Case material is presented which focuses on an experience of what the author describes as 'primal negation' which gives rise to primitive displacement anxiety and this is proposed as a specific form of primitive mental agony. There is an elaboration of a borderline defence against an unthinkable experience of formless dread which the author conceives as an attempt to construct a sense of a liveable shape. There is a description of an aspect of the analyst's 'dreaming on behalf of the patient' and an elaboration of what this came to mean for both analyst and patient. © 2012, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

The composition of the primitive atmosphere and the synthesis of organic compounds on the early Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bada, J. L.; Miller, S. L.

1985-01-01

The generally accepted theory for the origin of life on the Earth requires that a large variety of organic compounds be present to form the first living organisms and to provide the energy sources for primitive life either directly or through various fermentation reactions. This can provide a strong constraint on discussions of the formation of the Earth and on the composition of the primitive atmosphere. In order for substantial amounts of organic compounds to have been present on the prebiological Earth, certain conditions must have existed. There is a large body of literature on the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds in various postulated atmospheres. In this mixture of abiotically synthesized organic compounds, the amino acids are of special interest since they are utilized by modern organisms to synthesize structural materials and a large array of catalytic peptides.

Origin of lead from green glass of Apollo 15426: a search for primitive lunar lead.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tatsumoto, M.; Premo, W.R.; Unruh, D.M.

1987-01-01

A major obstacle in lunar U-Pb chronology is the elusiveness of the primary Pb isotopic composition and U/Pb ratio and therefore the Pb evolution for the early history of the moon. In an attempt to seek the primitive lunar Pb isotopoc composition, green glass from lunar clod 15426,49 was studied for U-Th-Pb systematics because it is extremely Mg-rich and known to be the most primitive among sampled lunar volcanic rocks. Because of the low Pb concentration and high U/Pb ratio observed for the interior, the initial Pb was poorly defined. Nevertheless, the data indicate that lunar Pb evolved in an environment with 238U/204Pb = 19-55, which is considerably lower than those for mare basalts (around 300) but higher than values for the Earth (6-8).-from Authors

Modeling discrete and rhythmic movements through motor primitives: a review.

PubMed

Degallier, Sarah; Ijspeert, Auke

2010-10-01

Rhythmic and discrete movements are frequently considered separately in motor control, probably because different techniques are commonly used to study and model them. Yet the increasing interest in finding a comprehensive model for movement generation requires bridging the different perspectives arising from the study of those two types of movements. In this article, we consider discrete and rhythmic movements within the framework of motor primitives, i.e., of modular generation of movements. In this way we hope to gain an insight into the functional relationships between discrete and rhythmic movements and thus into a suitable representation for both of them. Within this framework we can define four possible categories of modeling for discrete and rhythmic movements depending on the required command signals and on the spinal processes involved in the generation of the movements. These categories are first discussed in terms of biological concepts such as force fields and central pattern generators and then illustrated by several mathematical models based on dynamical system theory. A discussion on the plausibility of theses models concludes the work.

Ancient Hydrothermal Springs in Arabia Terra, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oehler, Dorothy Z.; Allen, Carlton C.

2008-01-01

Hydrothermal springs are important astrobiological sites for several reasons: 1) On Earth, molecular phylogeny suggests that many of the most primitive organisms are hyperthermophiles, implying that life on this planet may have arisen in hydrothermal settings; 2) on Mars, similar settings would have supplied energy- and nutrient-rich waters in which early martian life may have evolved; 3) such regions on Mars would have constituted oases of continued habitability providing warm, liquid water to primitive life forms as the planet became colder and drier; and 4) mineralization associated with hydrothermal settings could have preserved biosignatures from those martian life forms. Accordingly, if life ever developed on Mars, then hydrothermal spring deposits would be excellent localities in which to search for morphological or chemical remnants of that life. Previous attempts to identify martian spring deposits from orbit have been general or limited by resolution of available data. However, new satellite imagery from HiRISE has a resolution of 28 cm/pixel which allows detailed analysis of geologic structure and geomorphology. Based on these new data, we report several features in Vernal Crater, Arabia Terra that we interpret as ancient hydrothermal springs.

A Hypothesis: Life Initiated from Two Genes, as Deduced from the RNA World Hypothesis and the Characteristics of Life-Like Systems

PubMed Central

Kawamura, Kunio

2016-01-01

RNA played a central role in the emergence of the first life-like system on primitive Earth since RNA molecules contain both genetic information and catalytic activity. However, there are several drawbacks regarding the RNA world hypothesis. Here, I briefly discuss the feasibility of the RNA world hypothesis to deduce the RNA functions that are essential for forming a life-like system. At the same time, I have conducted a conceptual analysis of the characteristics of biosystems as a useful approach to deduce a realistic life-like system in relation to the definition of life. For instance, an RNA-based life-like system should possess enough stability to resist environmental perturbations, by developing a cell-like compartment, for instance. Here, a conceptual viewpoint is summarized to provide a realistic life-like system that is compatible with the primitive Earth environment and the capabilities of RNA molecules. According to the empirical and conceptual analysis, I propose the hypothesis that the first life-like system could have initiated from only two genes. PMID:27490571

HRTEM and EFTEM Studies of Phyllosilicate-Organic Matter Associations in Matrix and Dark Inclusions in the EET92042 CR2 Carbonaceous Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abreu, Neyda M.; Brearley, Adrian J.

2005-01-01

Based on petrologic and isotopic observations, the CR chondrites represent one of the most primitive carbonaceous chondrite groups. The organic matter in CR chondrite matrices is considered to be among the most ancient carbonaceous matter known, potentially providing a link between organic matter in the interstellar medium and our solar system [1]. However, the organic chemistry of CR chondrites may be complicated by the fact that these meteorites have undergone moderate secondary alteration, which potentially overprints primordial features [2]. Although the general effects of this alteration have been documented [2], the details of the fine-grained mineralogy and alteration styles of CR matrices are not fully understood. Here we present TEM observations of matrix in EET 92042, a CR chondrite that contains particularly primitive insoluble organic matter [1]. Preliminary studies [3] determined that EET 92042 matrix is heterogeneous in terms of mineralogy, texture, and petrographic fabric on the micron scale. EET 92042 contains magnetite-rich regions, foliated matrix and dark inclusions (DIs). Some chondrules show fine-grained rims, similar to those described by [4].

Spatial Rack Drives Pitch Configurations: Essence and Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadjieva, Emilia; Abadjiev, Valentin; Naganawa, Akihiro

2018-03-01

The practical realization of all types of mechanical motions converters is preceded by solving the task of their kinematic synthesis. In this way, the determination of the optimal values of the constant geometrical parameters of the chosen structure of the created mechanical system is achieved. The searched result is a guarantee of the preliminary defined kinematic characteristics of the synthesized transmission and in the first place, to guarantee the law of motions transformation. The kinematic synthesis of mechanical transmissions is based on adequate mathematical modelling of the process of motions transformation and on the object, realizing this transformation. Basic primitives of the mathematical models for synthesis upon a pitch contact point are geometric and kinematic pitch configurations. Their dimensions and mutual position in space are the input parameters for the processes of design and elaboration of the synthesized mechanical device. The study presented here is a brief review of the theory of pitch configurations. It is an independent scientific branch of the spatial gearing theory (theory of hyperboloid gears). On this basis, the essence and content of the corresponding primitives, applicable to the synthesis of spatial rack drives, are defined.

Inspection of aeronautical mechanical parts with a pan-tilt-zoom camera: an approach guided by the computer-aided design model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viana, Ilisio; Orteu, Jean-José; Cornille, Nicolas; Bugarin, Florian

2015-11-01

We focus on quality control of mechanical parts in aeronautical context using a single pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera and a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the mechanical part. We use the CAD model to create a theoretical image of the element to be checked, which is further matched with the sensed image of the element to be inspected, using a graph theory-based approach. The matching is carried out in two stages. First, the two images are used to create two attributed graphs representing the primitives (ellipses and line segments) in the images. In the second stage, the graphs are matched using a similarity function built from the primitive parameters. The similarity scores of the matching are injected in the edges of a bipartite graph. A best-match-search procedure in the bipartite graph guarantees the uniqueness of the match solution. The method achieves promising performance in tests with synthetic data including missing elements, displaced elements, size changes, and combinations of these cases. The results open good prospects for using the method with realistic data.

Proton Transports in Pure Liquid Water Characterized by Melted Ice Lattice Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jie, Binbin; Sah, Chihtang

Basic water properties have not been understood for 200 years. Our Melted Ice Lattice model accounts for the 2 basic properties of pure water, the ion product (pH) and mobilities. It has HCP primitive unit cells, each with 4H2O, based on the 1933 Bernal-Fowler model, verified by 1935 Pauling residual entropy theory of 1928-1935 Giauque experimental low temperature specific heat measurements. Our 2 ion species are point-mass protons p + and p-, for mass and electricity transport. Three protonic thermal activation energies are obtained from pH and p + and p- mobilities vs T (0-100OC). Proton transport is analyzed in 3 proton-phonon collision steps: proton detrapping by protonic phonon absorption, proton scattering by oxygenic (water) phonons, and proton trapping with protonic phonon emission. Distinction between Potential and Kinetic Energy Bands of protons (Fermions) and phonons (Bosons) is noted. Experimental protonic activation energies are the phonon energies given by the spring-mass vibration frequencies of lattice, wn = (kn/mn)1/2 . n is the proton-mass unit of the synchronized vibrating particles in the primitive unit cells.

Using Prosopagnosia to Test and Modify Visual Recognition Theory.

PubMed

O'Brien, Alexander M

2018-02-01

Biederman's contemporary theory of basic visual object recognition (Recognition-by-Components) is based on structural descriptions of objects and presumes 36 visual primitives (geons) people can discriminate, but there has been no empirical test of the actual use of these 36 geons to visually distinguish objects. In this study, we tested for the actual use of these geons in basic visual discrimination by comparing object discrimination performance patterns (when distinguishing varied stimuli) of an acquired prosopagnosia patient (LB) and healthy control participants. LB's prosopagnosia left her heavily reliant on structural descriptions or categorical object differences in visual discrimination tasks versus the control participants' additional ability to use face recognition or coordinate systems (Coordinate Relations Hypothesis). Thus, when LB performed comparably to control participants with a given stimulus, her restricted reliance on basic or categorical discriminations meant that the stimuli must be distinguishable on the basis of a geon feature. By varying stimuli in eight separate experiments and presenting all 36 geons, we discerned that LB coded only 12 (vs. 36) distinct visual primitives (geons), apparently reflective of human visual systems generally.

The Gemini Recipe System: A Dynamic Workflow for Automated Data Reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labrie, K.; Hirst, P.; Allen, C.

2011-07-01

Gemini's next generation data reduction software suite aims to offer greater automation of the data reduction process without compromising the flexibility required by science programs using advanced or unusual observing strategies. The Recipe System is central to our new data reduction software. Developed in Python, it facilitates near-real time processing for data quality assessment, and both on- and off-line science quality processing. The Recipe System can be run as a standalone application or as the data processing core of an automatic pipeline. Building on concepts that originated in ORAC-DR, a data reduction process is defined in a Recipe written in a science (as opposed to computer) oriented language, and consists of a sequence of data reduction steps called Primitives. The Primitives are written in Python and can be launched from the PyRAF user interface by users wishing for more hands-on optimization of the data reduction process. The fact that the same processing Primitives can be run within both the pipeline context and interactively in a PyRAF session is an important strength of the Recipe System. The Recipe System offers dynamic flow control allowing for decisions regarding processing and calibration to be made automatically, based on the pixel and the metadata properties of the dataset at the stage in processing where the decision is being made, and the context in which the processing is being carried out. Processing history and provenance recording are provided by the AstroData middleware, which also offers header abstraction and data type recognition to facilitate the development of instrument-agnostic processing routines. All observatory or instrument specific definitions are isolated from the core of the AstroData system and distributed in external configuration packages that define a lexicon including classifications, uniform metadata elements, and transformations.

Level Zero Trigger Processor for the ultra rare kaon decay experiment: NA62

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soldi, Dario; Chiozzi, S.; Gamberini, E.; Gianoli, A.; Mila, G.; Neri, I.; Petrucci, F.

2017-02-01

The NA62 experiment is designed to measure the (ultra-)rare decay K+ →π+ ν ν bar branching ratio with a precision of ∼ 10 % at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). The L0 Trigger Processor (L0TP) is the lowest level system of the trigger chain. It is hardware implemented using programmable logic. The architecture of the L0TP is completely new for a high energy physics experiment. It is fully digital, based on a standard gigabit ethernet communication between detectors and L0TP Board. The L0TP Board is a commercial development board, Terasic DE4, mounting an Altera Stratix IV FPGA. The primitives generated by sub-detectors are sent asynchronously using the UDP protocol to the L0TP during the entire beam spill period (about 5 seconds). The L0TP realigns in time the primitives coming from 7 different sources and manages the information of the time plus all the characteristics of the event as energy, multiplicity and position of hits in order to select good events with a comparison with preset masks. It should guarantee a maximum latency of 1 ms. The maximum input rate is 10 MHz for each sub-detector, while the design maximum output trigger rate is 1 MHz. A complete trigger-less parasitic acquisition of the primitives is possible using mirroring switches to monitor the L0 behavior. A first version of the L0TP was commissioned during the 2014 NA62 pilot run and it is used in the current data taking. A description of the trigger algorithm is here presented.

Energy yields in the prebiotic synthesis of hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stribling, R.; Miller, S. L.

1986-01-01

Prebiotic experiments are usually reported in terms of carbon yields, i.e., the yield of product based on the total carbon in the system. These experiments usually involve a large input of energy and are designed to maximize the yields of product. However, large inputs of energy result in multiple activation of the reactants and products. A more realistic prebiotic experiment is to remove the products of the activation step so they are not exposed a second time to the energy source. This is equivalent to transporting the products synthesized in the primitive atmosphere to the ocean, and thereby protecting them from destruction by atmospheric energy sources. Experiments of this type, using lower inputs of energy, give energy yields (moles of products/joule) which can be used to estimate the relative importance of the different energy sources on the primitive earth. Simulated prebiotic atmospheres containing either CH4, CO or CO2 with N2, H2O and variable amounts of H2 were subjected to a high frequency Tesla coil. Samples of the aqueous phase were taken at various time intervals from 1 hr to 7 days, and the energy yields were obtained by extrapolation to zero time. The samples were analyzed for HCN with the cyanide electrode and for H2CO by chromotropic acid. The spark energy was estimated by calorimetry. The temperature rise in an insulated discharge flask was compared with the temperature rise from a resistance heater in the same flask. These results will be compared with calculated production rates of HCN and H2CO from lightning and a number of photochemical processes on the primitive Earth.

Computational Role of Tunneling in a Programmable Quantum Annealer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boixo, Sergio; Smelyanskiy, Vadim; Shabani, Alireza; Isakov, Sergei V.; Dykman, Mark; Amin, Mohammad; Mohseni, Masoud; Denchev, Vasil S.; Neven, Hartmut

2016-01-01

Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon in which a quantum state tunnels through energy barriers above the energy of the state itself. Tunneling has been hypothesized as an advantageous physical resource for optimization. Here we present the first experimental evidence of a computational role of multiqubit quantum tunneling in the evolution of a programmable quantum annealer. We developed a theoretical model based on a NIBA Quantum Master Equation to describe the multi-qubit dissipative cotunneling effects under the complex noise characteristics of such quantum devices.We start by considering a computational primitive, the simplest non-convex optimization problem consisting of just one global and one local minimum. The quantum evolutions enable tunneling to the global minimum while the corresponding classical paths are trapped in a false minimum. In our study the non-convex potentials are realized by frustrated networks of qubit clusters with strong intra-cluster coupling. We show that the collective effect of the quantum environment is suppressed in the critical phase during the evolution where quantum tunneling decides the right path to solution. In a later stage dissipation facilitates the multiqubit cotunneling leading to the solution state. The predictions of the model accurately describe the experimental data from the D-WaveII quantum annealer at NASA Ames. In our computational primitive the temperature dependence of the probability of success in the quantum model is opposite to that of the classical paths with thermal hopping. Specially, we provide an analysis of an optimization problem with sixteen qubits,demonstrating eight qubit cotunneling that increases success probabilities. Furthermore, we report results for larger problems with up to 200 qubits that contain the primitive as subproblems.

Interfacial characteristics of propylene carbonate and validation of simulation models for electrochemical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Xinli

Supercapacitors have occupy an indispensable role in today's energy storage systems due to their high power density and long life. The introduction of car- bon nanotube (CNT) forests as electrode offers the possibility of nano-scale design and high capacitance. We have performed molecular dynamics simulations on a CNT forest-based electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) and a widely used electrolyte solution (tetra-ethylammonium tetra-fluoroborate in propylene carbonate, TEABF4 /PC). We compare corresponding primitive model and atomically detailed model of TEABF4 /P, emphasizing the significance of ion clustering in electrolytes. The molecular dynamic simulation results suggests that the arrangement of closest neigh- bors leads to the formation of cation-anion chains or rings. Fuoss's discussion of ion-pairing model provides the approximation for a primitive model of 1-1 electrolyte is not broadly satisfactory for both primitive and atomically detailed cases. A more general Poisson statistical assumption is shown to be satisfactory when coordina- tion numbers are low, as is likely to be the case when ion-pairing initiates. We examined the Poisson-based model over a range of concentrations for both models of TEABF4 /P, and the atomically detailed model results identified solvent-separated nearest-neighbor ion-pairs. Large surface areas plays an essential role in nanomaterial properties, which calls for an accurate description of interfaces through modeling. We studied propylene carbonate, a widely used solvent in EDLC systems. PC wets graphite with a contact angle of 31°. The MD simulation model reproduced this contact angle after reduction 40% of the strength of graphite-C atom Lennard-Jones interactions with the solvent. The critical temperature of PC was accurately evaluated by extrapolating the PC liquid-vapor surface tensions. PC molecules tend to lie flat on the PC liquid-vapor surface, and project the propyl carbon toward the vapor phase. Liquid PC simulations also provide basic data for construction of accurate information to assist in device- level modeling of EDLCs. The most serious uncertainty with previous simulations of CNT based EDLCs was definition of the actual composition of the pores. Therefore, direct simulations of filling of CNT forest based electrochemical double-layer capacitors with TEABF4 /P solution was performed. Those calculation characterize the charging and discharg- ing process, including rates of charging responses, the possibility of bubble forma- tion, and kinetic properties with confinement. The mobilities of ions and solvent was investigated through mean square displacement (MSD) and velocity autocorrela- tion functions (VACF). The memory kernel was extracted from VACF by discretized linear-equation solving and a specialized Fourier transform method, results implies the existence of dielectric friction. With the interest in chemical features of EDLCs, a multi-scale theory was de- veloped to embed high resolution ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) methods into studies of EDLCs. This theory was based on McMillan-Mayer theory, potential dis- tribution approach, and quasi-chemical theory. The quasi-chemical theory allow us to break-up the free energies into packing, outer-shell and chemical contributions, where the last part can be done by AIMD directly. For the primitive model of TEABF4 /P, Gaussian statistical models are effective for these outer-shell contributions. And the Gaussian approximation is more efficient than the Bennett method in achieving an accurate mean activity coefficient.

A rule-based software test data generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deason, William H.; Brown, David B.; Chang, Kai-Hsiung; Cross, James H., II

1991-01-01

Rule-based software test data generation is proposed as an alternative to either path/predicate analysis or random data generation. A prototype rule-based test data generator for Ada programs is constructed and compared to a random test data generator. Four Ada procedures are used in the comparison. Approximately 2000 rule-based test cases and 100,000 randomly generated test cases are automatically generated and executed. The success of the two methods is compared using standard coverage metrics. Simple statistical tests showing that even the primitive rule-based test data generation prototype is significantly better than random data generation are performed. This result demonstrates that rule-based test data generation is feasible and shows great promise in assisting test engineers, especially when the rule base is developed further.

Decentralized Control of Scheduling in Distributed Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-15

does not perform quite as well as the 10 state system, but is less sensitive to changes in scheduling period. It performs best when scheduling is...intra-process concerns. We extend theLr concept of a process to inolude Inter -ress comunication. That is. various form of send and receive primitives...Current busyness of each site based on some responses to requests for bids. A received bid is utilization factor. adjusted by incrementing it by a

Surface grid generation for complex three-dimensional geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luh, Raymond Ching-Chung

1988-01-01

An outline is presented for the creation of surface grids from primitive geometry data such as obtained from CAD/CAM systems. The general procedure is applicable to any geometry including full aircraft with wing, nacelle, and empennage. When developed in an interactive graphics environment, a code based on this procedure is expected to substantially improve the turn around time for generating surface grids on complex geometries. Results are shown for a general hypersonic airplane geometry.

Surface grid generation for complex three-dimensional geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luh, Raymond Ching-Chung

1988-01-01

An outline is presented for the creation of surface grids from primitive geometry data such as obtained from CAD/CAM systems. The general procedure is applicable to any geometry including full aircraft with wing, nacelle, and empennage. When developed in an interactive graphics environment, a code base on this procedure is expected to substantially improve the turn around time for generating surface grids on complex geometries. Results are shown for a general hypersonic airplane geometry.

Study of three-dimensional effects on vortex breakdown

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salas, M. D.; Kuruvila, G.

1988-01-01

The incompressible axisymmetric steady Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variables are used to simulate vortex breakdown. The equations, discretized using a second-order, central-difference scheme, are linearized and then solved using an exact LU decomposition, Gaussian elimination, and Newton iteration. Solutions are presented for Reynolds numbers, based on vortex-core radius, as high as 1500. An attempt to study the stability of the axisymmetric solutions against three-dimensional perturbations is discussed.

Exploring Hardware-Based Primitives to Enhance Parallel Security Monitoring in a Novel Computing Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

software level retrieve state information that can inherently contain more contextual information . As a result, such mechanisms can be applied in more...ease by which state information can be gathered for monitoring purposes. For example, we consider soft security to allow for easier state retrieval ...files are to be checked and what parameters are to be verified. The independent auditor periodically retrieves information pertaining to the files in

Removal of Perfluorooctanoic Acid from Water Using Primitive, Conventional and Novel Carbonaceous Sorbent Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

Polyfluoroalkyl Substances ( PFAS ), like perfluorooctanoic acid, have been used for the last 50 years in a wide variety of industrial processes and...The Department of Defense (DoD) has used PFAS -based Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) at fire training facilities and aircraft hangars. These AFFFs have...contaminated approximately 600 sites classified as fire training facilities with PFAS (Huang, 2013). This study focused on testing the most likely

WebBee: A Platform for Secure Coordination and Communication in Crisis Scenarios

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-16

implemented through database triggers. The Webbee Database Server contains an Information Server, which is a Postgres database with PostGIS [5] extension...sends it to the target user. The heavy lifting for this mechanism is done through an extension of Postgres triggers (Figures 6.1 and 6.2), resulting...in fewer queries and better performance. Trigger support in Postgres is table-based and comparatively primitive: with n table triggers, an update

Compositional studies of primitive asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vilas, Faith

1991-01-01

The aqueous alteration history in the solar system are studied through acquiring additional CCD reflectance spectra in the blue-UV through near-IR spectral region and analyzing these spectra for information about iron oxides in phyllosilicates identified in the CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites. Emphasis is on the main-belt and Cybele primitive asteroids, as these asteroids show spectral diversity and are also spectral analogues for known meteorite samples. The porphyrin bands found in organics near 0.4 micron is also sought.

Depsipeptide (Romidepsin) in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Unresectable Soft Tissue Sarcoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-05-18

Adult Alveolar Soft-part Sarcoma; Adult Angiosarcoma; Adult Epithelioid Sarcoma; Adult Extraskeletal Chondrosarcoma; Adult Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma; Adult Fibrosarcoma; Adult Leiomyosarcoma; Adult Liposarcoma; Adult Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma; Adult Malignant Hemangiopericytoma; Adult Malignant Mesenchymoma; Adult Neurofibrosarcoma; Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma; Adult Synovial Sarcoma; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor; Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Stage III Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage IV Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Using exact solutions to develop an implicit scheme for the baroclinic primitive equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marchesin, D.

1984-01-01

The exact solutions presently obtained by means of a novel method for nonlinear initial value problems are used in the development of numerical schemes for the computer solution of these problems. The method is applied to a new, fully implicit scheme on a vertical slice of the isentropic baroclinic equations. It was not possible to find a global scale phenomenon that could be simulated by the baroclinic primitive equations on a vertical slice.

Energy Trapping, Release, and Transport in Three Dimensional Energetic Solids and Molecular Crystals.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-30

excited state and the correlation primitives. These additions had little effect on the tTi ground-state energy. Also included in this table is an...an additional s and p primitive was placed on the C atom and both optimised-with little effect. These were then removed. Finally, the calculation was...the excited vibrational and rotational states of nitromethane have been studied, little work has been done on its low-lying excited electronic states

Trait-based diversification shifts reflect differential extinction among fossil taxa.

PubMed

Wagner, Peter J; Estabrook, George F

2014-11-18

Evolution provides many cases of apparent shifts in diversification associated with particular anatomical traits. Three general models connect these patterns to anatomical evolution: (i) elevated net extinction of taxa bearing particular traits, (ii) elevated net speciation of taxa bearing particular traits, and (iii) elevated evolvability expanding the range of anatomies available to some species. Trait-based diversification shifts predict elevated hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility (i.e., primitive→derived→highly derived sequences) among pairs of anatomical characters. The three specific models further predict (i) early loss of diversity for taxa retaining primitive conditions (elevated net extinction), (ii) increased diversification among later members of a clade (elevated net speciation), and (iii) increased disparity among later members in a clade (elevated evolvability). Analyses of 319 anatomical and stratigraphic datasets for fossil species and genera show that hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility exceeds the expectations of trait-independent diversification in the vast majority of cases, which was expected if trait-dependent diversification shifts are common. Excess hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility correlates with early loss of diversity for groups retaining primitive conditions rather than delayed bursts of diversity or disparity across entire clades. Cambrian clades (predominantly trilobites) alone fit null expectations well. However, it is not clear whether evolution was unusual among Cambrian taxa or only early trilobites. At least among post-Cambrian taxa, these results implicate models, such as competition and extinction selectivity/resistance, as major drivers of trait-based diversification shifts at the species and genus levels while contradicting the predictions of elevated net speciation and elevated evolvability models.

A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Per; Mazák, Ji H.

2009-01-01

The cheetah lineage is a group of large, slender, and long-limbed cats with a distinctive skull and dental morphology, of which only the extant cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is present today. The lineage is characterized by having abbreviated, tall, and domed crania, and a trenchant dentition with a much reduced, posteriorly placed protocone on the upper carnassial. In this article, we report on a new discovery of a Late Pliocene specimen from China with an estimated age of ≈2.2–2.5 million years, making it one of the oldest specimens known to date. A cladistic analysis confirmed that it is the most primitive cheetah known, and it shares a number of unambiguous derived cranial traits with the Acinonyx lineage, but has more primitive dentition than previously known cheetahs, demonstrating that the many unusual skull and dental characters hitherto considered characteristic of cheetahs evolved in a gradual fashion. Isolated teeth of primitive cheetahs may not be recognizable as such, but can be confused with, for instance, those of leopards or other similar-sized pantherine cats or pumas. The age and morphology of the new specimen supports an Old World origin of the cheetah lineage, not a New World one, as has been suggested. We name the new species Acinonyx kurteni in honor of the late Björn Kurtén. PMID:19114651

A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage.

PubMed

Christiansen, Per; Mazák, Ji H

2009-01-13

The cheetah lineage is a group of large, slender, and long-limbed cats with a distinctive skull and dental morphology, of which only the extant cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is present today. The lineage is characterized by having abbreviated, tall, and domed crania, and a trenchant dentition with a much reduced, posteriorly placed protocone on the upper carnassial. In this article, we report on a new discovery of a Late Pliocene specimen from China with an estimated age of approximately 2.2-2.5 million years, making it one of the oldest specimens known to date. A cladistic analysis confirmed that it is the most primitive cheetah known, and it shares a number of unambiguous derived cranial traits with the Acinonyx lineage, but has more primitive dentition than previously known cheetahs, demonstrating that the many unusual skull and dental characters hitherto considered characteristic of cheetahs evolved in a gradual fashion. Isolated teeth of primitive cheetahs may not be recognizable as such, but can be confused with, for instance, those of leopards or other similar-sized pantherine cats or pumas. The age and morphology of the new specimen supports an Old World origin of the cheetah lineage, not a New World one, as has been suggested. We name the new species Acinonyx kurteni in honor of the late Björn Kurtén.

CD34 Antigen and the MPL Receptor Expression Defines a Novel Class of Human Cord Blood-Derived Primitive Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

PubMed

Matsuoka, Yoshikazu; Takahashi, Masaya; Sumide, Keisuke; Kawamura, Hiroshi; Nakatsuka, Ryusuke; Fujioka, Tatsuya; Sonoda, Yoshiaki

2017-06-09

In the murine hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment, thrombopoietin (THPO)/MPL (THPO receptor) signaling plays an important role in the maintenance of adult quiescent HSCs. However, the role of THPO/MPL signaling in the human primitive HSC compartment has not yet been elucidated. We have identified very primitive human cord blood (CB)-derived CD34- severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)-repopulating cells (SRCs) using the intra-bone marrow injection method. In this study, we investigated the roles of the MPL expression in the human primitive HSC compartment. The SRC activities of the highly purified CB-derived 18Lin-CD34+/-MPL+/- cells were analyzed using NOG mice. In the primary recipient mice, nearly all mice that received CD34+/-MPL+/- cells were repopulated with human CD45+ cells. Nearly all of these mice that received CD34+MPL+/- and CD34-MPL- cells showed a secondary repopulation. Interestingly, the secondary recipient mice that received CD34+/-MPL- cells showed a distinct tertiary repopulation. These results clearly indicate that the CD34+/- SRCs not expressing MPL sustain a long-term (LT) (>1 year) human cell repopulation in NOG mice. Moreover, CD34- SRCs generate CD34+CD38-CD90+ SRCs in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide a new concept that CD34-MPL- SRCs reside at the apex of the human HSC hierarchy.

Mineral Composition of Organically Grown Wheat Genotypes: Contribution to Daily Minerals Intake

PubMed Central

Hussain, Abrar; Larsson, Hans; Kuktaite, Ramune; Johansson, Eva

2010-01-01

In this study, 321 winter and spring wheat genotypes were analysed for twelve nutritionally important minerals (B, Cu, Fe, Se, Mg, Zn, Ca, Mn, Mo, P, S and K). Some of the genotypes used were from multiple locations and years, resulting in a total number of 493 samples. Investigated genotypes were divided into six genotype groups i.e., selections, old landraces, primitive wheat, spelt, old cultivars and cultivars. For some of the investigated minerals higher concentrations were observed in selections, primitive wheat, and old cultivars as compared to more modern wheat material, e.g., cultivars and spelt wheat. Location was found to have a significant effect on mineral concentration for all genotype groups, although for primitive wheat, genotype had a higher impact than location. Spring wheat was observed to have significantly higher values for B, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, S and K as compared to winter wheat. Higher levels of several minerals were observed in the present study, as compared to previous studies carried out in inorganic systems, indicating that organic conditions with suitable genotypes may enhance mineral concentration in wheat grain. This study also showed that a very high mineral concentration, close to daily requirements, can be produced by growing specific primitive wheat genotypes in an organic farming system. Thus, by selecting genotypes for further breeding, nutritional value of the wheat flour for human consumption can be improved. PMID:20948934

Assemblage of Presolar Materials and Early Solar System Condensates in Chondritic Porous Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, A. N.; Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Messenger, S.; Keller, L. P.; Kloeck, W.

2015-01-01

Anhydrous chondritic porous inter-planetary dust particles (CP IDPs) contain an assortment of highly primitive solar system components, molecular cloud matter, and presolar grains. These IDPs have largely escaped parent body processing that has affected meteorites, advocating cometary origins. Though the stardust abundance in CP IDPs is generally greater than in primitive meteorites, it can vary widely among individual CP IDPs. The average abundance of silicate stardust among isotopically primitive IDPs is approx. 375 ppm while some have extreme abundances up to approx. 1.5%. H and N isotopic anomalies are common in CP IDPs and the carrier of these anomalies has been traced to organic matter that has experienced chemical reactions in cold molecular clouds or the outer protosolar disk. Significant variations in these anomalies may reflect different degrees of nebular processing. Refractory inclusions are commonly observed in carbonaceous chondrites. These inclusions are among the first solar system condensates and display 16O-rich isotopic compositions. Refractory grains have also been observed in the comet 81P/Wild-2 samples re-turned from the Stardust Mission and in CP IDPs, but they occur with much less frequency. Here we conduct coordinated mineralogical and isotopic analyses of CP IDPs that were characterized for their bulk chemistry by to study the distribution of primitive components and the degree of nebular alteration incurred.