The semiotics of medical image Segmentation.

PubMed

Baxter, John S H; Gibson, Eli; Eagleson, Roy; Peters, Terry M

2018-02-01

As the interaction between clinicians and computational processes increases in complexity, more nuanced mechanisms are required to describe how their communication is mediated. Medical image segmentation in particular affords a large number of distinct loci for interaction which can act on a deep, knowledge-driven level which complicates the naive interpretation of the computer as a symbol processing machine. Using the perspective of the computer as dialogue partner, we can motivate the semiotic understanding of medical image segmentation. Taking advantage of Peircean semiotic traditions and new philosophical inquiry into the structure and quality of metaphors, we can construct a unified framework for the interpretation of medical image segmentation as a sign exchange in which each sign acts as an interface metaphor. This allows for a notion of finite semiosis, described through a schematic medium, that can rigorously describe how clinicians and computers interpret the signs mediating their interaction. Altogether, this framework provides a unified approach to the understanding and development of medical image segmentation interfaces. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A unified understanding of (γ, n) and (n, γ) reactions and direct neutron-multiplicity sorting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utsunomiya, Hiroaki; Goriely, Stephane; m, Therese Renstrø; Katayama, Seitaro; Gheorghe, Ioana; Filipescu, Dan; Belyshev, Sergey; Varlamov, Vladimir

2017-09-01

We discuss the γ-ray strength function toward a unified understanding of (γ,n) and (n,γ) reactions and propose a novel technique of direct neutron-multiplicity sorting to resolve the long-standing discrepancy between the Livermore and Scalya data of partial photoneutron cross sections.

Mechanical Models of Fault-Related Folding

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

Johnson, A. M.

2003-01-09

The subject of the proposed research is fault-related folding and ground deformation. The results are relevant to oil-producing structures throughout the world, to understanding of damage that has been observed along and near earthquake ruptures, and to earthquake-producing structures in California and other tectonically-active areas. The objectives of the proposed research were to provide both a unified, mechanical infrastructure for studies of fault-related foldings and to present the results in computer programs that have graphical users interfaces (GUIs) so that structural geologists and geophysicists can model a wide variety of fault-related folds (FaRFs).

A grand unified model for liganded gold clusters

PubMed Central

Xu, Wen Wu; Zhu, Beien; Zeng, Xiao Cheng; Gao, Yi

2016-01-01

A grand unified model (GUM) is developed to achieve fundamental understanding of rich structures of all 71 liganded gold clusters reported to date. Inspired by the quark model by which composite particles (for example, protons and neutrons) are formed by combining three quarks (or flavours), here gold atoms are assigned three ‘flavours' (namely, bottom, middle and top) to represent three possible valence states. The ‘composite particles' in GUM are categorized into two groups: variants of triangular elementary block Au3(2e) and tetrahedral elementary block Au4(2e), all satisfying the duet rule (2e) of the valence shell, akin to the octet rule in general chemistry. The elementary blocks, when packed together, form the cores of liganded gold clusters. With the GUM, structures of 71 liganded gold clusters and their growth mechanism can be deciphered altogether. Although GUM is a predictive heuristic and may not be necessarily reflective of the actual electronic structure, several highly stable liganded gold clusters are predicted, thereby offering GUM-guided synthesis of liganded gold clusters by design. PMID:27910848

Image understanding systems based on the unifying representation of perceptual and conceptual information and the solution of mid-level and high-level vision problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuvychko, Igor

2001-10-01

Vision is a part of a larger information system that converts visual information into knowledge structures. These structures drive vision process, resolving ambiguity and uncertainty via feedback, and provide image understanding, that is an interpretation of visual information in terms of such knowledge models. A computer vision system based on such principles requires unifying representation of perceptual and conceptual information. Computer simulation models are built on the basis of graphs/networks. The ability of human brain to emulate similar graph/networks models is found. That means a very important shift of paradigm in our knowledge about brain from neural networks to the cortical software. Starting from the primary visual areas, brain analyzes an image as a graph-type spatial structure. Primary areas provide active fusion of image features on a spatial grid-like structure, where nodes are cortical columns. The spatial combination of different neighbor features cannot be described as a statistical/integral characteristic of the analyzed region, but uniquely characterizes such region itself. Spatial logic and topology naturally present in such structures. Mid-level vision processes like clustering, perceptual grouping, multilevel hierarchical compression, separation of figure from ground, etc. are special kinds of graph/network transformations. They convert low-level image structure into the set of more abstract ones, which represent objects and visual scene, making them easy for analysis by higher-level knowledge structures. Higher-level vision phenomena like shape from shading, occlusion, etc. are results of such analysis. Such approach gives opportunity not only to explain frequently unexplainable results of the cognitive science, but also to create intelligent computer vision systems that simulate perceptional processes in both what and where visual pathways. Such systems can open new horizons for robotic and computer vision industries.

Crystal structure of isoflurane bound to integrin LFA-1 supports a unified mechanism of volatile anesthetic action in the immune and central nervous systems

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

Zhang, Hongmin; Astrof, Nathan S.; Liu, Jin-Huan

2009-09-15

Volatile anesthetics (VAs), such as isoflurane, induce a general anesthetic state by binding to specific targets (i.e., ion channels) in the central nervous system (CNS). Simultaneously, VAs modulate immune functions, possibly via direct interaction with alternative targets on leukocytes. One such target, the integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), has been shown previously to be inhibited by isoflurane. A better understanding of the mechanism by which isoflurane alters protein function requires the detailed information about the drug-protein interaction at an atomic level. Here, we describe the crystal structure of the LFA-1 ligand-binding domain (I domain) in complex with isoflurane at 1.6more » {angstrom}. We discovered that isoflurane binds to an allosteric cavity previously implicated as critical for the transition of LFA-1 from the low- to the high-affinity state. The isoflurane binding site in the I domain involves an array of amphiphilic interactions, thereby resembling a 'common anesthetic binding motif' previously predicted for authentic VA binding sites. These results suggest that the allosteric modulation of protein function by isoflurane, as demonstrated for the integrin LFA-1, might represent a unified mechanism shared by the interactions of volatile anesthetics with targets in the CNS. Crystal structure of isoflurane bound to integrin LFA-1 supports a unified mechanism of volatile anesthetic action in the immune and central nervous systems.« less

Dynamic generation of a table of contents with consumer-friendly labels.

PubMed

Miller, Trudi; Leroy, Gondy; Wood, Elizabeth

2006-01-01

Consumers increasingly look to the Internet for health information, but available resources are too difficult for the majority to understand. Interactive tables of contents (TOC) can help consumers access health information by providing an easy to understand structure. Using natural language processing and the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), we have automatically generated TOCs for consumer health information. The TOC are categorized according to consumer-friendly labels for the UMLS semantic types and semantic groups. Categorizing phrases by semantic types is significantly more correct and relevant. Greater correctness and relevance was achieved with documents that are difficult to read than those at an easier reading level. Pruning TOCs to use categories that consumers favor further increases relevancy and correctness while reducing structural complexity.

What determines the spectrum of protein native state structures?

PubMed

Lezon, Timothy R; Banavar, Jayanth R; Lesk, Arthur M; Maritan, Amos

2006-05-01

We present a brief summary of the key factors underlying protein structure, as developed in the investigations of Pauling, Ramachandran, and Rose. We then outline a simplified physical model of proteins that focuses on geometry and symmetry. Although this model superficially appears unrelated to the detailed chemical descriptions commonly applied to proteins, we show that it captures the essential elements of the chemistry and provides a unified framework for understanding the common characteristics of folded proteins. We suggest that the spectrum of protein native state structures is determined by geometry and symmetry and the role of the sequence is to choose its native state structure from this predetermined menu. 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Dendritic Spines and Development: Towards a Unifying Model of Spinogenesis—A Present Day Review of Cajal's Histological Slides and Drawings

PubMed Central

García-López, Pablo; García-Marín, Virginia; Freire, Miguel

2010-01-01

Dendritic spines receive the majority of excitatory connections in the central nervous system, and, thus, they are key structures in the regulation of neural activity. Hence, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying their generation and plasticity, both during development and in adulthood, are a matter of fundamental and practical interest. Indeed, a better understanding of these mechanisms should provide clues to the development of novel clinical therapies. Here, we present original results obtained from high-quality images of Cajal's histological preparations, stored at the Cajal Museum (Instituto Cajal, CSIC), obtained using extended focus imaging, three-dimensional reconstruction, and rendering. Based on the data available in the literature regarding the formation of dendritic spines during development and our results, we propose a unifying model for dendritic spine development. PMID:21584262

Exploring complex networks.

PubMed

Strogatz, S H

2001-03-08

The study of networks pervades all of science, from neurobiology to statistical physics. The most basic issues are structural: how does one characterize the wiring diagram of a food web or the Internet or the metabolic network of the bacterium Escherichia coli? Are there any unifying principles underlying their topology? From the perspective of nonlinear dynamics, we would also like to understand how an enormous network of interacting dynamical systems-be they neurons, power stations or lasers-will behave collectively, given their individual dynamics and coupling architecture. Researchers are only now beginning to unravel the structure and dynamics of complex networks.

Optimization of rotor blades for combined structural, dynamic, and aerodynamic properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

He, Cheng-Jian; Peters, David A.

1990-01-01

Optimal helicopter blade design with computer-based mathematical programming has received more and more attention in recent years. Most of the research has focused on optimum dynamic characteristics of rotor blades to reduce vehicle vibration. There is also work on optimization of aerodynamic performance and on composite structural design. This research has greatly increased our understanding of helicopter optimum design in each of these aspects. Helicopter design is an inherently multidisciplinary process involving strong interactions among various disciplines which can appropriately include aerodynamics; dynamics, both flight dynamics and structural dynamics; aeroelasticity: vibrations and stability; and even acoustics. Therefore, the helicopter design process must satisfy manifold requirements related to the aforementioned diverse disciplines. In our present work, we attempt to combine several of these important effects in a unified manner. First, we design a blade with optimum aerodynamic performance by proper layout of blade planform and spanwise twist. Second, the blade is designed to have natural frequencies that are placed away from integer multiples of the rotor speed for a good dynamic characteristics. Third, the structure is made as light as possible with sufficient rotational inertia to allow for autorotational landing, with safe stress margins and flight fatigue life at each cross-section, and with aeroelastical stability and low vibrations. Finally, a unified optimization refines the solution.

Communication technologies through an etymological lens: looking for a classification, reflections about health, medicine and care.

PubMed

Colucci, Massimiliano

2015-11-01

Information and communication technologies are widely used in healthcare. However, there is not still a unified taxonomy for them. The lack of understanding of this phenomenon implies theoretical and ethical issues. This paper attempts to find out the basis for a classification, starting from a new perspective: the structural elements are obtained from the etymologies of the lexicon commonly used, that is words like telemedicine, telehealth, telecare and telecure. This will promote a better understanding of communication technologies; at the same time, it will allow to draw some reflection about health, medicine and care, and their semantic and relational nature.

Design sensitivity analysis of nonlinear structural response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardoso, J. B.; Arora, J. S.

1987-01-01

A unified theory is described of design sensitivity analysis of linear and nonlinear structures for shape, nonshape and material selection problems. The concepts of reference volume and adjoint structure are used to develop the unified viewpoint. A general formula for design sensitivity analysis is derived. Simple analytical linear and nonlinear examples are used to interpret various terms of the formula and demonstrate its use.

Motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A unified framework.

PubMed

Moustafa, Ahmed A; Chakravarthy, Srinivasa; Phillips, Joseph R; Gupta, Ankur; Keri, Szabolcs; Polner, Bertalan; Frank, Michael J; Jahanshahi, Marjan

2016-09-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a range of motor symptoms. Besides the cardinal symptoms (akinesia and bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity), PD patients show additional motor deficits, including: gait disturbance, impaired handwriting, grip force and speech deficits, among others. Some of these motor symptoms (e.g., deficits of gait, speech, and handwriting) have similar clinical profiles, neural substrates, and respond similarly to dopaminergic medication and deep brain stimulation (DBS). Here, we provide an extensive review of the clinical characteristics and neural substrates of each of these motor symptoms, to highlight precisely how PD and its medical and surgical treatments impact motor symptoms. In conclusion, we offer a unified framework for understanding the range of motor symptoms in PD. We argue that various motor symptoms in PD reflect dysfunction of neural structures responsible for action selection, motor sequencing, and coordination and execution of movement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Estimation Procedure for the Structural Parameters of the Unified Cognitive/IRT Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Hai; And Others

L. V. DiBello, W. F. Stout, and L. A. Roussos (1993) have developed a new item response model, the Unified Model, which brings together the discrete, deterministic aspects of cognition favored by cognitive scientists, and the continuous, stochastic aspects of test response behavior that underlie item response theory (IRT). The Unified Model blends…

From Sequence and Forces to Structure, Function and Evolution of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

PubMed Central

Forman-Kay, Julie D.; Mittag, Tanja

2015-01-01

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which lack persistent structure, are a challenge to structural biology due to the inapplicability of standard methods for characterization of folded proteins as well as their deviation from the dominant structure/function paradigm. Their widespread presence and involvement in biological function, however, has spurred the growing acceptance of the importance of IDPs and the development of new tools for studying their structure, dynamics and function. The interplay of folded and disordered domains or regions for function and the existence of a continuum of protein states with respect to conformational energetics, motional timescales and compactness is shaping a unified understanding of structure-dynamics-disorder/function relationships. On the 20th anniversary of this journal, Structure, we provide a historical perspective on the investigation of IDPs and summarize the sequence features and physical forces that underlie their unique structural, functional and evolutionary properties. PMID:24010708

From sequence and forces to structure, function, and evolution of intrinsically disordered proteins.

PubMed

Forman-Kay, Julie D; Mittag, Tanja

2013-09-03

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which lack persistent structure, are a challenge to structural biology due to the inapplicability of standard methods for characterization of folded proteins as well as their deviation from the dominant structure/function paradigm. Their widespread presence and involvement in biological function, however, has spurred the growing acceptance of the importance of IDPs and the development of new tools for studying their structure, dynamics, and function. The interplay of folded and disordered domains or regions for function and the existence of a continuum of protein states with respect to conformational energetics, motional timescales, and compactness are shaping a unified understanding of structure-dynamics-disorder/function relationships. In the 20(th) anniversary of Structure, we provide a historical perspective on the investigation of IDPs and summarize the sequence features and physical forces that underlie their unique structural, functional, and evolutionary properties. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The crustal tectonics and history of Europa: A structural, morphological, and comparative analysis. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schenk, P. M.

1984-01-01

An evaluation of surface features and structures on the Galilean moon Europa is made using the available high resolution Voyager imagery, low resolution support imaging, and what understanding of ice structure and mechanical behavior science has that is applicable to the problem. A general discussion of the history of Europa studies and the fundamental global morphology is undertaken. The visible lineament and terrain patterns are described, and possible origins discussed. Observations of faulting and block rotation previously described are amplified. A comparison of Europa's structures to terrestrial sea ice and lava lake crust features is also included. Finally, an attempt is made at synthesizing a unified model for the evolution of Europa's crust is presented which is compared with models developed by others.

Space Science in the Twenty-First Century: Imperatives for the Decades 1995 to 2015. Mission to Planet Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A unified program is outlined for studying the Earth, from its deep interior to its fluid envelopes. A system is proposed for measuring devices involving both space-based and in-situ observations that can accommodate simultaneously a large range of scientific needs. The scientific objectices served by this integrated infrastructure are cased into a framework of four grand themes. In summary these are: to determine the composition, structure, dynamics, and evolution of the Earth's crust and deeper interior; to establish and understand the structure, dynamics, and chemistry of the oceans, atmosphere, and cryosphere, and their interaction with the solid Earth; to characterize the history and dynamics of living organisms and their interaction with the environment; and to monitor and understand the interaction of human activities with the natural environment. A focus on these grand themes will help to understand the origin and fate of the planet, and to place it in the context of the solar system.

Topological framework for local structure analysis in condensed matter

PubMed Central

Lazar, Emanuel A.; Han, Jian; Srolovitz, David J.

2015-01-01

Physical systems are frequently modeled as sets of points in space, each representing the position of an atom, molecule, or mesoscale particle. As many properties of such systems depend on the underlying ordering of their constituent particles, understanding that structure is a primary objective of condensed matter research. Although perfect crystals are fully described by a set of translation and basis vectors, real-world materials are never perfect, as thermal vibrations and defects introduce significant deviation from ideal order. Meanwhile, liquids and glasses present yet more complexity. A complete understanding of structure thus remains a central, open problem. Here we propose a unified mathematical framework, based on the topology of the Voronoi cell of a particle, for classifying local structure in ordered and disordered systems that is powerful and practical. We explain the underlying reason why this topological description of local structure is better suited for structural analysis than continuous descriptions. We demonstrate the connection of this approach to the behavior of physical systems and explore how crystalline structure is compromised at elevated temperatures. We also illustrate potential applications to identifying defects in plastically deformed polycrystals at high temperatures, automating analysis of complex structures, and characterizing general disordered systems. PMID:26460045

SUMMA and Model Mimicry: Understanding Differences Among Land Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nijssen, B.; Nearing, G. S.; Ou, G.; Clark, M. P.

2016-12-01

Model inter-comparison and model ensemble experiments suffer from an inability to explain the mechanisms behind differences in model outcomes. We can clearly demonstrate that the models are different, but we cannot necessarily identify the reasons why, because most models exhibit myriad differences in process representations, model parameterizations, model parameters and numerical solution methods. This inability to identify the reasons for differences in model performance hampers our understanding and limits model improvement, because we cannot easily identify the most promising paths forward. We have developed the Structure for Unifying Multiple Modeling Alternatives (SUMMA) to allow for controlled experimentation with model construction, numerical techniques, and parameter values and therefore isolate differences in model outcomes to specific choices during the model development process. In developing SUMMA, we recognized that hydrologic models can be thought of as individual instantiations of a master modeling template that is based on a common set of conservation equations for energy and water. Given this perspective, SUMMA provides a unified approach to hydrologic modeling that integrates different modeling methods into a consistent structure with the ability to instantiate alternative hydrologic models at runtime. Here we employ SUMMA to revisit a previous multi-model experiment and demonstrate its use for understanding differences in model performance. Specifically, we implement SUMMA to mimic the spread of behaviors exhibited by the land models that participated in the Protocol for the Analysis of Land Surface Models (PALS) Land Surface Model Benchmarking Evaluation Project (PLUMBER) and draw conclusions about the relative performance of specific model parameterizations for water and energy fluxes through the soil-vegetation continuum. SUMMA's ability to mimic the spread of model ensembles and the behavior of individual models can be an important tool in focusing model development and improvement efforts.

The ARTT motif and a unified structural understanding of substraterecognition in ADP ribosylating bacterial toxins and eukaryotic ADPribosyltransferases

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

Han, S.; Tainer, J.A.

2001-08-01

ADP-ribosylation is a widely occurring and biologically critical covalent chemical modification process in pathogenic mechanisms, intracellular signaling systems, DNA repair, and cell division. The reaction is catalyzed by ADP-ribosyltransferases, which transfer the ADP-ribose moiety of NAD to a target protein with nicotinamide release. A family of bacterial toxins and eukaryotic enzymes has been termed the mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases, in distinction to the poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases, which catalyze the addition of multiple ADP-ribose groups to the carboxyl terminus of eukaryotic nucleoproteins. Despite the limited primary sequence homology among the different ADP-ribosyltransferases, a central cleft bearing NAD-binding pocket formed by the two perpendicular b-sheet core hasmore » been remarkably conserved between bacterial toxins and eukaryotic mono- and poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases. The majority of bacterial toxins and eukaryotic mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases are characterized by conserved His and catalytic Glu residues. In contrast, Diphtheria toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin A, and eukaryotic poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases are characterized by conserved Arg and catalytic Glu residues. The NAD-binding core of a binary toxin and a C3-like toxin family identified an ARTT motif (ADP-ribosylating turn-turn motif) that is implicated in substrate specificity and recognition by structural and mutagenic studies. Here we apply structure-based sequence alignment and comparative structural analyses of all known structures of ADP-ribosyltransfeases to suggest that this ARTT motif is functionally important in many ADP-ribosylating enzymes that bear a NAD binding cleft as characterized by conserved Arg and catalytic Glu residues. Overall, structure-based sequence analysis reveals common core structures and conserved active sites of ADP-ribosyltransferases to support similar NAD binding mechanisms but differing mechanisms of target protein binding via sequence variations within the ARTT motif structural framework. Thus, we propose here that the ARTT motif represents an experimentally testable general recognition motif region for many ADP-ribosyltransferases and thereby potentially provides a unified structural understanding of substrate recognition in ADP-ribosylation processes.« less

An Exploratory Study of the Relationship between Organizational Strategy and Performance among California's Largest Unified School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abode, Philip Sanmi

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of the relationship between organizational strategy and district performance among California's largest unified school districts. Organizational strategy was measured using planned and realized strategies (independent variables). Realized strategy is also referred to strategic orientation.…

GUDM: Automatic Generation of Unified Datasets for Learning and Reasoning in Healthcare.

PubMed

Ali, Rahman; Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Idris, Muhammad; Ali, Taqdir; Hussain, Shujaat; Huh, Eui-Nam; Kang, Byeong Ho; Lee, Sungyoung

2015-07-02

A wide array of biomedical data are generated and made available to healthcare experts. However, due to the diverse nature of data, it is difficult to predict outcomes from it. It is therefore necessary to combine these diverse data sources into a single unified dataset. This paper proposes a global unified data model (GUDM) to provide a global unified data structure for all data sources and generate a unified dataset by a "data modeler" tool. The proposed tool implements user-centric priority based approach which can easily resolve the problems of unified data modeling and overlapping attributes across multiple datasets. The tool is illustrated using sample diabetes mellitus data. The diverse data sources to generate the unified dataset for diabetes mellitus include clinical trial information, a social media interaction dataset and physical activity data collected using different sensors. To realize the significance of the unified dataset, we adopted a well-known rough set theory based rules creation process to create rules from the unified dataset. The evaluation of the tool on six different sets of locally created diverse datasets shows that the tool, on average, reduces 94.1% time efforts of the experts and knowledge engineer while creating unified datasets.

GUDM: Automatic Generation of Unified Datasets for Learning and Reasoning in Healthcare

PubMed Central

Ali, Rahman; Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Idris, Muhammad; Ali, Taqdir; Hussain, Shujaat; Huh, Eui-Nam; Kang, Byeong Ho; Lee, Sungyoung

2015-01-01

A wide array of biomedical data are generated and made available to healthcare experts. However, due to the diverse nature of data, it is difficult to predict outcomes from it. It is therefore necessary to combine these diverse data sources into a single unified dataset. This paper proposes a global unified data model (GUDM) to provide a global unified data structure for all data sources and generate a unified dataset by a “data modeler” tool. The proposed tool implements user-centric priority based approach which can easily resolve the problems of unified data modeling and overlapping attributes across multiple datasets. The tool is illustrated using sample diabetes mellitus data. The diverse data sources to generate the unified dataset for diabetes mellitus include clinical trial information, a social media interaction dataset and physical activity data collected using different sensors. To realize the significance of the unified dataset, we adopted a well-known rough set theory based rules creation process to create rules from the unified dataset. The evaluation of the tool on six different sets of locally created diverse datasets shows that the tool, on average, reduces 94.1% time efforts of the experts and knowledge engineer while creating unified datasets. PMID:26147731

An Integrative Breakage Model of genome architecture, reshuffling and evolution: The Integrative Breakage Model of genome evolution, a novel multidisciplinary hypothesis for the study of genome plasticity.

PubMed

Farré, Marta; Robinson, Terence J; Ruiz-Herrera, Aurora

2015-05-01

Our understanding of genomic reorganization, the mechanics of genomic transmission to offspring during germ line formation, and how these structural changes contribute to the speciation process, and genetic disease is far from complete. Earlier attempts to understand the mechanism(s) and constraints that govern genome remodeling suffered from being too narrowly focused, and failed to provide a unified and encompassing view of how genomes are organized and regulated inside cells. Here, we propose a new multidisciplinary Integrative Breakage Model for the study of genome evolution. The analysis of the high-level structural organization of genomes (nucleome), together with the functional constrains that accompany genome reshuffling, provide insights into the origin and plasticity of genome organization that may assist with the detection and isolation of therapeutic targets for the treatment of complex human disorders. © 2015 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Unified interatomic potential and energy barrier distributions for amorphous oxides.

PubMed

Trinastic, J P; Hamdan, R; Wu, Y; Zhang, L; Cheng, Hai-Ping

2013-10-21

Amorphous tantala, titania, and hafnia are important oxides for biomedical implants, optics, and gate insulators. Understanding the effects of oxide doping is crucial to optimize performance in these applications. However, no molecular dynamics potentials have been created to date that combine these and other oxides that would allow computational analyses of doping-dependent structural and mechanical properties. We report a novel set of computationally efficient, two-body potentials modeling van der Waals and covalent interactions that reproduce the structural and elastic properties of both pure and doped amorphous oxides. In addition, we demonstrate that the potential accurately produces energy barrier distributions for pure and doped samples. The distributions can be directly compared to experiment and used to calculate physical quantities such as internal friction to understand how doping affects material properties. Future analyses using these potentials will be of great value to determine optimal doping concentrations and material combinations for myriad material science applications.

Framework Design of Unified Cross-Authentication Based on the Fourth Platform Integrated Payment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yong, Xu; Yujin, He

The essay advances a unified authentication based on the fourth integrated payment platform. The research aims at improving the compatibility of the authentication in electronic business and providing a reference for the establishment of credit system by seeking a way to carry out a standard unified authentication on a integrated payment platform. The essay introduces the concept of the forth integrated payment platform and finally put forward the whole structure and different components. The main issue of the essay is about the design of the credit system of the fourth integrated payment platform and the PKI/CA structure design.

Preliminary Development of a Unified Viscoplastic Constitutive Model for Alloy 617 with Special Reference to Long Term Creep Behavior

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

Sham, Sam; Walker, Kevin P.

The expected service life of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant is 60 years. Structural analyses of the Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) will require the development of unified viscoplastic constitutive models that address the material behavior of Alloy 617, a construction material of choice, over a wide range of strain rates. Many unified constitutive models employ a yield stress state variable which is used to account for cyclic hardening and softening of the material. For low stress values below the yield stress state variable these constitutive models predict that no inelastic deformation takes place which is contrary to experimental results. Themore » ability to model creep deformation at low stresses for the IHX application is very important as the IHX operational stresses are restricted to very small values due to the low creep strengths at elevated temperatures and long design lifetime. This paper presents some preliminary work in modeling the unified viscoplastic constitutive behavior of Alloy 617 which accounts for the long term, low stress, creep behavior and the hysteretic behavior of the material at elevated temperatures. The preliminary model is presented in one-dimensional form for ease of understanding, but the intent of the present work is to produce a three-dimensional model suitable for inclusion in the user subroutines UMAT and USERPL of the ABAQUS and ANSYS nonlinear finite element codes. Further experiments and constitutive modeling efforts are planned to model the material behavior of Alloy 617 in more detail.« less

A Unified Mathematical Definition of Classical Information Retrieval.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dominich, Sandor

2000-01-01

Presents a unified mathematical definition for the classical models of information retrieval and identifies a mathematical structure behind relevance feedback. Highlights include vector information retrieval; probabilistic information retrieval; and similarity information retrieval. (Contains 118 references.) (Author/LRW)

Oakland Unified School District Community Schools: Understanding Implementation Efforts to Support Students, Teachers, and Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fehrer, Kendra; Leos-Urbel, Jacob

2015-01-01

In 2010, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) launched an initiative to transform all district schools into full service community schools. The community school design provides integrated supports to students and fosters a school climate conducive to academic, social, and emotional learning. Interventions span in-school and out-of-school time,…

Sheldon Glashow, the Electroweak Theory, and the Grand Unified Theory

Science.gov Websites

] 'Glashow shared the 1979 Nobel Prize for physics with Steven Weinberg and Abdus Salam for unifying the particle physics and provides a framework for understanding how the early universe evolved and how the our universe came into being," says Lawrence R. Sulak, chairman of the Boston University physics

The Unified Classification System (UCS): improving our understanding of periprosthetic fractures.

PubMed

Duncan, C P; Haddad, F S

2014-06-01

Periprosthetic fractures are an increasingly common complication following joint replacement. The principles which underpin their evaluation and treatment are common across the musculoskeletal system. The Unified Classification System proposes a rational approach to treatment, regardless of the bone that is broken or the joint involved. ©2014 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

High energy physics, past, present and future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugawara, Hirotaka

2017-03-01

At the beginning of last century we witnessed the emergence of new physics, quantum theory and gravitational theory, which gave us correct understanding of the world of atoms and deep insight into the structure of universe we live in. Towards the end of the century, string theory emerged as the most promising candidate to unify these two theories. In this talk, I would like to assert that the understanding of the origin of physical constants, ℏ (Planck constant) for quantum theory, and G (Newton’s gravitational constant) for gravitational theory within the framework of string theory is the key to understanding string theory. Then, I will shift to experimental high energy physics and discuss the necessity of world-wide collaboration in the area of superconducting technology which is essential in constructing the 100 TeV hadron collider.

Emotion and the prefrontal cortex: An integrative review.

PubMed

Dixon, Matthew L; Thiruchselvam, Ravi; Todd, Rebecca; Christoff, Kalina

2017-10-01

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a critical role in the generation and regulation of emotion. However, we lack an integrative framework for understanding how different emotion-related functions are organized across the entire expanse of the PFC, as prior reviews have generally focused on specific emotional processes (e.g., decision making) or specific anatomical regions (e.g., orbitofrontal cortex). Additionally, psychological theories and neuroscientific investigations have proceeded largely independently because of the lack of a common framework. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of functional neuroimaging, electrophysiological, lesion, and structural connectivity studies on the emotion-related functions of 8 subregions spanning the entire PFC. We introduce the appraisal-by-content model, which provides a new framework for integrating the diverse range of empirical findings. Within this framework, appraisal serves as a unifying principle for understanding the PFC's role in emotion, while relative content-specialization serves as a differentiating principle for understanding the role of each subregion. A synthesis of data from affective, social, and cognitive neuroscience studies suggests that different PFC subregions are preferentially involved in assigning value to specific types of inputs: exteroceptive sensations, episodic memories and imagined future events, viscero-sensory signals, viscero-motor signals, actions, others' mental states (e.g., intentions), self-related information, and ongoing emotions. We discuss the implications of this integrative framework for understanding emotion regulation, value-based decision making, emotional salience, and refining theoretical models of emotion. This framework provides a unified understanding of how emotional processes are organized across PFC subregions and generates new hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying adaptive and maladaptive emotional functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

A unified structural/terminological interoperability framework based on LexEVS: application to TRANSFoRm.

PubMed

Ethier, Jean-François; Dameron, Olivier; Curcin, Vasa; McGilchrist, Mark M; Verheij, Robert A; Arvanitis, Theodoros N; Taweel, Adel; Delaney, Brendan C; Burgun, Anita

2013-01-01

Biomedical research increasingly relies on the integration of information from multiple heterogeneous data sources. Despite the fact that structural and terminological aspects of interoperability are interdependent and rely on a common set of requirements, current efforts typically address them in isolation. We propose a unified ontology-based knowledge framework to facilitate interoperability between heterogeneous sources, and investigate if using the LexEVS terminology server is a viable implementation method. We developed a framework based on an ontology, the general information model (GIM), to unify structural models and terminologies, together with relevant mapping sets. This allowed a uniform access to these resources within LexEVS to facilitate interoperability by various components and data sources from implementing architectures. Our unified framework has been tested in the context of the EU Framework Program 7 TRANSFoRm project, where it was used to achieve data integration in a retrospective diabetes cohort study. The GIM was successfully instantiated in TRANSFoRm as the clinical data integration model, and necessary mappings were created to support effective information retrieval for software tools in the project. We present a novel, unifying approach to address interoperability challenges in heterogeneous data sources, by representing structural and semantic models in one framework. Systems using this architecture can rely solely on the GIM that abstracts over both the structure and coding. Information models, terminologies and mappings are all stored in LexEVS and can be accessed in a uniform manner (implementing the HL7 CTS2 service functional model). The system is flexible and should reduce the effort needed from data sources personnel for implementing and managing the integration.

A unified structural/terminological interoperability framework based on LexEVS: application to TRANSFoRm

PubMed Central

Ethier, Jean-François; Dameron, Olivier; Curcin, Vasa; McGilchrist, Mark M; Verheij, Robert A; Arvanitis, Theodoros N; Taweel, Adel; Delaney, Brendan C; Burgun, Anita

2013-01-01

Objective Biomedical research increasingly relies on the integration of information from multiple heterogeneous data sources. Despite the fact that structural and terminological aspects of interoperability are interdependent and rely on a common set of requirements, current efforts typically address them in isolation. We propose a unified ontology-based knowledge framework to facilitate interoperability between heterogeneous sources, and investigate if using the LexEVS terminology server is a viable implementation method. Materials and methods We developed a framework based on an ontology, the general information model (GIM), to unify structural models and terminologies, together with relevant mapping sets. This allowed a uniform access to these resources within LexEVS to facilitate interoperability by various components and data sources from implementing architectures. Results Our unified framework has been tested in the context of the EU Framework Program 7 TRANSFoRm project, where it was used to achieve data integration in a retrospective diabetes cohort study. The GIM was successfully instantiated in TRANSFoRm as the clinical data integration model, and necessary mappings were created to support effective information retrieval for software tools in the project. Conclusions We present a novel, unifying approach to address interoperability challenges in heterogeneous data sources, by representing structural and semantic models in one framework. Systems using this architecture can rely solely on the GIM that abstracts over both the structure and coding. Information models, terminologies and mappings are all stored in LexEVS and can be accessed in a uniform manner (implementing the HL7 CTS2 service functional model). The system is flexible and should reduce the effort needed from data sources personnel for implementing and managing the integration. PMID:23571850

The unified model of vegetarian identity: A conceptual framework for understanding plant-based food choices.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Daniel L; Burrow, Anthony L

2017-05-01

By departing from social norms regarding food behaviors, vegetarians acquire membership in a distinct social group and can develop a salient vegetarian identity. However, vegetarian identities are diverse, multidimensional, and unique to each individual. Much research has identified fundamental psychological aspects of vegetarianism, and an identity framework that unifies these findings into common constructs and conceptually defines variables is needed. Integrating psychological theories of identity with research on food choices and vegetarianism, this paper proposes a conceptual model for studying vegetarianism: The Unified Model of Vegetarian Identity (UMVI). The UMVI encompasses ten dimensions-organized into three levels (contextual, internalized, and externalized)-that capture the role of vegetarianism in an individual's self-concept. Contextual dimensions situate vegetarianism within contexts; internalized dimensions outline self-evaluations; and externalized dimensions describe enactments of identity through behavior. Together, these dimensions form a coherent vegetarian identity, characterizing one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding being vegetarian. By unifying dimensions that capture psychological constructs universally, the UMVI can prevent discrepancies in operationalization, capture the inherent diversity of vegetarian identities, and enable future research to generate greater insight into how people understand themselves and their food choices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A unified picture of the crystal structures of metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Söderlind, Per; Eriksson, Olle; Johansson, Börje; Wills, J. M.; Boring, A. M.

1995-04-01

THE crystal structures of the light actinides have intrigued physicists and chemists for several decades1. Simple metals and transition metals have close-packed, high-symmetry structures, such as body-centred cubic, face-centred cubic and hexagonal close packing. In contrast, the structures of the light actinides are very loosely packed and of low symmetry-tetragonal, orthorhombic and monoclinic. To understand these differences, we have performed total-energy calculations, as a function of volume, for both high-and low-symmetry structures of a simple metal (aluminium), a non-magnetic transition metal (niobium), a ferromagnetic transition metal (iron) and a light actinide (uranium). We find that the crystal structure of all of these metals is determined by the balance between electrostatic (Madelung) interactions, which favour high symmetry, and a Peierls distortion of the crystal lattice, which favours low symmetry. We show that simple metals and transition metals can adopt low-symmetry structures on expansion of the lattice; and we predict that, conversely, the light actinides will undergo transitions to structures of higher symmetry on compression.

Improving the accuracy in detection of clustered microcalcifications with a context-sensitive classification model.

PubMed

Wang, Juan; Nishikawa, Robert M; Yang, Yongyi

2016-01-01

In computer-aided detection of microcalcifications (MCs), the detection accuracy is often compromised by frequent occurrence of false positives (FPs), which can be attributed to a number of factors, including imaging noise, inhomogeneity in tissue background, linear structures, and artifacts in mammograms. In this study, the authors investigated a unified classification approach for combating the adverse effects of these heterogeneous factors for accurate MC detection. To accommodate FPs caused by different factors in a mammogram image, the authors developed a classification model to which the input features were adapted according to the image context at a detection location. For this purpose, the input features were defined in two groups, of which one group was derived from the image intensity pattern in a local neighborhood of a detection location, and the other group was used to characterize how a MC is different from its structural background. Owing to the distinctive effect of linear structures in the detector response, the authors introduced a dummy variable into the unified classifier model, which allowed the input features to be adapted according to the image context at a detection location (i.e., presence or absence of linear structures). To suppress the effect of inhomogeneity in tissue background, the input features were extracted from different domains aimed for enhancing MCs in a mammogram image. To demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed approach, the authors implemented the unified classifier model by two widely used machine learning algorithms, namely, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier and an Adaboost classifier. In the experiment, the proposed approach was tested for two representative MC detectors in the literature [difference-of-Gaussians (DoG) detector and SVM detector]. The detection performance was assessed using free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) analysis on a set of 141 screen-film mammogram (SFM) images (66 cases) and a set of 188 full-field digital mammogram (FFDM) images (95 cases). The FROC analysis results show that the proposed unified classification approach can significantly improve the detection accuracy of two MC detectors on both SFM and FFDM images. Despite the difference in performance between the two detectors, the unified classifiers can reduce their FP rate to a similar level in the output of the two detectors. In particular, with true-positive rate at 85%, the FP rate on SFM images for the DoG detector was reduced from 1.16 to 0.33 clusters/image (unified SVM) and 0.36 clusters/image (unified Adaboost), respectively; similarly, for the SVM detector, the FP rate was reduced from 0.45 clusters/image to 0.30 clusters/image (unified SVM) and 0.25 clusters/image (unified Adaboost), respectively. Similar FP reduction results were also achieved on FFDM images for the two MC detectors. The proposed unified classification approach can be effective for discriminating MCs from FPs caused by different factors (such as MC-like noise patterns and linear structures) in MC detection. The framework is general and can be applicable for further improving the detection accuracy of existing MC detectors.

Research and development activities in unified control-structure modeling and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nayak, A. P.

1985-01-01

Results of work to develop a unified control/structures modeling and design capability for large space structures modeling are presented. Recent analytical results are presented to demonstrate the significant interdependence between structural and control properties. A new design methodology is suggested in which the structure, material properties, dynamic model and control design are all optimized simultaneously. Parallel research done by other researchers is reviewed. The development of a methodology for global design optimization is recommended as a long-term goal. It is suggested that this methodology should be incorporated into computer aided engineering programs, which eventually will be supplemented by an expert system to aid design optimization.

Understanding vaginal microbiome complexity from an ecological perspective

PubMed Central

Hickey, Roxana J.; Zhou, Xia; Pierson, Jacob D.; Ravel, Jacques; Forney, Larry J.

2012-01-01

The various microbiota normally associated with the human body have an important influence on human development, physiology, immunity, and nutrition. This is certainly true for the vagina wherein communities of mutualistic bacteria constitute the first line of defense for the host by excluding invasive, nonindigenous organisms that may cause disease. In recent years much has been learned about the bacterial species composition of these communities and how they differ between individuals of different ages and ethnicities. A deeper understanding of their origins and the interrelationships of constituent species is needed to understand how and why they change over time or in response to changes in the host environment. Moreover, there are few unifying theories to explain the ecological dynamics of vaginal ecosystems as they respond to disturbances caused by menses and human activities such as intercourse, douching, and other habits and practices. This fundamental knowledge is needed to diagnose and assess risk to disease. Here we summarize what is known about the species composition, structure, and function of bacterial communities in the human vagina and the applicability of ecological models of community structure and function to understanding the dynamics of this and other ecosystems that comprise the human microbiome. PMID:22683415

Structure-Property-Function Relationship in Humic Substances to Explain the Biological Activity in Plants

PubMed Central

García, Andrés Calderín; de Souza, Luiz Gilberto Ambrosio; Pereira, Marcos Gervasio; Castro, Rosane Nora; García-Mina, José María; Zonta, Everaldo; Lisboa, Francy Junior Gonçalves; Berbara, Ricardo Luis Louro

2016-01-01

Knowledge of the structure-property-function relationship of humic substances (HSs) is key for understanding their role in soil. Despite progress, studies on this topic are still under discussion. We analyzed 37 humic fractions with respect to their isotopic composition, structural characteristics, and properties responsible for stimulating plant root parameters. We showed that regardless of the source of origin of the carbon (C3 or C4), soil-extracted HSs and humic acids (HAs) are structurally similar to each other. The more labile and functionalized HS fraction is responsible for root emission, whereas the more recalcitrant and less functionalized HA fraction is related to root growth. Labile structures promote root stimulation at lower concentrations, while recalcitrant structures require higher concentrations to promote a similar stimulus. These findings show that lability and recalcitrance, which are derived properties of humic fractions, are related to the type and intensity of their bioactivity. In summary, the comparison of humic fractions allowed a better understanding of the relationship between the source of origin of plant carbon and the structure, properties, and type and intensity of the bioactivity of HSs in plants. In this study, scientific concepts are unified and the basis for the agronomic use of HSs is established. PMID:26862010

Embodied experiences for science learning: A cognitive linguistics exploration of middle school students' language in learning about water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salinas Barrios, Ivan Eduardo

I investigated linguistic patterns in middle school students' writing to understand their relevant embodied experiences for learning science. Embodied experiences are those limited by the perceptual and motor constraints of the human body. Recent research indicates student understanding of science needs embodied experiences. Recent emphases of science education researchers in the practices of science suggest that students' understanding of systems and their structure, scale, size, representations, and causality are crosscutting concepts that unify all scientific disciplinary areas. To discern the relationship between linguistic patterns and embodied experiences, I relied on Cognitive Linguistics, a field within cognitive sciences that pays attention to language organization and use assuming that language reflects the human cognitive system. Particularly, I investigated the embodied experiences that 268 middle school students learning about water brought to understanding: i) systems and system structure; ii) scale, size and representations; and iii) causality. Using content analysis, I explored students' language in search of patterns regarding linguistic phenomena described within cognitive linguistics: image schemas, conceptual metaphors, event schemas, semantical roles, and force-dynamics. I found several common embodied experiences organizing students' understanding of crosscutting concepts. Perception of boundaries and change in location and perception of spatial organization in the vertical axis are relevant embodied experiences for students' understanding of systems and system structure. Direct object manipulation and perception of size with and without locomotion are relevant for understanding scale, size and representations. Direct applications of force and consequential perception of movement or change in form are relevant for understanding of causality. I discuss implications of these findings for research and science teaching.

A Course on Macromolecules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horta, Arturo

1985-01-01

Describes a senior-level course that: (1) focuses on the structure and reactions of macromolecules; (2) treats industrial polymers in a unified way; and (3) uses analysis of conformation and conformational statistics as a unifying approach. Also discusses course topics, including polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, and others. (JN)

A European Navy: Can it Complete European Political and Economic Integration?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

would enjoy a comprehensive and complete defense structure, perhaps even more effective and cost-efficient than is possible with the current lineup ...malfunctions or operator error. A unified and unifying European Navy would standardize basic equipment and procedures , facilitating effective exercises

Methodology and mental illness: resistance and restorying.

PubMed

Fisher, P; Freshwater, D

2014-04-01

Concerns with social justice have been traditionally associated with a modernist concept of the individual whose actions express an underlying, essential and unified self. This paper compares the usefulness of two methodologies (post-structuralist and narrative) that are based on a rejection of identity of a unified self and compares their usefulness in relation to the development of a social justice paradigm within mental health. It considers how professional forms of knowledge may be deconstructed by post-structural analyses, arguing that these have also been used by service users to articulate more enabling discursive alternatives. The notion of agency is central to our understanding of social justice. We question the commonly held assumption that although post-structuralism deconstructs power and challenges its legitimacy, it is nevertheless unsuited to facilitating the necessary agency to put forward viable alternatives. The second half of the paper considers how narrative research offers greater emancipatory potential by enabling the research subject to author their stories and thereby brings about their own subjective transformation. Nevertheless, the interpretation of people's stories by researchers may result in the imposition of narrative templates that erase complexities and contribute to the perpetuation of oppression. This raises ethical implications in relation to how people's stories are interpreted. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Toward a Unified Sub-symbolic Computational Theory of Cognition

PubMed Central

Butz, Martin V.

2016-01-01

This paper proposes how various disciplinary theories of cognition may be combined into a unifying, sub-symbolic, computational theory of cognition. The following theories are considered for integration: psychological theories, including the theory of event coding, event segmentation theory, the theory of anticipatory behavioral control, and concept development; artificial intelligence and machine learning theories, including reinforcement learning and generative artificial neural networks; and theories from theoretical and computational neuroscience, including predictive coding and free energy-based inference. In the light of such a potential unification, it is discussed how abstract cognitive, conceptualized knowledge and understanding may be learned from actively gathered sensorimotor experiences. The unification rests on the free energy-based inference principle, which essentially implies that the brain builds a predictive, generative model of its environment. Neural activity-oriented inference causes the continuous adaptation of the currently active predictive encodings. Neural structure-oriented inference causes the longer term adaptation of the developing generative model as a whole. Finally, active inference strives for maintaining internal homeostasis, causing goal-directed motor behavior. To learn abstract, hierarchical encodings, however, it is proposed that free energy-based inference needs to be enhanced with structural priors, which bias cognitive development toward the formation of particular, behaviorally suitable encoding structures. As a result, it is hypothesized how abstract concepts can develop from, and thus how they are structured by and grounded in, sensorimotor experiences. Moreover, it is sketched-out how symbol-like thought can be generated by a temporarily active set of predictive encodings, which constitute a distributed neural attractor in the form of an interactive free-energy minimum. The activated, interactive network attractor essentially characterizes the semantics of a concept or a concept composition, such as an actual or imagined situation in our environment. Temporal successions of attractors then encode unfolding semantics, which may be generated by a behavioral or mental interaction with an actual or imagined situation in our environment. Implications, further predictions, possible verification, and falsifications, as well as potential enhancements into a fully spelled-out unified theory of cognition are discussed at the end of the paper. PMID:27445895

Cosmological baryon number domain structure from symmetry-breaking in grand unified field theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. W.; Stecker, F. W.

1979-01-01

It is suggested that grand unified field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the very early big-bang can lead more naturally to a baryon symmetric cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally baryon asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken in a randomized manner in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and observational tests are discussed.

Cosmological baryon-number domain structure from symmetry breaking in grand unified field theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. W.; Stecker, F. W.

1979-01-01

It is suggested that grand unified field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the very early big bang can lead more naturally to a baryon-symmetric cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally baryon-asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken in a randomized manner in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and observational tests are discussed.

Protein O-GlcNAcylation: emerging mechanisms and functions

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiaoyong; Qian, Kevin

2017-01-01

O-GlcNAcylation—the attachment of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) moieties to cytoplasmic, nuclear and mitochondrial proteins—is a post-translational modification that regulates fundamental cellular processes in metazoans. A single pair of enzymes—O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA)—controls the dynamic cycling of this post-translational modification in a nutrient- and stress-responsive manner. Recent years have seen remarkable advances in our understanding of O-GlcNAcylation at levels ranging from structural and molecular biology to cell signalling and gene regulation to physiology and disease. Emerging from these recent developments are new mechanisms and functions of O-GlcNAcylation that enable us to begin constructing a unified conceptual framework through which to understand the significance of this modification in cellular and organismal physiology. PMID:28488703

The Significance of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Crystallography for Drug Discovery

PubMed Central

Salon, John A.; Lodowski, David T.

2011-01-01

Crucial as molecular sensors for many vital physiological processes, seven-transmembrane domain G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise the largest family of proteins targeted by drug discovery. Together with structures of the prototypical GPCR rhodopsin, solved structures of other liganded GPCRs promise to provide insights into the structural basis of the superfamily's biochemical functions and assist in the development of new therapeutic modalities and drugs. One of the greatest technical and theoretical challenges to elucidating and exploiting structure-function relationships in these systems is the emerging concept of GPCR conformational flexibility and its cause-effect relationship for receptor-receptor and receptor-effector interactions. Such conformational changes can be subtle and triggered by relatively small binding energy effects, leading to full or partial efficacy in the activation or inactivation of the receptor system at large. Pharmacological dogma generally dictates that these changes manifest themselves through kinetic modulation of the receptor's G protein partners. Atomic resolution information derived from increasingly available receptor structures provides an entrée to the understanding of these events and practically applying it to drug design. Supported by structure-activity relationship information arising from empirical screening, a unified structural model of GPCR activation/inactivation promises to both accelerate drug discovery in this field and improve our fundamental understanding of structure-based drug design in general. This review discusses fundamental problems that persist in drug design and GPCR structural determination. PMID:21969326

Toward a Unified Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Showalter, Victor M.

The two major models of science curriculum change, textbook revision and national curriculum projects, are derived from, and reinforce, the present curriculum structure. This is undesirable in a time of increasing fluidity and change, because adaptation to new situations is difficult. Unified science, based on the premise that science is a unity,…

Toward a Unified Communication Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, Saundra

After discussing the nature of theory itself, the author explains her concept of the Unified Communication Theory, which rests on the assumption that there exists in all living structures a potential communication factor which is delimited by species and ontogeny. An organism develops "symbol fixation" at the level where its perceptual abilities…

In Search of a Unified Model of Language Contact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winford, Donald

2013-01-01

Much previous research has pointed to the need for a unified framework for language contact phenomena -- one that would include social factors and motivations, structural factors and linguistic constraints, and psycholinguistic factors involved in processes of language processing and production. While Contact Linguistics has devoted a great deal…

Global bioethics -- myth or reality?

PubMed

Holm, Søren; Williams-Jones, Bryn

2006-09-11

There has been debate on whether a global or unified field of bioethics exists. If bioethics is a unified global field, or at the very least a closely shared way of thinking, then we should expect bioethicists to behave the same way in their academic activities anywhere in the world. This paper investigates whether there is a 'global bioethics' in the sense of a unified academic community. To address this question, we study the web-linking patterns of bioethics institutions, the citation patterns of bioethics papers and the buying patterns of bioethics books. All three analyses indicate that there are geographical and institutional differences in the academic behavior of bioethicists and bioethics institutions. These exploratory studies support the position that there is no unified global field of bioethics. This is a problem if the only reason is parochialism. But these regional differences are probably of less concern if one notices that bioethics comes in many not always mutually understandable dialects.

Failure and recovery in dynamical networks.

PubMed

Böttcher, L; Luković, M; Nagler, J; Havlin, S; Herrmann, H J

2017-02-03

Failure, damage spread and recovery crucially underlie many spatially embedded networked systems ranging from transportation structures to the human body. Here we study the interplay between spontaneous damage, induced failure and recovery in both embedded and non-embedded networks. In our model the network's components follow three realistic processes that capture these features: (i) spontaneous failure of a component independent of the neighborhood (internal failure), (ii) failure induced by failed neighboring nodes (external failure) and (iii) spontaneous recovery of a component. We identify a metastable domain in the global network phase diagram spanned by the model's control parameters where dramatic hysteresis effects and random switching between two coexisting states are observed. This dynamics depends on the characteristic link length of the embedded system. For the Euclidean lattice in particular, hysteresis and switching only occur in an extremely narrow region of the parameter space compared to random networks. We develop a unifying theory which links the dynamics of our model to contact processes. Our unifying framework may help to better understand controllability in spatially embedded and random networks where spontaneous recovery of components can mitigate spontaneous failure and damage spread in dynamical networks.

Neutrino mixing in SO(10) GUTs with a non-Abelian flavor symmetry in the hidden sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Alexei Yu.; Xu, Xun-Jie

2018-05-01

The relation between the mixing matrices of leptons and quarks, UPMNS≈VCKM†U0 , where U0 is a matrix of special forms [e.g., bimaximal (BM) and tribimaximal], can be a clue for understanding the lepton mixing and neutrino masses. It may imply the grand unification and the existence of a hidden sector with certain symmetry that generates U0 and leads to the smallness of neutrino masses. We apply the residual symmetry approach to obtain U0. The residual symmetries of both the visible and hidden sectors are Z2×Z2 . Their embedding in a unified flavor group is considered. We find that there are only several possible structures of U0, including the BM mixing and matrices with elements determined by the golden ratio. Realization of the BM scenario based on the SO(10) grand unified theory with the S4 flavor group is presented. Generic features of this scenario are discussed, in particular, the prediction of C P phase 14 4 ° ≲δCP≲21 0 ° in the minimal version.

[Research program for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS): the contribution to health management and services in Paraiba State, Brazil].

PubMed

Celino, Suely Deysny de Matos; Costa, Gabriela Maria Cavalcanti; França, Inácia Sátiro Xavier de; Araújo, Ednaldo Cavalcante de

2013-01-01

The shared management in health of the Research Program for the Unified Health System (PPSUS) has the purpose of funding research in priority areas for the health of the Brazilian population. The scope of this qualitative study is to understand the researchers' perception of the contribution of research funded by the PPSUS invitations to bid in the State of Paraiba, for resolving the priority health problems of the Paraiba population, for reducing regional inequalities in health and for bolstering the management of SUS. A documentary survey of the bids and final reports of research and a semi-structured interview with 28 coordinators of these studies was conducted. Triangulation strategy of data was used and subsequently subjected to content analysis, which converged with the categories: solving the health problems; reducing regional inequalities; contribution to management. Paraiba state needs adjustments such that the PPSUS can be fully implemented, ensuring that the knowledge generated can be converted into health policies and actions, since the research funded respond to the health needs of the population and difficulties in SUS management.

Implications of a class of grand unified theories for large scale structure in the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shafi, Q.; Stecker, F. W.

1983-01-01

A class of grand unified theories in which cosmologicaly significant axion and neutrino energy densities arise naturally is discussed. To obtain large scale structure three scenarios are considered: (1) an inflationary scenario; (2) inflation followed by string production; and (3) a non-inflationary scenario with density fluctuations caused solely by strings. Inflation may be compatible with the recent observational indications that mega 1 on the scale of superclusters, particularly if strings are present.

Implications of a class of grand-unified theories for large-scale structure in the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shafi, Q.; Stecker, F. W.

1984-01-01

A class of grand-unified theories in which cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities arise naturally is considered. To obtain large-scale structure, attention is given to (1) an inflationary scenario, (2) inflation followed by string production, and (3) a noninflationary scenario with density fluctuations caused solely by strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with the recent observational indications that Omega less than 1 on the scale of superclusters, particularly if strings are present.

Unified Mie and fractal scattering by cells and experimental study on application in optical characterization of cellular and subcellular structures.

PubMed

Xu, Min; Wu, Tao T; Qu, Jianan Y

2008-01-01

A unified Mie and fractal model for light scattering by biological cells is presented. This model is shown to provide an excellent global agreement with the angular dependent elastic light scattering spectroscopy of cells over the whole visible range (400 to 700 nm) and at all scattering angles (1.1 to 165 deg) investigated. Mie scattering from the bare cell and the nucleus is found to dominate light scattering in the forward directions, whereas the random fluctuation of the background refractive index within the cell, behaving as a fractal random continuous medium, is found to dominate light scattering at other angles. Angularly dependent elastic light scattering spectroscopy aided by the unified Mie and fractal model is demonstrated to be an effective noninvasive approach to characterize biological cells and their internal structures. The acetowhitening effect induced by applying acetic acid on epithelial cells is investigated as an example. The changes in morphology and refractive index of epithelial cells, nuclei, and subcellular structures after the application of acetic acid are successfully probed and quantified using the proposed approach. The unified Mie and fractal model may serve as the foundation for optical detection of precancerous and cancerous changes in biological cells and tissues based on light scattering techniques.

Qualitative insights into practice time management: does 'patient-centred time' in practice management offer a portal to improved access?

PubMed

Buetow, S; Adair, V; Coster, G; Hight, M; Gribben, B; Mitchell, E

2002-12-01

Different sets of literature suggest how aspects of practice time management can limit access to general practitioner (GP) care. Researchers have not organised this knowledge into a unified framework that can enhance understanding of barriers to, and opportunities for, improved access. To suggest a framework conceptualising how differences in professional and cultural understanding of practice time management in Auckland, New Zealand, influence access to GP care for children with chronic asthma. A qualitative study involving selective sampling, semi-structured interviews on barriers to access, and a general inductive approach. Twenty-nine key informants and ten mothers of children with chronic, moderate to severe asthma and poor access to GP care in Auckland. Development of a framework from themes describing barriers associated with, and needs for, practice time management. The themes were independently identified by two authors from transcribed interviews and confirmed through informant checking. Themes from key informant and patient interviews were triangulated with each other and with published literature. The framework distinguishes 'practice-centred time' from 'patient-centred time.' A predominance of 'practice-centred time' and an unmet opportunity for 'patient-centred time' are suggested by the persistence of five barriers to accessing GP care: limited hours of opening; traditional appointment systems; practice intolerance of missed appointments; long waiting times in the practice; and inadequate consultation lengths. None of the barriers is specific to asthmatic children. A unified framework was suggested for understanding how the organisation of practice work time can influence access to GP care by groups including asthmatic children.

Toward a unified account of comprehension and production in language development.

PubMed

McCauley, Stewart M; Christiansen, Morten H

2013-08-01

Although Pickering & Garrod (P&G) argue convincingly for a unified system for language comprehension and production, they fail to explain how such a system might develop. Using a recent computational model of language acquisition as an example, we sketch a developmental perspective on the integration of comprehension and production. We conclude that only through development can we fully understand the intertwined nature of comprehension and production in adult processing.

Au13(8e): A secondary block for describing a special group of liganded gold clusters containing icosahedral Au13 motifs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wen Wu; Zeng, Xiao Cheng; Gao, Yi

2017-05-01

A grand unified model (GUM) has been proposed recently to understand structure anatomy and evolution of liganded gold clusters. In this work, besides the two types of elementary blocks (triangular Au3(2e) and tetrahedral Au4(2e)), we introduce a secondary block, namely, the icosahedral Au13 with 8e valence electrons, noted as Au13(8e). Using this secondary block, structural anatomy and evolution of a special group of liganded gold nanoclusters containing icosahedral Au13 motifs can be conveniently analyzed. In addition, a new ligand-protected cluster Au49(PR3)10(SR)15Cl2 is predicted to exhibit high chemical and thermal stability, suggesting likelihood of its synthesis in the laboratory.

Protein Solubility and Protein Homeostasis: A Generic View of Protein Misfolding Disorders

PubMed Central

Vendruscolo, Michele; Knowles, Tuomas P.J.; Dobson, Christopher M.

2011-01-01

According to the “generic view” of protein aggregation, the ability to self-assemble into stable and highly organized structures such as amyloid fibrils is not an unusual feature exhibited by a small group of peptides and proteins with special sequence or structural properties, but rather a property shared by most proteins. At the same time, through a wide variety of techniques, many of which were originally devised for applications in other disciplines, it has also been established that the maintenance of proteins in a soluble state is a fundamental aspect of protein homeostasis. Taken together, these advances offer a unified framework for understanding the molecular basis of protein aggregation and for the rational development of therapeutic strategies based on the biological and chemical regulation of protein solubility. PMID:21825020

Active vision and image/video understanding with decision structures based on the network-symbolic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuvich, Gary

2003-08-01

Vision is a part of a larger information system that converts visual information into knowledge structures. These structures drive vision process, resolve ambiguity and uncertainty via feedback projections, and provide image understanding that is an interpretation of visual information in terms of such knowledge models. The ability of human brain to emulate knowledge structures in the form of networks-symbolic models is found. And that means an important shift of paradigm in our knowledge about brain from neural networks to "cortical software". Symbols, predicates and grammars naturally emerge in such active multilevel hierarchical networks, and logic is simply a way of restructuring such models. Brain analyzes an image as a graph-type decision structure created via multilevel hierarchical compression of visual information. Mid-level vision processes like clustering, perceptual grouping, separation of figure from ground, are special kinds of graph/network transformations. They convert low-level image structure into the set of more abstract ones, which represent objects and visual scene, making them easy for analysis by higher-level knowledge structures. Higher-level vision phenomena are results of such analysis. Composition of network-symbolic models works similar to frames and agents, combines learning, classification, analogy together with higher-level model-based reasoning into a single framework. Such models do not require supercomputers. Based on such principles, and using methods of Computational intelligence, an Image Understanding system can convert images into the network-symbolic knowledge models, and effectively resolve uncertainty and ambiguity, providing unifying representation for perception and cognition. That allows creating new intelligent computer vision systems for robotic and defense industries.

Promoting Conceptual Change for Complex Systems Understanding: Outcomes of an Agent-Based Participatory Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rates, Christopher A.; Mulvey, Bridget K.; Feldon, David F.

2016-01-01

Components of complex systems apply across multiple subject areas, and teaching these components may help students build unifying conceptual links. Students, however, often have difficulty learning these components, and limited research exists to understand what types of interventions may best help improve understanding. We investigated 32 high…

Scale-invariant entropy-based theory for dynamic ordering

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

Mahulikar, Shripad P., E-mail: spm@iitmandi.ac.in, E-mail: spm@aero.iitb.ac.in; Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076; Kumari, Priti

2014-09-01

Dynamically Ordered self-organized dissipative structure exists in various forms and at different scales. This investigation first introduces the concept of an isolated embedding system, which embeds an open system, e.g., dissipative structure and its mass and/or energy exchange with its surroundings. Thereafter, scale-invariant theoretical analysis is presented using thermodynamic principles for Order creation, existence, and destruction. The sustainability criterion for Order existence based on its structured mass and/or energy interactions with the surroundings is mathematically defined. This criterion forms the basis for the interrelationship of physical parameters during sustained existence of dynamic Order. It is shown that the sufficient conditionmore » for dynamic Order existence is approached if its sustainability criterion is met, i.e., its destruction path is blocked. This scale-invariant approach has the potential to unify the physical understanding of universal dynamic ordering based on entropy considerations.« less

The development and test of a deformable diffraction grating for a stigmatic EUV spectroheliometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Timothy, J. Gethyn; Walker, A. B. C., Jr.; Morgan, J. S.; Huber, M. C. E.; Tondello, G.

1992-01-01

The objectives were to address currently unanswered fundamental questions concerning the fine scale structure of the chromosphere, transition region, and corona. The unique characteristics of the spectroheliometer was used in combination with plasma diagnostic techniques to study the temperature, density, and velocity structures of specific features in the solar outer atmosphere. A unified understanding was sought of the interplay between the time dependent geometry of the magnetic field structure and the associated flows of mass and energy, the key to which lies in the smallest spatial scales that are unobservable with current EUV instruments. Toroidal diffraction gratings were fabricated and tested by a new technique using an elastically deformable substrate. The toroidal diffraction gratings was procured and tested to be used for the evaluation of the Multi-Anode Microchannel Array (MAMA) detector systems for the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) and UV Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) instruments on the SOHO mission.

Edible oil structures at low and intermediate concentrations. II. Ultra-small angle X-ray scattering of in situ tristearin solids in triolein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peyronel, Fernanda; Ilavsky, Jan; Mazzanti, Gianfranco; Marangoni, Alejandro G.; Pink, David A.

2013-12-01

Ultra-small angle X-ray scattering has been used for the first time to elucidate, in situ, the aggregation structure of a model edible oil system. The three-dimensional nano- to micro-structure of tristearin solid particles in triolein solvent was investigated using 5, 10, 15, and 20% solids. Three different sample preparation procedures were investigated: two slow cooling rates of 0.5°/min, case 1 (22 days of storage at room temperature) and case 2 (no storage), and one fast cooling of 30°/min, case 3 (no storage). The length scale investigated, by using the Bonse-Hart camera at beamline ID-15D at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, covered the range from 300 Å to 10 μm. The unified fit and the Guinier-Porod models in the Irena software were used to fit the data. The former was used to fit 3 structural levels. Level 1 structures showed that the primary scatterers were essentially 2-dimensional objects for the three cases. The scatterers possessed lateral dimensions between 1000 and 4300 Å. This is consistent with the sizes of crystalline nanoplatelets present which were observed using cryo-TEM. Level 2 structures were aggregates possessing radii of gyration, Rg2 between 1800 Å and 12000 Å and fractal dimensions of either D2=1 for case 3 or 1.8≤D2≤2.1 for case 1 and case 2. D2 = 1 is consistent with unaggregated 1-dimensional objects. 1.8 ≤ D2 ≤ 2.1 is consistent with these 1-dimensional objects (below) forming structures characteristic of diffusion or reaction limited cluster-cluster aggregation. Level 3 structures showed that the spatial distribution of the level 2 structures was uniform, on the average, for case 1, with fractal dimension D3≈3 while for case 2 and case 3 the fractal dimension was D3≈2.2, which suggested that the large-scale distribution had not come to equilibrium. The Guinier-Porod model showed that the structures giving rise to the aggregates with a fractal dimension given by D2 in the unified fit level 2 model were cylinders described by the parameter s ≈1 in the Guinier-Porod model. The size of the base of these cylinders was in agreement with the cryo-TEM observations as well as with the results of the level 1 unified fit model. By estimating the size of the nanoplatelets and understanding the structures formed via their aggregation, it will be possible to engineer novel lipids systems that embody desired functional characteristics.

Neutral theory and the species abundance distribution: recent developments and prospects for unifying niche and neutral perspectives

PubMed Central

Matthews, Thomas J; Whittaker, Robert J

2014-01-01

Published in 2001, The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography (UNTB) emphasizes the importance of stochastic processes in ecological community structure, and has challenged the traditional niche-based view of ecology. While neutral models have since been applied to a broad range of ecological and macroecological phenomena, the majority of research relating to neutral theory has focused exclusively on the species abundance distribution (SAD). Here, we synthesize the large body of work on neutral theory in the context of the species abundance distribution, with a particular focus on integrating ideas from neutral theory with traditional niche theory. First, we summarize the basic tenets of neutral theory; both in general and in the context of SADs. Second, we explore the issues associated with neutral theory and the SAD, such as complications with fitting and model comparison, the underlying assumptions of neutral models, and the difficultly of linking pattern to process. Third, we highlight the advances in understanding of SADs that have resulted from neutral theory and models. Finally, we focus consideration on recent developments aimed at unifying neutral- and niche-based approaches to ecology, with a particular emphasis on what this means for SAD theory, embracing, for instance, ideas of emergent neutrality and stochastic niche theory. We put forward the argument that the prospect of the unification of niche and neutral perspectives represents one of the most promising future avenues of neutral theory research. PMID:25360266

Neutral theory and the species abundance distribution: recent developments and prospects for unifying niche and neutral perspectives.

PubMed

Matthews, Thomas J; Whittaker, Robert J

2014-06-01

Published in 2001, The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography (UNTB) emphasizes the importance of stochastic processes in ecological community structure, and has challenged the traditional niche-based view of ecology. While neutral models have since been applied to a broad range of ecological and macroecological phenomena, the majority of research relating to neutral theory has focused exclusively on the species abundance distribution (SAD). Here, we synthesize the large body of work on neutral theory in the context of the species abundance distribution, with a particular focus on integrating ideas from neutral theory with traditional niche theory. First, we summarize the basic tenets of neutral theory; both in general and in the context of SADs. Second, we explore the issues associated with neutral theory and the SAD, such as complications with fitting and model comparison, the underlying assumptions of neutral models, and the difficultly of linking pattern to process. Third, we highlight the advances in understanding of SADs that have resulted from neutral theory and models. Finally, we focus consideration on recent developments aimed at unifying neutral- and niche-based approaches to ecology, with a particular emphasis on what this means for SAD theory, embracing, for instance, ideas of emergent neutrality and stochastic niche theory. We put forward the argument that the prospect of the unification of niche and neutral perspectives represents one of the most promising future avenues of neutral theory research.

OneDep: Unified wwPDB System for Deposition, Biocuration, and Validation of Macromolecular Structures in the PDB Archive.

PubMed

Young, Jasmine Y; Westbrook, John D; Feng, Zukang; Sala, Raul; Peisach, Ezra; Oldfield, Thomas J; Sen, Sanchayita; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Armstrong, David R; Berrisford, John M; Chen, Li; Chen, Minyu; Di Costanzo, Luigi; Dimitropoulos, Dimitris; Gao, Guanghua; Ghosh, Sutapa; Gore, Swanand; Guranovic, Vladimir; Hendrickx, Pieter M S; Hudson, Brian P; Igarashi, Reiko; Ikegawa, Yasuyo; Kobayashi, Naohiro; Lawson, Catherine L; Liang, Yuhe; Mading, Steve; Mak, Lora; Mir, M Saqib; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Patwardhan, Ardan; Persikova, Irina; Rinaldi, Luana; Sanz-Garcia, Eduardo; Sekharan, Monica R; Shao, Chenghua; Swaminathan, G Jawahar; Tan, Lihua; Ulrich, Eldon L; van Ginkel, Glen; Yamashita, Reiko; Yang, Huanwang; Zhuravleva, Marina A; Quesada, Martha; Kleywegt, Gerard J; Berman, Helen M; Markley, John L; Nakamura, Haruki; Velankar, Sameer; Burley, Stephen K

2017-03-07

OneDep, a unified system for deposition, biocuration, and validation of experimentally determined structures of biological macromolecules to the PDB archive, has been developed as a global collaboration by the worldwide PDB (wwPDB) partners. This new system was designed to ensure that the wwPDB could meet the evolving archiving requirements of the scientific community over the coming decades. OneDep unifies deposition, biocuration, and validation pipelines across all wwPDB, EMDB, and BMRB deposition sites with improved focus on data quality and completeness in these archives, while supporting growth in the number of depositions and increases in their average size and complexity. In this paper, we describe the design, functional operation, and supporting infrastructure of the OneDep system, and provide initial performance assessments. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A novel VLSI processor architecture for supercomputing arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkateswaran, N.; Pattabiraman, S.; Devanathan, R.; Ahmed, Ashaf; Venkataraman, S.; Ganesh, N.

1993-01-01

Design of the processor element for general purpose massively parallel supercomputing arrays is highly complex and cost ineffective. To overcome this, the architecture and organization of the functional units of the processor element should be such as to suit the diverse computational structures and simplify mapping of complex communication structures of different classes of algorithms. This demands that the computation and communication structures of different class of algorithms be unified. While unifying the different communication structures is a difficult process, analysis of a wide class of algorithms reveals that their computation structures can be expressed in terms of basic IP,IP,OP,CM,R,SM, and MAA operations. The execution of these operations is unified on the PAcube macro-cell array. Based on this PAcube macro-cell array, we present a novel processor element called the GIPOP processor, which has dedicated functional units to perform the above operations. The architecture and organization of these functional units are such to satisfy the two important criteria mentioned above. The structure of the macro-cell and the unification process has led to a very regular and simpler design of the GIPOP processor. The production cost of the GIPOP processor is drastically reduced as it is designed on high performance mask programmable PAcube arrays.

Federal Aviation Regulations - National Aviation Regulations of Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernykh, O.; Bakiiev, M.

2018-03-01

Chinese Aerospace Engineering is currently developing cooperation with Russia on a wide-body airplane project that has directed the work towards better understanding of Russian airworthiness management system. The paper introduces national Aviation regulations of Russia, presents a comparison of them with worldwide recognized regulations, and highlights typical differences. They have been found to be: two general types of regulations used in Russia (Aviation Regulations and Federal Aviation Regulations), non-unified structure of regulations on Aircraft Operation management, various separate agencies responsible for regulation issuance instead of one national aviation authority, typical confusions in references. The paper also gives a list of effective Russian Regulations of both types.

The punctilious RNA polymerase II core promoter

PubMed Central

Vo ngoc, Long; Wang, Yuan-Liang; Kassavetis, George A.; Kadonaga, James T.

2017-01-01

The signals that direct the initiation of transcription ultimately converge at the core promoter, which is the gateway to transcription. Here we provide an overview of the RNA polymerase II core promoter in bilateria (bilaterally symmetric animals). The core promoter is diverse in terms of its composition and function yet is also punctilious, as it acts with strict rules and precision. We additionally describe an expanded view of the core promoter that comprises the classical DNA sequence motifs, sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factors, chromatin signals, and DNA structure. This model may eventually lead to a more unified conceptual understanding of the core promoter. PMID:28808065

Models, theory structure and mechanisms in biochemistry: The case of allosterism.

PubMed

Alleva, Karina; Díez, José; Federico, Lucia

2017-06-01

From the perspective of the new mechanistic philosophy, it has been argued that explanatory causal mechanisms in some special sciences such as biochemistry and neurobiology cannot be captured by any useful notion of theory, or at least by any standard notion. The goal of this paper is to show that a model-theoretic notion of theory, and in particular the structuralist notion of a theory-net already applied to other unified explanatory theories, adequately suits the MWC allosteric mechanism explanatory set-up. We also argue, contra some mechanistic claims questioning the use of laws in biological explanations, that the theory reconstructed in this way essentially contains non-accidental regularities that qualify as laws, and that taking into account these lawful components, it is possible to explicate the unified character of the theory. Finally, we argue that, contrary to what some mechanists also claim, functional explanations that do not fully specify the mechanistic structure are not defective or incomplete in any relevant sense, and that functional components are perfectly explanatory. The conclusion is that, as some authors have emphasized in other fields (Walmsley 2008), particular elements of traditional approaches do not contradict but rather complement the new mechanist philosophy, and taken together they may offer a more complete understanding of special sciences and the variety of explanations they provide. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unified Program Design: Organizing Existing Programming Models, Delivery Options, and Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubenstein, Lisa DaVia; Ridgley, Lisa M.

2017-01-01

A persistent problem in the field of gifted education has been the lack of categorization and delineation of gifted programming options. To address this issue, we propose Unified Program Design as a structural framework for gifted program models. This framework defines gifted programs as the combination of delivery methods and curriculum models.…

Technological Studies at Thomas Edison Middle School. Grades 6-7-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Patrick N.

This technology studies curriculum for grades 6-8 is a plan for each middle school student to experience technology education for approximately 60 days (1 trimester of a 180-day school year) in each grade. Section A provides definitions; structure or content for grade-level programs with science and technology unifiers (unifying curricular…

The Vector Space as a Unifying Concept in School Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riggle, Timothy Andrew

The purpose of this study was to show how the concept of vector space can serve as a unifying thread for mathematics programs--elementary school to pre-calculus college level mathematics. Indicated are a number of opportunities to demonstrate how emphasis upon the vector space structure can enhance the organization of the mathematics curriculum.…

Electricity, Relativity and Magnetism: A Unified Text

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craik, Derek J.

2003-09-01

Electricity, Relativity and Magnetism: A Unified Text presents the first complete and systematic derivation of the principles of magnetism and electromagnetism from Coulomb s law and the theory of special relativity alone. Most books on magnetism introduce the subject in terms of experimental observations, as if magnetism were distinct from, albeit associated with, electricity. The topic of relativity is often mentioned, but almost as an afterthought, rather than as a crucial element of the argument. In this new book from Dr Derek Craik, the important links between electricity and magnetism, via special relativity, are emphasized, leading the reader to a more meaningful and profound understanding of the subject. Electricity, Relativity and Magnetism: A Unified Text gives a simple and brief review of Einstein s special theory of relativity, emphasizing force transformations. An outline of electrostatics, Coulomb s law and its consequences, is also given and is shown to lead to the basis of magnetostatics. Time-dependent electromagnetic effects are introduced naturally via the transformation equations for fields and for potentials, and Maxwell s equations are systematically derived. Magnetic dipoles and magnetization are shown to arise on transforming electric dipoles and polarizations. The author next discusses the application of the theory to practical magnetic calculations, and finally goes on to introduce the quantum theory of magnetism. The concept of spin is introduced, leading to spin statics and magnetic ordering, and spin dynamics and resonances. An account of crystal field theory is included. All whose work and research involves the understanding of magnetic phenomena will find Electricity, Relativity and Magnetism: A Unified Text an invaluable resource which will enhance and deepen their understanding of the subject.

Towards a unified description of total and diffractive structure functions at DESY HERA in the QCD dipole picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, A.; Peschanski, R.; Royon, Ch.

1998-06-01

It is argued that the QCD dipole picture allows us to build a unified theoretical description, based on Balitskii-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov dynamics, of the total and diffractive nucleon structure functions. This description is in qualitative agreement with the present collection of data obtained by the H1 Collaboration. More precise theoretical estimates, in particular the determination of the normalizations and proton transverse momentum behavior of the diffractive components, are shown to be required in order to reach definite conclusions.

Unified treatment and measurement of the spectral resolution and temporal effects in frequency-resolved sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS).

PubMed

Velarde, Luis; Wang, Hong-Fei

2013-12-14

The lack of understanding of the temporal effects and the restricted ability to control experimental conditions in order to obtain intrinsic spectral lineshapes in surface sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) have limited its applications in surface and interfacial studies. The emergence of high-resolution broadband sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (HR-BB-SFG-VS) with sub-wavenumber resolution [Velarde et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2011, 135, 241102] offers new opportunities for obtaining and understanding the spectral lineshapes and temporal effects in SFG-VS. Particularly, the high accuracy of the HR-BB-SFG-VS experimental lineshape provides detailed information on the complex coherent vibrational dynamics through direct spectral measurements. Here we present a unified formalism for the theoretical and experimental routes for obtaining an accurate lineshape of the SFG response. Then, we present a detailed analysis of a cholesterol monolayer at the air/water interface with higher and lower resolution SFG spectra along with their temporal response. With higher spectral resolution and accurate vibrational spectral lineshapes, it is shown that the parameters of the experimental SFG spectra can be used both to understand and to quantitatively reproduce the temporal effects in lower resolution SFG measurements. This perspective provides not only a unified picture but also a novel experimental approach to measuring and understanding the frequency-domain and time-domain SFG response of a complex molecular interface.

Reaction-diffusion processes at the nano- and microscales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epstein, Irving R.; Xu, Bing

2016-04-01

The bottom-up fabrication of nano- and microscale structures from primary building blocks (molecules, colloidal particles) has made remarkable progress over the past two decades, but most research has focused on structural aspects, leaving our understanding of the dynamic and spatiotemporal aspects at a relatively primitive stage. In this Review, we draw inspiration from living cells to argue that it is now time to move beyond the generation of structures and explore dynamic processes at the nanoscale. We first introduce nanoscale self-assembly, self-organization and reaction-diffusion processes as essential features of cells. Then, we highlight recent progress towards designing and controlling these fundamental features of life in abiological systems. Specifically, we discuss examples of reaction-diffusion processes that lead to such outcomes as self-assembly, self-organization, unique nanostructures, chemical waves and dynamic order to illustrate their ubiquity within a unifying context of dynamic oscillations and energy dissipation. Finally, we suggest future directions for research on reaction-diffusion processes at the nano- and microscales that we find hold particular promise for a new understanding of science at the nanoscale and the development of new kinds of nanotechnologies for chemical transport, chemical communication and integration with living systems.

A unified framework for unraveling the functional interaction structure of a biomolecular network based on stimulus-response experimental data.

PubMed

Cho, Kwang-Hyun; Choo, Sang-Mok; Wellstead, Peter; Wolkenhauer, Olaf

2005-08-15

We propose a unified framework for the identification of functional interaction structures of biomolecular networks in a way that leads to a new experimental design procedure. In developing our approach, we have built upon previous work. Thus we begin by pointing out some of the restrictions associated with existing structure identification methods and point out how these restrictions may be eased. In particular, existing methods use specific forms of experimental algebraic equations with which to identify the functional interaction structure of a biomolecular network. In our work, we employ an extended form of these experimental algebraic equations which, while retaining their merits, also overcome some of their disadvantages. Experimental data are required in order to estimate the coefficients of the experimental algebraic equation set associated with the structure identification task. However, experimentalists are rarely provided with guidance on which parameters to perturb, and to what extent, to perturb them. When a model of network dynamics is required then there is also the vexed question of sample rate and sample time selection to be resolved. Supplying some answers to these questions is the main motivation of this paper. The approach is based on stationary and/or temporal data obtained from parameter perturbations, and unifies the previous approaches of Kholodenko et al. (PNAS 99 (2002) 12841-12846) and Sontag et al. (Bioinformatics 20 (2004) 1877-1886). By way of demonstration, we apply our unified approach to a network model which cannot be properly identified by existing methods. Finally, we propose an experiment design methodology, which is not limited by the amount of parameter perturbations, and illustrate its use with an in numero example.

Unified concept of effective one component plasma for hot dense plasmas

DOE PAGES

Clerouin, Jean; Arnault, Philippe; Ticknor, Christopher; ...

2016-03-17

Orbital-free molecular dynamics simulations are used to benchmark two popular models for hot dense plasmas: the one component plasma (OCP) and the Yukawa model. A unified concept emerges where an effective OCP (EOCP) is constructed from the short-range structure of the plasma. An unambiguous ionization and the screening length can be defined and used for a Yukawa system, which reproduces the long-range structure with finite compressibility. Similarly, the dispersion relation of longitudinal waves is consistent with the screened model at vanishing wave number but merges with the OCP at high wave number. Additionally, the EOCP reproduces the overall relaxation timemore » scales of the correlation functions associated with ionic motion. Lastly, in the hot dense regime, this unified concept of EOCP can be fruitfully applied to deduce properties such as the equation of state, ionic transport coefficients, and the ion feature in x-ray Thomson scattering experiments.« less

A Unified Model for Predicting the Open Hole Tensile and Compressive Strengths of Composite Laminates for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Paul; Pineda, Evan J.; Heinrich, Christian; Waas, Anthony M.

2013-01-01

The open hole tensile and compressive strengths are important design parameters in qualifying fiber reinforced laminates for a wide variety of structural applications in the aerospace industry. In this paper, we present a unified model that can be used for predicting both these strengths (tensile and compressive) using the same set of coupon level, material property data. As a prelude to the unified computational model that follows, simplified approaches, referred to as "zeroth order", "first order", etc. with increasing levels of fidelity are first presented. The results and methods presented are practical and validated against experimental data. They serve as an introductory step in establishing a virtual building block, bottom-up approach to designing future airframe structures with composite materials. The results are useful for aerospace design engineers, particularly those that deal with airframe design.

OneDep: Unified wwPDB System for Deposition, Biocuration, and Validation of Macromolecular Structures in the PDB Archive

PubMed Central

Young, Jasmine Y.; Westbrook, John D.; Feng, Zukang; Sala, Raul; Peisach, Ezra; Oldfield, Thomas J.; Sen, Sanchayita; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Armstrong, David R.; Berrisford, John M.; Chen, Li; Chen, Minyu; Di Costanzo, Luigi; Dimitropoulos, Dimitris; Gao, Guanghua; Ghosh, Sutapa; Gore, Swanand; Guranovic, Vladimir; Hendrickx, Pieter MS; Hudson, Brian P.; Igarashi, Reiko; Ikegawa, Yasuyo; Kobayashi, Naohiro; Lawson, Catherine L.; Liang, Yuhe; Mading, Steve; Mak, Lora; Mir, M. Saqib; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Patwardhan, Ardan; Persikova, Irina; Rinaldi, Luana; Sanz-Garcia, Eduardo; Sekharan, Monica R.; Shao, Chenghua; Swaminathan, G. Jawahar; Tan, Lihua; Ulrich, Eldon L.; van Ginkel, Glen; Yamashita, Reiko; Yang, Huanwang; Zhuravleva, Marina A.; Quesada, Martha; Kleywegt, Gerard J.; Berman, Helen M.; Markley, John L.; Nakamura, Haruki; Velankar, Sameer; Burley, Stephen K.

2017-01-01

SUMMARY OneDep, a unified system for deposition, biocuration, and validation of experimentally determined structures of biological macromolecules to the Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive, has been developed as a global collaboration by the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) partners. This new system was designed to ensure that the wwPDB could meet the evolving archiving requirements of the scientific community over the coming decades. OneDep unifies deposition, biocuration, and validation pipelines across all wwPDB, EMDB, and BMRB deposition sites with improved focus on data quality and completeness in these archives, while supporting growth in the number of depositions and increases in their average size and complexity. In this paper, we describe the design, functional operation, and supporting infrastructure of the OneDep system, and provide initial performance assessments. PMID:28190782

Unified constitutive material models for nonlinear finite-element structural analysis. [gas turbine engine blades and vanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, A.; Laflen, J. H.; Lindholm, U. S.

1985-01-01

Unified constitutive material models were developed for structural analyses of aircraft gas turbine engine components with particular application to isotropic materials used for high-pressure stage turbine blades and vanes. Forms or combinations of models independently proposed by Bodner and Walker were considered. These theories combine time-dependent and time-independent aspects of inelasticity into a continuous spectrum of behavior. This is in sharp contrast to previous classical approaches that partition inelastic strain into uncoupled plastic and creep components. Predicted stress-strain responses from these models were evaluated against monotonic and cyclic test results for uniaxial specimens of two cast nickel-base alloys, B1900+Hf and Rene' 80. Previously obtained tension-torsion test results for Hastelloy X alloy were used to evaluate multiaxial stress-strain cycle predictions. The unified models, as well as appropriate algorithms for integrating the constitutive equations, were implemented in finite-element computer codes.

Global bioethics – myth or reality?

PubMed Central

Holm, Søren; Williams-Jones, Bryn

2006-01-01

Background There has been debate on whether a global or unified field of bioethics exists. If bioethics is a unified global field, or at the very least a closely shared way of thinking, then we should expect bioethicists to behave the same way in their academic activities anywhere in the world. This paper investigates whether there is a 'global bioethics' in the sense of a unified academic community. Methods To address this question, we study the web-linking patterns of bioethics institutions, the citation patterns of bioethics papers and the buying patterns of bioethics books. Results All three analyses indicate that there are geographical and institutional differences in the academic behavior of bioethicists and bioethics institutions. Conclusion These exploratory studies support the position that there is no unified global field of bioethics. This is a problem if the only reason is parochialism. But these regional differences are probably of less concern if one notices that bioethics comes in many not always mutually understandable dialects. PMID:16965631

An Empirical Analysis of Citizens' Acceptance Decisions of Electronic-Government Services: A Modification of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Model to Include Trust as a Basis for Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awuah, Lawrence J.

2012-01-01

Understanding citizens' adoption of electronic-government (e-government) is an important topic, as the use of e-government has become an integral part of governance. Success of such initiatives depends largely on the efficient use of e-government services. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model has provided a…

A unified theory of development: a dialectic integration of nature and nurture.

PubMed

Sameroff, Arnold

2010-01-01

The understanding of nature and nurture within developmental science has evolved with alternating ascendance of one or the other as primary explanations for individual differences in life course trajectories of success or failure. A dialectical perspective emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual and context is suggested to interpret the evolution of developmental science in similar terms to those necessary to explain the development of individual children. A unified theory of development is proposed to integrate personal change, context, regulation, and representational models of development.

On unified modeling, theory, and method for solving multi-scale global optimization problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, David Yang

2016-10-01

A unified model is proposed for general optimization problems in multi-scale complex systems. Based on this model and necessary assumptions in physics, the canonical duality theory is presented in a precise way to include traditional duality theories and popular methods as special applications. Two conjectures on NP-hardness are proposed, which should play important roles for correctly understanding and efficiently solving challenging real-world problems. Applications are illustrated for both nonconvex continuous optimization and mixed integer nonlinear programming.

ELSI: A unified software interface for Kohn–Sham electronic structure solvers

DOE PAGES

Yu, Victor Wen-zhe; Corsetti, Fabiano; Garcia, Alberto; ...

2017-09-15

Solving the electronic structure from a generalized or standard eigenproblem is often the bottleneck in large scale calculations based on Kohn-Sham density-functional theory. This problem must be addressed by essentially all current electronic structure codes, based on similar matrix expressions, and by high-performance computation. We here present a unified software interface, ELSI, to access different strategies that address the Kohn-Sham eigenvalue problem. Currently supported algorithms include the dense generalized eigensolver library ELPA, the orbital minimization method implemented in libOMM, and the pole expansion and selected inversion (PEXSI) approach with lower computational complexity for semilocal density functionals. The ELSI interface aimsmore » to simplify the implementation and optimal use of the different strategies, by offering (a) a unified software framework designed for the electronic structure solvers in Kohn-Sham density-functional theory; (b) reasonable default parameters for a chosen solver; (c) automatic conversion between input and internal working matrix formats, and in the future (d) recommendation of the optimal solver depending on the specific problem. As a result, comparative benchmarks are shown for system sizes up to 11,520 atoms (172,800 basis functions) on distributed memory supercomputing architectures.« less

ELSI: A unified software interface for Kohn-Sham electronic structure solvers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Victor Wen-zhe; Corsetti, Fabiano; García, Alberto; Huhn, William P.; Jacquelin, Mathias; Jia, Weile; Lange, Björn; Lin, Lin; Lu, Jianfeng; Mi, Wenhui; Seifitokaldani, Ali; Vázquez-Mayagoitia, Álvaro; Yang, Chao; Yang, Haizhao; Blum, Volker

2018-01-01

Solving the electronic structure from a generalized or standard eigenproblem is often the bottleneck in large scale calculations based on Kohn-Sham density-functional theory. This problem must be addressed by essentially all current electronic structure codes, based on similar matrix expressions, and by high-performance computation. We here present a unified software interface, ELSI, to access different strategies that address the Kohn-Sham eigenvalue problem. Currently supported algorithms include the dense generalized eigensolver library ELPA, the orbital minimization method implemented in libOMM, and the pole expansion and selected inversion (PEXSI) approach with lower computational complexity for semilocal density functionals. The ELSI interface aims to simplify the implementation and optimal use of the different strategies, by offering (a) a unified software framework designed for the electronic structure solvers in Kohn-Sham density-functional theory; (b) reasonable default parameters for a chosen solver; (c) automatic conversion between input and internal working matrix formats, and in the future (d) recommendation of the optimal solver depending on the specific problem. Comparative benchmarks are shown for system sizes up to 11,520 atoms (172,800 basis functions) on distributed memory supercomputing architectures.

ELSI: A unified software interface for Kohn–Sham electronic structure solvers

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

Yu, Victor Wen-zhe; Corsetti, Fabiano; Garcia, Alberto

Solving the electronic structure from a generalized or standard eigenproblem is often the bottleneck in large scale calculations based on Kohn-Sham density-functional theory. This problem must be addressed by essentially all current electronic structure codes, based on similar matrix expressions, and by high-performance computation. We here present a unified software interface, ELSI, to access different strategies that address the Kohn-Sham eigenvalue problem. Currently supported algorithms include the dense generalized eigensolver library ELPA, the orbital minimization method implemented in libOMM, and the pole expansion and selected inversion (PEXSI) approach with lower computational complexity for semilocal density functionals. The ELSI interface aimsmore » to simplify the implementation and optimal use of the different strategies, by offering (a) a unified software framework designed for the electronic structure solvers in Kohn-Sham density-functional theory; (b) reasonable default parameters for a chosen solver; (c) automatic conversion between input and internal working matrix formats, and in the future (d) recommendation of the optimal solver depending on the specific problem. As a result, comparative benchmarks are shown for system sizes up to 11,520 atoms (172,800 basis functions) on distributed memory supercomputing architectures.« less

General description and understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of mode-locked fiber lasers.

PubMed

Wei, Huai; Li, Bin; Shi, Wei; Zhu, Xiushan; Norwood, Robert A; Peyghambarian, Nasser; Jian, Shuisheng

2017-05-02

As a type of nonlinear system with complexity, mode-locked fiber lasers are known for their complex behaviour. It is a challenging task to understand the fundamental physics behind such complex behaviour, and a unified description for the nonlinear behaviour and the systematic and quantitative analysis of the underlying mechanisms of these lasers have not been developed. Here, we present a complexity science-based theoretical framework for understanding the behaviour of mode-locked fiber lasers by going beyond reductionism. This hierarchically structured framework provides a model with variable dimensionality, resulting in a simple view that can be used to systematically describe complex states. Moreover, research into the attractors' basins reveals the origin of stochasticity, hysteresis and multistability in these systems and presents a new method for quantitative analysis of these nonlinear phenomena. These findings pave the way for dynamics analysis and system designs of mode-locked fiber lasers. We expect that this paradigm will also enable potential applications in diverse research fields related to complex nonlinear phenomena.

Unified approach to catechin hetero-oligomers: first total synthesis of trimer EZ-EG-CA isolated from Ziziphus jujuba.

PubMed

Yano, Takahisa; Ohmori, Ken; Takahashi, Haruko; Kusumi, Takenori; Suzuki, Keisuke

2012-10-14

A catechin hetero-trimer isolated from Ziziphus jujuba has been synthesized. Among three constituent monomers, (-)-epiafzelechin and (-)-epigallocatechin were prepared by de novo synthesis. Trimer formation relied on the unified approach to oligomers based on the bromo-capping and the orthogonal activation, reaching the reported structure of the natural product.

Qualitative insights into practice time management: does 'patient-centred time' in practice management offer a portal to improved access?

PubMed Central

Buetow, S; Adair, V; Coster, G; Hight, M; Gribben, B; Mitchell, E

2002-01-01

BACKGROUND: Different sets of literature suggest how aspects of practice time management can limit access to general practitioner (GP) care. Researchers have not organised this knowledge into a unified framework that can enhance understanding of barriers to, and opportunities for, improved access. AIM: To suggest a framework conceptualising how differences in professional and cultural understanding of practice time management in Auckland, New Zealand, influence access to GP care for children with chronic asthma. DESIGN OF STUDY: A qualitative study involving selective sampling, semi-structured interviews on barriers to access, and a general inductive approach. SETTING: Twenty-nine key informants and ten mothers of children with chronic, moderate to severe asthma and poor access to GP care in Auckland. METHOD: Development of a framework from themes describing barriers associated with, and needs for, practice time management. The themes were independently identified by two authors from transcribed interviews and confirmed through informant checking. Themes from key informant and patient interviews were triangulated with each other and with published literature. RESULTS: The framework distinguishes 'practice-centred time' from 'patient-centred time.' A predominance of 'practice-centred time' and an unmet opportunity for 'patient-centred time' are suggested by the persistence of five barriers to accessing GP care: limited hours of opening; traditional appointment systems; practice intolerance of missed appointments; long waiting times in the practice; and inadequate consultation lengths. None of the barriers is specific to asthmatic children. CONCLUSION: A unified framework was suggested for understanding how the organisation of practice work time can influence access to GP care by groups including asthmatic children. PMID:12528583

Application of Ontology Technology in Health Statistic Data Analysis.

PubMed

Guo, Minjiang; Hu, Hongpu; Lei, Xingyun

2017-01-01

Research Purpose: establish health management ontology for analysis of health statistic data. Proposed Methods: this paper established health management ontology based on the analysis of the concepts in China Health Statistics Yearbook, and used protégé to define the syntactic and semantic structure of health statistical data. six classes of top-level ontology concepts and their subclasses had been extracted and the object properties and data properties were defined to establish the construction of these classes. By ontology instantiation, we can integrate multi-source heterogeneous data and enable administrators to have an overall understanding and analysis of the health statistic data. ontology technology provides a comprehensive and unified information integration structure of the health management domain and lays a foundation for the efficient analysis of multi-source and heterogeneous health system management data and enhancement of the management efficiency.

Quantum-gravity predictions for the fine-structure constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichhorn, Astrid; Held, Aaron; Wetterich, Christof

2018-07-01

Asymptotically safe quantum fluctuations of gravity can uniquely determine the value of the gauge coupling for a large class of grand unified models. In turn, this makes the electromagnetic fine-structure constant calculable. The balance of gravity and matter fluctuations results in a fixed point for the running of the gauge coupling. It is approached as the momentum scale is lowered in the transplanckian regime, leading to a uniquely predicted value of the gauge coupling at the Planck scale. The precise value of the predicted fine-structure constant depends on the matter content of the grand unified model. It is proportional to the gravitational fluctuation effects for which computational uncertainties remain to be settled.

Vector Autoregression, Structural Equation Modeling, and Their Synthesis in Neuroimaging Data Analysis

PubMed Central

Chen, Gang; Glen, Daniel R.; Saad, Ziad S.; Hamilton, J. Paul; Thomason, Moriah E.; Gotlib, Ian H.; Cox, Robert W.

2011-01-01

Vector autoregression (VAR) and structural equation modeling (SEM) are two popular brain-network modeling tools. VAR, which is a data-driven approach, assumes that connected regions exert time-lagged influences on one another. In contrast, the hypothesis-driven SEM is used to validate an existing connectivity model where connected regions have contemporaneous interactions among them. We present the two models in detail and discuss their applicability to FMRI data, and interpretational limits. We also propose a unified approach that models both lagged and contemporaneous effects. The unifying model, structural vector autoregression (SVAR), may improve statistical and explanatory power, and avoids some prevalent pitfalls that can occur when VAR and SEM are utilized separately. PMID:21975109

Simulation of the M13 life cycle I: Assembly of a genetically-structured deterministic chemical kinetic simulation.

PubMed

Smeal, Steven W; Schmitt, Margaret A; Pereira, Ronnie Rodrigues; Prasad, Ashok; Fisk, John D

2017-01-01

To expand the quantitative, systems level understanding and foster the expansion of the biotechnological applications of the filamentous bacteriophage M13, we have unified the accumulated quantitative information on M13 biology into a genetically-structured, experimentally-based computational simulation of the entire phage life cycle. The deterministic chemical kinetic simulation explicitly includes the molecular details of DNA replication, mRNA transcription, protein translation and particle assembly, as well as the competing protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions that control the timing and extent of phage production. The simulation reproduces the holistic behavior of M13, closely matching experimentally reported values of the intracellular levels of phage species and the timing of events in the M13 life cycle. The computational model provides a quantitative description of phage biology, highlights gaps in the present understanding of M13, and offers a framework for exploring alternative mechanisms of regulation in the context of the complete M13 life cycle. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examining Understandings of Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilado, Aimee V.; Kallemeyn, Leanne; Phillips, Lauren

2013-01-01

The importance of parent involvement in children's development and learning is increasingly recognized in the research literature and in federal and state policies; however, no unified definition of parent involvement exists. This study examined different understandings and definitions of parent involvement in a sample of administrators of…

Chemistry 20-30: Program of Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Branch.

Presented in English and French, Chemistry 20-30 is an academic program that helps students in Alberta, Canada, better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting ideas and principles that transcend and unify the natural science…

Biology 20-30: Program of Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Branch.

Presented in English and French, Biology 20-30 is an academic program that helps students in Alberta, Canada, better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting ideas and principles that transcend and unify the natural science…

Object Permanence and Method of Disappearance: Looking Measures Further Contradict Reaching Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charles, Eric P.; Rivera, Susan M.

2009-01-01

Piaget proposed that understanding permanency, understanding occlusion events, and forming mental representations were synonymous; however, accumulating evidence indicates that those concepts are "not" unified in development. Infants reach for endarkened objects at younger ages than for occluded objects, and infants' looking patterns suggest that…

Unified approach to redshift in cosmological/black hole spacetimes and synchronous frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toporensky, A. V.; Zaslavskii, O. B.; Popov, S. B.

2018-01-01

Usually, interpretation of redshift in static spacetimes (for example, near black holes) is opposed to that in cosmology. In this methodological note, we show that both explanations are unified in a natural picture. This is achieved if, considering the static spacetime, one (i) makes a transition to a synchronous frame, and (ii) returns to the original frame by means of local Lorentz boost. To reach our goal, we consider a rather general class of spherically symmetric spacetimes. In doing so, we construct frames that generalize the well-known Lemaitre and Painlevé-Gullstand ones and elucidate the relation between them. This helps us to understand, in a unifying approach, how gravitation reveals itself in different branches of general relativity. This framework can be useful for general relativity university courses.

Models of Neuronal Stimulus-Response Functions: Elaboration, Estimation, and Evaluation

PubMed Central

Meyer, Arne F.; Williamson, Ross S.; Linden, Jennifer F.; Sahani, Maneesh

2017-01-01

Rich, dynamic, and dense sensory stimuli are encoded within the nervous system by the time-varying activity of many individual neurons. A fundamental approach to understanding the nature of the encoded representation is to characterize the function that relates the moment-by-moment firing of a neuron to the recent history of a complex sensory input. This review provides a unifying and critical survey of the techniques that have been brought to bear on this effort thus far—ranging from the classical linear receptive field model to modern approaches incorporating normalization and other nonlinearities. We address separately the structure of the models; the criteria and algorithms used to identify the model parameters; and the role of regularizing terms or “priors.” In each case we consider benefits or drawbacks of various proposals, providing examples for when these methods work and when they may fail. Emphasis is placed on key concepts rather than mathematical details, so as to make the discussion accessible to readers from outside the field. Finally, we review ways in which the agreement between an assumed model and the neuron's response may be quantified. Re-implemented and unified code for many of the methods are made freely available. PMID:28127278

Unified force-level theory of multiscale transient localization and emergent elasticity in polymer solutions and melts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dell, Zachary E.; Schweizer, Kenneth S.

A unified, microscopic, theoretical understanding of polymer dynamics in concentrated liquids from segmental to macromolecular scales remains an open problem. We have formulated a statistical mechanical theory for this problem that explicitly accounts for intra- and inter-molecular forces at the Kuhn segment level. The theory is self-consistently closed at the level of a matrix of dynamical second moments of a tagged chain. Two distinct regimes of isotropic transient localization are predicted. In semidilute solutions, weak localization is predicted on a mesoscopic length scale between segment and chain scales which is a power law function of the invariant packing length. This is consistent with the breakdown of Rouse dynamics and the emergence of entanglements. The chain structural correlations in the dynamically arrested state are also computed. In dense melts, strong localization is predicted on a scale much smaller than the segment size which is weakly dependent on chain connectivity and signals the onset of glassy dynamics. Predictions of the dynamic plateau shear modulus are consistent with the known features of emergent rubbery and glassy elasticity. Generalizations to treat the effects of chemical crosslinking and physical bond formation in polymer gels are possible.

Revisiting the structure/function relationships of H/ACA(-like) RNAs: a unified model for Euryarchaea and Crenarchaea

PubMed Central

Toffano-Nioche, Claire; Gautheret, Daniel; Leclerc, Fabrice

2015-01-01

A structural and functional classification of H/ACA and H/ACA-like motifs is obtained from the analysis of the H/ACA guide RNAs which have been identified previously in the genomes of Euryarchaea (Pyrococcus) and Crenarchaea (Pyrobaculum). A unified structure/function model is proposed based on the common structural determinants shared by H/ACA and H/ACA-like motifs in both Euryarchaea and Crenarchaea. Using a computational approach, structural and energetic rules for the guide:target RNA-RNA interactions are derived from structural and functional data on the H/ACA RNP particles. H/ACA(-like) motifs found in Pyrococcus are evaluated through the classification and their biological relevance is discussed. Extra-ribosomal targets found in both Pyrococcus and Pyrobaculum might support the hypothesis of a gene regulation mediated by H/ACA(-like) guide RNAs in archaea. PMID:26240384

Research and development activities in unified control-structure modeling and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nayak, A. P.

1985-01-01

Results of work sponsored by JPL and other organizations to develop a unified control/structures modeling and design capability for large space structures is presented. Recent analytical results are presented to demonstrate the significant interdependence between structural and control properties. A new design methodology is suggested in which the structure, material properties, dynamic model and control design are all optimized simultaneously. The development of a methodology for global design optimization is recommended as a long term goal. It is suggested that this methodology should be incorporated into computer aided engineering programs, which eventually will be supplemented by an expert system to aid design optimization. Recommendations are also presented for near term research activities at JPL. The key recommendation is to continue the development of integrated dynamic modeling/control design techniques, with special attention given to the development of structural models specially tailored to support design.

A unified explanation for the diverse structural deviations reported for adult schizophrenics with disrupted speech.

PubMed

Chaika, E

1982-06-01

This paper attempts a unified explanation for the diverse manifestations of deviant speech considered pathognomic for schizophrenia. Examination of the structure of such speech shows that what appear to be diverse errors are really manifestations of two problems: apparently random or erroneous triggering of sounds and words coupled with inappropriate perseverations. These are shown to be different manifestations of the same problem, possibly a schizophrenic dysfunction in neurotransmitters in the brain.. Studies of hemispheric asymetry in schizophrenia, involuntary eyetracking, and the probable action of antipsychotic medication confirm the linguistic data.

Essentials of disaster management: the role of the orthopaedic surgeon.

PubMed

Born, Christopher T; Monchik, Keith O; Hayda, Roman A; Bosse, Michael J; Pollak, Andrew N

2011-01-01

Disaster preparedness and management education is essential for allowing orthopaedic surgeons to play a valuable, constructive role in responding to disasters. The National Incident Management System, as part of the National Response Framework, provides coordination between all levels of government and uses the Incident Command System as its unified command structure. An "all-hazards" approach to disasters, whether natural, man-made, intentional, or unintentional, is fundamental to disaster planning. To respond to any disaster, command and control must be established, and emergency management must be integrated with public health and medical care. In the face of increasing acts of terrorism, an understanding of blast injury pathophysiology allows for improved diagnostic and treatment strategies. A practical understanding of potential biologic, chemical, and nuclear agents and their attendant clinical symptoms is also prerequisite. Credentialing and coordination between designated organizations and the federal government are essential to allow civilian orthopaedic surgeons to access systems capable of disaster response.

Physiological utility theory and the neuroeconomics of choice

PubMed Central

Glimcher, Paul W.; Dorris, Michael C.; Bayer, Hannah M.

2006-01-01

Over the past half century economists have responded to the challenges of Allais [Econometrica (1953) 53], Ellsberg [Quart. J. Econ. (1961) 643] and others raised to neoclassicism either by bounding the reach of economic theory or by turning to descriptive approaches. While both of these strategies have been enormously fruitful, neither has provided a clear programmatic approach that aspires to a complete understanding of human decision making as did neoclassicism. There is, however, growing evidence that economists and neurobiologists are now beginning to reveal the physical mechanisms by which the human neuroarchitecture accomplishes decision making. Although in their infancy, these studies suggest both a single unified framework for understanding human decision making and a methodology for constraining the scope and structure of economic theory. Indeed, there is already evidence that these studies place mathematical constraints on existing economic models. This article reviews some of those constraints and suggests the outline of a neuroeconomic theory of decision. PMID:16845435

Molecular sieving using nanofilters: past, present and future.

PubMed

Han, Jongyoon; Fu, Jianping; Schoch, Reto B

2008-01-01

Filtration of molecules by nanometer-sized structures is ubiquitous in our everyday life, but our understanding of such molecular filtration processes is far less than desired. Until recently, one of the main reasons was the lack of experimental methods that can help provide detailed, microscopic pictures of molecule-nanostructure interactions. Several innovations in experimental methods, such as nuclear track-etched membranes developed in the 70s, and more recent development of nanofluidic molecular filters, played pivotal roles in advancing our understanding. With the ability to make truly molecular-scale filters and pores with well-defined sizes, shapes, and surface properties, now we are well positioned to engineer better functionality in molecular sieving, separation and other membrane applications. Reviewing past theoretical developments (often scattered across different fields) and connecting them to the most recent advances in the field would be essential to get a full, unified view on this important engineering question.

Adaptive unified continuum FEM modeling of a 3D FSI benchmark problem.

PubMed

Jansson, Johan; Degirmenci, Niyazi Cem; Hoffman, Johan

2017-09-01

In this paper, we address a 3D fluid-structure interaction benchmark problem that represents important characteristics of biomedical modeling. We present a goal-oriented adaptive finite element methodology for incompressible fluid-structure interaction based on a streamline diffusion-type stabilization of the balance equations for mass and momentum for the entire continuum in the domain, which is implemented in the Unicorn/FEniCS software framework. A phase marker function and its corresponding transport equation are introduced to select the constitutive law, where the mesh tracks the discontinuous fluid-structure interface. This results in a unified simulation method for fluids and structures. We present detailed results for the benchmark problem compared with experiments, together with a mesh convergence study. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Simultaneous analysis and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haftka, R. T.

1984-01-01

Optimization techniques are increasingly being used for performing nonlinear structural analysis. The development of element by element (EBE) preconditioned conjugate gradient (CG) techniques is expected to extend this trend to linear analysis. Under these circumstances the structural design problem can be viewed as a nested optimization problem. There are computational benefits to treating this nested problem as a large single optimization problem. The response variables (such as displacements) and the structural parameters are all treated as design variables in a unified formulation which performs simultaneously the design and analysis. Two examples are used for demonstration. A seventy-two bar truss is optimized subject to linear stress constraints and a wing box structure is optimized subject to nonlinear collapse constraints. Both examples show substantial computational savings with the unified approach as compared to the traditional nested approach.

Foundations of the Unity of Science, Toward an International Encyclopedia of Unified Science, Volume 2, Numbers 1-9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neurath, Otto; And Others

The monographs published from 1938 through 1970 under the general title of the International Encyclopedia of Unified Science are now published in two volumes (see also SE 012 543). The monographs included in this volume, and the philosophers who wrote them, are listed below. Foundations of the Social Sciences (Neurath); The Structure of Scientific…

Review of the Organizational Structure and Operations of the Los Angeles Unified School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of the Great City Schools, 2006

2006-01-01

The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest public school system in the United States, and one of the largest organizations of any kind in the country. As with urban school systems across the country, the Los Angeles school district is under enormous pressure to improve. The district is under public scrutiny and is the subject of…

Towards a Grand Unified Theory of sports performance.

PubMed

Glazier, Paul S

2017-12-01

Sports performance is generally considered to be governed by a range of interacting physiological, biomechanical, and psychological variables, amongst others. Despite sports performance being multi-factorial, however, the majority of performance-oriented sports science research has predominantly been monodisciplinary in nature, presumably due, at least in part, to the lack of a unifying theoretical framework required to integrate the various subdisciplines of sports science. In this target article, I propose a Grand Unified Theory (GUT) of sports performance-and, by elaboration, sports science-based around the constraints framework introduced originally by Newell (1986). A central tenet of this GUT is that, at both the intra- and inter-individual levels of analysis, patterns of coordination and control, which directly determine the performance outcome, emerge from the confluence of interacting organismic, environmental, and task constraints via the formation and self-organisation of coordinative structures. It is suggested that this GUT could be used to: foster interdisciplinary research collaborations; break down the silos that have developed in sports science and restore greater disciplinary balance to the field; promote a more holistic understanding of sports performance across all levels of analysis; increase explanatory power of applied research work; provide stronger rationale for data collection and variable selection; and direct the development of integrated performance monitoring technologies. This GUT could also provide a scientifically rigorous basis for integrating the subdisciplines of sports science in applied sports science support programmes adopted by high-performance agencies and national governing bodies for various individual and team sports. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Super-volcanic investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Till, Christy B.; Pritchard, Matthew; Miller, Craig A.; Brugman, Karalee K.; Ryan-Davis, Juliet

2018-04-01

Multi-disciplinary analyses of Earth's most destructive volcanic systems show that continuous monitoring and an understanding of each volcano's quirks, rather than a single unified model, are key to generating accurate hazard assessments.

Structure and dynamics of European sports science textual contents: Analysis of ECSS abstracts (1996-2014).

PubMed

Hristovski, Robert; Aceski, Aleksandar; Balague, Natalia; Seifert, Ludovic; Tufekcievski, Aleksandar; Cecilia, Aguirre

2017-02-01

The article discusses general structure and dynamics of the sports science research content as obtained from the analysis of 21998 European College of Sport Science abstracts belonging to 12 science topics. The structural analysis showed intertwined multidisciplinary and unifying tendencies structured along horizontal (scope) and vertical (level) axes. Methodological (instrumental and mode of inquiry) integrative tendencies are dominant. Theoretical integrative tendencies are much less detectable along both horizontal and vertical axes. The dynamic analysis of written abstracts text content over the 19 years reveals the contextualizing and guiding role of thematic skeletons of each sports science topic in forming more detailed contingent research ideas and the role of the latter in stabilizing and procreating the former. This circular causality between both hierarchical levels and functioning on separate characteristic time scales is crucial for understanding how stable research traditions self-maintain and self-procreate through innovative contingencies. The structure of sports science continuously rebuilds itself through use and re-use of contingent research ideas. The thematic skeleton ensures its identity and the contingent conceptual sets its flexibility and adaptability to different research or applicative problems.

From hadrons to quarks in neutron stars: a review.

PubMed

Baym, Gordon; Hatsuda, Tetsuo; Kojo, Toru; Powell, Philip D; Song, Yifan; Takatsuka, Tatsuyuki

2018-05-01

In recent years our understanding of neutron stars has advanced remarkably, thanks to research converging from many directions. The importance of understanding neutron star behavior and structure has been underlined by the recent direct detection of gravitational radiation from merging neutron stars. The clean identification of several heavy neutron stars, of order two solar masses, challenges our current understanding of how dense matter can be sufficiently stiff to support such a mass against gravitational collapse. Programs underway to determine simultaneously the mass and radius of neutron stars will continue to constrain and inform theories of neutron star interiors. At the same time, an emerging understanding in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) of how nuclear matter can evolve into deconfined quark matter at high baryon densities is leading to advances in understanding the equation of state of the matter under the extreme conditions in neutron star interiors. We review here the equation of state of matter in neutron stars from the solid crust through the liquid nuclear matter interior to the quark regime at higher densities. We focus in detail on the question of how quark matter appears in neutron stars, and how it affects the equation of state. After discussing the crust and liquid nuclear matter in the core we briefly review aspects of microscopic quark physics relevant to neutron stars, and quark models of dense matter based on the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio framework, in which gluonic processes are replaced by effective quark interactions. We turn then to describing equations of state useful for interpretation of both electromagnetic and gravitational observations, reviewing the emerging picture of hadron-quark continuity in which hadronic matter turns relatively smoothly, with at most only a weak first order transition, into quark matter with increasing density. We review construction of unified equations of state that interpolate between the reasonably well understood nuclear matter regime at low densities and the quark matter regime at higher densities. The utility of such interpolations is driven by the present inability to calculate the dense matter equation of state in QCD from first principles. As we review, the parameters of effective quark models-which have direct relevance to the more general structure of the QCD phase diagram of dense and hot matter-are constrained by neutron star mass and radii measurements, in particular favoring large repulsive density-density and attractive diquark pairing interactions. We describe the structure of neutron stars constructed from the unified equations of states with crossover. Lastly we present the current equations of state-called 'QHC18' for quark-hadron crossover-in a parametrized form practical for neutron star modeling.

From hadrons to quarks in neutron stars: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baym, Gordon; Hatsuda, Tetsuo; Kojo, Toru; Powell, Philip D.; Song, Yifan; Takatsuka, Tatsuyuki

2018-05-01

In recent years our understanding of neutron stars has advanced remarkably, thanks to research converging from many directions. The importance of understanding neutron star behavior and structure has been underlined by the recent direct detection of gravitational radiation from merging neutron stars. The clean identification of several heavy neutron stars, of order two solar masses, challenges our current understanding of how dense matter can be sufficiently stiff to support such a mass against gravitational collapse. Programs underway to determine simultaneously the mass and radius of neutron stars will continue to constrain and inform theories of neutron star interiors. At the same time, an emerging understanding in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) of how nuclear matter can evolve into deconfined quark matter at high baryon densities is leading to advances in understanding the equation of state of the matter under the extreme conditions in neutron star interiors. We review here the equation of state of matter in neutron stars from the solid crust through the liquid nuclear matter interior to the quark regime at higher densities. We focus in detail on the question of how quark matter appears in neutron stars, and how it affects the equation of state. After discussing the crust and liquid nuclear matter in the core we briefly review aspects of microscopic quark physics relevant to neutron stars, and quark models of dense matter based on the Nambu–Jona–Lasinio framework, in which gluonic processes are replaced by effective quark interactions. We turn then to describing equations of state useful for interpretation of both electromagnetic and gravitational observations, reviewing the emerging picture of hadron-quark continuity in which hadronic matter turns relatively smoothly, with at most only a weak first order transition, into quark matter with increasing density. We review construction of unified equations of state that interpolate between the reasonably well understood nuclear matter regime at low densities and the quark matter regime at higher densities. The utility of such interpolations is driven by the present inability to calculate the dense matter equation of state in QCD from first principles. As we review, the parameters of effective quark models—which have direct relevance to the more general structure of the QCD phase diagram of dense and hot matter—are constrained by neutron star mass and radii measurements, in particular favoring large repulsive density-density and attractive diquark pairing interactions. We describe the structure of neutron stars constructed from the unified equations of states with crossover. Lastly we present the current equations of state—called ‘QHC18’ for quark-hadron crossover—in a parametrized form practical for neutron star modeling.

Unified Stress Tensor of the Hydration Water Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Bongsu; Kim, QHwan; Kwon, Soyoung; An, Sangmin; Lee, Kunyoung; Lee, Manhee; Jhe, Wonho

2013-12-01

We present the general stress tensor of the ubiquitous hydration water layer (HWL), based on the empirical hydration force, by combining the elasticity and hydrodynamics theories. The tapping and shear component of the tensor describe the elastic and damping properties of the HWL, respectively, in good agreement with experiments. In particular, a unified understanding of HWL dynamics provides the otherwise unavailable intrinsic parameters of the HWL, which offer additional but unexplored aspects to the supercooled liquidity of the confined HWL. Our results may allow deeper insight on systems where the HWL is critical.

Unified stress tensor of the hydration water layer.

PubMed

Kim, Bongsu; Kim, Qhwan; Kwon, Soyoung; An, Sangmin; Lee, Kunyoung; Lee, Manhee; Jhe, Wonho

2013-12-13

We present the general stress tensor of the ubiquitous hydration water layer (HWL), based on the empirical hydration force, by combining the elasticity and hydrodynamics theories. The tapping and shear component of the tensor describe the elastic and damping properties of the HWL, respectively, in good agreement with experiments. In particular, a unified understanding of HWL dynamics provides the otherwise unavailable intrinsic parameters of the HWL, which offer additional but unexplored aspects to the supercooled liquidity of the confined HWL. Our results may allow deeper insight on systems where the HWL is critical.

Transforming Energy Instruction in Middle School to Support Integrated Understanding and Future Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordine, Jeffrey; Krajcik, Joseph; Fortus, David

2011-01-01

Energy is a fundamental unifying concept of science, yet common approaches to energy instruction in middle school have shown little success with helping students develop their naive ideas about energy into more sophisticated understandings that are useful for making sense of their experiences. While traditional energy instruction often focuses on…

The Dialectical Development of "Storytelling" Learning Organizations: A Case Study of a Public Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillon, Yue Cai; Boje, David M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Calls for dialectical learning process model development in learning organizations have largely gone unheeded, thereby limiting conceptual understanding and application in the field. This paper aims to unify learning organization theory with a new understanding of Hegelian dialectics to trace the development of the storytelling learning…

Understanding Early Childhood Student Teachers' Acceptance and Use of Interactive Whiteboard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Kung-Teck; Russo, Sharon; McDowall, Janet

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand early childhood student teachers' self-reported acceptance and use of interactive whiteboard (IWB), by employing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as the research framework. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 112 student teachers enrolled in science-related…

Prospective Elementary Teachers' Understanding of the Nature of Science and Perceptions of the Classroom Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Dunlop, Catherine S.

2013-01-01

This study investigated prospective elementary teachers' understandings of the nature of science and explored associations with their guided-inquiry science learning environment. Over 500 female students completed the Nature of Scientific Knowledge Survey (NSKS), although only four scales were analyzed-Creative, Testable, Amoral, and Unified. The…

A Unified Air-Sea Visualization System: Survey on Gridding Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anand, Harsh; Moorhead, Robert

1995-01-01

The goal is to develop a Unified Air-Sea Visualization System (UASVS) to enable the rapid fusion of observational, archival, and model data for verification and analysis. To design and develop UASVS, modelers were polled to determine the gridding structures and visualization systems used, and their needs with respect to visual analysis. A basic UASVS requirement is to allow a modeler to explore multiple data sets within a single environment, or to interpolate multiple datasets onto one unified grid. From this survey, the UASVS should be able to visualize 3D scalar/vector fields; render isosurfaces; visualize arbitrary slices of the 3D data; visualize data defined on spectral element grids with the minimum number of interpolation stages; render contours; produce 3D vector plots and streamlines; provide unified visualization of satellite images, observations and model output overlays; display the visualization on a projection of the users choice; implement functions so the user can derive diagnostic values; animate the data to see the time-evolution; animate ocean and atmosphere at different rates; store the record of cursor movement, smooth the path, and animate a window around the moving path; repeatedly start and stop the visual time-stepping; generate VHS tape animations; work on a variety of workstations; and allow visualization across clusters of workstations and scalable high performance computer systems.

Toward a Unified Theory of Visual Area V4

PubMed Central

Roe, Anna W.; Chelazzi, Leonardo; Connor, Charles E.; Conway, Bevil R.; Fujita, Ichiro; Gallant, Jack L.; Lu, Haidong; Vanduffel, Wim

2016-01-01

Visual area V4 is a midtier cortical area in the ventral visual pathway. It is crucial for visual object recognition and has been a focus of many studies on visual attention. However, there is no unifying view of V4’s role in visual processing. Neither is there an understanding of how its role in feature processing interfaces with its role in visual attention. This review captures our current knowledge of V4, largely derived from electrophysiological and imaging studies in the macaque monkey. Based on recent discovery of functionally specific domains in V4, we propose that the unifying function of V4 circuitry is to enable selective extraction of specific functional domain-based networks, whether it be by bottom-up specification of object features or by top-down attentionally driven selection. PMID:22500626

Two-stage unified stretched-exponential model for time-dependence of threshold voltage shift under positive-bias-stresses in amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Chan-Yong; Kim, Hee-Joong; Hong, Sae-Young; Song, Sang-Hun; Kwon, Hyuck-In

2017-08-01

In this study, we show that the two-stage unified stretched-exponential model can more exactly describe the time-dependence of threshold voltage shift (ΔV TH) under long-term positive-bias-stresses compared to the traditional stretched-exponential model in amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). ΔV TH is mainly dominated by electron trapping at short stress times, and the contribution of trap state generation becomes significant with an increase in the stress time. The two-stage unified stretched-exponential model can provide useful information not only for evaluating the long-term electrical stability and lifetime of the a-IGZO TFT but also for understanding the stress-induced degradation mechanism in a-IGZO TFTs.

Apollo experience report: S-band system signal design and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, H. R. (Editor)

1972-01-01

A description is given of the Apollo communications-system engineering-analysis effort that ensured the adequacy, performance, and interface compatibility of the unified S-band system elements for a successful lunar-landing mission. The evolution and conceptual design of the unified S-band system are briefly reviewed from a historical viewpoint. A comprehensive discussion of the unified S-band elements includes the salient design features of the system and serves as a basis for a better understanding of the design decisions and analyses. The significant design decisions concerning the Apollo communications-system signal design are discussed providing an insight into the role of systems analysis in arriving at the current configuration of the Apollo communications system. Analyses are presented concerning performance estimation (mathematical-model development through real-time mission support) and system deficiencies, modifications, and improvements.

The neurosciences and the search for a unified psychology: the science and esthetics of a single framework

PubMed Central

Stam, Henderikus J.

2015-01-01

The search for a so-called unified or integrated theory has long served as a goal for some psychologists, even if the search is often implicit. But if the established sciences do not have an explicitly unified set of theories, then why should psychology? After examining this question again I argue that psychology is in fact reasonably unified around its methods and its commitment to functional explanations, an indeterminate functionalism. The question of the place of the neurosciences in this framework is complex. On the one hand, the neuroscientific project will not likely renew and synthesize the disparate arms of psychology. On the other hand, their reformulation of what it means to be human will exert an influence in multiple ways. One way to capture that influence is to conceptualize the brain in terms of a technology that we interact with in a manner that we do not yet fully understand. In this way we maintain both a distance from neuro-reductionism and refrain from committing to an unfettered subjectivity. PMID:26500571

Unity of consciousness.

PubMed

Hill, Christopher S

2018-05-29

Although there is much talk in various literatures of streams of consciousness, and most of us have an intuitive understanding of such talk, we are far from having a full grasp of what it is that unifies streams of consciousness, binding together the individual experiences that serve as their constituents. In recent years, discussion of this topic has been principally concerned with synchronic unity of consciousness-the form of unity that is exhibited by momentary states of consciousness, or in other words, by time slices or temporal segments of streams. There are two main questions about synchronic unity. First, what is its scope? Are the simultaneous experiences of a single subject necessarily unified? Generally but not necessarily unified? Sometimes unified? And second, what is the nature of synchronic unity? Is it a fundamental phenomenon, and if not, what are the more basic phenomena that constitute it? This essay reviews recent work on these questions, and provides reasons for preferring some answers to others. This article is categorized under: Philosophy > Consciousness Philosophy > Foundations of Cognitive Science Philosophy > Metaphysics. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Generalized Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabe-Hesketh, Sophia; Skrondal, Anders; Pickles, Andrew

2004-01-01

A unifying framework for generalized multilevel structural equation modeling is introduced. The models in the framework, called generalized linear latent and mixed models (GLLAMM), combine features of generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) and structural equation models (SEM) and consist of a response model and a structural model for the latent…

An affinity-structure database of helix-turn-helix: DNA complexes with a universal coordinate system.

PubMed

AlQuraishi, Mohammed; Tang, Shengdong; Xia, Xide

2015-11-19

Molecular interactions between proteins and DNA molecules underlie many cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, chromosome replication, and nucleosome positioning. Computational analyses of protein-DNA interactions rely on experimental data characterizing known protein-DNA interactions structurally and biochemically. While many databases exist that contain either structural or biochemical data, few integrate these two data sources in a unified fashion. Such integration is becoming increasingly critical with the rapid growth of structural and biochemical data, and the emergence of algorithms that rely on the synthesis of multiple data types to derive computational models of molecular interactions. We have developed an integrated affinity-structure database in which the experimental and quantitative DNA binding affinities of helix-turn-helix proteins are mapped onto the crystal structures of the corresponding protein-DNA complexes. This database provides access to: (i) protein-DNA structures, (ii) quantitative summaries of protein-DNA binding affinities using position weight matrices, and (iii) raw experimental data of protein-DNA binding instances. Critically, this database establishes a correspondence between experimental structural data and quantitative binding affinity data at the single basepair level. Furthermore, we present a novel alignment algorithm that structurally aligns the protein-DNA complexes in the database and creates a unified residue-level coordinate system for comparing the physico-chemical environments at the interface between complexes. Using this unified coordinate system, we compute the statistics of atomic interactions at the protein-DNA interface of helix-turn-helix proteins. We provide an interactive website for visualization, querying, and analyzing this database, and a downloadable version to facilitate programmatic analysis. This database will facilitate the analysis of protein-DNA interactions and the development of programmatic computational methods that capitalize on integration of structural and biochemical datasets. The database can be accessed at http://ProteinDNA.hms.harvard.edu.

A unified model explains commonness and rarity on coral reefs.

PubMed

Connolly, Sean R; Hughes, Terry P; Bellwood, David R

2017-04-01

Abundance patterns in ecological communities have important implications for biodiversity maintenance and ecosystem functioning. However, ecological theory has been largely unsuccessful at capturing multiple macroecological abundance patterns simultaneously. Here, we propose a parsimonious model that unifies widespread ecological relationships involving local aggregation, species-abundance distributions, and species associations, and we test this model against the metacommunity structure of reef-building corals and coral reef fishes across the western and central Pacific. For both corals and fishes, the unified model simultaneously captures extremely well local species-abundance distributions, interspecific variation in the strength of spatial aggregation, patterns of community similarity, species accumulation, and regional species richness, performing far better than alternative models also examined here and in previous work on coral reefs. Our approach contributes to the development of synthetic theory for large-scale patterns of community structure in nature, and to addressing ongoing challenges in biodiversity conservation at macroecological scales. © 2017 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Leaving behind our preparadigmatic past: Professional psychology as a unified clinical science.

PubMed

Melchert, Timothy P

2016-09-01

The behavioral and neurosciences have made remarkable progress recently in advancing the scientific understanding of human psychology. Though research in many areas is still in its early stages, knowledge of many psychological processes is now firmly grounded in experimental tests of falsifiable theories and supports a unified, paradigmatic understanding of human psychology that is thoroughly consistent with the rest of the natural sciences. This new body of knowledge poses critical questions for professional psychology, which still often relies on the traditional theoretical orientations and other preparadigmatic practices for guiding important aspects of clinical education and practice. This article argues that professional psychology needs to systematically transition to theoretical frameworks and a curriculum that are based on an integrated scientific understanding of human psychology. Doing so would be of historic importance for the field and would result in major changes to professional psychology education and practice. It would also allow the field to emerge as a true clinical science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The isotopic and chemical evolution of planets: Mars as a missing link

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Depaolo, D. J.

1988-01-01

The study of planetary bodies has advanced to a stage where it is possible to contemplate general models for the chemical and physical evolution of planetary interiors, which might be referred to as UMPES (Unified Models of Planetary Evolution and Structure). UMPES would be able to predict the internal evolution and structure of a planet given certain input parameters such as mass, distance from the sun, and a time scale for accretion. Such models are highly dependent on natural observations because the basic material properties of planetary interiors, and the processes that take place during the evolution of planets are imperfectly understood. The idea of UMPES was particularly unrealistic when the only information available was from the earth. However, advances have been made in the understanding of the general aspects of planetary evolution now that there is geochemical and petrological data available for the moon and for meteorites.

A roadmap for bridging basic and applied research in forensic entomology.

PubMed

Tomberlin, J K; Mohr, R; Benbow, M E; Tarone, A M; VanLaerhoven, S

2011-01-01

The National Research Council issued a report in 2009 that heavily criticized the forensic sciences. The report made several recommendations that if addressed would allow the forensic sciences to develop a stronger scientific foundation. We suggest a roadmap for decomposition ecology and forensic entomology hinging on a framework built on basic research concepts in ecology, evolution, and genetics. Unifying both basic and applied research fields under a common umbrella of terminology and structure would facilitate communication in the field and the production of scientific results. It would also help to identify novel research areas leading to a better understanding of principal underpinnings governing ecosystem structure, function, and evolution while increasing the accuracy of and ability to interpret entomological evidence collected from crime scenes. By following the proposed roadmap, a bridge can be built between basic and applied decomposition ecology research, culminating in science that could withstand the rigors of emerging legal and cultural expectations.

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 18:] Scientific and Technical Information (STI) policy and the competitive position of the US aerospace industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hernon, Peter; Pinelli, Thomas E.

1992-01-01

With its contribution to trade, its coupling with national security, and its symbolism of U.S. technological strength, the U.S. aerospace industry holds a unique position in the Nation's industrial structure. Federal science and technology policy and Federal scientific and technical information (STI) policy loom important as strategic contributions to the U.S. aerospace industry's leading competitive position. However, three fundamental policy problems exist. First, the United States lacks a coherent STI policy and a unified approach to the development of such a policy. Second, policymakers fail to understand the relationship of STI to science and technology policy. Third, STI is treated as a part of general information policy, without any recognition of its uniqueness. This paper provides an overview of the Federal information policy structure as it relates to STI and frames the policy issues that require resolution.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 18: Scientific and Technical Information (STI) policy and the competitive position of the US aerospace industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hernon, Peter; Pinelli, Thomas E.

1992-01-01

With its contribution to trade, its coupling with national security, and its symbolism of U.S. technological strength, the U.S. aerospace industry holds a unique position in the Nation's industrial structure. Federal science and technology policy and Federal scientific and technical information (STI) policy loom important as strategic contributions to the U.S. aerospace industry's leading competitive position. However, three fundamental policy problems exist. First, the United States lacks a coherent STI policy and a unified approach to the development of such a policy. Second, policymakers fail to understand the relationship of STI to science and technology policy. Third, STI is treated as a part of general information policy, without any recognition of its uniqueness. This paper provides an overview of the Federal information policy structure as it relates to STI and frames the policy issues that require resolution.

Effects of hydrophobic and dipole-dipole interactions on the conformational transitions of a model polypeptide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Yan; Gao, Yi Qin

2007-09-01

We studied the effects of hydrophobicity and dipole-dipole interactions between the nearest-neighbor amide planes on the secondary structures of a model polypeptide by calculating the free energy differences between different peptide structures. The free energy calculations were performed with low computational costs using the accelerated Monte Carlo simulation (umbrella sampling) method, with a bias-potential method used earlier in our accelerated molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that the hydrophobic interaction enhances the stability of α helices at both low and high temperatures but stabilizes β structures only at high temperatures at which α helices are not stable. The nearest-neighbor dipole-dipole interaction stabilizes β structures under all conditions, especially in the low temperature region where α helices are the stable structures. Our results indicate clearly that the dipole-dipole interaction between the nearest neighboring amide planes plays an important role in determining the peptide structures. Current research provides a more unified and quantitative picture for understanding the effects of different forms of interactions on polypeptide structures. In addition, the present model can be extended to describe DNA/RNA, polymer, copolymer, and other chain systems.

Unified structure theory of icosahedral quasicrystals: Evidence from neutron powder diffraction patterns that AlCrFeMnSi, AlCuLiMg, and TiNiFeSi icosahedral quasicrystals are twins of cubic crystals containing about 820 or 1012 atoms in a primitive unit cube

PubMed Central

Pauling, Linus

1988-01-01

A unified structure theory of icosahedral quasicrystals, combining the twinned-cubic-crystal theory and the Penrose-tiling-six-dimensional-projection theory, is described. Values of the primitive-cubic lattice constant for several quasicrystals are evaluated from x-ray and neutron diffraction data. The fact that the low-angle diffraction maxima can be indexed with cubic unit cells provides additional support for the twinned-cubic-crystal theory of icosahedral quasicrystals. PMID:16593990

3D Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulation of Aortic Valves Using a Unified Continuum ALE FEM Model.

PubMed

Spühler, Jeannette H; Jansson, Johan; Jansson, Niclas; Hoffman, Johan

2018-01-01

Due to advances in medical imaging, computational fluid dynamics algorithms and high performance computing, computer simulation is developing into an important tool for understanding the relationship between cardiovascular diseases and intraventricular blood flow. The field of cardiac flow simulation is challenging and highly interdisciplinary. We apply a computational framework for automated solutions of partial differential equations using Finite Element Methods where any mathematical description directly can be translated to code. This allows us to develop a cardiac model where specific properties of the heart such as fluid-structure interaction of the aortic valve can be added in a modular way without extensive efforts. In previous work, we simulated the blood flow in the left ventricle of the heart. In this paper, we extend this model by placing prototypes of both a native and a mechanical aortic valve in the outflow region of the left ventricle. Numerical simulation of the blood flow in the vicinity of the valve offers the possibility to improve the treatment of aortic valve diseases as aortic stenosis (narrowing of the valve opening) or regurgitation (leaking) and to optimize the design of prosthetic heart valves in a controlled and specific way. The fluid-structure interaction and contact problem are formulated in a unified continuum model using the conservation laws for mass and momentum and a phase function. The discretization is based on an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian space-time finite element method with streamline diffusion stabilization, and it is implemented in the open source software Unicorn which shows near optimal scaling up to thousands of cores. Computational results are presented to demonstrate the capability of our framework.

3D Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulation of Aortic Valves Using a Unified Continuum ALE FEM Model

PubMed Central

Spühler, Jeannette H.; Jansson, Johan; Jansson, Niclas; Hoffman, Johan

2018-01-01

Due to advances in medical imaging, computational fluid dynamics algorithms and high performance computing, computer simulation is developing into an important tool for understanding the relationship between cardiovascular diseases and intraventricular blood flow. The field of cardiac flow simulation is challenging and highly interdisciplinary. We apply a computational framework for automated solutions of partial differential equations using Finite Element Methods where any mathematical description directly can be translated to code. This allows us to develop a cardiac model where specific properties of the heart such as fluid-structure interaction of the aortic valve can be added in a modular way without extensive efforts. In previous work, we simulated the blood flow in the left ventricle of the heart. In this paper, we extend this model by placing prototypes of both a native and a mechanical aortic valve in the outflow region of the left ventricle. Numerical simulation of the blood flow in the vicinity of the valve offers the possibility to improve the treatment of aortic valve diseases as aortic stenosis (narrowing of the valve opening) or regurgitation (leaking) and to optimize the design of prosthetic heart valves in a controlled and specific way. The fluid-structure interaction and contact problem are formulated in a unified continuum model using the conservation laws for mass and momentum and a phase function. The discretization is based on an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian space-time finite element method with streamline diffusion stabilization, and it is implemented in the open source software Unicorn which shows near optimal scaling up to thousands of cores. Computational results are presented to demonstrate the capability of our framework. PMID:29713288

Parametric models to relate spike train and LFP dynamics with neural information processing.

PubMed

Banerjee, Arpan; Dean, Heather L; Pesaran, Bijan

2012-01-01

Spike trains and local field potentials (LFPs) resulting from extracellular current flows provide a substrate for neural information processing. Understanding the neural code from simultaneous spike-field recordings and subsequent decoding of information processing events will have widespread applications. One way to demonstrate an understanding of the neural code, with particular advantages for the development of applications, is to formulate a parametric statistical model of neural activity and its covariates. Here, we propose a set of parametric spike-field models (unified models) that can be used with existing decoding algorithms to reveal the timing of task or stimulus specific processing. Our proposed unified modeling framework captures the effects of two important features of information processing: time-varying stimulus-driven inputs and ongoing background activity that occurs even in the absence of environmental inputs. We have applied this framework for decoding neural latencies in simulated and experimentally recorded spike-field sessions obtained from the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) of awake, behaving monkeys performing cued look-and-reach movements to spatial targets. Using both simulated and experimental data, we find that estimates of trial-by-trial parameters are not significantly affected by the presence of ongoing background activity. However, including background activity in the unified model improves goodness of fit for predicting individual spiking events. Uncovering the relationship between the model parameters and the timing of movements offers new ways to test hypotheses about the relationship between neural activity and behavior. We obtained significant spike-field onset time correlations from single trials using a previously published data set where significantly strong correlation was only obtained through trial averaging. We also found that unified models extracted a stronger relationship between neural response latency and trial-by-trial behavioral performance than existing models of neural information processing. Our results highlight the utility of the unified modeling framework for characterizing spike-LFP recordings obtained during behavioral performance.

Developing Master Keys to Brain Pathology, Cancer and Aging from the Structural Biology of Proteins Controlling Reactive Oxygen Species and DNA Repair

PubMed Central

Perry, J. Jefferson P.; Fan, Li; Tainer, John A.

2007-01-01

This review is focused on proteins with key roles in pathways controlling either reactive oxygen species or DNA damage responses, both of which are essential for preserving the nervous system. An imbalance of reactive oxygen species or inappropriate DNA damage response likely causes mutational or cytotoxic outcomes, which may lead to cancer and/or aging phenotypes. Moreover, individuals with hereditary disorders in proteins of these cellular pathways have significant neurological abnormalities. Mutations in a superoxide dismutase, which removes oxygen free radicals, may cause the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Additionally, DNA repair disorders that affect the brain to varying extents include ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder, Cockayne syndrome or Werner syndrome. Here, we highlight recent advances gained through structural biochemistry studies on enzymes linked to these disorders and other related enzymes acting within the same cellular pathways. We describe the current understanding of how these vital proteins coordinate chemical steps and integrate cellular signaling and response events. Significantly, these structural studies may provide a set of master keys to developing a unified understanding of the survival mechanisms utilized after insults by reactive oxygen species and genotoxic agents, and also provide a basis for developing an informed intervention in brain tumor and neurodegenerative disease progression. PMID:17174478

A morphospace for synthetic organs and organoids: the possible and the actual.

PubMed

Ollé-Vila, Aina; Duran-Nebreda, Salva; Conde-Pueyo, Núria; Montañez, Raúl; Solé, Ricard

2016-04-18

Efforts in evolutionary developmental biology have shed light on how organs are developed and why evolution has selected some structures instead of others. These advances in the understanding of organogenesis along with the most recent techniques of organotypic cultures, tissue bioprinting and synthetic biology provide the tools to hack the physical and genetic constraints in organ development, thus opening new avenues for research in the form of completely designed or merely altered settings. Here we propose a unifying framework that connects the concept of morphospace (i.e. the space of possible structures) with synthetic biology and tissue engineering. We aim for a synthesis that incorporates our understanding of both evolutionary and architectural constraints and can be used as a guide for exploring alternative design principles to build artificial organs and organoids. We present a three-dimensional morphospace incorporating three key features associated to organ and organoid complexity. The axes of this space include the degree of complexity introduced by developmental mechanisms required to build the structure, its potential to store and react to information and the underlying physical state. We suggest that a large fraction of this space is empty, and that the void might offer clues for alternative ways of designing and even inventing new organs.

Predicting turns in proteins with a unified model.

PubMed

Song, Qi; Li, Tonghua; Cong, Peisheng; Sun, Jiangming; Li, Dapeng; Tang, Shengnan

2012-01-01

Turns are a critical element of the structure of a protein; turns play a crucial role in loops, folds, and interactions. Current prediction methods are well developed for the prediction of individual turn types, including α-turn, β-turn, and γ-turn, etc. However, for further protein structure and function prediction it is necessary to develop a uniform model that can accurately predict all types of turns simultaneously. In this study, we present a novel approach, TurnP, which offers the ability to investigate all the turns in a protein based on a unified model. The main characteristics of TurnP are: (i) using newly exploited features of structural evolution information (secondary structure and shape string of protein) based on structure homologies, (ii) considering all types of turns in a unified model, and (iii) practical capability of accurate prediction of all turns simultaneously for a query. TurnP utilizes predicted secondary structures and predicted shape strings, both of which have greater accuracy, based on innovative technologies which were both developed by our group. Then, sequence and structural evolution features, which are profile of sequence, profile of secondary structures and profile of shape strings are generated by sequence and structure alignment. When TurnP was validated on a non-redundant dataset (4,107 entries) by five-fold cross-validation, we achieved an accuracy of 88.8% and a sensitivity of 71.8%, which exceeded the most state-of-the-art predictors of certain type of turn. Newly determined sequences, the EVA and CASP9 datasets were used as independent tests and the results we achieved were outstanding for turn predictions and confirmed the good performance of TurnP for practical applications.

Predicting Turns in Proteins with a Unified Model

PubMed Central

Song, Qi; Li, Tonghua; Cong, Peisheng; Sun, Jiangming; Li, Dapeng; Tang, Shengnan

2012-01-01

Motivation Turns are a critical element of the structure of a protein; turns play a crucial role in loops, folds, and interactions. Current prediction methods are well developed for the prediction of individual turn types, including α-turn, β-turn, and γ-turn, etc. However, for further protein structure and function prediction it is necessary to develop a uniform model that can accurately predict all types of turns simultaneously. Results In this study, we present a novel approach, TurnP, which offers the ability to investigate all the turns in a protein based on a unified model. The main characteristics of TurnP are: (i) using newly exploited features of structural evolution information (secondary structure and shape string of protein) based on structure homologies, (ii) considering all types of turns in a unified model, and (iii) practical capability of accurate prediction of all turns simultaneously for a query. TurnP utilizes predicted secondary structures and predicted shape strings, both of which have greater accuracy, based on innovative technologies which were both developed by our group. Then, sequence and structural evolution features, which are profile of sequence, profile of secondary structures and profile of shape strings are generated by sequence and structure alignment. When TurnP was validated on a non-redundant dataset (4,107 entries) by five-fold cross-validation, we achieved an accuracy of 88.8% and a sensitivity of 71.8%, which exceeded the most state-of-the-art predictors of certain type of turn. Newly determined sequences, the EVA and CASP9 datasets were used as independent tests and the results we achieved were outstanding for turn predictions and confirmed the good performance of TurnP for practical applications. PMID:23144872

Abilities of 4-7 Years Old Children to Provide Independent Explanations and Generalisations of Causality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daugirdiene, Ausra; Petrulyte, Aiste; Brandisauskiene, Agne

2018-01-01

The understanding and generalisation of causality are important thinking abilities, as they form the basis for a person's activity. Researchers exploring these abilities do not have a unified opinion regarding the age of children when they develop causative understanding and its determinant factors (e.g. age, prior knowledge, the content of a…

ACHP | Unified Federal Review

Science.gov Websites

UFR Process was established on July 29, 2014, by the execution of the Memorandum of Understanding Process is being led by a Steering Group consisting of the Council on Environmental Quality, the Review was established on July 29, 2014, through an interagency Memorandum of Understanding by eleven

Interaction of light with hematite hierarchical structures: Experiments and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Distaso, Monica; Zhuromskyy, Oleksander; Seemann, Benjamin; Pflug, Lukas; Mačković, Mirza; Encina, Ezequiel; Taylor, Robin Klupp; Müller, Rolf; Leugering, Günter; Spiecker, Erdmann; Peschel, Ulf; Peukert, Wolfgang

2017-03-01

Mesocrystalline particles have been recognized as a class of multifunctional materials with potential applications in different fields. However, the internal organization of nanocomposite mesocrystals and its influence on the final properties have not yet been investigated. In this paper, a novel strategy based on electrodynamic simulations is developed to shed light on how the internal structure of mesocrystals influences their optical properties. In a first instance, a unified design protocol is reported for the fabrication of hematite/PVP particles with different morphologies such as pseudo-cubes, rods-like and apple-like structures and controlled particle size distributions. The optical properties of hematite/PVP mesocrystals are effectively simulated by taking their aggregate and nanocomposite structure into consideration. The superposition T-Matrix approach accounts for the aggregate nature of mesocrystalline particles and validate the effective medium approximation used in the framework of the Mie theory and electromagnetic simulation such as Finite Element Method. The approach described in our paper provides the framework to understand and predict the optical properties of mesocrystals and more general, of hierarchical nanostructured particles.

A unified account of gloss and lightness perception in terms of gamut relativity.

PubMed

Vladusich, Tony

2013-08-01

A recently introduced computational theory of visual surface representation, termed gamut relativity, overturns the classical assumption that brightness, lightness, and transparency constitute perceptual dimensions corresponding to the physical dimensions of luminance, diffuse reflectance, and transmittance, respectively. Here I extend the theory to show how surface gloss and lightness can be understood in a unified manner in terms of the vector computation of "layered representations" of surface and illumination properties, rather than as perceptual dimensions corresponding to diffuse and specular reflectance, respectively. The theory simulates the effects of image histogram skewness on surface gloss/lightness and lightness constancy as a function of specular highlight intensity. More generally, gamut relativity clarifies, unifies, and generalizes a wide body of previous theoretical and experimental work aimed at understanding how the visual system parses the retinal image into layered representations of surface and illumination properties.

Using Cognitive Pretesting in Scale Development for Parkinson’s Disease: The Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Example

PubMed Central

Tilley, Barbara C.; LaPelle, Nancy R.; Goetz, Christopher G.; Stebbins, Glenn T.

2016-01-01

Background Cognitive pretesting, a qualitative step in scale development, precedes field testing and assesses the difficulty of instrument completion for examiners and respondents. Cognitive pretesting assesses respondent interest, attention span, discomfort, and comprehension, and highlights problems with the logical structure of questions/response options that can affect understanding. In the past this approach was not consistently used in the development or revision of movement disorders scales. Methods We applied qualitative cognitive pretesting using testing guides in development of the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). The guides were based on qualitative techniques, verbal probing and “think-aloud” interviewing, to identify problems with the scale from the patient and rater perspectives. English-speaking Parkinson’s disease patients and movement disorders specialists (raters) from multiple specialty clinics in the United States, Western Europe and Canada used the MDS-UPDRS and completed the testing guides. Results Two rounds of cognitive pretesting were necessary before proceeding to field testing of the revised scale to assess clinimetric properties. Scale revisions based on cognitive pretesting included changes in phrasing, simplification of some questions, and addition of a reassuring statement explaining that not all PD patients experience the symptoms described in the questions. Conclusions The strategy of incorporating cognitive pretesting into scale development and revision provides a model for other movement disorders scales. Cognitive pretesting is being used in translating the MDS-UPDRS into multiple languages to improve comprehension and acceptance and in the development of a new Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale for Parkinson’s disease patients. PMID:24613868

A unified bond theory, probabilistic meso-scale modeling, and experimental validation of deformed steel rebar in normal strength concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chenglin

Bond between deformed rebar and concrete is affected by rebar deformation pattern, concrete properties, concrete confinement, and rebar-concrete interfacial properties. Two distinct groups of bond models were traditionally developed based on the dominant effects of concrete splitting and near-interface shear-off failures. Their accuracy highly depended upon the test data sets selected in analysis and calibration. In this study, a unified bond model is proposed and developed based on an analogy to the indentation problem around the rib front of deformed rebar. This mechanics-based model can take into account the combined effect of concrete splitting and interface shear-off failures, resulting in average bond strengths for all practical scenarios. To understand the fracture process associated with bond failure, a probabilistic meso-scale model of concrete is proposed and its sensitivity to interface and confinement strengths are investigated. Both the mechanical and finite element models are validated with the available test data sets and are superior to existing models in prediction of average bond strength (< 6% error) and crack spacing (< 6% error). The validated bond model is applied to derive various interrelations among concrete crushing, concrete splitting, interfacial behavior, and the rib spacing-to-height ratio of deformed rebar. It can accurately predict the transition of failure modes from concrete splitting to rebar pullout and predict the effect of rebar surface characteristics as the rib spacing-to-height ratio increases. Based on the unified theory, a global bond model is proposed and developed by introducing bond-slip laws, and validated with testing of concrete beams with spliced reinforcement, achieving a load capacity prediction error of less than 26%. The optimal rebar parameters and concrete cover in structural designs can be derived from this study.

The three constituencies of the state: why the state has lost unifying energy.

PubMed

King, Desmond; Le Galès, Patrick

2017-11-01

We address resurgent populism by examining structural processes of state transformation in the UK, the US and France. Scholars stress the 'unifying energy of the state', a set of institutions and policies capable of limiting inequalities and defending legal regimes. One characteristic of modern Western statehood were packages of policies designed to integrate social groups and territories in part by ensuring common standards of provision and social citizenship across the nation state. This echoes James Scott's critical analysis of the modernist project of the state (1998). This 'unifying energy' had different origins including nationalist movements, combatting external influence or powers, war, and preparing citizens for the rigours of industrialization. Overcoming class differences and territorial differences (including cultural, social and economic differences) was a major source of mobilization to feed this 'unifying energy of the state' in France, Italy or Spain for instance. Political and cultural identities are related in significant part to respective nation states. We argue that this 'unifying energy' was an essential component of statehood in Europe and in the US. It is now largely lost. We explain why and the significance of its displacement. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Unified transform architecture for AVC, AVS, VC-1 and HEVC high-performance codecs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dias, Tiago; Roma, Nuno; Sousa, Leonel

2014-12-01

A unified architecture for fast and efficient computation of the set of two-dimensional (2-D) transforms adopted by the most recent state-of-the-art digital video standards is presented in this paper. Contrasting to other designs with similar functionality, the presented architecture is supported on a scalable, modular and completely configurable processing structure. This flexible structure not only allows to easily reconfigure the architecture to support different transform kernels, but it also permits its resizing to efficiently support transforms of different orders (e.g. order-4, order-8, order-16 and order-32). Consequently, not only is it highly suitable to realize high-performance multi-standard transform cores, but it also offers highly efficient implementations of specialized processing structures addressing only a reduced subset of transforms that are used by a specific video standard. The experimental results that were obtained by prototyping several configurations of this processing structure in a Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA show the superior performance and hardware efficiency levels provided by the proposed unified architecture for the implementation of transform cores for the Advanced Video Coding (AVC), Audio Video coding Standard (AVS), VC-1 and High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standards. In addition, such results also demonstrate the ability of this processing structure to realize multi-standard transform cores supporting all the standards mentioned above and that are capable of processing the 8k Ultra High Definition Television (UHDTV) video format (7,680 × 4,320 at 30 fps) in real time.

A new view of Baryon symmetric cosmology based on grand unified theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1981-01-01

Within the framework of grand unified theories, it is shown how spontaneous CP violation leads to a domain structure in the universe with the domains evolving into separate regions of matter and antimatter excesses. Subsequent to exponential horizon growth, this can result in a universe of matter galaxies and antimatter galaxies. Various astrophysical data appear to favor this form of big bang cosmology. Future direct tests for cosmologically significant antimatter are discussed.

Measuring and predicting sooting tendencies of oxygenates, alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics on a unified scale

DOE PAGES

Das, Dhrubajyoti D.; St. John, Peter C.; McEnally, Charles S.; ...

2017-12-27

Databases of sooting indices, based on measuring some aspect of sooting behavior in a standardized combustion environment, are useful in providing information on the comparative sooting tendencies of different fuels or pure compounds. However, newer biofuels have varied chemical structures including both aromatic and oxygenated functional groups, which expands the chemical space of relevant compounds. In this work, we propose a unified sooting tendency database for pure compounds, including both regular and oxygenated hydrocarbons, which is based on combining two disparate databases of yield-based sooting tendency measurements in the literature. Unification of the different databases was made possible by leveragingmore » the greater dynamic range of the color ratio pyrometry soot diagnostic. This unified database contains a substantial number of pure compounds (≥ 400 total) from multiple categories of hydrocarbons important in modern fuels and establishes the sooting tendencies of aromatic and oxygenated hydrocarbons on the same numeric scale for the first time. Then, using this unified sooting tendency database, we have developed a predictive model for sooting behavior applicable to a broad range of hydrocarbons and oxygenated hydrocarbons. The model decomposes each compound into single-carbon fragments and assigns a sooting tendency contribution to each fragment based on regression against the unified database. The model’s predictive accuracy (as demonstrated by leave-one-out cross-validation) is comparable to a previously developed, more detailed predictive model. The fitted model provides insight into the effects of chemical structure on soot formation, and cases where its predictions fail reveal the presence of more complicated kinetic sooting mechanisms. Our work will therefore enable the rational design of low-sooting fuel blends from a wide range of feedstocks and chemical functionalities.« less

Measuring and predicting sooting tendencies of oxygenates, alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics on a unified scale

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

Das, Dhrubajyoti D.; St. John, Peter C.; McEnally, Charles S.

Databases of sooting indices, based on measuring some aspect of sooting behavior in a standardized combustion environment, are useful in providing information on the comparative sooting tendencies of different fuels or pure compounds. However, newer biofuels have varied chemical structures including both aromatic and oxygenated functional groups, which expands the chemical space of relevant compounds. In this work, we propose a unified sooting tendency database for pure compounds, including both regular and oxygenated hydrocarbons, which is based on combining two disparate databases of yield-based sooting tendency measurements in the literature. Unification of the different databases was made possible by leveragingmore » the greater dynamic range of the color ratio pyrometry soot diagnostic. This unified database contains a substantial number of pure compounds (≥ 400 total) from multiple categories of hydrocarbons important in modern fuels and establishes the sooting tendencies of aromatic and oxygenated hydrocarbons on the same numeric scale for the first time. Then, using this unified sooting tendency database, we have developed a predictive model for sooting behavior applicable to a broad range of hydrocarbons and oxygenated hydrocarbons. The model decomposes each compound into single-carbon fragments and assigns a sooting tendency contribution to each fragment based on regression against the unified database. The model’s predictive accuracy (as demonstrated by leave-one-out cross-validation) is comparable to a previously developed, more detailed predictive model. The fitted model provides insight into the effects of chemical structure on soot formation, and cases where its predictions fail reveal the presence of more complicated kinetic sooting mechanisms. Our work will therefore enable the rational design of low-sooting fuel blends from a wide range of feedstocks and chemical functionalities.« less

Developing an Instrument for Assessing Students' Understanding of the Energy Concept across Science Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Mihwa

2013-01-01

Energy is a core and unifying concept in all science disciplines and across all grade levels. Although energy is one of the most central and richly connected ideas in all of science disciplines, students often have a great deal of difficulty understanding it. Numerous studies have been conducted on this topic finding that many students held…

A time for multi-scale modeling of anti-fibrotic therapies. Comment on "Towards a unified approach in the modeling of fibrosis: A review with research perspectives" by Martine Ben Amar and Carlo Bianca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Min

2016-07-01

The development of anti-fibrotic therapies in diversities of diseases becomes more and more urgent recently, such as in pulmonary, renal and liver fibrosis [1,2], as well as in malignant tumor growths [3]. As reviewed by Ben Amar and Bianca [4], various theoretical, experimental and in-silico models have been developed to understand the fibrosis process, where the implication on therapeutic strategies has also been frequently demonstrated (e.g., [5-7]). In [4], these models are analyzed and sorted according to their approaches, and in the end of [4], a unified multi-scale approach was proposed to understand fibrosis. While one of the major purposes of extensive modeling of fibrosis is to shed light on therapeutic strategies, the theoretical, experimental and in-silico studies of anti-fibrosis therapies should be conducted more intensively.

Unifying Inference of Meso-Scale Structures in Networks.

PubMed

Tunç, Birkan; Verma, Ragini

2015-01-01

Networks are among the most prevalent formal representations in scientific studies, employed to depict interactions between objects such as molecules, neuronal clusters, or social groups. Studies performed at meso-scale that involve grouping of objects based on their distinctive interaction patterns form one of the main lines of investigation in network science. In a social network, for instance, meso-scale structures can correspond to isolated social groupings or groups of individuals that serve as a communication core. Currently, the research on different meso-scale structures such as community and core-periphery structures has been conducted via independent approaches, which precludes the possibility of an algorithmic design that can handle multiple meso-scale structures and deciding which structure explains the observed data better. In this study, we propose a unified formulation for the algorithmic detection and analysis of different meso-scale structures. This facilitates the investigation of hybrid structures that capture the interplay between multiple meso-scale structures and statistical comparison of competing structures, all of which have been hitherto unavailable. We demonstrate the applicability of the methodology in analyzing the human brain network, by determining the dominant organizational structure (communities) of the brain, as well as its auxiliary characteristics (core-periphery).

Earth Evolution and Dynamics (Arthur Holmes Medal Lecture)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torsvik, Trond H.

2016-04-01

While physicists are fantasizing about a unified theory that can explain just about everything from subatomic particles (quantum mechanics) to the origin of the Universe (general relativity), Darwin already in 1858 elegantly unified the biological sciences with one grand vision. In the Earth Sciences, the description of the movement and deformation of the Earth's outer layer has evolved from Continental Drift (1912) into Sea-Floor Spreading (1962) and then to the paradigm of Plate Tectonics in the mid-to-late 1960s. Plate Tectonics has been extremely successful in providing a framework for understanding deformation and volcanism at plate boundaries, allowed us to understand how continent motions through time are a natural result of heat escaping from Earth's deep interior, and has granted us the means to conduct earthquake and volcanic hazard assessments and hydrocarbon exploration, which have proven indispensable for modern society. Plate Tectonics is as fundamentally unifying to the Earth Sciences as Darwin's Theory of Evolution is to the Life Sciences, but it is an incomplete theory that lacks a clear explanation of how plate tectonics, mantle convection and mantle plumes interact. Over the past decade, however, we have provided compelling evidence that plumes rise from explicit plume generation zones at the margins of two equatorial and antipodal large low shear-wave velocity provinces (Tuzo and Jason). These thermochemical provinces on the core-mantle boundary have been stable for at least the last 300 million years, possibly the last 540 million years, and their edges are the dominant sources of the plumes that generate large igneous provinces, hotspots and kimberlites. Linking surface and lithospheric processes to the mantle is extremely challenging and is only now becoming feasible due to breakthroughs in the estimation of ancient longitudes before the Cretaceous, greatly improved seismic tomography, recent advances in mineral physics, and new developments in our understanding of the dynamics of true polar wander. Dramatic improvements in computational capacity and numerical methods that efficiently model mantle flow while incorporating surface tectonics, plumes, and subduction, have emerged to facilitate further study - We are now capitalizing on these recent advances so as to generate a new Earth model that links plate tectonics with shallow and deep mantle convection through time, and which includes elements such as deeply subducted slabs and stable thermochemical piles with plumes that rise from their edges. It is still unclear, though, why lower mantle structures similar to today would have existed since the Early Phanerozoic (540 Ma), and perhaps for much longer time. Could large-scale upwellings act as an anchor for mantle structure that also controls where downward flow and subduction occurs? Or could it be that subduction keeps itself in place? These are open questions, and at the moment we do not even know with certainty whether Tuzo and Jason were spatially stable for much longer than 300 Myr; we can only state that their stability before Pangea formed is consistent with palaeomagnetic and geological data, but is not necessarily required.

Multilayer network of language: A unified framework for structural analysis of linguistic subsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinčić-Ipšić, Sanda; Margan, Domagoj; Meštrović, Ana

2016-09-01

Recently, the focus of complex networks' research has shifted from the analysis of isolated properties of a system toward a more realistic modeling of multiple phenomena - multilayer networks. Motivated by the prosperity of multilayer approach in social, transport or trade systems, we introduce the multilayer networks for language. The multilayer network of language is a unified framework for modeling linguistic subsystems and their structural properties enabling the exploration of their mutual interactions. Various aspects of natural language systems can be represented as complex networks, whose vertices depict linguistic units, while links model their relations. The multilayer network of language is defined by three aspects: the network construction principle, the linguistic subsystem and the language of interest. More precisely, we construct a word-level (syntax and co-occurrence) and a subword-level (syllables and graphemes) network layers, from four variations of original text (in the modeled language). The analysis and comparison of layers at the word and subword-levels are employed in order to determine the mechanism of the structural influences between linguistic units and subsystems. The obtained results suggest that there are substantial differences between the networks' structures of different language subsystems, which are hidden during the exploration of an isolated layer. The word-level layers share structural properties regardless of the language (e.g. Croatian or English), while the syllabic subword-level expresses more language dependent structural properties. The preserved weighted overlap quantifies the similarity of word-level layers in weighted and directed networks. Moreover, the analysis of motifs reveals a close topological structure of the syntactic and syllabic layers for both languages. The findings corroborate that the multilayer network framework is a powerful, consistent and systematic approach to model several linguistic subsystems simultaneously and hence to provide a more unified view on language.

A perspective on coherent structures and conceptual models for turbulent boundary layer physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Stephen K.

1990-01-01

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent boundary layers have been analyzed to develop a unified conceptual model for the kinematics of coherent motions in low Reynolds number canonical turbulent boundary layers. All classes of coherent motions are considered in the model, including low-speed streaks, ejections and sweeps, vortical structures, near-wall and outer-region shear layers, sublayer pockets, and large-scale outer-region eddies. The model reflects the conclusions from the study of the simulated boundary layer that vortical structures are directly associated with the production of turbulent shear stresses, entrainment, dissipation of turbulence kinetic energy, and the fluctuating pressure field. These results, when viewed from the perspective of the large body of published work on the subject of coherent motions, confirm that vortical structures may be considered the central dynamic element in the maintenance of turbulence in the canonical boundary layer. Vortical structures serve as a framework on which to construct a unified picture of boundary layer structure, providing a means to relate the many known structural elements in a consistent way.

A unified convention for biological assemblies with helical symmetry

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

Tsai, Chung-Jung, E-mail: tsaic@mail.nih.gov; Nussinov, Ruth; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978

A new representation of helical structure by four parameters, [n{sub 1}, n{sub 2}, twist, rise], is able to generate an entire helical construct from asymmetric units, including cases of helical assembly with a seam. Assemblies with helical symmetry can be conveniently formulated in many distinct ways. Here, a new convention is presented which unifies the two most commonly used helical systems for generating helical assemblies from asymmetric units determined by X-ray fibre diffraction and EM imaging. A helical assembly is viewed as being composed of identical repetitive units in a one- or two-dimensional lattice, named 1-D and 2-D helical systems,more » respectively. The unification suggests that a new helical description with only four parameters [n{sub 1}, n{sub 2}, twist, rise], which is called the augmented 1-D helical system, can generate the complete set of helical arrangements, including coverage of helical discontinuities (seams). A unified four-parameter characterization implies similar parameters for similar assemblies, can eliminate errors in reproducing structures of helical assemblies and facilitates the generation of polymorphic ensembles from helical atomic models or EM density maps. Further, guidelines are provided for such a unique description that reflects the structural signature of an assembly, as well as rules for manipulating the helical symmetry presentation.« less

The Experience of Addiction as Told by the Addicted: Incorporating Biological Understandings into Self-Story

PubMed Central

Hammer, Rachel R; Dingel, Molly J; Ostergren, Jenny E; Nowakowski, Katherine E; Koenig, Barbara A

2012-01-01

How do the addicted view addiction against the framework of formal theories that attempt to explain the condition? In this empirical paper, we report on the lived experience of addiction based on 63 semi-structured, open-ended interviews with individuals in treatment for alcohol and nicotine abuse at five sites in Minnesota. Using qualitative analysis, we identified four themes that provide insights into understanding how people who are addicted view their addiction, with particular emphasis on the biological model. More than half of our sample articulated a biological understanding of addiction as a disease. Themes did not cluster by addictive substance used; however, biological understandings of addiction did cluster by treatment center. Biological understandings have the potential to become dominant narratives of addiction in the current era. Though the desire for a “unified theory” of addiction seems curiously seductive to scholars, it lacks utility. Conceptual “disarray” may actually reflect a more accurate representation of the illness as told by those who live with it. For practitioners in the field of addiction, we suggest the practice of narrative medicine with its ethic of negative capability as a useful approach for interpreting and relating to diverse experiences of disease and illness. PMID:23081782

Control of magnetic bearing systems via the Chebyshev polynomial-based unified model (CPBUM) neural network.

PubMed

Jeng, J T; Lee, T T

2000-01-01

A Chebyshev polynomial-based unified model (CPBUM) neural network is introduced and applied to control a magnetic bearing systems. First, we show that the CPBUM neural network not only has the same capability of universal approximator, but also has faster learning speed than conventional feedforward/recurrent neural network. It turns out that the CPBUM neural network is more suitable in the design of controller than the conventional feedforward/recurrent neural network. Second, we propose the inverse system method, based on the CPBUM neural networks, to control a magnetic bearing system. The proposed controller has two structures; namely, off-line and on-line learning structures. We derive a new learning algorithm for each proposed structure. The experimental results show that the proposed neural network architecture provides a greater flexibility and better performance in controlling magnetic bearing systems.

Unraveling the oxygen vacancy structures at the reduced Ce O2(111 ) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Zhong-Kang; Yang, Yi-Zhou; Zhu, Beien; Ganduglia-Pirovano, M. Verónica; Gao, Yi

2018-03-01

Oxygen vacancies at ceria (Ce O2 ) surfaces play an essential role in catalytic applications. However, during the past decade, the near-surface vacancy structures at Ce O2(111 ) have been questioned due to the contradictory results from experiments and theoretical simulations. Whether surface vacancies agglomerate, and which is the most stable vacancy structure for varying vacancy concentration and temperature, are being heatedly debated. By combining density functional theory calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, we proposed a unified model to explain all conflicting experimental observations and theoretical results. We find a novel trimeric vacancy structure which is more stable than any other one previously reported, which perfectly reproduces the characteristics of the double linear surface oxygen vacancy clusters observed by STM. Monte Carlo simulations show that at low temperature and low vacancy concentrations, vacancies prefer subsurface sites with a local (2 × 2) ordering, whereas mostly linear surface vacancy clusters do form with increased temperature and degree of reduction. These results well explain the disputes about the stable vacancy structure and surface vacancy clustering at Ce O2(111 ) , and provide a foundation for the understanding of the redox and catalytic chemistry of metal oxides.

Stability and kinetics of G-quadruplex structures

PubMed Central

Lane, Andrew N.; Chaires, J. Brad; Gray, Robert D.; Trent, John O.

2008-01-01

In this review, we give an overview of recent literature on the structure and stability of unimolecular G-rich quadruplex structures that are relevant to drug design and for in vivo function. The unifying theme in this review is energetics. The thermodynamic stability of quadruplexes has not been studied in the same detail as DNA and RNA duplexes, and there are important differences in the balance of forces between these classes of folded oligonucleotides. We provide an overview of the principles of stability and where available the experimental data that report on these principles. Significant gaps in the literature have been identified, that should be filled by a systematic study of well-defined quadruplexes not only to provide the basic understanding of stability both for design purposes, but also as it relates to in vivo occurrence of quadruplexes. Techniques that are commonly applied to the determination of the structure, stability and folding are discussed in terms of information content and limitations. Quadruplex structures fold and unfold comparatively slowly, and DNA unwinding events associated with transcription and replication may be operating far from equilibrium. The kinetics of formation and resolution of quadruplexes, and methodologies are discussed in the context of stability and their possible biological occurrence. PMID:18718931

Bridging the physical scales in evolutionary biology: From protein sequence space to fitness of organisms and populations

PubMed Central

Bershtein, Shimon; Serohijos, Adrian W.R.; Shakhnovich, Eugene I.

2016-01-01

Bridging the gap between the molecular properties of proteins and organismal/population fitness is essential for understanding evolutionary processes. This task requires the integration of the several physical scales of biological organization, each defined by a distinct set of mechanisms and constraints, into a single unifying model. The molecular scale is dominated by the constraints imposed by the physico-chemical properties of proteins and their substrates, which give rise to trade-offs and epistatic (non-additive) effects of mutations. At the systems scale, biological networks modulate protein expression and can either buffer or enhance the fitness effects of mutations. The population scale is influenced by the mutational input, selection regimes, and stochastic changes affecting the size and structure of populations, which eventually determine the evolutionary fate of mutations. Here, we summarize the recent advances in theory, computer simulations, and experiments that advance our understanding of the links between various physical scales in biology. PMID:27810574

Bridging the physical scales in evolutionary biology: from protein sequence space to fitness of organisms and populations.

PubMed

Bershtein, Shimon; Serohijos, Adrian Wr; Shakhnovich, Eugene I

2017-02-01

Bridging the gap between the molecular properties of proteins and organismal/population fitness is essential for understanding evolutionary processes. This task requires the integration of the several physical scales of biological organization, each defined by a distinct set of mechanisms and constraints, into a single unifying model. The molecular scale is dominated by the constraints imposed by the physico-chemical properties of proteins and their substrates, which give rise to trade-offs and epistatic (non-additive) effects of mutations. At the systems scale, biological networks modulate protein expression and can either buffer or enhance the fitness effects of mutations. The population scale is influenced by the mutational input, selection regimes, and stochastic changes affecting the size and structure of populations, which eventually determine the evolutionary fate of mutations. Here, we summarize the recent advances in theory, computer simulations, and experiments that advance our understanding of the links between various physical scales in biology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing Residue Clusters from Thermophilic and Mesophilic Enzymes Reveals Adaptive Mechanisms.

PubMed

Sammond, Deanne W; Kastelowitz, Noah; Himmel, Michael E; Yin, Hang; Crowley, Michael F; Bomble, Yannick J

2016-01-01

Understanding how proteins adapt to function at high temperatures is important for deciphering the energetics that dictate protein stability and folding. While multiple principles important for thermostability have been identified, we lack a unified understanding of how internal protein structural and chemical environment determine qualitative or quantitative impact of evolutionary mutations. In this work we compare equivalent clusters of spatially neighboring residues between paired thermophilic and mesophilic homologues to evaluate adaptations under the selective pressure of high temperature. We find the residue clusters in thermophilic enzymes generally display improved atomic packing compared to mesophilic enzymes, in agreement with previous research. Unlike residue clusters from mesophilic enzymes, however, thermophilic residue clusters do not have significant cavities. In addition, anchor residues found in many clusters are highly conserved with respect to atomic packing between both thermophilic and mesophilic enzymes. Thus the improvements in atomic packing observed in thermophilic homologues are not derived from these anchor residues but from neighboring positions, which may serve to expand optimized protein core regions.

Comparing Residue Clusters from Thermophilic and Mesophilic Enzymes Reveals Adaptive Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Sammond, Deanne W.; Kastelowitz, Noah; Himmel, Michael E.; Yin, Hang; Crowley, Michael F.; Bomble, Yannick J.

2016-01-01

Understanding how proteins adapt to function at high temperatures is important for deciphering the energetics that dictate protein stability and folding. While multiple principles important for thermostability have been identified, we lack a unified understanding of how internal protein structural and chemical environment determine qualitative or quantitative impact of evolutionary mutations. In this work we compare equivalent clusters of spatially neighboring residues between paired thermophilic and mesophilic homologues to evaluate adaptations under the selective pressure of high temperature. We find the residue clusters in thermophilic enzymes generally display improved atomic packing compared to mesophilic enzymes, in agreement with previous research. Unlike residue clusters from mesophilic enzymes, however, thermophilic residue clusters do not have significant cavities. In addition, anchor residues found in many clusters are highly conserved with respect to atomic packing between both thermophilic and mesophilic enzymes. Thus the improvements in atomic packing observed in thermophilic homologues are not derived from these anchor residues but from neighboring positions, which may serve to expand optimized protein core regions. PMID:26741367

Toward Unified Corrections of Regional Phases for Amplitude and Travel Time Effects of Heterogeneous Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-04

Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) AFRL /RVBYE 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) AFRL -RV-PS-TR-2016-0012 12. DISTRIBUTION...DISTRIBUTION LIST DTIC/OCP 8725 John J. Kingman Rd, Suite 0944 Ft Belvoir, VA 22060-6218 1 cy AFRL /RVIL Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 2 cys Official... AFRL -RV-PS- TR-2016-0012 AFRL -RV-PS- TR-2016-0012 TOWARD UNIFIED CORRECTION OF REGIONAL PHASES FOR AMPLITUDE AND TRAVEL TIME EFFECTS

Toward Unified Correction of Regional Phases for Amplitude and Travel Time Effects of Heterogeneous Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-04

Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) AFRL /RVBYE 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) AFRL -RV-PS-TR-2016-0012 12. DISTRIBUTION...DISTRIBUTION LIST DTIC/OCP 8725 John J. Kingman Rd, Suite 0944 Ft Belvoir, VA 22060-6218 1 cy AFRL /RVIL Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 2 cys Official... AFRL -RV-PS- TR-2016-0012 AFRL -RV-PS- TR-2016-0012 TOWARD UNIFIED CORRECTION OF REGIONAL PHASES FOR AMPLITUDE AND TRAVEL TIME EFFECTS

Partly cloudy with a chance of migration: Weather, radars, and aeroecology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aeroecology is an emerging scientific discipline that integrates atmospheric science, terrestrial science, geography, ecology, computer science, computational biology, and engineering to further the understanding of ecological patterns and processes. The unifying concept underlying this new transdis...

Flavor hierarchy in SO(10) grand unified theories via 5-dimensional wave-function localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitano, Ryuichiro; Li, Tianjun

2003-06-01

A mechanism to generate fermion-mass hierarchy in SO(10) grand unified theories is considered. We find that the lopsided family structure, which is suitable to the large angle Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein solution to solar neutrino oscillation, is realized without introducing extra matter fields if the hierarchy originates from the wave-function profile in an extra dimension. Unlike the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism, the SO(10) breaking effect may directly contribute to the source of the hierarchy, i.e., the bulk mass terms. It naturally explains the difference of the hierarchical patterns between the quark and the lepton sectors. We also find the possibility of horizontal unification, in which three generations of matter fields are unified to a 3-dimensional representation of an SU(2) gauge group.

An affinity-structure database of helix-turn-helix: DNA complexes with a universal coordinate system

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

AlQuraishi, Mohammed; Tang, Shengdong; Xia, Xide

Molecular interactions between proteins and DNA molecules underlie many cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, chromosome replication, and nucleosome positioning. Computational analyses of protein-DNA interactions rely on experimental data characterizing known protein-DNA interactions structurally and biochemically. While many databases exist that contain either structural or biochemical data, few integrate these two data sources in a unified fashion. Such integration is becoming increasingly critical with the rapid growth of structural and biochemical data, and the emergence of algorithms that rely on the synthesis of multiple data types to derive computational models of molecular interactions. We have developed an integrated affinity-structure database inmore » which the experimental and quantitative DNA binding affinities of helix-turn-helix proteins are mapped onto the crystal structures of the corresponding protein-DNA complexes. This database provides access to: (i) protein-DNA structures, (ii) quantitative summaries of protein-DNA binding affinities using position weight matrices, and (iii) raw experimental data of protein-DNA binding instances. Critically, this database establishes a correspondence between experimental structural data and quantitative binding affinity data at the single basepair level. Furthermore, we present a novel alignment algorithm that structurally aligns the protein-DNA complexes in the database and creates a unified residue-level coordinate system for comparing the physico-chemical environments at the interface between complexes. Using this unified coordinate system, we compute the statistics of atomic interactions at the protein-DNA interface of helix-turn-helix proteins. We provide an interactive website for visualization, querying, and analyzing this database, and a downloadable version to facilitate programmatic analysis. Lastly, this database will facilitate the analysis of protein-DNA interactions and the development of programmatic computational methods that capitalize on integration of structural and biochemical datasets. The database can be accessed at http://ProteinDNA.hms.harvard.edu.« less

An affinity-structure database of helix-turn-helix: DNA complexes with a universal coordinate system

DOE PAGES

AlQuraishi, Mohammed; Tang, Shengdong; Xia, Xide

2015-11-19

Molecular interactions between proteins and DNA molecules underlie many cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, chromosome replication, and nucleosome positioning. Computational analyses of protein-DNA interactions rely on experimental data characterizing known protein-DNA interactions structurally and biochemically. While many databases exist that contain either structural or biochemical data, few integrate these two data sources in a unified fashion. Such integration is becoming increasingly critical with the rapid growth of structural and biochemical data, and the emergence of algorithms that rely on the synthesis of multiple data types to derive computational models of molecular interactions. We have developed an integrated affinity-structure database inmore » which the experimental and quantitative DNA binding affinities of helix-turn-helix proteins are mapped onto the crystal structures of the corresponding protein-DNA complexes. This database provides access to: (i) protein-DNA structures, (ii) quantitative summaries of protein-DNA binding affinities using position weight matrices, and (iii) raw experimental data of protein-DNA binding instances. Critically, this database establishes a correspondence between experimental structural data and quantitative binding affinity data at the single basepair level. Furthermore, we present a novel alignment algorithm that structurally aligns the protein-DNA complexes in the database and creates a unified residue-level coordinate system for comparing the physico-chemical environments at the interface between complexes. Using this unified coordinate system, we compute the statistics of atomic interactions at the protein-DNA interface of helix-turn-helix proteins. We provide an interactive website for visualization, querying, and analyzing this database, and a downloadable version to facilitate programmatic analysis. Lastly, this database will facilitate the analysis of protein-DNA interactions and the development of programmatic computational methods that capitalize on integration of structural and biochemical datasets. The database can be accessed at http://ProteinDNA.hms.harvard.edu.« less

Genomic signatures of selection at linked sites: unifying the disparity among species

PubMed Central

Cutter, Asher D.; Payseur, Bret A.

2014-01-01

Population genetics theory supplies powerful predictions about how natural selection interacts with genetic linkage to sculpt the genomic landscape of nucleotide polymorphism. Both the spread of beneficial mutations and removal of deleterious mutations act to depress polymorphism levels, especially in low-recombination regions. However, empiricists have documented extreme disparities among species. Here we characterize the dominant features that could drive variation in linked selection among species, including roles for selective sweeps being ‘hard’ or ‘soft’, and concealing by demography and genomic confounds. We advocate targeted studies of close relatives to unify our understanding of how selection and linkage interact to shape genome evolution. PMID:23478346

Electronic Structure of pi Systems: Part II. The Unification of Huckel and Valence Bond Theories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Marye Anne; Matsen, F. A.

1985-01-01

Presents a new view of the electronic structure of pi systems that unifies molecular orbital and valence bond theories. Describes construction of electronic structure diagrams (central to this new view) which demonstrate how configuration interaction can improve qualitative predictions made from simple Huckel theory. (JN)

On Location: The Structure of Case and Adpositions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radkevich, Nina V.

2010-01-01

The general goal of this dissertation is two-fold: first, I provide a unified structure for spatial expressions (local cases and adpositions) and second, I propose a novel approach to vocabulary insertion and generation of portmanteau morphemes. I propose a novel structure for local case affixes, based on data from 114 languages and argue that…

The effects of kinetic structure and micrograph content on achievement in reading micrographs by college biology students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Virginia Abbott; Lockard, J. David

The effects of kinetic structure and micrograph content on student achievement of reading micrograph skills were examined. The purpose of the study was to determine which form of kinetic structure, high or low, and/or micrograph content, unified or varied, was most effective and if there were any interactive effects. Randomly assigned to four treatment groups, 100 introductory college biology students attended three audiovisual presentations and practice sessions on reading light, transmission electron, and scanning electron micrographs. The micrograph skills test, administered at two points in time, assessed knowledge acquisition and retention. The test measured general concept skills and actual reading micrograph skills separately. All significant tests were considered with an = 0.05. High kinetic structure was found to be more effective than low kinetic structure in developing general concepts about micrographs. This finding supports Anderson's kinetic theory research. High kinetic structure instruction does not affect actual reading micrograph skills, but micrograph content does. Unified micrograph content practice sessions were more effective than varied micrograph content practice sessions. More attention should be given to the visual components of perceptual learning tasks.

Multiple-stage structure transformation of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3

DOE PAGES

Chen, Qiong; Liu, Henan; Kim, Hui -Seon; ...

2016-09-15

In this study, by performing spatially resolved Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy with varying excitation wavelength, density, and data acquisition parameters, we achieve a unified understanding towards the spectroscopy signatures of the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite, transforming from the pristine state (CH 3NH 3PbI 3) to the fully degraded state (i.e., PbI 2) for samples with varying crystalline domain size from mesoscopic scale (approximately 100 nm) to macroscopic size (centimeters), synthesized by three different techniques. We show that the hybrid perovskite exhibits multiple stages of structure transformation occurring either spontaneously or under light illumination, with exceptionally high sensitivity to the illumination conditionsmore » (e.g., power, illumination time, and interruption pattern). We highlight four transformation stages (stages I-IV, with stage I being the pristine state) along either the spontaneous or photoinduced degradation path exhibiting distinctly different Raman spectroscopy features at each stage, and point out that previously reported Raman spectra in the literature reflect highly degraded structures of either stage III or stage IV. Additional characteristic optical features of partially degraded materials under the joint action of spontaneous and photodegradation are also given. This study offers reliable benchmark results for understanding the intrinsic material properties and structure transformation of this unique category of hybrid materials, and the findings are pertinently important to a wide range of potential applications where the hybrid material is expected to function in greatly different environment and light-matter interaction conditions.« less

Multiple-Stage Structure Transformation of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite CH3NH3PbI3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Qiong; Liu, Henan; Kim, Hui-Seon; Liu, Yucheng; Yang, Mengjin; Yue, Naili; Ren, Gang; Zhu, Kai; Liu, Shengzhong; Park, Nam-Gyu; Zhang, Yong

2016-07-01

By performing spatially resolved Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy with varying excitation wavelength, density, and data acquisition parameters, we achieve a unified understanding towards the spectroscopy signatures of the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite, transforming from the pristine state (CH3NH3PbI3 ) to the fully degraded state (i.e., PbI2 ) for samples with varying crystalline domain size from mesoscopic scale (approximately 100 nm) to macroscopic size (centimeters), synthesized by three different techniques. We show that the hybrid perovskite exhibits multiple stages of structure transformation occurring either spontaneously or under light illumination, with exceptionally high sensitivity to the illumination conditions (e.g., power, illumination time, and interruption pattern). We highlight four transformation stages (stages I-IV, with stage I being the pristine state) along either the spontaneous or photoinduced degradation path exhibiting distinctly different Raman spectroscopy features at each stage, and point out that previously reported Raman spectra in the literature reflect highly degraded structures of either stage III or stage IV. Additional characteristic optical features of partially degraded materials under the joint action of spontaneous and photodegradation are also given. This study offers reliable benchmark results for understanding the intrinsic material properties and structure transformation of this unique category of hybrid materials, and the findings are pertinently important to a wide range of potential applications where the hybrid material is expected to function in greatly different environment and light-matter interaction conditions.

Developing a framework for qualitative engineering: Research in design and analysis of complex structural systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franck, Bruno M.

1990-01-01

The research is focused on automating the evaluation of complex structural systems, whether for the design of a new system or the analysis of an existing one, by developing new structural analysis techniques based on qualitative reasoning. The problem is to identify and better understand: (1) the requirements for the automation of design, and (2) the qualitative reasoning associated with the conceptual development of a complex system. The long-term objective is to develop an integrated design-risk assessment environment for the evaluation of complex structural systems. The scope of this short presentation is to describe the design and cognition components of the research. Design has received special attention in cognitive science because it is now identified as a problem solving activity that is different from other information processing tasks (1). Before an attempt can be made to automate design, a thorough understanding of the underlying design theory and methodology is needed, since the design process is, in many cases, multi-disciplinary, complex in size and motivation, and uses various reasoning processes involving different kinds of knowledge in ways which vary from one context to another. The objective is to unify all the various types of knowledge under one framework of cognition. This presentation focuses on the cognitive science framework that we are using to represent the knowledge aspects associated with the human mind's abstraction abilities and how we apply it to the engineering knowledge and engineering reasoning in design.

Toward a unified nomenclature for mammalian ADP-ribosyltransferases.

PubMed

Hottiger, Michael O; Hassa, Paul O; Lüscher, Bernhard; Schüler, Herwig; Koch-Nolte, Friedrich

2010-04-01

ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification of proteins catalyzed by ADP-ribosyltransferases. It comprises the transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety from NAD+ to specific amino acid residues on substrate proteins or to ADP-ribose itself. Currently, 22 human genes encoding proteins that possess an ADP-ribosyltransferase catalytic domain are known. Recent structural and enzymological evidence of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) family members demonstrate that earlier proposed names and classifications of these proteins are no longer accurate. Here we summarize these new findings and propose a new consensus nomenclature for all ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) based on the catalyzed reaction and on structural features. A unified nomenclature would facilitate communication between researchers both inside and outside the ADP-ribosylation field. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EMDataBank unified data resource for 3DEM.

PubMed

Lawson, Catherine L; Patwardhan, Ardan; Baker, Matthew L; Hryc, Corey; Garcia, Eduardo Sanz; Hudson, Brian P; Lagerstedt, Ingvar; Ludtke, Steven J; Pintilie, Grigore; Sala, Raul; Westbrook, John D; Berman, Helen M; Kleywegt, Gerard J; Chiu, Wah

2016-01-04

Three-dimensional Electron Microscopy (3DEM) has become a key experimental method in structural biology for a broad spectrum of biological specimens from molecules to cells. The EMDataBank project provides a unified portal for deposition, retrieval and analysis of 3DEM density maps, atomic models and associated metadata (emdatabank.org). We provide here an overview of the rapidly growing 3DEM structural data archives, which include maps in EM Data Bank and map-derived models in the Protein Data Bank. In addition, we describe progress and approaches toward development of validation protocols and methods, working with the scientific community, in order to create a validation pipeline for 3DEM data. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

The myosin mesa and a possible unifying hypothesis for the molecular basis of human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

PubMed Central

Spudich, James A.

2015-01-01

No matter how many times one explores the structure of the myosin molecule, there is always something new to discover. Here, I describe the myosin mesa, a structural feature of the motor domain that has the characteristics of a binding domain for another protein, possibly myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C). Interestingly, many well-known hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutations lie along this surface and may affect the putative interactions proposed here. A potential unifying hypothesis for the molecular basis of human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is discussed here. It involves increased power output of the cardiac muscle as a result of HCM mutations causing the release of inhibition by myosin binding protein C. PMID:25619247

Structure of naturally hydrated ferrihydrite revealed through neutron diffraction and first-principles modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chappell, Helen F.; Thom, William; Bowron, Daniel T.; Faria, Nuno; Hasnip, Philip J.; Powell, Jonathan J.

2017-08-01

Ferrihydrite, with a ``two-line'' x-ray diffraction pattern (2L-Fh), is the most amorphous of the iron oxides and is ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. It also plays a central role in the regulation and metabolism of iron in bacteria, algae, higher plants, and animals, including humans. In this study, we present a single-phase model for ferrihydrite that unifies existing analytical data while adhering to fundamental chemical principles. The primary particle is small (20-50 Å) and has a dynamic and variably hydrated surface, which negates long-range order; collectively, these features have hampered complete characterization and frustrated our understanding of the mineral's reactivity and chemical/biochemical function. Near and intermediate range neutron diffraction (NIMROD) and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) were employed in this study to generate and interpret high-resolution data of naturally hydrated, synthetic 2L-Fh at standard temperature. The structural optimization overcomes transgressions of coordination chemistry inherent within previously proposed structures, to produce a robust and unambiguous single-phase model.

Construction of multi-functional open modulized Matlab simulation toolbox for imaging ladar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Long; Zhao, Yuan; Tang, Meng; He, Jiang; Zhang, Yong

2011-06-01

Ladar system simulation is to simulate the ladar models using computer simulation technology in order to predict the performance of the ladar system. This paper presents the developments of laser imaging radar simulation for domestic and overseas studies and the studies of computer simulation on ladar system with different application requests. The LadarSim and FOI-LadarSIM simulation facilities of Utah State University and Swedish Defence Research Agency are introduced in details. This paper presents the low level of simulation scale, un-unified design and applications of domestic researches in imaging ladar system simulation, which are mostly to achieve simple function simulation based on ranging equations for ladar systems. Design of laser imaging radar simulation with open and modularized structure is proposed to design unified modules for ladar system, laser emitter, atmosphere models, target models, signal receiver, parameters setting and system controller. Unified Matlab toolbox and standard control modules have been built with regulated input and output of the functions, and the communication protocols between hardware modules. A simulation based on ICCD gain-modulated imaging ladar system for a space shuttle is made based on the toolbox. The simulation result shows that the models and parameter settings of the Matlab toolbox are able to simulate the actual detection process precisely. The unified control module and pre-defined parameter settings simplify the simulation of imaging ladar detection. Its open structures enable the toolbox to be modified for specialized requests. The modulization gives simulations flexibility.

Process-independent strong running coupling

DOE PAGES

Binosi, Daniele; Mezrag, Cedric; Papavassiliou, Joannis; ...

2017-09-25

Here, we unify two widely different approaches to understanding the infrared behavior of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), one essentially phenomenological, based on data, and the other computational, realized via quantum field equations in the continuum theory. Using the latter, we explain and calculate a process-independent running-coupling for QCD, a new type of effective charge that is an analogue of the Gell-Mann–Low effective coupling in quantum electrodynamics. The result is almost identical to the process-dependent effective charge defined via the Bjorken sum rule, which provides one of the most basic constraints on our knowledge of nucleon spin structure. As a result, thismore » reveals the Bjorken sum to be a near direct means by which to gain empirical insight into QCD's Gell-Mann–Low effective charge.« less

Process-independent strong running coupling

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

Binosi, Daniele; Mezrag, Cedric; Papavassiliou, Joannis

Here, we unify two widely different approaches to understanding the infrared behavior of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), one essentially phenomenological, based on data, and the other computational, realized via quantum field equations in the continuum theory. Using the latter, we explain and calculate a process-independent running-coupling for QCD, a new type of effective charge that is an analogue of the Gell-Mann–Low effective coupling in quantum electrodynamics. The result is almost identical to the process-dependent effective charge defined via the Bjorken sum rule, which provides one of the most basic constraints on our knowledge of nucleon spin structure. As a result, thismore » reveals the Bjorken sum to be a near direct means by which to gain empirical insight into QCD's Gell-Mann–Low effective charge.« less

Unified first wall - blanket structure for plasma device applications

DOEpatents

Gruen, D.M.

A plasma device is described for use in controlling nuclear reactions within the plasma including a first wall and blanket formed in a one-piece structure composed of a solid solution containing copper and lithium and melting above about 500/sup 0/C.

Information Object Definition–based Unified Modeling Language Representation of DICOM Structured Reporting

PubMed Central

Tirado-Ramos, Alfredo; Hu, Jingkun; Lee, K.P.

2002-01-01

Supplement 23 to DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications for Medicine), Structured Reporting, is a specification that supports a semantically rich representation of image and waveform content, enabling experts to share image and related patient information. DICOM SR supports the representation of textual and coded data linked to images and waveforms. Nevertheless, the medical information technology community needs models that work as bridges between the DICOM relational model and open object-oriented technologies. The authors assert that representations of the DICOM Structured Reporting standard, using object-oriented modeling languages such as the Unified Modeling Language, can provide a high-level reference view of the semantically rich framework of DICOM and its complex structures. They have produced an object-oriented model to represent the DICOM SR standard and have derived XML-exchangeable representations of this model using World Wide Web Consortium specifications. They expect the model to benefit developers and system architects who are interested in developing applications that are compliant with the DICOM SR specification. PMID:11751804

Unifying theory for terrestrial research infrastructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirtl, Michael

2016-04-01

The presentation will elaborate on basic steps needed for building a common theoretical base between Research Infrastructures focusing on terrestrial ecosystems. This theoretical base is needed for developing a better cooperation and integrating in the near future. An overview of different theories will be given and ways to a unifying approach explored. In the second step more practical implications of a theory-guided integration will be developed alongside the following guiding questions: • How do the existing and planned European environmental RIs map on a possible unifying theory on terrestrial ecosystems (covered structures and functions, scale; overlaps and gaps) • Can a unifying theory improve the consistent definition of RÍs scientific scope and focal science questions? • How could a division of tasks between RIs be organized in order to minimize parallel efforts? • Where concretely do existing and planned European environmental RIs need to interact to respond to overarching questions (top down component)? • What practical fora and mechanisms (across RIs) would be needed to bridge the gap between PI driven (bottom up) efforts and the centralistic RI design and operations?

Quantum correlations with no causal order

PubMed Central

Oreshkov, Ognyan; Costa, Fabio; Brukner, Časlav

2012-01-01

The idea that events obey a definite causal order is deeply rooted in our understanding of the world and at the basis of the very notion of time. But where does causal order come from, and is it a necessary property of nature? Here, we address these questions from the standpoint of quantum mechanics in a new framework for multipartite correlations that does not assume a pre-defined global causal structure but only the validity of quantum mechanics locally. All known situations that respect causal order, including space-like and time-like separated experiments, are captured by this framework in a unified way. Surprisingly, we find correlations that cannot be understood in terms of definite causal order. These correlations violate a 'causal inequality' that is satisfied by all space-like and time-like correlations. We further show that in a classical limit causal order always arises, which suggests that space-time may emerge from a more fundamental structure in a quantum-to-classical transition. PMID:23033068

The unifying role of dissipative action in the dynamic failure of solids

DOE PAGES

Grady, Dennis

2015-05-19

Dissipative action, the product of dissipation energy and transport time, is fundamental to the dynamic failure of solids. Invariance of the dissipative action underlies the fourth-power nature of structured shock waves observed in selected solid metals and compounds. Dynamic failure through shock compaction, tensile spall and adiabatic shear are also governed by a constancy of the dissipative action. This commonality underlying the various modes of dynamic failure is described and leads to deeper insights into failure of solids in the intense shock wave event. These insights are in turn leading to a better understanding of the shock deformation processes underlyingmore » the fourth-power law. Experimental result and material models encompassing the dynamic failure of solids are explored for the purpose of demonstrating commonalities leading to invariance of the dissipation action. As a result, calculations are extended to aluminum and uranium metals with the intent of predicting micro-scale energetics and spatial scales in the structured shock wave.« less

Classical Markov Chains: A Unifying Framework for Understanding Avian Reproductive Success

EPA Science Inventory

Traditional methods for monitoring and analysis of avian nesting success have several important shortcomings, including 1) inability to handle multiple classes of nest failure, and 2) inability to provide estimates of annual reproductive success (because birds can, and typically ...

Local Nash equilibrium in social networks.

PubMed

Zhang, Yichao; Aziz-Alaoui, M A; Bertelle, Cyrille; Guan, Jihong

2014-08-29

Nash equilibrium is widely present in various social disputes. As of now, in structured static populations, such as social networks, regular, and random graphs, the discussions on Nash equilibrium are quite limited. In a relatively stable static gaming network, a rational individual has to comprehensively consider all his/her opponents' strategies before they adopt a unified strategy. In this scenario, a new strategy equilibrium emerges in the system. We define this equilibrium as a local Nash equilibrium. In this paper, we present an explicit definition of the local Nash equilibrium for the two-strategy games in structured populations. Based on the definition, we investigate the condition that a system reaches the evolutionary stable state when the individuals play the Prisoner's dilemma and snow-drift game. The local Nash equilibrium provides a way to judge whether a gaming structured population reaches the evolutionary stable state on one hand. On the other hand, it can be used to predict whether cooperators can survive in a system long before the system reaches its evolutionary stable state for the Prisoner's dilemma game. Our work therefore provides a theoretical framework for understanding the evolutionary stable state in the gaming populations with static structures.

Local Nash Equilibrium in Social Networks

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yichao; Aziz-Alaoui, M. A.; Bertelle, Cyrille; Guan, Jihong

2014-01-01

Nash equilibrium is widely present in various social disputes. As of now, in structured static populations, such as social networks, regular, and random graphs, the discussions on Nash equilibrium are quite limited. In a relatively stable static gaming network, a rational individual has to comprehensively consider all his/her opponents' strategies before they adopt a unified strategy. In this scenario, a new strategy equilibrium emerges in the system. We define this equilibrium as a local Nash equilibrium. In this paper, we present an explicit definition of the local Nash equilibrium for the two-strategy games in structured populations. Based on the definition, we investigate the condition that a system reaches the evolutionary stable state when the individuals play the Prisoner's dilemma and snow-drift game. The local Nash equilibrium provides a way to judge whether a gaming structured population reaches the evolutionary stable state on one hand. On the other hand, it can be used to predict whether cooperators can survive in a system long before the system reaches its evolutionary stable state for the Prisoner's dilemma game. Our work therefore provides a theoretical framework for understanding the evolutionary stable state in the gaming populations with static structures. PMID:25169150

Mapping the coupled role of structure and materials in mechanics of platelet-matrix composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farzanian, Shafee; Shahsavari, Rouzbeh

2018-03-01

Despite significant progresses on understanding and mimicking the delicate nano/microstructure of biomaterials such as nacre, decoding the indistinguishable merger of materials and structures in controlling the tradeoff in mechanical properties has been long an engineering pursuit. Herein, we focus on an archetype platelet-matrix composite and perform ∼400 nonlinear finite element simulations to decode the complex interplay between various structural features and material characteristics in conferring the balance of mechanical properties. We study various combinatorial models expressed by four key dimensionless parameters, i.e. characteristic platelet length, matrix plasticity, platelet dissimilarity, and overlap offset, whose effects are all condensed in a new unifying parameter, defined as the multiplication of strength, toughness, and stiffness over composite volume. This parameter, which maximizes at a critical characteristic length, controls the transition from intrinsic toughening (matrix plasticity driven without crack growths) to extrinsic toughening phenomena involving progressive crack propagations. This finding, combined with various abstract volumetric and radar plots, will not only shed light on decoupling the complex role of structure and materials on mechanical performance and their trends, but provides important guidelines for designing lightweight staggered platelet-matrix composites while ensuring the best (balance) of their mechanical properties.

Local Nash Equilibrium in Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yichao; Aziz-Alaoui, M. A.; Bertelle, Cyrille; Guan, Jihong

2014-08-01

Nash equilibrium is widely present in various social disputes. As of now, in structured static populations, such as social networks, regular, and random graphs, the discussions on Nash equilibrium are quite limited. In a relatively stable static gaming network, a rational individual has to comprehensively consider all his/her opponents' strategies before they adopt a unified strategy. In this scenario, a new strategy equilibrium emerges in the system. We define this equilibrium as a local Nash equilibrium. In this paper, we present an explicit definition of the local Nash equilibrium for the two-strategy games in structured populations. Based on the definition, we investigate the condition that a system reaches the evolutionary stable state when the individuals play the Prisoner's dilemma and snow-drift game. The local Nash equilibrium provides a way to judge whether a gaming structured population reaches the evolutionary stable state on one hand. On the other hand, it can be used to predict whether cooperators can survive in a system long before the system reaches its evolutionary stable state for the Prisoner's dilemma game. Our work therefore provides a theoretical framework for understanding the evolutionary stable state in the gaming populations with static structures.

A Sensemaking Visualization Tool with Military Doctrinal Elements

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

LeadUnderstand CDR / Staff ART / Science In short, we need to develop an integrated approach for the understanding (framing) and visualizing, describing...directing, assessing, and reframing of unified operations. Staff Running Estimates t ff i i Visualize CDR / Staff ART / Science •Planning guidance...Planning guidance •Cdr ’s Intent Describe CDR / Staff ART / Science •Plans & Orders •Preparation •Plans & Orders •Preparation •Execution WF

SAFAS: Unifying Form and Structure through Interactive 3D Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polys, Nicholas F.; Bacim, Felipe; Setareh, Mehdi; Jones, Brett D.

2015-01-01

There has been a significant gap between the tools used for the design of a building's architectural form and those that evaluate the structural physics of that form. Seeking to bring the perspectives of visual design and structural engineering closer together, we developed and evaluated a design tool for students and practitioners to explore the…

Communication Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwood, Margaret

1976-01-01

Basic to Library-College thought is the Communication Way. Such a construct is theoretical in the sense it combines the structure of a discipline and the structure of a literature into a system which enables the learner to see that finding and thinking about given subject matter is a unified process. (Author)

A unified genetic association test robust to latent population structure for a count phenotype.

PubMed

Song, Minsun

2018-06-04

Confounding caused by latent population structure in genome-wide association studies has been a big concern despite the success of genome-wide association studies at identifying genetic variants associated with complex diseases. In particular, because of the growing interest in association mapping using count phenotype data, it would be interesting to develop a testing framework for genetic associations that is immune to population structure when phenotype data consist of count measurements. Here, I propose a solution for testing associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms and a count phenotype in the presence of an arbitrary population structure. I consider a classical range of models for count phenotype data. Under these models, a unified test for genetic associations that protects against confounding was derived. An algorithm was developed to efficiently estimate the parameters that are required to fit the proposed model. I illustrate the proposed approach using simulation studies and an empirical study. Both simulated and real-data examples suggest that the proposed method successfully corrects population structure. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Split Octonion Reformulation for Electromagnetic Chiral Media of Massive Dyons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanyal, B. C.

2017-12-01

In an explicit, unified, and covariant formulation of an octonion algebra, we study and generalize the electromagnetic chiral fields equations of massive dyons with the split octonionic representation. Starting with 2×2 Zorn’s vector matrix realization of split-octonion and its dual Euclidean spaces, we represent the unified structure of split octonionic electric and magnetic induction vectors for chiral media. As such, in present paper, we describe the chiral parameter and pairing constants in terms of split octonionic matrix representation of Drude-Born-Fedorov constitutive relations. We have expressed a split octonionic electromagnetic field vector for chiral media, which exhibits the unified field structure of electric and magnetic chiral fields of dyons. The beauty of split octonionic representation of Zorn vector matrix realization is that, the every scalar and vector components have its own meaning in the generalized chiral electromagnetism of dyons. Correspondingly, we obtained the alternative form of generalized Proca-Maxwell’s equations of massive dyons in chiral media. Furthermore, the continuity equations, Poynting theorem and wave propagation for generalized electromagnetic fields of chiral media of massive dyons are established by split octonionic form of Zorn vector matrix algebra.

Describing and understanding behavioral responses to multiple stressors and multiple stimuli.

PubMed

Hale, Robin; Piggott, Jeremy J; Swearer, Stephen E

2017-01-01

Understanding the effects of environmental change on natural ecosystems is a major challenge, particularly when multiple stressors interact to produce unexpected "ecological surprises" in the form of complex, nonadditive effects that can amplify or reduce their individual effects. Animals often respond behaviorally to environmental change, and multiple stressors can have both population-level and community-level effects. However, the individual, not combined, effects of stressors on animal behavior are commonly studied. There is a need to understand how animals respond to the more complex combinations of stressors that occur in nature, which requires a systematic and rigorous approach to quantify the various potential behavioral responses to the independent and interactive effects of stressors. We illustrate a robust, systematic approach for understanding behavioral responses to multiple stressors based on integrating schemes used to quantitatively classify interactions in multiple-stressor research and to qualitatively view interactions between multiple stimuli in behavioral experiments. We introduce and unify the two frameworks, highlighting their conceptual and methodological similarities, and use four case studies to demonstrate how this unification could improve our interpretation of interactions in behavioral experiments and guide efforts to manage the effects of multiple stressors. Our unified approach: (1) provides behavioral ecologists with a more rigorous and systematic way to quantify how animals respond to interactions between multiple stimuli, an important theoretical advance, (2) helps us better understand how animals behave when they encounter multiple, potentially interacting stressors, and (3) contributes more generally to the understanding of "ecological surprises" in multiple stressors research.

Using Unified Modelling Language (UML) as a process-modelling technique for clinical-research process improvement.

PubMed

Kumarapeli, P; De Lusignan, S; Ellis, T; Jones, B

2007-03-01

The Primary Care Data Quality programme (PCDQ) is a quality-improvement programme which processes routinely collected general practice computer data. Patient data collected from a wide range of different brands of clinical computer systems are aggregated, processed, and fed back to practices in an educational context to improve the quality of care. Process modelling is a well-established approach used to gain understanding and systematic appraisal, and identify areas of improvement of a business process. Unified modelling language (UML) is a general purpose modelling technique used for this purpose. We used UML to appraise the PCDQ process to see if the efficiency and predictability of the process could be improved. Activity analysis and thinking-aloud sessions were used to collect data to generate UML diagrams. The UML model highlighted the sequential nature of the current process as a barrier for efficiency gains. It also identified the uneven distribution of process controls, lack of symmetric communication channels, critical dependencies among processing stages, and failure to implement all the lessons learned in the piloting phase. It also suggested that improved structured reporting at each stage - especially from the pilot phase, parallel processing of data and correctly positioned process controls - should improve the efficiency and predictability of research projects. Process modelling provided a rational basis for the critical appraisal of a clinical data processing system; its potential maybe underutilized within health care.

3-D Medicine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, Susan

2001-01-01

Describes the Visible Human Project of the National Library of Medicine that links the print library of functional-physiological knowledge with the image library of structural-anatomical knowledge into one unified resource. (JOW)

24 CFR 3285.4 - Incorporation by reference (IBR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... purchase from the Structural Engineering Institute/American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE), 1801... for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System), 2000, IBR approved for the table at...

Stratified Magnetically Driven Accretion-Disk Winds and Their Relations To Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fukumura, Keigo; Tombesi, Francesco; Kazanas, Demosthenes; Shrader, Chris; Behar, Ehud; Contopoulos, Ioannis

2013-01-01

We explore the poloidal structure of two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) winds in relation to their potential association with the X-ray warm absorbers (WAs) and the highly ionized ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), in a single unifying approach. We present the density n(r, theta), ionization parameter xi(r, theta), and velocity structure v(r, theta) of such ionized winds for typical values of their fluid-to-magnetic flux ratio, F, and specific angular momentum, H, for which wind solutions become super-Alfvenic. We explore the geometrical shape of winds for different values of these parameters and delineate the values that produce the widest and narrowest opening angles of these winds, quantities necessary in the determination of the statistics of AGN obscuration. We find that winds with smaller H show a poloidal geometry of narrower opening angles with their Alfv´en surface at lower inclination angles and therefore they produce the highest line of sight (LoS) velocities for observers at higher latitudes with the respect to the disk plane. We further note a physical and spatial correlation between the X-ray WAs and UFOs that form along the same LoS to the observer but at different radii, r, and distinct values of n, xi, and v consistent with the latest spectroscopic data of radio-quiet Seyfert galaxies. We also show that, at least in the case of 3C 111, the winds' pressure is sufficient to contain the relativistic plasma responsible for its radio emission. Stratified MHD disk winds could therefore serve as a unique means to understand and unify the diverse AGN outflows.

Stratified Magnetically Driven Accretion-disk Winds and Their Relations to Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukumura, Keigo; Tombesi, Francesco; Kazanas, Demosthenes; Shrader, Chris; Behar, Ehud; Contopoulos, Ioannis

2014-01-01

We explore the poloidal structure of two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) winds in relation to their potential association with the X-ray warm absorbers (WAs) and the highly ionized ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), in a single unifying approach. We present the density n(r, θ), ionization parameter ξ(r, θ), and velocity structure v(r, θ) of such ionized winds for typical values of their fluid-to-magnetic flux ratio, F, and specific angular momentum, H, for which wind solutions become super-Alfvénic. We explore the geometrical shape of winds for different values of these parameters and delineate the values that produce the widest and narrowest opening angles of these winds, quantities necessary in the determination of the statistics of AGN obscuration. We find that winds with smaller H show a poloidal geometry of narrower opening angles with their Alfvén surface at lower inclination angles and therefore they produce the highest line of sight (LoS) velocities for observers at higher latitudes with the respect to the disk plane. We further note a physical and spatial correlation between the X-ray WAs and UFOs that form along the same LoS to the observer but at different radii, r, and distinct values of n, ξ, and v consistent with the latest spectroscopic data of radio-quiet Seyfert galaxies. We also show that, at least in the case of 3C 111, the winds' pressure is sufficient to contain the relativistic plasma responsible for its radio emission. Stratified MHD disk winds could therefore serve as a unique means to understand and unify the diverse AGN outflows.

A Theoretical Foundation for Understanding Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogler, Jason M.; Shipherd, Jillian C.; Rowe, Erin; Jensen, Jennifer; Clarke, Stephanie

2008-01-01

Incorporating elements from broadband theories of psychological adaptation to extreme adversity, including Summit's (1983) Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome, Finkelhor and Browne's (1986) Traumagenic Dynamics Model of sexual abuse, and Pyszczynski and colleagues' (1997) Terror Management Theory, this paper proposes a unified theoretical…

Unifying Theory of Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction and Transmutation Processes in Deuterated/hydrogenated Metals, Acoustic Cavitation, Glow Discharge, and Deuteron Beam Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yeong E.; Zubarev, Alexander L.

The most basic theoretical challenge for understanding low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) and transmutation reaction (LETR) in condensed matters is to find mechanisms by which the large Coulomb barrier between fusing nuclei can be overcome. A unifying theory of LENR and LETR has been developed to provide possible mechanisms for the LENR and LETR processes in matters based on high-density nano-scale and micro-scale quantum plasmas. It is shown that recently developed theoretical models based on Bose-Einstein Fusion (BEF) mechanism and Quantum Plasma Nuclear Fusion (QPNF) mechanism are applicable to the results of many different types of LENR and LETR experiments.

The polyadenylation code: a unified model for the regulation of mRNA alternative polyadenylation*

PubMed Central

Davis, Ryan; Shi, Yongsheng

2014-01-01

The majority of eukaryotic genes produce multiple mRNA isoforms with distinct 3′ ends through a process called mRNA alternative polyadenylation (APA). Recent studies have demonstrated that APA is dynamically regulated during development and in response to environmental stimuli. A number of mechanisms have been described for APA regulation. In this review, we attempt to integrate all the known mechanisms into a unified model. This model not only explains most of previous results, but also provides testable predictions that will improve our understanding of the mechanistic details of APA regulation. Finally, we briefly discuss the known and putative functions of APA regulation. PMID:24793760

Unified field theory: a search for unity in diversity

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

Sudarshan, E.C.G.

1981-09-01

The study of the universe in which we find ourselves is part of the joys of the coming of age in the Asian tradition. At the periods of twilight in the transitions between night and day and between day and night we recite the gayatri which invokes the brilliance of light to inspire one. Further, this understanding is to be a unified whole encompassing the static and the dynamic. It is therefore appropriate that when we celebrate the Asian/Pacific American Heritage that we discuss the successes of the continuing efforts at unification of particle interactions. It is an adventure filledmore » with successes along the way but by no means a finished adventure.« less

A Unified Syntactic Account of Mandarin Subject Nominals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Yi-Hsien

2013-01-01

This dissertation investigates the Mandarin Chinese nominals [Numeral-Classifier-("de")-Noun] and their functions as preverbal and post-verbal subjects and topics. It starts with a close analysis of the internal structure of the Chinese nominals. I propose a set of syntactic structures that capture the behaviors and distinctions between…

The multisensory basis of the self: From body to identity to others

PubMed Central

Tsakiris, Manos

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT By grounding the self in the body, experimental psychology has taken the body as the starting point for a science of the self. One fundamental dimension of the bodily self is the sense of body ownership that refers to the special perceptual status of one’s own body, the feeling that “my body” belongs to me. The primary aim of this review article is to highlight recent advances in the study of body ownership and our understanding of the underlying neurocognitive processes in three ways. I first consider how the sense of body ownership has been investigated and elucidated in the context of multisensory integration. Beyond exteroception, recent studies have considered how this exteroceptively driven sense of body ownership can be linked to the other side of embodiment, that of the unobservable, yet felt, interoceptive body, suggesting that these two sides of embodiment interact to provide a unifying bodily self. Lastly, the multisensorial understanding of the self has been shown to have implications for our understanding of social relationships, especially in the context of self–other boundaries. Taken together, these three research strands motivate a unified model of the self inspired by current predictive coding models. PMID:27100132

The multisensory basis of the self: From body to identity to others [Formula: see text].

PubMed

Tsakiris, Manos

2017-04-01

By grounding the self in the body, experimental psychology has taken the body as the starting point for a science of the self. One fundamental dimension of the bodily self is the sense of body ownership that refers to the special perceptual status of one's own body, the feeling that "my body" belongs to me. The primary aim of this review article is to highlight recent advances in the study of body ownership and our understanding of the underlying neurocognitive processes in three ways. I first consider how the sense of body ownership has been investigated and elucidated in the context of multisensory integration. Beyond exteroception, recent studies have considered how this exteroceptively driven sense of body ownership can be linked to the other side of embodiment, that of the unobservable, yet felt, interoceptive body, suggesting that these two sides of embodiment interact to provide a unifying bodily self. Lastly, the multisensorial understanding of the self has been shown to have implications for our understanding of social relationships, especially in the context of self-other boundaries. Taken together, these three research strands motivate a unified model of the self inspired by current predictive coding models.

Working with Functions without Understanding: An Assessment of the Perceptions of Basotho College Mathematics Specialists on the Idea of Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polaki, Mokaeane Victor

2005-01-01

It is a well-known fact that the idea of function plays a unifying role in the development of mathematical concepts. Yet research has shown that many students do not understand it adequately even though they have experienced a great deal of success in performing a plethora of operations on function, and on using functions to solve various types of…

The Unified Database for BM@N experiment data handling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gertsenberger, Konstantin; Rogachevsky, Oleg

2018-04-01

The article describes the developed Unified Database designed as a comprehensive relational data storage for the BM@N experiment at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. The BM@N experiment, which is one of the main elements of the first stage of the NICA project, is a fixed target experiment at extracted Nuclotron beams of the Laboratory of High Energy Physics (LHEP JINR). The structure and purposes of the BM@N setup are briefly presented. The article considers the scheme of the Unified Database, its attributes and implemented features in detail. The use of the developed BM@N database provides correct multi-user access to actual information of the experiment for data processing. It stores information on the experiment runs, detectors and their geometries, different configuration, calibration and algorithm parameters used in offline data processing. An important part of any database - user interfaces are presented.

Proteogenomics | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

Proteogenomics, or the integration of proteomics with genomics and transcriptomics, is an emerging approach that promises to advance basic, translational and clinical research.  By combining genomic and proteomic information, leading scientists are gaining new insights due to a more complete and unified understanding of complex biological processes.

The Mathematics of Starry Nights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barman, Farshad

2008-01-01

The mathematics for finding and plotting the locations of stars and constellations are available in many books on astronomy, but the steps involve mystifying and fragmented equations, calculations, and terminology. This paper will introduce an entirely new unified and cohesive technique that is easy to understand by mathematicians, and simple…

Viewing Knowledge Bases as Qualitative Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clancey, William J.

The concept of a qualitative model provides a unifying perspective for understanding how expert systems differ from conventional programs. Knowledge bases contain qualitative models of systems in the world, that is, primarily non-numeric descriptions that provide a basis for explaining and predicting behavior and formulating action plans. The…

PDBe: improved accessibility of macromolecular structure data from PDB and EMDB

PubMed Central

Velankar, Sameer; van Ginkel, Glen; Alhroub, Younes; Battle, Gary M.; Berrisford, John M.; Conroy, Matthew J.; Dana, Jose M.; Gore, Swanand P.; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Haslam, Pauline; Hendrickx, Pieter M. S.; Lagerstedt, Ingvar; Mir, Saqib; Fernandez Montecelo, Manuel A.; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Oldfield, Thomas J.; Patwardhan, Ardan; Sanz-García, Eduardo; Sen, Sanchayita; Slowley, Robert A.; Wainwright, Michael E.; Deshpande, Mandar S.; Iudin, Andrii; Sahni, Gaurav; Salavert Torres, Jose; Hirshberg, Miriam; Mak, Lora; Nadzirin, Nurul; Armstrong, David R.; Clark, Alice R.; Smart, Oliver S.; Korir, Paul K.; Kleywegt, Gerard J.

2016-01-01

The Protein Data Bank in Europe (http://pdbe.org) accepts and annotates depositions of macromolecular structure data in the PDB and EMDB archives and enriches, integrates and disseminates structural information in a variety of ways. The PDBe website has been redesigned based on an analysis of user requirements, and now offers intuitive access to improved and value-added macromolecular structure information. Unique value-added information includes lists of reviews and research articles that cite or mention PDB entries as well as access to figures and legends from full-text open-access publications that describe PDB entries. A powerful new query system not only shows all the PDB entries that match a given query, but also shows the ‘best structures’ for a given macromolecule, ligand complex or sequence family using data-quality information from the wwPDB validation reports. A PDBe RESTful API has been developed to provide unified access to macromolecular structure data available in the PDB and EMDB archives as well as value-added annotations, e.g. regarding structure quality and up-to-date cross-reference information from the SIFTS resource. Taken together, these new developments facilitate unified access to macromolecular structure data in an intuitive way for non-expert users and support expert users in analysing macromolecular structure data. PMID:26476444

A unified account of perceptual layering and surface appearance in terms of gamut relativity.

PubMed

Vladusich, Tony; McDonnell, Mark D

2014-01-01

When we look at the world--or a graphical depiction of the world--we perceive surface materials (e.g. a ceramic black and white checkerboard) independently of variations in illumination (e.g. shading or shadow) and atmospheric media (e.g. clouds or smoke). Such percepts are partly based on the way physical surfaces and media reflect and transmit light and partly on the way the human visual system processes the complex patterns of light reaching the eye. One way to understand how these percepts arise is to assume that the visual system parses patterns of light into layered perceptual representations of surfaces, illumination and atmospheric media, one seen through another. Despite a great deal of previous experimental and modelling work on layered representation, however, a unified computational model of key perceptual demonstrations is still lacking. Here we present the first general computational model of perceptual layering and surface appearance--based on a boarder theoretical framework called gamut relativity--that is consistent with these demonstrations. The model (a) qualitatively explains striking effects of perceptual transparency, figure-ground separation and lightness, (b) quantitatively accounts for the role of stimulus- and task-driven constraints on perceptual matching performance, and (c) unifies two prominent theoretical frameworks for understanding surface appearance. The model thereby provides novel insights into the remarkable capacity of the human visual system to represent and identify surface materials, illumination and atmospheric media, which can be exploited in computer graphics applications.

A Unified Account of Perceptual Layering and Surface Appearance in Terms of Gamut Relativity

PubMed Central

Vladusich, Tony; McDonnell, Mark D.

2014-01-01

When we look at the world—or a graphical depiction of the world—we perceive surface materials (e.g. a ceramic black and white checkerboard) independently of variations in illumination (e.g. shading or shadow) and atmospheric media (e.g. clouds or smoke). Such percepts are partly based on the way physical surfaces and media reflect and transmit light and partly on the way the human visual system processes the complex patterns of light reaching the eye. One way to understand how these percepts arise is to assume that the visual system parses patterns of light into layered perceptual representations of surfaces, illumination and atmospheric media, one seen through another. Despite a great deal of previous experimental and modelling work on layered representation, however, a unified computational model of key perceptual demonstrations is still lacking. Here we present the first general computational model of perceptual layering and surface appearance—based on a boarder theoretical framework called gamut relativity—that is consistent with these demonstrations. The model (a) qualitatively explains striking effects of perceptual transparency, figure-ground separation and lightness, (b) quantitatively accounts for the role of stimulus- and task-driven constraints on perceptual matching performance, and (c) unifies two prominent theoretical frameworks for understanding surface appearance. The model thereby provides novel insights into the remarkable capacity of the human visual system to represent and identify surface materials, illumination and atmospheric media, which can be exploited in computer graphics applications. PMID:25402466

A consistent and unified picture for critical phenomena of f(R) AdS black holes

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

Mo, Jie-Xiong; Li, Gu-Qiang; Wu, Yu-Cheng, E-mail: mojiexiong@gmail.com, E-mail: zsgqli@hotmail.com, E-mail: wuyucheng0827@163.com

A consistent and unified picture for critical phenomena of charged AdS black holes in f ( R ) gravity is drawn in this paper. Firstly, we investigate the phase transition in canonical ensemble. We derive the explicit solutions corresponding to the divergence of C {sub Q} . The two solutions merge into one when the condition Q {sub c} =√(−1/3 R {sub 0}) is satisfied. The curve of specific heat for Q < Q {sub c} has two divergent points and can be divided into three regions. Both the large radius region and the small radius region are thermodynamically stablemore » with positive specific heat while the medium radius region is unstable with negative specific heat. However, when Q > Q {sub c} , the specific heat is always positive, implying the black holes are locally stable and no phase transition will take place. Secondly, both the T − r {sub +} curve and T − S curve f ( R ) AdS black holes are investigated and they exhibit Van der Vaals like behavior as the P − v curve in the former research. Critical physical quantities are obtained and they are consistent with those derived from the specific heat analysis. We carry out numerical check of Maxwell equal area law for the cases Q =0.2 Q {sub c} , 0.4 Q {sub c} , 0.6 Q {sub c} , 0.8 Q {sub c} . The relative errors are amazingly small and can be negligible. So the Maxwell equal area law holds for T − S curve of f ( R ) black holes. Thirdly, we establish geometrothermodynamics for f ( R ) AdS black hole to examine the phase structure. It is shown that the Legendre invariant scalar curvature R would diverge exactly where the specific heat diverges. To summarize, the above three perspectives are consistent with each other, thus providing a unified picture which deepens the understanding of critical phenomena of f ( R ) AdS black holes.« less

A multiple hypotheses uncertainty analysis in hydrological modelling: about model structure, landscape parameterization, and numerical integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilz, Tobias; Francke, Till; Bronstert, Axel

2016-04-01

Until today a large number of competing computer models has been developed to understand hydrological processes and to simulate and predict streamflow dynamics of rivers. This is primarily the result of a lack of a unified theory in catchment hydrology due to insufficient process understanding and uncertainties related to model development and application. Therefore, the goal of this study is to analyze the uncertainty structure of a process-based hydrological catchment model employing a multiple hypotheses approach. The study focuses on three major problems that have received only little attention in previous investigations. First, to estimate the impact of model structural uncertainty by employing several alternative representations for each simulated process. Second, explore the influence of landscape discretization and parameterization from multiple datasets and user decisions. Third, employ several numerical solvers for the integration of the governing ordinary differential equations to study the effect on simulation results. The generated ensemble of model hypotheses is then analyzed and the three sources of uncertainty compared against each other. To ensure consistency and comparability all model structures and numerical solvers are implemented within a single simulation environment. First results suggest that the selection of a sophisticated numerical solver for the differential equations positively affects simulation outcomes. However, already some simple and easy to implement explicit methods perform surprisingly well and need less computational efforts than more advanced but time consuming implicit techniques. There is general evidence that ambiguous and subjective user decisions form a major source of uncertainty and can greatly influence model development and application at all stages.

Inkjet Printing of Functional and Structural Materials: Fluid Property Requirements, Feature Stability, and Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derby, Brian

2010-08-01

Inkjet printing is viewed as a versatile manufacturing tool for applications in materials fabrication in addition to its traditional role in graphics output and marking. The unifying feature in all these applications is the dispensing and precise positioning of very small volumes of fluid (1-100 picoliters) on a substrate before transformation to a solid. The application of inkjet printing to the fabrication of structures for structural or functional materials applications requires an understanding as to how the physical processes that operate during inkjet printing interact with the properties of the fluid precursors used. Here we review the current state of understanding of the mechanisms of drop formation and how this defines the fluid properties that are required for a given liquid to be printable. The interactions between individual drops and the substrate as well as between adjacent drops are important in defining the resolution and accuracy of printed objects. Pattern resolution is limited by the extent to which a liquid drop spreads on a substrate and how spreading changes with the overlap of adjacent drops to form continuous features. There are clearly defined upper and lower bounds to the width of a printed continuous line, which can be defined in terms of materials and process variables. Finer-resolution features can be achieved through appropriate patterning and structuring of the substrate prior to printing, which is essential if polymeric semiconducting devices are to be fabricated. Low advancing and receding contact angles promote printed line stability but are also more prone to solute segregation or “coffee staining” on drying.

NeuCube: a spiking neural network architecture for mapping, learning and understanding of spatio-temporal brain data.

PubMed

Kasabov, Nikola K

2014-04-01

The brain functions as a spatio-temporal information processing machine. Spatio- and spectro-temporal brain data (STBD) are the most commonly collected data for measuring brain response to external stimuli. An enormous amount of such data has been already collected, including brain structural and functional data under different conditions, molecular and genetic data, in an attempt to make a progress in medicine, health, cognitive science, engineering, education, neuro-economics, Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), and games. Yet, there is no unifying computational framework to deal with all these types of data in order to better understand this data and the processes that generated it. Standard machine learning techniques only partially succeeded and they were not designed in the first instance to deal with such complex data. Therefore, there is a need for a new paradigm to deal with STBD. This paper reviews some methods of spiking neural networks (SNN) and argues that SNN are suitable for the creation of a unifying computational framework for learning and understanding of various STBD, such as EEG, fMRI, genetic, DTI, MEG, and NIRS, in their integration and interaction. One of the reasons is that SNN use the same computational principle that generates STBD, namely spiking information processing. This paper introduces a new SNN architecture, called NeuCube, for the creation of concrete models to map, learn and understand STBD. A NeuCube model is based on a 3D evolving SNN that is an approximate map of structural and functional areas of interest of the brain related to the modeling STBD. Gene information is included optionally in the form of gene regulatory networks (GRN) if this is relevant to the problem and the data. A NeuCube model learns from STBD and creates connections between clusters of neurons that manifest chains (trajectories) of neuronal activity. Once learning is applied, a NeuCube model can reproduce these trajectories, even if only part of the input STBD or the stimuli data is presented, thus acting as an associative memory. The NeuCube framework can be used not only to discover functional pathways from data, but also as a predictive system of brain activities, to predict and possibly, prevent certain events. Analysis of the internal structure of a model after training can reveal important spatio-temporal relationships 'hidden' in the data. NeuCube will allow the integration in one model of various brain data, information and knowledge, related to a single subject (personalized modeling) or to a population of subjects. The use of NeuCube for classification of STBD is illustrated in a case study problem of EEG data. NeuCube models result in a better accuracy of STBD classification than standard machine learning techniques. They are robust to noise (so typical in brain data) and facilitate a better interpretation of the results and understanding of the STBD and the brain conditions under which data was collected. Future directions for the use of SNN for STBD are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A unified algorithm for predicting partition coefficients for PBPK modeling of drugs and environmental chemicals

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

Peyret, Thomas; Poulin, Patrick; Krishnan, Kannan, E-mail: kannan.krishnan@umontreal.ca

The algorithms in the literature focusing to predict tissue:blood PC (P{sub tb}) for environmental chemicals and tissue:plasma PC based on total (K{sub p}) or unbound concentration (K{sub pu}) for drugs differ in their consideration of binding to hemoglobin, plasma proteins and charged phospholipids. The objective of the present study was to develop a unified algorithm such that P{sub tb}, K{sub p} and K{sub pu} for both drugs and environmental chemicals could be predicted. The development of the unified algorithm was accomplished by integrating all mechanistic algorithms previously published to compute the PCs. Furthermore, the algorithm was structured in such amore » way as to facilitate predictions of the distribution of organic compounds at the macro (i.e. whole tissue) and micro (i.e. cells and fluids) levels. The resulting unified algorithm was applied to compute the rat P{sub tb}, K{sub p} or K{sub pu} of muscle (n = 174), liver (n = 139) and adipose tissue (n = 141) for acidic, neutral, zwitterionic and basic drugs as well as ketones, acetate esters, alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and ethers. The unified algorithm reproduced adequately the values predicted previously by the published algorithms for a total of 142 drugs and chemicals. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated the relative importance of the various compound properties reflective of specific mechanistic determinants relevant to prediction of PC values of drugs and environmental chemicals. Overall, the present unified algorithm uniquely facilitates the computation of macro and micro level PCs for developing organ and cellular-level PBPK models for both chemicals and drugs.« less

The Unified Astronomy Thesaurus: Semantic Metadata for Astronomy and Astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Katie; Accomazzi, Alberto

2018-05-01

Several controlled vocabularies have been developed and used by the astronomical community, each designed to serve a specific need and a specific group. The Unified Astronomy Thesaurus (UAT) attempts to provide a highly structured controlled vocabulary that will be relevant and useful across the entire discipline, regardless of content or platform. Because classifying articles and data will be the two major functions of the UAT, we examine the UAT in comparison with the Astronomical Subject Keywords used by major publications and the JWST Science Keywords used by STScI’s Astronomer’s Proposal Tool.

Crystals: animal, vegetable or mineral?

PubMed Central

Hyde, Stephen T.

2015-01-01

The morphologies of biological materials, from body shapes to membranes within cells, are typically curvaceous and flexible, in contrast to the angular, facetted shapes of inorganic matter. An alternative dichotomy has it that biomolecules typically assemble into aperiodic structures in vivo, in contrast to inorganic crystals. This paper explores the evolution of our understanding of structures across the spectrum of materials, from living to inanimate, driven by those naive beliefs, with particular focus on the development of crystallography in materials science and biology. The idea that there is a clear distinction between these two classes of matter has waxed and waned in popularity through past centuries. Our current understanding, driven largely by detailed exploration of biomolecular structures at the sub-cellular level initiated by Bernal and Astbury in the 1930s, and more recent explorations of sterile soft matter, makes it clear that this is a false dichotomy. For example, liquid crystals and other soft materials are common to both living and inanimate materials. The older picture of disjoint universes of forms is better understood as a continuum of forms, with significant overlap and common features unifying biological and inorganic matter. In addition to the philosophical relevance of this perspective, there are important ramifications for science. For example, the debates surrounding extra-terrestrial life, the oldest terrestrial fossils and consequent dating of the emergence of life on the Earth rests to some degree on prejudices inferred from the supposed dichotomy between life-forms and the rest. PMID:26464788

Crystals: animal, vegetable or mineral?

PubMed

Hyde, Stephen T

2015-08-06

The morphologies of biological materials, from body shapes to membranes within cells, are typically curvaceous and flexible, in contrast to the angular, facetted shapes of inorganic matter. An alternative dichotomy has it that biomolecules typically assemble into aperiodic structures in vivo, in contrast to inorganic crystals. This paper explores the evolution of our understanding of structures across the spectrum of materials, from living to inanimate, driven by those naive beliefs, with particular focus on the development of crystallography in materials science and biology. The idea that there is a clear distinction between these two classes of matter has waxed and waned in popularity through past centuries. Our current understanding, driven largely by detailed exploration of biomolecular structures at the sub-cellular level initiated by Bernal and Astbury in the 1930s, and more recent explorations of sterile soft matter, makes it clear that this is a false dichotomy. For example, liquid crystals and other soft materials are common to both living and inanimate materials. The older picture of disjoint universes of forms is better understood as a continuum of forms, with significant overlap and common features unifying biological and inorganic matter. In addition to the philosophical relevance of this perspective, there are important ramifications for science. For example, the debates surrounding extra-terrestrial life, the oldest terrestrial fossils and consequent dating of the emergence of life on the Earth rests to some degree on prejudices inferred from the supposed dichotomy between life-forms and the rest.

Science Inquiry into Local Animals: Structure and Function Explored through Model Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C.; Tallakson, Denise A.; Glascock, Alex L.; Chao, Astoria

2015-01-01

This article describes an arts- and spatial thinking skill--integrated inquiry project applied to life science concepts from the Next Generation Science Standards for fourth grade students that focuses on two unifying or crosscutting themes: (1) structure (or "form") and function and (2) use of models. Students made observations and…

Program Administration | Division of Cancer Prevention

Cancer.gov

Governance Structure Recognizing the importance of an integrated approach to preventative drug development, there is a unified Governance Structure for the PREVENT Program responsible for coordinating and integrating available resources. With the goal of reaching go/no-go decisions as efficiently as possible, the purpose is to ensure a pragmatic approach to drug development

Unifying error structures in commonly used biotracer mixing models.

PubMed

Stock, Brian C; Semmens, Brice X

2016-10-01

Mixing models are statistical tools that use biotracers to probabilistically estimate the contribution of multiple sources to a mixture. These biotracers may include contaminants, fatty acids, or stable isotopes, the latter of which are widely used in trophic ecology to estimate the mixed diet of consumers. Bayesian implementations of mixing models using stable isotopes (e.g., MixSIR, SIAR) are regularly used by ecologists for this purpose, but basic questions remain about when each is most appropriate. In this study, we describe the structural differences between common mixing model error formulations in terms of their assumptions about the predation process. We then introduce a new parameterization that unifies these mixing model error structures, as well as implicitly estimates the rate at which consumers sample from source populations (i.e., consumption rate). Using simulations and previously published mixing model datasets, we demonstrate that the new error parameterization outperforms existing models and provides an estimate of consumption. Our results suggest that the error structure introduced here will improve future mixing model estimates of animal diet. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Information object definition-based unified modeling language representation of DICOM structured reporting: a case study of transcoding DICOM to XML.

PubMed

Tirado-Ramos, Alfredo; Hu, Jingkun; Lee, K P

2002-01-01

Supplement 23 to DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications for Medicine), Structured Reporting, is a specification that supports a semantically rich representation of image and waveform content, enabling experts to share image and related patient information. DICOM SR supports the representation of textual and coded data linked to images and waveforms. Nevertheless, the medical information technology community needs models that work as bridges between the DICOM relational model and open object-oriented technologies. The authors assert that representations of the DICOM Structured Reporting standard, using object-oriented modeling languages such as the Unified Modeling Language, can provide a high-level reference view of the semantically rich framework of DICOM and its complex structures. They have produced an object-oriented model to represent the DICOM SR standard and have derived XML-exchangeable representations of this model using World Wide Web Consortium specifications. They expect the model to benefit developers and system architects who are interested in developing applications that are compliant with the DICOM SR specification.

Regularized variational theories of fracture: A unified approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freddi, Francesco; Royer-Carfagni, Gianni

2010-08-01

The fracture pattern in stressed bodies is defined through the minimization of a two-field pseudo-spatial-dependent functional, with a structure similar to that proposed by Bourdin-Francfort-Marigo (2000) as a regularized approximation of a parent free-discontinuity problem, but now considered as an autonomous model per se. Here, this formulation is altered by combining it with structured deformation theory, to model that when the material microstructure is loosened and damaged, peculiar inelastic (structured) deformations may occur in the representative volume element at the price of surface energy consumption. This approach unifies various theories of failure because, by simply varying the form of the class for admissible structured deformations, different-in-type responses can be captured, incorporating the idea of cleavage, deviatoric, combined cleavage-deviatoric and masonry-like fractures. Remarkably, this latter formulation rigorously avoid material overlapping in the cracked zones. The model is numerically implemented using a standard finite-element discretization and adopts an alternate minimization algorithm, adding an inequality constraint to impose crack irreversibility ( fixed crack model). Numerical experiments for some paradigmatic examples are presented and compared for various possible versions of the model.

Comparing residue clusters from thermophilic and mesophilic enzymes reveals adaptive mechanisms

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

Sammond, Deanne W.; Kastelowitz, Noah; Himmel, Michael E.

Understanding how proteins adapt to function at high temperatures is important for deciphering the energetics that dictate protein stability and folding. While multiple principles important for thermostability have been identified, we lack a unified understanding of how internal protein structural and chemical environment determine qualitative or quantitative impact of evolutionary mutations. In this work we compare equivalent clusters of spatially neighboring residues between paired thermophilic and mesophilic homologues to evaluate adaptations under the selective pressure of high temperature. We find the residue clusters in thermophilic enzymes generally display improved atomic packing compared to mesophilic enzymes, in agreement with previous research.more » Unlike residue clusters from mesophilic enzymes, however, thermophilic residue clusters do not have significant cavities. In addition, anchor residues found in many clusters are highly conserved with respect to atomic packing between both thermophilic and mesophilic enzymes. As a result, the improvements in atomic packing observed in thermophilic homologues are not derived from these anchor residues but from neighboring positions, which may serve to expand optimized protein core regions.« less

Comparing residue clusters from thermophilic and mesophilic enzymes reveals adaptive mechanisms

DOE PAGES

Sammond, Deanne W.; Kastelowitz, Noah; Himmel, Michael E.; ...

2016-01-07

Understanding how proteins adapt to function at high temperatures is important for deciphering the energetics that dictate protein stability and folding. While multiple principles important for thermostability have been identified, we lack a unified understanding of how internal protein structural and chemical environment determine qualitative or quantitative impact of evolutionary mutations. In this work we compare equivalent clusters of spatially neighboring residues between paired thermophilic and mesophilic homologues to evaluate adaptations under the selective pressure of high temperature. We find the residue clusters in thermophilic enzymes generally display improved atomic packing compared to mesophilic enzymes, in agreement with previous research.more » Unlike residue clusters from mesophilic enzymes, however, thermophilic residue clusters do not have significant cavities. In addition, anchor residues found in many clusters are highly conserved with respect to atomic packing between both thermophilic and mesophilic enzymes. As a result, the improvements in atomic packing observed in thermophilic homologues are not derived from these anchor residues but from neighboring positions, which may serve to expand optimized protein core regions.« less

Health promotion practices in primary care groups.

PubMed

Heidemann, Ivonete Teresinha Schulter Buss; Alonso da Costa, Maria Fernanda Baeta Neves; Hermida, Patrícia Madalena Vieira; Marçal, Cláudia Cossentino Bruck; Antonini, Fabiano Oliveira; Cypriano, Camilla Costa

2018-04-01

This is a descriptive-exploratory study using a qualitative approach, conducted in ten municipalities in southern Brazil. Data were obtained by talking to 21 nurses from February to November 2012, through semi-structured interviews using questions to probe their health promotion practices. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis focused on health promotion concepts. We identified four themes about health promotion practices of family health nurses in Brazil: a) training of nurses for health promotion practice was weak; b) nurses formed health promotion groups around diseases and life stages; c) nurses formed groups to meet community needs; and d) nurses used health promotion techniques in group work. These family health nurses were somewhat aware of the importance of health promotion, and how to assist the population against various ailments using some health promotion strategies. The main weaknesses were the lack of understanding about health promotion concepts, and the difficulty of understanding the relevance of its practice, probably attributable to limitations in training. We conclude that primary care groups in Brazil's unified health system could do better in applying health promotion concepts in their practice.

Quasiparticle dynamics and spin-orbital texture of the SrTiO3 two-dimensional electron gas.

PubMed

King, P D C; McKeown Walker, S; Tamai, A; de la Torre, A; Eknapakul, T; Buaphet, P; Mo, S-K; Meevasana, W; Bahramy, M S; Baumberger, F

2014-02-27

Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) in SrTiO3 have become model systems for engineering emergent behaviour in complex transition metal oxides. Understanding the collective interactions that enable this, however, has thus far proved elusive. Here we demonstrate that angle-resolved photoemission can directly image the quasiparticle dynamics of the d-electron subband ladder of this complex-oxide 2DEG. Combined with realistic tight-binding supercell calculations, we uncover how quantum confinement and inversion symmetry breaking collectively tune the delicate interplay of charge, spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom in this system. We reveal how they lead to pronounced orbital ordering, mediate an orbitally enhanced Rashba splitting with complex subband-dependent spin-orbital textures and markedly change the character of electron-phonon coupling, co-operatively shaping the low-energy electronic structure of the 2DEG. Our results allow for a unified understanding of spectroscopic and transport measurements across different classes of SrTiO3-based 2DEGs, and yield new microscopic insights on their functional properties.

The Paradox of Decentralizing Schools: Lessons from Business, Government, and the Catholic Church.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Jerome T.

1989-01-01

By the year 2000, school decentralization could become another unfortunate, ineffectual pendulum swing. According to this article, a dynamic, ever-changing system of decentralization and centralization balances the benefits of local administrative autonomy with the pursuit of unified goals and helps each leadership level understand its…

NCI-CPTAC DREAM Proteogenomics Challenge (Registration Now Open) | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

Proteogenomics, integration of proteomics, genomics, and transcriptomics, is an emerging approach that promises to advance basic, translational and clinical research.  By combining genomic and proteomic information, leading scientists are gaining new insights due to a more complete and unified understanding of complex biological processes.

The Functionator 3000: Transforming Numbers and Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Elaine Cerrato; Roy, George; Reeves, Charles

2013-01-01

Mrs. Fisher's class was learning about arithmetic functions by pretending to operate real-world "function machines" (Reeves 2006). Functions are a unifying mathematics topic, and a great deal of emphasis is placed on understanding them in prekindergarten through grade 12 (Kilpatrick and Izsák 2008). In its Algebra Content Standard, the…

Reciprocity: The Key Ingredient in Humane Education Partnerships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savesky, Kathy

1985-01-01

Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Fresno Unified School District cooperate to promote teacher education and use of SPCA materials in the classrooms. Timing, key persons, building/maintaining contact, teacher involvement, and mutual understanding, which have been important in this productive partnership,…

Art Therapy and Its Contemplative Nature: Unifying Aspects of Image Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salom, Andrée

2013-01-01

This article describes an art-based inquiry that explored two contemplative strategies--the conceptual strategy and the awareness strategy--through observation of art images and processes of creation, conceptual understanding, assessment, and the inner movements of self-awareness. Art media and directives were used to subjectively test key…

DeTocqueville's Ghost: Examining the Struggle for Democracy in America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pesick, Stan; Weintraub, Shelley

2003-01-01

The need to increase the content knowledge of American History teachers is emphasized by the Teaching American History Grant. This focus recognizes the crucial role played by classroom teachers in helping students increase their knowledge and understanding of American History. Oakland Unified School District's Teaching American History project,…

The Importance of Culture for Developmental Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Heidi

2012-01-01

In this essay, it is argued that a general understanding of human development needs a unified framework based on evolutionary theorizing and cross-cultural and cultural anthropological approaches. An eco-social model of development has been proposed that defines cultural milieus as adaptations to specific socio-demographic contexts. Ontogenetic…

Improvisation: An Essential Element of Musical Proficiency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbins, Bill

1980-01-01

The author discusses the importance of improvisation, suggesting that improvisation be introduced in the earliest stages of education and be taught through an approach that integrates ear training, sight-reading, instrumental and vocal techniques and theory into a unified and complete understanding of music as a language. (Author/KC)

Building Dynamic Conceptual Physics Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trout, Charlotte; Sinex, Scott A.; Ragan, Susan

2011-01-01

Models are essential to the learning and doing of science, and systems thinking is key to appreciating many environmental issues. The National Science Education Standards include models and systems in their unifying concepts and processes standard, while the AAAS Benchmarks include them in their common themes chapter. Hyerle and Marzano argue for…

Students' and Teachers' Application of Surface Area to Volume Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Amy R.; Jones, M. Gail

2013-01-01

The "National Science Education Standards" emphasize teaching unifying concepts and processes such as basic functions of living organisms, the living environment, and scale (NRC 2011). Scale includes understanding that different characteristics, properties, or relationships within a system might change as its dimensions are increased or decreased…

Entropy: A Unifying Path for Understanding Complexity in Natural, Artificial and Social Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

data in what concerns its consequences. Definitively the BG entropy can only be understood nowadays as a first, most important, step, but not as the...applications to natural systems (trapped ions, spin-glass, dusty plasma, earthquakes, turbulence, astrophysical objects, cosmology , black holes, etc

Hooke's Law: Applications of a Recurring Principle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giuliodori, Mauricio J.; Lujan, Heidi L.; Briggs, Whitney S.; Palani, Gurunanthan; DiCarlo, Stephen E.

2009-01-01

Students generally approach topics in physiology as a series of unrelated phenomena that share few underlying principles. However, if students recognized that the same underlying principles can be used to explain many physiological phenomena, they may gain a more unified understanding of physiological systems. To address this concern, we…

40 CFR 300.105 - General organization concepts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... capabilities. (b) Three fundamental kinds of activities are performed pursuant to the NCP: (1) Preparedness....205(c). (d) The basic framework for the response management structure is a system (e.g., a unified...

Continuous structural evolution of calcium carbonate particles: a unifying model of copolymer-mediated crystallization.

PubMed

Kulak, Alex N; Iddon, Peter; Li, Yuting; Armes, Steven P; Cölfen, Helmut; Paris, Oskar; Wilson, Rory M; Meldrum, Fiona C

2007-03-28

Two double-hydrophilic block copolymers, each comprising a nonionic block and an anionic block comprising pendent aromatic sulfonate groups, were used as additives to modify the crystallization of CaCO3. Marked morphological changes in the CaCO3 particles were observed depending on the reaction conditions used. A poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) diblock copolymer was particularly versatile in effecting a morphological change in calcite particles, and a continuous structural transition in the product particles from polycrystalline to mesocrystal to single crystal was observed with variation in the calcium concentration. The existence of this structural sequence provides unique insight into the mechanism of polymer-mediated crystallization. We propose that it reflects continuity in the crystallization mechanism itself, spanning the limits from nonoriented aggregation of nanoparticles to classical ion-by-ion growth. The various pathways to polycrystalline, mesocrystal, and single-crystal particles, which had previously been considered to be distinct, therefore all form part of a unifying crystallization framework based on the aggregation of precursor subunits.

Tuning the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric transition temperature and dipole orientation of group-IV monochalcogenide monolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barraza-Lopez, Salvador; Kaloni, Thaneshwor P.; Poudel, Shiva P.; Kumar, Pradeep

2018-01-01

Coordination-related, two-dimensional (2D) structural phase transitions are a fascinating facet of two-dimensional materials with structural degeneracies. Nevertheless, a unified theoretical account of these transitions remains absent, and the following points are established through ab initio molecular dynamics and 2D discrete clock models here: Group-IV monochalcogenide (GeSe, SnSe, SnTe,...) monolayers have four degenerate structural ground states, and a phase transition from a threefold coordinated onto a fivefold coordinated structure takes place at finite temperature. On unstrained samples, this phase transition requires lattice parameters to evolve freely. A fundamental energy scale J permits understanding this transition, and numerical results indicate a transition temperature Tc of about 1.41 J . Numerical data provides a relation among the experimental (rhombic) parameter 〈Δ α 〉 [Chang et al., Science 353, 274 (2016), 10.1126/science.aad8609] and T of the form 〈Δ α 〉 =Δ α (T =0 ) (1-T /Tc)β , with a critical exponent β ≃1 /3 that coincides with experiment. It is also shown that 〈Δ α 〉 is temperature independent in another theoretical work [Fei et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 097601 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.097601], and thus incompatible with experiment. Tc and the orientation of the in-plane intrinsic electric dipole can be controlled by moderate uniaxial tensile strain, and a modified discrete clock model describes the transition on strained samples qualitatively. An analysis of out-of-plane fluctuations and a discussion of the need for van der Waals corrections to describe these materials are given too. These results provide an experimentally compatible framework to understand structural phase transitions in 2D materials and their effects on material properties.

The Kinematics of Turbulent Boundary Layer Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Stephen Kern

1991-01-01

The long history of research into the internal structure of turbulent boundary layers has not provided a unified picture of the physics responsible for turbulence production and dissipation. The goals of the present research are to: (1) define the current state of boundary layer structure knowledge; and (2) utilize direct numerical simulation results to help close the unresolved issues identified in part A and to unify the fragmented knowledge of various coherent motions into a consistent kinematic model of boundary layer structure. The results of the current study show that all classes of coherent motion in the low Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer may be related to vortical structures, but that no single form of vortex is representative of the wide variety of vortical structures observed. In particular, ejection and sweep motions, as well as entrainment from the free-streem are shown to have strong spatial and temporal relationships with vortical structures. Disturbances of vortex size, location, and intensity show that quasi-streamwise vortices dominate the buffer region, while transverse vortices and vortical arches dominate the wake region. Both types of vortical structure are common in the log region. The interrelationships between the various structures and the population distributions of vortices are combined into a conceptual kinematic model for the boundary layer. Aspects of vortical structure dynamics are also postulated, based on time-sequence animations of the numerically simulated flow.

Unifying the field: developing an integrative paradigm for behavior therapy.

PubMed

Eifert, G H; Forsyth, J P; Schauss, S L

1993-06-01

The limitations of early conditioning models and treatments have led many behavior therapists to abandon conditioning principles and replace them with loosely defined cognitive theories and treatments. Systematic theory extensions to human behavior, using new concepts and processes derived from and built upon the basic principles, could have prevented the divisive debates over whether psychological dysfunctions are the results of conditioning or cognition and whether they should be treated with conditioning or cognitive techniques. Behavior therapy could also benefit from recent advances in experimental cognitive psychology that provide objective behavioral methods of studying dysfunctional processes. We suggest a unifying paradigm for explaining abnormal behavior that links and integrates different fields of study and processes that are frequently believed to be incompatible or antithetical such as biological vulnerability variables, learned behavioral repertoires, and that also links historical and current antecedents of the problem. An integrative paradigmatic behavioral approach may serve a unifying function in behavior therapy (a) by promoting an understanding of the dysfunctional processes involved in different disorders and (b) by helping clinicians conduct functional analyses that lead to theory-based, individualized, and effective treatments.

There is a strong need for a single unified textbook even though education in disaster mitigation covers many fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugimoto, M.; Song, Y.

2015-12-01

Areas of scientific specialties have been segmentalized nowadays. Each natural hazard are researched by scientific researchers. A huge variety of textbooks on one or few natural hazard are published by a single researcher in the world. There are possibilities are several natural disaster in one place. People have to learn from each hazard. However such disaster textbook is not unified education publish. Education in disaster mitigation covers many fields. There is a strong need for a single unified textbook. When I teach disaster education to children in kindergartens and schools, I understand students are confused by each different direction in such textbooks. "Doctor, which is right when a earthquake happens, cover my head or go out of a building? " I would like to discuss what the most valuable disaster textbook is as my following disatser handbook with audiences. This is publisehd for developping countries. You can freely download UNESCO disaster handbook following URL:http://www.icharm.pwri.go.jp/publication/pdf/handbook_on_local_disaster_management_experiences.pdf

The manager's guide to NASA graphics standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

NASA managers have the responsibility to initiate and carry out communication projects with a degree of sophistication that properly reflects the agency's substantial work. Over the course of the last decade, it has become more important to clearly communicate NASA's objectives in aeronautical research, space exploration, and related sciences. Many factors come into play when preparing communication materials for internal and external use. Three overriding factors are: producing the materials by the most cost-efficient method; ensuring that each item reflects the vitality, knowledge, and precision of NASA; and portraying all visual materials with a unified appearance. This guide will serve as the primary tool in meeting these criteria. This publication spells out the many benefits inherent in the Unified Visual Communication System and describes how the system was developed. The last section lists the graphic coordinators at headquarters and the centers who can assist with graphic projects. By understanding the Unified Visual Communication System, NASA managers will be able to manage a project from inception through production in the most cost-effective manner while maintaining the quality of NASA communications.

Understanding Coreference in a System for Solving Physics Word Problems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulko, William Charles

In this thesis, a computer program (BEATRIX) is presented which takes as input an English statement of a physics problem and a figure associated with it, understands the two kinds of input in combination, and produces a data structure containing a model of the physical objects described and the relationships between them. BEATRIX provides a mouse-based graphic interface with which the user sketches a picture and enters English sentences; meanwhile, BEATRIX creates a neutral internal representation of the picture similar to the which might be produced as the output of a vision system. It then parses the text and the picture representation, resolves the references between objects common to the two data sources, and produces a unified model of the problem world. The correctness and completeness of this model has been validated by applying it as input to a physics problem-solving program currently under development. Two descriptions of a world are said to be coreferent when they contain references to overlapping sets of objects. Resolving coreferences to produce a correct world model is a common task in scientific and industrial problem-solving: because English is typically not a good language for expressing spatial relationships, people in these fields frequently use diagrams to supplement textual descriptions. Elementary physics problems from college-level textbooks provide a useful and convenient domain for exploring the mechanisms of coreference. Because flexible, opportunistic control is necessary in order to recognize coreference and to act upon it, the understanding module of BEATRIX uses a blackboard control structure. The blackboard knowledge sources serve to identify physical objects in the picture, parse the English text, and resolve coreferences between the two. We believed that BEATRIX demonstrates a control structure and collection of knowledge that successfully implements understanding of text and picture by computer. We also believe that this organization can be applied successfully to similar understanding tasks in domains other than physics problem -solving, where data such as the output from vision systems and speech understanders can be used in place of text and pictures.

Toward construction of the unified lepton-nucleus interaction model from a few hundred MeV to GeV region

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

Nakamura, S. X.; Hayato, Y.; Hirai, M.

2015-05-15

Next generation neutrino oscillation experiments will need a quantitative understanding of neutrino-nucleus interaction far better than ever. Kinematics covered by the relevant neutrino-nucleus interaction spans wide region, from the quasi-elastic, through the resonance region, to the deeply inelastic scattering region. The neutrino-nucleus interaction in each region has quite different characteristics. Obviously, it is essential to combine different expertise to construct a unified model that covers all the kinematical region of the neutrino-nucleus interaction. Recently, several experimentalists and theorists got together to form a collaboration to tackle this problem. In this contribution, we report the collaboration’s recent activity and a goalmore » in near future.« less

Electrostatic forces govern the binding mechanism of intrinsically disordered histone chaperones

PubMed Central

Liu, Chuanbo; Wang, Tianshu; Bai, Yawen; Wang, Jin

2017-01-01

A unified picture to understand the protein recognition and function must include the native binding complex structure ensembles and the underlying binding mechanisms involved in specific biological processes. However, quantifications of both binding complex structures and dynamical mechanisms are still challenging for IDP. In this study, we have investigated the underlying molecular mechanism of the chaperone Chz1 and histone H2A.Z-H2B association by equilibrium and kinetic stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. The dependence of free energy and kinetic rate constant on electrolyte mean activity coefficient and urea concentration are uncovered. Our results indicate a previous unseen binding kinetic intermediate. An initial conformation selection step of Chz1 is also revealed before the formation of this intermediate state. Based on these observations, a mixed mechanism of three steps including both conformation selection and induced fit is proposed. By combination of the ion- and denaturant-induced experiments, we demonstrate that electrostatic forces play a dominant role in the recognition of bipolar charged intrinsically disordered protein Chz1 to its preferred partner H2A.Z-H2B. Both the intra-chain and inter-chain electrostatic interactions have direct impacts on the native collapsed structure and binding mechanism. PMID:28552960

Complex Intelligent Systems: Juxtaposition of Foundational Notions and a Research Agenda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelepithis, Petros A.

2001-11-01

The cardinality of the class, C , of complex intelligent systems, i.e., systems of intelligent systems and their resources, is steadily increasing. Such an increase, whether designed, sometimes changes significantly and fundamentally, the structure of C . Recently,the study of members of C and its structure comes under a variety of multidisciplinary headings the most prominent of which include General Systems Theory, Complexity Science, Artificial Life, and Cybernetics. Their common characteristic is the quest for a unified theory of a certain class of systems like a living system or an organisation. So far, the only candidate for a general theory of intelligent systems is Newell's Soar. To my knowledge there is presently no candidate theory of C except Newell's claimed extensibility of Soar. This paper juxtaposes the elements of Newell's conceptual basis with those of an alternative conceptual framework based on the thesis that communication and understanding are the primary processes shaping the structure of C and its members. It is patently obvious that a research agenda for the study of C can be extremely varied and long. The third section of this paper presents a highly selective research agenda that aims to provoke discussion among complexity theory scientists.

HOW THE FIRST STARS SHAPED THE FAINTEST GAS-DOMINATED DWARF GALAXIES

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

Verbeke, R.; Vandenbroucke, B.; Rijcke, S. De, E-mail: robbert.verbeke@UGent.be

2015-12-20

Low-mass dwarf galaxies are very sensitive test-beds for theories of cosmic structure formation since their weak gravitational fields allow the effects of the relevant physical processes to clearly stand out. Up to now, no unified account has existed of the sometimes seemingly conflicting properties of the faintest isolated dwarfs in and around the Local Group, such as Leo T and the recently discovered Leo P and Pisces A systems. Using new numerical simulations, we show that this serious challenge to our understanding of galaxy formation can be effectively resolved by taking into account the regulating influence of the ultraviolet radiation of themore » first population of stars on a dwarf’s star formation rate while otherwise staying within the standard cosmological paradigm for structure formation. These simulations produce faint, gas-dominated, star-forming dwarf galaxies that lie on the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation and that successfully reproduce a broad range of chemical, kinematical, and structural observables of real late-type dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we stress the importance of obtaining properties of simulated galaxies in a manner as close as possible to the typically employed observational techniques.« less

PDBe: improved accessibility of macromolecular structure data from PDB and EMDB.

PubMed

Velankar, Sameer; van Ginkel, Glen; Alhroub, Younes; Battle, Gary M; Berrisford, John M; Conroy, Matthew J; Dana, Jose M; Gore, Swanand P; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Haslam, Pauline; Hendrickx, Pieter M S; Lagerstedt, Ingvar; Mir, Saqib; Fernandez Montecelo, Manuel A; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Oldfield, Thomas J; Patwardhan, Ardan; Sanz-García, Eduardo; Sen, Sanchayita; Slowley, Robert A; Wainwright, Michael E; Deshpande, Mandar S; Iudin, Andrii; Sahni, Gaurav; Salavert Torres, Jose; Hirshberg, Miriam; Mak, Lora; Nadzirin, Nurul; Armstrong, David R; Clark, Alice R; Smart, Oliver S; Korir, Paul K; Kleywegt, Gerard J

2016-01-04

The Protein Data Bank in Europe (http://pdbe.org) accepts and annotates depositions of macromolecular structure data in the PDB and EMDB archives and enriches, integrates and disseminates structural information in a variety of ways. The PDBe website has been redesigned based on an analysis of user requirements, and now offers intuitive access to improved and value-added macromolecular structure information. Unique value-added information includes lists of reviews and research articles that cite or mention PDB entries as well as access to figures and legends from full-text open-access publications that describe PDB entries. A powerful new query system not only shows all the PDB entries that match a given query, but also shows the 'best structures' for a given macromolecule, ligand complex or sequence family using data-quality information from the wwPDB validation reports. A PDBe RESTful API has been developed to provide unified access to macromolecular structure data available in the PDB and EMDB archives as well as value-added annotations, e.g. regarding structure quality and up-to-date cross-reference information from the SIFTS resource. Taken together, these new developments facilitate unified access to macromolecular structure data in an intuitive way for non-expert users and support expert users in analysing macromolecular structure data. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Management and Operations Auditing: A Business Oriented Management Structure For a Unified School District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Ernest J.; And Others

An operations audit was conducted for a school district. The purpose of the audit was to determine the organization of the central office and reorganize its structure and staff as appropriate to clearly define goals and objectives, specify roles and responsibilities, eliminate wasted or duplicated efforts, and functionally define operational work…

A Course in Biophysics: An Integration of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giancoli, Douglas C.

1971-01-01

Describes an interdisciplinary course for advanced undergraduates in the physical and biological sciences. The goal is to understand a living cell from the most basic standpoint possible. The ideas of physics, chemistry, and molecular biology are all essential to the course, which leads to a unified view of the sciences. (PR)

Chinese Algebra: Using Historical Problems to Think about Current Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillema, Erik

2005-01-01

The Chinese used the idea of generating equivalent expressions for solving problems where the problems from a historical Chinese text are studied to understand the ways in which the ideas can lead into algebraic calculations and help students to learn algebra. The texts unify algebraic problem solving through complex algebraic thought and afford…

Unified Science - System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Barbara S.

The goals of this curriculum, developed as a summer course for the Young Scholars Program at The Ohio State University-Columbus, are as follows: (1) enable students to develop an understanding of the concept of a system; (2) help students gain an appreciation of the value of systems; (3) develop skills in working with systems; (4) expand skills in…

A unified approach for process-based hydrologic modeling: Part 2. Model implementation and case studies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding and prediction of snowmelt-generated streamflow at sub-daily time scales is important for reservoir scheduling and climate change characterization. This is particularly important in the Western U.S. where over 50% of water supply is provided by snowmelt during the melting period. Previ...

On Analysis of Electrical Engineering Programme in GCC Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Memon, Qurban A.

2007-01-01

Electrical engineering (EE) curricula in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region have gone through an evolutionary process, and are now approaching a maturity level. In order to address academic and local industrial needs in a unified way, a need has been felt to investigate EE curricula in a way that highlights theoretical understanding, design…

Economic Understanding and BEC National Level Students. Research Papers in Economics Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Barrie

The implementation of a unified national system of non-degree courses in business administration, the Business Economic Council (BEC) courses, replaced the ordinary national diploma and certificate courses in business administration in British colleges in the 1970's. Widespread faculty concern that these new courses have not been providing…

Critical Understanding: The Powers and Limits of Pluralism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Wayne C.

The problems created by the competing claims of various schools of criticism for a unified view of meaning are examined in this book. Chapters deal with the following topics: the problem of the plurality of modes, Ronald Crane and the pluralism of discrete modes, Kenneth Burke's multiplication of perspectives, history as criticism and the…

Applying Embodied Cognition: From Useful Interventions and Their Theoretical Underpinnings to Practical Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dackermann, Tanja; Fischer, Ursula; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph; Cress, Ulrike; Moeller, Korbinian

2017-01-01

"Embodied trainings" allowing children to move their whole body in space have recently been shown to foster the acquisition of basic numerical competencies (e.g. magnitude understanding, addition performance). Following a brief summary of recent embodied training studies, we integrate the different results into a unified model framework…

Integrated Services and Supports in Oakland Community Schools. Knowledge Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, 2015

2015-01-01

This brief is part of a series that shares findings from a research collaboration between the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) focused on understanding implementation of the community school model in the district. This brief highlights findings related to…

Teaching and Learning in Oakland Community Schools. Knowledge Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, 2015

2015-01-01

This brief is part of a series that shares findings from a research collaboration between the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) focused on understanding implementation of the community school model in the district. Community schools aim to address students'…

Chemistry, A Syllabus for Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Secondary Curriculum Development.

Presented is a modern view of chemistry suitable for pupils with a wide range of skills and abilities. The outline of topics provides the unifying principles of chemistry together with related facts. The principles included in the outline are basic to man's understanding of his environment. The topical outline is divided into nine major units:…

Social Learning Theory: Toward a Unified Approach of Pediatric Procedural Pain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Lynn Olson; Blanchette, Jennifer A.

2009-01-01

Undermanaged procedural pain has been shown to have short and long term effects on children. While significant progress regarding empirically supported treatments has been made, theoretical bases for the development and management of procedural pain are lacking. This paper examines the role of social learning theory in our current understanding of…

A Unified Theory of Development: A Dialectic Integration of Nature and Nurture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sameroff, Arnold

2010-01-01

The understanding of nature and nurture within developmental science has evolved with alternating ascendance of one or the other as primary explanations for individual differences in life course trajectories of success or failure. A dialectical perspective emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual and context is suggested to interpret the…

Unifying Psychology and Experiential Education: Toward an Integrated Understanding of "Why" It Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houge Mackenzie, Susan; Son, Julie S.; Hollenhorst, Steve

2014-01-01

This article examines the significance of psychology to experiential education (EE) and critiques EE models that have developed in isolation from larger psychological theories and developments. Following a review of literature and current issues, select areas of psychology are explored with reference to experiential learning processes. The state…

Using the UTAUT Model to Analyze Students' ICT Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attuquayefio, Samuel NiiBoi; Addo, Hillar

2014-01-01

This paper seeks to provide further understanding of issues surrounding acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) by students of tertiary institutions. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model Venkatesh et al (2003) was employed by the researchers to determine the strength of predictors for students'…

Parents' Experience with School Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaich, Daniel Anthony

2013-01-01

This qualitative case study sought to understand the experiences of a group of parents residing in the Novato Unified School District, Marin County, CA., as they engaged in the process of deciding where to send their children to school as the students matriculated from eighth to ninth grade, or middle school to high school. The four major…

Integrated nursery pest management

Treesearch

R. Kasten Dumroese

2012-01-01

What is integrated pest management? Take a look at the definition of each word to better understand the concept. Two of the words (integrated and management) are relatively straightforward. Integrated means to blend pieces or concepts into a unified whole, and management is the wise use of techniques to successfully accomplish a desired outcome. A pest is any biotic (...

Evolutionary dynamics of tree invasions: complementing the unified framework for biological invasions.

PubMed

Zenni, Rafael Dudeque; Dickie, Ian A; Wingfield, Michael J; Hirsch, Heidi; Crous, Casparus J; Meyerson, Laura A; Burgess, Treena I; Zimmermann, Thalita G; Klock, Metha M; Siemann, Evan; Erfmeier, Alexandra; Aragon, Roxana; Montti, Lia; Le Roux, Johannes J

2016-12-30

Evolutionary processes greatly impact the outcomes of biological invasions. An extensive body of research suggests that invasive populations often undergo phenotypic and ecological divergence from their native sources. Evolution also operates at different and distinct stages during the invasion process. Thus, it is important to incorporate evolutionary change into frameworks of biological invasions because it allows us to conceptualize how these processes may facilitate or hinder invasion success. Here, we review such processes, with an emphasis on tree invasions, and place them in the context of the unified framework for biological invasions. The processes and mechanisms described are pre-introduction evolutionary history, sampling effect, founder effect, genotype-by-environment interactions, admixture, hybridization, polyploidization, rapid evolution, epigenetics, and second-genomes. For the last, we propose that co-evolved symbionts, both beneficial and harmful, which are closely physiologically associated with invasive species, contain critical genetic traits that affect the evolutionary dynamics of biological invasions. By understanding the mechanisms underlying invasion success, researchers will be better equipped to predict, understand, and manage biological invasions. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

Evolutionary dynamics of tree invasions: complementing the unified framework for biological invasions

PubMed Central

Dickie, Ian A.; Wingfield, Michael J.; Hirsch, Heidi; Crous, Casparus J.; Meyerson, Laura A.; Burgess, Treena I.; Zimmermann, Thalita G.; Klock, Metha M.; Siemann, Evan; Erfmeier, Alexandra; Aragon, Roxana; Montti, Lia; Le Roux, Johannes J.

2017-01-01

Abstract Evolutionary processes greatly impact the outcomes of biological invasions. An extensive body of research suggests that invasive populations often undergo phenotypic and ecological divergence from their native sources. Evolution also operates at different and distinct stages during the invasion process. Thus, it is important to incorporate evolutionary change into frameworks of biological invasions because it allows us to conceptualize how these processes may facilitate or hinder invasion success. Here, we review such processes, with an emphasis on tree invasions, and place them in the context of the unified framework for biological invasions. The processes and mechanisms described are pre-introduction evolutionary history, sampling effect, founder effect, genotype-by-environment interactions, admixture, hybridization, polyploidization, rapid evolution, epigenetics and second-genomes. For the last, we propose that co-evolved symbionts, both beneficial and harmful, which are closely physiologically associated with invasive species, contain critical genetic traits that affect the evolutionary dynamics of biological invasions. By understanding the mechanisms underlying invasion success, researchers will be better equipped to predict, understand and manage biological invasions. PMID:28039118

Structural behavior of composites with progressive fracture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minnetyan, L.; Murthy, P. L. N.; Chamis, C. C.

1989-01-01

The objective of the study is to unify several computational tools developed for the prediction of progressive damage and fracture with efforts for the prediction of the overall response of damaged composite structures. In particular, a computational finite element model for the damaged structure is developed using a computer program as a byproduct of the analysis of progressive damage and fracture. Thus, a single computational investigation can predict progressive fracture and the resulting variation in structural properties of angleplied composites.

A movement ecology paradigm for unifying organismal movement research

PubMed Central

Nathan, Ran; Getz, Wayne M.; Revilla, Eloy; Holyoak, Marcel; Kadmon, Ronen; Saltz, David; Smouse, Peter E.

2008-01-01

Movement of individual organisms is fundamental to life, quilting our planet in a rich tapestry of phenomena with diverse implications for ecosystems and humans. Movement research is both plentiful and insightful, and recent methodological advances facilitate obtaining a detailed view of individual movement. Yet, we lack a general unifying paradigm, derived from first principles, which can place movement studies within a common context and advance the development of a mature scientific discipline. This introductory article to the Movement Ecology Special Feature proposes a paradigm that integrates conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and empirical frameworks for studying movement of all organisms, from microbes to trees to elephants. We introduce a conceptual framework depicting the interplay among four basic mechanistic components of organismal movement: the internal state (why move?), motion (how to move?), and navigation (when and where to move?) capacities of the individual and the external factors affecting movement. We demonstrate how the proposed framework aids the study of various taxa and movement types; promotes the formulation of hypotheses about movement; and complements existing biomechanical, cognitive, random, and optimality paradigms of movement. The proposed framework integrates eclectic research on movement into a structured paradigm and aims at providing a basis for hypothesis generation and a vehicle facilitating the understanding of the causes, mechanisms, and spatiotemporal patterns of movement and their role in various ecological and evolutionary processes. ”Now we must consider in general the common reason for moving with any movement whatever.“ (Aristotle, De Motu Animalium, 4th century B.C.) PMID:19060196

Pseudo-Kähler Quantization on Flag Manifolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karabegov, Alexander V.

A unified approach to geometric, symbol and deformation quantizations on a generalized flag manifold endowed with an invariant pseudo-Kähler structure is proposed. In particular cases we arrive at Berezin's quantization via covariant and contravariant symbols.

Chemical Principles Revisited: Updating the Atomic Theory in General Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitman, Mark

1984-01-01

Presents a descriptive overview of recent achievements in atomic structure to provide instructors with the background necessary to enhance their classroom presentations. Topics considered include hadrons, quarks, leptons, forces, and the unified fields theory. (JN)

Snoopy--a unifying Petri net framework to investigate biomolecular networks.

PubMed

Rohr, Christian; Marwan, Wolfgang; Heiner, Monika

2010-04-01

To investigate biomolecular networks, Snoopy provides a unifying Petri net framework comprising a family of related Petri net classes. Models can be hierarchically structured, allowing for the mastering of larger networks. To move easily between the qualitative, stochastic and continuous modelling paradigms, models can be converted into each other. We get models sharing structure, but specialized by their kinetic information. The analysis and iterative reverse engineering of biomolecular networks is supported by the simultaneous use of several Petri net classes, while the graphical user interface adapts dynamically to the active one. Built-in animation and simulation are complemented by exports to various analysis tools. Snoopy facilitates the addition of new Petri net classes thanks to its generic design. Our tool with Petri net samples is available free of charge for non-commercial use at http://www-dssz.informatik.tu-cottbus.de/snoopy.html; supported operating systems: Mac OS X, Windows and Linux (selected distributions).

A generalized theory of preferential linking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Haibo; Guo, Jinli; Liu, Xuan; Wang, Xiaofan

2014-12-01

There are diverse mechanisms driving the evolution of social networks. A key open question dealing with understanding their evolution is: How do various preferential linking mechanisms produce networks with different features? In this paper we first empirically study preferential linking phenomena in an evolving online social network, find and validate the linear preference. We propose an analyzable model which captures the real growth process of the network and reveals the underlying mechanism dominating its evolution. Furthermore based on preferential linking we propose a generalized model reproducing the evolution of online social networks, and present unified analytical results describing network characteristics for 27 preference scenarios. We study the mathematical structure of degree distributions and find that within the framework of preferential linking analytical degree distributions can only be the combinations of finite kinds of functions which are related to rational, logarithmic and inverse tangent functions, and extremely complex network structure will emerge even for very simple sublinear preferential linking. This work not only provides a verifiable origin for the emergence of various network characteristics in social networks, but bridges the micro individuals' behaviors and the global organization of social networks.

Insensitive dependence of delay-induced oscillation death on complex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Wei; Zheng, Xing; Zhan, Meng

2011-06-01

Oscillation death (also called amplitude death), a phenomenon of coupling induced stabilization of an unstable equilibrium, is studied for an arbitrary symmetric complex network with delay-coupled oscillators, and the critical conditions for its linear stability are explicitly obtained. All cases including one oscillator, a pair of oscillators, regular oscillator networks, and complex oscillator networks with delay feedback coupling, can be treated in a unified form. For an arbitrary symmetric network, we find that the corresponding smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian λN (0 >λN ≥ -1) completely determines the death island, and as λN is located within the insensitive parameter region for nearly all complex networks, the death island keeps nearly the largest and does not sensitively depend on the complex network structures. This insensitivity effect has been tested for many typical complex networks including Watts-Strogatz (WS) and Newman-Watts (NW) small world networks, general scale-free (SF) networks, Erdos-Renyi (ER) random networks, geographical networks, and networks with community structures and is expected to be helpful for our understanding of dynamics on complex networks.

Preferential melting of secondary structures during protein unfolding in different solvents: Competition between hydrophobic solvation and hydrogen bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagchi, Biman; Roy, Susmita; Ghosh, Rikhia

2014-03-01

Aqueous binary mixtures such as water-DMSO, water-urea, and water-ethanol are known to serve as denaturants of a host of proteins, although the detailed mechanism is often not known. Here we combine studies on several proteins in multiple binary mixtures to obtain a unified understanding of the phenomenon. We compare with experiments to support the simulation findings. The proteins considered include (i) chicken villin head piece (HP-36), (ii) immunoglobulin binding protein G (GB1), (iii) myoglobin and (iv) lysozyme. We find that for amphiphilic solvents like DMSO, the hydrophobic groups and the strong hydrogen bonding ability of the >S =O oxygen atom act together to facilitate the unfolding. However, the hydrophilic solvents like urea, due to the presence of more hydrophilic ends (C =O and two NH2) has a high propensity of forming hydrogen bonds with the side-chain residues and backbone of beta-sheet than the same of alpha helix. Such diversity among the unfolding pathways of a given protein in different chemical environments is especially characterized by the preferential solvation of a particular secondary structure.

High-response piezoelectricity modeled quantitatively near a phase boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newns, Dennis M.; Kuroda, Marcelo A.; Cipcigan, Flaviu S.; Crain, Jason; Martyna, Glenn J.

2017-01-01

Interconversion of mechanical and electrical energy via the piezoelectric effect is fundamental to a wide range of technologies. The discovery in the 1990s of giant piezoelectric responses in certain materials has therefore opened new application spaces, but the origin of these properties remains a challenge to our understanding. A key role is played by the presence of a structural instability in these materials at compositions near the "morphotropic phase boundary" (MPB) where the crystal structure changes abruptly and the electromechanical responses are maximal. Here we formulate a simple, unified theoretical description which accounts for extreme piezoelectric response, its observation at compositions near the MPB, accompanied by ultrahigh dielectric constant and mechanical compliances with rather large anisotropies. The resulting model, based upon a Landau free energy expression, is capable of treating the important domain engineered materials and is found to be predictive while maintaining simplicity. It therefore offers a general and powerful means of accounting for the full set of signature characteristics in these functional materials including volume conserving sum rules and strong substrate clamping effects.

Leaf venation: structure, function, development, evolution, ecology and applications in the past, present and future.

PubMed

Sack, Lawren; Scoffoni, Christine

2013-06-01

The design and function of leaf venation are important to plant performance, with key implications for the distribution and productivity of ecosystems, and applications in paleobiology, agriculture and technology. We synthesize classical concepts and the recent literature on a wide range of aspects of leaf venation. We describe 10 major structural features that contribute to multiple key functions, and scale up to leaf and plant performance. We describe the development and plasticity of leaf venation and its adaptation across environments globally, and a new global data compilation indicating trends relating vein length per unit area to climate, growth form and habitat worldwide. We synthesize the evolution of vein traits in the major plant lineages throughout paleohistory, highlighting the multiple origins of individual traits. We summarize the strikingly diverse current applications of leaf vein research in multiple fields of science and industry. A unified core understanding will enable an increasing range of plant biologists to incorporate leaf venation into their research. © 2013 The Authors New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

SSBRP Communication & Data System Development using the Unified Modeling Language (UML)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Windrem, May; Picinich, Lou; Givens, John J. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is the standard method for specifying, visualizing, and documenting the artifacts of an object-oriented system under development. UML is the unification of the object-oriented methods developed by Grady Booch and James Rumbaugh, and of the Use Case Model developed by Ivar Jacobson. This paper discusses the application of UML by the Communications and Data Systems (CDS) team to model the ground control and command of the Space Station Biological Research Project (SSBRP) User Operations Facility (UOF). UML is used to define the context of the system, the logical static structure, the life history of objects, and the interactions among objects.

A unified data representation theory for network visualization, ordering and coarse-graining

PubMed Central

Kovács, István A.; Mizsei, Réka; Csermely, Péter

2015-01-01

Representation of large data sets became a key question of many scientific disciplines in the last decade. Several approaches for network visualization, data ordering and coarse-graining accomplished this goal. However, there was no underlying theoretical framework linking these problems. Here we show an elegant, information theoretic data representation approach as a unified solution of network visualization, data ordering and coarse-graining. The optimal representation is the hardest to distinguish from the original data matrix, measured by the relative entropy. The representation of network nodes as probability distributions provides an efficient visualization method and, in one dimension, an ordering of network nodes and edges. Coarse-grained representations of the input network enable both efficient data compression and hierarchical visualization to achieve high quality representations of larger data sets. Our unified data representation theory will help the analysis of extensive data sets, by revealing the large-scale structure of complex networks in a comprehensible form. PMID:26348923

A unified model of the hierarchical and stochastic theories of gastric cancer

PubMed Central

Song, Yanjing; Wang, Yao; Tong, Chuan; Xi, Hongqing; Zhao, Xudong; Wang, Yi; Chen, Lin

2017-01-01

Gastric cancer (GC) is a life-threatening disease worldwide. Despite remarkable advances in treatments for GC, it is still fatal to many patients due to cancer progression, recurrence and metastasis. Regarding the development of novel therapeutic techniques, many studies have focused on the biological mechanisms that initiate tumours and cause treatment resistance. Tumours have traditionally been considered to result from somatic mutations, either via clonal evolution or through a stochastic model. However, emerging evidence has characterised tumours using a hierarchical organisational structure, with cancer stem cells (CSCs) at the apex. Both stochastic and hierarchical models are reasonable systems that have been hypothesised to describe tumour heterogeneity. Although each model alone inadequately explains tumour diversity, the two models can be integrated to provide a more comprehensive explanation. In this review, we discuss existing evidence supporting a unified model of gastric CSCs, including the regulatory mechanisms of this unified model in addition to the current status of stemness-related targeted therapy in GC patients. PMID:28301871

Understanding trends in C-H bond activation in heterogeneous catalysis.

PubMed

Latimer, Allegra A; Kulkarni, Ambarish R; Aljama, Hassan; Montoya, Joseph H; Yoo, Jong Suk; Tsai, Charlie; Abild-Pedersen, Frank; Studt, Felix; Nørskov, Jens K

2017-02-01

While the search for catalysts capable of directly converting methane to higher value commodity chemicals and liquid fuels has been active for over a century, a viable industrial process for selective methane activation has yet to be developed. Electronic structure calculations are playing an increasingly relevant role in this search, but large-scale materials screening efforts are hindered by computationally expensive transition state barrier calculations. The purpose of the present letter is twofold. First, we show that, for the wide range of catalysts that proceed via a radical intermediate, a unifying framework for predicting C-H activation barriers using a single universal descriptor can be established. Second, we combine this scaling approach with a thermodynamic analysis of active site formation to provide a map of methane activation rates. Our model successfully rationalizes the available empirical data and lays the foundation for future catalyst design strategies that transcend different catalyst classes.

Understanding trends in C–H bond activation in heterogeneous catalysis

DOE PAGES

Latimer, Allegra A.; Kulkarni, Ambarish R.; Aljama, Hassan; ...

2016-10-10

While the search for catalysts capable of directly converting methane to higher value commodity chemicals and liquid fuels has been active for over a century, a viable industrial process for selective methane activation has yet to be developed1. Electronic structure calculations are playing an increasingly relevant role in this search, but large-scale materials screening efforts are hindered by computationally expensive transition state barrier calculations. The purpose of the present letter is twofold. First, we show that, for the wide range of catalysts that proceed via a radical intermediate, a unifying framework for predicting C–H activation barriers using a single universalmore » descriptor can be established. Second, we combine this scaling approach with a thermodynamic analysis of active site formation to provide a map of methane activation rates. Lastly, our model successfully rationalizes the available empirical data and lays the foundation for future catalyst design strategies that transcend different catalyst classes.« less

Quantum-chemical insights from deep tensor neural networks

PubMed Central

Schütt, Kristof T.; Arbabzadah, Farhad; Chmiela, Stefan; Müller, Klaus R.; Tkatchenko, Alexandre

2017-01-01

Learning from data has led to paradigm shifts in a multitude of disciplines, including web, text and image search, speech recognition, as well as bioinformatics. Can machine learning enable similar breakthroughs in understanding quantum many-body systems? Here we develop an efficient deep learning approach that enables spatially and chemically resolved insights into quantum-mechanical observables of molecular systems. We unify concepts from many-body Hamiltonians with purpose-designed deep tensor neural networks, which leads to size-extensive and uniformly accurate (1 kcal mol−1) predictions in compositional and configurational chemical space for molecules of intermediate size. As an example of chemical relevance, the model reveals a classification of aromatic rings with respect to their stability. Further applications of our model for predicting atomic energies and local chemical potentials in molecules, reliable isomer energies, and molecules with peculiar electronic structure demonstrate the potential of machine learning for revealing insights into complex quantum-chemical systems. PMID:28067221

Understanding trends in C-H bond activation in heterogeneous catalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latimer, Allegra A.; Kulkarni, Ambarish R.; Aljama, Hassan; Montoya, Joseph H.; Yoo, Jong Suk; Tsai, Charlie; Abild-Pedersen, Frank; Studt, Felix; Nørskov, Jens K.

2017-02-01

While the search for catalysts capable of directly converting methane to higher value commodity chemicals and liquid fuels has been active for over a century, a viable industrial process for selective methane activation has yet to be developed. Electronic structure calculations are playing an increasingly relevant role in this search, but large-scale materials screening efforts are hindered by computationally expensive transition state barrier calculations. The purpose of the present letter is twofold. First, we show that, for the wide range of catalysts that proceed via a radical intermediate, a unifying framework for predicting C-H activation barriers using a single universal descriptor can be established. Second, we combine this scaling approach with a thermodynamic analysis of active site formation to provide a map of methane activation rates. Our model successfully rationalizes the available empirical data and lays the foundation for future catalyst design strategies that transcend different catalyst classes.

Finding common ground by unifying autonomy indices to understand needed capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bihl, Trevor; Cox, Chadwick; Jenkins, Todd

2018-05-01

Autonomous machines promise to reduce the workload of human operators by replacing some or all cognitive functions with intelligent software. However, development is retarded by disagreement among researchers at very basic levels, including what is meant by autonomy and how to achieve it. Clear definitions are few and no one has successfully bridged the gap between philosophical notions and engineering methods. A variety of autonomy measures are reviewed, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Various researchers have developed these autonomy measures to facilitate discussions of capabilities. These measures are also a means of comparing and contrasting autonomy approaches. We contend that any properly structured set of measures are not only useful for these functions, but it provides both a philosophical and practical justification, it outlines developmental steps, it suggests schematic constraints, and it implies requirements for tests. As such, we make recommendations for the further developments of autonomy measures.

Quantum-chemical insights from deep tensor neural networks.

PubMed

Schütt, Kristof T; Arbabzadah, Farhad; Chmiela, Stefan; Müller, Klaus R; Tkatchenko, Alexandre

2017-01-09

Learning from data has led to paradigm shifts in a multitude of disciplines, including web, text and image search, speech recognition, as well as bioinformatics. Can machine learning enable similar breakthroughs in understanding quantum many-body systems? Here we develop an efficient deep learning approach that enables spatially and chemically resolved insights into quantum-mechanical observables of molecular systems. We unify concepts from many-body Hamiltonians with purpose-designed deep tensor neural networks, which leads to size-extensive and uniformly accurate (1 kcal mol -1 ) predictions in compositional and configurational chemical space for molecules of intermediate size. As an example of chemical relevance, the model reveals a classification of aromatic rings with respect to their stability. Further applications of our model for predicting atomic energies and local chemical potentials in molecules, reliable isomer energies, and molecules with peculiar electronic structure demonstrate the potential of machine learning for revealing insights into complex quantum-chemical systems.

Emergent Behavior in the Macro World: Rigidity of Granular Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Bulbul

2015-03-01

Diversity in the natural world emerges from the collective behavior of large numbers of interacting objects. The origin of collectively organized structures over the vast range of length scales from the subatomic to colloidal is the competition between energy and entropy. Thermal motion provides the mechanism for organization by allowing particles to explore the space of configurations. This well-established paradigm of emergent behavior breaks down for collections of macroscopic objects ranging from grains of sand to asteroids. In this macro-world of particulate systems, thermal motion is absent, and mechanical forces are all important. We lack understanding of the basic, unifying principles that underlie the emergence of order in this world. In this talk, I will explore the origin of rigidity of granular solids, and present a new paradigm for emergence of order in these athermal systems. This work has been supported by NSF-DMR 1409093 and by the W. M. Keck foundation

Electropharmacological effects of antiarrhythmic drugs on atrial fibrillation termination. Part I: Molecular and ionic fundamentals of antiarrhythmic drug actions.

PubMed

Calò, Leonardo; Sciarra, Luigi; Lamberti, Filippo; Loricchio, Maria Luisa; Castro, Antonio; Bianconi, Leopoldo; Pandozi, Claudio; Gaita, Fiorenzo; Santini, Massimo

2003-07-01

In the last few years many studies have been performed with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the pathophysiological nature of atrial fibrillation. These recent observations provide new insights into the initiation and perpetuation of atrial fibrillation, underlying the importance of the pulmonary veins as major sources of atrial triggers and introducing new concepts such as the atrial electrical remodeling and the spatial heterogeneity of the electrophysiological characteristics of this arrhythmia. The increasing knowledge about the cardiac ion channel structure and function and about the electrophysiological actions of the antiarrhythmic drugs may contribute to a better comprehension of the mechanisms of the pharmacological termination of the arrhythmia. In part I of the review we try to give a unified vision of the old models and new concepts about the molecular and ionic fundamentals of antiarrhythmic drug actions.

What can fish brains tell us about visual perception?

PubMed Central

Rosa Salva, Orsola; Sovrano, Valeria Anna; Vallortigara, Giorgio

2014-01-01

Fish are a complex taxonomic group, whose diversity and distance from other vertebrates well suits the comparative investigation of brain and behavior: in fish species we observe substantial differences with respect to the telencephalic organization of other vertebrates and an astonishing variety in the development and complexity of pallial structures. We will concentrate on the contribution of research on fish behavioral biology for the understanding of the evolution of the visual system. We shall review evidence concerning perceptual effects that reflect fundamental principles of the visual system functioning, highlighting the similarities and differences between distant fish groups and with other vertebrates. We will focus on perceptual effects reflecting some of the main tasks that the visual system must attain. In particular, we will deal with subjective contours and optical illusions, invariance effects, second order motion and biological motion and, finally, perceptual binding of object properties in a unified higher level representation. PMID:25324728

A user-centered, object-oriented methodology for developing Health Information Systems: a Clinical Information System (CIS) example.

PubMed

Konstantinidis, Georgios; Anastassopoulos, George C; Karakos, Alexandros S; Anagnostou, Emmanouil; Danielides, Vasileios

2012-04-01

The aim of this study is to present our perspectives on healthcare analysis and design and the lessons learned from our experience with the development of a distributed, object-oriented Clinical Information System (CIS). In order to overcome known issues regarding development, implementation and finally acceptance of a CIS by the physicians we decided to develop a novel object-oriented methodology by integrating usability principles and techniques in a simplified version of a well established software engineering process (SEP), the Unified Process (UP). A multilayer architecture has been defined and implemented with the use of a vendor application framework. Our first experiences from a pilot implementation of our CIS are positive. This approach allowed us to gain a socio-technical understanding of the domain and enabled us to identify all the important factors that define both the structure and the behavior of a Health Information System.

Quantum-chemical insights from deep tensor neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schütt, Kristof T.; Arbabzadah, Farhad; Chmiela, Stefan; Müller, Klaus R.; Tkatchenko, Alexandre

2017-01-01

Learning from data has led to paradigm shifts in a multitude of disciplines, including web, text and image search, speech recognition, as well as bioinformatics. Can machine learning enable similar breakthroughs in understanding quantum many-body systems? Here we develop an efficient deep learning approach that enables spatially and chemically resolved insights into quantum-mechanical observables of molecular systems. We unify concepts from many-body Hamiltonians with purpose-designed deep tensor neural networks, which leads to size-extensive and uniformly accurate (1 kcal mol-1) predictions in compositional and configurational chemical space for molecules of intermediate size. As an example of chemical relevance, the model reveals a classification of aromatic rings with respect to their stability. Further applications of our model for predicting atomic energies and local chemical potentials in molecules, reliable isomer energies, and molecules with peculiar electronic structure demonstrate the potential of machine learning for revealing insights into complex quantum-chemical systems.

Disaster Metrics: A Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies.

PubMed

Wong, Diana F; Spencer, Caroline; Boyd, Lee; Burkle, Frederick M; Archer, Frank

2017-10-01

Introduction The frequency of disasters is increasing around the world with more people being at risk. There is a moral imperative to improve the way in which disaster evaluations are undertaken and reported with the aim of reducing preventable mortality and morbidity in future events. Disasters are complex events and undertaking disaster evaluations is a specialized area of study at an international level. Hypothesis/Problem While some frameworks have been developed to support consistent disaster research and evaluation, they lack validation, consistent terminology, and standards for reporting across the different phases of a disaster. There is yet to be an agreed, comprehensive framework to structure disaster evaluation typologies. The aim of this paper is to outline an evolving comprehensive framework for disaster evaluation typologies. It is anticipated that this new framework will facilitate an agreement on identifying, structuring, and relating the various evaluations found in the disaster setting with a view to better understand the process, outcomes, and impacts of the effectiveness and efficiency of interventions. Research was undertaken in two phases: (1) a scoping literature review (peer-reviewed and "grey literature") was undertaken to identify current evaluation frameworks and typologies used in the disaster setting; and (2) a structure was developed that included the range of typologies identified in Phase One and suggests possible relationships in the disaster setting. No core, unifying framework to structure disaster evaluation and research was identified in the literature. The authors propose a "Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies" that identifies, structures, and suggests relationships for the various typologies detected. The proposed Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies outlines the different typologies of disaster evaluations that were identified in this study and brings them together into a single framework. This unique, unifying framework has relevance at an international level and is expected to benefit the disaster, humanitarian, and development sectors. The next step is to undertake a validation process that will include international leaders with experience in evaluation, in general, and disasters specifically. This work promotes an environment for constructive dialogue on evaluations in the disaster setting to strengthen the evidence base for interventions across the disaster spectrum. It remains a work in progress. Wong DF , Spencer C , Boyd L , Burkle FM Jr. , Archer F . Disaster metrics: a comprehensive framework for disaster evaluation typologies. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(5):501-514.

A Unified Analysis of Structured Sonar-terrain Data using Bayesian Functional Mixed Models.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongxiao; Caspers, Philip; Morris, Jeffrey S; Wu, Xiaowei; Müller, Rolf

2018-01-01

Sonar emits pulses of sound and uses the reflected echoes to gain information about target objects. It offers a low cost, complementary sensing modality for small robotic platforms. While existing analytical approaches often assume independence across echoes, real sonar data can have more complicated structures due to device setup or experimental design. In this paper, we consider sonar echo data collected from multiple terrain substrates with a dual-channel sonar head. Our goals are to identify the differential sonar responses to terrains and study the effectiveness of this dual-channel design in discriminating targets. We describe a unified analytical framework that achieves these goals rigorously, simultaneously, and automatically. The analysis was done by treating the echo envelope signals as functional responses and the terrain/channel information as covariates in a functional regression setting. We adopt functional mixed models that facilitate the estimation of terrain and channel effects while capturing the complex hierarchical structure in data. This unified analytical framework incorporates both Gaussian models and robust models. We fit the models using a full Bayesian approach, which enables us to perform multiple inferential tasks under the same modeling framework, including selecting models, estimating the effects of interest, identifying significant local regions, discriminating terrain types, and describing the discriminatory power of local regions. Our analysis of the sonar-terrain data identifies time regions that reflect differential sonar responses to terrains. The discriminant analysis suggests that a multi- or dual-channel design achieves target identification performance comparable with or better than a single-channel design.

A Unified Analysis of Structured Sonar-terrain Data using Bayesian Functional Mixed Models

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hongxiao; Caspers, Philip; Morris, Jeffrey S.; Wu, Xiaowei; Müller, Rolf

2017-01-01

Sonar emits pulses of sound and uses the reflected echoes to gain information about target objects. It offers a low cost, complementary sensing modality for small robotic platforms. While existing analytical approaches often assume independence across echoes, real sonar data can have more complicated structures due to device setup or experimental design. In this paper, we consider sonar echo data collected from multiple terrain substrates with a dual-channel sonar head. Our goals are to identify the differential sonar responses to terrains and study the effectiveness of this dual-channel design in discriminating targets. We describe a unified analytical framework that achieves these goals rigorously, simultaneously, and automatically. The analysis was done by treating the echo envelope signals as functional responses and the terrain/channel information as covariates in a functional regression setting. We adopt functional mixed models that facilitate the estimation of terrain and channel effects while capturing the complex hierarchical structure in data. This unified analytical framework incorporates both Gaussian models and robust models. We fit the models using a full Bayesian approach, which enables us to perform multiple inferential tasks under the same modeling framework, including selecting models, estimating the effects of interest, identifying significant local regions, discriminating terrain types, and describing the discriminatory power of local regions. Our analysis of the sonar-terrain data identifies time regions that reflect differential sonar responses to terrains. The discriminant analysis suggests that a multi- or dual-channel design achieves target identification performance comparable with or better than a single-channel design. PMID:29749977

Tungsten carbide precursors as an example for influence of a binder on the particle formation in the nanosecond laser ablation of powdered materials.

PubMed

Holá, Markéta; Mikuska, Pavel; Hanzlíková, Renáta; Kaiser, Jozef; Kanický, Viktor

2010-03-15

A study of LA-ICP-MS analysis of pressed powdered tungsten carbide precursors was performed to show the advantages and problems of nanosecond laser ablation of matrix-unified samples. Five samples with different compositions were pressed into pellets both with silver powder as a binder serving to keep the matrix unified, and without any binder. The laser ablation was performed by nanosecond Nd:YAG laser working at 213 nm. The particle formation during ablation of both sets of pellets was studied using an optical aerosol spectrometer allowing the measurement of particle concentration in two size ranges (10-250 nm and 0.25-17 microm) and particle size distribution in the range of 0.25-17 microm. Additionally, the structure of the laser-generated particles was studied after their collection on a filter using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the particle chemical composition was determined by an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS). The matrix effect was proved to be reduced using the same silver powdered binder for pellet preparation in the case of the laser ablation of powdered materials. The LA-ICP-MS signal dependence on the element content present in the material showed an improved correlation for Co, Ti, Ta and Nb of the matrix-unified samples compared to the non-matrix-unified pellets. In the case of W, the ICP-MS signal of matrix-unified pellets was influenced by the changes in the particle formation. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of the SP theory of intelligence to the understanding of natural vision and the development of computer vision.

PubMed

Wolff, J Gerard

2014-01-01

The SP theory of intelligence aims to simplify and integrate concepts in computing and cognition, with information compression as a unifying theme. This article is about how the SP theory may, with advantage, be applied to the understanding of natural vision and the development of computer vision. Potential benefits include an overall simplification of concepts in a universal framework for knowledge and seamless integration of vision with other sensory modalities and other aspects of intelligence. Low level perceptual features such as edges or corners may be identified by the extraction of redundancy in uniform areas in the manner of the run-length encoding technique for information compression. The concept of multiple alignment in the SP theory may be applied to the recognition of objects, and to scene analysis, with a hierarchy of parts and sub-parts, at multiple levels of abstraction, and with family-resemblance or polythetic categories. The theory has potential for the unsupervised learning of visual objects and classes of objects, and suggests how coherent concepts may be derived from fragments. As in natural vision, both recognition and learning in the SP system are robust in the face of errors of omission, commission and substitution. The theory suggests how, via vision, we may piece together a knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of objects and of our environment, it provides an account of how we may see things that are not objectively present in an image, how we may recognise something despite variations in the size of its retinal image, and how raster graphics and vector graphics may be unified. And it has things to say about the phenomena of lightness constancy and colour constancy, the role of context in recognition, ambiguities in visual perception, and the integration of vision with other senses and other aspects of intelligence.

What every physicist should know about string theory

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

Witten, Edward

2015-11-15

Some of nature’s rhymes—the appearance of similar structures in different areas of physics—underlie the way that string theory potentially unifies gravity with the other forces of nature and eliminates the ultraviolet divergences that plague quantum gravity.

48 CFR 252.246-7004 - Safety of Facilities, Infrastructure, and Equipment for Military Operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., Infrastructure, and Equipment for Military Operations. As prescribed in 246.270-4, use the following clause... contract comply with Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 1-200-01 for— (1) Fire protection; (2) Structural...

48 CFR 252.246-7004 - Safety of Facilities, Infrastructure, and Equipment for Military Operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., Infrastructure, and Equipment for Military Operations. As prescribed in 246.270-4, use the following clause... contract comply with Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 1-200-01 for— (1) Fire protection; (2) Structural...

48 CFR 252.246-7004 - Safety of Facilities, Infrastructure, and Equipment for Military Operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., Infrastructure, and Equipment for Military Operations. As prescribed in 246.270-4, use the following clause... contract comply with Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 1-200-01 for— (1) Fire protection; (2) Structural...

Analysis and design of ferroelectric-based smart antenna structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, Prashanth; Washington, Gregory N.

2009-03-01

Ferroelectrics in microwave antenna systems offer benefits of electronic tunability, compact size and light weight, speed of operation, high power-handling, low dc power consumption, and potential for low loss and cost. Ferroelectrics allow for the tuning of microwave devices by virtue of the nonlinear dependence of their dielectric permittivity on an applied electric field. Experiments on the field-polarization dependence of ferroelectric thin films show variation in dielectric permittivity of up to 50%. This is in contrast to the conventional dielectric materials used in electrical devices which have a relatively constant permittivity, indicative of the linear field-polarization curve. Ferroelectrics, with their variable dielectric constant introduce greater flexibility in correction and control of beam shapes and beam direction of antenna structures. The motivation behind this research is applying ferroelectrics to mechanical load bearing antenna structures, but in order to develop such structures, we need to understand not just the field-permittivity dependence, but also the coupled electro-thermo-mechanical behavior of ferroelectrics. In this paper, two models are discussed: a nonlinear phenomenological model relating the applied fields, strains and temperature to the dielectric permittivity based on the Devonshire thermodynamic framework, and a phenomenological model relating applied fields and temperature to the dielectric loss tangent. The models attempt to integrate the observed field-permittivity, strain-permittivity and temperature-permittivity behavior into one single unified model and extend the resulting model to better fit experimental data. Promising matches with experimental data are obtained. These relations, coupled with the expression for operating frequency vs. the permittivity are then used to understand the bias field vs. frequency behavior of the antenna. Finally, the effect of the macroscopic variables on the antenna radiation efficiency is discussed.

Stereochemistry of 1,2-elimination and proton-transfer reactions: toward a unified understanding.

PubMed

Mohrig, Jerry R

2013-07-16

Many mechanistic and stereochemical studies have focused on the breaking of the C-H bond through base-catalyzed elimination reactions. When we began our research, however, chemists knew almost nothing about the stereospecificity of addition-elimination reactions involving conjugated acyclic carbonyl compounds, even though the carbonyl group is a pivotal functional group in organic chemistry. Over the last 25 years, we have studied the addition-elimination reactions of β-substituted acyclic esters, thioesters, and ketones in order to reach a comprehensive understanding of how electronic effects influence their stereochemistry. This Account brings together our understanding of the stereochemistry of 1,2-elimination and proton-transfer reactions, describing how each study has built upon previous work and contributed to our understanding of this field. When we began, chemists thought that anti stereospecificity in base-catalyzed 1,2-elimination reactions occurred via concerted E2 mechanisms, which provide a smooth path for anti elimination. Unexpectedly, we discovered that some E1cBirrev reactions produce the same anti stereospecificity as E2 reactions even though they proceed through diffusionally equilibrated, "free" enolate-anion intermediates. This result calls into question the conventional wisdom that anti stereochemistry must result from a concerted mechanism. While carrying out our research, we developed insights ranging from the role of historical contingency in the evolution of hydratase-dehydratase enzymes to the influence of buffers on the stereochemistry of H/D exchange in D2O. Negative hyperconjugation is the most important concept for understanding our results. This idea provides a unifying view for the largely anti stereochemistry in E1cBirrev elimination reactions and a basis for understanding the stereoelectronic influence of electron-withdrawing β-substituents on proton-transfer reactions.

Condition Based Maintenance Technology Impact Study: Assessment Methods, Study Design and Interim Results

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, Structuration Model of Technology, UNCLASSIFIED DSTO-TR-2992 UNCLASSIFIED 5 Adaptive...Structuration Theory , Model of Mutual Adaptation, Model of Technology Appropriation, Diffusion/Implementation Model, and Tri-core Model, among others [11...simulation gaming essay/scenario writing genius forecasting role play/acting backcasting swot brainstorming relevance tree/logic chart scenario workshop

What Quasars Really Look Like: Unification of the Emission and Absorption Line Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elvis, Martin

2000-01-01

We propose a simple unifying structure for the inner regions of quasars and AGN. This empirically derived model links together the broad absorption line (BALS), the narrow UV/X-ray ionized absorbers, the BELR, and the 5 Compton scattering/fluorescing regions into a single structure. The model also suggests an alternative origin for the large-scale bi-conical outflows. Some other potential implications of this structure are discussed.

The Effect of an Increased Convective Entrainment Rate on Indian Monsoon Biases in the Met Office Unified Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, Stephanie; Turner, Andrew; Woolnough, Steve; Martin, Gill

2013-04-01

Global circulation models (GCMs) are a key tool for understanding and predicting monsoon rainfall, now and under future climate change. However, many GCMs show significant, systematic biases in their simulation of monsoon rainfall and dynamics that spin up over very short time scales and persist in the climate mean state. We describe several of these biases as simulated in the Met Office Unified Model and show they are sensitive to changes in the convective parameterization's entrainment rate. To improve our understanding of the biases and inform efforts to improve convective parameterizations, we explore the reasons for this sensitivity. We show the results of experiments where we increase the entrainment rate in regions of especially large bias: the western equatorial Indian Ocean, western north Pacific and India itself. We use the results to determine whether improvements in biases are due to the local increase in entrainment or are the remote response of the entrainment increase elsewhere in the GCM. We find that feedbacks usually strengthen the local response, but the local response leads to a different mean state change in different regions. We also show results from experiments which demonstrate the spin-up of the local response, which we use to further understand the response in complex regions such as the Western North Pacific. Our work demonstrates that local application of parameterization changes is a powerful tool for understanding their global impact.

CMB-galaxy correlation in Unified Dark Matter scalar field cosmologies

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

Bertacca, Daniele; Bartolo, Nicola; Matarrese, Sabino

We present an analysis of the cross-correlation between the CMB and the large-scale structure (LSS) of the Universe in Unified Dark Matter (UDM) scalar field cosmologies. We work out the predicted cross-correlation function in UDM models, which depends on the speed of sound of the unified component, and compare it with observations from six galaxy catalogues (NVSS, HEAO, 2MASS, and SDSS main galaxies, luminous red galaxies, and quasars). We sample the value of the speed of sound and perform a likelihood analysis, finding that the UDM model is as likely as the ΛCDM, and is compatible with observations for amore » range of values of c{sub ∞} (the value of the sound speed at late times) on which structure formation depends. In particular, we obtain an upper bound of c{sub ∞}{sup 2} ≤ 0.009 at 95% confidence level, meaning that the ΛCDM model, for which c{sub ∞}{sup 2} = 0, is a good fit to the data, while the posterior probability distribution peaks at the value c{sub ∞}{sup 2} = 10{sup −4} . Finally, we study the time dependence of the deviation from ΛCDM via a tomographic analysis using a mock redshift distribution and we find that the largest deviation is for low-redshift sources, suggesting that future low-z surveys will be best suited to constrain UDM models.« less

A supersymmetric grand unified model with noncompact horizontal symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamatsu, Naoki

2013-12-01

In a supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified model with a horizontal symmetry SU(1,1), we discuss spontaneous generation of generations to produce three chiral generations of quarks and leptons and one generation of Higgses by using one structure field with a half-integer spin of SU(1,1) and two structure fields with integer spins. In particular, the colored Higgses can disappear without fine-tuning. The difference of the Yukawa coupling matrices between the down-type quarks and charged leptons is discussed. We show that some special SU(1,1) weight assignments include R-parity as a discrete subgroup, and R-parity remains even after we take into account the SU(1,1) breaking effects from all the vacuum expectation values of the structure and matter fields. The assignments forbid the baryon and/or lepton number violating terms except a superpotential quartic term including a coupling of two lepton doublets and two up-type Higgses. We discuss how to generate sizable neutrino masses. We show that the proton decay derived from the colored Higgses is highly suppressed.

Evaluation of NCMRWF unified model vertical cloud structure with CloudSat over the Indian summer monsoon region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayakumar, A.; Mamgain, Ashu; Jisesh, A. S.; Mohandas, Saji; Rakhi, R.; Rajagopal, E. N.

2016-05-01

Representation of rainfall distribution and monsoon circulation in the high resolution versions of NCMRWF Unified model (NCUM-REG) for the short-range forecasting of extreme rainfall event is vastly dependent on the key factors such as vertical cloud distribution, convection and convection/cloud relationship in the model. Hence it is highly relevant to evaluate the vertical structure of cloud and precipitation of the model over the monsoon environment. In this regard, we utilized the synergy of the capabilities of CloudSat data for long observational period, by conditioning it for the synoptic situation of the model simulation period. Simulations were run at 4-km grid length with the convective parameterization effectively switched off and on. Since the sample of CloudSat overpasses through the monsoon domain is small, the aforementioned methodology may qualitatively evaluate the vertical cloud structure for the model simulation period. It is envisaged that the present study will open up the possibility of further improvement in the high resolution version of NCUM in the tropics for the Indian summer monsoon associated rainfall events.

Measuring the Acceptance of Evolutionary Theory in Texas 2-Year Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jack; Scott, Joyce A.

2016-01-01

Evolutionary theory is the central unifying theory of the life sciences. However, acceptance and understanding of the theory have been found to be lacking in the general public, high school, and university populations. Prior research has linked low acceptance of the theory to a poor knowledge base in evolution, to the nature of science, and to…

Fundamental Physics Program and the NASA Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, Eugene

2003-01-01

The accomplishments of Physics, the increasing power of its instruments, and its expanding reach into other sciences have generated an unprecedented set of scientific opportunities. The committee has identified six such Grand Challenges listed below in no particular order: Developing quantum technologies. Creating new materials. Understanding complex systems. Unifying the forces of Nature. Exploring the universe Applying Physics to Biology.

A comparison of two modeling approaches for evaluating wildlife--habitat relationships

Treesearch

Ryan A. Long; Jonathan D. Muir; Janet L. Rachlow; John G. Kie

2009-01-01

Studies of resource selection form the basis for much of our understanding of wildlife habitat requirements, and resource selection functions (RSFs), which predict relative probability of use, have been proposed as a unifying concept for analysis and interpretation of wildlife habitat data. Logistic regression that contrasts used and available or unused resource units...

Auditory Working Memory Load Impairs Visual Ventral Stream Processing: Toward a Unified Model of Attentional Load

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klemen, Jane; Buchel, Christian; Buhler, Mira; Menz, Mareike M.; Rose, Michael

2010-01-01

Attentional interference between tasks performed in parallel is known to have strong and often undesired effects. As yet, however, the mechanisms by which interference operates remain elusive. A better knowledge of these processes may facilitate our understanding of the effects of attention on human performance and the debilitating consequences…

Cosmic Education: The Child's Discovery of a Global Vision and a Cosmic Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, Susan Mayclin

2015-01-01

Susan Mayclin Stephenson tackles a large subject, Cosmic Education, which Montessori defined as a "unifying global and universal view[s] of the past, present and future." Stephenson takes the reader from birth to the end of the elementary age with examples of how the child grows into an understanding of Cosmic Education through their…

Cognitive Computational Neuroscience: A New Conference for an Emerging Discipline.

PubMed

Naselaris, Thomas; Bassett, Danielle S; Fletcher, Alyson K; Kording, Konrad; Kriegeskorte, Nikolaus; Nienborg, Hendrikje; Poldrack, Russell A; Shohamy, Daphna; Kay, Kendrick

2018-05-01

Understanding the computational principles that underlie complex behavior is a central goal in cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience. In an attempt to unify these disconnected communities, we created a new conference called Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN). The inaugural meeting revealed considerable enthusiasm but significant obstacles remain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ViSA: A Neurodynamic Model for Visuo-Spatial Working Memory, Attentional Blink, and Conscious Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simione, Luca; Raffone, Antonino; Wolters, Gezinus; Salmas, Paola; Nakatani, Chie; Belardinelli, Marta Olivetti; van Leeuwen, Cees

2012-01-01

Two separate lines of study have clarified the role of selectivity in conscious access to visual information. Both involve presenting multiple targets and distracters: one "simultaneously" in a spatially distributed fashion, the other "sequentially" at a single location. To understand their findings in a unified framework, we propose a…

Examining Physics Graduate Teaching Assistants' Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching a New Physics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seung, Eulsun; Bryan, Lynn A.; Haugan, Mark P.

2012-01-01

In this study, we investigated the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) that physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) developed in the context of teaching a new introductory physics curriculum, "Matter and Interactions" ("M&I"). "M&I" is an innovative introductory physics course that emphasizes a unified framework for understanding the world and…

A Review of Research Instruments Assessing Levels of Student Acceptance of Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yasri, Pratchayapong

2014-01-01

Darwin's theory of evolution by means of natural selection, called evolution for short, is perceived as a unifying theme in biology, forming a major part of all biology syllabuses. It is reported that student acceptance of evolution associates with conceptual understandings of biological contents, nature of science, as well as motivations to…

Tablet Personal Computer Integration in Higher Education: Applying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Technology Model to Understand Supporting Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Mark; Hawkes, Mark; El Gayar, Omar

2010-01-01

Many educational institutions have implemented ubiquitous or required laptop, notebook, or tablet personal computing programs for their students. Yet, limited evidence exists to validate integration and acceptance of the technology among student populations. This research examines student acceptance of mobile computing devices using a modification…

Statistical Mechanics of the Cytoskeleton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shenshen

The mechanical integrity of eukaryotic cells along with their capability of dynamic remodeling depends on their cytoskeleton, a structural scaffold made up of a complex and dense network of filamentous proteins spanning the cytoplasm. Active force generation within the cytoskeletal networks by molecular motors is ultimately powered by the consumption of chemical energy and conversion of that energy into mechanical work. The resulting functional movements range from the collective cell migration in epithelial tissues responsible for wound healing to the changes of cell shape that occur during muscle contraction, as well as all the internal structural rearrangements essential for cell division. The role of the cytoskeleton as a dynamic versatile mesoscale "muscle", whose passive and active performance is both highly heterogeneous in space and time and intimately linked to diverse biological functions, allows it to serve as a sensitive indicator for the health and developmental state of the cell. By approaching this natural nonequilibrium many-body system from a variety of perspectives, researchers have made major progress toward understanding the cytoskeleton's unusual mechanical, dynamical and structural properties. Yet a unifying framework capable of capturing both the dynamics of active pattern formation and the emergence of spontaneous collective motion, that allows one to predict the dependence of the model's control parameters on motor properties, is still needed. In the following we construct a microscopic model and provide a theoretical framework to investigate the intricate interplay between local force generation, network architecture and collective motor action. This framework is able to accommodate both regular and heterogeneous pattern formation, as well as arrested coarsening and macroscopic contraction in a unified manner, through the notion of motor-driven effective interactions. Moreover a systematic expansion scheme combined with a variational stability analysis yields a threshold strength of motor kicking noise, below which the motorized system behaves as if it were at an effective equilibrium, but with a nontrivial effective temperature. Above the threshold, however, collective directed motion emerges spontaneously. Computer simulations support the theoretical predictions and highlight the essential role played in large-scale contraction by spatial correlation in motor kicking events.

A comparative study of the Unified System for Orbit Computation and the Flight Design System. [computer programs for mission planning tasks associated with space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maag, W.

1977-01-01

The Flight Design System (FDS) and the Unified System for Orbit Computation (USOC) are compared and described in relation to mission planning for the shuttle transportation system (STS). The FDS is designed to meet the requirements of a standardized production tool and the USOC is designed for rapid generation of particular application programs. The main emphasis in USOC is put on adaptability to new types of missions. It is concluded that a software system having a USOC-like structure, adapted to the specific needs of MPAD, would be appropriate to support planning tasks in the area unique to STS missions.

A UML model for the description of different brain-computer interface systems.

PubMed

Quitadamo, Lucia Rita; Abbafati, Manuel; Saggio, Giovanni; Marciani, Maria Grazia; Cardarilli, Gian Carlo; Bianchi, Luigi

2008-01-01

BCI research lacks a universal descriptive language among labs and a unique standard model for the description of BCI systems. This results in a serious problem in comparing performances of different BCI processes and in unifying tools and resources. In such a view we implemented a Unified Modeling Language (UML) model for the description virtually of any BCI protocol and we demonstrated that it can be successfully applied to the most common ones such as P300, mu-rhythms, SCP, SSVEP, fMRI. Finally we illustrated the advantages in utilizing a standard terminology for BCIs and how the same basic structure can be successfully adopted for the implementation of new systems.

Groundwater modelling in decision support: reflections on a unified conceptual framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doherty, John; Simmons, Craig T.

2013-11-01

Groundwater models are commonly used as basis for environmental decision-making. There has been discussion and debate in recent times regarding the issue of model simplicity and complexity. This paper contributes to this ongoing discourse. The selection of an appropriate level of model structural and parameterization complexity is not a simple matter. Although the metrics on which such selection should be based are simple, there are many competing, and often unquantifiable, considerations which must be taken into account as these metrics are applied. A unified conceptual framework is introduced and described which is intended to underpin groundwater modelling in decision support with a direct focus on matters regarding model simplicity and complexity.

Unbiased, scalable sampling of protein loop conformations from probabilistic priors.

PubMed

Zhang, Yajia; Hauser, Kris

2013-01-01

Protein loops are flexible structures that are intimately tied to function, but understanding loop motion and generating loop conformation ensembles remain significant computational challenges. Discrete search techniques scale poorly to large loops, optimization and molecular dynamics techniques are prone to local minima, and inverse kinematics techniques can only incorporate structural preferences in adhoc fashion. This paper presents Sub-Loop Inverse Kinematics Monte Carlo (SLIKMC), a new Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for generating conformations of closed loops according to experimentally available, heterogeneous structural preferences. Our simulation experiments demonstrate that the method computes high-scoring conformations of large loops (>10 residues) orders of magnitude faster than standard Monte Carlo and discrete search techniques. Two new developments contribute to the scalability of the new method. First, structural preferences are specified via a probabilistic graphical model (PGM) that links conformation variables, spatial variables (e.g., atom positions), constraints and prior information in a unified framework. The method uses a sparse PGM that exploits locality of interactions between atoms and residues. Second, a novel method for sampling sub-loops is developed to generate statistically unbiased samples of probability densities restricted by loop-closure constraints. Numerical experiments confirm that SLIKMC generates conformation ensembles that are statistically consistent with specified structural preferences. Protein conformations with 100+ residues are sampled on standard PC hardware in seconds. Application to proteins involved in ion-binding demonstrate its potential as a tool for loop ensemble generation and missing structure completion.

Unbiased, scalable sampling of protein loop conformations from probabilistic priors

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Protein loops are flexible structures that are intimately tied to function, but understanding loop motion and generating loop conformation ensembles remain significant computational challenges. Discrete search techniques scale poorly to large loops, optimization and molecular dynamics techniques are prone to local minima, and inverse kinematics techniques can only incorporate structural preferences in adhoc fashion. This paper presents Sub-Loop Inverse Kinematics Monte Carlo (SLIKMC), a new Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for generating conformations of closed loops according to experimentally available, heterogeneous structural preferences. Results Our simulation experiments demonstrate that the method computes high-scoring conformations of large loops (>10 residues) orders of magnitude faster than standard Monte Carlo and discrete search techniques. Two new developments contribute to the scalability of the new method. First, structural preferences are specified via a probabilistic graphical model (PGM) that links conformation variables, spatial variables (e.g., atom positions), constraints and prior information in a unified framework. The method uses a sparse PGM that exploits locality of interactions between atoms and residues. Second, a novel method for sampling sub-loops is developed to generate statistically unbiased samples of probability densities restricted by loop-closure constraints. Conclusion Numerical experiments confirm that SLIKMC generates conformation ensembles that are statistically consistent with specified structural preferences. Protein conformations with 100+ residues are sampled on standard PC hardware in seconds. Application to proteins involved in ion-binding demonstrate its potential as a tool for loop ensemble generation and missing structure completion. PMID:24565175

Kaon Condensation and the Non-Uniform Nuclear Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maruyama, Toshiki; Tatsumi, Toshitaka; Voskresensky, Dmitri N.; Tanigawa, Tomonori; Chiba, Satoshi

2004-04-01

Non-uniform structures of nuclear matter are studied in a wide density-range. Using the density functional theory with a relativistic mean-field model, we examine non-uniform structures at sub-nuclear densities (nuclear "pastas") and at high densities, where kaon condensate is expected. We try to give a unified view about the change of the matter structure as density increases, carefully taking into account the Coulomb screening effects from the viewpoint of first-order phase transition.

Modeling crown structural responses to competing vegetation control, thinning, fertilization, and Swiss needle cast in coastal Douglas-fir of the Pacific Northwest, USA.

Treesearch

A.R. Weiskittel; D.A. Maguire; R.A. Monserud

2007-01-01

Crown structure is a key variable influencing stand productivity, but its reported response to various stand factors has differed. This can be partially attributed to lack of a unified study on crown response to intensive management or stand health. In this analysis of several Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii [...

Towards a unifying theory for the first-, second-, and third-order molecular (non)linear optical response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Moreno, Javier; Clays, Koen; Kuzyk, Mark G.

2010-05-01

We present a procedure for the modeling of the dispersion of the nonlinear optical response of complex molecular structures that is based strictly on the results from experimental characterization. We show how under some general conditions, the use of the Thomas-Kuhn sum-rules leads to a successful modeling of the nonlinear response of complex molecular structures.

Patient Turnover: A Concept Analysis.

PubMed

VanFosson, Christopher A; Yoder, Linda H; Jones, Terry L

Patient turnover influences the quality and safety of patient care. However, variations in the conceptual underpinnings of patient turnover limit the understanding of the phenomenon. A concept analysis was completed to clarify the role of patient turnover in relation to outcomes in the acute care hospital setting. The defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of patient turnover were proposed. Nursing leaders should account for patient turnover in workload and staffing calculations. Further research is needed to clarify the influence of patient turnover on the quality and safety of nursing care using a unified understanding of the phenomenon.

Cognitive theory and brain fact: Insights for the future of cognitive neuroscience. Comment on “Toward a computational framework for cognitive biology: Unifying approaches from cognitive neuroscience and comparative cognition” by W. Tecumseh Fitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowling, Daniel

2014-09-01

A central challenge in neuroscience is to understand the relationship between the mechanistic operation of the nervous system and the psychological phenomena we experience everyday (e.g., perception, memory, attention, emotion, and consciousness). Supported by revolutionary advances in technology, knowledge of neural mechanisms has grown dramatically over recent decades, but with few exceptions our understanding of how these mechanisms relate to psychological phenomena remains poor.

The activation strain model and molecular orbital theory

PubMed Central

Wolters, Lando P; Bickelhaupt, F Matthias

2015-01-01

The activation strain model is a powerful tool for understanding reactivity, or inertness, of molecular species. This is done by relating the relative energy of a molecular complex along the reaction energy profile to the structural rigidity of the reactants and the strength of their mutual interactions: ΔE(ζ) = ΔEstrain(ζ) + ΔEint(ζ). We provide a detailed discussion of the model, and elaborate on its strong connection with molecular orbital theory. Using these approaches, a causal relationship is revealed between the properties of the reactants and their reactivity, e.g., reaction barriers and plausible reaction mechanisms. This methodology may reveal intriguing parallels between completely different types of chemical transformations. Thus, the activation strain model constitutes a unifying framework that furthers the development of cross-disciplinary concepts throughout various fields of chemistry. We illustrate the activation strain model in action with selected examples from literature. These examples demonstrate how the methodology is applied to different research questions, how results are interpreted, and how insights into one chemical phenomenon can lead to an improved understanding of another, seemingly completely different chemical process. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2015, 5:324–343. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1221 PMID:26753009

A slowly evolving host moves first in symbiotic interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damore, James; Gore, Jeff

2011-03-01

Symbiotic relationships, both parasitic and mutualistic, are ubiquitous in nature. Understanding how these symbioses evolve, from bacteria and their phages to humans and our gut microflora, is crucial in understanding how life operates. Often, symbioses consist of a slowly evolving host species with each host only interacting with its own sub-population of symbionts. The Red Queen hypothesis describes coevolutionary relationships as constant arms races with each species rushing to evolve an advantage over the other, suggesting that faster evolution is favored. Here, we use a simple game theoretic model of host- symbiont coevolution that includes population structure to show that if the symbionts evolve much faster than the host, the equilibrium distribution is the same as it would be if it were a sequential game where the host moves first against its symbionts. For the slowly evolving host, this will prove to be advantageous in mutualisms and a handicap in antagonisms. The model allows for symbiont adaptation to its host, a result that is robust to changes in the parameters and generalizes to continuous and multiplayer games. Our findings provide insight into a wide range of symbiotic phenomena and help to unify the field of coevolutionary theory.

Emerging Connections: Quantum & Classical Optics Incubator Program Book

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

Lesky, Marcia

The Emerging Connections: Quantum & Classical Optics Incubator was a scientific meeting held in Washington, DC on 6-8 November 2016. This Incubator provided unique and focused experiences and valuable opportunities to discuss advances, challenges and opportunities regarding this important area of research. Quantum optics and classical optics have coexisted for nearly a century as two distinct, but consistent descriptions of light in their respective domains. Recently, a number of detailed examinations of the structure of classical light beams have revealed that effects widely thought to be solely quantum in origin also have a place in classical optics. These new quantum-classicalmore » connections are informing classical optics in meaningful ways specifically by expanding understanding of optical coherence. Simultaneously, relationships discovered with classical light beams now also serve as a vehicle to illuminate concepts that no longer solely belong to the quantum realm. Interference, polarization, coherence, complementarity and entanglement are a partial list of elementary notions that now appear to belong to both quantum and classical optics. The goal of this meeting was to bring emerging quantum-classical links into wider view and to indicate directions in which forthcoming and future work would promote discussion and lead to a more unified understanding of optics.« less

Maharishi International University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Phil

1975-01-01

The director of curriculum development at Maharishi International University describes background and design of the program based on the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI) as a unifying theoretical structure and on transcendental meditation (TM) for expanding awareness and utilizing videotape technology in its core curriculum courses. (JT)

Portfolio-based Teacher Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curry, Stacie; Cruz, John

2000-01-01

Educators in the Fowler (California) Unified School District have found that teacher evaluation portfolios help link improvement and accountability concerns in the peer review process. Portfolios that are structured around professional standards and the school's accountability goals are a good way to measure teacher effectiveness. Implementation…

Using R in experimental design with BIBD: An application in health sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Teresa A.; Francisco, Carla; Oliveira, Amílcar; Ferreira, Agostinho

2016-06-01

Considering the implementation of an Experimental Design, in any field, the experimenter must pay particular attention and look for the best strategies in the following steps: planning the design selection, conduct the experiments, collect observed data, proceed to analysis and interpretation of results. The focus is on providing both - a deep understanding of the problem under research and a powerful experimental process at a reduced cost. Mainly thanks to the possibility of allowing to separate variation sources, the importance of Experimental Design in Health Sciences is strongly recommended since long time. Particular attention has been devoted to Block Designs and more precisely to Balanced Incomplete Block Designs - in this case the relevance states from the fact that these designs allow testing simultaneously a number of treatments bigger than the block size. Our example refers to a possible study of inter reliability of the Parkinson disease, taking into account the UPDRS (Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale) in order to test if there are significant differences between the specialists who evaluate the patients performances. Statistical studies on this disease were described for example in Richards et al (1994), where the authors investigate the inter-rater Reliability of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Motor Examination. We consider a simulation of a practical situation in which the patients were observed by different specialists and the UPDRS on assessing the impact of Parkinson's disease in patients was observed. Assigning treatments to the subjects following a particular BIBD(9,24,8,3,2) structure, we illustrate that BIB Designs can be used as a powerful tool to solve emerging problems in this area. Once a structure with repeated blocks allows to have some block contrasts with minimum variance, see Oliveira et al. (2006), the design with cardinality 12 was selected for the example. R software was used for computations.

Polarimetric imaging of NGC 1068 at high angular resolution in the near infrared. Direct evidence of an extended nuclear torus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gratadour, D.; Rouan, D.; Grosset, L.; Boccaletti, A.; Clénet, Y.

2015-09-01

Aims: One of the main observational challenges for investigating the central regions of active galactic nuclei (AGN) at short wavelengths, using high angular resolution, and high contrast observations, is to directly detect the circumnuclear optically thick material hiding the central core emission when viewed edge-on. The lack of direct evidence is limiting our understanding of AGN, and several scenarios have been proposed to cope for the diverse observed aspects of activity in a unified approach. Methods: Observations in the near-infrared spectral range have shown themselves to be powerful for providing essential hints to the characterisation of the unified model ingredients because of the reduced optical depth of the obscuring material. Moreover, it is possible to trace this material through light scattered from the central engine's closest environment, so that polarimetric observations are the ideal tool for distinguishing it from purely thermal and stellar emissions. Results: Here we show strong evidence that there is an extended nuclear torus at the center of NGC 1068 thanks to new adaptive-optics-assisted polarimetric observations in the near-infrared. The orientation of the polarization vectors proves that there is a structured hourglass-shaped bicone and a compact elongated (20 × 60 pc) nuclear structure perpendicular to the bicone axis. The linearly polarized emission in the bicone is dominated by a centro-symmetric pattern, but the central compact region shows a clear deviation from the latter with linear polarization aligned perpendicular to the bicone axis. Figure 2 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgData obtained with the SPHERE an instrument designed and built by a consortium consisting of IPAG (France), MPIA (Germany), LAM (France), LESIA (France), Laboratoire Lagrange (France), INAF - Osservatorio di Padova (Italy), Observatoire de Genève (Switzerland), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), NOVA (Netherlands), ONERA (France), and ASTRON (Netherlands) in collaboration with ESO.

Literalism, perspectivism, chaotic fragmentalism and psychotherapy techniques.

PubMed

Leitner, L M

1982-12-01

Literalism and chaotic fragmentalism have been advanced as two concepts to explain psychopathology while perspectivism has been used to explain psychological health (Landfield, 1980 a). It is hypothesized that, to the extent that they are therapeutic, all therapies move clients toward perspectivism and away from literalism and chaotic fragmentalism. Eight major schools of psychotherapy are discussed in terms of the principles of technique which enable them to change literalism and chaotic fragmentalism. The advantages of a unifying theory permitting diversity of techniques are discussed in relation to the ability of the clinician to be flexible yet not confused. Further, the unifying concepts of literalism, perspectivism, and chaotic fragmentalism are used to understand systematically the strengths and weaknesses of many therapeutic techniques. Finally, the implications of the differences in therapeutic techniques for changing different types of literalisms are discussed.

[ABOUT UNIFICATION OF LABORATORY CRITERIA OF DIFFERENTIATION OF BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS].

PubMed

Mavzutov, A R; Tsvetkova, A V; Muretdinova, L A

2015-06-01

The article presents analysis of laboratory criteria and classifcations used to interpret results of laboratory analysis by technique of microscopy on bacterial vaginosis or dysbacteriosis of vagina. Their advantages and restrictions are demonstrated The unified criteria of evaluation are proposed concerning results of microscopy of mucosal discharge of vagina and corresponding classification. Thereafter, three degrees of bacterial vaginosis (dysbacteriosis of vagina) are differentiated: first degree--compensated dysbacteriosis of vagina, second degree--sub compensated dysbacteriosis of vagina and third degree--decompensated dysbacteriosis of vagina. The corresponding laboratory report of physician is formulated. The proposals are presented concerning development of common unified requirements to stages (pre-analytical, analytical, post-analytical) of laboratory diagnostic of bacterial vaginosis (dysbacteriosis of vagina) with purpose of their unambiguous understanding by clinicians and hence their decision making concerning necessity and tactics of management of patient.

Cross-mapping the ICNP with NANDA, HHCC, Omaha System and NIC for unified nursing language system development. International Classification for Nursing Practice. International Council of Nurses. North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. Home Health Care Classification. Nursing Interventions Classification.

PubMed

Hyun, S; Park, H A

2002-06-01

Nursing language plays an important role in describing and defining nursing phenomena and nursing actions. There are numerous vocabularies describing nursing diagnoses, interventions and outcomes in nursing. However, the lack of a standardized unified nursing language is considered a problem for further development of the discipline of nursing. In an effort to unify the nursing languages, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has proposed the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) as a unified nursing language system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inclusiveness and expressiveness of the ICNP terms by cross-mapping them with the existing nursing terminologies, specifically the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) taxonomy I, the Omaha System, the Home Health Care Classification (HHCC) and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). Nine hundred and seventy-four terms from these four classifications were cross-mapped with the ICNP terms. This was performed in accordance with the Guidelines for Composing a Nursing Diagnosis and Guidelines for Composing a Nursing Intervention, which were suggested by the ICNP development team. An expert group verified the results. The ICNP Phenomena Classification described 87.5% of the NANDA diagnoses, 89.7% of the HHCC diagnoses and 72.7% of the Omaha System problem classification scheme. The ICNP Action Classification described 79.4% of the NIC interventions, 80.6% of the HHCC interventions and 71.4% of the Omaha System intervention scheme. The results of this study suggest that the ICNP has a sound starting structure for a unified nursing language system and can be used to describe most of the existing terminologies. Recommendations for the addition of terms to the ICNP are provided.

The immunity-related GTPase Irga6 dimerizes in a parallel head-to-head fashion.

PubMed

Schulte, Kathrin; Pawlowski, Nikolaus; Faelber, Katja; Fröhlich, Chris; Howard, Jonathan; Daumke, Oliver

2016-03-02

The immunity-related GTPases (IRGs) constitute a powerful cell-autonomous resistance system against several intracellular pathogens. Irga6 is a dynamin-like protein that oligomerizes at the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) of Toxoplasma gondii leading to its vesiculation. Based on a previous biochemical analysis, it has been proposed that the GTPase domains of Irga6 dimerize in an antiparallel fashion during oligomerization. We determined the crystal structure of an oligomerization-impaired Irga6 mutant bound to a non-hydrolyzable GTP analog. Contrary to the previous model, the structure shows that the GTPase domains dimerize in a parallel fashion. The nucleotides in the center of the interface participate in dimerization by forming symmetric contacts with each other and with the switch I region of the opposing Irga6 molecule. The latter contact appears to activate GTP hydrolysis by stabilizing the position of the catalytic glutamate 106 in switch I close to the active site. Further dimerization contacts involve switch II, the G4 helix and the trans stabilizing loop. The Irga6 structure features a parallel GTPase domain dimer, which appears to be a unifying feature of all dynamin and septin superfamily members. This study contributes important insights into the assembly and catalytic mechanisms of IRG proteins as prerequisite to understand their anti-microbial action.

Investigations of the structure and electromagnetic interactions of few body systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, E. P.; Lehman, D. R.; Prats, F.

The structure and electromagnetic interactions of few-body systems were investigated. The structural properties of the very light nuclei are examined by developing theoretical models that begin from the basic interactions between the constituents and that are solved exactly (numerically), i.e., full three- or four-body dynamics. Such models are then used in an attempt to understand the details of the strong and electromagnetic interactions of the few-nucleon nuclei after the basic underlying reaction mechanisms are understood with simpler models. Topics included: (1) set up the equations for the low-energy photodisintegration of (3)He and (3)H including final-state interactions and the E1 plus E2 operators; (2) develop a unified picture of the p + d (YIELDS) (3)He + (GAMMA), p + d (YIELDS) (3)He + (PI) (0), p + d (YIELDS) (3)H + (PI) (+) reactions at intermediate energies; (3) calculate the elastic and inelastic (1(+) (YIELDS) 0 (+)) form factors for (6)Li with three-body ((ALPHA)NN) wave functions; (4) calculate static properties (RMS radius, magnetic moment, and quadrupole moment) of (6)Li with three-body wave functions; and (5) develop the theory for the coincidence reactions (6)Li(p,2p)n(ALPHA), (6)Li(e,e'p)n(ALPHA), and (6)Li(e,e'd)(ALPHA).

A LAI inversion algorithm based on the unified model of canopy bidirectional reflectance distribution function for the Heihe River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, B.; Li, J.; Fan, W.; Ren, H.; Xu, X.

2017-12-01

Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the important parameters of vegetation canopy structure, which can represent the growth condition of vegetation effectively. The accuracy, availability and timeliness of LAI data can be improved greatly, which is of great importance to vegetation-related research, such as the study of atmospheric, land surface and hydrological processes to obtain LAI by remote sensing method. Heihe River Basin is the inland river basin in northwest China. There are various types of vegetation and all kinds of terrain conditions in the basin, so it is helpful for testing the accuracy of the model under the complex surface and evaluating the correctness of the model to study LAI in this area. On the other hand, located in west arid area of China, the ecological environment of Heihe Basin is fragile, LAI is an important parameter to represent the vegetation growth condition, and can help us understand the status of vegetation in the Heihe River Basin. Different from the previous LAI inversion models, the BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) unified model can be applied for both continuous vegetation and discrete vegetation, it is appropriate to the complex vegetation distribution. LAI is the key input parameter of the model. We establish the inversion algorithm that can exactly retrieve LAI using remote sensing image based on the unified model. First, we determine the vegetation type through the vegetation classification map to obtain the corresponding G function, leaf and surface reflectivity. Then, we need to determine the leaf area index (LAI), the aggregation index (ζ) and the sky scattered light ratio (β) range and the value of the interval, entering all the parameters into the model to calculate the corresponding reflectivity ρ and establish the lookup table of different vegetation. Finally, we can invert LAI on the basis of the established lookup table. The principle of inversion is least squares method. We have produced 1 km LAI products from 2000 to 2014, once every 8 days. The results show that the algorithm owns good stability and can effectively invert LAI in areas with very complex vegetation and terrain conditions.

Sports History as a Vehicle for Social and Cultural Understanding in American History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Murry

2005-01-01

The United States prides itself on many things, but few are more prominent and visible than success at a sport, either locally, nationally, or internationally. Local sports are often a unifying factor in communities, and instances of success are the stuff of both fact and fiction. The 2001 Little League World Series highlighted the Rolando Paulino…

Heat, Energy, and Order, Part Two of an Integrated Science Sequence, Teacher's Guide, 1970 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portland Project Committee, OR.

This teacher's guide contains part two of the four-part first year Portland Project, a three-year secondary integrated science curriculum sequence. This part involves the student with unifying principles essential for deeper understanding of the concept of energy. Confidence in the atomic nature of matter is built by relating heat in terms of…

Unifying research on the fragmentation of terrestrial and aquatic habitats: patches, connectivity and the matrix in riverscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eros, Tibor; Grant, Evan H. Campbell

2015-01-01

Fragmentation of habitats is a critical issue in the conservation and management of stream networks across spatial scales. Although the effects of individual barriers (e.g. dams) are well documented, we argue that a more comprehensive patch–matrix landscape model will improve our understanding of fragmentation effects and improve management in riverscapes.

The Enhancement of Reusability of Course Content and Scenarios in Unified e-Learning Environment for Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Limanauskiene, Virginija; Stuikys, Vytautas

2009-01-01

With the expansion of e-learning, the understanding and evaluation of already created e-learning environments is becoming an extremely important issue. One way to dealing with the problem is analysis of case studies, i.e. already created environments, from the reuse perspective. The paper presents a general framework and model to assess UNITE, the…

Rotordynamic Instability Problems in High-Performance Turbomachinery, 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The continuing trend toward a unified view is supported with several developments in the design and manufacture of turbomachines with enhanced stability characteristics along with data and associated numerical/theoretical results. The intent is to provide a continuing impetus for an understanding and resolution of these problems. Topics addressed include: field experience, dampers, seals, impeller forces, bearings, and compressor and rotor modeling.

Temporal cognition: Connecting subjective time to perception, attention, and memory.

PubMed

Matthews, William J; Meck, Warren H

2016-08-01

Time is a universal psychological dimension, but time perception has often been studied and discussed in relative isolation. Increasingly, researchers are searching for unifying principles and integrated models that link time perception to other domains. In this review, we survey the links between temporal cognition and other psychological processes. Specifically, we describe how subjective duration is affected by nontemporal stimulus properties (perception), the allocation of processing resources (attention), and past experience with the stimulus (memory). We show that many of these connections instantiate a "processing principle," according to which perceived time is positively related to perceptual vividity and the ease of extracting information from the stimulus. This empirical generalization generates testable predictions and provides a starting-point for integrated theoretical frameworks. By outlining some of the links between temporal cognition and other domains, and by providing a unifying principle for understanding these effects, we hope to encourage time-perception researchers to situate their work within broader theoretical frameworks, and that researchers from other fields will be inspired to apply their insights, techniques, and theorizing to improve our understanding of the representation and judgment of time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Moral theories in teaching applied ethics.

PubMed

Lawlor, Rob

2007-06-01

It is argued, in this paper, that moral theories should not be discussed extensively when teaching applied ethics. First, it is argued that, students are either presented with a large amount of information regarding the various subtle distinctions and the nuances of the theory and, as a result, the students simply fail to take it in or, alternatively, the students are presented with a simplified caricature of the theory, in which case the students may understand the information they are given, but what they have understood is of little or no value because it is merely a caricature of a theory. Second, there is a methodological problem with appealing to moral theories to solve particular issues in applied ethics. An analogy with science is appealed to. In physics there is a hope that we could discover a unified theory of everything. But this is, of course, a hugely ambitious project, and much harder than, for example, finding a theory of motion. If the physicist wants to understand motion, he should try to do so directly. We would think he was particularly misguided if he thought that, to answer this question, he first needed to construct a unified theory of everything.

Moral theories in teaching applied ethics

PubMed Central

Lawlor, Rob

2007-01-01

It is argued, in this paper, that moral theories should not be discussed extensively when teaching applied ethics. First, it is argued that, students are either presented with a large amount of information regarding the various subtle distinctions and the nuances of the theory and, as a result, the students simply fail to take it in or, alternatively, the students are presented with a simplified caricature of the theory, in which case the students may understand the information they are given, but what they have understood is of little or no value because it is merely a caricature of a theory. Second, there is a methodological problem with appealing to moral theories to solve particular issues in applied ethics. An analogy with science is appealed to. In physics there is a hope that we could discover a unified theory of everything. But this is, of course, a hugely ambitious project, and much harder than, for example, finding a theory of motion. If the physicist wants to understand motion, he should try to do so directly. We would think he was particularly misguided if he thought that, to answer this question, he first needed to construct a unified theory of everything. PMID:17526691

Students' different understandings of class diagrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boustedt, Jonas

2012-03-01

The software industry needs well-trained software designers and one important aspect of software design is the ability to model software designs visually and understand what visual models represent. However, previous research indicates that software design is a difficult task to many students. This article reports empirical findings from a phenomenographic investigation on how students understand class diagrams, Unified Modeling Language (UML) symbols, and relations to object-oriented (OO) concepts. The informants were 20 Computer Science students from four different universities in Sweden. The results show qualitatively different ways to understand and describe UML class diagrams and the "diamond symbols" representing aggregation and composition. The purpose of class diagrams was understood in a varied way, from describing it as a documentation to a more advanced view related to communication. The descriptions of class diagrams varied from seeing them as a specification of classes to a more advanced view, where they were described to show hierarchic structures of classes and relations. The diamond symbols were seen as "relations" and a more advanced way was seeing the white and the black diamonds as different symbols for aggregation and composition. As a consequence of the results, it is recommended that UML should be adopted in courses. It is briefly indicated how the phenomenographic results in combination with variation theory can be used by teachers to enhance students' possibilities to reach advanced understanding of phenomena related to UML class diagrams. Moreover, it is recommended that teachers should put more effort in assessing skills in proper usage of the basic symbols and models and students should be provided with opportunities to practise collaborative design, e.g. using whiteboards.

Study on Unified Chaotic System-Based Wind Turbine Blade Fault Diagnostic System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Ying-Che; Hsieh, Chin-Tsung; Yau, Her-Terng; Li, Yu-Chung

At present, vibration signals are processed and analyzed mostly in the frequency domain. The spectrum clearly shows the signal structure and the specific characteristic frequency band is analyzed, but the number of calculations required is huge, resulting in delays. Therefore, this study uses the characteristics of a nonlinear system to load the complete vibration signal to the unified chaotic system, applying the dynamic error to analyze the wind turbine vibration signal, and adopting extenics theory for artificial intelligent fault diagnosis of the analysis signal. Hence, a fault diagnostor has been developed for wind turbine rotating blades. This study simulates three wind turbine blade states, namely stress rupture, screw loosening and blade loss, and validates the methods. The experimental results prove that the unified chaotic system used in this paper has a significant effect on vibration signal analysis. Thus, the operating conditions of wind turbines can be quickly known from this fault diagnostic system, and the maintenance schedule can be arranged before the faults worsen, making the management and implementation of wind turbines smoother, so as to reduce many unnecessary costs.

Design of Interline Unified Power Quality Conditioner for Power Quality Disturbances using Simulink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumaraswamy, G.; Reddy, Y. Rajasekhar; Harikrishna, Ch.

2012-10-01

Proliferation of electronic equipment in commercial and industrial processes has resulted in increasingly sensitive electrical loads to be fed from power distribution system which introduce contamination to voltage and current waveforms at the point of common coupling of industrial loads. The unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) is connected between two different feeders (lines), hence this method of connection of the UPQC is called as Interline UPQC (IUPQC).This paper proposes a new connection for a UPQC to improve the power quality of two feeders in a distribution system. Interline Unified Power Quality Conditioner (IUPQC), specifically aims at the integration of series VSC and Shunt VSC to provide high quality power supply by means of voltage sag/swell compensation, harmonic elimination and power factor correction in a power distribution network, so that improved power quality can be made available at the point of common coupling. The structure, control and capability of the IUPQC are discussed in this paper. The efficiency of the proposed configuration has been verified through simulation using MATLAB/ SIMULINK.

Social medicalization and alternative and complementary medicine: the pluralization of health services in the Brazilian Unified Health System.

PubMed

Tesser, Charles Dalcanale; Barros, Nelson Filice de

2008-10-01

Social medicalization transforms people's habits, discourages them from finding their own solutions to certain health problems and places an excess demand on the Unified Health System. With regard to healthcare provision, an alternative to social medicalization is the pluralization of treatment provided by health institutions namely through the recognition and provision of alternative and complementary practices and medicines. The objective of the article was to analyze the potentials and difficulties of alternative and complementary practices and medicines based on clinical and institutional experiences and on the specialist literature. The research concludes that the potential of such a strategy to "demedicalize" is limited and should be included in the remit of the Unified Health System. The article highlights that the Biosciences retain a political and epistemiological hegemony over medicine and that the area of healthcare is dominated by market principles, whereby there is a trend towards the transformation of any kind of knowledge or structured practice related to health-illness processes into goods or procedures to be consumed, and this only reinforces heteronomy and medicalization.

Probabilistic Graphical Model Representation in Phylogenetics

PubMed Central

Höhna, Sebastian; Heath, Tracy A.; Boussau, Bastien; Landis, Michael J.; Ronquist, Fredrik; Huelsenbeck, John P.

2014-01-01

Recent years have seen a rapid expansion of the model space explored in statistical phylogenetics, emphasizing the need for new approaches to statistical model representation and software development. Clear communication and representation of the chosen model is crucial for: (i) reproducibility of an analysis, (ii) model development, and (iii) software design. Moreover, a unified, clear and understandable framework for model representation lowers the barrier for beginners and nonspecialists to grasp complex phylogenetic models, including their assumptions and parameter/variable dependencies. Graphical modeling is a unifying framework that has gained in popularity in the statistical literature in recent years. The core idea is to break complex models into conditionally independent distributions. The strength lies in the comprehensibility, flexibility, and adaptability of this formalism, and the large body of computational work based on it. Graphical models are well-suited to teach statistical models, to facilitate communication among phylogeneticists and in the development of generic software for simulation and statistical inference. Here, we provide an introduction to graphical models for phylogeneticists and extend the standard graphical model representation to the realm of phylogenetics. We introduce a new graphical model component, tree plates, to capture the changing structure of the subgraph corresponding to a phylogenetic tree. We describe a range of phylogenetic models using the graphical model framework and introduce modules to simplify the representation of standard components in large and complex models. Phylogenetic model graphs can be readily used in simulation, maximum likelihood inference, and Bayesian inference using, for example, Metropolis–Hastings or Gibbs sampling of the posterior distribution. [Computation; graphical models; inference; modularization; statistical phylogenetics; tree plate.] PMID:24951559

A Unified Description of Structural Levels in Biomolecules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macarulla, Alberto; And Others

1990-01-01

A single, didactic criterion for the description of all biological macromolecules is proposed. This criterion is applicable to globular, fibrous or mixed proteins, as well as to nucleic acids and lipids or polysaccharides. Specific examples are given for all except lipids and polysaccarides. (KR)

Politicizing Critical Pedagogies for the Logic of Late Capitalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, J. A.

2008-01-01

In current critical pedagogy theory, the term "globalization" frequently signifies the rapid homogenization and structural equivalency of material and intellectual differences into a unified, transnational, capitalist rationality. For many composition scholars, this homogeneity signals an interpellation of not just subjects, but any and…

Data Centric Development Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoury, Fadi E.

2012-01-01

Data centric applications, an important effort of software development in large organizations, have been mostly adopting a software methodology, such as a waterfall or Rational Unified Process, as the framework for its development. These methodologies could work on structural, procedural, or object oriented based applications, but fails to capture…

24 CFR 3285.4 - Incorporation by reference (IBR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...-6600, fax number (253) 565-7265. (1) PS1-95, Construction and Industrial Plywood (with typical APA... for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System), 2000, IBR approved for the table at... purchase from the Structural Engineering Institute/American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE), 1801...

24 CFR 3285.4 - Incorporation by reference (IBR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...-6600, fax number (253) 565-7265. (1) PS1-95, Construction and Industrial Plywood (with typical APA... for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System), 2000, IBR approved for the table at... purchase from the Structural Engineering Institute/American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE), 1801...

A deep learning framework for modeling structural features of RNA-binding protein targets

PubMed Central

Zhang, Sai; Zhou, Jingtian; Hu, Hailin; Gong, Haipeng; Chen, Ligong; Cheng, Chao; Zeng, Jianyang

2016-01-01

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play important roles in the post-transcriptional control of RNAs. Identifying RBP binding sites and characterizing RBP binding preferences are key steps toward understanding the basic mechanisms of the post-transcriptional gene regulation. Though numerous computational methods have been developed for modeling RBP binding preferences, discovering a complete structural representation of the RBP targets by integrating their available structural features in all three dimensions is still a challenging task. In this paper, we develop a general and flexible deep learning framework for modeling structural binding preferences and predicting binding sites of RBPs, which takes (predicted) RNA tertiary structural information into account for the first time. Our framework constructs a unified representation that characterizes the structural specificities of RBP targets in all three dimensions, which can be further used to predict novel candidate binding sites and discover potential binding motifs. Through testing on the real CLIP-seq datasets, we have demonstrated that our deep learning framework can automatically extract effective hidden structural features from the encoded raw sequence and structural profiles, and predict accurate RBP binding sites. In addition, we have conducted the first study to show that integrating the additional RNA tertiary structural features can improve the model performance in predicting RBP binding sites, especially for the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB), which also provides a new evidence to support the view that RBPs may own specific tertiary structural binding preferences. In particular, the tests on the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) segments yield satisfiable results with experimental support from the literature and further demonstrate the necessity of incorporating RNA tertiary structural information into the prediction model. The source code of our approach can be found in https://github.com/thucombio/deepnet-rbp. PMID:26467480

System and method for memory allocation in a multiclass memory system

DOEpatents

Loh, Gabriel; Meswani, Mitesh; Ignatowski, Michael; Nutter, Mark

2016-06-28

A system for memory allocation in a multiclass memory system includes a processor coupleable to a plurality of memories sharing a unified memory address space, and a library store to store a library of software functions. The processor identifies a type of a data structure in response to a memory allocation function call to the library for allocating memory to the data structure. Using the library, the processor allocates portions of the data structure among multiple memories of the multiclass memory system based on the type of the data structure.

On-orbit damage detection and health monitoring of large space trusses: Status and critical issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kashangaki, Thomas A. L.

1991-01-01

The long lifetimes, delicate nature and stringent pointing requirements of large space structures such as Space Station Freedom and geostationary Earth sciences platforms might require that these spacecraft be monitored periodically for possible damage to the load carrying structures. A review of the literature in damage detection and health monitoring of such structures is presented, along with a candidate structure to be used as a testbed for future work in this field. A unified notation and terminology is also proposed to facilitate comparisons between candidate methods.

Multi-View Multi-Instance Learning Based on Joint Sparse Representation and Multi-View Dictionary Learning.

PubMed

Li, Bing; Yuan, Chunfeng; Xiong, Weihua; Hu, Weiming; Peng, Houwen; Ding, Xinmiao; Maybank, Steve

2017-12-01

In multi-instance learning (MIL), the relations among instances in a bag convey important contextual information in many applications. Previous studies on MIL either ignore such relations or simply model them with a fixed graph structure so that the overall performance inevitably degrades in complex environments. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel multi-view multi-instance learning algorithm (MIL) that combines multiple context structures in a bag into a unified framework. The novel aspects are: (i) we propose a sparse -graph model that can generate different graphs with different parameters to represent various context relations in a bag, (ii) we propose a multi-view joint sparse representation that integrates these graphs into a unified framework for bag classification, and (iii) we propose a multi-view dictionary learning algorithm to obtain a multi-view graph dictionary that considers cues from all views simultaneously to improve the discrimination of the MIL. Experiments and analyses in many practical applications prove the effectiveness of the M IL.

Mapping temporal dynamics in social interactions with unified structural equation modeling: A description and demonstration revealing time-dependent sex differences in play behavior

PubMed Central

Beltz, Adriene M.; Beekman, Charles; Molenaar, Peter C. M.; Buss, Kristin A.

2013-01-01

Developmental science is rich with observations of social interactions, but few available methodological and statistical approaches take full advantage of the information provided by these data. The authors propose implementation of the unified structural equation model (uSEM), a network analysis technique, for observational data coded repeatedly across time; uSEM captures the temporal dynamics underlying changes in behavior at the individual level by revealing the ways in which a single person influences – concurrently and in the future – other people. To demonstrate the utility of uSEM, the authors applied it to ratings of positive affect and vigor of activity during children’s unstructured laboratory play with unfamiliar, same-sex peers. Results revealed the time-dependent nature of sex differences in play behavior. For girls more than boys, positive affect was dependent upon peers’ prior positive affect. For boys more than girls, vigor of activity was dependent upon peers’ current vigor of activity. PMID:24039386

A unified software framework for deriving, visualizing, and exploring abstraction networks for ontologies

PubMed Central

Ochs, Christopher; Geller, James; Perl, Yehoshua; Musen, Mark A.

2016-01-01

Software tools play a critical role in the development and maintenance of biomedical ontologies. One important task that is difficult without software tools is ontology quality assurance. In previous work, we have introduced different kinds of abstraction networks to provide a theoretical foundation for ontology quality assurance tools. Abstraction networks summarize the structure and content of ontologies. One kind of abstraction network that we have used repeatedly to support ontology quality assurance is the partial-area taxonomy. It summarizes structurally and semantically similar concepts within an ontology. However, the use of partial-area taxonomies was ad hoc and not generalizable. In this paper, we describe the Ontology Abstraction Framework (OAF), a unified framework and software system for deriving, visualizing, and exploring partial-area taxonomy abstraction networks. The OAF includes support for various ontology representations (e.g., OWL and SNOMED CT's relational format). A Protégé plugin for deriving “live partial-area taxonomies” is demonstrated. PMID:27345947

Simultaneous CT-MRI Reconstruction for Constrained Imaging Geometries using Structural Coupling and Compressive Sensing

PubMed Central

Xi, Yan; Zhao, Jun; Bennett, James R.; Stacy, Mitchel R.; Sinusas, Albert J.; Wang, Ge

2016-01-01

Objective A unified reconstruction framework is presented for simultaneous CT-MRI reconstruction. Significance Combined CT-MRI imaging has the potential for improved results in existing preclinical and clinical applications, as well as opening novel research directions for future applications. Methods In an ideal CT-MRI scanner, CT and MRI acquisitions would occur simultaneously, and hence would be inherently registered in space and time. Alternatively, separately acquired CT and MRI scans can be fused to simulate an instantaneous acquisition. In this study, structural coupling and compressive sensing techniques are combined to unify CT and MRI reconstructions. A bidirectional image estimation method was proposed to connect images from different modalities. Hence, CT and MRI data serve as prior knowledge to each other for better CT and MRI image reconstruction than what could be achieved with separate reconstruction. Results Our integrated reconstruction methodology is demonstrated with numerical phantom and real-dataset based experiments, and has yielded promising results. PMID:26672028

[Connections between fiscal federalism and the funding of the Brazilian health care policy].

PubMed

de Lima, Luciana Dias

2007-01-01

In the Brazilian society's context of meager financial resources for health care, associated with structural features of fiscal federalism and with the current model of funding transfers for the Unified Health System's (SUS), important inequities directly impact political negotiations and the deployment of federal financing alternatives which are not directly linked to the supply and production of health care activities and services by states and municipalities. We observed that health policies, since the second half of the nineties, have developed their own mechanisms that, in the above mentioned context, tend to accommodate different interests and federative conflicts generated by structural factors and by institutional rules. However, the absence of an integrated planning program between the criteria to establish resource redistribution for financing the Unified Health System and the Brazilian Federation's fiscal sharing system, end up reinforcing certain asymmetric patterns and generating new imbalances, making the compensation of inequities difficult in public health spending at the sub-national domain.

Unified Theory for Aircraft Handling Qualities and Adverse Aircraft-Pilot Coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, R. A.

1997-01-01

A unified theory for aircraft handling qualities and adverse aircraft-pilot coupling or pilot-induced oscillations is introduced. The theory is based on a structural model of the human pilot. A methodology is presented for the prediction of (1) handling qualities levels; (2) pilot-induced oscillation rating levels; and (3) a frequency range in which pilot-induced oscillations are likely to occur. Although the dynamics of the force-feel system of the cockpit inceptor is included, the methodology will not account for effects attributable to control sensitivity and is limited to single-axis tasks and, at present, to linear vehicle models. The theory is derived from the feedback topology of the structural model and an examination of flight test results for 32 aircraft configurations simulated by the U.S. Air Force/CALSPAN NT-33A and Total In-Flight Simulator variable stability aircraft. An extension to nonlinear vehicle dynamics such as that encountered with actuator saturation is discussed.

Electronic structure, dielectric response, and surface charge distribution of RGD (1FUV) peptide.

PubMed

Adhikari, Puja; Wen, Amy M; French, Roger H; Parsegian, V Adrian; Steinmetz, Nicole F; Podgornik, Rudolf; Ching, Wai-Yim

2014-07-08

Long and short range molecular interactions govern molecular recognition and self-assembly of biological macromolecules. Microscopic parameters in the theories of these molecular interactions are either phenomenological or need to be calculated within a microscopic theory. We report a unified methodology for the ab initio quantum mechanical (QM) calculation that yields all the microscopic parameters, namely the partial charges as well as the frequency-dependent dielectric response function, that can then be taken as input for macroscopic theories of electrostatic, polar, and van der Waals-London dispersion intermolecular forces. We apply this methodology to obtain the electronic structure of the cyclic tripeptide RGD-4C (1FUV). This ab initio unified methodology yields the relevant parameters entering the long range interactions of biological macromolecules, providing accurate data for the partial charge distribution and the frequency-dependent dielectric response function of this peptide. These microscopic parameters determine the range and strength of the intricate intermolecular interactions between potential docking sites of the RGD-4C ligand and its integrin receptor.

Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, K. A.; Langendijk, G.; Bahar, F.; Huang-Lachmann, J. T.; Osman, M.; Mirsafa, M.; Sonntag, S.

2017-12-01

The Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) community is compiled of early career researchers (including students) coming from a range of scientific backgrounds, spanning both natural and social sciences. YESS unifies young researchers in an influential network to give them a collective voice and leverage within the geosciences community, while supporting career development. The YESS community has used its powerful network to provide a unified perspective on the future of Earth system science (Rauser et al. 2017), to be involved in the organization of international conferences, and to engage with existing international structures that coordinate science. Since its founding in Germany in 2010, the YESS community has grown extensively across the globe, with currently almost 1000 members from over 80 countries, and has become truly interdisciplinary. Recently, the organization has carried elections for Regional Representatives and the Executive Committee as part of its self-sustained governance structure. YESS is ready to continue pioneering crucial areas of research which provide solutions to benefit society for the long-term advancement of Earth system science.

A unified software framework for deriving, visualizing, and exploring abstraction networks for ontologies.

PubMed

Ochs, Christopher; Geller, James; Perl, Yehoshua; Musen, Mark A

2016-08-01

Software tools play a critical role in the development and maintenance of biomedical ontologies. One important task that is difficult without software tools is ontology quality assurance. In previous work, we have introduced different kinds of abstraction networks to provide a theoretical foundation for ontology quality assurance tools. Abstraction networks summarize the structure and content of ontologies. One kind of abstraction network that we have used repeatedly to support ontology quality assurance is the partial-area taxonomy. It summarizes structurally and semantically similar concepts within an ontology. However, the use of partial-area taxonomies was ad hoc and not generalizable. In this paper, we describe the Ontology Abstraction Framework (OAF), a unified framework and software system for deriving, visualizing, and exploring partial-area taxonomy abstraction networks. The OAF includes support for various ontology representations (e.g., OWL and SNOMED CT's relational format). A Protégé plugin for deriving "live partial-area taxonomies" is demonstrated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure of exotic light nuclei: Z = 2, 3, 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortune, H. T.

2018-03-01

I examine the history and current state of knowledge of the structure of so-called "exotic" light nuclei with Z=2-4, from 7He to 16Be . I review the available experimental information and the models that have been applied to these nuclei. I pay particular attention to the interplay among energies, widths (or strengths), and microscopic structure. Throughout the presentation, I focus on a unified description of these nuclei. I point out contradictions within the data, and I suggest experiments that are still needed.

Duke of Wellington’s Command of the Spanish Army in the Peninsular War

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

SUBJECT TERMS Peninsular War, Spanish Army, Command Structure , International Friction 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT...Horse Guards and the Secretary for War and the Colonies, poorly trained and equipped partner armies, the difficulty in creating a unity of command...armies of three nations in the Peninsula. Wellington accepted the daunting challenge of unifying disparate command structures of Spain and Britain

24 CFR 578.11 - Unified Funding Agency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Unified Funding Agency. 578.11... of Care § 578.11 Unified Funding Agency. (a) Becoming a Unified Funding Agency. To become designated as the Unified Funding Agency (UFA) for a Continuum, a collaborative applicant must be selected by...

Cross-sectional mapping for refined beam elements with applications to shell-like structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagani, A.; de Miguel, A. G.; Carrera, E.

2017-06-01

This paper discusses the use of higher-order mapping functions for enhancing the physical representation of refined beam theories. Based on the Carrera unified formulation (CUF), advanced one-dimensional models are formulated by expressing the displacement field as a generic expansion of the generalized unknowns. According to CUF, a novel physically/geometrically consistent model is devised by employing Legendre-like polynomial sets to approximate the generalized unknowns at the cross-sectional level, whereas a local mapping technique based on the blending functions method is used to describe the exact physical boundaries of the cross-section domain. Classical and innovative finite element methods, including hierarchical p-elements and locking-free integration schemes, are utilized to solve the governing equations of the unified beam theory. Several numerical applications accounting for small displacements/rotations and strains are discussed, including beam structures with cross-sectional curved edges, cylindrical shells, and thin-walled aeronautical wing structures with reinforcements. The results from the proposed methodology are widely assessed by comparisons with solutions from the literature and commercial finite element software tools. The attention is focussed on the high computational efficiency and the marked capabilities of the present beam model, which can deal with a broad spectrum of structural problems with unveiled accuracy in terms of geometrical representation of the domain boundaries.

Crystal Structure of the PAC1R Extracellular Domain Unifies a Consensus Fold for Hormone Recognition by Class B G-Protein Coupled Receptors

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

Kumar, Shiva; Pioszak, Augen; Zhang, Chenghai

2012-02-21

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a member of the PACAP/glucagon family of peptide hormones, which controls many physiological functions in the immune, nervous, endocrine, and muscular systems. It activates adenylate cyclase by binding to its receptor, PAC1R, a member of class B G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR). Crystal structures of a number of Class B GPCR extracellular domains (ECD) bound to their respective peptide hormones have revealed a consensus mechanism of hormone binding. However, the mechanism of how PACAP binds to its receptor remains controversial as an NMR structure of the PAC1R ECD/PACAP complex reveals a different topology ofmore » the ECD and a distinct mode of ligand recognition. Here we report a 1.9 {angstrom} crystal structure of the PAC1R ECD, which adopts the same fold as commonly observed for other members of Class B GPCR. Binding studies and cell-based assays with alanine-scanned peptides and mutated receptor support a model that PAC1R uses the same conserved fold of Class B GPCR ECD for PACAP binding, thus unifying the consensus mechanism of hormone binding for this family of receptors.« less

Unified functional network and nonlinear time series analysis for complex systems science: The pyunicorn package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donges, Jonathan; Heitzig, Jobst; Beronov, Boyan; Wiedermann, Marc; Runge, Jakob; Feng, Qing Yi; Tupikina, Liubov; Stolbova, Veronika; Donner, Reik; Marwan, Norbert; Dijkstra, Henk; Kurths, Jürgen

2016-04-01

We introduce the pyunicorn (Pythonic unified complex network and recurrence analysis toolbox) open source software package for applying and combining modern methods of data analysis and modeling from complex network theory and nonlinear time series analysis. pyunicorn is a fully object-oriented and easily parallelizable package written in the language Python. It allows for the construction of functional networks such as climate networks in climatology or functional brain networks in neuroscience representing the structure of statistical interrelationships in large data sets of time series and, subsequently, investigating this structure using advanced methods of complex network theory such as measures and models for spatial networks, networks of interacting networks, node-weighted statistics, or network surrogates. Additionally, pyunicorn provides insights into the nonlinear dynamics of complex systems as recorded in uni- and multivariate time series from a non-traditional perspective by means of recurrence quantification analysis, recurrence networks, visibility graphs, and construction of surrogate time series. The range of possible applications of the library is outlined, drawing on several examples mainly from the field of climatology. pyunicorn is available online at https://github.com/pik-copan/pyunicorn. Reference: J.F. Donges, J. Heitzig, B. Beronov, M. Wiedermann, J. Runge, Q.-Y. Feng, L. Tupikina, V. Stolbova, R.V. Donner, N. Marwan, H.A. Dijkstra, and J. Kurths, Unified functional network and nonlinear time series analysis for complex systems science: The pyunicorn package, Chaos 25, 113101 (2015), DOI: 10.1063/1.4934554, Preprint: arxiv.org:1507.01571 [physics.data-an].

Constitutive modeling for isotropic materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, K. S.; Lindholm, U. S.; Bodner, S. R.

1988-01-01

The third and fourth years of a 4-year research program, part of the NASA HOST Program, are described. The program goals were: (1) to develop and validate unified constitutive models for isotropic materials, and (2) to demonstrate their usefulness for structural analysis of hot section components of gas turbine engines. The unified models selected for development and evaluation were those of Bodner-Partom and of Walker. The unified approach for elastic-viscoplastic constitutive equations is a viable method for representing and predicting material response characteristics in the range where strain rate and temperature dependent inelastic deformations are experienced. This conclusion is reached by extensive comparison of model calculations against the experimental results of a test program of two high temperature Ni-base alloys, B1900+Hf and Mar-M247, over a wide temperature range for a variety of deformation and thermal histories including uniaxial, multiaxial, and thermomechanical loading paths. The applicability of the Bodner-Partom and the Walker models for structural applications has been demonstrated by implementing these models into the MARC finite element code and by performing a number of analyses including thermomechanical histories on components of hot sections of gas turbine engines and benchmark notch tensile specimens. The results of the 4-year program have been published in four annual reports. The results of the base program are summarized in this report. The tasks covered include: (1) development of material test procedures, (2) thermal history effects, and (3) verification of the constitutive model for an alternative material.

Unified approach for calculating the number of confined modes in multilayered waveguiding structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruschin, S.; Griffel, G.; Hardy, A.; Croitoru, N.

1986-01-01

A general formalism is developed in order to find the number of modes and mode cutoff conditions in multilayer waveguiding structures. An explicit expression is presented for the number of confined modes that allows the modes to be counted without having to analyze the specific eigenvalue equation of the structure. The method is illustrated by its application to several structures: the buried layer, the directional coupler, and the three-guide symmetrical arrangement. By a suitable extension of the formalism, the number of well-confined modes is found for a four-layer structure.

Unified theory for stochastic modelling of hydroclimatic processes: Preserving marginal distributions, correlation structures, and intermittency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papalexiou, Simon Michael

2018-05-01

Hydroclimatic processes come in all "shapes and sizes". They are characterized by different spatiotemporal correlation structures and probability distributions that can be continuous, mixed-type, discrete or even binary. Simulating such processes by reproducing precisely their marginal distribution and linear correlation structure, including features like intermittency, can greatly improve hydrological analysis and design. Traditionally, modelling schemes are case specific and typically attempt to preserve few statistical moments providing inadequate and potentially risky distribution approximations. Here, a single framework is proposed that unifies, extends, and improves a general-purpose modelling strategy, based on the assumption that any process can emerge by transforming a specific "parent" Gaussian process. A novel mathematical representation of this scheme, introducing parametric correlation transformation functions, enables straightforward estimation of the parent-Gaussian process yielding the target process after the marginal back transformation, while it provides a general description that supersedes previous specific parameterizations, offering a simple, fast and efficient simulation procedure for every stationary process at any spatiotemporal scale. This framework, also applicable for cyclostationary and multivariate modelling, is augmented with flexible parametric correlation structures that parsimoniously describe observed correlations. Real-world simulations of various hydroclimatic processes with different correlation structures and marginals, such as precipitation, river discharge, wind speed, humidity, extreme events per year, etc., as well as a multivariate example, highlight the flexibility, advantages, and complete generality of the method.

A Semantic Graph Query Language

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

Kaplan, I L

2006-10-16

Semantic graphs can be used to organize large amounts of information from a number of sources into one unified structure. A semantic query language provides a foundation for extracting information from the semantic graph. The graph query language described here provides a simple, powerful method for querying semantic graphs.

Reconciling Time, Space and Function: A New Dorsal-Ventral Stream Model of Sentence Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ina; Schlesewsky, Matthias

2013-01-01

We present a new dorsal-ventral stream framework for language comprehension which unifies basic neurobiological assumptions (Rauschecker & Scott, 2009) with a cross-linguistic neurocognitive sentence comprehension model (eADM; Bornkessel & Schlesewsky, 2006). The dissociation between (time-dependent) syntactic structure-building and…

Nonequilibrium Energy Transfer at Nanoscale: A Unified Theory from Weak to Strong Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chen; Ren, Jie; Cao, Jianshu

2015-07-01

Unraveling the microscopic mechanism of quantum energy transfer across two-level systems provides crucial insights to the optimal design and potential applications of low-dimensional nanodevices. Here, we study the non-equilibrium spin-boson model as a minimal prototype and develop a fluctuation-decoupled quantum master equation approach that is valid ranging from the weak to the strong system-bath coupling regime. The exact expression of energy flux is analytically established, which dissects the energy transfer as multiple boson processes with even and odd parity. Our analysis provides a unified interpretation of several observations, including coherence-enhanced heat flux and negative differential thermal conductance. The results will have broad implications for the fine control of energy transfer in nano-structural devices.

Unified first principles description from warm dense matter to ideal ionized gas plasma: electron-ion collisions induced friction.

PubMed

Dai, Jiayu; Hou, Yong; Yuan, Jianmin

2010-06-18

Electron-ion interactions are central to numerous phenomena in the warm dense matter (WDM) regime and at higher temperature. The electron-ion collisions induced friction at high temperature is introduced in the procedure of ab initio molecular dynamics using the Langevin equation based on density functional theory. In this framework, as a test for Fe and H up to 1000 eV, the equation of state and the transition of electronic structures of the materials with very wide density and temperature can be described, which covers a full range of WDM up to high energy density physics. A unified first principles description from condensed matter to ideal ionized gas plasma is constructed.

Unified approach to prenylated indole alkaloids: total syntheses of (–)-17-hydroxy-citrinalin B, (+)-stephacidin A, and (+)-notoamide I† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1400755 and 1400756. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c5sc01977j

PubMed Central

Mercado-Marin, Eduardo V.

2015-01-01

A unified strategy for the synthesis of congeners of the prenylated indole alkaloids is presented. This strategy has yielded the first synthesis of the natural product (–)-17-hydroxy-citrinalin B as well as syntheses of (+)-stephacidin A and (+)-notoamide I. An enolate addition to an in situ generated isocyanate was utilized in forging a key bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane moiety, and in this way connected the two structural classes of the prenylated indole alkaloids through synthesis. PMID:26417428

Pseudo-Jahn-Teller Distortion in Two-Dimensional Phosphorus: Origin of Black and Blue Phases of Phosphorene and Band Gap Modulation by Molecular Charge Transfer.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Chandra; Jahiruddin, Sheik; Datta, Ayan

2016-04-07

Phosphorene (Pn) is stabilized as a layered material like graphite, yet it possess a natural direct band gap (Eg = 2.0 eV). Interestingly, unlike graphene, Pn exhibits a much richer phase diagram which includes distorted forms like the stapler-clip (black Pn, α form) and chairlike (blue Pn, β form) structures. The existence of these phases is attributed to pseudo-Jahn-Teller (PJT) instability of planar hexagonal P6(6-) rings. In both cases, the condition for vibronic instability of the planar P6(6-) rings is satisfied. Doping with electron donors like tetrathiafulvalene and tetraamino-tetrathiafulvalene and electron acceptors like tetracyanoquinodimethane and tetracyanoethylene convert blue Pn into N-type and black Pn into efficient P-type semiconductors, respectively. Interestingly, pristine blue Pn, an indirect gap semiconductor, gets converted into a direct gap semiconductor on electron or hole doping. Because of comparatively smaller undulation in blue Pn (with respect to black Pn), the van der Waals interactions between the dopants and blue Pn is stronger. PJT distortions for two-dimensional phosphorus provides a unified understanding of structural features and chemical reactivity in its different phases.

Multiscale geometric modeling of macromolecules II: Lagrangian representation

PubMed Central

Feng, Xin; Xia, Kelin; Chen, Zhan; Tong, Yiying; Wei, Guo-Wei

2013-01-01

Geometric modeling of biomolecules plays an essential role in the conceptualization of biolmolecular structure, function, dynamics and transport. Qualitatively, geometric modeling offers a basis for molecular visualization, which is crucial for the understanding of molecular structure and interactions. Quantitatively, geometric modeling bridges the gap between molecular information, such as that from X-ray, NMR and cryo-EM, and theoretical/mathematical models, such as molecular dynamics, the Poisson-Boltzmann equation and the Nernst-Planck equation. In this work, we present a family of variational multiscale geometric models for macromolecular systems. Our models are able to combine multiresolution geometric modeling with multiscale electrostatic modeling in a unified variational framework. We discuss a suite of techniques for molecular surface generation, molecular surface meshing, molecular volumetric meshing, and the estimation of Hadwiger’s functionals. Emphasis is given to the multiresolution representations of biomolecules and the associated multiscale electrostatic analyses as well as multiresolution curvature characterizations. The resulting fine resolution representations of a biomolecular system enable the detailed analysis of solvent-solute interaction, and ion channel dynamics, while our coarse resolution representations highlight the compatibility of protein-ligand bindings and possibility of protein-protein interactions. PMID:23813599

Platyhelminth Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) proteins: revealing structural diversity, class-specific features and biological associations across the phylum

PubMed Central

CHALMERS, IAIN W.; HOFFMANN, KARL F.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY During platyhelminth infection, a cocktail of proteins is released by the parasite to aid invasion, initiate feeding, facilitate adaptation and mediate modulation of the host immune response. Included amongst these proteins is the Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) family, part of the larger sperm coating protein/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7 (SCP/TAPS) superfamily. To explore the significance of this protein family during Platyhelminthes development and host interactions, we systematically summarize all published proteomic, genomic and immunological investigations of the VAL protein family to date. By conducting new genomic and transcriptomic interrogations to identify over 200 VAL proteins (228) from species in all 4 traditional taxonomic classes (Trematoda, Cestoda, Monogenea and Turbellaria), we further expand our knowledge related to platyhelminth VAL diversity across the phylum. Subsequent phylogenetic and tertiary structural analyses reveal several class-specific VAL features, which likely indicate a range of roles mediated by this protein family. Our comprehensive analysis of platyhelminth VALs represents a unifying synopsis for understanding diversity within this protein family and a firm context in which to initiate future functional characterization of these enigmatic members. PMID:22717097

Assessment of snow modeling decisions in the extra-tropical Andes Cordillera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, P. A.; Musselman, K. N.; Raleigh, M. S.; Clark, M. P.; McPhee, J. P.

2017-12-01

Improving model realism is an ongoing challenge for the cryosphere research community, not only to advance process understanding, but also to quantify and reduce uncertainty under global warming conditions. This work attempts to characterize the interplay and impact of user decisions about snow model structure and parameter specification on model uncertainty. Snow simulations were conducted in the extra-tropical Andes - a mountainous region that acts as a natural reservoir for Central Chile and Western Argentina. To address this topic, we apply the Structure for Unifying Multiple Modeling Alternatives (SUMMA) to simulate seasonal snowpack dynamics at three sites with different hydroclimatic regimes (semi-arid, Mediterranean, and temperate humid). Results are verified against extensive ground-based observations. Site elevations decrease from north to south, whereas precipitation amounts increase with latitude. Results highlight the impact of different windflow and snow transport decisions on model skill during the accumulation period, and different parameterizations (e.g., albedo decay) on spring simulations. We anticipate that the outcomes from this study will have important implications on current and future research, in particular on the configuration of snow models used to quantify the availability of water resources in this region.

Virion Architecture Unifies Globally Distributed Pleolipoviruses Infecting Halophilic Archaea

PubMed Central

Pietilä, Maija K.; Atanasova, Nina S.; Manole, Violeta; Liljeroos, Lassi; Butcher, Sarah J.; Oksanen, Hanna M.

2012-01-01

Our understanding of the third domain of life, Archaea, has greatly increased since its establishment some 20 years ago. The increasing information on archaea has also brought their viruses into the limelight. Today, about 100 archaeal viruses are known, which is a low number compared to the numbers of characterized bacterial or eukaryotic viruses. Here, we have performed a comparative biological and structural study of seven pleomorphic viruses infecting extremely halophilic archaea. The pleomorphic nature of this novel virion type was established by sedimentation analysis and cryo-electron microscopy. These nonlytic viruses form virions characterized by a lipid vesicle enclosing the genome, without any nucleoproteins. The viral lipids are unselectively acquired from host cell membranes. The virions contain two to three major structural proteins, which either are embedded in the membrane or form spikes distributed randomly on the external membrane surface. Thus, the most important step during virion assembly is most likely the interaction of the membrane proteins with the genome. The interaction can be driven by single-stranded or double-stranded DNA, resulting in the virions having similar architectures but different genome types. Based on our comparative study, these viruses probably form a novel group, which we define as pleolipoviruses. PMID:22357279

Organic Nitrate Metabolism and Action: Toward a Unifying Hypothesis and the Future --- A Dedication to Professor Leslie Z. Benet

PubMed Central

Page, Nathaniel A.; Fung, Ho-Leung

2013-01-01

This review summarizes the major advances that had been reported since the outstanding contributions that Professor Benet and his group had made in the 1980’s and 1990’s concerning the metabolism and pharmacologic action of organic nitrates (ORN). Several pivotal studies have now enhanced our understanding of the metabolism and the bioactivation of ORN, resulting in the identification of a host of cysteine-containing enzymes that can carry out this function. Three isoforms of aldehyde dehydrogenase, all of which with active catalytic cysteine sites, are now known to metabolize, somewhat selectively, various members of the ORN family. The existence of a long-proposed but unstable thionitrate intermediate from organic nitrate metabolism has now been experimentally observed. ORN-induced thiol oxidation in multiple proteins, called the “Thionitrate Oxidation Hypothesis”, can be used not only to explain the phenomenon of nitrate tolerance, but also the various consequences of chronic nitrate therapy, viz., rebound vasoconstriction, and increased morbidity and mortality. Thus, a unifying biochemical hypothesis can account for the myriad of pharmacological events resulting from nitrate therapy. Optimization of future uses of ORN in cardiology and other diseases could benefit from further elaboration of this unifying hypothesis. PMID:23670666

A unified framework for addiction: Vulnerabilities in the decision process

PubMed Central

Redish, A. David; Jensen, Steve; Johnson, Adam

2013-01-01

The understanding of decision-making systems has come together in recent years to form a unified theory of decision-making in the mammalian brain as arising from multiple, interacting systems (a planning system, a habit system, and a situation-recognition system). This unified decision-making system has multiple potential access points through which it can be driven to make maladaptive choices, particularly choices that entail seeking of certain drugs or behaviors. We identify 10 key vulnerabilities in the system: (1) moving away from homeostasis, (2) changing allostatic set points, (3) euphorigenic “reward-like” signals, (4) overvaluation in the planning system, (5) incorrect search of situation-action-outcome relationships, (6) misclassification of situations, (7) overvaluation in the habit system, (8) a mismatch in the balance of the two decision systems, (9) over-fast discounting processes, and (10) changed learning rates. These vulnerabilities provide a taxonomy of potential problems with decision-making systems. Although each vulnerability can drive an agent to return to the addictive choice, each vulnerability also implies a characteristic symptomology. Different drugs, different behaviors, and different individuals are likely to access different vulnerabilities. This has implications for an individual’s susceptibility to addiction and the transition to addiction, for the potential for relapse, and for the potential for treatment. PMID:18662461

Organic nitrate metabolism and action: toward a unifying hypothesis and the future-a dedication to Professor Leslie Z. Benet.

PubMed

Page, Nathaniel A; Fung, Ho-Leung

2013-09-01

This review summarizes the major advances that had been reported since the outstanding contributions that Professor Benet and his group had made in the 1980s and 1990s concerning the metabolism and pharmacologic action of organic nitrates (ORNs). Several pivotal studies have now enhanced our understanding of the metabolism and the bioactivation of ORNs, resulting in the identification of a host of cysteine-containing enzymes that can carry out this function. Three isoforms of aldehyde dehydrogenase, all of which with active catalytic cysteine sites, are now known to metabolize, somewhat selectively, various members of the ORN family. The existence of a long-proposed but unstable thionitrate intermediate from ORN metabolism has now been experimentally observed. ORN-induced thiol oxidation in multiple proteins, called the "thionitrate oxidation hypothesis," can be used not only to explain the phenomenon of nitrate tolerance, but also the various consequences of chronic nitrate therapy, namely, rebound vasoconstriction, and increased morbidity and mortality. Thus, a unifying biochemical hypothesis can account for the myriad of pharmacological events resulting from nitrate therapy. Optimization of the future uses of ORN in cardiology and other diseases could benefit from further elaboration of this unifying hypothesis. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Unified Models of Turbulence and Nonlinear Wave Evolution in the Extended Solar Corona and Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cranmer, Steven R.; Wagner, William (Technical Monitor)

2004-01-01

The PI (Cranmer) and Co-I (A. van Ballegooijen) made substantial progress toward the goal of producing a unified model of the basic physical processes responsible for solar wind acceleration. The approach outlined in the original proposal comprised two complementary pieces: (1) to further investigate individual physical processes under realistic coronal and solar wind conditions, and (2) to extract the dominant physical effects from simulations and apply them to a 1D model of plasma heating and acceleration. The accomplishments in Year 2 are divided into these two categories: 1a. Focused Study of Kinetic Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Turbulence. lb. Focused Study of Non - WKB Alfven Wave Rejection. and 2. The Unified Model Code. We have continued the development of the computational model of a time-study open flux tube in the extended corona. The proton-electron Monte Carlo model is being tested, and collisionless wave-particle interactions are being included. In order to better understand how to easily incorporate various kinds of wave-particle processes into the code, the PI performed a detailed study of the so-called "Ito Calculus", i.e., the mathematical theory of how to update the positions of particles in a probabilistic manner when their motions are governed by diffusion in velocity space.

Modern Fysics Phallacies: The Best Way Not to Unify Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beichler, James E.

Too many physicists believe the `phallacy' that the quantum is more fundamental than relativity without any valid supporting evidence, so the earliest attempts to unify physics based on the continuity of relativity have been all but abandoned. This belief is probably due to the wealth of pro-quantum propaganda and general `phallacies in fysics' that were spread during the second quarter of the twentieth century, although serious `phallacies' exist throughout physics on both sides of the debate. Yet both approaches are basically flawed because both relativity and the quantum theory are incomplete and grossly misunderstood as they now stand. Had either side of the quantum versus relativity controversy sought common ground between the two worldviews, total unification would have been accomplished long ago. The point is, literally, that the discrete quantum, continuous relativity, basic physical geometry, theoretical mathematics and classical physics all share one common characteristic that has never been fully explored or explained - a paradoxical duality between a dimensionless point (discrete) and an extended length (continuity) in any dimension - and if the problem of unification is approached from an understanding of how this paradox relates to each paradigm, all of physics and indeed all of science could be unified under a single new theoretical paradigm.

Kinetics of Cation and Oxyanion Adsorption and Desorption on Ferrihydrite: Roles of Ferrihydrite Binding Sites and a Unified Model.

PubMed

Tian, Lei; Shi, Zhenqing; Lu, Yang; Dohnalkova, Alice C; Lin, Zhang; Dang, Zhi

2017-09-19

Quantitative understanding the kinetics of toxic ion reactions with various heterogeneous ferrihydrite binding sites is crucial for accurately predicting the dynamic behavior of contaminants in environment. In this study, kinetics of As(V), Cr(VI), Cu(II), and Pb(II) adsorption and desorption on ferrihydrite was studied using a stirred-flow method, which showed that metal adsorption/desorption kinetics was highly dependent on the reaction conditions and varied significantly among four metals. High resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that all four metals were distributed within the ferrihydrite aggregates homogeneously after adsorption reactions. Based on the equilibrium model CD-MUSIC, we developed a novel unified kinetics model applicable for both cation and oxyanion adsorption and desorption on ferrihydrite, which is able to account for the heterogeneity of ferrihydrite binding sites, different binding properties of cations and oxyanions, and variations of solution chemistry. The model described the kinetic results well. We quantitatively elucidated how the equilibrium properties of the cation and oxyanion binding to various ferrihydrite sites and the formation of various surface complexes controlled the adsorption and desorption kinetics at different reaction conditions and time scales. Our study provided a unified modeling method for the kinetics of ion adsorption/desorption on ferrihydrite.

The quest for a unified view of bacterial land colonization

PubMed Central

Wu, Hao; Fang, Yongjun; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang

2014-01-01

Exploring molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial water-to-land transition represents a critical start toward a better understanding of the functioning and stability of the terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we perform comprehensive analyses based on a large variety of bacteria by integrating taxonomic, phylogenetic and metagenomic data, in the quest for a unified view that elucidates genomic, evolutionary and ecological dynamics of the marine progenitors in adapting to nonaquatic environments. We hypothesize that bacterial land colonization is dominated by a single-gene sweep, that is, the emergence of dnaE2 derived from an early duplication event of the primordial dnaE, followed by a series of niche-specific genomic adaptations, including GC content increase, intensive horizontal gene transfer and constant genome expansion. In addition, early bacterial radiation may be stimulated by an explosion of land-borne hosts (for example, plants and animals) after initial land colonization events. PMID:24451209

Toward a unified approach to dose-response modeling in ecotoxicology.

PubMed

Ritz, Christian

2010-01-01

This study reviews dose-response models that are used in ecotoxicology. The focus lies on clarification of differences and similarities between models, and as a side effect, their different guises in ecotoxicology are unravelled. A look at frequently used dose-response models reveals major discrepancies, among other things in naming conventions. Therefore, there is a need for a unified view on dose-response modeling in order to improve the understanding of it and to facilitate communication and comparison of findings across studies, thus realizing its full potential. This study attempts to establish a general framework that encompasses most dose-response models that are of interest to ecotoxicologists in practice. The framework includes commonly used models such as the log-logistic and Weibull models, but also features entire suites of models as found in various guidance documents. An outline on how the proposed framework can be implemented in statistical software systems is also provided.

The 'locus' of health oversight in Brazil's Unified Health System - a place between the knowledge and the practices of social mobilization.

PubMed

Fernandes, Valcler Rangel; Luz, Zélia Profeta da; Amorim, Annibal Coelho de; Sérgio, Juraci Vieira; Silva, José Paulo Vicente da; Castro, Marcia Correa E; Monken, Maurício; Gondim, Grácia Maria de Miranda

2017-10-01

Supervision of a health system presupposes keeping an attentive eye on the health situation of populations, so as to understand health, illness and healthcare as indissociable manifestations of human existence. Taking this point of view, this article examines health practices from the basis of some of their processes of communication. These are markedly professional-centered in their logic, with their emphasis on scientific, vertical and authoritarian discourse, predominantly in the spaces of the Unified Health System (SUS). In the territory, the process of communication is determinant. As a result of social interaction in daily life, the communication process reterritorializes the elements of the social totality: people, companies, institutions are re-dimensioned in the logic. It is a characteristic space for activities that aim for a more horizontal and democratic flow of communication.

The sanctuary of empathy and the invitation of engagement: psychic retreat, Kafka's "A Hunger Artist," and the psychoanalytic process.

PubMed

Karbelnig, Alan Michael

2014-12-01

As part of a broader scholarly and political effort to unify clinical psychoanalysis, the author argues that psychoanalysts' presence, engagement, and framing constitute the three overarching features of their work. Additionally, patients' propensity to turn inward, alternatively known as psychic retreat or narcissistic withdrawal, provides a similarly unifying way to view psychoanalytic patients. Narrowing the investigation to a phenomenological one, the author tapers the exploration further by studying the psychoanalytic process as it unfolds in real time. After addressing the problems of diffusion in professional identity and psychoanalytic theory that have plagued psychoanalysis from the start, the author presents three case examples into which he integrates Kafka's short story "A Hunger Artist." These vehicles are utilized to demonstrate how such nomenclature provides the basis for a more cohesive understanding of how psychoanalysts work.

Different mechanisms of cluster explosion within a unified smooth particle hydrodynamics Thomas-Fermi approach: Optical and short-wavelength regimes compared

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

Rusek, Marian; Orlowski, Arkadiusz

2005-04-01

The dynamics of small ({<=}55 atoms) argon clusters ionized by an intense femtosecond laser pulse is studied using a time-dependent Thomas-Fermi model. The resulting Bloch-like hydrodynamic equations are solved numerically using the smooth particle hydrodynamics method without the necessity of grid simulations. As follows from recent experiments, absorption of radiation and subsequent ionization of clusters observed in the short-wavelength laser frequency regime (98 nm) differs considerably from that in the optical spectral range (800 nm). Our theoretical approach provides a unified framework for treating these very different frequency regimes and allows for a deeper understanding of the underlying cluster explosionmore » mechanisms. The results of our analysis following from extensive numerical simulations presented in this paper are compared both with experimental findings and with predictions of other theoretical models.« less

Faculty Use of Established and Emerging Technologies in Higher Education: A Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Carmen C.; Fretwell, Cherie E.; Ryan, Jim; Parham, James B.

2013-01-01

Our effectiveness as instructors lies ultimately in how well our students can understand and apply the concepts we teach. In response to the growing importance of accountability in the educational process and the abundance of social networking technology and communication tools available for possible classroom use, this paper will use The Unified…

The Modern Synthesis in the Light of Microbial Genomics.

PubMed

Booth, Austin; Mariscal, Carlos; Doolittle, W Ford

2016-09-08

We review the theoretical implications of findings in genomics for evolutionary biology since the Modern Synthesis. We examine the ways in which microbial genomics has influenced our understanding of the last universal common ancestor, the tree of life, species, lineages, and evolutionary transitions. We conclude by advocating a piecemeal toolkit approach to evolutionary biology, in lieu of any grand unified theory updated to include microbial genomics.

A Systems Approach to Comprehensive School Reform: Using the Realms of Meaning and the Baldridge Approach as a Systems Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller-Williams, Sheri L.; Kritsonis, William Allan

2009-01-01

A system is a group of interacting, interrelated, and interdependent components that form a complex and unified whole. Systems thinking is a way of understanding reality that emphasizes the relationships among systems parts, rather than the parts themselves. Based on a field of study known as "system dynamics", systems thinking has a practical…

A Study of Factors Affecting the Adoption of E-Learning Systems Enabled with Cultural Contextual Features by Instructions in Jamaican Tertiary Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoden, Niccardo S.

2014-01-01

Understanding factors affecting the acceptance of E-Learning Systems Enabled with Cultural Contextual Features by lnstructors in Jamaican Tertiary Institutions is an important topic that's relevant to not only educational institutions, but developers of software for on line learning. The use of the unified theory of acceptance and use of…

Sensing the Coherence of Biology in Contrast to Psychology: Young Children's Use of Causal Relations to Distinguish Two Foundational Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Jane E.; Keil, Frank C.; Lockhart, Kristi L.

2010-01-01

To what extent do children understand that biological processes fall into 1 coherent domain unified by distinct causal principles? In Experiments 1 and 2 (N = 125) kindergartners are given triads of biological and psychological processes and asked to identify which 2 members of the triad belong together. Results show that 5-year-olds correctly…

A Characterization of a Unified Notion of Mathematical Function: The Case of High School Function and Linear Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zandieh, Michelle; Ellis, Jessica; Rasmussen, Chris

2017-01-01

As part of a larger study of student understanding of concepts in linear algebra, we interviewed 10 university linear algebra students as to their conceptions of functions from high school algebra and linear transformation from their study of linear algebra. An overarching goal of this study was to examine how linear algebra students see linear…

The Unifying Function of Affect: Founding a Theory of Psychocultural Development in the Epistemology of John Dewey and Carl Jung

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Peter T.

2012-01-01

In this paper I explore the shared interest of John Dewey and Carl Jung in the developmental continuity between biological, psychological, and cultural phenomena. Like other first generation psychological theorists, Dewey and Jung thought that psychology could be used to deepen our understanding of this continuity and thus gain a degree of control…

Accuracy of the unified approach in maternally influenced traits - illustrated by a simulation study in the honey bee (Apis mellifera)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The honey bee is an economically important species. With a rapid decline of the honey bee population, it is necessary to implement an improved genetic evaluation methodology. In this study, we investigated the applicability of the unified approach and its impact on the accuracy of estimation of breeding values for maternally influenced traits on a simulated dataset for the honey bee. Due to the limitation to the number of individuals that can be genotyped in a honey bee population, the unified approach can be an efficient strategy to increase the genetic gain and to provide a more accurate estimation of breeding values. We calculated the accuracy of estimated breeding values for two evaluation approaches, the unified approach and the traditional pedigree based approach. We analyzed the effects of different heritabilities as well as genetic correlation between direct and maternal effects on the accuracy of estimation of direct, maternal and overall breeding values (sum of maternal and direct breeding values). The genetic and reproductive biology of the honey bee was accounted for by taking into consideration characteristics such as colony structure, uncertain paternity, overlapping generations and polyandry. In addition, we used a modified numerator relationship matrix and a realistic genome for the honey bee. Results For all values of heritability and correlation, the accuracy of overall estimated breeding values increased significantly with the unified approach. The increase in accuracy was always higher for the case when there was no correlation as compared to the case where a negative correlation existed between maternal and direct effects. Conclusions Our study shows that the unified approach is a useful methodology for genetic evaluation in honey bees, and can contribute immensely to the improvement of traits of apicultural interest such as resistance to Varroa or production and behavioural traits. In particular, the study is of great interest for cases where negative correlation between maternal and direct effects and uncertain paternity exist, thus, is of relevance for other species as well. The study also provides an important framework for simulating genomic and pedigree datasets that will prove to be helpful for future studies. PMID:23647776

Accuracy of the unified approach in maternally influenced traits--illustrated by a simulation study in the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

PubMed

Gupta, Pooja; Reinsch, Norbert; Spötter, Andreas; Conrad, Tim; Bienefeld, Kaspar

2013-05-06

The honey bee is an economically important species. With a rapid decline of the honey bee population, it is necessary to implement an improved genetic evaluation methodology. In this study, we investigated the applicability of the unified approach and its impact on the accuracy of estimation of breeding values for maternally influenced traits on a simulated dataset for the honey bee. Due to the limitation to the number of individuals that can be genotyped in a honey bee population, the unified approach can be an efficient strategy to increase the genetic gain and to provide a more accurate estimation of breeding values. We calculated the accuracy of estimated breeding values for two evaluation approaches, the unified approach and the traditional pedigree based approach. We analyzed the effects of different heritabilities as well as genetic correlation between direct and maternal effects on the accuracy of estimation of direct, maternal and overall breeding values (sum of maternal and direct breeding values). The genetic and reproductive biology of the honey bee was accounted for by taking into consideration characteristics such as colony structure, uncertain paternity, overlapping generations and polyandry. In addition, we used a modified numerator relationship matrix and a realistic genome for the honey bee. For all values of heritability and correlation, the accuracy of overall estimated breeding values increased significantly with the unified approach. The increase in accuracy was always higher for the case when there was no correlation as compared to the case where a negative correlation existed between maternal and direct effects. Our study shows that the unified approach is a useful methodology for genetic evaluation in honey bees, and can contribute immensely to the improvement of traits of apicultural interest such as resistance to Varroa or production and behavioural traits. In particular, the study is of great interest for cases where negative correlation between maternal and direct effects and uncertain paternity exist, thus, is of relevance for other species as well. The study also provides an important framework for simulating genomic and pedigree datasets that will prove to be helpful for future studies.

Re-Shaping Teacher Identity? The Liverpool Teachers' Centre 1973-1976

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Keith

2014-01-01

Between 1972 and 1975 Eric Midwinter, Principal of the Liverpool Teachers' Centre, established a unified organisational structure responsible for delivering continuing professional development (CPD) to Liverpool schools. His ambition was to embed community education practices across the city's entire teaching force. However, during a seven-week…

Training and Jobs for the Mentally Handicapped

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmon, Dwight

1975-01-01

The industrial arts and home maintenance curricula for TMH students are structured to train and prepare them for work, in a program for children 5 to 21. The basic unit, presented monthly by the academic classroom teacher, is daily reinforced by all special areas. Task analysis unifies teaching and evaluation. (AJ)

A LATTICE THEORY OF THE ELECTRO-OPTIC EFFECTS IN SEMICONDUCTORS.

DTIC Science & Technology

A unified lattice theory of the electro - optic effect in semiconductor crystals, which encompasses the piezo-electric and elasto-optic effects, is...presented. Expressions are derived for the constant stress and constant strain electro - optic coefficients and the results are specialized to crystals of the zincblende structure. (Author)

Psychology Practice: Design for Tomorrow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodheart, Carol D.

2011-01-01

This article offers a blueprint for modernizing the delivery of high-quality behavioral health care and for improving access to care by a public sorely in need of psychological services. The blueprint brings together disparate elements of psychology practice into a more unified structure, an updated house, based upon advances in the essential…

Deriving the Distribution of Conjunctions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zoerner, Ed

1994-01-01

This paper proposes an explanation for the limited possibilities of realized conjunctions in multitermed coordinations. It argues that conjunction "&" heads a fully articulated phrase (&P), which can iterate &P shells, similar to "V" in Larson's (1988) VP-shell hypothesis. This structure enables a single & to unify any number of conjuncts, and…

Experiments with the Combat CAS: Unifying Net-Enabled Teams

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

1998. “ Network Centric Warfare: Its Origin and Future.” Proceedings. Volume 124/1/1, 139. Annapolis, MD: U.S. Naval Institute. Chomsky , Noam ...linguistic models, see Chomsky 1962). Discourse models make explicit the structure not of sentences but of situations as we perceive or imagine them

A View of the Combat CAS: Unifying Net-Enabled Teams

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Centric Warfare: Its Origin and Future. Proceedings. Volume 124/1/1, 139. Annapolis, MD: U.S. Naval Institute. Chomsky , Noam . 1962. Syntactic Structures...representations and discourse models (For linguistic mod- els, see Chomsky 1962). Discourse models make explicit the struc- ture not of sentences but of

Integrative Approach for a Transformative Freshman-Level STEM Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Souza, Malcolm J.; Curran, Kathleen L.; Olsen, Paul E.; Nwogbaga, Agashi P.; Stotts, Stephanie

2016-01-01

In 2014 Wesley College adopted a unified undergraduate program of evidence-based high-impact teaching practices. Through foundation and federal and state grant support, the college completely revised its academic core curriculum and strengthened its academic support structures by including a comprehensive early alert system for at-risk students.…

A Unified Approach to Electron Counting in Main-Group Clusters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrady, John E.

2004-01-01

A presentation of an extensive review of traditional approaches to teaching electron counting is given. The electron-precise clusters are usually taken as a reference point for rationalizing the structures of their electron-rich counterparts, which are characterized by valence electron counts greater than 5n.

Robustness of Hierarchical Modeling of Skill Association in Cognitive Diagnosis Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Templin, Jonathan L.; Henson, Robert A.; Templin, Sara E.; Roussos, Louis

2008-01-01

Several types of parameterizations of attribute correlations in cognitive diagnosis models use the reduced reparameterized unified model. The general approach presumes an unconstrained correlation matrix with K(K - 1)/2 parameters, whereas the higher order approach postulates K parameters, imposing a unidimensional structure on the correlation…

Mental structures and hierarchical brain processing. Comment on “Toward a computational framework for cognitive biology: Unifying approaches from cognitive neuroscience and comparative cognition” by W. Tecumseh Fitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petkov, C. I.

2014-09-01

Fitch proposes an appealing hypothesis that humans are dendrophiles, who constantly build mental trees supported by analogous hierarchical brain processes [1]. Moreover, it is argued that, by comparison, nonhuman animals build flat or more compact behaviorally-relevant structures. Should we thus expect less impressive hierarchical brain processes in other animals? Not necessarily.

Near- and far-field infrasound monitoring in the Mediterranean area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campus, Paola; Marchetti, Emanuele; Le Pichon, Alexis; Wallenstein, Nicolau; Ripepe, Maurizio; Kallel, Mohamed; Mialle, Pierrick

2013-04-01

The Mediterranean area is characterized by a number of very interesting sources of infrasound signals and offers a promising playground for the development of a deeper understanding of such sources and of the associated propagation models. The progress in the construction and certification of infrasound arrays belonging to the International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in the vicinity of this area has been complemented, in the last decade, by the construction of infrasound arrays established by several European research groups. The University of Florence (UniFi) plays a crucial role for the detection of infrasound signals in the Mediterranean area, having deployed since several years two infrasound arrays on Stromboli and Etna volcanoes, and, more recently, three infrasound arrays in the Alpine area of NW Italy and one infrasound array on the Apennines (Mount Amiata), designed and established in the framework of the ARISE Project. The IMS infrasound arrays IS42 (Graciosa, Azores, Portugal) and IS48 (Kesra, Tunisia) recorded, since the time of their certification, a number of far-field events which can be correlated with some near-field records of the infrasound arrays belonging to UniFi. An analysis of the results and potentialities of infrasound source's detections in near and far-field realized by IS42, IS48 and UniFi arrays in the Mediterranean area, with special focus on volcanic events is presented. The combined results deriving from the analysis of data recorded by the Unifi arrays and by the IS42 and IS48 arrays, in collaboration with the Department of Analyse et Surveillance (CEA/DASE), will generate a synergy which will certainly contribute to the progress of the ARISE Project.

Unified Field Mechanics: A Brief Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoroso, Richard L.

Recently we hear more and more physicists saying, `spacetime is doomed', `spacetime is a mirage', the `end of spacetime', `spacetime is not fundamental but emergent' etc. "Henceforth space by itself and time by itself are doomed to fade into the mere shadows, and only a union of the two will preserve an independent reality." - 1908 Hermann Minkowski. We have come full circle from the time of Minkowski's 1908 statement to the brink of an imminent new age of discovery. The basis of our understanding of the natural world has evolved in modern times from Newtonian Mechanics to the 2nd regime of Quantum Mechanics; and now to the threshold of a 3rd regime - Unified Field Mechanics (UFM). The Planck scale stochastic quantum realm can no longer be considered the `basement' or fundamental level of reality. As hard as quantum reality was to imagine so is the fact that the quantum domain is a manifold of finite radius; and that the `sacrosanct - indelible' Quantum Uncertainty Principle can now be surmounted. For decades main stream physicists have been stymied by efforts to reconcile General Relativity with Quantum Mechanics. The stumbling block lies with the two theories conflicting views of space and time: For quantum theory, space and time offer a fixed backcloth against which particles move. In Einstein's relativities, space and time are not only inextricably linked, but the resultant spacetime is warped by the matter within it. In our nascent UFM paradigm for arcane reasons the quantum manifold is not the regime of integration with gravity; it is instead integrated with the domain of the unified field where the forces of nature are deemed to unify. We give a simplistic survey of the fundamental premises of UFM and summarize experimental protocols to falsify the model at this stage of the paradigm's development.

Precursor engineering and controlled conversion for the synthesis of monodisperse thiolate-protected metal nanoclusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yong; Yao, Qiaofeng; Luo, Zhentao; Yuan, Xun; Lee, Jim Yang; Xie, Jianping

2013-05-01

In very recent years, thiolate-protected metal nanoclusters (or thiolated MNCs) with core sizes smaller than 2 nm have emerged as a new direction in nanoparticle research due to their discrete and size dependent electronic structures and molecular-like properties, such as HOMO-LUMO transitions in optical absorptions, quantized charging, and strong luminescence. Synthesis of monodisperse thiolated MNCs in sufficiently large quantities (up to several hundred micrograms) is necessary for establishing reliable size-property relationships and exploring potential applications. This Feature Article reviews recent progress in the development of synthetic strategies for the production of monodisperse thiolated MNCs. The preparation of monodisperse thiolated MNCs is viewed as an engineerable process where both the precursors (input) and their conversion chemistry (processing) may be rationally designed to achieve the desired outcome - monodisperse thiolated MNCs (output). Several strategies for tailoring the precursor and the conversion process are analyzed to arrive at a unifying understanding of the processes involved.

Nobody knew turbulent transition could be so complicated

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkley, Dwight

2017-11-01

Explaining the route to turbulence in wall-bounded shear flows has been a long and tortuous journey. After years of missteps, controversies, and uncertainties, we are at last converging on a unified and fascinating picture of transition in flows such as pipes, channels, and ducts. Classically, subcritical transition (such as in a pipe), was thought to imply a discontinuous route to turbulence. We now know that this is not the case - subcritical shear flows may, and often do, exhibit continuous transition. I will discuss recent developments in experiments, simulations, and theory that have established a deep connection between transition in subcritical shear flows and a class of non-equilibrium statistical phase transitions known as directed percolation. From this we understand how to define precise critical points for systems without linear instabilities and how to characterize the onset of turbulence in terms of non-trivial, but universal power laws. I will discuss the physics responsible for the complex turbulent structures ubiquitously observed near transition and end with thoughts on outstanding open questions.

Scale dependence in species turnover reflects variance in species occupancy.

PubMed

McGlinn, Daniel J; Hurlbert, Allen H

2012-02-01

Patterns of species turnover may reflect the processes driving community dynamics across scales. While the majority of studies on species turnover have examined pairwise comparison metrics (e.g., the average Jaccard dissimilarity), it has been proposed that the species-area relationship (SAR) also offers insight into patterns of species turnover because these two patterns may be analytically linked. However, these previous links only apply in a special case where turnover is scale invariant, and we demonstrate across three different plant communities that over 90% of the pairwise turnover values are larger than expected based on scale-invariant predictions from the SAR. Furthermore, the degree of scale dependence in turnover was negatively related to the degree of variance in the occupancy frequency distribution (OFD). These findings suggest that species turnover diverges from scale invariance, and as such pairwise turnover and the slope of the SAR are not redundant. Furthermore, models developed to explain the OFD should be linked with those developed to explain species turnover to achieve a more unified understanding of community structure.

Partonic structure of neutral pseudoscalars via two photon transition form factors

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

Raya, Khepani; Ding, Minghui; Bashir, Adnan

Here, the γγ* → η c,b transition form factors are computed using a continuum approach to the two valence-body bound-state problem in relativistic quantum field theory, and thereby unified with equivalent calculations of electromagnetic pion elastic and transition form factors. The resulting γγ* → η c form factor, G ηc(Q 2), is consistent with available data; significantly, at accessible momentum transfers, Q 2G ηc(Q 2) lies well below its conformal limit. These observations confirm that the leading-twist parton distribution amplitudes of heavy-heavy bound states are compressed relative to the conformal limit. A clear understanding of the distribution of valence quarksmore » within mesons thus emerges, a picture which connects Goldstone modes, built from the lightest quarks in nature, with systems containing the heaviest valence quarks that can now be studied experimentally, and highlights basic facts about manifestations of mass within the Standard Model.« less

Progression of Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis and the Chronic Kidney Disease Phenotype – Role of Risk Factors and Epigenetics

PubMed Central

Hewitson, Timothy D.; Holt, Stephen G.; Smith, Edward R.

2017-01-01

Although the kidney has capacity to repair after mild injury, ongoing or severe damage results in scarring (fibrosis) and an associated progressive loss of kidney function. However, despite its universal significance, evidence highlights a population based heterogeneity in the trajectory of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in these patients. To explain the heterogeneity of the CKD phenotype requires an understanding of the relevant risk factors for fibrosis. These factors include both the extrinsic nature of injury, and intrinsic factors such as age, gender, genetics, and perpetual activation of fibroblasts through priming. In many cases an additional level of regulation is provided by epigenetic mechanisms which integrate the various pro-fibrotic and anti-fibrotic triggers in fibrogenesis. In this review we therefore examine the various molecular and structural changes of fibrosis, and how they are influenced by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Our aim is to provide a unifying hypothesis to help explain the transition from acute to CKD. PMID:28848437

Progression of Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis and the Chronic Kidney Disease Phenotype - Role of Risk Factors and Epigenetics.

PubMed

Hewitson, Timothy D; Holt, Stephen G; Smith, Edward R

2017-01-01

Although the kidney has capacity to repair after mild injury, ongoing or severe damage results in scarring (fibrosis) and an associated progressive loss of kidney function. However, despite its universal significance, evidence highlights a population based heterogeneity in the trajectory of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in these patients. To explain the heterogeneity of the CKD phenotype requires an understanding of the relevant risk factors for fibrosis. These factors include both the extrinsic nature of injury, and intrinsic factors such as age, gender, genetics, and perpetual activation of fibroblasts through priming. In many cases an additional level of regulation is provided by epigenetic mechanisms which integrate the various pro-fibrotic and anti-fibrotic triggers in fibrogenesis. In this review we therefore examine the various molecular and structural changes of fibrosis, and how they are influenced by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Our aim is to provide a unifying hypothesis to help explain the transition from acute to CKD.

Partonic structure of neutral pseudoscalars via two photon transition form factors

DOE PAGES

Raya, Khepani; Ding, Minghui; Bashir, Adnan; ...

2017-04-10

Here, the γγ* → η c,b transition form factors are computed using a continuum approach to the two valence-body bound-state problem in relativistic quantum field theory, and thereby unified with equivalent calculations of electromagnetic pion elastic and transition form factors. The resulting γγ* → η c form factor, G ηc(Q 2), is consistent with available data; significantly, at accessible momentum transfers, Q 2G ηc(Q 2) lies well below its conformal limit. These observations confirm that the leading-twist parton distribution amplitudes of heavy-heavy bound states are compressed relative to the conformal limit. A clear understanding of the distribution of valence quarksmore » within mesons thus emerges, a picture which connects Goldstone modes, built from the lightest quarks in nature, with systems containing the heaviest valence quarks that can now be studied experimentally, and highlights basic facts about manifestations of mass within the Standard Model.« less

Modelling End-User of Electronic-Government Service: The Role of Information quality, System Quality and Trust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witarsyah Jacob, Deden; Fudzee, Mohd Farhan Md; Aizi Salamat, Mohamad; Kasim, Shahreen; Mahdin, Hairulnizam; Azhar Ramli, Azizul

2017-08-01

Many governments around the world increasingly use internet technologies such as electronic government to provide public services. These services range from providing the most basic informational website to deploying sophisticated tools for managing interactions between government agencies and beyond government. Electronic government (e-government) aims to provide a more accurate, easily accessible, cost-effective and time saving for the community. In this study, we develop a new model of e-government adoption service by extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) through the incorporation of some variables such as System Quality, Information Quality and Trust. The model is then tested using a large-scale, multi-site survey research of 237 Indonesian citizens. This model will be validated by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The result indicates that System Quality, Information Quality and Trust variables proven to effect user behavior. This study extends the current understanding on the influence of System Quality, Information Quality and Trust factors to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.

Solving The Longstanding Problem Of Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions At the Highest Microscopic Level - Final Report

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

Quaglioni, S.

2016-09-22

A 2011 DOE-NP Early Career Award (ECA) under Field Work Proposal (FWP) SCW1158 supported the project “Solving the Long-Standing Problem of Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions at the Highest Microscopic Level” in the five-year period from June 15, 2011 to June 14, 2016. This project, led by PI S. Quaglioni, aimed at developing a comprehensive and computationally efficient framework to arrive at a unified description of structural properties and reactions of light nuclei in terms of constituent protons and neutrons interacting through nucleon-nucleon (NN) and three-nucleon (3N) forces. Specifically, the project had three main goals: 1) arriving at the accurate predictions formore » fusion reactions that power stars and Earth-based fusion facilities; 2) realizing a comprehensive description of clustering and continuum effects in exotic nuclei, including light Borromean systems; and 3) achieving fundamental understanding of the role of the 3N force in nuclear reactions and nuclei at the drip line.« less

Control and optimization in the modeling of fibrosis. Comment on "Towards a unified approach in the modeling of fibrosis: A review with research perspectives" by Martine Ben Amar and Carlo Bianca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivasundaram, Seenith

2016-07-01

The review paper [1] is devoted to the survey of different structures that have been developed for the modeling and analysis of various types of fibrosis. Biomathematics, bioinformatics, biomechanics and biophysics modeling have been treated by means of a brief description of the different models developed. The review is impressive and clearly written, addressed to a reader interested not only in the theoretical modeling but also in the biological description. The models have been described without recurring to technical statements or mathematical equations thus allowing the non-specialist reader to understand what framework is more suitable at a certain observation scale. The review [1] concludes with the possibility to develop a multiscale approach considering also the definition of a therapeutical strategy for pathological fibrosis. In particular the control and optimization of therapeutics action is an important issue and this article aims at commenting on this topic.

Dynamic electron-ion collisions and nuclear quantum effects in quantum simulation of warm dense matter.

PubMed

Kang, Dongdong; Dai, Jiayu

2018-02-21

The structural, thermodynamic and transport properties of warm dense matter (WDM) are crucial to the fields of astrophysics and planet science, as well as inertial confinement fusion. WDM refers to the states of matter in a regime of temperature and density between cold condensed matter and hot ideal plasmas, where the density is from near-solid up to ten times solid density, and the temperature between 0.1 and 100 eV. In the WDM regime, matter exhibits moderately or strongly coupled, partially degenerate properties. Therefore, the methods used to deal with condensed matter and isolated atoms need to be properly validated for WDM. It is therefore a big challenge to understand WDM within a unified theoretical description with reliable accuracy. Here, we review the progress in the theoretical study of WDM with state-of-the-art simulations, i.e. quantum Langevin molecular dynamics and first principles path integral molecular dynamics. The related applications for WDM are also included.

Dynamic electron-ion collisions and nuclear quantum effects in quantum simulation of warm dense matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Dongdong; Dai, Jiayu

2018-02-01

The structural, thermodynamic and transport properties of warm dense matter (WDM) are crucial to the fields of astrophysics and planet science, as well as inertial confinement fusion. WDM refers to the states of matter in a regime of temperature and density between cold condensed matter and hot ideal plasmas, where the density is from near-solid up to ten times solid density, and the temperature between 0.1 and 100 eV. In the WDM regime, matter exhibits moderately or strongly coupled, partially degenerate properties. Therefore, the methods used to deal with condensed matter and isolated atoms need to be properly validated for WDM. It is therefore a big challenge to understand WDM within a unified theoretical description with reliable accuracy. Here, we review the progress in the theoretical study of WDM with state-of-the-art simulations, i.e. quantum Langevin molecular dynamics and first principles path integral molecular dynamics. The related applications for WDM are also included.

Axions, neutrinos and strings: The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1984-01-01

In a class of grand unified theories containing SO(10), cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities are obtainable naturally. To obtain large scale structure, both components of dark matter are considered to exist with comparable energy densities. To obtain large scale structure, inflationary and non-inflationary scenarios are considered, as well as scenarios with and without vacuum strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with recent observations of the mass density within galaxy clusters and superclusters, especially if strings are present.

Axions, neutrinos and strings - The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1986-01-01

In a class of grand unified theories containing SO(10), cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities are obtainable naturally. To obtain large scale structure, both components of dark matter are considered to exist with comparable energy densities. To obtain large scale structure, inflationary and non-inflationary scenarios are considered, as well as scenarios with and without vacuum strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with recent observations of the mass density within galaxy clusters and superclusters, especially if strings are present.

An integrated algorithm for hypersonic fluid-thermal-structural numerical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jia-Wei; Wang, Jiang-Feng

2018-05-01

In this paper, a fluid-structural-thermal integrated method is presented based on finite volume method. A unified integral equations system is developed as the control equations for physical process of aero-heating and structural heat transfer. The whole physical field is discretized by using an up-wind finite volume method. To demonstrate its capability, the numerical simulation of Mach 6.47 flow over stainless steel cylinder shows a good agreement with measured values, and this method dynamically simulates the objective physical processes. Thus, the integrated algorithm proves to be efficient and reliable.

On numerical integration and computer implementation of viscoplastic models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, T. Y.; Chang, J. P.; Thompson, R. L.

1985-01-01

Due to the stringent design requirement for aerospace or nuclear structural components, considerable research interests have been generated on the development of constitutive models for representing the inelastic behavior of metals at elevated temperatures. In particular, a class of unified theories (or viscoplastic constitutive models) have been proposed to simulate material responses such as cyclic plasticity, rate sensitivity, creep deformations, strain hardening or softening, etc. This approach differs from the conventional creep and plasticity theory in that both the creep and plastic deformations are treated as unified time-dependent quantities. Although most of viscoplastic models give better material behavior representation, the associated constitutive differential equations have stiff regimes which present numerical difficulties in time-dependent analysis. In this connection, appropriate solution algorithm must be developed for viscoplastic analysis via finite element method.

Nonequilibrium Energy Transfer at Nanoscale: A Unified Theory from Weak to Strong Coupling

PubMed Central

Wang, Chen; Ren, Jie; Cao, Jianshu

2015-01-01

Unraveling the microscopic mechanism of quantum energy transfer across two-level systems provides crucial insights to the optimal design and potential applications of low-dimensional nanodevices. Here, we study the non-equilibrium spin-boson model as a minimal prototype and develop a fluctuation-decoupled quantum master equation approach that is valid ranging from the weak to the strong system-bath coupling regime. The exact expression of energy flux is analytically established, which dissects the energy transfer as multiple boson processes with even and odd parity. Our analysis provides a unified interpretation of several observations, including coherence-enhanced heat flux and negative differential thermal conductance. The results will have broad implications for the fine control of energy transfer in nano-structural devices. PMID:26152705

The unified database for the fixed target experiment BM@N

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gertsenberger, K. V.

2016-09-01

The article describes the developed database designed as comprehensive data storage of the fixed target experiment BM@N [1] at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna. The structure and purposes of the BM@N facility will be briefly presented. The scheme of the unified database and its parameters will be described in detail. The use of the BM@N database implemented on the PostgreSQL database management system (DBMS) allows one to provide user access to the actual information of the experiment. Also the interfaces developed for the access to the database will be presented. One was implemented as the set of C++ classes to access the data without SQL statements, the other-Web-interface being available on the Web page of the BM@N experiment.

Scientific Communication and the Unified Laboratory Sequence1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverstein, Todd P.; Hudak, Norman J.; Chapple, Frances H.; Goodney, David E.; Brink, Christina P.; Whitehead, Joyce P.

1997-02-01

The "Temperature Dependent Relaxation Kinetics" lab was first implemented in 1987; it uses stopped-flow pH jump techniques to determine rate constants and activation parameters (H, S, G) for a reaction mechanism. Two new experiments (Monoamine Oxidase, and Molecular Modeling) will be implemented in the fall of 1997. The "Monoamine Oxidase" project uses chromatography and spectrophotometry to purify and characterize the enzyme. Subsequent photometric assays explore the enzyme's substrate specificity, activation energy, and denaturation. Finally, in the "Molecular Modeling"project, students characterize enzyme - substrate and drug - receptor interactions. Energy minimization protocols are used to make predictions about protein structure and ligand binding, and to explore pharmacological and biomedical implications. With these additions, the twelve Unified Laboratory projects introduce our chemistry majors to nearly all of the instrumental methods commonly encountered in modern chemistry.

A unified perspective on robot control - The energy Lyapunov function approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wen, John T.

1990-01-01

A unified framework for the stability analysis of robot tracking control is presented. By using an energy-motivated Lyapunov function candidate, the closed-loop stability is shown for a large family of control laws sharing a common structure of proportional and derivative feedback and a model-based feedforward. The feedforward can be zero, partial or complete linearized dynamics, partial or complete nonlinear dynamics, or linearized or nonlinear dynamics with parameter adaptation. As result, the dichotomous approaches to the robot control problem based on the open-loop linearization and nonlinear Lyapunov analysis are both included in this treatment. Furthermore, quantitative estimates of the trade-offs between different schemes in terms of the tracking performance, steady state error, domain of convergence, realtime computation load and required a prior model information are derived.

Unified treatment algorithm for the management of crotaline snakebite in the United States: results of an evidence-informed consensus workshop

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Envenomation by crotaline snakes (rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead) is a complex, potentially lethal condition affecting thousands of people in the United States each year. Treatment of crotaline envenomation is not standardized, and significant variation in practice exists. Methods A geographically diverse panel of experts was convened for the purpose of deriving an evidence-informed unified treatment algorithm. Research staff analyzed the extant medical literature and performed targeted analyses of existing databases to inform specific clinical decisions. A trained external facilitator used modified Delphi and structured consensus methodology to achieve consensus on the final treatment algorithm. Results A unified treatment algorithm was produced and endorsed by all nine expert panel members. This algorithm provides guidance about clinical and laboratory observations, indications for and dosing of antivenom, adjunctive therapies, post-stabilization care, and management of complications from envenomation and therapy. Conclusions Clinical manifestations and ideal treatment of crotaline snakebite differ greatly, and can result in severe complications. Using a modified Delphi method, we provide evidence-informed treatment guidelines in an attempt to reduce variation in care and possibly improve clinical outcomes. PMID:21291549

Understanding and Accounting for National Will in Strategies that Use Military Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-23

Unified Task Force (UNITAF) in December 1992, ended in disastrous failure for the US at the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993.17 Additionally, US...is known as the Battle of Mogadishu , resulting in 18 US Soldiers killed, 78 wounded and one captured. The public and political outcry was immediate...Restore Hope, and fell apart following the Battle of Mogadishu and loss of 18 American Soldiers

Qa-1/HLA-E-restricted regulatory CD8+ T cells and self-nonself discrimination: an essay on peripheral T-cell regulation.

PubMed

Jiang, Hong; Chess, Leonard

2008-11-01

By discriminating self from nonself and controlling the magnitude and class of immune responses, the immune system mounts effective immunity against virtually any foreign antigens but avoids harmful immune responses to self. These are two equally important and related but distinct processes, which function in concert to ensure an optimal function of the immune system. Immunologically relevant clinical problems often occur because of failure of either process, especially the former. Currently, there is no unified conceptual framework to characterize the precise relationship between thymic negative selection and peripheral immune regulation, which is the basis for understanding self-non-self discrimination versus control of magnitude and class of immune responses. In this article, we explore a novel hypothesis of how the immune system discriminates self from nonself in the periphery during adaptive immunity. This hypothesis permits rational analysis of various seemingly unrelated biomedical problems inherent in immunologic disorders that cannot be uniformly interpreted by any currently existing paradigms. The proposed hypothesis is based on a unified conceptual framework of the "avidity model of peripheral T-cell regulation" that we originally proposed and tested, in both basic and clinical immunology, to understand how the immune system achieves self-nonself discrimination in the periphery.

A Lifespan Perspective on Embodied Cognition.

PubMed

Loeffler, Jonna; Raab, Markus; Cañal-Bruland, Rouwen

2016-01-01

Since its infancy embodied cognition research has fundamentally changed our understanding of how action, perception, and cognition relate to and interact with each other. Ideas from different schools of thought have led to controversial theories and a unifying framework is still being debated. In this perspective paper, we argue that in order to improve our understanding of embodied cognition and to take significant steps toward a comprehensive framework, a lifespan approach is mandatory. Given that most established theories have been developed and tested in the adult population, which is characterized by relatively robust and stable sensorimotor and cognitive abilities, we deem it questionable whether embodied cognition effects found in this population are representative for different life stages such as childhood or the elderly. In contrast to adulthood, childhood is accompanied by a rapid increase of sensorimotor and cognitive skills, and the old age by a decline of such capacities. Hence, sensorimotor and cognitive capacities, as well as their interactions, are more fragile at both extremes of the lifespan, thereby offering a unique window into the emergence of embodied cognition effects and age-related differences therein. A lifespan approach promises to make a major contribution toward a unifying and comprehensive theory of embodied cognition that is valid across the lifespan and 'gets better with age.'