Research on the fundamental principles of China's marine invasive species prevention legislation.

PubMed

Bai, Jiayu

2014-12-15

China's coastal area is severely damaged by marine invasive species. Traditional tort theory resolves issues relevant to property damage or personal injuries, through which plaintiffs cannot cope with the ecological damage caused by marine invasive species. Several defects exist within the current legal regimes, such as imperfect management systems, insufficient unified technical standards, and unsound legal responsibility systems. It is necessary to pass legislation to prevent the ecological damage caused by marine invasive species. This investigation probes the fundamental principles needed for the administration and legislation of an improved legal framework to combat the problem of invasive species within China's coastal waters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social Ecology, Deep Ecology and the Future of Green Political Thought.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tokar, Brian

1988-01-01

Describes the differences which divide the social ecology movement and the Deep Ecology Movement. Discusses how each views population ecology, politics, natural resources, and ecological living. Calls for a unified ecological movement. (CW)

Incubation, Insight, and Creative Problem Solving: A Unified Theory and a Connectionist Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helie, Sebastien; Sun, Ron

2010-01-01

This article proposes a unified framework for understanding creative problem solving, namely, the explicit-implicit interaction theory. This new theory of creative problem solving constitutes an attempt at providing a more unified explanation of relevant phenomena (in part by reinterpreting/integrating various fragmentary existing theories of…

Toward a Unified Componential Theory of Human Reasoning. Technical Report No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sternberg, Robert J.

The unified theory described in this paper characterizes human reasoning as an information processing system with a hierarchical sequence of components and subtheories that account for performance on successively narrower tasks. Both deductive and inductive theories are subsumed in the unified componential theory, including transitive chain theory…

Microbiomes: unifying animal and plant systems through the lens of community ecology theory

PubMed Central

Christian, Natalie; Whitaker, Briana K.; Clay, Keith

2015-01-01

The field of microbiome research is arguably one of the fastest growing in biology. Bacteria feature prominently in studies on animal health, but fungi appear to be the more prominent functional symbionts for plants. Despite the similarities in the ecological organization and evolutionary importance of animal-bacterial and plant–fungal microbiomes, there is a general failure across disciplines to integrate the advances made in each system. Researchers studying bacterial symbionts in animals benefit from greater access to efficient sequencing pipelines and taxonomic reference databases, perhaps due to high medical and veterinary interest. However, researchers studying plant–fungal symbionts benefit from the relative tractability of fungi under laboratory conditions and ease of cultivation. Thus each system has strengths to offer, but both suffer from the lack of a common conceptual framework. We argue that community ecology best illuminates complex species interactions across space and time. In this synthesis we compare and contrast the animal-bacterial and plant–fungal microbiomes using six core theories in community ecology (i.e., succession, community assembly, metacommunities, multi-trophic interactions, disturbance, restoration). The examples and questions raised are meant to spark discussion amongst biologists and lead to the integration of these two systems, as well as more informative, manipulatory experiments on microbiomes research. PMID:26441846

Ecology as a Unifying Theme for Home Economics/Human Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaines, Eleanore

1994-01-01

Discusses the complex character of everyday life as the deep ecology of Home Economics/Human Ecology. Explores the meanings of ecology and the ways in which diversity and harmony are interrelated companions of dynamic living systems. (JOW)

Contiguous triple spinal dysraphism associated with Chiari malformation Type II and hydrocephalus: an embryological conundrum between the unified theory of Pang and the unified theory of McLone.

PubMed

Dhandapani, Sivashanmugam; Srinivasan, Anirudh

2016-01-01

Triple spinal dysraphism is extremely rare. There are published reports of multiple discrete neural tube defects with intervening normal segments that are explained by the multisite closure theory of primary neurulation, having an association with Chiari malformation Type II consistent with the unified theory of McLone. The authors report on a 1-year-old child with contiguous myelomeningocele and lipomyelomeningocele centered on Type I split cord malformation with Chiari malformation Type II and hydrocephalus. This composite anomaly is probably due to select abnormalities of the neurenteric canal during gastrulation, with a contiguous cascading impact on both dysjunction of the neural tube and closure of the neuropore, resulting in a small posterior fossa, probably bringing the unified theory of McLone closer to the unified theory of Pang.

Unified-theory-of-reinforcement neural networks do not simulate the blocking effect.

PubMed

Calvin, Nicholas T; J McDowell, J

2015-11-01

For the last 20 years the unified theory of reinforcement (Donahoe et al., 1993) has been used to develop computer simulations to evaluate its plausibility as an account for behavior. The unified theory of reinforcement states that operant and respondent learning occurs via the same neural mechanisms. As part of a larger project to evaluate the operant behavior predicted by the theory, this project was the first replication of neural network models based on the unified theory of reinforcement. In the process of replicating these neural network models it became apparent that a previously published finding, namely, that the networks simulate the blocking phenomenon (Donahoe et al., 1993), was a misinterpretation of the data. We show that the apparent blocking produced by these networks is an artifact of the inability of these networks to generate the same conditioned response to multiple stimuli. The piecemeal approach to evaluate the unified theory of reinforcement via simulation is critiqued and alternatives are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hyporheic flow and transport processes: mechanisms, models, and biogeochemical implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boano, Fulvio; Harvey, Judson W.; Marion, Andrea; Packman, Aaron I.; Revelli, Roberto; Ridolfi, Luca; Anders, Wörman

2014-01-01

Fifty years of hyporheic zone research have shown the important role played by the hyporheic zone as an interface between groundwater and surface waters. However, it is only in the last two decades that what began as an empirical science has become a mechanistic science devoted to modeling studies of the complex fluid dynamical and biogeochemical mechanisms occurring in the hyporheic zone. These efforts have led to the picture of surface-subsurface water interactions as regulators of the form and function of fluvial ecosystems. Rather than being isolated systems, surface water bodies continuously interact with the subsurface. Exploration of hyporheic zone processes has led to a new appreciation of their wide reaching consequences for water quality and stream ecology. Modern research aims toward a unified approach, in which processes occurring in the hyporheic zone are key elements for the appreciation, management, and restoration of the whole river environment. In this unifying context, this review summarizes results from modeling studies and field observations about flow and transport processes in the hyporheic zone and describes the theories proposed in hydrology and fluid dynamics developed to quantitatively model and predict the hyporheic transport of water, heat, and dissolved and suspended compounds from sediment grain scale up to the watershed scale. The implications of these processes for stream biogeochemistry and ecology are also discussed."

Hyporheic flow and transport processes: Mechanisms, models, and biogeochemical implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boano, F.; Harvey, J. W.; Marion, A.; Packman, A. I.; Revelli, R.; Ridolfi, L.; Wörman, A.

2014-12-01

Fifty years of hyporheic zone research have shown the important role played by the hyporheic zone as an interface between groundwater and surface waters. However, it is only in the last two decades that what began as an empirical science has become a mechanistic science devoted to modeling studies of the complex fluid dynamical and biogeochemical mechanisms occurring in the hyporheic zone. These efforts have led to the picture of surface-subsurface water interactions as regulators of the form and function of fluvial ecosystems. Rather than being isolated systems, surface water bodies continuously interact with the subsurface. Exploration of hyporheic zone processes has led to a new appreciation of their wide reaching consequences for water quality and stream ecology. Modern research aims toward a unified approach, in which processes occurring in the hyporheic zone are key elements for the appreciation, management, and restoration of the whole river environment. In this unifying context, this review summarizes results from modeling studies and field observations about flow and transport processes in the hyporheic zone and describes the theories proposed in hydrology and fluid dynamics developed to quantitatively model and predict the hyporheic transport of water, heat, and dissolved and suspended compounds from sediment grain scale up to the watershed scale. The implications of these processes for stream biogeochemistry and ecology are also discussed.

Mentoring ethnic minority counseling and clinical psychology students: A multicultural, ecological, and relational model.

PubMed

Chan, Anne W; Yeh, Christine J; Krumboltz, John D

2015-10-01

The aim of the current study was to understand the role of race and culture in successful mentoring relationships in graduate school. We examined the practices of 9 faculty mentors working with 15 ethnic minority doctoral students in counseling and clinical psychology. Grounded theory was used to discern unifying patterns and to formulate a theory of multicultural mentoring. Five overall themes significant to multicultural mentoring emerged: (a) career support and guidance tailored for ethnic minorities, (b) relationality between mentors and protégés, (c) significance of contexts, (d) interconnections across contexts, and (e) multidirectionality of interactions between contexts. The 5 themes combined to form a multicultural, ecological, and relational model of mentoring. Our findings suggest that mentoring ethnic minority students can be successful, productive, and satisfying for both mentors and protégés when mentors possess the necessary skills, time, commitment, and multicultural competencies. Implications for doctoral programs in counseling and clinical psychology are discussed, along with recommendations for future research directions. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Causal fermion systems as a candidate for a unified physical theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finster, Felix; Kleiner, Johannes

2015-07-01

The theory of causal fermion systems is an approach to describe fundamental physics. Giving quantum mechanics, general relativity and quantum field theory as limiting cases, it is a candidate for a unified physical theory. We here give a non-technical introduction.

A Unifying Mathematical Framework for Genetic Robustness, Environmental Robustness, Network Robustness and their Tradeoff on Phenotype Robustness in Biological Networks Part II: Ecological Networks

PubMed Central

Chen, Bor-Sen; Lin, Ying-Po

2013-01-01

In ecological networks, network robustness should be large enough to confer intrinsic robustness for tolerating intrinsic parameter fluctuations, as well as environmental robustness for resisting environmental disturbances, so that the phenotype stability of ecological networks can be maintained, thus guaranteeing phenotype robustness. However, it is difficult to analyze the network robustness of ecological systems because they are complex nonlinear partial differential stochastic systems. This paper develops a unifying mathematical framework for investigating the principles of both robust stabilization and environmental disturbance sensitivity in ecological networks. We found that the phenotype robustness criterion for ecological networks is that if intrinsic robustness + environmental robustness ≦ network robustness, then the phenotype robustness can be maintained in spite of intrinsic parameter fluctuations and environmental disturbances. These results in robust ecological networks are similar to that in robust gene regulatory networks and evolutionary networks even they have different spatial-time scales. PMID:23515112

Putting It All Together: Final Comments

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-19

about 10 s 0 0 ( Gy @® ®- =@ 10. Intended rationality ( 100 sec and up ) Figure 3: Soar as a unified theory of cognition . task. The problem then...GROUP Herb Simon. unified. theories of cognition ,- cognitive 7science; ac-hitectures; Soar,,,--p-- 19. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse if necessary’,and...appreciation this paper is supposed to contribute, provide another. And a recent extended reflection by the author on Unified Theories of Cognition (The

The coherence problem with th Unified Neutral Theory of biodiversity

Treesearch

James S. Clark

2012-01-01

The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity (UNTB), proposed as an alternative to niche theory, has been viewed as a theory that species coexist without niche differences, without fitness differences, or with equal probability of success. Support is claimed when models lacking species differences predict highly aggregated metrics, such as species abundance distributions...

User's manual for UCAP: Unified Counter-Rotation Aero-Acoustics Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culver, E. M.; Mccolgan, C. J.

1993-01-01

This is the user's manual for the Unified Counter-rotation Aeroacoustics Program (UCAP), the counter-rotation derivative of the UAAP (Unified Aero-Acoustic Program). The purpose of this program is to predict steady and unsteady air loading on the blades and the noise produced by a counter-rotation Prop-Fan. The aerodynamic method is based on linear potential theory with corrections for nonlinearity associated with axial flux induction, vortex lift on the blades, and rotor-to-rotor interference. The theory for acoustics and the theory for individual blade loading and wakes are derived in Unified Aeroacoustics Analysis for High Speed Turboprop Aerodynamics and Noise, Volume 1 (NASA CR-4329). This user's manual also includes a brief explanation of the theory used for the modelling of counter-rotation.

User's manual for UCAP: Unified Counter-Rotation Aero-Acoustics Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culver, E. M.; McColgan, C. J.

1993-04-01

This is the user's manual for the Unified Counter-rotation Aeroacoustics Program (UCAP), the counter-rotation derivative of the UAAP (Unified Aero-Acoustic Program). The purpose of this program is to predict steady and unsteady air loading on the blades and the noise produced by a counter-rotation Prop-Fan. The aerodynamic method is based on linear potential theory with corrections for nonlinearity associated with axial flux induction, vortex lift on the blades, and rotor-to-rotor interference. The theory for acoustics and the theory for individual blade loading and wakes are derived in Unified Aeroacoustics Analysis for High Speed Turboprop Aerodynamics and Noise, Volume 1 (NASA CR-4329). This user's manual also includes a brief explanation of the theory used for the modelling of counter-rotation.

Bridging Food Webs, Ecosystem Metabolism, and Biogeochemistry Using Ecological Stoichiometry Theory.

PubMed

Welti, Nina; Striebel, Maren; Ulseth, Amber J; Cross, Wyatt F; DeVilbiss, Stephen; Glibert, Patricia M; Guo, Laodong; Hirst, Andrew G; Hood, Jim; Kominoski, John S; MacNeill, Keeley L; Mehring, Andrew S; Welter, Jill R; Hillebrand, Helmut

2017-01-01

Although aquatic ecologists and biogeochemists are well aware of the crucial importance of ecosystem functions, i.e., how biota drive biogeochemical processes and vice-versa, linking these fields in conceptual models is still uncommon. Attempts to explain the variability in elemental cycling consequently miss an important biological component and thereby impede a comprehensive understanding of the underlying processes governing energy and matter flow and transformation. The fate of multiple chemical elements in ecosystems is strongly linked by biotic demand and uptake; thus, considering elemental stoichiometry is important for both biogeochemical and ecological research. Nonetheless, assessments of ecological stoichiometry (ES) often focus on the elemental content of biota rather than taking a more holistic view by examining both elemental pools and fluxes (e.g., organismal stoichiometry and ecosystem process rates). ES theory holds the promise to be a unifying concept to link across hierarchical scales of patterns and processes in ecology, but this has not been fully achieved. Therefore, we propose connecting the expertise of aquatic ecologists and biogeochemists with ES theory as a common currency to connect food webs, ecosystem metabolism, and biogeochemistry, as they are inherently concatenated by the transfer of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous through biotic and abiotic nutrient transformation and fluxes. Several new studies exist that demonstrate the connections between food web ecology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem metabolism. In addition to a general introduction into the topic, this paper presents examples of how these fields can be combined with a focus on ES. In this review, a series of concepts have guided the discussion: (1) changing biogeochemistry affects trophic interactions and ecosystem processes by altering the elemental ratios of key species and assemblages; (2) changing trophic dynamics influences the transformation and fluxes of matter across environmental boundaries; (3) changing ecosystem metabolism will alter the chemical diversity of the non-living environment. Finally, we propose that using ES to link nutrient cycling, trophic dynamics, and ecosystem metabolism would allow for a more holistic understanding of ecosystem functions in a changing environment.

Ecological opportunity and the adaptive diversification of lineages

PubMed Central

Wellborn, Gary A; Langerhans, R Brian

2015-01-01

The tenet that ecological opportunity drives adaptive diversification has been central to theories of speciation since Darwin, yet no widely accepted definition or mechanistic framework for the concept currently exists. We propose a definition for ecological opportunity that provides an explicit mechanism for its action. In our formulation, ecological opportunity refers to environmental conditions that both permit the persistence of a lineage within a community, as well as generate divergent natural selection within that lineage. Thus, ecological opportunity arises from two fundamental elements: (1) niche availability, the ability of a population with a phenotype previously absent from a community to persist within that community and (2) niche discordance, the diversifying selection generated by the adaptive mismatch between a population's niche-related traits and the newly encountered ecological conditions. Evolutionary response to ecological opportunity is primarily governed by (1) spatiotemporal structure of ecological opportunity, which influences dynamics of selection and development of reproductive isolation and (2) diversification potential, the biological properties of a lineage that determine its capacity to diversify. Diversification under ecological opportunity proceeds as an increase in niche breadth, development of intraspecific ecotypes, speciation, and additional cycles of diversification that may themselves be triggered by speciation. Extensive ecological opportunity may exist in depauperate communities, but it is unclear whether ecological opportunity abates in species-rich communities. Because ecological opportunity should generally increase during times of rapid and multifarious environmental change, human activities may currently be generating elevated ecological opportunity – but so far little work has directly addressed this topic. Our framework highlights the need for greater synthesis of community ecology and evolutionary biology, unifying the four major components of the concept of ecological opportunity. PMID:25628875

Ecological opportunity and the adaptive diversification of lineages.

PubMed

Wellborn, Gary A; Langerhans, R Brian

2015-01-01

The tenet that ecological opportunity drives adaptive diversification has been central to theories of speciation since Darwin, yet no widely accepted definition or mechanistic framework for the concept currently exists. We propose a definition for ecological opportunity that provides an explicit mechanism for its action. In our formulation, ecological opportunity refers to environmental conditions that both permit the persistence of a lineage within a community, as well as generate divergent natural selection within that lineage. Thus, ecological opportunity arises from two fundamental elements: (1) niche availability, the ability of a population with a phenotype previously absent from a community to persist within that community and (2) niche discordance, the diversifying selection generated by the adaptive mismatch between a population's niche-related traits and the newly encountered ecological conditions. Evolutionary response to ecological opportunity is primarily governed by (1) spatiotemporal structure of ecological opportunity, which influences dynamics of selection and development of reproductive isolation and (2) diversification potential, the biological properties of a lineage that determine its capacity to diversify. Diversification under ecological opportunity proceeds as an increase in niche breadth, development of intraspecific ecotypes, speciation, and additional cycles of diversification that may themselves be triggered by speciation. Extensive ecological opportunity may exist in depauperate communities, but it is unclear whether ecological opportunity abates in species-rich communities. Because ecological opportunity should generally increase during times of rapid and multifarious environmental change, human activities may currently be generating elevated ecological opportunity - but so far little work has directly addressed this topic. Our framework highlights the need for greater synthesis of community ecology and evolutionary biology, unifying the four major components of the concept of ecological opportunity.

Analytic dyon solution in SU/N/ grand unified theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyi, W. S.; Park, Y. J.; Koh, I. G.; Kim, Y. D.

1982-10-01

Analytic solutions which are regular everywhere, including at the origin, are found for certain cases of SU(N) grand unified theories. Attention is restricted to order-1/g behavior of the SU(N) grand unified theory, and aspects of the solutions of the Higgs field of the SU(N) near the origin are considered. Comments regarding the mass, the Pontryagin-like index of the dyon, and magnetic charge are made with respect to the recent report of a monopole discovery.

Incipient criticality in ecological communities

PubMed Central

Zillio, Tommaso; Banavar, Jayanth R.; Green, Jessica L.; Harte, John; Maritan, Amos

2008-01-01

In ecology, there have been attempts to establish links between the relative species abundance (RSA), the fraction of species in a community with a given abundance, and a power-law form of the species area relationship (SAR), the dependence of species richness on sampling area. However the SAR and other patterns in ecology often do not exhibit power-law behavior over an appreciable range of scales. This raises the question whether a scaling framework can be applied when the system under analysis does not exhibit power-law behavior. Here, we derive a general finite-size scaling framework applicable to such systems that can be used to identify incipient critical behavior and links the scale dependence of the RSA and the SAR. We confirm the generality of our theory by using data from a serpentine grassland plot, which exhibits a power-law SAR, and the Barro Colorado Island plot in Panama, whose SAR shows deviations from power-law behavior at every scale. Our results demonstrate that scaling provides a model-independent framework for analyzing and unifying ecological data and that, despite the absence of power laws, ecosystems are poised in the vicinity of a critical point. PMID:19033187

Intuitive and deliberate judgments are based on common principles.

PubMed

Kruglanski, Arie W; Gigerenzer, Gerd

2011-01-01

A popular distinction in cognitive and social psychology has been between intuitive and deliberate judgments. This juxtaposition has aligned in dual-process theories of reasoning associative, unconscious, effortless, heuristic, and suboptimal processes (assumed to foster intuitive judgments) versus rule-based, conscious, effortful, analytic, and rational processes (assumed to characterize deliberate judgments). In contrast, we provide convergent arguments and evidence for a unified theoretical approach to both intuitive and deliberative judgments. Both are rule-based, and in fact, the very same rules can underlie both intuitive and deliberate judgments. The important open question is that of rule selection, and we propose a 2-step process in which the task itself and the individual's memory constrain the set of applicable rules, whereas the individual's processing potential and the (perceived) ecological rationality of the rule for the task guide the final selection from that set. Deliberate judgments are not generally more accurate than intuitive judgments; in both cases, accuracy depends on the match between rule and environment: the rules' ecological rationality. Heuristics that are less effortful and in which parts of the information are ignored can be more accurate than cognitive strategies that have more information and computation. The proposed framework adumbrates a unified approach that specifies the critical dimensions on which judgmental situations may vary and the environmental conditions under which rules can be expected to be successful.

Unified theory of effective interaction

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

Takayanagi, Kazuo, E-mail: k-takaya@sophia.ac.jp

2016-09-15

We present a unified description of effective interaction theories in both algebraic and graphic representations. In our previous work, we have presented the Rayleigh–Schrödinger and Bloch perturbation theories in a unified fashion by introducing the main frame expansion of the effective interaction. In this work, we start also from the main frame expansion, and present various nonperturbative theories in a coherent manner, which include generalizations of the Brandow, Brillouin–Wigner, and Bloch–Horowitz theories on the formal side, and the extended Krenciglowa–Kuo and the extended Lee–Suzuki methods on the practical side. We thus establish a coherent and comprehensive description of both perturbativemore » and nonperturbative theories on the basis of the main frame expansion.« less

Toward a Unified Theory of Human Reasoning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sternberg, Robert J.

1986-01-01

The goal of this unified theory of human reasoning is to specify what constitutes reasoning and to characterize the psychological distinction between inductive and deductive reasoning. The theory views reasoning as the controlled and mediated application of three processes (encoding, comparison and selective combination) to inferential rules. (JAZ)

Reduction of parameters in Finite Unified Theories and the MSSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinemeyer, Sven; Mondragón, Myriam; Tracas, Nicholas; Zoupanos, George

2018-02-01

The method of reduction of couplings developed by W. Zimmermann, combined with supersymmetry, can lead to realistic quantum field theories, where the gauge and Yukawa sectors are related. It is the basis to find all-loop Finite Unified Theories, where the β-function vanishes to all-loops in perturbation theory. It can also be applied to the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, leading to a drastic reduction in the number of parameters. Both Finite Unified Theories and the reduced MSSM lead to successful predictions for the masses of the third generation of quarks and the Higgs boson, and also predict a heavy supersymmetric spectrum, consistent with the non-observation of supersymmetry so far.

Unified theory of motion of inner planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotelnikov, V.; Kislik, M.

1983-01-01

A highly accurate, unified theory of motion for the Solar System's inner planets Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars was developed. It has practical importance and is used to solve various problems of interplanetary cosmonautics.

Catastrophe Theory: A Unified Model for Educational Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cryer, Patricia; Elton, Lewis

1990-01-01

Catastrophe Theory and Herzberg's theory of motivation at work was used to create a model of change that unifies and extends Lewin's two separate stage and force field models. This new model is used to analyze the behavior of academics as they adapt to the changing university environment. (Author/MLW)

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…

The evolution of female ornaments and weaponry: social selection, sexual selection and ecological competition

PubMed Central

Tobias, Joseph A.; Montgomerie, Robert; Lyon, Bruce E.

2012-01-01

Ornaments, weapons and aggressive behaviours may evolve in female animals by mate choice and intrasexual competition for mating opportunities—the standard forms of sexual selection in males. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that selection tends to operate in different ways in males and females, with female traits more often mediating competition for ecological resources, rather than mate acquisition. Two main solutions have been proposed to accommodate this disparity. One is to expand the concept of sexual selection to include all mechanisms related to fecundity; another is to adopt an alternative conceptual framework—the theory of social selection—in which sexual selection is one component of a more general form of selection resulting from all social interactions. In this study, we summarize the history of the debate about female ornaments and weapons, and discuss potential resolutions. We review the components of fitness driving ornamentation in a wide range of systems, and show that selection often falls outside the limits of traditional sexual selection theory, particularly in females. We conclude that the evolution of these traits in both sexes is best understood within the unifying framework of social selection. PMID:22777016

The evolution of female ornaments and weaponry: social selection, sexual selection and ecological competition.

PubMed

Tobias, Joseph A; Montgomerie, Robert; Lyon, Bruce E

2012-08-19

Ornaments, weapons and aggressive behaviours may evolve in female animals by mate choice and intrasexual competition for mating opportunities-the standard forms of sexual selection in males. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that selection tends to operate in different ways in males and females, with female traits more often mediating competition for ecological resources, rather than mate acquisition. Two main solutions have been proposed to accommodate this disparity. One is to expand the concept of sexual selection to include all mechanisms related to fecundity; another is to adopt an alternative conceptual framework-the theory of social selection-in which sexual selection is one component of a more general form of selection resulting from all social interactions. In this study, we summarize the history of the debate about female ornaments and weapons, and discuss potential resolutions. We review the components of fitness driving ornamentation in a wide range of systems, and show that selection often falls outside the limits of traditional sexual selection theory, particularly in females. We conclude that the evolution of these traits in both sexes is best understood within the unifying framework of social selection.

The New Unified Theory of ATP Synthesis/Hydrolysis and Muscle Contraction, Its Manifold Fundamental Consequences and Mechanistic Implications and Its Applications in Health and Disease

PubMed Central

Nath, Sunil

2008-01-01

Complete details of the thermodynamics and molecular mechanisms of ATP synthesis/hydrolysis and muscle contraction are offered from the standpoint of the torsional mechanism of energy transduction and ATP synthesis and the rotation-uncoiling-tilt (RUT) energy storage mechanism of muscle contraction. The manifold fundamental consequences and mechanistic implications of the unified theory for oxidative phosphorylation and muscle contraction are explained. The consistency of current mechanisms of ATP synthesis and muscle contraction with experiment is assessed, and the novel insights of the unified theory are shown to take us beyond the binding change mechanism, the chemiosmotic theory and the lever arm model. It is shown from first principles how previous theories of ATP synthesis and muscle contraction violate both the first and second laws of thermodynamics, necessitating their revision. It is concluded that the new paradigm, ten years after making its first appearance, is now perfectly poised to replace the older theories. Finally, applications of the unified theory in cell life and cell death are outlined and prospects for future research are explored. While it is impossible to cover each and every specific aspect of the above, an attempt has been made here to address all the pertinent details and what is presented should be sufficient to convince the reader of the novelty, originality, breakthrough nature and power of the unified theory, its manifold fundamental consequences and mechanistic implications, and its applications in health and disease. PMID:19325832

Predicting community structure in snakes on Eastern Nearctic islands using ecological neutral theory and phylogenetic methods

PubMed Central

Burbrink, Frank T.; McKelvy, Alexander D.; Pyron, R. Alexander; Myers, Edward A.

2015-01-01

Predicting species presence and richness on islands is important for understanding the origins of communities and how likely it is that species will disperse and resist extinction. The equilibrium theory of island biogeography (ETIB) and, as a simple model of sampling abundances, the unified neutral theory of biodiversity (UNTB), predict that in situations where mainland to island migration is high, species-abundance relationships explain the presence of taxa on islands. Thus, more abundant mainland species should have a higher probability of occurring on adjacent islands. In contrast to UNTB, if certain groups have traits that permit them to disperse to islands better than other taxa, then phylogeny may be more predictive of which taxa will occur on islands. Taking surveys of 54 island snake communities in the Eastern Nearctic along with mainland communities that have abundance data for each species, we use phylogenetic assembly methods and UNTB estimates to predict island communities. Species richness is predicted by island area, whereas turnover from the mainland to island communities is random with respect to phylogeny. Community structure appears to be ecologically neutral and abundance on the mainland is the best predictor of presence on islands. With regard to young and proximate islands, where allopatric or cladogenetic speciation is not a factor, we find that simple neutral models following UNTB and ETIB predict the structure of island communities. PMID:26609083

Predicting community structure in snakes on Eastern Nearctic islands using ecological neutral theory and phylogenetic methods.

PubMed

Burbrink, Frank T; McKelvy, Alexander D; Pyron, R Alexander; Myers, Edward A

2015-11-22

Predicting species presence and richness on islands is important for understanding the origins of communities and how likely it is that species will disperse and resist extinction. The equilibrium theory of island biogeography (ETIB) and, as a simple model of sampling abundances, the unified neutral theory of biodiversity (UNTB), predict that in situations where mainland to island migration is high, species-abundance relationships explain the presence of taxa on islands. Thus, more abundant mainland species should have a higher probability of occurring on adjacent islands. In contrast to UNTB, if certain groups have traits that permit them to disperse to islands better than other taxa, then phylogeny may be more predictive of which taxa will occur on islands. Taking surveys of 54 island snake communities in the Eastern Nearctic along with mainland communities that have abundance data for each species, we use phylogenetic assembly methods and UNTB estimates to predict island communities. Species richness is predicted by island area, whereas turnover from the mainland to island communities is random with respect to phylogeny. Community structure appears to be ecologically neutral and abundance on the mainland is the best predictor of presence on islands. With regard to young and proximate islands, where allopatric or cladogenetic speciation is not a factor, we find that simple neutral models following UNTB and ETIB predict the structure of island communities. © 2015 The Author(s).

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...

Development and Evaluation of the Lifestyle History Questionnaire (LHQ) for People Entering Treatment for Substance Addictions.

PubMed

Martin, Linda M; Triscari, Robert; Boisvert, Rosemary; Hipp, Kristi; Gersten, Jennifer; West, Rachel C; Kisling, Elizabeth; Donham, Aaron; Kollar, Naomi; Escobar, Patricia

2015-01-01

We developed and investigated the psychometric properties of the Lifestyle History Questionnaire (LHQ), a self-report instrument designed to measure the extent of occupational dysfunction attributable to substance abuse. The instrument was developed using concepts in the ecological models of occupational therapy and in the work of William L. White, who defined addiction culture in terms of the patterns of life in context. We analyzed data from two field tests using both classical test theory and item response theory. The final version of the instrument has 70 items, 1 unifying construct, and 8 subscales. We found it to be valid and reliable (α=.93) for measuring the extent of occupational dysfunction and specific areas of strengths and weaknesses. The LHQ is a promising new instrument, the first of its kind to measure occupational dysfunction in context for people with substance addictions. Copyright © 2015 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Classical evolution and quantum generation in generalized gravity theories including string corrections and tachyons: Unified analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Jai-Chan; Noh, Hyerim

2005-03-01

We present cosmological perturbation theory based on generalized gravity theories including string theory correction terms and a tachyonic complication. The classical evolution as well as the quantum generation processes in these varieties of gravity theories are presented in unified forms. These apply both to the scalar- and tensor-type perturbations. Analyses are made based on the curvature variable in two different gauge conditions often used in the literature in Einstein’s gravity; these are the curvature variables in the comoving (or uniform-field) gauge and the zero-shear gauge. Applications to generalized slow-roll inflation and its consequent power spectra are derived in unified forms which include a wide range of inflationary scenarios based on Einstein’s gravity and others.

COMPLEMENTARITY OF ECOLOGICAL GOAL FUNCTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper summarizes, in the framework of network environ analysis, a set of analyses of energy-matter flow and storage in steady state systems. The network perspective is used to codify and unify ten ecological orientors or external principles: maximum power (Lotka), maximum st...

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?

Unified theory of the nucleus. [Monograph

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

Wildermuth, K.; Tang, Y.C.

1977-01-01

The purpose of this monograph is to describe a microscopic nuclear theory which can be used to consider all low-energy nuclear phenomena from a unified viewpoint. In this theory, the Pauli principle is completely taken into account and translationally invariant wave functions are always employed. It can be utilized to study reactions initiated not only by nucleons but also by arbitrary composite particles.

Unifying Kohlberg with Information Integration: The Moral Algebra of Recompense and of Kohlbergian Moral Informers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hommers, Wilfried; Lee, Wha-Yong

2010-01-01

In order to unify two major theories of moral judgment, a novel task is employed which combines elements of Kohlberg's stage theory and of the theory of information integration. In contrast to the format of Kohlberg's moral judgment interview, a nonverbal and quantitative response which makes low demands on verbal facility was used. Moral…

Models for inference in dynamic metacommunity systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorazio, R.M.; Kery, M.; Royle, J. Andrew; Plattner, M.

2010-01-01

A variety of processes are thought to be involved in the formation and dynamics of species assemblages. For example, various metacommunity theories are based on differences in the relative contributions of dispersal of species among local communities and interactions of species within local communities. Interestingly, metacommunity theories continue to be advanced without much empirical validation. Part of the problem is that statistical models used to analyze typical survey data either fail to specify ecological processes with sufficient complexity or they fail to account for errors in detection of species during sampling. In this paper, we describe a statistical modeling framework for the analysis of metacommunity dynamics that is based on the idea of adopting a unified approach, multispecies occupancy modeling, for computing inferences about individual species, local communities of species, or the entire metacommunity of species. This approach accounts for errors in detection of species during sampling and also allows different metacommunity paradigms to be specified in terms of species-and location-specific probabilities of occurrence, extinction, and colonization: all of which are estimable. In addition, this approach can be used to address inference problems that arise in conservation ecology, such as predicting temporal and spatial changes in biodiversity for use in making conservation decisions. To illustrate, we estimate changes in species composition associated with the species-specific phenologies of flight patterns of butterflies in Switzerland for the purpose of estimating regional differences in biodiversity. ?? 2010 by the Ecological Society of America.

Explanation and Prediction: Building a Unified Theory of Librarianship, Concept and Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, William E.

2002-01-01

Develops a comprehensive, unified, explanatory theory of librarianship by first making an analogy to the unification of the fundamental forces of nature. Topics include dependent and independent variables; publishing; acquisitions; classification and organization of knowledge; storage, preservation, and collection management; collections; and…

Bridging Food Webs, Ecosystem Metabolism, and Biogeochemistry Using Ecological Stoichiometry Theory

PubMed Central

Welti, Nina; Striebel, Maren; Ulseth, Amber J.; Cross, Wyatt F.; DeVilbiss, Stephen; Glibert, Patricia M.; Guo, Laodong; Hirst, Andrew G.; Hood, Jim; Kominoski, John S.; MacNeill, Keeley L.; Mehring, Andrew S.; Welter, Jill R.; Hillebrand, Helmut

2017-01-01

Although aquatic ecologists and biogeochemists are well aware of the crucial importance of ecosystem functions, i.e., how biota drive biogeochemical processes and vice-versa, linking these fields in conceptual models is still uncommon. Attempts to explain the variability in elemental cycling consequently miss an important biological component and thereby impede a comprehensive understanding of the underlying processes governing energy and matter flow and transformation. The fate of multiple chemical elements in ecosystems is strongly linked by biotic demand and uptake; thus, considering elemental stoichiometry is important for both biogeochemical and ecological research. Nonetheless, assessments of ecological stoichiometry (ES) often focus on the elemental content of biota rather than taking a more holistic view by examining both elemental pools and fluxes (e.g., organismal stoichiometry and ecosystem process rates). ES theory holds the promise to be a unifying concept to link across hierarchical scales of patterns and processes in ecology, but this has not been fully achieved. Therefore, we propose connecting the expertise of aquatic ecologists and biogeochemists with ES theory as a common currency to connect food webs, ecosystem metabolism, and biogeochemistry, as they are inherently concatenated by the transfer of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous through biotic and abiotic nutrient transformation and fluxes. Several new studies exist that demonstrate the connections between food web ecology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem metabolism. In addition to a general introduction into the topic, this paper presents examples of how these fields can be combined with a focus on ES. In this review, a series of concepts have guided the discussion: (1) changing biogeochemistry affects trophic interactions and ecosystem processes by altering the elemental ratios of key species and assemblages; (2) changing trophic dynamics influences the transformation and fluxes of matter across environmental boundaries; (3) changing ecosystem metabolism will alter the chemical diversity of the non-living environment. Finally, we propose that using ES to link nutrient cycling, trophic dynamics, and ecosystem metabolism would allow for a more holistic understanding of ecosystem functions in a changing environment. PMID:28747904

Relativistic strings - From soap films to a grand unified theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesterenko, V. V.

1986-11-01

The concept of relativistic strings is considered in connection with the theory of minimal surfaces (e.g., soap films stretched onto closed wire contours). The role of relativistic strings in hadron physics is discussed. Attention is then given to the creation of a grand unified theory on the basis of the superstring concept. Finally, the role of relativistic strings in cosmology is examined.

Quantifying effects of hydrological and water quality disturbances on fish with food-web modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Changsen; Zhang, Yuan; Yang, Shengtian; Xiang, Hua; Sun, Ying; Yang, Zengyuan; Yu, Qiang; Lim, Richard P.

2018-05-01

Accurately delineating the effects of hydrological and water quality habitat factors on the aquatic biota will significantly assist the management of water resources and restoration of river ecosystems. However, current models fail to comprehensively consider the effects of multiple habitat factors on the development of fish species. In this study, a dynamic framework for river ecosystems was set up to explore the effects of multiple habitat factors in terms of hydrology and water quality on the fish community in rivers. To achieve this the biomechanical forms of the relationships between hydrology, water quality, and aquatic organisms were determined. The developing processes of the food web without external disturbance were simulated by 208 models, constructed using Ecopath With Ecosim (EWE). These models were then used to analyze changes in biomass (ΔB) of two representative fish species, Opsariichthys bidens and Carassius auratus, which are widely distributed in Asia, and thus have attracted the attention of scholars and stakeholders, due to the consequence of habitat alteration. Results showed that the relationship between the changes in fish biomass and key habitat factors can be expressed in a unified form. T-tests for the unified form revealed that the means of the two data sets of simulated and observed ΔB for these two fish species (O. bidens and C. auratus) were equal at the significance level of 5%. Compared with other ecological dynamic models, our framework includes theories that are easy to understand and has modest requirements for assembly and scientific expertise. Moreover, this framework can objectively assess the influence of hydrological and water quality variance on aquatic biota with simpler theory and little expertise. Therefore, it is easy to be put into practice and can provide a scientific support for decisions in ecological restoration made by river administrators and stakeholders across the world.

The sociobiology of genes: the gene's eye view as a unifying behavioural-ecological framework for biological evolution.

PubMed

De Tiège, Alexis; Van de Peer, Yves; Braeckman, Johan; Tanghe, Koen B

2017-11-22

Although classical evolutionary theory, i.e., population genetics and the Modern Synthesis, was already implicitly 'gene-centred', the organism was, in practice, still generally regarded as the individual unit of which a population is composed. The gene-centred approach to evolution only reached a logical conclusion with the advent of the gene-selectionist or gene's eye view in the 1960s and 1970s. Whereas classical evolutionary theory can only work with (genotypically represented) fitness differences between individual organisms, gene-selectionism is capable of working with fitness differences among genes within the same organism and genome. Here, we explore the explanatory potential of 'intra-organismic' and 'intra-genomic' gene-selectionism, i.e., of a behavioural-ecological 'gene's eye view' on genetic, genomic and organismal evolution. First, we give a general outline of the framework and how it complements the-to some extent-still 'organism-centred' approach of classical evolutionary theory. Secondly, we give a more in-depth assessment of its explanatory potential for biological evolution, i.e., for Darwin's 'common descent with modification' or, more specifically, for 'historical continuity or homology with modular evolutionary change' as it has been studied by evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) during the last few decades. In contrast with classical evolutionary theory, evo-devo focuses on 'within-organism' developmental processes. Given the capacity of gene-selectionism to adopt an intra-organismal gene's eye view, we outline the relevance of the latter model for evo-devo. Overall, we aim for the conceptual integration between the gene's eye view on the one hand, and more organism-centred evolutionary models (both classical evolutionary theory and evo-devo) on the other.

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

Unified formalism for the generalized kth-order Hamilton-Jacobi problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colombo, Leonardo; de Léon, Manuel; Prieto-Martínez, Pedro Daniel; Román-Roy, Narciso

2014-08-01

The geometric formulation of the Hamilton-Jacobi theory enables us to generalize it to systems of higher-order ordinary differential equations. In this work we introduce the unified Lagrangian-Hamiltonian formalism for the geometric Hamilton-Jacobi theory on higher-order autonomous dynamical systems described by regular Lagrangian functions.

Neurological exclusiveness or unified science inclusiveness: Comment on Schwartz et al. (2016).

PubMed

Staats, Arthur W

2016-12-01

Schwartz, Lilienfeld, Meca, and Sauvigné (2016) argue effectively and productively that neuroscience is monistic (excludes other fields) in a way that affects negatively psychology department makeup, psychology grant support, and the way students are trained. They conclude, rather, that it is important to effect an inclusion of different fields of psychology. This paper broadens and strengthens their position. However, it also points out that a call for inclusiveness raises a central question. How is inclusiveness to be accomplished? Without stipulation to the contrary the call is for an eclecticism. As Schwartz et al. indicate, unified theory is now rejected because grand theory in the past has been monistic. However, science moves on; there are unified theories today that are inclusive. Thus, development of an area in psychology is needed that studies, evaluates, and advances works that unify inclusively, the present article being an example. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

[Towards an unified theory of the universe basic forces ("the everything theory")].

PubMed

Aguilar Peris, José

2004-01-01

Numerous efforts have been made in order to unify all the basic forces in nature. In 1967 the fusion of electromagnetic and weak forces was obtained and in 1973 a theoretical bridge between the electroweak and the strong forces have been constructed. This theory is waiting for experimental proofs in the CERN large hadron collider. The last stage would be "the everything theory", which includes the gravitational force. Only the so called superstring theory is a good candidate to overcome the incompatibility of the quantum mechanics and the general relativity, but this theory is not already achieved.

Dynamical mean-field theory, density-matrix embedding theory, and rotationally invariant slave bosons: A unified perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayral, Thomas; Lee, Tsung-Han; Kotliar, Gabriel

2017-12-01

We present a unified perspective on dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), density-matrix embedding theory (DMET), and rotationally invariant slave bosons (RISB). We show that DMET can be regarded as a simplification of the RISB method where the quasiparticle weight is set to unity. This relation makes it easy to transpose extensions of a given method to another: For instance, a temperature-dependent version of RISB can be used to derive a temperature-dependent free-energy formula for DMET.

The Big Bang, Superstring Theory and the origin of life on the Earth.

PubMed

Trevors, J T

2006-03-01

This article examines the origin of life on Earth and its connection to the Superstring Theory, that attempts to explain all phenomena in the universe (Theory of Everything) and unify the four known forces and relativity and quantum theory. The four forces of gravity, electro-magnetism, strong and weak nuclear were all present and necessary for the origin of life on the Earth. It was the separation of the unified force into four singular forces that allowed the origin of life.

Explanatory pluralism: An unrewarding prediction error for free energy theorists.

PubMed

Colombo, Matteo; Wright, Cory

2017-03-01

Courtesy of its free energy formulation, the hierarchical predictive processing theory of the brain (PTB) is often claimed to be a grand unifying theory. To test this claim, we examine a central case: activity of mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic (DA) systems. After reviewing the three most prominent hypotheses of DA activity-the anhedonia, incentive salience, and reward prediction error hypotheses-we conclude that the evidence currently vindicates explanatory pluralism. This vindication implies that the grand unifying claims of advocates of PTB are unwarranted. More generally, we suggest that the form of scientific progress in the cognitive sciences is unlikely to be a single overarching grand unifying theory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deciphering the enigma of undetected species, phylogenetic, and functional diversity based on Good-Turing theory.

PubMed

Chao, Anne; Chiu, Chun-Huo; Colwell, Robert K; Magnago, Luiz Fernando S; Chazdon, Robin L; Gotelli, Nicholas J

2017-11-01

Estimating the species, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of a community is challenging because rare species are often undetected, even with intensive sampling. The Good-Turing frequency formula, originally developed for cryptography, estimates in an ecological context the true frequencies of rare species in a single assemblage based on an incomplete sample of individuals. Until now, this formula has never been used to estimate undetected species, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Here, we first generalize the Good-Turing formula to incomplete sampling of two assemblages. The original formula and its two-assemblage generalization provide a novel and unified approach to notation, terminology, and estimation of undetected biological diversity. For species richness, the Good-Turing framework offers an intuitive way to derive the non-parametric estimators of the undetected species richness in a single assemblage, and of the undetected species shared between two assemblages. For phylogenetic diversity, the unified approach leads to an estimator of the undetected Faith's phylogenetic diversity (PD, the total length of undetected branches of a phylogenetic tree connecting all species), as well as a new estimator of undetected PD shared between two phylogenetic trees. For functional diversity based on species traits, the unified approach yields a new estimator of undetected Walker et al.'s functional attribute diversity (FAD, the total species-pairwise functional distance) in a single assemblage, as well as a new estimator of undetected FAD shared between two assemblages. Although some of the resulting estimators have been previously published (but derived with traditional mathematical inequalities), all taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity estimators are now derived under the same framework. All the derived estimators are theoretically lower bounds of the corresponding undetected diversities; our approach reveals the sufficient conditions under which the estimators are nearly unbiased, thus offering new insights. Simulation results are reported to numerically verify the performance of the derived estimators. We illustrate all estimators and assess their sampling uncertainty with an empirical dataset for Brazilian rain forest trees. These estimators should be widely applicable to many current problems in ecology, such as the effects of climate change on spatial and temporal beta diversity and the contribution of trait diversity to ecosystem multi-functionality. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Diversity from genes to ecosystems: A unifying framework to study variation across biological metrics and scales

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biological diversity is a key concept in the life sciences and plays a fundamental role in many ecological and evolutionary processes. Although biodiversity is inherently a hierarchical concept covering different levels of organization (genes, population, species, ecological communities and ecosyst...

Why are some plant-pollinator networks more nested than others?

PubMed

Song, Chuliang; Rohr, Rudolf P; Saavedra, Serguei

2017-10-01

Empirical studies have found that the mutualistic interactions forming the structure of plant-pollinator networks are typically more nested than expected by chance alone. Additionally, theoretical studies have shown a positive association between the nested structure of mutualistic networks and community persistence. Yet, it has been shown that some plant-pollinator networks may be more nested than others, raising the interesting question of which factors are responsible for such enhanced nested structure. It has been argued that ordered network structures may increase the persistence of ecological communities under less predictable environments. This suggests that nested structures of plant-pollinator networks could be more advantageous under highly seasonal environments. While several studies have investigated the link between nestedness and various environmental variables, unfortunately, there has been no unified answer to validate these predictions. Here, we move from the problem of describing network structures to the problem of comparing network structures. We develop comparative statistics, and apply them to investigate the association between the nested structure of 59 plant-pollinator networks and the temperature seasonality present in their locations. We demonstrate that higher levels of nestedness are associated with a higher temperature seasonality. We show that the previous lack of agreement came from an extended practice of using standardized measures of nestedness that cannot be compared across different networks. Importantly, our observations complement theory showing that more nested network structures can increase the range of environmental conditions compatible with species coexistence in mutualistic systems, also known as structural stability. This increase in nestedness should be more advantageous and occur more often in locations subject to random environmental perturbations, which could be driven by highly changing or seasonal environments. This synthesis of theory and observations could prove relevant for a better understanding of the ecological processes driving the assembly and persistence of ecological communities. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

Dynamical mean-field theory, density-matrix embedding theory, and rotationally invariant slave bosons: A unified perspective

DOE PAGES

Ayral, Thomas; Lee, Tsung-Han; Kotliar, Gabriel

2017-12-26

In this paper, we present a unified perspective on dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), density-matrix embedding theory (DMET), and rotationally invariant slave bosons (RISB). We show that DMET can be regarded as a simplification of the RISB method where the quasiparticle weight is set to unity. Finally, this relation makes it easy to transpose extensions of a given method to another: For instance, a temperature-dependent version of RISB can be used to derive a temperature-dependent free-energy formula for DMET.

Dynamical mean-field theory, density-matrix embedding theory, and rotationally invariant slave bosons: A unified perspective

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

Ayral, Thomas; Lee, Tsung-Han; Kotliar, Gabriel

In this paper, we present a unified perspective on dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), density-matrix embedding theory (DMET), and rotationally invariant slave bosons (RISB). We show that DMET can be regarded as a simplification of the RISB method where the quasiparticle weight is set to unity. Finally, this relation makes it easy to transpose extensions of a given method to another: For instance, a temperature-dependent version of RISB can be used to derive a temperature-dependent free-energy formula for DMET.

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

Quantum and Ecosystem Entropies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirwan, A. D.

2008-06-01

Ecosystems and quantum gases share a number of superficial similarities including enormous numbers of interacting elements and the fundamental role of energy in such interactions. A theory for the synthesis of data and prediction of new phenomena is well established in quantum statistical mechanics. The premise of this paper is that the reason a comparable unifying theory has not emerged in ecology is that a proper role for entropy has yet to be assigned. To this end, a phase space entropy model of ecosystems is developed. Specification of an ecosystem phase space cell size based on microbial mass, length, and time scales gives an ecosystem uncertainty parameter only about three orders of magnitude larger than Planck’s constant. Ecosystem equilibria is specified by conservation of biomass and total metabolic energy, along with the principle of maximum entropy at equilibria. Both Bose - Einstein and Fermi - Dirac equilibrium conditions arise in ecosystems applications. The paper concludes with a discussion of some broader aspects of an ecosystem phase space.

Unified connected theory of few-body reaction mechanisms in N-body scattering theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polyzou, W. N.; Redish, E. F.

1978-01-01

A unified treatment of different reaction mechanisms in nonrelativistic N-body scattering is presented. The theory is based on connected kernel integral equations that are expected to become compact for reasonable constraints on the potentials. The operators T/sub +-//sup ab/(A) are approximate transition operators that describe the scattering proceeding through an arbitrary reaction mechanism A. These operators are uniquely determined by a connected kernel equation and satisfy an optical theorem consistent with the choice of reaction mechanism. Connected kernel equations relating T/sub +-//sup ab/(A) to the full T/sub +-//sup ab/ allow correction of the approximate solutions for any ignored process to any order. This theory gives a unified treatment of all few-body reaction mechanisms with the same dynamic simplicity of a model calculation, but can include complicated reaction mechanisms involving overlapping configurations where it is difficult to formulate models.

A unifying framework for quantifying the nature of animal interactions.

PubMed

Potts, Jonathan R; Mokross, Karl; Lewis, Mark A

2014-07-06

Collective phenomena, whereby agent-agent interactions determine spatial patterns, are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. On the other hand, movement and space use are also greatly influenced by the interactions between animals and their environment. Despite both types of interaction fundamentally influencing animal behaviour, there has hitherto been no unifying framework for the models proposed in both areas. Here, we construct a general method for inferring population-level spatial patterns from underlying individual movement and interaction processes, a key ingredient in building a statistical mechanics for ecological systems. We show that resource selection functions, as well as several examples of collective motion models, arise as special cases of our framework, thus bringing together resource selection analysis and collective animal behaviour into a single theory. In particular, we focus on combining the various mechanistic models of territorial interactions in the literature with step selection functions, by incorporating interactions into the step selection framework and demonstrating how to derive territorial patterns from the resulting models. We demonstrate the efficacy of our model by application to a population of insectivore birds in the Amazon rainforest. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Factors Affecting Acceptance & Use of ReWIND: Validating the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nair, Pradeep Kumar; Ali, Faizan; Leong, Lim Chee

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to explain the factors affecting students' acceptance and usage of a lecture capture system (LCS)--ReWIND--in a Malaysian university based on the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) model. Technological advances have become an important feature of universities' plans to improve the…

Explaining the Intention to Use Technology among Pre-Service Teachers: A Multi-Group Analysis of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Timothy; Noyes, Jan

2014-01-01

Pre-service teachers' self-reported intentions to use information technology were studied. Two hundred and sixty-four participants completed a survey questionnaire measuring their responses to four constructs (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions) derived from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and…

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.

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

The free-energy principle: a unified brain theory?

PubMed

Friston, Karl

2010-02-01

A free-energy principle has been proposed recently that accounts for action, perception and learning. This Review looks at some key brain theories in the biological (for example, neural Darwinism) and physical (for example, information theory and optimal control theory) sciences from the free-energy perspective. Crucially, one key theme runs through each of these theories - optimization. Furthermore, if we look closely at what is optimized, the same quantity keeps emerging, namely value (expected reward, expected utility) or its complement, surprise (prediction error, expected cost). This is the quantity that is optimized under the free-energy principle, which suggests that several global brain theories might be unified within a free-energy framework.

Integrating paleobiology, archeology, and history to inform biological conservation.

PubMed

Rick, Torben C; Lockwood, Rowan

2013-02-01

The search for novel approaches to establishing ecological baselines (reference conditions) is constrained by the fact that most ecological studies span the past few decades, at most, and investigate ecosystems that have been substantially altered by human activities for decades, centuries, or more. Paleobiology, archeology, and history provide historical ecological context for biological conservation, remediation, and restoration. We argue that linking historical ecology explicitly with conservation can help unify related disciplines of conservation paleobiology, conservation archeobiology, and environmental history. Differences in the spatial and temporal resolution and extent (scale) of prehistoric, historic, and modern ecological data remain obstacles to integrating historical ecology and conservation biology, but the prolonged temporal extents of historical ecological data can help establish more complete baselines for restoration, document a historical range of ecological variability, and assist in determining desired future conditions. We used the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) fishery of the Chesapeake Bay (U.S.A.) to demonstrate the utility of historical ecological data for elucidating oyster conservation and the need for an approach to conservation that transcends disciplinary boundaries. Historical ecological studies from the Chesapeake have documented dramatic declines (as much as 99%) in oyster abundance since the early to mid-1800 s, changes in oyster size in response to different nutrient levels from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, and substantial reductions in oyster accretion rates (from 10 mm/year to effectively 0 mm/year) from the Late Holocene to modern times. Better integration of different historical ecological data sets and increased collaboration between paleobiologists, geologists, archeologists, environmental historians, and ecologists to create standardized research designs and methodologies will help unify prehistoric, historic, and modern time perspectives on biological conservation. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

Site-scale disturbance and habitat development best predict an index of amphibian biotic integrity in Ohio shrub and forested wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Micacchion, Mick; Stapanian, Martin A.; Adams, Jean V.

2015-01-01

We determined the best predictors of an index of amphibian biotic integrity calculated from 54 shrub and forested wetlands in Ohio, USA using a two-step sequential holdout validation procedure. We considered 13 variables as predictors: four metrics of wetland condition from the Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM), a wetland vegetation index of biotic integrity, and eight metrics from a landscape disturbance index. For all iterations, the best model included the single ORAM metric that assesses habitat alteration, substrate disturbance, and habitat development within a wetland. Our results align with results of similar studies that have associated high scores for wetland vegetation indices of biotic integrity with low habitat alteration and substrate disturbance within wetlands. Thus, implementing similar management practices (e.g., not removing downed woody debris, retaining natural morphological features, decreasing nutrient input from surrounding agricultural lands) could concurrently increase ecological integrity of both plant and amphibian communities in a wetland. Further, our results have the unexpected effect of making progress toward a more unifying theory of ecological indices.

A consumer-resource approach to the density-dependent population dynamics of mutualism.

PubMed

Holland, J Nathaniel; DeAngelis, Donald L

2010-05-01

Like predation and competition, mutualism is now recognized as a consumer-resource (C-R) interaction, including, in particular, bi-directional (e.g., coral, plant-mycorrhizae) and uni-directional (e.g., ant-plant defense, plant-pollinator) C-R mutualisms. Here, we develop general theory for the density-dependent population dynamics of mutualism based on the C-R mechanism of interspecific interaction. To test the influence of C-R interactions on the dynamics and stability of bi- and uni-directional C-R mutualisms, we developed simple models that link consumer functional response of one mutualistic species with the resources supplied by another. Phase-plane analyses show that the ecological dynamics of C-R mutualisms are stable in general. Most transient behavior leads to an equilibrium of mutualistic coexistence, at which both species densities are greater than in the absence of interactions. However, due to the basic nature of C-R interactions, certain density-dependent conditions can lead to C-R dynamics characteristic of predator-prey interactions, in which one species overexploits and causes the other to go extinct. Consistent with empirical phenomena, these results suggest that the C-R interaction can provide a broad mechanism for understanding density-dependent population dynamics of mutualism. By unifying predation, competition, and mutualism under the common ecological framework of consumer-resource theory, we may also gain a better understanding of the universal features of interspecific interactions in general.

A consumer-resource approach to the density-dependent population dynamics of mutualism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holland, J. Nathaniel; DeAngelis, Donald L.

2010-01-01

Like predation and competition, mutualism is now recognized as a consumer resource (C-R) interaction, including, in particular, bi-directional (e.g., coral, plant- mycorrhizae) and uni-directional (e.g., ant-plant defense, plant-pollinator) C-R mutualisms. Here, we develop general theory for the density-dependent population dynamics of mutualism based on the C-R mechanism of interspecific interaction. To test the influence of C-R interactions on the dynamics and stability of bi- and uni-directional C-R mutualisms, we developed simple models that link consumer functional response of one mutualistic species with the resources supplied by another. Phase-plane analyses show that the ecological dynamics of C-R mutualisms are stable in general. Most transient behavior leads to an equilibrium of mutualistic coexistence, at which both species densities are greater than in the absence of interactions. However, due to the basic nature of C-R interactions, certain density-dependent conditions can lead to C-R dynamics characteristic of predator-prey interactions, in which one species overexploits and causes the other to go extinct. Consistent with empirical phenomena, these results suggest that the C-R interaction can provide a broad mechanism for understanding density-dependent population dynamics of mutualism. By unifying predation, competition, and mutualism under the common ecological framework of consumer-resource theory, we may also gain a better understanding of the universal features of interspecific interactions in general.

Models for inference in dynamic metacommunity systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorazio, Robert M.; Kery, Marc; Royle, J. Andrew; Plattner, Matthias

2010-01-01

A variety of processes are thought to be involved in the formation and dynamics of species assemblages. For example, various metacommunity theories are based on differences in the relative contributions of dispersal of species among local communities and interactions of species within local communities. Interestingly, metacommunity theories continue to be advanced without much empirical validation. Part of the problem is that statistical models used to analyze typical survey data either fail to specify ecological processes with sufficient complexity or they fail to account for errors in detection of species during sampling. In this paper, we describe a statistical modeling framework for the analysis of metacommunity dynamics that is based on the idea of adopting a unified approach, multispecies occupancy modeling, for computing inferences about individual species, local communities of species, or the entire metacommunity of species. This approach accounts for errors in detection of species during sampling and also allows different metacommunity paradigms to be specified in terms of species- and location-specific probabilities of occurrence, extinction, and colonization: all of which are estimable. In addition, this approach can be used to address inference problems that arise in conservation ecology, such as predicting temporal and spatial changes in biodiversity for use in making conservation decisions. To illustrate, we estimate changes in species composition associated with the species-specific phenologies of flight patterns of butterflies in Switzerland for the purpose of estimating regional differences in biodiversity.

Bernstein's levels of movement construction: A contemporary perspective.

PubMed

Profeta, Vitor L S; Turvey, Michael T

2018-02-01

Explanation of how goal-directed movements are made manifest is the ultimate aim of the field classically referred to as "motor control". Essential to the sought-after explanation is comprehension of the supporting functional architecture. Seven decades ago, the Russian physiologist and movement scientist Nikolai A. Bernstein proposed a hierarchical model to explain the construction of movements. In his model, the levels of the hierarchy share a common language (i.e., they are commensurate) and perform complementing functions to bring about dexterous movements. The science of the control and coordination of movement in the phylum Craniata has made considerable progress in the intervening seven decades. The contemporary body of knowledge about each of Bernstein's hypothesized functional levels is both more detailed and more sophisticated. A natural consequence of this progress, however, is the relatively independent theoretical development of a given level from the other levels. In this essay, we revisit each level of Bernstein's hierarchy from the joint perspectives of (a) the ecological approach to perception-action and (b) dynamical systems theory. We review a substantial and relevant body of literature produced in different areas of study that are accommodated by this ecological-dynamical version of Bernstein's levels. Implications for the control and coordination of movement and the challenges to producing a unified theory are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Clustering-Based Approach to Enriching Code Foraging Environment.

PubMed

Niu, Nan; Jin, Xiaoyu; Niu, Zhendong; Cheng, Jing-Ru C; Li, Ling; Kataev, Mikhail Yu

2016-09-01

Developers often spend valuable time navigating and seeking relevant code in software maintenance. Currently, there is a lack of theoretical foundations to guide tool design and evaluation to best shape the code base to developers. This paper contributes a unified code navigation theory in light of the optimal food-foraging principles. We further develop a novel framework for automatically assessing the foraging mechanisms in the context of program investigation. We use the framework to examine to what extent the clustering of software entities affects code foraging. Our quantitative analysis of long-lived open-source projects suggests that clustering enriches the software environment and improves foraging efficiency. Our qualitative inquiry reveals concrete insights into real developer's behavior. Our research opens the avenue toward building a new set of ecologically valid code navigation tools.

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…

Biodiversity patterns along ecological gradients: unifying β-diversity indices.

PubMed

Szava-Kovats, Robert C; Pärtel, Meelis

2014-01-01

Ecologists have developed an abundance of conceptions and mathematical expressions to define β-diversity, the link between local (α) and regional-scale (γ) richness, in order to characterize patterns of biodiversity along ecological (i.e., spatial and environmental) gradients. These patterns are often realized by regression of β-diversity indices against one or more ecological gradients. This practice, however, is subject to two shortcomings that can undermine the validity of the biodiversity patterns. First, many β-diversity indices are constrained to range between fixed lower and upper limits. As such, regression analysis of β-diversity indices against ecological gradients can result in regression curves that extend beyond these mathematical constraints, thus creating an interpretational dilemma. Second, despite being a function of the same measured α- and γ-diversity, the resultant biodiversity pattern depends on the choice of β-diversity index. We propose a simple logistic transformation that rids beta-diversity indices of their mathematical constraints, thus eliminating the possibility of an uninterpretable regression curve. Moreover, this transformation results in identical biodiversity patterns for three commonly used classical beta-diversity indices. As a result, this transformation eliminates the difficulties of both shortcomings, while allowing the researcher to use whichever beta-diversity index deemed most appropriate. We believe this method can help unify the study of biodiversity patterns along ecological gradients.

Biodiversity Patterns along Ecological Gradients: Unifying β-Diversity Indices

PubMed Central

Szava-Kovats, Robert C.; Pärtel, Meelis

2014-01-01

Ecologists have developed an abundance of conceptions and mathematical expressions to define β-diversity, the link between local (α) and regional-scale (γ) richness, in order to characterize patterns of biodiversity along ecological (i.e., spatial and environmental) gradients. These patterns are often realized by regression of β-diversity indices against one or more ecological gradients. This practice, however, is subject to two shortcomings that can undermine the validity of the biodiversity patterns. First, many β-diversity indices are constrained to range between fixed lower and upper limits. As such, regression analysis of β-diversity indices against ecological gradients can result in regression curves that extend beyond these mathematical constraints, thus creating an interpretational dilemma. Second, despite being a function of the same measured α- and γ-diversity, the resultant biodiversity pattern depends on the choice of β-diversity index. We propose a simple logistic transformation that rids beta-diversity indices of their mathematical constraints, thus eliminating the possibility of an uninterpretable regression curve. Moreover, this transformation results in identical biodiversity patterns for three commonly used classical beta-diversity indices. As a result, this transformation eliminates the difficulties of both shortcomings, while allowing the researcher to use whichever beta-diversity index deemed most appropriate. We believe this method can help unify the study of biodiversity patterns along ecological gradients. PMID:25330181

Holographic Noise in Michelson Interferometers: A Direct Experimental Probe of Unification at the Planck Scale

ScienceCinema

Hogan, Craig

2017-12-22

Classical spacetime and quantum mass-energy form the basis of all of physics. They become inconsistent at the Planck scale, 5.4 times 10^{-44} seconds, which may signify a need for reconciliation in a unified theory. Although proposals for unified theories exist, a direct experimental probe of this scale, 16 orders of magnitude above Tevatron energy, has seemed hopelessly out of reach. However in a particular interpretation of holographic unified theories, derived from black hole evaporation physics, a world assembled out of Planck-scale waves displays effects of unification with a new kind of uncertainty in position at the Planck diffraction scale, the geometric mean of the Planck length and the apparatus size. In this case a new phenomenon may measurable, an indeterminacy of spacetime position that appears as noise in interferometers. The colloquium will discuss the theory of the effect, and our plans to build a holographic interferometer at Fermilab to measure it.

Educational Technology Acceptance across Cultures: A Validation of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology in the Context of Turkish National Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gogus, Aytac; Nistor, Nicolae; Riley, Richard W.; Lerche, Thomas

2012-01-01

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT; Venkatesh et al., 2003, 2012) proposes a major model of educational technology acceptance (ETA) which has been yet validated only in few languages and cultures. Therefore, this study aims at extending the applicability of UTAUT to Turkish culture. Based on acceptance and cultural data…

Left Handed Materials Based on Magnetic Nanocomposites

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-18

theory that unifies DNMs and SNMs as a function of two flmdamental material parameters: quality factors for permittivity (Qe=e’/e") and permeability (Qu...simultaneously negative effective permeability/uff and permittivity Seff to form LHM or only single negative parameter (SNM) to form negative indexed...developed a theory that unifies DNMs and SNMs as a function of two fundamental material parameters: quality factors for permittivity (Q, = -’/ 6") and

National parks and protected areas: Appoaches for balancing social, economic, and ecological values

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prato, Tony; Fagre, Daniel B.

2005-01-01

National Parks and Protected Areas: Approaches for Balancing Social, Economic and Ecological Values is peerless in its unified treatment of the issues surrounding this subject. From decision-making for planning and management to the principles of ecology and economics, this text examines the analytical methods, information technologies, and planning and management problems associated with protected area planning and management. Protected area managers and students in undergraduate and graduate courses in natural resource management will appreciate this highly readable book.

Systemic Darwinism

PubMed Central

Winther, Rasmus Grønfeldt

2008-01-01

Darwin's 19th century evolutionary theory of descent with modification through natural selection opened up a multidimensional and integrative conceptual space for biology. We explore three dimensions of this space: explanatory pattern, levels of selection, and degree of difference among units of the same type. Each dimension is defined by a respective pair of poles: law and narrative explanation, organismic and hierarchical selection, and variational and essentialist thinking. As a consequence of conceptual debates in the 20th century biological sciences, the poles of each pair came to be seen as mutually exclusive opposites. A significant amount of 21st century research focuses on systems (e.g., genomic, cellular, organismic, and ecological/global). Systemic Darwinism is emerging in this context. It follows a “compositional paradigm” according to which complex systems and their hierarchical networks of parts are the focus of biological investigation. Through the investigation of systems, Systemic Darwinism promises to reintegrate each dimension of Darwin's original logical space. Moreover, this ideally and potentially unified theory of biological ontology coordinates and integrates a plurality of mathematical biological theories (e.g., self-organization/structure, cladistics/history, and evolutionary genetics/function). Integrative Systemic Darwinism requires communal articulation from a plurality of perspectives. Although it is more general than these, it draws on previous advances in Systems Theory, Systems Biology, and Hierarchy Theory. Systemic Darwinism would greatly further bioengineering research and would provide a significantly deeper and more critical understanding of biological reality. PMID:18697926

Systemic darwinism.

PubMed

Winther, Rasmus Grønfeldt

2008-08-19

Darwin's 19th century evolutionary theory of descent with modification through natural selection opened up a multidimensional and integrative conceptual space for biology. We explore three dimensions of this space: explanatory pattern, levels of selection, and degree of difference among units of the same type. Each dimension is defined by a respective pair of poles: law and narrative explanation, organismic and hierarchical selection, and variational and essentialist thinking. As a consequence of conceptual debates in the 20th century biological sciences, the poles of each pair came to be seen as mutually exclusive opposites. A significant amount of 21st century research focuses on systems (e.g., genomic, cellular, organismic, and ecological/global). Systemic Darwinism is emerging in this context. It follows a "compositional paradigm" according to which complex systems and their hierarchical networks of parts are the focus of biological investigation. Through the investigation of systems, Systemic Darwinism promises to reintegrate each dimension of Darwin's original logical space. Moreover, this ideally and potentially unified theory of biological ontology coordinates and integrates a plurality of mathematical biological theories (e.g., self-organization/structure, cladistics/history, and evolutionary genetics/function). Integrative Systemic Darwinism requires communal articulation from a plurality of perspectives. Although it is more general than these, it draws on previous advances in Systems Theory, Systems Biology, and Hierarchy Theory. Systemic Darwinism would greatly further bioengineering research and would provide a significantly deeper and more critical understanding of biological reality.

A Unifying Theory of Biological Function.

PubMed

van Hateren, J H

2017-01-01

A new theory that naturalizes biological function is explained and compared with earlier etiological and causal role theories. Etiological (or selected effects) theories explain functions from how they are caused over their evolutionary history. Causal role theories analyze how functional mechanisms serve the current capacities of their containing system. The new proposal unifies the key notions of both kinds of theories, but goes beyond them by explaining how functions in an organism can exist as factors with autonomous causal efficacy. The goal-directedness and normativity of functions exist in this strict sense as well. The theory depends on an internal physiological or neural process that mimics an organism's fitness, and modulates the organism's variability accordingly. The structure of the internal process can be subdivided into subprocesses that monitor specific functions in an organism. The theory matches well with each intuition on a previously published list of intuited ideas about biological functions, including intuitions that have posed difficulties for other theories.

Relevance, textual unity, and politeness in writing about science

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

Kreml, N.M.P.

1992-01-01

The question of whether there are social implications of linguistic choices in unifying a text is investigated empirically by this study which accounts for the interpretation of implicatures in conversation and written texts. It considers Relevance Theory (Sperber and Wilson 1988, Blakemore 1987, Blass 1990) to be the explanation of the unity of the text, as opposed to semantic theories of cohesion (Halliday and Hasan 1976) or pragmatic theories of coherence (van Dijk 1977). This study presents a model of three types of textual unifiers: overt (referring specifically to the text), embedded (referring to intra- and extra-textual information), and inferencemore » (not referring to the text at all). It hypothesizes that different genres are characterized by the predominance of different types of textual unifiers, and that readers will prefer those texts that rely on inferential unifiers which emphasize the reader's ability to participate in creating the meaning of the text. Eighteen texts of 275 words each are selected from three genres: scientific magazines, introductory science textbooks, and essays on science. The texts are found to vary significantly by genre in the type of textual unifier used. An Overtness Index expresses the ratio of the marked forms: science textbooks have more Overt unifiers (such as connective phrases) and thus a high Overtness Index; essays rely more on Inference unifiers (not represented by words) and thus have a low Overtness Index. The texts are submitted to 188 readers, and a significantly high number of all types of readers prefer the texts with the lower Overtness Indices-the essays. Thus a low Overtness Index is one feature of texts preferred by readers, supporting the hypotheses that genres of texts vary in the type of unifier used and that readers prefer texts that allow them to participate in constructing the meaning of the text.« less

Community-Driven Initiatives to Achieve Interoperability for Ecological and Environmental Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madin, J.; Bowers, S.; Jones, M.; Schildhauer, M.

2007-12-01

Advances in ecology and environmental science increasingly depend on information from multiple disciplines to tackle broader and more complex questions about the natural world. Such advances, however, are hindered by data heterogeneity, which impedes the ability of researchers to discover, interpret, and integrate relevant data that have been collected by others. Here, we outline two community-building initiatives for improving data interoperability in the ecological and environmental sciences, one that is well-established (the Ecological Metadata Language [EML]), and another that is actively underway (a unified model for observations and measurements). EML is a metadata specification developed for the ecology discipline, and is based on prior work done by the Ecological Society of America and associated efforts to ensure a modular and extensible framework to document ecological data. EML "modules" are designed to describe one logical part of the total metadata that should be included with any ecological dataset. EML was developed through a series of working meetings, ongoing discussion forums and email lists, with participation from a broad range of ecological and environmental scientists, as well as computer scientists and software developers. Where possible, EML adopted syntax from the other metadata standards for other disciplines (e.g., Dublin Core, Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, and more). Although EML has not yet been ratified through a standards body, it has become the de facto metadata standard for a large range of ecological data management projects, including for the Long Term Ecological Research Network, the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, and the Ecological Society of America. The second community-building initiative is based on work through the Scientific Environment for Ecological Knowledge (SEEK) as well as a recent workshop on multi-disciplinary data management. This initiative aims at improving interoperability by describing the semantics of data at the level of observation and measurement (rather than the traditional focus at the level of the data set) and will define the necessary specifications and technologies to facilitate semantic interpretation and integration of observational data for the environmental sciences. As such, this initiative will focus on unifying the various existing approaches for representing and describing observation data (e.g., SEEK's Observation Ontology, CUAHSI's Observation Data Model, NatureServe's Observation Data Standard, to name a few). Products of this initiative will be compatible with existing standards and build upon recent advances in knowledge representation (e.g., W3C's recommended Web Ontology Language, OWL) that have demonstrated practical utility in enhancing scientific communication and data interoperability in other communities (e.g., the genomics community). A community-sanctioned, extensible, and unified model for observational data will support metadata standards such as EML while reducing the "babel" of scientific dialects that currently impede effective data integration, which will in turn provide a strong foundation for enabling cross-disciplinary synthetic research in the ecological and environmental sciences.

Probabilistic Tracking and Trajectory Planning for Autonomous Ground Vehicles in Urban Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-05

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: The aim of this research is to develop a unified theory for perception and planning in autonomous ground vehicles, with a...Report Title The aim of this research is to develop a unified theory for perception and planning in autonomous ground vehicles, with a specific focus on...a combination of experimentally collected vision data and Monte- Carlo simulations. Smoothing for improved perception and robustness in planning

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.

Unified cosmic history in modified gravity: From F(R) theory to Lorentz non-invariant models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nojiri, Shin'Ichi; Odintsov, Sergei D.

2011-08-01

The classical generalization of general relativity is considered as the gravitational alternative for a unified description of the early-time inflation with late-time cosmic acceleration. The structure and cosmological properties of a number of modified theories, including traditional F(R) and Hořava-Lifshitz F(R) gravity, scalar-tensor theory, string-inspired and Gauss-Bonnet theory, non-local gravity, non-minimally coupled models, and power-counting renormalizable covariant gravity are discussed. Different representations of and relations between such theories are investigated. It is shown that some versions of the above theories may be consistent with local tests and may provide a qualitatively reasonable unified description of inflation with the dark energy epoch. The cosmological reconstruction of different modified gravities is provided in great detail. It is demonstrated that eventually any given universe evolution may be reconstructed for the theories under consideration, and the explicit reconstruction is applied to an accelerating spatially flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe. Special attention is paid to Lagrange multiplier constrained and conventional F(R) gravities, for latter F(R) theory, the effective ΛCDM era and phantom divide crossing acceleration are obtained. The occurrences of the Big Rip and other finite-time future singularities in modified gravity are reviewed along with their solutions via the addition of higher-derivative gravitational invariants.

A unified convergence theory of a numerical method, and applications to the replenishment policies.

PubMed

Mi, Xiang-jiang; Wang, Xing-hua

2004-01-01

In determining the replenishment policy for an inventory system, some researchers advocated that the iterative method of Newton could be applied to the derivative of the total cost function in order to get the optimal solution. But this approach requires calculation of the second derivative of the function. Avoiding this complex computation we use another iterative method presented by the second author. One of the goals of this paper is to present a unified convergence theory of this method. Then we give a numerical example to show the application of our theory.

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.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of E-Learning Systems in Qatar and USA: Extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Masri, Mazen; Tarhini, Ali

2017-01-01

This study examines the major factors that may hinder or enable the adoption of e-learning systems by university students in developing (Qatar) as well as developed (USA) countries. To this end, we used extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) with Trust as an external variable. By means of an online survey, data were…

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.

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.

Unified theory of nonlinear electrodynamics and gravity

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

Torres-Gomez, Alexander; Krasnov, Kirill; Scarinci, Carlos

2011-01-15

We describe a class of unified theories of electromagnetism and gravity. The Lagrangian is of the BF type, with a potential for the B field, the gauge group is U(2) (complexified). Given a choice of the potential function the theory is a deformation of (complex) general relativity and electromagnetism, and describes just two propagating polarizations of the graviton and two of the photon. When gravity is switched off the theory becomes the usual nonlinear electrodynamics with a general structure function. The Einstein-Maxwell theory can be recovered by sending some of the parameters of the defining potential to zero, but formore » any generic choice of the potential the theory is indistinguishable from Einstein-Maxwell at low energies. A real theory is obtained by imposing suitable reality conditions. We also study the spherically-symmetric solution and show how the usual Reissner-Nordstrom solution is recovered.« less

Unification of the general non-linear sigma model and the Virasoro master equation

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

Boer, J. de; Halpern, M.B.

1997-06-01

The Virasoro master equation describes a large set of conformal field theories known as the affine-Virasoro constructions, in the operator algebra (affinie Lie algebra) of the WZW model, while the einstein equations of the general non-linear sigma model describe another large set of conformal field theories. This talk summarizes recent work which unifies these two sets of conformal field theories, together with a presumable large class of new conformal field theories. The basic idea is to consider spin-two operators of the form L{sub ij}{partial_derivative}x{sup i}{partial_derivative}x{sup j} in the background of a general sigma model. The requirement that these operators satisfymore » the Virasoro algebra leads to a set of equations called the unified Einstein-Virasoro master equation, in which the spin-two spacetime field L{sub ij} cuples to the usual spacetime fields of the sigma model. The one-loop form of this unified system is presented, and some of its algebraic and geometric properties are discussed.« less

A new unified theory of electromagnetic and gravitational interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Li-Xin

2016-12-01

In this paper we present a new unified theory of electromagnetic and gravitational interactions. By considering a four-dimensional spacetime as a hypersurface embedded in a five-dimensional bulk spacetime, we derive the complete set of field equations in the four-dimensional spacetime from the fivedimensional Einstein field equation. Besides the Einstein field equation in the four-dimensional spacetime, an electromagnetic field equation is obtained: ∇a F ab - ξ R b a A a = -4π J b with ξ = -2, where F ab is the antisymmetric electromagnetic field tensor defined by the potential vector A a , R ab is the Ricci curvature tensor of the hypersurface, and J a is the electric current density vector. The electromagnetic field equation differs from the Einstein-Maxwell equation by a curvature-coupled term ξ R b a A a , whose presence addresses the problem of incompatibility of the Einstein-Maxwell equation with a universe containing a uniformly distributed net charge, as discussed in a previous paper by the author [L.-X. Li, Gen. Relativ. Gravit. 48, 28 (2016)]. Hence, the new unified theory is physically different from Kaluza-Klein theory and its variants in which the Einstein-Maxwell equation is derived. In the four-dimensional Einstein field equation derived in the new theory, the source term includes the stress-energy tensor of electromagnetic fields as well as the stress-energy tensor of other unidentified matter. Under certain conditions the unidentified matter can be interpreted as a cosmological constant in the four-dimensional spacetime. We argue that, the electromagnetic field equation and hence the unified theory presented in this paper can be tested in an environment with a high mass density, e.g., inside a neutron star or a white dwarf, and in the early epoch of the universe.

Complexity theory, time series analysis and Tsallis q-entropy principle part one: theoretical aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlos, George P.

2017-12-01

In this study, we present the highlights of complexity theory (Part I) and significant experimental verifications (Part II) and we try to give a synoptic description of complexity theory both at the microscopic and at the macroscopic level of the physical reality. Also, we propose that the self-organization observed macroscopically is a phenomenon that reveals the strong unifying character of the complex dynamics which includes thermodynamical and dynamical characteristics in all levels of the physical reality. From this point of view, macroscopical deterministic and stochastic processes are closely related to the microscopical chaos and self-organization. The scientific work of scientists such as Wilson, Nicolis, Prigogine, Hooft, Nottale, El Naschie, Castro, Tsallis, Chang and others is used for the development of a unified physical comprehension of complex dynamics from the microscopic to the macroscopic level. Finally, we provide a comprehensive description of the novel concepts included in the complexity theory from microscopic to macroscopic level. Some of the modern concepts that can be used for a unified description of complex systems and for the understanding of modern complexity theory, as it is manifested at the macroscopic and the microscopic level, are the fractal geometry and fractal space-time, scale invariance and scale relativity, phase transition and self-organization, path integral amplitudes, renormalization group theory, stochastic and chaotic quantization and E-infinite theory, etc.

Toward a Unified Theory of Context Dependence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanna, Gerald S.; Oaster, Thomas R.

1978-01-01

Traces a major source of confusion in the literature on passage dependence and integrates the relevant concepts into a general theory of context dependence. Sample items and data illustrate practical applications of the theory. (AA)

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.

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…

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

Santos, A.F., E-mail: alesandroferreira@fisica.ufmt.br; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road Victoria, BC; Khanna, Faqir C., E-mail: khannaf@uvic.ca

Dynamics between particles is governed by Lorentz and CPT symmetry. There is a violation of Parity (P) and CP symmetry at low levels. The unified theory, that includes particle physics and quantum gravity, may be expected to be covariant with Lorentz and CPT symmetry. At high enough energies, will the unified theory display violation of any symmetry? The Standard Model Extension (SME), with Lorentz and CPT violating terms, has been suggested to include particle dynamics. The minimal SME in the pure photon sector is considered in order to calculate the Casimir effect at finite temperature.

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.

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.

A new uniformly valid asymptotic integration algorithm for elasto-plastic creep and unified viscoplastic theories including continuum damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chulya, Abhisak; Walker, Kevin P.

1991-01-01

A new scheme to integrate a system of stiff differential equations for both the elasto-plastic creep and the unified viscoplastic theories is presented. The method has high stability, allows large time increments, and is implicit and iterative. It is suitable for use with continuum damage theories. The scheme was incorporated into MARC, a commercial finite element code through a user subroutine called HYPELA. Results from numerical problems under complex loading histories are presented for both small and large scale analysis. To demonstrate the scheme's accuracy and efficiency, comparisons to a self-adaptive forward Euler method are made.

A new uniformly valid asymptotic integration algorithm for elasto-plastic-creep and unified viscoplastic theories including continuum damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chulya, A.; Walker, K. P.

1989-01-01

A new scheme to integrate a system of stiff differential equations for both the elasto-plastic creep and the unified viscoplastic theories is presented. The method has high stability, allows large time increments, and is implicit and iterative. It is suitable for use with continuum damage theories. The scheme was incorporated into MARC, a commercial finite element code through a user subroutine called HYPELA. Results from numerical problems under complex loading histories are presented for both small and large scale analysis. To demonstrate the scheme's accuracy and efficiency, comparisons to a self-adaptive forward Euler method are made.

The relationship between body mass and field metabolic rate among individual birds and mammals.

PubMed

Hudson, Lawrence N; Isaac, Nick J B; Reuman, Daniel C

2013-09-01

1. The power-law dependence of metabolic rate on body mass has major implications at every level of ecological organization. However, the overwhelming majority of studies examining this relationship have used basal or resting metabolic rates, and/or have used data consisting of species-averaged masses and metabolic rates. Field metabolic rates are more ecologically relevant and are probably more directly subject to natural selection than basal rates. Individual rates might be more important than species-average rates in determining the outcome of ecological interactions, and hence selection. 2. We here provide the first comprehensive database of published field metabolic rates and body masses of individual birds and mammals, containing measurements of 1498 animals of 133 species in 28 orders. We used linear mixed-effects models to answer questions about the body mass scaling of metabolic rate and its taxonomic universality/heterogeneity that have become classic areas of controversy. Our statistical approach allows mean scaling exponents and taxonomic heterogeneity in scaling to be analysed in a unified way while simultaneously accounting for nonindependence in the data due to shared evolutionary history of related species. 3. The mean power-law scaling exponents of metabolic rate vs. body mass relationships were 0.71 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.625-0.795] for birds and 0.64 (95% CI 0.564-0.716) for mammals. However, these central tendencies obscured meaningful taxonomic heterogeneity in scaling exponents. The primary taxonomic level at which heterogeneity occurred was the order level. Substantial heterogeneity also occurred at the species level, a fact that cannot be revealed by species-averaged data sets used in prior work. Variability in scaling exponents at both order and species levels was comparable to or exceeded the differences 3/4-2/3 = 1/12 and 0.71-0.64. 4. Results are interpreted in the light of a variety of existing theories. In particular, results are consistent with the heat dissipation theory of Speakman & Król (2010) and provided some support for the metabolic levels boundary hypothesis of Glazier (2010). 5. Our analysis provides the first comprehensive empirical analysis of the scaling relationship between field metabolic rate and body mass in individual birds and mammals. Our data set is a valuable contribution to those interested in theories of the allometry of metabolic rates. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

Towards generalizing co-evolutionary dynamics of socio-hydrology: Theoretical frameworks of cultural evolution and robustness-fragility tradeoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, W. S.; Yu, D. J.; Davis, T.; Hillis, V.; Waring, T. M.

2017-12-01

One ongoing challenge to socio-hydrology is the problem of generalization: to what extent do common human-water co-evolutions exist across distinct cases and what are underlying mechanisms of these co-evolutions. This problem stems in part from a lack of unifying theories in socio-hydrology, which hinders the explanation and generalization of results between cases in different regions. Theories help an analyst to make assumptions that are necessary to diagnose a specific phenomenon, to explain the general mechanisms of causation, and, thus, to predict future outcomes. To help address the issue, this study introduces two theories that are increasingly used in the fields of sustainability science and social-ecological systems research: robustness-fragility tradeoff (RFTO) and cultural multi-level selection (CMLS). We apply each of these theories to two distinct cases (water management issues in southwest Bangladesh and the Kissimmee River Basin, Florida) and interpret the phenomena of the levee and adaptation effects. CMLS and RFTO focus on complementary aspects of socio-hydrological phenomena. The theory of RFTO, which is mostly about inherent tradeoffs associated with infrastructure improvements, explains how efforts to increase system robustness can generate hidden endogenous risks. CMLS theory, rooted in the broader theory of cultural evolution, concerns how human cultural dynamics can act as an endogenous driver of system change across multiple levels of social organizations. Using the applied examples, we demonstrate that these two theories can provide an effective way to study social-hydrological systems and to overcome the generalization problem. Our work shows that multiple theories can be synthesized to give a richer understanding of diverse socio-hydrological patterns.

Toward a Unified Consciousness Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Richard H.

1977-01-01

The beginning of a holistic theory that can treat paranormal phenomena as normal human development is presented. Implications for counseling, counselor education, and counselor supervision are discussed. (Author)

Surface-emitting circular DFB, disk- and ring- Bragg resonator lasers with chirped gratings: a unified theory and comparative study.

PubMed

Sun, Xiankai; Yariv, Amnon

2008-06-09

We have developed a theory that unifies the analysis of the modal properties of surface-emitting chirped circular grating lasers. This theory is based on solving the resonance conditions which involve two types of reflectivities of chirped circular gratings. This approach is shown to be in agreement with previous derivations which use the characteristic equations. Utilizing this unified analysis, we obtain the modal properties of circular DFB, disk-, and ring- Bragg resonator lasers. We also compare the threshold gain, single mode range, quality factor, emission efficiency, and modal area of these types of circular grating lasers. It is demonstrated that, under similar conditions, disk Bragg resonator lasers have the highest quality factor, the highest emission efficiency, and the smallest modal area, indicating their suitability in low-threshold, high-efficiency, ultracompact laser design, while ring Bragg resonator lasers have a large single mode range, high emission efficiency, and large modal area, indicating their suitability for high-efficiency, large-area, high-power applications.

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.

Reactive oxygen species may play an essential role in driving biological evolution: The Cambrian Explosion as an example.

PubMed

Yang, Dong; Guo, Xuejun; Xie, Tian; Luo, Xiaoyan

2018-01-01

The Cambrian Explosion is one of the most significant events in the history of life; essentially all easily fossilizable animal body plans first evolved during this event. Although many theories have been proposed to explain this event, its cause remains unresolved. Here, we propose that the elevated level of oxygen, in combination with the increased mobility and food intake of metazoans, led to increased cellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which drove evolution by enhancing mutation rates and providing new regulatory mechanisms. Our hypothesis may provide a unified explanation for the Cambrian Explosion as it incorporates both environmental and developmental factors and is also consistent with ecological explanations for animal radiation. Future studies should focus on testing this hypothesis, and may lead to important insights into evolution. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Towards a unifying approach to diversity measures: bridging the gap between the Shannon entropy and Rao's quadratic index.

PubMed

Ricotta, Carlo; Szeidl, Laszlo

2006-11-01

The diversity of a species assemblage has been studied extensively for many decades in relation to its possible connection with ecosystem functioning and organization. In this view most diversity measures, such as Shannon's entropy, rely upon information theory as a basis for the quantification of diversity. Also, traditional diversity measures are computed using species relative abundances and cannot account for the ecological differences between species. Rao first proposed a diversity index, termed quadratic diversity (Q) that incorporates both species relative abundances and pairwise distances between species. Quadratic diversity is traditionally defined as the expected distance between two randomly selected individuals. In this paper, we show that quadratic diversity can be interpreted as the expected conflict among the species of a given assemblage. From this unusual interpretation, it naturally follows that Rao's Q can be related to the Shannon entropy through a generalized version of the Tsallis parametric entropy.

The role of ecological theory in microbial ecology.

PubMed

Prosser, James I; Bohannan, Brendan J M; Curtis, Tom P; Ellis, Richard J; Firestone, Mary K; Freckleton, Rob P; Green, Jessica L; Green, Laura E; Killham, Ken; Lennon, Jack J; Osborn, A Mark; Solan, Martin; van der Gast, Christopher J; Young, J Peter W

2007-05-01

Microbial ecology is currently undergoing a revolution, with repercussions spreading throughout microbiology, ecology and ecosystem science. The rapid accumulation of molecular data is uncovering vast diversity, abundant uncultivated microbial groups and novel microbial functions. This accumulation of data requires the application of theory to provide organization, structure, mechanistic insight and, ultimately, predictive power that is of practical value, but the application of theory in microbial ecology is currently very limited. Here we argue that the full potential of the ongoing revolution will not be realized if research is not directed and driven by theory, and that the generality of established ecological theory must be tested using microbial systems.

A unified approach for quantifying invasibility and degree of invasion

Treesearch

Qinfeng Guo; Songlin Fei; Jeffrey S. Dukes; Christopher M. Oswalt; Basil V. Iannone III; Kevin M. Potter

2015-01-01

Habitat invasibility is a central focus of invasion biology, with implications for basic ecological patterns and processes and for effective invasion management. ‘‘Invasibility’’ is, however, one of the most elusive metrics and misused terms in ecology. Empirical studies and meta-analyses of invasibility have produced inconsistent and even conflicting results. This ...

Some empirical evidence for ecological dissonance theory.

PubMed

Miller, D I; Verhoek-Miller, N; Giesen, J M; Wells-Parker, E

2000-04-01

Using Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory as a model, the extension to Barker's ecological theory, referred to as ecological dissonance theory, was developed. Designed to examine the motivational dynamics involved when environmental systems are in conflict with each other or with cognitive systems, ecological dissonance theory yielded five propositions which were tested in 10 studies. This summary of the studies suggests operationally defined measures of ecological dissonance may correlate with workers' satisfaction with their jobs, involvement with their jobs, alienation from their work, and to a lesser extent, workers' conflict resolution behavior and communication style.

Symmetry, Contingency, Complexity: Accommodating Uncertainty in Public Relations Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Priscilla

2000-01-01

Explores the potential of complexity theory as a unifying theory in public relations, where scholars have recently raised problems involving flux, uncertainty, adaptiveness, and loss of control. Describes specific complexity-based methodologies and their potential for public relations studies. Offers an account of complexity theory, its…

Directional connectivity in hydrology and ecology.

PubMed

Larsen, Laurel G; Choi, Jungyill; Nungesser, Martha K; Harvey, Judson W

2012-12-01

Quantifying hydrologic and ecological connectivity has contributed to understanding transport and dispersal processes and assessing ecosystem degradation or restoration potential. However, there has been little synthesis across disciplines. The growing field of ecohydrology and recent recognition that loss of hydrologic connectivity is leading to a global decline in biodiversity underscore the need for a unified connectivity concept. One outstanding need is a way to quantify directional connectivity that is consistent, robust to variations in sampling, and transferable across scales or environmental settings. Understanding connectivity in a particular direction (e.g., streamwise, along or across gradient, between sources and sinks, along cardinal directions) provides critical information for predicting contaminant transport, planning conservation corridor design, and understanding how landscapes or hydroscapes respond to directional forces like wind or water flow. Here we synthesize progress on quantifying connectivity and develop a new strategy for evaluating directional connectivity that benefits from use of graph theory in ecology and percolation theory in hydrology. The directional connectivity index (DCI) is a graph-theory based, multiscale metric that is generalizable to a range of different structural and functional connectivity applications. It exhibits minimal sensitivity to image rotation or resolution within a given range and responds intuitively to progressive, unidirectional change. Further, it is linearly related to the integral connectivity scale length--a metric common in hydrology that correlates well with actual fluxes--but is less computationally challenging and more readily comparable across different landscapes. Connectivity-orientation curves (i.e., directional connectivity computed over a range of headings) provide a quantitative, information-dense representation of environmental structure that can be used for comparison or detection of subtle differences in the physical-biological feedbacks driving pattern formation. Case-study application of the DCI to the Everglades in south Florida revealed that loss of directional hydrologic connectivity occurs more rapidly and is a more sensitive indicator of declining ecosystem function than other metrics (e.g., habitat area) used previously. Here and elsewhere, directional connectivity can provide insight into landscape drivers and processes, act as an early-warning indicator of environmental degradation, and serve as a planning tool or performance measure for conservation and restoration efforts.

Directional connectivity in hydrology and ecology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larsen, Laurel G.; Choi, Jungyill; Nungesser, Martha K.; Harvey, Judson W.

2012-01-01

Quantifying hydrologic and ecological connectivity has contributed to understanding transport and dispersal processes and assessing ecosystem degradation or restoration potential. However, there has been little synthesis across disciplines. The growing field of ecohydrology and recent recognition that loss of hydrologic connectivity is leading to a global decline in biodiversity underscore the need for a unified connectivity concept. One outstanding need is a way to quantify directional connectivity that is consistent, robust to variations in sampling, and transferable across scales or environmental settings. Understanding connectivity in a particular direction (e.g., streamwise, along or across gradient, between sources and sinks, along cardinal directions) provides critical information for predicting contaminant transport, planning conservation corridor design, and understanding how landscapes or hydroscapes respond to directional forces like wind or water flow. Here we synthesize progress on quantifying connectivity and develop a new strategy for evaluating directional connectivity that benefits from use of graph theory in ecology and percolation theory in hydrology. The directional connectivity index (DCI) is a graph-theory based, multiscale metric that is generalizable to a range of different structural and functional connectivity applications. It exhibits minimal sensitivity to image rotation or resolution within a given range and responds intuitively to progressive, unidirectional change. Further, it is linearly related to the integral connectivity scale length—a metric common in hydrology that correlates well with actual fluxes—but is less computationally challenging and more readily comparable across different landscapes. Connectivity-orientation curves (i.e., directional connectivity computed over a range of headings) provide a quantitative, information-dense representation of environmental structure that can be used for comparison or detection of subtle differences in the physical-biological feedbacks driving pattern formation. Case-study application of the DCI to the Everglades in south Florida revealed that loss of directional hydrologic connectivity occurs more rapidly and is a more sensitive indicator of declining ecosystem function than other metrics (e.g., habitat area) used previously. Here and elsewhere, directional connectivity can provide insight into landscape drivers and processes, act as an early-warning indicator of environmental degradation, and serve as a planning tool or performance measure for conservation and restoration efforts.

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.

Supersymmetry, Supergravity, and Unification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nath, Pran

2016-12-01

Dedication; Preface; 1. A brief history of unification; 2. Gravitation; 3. Non-abelian gauge theory; 4. Spontaneous breaking of global and local symmetries; 5. The Standard Model; 6. Anomalies; 7. Effective Lagrangians; 8. Supersymmetry; 9. Grand unification; 10. MSSM Lagrangian; 11. N = 1 supergravity; 12. Coupling of supergravity with matter and gauge fields; 13. Supergravity grand unification; 14. Phenomenology of supergravity grand unification; 15. CP violation in supergravity unified theories; 16. Proton stability in supergravity unified theories; 17. Cosmology, astroparticle physics and SUGRA unification; 18. Extended supergravities and supergravities from superstrings; 19. Specialized topics; 20. The future of unification; 21. Appendices; 22. Notations, conventions, and formulae; 23. Physical constants; 24. List of books and reviews for further reading; Index.

A unified perspective on preferential solvation and adsorption based on inhomogeneous solvation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Seishi; Matubayasi, Nobuyuki

2018-02-01

How cosolvents affects solvation has been revealed through the independent determination of solute-solvent and solute-cosolvent interactions guaranteed by the phase rule. Based on the first principles of inhomogeneous solvation theory, we present here a general matrix theory encompassing both preferential solvation and surface adsorption. The central role of the stability conditions, that govern how many excess numbers (surface excesses) are independently determinable, have been clarified from the first principles. The advantage of the inhomogeneous approach has been demonstrated to be in its ease in treating solvation and adsorption in a unified manner, while its disadvantage, for example in membrane dialysis experiments, can be overcome by the inhomogeneous-homogeneous conversion.

Unified theory of the exciplex formation/dissipation.

PubMed

Khokhlova, Svetlana S; Burshtein, Anatoly I

2010-11-04

The natural extension and reformulation of the unified theory (UT) proposed here makes it integro-differential and capable of describing the distant quenching of excitation by electron transfer, accompanied with contact but reversible exciplex formation. The numerical solution of the new UT equations allows specifying the kinetics of the fluorescence quenching and exciplex association/dissociation as well as those reactions' quantum yields. It was demonstrated that the distant electron transfer in either the normal or inverted Marcus regions screens the contact reaction of exciplex formation, especially at slow diffusion.

Unifying inflation with ΛCDM epoch in modified f(R) gravity consistent with Solar System tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nojiri, Shin'ichi; Odintsov, Sergei D.

2007-12-01

We suggest two realistic f(R) and one F(G) modified gravities which are consistent with local tests and cosmological bounds. The typical property of such theories is the presence of the effective cosmological constant epochs in such a way that early-time inflation and late-time cosmic acceleration are naturally unified within single model. It is shown that classical instability does not appear here and Newton law is respected. Some discussion of possible anti-gravity regime appearance and related modification of the theory is done.

Examples of Rate-Theory Constitutive Equations Which Unify Elasticity and Plasticity

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

8217%LEYEI IAD- E Y.30Ol CONTRACT REPORT ARBRL-CR-00389 0"I o EXAMPLES OF RATE-THEORY CONSTITUTIVE p. EQUATIONS WHICH UNIFY ELASTICITY AND PLASTICITY...of Coomerce , Springfield, Virginia 22161. ° 1I The findings in this report are not to be coustrued as an official Department of the Army position...unless so designated by other authorized docunents. ’rows )J wJ e -Aumiei or xiiiif~atwui.. ’ , j~w i th~v rwport do.Jd wro Ln’matitute i ndorvemwvstI of

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

40 CFR 60.4 - Address.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

.... Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. (b) Section 111(c) directs the..., Division of Air Pollution Control, Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology, 8001 National... Park Avenue, Victorville, CA 92392-2310. Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, 24580...

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…

String Theory: Big Problem for Small Size

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahoo, S.

2009-01-01

String theory is the most promising candidate theory for a unified description of all the fundamental forces that exist in nature. It provides a mathematical framework that combines quantum theory with Einstein's general theory of relativity. The typical size of a string is of the order of 10[superscript -33] cm, called the Planck length. But due…

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

Designing for adaptation to novelty and change: functional information, emergent feature graphics, and higher-level control.

PubMed

Hajdukiewicz, John R; Vicente, Kim J

2002-01-01

Ecological interface design (EID) is a theoretical framework that aims to support worker adaptation to change and novelty in complex systems. Previous evaluations of EID have emphasized representativeness to enhance generalizability of results to operational settings. The research presented here is complementary, emphasizing experimental control to enhance theory building. Two experiments were conducted to test the impact of functional information and emergent feature graphics on adaptation to novelty and change in a thermal-hydraulic process control microworld. Presenting functional information in an interface using emergent features encouraged experienced participants to become perceptually coupled to the interface and thereby to exhibit higher-level control and more successful adaptation to unanticipated events. The absence of functional information or of emergent features generally led to lower-level control and less success at adaptation, the exception being a minority of participants who compensated by relying on analytical reasoning. These findings may have practical implications for shaping coordination in complex systems and fundamental implications for the development of a general unified theory of coordination for the technical, human, and social sciences. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of human-computer interfaces that improve safety in complex sociotechnical systems.

Trichotomous processes in early memory development, aging, and neurocognitive impairment: a unified theory.

PubMed

Brainerd, C J; Reyna, V F; Howe, M L

2009-10-01

One of the most extensively investigated topics in the adult memory literature, dual memory processes, has had virtually no impact on the study of early memory development. The authors remove the key obstacles to such research by formulating a trichotomous theory of recall that combines the traditional dual processes of recollection and familiarity with a reconstruction process. The theory is then embedded in a hidden Markov model that measures all 3 processes with low-burden tasks that are appropriate for even young children. These techniques are applied to a large corpus of developmental studies of recall, yielding stable findings about the emergence of dual memory processes between childhood and young adulthood and generating tests of many theoretical predictions. The techniques are extended to the study of healthy aging and to the memory sequelae of common forms of neurocognitive impairment, resulting in a theoretical framework that is unified over 4 major domains of memory research: early development, mainstream adult research, aging, and neurocognitive impairment. The techniques are also extended to recognition, creating a unified dual process framework for recall and recognition.

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.

Noncommutative GUTs, Standard Model and C, P, T

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aschieri, P.; Jurčo, B.; Schupp, P.; Wess, J.

2003-02-01

Noncommutative Yang-Mills theories are sensitive to the choice of the representation that enters in the gauge kinetic term. We constrain this ambiguity by considering grand unified theories. We find that at first order in the noncommutativity parameter θ, SU(5) is not truly a unified theory, while SO(10) has a unique noncommutative generalization. In view of these results we discuss the noncommutative SM theory that is compatible with SO(10) GUT and find that there are no modifications to the SM gauge kinetic term at lowest order in θ. We study in detail the reality, Hermiticity and C, P, T properties of the Seiberg-Witten map and of the resulting effective actions expanded in ordinary fields. We find that in models of GUTs (or compatible with GUTs) right-handed fermions and left-handed ones appear with opposite Seiberg-Witten map.

Unified Aeroacoustics Analysis for High Speed Turboprop Aerodynamics and Noise. Volume 1; Development of Theory for Blade Loading, Wakes, and Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, D. B.

1991-01-01

A unified theory for the aerodynamics and noise of advanced turboprops are presented. Aerodynamic topics include calculation of performance, blade load distribution, and non-uniform wake flow fields. Blade loading can be steady or unsteady due to fixed distortion, counter-rotating wakes, or blade vibration. The aerodynamic theory is based on the pressure potential method and is therefore basically linear. However, nonlinear effects associated with finite axial induction and blade vortex flow are included via approximate methods. Acoustic topics include radiation of noise caused by blade thickness, steady loading (including vortex lift), and unsteady loading. Shielding of the fuselage by its boundary layer and the wing are treated in separate analyses that are compatible but not integrated with the aeroacoustic theory for rotating blades.

A theory of eu-estrogenemia: a unifying concept

PubMed Central

Turner, Ralph J.; Kerber, Irwin J.

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective: The aim of the study was to propose a unifying theory for the role of estrogen in postmenopausal women through examples in basic science, randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and clinical practice. Methods: Review and evaluation of the literature relating to estrogen. Discussion: The role of hormone therapy and ubiquitous estrogen receptors after reproductive senescence gains insight from basic science models. Observational studies and individualized patient care in clinical practice may show outcomes that are not reproduced in randomized clinical trials. The understanding gained from the timing hypothesis for atherosclerosis, the critical window theory in neurosciences, randomized controlled trials, and numerous genomic and nongenomic actions of estrogen discovered in basic science provides new explanations to clinical challenges that practitioners face. Consequences of a hypo-estrogenemic duration in women's lives are poorly understood. The Study of Women Across the Nation suggests its magnitude is greater than was previously acknowledged. We propose that the healthy user bias was the result of surgical treatment (hysterectomy with oophorectomy) for many gynecological maladies followed by pharmacological and physiological doses of estrogen to optimize patient quality of life. The past decade of research has begun to demonstrate the role of estrogen in homeostasis. Conclusions: The theory of eu-estrogenemia provides a robust framework to unify the timing hypothesis, critical window theory, randomized controlled trials, the basic science of estrogen receptors, and clinical observations of patients over the past five decades. PMID:28562489

The R.I. Pimenov unified gravitation and electromagnetism field theory as semi-Riemannian geometry

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

Gromov, N. A., E-mail: gromov@dm.komisc.r

2009-05-15

More than forty years ago R.I. Pimenov introduced a new geometry-semi-Riemannian one-as a set of geometrical objects consistent with a fibering pr: M{sub n} {yields} M{sub m}. He suggested the heuristic principle according to which the physically different quantities (meter, second, Coulomb, etc.) are geometrically modelled as space coordinates that are not superposed by automorphisms. As there is only one type of coordinates in Riemannian geometry and only three types of coordinates in pseudo-Riemannian one, a multiple-fibered semi-Riemannian geometry is the most appropriate one for the treatment of more than three different physical quantities as unified geometrical field theory. Semi-Euclideanmore » geometry {sup 3}R{sub 5}{sup 4} with 1-dimensional fiber x{sup 5} and 4-dimensional Minkowski space-time as a base is naturally interpreted as classical electrodynamics. Semi-Riemannian geometry {sup 3}V{sub 5}{sup 4} with the general relativity pseudo-Riemannian space-time {sup 3}V{sub 4}, and 1-dimensional fiber x{sup 5}, responsible for the electromagnetism, provides the unified field theory of gravitation and electromagnetism. Unlike Kaluza-Klein theories, where the fifth coordinate appears in nondegenerate Riemannian or pseudo-Riemannian geometry, the theory based on semi-Riemannian geometry is free from defects of the former. In particular, scalar field does not arise.« less

Host Competence: An Organismal Trait to Integrate Immunology and Epidemiology.

PubMed

Martin, Lynn B; Burgan, S C; Adelman, James S; Gervasi, Stephanie S

2016-12-01

The new fields of ecological immunology and disease ecology have begun to merge, and the classic fields of immunology and epidemiology are beginning to blend with them. This merger is occurring because the integrative study of host-parasite interactions is providing insights into disease in ways that traditional methods have not. With the advent of new tools, mathematical and technological, we could be on the verge of developing a unified theory of infectious disease, one that supersedes the barriers of jargon and tradition. Here we argue that a cornerstone of any such synthesis will be host competence, the propensity of an individual host to generate new infections in other susceptible hosts. In the last few years, the emergence of systems immunology has led to novel insight into how hosts control or eliminate pathogens. Most such efforts have stopped short of considering transmission and the requisite behaviors of infected individuals that mediate it, and few have explicitly incorporated ecological and evolutionary principles. Ultimately though, we expect that the use of a systems immunology perspective will help link suborganismal processes (i.e., health of hosts and selection on genes) to superorganismal outcomes (i.e., community-level disease dynamics and host-parasite coevolution). Recently, physiological regulatory networks (PRNs) were cast as whole-organism regulatory systems that mediate homeostasis and hence link suborganismal processes with the fitness of individuals. Here, we use the PRN construct to develop a roadmap for studying host competence, taking guidance from systems immunology and evolutionary ecology research. We argue that PRN variation underlies heterogeneity in individual host competence and hence host-parasite dynamics. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Active-Passive-Intuitive Learning Theory: A Unified Theory of Learning and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigette, Tyson

2009-01-01

This paper addresses many theories of learning and human development which are very similar with regards as to how they suggest learning occurs. The differences in most of the theories exist in how they treat the development of the learner compared to methods of teaching. Most of the major learning theories taught to educators today are based on…

Directionality theory and the evolution of body size.

PubMed

Demetrius, L

2000-12-07

Directionality theory, a dynamic theory of evolution that integrates population genetics with demography, is based on the concept of evolutionary entropy, a measure of the variability in the age of reproducing individuals in a population. The main tenets of the theory are three principles relating the response to the ecological constraints a population experiences, with trends in entropy as the population evolves under mutation and natural selection. (i) Stationary size or fluctuations around a stationary size (bounded growth): a unidirectional increase in entropy; (ii) prolonged episodes of exponential growth (unbounded growth), large population size: a unidirectional decrease in entropy; and (iii) prolonged episodes of exponential growth (unbounded growth), small population size: random, non-directional change in entropy. We invoke these principles, together with an allometric relationship between entropy, and the morphometric variable body size, to provide evolutionary explanations of three empirical patterns pertaining to trends in body size, namely (i) Cope's rule, the tendency towards size increase within phyletic lineages; (ii) the island rule, which pertains to changes in body size that occur as species migrate from mainland populations to colonize island habitats; and (iii) Bergmann's rule, the tendency towards size increase with increasing latitude. The observation that these ecotypic patterns can be explained in terms of the directionality principles for entropy underscores the significance of evolutionary entropy as a unifying concept in forging a link between micro-evolution, the dynamics of gene frequency change, and macro-evolution, dynamic changes in morphometric variables.

Unified constitutive models for high-temperature structural applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindholm, U. S.; Chan, K. S.; Bodner, S. R.; Weber, R. M.; Walker, K. P.

1988-01-01

Unified constitutive models are characterized by the use of a single inelastic strain rate term for treating all aspects of inelastic deformation, including plasticity, creep, and stress relaxation under monotonic or cyclic loading. The structure of this class of constitutive theory pertinent for high temperature structural applications is first outlined and discussed. The effectiveness of the unified approach for representing high temperature deformation of Ni-base alloys is then evaluated by extensive comparison of experimental data and predictions of the Bodner-Partom and the Walker models. The use of the unified approach for hot section structural component analyses is demonstrated by applying the Walker model in finite element analyses of a benchmark notch problem and a turbine blade problem.

History of electroweak symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibble, T. W. B.

2015-07-01

In this talk, I recall the history of the development of the unified electroweak theory, incorporating the symmetry-breaking Higgs mechanism, as I saw it from my standpoint as a member of Abdus Salam's group at Imperial College. I start by describing the state of physics in the years after the Second World War, explain how the goal of a unified gauge theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions emerged, the obstacles encountered, in particular the Goldstone theorem, and how they were overcome, followed by a brief account of more recent history, culminating in the historic discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012.

Supergravity and the Unification of the Laws of Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedman, Daniel Z.; van Nieuwenhuizen, Peter

1978-01-01

In this new theory the gravitational force arises from a symmetry relating particles with vastly different properties. The ultimate result may be a unified theory of all the basic forces in nature. (Author/BB)

Holistic Health Through Holistic Counseling: Toward a Unified Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stensrud, Robert; Stensrud, Kay

1984-01-01

Reviews the trend in health care toward increasing levels of specialization and draws a distinction between specialization and reductionism. A theory of holistic counseling is derived from social learning and transpersonal psychology. (Author)

Five analogies between a King's Speech treatment and contemporary play therapies.

PubMed

Terr, Lenore C

2012-01-01

Psychiatric patients frequently respond positively to play therapy, which may rely on psychoanalytic, Jungian, cognitive-behavioral, familial, school-based, or other theories. I wished to determine if there were unifying principles that tie together these various types of play treatments. The fact-based film, The King's Speech, vividly illustrates play utilized by Lionel Logue in his speech treatment (1926-1939) of the future King of England. In the film I found five analogies to the play therapy I employ in office practice. The play scenes in The King's Speech point to five unifying principles among contemporary play therapies: (1) the crucial nature of the relationship, (2) the centrality of having fun, (3) the occasional reliance on others, (4) the interjection of pithy talk, and (5) the usefulness of a little drama. No matter what theory a play therapist ascribes to, these five unifying principles should be kept in mind during treatment.

The Role of Fisher Information Theory in the Development of Fundamental Laws in Physical Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honig, J. M.

2009-01-01

The unifying principle that involves rendering the Fisher information measure an extremum is reviewed. It is shown that with this principle, in conjunction with appropriate constraints, a large number of fundamental laws can be derived from a common source in a unified manner. The resulting economy of thought pertaining to fundamental principles…

At the Edge of Chaos: A New Paradigm for Social Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Christopher G.

2000-01-01

Reviews key concepts and applications of chaos theory and the broader complex systems theory in the context of general systems theory and the search for a unified conceptual framework for social work. Concludes that chaos theory shows promise as a solution to many problems posed by the now dated general systems approach. (DB)

Toward a theory of partnership as context for a theory of leisure

Treesearch

Kim Uhlik

2008-01-01

The field of leisure studies has been developing a body of theory since the late 1960s, but construction of an overarching, unified theory of leisure remains an elusive goal (Bedini and Wu, 1994; Brown, Dyer, & Whatey, 1973; Burdge, 1983; Edginton, Hudson, & Lankford, 2001; Henderson, 1994; Henderson, Presley & Bialeschki, 2004; Hendricks & Burdge, 1972...

Tests of Multiplicative Models in Psychology: A Case Study Using the Unified Theory of Implicit Attitudes, Stereotypes, Self-Esteem, and Self-Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanton, Hart; Jaccard, James

2006-01-01

Theories that posit multiplicative relationships between variables are common in psychology. A. G. Greenwald et al. recently presented a theory that explicated relationships between group identification, group attitudes, and self-esteem. Their theory posits a multiplicative relationship between concepts when predicting a criterion variable.…

Study on the Progress of Ecological Fragility Assessment in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Pei; Hou, Kang; Chang, Yue; Li, Xuxiang; Zhang, Yunwei

2018-02-01

The basic elements of human survival are based on the ecological environment. The development of social economic and the security of the ecological environment are closely linked and interact with each other. The fragility of the environment directly affects the stability of the regional ecosystem and the sustainable development of the ecological environment. As part of the division of the national ecological security, the assessment of ecological fragility has become a hot and difficult issue in environmental research, and researchers at home and abroad have systematically studied the causes and states of ecological fragility. The assessment of regional ecological fragility is a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the unbalanced distribution of ecological environment factors caused by human socio-economic activities or changes in ecosystems. At present, researches on ecological fragility has not formed a complete and unified index assessment system, and the unity of the assessment model has a direct impact on the accuracy of the index weights. Therefore, the discussion on selection of ecological fragility indexes and the improvement of ecological fragility assessment model is necessary, which is good for the improvement of ecological fragility assessment system in China.

Testing the Moral Algebra of Two Kohlbergian Informers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hommers, Wilfried; Lewand, Martin; Ehrmann, Dominic

2012-01-01

This paper seeks to unify two major theories of moral judgment: Kohlberg's stage theory and Anderson's moral information integration theory. Subjects were told about thoughts of actors in Kohlberg's classic altruistic Heinz dilemma and in a new egoistical dilemma. These actors's thoughts represented Kohlberg's stages I (Personal Risk) and IV…

Generalizability Theory as a Unifying Framework of Measurement Reliability in Adolescent Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fan, Xitao; Sun, Shaojing

2014-01-01

In adolescence research, the treatment of measurement reliability is often fragmented, and it is not always clear how different reliability coefficients are related. We show that generalizability theory (G-theory) is a comprehensive framework of measurement reliability, encompassing all other reliability methods (e.g., Pearson "r,"…

Understanding rapid evolution in predator‐prey interactions using the theory of fast‐slow dynamical systems.

PubMed

Cortez, Michael H; Ellner, Stephen P

2010-11-01

The accumulation of evidence that ecologically important traits often evolve at the same time and rate as ecological dynamics (e.g., changes in species' abundances or spatial distributions) has outpaced theory describing the interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes with comparable timescales. The disparity between experiment and theory is partially due to the high dimensionality of models that include both evolutionary and ecological dynamics. Here we show how the theory of fast-slow dynamical systems can be used to reduce model dimension, and we use that body of theory to study a general predator-prey system exhibiting fast evolution in either the predator or the prey. Our approach yields graphical methods with predictive power about when new and unique dynamics (e.g., completely out-of-phase oscillations and cryptic dynamics) can arise in ecological systems exhibiting fast evolution. In addition, we derive analytical expressions for determining when such behavior arises and how evolution affects qualitative properties of the ecological dynamics. Finally, while the theory requires a separation of timescales between the ecological and evolutionary processes, our approach yields insight into systems where the rates of those processes are comparable and thus is a step toward creating a general ecoevolutionary theory.

Method for Studying a Human Ecology: An Adaptation of the Grounded Theory Tradition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaslin, Mark L.; Scott, Karen Wilson

Constructivist grounded theory is focused on discovery through understanding data in a human ecology. The procedures outlined in this paper are designed to guide the beginning theorist through the process of creating a theory grounded in data that is a product of the human ecology under study. These new procedures extend grounded theory, providing…

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

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)

A general theory of linear cosmological perturbations: stability conditions, the quasistatic limit and dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagos, Macarena; Bellini, Emilio; Noller, Johannes; Ferreira, Pedro G.; Baker, Tessa

2018-03-01

We analyse cosmological perturbations around a homogeneous and isotropic background for scalar-tensor, vector-tensor and bimetric theories of gravity. Building on previous results, we propose a unified view of the effective parameters of all these theories. Based on this structure, we explore the viable space of parameters for each family of models by imposing the absence of ghosts and gradient instabilities. We then focus on the quasistatic regime and confirm that all these theories can be approximated by the phenomenological two-parameter model described by an effective Newton's constant and the gravitational slip. Within the quasistatic regime we pinpoint signatures which can distinguish between the broad classes of models (scalar-tensor, vector-tensor or bimetric). Finally, we present the equations of motion for our unified approach in such a way that they can be implemented in Einstein-Boltzmann solvers.

The pipe model theory half a century on: a review.

PubMed

Lehnebach, Romain; Beyer, Robert; Letort, Véronique; Heuret, Patrick

2018-01-23

More than a half century ago, Shinozaki et al. (Shinozaki K, Yoda K, Hozumi K, Kira T. 1964b. A quantitative analysis of plant form - the pipe model theory. II. Further evidence of the theory and its application in forest ecology. Japanese Journal of Ecology14: 133-139) proposed an elegant conceptual framework, the pipe model theory (PMT), to interpret the observed linear relationship between the amount of stem tissue and corresponding supported leaves. The PMT brought a satisfactory answer to two vividly debated problems that were unresolved at the moment of its publication: (1) What determines tree form and which rules drive biomass allocation to the foliar versus stem compartments in plants? (2) How can foliar area or mass in an individual plant, in a stand or at even larger scales be estimated? Since its initial formulation, the PMT has been reinterpreted and used in applications, and has undoubtedly become an important milestone in the mathematical interpretation of plant form and functioning. This article aims to review the PMT by going back to its initial formulation, stating its explicit and implicit properties and discussing them in the light of current biological knowledge and experimental evidence in order to identify the validity and range of applicability of the theory. We also discuss the use of the theory in tree biomechanics and hydraulics as well as in functional-structural plant modelling. Scrutinizing the PMT in the light of modern biological knowledge revealed that most of its properties are not valid as a general rule. The hydraulic framework derived from the PMT has attracted much more attention than its mechanical counterpart and implies that only the conductive portion of a stem cross-section should be proportional to the supported foliage amount rather than the whole of it. The facts that this conductive portion is experimentally difficult to measure and varies with environmental conditions and tree ontogeny might cause the commonly reported non-linear relationships between foliage and stem metrics. Nevertheless, the PMT can still be considered as a portfolio of properties providing a unified framework to integrate and analyse functional-structural relationships. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

EPA Science Inventory

The Precautionary Principle, generated during the late 1980s as a unifying principle for regulating discharge of hazardous material into the North Sea, has been broadened to include a shifting of the burden of proof to the proponent of a proposed activity, adoption of a more holi...

Gaia: The Implications for Industrialised Societies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunyard, Peter

1988-01-01

Many believe that life on Earth is part of a unified system. This article reviews the Gaia hypothesis and reviews the status of the Earth's ecology. Stressed is the impact of human activity on the ecosphere including acid rain, the greenhouse effect and other examples of climate change. (CW)

The formal Darwinism project: a mid-term report.

PubMed

Grafen, A

2007-07-01

For 8 years I have been pursuing in print an ambitious and at times highly technical programme of work, the 'Formal Darwinism Project', whose essence is to underpin and formalize the fitness optimization ideas used by behavioural ecologists, using a new kind of argument linking the mathematics of motion and the mathematics of optimization. The value of the project is to give stronger support to current practices, and at the same time sharpening theoretical ideas and suggesting principled resolutions of some untidy areas, for example, how to define fitness. The aim is also to unify existing free-standing theoretical structures, such as inclusive fitness theory, Evolutionary Stable Strategy (ESS) theory and bet-hedging theory. The 40-year-old misunderstanding over the meaning of fitness optimization between mathematicians and biologists is explained. Most of the elements required for a general theory have now been implemented, but not together in the same framework, and 'general time' remains to be developed and integrated with the other elements to produce a final unified theory of neo-Darwinian natural selection.

Taming wildlife disease: bridging the gap between science and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Joseph, Maxwell B.; Mihaljevic, Joseph R.; Arellano, Ana Lisette; Kueneman, Jordan G.; Cross, Paul C.; Johnson, Pieter T.J.

2013-01-01

1.Parasites and pathogens of wildlife can threaten biodiversity, infect humans and domestic animals, and cause significant economic losses, providing incentives to manage wildlife diseases. Recent insights from disease ecology have helped transform our understanding of infectious disease dynamics and yielded new strategies to better manage wildlife diseases. Simultaneously, wildlife disease management (WDM) presents opportunities for large-scale empirical tests of disease ecology theory in diverse natural systems. 2.To assess whether the potential complementarity between WDM and disease ecology theory has been realized, we evaluate the extent to which specific concepts in disease ecology theory have been explicitly applied in peer-reviewed WDM literature. 3.While only half of WDM articles published in the past decade incorporated disease ecology theory, theory has been incorporated with increasing frequency over the past 40 years. Contrary to expectations, articles authored by academics were no more likely to apply disease ecology theory, but articles that explain unsuccessful management often do so in terms of theory. 4.Some theoretical concepts such as density-dependent transmission have been commonly applied, whereas emerging concepts such as pathogen evolutionary responses to management, biodiversity–disease relationships and within-host parasite interactions have not yet been fully integrated as management considerations. 5.Synthesis and applications. Theory-based disease management can meet the needs of both academics and managers by testing disease ecology theory and improving disease interventions. Theoretical concepts that have received limited attention to date in wildlife disease management could provide a basis for improving management and advancing disease ecology in the future.

A critique of principlism.

PubMed

Clouser, K D; Gert, B

1990-04-01

The authors use the term "principlism" to refer to the practice of using "principles" to replace both moral theory and particular moral rules and ideals in dealing with the moral problems that arise in medical practice. The authors argue that these "principles" do not function as claimed, and that their use is misleading both practically and theoretically. The "principles" are in fact not guides to action, but rather they are merely names for a collection of sometimes superficially related matters for consideration when dealing with a moral problem. The "principles" lack any systematic relationship to each other, and they often conflict with each other. These conflicts are unresolvable, since there is no unified moral theory from which they are all derived. For comparison the authors sketch the advantages of using a unified moral theory.

OPUS: Optimal Projection for Uncertain Systems. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

unifiedI control- design methodology that directly addresses these technology issues. 1 In particular, optimal projection theory addresses the need for...effects, and limited identification accuracy in a 1-g environment. The principal contribution of OPUS is a unified design methodology that...characterizing solutions to constrained control- design problems. Transforming OPUS into a practi- cal design methodology requires the development of

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.

What Does CALL Have to Offer Computer Science and What Does Computer Science Have to Offer CALL?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cushion, Steve

2006-01-01

We will argue that CALL can usefully be viewed as a subset of computer software engineering and can profit from adopting some of the recent progress in software development theory. The unified modelling language has become the industry standard modelling technique and the accompanying unified process is rapidly gaining acceptance. The manner in…

Skinner-Rusk unified formalism for higher-order systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prieto-Martínez, Pedro Daniel; Román-Roy, Narciso

2012-07-01

The Lagrangian-Hamiltonian unified formalism of R. Skinner and R. Rusk was originally stated for autonomous dynamical systems in classical mechanics. It has been generalized for non-autonomous first-order mechanical systems, first-order and higher-order field theories, and higher-order autonomous systems. In this work we present a generalization of this formalism for higher-order non-autonomous mechanical systems.

Laminar Cortical Dynamics of Cognitive and Motor Working Memory, Sequence Learning and Performance: Toward a Unified Theory of How the Cerebral Cortex Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grossberg, Stephen; Pearson, Lance R.

2008-01-01

How does the brain carry out working memory storage, categorization, and voluntary performance of event sequences? The LIST PARSE neural model proposes an answer that unifies the explanation of cognitive, neurophysiological, and anatomical data. It quantitatively simulates human cognitive data about immediate serial recall and free recall, and…

A Unified Approach to IRT Scale Linking and Scale Transformations. Research Report. RR-04-09

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Davier, Matthias; von Davier, Alina A.

2004-01-01

This paper examines item response theory (IRT) scale transformations and IRT scale linking methods used in the Non-Equivalent Groups with Anchor Test (NEAT) design to equate two tests, X and Y. It proposes a unifying approach to the commonly used IRT linking methods: mean-mean, mean-var linking, concurrent calibration, Stocking and Lord and…

SO(10) × S 4 grand unified theory of flavour and leptogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Anda, Francisco J.; King, Stephen F.; Perdomo, Elena

2017-12-01

We propose a Grand Unified Theory of Flavour, based on SO(10) together with a non-Abelian discrete group S 4, under which the unified three quark and lepton 16-plets are unified into a single triplet 3'. The model involves a further discrete group ℤ 4 R × ℤ 4 3 which controls the Higgs and flavon symmetry breaking sectors. The CSD2 flavon vacuum alignment is discussed, along with the GUT breaking potential and the doublet-triplet splitting, and proton decay is shown to be under control. The Yukawa matrices are derived in detail, from renormalisable diagrams, and neutrino masses emerge from the type I seesaw mechanism. A full numerical fit is performed with 15 input parameters generating 19 presently constrained observables, taking into account supersymmetry threshold corrections. The model predicts a normal neutrino mass ordering with a CP oscillation phase of 260°, an atmospheric angle in the first octant and neutrinoless double beta decay with m ββ = 11 meV. We discuss N 2 leptogenesis, which fixes the second right-handed neutrino mass to be M 2 ≃ 2 × 1011 GeV, in the natural range predicted by the model.

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.

Verbal Reasoning

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-31

Psicologia , 4(3), 183-198. 94 Guyote, M.J. and Sternberg, R.J. (1981). A transitive-chain theory of syllogistic reasoning. Cognitive Psychology, 13(4), 461...personal connections. Journal of Social Psychology, 20, 39-59. Newell, A. (1990). Unified Theories of Cognition. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard

[Some comments on ecological field].

PubMed

Wang, D

2000-06-01

Based on the data of plant ecological field studies, this paper reviewed the conception of ecological field, field eigenfunctions, graphs of ecological field and its application of ecological field theory in explaining plant interactions. It is suggested that the basic character of ecological field is material, and based on the current research level, it is not sure whether ecological field is a kind of specific field different from general physical field. The author gave some comments on the formula and estimation of parameters of basic field function-ecological potential model on ecological field. Both models have their own characteristics and advantages in specific conditions. The author emphasized that ecological field had even more meaning of ecological methodology, and applying ecological field theory in describing the types and processes of plant interactions had three characteristics: quantitative, synthetic and intuitionistic. Field graphing might provide a new way to ecological studies, especially applying the ecological field theory might give an appropriate quantitative explanation for the dynamic process of plant populations (coexistence and interference competition).

Cosmological consequences of grand unified theories on density fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindley, D.

1981-05-01

Recent investigations into the cosmological consequences of grand unified theories (GUTs) of elementary particles have shown that the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe can be explained without recourse to the hypothesis of specific initial conditions. It is shown here that the origin of inhomogeneities in the matter distribution, which are thought to be responsible for the later formation of galaxies, cannot be explained by a simple addition of density fluctuations to the standard model. The appearance of these fluctuations, after the epoch when baryon number is fixed, is almost purely adiabatic, any departure from adiabaticity falling off in inverse proportion to the mass of the perturbation.

By design: James Clerk Maxwell and the evangelical unification of science.

PubMed

Stanley, Matthew

2012-03-01

James Clerk Maxwell's electromagnetic theory famously unified many of the Victorian laws of physics. This essay argues that Maxwell saw a deep theological significance in the unification of physical laws. He postulated a variation on the design argument that focused on the unity of phenomena rather than Paley's emphasis on complexity. This argument of Maxwell's is shown to be connected to his particular evangelical religious views. His evangelical perspective provided encouragement for him to pursue a unified physics that supplemented his other philosophical, technical and social influences. Maxwell's version of the argument from design is also contrasted with modern 'intelligent-design' theory.

General System Theory: Toward a Conceptual Framework for Science and Technology Education for All.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, David; Stroup, Walter

1993-01-01

Suggests using general system theory as a unifying theoretical framework for science and technology education for all. Five reasons are articulated: the multidisciplinary nature of systems theory, the ability to engage complexity, the capacity to describe system dynamics, the ability to represent the relationship between microlevel and…

Precursors of Learning Experiences in Social Cognitive Career Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tokar, David M.; Thompson, Mindi N.; Plaufcan, Melissa R.; Williams, Christine M.

2007-01-01

This study extended the research on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; [Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. "Journal of Vocational Behavior," 45, 79-122]) by examining the contributions of 3 person inputs (personality, gender, and…

Toward a Psychobiological Theory of Motivations for Human Communication Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haskins, Jack B.

Noting that recent research and theory from the expanding field of psychobiology have not been integrated into the study of human communication, this paper offers a synthesis of principles from several leading psychobiological scientists as a step toward a possible unifying approach to communication philosophy, theory, and research. The paper…

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)

Transformative Learning Challenges in a Context of Trauma and Fear: An Educator's Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

John, Vaughn M.

2016-01-01

After more than three decades of development, transformative learning theory is currently a major theory of adult learning. It has also attracted substantial critique, leading to further development, application and differentiation. Recent contributions to this vast scholarship show a quest for a more unified theory. This article examines…

Why and How. The Future of the Central Questions of Consciousness

PubMed Central

Havlík, Marek; Kozáková, Eva; Horáček, Jiří

2017-01-01

In this review, we deal with two central questions of consciousness how and why, and we outline their possible future development. The question how refers to the empirical endeavor to reveal the neural correlates and mechanisms that form consciousness. On the other hand, the question why generally refers to the “hard problem” of consciousness, which claims that empirical science will always fail to provide a satisfactory answer to the question why is there conscious experience at all. Unfortunately, the hard problem of consciousness will probably never completely disappear because it will always have its most committed supporters. However, there is a good chance that its weight and importance will be highly reduced by empirically tackling consciousness in the near future. We expect that future empirical endeavor of consciousness will be based on a unifying brain theory and will answer the question as to what is the function of conscious experience, which will in turn replace the implications of the hard problem. The candidate of such a unifying brain theory is predictive coding, which will have to explain both perceptual consciousness and conscious mind-wandering in order to become the truly unifying theory of brain functioning. PMID:29075226

Dirac relaxation of the Israel junction conditions: Unified Randall-Sundrum brane theory

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

Davidson, Aharon; Gurwich, Ilya

2006-08-15

Following Dirac's brane variation prescription, the brane must not be deformed during the variation process, or else the linearity of the variation may be lost. Alternatively, the variation of the brane is done, in a special Dirac frame, by varying the bulk coordinate system itself. Imposing appropriate Dirac-style boundary conditions on the constrained 'sandwiched' gravitational action, we show how Israel junction conditions get relaxed, but remarkably, all solutions of the original Israel equations are still respected. The Israel junction conditions are traded, in the Z{sub 2}-symmetric case, for a generalized Regge-Teitelboim type equation (plus a local conservation law), and inmore » the generic Z{sub 2}-asymmetric case, for a pair of coupled Regge-Teitelboim equations. The Randall-Sundrum model and its derivatives, such as the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati and the Collins-Holdom models, get generalized accordingly. Furthermore, Randall-Sundrum and Regge-Teitelboim brane theories appear now to be two different faces of the one and the same unified brane theory. Within the framework of unified brane cosmology, we examine the dark matter/energy interpretation of the effective energy/momentum deviations from general relativity.« less

Emergy evaluation of water utilization benefits in water-ecological-economic system based on water cycle process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, X.; Wu, Z.; Lv, C.

2017-12-01

The water utilization benefits are formed by the material flow, energy flow, information flow and value stream in the whole water cycle process, and reflected along with the material circulation of inner system. But most of traditional water utilization benefits evaluation are based on the macro level, only consider the whole material input and output and energy conversion relation, and lack the characterization of water utilization benefits accompanying with water cycle process from the formation mechanism. In addition, most studies are from the perspective of economics, only pay attention to the whole economic output and sewage treatment economic investment, but neglect the ecological function benefits of water cycle, Therefore, from the perspective of internal material circulation in the whole system, taking water cycle process as the process of material circulation and energy flow, the circulation and flow process of water and other ecological environment, social economic elements were described, and the composition of water utilization positive and negative benefits in water-ecological-economic system was explored, and the performance of each benefit was analyzed. On this basis, the emergy calculation method of each benefit was proposed by emergy quantitative analysis technique, which can realize the unified measurement and evaluation of water utilization benefits in water-ecological-economic system. Then, taking Zhengzhou city as an example, the corresponding benefits of different water cycle links were calculated quantitatively by emergy method, and the results showed that the emergy evaluation method of water utilization benefits can unify the ecosystem and the economic system, achieve uniform quantitative analysis, and measure the true value of natural resources and human economic activities comprehensively.

A unified construction for the algebro-geometric quasiperiodic solutions of the Lotka-Volterra and relativistic Lotka-Volterra hierarchy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Peng; Fan, Engui

2015-04-01

In this paper, a new type of integrable differential-difference hierarchy, namely, the generalized relativistic Lotka-Volterra (GRLV) hierarchy, is introduced. This hierarchy is closely related to Lotka-Volterra lattice and relativistic Lotka-Volterra lattice, which allows us to provide a unified and effective way to obtain some exact solutions for both the Lotka-Volterra hierarchy and the relativistic Lotka-Volterra hierarchy. In particular, we shall construct algebro-geometric quasiperiodic solutions for the LV hierarchy and the RLV hierarchy in a unified manner on the basis of the finite gap integration theory.

Military service member and veteran reintegration: A critical review and adapted ecological model.

PubMed

Elnitsky, Christine A; Blevins, Cara L; Fisher, Michael P; Magruder, Kathryn

2017-01-01

Returning military service members and veterans (MSMVs) experience a wide range of stress-related disorders in addition to social and occupational difficulties when reintegrating to the community. Facilitating reintegration of MSMVs following deployment is a societal priority. With an objective of identifying challenges and facilitators for reintegration of MSMVs of the current war era, we critically review and identify gaps in the literature. We searched 8 electronic databases and identified 1,764 articles. Screening of abstracts and full-text review based on our inclusion/exclusion criteria, yielded 186 articles for review. Two investigators evaluating relevant articles independently found a lack of clear definition or comprehensive theorizing about MSMV reintegration. To address these gaps, we linked the findings from the literature to provide a unified definition of reintegration and adapted the social ecological systems theory to guide research and practice aimed at MSMV reintegration. Furthermore, we identified individual, interpersonal, community, and societal challenges related to reintegration. The 186 studies published from 2001 (the start of the current war era) to 2015 included 6 experimental studies or clinical trials. Most studies do not adequately account for context or more than a narrow set of potential influences on MSMV reintegration. Little evidence was found that evaluated interventions for health conditions, rehabilitation, and employment, or effective models of integrated delivery systems. We recommend an ecological model of MSMV reintegration to advance research and practice processes and outcomes at 4 levels (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bandura, Albert

1977-01-01

This research presents an integrative theoretical framework to explain and to predict psychological changes achieved by different modes of treatment. This theory states that psychological procedures, whatever their form, alter the level and strength of "self-efficacy". (Editor/RK)

(In)dependence of 𝜃 in the Higgs regime without axions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shifman, Mikhail; Vainshtein, Arkady

2017-05-01

We revisit the issue of the vacuum angle 𝜃 dependence in weakly coupled (Higgsed) Yang-Mills theories. Two most popular mechanisms for eliminating physical 𝜃 dependence are massless quarks and axions. Anselm and Johansen noted that the vacuum angle 𝜃EW, associated with the electroweak SU(2) in the Glashow-Weinberg-Salam model (Standard Model, SM), is unobservable although all fermion fields obtain masses through Higgsing and there is no axion. We generalize this idea to a broad class of Higgsed Yang-Mills theories. In the second part, we consider the consequences of Grand Unification. We start from a unifying group, e.g. SU(5), at a high ultraviolet scale and evolve the theory down within the Wilson procedure. If on the way to infrared the unifying group is broken down into a few factors, all factor groups inherit one and the same 𝜃 angle — that of the unifying group. We show that embedding the SM in SU(5) drastically changes the Anselm-Johansen conclusion: the electroweak vacuum angle 𝜃EW, equal to 𝜃QCD becomes in principle observable in ΔB = ΔL = ±1 processes. We also note in passing that if the axion mechanism is set up above the unification scale, we have one and the same axion in the electroweak theory and QCD, and their impacts are interdependent.

On the Role of Dimensionless Elastic Fracture Mechanics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-07-03

34.’ . . . .- . . - . . . - ... - . .. . . . . . -8-.V 6. B.M. Wundt , "A Unified Interpretation of Room Temperature Strength of Notched...207s (1948). D.H. Winne and B.M. Wundt , Application of the Griffith-Irwin theory of crack propagation to the bursting behavior of disks, including... Wundt , A unified interpretation of room-temperature strength of notched specimens as influenced by their size. Metals Engng. Conf., ASME Paper No

Development of a unified constitutive model for an isotropic nickel base superalloy Rene 80

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramaswamy, V. G.; Vanstone, R. H.; Laflen, J. H.; Stouffer, D. C.

1988-01-01

Accurate analysis of stress-strain behavior is of critical importance in the evaluation of life capabilities of hot section turbine engine components such as turbine blades and vanes. The constitutive equations used in the finite element analysis of such components must be capable of modeling a variety of complex behavior exhibited at high temperatures by cast superalloys. The classical separation of plasticity and creep employed in most of the finite element codes in use today is known to be deficient in modeling elevated temperature time dependent phenomena. Rate dependent, unified constitutive theories can overcome many of these difficulties. A new unified constitutive theory was developed to model the high temperature, time dependent behavior of Rene' 80 which is a cast turbine blade and vane nickel base superalloy. Considerations in model development included the cyclic softening behavior of Rene' 80, rate independence at lower temperatures and the development of a new model for static recovery.

A unified 3D default space consciousness model combining neurological and physiological processes that underlie conscious experience

PubMed Central

Jerath, Ravinder; Crawford, Molly W.; Barnes, Vernon A.

2015-01-01

The Global Workspace Theory and Information Integration Theory are two of the most currently accepted consciousness models; however, these models do not address many aspects of conscious experience. We compare these models to our previously proposed consciousness model in which the thalamus fills-in processed sensory information from corticothalamic feedback loops within a proposed 3D default space, resulting in the recreation of the internal and external worlds within the mind. This 3D default space is composed of all cells of the body, which communicate via gap junctions and electrical potentials to create this unified space. We use 3D illustrations to explain how both visual and non-visual sensory information may be filled-in within this dynamic space, creating a unified seamless conscious experience. This neural sensory memory space is likely generated by baseline neural oscillatory activity from the default mode network, other salient networks, brainstem, and reticular activating system. PMID:26379573

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

Some remarks on the current status of the control theory of single space dimension hyperbolic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, D. L.

1983-01-01

Various aspects of the control theory of hyperbolic systems, including controllability, stabilization, control canonical form theory, etc., are reviewed. To allow a unified and not excessively technical treatment, attention is restricted to the case of a single space variable. A newly developed procedure of canonical augmentation is discussed.

Factors Influencing Agricultural Leadership Students' Behavioral Intentions: Examining the Potential Use of Mobile Technology in Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strong, Robert; Irby, Travis L.; Dooley, Larry M.

2013-01-01

Mobile technology is pervasive at institutions across the U.S. The study was framed with self-efficacy theory, self-directed learning theory, and the unified theory for acceptance and use of technology. The purpose of this study was to assess undergraduate students' behavioral intention towards mobile technology acceptance in agricultural…

A Model of E-Learning Uptake and Continued Use in Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinpathomrat, Nakarin; Gilbert, Lester; Wills, Gary B.

2013-01-01

This research investigates the factors that affect a students' take-up and continued use of E-learning. A mathematical model was constructed by applying three grounded theories; Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, Keller's ARCS model, and Expectancy Disconfirm Theory. The learning preference factor was included in the model.…

Physics on the Smallest Scales: An Introduction to Minimal Length Phenomenology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sprenger, Martin; Nicolini, Piero; Bleicher, Marcus

2012-01-01

Many modern theories which try to unify gravity with the Standard Model of particle physics, such as e.g. string theory, propose two key modifications to the commonly known physical theories: the existence of additional space dimensions; the existence of a minimal length distance or maximal resolution. While extra dimensions have received a wide…

Prospects for direct social perception: a multi-theoretical integration to further the science of social cognition.

PubMed

Wiltshire, Travis J; Lobato, Emilio J C; McConnell, Daniel S; Fiore, Stephen M

2014-01-01

In this paper we suggest that differing approaches to the science of social cognition mirror the arguments between radical embodied and traditional approaches to cognition. We contrast the use in social cognition of theoretical inference and mental simulation mechanisms with approaches emphasizing a direct perception of others' mental states. We build from a recent integrative framework unifying these divergent perspectives through the use of dual-process theory and supporting social neuroscience research. Our elaboration considers two complementary notions of direct perception: one primarily stemming from ecological psychology and the other from enactive cognition theory. We use this as the foundation from which to offer an account of the informational basis for social information and assert a set of research propositions to further the science of social cognition. In doing so, we point out how perception of the minds of others can be supported in some cases by lawful information, supporting direct perception of social affordances and perhaps, mental states, and in other cases by cues that support indirect perceptual inference. Our goal is to extend accounts of social cognition by integrating advances across disciplines to provide a multi-level and multi-theoretic description that can advance this field and offer a means through which to reconcile radical embodied and traditional approaches to cognitive neuroscience.

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

Extending unified-theory-of-reinforcement neural networks to steady-state operant behavior.

PubMed

Calvin, Olivia L; McDowell, J J

2016-06-01

The unified theory of reinforcement has been used to develop models of behavior over the last 20 years (Donahoe et al., 1993). Previous research has focused on the theory's concordance with the respondent behavior of humans and animals. In this experiment, neural networks were developed from the theory to extend the unified theory of reinforcement to operant behavior on single-alternative variable-interval schedules. This area of operant research was selected because previously developed neural networks could be applied to it without significant alteration. Previous research with humans and animals indicates that the pattern of their steady-state behavior is hyperbolic when plotted against the obtained rate of reinforcement (Herrnstein, 1970). A genetic algorithm was used in the first part of the experiment to determine parameter values for the neural networks, because values that were used in previous research did not result in a hyperbolic pattern of behavior. After finding these parameters, hyperbolic and other similar functions were fitted to the behavior produced by the neural networks. The form of the neural network's behavior was best described by an exponentiated hyperbola (McDowell, 1986; McLean and White, 1983; Wearden, 1981), which was derived from the generalized matching law (Baum, 1974). In post-hoc analyses the addition of a baseline rate of behavior significantly improved the fit of the exponentiated hyperbola and removed systematic residuals. The form of this function was consistent with human and animal behavior, but the estimated parameter values were not. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toward exploratory analysis of diversity unified across fields of study: an information visualization approach

Treesearch

Tuan Pham; Julia Jones; Ronald Metoyer; Frederick Colwell

2014-01-01

The study of the diversity of multivariate objects shares common characteristics and goals across disciplines, including ecology and organizational management. Nevertheless, subject-matter experts have adopted somewhat separate diversity concepts and analysis techniques, limiting the potential for sharing and comparing across disciplines. Moreover, while large and...

Life and Death in Australian "Heartlands": Pastoralism, Ecology and Rethinking the Outback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Nicholas

2005-01-01

Australian outback mythology is frequently invoked in attempts to unify Australians and smooth over differences. This is accomplished by appeals to shared heritage and shared cultural and economic interests. To a significant extent outback mythology is associated with the extensive grazing industries of the inland and north of Australia. Through…

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.

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.

A Unified Theory of Trust and Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Guoray; Squicciarini, Anna

We consider a type of applications where collaboration and trust are tightly coupled with the need to protect sensitive information. Existing trust management technologies have been limited to offering generic mechanisms for enforcing access control policies based on exchanged credentials, and rarely deal with the situated meaning of trust in a specific collaborative context. Towards trust management for highly dynamic and collaborative activities, this paper describes a theory of trust intention and semantics that makes explicit connections between collaborative activities and trust. The model supports inferring trust state based on knowledge about state of collaborative activity. It is the first step towards a unified approach for computer-mediated trust communication in the context of collaborative work.

ASC Weekly News Notes

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

Womble, David E.

Unified collision operator demonstrated for both radiation transport and PIC-DSMC. A side-by-side comparison between the DSMC method and the radiation transport method was conducted for photon attenuation in the atmosphere over 2 kilometers in physical distance with a reduction of photon density of six orders of magnitude. Both DSMC and traditional radiation transport agreed with theory to two digits. This indicates that PIC-DSMC operators can be unified with the radiation transport collision operators into a single code base and that physics kernels can remain unique to the actual collision pairs. This simulation example provides an initial validation of the unifiedmore » collision theory approach that will later be implemented into EMPIRE.« less

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.

Time-dependent transport of energetic particles in magnetic turbulence: computer simulations versus analytical theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arendt, V.; Shalchi, A.

2018-06-01

We explore numerically the transport of energetic particles in a turbulent magnetic field configuration. A test-particle code is employed to compute running diffusion coefficients as well as particle distribution functions in the different directions of space. Our numerical findings are compared with models commonly used in diffusion theory such as Gaussian distribution functions and solutions of the cosmic ray Fokker-Planck equation. Furthermore, we compare the running diffusion coefficients across the mean magnetic field with solutions obtained from the time-dependent version of the unified non-linear transport theory. In most cases we find that particle distribution functions are indeed of Gaussian form as long as a two-component turbulence model is employed. For turbulence setups with reduced dimensionality, however, the Gaussian distribution can no longer be obtained. It is also shown that the unified non-linear transport theory agrees with simulated perpendicular diffusion coefficients as long as the pure two-dimensional model is excluded.

Why is metal bioaccumulation so variable? Biodynamics as a unifying concept

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luoma, Samuel N.; Rainbow, Philip S.

2005-01-01

Ecological risks from metal contaminants are difficult to document because responses differ among species, threats differ among metals, and environmental influences are complex. Unifying concepts are needed to better tie together such complexities. Here we suggest that a biologically based conceptualization, the biodynamic model, provides the necessary unification for a key aspect in risk:  metal bioaccumulation (internal exposure). The model is mechanistically based, but empirically considers geochemical influences, biological differences, and differences among metals. Forecasts from the model agree closely with observations from nature, validating its basic assumptions. The biodynamic metal bioaccumulation model combines targeted, high-quality geochemical analyses from a site of interest with parametrization of key physiological constants for a species from that site. The physiological parameters include metal influx rates from water, influx rates from food, rate constants of loss, and growth rates (when high). We compiled results from 15 publications that forecast species-specific bioaccumulation, and compare the forecasts to bioaccumulation data from the field. These data consider concentrations that cover 7 orders of magnitude. They include 7 metals and 14 species of animals from 3 phyla and 11 marine, estuarine, and freshwater environments. The coefficient of determination (R2) between forecasts and independently observed bioaccumulation from the field was 0.98. Most forecasts agreed with observations within 2-fold. The agreement suggests that the basic assumptions of the biodynamic model are tenable. A unified explanation of metal bioaccumulation sets the stage for a realistic understanding of toxicity and ecological effects of metals in nature.

Towards a unification of evolutionary dynamics. Comment on "Answering Schrödinger's question: A free-energy formulation" by Maxwell James Désormeau Ramstead et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, John O.

2018-03-01

In 2006 Karl Friston introduced the free energy principle (FEP) to neuroscience as a unifying concept [1]. This proposal, along with its use in developing the 'Bayesian Brain' formulation quickly gained traction and a 2008 feature article in New Scientist heralded it as providing a promising unified theory of the brain [2]:

Hierarchical modeling and inference in ecology: The analysis of data from populations, metapopulations and communities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Royle, J. Andrew; Dorazio, Robert M.

2008-01-01

A guide to data collection, modeling and inference strategies for biological survey data using Bayesian and classical statistical methods. This book describes a general and flexible framework for modeling and inference in ecological systems based on hierarchical models, with a strict focus on the use of probability models and parametric inference. Hierarchical models represent a paradigm shift in the application of statistics to ecological inference problems because they combine explicit models of ecological system structure or dynamics with models of how ecological systems are observed. The principles of hierarchical modeling are developed and applied to problems in population, metapopulation, community, and metacommunity systems. The book provides the first synthetic treatment of many recent methodological advances in ecological modeling and unifies disparate methods and procedures. The authors apply principles of hierarchical modeling to ecological problems, including * occurrence or occupancy models for estimating species distribution * abundance models based on many sampling protocols, including distance sampling * capture-recapture models with individual effects * spatial capture-recapture models based on camera trapping and related methods * population and metapopulation dynamic models * models of biodiversity, community structure and dynamics.

Niche construction theory: a practical guide for ecologists.

PubMed

Odling-Smee, John; Erwin, Douglas H; Palkovacs, Eric P; Feldman, Marcus W; Laland, Kevin N

2013-03-01

Niche construction theory (NCT) explicitly recognizes environmental modication by organisms ("niche construction") and their legacy overtime ("ecological inheritance") to be evolutionary processes in their own right. Here we illustrate how niche construction theory provides usedl conceptual tools and theoretical insights for integrating ecosystem ecology and evolutionary theory. We begin by briefly describing NCT, and illustrating how it deifers from conventional evolutionary approaches. We then distinguish between two aspects ofniche construction--environment alteration and subsequent evolution in response to constructed environments--equating the first of these with "ecosystem engineering." We describe some of the ecological and evolutionary impacts on ecosystems of niche construction, ecosystem engineering and ecological inheritance, and illustrate how these processes trigger ecological and evolutionary feedbacks and leave detectable ecological signatures that are open to investigation. FIinally, we provide a practical guide to how NCT could be deployed by ecologists and evolutionary biologists to aeplore ecoeoolutionay dynamics. We suggest that, by highlighting the ecological and evolutionay ramifications of changes that organisms bring about in ecosystems, NCT helps link ecosystem ecology to evolutionary biology, potentially leading to a deeper understanding of how ecosystems change over time.

A numerical assessment of rough surface scattering theories. I - Horizontal polarization. II - Vertical polarization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, Ernesto; Kim, Yunjin; Durden, Stephen L.

1992-01-01

A numerical evaluation is presented of the regime of validity for various rough surface scattering theories against numerical results obtained by employing the method of moments. The contribution of each theory is considered up to second order in the perturbation expansion for the surface current. Considering both vertical and horizontal polarizations, the unified perturbation method provides best results among all theories weighed.

Pattern activation/recognition theory of mind

PubMed Central

du Castel, Bertrand

2015-01-01

In his 2012 book How to Create a Mind, Ray Kurzweil defines a “Pattern Recognition Theory of Mind” that states that the brain uses millions of pattern recognizers, plus modules to check, organize, and augment them. In this article, I further the theory to go beyond pattern recognition and include also pattern activation, thus encompassing both sensory and motor functions. In addition, I treat checking, organizing, and augmentation as patterns of patterns instead of separate modules, therefore handling them the same as patterns in general. Henceforth I put forward a unified theory I call “Pattern Activation/Recognition Theory of Mind.” While the original theory was based on hierarchical hidden Markov models, this evolution is based on their precursor: stochastic grammars. I demonstrate that a class of self-describing stochastic grammars allows for unifying pattern activation, recognition, organization, consistency checking, metaphor, and learning, into a single theory that expresses patterns throughout. I have implemented the model as a probabilistic programming language specialized in activation/recognition grammatical and neural operations. I use this prototype to compute and present diagrams for each stochastic grammar and corresponding neural circuit. I then discuss the theory as it relates to artificial network developments, common coding, neural reuse, and unity of mind, concluding by proposing potential paths to validation. PMID:26236228

Pattern activation/recognition theory of mind.

PubMed

du Castel, Bertrand

2015-01-01

In his 2012 book How to Create a Mind, Ray Kurzweil defines a "Pattern Recognition Theory of Mind" that states that the brain uses millions of pattern recognizers, plus modules to check, organize, and augment them. In this article, I further the theory to go beyond pattern recognition and include also pattern activation, thus encompassing both sensory and motor functions. In addition, I treat checking, organizing, and augmentation as patterns of patterns instead of separate modules, therefore handling them the same as patterns in general. Henceforth I put forward a unified theory I call "Pattern Activation/Recognition Theory of Mind." While the original theory was based on hierarchical hidden Markov models, this evolution is based on their precursor: stochastic grammars. I demonstrate that a class of self-describing stochastic grammars allows for unifying pattern activation, recognition, organization, consistency checking, metaphor, and learning, into a single theory that expresses patterns throughout. I have implemented the model as a probabilistic programming language specialized in activation/recognition grammatical and neural operations. I use this prototype to compute and present diagrams for each stochastic grammar and corresponding neural circuit. I then discuss the theory as it relates to artificial network developments, common coding, neural reuse, and unity of mind, concluding by proposing potential paths to validation.

A unified picture of cosmological entropy on apparent horizon in F(R, G) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keskin, Ali Ihsan; Acikgoz, Irfan

2017-10-01

In this study, the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics (GSLT) has been investigated in F(R, G) gravity. We consider that the boundary of the universe is surrounded by an apparent horizon in the spatially flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe, and we take into account the Hawking temperature on the horizons. The unified solutions of the field equations corresponding to gravity theory have been applied to the validity of the GSLT frame, and in this way, both the solutions have been verified and all the expansion history of the universe has been shown in a unified picture.

Lagrangian-Hamiltonian unified formalism for autonomous higher order dynamical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prieto-Martínez, Pedro Daniel; Román-Roy, Narciso

2011-09-01

The Lagrangian-Hamiltonian unified formalism of Skinner and Rusk was originally stated for autonomous dynamical systems in classical mechanics. It has been generalized for non-autonomous first-order mechanical systems, as well as for first-order and higher order field theories. However, a complete generalization to higher order mechanical systems is yet to be described. In this work, after reviewing the natural geometrical setting and the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms for higher order autonomous mechanical systems, we develop a complete generalization of the Lagrangian-Hamiltonian unified formalism for these kinds of systems, and we use it to analyze some physical models from this new point of view.

Introduction: Ecological knowledge, theory and information in space and time [Chapter 1

Treesearch

Samuel A. Cushman; Falk Huettmann

2010-01-01

A central theme of this book is that there is a strong mutual dependence between explanatory theory, available data and analytical method in determining the lurching progress of ecological knowledge (Fig. 1.1). The two central arguments are first that limits in each of theory, data and method have continuously constrained advances in understanding ecological systems...

The multiple decrement life table: a unifying framework for cause-of-death analysis in ecology.

PubMed

Carey, James R

1989-01-01

The multiple decrement life table is used widely in the human actuarial literature and provides statistical expressions for mortality in three different forms: i) the life table from all causes-of-death combined; ii) the life table disaggregated into selected cause-of-death categories; and iii) the life table with particular causes and combinations of causes eliminated. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the multiple decrement life table to the ecological literature by applying the methods to published death-by-cause information on Rhagoletis pomonella. Interrelations between the current approach and conventional tools used in basic and applied ecology are discussed including the conventional life table, Key Factor Analysis and Abbott's Correction used in toxicological bioassay.

Unifying Theories of Psychedelic Drug Effects

PubMed Central

Swanson, Link R.

2018-01-01

How do psychedelic drugs produce their characteristic range of acute effects in perception, emotion, cognition, and sense of self? How do these effects relate to the clinical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies? Efforts to understand psychedelic phenomena date back more than a century in Western science. In this article I review theories of psychedelic drug effects and highlight key concepts which have endured over the last 125 years of psychedelic science. First, I describe the subjective phenomenology of acute psychedelic effects using the best available data. Next, I review late 19th-century and early 20th-century theories—model psychoses theory, filtration theory, and psychoanalytic theory—and highlight their shared features. I then briefly review recent findings on the neuropharmacology and neurophysiology of psychedelic drugs in humans. Finally, I describe recent theories of psychedelic drug effects which leverage 21st-century cognitive neuroscience frameworks—entropic brain theory, integrated information theory, and predictive processing—and point out key shared features that link back to earlier theories. I identify an abstract principle which cuts across many theories past and present: psychedelic drugs perturb universal brain processes that normally serve to constrain neural systems central to perception, emotion, cognition, and sense of self. I conclude that making an explicit effort to investigate the principles and mechanisms of psychedelic drug effects is a uniquely powerful way to iteratively develop and test unifying theories of brain function. PMID:29568270

Unified Theory for Decoding the Signals from X-Ray Florescence and X-Ray Diffraction of Mixtures.

PubMed

Chung, Frank H

2017-05-01

For research and development or for solving technical problems, we often need to know the chemical composition of an unknown mixture, which is coded and stored in the signals of its X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray fluorescence gives chemical elements, whereas XRD gives chemical compounds. The major problem in XRF and XRD analyses is the complex matrix effect. The conventional technique to deal with the matrix effect is to construct empirical calibration lines with standards for each element or compound sought, which is tedious and time-consuming. A unified theory of quantitative XRF analysis is presented here. The idea is to cancel the matrix effect mathematically. It turns out that the decoding equation for quantitative XRF analysis is identical to that for quantitative XRD analysis although the physics of XRD and XRF are fundamentally different. The XRD work has been published and practiced worldwide. The unified theory derives a new intensity-concentration equation of XRF, which is free from the matrix effect and valid for a wide range of concentrations. The linear decoding equation establishes a constant slope for each element sought, hence eliminating the work on calibration lines. The simple linear decoding equation has been verified by 18 experiments.

Theory Creation, Modification, and Testing: An Information-Processing Model and Theory of the Anticipated and Unanticipated Consequences of Research and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perla, Rocco J.; Carifio, James

2011-01-01

Background: Extending Merton's (1936) work on the consequences of purposive social action, the model, theory and taxonomy outlined here incorporates and formalizes both anticipated and unanticipated research findings in a unified theoretical framework. The model of anticipated research findings was developed initially by Carifio (1975, 1977) and…

The Interplay Between Internal and External Regulation of Learning, and the Design of Process-Oriented Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermunt, D. H. M.

This paper attempts to connect theories of learning and theories of instruction, which often originate independently from each other, into a unified theory which gives a central place to students' self-regulation and which is based on recent research on student learning. The first of four parts analyzes the cognitive, affective, and metacognitive…

Some directions in ecological theory.

PubMed

Kendall, Bruce E

2015-12-01

The role of theory within ecology has changed dramatically in recent decades. Once primarily a source of qualitative conceptual framing, ecological theories and models are now often used to develop quantitative explanations of empirical patterns and to project future dynamics of specific ecological systems. In this essay, I recount my own experience of this transformation, in which accelerating computing power and the widespread incorporation of stochastic processes into ecological theory combined to create some novel integration of mathematical and statistical models. This stronger integration drives theory towards incorporating more biological realism, and I explore ways in which we can grapple with that realism to generate new general theoretical insights. This enhanced realism, in turn, may lead to frameworks for projecting ecological responses to anthropogenic change, which is, arguably, the central challenge for 21st-century ecology. In an era of big data and synthesis, ecologists are increasingly seeking to infer causality from observational data; but conventional biometry provides few tools for this project. This is a realm where theorists can and should play an important role, and I close by pointing towards some analytical and philosophical approaches developed in our sister discipline of economics that address this very problem. While I make no grand prognostications about the likely discoveries of ecological theory over the coming century, you will find in this essay a scattering of more or less far-fetched ideas that I, at least, think are interesting and (possibly) fruitful directions for our field.

Soar: A Unified Theory of Cognition?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldrop, M. Mitchell

1988-01-01

Describes an artificial intelligence system known as SOAR that approximates a theory of human cognition. Discusses cognition as problem solving, working memory, long term memory, autonomy and adaptability, and learning from experience as they relate to artificial intelligence generally and to SOAR specifically. Highlights the status of the…

Acknowledging the Infrasystem: A Critical Feminist Analysis of Systems Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creedon, Pamela J.

1993-01-01

Examines the absence of a critical feminist perspective in the application of systems theory as a unifying model for public relations. Describes an unacknowledged third system, the infrasystem, that constructs both suprasystem and subsystem interactions. Concludes with a case analysis of sport as illustration. (HB)

Variational formulation of hybrid problems for fully 3-D transonic flow with shocks in rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Gao-Lian

1991-01-01

Based on previous research, the unified variable domain variational theory of hybrid problems for rotor flow is extended to fully 3-D transonic rotor flow with shocks, unifying and generalizing the direct and inverse problems. Three variational principles (VP) families were established. All unknown boundaries and flow discontinuities (such as shocks, free trailing vortex sheets) are successfully handled via functional variations with variable domain, converting almost all boundary and interface conditions, including the Rankine Hugoniot shock relations, into natural ones. This theory provides a series of novel ways for blade design or modification and a rigorous theoretical basis for finite element applications and also constitutes an important part of the optimal design theory of rotor bladings. Numerical solutions to subsonic flow by finite elements with self-adapting nodes given in Refs., show good agreement with experimental results.

The anchoring bias reflects rational use of cognitive resources.

PubMed

Lieder, Falk; Griffiths, Thomas L; M Huys, Quentin J; Goodman, Noah D

2018-02-01

Cognitive biases, such as the anchoring bias, pose a serious challenge to rational accounts of human cognition. We investigate whether rational theories can meet this challenge by taking into account the mind's bounded cognitive resources. We asked what reasoning under uncertainty would look like if people made rational use of their finite time and limited cognitive resources. To answer this question, we applied a mathematical theory of bounded rationality to the problem of numerical estimation. Our analysis led to a rational process model that can be interpreted in terms of anchoring-and-adjustment. This model provided a unifying explanation for ten anchoring phenomena including the differential effect of accuracy motivation on the bias towards provided versus self-generated anchors. Our results illustrate the potential of resource-rational analysis to provide formal theories that can unify a wide range of empirical results and reconcile the impressive capacities of the human mind with its apparently irrational cognitive biases.

The Price Equation, Gradient Dynamics, and Continuous Trait Game Theory.

PubMed

Lehtonen, Jussi

2018-01-01

A recent article convincingly nominated the Price equation as the fundamental theorem of evolution and used it as a foundation to derive several other theorems. A major section of evolutionary theory that was not addressed is that of game theory and gradient dynamics of continuous traits with frequency-dependent fitness. Deriving fundamental results in these fields under the unifying framework of the Price equation illuminates similarities and differences between approaches and allows a simple, unified view of game-theoretical and dynamic concepts. Using Taylor polynomials and the Price equation, I derive a dynamic measure of evolutionary change, a condition for singular points, the convergence stability criterion, and an alternative interpretation of evolutionary stability. Furthermore, by applying the Price equation to a multivariable Taylor polynomial, the direct fitness approach to kin selection emerges. Finally, I compare these results to the mean gradient equation of quantitative genetics and the canonical equation of adaptive dynamics.

Restoration ecology: The state of an emerging field

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

Cairns, J. Jr.; Heckman, J.R.

1996-12-31

The field of restoration ecology represents an emerging synthesis of ecological theory and concern about human impact on the natural world. Restoration ecology can be viewed as the study of how to repair anthropogenic damage to the integrity of ecological systems. However, attempts to repair ecological damage should not diminish protection of existing healthy ecosystems. Restoration ecology allows for the testing of ecological theories; however, restoration ecology is not limited to, nor is it a subdiscipline of, the field of ecology. Restoration ecology requires approaches that integrate ecology and environmental sciences, economics, sociology, and politics. This review illustrates these pointsmore » by providing a conceptual map of the origin, present practices, and future directions of the field. 97 refs., 4 tabs.« less

Toward a Unified Military Response: Hurricane Sandy and the Dual Status Commander

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

and support by developing self -awareness through leader feedback and leader resiliency. The School of Strategic Landpower develops strategic...forces; • Regional strategic appraisals; • The nature of land warfare; • Matters affecting the Army’s future; • The concepts, philosophy, and theory of...Army War College Press TOWARD A UNIFIED MILITARY RESPONSE: HURRICANE SANDY AND THE DUAL STATUS COMMANDER Ryan Burke Sue McNeil April 2015 The views

Hot Corrosion Degradation of Metals and Alloys - A Unified Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

microscope, electron beam microprobe and X-ray diffraction. REULTS AND DMCtESION Hot Corrosion Degradation Sectuence In attempting to develop a unified...Figure 40a. Such ghost images, which can be called corrosion front ghosts , appear as sequential dark and light zones in electron backscatter images... Electronic and Solid State Sciences AUG Ill 1979I Bolling AFB, D.C. 20332 ID PRATT &WHITNEY ARCRAFT GROUP P.O . Box 2861 /Government Products Division wi

Unifying electromagnetism and gravitation without curvature

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

Schuetze, D.

1985-10-01

This paper is devoted to a five-dimensional unification of the gravitational theory of Hayashi and Shirafuji with electromagnetism. Interference effects are found between gravitational contributions of matter spin and electromagnetism. This unification becomes the classical Kaluza--Klein theory if contributions of the torsion tensor related with spin are neglected.

The Philosophy of Information as an Underlying and Unifying Theory of Information Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomic, Taeda

2010-01-01

Introduction: Philosophical analyses of theoretical principles underlying these sub-domains reveal philosophy of information as underlying meta-theory of information science. Method: Conceptual research on the knowledge sub-domains in information science and philosophy and analysis of their mutual connection. Analysis: Similarities between…

Seven Posers in the Constructivist Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotzee, Ben

2010-01-01

In education, "constructivism" constitutes the "grand unified theory" of the moment. In this article, I maintain that constructivism as a theory of knowledge and constructivism as pedagogy are distinct and that the question of what constructivism about knowledge implies for teaching is under-theorised. Seven classroom scenarios are sketched that…

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)

The Politics of Virtue: A New Compact for Leadership in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sergiovanni, Thomas J.

1995-01-01

The politics of division arises from applying formal organizational theories of governance, management, and leadership to schools. Rational-choice theory and cultural pluralism lack the unifying power of civic virtue. Creating a politics of virtue requires that we renew commitments to our nation's democratic legacy. Principals must practice…

The Theory behind the Theory in DCT and SCDT: A Response to Rigazio-DiGilio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terry, Linda L.

1994-01-01

Responds to previous article by Rigazio-DiGilio on Developmental Counseling and Therapy and Systemic Cognitive-Developmental Therapy as two integrative models that unify individual, family, and network treatment within coconstructive-developmental framework. Discusses hidden complexities in cognitive-developmental ecosystemic integration and…

Bayesian Estimation of Multi-Unidimensional Graded Response IRT Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuo, Tzu-Chun

2015-01-01

Item response theory (IRT) has gained an increasing popularity in large-scale educational and psychological testing situations because of its theoretical advantages over classical test theory. Unidimensional graded response models (GRMs) are useful when polytomous response items are designed to measure a unified latent trait. They are limited in…

Behavior Analysis and Ecological Psychology: Past, Present, and Future. A Review of Harry Heft's Ecological Psychology in Context

PubMed Central

Morris, Edward K

2009-01-01

Relations between behavior analysis and ecological psychology have been strained for years, notwithstanding the occasional comment on their affinities. Harry Heft's (2001) Ecological Psychology in Context provides an occasion for reviewing anew those relations and affinities. It describes the genesis of ecological psychology in James's radical empiricism; addresses Holt's neorealism and Gestalt psychology; and synthesizes Gibson's ecological psychology and Barker's ecobehavioral science as a means for understanding everyday human behavior. Although behavior analysis is excluded from this account, Heft's book warrants a review nonetheless: It describes ecological psychology in ways that are congruent and complementary with behavior analysis (e.g., nonmediational theorizing; the provinces of natural history and natural science). After introducing modern ecological psychology, I comment on (a) Heft's admirable, albeit selective, historiography; (b) his ecological psychology—past and present—as it relates to Skinner's science and system (e.g., affordances, molar behavior); (c) his misunderstandings of Skinner's behaviorism (e.g., reductionistic, mechanistic, molecular); and (d) the theoretical status of Heft's cognitive terms and talk (i.e., in ontology, epistemology, syntax). I conclude by considering the alliance and integration of ecological psychology and behavior analysis, and their implications for unifying and transforming psychology as a life science, albeit more for the future than at present. PMID:20354604

New Constraints on the Unified Model of Seyfert Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiolino, R.; Ruiz, M.; Rieke, G. H.; Keller, L. D.

1995-06-01

We present new 10 microns (N-band) photometry for 70 Seyfert galaxies, 43 of them previously unobserved. These observations, together with those collected from the literature, complete the 10 microns photometry for the CfA Sy galaxies and cover 80% of the Sy found in the RSA and 70% of the Sy in the IRAS 12 microns sample. From this data set, we find that Sy not showing any evidence for broad lines are systematically weaker in 10 microns nuclear emission than Sy nuclei having broad lines. This result may indicate the existence of a group of very low-luminosity Sy2 galaxies that do not have Sy1 counterparts in equal numbers, contrary to the strict unified theory. Alternately, the result can be reconciled with unified theories if a specific type of geometry is assumed for the circumnuclear obscuring material. By comparing the 10 microns ground-based observations with the IRAS 12 microns fluxes, we also study the properties of the extended mid-IR emission, i.e., the star forming activity of the host galaxy of the Sy nucleus. We find Sy2 to lie preferentially in galaxies experiencing enhanced star-forming activity, while Sy1 lie in normal or quiescent galaxies. This result appears to be inconsistent with the strict unified model, since the host galaxy properties should be independent of the orientation of a circumnuclear torus and therefore should be independent of nuclear type. Our finding could be explained by adding to the unified model a link between star-forming activity and the amount of obscuring material collected in the circumnuclear region.

Ecology, Microbial

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

Konopka, Allan

2009-05-15

Microbial ecology is a relatively young discipline within the field of microbiology. Its modern history spans just the past 60 years, and the field is defined by its emphasis on understanding the interactions of microbes with their environment, rather than their behavior under artificial laboratory conditions. Because microbes are ubiquitous, microbial ecologists study a broad diversity of habitats that range from aquatic to terrestrial to plant- or animal-associated. This has made it a challenge to identify unifying principles within the field. One approach is to recognize that although the activity of microbes in nature have effects at the macroscale, theymore » interact with their physical, chemical and biological milieu at a scale of micrometers. At this scale, several different microbial ecosystems can be defined, based upon association with particles, the presence of environmental gradients and the continuous availability of water. Principles applicable to microbial ecology reflect not only their population ecology and physiological ecology, but also their broad versatility and quantitative importance in the biosphere as biogeochemical catalysts and capacity for rapid physiological and evolutionary responses.« less

Communicative interactions involving plants: information, evolution, and ecology.

PubMed

Mescher, Mark C; Pearse, Ian S

2016-08-01

The role of information obtained via sensory cues and signals in mediating the interactions of organisms with their biotic and abiotic environments has been a major focus of work on sensory and behavioral ecology. Information-mediated interactions also have important implications for broader ecological patterns emerging at the community and ecosystem levels that are only now beginning to be explored. Given the extent to which plants dominate the sensory landscapes of terrestrial ecosystems, information-mediated interactions involving plants should be a major focus of efforts to elucidate these broader patterns. Here we explore how such efforts might be enhanced by a clear understanding of information itself-a central and potentially unifying concept in biology that has nevertheless been the subject of considerable confusion-and of its relationship to adaptive evolution and ecology. We suggest that information-mediated interactions should be a key focus of efforts to more fully integrate evolutionary biology and ecology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Condition and trends of ecological and economic systems

Treesearch

Harold Bergman; Sidney Draggan

2006-01-01

This Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium was designed to “put it all together” for the achievement of sustainability-related goals. It brought together senior policy makers, resource managers and scientists from many organizations and a wide range of disciplines to design a roadmap for addressing critical needs for unifying monitoring strategies, information...

Diel predator activity drives a dynamic landscape of fear

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kohl, Michel T.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Metz, Matthew C.; Forester, James D.; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Varley, Nathan; White, P.J.; Smith, Douglas W.; MacNulty, Daniel R.

2017-01-01

A "landscape of fear" (LOF) is a map that describes continuous spatial variation in an animal's perception of predation risk. The relief on this map reflects, for example, places that an animal avoids to minimize risk. Although the LOF concept is a potential unifying theme in ecology that is often invoked to explain the ecological and conservation significance of fear, quantified examples of a LOF over large spatial scales are lacking as is knowledge about the daily dynamics of a LOF. Despite theory and data to the contrary, investigators often assume, implicitly or explicitly, that a LOF is a static consequence of a predator's mere presence. We tested the prediction that a LOF in a large-scale, free-living system is a highly-dynamic map with "peaks" and "valleys" that alternate across the diel (24-hour) cycle in response to daily lulls in predator activity. We did so with extensive data from the case study of Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) and wolves (Canis lupus) that was the original basis for the LOF concept. We quantified the elk LOF, defined here as spatial allocation of time away from risky places and times, across nearly 1000-km2 of northern Yellowstone National Park and found that it fluctuated with the crepuscular activity pattern of wolves, enabling elk to use risky places during wolf downtimes. This may help explain evidence that wolf predation risk has no effect on elk stress levels, body condition, pregnancy, or herbivory. The ability of free-living animals to adaptively allocate habitat use across periods of high and low predator activity within the diel cycle is an underappreciated aspect of animal behavior that helps explain why strong antipredator responses may trigger weak ecological effects, and why a LOF may have less conceptual and practical importance than direct killing.

Unified picture of Q-balls and boson stars via catastrophe theory

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

Tamaki, Takashi; Sakai, Nobuyuki; Department of Education, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560

2010-06-15

We make an analysis of Q-balls and boson stars using catastrophe theory, as an extension of the previous work on Q-balls in flat spacetime. We adopt the potential V{sub 3}({phi})=(m{sup 2}/2){phi}{sup 2}-{mu}{phi}{sup 3}+{lambda}{phi}{sup 4} for Q-balls and that with {mu}=0 for boson stars. For solutions with |g{sup rr}-1|{approx}1 at its peak, stability of Q-balls has been lost regardless of the potential parameters. As a result, phase relations, such as a Q-ball charge versus a total Hamiltonian energy, approach those of boson stars, which gives us a unified picture of Q-balls and boson stars.

From anomalies of finite symmetries to heterotic GUTs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaudrevange, Patrick K. S.

2017-11-01

We review the role of finite symmetries for particle physics with special emphasis on discrete anomalies and on their possible origin from extra dimensions. Then, we apply our knowledge on finite symmetries to the problematic proton decay operators of various mass-dimensions, focusing on ℤ4R , i.e. a special R-symmetry of order 4. We show that this ℤ4R symmetry can naturally originate from extra dimensions as a discrete remnant of higher-dimensional Lorentz symmetry. Finally, in order to obtain a unified picture from the heterotic string theory we discuss grand unified theories (GUTs) in extra dimensions compactified on ℤ2 × ℤ2 orbifolds and show how proton decay operators can be suppressed in a certain class of orbifolds.

Toward a social-ecological theory of forest macrosystems for improved ecosystem management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kleindl, William J.; Stoy, Paul C.; Binford, Michael W.; Desai, Ankur R.; Dietze, Michael C.; Schultz, Courtney A.; Starr, Gregory; Staudhammer, Christina; Wood, David J. A.

2018-01-01

The implications of cumulative land-use decisions and shifting climate on forests, require us to integrate our understanding of ecosystems, markets, policy, and resource management into a social-ecological system. Humans play a central role in macrosystem dynamics, which complicates ecological theories that do not explicitly include human interactions. These dynamics also impact ecological services and related markets, which challenges economic theory. Here, we use two forest macroscale management initiatives to develop a theoretical understanding of how management interacts with ecological functions and services at these scales and how the multiple large-scale management goals work either in consort or conflict with other forest functions and services. We suggest that calling upon theories developed for organismal ecology, ecosystem ecology, and ecological economics adds to our understanding of social-ecological macrosystems. To initiate progress, we propose future research questions to add rigor to macrosystem-scale studies: (1) What are the ecosystem functions that operate at macroscales, their necessary structural components, and how do we observe them? (2) How do systems at one scale respond if altered at another scale? (3) How do we both effectively measure these components and interactions, and communicate that information in a meaningful manner for policy and management across different scales?

Student Development and Campus Ecology: A Rapprochement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurst, James C.

1987-01-01

Investigates campus ecology from several innovative perspectives, considering both theory and practice. Conceptualizes current functions of the student affairs administrator playing a key role in higher education and articulates how campus ecology and student development theories complement each other when applied through a systems approach to…

Towards a General Theory of Immunity?

PubMed

Eberl, Gérard; Pradeu, Thomas

2018-04-01

Theories are indispensable to organize immunological data into coherent, explanatory, and predictive frameworks. We propose to combine different models to develop a unifying theory of immunity which situates immunology in the wider context of physiology. We believe that the immune system will be increasingly understood as a central component of a network of partner physiological systems that interconnect to maintain homeostasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scientific Activities Pursuant to the Provisions of AFOSR Grant 79-0018.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

controllability implies stabilizability n the case of autono- mous finite dimensional linear systems , we are not surprised to find control ...Current Status of the Control Theory of Single Space Dim- ension Hyperbolicr Systems " was presented at the NASA JPL Symposium on Cbntrol and Stabilization ...theory of hyperbolic systems , including controllability , stabilization , control canonical form theory, etc. To allow a unified and not

A unified approach for determining the ultimate strength of RC members subjected to combined axial force, bending, shear and torsion

PubMed Central

Huang, Zhen

2017-01-01

This paper uses experimental investigation and theoretical derivation to study the unified failure mechanism and ultimate capacity model of reinforced concrete (RC) members under combined axial, bending, shear and torsion loading. Fifteen RC members are tested under different combinations of compressive axial force, bending, shear and torsion using experimental equipment designed by the authors. The failure mechanism and ultimate strength data for the four groups of tested RC members under different combined loading conditions are investigated and discussed in detail. The experimental research seeks to determine how the ultimate strength of RC members changes with changing combined loads. According to the experimental research, a unified theoretical model is established by determining the shape of the warped failure surface, assuming an appropriate stress distribution on the failure surface, and considering the equilibrium conditions. This unified failure model can be reasonably and systematically changed into well-known failure theories of concrete members under single or combined loading. The unified calculation model could be easily used in design applications with some assumptions and simplifications. Finally, the accuracy of this theoretical unified model is verified by comparisons with experimental results. PMID:28414777

Transcultural nursing as a global care humanizer, diversifier, and unifier.

PubMed

Leininger, M M

1997-01-01

Three dominant themes of transcultural nursing as a global humanizer, diversifier, and unifier are discussed in relation to their meaning and uses in education, practice, research and consultation. The presenter takes the position that these three dominant themes are essential and imperative to promote, transform, and maintain desired care outcomes which are beneficial, satisfying, and healthy for people of diverse and similar cultures. The three themes are discussed within Leininger's theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality with focus on the modes of action and decision-making. The author encourages transcultural nurses to take leadership to be an active global humanizer, diversifier, and unifier and transform nursing and health care into the 21st century.

Combining Theory and Practice in the Gymnasium: "Constraints" within an Ecological Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagen, Linda; Getchell, Nancy

2004-01-01

Preservice students do not always see the relationship between the theories they learn in motor development class and the practical applications of those theories in the gymnasium. This article begins to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Within the theoretical viewpoint known as the ecological perspective, the authors identify the…

USING ENERGY SYSTEMS THEORY TO DEFINE, MEASURE AND INTERPRET ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

EPA Science Inventory

Energy systems theory provides a theoretical basis for defining, measuring, and interpreting the concepts of ecological integrity and ecosystem health. Ecological integrity is defined as an emergent property of ecosystems operating at maximum power that can be quantified using va...

Using circuit theory to model connectivity in ecology, evolution, and conservation.

PubMed

McRae, Brad H; Dickson, Brett G; Keitt, Timothy H; Shah, Viral B

2008-10-01

Connectivity among populations and habitats is important for a wide range of ecological processes. Understanding, preserving, and restoring connectivity in complex landscapes requires connectivity models and metrics that are reliable, efficient, and process based. We introduce a new class of ecological connectivity models based in electrical circuit theory. Although they have been applied in other disciplines, circuit-theoretic connectivity models are new to ecology. They offer distinct advantages over common analytic connectivity models, including a theoretical basis in random walk theory and an ability to evaluate contributions of multiple dispersal pathways. Resistance, current, and voltage calculated across graphs or raster grids can be related to ecological processes (such as individual movement and gene flow) that occur across large population networks or landscapes. Efficient algorithms can quickly solve networks with millions of nodes, or landscapes with millions of raster cells. Here we review basic circuit theory, discuss relationships between circuit and random walk theories, and describe applications in ecology, evolution, and conservation. We provide examples of how circuit models can be used to predict movement patterns and fates of random walkers in complex landscapes and to identify important habitat patches and movement corridors for conservation planning.

Population genomics of early events in the ecological differentiation of bacteria

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

Shapiro, Jesse B.; Friedman, Jonatan; Cordero, Otto X.

Genetic exchange is common among bacteria, but its effect on population diversity during ecological differentiation remains controversial. A fundamental question is whether advantageous mutations lead to selection of clonal genomes or, as in sexual eukaryotes, sweep through populations on their own. Here, we show that in two recently diverged populations of ocean bacteria, ecological differentiation has occurred akin to a sexual mechanism: A few genome regions have swept through subpopulations in a habitat-specific manner, accompanied by gradual separation of gene pools as evidenced by increased habitat specificity of the most recent recombinations. These findings reconcile previous, seemingly contradictory empirical observationsmore » of the genetic structure of bacterial populations and point to a more unified process of differentiation in bacteria and sexual eukaryotes than previously thought.« less

A classification of ecological boundaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strayer, D.L.; Power, M.E.; Fagan, W.F.; Pickett, S.T.A.; Belnap, J.

2003-01-01

Ecologists use the term boundary to refer to a wide range of real and conceptual structures. Because imprecise terminology may impede the search for general patterns and theories about ecological boundaries, we present a classification of the attributes of ecological boundaries to aid in communication and theory development. Ecological boundaries may differ in their origin and maintenance, their spatial structure, their function, and their temporal dynamics. A classification system based on these attributes should help ecologists determine whether boundaries are truly comparable. This system can be applied when comparing empirical studies, comparing theories, and testing theoretical predictions against empirical results.

Unified field theories, the early big bang, and the microwave background paradox

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1979-01-01

It is suggested that a superunified field theory incorporating gravity and possessing asymptotic freedom could provide a solution to the paradox of the isotropy of the universal 3K background radiation. Thermal equilibrium could be established in this context through interactions occurring in a temporally indefinite preplanckian era.

A Theory of Utility Conditionals: Paralogical Reasoning from Decision-Theoretic Leakage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonnefon, Jean-Francois

2009-01-01

Many "if p, then q" conditionals have decision-theoretic features, such as antecedents or consequents that relate to the utility functions of various agents. These decision-theoretic features leak into reasoning processes, resulting in various paralogical conclusions. The theory of utility conditionals offers a unified account of the various forms…

Educational Lynching: Critical Race Theory and the Suspension of Black Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Macheo

2010-01-01

Looking at the disproportionate suspension of African American, Black male students through the lens of critical race theory, this presents arguments from a CRT how the disproportionate suspension of Black male students is rooted in white supremacy and racist policy in the United States. Local recommendations are offered for Oakland Unified School…

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…

The Four Elementary Forms of Sociality: Framework for a Unified Theory of Social Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiske, Alan Page

1992-01-01

A theory is presented that postulates that people in all cultures use four relational models to generate most kinds of social interaction, evaluation, and affect. Ethnographic and field studies (n=19) have supported cultural variations on communal sharing; authority ranking; equality matching; and market pricing. (SLD)

The Early Universe and High-Energy Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, David N.

1983-01-01

Many properties of new particle field theories can only be tested by comparing their predictions about the physical conditions immediately after the big bang with what can be reconstructed about this event from astronomical data. Facts/questions about big bang, unified field theories, and universe epochs/mass are among the topics discussed. (JN)

Moving in a Moving World: A Review on Vestibular Motion Sickness

PubMed Central

Bertolini, Giovanni; Straumann, Dominik

2016-01-01

Motion sickness is a common disturbance occurring in healthy people as a physiological response to exposure to motion stimuli that are unexpected on the basis of previous experience. The motion can be either real, and therefore perceived by the vestibular system, or illusory, as in the case of visual illusion. A multitude of studies has been performed in the last decades, substantiating different nauseogenic stimuli, studying their specific characteristics, proposing unifying theories, and testing possible countermeasures. Several reviews focused on one of these aspects; however, the link between specific nauseogenic stimuli and the unifying theories and models is often not clearly detailed. Readers unfamiliar with the topic, but studying a condition that may involve motion sickness, can therefore have difficulties to understand why a specific stimulus will induce motion sickness. So far, this general audience struggles to take advantage of the solid basis provided by existing theories and models. This review focuses on vestibular-only motion sickness, listing the relevant motion stimuli, clarifying the sensory signals involved, and framing them in the context of the current theories. PMID:26913019

Entropy, a Unifying Concept: from Physics to Cognitive Psychology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsallis, Constantino; Tsallis, Alexandra C.

Together with classical, relativistic and quantum mechanics, as well as Maxwell electromagnetism, Boltzmann-Gibbs (BG) statistical mechanics constitutes one of the main theories of contemporary physics. This theory primarily concerns inanimate matter, and at its generic foundation we find nonlinear dynamical systems satisfying the ergodic hypothesis. This hypothesis is typically guaranteed for systems whose maximal Lyapunov exponent is positive. What happens when this crucial quantity is zero instead? We suggest here that, in what concerns thermostatistical properties, we typically enter what in some sense may be considered as a new world — the world of living systems — . The need emerges, at least for many systems, for generalizing the basis of BG statistical mechanics, namely the Boltzmann-Gibbs-von Neumann-Shannon en-tropic functional form, which connects the oscopic, thermodynamic quantity, with the occurrence probabilities of microscopic configurations. This unifying approach is briefly reviewed here, and its widespread applications — from physics to cognitive psychology — are overviewed. Special attention is dedicated to the learning/memorizing process in humans and computers. The present observations might be related to the gestalt theory of visual perceptions and the actor-network theory.

Unified phonon-based approach to the thermodynamics of solid, liquid and gas states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolmatov, Dima; Zav'yalov, Dmitry; Zhernenkov, Mikhail; Musaev, Edvard T.; Cai, Yong Q.

2015-12-01

We introduce a unified approach to states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) and describe the thermodynamics of the pressure-temperature phase diagram in terms of phonon excitations. We derive the effective Hamiltonian with low-energy cutoff in two transverse phonon polarizations (phononic band gaps) by breaking the symmetry in phonon interactions. Further, we construct the statistical mechanics of states of aggregation employing the Debye approximation. The introduced formalism covers the Debye theory of solids, the phonon theory of liquids, and thermodynamic limits such as the Dulong-Petit thermodynamic limit (cV = 3kB), the ideal gas limit (cV =3/2 kB) and the new thermodynamic limit (cV = 2kB), dubbed here the Frenkel line thermodynamic limit. We discuss the phonon propagation and localization effects in liquids above and below the Frenkel line, and explain the "fast sound" phenomenon. As a test for our theory we calculate velocity-velocity autocorrelation and pair distribution functions within the Green-Kubo formalism. We show the consistency between dynamics of phonons and pair correlations in the framework of the unified approach. New directions towards advancements in phononic band gaps engineering, hypersound manipulation technologies and exploration of exotic behaviour of fluids relevant to geo- and planetary sciences are discussed. The presented results are equally important both for practical implications and for fundamental research.

Classifying clinical decision making: a unifying approach.

PubMed

Buckingham, C D; Adams, A

2000-10-01

This is the first of two linked papers exploring decision making in nursing which integrate research evidence from different clinical and academic disciplines. Currently there are many decision-making theories, each with their own distinctive concepts and terminology, and there is a tendency for separate disciplines to view their own decision-making processes as unique. Identifying good nursing decisions and where improvements can be made is therefore problematic, and this can undermine clinical and organizational effectiveness, as well as nurses' professional status. Within the unifying framework of psychological classification, the overall aim of the two papers is to clarify and compare terms, concepts and processes identified in a diversity of decision-making theories, and to demonstrate their underlying similarities. It is argued that the range of explanations used across disciplines can usefully be re-conceptualized as classification behaviour. This paper explores problems arising from multiple theories of decision making being applied to separate clinical disciplines. Attention is given to detrimental effects on nursing practice within the context of multidisciplinary health-care organizations and the changing role of nurses. The different theories are outlined and difficulties in applying them to nursing decisions highlighted. An alternative approach based on a general model of classification is then presented in detail to introduce its terminology and the unifying framework for interpreting all types of decisions. The classification model is used to provide the context for relating alternative philosophical approaches and to define decision-making activities common to all clinical domains. This may benefit nurses by improving multidisciplinary collaboration and weakening clinical elitism.

On the Psychology of Truth-Gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alxatib, Sam; Pelletier, Jeff

Bonini et al. [2] present psychological data that they take to support an 'epistemic' account of how vague predicates are used in natural language. We argue that their data more strongly supports a 'gap' theory of vagueness, and that their arguments against gap theories are flawed. Additionally, we present more experimental evidence that supports gap theories, and argue for a semantic/pragmatic alternative that unifies super- and subvaluationary approaches to vagueness.

A Philosophical Analysis of David Orr's Theory of Ecological Literacy: Biophilia, Ecojustice and Moral Education in School Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Debra B.; Mueller, Michael P.

2011-01-01

In his writings, David Orr claims that the US is in an "ecological crisis" and that this stems from a crisis of education. He outlines a theory of ecological literacy, a mode by which we better learn the ecology of the Earth and live in a sustainable manner. While emphasizing a shock doctrine, the diagnosis of "crisis" may be…

On theory in ecology: Another perspective

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houlahan, Jeff E.; McKinney, Shawn T.; Rochette, Rémy

2015-01-01

We agree with Marquet and colleagues (2014) that the balance between theory and data is an important one. However, their description of what constitutes good theory in ecology ignores the most important characteristic of successful theory—that it accurately and precisely describes the way the world works.

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

Middle Rio Grande Cooperative Water Model

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

Tidwell, Vince; Passell, Howard

2005-11-01

This is computer simulation model built in a commercial modeling product Called Studio Expert, developed by Powersim, Inc. The simulation model is built in a system dynamics environment, allowing the simulation of the interaction among multiple systems that are all changing over time. The model focuses on hydrology, ecology, demography, and economy of the Middle Rio Grande, with Water as the unifying feature.

Formation of the Integral Ecological Quality Index of the Technological Processes in Machine Building Based on Their Energy Efficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egorov, Sergey B.; Kapitanov, Alexey V.; Mitrofanov, Vladimir G.; Shvartsburg, Leonid E.; Ivanova, Natalia A.; Ryabov, Sergey A.

2016-01-01

The aim of article is to provide development of a unified assessment methodology in relation to various technological processes and the actual conditions of their implementation. To carry the energy efficiency analysis of the technological processes through comparison of the established power and the power consumed by the actual technological…

A comparative gradient approach as a tool for understanding and managing urban ecosystems

Treesearch

Christopher G. Boone; Elizabeth Cook; Sharon J. Hall; Marcia L. Nation; Nancy B. Grimm; Carol B. Raish; Deborah M. Finch; Abigail M. York

2012-01-01

To meet the grand challenges of the urban century - such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and persistent poverty - urban and ecological theory must contribute to integrated frameworks that treat social and ecological dynamics as interdependent. A socioecological framework that encapsulates theory from the social and ecological sciences will improve understanding...

Explicating Practicum Program Theory: A Case Example in Human Ecology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Kathryn M. M.; Williamson, Deanna L.

2013-01-01

This study explicated the theory underpinning the Human Ecology Practicum Program offered in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta. The program has operated for 40 years but never been formally evaluated. Using a document analysis, focus group and individual interviews, and a stakeholder working group, we explored…

Niche versus neutrality: a dynamical analysis

Treesearch

Michael Kalyuzhny; Efrat Seri; Rachel Chocron; Curtis H. Flather; Ronen Kadmon; Nadav M. Shnerb

2014-01-01

Understanding the forces shaping ecological communities is of crucial importance for basic science and conservation. After 50 years in which ecological theory has focused on either stable communities driven by niche-based forces or nonstable “neutral” communities driven by demographic stochasticity, contemporary theories suggest that ecological communities are driven...

Towards a Unified Description of the Electroweak Nuclear Response

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

Benhar, Omar; Lovato, Alessandro

2015-06-01

We briefly review the growing efforts to set up a unified framework for the description of neutrino interactions with atomic nuclei and nuclear matter, applicable in the broad kinematical region corresponding to neutrino energies ranging between few MeV and few GeV. The emerging picture suggests that the formalism of nuclear many-body theory (NMBT) can be exploited to obtain the neutrino-nucleus cross-sections needed for both the interpretation of oscillation signals and simulations of neutrino transport in compact stars

Famous optician: James Clerk Maxwell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haidar, Riad

2018-04-01

Mainly known for his unifying theory of electricity, magnetism and induction, James Clerk Maxwell also concluded that light was an electromagnetic wave, and was responsible for the first true colour photograph.

Normalized value coding explains dynamic adaptation in the human valuation process.

PubMed

Khaw, Mel W; Glimcher, Paul W; Louie, Kenway

2017-11-28

The notion of subjective value is central to choice theories in ecology, economics, and psychology, serving as an integrated decision variable by which options are compared. Subjective value is often assumed to be an absolute quantity, determined in a static manner by the properties of an individual option. Recent neurobiological studies, however, have shown that neural value coding dynamically adapts to the statistics of the recent reward environment, introducing an intrinsic temporal context dependence into the neural representation of value. Whether valuation exhibits this kind of dynamic adaptation at the behavioral level is unknown. Here, we show that the valuation process in human subjects adapts to the history of previous values, with current valuations varying inversely with the average value of recently observed items. The dynamics of this adaptive valuation are captured by divisive normalization, linking these temporal context effects to spatial context effects in decision making as well as spatial and temporal context effects in perception. These findings suggest that adaptation is a universal feature of neural information processing and offer a unifying explanation for contextual phenomena in fields ranging from visual psychophysics to economic choice.

Electrification of organic particles explains apparent absence of small-scale bedforms on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pähtz, T.; Duran Vinent, O.

2017-12-01

Harper et al. (Nat. Geosci., 2017) recently reported measurements that contact electrification tends to charge Titan sand, which is mainly composed of low-density organic particles, much more readily than Earth sand. We here show that this finding has major implications for the formation of bedforms on Titan by incorporating it into a recent unified theory of sediment transport cessation across environments (https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.07079): The modified theory predicts that the cessation threshold and thus the saturation length of sediment transport on Titan increase strongly as a result of contact electrification. We then use the predicted saturation length as an input in a recent unified bedform model by Duran and co-workers to explain the apparent absence of small-scale bedforms on Titan suggested by observations.

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.

Towards a unified theory of health-disease: II. Holopathogenesis

PubMed Central

Almeida-Filho, Naomar

2014-01-01

This article presents a systematic framework for modeling several classes of illness-sickness-disease named as Holopathogenesis. Holopathogenesis is defined as processes of over-determination of diseases and related conditions taken as a whole, comprising selected facets of the complex object Health. First, a conceptual background of Holopathogenesis is presented as a series of significant interfaces (biomolecular-immunological, physiopathological-clinical, epidemiological-ecosocial). Second, propositions derived from Holopathogenesis are introduced in order to allow drawing the disease-illness-sickness complex as a hierarchical network of networks. Third, a formalization of intra- and inter-level correspondences, over-determination processes, effects and links of Holopathogenesis models is proposed. Finally, the Holopathogenesis frame is evaluated as a comprehensive theoretical pathology taken as a preliminary step towards a unified theory of health-disease. PMID:24897040

Power Quality Improvement by Unified Power Quality Conditioner Based on CSC Topology Using Synchronous Reference Frame Theory

PubMed Central

Dharmalingam, Rajasekaran; Dash, Subhransu Sekhar; Senthilnathan, Karthikrajan; Mayilvaganan, Arun Bhaskar; Chinnamuthu, Subramani

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the performance of unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) based on current source converter (CSC) topology. UPQC is used to mitigate the power quality problems like harmonics and sag. The shunt and series active filter performs the simultaneous elimination of current and voltage problems. The power fed is linked through common DC link and maintains constant real power exchange. The DC link is connected through the reactor. The real power supply is given by the photovoltaic system for the compensation of power quality problems. The reference current and voltage generation for shunt and series converter is based on phase locked loop and synchronous reference frame theory. The proposed UPQC-CSC design has superior performance for mitigating the power quality problems. PMID:25013854

Power quality improvement by unified power quality conditioner based on CSC topology using synchronous reference frame theory.

PubMed

Dharmalingam, Rajasekaran; Dash, Subhransu Sekhar; Senthilnathan, Karthikrajan; Mayilvaganan, Arun Bhaskar; Chinnamuthu, Subramani

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the performance of unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) based on current source converter (CSC) topology. UPQC is used to mitigate the power quality problems like harmonics and sag. The shunt and series active filter performs the simultaneous elimination of current and voltage problems. The power fed is linked through common DC link and maintains constant real power exchange. The DC link is connected through the reactor. The real power supply is given by the photovoltaic system for the compensation of power quality problems. The reference current and voltage generation for shunt and series converter is based on phase locked loop and synchronous reference frame theory. The proposed UPQC-CSC design has superior performance for mitigating the power quality problems.

Historical ecology: past, present and future

PubMed Central

Szabó, Péter

2017-01-01

The term ‘historical ecology’ has been used with various meanings since the first half of the 20th century. Studies labelled as historical ecology have been produced in at least four academic disciplines: history, ecology, geography and anthropology. Although all those involved seem to agree that historical ecology concerns the historical interconnectedness of nature and human culture, this field of study has no unified methodology, specialized institutional background and common publication forums. Knowledge of the development of historical ecology is also limited. As a result, the current multitude of definitions of historical ecology is accompanied by divergent opinions as to where the origins of the field are to be sought. In this review, I follow the development of historical ecology from the 18th century to the present. In the first part, I briefly describe some early examples of historical ecological investigations, followed by a description of the various scientific strands in the 20th century that contributed to the formation of historical ecology. In the second part, I discuss the past five decades of historical ecological investigations in more detail, focusing mostly (but not exclusively) on works that their respective authors identified as historical ecology. I also examine the appearance and interconnectedness of the two main trends (ecological and anthropological) in historical ecological research. In the last part, I attempt to outline the future of historical ecology based on common features in existing research. It appears that at present historical ecology is at the crossroads. With rapidly growing interest in historical ecological research, it may move towards institutionalization or remain an umbrella term. PMID:25174685

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.

Grand unified brane world scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Masato; Blaschke, Filip; Eto, Minoru; Sakai, Norisuke

2017-12-01

We present a field theoretical model unifying grand unified theory (GUT) and brane world scenario. As a concrete example, we consider S U (5 ) GUT in 4 +1 dimensions where our 3 +1 dimensional spacetime spontaneously arises on five domain walls. A field-dependent gauge kinetic term is used to localize massless non-Abelian gauge fields on the domain walls and to assure the charge universality of matter fields. We find the domain walls with the symmetry breaking S U (5 )→S U (3 )×S U (2 )×U (1 ) as a global minimum and all the undesirable moduli are stabilized with the mass scale of MGUT. Profiles of massless standard model particles are determined as a consequence of wall dynamics. The proton decay can be exponentially suppressed.

Coriolis effect in optics: unified geometric phase and spin-Hall effect.

PubMed

Bliokh, Konstantin Y; Gorodetski, Yuri; Kleiner, Vladimir; Hasman, Erez

2008-07-18

We examine the spin-orbit coupling effects that appear when a wave carrying intrinsic angular momentum interacts with a medium. The Berry phase is shown to be a manifestation of the Coriolis effect in a noninertial reference frame attached to the wave. In the most general case, when both the direction of propagation and the state of the wave are varied, the phase is given by a simple expression that unifies the spin redirection Berry phase and the Pancharatnam-Berry phase. The theory is supported by the experiment demonstrating the spin-orbit coupling of electromagnetic waves via a surface plasmon nanostructure. The measurements verify the unified geometric phase, demonstrated by the observed polarization-dependent shift (spin-Hall effect) of the waves.

Prospects for direct social perception: a multi-theoretical integration to further the science of social cognition

PubMed Central

Wiltshire, Travis J.; Lobato, Emilio J. C.; McConnell, Daniel S.; Fiore, Stephen M.

2015-01-01

In this paper we suggest that differing approaches to the science of social cognition mirror the arguments between radical embodied and traditional approaches to cognition. We contrast the use in social cognition of theoretical inference and mental simulation mechanisms with approaches emphasizing a direct perception of others’ mental states. We build from a recent integrative framework unifying these divergent perspectives through the use of dual-process theory and supporting social neuroscience research. Our elaboration considers two complementary notions of direct perception: one primarily stemming from ecological psychology and the other from enactive cognition theory. We use this as the foundation from which to offer an account of the informational basis for social information and assert a set of research propositions to further the science of social cognition. In doing so, we point out how perception of the minds of others can be supported in some cases by lawful information, supporting direct perception of social affordances and perhaps, mental states, and in other cases by cues that support indirect perceptual inference. Our goal is to extend accounts of social cognition by integrating advances across disciplines to provide a multi-level and multi-theoretic description that can advance this field and offer a means through which to reconcile radical embodied and traditional approaches to cognitive neuroscience. PMID:25709572

Richard Bradley: a unified, living agent theory of the cause of infectious diseases of plants, animals, and humans in the first decades of the 18th century.

PubMed

Santer, Melvin

2009-01-01

During the years 1714 to 1721, Richard Bradley, who was later to become the first Professor of Botany at Cambridge University, proposed a unified, unique, living agent theory of the cause of infectious diseases of plants and animals and the plague of humans. Bradley's agents included microscopic organisms, revealed by the studies of Robert Hooke and Antony van Leeuwenhoek. His theory derived from his experimental studies of plants and their diseases and from microscopic observation of animalcules in different naturally occurring and artificial environments. He concluded that there was a microscopic world of "insects" that lived and reproduced under the appropriate conditions, and that infectious diseases of plants were caused by such "insects." Since there are structural and functional similarities between plants and animals, Bradley concluded that microscopic organisms caused human and animal infectious diseases as well. However, his living agent cause of infectious diseases was not accepted by the contemporary scientific society.

A unified approach to validation, reliability, and education study design for surgical technical skills training.

PubMed

Sweet, Robert M; Hananel, David; Lawrenz, Frances

2010-02-01

To present modern educational psychology theory and apply these concepts to validity and reliability of surgical skills training and assessment. In a series of cross-disciplinary meetings, we applied a unified approach of behavioral science principles and theory to medical technical skills education given the recent advances in the theories in the field of behavioral psychology and statistics. While validation of the individual simulation tools is important, it is only one piece of a multimodal curriculum that in and of itself deserves examination and study. We propose concurrent validation throughout the design of simulation-based curriculum rather than once it is complete. We embrace the concept that validity and curriculum development are interdependent, ongoing processes that are never truly complete. Individual predictive, construct, content, and face validity aspects should not be considered separately but as interdependent and complementary toward an end application. Such an approach could help guide our acceptance and appropriate application of these exciting new training and assessment tools for technical skills training in medicine.

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.

Facilitators and Barriers to Adopting Robotic-Assisted Surgery: Contextualizing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

PubMed Central

BenMessaoud, Christine; Kharrazi, Hadi; MacDorman, Karl F.

2011-01-01

Robotic-assisted surgical techniques are not yet well established among surgeon practice groups beyond a few surgical subspecialties. To help identify the facilitators and barriers to their adoption, this belief-elicitation study contextualized and supplemented constructs of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) in robotic-assisted surgery. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 21 surgeons comprising two groups: users and nonusers. The main facilitators to adoption were Perceived Usefulness and Facilitating Conditions among both users and nonusers, followed by Attitude Toward Using Technology among users and Extrinsic Motivation among nonusers. The three main barriers to adoption for both users and nonusers were Perceived Ease of Use and Complexity, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Behavioral Control. This study's findings can assist surgeons, hospital and medical school administrators, and other policy makers on the proper adoption of robotic-assisted surgery and can guide future research on the development of theories and framing of hypotheses. PMID:21283719

Model Configuration and Innovative Design of College Students’ Ecological Civilization Construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chengwen, Yang

2018-02-01

This study is based on Marxist eco-civilization thought, combining with Eco management theory, puts forward solutions for college students’ ecological civilization construction. The paper based on the perspective of ecological management theory to analyze the main elements of eco-civilization construction of college students, mainly including five categories. In view of above-mentioned analyze, constructed the model of college students’ eco-civilization which is based on the theory of eco-management, and put forward on concrete methods to improve it.

The paradox of forest fragmentation genetics

Treesearch

Andrea T. Kramer; Jennifer L. Ison; Mary V. Ashley; Henry F. Howe

2008-01-01

Theory predicts widespread loss of genetic diversity from drift and inbreeding in trees subjected to habitat fragmentation, yet empirical support of this theory is scarce. We argue that population genetics theory may be misapplied in light of ecological realities that, when recognized, require scrutiny of underlying evolutionary assumptions. One ecological reality is...

Beyond positivist ecology: toward an integrated ecological ethics.

PubMed

Norton, Bryan G

2008-12-01

A post-positivist understanding of ecological science and the call for an "ecological ethic" indicate the need for a radically new approach to evaluating environmental change. The positivist view of science cannot capture the essence of environmental sciences because the recent work of "reflexive" ecological modelers shows that this requires a reconceptualization of the way in which values and ecological models interact in scientific process. Reflexive modelers are ecological modelers who believe it is appropriate for ecologists to examine the motives for their choices in developing models; this self-reflexive approach opens the door to a new way of integrating values into public discourse and to a more comprehensive approach to evaluating ecological change. This reflexive building of ecological models is introduced through the transformative simile of Aldo Leopold, which shows that learning to "think like a mountain" involves a shift in both ecological modeling and in values and responsibility. An adequate, interdisciplinary approach to ecological valuation, requires a re-framing of the evaluation questions in entirely new ways, i.e., a review of the current status of interdisciplinary value theory with respect to ecological values reveals that neither of the widely accepted theories of environmental value-neither economic utilitarianism nor intrinsic value theory (environmental ethics)-provides a foundation for an ecologically sensitive evaluation process. Thus, a new, ecologically sensitive, and more comprehensive approach to evaluating ecological change would include an examination of the metaphors that motivate the models used to describe environmental change.

Exploring Students Intentions to Study Computer Science and Identifying the Differences among ICT and Programming Based Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giannakos, Michail N.

2014-01-01

Computer Science (CS) courses comprise both Programming and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) issues; however these two areas have substantial differences, inter alia the attitudes and beliefs of the students regarding the intended learning content. In this research, factors from the Social Cognitive Theory and Unified Theory of…

Temperature Dependence Of Elastic Constants Of Polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simha, Robert; Papazoglou, Elisabeth

1989-01-01

Two papers extend theory of elastic constants of disordered solids to finite temperatures below glass-transition temperatures. First paper, entitled "Elastic Constants of Disordered Solids II: Temperature Dependence," applies to cryogenic temperatures. Second paper, entitled "Theory of Thermoelastic Properties for Polymer Glasses," develops unified treatment for static compressional and elongational properties at temperatures up to glass-transition temperatures.

Trichotomous Processes in Early Memory Development, Aging, and Neurocognitive Impairment: A Unified Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brainerd, C. J.; Reyna, V. F.; Howe, M. L.

2009-01-01

One of the most extensively investigated topics in the adult memory literature, dual memory processes, has had virtually no impact on the study of early memory development. The authors remove the key obstacles to such research by formulating a trichotomous theory of recall that combines the traditional dual processes of recollection and…

System Models of Information, Communication and Mass Communication: Revaluation of Some Basic Concepts of Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiio, Osmo A.

A more unified approach to communication theory can evolve through systems modeling of information theory, communication modes, and mass media operations. Such systematic analysis proposes, as is the case care here, that information models be based upon combinations of energy changes and exchanges and changes in receiver systems. The mass media is…

Public Relations as "Practice": Applying the Theory of Alasdair MacIntyre.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leeper, Roy V.; Leeper, Kathie A.

2001-01-01

Considers how public relation's search for a unifying theory may be fulfilled through application of Alasdair MacIntyre's concept of a "practice," a very specific and value-laden concept. Explores what it would mean to be a public relations practice in MacIntyre's concept of the term and argues that such an approach to public relations…

The Many-Headed Hydra of Theory vs. the Unifying Mission of Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Marshall

1997-01-01

Argues that students offer English departments a way of bypassing the tangle of theoretical disagreements and of gluing the fragmented pieces of the discipline back together again. Proposes that agreeing about principles of pedagogy is more urgent than agreeing about literary theory. Argues that English departments need to at least agree about…

Can quantum approaches benefit biology of decision making?

PubMed

Takahashi, Taiki

2017-11-01

Human decision making has recently been focused in the emerging fields of quantum decision theory and neuroeconomics. The former discipline utilizes mathematical formulations developed in quantum theory, while the latter combines behavioral economics and neurobiology. In this paper, the author speculates on possible future directions unifying the two approaches, by contrasting the roles of quantum theory in the birth of molecular biology of the gene. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Basic theory and research method of urban forest ecology].

PubMed

He, Xingyuan; Jin, Yingshan; Zhu, Wenquan; Xu, Wenduo; Chen, Wei

2002-12-01

With the development of world economy and the increment of urban population, the urban environment problem hinders the urban sustainable development. Now, more and more people realized the importance of urban forests in improving the quality of urban ecology. Therefore, a new subject, urban forest ecology, and correlative new concept frame in the field formed. The theoretic foundation of urban forest ecology derived from the mutual combination of theory relating to forest ecology, landscape ecology, landscape architecture ecology and anthrop-ecology. People survey the development of city from the view of ecosystem, and regard the environment, a colony of human, animals and plants, as main factors of the system. The paper introduces systematically the urban forest ecology as follows: 1) the basic concept of urban forest ecology; 2) the meaning of urban forest ecology; 3) the basic principle and theoretic base of urban forest ecology; 4) the research method of urban forest ecology; 5) the developmental expectation of urban forest ecology.

"Malama I Ka 'Aina, Sustainability": Learning from Hawai'i's Displaced Place and Culture-Based Science Standard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinn, Pauline W. U.

2011-01-01

This response to Mitchell and Mueller's "A philosophical analysis of David Orr's theory of ecological literacy" comments on their critique of Orr's use of the phrase "ecological crisis" and what I perceive as their conflicting views of "crisis." I present my views on ecological crisis informed by standpoint theory and…

[Protoplasm, coagulation and colloids : Forgotten chapter in the research history of anesthesia between Zeitgeist and paradigm].

PubMed

Perouansky, M

2015-05-01

The historically most important mechanistic theories attributed the fundamental cause of anesthesia to interactions betweeen anesthetics and proteins as early as the 1870s. According to the underlying thought, the resulting changes in the consistency of cellular protoplasm were the cause of the anesthetized state of the whole organism.These protoplasm coagulation theories, as they were collectively referred to, brought the contemporary enthusiasm for protoplasm, the rapid advances in colloid chemistry and the unified theory of narcosis proclamed by Claude Bernard under a unified mechanistic theory that reflected the Zeitgeist of the epoch.This research effort, on the intersection of the developing disciplines of cellular biology and colloid chemistry, lasted for almost a century. It involved scientists of worldwide reputation and resulted in a number of elegant theories. Contrary to widespread opinion, proteins and not lipids were recognized and investigated first as the critical molecular target of anesthetics more than a century prior to their much publicized rediscovery in 1984.The protoplasm coagulation theories of anesthesia were pursued after the First World War across ideological trenches by scientists in Europe, the Soviet Union and the United States. They united research in anesthesia with research of fundamental cell biology.In contrast to the much less fruitful lipid theories, protoplasm coagulation theories are largely forgotten without leaving a trace in contemporary discussions of the history of anesthesia. For many tyears, however, they constituted an essential part of fundamental anesthetic research and must therefore be mentioned in any historical review.

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.

The "chloride theory", a unifying hypothesis for renal handling and body fluid distribution in heart failure pathophysiology.

PubMed

Kataoka, Hajime

2017-07-01

Body fluid volume regulation is a complex process involving the interaction of various afferent (sensory) and neurohumoral efferent (effector) mechanisms. Historically, most studies focused on the body fluid dynamics in heart failure (HF) status through control of the balance of sodium, potassium, and water in the body, and maintaining arterial circulatory integrity is central to a unifying hypothesis of body fluid regulation in HF pathophysiology. The pathophysiologic background of the biochemical determinants of vascular volume in HF status, however, has not been known. I recently demonstrated that changes in vascular and red blood cell volumes are independently associated with the serum chloride concentration, but not the serum sodium concentration, during worsening HF and its recovery. Based on these observations and the established central role of chloride in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, I propose a unifying hypothesis of the "chloride theory" for HF pathophysiology, which states that changes in the serum chloride concentration are the primary determinant of changes in plasma volume and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system under worsening HF and therapeutic resolution of worsening HF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

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

Konopka, Allan

Microbial ecology is a relatively young discipline within the field of microbiology. Its modern history spans just the past 60 years, and the field is defined by its emphasis on understanding the interactions of microbes with their environment, rather than their behavior under artificial laboratory conditions. Because microbes are ubiquitous, microbial ecologists study a broad diversity of habitats that range from aquatic to terrestrial to plant- or animal-associated. This has made it a challenge to identify unifying principles within the field. One approach is to recognize that although the activity of microbes in nature have effects at the macroscale, theymore » interact with their physical, chemical and biological milieu at a scale of micrometers. At this scale, several different microbial ecosystems can be defined, based upon association with particles, the presence of environmental gradients and the continuous availability of water. Principles applicable to microbial ecology reflect not only their population ecology and physiological ecology, but also their broad versatility and quantitative importance in the biosphere as biogeochemical catalysts and capacity for rapid physiological and evolutionary responses.« less

Bringing analysis of gender and social-ecological resilience together in small-scale fisheries research: Challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Kawarazuka, Nozomi; Locke, Catherine; McDougall, Cynthia; Kantor, Paula; Morgan, Miranda

2017-03-01

The demand for gender analysis is now increasingly orthodox in natural resource programming, including that for small-scale fisheries. Whilst the analysis of social-ecological resilience has made valuable contributions to integrating social dimensions into research and policy-making on natural resource management, it has so far demonstrated limited success in effectively integrating considerations of gender equity. This paper reviews the challenges in, and opportunities for, bringing a gender analysis together with social-ecological resilience analysis in the context of small-scale fisheries research in developing countries. We conclude that rather than searching for a single unifying framework for gender and resilience analysis, it will be more effective to pursue a plural solution in which closer engagement is fostered between analysis of gender and social-ecological resilience whilst preserving the strengths of each approach. This approach can make an important contribution to developing a better evidence base for small-scale fisheries management and policy.

Crisis in Context Theory: An Ecological Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myer, Rick A.; Moore, Holly B.

2006-01-01

This article outlines a theory for understanding the impact of a crisis on individuals and organizations. Crisis in context theory (CCT) is grounded in an ecological model and based on literature in the field of crisis intervention and on personal experiences of the authors. A graphic representation denotes key components and premises of CCT,…

Historical ecology: past, present and future.

PubMed

Szabó, Péter

2015-11-01

The term 'historical ecology' has been used with various meanings since the first half of the 20th century. Studies labelled as historical ecology have been produced in at least four academic disciplines: history, ecology, geography and anthropology. Although all those involved seem to agree that historical ecology concerns the historical interconnectedness of nature and human culture, this field of study has no unified methodology, specialized institutional background and common publication forums. Knowledge of the development of historical ecology is also limited. As a result, the current multitude of definitions of historical ecology is accompanied by divergent opinions as to where the origins of the field are to be sought. In this review, I follow the development of historical ecology from the 18th century to the present. In the first part, I briefly describe some early examples of historical ecological investigations, followed by a description of the various scientific strands in the 20th century that contributed to the formation of historical ecology. In the second part, I discuss the past five decades of historical ecological investigations in more detail, focusing mostly (but not exclusively) on works that their respective authors identified as historical ecology. I also examine the appearance and interconnectedness of the two main trends (ecological and anthropological) in historical ecological research. In the last part, I attempt to outline the future of historical ecology based on common features in existing research. It appears that at present historical ecology is at a crossroads. With rapidly growing interest in historical ecological research, it may move towards institutionalization or remain an umbrella term. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2014 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Historical foundations and future directions in macrosystems ecology.

PubMed

Rose, Kevin C; Graves, Rose A; Hansen, Winslow D; Harvey, Brian J; Qiu, Jiangxiao; Wood, Stephen A; Ziter, Carly; Turner, Monica G

2017-02-01

Macrosystems ecology is an effort to understand ecological processes and interactions at the broadest spatial scales and has potential to help solve globally important social and ecological challenges. It is important to understand the intellectual legacies underpinning macrosystems ecology: How the subdiscipline fits within, builds upon, differs from and extends previous theories. We trace the rise of macrosystems ecology with respect to preceding theories and present a new hypothesis that integrates the multiple components of macrosystems theory. The spatio-temporal anthropogenic rescaling (STAR) hypothesis suggests that human activities are altering the scales of ecological processes, resulting in interactions at novel space-time scale combinations that are diverse and predictable. We articulate four predictions about how human actions are "expanding", "shrinking", "speeding up" and "slowing down" ecological processes and interactions, and thereby generating new scaling relationships for ecological patterns and processes. We provide examples of these rescaling processes and describe ecological consequences across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Rescaling depends in part on characteristics including connectivity, stability and heterogeneity. Our STAR hypothesis challenges traditional assumptions about how the spatial and temporal scales of processes and interactions operate in different types of ecosystems and provides a lens through which to understand macrosystem-scale environmental change. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

[Application of land economic ecological niche in landscape pattern analysis at county level: A case study of Jinghe County in Xinjiang, China].

PubMed

Yu, Hai-yang; Zhang, Fei; Wang, Juan; Zhou, Mei

2015-12-01

The theory of land economic ecological niche was used to analyze the regional landscape pattern in this article, with an aim to provide a new method for the characterization and representation of landscape pattern. The Jinghe County region, which is ecologically fragile, was selected as an example for the study, and the Landsat images of 1990, 1998, 2011 and 2013 were selected as remote sensing data. The land economic ecological niche of land use types calculated by ecostate-ecorole theory, combined with landscape ecology theory, was discussed in application of land economic ecological niche in county landscape pattern analysis. The results showed that, during the study period, the correlations between land economic ecological niche of farmland, construction land, and grassland with the parameters, including landscape patch number (NP), aggregated index (AI), fragmented index (FN) and fractal dimension (FD), were significant. Regional landscape was driven by the changes of land economic ecological niche, and the trend of economic development could be represented by land economic ecological niche change in Jinghe County. Land economic ecological niche was closely related with the land use types which could yield direct economic benefits, which could well explain the landscape pattern characteristics in Jinghe County when combined with the landscape indices.

A philosophical analysis of David Orr's theory of ecological literacy: biophilia, ecojustice and moral education in school learning communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, Debra B.; Mueller, Michael P.

2011-03-01

In his writings, David Orr claims that the US is in an "ecological crisis" and that this stems from a crisis of education. He outlines a theory of ecological literacy, a mode by which we better learn the ecology of the Earth and live in a sustainable manner. While emphasizing a shock doctrine, the diagnosis of "crisis" may be correct, but it is short-lived for children and adults of the world. In this philosophical analysis of Orr's theory, it is argued that we move beyond the perspective of crisis. By extending Orr's ecological literacy with biophilia and ecojustice and by recognizing the importance of experience-in-learning, science education is envisioned to incorporate values and morals within a longer term ideology of educational reform.

Flint and the British Tradition of Relativity Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beichler, James

2009-03-01

Most scientists and scholars are familiar with Sir Arthur Eddington's role in verifying General Relativity in 1919. A few less are aware of his work introducing the theory to the English scientific community. Still less know of Eddington's extensions of relativity theory, especially his attempts to develop a unified field theory. But very few scholars, historians or even physicists are aware of the important role played by other English scientists in the acceptance and development of relativity. In fact, H.T. Flint and his colleagues published more than thirty-five articles in peer reviewed journals in Britain over a period of four decades in an attempt to extend relativity to include electromagnetism and the quantum. Yet his work and that of his close associates is almost completely unknown today, in spite of the fact that he published a book describing his complete unified field theory in the 1960s, well before most quantum theorists even began thinking along the lines of unification. In a world filled with speculations about gravitons, superstrings, quantum loops and other unification models, Flint did it first, but his work has all but disappeared from the scientific consciousness. From Eddington to Flint, the English school of relativists has produced ardent supporters of relativity and numerous advances beyond the standard interpretations of general relativity.

Ecological Systems Theory: Using Spheres of Influence to Support Small-unit Climate and Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

identifying the model’s elements and influential individuals, define spheres of influence and construct a model that details the ecological systems...Research Report 1997 Ecological Systems Theory: Using Spheres of Influence to Support Small-unit Climate and Training...Technical review by: Sena Garven, U.S. Army Research Institute Michael D. Wood , Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Management applications of discontinuity theory | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

1.Human impacts on the environment are multifaceted and can occur across distinct spatiotemporal scales. Ecological responses to environmental change are therefore difficult to predict, and entail large degrees of uncertainty. Such uncertainty requires robust tools for management to sustain ecosystem goods and services and maintain resilient ecosystems. 2.We propose an approach based on discontinuity theory that accounts for patterns and processes at distinct spatial and temporal scales, an inherent property of ecological systems. Discontinuity theory has not been applied in natural resource management and could therefore improve ecosystem management because it explicitly accounts for ecological complexity. 3.Synthesis and applications. We highlight the application of discontinuity approaches for meeting management goals. Specifically, discontinuity approaches have significant potential to measure and thus understand the resilience of ecosystems, to objectively identify critical scales of space and time in ecological systems at which human impact might be most severe, to provide warning indicators of regime change, to help predict and understand biological invasions and extinctions and to focus monitoring efforts. Discontinuity theory can complement current approaches, providing a broader paradigm for ecological management and conservation This manuscript provides insight on using discontinuity approaches to aid in managing complex ecological systems. In part

Cosmology and unified gauge theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oraifeartaigh, L.

1981-09-01

Theoretical points in common between cosmology and unified gauge theory (UGT) are reviewed, with attention given to areas of one which have proven useful for the other. The underlying principles for both theoretical frameworks are described, noting the differences in scale, i.e., 10 to the 25th cm in cosmology and 10 to the -15th cm for UGT. Cosmology has produced bounds on the number of existing neutrino species, and also on the mass of neutrinos, two factors of interest in particle physics. Electrons, protons, and neutrinos, having been spawned from the same massive leptons, each composed of three quarks, have been predicted to be present in equal numbers in the Universe by UGT, in line with necessities of cosmology. The Grand UGT also suggests specific time scales for proton decay, thus accounting for the observed baryon assymmetry.

SO(10) supersymmetric grand unified theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dermisek, Radovan

The origin of the fermion mass hierarchy is one of the most challenging problems in elementary particle physics. In the standard model fermion masses and mixing angles are free parameters. Supersymmetric grand unified theories provide a beautiful framework for physics beyond the standard model. In addition to gauge coupling unification these theories provide relations between quark and lepton masses within families, and with additional family symmetry the hierarchy between families can be generated. We present a predictive SO(10) supersymmetric grand unified model with D 3 x U(1) family symmetry. The hierarchy in fermion masses is generated by the family symmetry breaking D 3 x U(1) → ZN → nothing. This model fits the low energy data in the charged fermion sector quite well. We discuss the prediction of this model for the proton lifetime in light of recent SuperKamiokande results and present a clear picture of the allowed spectra of supersymmetric particles. Finally, the detailed discussion of the Yukawa coupling unification of the third generation particles is provided. We find a narrow region is consistent with t, b, tau Yukawa unification for mu > 0 (suggested by b → sgamma and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon) with A0 ˜ -1.9m16, m10 ˜ 1.4m16, m16 ≳ 1200 GeV and mu, M1/2 ˜ 100--500 GeV. Demanding Yukawa unification thus makes definite predictions for Higgs and sparticle masses.

The Nature of Mental Abilities.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-06-01

I. Rubinste in San Diego , CA 92 152 Human Resourec es Progr an Manager Naval Mat er ia l Connan~ (0 3 1111)CDR PAUL NELSON Room 101111 , Crys tal...intel— ligence that I call the unified componential theory of human reasonir~ (St ernberg , Note 1). This theory will be described in more detail later...componential theory of human reasoning, according to which performance on each of these tasks can be decomposed into a small number of basic information

Outstanding junior investigator program. [Final technical report, 8/1/92-10/31/97

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

Randall, Lisa; Rosenberg, Leslie

1999-12-18

Much of the authors work over the past five years has been aimed at bridging the gap between the exactly supersymmetric world of string theories and the world that is actually observed. Her report discusses the following subjects: (1) supersymmetry breaking; related work on the mass hierarchy and the relation between supersymmetry and grand unified theories; distinguishing between supersymmetric models; and the fundamental question of how gauge theories arise from D-branes.

Language and other artifacts: socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction

PubMed Central

Sinha, Chris

2015-01-01

Niche construction theory is a relatively new approach in evolutionary biology that seeks to integrate an ecological dimension into the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. It is regarded by many evolutionary biologists as providing a significant revision of the Neo-Darwinian modern synthesis that unified Darwin’s theory of natural and sexual selection with 20th century population genetics. Niche construction theory has been invoked as a processual mediator of social cognitive evolution and of the emergence and evolution of language. I argue that language itself can be considered as a biocultural niche and evolutionary artifact. I provide both a general analysis of the cognitive and semiotic status of artifacts, and a formal analysis of language as a social and semiotic institution, based upon a distinction between the fundamental semiotic relations of “counting as” and “standing for.” I explore the consequences for theories of language and language learning of viewing language as a biocultural niche. I suggest that not only do niches mediate organism-organism interactions, but also that organisms mediate niche-niche interactions in ways that affect evolutionary processes, with the evolution of human infancy and childhood as a key example. I argue that language as a social and semiotic system is not only grounded in embodied engagements with the material and social-interactional world, but also grounds a sub-class of artifacts of particular significance in the cultural history of human cognition. Symbolic cognitive artifacts materially and semiotically mediate human cognition, and are not merely informational repositories, but co-agentively constitutive of culturally and historically emergent cognitive domains. I provide examples of the constitutive cognitive role of symbolic cognitive artifacts drawn from my research with my colleagues on cultural and linguistic conceptualizations of time, and their cultural variability. I conclude by reflecting on the philosophical and social implications of understanding artifacts co-agentively. PMID:26539144

Matter-Energy Interactions in Natural Systems. Science III and IIIA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfeiffer, Carl H.

The two student notebooks in this set provide the basic outline and assignments for the third year of a four year senior high school unified science program. This course is the more technical of the two third-year courses offered in the program. The first unit, Extensions of the Particle Theories, deals with slide rule review, molecular theory and…

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

Statistical Theory for the "RCT-YES" Software: Design-Based Causal Inference for RCTs. NCEE 2015-4011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schochet, Peter Z.

2015-01-01

This report presents the statistical theory underlying the "RCT-YES" software that estimates and reports impacts for RCTs for a wide range of designs used in social policy research. The report discusses a unified, non-parametric design-based approach for impact estimation using the building blocks of the Neyman-Rubin-Holland causal…

A Comparison of Massachusetts and Texas High School Biology Teachers' Attitudes towards the Teaching of Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howarth, Richard T.

2012-01-01

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is considered to be the unifying theory for all life sciences (American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS, 1990; National Academy of Sciences, 1998; National Research Council, NRC, 1996; National Science Teachers Association, NSTA, 2010a) and as such, the biology topic has been…

Community Preparedness: Alternative Approaches to Citizen Engagement in Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

and largely ignores the social aspects that influence an individual’s beliefs, attitudes and, behaviors.53 Self-efficacy is defined by Albert Bandura ...master’s thesis Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA), 39–52 53 Ibid., 53. 54 Albert Bandura , “Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of...27  B.  THEORIES / PRINCIPLES .........................................................................28  C.  METRICS

Using Metaphor Theory to Examine Conceptions of Energy in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancor, Rachael

2014-01-01

Energy is one of the most important unifying themes in science. Yet the way energy is conceptualized varies depending on context. In this paper, the discourse used to explain the role of energy in systems from biology, chemistry, and physics is examined from the perspective of metaphor theory. Six substance metaphors for energy are identified in…

Social Cognitive Career Theory and the Prediction of Interests and Choice Goals in the Computing Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lent, Robert W.; Lopez, Antonio M., Jr.; Lopez, Frederick G.; Sheu, Hung-Bin

2008-01-01

We tested the fit of the social cognitive choice model [Lent, R.W., Brown, S.D., & Hackett, G. (1994). "Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance [Monograph]." "Journal of Vocational Behavior," 45, 79-122] to the data across gender, educational level, and type of university among students in…

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Elementary particles and cosmology (Metagalaxy and Universe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozental', I. L.

1997-08-01

The close relation between cosmology and the theory of elementary particles is analyzed in the light of prospects of a unified field theory. The unity of their respective problems and solution methodologies is indicated. The difference between the concepts of 'Metagalaxy' and 'Universe' is emphasized and some possible schemes for estimating the size of the Universe are pointed out.

Information, Physics, and Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adami, Chris

Many researchers have doubts that a ''theory of cancer'' can exist, given the fact that there are so many different cancer phenotypes. However, such a situation-many significantly different manifestations of an underlying law-is not at all uncommon in physics. I argue that a unified cause for all forms of cancer is possible, but that such a theory must be cast in terms of information and communication theory. I briefly revisit key concepts of that theory, then discuss possible applications to communication in game theory that could lead us to view cancer as a disease that, at its root, is a cellular failure to properly communicate.

Theories and treatment of drug dependency: a neurochemical perspective.

PubMed

Pakdaman, Sheila; Wilcox, Richard E; Miller, Joseph D

2014-01-01

Treatment of chemical dependence ("addiction") requires an understanding of its effects on the brain. To guide research in the area of chemical dependence, several foundational theories have been developed. These include the incentive salience, receptor down-regulation, opponent process, and psychomotor stimulant theories. These have been important both in summarizing and in guiding investigations. However, the extant theories do not provide a single unified framework nor have they yielded all of the guidance necessary for effective chemical dependence treatment. The present paper summarizes and then integrates these theories and suggests some implications for the treatment followed by this integration.

Unified aeroacoustics analysis for high speed turboprop aerodynamics and noise. Volume 2: Development of theory for wing shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amiet, R. K.

1991-01-01

A unified theory for aerodynamics and noise of advanced turboprops is presented. The theory and a computer code developed for evaluation at the shielding benefits that might be expected by an aircraft wing in a wing-mounted propeller installation are presented. Several computed directivity patterns are presented to demonstrate the theory. Recently with the advent of the concept of using the wing of an aircraft for noise shielding, the case of diffraction by a surface in a flow has been given attention. The present analysis is based on the case of diffraction of no flow. By combining a Galilean and a Lorentz transform, the wave equation with a mean flow can be reduced to the ordinary equation. Allowance is also made in the analysis for the case of a swept wing. The same combination of Galilean and Lorentz transforms lead to a problem with no flow but a different sweep. The solution procedures for the cases of leading and trailing edges are basically the same. Two normalizations of the solution are given by the computer program. FORTRAN computer programs are presented with detailed documentation. The output from these programs compares favorably with the results of other investigators.

Fusion of bone marrow-derived cells with cancer cells: metastasis as a secondary disease in cancer

PubMed Central

Pawelek, John M.

2014-01-01

This perspective article highlights the leukocyte-cancer cell hybrid theory as a mechanism for cancer metastasis. Beginning from the first proposal of the theory more than a century ago and continuing today with the first proof for this theory in a human cancer, the hybrid theory offers a unifying explanation for metastasis. In this scenario, leukocyte fusion with a cancer cell is a secondary disease superimposed upon the early tumor, giving birth to a new, malignant cell with a leukocyte-cancer cell hybrid epigenome. PMID:24589183

ECR plasma thruster research - Preliminary theory and experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sercel, Joel C.; Fitzgerald, Dennis J.

1989-01-01

A preliminary theory of the operation of the electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma thruster is described along with an outline of recent experiments. This work is presented to communicate the status of an ongoing research effort directed at developing a unified theory to quantitatively describe the operation of the ECR plasma thruster. The theory is presented as a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations and boundary conditions which describe the plasma density, velocity, and electron temperature. Diagnostic tools developed to measure plasma conditions in the existing research device are described.

Separating macroecological pattern and process: comparing ecological, economic, and geological systems.

PubMed

Blonder, Benjamin; Sloat, Lindsey; Enquist, Brian J; McGill, Brian

2014-01-01

Theories of biodiversity rest on several macroecological patterns describing the relationship between species abundance and diversity. A central problem is that all theories make similar predictions for these patterns despite disparate assumptions. A troubling implication is that these patterns may not reflect anything unique about organizational principles of biology or the functioning of ecological systems. To test this, we analyze five datasets from ecological, economic, and geological systems that describe the distribution of objects across categories in the United States. At the level of functional form ('first-order effects'), these patterns are not unique to ecological systems, indicating they may reveal little about biological process. However, we show that mechanism can be better revealed in the scale-dependency of first-order patterns ('second-order effects'). These results provide a roadmap for biodiversity theory to move beyond traditional patterns, and also suggest ways in which macroecological theory can constrain the dynamics of economic systems.

Individual-based modeling of ecological and evolutionary processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeAngelis, Donald L.; Mooij, Wolf M.

2005-01-01

Individual-based models (IBMs) allow the explicit inclusion of individual variation in greater detail than do classical differential-equation and difference-equation models. Inclusion of such variation is important for continued progress in ecological and evolutionary theory. We provide a conceptual basis for IBMs by describing five major types of individual variation in IBMs: spatial, ontogenetic, phenotypic, cognitive, and genetic. IBMs are now used in almost all subfields of ecology and evolutionary biology. We map those subfields and look more closely at selected key papers on fish recruitment, forest dynamics, sympatric speciation, metapopulation dynamics, maintenance of diversity, and species conservation. Theorists are currently divided on whether IBMs represent only a practical tool for extending classical theory to more complex situations, or whether individual-based theory represents a radically new research program. We feel that the tension between these two poles of thinking can be a source of creativity in ecology and evolutionary theory.

A unified framework for approximation in inverse problems for distributed parameter systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, H. T.; Ito, K.

1988-01-01

A theoretical framework is presented that can be used to treat approximation techniques for very general classes of parameter estimation problems involving distributed systems that are either first or second order in time. Using the approach developed, one can obtain both convergence and stability (continuous dependence of parameter estimates with respect to the observations) under very weak regularity and compactness assumptions on the set of admissible parameters. This unified theory can be used for many problems found in the recent literature and in many cases offers significant improvements to existing results.

Dark Matter from SUGRA GUTs: mSUGRA, NUSUGRA and Yukawa-unified SUGRA

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

Baer, Howard

2009-09-08

Gravity-mediated SUSY breaking models with R-parity conservation give rise to dark matter in the universe. I review neutralino dark matter in the minimal supergravity model (mSUGRA), models with non-universal soft SUSY breaking terms (NUSUGRA) which yield a well-tempered neutralino, and models with unified Yukawa couplings at the GUT scale (as may occur in an SO(10) SUSY GUT theory). These latter models have difficulty accomodating neutralino dark matter, but work very well if the dark matter particles are axions and axinos.

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.

Review of evaluation on ecological carrying capacity: The progress and trend of methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S. F.; Xu, Y.; Liu, T. J.; Ye, J. M.; Pan, B. L.; Chu, C.; Peng, Z. L.

2018-02-01

The ecological carrying capacity (ECC) has been regarded as an important reference to indicate the level of regional sustainable development since the very beginning of twenty-first century. By a brief review of the main progress in ECC evaluation methodologies in recent five years, this paper systematically discusses the features and differences of these methods and expounds the current states and future development trend of ECC methodology. The result shows that further exploration in terms of the dynamic, comprehensive and intelligent assessment technologies needs to be provided in order to form a unified and scientific ECC methodology system and to produce a reliable basis for environmental-economic decision-makings.

From Darwin's Origin of Species toward a theory of natural history.

PubMed

Boero, Ferdinando

2015-01-01

Darwin is the father of evolutionary theory because he identified evolutionary patterns and, with Natural Selection, he ascertained the exquisitely ecological ultimate processes that lead to evolution. The proximate processes of evolution he proposed, however, predated the discovery of genetics, the backbone of modern evolutionary theory. The later discovery of the laws of inheritance by Mendel and the rediscovery of Mendel in the early 20th century led to two reforms of Darwinism: Neo-Darwinism and the Modern Synthesis (and subsequent refinements). If Darwin's evolutionary thought required much refinement, his ecological insight is still very modern. In the first edition of The Origin of Species, Darwin did not use either the word "evolution" or the word "ecology". "Ecology" was not coined until after the publication of the Origin. Evolution, for him, was the origin of varieties, then species, which he referred to as well-marked varieties, whereas, instead of using ecology, he used "the economy of nature". The Origin contains a high proportion of currently accepted ecological principles. Darwin labelled himself a naturalist. His discipline (natural history) was a blend of ecology and evolution in which he investigated both the patterns and the processes that determine the organization of life. Reductionist approaches, however, often keep the two disciplines separated from each other, undermining a full understanding of natural phenomena that might be favored by blending ecology and evolution through the development of a modern Theory of Natural History based on Darwin's vision of the study of life.

Educating toward Direct Democracy and Ecological Sustainability: Theory of Social Ecology as a Framework for Critical, Democratic, and Community-Based Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holohan, Kevin J.

2012-01-01

The aim of this dissertation project was to explore and extrapolate the work of the left-libertarian social theorist, Murray Bookchin (1921-2006), paying particular attention to his theory of social ecology and to examine its implications for and use as a comprehensive philosophical/theoretical framework for alternative secondary education that…

Management applications of discontinuity theory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Angeler, David G.; Allen, Craig R.; Barichievy, Chris; Eason, Tarsha; Garmestani, Ahjond S.; Graham, Nicholas A.J.; Granholm, Dean; Gunderson, Lance H.; Knutson, Melinda; Nash, Kirsty L.; Nelson, R. John; Nystrom, Magnus; Spanbauer, Trisha; Stow, Craig A.; Sundstrom, Shana M.

2015-01-01

Human impacts on the environment are multifaceted and can occur across distinct spatiotemporal scales. Ecological responses to environmental change are therefore difficult to predict, and entail large degrees of uncertainty. Such uncertainty requires robust tools for management to sustain ecosystem goods and services and maintain resilient ecosystems.We propose an approach based on discontinuity theory that accounts for patterns and processes at distinct spatial and temporal scales, an inherent property of ecological systems. Discontinuity theory has not been applied in natural resource management and could therefore improve ecosystem management because it explicitly accounts for ecological complexity.Synthesis and applications. We highlight the application of discontinuity approaches for meeting management goals. Specifically, discontinuity approaches have significant potential to measure and thus understand the resilience of ecosystems, to objectively identify critical scales of space and time in ecological systems at which human impact might be most severe, to provide warning indicators of regime change, to help predict and understand biological invasions and extinctions and to focus monitoring efforts. Discontinuity theory can complement current approaches, providing a broader paradigm for ecological management and conservation.

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.

Trade-offs between seed and leaf size (seed-phytomer-leaf theory): functional glue linking regenerative with life history strategies … and taxonomy with ecology?

PubMed

Hodgson, John G; Santini, Bianca A; Montserrat Marti, Gabriel; Royo Pla, Ferran; Jones, Glynis; Bogaard, Amy; Charles, Mike; Font, Xavier; Ater, Mohammed; Taleb, Abdelkader; Poschlod, Peter; Hmimsa, Younes; Palmer, Carol; Wilson, Peter J; Band, Stuart R; Styring, Amy; Diffey, Charlotte; Green, Laura; Nitsch, Erika; Stroud, Elizabeth; Romo-Díez, Angel; de Torres Espuny, Lluis; Warham, Gemma

2017-11-10

While the 'worldwide leaf economics spectrum' (Wright IJ, Reich PB, Westoby M, et al. 2004. The worldwide leaf economics spectrum. Nature : 821-827) defines mineral nutrient relationships in plants, no unifying functional consensus links size attributes. Here, the focus is upon leaf size, a much-studied plant trait that scales positively with habitat quality and components of plant size. The objective is to show that this wide range of relationships is explicable in terms of a seed-phytomer-leaf (SPL) theoretical model defining leaf size in terms of trade-offs involving the size, growth rate and number of the building blocks (phytomers) of which the young shoot is constructed. Functional data for 2400+ species and English and Spanish vegetation surveys were used to explore interrelationships between leaf area, leaf width, canopy height, seed mass and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Leaf area was a consistent function of canopy height, LDMC and seed mass. Additionally, size traits are partially uncoupled. First, broad laminas help confer competitive exclusion while morphologically large leaves can, through dissection, be functionally small. Secondly, leaf size scales positively with plant size but many of the largest-leaved species are of medium height with basally supported leaves. Thirdly, photosynthetic stems may represent a functionally viable alternative to 'small seeds + large leaves' in disturbed, fertile habitats and 'large seeds + small leaves' in infertile ones. Although key elements defining the juvenile growth phase remain unmeasured, our results broadly support SPL theory in that phytometer and leaf size are a product of the size of the initial shoot meristem (≅ seed mass) and the duration and quality of juvenile growth. These allometrically constrained traits combine to confer ecological specialization on individual species. Equally, they appear conservatively expressed within major taxa. Thus, 'evolutionary canalization' sensu Stebbins (Stebbins GL. 1974. Flowering plants: evolution above the species level . Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press) is perhaps associated with both seed and leaf development, and major taxa appear routinely specialized with respect to ecologically important size-related traits. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

k-Cosymplectic Classical Field Theories: Tulczyjew and Skinner-Rusk Formulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rey, Angel M.; Román-Roy, Narciso; Salgado, Modesto; Vilariño, Silvia

2012-06-01

The k-cosymplectic Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms of first-order classical field theories are reviewed and completed. In particular, they are stated for singular and almost-regular systems. Subsequently, several alternative formulations for k-cosymplectic first-order field theories are developed: First, generalizing the construction of Tulczyjew for mechanics, we give a new interpretation of the classical field equations. Second, the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms are unified by giving an extension of the Skinner-Rusk formulation on classical mechanics.

Investigation of the Jet Noise Prediction Theory and Application Utilizing the PAO Formulation. [mathematical model for calculating noise radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Application of the Phillips theory to engineering calculations of rocket and high speed jet noise radiation is reported. Presented are a detailed derivation of the theory, the composition of the numerical scheme, and discussions of the practical problems arising in the application of the present noise prediction method. The present method still contains some empirical elements, yet it provides a unified approach in the prediction of sound power, spectrum, and directivity.

Markov Property of the Conformal Field Theory Vacuum and the a Theorem.

PubMed

Casini, Horacio; Testé, Eduardo; Torroba, Gonzalo

2017-06-30

We use strong subadditivity of entanglement entropy, Lorentz invariance, and the Markov property of the vacuum state of a conformal field theory to give new proof of the irreversibility of the renormalization group in d=4 space-time dimensions-the a theorem. This extends the proofs of the c and F theorems in dimensions d=2 and d=3 based on vacuum entanglement entropy, and gives a unified picture of all known irreversibility theorems in relativistic quantum field theory.

Composite accidental axions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redi, Michele; Sato, Ryosuke

2016-05-01

We present several models where the QCD axion arises accidentally. Confining gauge theories can generate axion candidates whose properties are uniquely determined by the quantum numbers of the new fermions under the Standard Model. The Peccei-Quinn symmetry can emerge accidentally if the gauge theory is chiral. We generalise previous constructions in a unified framework. In some cases these models can be understood as the deconstruction of 5-dimensional gauge theories where the Peccei-Quinn symmetry is protected by locality but more general constructions are possible.

The Roles of First Language and Proficiency in L2 Processing of Spanish Clitics: Global Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seibert Hanson, Aroline E.; Carlson, Matthew T.

2014-01-01

We assessed the roles of first language (L1) and second language (L2) proficiency in the processing of preverbal clitics in L2 Spanish by considering the predictions of four processing theories--the Input Processing Theory, the Unified Competition Model, the Amalgamation Model, and the Associative-Cognitive CREED. We compared the performance of L1…

Experience, Adoption, and Technology: Exploring the Phenomenological Experiences of Faculty Involved in Online Teaching at One School of Public Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Terry; Davis, Trina; Larke, Patricia

2016-01-01

Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Dewey's Theory of Experience, this phenomenological study explored the experiences of faculty who engaged in online teaching at one school of public health. Findings revealed that the experiences of public health faculty, who engaged in online teaching, are similar and…

Memory and cognitive control in an integrated theory of language processing.

PubMed

Slevc, L Robert; Novick, Jared M

2013-08-01

Pickering & Garrod's (P&G's) integrated model of production and comprehension includes no explicit role for nonlinguistic cognitive processes. Yet, how domain-general cognitive functions contribute to language processing has become clearer with well-specified theories and supporting data. We therefore believe that their account can benefit by incorporating functions like working memory and cognitive control into a unified model of language processing.

Research directions in large scale systems and decentralized control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tenney, R. R.

1980-01-01

Control theory provides a well established framework for dealing with automatic decision problems and a set of techniques for automatic decision making which exploit special structure, but it does not deal well with complexity. The potential exists for combining control theoretic and knowledge based concepts into a unified approach. The elements of control theory are diagrammed, including modern control and large scale systems.

Hyperresonance Unifying Theory and the resulting Law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omerbashich, Mensur

2012-07-01

Hyperresonance Unifying Theory (HUT) is herein conceived based on theoretical and experimental geophysics, as that absolute extension of both Multiverse and String Theories, in which all universes (the Hyperverse) - of non-prescribed energies and scales - mutually orbit as well as oscillate in tune. The motivation for this is to explain oddities of "attraction at a distance" and physical unit(s) attached to the Newtonian gravitational constant G. In order to make sure HUT holds absolutely, we operate over non-temporal, unitless and quantities with derived units only. A HUT's harmonic geophysical localization (here for the Earth-Moon system; the Georesonator) is indeed achieved for mechanist and quantum scales, in form of the Moon's Equation of Levitation (of Anti-gravity). HUT holds true for our Solar system the same as its localized equation holds down to the precision of terrestrial G-experiments, regardless of the scale: to 10^-11 and 10^-39 for mechanist and quantum scales, respectively. Due to its absolute accuracy (within NIST experimental limits), the derived equation is regarded a law. HUT can indeed be demonstrated for our entire Solar system in various albeit empirical ways. In summary, HUT shows: (i) how classical gravity can be expressed in terms of scale and the speed of light; (ii) the tuning-forks principle is universal; (iii) the body's fundamental oscillation note is not a random number as previously believed; (iv) earthquakes of about M6 and stronger arise mainly due to Earth's alignments longer than three days to two celestial objects in our Solar system, whereas M7+ earthquakes occur mostly during two simultaneous such alignments; etc. HUT indicates: (v) quantum physics is objectocentric, i.e. trivial in absolute terms so it cannot be generalized beyond classical mass-bodies; (vi) geophysics is largely due to the magnification of mass resonance; etc. HUT can be extended to multiverse (10^17) and string scales (10^-67) too, providing a constraint to String Theory. HUT is the unifying theory as it demotes classical forces to states of stringdom. The String Theory's paradigm on vibrational rather than particlegenic reality has thus been confirmed.

Unified aeroacoustics analysis for high speed turboprop aerodynamics and noise. Volume 3: Application of theory for blade loading, wakes, noise, and wing shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, D. B.; Mccolgan, C. J.; Ladden, R. M.; Klatte, R. J.

1991-01-01

Results of the program for the generation of a computer prediction code for noise of advanced single rotation, turboprops (prop-fans) such as the SR3 model are presented. The code is based on a linearized theory developed at Hamilton Standard in which aerodynamics and acoustics are treated as a unified process. Both steady and unsteady blade loading are treated. Capabilities include prediction of steady airload distributions and associated aerodynamic performance, unsteady blade pressure response to gust interaction or blade vibration, noise fields associated with thickness and steady and unsteady loading, and wake velocity fields associated with steady loading. The code was developed on the Hamilton Standard IBM computer and has now been installed on the Cray XMP at NASA-Lewis. The work had its genesis in the frequency domain acoustic theory developed at Hamilton Standard in the late 1970s. It was found that the method used for near field noise predictions could be adapted as a lifting surface theory for aerodynamic work via the pressure potential technique that was used for both wings and ducted turbomachinery. In the first realization of the theory for propellers, the blade loading was represented in a quasi-vortex lattice form. This was upgraded to true lifting surface loading. Originally, it was believed that a purely linear approach for both aerodynamics and noise would be adequate. However, two sources of nonlinearity in the steady aerodynamics became apparent and were found to be a significant factor at takeoff conditions. The first is related to the fact that the steady axial induced velocity may be of the same order of magnitude as the flight speed and the second is the formation of leading edge vortices which increases lift and redistribute loading. Discovery and properties of prop-fan leading edge vortices were reported in two papers. The Unified AeroAcoustic Program (UAAP) capabilites are demonstrated and the theory verified by comparison with the predictions with data from tests at NASA-Lewis. Steady aerodyanmic performance, unsteady blade loading, wakes, noise, and wing and boundary layer shielding are examined.

Theory of Remote Image Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blahut, Richard E.

2004-11-01

In many applications, images, such as ultrasonic or X-ray signals, are recorded and then analyzed with digital or optical processors in order to extract information. Such processing requires the development of algorithms of great precision and sophistication. This book presents a unified treatment of the mathematical methods that underpin the various algorithms used in remote image formation. The author begins with a review of transform and filter theory. He then discusses two- and three-dimensional Fourier transform theory, the ambiguity function, image construction and reconstruction, tomography, baseband surveillance systems, and passive systems (where the signal source might be an earthquake or a galaxy). Information-theoretic methods in image formation are also covered, as are phase errors and phase noise. Throughout the book, practical applications illustrate theoretical concepts, and there are many homework problems. The book is aimed at graduate students of electrical engineering and computer science, and practitioners in industry. Presents a unified treatment of the mathematical methods that underpin the algorithms used in remote image formation Illustrates theoretical concepts with reference to practical applications Provides insights into the design parameters of real systems

GUT models at current and future hadron colliders and implications to dark matter searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcadi, Giorgio; Lindner, Manfred; Mambrini, Yann; Pierre, Mathias; Queiroz, Farinaldo S.

2017-08-01

Grand Unified Theories (GUT) offer an elegant and unified description of electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions at high energy scales. A phenomenological and exciting possibility to grasp GUT is to search for TeV scale observables arising from Abelian groups embedded in GUT constructions. That said, we use dilepton data (ee and μμ) that has been proven to be a golden channel for a wide variety of new phenomena expected in theories beyond the Standard Model to probe GUT-inspired models. Since heavy dilepton resonances feature high signal selection efficiencies and relatively well-understood backgrounds, stringent and reliable bounds can be placed on the mass of the Z‧ gauge boson arising in such theories. In this work, we obtain 95% C.L. limits on the Z‧ mass for several GUT-models using current and future proton-proton colliders with √{ s} = 13 TeV , 33 TeV ,and 100 TeV, and put them into perspective with dark matter searches in light of the next generation of direct detection experiments.

Electronic Structure, Dielectric Response, and Surface Charge Distribution of RGD (1FUV) Peptide

PubMed Central

Adhikari, Puja; Wen, Amy M.; French, Roger H.; Parsegian, V. Adrian; Steinmetz, Nicole F.; Podgornik, Rudolf; Ching, Wai-Yim

2014-01-01

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. PMID:25001596

On degenerate metrics, dark matter and unification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Searight, Trevor P.

2017-12-01

A five-dimensional theory of relativity is presented which suggests that gravitation and electromagnetism may be unified using a degenerate metric. There are four fields (in the four-dimensional sense): a tensor field, two vector fields, and a scalar field, and they are unified with a combination of a gauge-like invariance and a reflection symmetry which means that both vector fields are photons. The gauge-like invariance implies that the fifth dimension is not directly observable; it also implies that charge is a constant of motion. The scalar field is analogous to the Brans-Dicke scalar field, and the theory tends towards the Einstein-Maxwell theory in the limit as the coupling constant tends to infinity. As there is some scope for fields to vary in the fifth dimension, it is possible for the photons to have wave behaviour in the fifth dimension. The wave behaviour has two effects: it gives mass to the photons, and it prevents them from interacting directly with normal matter. These massive photons still act as a source of gravity, however, and therefore they are candidates for dark matter.

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.

A unified econophysics explanation for the power-law exponents of stock market activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabaix, Xavier; Gopikrishnan, Parameswaran; Plerou, Vasiliki; Stanley, Eugene

2007-08-01

We survey a theory (first sketched in Nature in 2003, then fleshed out in the Quarterly Journal of Economics in 2006) of the economic underpinnings of the fat-tailed distributions of a number of financial variables, such as returns and trading volume. Our theory posits that they have a common origin in the strategic trading behavior of very large financial institutions in a relatively illiquid market. We show how the fat-tailed distribution of fund sizes can indeed generate extreme returns and volumes, even in the absence of fundamental news. Moreover, we are able to replicate the individually different empirical values of the power-law exponents for each distribution: 3 for returns, 3/2 for volumes, 1 for the assets under management of large investors. Large investors moderate their trades to reduce their price impact; coupled with a concave price impact function, this leads to volumes being more fat-tailed than returns but less fat-tailed than fund sizes. The trades of large institutions also offer a unified explanation for apparently disconnected empirical regularities that are otherwise a challenge for economic theory.

Transcendent Pluralism: A Middle-Range Theory of Nonviolent Social Transformation Through Human and Ecological Dignity.

PubMed

Perry, Donna J

2015-01-01

Transcendent pluralism is a middle-range theory that focuses on the emergence of human dignity within relationships among diverse peoples through nonviolent social transformation. The theory proposes that contemporary social problems that negatively influence health are rooted in human and ecological devaluation and that healing is needed through the advance of dignity. The theory has been developed through both deductive and inductive processes including 4 research studies. The theory of transcendent pluralism provides a framework for nurses seeking to advance dignity. This article provides an overview of the theory's development and components.

Origins of inert Higgs doublets

DOE PAGES

Kephart, Thomas W.; Yuan, Tzu -Chiang

2016-03-24

Here, we consider beyond the standard model embedding of inert Higgs doublet fields. We argue that inert Higgs doublets can arise naturally in grand unified theories where the necessary associated Z 2 symmetry can occur automatically. Several examples are discussed.

Tachyon cosmology with non-vanishing minimum potential: a unified model

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

Li, Huiquan, E-mail: hqli@ustc.edu.cn

2012-07-01

We investigate the tachyon condensation process in the effective theory with non-vanishing minimum potential and its implications to cosmology. It is shown that the tachyon condensation on an unstable three-brane described by this modified tachyon field theory leads to lower-dimensional branes (defects) forming within a stable three-brane. Thus, in the cosmological background, we can get well-behaved tachyon matter after tachyon inflation, (partially) avoiding difficulties encountered in the original tachyon cosmological models. This feature also implies that the tachyon inflated and reheated universe is followed by a Chaplygin gas dark matter and dark energy universe. Hence, such an unstable three-brane behavesmore » quite like our universe, reproducing the key features of the whole evolutionary history of the universe and providing a unified description of inflaton, dark matter and dark energy in a very simple single-scalar field model.« less

Brittle Fracture In Disordered Media: A Unified Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhawat, Ashivni; Zapperi, Stefano; Sethna, James

2013-03-01

We present a unified theory of fracture in disordered brittle media that reconciles apparently conflicting results reported in the literature, as well as several experiments on materials ranging from granite to bones. Our renormalization group based approach yields a phase diagram in which the percolation fixed point, expected for infinite disorder, is unstable for finite disorder and flows to a zero-disorder nucleation-type fixed point, thus showing that fracture has mixed first order and continuous character. In a region of intermediate disorder and finite system sizes, we predict a crossover with mean-field avalanche scaling. We discuss intriguing connections to other phenomena where critical scaling is only observed in finite size systems and disappears in the thermodynamic limit. We present a numerical validation of our theoretical results. We acknowledge support from DOE- BES DE-FG02-07ER46393, ERC-AdG-2011 SIZEFFECT, and the NSF through TeraGrid by LONI under grant TG-DMR100025.

Niveaux d'étude du cerveau, et sagesse physique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toulouse, Gérard

1993-02-01

The brain is a complex spatio-temporal affair. Several brain theories propose the definition of three superposed levels of study. But physics, though the experience of condensed matter physics, suggests that it is unwise to enforce onto brain theories a unified hierarchical scheme, the inspiration for which seems to come from the realm of sub-molecular physics. Le cerveau est une affaire spatio-temporelle complexe. Plusieurs théories du cerveau proposent de définir trois niveaux d'études superposés. Mais la physique, à travers l'expérience de la physique de la matière condensée, suggère qu'il n'est pas sage d'imposer sur les théories du cerveau un schéma hiérarchique unifié, dont l'inspiration semble provenir du domaine de la physique sub-moléculaire.

Robust nonlinear control of vectored thrust aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doyle, John C.; Murray, Richard; Morris, John

1993-01-01

An interdisciplinary program in robust control for nonlinear systems with applications to a variety of engineering problems is outlined. Major emphasis will be placed on flight control, with both experimental and analytical studies. This program builds on recent new results in control theory for stability, stabilization, robust stability, robust performance, synthesis, and model reduction in a unified framework using Linear Fractional Transformations (LFT's), Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI's), and the structured singular value micron. Most of these new advances have been accomplished by the Caltech controls group independently or in collaboration with researchers in other institutions. These recent results offer a new and remarkably unified framework for all aspects of robust control, but what is particularly important for this program is that they also have important implications for system identification and control of nonlinear systems. This combines well with Caltech's expertise in nonlinear control theory, both in geometric methods and methods for systems with constraints and saturations.

Discrete shearlet transform: faithful digitization concept and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Wang-Q.

2011-09-01

Over the past years, various representation systems which sparsely approximate functions governed by anisotropic features such as edges in images have been proposed. Alongside the theoretical development of these systems, algorithmic realizations of the associated transforms were provided. However, one of the most common short-comings of these frameworks is the lack of providing a unified treatment of the continuum and digital world, i.e., allowing a digital theory to be a natural digitization of the continuum theory. Shearlets were introduced as means to sparsely encode anisotropic singularities of multivariate data while providing a unified treatment of the continuous and digital realm. In this paper, we introduce a discrete framework which allows a faithful digitization of the continuum domain shearlet transform based on compactly supported shearlets. Finally, we show numerical experiments demonstrating the potential of the discrete shearlet transform in several image processing applications.

Some characteristics of supernetworks based on unified hybrid network theory framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qiang; Fang, Jin-Qing; Li, Yong

Comparing with single complex networks, supernetworks are more close to the real world in some ways, and have become the newest research hot spot in the network science recently. Some progresses have been made in the research of supernetworks, but the theoretical research method and complex network characteristics of supernetwork models are still needed to further explore. In this paper, we propose three kinds of supernetwork models with three layers based on the unified hybrid network theory framework (UHNTF), and introduce preferential and random linking, respectively, between the upper and lower layers. Then we compared the topological characteristics of the single networks with the supernetwork models. In order to analyze the influence of the interlayer edges on network characteristics, the cross-degree is defined as a new important parameter. Then some interesting new phenomena are found, the results imply this supernetwork model has reference value and application potential.

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

Evolution Theory Teaching and Learning: What Conclusions Can We Get from Comparisons of Teachers' and Students' Conceptual Ecologies in Greece and Turkey?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasiou, Kyriacos; Papadopoulou, Penelope

2015-01-01

In this study, we make an effort to compare studies that explore the factors related to acceptance of evolutionary theory among Greek and Turkish students-future teachers, using conceptual ecology for biological evolution as the theoretical framework. We aimed to look into the acceptance and the understanding of evolutionary theory and also to…

Constitutive modeling for isotropic materials (HOST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindholm, Ulric S.; Chan, Kwai S.; Bodner, S. R.; Weber, R. M.; Walker, K. P.; Cassenti, B. N.

1984-01-01

The results of the first year of work on a program to validate unified constitutive models for isotropic materials utilized in high temperature regions of gas turbine engines and to demonstrate their usefulness in computing stress-strain-time-temperature histories in complex three-dimensional structural components. The unified theories combine all inelastic strain-rate components in a single term avoiding, for example, treating plasticity and creep as separate response phenomena. An extensive review of existing unified theories is given and numerical methods for integrating these stiff time-temperature-dependent constitutive equations are discussed. Two particular models, those developed by Bodner and Partom and by Walker, were selected for more detailed development and evaluation against experimental tensile, creep and cyclic strain tests on specimens of a cast nickel base alloy, B19000+Hf. Initial results comparing computed and test results for tensile and cyclic straining for temperature from ambient to 982 C and strain rates from 10(exp-7) 10(exp-3) s(exp-1) are given. Some preliminary date correlations are presented also for highly non-proportional biaxial loading which demonstrate an increase in biaxial cyclic hardening rate over uniaxial or proportional loading conditions. Initial work has begun on the implementation of both constitutive models in the MARC finite element computer code.

The intense world theory - a unifying theory of the neurobiology of autism.

PubMed

Markram, Kamila; Markram, Henry

2010-01-01

Autism covers a wide spectrum of disorders for which there are many views, hypotheses and theories. Here we propose a unifying theory of autism, the Intense World Theory. The proposed neuropathology is hyper-functioning of local neural microcircuits, best characterized by hyper-reactivity and hyper-plasticity. Such hyper-functional microcircuits are speculated to become autonomous and memory trapped leading to the core cognitive consequences of hyper-perception, hyper-attention, hyper-memory and hyper-emotionality. The theory is centered on the neocortex and the amygdala, but could potentially be applied to all brain regions. The severity on each axis depends on the severity of the molecular syndrome expressed in different brain regions, which could uniquely shape the repertoire of symptoms of an autistic child. The progression of the disorder is proposed to be driven by overly strong reactions to experiences that drive the brain to a hyper-preference and overly selective state, which becomes more extreme with each new experience and may be particularly accelerated by emotionally charged experiences and trauma. This may lead to obsessively detailed information processing of fragments of the world and an involuntarily and systematic decoupling of the autist from what becomes a painfully intense world. The autistic is proposed to become trapped in a limited, but highly secure internal world with minimal extremes and surprises. We present the key studies that support this theory of autism, show how this theory can better explain past findings, and how it could resolve apparently conflicting data and interpretations. The theory also makes further predictions from the molecular to the behavioral levels, provides a treatment strategy and presents its own falsifying hypothesis.

The Intense World Theory – A Unifying Theory of the Neurobiology of Autism

PubMed Central

Markram, Kamila; Markram, Henry

2010-01-01

Autism covers a wide spectrum of disorders for which there are many views, hypotheses and theories. Here we propose a unifying theory of autism, the Intense World Theory. The proposed neuropathology is hyper-functioning of local neural microcircuits, best characterized by hyper-reactivity and hyper-plasticity. Such hyper-functional microcircuits are speculated to become autonomous and memory trapped leading to the core cognitive consequences of hyper-perception, hyper-attention, hyper-memory and hyper-emotionality. The theory is centered on the neocortex and the amygdala, but could potentially be applied to all brain regions. The severity on each axis depends on the severity of the molecular syndrome expressed in different brain regions, which could uniquely shape the repertoire of symptoms of an autistic child. The progression of the disorder is proposed to be driven by overly strong reactions to experiences that drive the brain to a hyper-preference and overly selective state, which becomes more extreme with each new experience and may be particularly accelerated by emotionally charged experiences and trauma. This may lead to obsessively detailed information processing of fragments of the world and an involuntarily and systematic decoupling of the autist from what becomes a painfully intense world. The autistic is proposed to become trapped in a limited, but highly secure internal world with minimal extremes and surprises. We present the key studies that support this theory of autism, show how this theory can better explain past findings, and how it could resolve apparently conflicting data and interpretations. The theory also makes further predictions from the molecular to the behavioral levels, provides a treatment strategy and presents its own falsifying hypothesis. PMID:21191475

Are ecological and evolutionary theories scientific?

PubMed

Murray, B G

2001-05-01

Scientists observe nature, search for generalizations, and provide explanations for why the world is as it is. Generalizations are of two kinds. The first are descriptive and inductive, such as Boyle's Law. They are derived from observations and therefore refer to observables (in this case, pressure and volume). The second are often imaginative and form the axioms of a deductive theory, such as Newton's Laws of Motion. They often refer to unobservables (e.g. inertia and gravitation). Biology has many inductive generalizations (e.g. Bergmann's Rule and 'all cells arise from preexisting cells') but few, if any, recognized universal laws and virtually no deductive theory. Many biologists and philosophers of biology have agreed that predictive theory is inappropriate in biology, which is said to be more complex than physics, and that one can have nonpredictive explanations, such as the neo-Darwinian Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. Other philosophers dismiss nonpredictive, explanatory theories, including evolutionary 'theory', as metaphysics. Most biologists do not think of themselves as philosophers or give much thought to the philosophical basis of their research. Nevertheless, their philosophy shows in the way they do research. The plethora of ad hoc (i.e. not universal) hypotheses indicates that biologists are reluctant inductivists in that the search for generalization does not have a high priority. Biologists test their hypotheses by verification. Theoretical physicists, in contrast, are deductive unifiers and test their explanatory hypotheses by falsification. I argue that theoretical biology (concerned with unobservables, such as fitness and natural selection) is not scientific because it lacks universal laws and predictive theory. In order to make this argument, I review the differences between verificationism and falsificationism, induction and deduction, and descriptive and explanatory laws. I show how these differ with a specific example of a successful and still useful (even if now superseded as explanatory) deductive theory, Newton's Theory of Motion. I also review some of the philosophical views expressed on these topics because philosophers seem to be even more divided than biologists, which is not at all helpful. The fact that biology does not have predictive theories does not constitute irrefutable evidence that it cannot have them. The only way to falsify this philosophical hypothesis, however, is to produce a predictive theory with universal biological laws. I have proposed such a theory, but it has been presented piecemeal. At the end of this paper, I bring the pieces together into a deductive theory on the evolution of life history traits (e.g. clutch size, mating relationships, sexual size dimorphism).

A qualitative, exploratory study of predominantly female parental perceptions of consumer health technology use by their overweight and/or obese female adolescent participating in a fee-based 4-week weight-management intervention.

PubMed

Knoblock-Hahn, Amy L; LeRouge, Cynthia M

2014-04-01

Consumer health technologies (CHTs) are a growing part of the continuum of care for self-management of overweight and obesity. Parents positively or negatively influence adolescent weight-management efforts and are especially important throughout continuum of care settings. User-centered design (UCD) applications have been developed to assist primary users, such as adolescents, with their weight management, but less is known about the influence of parents as secondary users across many socio-ecological environments. The purpose of this study was to use the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to inform the design of a UCD application in a qualitative study that sought to determine parental views on how technology can support previously learned behaviors that require ongoing management and support beyond formal lifestyle interventions. Parents of overweight and obese adolescents (n=14) were interviewed about perceived usefulness and planned user-intent of CHT that was designed for adolescents. UTAUT provided theoretical parental constructs (intention, performance and effort expectancy, and social influence) interactions within several socio-ecological contexts, including the home food environment and restaurant dining experiences. Although generalizations of this qualitative study are limited by a small sample size with predominantly mothers (n=13) of overweight and obese daughters (n=12), the exploratory inquiry using a parent as a secondary consumer user can complement the adoption of applications designed by adolescents. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unified field theory from the classical wave equation: Preliminary application to atomic and nuclear structure

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

Múnera, Héctor A., E-mail: hmunera@hotmail.com; Retired professor, Department of Physics, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, South America

2016-07-07

It is postulated that there exists a fundamental energy-like fluid, which occupies the flat three-dimensional Euclidean space that contains our universe, and obeys the two basic laws of classical physics: conservation of linear momentum, and conservation of total energy; the fluid is described by the classical wave equation (CWE), which was Schrödinger’s first candidate to develop his quantum theory. Novel solutions for the CWE discovered twenty years ago are nonharmonic, inherently quantized, and universal in the sense of scale invariance, thus leading to quantization at all scales of the universe, from galactic clusters to the sub-quark world, and yielding amore » unified Lorentz-invariant quantum theory ab initio. Quingal solutions are isomorphic under both neo-Galilean and Lorentz transformations, and exhibit nother remarkable property: intrinsic unstability for large values of ℓ (a quantum number), thus limiting the size of each system at a given scale. Unstability and scale-invariance together lead to nested structures observed in our solar system; unstability may explain the small number of rows in the chemical periodic table, and nuclear unstability of nuclides beyond lead and bismuth. Quingal functions lend mathematical basis for Boscovich’s unified force (which is compatible with many pieces of evidence collected over the past century), and also yield a simple geometrical solution for the classical three-body problem, which is a useful model for electronic orbits in simple diatomic molecules. A testable prediction for the helicoidal-type force is suggested.« less

Ecological Theory: Preventing Youth Bullying, Aggression, and Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espelage, Dorothy L.

2014-01-01

Bronfenbrenner's (1977) classic ecological theory is used as a framework to review the documented risk and protective factors associated with involvement in school-related bullying during childhood and adolescence. Microsystems such as peers (socialization during adolescence), family (violence, lack of parental monitoring), community…

A SPATIALLY EXPLICIT HIERARCHICAL APPROACH TO MODELING COMPLEX ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS. (R827676)

EPA Science Inventory

Ecological systems are generally considered among the most complex because they are characterized by a large number of diverse components, nonlinear interactions, scale multiplicity, and spatial heterogeneity. Hierarchy theory, as well as empirical evidence, suggests that comp...

School Psychology Research: Combining Ecological Theory and Prevention Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Matthew K.

2011-01-01

The current article comments on the importance of theoretical implications within school psychological research, and proposes that ecological theory and prevention science could provide the conceptual framework for school psychology research and practice. Articles published in "School Psychology Review" should at least discuss potential…

Whitehead's Multiverse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHenry, Leemon

2012-09-01

Alfred North Whitehead advanced a version of multiverse theory in 19291 that bears a remarkable affinity to the revolutionary ideas of current cosmological speculation.2 He postulated his theory for some of the very same reasons as those advanced today by leading cosmologists and physicists such as Martin Rees, Lee Smolin, Stephen Hawking, Max Tegmark and Steven Weinberg, but his theory has largely gone unnoticed. While Whitehead knew nothing of the great advances in big bang theory, expansion, inflation and the unification of physics in post-Hubble cosmology when he wrote Process and Reality in the 1920s, he sought to explain the origin of our universe from its predecessor and to unify the fragmentary theories of physics into a grand theory.

A NOTE ON THE UNIFIED FIRST LAW IN f(R) GRAVITY THEORY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi; Gong, Yungui; Zhu, Zong-Hong

2012-04-01

Because of the dynamical equivalence between the f(R) gravity and the Brans-Dicke theory, the dynamical equation in the f(R) gravity is suggested to be derived from a view point of thermodynamics here. By a conformal transformation, the Brans-Dicke theory in the Jordan frame could be expressed as a minimal coupling scalar field theory in Einstein frame. Using the entropy-area relation d˜ {S} = d˜ {A}/4 G, the correct Friedmann equations could be gotten in both frames. Furthermore, we also discuss the corresponding generalized Misner-Sharp energies for theoretical consistence.

Intention, emotion, and action: a neural theory based on semantic pointers.

PubMed

Schröder, Tobias; Stewart, Terrence C; Thagard, Paul

2014-06-01

We propose a unified theory of intentions as neural processes that integrate representations of states of affairs, actions, and emotional evaluation. We show how this theory provides answers to philosophical questions about the concept of intention, psychological questions about human behavior, computational questions about the relations between belief and action, and neuroscientific questions about how the brain produces actions. Our theory of intention ties together biologically plausible mechanisms for belief, planning, and motor control. The computational feasibility of these mechanisms is shown by a model that simulates psychologically important cases of intention. © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Multilevel Intervention Research: Lessons Learned and Pathways Forward

PubMed Central

Taplin, Stephen H.; Foster, Mary K.; Fagan, Pebbles; Kaluzny, Arnold D.

2012-01-01

This summary reflects on this monograph regarding multilevel intervention (MLI) research to 1) assess its added value; 2) discuss what has been learned to date about its challenges in cancer care delivery; and 3) identify specific ways to improve its scientific soundness, feasibility, policy relevance, and research agenda. The 12 submitted chapters, and discussion of them at the March 2011 multilevel meeting, were reviewed and discussed among the authors to elicit key findings and results addressing the questions raised at the outset of this effort. MLI research is underrepresented as an explicit focus in the cancer literature but may improve implementation of studies of cancer care delivery if they assess contextual, organizational, and environmental factors important to understanding behavioral and/or system-level interventions. The field lacks a single unifying theory, although several psychological or biological theories are useful, and an ecological model helps conceptualize and communicate interventions. MLI research designs are often complex, involving nonlinear and nonhierarchical relationships that may not be optimally studied in randomized designs. Simulation modeling and pilot studies may be necessary to evaluate MLI interventions. Measurement and evaluation of team and organizational interventions are especially needed in cancer care, as are attention to the context of health-care reform, eHealth technology, and genomics-based medicine. Future progress in MLI research requires greater attention to developing and supporting relevant metrics of level effects and interactions and evaluating MLI interventions. MLI research holds an unrealized promise for understanding how to improve cancer care delivery. PMID:22623606

"His Native, Hot Country"1: Racial Science and Environment in Antebellum American Medical Thought.

PubMed

Willoughby, Christopher D

2017-07-01

Relying on a close reading of more than 4,000 medicals student theses, this essay explores the evolving medical approaches to race and environment in the early national and antebellum United States and highlights the role that medical school pedagogy played in disseminating and elaborating racial theory. Specifically, it considers the influence of racial science on medical concepts of the relationship of bodies to climates. At their core, monogenesis-belief in a single, unified human race-and polygenesis-the belief that each race was created separately-were theories about the human body's connections to the natural world. As polygenesis became influential in Atlantic medical thought, physicians saw environmental treatments as a matter of matching bodies to their natural ecology. In the first decades of the nineteenth century, Atlantic physicians understood bodies and places as in constant states of flux. Through proper treatment, people and environments could suffer either degradation or improvement. Practitioners saw African Americans and whites as the same species with their differences being largely superficial and produced by climate. However, by the 1830s and 1840s medical students were learning that each race was inherently different and unalterable by time or temperature. In this paradigm, medical students articulated a vision of racial health rooted in organic relationships between bodies and climates. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Conceptual Ecology of the Evolution Acceptance among Greek Education Students: Knowledge, religious practices and social influences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Athanasiou, Kyriacos; Papadopoulou, Penelope

2012-04-01

In this study, we explored some of the factors related to the acceptance of evolution theory among Greek university students training to be teachers in early childhood education, using conceptual ecology for biological evolution as a theoretical framework. We examined the acceptance of evolution theory and we also looked into the relationship between the acceptance and parents' education level, thinking dispositions and frequency of religious practice as independent variables. Students' moderate acceptance of evolution theory is positively correlated with the frequency of religious practices and thinking dispositions. Our findings indicate that studying a controversial issue such as the acceptance of evolution theory in a multivariate fashion, using conceptual ecology as a theoretical lens to interpret the findings, is informative. They also indicate the differences that exist between societies and how socio-cultural factors such as the nature of religion, as part of the conceptual ecology, influence acceptance of evolution and have an influence on evolution education.

A spatially constrained ecological classification: rationale, methodology and implementation

Treesearch

Franz Mora; Louis Iverson; Louis Iverson

2002-01-01

The theory, methodology and implementation for an ecological and spatially constrained classification are presented. Ecological and spatial relationships among several landscape variables are analyzed in order to define a new approach for a landscape classification. Using ecological and geostatistical analyses, several ecological and spatial weights are derived to...

THE CONSEQUENCES OF CROSSING BARRIERS AND BOUNDARIES

EPA Science Inventory

This is a brief, general ecological theory presentation which explains concepts of physically defining habitational zones, ecological barriers, ecological boundaries and vehicles, plus biologically defining pathogens, hosts, and vectors.

A unified physical model of Seebeck coefficient in amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Nianduan; Li, Ling; Sun, Pengxiao; Banerjee, Writam; Liu, Ming

2014-09-01

A unified physical model for Seebeck coefficient was presented based on the multiple-trapping and release theory for amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors. According to the proposed model, the Seebeck coefficient is attributed to the Fermi-Dirac statistics combined with the energy dependent trap density of states and the gate-voltage dependence of the quasi-Fermi level. The simulation results show that the gate voltage, energy disorder, and temperature dependent Seebeck coefficient can be well described. The calculation also shows a good agreement with the experimental data in amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistor.

An ecological valence theory of human color preference.

PubMed

Palmer, Stephen E; Schloss, Karen B

2010-05-11

Color preference is an important aspect of visual experience, but little is known about why people in general like some colors more than others. Previous research suggested explanations based on biological adaptations [Hurlbert AC, Ling YL (2007) Curr Biol 17:623-625] and color-emotions [Ou L-C, Luo MR, Woodcock A, Wright A (2004) Color Res Appl 29:381-389]. In this article we articulate an ecological valence theory in which color preferences arise from people's average affective responses to color-associated objects. An empirical test provides strong support for this theory: People like colors strongly associated with objects they like (e.g., blues with clear skies and clean water) and dislike colors strongly associated with objects they dislike (e.g., browns with feces and rotten food). Relative to alternative theories, the ecological valence theory both fits the data better (even with fewer free parameters) and provides a more plausible, comprehensive causal explanation of color preferences.

Mysteries of hypnosis and the self are revealed by the psychology and neuroscience of empathy.

PubMed

Wickramasekera, Ian E

2015-01-01

This article reviews a growing body of research and theory in hypnosis and neuroscience that supports the empathic involvement theory (EIT) of hypnosis (Wickramasekera II, 2001; Wickramasekera II & Szlyk, 2003; Wickramasekera II, 2007c). The EIT is a unified transpersonal theory of hypnosis and the self, which weaves together empathic elements of Dzogchen, neodissociative, neuroscience, psychoanalytic, sociocognitive, and other theories by proposing that hypnotic phenomena are inherently characterized by their deep involvement with processes of empathy and the self. The EIT proposes that the experience of hypnosis is embodied in a system of neural networks in the brain that utilizes empathy-related processes, adaptive resonance between perceptual input and top-down expectancies, and connectionist learning algorithms to (a) empathically enact the affect, cognition, body language, response expectancies, social roles, sensations, etc. that are presented to them during hypnosis in accordance with socio-cognitive theories of hypnosis; (b) engage in a convergent psychophysiological relationship with another person in accordance with psychoanalytic, Ericksonian, and polyvagal/social engagement system theories; (c) alter the empathic self/other (theory of mind) coding of phenomenological experiences during hypnosis in accordance with aspects of the neo-dissociative and socio-cognitive traditions; and (d) develop an experiential understanding of the illusion of self that may lead, in some people, to its transcendence in accordance with Bon-Buddhist, Dzogchen, and transpersonal scholars. A unified definition of hypnosis is proposed based on findings in the empathic neuroscience of hypnosis as well as a working model of the neuromatrix of the self.

Gauge Invariance and the Goldstone Theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guralnik, Gerald S.

This paper was originally created for and printed in the "Proceedings of seminar on unified theories of elementary particles" held in Feldafing, Germany from July 5 to 16, 1965 under the auspices of the Max-Planck-Institute for Physics and Astrophysics in Munich. It details and expands upon the 1964 Guralnik, Hagen, and Kibble paper demonstrating that the Goldstone theorem does not require physical zero mass particles in gauge theories.

An Inquiry into the Resilience of U.S. Navy Recruits

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

in establishing the sense of self in the workplace and careful reading of employees, especially newcomers, to determine moods and opinions can be...into their personal identity or self -image. Socialization literature uses Berger and Calabrese’s (1975) uncertainty reduction theory as a vehicle...1977). Self -efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–215. Beal, D. J., Cohen, R. R., Burke, M. J

Using the Maximum Entropy Principle as a Unifying Theory Characterization and Sampling of Multi-Scaling Processes in Hydrometeorology

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-20

evapotranspiration (ET) over oceans may be significantly lower than previously thought. The MEP model parameterized turbulent transfer coefficients...fluxes, ocean freshwater fluxes, regional crop yield among others. An on-going study suggests that the global annual evapotranspiration (ET) over...Bras, Jingfeng Wang. A model of evapotranspiration based on the theory of maximum entropy production, Water Resources Research, (03 2011): 0. doi

Sex Ratio Elasticity Influences the Selection of Sex Ratio Strategy.

PubMed

Wang, Yaqiang; Wang, Ruiwu; Li, Yaotang; Sam Ma, Zhanshan

2016-12-23

There are three sex ratio strategies (SRS) in nature-male-biased sex ratio, female-biased sex ratio and, equal sex ratio. It was R. A. Fisher who first explained why most species in nature display a sex ratio of ½. Consequent SRS theories such as Hamilton's local mate competition (LMC) and Clark's local resource competition (LRC) separately explained the observed deviations from the seemingly universal 1:1 ratio. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is not yet a unified theory that accounts for the mechanisms of the three SRS. Here, we introduce the price elasticity theory in economics to define sex ratio elasticity (SRE), and present an analytical model that derives three SRSs based on the following assumption: simultaneously existing competitions for both resources A and resources B influence the level of SRE in both sexes differently. Consequently, it is the difference (between two sexes) in the level of their sex ratio elasticity that leads to three different SRS. Our analytical results demonstrate that the elasticity-based model not only reveals a highly plausible mechanism that explains the evolution of SRS in nature, but also offers a novel framework for unifying two major classical theories (i.e., LMC &LRC) in the field of SRS research.

Unified path integral approach to theories of diffusion-influenced reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prüstel, Thorsten; Meier-Schellersheim, Martin

2017-08-01

Building on mathematical similarities between quantum mechanics and theories of diffusion-influenced reactions, we develop a general approach for computational modeling of diffusion-influenced reactions that is capable of capturing not only the classical Smoluchowski picture but also alternative theories, as is here exemplified by a volume reactivity model. In particular, we prove the path decomposition expansion of various Green's functions describing the irreversible and reversible reaction of an isolated pair of molecules. To this end, we exploit a connection between boundary value and interaction potential problems with δ - and δ'-function perturbation. We employ a known path-integral-based summation of a perturbation series to derive a number of exact identities relating propagators and survival probabilities satisfying different boundary conditions in a unified and systematic manner. Furthermore, we show how the path decomposition expansion represents the propagator as a product of three factors in the Laplace domain that correspond to quantities figuring prominently in stochastic spatially resolved simulation algorithms. This analysis will thus be useful for the interpretation of current and the design of future algorithms. Finally, we discuss the relation between the general approach and the theory of Brownian functionals and calculate the mean residence time for the case of irreversible and reversible reactions.

Sex Ratio Elasticity Influences the Selection of Sex Ratio Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yaqiang; Wang, Ruiwu; Li, Yaotang; (Sam) Ma, Zhanshan

2016-12-01

There are three sex ratio strategies (SRS) in nature—male-biased sex ratio, female-biased sex ratio and, equal sex ratio. It was R. A. Fisher who first explained why most species in nature display a sex ratio of ½. Consequent SRS theories such as Hamilton’s local mate competition (LMC) and Clark’s local resource competition (LRC) separately explained the observed deviations from the seemingly universal 1:1 ratio. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is not yet a unified theory that accounts for the mechanisms of the three SRS. Here, we introduce the price elasticity theory in economics to define sex ratio elasticity (SRE), and present an analytical model that derives three SRSs based on the following assumption: simultaneously existing competitions for both resources A and resources B influence the level of SRE in both sexes differently. Consequently, it is the difference (between two sexes) in the level of their sex ratio elasticity that leads to three different SRS. Our analytical results demonstrate that the elasticity-based model not only reveals a highly plausible mechanism that explains the evolution of SRS in nature, but also offers a novel framework for unifying two major classical theories (i.e., LMC & LRC) in the field of SRS research.

REGIME CHANGES IN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS: AN INFORMATION THEORY APPROACH

EPA Science Inventory

We present our efforts at developing an ecological system using Information Theory. We derive an expression for Fisher Information based on sampling of the system trajectory as it evolves in the state space. The Fisher Information index as we have derived it captures the characte...

Ecological Systems Theory in "School Psychology Review"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Matthew K.; Warmbold-Brann, Kristy; Zaslofsky, Anne F.

2015-01-01

Ecological systems theory (EST) has been suggested as a framework to provide effective school psychology services, but previous reviews of research found questionable consistency between methods and the principles of EST. The current article reviewed 349 articles published in "School Psychology Review" (SPR) between 2006 and 2015 and…

The use of ecological momentary assessment to test appraisal theories of emotion.

PubMed

Tong, Eddie M W; Bishop, George D; Enkelmann, Hwee Chong; Why, Yong Peng; Diong, Siew Maan; Khader, Majeed; Ang, Jansen

2005-12-01

Although appraisal theories have received strong empirical support, there are methodological concerns about the research, including biased recall, heuristic responding, ethical issues, and weak and unrealistic induction of emotions in laboratories. To provide a more ecologically valid test of appraisal theories, the authors used ecological momentary assessment, in which the emotions and appraisals of Singaporean police officers were measured online over the course of an ordinary workday. The research focused on happiness. Support was obtained for predictions, demonstrating the generalizability of appraisal theories to a nonlaboratory setting and circumventing the shortcomings of previously used methodologies. Also, evidence was obtained that happiness was reported primarily in association with a specific combination of 3 relevant appraisals: high pleasantness, high perceived control, and low moral violation. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

In search of a general theory of species' range evolution.

PubMed

Connallon, Tim; Sgrò, Carla M

2018-06-13

Despite the pervasiveness of the world's biodiversity, no single species has a truly global distribution. In fact, most species have very restricted distributions. What limits species from expanding beyond their current geographic ranges? This has been classically treated by ecologists as an ecological problem and by evolutionary biologist as an evolutionary problem. Such a dichotomy is false-the problem of species' ranges sits firmly within the realm of evolutionary ecology. In support of this view, Polechová presents new theory that explains species' range limits with reference to two key factors central to both ecological and evolutionary theory-migration and population size. This new model sets the scene for empirical tests of range limit theory and builds the case for assisted gene flow as a key management tool for threatened species.

Improving the integration of recreation management with management of other natural resources by applying concepts of scale from ecology

Treesearch

Wayde c. Morse; Troy E. Hall; Linda E. Kruger

2008-01-01

In this article, we examine how issues of scale affect the integration of recreation management with the management of other natural resources on public lands. We present two theories used to address scale issues in ecology and explore how they can improve the two most widely applied recreation-planning frameworks. The theory of patch dynamics and hierarchy theory are...

Including Overweight or Obese Students in Physical Education: A Social Ecological Constraint Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Weidong; Rukavina, Paul

2012-01-01

In this review, we propose a social ecological constraint model to study inclusion of overweight or obese students in physical education by integrating key concepts and assumptions from ecological constraint theory in motor development and social ecological models in health promotion and behavior. The social ecological constraint model proposes…

Toward Gleasonian landscape ecology: From communities to species, from patches to pixels

Treesearch

Samuel A. Cushman; Jeffrey S. Evans; Kevin McGarigal; Joseph M. Kiesecker

2010-01-01

The fusion of individualistic community ecology with the Hutchinsonian niche concept enabled a broad integration of ecological theory, spanning all the way from the niche characteristics of individual species, to the composition, structure, and dynamics of ecological communities. Landscape ecology has been variously described as the study of the structure, function,...

A Feminist Posthumanist Political Ecology of Education for Theorizing Human-Animal Relations/Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloro-Bidart, Teresa

2017-01-01

This paper contributes to a nascent conversation in environmental education (EE) research by using ethnographic data and extant theory to develop a feminist posthumanist political ecology of education for theorizing human-animal relations/relationships. Specifically, I (1) engage feminist methodologies and theories; (2) give epistemological and…

Language Ecology in Multilingual Settings. Towards a Theory of Symbolic Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramsch, Claire; Whiteside, Anne

2008-01-01

This paper draws on complexity theory and post-modern sociolinguistics to explore how an ecological approach to language data can illuminate aspects of language use in multilingual environments. We first examine transcripts of exchanges taking place among multilingual individuals in multicultural settings. We briefly review what conversation and…

Theory Z School: Beyond Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Paul S.

American schools might improve their performance by emulating certain successful businesses that, while distinctly American, have much in common with Japanese corporations. William Ouchi attributes Japanese business success to worker involvement; the typical Japanese corporation, he asserts, unifies its employees around a corporate philosophy…

The Jigsaw Earth--Putting the Pieces Together.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, William H.

1983-01-01

Discusses continental drift, sea floor spreading, evidence for these two geological phenomena, and how they were unified into a theory of plate tectonics. Also discusses three types of plate boundaries: (1) divergent junctions, (2) convergent junctions, and (3) shear junctions. (Author/JN)

A unified approach to computer analysis and modeling of spacecraft environmental interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, I.; Mandell, M. J.; Cassidy, J. J.

1986-01-01

A new, coordinated, unified approach to the development of spacecraft plasma interaction models is proposed. The objective is to eliminate the unnecessary duplicative work in order to allow researchers to concentrate on the scientific aspects. By streamlining the developmental process, the interchange between theories and experimentalists is enhanced, and the transfer of technology to the spacecraft engineering community is faster. This approach is called the UNIfied Spacecraft Interaction Model (UNISIM). UNISIM is a coordinated system of software, hardware, and specifications. It is a tool for modeling and analyzing spacecraft interactions. It will be used to design experiments, to interpret results of experiments, and to aid in future spacecraft design. It breaks a Spacecraft Ineraction analysis into several modules. Each module will perform an analysis for some physical process, using phenomenology and algorithms which are well documented and have been subject to review. This system and its characteristics are discussed.

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.

A unified universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Codello, Alessandro; Jain, Rajeev Kumar

2018-05-01

We present a unified evolution of the universe from very early times until the present epoch by including both the leading local correction R^2 and the leading non-local term R1/\\square ^2R to the classical gravitational action. We find that the inflationary phase driven by R^2 term gracefully exits in a transitory regime characterized by coherent oscillations of the Hubble parameter. The universe then naturally enters into a radiation dominated epoch followed by a matter dominated era. At sufficiently late times after radiation-matter equality, the non-local term starts to dominate inducing an accelerated expansion of the universe at the present epoch. We further exhibit the fact that both the leading local and non-local terms can be obtained within the covariant effective field theory of gravity. This scenario thus provides a unified picture of inflation and dark energy in a single framework by means of a purely gravitational action without the usual need of a scalar field.

Einstein-Yang-Mills-Dirac systems from the discretized Kaluza-Klein theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wali, Kameshwar; Viet, Nguyen Ali

2017-01-01

A unified theory of the non-Abelian gauge interactions with gravity in the framework of a discretized Kaluza-Klein theory is constructed with a modified Dirac operator and wedge product. All the couplings of chiral spinors to the non-Abelian gauge fields emerge naturally as components of the coupling of the chiral spinors in the generalized gravity together with some new interactions. In particular, the currently prevailing gravity-QCD quark and gravity-electroweak-quark and lepton models are shown to follow as special cases of the general framework.

M.G. Velarde: Succint Biography. Doing Science in Spain as a Maverick

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryazantsev, Yu. S.

A succint account is presented about the professional career of Prof. Manuel García Velarde. Different periods illustrate his engagement with science, education and (domestic and international) organizational endeavor. The chapter also oversees some of the major areas of research he has covered with significant scientific achievements. They embrace kinetic theory, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid physics, geophysics, optics and lasers, ferromagnetism, electron transport theory, acoustics, elasticity, wave theory, reaction-diffusion science, biophysics, active lattice dynamics, and neuro-dynamics, all phenomena and methodologies treated from the unifying perspective of nonlinear dynamics.

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

unmarked: An R package for fitting hierarchical models of wildlife occurrence and abundance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fiske, Ian J.; Chandler, Richard B.

2011-01-01

Ecological research uses data collection techniques that are prone to substantial and unique types of measurement error to address scientific questions about species abundance and distribution. These data collection schemes include a number of survey methods in which unmarked individuals are counted, or determined to be present, at spatially- referenced sites. Examples include site occupancy sampling, repeated counts, distance sampling, removal sampling, and double observer sampling. To appropriately analyze these data, hierarchical models have been developed to separately model explanatory variables of both a latent abundance or occurrence process and a conditional detection process. Because these models have a straightforward interpretation paralleling mechanisms under which the data arose, they have recently gained immense popularity. The common hierarchical structure of these models is well-suited for a unified modeling interface. The R package unmarked provides such a unified modeling framework, including tools for data exploration, model fitting, model criticism, post-hoc analysis, and model comparison.

[Connotation characterization and evaluation of ecological well-being based on ecosystem service theory.

PubMed

Zang, Zheng; Zou, Xin- Qing

2016-04-22

China is advocating ecological civilization construction nowadays. Further researches on the relation between ecosystem service and humanity well-being are full of theoretical and practical significance. Combining related researches, this paper defined the concept and connotation of ecological well-being based on ecosystem service theory. Referencing theory of national economic accounting and relative researches, the evaluation indicators of ecological well-being supply and consumption were established. The quantitative characterization and evaluation method of red line of regional ecological well-being was proposed on the basis of location quotient. Then the evaluation of ecological well-being in mainland China in 2012 was set as an example for empirical research. The results showed that the net product values of 6 ecosystems, includingcultivated land, forest land, grassland, wetland, water area and unused land, were respectively 1481.925, 8194.806, 4176.277, 4245.760, 3177.084 and 133.762 billion CNY. Spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem net product in different provinces was distinct. Ecological well-being per capita of forest land, grassland, wetland, cultivated land and unused land in eastern and middle provinces were under the red line and less than the national average. The spatial distribution of 9 kinds of ecological well-being per capita split at Hu's line with high value in northwest and low value in southeast, and was aggravated by differences in density of population and land resources gift.

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.

Integrated approaches to long-term studies of urban ecological systems

Treesearch

Nancy B. Grimm; J. Morgan Grove; Steward T.A. Pickett; Charles L. Redman

2000-01-01

Urban ecological systems present multiple challenges to ecologists—pervasive human impact and extreme heterogeneity of cities, and the need to integrate social and ecological approaches, concepts, and theory.

Herbivore-mediated ecological costs of reproduction shape the life history of an iteroparous plant.

PubMed

Miller, Tom E X; Tenhumberg, Brigitte; Louda, Svata M

2008-02-01

Plant reproduction yields immediate fitness benefits but can be costly in terms of survival, growth, and future fecundity. Life-history theory posits that reproductive strategies are shaped by trade-offs between current and future fitness that result from these direct costs of reproduction. Plant reproduction may also incur indirect ecological costs if it increases susceptibility to herbivores. Yet ecological costs of reproduction have received little empirical attention and remain poorly integrated into life-history theory. Here, we provide evidence for herbivore-mediated ecological costs of reproduction, and we develop theory to examine how these costs influence plant life-history strategies. Field experiments with an iteroparous cactus (Opuntia imbricata) indicated that greater reproductive effort (proportion of meristems allocated to reproduction) led to greater attack by a cactus-feeding insect (Narnia pallidicornis) and that damage by this herbivore reduced reproductive success. A dynamic programming model predicted strongly divergent optimal reproductive strategies when ecological costs were included, compared with when these costs were ignored. Meristem allocation by cacti in the field matched the optimal strategy expected under ecological costs of reproduction. The results indicate that plant reproductive allocation can strongly influence the intensity of interactions with herbivores and that associated ecological costs can play an important selective role in the evolution of plant life histories.

[Identification of ecological corridors for Tibetan antelope and assessment of their human disturbances in the alpine desert of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau].

PubMed

Zhuge, Hai-jin; Lin, Dan-qi; Li, Xiao-wen

2015-08-01

The alpine desert of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) provides the largest habitats for those endangered ungulates (e.g., Tibetan antelope, Tibetan Kiang and wild yak) on the earth. However, human disturbance especially infrastructure constructions (e.g., railway & highway) has increasingly fragmented the habitats of those endangered ungulates by disturbing and interrupting their ecological corridors for their seasonal migration. Aiming at identifying the potential ecological corridors for Tibetan antelope, a GIS-based model-Linkage Mapper was used to model and detect the potential ecological corridors of Tibetan antelope based on the principle of least cost path. Three categories of ecological corridors, i. e., closed (inside reserves), linking (linking the reserves) and open (starting from reserve but ending outside) corridors were distinguished by their spatial interactions with existing major national nature reserves (i.e., Altun, Kekexili and Qiangtang NNRs) in the alpine desert of QTP, and their spatial patterns, conservation status associated with human disturbance were also examined. Although our research indicated a general ecological integration of both habitats and ecological corridors in the alpine desert ecosystem, increasing human disturbance should not be ignored, which particularly partially undermined the functioning of those ecological corridors linking the nature reserves. Considering disadvantages of prevailing separate administrative structure of nature reserve on the effective conservation of ecological corridors for those endangered ungulates, a coordinative conservation network among these major national nature reserves should be established to ensure the unified trans-boundary conservation efforts and to enhance its overall conservation efficacy by sharing information, knowledge and optimizing conservation resources.

A unifying framework for ghost-free Lorentz-invariant Lagrangian field theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wenliang

2018-04-01

We propose a framework for Lorentz-invariant Lagrangian field theories where Ostrogradsky's scalar ghosts could be absent. A key ingredient is the generalized Kronecker delta. The general Lagrangians are reformulated in the language of differential forms. The absence of higher order equations of motion for the scalar modes stems from the basic fact that every exact form is closed. The well-established Lagrangian theories for spin-0, spin-1, p-form, spin-2 fields have natural formulations in this framework. We also propose novel building blocks for Lagrangian field theories. Some of them are novel nonlinear derivative terms for spin-2 fields. It is nontrivial that Ostrogradsky's scalar ghosts are absent in these fully nonlinear theories.

Time-Dependent Thermal Transport Theory.

PubMed

Biele, Robert; D'Agosta, Roberto; Rubio, Angel

2015-07-31

Understanding thermal transport in nanoscale systems presents important challenges to both theory and experiment. In particular, the concept of local temperature at the nanoscale appears difficult to justify. Here, we propose a theoretical approach where we replace the temperature gradient with controllable external blackbody radiations. The theory recovers known physical results, for example, the linear relation between the thermal current and the temperature difference of two blackbodies. Furthermore, our theory is not limited to the linear regime and goes beyond accounting for nonlinear effects and transient phenomena. Since the present theory is general and can be adapted to describe both electron and phonon dynamics, it provides a first step toward a unified formalism for investigating thermal and electronic transport.

Physical Stress, Consumer Control, and New Theory in Ecology.

PubMed

Silliman, Brian R; He, Qiang

2018-05-22

Consumer-prey interactions form the foundation of food webs and are affected by the physical environment. Multiple foundational theories in ecology [e.g., the environmental stress model (ESM), the stress-gradient hypothesis (SGH), and ecosystem resilience theory] assume increased physical stress dampens top-down control of prey. In the large majority of empirical studies, however, physical stress either does not affect or amplifies consumer control. Additive and synergistic impacts of physical stress on consumer control appear more common, for example, for herbivory versus predation, and for warm- versus cold-blooded consumers. Predictability in how physical stress affects consumer control, however, remains largely unknown. We expand classical theories in ecology so that their assumption about physical stress-consumer control relationships can be inclusive of what primarily occurs in nature. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Note on Multigrid Theory for Non-nested Grids and/or Quadrature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douglas, C. C.; Douglas, J., Jr.; Fyfe, D. E.

1996-01-01

We provide a unified theory for multilevel and multigrid methods when the usual assumptions are not present. For example, we do not assume that the solution spaces or the grids are nested. Further, we do not assume that there is an algebraic relationship between the linear algebra problems on different levels. What we provide is a computationally useful theory for adaptively changing levels. Theory is provided for multilevel correction schemes, nested iteration schemes, and one way (i.e., coarse to fine grid with no correction iterations) schemes. We include examples showing the applicability of this theory: finite element examples using quadrature in the matrix assembly and finite volume examples with non-nested grids. Our theory applies directly to other discretizations as well.

An evolutionary theory of human motivation.

PubMed

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

2005-05-01

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

Renormalization group naturalness of GUT Higgs potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allanach, B. C.; Amelino-Camelia, G.; Philipsen, O.; Pisanti, O.; Rosa, L.

1999-01-01

We analyze the symmetry-breaking patterns of grand unified theories from the point of view of a recently proposed criterion of renormalization-group naturalness. We perform the analysis on simple non-SUSY SU(5) and SO(10) and SUSY SU(5) GUTs. We find that the naturalness criterion can favor spontaneous symmetry breaking in the direction of the smallest of the maximal little groups. Some differences between theories with and without supersymmetry are also emphasized.

Traditional fire-use, landscape transition, and the legacies of social theory past.

PubMed

Coughlan, Michael R

2015-12-01

Fire-use and the scale and character of its effects on landscapes remain hotly debated in the paleo- and historical-fire literature. Since the second half of the nineteenth century, anthropology and geography have played important roles in providing theoretical propositions and testable hypotheses for advancing understandings of the ecological role of human-fire-use in landscape histories. This article reviews some of the most salient and persistent theoretical propositions and hypotheses concerning the role of humans in historical fire ecology. The review discusses this history in light of current research agendas, such as those offered by pyrogeography. The review suggests that a more theoretically cognizant historical fire ecology should strive to operationalize transdisciplinary theory capable of addressing the role of human variability in the evolutionary history of landscapes. To facilitate this process, researchers should focus attention on integrating more current human ecology theory into transdisciplinary research agendas.

An analysis of factors influencing the teaching of biological evolution in Louisiana public secondary schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguillard, Donald Wayne

Louisiana public school biology teachers were surveyed to investigate their attitudes toward biological evolution. A mixed method investigation was employed using a questionnaire and open-ended interviews. Results obtained from 64 percent of the sample receiving the questionnaire indicate that although teachers endorse the study of evolution as important, instructional time allocated to evolution is disproportionate with its status as a unifying concept of science. Two variables, number of college courses specifically devoted to evolution and number of semester credit hours in biology, produced a significant correlation with emphasis placed on evolution. The data suggest that teachers' knowledge base emerged as the most significant factor in determining degree of classroom emphasis on evolution. The data suggest a need for substantive changes in the training of biology teachers. Thirty-five percent of teachers reported pursuing fewer than 20 semester credit hours in biology and 68 percent reported fewer than three college courses in which evolution was specifically discussed. Fifty percent reported a willingness to undergo additional training about evolution. In spite of the fact that evolution has been identified as a major conceptual theme across all of the sciences, there is strong evidence that Louisiana biology teachers de-emphasize evolutionary theory. Even when biology teachers allocate instructional time to evolutionary theory, many avoid discussion of human evolution. The research data show that only ten percent of teachers reported allocating more than sixty minutes of instructional time to human evolution. Louisiana biology teachers were found to hold extreme views on the subject of creationism as a component of the biology curriculum. Twenty-nine percent indicated that creationism should be taught in high school biology and 25--35 percent allocated instructional time to discussions of creationism. Contributing to the de-emphasis of evolutionary theory, as a unifying theme of biology, is the courtesy extended to classroom teachers to determine what topics are emphasized. The inclusion of evolution in curriculum documents is not sufficient to ensure that evolutionary theory is regarded as a unifying theme of biology. School administrators, science supervisors, and local school boards have a clear responsibility to articulate strong support for requiring classroom discussions of evolutionary theory.

Papers in Semantics. Working Papers in Linguistics No. 49.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Jae-Hak, Ed.; Kathol, Andreas, Ed.

1996-01-01

Papers on semantic theory and research include: "Presupposition, Congruence, and Adverbs of Quantification" (Mike Calcagno); "A Unified Account of '(Ta)myen'-Conditionals in Korean" (Chan Chung); "Spanish 'imperfecto' and 'preterito': Truth Conditions and Aktionsart Effects in a Situation Semantics" (Alicia Cipria,…

The Measurement and Role of Ecological Resilience Systems Theory Across Domain-Specific Outcomes: The Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales.

PubMed

Maltby, John; Day, Liz; Hall, Sophie S; Chivers, Sally

2017-10-01

Research suggests that trait resilience may be best understood within an ecological resilient systems theory, comprising engineering, ecological, and adaptive capacity resilience. However, there is no evidence as to how this theory translates to specific life domains. Data from two samples (the United States, n = 1,278; the United Kingdom, n = 211) facilitated five studies that introduce the Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales for assessing ecological resilient systems theory within work, health, marriage, friendships, and education. The Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales are found to predict unique variance in job satisfaction, lower job burnout, quality-of-life following illness, marriage commitment, and educational engagement, while controlling for factors including sex, age, personality, cognitive ability, and trait resilience. The findings also suggest a distinction between the three resilience dimensions in terms of the types of systems to which they contribute. Engineering resilience may contribute most to life domains where an established system needs to be maintained, for example, one's health. Ecological resilience may contribute most to life domains where the system needs sustainability in terms of present and future goal orientation, for example, one's work. Adaptive Capacity may contribute most to life domains where the system needs to be retained, preventing it from reaching a crisis state, for example, work burnout.

Opportunity NYC-Family Rewards: An Embedded Child and Family Study of Conditional Cash Transfers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Pamela; Aber, J. Lawrence; Wolf, Sharon; Berg, Juliette

2011-01-01

This study builds on and informs ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) by focusing on the contextual processes by which individual developmental trajectories can be altered. Ecological theory posits that children are embedded in a nested and interactive set of interrelated contexts beginning with the micro-system (the most…

Integrating Geospatial Technologies, Action Research, and Curriculum Theory to Promote Ecological Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agnello, Mary Frances; Carpenter, Penny

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine and report on the impact of integrating geospatial technology and ecological literacy into an educational leadership Master's class block comprised of action research and curriculum theory. Design/methodology/approach: Action and teacher research informed by environmental issues framed an action…

Everyday Theory: A Practical Application of the Ecological Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barry, Adam; Honore, Heather

2009-01-01

Knowledge of health behavior theory allows health practitioners to design health promotion interventions that are based on factors that influence behavior. Objectives: At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to: (1) identify and define the three major levels of influence of the Ecological Perspective, (2) identify how each level of…

Conceptual Ecology of Evolution Acceptance among Greek Education Students: The Contribution of Knowledge Increase

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasiou, Kyriacos; Katakos, Efstratios; Papadopoulou, Penelope

2012-01-01

In this study, we explored the factors related to acceptance of evolutionary theory among students/preservice preschool education teachers using conceptual ecology for biological evolution as a theoretical frame. We aimed to examine the acceptance and understanding of evolutionary theory and also the relationship of acceptance and understanding of…

Classification of Near-Horizon Geometries of Extremal Black Holes.

PubMed

Kunduri, Hari K; Lucietti, James

2013-01-01

Any spacetime containing a degenerate Killing horizon, such as an extremal black hole, possesses a well-defined notion of a near-horizon geometry. We review such near-horizon geometry solutions in a variety of dimensions and theories in a unified manner. We discuss various general results including horizon topology and near-horizon symmetry enhancement. We also discuss the status of the classification of near-horizon geometries in theories ranging from vacuum gravity to Einstein-Maxwell theory and supergravity theories. Finally, we discuss applications to the classification of extremal black holes and various related topics. Several new results are presented and open problems are highlighted throughout.

Second-order subsonic airfoil theory including edge effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Dyke, Milton D

1956-01-01

Several recent advances in plane subsonic flow theory are combined into a unified second-order theory for airfoil sections of arbitrary shape. The solution is reached in three steps: the incompressible result is found by integration, it is converted into the corresponding subsonic compressible result by means of the second-order compressibility rule, and it is rendered uniformly valid near stagnation points by further rules. Solutions for a number of airfoils are given and are compared with the results of other theories and of experiment. A straight-forward computing scheme is outlined for calculating the surface velocities and pressures on any airfoil at any angle of attack

Generalized slow roll in the unified effective field theory of inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motohashi, Hayato; Hu, Wayne

2017-07-01

We provide a compact and unified treatment of power spectrum observables for the effective field theory (EFT) of inflation with the complete set of operators that lead to second-order equations of motion in metric perturbations in both space and time derivatives, including Horndeski and Gleyzes-Langlois-Piazza-Vernizzi theories. We relate the EFT operators in ADM form to the four additional free functions of time in the scalar and tensor equations. Using the generalized slow-roll formalism, we show that each power spectrum can be described by an integral over a single source that is a function of its respective sound horizon. With this correspondence, existing model independent constraints on the source function can be simply reinterpreted in the more general inflationary context. By expanding these sources around an optimized freeze-out epoch, we also provide characterizations of these spectra in terms of five slow-roll hierarchies whose leading-order forms are compact and accurate as long as EFT coefficients vary only on time scales greater than an e -fold. We also clarify the relationship between the unitary gauge observables employed in the EFT and the comoving gauge observables of the postinflationary universe.

Unifying model of carpal mechanics based on computationally derived isometric constraints and rules-based motion - the stable central column theory.

PubMed

Sandow, M J; Fisher, T J; Howard, C Q; Papas, S

2014-05-01

This study was part of a larger project to develop a (kinetic) theory of carpal motion based on computationally derived isometric constraints. Three-dimensional models were created from computed tomography scans of the wrists of ten normal subjects and carpal spatial relationships at physiological motion extremes were assessed. Specific points on the surface of the various carpal bones and the radius that remained isometric through range of movement were identified. Analysis of the isometric constraints and intercarpal motion suggests that the carpus functions as a stable central column (lunate-capitate-hamate-trapezoid-trapezium) with a supporting lateral column (scaphoid), which behaves as a 'two gear four bar linkage'. The triquetrum functions as an ulnar translation restraint, as well as controlling lunate flexion. The 'trapezoid'-shaped trapezoid places the trapezium anterior to the transverse plane of the radius and ulna, and thus rotates the principal axis of the central column to correspond to that used in the 'dart thrower's motion'. This study presents a forward kinematic analysis of the carpus that provides the basis for the development of a unifying kinetic theory of wrist motion based on isometric constraints and rules-based motion.

Unifying Quantum Physics with Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goradia, Shantilal

2014-09-01

We find that the natural logarithm of the age of the universe in quantum mechanical units is close to 137. Since science is not religion, it is our moral duty to recognize the importance of this finding on the following ground. The experimentally obtained number 137 is a mystical number in science, as if written by the hand of God. It is found in cosmology; unlike other theories, it works in biology too. A formula by Boltzmann also works in both: biology and physics, as if it is in the heart of God. His formula simply leads to finding the logarithm of microstates. One of the two conflicting theories of physics (1) Einstein's theory of General Relativity and (2) Quantum Physics, the first applies only in cosmology, but the second applies in biology too. Since we have to convert the age of the universe, 13 billion years, into 1,300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 Planck times to get close to 137, quantum physics clearly shows the characteristics of unifying with biology. The proof of its validity also lies in its ability to extend information system observed in biology.

Complexity theory and physical unification: From microscopic to oscopic level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlos, G. P.; Iliopoulos, A. C.; Karakatsanis, L. P.; Tsoutsouras, V. G.; Pavlos, E. G.

During the last two decades, low dimensional chaotic or self-organized criticality (SOC) processes have been observed by our group in many different physical systems such as space plasmas, the solar or the magnetospheric dynamics, the atmosphere, earthquakes, the brain activity as well as in informational systems. All these systems are complex systems living far from equilibrium with strong self-organization and phase transition character. The theoretical interpretation of these natural phenomena needs a deeper insight into the fundamentals of complexity theory. In this study, we try to give a synoptic description of complexity theory both at the microscopic and at the oscopic level of the physical reality. Also, we propose that the self-organization observed oscopically is a phenomenon that reveals the strong unifying character of the complex dynamics which includes thermodynamical and dynamical characteristics in all levels of the physical reality. From this point of view, oscopical deterministic and stochastic processes are closely related to the microscopical chaos and self-organization. In this study the scientific work of scientists such as Wilson, Nicolis, Prigogine, Hooft, Nottale, El Naschie, Castro, Tsallis, Chang and others is used for the development of a unified physical comprehension of complex dynamics from the microscopic to the oscopic level.

Signal-dependent noise determines motor planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Christopher M.; Wolpert, Daniel M.

1998-08-01

When we make saccadic eye movements or goal-directed arm movements, there is an infinite number of possible trajectories that the eye or arm could take to reach the target,. However, humans show highly stereotyped trajectories in which velocity profiles of both the eye and hand are smooth and symmetric for brief movements,. Here we present a unifying theory of eye and arm movements based on the single physiological assumption that the neural control signals are corrupted by noise whose variance increases with the size of the control signal. We propose that in the presence of such signal-dependent noise, the shape of a trajectory is selected to minimize the variance of the final eye or arm position. This minimum-variance theory accurately predicts the trajectories of both saccades and arm movements and the speed-accuracy trade-off described by Fitt's law. These profiles are robust to changes in the dynamics of the eye or arm, as found empirically,. Moreover, the relation between path curvature and hand velocity during drawing movements reproduces the empirical `two-thirds power law',. This theory provides a simple and powerful unifying perspective for both eye and arm movement control.

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.

Becoming Ecopolitical: Some Mythic Links in Curriculum Renewal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gough, Noel

This paper explores some possible productive links between ecology and education, with particular reference to the ethical position described by the term "deep ecology" and to empirical research in perceptual psychology that has led to the formation of ecological theories of perception. It is suggested that these ecological understandings support…

Common ecology quantifies human insurgency.

PubMed

Bohorquez, Juan Camilo; Gourley, Sean; Dixon, Alexander R; Spagat, Michael; Johnson, Neil F

2009-12-17

Many collective human activities, including violence, have been shown to exhibit universal patterns. The size distributions of casualties both in whole wars from 1816 to 1980 and terrorist attacks have separately been shown to follow approximate power-law distributions. However, the possibility of universal patterns ranging across wars in the size distribution or timing of within-conflict events has barely been explored. Here we show that the sizes and timing of violent events within different insurgent conflicts exhibit remarkable similarities. We propose a unified model of human insurgency that reproduces these commonalities, and explains conflict-specific variations quantitatively in terms of underlying rules of engagement. Our model treats each insurgent population as an ecology of dynamically evolving, self-organized groups following common decision-making processes. Our model is consistent with several recent hypotheses about modern insurgency, is robust to many generalizations, and establishes a quantitative connection between human insurgency, global terrorism and ecology. Its similarity to financial market models provides a surprising link between violent and non-violent forms of human behaviour.

Topographic soil wetness index derived from combined Alaska-British Columbia datasets for the Gulf of Alaska region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amore, D. V.; Biles, F. E.

2016-12-01

The flow of water is often highlighted as a priority in land management planning and assessments related to climate change. Improved measurement and modeling of soil moisture is required to develop predictive estimates for plant distributions, soil moisture, and snowpack, which all play important roles in ecosystem planning in the face of climate change. Drainage indexes are commonly derived from GIS tools with digital elevation models. Soil moisture classes derived from these tools are useful digital proxies for ecosystem functions associated with the concentration of water on the landscape. We developed a spatially explicit topographically derived soil wetness index (TWI) across the perhumid coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) of Alaska and British Columbia. Developing applicable drainage indexes in complex terrain and across broad areas required careful application of the appropriate DEM, caution with artifacts in GIS covers and mapping realistic zones of wetlands with the indicator. The large spatial extent of the model has facilitated the mapping of forest habitat and the development of water table depth mapping in the region. A key element of the TWI is the merging of elevation datasets across the US-Canada border where major rivers transect the international boundary. The unified TWI allows for seemless mapping across the international border and unified ecological applications. A python program combined with the unified DEM allows end users to quickly apply the TWI to all areas of the PCTR. This common platform can facilitate model comparison and improvements to local soil moisture conditions, generation of streamflow, and ecological site conditions. In this presentation we highlight the application of the TWI for mapping risk factors related to forest decline and the development of a regional water table depth map. Improved soil moisture maps are critical for deriving spatial models of changes in soil moisture for both plant growth and streamflow across future climate conditions.

Statistical physics of community ecology: a cavity solution to MacArthur’s consumer resource model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Advani, Madhu; Bunin, Guy; Mehta, Pankaj

2018-03-01

A central question in ecology is to understand the ecological processes that shape community structure. Niche-based theories have emphasized the important role played by competition for maintaining species diversity. Many of these insights have been derived using MacArthur’s consumer resource model (MCRM) or its generalizations. Most theoretical work on the MCRM has focused on small ecosystems with a few species and resources. However theoretical insights derived from small ecosystems many not scale up to large ecosystems with many resources and species because large systems with many interacting components often display new emergent behaviors that cannot be understood or deduced from analyzing smaller systems. To address these shortcomings, we develop a statistical physics inspired cavity method to analyze MCRM when both the number of species and the number of resources is large. Unlike previous work in this limit, our theory addresses resource dynamics and resource depletion and demonstrates that species generically and consistently perturb their environments and significantly modify available ecological niches. We show how our cavity approach naturally generalizes niche theory to large ecosystems by accounting for the effect of collective phenomena on species invasion and ecological stability. Our theory suggests that such phenomena are a generic feature of large, natural ecosystems and must be taken into account when analyzing and interpreting community structure. It also highlights the important role that statistical-physics inspired approaches can play in furthering our understanding of ecology.

A unifying Bayesian account of contextual effects in value-based choice

PubMed Central

Friston, Karl J.; Dolan, Raymond J.

2017-01-01

Empirical evidence suggests the incentive value of an option is affected by other options available during choice and by options presented in the past. These contextual effects are hard to reconcile with classical theories and have inspired accounts where contextual influences play a crucial role. However, each account only addresses one or the other of the empirical findings and a unifying perspective has been elusive. Here, we offer a unifying theory of context effects on incentive value attribution and choice based on normative Bayesian principles. This formulation assumes that incentive value corresponds to a precision-weighted prediction error, where predictions are based upon expectations about reward. We show that this scheme explains a wide range of contextual effects, such as those elicited by other options available during choice (or within-choice context effects). These include both conditions in which choice requires an integration of multiple attributes and conditions where a multi-attribute integration is not necessary. Moreover, the same scheme explains context effects elicited by options presented in the past or between-choice context effects. Our formulation encompasses a wide range of contextual influences (comprising both within- and between-choice effects) by calling on Bayesian principles, without invoking ad-hoc assumptions. This helps clarify the contextual nature of incentive value and choice behaviour and may offer insights into psychopathologies characterized by dysfunctional decision-making, such as addiction and pathological gambling. PMID:28981514

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

Hilltop supernatural inflation and SUSY unified models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohri, Kazunori; Lim, C. S.; Lin, Chia-Min; Mimura, Yukihiro

2014-01-01

In this paper, we consider high scale (100TeV) supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking and realize the idea of hilltop supernatural inflation in concrete particle physics models based on flipped-SU(5)and Pati-Salam models in the framework of supersymmetric grand unified theories (SUSY GUTs). The inflaton can be a flat direction including right-handed sneutrino and the waterfall field is a GUT Higgs. The spectral index is ns = 0.96 which fits very well with recent data by PLANCK satellite. There is no both thermal and non-thermal gravitino problems. Non-thermal leptogenesis can be resulted from the decay of right-handed sneutrino which plays (part of) the role of inflaton.

An ecological valence theory of human color preference

PubMed Central

Palmer, Stephen E.; Schloss, Karen B.

2010-01-01

Color preference is an important aspect of visual experience, but little is known about why people in general like some colors more than others. Previous research suggested explanations based on biological adaptations [Hurlbert AC, Ling YL (2007) Curr Biol 17:623–625] and color-emotions [Ou L-C, Luo MR, Woodcock A, Wright A (2004) Color Res Appl 29:381–389]. In this article we articulate an ecological valence theory in which color preferences arise from people’s average affective responses to color-associated objects. An empirical test provides strong support for this theory: People like colors strongly associated with objects they like (e.g., blues with clear skies and clean water) and dislike colors strongly associated with objects they dislike (e.g., browns with feces and rotten food). Relative to alternative theories, the ecological valence theory both fits the data better (even with fewer free parameters) and provides a more plausible, comprehensive causal explanation of color preferences. PMID:20421475

Unification theory of optimal life histories and linear demographic models in internal stochasticity.

PubMed

Oizumi, Ryo

2014-01-01

Life history of organisms is exposed to uncertainty generated by internal and external stochasticities. Internal stochasticity is generated by the randomness in each individual life history, such as randomness in food intake, genetic character and size growth rate, whereas external stochasticity is due to the environment. For instance, it is known that the external stochasticity tends to affect population growth rate negatively. It has been shown in a recent theoretical study using path-integral formulation in structured linear demographic models that internal stochasticity can affect population growth rate positively or negatively. However, internal stochasticity has not been the main subject of researches. Taking account of effect of internal stochasticity on the population growth rate, the fittest organism has the optimal control of life history affected by the stochasticity in the habitat. The study of this control is known as the optimal life schedule problems. In order to analyze the optimal control under internal stochasticity, we need to make use of "Stochastic Control Theory" in the optimal life schedule problem. There is, however, no such kind of theory unifying optimal life history and internal stochasticity. This study focuses on an extension of optimal life schedule problems to unify control theory of internal stochasticity into linear demographic models. First, we show the relationship between the general age-states linear demographic models and the stochastic control theory via several mathematical formulations, such as path-integral, integral equation, and transition matrix. Secondly, we apply our theory to a two-resource utilization model for two different breeding systems: semelparity and iteroparity. Finally, we show that the diversity of resources is important for species in a case. Our study shows that this unification theory can address risk hedges of life history in general age-states linear demographic models.

Integrated Ecology: The Process of Counseling with Nature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Michael J.

1994-01-01

Discusses the theory behind an applied ecopsychology program based on Integrated Ecology. Integrated Ecology uses personal sensory contact with natural areas, in backyards, parks, or back country to unleash natural ability to relate and survive responsibly. (LZ)

Mālama I Ka `Āina, Sustainability: learning from Hawai`i's displaced place and culture-based science standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinn, Pauline W. U.

2011-03-01

This response to Mitchell and Mueller's "A philosophical analysis of David Orr's theory of ecological literacy" comments on their critique of Orr's use of the phrase "ecological crisis" and what I perceive as their conflicting views of "crisis." I present my views on ecological crisis informed by standpoint theory and the definition of crisis as turning point. I connect the concept of turning point to tipping point as used in ecology to describe potentially irreversible changes in coupled social-ecological systems. I suggest that sustainable societies may provide models of adaptive learning in which monitoring of ecological phenomena is coupled to human behavior to mitigate threats to sustainability before a crisis/tipping point is reached. Finally, I discuss the Hawai`i State Department of Education's removal of its Indigenous science content standard Mālama I Ka `Āina, Sustainability and its continued use in community-based projects.

Precision Higgs Boson Physics and Implications for Beyond the Standard Model Physics Theories

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

Wells, James

The discovery of the Higgs boson is one of science's most impressive recent achievements. We have taken a leap forward in understanding what is at the heart of elementary particle mass generation. We now have a significant opportunity to develop even deeper understanding of how the fundamental laws of nature are constructed. As such, we need intense focus from the scientific community to put this discovery in its proper context, to realign and narrow our understanding of viable theory based on this positive discovery, and to detail the implications the discovery has for theories that attempt to answer questions beyondmore » what the Standard Model can explain. This project's first main object is to develop a state-of-the-art analysis of precision Higgs boson physics. This is to be done in the tradition of the electroweak precision measurements of the LEP/SLC era. Indeed, the electroweak precision studies of the past are necessary inputs to the full precision Higgs program. Calculations will be presented to the community of Higgs boson observables that detail just how well various couplings of the Higgs boson can be measured, and more. These will be carried out using state-of-the-art theory computations coupled with the new experimental results coming in from the LHC. The project's second main objective is to utilize the results obtained from LHC Higgs boson experiments and the precision analysis, along with the direct search studies at LHC, and discern viable theories of physics beyond the Standard Model that unify physics to a deeper level. Studies will be performed on supersymmetric theories, theories of extra spatial dimensions (and related theories, such as compositeness), and theories that contain hidden sector states uniquely accessible to the Higgs boson. In addition, if data becomes incompatible with the Standard Model's low-energy effective lagrangian, new physics theories will be developed that explain the anomaly and put it into a more unified framework beyond the Standard Model.« less

Heterarchies: Reconciling Networks and Hierarchies.

PubMed

Cumming, Graeme S

2016-08-01

Social-ecological systems research suffers from a disconnect between hierarchical (top-down or bottom-up) and network (peer-to-peer) analyses. The concept of the heterarchy unifies these perspectives in a single framework. Here, I review the history and application of 'heterarchy' in neuroscience, ecology, archaeology, multiagent control systems, business and organisational studies, and politics. Recognising complex system architecture as a continuum along vertical and lateral axes ('flat versus hierarchical' and 'individual versus networked') suggests four basic types of heterarchy: reticulated, polycentric, pyramidal, and individualistic. Each has different implications for system functioning and resilience. Systems can also shift predictably and abruptly between architectures. Heterarchies suggest new ways of contextualising and generalising from case studies and new methods for analysing complex structure-function relations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

D. McKenzie, C. Miller and D.A. Falk, eds. The Landscape Ecology of Fire [book review

Treesearch

Eric J. Gustafson

2012-01-01

In the Foreword of this volume is the statement that "landscape ecology is the 'glue' that holds ecosystem theory together and nowhere is that more evident than in the study of wildland fire ecology." The Landscape Ecology of Fire summarizes how landscape ecology has contributed to, and been formed by, the study...

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.

Family Systems Theory: A Unifying Framework for Codependence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prest, Layne A.; Protinsky, Howard

1993-01-01

Considers addictions and construct of codependence. Offers critical review and synthesis of codependency literature, along with an intergenerational family systems framework for conceptualizing the relationship of the dysfunctional family to the construct of codependence. Presents theoretical basis for systemic clinical work and research in this…

Balkanization and Unification of Probabilistic Inferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Chong-Ho

2005-01-01

Many research-related classes in social sciences present probability as a unified approach based upon mathematical axioms, but neglect the diversity of various probability theories and their associated philosophical assumptions. Although currently the dominant statistical and probabilistic approach is the Fisherian tradition, the use of Fisherian…

Semiotics, Information Science, Documents and Computers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Julian

1990-01-01

Discusses the relationship and value of semiotics to the established domains of information science. Highlights include documentation; computer operations; the language of computing; automata theory; linguistics; speech and writing; and the written language as a unifying principle for the document and the computer. (93 references) (LRW)

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…

Systems genomics analysis centered on epigenetic inheritance supports development of a unified theory of biology.

PubMed

Sharma, Abhay

2015-11-01

New discoveries are increasingly demanding integration of epigenetics, molecular biology, genomic networks and physiology with evolution. This article provides a proof of concept for evolutionary transgenerational systems biology, proposed recently in the context of epigenetic inheritance in mammals. Gene set enrichment analysis of available genome-level mammalian data presented here seem consistent with the concept that: (1) heritable information about environmental effects in somatic cells is communicated to the germline by circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) or other RNAs released in physiological fluids; (2) epigenetic factors including miRNA-like small RNAs, DNA methylation and histone modifications are propagated across generations via gene networks; and (3) inherited epigenetic variations in the form of methylated cytosines are fixed in the population as thymines over the evolutionary time course. The analysis supports integration of physiology and epigenetics with inheritance and evolution. This may catalyze efforts to develop a unified theory of biology. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The rise of moral cognition.

PubMed

Greene, Joshua D

2015-02-01

The field of moral cognition has grown rapidly in recent years thanks in no small part to Cognition. Consistent with its interdisciplinary tradition, Cognition encouraged the growth of this field by supporting empirical research conducted by philosophers as well as research native to neighboring fields such as social psychology, evolutionary game theory, and behavioral economics. This research has been exceptionally diverse both in its content and methodology. I argue that this is because morality is unified at the functional level, but not at the cognitive level, much as vehicles are unified by shared function rather than shared mechanics. Research in moral cognition, then, has progressed by explaining the phenomena that we identify as "moral" (for high-level functional reasons) in terms of diverse cognitive components that are not specific to morality. In light of this, research on moral cognition may continue to flourish, not as the identification and characterization of distinctive moral processes, but as a testing ground for theories of high-level, integrative cognitive function. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct terrestrial test of Lorentz symmetry in electrodynamics to 10-18

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagel, Moritz; Parker, Stephen R.; Kovalchuk, Evgeny V.; Stanwix, Paul L.; Hartnett, John G.; Ivanov, Eugene N.; Peters, Achim; Tobar, Michael E.

2015-09-01

Lorentz symmetry is a foundational property of modern physics, underlying the standard model of particles and general relativity. It is anticipated that these two theories are low-energy approximations of a single theory that is unified and consistent at the Planck scale. Many unifying proposals allow Lorentz symmetry to be broken, with observable effects appearing at Planck-suppressed levels; thus, precision tests of Lorentz invariance are needed to assess and guide theoretical efforts. Here we use ultrastable oscillator frequency sources to perform a modern Michelson-Morley experiment and make the most precise direct terrestrial test to date of Lorentz symmetry for the photon, constraining Lorentz violating orientation-dependent relative frequency changes Δν/ν to 9.2+/-10.7 × 10-19 (95% confidence interval). This order of magnitude improvement over previous Michelson-Morley experiments allows us to set comprehensive simultaneous bounds on nine boost and rotation anisotropies of the speed of light, finding no significant violations of Lorentz symmetry.

Shape design sensitivity analysis and optimization of three dimensional elastic solids using geometric modeling and automatic regridding. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yao, Tse-Min; Choi, Kyung K.

1987-01-01

An automatic regridding method and a three dimensional shape design parameterization technique were constructed and integrated into a unified theory of shape design sensitivity analysis. An algorithm was developed for general shape design sensitivity analysis of three dimensional eleastic solids. Numerical implementation of this shape design sensitivity analysis method was carried out using the finite element code ANSYS. The unified theory of shape design sensitivity analysis uses the material derivative of continuum mechanics with a design velocity field that represents shape change effects over the structural design. Automatic regridding methods were developed by generating a domain velocity field with boundary displacement method. Shape design parameterization for three dimensional surface design problems was illustrated using a Bezier surface with boundary perturbations that depend linearly on the perturbation of design parameters. A linearization method of optimization, LINRM, was used to obtain optimum shapes. Three examples from different engineering disciplines were investigated to demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of this shape design sensitivity analysis method.

Reconciling theories for metabolic scaling.

PubMed

Maino, James L; Kearney, Michael R; Nisbet, Roger M; Kooijman, Sebastiaan A L M

2014-01-01

Metabolic theory specifies constraints on the metabolic organisation of individual organisms. These constraints have important implications for biological processes ranging from the scale of molecules all the way to the level of populations, communities and ecosystems, with their application to the latter emerging as the field of metabolic ecology. While ecologists continue to use individual metabolism to identify constraints in ecological processes, the topic of metabolic scaling remains controversial. Much of the current interest and controversy in metabolic theory relates to recent ideas about the role of supply networks in constraining energy supply to cells. We show that an alternative explanation for physicochemical constraints on individual metabolism, as formalised by dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory, can contribute to the theoretical underpinning of metabolic ecology, while increasing coherence between intra- and interspecific scaling relationships. In particular, we emphasise how the DEB theory considers constraints on the storage and use of assimilated nutrients and derive an equation for the scaling of metabolic rate for adult heterotrophs without relying on optimisation arguments or implying cellular nutrient supply limitation. Using realistic data on growth and reproduction from the literature, we parameterise the curve for respiration and compare the a priori prediction against a mammalian data set for respiration. Because the DEB theory mechanism for metabolic scaling is based on the universal process of acquiring and using pools of stored metabolites (a basal feature of life), it applies to all organisms irrespective of the nature of metabolic transport to cells. Although the DEB mechanism does not necessarily contradict insight from transport-based models, the mechanism offers an explanation for differences between the intra- and interspecific scaling of biological rates with mass, suggesting novel tests of the respective hypotheses. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

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.

Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory to Understand Community Partnerships: A Historical Case Study of One Urban High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Jack

2011-01-01

Although the value of school-community partnerships is unquestioned, the reasons for success and failure are not sufficiently understood. This mixed-methods case study examines 60 years of partnering at one urban high school, using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to better understand the effect on student development as measured by…

A multi-scalar approach to theorizing socio-ecological dynamics of urban residential landscapes

Treesearch

Rinku Roy Chowdhury; Kelli Larson; Morgan Grove; Colin Polsky; Elizabeth Cook; Jeffrey Onsted; Laura Ogden

2011-01-01

Urban residential expansion increasingly drives land use, land cover and ecological changes worldwide, yet social science theories explaining such change remain under-developed. Existing theories often focus on processes occurring at one scale, while ignoring other scales. Emerging evidence from four linked U.S. research sites suggests it is essential to examine...

GUTs and TOEs

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

Lincoln, Don

2015-01-20

Albert Einstein said that what he wanted to know was “God’s thoughts,” which is a metaphor for the ultimate and most basic rules of the universe. Once known, all other phenomena would then be a consequence of these simple rules. While modern science is far from that goal, we have some thoughts on how this inquiry might unfold. In this video, Fermilab’s Dr. Don Lincoln tells what we know about GUTs (grand unified theories) and TOEs (theories of everything).

The Nash equilibrium: A perspective

PubMed Central

Holt, Charles A.; Roth, Alvin E.

2004-01-01

In 1950, John Nash contributed a remarkable one-page PNAS article that defined and characterized a notion of equilibrium for n- person games. This notion, now called the “Nash equilibrium,” has been widely applied and adapted in economics and other behavioral sciences. Indeed, game theory, with the Nash equilibrium as its centerpiece, is becoming the most prominent unifying theory of social science. In this perspective, we summarize the historical context and subsequent impact of Nash's contribution. PMID:15024100

Performance Assessment of Military Teams in Simulator and Live Exercises

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Convergence: The future of Command and Control. The International C2 Journal, 1(1), 1–30. Bandura , A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of...York: The HK Fly company. Ford, C. M. (1996). A Theory of Individual Creative Action in Multiple Social Domains. The Academy of Management Review...individual alone. Despite the dependence society has on teams, there is still much to be learned about the processes that occur within a team that