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Linear
Kinds of Linear Terms modified by Linear Selected AbstractsMORPHOLOGICAL REVERSION OF SPIRULINA (ARTHROSPIRA) PLATENSIS (CYANOPHYTA): FROM LINEAR TO HELICAL,JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 3 2005Zhi Ping Wang The cyanobacterium Spirulina Turpin is characterized by its regularly coiled trichomes. Under some conditions, its helical filaments can convert to abnormal morphologies, such as irregularly curved and even linear shapes, that had been considered as a permanent degeneration that could not be reversed. However, here we found that the linear filaments of Spirulina platensis Geitler could spontaneously revert to the helical form with the same morphology as the original filaments. Further studies showed that the ultrastructural, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of linear filaments were different from those of the original filaments, whereas they were the same for the reverted and the original filaments. The SDS-PAGE analysis revealed at least four proteins or subunits related to Spirulina morphogenesis: The 21.9-kDa and the 20.3-kDa proteins were highly expressed in the helical filaments, whereas the 52.0-kDa and the 31.8-kDa proteins were highly expressed in the linear filaments. The random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis with 96 random primers showed that the genetic background of the reverted filaments was the same as that of the original filaments but distinct from that of the linear filaments. The results indicated that linear filaments of Spirulina could revert to the original morphology under certain conditions, and their other distinctive traits were regained. [source] The distant activity of Short Period Comets,, II.MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008E. Mazzotta Epifani ABSTRACT The activity of the Short Period Comets (SPCs) at large heliocentric distance (Rh > 3 au) occurs in a region of the Solar system where the water sublimation rate is low and so the sublimation of other volatiles, for example CO or CO2, could drive the presence of a coma. The detection of distant activity in a SPC can therefore give important hints on its composition. Moreover, a complete characterization of the distant SPCs degree of activity is crucial in order to give correct estimates of the nucleus size and to obtain more reliable size-distribution curves of cometary nuclei. The aim of this paper is to present the last results of a program of CCD imaging of distant SPCs, started in 2004 December and concluded with observing runs at the 3.5-m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo at La Palma, in 2005 April, and at the 2.2-m Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) telescope in Spain, in 2005 May. During the Spring 2005 campaign, 12 SPCs have been targeted in the R band (eight numbered SPCs and four still unnumbered SPCs): 61P/Schajn,Schaldach, 71P/Clark, 98P/Takamizawa, 103P/Hartley 2, 117P/Helin,Roman,Alu 1, 118P/Shoemaker,Levy 4, 121P/Shoemaker,Holt 2, 136P/Mueller 3, P/2002 T5 (LINEAR), P/2003 S1 (NEAT), P/2003 S2 (NEAT), P/2004 DO29 (Spacewatch,LINEAR). The heliocentric distance of the targets was 3.05 ,Rh, 5.30 au. Several levels of activity were detected in the sample, from stellar appearance to well-developed coma and tail. In some cases, the occurrence of cometary activity could be enhanced only with deep visible imaging (e.g. with very long exposure time). For comets with stellar appearance, it was possible to derive a value or a range for the nucleus radius rnucleus (assuming a ,classical' albedo value of 0.04): 98P (rnucleus= 0.43 ± 0.10 km), 136P (rnucleus= 1.2 ± 0.2 km), P/2003 S2 (rnucleus= 0.81 to 1.55 km). For the active comets, we measured dust production levels in terms of Af, quantity, which was 9.9 , Af,, 671 cm. Ensemble properties of the whole sample of the long-term program (a total of 17 SPCs) have been analysed in terms of the relationship among distant activity and dynamical evolution of the targets (in particular, an inward ,jump' of the perihelion distance): we can conclude that, even if there is some theoretical indication that this could occur, the hypothesis of distant activity triggered by a rise in perihelion temperature cannot be univocally invoked for these comets. [source] BOOTSTRAP TESTS FOR THE ERROR DISTRIBUTION IN LINEAR AND NONPARAMETRIC REGRESSION MODELSAUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF STATISTICS, Issue 2 2006Natalie Neumeyer Summary In this paper we investigate several tests for the hypothesis of a parametric form of the error distribution in the common linear and non-parametric regression model, which are based on empirical processes of residuals. It is well known that tests in this context are not asymptotically distribution-free and the parametric bootstrap is applied to deal with this problem. The performance of the resulting bootstrap test is investigated from an asymptotic point of view and by means of a simulation study. The results demonstrate that even for moderate sample sizes the parametric bootstrap provides a reliable and easy accessible solution to the problem of goodness-of-fit testing of assumptions regarding the error distribution in linear and non-parametric regression models. [source] HOTELLING'S BEACH WITH LINEAR AND QUADRATIC TRANSPORTATION COSTS: EXISTENCE OF PURE STRATEGY EQUILIBRIA,AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 1 2007ALAIN EGLI In Hotelling type models consumers have the same transportation cost function. We deviate from this assumption and introduce two consumer types. Some consumers have linear transportation costs, while the others have quadratic transportation costs. If at most half the consumers have linear transportation costs, a subgame perfect equilibrium in pure strategies exists for all symmetric locations. Furthermore, no general principle of differentiation holds. With two consumer types, the equilibrium pattern ranges from maximum to intermediate differentiation. The degree of product differentiation depends on the fraction of consumer types. [source] Reduced Models of Impurity Seeded Edge PlasmasCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 1-3 2008D. Kh. Abstract The reduced descriptions of the distribution of impurities over ionization states, radiation losses and plasma dynamics are reviewed. Two and three most important ion approximation for light impurities and continuous descriptions of heavy impurities are discussed. Reduced descriptions of atomic processes like ionization, photo- and dielectronic recombination rates as well as of radiation abilities are proposed. As it shown, thermal forces, final relaxation times of impurity distributions over ionization states, charge-exchange and opacity effects must be taken into account in reduced models, especially for ITER problems. Linear and nonlinear stages of the radiation-condensation mode as well as some aspects of disruptions and noble gas injection into tokamak plasmas are analyzed with the reduced models. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Linear and nonlinear measures of blood pressure variability: Increased chaos of blood pressure time series in patients with panic disorderDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 2 2004Vikram K. Yeragani M.B.B.S. Abstract Arterial blood pressure (BP) variability increases progressively with the development of hypertension and an increase in BP variability is associated with end organ damage and cardiovascular morbidity. On the other hand, a decrease in heart rate (HR) variability is associated with significant cardiovascular mortality. There is a strong association between cardiovascular mortality and anxiety. Several previous studies have shown decreased HR variability in patients with anxiety. In this study, we investigated beat-to-beat variability of systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) in normal controls and patients with panic disorder during normal breathing and controlled breathing at 12, and 20 breaths per minute using linear as well as nonlinear techniques. Finger BP signal was obtained noninvasively using Finapres. Standing SBPvi and DBP BPvi (log value of BP variance corrected for mean BP divided by HR variance corrected for mean HR) were significantly higher in patients compared to controls. Largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) of SBP and DBP, a measure of chaos, was significantly higher in patients in supine as well as standing postures. The ratios of LLE (SBP/HR) and LLE (DBP/HR) were also significantly higher (P < .001) in patients compared to controls. These findings further suggest dissociation between HR and BP variability and a possible relative increase in sympathetic function in anxiety. This increase in BP variability may partly explain the increase in cardiovascular mortality in this group of patients. Depression and Anxiety 19:85-95, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Elimination Procedure as a Novel and Promising Mathematical Approach in Voltammetric MethodsELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 17-18 2010Nuria Serrano Abstract In the contribution, it has been demonstrated that Elimination Voltammetry with Linear Scan (EVLS) introduces an enhancement of the linear sweep and/or cyclic voltammetric results, and provides information about the type of the currents involved in the considered process. An extension of EVLS has been developed for any combination of scan rates (integers) for six elimination functions that are capable of conserving or eliminating of some voltammetric current components. Simple procedure to obtain the necessary coefficients from the chosen scan rates has been reported. In addition, the calculation and discussion of the relative error of elimination function (REEF) have been presented. The verification of the presented calculations has been done by studying different ratios of scan rates for reduction and oxidation processes of Cd(II) at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). [source] Load-Adaptive MUI/ISI-Resilient Generalized Multi-Carrier CDMA with Linear and DF ReceiversEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Issue 6 2000Georgios B. Giannakis A plethora of single-carrier and multi-carrier (MC) CDMA systems have been proposed recently to mitigate intersymbol interference (ISI) and eliminate multiuser interference (MUI). We present a unifying all-digital Generalized Multicanier CDMA framework which enables us to describe existing CDMA schemes and to highlight thorny problems associated with them. To improve the bit error rate (BER) performance of existing schemes, we design block FIR transmitters and decision feedback (DF) receivers based on an inner-code/outer-code principle, which guarantees MUI/ISI-elimination regardless of the frequency-selective physical channel. The flexibility of our framework allows further BER enhancements by taking into account the load in the system (number of active users), while blind channel estimation results in bandwidth savings. Simulations illustrate the superiority of our framework over competing MC CDMA alternatives especially in the presence of uplink multipath channels. [source] Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Ag Nanowire Polarizing Glass,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2006Q.-Q. Wang Abstract An R2O,B2O3,SiO2 (R,=,Li, Na, K) polarizing glass containing Ag nanorods is prepared by thermal elongation,reduction technology. The transverse and longitudinal plasmon absorption peaks of the embedded Ag nanorods are near 460 and 720,nm, respectively. When the polarization of the laser is parallel to the long axis of the Ag nanorods, the nonlinear absorption coefficient ,,=,0.82,cm,GW,1 and the nonlinear refractive index n2,=,,1.5,×,10,4,cm2,GW,1. When the polarization of light is perpendicular to the long axis of the Ag nanorods ,,=,0.12,cm,GW,1 and n2,=,,7.2,×,10,5,cm2,GW,1 and the appropriate one- and two-photon figures of merit (FOM), W,=,1.6 and T,=,0.16, respectively, are obtained, which satisfies the demand, W,>,1 and T,<,1, for applications in all optical switching, where W is a one-photon FOM, and T is a two-photon FOM. [source] Molecules with Linear ,-Conjugated Pathways between All Substituents: Omniconjugation (Adv. Funct.ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 8 2004Mater. To view the original paper click http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.200305003 [source] Explaining qualifications in audit reports using a support vector machine methodologyINTELLIGENT SYSTEMS IN ACCOUNTING, FINANCE & MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2005Michael Doumpos The verification of whether the financial statements of a firm represent its actual position is of major importance for auditors, who should provide a qualified report if they conclude that the financial statements fail to meet this requirement. This paper implements support vector machines (SVMs) to develop models that may support auditors in this task. Linear and non-linear models are developed and their performance is analysed using training samples of different size and out-of-sample/out-of-time data. The results show that all SVM models are capable of distinguishing between qualified and unqualified financial statements with satisfactory accuracy. The performance of the models over time is also explored. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A fast implementation of the FETI-DP method: FETI-DP-RBS-LNA and applications on large scale problems with localized non-linearitiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2005Jun Sun Abstract As parallel and distributed computing gradually becomes the computing standard for large scale problems, the domain decomposition method (DD) has received growing attention since it provides a natural basis for splitting a large problem into many small problems, which can be submitted to individual computing nodes and processed in a parallel fashion. This approach not only provides a method to solve large scale problems that are not solvable on a single computer by using direct sparse solvers but also gives a flexible solution to deal with large scale problems with localized non-linearities. When some parts of the structure are modified, only the corresponding subdomains and the interface equation that connects all the subdomains need to be recomputed. In this paper, the dual,primal finite element tearing and interconnecting method (FETI-DP) is carefully investigated, and a reduced back-substitution (RBS) algorithm is proposed to accelerate the time-consuming preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) iterations involved in the interface problems. Linear,non-linear analysis (LNA) is also adopted for large scale problems with localized non-linearities based on subdomain linear,non-linear identification criteria. This combined approach is named as the FETI-DP-RBS-LNA algorithm and demonstrated on the mechanical analyses of a welding problem. Serial CPU costs of this algorithm are measured at each solution stage and compared with that from the IBM Watson direct sparse solver and the FETI-DP method. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed computational approach for simulating welding problems, which is representative of a large class of three-dimensional large scale problems with localized non-linearities. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Linear and non-linear finite element error estimation based on assumed strain fieldsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2002F. Gabaldón Abstract In this work we analyse the use of enhanced strain fields for the purpose of error estimation in finite element solid mechanics applications. The proposed approach evaluates the quality of the solution for standard Galerkin displacement elements, taking into account the enrichment of the solution with enhanced assumed strain mixed elements. The contribution of the enhanced strain modes is measured with an energy norm. The method proposed has two interesting advantages. Firstly, it results in a local formulation which is evaluated element by element. Secondly, it is easily extended to non-linear problems. In this work, the formulation is developed for linear elasticity, for finite strain elasticity, and von Mises small strain plasticity. Finally, some representative numerical simulations are presented which show in practice the performance of the method. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Linear and whorled nevoid hypermelanosis associated with developmental delay and generalized convulsionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Ahmad A. Alrobaee MD A 2-year-old Saudi boy was seen in our dermatology clinic with symmetrical, brown, linear macules over the legs, trunk, and arms (Figs 1,3). He was a product of a full-term vaginal delivery following an uneventful first pregnancy in a 22-year-old mother. The birth weight was 2.3 kg. The hyperpigmented macules followed the lines of Blaschko and were noticed a few months after birth; they had enlarged with body growth until the age of 18 months. There was no family history of a similar condition and the boy's parents were unrelated. No blistering or inflammatory changes preceded the hyperpigmentation. The palms, soles, nails, scalp, mucous membranes, and teeth were normal. In addition to the hyperpigmented macules, the patient started to have generalized convulsions at the age of 2 months. Figure 1. Linear hyperpigmented macules following the lines of Blaschko Figure 2. Close up view of the hyperpigmented macules Figure 3. Trunk: Hyperpigmented macules in whorled distribution Physical examination revealed delayed developmental milestones, microphthalmia, depressed nose, and high arched palate with no other abnormalities. Blood tests were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed changes suggestive of a demyelinating process at the parieto-occipital white matter. Echocardiography revealed an atrial septal defect. Electroretinography (ERG), visual evoked potentials (VEP), and auditory evoked potentials (AEP) were normal. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed multifocal epileptic discharge in the posterior region. A punch skin biopsy taken from the hyperpigmented lesions showed an increase in the melanin content of the basal layer with no incontinence of pigment or melanophages in the dermis. [source] On linear-parameter-varying (LPV) slip-controller design for two-wheeled vehiclesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 12 2009Matteo Corno Abstract This paper describes the application of linear-parameter-varying (LPV) control design techniques to the problem of slip control for two-wheeled vehicles. A nonlinear multi-body motorcycle simulator is employed to derive a control-oriented dynamic model. It is shown that, in order to devise a robust controller with good performance, it is necessary to take into account the dependence of the model on the velocity and on the wheel slip. This dependence is modeled via an LPV system constructed from Jacobian linearizations at different velocities and slip values. The control problem is formulated as a model-matching control problem within the LPV framework; a specific modification of the LPV control synthesis algorithm is proposed to alleviate controller interpolation problems. Linear and nonlinear simulations indicate that the synthesized controller achieves the required robustness and performance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A robust integrated controller/diagnosis aircraft applicationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 12 2005Andrés Marcos Abstract In this paper, an application of the robust integrated control/diagnosis approach using ,, -optimization techniques to the nonlinear longitudinal dynamics of a Boeing 747-100/200 aircraft is presented. The integrated approach allows to address directly the trade-off between the conflicting controller and fault diagnosis objectives. The integrated design formulation (interconnection and weight selection) is defined using five LTI plants obtained through out the Up-and-Away flight envelope. Linear and nonlinear closed-loop time simulations are carried out under a realistic turbulence and noise environment. A comparison drawn with the non-integrated design of a controller and a diagnosis filter with the same objectives shows that the integrated case results in similar diagnosis characteristics but improved fault tolerant performance and ease of design. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Linear, parameter-varying control and its application to a turbofan engineINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 9 2002Gary J. BalasArticle first published online: 15 JUL 200 This paper describes application of parameter-dependent control design methods to a turbofan engine. Parameter-dependent systems are linear systems, whose state-space descriptions are known functions of time-varying parameters. The time variation of each of the parameters is not known in advance, but is assumed to be measurable in real-time. Three linear, parameter-varying (LPV) approaches to control design are discussed. The first method is based on linear fractional transformations which relies on the small gain theorem for bounds on performance and robustness. The other methods make use of either a single (SQLF) or parameter-dependent (PDQLF) quadratic Lyapunov function to bound the achievable level of performance. The latter two techniques are used to synthesize controllers for a high-performance turbofan engine. A LPV model of the turbofan engine is constructed from Jacobian linearizations at fixed power codes for control design. The control problem is formulated as a model matching problem in the ,, and LPV framework. The objective is decoupled command response of the closed-loop system to pressure and rotor speed requests. The performance of linear, ,, point designs are compared with the SQLF and PDQLF controllers. Nonlinear simulations indicate that the controller synthesized using the SQLF approach is slightly more conservative than the PDQLF controller. Nonlinear simulations with the SQLF and PDQLF controllers show very robust designs that achieve all desired performance objectives. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Novel Enantioselective Sequentially Rhodium(I)/BINAP- Catalyzed Cycloisomerization,Hydrogenation,Isomerization, Acetalization (CIHIA)ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 17 2009Nadine Körber Abstract Linear, easily accessible alkyl and (hetero)aryl-substituted alkynyl allyl alcohols are readily and enantioselectively transformed into 2,7-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octanes by a sequential rhodium-catalyzed process. Based on the initial cycloisomerization, the in situ generated rhodium(I)-BINAP complex enables a subsequent reduction with hydrogen and the transformation into bicyclic frameworks. [source] Linear and non-linear optimization models for allocation of a limited water supply,IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE, Issue 1 2004Bijan Ghahraman optimisation de l'irrigation; déficit d'irrigation; Iran Abstract One partial solution to the problem of ever-increasing demands on our water resources is optimal allocation of available water. A non-linear programming (NLP) optimization model with an integrated soil water balance was developed. This model is the advanced form of a previously developed one in which soil water balance was not included. The model also has the advantage of low computer run-time, as compared to commonly used dynamic programming (DP) models that suffer from dimensionality. The model can perform over different crop growth stages while taking into account an irrigation time interval in each stage. Therefore, the results are directly applicable to real-world conditions. However, the time trend of actual evapotranspiration (AET) for individual time intervals fluctuates more than that for growth-stage AETs. The proposed model was run for the Ardak area (45,km NW of the city of Mashhad, Iran) under a single cropping cultivation (corn) as well as a multiple cropping pattern (wheat, barley, corn, and sugar beet). The water balance equation was manipulated with net applied irrigation water to overcome the difficulty encountered with incorrect deep percolation. The outputs of the model, under the imposed seasonal irrigation water shortages, were compared with the results obtained from a simple NLP model. The differences between these two models (simple and integrated) became more significant as irrigation water shortage increased. Oversimplified assumptions in the previous simple model were the main causes of these differences. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. L'allocation optimale des ressources d'eau disponibles est une réponse partielle au problème de la demande sans cesse croissante de consommation d'eau. Un modèle d'optimisation à programmation non linéaire (NLP) qui intègre un bilan hydrique a été développé. Ce modèle est une version avancée d'un modéle précédent qui n'intégrait pas ce bilan hydrique. Il présente l'avantage de nécessiter moins de puissance informatique en comparaison des modèles à programmation dynamique (DP) généralement utilisés. Le modèle peut s'appliquer à différentes étapes de la croissance des cultures et prend en compte des fréquences d'irrigation variables. Ainsi, les résultats sont directement applicables aux conditions réelles. Le modèle proposé a été utilisé sur une seule culture (maïs) dans la région d'Ardak à 45,km nord-ouest de Mashad, Iran, et sur de multiples cultures (blé, orge, maïs, betterave sucrière). L'équation de bilan hydrique a été calibrée pour maîtriser les difficultés rencontrées avec des mesures d'infiltration incorrectes. Les résultats du modèle, dans le cadre de restrictions d'irrigation saisonnière imposées, ont été comparés avec ceux obtenus par un modèle simple NLP. Les différences entre ces deux modèles (simple et intégré) deviennent plus significatives à mesure que les restrictions d'irrigation augmentent. Les hypothèses trop simplistes du modèle simple sont la cause de ces différences. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Glycated Hemoglobin Levels and Intellectual Activity in an Aged PopulationJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2005Hidenori Amano MHSc Objectives: To examine the association between glycated hemoglobin (GHb) and aspects of daily activities in an elderly population. Design: Cross-sectional population-based survey. Setting: Nangai village, an agricultural community with a population of about 5,000 located in Akita prefecture in the north of Japan. Participants: Nine hundred thirty-five people aged 65 and older. Measurements: GHb percentages, self-reported measures of activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), intellectual activity (IA), and social role (SR). Results: An exploratory analysis indicated that nondiabetic subjects in the lowest tertile of GHb tend to have lower IA than those in the middle tertile, if they were aged 70 and older. No consistent association appeared between GHb and ADLs, IADLs, or SR. Linear and logistic regression analyses, controlling for other risk factors, indicated significantly lower IA scores in the low and high GHb tertiles (P<.001 and P=.04, respectively) than in the middle in nondiabetic subjects aged 70 and older and without stroke history or IADL impairments. The value of GHb related to the maximal IA score was 5.0% to 5.2% as the middle tertile; or 5.2%, assuming a logistic regression model including a squared term with GHb as a continuous variable. A similar relationship was observed in the whole nondiabetic sample aged 70 and older but not in the younger counterpart. Conclusion: There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between GHb and intellectual activity in older people without diabetes mellitus. One possible interpretation is that suboptimal blood glucose could contribute to intellectual inactivity in older people. [source] Breeding bird species richness in Taiwan: distribution on gradients of elevation, primary productivity and urbanizationJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2004Pei-Fen Lee Abstract Aim, To examine the richness of breeding bird species in relation to elevation, primary productivity and urbanization. Location, The island of Taiwan (120°,122° E, 22°,25° N). Methods, We arranged bird species richness (BSR) data from 288 bird censuses undertaken in Taiwan into a 2 × 2 km quadrat system and calculated average values of elevation, primary productivity [surrogated by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)], and urbanization (surrogated by road density and percentage of built area) for each 2 × 2 km quadrat. Results, Bird species richness showed a hump-shaped relationship with elevation. It increased with elevation from sea level (10,64 species per 2 × 2 km quadrat), peaked around 2000 m (43,76 species), and then decreased with elevation towards its minimum at the highest elevation. Road density and percentage of built area decreased with elevation, and NDVI showed a hump-shaped relationship with elevation and inverse relationships with road density and percentage of built area. BSR increased with NDVI and decreased with road density and percentage of built area. Linear and cubic terms of elevation together explained 31.3% of the variance in BSR, and road density explained additional 3.4%. The explanatory power of NDVI on BSR was insignificant after the effects of elevation and road density had been justified. Main conclusions, We argue that urbanization plays an important role in the BSR of Taiwan. Urbanization might indirectly decrease BSR through decreasing primary productivity and therefore change the hypothetical inverse relationship between BSR and elevation into a hump-shaped relationship. We also propose a time hypothesis that the biotic communities in the mid-elevation zone of Taiwan had relatively longer periods of existence during the Pleistocene glacial cycles, which might be one underlying process of the observed hump-shaped relationship between species diversity and elevation. [source] Unified QSAR & network-based computational chemistry approach to antimicrobials.JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2010Abstract In the previous work, we reported a multitarget Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (mt-QSAR) model to predict drug activity against different fungal species. This mt-QSAR allowed us to construct a drug,drug multispecies Complex Network (msCN) to investigate drug,drug similarity (González-Díaz and Prado-Prado, J Comput Chem 2008, 29, 656). However, important methodological points remained unclear, such as follows: (1) the accuracy of the methods when applied to other problems; (2) the effect of the distance type used to construct the msCN; (3) how to perform the inverse procedure to study species,species similarity with multidrug resistance CNs (mdrCN); and (4) the implications and necessary steps to perform a substructural Triadic Census Analysis (TCA) of the msCN. To continue the present series with other important problem, we developed here a mt-QSAR model for more than 700 drugs tested in the literature against different parasites (predicting antiparasitic drugs). The data were processed by Linear Discriminate Analysis (LDA) and the model classifies correctly 93.62% (1160 out of 1239 cases) in training. The model validation was carried out by means of external predicting series; the model classified 573 out of 607, that is, 94.4% of cases. Next, we carried out the first comparative study of the topology of six different drug,drug msCNs based on six different distances such as Euclidean, Chebychev, Manhattan, etc. Furthermore, we compared the selected drug,drug msCN and species,species mdsCN with random networks. We also introduced here the inverse methodology to construct species,species msCN based on a mt-QSAR model. Last, we reported the first substructural analysis of drug,drug msCN using Triadic Census Analysis (TCA) algorithm. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2010 [source] Habitat fragmentation reduces grassland connectivity for both short-distance and long-distance wind-dispersed forbsJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2005M. B. SOONS Summary 1Although habitat loss and fragmentation are assumed to threaten the regional survival of plant species, their effects on regional species dynamics via seed dispersal and colonization have rarely been quantified. 2We assessed the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on the connectivity, and hence regional survival, of wind-dispersed plant species of nutrient-poor semi-natural grasslands. We did this using a new approach to relate quantified habitat loss and fragmentation to quantified colonization capacity. 3We quantified loss and fragmentation during the 20th century of moist, nutrient-poor semi-natural grasslands in study areas in the Netherlands, as well as their current distribution. After testing how well the habitat distribution matches species distributions of two wind-dispersed grassland forbs (Cirsium dissectum, representative of species with long-distance wind dispersal, and Succisa pratensis, representative of species with short-distance wind dispersal), we combined the habitat distribution data with simulated seed dispersal kernels in order to quantify the impact on connectivity. 4Habitat loss and fragmentation has dramatically reduced both the area (by 99.8%) and the connectivity of the grasslands. The remaining grasslands are practically isolated for seeds dispersed by wind, even for species with high wind dispersal ability (for which, interestingly, connectivity by wind dispersal decreased most). Linear landscape elements hardly contribute to connectivity by wind dispersal. Regional survival of the studied species has become completely dependent on the survival of a few large populations in nature reserves. Other remaining populations are decreasing in number and size and have low colonization capacity. 5Habitat loss and fragmentation have drastically changed the regional species dynamics of wind-dispersed plant species, indicating that it is of utmost importance to preserve remaining populations in nature reserves and that the probability of colonization of new or restored sites is very low, unless the sites are adjacent to occupied sites or dispersal is artificially assisted. [source] Linear and threshold forecasts of output and inflation using stock and housing pricesJOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 2 2008Greg Tkacz Abstract This study examines whether simple measures of Canadian equity and housing price misalignments contain leading information about output growth and inflation. Previous authors have generally found that the information content of asset prices in general, and equity and housing prices in particular, are unreliable in that they do not systematically predict future economic activity or inflation. However, earlier studies relied on simple linear relationships that would fail to pick up the potential nonlinear effects of asset price misalignments. Our results suggest that housing prices are useful for predicting GDP growth, even within a linear context. Meanwhile, both stock and housing prices can improve inflation forecasts, especially when using a threshold specification. These improvements in forecast performance are relative to the information contained in Phillips-curve type indicators for inflation and IS-curve type indicators for GDP growth. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Prediction of two-phase flow distribution in parallel pipes using stability analysisAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2006L. Pustylnik Abstract Two-phase gas liquid flow in pipes is a complex process. One of the problems that is hardly understood is how the two phases are distributed among two or more parallel lines with a common inlet manifold. Steady-state analysis yields multiple steady-state solutions. Linear and nonlinear (simulation) stability analyses are performed in order to determine the actual distribution of the flow that will take place in a real system. The analysis shows that when there are four parallel pipes, for example, the two-phase flow mixture from the common inlet manifold can choose to flow in one, two, three, or in all four pipes, depending on the flow rates of the liquid, and the gas and on the pipes inclination. For low-flow rates of gas and liquid, the flow tends to take place only in one line, while stagnant liquid columns are present in the other three pipes. As the flow rate increases the flow will take place in 2, 3 and finally in 4 pipes. Experimental data confirm the analysis although matching is only approximate. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006 [source] Synthesis of linear and cyclic phosphopeptides as ligands for the N -terminal SH2-domain of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, Issue 7 2005Dr Diana Imhof Abstract Linear and cyclic phosphopeptides related to the pY2267 binding site of the epithelial receptor tyrosine kinase Ros have been synthesized as ligands for the amino-terminal SH2 (src homology) domain of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. The synthesis was accomplished by Fmoc-based solid-phase methodology using side-chain unprotected phosphotyrosine for the linear and mono-benzyl protected phosphotyrosine for the cyclic peptides. According to molecular modelling, the incorporation of a glycine residue between Lys (position pY,1 relative to phosphotyrosine) and Asp or Glu (position pY+2) was recommended for the cyclic candidates. The preparation of these peptides was successfully performed by the incorporation of a Fmoc-Xxx(Gly-OAll)-OH (Xxx = Asp, Glu) dipeptide building block that was prepared in solution prior to SPPS. The cyclization was achieved with PyBOP following Alloc/OAll-deprotection. This study demonstrates the usefulness of allyl-type protecting groups for the generation of side-chain cyclized phosphopeptides. Alloc/OAll-deprotection and cyclization are compatible with phosphorylated tyrosine. Copyright © 2004 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Magnetic Resonance Microscopy Defines Ethanol-Induced Brain Abnormalities in Prenatal Mice: Effects of Acute Insult on Gestational Day 7ALCOHOLISM, Issue 1 2010Elizabeth A. Godin Background:, This magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM)-based report is the second in a series designed to illustrate the spectrum of craniofacial and central nervous system (CNS) dysmorphia resulting from single- and multiple-day maternal ethanol treatment. The study described in this report examined the consequences of ethanol exposure on gestational day (GD) 7 in mice, a time in development when gastrulation and neural plate development begins; corresponding to the mid- to late third week postfertilization in humans. Acute GD 7 ethanol exposure in mice has previously been shown to result in CNS defects consistent with holoprosencephaly (HPE) and craniofacial anomalies typical of those in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). MRM has facilitated further definition of the range of GD 7 ethanol-induced defects. Methods:, C57Bl/6J female mice were intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered vehicle or 2 injections of 2.9 g/kg ethanol on day 7 of pregnancy. Stage-matched control and ethanol-exposed GD 17 fetuses selected for imaging were immersion fixed in a Bouins/Prohance solution. MRM was conducted at either 7.0 Tesla (T) or 9.4 T. Resulting 29 ,m isotropic spatial resolution scans were segmented and reconstructed to provide 3D images. Linear and volumetric brain measures, as well as morphological features, were compared for control and ethanol-exposed fetuses. Following MRM, selected specimens were processed for routine histology and light microscopic examination. Results:, Gestational day 7 ethanol exposure resulted in a spectrum of median facial and forebrain deficiencies, as expected. This range of abnormalities falls within the HPE spectrum; a spectrum for which facial dysmorphology is consistent with and typically is predictive of that of the forebrain. In addition, other defects including median facial cleft, cleft palate, micrognathia, pituitary agenesis, and third ventricular dilatation were identified. MRM analyses also revealed cerebral cortical dysplasia/heterotopias resulting from this acute, early insult and facilitated a subsequent focused histological investigation of these defects. Conclusions:, Individual MRM scans and 3D reconstructions of fetal mouse brains have facilitated demonstration of a broad range of GD 7 ethanol-induced morphological abnormality. These results, including the discovery of cerebral cortical heterotopias, elucidate the teratogenic potential of ethanol insult during the third week of human prenatal development. [source] Synthesis and degradation of biomedical materials based on linear and star shaped polyglycidolsJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 13 2009Helmut Keul Abstract Linear and star shaped polyglycidols (synonym with polyglycerols) are prepared in a controlled ring opening polymerization of protected glycidols. Beside the molar mass and the polydispersity, the architecture of the polyglycidols is controlled by using mono- and multifunctional mono- and polydispers initiators. Copolymers of dissimilarly protected glycidols as well as copolymers with nonfunctional oxiranes were prepared by means of anionic polymerization while copolymers of protected glycidol with tetrahydrofuran were prepared by means of cationic polymerization. Polyethers with functional groups in the side chains (functional polyethers) with special emphasis on polyglycidols (containing hydroxymethyl groups in the side chains) were used to prepare multifunctional polymers and (hetero)grafted polymer brushes via chemical and enzyme catalyzed reaction. The potential of poly(glycidol- graft -,-caprolactone)- co -glycidol) prepared via enzyme catalyzed grafting of polyglycidols using ,-caprolactone as a monomer and Lipase B from Candida antarctica as a catalyst is presented. Finally, comparative degradation studies of densely and loosely grafted polyglycidols are presented and discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3209,3231, 2009 [source] One-pot synthesis of linear and branched poly(amide aspartimide)s with good solubility in organic solventsJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 9 2005Chuan-Shao Wu Abstract Linear and branched poly(amide aspartimide)s were prepared through the reaction of 4,4,-diaminodiphenylmethane with 4-maleimidobenzoic acid and 5-maleimidoisophthalic acid, respectively. The synthesis was performed through a one-pot operation by means of the Michael addition reaction between amine and maleimide groups and the dehydration condensation reaction between amine and carboxylic acid groups. The obtained polymers exhibited fairly good solubility in aprotic polar solvents at room temperature and in pyridine, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, and chloroform upon heating. High glass-transition temperatures (,225 °C) and thermal stability above 360 °C were found for the polymers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1923,1929, 2005 [source] Synthesis and stability of linear and star polymers containing [C60] fullereneJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 14 2001Dimitris Pantazis Abstract Linear and symmetric star block copolymers of styrene and isoprene containing [C60] fullerene were synthesized by anionic polymerization and appropriate linking postpolymerization chemistry. In all block copolymers, the C60 was connected to the terminal polyisoprene (PI) block. The composition of the copolymers was kept constant (,30% wt PI), whereas the molecular weight of the diblock chains was varied. The polymers were characterized with a number of techniques, including size exclusion chromatography, membrane osmometry, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The combined characterization results showed that the synthetic procedures followed led to well-defined materials. However, degradation of the fractionated star-shaped copolymers was observed after storage for 2 months at 4 °C, whereas the nonfractionated material was stable. To further elucidate the reasons for this degradation, we prepared and studied a four-arm star copolymer with the polystyrene part connected to C60 and a six-arm star homopolymer of styrene. These polymers as well as linear copolymers end-capped, through N<, with C60 were stable. Possible reasons are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2494,2507, 2001 [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||