High-level Structure Research Articles

Multilevel Factor Structure and Concurrent Validity of the Teacher Version of the Authoritative School Climate Survey.

School climate is well recognized as an important influence on student behavior and adjustment to school, but there is a need for theory-guided measures that make use of teacher perspectives. Authoritative school climate theory hypothesizes that a positive school climate is characterized by high levels of disciplinary structure and student support. A teacher version of the Authoritative School Climate Survey (ASCS) was administered to a statewide sample of 9099 7th- and 8th-grade teachers from 366 schools. The study used exploratory and multilevel confirmatory factor analyses (MCFA) that accounted for the nested data structure and allowed for the modeling of the factor structures at 2 levels. Multilevel confirmatory factor analyses conducted on both an exploratory (N = 4422) and a confirmatory sample (N = 4677) showed good support for the factor structures investigated. Factor correlations at 2 levels indicated that schools with greater levels of disciplinary structure and student support had higher student engagement, less teasing and bullying, and lower student aggression toward teachers. The teacher version of the ASCS can be used to assess 2 key domains of school climate and associated measures of student engagement and aggression toward peers and teachers.

Autocomplete hand-drawn animations

Hand-drawn animation is a major art form and communication medium, but can be challenging to produce. We present a system to help people create frame-by-frame animations through manual sketches. We design our interface to be minimalistic: it contains only a canvas and a few controls. When users draw on the canvas, our system silently analyzes all past sketches and predicts what might be drawn in the future across spatial locations and temporal frames. The interface also offers suggestions to beautify existing drawings. Our system can reduce manual workload and improve output quality without compromising natural drawing flow and control: users can accept, ignore, or modify such predictions visualized on the canvas by simple gestures. Our key idea is to extend the local similarity method in [Xing et al. 2014], which handles only low-level spatial repetitions such as hatches within a single frame, to a global similarity that can capture high-level structures across multiple frames such as dynamic objects. We evaluate our system through a preliminary user study and confirm that it can enhance both users' objective performance and subjective satisfaction.

The Analysis of Foreign Trade of Metal-Processing Industry in Serbia

In the paper were analyzed main statistical characteristics of foreign trade for metal-processing industry in Serbia in period of 2008-2014. In order to convey a more comprehensive overview of tendencies as well as changes that appeared in frame of foreign trade we analyzed the dynamics and structure of export and import of individual products and product purpose. Analysis shows that during the observed period some of the trade indicators have improved but the main problems still remain such as high level of deficit and unsatisfactory export structure.

Marshes as "Mountain Tops": Genetic Analyses of the Critically Endangered São Paulo Marsh Antwren (Aves: Thamnophilidae).

Small populations of endangered species can be impacted by genetic processes such as drift and inbreeding that reduce population viability. As such, conservation genetic analyses that assess population levels of genetic variation and levels of gene flow can provide important information for managing threatened species. The São Paulo Marsh Antwren (Formicivora paludicola) is a recently-described and critically endangered bird from São Paulo State (Brazil) whose total estimated population is around 250–300 individuals, distributed in only 15 isolated marshes around São Paulo metropolitan region. We used microsatellite DNA markers to estimate the population genetic characteristics of the three largest remaining populations of this species all within 60 km of each other. We detected a high and significant genetic structure between all populations (overall F ST = 0.103) which is comparable to the highest levels of differentiation ever documented for birds, (e.g., endangered birds found in isolated populations on the tops of African mountains), but also evidence for first-generation immigrants, likely from small local unsampled populations. Effective population sizes were small (between 28.8–99.9 individuals) yet there are high levels of genetic variability within populations and no evidence for inbreeding. Conservation implications of this work are that the high levels of genetic structure suggests that translocations between populations need to be carefully considered in light of possible local adaptation and that remaining populations of these birds should be managed as conservation units that contain both main populations studied here but also small outlying populations which may be a source of immigrants.

Emergence and Fundamentality in a Pancomputationalist Universe

The aim of this work is to apply information theoretic ideas to the notion of fundamentality. I will argue that if one adopts pancomputationalism (the idea that the world is a computer of some sort) as a metaphysics for the universe, then there are higher-level structures which are just as fundamental for computation as anything from microphysics.

Genetic structure of coexisting wild and managed agave populations: implications for the evolution of plants under domestication.

Domestication is a continuous evolutionary process guided by humans. This process leads to divergence in characteristics such as behaviour, morphology or genetics, between wild and managed populations. Agaves have been important resources for Mesoamerican peoples since prehistory. Some species are domesticated and others vary in degree of domestication. Agave inaequidens Koch is used in central Mexico to produce mescal, and a management gradient from gathered wild and silvicultural populations, as well as cultivated plantations, has been documented. Significant morphological differences were reported among wild and managed populations, and a high phenotypic variation in cultivated populations composed of plants from different populations. We evaluated levels of genetic diversity and structure associated with management, hypothesizing that high morphological variation would be accompanied by high genetic diversity in populations with high gene flow and low genetic structure among managed and unmanaged populations. Wild, silvicultural and cultivated populations were studied, collecting tissue of 19-30 plants per population. Through 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, we compared population genetic parameters. We analysed partition of variation associated with management categories to estimate gene flow among populations. Agave inaequidens exhibits high levels of genetic diversity (He = 0.707) and moderate genetic structure (FST = 0.112). No differences were found in levels of genetic diversity among wild (He = 0.704), silviculturally managed (He = 0.733) and cultivated (He = 0.698) populations. Bayesian analysis indicated that five genetic clusters best fit the data, with genetic groups corresponding to habitats where populations grow rather than to management. Migration rates ranged from zero between two populations to markedly high among others (M = 0.73-35.25). Natural mechanisms of gene flow and the dynamic management of agave propagules among populations favour gene flow and the maintenance of high levels of variation within all populations. The slight differentiation associated with management indicates that domestication is in an incipient stage.

고급 언어에서 ASIP을 위한 전용 부호 생성 기술 연구

In this paper, we discuss a code generation technique for custom transport triggered architecture (TTA) from a high-level language structure. This methodology is implemented by using TTA-based Co-design Environment (TCE) tool. The results show how the scheduler exploits instruction level parallelism in the custom target architecture and source program. Thus, the scheduler generates parallel TTA instructions using lower cycle counts than the sequential scheduling algorithm. Moreover, we take Tensilica tool to make a comparison with TCE. Because of the efficiency of TTA, TCE takes less execution cycles compared to Tensilica configurations. Finally, this paper shows that it requires only 7 cycles to generate the parallel TTA instruction set for implementing Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) applications as an input design, and presents the code generation technique to move complexity from the processor software to hardware architecture. This method can be applicable lots of channel Codecs like CRC and source Codecs like High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC).

Crowdlines: Supporting Synthesis of Diverse Information Sources through Crowdsourced Outlines

Learning about a new area of knowledge is challenging for novices partly because they are not yet aware of which topics are most important. The Internet contains a wealth of information for learning the underlying structure of a domain, but relevant sources often have diverse structures and emphases, making it hard to discern what is widely considered essential knowledge vs. what is idiosyncratic. Crowdsourcing offers a potential solution because humans are skilled at evaluating high-level structure, but most crowd micro-tasks provide limited context and time. To address these challenges, we present Crowdlines, a system that uses crowdsourcing to help people synthesize diverse online information. Crowdworkers make connections across sources to produce a rich outline that surfaces diverse perspectives within important topics. We evaluate Crowdlines with two experiments. The first experiment shows that a high context, low structure interface helps crowdworkers perform faster, higher quality synthesis, while the second experiment shows that a tournament-style (parallelized) crowd workflow produces faster, higher quality, more diverse outlines than a linear (serial/iterative) workflow.

High levels of genetic structure and striking phenotypic variability in a sexually dimorphic suckermouth catfish from the African Highveld

© 2015 The Linnean Society of London. Uncovering biological diversity to more accurately understand diversity patterns, and ultimately the processes driving diversification, is important not only from an evolutionary perspective but also a conservation perspective. This is particularly pertinent in Africa's rivers in which overall diversity, as well as how it arose, is poorly understood in comparison with lacustrine environments. Here we investigate population divergence in the sexually dimorphic suckermouth catfish species Chiloglanis anoterus (Crass, 1960) from the African Highveld, in which we observe striking variability in exaggerated male caudal fins across its range. As this trait is likely to be indirect evidence for sexual selection by female choice, a mechanism that has been shown to increase species diversity in different taxa, we used an integrated approach to test if current diversity in this species is underestimated. Results based on phylogenetic inference, population genetics and geometric morphometrics indicate that the recognized species C. anoterus represents five distinct lineages that may be considered confirmed candidate species. We suggest that diversification in these highland catfish has been facilitated through geographical isolation in upper river catchments, and that sexual selection through female choice has probably driven variation in male caudal fin morphology. In contrast to the relatively large range size of the currently recognized species (C. anoterus), our findings highlight highly restricted ranges of the lineages identified here, indicating that these highland habitats may harbour higher levels of endemic diversity than previously thought.

Efficient cleavage of single and clustered AP site lesions within mono-nucleosome templates by CHO-K1 nuclear extract contrasts with retardation of incision by purified APE1

Clustered DNA damage is a unique characteristic of radiation-induced DNA damage and the formation of these sites poses a serious challenge to the cell’s repair machinery. Within a cell DNA is compacted, with nucleosomes being the first order of higher level structure. However, few data are reported on the efficiency of clustered-lesion processing within nucleosomal DNA templates. Here, we show retardation of cleavage of a single AP site by purified APE1 when contained in nucleosomal DNA, compared to cleavage of an AP site in non-nucleosomal DNA. This retardation seen in nucleosomal DNA was alleviated by incubation with CHO-K1 nuclear extract. When clustered DNA damage sites containing bistranded AP sites were present in nucleosomal DNA, efficient cleavage of the AP sites was observed after treatment with nuclear extract. The resultant DSB formation led to DNA dissociating from the histone core and nucleosomal dispersion. Clustered damaged sites containing bistranded AP site/8-oxoG residues showed no retardation of cleavage of the AP site but retardation of 8-oxoG excision, compared to isolated lesions, thus DSB formation was not seen. An increased understanding of processing of clustered DNA damage in a nucleosomal environment may lead to new strategies to enhance the cytotoxic effects of radiotherapeutics.

Brittleness Analysis of Software Architecture based on Ant Colony Optimization

The term software architecture (SA) intuitively denotes the high level structures of a software system. It can be defined as the set of structures needed to reason about the software system, which comprise the software components and connectors, their relations and properties. Nowadays SA has become an important factor in the process of software devel- opment and the researches mainly focus on the languages, modeling, dynamic evolution process, etc. In this article, the complex system and brittleness theory are applied into the field of SA, and the concept of brittleness graph and collapse path of SA is introduced into the analytical process. Ant colony algorithm is used for simulation. The results of simulation demonstrate that Ant colony optimization (ACO) performs well on finding out the max collapse route of the brittleness graph of SA.

Recursive Structure and Inversional Pitch-class Relations in Thelonious Monk’s “Ruby, My Dear”: An Analytical Approach to “Monkishness”

The goal of this study is to elucidate the musical meanings behind some of the more unusual passages in one of Thelonious Monk’s best-known compositions, “Ruby, My Dear.” A five-note scale-degree set is identified that appears on the surface level of the A sections and the bridge, and on a higher structural level as the set of all tonalities established by authentic cadence throughout the piece, including the final tonality at the end of the coda. Pitch-class inversion operations are found to govern the internal structure of three particularly unusual passages, and, in two of them, are found to highlight the global dominant in conjunction with the higher-level manifestation of the set described above, helping to prepare the final cadence of the piece. Far from being gratuitously non-conformist, then, Monk’s unusual passages—his “Monkish” moments, as it were—are found to play key roles in the logical unfolding of this piece.

Addressing social determinants of health inequities through settings: a rapid review.

Changing settings to be more supportive of health and healthy choices is an optimum way to improve population health and health equity. This article uses the World Health Organisation's (1998) (WHO Health Promotion Glossary. WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW) definition of settings approaches to health promotion as those focused on modifying settings' structure and nature. A rapid literature review was undertaken in the period June-August 2014, combining a systematically conducted search of two major databases with targeted searches. The review focused on identifying what works in settings approaches to address the social determinants of health inequities, using Fair Foundations: the VicHealth framework for health equity. This depicts the social determinants of health inequities as three layers of influence, and entry points for action to promote health equity. The evidence review identified work in 12 settings (cities; communities and neighbourhoods; educational; healthcare; online; faith-based; sports; workplaces; prisons; and nightlife, green and temporary settings), and work at the socioeconomic, political and cultural context layer of the Fair Foundations framework (governance, legislation, regulation and policy). It located a relatively small amount of evidence that settings themselves are being changed in ways which address the social determinants of health inequities. Rather, many initiatives focus on individual behaviour change within settings. There is considerable potential for health promotion professionals to focus settings work more upstream and so replace or integrate individual approaches with those addressing daily living conditions and higher level structures, and a significant need for programmes to be evaluated for differential equity impacts and published to provide a more solid evidence base.

Genetic Structure of Western Massasauga Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus)

Abstract Understanding how habitat heterogeneity influences the genetic structure of populations is an important goal of conservation genetics. Species with different evolutionary histories may respond differently to contemporary habitat loss and fragmentation. Recent genetic analyses have shown high levels of genetic structure in two subspecies of Massasauga Rattlesnakes of conservation concern (Eastern Massasaugas, Sistrurus catenatus catenatus and Desert Massasaugas, Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii) living in highly fragmented habitats. Here, we complement those results with an analysis of the genetic structure of the third subspecies (Western Massasaugas, Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus), which has a largely continuous distribution in Kansas but with some isolated populations in Missouri. We found no evidence of genetic structure among the Kansas populations of Western Massasaugas, though our STRUCTURE analysis did identify the two Missouri populations as distinct clusters from each other and from the Ka...

Relative sensitivity to low- vs. high-level visual properties in face-sensitive regions of the human ventral occipito-temporal cortex: evidence from intra-cerebral recordings

Neuroimaging studies have identified a network of regions in the human ventral occipito-temporal cortex (VOTC) sensitive to faces. Using intra-cerebral electrophysiological recordings, we compared the relative responsivity of the different regions to face-structure using a periodic visual stimulation paradigm. Recordings were made in 17 epileptic patients implanted with linear-array depth-electrodes (>1000 contacts in the VOTC). In Experiment 1, we presented sequences of phase-scrambled and intact face stimuli (equalised for low-level image properties) alternating at a fixed frequency of 3Hz (6 images/s) while patients completed an orthogonal task. Significant periodic EEG responses (SSVEPs) reflecting high-level face structure processing were found at 3 Hz, while responses reflecting low-level visual processing (e.g. local contrast change) were recorded at 6 Hz. An index of high-level processing (3Hz/(3Hz+6Hz)) showed a posterior-to-anterior gradient, reflecting increased sensitivity to face structure going from the occipital to the temporo-polar cortex, with a right hemisphere lateralisation. In Experiment 2, we further investigated face structure processing with a sweep VEP paradigm (Ales et al., 2012; 4/17 patients). Stimulation was similar to Experiment 1 except the visibility (phase coherence) of the face image was parametrically varied so that a face gradually emerged over the course of a sequence. The patients performed a face detection task during the trials. Responses at 3Hz, objective markers of face detection, were found in all patients on contacts in the lateral fusiform gyrus and inferior occipital gyrus that overlapped with those defined in Experiment 1. All regions showed non-linear voltage vs coherence functions at 3Hz, with thresholds lying around ≈40% coherence. Sites in the lateral fusiform gyrus had a distinct step-like response profile suggestive of categorical face detection. These findings demonstrate that face-sensitive regions are organised with a posterior-to-anterior gradient of increasingly selective high-level visual processing. These regions appear to detect face structure in a non-linear/categorical manner. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.

Syn- to post-orogenic exhumation of metamorphic nappes: Structure and thermobarometry of the western Attic-Cycladic metamorphic complex (Lavrion, Greece)

The Lavrion peninsula is located along the western boundary of the Attic-Cycladic metamorphic complex in the internal zone of the Hellenic orogenic belt. The nappe stack is well exposed and made, from top to bottom, of (i) a non-metamorphic upper unit composed of an ophiolitic melange, (ii) a middle unit mainly composed of the Lavrion schists in blueschist facies, (iii) and a basal unit mainly composed of the Kamariza schists affected by pervasive retrogression of the blueschist facies metamorphism in greenschist facies. The middle unit is characterized by a relatively steep-dipping foliation associated with isoclinal folds of weakly organized axial orientation. This foliation is transposed into a shallow-dipping foliation bearing a N-S trending lineation. The degree of transposition increases with structural depth and is particularly marked at the transition from the middle to the basal unit across a low-angle mylonitic to cataclastic detachment. The blueschist facies foliation of the Lavrion schists (middle unit) is underlined by high pressure phengite intergrown with chlorite. The Kamariza schists (basal unit) contains relics of the blueschist mineral paragenesis but is dominated by intermediate pressure phengite also intergrown with chlorite and locally with biotite. Electron probe micro-analyzer chemical mapping combined with inverse thermodynamic modeling (local multi-equilibrium) reveals distinct pressure–temperature conditions of crystallization of phengite and chlorite assemblages as a function of their structural, microstructural and microtextural positions. The middle unit is characterized by two metamorphic conditions grading from high pressure (M1, 9–13kbar) to lower pressure (M2, 6–9kbar) at a constant temperature of ca. 315°C. The basal unit has preserved a first set of HP/LT conditions (M1–2, 8–11kbar, 300°C) partially to totally transposed-retrogressed into a lower pressure mineral assemblage (M3, 5–8.5kbar) associated with a slight but significant increase in temperature (∼350°C).These structural, petrologic and thermobarometric data document the tectonic evolution from construction to destruction of the Hellenic orogenic belt. The steep-dipping blueschist facies foliation, preferentially preserved at high structural level in the middle unit, is considered to reflect tectonic accretion marked by successive burial (D1M1) and syn-orogenic exhumation (D2M2) without thermal relaxation. The transposition-retrogression of the blueschist facies mineral assemblage into a shallow-dipping greenschist facies foliation associated with an increase in temperature corresponds to lateral flow of the thermally relaxed nappe stack (D3M3). The development of a low-angle detachment, accommodating post-orogenic exhumation of the orogenic root, is attributed to gravitational collapse of the Hellenic belt.

Cretaceous ongonites (topaz-bearing albite-rich microleucogranites) from Ongon Khairkhan, Central Mongolia: Products of extreme magmatic fractionation and pervasive metasomatic fluid: rock interaction

Ongonites were defined at their type locality at Ongon Khairkhan, central Mongolia, as pristine magmatic topaz-bearing albite–quartz-keratophyres with up to 4wt. % F and containing phenocrysts of albite, K-feldspar, quartz and rare mica and topaz hosted in a groundmass composed of the same minerals. However, detailed petrographic and SEM-EDS studies indicate that these rocks underwent considerable subsolidus exchange with deuteric fluids, as evidenced by the presence of albitic plagioclase (Ab~100) and end-member orthoclase (Or~100), secondary Li–Fe-rich mica (zinnwaldite) enriched in rare metals (Sn, W, Ta, Nb), pitted feldspars containing fluid inclusions, and disseminated fluorite. The ~120Ma old dyke rocks, emplaced at a high structural level in the crust, are strongly peraluminous leucogranites characterized by high Al and alkalis that are also enriched in Rb, Cs, Ga and Ta, depleted in Mg, Ca, Zr, Ba, Sr and Eu, and have anomalous K/Rb, Rb/Sr, Zr/Hf and Nb/Ta ratios compared to the average continental crust. However, the suite has Nd isotopic ratios (ɛNd(120) ~−1) similar to those of contemporaneous A-type granites of the Mongolian–Transbaikalian igneous province of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The inferred primary δ18O (~+6 to +7‰) and Pb isotopic values are consistent with a granitic parent magma and interaction with orthomagmatic fluids. The ongonites and constituent minerals record (1) an extensive and protracted crystal fractionation history, in part due to the presence of volatiles (particularly F) which depressed the solidus temperature of the felsic rocks and extended its duration of crystallization and (2) subsolidus exchange with fluids which includes late flux of heated meteoric water as indicated by modified whole rock δ18O values (+0.5 to +2.7‰). The interaction of the ongonites with internally derived orthomagmatic fluids is considered to result in enrichment and/or redistribution of several incompatible elements, but not to have greatly modified their original major element chemistry which indicates that this suite represents the last stages of fractionation of a highly differentiated, F-rich granitic magma. The escape of these evolved melts from the apical part of the underlying pluton is now represented by the ongonite dykes. Late-stage magmatic, water-rich fluids enriched in incompatible elements including Nb, Ta, Sn and W were responsible for the late- to post-magmatic alteration and associated W mineralization.

High levels of genetic diversity and population structure in an endemic and rare species: implications for conservation.

The analysis of genetic structure and variability of isolated species is of critical importance in evaluating whether stochastic or human-caused factors are affecting rare species. Low genetic diversity compromises the ability of populations to evolve and reduces their chances of survival under environmental changes. Petunia secreta, a rare and endemic species, is an annual and heliophilous herb that is bee-pollinated and easily recognizable by its purple and salverform corolla. It was described as a new species of the Petunia genus in 2005. Few individuals of P. secreta have been observed in nature and little is known about this species. All the natural populations of P. secreta that were found were studied using 15 microsatellite loci, two intergenic plastid sequences and morphological traits. Statistical analysis was performed to describe the genetic diversity of this rare species and the results compared with those of more widespread and frequent Petunia species from the same geographic area to understand whether factors associated with population size could affect rare species of this genus. The results showed that despite its rarity, P. secreta presented high genetic diversity that was equivalent to or even higher than that of widespread Petunia species. It was shown that this species is divided into two evolutionary lineages, and the genetic differentiation indices between them and other congeneric species presented different patterns. The major risk to P. secreta maintenance is its rarity, suggesting the necessity of a preservation programme and more biological and evolutionary studies that handle the two evolutionary lineages independently.

Trigeminal nerve stimulation modulates brainstem more than cortical excitability in healthy humans.

Multiple sites in the central nervous system (CNS) have been hypothesized to explain the beneficial effects of transcutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) on several disorders. This work investigated the acute effects of TNS on the excitability of brainstem and intracortical circuits, as well as on sensorimotor integration processes at cortical level in physiological conditions. Brainstem excitability was evaluated in seventeen healthy subjects measuring the R1 and R2 areas of the blink reflex (BR) and its recovery cycle, with cortical excitability and sensorimotor integration assessed by probing short-interval (SICI) and long-interval (LICI) intracortical inhibition, with short-interval (SICF), intracortical facilitation (ICF), short-latency (SAI) and long-latency (LAI) inhibition measuring motor potentials evoked in the first dorsal interosseous muscle by TMS of the contralateral motor cortex. Neurophysiological parameters were assessed, in seventeen healthy subjects, before and after cyclic 20-min TNS delivered bilaterally to the infraorbital nerve. After TNS, the area of the R2 was significantly reduced (p=0.018). By contrast, R1 area and R2 recovery cycle were unaffected. Similarly, SICI, ICF, LICI, SICF, SAI and LAI appeared unaltered after TNS. These data suggest that, in normal subjects, TNS mainly acts on brainstem polysynaptic circuits mediating the R2 component of the BR and plays a minor role in modifying the activity of higher-level structures involved in the R2 recovery cycle and in modulation of cortical excitability. A further investigation of a chronic TNS-induced effect may disclose a higher potential for TNS in producing measurable after effects on its CNS targets.

On the use of multivariate regression methods for longest path calculations from earned value management observations

This paper explores the use of multivariate regression methods for project schedule control within a statistical project control framework. These multivariate regression methods monitor the activity level performance of an ongoing project from the earned value management/earned schedule (EVM/ES) observations that are made at a high level of the work breakdown structure (WBS). These estimates can be used to calculate the longest path in the project and to produce warning signals for project schedule control. The effort that is spent by the project manager is thereby reduced, since a drill-down of the WBS is no longer required for every review period. An extensive computational experiment was set up to test and compare four distinct multivariate regression methods on a database of project networks. The kernel principal component regression method, when used with a radial base function kernel, was found to outperform the other presented regression methods.