Non-redundant Components Research Articles

Acoustic signal dominance in the multimodal communication of a nocturnal mammal

Multimodal communication in animals is common, and is particularly well studied in signals that include both visual and auditory components. Multimodal signals that combine acoustic and olfactory components are less well known. Multimodal communication plays a crucial role in agonistic interactions in many mammals, but relatively little is known about this type of communication in nocturnal mammals. Here, we used male Great Himalayan leaf-nosed bats Hipposideros armiger to investigate multimodal signal function in acoustic and olfactory aggressive displays. We monitored the physiological responses (heart rate [HR]) when H. armiger was presented with 1 of 3 stimuli: territorial calls, forehead gland odors, and bimodal signals (calls + odors). Results showed that H. armiger rapidly increased their HR when exposed to any of the 3 stimuli. However, the duration of elevated HR and magnitude of change in HR increased significantly more when acoustic stimuli were presented alone compared with the presentation of olfactory stimuli alone. In contrast, the duration of elevated HR and magnitude of change in HR were significantly higher with bimodal stimuli than with olfactory stimuli alone, but no significant differences were found between the HR response to acoustic and bimodal stimuli. Our previous work showed that acoustic and chemical signals provided different types of information; here we describe experiments investigating the responses to those signals. These results suggest that olfactory and acoustic signals are non-redundant signal components, and that the acoustic component is the dominant modality in male H. armiger, at least as it related to HR. This study provides the first evidence that acoustic signals dominate over olfactory signals during agonistic interactions in a nocturnal mammal.

Study on allocation and realization method of helicopter vulnerability index

To reduce the vulnerability of attack helicopters under fragment/projectile strikes, the method of assigning vulnerability index from the whole aircraft to critical components under single and multiple attacks is mainly studied. Under a single strike, the system components in the same direction are divided into three situations: no component overlap, nonredundant model with component overlap and redundant model with component overlap. Two index allocation methods based on the ratio of the presented area of the critical components and the ratio of the vulnerability assessment results of the critical components are proposed. The system components are divided into redundant components and non-redundant components, and an index allocation method based on the proportion of critical components' vulnerability results is proposed under multiple strikes. On this basis, combining with the vulnerability reduction measures of attack helicopters, the vulnerability index requirements of corresponding components are achieved through iterative analysis. Finally, the AH-64D helicopter is subjected to simulation tests under single and multiple strikes, and the vulnerability indexes of B-level and C-level are assigned, which verified the feasibility of the method.

NORMO: A new method for estimating the number of components in CP tensor decomposition

Tensor decompositions are multi-way analysis tools which have been successfully applied in a wide range of different fields. However, there are still challenges that remain few explored, namely the following: when applying tensor decomposition techniques, what should we expect from the result? How can we evaluate its quality? It is expected that, when the number of components is suitable, then few redundancy is observed in the decomposition result. Based on this assumption, we propose a new method, NORMO, which aims at estimating the number of components in CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP) decomposition so that no redundancy is observed in the result. To the best of our knowledge, this work encompasses the first attempt to tackle such problem. According to our experiments, the number of non-redundant components estimated by NORMO is among the most accurate estimates of the true CP number of components in both synthetic and real-world tensor datasets (thus validating the rationale guiding our method). Moreover, NORMO is more efficient than most of its competitors. Additionally, our method can be used to discover multi-levels of granularity in the patterns discovered.

Dynamic Fault Tree Generation for Safety-Critical Systems Within a Systems Engineering Approach

Systems are getting increasingly complex and challenging to design. For safety-critical systems, the integration between model-based systems engineering and model-based safety assessment to improve the choice of the system architecture since the early design stage becomes a necessity. One of the integration solutions is to generate fault trees (FTs), either static or dynamic, directly from the system description. In this paper, we are particularly interested in the generation of the dynamic fault trees (DFTs) of the systems that contain redundancies, which is widely used in safety-critical systems to enhance their reliability. The goal of this paper is, first, to propose a redundancy profile and, second, to automatically generate the DFTs from system models. Since errors are propagated via input and output ports of the components, the generation process starts with a depth-first search graph traversal through the systems modeling language internal block diagram of the system. This diagram is considered as a multidirected graph in order to detect the external inputs, the nonredundant components, the switch components, and the redundant components of the system. Then, the redundancy information incorporated in the system model is used to generate the appropriate combinations of the FT. This FT is represented in a suitable format that can be studied using FT analysis tools, for both qualitative and quantitative safety analyses.

Myosin IIA suppresses glioblastoma development in a mechanically sensitive manner

The ability of glioblastoma to disperse through the brain contributes to its lethality, and blocking this behavior has been an appealing therapeutic approach. Although a number of proinvasive signaling pathways are active in glioblastoma, many are redundant, so targeting one can be overcome by activating another. However, these pathways converge on nonredundant components of the cytoskeleton, and we have shown that inhibiting one of these-the myosin II family of cytoskeletal motors-blocks glioblastoma invasion even with simultaneous activation of multiple upstream promigratory pathways. Myosin IIA and IIB are the most prevalent isoforms of myosin II in glioblastoma, and we now show that codeleting these myosins markedly impairs tumorigenesis and significantly prolongs survival in a rodent model of this disease. However, while targeting just myosin IIA also impairs tumor invasion, it surprisingly increases tumor proliferation in a manner that depends on environmental mechanics. On soft surfaces myosin IIA deletion enhances ERK1/2 activity, while on stiff surfaces it enhances the activity of NFκB, not only in glioblastoma but in triple-negative breast carcinoma and normal keratinocytes as well. We conclude myosin IIA suppresses tumorigenesis in at least two ways that are modulated by the mechanics of the tumor and its stroma. Our results also suggest that inhibiting tumor invasion can enhance tumor proliferation and that effective therapy requires targeting cellular components that drive both proliferation and invasion simultaneously.

Will the Real Eigensystem VAR Please Stand Up? A Univariate Primer

I introduce the essential aspects of the eigensystem vector autoregression (EVAR), which allows VARs to be specified and estimated directly in terms of their eigensystem, using univariate examples for clarity. The EVAR guarantees non-explosive dynamics and, if included, non-redundant moving-average components. In the empirical application, constraining the EVAR eigenvalues to be real and positive leads to “desirable” impulse response functions and improved out-of-sample forecasts.

Non-redundant ISGF3 Components Promote NK Cell Survival in an Auto-regulatory Manner during Viral Infection

SUMMARYNatural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that possess adaptive features, including antigen-specific clonal expansion and long-lived memory responses. Although previous work demonstrated that type I interferon (IFN) signaling is crucial for NK cell expansion and memory cell formation following mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection, the global transcriptional mechanisms underlying type I IFN-mediated responses remained to be determined. Here, we demonstrate that among the suite of transcripts induced in activated NK cells, IFN-α is necessary and sufficient to promote expression of its downstream transcription factors STAT1, STAT2, and IRF9, via an auto-regulatory, feedforward loop. Similar to STAT1 deficiency, we show that STAT2- or IRF9-deficient NK cells are defective in their ability to expand following MCMV infection, in part because of diminished survival rather than an inability to proliferate. Thus, our findings demonstrate that individual ISGF3 components are crucial cell-autonomous and non-redundant regulators of the NK cell response to viral infection.

Mapping emotional disorders at the finest level: Convergent validity and joint structure based on alternative measures

BackgroundTraditional categorization of emotional disorders suffers from within-disorder heterogeneity and excessive comorbidity. Quantitative nosology instead proposes grouping homogenous components of these disorders within a higher order internalizing dimension. However, the precise number, composition, and hierarchical structure of these components remains unclear and varies based on assessment tools. MethodsThe present study jointly examined two assessment systems with the broadest coverage of homogeneous emotional disorder components—the revised Interview for Mood and Anxiety Symptoms (IMAS-R) and the self-report-based expanded version of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS-II)—to map their convergent and discriminant validity and joint structure in outpatient (N=426) and treated student (N=306) samples. ResultsResults identified 33 non-redundant components of emotional disorders. Most demonstrated strong convergent and discriminant validity between these two instruments. However, the IMAS-R provided more detailed and differentiated characterization of the content subsumed within three IDAS-II scales, and seven of the 33 components were unique to one measure or the other. Joint analysis of scales from both measures supported a four factor (i.e., distress, fear, OCD, mania) mid-level structure of emotional disorders. ConclusionsUsing multiple measures, methods, and samples, the present study provided evidence for the validity of core lower order components of the internalizing dimension and suggested they cluster into as many as four distinct factors reflecting distress, fear, OCD, and mania.

Relationships between self-determination theory and theory of planned behavior applied to physical activity and exercise behavior in chronic pain

This study examined the relationships between self-determination theory (SDT) and theory of planned behavior (TpB) applied to physical activity and exercise behavior (PA&E) in people with chronic pain. Two hundred and eleven adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain (28 males and 183 females, age range 18 to 82 years, mean age 43 years) were recruited from online support groups and clinic networks in the United States. Participants completed SDT measures relevant to PA&E on perceived autonomy support, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as TpB measures relevant to PA&E on intention, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Correlational techniques and canonical correlation analysis were performed to examine the relationships and variance within and between theoretical dimensions. Overall, the SDT set accounted for 37% of the TpB variance and the TpB set accounted for 32% of the SDT set variance. The results indicate there are statistical similarities and differences between concepts in SDT and TpB models for PA&E. Using both empirical guidance and clinical expertise, researchers and practitioners should attempt to select and integrate non-redundant and complementary components from SDT, TpB, and other related health behavior theories.

Failures of US bridge rocker bearings

Bridge bearings made of iron or steel, first used in early railroad bridges about 150 years ago, are relatively small structural components that support the loads of bridge superstructures. Fixed bearings directly transfer forces from a bridges superstructure to its substructure. Movable bearings, such as sliding bearing plates, rollers and rockers, accommodate the thermal expansion of the superstructure without transferring it to the substructure. Rocker bearings tilt to accommodate thermal movement, theoretically without imposing stresses on the substructure. This paper concerns rocker bearings which are non-redundant components and have two states: stable and toppled over. When these bearings topple over, no alternate load paths exist, which results in a failed superstructure. As such, rocker bearings are critical bridge components. An overview is given of the history of use and failures of rocker bearings from nineteenth-century railroad bridges to US highway bridges with tall and slender rocker bearings that date from the late 1950s.

EEG Classification for Hybrid Brain-Computer Interface Using a Tensor Based Multiclass Multimodal Analysis Scheme.

Electroencephalogram- (EEG-) based brain-computer interface (BCI) systems usually utilize one type of changes in the dynamics of brain oscillations for control, such as event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS), steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP), and P300 evoked potentials. There is a recent trend to detect more than one of these signals in one system to create a hybrid BCI. However, in this case, EEG data were always divided into groups and analyzed by the separate processing procedures. As a result, the interactive effects were ignored when different types of BCI tasks were executed simultaneously. In this work, we propose an improved tensor based multiclass multimodal scheme especially for hybrid BCI, in which EEG signals are denoted as multiway tensors, a nonredundant rank-one tensor decomposition model is proposed to obtain nonredundant tensor components, a weighted fisher criterion is designed to select multimodal discriminative patterns without ignoring the interactive effects, and support vector machine (SVM) is extended to multiclass classification. Experiment results suggest that the proposed scheme can not only identify the different changes in the dynamics of brain oscillations induced by different types of tasks but also capture the interactive effects of simultaneous tasks properly. Therefore, it has great potential use for hybrid BCI.

Characterizing and recognizing LR-visibility polygons

A simple polygon P is LR-visible if there are two points s, t on the boundary of P such that every point on the clockwise boundary of P from s to t is visible from some point of the other boundary of P from t to s and vice versa. We show that P is not LR-visible if and only if it has k non-redundant components such that each of them exactly intersects with k′ other components, where 0≤k′≤k−3. Our characterization is obtained by investigating the structure of the considered non-redundant components and representing it by a set of directed chords of a circle. Furthermore, we develop a simple O(n) time algorithm for determining whether a given polygon with n vertices is LR-visible as well as for reporting a pair or all pairs (s,t) which admit LR-visibility. This greatly simplifies the existing algorithm for recognizing LR-visibility polygons. Also, our result can be used to simplify the existing solutions of other LR-visibility problems.

Role of Hog1, Tps1 and Sod1 in boric acid tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In order to identify genetic contributions to boric acid (BA) resistance, a yeast knockout collection was screened for BA-sensitive mutants. Prominent among the BA-sensitive mutants were strains with defects in the cytoplasmic part of the high osmolarity/glycerol (HOG) signalling pathway, the trehalose-synthesis pathway (TPS1/TPS2) and the copper-zinc superoxide dismutase SOD1. An analysis of HOG-pathway mutants and fluorescence microscopy of Hog1-GFP fusions showed that the non-redundant cytoplasmic components of the pathway, Pbs2p and Hog1p, are required to maintain BA resistance, but that import of the activated Hog1p kinase into the nucleus neither occurs during BA stress nor is necessary for wild-type-like BA tolerance. Pbs2p and Hog1p are also required to support normal morphogenesis during BA stress as their absence leads to BA-induced hyperpolarized growth. An analysis of Sod1p and Tps1p expression revealed that BA stress induces superoxide dismutase and increases trehalose synthesis activity, albeit only after a 7 h delay. We conclude that normal BA resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae depends on the functioning of HOG signalling, the trehalose synthesis pathway and superoxide dismutase activity.

Multimodal alarm behavior in urban and rural gray squirrels studied by means of observation and a mechanical robot

Abstract Urbanization of animal habitats has the potential to affect the natural communication systems of any species able to survive in the changed environment. Urban animals such as squirrels use multiple signal channels to communicate, but it is unknown how urbanization has affected these behaviors. Multimodal communication, involving more than one sensory modality, can be studied by use of biomimetic mechanical animal models that are designed to simulate the multimodal signals and be presented to animal subjects in the field. In this way the responses to the various signal components can be compared and contrasted to determine whether the multimodal signal is made up of redundant or nonredundant components. In this study, we presented wild gray squirrels in relatively urban and relatively rural habitats in Western Massachusetts with a biomimetic squirrel model that produced tail flags and alarm barks in a variety of combinations. We found that the squirrels responded to each unimodal component on its own, the bark and tail flag, but they responded most to the complete multimodal signal, containing both the acoustic and the moving visual components, providing evidence that in this context the signal components are redundant and that their combination elicits multimodal enhancement. We expanded on the results of Partan et al. (2009) by providing data on signaling behavior in the presence and absence of conspecifics, suggesting that alarm signaling is more likely if conspecifics are present. We found that the squirrels were more active in the urban habitats and that they responded more to tail flagging in the urban habitats as compared to the rural ones, suggesting the interesting possibility of a multimodal shift from reliance on audio to visual signals in noisier more crowded urban habitats.

Sex identification in female crayfish is bimodal

Sex identification has been studied in several species of crustacean decapods but only seldom was the role of multimodality investigated in a systematic fashion. Here, we analyse the effect of single/combined chemical and visual stimuli on the ability of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii to identify the sex of a conspecific during mating interactions. Our results show that crayfish respond to the offered stimuli depending on their sex. While males rely on olfaction alone for sex identification, females require the combination of olfaction and vision to do so. In the latter, chemical and visual stimuli act as non-redundant signal components that possibly enhance the female ability to discriminate potential mates in the crowded social context experienced during mating period. This is one of the few clear examples in invertebrates of non-redundancy in a bimodal communication system.

Searching a Polygonal Region by Two Guards

We study the problem of searching for a mobile intruder in a polygonal region P by two guards. The objective is to decide whether there should exist a search schedule for the two guards to detect the intruder, no matter how fast the intruder moves, and if so, generate a search schedule. During the search, the two guards are required to walk on the boundary of P continuously and be mutually visible all the time. We present a characterization of the class of polygons searchable by two guards in terms of non-redundant components, and thus solve a long-standing open problem in computational geometry. Also, we give an optimal O(n) time algorithm to determine the two-guard searchability in a polygon, and an O(n log n + m) time algorithm to generate a search schedule, if it exists, where n is the number of vertices of P and m (≤ n 2) is the number of search instructions reported.

A unified and efficient solution to the room search problem

We study the problem of searching for a mobile intruder in a polygonal region P with a door d (called a room) by a mobile searcher. The objective is to decide whether there exists a search schedule for the searcher to detect the intruder without allowing him to exit P through d, no matter how fast he moves, and if so, generate a search schedule. A searcher is called the k- searcher if he holds k flashlights and can see only along the rays of the flashlights emanating from his position, or two guards if two endpoints of the 1-searcher's flashlight move on the polygon boundary continuously. In this paper, we develop a simple, unified solution to the room search problem. The characterizations of the k-searchable and two-guard walkable rooms are all given in terms of components and deadlocks. A study on the structure of non-redundant components and deadlocks gives critical visibility events which occur in any search schedule, and a vertex of P at which our search schedule ends. Our characterizations are not only simple but also lead to efficient algorithms for all decision problems and schedule reporting problems. Particularly, we present optimal O ( n ) time algorithms for determining the 1-searchability and the two-guard walkability of a room, and an O ( n log n + m ) time and O ( n ) space algorithm for generating a search schedule, if it exists, where n is the number of vertices of P and m ( ⩽ n 2 ) is the number of search instructions reported.

Genetic, genomic, and functional analysis of the granule lattice proteins in Tetrahymena secretory granules.

In some cells, the polypeptides stored in dense core secretory granules condense as ordered arrays. In ciliates such as Tetrahymena thermophila, the resulting crystals function as projectiles, expanding upon exocytosis. Isolation of granule contents previously defined five Granule lattice (Grl) proteins as abundant core constituents, whereas a functional screen identified a sixth family member. We have now expanded this screen to identify the nonredundant components required for projectile assembly. The results, further supported by gene disruption experiments, indicate that six Grl proteins define the core structure. Both in vivo and in vitro data indicate that core assembly begins in the endoplasmic reticulum with formation of specific hetero-oligomeric Grl proprotein complexes. Four additional GRL-like genes were found in the T. thermophila genome. Grl2p and Grl6p are targeted to granules, but the transcripts are present at low levels and neither is essential for core assembly. The DeltaGRL6 cells nonetheless showed a subtle change in granule morphology and a marked reduction in granule accumulation. Epistasis analysis suggests this results from accelerated loss of DeltaGRL6 granules, rather than from decreased synthesis. Our results not only provide insight into the organization of Grl-based granule cores but also imply that the functions of Grl proteins extend beyond core assembly.

Issues in the Classification of Multimodal Communication Signals

Communication involves complex behavior in multiple sensory channels, or "modalities." We provide an overview of multimodal communication and its costs and benefits, place examples of signals and displays from an array of taxa, sensory systems, and functions into our signal classification system, and consider issues surrounding the categorization of multimodal signals. The broadest level of classification is between signals with redundant and nonredundant components, with finer distinctions in each category. We recommend that researchers gather information on responses to each component of a multimodal signal as well as the response to the signal as a whole. We discuss the choice of categories, whether to categorize signals on the basis of the signal or the response, and how to classify signals if data are missing. The choice of behavioral assay may influence the outcome, as may the context of the communicative event. We also consider similarities and differences between multimodal and unimodal composite signals and signals that are sequentially, rather than simultaneously, multimodal.

The Adenovirus E4-6/7 Protein Directs Nuclear Localization of E2F-4 via an Arginine-Rich Motif

E2F transcription factors are key participants in the regulation of proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation in mammalian cells. E2Fs are negatively regulated by members of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) family. During adenovirus (Ad) infection, viral proteins that displace pRb family members from E2Fs and recruit E2F complexes to viral and cellular promoter regions are expressed. This recruitment of E2F involves the induction of stable E2F binding to inverted E2F binding sites in the Ad E2a and cellular E2F-1 promoters and induces both viral and cellular gene expression. E2F-4 has abundant E2F activity within cells, and the majority of E2F-4 in asynchronous cells is found in the cytoplasm. Upon expression of the adenovirus E4-6/7 protein, a significant portion of E2F-4 is translocated to the nucleus, and its activity constitutes the majority of Ad-induced nuclear E2F DNA binding activity. This redirection of E2F-4 from cytoplasm to the nucleus requires an N-terminal arginine-rich nuclear localization sequence within E4-6/7. The directed targeting of E4-6/7 to the nucleus is important for the function of this protein in the context of viral infection. This function of E4-6/7 has a redundant component as well as nonredundant components in cooperation with the adenovirus E1A oncoproteins to deregulate and usurp host cell E2F function.