A course in mathematical analysis.

An unabridged and unaltered republication of the Hedrick-Dunkel translation (v. 1-2); v. 3. newly translated by Howard G. Bergmann.

A brief report on opportunities for scientific analysis in guidance in greater Boston,

"Partial list of standard tests used in greater Boston": p. 26-30.

Geographic parthenogenesis in the Australian arid zone: I. A climatic analysis of the Heteronotia binoei complex (Gekkonidae)

Patterns of geographic parthenogenesis can provide insight into the ecological implications of the transition from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction. We analysed quantitatively the environmental niches occupied by sexual and parthenogenetic geckos of the Heteronotia binoei complex in the Australian and zone. This complex consists of two independently derived maternal lineages of hybrid parthenogens, which, in turn, include two different triploid races that resulted from reciprocal backcrossing with the parental sexual taxa. The sexual progenitors are still extant and occupy very distinct environmental niches. The triploid parthenogenetic races are biased in their environmental niche towards those of the sexual races for which their genomes are biased and this dosage effect is apparent in both maternal lineages. Thus triploidy may have benefited the parthenogens through partial recovery of the parental niches. Although the parthenogens have a broader geographic distribution than their sexual progenitors, their environmental niche is narrower and biased towards one of the sexual races. In keeping with general patterns of geographic parthenogenesis. parthenogenetic H. binoei occupy a harsher environment than the sexual forms. occurring in regions of persistently low rainfall. Bioclimatic modelling suggests patterns of rainfall are important in limiting the distribution of sexual and parthenogenetic taxa. and extrapolation from the current bioclimatic profiles indicates potential for further eastward range expansion by the parthenogens.

Non-linear analysis of the thermo-electro-mechanical behaviour of shear deformable FGM plates with piezoelectric actuators

This paper investigates the non-linear bending behaviour of functionally graded plates that are bonded with piezoelectric actuator layers and subjected to transverse loads and a temperature gradient based on Reddy's higher-order shear deformation plate theory. The von Karman-type geometric non-linearity, piezoelectric and thermal effects are included in mathematical formulations. The temperature change is due to a steady-state heat conduction through the plate thickness. The material properties are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The plate is clamped at two opposite edges, while the remaining edges can be free, simply supported or clamped. Differential quadrature approximation in the X-axis is employed to convert the partial differential governing equations and the associated boundary conditions into a set of ordinary differential equations. By choosing the appropriate functions as the displacement and stress functions on each nodal line and then applying the Galerkin procedure, a system of non-linear algebraic equations is obtained, from which the non-linear bending response of the plate is determined through a Picard iteration scheme. Numerical results for zirconia/aluminium rectangular plates are given in dimensionless graphical form. The effects of the applied actuator voltage, the volume fraction exponent, the temperature gradient, as well as the characteristics of the boundary conditions are also studied in detail. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Heterozygote effects in mice with partial truncations in the growth hormone receptor cytoplasmic domain: Assessment of growth parameters and phenotype

The GH receptor (GHR) is essential for normal postnatal growth and development, and the molecular basis of GHR action has been studied intensively. Clinical case studies and more recently mouse models have revealed the extensive phenotype of impaired GH action. We recently reported two new mouse models, possessing cytoplasmic truncations at position 569 (plus Y539/545-F) and 391, which were created to identify functional subdomains within the cytoplasmic signaling domain. In the homozygous state, these animals show progressively impaired postnatal growth coupled with complex changes in gene expression. We describe here an extended phenotype analysis encompassing the heterozygote state to identify whether single copies of these mutant receptors bring about partial or dominant-negative phenotypes. It appears that the retention of the ubiquitin-dependent endocytosis motif the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain permits turnover of these mutant receptors because no dominant-negative phenotype is seen. Nonetheless, we do observe partial impairment of postnatal growth in heterozygotes supporting limited haploinsufficiency. Reproductive function is impaired in these models in a progressive manner, in parallel with loss of signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 activation ability. In summary, we describe a more comprehensive phenotypic analysis of these mouse models, encompassing overall and longitudinal body growth, reproductive function, and hormonal status in both the heterozygote and homozygote state. Our results suggest that patients expressing single copies of similarly mutated GHRs would not display an obvious clinical phenotype.

Purification and partial characterisation of recombinant human hepcidin

Hepcidin is a liver-expressed antimicrobial and iron regulatory peptide. A number of studies have indicated that hepcidin is important for the correct regulation of body iron homeostasis. The aims of this study were to analyse the expression, trafficking and regulation of human hepcidin in an in vitro cell culture system. Human hepcidin was transfected into human embryonic kidney cells. Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy analysis revealed that recombinant hepcidin localised to the Golgi complex. Recombinant hepcidin is secreted from the cell within 1 h of its synthesis. Recombinant hepcidin was purified from the cell culture medium using ion-exchange and metal-affinity chromatography and was active in antimicrobial assays. Amino-terminal sequence analysis of the secreted peptide revealed that it was the mature 25 amino acid form of hepcidin. Our results show that recombinant myc-His tagged human hepcidin was expressed, processed and secreted correctly and biologically active in antimicrobial assays. (C) 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Analysis of common attacks in public-key cryptosystems based on low-density parity-check codes

The security and reliability of a class of public-key cryptosystems against attacks by unauthorized parties, who had acquired partial knowledge of one or more of the private key components and/or of the message, were discussed. The standard statistical mechanical methods of dealing with diluted spin systems with replica symmetric considerations were analyzed. The dynamical transition which defined decryption success in practical situation was studied. The phase diagrams which showed the dynamical threshold as a function of the partial acquired knowledge of the private key were also presented.

Long-range translational coupling in single-stranded RNA bacteriophages: an evolutionary analysis

In coliphage MS2 RNA a long-distance interaction (LDI) between an internal segment of the upstream coat gene and the start region of the replicase gene prevents initiation of replicase synthesis in the absence of coat gene translation. Elongating ribosomes break up the repressor LDI and thus activate the hidden initiation site. Expression studies on partial MS2 cDNA clones identified base pairing between 1427-1433 and 1738-1744, the so-called Min Jou (MJ) interaction, as the molecular basis for the long-range coupling mechanism. Here, we examine the biological significance of this interaction for the control of replicase gene translation. The LDI was disrupted by mutations in the 3'-side and the evolutionary adaptation was monitored upon phage passaging. Two categories of pseudorevertants emerged. The first type had restored the MJ interaction but not necessarily the native sequence. The pseudorevertants of the second type acquired a compensatory substitution some 80 nt downstream of the MJ interaction that stabilizes an adjacent LDI. In one examined case we confirmed that the second site mutations had restored coat-replicase translational coupling. Our results show the importance of translational control for fitness of the phage. They also reveal that the structure that buries the replicase start extends to structure elements bordering the MJ interaction.

Response-based segmentation using Finite Mixture Partial Least Squares: theoretical foundations and an application to American Customer Satisfaction Index Data

When applying multivariate analysis techniques in information systems and social science disciplines, such as management information systems (MIS) and marketing, the assumption that the empirical data originate from a single homogeneous population is often unrealistic. When applying a causal modeling approach, such as partial least squares (PLS) path modeling, segmentation is a key issue in coping with the problem of heterogeneity in estimated cause-and-effect relationships. This chapter presents a new PLS path modeling approach which classifies units on the basis of the heterogeneity of the estimates in the inner model. If unobserved heterogeneity significantly affects the estimated path model relationships on the aggregate data level, the methodology will allow homogenous groups of observations to be created that exhibit distinctive path model estimates. The approach will, thus, provide differentiated analytical outcomes that permit more precise interpretations of each segment formed. An application on a large data set in an example of the American customer satisfaction index (ACSI) substantiates the methodology’s effectiveness in evaluating PLS path modeling results.