A reliable measure of similarity based on dependency for short time series: an application to gene expression networks

Abstract Background Microarray techniques have become an important tool to the investigation of genetic relationships and the assignment of different phenotypes. Since microarrays are still very expensive, most of the experiments are performed with small samples. This paper introduces a method to quantify dependency between data series composed of few sample points. The method is used to construct gene co-expression subnetworks of highly significant edges. Results The results shown here are for an adapted subset of aSaccharomyces cerevisiaegene expression data set with low temporal resolution and poor statistics. The method reveals common transcription factors with a high confidence level and allows the construction of subnetworks with high biological relevance that reveals characteristic features of the processes driving the organism adaptations to specific environmental conditions. Conclusion Our method allows a reliable and sophisticated analysis of microarray data even under severe constraints. The utilization of systems biology improves the biologists ability to elucidate the mechanisms underlying celular processes and to formulate new hypotheses

Say the Magic Word: A Rhetorical Analysis of Contract Drafting Choices

Drafters of complex contracts often face a thorny dilemma – determining whether to retain “magic words” included in form documents, especially when considering the advice of current contract style scholars advocating for the removal of all traditional contract prose. But the drafter need not remove all terms that serve as elegant shorthand for more convoluted legal concepts, particularly where the inclusion of the term advances client interests. The application of rhetorical criticism – the analysis of methods of communicating ideas – to drafters’ use of the term “time is of the essence” sheds light on the dominant motivations of drafters who choose to retain traditional terms, and illustrates the potential benefits of doing so. Exploration of the development of drafting scholarship, along with empirical studies and literary theory, support the retention of certain “magic words” in complex contracts between sophisticated parties, particularly where beneficial to client advocacy

Beyond the Ice

Leadership is a management tool to direct effective achievement of goals. Historical investigation can provide a valuable lens for the study of leadership styles. To that end, this study examines the disparate approaches of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott as they raced to be the first explorer to reach the South Pole. The objective of this study is to analyze the leadership techniques used in these expeditions, and to determine how they shaped the outcome of each. The process of tacit knowledge and experience coalesce and foster both leadership and action that is not only communication-oriented and value-driven, but also rooted in growth mindset and reflexivity. Both of these concepts proved to be imperative to the success of both Amundsen and Scott’s expeditions. Ultimately, the experiences, choices, and eventual fate of polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott provide a unique view of the human endeavor that holds valuable lessons for leaders in a variety of professional settings

A synthetic axiomatization of Map Theory

Includes TOC détaillée, index et appendicesInternational audienceThis paper presents a subtantially simplified axiomatization of Map Theory and proves the consistency of this axiomatization in ZFC under the assumption that there exists an inaccessible ordinal. Map Theory axiomatizes lambda calculus plus Hilbert's epsilon operator. All theorems of ZFC set theory including the axiom of foundation are provable in Map Theory, and if one omits Hilbert's epsilon operator from Map Theory then one is left with a computer programming language. Map Theory fulfills Church's original aim of introducing lambda calculus. Map Theory is suited for reasoning about classical mathematics as well ascomputer programs. Furthermore, Map Theory is suited for eliminating thebarrier between classical mathematics and computer science rather than just supporting the two fields side by side. Map Theory axiomatizes a universe of "maps", some of which are "wellfounded". The class of wellfounded maps in Map Theory corresponds to the universe of sets in ZFC. The first version MT0 of Map Theory had axioms which populated the class of wellfounded maps, much like the power set axiom et.al. populates the universe of ZFC. The new axiomatization MT of Map Theory is "synthetic" in the sense that the class of wellfounded maps is defined inside MapTheory rather than being introduced through axioms. In the paper we define the notion of kappa- and kappasigma-expansions and prove that if sigma is the smallest strongly inaccessible cardinal then canonical kappasigma expansions are models of MT (which proves the consistency). Furthermore, in the appendix, we prove that canonical omega-expansions are fully abstract models of the computational part of Map Theory