GELYMAC: a Macintosh application for calculating DNA fragment size from gel electrophoresis migration data

A program called GELYMAC takes data on the distances migrated by DNA fragments in a one-dimensional electrophoretic gel and, using a cubic-spline best-fit of marker fragment distance migrated versus molecular size, calculates the molecular sizes of the fragments. Written in the Rascal (Real-time Pascal) programming language, the program runs on the Macintosh family of microcomputers. Rapid entry of marker and experimental fragment migration data is afforded using a scroll bar system adjacent to a graphic representation of a gel. Output includes tabular listing of the data, graphic cartoons of the gel, and the fragment locations and molecular sizes for individual gel lanes, and the calibration curve used in data computations.     

Revising deductive knowledge and stereotypical knowledge in a student model

A user/student model must be revised when new information about the user/student is obtained. But a sophisticated user/student model is a complex structure that contains different types of knowledge. Different techniques may be needed for revising different types of knowledge. This paper presents a student model maintenance system (SMMS) which deals with revision of two important types of knowledge in student models: deductive knowledge and stereotypical knowledge. In the SMMS, deductive knowledge is represented by justified beliefs. Its revision is accomplished by a combination of techniques involving reason maintenance and formal diagnosis. Stereotypical knowledge is represented in the Default Package Network (DPN). The DPN is a knowledge partitioning hierarchy in which each node contains concepts in a sub-domain. Revision of stereotypical knowledge is realized by propagating new information through the DPN to change default packages (stereotypes) of the nodes in the DPN. A revision of deductive knowledge may trigger a revision of stereotypical knowledge, which results in a desirable student model in which the two types of knowledge exist harmoniously.     

Structure and ac properties of electron-beam evaporated zirconia thin films

The structure and ac properties of ZrO₂ thin film capacitors were studied as a function of deposition temperature. Zirconia films deposited on molybdenum electrodes were polycrystalline. The monoclinic phase was the major phase detected in the films deposited at temperatures between 300—600 °C. At lower deposition temperatures (190–200 °C), the cubic phase was the major crystalline phase formed. A major (111&#x0304;) and a minor (111) fiber axis were observed for the monoclinic phase. Average crystallite size increased from 118 to 484 Å for the (111&#x0304;) and 175 to 265 Å for the (111) crystallites as deposition temperature increased from 200 to 600 °C. Ac conduction in Mo-ZrO₂-Mo structures at fields < 0.05 MV/cm was dominated by electron hop with a frequency independent loss behavior between 25 and 150 °C. Between 150 and 325 °C, a σ_d ∝ f^y dependence was observed where y depended on measurement and deposition temperatures. The remanence of interfacial polarization was suggested as an additional loss mechanism in this temperature range and for frequencies of 60-10⁵ Hz.     

A shell for cooperating expert systems

Abstract: This paper describes a shell for cooperating expert systems that has been developed at the University of Porto. The main goal of this shell is two-fold: to generate a community of cooperative knowledge-based systems and to develop several special reasoning techniques which can be used under a distributed and cooperative paradigm. UPShell is able to convert a set of generated intelligent systems (ISs) into a community of cooperative ISs. In this first version it is already possible to generate different intelligent systems which are able to run 'simultaneously' as separate Unix processes and, using a message-passing mechanism, to communicate among themselves. They can be set to pursue an overall goal in a cooperative way. Moreover, several tasks can be given to each IS to be solved simultaneously, and the IS can switch from task to task according to dynamic priorities reflecting the urgency attached to the specific sub-tasks that emerge. The shell described here may also be used to test, within a distributed environment, some time-bounded reasoning techniques that are presently being developed. The paper has three main parts: a general overview of the UPShell (Section 1); a tutorial explaining, by means of examples, how to use the package (Section 2); and, finally, some considerations on the reasoning techniques used and future improvements (Sections 3–5).     

Study of a BGO calorimeter using electron and hadron beams from 1 to 50 GeV

A calorimeter of 25 bismuth germanate (BGO) crystals equipped with silicon photodiode readout has been tested at the CERN SPS in the energy range 1–50 GeV. The response for electrons has been shown to be linear in this energy range and the rms resolution obtained ( ) is approximately 1%, for E > 4 GeV. The electron/pion separation was found to be better than 1:500 in the energy range 1–20 GeV. Data on lateral and longitudinal shower development were compared with the results of a Monte Carlo simulation using the SLAC-EGS program and found to be in good agreement.     

Free electron laser experiment at Orsay: A review

In this paper we review the results obtained in the last two years with the Orsay free electron laser.     

The elastic potential of a deformable anisotropic body

Based on the criteria of safety of the spherical portion of the deformation stresses and for the work of deformation on the limiting condition of a material a separation is made of the elastic energy of deformation of an anisotropic body. It is shown that in the general case of loading the components of the spherical portion of the stresses and strains are not equal to one third of their first invariants. The values of these components, as for the values of the deviator portion of the elastic potential, depend upon the stressed and strained state and the loading direction (deformation).Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 3, pp. 38–40, March, 1991.     

A review of object orientation and knowledge processing in office models

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the alternative modelling systems for office information systems. More specifically, we are interested in identifying the current research trends of merging office modelling ideas together with concepts that owe their origin to the object-oriented paradigm and to artificial intelligence. In this respect an office model is defined as encompassing three domains: passive office objects; dynamically defined and manipulated office procedures; and goal-directed office tasks. Following this definition we exploit the potential of using the object-oriented and knowledge representation techniques for modelling each of the three domains using evidence from real-world applications.     

A comparison of the3He melting curve,T c(P) curve,and the susceptibility of lanthanum-diluted cerium magnesium nitrate below 50 mK

The ac susceptibility of lanthanum-diluted cerium magnesium nitrate has been compared to the temperature scales as derived from the (P, T) relation determined by Halperin and that was measured recently by Greywall. It is found that the susceptibility does not obey a simple Curie-Weiss law over the temperature range between 1 and 50 mK. The results of these calibrations are also used to determine the temperatures for the second-order phase transitions into the superfluid phases of³He at several pressures. TheseT _c(P) values are compared to results of earlier experiments that used thermometry based on the susceptibility of platinum as well as other thermometry techniques.