bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diachronic Rationality
Authors: Maher Patrick
Published: November 2002

This is an essay in the Bayesian theory of how opinions should be revised over time. It begins with a discussion of the principle that van Fraassen has dubbed “Reflection”. This principle is not a requirement of rationality; a diachronic Dutch argument, that purports to show the contrary, is fallacious. But under suitable conditions, it is irrational to actually implement shifts in probability that violate Reflection. Conditionalization and probability kinematics are special cases of the principle not to implement shifts that violate Reflection; hence these principles are also requirements of rationality under suitable conditions, though not universal requirements of rationality.
Reliability in Mathematical Physics
Authors: Liston Michael
Published: November 2002

In this paper I argue three things: (1) that the interactionist view underlying Benacerraf's (1973) challenge to mathematical beliefs renders inexplicable the reliability of most of our beliefs in physics; (2) that examples from mathematical physics suggest that we should view reliability differently; and (3) that abstract mathematical considerations are indispensable to explanations of the reliability of our beliefs.
Discussion: Getting The Constraints on Popper's Probability Functions Right
Authors: Leblanc Hugues , Roeper Peter
Published: November 2002

Shown here is that a constraint used by Popper in The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1959) for calculating the absolute probability of a universal quantification, and one introduced by Stalnaker in “Probability and Conditionals” (1970, 70) for calculating the relative probability of a negation, are too weak for the job. The constraint wanted in the first case is in Bendali (1979) and that wanted in the second case is in Popper (1959).
Critical Notice: David Bloor's Knowledge and Social Imagery (Second Edition)
Authors: Fuller Steve
Published: November 2002

When Bloor's Knowledge and Social Imagery was first published in 1976, it was not the first time that a “strong programme” in the sociology of knowledge was treated to a hostile reception by philosophers. But never before has such a dialectically unproductive encounter with philosophers led to such a methodologically fruitful response, for, when an array of positivist, historicist, Popperian, and realist philosophers argued against Bloor and his Edinburgh colleagues that normative accounts of scientific rationality could not be refuted by empirical accounts of what scientists do (see Brown 1984), an entire line of research was launched that sought to explain science without having to make reference to the philosophers' cherished norms. This is the field now known as Science and Technology Studies (STS). Although STS is normally taken to be intellectually centered in sociology, its main practitioners are just as likely to have been drawn from philosophy and the natural sciences (as in the case of the original Edinburgh School) as from the social sciences proper. The unmistakable mark of Bloor's influence is that, unlike the sociology of science most recognizable to sociologists (e.g., Merton 1973), the STS practitioner is committed to studying science in the same spirit of analytic detachment and epistemic neutrality as she would any other aspect of society. In practice, this has amounted to a preference for methods that incorporate “ethnographic distance” (e.g., Latour and Woolgar [1979] 1986), although in recent years theoretical debate has increasingly focused on the appropriate attitude that STS practitioners should adopt toward science, given their findings to date (see Pickering 1992, Fuller 1992b). I will return to this debate at the end of this essay.
Discussion: A Mistake in Dynamic Coherence Arguments?
Authors: Skyrms Brian
Published: November 2002

Maher (1992b) advances an objection to dynamic Dutch-book arguments, partly inspired by the discussion in Levi (1987; in particular by Levi's case 2, p. 204). Informally, the objection is that the decision maker will “see the dutch book coming” and consequently refuse to bet, thus escaping the Dutch book. Maher makes this explicit by modeling the decision maker's choices as a sequential decision problem. On this basis he claims that there is a mistake in dynamic coherence arguments. There is really no formal mistake in classical dynamic coherence arguments, but the discussions in Maher and Levi do suggest interesting ways in which the definition of dynamic coherence might be strengthened. Such a strengthened “sequentialized” notion of dynamic coherence is explored here. It so happens that even on the strengthened standards for a Dutch book, the classic dynamic coherence argument for conditioning still goes through.
Cork Taint of Wines: Role of the Filamentous Fungi Isolated from Cork in the Formation of 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole by O Methylation of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
Authors: Álvarez-Rodríguez María Luisa , López-Ocaña Laura , López-Coronado José Miguel , Rodríguez Enrique , Martínez María Jesús , Larriba Germán , Coque Juan-José R.
Published: November 2002

Cork taint is a musty or moldy off-odor in wine mainly caused by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA). We examined the role of 14 fungal strains isolated from cork samples in the production of 2,4,6-TCA by O methylation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP). The fungal strains isolated belong to the genera
Penicillium
(four isolates);
Trichoderma
(two isolates); and
Acremonium
,
Chrysonilia
,
Cladosporium
,
Fusarium
,
Mortierella
,
Mucor
,
Paecilomyces
, and
Verticillium
(one isolate each). Eleven of these strains could produce 2,4,6-TCA when they were grown directly on cork in the presence of 2,4,6-TCP. The highest levels of bioconversion were carried out by the
Trichoderma
and
Fusarium
strains. One strain of
Trichoderma longibrachiatum
could also efficiently produce 2,4,6-TCA in liquid medium. However, no detectable levels of 2,4,6-TCA production by this strain could be detected on cork when putative precursors other than 2,4,6-TCP, including several anisoles, dichlorophenols, trichlorophenols, or other highly chlorinated compounds, were tested. Time course expression studies with liquid cultures showed that the formation of 2,4,6-TCA was not affected by a high concentration of glucose (2% or 111 mM) or by ammonium salts at concentrations up to 60 mM. In
T. longibrachiatum
the O methylation of 2,4,6-TCP was catalyzed by a mycelium-associated
S
-adenosyl-
l
-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferase that was strongly induced by 2,4,6-TCP. The reaction was inhibited by
S
-adenosyl-
l
-homocysteine, an inhibitor of SAM-dependent methylation, suggesting that SAM is the natural methyl donor. These findings increase our understanding of the mechanism underlying the origin of 2,4,6-TCA on cork, which is poorly understood despite its great economic importance for the wine industry, and they could also help us improve our knowledge about the biodegradation and detoxification processes associated with chlorinated phenols.
Role of Membrane Fluidity in Pressure Resistance of
Escherichia coli
NCTC 8164
Authors: Casadei M. A. , Mañas P. , Niven G. , Needs E. , Mackey B. M.
Published: November 2002

The relationship among growth temperature, membrane fatty acid composition, and pressure resistance was examined in
Escherichia coli
NCTC 8164. The pressure resistance of exponential-phase cells was maximal in cells grown at 10°C and decreased with increasing growth temperatures up to 45°C. By contrast, the pressure resistance of stationary-phase cells was lowest in cells grown at 10°C and increased with increasing growth temperature, reaching a maximum at 30 to 37°C before decreasing at 45°C. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the membrane lipids decreased with increasing growth temperature in both exponential- and stationary-phase cells and correlated closely with the melting point of the phospholipids extracted from whole cells examined by differential scanning calorimetry. Therefore, in exponential-phase cells, pressure resistance increased with greater membrane fluidity, whereas in stationary-phase cells, there was apparently no simple relationship between membrane fluidity and pressure resistance. When exponential-phase or stationary-phase cells were pressure treated at different temperatures, resistance in both cell types increased with increasing temperatures of pressurization (between 10 and 30°C). Based on the above observations, we propose that membrane fluidity affects the pressure resistance of exponential- and stationary-phase cells in a similar way, but it is the dominant factor in exponential-phase cells whereas in stationary-phase cells, its effects are superimposed on a separate but larger effect of the physiological stationary-phase response that is itself temperature dependent.
Genetic Variability in
Puccinia striiformis
f. sp.
tritici
Populations Sampled on a Local Scale during Natural Epidemics
Authors: Villaréal Lorys M. M. A. , Lannou Christian , de Vallavieille-Pope Claude , Neema Claire
Published: November 2002

This study investigated genetic polymorphism on a local scale in
Puccinia striiformis
f. sp.
tritici
populations during natural epidemics, in four fields located in northern France and sampled in 1998 or 1999. Two hundred and forty-seven isolates were analyzed for their amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) pattern through four primer combinations, and 194 of them were also tested for their virulence factors. Only one or two pathotypes were found in each field, and all isolates had virulence v17, matching the recently introduced
Yr17
resistance gene. Polymorphism on a field scale was low. Although 67 loci were polymorphic, 77% of the isolates had the same AFLP pattern, all other patterns being rare or unique. Analyses of the genetic distance between AFLP patterns based on the Jaccard index allowed us to define 12 groups, but a bootstrap analysis showed that all isolates could be assigned to a single clonal lineage. This leads us to conclude that
P. striiformis
f. sp.
tritici
populations are clonal on a field scale in northern France.
Construction of DNA-Shuffled and Incrementally Truncated Libraries by a Mutagenic and Unidirectional Reassembly Method: Changing from a Substrate Specificity of Phospholipase to That of Lipase
Authors: Song Jae Kwang , Chung Bora , Oh Young Hak , Rhee Joon Shick
Published: November 2002

A method of mutagenic and unidirectional reassembly (MURA) that can generate libraries of DNA-shuffled and randomly truncated proteins was developed. The method involved fragmenting the template gene(s) randomly by DNase I and reassembling the small fragments with a unidirectional primer by PCR. The MURA products were treated with T4 DNA polymerase and subsequently with a restriction enzyme whose site was located on the region of the MURA primer. The N-terminal-truncated and DNA-shuffled library of a
Serratia
sp. phospholipase A
1
prepared by this method had an essentially random variation of truncated size and also showed point mutations associated with DNA shuffling. After high-throughput screening on triglyceride-emulsified plates, several mutants exhibiting absolute lipase activity (NPL variants) were obtained. The sequence analysis and the lipase activity assay on the NPL variants revealed that N-terminal truncations at a region beginning with amino acids 61 to 71, together with amino acid substitutions, resulted in the change of substrate specificity from a phospholipase to a lipase. We therefore suggest that the MURA method, which combines incremental truncation with DNA shuffling, can contribute to expanding the searchable sequence space in directed evolution experiments.
Molecular Subtype Analyses of
Campylobacter
spp. from Arkansas and California Poultry Operations
Authors: Hiett K. L , Stern N. J. , Fedorka-Cray P. , Cox N. A. , Musgrove M. T. , Ladely S.
Published: November 2002

Campylobacter
isolates from diverse samples within broiler production and processing environments were typed by using
flaA
short variable region DNA sequence analysis. Sixteen flocks from four different farms representing two broiler producers in Arkansas and California were analyzed. Fourteen of the flocks (87.5%) were
Campylobacter
-positive; two remained negative throughout the 6-week rearing period. In general, multiple clones were present within a flock. Additionally, clones found within a flock were also present on the final product, although the diversity of
Campylobacter
spp. on the final product appeared to be reduced relative to that observed within the flock. Comparison of clones between flocks on the same farm revealed that some clones of
Campylobacter
persisted in multiple flocks. Furthermore, some clones were identified across the two farms that were under the same management. In two sampling periods, environmental isolates were positive for
Campylobacter
prior to flock shedding. Environmental samples associated with five additional flocks were positive for
Campylobacter
concomitantly with recovery of
Campylobacter
from the birds. Analysis of the environmental isolates that were positive prior to flock shedding demonstrated that in some instances the environmental isolates possessed genotypes identical to those of isolates originating from the flock, while in other cases the environmental isolates possessed genotypes that were distantly related to isolates obtained from the flock. Analyses of environmental isolates that tested positive concurrently with the positive isolates from the flocks demonstrated varied results; in some instances the environmental isolates possessed genotypes identical to those of isolates originating from the flock, while in other cases the environmental isolates possessed genotypes that were distantly related to isolates obtained from the flock. These data suggest that the external environment may contribute to
Campylobacter
contamination during poultry production and processing. However, environmental contamination with
Campylobacter
does not appear to be the sole contributing factor.
Direct Identification in Food Samples of
Listeria
spp. and
Listeria monocytogenes
by Molecular Methods
Authors: Cocolin Luca , Rantsiou Kalliopi , Iacumin Lucilla , Cantoni Carlo , Comi Giuseppe
Published: November 2002

A new molecular approach for the detection and identification of
Listeria
spp. and
Listeria monocytogenes
in food is presented here. The method is based on the PCR amplification of a fragment of the
iap
gene from the five species belonging to the genus and on the analysis of the PCR products obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The protocol was first optimized by using strains from international collections. Based on the differences present in the sequences amplified, it was possible to obtain species-specific DGGE migration that allowed fast and easy identification of
L. monocytogenes
,
L. innocua
,
L. welshimeri
,
L. seeligeri
, and
L. ivanovii
. Moreover, for
L. monocytogenes
serotypes, partial differentiation was possible. The optimized protocol was used for identification of
Listeria
strains traditionally isolated from food and for direct detection and identification of
Listeria
members in food after an overnight enrichment. Identification of 48 food isolates and direct detection of
Listeria
spp. in 73 food samples show the potential of the method that can be used as a fast screening test to investigate the presence of
Listeria
spp. and
L. monocytogenes
in food.
Detection of Dengue Virus Replication in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Dengue Virus Type 2-Infected Patients by a Reverse Transcription-Real-Time PCR Assay
Authors: Wang Wei-Kung , Sung Tzu-Ling , Tsai Yu-Chen , Kao Chuan-Liang , Chang Shu-Mei , King Chwan-Chuen
Published: November 2002

While dengue virus is thought to replicate in mononuclear phagocytic cells in vivo, attempts to detect it in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by virus isolation or antigen detection have had variable and generally low rates. In this study, we developed a reverse transcription (RT)-real-time PCR assay to quantify positive- and negative-sense RNA of dengue virus type 2 within the cells. The assay includes an RT step using either sense or antisense primer followed by a real-time PCR step using the designed primers and probe, which target a capsid region highly conserved in dengue virus type 2 strains. It can be used to monitor the dynamic change of intracellular dengue virus RNA species during the course of infection. When this assay is employed in quantification of dengue virus RNA species in PBMC from 10 patients infected with dengue virus type 2, both positive- and negative-sense dengue RNA can be detected, indicating that dengue virus is actively replicating in PBMC in vivo. Moreover, the amounts of negative-sense dengue virus RNA in PBMC correlate very well with the viral load of dengue virus in plasma, suggesting that quantification of negative-sense dengue virus RNA in PBMC may provide another indicator of dengue virus replication in vivo. Use of this convenient, sensitive, and accurate method of quantification in clinical samples from patients with different disease severity would further our understanding of the pathogenesis of dengue.
Antigenically Diverse Reference Strains and Autologous Strains ofActinobacillus actinomycetemcomitansAre Equally Efficient Antigens in Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Analysis
Authors: Vilkuna-Rautiainen Tiina , Pussinen Pirkko J. , Mattila Kimmo , Vesanen Marja , Åhman Heidi , Doğan Başak , Asikainen Sirkka
Published: November 2002

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitansis a major pathogen in periodontitis. Data on the clinical relevance of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels against this species are controversial. The aim of the present study was to elucidate how different strains used as antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) influence the detection of individuals with elevated serum IgG levels againstA. actinomycetemcomitans. We hypothesized that the highest antibody levels are targeted to the autologous strains. A total of 19 strains—six antigenically diverse reference strains (serotypes a through e and a nonserotypeable strain) and 13 serotyped autologous strains—were used as whole-cell antigens in ELISA. Serum samples were from 26 untreated adult patients with periodontitis, whose subgingival bacterial samples were either culture positive (n= 13) or culture negative (n= 13) forA. actinomycetemcomitans, and from 10 culture-negative nonperiodontitis subjects. The highest individual (P< 0.05) IgG levels against the reference strains were most commonly against serotypes a and b in patients and against serotype c in nonperiodontitis subjects. The culture-positive patients had the highest (P< 0.05) IgG antibody levels against their autologous strains and against the reference strains of the same serotype. On the contrary, for these patients the levels of antibody against the reference strains of other serotypes were comparable to those of the nonperiodontitis subjects. The results indicated that the serum IgG antibody levels againstA. actinomycetemcomitansstrongly depend on the strains used as antigens in the ELISA. Elevated serum IgG levels againstA. actinomycetemcomitanscan be detected equally well using either the autologous strains or a variety of antigenically diverse reference strains as antigens.
Colony Multiplex PCR Assay for Identification and Differentiation of
Campylobacter jejuni
,
C. coli
,
C. lari
,
C. upsaliensis
, and
C. fetus
subsp
. fetus
Authors: Wang Gehua , Clark Clifford G. , Taylor Tracy M. , Pucknell Chad , Barton Connie , Price Lawrence , Woodward David L. , Rodgers Frank G.
Published: November 2002

A multiplex PCR assay was used to simultaneously detect genes from the five major clinically relevant
Campylobacter
spp. Those genes selected were
hipO
and 23S rRNA from
Campylobacter jejuni
;
glyA
from each of
C. coli
,
C. lari
, and
C. upsaliensis
; and
sapB2
from
C. fetus
subsp.
fetus
. The assay was evaluated with 137 clinical and environmental isolates and was found to be rapid and easy to perform and had a high sensitivity and specificity for characterizing isolates, even in mixed cultures.
Relation betweenMDR1mRNA levels, resistance factor, and the efficiency of P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux of pirarubicin in multidrug-resistant K562 sublines
Authors: Meesungnoen Jintana , Jay-Gerin Jean-Paul , Mankhetkorn Samlee
Published: November 2002

In this work, we sought to investigate the relation existing between MDR1 mRNA levels, the resistance factor (RF), and the efficiency of efflux of pirarubicin (THP) mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in multidrug-resistant (MDR) K562 sublines. The MDR K562 sublines were selected from K562/adr cells by exposure to different adriamycin concentrations: 300 nM (K562/300), 1000 nM (K562/1000), and 10 000 nM (K562/10000), yielding RF values of 23.2, 26.5, and 39.6, respectively. The analysis of the P-gp encoding MDR1 gene overexpression by reverse transcriptase  polymerase chain reaction provided evidence of increased MDR1 mRNA levels when the adriamycin concentration used for the MDR cell selection increased. We used spectrofluorometric methods to determine the kinetics of the uptake and P-gp-mediated efflux of THP in the different selected MDR K562 sublines. Our data showed that (i) the maximal rate of P-gp-mediated efflux of THP, Vmax, increased with increasing RF; (ii) the observed Michaelis constant, Km, had the same value for all selected sublines, thus leading to an overall increase in the ratio Vmax/Km(5.1 × 103, 6.2 × 103, 6.8 × 103, and 9.3 × 103s1for K562/adr, K562/300, K562/1000, and K562/10000 cells, respectively), and (iii) the determination of the Hill coefficient (nH) gave values close to 2, which suggested a positive cooperative transport of THP with the expelling of two molecules of THP per turnover of P-gp. This study demonstrated that, in the K562/adr sublines used in our experiments, P-gp played a major role in conferring the MDR phenotype. Moreover, under our experimental conditions, intracellular acidic organelles were shown to contribute to decreased drugtarget interaction and, thereby, decreased cytotoxicity. The variation of the concentrations of THP accumulated in the acidic organelles as a function of the total THP concentration added to the cells was the same, within the limits of experimental errors, whatever the degree of resistance of the studied MDR K562 sublines. Finally, this study suggested that, in the selected MDR K562 sublines, the K+/H+antiporter exchanger could be activated by the pirarubicin transport, leading to a probable acidification of intracellular pH. The P-gp-mediated efflux of THP and an accumulation of THP in acidic organelles confer an advantage for MDR cells in surviving prolonged exposure to cytotoxic agents and giving rise to high degrees of resistance. Key words: multidrug resistance, P-glycoprotein, pirarubicin, acidic organelles, MDR1 mRNA levels, fluorescence spectroscopy, kinetic parameters.
Enhanced accumulation of constitutive heat shock protein mRNA is an initial response of eye tissue to mild hyperthermia in vivo in adultXenopus laevis
Authors: Ali Adnan , Heikkila John J
Published: November 2002

We have examined the effect of mild hyperthermia in vivo on heat shock transcription factor (HSF) binding activity and heat shock protein (hsp) gene expression in eye tissue of adult Xenopus laevis. A specific interaction between HSF and a synthetic oligonucleotide corresponding to the proximal heat shock element of the Xenopus hsp70B gene was greatly enhanced in eyes from hyperthermic animals compared with controls. Given these results, we examined the effect of hyperthermia in vivo on the expression of five hsp genes (hsp70, hsc70, BiP, hsp90, and hsp30) in eye tissue. Interestingly, at 28°C constitutively expressed hsp genes hsc70, BiP, and hsp90 were strongly enhanced, with further accumulation at 30°C. However, hsp70 and hsp30 mRNA accumulation were not detectable at 28°C but were strongly induced at 30°C. No enhancement of the relative levels of cytoskeletal actin mRNA was observed in the eye tissue of hyperthermic animals. These results suggest that one of the primary responses of eye tissue to hyperthermia in vivo is in the elevation of mRNAs encoding a set of constitutively expressed molecular chaperones.Key words: Xenopus, mRNA, eye, heat shock, heat shock factor.
ON THE SELF-SIMILAR DISTRIBUTION OF THE EMERGENCY WARD ARRIVALS TIME SERIES
Authors: MONTE ENRIC , ROCA JOSEP , VILARDELL LLUIS
Published: November 2002

Hospital emergency arrivals are often modeled as Poisson processes because of the similarity of the problem to a telephone exchange model, i.e. applications that involve counting the number of times a random event occurs in a given time, where the interval between individual counts follows the exponential distribution. In this paper, we propose a statistical modeling of hospital emergency ward arrivals, using self-similar processes. This modeling takes into account the fact that it is known empirically that the emergency time series consists of periods marked by "bursts" of high level demand peaks, followed by periods of lower demand. This is explained neither by a Poisson during fixed-lengths intervals nor by a lognormal distribution. We show that a self-similar distribution can model this phenomenon. We also show that the commonly used Poisson models seriously underestimate the "burstiness" of emergency arrivals over a wide range of time scales, and that the emergency time series cannot be modeled by a lognormal distribution. The self-similar distribution was tested by the Hurst parameter, which we have calculated using five different methods, all of which agree on the value of the parameter.
ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR DEVELOPMENT OF HELICAL VORTEX INSTABILITY
Authors: MOISEEV S. S. , PUNGIN V. G.
Published: November 2002

Competitive ability of helical and two-dimensional models of generation of large-scale atmospheric hazardous events is discussed, and the conclusion is made that the helical model deserves more attention than it currently has in the world literature. A number of mechanisms of nonlinear stabilization of helical vortex instability are considered which are possible under different conditions. Intermittent nature of large-scale velocity field generated by such instability, and possibility of development of helical wave-turbulent instability are analyzed. The example of application of helical vortex instability for explanation of some phenomena observed after collision of Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet fragments with Jupiter in July 1994 is presented.
ROUGH FEATURE SELECTION FOR NEURAL NETWORK BASED IMAGE CLASSIFICATION
Authors: SHANG CHANGJING , SHEN QIANG
Published: November 2002

Effective feature selection is essential to the development of any intelligent classifier which is intended for use in high-dimension domains. This paper presents an approach that incorporates a rough set-assisted feature reduction method and a neural network-based classifier for image classification. The approach minimises the need for feature extraction without altering the underlying semantics of the features chosen. Through the proposed integration the size of the neural network classifier, which is sensitive to the dimensionality of the dataset, becomes manageable and the network is able to classify images that would otherwise require many more features to represent. Comparative study results from realistic applications demonstrate the success of this work.
PROMOIN: AN INTERACTIVE SYSTEM FOR MULTIOBJECTIVE PROGRAMMING
Authors: CABALLERO R. , LUQUE M. , MOLINA J. , RUIZ F.
Published: November 2002

The interactive system PROMOIN is presented in this paper. This system has been designed in order to work with interactive techniques for Linear Multiobjective Programming problems. The main interactive procedures of the literature have been incorporated into the system, as well as the possibility to change between methods along the solution process, if the user wishes so. This change-of-method option has been developed on a theoretical base devoted to transfer information from one method to the other, so that all this information is not lost when changing to another algorithm. The program has been implemented under Windows environment, with the aim of providing the user with a friendly interface.
METASYNTHETIC APPROACH FOR HANDWRITTEN CHINESE CHARACTER RECOGNITION
Authors: XIAO BAIHUA , WANG CHUNHENG , DAI RUWEI
Published: November 2002

The metasynthetic approach for solving complicated problems was proposed in 1990.1 And the characteristics of metasynthetic approach can be summarized as human-machine cooperation and integration. Directed by the idea of metasynthesis, the design of two kinds of handwritten Chinese character recognition systems are given in this article. All the designs focus on incorporating human knowledge into multiple classifier combination, which is different from conventional integration. The first one is multi-stage adaptive weighted multiple classifier combination, in which a neural network for coefficient predicting is trained by supervised learning to provide weights suitable for the input pattern. And the second scheme is based on totally parallel combination, in which human intelligence and computer capabilities are combined together through multi-step supervised learning. The experimental results demonstrate substantial improvement in overall performance for handwritten Chinese character recognition with thousands of classes that must be discriminated.
Generalized derivation modulo the ideal of all compact operators
Authors: Mecheri Salah , Bachir Ahmed
Published: November 2002

We give some results concerning the orthogonality of the range
and the kernel of a generalized derivation modulo the ideal of
all compact operators.
Sufficient conditions for starlikeness associated with parabolic region
Authors: Ravichandran V. , Gangadharan A. , Shanmugam T. N.
Published: November 2002

An analytic function f(z) = z + a n+1 z n+1 + ⋯, defined on the unit disk △ = {z : |z| < 1}, is in the class S p if z f′(z)/f(z) is in the parabolic region Rew > |w − 1|. This class is closely related to the class of uniformly convex functions. Sufficient
conditions for function to be in S p are obtained. In particular, we find condition on λ such that the function f(z), satisfying (1 − α)(f(z)/z) μ + αf′(z)(f(z)/z) μ−1≺1 + λz, is in S p.
Cohomology with bounds and Carleman estimates for the ∂¯‐operator on Stein manifolds
Authors: Darko Patrick W.
Published: November 2002

Cohomology with bounds are used to globalize a result of Hörmander obtaining Carleman estimates for the Cauchy‐Riemann operator on Stein manifolds.
An introduction to spherical orbit spaces
Authors: Mcgowan Jill , Searle Catherine
Published: November 2002

Consider a compact, connected Lie group G acting isometrically on a sphere Sn of radius 1. Two‐dimensional quotient spaces of the type Sn/G have been investigated extensively. This paper provides an elementary introduction, for nonspecialists, to this important field by way of several classical examples and supplies an explicit list of all the isotropy subgroups involved in these examples.
Fuzzy positive implicative ordered filters of implicative semigroups
Authors: Jun Young Bae , Kim Young Hee , Kim Hee Sik
Published: November 2002

We consider the fuzzification of the notion of a positive implicative ordered filter in implicative semigroups. We show that every fuzzy positive implicative ordered filter is both a fuzzy ordered filter and a fuzzy implicative ordered filter. We give examples that a fuzzy (implicative) ordered filter may not be a fuzzy positive implicative ordered filter. We also state equivalent conditions of fuzzy positive implicative ordered filters. Finally, we establish an extension property for fuzzy positive implicative ordered filters.
Characterizations of projective and k‐projective semimodules
Authors: Al-Thani Huda Mohammed J.
Published: November 2002

This paper deals with projective and k‐projective semimodules. The results for projective semimodules are generalization of corresponding results for projective modules.
Existence for viscoplastic contact with Coulomb friction problems
Authors: Amassad Amina , Fabre Caroline
Published: November 2002

We present existence results in the study of nonlinear problem of
frictional contact between an elastic‐viscoplastic body and a rigid obstacle. We model the frictional contact both by a Tresca′s friction law and a regularized Coulomb′s law. We assume, in a first part, that the contact is bilateral and that no separation takes place. In a second part, we consider the Signorini unilateral contact conditions. Proofs are based on a time‐discretization method, Banach and Schauder fixed point theorems.
Iterative solution of quadratic tensor equations for mutual polarisation
Authors: Verwoerd Wynand S.
Published: November 2002

To describe mutual polarisation in bulk materials containing high
polarisability molecules, local fields beyond the linear approximation need to be included. A second order tensor equation is formulated, and it describes this in the case of crystalline or at least locally ordered materials such as an idealised polymer. It is shown that this equation is solved by a set of recursion
equations that relate the induced dipole moment, linear polarisability, and first hyperpolarisability in the material to the intrinsic values of the same properties of isolated molecules. From these, macroscopic susceptibility tensors up to second order can be calculated for the material.
Wave splitting for first‐order systems of equations
Authors: Caviglia G. , Morro A.
Published: November 2002

Systems of first‐order partial differential equations are considered and the possible decomposition of the solutions in forward and backward propagating is investigated. After a review of a customary procedure in the space‐time domain (wave splitting), attention is addressed to systems in the
Fourier‐transform domain, thus considering frequency‐dependent functions of the space variable. The characterization is given for the direction of propagation and applications are developed to some cases of physical interest.
Pricing multi‐asset financial derivatives with time‐dependent parameters—Lie algebraic approach
Authors: Lo C. F. , Hui C. H.
Published: November 2002

We present a Lie algebraic technique for the valuation of multi‐asset financial derivatives with time‐dependent parameters. Exploiting the dynamical symmetry of the pricing partial differential equations of the financial derivatives, the new method enables us to derive analytical closed‐form pricing formulae very straightforwardly. We believe that this new approach will provide an efficient and easy‐to‐use method for the valuation of financial derivatives.
Completely contractive maps between C*‐algebras
Authors: Sulaiman W. T.
Published: November 2002

We give a simple proof that any completely contractive map between C*‐algebras is the top right hand corner of a two completely positive unital matrix operator. Some well‐known results are deduced.
The trajectory‐coherent approximation and the system of moments for the Hartree type equation
Authors: Belov V. V. , Trifonov A. Yu. , Shapovalov A. V.
Published: November 2002

The general construction of semiclassically concentrated solutions to the Hartree type equation, based on the complex WKB‐Maslov method, is presented. The formal solutions of the Cauchy problem for this equation, asymptotic in small parameter ℏ (ℏ → 0), are constructed with a power accuracy of O(ℏ N/2), where N is any natural number. In constructing the semiclassically concentrated solutions, a set of Hamilton‐Ehrenfest equations (equations for centered moments) is essentially used. The nonlinear superposition principle has been formulated for the class of semiclassically concentrated solutions of Hartree type equations. The results obtained are exemplified by a one‐dimensional Hartree type equation with a Gaussian potential.
Perturbations of an Ostrowski type inequality and applications
Authors: Ujević Nenad
Published: November 2002

Two perturbations of an Ostrowski type inequality are established. New error bounds for the mid‐point, trapezoid, and Simpson quadrature rules are derived. These error bounds can be much better than some recently obtained bounds. Applications in numerical integration are also given.
A note on logharmonic mappings
Authors: Abdulhadi Zayid
Published: November 2002

We consider the problem of minimizing the moments of order p for a subclass of logharmonic mappings.
Random subgraphs of certain graph powers
Authors: Clark Lane
Published: November 2002

We determine the limiting probability that a random subgraph
of the Cartesian power or of is connected.
Neighborhood spaces
Authors: Kent D. C. , Min Won Keun
Published: November 2002

Neighborhood spaces, pretopological spaces, and closure spaces are topological space generalizations which can be characterized by means of their associated interior (or closure) operators. The category NBD of neighborhood spaces and continuous maps contains PRTOP as a bicoreflective subcategory and CLS as a bireflective subcategory, whereas TOP is bireflectively embedded in PRTOP and
bicoreflectively embedded in CLS. Initial and final structures are described in these categories, and it is shown that the Tychonov theorem holds in all of them. In order to describe a successful convergence theory in NBD, it is necessary to replace filters by
more general p‐stacks.
Extreme points and rotundity of Orlicz‐Sobolev spaces
Authors: Chen Shutao , Hu Changying , Zhao Charles Xuejin
Published: November 2002

It is well known that Sobolev spaces have played essential roles
in solving nonlinear partial differential equations. Orlicz‐Sobolev spaces are generalized from Sobolev spaces. In this paper, we present sufficient and necessary conditions of extreme points of Orlicz‐Sobolev spaces. A sufficient and necessary condition of rotundity of Orlicz‐Sobolev spaces is obtained.
SP‐closedness in L‐fuzzy topological spaces
Authors: Shi-Zhong Bai
Published: November 2002

We introduce and study SP‐closedness in L‐fuzzy
topological spaces, where L is a fuzzy lattice. SP‐closedness
is defined for arbitrary L‐fuzzy subsets.
On a class of meromorphic p‐valent starlike functions involving certain linear operators
Authors: Liu Jin-Lin , Owa Shigeyoshi
Published: November 2002

Let ∑p be the class of functions f(z) which are analytic in the punctured disk 𝔼* = {z ∈ ℂ : 0 < |z| < 1}. Applying the linear operator Dn+p defined by
using the convolutions, the subclass 𝒯n+p(α) of ∑p is considered. The object of the present paper is to prove that 𝒯n+p(α) ⊂ 𝒯n+p−1(α). Since 𝒯0(α) is the class of meromorphic p‐valent starlike functions of order
α, all functions in 𝒯n+p−1(α) are meromorphic p‐valent starlike in the open unit disk
𝔼. Further properties preserving integrals and
convolution conditions are also considered.
Rate of convergence on Baskakov‐Beta‐Bezier operators for bounded variation functions
Authors: Gupta Vijay
Published: November 2002

We introduce a new sequence of linear positive operators Bn,α(f, x), which is the Bezier variant of the well‐known Baskakov Beta operators and estimate the rate of convergence of Bn,α(f, x) for functions of bounded variation. We also propose an open problem for the readers.
Morphisms of Mislin genera induced by finite normal subgroups
Authors: Hilton P. J. , Witbooi P. J.
Published: November 2002

We correct an erroneous statement about induced morphisms of
Mislin genera and give the correct statement, even under more general hypotheses.
Chern classes of integral submanifolds of some contact manifolds
Authors: Pitiş Gheorghe
Published: November 2002

A complex subbundle of the normal bundle to an integral submanifold of the contact distribution in a Sasakian manifold is given. The geometry of this bundle is investigated and some results concerning its Chern classes are obtained.
Null controllability of a thermoelastic plate
Authors: Benabdallah Assia , Naso Maria Grazia
Published: November 2002

Thermoelastic plate model with a control term in the thermal equation is considered. The main result in this paper is that with thermal control, locally distributed within the interior and square integrable in time and space, any finite energy solution can be driven to zero at the control time T.
Ordinary differential systems describing hysteresis effects and numericalsimulations
Authors: Minchev Emil , Okazaki Takanobu , Kenmochi Nobuyuki
Published: November 2002

We consider a general class of ordinary differential systems which describes input‐output relations of hysteresis types, for instance, play or stop operators. The system consists of two first‐order nonlinear ODEs and one of them includes a subdifferential operator depending on the unknowns. Our main objective of this paper is to give an existence‐uniqueness result for the system as well as to give
various numerical simulations of input‐output relations which the system describes as typical cases.
A version of Zhong′s coercivity result for a general class of nonsmooth functionals
Authors: Motreanu D. , Motreanu V. V. , Paşca D.
Published: November 2002

A version of Zhong′s coercivity result (1997) is established for nonsmooth functionals expressed as a sum Φ + Ψ, where Φ is locally Lipschitz and Ψ is convex, lower semicontinuous, and proper. This is obtained as a consequence of a general result describing the asymptotic behavior of the functions verifying the above structure hypothesis. Our approach relies on a version of Ekeland′s variational principle. In proving our coercivity result we make use of a new general Palais‐Smale condition. The relationship with other results is discussed.
Mixed variational inequalities and economic equilibrium problems
Authors: Konnov I. V. , Volotskaya E. O.
Published: November 2002

We consider rather broad classes of general economic equilibrium problems and oligopolistic equilibrium problems which can be formulated as mixed variational inequality problems. Such problems involve a continuous mapping and a convex, but not necessarily differentiable function. We present existence and
uniqueness results of solutions under weakened P‐type assumptions on the cost mapping. They enable us to establish new results for the economic equilibrium problems under consideration.
The quantum spheres and their embedding into quantum Minkowski space‐time
Authors: Lagraa M.
Published: November 2002

We recast the Podleś spheres in the noncommutative physics context by showing that they can be regarded as slices along the time coordinate of the different regions of the quantum Minkowski space‐time. The investigation of the transformations of the quantum sphere states under the left coaction of the SOq(3)
group leads to a decomposition of the transformed Hilbert space states in terms of orthogonal subspaces exhibiting the periodicity of the quantum sphere states.
Explicit summation of the constituent WKB series and new approximate wave functions
Authors: Kudryashov Vladimir V. , Vanne Yulian V.
Published: November 2002

The independent solutions of the one‐dimensional Schrödinger equation are approximated by means of the explicit summation of the leading constituent WKB series. The continuous matching of the particular solutions gives the uniformly valid analytical approximation to the wave functions. A detailed numerical verification of the proposed approximation is performed for some exactly solvable problems arising from different kinds of potentials.
Faster backtracking algorithms for the generation of symmetry‐invariantpermutations
Authors: Moreno Oscar , Ramírez John , Bollman Dorothy , Orozco Edusmildo
Published: November 2002

A new backtracking algorithm is developed for generating classes of permutations, that are invariant under the group G4
of rigid motions of the square generated by reflections about the horizontal and vertical axes. Special cases give a new algorithm for generating solutions of the classical n‐queens problem, as well as a new algorithm for generating Costas sequences, which are used in encoding radar and sonar signals. Parallel implementations of this latter algorithm have yielded new Costas
sequences for length n, 19 ≤ n ≤ 24.
Compatible flat metrics
Authors: Mokhov Oleg I.
Published: November 2002

We solve the problem of description of nonsingular pairs of compatible flat metrics for the general N‐component case. The integrable nonlinear partial differential equations describing all nonsingular pairs of compatible flat metrics (or, in other words, nonsingular flat pencils of metrics) are found and integrated. The integrating of these equations is based on reducing to a special nonlinear differential reduction of the Lamé equations and using the Zakharov method of differential reductions in the dressing method (a version of the inverse scattering method).
Water Drinking Acutely Improves Orthostatic Tolerance in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Schroeder Christoph , Bush Victoria E. , Norcliffe Lucy J. , Luft Friedrich C. , Tank Jens , Jordan Jens , Hainsworth Roger
Published: November 2002

Background—

Orthostatic symptoms and syncope are common, even in apparently healthy subjects. In patients with severe autonomic dysfunction, water drinking elicits an acute pressor response and improves orthostatic hypotension. We tested the hypothesis that water drinking also improves orthostatic tolerance in healthy subjects.

Methods and Results—

In a randomized, controlled, crossover fashion, 13 healthy subjects (9 men, 4 women, 31±2 years) ingested 500 mL and 50 mL of mineral water 15 minutes before head-up tilt on two separate days. Finger blood pressure, brachial blood pressure, heart rate, thoracic impedance, and blood flow velocity in the brachial artery and the middle cerebral artery were measured. Orthostatic tolerance was determined as the time to presyncope during a combined protocol of 20 minutes of 60° head-up tilt alone, followed by additional increasing steps of lower body negative pressure (−20, −40, and −60 mm Hg for 10 minutes each or until presyncope). Drinking 500 mL of water improved orthostatic tolerance by 5±1 minute (range, −1 to +11 minutes,
P
<0.001). After drinking 500 mL of water, supine mean blood pressure increased slightly (
P
<0.01) as the result of increased peripheral resistance (
P
<0.01). It also blunted both the increase in heart rate and the decrease in stroke volume with head-up tilt. Cerebral blood flow regulation improved after water drinking.

Conclusions—

Water drinking elicits an acute hemodynamic response and changes in cerebrovascular regulation in healthy subjects. These effects are associated with a marked improvement in orthostatic tolerance.
The proximal serum response element in the Egr-1 promoter mediates response to thrombin in primary human endothelial cells
Authors: Wu Sheng-Qian , Minami Takashi , Donovan Diana J. , Aird William C.
Published: November 2002

Thrombin signaling in endothelial cells provides an important link between coagulation and inflammation. We report here that thrombin induces endogenous Egr-1 mRNA and Egr-1 promoter activity in primary human endothelial cells by approximately 6-fold and 3-fold, respectively. In transient transfection assays, deletion of the 3′ cluster of serum response elements (SREs), but not the 5′ cluster of SREs, resulted in a loss of thrombin response. When coupled to a heterologous core promoter, a region spanning the 3′ SRE cluster contained information for thrombin response, whereas a region spanning the 5′ SRE cluster had no such effect. A point mutation of the most proximal SRE (SRE-1), but not of the proximal Ets motif or upstream SREs, abrogated the response to thrombin. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays, nuclear extracts from thrombin-treated cells displayed increased binding of total and phosphorylated serum response factor (SRF) to SRE-1. Thrombin-mediated induction of Egr-1 was blocked by inhibitors of MEK1/2, but not by inhibitors of protein kinase C, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Taken together, these data suggest that thrombin induces Egr-1 expression in endothelial cells by a MAPK-dependent mechanism that involves an interaction between SRF and SRE-1.