On computing the determinant in small parallel time using a small number of processors

The determinant, characteristic polynomial and adjoint over an arbitrary commutative ring with unity can be computed by a circuit with size O(n^3.496) and depth O(log²n). Furthermore, the circuits can be constructed uniformly (by a log space bounded Turing machine).     

Pre-posterior analysis as a tool for data evaluation: Application to aquifer contamination

This paper deals with the frequently encountered problem of pre-posterior data evaluation, i.e., assessment of the value of data before they become available. The role of data is to reduced the risk associated with decisions taken under conditions of uncertainty. However, while the inclusion of relevant data reduces risk, data acquisition involves cost, and there is thus an optimal level beyond which any addition of data has a negative net benefit. The Bayesian approach is applied to construct a method for updating decisions and evaluating the anticipated reduction in risk following consideration of additional data. The methodology is demonstrated on a problem of management of an aquifer under threat of contamination.Notation L matrix of losses for all combinations of states and decisions - l, m, h possible salinity levels from the proposed borehole - N, M, F possible decisions - P(·) vector of prior probabilities of states - P(.|l), P(.|m), P(.|h) conditional (updated) probability vectors of the different states given the salinity levels - P(.|), P(.|), P(.|) probability vectors of the different salinity levels given the true states (likelihood function) - P(l), P(m), P(h) probabilities of the salinity levels, irrespective of the true state - R(.|l), R(.|m), R(.|h) posterior risk vectors of the different decisions given the salinity levels - R(N), R(M), R(F) prior risk associated with different decisions - , , possible true states     

The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among British Columbia sonographers

A survey (n = 211, 92% response rate) was carried out to determine baseline prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and identify related biomechanical, psychosocial, work organization and demographic factors among the population of sonographers in British Columbia, Canada. Ninety-one percent of respondents reported musculoskeletal pain or discomfort that they associated with the work tasks of scanning. Almost half reported frequent and severe symptoms. The neck, shoulder, and upper back were the main symptomatic body sites. A very small minority were absent from work due to the symptoms, with more than two thirds of respondents reporting working in pain. Bivariate analyses found significant associations between scanning time, static postures, psychosocial factors, and degree of musculoskeletal symptoms.     

More Thoughts About Anger Determinants.

Replies to comments (see record 2004-15096-002, 2004-15096-003, 2004-15096-004, and 2004-15096-005) made about the current authors' article on anger (see record 2004-15096-001). The authors propose that (a) although strong negative affect can evoke anger without appraisals, appraisals after the initial reactions conceivably might influence the later emotional experience independently of the felt displeasure; (b) maintaining that particular stimuli can automatically elicit anger does not imply that anger will be dominant; and (c) anger is frequently blended with other negative emotions such as fear. A particular stimulus' context can affect this stimulus' meaning and thus determine its effect, but if the stimulus' meaning is held constant, the stimulus will evoke the response to which it is connected. Carefully controlled experiments are required to resolve the issues raised. The theories advanced should offer testable postulates rather than untestable assertions of what processes supposedly were operating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Co-Fe metal/native-oxide multilayers: a new direction in soft magnetic thin film design II. Microscopic characteristics and interactions

Co/sub x/Fe/sub 100-x/ metal/native-oxide multilayer (MNOM) films exhibit soft magnetic properties, large magnetization, high resistivity, and a potential operating bandwidth of several gigahertz. These attractive characteristics are facilitated by ultrathin magnetic native oxide layers introduced to provide a high-resistivity barrier between nanocrystalline metal layers while preserving interlayer coupling and contributing to the net moment. This paper addresses several important features of the MNOM system from a microscopic perspective. The uniaxial anisotropy of MNOM thin films is discussed in detail and "exchange averaging" is invoked to account for its vanishingly small effective dispersion. The role of the native oxide in establishing interlayer exchange coupling is demonstrated, and a detailed account of the nature of the oxide is presented. In the Fe MNOM system, the oxide is shown to have a volume-averaged magnetization of 732(35) emu/cm/sup 3/, with a temperature dependence comparable to that of metallic Fe. The magnetism of this largely "interfacial" oxide is supported by the metal and collapses in the absence of the metal. The oxide retains a large net moment for Co fractions up to at least x=50, but oxide magnetism is lost at high Co fractions, coinciding with the loss of soft magnetic properties.     

Some effects of varying combinations of group members on group performance measures and leadership behaviors.

This experiment tests whether individuals contribute differently to the group product depending on the other individuals with whom they are assembled. "This assembly effect on the group end-product is clearly distinguished from the contribution attributable to each individual of the group, considered separately." By using the Ball-and-Spiral Apparatus as a group task, this assembly effect was found significant, for the two experimental measures used, at the .05 and .08 levels. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research on assembly effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prenatal diagnosis of Glanzmann thrombasthenia using the polymorphic markers BRCA1 and THRA1 on chromosome 17

Nuclear import of proteins containing a nuclear localization signal (NLS) is dependent on the presence of a cytoplasmic NLS receptor, the GTPase Ran, and p10/ NTF2. The NLS receptor is a heterodimeric proteins consisting of subunits of approximately 60 and 97 kDa, which have been termed importin alpha/beta, karyopherin alpha/beta, or PTAC 58/ 97. Members of the 60-kDa/importin alpha subunit family directly bind to the NLS motif and have been shown to function as adaptors that tether NLS-containing proteins to the p97/ importin beta subunit and to the downstream transport machinery. Herein we report the identification and characterization of hSRP1 gamma, a human importin alpha homologue. The hSRP1 gamma protein is around 45% identical to the previously identified human importin alpha homologues hSRP1 alpha/Rch1 and NPI/ hSRP1. hSRP1 gamma can form a complex with importin beta and is able to mediate import of a BSA-NLS substrate in an in vitro nuclear import system. Interestingly, hSRP1 gamma shows a very selective expression pattern and is most abundantly expressed in skeletal muscle, representing more than 1% of the total protein in this tissue. A potential role for hSRP1 gamma in tissue-specific transport events is discussed.