Neuro-fuzzy approach to processing inputs with missing values in pattern recognition problems

An approach to dealing with missing data, both during the design and normal operation of a neuro-fuzzy classifier is presented in this paper. Missing values are processed within a general fuzzy min–max neural network architecture utilising hyperbox fuzzy sets as input data cluster prototypes. An emphasis is put on ways of quantifying the uncertainty which missing data might have caused. This takes a form of classification procedure whose primary objective is the reduction of a number of viable alternatives rather than attempting to produce one winning class without supporting evidence. If required, the ways of selecting the most probable class among the viable alternatives found during the primary classification step, which are based on utilising the data frequency information, are also proposed. The reliability of the classification and the completeness of information is communicated by producing upper and lower classification membership values similar in essence to plausibility and belief measures to be found in the theory of evidence or possibility and necessity values to be found in the fuzzy sets theory. Similarities and differences between the proposed method and various fuzzy, neuro-fuzzy and probabilistic algorithms are also discussed. A number of simulation results for well-known data sets are provided in order to illustrate the properties and performance of the proposed approach.     

Light-induced starch degradation in non-dormant turions of Spirodela polyrhiza

Continuous red light controls starch degradation in turions of Spirodela polyrhiza[Dölger, K., U. K. Tirlapur and K.‐J. Appenroth [1997]Photochem. Photobiol. 66, 126–127 (1997)]. This light could be replaced by repeated red light pulses with the reciprocity law fulfilled over a large range of fluence rates. The effect of red light pulses repeated every 24 or 12 h for 6 days was reversible by subsequent far‐red light pulses. In contrast, hourly applied red pulses were irreversible by far‐red light. This discrepancy was explained by showing the starch degradation activity of far‐red pulses themselves. The investigated process was categorized as a phytochrome low fluence response with an unusual property: requirement of light treatment for several days. A partial fulfillment of this requirement was obtained with a red pulse followed by a dark period and a 24 h continuous irradiation. These results suggest the existence of two separate steps in the process of starch degradation in turions: formation of a sprout (=sink) during the pulse‐induced germination, and starch degradation in the storage tissue (=source) induced by the second light treatment.     

Phenylethenyl‐Substituted Triphenylamines: Efficient,Easily Obtainable,and Inexpensive Hole‐Transporting Materials

Star‐shaped charge‐transporting materials with a triphenylamine (TPA) core and various phenylethenyl side arm(s) were obtained in a one‐step synthetic procedure from commercially available and relatively inexpensive starting materials. Crystallinity, glass‐transition temperature, size of the π‐conjugated system, energy levels, and the way molecules pack in the solid state can be significantly influenced by variation of the structure of these side arm(s). An increase in the number of phenylethenyl side arms was found to hinder intramolecular motions of the TPA core, and thereby provide significant enhancement of the fluorescence quantum yield of the TPA derivatives in solution. On the other hand, a larger number of side arms facilitated exciton migration through the dense side‐arm network formed in the solid state and, thus, considerably reduces fluorescence efficiency by migration‐assisted nonradiative relaxation. This dense network enables charges to move more rapidly through the hole‐transport material layer, which results in very good charge drift mobility (μ up to 0.017 cm² V ^?1 s^?1).     

Dynamic anisotropy and heterogeneity of polystyrene thin films as studied by inelastic neutron scattering

We studied the dynamic anisotropy and heterogeniety of polystyrene thin films in glassy state with inelastic neutorn scattering. Adjusting the scattering vector to the directions parallel and perpendicular to the film surface, we observed the elastic scattering intensities as a function of temperature. It was found for the 200 A film that the elastic intesity decreased with increasing temperature more rapidly in the perpendicular direction than in the pararell direction, showing the higher mobility in the perpendicular direction. However, such dynamical anisotropy was not observed in the 1000 A film. The decrease in the mobility was observed with the film thickness in both the directions. These results were explained in terms of an interface hard layer. We also evelauated the dynamical heterogeniety from the non-Gaussian parameter A0, which increased with decreasing the film thickness, showing the increase in the dynamical heterogeneity. Assuming a simple bi-layer model consisting of the interface hard layer and the bulk-like layer, we analyzed the thickness dependence of the non-Gaussian parameter A0 and the mean square displacement (u2) to find that the hard layer has a thickness of approximately 130 A and a mean square displacement of approximately 0.018 A2 at 230 K.     

Local probabilities and total variation distance for random permutations

We are concerned with permutations taken uniformly at random from the symmetric group. Firstly, we study the probability of a permutation missing short cycles. Secondly, the result is employed to establish a formula for total variation distance between the process of multiplicities of cycle lengths in a random permutation and a process of independent Poisson random variables. We apply an analytic approach originated in number theory (K. Gyory et al. (Eds.) in Number Theory in Progress, 1999).     

Determination of the two dimensional distribution of the attempt relaxation times and activation energies from temperature dependence of dielectric dispersion

We present a method for numerical calculation of two dimensional distributions of the attempt relaxation times and activation energies from the temperature dependence of the experimental dielectric permittivity dispersion. We introduce empirical attempts to account for broad and/or asymmetric dispersions with the idea of using a weighted collection of Debye relaxation times. Then we present a modification of the aforementioned idea including attempt relaxation time and activation energy using the Arrhenius law, which significantly complicates the computation of the aforementioned distribution. Incorporating the activation energy and the attempt relaxation time into the equation transforms the discretized matrix equations into tensor equations. We rework the tensor equations into simpler matrix equations, thus permitting us to solve the presented discretized integral equation by using existing Least Distance Problem solving methods. Also, we present a regularization method and a way to choose the regularization parameter based on a best fit criterion. In the end we discuss the method showing some simulated results and experimental results. We then point out some problems involved in the calculations and propose methods to reduce their significance.     

13C-13C and (15)N-(13)C correlation spectroscopy of membrane-associated and uniformly labeled human immunodeficiency virus and influenza fusion peptides: amino acid-type assignments and evidence for multiple conformations

Many viruses which cause disease including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and influenza are "enveloped" by a membrane and infection of a host cell begins with joining or "fusion" of the viral and target cell membranes. Fusion is catalyzed by viral proteins in the viral membrane. For HIV and for the influenza virus, these fusion proteins contain an approximately 20-residue apolar "fusion peptide" that binds to target cell membranes and plays a critical role in fusion. For this study, the HIV fusion peptide (HFP) and influenza virus fusion peptide (IFP) were chemically synthesized with uniform (13)C, (15)N labeling over large contiguous regions of amino acids. Two-dimensional (13)C-(13)C and (15)N-(13)C spectra were obtained for the membrane-bound fusion peptides and an amino acid-type (13)C assignment was obtained for the labeled residues in HFP and IFP. The membrane used for the HFP sample had a lipid headgroup and cholesterol composition comparable to that of host cells of the virus, and the (13)C chemical shifts were more consistent with beta strand conformation than with helical conformation. The membrane used for the IFP sample did not contain cholesterol, and the chemical shifts of the dominant peaks were more consistent with helical conformation than with beta strand conformation. There were additional peaks in the IFP spectrum whose shifts were not consistent with helical conformation. An unambiguous (13)C and (15)N assignment was obtained in an HFP sample with more selective labeling, and two shifts were identified for the Leu-9 CO, Gly-10 N, and Gly-10 Calpha nuclei. These sets of two shifts may indicate two beta strand registries such as parallel and antiparallel. Although most spectra were obtained on a 9.4 T instrument, one (13)C-(13)C correlation spectrum was obtained on a 16.4 T instrument and was better resolved than the comparable 9.4 T spectrum. More selective labeling and higher field may, therefore, be approaches to obtaining unambiguous assignments for membrane-associated fusion peptides.     

The high resolution inelastic neutron scattering spectrum of ammonium fluoride

The measured high resolution (deltaE/E approximately 2-3%) incoherent inelastic neutron scattering spectrum of ammonium fluoride is presented and discussed with reference to the available optical spectra. In addition, a full set of dispersion curves have been obtained from a new ab initio lattice dynamics calculation and these have been used to produce a rigorous interpretation of the spectrum. The librational modes of the ammonium ion occur at 560 cm(-1) and the anharmonicity in these modes is estimated to be 4%, about half that observed in the other ammonium halides. The reduction in anharmonicity is attributed to stronger hydrogen bonding and a deeper potential well. The calculations agree well with the observed spectrum apart from the librational modes which are shifted upwards by around 40 cm(-1) from the measured values. Dispersion and LO-TO splitting are important in this system with modes changing frequency by up to 135 cm(-1). The nature of the calculated LO-TO splitting in the optic mode region is indicative of a pseudo-cubic system confirming that the site symmetry of the ammonium ion is very close to T(d). Because of LO-TO splitting the ammonium ion asymmetric stretch, nu3, has components calculated to be at higher frequencies than those of the symmetric stretch, nu1, which contradicts the assignment scheme produced from optical data.