Sizing bands on autoradiograms: a study of precision for scoring DNA fingerprints.

We replicated DNA fingerprints of snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) and hypervariable restriction fragments of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) to estimate the between-blot and between-lane components of variance in molecular weights of restriction fragments. Molecular weight standards were included in every lane, and bands were sized using a sonic digitizer. In both studies, a strong positive correlation was found between band size and coefficient of variation (CV; mean = 0.7%). In the DNA fingerprint study, 26% of the variance in estimates of band size was due to differences between blots, 10% due to differences between lanes on the same blot, and 64% due to error in the digitizing process. In the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) study, 16% of the variance was due to difference between lanes, and 84% to digitizing. Statistical models were developed to measure the effect of sizing error on identifying identical fragments in different lanes or on different blots, in categorizing distinct alleles, and in determining the size of bins in operational allele definitions. We suggest that the distance between bands be at least 2.8 standard deviations (SD) before they are declared different at alpha = 0.05, and 3.7 SD for alpha = 0.01. A variation in CVs strongly indicates that empirical relationships between SD and band size must be used to decide if two bands represent the same allele. Alleles must be at least 3.9 SD apart before the chance of assigning new observations in error falls below 0.05. We suggest that a minimum bin width of 16 SD is necessary before the chances of assigning a band to the wrong bin falls below 0.05.     

A schematic model for the investigation of nuclear reactions

An extension of the schematic model of Lipkin, Glick and Meshkov to include reaction modes with one particle in the continuum is introduced. The model set up is amenable to the investigation of various approximations necessary in realistic shell model in the continuum calculations. The first application centering on the use of truncated bound state shell-model spaces is given.     

High-resolution spectroscopy of the 16-μm bending fundamental of CF4

The 16-μm bending fundamentals (ν₄) of ¹²CF₄, ¹³CF₄, and ¹⁴CF₄ have been observed at Doppler-limited resolution using a tunable PbSnSe semiconductor diode laser. The tetrahedral splittings of the rotational manifolds have been observed in all three branches, and in particular the dense and partially overlapping transitions in the Q branches have been resolved and assigned. A least-squares fit of the Hamiltonian, including off-diagonal terms, yielded five scalar and three tensor spectroscopic constants for each of the three isotopes. From these constants the upper-state rotational constant B₄ and the Coriolis constant ζ₄ have been calculated, together with some of the other molecular constants. An absorption feature at about 0.18 cm^?1 to the red of the main Q branch of each isotopic species has been identified as the Q branch of (ν₂ + ν₄) ? ν₂, which is the transition that lases when CF₄ is pumped by a CO₂ laser at 9.4 μm (i.e., in ν₂ + ν₄).     

Ion Chromatographic determination of sulfur and chlorine using milligram and submilligram sample weights

Initial results for Ion Chromatographic analyses of chlorine and sulfur in organic compounds combusted by the Schöniger technique show excellent agreement with analyses using standard methods. Samples weighing less than 1 mg can be analyzed if homogeneity is not a problem. Determination of chlorine in the presence of large amounts of bromine and the analysis of other heteroatoms is also possible by IC. The present limiting factor in the microdetermination of chlorine and sulfur by IC is the presence of these species in the filter paper flag.     

A measurement of the beam asymmetry parameter Σ for neutral pion photoproduction in the energy range 1.2–2.8 GeV

An experiment has been completed at the Daresbury synchrotron to measure the asymmetry in the photoproduction cross section of neutral pions on hydrogen, for photons polarised normal to and in the production plane. The source of polarised photons was coherent bremsstrahlung of electrons traversing the lattice structure of diamond and the polarisation P of the γ beam was calculated from the measured intensity of the coherent spike. The asymmetry parameter Σ, defined as Σ = (σ⊥ ? σ|)/(σ⊥ + σ|) where σ⊥(σ|) are the cross sections for photons polarised perpendicular (parallel) to the production plane, has been measured over a range of photon energies from 1.2 to 2.8 GeV and over a range of ?t (the square of the four-momentum transfer) from 0.13 (GeV/c)² to 1.4 (GeV/c)². A marked energy variation in the value of Σ is found over the energy region 1.6–1.8 GeV.     

The polarised beam asymmetry in photoproduction of eta mesons from protons at 2.5 GeV and 3.0 GeV

Measurements of the polarised beam asymmetry parameter Σ for eta photoproduction from protons, have been carried out at incident energies of 2.5 GeV and 3.0 GeV, and for various t-values between ?0.2 (GeV/c)² and ?1.2 (GeV/c)². The values of Σ are close to +1 for values of |t| less than 0.7 (GeV/c)², showing that there can be little contribution from unnatural parity exchange in any Regge exchange model of the process, in disagreement with present theories. Differential cross sections for the process werre also measured, and are consistent with those from other experiments.     

An inviscid model of unsteady aerofoil flow with fixed upper surface separation

Presented in this paper is a new method for the prediction of unsteady, incompressible separated flow over a two-dimensional aerofoil. The algorithm was developed from an existing unsteady potential flow model¹ and makes use of an inviscid formulation for the flow field. The aerofoil is represented by vortex panels of linearly varying strength which are piecewise continuous at the corners. Discrete vortices with finite cores are used to model the separating shear layers. Following a brief summary of unsteady separation modelling, the theoretical framework is presented and the subsequent numerical implementation is discussed in detail. Results are given for flows which tend asymptotically to the steady state and conclusions are drawn regarding the usefulness of the method.