INVESTIGATION OF AN OPERATOR METHOD IN THE ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGICAL TRACER DATA

Some factors affecting the usefulness of a linear operator in the analysis of tracer data were evaluated. Application of the operator to a sum of two exponential components resulted in the separation of the rate constants with an accuracy of 10 to 15 per cent if they differed by a factor of at least 2 and the error in the data was about 2 per cent. A factor of 4 was necessary if the error in the data was 6 per cent, and of 6 if the error was 10 per cent. The ratio of amplitudes varied from near unity to equality with the ratio of rate constants. However, if the ratio of amplitudes was greater than the ratio of rate constants the method would not resolve the rate constants. Application of the operator to a sum of three exponential components was also considered.

METHODS FOR AUTOMATIC NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE ANALYSIS. MULTICOMPONENT SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF MIXTURES OF NUCLEIC ACID COMPONENTS BY A LEAST-SQUARES PROCEDURE

1. A theoretical analysis of the errors in multicomponent spectrophotometric analysis of nucleoside mixtures, by a least-squares procedure, has been made to obtain an expression for the error coefficient, relating the error in calculated concentration to the error in extinction measurements. 2. The error coefficients, which depend only on the ;library' of spectra used to fit the experimental curves, have been computed for a number of ;libraries' containing the following nucleosides found in s-RNA: adenosine, guanosine, cytidine, uridine, 5-ribosyluracil, 7-methylguanosine, 6-dimethylaminopurine riboside, 6-methylaminopurine riboside and thymine riboside. 3. The error coefficients have been used to determine the best conditions for maximum accuracy in the determination of the compositions of nucleoside mixtures. 4. Experimental determinations of the compositions of nucleoside mixtures have been made and the errors found to be consistent with those predicted by the theoretical analysis. 5. It has been demonstrated that, with certain precautions, the multicomponent spectrophotometric method described is suitable as a basis for automatic nucleotide-composition analysis of oligonucleotides containing nine nucleotides. Used in conjunction with continuous chromatography and flow chemical techniques, this method can be applied to the study of the sequence of s-RNA.

REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE GENERATED BY AN ON-LINE DIGITAL COMPUTER

A LINC digital computer was used to generate an autoregressive schedule of reinforcement. On such a schedule the probability of reinforcement is a function of the similarity in duration of the intervals between successive responses. A detailed analysis of the data obtained from monkeys on this schedule demonstrated two distinct tendencies in their behavior: a tendency for periodic response and a tendency for serial dependence between successive interresponse times.

PUNCHED CARD PROGRAMMING AND RECORDING TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED IN THE AUTOMATION OF THE WATA

A system of punched card programming and recording of primate discrimination learning experiments is described to illustrate the application of these techniques to the automation of the discrete trial learning situation, allowing for punched card recording and subsequent digital computer data analyses without intermediate data reduction. The system was also designed to control several potential sources of variability inherent in the conventional WGTA testing mode, including 1) the subject's (S's) motivation to test on each trial, 2) S's attention to the stimuli, and 3) the rate of trial presentation so as to be more under S's control. Reliable techniques of punched card programming and recording are detailed.