The Perceptual Organisation of Visual Elements: Lines

The aim of this study is to verify the conditions under which a series of visual stimuli (line segments) will be subjectively perceived as visual lines or surfaces employing four experiments. Two experiments were conducted with the method of subjective evaluation of the line segments, and the other two with the Osgood semantic differential. We analysed five variables (thickness, type, orientation, and colour) potentially responsible for the lines’ categorisation. The four experiments gave similar results: higher importance of the variables thickness and type; general lower significance of the variable colour; and general insignificance of the variable orientation. Interestingly, for the variable type, straight lines are evaluated as surfaces more frequently than curved lines and perceived as geometrical, flat, hard, static, rough, sharp, bound, sour, frigid, masculine, cold and passive. Curved lines are prevalently evaluated as lines, and categorised as organic, rounded, soft, dynamic, fluffy, blunt, free, sweet, sensual, feminine, warm and active. These results highlight the specificity of perceptual characteristics for the considered variables and confirm the relevance of the characteristics of variables such as thickness and type.

Streptococcus suis Encodes Multiple Allelic Variants of a Phase-Variable Type III DNA Methyltransferase, ModS, That Control Distinct Phasevarions

ABSTRACT Streptococcus suis is a significant cause of bacterial meningitis in humans, particularly in Southeast Asia, and is a leading cause of respiratory and invasive disease in pigs. Phase-variable DNA methyltransferases, associated with restriction-modification (R-M) systems, are a source of epigenetic gene regulation, controlling the expression of multiple genes. These systems are known as phasevarions (phase-variable regulons) and have been characterized in many host-adapted bacterial pathogens. We recently described the presence of a Type III DNA methyltransferase in S. suis, ModS, which contains a simple sequence repeat (SSR) tract within the open reading frame of the modS gene and which differed in length between individual strains. We also observed that multiple allelic variants of the modS gene were present in a population of S. suis isolates. Here, we demonstrate that a biphasic ON-OFF switching of expression occurs in the two most common ModS alleles, ModS1 and ModS2, and that switching is dependent on SSR tract length. Furthermore, we show using single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing that ModS1 and ModS2 are active methyltransferases in S. suis. ON-OFF switching of each ModS allele results in the regulation of distinct phasevarions, with the ModS2 phasevarion impacting growth patterns and antibiotic resistance. This is the first demonstration of a phase-variable Type III DNA methyltransferase in a Gram-positive organism that controls a phasevarion. Characterizing the phenotypic effects of phasevarions in S. suis is key to understanding pathogenesis and the development of future vaccines. IMPORTANCE Streptococcus suis is a causative agent of meningitis, polyarthritis, and polyserositis in swine, and it is a major cause of zoonotic meningitis in humans. Here, we investigate epigenetic gene regulation in S. suis by multiple phasevarions controlled by the phase-variable Type III DNA methyltransferase ModS. This is the first characterized example of a Type III R-M system regulating a phasevarion in a Gram-positive organism. We demonstrate that biphasic ON-OFF switching of ModS expression results in differences in bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance. Understanding the effects of ModS phase variation is required to determine the stably expressed antigenic repertoire of S. suis, which will direct and inform the development of antimicrobial treatments and vaccines against this important pathogen.

Two-Variable Type 2 Poly-Fubini Polynomials

In the present work, a new extension of the two-variable Fubini polynomials is introduced by means of the polyexponential function, which is called the two-variable type 2 poly-Fubini polynomials. Then, some useful relations including the Stirling numbers of the second and the first kinds, the usual Fubini polynomials, and the higher-order Bernoulli polynomials are derived. Also, some summation formulas and an integral representation for type 2 poly-Fubini polynomials are investigated. Moreover, two-variable unipoly-Fubini polynomials are introduced utilizing the unipoly function, and diverse properties involving integral and derivative properties are attained. Furthermore, some relationships covering the two-variable unipoly-Fubini polynomials, the Stirling numbers of the second and the first kinds, and the Daehee polynomials are acquired.

Streptococcus suis encodes multiple allelic variants of a phase-variable Type III DNA methyltransferase, ModS, that control distinct phasevarions

Streptococcus suis is a significant cause of bacterial meningitis in humans, particularly in S.E. Asia, and is a leading cause of respiratory and invasive disease in pigs. Phase-variable DNA methyltransferases, associated with Restriction-Modification (R-M) systems, are a source of epigenetic gene regulation, controlling the expression of multiple genes. These systems are known as phasevarions (phase-variable regulons), and have been characterised in many host-adapted bacterial pathogens. We recently described the presence of a Type III DNA methyltransferase in S. suis, ModS, which contains a simple sequence repeat (SSR) tract within the open reading frame of the modS gene, and which varied in length between individual strains. We also observed multiple allelic variants of the modS gene were present in a population of S. suis isolates. Here, we demonstrate that a biphasic ON-OFF switching of expression occurs in the two most common ModS alleles, ModS1 and ModS2, and that switching is dependent on SSR tract length. Further, we show that ModS1 and ModS2 are active methyltransferases in S. suis using Single-Molecule, Real Time (SMRT) sequencing. ON-OFF switching of each ModS allele results in the regulation of distinct phasevarions, with the ModS2 phasevarion impacting growth patterns and antibiotic resistance. This is the first demonstration of a phase-variable Type III DNA methyltransferase in a Gram-positive organism that controls a phasevarion. Characterising the phenotypic effects of phasevarions in S. suis is key to understanding pathogenesis and the development of future vaccines.ImportanceStreptococcus suis is a causative agent of meningitis, polyarthritis and polyserositis in swine, and is a major cause of zoonotic meningitis in humans. Here we investigate epigenetic gene regulation in S. suis by multiple phasevarions controlled by the phase-variable Type III DNA methyltransferase ModS. This is the first characterised example of a Type III R-M system regulating a phasevarion in a Gram-positive organism. We demonstrate that biphasic ON-OFF switching of ModS expression results in differences in bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance. Understanding the effects of ModS phase variation is required to determine the stably expressed antigenic repertoire of S. suis, which will direct and inform the development of antimicrobial treatments and vaccines against this important pathogen.

Analog Realization of a Fractional Recursive Variable-Type and Order Operator for a Particular Switching Strategy

In this paper, we propose a method of practical realization and an actual, physical hardware implementation of a fractional variable-type and order difference operator that switches between two (i.e., B - and D -type) variable-order definitions. After the theoretical model of such a switch, we report the experimental validation on an analog model to prove its adequacy. The tests prove with great certainty that the proposed model and the realization behave correctly. They also let the authors assume that the proposed method is the only one suitable for this case, based on the counterexamples presented.

IMPLEMENTASI METODE FUZZY TAHANI DALAM MENENTUKAN REKOMENDASI PEMBELIAN LAPTOP (Studi kasus di Toko Mega Alvindo Kalijati Subang)

Konsumen laptop dimungkinkan berasal dari berbagai kalangan masyarakat. Pastinya ada yang awam da nada juga yang dari kalaangan mengerti seperti latar belakang pendidikan IT dan sebagainya.untuk membantu memberikan rekomendasi dalam pembelian laptop, khususnya dengan variable type laptop, lebar layar monitor, harga, kapasitas memory dan kapasistas hardisk maka diperlukan system pengambilan keputusan berbasios computer menggunakan metode fuzzy tahini. Studi kasus dilakukan di toko Mega Alvindo Kecamatan Kalijati Kabupaten Subang.dipilih 10 record data laptop dan dilakukan pembuatan fungsi keanggotaan untuk variable type laptop, lebar layar monitor, harga, kapasitas memory dan kapasistas hardisk. Setelah diperoleh derajat keanggotaan untuk setiap variable. System rekomendasi selanjutnay direalisasikan dengan merancang dan implementasi basis data, meracang dan implementasi antar muka berbasis web. Dapat diimplementasikan system pemberi rekomendasi pembelian laptop menggunakan metode Fuzzy Tahani dengan variable type laptop, lebar layar monitor, harga, kapasitas memory dan kapasistas hardisk. Kata kunci: Laptop, Fuzzy Tahani, rekomendasi.