The quantal hypothesis is central to the modern understanding of how a neurotransmitter is released from synapses. This hypothesis expresses that a neurotransmitter is packaged together in quanta that are released probabilistically. The experiments that led to the quantal hypothesis are often related in introductory neuroscience textbooks, but…

Four empirical laws of bibliometrics--anomalous number, Lotka's, Zipf's, and Bradford's--together with Laplace's "law of succession" and de Solla Price's cumulative advantage distribution are shown to be almost identical. A simple model shows that the frequency forms conform with inverse square law over appropriate interval. (Fifteen…

The purpose of this report is to demonstrate loglinear smoothing using SAS PROC GENMOD. The results from four published examples, which include the smoothing of a) univariate distributions, b) bivariate distributions, c) distributions with teeth, and d) bivariate distributions with structural zeros, are reproduced to show the flexibility of the…

Frequency-of-circulation distributions from 16 United Kingdom libraries participating in initial period of operation of the Public Lending Right are discussed. Differences between the libraries are highlighted, and, for each, the adequacy of various refinements of the simplest model (geometric distribution, negative binomial distribution, or mixed…

Develops stochastic model of library borrowing using Negative Binomial distribution applied to circulation data obtained from Huddersfield Public Library. Evidence concerning process of popularity decay is presented and method is given by which relegation tests can be constructed to maintain optimum turnover. Eight references and statistical…

Reports algorithm for calculation of term discrimination values that is sufficiently fast in operation to permit use of exact values. Evidence is presented to show that relationship between term discrimination and term frequency is crucially dependent upon type of inter-document similarity measure used for calculation of discrimination values. (13…