cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of consumption-oriented versus trophy-oriented fisheries on Muskellunge population size structure in northern Wisconsin

AbstractTo determine whether a consumption-oriented fishery was compatible with a trophy-oriented fishery for Muskellunge Esox masquinongy, we modeled effects of a spearing fishery and recreational angling fishery on population size structure (i.e., numbers of fish ≥ 102, 114, and 127 cm) in northern Wisconsin. An individual-based simulation model was used to quantify the effect of harvest mortality at currently observed levels of recreational angling and tribal spearing fishery exploitation, along with simulated increases in exploitation, for three typical growth potentials (i.e., low, moderate, and high) of Muskellunge in northern Wisconsin across a variety of minimum length limits (i.e., 71, 102, 114, and 127 cm). Populations with moderate to high growth potential and minimum length limits ≥ 114 cm were predicted to have lower declines in numbers of trophy Muskellunge when subjected to angling-only and mixed fisheries at observed and increased levels of exploitation, which suggested that fisheries with...
Effects of variable retention harvesting on natural tree regeneration in Pinus resinosa (red pine) forests

Concerns over loss of ecosystem function and biodiversity in managed forests have led to the development of silvicultural approaches that meet ecological goals as well as sustain timber production. Variable Retention Harvest (VRH) practices, which maintain mature overstory trees across harvested areas, have been suggested as an approach to balance these objectives; however, long-term evaluations of outcomes of VRH strategies do not exist for most forest types. The objective of this study was to determine the 11-year effects of overstory tree retention pattern and shrub removal on regeneration in P. resinosa forests in Minnesota, USA using a large-scale manipulative study in which four overstory (control, small gap-aggregated, large gap-aggregated, and dispersed) and two shrub (ambient and reduced shrubs) treatments were applied. Hardwood regeneration greatly outnumbered conifer regeneration and several mechanisms (disease, browse, and seedbed conditions) likely interacted to limit P. resinosa regeneration across treatments. The presence of recalcitrant shrub layers filtered response to retention with regeneration of P. strobus L. being greater under an intact Corylus layer irrespective of overstory conditions. This work reinforced the importance of accounting for shrub competition when designing VRH to secure natural regeneration.
Catalytic Enantioselective Arylboration of Alkenylarenes

A method for the catalytic enantioselective arylboration of alkenylarenes is disclosed. The reaction leads to the formation of 1,1-diarylalkanes that also incorporate an additional pinacol boronic ester which can be easily transformed to a variety of groups. The products are formed with excellent diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities.
Catalytic N2 Reduction to Silylamines and Thermodynamics of N2 Binding at Square Planar Fe

The geometric constraints imposed by a tetradentate P4N2 ligand play an essential role in stabilizing square planar Fe complexes with changes in metal oxidation state. The square pyramidal Fe0(N2)(P4N2) complex catalyzes the conversion of N2 to N(SiR3)3 (R = Me, Et) at room temperature, representing the highest turnover number of any Fe-based N2 silylation catalyst to date (up to 65 equiv N(SiMe3)3 per Fe center). Elevated N2 pressures (>1 atm) have a dramatic effect on catalysis, increasing N2 solubility and the thermodynamic N2 binding affinity at Fe0(N2)(P4N2). A combination of high-pressure electrochemistry and variable-temperature UV–vis spectroscopy were used to obtain thermodynamic measurements of N2 binding. In addition, X-ray crystallography, 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, and EPR spectroscopy were used to fully characterize these new compounds. Analysis of Fe0, FeI, and FeII complexes reveals that the free energy of N2 binding across three oxidation states spans more than 37 kcal mol–1.
Low‐dose valganciclovir prophylaxis for cytomegalovirus in intermediate‐risk (R+) renal transplant recipients: Single‐center experience

Renal transplant recipients (RTR) who are seropositive for CMV (R+) are considered to be at intermediate-risk for CMV disease. Current guidelines recommend high-dose valganciclovir (VGCV) prophylaxis because of limited data on the efficacy of low-dose VGCV. We describe our experience with using low-dose VGCV in R+ RTR. We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 316 R+ RTR at our institution between 2002 and 2006. The primary endpoint was CMV disease at 1 year post transplant. The incidence of CMV disease at 12 months after transplantation was only 3% (6/221) in the D+R+ and 4% (4/95) in the D-R+ RTR. Low-dose VGCV was effective at preventing CMV disease in intermediate-risk (R+) RTR. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Transcriptome-wide analysis of differential gene expression in response to light:dark cycles in a model cnidarian.

Animals respond to diurnal shifts in their environment with a combination of behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes to synchronize with regularly-timed external cues. Reproduction, movement, and metabolism in cnidarians have all been shown to be regulated by diurnal lighting, but the molecular mechanisms that may be responsible for these phenotypes remain largely unknown. The starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, has oscillating patterns of locomotion and respiration, as well as the molecular components of a putative circadian clock that may provide a mechanism for these light-induced responses. Here, we compare transcriptomic responses of N. vectensis when cultured under a diurnal lighting condition (12 h light: 12 h dark) with sea anemones cultured under constant darkness for 20 days. More than 3,000 genes (~13% of transcripts) had significant differences in expression between light and dark, with most genes having higher expression in the photoperiod. Following removal of the light cue 678 genes lost differential expression, suggesting that light-entrained gene expression by the circadian clock has temporal limits. Grouping of genes differentially expressed in light:dark conditions showed that cell cycle and transcription maintained diel expression in the absence of light, while many of the genes related to metabolism, antioxidants, immunity, and signal transduction lost differential expression without a light cue. Our data highlight the importance of diel light cycles on circadian mechanisms in this species, prompting new hypotheses for the role of photoreception in major biological processes, e.g., metabolism, immunity.
First-Year Seminars and Experiences

First-Year Seminars and Experiences that involve practical, creative work in the performing arts expose students to important academic and personal development habits early in their college careers. These case studies examine the use of performative pedagogies to reinforce the crucial skills that make First-Year Experiences a high-impact practice. Susan Kattwinkel writes about her use of performance creation to embody ethical debate in a course on theatre and ethical choice. Jim Davis outlines a devised theatre project that responds to a survey of political opinions among fellow students in the university. In both cases students learn to integrate personal experience and opinion with those of others to create complex and reasoned responses to difficult and important social issues.
The reconstructive ladder. An orthoplastic approach.

The reconstructive ladder has many rungs. The reconstructive surgeon may go from one level to another and, in many instances, simultaneously employ different aspects of the ladder for different problems (i.e., a free-muscle transplant to a large lower extremity defect being covered by split-thickness skin grafts uses two rungs on the ladder). Familiarly with local as well as distant tissue options ensures success when the soft-tissue envelope is treated using this reconstructive ladder.
Is Scientific Realism a Contingent Thesis

In his book, The Structure of Science, E. Nagel pontifically handed down the judgment that the dispute between scientific instrumentalism and scientific realism resolved into an issue over ‘preferred modes’ of speech. Nagel argued that any realistic interpretation of formulation of a scientific theory could, by an appropriate switch from the material to the formal mode of speech, be converted into an instrumentalistic interpretation. Thus, the basic issue dividing the instrumentalists and realists, i.e., the ontological status of theoretical entities, whether and in what sense they existed and were real, was declared to be a pseudo-issue. In the interim, despite the high interest in the formalization of theories, a movement that could only serve the instrumentalist or neutralist camp, scientific realism, although pronounced dead, has refused to lie down.
The serologic diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. The latex-rabbit gamma-globulin fixation test.

THE TERM rheumatoid factor (RF) is an inclusive designation for a variety of antibodies which react with human and animal gamma-globulins [l]. As an aid to clinical diagnosis, these are usually assayed by means of the latex fixation test with human Cohn’s fraction II as antigen [2]. With a modified assay we found RF, as did others, not only in rheumatoid arthritis but also in many normal sera and in sera of patients with diverse non-rheumatoid diseases [3, 41. This occurrence of “false-positive” tests in non-rheumatoid states distinctly limits the diagnostic usefulness of the latex-F II test for rheumatoid arthritis. Tests for serum RI;which utilize agglutination of rabbit gamma-globulin sensitized sheep red blood cells are more specific for rheumatoid arthritis as originally noted by WAALER, [5] ROSE et al. [6] and later by KUNKEL ef al. [ 11, HOLLEY et al. [7] and others. In this study, the diagnostic specificity of an anti-rabbit gamma-globulin RF assay was retained, while the shortcomings of the Waaler-Rose rest, such as inconstant properties of the erythrocytes [8] and rabbit-anti-sheep cell sera [9], were avoided. This was achieved by coating latex particles with rabbit gamma-globulin. To assess the diagnostic value of the latex-rabbit gamma-globulin for RF, the method was compared to the standard sensitized sheep cell reaction and to the latex hation test using human gamma-globulin as antigen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and allied diseases, in patients with a variety of other disorders and in normal individuals.
Network Detection of Radiation Sources Using Localization-Based Approaches

Radiation source detection is an important problem in homeland security-related applications. Deploying a network of detectors is expected to provide improved detection due to the combined, albeit dispersed, capture area of multiple detectors. Recently, localization-based detection algorithms provided performance gains beyond the simple “aggregated” area as a result of localization being enabled by the networked detectors. We propose the following three localization-based detection approaches: 1) source-attractor radiation detection (SRD); 2) triangulation-based radiation source detection (TriRSD); and 3) the ratio of square distance-based radiation source detection (ROSD-RSD). We use canonical datasets from Domestic Nuclear Detection Office's intelligence radiation sensors systems tests to assess the performance of these methods. Extensive results illustrate that SRD outperforms TriRSD and ROSD-RSD, and other existing detection algorithms based on the sequential probability ratio test and maximum likelihood estimation in terms of both false alarm and detection rates.
ArgosNet: A Multi-Cell Many-Antenna MU-MIMO Platform

We built and deployed a multi-cell network testbed of massive-MIMO base stations across Rice University campus, called ArgosNet. While ArgosNet is highly configurable, its default configuration employs four 100-antenna base stations to serve 40 battery-powered mobile clients at 3.7 GHz. In ArgosNet, the base stations are time-frequency synchronized and have direct fiber connections to a server cluster, enabling advanced wireless techniques such as Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP). We extended the Argos channel measurement system to support multi-cell topologies, then conducted initial measurements showing the performance of CoMP in many-antenna MU-MIMO networks.
AN APPROACH OF AUTOMATIC GENERATION CONTROL USING COMPENSATION METHOD

In this paper the power system automatic generation control is examined from the viewpoint of stochastical control theory. In the first place, an identification method is used to build the model of load diturbances. Next, a hierachical estimator is constructed to estimate or track the disturbances. Finally, the automatic generation controller is derived on the basis of invariance principle. Results of simulation on a simple 2 units system and a more complicated 5 units system are illustrated in the last part of this paper.
Esophagomyotomy (Open and MIS Approaches)

This chapter describes the surgical procedure for esophagomyotomy as performed by open and laparoscopic approaches. The text includes an introduction that outlines the indications, risks, alternatives, essential steps, needed equipment, and variations in technique for the procedure in question. This is followed by a template operative dictation, which provides the reader with an operative report, such as is found in a patient chart or electronic medical record. A description is provided of the following critical concepts for this procedure: abdominal access, hiatal exposure, esophageal dissection and gastric mobilization, fundoplication, crural reapproximation, and reinforcement.
An index of geospatial disadvantage predicts both obesity and unmeasured body weight.

Abstract Neighborhood context impacts health. Using an index of geospatial disadvantage measures to predict neighborhood socioeconomic disparities would support area-based allocation of preventative resources, as well as the use of location as a clinical risk factor in care of individual patients. This study tested the association of the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a neighborhood-based index of socioeconomic contextual disadvantage, with elderly obesity risk. We sampled 5066 Medicare beneficiaries at the University of Missouri between September 1, 2013 and September 1, 2014. We excluded patients with unknown street addresses, excluded body mass index (BMI) lower than 18 or higher than 62 as probable errors, and excluded patients with missing BMI data. We used a plot of simple proportions to examine the association between ADI and prevalence of obesity, defined as BMI of 30 and over. We found that obesity was significantly less prevalent in the least-disadvantaged ADI decile (decile 1) than in all other deciles (p
Parenting with a disability: exploring the satisfaction and efficacy of the PediaLift wheelchair accessible crib.

Purpose: Parents with disabilities face many challenges in fulfilling their daily roles. Previous literature has shown that assistive technology (AT) can be a viable solution to help an individual ...
Quantifying the incremental value of deep learning: Application to lung nodule detection

We present a case study for implementing a machine learning algorithm with an incremental value framework in the domain of lung cancer research. Machine learning methods have often been shown to be competitive with prediction models in some domains; however, implementation of these methods is in early development. Often these methods are only directly compared to existing methods; here we present a framework for assessing the value of a machine learning model by assessing the incremental value. We developed a machine learning model to identify and classify lung nodules and assessed the incremental value added to existing risk prediction models. Multiple external datasets were used for validation. We found that our image model, trained on a dataset from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA), improves upon existing models that are restricted to patient characteristics, but it was inconclusive about whether it improves on models that consider nodule features. Another interesting finding is the variable performance on different datasets, suggesting population generalization with machine learning models may be more challenging than is often considered.
Nigeria’s Educational Challenges

Education is the foundation upon which any society is built. In our globalized and technological world, national wealth and global survival is increasingly based on knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This economic prosperity is especially true when women become educated: societies are transformed. When women are educated, families are smaller and healthier.
A review of advancements in coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations

Over the last few years, coarse-grained molecular dynamics has emerged as a way to model large and complex systems in an efficient and inexpensive manner due to its lowered resolution, faster dynam...
Phenolic Compound Induction in Plant-Microbe and Plant-Insect Interactions: A Meta-Analysis

Plants rely on a variety of ways to protect themselves from being fed upon, including de novo production of specific compounds such as those termed as phenolics. Phenolics are often described as important in plant health and numerous studies have concluded they increase as a result of insect feeding, pathogen infection, or beneficial microorganism colonization. However, there are some studies reaching differing conclusions. Therefore, meta-analyses were conducted to observe whether common trends in phenolic induction in plants can be made when they become hosts to insects or microorganisms. Four hypotheses were tested. The first was that total phenolics increase as a generic response, and meta-analyses confirmed that this occurs when plants are infested with insects or colonized by bacterial or fungal microorganisms, but not for oomycetes. The second hypothesis was that phenolic induction is different when a beneficial microorganism colonizes a plant vs. when a plant is infected by a pathogen. Beneficial bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, and beneficial fungi produced increased phenolic levels in plant hosts, but fungal pathogens did not. The third hypothesis was that insect feeding method on plant hosts determines if phenolics are induced. Chewing induced phenolics but piercing-sucking and wood-boring did not. Lastly, we used meta-analyses to determine if annual or perennials rely on phenolic induction in different amounts, and even though annuals had significantly increased phenolic levels but perennials did not, it was observed that phenolic induction was not statistically different when plant type was considered. These results demonstrate that phenolic induction is a common response in plant hosts exposed to feeding or colonization, with specific exceptions such a pathogenic fungi and piercing-sucking insects.
High-Speed GIS-Based Simulation of Storm Surge–Induced Flooding Accounting for Sea Level Rise

AbstractA storm surge–induced flood simulation methodology, called the GIS-based subdivision-redistribution (GISSR) methodology, is proposed for coastal urban environments. The methodology combines...
Exercise, Arterial Stiffness, and Cerebral Vascular Function: Potential Impact on Brain Health.

Exercise is associated with higher cognitive function and is a promising intervention to reduce the risk of dementia. With advancing age, there are changes in the vasculature that have important clinical implications for brain health and cognition. Primary aging and vascular risk factors are associated with increases in arterial stiffness and pulse pressure, and reductions in peripheral vascular function. Objective The purpose is to discuss the epidemiological, observational, and mechanistic evidence regarding the link between age-related changes in vascular health and brain health. Methods We performed a literature review and integrated with our published data. Results Epidemiological evidence suggests a link between age-related increases in arterial stiffness and lower cognitive function, which may be mediated by cerebral vascular function, including cerebral vasoreactivity and cerebral pulsatility. Age-associated impairments in central arterial stiffness and peripheral vascular function have been attenuated or reversed through lifestyle behaviors such as exercise. Greater volumes of habitual exercise and higher cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with beneficial effects on both peripheral vascular health and cognition. Yet, the extent to which exercise directly influences cerebral vascular function and brain health, as well as the associated mechanisms remains unclear. Conclusion Although there is evidence that exercise positively impacts cerebral vascular function, more research is necessary in humans to optimize experimental protocols and address methodological limitations and physiological considerations. Understanding the impact of exercise on cerebral vascular function is important for understanding the association between exercise and brain health and may inform future intervention studies that seek to improve cognition.
Gluon saturation in proton and its contribution to single inclusive soft gluon production in high energy proton-nucleus collisions

The leading order single inclusive soft gluon production in high energy proton-nucleus (pA) collisions has been studied by various approaches for more than two decades. The first correction due to the gluon saturation in proton was analytically attempted recently through a diagrammatic approach in which only partial results were obtained. An important feature of the first saturation correction is that it includes both initial state and final state interactions. In this paper, we present the complete result derived from the Color Glass Condensate framework. Our approach is to analytically solve the classical Yang-Mills equations in the dilute-dense regime and then use the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann (LSZ) reduction formula to obtain gluon production from classical gluon fields.
Notes for Liber abaci

[1] Michael Scott was a philosopher and scholar with scientific interests in the court of Frederick II. He is mentioned in uncomplimentary terms in Dante’s Inferno. There is a park near the river Arno in Pisa named for Michael Scott. In the park one finds a statue representing Leonardo Pisano. The statue was placed in the 19th century and only suggests how Leonardo Pisano may have appeared.
Globalization and Inequality among Nations

The gap between the average income per capita levels of the poorest and the richest nations has increased during the recent eras of globalization. This paper reviews the evidence on the determinants of the disparities in per capita incomes, which has focused on the role of institutions in fostering development. Institutions primarily reflect domestic conditions, but globalization may have an impact on their development. Globalization also has direct effects on economic activity which affects the incidence of poverty, although all the channels of transmission are not fully understood. Globalization can, however, be better managed to benefit the poor.
Convolution and Equidistribution: Sato-Tate Theorems for Finite-Field Mellin Transforms

Convolution and Equidistribution explores an important aspect of number theory--the theory of exponential sums over finite fields and their Mellin transforms--from a new, categorical point of view. The book presents fundamentally important results and a plethora of examples, opening up new directions in the subject. The finite-field Mellin transform (of a function on the multiplicative group of a finite field) is defined by summing that function against variable multiplicative characters. The basic question considered in the book is how the values of the Mellin transform are distributed (in a probabilistic sense), in cases where the input function is suitably algebro-geometric. This question is answered by the book's main theorem, using a mixture of geometric, categorical, and group-theoretic methods. By providing a new framework for studying Mellin transforms over finite fields, this book opens up a new way for researchers to further explore the subject.
THE FACE PREDICTS THE BRAIN: DIAGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF MEDIAN FACIAL ANOMALIES FOR HOLOPROSENCEPHALY (ARHINENCEPHALY)

Two patients with orbital hypotelorism, flat nose, and bilateral lateral cleft of lip and palate with a hypoplastic philtrumpremaxilla Anlage are described. Both patients had holoprosencephaly (arhinencephaly), a brain defect characterized by an arrest in prosencephalic cleavage with no or incomplete proplasia of frontal poles and olfactory bulbs. The two patients are an intermediate stage in a graded series of median facio-cerebral malformations which begins with cyclopia, and then, as face and brain transform toward normality, extends through ethmocephaly, cebocephaly, median cleft lip, and the two patients presented here. The facies of these patients are diagnostic of the type of brain malformation. Careful attention to face-brain relationships will significantly extend the number oif diagnostic facies which currently can be recognized. Physiological defects include poikilothermia, apnea, seizures, rigidity, and lack of psychomotor development. Useful diagnostic studies include skull roentgenograms to show orbital hypotelorism and absent crista galli, electroencephalography, dermatoglyphics, chromosome studies, and sometimes pneumoencephalography. Some holoprosencephalic patients, such as our first patient, who have few or no extracephalic malformations, have a 46 chromosome karyotype. Others, such as Patient 2, have many extracephalic anomalies. The literature suggests that the latter patients are apt to have 13-15 trisomy. The face predicts the holoprosencephalic brain irrespective of extracephalic anomalies or karyotype.
Neural correlates of feature selective memory and pop-out in extrastriate area V4

Neural activity in area V4 was examined to assess (1) whether the effects of attentive selection for stimulus features could be based on the memory of the feature, (2) whether dynamically changing the feature selection would cause activity associated with the newly selected stimuli to pop out, and (3) whether intrusion of more than one stimulus into the receptive field would disrupt the feature-selective activity. Rhesus monkeys were trained on several variations of a conditional orientation discrimination task. A differential activation of area V4 neurons was observed in the conditional discrimination task based on the presence of a match or a nonmatch between the conditional cue (a particular color or luminance) and the color or luminance of the receptive field stimulus. The differential activation was unchanged when the cue was removed and the animal had to remember its color (or luminance) to perform the task. When the cued feature was switched from one alternative to another in the middle of a trial the differential activation of neurons reversed over the course of 150-300 msec. If the stimulus in the receptive field contained the newly selected feature, V4 neurons became activated without a concomitant change in the stimulus in classical receptive field. Across the topographic map of V4 the activity associated with the newly selected stimuli popped out, whereas the activity of deselected stimuli faded to the background levels of other background objects. Evidence of a suppressive input from stimuli outside the classical receptive field was clear in only 3 of 24 neurons examined. Intrusion into the classical receptive field by a second stimulus resulted in a diminished difference between matching and nonmatching conditions. These physiological data suggest a major role for attentional control in the parallel processing of simple feature-selective differences.
Method for obtaining Chromosomes

It is very easy to obtain chromosomes from anuran amphibians. Amphibians have very large chromosomes which can easily be seen with an ordinary microscope. The method used has been tested in the laboratory and also at collecting sites. All that is required are a few chemicals and simple equipment.
Papel del estrés oxidativo en la esquizofrenia

La esquizofrenia es una enfermedad mental severa que se presenta en alrededor del 1% de la poblacion mundial. Para que se manifieste son necesarios tanto factores geneticos como ambientales, por lo que el genotipo de riesgo no conlleva al desarrollo de la enfermedad sino a una mayor susceptibilidad de presentarla. Existe evidencia de que el balance entre la produccion de radicales libres y el sistema de defensa antioxidante esta alterado en pacientes con esquizofrenia. Sin embargo, no se sabe con certeza si la produccion de RLs tiene un papel causal en el desarrollo de la enfermedad o es producido durante el curso de la enfermedad, o por el uso de neurolepticos. En este articulo se revisa la evidencia de la participacion de estas sustancias en el desarrollo dela enfermedad.
Managing Technology Uncertainty Under Multi-Firm New Product Development

The growing sophistication of component technologies and the rising costs of product development require firms to collaborate in the development of new products by pooling their resources and entering into resource or cost-sharing arrangements. However, the management of new product development that occurs jointly between a technology supplier and its industrial customer presents a new set of challenges. While such vertical collaboration enables each firm to focus on what it does best and achieve certain economies of specialization, it also introduces new issues associated with the alignment of decisions and incentives that have to be managed alongside conventional performance and timing uncertainties of new product development. In this paper, we conceptualize and formulate the co-development of products involving two firms and examine the implications of two collaboration mechanisms found in industrial practice. We term these approaches which involve sharing of the development cost and sharing of the development work, investment sharing and innovation sharing, and find that they have subtle effects on the degree of product innovation and profits of individual firms, depending on the nature and extent of technological uncertainty, product development cost structure, and complementary relationships with other products. We consider both exogenous and endogenous technology uncertainty, and study the impact of investment and innovation sharing on a firm's technology consideration set, product qualities, and profits. Conditions under which firms should consider one mechanism over the other and over single firm product development are proposed. Our analysis shows that, while investment sharing plays an important role in environments with higher levels of technology uncertainty, innovation sharing can result in greater quality improvements and profits if firms are able to manage the distributed product development process more efficiently. We translate our analytical findings into a managerial framework and illustrate it with examples from the industry.
The Hebbian-LMS Learning Algorithm

Abstract-Hebbian learning is widely accepted in the fields of psychology, neurology, and neurobiology. It is one of the fundamental premises of neuroscience. The LMS (least mean square) algorithm of Widrow and Hoff is the world's most widely used adaptive algorithm, fundamental in the fields of signal processing, control systems, pattern recognition, and artificial neural networks. These are very different learning paradigms. Hebbian learning is unsupervised. LMS learning is supervised. However, a form of LMS can be constructed to perform unsupervised learning and, as such, LMS can be used in a natural way to implement Hebbian learning. Combining the two paradigms creates a new unsupervised learning algorithm that has practical engineering applications and provides insight into learning in living neural networks. A fundamental question is, how does learning take place in living neural networks? "Nature's little secret," the learning algorithm practiced by nature at the neuron and synapse level, may well be the Hebbian-LMS algorithm.
Effect of serum and platelet-derived growth factor on chondrocytes grown in collagen gels

In this in vitro study, cell proliferation, viability, and morphology; proteoglycan (PG) synthesis; and gel contraction were assessed over a 15-day period (on days 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15) for mature bovine chondrocytes cultured in collagen gels. The environment within the gel was varied by changing the concentration of fetal bovine serum (1% and 10%) and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF; 0, 10, 50, 100 ng/ml) within the gel and incubation media. Our results showed that the amount of serum or PDGF added to the gels had no effect on cell viability, with >95% of cells remaining alive throughout the experiment. There was a significant increase in cell number over time in all groups, with a higher rate of cell proliferation in gels containing 10% serum and higher concentrations of PDGF. In addition, the amount of serum significantly affected gel contraction with or without PDGF. Gels containing 10% serum contracted on day 10-12, while none of the gels containing 1% serum contracted over the course of the experiment. The PG content within each gel increased with incubation time only for the gels containing 1% serum, and 10 or 100 ng/ml of PDGF. However, on a per cell basis, there was no change in the PG content with time when only serum was used and a significant decrease in the rate of PG production with the addition of PDGF (9.1-27.8 pgPG/cell/day). Cell morphology was also affected by PDGF, with the cells becoming more spindle shaped. Cell alignment within the gels appeared to be most affected by gel contraction. Collagen gels can act as cell carriers for the purpose of tissue engineering. These gels provide a three-dimensional environment in which chondrocytes can proliferate and produce matrix. We have shown how this environment can be controlled to affect gel contraction, rates of cell growth and PG production, and cellular morphology while maintaining cell viability. This information will be useful in determining the conditions in which chondrocytes can be grown within collagen gels and combined with cytokines to create an ideal tissue construct.
Omentin-1 levels are reduced by pharmacologic doses of leptin, but remain unaffected by energy deprivation and display no day–night variation

Omentin-1 levels are reduced by pharmacologic doses of leptin, but remain unaffected by energy deprivation and display no day–night variation
Active site binding modes of the β-diketoacids: a multi-active site approach in HIV-1 integrase inhibitor design

Predicting a bioactive conformation of a ligand is of paramount importance in rational drug design. The task becomes very difficult when the receptor site possesses a region with unusual conformational flexibility. Significant conformational differences are present in the active site regions in the available crystal structures of the core domains of HIV-1 integrase (IN). Among all reported IN inhibitors, the β-diketoacid class of compounds has proved to be of most promise and indeed S-1360 was the first IN inhibitor to enter clinical studies. With an aim to predict the bioactive (active site bound) conformation of S-1360, we performed extensive docking studies using three different reported crystal structures where the active site or partial active site region was resolved. For comparison we extended our studies to include 5CITEP (the first compound cocrystallized with IN core domain) and a bis-diketoacid (BDKA). We found that the conformation of S-1360 when bound in one of the active sites matches that of the experimentally observed results of IN escape mutants resistant to S-1360. Therefore, we propose that this active site conformation is the biologically relevant conformation and can be used for the future structure-based drug design studies selectively targeting IN.
Infrared study of cadmium borogermanate glasses

Abstract The ternary cadmium borogermanate glasses have been studied over their entire glass-forming range by infrared spectroscopy (3800−50 cm−1). The spectral and structural characteristics of these glasses have been analysed with respect to the vibrational spectra of binary and ternary glasses of similar structure, and in light of the 11B and 113Cd NMR spectra of the same glass compositions. Tetracoordination of boron and hexacoordination of germanium both occur, in a competitive way, as a result of modification of the borogermanate network by CdO. The c concentrations of three- and four-coordinate boron and four- and six-coordinate germanium vary with composition in a complex but systematic maner described by a quasi-equilibrium expression for the melt quenched into the glassy state.
Danish Regulation of Low Frequency Noise from Wind Turbines

The Danish statutory order on wind turbine noise was revised in order to establish new rules for low frequency noise [1]. The new regulation entered into force January 1st, 2012, and it applies to wind turbines notified to the municipalities from this date. The new regulation complements the previous noise limits for wind turbines with a new mandatory limit for the low frequency noise, which is 20 dB A-weighted level of the calculated indoor sound level in the 1/3-octave bands 10 - 160 Hz. The purpose of the new regulation is to ensure that neither the usual noise nor the low frequency noise will annoy the neighbours when the wind turbines start to operate.
Helical fracture in cylinders

Abstract Helical fracture in long cylinders is caused by the selfradiation of the moving crack. The pitch of the fracture helix gives information about the crack speed and the ductility of the rupture process.
A New Pliocene Dolphin (Cetacea: Pontoporiidae), from the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina

(2009). A new pliocene dolphin (Cetacea: Pontoporiidae), from the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 966-971.
Ultrawideband SAR clutter suppression by AR spectral estimation

Ultrawideband (UWB) SAR images often contain clutter and other types of spatially correlated noise. To reduce these effects, we have developed a complex, multichannel, autoregressive image- modeling and inverse-filtering algorithm. Our algorithm extends a previously reported technique to include complex image data and a solution to the directionality problem of 2D AR models. A multichannel image pixel, represented by a vector, is modeled as an autoregressive process with a nonsymmetric half-plane (NSHP) support region. The parameters of this NSHP AR model, represented as matrices, are estimated by minimizing a squared residual. To account for possible nonstationarity in the image statistics, the estimation is performed over a series of small subwindows, which lends a degree of adaptabtility to the algorithm. Once estimates of the complex AR parameter matrices are obtained, they are used in an inverse filter. To account for the directionality inherent in the NSHP filter, we have adopted a bi-directional filtering approach, with the results of the two filters combined such that targets are enhanced and clutter is minimized. This algorithm has been applied to various UWB SAR images and shown to be an effective whitening filter. The resulting signal-to-clutter enhancement depends on a variety of factors, including clutter statistics, target size, and AR model order. A version of the whitening algorithm has been incorporated into our standard set of tools for processing UWB SAR images.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Spinal branching of corticospinal axons in the cat

The branching patterns of rubrospinal (RS) axons projecting to the cervical spinal cord between C3 and C8 were studied in the cat. RS neurons were identified by their antidromic responses to microstimulation of local axon branches within the cervical gray matter. Twenty-six of 58 RS neurons projecting to the cervical gray matter also sent axon branches to the thoracic spinal cord. Two out of 40 of these RS neurons also sent axon branches to the lumbar spinal cord. Using a collision technique, it was demonstrated that stem axons of rubrospinal neurons commonly sent multiple collaterals to different cervical segments. Neurons projecting to the cervical spinal cord alone were located in the dorsal quadrants of the red nucleus. Those projecting to cervical, as well as to more caudal segments, were intermingled with the former, and in slightly more ventral portions of the red nucleus. The presence of RS neurons projecting to widely separate levels of the spinal cord suggests that individual RS neurons may be capable of ultimately influencing two or more different motoneuron pools.
Asymptomatic H. pylori infection impairs pH inhibition of gastrin and acid secretion during second hour of peptone meal stimulation.

H. pylori infection is associated with acid-peptic disease, although its role in the pathogenesis is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if chronic infection in asymptomatic subject impairs the inhibition of meal-stimulated gastrin and acid secretion that is observed normally at low intragastric pH. Presence of infection was determined by both C-14 urea breath test and serology. Acid secretion was measured under basal conditions and in response to peptone meal stimulation and pentagastrin. Plasma gastrin concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay under basal conditions and during peptone meal stimulation. Intragastric titration with 1% peptone during the first hour, and 8% peptone during the second hour, was performed at both pH 7.0 and 2.5 on different days to compare the inhibition of gastrin and acid secretion. Compared to noninfected subjects, asymptomatic individuals infected withH. pylori had significantly increased: (1) basal gastrin values (P<0.005); (2) 8% peptone-stimulated gastrin responses at both pH 7.0 and 2.5 (P<0.05); and (3) 8% peptone-stimulated acid output at pH 2.5 (P=0.01). During the second hour of peptone-stimulation, subjects infected withH. pylori had significantly decreased inhibition of gastrin (52% vs 95%) (P=0.002) and acid (30% vs 81%) (P=0.01) secretion from pH 7.0 to 2.5. Thus, chronic infection withH. pylori results in impaired inhibition of gastrin and acid secretion at low intragastric pH during the second hour of peptone meal stimulation. These defects may be unrelated to the pathogenesis of acid-peptic disease, since they occur in asymptomatic subjects infected withH. pylori.
A class of models for uncorrelated random variables

We consider the class of multivariate distributions that gives the distribution of the sum of uncorrelated random variables by the product of their marginal distributions. This class is defined by a representation of the assumption of sub-independence, formulated previously in terms of the characteristic function and convolution, as a weaker assumption than independence for derivation of the distribution of the sum of random variables. The new representation is in terms of stochastic equivalence and the class of distributions is referred to as the summable uncorrelated marginals (SUM) distributions. The SUM distributions can be used as models for the joint distribution of uncorrelated random variables, irrespective of the strength of dependence between them. We provide a method for the construction of bivariate SUM distributions through linking any pair of identical symmetric probability density functions. We also give a formula for measuring the strength of dependence of the SUM models. A final result shows that under the condition of positive or negative orthant dependence, the SUM property implies independence.
Numerical Fidelity of Endoscopic Biopsy Fragments in the Processing Sequence of a University Surgical Pathology Laboratory

Context.—Diagnostic specimens in surgical pathology are, in general, becoming smaller and smaller, as minimally invasive surgical procedures are used to obtain representative tissue. Conservation and effective utilization of small biopsy tissue is therefore crucial in the pathology laboratory. Objective.—To identify potential areas where biopsy tissue may be lost in the course of processing in our university-based laboratory. Design.—We followed 2934 endoscopic biopsy samples as they moved through our grossing area and histology laboratory by documenting the number of fragments inked and placed within tissue paper at the time of gross assessment, the number of fragments found in each cassette after processing and subsequently embedded in paraffin, and the number of pieces of tissue present on glass slides after staining. Results.—In 805 (27.4%) cases, the number of fragments of tissue noted on glass slides containing 2 levels of the paraffin block differed from the number submitted in the tissue cassette....
Numerical analysis of 1‐D compression wave propagation in saturated poroelastic media

A numerical procedure is presented for the simulation of 1-D compression wave propagation in saturated poroelastic media. The media are modelled as a two-phase system consisting of compressible fluid and solids. Viscous coupling forces resulting from the relative motion between phases are characterized as Darcy type. The numerical procedure can account for effects of axial strain, nonlinear material behaviour, and various drained and undrained boundary conditions. Time integration is carried out explicitly and isothermal conditions are assumed. The method is capable of modelling shock wave fronts without introducing artificial viscosity. Numerical results are in close agreement with analytical solutions for several simplified cases and indicate that mass coupling may have important effects on fluid velocity and wave speed. Corresponding effects on solid velocity and wave speed are much smaller. Numerical results also indicate that damping occurs in a saturated poroelastic column and is dependent on the value of hydraulic conductivity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Frequency-specific enhancement of the cochlear compound action potential: Influence of the forward masker

Under restricted frequency and intensity conditions, forward masking can result in the amplitude of the CAP being increased above its unmasked value (Henry, 1991). The present study provides a quantitative analysis of this enhancement effect. In response to forward maskers having the same frequency as the probe stimulus, central frequency (CF) enhancement varies as a function of the level of the forward masker: the lowest masker level at which it can reliably be detected is often well below the visual detection threshold of the CAP generated by the unmasked probe stimulus; the highest masker level at which it can reliably be detected corresponds to approximately 10 dB above the probe stimulus CAP threshold. A second low frequency (LF) enhancement region also exists, encompassing a narrow range of more intense maskers. CF enhancement can double the amplitude of the CAP, whereas LF enhancement is less pronounced. The magnitude of CF enhancement varies as a function of the duration of the forward masker, with longer durations generally increasing the magnitude of the effect. This duration effect, however, interacts with the level of the stimulus. Decreasing the interval between the end of the forward masker and the beginning of the probe increases the magnitude of CF enhancement.