cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetic origins of the metastable zone width in the manganese oxide Pourbaix diagram

Pourbaix diagrams show solid–aqueous phase stability as a function of pH and redox potential and can be a valuable tool to guide the hydrothermal synthesis of transition metal oxides. However, the Pourbaix diagram is based on thermodynamics, and nucleation kinetics are not readily apparent in this framework. Here, we conduct a combined experimental and theoretical study to measure the onset of MnO2 precipitation from an MnO4−(aq) solution at various pH conditions, which we then compare against Pourbaix diagram phase boundaries. Using a combination of in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray wide-angle scattering, we directly observe the transformation kinetics from the tetrahedral MnO4−(aq) ion to octahedrally coordinated Mn pre-nuclei, as well as its initiation into crystalline δ′-MnO2 at various pH. The kinetics of octahedral-Mn precursor availability is observed to govern induction times of crystalline MnO2 nucleation, which results in a metastable zone width in the Mn–H2O Pourbaix diagram. These results suggest that synthesis conditions often need to be prepared far beyond the phase boundaries in a Pourbaix diagram to initiate crystallization within a reasonable timescale.
Using Women Reporting War to Teach Edith Wharton’s “Writing a War Story”: An Added Context for Gendered Writing

This chapter presents ways to encourage students to make connections between Edith Wharton’s short story, “Writing a War Story,” and war coverage by women journalists. Through presenting parallels between war correspondents’ writings and Wharton’s own experience of writing about the war, students are asked to think about war, literature, and the ways in which world events influence writing. The chapter discusses how to incorporate journalistic style and the history of women journalists in the classroom while discussing Wharton’s short story. Additionally, this chapter provides suggestions to expand the classroom experience by looking at the gendered war experiences juxtaposed with literary studies. While contributions of women war journalists have been explored in historical settings, the primary focus on these contributions is the woman’s struggle to be seen as beyond a novelty. Adding the concerns and constraints of literary and journalistic women’s writing to the discussion on gender, instructors can help students embrace a wider context for women’s war writing and the intersection of journalism and literature. The chapter presents suggestions for a variety of discussion points, individual writing assignments, and group writing assignments to encourage students to see works of fiction in the context of war writing.
A multiattribute attentional drift diffusion model

Abstract Although individuals frequently face decisions over multiattribute outcomes, it is unclear how attentional patterns to the attributes and options of a choice set impact decisions. For example, are unfixated choice options and attributes discounted compared to the currently fixated feature? This paper proposes a model that describes how fluctuations in attention to choice set features impacts decision-making. We test and find evidence for the model’s predictions across two laboratory studies where participants made incentivized choices between consuming multiattribute bundles as their eye movements were recorded. The first study finds that an attentional drift diffusion model accurately describes choices, response times, and how these variables are correlated with visual attention to attributes and options. On average, only 80% of an unattended attribute’s value and 60% of an unattended option’s value were integrated in the evidence accumulation process. The second study exogenously manipulated attention to features of the choice set and found this altered choices, as the model predicts. The attentional bias identified here causally affects decisions and has implications for understanding multiattribute choice.
A deep dilated convolutional residual network for predicting interchain contacts of protein homodimers

Abstract Motivation Deep learning has revolutionized protein tertiary structure prediction recently. The cutting-edge deep learning methods such as AlphaFold can predict high-accuracy tertiary structures for most individual protein chains. However, the accuracy of predicting quaternary structures of protein complexes consisting of multiple chains is still relatively low due to lack of advanced deep learning methods in the field. Because interchain residue-residue contacts can be used as distance restraints to guide quaternary structure modeling, here we develop a deep dilated convolutional residual network method (DRCon) to predict interchain residue-residue contacts in homodimers from residue-residue co-evolutionary signals derived from multiple sequence alignments of monomers, intrachain residue-residue contacts of monomers extracted from true/predicted tertiary structures or predicted by deep learning, and other sequence and structural features. Results Tested on three homodimer test datasets (Homo_std dataset, DeepHomo dataset, and CASP14-CAPRI dataset), the precision of DRCon for top L/5 interchain contact predictions (L: length of monomer in a homodimer) is 43.46%, 47.15%, and 24.81% respectively, which is substantially better than two existing deep learning interchain contact prediction methods. Moreover, our experiments demonstrate that using predicted tertiary structure or intrachain contacts of monomers in the unbound state as input, DRCon still performs reasonably well, even though its accuracy is lower than when true tertiary structures in the bound state are used as input. Finally, our case study shows that good interchain contact predictions can be used to build high-accuracy quaternary structure models of homodimers. Availability The source code of DRCon is available at https://github.com/jianlin-cheng/DRCon. Contact chengji@missouri.edu
Nonhuman primates learn adjacent dependencies but fail to learn nonadjacent dependencies in a statistical learning task with a salient cue.

There is ample evidence that humans and nonhuman animals can learn complex statistical regularities presented within various types of input. However, humans outperform their nonhuman primate counterparts when it comes to recognizing relationships that exist across one or several intervening stimuli (nonadjacent dependencies). This is especially true when the two elements in the dependency do not share any perceptual similarity (arbitrary associations). In the present study, we investigated whether manipulating the saliency of the predictive stimulus would enhance nonadjacent dependency learning in nonhuman primates. Rhesus macaques and tufted capuchins engaged in a computerized signal detection task that included sequences that were random in nature, included an adjacent dependency, or included a nonadjacent dependency. We manipulated the saliency of the predictive stimulus, such that the predictor jittered in place on the screen in some grammar blocks, as well as the transitional probability (the likelihood of the stimulus preceding the target to accurately predict the target’s appearance) from block to block. Some monkeys evidenced learning of adjacent dependencies by faster response times to targets that followed a predictive stimulus compared to targets that were not preceded by a predictor. However, consistent with the body of evidence that indicates that nonhuman animals’ statistical learning mechanisms are not at the same level of sophistication as humans’, there was no evidence that monkeys learned nonadjacent dependencies of arbitrary associations, even when the salient cue was present.
Scalable Birch reduction with lithium and ethylenediamine in tetrahydrofuran.

The Birch reduction dearomatizes arenes into 1,4-cyclohexadienes. Despite substantial efforts devoted to avoiding ammonia and cryogenic conditions, the traditional, cumbersome, and dangerous proced...
Providing library services to a remote non-traditional program for health career students: the Kellogg experience.

Experience realisee par la fondation Kellogg concernant les etudes: les etudiants en medecine et les infirmiers recoivent une formation (en partie) commune. Services d'information fournis aux etudiants de cete fondation
Monocyte-derived dendritic cells from late gestation cows have an impaired ability to mature in response to E. coli stimulation in a receptor and cytokine-mediated fashion

During late gestation the bovine immune system is less capable of eliciting inflammatory responses and eliminating invading pathogens. The maternal immune system is directed toward tolerance in order to prevent fetal rejection due to recognition of paternal antigens. In humans and mice, dendritic cell (DC) populations maintain a tolerogenic phenotype essential in the generation and preservation of maternal immune tolerance throughout pregnancy. However, the primary mechanisms which facilitate maternal immune tolerance involved in bovine gestation remain poorly understood. In order to determine if DC phenotype and function were regulated toward tolerance during bovine gestation, we compared in vitro generated monocyte-derived DC (mo-DC) from monocytes isolated from cows in late gestation (LG) to those from non-pregnant (NP) cows in their ability to mature following stimulation with UV irradiated Escherichia coli. Our results show mo-DC from LG cows have an impaired ability to mature in response to E. coli stimulation in a receptor and cytokine-mediated fashion in comparison to those from NP cows. Specifically, mo-DC from LG cows were unable to upregulate MHC II and maintained high expression of CD14, both indicative of an immature phenotype following E. coli-stimulation. Only mo-DC from LG showed significant increase in IL-10 production and had a significantly lower ratio of production of the Th1-polarizing cytokine IL-12 to regulatory cytokine IL-10 following E. coli stimulation compared to mo-DC from NP cows. Our findings demonstrate mo-DC from LG cows have a stifled capacity to develop a mature phenotype and drive pro-inflammatory Th1-type responses to E. coli stimulation. Results from this study provide insight into DC immune modulation in bovine pregnancy and elucidate host factors which may contribute to the heightened susceptibility to infection in late gestation.
Compact Lie Groups and Maximal Tori

In this chapter and Chapter 12 we develop the representation theory of a connected, compact matrix Lie group K. The main result is a “theorem of the highest weight,” which is very similar to our main results for semisimple Lie algebras. If we let \(\mathfrak{k}\) be the Lie algebra of K and we let \(\mathfrak{g}\) be the complexification of \(\mathfrak{k},\) then \(\mathfrak{g}\) is reductive, which means (Proposition 7.6) that \(\mathfrak{g}\) is the direct sum of a semisimple algebra and a commutative algebra. We can, therefore, draw on our structure results for semisimple Lie algebras to introduce the notions of roots, weights, and the Weyl group. We will, however, give a completely different proof of the theorem of the highest weight. In particular, our proof of the hard part of the theorem, the existence of a irreducible representation for each weight of the appropriate sort, will be based on decomposing the space of functions on K under the left and right action of K. This argument is independent of the Lie-algebraic construction using Verma modules.
A novel technique for long-term anomaly detection in the cloud

High availability and performance of a web service is key, amongst other factors, to the overall user experience (which in turn directly impacts the bottom-line). Exogenic and/or endogenic factors often give rise to anomalies that make maintaining high availability and delivering high performance very challenging. Although there exists a large body of prior research in anomaly detection, existing techniques are not suitable for detecting long-term anomalies owing to a predominant underlying trend component in the time series data. To this end, we developed a novel statistical technique to automatically detect long-term anomalies in cloud data. Specifically, the technique employs statistical learning to detect anomalies in both application as well as system metrics. Further, the technique uses robust statistical metrics, viz., median, and median absolute deviation (MAD), and piecewise approximation of the underlying long-term trend to accurately detect anomalies even in the presence of intra-day and/or weekly seasonality. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technique using production data and report Precision, Recall, and F-measure measure. Multiple teams at Twitter are currently using the proposed technique on a daily basis.
Markov Renewal Processes

A Markov renewal process is a vector valued counting process that keeps track of the number of certain types of events associated with a stochastic process. It is a generalization of a renewal process in that a Markov renewal process with a single-dimensional state representation is a renewal process. In this article, we first define Markov renewal sequences, which are at the core of Markov renewal processes. Then, we give a formal description of Markov renewal processes and provide a number of examples where these processes appear. Keywords: renewal process; Markov renewal sequence; Markov renewal process; stochastic process; stochastic vector process
Warm upwelling regions in the Pliocene warm period

[1] Given the importance of upwelling processes to coastal productivity and regional climate, it is critical to study the role of upwelling regions within the context of global climate change. We generated sea surface temperature (SST) records for the last 5 million years in three important upwelling regions: the eastern equatorial Pacific, the California margin, and the Peru margin. Prior to ∼3.0 Ma, SSTs at all sites were significantly warmer than today (by 3–9°C), indicating that cold upwelling regions that characterize the modern Pacific Ocean did not exist in the early Pliocene warm period (4.6 to 3.1 Ma), Earth's most recent period of sustained global warmth. Alkenone, phosphorus, and organic carbon mass accumulation rate records indicate that changes in productivity and SST were decoupled and that upwelling of nutrient enriched water occurred even when SSTs were warm during the early Pliocene. Thus the long-term trends in SST are likely explained by changes in the temperature of upwelled water rather than in the strength of upwelling-favorable winds alone. The fact that gradual cooling of upwelling regions began before the onset of significant Northern Hemisphere glaciation provides further evidence that the growth of ice sheets and their influence on atmospheric winds alone can not explain the cooling of upwelling regions. Our results suggest that the long-term average SSTs of upwelling regions are influenced by global changes in the depth and/or temperature of the ventilated thermocline.
STRICT REGULAR COMPLETIONS OF CAUCHY SPACES

A diagonal condition is defined and used in characterizing the Cauchy spaces which have a strict, regular completion.
Management of carcinoma in situ of the cervix

Abstract Sixty-eight patients with in situ and seven patients with microinvasive cervical carcinoma were reviewed. Thirty per cent of the patients with carcinoma in situ were 30 years old and under. The mean age for carcinoma in situ was 37.8 years; for microinvasion, 42.6 years; and for postconization residual carcinoma, 48.5 years. Forty per cent of the patients were para 0 or 1. There was a 13 per cent incidence of postconization complications. The incidence of residual carinoma in 58 patients who underwent conization and subsequent hysterectomy was only 10.3 per cent. The residual carcinoma was present high in the endocervical canal of the hysterectomy specimen. None of the patients with microinvasion had residual carcinoma. A positive correlation was found between the anatomic extent of the lesion on the conization specimen and the incidence of residual carcinoma. We conclude that conization and careful follow-up frequently are effective therapy for treating cervical carcinoma in situ, thereby reducing the incidence of hysterectomy.
The cellular factor TRP-185 regulates RNA polymerase II binding to HIV-1 TAR RNA.

Abstract Activation of HIV-1 gene expression by the transactivator Tat is dependent on an RNA regulatory element located downstream of the transcription initiation site known as TAR. To characterize cellular factors that bind to TAR RNA and are involved in the regulation of HIV-1 transcription, HeLa nuclear extract was fractionated and RNA gel-retardation analysis was performed. This analysis indicated that only two cellular factors, RNA polymerase II and the previously characterized TAR RNA loop binding protein TRP-185, were capable of binding specifically to TAR RNA. To elucidate the function of TRP-185, it was purified from HeLa nuclear extract, amino acid microsequence analysis was performed and a cDNA encoding TRP-185 was isolated. TRP-185 is a novel protein of 1621 amino acids which contains a leucine zipper and potentially a novel RNA binding motif. In gel-retardation assays, the binding of both recombinant TRP-185 and RNA polymerase II was dependent on the presence of an additional group of proteins designated cellular cofactors. Both the TAR RNA loop and bulge sequences were critical for RNA polymerase II binding, while TRP-185 binding was dependent only on TAR RNA loop sequences. Since binding of TRP-185 and RNA polymerase II to TAR RNA was found to be mutually exclusive, our results suggest that TRP-185 may function either alone or in conjunction with Tat to disengage RNA polymerase II which is stalled upon binding to nascently synthesized TAR RNA during transcriptional elongation.
5. Bellow, Kierkegaard, and American Estheticism

A key theme of Saul Bellow’s 1970 novel Mr. Sammler’s Planet is humanity’s quest for selfunderstanding. Several approaches to that quest circulate in the dramatic world that Bellow crafts. Among the most prominent approaches are those guided by theories purporting to have comprehensive explanatory power – physics, psychoanalysis, and Marxist economics, for example – and popular “culture,” which, as a whole, seems to celebrate arbitrariness and the ability to defy explanation. Both approaches, the “scientific” and the “artistic,” respectively are distinctively modern in the sense that they abdicate on the question of whether or not human beings are characterized by having a proper end, or telos, let alone the question of what such an end might be. In Bellow’s modern America, the human quest for self-understanding is either reduced to an intellectual exercise in description (that is often materialistic) or rendered obsolete by an emphasis on complete self-fashioning. In the case of the former, understanding seems to imply a deterministic destruction of the self; in the latter, radical freedom preserves individuality at the price of understanding. In this article, I examine Bellow’s dramatic critique of these approaches to the quest for selfunderstanding and his portrayal of an alternative existential approach that is more humane even as it is grounded in faith and accepts mystery as a permanent feature of the human condition. Bellow’s existentialism follows Kierkegaard, whose concepts I use in my examination because Sammler refers to them explicitly, in suggesting that the defining task of human life was to become a “true” or “authentic” self: a self that is passionately oriented toward and formed in light of an encounter with the source of existence and truth. This task often leads individuals through the three “spheres” of life Kierkegaard described: the ethical, the esthetic, and the religious. Bellow’s novel depicts characters moving through these spheres and suggests that while individuals who seriously embark on the quest for authentic selfhood cannot achieve perfection, they may gain self-understanding and find themselves prepared to assess and to confront the realities of finite or temporal existence in a way that avoids the pitfalls of the scientific and artistic approaches. For Bellow, self-understanding emerges as requiring a certain ethical-religious outlook consisting in a genuine concern for others that is grounded in openness to divine being and the obligations that knowledge of the divine imposes on human passion, action, and thought.
A Neu differentiation factor (NDF) domain essential for proliferation and alterations in morphology of colonic epithelial cells in vitro.

The Neu Differentiation Factors (NDFs, also termed “heregulins”) are a family of proteins that were first isolated as ligands for the HER2 (erbB2, or p185neu) receptor protein tyrosine kinase. Here we show that NDF acts to stimulate the proliferation and alter the cellular morphology of colonic epithelial cells in culture. Dramatic NDF-induced changes in cellular morphology were noted in the colonic epithelial cell line, LIM 1215. In addition, the expression of specific cell proteins, such as carcinoembryonic antigen and integrin β4, was induced in LIM 1215 cells by NDF. These effects were more pronounced with the β isoform than with the a isoform of NDF. The EGF-homology domain of NDFβ was sufficient to stimulate the proliferation and alteration in cell morphology. The use of chemically synthesized chimeric NDFα and NDFβ proteins enabled us to identify a region of seven amino acids in the EGF-homology domain of NDFβ that is required for both activities. These in vitro experiments suggest that NDF may act...
Adaptive HSI data processing and spectral recovery

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) sensors collect spatially resolved data in hundreds of spectral channels. While the technology matures and finds broad applications, data downlink from the collection platform and near real-time processing remain key challenges, especially for near-term spaceborne sensors. It is desirable to process the data on-board for near real-time analysis and downlink compressed data allowing near full spectral recovery for post-mission analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) can be used to determine the reduced dimensionality and separate noise components in the data. While PCA is useful for image feature analysis such as smoke/cloud discrimination (Griffin, et al., 2000), it can also be used as a data compression tool. With PCA, the majority of information in an HSI data cube is effectively compressed to a small number of principal components. The data volume is significantly reduced while the feature contrast is enhanced. Spectral information can be recovered from the compressed data with minimal loss. In this paper, the reconstructed data are compared to the original "truth" data with difference analysis using sample AVIRIS imagery. This methodology also allows for the HSI data to be used adaptively for various multispectral band simulations without the constraint of data volume and processing burden. Based on AVIRIS data, emulation of MODIS sensor bands are carried out and compared with the PCA-reconstructed data. Two products are also derived and compared: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the integrated column water vapor (CWV) using the full set of AVIRIS data and the reconstructed spectral information.
Impact of repeated stress on traumatic brain injury-induced mitochondrial electron transport chain expression and behavioral responses in rats.

A significant proportion of the military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have suffered from both mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The mechanisms are unknown. We used a rat model of repeated stress and mTBI to examine brain activity and behavioral function. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: Naive; 3 days repeated tail-shock stress; lateral fluid percussion mTBI; and repeated stress followed by mTBI (S-mTBI). Open field activity, sensorimotor responses, and acoustic startle responses were measured after mTBI. The protein expression of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex subunits (CI-V) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHE1α1) were determined in 4 brain regions at day 7 post mTBI. Compared to Naives, repeated stress decreased horizontal activity; repeated stress and mTBI both decreased vertical activity; and the mTBI and S-mTBI groups were impaired in sensorimotor and acoustic startle responses. Repeated stress significantly increased CI, CII, and CIII protein levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but decreased PDHE1α1 protein in the PFC and cerebellum, and decreased CIV protein in the hippocampus. The mTBI treatment decreased CV protein levels in the ipsilateral hippocampus. The S-mTBI treatment resulted in increased CII, CIII, CIV, and CV protein levels in the PFC, increased CI level in the cerebellum, and increased CIII and CV levels in the cerebral cortex, but decreased CI, CII, CIV, and PDHE1α1 protein levels in the hippocampus. Thus, repeated stress or mTBI alone differentially altered ETC expression in heterogeneous brain regions. Repeated stress followed by mTBI had synergistic effects on brain ETC expression, and resulted in more severe behavioral deficits. These results suggest that repeated stress could have contributed to the high incidence of long-term neurologic and neuropsychiatric morbidity in military personnel with or without mTBI.
Renal potassium channels: function, regulation, and structure

Renal potassium channels: Function, regulation and structure. Many transport functions in renal tubules depend on potassium (K) channels. Not only does K secretion and the maintenance of external K balance depend on K channel activity in principal tubule cells, but K channels also regulate cell volume; they are an integral party of cell function in all tubule cells because of their key role in the generation of the cell-negative electrical potential that affects the transmembrane movement of many charged solutes. Moreover, the recycling of K across the apical membrane of the thick ascending limb (TAL) plays an important role in the control of NaCl reabsorption in this tubule segment. Significant progress in our understanding of the structure and function of renal K channels has become possible by combining several strategies. These include transport studies in single tubules, application of the patch-clamp technique for exploring the properties of single K channels in native tubules and the cloning, and expression of diverse K channels of renal origin. Insights from these investigations promise to provide a deeper understanding of the mechanism by which K channels participate in many diverse tubule functions.
Assembly of the Truncated Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Dμ into Antigen Receptor–Like Complexes in Pre-B Cells but Not in B Cells

Rearrangements of the IgH locus with JH joined to reading frame 2 of DH are greatly underrepresented in B cells. These rearrangements encode the truncated heavy chain D mu. In pre-B cells, we found D mu protein expressed on the cell surface and assembled into a complex with surrogate light chains, Ig alpha, and Ig beta. Cross-linking of either mu m- or D mu m- containing pre-B cell receptors triggered signal transduction reactions. In contrast, when expressed in mature B cell lines, D mu was not detected on the cell surface and did not efficiently bind kappa immunoglobulin light chains, but did associate with Ig alpha and Ig beta. These results characterize the interactions of D mu chain with other components of the B cell antigen receptor complex and suggest possible mechanisms by which D mu expression may interfere with B cell development.
Microinjections of glutamate within trigeminal subnucleus interpolaris alters adrenal and autonomic function in the cat.

Abstract The influence of rostral portions of the trigeminal sensory complex on adrenal and autonomic function was assessed by microinjections of l -glutamate (500 or 5 mM, 100 nl) directed at subnucleus interpolaris (Vi) or at the nucleus principalis/subnucleus oralis level (Vp/Vo) in chloralose-anesthetized cats. Microinjections of glutamate (500 mM) within Vi evoked prompt (by + 1 min) dose-related increases in the adrenal secretion of epinephrine ( +11.4±2.5ng/min, P ), adrenal blood flow ( +0.19±0.06 ml/min, P |s 0.05), mean arterial pressure ( +6.6±3.0mmHg, P ) and heart rate ( +8.0±2.7beats/min, P ). Microinjections of lower doses of l -glutamate ( 5mM, n = 7 ) within Vi had no effect. Microinjections of 500 mM glutamate within Vp/Vo ( n = 15 ) or within the spinal trigeminal tract ( n = 13 ) had no consistent effect on adrenal or autonomic function. Plasma concentrations of ACTH were not altered significantly by glutamate regardless of dose or of the site of injection. The results suggest that local release of glutamate within Vi, but not within Vp/Vo, influences adrenal and autonomic function. Together with previous results obtained after injections of glutamate within subnucleus caudalis, these data indicate that glutaminergic input to both Vi and to more caudal portions of the spinal trigeminal nucleus contribute to the control of autonomic function such as that which often accompanies trigeminal nociception.
SU-GG-T-485: Comparison of Rush University In-House Dose Optimizer and Nucletron IPSA

Purpose: We quantitatively compared the Rush University In‐house Optimizer (RUIDO) with the Inverse Planning with Simulated Annealing (IPSA) used in Nucletron Plato Treatment Planning System. Method and Materials: RUIDO uses Adaptive Simulated Annealing (ASA) optimization algorithm, which is capable of optimizing a plan based on either physical dose, EUD, or TCP/NTCP. In this study, only physical dose optimization is compared. Three Syed implant HDR cases were planned using both RUIDO and IPSA. For each case, the number and positions of the catheters remain the same, and dwell time for each source position is optimized. Based on the Dose‐Volume‐Histogram (DVH) from both optimized plans, detailed comparison of coverage (CI), homogeneity (HI), and overdose (OI), etc. were performed. The source strengths in RUIDO plans were scaled to provide similar CI as the corresponding IPSA plan during plan comparison. Results: For all three cases, the normalized RUIDO plans show similar CI (within 0.1%) as the IPSA plans. In two cases, RUIDO plans appear better with higher HI (9% and 16%) and lower OI (16% and 45%). In the third case, two plans were tied, as RUIDO plan shows preferable HI (13% higher) but less preferable OI (12% lower). In addition, for all three cases, mean dose in both plans agree within 7%. It takes 10–15 seconds for IPSA to optimize the plan once. However, it might take several more trials for the user to obtain the optimal set of parameters depending on the user's experience. RUIDO plan, on the other hand, can generate the optimized plan within minutes (1–16 minutes), but it only takes one trial to do this hence needs possible shorter overall planning time. Conclusion: RUIDO is able to provide equivalent plan with possible shorter overall planning time compared with IPSA and is less user‐dependent. Partially funded by Varian Medical Systems.
Neuropathologies of the self: Clinical and anatomical features

The neuropathologies of the self (NPS) are disorders of the self and identity that occur in association with neuropathology and include perturbations of the bodily, relational, and narrative self. Right, especially medial-frontal and orbitofrontal lesions, are associated with these conditions. The ego disequilibrium theory proposes this brain pathology causes a disturbance of ego boundaries and functions and the emergence of developmentally immature styles of thought, ego functioning, and psychological defenses including denial, projection, splitting, and fantasy that the NPS patient has in common with the child. I hypothesize that during brain development between approximately ages 3 and 7 immature defensive functions and fantasies tend to be replaced by mature defenses and the inhibition of fantasy a process that depends upon maturational processes within the right hemisphere. I propose a four-tiered model of the NPS that emphasizes a multifactorial approach and includes both negative and positive, bottom up and top down, and neuropsychological and psychological factors.
Photoperiodic Effects on Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Content and the GnRH-Immunoreactive Neuronal System of Male Siberian Hamsters

Despite profound photoperiodic differences in circulating gonadotropin levels, consistent differences in the GnRH system have not been observed in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) housed chronically in short or long days. During the transition from short to long days, however, male hamsters exhibit a transient increase in the number of cells expressing preproGnRH mRNA on the morning of the second long day. Here, we present two experiments designed to examine whether or not this change in mRNA level is associated with changes in GnRH protein synthesis. In the first experiment, we used RIA to measure GnRH content in preoptic area-mediobasal hypothalamic homogenates. We observed a significant increase in GnRH protein levels on the morning of the second long day relative to short- and long-day controls. The latter two groups did not differ from one another. In the second experiment, we used immunocytochemistry to quantify GnRH cell number in the various treatment groups. GnRH-immunoreactive (-ir) cell number did not increase significantly after long-day transfer relative to that in short-day controls; however, both of these groups had significantly more GnRH-ir neurons than long-day controls. We hypothesize that during the transition from short to long days, male Siberian hamsters experience a transient increase in GnRH production in a stable population of neurons. When GnRH secretion subsequently increases on long days, peptide content within neuronal cell bodies declines, leading to a decrease in the number of immunoreactive neurons detected. The rapid response of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis in Siberian hamsters to a change in day length defines a narrow temporal window in which to identify the physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms mediating the photoperiodic regulation of reproduction.
Effects of the carotid sinus reflex upon coronary vessel tone.

Abstract 1. 1. The authors have investigated the effects of the stimulation of dog's carotid sinus on coronary flow in an open-loop experiment where aortic pressure and heart rate were kept constant. 2. 2. While determination of myocardial oxygen consumption demonstrates that the metabolic state of the myocardium was unaltered by the procedure, there was a significant decrease in the coronary resistance (p 3. 3. Dependence of coronary vessels upon carotid sinus perfusion pressure was similarly demonstrated during cardiopulmonary bypass.
Interference Effects in the Resonance Fluorescence of "Crossed" Excited Atomic States

The recent spectroscopic method developed by Colegrove, Franken, Lewis, and Sands exploits interference effects that occur in the resonance fluorescence of atoms exhibiting pairs of "crossed" excited states. Some of the theoretical features of the technique are discussed in terms of the formalism developed by Breit from which the salient features of the observed lineshapes can be readily deduced. Alternative derivations of the Breit formula are given together with a discussion of the nature and representation of the requisite resonance radiation. (auth)
Total Synthesis of Vancomycin—Part 4: Attachment of the Sugar Moieties and Completion of the Synthesis

A number of valuable new synthetic strategies, such as the triazene-driven biaryl ether synthesis, have been developed during the total synthesis of vancomycin (1). Modern catalytic asymmetric reactions were employed for the construction of the required amino acid building blocks, which were then assembled to the appropriate peptide fragments, whose cyclization in the order C-O-D→AB/C-O-D→AB/C-O-D-E led to framework of the vancomycin aglycon (2). Sequential attachment of the required sugar moieties onto a suitably protected aglycon derivative, followed by deprotection, allowed the stereoselective total synthesis of the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin (1).
Antagonistic cooperation: A case study of nongovernmental organizations, government and donor's relationships in income-generating projects in Bangladesh

Abstract The paper assesses the viability of income-generating projects in Bangladesh by analyzing the institutional context within which these projects are being implemented. By analyzing the perceptions of these projects among three key institutional actors — the government of Bangladesh, nongovernmental organizations and the international donors — the paper identifies a paradox: that despite strongly contending perceptions about the viability of these projects and about one another's roles in the design and implementation of them, the institutional actors continue to work together in implementing more of the same type of project. The paper concludes that this paradoxical outcome of both tripartite cooperation and conflict can be better explained by varying and converging institutional interests than by the theory of comparative advantage.
Latency and frequency of S-R and R-S associations as a function of recall time

Forward (S-R) and backward (R-S) associations were compared, with controls to insure that rehearsal was directional. Eighty Ss were given six study and two recall trials on a list of five pairs of single-digit numbers. Recall varied factorially with respect to direction (S-R vs. R-S) and rate (1.5 vs. 3.5 sec). To insure thorough familiarity with the task, each S had a practice session consisting of three learning and two recall trials in the same direction and at the same rate as in subsequent recall. For correct responses, S-R Ss had higher frequencies and shorter latencies than R-S Ss. The data were interpreted as contrary to the principle of associative symmetry.
Highly Porous Crosslinkable PLA‐PNB Block Copolymer Scaffolds

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-block-poly(norbornene) (PNB) copolymers which bear photocrosslinkable cinnamate side-chains are synthesized by combining the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornenes with the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactides. Highly porous 3D scaffolds with tunable pore sizes ranging from 20 to 300 µm are fabricated through liquid–solid phase separation. Scaffolds with an average pore size around 250 µm, which are under investigation as bone grafting materials, are reproducibly obtained from freeze-drying 5% w/v benzene solutions of PLA-b-PNB copolymers at −10 °C. As a demonstration of the impact of photocrosslinking of cinnamate side-chains, scaffolds are exposed to UV radiation for 8 h, resulting in a 33% increase in the compressive modulus of the polymeric scaffold. The foams and the methodology described herein represent a new strategy toward polymeric scaffolds with potential for use in regenerative medicine applications.
Monoterpene variability of Pinus monticola wood

Abstract Wood from 191 trees of Pinus monticola from 20 areas spanning the entire geographic range of this species was analysed for monoterpenes. Variability within and between populations was generally high. Trees from the Sierra Nevada were found to produce more 3-carene than trees from Oregon and coastal California. Although 3-carene reappeared in populations from Washington, British Columbia, Idaho and Montana, it was generally less frequently encountered than in California. Other monoterpenes exhibited marginally significant geographic relationships at best. No difference was found between monoterpenes from coastal Washington and British Columbia and from the Rocky Mountains of Canada and United States. The data were explained by (a) the existence of two Wisconsin glacial refugia—one in coastal California and Oregon and one east of the Sierra Nevada crest-and (b) ecotypic chemical differentiation.
Ability of Remnant Riparian Forests, With and Without Grass Filters, to Buffer Concentrated Surface Runoff

Knight, Kris W., Richard C. Schultz, Cathy M. Mabry, and Thomas M. Isenhart, 2010. Ability of Remnant Riparian Forests, With and Without Grass Filters, to Buffer Concentrated Surface Runoff. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):311-322. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00422.x Abstract: Riparian forest buffers established according to accepted conservation practice standards have been recommended as one of the most effective tools for mitigating nonpoint source pollution. The midwestern United States is characterized by many kilometers of narrow, naturally occurring forests along streams. However, little is known about the relative effectiveness of these remnant forests compared with these newly established buffers. This study compared the ability of naturally occurring remnant forests with and without adjacent planted grass filters to buffer concentrated flow paths (CFPs) originating in crop fields along first- and second-order streams in three northeast Missouri watersheds. Remnant forests breached by runoff through CFPs were narrower than those that dispersed 100% of the CFPs. Remnant forests with adjacent grass buffers were nearly twice the width as those without grass filters. We also found that CFPs, which developed within remnant forests and at the base of in-field grass waterways, were potential sources of sediments to streams. Methods to mitigate these CFPs warrant further investigation. Our study suggests that although these natural remnant forests provide substantial buffering capacity, both improved management and/or the addition of an adjacent grass filter would improve water quality by reducing sediment loss to streams. Inferences can be used to inform the design and management of similar conservation buffer systems within the region.
Ultrasound-Based Measurement of Molecular Marker Concentration in Large Blood Vessels: A Feasibility Study

Ultrasound molecular imaging has demonstrated efficacy in pre-clinical studies for cancer and cardiovascular inflammation. However, these techniques often require lengthy protocols because of waiting periods or additional control microbubble injections. Moreover, they are not capable of quantifying molecular marker concentration in human tissue environments that exhibit variable attenuation and propagation path lengths. Our group recently investigated a modulated acoustic radiation force-based imaging sequence, which was found to detect targeted adhesion independent of control measurements. In the present study, this sequence was tested against various experimental parameters to determine its feasibility for quantitative measurements of molecular marker concentration. Results indicated that measurements obtained from the sequence (residual-to-saturation ratio, Rresid) were independent of acoustic pressure and attenuation (p > 0.13, n = 10) when acoustic pressures were sufficiently low. The Rresid parameter exhibited a linear relationship with measured molecular marker concentration (R(2) > 0.94). Consequently, feasibility was illustrated in vitro, for quantification of molecular marker concentration in large vessels using a modulated acoustic radiation force-based sequence. Moreover, these measurements were independent of absolute acoustic reflection amplitude and used short imaging protocols (3 min) without control measurements.
Asymptomatic rapid ectopic tachycardia induced by and persisting during prolonged exertion.

Abstract A case is reported of a 39 year old healthy man who has a prolonged and unusual tachycardia, probably ventricular or atrioventricular junctional with aberration, with a rate of 214/min, during strenuous exertion in the upright position. This arrhythmia occurs whenever the exertion produced is vigorous enough to evoke a sinus tachycardia of 180/min and persists until the exertion is decreased and the sinus rate decreases below 180/min. The patient is free of cardiac symptoms both at rest and while running several miles daily during which time the unusual tachycardia is almost constantly present. There are no significant S-T segment changes during or after exercise.
Asymmetry in Velocity and Intensity Helioseismic Spectra: A Solution to a Long-standing Puzzle

We give an explanation for the opposite sense of asymmetry of the solar acoustic mode lines in velocity and intensity oscillation power spectra, thereby solving the half-decade-old puzzle of Duvall and coworkers. The solution came after comparing the velocity and intensity oscillation data of medium angular degree l obtained from the Michelson Doppler Imager instrument on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory with the theoretical power spectra. We conclude that the solar noise in the velocity and intensity spectra is made up of two components: one is correlated to the source that is responsible for driving the solar p-modes, and the other is an additive uncorrelated background. The correlated component of the noise affects the line profiles. The asymmetry of the intensity spectrum is reversed because the correlated component is of a sufficiently large level, while the asymmetry of the velocity spectrum remains unreversed because the correlated component is smaller. This also explains the high-frequency shift between velocity and intensity at and above the acoustic cutoff frequency. A composite source consisting of a monopole term (mass term) and a dipole term (force due to Reynolds stress) is found to explain the observed spectra when it is located in the zone of superadiabatic convection at a depth of 75±50 km below the photosphere.
Primary afferent and sacral dorsal horn neuron responses to vaginal probing in the cat.

Abstract An analysis was made of primary afferent and dorsal horn neuron responses to stimulation of genitalia of female cats. Three types of primary afferents responded to vaginal probing. The most common type responded maximally to the on- and off-ramps of non-noxious pressure applied directly to the clitoris. A second type responded similarly but to surrounding labia mucosa. The third type showed a tonic discharge during deep vaginal-cervical probing. None of the primary afferents that responded to vaginal probing exhibited after-responses to any stimulus. However, a majority (76%) of wide dynamic range dorsal horn neurons showed increased rates of firing that outlasted the duration of vaginal probing by at least 28 sec. No other type of dorsal horn neuron responded in this manner. It appears that after-responses of wide dynamic range neurons to vaginal stimulation cannot be attributed to after-responses of primary afferents or to supraspinal mechanisms but are produced by mechanisms within the spinal cord.
Cellular architecture and topographic organization of the inferior colliculus of the squirrel monkey

The inferior colliculus of the squirrel monkey is made up of a large central nucleus, bordered by the smaller external and pericentral nuclei. The majority of cells in the central nucleus exhibit a pronounced laminar arrangement due to the orientation of their dendrites. In medial sections of the nucleus these laminae lie in a dorsorostral to ventrocaudal direction. More laterally the layers assume a horizontal orientation and at the far lateral edge of the central nucleus come to lie in a ventrorostral to dorsocaudal orientation. A single tonotopic representation of audible frequencies is present in the central nucleus. A regular progression of best frequencies from low to high is encountered as a microelectrode advances from dorsocaudal to ventrorostral in the sagittal plane. Penetrations in more medial regions of the central nucleus encounter neurons whose best frequencies represent a higher range of frequencies than those in the lateral parts. The orientation of the isofrequency laminae determined physiologically appears congruent with the orientation of the dendritic laminae. The relative volume of the central nucleus devoted to each octave from 250 Hz to 32 kHz was determined. Frequencies up to eight kHz command successively larger amounts of collicular tissue. The octave band from 8 to 16 kHz is represented by the greatest amount of collicular tissue. Disproportionate representation of frequency may be the consequence of innervation density along the basilar membrane.