cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prenatal resident-intruder stress decreases levels of allopregnanolone in the cortex, hypothalamus, and midbrain of males, and increases levels in the hippocampus and cerebellum of female, juvenile rat offspring.

Abstract Prenatal stress (PNS) can influence behaviors associated with cognition, reward and emotional regulation, which are controlled by brain areas such as the cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, midbrain and cerebellum. Allopregnanolone in these regions modulates behavioral and parasympathetic effects. The current study tested whether exposing pregnant dams to 5 days of resident-intruder stress on prenatal days 15–20 for 10 min altered the levels of allopregnanolone in cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampus, midbrain, and cerebellum of male and female juvenile offspring. In cortex, hypothalamus, and midbrain of male rats exposed to prenatal stress, levels of allopregnanolone were significantly lower compared to all other groups. In the hippocampus and cerebellum, among females exposed to prenatal stress levels were significantly higher compared to all other groups. These differences in allopregnanolone levels varying by prenatal stress, sex and brain regions provide insight in potential mechanism of stress regulation and etiopathophysiology of stress-related disorders.
Mitochondrial transplantation for myocardial protection in ex-situ‒perfused hearts donated after circulatory death.

Purpose Donation after circulatory death (DCD) offers an additional source of cardiac allografts, potentially allowing expansion of the donor pool. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of mitochondrial transplantation to improve myocardial function in DCD hearts. Methods Cardiocirculatory death was induced in Yorkshire pigs (40-50 kg, n=22) by cessation of mechanical ventilation. After 20 minutes of warm ischemia, cardioplegia was administered. The hearts were then reperfused on an ex-situ blood perfusion system for 240 minutes. Following 15 minutes of ex-situ perfusion, mitochondria (5 × 109 in respiration buffer, Mitochondria, n=8) or respiration buffer alone (Vehicle, n=8) were delivered as a single bolus to the coronary arteries. A control group (Sham, n=6) was not subjected to warm ischemia. Hearts were perfused in a resting mode for 120 minutes before converting the system to a continuous isovolumic loading mode. Left ventricular (LV) global function, myocardial oxygen consumption, and arterial lactates were compared by two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni adjustment. Results At the end of 240 minutes of reperfusion, LV peak developed pressure (LVdevP) and dP/dt max were significantly higher in the Sham group than in Vehicle (p 0.05), which was significantly lower in Vehicle (p=0.004). No differences were found in arterial lactate levels (Figure D) (p> 0.05). Conclusion Mitochondrial transplantation significantly preserves myocardial function and oxygen consumption in DCD hearts, thus providing an additional possible benefit for expanding heart donor pool.
Combating Dependence Explosion in Forensic Analysis Using Alternative Tag Propagation Semantics

We are witnessing a rapid escalation in targeted cyber-attacks called Advanced and Persistent Threats (APTs). Carried out by skilled adversaries, these attacks take place over extended time periods, and remain undetected for months. A common approach for retracing the attacker’s steps is to start with one or more suspicious events from system logs, and perform a dependence analysis to uncover the rest of attacker’s actions. The accuracy of this analysis suffers from the dependence explosion problem, which causes a very large number of benign events to be flagged as part of the attack. In this paper, we propose two novel techniques, tag attenuation and tag decay, to mitigate dependence explosion. Our techniques take advantage of common behaviors of benign processes, while providing a conservative treatment of processes and data with suspicious provenance. Our system, called Morse, is able to construct a compact scenario graph that summarizes attacker activity by sifting through millions of system events in a matter of seconds. Our experimental evaluation, carried out using data from two government-agency sponsored red team exercises, demonstrates that our techniques are (a) effective in identifying stealthy attack campaigns, (b) reduce the false alarm rates by more than an order of magnitude, and (c) yield compact scenario graphs that capture the vast majority of the attack, while leaving out benign background activity.
Learning as Reinforcement: Applying Principles of Neuroscience for More General Reinforcement Learning Agents

A significant challenge in developing AI that can generalize well is designing agents that learn about their world without being told what to learn, and apply that learning to challenges with sparse rewards. Moreover, most traditional reinforcement learning approaches explicitly separate learning and decision making in a way that does not correspond to biological learning. We implement an architecture founded in principles of experimental neuroscience, by combining computationally efficient abstractions of biological algorithms. Our approach is inspired by research on spike-timing dependent plasticity, the transition between short and long term memory, and the role of various neurotransmitters in rewarding curiosity. The Neurons-in-a-Box architecture can learn in a wholly generalizable manner, and demonstrates an efficient way to build and apply representations without explicitly optimizing over a set of criteria or actions. We find it performs well in many environments including OpenAI Gym's Mountain Car, which has no reward besides touching a hard-to-reach flag on a hill, Inverted Pendulum, where it learns simple strategies to improve the time it holds a pendulum up, a video stream, where it spontaneously learns to distinguish an open and closed hand, as well as other environments like Google Chrome's Dinosaur Game.
Chiral-induced spin selectivity enables a room-temperature spin light-emitting diode

In traditional optoelectronic approaches, control over spin, charge, and light requires the use of both electrical and magnetic fields. In a spin-polarized light-emitting diode (spin-LED), charges are injected, and circularly polarized light is emitted from spin-polarized carrier pairs. Typically, the injection of carriers occurs with the application of an electric field, whereas spin polarization can be achieved using an applied magnetic field or polarized ferromagnetic contacts. We used chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) to produce spin-polarized carriers and demonstrate a spin-LED that operates at room temperature without magnetic fields or ferromagnetic contacts. The CISS layer consists of oriented, self-assembled small chiral molecules within a layered organic-inorganic metal-halide hybrid semiconductor framework. The spin-LED achieves ±2.6% circularly polarized electroluminescence at room temperature.
Karyotypic complexity, TP53 pathogenic variants, and increased number of variants on Next-Generation Sequencing are associated with disease progression in a North American Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma cohort.

Introduction Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) is an aggressive T-cell malignancy without known characteristic cytogenetic abnormalities. Recurrent mutations in TP53, APC, and epigenetic and histone-modifying genes have been identified in North American ATLL. Their roles in disease progression are not yet fully elucidated. Methods We studied the cytogenetic and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) findings of the North American ATLL cohort at our institution and compared the findings with Japanese and other North American cohorts. We also analyzed the genetic variants in TP53, APC, and histone-modifying genes and investigated the impact of their mutations on the number of mutations via NGS in ATLL. Results Cases with more than 6 chromosomal breaks (n = 13) had significantly shorter overall survival compared to cases with fewer chromosomal breaks (n = 7) (P = .0007). Cases with breaks on chromosome 3q (n = 4) exhibited worse survival compared to the rest of the cases (n = 16) (P = .012). Chromosomal abnormalities on 3q, 14q, 1q, 1p, and 17q are likely primary changes in ATLL based on frequency and association with prognosis. The average number of mutations via NGS was significantly higher in cases with mutations in TP53 (n = 8) (P = .020) as well as APC (n = 6) (P = .024) compared to cases without mutations in these genes. All TP53 variants were pathogenic missense and truncating mutations in COSMIC database. Conclusion Cytogenetic and NGS methods are useful tools to monitor disease progression in indolent ATLL and assess prognosis in aggressive ATLL.
Left ventricular activation time and pattern are preserved with both selective and nonselective His bundle pacing

Background His bundle pacing (HBP) can be achieved in 2 ways: selective HBP (S-HBP), where the His bundle is captured alone, and nonselective HBP (NS-HBP), where local myocardium is also captured, resulting a pre-excited electrocardiogram appearance. Objective We assessed the impact of this ventricular pre-excitation on left and right ventricular dyssynchrony. Methods We recruited patients who displayed both S-HBP and NS-HBP. We performed noninvasive epicardial electrical mapping for left and right ventricular activation time (LVAT and RVAT) and pattern. Results Twenty patients were recruited. In the primary analysis, the mean within-patient change in LVAT from S-HBP to NS-HBP was -5.5 ms (95% confidence interval: -0.6 to -10.4, noninferiority P Conclusion Compared to S-HBP, local myocardial capture during NS-HBP produces pre-excitation of the basal right ventricle resulting in QRS duration prolongation. However, NS-HBP preserves the left ventricular activation time and pattern of S-HBP. Left ventricular dyssynchrony is not an important factor when choosing between S-HBP and NS-HBP in most patients.
Using Deuterium Exchange and Mass Spectrometry to Study Protein Structure

Proteins are surely among nature’s most magical molecules. Linear polymers derived from a rather small, well-defined set of amino acids, they orchestrate every cellular process with exquisite selectivity and efficiency. While the order of amino acids, the protein’s primary sequence, is important; it is really the folding of the linear chain that brings together the key functional groups to make the protein biologically active. Mass spectrometry (MS) plays an important role in protein sequence determination, and in the identification of post-translational modification [1, 2], but for higher-order structural information biochemists turn to other types of spectroscopy: NMR, X-ray crystallography, circular dichroism (CD), neutron diffraction. The development of gentle ionization techniques for mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI), have tremendously expanded the impact mass spectrometry can have on protein chemistry. The majority of applications of these techniques remains in the area of primary structure determination. Increasingly, however, investigators are realizing that mass spectra can provide important clues about higher-order structure of proteins [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. The gentleness of the ionization may not disrupt many of the vital non-covalent interactions responsible for protein folding and function. The extreme importance of protein folding, coupled with the shortcomings of all existing methods of its investigation, will lead to an explosive growth in the application of mass spectrometry in this field over the next several years.
MEASURING $\mathcal{B}(D^+ \to \mu^+ \nu)$ AND THE PSEUDOSCALAR DECAY CONSTANT fD+

In 60 pb-1 of data taken on the ψ(3770) resonance with the CLEO-c detector, we find 8 D+ → μ+ν- event candidates that are mostly signal, containing only 1 estimated background. Using this statistically compelling sample, we measure the value of , and determine fD+ = (198 ± 41 ± 17) MeV.
Cell Separation in Blue-Green Bacteria

Autolysin-like enzymes appear to be responsible for cell separation in Agmenellum quadruplicatum. Mutants that are impaired in cell separation and grow as chains exhibit reduced cell lytic activity. Lysozyme, extracted autolysin, and antibiotics that affect peptidoglycan synthesis phenotypically suppress chain formation. Various aspects of the regulation of the cell separation process were also examined. Studies involving antibiotic inhibitors of macromolecular synthesis and general growth inhibitors provided no evidence for the active regulation of the cell separation process during the latter portion of the division cycle. Evidence was obtained, however, for the partial restriction of peptidogly-can hydrolysis by unknown secondary modifications. The thin electron-dense layer of peptidoglycan along the sides of cells was much more resistant to hydrolysis by egg-white lysozyme than was the septum between daughter cells. The middle portion of the septum was more sensitive than was the layer immediately adjacent to the cytoplasmic membrane. Under conditions that would not osmotically stabilize spheroplasts, lysozyme facilitates rapid cell separation in chain-forming mutants with little leakage of cellular protein or loss of viability.
PBDE flame retardants: Toxicokinetics and thyroid hormone endocrine disruption in fish

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardant chemicals that have been used in large quantities and are now detected worldwide in humans and wildlife. To complement reviews of effects on human health, this review discusses and synthesizes current evidence of PBDE toxicokinetics and toxicity mechanisms leading to perturbations of thyroid hormone homeostasis in fish. PBDE disruptions to thyroid signaling in fish appear to proceed through multiple pathways involving declines in circulating thyroid hormones, disrupted deiodination activity, hindered hormone transport, and altered transcriptional regulation of genes involved in thyroid hormone production, transport, and genomic signaling. PBDE exposures have also been linked to impacts on reproductive health with reductions in fecundity, spawning, hatching success, and offspring survival observed in some species, as well as impaired fertility. These studies on PBDE mediated hormone disruption in fish can help inform future st...
Use of isopotential points to elucidate ion exchange reaction mechanisms

Abstract A model for the occurrence of isopotential points in ion exchange voltammetry is developed. The model is applied to the reaction of Cr(bpy)33+ at clay-modified electrodes and is tested via variations in the solution concentration of Cr(bpy)33+, the charge of the clay, and the electrolyte concentration. The experimental observation of isopotential points is well described by the simulated multisweep cyclic voltammograms for the suggested reaction mechanism. The results indicate that the mode of the reaction of Cr(bpy)33+ is easily controlled via the predominating pore size within the film and by the presence of the competing ion-exchange cation.
Water and Energy Systems: A Planning Model

In regions where energy facilities place major demands on the water resources, it is desirable to plan the development of these systems with an understanding of their interrelationships. A mathematical model of these interlocking systems is described. The major model components are the supply and demand points for water, electrical power, and pipeline gas that is produced from coal. The model allocates water to the various demands and locates energy facilities by subregions. Linear programming is used to evaluate the model that is designed for preliminary screening purposes. An application to Illinois demonstrates the utility of sensitivity analysis and parameterization techniques for examining trends and tradeoffs for alternative regional plans. The example also demonstrates the interrelated nature of the water-resources and energy systems and demonstrates the potential impact of a large new coal-conversion industry on water resources.
In the beginning was the doing: the premises of the practical syllogism

If practical reasoning deserves its name, its form must be different from that of ordinary (theoretical) reasoning. A few have thought that the conclusion of practical reasoning is an action, rather than a mental state. I argue here that if the conclusion is an action, then so too is one of the premises. You might reason your way from doing one thing to doing another: from browsing journal abstracts to reading a particular journal article. I motivate this by sympathetically re-examining Hume's claim that a conclusion about what ought to be done follows only from an argument one of whose premises is likewise about what ought to be done.
Fluorine Compounds, Inorganic, Fluoroboric Acid and Fluoroborates

Fluoroboric acid and the fluoroborates are commercially important to a variety of industries. The acid is used in plating circuits, in metal finishing, in the production of aluminum, and as an acid catalyst. Main group metal and ammonium fluoroborates find use as fluxes, as catalysts, and in flame-retardant manufacture. Transition- and other heavy-metal fluoroborate salts are used in the plating industry and as catalysts. Properties and manufacture are described.
Radiation treatment planning for malignant astrocytomas

Treatment planning for malignant astrocytomas has been an area of controversy for the past 30 years. Several key studies have supported widely divergent treatment philosophies. Before the availability of computerized tomography (CT) scanning, whole brain irradiation (WBRT) was necessary to ensure adequate tumor coverage, due to limitations of less-sophisticated imaging studies. Following the introduction of high-quality CT scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there was a shift to the use of more-limited radiation fields to treat only the contrast-enhancing tumor plus a margin. Additional impetus for use of smaller treatment fields came from studies implicating WBRT in cerebral dysfunction in long-term survivors.‘~* Recently, the appeal of limited field irradiation has been tempered by biopsy and autopsy studies that suggest wider migration of malignant cells than previously believed?” There have thus emerged two schools of thought. One is that patients should receive limited field irradiation, with the hope of avoiding mental deterioration in the few long-term survivors. The opposite argument is that patients should receive WBRT in order to treat all potential sites of tumor infiltration in all patients. While both points of view have merit, they must be reconciled with the fact that many patients will die of their disease within 1 year of diagnosis, regardless of the radiation fields used. The bulk of retrospective data available do not show a survival advantage to large versus small field irradiation (for review, see reference 5). The first study to systematically analyze radiation planning for high-grade astrocytomas was published by Concannon et al” in 1960. Partial brain irradiation (PBRT) fields were compared with tumor volumes identified at autopsy in 2 1 patients who died shortly after starting treatment. The fields were designed
Putative nociceptive modulating neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla of the rat: firing of on- and off-cells is related to nociceptive responsiveness.

In the unstimulated, lightly anesthetized rat, both on- and off-cells exhibit alternating periods of silence and activity lasting from several seconds to a few minutes. In the preceding paper, we showed that the active periods of all cells of the same class are always in phase, whereas the firing of cells of different classes is invariably out of phase. Thus, the pattern of firing of any single on- or off-cell provides a useful indication of the excitability of all on- and off-cells in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM).In this study, we measured the latency of the tail flick response (TF) at set intervals while recording from TF-related neurons in RVM, and were able to demonstrate a significant relationship between the spontaneous firing of both on- and off-cells and the latency of the TF response. If noxious heat is applied at a time when an off-cell is spontaneously active (or an on-cell is silent), the TF latency is longer than if the TF trial falls during a period in which the off-cell is silent ...
Calcium-induced condensation-reorganization phenomena in multilamellar vesicles of phosphatidic acid. pH potentiometric and 31P-NMR, Raman and ESR spectroscopic studies.

Abstract In biological membranes, the anionic characteristics of the polar headgroup of phosphatidic acids are responsible for structural changes induced by Ca 2+ in many cellular processes. The very simple headgroup structure of dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA) offers particular advantages as a model to study the interactions between Ca 2+ and natural phosphatidic acids such as cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine. The effects of calcium ions on DPPA membranes have been studied as a function of temperature by potentiometry and by Raman, ESR and 31 P-NMR spectroscopies. The protons in monosodic DPPA liposomes have been considered as a probe to detect pH variations resulting from introduction of Ca 2+ inside the membrane. This method has also allowed us to determine the stoichiometry of this reaction: 2 DPPA(H) + Ca 2+ → Ca(DPPA) 2 + 2H + . 31 P-NMR spectroscopy has been used to detect reorganization-condensation phenomena in multilamellar vesicles of DPPA under the influence of calcium and temperature. Furthermore, the temperature profiles obtained from Raman spectra for Ca(DPPA) 2 membranes provide conclusive evidence that Ca 2+ induces major reorganization of the phosphatidic acid component into a highly ordered phase. Quantitative estimates of the degree of motional restriction of spin-labeled soaps embedded inside membranes composed of DPPA with or without Ca 2+ have been made using ESR technique. These results are discussed and compared to those found previously for a natural phosphatidic acids such as phosphatidylserine.
Neurosurgical Coverage: Essential, Desired, or Irrelevant for Good Patient Care and Trauma Center Status

and Background Data: As a result of many factors, the availability of neurosurgeons (NS) to care for trauma patients (TP) is increasingly sparse. This has precipitated a crisis in access to neurosurgical support in many trauma systems, often placing undue burden on level I centers. This study examines the profile of head-injured (HI) trauma patients and their actual need for the specific expertise of a neurosurgeon. Methods: The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was queried for specific information relating to the volume, nature, timeliness, and outcome of HI TP. Study patients were identified by reported International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition (ICD-9) codes denoting open (OHI) or closed head injury (CHI) in isolation or in combination with other injuries. Results: Total number of NTDB patients studied was 731,823, of which 213,357 (29%) had a reported HI. CHI represented 22% of all TP and 74% of HI. OHI was reported in 8% of all TP and was 26% of HI. Craniotomy (crani) was performed in 3.6% of all HI (1% of all TP). This was in 2.8% of OHI and 2.6% of CHI. Mean Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS) of crani patients was 9, and 13 for the noncrani group. Subdural hematoma occurred in 18% of HI (5% of TP), with 13% undergoing crani. Epidural hematoma occurred in 10% of HI (3% of all TP), with 17% undergoing crani. Median time to OR for all cranis was 195 minutes (195 for CHI; 183 for OHI). Of all cranis, 6.5% were performed within 1 hour of hospital admission. intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring was reportedly used in 0.7% of TP and 2.2% of HI. Conclusions: Care of TP with HI rarely requires the explicit expertise and immediate presence of a neurosurgeon due to volume and nature of care. HI was diagnosed in <30% of TP reported to the NTDB. Over 95% required nonoperative management alone, with only 1% of all TP and 2%-4% of HI TP requiring crani and/or ICP monitoring. Immediate availability of NS is not essential if a properly trained and credentialed trauma surgeon or other health care provider can appropriately monitor patients for neurologic demise and effect early transfer to a center capable of, and committed to, operative and postoperative neurosurgical care. A subgroup of patients known to have a high propensity for the specific expertise of a neurosurgeon may be able to be identified for direct transport to these committed centers.
Msurf: a rapid and general program for the representation of molecular surfaces

Abstract A program for the generation of shaded surface images of molecular structures is described. The program has been specifically designed to be readily implemented on modern raster work stations and the new generation of microcomputers. The high level of device-independence is obtained by generating images in the memory of the computer and then transferring them to the display device. Use of graphical primitives gives excellent performance. Hidden surface removal is obtained with the depth-buffer algorithm. Molecular structures can be illustrated either with shaded spheres or with shaded cylinders directed along chemical bonds.
A Non-Deterministic Approach to Concept Selection Using S-Pareto Frontiers

The most significant design decisions are typically made during the conceptual phase of the engineering design process, when critical design features are proposed, evaluated and selected. In this paper, we explore the critical task of concept selection and propose a non-deterministic, optimization-based approach for selecting the most promising concept. The method presented in this paper builds upon the recently-proposed s-Pareto based concept selection approach. Within the framework of the s-Pareto approach, so-called s-Pareto frontiers are obtained by using the definition of Pareto optimality to identify Pareto optimal solutions that pertain to a set of distinct concepts. These s-Pareto frontiers are used to assess the tradeoffs between various proposed concepts during conceptual design. The s-Pareto approach is a marked departure from traditional concept selection methods and from the traditional use of Pareto frontiers. In this work the s-Pareto approach is extended to include uncertainties caused by stochastic design parameters as well as low model fidelity. More specifically, the reliability of design decisions is accounted for in the decision-making process. Two approaches are presented for performing non-deterministic concept selection. Two examples are given that support the approach.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Conditioning of the nictitating membrane response of the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) as a function of length and degree of variation of intertrial interval

The study involved three experiments. The first, a parametric investigation of nictitating membrane conditioning with eight constant intertrial intervals (ITIs) between 5 and 120 sec, orthogonal to interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 250 and 750 msec plus three temporal conditioning control groups, revealed that performance improved rapidly with increasing ITI but stabilized at relatively low ITI values. At 750-msec ISI, a decrement in performance was found at 60-sec ITI. Experiment II, using constant ITIs of 45–75 sec in 5-sec steps, at 750-msec ISI confirmed the trend toward a performance decrement around 60 sec, although the trend was weak and highly variable. Experiment III evaluated the differences in performance between constant and variable ITI, using three ITI values and three conditions of variation at each value. Findings were discussed in terms of differences in conditioning resulting from both length and degree of variation of ITI and some subtle effects which may emerge only when constant ITIs are used.
Detection and recognition of increments and decrements in auditory intensity

Os’ performance in the detection of increments and decrements in the intensity of a pure tone was compared with their performance in an increment-decrement recognition experiment. Recognition performance improved, relative to detection performance, as signal duration increased. This is surprising from the point of view of all stimulus models within signal detection theory. These data and others are described in terms of a change detection mechanism.
Sexual dimorphism of perineal muscles and motoneurons in spotted hyenas

Female spotted hyenas are known for their male-like genitalia, high levels of aggression, and dominance over males, characteristics which are attributed to exposure to elevated levels of testosterone in utero. Although the nervous system of spotted hyenas has not previously been examined, one might predict that neural systems which are sexually dimorphic in other mammals would be monomorphic in this species. Spinal motoneurons which innervate muscles associated with the phallus are located in Onuf's nucleus and are more numerous in males than in females in a wide array of mammals. Onuf's nucleus was examined in adult and neonatal spotted hyenas and, contrary to expectation, was found to be sexually dimorphic in the typical mammalian pattern: Males have significantly more motoneurons in Onuf's nucleus than do females. This dimorphism was correlated with a previously undescribed dimorphism in the relevant target musculature. Specifically, the morphology of the bulbocavernosus muscle is distinctly different in male and female spotted hyenas. Pregnant hyenas were treated with anti-androgen in an attempt to interfere with the actions of androgen during fetal development. Motoneuron number in Onuf's nucleus and the morphology of the bulbocavernosus muscle were feminized in males exposed to anti-androgen in utero.
Not all "distractor" tags are created equal: using a search asymmetry to dissociate the inter-trial effects caused by different forms of distractors.

In a typical pop-out task, there is one target and a varying number of distractor stimuli. Now imagine a target-absent display in the context of a pop-out task: all items are identical, and it is decidedly easy to conclude that all items in the display are distractors, precisely because there is no target to select on that display. One may be tempted to say that, as far as the attention system is concerned, these two types of distractors are the same: target-present distractors and target-absent distractors. The present study proposes that this is actually not the case. Target-absent distractors can sometimes produce inter-trial effects that their close-cousins, the target-present distractors, cannot. We used a letters/numbers categorical oddball task to demonstrate this difference. The results are interpreted in the context of recent findings in cognitive neuroscience as well as cognitive modelling.
Geological Criteria for Evaluating Seismicity

This paper argues that the geologic record, and the late Quaternary history in particular, is a far more valuable tool in estimating seismicity and associated seismic hazard than has generally been appreciated. Those parts of the world with the longest historic records of earthquakes — some 2,000 yr for Japan and the Middle East and 3,000 yr for China — are the areas that should give us the greatest pause in using historic records for extrapolations, because earthquakes in these regions show surprisingly large long-term temporal and spatial variations. The very short historic record in North America should, therefore, be used with extreme caution in estimating possible future seismic activity. The geologic history of late Quaternary faulting is the most promising source of statistics on frequencies and locations of large shocks.
Phase II monitoring of covariance stationary autocorrelated processes

Statistical process control charts are intended to assist operators in detecting process changes. If a process change does occur, the control chart should detect the change quickly. Owing to the recent advancements in data retrieval and storage technologies, today's industrial processes are becoming increasingly autocorrelated. As a result, in this paper we investigate a process-monitoring tool for autocorrelated processes that quickly responds to process mean shifts regardless of the magnitude of the change, while supplying useful diagnostic information upon signaling. A likelihood ratio approach was used to develop a phase II control chart for a permanent step change in the mean of an ARMA (p, q) (autoregressive-moving average) process. Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the average run length (ARL) performance of this chart relative to that of the more recently proposed ARMA chart. Results indicate that the proposed chart responds more quickly to process mean shifts, relative to the ARMA chart, while supplying useful diagnostic information, including the maximum likelihood estimates of the time and the magnitude of the process shift. These crucial change point diagnostics can greatly enhance the special cause investigation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cyclophosphamide‐induced cardiomyopathy. A report of two cases and review of the english literature

Fatal cardiomyopathy developed in two patients receiving cyclophosphamide in preparation for bone marrow transplantation. Both patients had normal EKGs prior to receiving cyclophosphamide in total doses of 168 mg/kg (case 1) and 144 mg/kg (case 2) and subsequently developed loss of voltage and ST-T wave changes. One patient (case 1) died of CHF and hypotension while the other patient (case 2) developed tamponade. Prior to this report, the lowest total dose of cyclophosphamide reported to cause fatal cardiomyopathy was 180 mg/kg. In contrast to anthracycline congestive cardiomyopathy, the effects of cyclophosphamide appear to have an acute onset and do not appear to be the cumulative result of drug dosing. Postmortem examination in both patients revealed thickened left ventricles with intramyocardial hemorrhage.
Dysregulated heme oxygenase-ferritin system in pterygium pathogenesis.

PURPOSE Cyclooxygenase (COX)-, lipoxygenase (LOX)-, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP)-derived eicosanoids have been implicated in ocular surface inflammation and neovascularization. These eicosanoids are subjected to regulation by enzymes, such as heme oxygenases (HOs) and ferritin. METHODS Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and lipidomics based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were performed on pterygia from patients undergoing surgical pterygium excision. Control tissues consisted of donor corneas. In addition, lipidomics based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was performed on tears collected from patients before the surgery. RESULTS Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of HO-2, the constitutive HO isoform, was upregulated by 40% in pterygia compared with control tissue, whereas the mRNA level of the inducible form, HO-1, was downregulated by more than 50%. Levels of CYP4B1 mRNA showed an approximate 2-fold increase in pterygia compared with control. Lipidomic analysis of tissues indicated a moderate elevation in Prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2 levels in pterygia compared with control. Among the LOX-derived metabolites, the antiinflammatory-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) levels were significantly reduced in pterygia (79.3 ± 48.11 pg/mg protein) compared with control (586.2 ± 213.5 pg/mg protein), whereas the proinflammatory LOX- and CYP4B1-derived 12-HETE levels were 10-fold higher in pterygia (2768 ± 832.3 pg/mg protein) compared with control (231.4 ± 87.35 pg/mg protein). Prostaglandin E2 and HETEs were also present in tears from patients with pterygium but were not detected in tears from healthy volunteers. The mRNA expression levels of both light and heavy chain ferritin were 60% and 30% lower, respectively, in pterygia compared with control. CONCLUSIONS We believe that a dysfunctional HO-ferritin system leads to increased levels of proinflammatory mediators, thus contributing to the inflammation characteristic of pterygia.
Beam Profile of Two Simultaneously Propagating Channels of Same Wavelength in Step Index Multimode Fibers

Spatially multiplexed channels of exactly the same wavelength can be transmitted simultaneously over a single strand of multimode fiber. Experimental setup, screen projection of output and beam intensity profiles at the exit end is presented.
THE EFFECT OF LOCATION ON THE ADOPTION OF HAZARD MITIGATION MEASURES

The adoption of hazard mitigation measures by those in vulnerable areas is the result of a complex process involving many variables. This study investigates the potential impact one variable, location, has on adoption. The findings suggest that adoption of measures that require little planning and are highly visible are related to location.
Navel Jewelry Artifacts and Intravertebral Variation in Spine Bone Densitometry in Adolescents and Young Women

Non-removable navel jewelry can increase the measured bone density of the underlying vertebra. We measured lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in an observational study of 727 adolescents and young women aged 14-30 yr. We evaluated several methods of correcting BMD: manually erasing a small area, eliminating 1 or 2 vertebrae, estimating the BMD from 1 or 2 vertebrae using data from remaining vertebrae, and estimating the BMD using T-scores of the remaining vertebrae. Ten percent (n=71) of the subjects were wearing navel jewelry. The areal BMD by DXA of L1 and L2 was similar in those with jewels as in controls without jewels, but L3-L4 showed higher bone density in those with jewelry, and the spine BMD of L1-L4 was significantly higher in the bejeweled women (1.043+/-0.011 vs 1.006+/-0.004 g/cm2, p=0.01). The estimated errors in accuracy (g/cm2) were 0.034 due to the jewels; 0.005 from erasing a small area; 0.019 from eliminating L4; 0.044 from eliminating both L3 and L4; 0.016 from predicting BMD using L1-L3; and 0.028 using L1-L2. The T-scores using the Hologic database were progressively lower in the caudal vertebrae, even in 96 local women aged 30-35 yr, whose average T-score was 0.35 at L1 but -0.26 at L4. Thus, we found significant errors due to intravertebral variability. We suggest the optimal method of correcting for small artifacts is to erase the area under the artifact.
Recurrent small intestinal ileus due to valsartan; compulsive behaviors related to rasagiline use; lacosamide-induced acute pancreatitis; brief psychotic disorder after abrupt withdrawal of hydroxyzine; hydroxyurea-associated acral erythema; penicillamine-induced degenerative dermatosis.

RECURRENT SMALL INTESTINAL ILEUS DUE TO VALSARTAN A 57-year-old male physician was admitted to the hospital after 3 days of diffuse severe abdominal pain. The patient had a history of several similar episodes over the previous 12 months with each episode lasting 5 to 7 days; each time he reported feeling well after resolution. During this admission, the patient also reported abdominal distention, nausea, and constipation. The patient did not have a history of abdominal surgery, abdominal trauma, or episodes of bowel obstruction. The patient’s current medical conditions included hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. His medication history included valsartan (Diovan) 160 mg daily, which he had been receiving for the past 2 years, and pravastatin 20 mg daily, which he had been receiving for the past 5 years. On physical examination, the patient exhibited diffuse abdominal tenderness and decreased bowel sounds. All of the patient’s blood tests were within normal limits, including a complete blood count, liver function tests, renal function tests, electrolytes, and amylase and lactic acid levels. However, imaging studies demonstrated a small bowel obstruc-
On the Stability of Parainfluenza Virus 5 F Proteins

The crystal structure of the F protein (prefusion form) of the paramyxovirus parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) WR isolate was determined. We investigated the basis by which point mutations affect fusion in PIV5 isolates W3A and WR, which differ by two residues in the F ectodomain. The P22 stabilizing site acts through a local conformational change and a hydrophobic pocket interaction, whereas the S443 destabilizing site appears sensitive to both conformational effects and amino acid charge/polarity changes.
410 THE INTERACTION OF BOVINE CASEIN AND ENTEROTOXIN

Secretory IgA in human breast milk can neutralize cholera enterotoxin in the rabbit ileal loop system. No similar protection by separate milk proteins could be demonstrated but one milk protein, casein, had a deleterious effect on intestine exposed to very small quantities of enterotoxin. Rabbit intestinal loops were prepared by Sack's modification of the method of Kasai and Burrows. Highly purified V. Cholerae toxin (10 or 100 ng) was incubated with 10 mg of bovine protein solutions (lactalbumin, casein, lactoglobulin A, lactoglobulin B, gamma globulin) for 60 min. at 37° C. One ml aliquots were then injected into the rabbit ileal loops. Eighteen hours later the animals were sacrificed. The intestinal loop contents were aspirated and a volume/length of loop ratio was determined. The activity of 100 ng of toxin was not affected by the majority of bovine milk proteins, but bovine casein caused a 40% increase in the fluid production (p<.001). When the milk proteins were added to a low dose of enterotoxin (10 ng), all but casein nonspecifically inhibited the action of toxin. Bovine casein caused a 78% increase in fluid production by loops exposed to suboptimal toxin dose (10 ng). The exaggerated intestinal fluid response to low dose toxin and casein may result from mucosal damage similar to that caused by the higher dose of toxin alone.
Distribution and abundance of the Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis) in the Colorado River delta, México

Abstract We estimated the abundance of Yuma clapper rails in the Cienega de Santa Clara and determined the distribution of the subspecies in the Colorado River delta region in Mexico. The maximum estimate of abundance was 6629 individuals (95% C.I. 4859–8399), assuming a response rate by rails to taped calls of 60%. Rails were widely distributed in the delta, occupying almost all marshlands dominated by cattail. As this is an endangered subspecies shared by Mexico and the U.S., the conservation of the delta ecosystem should be the interest of both countries, especially when water management decisions upstream in the U.S. have an impact over natural areas downstream in Mexico.
Hyping White Hopes: Press Agentry and Its Media Affiliations During the Era of Jack Johnson, 1908–1915

The social presence of African American boxing champion Jack Johnson stands out among the most controversial social and media issues of the early 20th century. This study examines the manner in which press agentry shaped and animated this 6-year historical episode. It portrays press agentry not merely in terms of personalities, but also in terms of a network of social and economic affiliations among promoters, sports celebrities, and the press. I argue that understanding these affiliations not only better informs the Johnson situation, but it also sheds light on the ambivalent relationship between journalism and publicity practices over time.
Analysis of hydrostatic pressure-induced changes in umbrella cell surface area.

All cells experience and respond to external mechanical stimuli including shear stress, compression, and hydrostatic pressure. Cellular responses can include changes in exocytic and endocytic traffic. An excellent system to study how extracellular forces govern membrane trafficking events is the bladder umbrella cell, which lines the inner surface of the mammalian urinary bladder. It is hypothesized that umbrella cells modulate their apical plasma membrane surface area in response to hydrostatic pressure. Understanding the mechanics of this process is hampered by the lack of a suitable model system. We describe a pressure chamber that allows one to increase hydrostatic pressure in a physiological manner while using capacitance to monitor real-time changes in the apical surface area of the umbrella cell. It is demonstrated that application of hydrostatic pressure results in an increase in umbrella cell apical surface area and a change in the morphology of umbrella cells from roughly cuboidal to squamous. This process is dependent on increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+. This system will be useful in further dissecting the mechanotransduction pathways involved in cell shape change and regulation of exocytic and endocytic traffic in umbrella cells.
James March on Education, Leadership, and Don Quixote: Introduction and Interview

James G. March (born 1928) received his PhD in political science from Yale University in 1953 and went to Carnegie Mellon University (then Carnegie Tech) where he contributed to the origins of mode...
The PTEN tumor suppressor inhibits telomerase activity in endometrial cancer cells by decreasing hTERT mRNA levels

Abstract Objectives. Loss of PTEN expression is one of the most prevalent and earliest molecular abnormalities associated with endometrial carcinogenesis. Given that PTEN is often absent and telomerase is overexpressed by endometrial cancers, we hypothesize that PTEN signaling is important in telomerase regulation. Methods. PTEN expression was reconstituted in the PTEN-null Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells by adenovirus-mediated gene transduction. Cell proliferation was evaluated 12–96 h after infection. Western blot analysis was performed to assess PTEN status and phosphorylated Akt expression. Telomerase activity was determined by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. hTERT mRNA levels were assessed by real-time RT-PCR. Ishikawa cells were also treated with LY294002, a PI3-kinase inhibitor. Results. Infection of Ishikawa cells by replication-defective recombinant adenovirus expressing wild-type PTEN, but not control adenovirus or adenovirus expressing lipid phosphatase defective PTEN GE mutant, inhibited constitutive Akt activation and suppressed proliferation of Ishikawa cells. Infection by wild-type PTEN adenovirus, but not control adenovirus, inhibited telomerase activity 24 h after infection. This inhibition of telomerase activity was parallel to decreased hTERT mRNA levels. LY294002 treatment resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of Akt activation and cellular proliferation. LY294002 suppressed telomerase activity and decreased hTERT transcript levels in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions. Our data suggest that PTEN may regulate telomerase activity by a novel mechanism in which inhibition of Akt activation by PTEN leads to decreased hTERT mRNA levels. Thus, loss of PTEN may allow endometrial cells to continue to express high levels of telomerase activity, facilitating the neoplastic transformation of the endometrium.
Taphonomic analysis of Tapirus arvernensis remains from the lower valdarno (Tuscany, central Italy)

The present investigation describes the taphonomic evidence that can be observed on the remains of two Tapirus arvernensis individuals, a prime-aged adult and a juvenile, recovered at Casenuove (Empoli), in the Lower Valdarno marine Pliocene sediments. The spatial arrangement of the bones on the fossiliferous surface suggests the action of one or two currents, and seems to agree with the tentative reconstruction of the shoreline at the Early-Mid-Pliocene transition. Reference to the biology and ethology of presently living Asian tapirs leads to interpret the two individuals as a female, presumably at its first breeding experience, and its cub.