cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linking Network Activity to Synaptic Plasticity during Sleep: Hypotheses and Recent Data.

Research findings over the past two decades have supported a link between sleep states and synaptic plasticity. Numerous mechanistic hypotheses have been put forth to explain this relationship. For example, multiple studies have shown structural alterations to synapses (including changes in synaptic volume, spine density, and receptor composition) indicative of synaptic weakening after a period of sleep. Direct measures of neuronal activity and synaptic strength support the idea that a period of sleep can reduce synaptic strength. This has led to the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis (SHY), which asserts that during slow wave sleep, synapses are downscaled throughout the brain to counteract net strengthening of network synapses during waking experience (e.g., during learning). However, neither the cellular mechanisms mediating these synaptic changes, nor the sleep-dependent activity changes driving those cellular events are well-defined. Here we discuss potential cellular and network dynamic mechanisms which could underlie reductions in synaptic strength during sleep. We also discuss recent findings demonstrating circuit-specific synaptic strengthening (rather than weakening) during sleep. Based on these data, we explore the hypothetical role of sleep-associated network activity patterns in driving synaptic strengthening. We propose an alternative to SHY - namely that depending on experience during prior wake, a variety of plasticity mechanisms may operate in the brain during sleep. We conclude that either synaptic strengthening or synaptic weakening can occur across sleep, depending on changes to specific neural circuits (such as gene expression and protein translation) induced by experiences in wake. Clarifying the mechanisms underlying these different forms of sleep-dependent plasticity will significantly advance our understanding of how sleep benefits various cognitive functions.
Research Article: The effects of psychological and physical stressors on the secretion of immunoglobulin A in humans and mice

Stress generates multiple physiological effects through activation of neuroendocrine signaling. An increase in the hormone cortisol (or the analog corticosterone in some species), causes a significant decrease in circulating B-lymphocytes (the immune cells that produce antibodies), making the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) a good stress marker. The objective of these experiments was to examine IgA secretion after psychological and physical stressor treatments were applied. IgA was extracted from the salivary samples of college students who did or did not have a scheduled exam to test impacts of purely psychological stress, and from fecal samples of mice treated with human handling (psychological stress), forced exercise (physical stress), or a combination of the two. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure IgA level in each sample. In humans, exam-taking was significantly associated with low salivary IgA levels (p 0.05), which may or may not have been a result of habituation to handling. However, both the physical stress group and combined physical and psychological stress group exhibited significantly reduced fecal IgA levels (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control. This study supports other findings that different stressors have different effects on physiological markers of stress, such as IgA level, and demonstrates those differences in humans and a controlled model of psychological and physical stressors in mice.
Broadband Cavity-Enhanced Precision Molecular Spectroscopy using Electro-optic Frequency Combs

We extend the tunable bandwidth of electro-optic frequency comb spectroscopy to >2 THz around λ = 1.6 μm using an external cavity diode laser and report precision spectroscopy of CO2, H2O, and N2O.
Field-Effect Tunable and Broadband Epsilon-Near-Zero Perfect Absorbers with Deep Subwavelength Thickness

We report perfect light absorption due to the excitation of bound and radiative p-polarized optical modes in epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) conducting oxide nanolayers with thicknesses as thin as λENZ/100. Perfect absorption in the wavelength range of 600 nm to 2 μm may be achieved for unpatterned indium tin oxide (ITO) nanolayers with an electron density of 5 × 1020 to 2 × 1021 cm–3. Multilayer stacks of ITO nanolayers with a gradient of electron densities and optimized thicknesses enable broadband perfect absorption. The postfabrication tuning, of the perfect absorption wavelength, of 32 nm is achieved in a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) geometry with applied voltage of 5 V. Such ultrathin and tunable broadband perfect absorbers have many potential applications in nonlinear flat ENZ optics, thermophotovoltaics, hot-electron generation in the ENZ regime, and other fields.
Effect of Demonstrator Reliability and Recency of Last Demonstration on Acquisition of a Socially Transmitted Food Preference

In the social transmission of food preference paradigm, naive observer rats acquire safety information about novel food sources in the environment through social interaction with a demonstrator rat that has recently eaten said food. Research into the behavioural mechanisms governing this form of learning has found that observers show increased reliance on socially acquired information when the state of the environment makes personal examination of their surroundings risky. We aimed to (1) determine whether reliance on social information would decrease if previous reliance on social learning was unsuccessful, and (2) whether reliance on the specific demonstrator that had transmitted poor information would similarly decrease. By inducing illness in observers following consumption of a socially demonstrated food, we created an environmental situation in which reliance on socially acquired information was maladaptive. We found that under these conditions, observers showed no change in their reliance on a specific demonstrator or socially learned information in general. Our experiment also unexpectedly produced results showing that recent demonstrators were more influential in later transmissions than demonstrators that had been learned from less recently. Notably, this effect only emerged when the observer simultaneously interacted with both demonstrators, indicating that demonstrators must be in direct competition for this effect to manifest.
The Costs of Transportation for Alternative Economic Analysis

The words “costs” and “benefits” carry enormous colloquial connotations with them. In general, it is assumed that costs are negative, and to be avoided whenever possible, while benefits are positive events that should be vigorously pursued.
Functions of Cytoplasmic Hemoglobins and Myohemerythrin

Oxygen binds reversibly to many cobalt(II), copper(I), or iron(II) complexes (Traylor and Traylor 1982). Proteins that reversibly bind oxygen do not contain cobalt, but may have as their active sites: a two copper(I) center as in arthropod and molluscan hemocyanins, a two iron(II) center as in hemerythrin, or an iron(II) protoporphyrin IX as in hemoglobin. In a few annelid blood hemoglobins the 2-vinyl group at the periphery of the porphyrin ring is replaced by a formyl group to form spirographis (or chlorocruoro) heme. The modified heme interacts with the protein to decrease oxygen affinity markedly (Antonini et al. 1962; Asakura and Sono 1974; Sono and Asakura 1975). Only hemerythrin and hemoglobin occur within tissue cells. This essay addresses the functions of myohemerythrin (muscle hemerythrin) and cytoplasmic hemoglobin in muscles, nerves, gills, and other tissues of invertebrates.
COMPUTERS AND QUANTUM CHEMISTRY

ABSTRACT In its fifty years of existence quantum chemistry has had a far reaching impact on the understanding and development of chemistry. In its earlier years it mainly provided grossly simplified models in terms of which chemical data could be interpreted and correlated, but it is mainly in the last twenty years, with the help of the computer, that quantum chemistry has been emerging as an increasingly reliable quantitative and predictive tool. The further development of these capabilities is strongly tied to continued progress in computer technology. The principal mathematical problem of quantum chemistry is the solution of the Schrodinger equation, a partial differential equation of the elliptic type whose eigensolutions provide the energy levels and other properties of molecular systems. The size of the systems which can be handled in a satisfactory manner, and the obtainable accuracy, are severely limited by the enormous computational problem of very high dimensionality (3N, where N is the number of electrons) and complicated symmetry conditions. Quantum chemistry has thus had ever increasing demands for greater computer power. Its computational needs have included both “number crunching” and extensive data handling, and have contributed to the development of techniques and algorithms useful in other fields. Working in a field of research in which the principal limiting factor is the power of the computer, quantum chemists are anxious to have access to all the computer's resources, and are keenly interested in the efficient operation of their programs. As sophisticated programmers, they are apprehensive about operating policies and system developments which limit their access to the computer's facilities, reduce their control over program execution, and encumber the system with efficiency-robbing features.
Wave propagation models for 5g radio coverage and channel analysis

Sophisticated wave propagation models are required for computing the 5G radio coverage as well as for the 5G radio channel analysis. The scenarios of interest range from large rural or suburban areas to dense urban city centers, and even complex indoor scenarios are relevant. For the detailed network planning the overall signal and interference situation needs to be computed. The ray-optical wave propagation models in the WinProp software have been extended to account for the specificities of the 5G frequency bands. Comparisons against various measurement campaigns verify the capability of the WinProp models to correctly predict the propagation characteristics also at mm wave bands.
Daily HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-emtricitabine reduced Streptococcus and increased Erysipelotrichaceae in rectal microbiota.

Daily PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV-1 acquisition, but risks of long-term tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) include renal decline and bone mineral density decrease in addition to initial gastrointestinal side effects. We investigated the impact of TDF-FTC on the enteric microbiome using rectal swabs collected from healthy MSM before PrEP initiation and after 48 to 72 weeks of adherent PrEP use. The V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing showed that Streptococcus was significantly reduced from 12.0% to 1.2% (p = 0.036) and Erysipelotrichaceae family was significantly increased from 0.79% to 3.3% (p = 0.028) after 48–72 weeks of daily PrEP. Catenibacterium mitsuokai, Holdemanella biformis and Turicibacter sanguinis were increased within the Erysipelotrichaceae family and Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mitis were reduced. These changes were not associated with host factors including PrEP duration, age, race, tenofovir diphosphate blood level, any drug use and drug abuse, suggesting that the observed microbiome shifts were likely induced by daily PrEP use. Long-term PrEP resulted in increases of Catenibacterium mitsuokai and Holdemanella biformis, which have been associated with gut microbiome dysbiosis. Our observations can aid in characterizing PrEP’s side effects, which is likely to improve PrEP adherence, and thus HIV-1 prevention.
Distinct Systems of Justice: How Organizational Identity Shapes the “Why” and “What” of Justice

Although studies of organizational justice have flourished for more than 25 years, our understanding of the conditions under which employees perceive their organizations to be just is limited. Desp...
High temperature thermal and mechanical stability of high-strength nanotwinned Al alloys

Abstract Al alloys have widespread applications, but often suffer from low yield strength. Recently, nanotwinned Al-Fe solid solution alloys have shown high flow stress (>1.5 GPa), ascribed to nanograins with abundant incoherent twin boundaries and solute-stabilized 9R phase. However, the high temperature mechanical behaviors of high-strength twinned Al-Fe alloys remain unknown. In this study, we show that nanotwinned microstructures are stable up to 280 °C, followed by recrystallization at 300 °C. In-situ uniaxial compression tests in a scanning electron microscope show that the nanotwinned Al alloys retain their high flow stress of ∼1.3 GPa when tested up to 200 °C, and substantial softening occurs at a test temperature of 300 °C. This work reveals the superb thermal stability and high temperature mechanical behaviors of the nanotwinned Al-Fe alloys, and offers a new perspective to design future strong and thermally stable nanostructured Al alloys.
Methods for improving reliability in ceramic turbine rotors

Evaluation of Carborundum (CBO) injection-molded sintered alpha silicon carbide (SiC) AGT 100 gasifier turbine rotors by spin testing established a baseline for material strength characteristics. Spin test results of a subsequent group of rotors demonstrated a reduction in average failure speed. Post-test fracture analysis identified surface and near-surface flaws in the back face region to be the typical failure origins. Corrective actions were initiated to address the elimination of the strength controlling flaws. Initial evaluation of rotors fabricated to these process modifications indicates improvements in overall surface quality and average burst speed.
A Novel Dipole-Moment Based Hybrid Technique for Numerically Efficient Solution of Multi-Scale Problems

In this paper, we present a novel hybrid technique for efficient solution of multi-scale problems in the time-domain. The proposed technique utilizes a dipole-moment (DM)-based Method of Moments (MoM) type of formulation for arbitrarily shaped objects with fine features. Scattered fields are obtained in closed form, and directly in the time-domain at desired observation points on a planar interface, and are combined with Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) update equations. The time-domain scattered fields computed by using the MoM type of formulation presented herein is stable in its implementation.
Linearly Solvable Stochastic Optimal Control for Infinite-Dimensional Systems

In this paper we investigate whether the linearly solvable stochastic optimal control framework generalizes to the case of stochastic differential equations in infinite dimensional spaces. In particular, we show that the connection between the relative entropy-free energy relation and dynamic programming principles caries over to infinite dimensional spaces. Our analysis is based on a generalization of the Feynman-Kac lemma for certain classes of infinite dimensional diffusions and Hilbert space-valued Q-Wiener processes. We observe that the utilized information theoretic representation allows the formulation of variational problems for parameterized policy optimization of infinite dimensional systems. This work creates new research avenues towards the development of parallelizable stochastic control and inference algorithms for infinite dimensional dynamical systems in physics, fluid mechanics, partially observable stochastic control and open quantum systems.
Proteomic dissection of the rice-Fusarium fujikuroi interaction and the correlation between the proteome and transcriptome under disease stress.

Bakanae disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium fujikuroi, occurs widely throughout Asia and Europe and sporadically in other rice production areas. Recent changes in climate and cropping patterns have aggravated this disease. To gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of rice bakanae disease resistance, we employed a 6-plex tandem mass tag approach for relative quantitative proteomic comparison of infected and uninfected rice seedlings 7 days post-inoculation with two genotypes: the resistant genotype 93–11 and the susceptible genotype Nipponbare. In total, 123 (77.2% up-regulated, 22.8% down-regulated) and 91 (94.5% up-regulated, 5.5% down-regulated) differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) accumulated in 93–11 and Nipponbare, respectively. Only 11 DEPs were both shared by the two genotypes. Clustering results showed that the protein regulation trends for the two genotypes were highly contrasting, which suggested obviously different interaction mechanisms of the host and the pathogen between 93 and 11 and Nipponbare. Further analysis showed that a noticeable aquaporin, PIP2–2, was sharply upregulated with a fold change (FC) of 109.2 in 93–11, which might be related to pathogen defense and the execution of bakanae disease resistance. Certain antifungal proteins were regulated in both 93–11 and Nipponbare with moderate FCs. These proteins might participate in protecting the cellular integrity required for basic growth of the susceptible genotype. Correlation analysis between the transcriptome and proteome revealed that Pearson correlation coefficients of R = 0.677 (P = 0.0005) and R = − 0.097 (P = 0.702) were obtained for 93–11 and Nipponbare, respectively. Our findings raised an intriguing result that a significant positive correlation only in the resistant genotype, while no correlation was found in the susceptible genotype. The differences in codon usage was hypothesized for the cause of the result. Quantitative proteomic analysis of the rice genotypes 93-11and Nipponbare after F. fujikuroi infection revealed that the aquaporin protein PIP2–2 might execute bakanae disease resistance. The difference in the correlation between the transcriptome and proteome might be due to the differences in codon usage between 93-11and Nipponbare. Overall, the protein regulation trends observed under bakanae disease stress are highly contrasting, and the molecular mechanisms of disease defense are obviously different between 93 and 11 and Nipponbare. In summary, these findings deepen our understanding of the functions of proteins induced by bakanae disease and the mechanisms of rice bakanae disease resistance.
Children as Participants in Psychoeducational Assessment

It has been estimated that more than 250 million standardized tests of academic ability, perceptual and motor skills, emotional and social characteristics, and vocational interests and talent are administered by school systems each year (Brim, Glass, Neulinger, Firestone, & Lerner, 1969; Holman & Docter, 1972). Tests are used in conjunction with almost every major educational practice, e.g., screening, placement, program planning, program evaluation, and assessment of individual progress. Because they have such a significant impact on children’s futures and have been criticized as discriminatory tools, denying full realization of the rights of minorities and the handicapped, and as devices fostering impermissible intrusion by the government into the private lives of its citizens tests have come under increasing legal scrutiny (Bersoff, 1979; 1982). Nevertheless, due to the perception and presumption that children are develop- mentally restricted in their ability to comprehend and respond meaningfully, they are generally precluded from deciding for themselves whether they should become a participant in assessment endeavors. Instead, they are enrolled as test takers by proxies, usually parents, who consent for them.
Atypical Lipomatous Tumor/Well-Differentiated Liposarcoma With Features Mimicking Spindle Cell Lipoma

Atypical lipomatous tumor/well-differentiated liposarcoma (ALT/WDL) and spindle cell lipoma are lipomatous tumors with distinct clinical, molecular, and prognostic features. Although histological and immunophenotypic features can overlap between ALT/WDL and spindle cell lipoma, the oncogenesis and clinical behavior are markedly different. In borderline cases, molecular analysis for MDM2 or CDK4 amplification can aid in distinguishing ALT/WDL from spindle cell lipoma. Although dedifferentiated liposarcoma has been reported to harbor both MDM2 amplification and loss of the RB1 region, we are not aware of a reported RB1 loss in well-differentiated ALT/WDL. In this article, we present a 69-year-old woman with a lipomatous tumor in the gluteal region that histologically, immunohistochemically, and molecularly mimicked spindle cell lipoma (with positive immunohistochemical staining for CD34 and loss of the RB1 gene region), yet harbored amplification of MDM2 and CDK4 confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, supporting classification as ALT/WDL. This case strengthens the argument that in atypical clinical contexts, molecular studies for MDM2/CDK4 should be considered in tumors resembling spindle cell lipoma.
Racial/Ethnic and Insurance Status Disparities in Distance Traveled to Access Children’s Hospital Care for Severe Illness: the Case of Children with Leukodystrophies

Families of children with special health care needs may travel substantial distances to access specialized health care. However, it is not known how race/ethnicity, insurance status, and access to disease-specific specialty care affect travel distances. This analysis examines patients aged 18 years or younger who were discharged from a Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) children’s hospital (n = 52) with a diagnosis of an inherited leukodystrophy between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2018 (n = 950 patients). Leukodystrophies are rare but very serious neurological illnesses, with elevated mortality and morbidity rates. Bivariate and hierarchical generalized linear models reveal that white children, privately insured children, and children visiting leukodystrophy specialist centers travel farther for children’s hospital care. These findings indicate that socially privileged families travel greater distances to obtain specialized health care, which could affect clinical outcomes.
Quando a alteração do padrão de marcha revela uma patologia cervical: o desafio do diagnóstico

Introducao : A doenca degenerativa cervical e uma condicao relacionada com a idade, apresentando sinais e/ou sintomas numa minoria dos casos. Este relato de caso tem como objetivo alertar para a importância em reconhecer a Mielopatia Espondilotica Cervical como um diagnostico diferencial perante quadros arrastados de diminuicao progressiva da forca muscular dos membros inferiores e alteracoes do padrao da marcha. Descricao do caso: Paciente do sexo masculino, 64 anos, observado em consulta programada por um quadro de alteracao do padrao habitual da marcha com cerca de 3 anos de evolucao. Ao exame fisico, apresentava marcha de base alargada e sinais compativeis com atingimento do neuronio motor superior: paraparesia espastica com hiperreflexia dos membros inferiores e sinal de Babinski positivo bilateralmente. Do estudo efetuado, destacou-se a presenca de alteracoes degenerativas espondilodiscais da coluna cervical com compromisso medular, evidenciando a presenca de um quadro de Mielopatia Espondilotica Cervical. Submetido a laminectomia descompressiva cervical, encontra-se atualmente inserido em programa de reabilitacao fisiatrica com recuperacao praticamente total do seu padrao de marcha. Comentario : A Mielopatia Espondilotica Cervical e a condicao clinica que representa a principal causa de mielopatia nos adultos. Podera representar um desafio diagnostico, quer pela ausencia de achados especificos quer pelo elevado numero de diagnosticos diferenciais. A sua suspeita aumenta na presenca de alteracoes progressivas da marcha associado a queixas sensoriais ou motoras nos membros superiores em individuos com mais de 55 anos.
A robust, high-order implicit shock tracking method for simulation of complex, high-speed flows

High-order implicit shock tracking is a new class of numerical methods to approximate solutions of conservation laws with non-smooth features. These methods align elements of the computational mesh with non-smooth features to represent them perfectly, allowing high-order basis functions to approximate smooth regions of the solution without the need for nonlinear stabilization, which leads to accurate approximations on traditionally coarse meshes. The hallmark of these methods is the underlying optimization formulation whose solution is a feature-aligned mesh and the corresponding high-order approximation to the flow; the key challenge is robustly solving the central optimization problem. In this work, we develop a robust optimization solver for high-order implicit shock tracking methods so they can be reliably used to simulate complex, high-speed, compressible flows in multiple dimensions. The proposed method integrates practical robustness measures into a sequential quadratic programming method, including dimension- and order-independent simplex element collapses, mesh smoothing, and element-wise solution re-initialization, which prove to be necessary to reliably track complex discontinuity surfaces, such as curved and reflecting shocks, shock formation, and shock-shock interaction. A series of nine numerical experiments -- including two- and three-dimensional compressible flows with complex discontinuity surfaces -- are used to demonstrate: 1) the robustness of the solver, 2) the meshes produced are high-quality and track continuous, non-smooth features in addition to discontinuities, 3) the method achieves the optimal convergence rate of the underlying discretization even for flows containing discontinuities, and 4) the method produces highly accurate solutions on extremely coarse meshes relative to approaches based on shock capturing.
Cultural Competency in Capital Mitigation

“The basic concept underlying the Eighth Amendment is nothing less than the dignity of man,” and contemporary constitutional standards recognize “[t]he need for treating each defendant in a capital case with that degree of respect due the uniqueness of the individual.” Hence, “consideration of the character and record of the individual offender and the circumstances of the particular offense [is] a constitutionally indispensable part of the process of inflicting the penalty of death.” The obvious link between culture and the mitigation function of capital defense teams is summed up by anthropologist Clifford Geertz: “there is no such thing as a human nature independent of culture.” Because “[c]ulture is an all-pervasive medium,” cultural competency is essential to the ability of capital defense teams to discover and reveal the humanity of the accused. Given the integral connection between culture and humanity, cultural anthropology has much in common with mitigation investigation in capital cases. A capital defense team strives to explain a client’s life through the comprehensive process of compiling a social history, thereby revealing the client’s humanity and providing important context for the client’s conduct at the time of the crime. The cultural anthropologist applies similar perspectives and methods. Like capital defense, “ethnography is establishing rapport, selecting informants, transcribing texts, taking genealogies, mapping fields, keeping a diary, and so on.” It
Mate choice enhances post-zygotic barriers to gene flow via ancestry bundling

Hybridization and subsequent genetic introgression are now known to be common features of the histories of many species, including our own. Following hybridization, selection often purges introgressed DNA genome-wide. While mate choice can prevent hybridization in the first place, it is also known to play an important role in post-zygotic selection against hybrids, and thus the purging of introgressed DNA. However, this role is usually thought of as a direct one: a mating preference for conspecifics reduces the sexual fitness of hybrids, reducing the transmission of introgressed ancestry. Here, we explore a second, indirect role of mate choice as a barrier to gene flow. Under assortative mating, parents covary in their ancestry, causing ancestry to be “bundled” in their offspring and later generations. This bundling effect increases ancestry variance in the population, enhancing the efficiency with which post-zygotic selection purges introgressed DNA. Using whole-genome simulations, we show that the bundling effect can comprise a substantial portion of mate choice’s overall effect as a post-zygotic barrier to gene flow, and that it is driven by ancestry covariances between and within maternally and paternally inherited genomes. We derive a simple method for estimating the impact of the bundling effect from standard measures of assortative mating. Applying this method to data from a diverse set of hybrid zones, we find that the bundling effect increases the purging of introgressed DNA by between 1.2-fold (in a baboon system with weak assortative mating) and 14-fold (in a swordtail system with strong assortative mating). Thus, the bundling effect of mate choice contributes substantially to the genetic isolation of species.
Monitoring by prey that does not reveal awareness by turning toward approaching predators

Prey monitor predator movements to assess risk, as required to make escape decisions and avoid being captured unaware. For prey that exhibit behavioral signs that they have detected predators, alert distance is the predator-prey distance when the prey performs the behavior and then continuously monitors the predator’s approach. Many other prey do not usually give any indication of having detected a predator prior to fleeing. This is especially likely in prey having laterally placed eyes that are approached from one side, as in typical studies of lizards. We conducted field trials to detect overt signs of monitoring by zebra-tailed lizards, Callisaurus draconoides, which usually exhibit no signs of monitoring. When a researcher walked in an arc starting at some distance from a lizard’s side and continuing until he was directly in front of or behind it, the lizard cocked its head and/or reoriented its body or fled and then reoriented. These behaviors allowed lizards to keep the researcher in view as he passed out of a monocular visual field. The findings demonstrate that monitoring occurs in these lizards, suggest that monitoring is so important that lizards risk being detected by moving, and suggest a possible method for studying effects of alert distance in prey that do not perform alerting behaviors when approached in full view. Alerting responses have been observed infrequently in lizards because researchers are in one of the wide lateral visual fields when they start to approach. Unless the predator moves out of view, prey with limited or no binocular vision have no need for postural adjustment to focus on the predator.
Hierarchical evolution of animal body plans

An open question in animal evolution is why the phylum- and superphylum-level body plans have changed so little, while the class- and family-level body plans have changed so greatly since the early Cambrian. Davidson and Erwin (Davidson and Erwin, 2006; Erwin and Davidson, 2009) proposed that the hierarchical structure of gene regulatory networks leads to different observed evolutionary rates for terminal properties of the body plan versus major aspects of body plan morphology. Here, we calculated the speed of evolution of genes in these gene regulatory networks. We found that the genes which determine the phylum and superphylum characters evolve slowly, while those genes which determine the classes, families, and speciation evolve more rapidly. This result furnishes genetic support to the hypothesis that the hierarchical structure of developmental regulatory networks provides an organizing structure which guides the evolution of aspects of the body plan.
Characterization and application of SuperLig® 620 solid phase extraction resin for automated process monitoring of 90Sr

Characterization of SuperLig® 620 solid phase extraction resin was performed in order to develop an automated on-line process monitor for 90Sr. The main focus was on strontium separation from barium, with the goal of developing an automated separation process for 90Sr in high-level wastes. High-level waste contains significant 137Cs activity, of which 137mBa is of great concern as an interference to the quantification of strontium. In addition barium, yttrium and plutonium were studied as potential interferences to strontium uptake and detection. A number of complexants were studied in a series of batch Kd experiments, as SuperLig® 620 was not previously known to elute strontium in typical mineral acids. The optimal separation was found using a 2 M nitric acid load solution with a strontium elution step of ~0.49 M ammonium citrate and a barium elution step of ~1.8 M ammonium citrate. 90Sr quantification of Hanford high-level tank waste was performed on a sequential injection analysis microfluidics system coupled to a flow-cell detector. The results of the on-line procedure are compared to standard radiochemical techniques in this paper.
Verbal memory impairment after left insular cortex infarction

PET studies have shown an association between changes in blood flow in the insular cortex and verbal memory. This study compared verbal memory profiles between a group of four right handed patients with right insular infarction and a group of six right handed patients with left insular infarction. Patient groups were comparable in age, education, and sex. Patients were administered memory tests about 4‐8 weeks poststroke. Patients with left insular lesions showed significantly poorer immediate and delayed verbal memory as measured by story A of the WMS-R logical memory I (t=˛2.73, p<0.03) and logical memory II (t=˛4.1, p<0.004) subtests as well as the CERAD word list memory (delayed recall) (t=˛2.4, p<0.05). These findings indicate that left insular damage is associated with poorer performance on verbal memory tasks. The findings suggest that the insula may be part of a functional network that mediates verbal memory. (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1999;67:532‐534)
Possible importance of PLD repair in the modulation of BrdUrd and IdUrd-mediated radiosensitization in plateau-phase C3H10T1/2 mouse embryo cells.

SummaryC3H10T1/2 mouse embryo cells exhibiting strong contact inhibition of growth at confluency were grown in the presence of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) or 5-iododeoxyuridine (IdUrd) (0–1·2 μm) with daily refeeding and exposed to γ-rays (6 Gy) either in the logarithmic or the plateau phase of growth. Sensitization to radiation was observed in both growth states with increasing concentration of BrdUrd or IdUrd but the degree of sensitization achieved was lower for plateau-phase cells. Because the degree of [H3]BrdUrd incorporation was found to be similar in exponentially growing and plateau-phase cells, it is hypothesized that the radiosensitization caused by pyrimidine analogues may be affected by the physiological state of the cells at the time of irradiation. Delayed plating of pleateau-phase cells (6 h) caused an increase in survival, indicating repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD). A greater increase in cell survival was observed in cells that had been grown in the presence of BrdUrd and IdUrd...
Development of the statocyst in Aplysia californica I. Observations on statoconial development

The gravity receptor organs of gastropod molluscs, such as Aplysia californica, are bilateral paired statocysts, which contain dense statoconia within a fluid-filled cyst. Gravitational forces on the statoconia are sensed through their interaction with ciliated mechanoreceptor cells in the wall of the cyst. Larval Aplysia contain a single statolith within each statocyst; when the animals grow to a critical size, they begin producing multiple statoconia, a process that continues throughout life. The number of statoconia is highly correlated with animal weight but poorly correlated with age, indicating that stone production is related to total metabolism. The single statolith has an amorphous internal structure whereas the multiple statoconia have calcification deposited on concentric layers of membrane or matrix protein. The statolith appears to be produced within the cyst lumen but the multiple statoconia are produced within supporting cells between the receptor cells. Large adult animals have statoconia larger than those in early post-metamorphic animals which have just started producing multiple stones. The maximum statocyst diameter at which the receptor-cell cilia can suspend the statolith in the center of the cyst lumen is 45 microns; production of multiple stones begins when the cyst reaches this size. The mechanisms by which statoconia production is initiated and controlled are discussed.
Unoccupied surface states on GaP(111) surfaces

Unoccupied surface electronic states have been observed on GaP(111) surfaces by momentum- resolved inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES). On the GaP(111):P surface an unoccupied state is detected 1.2 eV above the Fermi level. This state is associated with Ga surface adatoms, since prolonged exposure to the incident electron beam removes this IPES feature and reduces the Ga/P ratio in Auger electron spectrum. Preferential photon absorption at 2.27 eV by this surface can be explained by promotion of an electron from the valence band maximum to the unoccupied surface state detected in this work.
Mechanical Implications of the Domain Structure of Fiber-Forming Collagens: Comparison of the Molecular and Fibrillar Flexibilities of the α1-Chains Found in Types I–III Collagen

Fibrillar collagens store, transmit and dissipate elastic energy during tensile deformation. Results of previous studies suggest that the collagen molecule is made up of alternating rigid and flexible domains, and extension of the flexible domains is associated with elastic energy storage. In this study, we model the flexibility of the alpha1-chains found in types I-III collagen molecules and microfibrils in order to understand the molecular basis of elastic energy storage in collagen fibers by analysing the areas under conformational plots for dipeptide sequences. Results of stereochemical modeling suggest that the collagen triple helix is made up of rigid and flexible domains that alternate with periods that are multiples of three amino acid residues. The relative flexibility of dipeptide sequences found in the flexible regions is about a factor of five higher than that found for the flexibility of the rigid regions, and the flexibility of types II and III collagen molecules appears to be higher than that found for the type I collagen molecule. The different collagen alpha1-chains were compared by correlating the flexibilities. The results suggest that the flexibilities of the alpha1-chains of types I and III collagen are more closely related than the flexibilities of the alpha1-chains in types I and II and II and III collagen. The flexible domains found in the alpha1-chains of types I-III collagen were found to be conserved in the microfibril and had periods of about 15 amino acid residues and multiples thereof. The flexibility profiles of types I and II collagen microfibrils were found to be more highly correlated than those for types I and III and II and III. These results suggest that the domain structure of the alpha1-chains found in types I-III collagen is an efficient means for storage of elastic energy during stretching while preserving the triple helical structure of the overall molecule. It is proposed that all collagens that form fibers are designed to act as storage elements for elastic energy. The function of fibers rich in type I collagen is to store and then transmit this energy while fibers rich in types II and III collagen may store and then reflect elastic energy for dissipation through viscous fibrillar slippage. Impaired elastic energy storage by extracellular matrices may lead to cellular damage and changes in signaling by mechanochemical transduction at the extracellular matrix-cell interface.
Astressin, a corticotropin releasing factor antagonist, reverses the anxiogenic effects of urocortin when administered into the basolateral amygdala.

Previous work in our laboratory has shown that Urocortin (Ucn), a peptide related to corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), injected into the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) in male Wistar rats would result in an anxiogenic response as measured in the social interaction (SI) test. In addition, it was found that repeated injections of subthreshold doses of Ucn would ‘prime’ the animal’s response. This ‘priming’ effect induces a sensitivity to sodium lactate infusions that results in a panic-like reaction. Currently, we examined the effects of the CRF1 and CRF2 antagonist Astressin (Asn) on the anxiety-like responses produced during ‘priming’ as well as during a sodium lactate infusion into ‘primed’ rats. The results showed that Asn (60 pmoles) was able to reverse the anxiogenic effects seen during acute administration of Ucn, but was only able to partially antagonize the same response following ‘priming’ with Ucn. Furthermore, Asn administered either alone or prior to a sodium lactate infusion had no effect on the primed rat’s behavior. Autoradiographic studies, in Ucn primed and sham-primed animals indicated no significant changes in [125I]-Sauvagine binding to CRF1 and CRF2 receptors in several brain regions. Thus, a 60 pmole dose of Asn blocks the effects of an acute injection of Ucn (100 pmoles), while only partially blocking the behavioral effects after repeated injections of subthreshold doses of Ucn (6 pmoles) are given. Furthermore, Asn has no effect on anxiogenic responses due to sodium lactate infusions in ‘primed’ rats
Biology of Mozena obtusa (Hemiptera: Coreidae), a candidate for the biological control of mesquite, Prosopis spp. (Fabaceae)

Abstract The leaf-footed bugMozena obtusaUhler is an important natural enemy of honey mesquite,Prosopis glandulosaTorrey var.glandulosa, in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The nymphs and adults severely damage mesquite by feeding on new vegetative and reproductive growth. The temporal distribution of all life stages indicated thatM. obtusahas five nymphal instars and is bivoltine in central Texas. In the laboratory, the generation time forM. obtusaon honey mesquite was ca. 70 days: 12.7 days for the egg stage, 32.7 days for the nymphal stage, and a preovipositional period of 24.7 days. Adult longevity was ca. 167 days for females and 144 days for males. Females produced an average of 510 eggs in 39 masses with 13 eggs per mass during their lives.Mozena obtusaalso developed normally on the Argentine vinal,Prosopis ruscifoliaGrisebach, although the nymphal stage was longer (49.5 days). In the field, a complex of hymenopterous egg parasitoids [Anastatus semiflavidusGahan (Eupelmidae),Ooencyrtus johnsoni(Howard) (Encyrtidae), andGryon atrumMasner (Scelionidae)] and the tachinid flyTrichopoda pennipesF. appeared to be the principal biotic mortality factors regulating populations ofM. obtusa. Parasitism of all life stages ofM. obtusawas found to be 40%. Because it has the potential to significantly reduce seed production, this insect may be a good candidate for introduction into other countries for classical biological control of mesquite (Prosopisspp.) providing host range tests demonstrate that it does not damage beneficial or nontarget plant species.
High finesse opto-mechanical cavity with a movable thirty-micron-size mirror.

We report on the demonstration of a high finesse micro-optomechanical system and identify potential applications ranging from optical cooling to weak force detection to massive quantum superpositions. The system consists of a high quality $30\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ diameter flat dielectric mirror cut from a larger substrate with a focused ion beam and attached to an atomic force microscope cantilever. Cavity ring-down measurements performed on a 25 mm long Fabry-P\'erot cavity with the $30\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ mirror at one end show an optical finesse of 2100. Numerical calculations show that the finesse is not diffraction limited and that orders of magnitude higher finesse should be possible. A mechanical quality factor of more than ${10}^{5}$ at pressures below ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mbar}$ is demonstrated for the cantilever with a mirror attached.
Transanal ultrasound and manometry in the evaluation of fecal incontinence

PURPOSE: This preliminary study was undertaken to clarify the role of ultrasonography of anal sphincters in the colorectal laboratory. METHODS: Twenty-eight parous female patients with fecal incontinence were evaluated with transanal ultrasonography (TAUS), anal manometry, and pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (PNTML). Ultrasound images were recorded and labeled in centimeters from the anal verge. The continuity of the internal anal sphincter (IAS) was identified as either intact or disrupted. The separation of the external anal sphincter (EAS) was measured at the 1.5-cm level and below. TAUS findings were then compared with anal manometric pressures. Clinical data were obtained by patient interview and examination during TAUS. RESULTS: Evidence of IAS disruption was associated with significantly decreased mean maximum resting pressures (P=0.023). EAS separation was inversely proportional to mean maximum squeezing pressures (r=−0.61). In the group of patients offered sphincteroplasty, the IAS was disrupted more often (P=0.016), mean maximum resting pressures were significantly lower (P=0.023), mean EAS separation was significantly greater (P=0.022), and mean PNTML was significantly faster (P=0.004). Twenty-five percent of patients with normal clinical examinations had significant muscular injury by TAUS requiring sphincteroplasty. CONCLUSIONS: Manometric findings correlate significantly with anal sphincter defects visualized by TAUS. TAUS is useful in the evaluation and management of patients with fecal incontinence.
Closure-based perturbative density-functional theory of hard-sphere freezing: Properties of the bridge functional

The study of freezing using perturbative classical density-functional theory is revisited, using a bridge functional approach to resum all terms beyond second order in the free energy expansion. More precisely, the first-order direct correlation function of the solid phase is written as a functional expansion about the homogeneous liquid phase, and the sum of all higher-order terms is represented as a functional of the second-order term. Information about the shape and uniqueness of this bridge functional for the case of hard spheres is obtained via an inversion procedure that employs Monte Carlo fluid-solid coexistence data from the literature. The parametric plots obtained from the inversion procedure show very little scatter in certain regions, suggesting a unique functional dependence, but large scatter in other regions. The scatter is related to the anisotropy of the solid lattice at the particle scale. Interestingly, the thermodynamic properties of the phase transition are quite insensitive to the regions where the scatter is large, and several simple closures (i.e., analytical forms of the bridge function) reproduce exactly the liquid-solid coexistence densities and Lindemann parameter from simulation. The form of these closures is significantly different from the usual closures employed in liquid-state integral equation theory.