Where is the brain inside the brain?

Biological brains are capable of general learning without supervision. This is learning across multiple domains without interference. Unlike artificial neural networks, in real brains, learned information is not purely encoded in real-valued weights but instead it resides in many neural aspects. Such aspects include, dendritic and axonal morphology, number and location of synapses, synaptic strengths and the internal state of neural components. Natural evolution has come up with extraordinary ‘programs’ for neurons that allow them to build learning systems through group activity. The neuron is the ‘brain within the brain’. We argue that evolving neural developmental programs which when executed continuously build, shape and adjust neural networks is a promising direction for future research. We discuss aspects of neuroscience that are important, and examine a model that incorporates many of these features that has been applied to a number of problems: wumpus world, checkers and maze solving.     

Tubular Structures of Calcium Carbonate: Formation,Characterization, and Implications in Natural Mineral Environments

Chemical gardens are self-assembled tubular precipitates formed by a combination of osmosis, buoyancy, and chemical reaction, and thought to be capable of catalyzing prebiotic condensation reactions. In many cases, the tube wall is a bilayer structure with the properties of a diaphragm and/or a membrane. The interest in silica gardens as microreactors for materials science has increased over the past decade because of their ability to create long-lasting electrochemical potential. In this study, we have grown single macroscopic tubes based on calcium carbonate and monitored their time-dependent behavior by in situ measurements of pH, ionic concentrations inside and outside the tubular membranes, and electrochemical potential differences. Furthermore, we have characterized the composition and structure of the tubular membranes by using ex situ X-ray diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, as well as scanning electron microscopy. Based on the collected data, we propose a physicochemical mechanism for the formation and ripening of these peculiar CaCO₃ structures and compare the results to those of other chemical garden systems. We find that the wall of the macroscopic calcium carbonate tubes is a bilayer of texturally distinct but compositionally similar calcite showing high crystallinity. The resulting high density of the material prevents macroscopic calcium carbonate gardens from developing significant electrochemical potential differences. In the light of these observations, possible implications in materials science and prebiotic (geo)chemistry are discussed.     

Transitivity conditions in infinite graphs

We study transitivity properties of graphs with more than one end. We completely classify the distance-transitive such graphs and, for all k≥3, the k-CS-transitive such graphs.     

Metabolic profiling of rodent biological fluids via 1H NMR spectroscopy using a 1 mm microlitre probe

The application of a 1 mm TXI (1H/13C/15N) microlitre NMR probe with z-gradient for metabolic profiling of biofluids is described. The probe was used to provide spectral profiles for rat blood plasma using only approximately 2 microl of fluid with a range of solvent suppression techniques. Using a similar amount of fluid, spectra were obtained from rat and mouse cerebrospinal fluid, demonstrating that the probe could be used to profile rodents metabolically via biofluids previously inaccessible to NMR analysis without the need for termination.     

Heteroatom Polysilylenes

Heteroatom polysilylenes with Cl, OR and NR₂ substituents attached to the silicon chain through the heteroatom are described. The relationship between the single crystal X-ray structures of octachlorocyclotetrasilane Si₄Cl₈ and perchloropolysilylene, (SiCl₂)_n, is discussed with reference to possible mechanisms for its phototopochemical synthesis from Si₄Cl₈. Substitution with alcohols yields the bis(alkoxy)polysilylenes, and the origin of the red-shifted UV spectra are discussed in terms of the electronic interaction between oxygen n and silicon orbitals. Substitution with secondary amines yields soluble, yellow polymers with even longer wavelength UV absorption maxima. Effects of the alkyl chain length on hydrolytic stability are considered.     

Fermi surface of 3d1 perovskite CaVO3 near the Mott transition

We present a detailed de Haas-van Alphen effect study of the perovskite CaVO3, offering an unprecedented test of electronic structure calculations in a 3d transition metal oxide. Our experimental and calculated Fermi surfaces are in good agreement, but only if we ignore large orthorhombic distortions of the cubic perovskite structure. Subtle discrepancies may shed light on an apparent conflict between the low energy properties of CaVO3, which are those of a simple metal, and high energy probes which reveal strong correlations that place CaVO3 on the verge of a metal-insulator transition.     

Casimir effect in source theory III

A proper-energy method is used to find the energy of attraction between two dielectric slabs. Independent derivations of the attractive force are also presented.     

Photoprotection of Mammalian Acid-Soluble Collagen by Cuttlefish Sepia Melanin In Vitro

Several important clinical conditions can result in close association between the pigment melanin and dermal collagen. Because melanin and its precursors can be chemically reactive in ground and excited states, it is important to know whether the resulting melanin-collagen interaction results in photoprotection or photoaggression. Acidic and neutral air-saturated collagen suspensions (0.033%) were irradiated with0–2.6 times 104 J/m2 UVC or with0–83 times 104 J/m2 solar-simulating UV radiation (SSR). Photochemical destruction of a photolabile collagen fluorophore (δ_em 360 nm) and collagen chain degradation were monitored as functions of irradiation time in the presence and absence of added (0–100μg) sepia eumelanin. Melanin retarded collagen photodamage but did not qualitatively alter the fluorescence fading kinetics. Both H202 and 02 can be produced by UV irradiation of eumelanin. Added H202 and K02 destroyed collagen fluorescence and caused 50% chain degradation at ca10–20-fold molar excess. Previous studies have demonstrated that eumelanins efficiently scavenge 02 . We demonstrated that eumelanin also efficiently scavenges H202 as evidenced by its ability to (a) compete with scopoletin for peroxide uptake and (b) directly take up H202 through a dialysis bag. The latter observation suggests that peroxide scavenging could occur in vivo by melanin sequestered in melanophages. Thus, neither UV-generated 02 nor H202 are likely to be present in concentrations high enough to cause measurable collagen damage. Absorption and/or scattering of excitation radiation away from the target chromophore appears to be the primary photoprotection mechanism, although scavenging of active 02 intermediates may play an important, if subtle role.