cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rab8 Interacts with Distinct Motifs in α2B- and β2-Adrenergic Receptors and Differentially Modulates Their Transport

The molecular mechanism underlying the post-Golgi transport of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) remains poorly understood. Here we determine the role of Rab8 GTPase, which modulates vesicular protein transport between the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and the plasma membrane, in the cell surface targeting of α2B- and β2-adrenergic receptors (AR). Transient expression of GDP- and GTP-bound Rab8 mutants and short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of Rab8 more potently inhibited the cell surface expression of α2B-AR than β2-AR. The GDP-bound Rab8(T22N) mutant attenuated ERK1/2 activation by α2B-AR, but not β2-AR, and arrested α2B-AR in the TGN compartment. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that both α2B-AR and β2-AR physically interacted with Rab8 and glutathione S-transferase fusion protein pulldown assays demonstrated that Rab8 interacted with the C termini of both receptors. Interestingly, mutation of the highly conserved membrane-proximal C terminus dileucine motif selectively blocked β2-AR interaction with Rab8, whereas mutation of residues Val431-Phe432-Asn433-Gln434, Pro447-Trp448, Gln450-Thr451, and Trp453 in the C terminus impaired α2B-AR interaction with Rab8. Furthermore, transport inhibition by Rab8(T22N) of a chimeric β2-AR carrying the α2B-AR C terminus was similar to α2B-AR. These data provide strong evidence indicating that Rab8 GTPase interacts with distinct motifs in the C termini of α2B-AR and β2-AR and differentially modulates their traffic from the TGN to the cell surface.
Rotamer Optimization for Protein Design through MAP Estimation and Problem-Size Reduction

The search for the global minimum energy conformation (GMEC) of protein side chains is an important computational challenge in protein structure prediction and design. Using rotamer models, the problem is formulated as a NP-hard optimization problem. Dead-end elimination (DEE) methods combined with systematic A ! search (DEE/A ! ) has proven useful, but may not be strong enough as we attempt to solve protein design problems where a large number of similar rotamers is eligible and the network of interactions between residues is dense. In this work, we present an exact solution method, named BroMAP (branch-and-bound rotamer optimization using MAP estimation), for such protein design problems. The design goal of BroMAP is to be able to expand smaller search trees than conventional branch-and- boundmethodswhileperformingonlyamoderateamountofcomputationineachnode,therebyreducingthetotalrunning time. To achieve that, BroMAP attempts reduction of the problem size within each node through DEE and elimination by lower bounds from approximate maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) estimation. The lower bounds are also exploited in branching and subproblem selection for fast discovery of strong upper bounds. Our computational results show that BroMAP tends to be faster than DEE/A ! for large protein design cases. BroMAP also solved cases that were not solved by DEE/A ! within the maximum allowed time, and did not incur significant disadvantage for cases where DEE/A ! performed well. Therefore, BroMAP is particularly applicable to large protein design problems where DEE/A ! struggles and can also substitute for DEE/A ! in general GMEC search.
Configurable security protocols for multi-party data analysis with malicious participants

Standard multi-party computation models assume semi-honest behavior, where the majority of participants implement protocols according to specification, an assumption not always plausible. In this paper we introduce a multi-party protocol for collaborative data analysis when participants are malicious and fail to follow specification. The protocol incorporates a semi-trusted third party, which analyzes encrypted data and provides honest responses that only intended recipients can successfully decrypt. The protocol incorporates data confidentiality by enabling participants to receive encrypted responses tailored to their own encrypted data submissions without revealing plaintext to other participants, including the third party. As opposed to previous models, trust need only be placed on a single participant with no data at stake. Additionally, the proposed protocol is configurable in a way that security features are controlled by independent subprotocols. Various combinations of subprotocols allow for a flexible security system, appropriate for a number of distributed data applications, such as secure list comparison.
CpG and Non-CpG oligodeoxynucleotides induce differential proinflammatory gene expression profiles in liver and peripheral blood leukocytes in mice.

Proinflammatory effects caused by oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) include cytokine production, splenomegaly and infiltration of mononuclear cells into tissues. Presence of one or more CpG motifs in an ODN sequence confers potency for proinflammatory properties. The objective of this research was to characterize the proinflammatory effects produced by CpG containing ODN as compared to non-CpG ODN using gene array analysis. Female CD-1 mice were administered equipotent dose regimens of a CpG ODN (ISIS 12449, 4 mg/kg sc, single or repeat dose for 7 d) or a non-CpG ODN (ISIS 2302, 50 mg/kg sc, q2d for 1 or 3 weeks) and tissues (liver and peripheral blood leukocytes) were harvested for immunohistochemical analysis or gene array analysis. Splenomegaly, a marker of ODN-induced inflammation, was greatest (3-fold above control) with ISIS 12449 when given at multiple doses. Immunohistochemical staining identified mainly monocytes/macrophages as the immune cell infiltrates in the liver following ISIS 12449 or ISIS 2302 ...
Saving Energy for (and from) a Sunny Day: Lowering Peak Demands with Batteries

The authors discuss a recently introduced scheduling problem and solve several versions optimally with efficient combinatorial algorithms. The authors solve the offline problem for two kinds of batteries: unbounded battery in O (n) time and bounded in O (n 2 ). Separately, the authors show how to find the optimal offline battery size, for the setting in which the final battery level must equal the initial battery level. This is the smallest battery size that achieves the optimal peak. The online problem we study is very strict. A meta-strategy in many online problems is to balance expensive periods with cheap ones, so that the overall cost stays low.
A Journey of Discovery: SoTL in Physician Assistant Education

This chapter is a description of the utilization of SoTL concepts and Brookfield's Critical Incident Questionnaire in an evidence-based medicine course in physician assistant education.
Reconnaissance spatial analysis of the hydrogeology of closed underground coal mines

A method is demonstrated to employ combined mapping and field techniques to unravel complexities in the hydrogeology of flooded and unflooded underground coal mines of shallow (120 m, 400 ft) depth. For a study area in the Appalachian coal basin, underground mines, coal outcrop, coal structure, and mine-drainage discharge locations were mapped onto an integrated geographic information system platform. The Upper Freeport coal seam (Allegheny Group) in the study area is relatively shallow (120 m, 400 ft), with many closed free-draining mines and numerous discharges. The mapping of coal outcrop and structure was accomplished using (1) high-resolution aerial orthophotographs, (2) digital outcrop polylines, and (3) a coal-bottom structure surface created by geospatial interpolation of point data mostly abstracted from original mine maps. Mapping results integrated with field measurements of mine-water discharge allow inference of likely pool locations and potential interconnections between underground workings, which are not apparent from mine maps alone. The results are reconnaissance level in that the interpreted pool locations and depths are unconfirmed by drilling or water level measurement; therefore, any action based on such results should be preceded by fieldwork to confirm hypotheses offered by the reconnaissance analysis. Nonetheless, such a preliminary interpretation of hydrogeological conditions based on little or no subsurface (well) water level information may be highly useful for both interpreting subsurface conditions and for planning future research. The technique is based on a combination of mine mapping, digital analysis of geologic structure, and surface reconnaissance fieldwork. Results are directly applicable to areas of reclamation of shallow coal mining where mine closures have resulted in an uncontrolled discharge of mine drainage.
Carbon isotope discrimination by Sorghum bicolor under CO2 enrichment and drought

Summary • Sorghum bicolor was exposed to free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) and drought at the Maricopa Agricultural Center, AZ, USA, in summer 1998. We predicted that bundle sheath leakiness (Φ) would be insensitive to FACE under well-irrigated (wet) conditions, but would be lower in FACE compared with control-CO2 treatments when irrigation was withheld (dry). • Leaf and air δ13C values and leaf pi/pa from gas exchange were measured to estimate carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and F. Midday leaf water potential (Ψ) and photosynthetic rate were simultaneously measured to evaluate the influence of plant water status on Φ and the association between Φ and carbon gain. • Irrigation treatments affected Ψ, pi/pa, Δ and Φ in control CO2 and FACE rings. Differences in leaf Δ between wet- and dry-treatment plots resulted from changes in Φ and to stomatal influences on pi/pa. FACE had very little effect on Ψ, Δ and Φ in wet-treatment plots. However, Φ and Δ in dry plots were higher in control than in FACE rings. • FACE ameliorated the effects of drought on bundle sheath leakiness and Δ by reducing transpiration, prolonging soil water availability and enhancing plant water status. Direct effects of CO2 enrichment on C4 photosynthetic metabolism in Sorghum apparently are minimal and indirect effects depend on soil water supply.
Behavioral response of manatees to variations in environmental sound levels

Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) inhabit coastal regions because they feed on the aquatic vegetation that grows in shallow waters, which are the same areas where human activities are greatest. Noise produced from anthropogenic and natural sources has the potential to affect these animals by eliciting responses ranging from mild behavioral changes to extreme aversion. Sound levels were calculated from recordings made throughout behavioral observation periods. An information theoretic approach was used to investigate the relationship between behavior patterns and sound level. Results indicated that elevated sound levels affect manatee activity and are a function of behavioral state. The proportion of time manatees spent feeding and milling changed in response to sound level. When ambient sound levels were highest, more time was spent in the directed, goal-oriented behavior of feeding, whereas less time was spent engaged in undirected behavior such as milling. This work illustrates how shifts in activity of individual manatees may be useful parameters for identifying impacts of noise on manatees and might inform population level effects.
Does centralized monitoring affect perinatal outcome

A retrospective study was performed comparing centralized monitoring to noncentralized monitoring in regard to perinatal outcome. The study was conducted at Lehigh Valley Hospital (Allentown, PA) between August 1994 and February 1995. All deliveries during a 28-week-period were studied retrospectively. The study was designed such that for 14 weeks all patients were centrally monitored (Group A). During the following 14 weeks, no patients were centrally monitored (Group B). Patients not requiring monitoring, such as elective cesarean sections, were excluded from the study. The variables that were studied were the 5-minute Apgar, cord blood pH, perinatal mortality, admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), spontaneous vaginal deliveries, cesarean sections, and operative vaginal deliveries. A total of 1,622 deliveries occurred during the 28 weeks of antenatal care. Group A consisted of 805 centralized monitored patients and Group B had 817 noncentralized monitored patients. There was no statisti...
Dexamethasone and calcium interact in the regulation of parathormone and chromogranin-A secretion and messenger ribonucleic acid levels in parathyroid cells.

We investigated the interaction of dexamethasone and Ca2+ on the secretion of PTH and chromogranin-A (CgA) by porcine parathyroid cells in culture and on the cellular levels of PTH and CgA mRNA. Freshly dispersed parathyroid cells were cultured for 6 days in Ham's F-12 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum and 1 mM Ca2+. The experiments were initiated at 0.5 or 3.0 mM Ca2+ in 0.5% serum with or without dexamethasone for an additional 24 or 48 h. Secretion of PTH and CgA was 50-60% less, and the respective mRNAs levels were about 75% lower at 3.0 than at 0.5 mM Ca2+. Dexamethasone (10(-9)-10(-7) M) stimulated the secretion of PTH in a dose-dependent fashion about 2-fold at both 3.0 and 0.5 mM Ca2+ and increased the PTH mRNA level 15-fold at the high and 3-fold at the low Ca2+ concentration. In contrast, the direction of action of dexamethasone on the secretion of CgA and CgA mRNA was dependent upon the Ca2+ concentration. At 3.0 mM Ca2+, dexamethasone increased CgA secretion and mRNA levels about 2- and 8...
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in Pregnancy

This comprehensive case review of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) during pregnancy in 5 women characterizes the effect of Sin Nombre virus infection on maternal and fetal outcomes. Histopathologic, serological, and clinical information were evaluated for evidence of vertical transmission. Maternal ages ranged from 20 to 34 years and gestational ages from 13 to 29 weeks. Symptoms, physical findings, and laboratory values other than those related to pregnancy were not noticeably different from those of nonpregnant patients with HPS, although fevers were somewhat lower. One maternal death and 2 fetal losses occurred. Gross, microscopic, and immunohistochemical examination for hantavirus antigen were done on 2 fetal autopsies and 3 placentas showing no evidence of transplacental hantavirus transmission. There was no serological evidence of conversion in the 3 surviving children. Maternal and fetal outcomes of HPS appear similar to those of nonpregnant HPS patients and of pregnant patients with other causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome. No evidence of vertical transmission of Sin Nombre virus was found.
Baculovirus RNA polymerase: Activities, composition, and evolution

Baculoviruses are the only nuclear replicating DNA-containing viruses that encode their own DNA-directed RNA polymerase (RNAP). The baculovirus RNAP is specific for the transcription of genes expressed after virus DNA replication. It is composed of four subunits, making it the simplest multisubunit RNAP known. Two subunits contain motifs found at the catalytic center of other RNAPs and a third has capping enzyme functions. The function of the fourth subunit is not known. Structural studies on this unique RNAP will provide new insights into the functions of this enzyme and the regulation of viral genes and may be instrumental to optimize the baculovirus gene expression system.
A Unified Model for Variation Simulation of Sheet Metal Assemblies

In this paper, a unified variation simulation method is developed to predict the assembly variation for sheet metal assemblies by considering both rigid-body motion and spring-back deformation. Statistical models are introduced to characterize the variation nature offixture elements, which makes it easy to incorporate the clearances into the variation model. An example ofan auto-body subassembly is given to demonstrate the variation simulation technique.
MRI of retinal and choroidal blood flow with laminar resolution

The retina is nourished by two distinct circulations: the retinal vessels within the inner retina and the choroidal vessels behind the neural retina. The outer nuclear layer and the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors in between are avascular. The aim of this study was to determine whether arterial spin labeling MRI could provide sufficient resolution to differentiate between quantitative retinal blood flow (rBF) and choroidal blood flow (chBF), and whether this technique is sufficiently sensitive to detect vascular-specific blood flow (BF) changes modulated by anesthetics. Arterial spin labeling MRI was performed at 42 × 42 × 400 µm3 in the mouse retina at 7 T, and was used to investigate the effects of isoflurane and ketamine/xylazine anesthesia on rBF and chBF. MRI yielded unambiguous differentiation of rBF, chBF and the avascular layer in between. Under isoflurane, chBF was 7.7 ± 2.1 mL/g/min and rBF was 1.3 ± 0.44 mL/g/min (mean ± SD, n = 7, p < 0.01). Under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia in the same animals, chBF was 4.3 ± 1.9 mL/g/min and rBF was 0.88 ± 0.22 mL/g/min (p < 0.01). Under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia, rBF was lower by 29% (P < 0.01) and chBF by 42% (P < 0.01) relative to isoflurane. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the quantitative imaging of rBF and chBF in vivo, providing a new method to study basal values and alterations of rBF and chBF.
Circulating Monocyte-Platelet Aggregates Are a More Sensitive Marker of In Vivo Platelet Activation Than Platelet Surface P-Selectin Studies in Baboons, Human Coronary Intervention, and Human Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background Platelet surface P-selectin is considered the “gold standard” marker of platelet activation. Degranulated, P-selectin–positive platelets, however, aggregate with leukocytes in vitro and rapidly lose surface P-selectin in vivo. Methods and Results Flow cytometric tracking of autologous, biotinylated platelets in baboons enabled us to directly demonstrate for the first time in vivo that (1) infused degranulated platelets very rapidly form circulating aggregates with monocytes and neutrophils, and (2) 30 minutes after infusion of the degranulated platelets, the percentage of circulating monocytes aggregated with infused platelets persist at high levels, whereas the percentage of circulating neutrophils aggregated with infused platelets and the platelet surface P-selectin of nonaggregated infused platelets return to baseline. We therefore performed 2 clinical studies in patients with acute coronary syndromes. First, after percutaneous coronary intervention (n=10), there was an increased number of c...
Vertebrate predators have minimal cascading effects on plant production or seed predation in an intact grassland ecosystem

The strength of trophic cascades in terrestrial habitats has been the subject of considerable interest and debate. We conducted an 8-year experiment to determine how exclusion of vertebrate predators, ungulates alone (to control for ungulate exclusion from predator exclusion plots) or none of these animals influenced how strongly a three-species assemblage of rodent consumers affected plant productivity. We also examined whether predator exclusion influenced the magnitude of post-dispersal seed predation by mice. Both ungulates and rodents had strong direct effects on graminoid biomass. However, rodent impacts on plant biomass did not differ across plots with or without predators and ⁄or ungulates. Deer mice removed more seeds from seed depots on predator exclusion plots, suggesting trait-mediated indirect effects of predators, but this short-term behavioural response did not translate into longer-term impacts on seed survival. These results suggest that vertebrate predators do not fundamentally influence primary production or seed survival in our system.
Enzymatic modification of self-assembled peptide structures with tissue transglutaminase.

A de novo peptide that self-assembles into fibrillar structures and serves as a substrate for the crosslinking enzyme tissue transglutaminase was developed (Ac-QQKFQFQFEQQ-Am). Congo red staining, circular dichroism, and FTIR spectroscopy showed that this 11-amino acid peptide produced predominantly ‚-sheet structures. TEM with negative staining and quick-freeze deep etch (QFDE) TEM showed that the peptide structures were composed of a highly entangled fibrillar network. These ‚-sheet fibrillar nanostructures were then covalently coupled to pendant amine-containing biomolecules via tissue transglutaminase. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and HPLC were utilized to monitor the extent of the transglutaminase modification of the peptide, showing that as many as five glutamines in the peptide were reactive via transglutaminase for covalent conjugation. This strategy, based on the post-assembly modification of a self-assembling peptide, has potential applications for tailoring supramolecular structures for drug delivery, tissue engineering, or other biomedical applications.
Patch-based face recognition from video

Face recognition from video has been extensively studied in recent years. Intuitively, video provides more information than a single image. But problems such as variation in pose and occlusion still remain. When a face is partially occluded, handling the occluded part of the face is an especially challenging task. In this paper, we propose a novel method to recognize a face from video based on face patches. First, face patches are cropped from the video frame by frame. Then, face patches are matched to an overall face model and stitched together. By accumulating the patches, a reconstructed face is built which is used in recognition. We test our method in two experiments. In the first experiment, a still face database is used by randomly occluding parts of the face and using the remaining face patches in recognition. The experiments show that our method achieves a comparable recognition rate with the recognition rate from the whole face image. In the second experiment, the method is tested on video sequences. We reach a recognition rate of 81%, while there is still missing data in the reconstructed face.
Multimode Antenna Selection for MIMO Amplify-and-Forward Relay Systems

Obtaining the most from multiple-antenna relay systems requires algorithms that configure the source and relay adaptively to instantaneous channel conditions. In this paper, we define an antenna selection mode of operation as the number of selected transmit antennas at the source (which is equal to the number of data substreams), the substream-to-antenna mapping at the source, the number of selected transmit antennas at the relay, and the substream-to-antenna mapping at the relay. We develop dualmode and multimode antenna selection algorithms to choose the mode that is most likely to deliver the lowest vector symbol error rate assuming the overall data rate is fixed. The effective condition numbers of both the two-hop channel and the relay channel are derived to give intuition on how the spatial characteristics of the constituent channels affect mode selection and to derive low complexity algorithms. Link-level simulations show that our proposed algorithms usually select the best mode, thus improving the diversity performance of spatial multiplexing relay systems and providing array gains over the existing single-stream relay transmission strategies. The two-hop multimode algorithms are shown by system-level simulations to improve the reliability of transmission and extend spatial multiplexing capability to cell-edge users in a multi-cell network.
Effect of Piperonyl Butoxide on Disposition of Di-2-ethylhexyl Phthalate by Rainbow Trout

1. Piperonyl butoxide in vitro inhibits the oxidation and hydrolysis of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, and the hydrolysis of the butyl ester of 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid by liver homogenate fractions and serum from rainbow trout. 2. The rates of oxidation and hydrolysis of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate by liver homogenates from rainbow trout pre-exposed to piperonyl butoxide (1 mg/l) were considerably lower than those by liver homogenates from control trout. 3. Disposition of di-2-ethylhexyl [14C]phthalate in rainbow trout in vivo was modified by pre-exposure to piperonyl butoxide. The piperonyl butoxide-treated trout had lower levels of 14C in bile and higher levels of 14C in blood and muscle than control trout. 4. Muscle of control and piperonyl butoxide-exposed trout showed similar concentrations of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate but the concentration of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate in muscle from piperonyl butoxide-exposed trout was three times the control value.
Optimization Of (s, S) Periodic Review Inventory Model With Uncertain Demand And Lead Time Using Simulation

This paper presents the use of Palisade @RISK simulation and RISKOptimizer to minimize the expected cost of inventory per period over a long time horizon. An (s, S) ordering policy will be used in this analysis. In an (s, S) ordering policy, an order is placed at the beginning of any period in which beginning inventory is less than s. The order size is the amount needed to bring the inventory level up to S. This paper illustrates a comparison between the use of @RISK simulation with trial values of (s, S) and the use of RISKOptimizer to find optimal values of (s, S) that minimize the expected cost of inventory over a period of time in a periodic review inventory model.
Structure of Chloroplast DNA

We had previously reported the isolation of circular chloro-plast (et) DNA molecules from pea leaves. Circular pea ctDNA was found to have a molecular weight of 90×106 with no evidence of inter- or intramolecular heterogeneity. Recently we have extensively studied the size and structure of ctDNAs from pea, bean, spinach, lettuce, corn, and oats.2 As much as 89% of the ctDNAs from these higher plants has been obtained in circular form. The DNA preparations were also found to contain circular and catenated dimers of the circular monomer. The molecular sizes of these circular ctDNA molecules relative to internal standards has been found to range from 85×106 to 97×106. The molecular size of these ctDNAs was also determined by renaturation kinetics and found to range from 82x106 to 93×106. The excellent agreement between the molecular weights of these circular DNA molecules obtained by electron microscopy and the molecular weight of the unique sequences of these ctDNAs determined by renaturation kinetics suggests that the sequence of a circular ctDNA molecule represents the entire information content of the ctDNA.
Health information needs and preferences in relation to survivorship care plans of long-term cancer survivors in the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-I.

Survivorship care plans (SCPs) provide cancer patients and health care providers with a treatment summary and outline of recommended medical follow-up. Few studies have investigated the information needs and preferred sources among long-term cancer survivors. Cancer survivors of the ten most common cancers enrolled in the longitudinal Study of Cancer Survivors-I (SCS-I) completed a survey 9 years post-diagnosis (n = 3138); at time of diagnosis of the SCS-I cohort, SCPs were not considered usual care. We assessed participants’ current desire and preferred sources for information across ten SCP items and evaluated factors associated with information need 9 years after diagnosis. The proportion of long-term cancer survivors endorsing a need for cancer and health information 9 years post-diagnosis ranged from 43 % (cancer screening) to 9 % (consequences of cancer on ability to work). Print media and personalized reading materials were the most preferred information sources. Younger age, higher education, race other than non-Hispanic white, later cancer stage, having breast cancer, having ≥2 comorbidities, and self-reporting poor health were associated with greater informational need (p < 0.05). Long-term cancer survivors continue to report health information needs for most SCP items and would prefer a print format; however, level of need differs by socio-demographic and cancer characteristics. Cancer survivors who did not previously receive a SCP may still benefit from receiving SCP content, and strategies for enabling dissemination to long-term survivors warrant further investigation.
Structure, metal-insulator transitions, and magnetic properties of FeO at high pressures

The high-pressure behavior of rocksalt-structured FeO has been investigated using the LDA + U method, a first-principles computational technique that allows treatment of correlated electrons with strong localized repulsions. Within the local density approximation (LDA) FeO is predicted to be a metal, but with LDA + U , an insulating state is obtained at zero pressure. Electronic and magnetic behavior, the equation of state, and lattice strain are determined for three values of the Coulomb repulsion U . We find two self-consistent solutions, one with rhombohedral and one with monoclinic electronic symmetry. For U = 4.6 eV, the monoclinic solution becomes more stable than the rhombohedral solution at 110 GPa, leading to an insulator-metal transition; with increasing U , metallization occurs at higher pressures. Results from the LDA + U calculation suggest that the high-spin magnetic state should persist to pressures greater than 300 GPa. The method gives improved agreement with experiments for ground state properties as compared to LDA and GGA methods that do not explicitly include a local Coulomb repulsion.
Note on Bending of Thick Sandwich Plates

BENDING THEORIES for homogeneous plates are of three types, which essentially depend upon the thickness of the plate, h, relative to either the deflection, 8, or a characteristic length, I: (a) Linear bending theory for thin plates is used when the deflections and thickness are small—i.e., 8/h <t:ismdh/K.l. (b) Nonlinear or large deflection theory for bending of thin plates is required when the thickness is small, h/l <C 1, and the deflections are of the order of magnitude of the thickness. (c) Bending theory for moderately thick plates is based on the assumption t ha t the deflections are small, 8/h <C 1, bu t t ha t the thickness relative to the characteristic length is not small; hence, this theory includes the deflections due to shear. A theory for sandwich plates corresponding to the conditions specified for Case (a) for homogeneous plates has been given by Libove and Batdorf, among others, and also by an order of magnitude analysis t ha t depends upon the conditions 8/h <C 1 and h/l <C 1 for the sandwich plate. Since core materials are usually weak in shear, these theories necessarily account for the deflections due to shear and consequently embrace the theory of Case (c) also. Corresponding to Case (b) for the homogeneous plate, a large deflection theory for sandwich plates has been given by Reissner.
Characterization of the Interface States in ZnO Varistors by DLTS Method

The Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) technique was applied to characterize the interface states at the grain boundaries of ZnO varistors. Two types of commercially available varistors, Bi-type and Pr-type, were tested. The ordinary DLTS method for both varistors gave similar spectra showing two peaks. These two peaks were assigned as bulk traps located at approximately 0.2eV and 0.3eV below the conduction band. In addition to these experiments, a new technique of DLTS method, called zero-biased DLTS method, was tried for observing the interface states at the grain boundaries. By this method a peak for the interface states of ZnO varistors was detected at higher temperatures for the first time. The Arrhenius plots of the emission rate gave the depths of the interface states of 1.03eV and 0.94eV for Pr-type and Bi-type varistors, respectively. Numerical simulation of the DLTS peak revealed that the interface states are distributed monoenergetically. Other samples which contained one of Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, and Tb showed similar peaks for the interface states. Although these peaks gave similar values around 1eV, the peak height depended on the element of the rare earth group. Furthermore, since the nonlinear exponent (α) depended strongly on the peak height, the concentration of the interface states should give a large effect on the nonlinearity of the ZnO varistors. The origin of the interface states was suggested to be identified as chemisorbed oxygen ion at the ZnO grain boundaries.
Influence of Starting Material on Bi2sr2cacu2o8 Fibers Grown by the Float Zone Process

A miniaturized float zone technique using laser heating has been found to have potential for producing superconducting fibers of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 which can carry high currents. Growth stability and growth rate, however, need to be improved if this technique is to be useful for preparing long lengths of 30 μπι diameter high quality fibers for property evaluation and prototype devices. One of the first requirements toward achieving this goal is the preparation of dense, homogeneous starting material. Work on different strategies for starting material preparation are discussed.
Thumb numbers

Rules of thumb stated as numerical rules are enticing, but many are folk theorems that may not apply in your critical situation.
Locomotor diversity within past and present guilds of large predatory mammals

The impact of environment, interspecific competition, and, to a lesser extent history, on the structure of the guild of large predatory mammals is explored in one fossil and four Recent communities. Two aspects are emphasized: (1) the number of species within each guild and (2) the extent of locomotor convergence as inferred from morphology among the constituent species. Locomotor behavior reflects habitat choice, hunting mode, and escape strategy, all of which appear to be important avenues of adaptive divergence among coexisting predators.Locomotor behavior in extinct and extant predators is determined from body weight and five measured characteristics of the postcranial skeleton, including ungual shape, elbow shape, and limb proportions. Results indicate that levels of morphologic and inferred ecologic similarity between large predators are higher in the tropical grassland guild of East Africa than in the equivalent guilds of either tropical or temperate forest. This may be due to the great density and diversity of terrestrial herbivores in the productive grasslands. The fossil guild, from the Late Chadron–Orellan (Oligocene) of North America, appears most similar to the tropical forest guilds, but the predators seem to have been slower and more robust than their modern counterparts. Since the Orellan represents an early stage in the evolution of large, fissiped carnivores, both ancestry and time could have influenced Orellan guild structure.
Expanding the boundaries of museum studies: Popular education through engagement with hidden histories of organising and activism:

This article shares a descriptive case study of a popular education project entitled Alternative Tours UIC (ALTourUIC) that took place during a graduate course in the Museum and Exhibition Studies Programme at University of Illinois at Chicago. The educational activities created by the students included a map locating historically rich areas of campus, guided and self-guided tours, and social media spaces inviting participants to contribute stories of campus-based activism. The aims were to make visible marginalised and suppressed histories of activism and organising by members of the campus community at University of Illinois at Chicago. Importantly, this article offers a model of popular education that we recommend be taken up by museums to create greater awareness of frequently unknown and ignored histories and actively engage students in critical learning and investigation.
The impacts of base bias resistor and LTE 16QAM signal bandwidth on high-efficiency linear SiGe power amplifier design

This paper investigates the design of a linear highly-efficient SiGe power amplifier (PA) where its linearity, power-added efficiency (PAE) and P OUT are studied vs. different LTE 16QAM signal BW and a relatively small bias resistance R bias is used to set up the base bias from a DC voltage source in lieu of using a large choke inductor. The PA is designed in a 0.35-µm SiGe BiCMOS technology with through-silicon via (TSV), passing the stringent LTE spectrum emission mask (SEM) at average linear P OUT = 23.5/23.1/23.1 dBm with 48.0/45.2/44.6% PAE for LTE 5/10/20 MHz inputs at R bias = 500 Ω. However, both linearity and PAE degrade when R bias decreases to 330 Ω or increases to 1000 Ω. The adjacent channel leakage ratios ACLR1/ACLR2 exhibit over 10-21 dB degradation at R bias = 330 Ω and 1000 Ω for LTE 20 MHz input at P OUT = 23.1 dBm (P 1dB = 22.3 dBm), while they are practically unchanged against R bias for 5 MHz LTE input or at 6 dB P OUT back-off at 17.1 dBm. Envelope-tracking (ET) is also used to improve PA's efficiency at back-off for R bias = 500 Ω. The data suggests for SiGe PA design with TSV, a small bias R bias may be used in lieu of a large inductor to save area, while its performance is dependent on the optimal bias R bias value - too high or too low of R bias will degrade its RF gain, stability and linearity for both CW and LTE modulated signal inputs.
Extrahepatic Manifestations of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease characterized by progressive destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts, leading to cholestasis. PBC is known to have both hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations. Extrahepatic manifestations are seen in up to 73% of patients with PBC, with the most common being Sjogren's syndrome, thyroid dysfunction and systemic sclerosis. It is thought that patients with PBC are at increased risk of developing these extrahepatic manifestations, almost all of which are autoimmune, because patients with autoimmune disease are at higher risk of developing another autoimmune condition. Due to the high prevalence of extrahepatic diseases in patients with PBC, it is important to complete a thorough medical history at the time of diagnosis. Prompt recognition of extrahepatic disease can lead to improved patient outcomes and quality of life. The following review summarizes the most common extrahepatic conditions associated with PBC.
Where does the calculus go? A follow up investigation of how calculus ideas are used in core engineering coursework

Mathematics courses are a major source of engineering student attrition. Many engineering students drop out before even taking an engineering course. While the mismatch between mathematics content and following engineering coursework is already a concern, it is often studied heuristically by talking to engineering faculty. Few rigorous studies empirically document when students actually need to use calculus knowledge in their coursework. We mapped how foundational calculus concepts are used to solve assigned problems in topics covered in the widely required Engineering Statics course. To create this mapping, we used the mathematics-in-use technique of Czocher et al. We present preliminary evidence of the match, or mismatch, between what calculus is taught and learned in mathematics courses and what is expected of students in following engineering coursework. For this work-in-progress, we focused on presenting the alignment between calculus concepts/skills and topics taught in Statics.
Implicational molecules: a method for extracting meaning from input sentences

A generally overlooked possibility for extracting pragmatic meaning from sentence inputs is discussed.This possibility draws upon tha psychology of the subjective attribution of causes to stimulus events. Application to the design of conversational programs is feasible, although the present work concerns application to the simulation of a belief system. Simple sentences known by the system are grouped into categorical types. An "implicational molecule" ia a meaningful aet of sentence types with linked elements, for example: A does X, X causes Y, A wants Y. One important way in which meaning can ba described to an input sentence is to use it as the basis for a molecule which ia then "filled" by other information in tha system. This notion is defined mathematically, and a programming algorithm outlined. The possibility of recursive use of a molecule-filling routine gives tha process heuristic overtones.
The History of Opioid Use in Anesthetic Delivery

“Opioids” relieved pain for 6,000 years. In 1805, Serturner isolated morphine from opium. In the last half of the nineteenth century, morphine pre-anesthetic medication shortened induction and decreased anesthetic requirement.
CHAPTER 1 – Imaging Science: Bringing the Invisible to Light

This chapter provides an overview of emission tomography (ET), a type of medical imaging technology that uses radioactive materials. The purpose of this chapter is to place highly specialized field of emission tomography within the broader context of imaging science, which has to do with natural vision and its extension into invisible realms by means of a great variety of imaging systems. It also puts ET in the context of human progress towards a better understanding of the physical world. Recent advances in digital computer technology has made it possible to deal with any image as an array of numbers that represents the local values of the object property that has been imaged and to make quantitative measurements of object properties from their images. These methods are employed to deal with the generic issues of imaging science i.e., image-data acquisition, image recovery, recording, distribution, display, observation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and optimization.
MARTINI-based Coarse-grained Model for Poly(alpha-peptoid)s

In this paper, we present a new coarse-grained (CG) model for poly (alpha-peptoid)s that is compatible with the MARTINI CG FF. In the proposed model, CG poly (alpha-peptoid) is composed by a CG backbone (here we select polysarcosine as the backbone) and side chain beads. The CG model of the backbone (polysarcosine) in a solvent is first developed and then extended to poly (alpha-peptoid)s with different side groups that can be obtained from MARTINI FF. We demonstrate that our CG model has good transferability. For example, the CG potentials for polysarcosine can be transferred to predict hydration free energy of other peptoids. Also, the CG polypeptoid model accurately predicts the radius of gyration over a wide range of chain lengths and the solvation free energy for relatively short peptoid molecules in good solvents. We use the CG model to study sequenced diblock polypeptoid in binary solvent mixtures and compare the results with the experimentally observed coil-globule transition.
Improving Peritoneal Dialysis Access in Rural Communities with Telemedicine

Increased availability of telehealth, along with patient satisfaction with the modality and financial incentives, makes peritoneal dialysis (PD) an excellent option for qualifying patients living in rural communities. Telemedicine has the potential to radically change the delivery of dialysis care by facilitating the ability of these patients to interact with their PD team via telehealth using a computer with reliable broadband Internet, which many rural clinics and hospitals now possess. Recent legal precedents make this a possibility. Therefore, it is recommended that renal providers take advantage of these favorable conditions to expand the diversity and quality of their practice.
A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity: Dispatches from the Dakota War

Review of: "A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity: Dispatches From the Dakota War," by Mary Butler Renville, edited by Carrie Reber Zeman and Kathryn Zabelle Derounian-Stodola.
The Impact of Household Economics on Short-Term Outcomes in a Posterior Fossa Tumor Population

Background Disparities exist in medical care and may result in avoidable negative clinical care outcomes for those affected. There remains a paucity in the literature regarding the impact of economic disparities on neurosurgical outcomes. Methods A total of 283 consecutive posterior fossa brain tumor resections, excluding cerebellopontine angle tumors, over a six-year period (June 07, 2013, to April 29, 2019) at a single, multihospital academic medical center were analyzed retrospectively. Outcomes evaluated included 30-day readmission and mortality, emergency department (ED) evaluation, unplanned return to surgery within 30 days, and return to surgery after index admission within 30 days. The population was divided into quartiles based on median household income, and univariate analysis was conducted between the lowest (Q1) and highest (Q4) socioeconomic quartiles, with significance set at a p < 0.05. Stepwise regression was conducted to determine the correlations among study variables and identify confounding factors. Results Whole population univariate analysis demonstrated lower socioeconomic status (SES) to be correlated with increased mortality within 30 post-operative days and increased return to surgery after index admission. No significant difference was found with regard to 30-day readmission, ED evaluation, unplanned reoperation, or return to surgery after index admission. Decreasing, but not significant, mortality was demonstrated between Q1 and Q4 socioeconomic quartiles. Conclusions This study suggests that low SES, when defined by household income, correlates with increased mortality within 30 days and an increased need for return to surgery within 30 days. There may be an opportunity for hospitals and care providers to use SES to proactively identify high-risk patients and test the impact of supports in the post-operative setting.
Predictors of Adverse Radiation Effect in Brain Metastasis Patients Treated With Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

PURPOSE Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has recently been found to improve survival in patients with a number of cancers, including those with metastatic disease. There is an association of adverse radiation effect (ARE) in patients with brain metastases who have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and ICIs. METHODS AND MATERIALS Single-institution retrospective review identified 1118 brain metastases treated with SRS between 2013 and 2018 that had received ICI therapy and 886 metastases that did not receive ICI. Toxicity grading was done via the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0 grading criteria. Cumulative incidence of ARE was estimated using competing risks methodology; univariate and multivariable regression models were generated to estimate the subdistribution hazard (sHR) of ARE. RESULTS Two-year cumulative incidence of ARE was 4.5% and 2.1% in patients treated with and without ICI, respectively (Gray's P = .004). Of the 52 metastases exhibiting ARE during the follow-up period, ARE severity by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4 was grade 1 in 14 patients, grade 2 in 15, grade 3 in 9, and grade 4 in 14. There were no grade 5 events. Factors associated with an increased sHR of ARE on univariate analysis included ICI, metastasis volume, SRS dose, prescription isodose line, cavity-directed SRS, and V12. Multivariable analysis revealed prescription isodose line (sHR 0.95, P < .01) and ICI (sHR 2.58, P < .01) as significant predictors of ARE. Increasing V12 was associated with a rapidly increasing risk of adverse radiation effect in patients who received ICI. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that patients receiving ICI have an increased risk of ARE after radiosurgery for brain metastases, with large metastases being at particularly high risk.
Sex and cardiac electrophysiology: atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia

Abstract In adults, atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. AVNRT occurs more often in women than men with a prevalence of 2:1. Important differences among sexes exist in the risk, presentation, and treatment of AVNRT. Women are at higher risk of developing the arrhythmia and present earlier with symptoms; however, treatment is often delayed. Delays in treatment reflect misdiagnosis and likely underuse of nonpharmacologic therapies, despite similar efficacy and safety profiles between sexes. Long-term pharmacologic management can be considered, but in women there exists a higher risk of QT prolongation and a need for closer follow-up to minimize risk of proarrhythmia.