cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal variation in surface fuel moisture between unthinned and thinned mixed conifer forest, northern California, USA

Reducing stand density is often used as a tool for mitigating the risk of high-intensity crown fires. However, concern has been expressed that opening stands might lead to greater drying of surface fuels, contributing to increased fire risk. The objective of this study was to determine whether woody fuel moisture differed between unthinned and thinned mixed-conifer stands. Sections of logs representing the 1000- and 10 000-h fuel sizes were placed at 72 stations within treatment units in the fall (autumn) of 2007. Following snow-melt in 2008, 10-h fuel sticks were added and all fuels were weighed every 1–2 weeks from May until October. Moisture of the 1000- and 10 000-h fuels peaked at the end of May, and then decreased steadily through the season. Moisture of the 10- and 1000-h fuels did not differ between unthinned and thinned stands at any measurement time. The 10 000-h fuel moisture was significantly less in thinned than unthinned stands only in early to mid-May. Overall, even when fuel moisture varied between treatments, differences were small. The long nearly precipitation-free summers in northern California appear to have a much larger effect on fuel moisture than the amount of canopy cover. Fuel moisture differences resulting from stand thinning would therefore not be expected to substantially influence fire behaviour and effects during times of highest fire danger in this environment.
Compact Electric Antennas

This paper explores some of the design concepts and parameters of electric-dipole antennas driven by high-voltage pulsers, producing mesoband resonant radiating waveforms.
Storm Water Best Management Practices that Maximize Aquifer Recharge

Abstract This article reviews and provides evaluation guidelines for six major storm water best management practices including bioretention areas, grassed swales/filter strips, infiltration trenches, porous pavement, rain barrels and wet detention ponds. A detailed table allows for quick and easy design comparisons, including a separate table which allows for site specific cost comparisons. A logic diagram is provided as a basic tool for screening the most feasible management practice.
Recovering from iron deficiency chlorosis in near-isogenic soybeans: A microarray study

Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) in soybeans has proven to be a perennial problem in the calcareous soils of the U.S. upper Midwest. A historically difficult trait to study in fields, the use of hydroponics in a controlled greenhouse environment has provided a mechanism to study genetic variation while limiting environmental complications. IDC susceptible plants growing in calcareous soils and in iron-controlled hydroponic experiments often exhibit a characteristic chlorotic phenotype early in the growing season but are able to re-green later in the season. To examine the changes in gene expression of these plants, near-isogenic lines, iron efficient PI548553 (Clark) and iron inefficient PI547430 (IsoClark), developed for their response to iron deficiency stress [USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, Germplasm Resources Information Network - GRIN. (Online Database) National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 2004. Available: http://www.ars.grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/acc_search.pl?accid=PI+547430. [22] were grown in iron-deficient hydroponic conditions for one week, then transferred to iron sufficient conditions for another week. This induced a phenotypic response mimicking the growth of the plants in the field; initial chlorosis followed by re-greening. RNA was isolated from root tissue and transcript profiles were examined between the two near-isogenic lines using publicly available cDNA microarrays. By alleviating the iron deficiency stress our expectation was that plants would return to baseline expression levels. However, the microarray comparison identified four cDNAs that were under-expressed by a two-fold or greater difference in the iron inefficient plant compared to the iron efficient plant. This differential expression was re-examined and confirmed by real time PCR experimentation. Control experiments showed that these genes are not differentially expressed in plants grown continually under iron rich hydroponic conditions. The expression differences suggest potential residual effects of iron deficiency on plant health.
How grazing and soil quality affect native and exotic plant diversity in Rocky Mountain grasslands

We used multiscale plots to sample vascular plant diversity and soil characteristics in and adjacent to 26 long-term grazing exclosure sites in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota, USA. The exclosures were 7–60 yr old (31.2 ± 2.5 yr, mean ± 1 se). Plots were also randomly placed in the broader landscape in open rangeland in the same vegetation type at each site to assess spatial variation in grazed landscapes. Consistent sampling in the nine National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and other management units yielded data from 78 1000-m2 plots and 780 1-m2 subplots. We hypothesized that native species richness would be lower in the exclosures than in grazed sites, due to competitive exclusion in the absence of grazing. We also hypothesized that grazed sites would have higher native and exotic species richness compared to ungrazed areas, due to disturbance (i.e., the intermediate-disturbance hypothesis) and the conventional wisdom that grazing may accelerate weed invasion. Both hypotheses were soundly rej...
Electrochemical and Fill Studies of a Multicomponent Additive Package for Copper Deposition

An acid-copper plating bath containing chloride ions polyethylene glycol (PEG), bis(3-sulfopropyl) disulfide (SPS), and Janus Green B (JGB) has been characterized by electrochemical methods and by fill studies on electrode surfaces patterned with trenches ranging in size from 200 to 600 nm, with aspect ratios between 2 and 4. The electrochemical methods employed include linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperometry (CA), and cyclic voltammetric stripping (CVS) on a rotating disk electrode. Comparison of the methods shows that in all the cases an analysis of LSV and CA gives consistent estimates of an effective surface coverage of additives. CVS results are consistent with the other results only in baths that are free of JGB. The ability to produce void-free deposits of a hath containing all of the additives can be understood in part with LSV and CA results However a very good superfilling can also be obtained from a plating bath containing chloride ions, PEG, SPS, but no JGB. This observation cannot be easily interpreted with measurements within the context of established leveling theories.
An overview of NASA's intelligent systems program

NASA and the computer science research community are poised to enter a critical era. An era in which - it seems - each needs the other. Market forces, driven by the immediate economic viability of computer science research results, place computer science in a relatively novel position. These forces impact how research is done, and could, in the worst case, drive the field away from significant innovation - opting instead for incremental advances that result in greater stability in the market place. NASA, however, requires significant advances in computer science research in order to accomplish the exploration and science agenda it has set out for itself. NASA may indeed be poised to advance computer science research in this century, much the way it advanced aero-based research in the last.
Wound healing of KTP and argon laser lesions in the canine nasal cavity.

The potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) and argon lasers are increasingly used in nasal and sinus surgery. Histologic effects of these lasers on living nasal tissue have not been investigated. Sixteen dogs underwent laser nasal surgery (eight for each laser). Flexible fiberoptic quartz fibers were used with both lasers to deliver the laser energy to the tissue. The dogs were allowed to heal and then underwent biopsy at 3, 7, 21, and 90 days postoperatively. The argon and KTP lasers had similar tissue effects. Histologically, a thin rim of coagulation necrosis and acute inflammation were seen at 3 days postoperatively. By 7 days, fibroblasts and granulation tissue were observed. At 21 days, fibroblast proliferation and re-epithelialization with respiratory epithelium were the predominant findings. Finally, at 90 days postoperatively, respiratory epithelium and submucosal structures were found overlying a plug of scar filling the defect in the septal cartilage. This healing was consistent through a wide range...
Therapeutic vaccines for substance dependence

Immunotherapies, including vaccines, monoclonal and catalytic antibodies, are an exciting and novel approach to treating problems of drug dependence. Drugs of abuse currently being tested using immunotherapy include nicotine, cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP) and methamphetamine. Data from animal models demonstrate that immunotherapies reduce drug seeking and drug toxicity. Preliminary clinical data show immunotherapies induce antibody titers, produce few side effects, can reduce drug use and thus have tremendous potential as an innovative option to drug treatment.
Analysis: Home Fructosamine Testing: Will It Improve Diabetic Control?

405 THE ENORMOUS clinical and economic consequences of diabetes demand that new, more efficient methods to screen and monitor this disease be developed. It has been estimated that there were about 16 million cases of diabetes in the United States in 1997, of whom over 5 million were undiagnosed.1,2 The number of cases of type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90–95% of all cases of diabetes in the United States,3,4 is increasing rapidly, especially in minority populations, and is expected to continue to do so.5,6 Prolonged elevation of blood glucose levels leads to microvascular and macrovascular disease, which in turn results in end organ damage to kidneys, eyes, nerves and heart. The recent Diabetes Control and Complications Trial7 and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study8 provided definitive evidence that tight control of glycemia significantly reduces microvascular complications of diabetes, including retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and may perhaps prevent progression of large vessel disease as well. These findings argue for the importance of early diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and close monitoring of diabetic patients, so that glucose levels can be controlled as early as possible after onset of the disease and can be maintained as close to normal as possible. Both of these issues have been addressed in a recent two-phase study conducted by Carter and associates and presented in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics. The first part of the study, which was published within the past year,9 presented evidence in favor of screening for diabetes by measuring both glucose and fructosamine in finger stick blood samples, using a recently approved portable meter (DuetTM Glucose Control System, LXN Corporation, San Diego, CA). The second phase, which appears in the current issue,10 describes the use of the same meter for home monitoring of individuals with poor diabetic control, by evaluation of both glucose and fructosamine levels on finger-stick blood samples. The current gold standard for long-term monitoring of glucose control, the determination of hemoglobin A1c, is based on the same phenomenon which accounts for the long-term complications of diabetes, namely the binding of glucose moieties to proteins in the blood and other body tissues. This binding occurs via a multistep, nonenzymatic reaction. In the first step, an aldehyde group of the glucose molecule reacts reversibly with an amino group of a protein to form an aldimine. Most of the aldimine (Schiff base) decomposes to the original reactants (protein and sugar). However, a small portion of the aldimine undergoes an Amadori rearrangement to form a stable ketoamine. The general term for this nonenzymatic binding of sugar to protein is glycation, and the products formed are known as glycated proteins. Over long periods of time glucose-derived cross-links between proteins are formed and advanced Amadori rearrangement Analysis
Queer tension: Le teuer inside me

QUEER TENSION: LE TEUER INSIDE ME Nicholas Ryan Wood August 2, 2010 The film High Tension (2005) is a complex and powerfully threatening portrait of queer monstrosity and negativity. Upon its release, the film's twist ending garnered widespread derision, but there is a mad method, so to speak, in its insistence on purposeful irreconcilability. This thesis aims to tease out the nuances of High Tension's subversive twist. It examines the makeup and history of the slasher sub-genre of horror, as well as relevant 'criticism in the field, in order to locate High Tension's specific contribution. The film presents an image of queer monstrosity that performs what Michael Moon calls sexual disorientation, as well as a profoundly queer disidentification. In its final scenes, the film portrays a vibrant and violent queer sexuality, one that threatens beyond the screen. High Tension figures the terrifying manifestation of queer negativity, proffering a radical threat to the social itself.
Phylogeny of Annelida

Annelida are typically characterized by the presence of segmentation and can be found in all habitats on the Earth. Traditionally regarded as being closely related to arthropods, with several very well-known toxic or venomous species, molecular data robustly placed them within Lophotrochozoa. Besides annelids, only one other taxon within Lophotrochozoa, Mollusca, is currently known to also contain toxic or venomous species. The phylogeny of Annelida has been controversially discussed since the recognition of Annelida as a taxon in the nineteenth century. However, recent phylogenomic studies have achieved tremendous progress in this respect. Based on these results, Annelida was split into two major clades, one clade (the Errantia) adapted to an errant mobile life and the other (the Sedentaria) which includes earthworms and leeches, to a more sessile, sedentary one. Finally, several morphologically aberrant annelid taxa are the first to branch off from the annelid stem lineage. Moreover, the nonsegmented Sipuncula (peanut worms) and Echiura (spoon worms) have to be placed within Annelida. Interestingly, the four taxa known to comprise toxic or venomous species are scattered throughout the tree. While Amphinomidae are part of the basal radiation, Glyceridae are placed within Errantia and the clitellate taxa Eisenia and Hirudinea are part of Sedentaria. Hence, the evolution of toxic or venomous species within Annelida most likely occurred independently.
Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking and Susceptibility to Cigarette Smoking Among Young Adults in the United States, 2012-2013.

Introduction Waterpipe tobacco smoking, also known as hookah and shisha, has surged in popularity among young people in the United States. Waterpipe is also increasingly becoming the first tobacco product that young people try. Given the limited access to and limited portability of waterpipes, waterpipe smokers who become more nicotine dependent over time may be more likely to turn to cigarettes. This study examined the relationship between waterpipe tobacco smoking and susceptibility to cigarette smoking among young adults in the United States.
Cognitive Impairment in Depressed Older Adults: Implications for Prognosis and Treatment.

Late-life depression is often accompanied by cognitive impairment. Although estimates vary, studies have shown that combined depression and cognitive dysfunction is present in roughly 25% of older adults (1). The number of community residents with both depressive symptoms and impaired cognition doubles every five years after the age of 70. In some cases, the syndromes of depression and cognitive impairment may be related to the same underlying disorder (e.g. vascular dementia, hypothyroidism), whereas in other cases depression and cognitive impairment may be relatively independent, and simply coexist. Differential diagnosis and treatment decisions can be complicated by various factors. Cognitive changes, which are part of the depressive syndrome, can be severe, incipient dementing disorders may have physical and cognitive symptoms that mimic depression, or cognitive impairment may be part of a subclinical dementing disorder unmasked by the pathophysiological changes of depression.
A Rational Biomimetic Approach to Structure Defect Generation in Colloidal Nanocrystals

Controlling the morphology of nanocrystals (NCs) is of paramount importance for both fundamental studies and practical applications. The morphology of NCs is determined by the seed structure and the following facet growth. While means for directing facet formation in NC growth have been extensively studied, rational strategies for the production of NCs bearing structure defects in seeds have been much less explored. Here, we report mechanistic investigations of high density twin formation induced by specific peptides in platinum (Pt) NC growth, on the basis of which we derive principles that can serve as guidelines for the rational design of molecular surfactants to introduce high yield twinning in noble metal NC syntheses. Two synergistic factors are identified in producing twinned Pt NCs with the peptide: (1) the altered reduction kinetics and crystal growth pathway as a result of the complex formation between the histidine residue on the peptide and Pt ions, and (2) the preferential stabilization of {1...
Analysis on the Problems Exited in India Mundra Power Plant DEH System Commissioning & Its Treatment

Digital Electro-hydraulic Control System(DEH) is real time control system of turbine generator,and is very important for the safe operation of whole unit.Analysis is conducted to the problems in India Mundra Power Plant DEH system commissioning,the measures can be used as references for other similar project.
Accurate determination of rates from non-uniformly sampled relaxation data

The application of non-uniform sampling (NUS) to relaxation experiments traditionally used to characterize the fast internal motion of proteins is quantitatively examined. Experimentally acquired Poisson-gap sampled data reconstructed with iterative soft thresholding are compared to regular sequentially sampled (RSS) data. Using ubiquitin as a model system, it is shown that 25 % sampling is sufficient for the determination of quantitatively accurate relaxation rates. When the sampling density is fixed at 25 %, the accuracy of rates is shown to increase sharply with the total number of sampled points until eventually converging near the inherent reproducibility of the experiment. Perhaps contrary to some expectations, it is found that accurate peak height reconstruction is not required for the determination of accurate rates. Instead, inaccuracies in rates arise from inconsistencies in reconstruction across the relaxation series that primarily manifest as a non-linearity in the recovered peak height. This indicates that the performance of an NUS relaxation experiment cannot be predicted from comparison of peak heights using a single RSS reference spectrum. The generality of these findings was assessed using three alternative reconstruction algorithms, eight different relaxation measurements, and three additional proteins that exhibit varying degrees of spectral complexity. From these data, it is revealed that non-linearity in peak height reconstruction across the relaxation series is strongly correlated with errors in NUS-derived relaxation rates. Importantly, it is shown that this correlation can be exploited to reliably predict the performance of an NUS-relaxation experiment by using three or more RSS reference planes from the relaxation series. The RSS reference time points can also serve to provide estimates of the uncertainty of the sampled intensity, which for a typical relaxation times series incurs no penalty in total acquisition time.
MO-A-201-01: A Cliff’s Notes Version of Proton Therapy

Proton therapy is a rapidly growing modality in the fight against cancer. From a high-level perspective the process of proton therapy is identical to x-ray based external beam radiotherapy. However, this course is meant to illustrate for x-ray physicists the many differences between x-ray and proton based practices. Unlike in x-ray therapy, proton dose calculations use CT Hounsfield Units (HU) to determine proton stopping power and calculate the range of a beam in a patient. Errors in stopping power dominate the dosimetric uncertainty in the beam direction, while variations in patient position determine uncertainties orthogonal to the beam path. Mismatches between geometric and range errors lead to asymmetric uncertainties, and so while geometric uncertainties in x-ray therapy are mitigated through the use of a Planning Target Volume (PTV), this approach is not suitable for proton therapy. Robust treatment planning and evaluation are critical in proton therapy, and will be discussed in this course. Predicting the biological effect of a proton dose distribution within a patient is also a complex undertaking. The proton therapy community has generally regarded the Radiobiological Effectiveness (RBE) of a proton beam to be 1.1 everywhere in the patient, but there are increasing data to suggest that the RBE probably climbs higher than 1.1 near the end of a proton beam when the energy deposition density increases. This lecture will discuss the evidence for variable RBE in proton therapy and describe how this is incorporated into current proton treatment planning strategies. Finally, there are unique challenges presented by the delivery process of proton therapy. Many modern systems use a spot scanning technique which has several advantages over earlier scattered beam designs. However, the time dependence of the dose deposition leads to greater concern with organ motion than with scattered protons or x-rays. Image guidance techniques in proton therapy may also differ from standard x-ray approaches, due to equipment design or the desire to maximize efficiency within a high-cost proton therapy treatment room. Differences between x-ray and proton therapy delivery will be described. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand how CT HU are calibrated to provide proton stopping power, and the sources of uncertainty in this process. 2.Understand why a PTV is not suitable for proton therapy, and how robust treatment planning and evaluation are used to mitigate uncertainties. 3.Understand the source and implications of variable RBE in proton therapy 4.Learn about proton specific challenges and approaches in beam delivery and image guidance Jon Kruse has a research grant from Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy treatment plannning.; J. Kruse, Jon Kruse has a research grant with Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy planning.
Resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat of YbAgCu4 in high magnetic fields.

We report measurements of the resistivity \ensuremath{\rho}, Sommerfeld coefficient of specific heat \ensuremath{\gamma}, and magnetization M of polycrystalline ${\mathrm{YbAgCu}}_{4}$ in high magnetic fields 0\ensuremath{\le}B\ensuremath{\le}18 T [in the case of M(B) to 50 T]. A comparison of the temperature-dependent susceptibility \ensuremath{\chi}(T) as well as field-dependent Sommerfeld coefficient \ensuremath{\gamma} and magnetization to Kondo theory for a J=7/2 impurity shows that theory correctly predicts the functional dependence of these quantities on T and B, but the characteristic temperatures determined from the various measurements (120, 98, 77, and 63 K) differ by nearly a factor of 2, which is difficult to understand within the context of Kondo theory even when other possible contributions are considered. In addition the normalized (Wilson) ratio of \ensuremath{\chi} to \ensuremath{\gamma} is 1.00 at zero field (compared to 1.14 in Coqblin-Schrieffer theory) and decreases with increasing magnetic field. The magnetoresistance is positive at all temperatures, reaching a value \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}(B)/\ensuremath{\rho}(B=0)=0.6 at 25 mK and 18 T. The low-temperature magnetoresistivity \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}(B) varies as ${\mathit{B}}^{1.5}$. We argue that this is dominated by an ordinary impurity effect. Kohler's rule is clearly violated as the temperature is raised; the scattering rate appears to increase with field below 40 K and decrease with field above 40 K. This behavior is expected for an Anderson lattice when a pseudogap is present. At low temperature the resistivity increases as ${\mathit{AT}}^{2}$. The coefficient A (corrected for cyclotron-orbit effects) increases with field such that the ratio A(B)/\ensuremath{\gamma}(B${)}^{2}$ is a constant. Doping with Lu onto the Yb site, or with Ni onto the Cu site, changes the magnitude of the low-temperature resistivity in a manner consistent with the predictions of the theory of ligand-induced disorder in an Anderson lattice.
Working memory capacity, strategic allocation of study time, and value-directed remembering

Abstract To further elucidate the relationship between working memory capacity (WMC) and long-term memory (LTM), the present study investigated how individual differences in WMC relate to strategic encoding and subsequent retrieval in a self-regulated value-directed remembering paradigm. Participants were given 2 min to study lists of words that varied in explicit value and then were asked to freely recall the words they had just studied. In Experiment 1, participants were not given any guidance on effective encoding strategies. The strategy that led to the highest point totals was to ignore the low-value items altogether, and high-WMC participants were more likely to use this strategy. In Experiment 2, half of participants received an instruction on how to best allocate their study time at the beginning of the task, and half received this instruction after three of the six lists. Equating participants on the use of an effective strategy from the beginning of the task eliminated WMC-related differences in task performance. Together the results support the conclusion that low-WMC individuals spontaneously use effective encoding strategies less often than high-WMC individuals. But when instructed to do so, WMC-related differences are greatly attenuated. Therefore, one of the major reasons for the WMC-LTM relationship seems to be the differential development and execution of task-appropriate strategies during encoding of to-be-remembered information.
Role of calcium-activated potassium channels in the heart

Ability of intracellular calcium to open K+-selective channels in an excitable membrane and to hasten repolarization of an action potential or inhibit firing is a fundamental principle of biology first recognized in the mid-1970s. There are several types of these channels, the principal ones being large conductance (BK) and small conductance (SK). While these channels are clearly more prevalent in the brain and other neuronal tissue, they are definitely present in various parts of the heart and the information about their role has gradually emerged over the past 40 years. The structure and function of these channels are described in the first part of this review. SK channels are opened exclusively by [Ca2+]i, while BK channels are sensitive to both voltage and [Ca2+]i. Opening of calcium-activated potassium channels does not seem to be the primary mechanism of action potential repolarization in the heart as once thought, and further research is needed to clarify if shortening of the action potential during acute myocardial infarction is due to opening of these channels due to “calcium overload.” Some evidence for a role of SK channels in ischemia-induced action potential shortening has been obtained. Calcium-activated K+ channels in the ventricular myocardium are upregulated in heart failure which may have an antiarrhythmic effect by counteracting calcium-dependent inward currents. BK channels have been implicated in ischemic preconditioning. Mutations affecting BK and SK channels do not seem to be an important cause of long QT syndrome, but genome-wide association studies that focus on these channels should be performed in patients or families with long QT or genetically mediated sudden death.
Review of Health Impact Assessments Informing Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Policies, Programs, and Projects in the United States

Policies, programs, and projects related to agriculture, food, and nutrition can significantly affect public health. Health impact assessment (HIA) is one tool that can be used to improve awareness of the health effects of decisions outside the health sector, and increasing the use of HIA for agriculture, food, and nutrition decisions presents an opportunity to improve public health. This study identifies and reviews all HIAs completed in the United States on agriculture, food, and nutri­tion topics. Studies were identified from HIA databases, an Internet search, and expert consulta­tion. Key characteristics were extracted from each study: type of decision assessed, location, level of jurisdic­tion, lead organization, methods of analysis, and recommendations. Twenty-five eligible HIAs that were conducted between 2007 and 2016 address topics such as regulations on land use for agricul­ture; food and beverage taxes; and devel­oping gro­cery stores in food deserts. These HIAs have predominantly supported policy, as opposed to program or project, decisions. Four case studies are presented to illustrate in detail the HIA process and the mechanisms through which HIA findings affected policy decisions. Among other influences, these four HIAs affected the language of legislation and provided guidance for federal regulations. These examples demonstrate several findings: appropriate timing is critical for findings to have an influence; diverse stakeholder involvement gener­ates support for recommendations; and the clear communication of feasible recommendations is highly important. There is substantial scope to increase the use of HIA in the agriculture, food, and nutrition sectors. Challenges include the pau­city of monitoring and evaluation of HIAs’ effects on health outcomes, and the limited funding availa­ble to conduct HIAs. Opportunities include inte­grating HIAs and community food assessments, and more widely sharing HIA findings to inform related decisions in different jurisdictions and to increase support for additional HIAs that address the food system. Note: See the supplemental Excel file (under Article Tools>Supplementary files at left) for more details on the health impact assessments included in this systematic review.
Engineering defined membrane-embedded elements of AMPA receptor induces opposing gating modulation by cornichon 3 and stargazin.

KEY POINTS The AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs) mediate the majority of excitatory synaptic transmission and their function impacts learning, cognition and behaviour. The gating of AMPARs occurs in milliseconds, precisely controlled by a variety of auxiliary subunits that are expressed differentially in the brain, but the difference in mechanisms underlying AMPAR gating modulation by auxiliary subunits remains elusive and is investigated. The elements of the AMPAR that are functionally recruited by auxiliary subunits, stargazin and cornichon 3, are located not only in the extracellular domains but also in the lipid-accessible surface of the AMPAR. We reveal that the two auxiliary subunits require a shared surface on the transmembrane domain of the AMPAR for their function, but the gating is influenced by this surface in opposing directions for each auxiliary subunit. Our results provide new insights into the mechanistic difference of AMPAR modulation by auxiliary subunits and a conceptual framework for functional engineering of the complex. ABSTRACT During excitatory synaptic transmission, various structurally unrelated transmembrane auxiliary subunits control the function of AMPA receptors (AMPARs), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We identified lipid-exposed residues in the transmembrane domain (TMD) of the GluA2 subunit of AMPARs that are critical for the function of AMPAR auxiliary subunits, stargazin (Stg) and cornichon 3 (CNIH3). These residues are essential for stabilizing the AMPAR-CNIH3 complex in detergents and overlap with the contacts made between GluA2 TMD and Stg in the cryoEM structures. Mutating these residues had opposite effects on gating modulation and complex stability when Stg- and CNIH3-bound AMPARs were compared. Specifically, in detergent the GluA2-A793F formed an unstable complex with CNIIH3 but in the membrane the GluA2-A793F-CNIH3 complex expressed a gain of function. In contrast, the GluA2-A793F-Stg complex was stable, but had diminished gating modulation. GluA2-C528L destabilized the AMPAR-CNIH3 complex but stabilized the AMPAR-Stg complex, with overall loss of function in gating modulation. Furthermore, loss-of-function mutations in this TMD region cancelled the effects of a gain-of-function Stg carrying mutation in its extracellular loop, demonstrating that both the extracellular and the TMD elements contribute independently to gating modulation. The elements of AMPAR functionally recruited by auxiliary subunits are, therefore, located not only in the extracellular domains but also in the lipid accessible surface of the AMPAR. The TMD surface we defined is a potential target for auxiliary subunit-specific compounds, because engineering of this hotspot induces opposing functional outcomes by Stg and CNIH3. The collection of mutant-phenotype mapping provides a framework for engineering AMPAR gating using auxiliary subunits.
Running out of time

Choosing how much to take and how much to preserve from our environment is a challenging task, and every small decision counts. A behavioural experiment sheds new light on how time pressure negatively affects sustainability decisions.
Pulmonary Angiography: Arteriovenous Malformation and Pseudoaneurysm

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are abnormal vessels in which pulmonary arteries directly connect to pulmonary veins without an intervening capillary bed. Most are congenital, generally in patients with autosomal dominant hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), a disorder resulting in variable-sized arteriovenous malformations from telangiectases to larger connections that can occur on mucocutaneous surfaces and in the lungs, central nervous system, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. The most common presenting symptom is epistaxis. Patients with HHT should be screened for PAVM. Potential consequences of PAVM are hypoxemia with dyspnea, hemorrhage, and paradoxical embolization resulting in infarction within an organ (most frequently ischemic stroke) or abscess formation (especially brain abscess). Treatment consists of embolization of larger PAVMs, antibiotics before procedures most likely to create bacteremia (most clearly dental procedures), and avoidance of intravenously introduced air or clots. Patients are followed for life to assess for reperfusion of embolized lesions and enlargement of untreated PAVM.
Sums of three primes

Vinogradov proved that every sufficiently large odd integer is the sum of three primes. In addition, he obtained an asymptotic fromula for the number of representations of an odd integer as the sum of three prime numbers. Vinogradov’s theorem is one of the great results in additive prime number theory. The principal ingredients of the proof are the circle method and an estimate of a certain exponential sum over prime numbers.
Feed-forward active noise control system using microphone array

Feedforward active noise control &#x0028 ANC &#x0029 system are widely used to reduce the wide-band noise in different application. In feedforward ANC systems, when the noise source is unknown, the misplacement of the reference microphone may violate the causality constraint. We present a performance analysis of the feedforward ANC system under a noncausal condition. The ANC system performance degrades when the degree of noncausality increases. This research applies the microphone array technique to feedforward ANC systems to solve the unknown noise source problem. The generalized cross-correlation &#x0028 GCC &#x0029 and steering response power &#x0028 SRP &#x0029 methods based on microphone array are used to estimate the noise source location. Then, the ANC system selects the proper reference microphone for a noise control algorithm. The simulation and experiment results show that the SRP method can estimate the noise source direction with 84&#x0025 accuracy. The proposed microphone array integrated ANC system can dramatically improve the system performance.
Prediction of the presence of a seventh ankyrin repeat in IκBε from homology modeling combined with hydrogen–deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX‐MS)

The ankyrin repeat (AR) structure is a common protein-protein interaction motif and ankyrin repeat proteins comprise a vast family across a large array of different taxa. Natural AR proteins adopt a conserved fold comprised of several repeats with the N- and C-terminal repeats generally being of more divergent sequences. Obtaining experimental crystal structures for natural ankyrin repeat domains (ARD) can be difficult and often requires complexation with a binding partner. Homology modeling is an attractive method for creating a model of AR proteins due to the highly conserved fold; however, modeling the divergent N- and C-terminal "capping" repeats remains a challenge. We show here that amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), which reports on the presence of secondary structural elements and "foldedness," can aid in the refinement and selection of AR protein homology models when multiple templates are identified with variations between them localizing to these terminal repeats. We report a homology model for the AR protein IκBe from three different templates and use HDX-MS to establish the presence of a seventh AR at the C-terminus identified by only one of the three templates used for modeling.
Scrapping the Bell Curve: A Practitioner’s Review of Reinvented Performance Management System:

AbstractConventional methods of performance management followed the bell curve or the relative ranking of employees. This resulted in counterproductive outcomes such as stress and disengagement. In...
Adalimumab in Psoriasis: How Much Is Enough?

Biologic therapies targeting tumor necrosis factor have revolutionized treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, but optimal dosing and appropriate use of therapeutic drug monitoring are not yet fully understood. Wilkinson et al. explore these questions in a real-world psoriasis cohort on adalimumab monotherapy, defining a therapeutic range and finding value in early measurement for predicting clinical response.
Perceived social support and the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.

AbstractObjective:Previous studies have shown social support to be inversely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men, whereas fewer studies have assessed the relationship in women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between perceived social support and cardiovascu
Earlier Diagnosis of Subcentimeter Lung Cancers Is Not Self-Evidently Beneficial: Personal Experience.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to point out the potential harms related to overdiagnosis of subcentimeter lung cancers. CONCLUSION. Reich and Kim's argument for reconsidering the seeking...
SNAP Is Medicine for Food Insecurity.

* Abbreviations: COVID-19 — : coronavirus disease 2019 FI — : food insecurity SNAP — : Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program As we awoke this month to another dispiriting report of the numbers of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections and deaths, a new set of horrifying statistics hit the airwaves. By the end of April 2020, 2 in 5 households with children <12 were food insecure (meaning they were unable to afford enough food for all household members to live active, healthy lives), and, in nearly one-half of these households, parents reported that their children were directly experiencing food insecurity (FI).1 These levels exceed those found at any time since FI measurement was implemented in the late 1990s, including during the previous Great Recession of 2007–2009.1 We cannot address this accelerating threat to our patients as individual clinicians in our examination rooms. Rather, as urged by the American Academy of Pediatrics, we need to advocate collectively to ensure that existing nutrition programs reach all children and that the “dose” of available interventions is sufficient to decrease FI over the long-term.2 Ample scientific research establishes that FI experienced at even the mildest levels has acute and later chronic effects on health, cognition, and socioemotional adaptation. Young children raised in food insecure households are at a greater risk of fair or poor health, hospitalizations, developmental delays, cognitive impairment, poor academic performance, abnormal weight and BMI, and decreased social … Address correspondence to Deborah A. Frank, MD, FAAP, Children’s HealthWatch, Boston Medical Center, 801 Albany St, Boston, MA 02119. E-mail: dafrank{at}bu.edu
SONO case series: 59-year-old woman with abdominal pain and bloating

A 59-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with 3 days of diffuse abdominal pain with profuse nausea and vomiting. The pain came on gradually and worsens after eating. The patient’s last bowel movement was 3 days ago and she has not passed gas in a day. She has not had any fever, blood in her stool or vomit, or any urinary discomfort. Past medical history—dyslipidaemia, hypothyroidism. Past surgical history—partial bowel resection after bowel obstruction 40 years ago. Medications—levothyroxine, ezetimibe, rosuvastatin, aspirin. Blood pressure 140/77 mm Hg, heart rate 94 bpm, temperature 36.8°C, respiratory rate 18, oxygen saturation 96%. An uncomfortable appearing patient with mild tenderness to palpation in all abdominal quadrants, and maximal tenderness in the left lower quadrant without guarding. The patient’s abdomen is non-distended but is tympanitic to percussion. 1. What is the usefulness of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the evaluation for suspected small bowel obstruction (SBO)? SBO is one of the most common intestinal emergencies, accounting for 15–20% of all patients admitted to surgical wards from the emergency department.1 2 CT is the 'gold standard' imaging modality for suspected SBO given its superior diagnostic accuracy, its ability to differentiate between ileus and obstruction, and its capacity to identify signs of intestinal ischaemia suggesting a need for emergent surgery.3–5 However, CT is costly and time intensive, exposes the patient to ionising radiation and may not be universally available. In view of these limitations, abdominal radiography is a commonly used examination for SBO despite being only 50–70% sensitive for detecting obstruction.1 6–9 In contrast, bedside ultrasound has emerged as an ideal screening modality for SBO, with many studies demonstrating a sensitivity of 91–100% in comparison with CT.1 4 …
Contraceptive use at first sexual intercourse among adolescent and young adult women with disabilities: The role of formal sex education.

Abstract Objectives This study examines receipt of formal sex education as a potential mechanism that may explain the observed associations between disability status and contraceptive use among young women with disabilities. Study design Using the 2011−2017 National Survey of Family Growth, we analyzed data from 2861 women aged 18 to 24 years, who experienced voluntary first sexual intercourse with a male partner. Women whose first intercourse was involuntary (7% of all women reporting sexual intercourse) were excluded from the analytic sample. Mediation analysis was used to estimate the indirect effect of receipt of formal sex education before first sexual intercourse on the association between disability status and contraceptive use at first intercourse. Results Compared to nondisabled women, women with cognitive disabilities were less likely to report receipt of instruction in each of 6 discrete formal sex education topics and received instruction on a fewer number of topics overall (B = −0.286, 95% CI = −0.426 to −0.147), prior to first voluntary intercourse. In turn, the greater number of topics received predicted an increased likelihood of contraceptive use at first voluntary intercourse among these women (B = 0.188, 95% CI = 0.055−0.321). No significant association between noncognitive disabilities and receipt of formal sex education or contraceptive use at first intercourse was observed. Conclusions Given the positive association between formal sex education and contraceptive use among young adult women with and without disabilities, ongoing efforts to increase access to formal sex education are needed. Special attention is needed for those women with cognitive disabilities.
A Review on Future Security Challenges in 5G : Future Security Challenges in 5G

The 5th Generation Mobile Technology will provide broadband internet access anywhere enabling users to connect with multiple devices on the go with Internet of Things (IoT). Technological enablers such as fog and cloud computing with Software defined Networking and Network function Virtualization. With the evolution from 4G to 5G there are many security challenges to be investigated for growing demands of user privacy. In this paper we provide an overview of different cryptographic attacks that can take place inside a 5G mobile network. Furthermore, we present the countermeasures for all the possible attacks and analyze future security challenges.
Seventh International Symposium "Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas. Problems and Measurement Techniques"

The Seventh International Symposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas. Problems and Measurement Techniques (Livorno, Italy June 19-20-21, 2018) was organized by the CNR-IBIMET in collaboration with the City of Livorno, the LEM Foundation, the FCS Foundation and the Compagnia dei Portuali di Livorno, with the patronage by Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Accademia dei Georgofili, The University of Florence, the Tuscany Region and the North Tyrrhenian Sea Port System Authority. The Symposium, in which scholars from all over the Mediterranean basin participated, was an opportunity to illustrate new proposals and to promote actions to protect the Mediterranean coastal marine environment. In particular, the event was characterized by the search for technical and instrumental solutions to problems related to: energy production in the coastal area, morphology and evolution of coastlines, flora and fauna of the littoral system, management and integrated coastal protection, coastline geography, human influence on coastal landscape.