cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of Two Different States of P-glycoprotein in Its Catalytic Cycle: ROLE OF THE LINKER REGION IN THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THESE TWO STATES *

Abstract P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is a drug-translocating ATPase responsible for multidrug resistance in cancer. Although it is well-established that Pgp exhibits drug-dependent ATPase and ATP-dependent drug transport functions, the mechanism by which these two reactions are coupled remains unclear. We have shown recently that proteolytic cleavage of the linker region, which joins the NH2 and COOH halves of the Pgp molecule, results in a Pgp form that exhibits drug-independent and -dependent ATPase activities (Nuti et al., (2000) Biochemistry 39, 3424–3432; Nuti, S. L., and Rao, U. S. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 29417–29423). To understand the mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we used the procedure of vanadate-mediated trapping of the Pgp transport cycle intermediates to determine the steps in the catalytic cycle that are being regulated by the linker region. We show that vanadate stably traps Pgp under two different conditions, one in the presence of ATP alone and the other in the presence of ATP and drug, suggesting the existence of two Pgp conformations. These two conformations, one mediating basal and the other drug-stimulated ATPase reactions, represent different transport cycle intermediates of Pgp, because arresting Pgp in either conformation prevents the catalytic cycle from proceeding to completion. The results also show that these two conformations are uncoupled and appear simultaneously in Pgp that was cleaved in the linker region. These results together suggest that Pgp assumes at least two distinct conformational states, which catalyze two ATP hydrolysis events in the drug transport cycle, and the linker region mediates the transition between these two states of Pgp.
Understanding the applicability of CMP performance optimizations on data mining applications

A major challenge to the creation of chip multiprocessors is designing the on-chip memory and communication resources to efficiently support parallel workloads. A variety of cache organizations, data management techniques, and hardware optimizations that take advantage of specific data characteristics have been developed to improve application performance. The success of these approaches depends on applications exhibiting the presumed data characteristics.
Early receptor current of wild-type and transducin knockout mice: photosensitivity and light-induced Ca2+ release.

We have used suction-electrode recording to measure the early receptor current (ERC) from single, isolated mammalian photoreceptors. When a wild-type mouse rod was illuminated with light sufficient to close all the cGMP-gated channels, a succeeding bright laser flash bleaching a large proportion of the visual pigment produced an ERC, which at 37°C consisted primarily of a single component of transient positive current. The amplitude of total charge movement of this component declined exponentially with successive flashes, consistent with the direct proportionality of the ERC to the quantity of pigment bleached. From the constant of exponential decline, it was possible to estimate the in vivo photosensitivity of mouse rhodopsin to be about 6 × 10−9μm2 per molecule. We have also measured the ERC from rods of transducin-knockout mice, for which previous illumination to close the cGMP-gated channels was not required. The ERC of these rods was similar to that of wild-type rods but was followed by a slow component of outward current whose maximum amplitude in some cells approached that of the normal light response. This slow current was blocked by l-cis diltiazem, indicating that it was produced by ion flux through the cyclic nucleotide-gated channels of the outer segment; however, it could not have been produced by the normal transduction cascade, since it was recorded from rods lacking transducin. Since it was depressed by prior incorporation of the Ca2+ buffer BAPTA, it was probably generated by light-activated Ca2+ release earlier demonstrated in salamander and zebrafish. Recordings of the ERC from normal and mutant mice may provide a useful tool for the analysis of models of retinal disease, as well as exploration of the molecular origin of light-activated Ca2+ release.
Efficacy of single-chamber microbial fuel cells for removal of cadmium and zinc with simultaneous electricity production.

Simultaneous high power generation (3.6 W/m 2 ) and high Cd (90%) and Zn (97%) removal efficiencies were demonstrated in a single chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC). The maximum tolerable concentrations (MTCs) were estimated as 200 mM for Cd and 400 mM for Zn. Increasing the concentrations of Cd to 300 mM and Zn to 500 mM resulted in voltage drops by 71 and 74%, respectively. Feeding the MFCs with incrementally increased Cd and Zn concentrations resulted in much slower reduction in voltage output. Biosorption and sulfides precipitation are the major mechanisms for the heavy metal removal in the MFCs.
Purple Grape Juice Improves Endothelial Function and Reduces the Susceptibility of LDL Cholesterol to Oxidation in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Background—In vitro, the flavonoid components of red wine and purple grape juice are powerful antioxidants that induce endothelium-dependent vasodilation of vascular rings derived from rat aortas and human coronary arteries. Although improved endothelial function and inhibition of LDL oxidation may be potential mechanisms by which red wine and flavonoids reduce cardiovascular risk, the in vivo effects of grape products on endothelial function and LDL oxidation have not been investigated. This study assessed the effects of ingesting purple grape juice on endothelial function and LDL susceptibility to oxidation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results—Fifteen adults with angiographically documented CAD ingested 7.7±1.2 mL · kg−1 · d−1 of purple grape juice for 14 days. Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was measured using high-resolution brachial artery ultrasonography. Susceptibility of LDL particles to oxidation was determined from the rate of conjugated diene formation after expo...
Study of cosmic rays reveals secrets of solar‐terrestrial science

For many years cosmic rays provided the most important source of energetic particles for studies of subatomic physics. Today, cosmic rays are being studied as a natural phenomenon that can tell us much about both the Earth's environment in space and distant astrophysical processes. Cosmic rays are naturally occurring energetic particles—mainly ions—with kinetic energies extending from just above thermal energies to more than 1020 electron volts (eV). They constantly bombard the Earth from all directions, with more than 1018 particles having energies >1 MeV striking the top of the Earth's atmosphere each second. Figure 1 illustrates the continuous cosmic ray energy spectrum.
NASA, NOAA administrators nominated

President Ronald Reagan recently said he intended to nominate James Montgomery Beggs as NASA Administrator and John V. Byrne as NOAA Administrator. These two positions are key scientific posts that have been vacant since the start of the Reagan administration on January 20. The President also said he intends to nominate Hans Mark as NASA Deputy Administrator. At press time, Reagan had not designated his nominee for the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Cytonuclear Genic Incompatibilities Cause Increased Mortality in Male F2 Hybrids of Nasonia giraulti and N. vitripennis

The haplodiploid wasp genus Nasonia is a promising model for studying the evolution of genic incompatibilities due to the existence of interfertile species and haploid males. The latter allows for significantly reducing the sample size required to detect and map recessive dysfunctional genic interactions. We exploited these features to study the genetics of intrinsic hybrid inviability in male F2 hybrids of Nasonia giraulti and N. vitripennis. Analyzing marker segregation in 225 hybrid embryos, we inferred a linkage map with 38 framework markers. The markers were tested for marker transmission ratio distortion (MTRD) and interchromosomal linkage disequilibrium in populations of embryonic and adult hybrids. We found evidence for four transmission ratio distorting loci (TRDL). Three TRDL showed a deficit of the N. giraulti allele in hybrids with N. vitripennis cytoplasm. A separate TRDL exhibited a deficiency of the N. vitripennis allele in hybrids with N. giraulti cytoplasm. We ascribe the observed MTRD in adult hybrids to cytonuclear genic incompatibilities causing differential mortality during development since hybrid embryos did not show MTRD. The identified cytonuclear genic incompatibilities in F2 hybrids with N. vitripennis cytoplasm account for most of the intrinsic hybrid inviability in this cross. The high mortality rate in F2 hybrids with N. giraulti cytoplasm cannot be explained by the single identified TRDL alone, however.
Curriculum Movement of Clothing and Textiles Programs from Four-Year to Two-Year Colleges

Two-year clothing and textiles programs have increased dramatically in recent years and show many similarities to their counterparts in four-year colleges and universities. Through a survey of two-year institutions, the authors sought to (1) determine the extent to which clothing and textiles programs exist in these institutions, (2) trace and illustrate the four-year college's influence on the curriculum o f the two-year programs in clothing and textiles, and (3) determine if programs developed similarly in the different types of two-year schools.A summary o f results from 176 participating institutions (66.4 % o f those identified as having clothing and textiles programs) indicated that two-year programs are numerous and are serving large numbers of students. The strong in fluence o f the four-year model for home economics was evidenced in organizational patterns, courses of study, some o f the program goals and employment patterns o f graduates, use of the typical academic year format, inclusion o f ge...
Racial-ethnic self-schemas: Multidimensional identity-based motivation.

Abstract Prior self-schema research focuses on benefits of being schematic vs. aschematic in stereotyped domains. The current studies build on this work, examining racial-ethnic self-schemas as multidimensional, containing multiple, conflicting, and non-integrated images. A multidimensional perspective captures complexity; examining net effects of dimensions predicts within-group differences in academic engagement and well-being. When racial-ethnicity self-schemas focus attention on membership in both in-group and broader society, engagement with school should increase since school is not seen as out-group defining. When racial-ethnicity self-schemas focus attention on inclusion (not obstacles to inclusion) in broader society, risk of depressive symptoms should decrease. Support for these hypotheses was found in two separate samples (8th graders, n = 213, 9th graders followed to 12th grade n = 141).
Recombination level selection criteria for lifetime reduction in integrated circuits

Abstract In the past, lifetime control in integrated circuits has been done on an empirical basis. This paper introduces selection criteria for recombination centers which are to be used for reducing minority carrier lifetime in integrated circuits. It is shown that the recombination level should have a large lifetime ratio ( τ SC / τ LL ) in order to obtain minority carrier lifetime reduction with minimal increase in the leakage current, and should possess large capture cross section values in order to minimize compensation effects. Using these criteria, preferred locations for the recombination center have been defined for both p and n type silicon, and the trade-off between reduction of lifetime and increase in leakage current has been shown to degrade with increase in resistivity and ambient temperature. These criteria have also allowed a quantitative comparison between various lifetime control techniques for the first time, and platinum doping has been identified as the most favorable lifetime control process at the present time.
Pulp Friction: How College Women Navigate Identity, Sexuality and Gender Conformity in Recent Mega-Hit Book Series

This paper explores using popular fiction as a teaching tool in sociology classes. Using three popular series (Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) we cultivate a lively academic environment and vibrant discussions in the classroom. We explain how students relate to these texts and become engaged with sociological concepts, specifically gender theory. By using popular culture to explain theory we are able to dissect difficult concepts and make them palpable in the classroom.
The Future of Cardiovascular Education and Training

In this review, we will attempt to envision not just emerging changes in training in each of our specialties, but also some of the general directions in which the field of postgraduate medical education will evolve. Although the formal training programs in our professional areas are at distinctive phases in the transition from a traditional time-limited apprenticeship model to one that is focused on the quantitative assessment of competency, they each share the burdens of adapting to increasingly rapid change in the fundamental knowledge base and in patterns of care delivery. These challenges come at a time when there is increasing uncertainty in reimbursement and job security for clinicians in cardiovascular disease. We have tried to highlight specific developments in the relevant sections, but it is clear that the external and internal pressures in each cardiovascular specialty and our responses to these pressures overlap considerably. By learning from each other and adopting best practices, we will be better able to cope with the inevitable change that professional education promises in the next decade and beyond. The education and training of physicians in pediatric cardiology continues to evolve with a recent paradigm shift in training from proscriptive time-based or procedural number-based recommendations for training to competency-based objectives. The 2015 training guidelines for Pediatric Cardiology programs were revised by task force members that included representatives from all relevant professional societies (American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association) and the Society of Pediatric Cardiology Training Program Directors.1 The 2015 guidelines highlight the paradigm shift toward competency. Although previous guidelines were based on the assumption that competency for given activities, tasks, or procedures would naturally follow from proscriptions of months of exposure and numeric targets, the new guidelines reflect the reality that it is competence that is the …
STS-I and STS-D: disciplinary and interdisciplinary STS

L'attitude des societes vis-a-vis des sciences et vis-a-vis de la technologie est empreinte de qualites religieuses. Une nouvelle pedagogie est pronee par l'Association for Science, Technology and Society
Catalyst Structure and Cis–Trans Selectivity in Ruthenium‐based Olefin Metathesis

Control of olefin geometry has long proved a challenge in the field of Ru-catalyzed olefin metathesis. Through an understanding of the reaction mechanism, key factors that govern cis–trans selectivity in cross-metathesis applications are identified. These factors are illustrated in the relationship between ligand environment and cis–trans selectivity in several key metathesis catalysts. Recent efforts have culminated in the successful application of ligand-based design strategies in three families of Z-selective metathesis catalysts. The relationships between catalyst structure, stability and Z-selectivity in these systems are discussed.
A Comparison of Descriptive and Functional Analyses of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior.

In recent years, rather than being used to assess the potential function of a response, descriptive assessment methods have been applied to evaluate potential consequences or contingencies for problem behavior (Borrero, Woods, Borrero, Masler, & Lesser in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43, 71–88. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2010.43-71 , 2010) or to assist with designing baseline conditions to approximate caregiver behavior (Casey et al. in Behavior Modification, 33, 537–558. doi: 10.1177/0145445509341457 , 2009). It has been shown that descriptive assessments of some forms of problem behavior (e.g., self-injury, aggression) are not good indicators of behavioral function and should not be used exclusively when conducting functional behavior assessments (Thompson & Iwata in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 333–338. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2007.56.06/epdf , 2007). However, the extent to which descriptive assessments of inappropriate mealtime behavior can predict behavioral function is not yet clear. We conducted descriptive assessments of inappropriate mealtime behavior and compared the results to functional analyses for ten children with severe food refusal. Results showed that, for 71 % of participants, the descriptive and functional analyses matched. These results suggest that the correspondence between descriptive and functional analyses, at least for inappropriate mealtime behavior, may be higher than that for other forms of problem behavior.
Characterizing nutrient distributions and fluxes in a eutrophic reservoir, Midwestern United States.

Abstract Harmful algal blooms are increasingly common in aquatic ecosystems and have been linked to runoff from agricultural land. This study investigated the internal nutrient (i.e., phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)) dynamics of a eutrophic reservoir in the Midwestern United States to constrain the potential for sedimentary nutrients to stimulate harmful algal blooms. The spatial distribution of nutrients in the water column (soluble reactive P (SRP), nitrate/nitrite-N (NOx-N), and ammonium-N (NH4+-N)) and sediments (total P, total carbon (C), total N, and organic matter (OM)) were quantified and mapped. Water column nutrients varied spatially and temporally, with generally higher concentrations near the dam wall during normal lake levels. The upper portion of the lake, near the inlet, was sampled during a flood event and had overall higher nutrient concentrations and lower chlorophyll levels compared to normal lake level samples. Mean sedimentary total P (936 mg/kg) was ~ 30% higher in the reservoir than the surrounding upland soils, with the highest concentrations near the dam wall (1661 mg/kg) and a significant positive correlation found between sedimentary total P, total C, and OM. Additionally, 15 intact sediment cores were manipulated ex situ to examine mechanisms of nutrient flux across the sediment-water interface (SWI) that may trigger algal blooms. Core treatment conditions included advection (i.e., simulating potential nutrient fluxes during wind events through sediment resuspension) and diffusion. Core experiments indicated both advective and diffusive conditions at the SWI may trigger the flux of nutrients important for algal growth from lake sediments, with diffusion contributing both N and P to the water column, while intense advection increased water column N, but decreased P. Release of P to the water column may be more diffusion-driven than advection-driven, whereas N release to the water column appears to be both diffusion- and advection-driven.
CXCR4-Dependent Repulsion of Mature Single-Positive CD4 Cells Mediates Emigration from Thymus.

Developing thymocytes undergo maturation during their passage through the cortex to the medulla of the thymus before emigrating to peripheral lymphoid organs. Chemokines control T cell migration within and away from the thymus. We have previously shown that the chemokine SDF-1, produced by thymic stroma, repels mature thymocytes away from thymus via a CXCR4 mediated mechanism. We proposed that CXCR4 plays a specific role in thymic emigration. We evaluated the emigration of mature thymocytes away from thymus in a modified fetal thymic organ culture (FTOC) system in fetal thymi from CXCR4+/− (Control) and CXCR4 −/− (KO) mice at day 15.5. Fetal thymic emigrants were collected using a transwell system with a polycarbonate membrane (3 μm pore size). The immunophenotype of thymic emigrants was distinct from that of thymocytes resident in the thymus in both control and CXCR4-KO thymi. From day 9 of culture onwards, only mature SP cells were able to move away from thymus into the lower chamber of the transwell. Only SP CD4 thymocytes expressing CD62Lhigh were found among emigrants, whereas two distinct populations of SP CD8 cells expressing CD62Lhigh and CD62Llow were present in the emigrant fraction. Incubation of FTOC with pertussis toxin significantly inhibited emigration of mature SP thymocytes out of the thymus in control CXCR4 mice (p=0.002). The total number of emigrants collected from CXCR4-KO thymi was always significantly reduced compared to emigrants from control thymi. In addition, the total number of SP CD4 emigrants from CXCR4-KO thymi were strikingly reduced in comparison to control SP CD4 emigrants (p=0.035). There was no statistically significant difference in the maturation of intrathymic thymocytes from CXCR4-KO as compared to control FTOC. Analysis of CD62L expression in CXCR4-KO thymocytes showed retention of SP CD4 cells in the thymus with the immunophenotypic characteristic normally associated with recent thymic emigrants (p<0.05). Treatment of FTOC with the specific CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100, significantly increased the total number of SP CD4 cells retained in the thymus compared to untreated FTOC (p=0.002). Treatment with AMD3100 significantly reduced the absolute number of emigrants compared to untreated FTOC (p=0.015) and again SP CD4 cells were most affected in their ability to migrate away from the thymus. Treatment of FTOC with sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) resulted in an increase in the emigration of SP CD4 cells from CXCR4-KO thymi (p=0.02). In conclusion these data support the view that CXCR4-mediated repulsion of mature thymocytes away from the medullary chemokine SDF-1, termed fugetaxis, is a key mechanism controlling T cell egress from the thymus. These data support the existence of a CXCR4 dependent mechanism governing thymic emigration which may itself have S1P dependent and/or independent components.
Nipple-Areola Complex Malposition in Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: A Review of Risk Factors and Corrective Techniques from Greater than 1000 Reconstructions.

BACKGROUND Nipple-areola complex malposition after nipple-sparing mastectomy can be a challenging issue to correct. The current literature is largely limited to smaller series and implant-based reconstructions. METHODS A retrospective review of all nipple-sparing mastectomies from 2006 to 2016 at a single institution was performed. Incidence, risk factors, and corrective techniques of nipple-areola complex malposition were analyzed. RESULTS One thousand thirty-seven cases of nipple-sparing mastectomy were identified, of which 77 (7.4 percent) underwent nipple-areola complex repositioning. All were performed in a delayed fashion. The most common techniques included crescentic periareolar excision [n = 25 (32.5 percent)] and directional skin excision [n = 10 (13.0 percent)]. Cases requiring nipple-areola complex repositioning were significantly more likely to have preoperative radiation therapy (p = 0.0008), a vertical or Wise pattern incision (p = 0.0157), autologous reconstruction (p = 0.0219), and minor mastectomy flap necrosis (p = 0.0462). Previous radiation therapy (OR, 3.6827; p = 0.0028), vertical radial mastectomy incisions (OR, 1.8218; p = 0.0202), and autologous reconstruction (OR, 1.77; p = 0.0053) were positive independent predictors of nipple-areola complex repositioning, whereas implant-based reconstruction (OR, 0.5552; p < 0.0001) was a negative independent predictor of repositioning. Body mass index (p = 0.7104) and adjuvant radiation therapy (p = 0.9536), among other variables, were not predictors of nipple-areola complex repositioning. CONCLUSIONS Nipple-areola complex malposition after nipple-sparing mastectomy can be successfully corrected with various techniques. Previous radiation therapy, vertical mastectomy incisions, and autologous reconstruction are independently predictive of nipple-areola complex malposition. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, III.
The Role of Grit in Body Weight Regulation over Time

Management of body weight (BW) over time remains a challenge for most individuals, specifically women during young adulthood. Grit, the perseverance and passion for sustaining efforts to pursue goa...
Measuring the Rydberg constant using circular Rydberg atoms in an intensity-modulated optical lattice

A method for performing a precision measurement of the Rydberg constant, $R_{\infty}$, using cold circular Rydberg atoms is proposed. These states have long lifetimes, as well as negligible quantum-electrodynamics (QED) and no nuclear-overlap corrections. Due to these advantages, the measurement can help solve the "proton radius puzzle" [Bernauer, Pohl, Sci. Am. 310, 32 (2014)]. The atoms are trapped using a Rydberg-atom optical lattice, and transitions are driven using a recently-demonstrated lattice-modulation technique to perform Doppler-free spectroscopy. The circular-state transition frequency yields $R_{\infty}$. Laser wavelengths and beam geometries are selected such that the lattice-induced transition shift is minimized. The selected transitions have no first-order Zeeman and Stark corrections, leaving only manageable second-order Zeeman and Stark shifts. For Rb, the projected relative uncertainty of $R_{\infty}$ in a measurement under the presence of the Earth's gravity is $10^{-11}$, with the main contribution coming from the residual lattice shift. This could be reduced in a future micro-gravity implementation. The next-important systematic arises from the Rb$^+$ polarizability (relative-uncertainty contribution of $\approx 3 \times10^{-12}$).
The Relationship between Survival Sex and Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in a High Risk Female Population

Engaging in survival sex and mental illness are overrepresented within homeless populations. This article assesses the relationship between symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and engaging in survival sex among homeless women. One hundred and fifty-eight homeless women completed surveys on self-reported BPD symptomology and sexual history. Bivariate and multivariate analyses conducted in this study provided insights into the association of experiencing BPD symptoms and engaging in survival sex. Results indicate that some symptoms of BPD are robustly correlated with engaging in survival sex among homeless adult women. Implications for service agencies and others working with at-risk female populations are discussed.
Religious Education in Forming Racially and Culturally Diverse Communities: How My Mind Has Changed

Two persisting, interrelated concerns informed my thinking and motivated my practice as a Christian religious educator for most of the past sixty years. In one, I sought to engage members of Sunday...
Compact long-wave infrared ring resonator for sensing applications

Surface polaritons have been shown to provide subwavelength confinement. Surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs), electromagnetic waves coupled to lattice vibrations in a polar dielectric, allow for highly confined propagating modes beyond the limit of diffraction within the mid to long infrared (IR). In recent years, it has been shown that hybrid plasmonic and phononic waveguides can support long-range hybrid modes that result from the coupling between SPhPs and a high index dielectric tracer. This work investigates the use of a hybrid phononic waveguide as a building block of a ring resonator that operates in the long wave infrared (LWIR) spectrum. Critical coupling condition and trade-off between ring diameter and output power are characterized. LWIR ring resonators hold promise for numerous applications including modulation, biosensing, photodetectors, and chemical sensing.
Care and Loyalty in the Workplace

There is significant debate in business ethics regarding the place of loyalty and gratitude in business relations. While most accounts of loyalty—both of employers to employees and of employees to employers—suppose that duties of loyalty are ultimately grounded in contractual agreements, our view is that these relationships are also personal and develop elements of friendship that involve emotional bonds. Although relationships of employment begin as contractual and maintain that character as long as the contract endures, such relations are interpersonal as well as contractual, and for this dimension of the relationship, the ethics of care can give important guidance in understanding the moral nature of the relationship and obligations that flow from it. Our aim in this chapter is to argue that the approach that care theorists take toward personal relationships—which involves emphasizing the importance of personal relationships, sustaining connections with others, and using highly contextual reasoning to make moral decisions—also applies to the personal relationships developed between employers and employees. On this view, it is virtuous to replicate relationships of care, empathy, and concern for others in the workplace, especially when employers and employees maintain more intimate and personal relationships.
The Mix-and-Cut Shuffle: Small-Domain Encryption Secure against N Queries

We provide a new shuffling algorithm, called Mix-and-Cut, that provides a provably-secure block cipher even for adversaries that can observe the encryption of all N = 2 n domain points. Such fully secure ciphers are useful for format-preserving encryption, where small domains (e.g., n = 30) are common and databases may well include examples of almost all ciphertexts. Mix-and-Cut derives from a general framework for building fully secure pseudorandom permutations (PRPs) from fully secure pseudorandom separators (PRSs). The latter is a new primitive that we treat for the first time. Our framework was inspired by, and uses ideas from, a particular cipher due to Granboulin and Pornin. To achieve full security for Mix-and-Cut using this framework, we give a simple proof that a PRP secure for (1 − e)N queries (recently achieved efficiently by Hoang, Morris, and Rogaway’s Swap-or-Not cipher) yields a PRS secure for N queries.
Effects of Campus Climates for Diversity on College GPA Among Latinx Students at Selective Universities: An Examination by Gender, First-Generation College Status, and Immigrant Status

The authors examine the impact of negative campus climates for diversity on the grade point average of 4299 Latinx students attending selective institutions and also investigated whether such impact differed by students’ gender, first-generation status, and immigrant background. Franco and Kim investigated climate for racial/ethnic diversity, socioeconomic diversity, gender diversity, and immigrant backgrounds, with particular emphasis on examining the origins of negative climates (e.g., faculty, staff, and students). The results suggest that students were the most frequently identified source of negative campus climates for diversity. The perceived negative climates for diversity had a significant effect on GPA for female, US born, first-generation, and non-first-generation Latinx college students; yet, the directional effect on GPA differed depending on the type of negative campus climate for diversity.
Sustainable Configuration of Bioretention Systems for Nutrient Management through Life-Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis

AbstractThe need for stormwater quality control, especially the control of nutrients, has been recognized due to the widespread problem of water eutrophication. The bioretention system, as a green ...
New Oomycota Fungicides With Activity Against Phytophthora cinnamomi and Their Potential Use for Managing Avocado Root Rot in California

Phytophthora root rot (PRR), caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, is the most destructive disease of avocado worldwide. In the United States, mefenoxam and phosphonate products are currently the only registered fungicides for managing avocado PRR. Four new Oomycota-specific and two registered fungicides, all with different modes of action, were evaluated. Seventy-one isolates of P. cinnamomi from avocado in California, most of them collected between 2009 to 2017, were tested for their in vitro sensitivity to the six fungicides. Baseline sensitivity ranges and mean values (in parentheses) of effective concentrations to inhibit mycelial growth by 50% (EC50) for the new fungicides ethaboxam, fluopicolide, mandipropamid, and oxathiapiprolin were 0.017 to 0.069 μg/ml (0.035), 0.046 to 0.330 μg/ml (0.133), 0.003 to 0.011 μg/ml (0.005), and 0.0002 to 0.0007 μg/ml (0.0004), respectively. In comparison, the EC50 value range (mean) was 0.023 to 0.138 μg/ml (0.061) for mefenoxam and 12.9 to 361.2 μg/ml (81.5) for potassium phosphite. Greenhouse soil inoculation trials with 8-month-old Zutano seedlings and 10-month-old Dusa and PS.54 clonal rootstocks were conducted to assess the efficacy of these fungicides for managing PRR. Mefenoxam and potassium phosphite were effective treatments; however, oxathiapiprolin, fluopicolide, and mandipropamid were more effective. Ethaboxam was effective in reducing PRR on the rootstocks evaluated. Oxathiapiprolin reduced PRR incidence and pathogen population size in the soil by >90%, and plant shoot growth and root dry weight were significantly increased compared with the control; thus, oxathiapiprolin was one of the best treatments overall. The high activity and performance of these new fungicides supports their registrations on avocado for use in rotation and mixture programs, including with previously registered compounds, to reduce the risk of development and spread of resistance in pathogen populations.
Effective teacher training in low-income countries : the power of observational learning research

The Education for All (EFA) initiative depends on students being taught by suitably and sufficiently trained teachers. But time-on-task studies conducted in low-income countries show that relatively little time is being spent on instruction, including the critical teaching of reading. Teachers may be absent often and may avoid teaching when in school (Abadzi 2007). They may engage with the few students who can do the work, neglecting the rest (Llambiri 2006, Abadzi and Llambiri 2011). They may fail to use textbooks even when they exist and spend class time copying on the blackboard. The same issues affect supervisors and principals (Abadzi 2006). As a result, students may graduate or drop out illiterate. The investments in teacher training are potentially valuable, but need to be linked to results. Thus far evidence is limited. Preservice training often lasts 6-9 months compared to 3-4 years in higher-income countries and may be insufficient to remedy students' academic deficits or teach them how to teach. The poor results have disappointed governments and donors. The persistent teacher training problems worldwide make it imperative to seek new means for changing behaviors, particularly for poorly paid teachers with limited education. This must be done relatively quickly and efficiently so that teachers can impart basic skills to their students. Since feasible educational methods seem to have been exhausted, it is useful to look for solutions in the field that studies behavior. Even for better educated teachers in lower-income countries, the capacity for formulating and solving complex problems such as those presented in teaching real classrooms may be limited compared to some 'ideal' model (Feldon 2007).
Urban Intelligence: a Modular, Fully Integrated, and Evolving Model for Cities Digital Twinning

The Urban Intelligence (UI) paradigm proposes an ecosystem of technologies to improve urban environment, wellbeing, quality of life and smart city systems. It fosters the definition of a digital twin of the city, namely a cyber-physical counterpart of all the city systems and sub-systems. Here we propose a novel approach to UI that extends available frameworks combining advanced multidisciplinary modelling of the city, simulation and learning tools with numerical optimization techniques, each of them specialized for the digital representation of city systems and subsystems, including not only city infrastructures, but also city users and their interactions. UI provides sets of candidate policies in complex scenarios and supports policy makers and stakeholders in designing sustainable and personalized solutions. The main characteristics of the proposed UI architecture are (a) fully multidisciplinary integration of city layers, (b) connection and evolution with the city, (c) integration of participative strategies to include “human-oriented” information, and (d) modularity of application.
Neutron Imaging and Spectroscopy of Plutonium Using a Handheld Dual Particle Imager

A prototype handheld dual particle imager composed of stilbene bars coupled to silicon photomultipliers was used to measure a 4.5 kg sphere of alpha-phase weapons-grade plutonium and a canister containing 3.4 kg of plutonium oxide (7% 240P u and 93% 239P u). Each object was measured independently and both objects were measured in the same field of view separated by 50 cm. Experimental results of the measurements conducted are presented. These results demonstrate the ability of the handheld dual particle imager to image and obtain neutron spectroscopic information for sources that would be of great interest for nuclear safeguards and emergency response applications.
The Paradox of Technology Transfer.

(1975). The paradox of technology transfer. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 31, No. 6, pp. 39-46.
The Measurement of Association: A Permutation Statistical Approach

The Measurement of Association: A Permutation Statistical Approach is a book on permutation statistical methods for different measures of association for nominal-, ordinal-, and interval level vari...
Exploring Spatial-Temporal Changes in 18F-Sodium Fluoride PET/CT and Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated With Enzalutamide.

PURPOSEIntrapatient treatment response heterogeneity is under-recognized. Quantitative total bone imaging (QTBI) using 18F-NaF positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans is a t...
Duality systems of groups and PD(n)-systems of groups

We define a system of groups, a duality system of groups and a PD(n)-system of groups, generalizing the corresponding concepts of pairs of groups. We give several characterizations of duality syste...
Overview and recent advances in the targeting of medulloblastoma cancer stem cells

Introduction: Medulloblastoma, an embryonal small round blue cell tumor primarily arising in the posterior fossa, is the most common malignancy of the central nervous system in children and require...
Negativity Spectra in Random Tensor Networks and Holography

Negativity is a measure of entanglement that can be used both in pure and mixed states. The negativity spectrum is the spectrum of eigenvalues of the partially transposed density matrix, and characterizes the degree and "phase" of entanglement. For pure states, it is simply determined by the entanglement spectrum. We use a diagrammatic method complemented by a modification of the Ford-Fulkerson algorithm to find the negativity spectrum in general random tensor networks with large bond dimensions. In holography, these describe the entanglement of fixed-area states. It was found that many fixed-area states have a negativity spectrum given by a semi-circle. More generally, we find new negativity spectra that appear in random tensor networks, as well as in phase transitions in holographic states, wormholes, and holographic states with bulk matter. The smallest random tensor network is the same as a micro-canonical version of Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity decorated with end-of-the-world branes. We consider the semi-classical negativity of Hawking radiation and find that contributions from islands should be included. We verify this in the JT gravity model, showing the Euclidean wormhole origin of these contributions.
Comments on Michael Hudson: Making Capitalism Great Again? A Critique of the “Rentier Takeover” Thesis:

Michael Hudson argues that a new form of financial capitalism has displaced the industrial capitalism of Marx’s day. Unlike earlier capitalists, whose pursuit of lower costs led to improvements in ...
Identifying causal changes in landscape greenness with very high-resolution airborne multispectral imagery and a panel data model

Abstract To effectively manage urban environmental systems, interventions on private lands may sometimes be necessary. This is illustrated in many water districts where water agencies run programs that provide incentives to landholders to change their landscaping to meet the water agency’s management goals. It is difficult to monitor, track, and evaluate landscape change programs on private land, however. To most efficiently do so, very high-resolution, time-series measurements of urban landcover would be useful, but such data is often unavailable. This study evaluates how private urban landscape change is represented in the highest resolution, publicly available, multispectral data product distributed in the United States. The study focuses on residential parcels that participated in a lawn replacement rebate program run by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, a water agency in California. Each parcel has a known quantity of turfgrass converted to drought-tolerant landscaping. The study asks if Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) values derived from National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data can be used to detect participation in a lawn replacement program at the parcel-level. While the NAIP data product has substantial error in a time-series and urban context, this study finds that approaching change detection using a fixed effect panel data model accommodates error, making it possible to identify NDVI change. With control groups defined by matching and weighing with Covariate Balancing Propensity Scores, results indicate that observed browning at the parcel-level can be causally attributed to participating in the lawn replacement program. This ability to detect small, causal changes in a heterogenous environment opens possibilities for monitoring and evaluating programs acting on private urban landscapes, contributing to more effective and efficient design, pricing and implementation.
Formulas for the Transportation of Bed Load

A method for the representation of bed-load data is given in this paper. The method is based on the conception that bed-load transportation is the movement of bed particles, as governed by the laws...
The Northeast-Northwest Collaborative Adoption Project: Identifying family environmental influences on cognitive and social development

SUMMARY One of the exciting new directions in family research is the examination of shared and nonshared environmental processes underlying the learning of cognitive, literacy, and social-behavioral skills. The adoption design is a powerful method for testing theories regarding environmental mechanisms. In this paper, we describe the Northeast-Northwest Collaborative Adoption Project (N2CAP), an ongoing adoption study in which we are examining the role of parenting environments generally, and parent-child relationships more specifically, in the development of cognitive, reading and social-emotional outcomes in childhood. The goal of this study is to identify environmental influences that impact children's cognitive and social-emotional development using a genetically sensitive design, and to further the development of models of genotype-environment processes.
Chapter 14 Aphasia

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the prototypical clinical syndromes of aphasia, their essential components, their natural history, and their lesion correlates over that natural history. The classic aphasia syndromes discussed in the chapter are Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, conduction aphasia, transcortical motor aphasia (TCMA), transcortical sensory aphasia (TCSA), global aphasia, mixed transcortical aphasia (MTA), anomic aphasia, and aphasic alexia and agraphia. Acute clinical profiles where they converge and diverge from the chronic, prototypical syndromes, how they evolve into the chronic syndromes, and the implications for redundancy and recovery are also discussed in the chapter. The essential linguistic capacities are described as they are revealed by clinical studies and by functional studies. Finally aphasia treatment with the implications for redundancy and plasticity are discussed. Various therapy approaches have been shown to facilitate language recovery. Some therapies are aimed directly at the language impairment with progressive stimulation and shaping of responses. The only therapy that is labeled effective by the American Academy of Neurology is Melodic Intonation Therapy for severe nonfluent aphasia. A major component of effective language therapy may be education of patient and family to use of adaptive behaviors. This may reduce communication frustration, caregiver stress, and dependence.
Formal Methods for Privacy

Privacy means something different to everyone. Against a vast and rich canvas of diverse types of privacy rights and violations, we argue technology's dual role in privacy: new technologies raise new threats to privacy rights and new technologies can help preserve privacy. Formal methods, as just one class of technology, can be applied to privacy, but privacy raises new challenges, and thus new research opportunities, for the formal methods community.
Manifest Density: A Reply to Phillips and Baird

We welcome Phillips and Baird's strenuous critique of our opinion article, which identifies some uncertainties regarding the role of spatial sorting in the spread of invasive hybridization. We acknowledged several of these sources of uncertainty in our article and we emphasized the need for more empirical work.
Hospital readmissions for childhood asthma: a 10-year metropolitan study.

Studies of asthma admissions in the St. Louis metropolitan area have disclosed substantial numbers of children with readmissions. To determine the magnitude of readmissions and attributes of children with readmissions, a retrospective analysis of 8,761 children with 14,905 asthma hospitalizations for January 1, 1990 through December 31, 1999 at the two university affiliated children's hospitals in St. Louis was undertaken. Patient attributes of age, sex, race/ethnicity, residence, payor status, length of stay, and month of admission were compared between patients admitted once during that period and patients admitted multiple times. Main outcome measures were the total number of admissions and time to readmission during the study interval. A Lin, Wei, Yang, and Ying model of time to readmission showed that African-American children with Medicaid or no insurance are at higher risk of readmission (risk ratio 1.28) than are African-American patients with commercial insurance or white/other race/ethnicity pat...
Home Care for the Aged: A Fragile Partnership

To what extent do the efforts of relatives, friends, and professional caregivers coalesce or clash in serving the home-bound elderly? This article presents data suggesting that the influence of natural support networks on formal service provision may be negative at times. Results indicate that one set of home care services may be provided more frequently and more effectively by relatives and friends and another set more appropriately by professional home care workers.