cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of antibiotic cocktails at environmentally relevant concentrations on the community composition and acetate biodegradation kinetics of bacterial biofilms

Antibiotics and antibacterials are present in water bodies worldwide but little is known about their effects on the biological processes often used to treat water. In this research, the effect of antibiotics on bacterial activity and community structure was investigated by growing biofilms in the presence and absence of a mixture of three compounds (sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin) in a continuous-flow rotating annular bioreactor fed acetate as a carbon and energy source. Steady-state, surface area-normalized substrate utilization rates for all antibiotic treatments (all at 0.33 μg L(-1), all at 3.33 μg L(-1), and 1 at 3.33 μg L(-1) with the other 2 at 0.33 μg L(-1)) were similar to the control experiments. Higher attached biomass levels in the experiments with ciprofloxacin at 3.33 μg L(-1) resulted in lower steady-state biomass-normalized substrate utilization rates in comparison to other runs. Microbial community analyses via automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis revealed significant shifts in community structure for the experiments dosed with the highest concentrations of ciprofloxacin, suggesting that the antibiotic selected for more resistant bacterial strains. The results of this research also suggest that mixtures of antibiotics at the sub-μg L(-1) concentrations typically observed in surface waters are unlikely to affect biological process performance, at least in terms of the degradation of easily assimilable compounds. Conversely, changes to community structure and biofilm quantity might be expected with ciprofloxacin at μg L(-1) concentrations.
COMPLEXING ABILITY AND CODING PROPERTIES OF SYNTHETIC POLYNUCLEOTIDES.

Polyribothymidylic acid promotes incorporation of phenylalanine into acid-insoluble products in a cell-free Escherichia coli system. Under conditions in which poly U‡ exists as a random coil, poly rT possesses considerable ordered structure. The structural differences between the two polymers are reflected in their respective effects on phenylalanine incorporation at different temperatures. At 20°C poly rT is much less effective than poly U, probably because its ordered structure interferes with ribosomal attachment. At 45°C, when it exists as a random coil, poly rT promotes phenylalanine incorporation at a higher initial rate than does poly U. This may be ascribed to a higher complexing ability of the former polymer, facilitating its interaction with the adaptors of phenylalanine transfer RNA. The effect of temperature and Mg2+ concentration, factors that affect interaction between poly- and oligonucleotides, on the promotion of incorporation of leucine and phenylalanine by poly U was examined. This apparent “ambiguity” becomes more pronounced with conditions that increase the complexing ability of the polymers. It is higher with poly rT than with poly U and increases in either case with decreased temperature or increased Mg2+ concentration. These conditions also lead to significant incorporation of amino acids (isoleucine, serine, tyrosine) that, like leucine, have two TPs in their code triplets. With low Mg2+ (0·01 M ), or in the presence of excess unlabeled phenylalanine and transfer RNA, poly U promotes the incorporation of phenylalanine but not that of leucine, i.e. the “ambiguity” disappears. Phenylalanine is a strong competitor of the incorporation of leucine promoted by poly U and related polynucleotides. Polyadenylic acid becomes more effective for polylysine synthesis as the temperature is raised from 20 to 45°C and the Mg2+ concentration is slightly increased. Facilitation of ribosomal attachment through partial disorganization of the secondary structure of this polynucleotide may be largely responsible for this effect.
Relationship of clients' reasons for dropping out of treatment to outcome and satisfaction

Forty-nine adult drop-outs and parents of 37 child drop-outs were contacted 4 months after intake and asked why they terminated treatment. Outcome and satisfaction data also were obtained for these clients, 45 treatment completers, and 51 who were still in treatment. Problem improvement, environmental obstacles, and dissatisfaction with treatment were the reasons most often cited for dropping out. For adults, client measures indicated that "problem improved" drop-outs had superior outcome and satisfaction and that "dissatisfied" drop-outs had inferior outcome and satisfaction relative to other drop-out groups. For children, "dissatisfied" and "environmental obstacle" drop-outs had inferior outcome and satisfaction. Therapist ratings did not differ among dropout groups and were lower than those of completers and continuers.
TWEAK/Fn14 Signaling Axis Mediates Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Metabolic Dysfunction

Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) through binding to its receptor fibroblast growth factor inducible 14 (Fn14) has been shown to regulate many cellular responses including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, under both physiological and pathological conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that TWEAK is also a major muscle wasting cytokine. TWEAK activates nuclear factor-κB signaling and proteolytic pathways such as ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy, and caspases to induce muscle proteolysis in cultured myotubes. Fn14 is dormant or expressed in minimal amounts in normal healthy muscle. However, specific atrophic conditions, such as denervation, immobilization, and starvation stimulate the expression of Fn14 leading to activation of TWEAK/Fn14 signaling and eventually skeletal muscle atrophy. TWEAK also causes slow- to fast-type fiber transition in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that TWEAK diminishes mitochondrial content and represses skeletal muscle oxidative phosphorylation capacity. TWEAK mediates these effects through affecting the expression of a number of genes and microRNAs. In this review article, we have discussed the recent advancements toward understanding the role and mechanisms of action of TWEAK/Fn14 signaling in skeletal muscle with particular reference to different models of atrophy and oxidative metabolism.
Rad23 stabilizes Rad4 from degradation by the Ub/proteasome pathway

Rad23 protein interacts with the nucleotide excision-repair (NER) factor Rad4, and the dimer can bind damaged DNA. Rad23 also binds ubiquitinated proteins and promotes their degradation by the proteasome. Rad23/proteasome interaction is required for efficient NER, although the specific role of the Ub/proteasome system in DNA repair is unclear. We report that the availability of Rad4 contributes significantly to the cellular tolerance to UV light. Mutations in the proteasome, and in genes encoding the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes Ubc4 and Ubc5, stabilized Rad4 and increased tolerance to UV light. A short amino acid sequence, previously identified in human Rad23, mediates the interaction between Rad23 and Rad4. We determined that this motif was required for stabilizing Rad4, and could function independently of the intact protein. A ubiquitin-like (UbL) domain in Rad23 binds the proteasome, and is required for conferring full resistance to DNA damage. However, Rad23/proteasome interaction appears unrelated to Rad23-mediated stabilization of Rad4. Specifically, simultaneous expression of a Rad23 mutant that could not bind the proteasome, with a mutant that could not interact with Rad4, fully suppressed the UV sensitivity of rad23Delta, demonstrating that Rad23 performs two independent, but concurrent roles in NER.
Independent and Interdependent Latch Setup/Hold Time Characterization via Newton–Raphson Solution and Euler Curve Tracking of State-Transition Equations

Characterizing setup/hold times of latches and registers, which is a task crucial for achieving timing closure of large digital designs, typically occupies months of computation in semiconductor industries. We present a novel approach to speed up latch characterization by formulating the setup/hold time problem as a scalar nonlinear equation ; this nonlinear algebraic formulation is derived from, and embeds within it, the state-transition function of the latch. We first present a technique to characterize setup and hold times independently of each other: by decoupling into two equations and and solving each equation using the Newton-Raphson method. Next, we also present a method for interdependent characterization of latch setup/hold times - a core component of techniques for pessimism reduction in timing analysis. We achieve this by solving the underdetermined nonlinear equation using a Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse-based Newton method. Furthermore, we use null-space information from the Newton's Jacobian matrix to efficiently find constant-clock-to- contours (in the setup/hold time plane) via an Euler-Newton curve-tracing procedure. We validate fast convergence and computational advantage for independent characterization on transmission gate and latch/register structures, obtaining speedups of , at high levels of accuracy, over the current standard of binary search. We validate the method for interdependent characterization on true single-phased clock and , obtaining speedups of more than 10 for tracing 17-24 points, over prior approaches while achieving superior accuracy; this speedup linearly increases with the precision with which curve tracing is desired. We also apply our method for interdependent characterization on a transmission gate register to illustrate limitations of our method.
Biology and pathophysiology of the amyloid precursor protein

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease in large part due to the sequential proteolytic cleavages that result in the generation of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ). Not surprisingly, the biological properties of APP have also been the subject of great interest and intense investigations. Since our 2006 review, the body of literature on APP continues to expand, thereby offering further insights into the biochemical, cellular and functional properties of this interesting molecule. Sophisticated mouse models have been created to allow in vivo examination of cell type-specific functions of APP together with the many functional domains. This review provides an overview and update on our current understanding of the pathobiology of APP.
Energy-aware distributed speech recognition for wireless mobile devices

Severe limitations in computational, memory, and energy resources make implementing high-quality speech recognition in embedded devices a difficult challenge. In this article, the authors investigate the energy consumption of computation and communication in an embedded distributed speech recognition system and propose optimizations that reduce overall energy consumption while maintaining adequate quality of service for the end user. This article considers the application of DSR traffic to both Bluetooth and 802.11b networks.
Structural comparison of chromosomal and exogenous dihydrofolate reductase from Staphylococcus aureus in complex with the potent inhibitor trimethoprim

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is the enzyme responsible for the NADPH-dependent reduction of 5,6-dihydrofolate to 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate, an essential cofactor in the synthesis of purines, thymidylate, methionine, and other key metabolites. Because of its importance in multiple cellular functions, DHFR has been the subject of much research targeting the enzyme with anticancer, antibacterial, and antimicrobial agents. Clinically used compounds targeting DHFR include methotrexate for the treatment of cancer and diaminopyrimidines (DAPs) such as trimethoprim (TMP) for the treatment of bacterial infections. DAP inhibitors of DHFR have been used clinically for >30 years and resistance to these agents has become widespread. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the causative agent of many serious nosocomial and community acquired infections, and other gram-positive organisms can show resistance to DAPs through mutation of the chromosomal gene or acquisition of an alternative DHFR termed 'S1 DHFR.' To develop new therapies for health threats such as MRSA, it is important to understand the molecular basis of DAP resistance. Here, we report the crystal structure of the wild-type chromosomal DHFR from S. aureus in complex with NADPH and TMP. We have also solved the structure of the exogenous, TMP resistant S1 DHFR, apo and in complex with TMP. The structural andmore » thermodynamic data point to important molecular differences between the two enzymes that lead to dramatically reduced affinity of DAPs to S1 DHFR. These differences in enzyme binding affinity translate into reduced antibacterial activity against strains of S. aureus that express S1 DHFR.« less
Drug Disposition and Drug-Drug Interaction Data in 2013 FDA New Drug Applications: A Systematic Review

The aim of the present work was to perform a systematic review of drug metabolism, transport, pharmacokinetics, and DDI data available in the NDAs approved by the FDA in 2013, using the University of Washington Drug Interaction Database, and to highlight significant findings. Among 27 NMEs approved, 22 (81%) were well characterized with regard to drug metabolism, transport, or organ impairment, in accordance with the FDA drug interaction guidance (2012) and were fully analyzed in this review. In vitro, a majority of the NMEs were found to be substrates or inhibitors/inducers of at least one drug metabolizing enzyme or transporter. However, in vivo, only half (n = 11) showed clinically relevant drug interactions, with most related to the NMEs as victim drugs and CYP3A being the most affected enzyme. As perpetrators, the overall effects for NMEs were much less pronounced, compared with when they served as victims. In addition, the pharmacokinetic evaluation in patients with hepatic or renal impairment provided useful information for further understanding of the drugs' disposition.
Transient heat transfer and gas flow in a MEMS-based thruster

Time-dependent performance of a high-temperature MEMS-based thruster is studied in detail by a coupled thermal-fluid analysis. The material thermal response governed by the transient heat conduction equation is obtained using the finite element method. The low-Reynolds number gas flow in the microthruster is modeled by the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approach. The temporal variation of the thruster material temperature and gas flowfields are obtained as well as the thruster operational time limits for thermally insulated and convectively cooled thrusters. The predicted thrust and mass discharge coefficient of both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) micronozzles decreases in time as the viscous losses increase for higher wall temperatures.
Interaction between Wingless and Notch signaling pathways mediated by dishevelled.

In Drosophila, the Wingless and Notch signaling pathways function in many of the same developmental patterning events. Genetic analysis demonstrates that the dishevelled gene, which encodes a molecule previously implicated in implementation of the Wingless signal, interacts antagonistically with Notch and one of its known ligands, Delta. A direct physical interaction between Dishevelled and the Notch carboxyl terminus, distal to the cdc10/ankyrin repeats, suggests a mechanism for this interaction. It is proposed that Dishevelled, in addition to transducing the Wingless signal, blocks Notch signaling directly, thus providing a molecular mechanism for the inhibitory cross talk observed between these pathways.
Spectral analysis for characterizing program power and performance

Performance and power analysis in modern processors requires managing a large amount of complex information across many time-scales. For a example, thermal control issues are a power subproblem with relevant time constants of millions of cycles or more, while the so-called dI/dT problem is also a power subproblem but occurs because of current variability on a much finer granularity: tens to hundreds of cycles. Likewise, for performance issues, program phase analysis for selecting simulation regions requires looking for periodicity on the order of millions of cycles or more, while some aspects of cache performance optimization requires understanding repetitive patterns on much finer granularities. Fourier analysis allows one to transform waveform into a sum of component (usually sinusoidal) waveforms in the frequency domain; in this way, the waveform's fundamental frequencies (periodicities of repetition) can be clearly identified. This paper shows how one can use Fourier analysis to produce frequency spectra for some of the time waveforms seen in processor execution. By working in the frequency domain, one can easily identify key application tendencies. For example, we demonstrate how to use spectral analysis to characterize the power behavior of real programs. As we show, this is useful for understanding both the temperature profile of a program and its voltage stability. These are particularly relevant issues for architects since thermal concerns and the dI/dT problem have significant influence on processor design. Frequency analysis can also be used to examine program performance. In particular, it can also identify periodic occurrences of important microarchitectural events like cache misses. Overall, the paper demonstrates the value of using frequency analysis in different research efforts related to characterizing and optimizing application performance and power.
Least squares inverse polynomials and a proof of practical BIBO stability of n-D digital filters

The problem of stabilizing unstable n-dimensional practical digital filters is discussed, where only one of the independent variables of the n-D signal is temporal and the other variables are spatial. The double-least-squares inverse method is used to stabilize such practical filters. It is proved that the least-squares inverse of the denominator polynomial of a practical n-D digital filter is always stable in the practical and less restrictive sense. >
Theory of titration curves. VIII. A new interpretation of acid‐base titration curves for polymeric acids. The significance of the Kern‐equation parameters pKa and n

The Kern equation, pH = pKa + n logf/(1 − f), has been widely used in interpreting the potentiometric titration curves obtained on titrating polymeric acids with bases, and various interpretations of its empirical parameters pKa and n have been advanced. Values of n similar to those generally obtained for polymeric acids are also obtained for dibasic and other monomeric polybasic acids for which the ratios of successive dissociation constants, Ki/K(i+1), exceed the corresponding statistical values by a constant factor. The dependences of n on this factor and on the basicity of the acid are described. It is argued that the traditional picture of a dissociation constant varying continuously with the fraction titrated cannot be correct, and that the data can be more properly interpreted in terms of a constant non-statistical free-energy contribution to the successive values of Ki/K(i+1).
Consequences of vegetative herbivory for maintenance of intermediate outcrossing in an annual plant

Given the occurrence of mixed mating systems among plants, a general mechanism explaining the evolution and maintenance of this condition is needed. Although numerous theoretical models predict mixed mating to be evolutionarily stable, conditions favoring intermediate selfing are often stringent and have limited applicability. Here we investigated the role of vegetative herbivory, a ubiquitous biotic factor limiting plant reproduction, in the mating system expression of Impatiens capensis (Balsaminaceae), a species with an obligate mixed-mating system (individuals produce both selfing, cleistogamous, and facultatively outcrossing, chasmogamous flowers). Herbivory reduced proportional chasmogamous reproduction partially, but not entirely, through a reduction in plant size and the strength of this effect varied among replicates. Herbivory decreased geitonogamous selfing in chasmogamous flowers via several mechanisms including reduced chasmogamous flower display size and pollinator visitation rate and altered pollinator composition. Overall, herbivory caused a decrease in whole-plant outcrossing, indicating that the effects of herbivory on proportional chasmogamous reproduction, which favor selfing, outweigh the effects on chasmogamous outcrossing rate, which favor outcrossing. Not only do our findings unravel the mechanisms underlying herbivore-mediated changes in the mating system, but they also point to the role of natural enemies in contributing to the maintenance of a mixed mating system.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement as Seen through Wal-Mart's Potential Exposure

High-profile instances of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act scrutiny focus attention on the law and its enforcement across a broad spectrum. In spring 2012, arguably the most high-profile instance of scrutiny in the FCPA’s 35-year history occurred as Wal-Mart’s alleged conduct in Mexico dominated the news cycle. Wal-Mart’s scrutiny has been instructive in many ways at a key point in time for the FCPA. This article uses Wal-Mart’s potential FCPA exposure as a prism to view the current FCPA enforcement environment.
HIV/AIDS among Older Adults

The oldest person to have a documented case of HIV infection was an 88-year-old white widow. She is believed to have been exposed to the AIDS virus through sexual contact with her husband, a recreational intravenous drug user (Rosenzweig & Fillit, 1992).
Lighting conditions alter Candida albicans-induced sleep responses in rabbits

To evaluate the influence of light on sleep patterns after microbial challenge, we studied rabbits housed in 12:12-h light-dark (LD), constant light (LL), or constant darkness (DD) before and after intravenous Candida albicans inoculation. Compared with the LD group, uninoculated LL rabbits sporadically increased slow-wave sleep and delta-wave amplitudes during the circadian period previously associated with the dark phase. In contrast, uninfected DD rabbits showed reduced sleep during the circadian period previously associated with the light phase. Inoculation of LD rabbits with Candida approximately 2 h after light onset increased slow-wave sleep and delta-wave amplitudes during hours 4-8 postinoculation and reduced these parameters during hours 20-46. In contrast, Candida-inoculated LL rabbits demonstrated increased slow-wave sleep for up to 28 h after inoculation, with little subsequent reduction; delta-wave amplitudes were similar to those of LD rabbits. Candida-inoculated DD rabbits demonstrated attenuated increases in slow-wave sleep and delta-wave amplitudes, but the suppression phase was not altered. We conclude that lighting conditions modulate microbially induced sleep alterations.
Structural, Mechanistic, and Antigenic Characterization of the Human Astrovirus Capsid

Human astroviruses (HAstVs) are nonenveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that are a leading cause of viral gastroenteritis. HAstV particles display T=3 icosahedral symmetry formed by 180 copies of the capsid protein (CP), which undergoes proteolytic maturation to generate infectious HAstV particles. Little is known about the molecular features that govern HAstV particle assembly, maturation, infectivity, and immunogenicity. Here we report the crystal structures of the two main structural domains of the HAstV CP: the core domain at 2.60-A resolution and the spike domain at 0.95-A resolution. Fitting of these structures into the previously determined 25-A-resolution electron cryomicroscopy density maps of HAstV allowed us to characterize the molecular features on the surfaces of immature and mature T=3 HAstV particles. The highly electropositive inner surface of HAstV supports a model in which interaction of the HAstV CP core with viral RNA is a driving force in T=3 HAstV particle formation. Additionally, mapping of conserved residues onto the HAstV CP core and spike domains in the context of the immature and mature HAstV particles revealed dramatic changes to the exposure of conserved residues during virus maturation. Indeed, we show that antibodies raised against mature HAstV have reactivity to both the HAstV CP core and spike domains, revealing for the first time that the CP core domain is antigenic. Together, these data provide new molecular insights into HAstV that have practical applications for the development of vaccines and antiviral therapies.Astroviruses are a leading cause of viral diarrhea in young children, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly. Despite the prevalence of astroviruses, little is known at the molecular level about how the astrovirus particle assembles and is converted into an infectious, mature virus. In this paper, we describe the high-resolution structures of the two main astrovirus capsid proteins. Fitting these structures into previously determined low-resolution maps of astrovirus allowed us to characterize the molecular surfaces of immature and mature astroviruses. Our studies provide the first evidence that astroviruses undergo viral RNA-dependent assembly. We also provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms that lead to astrovirus maturation and infectivity. Finally, we show that both capsid proteins contribute to the adaptive immune response against astrovirus. Together, these studies will help to guide the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs targeting astrovirus.
The Effects of Form-Focused Instruction on the Acquisition of Subject-Verb Inversion in German

This study examines the effects of form-focused instruction (FFI) on the acquisition of subject-verb inversion word order in declarative sentences in German. A group of U.S. college students who participated in a semester-long study abroad program in Germany and were comparable in terms of preprogram oral proficiency levels and accuracy scores in the use of the target structure in spontaneous production was split into experimental and control groups. During one-hour sessions outside of the regular, content-based courses, all students engaged in incidental FFI. The experimental group also received short treatments of instructor-planned FFI on inversion during these extra sessions. Official ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews were used to obtain spontaneous speech samples before and after the program, and data on frequency and accuracy in the use of the target structure were extracted from these samples. The experimental group had significantly higher accuracy scores than the control group at the end of the program. The findings suggest that isolated FFI provided in intensive, planned lesson modules targeting a specific structure may help learners progress faster toward accurate use of this structure in spontaneous speech.
A proposed approach to modeling and simulation education for the medical and health sciences

Modeling and Simulation is at the forefront of a multi-disciplinary effort to integrate quantitative and qualitative research methods and diverse modeling paradigms. M&S possesses a variety of modeling tools that can represent many aspects of life, including life itself. The Medical and Health Sciences are proof of that in that M&S is providing practitioners in these fields the capability to better understand some of the fundamental aspects of healthcare such as human behavior, human systems, medical treatment, and disease proliferation. This paper presents a philosophical, theoretical, and practical approach to advancing M&S education specific to medical and health sciences
Defining Mysticism: Identifying the Facets of a Mystical Experience

This work is an exploration into the world of mysticism and mystical experiences. Many of our religious traditions encounter the subject of mystical experiences, but are there certain underlying features that string them together? Using texts by authors who have had mystical experiences or describe them, this work is an investigation as to whether such experiences have similar elements.
Argentinorhynchus bruchi, a Weevil from Pistia stratiotes in Argentina: Biological Studies

Although Argentinorhynchus bruchi (Hustache) from northern Argentina and Paraguay is extremely rare, it has the potential to cause heavy damage to waterlettuce ( Pistia stratiotes L.). In the laboratory, adults ate 1 cm2 of leaf surface/day. Field-collected females laid an avg 1575 eggs each on the leaf surface after they were brought into the laboratory. The eggs hatched in 7.6 days. First instars fed within the spongy leaf tissue, and 2nd and 3rd instars fed in the crown. Larvae developed through the 3rd instar in 12 days. The 4th instars could not be reared; they always exited from the plant and drowned in the water of the container. Adults fed and oviposited only on waterlettuce (except for slight feeding on Spirodela ) among 26 plant species tested. Larvae fed slightly on 6 species of plants, but all died within 7 days except those on waterlettuce. In the laboratory, 6, 8, or 10 larvae/plant killed waterlettuce within a month.
Extractive fermentation of acetic acid

In this technoeconomic evaluation of the manufacture of acetic acid by fermentation, the use of the bacterium:Acetobacter suboxydans from the old vinegar process was compared with expected performance of the newerClostridium thermoaceticum bacterium. Both systems were projected to operate as immobilized cells in a continuous, fluidized bed bioreactor, using solvent extraction to recover the product.
Erdheim-Chester Disease Presenting With Intractable Exophthalmos and Bone Lesions.

Copyright © 2016 Sou www.amjmedsci.com Disease Presenting With Intractable Exophthalmos and Bone Lesions Raymundo A. Quintana-Quezada, MD, Alexander Postalian, MD and Yi Chun Yeh, MD Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas (E-mail: A.Quintanaquezada@uth.tmc.edu). The authors have no financial or other conflicts of interest to disclose.
The Effect of School Choice and Residential Location on the Racial Segregation of Students

The pattern of racial segregation in U.S. elementary and secondary schools has changed significantly over the last 25 years. This chapter examines the relationship between the racial composition of schools and the choices white parents make concerning the schools their children attend. Restricted access files at the Bureau of the Census allow us to identify each household's Census block of residence and, in turn, suburban public school districts and urban public school attendance areas. We find that the racial composition of schools and neighborhoods are very important in the school and location decisions of white families.
Indigenous Non-western Arts, Cultural Identity and Social Cohesion in New Social Settings

The arts are well-discussed features in Western academic writings. Little, however, has been said about the value or the role that the arts play in relation to cultural identity and social cohesion in non-Western societies such as the Surinamese Bush Negro society. Field study observations which I have undertaken in Suriname for over a decade suggest that the Surinamese Bush Negro people, in general, seem to have an unwavering sense of pride in their cultural heritage and strongly identify with their artistic and ceremonial village traditions. In this paper, I will look at a selection of art conceptions in Western society and how these relate to the art conceptions of the Surinamese Bush Negro people. This comparison will form a basis for looking into how these conceptions of the arts contribute to the formation of cultural identity and social cohesion outside the Surinamese village settings.
Numerical Simulation of Dendritic Growth of Fe-C Binary Alloy with Natural Convection

Embedded the body force induced by the thermal and solutal gradient into the momentum conservation equation, a 2D CA-FVM model is developed for the numerical of dendritic growth with natural convection, and a numerical simulation is performed for the dendritic growth of Fe-0.82wt%C alloy in the presence of natural convection. The results show that the dendrite tip growth velocity is larger at the initial stage and rapidly decreases to steady-state value. The natural convection induced by the thermosolutal buoyancy is weak and promotes two vortexes flowing around the dendrite from the bottom to the top. With the further growth of dendrite, the natural convection is enhanced and four vortexes is developed between the dendrite arms. Also, the natural convection carries the heat and solute from the bottom to the top, resulting in promoting the downward dendrite branch growth and inhibiting the upward dendrite branch growth. Consequently, the asymmetries of the dendrite morphology, temperature and solute profiles are developed.
Alcohol and the Adult Brain edited by J. Svanberg, A. Withall, B. Draper and S. Bowden

Economists like to remind us that there is no free lunch—we might extend that observation to misuse of alcohol, and the failure of health policy to address it. In many societies, beverage alcohol i...
Mapping a chaser satellite's feasibility space for soft docking

Space missions are becoming increasingly complex, and engineers are designing multi-satellite architectures with on-orbit operations as means of accomplishing several mission objectives. Multiple concepts have emerged for autonomous robotic servicing and assembly of orbiting assets or the active removal of space debris, all of which rely on close proximity operation of independently controlled elements. In order for engineers to assess whether a chaser satellite can perform a rendezvous and docking to a given target, various factors must be assessed, including the fuel required, maximum thrust required, contact forces and torques, and the time necessary from rendezvous to secure docking. These factors may be defined for any pair of chaser and target satellites. This paper proposes a definition of a feasibility space, consisting of the set of values for the chaser and target over which a given chaser satellite can perform a soft dock to the target. This feasibility space is defined with respect to the target satellite's physical parameters and dynamic state. In order to map the feasibility space, a trajectory type must be specified. This study utilizes an Archimedes Spiral rendezvous approach path. While not a fuel or time optimal trajectory, it has been selected for this analysis because its path may be expressed analytically while the chaser faces the target's docking area throughout the maneuver, thereby keeping the docking location in the field of view of the chaser's rendezvous sensors for as much time as possible. The paper presents the analytical computation of the chaser satellite's requirements based on the expression of an Archimedes Spiral, as well as a method for mapping the feasibility space using non-dimensional parameters to aid in the extensibility for one trajectory type to multiple chasers and targets. Additionally, the paper presents a method of using the resultant feasibility space maps to assist mission planners and chaser satellite designers in determining the likelihood of soft docking success for a given point in the feasibility space. The processes discussed in the paper can be applied to other trajectory types and for any type of chaser or target satellite for future missions.
Strategies for prediction and mitigation of radiation-induced liver toxicity

Although well described in the 1960s, liver toxicity secondary to radiation therapy, commonly known as radiation-induced liver disease (RILD), remains a major challenge. RILD encompasses two distinct clinical entities, a 'classic' form, composed of anicteric hepatomegaly, ascites and elevated alkaline phosphatase; and a 'non-classic' form, with liver transaminases elevated to more than five times the reference value, or worsening of liver metabolic function represented as an increase of 2 or more points in the Child-Pugh score classification. The risk of occurrence of RILD has historically limited the applicability of radiation for the treatment of liver malignancies. With the development of 3D conformal radiation therapy, which allowed for partial organ irradiation based on computed tomography treatment planning, there has been a resurgence of interest in the use of liver irradiation. Since then, a large body of evidence regarding the liver tolerance to conventionally fractionated radiation has been produced, but severe liver toxicities has continued to be reported. More recently, improvements in diagnostic imaging, radiation treatment planning technology and delivery systems have prompted the development of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), by which high doses of radiation can be delivered with high target accuracy and a steep dose gradient at the tumor - normal tissue interface, offering an opportunity of decreasing toxicity rates while improving tumor control. Here, we present an overview of the role SBRT has played in the management of liver tumors, addressing the challenges and opportunities to reduce the incidence of RILD, such as adaptive approaches and machine-learning-based predictive models.
A Reproducible Framework for Visualizing Demographic Distance Profiles in US Metropolitan Areas

Distance profiles have long been used in urban demography to explore how demographic characteristics of metropolitan areas vary by distance from their urban cores. Distance profile visualizations graphically illustrate these relationships and are useful in exploratory demographic data analysis of urban areas. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to build distance profile visualizations reproducibly within R, a free and open-source programming language and data analysis environment. The approach to distance profile visualization in this article involves the graphical display of a smoothed relationship between the location quotient of a demographic group for a metropolitan Census tract and the distance between the tract centroid and its respective urban core. Data acquisition, analysis, and visualization are all handled in R. The tidycensus, sf, and ggplot2 R packages are featured in this framework. Distance profile visualizations for educational attainment are used as illustrative examples, and reveal how the geography of metropolitan educational attainment varies both over time and across different types of metropolitan areas.
Using Luciferase Reporter Assays to Identify Functional Variants at Disease-Associated Loci

The genomic era, highlighted by large scale, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for both common and rare diseases, have identified hundreds of disease-associated variants. However, most of these variants are not disease causing, but instead only provide information about a potential proximal functional variant through linkage disequilibrium. It is critical that these functional variants be identified, so that their role in disease risk can be ascertained. Luciferase assays are an invaluable tool for identifying and characterizing functional variants, allowing investigations of gene expression, intracellular signaling, transcription factors, receptor activity, and protein folding. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the different ways that luciferase assays can be used to validate functionality of a variant.
Interactions between Herpesviruses and Bacteria in Human Periodontal Disease

Destructive periodontal diseases are infectious disorders, but the specific mechanisms by which tooth-supportive tissue is lost remain obscure. This chapter proposes an infectious disease model for severe periodontitis in which herpesviral-bacterial interactions assume a major etiopathogenic role. Herpesviruses, especially cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr virus type 1 (EBV-1), and HCMV/EBV-1 dual infection, have recently been identified in most of the advanced periodontitis lesions of children, adolescents, and adults. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1, human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), HHV-7, and HHV-8 (individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)) can also be detected in some periodontitis lesions. Evidence suggests that herpesvirus-infected periodontitis lesions harbor elevated levels of periodontopathic bacteria, including Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Dialister pneumosintes, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, and Treponema denticola. Conceivably, periodontal active herpesvirus infection impairs periodontal defenses, thereby permitting subgingival overgrowth of periodontopathic bacteria. It is further hypothesized that gingival tissue plays a role in the maintenance of herpesvirus load in vivo and that the shedding of herpesviruses from periodontal sites during reactivation plays a role in virus transmission. Understanding the significance of herpesviruses in human periodontitis may allow for improved diagnosis and, ultimately, disease prevention.
Context and Dialogue in Research on Women and Leisure

Research about women and leisure in the past twenty years has expanded as researchers from around the world have examined leisure and its meanings from different perspectives. In the past five year...
VCO-Based Quantizer

In this chapter a detailed analysis on the operation and architecture of the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based ADC is presented. The VCO-based quantizer is analyzed for two different architectures, one using a frequency-to-digital converter (FDC) the other a time-to-digital converter (TDC). Theoretical equations are derived to determine the resolution of these quantizers and verified through a VerilogA model.
Effect of Window-Layer Materials on p-n Junction Location in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 Solar Cells

We report on measurements of junction location in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells with different window-layer materials by nm-resolution electrical potential/field profiling across the junction using Kelvin probe force microscopy imaging on cross-section of the devices. The results illustrate that the device with a CdS window layer (CdS/CIGS) has a buried homojunction located inside the CIGS absorber with ∼40-nm junction depth, whereas the ZnOS/CIGS devices with and without partial electrolyte treatment prior to the window-layer deposition are similar, exhibiting a heterointerface junction. This junction location may contribute in part to the highest efficiency of the CdS/CIGS device among the three devices.
Is wood pellet-based electricity less carbon-intensive than coal-based electricity? It depends on perspectives, baselines, feedstocks, and forest management practices

Some studies suggest that the carbon intensity of electricity generated in the United Kingdom by using imported wood pellets from the southern United States is higher than that of coal-based electricity, whereas other studies suggest that the use of wood pellet-based electricity reduces carbon emissions significantly, relative to coal-based electricity. We developed the Forest Bioenergy Carbon Accounting Model (ForBioCAM 1.0) to analyze factors that influence the carbon intensity of wood pellet-based electricity, using a common set of assumptions and the same system boundary. We show that widely differing assessments of the carbon intensity of wood pellet-based electricity depend on the choice of forest management perspectives (landscape or stand), baselines (no harvest, or harvesting for the manufacture of traditional finished wood products), feedstocks (whole trees, pulpwood, or logging residues), forest management practices (change in rotation age), and the duration of the analysis itself. Unlike with a stand perspective, we demonstrate conditions under which a landscape perspective results in carbon savings net of avoided emissions from coal-based electricity. Our results also suggest that the two perspectives of forest management converge in their assessment of the positive carbon effects of various feedstock types used to manufacture wood pellets relative to a no-harvest baseline, and that the use of whole trees for wood pellets results in net carbon savings after a break-even period of about three years relative to a no-harvest scenario. The results of this study can guide future policy deliberations on the use of wood pellets as a renewable energy source worldwide.
Image and Data Processing for InSight Lander Operations and Science

The Instrument Site Selection and deployment for the upcoming Mars InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) Lander is highly dependent on image products, particularly mosaics, created from the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC) and Instrument Context Camera (ICC). When data are downlinked, the Multimission Image Processing Lab (MIPL) at JPL will process image and instrument data to aid in the deployment and monitoring of these instruments. MIPL’s functions include raw telemetry processing, stereo correlation, mosaic generation, terrain mesh generation, radiometric correction, pointing correction (bundle adjustment), and the creation of products such as instrument deployment maps, surface normal products, slope products, XYZ point clouds, and roughness map layers. A software pipeline performs systematic, automated execution of the programs that create these products on every image and stereo pair received, while the pointing correction and most mosaics are hand-generated by the MIPL team members for testing and surface operations. Several mission operations software packages are used to view, query, and analyze the processed images and mosaics for placing the main science instruments for the mission.
Opioid antagonists as potential therapeutics for ischemic stroke

Chronic use of prescription opioids exacerbates risk and severity of ischemic stroke. Annually, 6 million people die from stroke worldwide and there are no neuroprotective or neurorestorative agents to improve stroke outcomes and promote recovery. Prescribed opioids such as morphine have been shown to alter tight junction protein expression, resulting in the disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB), ultimately leading to stroke pathogenesis. Consequently, protection of the BBB has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke. This perspective addresses the deficiency in stroke pharmacological options and examines a novel application and repurposing of FDA-approved opioid antagonists as a prospective neuroprotective therapeutic strategy to minimize BBB damage, reduce stroke severity, and promote neural recovery. Future directions discuss potential drug design and delivery methods to enhance these novel therapeutic targets.
Benchmarking noise extrapolation with the OpenPulse control framework

Distilling precise estimates from noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) data has recently attracted considerable attention Kandala et al., Nature (London) 567, 491 (2019). In order to augment digital qubit metrics, such as gate fidelity, we discuss analog error mitigability, i.e., the ability to accurately distill precise observable estimates, as a hybrid quantum classical computing benchmarking task. Specifically, using Rabi oscillations as a test program, we characterize single qubit error rates on IBM's Poughkeepsie superconducting quantum hardware, incorporate control-mediated noise dependence into a generalized rescaling protocol, and analyze how noise characteristics influence Richardson extrapolation-based error mitigation. Our results identify regions in the space of Hamiltonian control fields and circuit depth which are most amenable to reliable noise extrapolation, as well as shed light on how low-level hardware characterization can be used as a predictive tool for uncertainty quantification in error-mitigated NISQ computations.