cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Stability of X-Chromosome Inactivation: Studies with Mouse-Human Cell Hybrids and Mouse Teratocarcinomas

The control scheme for the expression of X chromosomes in female mammals can be considered to consist of two parts (Lyon 1972, 1974). The first of these involves the initiation of inac-tivation of one X chromosome (Kratzer and Gartler 1978; Monk 1978; Chapman, West, and Adler 1978). This initial choice may be either random, as it is in eutherian embryonic somatic tissues, or preferential, as occurs in extraembryonic components of some species (Takagi 1978; West, Papaioannou, Frels, and Chapman 1978) and in somatic tissues of marsupial mammals (Cooper, Johnston, Murtagh, Sharman, VandeBerg, and Poole 1975). This report will focus on the second part of the problem of X-chromosome differentiation: how genetic repression of the inactive X is maintained and propagated. It will consider specifically some of the insights into the regulatory mechanisms involved in the maintenance of repression that may be gained from experiments designed to derepress genes on the inactive X.
Molecular simulations of NAPL removal from mineral surfaces using microemulsions and surfactants

Abstract Remediation of petroleum contaminants from aquifers is an ongoing and environmentally relevant challenge. Non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) can infiltrate groundwater reservoirs and pollute the water source leading to health and public safety concerns. NAPLs such as asphaltenes and naphthenic acids possess high adsorptive potential making removal difficult with conventional pump-and-treat techniques. As a result, surfactants and microemulsions have been posited as a means of mobilizing and solubilizing these heavy contaminants for safe and effective removal. Experiments have shown that microemulsions with nonionic surfactants are effective for removing aquifer contaminants, although the exact molecular level mechanism is not clear. To this aim, molecular dynamics simulations were carried out with water, surfactant, and microemulsion solutions. These simulations were compared to determine the effects of surfactants and microemulsions on contaminant removal from calcite mineral surfaces. Results indicate that polar molecules serve as a base layer upon which further non-polar molecules could adsorb. Microemulsions were effective at swelling the oil phase and reducing the overall percentage of polar components, leading to easier removal. In addition, the dissociation of microemulsion micelles at the contaminant-water interface was shown to be a thermodynamically favorable process.
Back to Portland 1970–1990

Returning to Portland at the end of January 1970, we moved into the Judkins’ house. We rented it for the first year and then bought it for a very reasonable price. From four of us who lived there in the beginning, I am there alone now. It is a two level mid-century modern home situated on a 2 acre park like setting. The house has unique characteristics such as the giant windows overlooking the green trees and large lawn. Tryon Creek, a good sized stream, runs through the property. In the yard, there is a bomb shelter that Judkins built in 1962 during the Cuban crisis. My wife, Bohunka loved to take care of the garden and I helped her with some of the heavier work and mowing the grass. The house is about 4 miles from the hospital. We loved the privacy of our home. When time allowed, we went skiing at Mt. Hood or to the beach. In August 1972, Charles invited us to go with him to climb Mt. Whitney in California, the tallest mountain in the Continental US. Only Eva joined me because she wanted to get more experience in driving. She got it, but found long distances quite tiring. The hike was memorable, mainly the night on Mt. Whitney. We reached the top quite late in the afternoon and Charles decided to stay overnight and descend the next morning. With Eva, we found a small dent on the surface for us to lie in. Sleeping bags protected us from the cold and wind. We were quite comfortable, but overwhelmed by the closeness of the sky and millions of stars. It was an unforgettable experience. This was my last vacation trip with Charles (Fig. 9.1).
Optimizing Excited-State Electronic-Structure Codes for Intel Knights Landing: A Case Study on the BerkeleyGW Software

We profile and optimize calculations performed with the BerkeleyGW [2, 3] code on the Xeon-Phi architecture. BerkeleyGW depends both on hand-tuned critical kernels as well as on BLAS and FFT libraries. We describe the optimization process and performance improvements achieved. We discuss a layered parallelization strategy to take advantage of vector, thread and node-level parallelism. We discuss locality changes (including the consequence of the lack of L3 cache) and effective use of the on-package high-bandwidth memory. We show preliminary results on Knights-Landing including a roofline study of code performance before and after a number of optimizations. We find that the GW method is particularly well-suited for many-core architectures due to the ability to exploit a large amount of parallelism over plane-wave components, band-pairs, and frequencies.
El cancionero cubano entre lo letrado y lo popular: “La cleptómana” de Acosta y Luna frente a “La cocainómana” de Matamoros

This study claims that “La cocainomana”, a son composed by Miguel Matamoros for his trio in the early 1930s, is inspired at least partly on “La cleptomana”, a ro- mantic song by Manuel Luna, which in turn, imitates Agustin Acosta’s epono- mous sonnet included in his book of poems Ala (1915). “La cleptomana”, a key song of the new and old Cuban bal- lads, reflect the misogynous romantic- modernist conventional pruritus based on the thief of hearts. I argue that this element of the Cuban songbook is the result of the elegant considerations of intellectuals despite the popular origin of many of the players and songwrit- ers. To reach this conclusion, this paper draws on the ideas of music lover such as Frances Aparicio, Alejo Carpentier, Ned Sublette, Tony Evora, Cristobal Diaz Ayala, Robin Moore, as well as the theo- ries developed by Bajtin, Frances Apari- cio, Raphael Dalleo y Angel Rama. Keywords: Poem-song, Ballad, Son, Popular ar- chive, Performance.
Drawing Lines in the Cloud: Implications of Extraterritorial Limits to the Stored Communications Act

Just how private are individual’s private email accounts? This question has become more relevant because of the Edward Snowden leaks in 2013, revealing that the United States was bulk-collecting the information of not only foreigners, but also the information of its own citizens. Courts have struggled to strike the right balance between practical concerns of privacy, on one hand, and the government’s legitimate interest in prosecuting crimes. These complex considerations are only multiplied when a case involves access to data stored across borders. Recently, the Second Circuit departed from other case holdings to find that the presumption of extraterritoriality prevents the government from using Stored Communication Act (SCA) warrants — or perhaps any domestic legal process — to access data that is stored overseas. This Essay explores the rationale employed by the Second Circuit and other cases to conclude that such decisions will have significant implications for other provisions of the SCA and potentially undermine long-standing Fourth Amendment doctrines, such as the Bank of Nova Scotia doctrine and the third-party doctrine. The paper highlights two conclusions that may impact these other doctrines: First, the conclusion that a provider accessing data on one of its servers constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment; and second, that the location of the data is a determinative factor in deciding jurisdiction over that data. Arguing against the prevailing trend in the academic literature in this area, this Essay concludes that provider’s access to their own servers cannot be a search under the Fourth Amendment and, further, that the location of data is a problematic factor to rely upon and argues that the SCA should be interpreted to reach data stored overseas held by electronic service providers that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction. It argues that the jurisdictional test for what service providers should be subject to the SCA obligation is much narrower than currently employed, and should follow from cases such as Daimler A.G. v. Baumer and its progeny. Further, it proposes a new test for the validity of SCA warrants, positing that such warrants should be quashed upon a prima facie showing that either the target of the investigation is not a U.S. national or acting in the United States, or that retrieving the data would violate the laws of the country in which the data is being stored. Such a proposal allows law enforcement the flexibility to investigate as needed, but respects both the international sovereignty of other nations and the privacy interests of the owners of the data.
Using a DPG method to validate DMA experimental calibration of viscoelastic materials

Abstract A discontinuous Petrov–Galerkin (DPG) method is used to solve the time-harmonic equations of linear viscoelasticity. It is based on a “broken” primal variational formulation, which is very similar to the classical primal variational formulation used in Galerkin methods, but has additional “interface” variables at the boundaries of the mesh elements. Both the classical and broken formulations are proved to be well-posed in the infinite-dimensional setting, and the resulting discretization is proved to be stable. A full h p -convergence analysis is also included, and the analysis is verified using computational simulations. The method is particularly useful as it carries its own natural arbitrary- p a posteriori error estimator, which is fundamental for solving problems with localized solution features. This proves to be useful when validating calibration models of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) experiments. Indeed, different DMA experiments of epoxy and silicone resins were successfully validated to within 5 % of the quantity of interest using the numerical method.
Dynamic programming in digital communications: Viterbi decoding to turbo multiuser detection

Many important signal processing tasks in digital communications are based on integer programming problems whose raw complexity is extremely high. Such problems include the decoding of convolutional codes, channel equalization, multiuser detection, and the joint performance of these tasks. In each of these problems, the high complexity arises from the need to perform simultaneous processing on long sequences of finite-valued symbols in order to optimally detect or decode them. Fortunately, the complexity of these optimization problems can often be greatly reduced through the use of dynamic programming, which efficiently finds optimal [e.g., maximum likelihood (ML) or maximum a posteriori probability (MAP)] decisions in long sequences of symbols. This paper reviews four decades of progress in this area: the Viterbi algorithm for ML decoding of convolutional codes of the 1960s; the ML sequence detectors for channel equalization and the BCJR algorithm for MAP decoding of convolutional codes of the 1970s; the ML and MAP multiuser detectors of the 1980s; and combinations of these through the turbo processing of the 1990s.
What the Iran-Iraq War Tells Us about the Future of the Iran Nuclear Deal

The 1980–88 Iran-Iraq War stands as the pivotal event for Iran's national security strategy, especially as it pertains to the country's controversial nuclear program. The “imposed war,” as it is known to Iranians, caused Iran to view itself as isolated and on the defensive, striving for self-reliance and survival in what it continues to perceive as an unjust international order. The war has shaped both Iran's strategic outlook generally and its nuclear policies specifically. It was a decisive factor in determining the nature and scope of Iran's nuclear activities, as well as in Iran's approach to the international negotiations surrounding those activities, which in 2015 produced the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Both during those talks and after the implementation of the deal began, Iranian decisionmakers regularly invoked the history and lessons of the war to construe their decisionmaking process and define their bottom lines. Yet the war and its implications for Iran's strategic culture and nuclea...
The paradox of excess: Kim Swoo-geun's Môt and his economical architecture

The South Korean architect Kim Swoo-geun (1931–1986) was patronised by chaebol (family-run conglomerates) and other enterprises that defined the ways in which the post-war nation’s cultural and political scene operated. Yet Kim's private commissions for his distinguished clientele have not been studied in any detail, especially their relationship to state-level politics. How did Kim's domestic projects such as Ch'angamjang (1974) wrestle with the mandate of President Park Chung-hee's Fourth Republic that attempted to bridle the expression of familial wealth, down to their housing? In legally identifying a ‘luxury house’ category, this sumptuary provision failed to capture what were, in effect, Kim’s economical approaches towards building. In tethering the qualitative term ‘luxury’ to a quantitative operation, the mensuration of the floor area, the bureaucratic procedure problematically foresaw domestic architecture—and the profession responsible for its construction—as calculable and regimented. Kim’s imp...
Incisional Hernia Repair: What the Radiologist Needs to Know.

OBJECTIVE. Incisional hernias are becoming more prevalent with increases in the obesity of the population and the complexity of abdominal surgeries. Radiologists' understanding of these hernias is limited. This article examines abdominal wall anatomy, surgical techniques, the role of imaging (current and emerging), and complications from the surgical perspective, to enhance to the role of the radiologist. CONCLUSION. Knowledge of the relevant anatomy, surgical techniques, and postoperative complications in patients with incisional hernial repair can help the radiologist improve care.
Diet improvement for western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae.

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is the most serious insect pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the United States and parts of Europe, and arguably one of the world’s most expensive pests to control. Several diet formulations are currently used by industry and public researchers to evaluate WCR larvae in diet-toxicity bioassays. However, a publicly available diet that produces normative insects that are physiologically similar to WCR larvae reared on corn roots will accelerate development of management technologies. We report a new diet formulation that supports improved weight gain, larval development and survival compared with the only public diet for WCR that is currently available in the refereed literature. The formulation was created by using response surface methods combined with n-dimensional mixture designs to identify and improve the formulation of key ingredients. Weight gain increased two-fold, and survival and molting rates increased from 93% and 90%, respectively when reared on the public diet, to approximately 99% for both survival and molting at 11 days when reared on our new formulation. This new formulation provides a standardized growth medium for WCR larvae that will facilitate comparison of research results from various working groups and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Abstract 12737: Sex and Race/Ethnic Disparities in the Use of High Potency Statins for Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Background: The November 2013 AHA/ACC prevention guidelines recommend the use of a fixed dose high potency statin (HPS) for patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD),...
Estimating Residential Property Loss Reduction from a Proposed Coastal Barrier System in the Houston-Galveston Region

AbstractIn the wake of increasing development in coastal metropolitan areas, there are growing concerns about the impact of a potential storm surge event on residential properties. This study exami...
An Analysis of Certificates of Rehabilitation in the United States

An impediment to offender reintegration and rehabilitation is so-called collateral consequences—restrictions imposed by state and/or federal laws that apply to people who have been arrested, convic...
Quantitative Proteomics of Presynaptic Mitochondria Reveal an Overexpression and Biological Relevance of Neuronal MitoNEET in Postnatal Brain Development

Although it has been recognized that energy metabolism and mitochondrial structure and functional activity in the immature brain differs from that of the adult, few studies have examined mitochondria specifically at the neuronal synapse during postnatal brain development. In this study, we examined the presynaptic mitochondrial proteome in mice at postnatal day 7 and 42, a period that involves the formation and maturation of synapses. Application of two independent quantitative proteomics approaches - SWATH-MS and super-SILAC - revealed a total of 40 proteins as significantly differentially expressed in the presynaptic mitochondria. In addition to elevated levels of proteins known to be involved in ATP metabolic processes, our results identified increased levels of mitoNEET (Cisd1), an iron-sulfur containing protein that regulates mitochondrial bioenergetics. We found that mitoNEET overexpression plays a cell-type specific role in ATP synthesis and in neuronal cells promotes ATP generation. The elevated ATP levels in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were associated with increased mitochondrial membrane potential and a fragmented mitochondrial network, further supporting a role for mitoNEET as a key regulator of mitochondrial function.
Abstract 1646: Beyond BRCA: Discovery of novel drivers of homologous recombination deficiencies in cancer

Since the discovery of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations as cancer risk factors, we have gained much understanding of their role in maintaining genomic stability through homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair. However, mutations in BRCA1/2 and other classical HR proteins such as RAD51 and PALB2 only identify 10-20% of TCGA patients who display HR deficiencies, indicating that we do not understand the vast majority of HR defects. Here, we leveraged the abundance of molecular characterization from TCGA patients for network analysis to fill this knowledge void. We discovered that over half of HR deficiencies originate outside of canonical DNA damage response genes, with particular enrichment for RNA binding proteins (RBPs). Experimental techniques validated over 90% of our predictions in a panel of 50 genes tested by siRNA, as well as 30/31 additional engineered mutations identified in TCGA patients. We further cross-validated these findings in independent patient cohorts, finding that the identified RNA processing mutations again enriched for HR deficient patients to an equal or greater degree than mutations in DNA damage genes. Using a series of experimental approaches, including protein interactome screening, RNA sequencing, and quantitative imaging cytometry, we probed how loss of RBP function induced global DNA damage response rewiring, including changes in RNA splicing, protein-protein interactions, and recruitment of repair factors to DNA damage sites. Clinically, defects in HR are known to promote cancer initiation, but also sensitize cells to targeted therapies such as PARP inhibition. We found that depletion RBPs from PARP-resistant triple-negative breast cancer cells induced sensitivity to multiple PARP inhibitors, indicating that this could identify new cohorts of patients who may benefit from PARP inhibition, beyond the small number of BRCA1/2-mutant patients. Moreover, we find that the identified RBP genes are significantly enriched for genes associated with cancer risk identified through GWAS. In patients, HR deficiencies were not equally distributed across all demographics, so preferential screening of those most at risk could further heighten this benefit. Thus, these novel drivers may show clinical relevance both for treatment stratification and for identifying individuals at high risk for cancer development to improve patient outcomes. Taken together, this exhaustive study greatly expands our repertoire of known drivers of HR deficiencies and mechanisms of damage repair, which may impact research from the most basic biology studies to clinical screening and stratification. Citation Format: Nidhi Sahni, Daniel McGrail, Yongsheng Li, Gordon Mills, Song (Stephen) Yi. Beyond BRCA: Discovery of novel drivers of homologous recombination deficiencies in cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1646.
How Buddhist Thinking Fits in Leadership

Buddhism is sometimes considered a religion, but increasingly, people realize that Buddhist practices don’t necessarily have to infringe with their religious views and values. Buddhism can very well be considered a way of living. The Four Noble Truths, including the Noble Eightfold Path, are some of the key concepts of Buddhism. Buddhism’s focus on consciousness aims to peel off the layer of ignorance and mindless acceptance of the status quo, in which we have been conditioned through modern society.
Real-time digital demodulation algorithm for an interferometric magnetic field sensor

High sensitivity magnetic field sensors have been applied to biotechnology problems such as magnetoencephalography and magnetocardiography. Unfortunately, the high cost and/or development of the sensors often limit the widespread use of these medical diagnostic systems. Fiber optic magnetostrictive sensors offer high sensitivities with competitive fabrication cost. Magnetostrictive sensors have experimentally demonstrated resolutions as low as 23 pT/√Hz without any mu-metal shielding. With respect to the sensor cost, fiber-optic-based magnetic field sensors leverage the advanced component development and the economies of scale of the telecommunications industry. In addition, the trend in interferometric sensor development has been to transfer the demodulation complexity from hardware to the digital signal processing algorithm. This reduction in hardware significantly reduces the cost of the overall sensor system. In this paper, we present a demodulation algorithm for an interferometric magnetic field sensor. The sensing mechanism is based on the magnetostriction of a material bonded to the optical fiber in the sensing leg of the interferometer. A phase-generated-carrier demodulation scheme is assumed. The algorithm features real-time demodulation of arbitrary signal waveforms. We present the theoretical derivation of the algorithm and verify its operation through computer simulation.
Design Patterns and Automated Support for Block-Based Programming Activities in Non-Computing Classes

To provide K-12 computing education for all, programming cannot be regulated to only computer science classes. Instead, computing education must be infused into all other required courses reaching all students through curriculum-integrated computing activities. This will pose challenges as students in these settings have an increasingly wide range of programming backgrounds. Additionally, teachers must feel comfortable not only teaching programming, but doing so in a meaningful context that integrates coding into their course topics. To truly meet the scale of this challenge, teachers will need to be able to develop meaningful integrated programming lessons, and have the supports necessary to implement them in a wide-variety of classes with students of vastly different skill-levels. This research will investigate two major means of aiding the rapid development and deployment of integrated block-based programming lessons in K-12 courses. The first will be through exploring design patterns for these integrated lessons, specifically focusing on how different activity types, scaffolding, and progressions affect classroom and student programming outcomes. The second will be in the research and development of generalized data-driven algorithms that will support novice teachers and students during programming in a wide-variety of block-based activities.
1699 Determining The Accuracy of Sonography in Detecting Pelvic Adhesions, A Pilot Study

Study Objective The objective of the study is to determine if ultrasonography can accurately detect pelvic adhesions in patients before laparoscopic or robotic-assisted laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. Design A pilot study (Canadian Task Force II-3) Setting A single community hospital in a metropolitan city. Patients or Participants Fifty-two patients consented for the study, from March 2018 until August 2018. Thirty patients completed the study protocol. Interventions After completing a pelvic ultrasound, participants underwent laparoscopic or robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery. Measurements and Main Results The data of patients completing the study protocol was analyzed. In total, 30 patients were analyzed. Ultrasound was most sensitive at detecting adhesions involving the ovaries. The sensitivities of the right and left ovary were 1 (0.57-1) and 1 (0.65-1) respectively. The specificity was highest at the posterior cul-de-sac (PCD) 0.90 (0.70-0.97). There were 4 participants with an elevated composite score of 6 or more. Conclusion In this pilot study, ultrasonography had a high sensitivity for detecting pelvic adhesions of the ovaries, and high specificity for excluding adhesions involving the posterior cul-de-sac. Elevated composite radiographic adhesion index scores were consistent with areas of dense adhesions.
Knowledge and experiences with augmentative and alternative communication by paediatric nurses: a pilot study.

PURPOSE The current mixed methods research study was designed to describe the experience and opinions of paediatric acute care nurses at a single paediatric medical centre regarding augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This research serves as the beginning of a line of research to determine needs that can be met through later education and training on AAC with paediatric acute care nurses. METHODS Mixed methods were used to gather survey and interview data from nurses at a single paediatric hospital to investigate their knowledge of AAC, perceived relevance of AAC for their patient populations, and preferences for training programmes. RESULTS Quantitative survey and qualitative interview data indicated a need for AAC education for these paediatric nurses. Nurses demonstrated limited knowledge and experience with AAC but communicated both a desire and perceived need to know more to effectively care for their patients. CONCLUSION Nurses reported limited AAC knowledge but expressed a desire for support to use AAC with their patients. AAC education and cross-sector collaboration with healthcare workers such as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and acute care paediatric nurses are indicated to support effective communication when interacting with patients with complex communication needs (CCN).Implications for rehabilitationImproved background knowledge to develop and implement future nurse education on AAC.Foundation for cross-sector collaboration (e.g., nurses and SLPs) on AAC implementation in paediatric acute care settings.
Psychological and neighborhood factors associated with urban women’s preventive care use

Women are more likely than men to forego care—including preventive care. Understanding which factors influence women’s preventive care use has the potential to improve health. This study focuses on the largely understudied areas of psychological barriers (depression) and neighborhood factors (support and stressors) that may be associated with women’s preventive care use through secondary analysis of the Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Across models, 30–40% of the variance in preventive care adherence was explained by the neighborhood. Depressive symptoms were not associated with preventive care use when neighborhood factors were included. However, stratified models showed that associations varied by race/ethnicity. Previous research has tended to focus on individual determinants of care, but this study suggests that barriers to care are far more complex. Efforts aimed at improving care utilization need to be multipronged and interventions need to take an individual’s demographics, mental health, and context into account.
Colonialism and the co-evolution of ethnic and genetic structure in New Mexico.

OBJECTIVE Socially constructed ethnic identities are frequently rooted in beliefs about common descent that form when people with disparate cultures, languages, and biology come into contact. This study explores connections between beliefs about common descent, as represented by ethnic nomenclatures, and histories of migration and isolation ascertained from genomic data in New Mexicans of Spanish-speaking descent (NMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS We interviewed 507 NMS who further identified using one of seven ethnic terms that they associated with beliefs about connections to past ancestors. For groups of individuals who identified using each term, we estimated biogeographic ancestry, fit admixture models to ancestry distributions, and partitioned genetic distance into admixture and drift components. RESULTS Regardless of which ethnic term they used, all NMS had appreciable Native American (avg. 27%) and European ancestry (avg.71%). However, individuals who identified using terms associated with beliefs connecting them to colonial-period Spanish ancestors had significantly higher European ancestry than individuals who identified using terms associated with ancestral connections to post-colonial-period migrants from Mexico. Model-fitting analyses show that this ancestry difference reflects post-colonial gene flow with non-NMS European Americans, not colonial-period gene flow with Spaniards. Drift, not admixture, accounted for most of the genetic distance between NMS who expressed connections to Mexican versus Spanish ancestors, reflecting relative isolation of New Mexico and Mexico through the 19th century. DISCUSSION Patterns of genomic diversity in NMS are consistent with beliefs about common descent in showing that New Mexico was isolated for generations following initial colonization. They are inconsistent with these beliefs in showing that all NMS have substantial European and Native American ancestry, and in showing that a proportion of European ancestry derives from post-colonial-period admixture with non-NMS European Americans. Our findings provide insights into the construction of ethnic identity in contexts of migration and isolation in New Mexico and, potentially, throughout human prehistory.
Biosurfactant-Mediated Membrane Depolarization Maintains Viability during Oxygen Depletion in Bacillus subtilis.

Summary The presence or absence of oxygen in the environment is a strong effector of cellular metabolism and physiology. Like many eukaryotes and some bacteria, Bacillus subtilis primarily utilizes oxygen during respiration to generate ATP. Despite the importance of oxygen for B. subtilis survival, we know little about how populations adapt to shifts in oxygen availability. Here, we find that when oxygen was depleted from stationary phase B. subtilis cultures, ∼90% of cells died while the remaining cells maintained colony-forming ability. We discover that production of the antimicrobial surfactin confers two oxygen-related fitness benefits: it increases aerobic growth yield by increasing oxygen diffusion, and it maintains viability during oxygen depletion by depolarizing the membrane. Strains unable to produce surfactin exhibited an ∼50-fold reduction in viability after oxygen depletion. Surfactin treatment of these cells led to membrane depolarization and reduced ATP production. Chemical and genetic perturbations that alter oxygen consumption or redox state support a model in which surfactin-mediated membrane depolarization maintains viability through slower oxygen consumption and/or a shift to a more reduced metabolic profile. These findings highlight the importance of membrane potential in regulating cell physiology and growth, and demonstrate that antimicrobials that depolarize cell membranes can benefit cells when the terminal electron acceptor in respiration is limiting. This foundational knowledge has deep implications for environmental microbiology, clinical anti-bacterial therapy, and industrial biotechnology.
Goal-directed behavior in individuals with mild Parkinson’s disease: Role of self-efficacy and self-regulation

Abstract Introduction Deficits in goal-directed behavior are common in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and have been ascribed to apathy. In addition to apathy, individuals' beliefs in their competence (self-efficacy) and capacity to regulate emotions, thoughts, and actions (self-regulation) are critical skills for goal-directed behavior. We investigated these skills and their relationship to motor and non-motor symptoms in individuals with PD. We also examined the neural correlates of these skills using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods We enrolled 35 subjects with mild PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage ≤2.5) and used the new general self-efficacy (NGSES) and self-regulation scales (SRS). We correlated the scores on these scales with measures of cognition, anxiety, depression, apathy, fatigue, quality of life, and disease burden using stepwise regression analyses. We collected resting-state fMRI data in a 3-Tesla scanner and computed the pairwise functional connectivity among nodes of major networks. We correlated the connectivity maps with the NGSES and SRS scores. Results Our PD cohort demonstrated intact NGSES and SRS scores compared with respective population data. These scores showed significant negative correlation with apathy and disease burden. Stronger connectivity in the salience network and decoupling from the default mode network supported self-efficacy and self-regulation. Conclusions Self-efficacy and self-regulation capacity seems preserved, but vulnerable to disease-related factors in individuals with mild PD. Educational programs cultivating this capacity could improve the coping skills of these individuals. Functional connectivity changes in salience and default mode networks may serve as neurobiological markers to demonstrate the effectiveness of such interventions.
Dbałość o zachowanie języka ojczystego na emigracji (na przykładzie Szkoły Polskiej w Portland, Oregon)

The study presents research showing the possibilities of making the mother tongue/native language available to children whose parents do not know Polish or have minimal knowledge of it. The research was conducted on the basis of the dynamics of development of the Polish School in Portland in the years 2011—2013. Using questionnaires, a survey, community interview, and questions in an interview, comprehensive information was collected from parents, students and teachers. The information concerned, among others, the following issues: the demographic outline and cultural affiliation of parents, the level of knowledge of the Polish language by parents, as well as parents’, teachers’ and students’ beliefs about maintaining the Polish language. On the basis of the results and conclusions from the research, the author tries to indicate ways to improve the educational situation of Polonia children.
670 nm photobiomodulation improves the mitochondrial redox state of diabetic wounds

Background Photobiomodulation (PBM) by far-red (FR) to near-infrared (NIR) light has been demonstrated to accelerate diabetic wound healing in preclinical and clinical studies. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress play key roles in impaired diabetic wound healing, and the effect of PBM on the metabolic state of diabetic wounds remains to be elucidated. Methods In this study, a custom-designed in vivo fluorescence imaging technique was used to quantitatively assess the effect of FR-PBM on the mitochondrial bioenergetics of diabetic wounds. The intrinsic fluorescence of two mitochondrial co-enzymes, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and oxidized flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), was monitored to quantify the redox ratio (RR) (NADH/FAD) of wounds over time. Results Using an excisional model of wound healing, we demonstrated that 670 nm (FR) PBM improved mitochondrial bioenergetics and stimulated the rate of wound healing in diabetic db/db mice. Wound closure and the RR of diabetic wounds in response to 670 nm PBM (4.5 J/cm2, 60 mW/cm2 for 90 s per day, 5 days/week) were compared to the sham-treated group. At day 9 of post-wounding, we observed a 43% decrease in the wound area and a 75% increase in RR in FR-treated diabetic mice compared to sham-treated diabetic mice. Conclusions We conclude that the increase in mitochondrial RR and the related decrease in oxidative stress may be an important factor in FR-PBM mediated acceleration of wound healing in diabetic mice.
Accelerating uncertainty propagation in power laws for prognostics and health management

This paper proposes a sampling-based approach for uncertainty propagation in scalar power laws. The methodology takes advantage of the properties of stochastic calculus, and outperforms the standard Monte Carlo integration in terms of speed of computation. Three sources of uncertainty are considered; (i) modeling error arising from regressions on historical data, (ii) uncertainty or ignorance on the power law parameters, i.e., constant and exponent, and (iii) initial condition defined through probability density functions. The method is applied to an existing scenario extracted from literature in the area of prognostics and health management, and is then compared against state-of-the-art Monte Carlo integration based on Euler's forward method. The results show that the accuracy of the proposed uncertainty propagation method is virtually identical to Euler's integration. However, the presented approach is orders of magnitude faster than the integration via Euler's forward method when computing the first hitting time of a threshold. This translates into faster computation of the first hitting time distribution, which is one of the key elements of prognostics and health management.
Racial bias in accuracy of pulse oximetry and its impact on assessments of hypopnea and T90 in clinical studies.

Citation:Hunasikatti M. Racial bias in accuracy of pulse oximetry and its impact on assessments of hypopnea and T90 in clinical studies. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(5):1145.
Magnetization of sinking porous diapirs in planetesimal cores

Abstract Magnetization by core dynamo activity in large asteroids and planetesimals is suggested by the remnant magnetization of many achondritic meteorites. However, the conditions for a sustained dynamo in such small bodies is problematic for several reasons. Such bodies may not have the energy budget or size to achieve a sufficient dynamo. Moreover, given their low internal pressures, planetesimal cores likely freeze from the top down, wherein the gravitationally unstable solid in the freezing front has high viscosity and is not easily destabilized. The solid may delaminate in intermittent pulses, which can lead to ephemeral intervals of vigorous convection sufficient to drive dynamo activity, although they may be too short lived to fully magnetize the planetesimal. However, delaminated diapiric downwellings from the solidification front are likely to be partial melts or mushes and thus porous, two-phase bodies. Percolative flow or seepage through the diapir can potentially induce magnetization in the diapir quickly, possibly allowing rapid triggering of dynamo activity. We build on our recent two-phase magnetohydrodynamic theory to examine the magnetization of a porous metallic diapir sinking through a liquid metal in the presence of an imposed background field. Without seepage of liquid through the diapir (i.e., if it were rigid and impermeable), the background magnetic field is distorted by flow around the diapir, as expected. Some of the field distortion is offset with the addition of seepage through the diapir. However, fast seepage can establish a dipole moment inside the diapir, which points opposite the direction of diapiric descent. Wide-spread delamination and diapirism could therefore rapidly establish a multi-polar poloidal field whose field lines extend outside the core, thereby allowing remanent magnetization of the solid and solidifying material above it.
Funding and Financing to Sustain Public Infrastructure: Why Choices Matter

Investment in public infrastructure, including the provision of essential services through capital-intensive networks, is critical to supporting economic development and, more so, the quality of places and lives. The sustainability of public utilities and other infrastructure systems depends on spending to an optimal compliant service level and raising revenues that fully cover the cost of service. Sustaining infrastructure relies on both funding and financing mechanisms, which should not be confused. This primer provides a framework for understanding the difference between funding and financing and why policy choices for these functions matter. Funding choices affect the distribution of burdens on service consumers; financing choices affect the cost of capital for service providers. These implications tend to receive less attention than behavioral incentives for economic efficiency. The portfolio of alternative funding and financing methods and instruments is described along with how they relate to structural and governance models for service delivery. The report provides key statistics and trends across U.S. infrastructure sectors, with highlights for Michigan. To varying degrees by infrastructure sector, the analysis detects discernable shifts in fiscal federalism and policy emphasis from governmental funding to financing, from federal to state and local funding, from tax-based to fee-based funding, and from public to private capital financing, with implications for impacts and outcomes. Investment gaps and methods for closing them are considered. By improving understanding, this primer aims to promote inclusive and constructive stakeholder engagement around equity in the realization of sustainable public infrastructure.
Interventional and Non-interventional Medical Rehabilitation Approaches to Axial Spine Pain in Vertebral Metastatic Disease

As targeted therapies help patients with advanced cancer live longer, interventions for management of axial spine pain will become more common. Unfortunately, the indications for and safety of these procedures have been relatively unexplored compared to non-cancer adults. This review focuses on the following aspects of axial spine pain management in patients with vertebral metastatic disease: 1) pathophysiology and symptoms of cancer- and non-cancer related spine pain; 2) safety and efficacy of non-interventional rehabilitation approaches to treat this pain; 3) considerations for interventional pain approaches to acute and chronic pain in patients with vertebral metastatic disease. This review also summarizes gaps in the literature and describes specific cases in which the described interventions have been applied.
Casebooks, Bias, and Information Literacy—Do Law Librarians Have a Duty?

The third principle of the American Association of Law Libraries’ Principles and Standards for Legal Research Competencies states: “A successful researcher critically evaluates information.” This e...
A simple and practical process modeling methodology for pressure swing adsorption

Abstract Although many dynamic models exist for the design and simulation of pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes, these models involve the solution of a complex system of coupled partial differential equations. Process engineers need a simple, practical, and yet robust short-cut model that helps decide whether to implement a PSA system in a process flowsheet. This work presents a “virtual” moving bed modeling methodology that considers only mass and energy balances and adsorption isotherms to describe the cyclic steady state behavior of PSA systems. Similar to tray efficiencies in distillation calculations, adsorption efficiencies are further introduced to account for system “non-ideality.” A lab-scale air separation system is used to illustrate the application of this modeling methodology. Topical Heading: Process Systems Engineering
“Unless They Have To”: Power, Politics and Institutional Hierarchy in Lithuanian Holocaust Education

Teachers working on Holocaust education in Lithuania expressed a desire for more support from their school directors, but they wanted to see less political pressure from the United States and Europe in the international arena. While their desire for less international attention to Holocaust education may seem like a reluctance to engage with the topic at all, many Lithuanian teachers explained their frustrations differently. Supportive teachers said that it would be easier to garner support from colleagues if the expectations for Holocaust education came from a known hierarchy, such as their own schools, rather than through the hierarchy of international geopolitics. Considering the politics surrounding post-Soviet Holocaust education, this chapter explores the role that school directors play in motivating teachers to participate. Based on more than 2 years of fieldwork, this study found that school directors play an important role in motivating teachers, but the overtly political nature of Holocaust education makes many directors hesitate to take on programmes. These findings suggest the need for additional research on the complex and conflicted role of international power relationships in developing culturally sustainable Holocaust education programmes in post-Soviet states.
Long-term outcome of Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery for arteriovenous malformations graded by the Spetzler-Martin classification.

Object The object of this study was to assess outcomes in patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) treated by Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS); lesions were stratified by size, symptomatology, and Spetzler-Martin (S-M) grade. Methods The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 102 patients treated for an AVM with single-dose or staged-dose SRS between 1993 and 2004. Lesions were grouped by S-M grade, as hemorrhagic or nonhemorrhagic, and as small (< 3 cm) or large (≥ 3 cm). Outcomes included death, morbidity (new neurological deficit, new-onset seizure, or hemorrhage/rehemorrhage), nidus obliteration, and Karnofsky Performance Scale score. Results The mean follow-up was 8.5 years (range 5–16 years). Overall nidus obliteration (achieved in 75% of patients) and morbidity (19%) correlated with lesion size and S-M grade. For S-M Grade I–III AVMs, nonhemorrhagic and hemorrhagic combined, treatment yielded obliteration rates of 100%, 89%, and 86%, respectively; high functional status (K...
Human leukemic cells: Actinomycin D-resistant biosynthesis of RNA by isolated nuclei

Abstract Nuclei isolated from human (CCRF-CEM) leukemic cells are metabolically active, as evidenced by precursor incorporation studies. Although 0.1 γ/ml of actinomycin D completely inhibits the growth of CCRF-CEM cells, this concentration had little or no effect on the metabolic activity of isolated nuclei, as adjudged by the incorporation of labeled thymidine, uridine, and lysine. However, higher concentrations (0.25 γ–0.5 γ/ml) of actinomycin D inhibited DNA synthesis, but did not effectively inhibit RNA and protein syntheses. The present experiments suggest that there may be an RNA-replicating system in the CCRF-CEM nuclei which is resistant to inhibition by actinomycin D. The precise nature of this system remains to be determined.