Abstract Estimating the cost to society of individual crimes is essential to the economic evaluation of many social programs, such as substance abuse treatment and community policing. A review of the ...crime-costing literature reveals multiple sources, including published articles and government reports, which collectively represent the alternative approaches for estimating the economic losses associated with criminal activity. Many of these sources are based upon data that are more than 10 years old, indicating a need for updated figures. This study presents a comprehensive methodology for calculating the cost to society of various criminal acts. Tangible and intangible losses are estimated using the most current data available. The selected approach, which incorporates both the cost-of-illness and the jury compensation methods, yields cost estimates for more than a dozen major crime categories, including several categories not found in previous studies. Updated crime cost estimates can help government agencies and other organizations execute more prudent policy evaluations, particularly benefit–cost analyses of substance abuse treatment or other interventions that reduce crime.
The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is situated in the upper pons in the dorsolateral portion of the ponto-mesencephalic tegmentum. Its main mass is positioned at the trochlear nucleus level, and is ...part of the mesenphalic locomotor region (MLR) in the upper brainstem. The human PPN is divided into two subnuclei, the pars compacta (PPNc) and pars dissipatus (PPNd), and constitutes both cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons with afferent and efferent projections to the cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia (BG), cerebellum, and spinal cord. The BG controls locomotion and posture via GABAergic output of the substantia nigra pars reticulate (SNr). In PD patients, GABAergic BG output levels are abnormally increased, and gait disturbances are produced via abnormal increases in SNr-induced inhibition of the MLR. Since the PPN is vastly connected with the BG and the brainstem, dysfunction within these systems lead to advanced symptomatic progression in Parkinson's disease (PD), including sleep and cognitive issues. To date, the best treatment is to perform deep brain stimulation (DBS) on PD patients as outcomes have shown positive effects in ameliorating the debilitating symptoms of this disease by treating pathological circuitries within the parkinsonian brain. It is therefore important to address the challenges and develop this procedure to improve the quality of life of PD patients.
While the antibacterial properties of graphene oxide (GO) have been demonstrated across a spectrum of bacteria, the critical role of functional groups is unclear. To address this important issue, we ...utilized reduction and hydration methods to establish a GO library with different oxidation, hydroxyl, and carbon radical (•C) levels that can be used to study the impact on antibacterial activity. Using antibiotic-resistant bacteria as a test platform, we found that the •C density is most proximately associated with bacterial killing. Accordingly, hydrated GO (hGO), with the highest •C density, had the strongest antibacterial effects through membrane binding and induction of lipid peroxidation. To explore its potential applications, we demonstrated that coating of catheter and glass surfaces with hGO is capable of killing drug-resistant bacteria. In summary, •C is the principle surface moiety that can be utilized for clinical applications of GO-based antibacterial coatings.
Centromeric chromatin defines the site of kinetochore formation and ensures faithful chromosome segregation. Centromeric identity is epigenetically specified by the incorporation of CENP-A ...nucleosomes. DNA replication presents a challenge for inheritance of centromeric identity because nucleosomes are removed to allow for replication fork progression. Despite this challenge, CENP-A nucleosomes are stably retained through S phase. We used BioID to identify proteins transiently associated with CENP-A during DNA replication. We found that during S phase, HJURP transiently associates with centromeres and binds to pre-existing CENP-A, suggesting a distinct role for HJURP in CENP-A retention. We demonstrate that HJURP is required for centromeric nucleosome inheritance during S phase. HJURP co-purifies with the MCM2-7 helicase complex and, together with the MCM2 subunit, binds CENP-A simultaneously. Therefore, pre-existing CENP-A nucleosomes require an S phase function of the HJURP chaperone and interaction with MCM2 to ensure faithful inheritance of centromere identity through DNA replication.
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•CENP-A nucleosomes are stably inherited across S phase•The CENP-A chaperone HJURP is associated with pre-existing CENP-A during S phase•CENP-A inheritance requires HJURP and the MCM2 subunit of the replicative helicase•CENP-A can bind MCM2 and HJURP simultaneously
Inheritance of centromere identity requires the transmission of CENP-A across DNA replication, when nucleosomes are disassembled ahead of the replication fork. Zasadzińska et al. demonstrate that CENP-A requires the dedicated CENP-A chaperone HJURP and interaction with the replicative helicase complex to retain and redeposit CENP-A following DNA replication.
Vertebrate centromeres are epigenetically defined by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant, CENP-A. CENP-A nucleosome assembly requires the three-protein Mis18 complex (Mis18α, Mis18β, and ...M18BP1) that recruits the CENP-A chaperone HJURP to centromeres, but how the Mis18 complex recognizes centromeric chromatin is unknown. Using Xenopus egg extract, we show that direct, cell-cycle-regulated binding of M18BP1 to CENP-A nucleosomes recruits the Mis18 complex to interphase centromeres to promote new CENP-A nucleosome assembly. We demonstrate that Xenopus M18BP1 binds CENP-A nucleosomes using a motif that is widely conserved except in mammals. The M18BP1 motif resembles a CENP-A nucleosome binding motif in CENP-C, and we show that CENP-C competes with M18BP1 for CENP-A nucleosome binding at centromeres. We show that both CENP-C and M18BP1 recruit HJURP to centromeres for new CENP-A assembly. This study defines cellular mechanisms for recruiting CENP-A assembly factors to existing CENP-A nucleosomes for the epigenetic inheritance of centromeres.
•Xenopus M18BP1 directly binds CENP-A nucleosomes via a conserved CENP-C motif•CENP-C competitively limits M18BP1 binding to CENP-A nucleosomes•CENP-A chromatin binding is required for M18BP1 recruitment and new CENP-A assembly•CENP-C directly binds HJURP and recruits HJURP to centromeres with the Mis18 complex
Centromeres are assembled upon nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant, CENP-A, but how new CENP-A is assembled at centromeres following DNA replication is unclear. French et al. show that M18BP1 directly binds CENP-A nucleosomes and promotes local CENP-A assembly to maintain centromeres through each cell division.
This study investigated the production of microbial lipids for biodiesel production and high-value carotenoids by Rhodotorula glutinis combined with the use of brewery wastewater as carbon source for ...three treatments: (raw wastewater) WWraw, (glucose supplemented raw wastewater) WWglu and a (synthetic sugar medium) WWsynth. The collected brewery effluents showed high contents of sugars (maltose 24.34 g L−1; glucose 5.77 g L−1), but the low utilization of maltose led to a limitation of carbon in WWraw and WWglu. Since nitrogen was still available, carbon was channeled into cell growth instead of lipid formation, reaching an overall biomass production of 5.22 g L−1, 7.38 g L−1, and 9.55 g L−1, respectively. Carotenoids were synthesized in all treatments with total average carotenoid contents between 0.6 and 1.2 mg L−1 and with high proportions of β-carotene (∼50%) in the wastewater treatments. Suboptimal culture conditions (pH; aeration) have been identified as obstacles for higher lipid and carotenoid yields. Nevertheless, brewery wastewaters can be considered as carbon source for microbial fermentation, since they can be assumed to be an adequate source of nitrogen and other nutrients, whereas the utilization of maltose needs to be increased to achieve considerable amounts of lipid and carotenoid production.
► Brewery wastewaters were tested as carbon source for microbial fermentation. ► They provided nitrogen and other nutrients for microbial growth. ► Maltose was hardly utilized leading to carbon limitation, low lipid and carotenoid yields. ► Increased maltose utilization or carbon supplementation is necessary for increased yields. ► Brewery wastewaters are an encouraging fermentation substrate and should be further investigated.
The Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) L-band microwave radiometer is a conical scanning instrument designed to measure soil moisture with 4% volumetric accuracy at 40-km spatial resolution. SMAP is ...NASA's first Earth Systematic Mission developed in response to its first Earth science decadal survey. Here, the design is reviewed and the results of its first year on orbit are presented. Unique features of the radiometer include a large 6-m rotating reflector, fully polarimetric radiometer receiver with internal calibration, and radio-frequency interference detection and filtering hardware. The radiometer electronics are thermally controlled to achieve good radiometric stability. Analyses of on-orbit results indicate that the electrical and thermal characteristics of the electronics and internal calibration sources are very stable and promote excellent gain stability. Radiometer NEDT <; 1 K for 17-ms samples. The gain spectrum exhibits low noise at frequencies >1 MHz and 1/f noise rising at longer time scales fully captured by the internal calibration scheme. Results from sky observations and global swath imagery of all four Stokes antenna temperatures indicate that the instrument is operating as expected.
Purpose.
Investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and physical activity because understanding whether there are common determinants of health behaviors is critical in designing ...programs to change risky activities.
Design.
Cross-sectional analysis.
Setting.
United States.
Subjects.
A sample of adults representative of the U.S. population (N = 230,856) from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Measures.
Several measures of drinking and exercise were analyzed. Specifications included numerous health, health behavior, socioeconomic, and demographic control variables.
Results.
For women, current drinkers exercise 7.2 more minutes per week than abstainers. Ten extra drinks per month are associated with 2.2 extra minutes per week of physical activity. When compared with current abstainers, light, moderate, and heavy drinkers exercise 5.7, 10.1, and 19.9 more minutes per week. Drinking is associated with a 10.1 percentage point increase in the probability of exercising vigorously. Ten extra drinks per month are associated with a 2.0 percentage point increase in the probability of engaging in vigorous physical activity. Light, moderate, and heavy drinking are associated with 9.0, 14.3, and 13.7 percentage point increases in the probability of exercising vigorously. The estimation results for men are similar to those for women.
Conclusions.
Our results strongly suggest that alcohol consumption and physical activity are positively correlated. The association persists at heavy drinking levels.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB), play a critical role in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and have been implicated as mediators of ...hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. The present study is the first to demonstrate a role for BDNF and TrkB in amygdala-dependent learning. Here, the use of Pavlovian fear conditioning as a learning model allows us to examine the concise role of BDNF in the amygdala after a single learning session and within a well understood neural circuit. Using in situ hybridization, mRNA levels of six different trophic factors BDNF, neurotrophin (NT) 4/5, NGF, NT3, aFGF, and bFGF) were measured at varying time points during the consolidation period after fear conditioning. We found temporally specific changes only in BDNF gene expression in the basolateral amygdala after paired stimuli that supported learning but not after exposure to neutral or aversive stimuli alone. Using Western blotting, we found that the Trk receptor undergoes increased phosphorylation during this consolidation period, suggesting an activation of the receptor subsequent to BDNF release. Furthermore, disruption of neurotrophin signaling with intra-amygdala infusion of the Trk receptor antagonist K252a disrupted acquisition of fear conditioning. To address the specific role of the TrkB receptor, we created a novel lentiviral vector expressing a dominant-negative TrkB isoform (TrkB.T1), which specifically blocked TrkB activation in vitro. In vivo, TrkB.T1 lentivirus blocked fear acquisition without disrupting baseline startle or expression of fear. These data suggest that BDNF signaling through TrkB receptors in the amygdala is required for the acquisition of conditioned fear.
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