Social Percolation and the Influence of Mass Media

Mass media shift the percolative phase transition observed in the marketing model of Solomon and Weisbuch.Comment: 6 pages including 4 figure

Anaerobic 4-hydroxyproline utilization: Discovery of a new glycyl radical enzyme in the human gut microbiome uncovers a widespread microbial metabolic activity.

The discovery of enzymes responsible for previously unappreciated microbial metabolic pathways furthers our understanding of host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. We recently identified and characterized a new gut microbial glycyl radical enzyme (GRE) responsible for anaerobic metabolism of trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline (Hyp). Hyp dehydratase (HypD) catalyzes the removal of water from Hyp to generate Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C). This enzyme is encoded in the genomes of a diverse set of gut anaerobes and is prevalent and abundant in healthy human stool metagenomes. Here, we discuss the roles HypD may play in different microbial metabolic pathways as well as the potential implications of this activity for colonization resistance and pathogenesis within the human gut. Finally, we present evidence of anaerobic Hyp metabolism in sediments through enrichment culturing of Hyp-degrading bacteria, highlighting the wide distribution of this pathway in anoxic environments beyond the human gut

Definite Reference Mutability (Artifact)

Related paper "Definite Reference Mutability" presents ReM (Re[ference] M[utability]), a type system that separates mutable references into (1) definitely mutable, and (2) maybe mutable, i.e., references whose mutability is due to inherent approximation. We have implemented ReM and applied it on a large benchmark suite. Results show that ~ 86% of mutable references are definitely mutable. This article describes the tool artifact from the related paper. The purpose of the article and artifact is to allow researchers to reproduce our results, as well as build new type systems upon our code

Numerical Study of the Momentumless Wake of an Axisymmetric Body

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77294/1/AIAA-2005-1109-357.pd

Young activists, new movements: Contemporary Chinese queer feminism and transnational genealogies

As young, diasporic feminist activist–scholars involved in queer feminist move- ments across China, Taiwan, and New York City, we reflect on the emergent ‘‘new’’ queer feminism in China today, with its amorphous cohesion and dramatic impact, as highlighted by the subway protest. Drawing on transnational feminism, we are part of this latest ‘‘new’’ response to growing global inequalities and neo-colonial feminist discourses that calls for a critical re-engagement with global politics (Grewal & Kaplan, 2001). However, as activists who center our political involvement in Asia, ‘‘transnationalism’’ is not only a vision, but an already exist- ing state, as we see our movements converge under international pressure coming from both radical and neoliberal forces. Though exhilarated by this moment of possibility in Chinese feminism, we argue that our practices as young feminists and the ‘‘newness’’ of the movement we identify with must be situated and examined in the ambivalent genealogy of feminism in the Chinese Communist past, the hegemonic Western feminist discourse, and transnational politics

Economic evaluation of ion-exchange processes for nutrient removal and recovery from municipal wastewater

Ion exchange (IEX) processes are a promising alternative to remove and recover nutrients from municipal wastewater. To assess the feasibility and viability of IEX processes for full-scale application, this study aimed at providing an evaluation of performance and economics on upscaling these processes for two different configurations in a 10,000 population equivalent wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and compared them with a traditional biological nutrient removal (BNR) plant. The IEX processes were designed based on existing pilot-scale data, and after aerobic or anaerobic carbon removal stages. The nutrients were recovered from spent regenerants in the form of (NH4)2SO4 and hydroxyapatite Ca5(PO4)3(OH), allowing regenerant reuse. The 40-year whole life cost (WLC) of IEX coupled with traditional activated sludge processes was estimated to be ~£7.4 M, and WLC of IEX coupled with anaerobic membrane process was estimated to be £6.1 M, which was, respectively, 17% and 27% less than the traditional BNR based WWTP. Furthermore, ~98 tonnes of (NH4)2SO4 and 3.4 tonnes of Ca3(PO4)2 could be recovered annually. The benefits of lower costs, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient recovery aligned with circular economy, illustrated that IEX processes are attractive for nutrient removal and recovery from municipal wastewater

Lipase-Powered Mesoporous Silica Nanomotors for Triglyceride Degradation

© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim We report lipase-based nanomotors that are capable of enhanced Brownian motion over long periods of time in triglyceride solution and of degrading triglyceride droplets that mimic “blood lipids”. We achieved about 40 min of enhanced diffusion of lipase-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) through a biocatalytic reaction between lipase and its corresponding water-soluble oil substrate (triacetin) as fuel, which resulted in an enhanced diffusion coefficient (ca. 50 % increase) at low triacetin concentration (<10 mm). Lipase not only serves as the power engine but also as a highly efficient cleaner for the triglyceride droplets (e.g., tributyrin) in PBS solution, which could yield potential biomedical applications, for example, for dealing with diseases related to the accumulation of triglycerides, or for environmental remediation, for example, for the degradation of oil spills