cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Importance of a Participatory Charitable Giving Incentive

Leading tax reform proposals contemplate a charitable deduction claimed by just five percent of taxpayers. Such a limited deduction would fatally undermine the foundations of a giving incentive that has fostered an altruistic and pluralistic society through its broad-based participation and would seriously harm the charitable sector. Section 501(c)(3) would recede in importance as setting the standard for a public benefit organization. More gifts would go to private benefit and political organizations. The article argues that a charitable deduction for the few should be rejected. Instead, Congress should consider expanding the charitable giving incentive by extending it to more taxpayers in the form of a credit. A credit would remove long-standing inequities, allow for smarter charitable giving policy in the future, and improve transparency. If a charitable deduction for the few does become part of tax reform, however, changes should be made to ensure that deductible contributions are not abused but go to active public charities.
The availability of jobs in the biopharmaceutical industry is 45-fold greater for hematology oncology than medical specialties.

The availability of jobs in the biopharmaceutical industry is 45-fold greater for hematology oncology than medical specialties
Benefit-risk assessment for sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir based on patient population and hepatitis C virus genotype: U. S. Food and Drug Administration's evaluation.

On July 18, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) (Vosevi) fixed-dose combination (FDC), an interferon-free, complete regimen for adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A) who have: • genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 infection and have previously been treated with an HCV regimen containing a nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitor; and • genotype 1a or 3 infection and have previously been treated with an HCV regimen containing sofosbuvir without an NS5A inhibitor. Approval was based on an acceptable safety profile and high sustained virological response rates 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12) in two phase 3 clinical trials in subjects previously treated with a direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimen. In POLARIS-1, 96% of SOF/VEL/VOX-treated subjects achieved SVR12. In POLARIS-4, 98% of SOF/VEL/VOX-treated subjects achieved SVR12. A key and challenging question in evaluating the data was determining the contribution of VOX to SOF/VEL and how this differed depending on the genotype and patient population. In this article, we provide our perspective on the issues considered in making these determinations, especially regarding the POLARIS-4 data in subjects who have previously been treated with a chronic HCV regimen containing sofosbuvir without an NS5A inhibitor. Conclusion: We seek to provide context as to why a broad indication was given for NS5A inhibitor-experienced patients (HCV genotypes 1-6) while the indication for NS5A inhibitor- naive patients was limited to HCV genotypes 1a and 3 only. (Hepatology 2018;67:482-491).
Modulation of target recollection and recollection rejection networks due to retrieval facilitation and interference

To better understand neural recollection processing, we induced interference in target recollection by presenting related lures before their respective targets and facilitated recollection rejection of lures by presenting targets before their related lures. Target recollection following interference recruited visual and prefrontal cortices, showing that these regions support recollection when related information has disrupted target representations. Recollection rejection following target presentation recruited angular gyrus, indicating that this region supports recollection rejection when target representations are strong and highly accessible. Thus, recollection networks are sensitive to the accessibility of target representations that are affected by the presentation of related information during retrieval.
Diabetes area patent participation analysis – part II: years 2011-2016

Introduction: Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of plasma glucose. When untreated, diabetes increases the risk of developing co-morbidities such as cardiovascular dis...
Previous History of Breast Cancer Increases Rates of Pulmonary Embolism and Costs after Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Evaluation of 185,114 Matched Patients.

Risk factors for adverse events after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) relating to malignancy have not been well studied. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct a retrospective case-control outcome and cost analysis after TKA in this population. Patients with a history of breast cancer (BrCa) were identified based on the International Classification of Disease 9th revision codes. An age- and sex-matched cohort was also identified of patients without a history of BrCa. Complications, length of stay, comorbidity burden, and reimbursements were tracked at 90 days. Each cohort comprised 92,557 patients. Length of stay was similar between cohorts (p = 0.627). Comorbidity status and incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE), lower extremity ultrasound, and chest computed tomography (CT) use were higher in patients with a history of BrCa (p < 0.05 for all). Control patients had a lower incidence of acute myocardial infarction (0.14 vs. 0.21%; p < 0.001). Surgical complications were similar. The 90-day reimbursements were greater in patients with a history of BrCa (US$13,990 vs. US$13,033 for controls; p = 0.021). Surgeons should be aware of the increased risk of PE after TKA in patients with a history of BrCa as well as increased 90-day costs, which warrant great attention.
A Spatial Model for Extracting and Visualizing Latent Discourse Structure in Text

We present a generative probabilistic model of documents as sequences of sentences, and show that inference in it can lead to extraction of long-range latent discourse structure from a collection of documents. The approach is based on embedding sequences of sentences from longer texts into a 2- or 3-D spatial grids, in which one or two coordinates model smooth topic transitions, while the third captures the sequential nature of the modeled text. A significant advantage of our approach is that the learned models are naturally visualizable and interpretable, as semantic similarity and sequential structure are modeled along orthogonal directions in the grid. We show that the method is effective in capturing discourse structures in narrative text across multiple genres, including biographies, stories, and newswire reports. In particular, our method outperforms or is competitive with state-of-the-art generative approaches on tasks such as predicting the outcome of a story, and sentence ordering.
The Semantics of Medical Discourse

Steven Toulmin (1977) recently observed that during the 1960’s, students of the history and philosophy of science began to shift their attention from the comfortable study of the inner logic of scientific systems — the genetic history of science — toward a serious examination of the relationship of scientific systems to other aspects of society. As it became politically fashionable to expose the link between scientific practices and the interests of those who support it, and as it became theoretically clear that changes in scientific systems are linked to broader social changes, the easy divorce between studies of scientific ‘context’ and ‘content’ was recognized as impossible. As a result, the prohibition against confusing formal or logical issues with empirical matters broke down, and philosophers began to move beyond studying the formal logic of scientific knowledge to studies of scientific practice. Among historians of science, the clarity of the distinction between issues ‘internal to’ the intellectual development of the various sciences and their ‘external context’ was called into question, and studies previously considered unsound — studies of the social and institutional context of science, of the role of economic motivation and political priority in the shaping of scientific practice — became legitimate.
The role of bath seats in unintentional infant bathtub drowning deaths.

Objective The objective of this study was to quantify and characterize the role of bath seats in infant mortality from bathtub drowning. Method Risk analysis of bathtub drowning deaths for infants aged 6-10 months was performed using data available from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), birth and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for US resident infants from 1990-1998, and bath seat ownership from the American Baby Group and industry sales data compiled by NPD to estimate bath seat use. The analysis computes the relative risks of infant drowning based on estimates of bath seat use with a cohort design and explores the potential confounding by a range of factors. Results In-depth analysis of the unintentional bathtub drowning deaths of American infants aged 6-10 months for the years 1994 through 1998 revealed 40 infant drowning deaths associated with bath seats and 78 deaths not associated with bath seats. Based on available data on sales and use that suggest approximately 45% of infants in this age group use bath seats, the existing data do not support a hypothesis that bath seats increase the risk of bathtub drowning for infants. Bath seats are not intended or marketed as safety devices, and analysis of the existing, albeit limited, data suggests that they either have no effect or they may provide some slight unexplained protection against unintentional bathtub drowning risks (with an odds ratio for the risk of drowning with a bath seat vs without a bath seat of approximately 0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4-0.9]). Although all potential confounders cannot be fully explored due to incomplete data and large uncertainties remain, this analysis suggests that the US CPSC made the appropriate decision not to ban bath seats in response to petitions it received in 1994 and 2001. Conclusions Increasing market sales and surveys of reported bath seat use were associated with decreasing unintentional infant bathtub drowning risks. Rigorous risk analyses should be conducted when considering regulating products to ensure that regulation does not inadvertently increase injury risks. Analysis of the factors associated with these deaths suggests that additional efforts are needed to ensure that caregivers do not leave infants unattended in the bathtub and to collect data that will further improve our understanding and management of these risks.
Paleogeography and Rotations of Arctic Alaska - An Unresolved Problem

Although most of the paleomagnetic data available for arctic Alaska show evidence of a magnetic overprint, which commonly obscures the original magnetization, there are a few localities which appear to have recorded an original magnetic field. However, any conclusions drawn on the basis of these apparently reliable paleomagnetic data have to be considered tentative, since they have not all had rigorous stability tests applied. With this caveat in mind, it is found that the northernmost localities indicate a post Early Cretaceous counterclockwise rotation commensurate with a rotation of arctic Alaska away from the region of the Canadian arctic islands, followed by a smaller clockwise rotation recorded in sites further to the west, but still on the Arctic Slope. South of the Brooks Range, sediments of Cretaceous age from the Yukon-Koyukuk Province on-lap the Brooks Range and are thus considered part of Arctic Alaska. These sediments give paleomagnetic directions that indicate variable amounts of clockwise rotation. This rotation is most easily interpreted in terms of ball-bearing style motions due to dextral strike-slip motion along the southern margin of Arctic Alaska. These clockwise rotations are in contrast to the counterclockwise motion seen throughout southwest Alaska.
Identification of mycobacteria by conventional methods.

Conventional methods used in the authors’ laboratory for identifying human mycobacterial pathogens are presented in sufficient detail so that the procedures can be performed in the diagnostic laboratory. A brief account of the disease presentations of the different mycobacterial species is provided. Tabular summaries of the significant phenotypic features of these mycobacterial pathogens are presented.
The Organization and Evolution of Cloned Globin Genes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the organization and evolution of cloned globin genes. The genes responsible for the production of mouse hemoglobin are subject to at least two interesting and different forms of regulation. One form operates in trans and controls the expression of alpha and beta genes located on different chromosomes. The other operates in cis and regulates the expression of individual alpha or beta genes that are located close to one another on the same chromosome. The globin genes represent a complex set of sequences that are expressed in a coordinate fashion during the development of red blood cells. While this gene family can consist of as many as 10–14 members, three of these genes have been cloned and their entire nucleotide sequence has been determined. The globin system, both in mouse and other species, depends upon the development of recombinant DNA technology and rapid nucleotide sequencing techniques. Recombinant DNA technology provides a means of selecting a particular segment of the genome from among a million or so similar segments. This segment can then be amplified and made amenable to detailed structural studies and to genetic manipulation and assay.
Complications associated with the minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum.

Abstract The minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair (Nuss repair) is performed by pediatric general surgeons and pediatric and adult thoracic surgeons around the world. Complications related to pediatric surgical procedures are always a major concern for surgeons and their patients, and as with all surgery, especially pectus surgery, complications can be life-threatening. The purpose of this article is to discuss early and late complications of pectus excavatum surgery and potential preventive strategies to minimize them.
Development of a Short-Term, Athletic Training and Public Health International Service-Learning Study Abroad Program to Nicaragua.

Context Study abroad programs are a key educational opportunity for athletic training students to grow in cultural competence. Yet, there are few faculty-led, study abroad programs specifically des...
“Yeah, Things are Rough in Mexico. Remember We Talked About Hard Times?” Process Drama and a Teachers Role in Critically Engaging Students to Dialogue About Social Inequities in a Dual Language Classroom

The majority of dual language education programs in the U.S. context include children coming together with the long-term goal of becoming bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate (Christian in Two-way bilingual education: students learning through two languages. Educational Practice Report: 12, 1994; Howard et al. in Trends in two-way immersion education: a review of the literature. Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), Report 63, 2003). It is urgent that practitioners and scholars who see the value of the TWDL model continue to explore methods that address social inequities that arise in highly contested contexts such as an urban public school classroom. Drawing from a critical consciousness (Freire in Harv Educ Rev 40:499–521. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.40.3.h76250x720j43175 , 1998) framework and discourse analysis methods this paper explores how one dual language teacher critically engaged students to dialogue about undocumented immigration through the implementation of process drama. Findings indicate that students will engage about social inequities when teachers facilitate discussions by pushing students for further inquiry, to provide contextual information, giving students a voice, or affirming their responses. The urgency to raise critical consciousness in two-way bilingual education contexts also emerged as these dual language programs continue to be gentrified across the nation (Palmer et al. in Theory Pract. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2019.1569376 , 2019; Valdes in Harv Educ Rev 67(3):391–429, 1997; Valdez et al. in Urban Rev 48(4):601–627, 2016).
Disruption in bone marrow fat may attenuate testosterone action on muscle size after spinal cord injury: a case report.

Background Mesenchymal stem cells can be differentiated into muscle satellite cells. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) promotes the differentiation of satellite cells into muscle cells. Case report A 31-year-old male with a T4 complete chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) had fixation for a mid-shaft fracture of the left femur. The participant received transdermal testosterone patches (4 mg/day) daily for 16 weeks. Skeletal muscle and yellow bone marrow adiposity cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of both thighs were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical rehabilitation impact The yellow bone marrow CSA was 67-69% lower in the left femur compared to the right femur. Following intervention, a discrepancy was noted between the whole skeletal muscle CSAs of the right (+13%) and left (+6%) thighs. The right knee extensor CSA increased by 7% with no changes in the left CSA. Disruption in bone marrow fat may attenuate the systemic effects of TRT on muscle size.
Risk of Islet and Celiac Autoimmunity in Cotwins of Probands With Type 1 Diabetes

Context Concordance for persistent islet autoimmunity (IA) and type 1 diabetes in monozygotic twins after probands are diagnosed is variable (30%-70%). Risk for development of IA in dizygotic twins is thought to be similar to nontwin siblings. Little is known in regard to the development of celiac autoimmunity (CDA) in twins of subjects with type 1 diabetes. Objective Our aim was to investigate the development of IA and CDA in cotwins of probands with type 1 diabetes. Methods Since 1995, the Twin Family Study has followed 336 twins (168 twin probands with type 1 diabetes and 168 cotwins) for a median of 14 years (interquartile range:10-18 years). Cotwins were followed for the development of IA, type 1 diabetes, and CDA. Results In monozygotic cotwins, cumulative incidence by age 20 was 14% for IA and 10% for CDA. Development of IA and CDA by age 20 was 9% and 12% in dizygotic cotwins, respectively. While the numbers are small, IA by age 30 years was 26% in monozygotic and 39% in dizygotic twins. In proportional hazards models, the proband's younger age at diagnosis, but not sex or human leukocyte antigen were associated with time to IA and CDA in cotwins. Conclusion CDA risk by age 20 in cotwins was 10% to 12%. With long-term follow-up, cumulative incidence for IA is high in dizygotic twins, similar to monozygotic twins, suggesting a role of possible early environmental factors shared by type 1 diabetes discordant cotwins.
How Partisanship Influences What Congress Says Online and How They Say It

We investigate the influence of partisanship on congressional communication by analyzing 180,000 press releases issued by members of Congress (MCs) between 2005 and 2019. Specifically, we examine w...
The Duties of Love: The Vocation of the Child in the Household Manual Tradition

This Article analyzes the little explored late medieval and early modern household manuals that provided European and North American parents, children, and other household members with detailed instructions on their domestic, spiritual, emotional, and social responsibilities to God, neighbor, and self. The manuals outlined the duties of love, respect, recompense, and life-long honor that children owed to parents, and the duties of love, support, education, nurture, emancipation, and inheritance that parents owed to their children. Some of these early household manuals proved to be important prototypes for later theories of catechesis, education, children’s rights, and books of etiquette and deportment that were common in Catholic and Protestant circles on both sides of the Atlantic.
Formation of metal-poor globular clusters in Lyα emitting galaxies in the early universe

The size, mass, luminosity, and space density of Ly{alpha} emitting (LAE) galaxies observed at intermediate to high redshift agree with expectations for the properties of galaxies that formed metal-poor halo globular clusters (GCs). The low metallicity of these clusters is the result of their formation in low-mass galaxies. Metal-poor GCs could enter spiral galaxies along with their dwarf galaxy hosts, unlike metal-rich GCs, which form in the spirals themselves. Considering an initial GC mass larger than the current mass to account for multiple stellar populations, and considering the additional clusters that are likely to form with massive clusters, we estimate that each GC with a mass today greater than 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5} M{sub Sun} was likely to have formed among a total stellar mass {approx}> 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7} M{sub Sun }, a molecular mass {approx}> 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }, and 10{sup 7} to 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} of older stars, depending on the relative gas fraction. The star formation rate would have been several M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} lasting for {approx}10{sup 7} yr, and the Ly{alpha} luminosity would have been {approx}> 10{sup 42} erg s{sup -1}. Integrating the LAE galaxy luminosity function above this minimum, considering themore » average escape probability for Ly{alpha} photons (25%), and then dividing by the probability that a dwarf galaxy is observed in the LAE phase (0.4%), we find agreement between the comoving space density of LAEs and the average space density of metal-poor GCs today. The local galaxy WLM, with its early starburst and old GC, could be an LAE remnant that did not get into a galaxy halo because of its remote location.« less
Design Optimization of High-Peak-Brilliance Compton Light Sources

Pairing DAΦNE and CBETA accelerators with a CO2 laser operating in a repetitive pulse-burst mode results in 1021 ph/(s·mm2·mrad2·0.1%BW) peak brilliance at 50-1000 keV comparable to the capabilities of synchrotron light sources at hard x-rays.
Processing thin but robust electrolytes for solid-state batteries

The widespread adoption of high-energy-density solid-state batteries (SSBs) requires cost-effective processing and the integration of solid electrolytes of about the same thickness as the polymer-membrane separators found in conventional lithium-ion batteries. In this Review, we critically discuss the current status of research on SSB processing as well as recent cost calculations, and compare SSB oxide electrolyte material and processing options in terms of performance parameters for thick versus thin ceramics. We identify as critical for future SSB design the need to capture the thermal processing budget and the stability of the phase of interest for oxide solid electrolytes, namely lithium phosphorus oxynitride, sodium superionic conductors, perovskites and garnets, in addition to the classic plots of Arrhenius lithium transport and the electrochemical stability window. Transitioning to SSB oxide electrolyte films with thicknesses close to the range for lithium-ion battery separators could provide ample opportunities for low-temperature ceramic manufacture and potential cost reduction. High-performance solid-state electrolytes are key to enabling solid-state batteries that hold great promise for future energy storage. The authors survey the fabrication process of thin-film versus thick oxide-based solid-state electrolytes and discuss their material design and processing options.
Generalizing the relation between the Kauffman bracket and Jones polynomial.

We generalize Kauffman's famous formula defining the Jones polynomial of an oriented link in 3-space from his bracket and the writhe of an oriented diagram. Our generalization is an epimorphism between skein modules of tangles in compact connected oriented 3-manifolds with markings in the boundary. Besides the usual Jones polynomial of oriented tangles we will consider graded quotients of the bracket skein module and Przytycki's q-analogue of the first homology group of a 3-manifold. In certain cases, for example for links in submanifolds of rational homology 3-spheres, we will be able to define an epimorphism from the Jones module onto the Kauffman bracket module. For the general case we define suitably graded quotients of the bracket module, which are graded by homology. The kernels define new skein modules measuring the difference between Jones and bracket skein modules. We also discuss gluing in this setting.
Cubic Spline Interpolation: A Review

The purpose of this paper is to review the fundamentals of interpolating cubic splines. We begin by defining a cubic spline in Section 1. Since we are dealing with interpolating splines, constraints are imposed to guarantee that the spline actually passes through the given data points. These constraints are described in Section 2. They establish a relationship between the known data points and the unknown coefficients used to completely specify the spline. Due to extra degrees of freedom, the coefficients may be solved in terms of the first or second derivatives. Both derivations are given in Section 3. Once the coefficients are expressed in terms of either the first or second derivatives·, these unknown derivatives must be determined. Their solution, using one of several end conditions, is given in Section 4. Finally source code, written in C, is provided in Section 5 to implement cubic spline interpolation for uniformly and nonuniformly spaced data points.
FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS VS. ROAD EXPERIENCE--AN ANALYSIS OF FORD'S 1982 LEASE FLEET

Beginning with the 1978 Model Year, Ford Motor Company (Ford) has been collecting and analyzing on-road fuel economy data for Ford vehicles leased by Company employes. The data base for 1978-1982 models includes 46,634 data points. Data for 1982 models (10,776 data points) indicate that on-road fuel economy was 3% better than for 1981 models and 41% above 1978 levels. Further, a comparison of 1982 on-road results to EPA-approved mpg values indicates that the percent difference is comparable to those reported for the 1979-1981 model year surveys. The previously reported seasonal difference (i.e., summer on-road mpg results are approximately 2 mpg higher than winter results) was substantiated by 1982 model data. Data for different driving patterns (i.e., urban vs. highway driving and different values for miles driven per day) also were analyzed to estimate the effect of "percent urban" driving and "miles per day" on in-use mpg results.
The association of childhood obesity to neuroelectric indices of inhibition

To examine whether childhood obesity is associated with inhibitory control, we compared healthy weight and obese preadolescent children's task performance along with the N2 and P3 components during a Go/NoGo task. Results indicated that obese children exhibited lower response accuracy relative to healthy weight children during the NoGo task requiring greater amounts of inhibitory control, whereas no such difference was observed during the Go task. Neuroelectric data indicated that healthy weight children exhibited a more frontal distribution for the NoGo P3 relative to the Go P3, whereas obese children had similar topographic distributions between the Go P3 and NoGo P3. Further, obese children had larger NoGo N2 amplitude relative to the Go N2, whereas this difference was not observed for healthy weight children. These findings suggest that childhood obesity is negatively and selectively associated with prefrontal inhibitory control.
Atlanta Unbound: Enabling Sprawl Through Policy and Planning, by Carlton Wade Basmajian

Over the last several decades much has been written on the role of local and state governments in managing growth and preventing sprawl. Local government practice and policy innovation in the area ...
Translational Research--The Imperative for Articulating Linkages Between Research Evidence and Pediatric Nursing Practice.

When linkages between research and practice are articulated and evidence is translated into pediatric nursing practice, the quality of care for children and their families is enhanced. IDENTIFYING LINKAGES BETWEEN new evidence and practice is a critical element in translational research—an imperative for advancing practice. It is imperative that researchers identify the linkages between research and practice in order to facilitate translation of research evidence into new intervention strategies that can be implemented in pediatric nursing practice. When the results of research studies and quality improvement projects are analyzed, it is incumbent upon the investigator to complete the process by interpreting findings and linking this evidence to specific intervention strategies for implementation in clinical practice. Clearly identifying implications for practice is essential to improving utilization of new evidence in practice. However, the inability of researchers to articulate these linkages between evidence and practice may serve as one of the barriers to integrating new evidence into practice (DiCenso, Guyatt, & Ciliska, 2005; Melnyk & FineoutOverholt, 2014). Indeed, providing guidance for utilization of findings in practice is considered to be an integral part of the research dissemination process (Polit & Beck, 2012, p. 60). By articulating the linkages between research and practice, translation of evidence into practice is facilitated, and this advances pediatric nursing practice. Nursing research enhances the quality of practice through the generation of new evidence (Polit &Beck, 2012) that is designed to improve health outcomes (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt,
Is Quantum Mechanics An Island in Theoryspace

This paper investigates what happens if we change quantum mechanics in several ways. The main results are as follows. First, if we replace the 2-norm by some other p-norm, then there are no nontrivial norm-preserving linear maps. Second, if we relax the demand that norm be preserved, we end up with a theory that allows rapid solution of hard computational problems known as PP-complete problems (as well as superluminal signalling). And third, if we restrict amplitudes to be real, we run into a difficulty much simpler than the usual one based on parameter-counting of mixed states.
Harmful Effects of Federal Research Grants: A Rejoinder

Professorial life in research universities has changed markedly over the past quarter-century (Tuchman, 2009). Some academics decry the "corporatization" of the university and the growing emphasis on the bottom line (Donoghue, 2008). Others argue that "entrepreneurial" universities will be "engines of innovation" in the future (Thorp & Goldstein, 2010). Most observers agree, however, that financial considerations of all sorts are increasingly prominent in university affairs. One university recently became the first to examine each professor in its employ in terms of their net contribution to the university's balance sheet (Mangan, 2010). Given these developments, it is not surprising that pressures to acquire federal research funding have increased dramatically in recent years. A faculty member awarded a $2.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant will garner an additional ~$1,250,000 for the university coffers in indirect cost reimbursement. Federal grants can thus provide generous direct funding for social work pre- and postdoctoral research fellowships and important research infrastructure and help to cover school of social work and university administrative overhead and physical plant costs via indirect cost reimbursement. Deans who lead social work faculties that are successful in bringing in substantial federal grant monies are typically well regarded and recompensed by central university administrators. Thyer (2011) has adroitly elucidated many of the key costs associated with federal grant applications and funding. It is certainly true that most applications are not funded. Furthermore, opportunity costs associated with unfunded applications are likely to grow significantly in the current economic downturn, as NIH and other funding bodies cope with constrained budgets and ever more applications. It is also true that federal funding can, in some cases, distort scientific priorities. That said, it still seems appropriate to me for the federal government to prioritize and incentivize research on the most pressing research issues of the day and to provide some oversight of this process. Of course, the influence of prestige and other nonscientific considerations on federal funding decisions should be minimized to the fullest extent possible. Thyer's (2011) assertion that excessive emphasis on acquisition of federal funding can diminish the pleasures of academic life is surely accurate. Some research areas and issues do not lend themselves to federal funding. Investigators who leave research areas about which they are passionate for those that are "fundable" may find themselves existentially unfilled or disgruntled. …
The effect of pulse width on radar measurement of ocean wave height

This paper examines various factors that effect the accuracy of radar measurement of ocean wave height from space, with particular emphasis on the effect of pulse width. It is shown that at a given signal-to-noise ratio, large or small, there is a pulse width that yield an optimal estimation accuracy. Both optimal and sub-optimal estimation schemes are considered, and performance curves are presented.
Xenopus IRBP, a phylogenetically remote protein, is uveitogenic in Lewis rats.

Mammalian interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding proteins (IRBPs) are highly uveitogenic in Lewis rats. Xenopus laevis IRBP resembles mammalian IRBP in its four-fold structure, and has ∼70% amino acid sequence identity with the bovine protein. This study investigated the uveitogenicity of recombinant Xenopus IRBP and two of its derived peptides in Lewis rats. Rats immunized with Xenopus IRBP developed uveoretinitis as well as pineal inflammation. The Xenopus molecule was, however, less immunopathogenic than the bovine IRBP. Of the two Xenopus IRBP peptides tested, 1180–1191 was remarkably uveitogenic, whereas sequence 521–540 exhibited low activity. It is assumed, therefore, that as with bovine IRBP, peptide 1180–1191 is the major uveitogenic sequence in Xenopus IRBP. The role individual residues of these peptides play in the immunopathogenic process is discussed. Our data thus demonstrate that despite its being phylogenetically remote, Xenopus IRBP is uveitogenic in Lewis rats
Cauchy Singular Integral Equations with Logarithmically Singular Integrands in Solid Mechanics

However, for some boundary value problems the weight function is logarithmically singular and is of the form w(t) = log{(l+t)/(l-t)}. (5) Examples of problems with such weight functions include the analytical simulations of fiber pull out or fracture of fiber-reinforced composites with imperfect fiber-matrix interfaces. Solution of such problems in composites, where imperfection in fiber-matrix interfaces is accounted for, are becoming important in the development of more physically realistic models for studying the mechanical behavior of composites.
How Google is changing your brain.

The article discusses research into how the Internet affects the way humans think and memorize things as of December 2013. Background is presented on how humans tended to distribute information through a process called transactive memory system before the age of the Internet. It discusses an experiment conducted by the authors and some of their colleagues which focused on how people use the Internet to store and retrieve information.
Positive-Hole Correction of Multiple-Jet Impactors for Collecting Viable Microorganisms

Multiple-jet impactors, typically with 200 or 400 holes, are used widely for collecting aerosols of living bacteria and fungi. In this type of impactor, the air jets impinge directly onto nutrient ...
Mock galaxy catalogues using the quick particle mesh method

Author(s): White, M; Tinker, JL; McBride, CK | Abstract: Sophisticated analysis of modern large-scale structure surveys requires mock catalogues. Mock catalogues are used to optimize survey design, test reduction and analysis pipelines, make theoretical predictions for basic observables and propagate errors through complex analysis chains.We present a new method, which we call 'quick particle mesh', for generating many large volume, approximate mock catalogues at low computational cost. The method is based on using rapid, low-resolution particle mesh simulations that accurately reproduce the large-scale dark matter density field. Particles are sampled from the density field based on their local density such that they have N-point statistics nearly equivalent to the haloes resolved in high-resolution simulations, creating a set of mock haloes that can be populated using halo occupation methods to create galaxy mocks for a variety of possible target classes. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Attempting to reduce firearms violence through a Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (CAGI): An evaluation of process and impact

PURPOSE: This study examines the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (CAGI) implemented across 12 U.S. jurisdictions Methods: Annual firearm homicide trends are examined in a balanced panel regression framework in order to test whether CAGI cities experienced changes in gun homicide (i.e., a gang violence proxy) between pre- and post-intervention, and accounting for cross-city program dosage, relative to shifts in comparable non-CAGI cities Results: CAGI cities experienced a significant decline in gun homicide rates post-intervention. Inclusion of CAGI dosage measures suggested a modest though specific effect of law enforcement on gun homicide rates relative to comparable US cities. However, there was no indication of sustained law enforcement or target city impact, which suggests several limitations with the CAGI framework as applied in practice. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence of limited impact suggests several points. First, comprehensive gang funding should be prioritized for jurisdictions at the highest risk of gang violence. Second, given difficulties in implementation, efforts like CAGI would benefit from a planning period that would allow for the establishment of intensive and timely prevention and re-entry programs to run in conjunction with suppression activities. Third, much greater investment and attention to building reliable and valid measures of gang crime are needed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Language: en
Influence of insulin therapy on burn wound healing in rats

Abstract Background. Insulin is proposed as a therapy for suppressing muscle wasting after burn trauma although the long-term effects of this therapy on wound healing are not yet known. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of systemically administered insulin therapy on burn wound healing. Materials and methods. Young rats weighing 80–150 g were subjected to 15–20% total body surface area burn injury on their shaved dorsum. The insulin dosage was increased over the first 3 days in each rat from 0.25 U (Day 1), 0.5 U (Day 2), and 1.0 U (Day 3) per 100 g body wt. The rats were euthanized at the fourth or fifteenth day postinjury. Skin sections were analyzed by histochemistry and quantitative polarization microscopy. Results. Histology showed a decreased number of inflammatory cells and increased vasodilation in the insulin-treated animals at Day 4 relative to untreated rats; at Day 15 there was increased reepithelialization. Quantitative analysis using polarization microscopy and picrosirius red staining showed an increased collagen deposition in wounds by Day 4 in insulin-treated rats relative to untreated burn controls. Conclusion. These results indicate that insulin induces accelerated wound healing associated with diminished inflammation and increased collagen deposition.
High-grade fuels and biomass farming

This article analyzes distorted views that Weisz and Marshall have presented on the energetics and economics of ethanol production via biomass fermentation. Their conclusion, that with current technology ethanol production represents a net consumption of fuel, results from use of an unrealistically high processing energy and neglect of energy credit for the distillers' dry grains. Other fallacies were mentioned: failure to use insights available through the second law of thermodynamics; inconsistency of comparing cost of net alcohol fuel production with the market price of other fuels. It was concluded that if allowed to stand unchallenged, they could do serious damage to future research and development. (DP)
Nutrients and mixing, chlorophyll and phytoplankton growth

During a cruise to the Sargasso Sea in April 1985, we observed an event of wind-induced mixing during a 4-day sequence of observations while operating in a Lagrangian sampling mode. The sharp increase in wind stress was followed by a sharp increase in nitrate concentration in the euphotic zone. The nitrate declined rapidly, and over the next 2 days the quantity of chlorophyll a in the euphotic zone increased by a factor of three. The phytoplankton community was dominated by diatoms; this and other evidence indicates that the events observed were part of the spring bloom in the north Sargasso Sea. These observations are interpreted in terms of laboratory models for nutrient-dependent phytoplankton growth. The cell-quota model of Caperon and Droop provides an internally consistent explanation of the observed data. The data also suggest the notion of “nutrient switching” (rather than a multiplicative form of nutrient interaction) in the interaction of nitrate and silicate, although this could not be verified.
Microstamp patterns of biomolecules for high-resolution neuronal networks

A microstamping technique has been developed for high-resolution patterning of proteins on glass substrates for the localisation of neurons and their axons and dendrites. The patterning process uses a microfabricated polydimethylsiloxane stamp with micrometer length features to transfer multiple types of biomolecules to silanederivatised substrates, using glutaraldehyde as a homobifunctional linker. To test the efficacy of the procedure, substrates are compared in which poly-d-lysine (PDL) was physisorbed and patterned by photoresist with those stamped with PDL. Fluorescein isothiocyanate labelled poly-I-lysine was used to verify the presence and uniformity of the patterns on the glass substrates. As a biological assay, B104 neuroblastoma cells were plated on stamped and physisorbed glass coverslips. Pattern compliance was determined as the percentage of cells on the pattern 8h after plating. Results indicate that the stamping and photoresist patterning procedure are equivalent. Substrates stamped with PDL had an average pattern compliance of 52.6±4.4%, compared to 54.6±8.1% for physisorbed substrates. Measures of background avoidance were also equivalent. As the procedure permits successive stamping of multiple proteins, each with its own micropattern, it should be very useful for defining complex substrates to assist in cell patterning and other cell guidance studies.
CRALBP transcriptional regulation in ciliary epithelial, retinal Müller and retinal pigment epithelial cells

Cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP) functions in the visual cycle and mutations in the RLBP1 gene can lead to blindness. RLBP1 promoter analyses have been pursued in vitro as an approach to deciphering the mechanism controlling cell-specific expression of CRALBP. Reporter activity of wildtype and mutant RLBP1 promoter constructs suggest that CRALBP transcriptional regulation may be similar in the ciliary epithelium (CE) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) but different in Muller cells. Results in RPE cells refine the location of an RLBP1 enhancer element to within -1826 to -1749 bp and a repressor element to within -702 to -635 bp.
Differential role of the opioid μ and δ receptors in the activation of prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) secretion by morphine in the male rat

Administration of naloxazone (50 mg/kg i.v.), an irreversible, selective and long acting antagonist of the mu 1 subclass of the opioid receptors, strongly reduced stimulation of PRL secretion by morphine (5.0 mg/kg i.v.) injected 24 hours later into conscious, unrestrained rats. In contrast, the effect of morphine on PRL release was unimpaired in rats treated 24 hours beforehand with either the reversible opioid antagonist naloxone (50 mg/kg i.v.), or the vehicle for naloxazone. A complete suppression of the PRL response to morphine (3.0 mg/kg i.v.) was observed in animals given intraventricular (IVT) injection of beta- funaltrexamine (beta-FNA, 2.5 micrograms), another selective, irreversible and long acting antagonist of the mu receptors, 24 hours beforehand. Neither naloxazone nor beta-FNA had any effect on the activation of GH secretion by morphine, which, however, was conspicuously reduced by ICI 154, 129, a preferential delta receptor antagonist, injected IVT (50 micrograms) 5 minutes before morphine. ICI 154, 129 had no effect on the PRL response to morphine. It is concluded that the PRL stimulating effect of morphine is mediated by the mu receptors, whereas activation of GH probably involves the delta sites.
NuRD complex component Mi-2β binds to and represses RORγ-mediated transcriptional activation

Abstract RORγ is a nuclear receptor that binds to DNA motifs as a monomer to constitutively activate target genes. RORγ plays an important role in thymocyte development and lymph node organogenesis, while the regulation of RORγ-mediated transcriptional activation is currently unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify other nuclear proteins that interact with RORγ. A yeast two-hybrid screen with Y190 yeast cells under stringent conditions resulted in the identification of CHD4, also known as Mi-2β, as a RORγ-interacting protein. This interaction was confirmed by GST pull-down assays. This interaction occurred within the middle regulatory region (amino acids 719–1164) of Mi-2β. Transfection of Gal4-RORγ into HeLa cells resulted in constitutive transactivation of the MH100-tk-luc reporter. The addition of Mi-2β resulted in a dramatic 50% decrease in Gal4-RORγ-mediated transactivation. These data demonstrate that RORγ forms a protein–protein interaction with the regulatory region of Mi-2β, resulting in inhibition of RORγ transcriptional activity. These results may provide evidence as to how RORγ-mediated transactivation is regulated by other nuclear proteins.
The effects of specificity of training on rating of perceived exertion at the lactate threshold.

To determine the effects of cycle and run training on rating of perceived exertion at the lactate threshold (LT), college men completed a 40-session training program in 10 weeks (n=6 run training,n=5 cycle training,n=5 controls). Pre-and post-training variables were measured during graded exercise tests on both the bicycle ergometer and treadmill. ANOVA on the pre- and post-training difference scores resulted in similar improvements in\(\dot V_{O_{2max} } \) for both testing protocols, regardless of training mode. The run training group increased\(\dot V_{O_2 } \) at the LT by 58.5% on the treadmill protocol and by 20.3% on the cycle ergometer. Cycle trainers increased\(\dot V_{O_2 } \) LT only during cycle ergometry (+38.7%). No changes were observed in the control group. No differences for RPE at the LT were found before or after training, or between testing protocols for any group. Perception of exercise intensity at the LT ranged from “very light” to “light”. The relationship between RPE and\(\% \dot V_{O_2 \max } \) was altered by the specific mode of training, with trained subjects having a lower RPE at a given\(\% \dot V_{O_2 \max } \) (no change in RPE at max.). It was concluded that RPE at the LT was not affected by training, despite the fact that after training the LT occurs at a higher work rate and was associated with higher absolute and relative metabolic and cardiorespiratory demands.