cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arp2/3 Complex from Acanthamoeba Binds Profilin and Cross-links Actin Filaments

The Arp2/3 complex was first purified from Acanthamoeba castellanii by profilin affinity chromatography. The mechanism of interaction with profilin was unknown but was hypothesized to be mediated by either Arp2 or Arp3. Here we show that the Arp2 subunit of the complex can be chemically cross-linked to the actin-binding site of profilin. By analytical ultracentrifugation, rhodamine-labeled profilin binds Arp2/3 complex with a Kd of 7 microM, an affinity intermediate between the low affinity of profilin for barbed ends of actin filaments and its high affinity for actin monomers. These data suggest the barbed end of Arp2 is exposed, but Arp2 and Arp3 are not packed together in the complex exactly like two actin monomers in a filament. Arp2/3 complex also cross-links actin filaments into small bundles and isotropic networks, which are mechanically stiffer than solutions of actin filaments alone. Arp2/3 complex is concentrated at the leading edge of motile Acanthamoeba, and its localization is distinct from that of alpha-actinin, another filament cross-linking protein. Based on localization and actin filament nucleation and cross-linking activities, we propose a role for Arp2/3 in determining the structure of the actin filament network at the leading edge of motile cells.
Heterogeneity of lung volume reduction surgery outcomes in patients selected by use of evidence-based criteria.

Background. Despite its benefit, lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is underused, partially because of the heterogeneous responses and lack of recent outcomes data. Methods. Data from 59 consecutive emphysema patients who underwent LVRS were analyzed. The proportionofpatientsrespondingbasedon6-minutewalk distance (6-MWD), exercise capacity (watts), and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were calculated. Baseline variables were correlated with improvements in 6-MWD, maximal watts, and FEV1. Results. Eighty-eight percent of patients responded to LVRS, with a higher proportion of FEV1 and 6-MWD responders in our cohort compared with similar patients from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial. Significant associations existed between lower baseline 6-MWD and increased 6-MWD after operation (r [ L0.423), more extensive emphysema and increased FEV1 (r [ 0.491), and hyperinflation and increased maximal watts (r [ 0.438). The probability of survival was 0.93 at 90 days, 0.90 at 1 year, and 0.80 (3 years). The lowest exercise group (<20 watts on baseline testing) had an increased risk for death (RR 13.3, p [ 0.001). Conclusions. There were durable improvements in FEV1 and exercise capacity in patients meeting the National Emphysema Treatment Trial criteria. Survival was comparable to that in similar patients from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial; response rates were higher in our cohort for FEV1 and 6-MWD. Those with lower 6-MWD, more emphysema, and more hyperinflation at baseline were most likely to respond to LVRS. Those with lowest exercise capacity at baseline may have a higher risk of death after LVRS.
Expression of the Dominant-Negative Regulator Id4 Is Induced during Adipocyte Differentiation

Expression of the Id4 gene was investigated during differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into mature adipocytes. Id4 is a member of a family encoding non-DNA binding helix-loop-helix proteins proposed to inhibit the activity of basic HLH (bHLH) proteins important in many developmental processes. We show here that Id4 expression is low in confluent preadipocytes and rapidly induced by treatment with the combination of hormones which causes differentiation into mature adipocytes. Id4 expression is also induced by treatment with individual hormones, especially dexamathasone. Id4 mRNA can be detected in mouse and human adipose tissue. Genes encoding E-proteins (bHLH proteins known to interact with and be regulated by Id proteins) are expressed and regulated during differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. These data suggest that the Id4 transcriptional regulator is playing a role in adipose cell differentiation and suggest that DNA-binding HLH proteins may also be important in regulation of differentiation of these cells.
Coarse-grained modeling of large RNA molecules with knowledge-based potentials and structural filters

Understanding the function of complex RNA molecules depends critically on understanding their structure. However, creating three-dimensional (3D) structural models of RNA remains a significant challenge. We present a protocol (the nucleic acid simulation tool [NAST]) for RNA modeling that uses an RNA-specific knowledge-based potential in a coarse-grained molecular dynamics engine to generate plausible 3D structures. We demonstrate NAST’s capabilities by using only secondary structure and tertiary contact predictions to generate, cluster, and rank structures. Representative structures in the best ranking clusters averaged 8.0 6 0.3 A u and 16.3 6 1.0 A u RMSD for the yeast phenylalanine tRNA and the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena thermophila group I intron, respectively. The coarse-grained resolution allows us to model large molecules such as the 158residue P4-P6 or the 388-residue T. thermophila group I intron. One advantage of NAST is the ability to rank clusters of structurally similar decoys based on their compatibility with experimental data. We successfully used ideal small-angle X-ray scattering data and both ideal and experimental solvent accessibility data to select the best cluster of structures for both tRNA and P4-P6. Finally, we used NAST to build in missing loops in the crystal structures of the Azoarcus and Twort ribozymes, and to incorporate crystallographic data into the Michel–Westhof model of the T. thermophila group I intron, creating an integrated model of the entire molecule. Our software package is freely available at https://simtk.org/home/nast.
A mechanism of abiotic immobilization of nitrate in forest ecosystems: the ferrous wheel hypothesis

Forest soils, rather than woody biomass, are the dominant long-term sink for N in forest fertilization studies and, by inference, for N from atmospheric deposition. Recent evidence of significant abiotic immobilization of inorganic-N in forest humus layers challenges a previously widely held view that microbial processes are the dominant pathways for N immobilization in soil. Understanding the plant, microbial, and abiotic mechanisms of N immobilization in forest soils has important implications for understanding current and future carbon budgets. Abiotic immobilization of nitrate is particularly perplexing because the thermodynamics of nitrate reduction in soils are not generally favorable under oxic conditions. Here we present preliminary evidence for a testable hypothesis that explains abiotic immobilization of nitrate in forest soils. Because iron (and perhaps manganese) plays a key role as a catalyst, with Fe(II) reducing nitrate and reduced forms of carbon then regenerating Fe(II), we call this ‘the ferrous wheel hypothesis’. After nitrate is reduced to nitrite, we hypothesize that nitrite reacts with dissolved organic matter through nitration and nitrosation of aromatic ring structures, thus producing dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). In addition to ignorance about mechanisms of DON production, little is known about DON dynamics in soil and its fate within ecosystems. Evidence from leaching and watershed studies suggests that DON production and consumption may be largely uncoupled from seasonal biological processes, although biological processes ultimately produce the DOC and reducing power that affect DON formation and the entire N cycle. The ferrous wheel hypothesis includes both biological and abiological processes, but the reducing power of plant-derived organic matter may build up over seasons and years while the abiotic reduction of nitrate and reaction of organic matter with nitrite may occur in a matter of seconds after nitrate enters the soil solution.
Assessing design by design: progress report 1

This paper is a first progress report of a National Science Foundation Assessment of Student Achievement project designed to develop and test assessments of the ABET student learning outcome of "an ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs." The overall strategy is to use the research on the nature and acquisition of expertise to guide the choice of assessment tools and then to embed those assessments in a course based continuous improvement loop to evaluate which work best to improve those learning outcomes. So far, the project, which began in June 2002, has yielded prototypes of four assessments and a precursor to a fifth. One of those tools, a multiple-choice test of declarative understanding of design process principles, has been refined and the current version (the third of four versions) exhibits both reliability and validity.
Strong scintillations during atmospheric occultations: theoretical intensity spectra

Each of the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 has completed a reconnaissance of the Jovian and Saturnian systems. In connection with occultation experiments, strong scintillations were observed. Further theoretical work is required before these scintillations can be interpreted. The present study is, therefore, concerned with the derivation of a theory for strong scattering during atmospheric occultation experiments, taking into account as fundamental quantity of interest the spatial spectrum (or spectral density) of intensity fluctuations. Attention is given to a theory for intensity spectra, and numerical calculations. The new formula derived for Phi-i accounts for strong scattering of electromagnetic waves during atmospheric occultations.
A prospective study of trait anger and PTSD symptoms in police

It is unknown whether anger is a risk factor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD) symptoms, arises as a consequence of PTSD, or both. Two hypotheses were tested in 180 police recruits: Greater trait anger during training will predict greater PTSD symptoms at one year; greater PTSD symptoms at one year will predict greater state anger at one year. Both hypotheses were confirmed, suggesting that trait anger is a risk factor for PTSD symptoms, but that PTSD symptoms are also associated with an increase of state anger. Increased anger is important not only because of the impact it has on individual distress and physical health, but also because of its potential public health impact.
Distinct Indiscernibles and the Bundle Theory

A : Like Locke, you think an object must be something more than its properties. So you posit a mysterious “substratum”, an unreachable “kernel” that bears properties but is not itself a property. This is metaphysics at its most gratuitous and pernicious. All we observe or detect are the properties of things, and a particular substance is nothing more than a bundle of properties. B : So you say. But remember Max Black’s description of a world containing nothing but two intrinsically indiscernible spheres, at some distance from one another (Black, 1952)? You have yet to satisfy me that your bundle theory of substance is compatible with the possibility of such a world. A : I must admit, Black’s world had me worried for a time. But it now seems clear to me that the possibility he describes poses no real threat to the bundle theory. B : How so? The spheres have to be bundles of the very same universals; and they can’t be distinguished by their relations to one another, either. Throwing in relations to different places won’t help, since the places in question are indiscernible, too. If you posit distinct but indiscernible places, doesn’t this amount to the recognition of things that are something more than mere bundles of universals? The only way out is to deny that Black’s world is really possible. But I know you too well to think that you’ll take that route; you’re not one of these “modally-challenged” philosophers, unable to recognize a possibility when they see one. A : Ah, but there is another way out. 1 In order to see it, you must first recall that the universals I’m bundling into substances are not, of course, Platonic entities existing outside of space and time somewhere. They’re “immanent universals”, located right where and when their instances are. B : Oh, you’re bundling tropes , particular instances of universals, which can differ solo numero . That will solve the problem—but it’s cheating, from the point of view of the traditional bundle theory. You’ve
Genetic Analysis of Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis in Mycobacteria: Characterization of a DdlA Mutant of Mycobacterium Smegmatis.

A temperature-sensitive mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis was characterized that contains a mutation in ddlA, the gene encoding D-alanine:D-alanine ligase. Enzymatic assays using recombinant proteins and D-cycloserine susceptibility indicate that the A365V mutation in the SMEG35 DdlA protein causes a reduction in enzymatic activity in vitro and in vivo.
Low over‐expression of TNFα in the mouse heart increases contractile performance via TNFR1

TNFalpha is a cytokine wit pleiotropic functions in many organs. In the heart increased TNFalpha levels are not only associated with heart failure, but also, paradoxically, with protection from ischemic damage. To test whether the protective role of TNFalpha in the heart is concentration-dependent, we studied two mouse heart models with low (two- to threefold) over-expression of endogenous TNFalpha: mice deficient in a translational repressor of TNFalpha mRNA, TIA-1(-/-), and mice over-expressing human TNFalpha. Hearts lacking TIA-1 were characterized for their endogenous TNFalpha over-expression during normal Langendorff perfusion. To define which TNFalpha receptor mediates cardiac protection, we also used mice lacking the TNFR1 receptor. Contractile function was assessed in isolated hearts perfused in the isovolumic Langendorff mode during and following global no-flow ischemic stress and in response to varying extracellular [Ca(2+)] to determine their contractile response and Ca(2+) sensitivity. All hearts with low over-expression of TNFalpha, independent of human or murine origin, have improved contractile performance and increased Ca(2+) sensitivity (by 0.2-0.26 pCa). Hearts lacking TNFR1 have contractile performance equal to wild type hearts. Recovery from ischemia was greater in TIA-1(-/-) and was diminished in TNFR1(-/-). Better contractile function in TNFalpha over-expressing hearts is not due to improved cardiac energetics assessed as [ATP] and glucose uptake or to differences in expression of SERCA2a or calmodulin. We suggest that low levels of TNFalpha increase the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the heart via a TNFR1-mediated mechanism.
Optically interconnected data center architecture for bandwidth intensive energy efficient networking

The relentless rise of data-intensive cloud-based services continues to drive network performance requirements demanded by modern data centres. Scaling electronic packet-switched data centre networks to provide bandwidths commensurate with traffic demands will either be prohibitively costly, overly complex, or result in unsustainable energy requirements. Network oversubscription, commonly used today to reduce costs, further exacerbates the performance bottleneck of communication-intensive applications. Recent network architectures based on optical circuit switching leverage the fundamentally higher capacity and energy efficiency of photonic technologies and can deliver bisection bandwidths comparable to fully provisioned packet-switched networks. However, in terms of connectivity, the high bandwidth optical paths are limited to one-to-one matching between racks within the network. We present an enhanced optically connected network architecture featuring advanced photonic functionalities to support a wider class of bandwidth-intensive traffic patterns characteristic of cloud computing systems. This proposed architecture can enable a rich set of photonic resources to be allocated on-demand to optimize communications between various applications within the data centre. We construct a prototype of the proposed optical network architecture and demonstrate two unique functionalities, validating the physical layer feasibility of the system.
Bayesian wavelet-domain image modeling using hidden Markov trees

Wavelet-domain hidden Markov models have proven to be useful tools for statistical signal and image processing. The hidden Markov tree (HMT) model captures the key features of the joint statistics of the wavelet coefficients of real-world data. One potential drawback to the HMT framework is the need for computationally expensive iterative training (using the EM algorithm, for example). In this paper, we propose two reduced-parameter HMT models that capture the general structure of a broad class of grayscale images. The image HMT (iHMT) model leverages the fact that for a large class of images the structure of the HMT is self-similar across scale. This allows us to reduce the complexity of the iHMT to just nine easily trained parameters (independent of the size of the image and the number of wavelet scales). In the universal HMT (uHMT) we take a Bayesian approach and fix these nine parameters. The uHMT requires no training of any kind. While simple, we show using a series of image estimation/denoising experiments that these two new models retain nearly all of the key structures modeled by the full HMT. Based on these new models, we develop a shift-invariant wavelet denoising scheme that outperforms all algorithms in the current literature.
From Research to Policy: Lessons From Individual Development Accounts

There goes in the world a notion that the scholar should be a recluse, a valetudinarian…. As far as this is true of the studious classes, it is not just and wise. Action is with the scholar subordinate, but it is essential…. Without it, thought can never ripen into truth… (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
Effect of Epinephrine on Pressure, Flow, and Volume Relationships in the Systemic Circulation of Dogs

The effect of epinephrine on peripheral circulation was studied in ten anesthetized open-chest dogs. Blood flow and right atrial pressure were independently controlled by a right heart bypass; changes in blood volume could be precisely determined from the changes occurring in the bypass reservoir. At constant blood flow and right atrial pressure, a constant infusion of epinephrine (5.8 µg/kg min-1) decreased blood volume by an average of 208 ml. During epinephrine infusion, the ratio of changes in blood volume to changes in blood flow measured at constant right atrial pressure, (ΔV/ΔQ·)Pra, decreased from 0.226 minutes to 0.153 minutes and the ratio of changes in blood volume to changes in right atrial pressure at constant blood flow, the vascular compliance, decreased from 27.1 ml/cm H2O to 20.7 ml/cm H2O. Transient changes in blood volume following a step decrease in right atrial pressure at constant blood flow showed that blood was draining from two vascular compartments with different time constants: ...
Crystalline components of catalase.

SummaryA simple method for recrystal-lizing catalase has been described. Some of the cow liver catalase crystals present in the mixture have exactly the same shape as those of beef erythrocyte catalase. This fact points to a multi-molecular nature of cow liver catalase. Since it is difficult, however, to remove all of the blood present in liver, it is quite possible that the described prisms originate from erythrocytes and that the higher active component described by other investigators may have a similar origin.
Cefamandole and Cefazolin in the Therapy of Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

The clinical efficacy and tolerance of cefamandole, a new cephalosporin antibiotic effective against indole-positive strains of Proteus, and cefazolin were studied after intramuscular administration of 500 mg of either of the two cephalosporins every 8 hr for seven days in a prospective, randomized study of 65 elderly male patients with complicated urinary tarct infections. Both antibiotics were effective in eradicating the infections, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in regard to tolerance and cure rate, as defined by a negative urine culture one week and four to six weeks following discontinuation of the treatment. Because of its broader antibacterial spectrum, cefamandole appears to represent an improvement over previously available cephalosporin antibiotics.
The Protective Role of Religious Involvement in African American and Caribbean Black Adolescents’ Experiences of Racial Discrimination:

For many Black adolescents, racial discrimination increases the risk of developing adverse psychological outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interrelationships among religious...
Dynamic network analysis of conformity and blind faith in group decisions

Conformity and the effects of blind faith in authorities in group decisions were analyzed using a 2-mode network model for the opinions and the people.Two algorithms are given for the dynamic network analysis method for the conformity and the blind faith in authorites. The algorithms give qualitative and quantitative procedures which include correspondence and cluster analysis methods for static and dynamic network analyses. The model improves group decision procedures based on experiments using the two algorithms.Case studies show that the conformity statistics conform to a power law variation,while participant's blind faith in authorities does not have any obvious corelation. Authoritive speakers should be scheduled at the end of the meeting with people with less experience and more talkative people in the beginning of the meeting.If the authorities must speak first,the talkative people should still speak early in the meeting.This scheduling reduces the impact of conformity and blind faith and improves the efficiency.
PERFORMANCE OF A FIRST GENERATION HIGHLY CROSS-LINKED POLYETHYLENE IN YOUNG (LESS THAN 55 YEARS) AND ACTIVE PATIENTS

Background Highly cross-linked polyethylene (HCLPE) was introduced to reduce wear and osteolysis in total hip arthroplasty (THA). There is no reported data regarding wear rates and clinical performance of Crossfire HCLPE (Stryker, Mahwah, New Jersey) in young and active patients. The purpose of this prospective study is to assess minimum 10-year wear rates and survivorship of Crossfire in young and active patients. Material and Methods Between January 2001 to December 2003, 52 consecutive THAs (43 patients; 26 males and 17 females), 55 years and younger, with an average University of California Los Angeles activity (UCLA) score of 7.3 ± 1.5 (5 – 10) at the time of surgery were prospectively followed. The mean age of patients was 47.4 ± 7.8 years old (range 24 to 55 years). Indication for surgery included osteoarthritis in all cases. All operations were performed by the senior surgeon via a posterolateral approach. All components were non-cemented SecurFit femoral stem, 28 mm Cobalt-Chromium (Co-Cr) femoral head, and Trident PSL cup with Crossfire HCLPE acetabular liner (Stryker, Mahwah, New Jersey). At minimum 10-years follow-up (mean 11.5 ± 0.94 years), wear rates were assessed using the Roman software. Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores and survivorship data were analyzed. Results Good to excellent clinical results were seen with HSS score of 38.1 ± 4.7. The mean linear wear was 0.019 ± 0.018 mm/year (range 0 to 0.082). There were no revisions for osteolysis or loosening, periprosthetic infection or dislocation in this cohort. Kaplan-Meier survivorship was 100% for all failures. Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate that metal on Crossfire performs very well with excellent survivorship and wear rates at a minimum 10-year follow-up in young and active patients. Oxidation concern with Crossfire has not caused any clinical problems up to 10 years.
Density modulated nanoporous tungsten thin films and their nanomechanical properties

Density modulated tungsten (W) thin films with nanoscale porosity contents of 7% to 40% by volume were grown on Si substrates through magnetron sputter deposition. Process parameters were selected according to the structure zone model, which resulted in film thicknesses between 105 nm and 520 nm. Nanomechanical properties of samples were investigated by means of instrumented nanoindentation. Reduced-χ2 analysis was carried out to assess four models formulated through differential effective medium approach. The model that factored in both the crowding effect and the maximum random packing of pores successfully captured the experimental trends. Attempts to breach the auxetic barrier resulted in large-scale pulverization or spontaneous conversion into WO3. Porosity corrected yield strength calculations underlined the possibility of defining a porosity threshold beyond which the compressive yield strength of density modulated nanoporous metallic thin films would drop abruptly due to aggravated geometric slenderness effects in agreement with earlier hypotheses.
The Preparation of Academic Librarians Who Provide Instruction: A Comparison of First and Second Career Librarians

Abstract With the growing emphasis on information literacy and critical thinking in higher education, it is important that academic librarians who provide instruction have the necessary skills related to their responsibilities. The ACRL Standards for Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators include twelve skill categories that can serve as a measure of a librarian's ability as an instructor. The purpose of this study was to examine how academic librarians feel they have been prepared to provide instruction by determining the degree to which previous work experience (specifically a “first career”) may have had an impact on their ability to perform their teaching responsibilities and to examine the extent to which the MLS degree has prepared them in the area of instruction. A survey was sent to four library Listservs yielding 608 respondents. Results indicated that librarians who had another career prior to becoming an academic librarian who provides instruction felt that they were better prepared to provide instruction than those who did not have a prior career. Furthermore, these librarians' responses seemed to suggest that for the majority of the skill categories, their prior work experience provided them with a greater extent of preparation than did their MLS education.
Growth Suppression of Listeria monocytogenes by Lactates in Broth, Chicken, and Beef.

Sodium or potassium lactate is available commercially as a neutral aqueous solution (60%), approved for use as a flavoring agent in meat and poultry products. While recommended also for extending shelf life, little work on its antimicrobial effects has been published and none in relation to Listeria monocytogenes . Studies in tryptic soy broth showed that concentrations higher than 5% delayed growth of three strains of L. monocytogenes . Experiments in sterile comminuted chicken and beef at 35, 20, and 5° showed growth suppression by 4% lactate, which increased with decrease in storage temperature. The organism was consistently more sensitive to lactate in beef than in chicken, displaying an extended lag phase of 1-2 weeks at 5°C. Combinations of lactate (4%) with NaCl (3%) or nitrate (140 ppm) did not enhance the effect. Lactate did not alter the beef or chicken pH, and no difference was observed between the effect of the two salts, inferring that the lactate ion is responsible for the delay in listerial growth.
You Were Such a Good Girl When You Were Human

No doubt due in large part to the phenomenal success of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, L. J. Smith’s beloved series of novels from the 1990s, The Vampire Diaries, was adapted for television by Kevin Williamson, previously best known for his writer-producer work on both the Scream film franchise and the television show Dawson’s Creek. Williamson knows both horror and teen angst, and the two come together in The Vampire Diaries television show, which had its broadcast premier on the CW in September 2009 and has, as of this writing, recently completed its fifth season.
A National Study Evaluating Hospital Volume and Inpatient Mortality After Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Vulnerable Populations

Background There is a large body of evidence documenting better outcomes for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs performed in high-volume centers. However, it remains unknown if the strength of this volume–outcome relationship is moderated by race or socioeconomic status (SES). Methods This is a cross-sectional retrospective cohort study evaluating 60,618 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries undergoing open AAA repair across 1,649 hospitals between 2005 and 2009. We selected, a priori, black race and low SES as vulnerable populations based on previous reports showing each is independently associated with higher mortality. Next, we divided hospitals into quintiles of procedural volume and used logistic regression to compare risk-adjusted rates of inpatient mortality across volume quintiles for the overall study population and separately by race (black versus nonblack) and SES (low, middle, and high). Results Overall, patients treated in the lowest-volume hospitals (LVHs) had higher risk-adjusted inpatient mortality rates than patients treated in the highest-volume hospitals (HVHs) (15.3% vs. 10.6%, P Conclusions While a volume–outcome effect was observed in all patients, black patients appeared to derive a disproportionate benefit from undergoing open AAA repair in HVHs. The mechanism underlying these disparate outcomes remains unclear but warrants further evaluation of contributing hospital and patient factors.
The History of the R&D Tax Credit: A Smoking Gun from a Cold War

Enacted in 1981 with a different title, the Research and Development credit was created as a temporary tax expenditure program meant to embolden innovation research in the U.S. Since its inception, the research credit has expired eight times and been extended seventeen times (six times retroactively). After more than three decades of extension and renewal, the research credit was made permanent in 2015. The Article further analyzes dynamics that helped lock-in the research credit’s path to permanency. During the Cold War, trade organizations and business leaders expressed concerns of the lagging rates of investment in research activities compared to that of the Russian rivals. Accordingly, the Regan Administration created a temporary tax mechanism to compensate companies that increase their incremental investments in research activities. This unique ethos perpetuated and became central throughout the life of the research credit program. No politician wanted to be seen attacking the emergent high-tech industry and depressing research—the engine of job creation and economic growth. The research credit program also received patronage from an unusual trade alliance—the Research Credit Coalition. The Coalition was instrumental in cultivating and strengthening the importance of the program in American society, emphasizing that the temporary nature of the research credit contributed to uncertainty in its application and prevented firms from relying on its availability. Critics of the R&D tax credit have argued that this temporary tax incentive defeats its purpose because it lacks eligible parties’ long-term economic decisions. Moreover, the credit complexity and multifaceted character make it difficult for younger entities to claim. As a result, the current R&D credit ($20 billion/year) and R&D expensing ($73 billion/year) are utilized mainly by firms with more than $250 million in receipts. The Article concludes with thoughts about the legal adaptation of path dependence theory and provides insights on other temporary provisions in the U.S. Code. It suggests abandoning the notion that temporary legislation encompasses all ills of the legislative process. Instead, it proposes to adopt new mechanisms and default rules to prevent the inefficient entrenchment of expiring provisions such as the research credit.
Facting fiction: Revolution, the United Nations, and cultural politics of electricity

ABSTRACTIn the summer of 2013, the United Nations and NBC began a season-long collaborative campaign involving the primetime television series Revolution (2012–2014), a show about the global loss of electricity, to promote the former’s energy resource campaigns. The two entities collaboratively produced various texts and events encouraging audiences to learn more about United Nations energy initiatives and how people throughout the world lack consistent access to electricity. This essay offers a close, rhetorical reading of the collaboration’s paratexts, examining stated responses from actors, creators, interviewers, and panel participants within this content. In particular, I argue that contact between the paratexts and the “formative” text (that of the show’s narrative) can encourage viewers to think about electricity from the perspective of their own material practices, dependencies, and fears over losing the technological world. I examine how these invested viewers interpreted the United Nations’ effo...
Parxit, the United States, and the world

And now we have Parxit. On 1 June 2017, President Trump issued the highly unpopular announcement that the United States will withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. In this brief ...
Anxiety-related experience-dependent white matter structural differences in adolescence: A monozygotic twin difference approach.

Anxiety is linked to deficits in structural and functional connectivity between limbic structures and pre-frontal cortices. We employed a monozygotic (MZ) twin difference design to examine the relationship between structural characteristics of the uncinate fasciculus (UF) measured by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and anxiety symptoms in a sample of N = 100 monozygotic (genetically identical), adolescent twins. The MZ difference design allowed us focus on environmental factors that vary within twin pairs while controlling for genetic and environmental factors shared by twin pairs. Twins aged 13–18 years reported on symptoms of generalized anxiety and social phobia prior to participating in a neuroimaging visit. Regions of interest from the JHU ICBM atlas, including uncinate fasciculus and sagittal stratum as a control tract, were registered to the study template. We incorporated multiple diffusion tensor measures to characterize the white matter differences. Within twin pairs, the more anxious twin exhibited decreased fractional anisotropy (t = −2.22, p = 0.032) and axial diffusivity (t = −2.38, p = 0.022) in the left UF compared to the less anxious twin, controlling for age and gender. This study demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of adopting the MZ twin design for DTI measures in neuroimaging research.
The Formal and Informal Economies: Setting the Stage for Female Entrepreneurship in Asia

This chapter is comprised of two sections. It contextualizes the work by offering a brief description of the formal and informal sectors of the economy as they apply to the case of female entrepreneurs in Asia.
Bone diseases: Romosozumab - on track or derailed?

Romosozumab, a recently developed sclerostin inhibitor, stimulates bone formation and inhibits bone resorption, thereby markedly increasing bone mass and reducing fracture risk. But will a red flag regarding possible adverse cardiovascular events derail this promising new drug for osteoporosis?
An Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Lignin Renewable Skin with Programmable and Switchable Electrical Conductivity for Stress/Strain-Sensing Applications

We report an approach for programming electrical conductivity of a bio-based leathery skin devised with a layer of 60 nm metallic nanoparticles. Lignin-based renewable shape-memory materials were made, for the first time, to program and restore the materials’ electrical conductivity after repeated deformation up to 100% strain amplitude, at a temperature 60–115 °C above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the rubbery matrix. We cross-linked lignin macromolecules with an acrylonitrile–butadiene rubbery melt in high quantities ranging from 40 to 60 wt % and processed the resulting thermoplastics into thin films. Chemical and physical networks within the polymeric materials significantly enhanced key characteristics such as mechanical stiffness, strain fixity, and temperature-stimulated recovery of shape. The branched structures of the guaiacylpropane-dominant softwood lignin significantly improve the rubber’s Tg and produced a film with stored and recoverable elastic work density that was an order of m...
Modification of Hemoglobin by Ninhydrin

The Strecker degradation reaction was evaluated as a means of modifying hemoglobin in vitro, utilizing ninhydrin as a model compound. Ninhydrin led to modification of hemoglobin (when incubated with hemoglobin or red cells) at physiologic temperature and pH. Isoelectric focusing documented the formation of new hemoglobin bands, all with decreased (more negative) isoelectric points that hemoglobin A. Both alpha and beta chains were modified to an equal degree, although electrophoretic studies documented two modified species of alpha-chains and three modified species of beta-chains. Amino acid analysis of modified hemolysate following NaB3H4 reduction revealed peaks that coeluted with deaminated valine, epsilon-deaminated lysine, and a product with the guanidino group of arginine. The oxygen affinity of hemoglobin increased following its incubation with increasing concentrations of ninhydrin. These studies suggest that ninhydrin is representative of a class of carbonyl compounds that could be utilized to specifically modify that structure and function of hemoglobin variants.
Are Humans Rational

A stream of experimental results has put in doubt the traditional conception of man as the rational animal. The mistakes people make are said to be more than just occasional and superficial. They are said to be systematic, and as deep as misapplying modus ponens in propositional logic and the conjunction rule in probability theory.1
Forecasting Migraine Attacks and the Utility of Identifying Triggers.

Purpose of review This review synthesizes the utility of measuring migraine triggers for the purpose of forecasting future headache attacks. The nature of forecasting models, headache triggers as inputs to such models, and how these trigger exposures can be measured for forecasting are reviewed. A critical evaluation of the existing forecasting models in the context of their potential application for preemptive treatment is considered. Recent findings A substantial pool of candidate trigger factors could be considered in the creation of forecasting models. However, because mechanistic information about causal factors that precede a migraine attack is not well understood, and such factors are difficult to measure, empirical models that are based on trigger factors that are merely associated with the onset of headache activity are likely to be the focus of forecasting efforts in the near future. Of such factors, stress has considerable empirical support and has been used to successfully forecast future headache attacks within individuals over time. However, at present, existing models possess only modest levels of discrimination and lack strong resolution in generated predictions. Current headache forecasting models represent an important first step in accurately predicting future headache activity. However, to utilize these models in a preemptive treatment paradigm where the risk of headache is treated prior to the actual experience of pain, these models must achieve greater precision with good calibration and generate predictions that are clinically actionable by individuals in their real-time home environments.
Enantioselective Construction of Tertiary Boronic Esters by Conjunctive Cross‐Coupling

Catalytic enantioselective conjunctive cross-coupling has been developed to construct tertiary alkylboronic esters. These reactions occur with good yield and enantioselectivity for a range of substrates. Mechanistic experiments reveal aspects of the catalytic cycle that allow hindered substrates to react without significant complicating side reactions.
Profiles of caregiving behaviors among children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV.

Although parenting behaviors are widely considered an important factor in the adjustment of children and adolescents with chronic physical health needs, few studies have addressed this topic as it ...
Removal of Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles from Surface Water by Conventional Treatment Processes

Engineered nanomaterials are used in many applications, including pollution sensors, photovoltaics, medical imaging, drug delivery and environmental remediation. Due to their numerous applications, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are receiving a large amount of attention. Ag NPs may occur in drinking water sources either during manufacturing, consumption and/or disposal processes. This potentially leads to the presence of Ag NPs in finished drinking water, which could have public health impacts. The objective of this research was to investigate the removal of several types of stabilized Ag NPs by potable water treatment processes. Specifically, this research achieved these objectives through: 1) Synthesis of Citrate-reduced Ag NPs, Polyvinylpyrrolidone stabilized (PVP) Ag NPs and Branched polyethyleneimine stabilized (BPEI) Ag NPs, 2) Characterization of synthesized Ag NPs to determine their aggregation potential, Zeta potential profiles, (pHpzc) and obtain morphological data from SEM images, and 3) An evaluation of the efficacy of conventional water treatment processes (i.e., coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and sand filtration) in removing stabilized Ag NPs from natural water. The three NPs were found to be stable at the nano size in natural water. Alum coagulation had no impact on the PVP and BPEI Ag NPs. Flocculation and settling were found to be key steps for removal of these NPs. The three Ag NPs were not permanently removed by means of conventional water treatment processes employed in this study.
Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems for Chronic Non-cancer Pain

Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) remains a significant health-care problem challenging to treat. A portion of the chronic non-cancer pain patients do not respond to conventional pain treatments and require interventional approaches for symptoms management. Over the last three decades, intrathecal drug delivery (IDD) has been established as an effective and safe modality for the treatment of intractable chronic non-cancer pain, spasticity, and cancer pain. The roots of this treatment lie in the basic understanding of intrathecal drug administration for operative anesthesia. While early treatment was primarily based on expert opinion, it is now a well-accepted evidence-based treatment for severe CNCP. Several studies conducted over the last two decades have consistently demonstrated improvement in pain intensity scores with this modality. However, the strength of evidence is still weak, and more work needs to be done to elucidate effectiveness and evaluate newer pharmacological agents. In this chapter we discuss the historical significance, important clinical considerations and outcomes of IDD for CNCP.
Delay in time from diagnosis to treatment in metastatic melanoma, lung, and colon cancer.

e23186Background: Delay in cancer treatment is anxiety provoking both for the patient and clinician. We conducted the study to evaluate the patterns of delay in treatment of patients with metastati...
Towards Secure and Reliable IoT Applications

The growth of commodity IoT devices that integrate physical processes with digital systems have changed the way we live, play, and work. Yet existing IoT platforms cannot help programmers evaluate whether their IoT applications are safe and secure, nor do these platforms help programmers build secure and reliable applications. In this talk, we discuss several pieces of work that help programmers build secure and reliable IoT applications. We first discuss our work of using static model checking and dynamic analysis to find violations of safety and functional properties in an IoT app or a collection of apps, according to a set of desired properties. We then discuss our recent effort of developing a framework for handling device faults in IoT applications. The framework provides a set of fault-handling primitives such as retry and restart, which programmers can utilize to handle device faults systematically to improve their applications' reliability. This is joint work with Z. Berkay Celik, Patrick McDaniel, Michael Norris, Anand Sivasubramaniam, Prasanna Venkatesh, and Shulin Zhao.
Politics and Participation

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 16, pp. 11078–11082, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd., with revisions made by the Editor.
Comparison of Tibial Shock during Treadmill and Real-World Running.

The degree to which standard laboratory gait assessments accurately reflect impact loading in an outdoor running environment is currently unknown. PURPOSE To compare tibial shock between treadmill and road marathon conditions. METHODS One hundred ninety-two runners (men/women, 105/87; age, 44.9 ± 10.8 yr) completed a treadmill gait assessment while wearing a tibial-mounted inertial measurement unit, several days before completing a marathon race. Participants ran at 90% of their projected race speed and 30 s of tibial shock data were collected. Participants then wore the sensors during the race and tibial shock was averaged over the 12th, 23rd, and 40th kilometers. One-way analysis of covariance and correlation coefficients were used to compare vertical/resultant tibial shock between treadmill and marathon conditions. Analyses were adjusted for differences in running speed between conditions. RESULTS A significant main effect of condition was found for mean vertical and resultant tibial shock (P < 0.001). Early in the marathon (12-km point), runners demonstrated higher mean tibial shock adjusted for speed compared with the treadmill data (vertical = +24.3% and resultant = +30.3%). Mean differences decreased across the course of the marathon. Vertical tibial shock at the 40th kilometer of the race was similar to treadmill data, and resultant shock remained higher. Vertical and resultant tibial shock were significantly correlated between treadmill and the 12th kilometer of the race (rs = 0.64-0.65, P < 0.001), with only 40% to 42% of the variance in outdoor tibial shock explained by treadmill measures. Correlations for tibial shock showed minimal changes across stages of the marathon. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that measures of impact loading in an outdoor running environment are not fully captured on a treadmill.