In an environment with limited time and resources, why do some legislators repeatedly sponsoring the same bills that never pass? Are they only appealing to constituents or lobbyists, or do they reintroduce legislation for strategic purposes? Bachrach and Baratz (1962) characterize the second-face of power as having control over agenda-setting....
The ribosome, a 2.5-MDa molecular machine that polymerizes α-amino acids into proteins, is the catalytic workhorse of the translation apparatus. The catalytic capacity of the translation machinery has attracted extensive efforts to repurpose it for novel functions. One key idea is that the natural translation machinery can be harnessed to...
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex genetic disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation, and polycystic ovarian morphology. PCOS affects up to 15% of premenopausal women worldwide, is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility, and is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. A number of susceptibility loci have...
Contagion processes arise broadly in the social and biological sciences, manifested as, for example the spread of infectious and the diffusion of innovations. Depending on the network structure, the transmission dynamics can have different. However, when the structure is too complex (e.g. multipartite networks), understanding the properties of the network...
Poor air quality causes 2 to 4 million premature deaths per year globally. Individual high-impact events, like Beijing’s January 2013 “airpocalypse,” have drawn significant attention, as they have demonstrated that short-lived air quality events can have outsized effects on public health and economic vitality. Poor air quality events are the...
Building design and operation impact the accumulation and survival of microorganisms in indoor spaces. These microorganisms, together referred to as the indoor microbiome, have implications for human health and well being. However, the relative importance of factors like architecture compared to, e.g., human occupancy, remains unclear. This study aimed to...
Regardless of how it may seem at times, the President of the United States is not in charge of all the major decisions made by the government. The laws that we must adhere to are made, formed, and passed by Congress which is composed of the House of Representatives and...