Votes and a half-binomial

AbstractIn two party elections with popular vote ratio pq, 12≤p=1 −q, a theoretical model suggests replacing the so-called MacMahon cube law approximation (pq)3, for the ratio PQ of candidates elected, by the ratio ƒk(p)ƒk(q) of the two half sums in the binomial expansion of (p+q)2k+1 for some k. This ratio is nearly (pq)3 when k = 6. The success probability gk(p)=(pa(pa+qa) for the power law (pq)a≐PQ is shown to so closely approximate ƒk(p)=Σ0k(r2k+1)p2k+1−rqr, if we choose a = ak=(2k+1)!4kk!k!, that 1≤ƒk(p)gk(p)≤1.01884086 for k≥1 if 12≤p≤1. Computationally, we avoid large binomial coefficients in computing ƒk(p) for k>22 by expressing 2ƒk(p)−1 as the sum (p−q) Σ0k(4pq)sas(2s+1), whose terms decrease by the factors (4pq)(1−12s). Setting K = 4k+3, we compute ak for the large k using a continued fraction πak2=K+12(2K+32(2K+52(2K+…))) derived from the ratio of π to the finite Wallis product approximation

FAK goes nuclear to control anti-tumor immunity – a new target in cancer immuno-therapy

Evading the antitumor immune response is important for the survival and progression of cancer. Recently, we identified an unexpected role for nuclear Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) activity in the control of tumor Treg levels and immune evasion by regulating chemokine and cytokine transcription in cancer cells. We proposed a potentially new purpose for FAK kinase inhibitors, which can cause immune-mediated tumor regression

Examining the Reasons for and Barriers to Becoming a Police Officer

With ever-growing tension between police and the community, both police organizations and communities are recognizing the need and working toward increased representation in police organizations (Brunson, 2007; Szeto, 2014). Despite the effort of many police organizations over the years, the problem of underrepresentation has not improved (Jordan, Fridell, Fagiani, & Kubu, 2009). It has become clear that there is something that has yet to be identified and/or studied preventing underrepresented populations from being interested in or recruited into police organizations. The U.S. Department of Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s 2016 report on Advancing Diversity in Law Enforcement identified three factors that may impact the recruitment of those in underrepresented communities into police organizations. These factors include lack of trust in police, the reputation or operational practices of police organizations, and lack of awareness of career opportunities in police organizations. While these factors were identified in the report, there was a lack of research supporting the factors. In an effort to gain a better understanding of what is preventing underrepresented groups from joining law enforcement, participants’ perceptions of trust, culture/policies/practices, and career opportunities in police organizations will be measured. Additionally, motivation to become a police officer and interest in a career as a police officer will be measured to increase the understanding of what does or does not contribute to underrepresented communities being interested in a career as a police officer. Regression analysis will be performed to predict interest in becoming a police officer by using the variables of trust, culture, policies/practices, and career opportunity

The interaction of Trypanosoma congolense with endothelial cells

Factors which affect adhesion of cultured Trypanosoma congolense bloodstream forms to mammalian feeder cells have been examined. Using an in vitro binding assay, the initial events following interaction of trypanosomes with bovine aorta endothelial (BAE) cells were monitored by both light- and electron microscopy. Metabolic inhibitors and other biochemicals were incubated with either cells or parasites, to test whether any inhibited the process. Our findings suggest that adhesion of the parasites is an active process requiring metabolic energy from the trypanosomes, but not from endothelial cells. We also provide data suggesting that T. congolense bloodstream forms possess a lectin-like domain, localized at distinct sites on their flagellar surface, which interacts with specific carbohydrate receptors, most likely sialic acid residues, on the endothelial cell plasma membrane. We also suggest that the cytoskeletal protein actin is probably involved in this interactio

Reasonable efforts? Implementation of the reunification exception provisions of ASFA

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 includes provisions to deny reunification services under specified conditions and gives states latitude to develop any number of additional “aggravated circumstances” in which parents need not be offered services. California legislators have developed a relatively large number of conditions enabling agencies to bypass reunification services. Based upon a case record review involving 1,055 parents, this study attempts to identify the proportion of parents eligible for a reunification bypass, the proportion recommended to the courts, and the proportion of parents who were denied reunification services, and examines the characteristics of parents associated with reunification bypass recommendations. Based upon focus groups and interviews with child welfare and judicial personnel in six counties, the study also examines the implementation of reunification bypass provisions. Implications for public policy and practice are provided

Marek\u27s Disease (MD, Range Paralysis, Gray Eye)

This fact sheet describes one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases of backyard chickens. The clinical signs of Marek\u27s Disease are descriptively illustrated, and an objective plan for diagnosis and control are discussed in a format understandable to the general small flock and/or backyard chicken owner

Responses to Nitrogen Fertilizer in Dairy Pastures with Differing Phosphorus Fertility in South Eastern Australia

The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer to temperate pastures is an increasingly popular management tool for boosting pasture production on dairy farms in Australia. However, limited information is available about N fertilizer responses that can be obtained from pastures with varying levels of phosphorus (P) fertility. A field experiment examining the initial and residual response of pasture growth to urea was carried out within a large dairy farmlet study, in October 1998. The four P fertility treatments (Olsen P values) ranged from 9 to 32 mg/kg. Dry matter yields increased with increasing N rates in all treatments, at both harvests. Only pastures with Olsen P values of \u3c 12 mg/kg had a significantly lower response to N fertilizer

Pretransitional Optical Activity In Chiral Smectic Liquid Crystals

Pretransitional optical activity measurements in smectic liquid crystals of both law and high chirality are reported. In the low chirality sample, p-(n-(decyloxybenzylidene)-p-amino-(2-methylbutyl)cin-namate (DOBAMBC), the results indicate that the optical activity in both the isotropic phase just above the smectic A phase and in the smectic A phase just above the smectic C* phase can be explained in terms of a Landau-deGennes free energy with no coupling between the chiral modes. In the high chirality sample, 1-methylheptyl 4′-[(4″-tetradecyloxyphenyl)propioloyloxy]biphenyl-4-carboxylate (14P|M7), the data in the isotropic phase above the recently discovered smectic A* phase cannot be explained in this way, even when coupling between the chiral modes is considered. Whether this is due to some feature of the smectic A* phase or is simply the result of strong coupling between the orientational and positional order parameters is a question which remains unanswered

Src/FAK-mediated regulation of E-cadherin as a mechanism for controlling collective cell movement Insights from in vivo imaging

Recent advances in confocal and multi-photon microscopy, together with fluorescent probe development, have enabled cancer biology studies to go beyond the culture dish and interrogate cancer-associated processes in the complex in vivo environment. Regulation of the tumor suppressor protein E-cadherin plays an important role in cancer development and progression, and may contribute to the decision between ‘single cell’ and ‘collective invasion’ in vivo. Mounting evidence from in vitro and in vivo experiments places the two nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases Src and Focal Adhesion Kinase at the heart of E-cadherin regulation and the crosstalk between integrins and cadherins. Here we discuss recent insights, attained using high-resolution fluorescent in vivo imaging, into the regulation of E-cadherin and collective invasion. We focus on the regulatory crosstalk between the Src/FAK signaling axis and E-cadherin in vivo

Phenotypic manipulation of normal and malignant brain cells

In this investigation several questions were posed about expression of differentiated and malignancy-associated properties in cell cultures derived from grades III and IV anaplastic astrocytomas. For comparison, cells derived from normal adult post-mortem brain and foetal brain, were also investigated. Characterisation studies were complicated by the absence of the astrocyte-specific protein, GFAP from the normal adult cultures and many of the gliomas. Other groups of workers have demonstrated that both normal glia-(278) and glioma-(110) derived cultures can lose GFAP as a result of in vitro growth. In the case of the malignant cells, the loss of cellular differentiation could also be the result of in vitro neoplasia. GFAP positive glioma cultures were presumed to contain highly differentiated astrocytoma cells, whereas GFAP negative cultures probably contained less well differentiated or more anaplastic cells. Biochemical investigation led to the hypothesis that the flat polygonal cells obtained in cultures from normal adult brain tissue were percursor glial cells or glioblasts. The malignant cell lines represented a gradation in states of biochemical, astroglial differentiation. The degree of differentiation exhibited by a particular cell line was not related to the pathological state of the tumour from which it was derived. The foetal cultures contained apparently mature, highly differentiated astroglia and were found to be pheno-typically stable, relative to the normal adult and malignant cultures, in response to environmental changes. The accumulation of immunological and biochemical data for many cell lines led to the postulation of a possible astroglial precursor pathway. Investigating the relationship between differentiated and malignancy-associated properties, required the development of assays to represent marker properties. GFAP, high affinity GABA uptake and glutamine synthetase were chosen to represent expression of the differentiated astroglial phenotype and plasminogen activator and tumour angiogenesis factor (or endothelial cell mitogenesis), the malignancy associated phenotype. The effects of varying the microenvironment of the cells in culture were investigated in a number of ways. Increasing cell density, dramatically increased the expression of GFAP in C6 cultures and high affinity GABA uptake in many cell lines, at the onset of confluence. As these differentiated properties were stimulated, the production of PA in malignant cell lines was dramatically reduced; possible explanations for the observed effects with changing cell density were put forward in terms of the proliferative state of cells and the formation of cell-cell contacts. Experiments with heterologous co-cultures and high density perfusion cultures, further demonstrated the importance of cell-cell contacts in the expression of differentiation. The effects of exposing neoplastic cells to various chemical agents were also investigated. Some of the agents upset the balance between differentiated and malignancy-associated properties. In particular dexamethasone, pig brain extract and interferon pushed the phenotypic expression of malignant cells in the direction of more mature, differentiated astroglia, at the same time reducing expression of the malignancy- associated properties. The tumour promoting phorbol ester, TPA, effectively pushed the balance of phenotypic expression in the direction of malignancy, as determined by in vitro criteria. The differentiated properties were unaffected by this agent. The DNA-alkylating carcinogens,mitomycin C and methylnitrosourea, both used clinically in the treatment of cancer, stimulated expression of both differentiated and malignancy-associated properties. The relevance of these findings in considering the growth and spread of tumours after chemotherapy, and possible new treatment procedures for malignant disease, are discussed