Equal Voice by Half Measures

In democratic theory, the ballot is the most perfect expression of the democratic commitment to the moral equality of persons. Every citizen, whether old or young, rich or poor, sophisticated or simple, enjoys the same endowment in an election: a single vote. The ballot not only gives citizens their voice in government, it also makes their voices equal. In practice, however, democracies have erected all sorts of impediments to the ideal of equal voice, such as restrictions on suffrage, legislative malapportionments, and discriminatory gerrymanders. Among the most egregious impediments, however, are surely the systems of indirect election purported to filter and to refine the voice of the people. The Electoral College is one such system. This Commentary examines the effects of that system and the proposed reforms to it on the prospect of equal voice in elections

Equal Voice by Half Measures

In democratic theory, the ballot is the most perfect expression of the democratic commitment to the moral equality of persons. Every citizen, whether old or young, rich or poor, sophisticated or simple, enjoys the same endowment in an election: a single vote. The ballot not only gives citizens their voice in government, it also makes their voices equal. In practice, however, democracies have erected all sorts of impediments to the ideal of equal voice, such as restrictions on suffrage, legislative malapportionments, and discriminatory gerrymanders. Among the most egregious impediments, however, are surely the systems of indirect election purported to filter and to refine the voice of the people. The Electoral College is one such system. This Commentary examines the effects of that system and the proposed reforms to it on the prospect of equal voice in elections

Virtual histology of transgenic mouse embryos for high-throughput phenotyping.

Journal ArticleA bold new effort to disrupt every gene in the mouse genome necessitates systematic, interdisciplinary approaches to analyzing patterning defects in the mouse embryo. We present a novel, rapid, and inexpensive method for obtaining high-resolution virtual histology for phenotypic assessment of mouse embryos. Using osmium tetroxide to differentially stain tissues followed by volumetric X-ray computed tomography to image whole embryos, isometric resolutions of 27 mum or 8 mum were achieved with scan times of 2 h or 12 h, respectively, using mid-gestation E9.5-E12.5 embryos. The datasets generated by this method are immediately amenable to state-of-the-art computational methods of organ patterning analysis. This technique to assess embryo anatomy represents a significant improvement in resolution, time, and expense for the quantitative, three-dimensional analysis of developmental patterning defects attributed to genetically engineered mutations and chemically induced embryotoxicity

Primary Elections and Partisan Polarization in the U.S. Congress

Many observers and scholars argue that primary elections contribute to ideological polarization in U.S. politics. We test this claim using congressional elections and roll call voting behavior. Many of our findings are null. We find little evidence that the introduction of primary elections, the level of primary election turnout, or the threat of primary competition are associated with partisan polarization in congressional roll call voting. We also find little evidence that extreme roll call voting records are positively associated with primary election outcomes. A positive finding is that general election competition exerts pressure toward convergence as extreme roll call voting is negatively correlated with general election outcomes.Governmen

Atmospheric neutron measurements with the SONTRAC science model

–The SOlar Neutron TRACking (SONTRAC) telescope was originally developed to measure the energy spectrum and incident direction of neutrons produced in solar flares, in the energy range 20 - 250 MeV. While developed primarily for solar physics, the SONTRAC detector may be employed in virtually any application requiring both energy measurement and imaging capabilities. The SONTRAC Science Model (SM) is presently being operated at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) as a ground-based instrument to investigate the energy spectrum, zenith and azimuth angle dependence of the cosmic-ray induced sea-level atmospheric neutron flux. SONTRAC measurements are based on the non-relativistic double scatter of neutrons off ambient protons within a block of scintillating fibers. Using the n-p elastic double-scatter technique, it is possible to uniquely determine the neutron’s energy and direction on an event-by-event basis. The 3D SM consists of a cube of orthogonal plastic scintillating fiber layers with 5 cm sides, read out by two CCD cameras. Two orthogonal imaging chains allow full 3D reconstruction of scattered proton tracks

The evolutionary diversification of LSF and Grainyhead transcription factors preceded the radiation of basal animal lineages

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The transcription factors of the LSF/Grainyhead (GRH) family are characterized by the possession of a distinctive DNA-binding domain that bears no clear relationship to other known DNA-binding domains, with the possible exception of the p53 core domain. In triploblastic animals, the LSF and GRH subfamilies have diverged extensively with respect to their biological roles, general expression patterns, and mechanism of DNA binding. For example, <it>Grainyhead </it>(GRH) homologs are expressed primarily in the epidermis, and they appear to play an ancient role in maintaining the epidermal barrier. By contrast, LSF homologs are more widely expressed, and they regulate general cellular functions such as cell cycle progression and survival in addition to cell-lineage specific gene expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To illuminate the early evolution of this family and reconstruct the functional divergence of LSF and GRH, we compared homologs from 18 phylogenetically diverse taxa, including four basal animals (<it>Nematostella vectensis</it>, <it>Vallicula multiformis</it>, <it>Trichoplax adhaerens</it>, and <it>Amphimedon queenslandica</it>), a choanoflagellate (<it>Monosiga brevicollis</it>) and several fungi. Phylogenetic and bioinformatic analyses of these sequences indicate that (1) the LSF/GRH gene family originated prior to the animal-fungal divergence, and (2) the functional diversification of the LSF and GRH subfamilies occurred prior to the divergence between sponges and eumetazoans. Aspects of the domain architecture of LSF/GRH proteins are well conserved between fungi, choanoflagellates, and metazoans, though within the Metazoa, the LSF and GRH families are clearly distinct. We failed to identify a convincing LSF/GRH homolog in the sequenced genomes of the algae <it>Volvox carteri </it>and <it>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii </it>or the amoebozoan <it>Dictyostelium purpureum</it>. Interestingly, the ancestral GRH locus has become split into two separate loci in the sea anemone <it>Nematostella</it>, with one locus encoding a DNA binding domain and the other locus encoding the dimerization domain.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In metazoans, LSF and GRH proteins play a number of roles that are essential to achieving and maintaining multicellularity. It is now clear that this protein family already existed in the unicellular ancestor of animals, choanoflagellates, and fungi. However, the diversification of distinct LSF and GRH subfamilies appears to be a metazoan invention. Given the conserved role of GRH in maintaining epithelial integrity in vertebrates, insects, and nematodes, it is noteworthy that the evolutionary origin of Grh appears roughly coincident with the evolutionary origin of the epithelium.</p

The Role of State Flex Programs in Supporting Quality Improvement in CAHs (Policy Brief #16)

This study examined QI activities supported by the Flex Program in nine states, assessed the role of the State Flex Programs in developing and supporting QI activities, and explored the effect of these initiatives on CAH QI efforts. Key Findings: The Flex Program has been instrumental in funding and providing leadership for the development of CAH quality improvement initiatives. Collaborative shared learning strategies have been central to the success of Flex Program QI programs. Scaling QI program activities to the capacity and resources of CAHs is critical to success. Administrative, clinical, and board leadership and buy-in are also critical to the success of CAH QI initiatives. Despite widespread support for these QI initiatives, there is limited hard evidence on their impact. Overlap between the quality measures in Hospital Compare and those used by state and multi-state QI reporting and benchmarking programs offers the opportunity for developing a common set of “rural relevant” hospital quality measures

Models for Quality Improvement in CAHs: The Role of State Flex Programs (Briefing Paper #25)

A central goal of the Flex Program, as defined in the original and reauthorizing legislation, is to help Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) develop and sustain effective quality improvement (QI) programs. This study examined the range of multi-CAH QI and performance measurement reporting initiatives supported by the Flex Program in nine states, assessed the role of State Flex Programs in developing and supporting these initiatives, and explored their impact on the QI programs of CAHs. Key Findings: State Flex Program funding was frequently the primary, if not sole, source of funding to support these efforts. Collaboration and shared learning are common Flex Program strategies underlying state QI initiatives. Quality measurement and reporting is a challenge due to a lack of agreement on common measures across state QI and benchmarking systems and a common belief that Hospital Compare measures are not “rurally relevant” (i.e., specific to the needs of CAHs). Administrative, clinical, and board leadership and buy-in were consistently identified as crucial to the success and sustainability of CAH-level QI initiatives. States reported that the scope of their QI has to be scaled to the available resources and capacity of CAHs to avoid QI fatigue among CAH staff. There is limited hard evidence on the impact of the QI initiatives adopted by State Flex Programs; much of the “evidence” supporting these initiatives is anecdotal or based on postconference or webinar evaluations

Low-grade pelvic masses with spindle cell and fibroblastic proliferation: a case report

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