Understanding Income Inequality in the United States

In a democracy where the median income is substantially less than the mean, why does the poor majority not implement a significant level of redistribution? Despite fears that democracy would empower the poor majority to such ends, constituents of below average income have a mixed record of utilizing democracy to ameliorate economic inequality in the United States. How do we understand this puzzle? Why does the poor majority not maintain a constant level of redistribution in a democracy? In the first part of my dissertation, I provide a game theoretic answer based on historical research which is in accord with the broad trend in both policy and economic inequality in the United States. In the second part of my dissertation, I present new income tax data for New York City and Philadelphia for the 1860s. Despite limitations, this data offers a glimpse at the income shares of the top 1, 0.1, and 0.01 percent of the population in the two premier US cities during an important period in our economic history – a glimpse previously not possible. As we shall see, the income shares of top one percent in New York City in the 1860s and mid-2000s are comparable. This combined with recent data and our knowledge of US history highlights new questions

Long descending cervical propriospinal neurons differ from thoracic propriospinal neurons in response to low thoracic spinal injury

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Propriospinal neurons, with axonal projections intrinsic to the spinal cord, have shown a greater regenerative response than supraspinal neurons after axotomy due to spinal cord injury (SCI). Our previous work focused on the response of axotomized short thoracic propriospinal (TPS) neurons following a low thoracic SCI (T9 spinal transection or moderate spinal contusion injury) in the rat. The present investigation analyzes the intrinsic response of cervical propriospinal neurons having long descending axons which project into the lumbosacral enlargement, long descending propriospinal tract (LDPT) axons. These neurons also were axotomized by T9 spinal injury in the same animals used in our previous study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Utilizing laser microdissection (LMD), qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry, we studied LDPT neurons (located in the C5-C6 spinal segments) between 3-days, and 1-month following a low thoracic (T9) spinal cord injury. We examined the response of 89 genes related to growth factors, cell surface receptors, apoptosis, axonal regeneration, and neuroprotection/cell survival. We found a strong and significant down-regulation of ~25% of the genes analyzed early after injury (3-days post-injury) with a sustained down-regulation in most instances. In the few genes that were up-regulated (Actb, Atf3, Frs2, Hspb1, Nrap, Stat1) post-axotomy, the expression for all but one was down-regulated by 2-weeks post-injury. We also compared the uninjured TPS control neurons to the uninjured LDPT neurons used in this experiment for phenotypic differences between these two subpopulations of propriospinal neurons. We found significant differences in expression in 37 of the 84 genes examined between these two subpopulations of propriospinal neurons with LDPT neurons exhibiting a significantly higher base line expression for all but 3 of these genes compared to TPS neurons.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Taken collectively these data indicate a broad overall down-regulation in the genes examined, including genes for neurotrophic/growth factor receptors as well as for several growth factors. There was a lack of a significant regenerative response, with the exception of an up-regulation of Atf3 and early up-regulation of Hspb1 (Hsp27), both involved in cell stress/neuroprotection as well as axonal regeneration. There was no indication of a cell death response over the first month post-injury. In addition, there appear to be significant phenotypic differences between uninjured TPS and LDPT neurons, which may partly account for the differences observed in their post-axotomy responses. The findings in this current study stand in stark contrast to the findings from our previous work on TPS neurons. This suggests that different approaches will be needed to enhance the capacity for each population of propriospinal neuron to survive and undergo successful axonal regeneration after SCI.</p

The political personality of 2016 presidential candidate Rand Paul

We conducted a psychodiagnostic case study of Kentucky senator and declared 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul. The purpose of the study was to construct a Millon-based personality profile of Dr. Paul

Pharmacologically blocking p53-dependent apoptosis protects intestinal stem cells and mice from radiation.

Exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation (IR) leads to debilitating and dose-limiting gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. Using three-dimensional mouse crypt culture, we demonstrated that p53 target PUMA mediates radiation-induced apoptosis via a cell-intrinsic mechanism, and identified the GSK-3 inhibitor CHIR99021 as a potent radioprotector. CHIR99021 treatment improved Lgr5+ cell survival and crypt regeneration after radiation in culture and mice. CHIR99021 treatment specifically blocked apoptosis and PUMA induction and K120 acetylation of p53 mediated by acetyl-transferase Tip60, while it had no effect on p53 stabilization, phosphorylation or p21 induction. CHIR99021 also protected human intestinal cultures from radiation by PUMA but not p21 suppression. These results demonstrate that p53 posttranslational modifications play a key role in the pathological and apoptotic response of the intestinal stem cells to radiation and can be targeted pharmacologically

Spring-mediated distraction enterogenesis may alter the course of adaptation in porcine short bowel syndrome

IntroductionSevere forms of short bowel syndrome (SBS) resulting in chronic intestinal failure (IF) have limited therapeutic options, all of which are associated with significant morbidities. Spring-mediated distraction enterogenesis (SMDE) uses an intraluminal self-expanding spring to generate mechanical force to induce intestinal stretching and sustained axial growth, providing a promising novel approach for patients with SBS. Previous studies have established this method to be safe and effective in small and large animal models. However, SMDE has previously not been implemented in a large, clinically relevant animal model.MethodsJuvenile mini-Yucatan pigs with 75% of their small intestine resected had intraluminal springs placed after an initial adaptive period. Morphological and histological assessments were performed on SMDE segments compared to the control region of the intestine undergoing normal adaptive responses to resection.ResultsWhile the initial histologic adaptive response observed following resection was attenuated after a month, the SMDE segments instead augmented these adaptive changes. Specifically, intestinal length increased 2-fold in SMDE segments, and the widths of the epithelial, muscularis, and serosal layers were enhanced in SMDE compared with control segments of the same animal. This data suggests that morphologic intestinal adaptation may be enhanced with SMDE in the setting of SBS.DiscussionHere we demonstrate the successful and reproducible implementation of SMDE in a large animal model in the setting of prior intestinal resection, making SMDE a viable and novel approach for SBS to be explored further

Midwestern Latino caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes and sense making of the oral health etiology, prevention and barriers that inhibit their children’s oral health: a CBPR approach

Using community-based participatory research, the Health Protection Model was used to understand the cultural experiences, attitudes, knowledge and behaviors surrounding caries etiology, its prevention and barriers to accessing oral health care for children of Latino parents residing in Central Indiana

Axial p-n Junctions Realized in Silicon Nanowires by Ion Implantation

The electrical properties of vertically aligned silicon nanowires doped by ion implantation are studied in this paper by a combination of electron beam-induced current imaging and two terminal current−voltage measurements. By varying the implantation parameters in several process steps, uniform p- and n-doping profiles as well as p-n junctions along the nanowire axis are realized. The effective doping is demonstrated by electron beam-induced current imaging on single nanowires, and current−voltage measurements show their well-defined rectifying behavior

Nuclear medicine procedures and the evaluation of male sexual organs: a short review

Sexuality consists of three aspects that are interrelated and inseparable, biological, physiological and social. The biological aspect considers the individual's capability to give and to receive pleasure. In consequence, it covers the functionality of the sexual organs and the physiology of human sexual response cycle. Diagnostic imaging modalities, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) have been used to evaluate clinical disorders of the male reproductive system. PET and SPECT procedures basically involve the administration of a radiopharmaceutical that has a higher uptake in a specific tumor or tissue. The aim of this brief review is to present some radiopharmaceuticals that have been used in the clinical evaluation of the male sexual organs (testes, prostate, seminal vesicles, penis) related with male sexuality. This information could be useful in better understanding the male sexual response cycle, as well as the sexual disorders, when considering the male sexual organs and the pelvic floor. Moreover, the findings obtained with PET and SPECT imaging could help to evaluate the efficacy of clinical results of therapeutic procedures. In conclusion, the knowledge from these images could aid in better understanding the physiology of the different organs related with sexuality. Furthermore, they could be important tools to evaluate the physiological integrity of the involved organs, to improve clinical strategies and to accompany the patients under treatment