An Economic Analysis of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act

As an attempt by Congress to overturn a Supreme Court ruling by statute, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), although passed by a congressional landslide, was one of the most controversial pieces of legislation passed during Bill Clinton\u27s presidency. Wheeler examines RFRA from a law and economics perspective to show that, as a method by which Congress attempted to impose its definition of a constitutional right upon the courts, the Act was inefficient

Can the Future Influence the Present?

One widely accepted model of classical electrodynamics assumes that a moving charged particle produces both retarded and advanced fields. This formulation first appeared at least 75 years ago. It was popularized in the 1940\u27s by work of Wheeler and Feynman. But the most fundamental question associated with the model has remained unanswered: When (if ever) does the two-body problem have a unique solution? The present paper gives an answer in one special case. Imagine two identical charged particles alone in the universe moving symmetrically along the x axis. One is at x(t) and the other is at −x(t). Their motion is then governed by a system of functional differential equations involving both retarded and advanced arguments. This system together with the Newtonian initial data x(0)=x0\u3e0 and x′(0)=0 has a unique solution for all time provided x0 is sufficiently large. Perhaps the existence and uniqueness proof given for this special case will pave the way for more general results on this curious two-body problem

Clinical and Genome-Wide Analysis of Serum Platinum Levels after Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy

Purpose: Serum platinum is measurable for years after completion of cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CBC). We report the largest investigation of serum platinum levels to date of 1,010 testicular cancer survivors (TCS) assessed 1-35 years after CBC and evaluate genetic contributions to these levels. Experimental Design: Eligible TCS given 300 or 400 (±15) mg/m2 cisplatin underwent extensive audiometric testing, clinical examination, completed questionnaires and had crude serum platinum levels measured. Associations between serum platinum and various risk factors and toxicities were assessed after fitting a bi-exponential model adjusted for follow-up time and cumulative cisplatin dose. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using the serum platinum residuals of the dose and time-adjusted model. Results: Serum platinum levels exceeded the reference range for approximately 31 years, with a strong inverse relationship with creatinine clearance at follow-up (age-adjusted p = 2.13×10−3). We observed a significant, positive association between residual platinum values and luteinizing hormone (age-adjusted p=6.58×10−3). Patients with high residual platinum levels experienced greater Raynaud’s phenomenon than those with medium or low levels (age-adjusted ORhigh/low = 1.46; p = 0.04), as well as a higher likelihood of developing tinnitus (age-adjusted ORhigh/low = 1.68, p = 0.07). GWAS identified one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) meeting genome-wide significance rs1377817 (p=4.6×10−8, a SNP intronic to MYH14). Conclusions: This study indicates that residual platinum values are correlated with several cisplatin-related toxicities. One genetic variant is associated with these levels

Genome-wide interaction study of smoking and bladder cancer risk

Bladder cancer is a complex disease with known environmental and genetic risk factors. We performed a genome-wide interaction study (GWAS) of smoking and bladder cancer risk based on primary scan data from 3002 cases and 4411 controls from the National Cancer Institute Bladder Cancer GWAS. Alternative methods were used to evaluate both additive and multiplicative interactions between individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and smoking exposure. SNPs with interaction P values < 5 x 10(-) (5) were evaluated further in an independent dataset of 2422 bladder cancer cases and 5751 controls. We identified 10 SNPs that showed association in a consistent manner with the initial dataset and in the combined dataset, providing evidence of interaction with tobacco use. Further, two of these novel SNPs showed strong evidence of association with bladder cancer in tobacco use subgroups that approached genome-wide significance. Specifically, rs1711973 (FOXF2) on 6p25.3 was a susceptibility SNP for never smokers [combined odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20-1.50, P value = 5.18 x 10(-) (7)]; and rs12216499 (RSPH3-TAGAP-EZR) on 6q25.3 was a susceptibility SNP for ever smokers (combined OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.67-0.84, P value = 6.35 x 10(-) (7)). In our analysis of smoking and bladder cancer, the tests for multiplicative interaction seemed to more commonly identify susceptibility loci with associations in never smokers, whereas the additive interaction analysis identified more loci with associations among smokers-including the known smoking and NAT2 acetylation interaction. Our findings provide additional evidence of gene-environment interactions for tobacco and bladder cancer

Characterizing Ham and Loin Quality as Hot Carcass Weight Increases to an Average of 119 Kilograms

The objective was to characterize ham and loin quality of carcasses ranging from 78 to 145 kg (average ∼119 kg). Hot carcass weight (HCW), back fat depth, and loin depth was measured on 666 carcasses. Loin pH, instrumental and visual color and iodine value of clear plate fat (all 3 layers) was measured on approximately 90% of the population. Quality measurements of the ham, 14 d aged loin and chop, and loin chop shear force (SSF) were evaluated on approximately 30% of the population. Myosin heavy chain fiber type determination was completed on 49 carcasses. Slopes of regression lines and coefficients of determination between HCW and quality traits were calculated using the REG procedure in SAS and considered significantly different from 0 at P ≤ 0.05. As HCW increased, loin depth (b1 = 0.2496, P 0.15) and did not explain more than 1% (R2 ≤ 0.01) of the variation in 1 d loin color or pH. Loins from heavier carcasses were more tender (decreased SSF; b1 = –0.0674, P 0.22) muscle fiber type percentage or area. These results suggest that increasing HCW to an average of 119 kg did not compromise pork quality

Developmental expression of COE across the Metazoa supports a conserved role in neuronal cell-type specification and mesodermal development

The transcription factor COE (collier/olfactory-1/early B cell factor) is an unusual basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor as it lacks a basic domain and is maintained as a single copy gene in the genomes of all currently analysed non-vertebrate Metazoan genomes. Given the unique features of the COE gene, its proposed ancestral role in the specification of chemosensory neurons and the wealth of functional data from vertebrates and Drosophila, the evolutionary history of the COE gene can be readily investigated. We have examined the ways in which COE expression has diversified among the Metazoa by analysing its expression from representatives of four disparate invertebrate phyla: Ctenophora (Mnemiopsis leidyi); Mollusca (Haliotis asinina); Annelida (Capitella teleta and Chaetopterus) and Echinodermata (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). In addition, we have studied COE function with knockdown experiments in S. purpuratus, which indicate that COE is likely to be involved in repressing serotonergic cell fate in the apical ganglion of dipleurula larvae. These analyses suggest that COE has played an important role in the evolution of ectodermally derived tissues (likely primarily nervous tissues) and mesodermally derived tissues. Our results provide a broad evolutionary foundation from which further studies aimed at the functional characterisation and evolution of COE can be investigated

Effects of Increased Pork Hot Carcass Weights. II: Loin Quality Characteristics and Palatability Ratings

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increased pork hot carcass weight on loin quality and palatability of top loin chops. Pork loins (N = 200) were collected from 4 different hot carcass weight groups: A light weight (LT; less than 111.8 kg), medium-light weight (MLT; 111.8 to 119.1 kg), medium-heavy weight (MHVY; 119.1 to 124.4), and a heavyweight group (HVY; 124.4 and greater). Following fabrication, chops were assigned to fat and moisture analysis, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), consumer sensory panels, or trained sensory panels. Chops from the HVY group were rated as more (P 0.05) consumer flavor liking ratings. Hot carcass weight treatment did not contribute (P > 0.05) to the percentage of chops rated acceptable for flavor and overall liking. The greatest (P 0.05), with greater (P < 0.05) overall tenderness ratings compared to chops from LT carcasses. These results indicate chops from heavier weight carcasses may have improved tenderness and juiciness compared to chops from lighter carcasses