Conflicted scientists: the “shared pool” dilemma of scientific advisory committees

Science advisors play a critical role in government policy making, yet these advisors are often equally attractive to regulated industry. Despite efforts to manage conflicts of interest among science advisors, allegations of conflict frequently plague advisory committee deliberations or outcomes. This article examines what we term the “shared pool” dilemma using data collected from 92 members of 11 US Food and Drug Administration advisory committees. The results suggested science advisors were generally positive about their experiences on advisory committees and viewed the committee process as impartial. Written comments suggested that advisors linked the neutrality of the process to the success of the FDA’s conflict-of-interest procedures. Even so, the advisors acknowledged the challenges associated with recruiting disinterested and qualified scientists to serve on advisory committees, reflecting the shared pool dilemma. Many advisors seemed more troubled about advisors participating when they lacked expertise than when they had minor conflicts of interest

On Exceptional Vertex Operator (Super) Algebras

We consider exceptional vertex operator algebras and vertex operator superalgebras with the property that particular Casimir vectors constructed from the primary vectors of lowest conformal weight are Virasoro descendents of the vacuum. We show that the genus one partition function and characters for simple ordinary modules must satisfy modular linear differential equations. We show the rationality of the central charge and module lowest weights, modularity of solutions, the dimension of each graded space is a rational function of the central charge and that the lowest weight primaries generate the algebra. We also discuss conditions on the reducibility of the lowest weight primary vectors as a module for the automorphism group. Finally we analyse solutions for exceptional vertex operator algebras with primary vectors of lowest weight up to 9 and for vertex operator superalgebras with primary vectors of lowest weight up to 17/2. Most solutions can be identified with simple ordinary modules for known algebras but there are also four conjectured algebras generated by weight two primaries and three conjectured extremal vertex operator algebras generated by primaries of weight 3, 4 and 6 respectively.Comment: 37 page

Genus Two Partition and Correlation Functions for Fermionic Vertex Operator Superalgebras I

We define the partition and $n$-point correlation functions for a vertex operator superalgebra on a genus two Riemann surface formed by sewing two tori together. For the free fermion vertex operator superalgebra we obtain a closed formula for the genus two continuous orbifold partition function in terms of an infinite dimensional determinant with entries arising from torus Szeg\"o kernels. We prove that the partition function is holomorphic in the sewing parameters on a given suitable domain and describe its modular properties. Using the bosonized formalism, a new genus two Jacobi product identity is described for the Riemann theta series. We compute and discuss the modular properties of the generating function for all $n$-point functions in terms of a genus two Szeg\"o kernel determinant. We also show that the Virasoro vector one point function satisfies a genus two Ward identity.Comment: A number of typos have been corrected, 39 pages. To appear in Commun. Math. Phy

Three-dimensional AdS gravity and extremal CFTs at c=8m

We note that Witten's proposed duality between extremal c=24k CFTs and three-dimensional anti-de Sitter gravity may possibly be extended to central charges that are multiples of 8, for which extremal self-dual CFTs are known to exist up to c=40. All CFTs of this type with central charge 24 or higher, provided that they exist, have the required mass gap and may serve as candidate duals to three-dimensional gravity at the corresponding values of the cosmological constant. Here, we compute the genus one partition function of these theories up to c=88, we give exact and approximate formulas for the degeneracies of states, and we determine the genus two partition functions of the theories up to c=40.Comment: 17 pages, harvmac; v2: references added, version accepted in JHE

Torus n-Point Functions for R\mathbb{R}-graded Vertex Operator Superalgebras and Continuous Fermion Orbifolds

We consider genus one n-point functions for a vertex operator superalgebra with a real grading. We compute all n-point functions for rank one and rank two fermion vertex operator superalgebras. In the rank two fermion case, we obtain all orbifold n-point functions for a twisted module associated with a continuous automorphism generated by a Heisenberg bosonic state. The modular properties of these orbifold n-point functions are given and we describe a generalization of Fay's trisecant identity for elliptic functions.Comment: 50 page

Assessment of epicutaneous testing of a monovalent Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine in egg allergic patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>H1N1 is responsible for the first influenza pandemic in 41 years. In the fall of 2009, an H1N1 vaccine became available in Canada with the hopes of reducing the overall effect of the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of administering 2 different doses of a monovalent split virus 2009 H1N1 vaccine in egg allergic patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients were skin tested to the H1N1 vaccine in the outpatient paediatric and adult allergy and immunology clinics of the Health Sciences Centre and Children's Hospital of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Individuals <9 years of age were administered 1.88 μg's of hem-agglutinin antigen per 0.25 ml dose and individuals ≥9 years were administered 3.75 μg's of hemagglutinin antigen per 0.5 ml dose. Upon determination of a negative skin test, the vaccine was administered with a 30 minute observation period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 61 patients with egg allergy (history of an allergic reaction to egg with either positive skin test &/or specific IgE to egg >0.35 Ku/L) were referred to our allergy clinics for skin testing to the H1N1 vaccine. 2 patients were excluded, one did not have a skin prick test to the H1N1 vaccine (only vaccine administration) and the other passed an egg challenge during the study period. Ages ranged from 1 to 27 years (mean 5.6 years). There were 41(69.5%) males and 18(30.5%) females. All but one patient with a history of egg allergy, positive skin test to egg and/or elevated specific IgE level to egg had negative skin tests to the H1N1 vaccine. The 58 patients with negative skin testing to the H1N1 vaccine were administered the vaccine and observed for 30 minutes post vaccination with no adverse results. The patient with the positive skin test to the H1N1 vaccine was also administered the vaccine intramuscularly with no adverse results.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Despite concern regarding possible anaphylaxis to the H1N1 vaccine in egg allergic patients, in our case series 1/59(1.7%) patients with sensitization to egg were also sensitized to the H1N1 vaccine. Administration of the H1N1 vaccine in egg allergic patients with negative H1N1 skin tests and observation is safe. Administering the vaccine in a 1 or 2 dose protocol without skin testing is a reasonable alternative as per the CSACI guidelines.</p

Disrupting the cortical actin cytoskeleton points to two distinct mechanisms of yeast [PSI+] prion formation

Mammalian and fungal prions arise de novo; however, the mechanism is poorly understood in molecular terms. One strong possibility is that oxidative damage to the non-prion form of a protein may be an important trigger influencing the formation of its heritable prion conformation. We have examined the oxidative stress-induced formation of the yeast [PSI+] prion, which is the altered conformation of the Sup35 translation termination factor. We used tandem affinity purification (TAP) and mass spectrometry to identify the proteins which associate with Sup35 in a tsa1 tsa2 antioxidant mutant to address the mechanism by which Sup35 forms the [PSI+] prion during oxidative stress conditions. This analysis identified several components of the cortical actin cytoskeleton including the Abp1 actin nucleation promoting factor, and we show that deletion of the ABP1 gene abrogates oxidant-induced [PSI+] prion formation. The frequency of spontaneous [PSI+] prion formation can be increased by overexpression of Sup35 since the excess Sup35 increases the probability of forming prion seeds. In contrast to oxidant-induced [PSI+] prion formation, overexpression-induced [PSI+] prion formation was only modestly affected in an abp1 mutant. Furthermore, treating yeast cells with latrunculin A to disrupt the formation of actin cables and patches abrogated oxidant-induced, but not overexpression-induced [PSI+] prion formation, suggesting a mechanistic difference in prion formation. [PIN+], the prion form of Rnq1, localizes to the IPOD (insoluble protein deposit) and is thought to influence the aggregation of other proteins. We show Sup35 becomes oxidized and aggregates during oxidative stress conditions, but does not co-localize with Rnq1 in an abp1 mutant which may account for the reduced frequency of [PSI+] prion formation

Lack of association of cranial lacunae with intracranial hypertension in children with Crouzon syndrome and Apert syndrome: a 3D morphometric quantitative analysis

Purpose Cranial lacunae (foci of attenuated calvarial bone) are CT equivalents ofBcopper beating seen on plain skull radio-graphs in children with craniosynostosis. The qualitative presence of copper beating has not been found to be useful for the diagnosis of intracranial hypertension (IH) in these patients. 3D morphometric analysis (3DMA) allows a more systematic and quantitative assessment of calvarial attenuation. We used 3DMA to examine the relationship between cranial lacunae and IH in children with Crouzon and Apert syndromic craniosynostosis

In situ identification of Palaeoarchaean biosignatures using co-located Perseverance rover analyses: perspectives for in situ Mars science and sample return

The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is currently exploring Jezero crater, a Noachian locality that once hosted a delta–lake system with high habitability and biosignature preservation potential. Perseverance conducts detailed appraisals of rock targets using a synergistic payload capable of geological characterisation from kilometre to micron scales. The highest-resolution textural and chemical information will be provided by correlated WATSON (imaging), SHERLOC (deep-UV Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy) and PIXL (X-ray lithochemistry) analyses, enabling the distributions of organic and mineral phases within rock targets to be comprehensively established. Herein, we analyse Palaeoarchaean microbial mats from the ~3.42 Ga Buck Reef Chert (Barberton greenstone belt) – considered astrobiological analogues for a putative Martian biosphere – following a WATSON–SHERLOC–PIXL protocol identical to that conducted by Perseverance on Mars during each sampling activities. Correlating deep-UV Raman and fluorescence spectroscopic mapping with X-ray elemental mapping, we show that the Perseverance payload has the capability to detect thermally and texturally mature organic materials of biogenic origin and can highlight organic–mineral interrelationships and elemental co-location at fine spatial scales. We also show that the Perseverance protocol obtains very similar results to high-performance laboratory imaging, Raman spectroscopy and µXRF instruments. This is encouraging for the prospect of detecting micro-scale organic-bearing textural biosignatures on Mars using the correlative micro-analytical approach enabled by WATSON, SHERLOC and PIXL; indeed, laminated, organic-bearing samples such as those studied herein are considered plausible biosignatures for a potential Noachian–Hesperian biosphere and would make compelling targets for sampling during the mission