America Without a Minimum Wage: Why the Federal Minimum Wage Should Be Abolished

Minimum wage policy may be the greatest economic policy issue where the common man has a strong opinion. Nearly every person has a view of how minimum wage policy should be enacted, whether it be in raising the federal minimum wage, changing the scope of authority in the federal government, or another policy. However, in discussing any kind of policy, the key details of the policy must be discussed in the framework of both how it would be affected and how it would impact its stakeholders. In this policy analysis, the Iron Triangle of Public Policy – the key executive agency, the key legislative committees, and the key interest groups which affect policy making – is discussed in reference to minimum wage policy. As we discuss the key actors in policy making, we also discuss those who would be heavily impacted by minimum wage policy changes – unions, employers, and workers – and the reasons why they may advocate for or against changes to minimum wage policy. Once we understand the methods and reasons behind the minimum wage, we must discuss the downstream effects of enacting a minimum wage policy, and three different policies are briefly discussed: raising the federal minimum wage, eliminating the federal minimum wage, and taking wage policy away from the federal government and granting it to the state governments

Political Compromise in America: Why Are Americans So Politically Divided And What Can Be Done To Prevent A Fractured Nation

Ask anyone who is politically active what they believe to be the biggest problem in politics today. More often than not, Americans tend to blame the failing parts of society on the stubbornness of the opposing political party. This generally opens up the floor to asking questions about whether individuals are willing to listen to members of the opposing party discuss their points of view, and unfortunately, many will choose not to listen at all, having already decided that they are wrong and there is no possibility of coming to a middle ground between the two points of view. People adopt a “my way or the highway” approach to politics. Because society is becoming more obviously political, with politics finding a way to imbue itself into every aspect of society, there is a deepening divide between those who identify as Republicans and those who identify as Democrats. This division, should it continue to grow, could ultimately lead to the complete division of the nation and the possibility of a second American Civil War. So why do people tend to choose not to compromise? This research paper looks to analyze this issue of political compromise in America, and strives to understand what is keeping people from coming to a middle ground on American politics. In its essence, the question is being asked: Why do people choose not to compromise in politics, and how can the nation be brought back to a place where there is a common starting point, even if the end points are different? By analyzing research and literature on the deepening political divide in this nation, as well as looking at different voting demographics and the patterns and traditions that stick to the voting process, this author hopes to ultimately debunk the idea that America is beyond the point of saving, and answer the question of where people need to come together in order to solve the political polarization of all American society

Inhibition of CaMKK2 reverses age-associated decline in bone mass

Decline in bone formation is a major contributing factor to the loss of bone mass associated with aging. We previously showed that the genetic ablation of the tissue-restricted and multifunctional Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) stimulates trabecular bone mass accrual, mainly by promoting anabolic pathways and inhibiting catabolic pathways of bone remodeling. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of this kinase using its selective cell-permeable inhibitor STO-609 will stimulate bone formation in 32 week old male WT mice and reverse age-associated of decline in bone volume and strength. Tri-weekly intraperitoneal injections of saline or STO-609 (10 μM) were performed for six weeks followed by metabolic labeling with calcein and alizarin red. New bone formation was assessed by dynamic histomorphometry whereas micro-computed tomography was employed to measure trabecular bone volume, microarchitecture and femoral mid-shaft geometry. Cortical and trabecular bone biomechanical properties were assessed using three-point bending and punch compression methods respectively. Our results reveal that as they progress from 12 to 32 weeks of age, WT mice sustain a significant decline in trabecular bone volume, microarchitecture and strength as well as cortical bone strength. However, treatment of the 32 week old WT mice with STO-609 stimulated apposition of new bone and completely reversed the age-associated decrease in bone volume, quality, as well as trabecular and cortical bone strength. We also observed that regardless of age, male Camkk2(-/-) mice possessed significantly elevated trabecular bone volume, microarchitecture and compressive strength as well as cortical bone strength compared to age-matched WT mice, implying that the chronic loss of this kinase attenuates age-associated decline in bone mass. Further, whereas STO-609 treatment and/or the absence of CaMKK2 significantly enhanced the femoral mid-shaft geometry, the mid-shaft cortical wall thickness and material bending stress remained similar among the cohorts, implying that regardless of treatment, the material properties of the bone remain similar. Thus, our cumulative results provide evidence for the pharmacological inhibition of CaMKK2 as a bone anabolic strategy in combating age-associated osteoporosis

Specific induction of pp125 focal adhesion kinase in human breast cancer

The pp125 focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is involved in integrin-mediated cell signalling and overexpressed in a variety of solid tumours. Focal adhesion kinase expression has been correlated to invasion and metastasis, but the data on breast cancer are inconclusive. We analysed FAK mRNA, protein levels and expression patterns in primary breast cancer and normal breast tissue. FAK expression on the functional protein level and mRNA was determined in 55 matched pairs of breast cancer and corresponding normal tissue by Western blot, immunohistochemistry and RT–PCR. Using a score ranging from 0 to +5 for Western blots, we determined in normal breast tissue a score of 1.51±0.84 (mean±standard deviation), which was strongly induced to 2.91 (±1.22) in breast cancers (P<0.001). Overall, 45 out of 55 tissue pairs (81.8%) showed this upregulation of FAK protein in tumours in comparison to normal tissue. Immunohistochemistry confirmed these findings with a significant higher score for tumours vs physiological tissue (1.0±0.63 vs 2.27±0.91; P=0.001). Interestingly, no overall significant difference in the mRNA levels (P=0.359) was observed. In conclusion, expression levels of the FAK protein are specifically upregulated in breast cancer in comparison to matched normal breast tissue supporting its pivotal role in neoplastic signal transduction and representing a potential marker for malignant transformation

Association of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid viral antigen and the receptor for advanced glycation end products with development of severe disease in patients presenting to the emergency department with COVID-19

IntroductionThere remains a need to better identify patients at highest risk for developing severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as additional waves of the pandemic continue to impact hospital systems. We sought to characterize the association of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid viral antigen, and a panel of thromboinflammatory biomarkers with development of severe disease in patients presenting to the emergency department with symptomatic COVID-19.MethodsBlood samples were collected on arrival from 77 patients with symptomatic COVID-19, and plasma levels of thromboinflammatory biomarkers were measured.ResultsDifferences in biomarkers between those who did and did not develop severe disease or death 7 days after presentation were analyzed. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, RAGE, SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid viral antigen, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-1 were significantly elevated in the group who developed severe disease (all p&lt;0.05). In a multivariable regression model, RAGE and SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid viral antigen remained significant risk factors for development of severe disease (both p&lt;0.05), and each had sensitivity and specificity &gt;80% on cut-point analysis.DiscussionElevated RAGE and SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid viral antigen on emergency department presentation are strongly associated with development of severe disease at 7 days. These findings are of clinical relevance for patient prognostication and triage as hospital systems continue to be overwhelmed. Further studies are warranted to determine the feasibility and utility of point-of care measurements of these biomarkers in the emergency department setting to improve patient prognostication and triage

Utility of circulating tumor DNA for predicting prognosis in the management of resectable pancreatic cancer

Background: The measurement of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has been studied in several malignancies, including metastatic pancreatic cancer, but less is known about its utility in monitoring treatment response and recurrence in resectable pancreatic cancer. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature examining the association of ctDNA with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival. Results: Five articles met our exclusion criteria. Baseline and/or postoperative ctDNA was found to be associated with decreased OS and recurrence-free survival. Discussion: ctDNA has the potential to be used as a prognostic biomarker and to guide therapy in resectable pancreatic cancer