The Day Without Evening: Leo Perutz, Evariste Galois, and Augustine

The biography and historiography of Galois abound with conterfactual imaginations of how the course of mathematics would have been altered, had he not died so young. In the little know short story „The Day Without Evening,“ published in 1924, the Jewish-Austrian writer Leo Perutz essentially reiterates the usual narrative of the events leading to Galois‘ death, masked only by changing the name of the protagonist to Durval and transposing the setting to the Vienna of the beginning of the 20th century. But he is also wary of such counterfactual imaginations. This can be understood in the context of Augustine‘s theology, alluded to in the title of the story, which leads to an understanding of Perutz‘s reasoning on the different temporal order of artistic, scientific, and divine creations

Letter to the Editor

Contains fulltext : 179176pub.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)10 p

Hypoxia Upregulates Estrogen Receptor β in Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cells in a HIF-1α-Dependent Manner

17β-Estradiol (E2) attenuates hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) through estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent effects, including inhibition of hypoxia-induced endothelial cell proliferation; however, the mechanisms responsible for this remain unknown. We hypothesized that the protective effects of E2 in HPH are mediated through hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α)-dependent increases in ERβ expression. Sprague-Dawley rats and ERα or ERβ knockout mice were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 2-3 weeks. The effects of hypoxia were also studied in primary rat or human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). Hypoxia increased expression of ERβ, but not ERα, in lungs from HPH rats as well as in rat and human PAECs. ERβ mRNA time dependently increased in PAECs exposed to hypoxia. Normoxic HIF-1α/HIF-2α stabilization increased PAEC ERβ, whereas HIF-1α knockdown decreased ERβ abundance in hypoxic PAECs. In turn, ERβ knockdown in hypoxic PAECs increased HIF-2α expression, suggesting a hypoxia-sensitive feedback mechanism. ERβ knockdown in hypoxic PAECs also decreased expression of the HIF inhibitor prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2), whereas ERβ activation increased PHD2 and decreased both HIF-1α and HIF-2α, suggesting that ERβ regulates the PHD2/HIF-1α/HIF-2α axis during hypoxia. Whereas hypoxic wild-type or ERα knockout mice treated with E2 demonstrated less pulmonary vascular remodeling and decreased HIF-1α after hypoxia compared with untreated hypoxic mice, ERβ knockout mice exhibited increased HIF-2α and an attenuated response to E2 during hypoxia. Taken together, our results demonstrate a novel and potentially therapeutically targetable mechanism whereby hypoxia, via HIF-1α, increases ERβ expression and the E2-ERβ axis targets PHD2, HIF-1α, and HIF-2α to attenuate HPH development

Bestseller als Problem des Bestandsaufbaus und der Benutzerberatung in öffentlichen Bibliotheken? : Überlegungen anhand ausgewählter Listenbestseller der letzten Jahre

Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem Phänomen Bestseller. Es soll gezeigt werden, welche Bedeutung diese Bücher in der Bibliothek haben. Sieben aktuelle Bestseller werden ausgewertet und beurteilt, und die Probleme, die sich im Umgang mit diesen Titeln beim Bestandsaufbau und in der Benutzerberatung ergeben, werden aufgezeigt

The geography of greenhouse gas emissions from within urban areas of Asia

This paper aims to advance two objectives: (1) identify and explore greenhouse gas emissions from urban areas in Asia at the regional level; and (2) explore covariates of urban greenhouse gas emissions. We use the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research estimates for carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and sulfur hexafluoride from 14 source activities for the year 2000, which are allocated on a 1/108 global grid. We extract emissions for 3535 urban extents all with populations over 50,000, accounting for approximately 91% of the region’s urban population. We use regression analysis to associate emissions with urban area and growth, economic, and biophysical characteristics. Our findings suggest that urban areas account for between 30 and 38% of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions for the region and that emission per capita averages from urban areas are lower than those at the national level. Important covariates for total urban greenhouse gas emissions include population size, density and growth rate, income per capita, development status and elevation. This is a first and preliminary assessment of regional baseline trends using these data and this top-down analysis

Resilient traits of children raised by a parent with borderline personality disorder

Much of the literature on BPD and children of parents with BPD focuses on the psychopathological tendencies of this population, specifically the high risk these children have of going on to have BPD as well. The purpose of this study is to better understand how children with BPD adapt and are resilient in ways that exclude them from developing BPD. Three memoirs written by daughters of mothers with BPD were selected based on APA criteria met by each mother for BPD and the daughter\u27s ability to articulate and reflect on her experience with her mother from childhood to adulthood. These memoirs included Wishing for Snow (Gwin 2004), Her Last Death (Sonnenberg, 2008), and Searching for Mercy Street (Sexton, 1994). All daughters were biologically related to their mother, and did not meet the criteria for BPD at any point in their lives. The major findings described ways in which the passing down of BPD was impeded by the development of resilient traits. These traits included: first, the importance of writing one coherent narrative. Gaining control over her life story by processing and accessing emotions not otherwise named, daughters were able to find and put together all the pieces of her experience with her mother. Second, each daughter accepted the similarities she shared with her mother, but also clearly defined her differences allowing for the development of the daughter\u27s separate sense of self. Third, each daughter connected with another person who provided a sense of stability allowing for the development of a secure sense of self. Finally, each daughter was empowered by the non-traditional female role her mother played in their family, which influenced the daughter to pursue non-traditional female roles in her adult life

Estrogen receptor-dependent attenuation of hypoxia-induced changes in the lung genome of pulmonary hypertension rats

17β-estradiol (E2) exerts complex and context-dependent effects in pulmonary hypertension. In hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH), E2 attenuates lung vascular remodeling through estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent effects; however, ER target genes in the hypoxic lung remain unknown. In order to identify the genome regulated by the E2-ER axis in the hypoxic lung, we performed a microarray analysis in lungs from HPH rats treated with E2 (75 mcg/kg/day) ± ER-antagonist ICI182,780 (3 mg/kg/day). Untreated HPH rats and normoxic rats served as controls. Using a false discovery rate of 10%, we identified a significantly differentially regulated genome in E2-treated versus untreated hypoxia rats. Genes most upregulated by E2 encoded matrix metalloproteinase 8, S100 calcium binding protein A8, and IgA Fc receptor; genes most downregulated by E2 encoded olfactory receptor 63, secreted frizzled-related protein 2, and thrombospondin 2. Several genes affected by E2 changed in the opposite direction after ICI182,780 co-treatment, indicating an ER-regulated genome in HPH lungs. The bone morphogenetic protein antagonist Grem1 (gremlin 1) was upregulated by hypoxia, but found to be among the most downregulated genes after E2 treatment. Gremlin 1 protein was reduced in E2-treated versus untreated hypoxic animals, and ER-blockade abolished the inhibitory effect of E2 on Grem1 mRNA and protein. In conclusion, E2 ER-dependently regulates several genes involved in proliferative and inflammatory processes during hypoxia. Gremlin 1 is a novel target of the E2-ER axis in HPH. Understanding the mechanisms of E2 gene regulation in HPH may allow for selectively harnessing beneficial transcriptional activities of E2 for therapeutic purposes

Photoassociation and coherent transient dynamics in the interaction of ultracold rubidium atoms with shaped femtosecond pulses - I. Experiment

We experimentally investigate various processes present in the photoassociative interaction of an ultracold atomic sample with shaped femtosecond laser pulses. We demonstrate the photoassociation of pairs of rubidium atoms into electronically excited, bound molecular states using spectrally cut femtosecond laser pulses tuned below the rubidium D1 or D2 asymptote. Time-resolved pump-probe spectra reveal coherent oscillations of the molecular formation rate, which are due to coherent transient dynamics in the electronic excitation. The oscillation frequency corresponds to the detun-ing of the spectral cut position to the asymptotic transition frequency of the rubidium D1 or D2 lines, respectively. Measurements of the molecular photoassociation signal as a function of the pulse energy reveal a non-linear dependence and indicate a non-perturbative excitation process. Chirping the association laser pulse allowed us to change the phase of the coherent transients. Furthermore, a signature for molecules in the electronic ground state is found, which is attributed to molecule formation by femtosecond photoassociation followed by spontaneous decay. In a subsequent article [A. Merli et al., submitted] quantum mechanical calculations are presented, which compare well with the experimental data and reveal further details about the observed coherent transient dynamics