Explaining Death Row\u27s Population and Racial Composition

Twenty-three years of murder and death sentence data show how murder demographics help explain death row populations. Nevada and Oklahoma are the most death-prone states; Texas\u27s death sentence rate is below the national mean. Accounting for the race of murderers establishes that black representation on death row is lower than black representation in the population of murder offenders. This disproportion results from reluctance to seek or impose death in black defendant-black victim cases, which more than offsets eagerness to seek and impose death in black defendant-white victim cases. Death sentence rates in black defendant-white victim cases far exceed those in either black defendant-black victim cases or white defendant-white victim cases. The disproportion survives because there are many more black defendant-black victim murders, which are underrepresented on death row, than there are black defendant-white victim murders, which are overrepresented on death row

Clinical applicability of optogenetic gene regulation

The field of optogenetics is rapidly growing in relevance and number of developed tools. Among other things, the optogenetic repertoire includes light-responsive ion channels and methods for gene regulation. This review will be confined to the optogenetic control of gene expression in mammalian cells as suitable models for clinical applications. Here optogenetic gene regulation might offer an excellent method for spatially and timely regulated gene and protein expression in cell therapeutic approaches. Well-known systems for gene regulation, such as the LOV-, CRY2/CIB-, PhyB/PIF-systems, as well as other, in mammalian cells not yet fully established systems, will be described. Advantages and disadvantages with regard to clinical applications are outlined in detail. Among the many unanswered questions concerning the application of optogenetics, we discuss items such as the use of exogenous chromophores and their effects on the biology of the cells and methods for a gentle, but effective gene transfection method for optogenetic tools for in vivo applications

Transition from hexagons to optical turbulence

4 pages, 3 figures.-- PACS nrs.: 42.65.Sf, 47.20.Ky, 47.54.+r, 89.75.Kd.We characterize the different dynamical regimes and bifurcations in the transition from a stationary hexagonal pattern to optical turbulence. In order to characterize the bifurcations we perform linear stability analysis of stationary hexagonal patterns and Floquet analysis of oscillating hexagons. The interplay between space and time leads to a series of bifurcations showing spatial-period multiplying and quasiperiodicity.The authors acknowledge financial support from the MCyT (Spain, Project Nos. PB97-0141-C02-02, BFM2000-1108, and BFM2001-0341-C02-02).Peer reviewe

The Redox Homeostasis of Skeletal Muscle Cells Regulates Stage Differentiation of Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory intracellular parasite that causes persistent infections in birds and mammals including ~30% of the world’s human population. Differentiation from proliferative and metabolically active tachyzoites to largely dormant bradyzoites initiates the chronic phase of infection and occurs predominantly in brain and muscle tissues. Here we used murine skeletal muscle cells (SkMCs) to decipher host cellular factors that favor T. gondii bradyzoite formation in terminally differentiated and syncytial myotubes, but not in proliferating myoblast precursors. Genome-wide transcriptome analyses of T. gondii-infected SkMCs and non-infected controls identified ~6,500 genes which were differentially expressed (DEGs) in myotubes compared to myoblasts, largely irrespective of infection. On the other hand, genes related to central carbohydrate metabolism, to redox homeostasis, and to the Nrf2-dependent stress response pathway were enriched in both infected myoblast precursors and myotubes. Stable isotope-resolved metabolite profiling indicated increased fluxes into the oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (OxPPP) in infected myoblasts and into the TCA cycle in infected myotubes. High OxPPP activity in infected myoblasts was associated with increased NADPH/NADP+ ratio while myotubes exhibited higher ROS levels and lower expression of anti-oxidants and detoxification enzymes. Pharmacological reduction of ROS levels in SkMCs inhibited bradyzoite differentiation, while increased ROS induced bradyzoite formation. Thus, we identified a novel host cell-dependent mechanism that triggers stage conversion of T. gondii into persistent tissue cysts in its natural host cell type.Peer Reviewe

Treewidth, Pathwidth and Cospan Decompositions

We will revisit the categorical notion of cospan decompositions of graphs and compare it to the well-known notions of path decomposition and tree decomposition from graph theory. More specifically, we will define several types of cospan decompositions with appropriate width measures and show that these width measures coincide with pathwidth and treewidth. Such graph decompositions of small width are used to efficiently decide graph properties, for instance via graph automata

Investigation of the influence of active dopant and co-dopant on the luminescent properties of the phosphor based on calcium aluminate

In the present study the luminescent properties of calcium aluminate activated by Eu3+ and Dy3+ions are investigated. The phosphor on the basis of calcium aluminate was obtained via citric-nitrate sol gel method using a microwave radiation. It was determined by X-ray diffraction method and by electron microprobe analysis that rare earth elements (REE) ions incorporate into lattice of calcium aluminate and don't form own phases. Luminescent properties of calcium aluminate activated by REE ions were studied by spectrofluorimeter. Luminescent spectrum of Ca0,95Eu0,05Al2O4 contains five bands groups of emission between 580-710 nm which correspond to 5D0 - 7Fj transitions of Eu3+(λ=254 nm). Present maxima lie in the red area of the spectrum and determine the obtainment of red glow phosphor. Excitation spectrum of Ca0,95Dy0,05Al2O4 contains two bands with maxima at 240 and 380 nm. Exciting the sample by the far ultraviolet (240 nm), two bands with maxima at 420 and 490 nm conditioning a blue glow of phosphor under overlapping of violet (4G11/2 - 6H15/2 transition of Dy3+) and blue-green (4F9/2 - 6H15/2 transition of Dy3+) radiations, respectively, were observed. Exciting the sample by the near ultraviolet (380 nm), one intense band at 420 nm and bright violet glowing were observed. Emission spectrum of the phosphor obtaining by co-activation of calcium aluminate by two test REE ions is identical to the emission spectrum of calcium aluminate activated by Dy3+ ions. Transitions of Eu3+ in this case are not observed. Nevertheless, the increase of band intensity conditioning more bright violet glowing was observed

Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21

Background: Since social distancing during the COVID-19-pandemic had a profound impact on professional life, this study investigated the effect of PCR testing on on-site work. Methods: PCR screening, antibody testing, and questionnaires offered to 4,890 working adults in Lower Saxony were accompanied by data collection on demographics, family status, comorbidities, social situation, health-related behavior, and the number of work-related contacts. Relative risks (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals were estimated for the associations between regular PCR testing and other work and health-related variables, respectively, and working on-site. Analyses were stratified by the suitability of work tasks for mobile office. Results: Between April 2020 and February 2021, 1,643 employees underwent PCR testing. Whether mobile working was possible strongly influenced the work behavior. Persons whose work was suitable for mobile office (mobile workers) had a lower probability of working on-site than persons whose work was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.09 (95 % CI: 0.07 – 0.12)). In mobile workers, regular PCR-testing was slightly associated with working on-site (RR = 1.19 (0.66; 2.14)). In those whose working place was unsuitable for mobile office, the corresponding RR was 0.94 (0.80; 1.09). Compared to persons without chronic diseases, chronically ill persons worked less often on-site if their workplace was suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.73 (0.40; 1.33)), but even more often if their workplace was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 1.17 (1.04; 1.33)). Conclusion: If work was suitable for mobile office, regular PCR-testing did not have a strong effect on presence at the work site. Trial registration: An ethics vote of the responsible medical association (Lower Saxony, Germany) retrospectively approved the evaluation of the collected subject data in a pseudonymized form in the context of medical studies (No. Bo/30/2020; Bo/31/2020; Bo/32/2020)

The Delaware Death Penalty: An Empirical Study

For the last five years, we have conducted an empirical study of the “modern era” of capital punishment in Delaware. By “modern era,” we refer to the time period after the Supreme Court’s 1972 decision in Furman v.Georgia, which invalidated all then-existing state death penalty regimes. Some readers might ask, “Why Delaware?” They might observe that it is a small state and is not a significant national player in terms of death sentences imposed or death row inmates executed. While both are true, several features of Delaware’s capital punishment system intrigue us. First, Delaware has a high death sentencing rate. Prior studies revealed that in relation to the number of murders, Delaware has the third-highest death sentencing rate in the United States. Studying the Delaware experience allows us to explore the factors that may account for the relatively high rate of capital punishment in the state. Second, it is not a Southern state. Most (though not all) previous empirical studies have focused on Southern jurisdictions. Third, Delaware has used jury sentencing as well as different judge-sentencing schemes in capital cases. Studies of judge versus jury death penalty sentencing have typically compared decision-makers across jurisdictions, or have examined judicial overrides of jury decisions within a state. Comparison of Delaware’s capital trial experiences under these diverse sentencing approaches offers a rare opportunity to contrast the operation of jury and judge capital sentencing within a single state. Finally, no previous systematic empirical studies of the death penalty in Delaware have been conducted. Thus, for both theoretical and practical reasons, we determined that it would be a worthwhile capital punishment jurisdiction to examine. In this Article we present our findings to date. After reviewing the modern history of the Delaware death penalty and describing our methodology, we will describe our findings regarding geographical patterns, racial disparities, judge–jury sentencing differences, and reversal rates. We leave to others to discuss what, if any, legal or policy implications might arise from our findings