Hope vs. Fear: The Debate Over a State Constitutional Convention

On November 7, 2017, New Yorkers will go to their polling places and receive ballots containing a thirteen-word referendum question: “Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same?” That question appears on the ballot because the New York State Constitution commands that at least once every twenty years voters are asked whether or not to call a constitutional convention. The mandatory referendum reflects Thomas Jefferson’s belief that every generation the people should be given a chance to revise their basic law

Possible interaction of interstellar particles with the solar and terrestrial environment

The possibility for detection of interstellar particles in the earth's environment is considered on the basis of the passage of the solar system through the interstellar medium. Among the forces which inhibit interstellar particle penetration, the deflection by the solar magnetic field and the repulsive force due to the radiation from the sun are by far the most important

Wave length dependence of polarization by small graphite flakes

Graphite polarization data for semi-quantitative estimation of interstellar radiation wave extinction by small graphite flake

A schistosome [beta] subunit remodels inactivation of a calcium channel _via_ an N-terminal polyacidic motif

The beta subunit of high voltage-activated Ca (Cav) channels targets the pore forming [alpha]~1~ subunit to the plasma membrane and defines the biophysical phenotype of the Cav channel complex. Cav channel inactivation following activation and opening is tightly regulated and is an essential property that not only prevents excessive entry of Ca^2+^ into the cell but may also have functions in signal transduction. The [beta] subunit modulates Ca^2+^-dependent and voltage-dependent components of Cav channel inactivation via its interaction with the I-II linker of the [alpha]~1~ subunit. Here, using Cav2.3 and whole-cell patch-clamp, we show that a [beta] subunit from the human parasite _Schistosoma mansoni_ ([beta]~Sm~) accelerates inactivation via a unique, long N-terminal polyacidic motif (NPAM). The accelerating effect of NPAM-containing subunits, both native ([beta]~Sm~)and chimeric mammalian [beta]~1b~, [beta]~2a~ and [beta]~3~ subunits to which NPAM had been attached, was only apparent when Ca^2+^ was internally buffered with BAPTA (5 mM) or when Ba^2+^ was used as the charge carrier, two commonly used strategies to eliminate Ca^2+^/calmodulin dependent inactivation. These results indicate that calmodulin is not involved. In addition to accelerating inactivation, NPAM-containing [beta] subunits significantly reduced current density with respect to their non NPAM-bearing counterparts. Interestingly, when the amino acids N terminal to NPAM were deleted, inactivation of Cav2.3 currents was faster than in the presence of the entire N-terminal portion of the [beta]~Sm~ subunit, as if the pre-NPAM region counteracts the effect of NPAM. Presence of NPAM also resulted in currents that activated faster, suggesting that NPAM increases open channel probability. However, NPAM does not modulate inactivation gating. In summary, this study identifies a structural determinant of Cav channel inactivation that is entirely unlike those previously known

Chirplet approximation of band-limited, real signals made easy

In this paper we present algorithms for approximating real band-limited signals by multiple Gaussian Chirps. These algorithms do not rely on matching pursuit ideas. They are hierarchial and, at each stage, the number of terms in a given approximation depends only on the number of positive-valued maxima and negative-valued minima of a signed amplitude function characterizing part of the signal. Like the algorithms used in \cite{gre2} and unlike previous methods, our chirplet approximations require neither a complete dictionary of chirps nor complicated multi-dimensional searches to obtain suitable choices of chirp parameters

Inviscid flow field induced by a rotor in ground effect

Integral equations for inviscid flow field induced by rotor in ground effec

Nonlinear actuator disk theory and flow field calculations, including nonuniform loading

Actuator disk theory and flow field calculations for propeller induced flow with nonuniform circulation distributio

The organic component of interstellar grains

The 3.4 micron absorption feature observed in the spectrum of a number of Galactic Center (GC) sources indicates the presence of organic molecules in the interstellar medium. It is ascribed to the C-H stretch vibration of tetrahedrally bonded carbon. From the observed features due to the interstellar organic material, an estimate was made of its composition and abundance. The ratio of the number of C-H groups of tetrahedrally to those of trigonally bonded carbon was 1.5, the cosmic abundance of carbon was .00037, and the depth of the silicate absorption toward the GC was taken equal to 3.6

On elliptic curves with an isogeny of degree 7

We show that if $E$ is an elliptic curve over $\mathbf{Q}$ with a $\mathbf{Q}$-rational isogeny of degree 7, then the image of the 7-adic Galois representation attached to $E$ is as large as allowed by the isogeny, except for the curves with complex multiplication by $\mathbf{Q}(\sqrt{-7})$. The analogous result with 7 replaced by a prime $p > 7$ was proved by the first author in [7]. The present case $p = 7$ has additional interesting complications. We show that any exceptions correspond to the rational points on a certain curve of genus 12. We then use the method of Chabauty to show that the exceptions are exactly the curves with complex multiplication. As a by-product of one of the key steps in our proof, we determine exactly when there exist elliptic curves over an arbitrary field $k$ of characteristic not 7 with a $k$-rational isogeny of degree 7 and a specified Galois action on the kernel of the isogeny, and we give a parametric description of such curves.Comment: The revision gives a complete answer to the question considered in Version 1. Version 3 will appear in the American Journal of Mathematic