“Change the story, change the world”: Gendered Magic and Educational Ideology in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld

This thesis explores educational ideology in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series with a continued focus on the ways gendered magic results in gendered knowledge and education. Pratchett’s witches and wizards demonstrate and even consciously uphold distinct gender separation regarding magical practice, methodology, knowledge, and responsibility, ultimately creating an ideological rift between the two factions. Analysis of the wizards and Unseen University traces their associations with the history of the British educational system, male privilege, elitism, and tradition, reading their order as indicative of Discworld’s “norm” and a repressive dominant educational ideology. Contrastingly, the witches’ and Tiffany Aching’s status as Other and insistence on writing their own stories give rise to an ethics of selfless social responsibility and an educational ideology contingent upon recognizing the constructedness of reality, challenging the repressive realities imposed by a hegemonic society, and instead purveying a reality that liberates and empowers the individual. In light of recent scholarship on the fantasy genre, this thesis concludes suggesting Pratchett’s complex interplay between the “real” and “unreal” enables readers to recognize and question ideological superstructures, ultimately epitomizing Daniel Baker’s notion of fantasy’s “progressive potential.

Coding sequences of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase regulatory peptides and expression of calcium regulatory genes in recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis

Background: Sarcolipin (SLN), myoregulin (MRLN), and dwarf open reading frame (DWORF) are transmembrane regulators of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium transporting ATPase (SERCA) that we hypothesized played a role in recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER). Objectives: Compare coding sequences of SLN, MRLN, DWORF across species and between RER and control horses. Compare expression of muscle Ca2+ regulatory genes between RER and control horses. Animals: Twenty Thoroughbreds (TB), 5 Standardbreds (STD), 6 Quarter Horses (QH) with RER and 39 breed-matched controls. Methods: Sanger sequencing of SERCA regulatory genes with comparison of amino acid (AA) sequences among control, RER horses, human, mouse, and rabbit reference genomes. In RER and control gluteal muscle, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction of SERCA regulatory peptides, the calcium release channel (RYR1), and its accessory proteins calsequestrin (CASQ1), and calstabin (FKBP1A). Results: The SLN gene was the highest expressed horse SERCA regulatory gene with a uniquely truncated AA sequence (29 versus 31) versus other species. Coding sequences of SLN, MRLN, and DWORF were identical in RER and control horses. A sex-by-phenotype effect occurred with lower CASQ1 expression in RER males versus control males (P \u3c .001) and RER females (P = .05) and higher FKBP1A (P = .01) expression in RER males versus control males. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The SLN gene encodes a uniquely truncated peptide in the horse versus other species. Variants in the coding sequence of SLN, MLRN, or DWORF were not associated with RER. Males with RER have differential gene expression that could reflect adaptations to stabilize RYR1

Evidence for the Role of Proton Shell Closure in Quasifission Reactions from X-Ray Fluorescence of Mass-Identified Fragments

The atomic numbers and the masses of fragments formed in quasifission reactions are simultaneously measured at scission in Ti48+U238 reactions at a laboratory energy of 286 MeV. The atomic numbers are determined from measured characteristic fluorescence x rays, whereas the masses are obtained from the emission angles and times of flight of the two emerging fragments. For the first time, thanks to this full identification of the quasifission fragments on a broad angular range, the important role of the proton shell closure at Z=82 is evidenced by the associated maximum production yield, a maximum predicted by time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations. This new experimental approach gives now access to precise studies of the time dependence of the N/Z (neutron over proton ratios of the fragments) evolution in quasifission reactions.The authors acknowledge support from the Australian Research Council through Discovery Grants No. FL110100098, No. FT120100760, No. DP130101569, No. DE140100784, No. DP160 101254, and No. DP170102318. Support for accelerator operations through the NCRIS program is acknowledged. Two of us (C. S. and M. A.) acknowledge support from the Scientific Mobility Program of the Embassy of France in Australia. This research was undertaken with the assistance of resources from the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), which is supported by the Australian Government

Asymptotic and near-target direct breakup of ⁶Li and ⁷Li

Background: Li6,7 and Be9 are weakly bound against breakup into their cluster constituents. Breakup location is important for determining the role of breakup in above-barrier complete fusion suppression. Recent works have pointed out that experimental observables can be used to separate near-target and asymptotic breakup. Purpose: Our purpose is to distinguish near-target and asymptotic direct breakup of Li6,7 in reactions with nuclei in different mass regions. Method: Charged particle coincidence measurements are carried out with pulsed Li6,7 beams on Ni58 and Zn64 targets at sub-barrier energies and compared with previous measurements using Pb208 and Bi209 targets. A detector array providing a large angular coverage is used, along with time-of-flight information to give definitive particle identification of the direct breakup fragments. Results: In interactions of Li6 with Ni58 and Zn64, direct breakup occurs only asymptotically far away from the target. However, in interactions with Pb208 and Bi209, near-target breakup occurs in addition to asymptotic breakup. Direct breakup of Li7 into α−t is not observed in interactions with Ni58 and Zn64. However, near-target dominated direct breakup was observed in measurements with Pb208 and Bi209. A modified version of the Monte Carlo classical trajectory model code platypus, which explicitly takes into account lifetimes associated with unbound states, is used to simulate sub-barrier breakup reaction

The role of organic nutrients in structuring freshwater phytoplankton communities in a rapidly changing world

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are critical macroelements in freshwater systems. Historically, researchers and managers have focused on inorganic forms, based on the premise that the organic pool was not available for direct uptake by phytoplankton. We now know that phytoplankton can tap the organic nutrient pool through a number of mechanisms including direct uptake, enzymatic hydrolysis, mixotrophy, and through symbiotic relationships with microbial communities. In this review, we explore these mechanisms considering current and projected future anthropogenically-driven changes to freshwater systems. In particular, we focus on how naturally- and anthropogenically- derived organic nutrients can influence phytoplankton community structure. We also synthesize knowledge gaps regarding phytoplankton physiology and the potential challenges of nutrient management in an organically dynamic and anthropogenically modified world. Our review provides a basis for exploring these topics and suggests several avenues for future work on the relation between organic nutrients and eutrophication and their ecological implications in freshwater systems

Evidence for 28 genetic disorders discovered by combining healthcare and research data

De novo mutations in protein-coding genes are a well-established cause of developmental disorders. However, genes known to be associated with developmental disorders account for only a minority of the observed excess of such de novo mutations. Here, to identify previously undescribed genes associated with developmental disorders, we integrate healthcare and research exome-sequence data from 31,058 parent–offspring trios of individuals with developmental disorders, and develop a simulation-based statistical test to identify gene-specific enrichment of de novo mutations. We identified 285 genes that were significantly associated with developmental disorders, including 28 that had not previously been robustly associated with developmental disorders. Although we detected more genes associated with developmental disorders, much of the excess of de novo mutations in protein-coding genes remains unaccounted for. Modelling suggests that more than 1,000 genes associated with developmental disorders have not yet been described, many of which are likely to be less penetrant than the currently known genes. Research access to clinical diagnostic datasets will be critical for completing the map of genes associated with developmental disorders

Combinatorial hydrogel library enables identification of materials that mitigate the foreign body response in primates

The foreign body response is an immune-mediated reaction that can lead to the failure of implanted medical devices and discomfort for the recipient. There is a critical need for biomaterials that overcome this key challenge in the development of medical devices. Here we use a combinatorial approach for covalent chemical modification to generate a large library of variants of one of the most widely used hydrogel biomaterials, alginate. We evaluated the materials in vivo and identified three triazole-containing analogs that substantially reduce foreign body reactions in both rodents and, for at least 6 months, in non-human primates. The distribution of the triazole modification creates a unique hydrogel surface that inhibits recognition by macrophages and fibrous deposition. In addition to the utility of the compounds reported here, our approach may enable the discovery of other materials that mitigate the foreign body response.Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (3-SRA-2014-285-M-R)United States. National Institutes of Health (EB000244)United States. National Institutes of Health (EB000351)United States. National Institutes of Health (DE013023)United States. National Institutes of Health (CA151884)United States. National Institutes of Health (P41EB015871-27)National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (P30-CA14051

Search for new particles in events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb(-1), collected in 2017-2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb(-1), collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.Peer reviewe

Combined searches for the production of supersymmetric top quark partners in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A combination of searches for top squark pair production using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment, is presented. Signatures with at least 2 jets and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with 0, 1, or 2 leptons. New results for regions of parameter space where the kinematical properties of top squark pair production and top quark pair production are very similar are presented. Depending on themodel, the combined result excludes a top squarkmass up to 1325 GeV for amassless neutralino, and a neutralinomass up to 700 GeV for a top squarkmass of 1150 GeV. Top squarks with masses from 145 to 295 GeV, for neutralino masses from 0 to 100 GeV, with a mass difference between the top squark and the neutralino in a window of 30 GeV around the mass of the top quark, are excluded for the first time with CMS data. The results of theses searches are also interpreted in an alternative signal model of dark matter production via a spin-0 mediator in association with a top quark pair. Upper limits are set on the cross section for mediator particle masses of up to 420 GeV