Managing for change: October 11, 1989

Bi-weekly newsletter of University Hospital's Change Project, provided to managers at the hospital

Computational methods for higher real K-theory with applications to tmf

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mathematics, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-69).We begin by present a new Hopf algebra which can be used to compute the tmf homology of a space or spectrum at the prime 3. Generalizing work of Mahowald and Davis, we use this Hopf algebra to compute the tmf homology of the classifying space of the symmetric group on three elements. We also discuss the E3 Tate spectrum of tmf at the prime 3. We then build on work of Hopkins and his collaborators, first computing the Adams-Novikov zero line of the homotopy of the spectrum eo4 at 5 and then generalizing the Hopf algebra for tmf to a family of Hopf algebras, one for each spectrum eop_l at p. Using these, and using a K(p - 1)-local version, we further generalize the Davis-Mahowald result, computing the eop_1 homology of the cofiber of the transfer map [...]. We conclude by computing the initial computations needed to understand the homotopy groups of the Hopkins-Miller real K-theory spectra for heights large than p- 1 at p. The basic computations are supplemented with conjectures as to the collapse of the spectral sequences used herein to compute the homotopy.by Michael Anthony Hill.Ph.D

Evidence of widespread selection on standing variation in Europe at height-associated SNPs.

Strong signatures of positive selection at newly arising genetic variants are well documented in humans(1-8), but this form of selection may not be widespread in recent human evolution(9). Because many human traits are highly polygenic and partly determined by common, ancient genetic variation, an alternative model for rapid genetic adaptation has been proposed: weak selection acting on many pre-existing (standing) genetic variants, or polygenic adaptation(10-12). By studying height, a classic polygenic trait, we demonstrate the first human signature of widespread selection on standing variation. We show that frequencies of alleles associated with increased height, both at known loci and genome wide, are systematically elevated in Northern Europeans compared with Southern Europeans (P < 4.3 × 10(-4)). This pattern mirrors intra-European height differences and is not confounded by ancestry or other ascertainment biases. The systematic frequency differences are consistent with the presence of widespread weak selection (selection coefficients ∼10(-3)-10(-5) per allele) rather than genetic drift alone (P < 10(-15))

2005 Scholars and Artists Bibliography

This bibliography was created for the annual Friends of the Michael Schwartz Library Scholars and Artists Reception, recognizing scholarly and creative achievements of Cleveland State University faculty, staff and emeriti. Dr, Steve Slane was the guest speaker

RNA-binding proteins to assess gene expression states of co-cultivated cells in response to tumor cells

BACKGROUND: Tumors and complex tissues consist of mixtures of communicating cells that differ significantly in their gene expression status. In order to understand how different cell types influence one another's gene expression, it will be necessary to monitor the mRNA profiles of each cell type independently and to dissect the mechanisms that regulate their gene expression outcomes. RESULTS: In order to approach these questions, we have used RNA-binding proteins such as ELAV/Hu, poly (A) binding protein (PABP) and cap-binding protein (eIF-4E) as reporters of gene expression. Here we demonstrate that the epitope-tagged RNA binding protein, PABP, expressed separately in tumor cells and endothelial cells can be used to discriminate their respective mRNA targets from mixtures of these cells without significant mRNA reassortment or exchange. Moreover, using this approach we identify a set of endothelial genes that respond to the presence of co-cultured breast tumor cells. CONCLUSION: RNA-binding proteins can be used as reporters to elucidate components of operational mRNA networks and operons involved in regulating cell-type specific gene expression in tissues and tumors

Standards Competition In The Presence Of Digital Conversion Technology:An Empirical Analysis Of The Flash Memory Card Market

Both theoretical and empirical evidence suggest that in markets with standards competition, strong network effects can make the strong grow stronger and, in some circumstances, even 'tip' the market towards a single, winner-take-all standard. We theorize that in the presence of low cost conversion technologies and digital content, the tendency towards market dominance can be lessened to the point where multiple incompatible standards are viable. Our hypotheses are empirically examined in the context of the flash memory card market where both network effects and high quality conversion are present. The results show that the availability of digital converters reduces the price premium of the leading flash card formats more than of the minority formats. Therefore, producers of the non-dominant standards can be better off with the provision of conversion technology as this technology neutralizes the impact of network effects that would have otherwise been more potent. We discuss both the social and private implications of our findings

Miserable business of war afloat : the August 1864 cruise of the CSS Tallahassee

The focus of this thesis is the August 1864 cruise of the Confederate commerce raider CSS Tallahassee. Commanded by John Taylor Wood, the cruise up and down the coasts of New York and New England lasted only twenty days but resulted in the destruction or bonding of thirty-one merchant vessels. Naval historians have addressed this cruise as an isolated example of Confederate commerce raiding and failed to place the cruise in the larger context of the war. This study is an attempt to investigate the cruise in greater depth and breadth. The mission was specifically designed to alleviate the pressure of the Federal blockade off Wilmington and harass the Union merchant marine, but other motivations have not been adequately examined. This thesis ties the cruise of the Tallahassee into the grand strategy of the Confederacy in the summer of 1864, including plan to secure independence by influencing the United States presidential election of November 1864. The reaction of the Northern populace to the cruise is considered, as well as effect the cruise had on Anglo-Confederate relations. Finally, in addition to providing a glimpse of the cruise itself, the long-term implications of the cruise are considered. Ironically, the cruise contributed to the downfall of the Confederate States of America. Northern officials and the press viewed the Tallahassee as a pirate, strengthening the call to close the port from whence the raider embarked, Wilmington, North Carolina. The disagreements among Confederate leaders over the cruise highlighted other problems that plagued the Confederacy. The object of this study is to bring the motivations and ramifications of this cruise to light. Historians have only recounted the events of the cruise without carefully considering why the cruise was designed or the overarching results of the mission. Careful primary and secondary research was undertaken for this thesis. While this study fits into the realm of naval and military history, the writer uses the fields of political history, diplomatic history, and social history to better tell the story of the CSS Tallahassee

The song of the man whose touch

The poems in The Song of the Man Whose Touch represent a kind of spiritual autobiography of the years 1970 to 1973. They represent a gradual awakening of a poetic consciousness, along with the increasing arrogance it takes to define onoself as poet. This arrogance, in imagining that the events of any individual's life could possibly have enough significance or meaning to be used in a poetic way, will not, I devoutly hope, interfere in the appreciation of the poems as works of art, since I cannot conceive of any other foundation on which to build a poetry that requires as much fidelity as possible to what really happened. This is a roundabout way of saying, I suppose, that my poetry is in very large measure concerned with the nature of reality/fate/God/whatever and how that affects man, or at least this man. I have yet come to any conclusions on the subject. My thesis is merely an attempt to define the problem, or, even less, to become aware that there is a problem