264 research outputs found
Scholarly Program Notes: Songs of the Heart-- An Exploration of Select Past and Present Composers for the Graduate Recital of Jessica Samples
These scholarly program notes examine various selections of vocal music by composers, such as J.S. Bach, Leonard Bernstein, W.A. Mozart, Franz Schrecker, Claude Debussy, Gwyneth Walker, Stephen Sondheim, and Cole Porter with the intention of attaining a better understanding of each piece through biographical, poetic, and musical analysis. The analysis of repertoire will be for the benefit of performance for the graduate recital of Jessica Samples
Dead Or Alive? The Law, Policy, And Market Effects Of Legislation On Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits
A wave of multi-state audits on the insurance industry’s use of the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File (DMF) stirred national controversy over the status of unclaimed life insurance proceeds. Multi-state investigations uncovered “asymmetric” use of the DMF among many large insurance companies. Accusations of unethical behavior led to numerous settlement agreements between state regulators and insurers. Payouts and fines stemming from these settlements already number in the billions of dollars. Legislative responses are also underway. Some states have adopted—and others are considering—legislation requiring life insurers to search the DMF to identify and pay (or eascheat) unclaimed death benefits. Currently, legislative responses vary among the states, underscoring the longstanding tension between uniformity and state-centric regulation of insurance in the United States. Some states have imposed DMF search requirements on a prospective basis. Others have attempted to apply such requirements on a retroactive basis, affecting both new and existing policies. Emerging legislation on unclaimed life insurance has significant implications for consumers, insurance markets, and even state finances. This Article focuses on the crucial question of retroactive versus prospective applicability of legislation on unclaimed life insurance benefits. In considering the financial implications and legal dimensions of this question, this Article concludes in favor of prospective applicability. Though presumably well intentioned, the downsides of retroactive legislation on unclaimed life insurance benefits outweigh the upsides
First cohomology for finite groups of Lie type: simple modules with small dominant weights
Let be an algebraically closed field of characteristic , and let
be a simple, simply connected algebraic group defined over .
Given , set , and let be the corresponding
finite Chevalley group. In this paper we investigate the structure of the first
cohomology group where is the
simple -module of highest weight . Under certain very mild
conditions on and , we are able to completely describe the first
cohomology group when is less than or equal to a fundamental dominant
weight. In particular, in the cases we consider, we show that the first
cohomology group has dimension at most one. Our calculations significantly
extend, and provide new proofs for, earlier results of Cline, Parshall, Scott,
and Jones, who considered the special case when is a minimal nonzero
dominant weight.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures, 6 tables. Typos corrected and some proofs
streamlined over previous versio
Second cohomology for finite groups of Lie type
Let be a simple, simply-connected algebraic group defined over
. Given a power of , let
be the subgroup of -rational points. Let be the
simple rational -module of highest weight . In this paper we
establish sufficient criteria for the restriction map in second cohomology
to be an
isomorphism. In particular, the restriction map is an isomorphism under very
mild conditions on and provided is less than or equal to a
fundamental dominant weight. Even when the restriction map is not an
isomorphism, we are often able to describe in
terms of rational cohomology for . We apply our techniques to compute
in a wide range of cases, and obtain new
examples of nonzero second cohomology for finite groups of Lie type.Comment: 29 pages, GAP code included as an ancillary file. Rewritten to
include the adjoint representation in types An, B2, and Cn. Corrections made
to Theorem 3.1.3 and subsequent dependent results in Sections 3-4. Additional
minor corrections and improvements also implemente
Protonation of the Binuclear Metal Center within the Active Site of Phosphotriesterase â€
ABSTRACT: Phosphotriesterase (PTE) is a binuclear metalloenzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of organophosphates, including pesticides and chemical warfare agents, at rates approaching the diffusion controlled limit. The catalytic mechanism of this enzyme features a bridging solvent molecule that is proposed to initiate nucleophilic attack at the phosphorus center of the substrate. X-band EPR spectroscopy is utilized to investigate the active site of Mn/Mn-substituted PTE. Simulation of the dominant EPR spectrum from the coupled binuclear center of Mn/Mn-PTE requires slightly rhombic zero-field splitting parameters. Assuming that the signal arises from the S ) 2 manifold, an exchange coupling constant of J ) -2.7 ( 0.2 cm -1 (H ex ) -2JS 1 ‚S 2 ) is calculated. A kinetic pK a of 7.1 ( 0.1 associated with loss in activity at low pH indicates that a protonation event is responsible for inhibition of catalysis. Analysis of changes in the EPR spectrum as a function of pH provides a pK a of 7.3 ( 0.1 that is assigned as the protonation of the hydroxyl bridge. From the comparison of kinetic and spectral pK a values, it is concluded that the loss of catalytic activity at acidic pH results from the protonation of the hydroxide that bridges the binuclear metal center. Phosphotriesterase (PTE) 1 catalyzes the hydrolysis of a wide range of organophosphate esters, including agricultural pesticides and chemical warfare agents (1-3). The enzyme has been isolated from soil bacteria, but the natural substrate for PTE is not known. PTE is a member of the amidohydrolase superfamily, which also includes urease, dihydroorotase, and approximately 30 other enzymes of known specificity (4). The high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of Zn/Zn-PTE reveals that it is a homodimeric protein containing an active site with two divalent metal ions embedded within a ( /R) 8 -barrel motif (5). The R-metal ion is ligated by His-55, His-57, and Asp-301 while the -metal ion is coordinated to His-201 and His-230 as illustrated i
Droplet Size Impact on Efficacy of a Dicamba-plus-Glyphosate Mixture
Chemical weed control remains a widely used component of integrated weed management strategies because of its cost-effectiveness and rapid removal of crop pests. Additionally, dicamba-plus-glyphosate mixtures are a commonly recommended herbicide combination to combat herbicide resistance, specifically in recently commercially released dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton. However, increased spray drift concerns and antagonistic interactions require that the application process be optimized to maximize biological efficacy while minimizing environmental contamination potential. Field research was conducted in 2016, 2017, and 2018 across three locations (Mississippi, Nebraska, and North Dakota) for a total of six site-years. The objectives were to characterize the efficacy of a range of droplet sizes [150 μm (Fine) to 900 μm (Ultra Coarse)] using a dicamba-plus-glyphosate mixture and to create novel weed management recommendations utilizing pulse-width modulation (PWM) sprayer technology. Results across pooled site-years indicated that a droplet size of 395 μm (Coarse) maximized weed mortality from a dicamba-plus-glyphosate mixture at 94 L ha–1. However, droplet size could be increased to 620 μm (Extremely Coarse) to maintain 90% of the maximum weed mortality while further mitigating particle drift potential. Although generalized droplet size recommendations could be created across site-years, optimum droplet sizes within each site-year varied considerably and may be dependent on weed species, geographic location, weather conditions, and herbicide resistance(s) present in the field. The precise, site-specific application of a dicamba-plus-glyphosate mixture using the results of this research will allow applicators to more effectively utilize PWM sprayers, reduce particle drift potential, maintain biological efficacy, and reduce the selection pressure for the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds
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Genome-wide trans-ancestry meta-analysis provides insight into the genetic architecture of type 2 diabetes susceptibility.
To further understanding of the genetic basis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) susceptibility, we aggregated published meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), including 26,488 cases and 83,964 controls of European, east Asian, south Asian and Mexican and Mexican American ancestry. We observed a significant excess in the directional consistency of T2D risk alleles across ancestry groups, even at SNPs demonstrating only weak evidence of association. By following up the strongest signals of association from the trans-ethnic meta-analysis in an additional 21,491 cases and 55,647 controls of European ancestry, we identified seven new T2D susceptibility loci. Furthermore, we observed considerable improvements in the fine-mapping resolution of common variant association signals at several T2D susceptibility loci. These observations highlight the benefits of trans-ethnic GWAS for the discovery and characterization of complex trait loci and emphasize an exciting opportunity to extend insight into the genetic architecture and pathogenesis of human diseases across populations of diverse ancestry
Differential effects of tamoxifen and anastrozole on optic cup size in breast cancer survivors
Consensus Recommendation for Mouse Models of Ocular Hypertension to Study Aqueous Humor Outflow and Its Mechanisms.
Due to their similarities in anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology to humans, mice are a valuable model system to study the generation and mechanisms modulating conventional outflow resistance and thus intraocular pressure. In addition, mouse models are critical for understanding the complex nature of conventional outflow homeostasis and dysfunction that results in ocular hypertension. In this review, we describe a set of minimum acceptable standards for developing, characterizing, and utilizing mouse models of open-angle ocular hypertension. We expect that this set of standard practices will increase scientific rigor when using mouse models and will better enable researchers to replicate and build upon previous findings
Membrane fluidity matters: Hyperthermia from the aspects of lipids and membranes
Hyperthermia is a promising treatment modality for cancer in combination both with radio- and chemotherapy. In spite of its great therapeutic potential, the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain to be clarified. Due to lipid imbalances and 'membrane defects' most of the tumour cells possess elevated membrane fluidity. However, further increasing membrane fluidity to sensitise to chemo-or radiotherapy could have some other effects. In fact, hyperfluidisation of cell membrane induced by membrane fluidiser initiates a stress response as the heat shock protein response, which may modulate positively or negatively apoptotic cell death. Overviewing some recent findings based on a technology allowing direct imaging of lipid rafts in live cells and lipidomics, novel aspects of the intimate relationship between the 'membrane stress' of tumour cells and the cellular heat shock response will be highlighted. Our findings lend support to both the importance of membrane remodelling and the release of lipid signals initiating stress protein response, which can operate in tandem to control the extent of the ultimate cellular thermosensitivity. Overall, we suggest that the fluidity variable of membranes should be used as an independent factor for predicting the efficacy of combinational cancer therapies
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