The Genetic Code as a Periodic Table: Algebraic Aspects

The systematics of indices of physico-chemical properties of codons and amino acids across the genetic code are examined. Using a simple numerical labelling scheme for nucleic acid bases, data can be fitted as low-order polynomials of the 6 coordinates in the 64-dimensional codon weight space. The work confirms and extends recent studies by Siemion of amino acid conformational parameters. The connections between the present work, and recent studies of the genetic code structure using dynamical symmetry algebras, are pointed out.Comment: 26 pages Latex, 10 figures (4 ps, 6 Tex). Refereed version, small changes to discussion (conclusion unaltered). Minor alterations to format of figures and tables. To appear in BioSystem

Mathematics Is Biology's Next Microscope, Only Better; Biology Is Mathematics' Next Physics, Only Better

Joel Cohen offers a historical and prospective analysis of the relationship between mathematics and biolog

Presolar Diamond in Meteorites

Presolar diamond, the carrier of the isotopically anomalous Xe component Xe-HL, was the first mineral type of presolar dust that was isolated from meteorites. The excesses in the light, p-process only isotopes 124Xe and 126Xe, and in the heavy, r-process only isotopes 134Xe and 136Xe relative to the solar ratios indicate that Xe-HL was produced in supernovae: they are the only stellar source where these two processes are believed to take place. Although these processes occur in supernovae, their physical conditions and timeframes are completely different. Yet the excesses are always correlated in diamond separates from meteorites. Furthermore, the p-process 124Xe/126Xe inferred from Xe-L and the r-process 134Xe/136Xe from Xe-H do not agree with the p-process and r-process ratios derived from the solar system abundance, and the inferred p-process ratio does not agree with those predicted from stellar models. The 'rapid separation scenario', where the separation of Xe and its radiogenic precursors Te and I takes place at the very early stage (7900 sec after the end of the r-process), has been proposed to explain Xe-H. Alternatively, mixing of 20% of material that experienced neutron burst and 80% of solar material can reproduce the pattern of Xe-H, although Xe-L is not accounted for with this scenario

Rejets radioactifs et environnement du CERN en 2003

La radioactivité de l’environnement autour de l’Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN) et les doses de rayonnements qui en résultent pour la population avoisinante sont contrôlées par la Commission de Sûreté du CERN et de manière indépendante par les autorités compétentes des deux Etats Hôtes, l’Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) côté France et l’Office Fédéral de la Santé Publique (OFSP) côté Suisse. Dans ce rapport, les résultats de mesures concernent en particulier le territoire suisse. L’ensemble des mesures effectuées en 2003 prouve que le fonctionnement des installations du CERN était sans conséquence radiologique sur l’environnement et la population. Le contrôle des émissions montre que les rejets effectifs se situent également en 2003 nettement en dessous des limites réglementaires. Ce constat est confirmé par le contrôle des immissions dans l’environnement. Le CERN a bien respecté en 2003 comme dans les années précédentes la valeur directrice de dose liée à la source fixée à 0.3 mSv/an. L’impact réel représente en fait moins de 10% de cette valeur, comme l’indique l’estimation pour le groupe critique, qui est de l’ordre de 0.03 mSv/an

Coincidence and fixed points for compatible and relatively nonexpansive maps

The concept of relatively nonexpansive maps is introduced. Fixed point and coincidence results for families of four self maps of metric spaces are obtained. Non-continuous compatible and relatively nonexpansive maps on star-shaped compact subsets of normed linear spaces are highlighted, and two theorems of Dotson are generalized

Compatible mappings and common fixed points “revisited”

A fixed point theorem involving a Meir-Keeler type contraction principle is refined by diminishing continuity requirements

Documenting dilemmas: A narrative inquiry of secondary-level building principals addressing sexual harassment in Iowa public schools

This is a study of 14 secondary-level principals in the State of Iowa, who share their experiences navigating the political, social, legal, and moral tensions of the profession each day. This is a public role that is becoming increasingly more political due to the historical and political context of the past 5-10 years, and it is a professional title that comes with ethical standards that must be acknowledged. This project explores the relationship between these experiences and federal, state and local policies related to harmful student behaviors in PK-12 schools, specifically zooming in on sexual harassment. Using narrative inquiry, 14 principals share why they wanted to work as school administrators, how they approach documenting and defining student behaviors, and how they navigate the many stakeholders of both their districts and their communities. Vignettes are included in this study, created from these lived experiences in the field, to illustrate the complexities of specific behavior incidents which may be less easily defined and could involve significant harm to students. Adopting a critical epistemological stance, Chris Linder’s (2018) power-conscious framework and sensemaking theory, the findings explore the role of power and societal expectations in schools and their impact on how behaviors are defined, documented, and, in some cases, prevented each day in districts of varying sizes and ideologies across the State of Iowa. Lastly, it asks critical questions about how principals can navigate sexual harassment incidents in more structured and purposeful ways, leading to positive changes in preventing future harms across the state, especially for Iowa’s most vulnerable students

Compatible mappings and common fixed points,

ABSTRACT. A generalization of the commuting mapping concept is introduced. Properties of this "weakened commutativity" are derived and used to obtain results which generalize a theorem by Park and Bae, a theorem by Hadzic, and others

Observations on a variant of compatibility

We consider a variation of the concept of compatible maps introduced by Hicks and Saliga [1], and obtain generalizations ofresults by Hicks and Saliga and others