We show that when a finitely presented Bestvina–Brady group splits as an amalgamated product over a subgroup $H$, its defining graph contains an induced separating subgraph whose associated Bestvina–Brady group is contained in a conjugate of $H$.

Coronavirus disease-2019 precipitated the rapid deployment of novel therapeutics, which led to operational and logistical challenges for healthcare organizations. Four health systems participated in a qualitative study to abstract lessons learned, challenges, and promising practices from implementing neutralizing monoclonal antibody (nMAb) treatment programs. Lessons are summarized under three themes that serve as critical building blocks for health systems to rapidly deploy novel therapeutics during a pandemic: (1) clinical workflows, (2) data infrastructure and platforms, and (3) governance and policy. Health systems must be sufficiently agile to quickly scale programs and resources in times of uncertainty. Real-time monitoring of programs, policies, and processes can help support better planning and improve program effectiveness. The lessons and promising practices shared in this study can be applied by health systems for distribution of novel therapeutics beyond nMAbs and toward future pandemics and public health emergencies.

Although seed trait variations and their relationship to the ecological niche have been studied extensively at the species level, they do not necessarily reflect variations at the population level. In this study, we explored the intra-specific variation in relative embryo length, seed mass and germination speed in 40 populations of Daucus carota distributed across Europe and North America. By including information on local climate conditions, we aimed to examine the impact of the geographical origin on various seed functional traits and to detect potential local adaptation. No significant difference was observed in final seed germination for European and North American seeds incubated at 20°C, nor in seed viability. In European populations, relative embryo length significantly increased with increasing seed mass, but no such relation was found in North American populations. Larger relative embryo length at dispersal resulted in increased germination speed in both European and North American populations. Populations in drier areas typically had seeds with larger relative embryo lengths. Precipitation-related climate variables showed a negative relationship with relative embryo length, indicating a reduction in relative embryo length with increased precipitation. No clear relationship between climate and seed mass was observed. We can conclude that seed functional traits of D. carota are adapted to local climate conditions, as a clear gradient was observed in the relative embryo length of D. carota, which was associated with germination speed and climate. This gradient was less pronounced in North America, which can be explained by its relatively recent introduction to the continent.

Canada is regarded as an early adopter of democratic innovations, including the high-profile BC Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. To what extent has Canada maintained this trajectory? We examine this in the context of breadth and depth by examining trends in adoption over time across Canada and case-level adoption according to the dimensions of influence and temporality. While case studies of Canadian democratic innovations exist, these do not provide analytical capacity to understand trends in the breadth of adoption; we thus contribute a novel dataset of democratic innovations in Canada from 2000 to 2020. To analyze the depth of adoption, we present a two-by-three framework, which we apply to interpret our dataset of Canadian democratic innovations. We find that while there is an increase in the total number of democratic innovations, a low quantity is observed that exhibits high influence and permanence.

Time-domain characterization of ultrashort pulses is essential for studying interactions between light and matter. Here, we propose and demonstrate an all-optical pulse sampling technique based on reflected four-wave mixing with perturbation on a solid surface. In this method, a weak perturbation pulse perturbs the four-wave mixing signal generated by a strong fundamental pulse. The modulation signal of the four-wave mixing, which is detected in the reflection geometry to ensure a perfect phase-matching condition, directly reflects the temporal profile of the perturbation pulse. We successfully characterized multi-cycle and few-cycle pulses using this method. The reliability of our approach was verified by comparing it to the widely employed frequency-resolved optical gating method. This technique provides a simple and robust method for characterizing ultrashort laser pulses.

After outlining sceptical theism (ST) and the fine-tuning argument (FTA), I demonstrate how arguments for the former undercut the latter. I then consider and reject three recent proposals for ameliorating the conflict: positive ST, considerations about normative superiors, and appeal to theistic metaethics. I contend, however, that Kirk Durston’s complexity argument for ST does not undercut the FTA but in fact supports it. In defending that thesis, I respond to Climenhaga’s contention that ST undermines all warrant for theistic belief, the FTA included.

This paper investigates the increasing, but complex, support for reparations among Democratic elected officials—highlighting their tendency to endorse the concept while deferring discussion of policy details. This strategic ambiguity is common in policy discourse and can be embedded within policy design, such as legislative proposals to create commissions tasked with studying and recommending future actions on reparations. The effectiveness of these reparations commissions is uncertain. They could represent productive steps toward genuine reparations or simply serve to alleviate political pressure without any substantial policy changes. We explore these potential outcomes in three inter-related analyses: a compilation and comparison of all bills mentioning slavery reparations introduced at the federal and state level, the first nationally representative public opinion poll asking about support for reparations commissions, and a content analysis of legislative bill texts establishing reparations commissions. Our findings suggest that while reparations commissions offer an effective way for Democratic policymakers to manage conflicting constituency pressures in the short term, their potential to propel forward, rather than stall, the reparations debate hinges on their design and execution.