bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
English in the Roman Catholic liturgy 1969–2002
Authors: WHELAN WINIFRED
Published: August 2013

In 1963 the Vatican in Rome, as part of the Second Vatican Council, authorized vernacular languages to be used in Catholic liturgies around the world. For English speaking countries, a commission was formed to translate the Latin into English for the Mass as well as for all of the various rites such as baptism, anointing of the sick, marriage, and the ordination of priests and bishops. An International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) set to work, and by 1970 it had a provisionary translation completed. The commission then set out to revise its work in a more thoughtful and studied manner. These new translations were sent to the English‐speaking bishops all over the world for approval and comment, which were then revised accordingly. This work continued until 2002 when a new regime in Rome revised their instructions for translation, dismissed the work that had been done, and appointed a new international commission. This article documents the history of ICEL from 1969 to 2002.
Smash nilpotent cycles on varieties dominated by products of curves
Authors: Sebastian Ronnie
Published: August 2013

Voevodsky conjectured that numerical equivalence and smash equivalence coincide on a smooth projective variety. We prove the conjecture for 1-cycles on varieties dominated by products of curves.
Unsteady Hydromagnetic Natural Convection Flow of a Dusty Fluid Past an Impulsively Moving Vertical Plate With Ramped Temperature in the Presence of Thermal Radiation
Authors: Nandkeolyar R. , Seth G. S. , Makinde O. D. , Sibanda P. , Ansari Md. S.
Published: August 2013

Unsteady hydromagnetic natural convection boundary layer flow of a viscous, incompressible, and electrically conducting dusty fluid past an impulsively moving vertical plate with ramped temperature in the presence of thermal radiation and transverse magnetic field is studied. Exact solutions of the governing equations for fluid and particle velocities and fluid and particle temperatures are obtained in closed form by Laplace transform technique. To compare the results obtained in this case with that of an isothermal plate, exact solutions of the governing equations are also obtained for an isothermal plate. The expressions for the skin friction and Nusselt number are also derived for both ramped temperature and isothermal plates. Numerical values of fluid and particle velocities and fluid and particle temperatures are displayed graphically for various values of pertinent flow parameters for both ramped temperature and isothermal plates, whereas numerical values of skin friction and Nusselt number for both ramped temperature and isothermal plates are presented in tabular form for pertinent flow parameters.
Power Gain and Daily Improvement Factor in Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems With Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Regulators. Case of Study: South of Spain
Authors: Muñoz F. J. , Jiménez G. , Fuentes M. , Aguilar J. D.
Published: August 2013

The performance reliability of a stand-alone photovoltaic system (SAPV) depends on the long-term performance of the batteries. In this way, a charge controller becomes an essential device which not only prevents the batteries from suffering deep discharges and overvoltages but also monitors the battery state of charge (SOC) in order to maximize charging efficiency and energy availability. At present, pulse width modulated (PWM) charge regulators dominate the market for this type of component in SAPV systems. However, in recent years, to improve energy management, more manufacturers have developed controllers with strategies for maximum power point tracking (MPPT). PWM charge controllers do not always make optimum use of the available power given by the maximum power point and this gives a loss of power. These power losses depend on battery voltage, irradiance and temperature. However, they can be avoided by using a MPPT charge controller which operates the array at its maximum power point under a range of operating conditions, as well as regulating battery charging. The advantage, in terms of energy gain, provided by this type of charge regulator depends on weather conditions. This paper will study the power gain provided by this type of charge controller, depending on the module temperature and the battery voltage. The paper will, additionally, provide a study of the gain in energy yield, also shown as improvement factor, F, for SAPV systems installed in Jaén (South of Spain). This study may illustrate the behavior of these two types of charge controllers in warm weathers, like Mediterranean climates. Furthermore, it will analyze the suitability of MPPT charge controllers and their benefits in this type of climate. It will be shown that MPPT charge regulator global efficiency constitutes a key issue in making a choice between MPPT and PWM charge regulators. The results given here may be not only of interest for SAPV systems with no access to the electricity grid but also for battery back-up PV grid-connected PV (GCPV) systems.
The role of activator concentration and precipitate formation on optical and dosimetric properties of KCl:Eu2+ storage phosphor detectors
Authors: Hansel Rachael A. , Xiao Zhiyan , Hu Yanle , Green Olga , Yang Deshan , Harold Li H.
Published: August 2013

Purpose:

The activator ion (Eu2+ in KCl:Eu2+) plays an important role in the photostimulated luminescence (PSL) mechanism of storage phosphor radiation detectors. In order to design an accurate, effective, and robust detector, it is important to understand how the activator ion concentration affects the structure and, consequently, radiation detection properties of KCl:Eu2+.

Methods:

Potassium chloride pellets were fabricated with various amounts of europium dopant (0.01–5.0 mol.% Eu2+). Clinical radiation doses were given with a 6 MV linear accelerator. Radiation doses larger than 100 Gy were given with a 137Cs irradiator. Dose response curves, radiation hardness, and temporal signal stability were measured using a laboratory PSL readout system. The crystal structure of the material was studied using x ray diffraction and luminescence spectroscopy.

Results:

The most intense PSL signal was from samples with 1.0 mol.% Eu. However, samples with concentrations higher than 0.05 mol.% Eu exhibited significant degradation in PSL intensity for cumulated doses larger than 3000 Gy. Structural and luminescence spectroscopy showed clear evidence of precipitate phases within the KCl lattice, especially for high activator concentrations. Analysis of PL emission spectra showed that interactions between Eu‐Vc dipoles and Eu‐Vc trimers could explain trends in PSL sensitivity and radiation hardness observations.

Conclusions:

The concentration of the activator ion (Eu2+) significantly affects radiation detection properties of the storage phosphor KCl:Eu2+. An activator concentration between 0.01 and 0.05 mol.% Eu in KCl:Eu2+ storage phosphor detectors is recommended for linear dose response, good PSL sensitivity, predictable temporal stability, and high reusability for megavoltage radiation detection.
Webb's Physics of Medical Imaging, Second Edition.
Authors: Ratliff Steven T.
Published: August 2013

Webb's Physics of Medical Imaging, Second Edition., Flower M. A., CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, 2012. 864 pp. Price: $89.95. ISBN: 9780750305730 (hardcover). © 2013 Doody's Review Service. Doody's Review Service
Introducing fluid dynamics using dimensional analysis
Authors: Højgaard Jensen Jens
Published: August 2013

Many aspects of fluid dynamics can be introduced using dimensional analysis, combined with some basic physical principles. This approach is concise and allows exploration of both the laminar and turbulent limits—including important phenomena that are not normally dealt with when fluid dynamics is first introduced as a precise mathematical discipline. In this paper, we use dimensional analysis to understand drag forces on bodies, flow speeds through tubes, and lift forces.
Advance of perihelion
Authors: Lo Kin-Ho , Young Kenneth , Lee Benjamin Y. P.
Published: August 2013

The advance of perihelion, in particular for Mercury, is regarded as a classical test of general relativity, but a number of other (in some cases much larger) contributions to this phenomenon are seldom discussed in detail in textbooks. This paper presents a unified framework for evaluating the advance of perihelion due to (a) general relativity, (b) the solar quadrupole moment, and (c) planetary perturbations, the last in a ring model where the mass of each perturbing planet is “smeared out” into a coplanar circular orbit. The exact solution of the ring model agrees to within 4% with the usually quoted figure. Time-dependent contributions beyond the ring model contain some surprising features: they are not small, and some with long periods could mimic a secular advance.
Radial forcing and Edgar Allan Poe's lengthening pendulum
Authors: McMillan Matthew , Blasing David , Whitney Heather M.
Published: August 2013

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum, we investigate a radially driven, lengthening pendulum. We first show that increasing the length of an undriven pendulum at a uniform rate does not amplify the oscillations in a manner consistent with the behavior of the scythe in Poe's story. We discuss parametric amplification and the transfer of energy (through the parameter of the pendulum's length) to the oscillating part of the system. In this manner, radial driving can easily and intuitively be understood, and the fundamental concept applied in many other areas. We propose and show by a numerical model that appropriately timed radial forcing can increase the oscillation amplitude in a manner consistent with Poe's story. Our analysis contributes a computational exploration of the complex harmonic motion that can result from radially driving a pendulum and sheds light on a mechanism by which oscillations can be amplified parametrically. These insights should prove especially valuable in the undergraduate physics classroom, where investigations into pendulums and oscillations are commonplace.
High School Physics, Two-Year Colleges, and Physics Majors
Authors: White Susan C.
Published: August 2013

We have just completed the data collection for our 2012–13 Nationwide Survey of High School Physics and expect to have results to report in the spring. In the interim, we will take a look at physics in two-year colleges (TYCs). In 2007, we surveyed undergraduate seniors in degree-granting physics departments, and we asked these students if they had begun the post-secondary career at a TYC. Nine percent of the physics undergraduate seniors in 2007 had started their college education at a TYC, and these students differ significantly from those who did not start at a TYC. The two graphs at right depict the high school physics experience for these two groups of students. More than one-fourth of those who started at a TYC did not take physics in high school, and only 18% took AP physics. The 6% of those who did not start at a TYC and did not take physics is consistent with the 5% of high school seniors who attend a school where physics is not offered. Their apparent difference of interest in physics in high school is also evident from their knowledge about AP physics offerings: 25% of those who started at a TYC did not know if AP physics was offered at their high school versus only 5% of those who did not start at a TYC. Since their high school physics experiences were so different, it is likely that something happened in their physics courses at the TYC that captured these students' interest in physics.
The Other Hall Effect: College Board Physics
Authors: Sheppard Keith , Gunning Amanda M.
Published: August 2013

Edwin Herbert Hall (1855–1938), discoverer of the Hall effect, was one of the first winners of the AAPT Oersted Medal for his contributions to the teaching of physics. While Hall's role in establishing laboratory work in high schools is widely acknowledged, his position as chair of the physics section of the Committee on College Entrance Requirements was contentious and his involvement in launching College Board Physics, what we call the “other Hall effect,” has largely been overlooked.1 This article details Hall's role in the development of College Board Physics.
Incorporating Sustainability and 21st-Century Problem Solving into Physics Courses
Authors: Rogers Michael , Pfaff Tom , Hamilton Jason , Erkan Ali
Published: August 2013

As educators we are facing an unprecedented challenge to prepare our students not only for traditional careers but also for future careers that don't exist today. Many of these careers will require a firm grounding in disciplines such as physics, along with multidisciplinary, Global, and systems thinking skill sets. Our Multidisciplinary Sustainability Education (MSE) project is addressing this challenge by creating sustainability-themed modules where a variety of courses in a range of disciplines tackle relevant, real-world problems from each discipline's perspective.1 Each course involved in a module, which addresses an overarching question, has students write technical reports, using their discipline knowledge to address the question, and they are expected to read and synthesize reports from other discipline-based courses. This paper discusses one of our modules, “What Are the Current and Future Impacts of Global Climate Change on Polar Bears?” and how students studying thermal physics can help answer this question.
Histological and ultrastructural changes in canola (Brassica napus) funicular anatomy during the seed lifecycle
Authors: Chan Ainsley , Belmonte Mark F.
Published: August 2013

We examined the dynamic cellular changes that occur in Brassica napus L. funiculus histology and ultrastructure over developmental time by using light and transmission electron microscopy. Over the course of development, the funiculus significantly increased in size. This was a result of increased cell numbers as well as the deposition of additional wall material in the epidermis and vasculature layers of the funiculus. Conversely, the intermediate cortex layer broke down, detached from adjacent tissues, and developed large intercellular spaces. There was a loss of cytoplasm in the epidermis although this tissue remained intact. This cellular degeneration was correlated with a reduction in starch and other changes in organelle features. A pronounced increase in the number of vascular elements, both in the xylem and phloem tissues, also occurred as the funiculus matured. We present the first detailed histological examination of the funiculus in B. napus, one of the most economically important crops in Canada, and discuss the importance of cellular changes required for development as they relate to the three primary tissue systems of the plant.
Evaluation of contribution of different molecular fragments on antibacterial activity of Schiff bases of indole-3-aldehyde based on QSAR study
Authors: Kamaria Priyanka , Kawathekar Neha
Published: August 2013

The paper describes the QSAR analysis of a series of 22 Schiff bases of indole-3-aldehyde employing the Hansch approach. Various physicochemical and steric parameters were calculated using the Chem 3D package of molecular modeling Software Chemoffice 2004. QSAR models were generated employing the sequential multiple regression method. Models were validated using leave-one-out and bootstrapping methods. Results obtained show that dipole–dipole energy, LUMO, and total energy play an important role, as their positive contribution is seen in the models. Findings of the present study reveal that substituents that cause increase in flexibility, a decrease in polarity, and electron withdrawing in nature are favorable for antibacterial activity of Schiff bases.
Vinpocetine protects liver against ischemia–reperfusion injury
Authors: Zaki Hala Fahmy , Abdelsalam Rania Mohsen
Published: August 2013

Hepatic ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury is a clinical problem that leads to cellular damage and organ dysfunction mediated mainly via production of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines. Vinpocetine has long been used in cerebrovascular disorders. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of vinpocetine in IR injury to the liver. Ischemia was induced in rats by clamping the common hepatic artery and portal vein for 30 min followed by 30 min of reperfusion. Serum transaminases and liver lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, liver inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress biomarkers, and liver histopathology were assessed. IR resulted in marked histopathology changes in liver tissues coupled with elevations in serum transaminases and liver LDH activities. IR also increased the production of liver lipid peroxides, nitric oxide, and inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-6, in parallel with a reduction in reduced glutathione and interleukin-10 in the liver. Pretreatment with vinpocetine protected against liver IR-induced injury, in a dose-dependent manner, as evidenced by the attenuation of oxidative stress as well as inflammatory and liver injury biomarkers. The effects of vinpocetine were comparable with that of curcumin, a natural antioxidant, and could be attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Soil texture and layering effects on water and salt dynamics in the presence of a water table: a review
Authors: Li Xiaopeng , Chang Scott X. , Salifu K. Francis
Published: August 2013

Soil texture and its vertical spatial heterogeneity may greatly influence soil hydraulic properties and the distribution of water and solutes in the soil profile; therefore, they are of great importance for agricultural, environmental, and geo-engineering applications such as land reclamation and landfill construction. This paper reviews the following aspects on water and salt dynamics in the presence of a water table: (i) the effect of soil texture on the extent of upward movement of groundwater in homogenous soils and (ii) the impact of soil textural layering on water and salt dynamics. For a homogenous soil, the maximum height of capillary rise (hmax) or the evaporation characteristic length (ECL) is closely related to the soil texture. When the water table is deeper than hmax, water will evaporate at some depth below surface and salts will be retained below the evaporation front, causing the separation of water and salt. For layered soils, flow barriers (capillary and hydraulic barriers) can make the soil hold more water than a nonlayered one. A capillary barrier may work when a fine-textured layer overlies a coarse-textured layer during infiltration or a coarse-textured layer overlies a fine-textured layer during evaporation, and a hydraulic barrier may occur when a poorly permeable layer exists in the soil profile. The extra water held by flow barriers may improve water availability to plants and may at the same time increase salinization and other environmental risks. Under special conditions, such as in seasonally frozen soils with a shallow water table, there is an additional soil salinization incentive caused by freeze–thaw cycles. Above all, further research is needed to understand the complex effects of soil texture and layering on water and salt dynamics, especially in artificial soils such as reclaimed soils with contrasting properties.
LUSIN AREA FUNCTION AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATIONS OF MUSIELAK–ORLICZ HARDY SPACES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
Authors: HOU SHAOXIONG , YANG DACHUN , YANG SIBEI
Published: August 2013

Let φ : ℝn× [0,∞) → [0,∞) be a growth function such that φ(x, ⋅) is nondecreasing, φ(x, 0) = 0, φ(x, t) > 0 when t > 0, limt→∞φ(x, t) = ∞, and φ(⋅, t) is a Muckenhoupt A∞(ℝn) weight uniformly in t. In this paper, the authors establish the Lusin area function and the molecular characterizations of the Musielak–Orlicz Hardy space Hφ(ℝn) introduced by Luong Dang Ky via the grand maximal function. As an application, the authors obtain the φ-Carleson measure characterization of the Musielak–Orlicz BMO-type space BMOφ(ℝn), which was proved to be the dual space of Hφ(ℝn) by Luong Dang Ky.
ON THE LOGARITHMIC SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION
Authors: D'AVENIA PIETRO , MONTEFUSCO EUGENIO , SQUASSINA MARCO
Published: August 2013

In the framework of the nonsmooth critical point theory for lower semi-continuous functionals, we propose a direct variational approach to investigate the existence of infinitely many weak solutions for a class of semi-linear elliptic equations with logarithmic nonlinearity arising in physically relevant situations. Furthermore, we prove that there exists a unique positive solution which is radially symmetric and nondegenerate.
On the blowup of solutions of a Schrödinger equation with an inhomogeneous damping coefficient
Authors: Dias João-Paulo , Figueira Mário
Published: August 2013

We consider the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear self-focusing Schrödinger equation in ℝNwith an inhomogeneous smooth damping coefficient and we prove, for suitable initial data, and in the spirit of the seminal work of R. Glassey, a blowup result for the corresponding local solutions. We also give some lower bound estimates for the blowing-up solutions.
Agency and Adaptation: New Directions in Evolutionary Anthropology
Authors: Smith Eric Alden
Published: August 2013

Neo-Darwinian evolution is widely acknowledged as the key framework for understanding the form and function of living systems, including myriad aspects of animal behavior. Yet extensions to human behavior and society are perennially challenged; debates are vociferous and seemingly irresolvable, and evolutionary approaches to human behavior are marginalized within much of anthropology and other social sciences. This review explores this contested terrain, arguing that although many critiques of evolutionary analyses of behavior are faulty, some valid concerns must be addressed. Human agency, behavioral plasticity, and the partial autonomy of cultural and historical change present real challenges to the standard evolutionary framework. However, several additions to the standard framework currently employed by evolutionary anthropologists and others address these concerns and provide a more comprehensive understanding of human behavioral evolution and adaptation. These additions include phenotypic adaptation, cultural transmission, gene-culture coevolution, and niche construction.
Coevolution (Or Not) of Supermassive Black Holes and Host Galaxies
Authors: Kormendy John , Ho Luis C.
Published: August 2013

Supermassive black holes (BHs) have been found in 85 galaxies by dynamical modeling of spatially resolved kinematics. The Hubble Space Telescope revolutionized BH research by advancing the subject from its proof-of-concept phase into quantitative studies of BH demographics. Most influential was the discovery of a tight correlation between BH mass [Formula: see text] and the velocity dispersion σ of the bulge component of the host galaxy. Together with similar correlations with bulge luminosity and mass, this led to the widespread belief that BHs and bulges coevolve by regulating each other's growth. Conclusions based on one set of correlations from [Formula: see text] in brightest cluster ellipticals to [Formula: see text] in the smallest galaxies dominated BH work for more than a decade.

New results are now replacing this simple story with a richer and more plausible picture in which BHs correlate differently with different galaxy components. A reasonable aim is to use this progress to refine our understanding of BH-galaxy coevolution. BHs with masses of 105−106M⊙are found in many bulgeless galaxies. Therefore, classical (elliptical-galaxy-like) bulges are not necessary for BH formation. On the other hand, although they live in galaxy disks, BHs do not correlate with galaxy disks. Also, any [Formula: see text] correlations with the properties of disk-grown pseudobulges and dark matter halos are weak enough to imply no close coevolution.

The above and other correlations of host-galaxy parameters with each other and with [Formula: see text] suggest that there are four regimes of BH feedback. (1) Local, secular, episodic, and stochastic feeding of small BHs in largely bulgeless galaxies involves too little energy to result in coevolution. (2) Global feeding in major, wet galaxy mergers rapidly grows giant BHs in short-duration, quasar-like events whose energy feedback does affect galaxy evolution. The resulting hosts are classical bulges and coreless-rotating-disky ellipticals. (3) After these AGN phases and at the highest galaxy masses, maintenance-mode BH feedback into X-ray-emitting gas has the primarily negative effect of helping to keep baryons locked up in hot gas and thereby keeping galaxy formation from going to completion. This happens in giant, core-nonrotating-boxy ellipticals. Their properties, including their tight correlations between [Formula: see text] and core parameters, support the conclusion that core ellipticals form by dissipationless major mergers. They inherit coevolution effects from smaller progenitor galaxies. Also, (4) independent of any feedback physics, in BH growth modes 2 and 3, the averaging that results from successive mergers plays a major role in decreasing the scatter in [Formula: see text] correlations from the large values observed in bulgeless and pseudobulge galaxies to the small values observed in giant elliptical galaxies.
Modeling the Panchromatic Spectral Energy Distributions of Galaxies
Authors: Conroy Charlie
Published: August 2013

The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies are shaped by nearly every physical property of the system, including the star-formation history, metal content, abundance pattern, dust mass, grain size distribution, star-dust geometry, and interstellar radiation field. The principal goal of stellar population synthesis (SPS) is to extract these variables from observed SEDs. In this review I provide an overview of the SPS technique and discuss what can be reliably measured from galaxy SEDs. Topics include stellar masses, star-formation rates and histories, metallicities and abundance patterns, dust properties, and the stellar initial mass function.
A Global Assessment of Manufacturing: Economic Development, Energy Use, Carbon Emissions, and the Potential for Energy Efficiency and Materials Recycling
Authors: Gutowski Timothy G. , Allwood Julian M. , Herrmann Christoph , Sahni Sahil
Published: August 2013

We present in two parts an assessment of global manufacturing. In the first part, we review economic development, pollution, and carbon emissions from a country perspective, tracking the rise of China and other developing countries. The results show not only a rise in the economic fortunes of the newly industrializing nations, but also a significant rise in global pollution, particularly air pollution and CO2 emissions largely from coal use, which alter and even reverse previous global trends. In the second part, we change perspective and quantitatively evaluate two important technical strategies to reduce pollution and carbon emissions: energy efficiency and materials recycling. We subdivide the manufacturing sector on the basis of the five major subsectors that dominate energy use and carbon emissions: (a) iron and steel, (b) cement, (c) plastics, (d) paper, and (e) aluminum. The analysis identifies technical constraints on these strategies, but by combined and aggressive action, industry should be able to balance increases in demand with these technical improvements. The result would be high but relatively flat energy use and carbon emissions. The review closes by demonstrating the consequences of extrapolating trends in production and carbon emissions and suggesting two options for further environmental improvements, materials efficiency, and demand reduction.
Insurance Risk, Risk Measures, and Capital Allocation: Navigating a Copernican Shift
Authors: Powers Michael R. , Zanjani George
Published: August 2013

We pursue two interrelated lines of thought. The first is a conceptual arc from (a) consideration of the unique characteristics of insurance risk, to (b) the quantification of this risk through risk measures, to (c) the application of these concepts to problems of allocating capital within an insurance company. The second is the identification and analysis of a dichotomy between prescriptive and descriptive approaches that appears in the study of each of the three previous components. In this way, we demonstrate the need for a Copernican shift from prescriptive solutions emphasizing the intrinsic characteristics of insurance loss random variables, to descriptive solutions accounting for both the properties of loss distributions and the economic and regulatory realities faced by insurance companies.
Yielding to Stress: Recent Developments in Viscoplastic Fluid Mechanics
Authors: Balmforth Neil J. , Frigaard Ian A. , Ovarlez Guillaume
Published: August 2013

The archetypal feature of a viscoplastic fluid is its yield stress: If the material is not sufficiently stressed, it behaves like a solid, but once the yield stress is exceeded, the material flows like a fluid. Such behavior characterizes materials common in industries such as petroleum and chemical processing, cosmetics, and food processing and in geophysical fluid dynamics. The most common idealization of a viscoplastic fluid is the Bingham model, which has been widely used to rationalize experimental data, even though it is a crude oversimplification of true rheological behavior. The popularity of the model is in its apparent simplicity. Despite this, the sudden transition between solid-like behavior and flow introduces significant complications into the dynamics, which, as a result, has resisted much analysis. Over recent decades, theoretical developments, both analytical and computational, have provided a better understanding of the effect of the yield stress. Simultaneously, greater insight into the material behavior of real fluids has been afforded by advances in rheometry. These developments have primed us for a better understanding of the various applications in the natural and engineering sciences.
The Justice Cascade: The Origins and Effectiveness of Prosecutions of Human Rights Violations
Authors: Sikkink Kathryn , Kim Hun Joon
Published: August 2013

The justice cascade refers to a new global trend of holding political leaders criminally accountable for past human rights violations through domestic and international prosecutions. In just three decades, state leaders have gone from being immune to accountability for their human rights violations to becoming the subjects of highly publicized trials in many countries of the world. New research suggests that such trials continue to expand and often result in convictions, including some of high-level state officials. This article summarizes research on the origins of the justice cascade and its effects on human rights practices around the world. It presents evidence that such prosecutions are affecting the behavior of political leaders worldwide and have the potential to help diminish human rights violations in the future.
Law, Race, and Biotechnology: Toward a Biopolitical and Transdisciplinary Paradigm
Authors: Roberts Dorothy E.
Published: August 2013

Law influences and is shaped by the emergence of race-based biotechnologies in the genomic age. This review examines how law and social science scholars have approached the role of legal regulation, theories, and norms in governing the definition and utility of race in gene-based technological innovation. I structure my discussion around four main themes: the institutional regulation of biotechnology research, commercial incentives for race-specific products, the paradoxes of inclusion and difference, and racial equality jurisprudence. My attention then turns to future directions for research in this field needed to attend to the serious political implications of increasing race consciousness in genomic research and technology at a time when color blindness and postracialism are gaining popularity. I argue for a biopolitical and transdisciplinary paradigm that is committed to our common humanity and to the need for social change.
The Physics of Broadcast Spawning in Benthic Invertebrates
Authors: Crimaldi John P. , Zimmer Richard K.
Published: August 2013

Most benthic invertebrates broadcast their gametes into the sea, whereupon successful fertilization relies on the complex interaction between the physics of the surrounding fluid flow and the biological properties and behavior of eggs and sperm. We present a holistic overview of the impact of instantaneous flow processes on fertilization across a range of scales. At large scales, transport and stirring by the flow control the distribution of gametes. Although mean dilution of gametes by turbulence is deleterious to fertilization, a variety of instantaneous flow phenomena can aggregate gametes before dilution occurs. We argue that these instantaneous flow processes are key to fertilization efficiency. At small scales, sperm motility and taxis enhance contact rates between sperm and chemoattractant-releasing eggs. We argue that sperm motility is a biological adaptation that replaces molecular diffusion in conventional mixing processes and enables gametes to bridge the gap that remains after aggregation by the flow.
Fatty acids exacerbate tubulointerstitial injury in protein-overload proteinuria
Authors: Thomas Mark E. , Harris Kevin P. G. , Walls John , Furness Peter N. , Brunskill Nigel J.
Published: August 2013

The role of the albumin-carried fatty acids in the induction of tubulointerstitial injury was studied in protein-overload proteinuria. Rats were injected with fatty acid-carrying BSA [FA(+)BSA], fatty acid-depleted BSA [FA(−)BSA], or saline. Macrophage infiltration was measured by immunohistochemical staining, apoptotic cells were detected by in situ end labeling, and proliferating cells were identified by in situ hybridization for histone mRNA. Macrophage infiltration was significantly greater in the FA(+)BSA group than in the FA(−)BSA and saline groups. The infiltrate was largely restricted to the outer cortex. Apoptosis was greater in the FA(+)BSA group than in the FA(−)BSA and saline groups. Compared with the saline group, apoptosis was significantly increased in the FA(+)BSA group but not in the FA(−)BSA group. Cortical cells proliferated significantly more in the FA(+)BSA and FA(−)BSA groups than in the saline group. FA(+)BSA is therefore a more potent inducer of macrophage infiltration and cell death than FA(−)BSA. The fatty acids carried on albumin may be the chief instigators of tubulointerstitial injury in protein-overload proteinuria.
TGF-β and CTGF have overlapping and distinct fibrogenic effects on human renal cells
Authors: Gore-Hyer Elizabeth , Shegogue Daniel , Markiewicz Malgorzata , Lo Shianlen , Hazen-Martin Debra , Greene Eddie L. , Grotendorst Gary , Trojanowska Maria
Published: August 2013

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) are ubiquitously expressed in various forms of tissue fibrosis, including fibrotic diseases of the kidney. To clarify the common and divergent roles of these growth factors in the cells responsible for pathological extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in renal fibrosis, the effects of TGF-β and CTGF on ECM expression in primary human mesangial (HMCs) and human proximal tubule epithelial cells (HTECs) were studied. Both TGF-β and CTGF significantly induced collagen protein expression with similar potency in HMCs. Additionally, α2(I)-collagen promoter activity and mRNA levels were similarly induced by TGF-β and CTGF in HMCs. However, only TGF-β stimulated collagenous protein synthesis in HTECs. HTEC expression of tenascin-C (TN-C) was increased by TGF-β and CTGF, although TGF-β was the more potent inducer. Thus both growth factors elicit similar profibrogenic effects on ECM production in HMCs, while promoting divergent effects in HTECs. CTGF induction of TN-C, a marker of epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation (EMT), with no significant induction of collagenous protein synthesis in HTECs, may suggest a more predominant role for CTGF in EMT rather than induction of excessive collagen deposition by HTECs during renal fibrosis.
Rate of increase of osmolality determines osmotic tolerance of mouse inner medullary epithelial cells
Authors: Cai Qi , Michea Luis , Andrews Peter , Zhang Zheng , Rocha Gerson , Dmitrieva Natalia , Burg Maurice B.
Published: August 2013

Renal inner medullary cells survive and function despite interstitial osmolality of 600–1,700 mosmol/kgH2O or more. In contrast, much smaller changes kill cells in tissue culture. Using mouse inner medullary epithelial cells at passage 2, we defined factors that might account for the difference. Most of the factors that we tested, including addition of hormones (insulin-like growth factor I, epidermal growth factor, or deamino-8-d-arginine vasopressin), growth on porous supports, and presence of matrix proteins (collagen I, collagen IV, fibronectin, laminin, or fibrillar collagen I), have no significant effect. However, the time course of the change makes a major difference. When osmolality is increased from 640 to 1,640 mosmol/kgH2O by addition of NaCl and urea in a single step, only 30% of cells survive for 24 h. However, when the same increase is made linearly over 20 h, 89% of the cells remain viable 24 h later. We conclude that gradual changes in osmolality, e.g., in vivo, allow cells to survive much greater changes than do the step changes routinely used in cell culture experiments.
Coordination of the cell cycle is an important determinant of the syndrome of acute renal failure
Authors: Megyesi Judit , Andrade Lucia , Vieira Jose M. , Safirstein Robert L. , Price Peter M.
Published: August 2013

Recovery from injury is usually accompanied by cell replication, in which new cells replace those irreparably damaged. After acute renal failure, normally quiescent kidney cells enter the cell cycle, which in tubule segments is accompanied by the induction of cell cycle inhibitors. We found that after acute renal failure induced by either cisplatin injection or renal ischemia, induction of the p21 cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor is protective. Mice lacking this gene developed more widespread kidney cell death, more severe renal failure, and had reduced survival, compared with mice with a functional p21gene. Here, we show induction of 14-3-3ς, a regulator of G2-to-M transition, after acute renal failure. Our findings, using both in vivo and in vitro models of acute renal failure, show that this protein likely helps to coordinate cell cycle activity to maximize recovery of renal epithelial cells from injury and reduce the extent of the injury itself. Because in terminally differentiated cells, these proteins are highly expressed only after injury, we propose that cell cycle coordination by induction of these proteins could be a general model of tissue recovery from stress and injury.
Molecular characterization of the murine Slc26a6 anion exchanger: functional comparison with Slc26a1
Authors: Xie Qizhi , Welch Rick , Mercado Adriana , Romero Michael F. , Mount David B.
Published: August 2013

We report the molecular and functional characterization of murine Slc26a6, the putative apical chloride-formate exchanger of the proximal tubule. The Slc26a6 transcript is expressed in several tissues, including kidney. Alternative splicing of the second exon generates two distinct isoforms, denoted Slc26a6a and Slc26a6b, which differ in the inclusion of a 23-residue NH2-terminal extension. Functional comparison with murine Slc26a1, the basolateral oxalate exchanger of the proximal tubule, reveals a number of intriguing differences. Whereas Slc26a6 is capable of Cl−, SO[Formula: see text], formate, and oxalate uptake when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, Slc26a1 transports only SO[Formula: see text] and oxalate. Measurement of intracellular pH during the removal of extracellular Cl−in the presence and absence of HCO[Formula: see text] indicates that Slc26a6 functions as both a Cl−/HCO[Formula: see text] and a Cl−/OH−exchanger; simultaneous membrane hyperpolarization during these experimental maneuvers reveals that HCO[Formula: see text] and OH−transport mediated by Slc26a6 is electrogenic. Cis-inhibition and efflux experiments indicate that Slc26a6 can mediate the exchange of both Cl−and SO[Formula: see text]with a number of substrates, including formate and oxalate. In contrast, SO[Formula: see text] and oxalate transport by Slc26a1 are mutually cis-inhibited but activated significantly by extracellular halides, lactate, and formate. The data indicate that Slc26a6 encodes an apical Cl−/formate/oxalate and Cl−/base exchanger and reveal significant mechanistic differences between apical and basolateral oxalate exchangers of the proximal tubule.
Mast cells mediate substance P-induced bladder inflammation through an NK1receptor-independent mechanism
Authors: Saban Ricardo , Gerard Norma P. , Saban Marcia R. , Nguyen Ngoc-Bich , DeBoer Douglas J. , Wershil Barry K.
Published: August 2013

The role of neurokinin-1 receptors (NK1R) in the interaction between mast cells and substance P (SP) in bladder inflammation was determined. Mast cell-deficient KitW/KitW-v, congenic normal (+/+), and KitW/KitW-vmice that were reconstituted with bone marrow cells isolated from NK1R−/−mice were challenged by instillation of SP, antigen, or saline into the urinary bladder. Twenty-four hours after challenge, the bladders were prepared for morphological assessment and gene expression. SP-induced bladder inflammation was mast cell dependent and did not require NK1R expression on the mast cell. Cluster analysis identified functionally significant genes that were dependent on the presence of mast cells for their upregulation regardless of stimulus. Those include serine protein inhibitor 2.2, maspin, mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 2, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1. Our findings demonstrate that while mast cells are essential for both antigen- and SP-induced bladder inflammation, there are common genes and unique genes expressed in each type of inflammatory reaction. When combined with unique animal models, gene array analysis provides a useful approach for identifying and characterizing pathways involved in bladder inflammation.
K depletion increases protein tyrosine kinase-mediated phosphorylation of ROMK
Authors: Lin Dao-Hong , Sterling Hyacinth , Lerea Kenneth M. , Welling Paul , Jin Lianhong , Giebisch Gerhard , Wang Wen-Hui
Published: August 2013

We purified His-tagged ROMK1 and carried out in vitro phosphorylation assays with 32P-radiolabeled ATP to determine whether ROMK1 protein is a substrate for PTK. Addition of active c-Src and [32P]ATP to the purified ROMK1 protein resulted in the phosphorylation of the ROMK1 protein. However, c-Src did not phosphorylate R1Y337A in which tyrosine residue 337 was mutated to alanine. Furthermore, phosphopeptide mapping identified two phosphopeptides from the trypsin-digested ROMK1 protein. In contrast, no phosphorylated peptide has been found in the trypsin-digested R1Y337A protein. This suggested that two phosphorylated peptides might contain the same tyrosine residue. Also, addition of c-Src and [32P]ATP phosphorylated the synthesized peptide corresponding to amino acid sequence 333–362 of the COOH terminus of ROMK1. We then examined the effect of dietary K intake on the tyrosine-phosphorylated ROMK level. Although the ROMK channels pulled down by immunoprecipitation with ROMK antibody were the same from rats on a K-deficient diet or on a high-K diet, more ROMK channels were phosphorylated by PTK in rats on a K-deficient diet than those on a high-K diet. We conclude that ROMK1 can be phosphorylated by PTK and that tyrosine residue 337 is the key site for the phosphorylation. Also, the tyrosine phosphorylation of ROMK is modulated by dietary K intake. This strongly suggests that PTK is an important member of the aldosterone-independent signal transduction pathway for regulating renal K secretion.
CD2-associated protein directly interacts with the actin cytoskeleton
Authors: Lehtonen Sanna , Zhao Fang , Lehtonen Eero
Published: August 2013

CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) is an adapter protein associating with several membrane proteins, including nephrin, mutated in congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type, and polycystin-2, mutated in type 2 autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Both proteins have critical roles in the maintenance of the integrity of the nephrons. Previous studies have suggested a role for CD2AP in the regulation of the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, but it has not been known whether the postulated association between CD2AP and actin is direct or mediated by other proteins. In this study, we address this question by using various cellular and biochemical approaches. We show that CD2AP and F-actin partially colocalize in cultured cells and that disruption of the actin cytoskeleton results in disorganization of endogenous CD2AP. Using cytoskeletal fractionation by differential centrifugation, we demonstrate that a proportion of CD2AP associates with the actin cytoskeleton. Furthermore, using pure actin and purified CD2AP fusion proteins in an F-actin coprecipitation assay, we show that CD2AP directly associates with filamentous actin and that this interaction is mediated by means of the COOH terminus of CD2AP. The present results suggest that CD2AP is involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and indicate that CD2AP may act as a direct adapter between the actin cytoskeleton and cell membrane proteins, such as nephrin and polycystin-2. Alterations in these interactions could explain some of the pathophysiological changes in congenital nephrotic syndrome and polycystic kidney disease.
Diabetic kidney disease: impact of puberty
Authors: Lane Pascale H.
Published: August 2013

Puberty accelerates microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, including nephropathy. Animal studies confirm a different renal hypertrophic response to diabetes before and after puberty, probably due to differences in the production of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Many of the complex physiological changes during puberty could affect potentially pathogenic mechanisms of diabetic kidney disease. Increased blood pressure, activation of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis, and production of sex steroids could all play a role in pubertal susceptibility to diabetic renal hypertrophy and nephropathy. These factors may influence the effects of hyperglycemia and several systems that ultimately control TGF-β production, including the renin-angiotensin system, cellular redox systems, the polyol pathway, and protein kinase C. These phenomena may also explain gender differences in kidney function and incidence of end-stage renal disease. Normal changes during puberty, when coupled with diabetes and superimposed on a genetically susceptible milieu, are capable of accelerating diabetic hypertrophy and microvascular lesions. A better understanding of these processes may lead to new treatments to prevent renal failure in diabetes mellitus.