Interactive Diffraction from Biological Nanostructures

We describe a technique for interactive rendering of diffraction effects produced by biological nanostructures such as snake skin surface gratings. Our approach uses imagery from atomic force microscopy that accurately captures the nanostructures responsible for structural coloration, that is, coloration due to wave interference, in a variety of animals. We develop a rendering technique that constructs bidirectional reflection distribution functions (BRDFs) directly from the measured data and leverages precomputation to achieve interactive performance. We demonstrate results of our approach using various shapes of the surface grating nanostructures. Finally, we evaluate the accuracy of our precomputation-based technique and compare to a reference BRDF construction technique.

Combined LARES-LAGEOS Solutions

LARES is a new spherical geodetic satellite designed for SLR observations. It is made of solid tungsten alloy covered with 92 corner cubes. Due to a very small area-to-mass ratio, the sensitivity of LARES orbits to non-gravitational forces is greatly minimized. We processed 82 weeks (Feb12-Aug13) of LARES observations from a global SLR network and we analyzed the contribution of LARES data to the current SLR products (e.g., global scale and geocenter coordinates). The quality of the combined LARES+LAGEOS-1/2 solutions is also addressed in the paper. Introduction LARES

Optional course "Homeopathically potentised substances: placebos or effective?" for medical students at the University of Bern, Switzerland

Background Apart from compulsory lectures on classical homeopathy (CH), traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncture, neural therapy and anthroposophically extended medicine (AEM), our institute at the University of Bern offers several optional practical courses for medical students. The aim of this course during autumn 2011 and spring 2012 was to discuss basic research, observational and clinical studies in the fields of CH and AEM, so that students i) learned how to read and appraise scientific publications, ii) learned how complementary medicine can be investigated with scientific methods, and iii) were able to form their own opinion about the possible specific effects and effectiveness of homeopathically potentised substances. Methods Introductory lectures on AEM, CH and study design were given to 12 second year medical students. The students appraised 12 research articles and presented the results in class, followed by discussions with experts in the fields of basic and clinical research from our institute. A company producing homeopathic remedies was visited and students could practise potentization procedures and trituration. At the end of the course, students compiled posters with arguments in favour of and against specific effects and effectiveness as well as their own conclusions. The course was evaluated using a written questionnaire with closed and open questions. Results Previous knowledge about CH and AEM was scarce among the students. It slightly increased during the course, and the course itself fostered their interest on the topic. This course was chosen by most students, because they were genuinely interested in the topic (and not because other courses they had wanted to visit were fully booked). The students especially valued the discussions, the various perspectives presented to them, and experiencing a potentization process. Conclusion Medical students were interested to learn more about homeopathically potentised substances. The contradictory study results made it difficult for them to form their own opinion. Apart from appraising articles, the students would have liked to meet and talk to patients.

The Olive Tree, Vol. 19 Number 1, 2011

The Spring 2011 issue of The Olive Tree, published twice each year by Fogler Library at the University of Maine, features articles about library projects, collections, technological innovations, and events.

Status of the Zimmerwald SLR station

The Zimmerwald SLR station is operated in a monostatic mode with 532nm laser pulses emitted at adjustable frequencies of 90-110Hz with energies slightly less than 10mJ. A rotating shutter protects the CSPAD receiver from the backscatter of the transmit beam. These systems are located below the telescope in an operator room housed within the observatory building with the laser system located in a separated, air-conditioned part of the room. All hardware components may be automatically accessed by the control software and from remote if required. Thanks to the fully automatic and remotely controllable SLR operations, the Zimmerwald station is one of the most productive stations in the ILRS network. Key characteristics of the hardware are shown. Specialities like the tracking of the full GLONASS constellation, one-way ranging to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and photon reception from bi-static experiments with the Graz SLR station are highlighted as well.

Impact of Earth radiation pressure on LAGEOS orbits and on the global scale

The indirect solar radiation pressure caused by reflected or re-emitted radiation by the Earth’s surface is an important non-gravitational force perturbing the orbits of geodetic satellites (Rubincam and Weiss, 1986; Martin and Rubincam, 1996). In the case of LAGEOS this acceleration is of the order of 15% of the direct solar radiation pressure. Therefore, Earth radiation pressure has a non-negligible impact not only on LAGEOS orbits, but also on the SLR-derived terrestrial reference frame. We investigate the impact of the Earth radiation pressure on LAGEOS orbits and on the SLR-derived parameters. Earth radiation pressure has a remarkable impact on the semi-major axes of the LAGEOS satellites, causing a systematic reduction of 1.5 mm. The infrared Earth radiation causes a reduction of about 1.0 mm and the Earth’s reflectivity of 0.5 mm of the LAGEOS’ semi-major axes. The global scale defined by the SLR network is changed by 0.07 ppb, when applying Earth radiation pressure. The resulting station heights differ by 0.5-0.6 mm in the solution with and without Earth radiation pressure. However, when range biases are estimated, the height differences are absorbed by the range biases, and thus, the station heights are not shifted.

International online survey to assess current practice in equine anaesthesia.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Multicentre Confidential Enquiries into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF) have not been conducted since the initial CEPEF Phases 1-3, 20 years ago. OBJECTIVES To collect data on current practice in equine anaesthesia and to recruit participants for CEPEF-4. STUDY DESIGN Online questionnaire survey. METHODS An online questionnaire was prepared and the link distributed internationally to veterinarians possibly performing equine anaesthesia, using emails, posters, flyers and an editorial. The questionnaire included 52 closed, semiclosed and open questions divided into 8 subgroups: demographic data, anaesthetist, anaesthesia management (preoperative, technical equipment, monitoring, drugs, recovery), areas of improvements and risks and motivation for participation in CEPEF-4. Descriptive statistics and Chi-squared tests for comparison of categorical variables were performed. RESULTS A total of 199 questionnaires were completed by veterinarians from 14 different countries. Of the respondents, 43% worked in private hospitals, 36% in private practices and 21% in university teaching hospitals. In 40 institutions (23%) there was at least one diplomate of the European or American colleges of veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia on staff. Individual respondents reported routinely employ the following anaesthesia monitoring modalities: electrocardiography (80%), invasive arterial blood pressures (70%), pulse oximetry (60%), capnography (55%), arterial blood gases (47%), composition of inspired and expired gases (45%) and body temperature (35%). Drugs administered frequently or routinely as part of a standard protocol were: acepromazine (44%), xylazine (68%), butorphanol (59%), ketamine (96%), diazepam (83%), isoflurane (76%), dobutamine (46%), and, as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone (73%) or flunixin meglumine (66%). Recovery was routinely assisted by 40%. The main factors perceived by the respondents to affect outcome of equine anaesthesia were the preoperative health status of the animal and training of the anaesthetist. CONCLUSIONS Current practice in equine anaesthesia varies widely, and the study has highlighted important topics relevant for designing a future prospective multicentre cohort study (CEPEF-4). The Summary is available in Chinese - see Supporting information.

Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Biochemical Engineering Symposium

This is the twenty-second of a series of symposia devoted to talks and posters by students about their biochemical engineering research. The first, third, fifth, ninth, twelfth, sixteenth, and twenti~th were hosted by Kansas State University, the second and fourth by the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, the sixth, seventh, tenth, thirteenth, seventeenth, and twenty-second by Iowa State University, the eighth, fourteenth, and nineteenth by the University of Missouri-Columbia, the eleventh, fifteenth, and twenty-first by Colorado State University, and the eighteenth by the University of Colorado. Next year's symposium will be at the University of Oklahoma. Symposium proceedings are edited and issued by faculty of the host institution. Because final publication usually takes place in refereed journals, articles included here are brief and often cover work in progress. ContentsC. A. Baldwin, J.P. McDonald, and L. E. Erickson, Kansas State University. Effect of Hydrocarbon Phase on Kinetic and Transport Limitations for Bioremediation of Microporous Soil J. C. Wang, S. K. Banerji, and Rakesh Bajpai, University of Missouri-Columbia. Migration of PCP in Soil-Columns in Presence of a Second Organic Phase Cheng-Hsien Hsu and Roger G. Harrison, University of Oklahoma. Bacterial Leaching of Zinc and Copper from Mining Wastes James A. Searles, Paul Todd, and Dhinakar S. Kompala, University of Colorado. Suspension Culture of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Utilizing Inclined Sedimentation Ron Beyerinck and Eric H. Dunlop, Colorado State University. The Effect of Feed Zone Turbulence as Measured by Laser Doppler Velocimetry on Baker's Yeast Metabolism in a Chemostat Paul Li-Hong Yeh, GraceY. Sun, Gary A. Weisman, and Rakesh Bajpai, University of Missouri-Columbia. Effect of Medium Constituents upon Membrane Composition of Insect Cells R. Shane Gold, M. M. Meagher, R. Hutkins, and T. Conway, University of Nebraska-Lincoin. Ethanol Tolerance and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Lactobacilli John Sargantanis and M. N. Karim, Colorado State University. Application of Kalman Filter and Adaptive Control in Solid Substrate Fermentation D. Vrana, M. Meagher, and R. Hutkins, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Product Recovery Optimization in the ABE Fermentation Kalyan R. Tadikonda and Robert H. Davis, University of Colorado. Cell Separations Using Targeted Monoclonal Antibodies Against Surface Proteins Meng H. Heng and Charles E. Glatz, Iowa State University. Charged Fusion for Selective Recovery of B-Galactosidase from Cell Extract Using Hollow Fiber Ion-Exchange Membrane Adsorption Hsiu-Mei Chen, Peter J. Reilly, and Clark Ford, Iowa State University. Site-Directed Mutagenesis to Enhance Thermostability of Glucoamylase from Aspergillus: A Rational Approach P. Tuitemwong, L. E. Erickson, and D. Y. C. Fung, Kansas State University. Applications of Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Fermentation on the Reduction of Flatulent Sugars in the Rapid Hydration Hydrothermal Cooked Soy Milk Sanjeev Redkar and Robert H. Davis, University of Colorado. Crossflow Microfiltration of Yeast Suspensions Linda Henk and James C. Linden, Colorado State University, and Irving C. Anderson, Iowa State University. Evaluation of Sorghum Ensilage as an Ethanol Feedstock Marc Lipovitch and James C. Linden, Colorado State University. Stability and Biomass Feedstock Pretreatability for Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation Ali Demirci, Anthony L. Pometto Ill, and Kenneth E. Johnson, Iowa State University. Application of Biofilm Reactors in Lactic Acid Fermentation Michael K. Dowd, Peter I. Reilly, and WalterS. Trahanovsky, Iowa State University. Low Molecular-Weight Organic Composition of Ethanol Stillage from Corn Craig E. Forney, Meng H. Heng, John R. Luther, Mark Q. Niederauer, and Charles E. Glatz, Iowa State University. Enhancement of Protein Separation Using Genetic Engineering J. F. Shimp, J. C. Tracy, E. Lee, L. C. Davis, and L. E. Erickson, Kansas State University. Modeling Contaminant Transport, Biodegradation and Uptake by Plants in the Rhizosphere Xiaoqing Yang, L. E. Erickson, and L. T. Fan, Kansas State University. Modeling of Dispersive-Convective Characteristics in Bioremediation of Contaminated Soil Jan Johansson and Rakesh Bajpai, University of Missouri-Columbia. Fouling of Membranes J. M. Wang, S. K. Banerji, and R. K. Bajpai, University of Missouri-Columbia. Migration of Sodium-Pentachorophenol (Na-PCP) in Unsaturated and Saturated Soil-Columns J. Sweeney and M. Meagher, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Purification of Alpha-D-Glucuronidase from Trichoderma reesei

Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Biochemical Engineering Symposium

This volume contains the Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Biochemical Engineering Symposium held at Kansas State University on September 21, 1996. The program included 10 oral presentations and 14 posters. Some of the papers describe the progress of ongoing projects, and others contain the results of completed projects. Only brief summaries are given of some of the papers; many of the papers will be published in full elsewhere. A listing of those who attended is given below. ContentsForeign Protein Production from SV40 Early Promoter in Continuous Cultures of Recombinant CHO Cells - Gautam Banik, Paul Todd, and Dhinakar Kampala Enhanced Cell Recruitment Due to Cell-Cell Interactions - Brad Farlow and Matthias Nollert The Recirculation of Hybridoma Suspension Cultures: Effects on Cell Death, Metabolism and Mab Productivity - Peng Jin and Carole A. Heath The Importance of Enzyme Inactivation and Self-Recovery in Cometabolic Biodegradation of Chlorinated Solvents - Xi-Hui Zhang, Shanka Banerji, and Rakesh Bajpai Phytoremediation of VOC contaminated Groundwater using Poplar Trees - Melissa Miller, Jason Dana, L.C. Davis, Murlidharan Narayanan, and L.E. Erickson Biological Treatment of Off-Gases from Aluminum Can Production: Experimental Results and Mathematical Modeling - Adeyma Y. Arroyo, Julio Zimbron, and Kenneth F. Reardon Inertial Migration Based Separation of Chlorella Microalgae in Branched Tubes - N.M. Poflee, A.L. Rakow, D.S. Dandy, M.L. Chappell, and M.N. Pons Contribution of Electrochemical Charge to Protein Partitioning in Aqueous Two-Phase Systems - Weiyu Fan and Charles C. Glatz Biodegradation of Some Commercial Surfactants Used in Bioremediation - Jun Gu, G.W. Preckshot, S.K. Banerji, and Rakesh Bajpai Modeling the Role of Biomass in Heavy Metal Transport Ln Vadose Zone - K.V. Nedunuri, L.E. Erickson, and R.S. Govindaraju Multivariable Statistical Methods for Monitoring Process Quality: Application to Bioinsecticide Production by 73 89 Bacillus Thuringiensis - c. Puente and M.N. Karim The Use of Polymeric Flocculants in Bacterial Lysate Streams - H. Graham, A.S. Cibulskas and E.H. Dunlop Effect of Water Content on transport of Trichloroethylene in a Chamber with Alfalfa Plants - Muralidharan Narayanan, Jiang Hu, Lawrence C. Davis, and Larry E. Erickson Detection of Specific Microorganisms using the Arbitrary Primed PCR in the Bacterial Community of Vegetated Soil - X. Wu and L.C. Davis Flux Enhancement Using Backpulsing - V.T. Kuberkar and R.H. Davis Chromatographic Purification of Oligonucleotides: Comparison with Electrophoresis - Stephen P. Cape, Ching-Yuan Lee, Kevin Petrini, Sean Foree, Micheal G. Sportiello and Paul Todd Determining Singular Arc Control Policies for Bioreactor Systems Using a Modified Iterative Dynamic Programming Algorithm - Arun Tholudur and W. Fred Ramirez Pressure Effect on Subtilisins Measured via FTIR, EPR and Activity Assays, and Its Impact on Crystallizations - J.N. Webb, R.Y. Waghmare, M.G. Bindewald, T.W. Randolph, J.F. Carpenter, C.E. Glatz Intercellular Calcium Changes in Endothelial Cells Exposed to Flow - Laura Worthen and Matthias Nollert Application of Liquid-Liquid Extraction in Propionic Acid Fermentation - Zhong Gu, Bonita A. Glatz, and Charles E. Glatz Purification of Recombinant T4 Lysozyme from E. Coli: Ion-Exchange Chromatography - Weiyu Fan, Matt L. Thatcher, and Charles E. Glatz Recovery and Purification of Recombinant Beta-Glucuronidase from Transgenic Corn - Ann R. Kusnadi, Roque Evangelista, Zivko L. Nikolov, and John Howard Effects of Auxins and cytokinins on Formation of Catharanthus Roseus G. Don Multiple Shoots - Ying-Jin Yuan, Yu-Min Yang, Tsung-Ting Hu, and Jiang Hu Fate and Effect of Trichloroethylene as Nonaqueous Phase Liquid in Chambers with Alfalfa - Qizhi Zhang, Brent Goplen, Sara Vanderhoof, Lawrence c. Davis, and Larry E. Erickson Oxygen Transport and Mixing Considerations for Microcarrier Culture of Mammalian Cells in an Airlift Reactor - Sridhar Sunderam, Frederick R. Souder, and Marylee Southard Effects of Cyclic Shear Stress on Mammalian Cells under Laminar Flow Conditions: Apparatus and Methods - M.L. Rigney, M.H. Liew, and M.Z. Southard

Proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Annual Biochemical Engineering Symposium

The Annual Biochemical Engineering Symposium Series started in 1970 when Professors Larry E. Erickson (Kansas State University) and Peter J. Reilly (then with University of Nebraska-Lincoln) got together in Manhattan, KS along with their students for a half-day powwow and technical presentation by their students. Ever since then, it has been a forum for Biochemical Engineering students in the heartland of USA to present their research to their colleagues in the form of talks and posters. The institutions actively involved with this annual symposium include Colorado State University, Kansas State University, Iowa State University, University of Colorado, University of Kansas, University of Missouri-Columbia, and University of Oklahoma. The University of lowa and University of Nebraska-Lincoln have also participated in the conference in recent years. The host institutions for the different symposia have been: Kansas State University (1, 3, 5, 9, 12, 16, 20), Iowa State University (6, 7, 10, 13, 17, 22), University of Missouri-Columbia (8, 14, 19, 25), Colorado State University (II, 15, 21), University of Colorado (18, 24), University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2, 4), University of Oklahoma (23). The next symposium will be held at Kansas State University. Proceedings of the Symposium are edited by faculty of the host institution and include manuscripts written and submitted by the presenters (students). These often include works-in-progress and final publication usually takes place in refereed journals. ContentsPatrick C. Gilcrease and Vincent G. Murphy, Colorado State University. Use of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) As A Nitrogen Source By A Pseudomonas florescens Species Under Aerobic Conditions. Marulidharan Narayanan, Lawrence C. Davis, and Larry E. Erickson, Kansas State University. Biodegradation Studies of Chlorinated Organic Pollutants in a Chamber in the Presence of Alfalfa Plants. S.K. Santharam, L.E. Erickson, and L.T. Fan, Kansas State University.Surfactant-Enhanced Remediation of a Non-Aqueous Phase Contaminant in Soil. Barry Vant-Hull, Larry Gold, and Robert H. Davis, University of Colorado.The Binding of T7 RNA Polymerase to Double-Stranded RNA. Jeffrey A. Kern and Robert H. Davis, University of Colorado.Improvement of RNA Transcription Yield Using a Fed-Batch Enzyme Reactor. G. Szakacs, M. Pecs, J. Sipocz, I. Kaszas, S.R. Deecker, J.C. Linden, R.P. Tengerdy, Colorado State University.Bioprocessing of Sweet Sorghum With In Situ Produced Enzymes. Brad Forlow and Matthias Nollert, University of Oklahoma.The Effect of Shear Stress ad P-selectin Site Density on the Rolling Velocity of White Blood Cells. Martin C. Heller and Theodore W. Randolph, University of Colorado.The Effects of Plyethylene Glycol and Dextran on the Lyophilization of Human Hemoglobin. LaToya S. Jones and Theodore W. Randolph, University of Colorado.Purification of Recombinant Hepatitis B Vaccine: Effect of Virus/Surfactant Interactions. Ching-Yuan Lee, Michael G. Sportiello, Stephen Cape, Sean Ferree, Paul Todd, Craig E. Kundrot, and Cindy Barnes, University of Colorado.Application of Osmotic Dewatering to the Crystallization of Oligonucleotides for Crystallography. Xueou Deng, L.E. Erickson, and D.Y.C. Fung, Kansas State University.Production of Protein-Rich Beverages from Cheese Whey and Soybean by rapid Hydration Hydrothermal Cooking. Pedro M. Coutinho, Michael K. Dowd, and Peter J. Reilly, Iowa State University.Automated Docking of Glucoamylase Substrates and Inhibitors. J. Johansson and R.K. Bajpai, University of Missouri.Adsorption of Albumin on Polymeric Microporous Membranes.

Guerra Civil española y carteles de propaganda : El arte y las masas

El cartelismo durante la Guerra Civil española fue uno de los más intensos momentos de manifestación masiva del arte; las proclamas exhibidas sobre los muros fueron expresión pública de ideas y sentimientos arraigados en la trama social. Su análisis suministra datos básicos sobre el pensamiento visual de entonces. Además, por su condición de arte popular, el cartelismo se fundamentó en un proceso industrial que renegó del concepto de "obra única". Todo ello condiciona los estudios historio-gráficos, necesariamente masivos, fundamentados en las recurrencias y pautas observadas estadísticamente. En el artículo se procede en primer lugar a un análisis formal y estilístico de tres autores capaces de representar las tendencias del conjunto (Renau, Arturo Ballester y Vicente Ballester Marco). En una segunda parte, el análisis pasa de la forma a la retórica, analizando la masa de carteles para comprobar dos sistemas de relaciones: el de los carteles con su referente (régimen de la predicación y régimen de la presentación); y el de proclamas en relación con el público que las contempla (regímenes de discurso, de relato y de discurso-relato conjugados).

Guerra Civil española y carteles de propaganda : El arte y las masas

El cartelismo durante la Guerra Civil española fue uno de los más intensos momentos de manifestación masiva del arte; las proclamas exhibidas sobre los muros fueron expresión pública de ideas y sentimientos arraigados en la trama social. Su análisis suministra datos básicos sobre el pensamiento visual de entonces. Además, por su condición de arte popular, el cartelismo se fundamentó en un proceso industrial que renegó del concepto de "obra única". Todo ello condiciona los estudios historio-gráficos, necesariamente masivos, fundamentados en las recurrencias y pautas observadas estadísticamente. En el artículo se procede en primer lugar a un análisis formal y estilístico de tres autores capaces de representar las tendencias del conjunto (Renau, Arturo Ballester y Vicente Ballester Marco). En una segunda parte, el análisis pasa de la forma a la retórica, analizando la masa de carteles para comprobar dos sistemas de relaciones: el de los carteles con su referente (régimen de la predicación y régimen de la presentación); y el de proclamas en relación con el público que las contempla (regímenes de discurso, de relato y de discurso-relato conjugados).

La comunicación científica en el ámbito escolar : Una experiencia de actividades en la Semana de las Ciencias

En el marco de la IXX Feria del Libro del Colegio Marianista se desarrollaron una serie de actividades pensadas para promover la interacción entre los hacedores de ciencia y la comunidad educativa, con el fin de colaborar con el gran objetivo de la alfabetización científica. Se desarrollaron talleres en los laboratorios, conferencias, animaciones digitales, posters y una revista de divulgación. Quienes cumplieron un rol central fueron los alumnos que participaron como divulgadores, animadores de trabajos prácticos, autores de artículos, posters y protocolos de trabajos prácticos.

La comunicación científica en el ámbito escolar : Una experiencia de actividades en la Semana de las Ciencias

En el marco de la IXX Feria del Libro del Colegio Marianista se desarrollaron una serie de actividades pensadas para promover la interacción entre los hacedores de ciencia y la comunidad educativa, con el fin de colaborar con el gran objetivo de la alfabetización científica. Se desarrollaron talleres en los laboratorios, conferencias, animaciones digitales, posters y una revista de divulgación. Quienes cumplieron un rol central fueron los alumnos que participaron como divulgadores, animadores de trabajos prácticos, autores de artículos, posters y protocolos de trabajos prácticos.