Dynamics of immersed molecules in superfluids

The dynamics of a molecule immersed in a superfluid medium are considered. Results are derived using a classical hydrodynamic approach followed by canonical quantization. The classical model, a rigid body immersed in incompressible fluid, permits a thorough analysis; its effective Hamiltonian generalizes the usual rigid-rotor Hamiltonian. In contrast to the free rigid rotor, the immersed body is shown to have chaotic dynamics. Quantization of the classical model leads to new and experimentally verifiable features. It is shown, for instance, that chiral molecules can behave as "quantum propellers": the rotational-translational coupling induced by the superfluid leads to a nonzero linear momentum in the ground state. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong candidate for experimental detection of this effect. The signature is a characteristic splitting of rotational absorption lines. The 1_{01} --> 1_{10} line in hydrogen peroxide, for example, is predicted to split into three lines separated by as much as 0.01 cm^{-1}, which is about the experimental linewidth.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Association of influenza virus proteins with membrane rafts

Assembly and budding of influenza virus proceeds in the viral budozone, a domain in the plasma membrane with characteristics of cholesterol /sphingolipid-rich membrane rafts. The viral transmembrane glycoproteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are intrinsically targeted to these domains, while M2 is seemingly targeted to the edge of the budozone. Virus assembly is orchestrated by the matrix protein M1, binding to all viral components and the membrane. Budding progresses by protein- and lipid-mediated membrane bending and particle scission probably mediated by M2. Here, we summarize the experimental evidence for this model with emphasis on the raft- targeting features of HA, NA, and M2 and review the functional importance of raft domains for viral protein transport, assembly and budding, environmental stability, and membrane fusion

Hemagglutinin-esterase-fusion (HEF) protein of influenza C virus

ABSTRACT Influenza C virus, a member of the Orthomyxoviridae family, causes flu-like disease but typically only with mild symptoms. Humans are the main reservoir of the virus, but it also infects pigs and dogs. Very recently, influenza C-like viruses were isolated from pigs and cattle that differ from classical influenza C virus and might constitute a new influenza virus genus. Influenza C virus is unique since it contains only one spike protein, the hemagglutinin-esterase-fusion glycoprotein HEF that possesses receptor binding, receptor destroying and membrane fusion activities, thus combining the functions of Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) of influenza A and B viruses. Here we briefly review the epidemiology and pathology of the virus and the morphology of virus particles and their genome. The main focus is on the structure of the HEF protein as well as on its co- and post-translational modification, such as N-glycosylation, disulfide bond formation, S-acylation and proteolytic cleavage into HEF1 and HEF2 subunits. Finally, we describe the functions of HEF: receptor binding, esterase activity and membrane fusion

Forging Ahead in the Somerset Hills: ArchaeologicalDocumentation of an 18th-Century Bloomery Forge inBernardsville, New Jersey

This paper describes the results of a program of salvage archaeology at the Leddell Forge in Bernardsville, Somerset County, New Jersey. The site, which dates from the late-18th century, was discovered during landscaping activities on private property. Small-scale ironworks, such as this forge, were once a ubiquitous part of the cultural landscape in northern New Jersey, but today they are largely forgotten. With support from the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills and private donors, the forge remains were recorded. The Leddell Forge site contained exceptionally well-preserved wooden remains which provide new information about bloomery forge layout and construction. As seen at this site, archaeology can provide considerable new data about these fascinating early American industries and serve as a touchstone for learning about the entrepreneurs who owned them and the people who labored in them

Ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung zur Bilanzierung großer Kapitalgesellschaften

Am Lehrstuhl für Rechnungswesen der Universität Kiel wird derzeit untersucht, wie die Rechnungslegungspraxis die gesetzlichen Regelungen bezüglich der Transparenz von Unternehmensverbindungen umsetzt. Grundgesamtheit der Analyse bilden die nach Umsatzerlösen geordneten Unternehmen im Verzeichnis "Die großen 500" in der Rechtsform von Kapitalgesellschaften. Daraus wurde eine repräsentative Stichprobe von 200 Gesellschaften gezogen, nach nötigen Korrekturen gab es noch 197 Gesellschaften. Die verbliebenen großen Kapitalgesellschaften sind schriftlich um die Zusendung ihres letzten Einzelabschlusses gebeten worden - bei 132 geschah das mit Erfolg. Von den restlichen 65 Gesellschaften gelang es in 58 Fällen, im Bundesanzeiger veröffentlichte Unterlagen in die Analyse einzubeziehen, so daß sich die Untersuchung auf insgesamt 190 große Kapitalgesellschaften erstreckt. Einbezogen wurden Jahresabschlüsse, deren Stichtage zwischen dem 31.12.1991 und dem 30.09.1993 lagen; dabei machen die zum 31.12.1992 erstellten Abschlüsse mehr als 75 % aus. Hinsichtlich der Rechtsform handelt es sich bei den Erstellern der Abschlüsse um 119 Aktiengesellschaften und 68 Gesellschaften mit beschränkter Haftung. Die restlichen drei sind Kommanditgesellschaften auf Aktien..

Patriots, Tories, Inebriates, and hussies: The Historical Archaeology of the Abraham Staats House, as a Case Study in Microhistory

To modern suburbanites, life on a farm may seem hopelessly boring or, alternatively, charming and idyllic. Excavations at the Abraham Staats House in New Jersey’s Raritan Valley, just upriver from New Brunswick, provide a revealing glimpse of the dynamic and contentious lives of 18th- and 19th-century farmers. The Staats family, part of the early 18th-century Dutch migration to the Raritan Valley, saw their lives transformed by the Revolutionary War, the arrival of turnpike roads, the construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal, the emancipation of slaves, the growth of the temperance movement, and family squabbles of Shakespearean proportions. Excavations at the Staats House undertaken by volunteers from the Friends of the Abraham Staats House, the Archaeological Society of New Jersey, and Monmouth University, combined with the rediscovery of long-forgotten diaries, deeds, wills, and court records, provide a richer glimpse into the complex realities of rural life in early New Jersey. Through the detailed intensive study, or microhistory, of this single household, local, regional, and national historical trends are revealed

Stellungnahme zu: Mit mehr Marktwirtschaft die Energiewende aktiv gestalten - Verantwortung für den Energie- und Industriestandort Nordrhein-Westfalen übernehmen

Antrag der Fraktion der FDP - Drucksache 16/1267. Öffentliche Anhörung des Ausschusses für Wirtschaft, Energie, Industrie, Mittelstand und Handwerk am 20. Februar 2013. Stellungnahme: Die Energiewende ist eine bedeutende gesellschaftliche und ökonomische Herausforderung. Angestrebt wird die Abkehr von Kernenergie und fossilen Energieträgern. An ihre Stelle sollen erneuerbare Energien treten. Wir begrüßen, dass die FDP-Landtagsfraktion in einem höheren Maße wettbewerbliche anstelle administrativer Steuerungsinstrumente für diese Energiewende einfordert. Wir bemängeln jedoch, dass Forderungen vielfach unkonkret bleiben und nähere Festlegungen erforderlich bleiben. Wir meinen, dies geschieht ohne Not, denn konkrete Lösungsalternativen liegen schon heute auf dem Tisch: Vorschläge für eine umfassende Reform der Förderung erneuerbarer Energien sind ebenso bekannt wie alternative Ausgestaltungsmöglichkeiten für das Strommarktdesign

Engineering and characterizing porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus with separated and tagged genes encoding the minor glycoproteins

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a major pathogen affecting pigs and belongs to the enveloped plus-stranded RNA virus family Arteriviridae. A unique feature of Arteriviruses is that the genes encoding the structural proteins overlap at their 3` and 5` ends. This impedes mutagenesis opportunities and precludes the binding of short peptides for antibody detection, as this would alter the amino acids encoded by the overlapping gene. In this study, we aimed to generate infectious PRRSV variants with separated genes encoding the minor glycoproteins Gp2, Gp3, and Gp4, accompanied by appended tags for detection. All recombinant genomes facilitate the release of infectious virus particles into the supernatant of transfected 293 T cells, as evidenced by immunofluorescence of infected MARC-145 cells using anti-nucleocapsid antibodies. Furthermore, expression of Gp2-Myc and Gp3-HA was confirmed through immunofluorescence and western blot analysis with tag-specific antibodies. However, after two passages of Gp2-Myc and Gp3-HA viruses, the appended tags were completely removed as indicated by sequencing the viral genome. Recombinant viruses with separated Gp2 and Gp3 genes remained stable for at least nine passages, while those with Gp3 and Gp4 genes separated reverted to wild type after only four passages. Notably, this virus exhibited significantly reduced titers in growth assays. Furthermore, we introduced a tag to the C-terminus of Gp4. The Gp4-HA virus was consistently stable for at least 10 passages, and the HA-tag was detectable by western blotting and immunofluorescence

Management consulting firms as institutional agents:strategies for creating and sustaining institutional capital

We classify the strategies by which management consultancies can create and sustain the institutional capital that makes it possible for them to extract competitive resources from their institutional context. Using examples from the German consulting industry, we show how localized competitive actions can enhance both individual firms’ positions, and also strengthen the collective institutional capital of the consulting industry thus legitimizing consulting services in broader sectors of society and facilitating access to requisite resources. Our findings counter the image of institutional entrepreneurship as individualistic, “heroic” action. We demonstrate how distributed, embedded actors can collectively shape the institutional context from within to enhance their institutional capital