The State Response to Climate Change: 50 State Survey

This survey accompanies Global Climate Change and U.S. Law, Second Edition (Michael B. Gerrard and Jody Freeman, eds, 2014). It compiles state legislation, rules and executive orders that specifically address climate change as of the end of April 2014. It also includes a wide variety of state activities that may have an impact on greenhouse gases including legislation related to energy efficiency and renewable energy. The focus of this material is to provide readers with an understanding of the range of state activity that may contribute to greenhouse gas reduction and climate change. Some types of energy efficiency, alternative fuels and renewable energy legislation (such as tax credits for hybrid vehicles) are very similar from state to state; some laws have a short duration and therefore may not be codified (such as temporary tax credits); energy legislation is being enacted at an increasing pace. As a result, not all energy efficiency, alternative fuels and renewable energy legislation and other activity in every state are included in this compilation

The Social Politics of Contemporary Greek Life Organizations

Existing literature has examined the manifestation of race-based treatment in non-Jesuit higher education Greek Life Organizations (GLOs). These studies found that the history of white male-only spaces such as GLOs made for an exclusive campus environment even after minority groups gained access to higher education. This paper seeks to understand whether these same exclusive tendencies manifest in Jesuit institutions that cherish inclusivity such as Santa Clara University. Thus, it asks: How does race impact college students’ experiences in Greek Life? This study utilizes 6 interviews conducted with white and non-white racially identifying members of Santa Clara University GLOs. Additionally, it analyzes 6 hours\u27 worth of digital observations on media affiliated with or in relation to Greek Life. The data found that an inductee\u27s racial identity was most significant during the rushing process. If and when an inductee was accepted into a GLO, race was no longer critical to the nature of their experiences. However, the data also indicated the significance of numerous non-identity measures to one’s experience which were: the importance of self-presentation, rationalization of the individual benefits, and idealized reforms to be made within the GLO. These findings suggest that one’s experience in GLOs is dictated by more than their racial identity. More importantly, in cultivating a harmonious environment within this prevalent social culture in many higher education institutions, GLOs need to do more than diversify their membership and reconcile with their racialized past

Standards for Specialized Nutrition Support: Home Care Patients

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141435/1/ncp0579.pd

Three-body dN interaction in the analysis of the 12C(pol_d,d') reaction at 270 MeV

We have measured the cross sections and analyzing powers Ay and Ayy for the elastic and inelastic scattering of deuterons from the 0+(g.s.), 2+(4.44 MeV), 3-(9.64 MeV), 1+(12.71 MeV), and 2-(18.3 MeV) states in 12C at an incident energy of 270 MeV. The data are compared with microscopic distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations where the projectile-nucleon effective interactionis taken from the three-nucleon t-matrix given by rigorous Faddeev calculations presently available at intermediate energies. The agreement between theory and data compares well with that for the (p,p') reactions at comparable incident energies/nucleon.Comment: 17 pages, 3 Postscript figure

Effect of silane coupling agents on basalt fiber-epoxidized vegetable oil matrix composite materials analyzed by the single fiber fragmentation technique

The fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of biobased epoxy composites reinforced with basalt fiber was investigated by the fragmentation method. Basalt fibers were modified with four different silanes, (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane, [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]-trimethoxysilane, trimethoxy[2-(7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-yl)ethyl]silane and (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane to improve the adhesion between the basalt fiber and the resin. The analysis of the fiber tensile strength results was performed in terms of statistical parameters. The tensile strength of silane-treated basalt fiber is higher than the tensile strength of the untreated basalt fiber; this behavior may be due to flaw healing effect on the defected fiber surfaces. The IFSS results on the composites confirm that the interaction between the fiber modified with coupling agents and the bio-based epoxy resin was much stronger than that with the untreated basalt fiber. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1205-1212, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics EngineersContract grant sponsor: Programme Support Research and Development (Polytechnic University of Valencia); contract grant number: PAID-00-12.Samper Madrigal, MD.; Petrucci, R.; Sánchez Nacher, L.; Balart Gimeno, RA.; Kenny, JM. (2015). Effect of silane coupling agents on basalt fiber-epoxidized vegetable oil matrix composite materials analyzed by the single fiber fragmentation technique. Polymer Composites. 36(7):1205-1212. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.23023S12051212367Lopattananon, N., Kettle, A. P., Tripathi, D., Beck, A. J., Duval, E., France, R. M., … Jones, F. R. (1999). Interface molecular engineering of carbon-fiber composites. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 30(1), 49-57. doi:10.1016/s1359-835x(98)00109-2Nishikawa, M., Okabe, T., & Takeda, N. (2008). Determination of interface properties from experiments on the fragmentation process in single-fiber composites. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 480(1-2), 549-557. doi:10.1016/j.msea.2007.07.067Rao, V., Herrera-franco, P., Ozzello, A. D., & Drzal, L. T. (1991). A Direct Comparison of the Fragmentation Test and the Microbond Pull-out Test for Determining the Interfacial Shear Strength. The Journal of Adhesion, 34(1-4), 65-77. doi:10.1080/00218469108026506Doan, T.-T.-L., Brodowsky, H., & Mäder, E. (2012). Jute fibre/epoxy composites: Surface properties and interfacial adhesion. Composites Science and Technology, 72(10), 1160-1166. doi:10.1016/j.compscitech.2012.03.025Koyanagi, J., Nakatani, H., & Ogihara, S. (2012). Comparison of glass–epoxy interface strengths examined by cruciform specimen and single-fiber pull-out tests under combined stress state. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 43(11), 1819-1827. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2012.06.018Johnson, A. C., Hayes, S. A., & Jones, F. R. (2012). The role of matrix cracks and fibre/matrix debonding on the stress transfer between fibre and matrix in a single fibre fragmentation test. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 43(1), 65-72. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2011.09.005Pupurs, A., Goutianos, S., Brondsted, P., & Varna, J. (2013). Interface debond crack growth in tension–tension cyclic loading of single fiber polymer composites. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 44, 86-94. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2012.08.019TRIPATHI, D., & JONES, F. R. (1998). Journal of Materials Science, 33(1), 1-16. doi:10.1023/a:1004351606897Awal, A., Cescutti, G., Ghosh, S. B., & Müssig, J. (2011). Interfacial studies of natural fibre/polypropylene composites using single fibre fragmentation test (SFFT). Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 42(1), 50-56. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.10.007Kelly, A., & Tyson, W. R. (1965). Tensile properties of fibre-reinforced metals: Copper/tungsten and copper/molybdenum. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 13(6), 329-350. doi:10.1016/0022-5096(65)90035-9Altuna, F. I., Espósito, L. H., Ruseckaite, R. A., & Stefani, P. M. (2010). Thermal and mechanical properties of anhydride-cured epoxy resins with different contents of biobased epoxidized soybean oil. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 120(2), 789-798. doi:10.1002/app.33097Harry-O’kuru, R. E., Mohamed, A., Gordon, S. H., & Xu, J. (2012). Syntheses of Novel Protein Products (Milkglyde, Saliglyde, and Soyglyde) from Vegetable Epoxy Oils and Gliadin. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(7), 1688-1694. doi:10.1021/jf204701tPan, X., Sengupta, P., & Webster, D. C. (2011). High Biobased Content Epoxy–Anhydride Thermosets from Epoxidized Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids. Biomacromolecules, 12(6), 2416-2428. doi:10.1021/bm200549cStemmelen, M., Pessel, F., Lapinte, V., Caillol, S., Habas, J.-P., & Robin, J.-J. (2011). A fully biobased epoxy resin from vegetable oils: From the synthesis of the precursors by thiol-ene reaction to the study of the final material. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 49(11), 2434-2444. doi:10.1002/pola.24674Kim, H. (2012). Thermal characteristics of basalt fiber reinforced epoxy-benzoxazine composites. Fibers and Polymers, 13(6), 762-768. doi:10.1007/s12221-012-0762-zWang, H., Wang, G., Zhang, L., Jiang, Z., Guan, S., & Zhang, S. (2012). Influence of the addition of lubricant on the properties of poly(ether ether ketone)/basalt fiber composites. High Performance Polymers, 24(6), 503-506. doi:10.1177/0954008312443845Tehrani Dehkordi, M., Nosraty, H., Shokrieh, M. M., Minak, G., & Ghelli, D. (2013). The influence of hybridization on impact damage behavior and residual compression strength of intraply basalt/nylon hybrid composites. Materials & Design, 43, 283-290. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2012.07.005Guillebaud-Bonnafous, C., Vasconcellos, D., Touchard, F., & Chocinski-Arnault, L. (2012). Experimental and numerical investigation of the interface between epoxy matrix and hemp yarn. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 43(11), 2046-2058. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2012.07.015Pickering, K. L., Sawpan, M. A., Jayaraman, J., & Fernyhough, A. (2011). Influence of loading rate, alkali fibre treatment and crystallinity on fracture toughness of random short hemp fibre reinforced polylactide bio-composites. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 42(9), 1148-1156. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2011.04.020Charlet, K., Jernot, J.-P., Gomina, M., Bizet, L., & Bréard, J. (2010). Mechanical Properties of Flax Fibers and of the Derived Unidirectional Composites. Journal of Composite Materials, 44(24), 2887-2896. doi:10.1177/0021998310369579Barreto, A. C. H., Esmeraldo, M. A., Rosa, D. S., Fechine, P. B. A., & Mazzetto, S. E. (2010). Cardanol biocomposites reinforced with jute fiber: Microstructure, biodegradability, and mechanical properties. Polymer Composites, 31(11), 1928-1937. doi:10.1002/pc.20990Bledzki, A. K., & Jaszkiewicz, A. (2010). Mechanical performance of biocomposites based on PLA and PHBV reinforced with natural fibres – A comparative study to PP. Composites Science and Technology, 70(12), 1687-1696. doi:10.1016/j.compscitech.2010.06.005Terenzi, A., Kenny, J. M., & Barbosa, S. E. (2006). Natural fiber suspensions in thermoplastic polymers. I. Analysis of fiber damage during processing. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 103(4), 2501-2506. doi:10.1002/app.24704Herrera-Franco, P. J., & Drzal, L. T. (1992). Comparison of methods for the measurement of fibre/matrix adhesion in composites. 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Reduction in podocyte density as a pathologic feature in early diabetic nephropathy in rodents: Prevention by lipoic acid treatment

BACKGROUND: A reduction in the number of podocytes and podocyte density has been documented in the kidneys of patients with diabetes mellitus. Additional studies have shown that podocyte injury and loss occurs in both diabetic animals and humans. However, most studies in animals have examined relatively long-term changes in podocyte number and density and have not examined effects early after initiation of diabetes. We hypothesized that streptozotocin diabetes in rats and mice would result in an early reduction in podocyte density and that this reduction would be prevented by antioxidants. METHODS: The number of podocytes per glomerular section and the podocyte density in glomeruli from rats and mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetes mellitus was determined at several time points based on detection of the glomerular podocyte specific antigens, WT-1 and GLEPP1. The effect of insulin administration or treatment with the antioxidant, α-lipoic acid, on podocyte number was assessed. RESULTS: Experimental diabetes resulted in a rapid decline in apparent podocyte number and podocyte density. A significant reduction in podocytes/glomerular cross-section was found in STZ diabetes in rats at 2 weeks (14%), 6 weeks (18%) and 8 weeks (34%) following STZ injection. Similar declines in apparent podocyte number were found in STZ diabetes in C57BL/6 mice at 2 weeks, but not at 3 days after injection. Treatment with α-lipoic acid substantially prevented podocyte loss in diabetic rats but treatment with insulin had only a modest effect. CONCLUSION: STZ diabetes results in reduction in apparent podocyte number and in podocyte density within 2 weeks after onset of hyperglycemia. Prevention of these effects with antioxidant therapy suggests that this early reduction in podocyte density is due in part to increased levels of reactive oxygen species as well as hyperglycemia

Spintronics: Fundamentals and applications

Spintronics, or spin electronics, involves the study of active control and manipulation of spin degrees of freedom in solid-state systems. This article reviews the current status of this subject, including both recent advances and well-established results. The primary focus is on the basic physical principles underlying the generation of carrier spin polarization, spin dynamics, and spin-polarized transport in semiconductors and metals. Spin transport differs from charge transport in that spin is a nonconserved quantity in solids due to spin-orbit and hyperfine coupling. The authors discuss in detail spin decoherence mechanisms in metals and semiconductors. Various theories of spin injection and spin-polarized transport are applied to hybrid structures relevant to spin-based devices and fundamental studies of materials properties. Experimental work is reviewed with the emphasis on projected applications, in which external electric and magnetic fields and illumination by light will be used to control spin and charge dynamics to create new functionalities not feasible or ineffective with conventional electronics.Comment: invited review, 36 figures, 900+ references; minor stylistic changes from the published versio

Novel suppressors of α-synuclein toxicity identified using yeast

The mechanism by which the Parkinson’s disease-related protein α-synuclein (α-syn) causes neurodegeneration has not been elucidated. To determine the genes that protect cells from α-syn, we used a genetic screen to identify suppressors of the super sensitivity of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing α-syn to killing by hydrogen peroxide. Forty genes in ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolism, protein biosynthesis, vesicle trafficking and the response to stress were identified. Five of the forty genes—ENT3, IDP3, JEM1, ARG2 and HSP82—ranked highest in their ability to block α-syn-induced reactive oxygen species accumulation, and these five genes were characterized in more detail. The deletion of any of these five genes enhanced the toxicity of α-syn as judged by growth defects compared with wild-type cells expressing α-syn, which indicates that these genes protect cells from α-syn. Strikingly, four of the five genes are specific for α-syn in that they fail to protect cells from the toxicity of the two inherited mutants A30P or A53T. This finding suggests that α-syn causes toxicity to cells through a different pathway than these two inherited mutants. Lastly, overexpression of Ent3p, which is a clathrin adapter protein involved in protein transport between the Golgi and the vacuole, causes α-syn to redistribute from the plasma membrane into cytoplasmic vesicular structures. Our interpretation is that Ent3p mediates the transport of α-syn to the vacuole for proteolytic degradation. A similar clathrin adaptor protein, epsinR, exists in humans

Dysregulated apoptosis and NFκB expression in COPD subjects

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The abnormal regulation of neutrophil apoptosis may contribute to the ineffective resolution of inflammation in chronic lung diseases. Multiple signalling pathways are implicated in regulating granulocyte apoptosis, in particular, NFκB (nuclear factor-kappa B) signalling which delays constitutive neutrophil apoptosis. Although some studies have suggested a dysregulation in the apoptosis of airway cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), no studies to date have directly investigated if NFκB is associated with apoptosis of airway neutrophils from COPD patients. The objectives of this study were to examine spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis in stable COPD subjects (n = 13), healthy smoking controls (n = 9) and non-smoking controls (n = 9) and to investigate whether the neutrophil apoptotic process in inflammatory conditions is associated with NFκB activation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Analysis of apoptosis in induced sputum was carried out by 3 methods; light microscopy, Annexin V/Propidium iodide and the terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method. Activation of NFκB was assessed using a flow cytometric method and the phosphorylation state of IκBα was carried out using the Bio-Rad Bio-Plex phosphoprotein IκBα assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Flow cytometric analysis showed a significant reduction in the percentage of sputum neutrophils undergoing spontaneous apoptosis in healthy smokers and subjects with COPD compared to non-smokers (p < 0.001). Similar findings were demonstrated using the Tunel assay and in the morphological identification of apoptotic neutrophils. A significant increase was observed in the expression of both the p50 (p = 0.006) and p65 (p = 0.006) subunits of NFκB in neutrophils from COPD subjects compared to non-smokers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results demonstrate that apoptosis is reduced in the sputum of COPD subjects and in healthy control smokers and may be regulated by an associated activation of NFκB.</p