The Wexner Fragments for the Visual Arts

The Wexner Center for the Visual Arts opened to the public on November 16, 1989 with lavish ceremonies, including the J.D. Steel Gospel Singers, dancer Trisha Brown, the Kronos Quartet, and Laurie Anderson, and moderated by Colleen Dewhurst.

A debate considering Elsenman and Trott's facility was opened by Philip Johnson and moderated by Kurt Forster, and included Henry Cobb, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, Richard Meier, Robert Siegel, and Stanley Tigerman. The first exhibition is scheduled to open in the Wexner Center in February.     

Clinical aspects of egg bioactive peptide research: a review

Extensive in vitro and, to a more limited extent, animal research have demonstrated the health potential of a wide set of egg protein hydrolysates; however, well-designed human intervention studies are scarce. Health claim assessment, however, sets high standards for characterisation of the bioactive peptides, investigation of the mode-of-action and convincing human intervention studies. In this review, we discuss the state-of-the-art and knowledge gaps related to egg-derived peptide bioavailability and bioactivity. In addition, we will formulate recommendations for appropriate design of future human intervention trials with egg-derived peptides.     

Effect of bovine colostrum on the growth inhibition and differentiation of human leukemic U937 cells

BACKGROUND: Colostrum is the breast milk of female mammals produced within in a short time after giving birth. It is thought to protect neonates from infection as well as to facilitate immune system maturation. In this study the effect of bovine colostrum on the proliferation and differentiation of human leukemic U937 cells was investigated to understand more about its immunomodulatory activity. RESULTS: Human mononuclear cells (MNCs) were stimulated with bovine colostrum (CS) and then filtered to obtain a conditioned medium (CM) (CS‐MNC‐CM). CS‐MNC‐CMs prepared with day 1 to day 4 colostrums inhibited U937 cells by 39.4–64.4%. The expressions of surface markers CD11b and CD14 on U937 cells in the treated groups were 30.6–33.5% and 40.0–42.6% respectively. High levels of cytokines IL‐1β, IFN‐γ and TNF‐α were detected in CS‐MNC‐CMs. CONCLUSION: Evidence indicates that colostrums stimulate human MNCs to secrete cytokines IL‐1β, IFN‐γ and TNF‐α which subsequently inhibit the growth of U937 cells and induce their differentiation into mature monocytes and macrophages. There is a possibility for bovine colostrum to be processed into an anti‐leukemia ingredient for use in health foods. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. II: The Central Region and the Lower Ninth Ward

The failure of the New Orleans regional flood protection systems, and the resultant catastrophic flooding of much of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, represents the most costly failure of an engineered system in U.S. history. This paper presents an overview of the principal events that unfolded in the central portion of the New Orleans metropolitan region during this hurricane, and addresses the levee failures and breaches that occurred along the east–west trending section of the shared Gulf Intracoastal Waterway/Mississippi River Gulf Outlet channel, and along the Inner Harbor Navigation Channel, that affected the New Orleans East, the St. Bernard Parish, and the Lower Ninth Ward protected basins. The emphasis in this paper is on geotechnical lessons, and also broader lessons with regard to the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of major flood protection systems. Significant lessons learned here in the central region include: (1) the need for regional-scale flood protection systems to perform as systems, with the various components meshing well together in a mutually complementary manner; (2) the importance of considering all potential failure modes in the engineering design and evaluation of these complex systems; and (3) the problems inherent in the construction of major regional systems over extended periods of multiple decades. These are important lessons, as they are applicable to other regional flood protection systems in other areas of the United States, and throughout much of the world.     

Evaluation of the probability distribution of crack propagation life in metal fatigue by means of probabilistic finite element method and B-models

In this paper, a new model for the prediction of the cumulative distribution function of fatigue life of structural elements during the crack propagation stage is established. This problem is considered as a cumulative damage process following the probabilistic approach of Bogdanoff and Kozin (B-models). The initial and final crack lengths, the crack propagation angle, the material fracture and elastic parameters and the external loads have been the random variables considered here. The theoretical bases of the model and the procedure to construct it are described in the forthcoming paragraphs such as several examples for mode I problems including the comparison with experimental results.     

Transport implications resulting from internal redistribution of arsenic and iron within constructed soil aggregates

Soils are an aggregate-based structured media that have a multitude of pore domains resulting in varying degrees of advective and diffusive solute and gas transport. Consequently, a spectrum of biogeochemical processes may function at the aggregate scale that collectively, and coupled with solute transport, determine element cycling in soils and sediments. To explore how the physical structure impacts biogeochemical processes influencing the fate and transport of As, we examined temporal changes in speciation and distribution of As and Fe within constructed aggregates through experimental measurement and reactive transport simulations. Spherical aggregates were made with As(V)-bearing ferrihydrite-coated sand inoculated with Shewanella sp. ANA-3; aerated solute flow around the aggregate was then induced. Despite the aerated aggregate exterior, where As(V) and ferrihydrite persist as the dominant species, anoxia develops within the aggregate interior. As a result, As and Fe redox gradients emerge, and the proportion of As(III) and magnetite increases toward the aggregate interior. Arsenic(III) and Fe(II) produced in the interior migrate toward the aggregated exterior and result in coaccumulation of As and Fe(III) proximal to preferential flow paths as a consequence of oxygenic precipitation. The oxidized rind of aggregates thus serves as a barrier to As release into advecting pore-water, but also leads to be a buildup of this hazardous element at preferential flow boundaries that could be released upon shifting geochemical conditions.     

Activation of serotonergic neurotransmission during the performance of aggressive behavior in rats.

High aggression is often linked to lowered serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission. Although this may hold for high aggression as a trait characteristic of an individual, serotonergic activity is probably increased during performance of aggressive behavior. To test this hypothesis, first, the 5-HT1A agonist alnespirone and gamma aminobutyric acid-A agonist muscimol were administered into the dorsal raphe nucleus. These treatments which inhibit 5-HT neuronal activity, were shown to decrease performance of aggressive behavior. Second, after a resident-intruder test, the activation of 5-HT neurons (measured by c-fos expression) was increased in high-aggressive rats, compared with low-aggressive rats or control rats that were not subjected to a social confrontation. Results show that performance of aggressive behavior increases 5-HT neuronal activity and that preventing this activation inhibits expression of aggressive behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modification in physical properties of rice gel by microbial transglutaminase

BACKGROUND: Microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) may catalyse the cross‐linking between a peptide‐bound glutaminyl residue and an ε‐amino group of lysine residue in protein. MTGase has been used to modify many food proteins for improving the physical properties of products. However, its effect on the physical properties of rice products has not been investigated before. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of MTGase, as an additive in rice flour, on the rheological, textural and thermal properties of rice gel. RESULTS: Both the elastic and the viscous moduli of rice gel were increased as a result of the addition of MTGase to rice flour. The addition of MTGase at 0.01–0.3 U mg^?1 increased textural parameters (hardness and gumminess) and rheological properties. Differential scanning calorimetry also showed that MTGase treatment decreased the enthalpy change in gelation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) confirmed that rice proteins were polymerised through the MTGase reaction. CONCLUSION: The present study proved that the cross‐linking of protein molecules in rice flour by the action of MTGase may improve the physical properties of rice gel. The addition of MTGase in rice flour in an adequate amount is essential for achieving appropriate physical properties of the product. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry