Double slit interferometry to measure the EUV refractive indices of solids using high harmonics

Accurate values of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical properties of materials are required to make EUV optics such as filters and multilayer mirrors. The optical properties of aluminum studied in this report are required, in particular, as aluminum is used as an EUV filter material. The complex refractive index of solid aluminum and the imaginary part of the refractive index of solid iron between 17 eV and 39 eV have been measured using EUV harmonics produced from an 800 nm laser focused to 10(14) Wcm(2) in an argon gas jet impinging on a double slit interferometer.     

Cholesterol-lowering effect of phytosterol-containing lactic-fermented milk powder in hamsters

Male hamsters were fed six different diets for 4 weeks. Group 1, fed with control diet of regular rodent chow. Group 2, fed with high-fat-high-cholesterol diet containing cholesterol and corn/coconut oil mixture. Group 3, the positive control fed with high-fat-high-cholesterol diet containing 0.74% (w/w) phytosterols. Groups 4–6 were the high-fat-high-cholesterol diet mixed with phytosterol-containing lactic-fermented milk powder (PSFMP) which contains 0.37%, 0.74% and 1.85% (w/w) of phytosterols, respectively. Results demonstrated that PSFMP could significantly decrease (P < 0.05–P < 0.001) the levels of total cholesterol (serum cholesterol), serum triacylglycerol, liver lipids and atherogenic index (LDL-C/HDL-C), while it could also significantly (P < 0.001) increase the level of fecal cholesterol. The pronounced hypolipidemic effects of PSFMP might be attributed to its ability to enhance cholesterol excretion. These results suggest that PSFMP could be used as a potential cholesterol-lowering ingredient in the management of hypercholesterolemia.     

Partial feed restriction decreases growth hormone receptor 1A mRNA expression in postpartum dairy cows

Uncoupling of the growth hormone (GH) axis in early postpartum dairy cows is correlated with a decrease in liver GH receptor (GHR) 1A mRNA and a decrease in liver GH receptor protein. Postpartum recoupling of the GH axis is also correlated with GHR 1A mRNA and GHR protein. We hypothesized that dry matter intake (DMI) partially controls the increase in GHR 1A mRNA postpartum. Prepartum Holstein dairy cows (n = 11) were offered feed ad libitum. After calving, 6 cows were fed 70% of their expected DMI (feed restriction) for 14 d and 5 cows were fed ad libitum (control). Both groups were fed ad libitum after d 14. Liver was biopsied prepartum and on d 1, 7, 14, and 21 postpartum; blood was sampled throughout the experimental period. Rate of increase in postpartum milk production was less for feed-restricted cows. The GHR 1A mRNA decreased from prepartum to d 1 postpartum and subsequently increased. Rate of postpartum increase in GHR 1A mRNA was less in feed-restricted cows. Diminished GHR 1A persisted for at least 7 d after feed-restricted cows returned to ad libitum feeding. Liver insulin-like growth factor-I mRNA concentrations decreased from prepartum to d 1 as well, but were similar for feed restricted and control thereafter. We concluded that DMI partially controls GHR 1A mRNA expression in early postpartum dairy cows and that the decrease in GHR 1A in response to feed restriction persisted for at least 1 wk after ad libitum feeding was restored.     

Individual Development Accounts: Participants' Characteristics and Success

Abstract: Asset‐building strategies have been touted as a new approach to helping low‐income families achieve economic independence. By providing incentives to save and invest in an asset—such as a home, a business, or additional education—Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) hope to help lower‐income families advance economically. Using the data collected on 21 IDA programs in North Carolina, this article addresses the characteristics of the persons served by these programs as well as the factors related to participant success and failure. The results indicate that IDA participants are different in many respects from the general population of low‐income persons. They are more likely to be single African‐American mothers with relatively high levels of education and full‐time employment. Effective case management and economic literacy training contributed to program success, whereas job loss and financial emergencies contributed to the dropout rate. The implications of these findings for expanding IDAs to a wider population are considered.     

Economic evaluation of a roll-off trucking system removing forest biomass resulting from shaded fuelbreak treatments

Shaded fuelbreak treatments involve removal of understory brush and small-diameter trees to reduce fire hazards by disconnecting the continuity of fuels. As a result of these treatments, woody biomass (referred to as slash) is piled throughout the treated stand and later burned. Mechanical removal of slash has not been successfully implemented in many areas due to limited accessibility to sites and the high costs associated with collection and transportation of slash. To address these issues, a roll-off truck paired with a small skid-steer loader was used to collect and transport slash to a centralized processing site where slash was ground as hog fuel for energy production. “Roll-off truck” refers to a straight frame truck configuration in which a 30.6-m³ container is rolled onto and off the straight frame truck by means of a truck-mounted winch system. This study was designed to quantify the operational performance and costs of removing slash piles using a roll-off trucking system in mountainous conditions in northern California. The overall cost to collect and haul hand-piled slash was $26.81/tonne with 22% average moisture content or $34.37/bone dry metric ton. The roll-off trucking system should be used primarily for short hauling distances since trucking costs significantly increase with small increases in hauling distance due to slow traveling speeds and low slash weight being hauled. Financial analysis indicated that contractors can receive high rates of return on their invested capital after accounting for inflation and income taxes, but limited work opportunities are a concern for them.     

Formation of Branched Ruthenium Nanoparticles for Improved Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Branched nanoparticles are one of the most promising nanoparticle catalysts as their branch sizes and surfaces can be tuned to enable both high activity and stability. Understanding how the crystallinity and surface facets of branched nanoparticles affect their catalytic performance is vital for further catalyst development. In this work, a synthesis is developed to form highly branched ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles with control of crystallinity. It is shown that faceted Ru branched nanoparticles have improved stability and activity in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) compared with polycrystalline Ru nanoparticles. This work achieves a low 180 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm^?2 for hours, demonstrating that record‐high stability for Ru nanocrystals can be achieved while retaining high activity for OER. The superior electrocatalytic performance of faceted Ru branched nanoparticles is ascribed to the lower Ru dissolution rate under OER conditions due to low‐index facets on the branch surfaces.     

NOTES ON PHOTOGRAPHY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION

The essay explores issues in the cultural translation of photographic images and ideas, particularly between East and West. Audiences and institutions continue to fall prey to the persistent notion that photography should demonstrate aspects of national identity. This foregrounding of cultural difference inhibits more layered interpretations. The work of cultural translation involves the movement of subjects rather than objects, with dialogue and personal experience essential to understanding. Drawing on the author’s experience working in China, the essay looks to Homi K. Bhabha, Jacques Rancière and 1960s critical pedagogy for constructive terms to shift the perspective of photographic education.