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The rare-earth crisis, which peaked in the summer of 2011 with the prices of both light and heavy rare earths soaring to unprecedented levels, brought about the widespread realization that the long-term availability and price stability of rare earths could not be guaranteed. This triggered a rapid response from manufacturers involved in rare earths, as well as governments and national and international funding agencies. In the case of rare-earth-containing permanent magnets, three possibilities were given quick and serious consideration: (I) increased recycling of devices containing rare earths; (II) the search for new, mineable, rare-earth resources beyond those in China; and (III) the development of high-energy-product permanent magnets with little or no rare-earth content used in their manufacture. The Replacement and Original Magnet Engineering Options (ROMEO) project addresses the latter challenge using a two-pronged approach. With its basis on work packages that include materials modeling and advanced characterization, the ROMEO project is an attempt to develop a new class of novel permanent magnets that are free of rare earths. Furthermore, the project aims to minimize rare-earth content, particularly heavy-rare-earth (HRE) content, as much as possible in Nd-Fe-B-type magnets. Success has been achieved on both fronts. In terms of new, rare-earth-free magnets, a Heusler alloy database of 236,945 compounds has been narrowed down to approximately 20 new compounds. Of these compounds, Co 2 MnTi is expected to be a ferromagnet with a high Curie temperature and a high magnetic moment. Regarding the reduction in the amount of rare earths, and more specifically HREs, major progress is seen in electrophoretic deposition as a method for accurately positioning the HRE on the surface prior to its diffusion into the microstructure. This locally increases the coercivity of the rather small Nd-Fe-B-type magnet, thereby substantially reducing the dependence on the HREs Dy and Tb, two of the most critical raw materials identified by the European Commission. Overall, the ROMEO project has demonstrated that rapid progress can be achieved when experts in a specific area are brought together to focus on a particular challenge. With more than half a year of the ROMEO project remaining, further progress and additional breakthroughs can be expected.

Using the weak factorization theorem, we give a simple presentation for the value group of the universal Euler characteristic with compact support for varieties of characteristic zero and describe the value group of the universal Euler characteristic of pairs. This gives a new proof for the existence of natural Euler characteristics with values in the Grothendieck group of Chow motives. A generalization of the presentation to the relative setting allows us to define duality and the six operations.

Molybdenum (Mo) plays an essential role in the active site of all eukaryotic Mo-containing enzymes. In plants, Mo enzymes are important for nitrate assimilation, phytohormone synthesis, and purine catabolism. Mo is bound to a unique metal binding pterin (molybdopterin [MPT]), thereby forming the active Mo cofactor (Moco), which is highly conserved in eukaryotes, eubacteria, and archaebacteria. Here, we describe the function of the two-domain protein Cnx1 from Arabidopsis in the final step of Moco biosynthesis. Cnx1 is constitutively expressed in all organs and in plants grown on different nitrogen sources. Mo-repairable cnxA mutants from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia accumulate MPT and show altered Cnx1 expression. Transformation of cnxA mutants and the corresponding Arabidopsis chl-6 mutant with cnx1 cDNA resulted in functional reconstitution of their Moco deficiency. We also identified a point mutation in the Cnx1 E domain of Arabidopsis chl-6 that causes the molybadate-repairable phenotype. Recombinant Cnx1 protein is capable of synthesizing Moco. The G domain binds and activates MPT, whereas the E domain is essential for activating Mo. In addition, Cnx1 binds to the cytoskeleton in the same way that its mammalian homolog gephyrin does in neuronal cells, which suggests a hypothetical model for anchoring the Moco-synthetic machinery by Cnx1 in plant cells.

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates stomatal closure in response to water loss. Here, we examined the competence of guard cells to synthesize ABA, using two Arabidopsis ABA biosynthetic enzymes. 35S pro::AtNCED3-GFP and AAO3-GFP were introduced into guard cells of broad bean leaves. AtNCED3-GFP expression was detected at the chloroplasts, whereas green fluorescent protein (GFP) and AAO3-GFP were in the cytosol. The stomatal aperture was decreased in AtNCED3-GFP- and AAO3-GFP-transformed guard cells. This indicated that ABA biosynthesis is stimulated by heterologous expression of AtNCED3 and Arabidopsis aldehyde oxidase 3 (AAO3) proteins, which both seem to be regulatory enzymes for ABA biosynthesis in these cells. Furthermore, stomatal closure by the expression of AtNCED3 and AAO3 suggested that the substrates of the enzymes are present and native ABA-biosynthesis enzymes are active in guard cells.

Lipids are unique molecules that are significant to the structure of cell membranes, metabolism, and cell signaling. Their abundance and stability make them great molecular targets for studying tissue decomposition. Chicken drumsticks and segments of a donated human femur were buried at Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Sciences (STAFS), and sampling of the decomposing bones and the surrounding soil were conducted over a three month period. The Haines lab has employed an extraction method to detect lipids in bone tissue and soil using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Attenuated Total Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-IR) at Texas Research Institute for Environmental Sciences (TRIES). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of IR spectra in R demonstrated several principle components of variation, including one representing ester hydrolysis in formation of carboxylate groups in the 1400–1600 cm-1 region. PCA data for GC-MS also supports the ester hydrolysis in the degradation of monoacylglycerols. Additional correlations were identified between fatty acid decomposition products, but there is less confidence in the time dependence of the patterns of decomposition. Lipid detection in soil through GC-MS analysis confirmed leaching of tissue lipids into soil.

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates stomatal closure in response to water loss. Here, we examined the competence of guard cells to synthesize ABA, using two Arabidopsis ABA biosynthetic enzymes. 35S pro::AtN-CED3-GEP and AAO3-GFP were introduced into guard cells of proad bean leaves. AtNCED3-GFP expression was detected at the chloroplasts, whereas green fluorescent protein (GFP) and AAO3-GFP were in the cytosol. The stomatal aperture was decreased in AtNCED3-GFP- and AAO3-GFP-transformed guard cells. This indicated that ABA biosynthesis is stimulated by heterologous expression of AtNCED3 and Arabidopsis aldehyde oxidase 3 (AAO3) proteins, which both seem to be regulatory enzymes for ABA biosynthesis in these cells. Furthermore, stomatal closure by the expression of AtNCED3 and AA03 suggested that the substrates of the enzymes are present and native ABA-biosynthesis enzymes are active in guard cells.

Current Canadian defense policies envision not only defense of the national territory, but a possible commitment of military forces overseas either through Canada's obligations as a member of NATO or the United Nations. In meeting these potential responsibilities, Ottawa would have to rely upon the reserves since the country's regular forces are small and time is required to raise, organize, equip, and train forces from a nonexisting prior base. Government declarations about the reserves have noted defects of which officers, regular and militia, are very cognizant. What would happen if Canada must send nonregular forces overseas under such conditions? This has occurred twice in the twentieth century; at the beginning of each conflict, Canadian forces were sent abroad, unprepared for war. This article will examine, as a case study, what happened in summer and autumn 1940 when one such brigade, \"Z\" Force, deployed to Iceland. Events are viewed from the perspective of an infantry ground force, \"from the bottom up.\" An analysis of what occurred then can provide insight into what could happen when and if militia forces are again mobilized and deployed abroad before they are operationally ready for such service.

Although the Royal Marines were dubbed \"Britain's Soldiers of the Sea\" in the first decades of the twentieth century and implied that they had amphibious warfare capability, they lacked the institutionalized elements to conduct an assault from the sea against a defended shore. Studies, ideas and an analysis of the Royal Marines in the interwar years are given.

Culture, community, economics, and social rank all influenced the marriage process in Bavaria. Poverty and low social standing prevented Leonhard Buttner from marrying his fiancée, Margaretha Weiss. This couple chose to have children out of wedlock as part of a subculture tolerant of bastardy. The king of Bavaria abolished the traditional right of communities to approve marriages. Instead, he appointed civil judges to review unions. In 1816, Leonhard Büttner applied to the local judge to marry, but the court delayed. In 1821, Margaretha received her dowry, which was enough to meet the monetary requirements for marriage. Leonhard and Margaretha applied to marry again, but were denied as no community would give Leonhard residency. The local Lutheran pastor persuaded the community to grant him residency and the couple finally married. In the end, a pre-class tradition of hatred of the poor outweighed other factors as most influential in the Bavarian marriage process.