cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of 45calcium with rat mast cells stimulated by 48/80: effects of inactivation, calcium and metabolic inhibition

1. Stimulation by compound 48/80 of mast cells deprived of Ca released histamine when Ca was subsequently added. This secretory response was accompanied by a pronounced increase in the amount of cell-associated (45)Ca.2. The level of cell-associated (45)Ca declined as the interval between stimulation by compound 48/80 and the introduction of (45)Ca increased.3. This decline in the amount of (45)Ca paralleled the decline in histamine secretion that is called inactivation and each curve could be fitted by linear regression to a first-order equation with a half-life of between 1 and 2 min.4. When histamine secretion was held constant, the amount of cell-associated (45)Ca steadily and significantly declined as the interval between stimulation and the addition of (45)Ca increased. This decline in the level of (45)Ca was significantly reduced when fully inactivated cells were used.5. The amount of cell-associated (45)Ca could not be significantly reduced by repeated or prolonged washing with EGTA or LaCl(3).6. The addition of the ionphore, A23187, or compound 48/80, to mast cells loaded with (45)Ca by prior stimulation with 48/80 and bathed in Ca-free media, significantly reduced the level of cell-associated (45)Ca. This effect of 48/80 but not of A23187 was prevented by including either dinitrophenol or (45)Ca in the extracellular solution.7. When [(3)H]N-methyl-methoxy-inulin was included with the (45)Ca or added alone, no significant change in the level of cell-associated [(3)H]inulin was found during the course of inactivation.8. Increasing the Ca concentration increased the amount of cell-associated (45)Ca when Ca was added 10 sec after stimulation by 48/80 but not when Ca was added 10 min after stimulation.9. Incubation of mast cells in media containing deoxyglucose and either antimycin A or dinitrophenol prevented both histamine release and any increase in the level of cell-associated (45)Ca in response to stimulation by 48/80. A similar result was obtained using sensitized mast cells stimulated by antigen. The addition of the ionophore, A23187, to the mast cells prompted a significant increase in the level of cell-associated (45)Ca.10. These results are considered to be support for the hypothesis that the process of inactivation to compound 48/80 results from a time-dependent decay in membrane permeability. It is suggested that those events associated with initiating changes in membrane permeability are effected by metabolic inhibition and calcium.
PD05-07: Prospective Validation and Characterization of HER2 Positive Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with HER2 Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) with evidence of HER2 amplification can occur in patients (pts) with clinically HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer. While these findings potentially have profound implications for CTCs as a biomarker for treatment, prospective validation and characterization of this subgroup is necessary. Methods: We created a prospective cohort of pts with metastatic breast cancer that were HER2 negative by IHC and/or FISH on all available primary and metastatic biopsies. Blood samples were collected at study entry and then again at ≥ 3 weeks if available. CTCs were enumerated by a modification of the Veridex CellSearch Profile kit. FISH was performed on each CTC sample and reported as positive if the HER2/CEP17 ratio was ≥ 2.0. Analyses are descriptive. Results: 66 pts were consented for study and this report includes the 65 pts with detectable CTCs. Median number of CTCs was 226 (range 112 to > 3000). At initial testing, 23 pts (35%) had HER2 positive CTCs, median HER2:CEP17 ratio of 3.4. 50% (11 of 22) of the pts with lobular or ductal/lobular histology had HER2 amplified CTCs, compared to only 27% (10 of 36) of patients with ductal histology. Women with ER positive disease had HER2 positive CTCs in 40% of cases (20 of 49) compared to 19% of ER negative pts (3 of 16). To assess concordance of HER2 amplification of CTCs over time, 34 pts consented to be retested at a median 5.9 weeks after initial screening (range 3.3 - 17 weeks) and all but 1 had detectable CTCs. Baseline characteristics of these 34 pts were similar to the original population, with HER2 amplified CTCs detected in 35% (12 of 34) pts at initial screening. HER2 positive CTCs were concordant at time of retesting in 83% (10 of 12) pts; the 2 women with discordant CTCs were receiving HER2 directed therapy. Of the pts with HER2 negative CTCs at initial screening, 81% (17 of 21) continued to have HER2 negative CTCs at time of retesting. Conclusion: We observed a higher prevalence of HER2 positive CTCs among pts with ER positive disease and evidence of lobular histology. The presence of HER2 positive CTCs is concordant over time in the majority of pts. The functional significance of HER2 positive CTCs in patients with clinically HER2 negative breast cancer will be tested in a prospective study with HER2−directed therapy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD05-07.
Surface plasmons on corrugated metal films

Abstract The dispersion relation for a surface plasmon, propagating across a corrugated metal film on a dielectric substrate, is obtained by the method of reduced Rayleigh equations. It is found that the surface plasmon dispersion curve has an infinite number of branches. Numerical solutions of the dispersion relation are obtained for a film, characterized by a free-electron metal dielectric function and a sinusoidal profile function.
Measuring dynamic response of soil subjected to impact loading

A microcomputer-based data-acquisition system was developed and employed for high-frequency monitoring of soil dynamic response to impact loading. The measurement system monitored a probe impacted into the in situ surface of clay loam, fine sandy loam and silt loam soils. Data defining impact force on the prove vs. depth of penetration were obtained for probe diameters ranging from 9.5 to 19.1 mm and probe impact velocities ranging from 2.0 to 5.0 m s−1. Data analysis for 216 tests indicated that soil-penetration depth strongly affected peak probe force. A regression model based upon input energy, probe diameter and soil-penetration depth was developed to predict peak impact force on a probe.
Defoliation Effects and Seed Yield Components in Pearl Millet ✕ Elephantgrass Hybrids

Prior to widespread use of seeded hybrids of pearl millet×elephantgrass [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.×Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.], management to permit mechanical seed harvesting must be developed. Extreme panicle height and high biomass complicate this procedure. Defoliation management is a potential solution. This field study was conducted on a Mulat sand (sandy, siliceous, thermic Arenic Ochraquults) to (i) evaluate the effects of three defoliation treatments on height of panicles, days to flowering, seed yield components, seed yield, seed germination, and plant survival in four hybrid genotypes and (ii) evaluate the associations among seed yield components under these defoliation treatments through the use of path-coefficient analysis. In the defoliation treatments, plants were cut zero, two, and three times per year at a 30-cm stubble height, both in 1991 and 1992. Linear effects of defoliation accounted for 18 to 90% (1991) or 18 to 96% (1992) of the toll variation in the characteristics studied. Genotype×treatment×year interactions were common. Panicle height and plant biomass were drastically reduced with two and three cuts per year. Defoliation delayed flowering. Two cuts per year (mid-June and early August) did not decrease seed yield and seed quality significantly, nor did they affect plant survival. Three cuts per year (the last in mid-September) drastically reduced seed production and seed quality. Path-coefficient analyses gave significant defoliation treatment and year effects in all traits. Seeds per panicle was always highly correlated to seed yield per plant, due to high positive direct effects and relatively low indirect effects through the other components. Defoliation altered the correlational structure among seed yield components and the compensatory mechanisms among them, but adequate seed production was maintained with two cuts per year
Decreased reactivity of allosera against target lymphocytes obtained following thermal injury or long-term cyclosporine treatment.

Abstract We speculated that two diverse causes of potent cell-mediated immune suppression, cyclosporine (CsA) and thermal trauma, may demonstrate some similar actions, and thus tested whether either could alter antisera reactivity against allogeneic target lymphocytes. Target splenocytes from 40% body surface area full-thickness burned Brown-Norway (BN) rats demonstrated significant ( P = 0.004) decreased reactivity (agglutination) with antisera produced across a full allogeneic barrier (RT1 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC) compared to control splenocytes. Depression of allogeneic splenic target cell reactivity against Lewis (LEW)-anti-BN allosera was similarly observed using lymphocytes from long-term CsA-treated rats ( P = 0.004). The decreased reactivity induced by burn trauma was transferable to pooled normal splenocytes or blood lymphocytes by preincubation with burn plasma ( P P = 0.003). In summary, a similarity consisting of decreased antibody reactivity against lymphocytes from either burned or long-term CsA-treated animals was demonstrated. These results suggested that lymphocyte cell surface allogeneic determinants and their expression and/or availability were altered by either regimen.
Humidity sensing based on nanoporous polymeric photonic crystals

In this work, an optical humidity sensor based on a nanoporous polymeric photonic crystal (PC) is demonstrated. The PC sensing structure is created by combining a holographic interference patterning technique with a modified holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal system. Changes in relative humidity (RH) induce the modification of the refractive index contrast between the nanoporous and nonporous regions, and thus the transmittance and bandgap position, of the PC structure. For a PC structure with 30% porosity and a grating spacing of 220 nm, a change in the RH from 40% to 95% at 34 °C results in a redshift of 43 nm in the central wavelength at the PC bandgap and an increase from 12% to 87% in the relative transmittance at λ = 600 nm. Other performance analyses have shown that the nanoporous polymeric PC-based humidity sensor is highly stable and reproducible, exhibits minimal hysteresis, and responds relatively fast.
Racial Differences in Cervical Cancer Survival in the Detroit Metropolitan Area

Purpose African American (AA) women have lower survival rates for cervical cancer when compared with white women. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on disparities in overall survival among women with cervical cancer. Methods 1036 women (705 white and 331 AA) with a primary invasive cancer of the cervix were identified from the 1988 to 1992 Detroit SEER database. SES proxy was determined using occupation, poverty status, and educational level at the census-block level. Women were then assigned to one of four SES groups. Chi-square statistics were used to compare demographic, clinical characteristics and treatment modalities. A multivariable Cox model and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare survival rates between the two races. Results AA women were less likely to present with less severe disease (p Conclusions Patient age at diagnosis, stage, treatment, and SES all influence racial differences in survival among women with cervical cancer. When adjusted for these variables, AA and white women have similar overall survival rates.
Opioids, opioid receptors, and the immune response.

Abstract It is now clear that opioid receptors participate in the function of the cells of the immune system, and evidence suggests that opioids modulate both innate and acquired immune responses. We review literature here which establishes that μ-, κ-, and δ-opioid compounds alter resistance to a variety of infectious agents, including the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The nature of the immunomodulatory activity of the opioids has been the subject of a great deal of research over the last ten years. There is increasing evidence that effects of opioids on the immune response are mediated at several levels. Modulation of the inflammatory response appears to be a target of these compounds, including effects on phagocytic activity, as well as the response of cells to various chemoattractant molecules. Moreover, findings from several laboratories have demonstrated the impact of opioid treatment on antibody responses, and the molecular basis for this effect is likely due, at least in part, to the modulation of both cytokine and cytokine receptor expression. Future research should provide a clearer understanding of the cellular and molecular targets of opioid action within the immune system.
Risk Factors Affecting Management and Maintenance Cost of Urban Infrastructure

Constrained funding requires that resources be allocated and used efficiently in order to maximize the safety, utility, and state of good repair of public facilities. During the life cycle of any public facility various risk factors might influence the performance and operating cost of the infrastructure. The risk factors influence the longevity, fitness, and adaptability of the facility dictating the necessity and timing of renewal or rehabilitation. This paper identifies risk factors that influence the cost-effective management, operation, and maintenance of bridges, roads and highways, and subway stations as well as how and when in the project life cycle the identified risk factors impact the associated facility costs.
Interpretation of the Disk Diffusion Susceptibility Test for Amikacin: Report of a Collaborative Study

Because excessively high rates of false resistance have been encountered with the 10-mug amikacin disk in diffusion susceptibility tests, a study was performed to examine existing zone diameter interpretative criteria and to compare the accuracy of 10- and 30-mug amikacin disks by the error rate-bounded classification scheme. Although current zone diameter interpretative criteria eliminate false susceptibles, there is an unacceptably high rate of false resistants. This problem can be resolved in most instances by revising the zone diameter interpretative criteria for the 10-mug disk (resistant, /=12 mm) or, preferably, by replacing the 10-mug disk with a 30-mug disk and adopting new interpretative criteria (resistant, /=17 mm). Because of significant differences in performance among media, it is necessary to include Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 among controls routinely tested and to exclude from use lots of Mueller-Hinton agar yielding results outside the 75% tolerance (90% confidence) limits for amikacin.
The synthesis of L-glucose by plant enzyme systems.

Abstract Enzyme preparations are described from partially synchronized cultures of the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa and from flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum) which bring about the conversion of the d -mannose moiety of guanosine 5′-diphosphate d -mannose to the l -galactose in a compound characterized as β- l -galactose 1-phosphate. It appears that the epimerization proceeds via the nucleotide derivative guanosine 5′-diphosphate l -galactose but that a specific nucleotide pyrophosphatase in the enzyme preparations catalyzes its hydrolysis to β- l -galactose 1-phosphate.
Toward an Understanding of the Psychology of Stewardship

In this article I pursue two objectives. First, I refine the definition of stewardship by exploring the underlying assumptions of stewardship theory and examining the conceptual distinctiveness of the stewardship construct. Second, I propose a model of stewardship antecedents. In so doing, I discuss the structural and psychological factors that influence stewardship behaviors through psychological ownership and the ways in which stewardship behaviors can collectively create feedback loop processes to systematically shift organizational governance from agency toward stewardship.
Reconstructed Mass Spectra, A Novel Approach for the Utilization of Gas Chromatograph—Mass Spectrometer Data

Abstract Peak profile analysis of each of the few hundred mass chromatograms generated during a complete GC-MS experiment identifies all m/e values which maximize at any of the few hundred consecutive mass spectra recorded during the gas chromatogram. The resulting sets of data correspond to the mass spectrum of each eluting component (even very minor ones) practically free of the contributions of unresolved companion substances, tailing fractions, column bleed, etc. These “reconstructed mass spectra” are therefore more easily interpreted or automatically identified than the mass spectra originally recorded. A plot of the summed abundance of the ions that maximize at a given spectrum index number (“mass resolved gas chromatogram”) results in a gas chromatogram of dramatically improved apparent resolution.
Flavor Evaluation of Milk Held in Returnable Lexan® Polycarbonate Resin Containers after Commercial Usage

Abstract LEXAN ® polycarbonate resin returnable dairy containers from a commercial dairy were exposed to fluid milk products, fruit juices, fruit drinks, and iced tea for 10 days at 3±3C. After commercial washing, containers were filled with homogenized milk and held for 6 to 8 days at 5±3C. Multiple-sample difference testing and quantitative descriptive analysis for off-flavors by an experienced laboratory sensory analysis panel (28 to 30) showed no significant differences in flavor characteristics of milk held in control or exposed containers.
Evaluating a new marker's predictive contribution.

Numerous analyses of new markers are published routinely. Discovery of a new marker may be important for a variety of reasons. For example the new marker might yield insight on a disease process. However, the common application and analysis of a new marker is that of stratifying patients with
Antigen capture and archiving by lymphatic endothelial cells following vaccination or viral infection

Antigen derived from viral infections with influenza and vesicular stomatitis virus can persist after resolution of infection. Here we show that antigen can similarly persist for weeks following viral challenge and vaccination. Antigen is captured by lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) under conditions that induce LEC proliferation. Consistent with published data showing that viral antigen persistence impacts the function of circulating memory T cells, we find that vaccine-elicited antigen persistence, found on LECs, positively influences the degree of protective immunity provided by circulating memory CD8(+) T cells. The coupling of LEC proliferation and antigen capture identifies a mechanism by which the LECs store, or 'archive', antigens for extended periods of time after antigen challenge, thereby increasing IFNγ/IL-2 production and enhancing protection against infection. These findings therefore have the potential to have an impact on future vaccination strategies and our understanding of the role for persisting antigen in both vaccine and infectious settings.
Syntheses and Reactivity of the Diselenido Molybdenum−Manganese Complex CpMoMn(CO)5(μ-Se2)

Reaction of CpMoMn(CO)8 with elemental selenium and Me3NO in the absence of light yielded the diselenido complex CpMoMn(CO)5(μ-Se2), 2. Compound 2 contains a bridging diselenido ligand lying perpendicular to the Mo−Mn bond, Mo−Mn = 2.8421(10) A. In the presence of room light, the reaction yielded the tetranuclear metal complex Cp2Mo2Mn2(CO)7(μ3-Se)4, 3 (36% yield), and 2 (7% yield). Compound 2 reacted with ethylene to yield the ethanediselenato complex CpMoMn(CO)5(μ-SeCH2CH2Se), 4, by insertion of ethylene into the Se−Se bond. Compound 2 also reacted with (PPh3)2Pt(PhC2Ph) and CpCo(CO)2 to yield the complexes CpMoMnPt(PPh3)2(CO)5(μ3-Se)2, 5, and Cp2CoMoMn(CO)5(μ3-Se)2, 6, respectively, by insertion of the metal groupings CpCo and Pt(PPh3)2 into the Se−Se bond of 2. The oxo compound Cp2CoMo(O)Mn(CO)5(μ3-Se)2, 7, was obtained from 6 by decarbonylation at molybdenum by using Me3NO. The molecular structures of the complexes 2−7 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.
Voltage-dependent effect of curare at the frog neuromuscular junction

CONDUCTANCE measurements on various cholinergic post-junctional membranes have demonstrated voltage-dependent effects for acetylcholine (ACh) and its agonists1–5, for local anaesthetics6, and for curare5. It is not yet clear which of the steps in drug–receptor interaction are rate-limiting for voltage-dependent effects of ACh. Kordas7 considers this step to be the initial binding between ACh and its receptor, whereas Magleby and Stevens8 consider the conformational changes between open and closed states of the receptor to be rate-limiting. Distinct from the initial binding reaction and the subsequent conformational change is the possibility of a drug binding to a receptor that is in its open, rather than closed, state, thereby forming a complex consisting of three molecular species. This idea comes from Steinbach's model9 for the action of local anaesthetics at the frog endplate. Such multi-molecular complexes have been included in reaction schemes which describe voltage-dependent effects for local anaesthetics at the frog endplate10 and for curare in Aplysia neurones5. Marty et al.5 found that during hyperpolarisation of molluscan neurones, curare became a more effective blocker of the response to slowly applied ACh. Such an effect of curare was not seen when ACh was applied quickly to the receptors, that is when there was insufficient time for ACh to equilibrate with its postsynaptic effect. They suggested that the binding between curare and the cholinergic receptor is voltage-dependent but that this particular kind of binding can only occur between curare and a receptor which is already in its open state. Here I show that curare has a very similar effect at the frog neuromuscular junction. The efficacy of curare as a postsynaptic blocker at the frog neuromuscular junction increases when the muscle fibre is hyperpolarised. This effect is seen only when ACh is applied slowly, however, and not when it is applied rapidly during neural release of ACh.
Long-term outcomes after radical prostatectomy performed in a community-based health maintenance organization.

BACKGROUND Radical prostatectomy is used widely for the treatment of patients with localized prostate carcinoma. No long-term analysis has been reported on a series of radical prostatectomies performed in a community-based health maintenance organization. METHODS Charts and histologic slides were reviewed from 750 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1970 and 1996 at a community-based health maintenance organization. The influences of a number of variables were analyzed for their impact on progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS With a median follow-up of 6.2 years among survivors, 137 patients (18%) had progressive disease, and 149 patients (20%) died from all causes. The median OS from the date of diagnosis was 15.7 years (95% confidence interval, 13.6–17.2), similar to the expected median survival of 16.2 years. The median PFS from diagnosis was not reached, but 75% of patients were progression free ≥ 10.6 years after undergoing prostatectomy. The prognostic factors included Gleason score, age at diagnosis, and T stage. Outcomes were comparable with reports of surgical series from university-based practices. CONCLUSIONS The patient characteristics that had important, favorable correlation with survival included Gleason score ≤ 6, T1 or T2 tumor status, and younger age at diagnosis. Lower prostate-specific antigen values at diagnosis, together with the former two parameters, also had a favorable correlation with PFS. Radical prostatectomy in a community-based health maintenance organization was followed by long-term PFS and OS comparable to outcomes reported from university-based practices. The impact of radical prostatectomy on survival remains to be demonstrated. Cancer 2004;100:300–7. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Impact of passive vibration on pressure pulse wave characteristics

The augmentation index (AIx), a marker of wave reflection, decreases following acute leg exercise. Passive vibration (PV) causes local vasodilation that may reduce AIx. This study investigated the effects of acute PV on wave reflection and aortic hemodynamics. In a crossover fashion 20 (M=9, F=11) healthy young (22±3 year) participants were randomized to 10 min PV or no vibration control (CON) trials. Subjects rested in the supine position with their legs over a vibration platform for the entire session. Radial waveforms were obtained by applanation tonometry before and after 3 min (Post-3) and 30 min (Post-30) of PV (∼5.37 G) or CON. No change in parameters was found at Post-3. We found significant time-by-trial interactions (P<0.01) at Post-30 for augmented pressure, AIx and second systolic peak pressure (P2), such that these parameters significantly (P<0.05) decreased (−2.3±3.0 mm Hg, −7.2±6.9% and −1.5±3.5 mm Hg, respectively) after PV but not after CON. These findings suggest that acute PV applied to the legs decreases AIx owing to a decrease in wave reflection magnitude (P2). Further research is warranted to evaluate the potential clinical application of PV in populations at an increased cardiovascular risk who are unable to perform conventional exercise.
Interior-point methods for convex programming

This work is concerned with generalized convex programming problems, where the objective function and also the constraints belong to a certain class of convex functions. It examines the relationship of two basic conditions used in interior-point methods for generalized convex programming—self-concordance and a relative Lipschitz condition—and gives a short and simple complexity analysis of an interior-point method for generalized convex programming. In generalizing ellipsoidal approximations for the feasible set, it also allows a geometrical interpretation of the analysis.
Phenomenological relations for the viscoelastic properties of polymer blends of different molecular weight species

Abstract The blending laws for viscosity, steady-state compliance, and stress relaxation for binary blends of polymer components with different molecular weights are summarized. The factor λ, which describes the relative frictional resistance of a given molecular species in a blend and in a pure component, and its dependence on time, temperature, composition, and molecular weight are discussed. The composition dependence can be described in terms of two auxiliary dimensionless parameters, D and N 21 . The former appears to be unity if the molecular weights are all sufficiently high, and the latter is related to the molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of the two components, in a manner which cannot yet be calculated satisfactorily from molecular theories.
Effect of food quality, distance and height on thoracic temperature in the stingless bee Melipona panamica.

SUMMARY Stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini) can recruit nestmates to good food sources. We present the first data showing that recruiting meliponine foragers at feeders and inside nests regulate their thoracic temperature according to net food profitability. Using infrared thermography, we found that Melipona panamica foragers elevated their thoracic temperature at profitable food sources (higher sucrose concentration, closer to the nest). At food sources, there is an increase of approximately 0.9°C in thoracic temperature ( T th ) per 1 mol l –1 increase in sucrose concentration (at 20 m distance from nest: 1 mol l –1 sucrose concentration, T th =36.6±0.8°C, T a =31.3±0.5°C; 2.5 mol l –1 sucrose concentration, T th =36.9±0.6°C, T a =29.9±0.2°C). Inside the nest, the difference between thoracic temperature T th and ambient air temperature T a (Δ T nest ) decreases by 0.4°C with each 100 m increase in feeder-to-nest distance and increases by 0.1°C per 1 mol l –1 increase in sucrose concentration. The T th of returning foragers was significantly higher at all tested sucrose concentrations (1.0–2.5 mol l –1 sucrose concentration) and distances (25–437 m) as compared to T a (at 2.5 mol l –1 sucrose concentration: 25 m distance from nest, intranidal T th =30.2±1.3°C, T a =24.8±0.7°C; 437 m distance from nest, intranidal T th =28.6±1.7°C, T nest =25.4±1.4°C). For highly profitable food sources (2.5 mol l –1 sucrose concentration and ≤100 m from the nest), forager T th was slightly higher than that of randomly chosen control bees inside the nest.
Thermodynamic analysis of a fluidized-bed combustor

Abstract A paper previously published in this journal (Thermochim. Acta, 75 (1984) 9) analyzed the thermodynamics of reactions involved in the capture of sulfur by calcium carbonate in fluidized-bed combustors. It is shown here that the earlier paper contained several fundamental errors, and consequently many of the results presented were incorrect. For this work a model of the system was developed that allowed for investigation of a wider range of temperatures and pressures and included the effect of vapor-phase non-ideality. Using this model a corrected thermodynamic analysis was performed and the scope of the previous study was extended to cover a range of operating conditions. The analysis shows that sulfur capture is primarily by reaction of SO2 with CaO formed from calcined limestone. For typical fluidized-bed combustor conditions of 850°C, 1 atm, sulfur is removed to a level of 0.003 ppm, while at pressures typical of pressurized fluidized-bed combustors (20 atm) the equilibrium sulfur concentration in the gas phase is 0.0003 ppm. There are pitfalls in applying the results of equilibrium predictions to actual performance.
APPROPRIATE METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION POLICY SCIENCE: SOME PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

This article inquires into the appropriateness of scientific methods now used by a social science of communication for use by an emerging communication policy science. Toward this end, changes in the communication field leading to a policy science are considered, and some of the problems and possibilities in methods of inquiry are outlined. Questions of communication sciences and methods are then set in a multicultural historical perspective. The article concludes with suggestions on how uniquely appropriate methods might be developed for communication policy science.
The maturation and release of infectious polio and Coxsackie viruses in individual tissue cultured cells.

Examination of the intracellular and extracellular virus yields from individual FL and primary human amnion cells of uniform size, infected at a high multiplicity and incubated for specified time intervals, showed that the time of the onset of the appearance of mature infectious virus and the amount of accumulated infectious virus were variable from cell to cell. The duration of the major accumulation of mature virus by individual cells was found to be from 4 to 6 hours. The cells in the FL population, infected with Type 1 poliovirus, fell into two classes in regard to the accumulation and release of virus. The “early releasers” released some virus during the period of accumulation, yet they continued to accumulate additional virus which they subsequently released. The “late releasers”, represented by the majority of the cells, released virus at some time after accumulation had ceased. All cells in the primary human amnion cultures, infected with Coxsackie A-9 virus studied fell into the “late releasing” class.
Prolactin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and peptide histidine methionine elicit selective increases in REM sleep in rabbits

Abstract The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether (1) vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) produces effects on rabbit sleep similar to those reported for rats and cats; (2) peptide histidine methionine (PHM), a peptide closely related to VIP, mimics the sleep effects of VIP; and (3) pituitary prolactin (PRL), a pituitary hormone that has a sleep-related secretory pattern and for which VIP and PHM act as releasing factors, has similar effects on sleep. VIP or PHM (0.01, 0.1 and 10. nmol/kg) was intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) injected; PRL (ovine PRL, 45 and 200 IU/kg) was subcutaneously (s.c.) administered. Sleep-wake activity and brain temperature were recorded for 6 h. For controls, rabbits received artificial cerebrospinal fluid i.c.v. or PRL-vehicle s.c. VIP and PHM promoted rapid eye movement sleep (REMS), although these effects were not dose-dependent. In addition, the high dose of VIP and PHM transiently increased wakefulness. Increases in REMS occurred only during hours 2–6 after i.c.v. injection of VIP and peptide histidine leucine (PHI). After s.c. injection of PRL, REMS started to increase in postinjection hour 3. The effect of the high dose was significantly more pronounced than that of the small dose. Each substance enhanced the frequency of REMS episodes, and the high dose of PRL also increased the duration of REMS bouts. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that VIP is involved in physiological regulation of REMS, and that the VIP- and PHM-induced increases in REMS may be mediated via release of PRL.
Comparison of fractions of pyridine extract and solvent-refined coal from Illinois No. 6 coal

Abstract A pyridine extract of Illinois No. 6 coal and a solvent-refined coal from the same coal have been fractionated. Parallels between the two sets of fractions in composition and molecular weight and some experiments on phenol-pyridine interactions lead to the conclusion that solvent refining cleaves ether links and removes much of the organic 0 and S, without much change in acidic and basic groups. Gel-permeation chromatograms of the fractions indicate that they have moderately narrow molecular weight distributions. A plot of number-average molecular weights against retention times for both sets of fractions gives a smooth curve that is consistent with relations for polystyrene and poly(ethylene oxide).
Principles and evaluation of an automatic target recognition system for synthetic aperture radar imagery based on the use of functional templates

We describe an end-to-end Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) system for recognizing targets in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. The system heavily relies on the use of functional template correlation, a technique recently developed by the authors for applying machine intelligence directly at the pixel level through the use of functional templates (FTs). Targets are detected using a CFAR-like, circularly-symmetric FT. They are recognized with azimuth-dependent FTs that deal with the fact that the appearance of an object in SAR imagery changes significantly with the direction of radar illumination relative to the object. FTs were specifically designed for ISAR data at 19 deg depression angle. Excellent recognition results were obtained when these FTs were blindly applied to over 20,000 ISAR images covering depression angles from 18 to 32 deg. When the same FTs were applied to 255 airborne stripmap SAR images at 22 deg, good recognition results were obtained with no false alarms. Although the paper deals primarily with fully polarimetric data, the ideas presented readily apply to single- or dual-polarization SARs.
High-power continuous-wave mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers based on strain-balanced heterostructures

Limiting factors for short-wavelength QCL designs are discussed, and a model is described to predict the short-wavelength limit for strain-balanced QCL structures. High performance is predicted at wavelengths as short as 3.0mm based on a conduction band offset of 0.9 eV in the GaInAs/AlInAs materials. Recent work is presented on the growth of strained materials using gas-source molecular beam epitaxy to investigate the model predictions. Advanced material characterization, including HR-STEM, high-resolution x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, atomic force microscopy, and wafer-scale uniformity and repeatability are demonstrated for strain-balanced QCL structures. Laser testing results are presented for QCLs operating at ~4.8mm, and lastly, predictions for further performance improvement at short wavelengths are discussed.
An automatic algorithm for semantic object generation and temporal tracking

Automatic semantic video object extraction is an important step for providing content-based video coding, indexing and retrieval. However, it is very difficult to design a generic semantic video object extraction technique, which can provide variant semantic video objects by using the same function. Since the presence and absence of persons in an image sequence provide important clues about video content, automatic face detection and human being generation are very attractive for content-based video database applications. For this reason, we propose a novel face detection and semantic human object generation algorithm. The homogeneous image regions with accurate boundaries are first obtained by integrating the results of color edge detection and region growing procedures. The human faces are detected from these homogeneous image regions by using skin color segmentation and facial filters. These detected faces are then used as object seed for semantic human object generation. The correspondences of the detected faces and semantic human objects along time axis are further exploited by a contour-based temporal tracking procedure.
Crystal structure, Mössbauer, and magnetic behavior of mixed valence compounds in the BaFeS system: Ba3(Ba1−xAlx)Fe2S6[S1−y(S2)y]

Abstract The compounds Ba 4 Fe 2 S 6 [S 2 3 ( S 2 ) 1 3 ] and Ba3.6Al0.4Fe2S6[S0.6(S2)0.4], designated I and II, were prepared by reacting BaS, Fe, and S powders and Al foils in graphite containers sealed in evacuated quartz ampoules at approximately 1100°C. The crystal structure of I was determined using 1682 independent, nonzero X-ray reflections, while 3589 were used for II. They are triclinic, A l : a=9.002(2) A ,b=6.7086(8) A ,c=24.658(4) A α91.49(2)°, β=105.10(2)°y=90.74(2)°,ψ calc =4.15g/cm 3 ,for I: a=8.993(6) A ,b=6.708(7) A ,c=24.70(1) A α91.11(6)°, β=105.04(6)°y=90.90(9)°,ψ calc =3.90g/cm 3 ,for II: BaS6 trigonal prisms share edges to form distorted hexagonal rings which form one-dimensional chains leaving two free lateral edges. The chains link in a stairstep manner with the rings offset along the [301] direction. These stairsteps join in a complicated manner to form a three-dimensional network. Fe ions are in two sites forming isolated FeS4 tetrahedra and isolated Fe2S6 dimers by edge-sharing tetrahedra. The Al substitution occurs in the trigonal prisms which have free edges with Al replacing Ba. Room-temperature Mossbauer isomer shifts are 0.20 mm/sec. for I and 0.30 mm/sec for II. These data indicate that upon Al substitution charge compensation occurs by reducing Fe3+. Valence calculations indicate that Fe in edge-sharing tetrahedra are reduced while the Fe in the isolated tetrahedron remains unchanged. The effective charge distribution in the Al substituted compound is approximately Fe3+, Fe2.5+ with electron delocalization across the shared edge. Room temperature electrical resistivity is 105 ohm/cm. The compositions of the crystals are best represented by the formulas [ Ba 4 Fe 2 S 7 ] 2 3 ·[ Ba 4 Fe 2 S 6 (S 2 )] 1 3 and [Ba3AlFe2S7]0.4·[Ba4Fe2S7]0.2·[Ba4Fe2S6(S2)]0.4. The replacement of a sulfide by a disulfide ion is thought to be strongly dependent on the sulfur activity during the preparation.
Ambiguities in the dirac-brueckner approach

Abstract The neglect of an explicit coupling to antiparticles when solving the relativistic Brueckner-Bethe-Goldstone (RBBG) equation leads to ambiguities of the calculated self-energy. We show that it is possible to obtain a family of weakly momentum-dependent self-energies from the RBBG equation which are consistent despite several hundred MeV differences in their magnitudes.
RNA synthesis in imaginal disks of Galleria mellonella: effects of alpha- and beta- ecdysone and fat body in vitro.

Abstract The effects of alpha-ecdysone (α-E), beta-ecdysone (β-E), and larval fat body on morphogenesis and total RNA synthesis in wing imaginal disks of Galleria mellonella were studied. Both ecdysones induce morphogenesis of disks in vitro. Alpha-ecdysone and β-E (0·3–3·0 μg/ml) stimulate RNA synthesis 30 and 60 per cent above control levels, respectively. While less α-E (0·3 μg/ml) is required to increase RNA synthesis than to induce morphogenesis, the reverse is true for β-E. Morphogenesis (i.e. tracheole migration and evagination) can proceed in the presence of concentrations of β-E (0·03 μg/ml) that are subthreshold for the induction of RNA synthesis (0·3 μg/ml). We conclude, therefore, that the increase in total RNA (presumbly ribosomal) is unrelated to and not a prerequisite for tracheole migration or evagination. If morphogenically active preconditioned medium (i.e. medium in which α-E and fat body have been incubated for 48 hr and the fat body then removed) is added to disk cultures, RNA synthesis is not stimulated. Apparently, increases in total RNA caused by both ecdysones may not be necessary for early in vitro disk development. The independent nature of some ecdysone-induced events and implications of our conclusions are discussed.
Calculated effect of freestream turbulence on aerodynamic characteristics of a delta wing

An algebraic eddy viscosity model for the effect of freestream turbulence is developped to model the results of Pedisius et al. The purpose is to show that freestream turbulence is one possible source of discrepancy in tunnel data.
Radionuclides in ground water of the Carson River Basin, western Nevada and eastern California, U.S.A.

Abstract Ground water is the main source of domestic and public supply in the Carson River Basin. Ground water originates as precipitation primarily in the Sierra Nevada in the western part of Carson and Eagle Valleys, and flows down gradient in the direction of the Carson River through Dayton and Churchill Valleys to a terminal sink in the Carson Desert. Because radionuclides dissolved in ground water can pose a threat to human health, the distribution and sources of several naturally occurring radionuclides that contribute to gross-alpha and gross-beta activities in the study area were investigated. Generally, alpha and beta activities and U concentration increase from the up-gradient to down-gradient hydrographic areas of the Carson River Basin, whereas222Rn concentration decreases. Both226Ra and228Ra concentrations are similar throughout the study area. Alpha and beta activities and U concentration commonly exceed 100 pCi/l in the Carson Desert at the distal end of the flow system. Radon-222 commonly exceeds 2,000 pCi/l in the western part of Carson and Eagle Valleys adjacent to the Sierra Nevada. Radium-226 and228Ra concentrations are Alpha-emitting radionuclides in the ground water originated from the dissolution of U-rich granitic rocks in the Sierra Nevada by CO2, oxygenated water. Dissolution of primary minerals, mainly titanite (sphene) in the granitic rocks, releases U to the water. Dissolved U is probably removed from the water by adsorption on Fe- and Mn-oxide coatings on fracture surfaces and fine-grained sediment, by adsorption on organic matter, and by coprecipitation with Fe and Mn oxides. These coated sediments are transported throughout the basin by fluvial processes. Thus, U is transported as dissolved and adsorbed species. A rise in the water table in the Carson Desert because of irrigation has resulted in the oxidation of U-rich organic matter and dissolution of U-bearing coatings on sediments, producing unusually high U concentration in the ground water. Alpha activity in the ground water is almost entirely from the decay of U dissolved in the water. Beta activity in ground water samples is primarily from the decay of40K dissolved in the water and ingrowth of238U progeny in the sample before analysis. Approximately one-half of the measured beta activity may not be present in ground water in the aquifer, but instead is produced in the sample after collection and before analysis. Potassium-40 is primarily from the dissolution of K-containing minerals, probably K-feldspar and biotite. Radon-222 is primarily from the decay of226Ra in the aquifer materials. Radium in the ground water is thought to be mainly from alpha recoil associated with the decay of Th in the aquifer material. Some Ra may be from dissolution (or desorption) or Ra-rich coatings on sediments.
Controls on extrusion at mid-ocean ridges

A magma lens can erupt to form extrusives only if it is under greater pressure than the static pressure in a column of magma reaching from the lens to the surface. The excess pressure results partly from overburden pressure caused by the presence of high- and low-density rocks (dikes and extrusives, respectively) above the lens. The thicker the pile of low-density extrusives, the lower the average overburden density. Thus, extrusion above a lens should be self-regulating, in that thickening the extrusive layer reduces the driving pressure for subsequent eruptions. Flexural stresses may affect extrusion by altering the pressure on a magma chamber. For ridges lacking an axial valley, we predict that deeper magma lenses should correlate with thicker extrusive layers, consistent with recent observations.
Challenges for parallel computing

There has been an overwhelming trend in recent years to move towards parallel computing. Hardware manufacturers are increasing the amount of parallelism on a single chip in several ways, including adding more processing cores and accelerators to execute the same instructions on many data items simultaneously. At the other end of the spectrum, as commodity hardware prices fall, it is becoming increasingly affordable to build large-scale, multi-node distributed machines. Similarly, as processor speeds begin to stagnate, software developers will be forced to exploit the parallelism in their applications in order to continue to improve the performance.
Offense Characteristics of Career Criminals with Severe Mental Disorders

This article examined the offense characteristics between mentally disordered and non-mentally disordered inmates within two distinct subgroups of high rate offenders: "repeat" and "recidivist" offenders. The results indicated that the mentally disordered recidivists were charged more with minor crimes than the non-mentally disordered recidivists. This finding, coupled with the social differences found among non-serious repeat offenders, suggests that career criminals are not as homogenous-as a group than is generally assumed in the literature.
Biophysical Mechanisms of Stroke

Background Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Although a host of genetic, biochemical, physiological, anatomic, and histological factors have been implicated, to varying degrees, in the pathogenesis of stroke, biophysical factors are believed to play a significant role in the development, diagnosis, and therapy of stroke. The purpose of this review article is to identify, describe, and illustrate these causes and biophysical and hemodynamic mechanisms predisposing a person to stroke, which often form the basis for novel methods of diagnosis and therapy. Summary of Review This mini-review begins by describing the physical principles that govern the flow of blood through normal and stenosed carotid artery bifurcations. In addition to the tortuosity, curvature, and tensile forces of the carotid artery bifurcation, the effects of biophysical phenomena from flowing blood such as viscous forces, pressure forces, velocity, kinetic energy...