cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum prolactin levels are positively associated with mammographic density in postmenopausal women

Prolactin is a polypeptide hormone that promotes normal breast proliferation and differentiation, but it is also implicated in the development and growth of mammary tumors. Mammographic density is a strong, independent predictor of breast cancer and, therefore, a potential surrogate indicator of breast cancer risk. To test the hypothesis that serum prolactin is positively related to mammographic density, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions (PEPI) Mammographic Density Study. Based on prior work, we further hypothesized that this association would be apparent only in women who had not recently used postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT). In linear regression models adjusted for age, body mass index, race, smoking, alcohol use, parity and physical activity, among the 400 women who were not recent users of HT, prolactin was positively and statistically significantly associated with mammographic density (Beta log base 2 prolactin 0.0369 [95% CI: 0.0094–0.0645]. Thus, for each doubling of serum prolactin, there was an absolute increase in mammographic density of 3.69%. Additional adjustment for serum levels of estradiol, progesterone, sex hormone binding globulin and age at first pregnancy did not affect this result. There was no association between prolactin and mammographic density among the 169 participants who had recently used HT. The correspondence between higher prolactin and higher mammographic density is consistent with prolactin’s mitogenic properties and the associations between prolactin and breast tumor promotion. These results support the thesis that prolactin deserves investigation as a target for breast cancer risk reduction.
Very low temperature heat capacity for small, one-dimensional metal particles

Abstract The heat capacity for small, one-dimensional, identical metal particles with lattice and electron contributions is examined at very low temperatures. It is found that the low-temperature electronic contribution to the heat capacity is “frozen out” such that the lattice contribution plays the dominant role. Additionally, for both contributions, one has the specific heat decaying exponentially.
Aperiodic stochastic resonance in excitable systems.

Stochastic resonance (SR) is a phenomenon wherein the response of a nonlinear system to a weak periodic input signal is optimized by the presence of a particular level of noise. Here we present a method and theory for characterizing SR-type behavior in excitable systems with aperiodic inputs. These developments demonstrate that noise can serve to enhance the response of a nonlinear system to a weak input signal, regardless of whether the signal is periodic or aperiodic.
Optical-absorption model for molecular-beam epitaxy HgCdTe and application to infrared detector photoresponse

Accurate knowledge of the optical-absorption coefficient in HgCdTe is important for infrared (IR) detector design, production process (layer screening), and interpretation of detector performance. Measurements of the optical-absorption coefficient of HgCdTe layers with uniform composition are presented with the goal of developing a revised model in the interest of IR detector technology. Existing methods of determining HgCdTe alloy composition from IR transmission measurements are compared, where one self-consistent method is suggested and shown to agree with experimental detector data. An exponential Urbach and hyperbolic model are presented to represent band tail and above-bandgap absorption regions, respectively. Parameters associated with these models are extracted for Hg1−xCdxTe compositions of x=0.22–0.60 and temperatures of T=40–300 K using samples of varying thickness to obtain accurate data for varying spectral regions of the absorption coefficient. An initial analytical expression for the absorption coefficient is presented and compared to experimental detector-response data. Detector-response simulations indicate that accurate optical-absorption models are needed, where detector structures with thin layers and arbitrary composition profiles in current and future IR detectors will be the most demanding.
Covalent labeling of the tetrodotoxin receptor in excitable membranes

A photoaffinity labeling technique is described by which a tetrodotoxin analog is covalently bound to receptor sites associated with the sodium pores of excitable membranes. The biological activity of the toxin analog is retained after the covalent binding reaction.
The effect of temperature dependent factors upon the mechanical and surface properties of solids

Abstract The effect of temperature dependent factors upon the mechanical and surface properties of solids depends on the competing forces of activation and sintering. In decomposition from the solid phase the state of the resultant solid produced is determined by the stresses imposed by these competing forces. This in turn is reflected in measurements of the kinetics of solid state decomposition, the surface texture, and the thermo-mechanical properties which result. All these measurements can involve thermal analysis equipment. The crucial factor which differentiates organic, polymer and inorganic behavior is that temperature, called by various names, which indicates that the solid structure is no longer rigid. Above this temperature the strains induced by the stress of volume change and altered solid state lattice positions can be dissipated usually without micellar diminution whereas below this temperature the stress is relieved by micellar diminution which does not necessarily match completed solid state decomposition. All solid materials on heat treatment are subject to sintering which is a temperature and time dependent process and complicates the simpler picture built up on the consideration of only activation. There are numerous applications in industry where these considerations have to be applied and the major tools in investigative techniques for this purpose are those of thermal analysis.
Characterization of the peptide-binding specificity of the chimpanzee class I alleles A*0301 and A*0401 using a combinatorial peptide library

Chimpanzees represent important models for studying several human pathogens. In the present study, we utilized a combinatorial peptide library to characterize the binding specificities of the chimpanzee class I molecules Patr A*0301 and A*0401, both of which are present in about 17% of chimpanzees. Patr A*0301 was found to recognize peptides using the canonical position 2/C-terminus spacing, with the small residues S, T, and A being the most preferred in position 2, and the positively charged residues R and K preferred at the C terminus. Patr A*0401 was found to recognize a more complex motif where the C terminus and then the residue in positions 1 and/or 5 are the primary anchors. Like A*0301, the C-terminal preference of A*0401 is for positively charged residues. At positions 1 and 5, positively charged and large residues are the most preferred, respectively. Coefficient values derived from the combinatorial library proved to be an efficient means for predicting A*0301 and A*0401 binders. The present data provide detailed information to facilitate the identification of potential T cell epitopes recognized in the context of two common chimpanzee class I alleles, and further validate the combinatorial library approach as an efficient method to characterize class I binding specificities.
Continuous ultrasonic hydrogenation of soybean oil. II. Operating conditions and oil quality

In previous work we found that ultrasonic energy greatly enhanced the rate of hydrogenation of soybean oil. We have now investigated parameters of ultrasonic hydrogenation and the quality of the resulting products. Refined and bleached soybean oil was hydrogenated continuously with and without ultrasonic energy at different temperatures, pressures and catalyst concentrations. Flavor and oxidative stability of the oils were compared with a commercially hydrogenated soybean oil. The extent of hydrogenation (ΔIV) was not affected by temperature between 245 and 290 C, but was greater at 106 psig than at 65 psig hydrogen pressure. The ΔIV of hydrogenated oils increased linearly with catalyst concentration from 40 ppm to 150 ppm nickel. At the same catalyst concentration the IV drop was significantly increased when ultrasonic energy was used. By reducing the amount of power supplied to the ultrasonic reactor to 40% of full power, the specific power (watts/ΔIV) was lowered by 60%. Linolenate selectivities and specific isomerization (%trans/ΔIV) remained the same, but linoleate selectivities were lower than for batch hydrogenation under varied operating parameters. Flavor scores were not significantly different, initially or after storage eight days at 60 C, for oils continuously hydrogenated with and without ultrasonic energy. Hydrogenation of soybean oil with ultrasonic energy offers a method to produce good quality products at potentially lower cost than present methods.
Histamine: Effect on Self-Stimulation

When injected discretely into the lateral hypothalamus of rats, histamine inhibited electrical self-stimulation at the injection site without affecting self-stimulation in the contralateral lateral hypothalamus. This effect was blocked by prior treatment with antihistaminics. Histidine, the amino acid precursor of histamine, produced a similar effect after a delay of 6 to 10 minutes.
National indicator series as quantitative predictors of small region monthly employment levels

Abstract This paper investigates the usefulness of several readily available national indicator series as transfer function drivers to forecast monthly employment levels in small regions. The severe data constraints characteristic of small regions often preclude forecasting practitioners from constructing traditional econometric models. Given these regional data constraints, the ability to generate accurate forecasts of regional variables from readily available national series would be useful to regional planners and other users of regional forecasts. Results of this study suggest that national indicator series can be combined with the transfer function methodology to provide accurate monthly employment forecasts over horizons extending to 12 months. For the composite leading indicator input series, mean absolute percentage errors in forecasting regional employment levels were less than one percent at all forecast horizons up to 12 months.
Exploring the Impact of Nuclear Data Uncertainties in Ultra-high Resolution Gamma Spectroscopy for Isotopic Analysis Using Approximate Bayesian Computation

High purity germanium (HPGe) currently provides the highest readily available resolution gamma detection for a broad range of radiation measurements, but microcalorimetry is a developing option that has considerably higher resolution even than HPGe. Superior microcalorimetry resolution offers the potential to better distinguish closely spaced X-rays and gamma-rays, a common challenge for the low energy spectral region near 100 keV from special nuclear materials, and the higher signal-to-background ratio also confers an advantage in detection limit. As microcalorimetry continues to develop, it is timely to assess the impact of uncertainties in detector and item response functions and in basic nuclear data, such as branching ratios and half-lives, used to interpret spectra in terms of the contributory radioactive isotopes. We illustrate that a new inference option known as approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is effective and convenient both for isotopic inference and for uncertainty quantification for microcalorimetry. The ABC approach opens a pathway to new and more powerful implementations for practical applications than currently available.
Regulation of Glycogen Metabolism in Primary and Transformed Astrocytes In Vitro

Glycogen metabolism was studied in primary and Herpesvirus-transformed cultures of neonatal rat brain astrocytes. A small fraction of the glucose consumed was conserved in glycogen in both the primary and the transformed astrocytic cell cultures. After addition of culture medium containing 5.5 mM glucose, glycogen increased to maximal levels within 2.5 h, the approximate time at which half of the medium glucose was consumed, and rapidly declined thereafter in both the primary and transformed astrocytic cultures. Maximum levels of glycogen were apparently related to the cell density of the Herpesvirus-transformed cultures, but primary cultures did not show this behavior. At any given cell density, maximal levels of glycogen were dependent on the concentration of extracellular glucose. Administration of glucose caused a transient activation of glycogen synthase alpha and a rapid inactivation of glycogen phosphorylase alpha.
Suppressed DNA repair capacity of peripheral lymphocytes in pregnant women.

Abstract The ability to repair potentially carcinogenic lesions was measured for peripheral lymphocytes isolated from women in the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy and 6 weeks post-partum. Freshly isolated lymphocytes were damaged with 254 nm ultraviolet radiation and allowed to perform repair in their autologous plasma. DNA repair capacity during pregnancy was over 50% lower than that measured 6 weeks post-partum. No significant difference in repair capacity was observed among the three trimesters. Mitogen-stimulated DNA synthesis was also measured for cells cultured in their autologous plasma. There was no significant difference in thymidine incorporation between cells collected during pregnancy (1.02 ± 0.17 cpm/10 6 cells) and cells collected 6 weeks postpartum (1.45 ± 0.94 cpm/10 6 cells). The results are, however, consistent with alterations in the immune response during pregnancy.
Environmental tobacco smoke and serum vitamin C levels in children

Background. High levels of free radicals in tobacco smoke are thought to be responsible for decreased levels of serum ascorbic acid in smokers and adults exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The association of ETS to serum ascorbic acid in children is unknown. Methods. Data were analyzed from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents (n = 2968). Comprehensive data including serum cotinine levels and family smoking patterns allowed for analysis of relationship of ETS to serum ascorbic acid levels. Data from 24-hour dietary recall also allowed for the control of vitamin C intake. Children were divided into categories of low and high ETS exposure based on levels of serum cotinine above or below 2 ng/mL. Smokers were defined by either self-report or serum cotinine >15 ng/mL. Results. Although there was a trend for lower levels of vitamin C intake in children with higher levels of ETS exposure, this trend did not reach statistical significance. Among all children, serum ascorbic acid levels were linearly related to serum cotinine levels (r = 0.19). In addition, a dose-response relationship was observed between levels of tobacco exposure and serum ascorbic acid levels. After adjusting for age, gender, vitamin C intake, and multivitamin use, environmental tobacco exposure remained significantly associated with lower levels of serum ascorbic acid in children who were exposed to both high and low levels of ETS. Conclusion. Exposure of children to ETS leads to significant alterations in serum ascorbic acid levels. Therefore, this study further highlights the potential dangers of ETS to children.
Weak matrix elements of kaons

We present results from the Wilson fermion part of the Grand Challenge'' weak matrix element project. A new procedure for correcting the chiral behavior of {Beta}{sub LL}{sup sd}, the K{sup 0}-{bar K}{sup 0} {Beta} parameter,'' is proposed and applied. On our largest lattice (24{sup 3} {times} 40 at {beta} = 6.0), we get {Beta}{sub LL}{sup sd} = .86 {plus minus} .11 {plus minus} .05, where the first error is statistical and the second is a measure of the systematic errors due to the procedure and to related finite-size effects. Results for the direct K{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup 0} amplitude are also presented. There is some evidence for higher order chiral effects which may make these results compatible both with experiment and with the {Beta}{sub LL}{sup sd} computation. The status of the direct K{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} {pi} {sup +} {pi}{sup {minus}} {Delta}I = 1/2 amplitude is then discussed. 11 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
Changes in quality of life among low-income men treated for prostate cancer

Abstract Objectives To investigate as the primary objective changes over time in general and disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among low-income men treated for prostate cancer in a longitudinal prospective study. Methods Study participants were recruited from a state-funded program providing free prostate cancer treatment to impoverished men. We included men who completed telephone interviews and self-administered questionnaires at study enrollment and 6 months of follow-up. Covariates univariately associated with HRQOL change scores were included in multivariate linear regression models. All HRQOL models were controlled for age at enrollment, race, baseline HRQOL, and treatment effects at baseline and follow-up. Results Subjects with greater baseline Gleason scores experienced more negative changes in their physical health than did men with lower Gleason scores. Men with less than a high school education experienced greater improvement in their mental well-being than did men with more than a high school education. Those experiencing treatment effects at baseline displayed greater positive changes in their urinary function than did those without treatment effects at baseline. Finally, men experiencing treatment effects at follow-up were characterized by profound reductions in sexual function compared with those free of treatment effects at follow-up. Conclusions This work provides new insights into HRQOL over time in a low-income, multiethnic group of patients with prostate cancer.
DYNAMIC PENETRATION STUDIES IN CRUSHED ROCK UNDER ATMOSPHERIC AND VACUUM CONDITIONS

A device was constructed to study dynamic penetration in crushed rock both in air and a high-vacuum (10^(-5) mm Hg) condition. The apparatus is designed to drop cylindrical, metal rods, pointed on one end, into cohesion-less crushed rock material. Dynamic penetration is studied as a function of several particle sizes and mixtures of these particle sizes. Other factors considered are the density of packing, probe dimensions, vacuum pressure, and vacuum degassing rates. Experimental results show that the density of packing of the crushed rock particles is the dominant factor affecting the dynan1ic penetration. The maximum penetration occurs in air in the crushed rock with low-density packing. The 1ninimum penetration occurs in air in densely packed material. Dynamic penetration in vacuum for the low-density and high-density packing lies between the results of penetration in air for the same packing conditions. At vacuum pressures above approximately 0.1 mm Hg, all penetration values approach the air penetration measurements.
Minimally modified low density lipoprotein induces monocyte chemotactic protein 1 in human endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells

After exposure to low density lipoprotein (LDL) that had been minimally modified by oxidation (MM-LDL), human endothelial cells (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) cultured separately or together produced 2- to 3-fold more monocyte chemotactic activity than did control cells or cells exposed to freshly isolated LDL. This increase in monocyte chemotactic activity was paralleled by increases in mRNA levels for a monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) that is constitutively produced by the human glioma U-105MG cell line. Antibody that had been prepared against cultured baboon smooth muscle cell chemotactic factor (anti-SMCF) did not inhibit monocyte migration induced by the potent bacterial chemotactic factor f-Met-Leu-Phe. However, anti-SMCF completely inhibited the monocyte chemotactic activity found in the media of U-105MG cells, EC, and SMC before and after exposure to MM-LDL. Moreover, monocyte migration into the subendothelial space of a coculture of EC and SMC that had been exposed to MM-LDL was completely inhibited by anti-SMCF. Anti-SMCF specifically immunoprecipitated 10-kDa and 12.5-kDa proteins from EC. Incorporation of [35S]methionine into the immunoprecipitated proteins paralleled the monocyte chemotactic activity found in the medium of MM-LDL stimulated EC and the levels of MCP-1 mRNA found in the EC. We conclude that (i) SMCF is in fact MCP-1 and (ii) MCP-1 is induced by MM-LDL.
Intolerance to milk in ulcerative colitis. A preliminary report.

Fifty-nine per cent of a series of patients with ulcerative colitis were found to have lactose intolerance by a lactose-tolerance test. It appears likely that the inflamed, irritated bowel of patients with ulcerative colitis cannot handle the osmotic-acid load and that lactose intolerance imposes an extra burden upon the inflamed bowel. Therefore, a lactose-free diet is advisable in patients with ulcerative colitis who also have lactose intolerance.
Movement patterns of Blanding's turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) in the suburban landscape of eastern Massachusetts

We studied Blanding's turtle Emydoideablandingii home range and seasonal movement patterns at 10 sites in suburban eastern Massachusetts during 2001 and 2002. Radio telemetry was used to track 51 turtles (31 females and 20 males) and home range was estimated during 4 seasonal activity periods usingthe 95% fixed kernel estimator. Sex, year, and site were not found to affect home range size due to the large amount of variationbetween and within individuals. There were significant differences in home range length between activity periods, with longest movementsoccurring during the period of 15 April to 31 May as animals moved to ephemeral wetlands. Mean annual home range size for Blanding's turtles was 22 ha, and mean home range length was 856 m. Animals frequently had annual home ranges that overlapped little from year to year, indicating that our calculations greatly underestimate the lifetime home range of an individual. Due to the large area needs of Blanding's turtles, and the diversified ownership of lands in eastern Massachusetts, numerous stakeholders will need to be involved to effectively protect viable populations for the foreseeable future.
Oil, floods, and fish: the social role of environmental scientists

The environmental and social effects of hurricane-related flooding and the recent oil disaster in southeastern Louisiana, and the current global crisis in world fisheries, are case studies that reveal the need for scientific work that is carried out and disseminated with conscious attention paid to the important relationship between scientists, other experts and scholars such as social scientists, and community members and policy makers. In this paper, I discuss the following questions facing environmental scientists: How do we produce rigorous science that also has policy implications and import for the lives and livelihoods of citizens? How do we communicate this science to those policy makers and citizens in a way that maintains the integrity of the science and the scientist while also respecting the concerns of the audience? How do we design our research programs to be useful to surrounding communities? How can we involve those communities and policy makers in our research in effective and respectful ways? Is it possible to carry out scientifically rigorous civically engaged research? There is increasing interest within academia in incorporating social, civic, and policy concerns into teaching and research. Environmental scientists must continue to think deeply about our roles in the civic arena.
Reply to comment by A. Robock on “Climate forcing by the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo”

[1] In our Pinatubo paper [Douglass and Knox, 2005a, hereinafter referred to as DK] we concluded that there was negative climate feedback and a short climate response time. Robock [2005, hereinafter referred to as R] claims that the outgoing long-wave radiation (LW) was incorrectly described as the forcing and that interchange of energy with the thermocline was unjustifiably neglected in determining our results. Although we made certain incorrect statements about the LW radiation, these were not part of our determination of the parameters. As to energy flow to the thermocline, as we argue elsewhere [Douglass and Knox, 2005b, hereinafter referred to as DK2], this flow is estimated be small and to affect our lifetime and sensitivities by less than 15%, not by a factor of three, as claimed.
Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) regulates Slingshot phosphatase activity via Nox1-dependent auto-dephosphorylation of serine 834 in vascular smooth muscle cells

Migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to vascular pathology. PDGF induces VSMC migration by a Nox1-based NADPH oxidase mediated mechanism. We have previously shown that PDGF-induced migration in VSMCs requires Slingshot-1L (SSH1L) phosphatase activity. In the present work, the mechanism of SSH1L activation by PDGF is further investigated. We identified a 14-3-3 consensus binding motif encompassing Ser-834 in SSH1L that is constitutively phosphorylated. PDGF induces SSH1L auto-dephosphorylation at Ser-834 in wild type (wt), but not in Nox1−/y cells. A SSH1L-S834A phospho-deficient mutant has significantly lower binding capacity for 14-3-3 when compared with the phospho-mimetic SSH1L-S834D mutant, and acts as a constitutively active phosphatase, lacking of PDGF-mediated regulation. Given that Nox1 produces reactive oxygen species, we evaluated their participation in this SSH1L activation mechanism. We found that H2O2 activates SSH1L and this is accompanied by SSH1L/14-3-3 complex disruption and 14-3-3 oxidation in wt, but not in Nox1−/y cells. Together, these data demonstrate that PDGF activates SSH1L in VSMC by a mechanism that involves Nox1-mediated oxidation of 14-3-3 and Ser-834 SSH1L auto-dephosphorylation.
Information Processing of an Acquaintance Rape Scenario among High- and Low-Dissociating College Women

To assess the impact of dissociation on information processing, 66 college women with high and low levels of trait dissociation were studied with regard to how they unitized videotape segments of an acquaintance rape scenario (actual assault not shown) and a nonthreatening control scenario. Unitization is a paradigm that measures how actively people process stimuli by recording how many times they press a button to indicate that they have seen a significant or meaningful event. Trait dissociation was negatively correlated with participants' unitization of the acquaintance rape videotape, unitization was positively correlated with danger cue identification, and state dissociation was negatively correlated with dangerousness ratings.
Relaxed synthesis of ribosomal RNA by a stringent strain of Escherichia coli

A stringent, leucine-requiring strain of Escherichia coli produced ribosomal RNA in the absence of leucine when the bacteria were starved of magnesium prior to leucine starvation. The ribosomal RNA produced under these conditions appeared in abnormal particles containing pre-existing ribosomal protein, which was released from ribosomes due to the degradation of the ribosomal RNA during the previous magnesium starvation. The participation of pre-existing ribosomal protein in the subsequent formation of the ribosomal RNA-containing particle suggests a possible role of the protein in the regulation of ribosomal RNA synthesis.
Vitamin a deficiency among former and current injecting drug users in Bronx, New York

Abstract The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency was studied cross-sectionally in 135 HIV-infected and 45 HIV-uninfected high risk former and current injecting drug users (IDUs) in the Bronx, New York. Vitamin A levels were similar by serostatus: 35% (47/135) of HIV-seropositive and 33% (1545 of HIV-seronegative subjects had serum vitamin A levels consistent with deficiency ( + levels previously found to be prognostic of disease progression in this cohort; 0.81 μmol/L versus 1.19 μmol/L for 3 respectively, p=0.02. Serum vitamin A levels were significantly associated with hemoglobin levels in HIV- infected individuals only (Mantel Haenszel trend, p=0.05). Further study of vitamin A deficiency and infectious disease morbidity in HIV-infected and uninfected high risk IDUs may be warranted given the high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among this cohort of IDUs and the association of vitamin A with infectious disease morbidity.
Generation and propagation of fluorescence light from fluorophores experiencing multiexponential decay kinetics in multiply scattering media

The generation and propagation of fluorescence light through tissue offers the potential for biomedical diagnostics and clinical biosensing. Arising from an exogenous fluorescent dye injected as a contrast agent or immobilized in a polymer implant, the fluorescent decay kinetics can be sensitive to the biochemical environment of the tissue, providing quantitative in vivo information of the confined tissue site. To date, all studies of fluorescence in scattering media have been confined to dyes with single-exponential decay kinetics, yet most of sensing fluorophores exhibit multi-exponential decay. The goal of the study was to develop a time-dependent model describing the generation and propagation of fluorescent light emitted from dyes exhibiting multi-exponential decay kinetics. To experimentally investigate multi-exponential decays, we employed two dyes, 3,3-diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide (DTTCI) and Indocynanine Green (ICG), which exhibit distinctly different lifetimes. The experimental study was divided into two parts. In the first part, fluorescence phase-modulation measurements were made as a function of modulation frequency at various concentration ratios of the two dyes in dilute nonscattering solutions. In the second part, frequency measurements of phase-modulation were made at similar concentration ratios as the first part, but in presence of scattering (2% intralipid). The multi-exponential decay parameters extracted from the phase-modulation data in the first part of the study were used to predict the phase-shift and amplitude-attenuation values in the presence of scattering. Using a diffusion model, the predictions were then compared to the second part of the experimental study.
Phase equilibria calculated for the systems N2+CO2, CH4+CO2 and CH4+H2S

Abstract The liquid-vapor equilibria and critical loci of the systems N2 + CO2, CH4 + CO2 and CH4 + H2S have been correlated on the basis of experimental data using an accurate equation of state (EOS) including a semiempirical correction for vanishing ordering effects in the critical regions. The EOS predicts gas-gas equilibria for the N2 + CO2 and CH4 + H2S systems and confirms the data of Kohn and Kurata (1958) indicating no critical locus for CH4 + H2S in the composition region 0.54 ⩽ xCH4 ⩽ 0.89. The predicted excess enthalpies and compressibilities of the gaseous mixtures agree well with the data. Deviations from the random-mixing approximation as they affect calculated liquid densities are discussed.
Characterization of heavyweight and lightweight polypropylene prosthetic mesh explants from a single patient.

Although polypropylene has been used as a hernia repair material for nearly 50 years, very little science has been applied to studying the body's effect on this material. It is possible that oxidation of mesh occurs as a result of the chemical structure of polypropylene and the physiological conditions to which it is subjected; this leads to embrittlement of the material, impaired abdominal movement, and chronic pain. It is also possible that lightweight polypropylene meshes undergo less oxidation due to a reduced inflammatory reaction. The objective of this study was to characterize explanted hernia meshes using techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and compliance testing to determine whether the mesh density of polypropylene affects the oxidative degradation of the material. The hypothesis was that heavyweight polypropylene would incite a more intense inflammatory response than lightweight polypropylene and thus undergo greater ox...
Modeling emergency interregional electric power transfer

Abstract This paper describes a combined model of the U.S. power system that is the first to allow for emergency interregional transmission of electricity. The Interregional Transfer Model (INTRAN) is used with the Baughman-Joskow Regionalized Electricity Model (REM) to simulate the transshipment of emergency interregional electric power exchanges. REM-INTRAN is a tool to assist policy makers concerned with the reliability and adequacy of the U.S. bulk power system. It is the only model available that provides regional detail of the electricity sector and emergency interregional power transfer capabilities. REM-INTRAN considers generation plant mix and monthly load characteristics on a regional basis, and the limiting transfer capacities and costs of emergency interregional power transfers.
Left ventricular function in experimental pulmonary embolism.

The hemodynamic effects of acute pulmonary embolism were studied in 13 pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs (19.1 to 27.2Kg). Pulmonary embolism was produced by injections of 1-8ml. of a 33% barium sulfate emulsion into the right ventricle. Observations were made before and 10-15min. after each of several injections. Cardiac output, stroke volume, left ventricular systolic pressure, aortic mean pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume fell following repeated pulmonary embolization. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure did not change significantly; thus, left ventricular end-diastolic distensi-bility diminished. Peak circumferential-shortening rate of the left ventricle normalized as rate per unit length of circumference remained unchanged in spite of a decrease in developed force. Left ventricular stroke work for any given end-diastolic volume in each animal following pulmonary embolization fell below the regression line for the control state. We conclude that repeated acute pulmonary embolization impairs left ventricular contractility.
In vivo targeting of acoustically reflective liposomes for intravascular and transvascular ultrasonic enhancement.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to target acoustically reflective liposomes to atherosclerotic plaques in vivo for ultrasound image enhancement. BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated the development of acoustically reflective liposomes that can be conjugated for site-specific acoustic enhancement. This study evaluates the ability of liposomes coupled to antibodies specific for different components of atherosclerotic plaques and thrombi to target and enhance ultrasonic images in vivo. METHODS Liposomes were prepared with phospholipids and cholesterol using a dehydration/ rehydration method. Antibodies were thiolated for liposome conjugation with N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate resulting in a thioether linkage between the protein and the phospholipid. Liposomes were conjugated to antifibrinogen or anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (anti-ICAM-1). In a Yucatan miniswine model, atherosclerosis was developed by crush injury of one carotid and one femoral artery and ingestion of a hypercholesterolemic diet. After full plaque development the arteries were imaged (20-MHz intravascular ultrasound catheter and 7.5-MHz transvascular linear probe) after injection of saline, unconjugated liposomes and antibody conjugated liposomes. RESULTS Conjugated liposomes retained their acoustically reflective properties and provided ultrasonic image enhancement of their targeted structures. Liposomes conjugated to antifibrinogen attached to thrombi and fibrous portions of the atheroma, whereas liposomes conjugated to anti-ICAM-1 attached to early atheroma. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that this novel acoustic agent can provide varying targeting with different antibodies with retention of intravascular and transvascular acoustic properties.
Dahl's power and republican freedom

Dahl's classic analysis of power needs a few more or less minor corrections and it needs to be extended so that power can be exercised other than by punctual actions and can have other than punctual effects. But corrected and extended in this way, it provides a base from which it is possible to articulate a number of radical points of view and, in particular, to define the sort of control or domination that is opposed to freedom, on the traditional republican conception.
Creep behavior of niobium-modified zirconium alloys

Zirconium (Zr) alloys remain as the main cladding materials in most water reactors. Historically, a series of Zircaloys were developed, and two versions, Zircaloy-2 and -4, are still employed in many reactors. The recent trend is to use the Nb-modified zirconium alloys as the Nb addition improves cladding performance in various ways, most significant being superior long term corrosion resistance. Hence, new alloys with Nb additions have recently been developed, such as Zirlo™2 and M5™3. Although it is known that creep properties improve, there have been very few data available to precisely evaluate the creep characteristics of new commercial alloys. However, the creep behavior of many Nb-modified zirconium alloys has been studied in several occasions. In this study, we have collected the creep data of these Nb-modified alloys from the open literature as well as our own study over a wide range of stresses and temperatures. The data have been compared with those of conventional Zr and Zircaloys to determine the exact role Nb plays. It has been argued that Nb-modified zirconium alloys would behave as Class-A alloys (stress exponent of 3) with the Nb atoms forming solute atmospheres around dislocations and thus, impeding dislocation glide under suitable conditions. On the other hand, zirconium and Zircaloys behave as Class-M alloys with a stress exponent of ⩾4, attesting to the dislocation climb-controlled deformation mode.
Cancer regression in patients after transfer of genetically engineered lymphocytes

Through the adoptive transfer of lymphocytes after host immunodepletion, it is possible to mediate objective cancer regression in human patients with metastatic melanoma. However, the generation of tumor-specific T cells in this mode of immunotherapy is often limiting. Here we report the ability to specifically confer tumor recognition by autologous lymphocytes from peripheral blood by using a retrovirus that encodes a T cell receptor. Adoptive transfer of these transduced cells in 15 patients resulted in durable engraftment at levels exceeding 10% of peripheral blood lymphocytes for at least 2 months after the infusion. We observed high sustained levels of circulating, engineered cells at 1 year after infusion in two patients who both demonstrated objective regression of metastatic melanoma lesions. This study suggests the therapeutic potential of genetically engineered cells for the biologic therapy of cancer.
An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking

Hamid Naficy. An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking. Princeton: Princeton University Press 2001 374 pgs
Footprints of a Fast-Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge

The interaction of plasma filaments with the dielectric surface of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) yields complex branching patterns which are highly sensitive to operating gas, gas pressure, and applied voltage. The images presented in this paper highlight the filamentary mode of a normally homogeneous DBD in Ar using a submicrosecond applied voltage pulse. The footprints of the plasma filaments appear on the dielectric surface as well-known Lichtenberg figures.
Computational Simulation of Composite Ply Micromechanics Using Artificial Neural Networks

: Artificial neural networks can provide improved computational efficiency relative to existing methods when an algorithmic description of functional relationships is either totally unavailable or is complex in nature. For complex calculations, significant reductions in elapsed computation time are possible. The primary goal of this project is to demonstrate the applicability of artificial neural networks to composite material characterization. As a test case, a neural network has been trained to accurately predict composite hygral, thermal, and mechanical properties when provided with basic information concerning the environment, constituent materials, and component ratios used in the creation of the composite. A brief introduction to neural networks is provided along with a description of the software tools and interfaces used in the project. Finally, the project results are presented.
Binding of α-factor pheromone to yeast a cells: Chemical and genetic evidence for an α-factor receptor

The division cycle of yeast a cells is inhibited by alpha-factor. Haploid a cells were found to bind 35S-labeled alpha-factor, whereas haploid alpha cells and diploid a/alpha cells showed little binding. The association of alpha-factor with a cells was reversible upon dilution. Unlabeled alpha-factor competed for binding of 35S-alpha-factor; the concentration dependence for competition indicated 9 X 10(5) binding sites per cell with a dissociation constant (KD) of 3 X 10(-7) M. The rates of association (kon = 3 X 10(3) M-1 sec-1) and dissociation (koff = 9 X 10(-4) sec-1) were consistent with the equilibrium constant. The alpha-factor binding activity associated with five temperature-sensitive ste2 mutants was thermolabile, suggesting that the STE2 gene encodes the receptor for alpha-factor. In contrast, the binding activity of other temperature-sensitive mutants (ste4, ste5, ste7, ste11, and ste12) showed no thermolability.
Position shifts following crowded second-order motion adaptation reveal processing of local and global motion without awareness

Adaptation to first-order (luminance defined) motion produces not only a motion aftereffect but also a position aftereffect, in which a target pattern's perceived location is shifted opposite the direction of adaptation. These aftereffects can occur passively (when the direction of motion adaptation cannot be detected) and remotely (when the target is not at the site of adaptation). Although second-order (contrast defined) motion produces these aftereffects, it is unclear whether they can occur passively or remotely. To address these questions, we conducted two experiments. In the first, we used crowding to remove a local adapter's second-order motion from awareness and still found a significant position aftereffect. In the second experiment, we found that the direction of motion in one region of a crowded array could produce a position aftereffect in an unadapted, spatially separated region of the crowded array. The results suggest that second-order motion influences perceived position over a large spatial range even without awareness.
The effects of finite sampling on reconstructed image resolution and noise

Summary form only given. A technique which models the relationship between reconstructed image resolution and noise by evaluating the norm of the image covariance matrix versus the number of reconstructed generalized pixel (object basis function) amplitudes has been developed. Data acquisition is represented by a linear transformation of functions on a continuous domain object space to functions on a discrete domain observation space; thus, the model is easily adapted to include physical effects found in many imaging modalities. A tomography system that has parallel sampling with equally spaced angles and bins was analyzed. These studies show a resolution threshold beyond which improvements in resolution, characterized by the number of orthonormal pixels reconstructed, are achieved only with large increases in image noise. >
Cardiovascular Actions of Three Harmala Alkaloids: Harmine, Harmaline, and Harmalol

Each of three harmala alkaloids, harmine, harmaline, and harmalol, decreased heart rate and increased pulse pressure, peak aortic flow, and myocardial contractile force in intact normotensive anesthetized dogs. Harmine reduced systemic arterial blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance; harmaline-evoked decreases were frequently followed by a secondary increase; and the effects of harmalol on these two parameters were inconsistent. A direct negative chronotropic effect of harmala alkaloids was suggested by observations of bradycardia in the isolated perfused rat heart and in the intact dog; neither vagotomy nor atropinization affected harmala alkaloid-induced bradycardia in the dog. Reduction in femoral vascular resistance by the alkaloids was not apparently due to activation of cholinergic, beta-adrenergic, or histamine (H1) receptors.
Regional adipose tissue hormone/cytokine production before and after weight loss in abdominally obese women.

Objective To compare the regional differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue hormone/cytokine production in abdominally obese women during weight loss. Methods Forty-two abdominally obese, older women underwent a 20-week weight loss intervention composed of hypocaloric diet with or without aerobic exercise (total energy expenditure: ∼2800 kcal/week). Subcutaneous (gluteal and abdominal) adipose tissue biopsies were conducted before and after the intervention. Adipose tissue gene expression and release of leptin, adiponectin, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were determined. Results The intervention resulted in significant weight loss (−10.1 ± 0.7 kg, P < 0.001). At baseline, gene expression of adiponectin were higher (P < 0.01), and gene expression and release of IL-6 were lower (both P < 0.05) in abdominal than in gluteal adipose tissue. After intervention, leptin gene expression and release were lower in both gluteal and abdominal adipose tissue compared to baseline (P < 0.05-0.01). Abdominal, but not gluteal, adipose tissue adiponectin gene expression and release increased after intervention (both P < 0.05). Conclusion A 20-week weight loss program decreased leptin production in both gluteal and abdominal adipose tissue, but only increased adiponectin production from abdominal adipose tissue in obese women. This depot-specific effect may be of importance for the treatment of health complications associated with abdominal adiposity.
Interactions between ENSO, Transient Circulation, and Tropical Convection over the Pacific

Abstract The interannual variability of transient waves and convection over the central and eastern Pacific is examined using 30 northern winters of NCEP–NCAR reanalyses (1968/69–1997/98) and satellite outgoing longwave radiation data starting in 1974. There is a clear signal associated with the El Nino–Southern Oscillation, such that differences in the seasonal-mean basic state lead to statistically significant changes in the behavior of the transients and convection (with periods less than 30 days), which then feed back onto the basic state. During a warm event (El Nino phase), the Northern Hemisphere subtropical jet is strengthened over the central Pacific; the region of upper-tropospheric mean easterlies over the tropical western Pacific expands eastward past the date line, and the upper-tropospheric mean “westerly duct” over the tropical eastern Pacific is weakened. The transients tend to propagate along the almost continuous waveguide of the subtropical jet; equatorward propagation into the westerly...