cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Benefits of Reinjecting Instead of Flaring Produced Gas in Unconventional Oil Reservoirs

Over the last decade, there has been tremendous success is developing and producing unconventional oil resources such as the Bakken and Eagle Ford; however, flaring produced gases from these fields has become a problem that needs to be addressed. In many instances, pipeline infrastructure is not in place to transport gas away from the wells. One possible solution is to reinject the produced gas back into the formation, which has numerous positive benefits. It has the potential to increase oil recovery from unconventional reservoirs because of the strong likelihood to achieve miscibility with reservoir oil. Furthermore, unlike flaring, the injected gas will be available for sales once gas gathering pipelines become available. Gas reinjection also should mitigate environmental concerns associated with greenhouse gas emissions. We evaluated the recovery potential along with the costs of reinjecting gas to determine the economic value of this process. A dual-porosity, compositional flow simulator was used to model the gas injection process into a well surrounded by producers and to determine the amount of incremental oil and gas produced. We calculated the net economic value of the process by including the cost of gas compression and fuel gas for injection. We have concluded that oil production rates can be significantly increased, and the economics of the process is very positive. Additionally, significant volumes of gas can be recycled, which alleviates environmental concerns of gas flaring and improves resource efficiency. As a result, we recommend pilot testing the gas injection process to assess the commercial application of the proposal. Introduction Flaring natural gas has become a major issue in unconventional liquid-rich reservoir development. This problem is particularly bad in the Bakken where close to 40% (Helms, 2014) of the produced gas is being burned, but it is also a problem in the Eagle Ford area where over 50 billion standard cubic feet (Bcf) was flared last year. It has become a visible national issue with many reports from the national media and major newspapers (Krauss, 2011), congressional hearings (Upton, 2014), and governors starting task forces to address it (NDPC, 2014). A popular way to display the problem is to show “Earth at Night” images from before and after the unconventional revolution. Figure 1 has two of these images of the U.S., one from 2003 and one from 2012. From these two images, both the Bakken area and the Eagle Ford can be clearly observed to have an increase in “lights”. While some of this may be attributed to actual lights from drilling and workover rigs, the majority of this light comes from burning natural gas in flares. URTeC 2014 Page 1640
Probabilistic judgments specified partially in the Analytic Hierarchy Process

The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a decision-making tool which yields priorities for decision alternatives. This paper proposes a new approach to elicit and synthesize expert assessments for the group decision process in the AHP. These new elicitations are given as partial probabilistic specifications of the entries of pairwise comparisons matrices. For a particular entry of the matrix, the partial probabilistic elicitations could arise in the form of either probability assignments regarding the chance of that entry falling in specified intervals or selected quantiles for that entry. A new class of models is introduced to provide methods for processing this partial probabilistic information. One advantage of this approach is that it allows to generate as many pairwise comparison matrices of the decision alternatives as one desires. This, in turn, allows us to determine the statistical significance of the priorities of decision alternatives.
Roman arches, human joints, and disease

The subchondral plate of bone underlying concave joint surfaces is significantly thicker, at most sites, than that under the corresponding convex mates. This morphologic difference may be related to parallel differences in loading stress and in the distribution of osteonecrosis and other joint lesions.
Debris-flow generation from recently burned watersheds

Evaluation of the erosional response of 95 recently burned drainage basins in Colorado, New Mexico and southern California to storm rainfall provides information on the conditions that result in fire-related debris flows. Debris flows were produced from only 37 of 95 ( approximately 40 percent) basins examined; the remaining basins produced either sediment-laden streamflow or no discernable response. Debris flows were thus not the prevalent response of the burned basins. The debris flows that did occur were most frequently the initial response to significant rainfall events. Although some hillslopes continued to erode and supply material to channels in response to subsequent rainfall events, debris flows were produced from only one burned basin following the initial erosive event. Within individual basin, debris flows initiated through both runoff and infiltration-triggered processes. The fact that not all burned basins produced debris flows suggests that specific geologic and geomorphic conditions may control the generation of fire-related debris flows. The factors that best distinguish between debris-flow producing drainages and those that produced sediment-laden streamflow are drainage-basin morphology and lithology, and the presence or absence of water-repellent soils. Basins underlain by sedimentary rocks were most likely to produce debris flows that contain large material, and sand- and gravel-dominated flows were generated primarily from terrain underlain by decomposed granite. Basin-area and relief thresholds define the morphologic conditions under which both types of debris flows occur. Debris flows containing large material are more likely to be produced from basins without water-repellent soils than from basins with water repellency. The occurrence of sand-and gravel-dominated debris flows depends on the presence of water-repellent soils.
TiC coatings prepared by pulsed laser deposition and magnetron sputtering

Abstract Tribological properties of TiC coatings grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and magnetron sputtering were investigated. The PLD TiC coatings grown at room temperature were found to be much harder than the TiC coatings grown by magnetron sputtering under the given experimental conditions. The hardness of PLD coatings deposited at room temperature was as high as 44 GPa, in contrast to ~20 GPa of the magnetron sputtered ones. The coefficient of friction of the PLD films measured with a pin-on-disk type tribometer had a typical value of about 0.2 when using a 440C stainless steel pin. Scratch tests indicated that magnetron-sputtered TiC coatings adhered well to the stainless steel substrates. The relatively poor adhesion of the PLD coatings obtained from this scratch test was probably partly due to their high brittleness and the relatively weak adhesive bond. However, the adhesion of PLD coatings could be improved by raising the substrate temperature slightly to 300 °C or by in situ laser annealing. The former was also able to maintain their hardness at a relatively high level. The adhesion of magnetron-sputtered TiC coatings could be modified by inserting a metallic interlayer between the coating and stainless steel substrate. Mo interlayer had a detrimental effect on the adhesion caused probably by the poor stress bearing capability of the porous Mo film deposited at low temperature. However, the insertion of both Ti and Cr interlayers enhanced the adhesion of TiC by as much as 25%.
A Statistical Model for the Tensile Fracture of Parallel Fiber Composites

A statistical model for the tensile fracture of parallel fiber composites is based on a stress criterion for crack propagation. The stresses in fiber which surround a crack nucleus are evaluated and the number and size of such nuclei are evaluated statistically. Failure is predicted when, statistically, a new break is expected at any crack nucleus. The predictions of this model are in good agreement with measured tensile strength, the variation of strength with size, the variability of tensile fracture srength, the very small creep strain, and the observed mechanism of fracture of fiberglass composites.
Plane stress mixed mode fatigue crack propagation

Abstract A complex crack trajectory has been obtained by subsequently changing the orientation of a straight crack at the center of a thin circular disk of aluminum 2024-0 with respect to uniaxially applied constant amplitude fatigue loading. The propagation of the main crack has been performed by producing a series of kinks and pseudo-asymmetric forks predominantly in the plane stress state. The experiments are performed for two mixed mode load ratios. The complex crack trajectory has been analyzed with Sib's [Strain energy density factor applied to mixed mode crack problems. Int. J. Fracture 10, 305–321 (1974)] strain energy density theory. Appropriate stress intensity factors at any point on the cracked trajectory have been calculated on the basis of existing solutions for stress intensity factors on curved and kinked cracks presented by Cotterell and Rice [Slightly curved and kinked cracks. Int. J. Fracture 16, 155–169 (1980)]. In calculating stress intensity factors on the successive kinks, the procedure adopted by Suresh [Crack deflection: implication for the growth of long and short fatigue cracks. Metall. Trans. 14A, 2375–2393 (1983)] for a doubly kinked crack has been followed. In predicting the number of load cycles required to reach the locations observed in the experiments, the fatigue crack growth criterion based on the strain energy density concept proposed by Sih and Barthelamy [Mixed mode fatigue crack growth prediction. Engng Fracture Mech. 13, 439–451 (1980)] has been used. The predicted values are in close agreement with the experiments, but in predicting the successive kink initiation angles on the basis of the strain energy density theory, significant deviation from the experiment is observed. Some merits and demerits of the criterion are discussed. A few interesting observations made in the experiment are consistent with the analysis.
Rat Mitochondrial Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Polymorphism and Major Histocompatibility Complex RT1.A Phenotypes Are Not Associated with Alcohol Drinking in P and NP Rats

Previous studies revealed polymorphisms in mytochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and the major histocompatibility complex RT1.A that appeared in association with alcohol drinking preference in the alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rat lines. To determine the strength of these associations, the P and NP lines were crossed, and cosegregation studies were performed in the F2 progeny. The ALDH Q allele and the ALDH2 R allele, found in the P and NP lines, respectively, were found not to be associated with the high and low drinking animals in the F2 progeny. Kinetic studies with ALDH2 Q and ALDH2 R isozyme purified from the mitochondria of P and NP rat livers, respectively, showed that the polymorphism would not be expected to be associated with after aldehyde metabolism. The association between RT1.A and alcohol preference (RT1.A uu with high and RT1.A II with low alcohol intake) also could not be confirmed in the segregating F2 progeny of the P×NP intercross
Performance of alternate-block-inversion modulation format in optical communication systems with no dispersion compensation

Abstract Phase-shaped binary transmission (PSBT) is known to be an attractive modulation format in system with no inline dispersion compensation because of its resilience to chromatic dispersion. We show that the phased amplitude-shift signaling alternate-block-inversion (PASS-ABI) modulation format has a more compact spectrum and higher dispersion tolerance than PSBT while requiring similar transmitter complexity.
TEACHING FAMILY DYNAMICS TO MEDICAL STUDENTS

A demonstration method was devised to orient medical students to the effects of family interaction on problems of child psychiatry. Students observed interviews with individual family members and also the same members in spontaneous family interaction. Rating scales were used to compare students' reactions to both kinds of diagnostic data.
Experimental determination of oligosaccharide three-dimensional structure

Abstract The three-dimensional structures of oligosaccharides and their complexes with proteins determined by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and optical techniques during the past year are surveyed. The receptor-bound conformation of oligosaccharides often deviates from the lowest energy solution conformation, suggesting a functional role for oligosaccharide flexibility in carbohydrate-protein interactions.
Gold Nanocages for Spectroscopic OCT Imaging with A Swept Source at 1060 nm

Gold nanocages were synthesized to shift the surface plasmon resonance peak to ~900 nm. We demonstrate these nanocages can be used as contrast agents for conventional and spectroscopic OCT at 1060 nm.
Structure and properties of Ge2.5PSx glasses

Abstract Ge 2.5 PS x glasses were studied with a combination of Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and neutron diffraction. From these experiments the distribution of bonding configurations was determined, and used to explain the compositional dependence of the index of refraction and the glass transition temperature. On reducing the sulfur content of these glasses below the stoichiometric amount, the sulfur deficit is accommodated by the progressive loss of the non-bridging sulfur of SPS 3/2 groups, followed by the conversion of the resultant PS 3/2 groups into species such as P 4 S 3 characterized by P–P bonding. The presence of metal–metal bonds involving germanium, found in samples with the lowest sulfur content, was found to be the most important structural feature in determining the optical response.
Mechanisms for alkali leaching in mized-NaK silicate glasses

Abstract The kinetics of alkali removal from (1-X) Na2O·XK2O·3SiO2 glasses were studied using pH stat titration techniques, solution analyses, and elemental depth profiling by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and elastic recoil detection. In the first stage of leaching ( t 1 2 kinetics), the interdiffusion coefficients measured for the exchange of alkali cations by H3O+ are orders of magnitude greater than the alkali diffusion coefficients in bulk glass and show no evidence of the mixed-alkali effect. At longer times, the rate of alkali removal becomes constant with time, but selective alkali leaching is still observed rather than uniform dissolution. These results support a model where the rate determining step for alkali leaching is the rate at which molecular water diffuses into the glass.
Reversible folding–unfolding, aggregation protection, and multi-year stabilization, in high concentration protein solutions, using ionic liquids

We report the reversible thermal unfolding/refolding, and long period stabilization against aggregation and hydrolysis, of >200 mg ml–1 solutions of lysozyme in ionic liquid-rich, ice-avoiding, solvents.
Inter-relationships of cotton plant height, canopy width, ground cover and plant nitrogen status indicators

Petiole-NO3, leaf N and chlorophyll (SPAD) meter readings are good in-season indicators of the N status of the uppermost part of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants. Petiole-NO3, particularly is widely used in the USA as an in-season plant N test that guides N fertilizer recommendations in cotton. However, these N status indicators do not take account of plant biomass, canopy width or percent cover. The objectives of this study were to assess the effect of N fertilizer rates on the commonly used indicators of plant N status; leaf N, petiole sap NO3 and chlorophyll meter (SPAD) readings and the plant growth measurements; plant height, canopy width, and percent ground cover, and determine to inter-correlations among the them. Irrigated field studies were conducted at Lubbock, TX USA in 2010 and 2011, New Deal, TX in 2010, and at Halfway, TX in 2011. Zero-N and a full N fertilizer rate of 134, 101, and 112 kg N ha−1 were used at Lubbock, New Deal, and Halfway, respectively. The 2010 cotton growing season in West Texas was much wetter than average, and the 2011 season was much drier than normal. As a result, plant height, canopy width, and ground cover were greater in the 2010 sites than in 2011. The effects of N fertilizer were greatest for the two cultivars in subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) at New Deal in 2010 for all three N status indicators, and for the three plant growth measures compared to the other site-years. Correlation analysis indicated that among the three plant N indicators, leaf N was the most sensitive to plant parameters. These effects were positive in 2010 and negative in the 2011 dry year. Petiole NO3 was the plant N indicator that was the most insensitive to plant growth, but the marked seasonal decline pattern reduces its usefulness for late-season N management.
Conversion of a PI-anchored protein to an integral membrane protein by a single amino acid mutation

Qa-2, a cell-surface glycoprotein anchored by phosphatidylinositol (PI), is structurally related to the class I transplantation antigens H-2 K, D, and L, which are integral membrane glycoproteins. The predicted transmembrane segment of Qa-2 differs from those of H-2 K, D, and L by the presence of an aspartate in place of a valine at position 295. A single base change that replaced this aspartate with valine resulted in cell-surface Qa-2 molecules that were insensitive to hydrolysis by a PI-specific phospholipase C and more resistant to papain cleavage, properties shared by H-2D. Cells expressing Asp----Val mutant Qa-2 proteins were still able to attach a PI anchor to endogenous proteins such as Thy-1 and J11D. It therefore appears that this single amino acid change converts Qa-2 from a PI-linked form into an integral membrane protein.
A Review of the Research on Student Evaluation and a Report on the Effect of Different Sets of Instructions on Student Course and Instructor Evaluation.

An extensive review of the research concerning the effect of different variables on student ratings is presented. A study is then reported comparing the effects of different sets of instructions on student evaluations of the course and instructor. The results indicated that the students who were informed that the results of their ratings would be used for administrative decisions rated the course and instructor more favorably on all aspects than students who were informed that the results of their ratings would only be used by the instructor.
Occult tuberculous infection in children.

Abstract Three hundred and fifty New Zealand children with occult tuberculous infection are reviewed. Ninety four had received BCG vaccine previously. Three hundred and forty were admitted to hospital and 3 gastric aspirations were obtained from each child and cultured for tubercle bacilli. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from 1 or more aspirates in 29 (8.5 %) of the children. Excluding those who had received BCG the isolation rate was 10.9 %. Mycobacterium bovis was not cultured from any child. X-rays of the chest which were initially normal showed calcification after 2 to 5 years in 73 (20.8 %) cases. The 350 children were treated with 2 drugs, during the early years isoniazid and PAS and in the past 3 years isoniazid and rifampicin in standard dosage for either 12 or 18 months. The reasons for treating these children are discussed.
Effects of diet on proportions of blood plasma lipids and milk lipids of the lactating cow and their long-chain fatty acid composition.

The effect of three types of rations (all hay, hay-grain 50:50, and high grain) on changes in blood and milk lipids and their component long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) was studied in dairy cows in the last trimester of lactation. Jugular blood samples were drawn from 12 Holstein cows (4 in each treatment group) during Weeks 1, 5, 6, and 7 of the trial. Thin-layer chromatography and photodensitometry classified and quantitated blood lipids into triglycerides (TG), free cholesterol (FC), cholesterol esters (CE), free fatty acids (FFA), and phospholipids (PL). Gas-liquid chromatography determined proportions of LCFA methyl esters from C10 to C20:4 in the total blood lipids. There were no statistically significant differences in proportions of blood lipids between the three treatment groups at any stage of the experiment. Individual variations in their proportions between animals and within groups were large. Saturated LCFA comprised about 38% of the total LCFA of blood lipids, of which myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids were the major fatty acids. Ration did not significantly affect the proportion of any saturated LCFA of blood lipids. The bulk of blood fat was unsaturated LCFA and consisted of C18 fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic). Proportions of oleic acid were significantly higher (P < .05) in the blood lipids of cows receiving the all-hay ration during Weeks 5 and 7 as compared to those receiving either the hay-grain or high grain rations. The proportion of linoleic acid was lower and linolenic acid higher in the all hay group than in the other two groups. There were no significant differences in milk fat per cent due to ration effects. Triglyceride, free cholesterol and phospholipid fractions did not vary significantly in milk fat, and the only fatty acid to show a consistent response to increased grain feeding was linoleic acid. This acid made up only 2.9 to 5.5% of the total fatty acid quantitated.
A search model for topological insulators with high-throughput robustness descriptors

Topological insulators exhibit intriguing electronic properties that originate from protected metallic states on their surface. Experimental studies so far are based on a limited number of materials. A high-throughput approach now shows how to search for topological insulators in a variety of unexplored classes of materials.
Enzyme therapy—IX. stabilization of human splenic α-galactosidase a by zinc ion

Abstract 1. 1. The ability of divalent metal ions to stabilize several human lysosomal glycosidases against thermal inactivation was investigated. 2. 2. Only zinc ion was found to significantly decrease the rate of heat denaturation of any of the hydrolases tested. 3. 3. Zinc increased the t 1 2 of a-galactosidase A activity at 50°C more than 15-fold at pH 6.5, from 20.5 min to 5.2 hr, but had little effect at pH 5.5 or 7.4.
Inaugural Genomics Automation Congress and the coming deluge of sequencing data.

Presentations at Select Biosciences’s first ‘Genomics Automation Congress’ (Boston, MA, USA) in 2010 focused on next-generation sequencing and the platforms and methodology around them. The meeting provided an overview of sequencing technologies, both new and emerging. Speakers shared their recent work on applying sequencing to profile cells for various levels of biomolecular complexity, including DNA sequences, DNA copy, DNA methylation, mRNA and microRNA. With sequencing time and costs continuing to drop dramatically, a virtual explosion of very large sequencing datasets is at hand, which will probably present challenges and opportunities for high-level data analysis and interpretation, as well as for information technology infrastructure.
A reassessment of the role of pitch and duration in adults' responses to infant crying.

Researchers have identified pitch and duration as components of infants' cries that mediate adults' reactions. In this study, we used a novel method of cry manipulation to resolve a methodological confounding of pitch with other variables. The results demonstrate that differences in pitch mediate adults' perceptions.
Recurrent Riemann-Cartan spacetimes

An example of a Riemann recurrent spacetime with torsion is given. The implications for the Segre classification are investigated. It is also shown that the recurrent vector coincides with the torsion vector in the case where the Ricci recurrent spacetime is an Einstein space.
The Case for Early Diagnosis and Treatment In Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract The emergence of partially effective disease-modifying drugs for patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) has raised important questions. Which patients with RR-MS should be started on disease-modifying drugs? Can some patients be observed without treatment? Treatment decisions are difficult in part because currently available drugs must be administered by injections, and the drugs are expensive. Emerging research findings support the view that most people diagnosed with RR-MS are at risk for irreversible brain tissue injury and resultant neurologic disability. Importantly, the pathologic process is active during the early stages in many RR-MS patients who appear clinically stable. These findings provide a rationale for proactively treating patients with RR-MS early in their disease course with disease-modifying drugs in order to suppress disease activity, minimize tissue injury, and prevent disability at a later stage. Evidence in support of this approach is reviewed in this ...
Cough Following Initiation of Smoking Abstinence

Some clinicians and patients believe that cough and sputum production may transiently increase over the first weeks after smoking cessation and may in fact represent a barrier to successful quitting. The present study described changes in cough after an attempt to quit smoking cigarettes and determined patients' perceptions of how changes in cough affected their ability to maintain abstinence from smoking. Daily smokers already recruited for ongoing outpatient clinical trials of pharmacological aids to quit cigarette smoking were invited to complete self-report questionnaires about their cough for up to 6 weeks after their target quit date (TQD). Of the 176 subjects invited to participate, 112 completed the first assessment after the TQD. Of these, a total of 45 subjects maintained at least 1week of smoking abstinence at some point in the 6-week period (confirmed by carbon monoxide measurements). Two self-report measures found that cough declined steadily in abstinent smokers but was constant in a comparator group of continuing smokers (n = 36). For the 94 subjects who reported smoking at least one cigarette following the TQD, few reported that changes in cough affected their abstinence attempt. For three items asking about this area, the upper 95% confidence interval was no more than 10% for agreement that changes in cough posed any barrier to abstinence. We conclude that an initial increase in cough is unlikely to occur among relatively healthy smokers who stop smoking and that changes in cough do not represent a barrier to maintaining abstinence for most smokers.
The endoplasmic reticulum is the main site for caspase-3 activation following aluminum-induced neurotoxicity in rabbit hippocampus

We have assessed the distribution of caspase-3 in subcellular fractions from rabbit brain hippocampus and find that in controls the pro-caspase-3 form is distributed mainly in the cytoplasm. In animals treated intracisternally with the neurotoxin aluminum-maltolate, although pro-caspase-3 levels are higher in the cytosolic fractions, p17, the active caspase-3, is localized mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum. This distribution is confirmed by immunohistochemistry which demonstrates the co-localization of p17 with calnexin, a specific marker of the endoplasmic reticulum. Based on the apparent translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum of active caspase-3, an executioner of cell death, the results suggest that this organelle is an important site in the caspase-3 mediated apoptosis cascade. Inhibition of the latter enzyme by directly targeting its main site of activation could represent a strategy to prevent this adverse event.
Experiencing Art With the Ill, the Elderly, and Their Caregivers

ABSTRACT A TA reflects on his work with the ill, elderly, and their caregivers, in the context of his own experience with cancer.
The psychology of self-esteem: Promise or peril?

The psychology of self-esteem bypasses consequential issues of everyday behavior and moral responsibility in favor of pursuing a global goal of enhanced self-esteem on the assumption that happiness, success, and responsible behavior will automatically follow. The goal is vague and ways of achieving it are confused and conflicting. Greater attention to concrete tasks and challenges and sensitivity to moral issues could help make therapy more clear, effective, and socially useful.
Inter-relations of the effects of psilocybin on subjective sensation, photopic critical frequency of fusion, and circulating non-esterified fatty acids.

L'administration de psilocybine produit des symptomes subjectifs, augmente l'adaptation a la stimulation lumineuse intermittente de la tache jaune et augmente la quantite circulante d'acides gras esterifies (en correlation avec l'adrenaline et la nor-adrenaline circulantes). Les changements d'adaptation a la stimulation lumineuse intermittente sont plus constants que ceux qui se produisent dans les acides gras libres et coincident mieux que ces derniers avec le moment d'apparition des symptomes subjectifs.
Magnetic resonance imaging in patients with hypoplastic right heart syndrome

Abstract ECG-gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to provide excellent tomographic images of congenital heart defects. 1–4 Cardiac structures are especially well demonstrated because of the sharp distinction between relatively white myocardial walls or valves and the dark appearance of rapidly flowing blood within the heart. In particular, the clarity with which the endocardial and epicardial surfaces are resolved using MRI is superior to that produced by other noninvasive imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound and rivals the clarity produced by high quality cineangiograms. Thus, ventricular size, geometry, and wall thicknesses can be precisely defined. In this study, we examined the ability of MRI to depict the abnormal cardiac morphology in patients with known hypoplastic right heart syndrome (tricuspid atresia or pulmonic atresia with intact ventricular septum).
Targeting Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy in Cancer

A study in this issue of Science Translational Medicine provides fresh insight into the role of autophagy in cancer. Kon et al. show that a specific type of autophagy, called chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), is consistently elevated in tumors and is required for optimal tumor growth and metastasis. Selective inhibition of CMA slows tumor growth, boosts tumor cell death, and induces the regression of existing tumors. This work provides a rationale for further exploring manipulation of the CMA pathway as a strategy for treating cancer.
Wideband Integrated Optic Signal Processors

In this review paper a summary of the research progress on wideband integrated (guided-wave) optic signal processors which was made most recently at the authors' institution is described. The three devices that have been examined are: (1) High-Speed Acoustooptic Readout Device for Integrated Optic RF Signal Processing*, (2) High-Capacity Time-Integrating Acoustooptic Correlator**, and (3) High-Speed Electrooptical Analog-to-Digital Converter.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Longer-Term Effectiveness of Residential Lead Paint Abatement

Residential lead-based paint and settled dust are important sources of lead exposure in U.S. children. Scant information exists on the long-term effectiveness of alternative lead abatement practices. In this extended (1.5-3.5 years) follow-up study of comprehensive abatement, 179 wipe dust samples were collected in 13 occupied dwellings for which pre- and immediately postabatement (clearance) dust lead data were available. Dust lead loadings (mg/m2) 1.5 to 3.5 years postabatement were 16, 10, and 4% of preabatement levels for floors, window sills, and window wells, respectively. Furthermore, 78% of readings remained within Maryland's interim clearance standards, indicating that sustained reductions of dust lead hazards were achieved in comprehensively abated dwellings located in older unabated housing areas.
Pb2+-mediated down-regulation of dihydropyridine receptors in skeletal muscle

This study examines the influence of chronic treatment with inorganic lead (Pb(2+)) on the presence of dihydropyridine receptors in two types of excitable cells, primary cultures of skeletal muscle and neural retina from embryonic chick. As assessed through binding of the dihydropyridine antagonist [3H] PN 200-110, treatment of skeletal muscle cultures with Pb2+ caused measurable reductions in the numbers of dihydropyridine receptors. The reductions were dose-dependent, requiring concentrations greater than 1microM, slow in onset, requiring incubation times greater than 12h, and tissue specific, being pronounced in skeletal muscle but absent from neural retina. The reduction in dihydropyridine receptors is attributable to enhanced rates of receptor degradation or reductions in biosynthesis, without activation or inhibition of protein kinase C, and are discussed with respect to the role of dihydropyridine receptors in excitation-contraction coupling.
Stable carbon isotope composition of Poaceae pollen and its potential in paleovegetational reconstructions

Abstract Stable carbon isotope differences between ecologically distinct groups of Poaceae (C3 and C4 photosynthetic groups) provide a means of isotopically subdividing grass pollen in paleovegetation studies. We examined the isotopic composition of bulk grass plant tissue, untreated pollen, and chemically treated pollen, from several C3 and C4 grass species. Based on our data, untreated pollen is isotopically similar to the host plant from which it is derived, although small, random differences between plants and pollen occur. Methods of pollen concentration involving carbon-bearing compounds can alter the isotopic composition of recovered pollen, and in some cases, make pollen from different grass types isotopically indistinguishable. We conclude that the isotopic composition of physically separated Poaceae pollen should be an important means of determining the proportion of C 3 C 4 grasses as long a carbon-bearing chemicals are not used in sample preparation. The carbon isotope composition of pollen should provide a new means of determining paleoclimatic conditions in grassland environments and aid in identifying the origin of the C4 photosynthetic pathway in the geologic past.
Embarrassment and Social Organization: A Multiple Identities Model

We empirically evaluate the proposition that the very same situational mechanisms that tend to evoke multiple identities—the processing of cognitive and affective information from the standpoint of discordant self-identifications—also produce variations in the experience of embarrassment. We integrate the classic Goffmanian model of the social sources of embarrassment with recent theorizing on the ecological features of encounters that invoke multiple identities (audience size, multiplexity, and audience heterogeneity). We use survey data obtained via the experience sampling method to show that these same mechanisms are connected to the higher self-reported levels of embarrassment in systematic and predictable ways net of fixed individual-level factors. We close by outlining the implications of our results for the revitalization of sociological research on embarrassment, specifically an approach that connects systematic features of the structural and relational position of persons with the concrete characteristics of situations in which interaction occurs.
Crystal structure of tetrakis(trimethyl-μ-S,S,N-thiocyanatoplatinum), [{Pt(CH3)3SCN}4]

The crystal structure of trimethyl(thiocyanato)platinum(IV), [Pt(CH3)3SCN4],has been determined by an X-ray diffraction study. The compound is a member of the tetrameric trialkylplatinum family in which platinum ions occupy the tetrahedral corners of a cubane-like framework. It differs from the other members in that the framework is highly elongated because the entire thiocyanato ligand is incorporated into the skeleton. Each thiocyanato ligand is bonded to three platinums: to one Pt through N (d(PtN) 2.08 A) and to two others through S (d(PtS) 2.55 A). The framework is further distorted because the PtNC angles are decidedly non-linear, averaging 165°
Israel's Societal Security Dilemma and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

This article applies the concept of the societal security dilemma to ethnic relations in Israel. I argue that Jews and Arabs in Israel are locked in a regular societal security dilemma in which their identity security requirements are incompatible and that the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority has only served to exacerbate that incompatibility. The article highlights the process of securitization of identities, which is generally missing from the discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ethnic relations in Israel.
Structural studies of C-ring substituted unnatural analogues of prodigiosin

The structure of both the free base and the hydrochloride of an unnatural analogue of prodigiosin, 4-methoxy-5-((4,5-dimethyl -2H-pyrrol-2-ylidene)methyl)- 2,2′-bi-1H-pyrrole, are reported. The free base crystallizes from methylene chloride as a hydrogen bonded dimer. The structure of the hemihydrate hydrochloride of the related 4-methoxy-5-((1-methyl -2H-pyrrol-2-ylidene)methyl)- 2,2′-bi-1H-pyrrole is also reported.
Predictive Performance of Self-Explicated, Traditional Conjoint, and Hybrid Conjoint Models under Alternative Data Collection Modes

Although data collection in conjoint analysis has traditionally involved the use of in-person interviews, recent years have seen a trend toward the use of alternative data collection modes, including mail questionnaires and telephone interviews. Since these alternative modes differ in environment, the author examines the predictive performance of conjoint models under three data collection modes, i.e., in-person interviews, mail questionnaire, and telephone interviews. The results indicate the conjoint models examined to be comparable in predictive, performance across the three data collection modes.
Detection of Intimate Partner Violence in a General Medicine Practice

In this study, an assessment phase is undertaken to determine intimate partner violence (IPV) prevalence. An anonymous survey is followed by a chart review documenting identification of IPV. Two methods are attempted to increase assessment/documentation of IPV: a physician educational intervention and a nursing routine inquiry intervention in one quadrant of the practice. The IPV physician educational intervention includes didactic sessions, an IPV counselor, and resource information. The routine inquiry intervention involves nurses screening female patients for IPV at check-in. IPV is found to be prevalent in a general medicine clinic. An enhanced educational intervention does not increase IPV documentation. A routine inquiry intervention significantly increases documentation of lifetime IPV but does not impact current IPV identification.
Minimax mutual information approach for independent component analysis

Minimum output mutual information is regarded as a natural criterion for independent component analysis (ICA) and is used as the performance measure in many ICA algorithms. Two common approaches in information-theoretic ICA algorithms are minimum mutual information and maximum output entropy approaches. In the former approach, we substitute some form of probability density function (pdf) estimate into the mutual information expression, and in the latter we incorporate the source pdf assumption in the algorithm through the use of nonlinearities matched to the corresponding cumulative density functions (cdf). Alternative solutions to ICA use higher-order cumulant-based optimization criteria, which are related to either one of these approaches through truncated series approximations for densities. In this article, we propose a new ICA algorithm motivated by the maximum entropy principle (for estimating signal distributions). The optimality criterion is the minimum output mutual information, where the estimated pdfs are from the exponential family and are approximate solutions to a constrained entropy maximization problem. This approach yields an upper bound for the actual mutual information of the output signals--hence, the name minimax mutual information ICA algorithm. In addition, we demonstrate that for a specific selection of the constraint functions in the maximum entropy density estimation procedure, the algorithm relates strongly to ICA methods using higher-order cumulants.
Glomerular Involvement in Adults with Sickle Cell Hemoglobinopathies: Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Progressive Renal Failure

Patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) may develop a glomerulopathy with proteinuria and progressive renal insufficiency, leading to ESRD. Albuminuria is a sensitive marker of glomerular damage in this population and precedes the development of renal insufficiency. For determination of the prevalence of glomerular damage in SCA and the clinical correlates of renal insufficiency, 300 adult patients with SCA were studied (hemoglobin SS = 184; and 116 with other sickling hemoglobinopathies: SC, SD, and S-β thalassemia); albumin excretion rates (AER) and renal function (Cockroft-Gault formula) were determined, and clinical and hematologic evaluations were conducted. In hemoglobin SS disease, increased AER (micro- and macroalbuminuria) occurred in 68% of adult patients, and macroalbuminuria occurred in 26%. In other sickling disorders, increased AER occurs in 32% of adults, and macroalbuminuria occurs in 10%. The development of graded albuminuria was age dependent, so at 40 yr, 40% of patients with SS disease had macroalbuminuria. There were no differences in hematologic parameters (hemoglobin levels, white blood cell count, percentage of reticulocytes, platelet counts, or lactate dehydrogenase levels) between patients with normoalbuminuria and those with micro- or macroalbuminuria. By multivariate analysis, albuminuria correlated with age and serum creatinine in SS disease but not with BP or hemoglobin levels. In other sickling disorders, albuminuria tended to be associated with age but not with hemoglobin or BP levels. The diastolic BP was lower in patients with SCA than in African American control subjects, and the development of renal insufficiency, which was present in 21% of adults with SS disease, was not accompanied by significant hypertension. It is concluded that glomerular damage in adults with SCA is very common, and a majority of patients with SS disease are at risk for the development of progressive renal failure. The development of micro- and macroalbuminuria is not related to the degree of anemia, suggesting that sickle cell glomerulopathy is not solely related to hemodynamic adaptations to chronic anemia. In contrast to other glomerulopathies, the development of systemic hypertension is uncommon in SS disease with renal insufficiency.
STUDIES ON LYSOSOMES. III. THE EFFECTS OF STREPTOLYSINS O AND S ON THE RELEASE OF ACID HYDROLASES FROM A GRANULAR FRACTION OF RABBIT LIVER.

Streptolysins O and S from hemolytic streptococci have been added to granular fractions of tissue homogenates in 0.25 M sucrose prepared from rabbit liver, heart, spleen and lymph nodes. At concentrations ranging from 0.65 µg/ml to 2.0 mg/ml of streptolysin S, and from 10 µg/ml to 1.0 mg/ml of streptolysin O, two lysosomal enzymes (beta glucuronidase and acid phosphatase) and, to a lesser degree, one mitochondrial enzyme (malic dehydrogenase) were released into the supernatants of the reaction mixture. Although the hemolytic action of each lysin paralleled the effect on lysosomes, at equivalent levels of hemolytic activity, SLS was approximately 10 times more active on lysosomes than SLO. SLO was inhibited by cholesterol, cortisol, and specific antibody in vitro; pretreatment of animals with cortisone decreased the susceptibility of their isolated lysosomes to SLO. These agents failed to prevent SLS action on lysosomes. SLO had a pH optimum of 6.5 against lysosomes while SLS was maximally active at 7.5. No other streptococcal extracellular products were as active on lysosomes as the streptolysins, although activated streptococcal proteinase precursor released some hydrolases from the granules. Similarities between the actions of SLO and SLS on red cells and lysosomes suggested that the membranes bounding lysosomes and erythrocytes have common properties.
Metamorphosis in the culture market of Niger

The banner of authenticity is falling in the contemporary market for non-Western culture. Taking Tuareg artisanry in Niger as a case study, I show that the neocolonial Western habit of collecting “exotic” art objects is giving way to a more collaborative proclivity toward Western objects produced in “traditional” Tuareg style. While Tuareg artisans—adjusting to social and cultural upheavals attending the urbanization of their practice and the recent Tuareg separatist rebellion—are producing such hybrid “modern” objects, some Tuareg nobles, impoverished by those same changes, have begun painting representational images of a more “authentic” Tuareg culture. The nature of the competition between Tuareg artisans and nobles, as well as the complex cross-identification between Tuaregs and their Western expatriate customers, illuminate a general perplexity about modernity in the contemporary Third World and indicate a transformation in the terms of its encounter with the West. [Tuaregs, art and artisanry, authenticity, expatriates, and modernity and tradition]
An Engineered Chymotrypsin/Cathepsin G Site in Domain I Renders Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3A Active against Western Corn Rootworm Larvae

The western corn rootworm remains one of the most important pests of corn in the United States despite the use of many pest management tools. Cry3A, the first coleopteran-active Bacillus thuringiensis toxin isolated, has not been useful for control of the corn rootworm pest complex. Modification of Cry3A so that it contained a chymotrypsin/cathepsin G protease recognition site in the loop between α-helix 3 and α-helix 4 of domain I, however, resulted in consistent activity of the toxin (“mCry3A”) against neonate western corn rootworm. In vitro chymotrypsin digests showed that there was a substantial difference between the enzyme sensitivity of mCry3A and the enzyme sensitivity of Cry3A, with mCry3A rapidly converted from a 67-kDa form to a ∼55-kDa form. The introduced protease site was also recognized in vivo, where the ∼55-kDa form of mCry3A toxin was rapidly generated and associated with the membrane fraction. After a point mutation in mcry3A that resulted in the elimination of the native domain I chymotrypsin site (C terminal to the introduced chymotrypsin/cathepsin G protease site of mCry3A), the in vitro and in vivo digestion patterns remained the same, demonstrating that the introduced site was required for the enhanced activity. Also, 55-kDa mCry3A generated by cleavage with chymotrypsin exhibited specific binding to western corn rootworm brush border membrane, whereas untreated 67-kDa mCry3A did not. These data indicate that the mCry3A toxicity for corn rootworm larvae was due to the introduction of a chymotrypsin/cathepsin G site, which enhanced cleavage and subsequent binding of the activated toxin to midgut cells.