cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
20. Rapid removal of glycerol from frozen-thawed red blood cells

Over 15 million units of red blood cells (RBCs) are transfused per year in the US, and management of this blood supply is a serious logistical challenge. Currently, nearly all RBC units are stored in the refrigerated state, which allows a shelf life of up to 6 weeks. Although cryopreserved RBCs are FDA approved and have a much longer shelf life of up to ten years, they are rarely used clinically. One of the main obstacles to more widespread use of cryopreserved blood is the time and cost associated with post-thaw processing to remove glycerol. The current deglycerolization method involves a series of saline washes in a centrifugal cell washer, a process that takes about an hour for each unit of blood. In the present study, we investigate the feasibility of more rapidly removing glycerol from cryopreserved RBCs. Predictions based on published membrane permeability data show that human RBCs can theoretically be deglycerolized in less than a minute. To test these predictions, frozen-thawed RBCs in 40% glycerol were diluted to final glycerol concentrations of less than 0.4% using various methods, and the percent hemolysis was measured. The general procedure involved three dilution steps, with the final step resulting in isotonic conditions. In the first step, the glycerolized RBCs were diluted using 12% saline, and the sample was allowed to equilibrate for times ranging from 5 s to 2 min. Various volumes of 12% saline were added in this step resulting dilutions ranging from 2-fold to 10-fold. The second step consisted of 10-fold dilution using 3.4% saline solution, followed by an equilibration period of 2 min. Finally, in the third step the concentration was brought to isotonic by addition of the appropriate volume of hypotonic buffered glucose solution. The percent hemolysis incurred during glycerol removal was highly dependent on the duration of the first step. Moreover, the optimal duration of the first step was dependent on the dilution factor, with longer equilibration times required for smaller dilution factors. The best results achieved in this study consisted of less than 25% hemolysis for a method with a total duration of 3 min, and it is expected that even further improvements could be obtained with a more thorough optimization and more reliable biophysical data. Our results demonstrate the potential for significantly reducing the time required for removal of glycerol from cryopreserved RBCs.
Factors affecting the reproductive biology of Melittobia digitata and failure to meet the sex ratio predictions of Hamilton's local mate competition theory

Melittobia digitata Dahms (Eulophidae, Tetrastichini), a species of parasitic wasp satisfying all of Hamilton’s local mate competition requisites, does not exhibit the predicted change in sex ratio with increased foundress number. A multifactorial design was used to test how age, oviposition experience, feeding experience, mating, and foundress number affect host-acceptance, number of offspring, and sex ratio of this species developing on honey bee pupae, Apis mellifera (L.) (Apidae, Apini). All factors significantly affected the time it took for oviposition to commence. Females oviposited soonest when they were 2 days old, mated, had previous feeding and oviposition experience, and were placed on hosts with multiple foundresses. Although the age difference between 2- and 5-day-old females is small, it significantly affected reproductive behavior. Age, mating, and foundress number were found to have an effect on sex ratio, however, the foundress effect was found to be a mathematical artifact of the limited host size. After correcting for this variable, females were found to have a constant sex ratio of approximately 0.05. Several 2-way interactions between factors were revealed: age and experience, age and foundress number, age and mating, foundress number and experience, and foundress number and mating. One 3-way interaction was found between age, mating, and foundress number. This study demonstrates that the sex ratio of M. digitata is not altered with increased foundresses, as predicted by Hamilton, and that slight changes in preconditioning may modify reproductive behavior.
Mathematical analyses of the interference phenomenon of tobacco mosaic virus: Theoretical considerations

Abstract During the initial stages of infection, related strains of a plant virus seem to interfere with each other in initiating infection. Only two hypotheses have been presented in the past to explain this phenomenon, the “absolute exclusion” hypothesis and the “random choice” (“either-or” or “first come-first served”) hypothesis. The absolute exclusion hypothesis assumes that when a cell is invaded by particles of two or more related strains of a plant virus, they completely prevent each other from infecting the cell. In the random choice hypothesis, infection is randomly initiated by one particle which somehow inhibits other particles from starting infection. Unfortunately, conflicting experimental data made it difficult to determine which of these two hypotheses better explained the interference phenomenon. However, with the development of a model to explain infection of a host cell with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), on the basis that a single TMV particle is sufficient to infect a cell, while accounting for differences in cells' ability to become infected, an opportunity is provided to test the two hypotheses for the interference phenomenon of TMV. Just as that model was developed to use infectivity-dilution data to test its premises, so does this paper present rigorous mathematical treatments of the two hypotheses in order that they may be tested against infectivity-dilution data obtained from experiments with inocula containing a mixture of strains of TMV. In a succeeding paper ( Furumoto and Mickey, 1970 ), data obtained from simple infectivity-dilution experiments of mixed inocula are compared against both hypotheses, and a relatively easy choice is made as to which hypothesis is more appropriate to explain the TMV interference phenomenon.
Dynamic mechanical analysis of novel polyurethane coating for military applications

Three polyurethane coatings were evaluated using DMA to investigate the relationship between dynamic mechanical properties and durability properties of coated test panels. The current polyurethane solvent-based formulation, used as a chemical agent resistant camouflage top coat on all military tactical vehicles, was investigated along with newly developed water-reducible (WR) polyurethane coatings. The WR coatings offer significantly reduced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared to the solvent-based system, and thus represent environmentally compliant coatings. DMA investigations revealed that the two classes of polyurethane coatings exhibit different dynamic mechanical properties, which are attributed to different cross-linking mechanisms involved in film formation. The more uniformly cross-linked solvent-based coating provides the best chemical agent resistance but the poorest mechanical properties. Properties measured using DMA were sensitive to the degree of isocyanate to hydroxyl indexing in the WR formulations as well as the drying time of coatings prior to evaluation. DMA investigations indicated that longer cure times at ambient temperature (6 or more months) may adversely affect the mechanical properties of the solvent-based system and potentially enhance chemical agent resistance of the WR coating. Further studies involving aged coatings are planned.
Interpreting Spatial Patterns: An Inquiry Into Formal and Cognitive Aspects of Tobler's First Law of Geography

The characterization, identification, and understanding of spatial patterns are central concerns of geography. Deeply rooted in the notion that geographic location matters, one testable assumption is that near things are more related than distant things—a concept often referred to as Tobler's first law of geography. One means of quantifying this assumption is using measures of spatial autocorrelation. Several such measures have been developed to test whether a pattern is indeed clustered, or dispersed, or whether it is, from a statistical perspective, random. To shed light on how spatial patterns are understood from a cognitive perspective, this article reports results from studies of spatial pattern interpretation represented in maps. For the purpose of experimental validation, we used a two-color map. We systematically varied the ratio of the colors as well as the level of significance of clustering and dispersion; we targeted two groups: experts and nonexperts. The task for both experts and nonexperts ...
A Prospective Study of the Serum Prostate Specific Antigen Concentrations and Gleason Histologic Scores of Black and White Men with Prostate Carcinoma

BACKGROUND The stage specific survival rates of black American men with prostate carcinoma are less favorable than those of white American men. The authors conducted a prospective study of the serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentrations and Gleason histologic scores of black and white men with newly diagnosed prostate carcinoma to determine whether there were racial differences in these prognostic variables. METHODS At a Veterans Affairs Medical Center between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 1997, clinical stage, Gleason histologic score, serum PSA concentration, prostate volume, and PSA density were determined for 796 consecutive men (465 black and 331 white) who had biopsy-detected prostate carcinoma. RESULTS The percentages, respectively, of black and white men with local, regional, and metastatic carcinoma were 58 and 72; 22 and 17; and 20 and 11 (P < 0.0001). Of 271 black and 329 white men with local stage cancer, 20% and 12%, respectively, had Gleason 8–10 tumors (P = 0.02), and the age-adjusted risk of Gleason 8–10 cancer was 1.39 times greater for black men (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09–2.93). Gleason 8–10 cancer was found in 12 of 68 black (18%) and 5 of 87 white (6%) men with local cancer who were age 65 years or younger (P = 0.02). Among black and white men with local stage cancer, the mean PSA was 12.9 (95% CI = 11.5–14.4) and 8.5 (95% CI = 7.6–9.4) ng/mL, respectively (P < 0.0001), and among black and white men with regional stage cancer the mean PSA was 53.3 (95% CI = 42.7–63.9) and 35.0 (95% CI = 27.3–42.6) ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.02). The mean PSA of black and white men with local cancer who were age 65 years or younger was 11.6 (95% CI = 8.8–14.4) and 6.9 (95% CI = 5.9–8.0) ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.0009). CONCLUSIONS Disparities in the risk of Gleason score 8–10 cancer for black and white men with local stage disease and in the serum PSA concentrations of black and white men with local and regional stage disease help to explain racial differences in cancer survival. Racial differences in the risk of Gleason 8–10 cancer and in the serum PSA concentrations of men age 65 years or younger have implications regarding the potential benefits of screening for prostate carcinoma in the African American community. [See editorial on pages 735–7, this issue.] Cancer 1999;86:836–41. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Correlation of histologic findings on preimplant biopsy with kidney graft survival

Summary Kidney biopsies are being used to evaluate marginal deceased donor organs, but, the literature on the utility of this practice remains conflicting. We re-examined this issue by performing a multivariate analysis of 597 kidney transplant recipients. The presence of moderate arteriosclerosis and/or moderate arteriolosclerosis (MA), defined as ≥25% luminal compromise, was a significant predictor of graft outcome in standard criteria donors (multivariate, P = 0.01) and in expanded criteria donors (ECD) as defined by UNOS criteria (univariate P = 0.02). One-, 3-, and 5-year overall allograft survival with MA was 71%, 58%, and 40%, respectively. Increasing degrees of glomerulosclerosis (GS) were associated with earlier graft failure on univariate (P = 0.03) but not multivariate analysis (P = 0.36). GS > 20% and interstitial fibrosis >25% had a low frequency in the material reviewed, likely reflecting our organ utilization practices, and did not have a demonstrable effect on graft outcome. Clinical parameters independently associated with worse graft function were ECD status (P < 0.05), retransplantation (P = 0.004), recipient age (P < 0.05), and delayed graft function (P < 0.0001). Donor vascular disease is an independent risk factor for suboptimal graft survival. Great caution should be exercised in the decision to transplant kidneys with moderate arterial and/or arteriolar luminal narrowing.
Thermoregulatory Responses and Hydration Practices in Heat-Acclimatized Adolescents During Preseason High School Football

Abstract Context: Previous researchers have not investigated the thermoregulatory responses to multiple consecutive days of American football in adolescents. Objective: To examine the thermoregulatory and hydration responses of high school players during formal preseason football practices. Design: Observational study. Setting: Players practiced outdoors in late August once per day on days 1 through 5, twice per day on days 6 and 7, and once per day on days 8 through 10. Maximum wet bulb globe temperature averaged 23 ± 4°C. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-five heat-acclimatized adolescent boys (age = 15 ± 1 years, height = 180 ± 8 cm, mass = 81.4 ± 15.8 kg, body fat = 12 ± 5%, Tanner stage = 4 ± 1). Main Outcome Measure(s): We observed participants within and across preseason practices of football. Measures included gastrointestinal temperature (TGI), urine osmolality, sweat rate, forearm sweat composition, fluid consumption, testosterone to cortisol ratio, perceptual measures of thirst, ...
Climate engineering vulnerable to disruption.

G. C. Hegerl and S. Solomon (“Risks of climate engineering,” Perspectives, 21 August, p. [955][1]) point out that attempting to engineer climate by decreasing incoming sunlight carries serious risks to the planetary hydrological system. But another set of risks has not been seriously addressed and may be much more consequential. Over the long haul, any kind of climate engineering would have to be sustained, and indeed increased in intensity because of continued rise in greenhouse gas concentrations. Any extended disruption, even for a few years, could lead to catastrophically large and rapid climate variations. Disruptions could arise from any number of societal factors: financial meltdown, political upheaval, environmental disasters, war, or simply loss of interest by the funding public. If climate engineering is seriously considered, it will be necessary to carefully address the likelihood, impacts, and possible responses to such disruptions. [1]: pending:yes
Identifying Tests for Logic Fault Models Involving Subsets of Lines without Fault Enumeration

Bridging and interconnect open faults are defined using subsets of lines. We study the possibility of identifying input vectors that are effective as test vectors for such faults without enumerating the faults. This process does not require accurate layout information, it can handle very large numbers of faults, and it deals with undetectable faults implicitly. We describe a static test compaction process that uses the ability to identify effective test vectors without enumerating faults. This process selects a subset T of a given test set U such that T is guaranteed to detect the same faults as U. We also describe a test generation process based on the same concept. Finally, we show how this concept can be used to compare test sets.
Existential definability with bounds on archimedean valuations

We show that a solution to Hilbert's Tenth Problem in the rings of algebraic integers and bigger subrings of number fields where it is currently not known, is equivalent to a problem of bounding archimedean valuations over non-real number fields.
Cardiolipin interaction with subunit c of ATP synthase: solid-state NMR characterization.

Abstract The interaction of lipids with subunit c from F1F0 ATP synthase is studied by biophysical methods. Subunit c from both Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae interacts and copurifies with cardiolipin. Solid state NMR data on oligomeric rings of F0 show that the cardiolipin interacts with the c subunit in membrane bilayers. These studies offer strong support for the hypothesis that F0 has specific interactions with cardiolipin. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: NMR Spectroscopy for Atomistic Views of Biomembranes and Cell Surfaces. Guest Editors: Lynette Cegelski and David P. Weliky.
Conjugate heat exchange in the initial stage of reflection of a viscous shock wave from a wall

A numerical solution of the conjugate heat-exchange problem for reflection of a normally incident viscous shock wave from a rigid wall is used to find the nonsteady-state temperature of the wall and the thermal flux into the wall.
Identifying intrasulcal medial surfaces for anatomically consistent reconstruction of the cerebral cortex

A novel approach to identifying poorly resolved boundaries between adjacent sulcal cortical banks in MR images of the human brain is presented. The algorithm calculates an electrostatic potential field in a partial differential equation (PDE) model of an inhomogeneous dielectric layer of gray matter that surrounds conductive white matter. Correspondence trajectories and geodesic distances are computed along the streamlines of the potential field gradient using PDEs in a Eulerian framework. The skeleton of a sulcal medial boundary is identified by a simple procedure that finds irregularities/collisions in the field of correspondences. The skeleton detection procedure is robust to noise, does not produce spurious artifacts and does not require tunable parameters. Results of the algorithm are compared with a closely related technique, called Anatomically Consistent Enhancement (ACE) (Han et al. CRUISE: Cortical reconstruction using implicit surface evolution, 2004). Results demonstrate that the approach proposed here has a number of advantages over ACE and produces skeletons with a more regular structure. This algorithm was developed as a part of a more general PDE-based framework for cortical reconstruction, which integrates the potential field gradient flow and the skeleton barriers into a level set deformable model. This technique is primarily aimed at anatomically consistent and accurate reconstruction of cortical surface models in the presence of imaging noise and partial volume effects, but the identified intrasulcal medial surfaces can serve other purposes as well, e.g. as landmarks in nonrigid registration, or as sulcal ribbons that characterize the cortical folding.
ENERGY DISSIPATION FOR QUASIELASTIC GRANULAR PARTICLE COLLISIONS

Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139~Received 6 August 1996!From a ﬁrst principles theory for the behavior of smooth granular systems, we derive the form for theinstantaneous dissipative force acting between two grains. The present model, which is based on the classicalharmonic crystal, reproduces the dependence of the kinetic energy dissipation on the grain deformation ob-tained by models that assume a viscoelastic behavior ~without permanent plastic deformations! during thecollision. @S1063-651X~97!04902-7#PACS number~s!: 46.10.1z, 05.60.1w, 46.30.Pa, 51.10.1yI. INTRODUCTION
Social Capital, Place of Residence, and College Attendance.

The relationship between social interaction and college attendance is examined across varying types of communities. Structural arrangements and interaction patterns that foster positive relationships are regarded as social capital and are conceptualized as investments that can yield human capital returns in terms of higher educational attainment. Logistic regression procedures are employed to analyze data from the High School and Beyond Longitudinal Study. The social capital model of college attendance is estimated for the full sample and separately for high school students living in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Predicted probabilities of attending college for students with high and low social capital are obtained. Results of these analyses indicate that parental expectation of college attendance is the most powerful predictor of subsequent college attendance among variables examined. Measures of community social capital and parental human capital also strongly predict attendance.
PROBING NUCLEON STRUCTURE WITH MESON ELECTRO-PRODUCTION IN HALL C

Meson electro-production is used in Hall C at Jefferson Lab to probe nucleon, baryon and nuclear structure. The experimental program in Hall C includes studies of semi-inclusive pion production, p, d(e, e′π±)X, where low energy factorization has been observed, suggesting that these reactions can be used to probe nucleon structure, including transverse momentum distributions of quarks, at energies available at JLab after the upcoming 12 GeV upgrade.
Anisotropic Route to Optical Circuits

The theory for inductors and capacitors achieved with anisotropic slabs is developed. These elements are shown to have low sensitivity to angle of incidence, rendering the performance of filters and antireflection coatings more effective.
Differential under-replication of satellite DNAs during Drosophila development.

SATELLITE DNAs are heavily concentrated in the centromeric heterochromatin of metaphase chromosomes1–3. Satellites and other repeated polynucleotide sequences are under-represented in the polytene, salivary gland cells of Drosophila melanogaster, D. virilis and D. hydei larvae but are fully represented in diploid cells from embryos and imaginal disks4–6. This under-representation in polytene cells stems from the association of heterochromatin in the chromocentre and the progressive under-replication of the chromocentre during larval development7,8.
Contact Angles for Equilibrated Microemulsion Systems

Advanced and receded contact angles have been measured on various high- and low-energy substrates as functions of microemulsion-excess phase interfacial tensions. Numerous experimental difficulties peculiar to these low-tension systems caused large measurement errors. With this constraint and with one exception, contact angles were hysteresis free and independent of the substrate. For lower-phase microemulsions and high-energy substrates, it is proposed that the surfactant polar group adsorbs on the solid and then a surfactant bilayer forms. This bilayer provides the effective substrate that relates to contact angle and interfacial tensions through Young's equation. An optimal salinity for contact angles is defined and related to previously introduced optimal salinities, in particular to that associated with best oil recovery. Results suggest the optimum attainable contact angles for microemulsion-based oil recovery may not be 0. 23 references.
Independent relationship between amyloid precursor protein (APP) dimerization and γ-secretase processivity.

Altered production of β-amyloid (Aβ) from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). APP has a number of homo- and hetero-dimerizing domains, and studies have suggested that dimerization of β-secretase derived APP carboxyl terminal fragment (CTFβ, C99) impairs processive cleavage by γ-secretase increasing production of long Aβs (e.g., Aβ1-42, 43). Other studies report that APP CTFβ dimers are not γ-secretase substrates. We revisited this issue due to observations made with an artificial APP mutant referred to as 3xK-APP, which contains three lysine residues at the border of the APP ectodomain and transmembrane domain (TMD). This mutant, which dramatically increases production of long Aβ, was found to form SDS-stable APP dimers, once again suggesting a mechanistic link between dimerization and increased production of long Aβ. To further evaluate how multimerization of substrate affects both initial γ-secretase cleavage and subsequent processivity, we generated recombinant wild type- (WT) and 3xK-C100 substrates, isolated monomeric, dimeric and trimeric forms of these proteins, and evaluated both e-cleavage site utilization and Aβ production. These show that multimerization significantly impedes γ-secretase cleavage, irrespective of substrate sequence. Further, the monomeric form of the 3xK-C100 mutant increased long Aβ production without altering the initial e-cleavage utilization. These data confirm and extend previous studies showing that dimeric substrates are not efficient γ-secretase substrates, and demonstrate that primary sequence determinants within APP substrate alter γ-secretase processivity.
A stretch of "late" SV40 viral DNA about 400 bp long which includes the origin of replication is specifically exposed in SV40 minichromosomes.

Abstract Examination of DNA fragments produced from either formaldehyde-fixed or unfixed SV40 minichromosomes by multiple-cut restriction endonucleases has led to the following major results: Exhaustive digestion of unfixed minichromosomes with Hae III generated all ten major limit-digest DNA fragments as well as partial cleavage products. In striking contrast to this result, Hae III acted on formaldehyde-fixed minichromosomes to yield only one of the limit-digest fragments, F, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the origin of replication, spanning nucleotides 5169 and 250 on the DNA sequence map of Reddy et al. (1978). This 300 base pair (bp) fragment was released as naked DNA from formaldehyde-fixed, Hae III-digested minichromosomes following treatment either by pronase-SDS or by SDS alone. In the latter case, the remainder of the minichromosome retained its compact configuration as assayed by both sedimentational and electrophoretic methods. In minichromosomes, the F fragment is therefore not only accessible to Hae III at its ends, but is also neither formaldehyde crosslinked into any SDS-resistant nucleoprotein structure nor topologically "locked" within the compact minichromosomal particle. This same fragment was preferentially produced during the early stages of digestion of unfixed minichromosomes with Hae III, and its final yield in the exhaustive Hae III digest was significantly higher than that of other limit-digest fragments. Similar results were obtained upon digestion of either unfixed or formaldehyde-fixed minichromosomes with Alu I. In particular, of approximately twenty major limit-digest DNA fragments, only two fragments (F and P, encompassing nucleotides 5146 to 190, and 190 to 325, respectively) were produced by Alu I from the formaldehyde-fixed minichromosomes. All other restriction endonucleases tested (Mbo I, Mbo II, Hind III, Hin II+III and Hinf I), for which there are no closely spaced recognition sequences in the above mentioned regions of the SV40 genome, did not produce any significant amount of limit-digest DNA fragments from formaldehyde-fixed minichromosomes. These findings, taken together with our earlier data on the preferential exposure of the origin of replication in SV40 minichromosomes (Varshavsky, Sundin and Bohn, 1978), strongly suggest that a specific region of the "late" SV40 DNA approximately 400 bp long is uniquely exposed in the compact minichromosome. It is of interest that, in addition to the origin of replication, this region contains binding sites for T antigen (Tjian, 1977), specific tandem repeated sequences and apparently also the promoters for synthesis of late SV40 mRNAs (Fiers et al., 1978; Reddy et al. (1978)).
Protofeminismo Afirmado y Retractado en el Darlo Todo y No Dar Nada de Calderón

Calderon's Darlo todo y no dar nada, in re-casting a comedia attributed to Lope de Vega (La mayor hazana de Alejandro Magno), makes the docile concubine Campaspe, "given" to the painter Apelles by Alexander according to ancient legend, into an apparently self-determining warrior maiden who resists the "gift" of her person from one man to another. Yet the motivation she attributes to her own act (fear for Apelles's life and her own) must modify our view of her protofeminist discourse. This happens, not so much out of Calderon's desire to placate his audience, but out of a well-documented tendency to affirm and retract simultaneously in baroque comedias.
Inhibition of Growth and p21ras Methylation in Vascular Endothelial Cells by Homocysteine but Not Cysteine

Although hyperhomocysteinemia has been recognized recently as a prevalent risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke, the mechanisms by which it accelerates arteriosclerosis have not been elucidated, mostly because the biological effects of homocysteine can only be demonstrated at very high concentrations and can be mimicked by cysteine, which indicates a lack of specificity. We found that 10-50 microM of homocysteine (a range that overlaps levels observed clinically) but not cysteine inhibited DNA synthesis in vascular endothelial cells (VEC) and arrested their growth at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Homocysteine in this same range had no effect on the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) or fibroblasts. Homocysteine decreased carboxyl methylation of p21(ras) (a G1 regulator whose activity is regulated by prenylation and methylation in addition to GTP-GDP exchange) by 50% in VEC but not VSMC, a difference that may be explained by the ability of homocysteine to dramatically increase levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine, a potent inhibitor of methyltransferase, in VEC but not VSMC. Moreover, homocysteine-induced hypomethylation in VEC was associated with a 66% reduction in membrane-associated p21(ras) and a 67% reduction in extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, which is a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family. Because the MAP kinases have been implicated in cell growth, the p21(ras)-MAP kinase pathway may represent one of the mechanisms that mediates homocysteine's effect on VEC growth. VEC damage is a hallmark of arteriosclerosis. Homocysteine-induced inhibition of VEC growth may play an important role in this disease process.
Understanding the dynamical state of globular clusters: core-collapsed versus non-core-collapsed

We study the dynamical evolution of globular clusters using our Henon-type Monte Carlo code for stellar dynamics including all relevant physics such as two-body relaxation, single and binary stellar evolution, Galactic tidal strip- ping, and strong interactions such as physical collisions and binary mediated scattering. We compute a large database of several hundred models starting from broad ranges of initial conditions guided by observations of young and massive star clusters. We show that these initial conditions very naturally lead to present day clusters with properties including the central density, core radius, half-light radius, half-mass relaxation time, and cluster mass, that match well with those of the old Galactic globular clusters. In particular, we can naturally reproduce the bimodal distribution in observed core radii sepa- rating the "core-collapsed" vs the "non core-collapsed" clusters. We see that the core-collapsed clusters are those that have reached or are about to reach the equilibrium "binary burning" phase. The non core-collapsed clusters are still undergoing gravo-thermal contraction.
Effect of biological and chemical insecticides on Spodoptera species (Lep., Noctuidae) and marketable yields of tomatoes

Various biological and chemical insecticide treatments were evaluated against beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), yellowstriped armyworm Spodoptera ornithogalli (Guenee) and southern armyworm Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) to determine their effects on Spodoptera species, fruit quality and marketable yields of tomatoes Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Biological insecticides included several Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) products including Condor® OF, Dipel® 2X, Javelin® WG, Bactec® III, Biobit® FC, Cutlass® WP and Lepinox® G. Other biological treatments included a baculovirus, SeNPV isolated from S. exigma, and an entomophagous nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser. Chemical treatments consisted of several insecticides from various classes including a carbamate (methomyl), pyrethroid (fenpropathrin) and an organophosphate (chlorpyrifos). A natural extract from the neem tree azadirachtin and an untreated control were also included in the evaluation studies. Population densities of S. exigua were below the economic threshold level in control plots and there were no significant differences for small, medium and large larvae. Densities of S. ornithogalli and S. eridania larvae exceeded the threshold level and significant treatment differences were observed in their populations. Fruit injuries were significantly higher in nonefficacious treatments that included S. carpocapsae, SeNPVs and untreated controls. Average weight per fruit was not significantly affected by treatment rates of applications, but total marketable yields were significantly higher in efficacious biological, chemical and combination treatments compared with the control.
Reduction of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by iron metal: kinetic controls on product distributions in batch experiments.

The reaction kinetics and product distributions for the reduction of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by granular iron metal (Fe0) were studied in batch experiments under a variety of initial concentrations of TNT and Fe0. Although the kinetics of TNT disappearance were found to behave in accord with the standard theory for surface-mediated reactions, a complex relationship was found between the initial concentrations of TNT and Fe0 and the appearance of the expected nitro reduction product, 2,4,6-triaminotoluene (TAT). TNT was completely converted to TAT only when the initial concentration of TNT was low and/or the initial concentration of Fe0 was high. Mathematical analysis of a range of generic reaction schemes that produce stable end products in addition to TAT showed that (i) surface complexation of TAT is insufficient to describe all of our data and (ii) polymerization reactions involving TAT and/or various reaction intermediates are the likely source of the incomplete conversion of TNT to TAT at high in...
Class‐crossed lovers: Popular film and social change in Nasser's new Egypt

(2001). Class‐crossed lovers: Popular film and social change in Nasser's new Egypt. Quarterly Review of Film and Video: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 385-396.
Development of fragility curves for bridges in Korea

The purpose of this paper is to develop fragility curves for bridges in Korea. Fragility curves are needed for assessing the vulnerability of bridges to unscheduled events and for setting retrofit and/or repair priorities. Research results show that individual bridges suffer different levels of damage, depending not only on the magnitude of earthquake and distance from the epicenter, but also on the structural characteristics of the bridge and the soil type on which it is built. For the construction of bridge fragility curves for Korea, we used data from 1008 expressway bridges and a statistical regression method. The relationships between peak ground accelerations and vulnerabilities were modeled with logistic curve equations using the bridge classification and models by Hwang, Jernigan and Lin. The primary contribution of this research is that this study is the first of its kind that develops fragility curves for bridges in Korea, which can now be used for various applications that analyze the socio-economic impacts of network vulnerability caused by natural and man-made disasters. Finding a logical and rational basis for transforming the structural disruption ratio of a bridge directly to its functional disruption ratio is left for a future study.
Evaporative chemical evolution of natural waters at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Abstract The authors report results from experiments on the evaporative chemical evolution of the two major types of natural waters present at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The first is represented by J13 well water, a dilute Na–HCO3–CO3 water similar to saturated horizons in volcanic tuffs across the western United States. The second is represented by Ca–C1–SO4-rich pore water that has a higher dissolved ion content, from the unsaturated zone above the repository horizon. Data include anion and cation analysis and qualitative mineral identification for a series of open system experiments, with and without crushed tuff present, conducted at sub-boiling temperatures (75–85°C). This work is motivated by a need to characterize the chemistry of concentrated aqueous films that might form on engineered components at the potential high-level, nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada and lead to electrochemical corrosion. The experiments indicate the evolution of high pH, Na–HCO3–CO3 brines from J13-like waters and the evolution of near-neutral pH brines from the pore water compositions. The minerals recovered after complete evaporation of the J13 water alone experiments include amorphous silica, aragonite, calcite, halite, niter, thermonatrite and, possibly, gypsum, anhydrite and hectorite. Tachyhydrite and gypsum were observed to form in equivalent experiments with pore waters from the unsaturated zone.
Magnetic stratigraphy of Lake Michigan sediments obtained from cores of lacustrine clay

Abstract Postglacial and lacustrine sediments from Lake Michigan have been paleomagnetically investigated. The primary goal was to test the feasibility of correlation between several cores in terms of their magnetic signatures. After alternating field and thermal demagnetizations, inclination and relative declination values were obtained that show characteristic short-term fluctuations. Major features, including changes in the magnetic intensity of the samples, correlate well in three of the longer cores, in good agreement with independent lithostratigraphic determinations. In addition, we have been able to detect local disconformities that appear as interruptions of the magnetic record. A continuous record of normal polarity has been found, extending from the present day to 13,000 14C vears BP. No reversals were recorded, though at two stratigraphic levels shallow inclinations, together with declination swings and low intensities of magnetization, may indicate rapid geomagnetic excursions. The magnetic record was attained at the time of deposition or shortly thereafter, and can be used for a wide range of applications.
A unified framework for analysis and comparison of randomized response surveys of binary characteristics

Abstract The randomized response (RR) procedures for estimating the proportion ( π ) of a population belonging to a sensitive or stigmatized group ask each respondent to report a response by randomly transforming his/her true attribute into one of several response categories. In this paper, we present a common framework for discussing various RR surveys of dichotomous populations with polychotomous responses. The unified approach is focused on the substantive issues relating to respondents’ privacy and statistical efficiency and is helpful for fair comparison of various procedures. We describe a general technique for constructing unbiased estimators of π based on arbitrary RR procedures, from unbiased estimators based on an open survey with the same sampling design. The technique works well for any sampling design p ( s ) and also for variance estimation. We develop an approach for comparing RR procedures, taking both respondents’ protection and statistical efficiency into account. For any given RR procedure with three or more response categories, we present a method for designing an RR procedure with a binary response variable which provides the same respondents’ protection and at least as much statistical information. This result suggests that RR surveys of dichotomous populations should use only binary response variables.
Fungal Symbionts Alter Plant Drought Response

Grassland productivity is often primarily limited by water availability, and therefore, grasslands may be especially sensitive to climate change. Fungal symbionts can mediate plant drought response by enhancing drought tolerance and avoidance, but these effects have not been quantified across grass species. We performed a factorial meta-analysis of previously published studies to determine how arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and endophytic fungal symbionts affect growth of grasses under drought. We then examined how the effect of fungal symbionts on plant growth was influenced by biotic (plant photosynthetic pathway) and abiotic (level of drought) factors. We also measured the phylogenetic signal of fungal symbionts on grass growth under control and drought conditions. Under drought conditions, grasses colonized by AM fungi grew larger than those without mycorrhizal symbionts. The increased growth of grasses conferred from fungal symbionts was greatest at the lowest soil moisture levels. Furthermore, under both drought and control conditions, C3 grasses colonized by AM fungi grew larger than C3 grasses without symbionts, but the biomass of C4 grasses was not affected by AM fungi. Endophytes did not increase plant biomass overall under any treatment. However, there was a phylogenetically conserved increase in plant biomass in grasses colonized by endophytes. Grasses and their fungal symbionts seem to interact within a context-dependent symbiosis, varying with biotic and abiotic conditions. Because plant–fungal symbioses significantly alter plant drought response, including these responses could improve our ability to predict grassland functioning under global change.
Modelled performance of non-chlorinated substitutes for CFC11 and CFC12 in centrifugal chillers

Abstract A number of partially fluorinated alkanes and ethers were identified from earlier technical publications and from a joint Electric Power Research Institute/Environmental Protection Agency (EPRI/EPA) project as potential alternatives for chloroflurocarbon (CFC) and hydrogen-containing CFC refrigerants. These larger molecules, by virtue of their more elaborate structure, have larger vapour phase heat capacities ( C p s) and larger molecular weights than currently used refrigerants, which result in decreased volumetric capacities and greater flash gas losses in simple cycle applications. The compounds were fitted to the Lee-Kessler-Plocker and Carnahan-Starling-DeSantis equations of state, and refrigerant property routines based on these equations were used to simulate their performance in a single-stage centrifugal chiller as pure refrigerants and nearly azeotropic refrigerant mixtures. Consideration was given to the effects of acoustic velocity in the refrigerant, rotational mach numbers, the application of superheat prior to the compressor inlet to avoid ‘wet isentropic compression’, and liquid subcooling before isenthalpic expansion. Results indicate that several chlorine-free compounds give modelled chiller performance comparable to R11 and R123 and better than R12 and R134a. Blends of these refrigerants may be required to mitigate the inflammability of alternatives that show the best performance. Modifications to the basic chiller cycle — such as liquid subcooling and suction gas superheat — may offer unique advantages for more complicated, larger refrigerant molecules. An algorithm based on molecular bond energies and vapour phase C p s was used to estimate the flammability of these alternatives and of blends made from them. Depending on desirable and permissible deviations from the currently used chiller operating conditions and on the acceptability of flammable refrigerant combinations, ideal coefficients of performance comparable to R11 and 5–10% better than R12 are indicated.
V1334 CYGNI: A TRIPLE SYSTEM CONTAINING A CLASSICAL CEPHEID

We have observed the small-amplitude Cepheid V1334 Cyg A (pulsation period 3.3 days) for nearly 30 years. From these radial velocity data we have derived an orbit with a period of 5 years. From this orbit we have derived limits on the mass of the companion (V1334 Cyg C) of 3.1 to 4.4 M⊙. The system is also a marginally resolved visual binary with a much longer period that has been observed for nearly a century. We have used an IUE high-resolution spectrum to conclude that the hottest star in the system (V1334 Cyg B), which dominates the spectrum in the ultraviolet, is the wide companion, since the velocity is very near the systemic velocity.
DEGRADATION RATES OF VULGAXANTHINE I

The yellow pigment, vulgaxanthine 1, was isolated and purified from yellow beets (Beta vulgaris var. lutea) to study its potential as a food colorant. Purification was accomplished by anion exchange chromatography (Sephadex DEAE), followed by adsorption chromatography on polyamide powder. Relative quantification was based on peak areas obtained by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Vulgaxanthine I was more stable at pH 5.0 than 3.0 or 7.0, and less stable in purified form than in beet juice. Half-life values of the pigment at pH 5.0 were determined to be 27, 100, and 282 min at temperatures of 65, 55, and 45°C, respectively. The activation energy was calculated to be 25.2 ± 3.9 kcal/mole. These results show that vulgaxanthine I is quite heat labile in an oxygen-free system and would suggest that its usefulness as a food colorant is limited to foods subjected to low temperature processing or foods subjected to a short shelf life.
Self-Assembled Monolayers and Polymer Brushes in Biotechnology: Current Applications and Future Perspectives

The chemistry and topography of a surface affect biological response and are of fundamental importance, especially when living systems encounter synthetic surfaces. Most biomolecules have immense recognition power (specific binding) and simultaneously have a tendency to physically adsorb onto a solid substrate without specific receptor recognition (nonspecific adsorption). Therefore, to create useful materials for many biotechnology applications, interfaces are required that have both enhanced specific binding and reduced nonspecific binding. Thus, in applications such as sensors, the tailoring of surface chemistry and the use of micro or nanofabrication techniques becomes an important avenue for the production of surfaces with specific binding properties and minimal background interference. Both self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and polymer brushes have attracted considerable attention as surface-active materials. In this review, we discuss both of these materials with their potential applications in biot...
5-(Octadecyloxy) Isophthalic Acid-Assisted Copper(II) meso-Tetra (4-Carboxyphenyl) Porphyrin Adsorption on Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite

Copper(II) meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (Cu-TCPP) is studied on a 5-(octadecyloxy) isophthalic acid covered highly ordered pyrolytic graphite surface with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) at the solid−liquid interface. STM images of individual, chains, and two-dimensional domains of Cu-TCPP molecules were measured. The stability of individual Cu-TCPP molecules and Cu-TCPP chains indicates that the interaction between the Cu-TCPP molecules and the underlying 5-OIA layer is strong enough to immobilize Cu-TCPP molecules.
Reducing Stereotypic Behavior by Teaching Orienting Responses to Environmental Stimuli

This study investigated the feasibility of decreasing the stereotypic behavior of two adolescents with autism by teaching them to increase orienting responses to their environment using an external...
Short containers in Cayley graphs

The star diameter of a graph measures the minimum distance from any source node to several other target nodes in the graph. For a class of Cayley graphs from abelian groups, a good upper bound for their star diameters is given in terms of the usual diameters and the orders of elements in the generating subsets. This bound is tight for several classes of graphs including hypercubes and directed n-dimensional tori. The technique used is the so-called disjoint ordering for a system of subsets, due to Gao, Novick and Qiu [S. Gao, B. Novick, K. Qiu, From Hall's matching theorem to optimal routing on hypercubes, J. Comb. Theory B 74 (1998) 291-301].
Hobbes's political theory

The Hobbesian covenants - rights the Hobbesian covenants - political agency, authorisation and representation Hobbesian absolutism Hobbesian roles the art of government Hobbes's political sensibility.