Proto-I axial-focusing experiments

The time-integrated axial (z) focus of the 4.5-cm-radius Proto I (1.5 MV, 500 kA) radial proton diode is presently limited to approx. 3 mm FWHM. This result is obtained with current neutralized beam transport in a gas cell with 6 Torr argon. If the vertical local divergence were the same (1/sup 0/ or less) as the horizontal divergence, the local divergence alone would produce a 1.5 mm FWHM focus. The axial focal size is evidently limited by time-dependent effects. These are studied by observing the beam incident upon various targets with two time-resolved pinhole cameras. The first camera observes Rutherford-scattered protons from gold targets with an array of 11 siicon PIN detectors. The second camera observes K/sub ..cap alpha../-fluorescence from aluminum targets with 4 independently-gated microchannel plates imaging tubes

Impaired leukocyte influx in cervix of postterm women not responding to prostaglandin priming

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prolonged pregnancies are associated with increased rate of maternal and fetal complications. Post term women could be divided into at least two subgroups, one where parturition is possible to induce by prostaglandins and one where it is not. Our aim was to study parameters in cervical biopsies in women with spontaneous delivery at term (controls) and compare to those that are successfully induced post term (responders), and those that are not induced (non-responders), by local prostaglandin treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Stromal parameters examined in this study were the accumulation of leukocytes (CD45, CD68), mRNAs and/or proteins for the extracellular matrix degrading enzymes (matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-8 and MMP-9), their inhibitors (tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2), interleukin-8 (IL-8), the platelet activating factor-receptor (PAF-R), syndecan-1 and estrogen binding receptors (estrogen receptor (ER)α, ERβ and G-coupled protein receptor (GPR) 30) as well as the proliferation marker Ki-67.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The influx of leukocytes as assessed by CD45 was strongest in the responders, thereafter in the controls and significantly lower in the non-responders. IL-8, PAF-R and MMP-9, all predominantly expressed in leukocytes, showed significantly reduced immunostaining in the group of non-responders, while ERα and GPR30 were more abundant in the non-responders, as compared to the controls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The impaired leukocyte influx, as reflected by the reduced number of CD45 positive cells as well as decreased immunostaining of IL-8, PAF-R and MMP-9 in the non-responders, could be one explanation of the failed ripening of the cervix in post term women. If the decreased leukocyte influx is a primary explanation to absent ripening or secondary, as a result of other factors, is yet to be established.</p

Direct measurement of the energy spectrum of an intense proton beam

A time-resolved magnetic spectrometer has been used to measure the energy spectrum of an intense (0.5 TW/cm/sup 2/) proton beam. A thin (2400 A) gold foil placed at the focus of an ion diode Rutherford scattered protons by 90/sup 0/ into the spectrometer, reducing the beam intensity to a level suitable for magnetic analysis. The scattered beam was collimated by two 1 mm diameter apertures separated by 12.3 cm. The collimated protons were deflected in a 12.7 cm diameter, 6.65 Kg samarium-cobalt permanent magnet. The deflected protons were recorded simultaneously on CR-39 and eight 1 mm/sup 2/ by 35 ..mu..m thick PIN diodes. A Monte Carlo computer code was used to calculate the sensitivity and resolution of the spectrometer. Data taken on Proto-I show a 150 keV to 250 keV wide proton energy spectrum at each instant in time

Antioxidant Status in the Soleus Muscle of Sprague-Dawley Rats in Relation to Duodenal-Jejunal Omega Switch and Different Dietary Patterns

Background. Obesity and chronic ingestion of lipid-rich meals are related to an enhanced oxidative stress (OS). Aims. To examine the influence of duodenal-jejunal omega switch surgery in combination with different diets on the antioxidative status in the soleus muscle of rats. Methods. After 8 weeks on a high-fat diet (HF) or control diet (CD), rats underwent duodenal-jejunal omega switch (DJOS) or SHAM (control) surgery. After surgery, for the next 8 weeks, half of DJOS/SHAM animals were kept on the same diet as before, and half had a changed diet. The total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR) activity as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were measured in the soleus of rats. Results. CAT and GPx activity were significantly lower after DJOS surgery versus SHAM, regardless of the type of diet. The activity of CAT, SOD, GR, CuZnSOD, and GPx was altered in the CD/HF or HF/CD groups. After DJOS, the lowest muscle concentration of MDA was observed in the CD/CD group and the highest in CD/HF. Conclusions: DJOS surgery significantly decreases the antioxidative system in soleus muscles of rats. CD/HF and HF/CD dietary patterns lead to an increase in antioxidative activity, while remaining on unchanged diet (CD or HF) is associated with a reduced oxidative stress

Diet of the grey wolf Canis lupus in Roztocze and Solska Forest, south-east Poland

The diet composition and prey selection of grey wolves (Canis lupus) inhabiting the Roztocze and Solska Forest (south-east Poland) was studied based on an analysis of scats collected in 2001-2002 (n = 84) and 2017-2020 (n = 302). In both periods, wolves preyed mainly on wild ungulates (96.5-96.7% of consumed biomass). Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) was the most critical wolf prey accounting for 57.8% of consumed biomass in 2001-2002 and 49.2% and 2017-2020, but wolves positively select only wild boar (Jacob's selectivity index D = 0.213 in 2001-2002 and 0.710 in 2017-2020) and fallow deer (D = 0.588 only in 2017-2020). The largest species – moose Alces alces and red deer Cervus elaphus – were consumed less than expected from their share in the ungulate community. Predation on medium-sized wild mammals and domestic animals was low, 0.8-2.2% and 1.1-2.7% of the biomass consumed, respectively. The breadth of the wolf diet was very narrow and identical in both study periods (B = 1.07), while the similarity of diet composition was high (α = 0.999). This study indicated the stability of the wolf diet over two decades and the importance of wild boar as a food source for this carnivore

Radiative Properties of High Wire Number Tungsten Arrays with Implosion Times up to 250 ns

High wire number, 25-mm diameter tungsten wire arrays have been imploded on the 8-MA Saturn generator, operating in a long-pulse mode. By varying the mass load from 710 to 6140 ps/cm, implosion times of 130 to 250 ns have been obtained with implosion velocities of 50 to 25 cn-dys, respectively. These z-pinch implosions produced plasmas with millimeter diameters that radiated 600 to 800 kJ of x-rays, with powers of 20 to 49 TW; the corresponding pulse widths were 19 to 7.5 ns, with risetimes ranging from 6.5 to 4.0 ns. These powers and pulse widths are similar to those achieved with 50 ns implosion times on Saturn. Two-dimensional, radiation- magnetohydrodynamic calculations indicate that the imploding shells in these long implosion time experiments are comparable in width to those in the short pulse cases. This can only be due to lower initial perturbations. A heuristic wire array model suggests that the reduced perturbations, in the long pulse cases, may be due to the individual wire merger occurring well before the acceleration of the shell. The experiments and modeling suggest that 150 to 200 ns implosion time z-pinches could be employed for high-power, x-ray source applications

Balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) in the cervical mucus plug estimated by determination of free non-complexed TIMP

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The cervical mucus plug (CMP) is a semi-solid structure with antibacterial properties positioned in the cervical canal during pregnancy. The CMP contains high concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase 8 and 9 (MMP-8, MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1). This indicates a potential to degrade extracellular matrix components depending on the balance between free non-complexed inhibitors and active enzymes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-two CMPs collected during active labor at term were analyzed. Twelve CMPs were separated into a cellular and an extracellular/fluid phase and analyzed by gelatin and reverse zymography to reveal MMP and TIMP location. Twenty samples were homogenized, extracted and studied by the TIMP activity assay based on gelatin zymography. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine TIMP-1, MMP-8 and MMP-9 protein concentrations, and gelatin and reverse zymography used to identify gelatinases and TIMPs, respectively. The Western blotting technique was applied for semi-quantification of alpha2-macroglobulin. An ELISA activity assay was used to detect MMP-8 and MMP-9 activity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ProMMP-2, proMMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were almost exclusively located in the fluid phase compared to the cellular phase of the CMP. All the extracted samples contained MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and alpha2-macroglobulin. Free non-complexed TIMP was detected in all the samples analyzed by the TIMP activity assay and was associated with TIMP-1 protein (R = 0.71, p < 0.001) and with the TIMP/MMP molar ratio (1.7 (1.1–2.5) (mean (95% confidence interval)) (R = 0.65, p = 0.002). The ELISA activity assay showed no activity from MMP-8 or MMP-9.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Due to their extracellular location, potential proteolytic activity from neutrophil-derived MMPs in the CMP could exert a biological impact on cervical dilatation and fetal membrane rupture at term. The functional TIMP activity assay, revealing excess non-complexed TIMP, and a molar inhibitor/enzyme ratio above unity, indicate that refined MMP control prevents CMP-originated proteolytic activity in the surrounding tissue.</p

Radiative properties of high wire number tungsten arrays with implosion times up to 250 ns

High wire number, 25-mm diameter tungsten wire arrays have been imploded on the 8-MA Saturn generator, operating in a long-pulse mode. By varying the mass load from 710 to 6140 ps/cm, implosion times of 130 to 250 ns have been obtained with implosion velocities of 50 to 25 cn-dys, respectively. These z-pinch implosions produced plasmas with millimeter diameters that radiated 600 to 800 kJ of x-rays, with powers of 20 to 49 TW; the corresponding pulse widths were 19 to 7.5 ns, with risetimes ranging from 6.5 to 4.0 ns. These powers and pulse widths are similar to those achieved with 50 ns implosion times on Saturn. Two-dimensional, radiation- magnetohydrodynamic calculations indicate that the imploding shells in these long implosion time experiments are comparable in width to those in the short pulse cases. This can only be due to lower initial perturbations. A heuristic wire array model suggests that the reduced perturbations, in the long pulse cases, may be due to the individual wire merger occurring well before the acceleration of the shell. The experiments and modeling suggest that 150 to 200 ns implosion time z-pinches could be employed for high-power, x-ray source applications

Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy

We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude, with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Scienc