Impact for Agents

Impact for agents. Most of the agent research community has been predicting greater impact for years and many of us have been working to help the process along. Yet the tremendous growth on the research front has not been met with

Abdominopelvic Splenosis—An Unusual Cause of Tenesmus

Splenosis is a rare condition defined as seeding and autotransplantation of splenic tissue, typically after blunt abdominal trauma (e.g. from road traffic collision). Sites of splenosis ranging from intrathoracic to intrapelvic have been reported, and symptoms vary greatly depending on the site and size of lesions. We present the use of Tc-99m sulphur colloid SPECT/CT in diagnosing a case of multiple abdominopelvic splenosis as the cause of new-onset tenesmus and constipation, which was initially thought to be due to colorectal malignancy, 47 years following the initial abdominal trauma

Cosmic-ray induced background intercomparison with actively shielded HPGe detectors at underground locations

The main background above 3\,MeV for in-beam nuclear astrophysics studies with $\gamma$-ray detectors is caused by cosmic-ray induced secondaries. The two commonly used suppression methods, active and passive shielding, against this kind of background were formerly considered only as alternatives in nuclear astrophysics experiments. In this work the study of the effects of active shielding against cosmic-ray induced events at a medium deep location is performed. Background spectra were recorded with two actively shielded HPGe detectors. The experiment was located at 148\,m below the surface of the Earth in the Reiche Zeche mine in Freiberg, Germany. The results are compared to data with the same detectors at the Earth's surface, and at depths of 45\,m and 1400\,m, respectively.Comment: Minor errors corrected; final versio

Experimental Constraints on the Origin of Lunar High-Ti Ultramafic Glasses

Phase equilibria and dissolution rate experiments are used to develop a petrogenetic model for the high-Ti lunar ultramafic glasses. Near-liquidus phase relations of the Apollo 14 black glass, the most Ti-rich lunar ultramafic glass, are determined to 2.2-GPa. The liquidus is saturated with Cr-spinel at 1-atm, olivine between approximately 0.5- and 1.5-GPa, and low-Ca pyroxene + Cr-spinel above 1.5-GPa. Ilmenite does not crystallize near the liquidus and implies that high-Ti ultramafic glasses are not produced by melting of an ilmenite-saturated source. We infer that high-Ti ultramafic magmas are derived from low-Ti ultramafic parent magmas by assimilation of ilmenite +/- clinopyroxene +/- urKREEP +/- pigeonite in the shallow lunar interior. Heat is provided by adiabatic ascent of the low-Ti ultramafic primary magmas from the deeper lunar interior and crystallization of olivine during assimilation. The assimilation reaction is modeled by mass balance and requires that ilmenite and high-Ca pyroxene are assimilated in a approximately 3:1 ratio, a much higher ratio than the proportion in which these minerals are thought to exist in the lunar interior. In an effort to understand the kinetic controls on this reaction, the dissolution of ilmenite is examined experimentally in both low- and high-Ti lunar magmas. We find that ilmenite dissolves incongruently to Cr-spinel and a high-Ti melt. The dissolution reaction proceeds by a diffusion-controlled mechanism. An assimilation model for the origin of high-Ti melts is developed that leaves the magma ocean cumulates in their initial stratigraphic positions and obviates source hybridization models that require lunar overturn

An ERTS-1 investigation for Lake Ontario and its basin

The author has identified the following significant results. Methods of manual, semi-automatic, and automatic (computer) data processing were evaluated, as were the requirements for spatial physiographic and limnological information. The coupling of specially processed ERTS data with simulation models of the watershed precipitation/runoff process provides potential for water resources management. Optimal and full use of the data requires a mix of data processing and analysis techniques, including single band editing, two band ratios, and multiband combinations. A combination of maximum likelihood ratio and near-IR/red band ratio processing was found to be particularly useful

High-efficiency receptor-mediated delivery of small and large (48 kilobase gene constructs using the endosome-disruption activity of defective or chemically inactivated adenovirus particles.

One limit to successful receptor-mediated gene delivery is the exit of the endocytosed material from the endosome. We demonstrate here the delivery of marker genes to tissue culture cells using a modification of the receptor-mediated gene delivery technique that exploits the endosomolytic activity of defective adenovirus particles. In particular, greater than 90% of the transfected-cell population is found to express a beta-galactosidase gene, and, most importantly, this high level of expression can be obtained with psoralen-inactivated virus particles. Furthermore, because the delivered gene is not carried within the genome of the adenovirus particle, the size constraints are relieved, and we can, therefore, show the delivery of a 48-kilobase cosmid DNA molecule

Determination of gamma-ray widths in 15^{15}N using nuclear resonance fluorescence

The stable nucleus $^{15}$N is the mirror of $^{15}$O, the bottleneck in the hydrogen burning CNO cycle. Most of the $^{15}$N level widths below the proton emission threshold are known from just one nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) measurement, with limited precision in some cases. A recent experiment with the AGATA demonstrator array determined level lifetimes using the Doppler Shift Attenuation Method (DSAM) in $^{15}$O. As a reference and for testing the method, level lifetimes in $^{15}$N have also been determined in the same experiment. The latest compilation of $^{15}$N level properties dates back to 1991. The limited precision in some cases in the compilation calls for a new measurement in order to enable a comparison to the AGATA demonstrator data. The widths of several $^{15}$N levels have been studied with the NRF method. The solid nitrogen compounds enriched in $^{15}$N have been irradiated with bremsstrahlung. The $\gamma$-rays following the deexcitation of the excited nuclear levels were detected with four HPGe detectors. Integrated photon-scattering cross sections of ten levels below the proton emission threshold have been measured. Partial gamma-ray widths of ground-state transitions were deduced and compared to the literature. The photon scattering cross sections of two levels above the proton emission threshold, but still below other particle emission energies have also been measured, and proton resonance strengths and proton widths were deduced. Gamma and proton widths consistent with the literature values were obtained, but with greatly improved precision.Comment: Final published version, minor grammar changes, 10 pages, 4 figures, 8 tables; An addendum is published where the last section is revised: T. Sz\"ucs and P. Mohr, Phys. Rev. C 92, 044328 (2015) [arXiv:1510.04956

An evaluation of Skylab (EREP) remote sensing techniques applied to investigations of crustal structure

The author has identified the following significant results. Film positives (70mm) from all six S190A multispectral photographic camera stations for any one scene can be registered and analyzed in a color additive viewer. Using a multispectral viewer, S190A and B films can be projected directly onto published geologic and topographic maps at scales as large as 1:62,500 and 1:24,000 without significant loss of detail. S190A films and prints permit the detection of faults, fractures, and other linear features not visible in any other space imagery. S192 MSS imagery can be useful for rock-type discrimination studies and delineation of linear patterns and arcuate anomalies. Anomalous color reflectances and arcuate color patterns revealed mineralized zones, copper deposits, vegetation, and volcanic rocks in various locations such as Panamint Range (CA), Greenwater (Death Valley), Lava Mountains (CA), northwestern Arizona, and Coso Hot Springs (CA)

Coupling of adenovirus to transferrin-polylysine/DNA complexes greatly enhances receptor-mediated gene delivery and expression of transfected genes.

We are developing efficient methods for gene transfer into tissue culture cells. We have previously shown that coupling of a chimeric adenovirus with polylysine allowed the construction of an adenovirus-polylysine-reporter-gene complex that transferred the transporter gene with great efficiency into HeLa cells. We have now explored simpler, biochemical means for coupling adenovirus to DNA/polylysine complexes and show that such complexes yield virtually 100% transfection in tissue culture cell lines. In these methods adenovirus is coupled to polylysine, either enzymatically through the action of transglutaminase or biochemically by biotinylating adenovirus and streptavidinylating the polylysine moiety. Combination complexes containing DNA, adenovirus-polylysine, and transferrin-polylysine have the capacity to transfer the reporter gene into adenovirus-receptor- and/or transferrin-receptor-rich cells