Observation of the nonlinear effect in relativistic Thomson scattering of electron and laser beams

Thomson scattering of high-power laser and electron beams is a good test of electrodynamics in the high-field region. We demonstrated production of high-intensity X-rays in the head-on collision of a CO₂ laser and 60-MeV electron beams at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Accelerator Test Facility. The energy of an X-ray photon was limited at 6.5 keV in the linear (lowest order) Thomson scattering, but the nonlinear (higher order) process produces higher energy X-rays. We measured the angular distribution of the high-energy X-rays and confirmed that it agrees with theoretical predictions.     

Vascular morphology by three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging

A three-dimensional examination of blood vessels is provided using MR data from seven cases. The vascular surfaces are constructed with an algorithm that automatically follows the selected artery or vein and generates a projected three-dimensional gradient shaded image. Fast 3DFT pulse sequences were optimized to enhance the time-of-flight contrast of the intravascular region. By increasing the surface threshold value in a three-dimensional head study, the flesh of a patient's face was peeled away to demonstrate the superfacial temporal artery. Gated cardiac images show the great vessels and cardiac chambers. A three-dimensional view of the aorta shows an irregular surface in the vicinity of an adrenal tumor. 3D MR exams provide a non-invasive technique for assessing vascular morphology in a clinical setting.     

Regular variation of order 1 nonlinear AR-ARCH models

We prove both geometric ergodicity and regular variation of the stationary distribution for a class of nonlinear stochastic recursions that includes nonlinear AR-ARCH models of order 1. The Lyapounov exponent for the model, the index of regular variation and the spectral measure for the regular variation all are characterized by a simple two-state Markov chain.     

Mobile phase versus stationary phase approaches to the direct injection of biological fluids in liquid chromatography

The liquid chromatographic analysis of drugs in urine through direct injection without any sample pretreatment was extended to micellar chromatography with nonionic surfactants, the Pinkerton ISRP column and the shielded hydrophobic phase (Hisep) column. The feasibility of using each was demonstrated through the determination of the diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide, in urine. Good separation, recovery, precision and linearity, and adequate limits of detection were obtained for this analysis with all three techniques. The advantages and limitations of the mobile phase approach of micellar chromatography and the two stationary phase approaches are discussed for the direct injection of urine as well as other biological fluids.     

Effects of As(III) binding on alpha-helical structure

As(III) displays a wide range of effects in cellular chemistry. Surprisingly, the structural consequences of arsenic binding to peptides and proteins are poorly understood. This study utilizes model alpha-helical peptides containing two cysteine (Cys) residues in various sequential arrangements and spatial locations to study the structural effects of arsenic binding. With i, and i + 1, i + 2, or i + 3 arrangements, CD spectroscopy shows that As(III) coordination causes helical destabilization when Cys residues are located at central or C-terminal regions of the helix. Interestingly, arsenic binding to i, i + 3 positions results in the elimination of helical structure and the formation of a relatively stable alternate fold. In contrast, helical stabilization is observed for peptides containing i, i + 4 Cys residues, with corresponding pseudo pairwise interaction energies (Delta G(pw) degrees) of -1.0 and -0.7 kcal/mol for C-terminal and central placements, respectively. Binding affinities and association rate constants show that As(III) binding is comparatively insensitive to the location of the Cys residues within these moderately stable helices. These data demonstrate that As(III) binding can be a significant modulator of helical secondary structure.