Bayes estimation of the linear hazard-rate model

In life testing, the failure-time distributions are often specified by choosing an appropriate hazard-rate function. The class of life-time distribution characterized by a linear hazard-rate includes the one-parameter exponential and Rayleigh distributions. Usually the parameters of the linear hazard-rate model are estimated by the method of least squares. This work is concerned with Bayes estimation of the two-parameters from a type-2 censored sample. Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare the Bayes risk of the regression estimator with the minimum Bayes risk. Discrete mixtures of decreasing failure rate distributions are known to have decreasing failure rates. The authors prove that the result holds for continuous mixtures as well     

Rescaled mean spherical approximation structure factor for an aqueous suspension of polystyrene spheres

Rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) has been used to calculate the structure factor for the aqueous suspension of polystyrene macroions with the interaction potential taken according to Derjaguin and Landau (1941) and Verwey and Overbeek (1948) (DLVO) model. The effects of charge over the macroion and size on the surface potential and therefore, the structure factor have been studied. The breakdown of the DLVO potential with an excess charge over the macroion (⩾800e) has been reported. The oscillation in the first peak height of structure factor versus wave vector curve with size has been correlated with the Debye length.     

Evanescent fluorobiosensor for the detection of polyaromatic hydrocarbon based on DNA intercalation

A flow-injection analysis (FIA) system coupled with an evanescent wave (EW) Biosensor employing total internal reflection of fluorescence radiation (TIRF) for the detection of polyaromatic hydrocarbon that intercalates into DNA is reported. A highly fluorescent intercalator, “ethidium bromide,” has been used as the reference compound for detection. The EW Biosensor was developed according to the procedure described earlier (1,2). Data on the analysis of Naphthalene, 3-methy cholanthrene, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, 1,2-benzanthracene, and some standard reference materials supplied by the National Institute of Standards and Technology are reported. The relative ability of the polyaromatic hydrocarbon to displace ethidium bromide, based on the relative binding ratio, is found to be on the order of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene > 3-methylcholanthrene > 1,2-benzanthracene > napthalene.     

PHOTOSENSITIZATION WITH BACTERIOCHLORINS

Abstract— Biophysical and photobiological properties of a group of bacteriochlorins were compared with efficacy of these products for photodynamic therapy of murine tumors. Predictive factors for selective photosensitization in vivo include affinity binding to lipoproteins greater than albumin, extinction coefficient at the wavelength of irradiation and tumor/skin distribution. Efficacy was correlated with circulating plasma levels of the different sensitizers but not with the photodynamic therapy response in cell culture.     

Correlation between Site ll-Specific Human Serum Albumin (HSA) Binding Affinity and Murine in vivo Photosensitizing Efficacy of Some Photofrin Components

Human serum albumin (HSA) is one of the key components in human blood that may influence drug distribution. As such, it is important to know the affinity of any drug for albumin. Previously, Photofrina mixture of monomeric, dimeric and oligomeric porphyrins, has been subjected to HSA binding studies. However, due to its complex nature, binding studies on Photofrin or other hematoporphyrin derivatives with HSA are inconclusive. In this report, the binding properties of some components (dimers and trimers) of Photofrin® and the relationship between murine photosensitizing efficacy and those binding properties were investigated. The interaction of these porphyrins with HSA was investigated by direct ultrafiltration and fluorescent titration techniques with fluorescent probes such as dansyl-L-proline (DP), which is known to interact selectively with site II on HSA. Porphyrins also were tested for antitumor activity in a mouse model following intravenous administration and exposure to laser light. Together, the results suggest that the photosensitizers that were preferentially bound to site II of HSA were most effective at controlling murine tumor regrowth     

Phase Diagram and Growth Behaviour of Durene–resorcinol System

Phase diagram of durene–resorcinol system, determined by the thaw-melt method, shows the formation of a monotectic (0.109 mole fraction of durene) and an eutectic (0.964 mole fraction of durene) with a large liquid miscibility gap in the region from 0.109 to 0.964 mole fraction of durene. The eutectic, monotectic and consolute temperatures are 78.4, 107.8 and 165.0°C, respectively. The growth behaviour studied by measuring the linear velocity of crystallization (v) in a capillary at different undercoolings (ΔT) suggests that the data obey the Hillig–Turnbull equation,v=u(ΔT)ⁿ, where u and n are constants depending on the nature of materials involved. From the values of enthalpy of fusion of the pure components, the eutectic and the monotectic determined by the DSC method using Mettler DSC-4000 system, entropy of fusion, enthalpy of mixing, Jackson’sroughness parameter, size of the critical nucleus interfacial energy and excess thermodynamic functions were calculated. The microstructures of the eutectic, and the monotectic, determined by the Leitz Laborlux D optical microscope show their characteristic features. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterization of the solvation environment provided by dilute aqueous solutions of novel siloxane polysoaps using the fluorescence probe pyrene

Solubilization environment afforded by several of the novel allyl glycidyl ether-modified methylhydrosiloxane polymers are investigated using a common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluorescence probe, pyrene. The backbone of the polymer has been modified by the addition of an alkyl chain of varying length (either C8, C12, or C18) and to differing degrees of substitution. The nomenclature adopted for the purposes of these studies is as follows: "AGENT" represents the backbone polymer with no alkyl substitution, and "OAGENT", "DAGENT", and "SAGENT" are substituted with n-octyl, n-dodecyl, and n-octadecyl, respectively. The percentage of alkyl substitution is designated as 10, 15, and 20%. The pyrene polarity scale (defined as the ratio of the intensity of peak I to peak III) was used to determine the relative dipolarity of the cybotactic region provided by approximately 1 w/w% aqueous polymer solutions compared to 10 mM sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micellar solution. Results indicate that 10-15% DAGENT afforded the most hydrophobic solubilization site, followed by 15% OAGENT and 15% SAGENT. In addition, as the degree of alkyl substitution of DAGENT increased from 10 to 20%, the cybotactic region appeared to become more hydrophobic. Furthermore, a deeper investigation into the relative size of the solubilization site revealed that all alkyl-substituted polymers promoted excimer formation at relatively low pyrene concentrations, indicating the possibility of localized concentration enhancement within the solvation pockets and/or compartmentalization of the solute molecules. The pyrene fluorescence excitation data strongly indicates ground-state heterogeneity that is most prominent in AGENT and decreases as the alkyl chain length is increased. This provides a relative sense of the size and shape of the solvation pockets afforded by each polymer solution. An overall analysis of the collected data indicated that these alkyl-substituted polymers may provide a more selective and efficient pseudostationary phase in electrokinetic chromatography with better solvation capacity for hydrophobic compounds compared to SDS.