cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conductivity studies on oxygen-deficient Ruddlesden-Popper phases

Abstract A new series of doped-Ruddlesden-Popper phases, of general formula Sr 3 M 2 − x M′ x O 7 − y ( M = Ti , Zr ; M ′ = Al , Ga , In ) were synthesized and their conductivity was investigated as a function of temperature and oxygen partial pressure. The highest total conductivity in air is 1.6 × 10 −3 S/cm at 950 °C for both Sr 3 Ti 1.75 Ga 0.25 O 6.875 and Sr 3 Ti 1.9 In 0.1 O 6.95 . Measurements of the conductivity as a function of oxygen partial pressure indicate that p-type electronic conductivity predominates at high p ( O 2 ), while a p ( O 2 )-independent region at intermediate p ( O 2 ) values indicates ionic conductivity. The magnitude of the ionic conductivity at 700 °C is approximately 10 −5 S/cm.
PROPER SPACING BETWEEN HEPTAD REPEAT B AND THE TRANSMEMBRANE DOMAIN BOUNDARY OF THE PARAMYXOVIRUS SV5 F PROTEIN IS CRITICAL FOR BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

The paramyxovirus, simian virus 5, fusion (F) protein contains seven amino acids between heptad repeat B (a domain required for a biologically active fusion protein) and the presumptive boundary of the transmembrane (TM) domain. The role of the seven membrane proximal residues in stability and fusion promotion was examined by construction of a series of insertion, substitution, and deletion mutants, as manipulation of this region to enable proteolytic cleavage would facilitate production of a soluble F protein. The majority of the mutant F proteins both oligomerized and had kinetics of intracellular transport similar to those of wild-type (wt) F protein. All mutant F proteins were expressed at the cell surface at or near the same level as the wt F protein. However, by using both a qualitative lipid mixing assay and a quantitative content mixing assay for membrane fusion, it was found that mutant F proteins containing insertions in the region between heptad repeat B and the TM domain were unable to induce fusion, whereas the mutant F proteins containing substitutions in this region, together with three of the four mutants with deletions in this region, could induce fusion. Four of the F protein mutants contained a Factor Xa cleavage site, IEGR; however, Factor Xa treatment of cell surfaces released either none or only very small amounts (<1% of total protein) of the soluble heterodimer F1+ F2. As an alternative method of generating soluble F protein, a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor was added to the F protein at three membrane-proximal positions. The highest level of surface expression was observed when the final molecule did not contain a significant insertion of amino acids into the membrane proximal region. Two F-GPI mutants reached the surface at approximately 20% of the levels seen with the wt F protein, and approximately 25% of the cell surface population of these mutants could be cleaved with phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C (PI-PLC) to yield soluble F protein. However, all the F-GPI mutants oligomerized aberrantly and failed to promote fusion. Taken together, these data indicate that the spacing of the region immediately adjacent to the presumptive boundary of the TM domain is extremely important for the fusogenic activity of the SV5 F protein.
Low-attenuation oral GI contrast agents in abdominal-pelvic computed tomography

We designed and evaluated a low-attenuation oral contrast agent for abdominal-pelvic computed tomography (CT). In vitro studies, were performed initially to evaluate the imaging characteristics of multiple solutions. These studies resulted in two solutions being compared with the presently accepted oral CT agents of dilute iodinated contrast and water. Ninety-eight consecutive subjects already scheduled for routine outpatient abdominal-pelvic CT were enrolled. Subjects were randomized to water (n = 30), fiber solution (n = 32), polyethylene glycol (PEG; n = 11), or dilute iodinated solution (DI; n = 25). Examinations were then evaluated for gastric distention, small bowel distention, small bowel wall visualization, and colonic transit. A questionnaire was given to the study subjects for feedback concerning taste and potential side effects from these agents. PEG tended to provide better bowel distention, wall visualization, and colonic transit compared with water, fiber solution, and DI. Areas of statistical significance included: (1) average bowel diameter in the left upper quadrant for water was 17.50 mm, whereas that for PEG was 21.88 mm (p < 0.05); (2) average bowel diameter in the pelvis for water was 14.79 mm, that for fiber was 15.67 mm, and that for PEG was 18.48 mm (p < 0.05); (3) wall visualization was better with PEG than with fiber (p < 0.05); (4) successful transit of contrast to the colon occurred in every subject who received PEG compared with only 20% of those received water and 39% of those who received fiber (p < 0.05). Similar trends for the superiority of PEG over DI were noted, although many of these did not reach statistical significance. PEG solution has imaging characteristics related to bowel wall visualization, luminal distention, and colonic transit that make it an effective oral agent for abdominal pelvic CT examination.
Phthalonitrile‐based conductive polymer

An aromatic, diether-linked phthalonitrile resin, prepared from 4,4′-bis(3,4-dicyanophenoxy)biphenyl, can be converted into an environmentally stable, highly conductive material by thermal means. The conductivity of the pyrolyzed polymer can be varied and controlled as a function of both the pyrolytic temperature and annealing time. This allows the generation of a range of electrical behavior from an insulator to semiconductor and approaching metallic regions.
Derivatization of peptides and small proteins for improved identification and detection in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE)

Abstract Peptides and small proteins, of limited molecular weight (MW) can be derivatized with a 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (6-AQC) reagent, leading to a single capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) peak, suggestive of a completely tagged product. The number of tags per molecule was demonstrated by matrix assisted, laser desorption, time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) studies. In CZE, these species have greatly improved plate count and peak shape, improved (lowered) detectabilities, and in general, improved identification properties in the CZE mode in high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE). The formation of what appears to be a single, homogeneously tagged product is a function of how the derivatizations are performed. Once these conditions are optimized, virtually all peptides and small proteins tested (limited MW) can form single, fully tagged products, with the desirable CZE properties. These derivatization approaches thus lead to products that perform and are detected much better in CZE than their precursors (native, untagged peptides). The determined plate counts for these tagged peptides were as high as 6 million plates/m, which was very reproducible, and 59–12,000 times higher than the untagged (native) molecules. The peak symmetry was also improved greatly. The limit of detection (LOD) of some tested 6-AQC tagged peptides were nine to 209 times improved (lower) with ultraviolet (UV) absorption detection, again as compared with that for the native species. The LOD could be further lowered via laser induced fluorescence (LIF) detection in CZE, especially when acetonitrile (ACN) containing buffers were used.
Nicotine signaling and progression of chronic kidney disease in smokers

The deleterious health effects of cigarette smoking are far reaching, and it remains the most important modifiable risk factor for improving overall morbidity and mortality. In addition to being a risk factor for cancer, cardiovascular disease and lung disease, there is strong evidence, both from human and animal studies, demonstrating a role for cigarette smoking in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Clinical studies have shown a strong correlation between cigarette smoking and worsening CKD in patients with diabetes, hypertension, polycystic kidney disease, and post kidney transplant. Nicotine, in addition to its role in the addictive properties of cigarette smoking, has other biological effects via activation of non-neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Several nAChR subunits are expressed in the normal kidney and blockade of the α7-nAChR subunit ameliorates the effects of nicotine in animal models of CKD. Nicotine increases the severity of renal injury in animal models including acute kidney injury, diabetes, acute nephritis and subtotal nephrectomy. The renal effects of nicotine are also linked to increased generation of reactive oxygen species and activation of pro-fibrotic pathways. In humans, nicotine induces transitory increases in blood pressure accompanied by reductions in glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow. In summary, clinical and experimental evidence indicate that nicotine is at least in part responsible for the deleterious effects of cigarette smoking in the progression of CKD. The mechanisms involved are the subject of active investigation and may result in novel strategies to ameliorate the effects of cigarette smoking in CKD.
Education and Buyer Behavior

Intuitively it seems reasonable to assume that education may have some "treatment effect" on the individual. This paper reports some findings from a study exploring how education influences 1) information seeking, 2) number of alternatives evaluated, 3) decision time, and 4) venturesomeness in a buying situation.The following results were found - as expected - that, the higher the education the more active the use of information, the more alternatives evaluated the longer the decision time, and the more venturesome in a complex buying situation.
Perilipin Controls Lipolysis by Regulating the Interactions of AB-hydrolase Containing 5 (Abhd5) and Adipose Triglyceride Lipase (Atgl)

The mobilization of stored lipid by hormones is a fundamental function of fat cells, and there is strong evidence that perilipin (Plin), a lipid droplet scaffold, and adipose tissue triglyceride lipase (Atgl), a triglyceride-specific lipase, play critical roles. Previous work suggested that Abhd5, a protein activator of Atgl, coordinates with Plin in controlling basal and stimulated lipolysis; however, the underlying mechanism is controversial. The present experiments investigated protein trafficking and interactions among Plin, Atgl, and Abhd5 in live cells. The results demonstrate that Plin binds Abhd5 with high affinity and thereby suppresses the interaction of Abhd5 with Atgl. Sequestration of Abhd5 appears to a major mechanism by which Plin reduces basal lipolysis. Phosphorylation of Plin on serine 492 or serine 517 rapidly releases Abhd5 from Plin, allowing Abhd5 to directly interact with Atgl. Imaging experiments demonstrated that the Plin-dependent interaction of Abhd5 and Atgl occurs mainly, but not exclusively, on lipid droplets that contain Plin.
Pluralism and Anti-pluralism in Economics: The Atomistic Individual and Religious Fundamentalism

AbstractThis short paper examines a possible connection between religion and economics in terms of the parallelism between the atomistic individual doctrine and the individual soul doctrine. The paper explores whether resistance to pluralism in economics as a methodological practice might be illuminated in terms of this connection. On this view, resistance to pluralism in economics is not a matter of economists holding methodological views about economics practice that are contrary to pluralism, but is rather a kind of anti-pluralism reflecting an intransigent defense of the atomistic individual view as a kind of core or ‘untouchable’ deep doctrine. Two arguments are advanced to demonstrate the parallelism between the atomistic individual doctrine and the individual soul doctrine.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ploidy and proliferative characteristics of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma determined by flow cytometric analysis.

background : The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) index and the proliferative index (the fraction of cells in the S phase) can be independent prognostic indicators of the biologic aggressiveness of certain malignant neoplasms. objective : To determine whether the DNA index or proliferative index could predict metastases in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. methods : Nineteen different metastases from 15 patients with primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were reviewed, graded, and had DNA proliferative indexing performed by fluorescent activated cytometry. A control group of 13 patients with primary cutaneous SCC without metastases were studied in a similar manner. results : No significant difference between the metastatic and the nonmetastatic SCC groups for either DNA index or proliferative index (non-paired t-test) was observed. No correlative association with histologic grading with DNA index or proliferative index was observed for either group. conclusion : We conclude that aneuploidy and S-phase fraction by fluorescent activated cytometry are not significant predictors of potential metastases in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 1992;18:957–960.
Fine structural studies on white adipocyte differentiation

The differentiation of mammalian white adipocytes from prenatal through early postnatal periods was studied by light and electron microscopy in C57BL mice. Anatomical regions chosen for this study were the epididymal, mesometrial, mesenteric and inguinal fat pads. In each of these regions, adipocytes differentiated from fibroblast-like cells (preadipocytes) characterized by an ovoid nucleus, profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum, microtubules, microfilaments, spherical mitochondria, and small multiple lipid inclusions. Preadipocytes of the inguinal fat pad were first observed prior to birth (17–19 days), whereas, in the other anatomical sites, these cells were not observed until one to three days postnatally. As differentiation proceeded, and as the adipocytes assumed a spherical shape, there was a progressive decrease in the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum and microfilaments concomitant with transient glycogen storage and an increase in the size of lipid droplets. Mature unilocular adipocytes were observed in the inguinal fat pads at three days of age. On the other hand, these cells did not appear until seven days after birth in the epididymal fat pad, mesometrium and mesentery. Regardless of the anatomical region studied, the differentiation of preadipocytes to adipocytes proceeded similarly. Preadipocytes could not be distinguished from fibroblasts morphologically within the fat depots studied. Adipocytes at the mid-stages of differentiation and in all regions studied occasionally exhibited close intercellular contacts of varying morphology.
Understanding of switching phenomena in unipolar NiO-based RRAM

The electronic band structure of cation and anion vacancies in NiO is assessed using density functional theory in conjunction with the local density approximation and employing on site Coulomb corrections within the LDA+U method. The calculated formation energies identify the stability of charged vacancy states consistent with experimental reports. We propose a microscopic model for the formation and rupture of an electrically active filament in NiO targeted to explain the unipolar switching phenomenon observed in resistive change memory devices. The filament formation and rupture process are linked to the migration of oxygen in the oxide coupled to the oxidation/reduction of nickel atoms. The calculated migration barrier consistent with experimental activation barrier for retention can be used for making a retention model and evaluating the retention time.
Tetracycline-induced extrinsic discoloration of the dentition

Tetracycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, is known to cause intrinsic discoloration of the dentition. A case is being presented of extrinsic discoloration of the teeth associated with the use of this drug. This is believed to be the first such reported case in the literature. Possible mechanisms of how tetracycline may cause extrinsic tooth discoloration are discussed.
Waiting Room Classes:: Effective Use of Waiting Time in a Diabetes Clinic

Abstract In an effort to reduce the burden imposed by diabetes on our high risk population, interactive education is provided in the waiting room of the Grady Diabetes Clinic on a routine basis. Topics include "prevention of hypo and hyper glycemia", "label reading", "healthy food choices" and "portion control". After conducting classes for a 6 month period, 100 patients were surveyed. 50% of those surveyed had been exposed to waiting room classes. Of these, 92% stated that they found the classes to be helpful and 74% had made lifestyle changes based on information obtained at the classes. 96% of these patients stated that they would like to have a class at each clinic visit. Time constraints during patient/provider interaction limit in-depth discussion of diabetes self-management. In a busy practice the wait time is frequently prolonged and leads to patient dissatisfaction. This, in turn, may impact rate of return. Every opportunity to reach and teach patients should be captured. Interactive education in the waiting room is an ideal way to utilize wait time and serves as a source of information and support.
THE DESIGN OF MULTI‐YEAR STOCK OPTION PLANS

Despite the explosion in the corporate use of stock options, the incentives created by stock options are not well understood by either the boards who grant them or the executives who are meant to be motivated by them. A major source of confusion stems from the corporate practice of using multi-year stock option plans. Such multi-year grants create subtle, potentially important links between current performance and future grants that can significantly dilute incentives for better performance. For example, so-called “fixed value” plans provide very weak, even perverse, incentives ex ante since the value of future option grants is completely insulated from current performance. Under such plans, an executive's reward for superior performance is to receive fewer options, and to receive more options for substandard performance. In contrast, the fixed number plan creates an intrinsic link between changes in this year's stock price and changes in the value of future option grants. The author also reports the findings of new empirical research that shows that stock option plans, taken as a whole, have a pay-to-performance correlation that is eight times stronger than that of salary and bonus. But, consistent with the analysis above, fixed value option plans have pay-to-performance that is only six times that of salary and bonus, as compared to ten times for fixed number plans.
An electromagnetic world without polarization

The majority of natural sources (black-bodies, fluorescent bulbs, etc) generate completely un-polarized light; the majority of detectors (eyes, photo-cameras, photomultipliers, etc) are polarization-insensitive. To reflect this, we attempt to describe approximately electromagnetic waves without polarization. Corresponding scalar equations are non-trivial modifications of standard d’Alembert and Helmholtz equations to the case of spatially inhomogeneous propagation speed . A description of Fresnel reflection (FR) and Goos–Hanchen shift for total internal reflection phenomena is given on the basis of these modified equations.
Study of Si(111) surfaces by optical second-harmonic generation: Reconstruction and surface phase transformation.

Optical second-harmonic generation has been applied to the study of clean Si(111) 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 and 7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7 surfaces. By an analysis of polarization dependences of the two reconstructions, the symmetry properties of the surfaces have been determined. The 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 to 7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7 surface phase transformation during thermal annealing has also been monitored in real time by the second-harmonic technique.
Unified Weak-Electromagnetic Gauge Schemes Based on the Three-Dimensional Unitary Group

SU(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1) and chiral SU(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1) models for the weak and electromagnetic interactions of leptons and hadrons are proposed. The usual quark model for hadrons as well as the usual Cabibbo rotation scheme is assumed. Symmetry-breaking effects due to inequalities in the masses of the gauge bosons are considered. By making a simple choice of the gauge boson masses based on the $U$-spin subgroup of SU(3), the undesired $|\ensuremath{\Delta}S|=2$ weak nonleptonic transitions can be completely eliminated and the undesired $|\ensuremath{\Delta}S|=1$ neutral current semileptonic transitions drastically suppressed. These models can reproduce the ordinary phenomenological weak interaction but are sufficiently flexible to give the possibility of interesting new effects for neutral leptonic and semileptonic processes, as well as to allow the possibility of an over-all arbitrariness in normalization for the effective nonleptonic interaction. Another consequence of the present scheme is the existence of very heavy leptons. A brief discussion of including the strong interactions in a grand unification is also presented.
Tragic Dimensions in Mark

Despite the observation that the Bible's structure and ideology are fundamentally comic, many readers have found Mark to have affinities with tragedy. While not a "pure" tragedy, Mark does exhibit tragic dimensions. The plot's emphases on the passion and the "fatedness" of Jesus' death resemble tragedy, but a hamartia and a peripety involving the protagonist are conspicuously absent. Jesus himself is not a tragic hero because he is not sufficiently divorced from the perspective of God/fate. Other characters-the opponents and the disciples-resemble more closely tragic figures though even their stories lack such development. Finally, the text embodies a tragic vision as many characters choose not to accept the comic perspective of Jesus.
The Impact of a School-Based Obesity Prevention Trial on Disordered Weight-Control Behaviors in Early Adolescent Girls

Objective To assess the impact of an obesity prevention intervention on use of self-induced vomiting/laxatives (purging) and diet pills to control weight in girls in early adolescence. Design We matched and randomly assigned 10 middle schools to an intervention or a control condition in a randomized controlled trial. Longitudinal multivariable analyses using generalized estimating equations were conducted with data from 480 girls to examine the effects of the intervention on the risk of reporting a new case of purging or diet pill use to control weight at follow-up 21 months later, while controlling for ethnicity and school matched pairs. Girls who reported purging or using diet pills at baseline were excluded from analyses. Setting Middle schools. Participants Four hundred eighty girls in early adolescence aged 10 to 14 years (mean age, 11.5 years). Intervention The Planet Health obesity prevention program was implemented during 2 school years and was designed to promote healthful nutrition and physical activity and to reduce television viewing. Outcome Reduced risk of using self-induced vomiting/laxatives or diet pills to control weight in the past 30 days. Results After the intervention, we found 14 (6.2%) of 226 girls in control schools and 7 (2.8%) of 254 girls in intervention schools reported purging or using diet pills to control their weight (P = .003). In a multivariable generalized estimating equation model, girls in intervention schools were less than half as likely to report purging or using diet pills at follow-up compared with girls in control schools (odds ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.75). Conclusion These findings provide promising evidence that school-based interventions may effectively integrate prevention of both obesity and disordered weight-control behaviors.
The chemical composition of fogs and intercepted clouds in the United States

Over the past decade, the chemical compositions of fogs and intercepted clouds have been investigated at more than a dozen locations across the United States. Sampling sites have been located in the northeast, southeast, Rocky Mountain, and west coast regions of the US. They include both pristine and heavily polluted locations. Frontal/orographic clouds (warm and supercooled), intercepted coastal stratiform clouds, and radiation fogs have all been examined. Sample pH values range from below 3 to above 7. Major ions also exhibit a wide concentration range, with clouds at some locations exhibiting high sea salt concentrations, while composition at other locations is dominated by ammonium and sulfate or nitrate.
Magnetic Relaxation Coupling in Heterogeneous Systems

Abstract The effects of magnetization transfer hold considerable potential for providing new information in a magnetic resonance image. Recent applications and discussions, however, have neglected to utilize the full potential of the experiment by ignoring its sensitivity to tissue water content and to the nature of the macromolecular components. The magnetization-transfer experiment where one spin population is irradiated with a preparation pulse and its effects are detected in the solvent resonance is examined in the context of the simplified equations of Grad and Bryant. Specific effects on the magnetic relaxation properties of the solids and on the water content are examined. Recent developments in modeling such systems are discussed, and it is demonstrated that reports of magnetization-transfer rates may be underestimated in some cases. Complications of mobility within the solid macromolecular phase of the system are also addressed in the context of the currently employed model that assumes heterogeneous systems may be partitioned into two or more motionally distinct proton populations.
SCFKMD controls cytokinin signaling by regulating the degradation of type-B response regulators

Cytokinins are plant hormones that play critical roles in growth and development. In Arabidopsis, the transcriptional response to cytokinin is regulated by action of type-B Arabidopsis response regulators (ARRs). Although central elements in the cytokinin signal transduction pathway have been identified, mechanisms controlling output remain to be elucidated. Here we demonstrate that a family of F-box proteins, called the KISS ME DEADLY (KMD) family, targets type-B ARR proteins for degradation. KMD proteins form an S-PHASE KINASE-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN1 (SKP1)/Cullin/F-box protein (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex and directly interact with type-B ARR proteins. Loss-of-function KMD mutants stabilize type-B ARRs and exhibit an enhanced cytokinin response. In contrast, plants with elevated KMD expression destabilize type-B ARR proteins leading to cytokinin insensitivity. Our results support a model in which an SCFKMD complex negatively regulates cytokinin responses by controlling levels of a key family of transcription factors.
Saddle-point technique for autoionizing states of the lithium atom. II. 2 D e resonances in the elastic- and inelastic-scattering regions

The energy, wave function, oscillator strength, and various radial integrals of the $^{2}D^{e}$ resonances of the Li atom are calculated using a saddle-point technique. In the elastic-scattering region, the calculated positions agree excellently with those of accurate experimental measurements for all observed resonances. However, in the energy region between the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ $1s2s ^{3}S$ and $1s2s ^{1}S$ thresholds, the agreement with the optical-absorption experiment is comparatively poor. This is reasonable in view of the asymmetry observed in the line shapes, which implies a possible difference between the maximum line intensity and resonance position. A more definitive comparison can only be made if a full scattering calculation is carried out or if the widths and line-profile parameters are measured in the experiment. A tentative assignment is also suggested for the lines observed by Rassi et al. in this energy region. If these assignments are correct, it would mean the present calculation agrees more closely with the scattering experiment than with the optical-absorption experiment between the lowest-two inelastic-scattering thresholds.
Modeling scattering from azimuthally symmetric bathymetric features using wavefield superposition

In this paper, an approach for modeling the scattering from azimuthally symmetric bathymetric features is described. These features are useful models for small mounds and indentations on the seafloor at high frequencies and seamounts, shoals, and basins at low frequencies. A bathymetric feature can be considered as a compact closed region, with the same sound speed and density as one of the surrounding media. Using this approach, a number of numerical methods appropriate for a partially buried target or facet problem can be applied. This paper considers the use of wavefield superposition and because of the azimuthal symmetry, the three-dimensional solution to the scattering problem can be expressed as a Fourier sum of solutions to a set of two-dimensional scattering problems. In the case where the surrounding two half spaces have only a density contrast, a semianalytic coupled mode solution is derived. This provides a benchmark solution to scattering from a class of penetrable hemispherical bosses or indentations. The details and problems of the numerical implementation of the wavefield superposition method are described. Example computations using the method for a simple scattering feature on a seabed are presented for a wide band of frequencies.
Macrotetrolide biosynthesis: A novel type II polyketide synthase

Polyketide biosynthesis is catalyzed by polyketide synthase (PKS) and three types of bacterial PKS are known to date. Feeding experiments with isotope-labeled precursors established the polyketide origin of the macrotetrolides, but the labeling pattern cannot be rationalized according to the established PKS paradigm. Genetic analysis of the macrotetrolide biosynthesis unveiled an unprecedented organization for a polyketide gene cluster that features five genes encoding discrete ketoacyl synthase (KS) and four genes encoding discrete ketoreductase (KR) but lacking an acyl carrier protein (ACP). Macrotetrolide biosynthesis is proposed to involve a novel type II PKS that acts directly on acyl CoA substrates, functions noniteratively, and catalyzes both C-C and C-O bond formation. These findings demonstrate once again Nature's versatility in making complex molecules and suggests new strategies for PKS engineering to further expand the scope and diversity of polyketide library. They also should serve as an inspiration in searching for PKS with novel chemistry for combinatorial biosynthesis.
Blebbistain, a myosin II inhibitor, as a novel strategy to regulate detrusor contractility in a rat model of partial bladder outlet obstruction.

Partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO), a common urologic pathology mostly caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia, can coexist in 40–45% of patients with overactive bladder (OAB) and is associated with detrusor overactivity (DO). PBOO that induces DO results in alteration in bladder myosin II type and isoform composition. Blebbistatin (BLEB) is a myosin II inhibitor we recently demonstrated potently relaxed normal detrusor smooth muscle (SM) and reports suggest varied BLEB efficacy for different SM myosin (SMM) isoforms and/or SMM vs nonmuscle myosin (NMM). We hypothesize BLEB inhibition of myosin II as a novel contraction protein targeted strategy to regulate DO. Using a surgically-induced male rat PBOO model, organ bath contractility, competitive and Real-Time-RT-PCR were performed. It was found that obstructed-bladder weight significantly increased 2.74-fold while in vitro contractility of detrusor to various stimuli was impaired ∼50% along with decreased shortening velocity. Obstruction also altered detrusor spontaneous activities with significantly increased amplitude but depressed frequency. PBOO switched bladder from a phasic-type to a more tonic-type SM. Expression of 5’ myosin heavy chain (MHC) alternatively spliced isoform SM-A (associated with tonic-type SM) increased 3-fold while 3’ MHC SM1 and essential light chain isoform MLC17b also exhibited increased relative expression. Total SMMHC expression was decreased by 25% while the expression of NMM IIB (SMemb) was greatly increased by 4.5-fold. BLEB was found to completely relax detrusor strips from both sham-operated and PBOO rats pre-contracted with KCl, carbachol or electrical field stimulation although sensitivity was slightly decreased (20%) only at lower doses for PBOO. Thus we provide the first thorough characterization of the response of rat bladder myosin to PBOO and demonstrate complete BLEB-induced PBOO bladder SM relaxation. Furthermore, the present study provides valuable evidence that BLEB may be a novel type of potential therapeutic agent for regulation of myogenic and nerve-evoked DO in OAB.
Histone arginine methylations: their roles in chromatin dynamics and transcriptional regulation

PRMTs (protein arginine N-methyltransferases) specifically modify the arginine residues of key cellular and nuclear proteins as well as histone substrates. Like lysine methylation, transcriptional repression or activation is dependent upon the site and type of arginine methylation on histone tails. Recent discoveries imply that histone arginine methylation is an important modulator of dynamic chromatin regulation and transcriptional controls. However, under the shadow of lysine methylation, the roles of histone arginine methylation have been under-explored. The present review focuses on the roles of histone arginine methylation in the regulation of gene expression, and the interplays between histone arginine methylation, histone acetylation, lysine methylation and chromatin remodelling factors. In addition, we discuss the dynamic regulation of arginine methylation by arginine demethylases, and how dysregulation of PRMTs and their activities are linked to human diseases such as cancer.
FROM PETRI NETS TO LINEAR LOGIC THROUGH CATEGORIES: A SURVEY

Linear logic has been introduced by Girard as a logic of actions that seems well suited for concurrent computation. This paper surveys recent work on the applications of linear logic to concurrency, with special emphasis on Petri nets and on the use of categorical models. In particular, we present a synthesis of our previous work on the systematic correspondence between Petri nets, linear logic theories, and linear categories, and explain its relationships to work by many other authors. Throughout, we discuss the computational interpretation of the linear logic connectives and illustrate the ideas with examples. Categories play an important role in this survey. On the one hand, from a computational perspective, they are interpreted as concurrent systems whose objects are states, and whose morphisms are transitions; on the other hand, when a model-theoretic perspective is adopted, they provide a very flexible conceptual framework within which the relationships among quite different models already proposed for linear logic can be better understood; this framework also suggests the study of new models and an axiomatic treatment of classes of models. Our categorical semantics for linear logic is based on dualizing objects and permits a very simple presentation of ideas requiring a more complicated treatment in the language of *-autonomous categories.
Comorbidity of generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorders among individuals seeking outpatient substance abuse treatment.

Abstract The present study sought to address a gap in the literature by providing preliminary evidence of the prevalence and clinical characteristics of comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD) in a front-line outpatient substance abuse clinic. Of 39 outpatients meeting criteria for an AUD, nearly half (46%) also met criteria for current GAD. The onset of GAD occurred prior to AUD in 67% of comorbid cases, with an average time lag of 12.5 years among individuals with primary GAD. Participants with comorbid GAD–AUD endorsed higher levels of worry severity and worry-reduction alcohol expectancies, and 55.6% of comorbid participants had a history of suicide attempts. Groups did not differ on anxiety sensitivity, social anxiety, or depression. Comorbid participants were more likely to indicate that worry interfered with their substance abuse treatment, and to indicate interest in concurrent treatment targeting their worry. Study findings provide initial evidence that GAD may be a prevalent and relevant factor among individuals with AUD seeking outpatient substance abuse treatment.
TH-B-105-01: Accuracy and Precision in Cranial Radiosurgery

Cranial radiosurgery has developed as a highly accurate treatment procedure for relatively small lesions. There is much discussion in the literature as to what degree of accuracy is possible when the treatment system is evaluated as a whole; including cranial fixation, localization, imaging, registration, contouring, dose calculation, etc. This is now commonly referred to as the end‐to‐end (E2E) test. The now‐dated AAPM report 54 (1995) suggested that the total uncertainty can reach 2–3 mm. However, many newer publications suggest a much tighter tolerance is achievable. This discussion will focus on the strengths, and weaknesses of well‐established cranial radiosurgery systems including Gamma Knife and CyberKnife, as well as linac‐based systems. The typical, and maximum accuracy of each system will be presented including benefits of mask immobilization and invasive ring fixation. The intent of these presentations is to outline the current state of cranial radiosurgery, and review relevant technologies that have improved our treatment accuracy. Limitations that still persist at this point will also be outlined and reviewed. Learning Objectives: 1. Advantages of various radiosurgery technologies. 2. Limitations of various radiosurgery technologies. 3. Main hurdles in achieving sub‐millimeter treatment accuracy. 4. Overall treatment accuracy assessed by E2E testing.
Computation of the coupled thermo-optical scattering properties of random particulate systems

The focus of this work is the investigation of the overall scattering behavior of light by aggregates of randomly distributed particles. Specifically, a ray-tracing algorithm is developed and combined with a stochastic genetic algorithm in order to treat coupled inverse optical scattering formulations, where physical parameters, such as particulate volume fractions, refractive indices and thermal constants, are sought so that the aggregate response will match specified coupled scattering, thermal and infrared responses. Large-scale numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the overall procedure and to investigate the propagation through disordered particulate systems.
Horizontal transport of the regolith, modification of features, and erosion rates on the lunar surface

New lunar soils, freshly deposited as impact ejecta, evolve into more mature soils by a complex set of processes involving both near-surface effects and mixing. Poor vertical mixing statistics and interregional exchange by impact ejection complicate the interpretation of soil maturization. Impact ejecta systematics are developed for the smaller cratering events which, with cumulative crater populations observed in young mare regions and on Copernicus ejecta fields, yield rates and a range distribution for the horizontal transport of material by impact processes. The deposition rate for material originating more than 1 m away is found to be about 8 mm m.y.−1 Material from 10 km away accumulates at a rate of about 0.08 mm m.y.−1, providing a steady influx of foreign material. From the degradation of boulder tracks, a rate of 5±3 cm m.y.−1 is computed for the filling of shallow lunar depressions on slopes. Mass wastage and downslope movement of bedrock outcroppings on Hadley Rille seems to be proceeding at a rate of about 8 mm m.y.−1 The Camelot profile is suggestive of a secondary impact feature.
Preliminary measurements of contrast in polarimetric signatures of humans

The reflective bands in modern imaging, i.e., the visible through the short wave infrared (SWIR), have become very attractive for use in both daytime and low light target acquisition and surveillance. In addition, the nature of the target in modern conflict again includes the human body as a principle target. The spectral natures of the reflectivities of humans, their clothing, what they may be carrying, and the environments in which they are immersed, along with the spectral nature and strength of the light sources that illuminate them, have been the essential components of the contrasts in the signatures that are used in models that predict probabilities of target acquisition and discrimination. What has been missing is the impact that polarization in these signatures can have on image contrast. This paper documents a preliminary investigation into the contrast in active and passive polarimetric signatures of humans holding two-handed objects in the SWIR.
Migrants and the Emerging HIV Epidemic in Finland in the 1980s and the 1990s

This article examines how migrants were narrated in the emerging HIV epidemic in Finland. The article argues that the stigma of HIV and foreignness/ otherness in Finnish society intersected in complex ways to exclude migrants in many areas of public and private life during the first decades of the epidemic, though the situation has improved today. The article explores how HIV infection is embedded in existing criminal law and public health policies generally, and specifically in the Finnish context. Using an analysis of newspaper, academic, and policy texts based on a systematic review of all extant material in Finnish libraries, the article traces the genealogy of how HIV was initially conceived as a non-Finnish disease of un-masculine men or foreigners and transformed into a human rights issue under a policy of AIDS exceptionalism. Despite the shift in Finnish public health policy toward AIDS exceptionalism, public health policy tended to be expert-oriented, which often excluded migrant communities from participating in interventions as stakeholders.
Volume self-diffusion of oxygen in titanite

Oxygen self-diffusion coefficients in natural titanite (sphene) single crystals were experimentally determined under hydrothermal conditions at 700° to 900°C and 100 MPa water pressure using an ion microprobe (SIMS). Oxygen self-diffusion parallel to the c-axis is described by an Arrhenius relation with pre-exponential factor D0 = 1–1+5 × 10–8 m2/sec and activation energy Q = 254 ± 28 kJ/mol. Oxygen diffusion is isotropic within the measurement reproducibility of approximately a factor of 2. The relatively low diffusion coefficients for oxygen yield closure temperatures of 450° to 750°C for small crystals of titanite at typical cooling rates, which suggests that useful data on cooling rates of igneous rocks, or of metamorphic episodes, can be obtained because the size of titanite crystals in rocks is normally small.
Rates of perioperative complications associated with laminectomies in patients with achondroplasia.

Background: Lumbar decompressive surgery can be complicated by dural tears, infection, nerve root injury, deep venous thrombosis, and epidural hematoma. However, perioperative complications of multilevel laminectomies in patients with achondroplasia rarely are reported. Our objective was to determine the perioperative complication rates associated with laminectomies in patients with achondroplasia. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of the initial laminectomies for all ninety-eight patients with achondroplasia at our institution, which included twenty-eight patients who had had previous spine surgeries at other institutions, and determined the rates of complications in the following categories: neurologic, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal complications; intraoperative dural tears; infections at the incision site; and mortality. Results: Sixty (61%) of ninety-eight patients had at least one perioperative complication. By category, these included intraoperative dural tears, which occurred in 37% (thirty-six patients); neurologic complications, in 23% (twenty-three patients); infections at the incision site, in 9% (nine patients); deep venous thrombosis, in 3% (three patients); pulmonary complications, in 3% (three patients); and gastrointestinal complications, in 3% (three patients). The only death was caused by a pulmonary embolism. Conclusions: Perioperative complications are common in patients with achondroplasia undergoing multilevel laminectomies, and the perioperative care team should be aware of these complications when caring for these patients. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
GLC–Mass Spectrometry of Several Important Anticancer Drugs II: Doxorubicin and Daunorubicin Aglycone Analogs

Abstract By using previously developed pertrimethylsilylation and methoxime formation procedures, the GLC–mass spectra of pertri- methylsilyl and pertrimethylsilyl methoxime derivatives of 12 doxorubicin and daunorubicin glycone analogs, mostly synthesized in this laboratory, were studied. The fragmentation pathways were readily interpretable, and the patterns were highly specific for corresponding structural changes, thus supporting the previous contention that this method has potential for the identification of doxorubicin and daunorubicin metabolites. Four aglycone metabolites were identified, on the basis of their GLC–mass spectra, in the hydrolysate of the 1-butanol extract of bile obtained from a doxorubicin-treated rabbit.
Pediatric IgA nephropathies: clinical aspects and therapeutic approaches

The pediatric IgA nephropathies are IgA nephrothapy (Berger's Disease) and Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis. Both conditions are reviewed in detail with respect to epidemiology, clinical features, outcome, prognostic markers, and therapeutic approaches. For both conditions variable disease severity and outcome along with the lack of conclusive evidence for efficacy of treatment based on randomized clinical trials makes it difficult to make strong recommendations regarding therapy.
Thermodynamics of Electrolyte Mixtures: HCl + NdCl3 + H2O from 5 to 55 ∘C

Electromotive-force (emf) measurements of cells containing solutions of hydrochloric acid and neodymium chloride were reported at constant total ionic strengths (I) of 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mol-kg−1 at 11 temperatures ranging from 5 to 55 ∘C, and at I = 2.0 mol-kg−1 at 25 ∘C. Hydrogen and silver–silver chloride electrodes were used in these cells. Results from the emf measurements, the mean molal activity coefficients of HCl in HCl + NdCl3 + H2O mixtures, as well as the Harned interaction coefficients using Harned's rule are reported in the preceding article in this issue. The ion-interaction model of Pitzer is applied here for the evaluation of the Pitzer mixing coefficients, SθH,Nd and ψH,Cl,Nd, as well as the linear representation of the temperature derivatives of ∂SθH,Nd /∂ T and ∂ψH,Nd,Cl/∂T. The activity coefficients at several ionic strength fractions y of NdCl3 are given at 25 ∘C. The results are interpreted in terms of ionic interactions.