cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the FtsBL Membrane Protein Complex by Single Molecule TIRF Microscopy

The divisome is a multi-protein complex required for bacterial cell division. The divisome has been extensively characterized genetically, but its structural organization and the oligomeric state of its components remain mostly unknown. An essential part of the divisome is an intermediary sub-complex formed by two bitopic membrane proteins, FtsB and FtsL, whose interaction is mediated by their transmembrane domain, and their juxta-membrane coiled coil domain. Our previous bulk Forster resonance energy transfer analysis of the transmembrane regions of FtsB and FtsL showed that the FtsBL complex forms a stable higher order oligomer with equal number of FtsB and FtsL molecules (i.e. 2:2 tetramer, 3:3 hexamer, or higher). Utilizing single molecule total reflection fluorescence microscopy (sm-TIRFM), we have analyzed the stoichiometry of the full-length FtsBL complex in POPE/POPG bilayers. By monitoring the photobleaching steps of fluorescently labeled FtsB and FtsL, we have acquired data that supports the fact that the FtsBL complex forms a stable 2:2 tetramer. This work sets the stage for quantitative thermodynamic analysis of the stability of the FtsBL wild type complex, as well as an array of know functionally impaired mutants. The method also has the potential to be extended to study the interactions of several other divisomal membrane proteins, which remain still biophysically uncharacterized.
Who uses dating apps? Exploring the relationships among trust, sensation-seeking, smartphone use, and the intent to use dating apps based on the Integrative Model

Based on the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction, this research examined the relationships between trust toward people online, sensation-seeking, smartphone use for accessing the Internet, and the intent to use dating apps to look for romance and casual sex. Survey data of heterosexual men and women (N=257) was analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results revealed that, regarding using dating apps to seek romance, people's attitude and perceived norm were predictive of such intent. The relationships between the three personal attributes and the intent were mediated. Furthermore, sensation-seeking and smartphone use had a direct relationship with intent. Regarding using dating apps for seeking sex, people's attitude and self-efficacy were predictive of such intent. Only smartphone use was indirectly related to this intent. Both sensation-seeking and smartphone use also had direct relationships with this intent. The study concludes by discussing the theoretical implications of the model and offering practical recommendations to app companies and public health practitioners. Display Omitted The study examined the intent to use dating apps to seek romance and casual sex.People's attitude and self-efficacy predicted the intent to seek romance via apps.Their attitude and perceived norm predicted the intent to seek sex via apps.Trust, sensation-seeking, and smartphone use were indirectly linked to both.The study provided insights for app companies and health practitioners.
The Play about Common Trade and Play about Empty Purse: Cornelis Everaert’s Prequels to Elckerlijc/Everyman?

This paper proposes a possible link between Elckerlijc , the Dutch-language allegorical play that provided the basis for the well-known English translation Everyman , and two plays by Cornelis Everaert, a sixteenth-century playwright from Bruges writing from within the amateur literary society Chambers of Rhetoric (rederijkerskamers). The two plays are The Play about Common Trade ( Spil van Ghemeene Neerrynghe ), a serious play, and The Comedy about Empty Purse ( Esbattement van Aerm in de Buerse ), a lighter comic play. The primary basis for this link is the presence in these two plays of a secondary character named Elckerlijc, the only two known examples of this character name besides the eponymous play that were roughly contemporary with Elckerlijc. There are, however, more than surface-level similarities built into the three incarnations of this character, which have their roots in his status as a mercantile character who has forgotten how to live according to God’s command. In both Common Trade and Empty Purse , Elckerlijc is portrayed as a thoughtless, excessively prudent hoarder of wealth whose lack of virtue and charity in specifically commercial behaviour harms less fortunate tradesmen and labourers by driving them out of the workforce; Everaert blames this unvirtuous behaviour to the continuing dire economic situation that faced sixteenth-century Bruges. The paper draws on Deirdre McCloskey’s theory of “bourgeois virtues” to show how Everaert uses the Elckerlijc character as a foil to participants in a healthy, functioning, and virtuous marketplace. Everyman has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity; directors (and, even more importantly, translators) drawn to that play may also wish to look at Common Trade and Empty Purse as different takes on the character of Elckerlijc, one from a playwright whose work has been too long overlooked.
Estimating the probabilities of rare arrhythmic events in multiscale computational models of cardiac cells and tissue

Ectopic heartbeats can trigger reentrant arrhythmias, leading to ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. Such events have been attributed to perturbed Ca2+ handling in cardiac myocytes leading to spontaneous Ca2+ release and delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs). However, the ways in which perturbation of specific molecular mechanisms alters the probability of ectopic beats is not understood. We present a multiscale model of cardiac tissue incorporating a biophysically detailed three-dimensional model of the ventricular myocyte. This model reproduces realistic Ca2+ waves and DADs driven by stochastic Ca2+ release channel (RyR) gating and is used to study mechanisms of DAD variability. In agreement with previous experimental and modeling studies, key factors influencing the distribution of DAD amplitude and timing include cytosolic and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ concentrations, inwardly rectifying potassium current (IK1) density, and gap junction conductance. The cardiac tissue model is used to investigate how random RyR gating gives rise to probabilistic triggered activity in a one-dimensional myocyte tissue model. A novel spatial-average filtering method for estimating the probability of extreme (i.e. rare, high-amplitude) stochastic events from a limited set of spontaneous Ca2+ release profiles is presented. These events occur when randomly organized clusters of cells exhibit synchronized, high amplitude Ca2+ release flux. It is shown how reduced IK1 density and gap junction coupling, as observed in heart failure, increase the probability of extreme DADs by multiple orders of magnitude. This method enables prediction of arrhythmia likelihood and its modulation by alterations of other cellular mechanisms.
Concomitant surgical closure of left atrial appendage: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives Although percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage is supported as a potential alternative to lifelong anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation, comprehensive evidence on surgical left atrial appendage closure in heart surgery is limited. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of studies comparing patients who underwent open cardiac surgery with or without left atrial appendage closure. A literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Trials databases. Outcomes of interest were 30-day/in-hospital mortality and cerebrovascular accident. I 2 statistics were used to evaluate heterogeneity, and publication bias was evaluated by Begg's and Egger's tests. Results We reviewed 1284 articles and selected for main analysis 7 articles including 3897 patients (1963 in the left atrial appendage closure group and 1934 in the non–left atrial appendage closure group). Among the 7 studies, 3 were randomized-controlled studies, 3 were propensity-matched studies, and 1 was a case-matching study. At 30-day/in-hospital follow-up, left atrial appendage closure was significantly associated with decreased risk of mortality and cerebrovascular accident (odds ratio, 0.384, 95% confidence interval, 0.233-0.631 for mortality, and odds ratio, 0.622, 95% confidence interval, 0.388-0.998 for cerebrovascular accident). Stratified analysis demonstrated that this association was more prominent in preoperative atrial fibrillation strata. Conclusions Concomitant surgical left atrial appendage closure should be considered at the time of open cardiac surgery, particularly among those in atrial fibrillation preoperatively. The benefit of left atrial appendage closure for patients not in atrial fibrillation and for those undergoing nonvalvular surgery is still unclear. Further prospective investigations are indicated.
Correlates of poly-tobacco use among youth and young adults: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study, 2013-2014.

Abstract Introduction Poly-tobacco use is common among youth and young adults. This study examined sociodemographic, tobacco-related, and substance use characteristics of poly-tobacco use compared to mono-tobacco use among youth and young adults (12–34 years) in the United States. Methods We conducted a descriptive analysis by age-group of 12898 youth (12–17 years), 8843 younger young adults (18–24 years), and 6081 older young adults (24–34 years) from the 2013–2014 Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. Multiple logistic regression modeling was conducted to assess the sociodemographic, tobacco-related, and substance use associations with current (past 30 days) tobacco use on a binary scale (poly- versus mono-tobacco use) among tobacco users. Results Between 2013 and 2014, 3.6% of youth, 21.7% of younger young adults, and 15.8% of older young adults were current poly-tobacco users in the general population. In the regression analyses, among youth tobacco users, heavy drinking was the only factor associated with higher odds of poly-tobacco use. Factors associated with higher odds of poly-tobacco use among younger young adults included being male, having less than high school diploma or GED, residing in the South, having 2 and ≥3 quit attempts, heavy drinking, and marijuana use. Residing in the South, older ages of exposure to tobacco use, and marijuana use were associated with higher odds of poly-tobacco use among older young adults. Conclusions Regardless of tobacco product type, poly-tobacco use was common among youth and young adults. Interventions designed to address factors associated with poly-tobacco use among youth and young adults are warranted.
Parallel Earthquake Simulations on Large-Scale Multicore Supercomputers

Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural hazards on our planet Earth. Hugh earthquakes striking offshore may cause devastating tsunamis, as evidenced by the 11 March 2011 Japan (moment magnitude Mw9.0) and the 26 December 2004 Sumatra (Mw9.1) earthquakes. Earthquake prediction (in terms of the precise time, place, and magnitude of a coming earthquake) is arguably unfeasible in the foreseeable future. To mitigate seismic hazards from future earthquakes in earthquake-prone areas, such as California and Japan, scientists have been using numerical simulations to study earthquake rupture propagation along faults and seismic wave propagation in the surrounding media on ever-advancing modern computers over past several decades. In particular, ground motion simulations for past and future (possible) significant earthquakes have been performed to understand factors that affect ground shaking in populated areas, and to provide ground shaking characteristics and synthetic seismograms for emergency preparation and design of earthquake-resistant structures. These simulation results can guide the development of more rational seismic provisions for leading to safer, more efficient, and economical50pt]Please provide V. Taylor author e-mail ID. structures in earthquake-prone regions.
ZERO-ONE ZERO-ONE PROGRAMMING AND ENUMERATION

Publisher Summary It is possible to devise a special version of the Gomory all-integer integer algorithm so that the introduced cuts are especially tight, the matrix of added cuts is carried in logical form, and the current solution is on a vertex of the hypercube. The algorithm always starts and is likely to fail after a number of iterations. The circumstances under which failure occurs is characterized to some extent and one can use heuristic and linear programming devices to delay failure. The algorithm may have some use in branch and bound and enumerative programming. When failure occurs, the existing tableau is taken as the starting point for resolution of a linear program, and the resultant overall procedure qualifies for providing bounds in a branch and bound search. The chapter explores an enumerative procedure in which the final tableau, after failure, is taken to define a set of auxiliary cuts to be used in the enumeration.
A Model and Case Analysis of Geographical Information Systems Curricula in Management Schools

Geographical Information Systems courses and curricula are beginning to appear in programs of management schools and IS programs. This paper develops a model of GIS curricular infusion in management schools that is based on three dimensions of maturation stages, teaching methods, and student learning approaches. The model is set in context of, and examines the limited prior research on GIS teaching and curricula in management and IS schools. It is tested and exemplified by a case study of infusion of GIS into a business school’s curricula. The case study illustrates opportunities as well as constraints in designing, developing, and implementing GIS coursework in management school and IS programs. With rapid growth in GIS, the research responds to the upsurge in spatial applications in the business world, and may provide educators with curricular insights that foster and enhance education and training of a GIS workforce having a management focus.
Human observer performance in a single slice or a volume: effect of background correlation

Human observer performance in a search task was compared for viewing a single 2D image or a 3D image volume in cine mode The test images consisted of designer nodules added to white noise backgrounds, or filtered noise backgrounds In white noise backgrounds, performance increased dramatically when the entire volume was provided In correlated backgrounds, no increase in performance was observed These results are consistent with our previous findings for signal-known-exactly detection performance in single tomosynthesis slices or the entire reconstructed volume, where the inclusion of adjacent slices in the observer study did not result in a measurable increase in observer performance.
Grundlegendes zur Produktionsplanung und -steuerung (PPS)

Im Rahmen der Produktionsplanung werden die herzustellenden Produkte, die dafur notwendigen Produktionsfaktoren sowie der eigentliche Produktionsprozes geplant.1 Gutenberg (1951)2 nennt 3 Produktionsfaktoren, die fur die Herstellung eines Produktes notwenig sind: (ausfuhrende und dispositive) menschliche Arbeitskraft Betriebsmittel Werkstoffe
Sustainability for a Warming Planet

This article reviews Humberto Llavador, John Roemer, and Joaquim Silvistre’s 2015 book on the economics of climate change, Sustainability for a Warming Planet. While the book is written for economi...
Effect of surgeon experience and bony pelvic dimensions on surgical performance and patient outcomes in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of surgeon experience, body habitus, and bony pelvic dimensions on surgeon performance and patient outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS The pelvic dimensions of 78 RARP patients were measured on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography by three radiologists. Surgeon automated performance metrics (APMs [instrument motion tracking and system events data, i.e., camera movement, third-arm swap, energy use]) were obtained by a systems data recorder (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) during RARP. Two analyses were performed: Analysis 1, examined effects of patient characteristics, pelvic dimensions and prior surgeon RARP caseload on APMs using linear regression; Analysis 2, the effects of patient body habitus, bony pelvic measurement, and surgeon experience on short- and long-term outcomes were analysed by multivariable regression. RESULTS Analysis 1 showed that while surgeon experience affected the greatest number of APMs (P < 0.044), the patient's body mass index, bony pelvic dimensions, and prostate size also affected APMs during each surgical step (P < 0.043, P < 0.046, P < 0.034, respectively). Analysis 2 showed that RARP duration was significantly affected by pelvic depth (β = 13.7, P = 0.039) and prostate volume (β = 0.5, P = 0.024). A wider and shallower pelvis was less likely to result in a positive margin (odds ratio 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09-0.72). On multivariate analysis, urinary continence recovery was associated with surgeon's prior RARP experience (hazard ratio [HR] 2.38, 95% CI 1.18-4.81; P = 0.015), but not on pelvic dimensions (HR 1.44, 95% CI 0.95-2.17). CONCLUSION Limited surgical workspace, due to a narrower and deeper pelvis, does affect surgeon performance and patient outcomes, most notably in longer surgery time and an increased positive margin rate.
Chiral symmetry and the cosmological constant

In this work, we provide a link between a nearly vanishing cosmological constant and chiral symmetry. This is accomplished with a modification of general relativity coupled to a topological field theory, namely BF theory, by introducing fermions charged under the BF theory gauge group. We find that the cosmological constant sources a chiral anomaly for the fermions, providing a ``technical naturalness'' explanation for the smallness of the observed cosmological constant. Applied to the early Universe, we show that production of fermions during inflation can provide all the dark matter in the Universe today, in the form of superheavy dark baryons.
Neonatal Appendicitis with Cow Milk Protein Allergy

Appendicitis is rare in the neonatal period. A 6-week-old baby presented with fulminant appendicitis. At the age of 6 months, the infant was diagnosed with Cow milk protein allergy. Association between CMPA and appendicitis was a rare association in our case, showing that CMPA can have a wide spectrum of gastrointestinal involvement.
Legitimizing the Judiciary: a Multilevel Explanation of Factors Influencing Public Confidence in Asian Court Systems

The study analyzed large-scale data from several sources, covering more than 42,000 individuals in 28 Asian countries to comparatively assess the effects of country-level variables on Asians’ confidence in their court systems. Three HLM ordinal logistic regression models were fitted instantaneously to achieve the objective of the study. Results revealed that a country’s levels of democracy and peacefulness had a significant and positive relationship with citizens’ confidence in the courts. Moreover, citizens living in countries with absolute press freedom reported greater levels of confidence. However, individuals living in countries that were highly corrupt tended to have reduced confidence in the courts. The impact of terrorism on a country had no influence on public confidence.
Imagining a New Eden in the Nuclear West

This article investigates the “atomic bucolic,” a type of pro-nuclear imagery that combined technological futurism and agrarian nostalgia. Its wasteland-to-farmland promises fit into the Edenic recovery narrative described by Carolyn Merchant. As with any instance of the bucolic, however, we must pay attention to what is present and what is absent. The blooming desert depicted in a 1940s magazine ad was a far cry from the nuclear-powered destruction and contamination taking place in the American West and elsewhere.
Decentralized Control of Cascaded H-Bridge Inverters for Medium-Voltage Grid Integration

This paper introduces a fully decentralized control strategy that allows for individualized active and reactive power control of H-bridge inverters connected in series. After formulating a model of the system power flows, we outline a communications-free approach where each inverter can act on independent commands. Inverter-level feedback is accomplished locally via a measurement of current flowing through the stack. A key feature is the lack of any centralized control routines or phase-locked loop. In this framework, the reactive power control loops achieve voltage synchronization among the converters and the grid, and the active power control loops modulate the terminal voltage amplitudes that influence power delivery. Furthermore, pole placement via state feedback is used to ensure stability of voltage synchronization while also enabling tracking of bidirectional power commands. Simulations are presented to validate the proposed approach.
University of Florida Unites Teachers to Reform Education in Science (U-FUTuRES): A Reform-Based and Comprehensive Professional Development Program

If K-12 teachers are to teach reform-based science as envisioned in the document, A framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (National Research Council, A framework for K-12 science education: practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2012) and translated into learning expectations in the national science education standards, teachers will need to develop meaningful and appropriate levels of disciplinary content knowledge. Teachers will also need to be prepared to enact teaching practices consistent with current research about science and learning science. This chapter describes the structure and theoretical framework that guided the research-based comprehensive PD program designed to transform science teaching in the middle grades. The model included some of the general research-based elements of high-quality PD identified in the literature along with discipline-specific features recommended by science educators. The PD program, University of Florida Unites Teachers to Reform Education in Science (U-FUTuRES), was developed as a partnership in response to the need for quality science teaching in partnering school districts in this state.
Mitigating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Hispanic and Latino Communities-Prince William Health District, Virginia, June 2020.

To identify factors contributing to disproportionate rates of COVID-19 among Hispanic or Latino persons in Prince William Health District, Virginia, and to identify measures to better engage Hispanic and Latino communities in COVID-19 mitigation. Data collection proceeded via three methods in June 2020: a quantitative survey of Hispanic or Latino residents, key informant interviews with local leaders familiar with this population, and focus group discussions with Hispanic or Latino community members. Those who worked outside the home, lived in larger households, or lived with someone who had tested positive were more likely to report testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (unadjusted odds ratios of 2.5, 1.2, and 12.9, respectively). Difficulty implementing COVID-19 prevention practices (reported by 46% of survey respondents), immigration-related fears (repeatedly identified in qualitative data), and limited awareness of local COVID-19 resources (57% of survey respondents spoke little or no English) were identified. Survey respondents also reported declines in their food security (25%) and mental health (25%). Specific attention to the needs of Hispanic or Latino communities could help reduce the burden of COVID-19. The investigation methods can also be used by other jurisdictions to evaluate the needs of and services provided to diverse underserved populations.
DRIFTS investigation of methanol oxidation on CeO2 nanoparticles

Abstract The mechanism of the oxidation of methanol on the surface of heat treated CeO2 nanoparticles was studied using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The study was carried out under high vacuum to ensure no interference from unreacted physisorbed methanol and compared to a similar analysis under pseudo-flow conditions. When methanol reacts with the CeO2 surface, it either chemisorbs to a single cerium atom creating monobound (m) methoxy or to two neighboring cerium atoms forming bridged (b) methoxy groups. From the evacuated analysis, formate production depends directly on the presence and transformation of b-methoxy groups. Hydroxyls are found to facilitate the formation of the two surface methoxy groups, react with m-methoxy groups creating additional b-methoxy groups, and enable the transformation of b-methoxy groups to bidentate formate groups. The reaction mechanism is elucidated through the use of temperature dependent peak height analysis of the collected DRIFTS spectra which are correlated to the transforming surface bound species.
The Crime on Campus Study: Course-Based Undergraduate Research and Student Confidence

Undergraduate Research Activity (URA) has been shown to add value to numerous higher education programs, driving improvements in course learning, campus engagement, and college retention. Yet, URA ...
African Agency in Practice: Acquiring Agency and Institutional Change in the West African Health Organisation:

This article investigates how practitioners in the West African Health Organization (WAHO) obtain and exercise autonomous political agency in the development of regional health policy. While many p...
Alternate VHTR/HTE interface for mitigating tritium transport and structure creep

High temperature creep in structures at the interface between the nuclear plant and the hydrogen plant and the migration of tritium from the core through structures in the interface are two key challenges for the very high temperature reactor (VHTR) coupled to the high temperature electrolysis (HTE) process. The severity of these challenges, however, can be reduced by lowering the temperature at which the interface operates. Preferably this should be accomplished in a way that does not reduce combined plant efficiency and other performance measures. A means for doing so is described. A heat pump is used to raise the temperature of near-waste heat from the PCU to the temperature at which nine-tenths of the HTE process heat is needed. In addition to mitigating tritium transport and creep of structures, structural material commodity costs are reduced and plant efficiency is increased by 1%.
Thermal Deformations in Electronic Packaging

An understanding and documentation of the micromechanics of electronic devices is critical to the industry, and moire interferometry is taking a leadership role for experimental analyses. In the industry, the technology dealing with the interconnections of electronic components is called electronic packaging. Thermal strains are the major cause of fatigue failures of interconnections. The strains result from the mismatch of the thermal expansions of the various elements comprising the package. As the components and structures are made smaller, the thermal gradients increase and the strain concentrations become more serious. Hence, there is a continuously increasing activity in experimental analysis, both for specific studies and for guidance of numerical programs.
The nature of the site of general anesthesia.

Publisher Summary This chapter chapter discusses that both lipids and proteins, and their complexes, interact with general anesthetics. In both the cases, there are model systems where interactions correlate with anesthetic potency as well as other model systems where they do not. Of the lipid bilayers, those with a high ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid appear to fare best, while of the proteins, the luciferases offer the most tested and successful model. The functional changes resulting from anesthetic-lipid or anesthetic- protein interactions provides another clue to the importance of each in producing general anesthesia. The changes induced in lipid bilayers at clinical doses are small and seem unlikely per se to result in physiological effects. Most lipid theories of anesthesia have assumed that perturbation of lipid-protein interactions underlies anesthetic action. The systematic studies of average bilayer properties such as volume, order or fluidity support the lipid hypothesis in a general way, but which fail to directly address the mechanistic link with protein function. As the knowledge of membranes has increased, it has become more clear that average lipid parameters of this sort are less likely to be related to membrane protein function than are the detailed heterogeneous arrangement of lipids and proteins. In this sense, the study of these anesthetic mechanisms is in a transition between thermodynamic and molecular explanations.
Functional Empirical Bayes Methods for Identifying Genes with Different Time-course Expression Profiles

Time course studies of gene expression are essential in biomedical research to understand biological phenomena that evolve in a temporal fashion. Microarray technology makes it possible to study genome-wide temporal differences in gene expression profiles between different experimental conditions/groups. In this paper, we introduce a functional hierarchical model and empirical Bayes approach to model gene expression trajectories over time and to detect temporally differentially expressed (TDE) genes. Monte Carlo EM algorithm is developed for estimating both the gene-specific parameters and the hyperparameters. We use the posterior probability based false discovery rate (FDR) criterion to identify the TDE genes in order to control for the over FDR. We illustrate the methods by using both simulated data sets and a data set from a microarray based gene expression time course study of C. elegans developmental processes. Simulation results suggested that the procedure have low false discovery rate but could potentially have high false negative rate when the noise variance is relatively large. Results from both simulations and analysis of C. elegans data indicated that the procedure performed better than the two-way ANOVA in identifying TDE genes between the dauer exit process and starved L1 worms response to feeding process.
One‐Flask Synthesis of Methyl Arylvinyldiazoacetates and their Application in Enantioselective C‐H Functionalization: Synthesis of (E)‐Methyl 2‐Diazo‐4‐Phenylbut‐3‐Enoate and (S,E)‐Methyl 2‐((R)‐4‐Methyl‐1,2‐Dihydronaphthalen‐2‐YL)‐4‐Phenylbut‐3‐Enoate

3-Chloropropionic acid Triphenylphosphine 2-Carboxyethyltriphenylphosphonium chloride Iodomethane Magnesium Alpha-Tetrakone 1-Methyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalene (E)-Methyl 2-azo-4-phenylbut-3-enoate Benzaldehyde Potassium tert-butoxide Dimethyl sulfate p-Acetoamidobenzenesulfonyl azide DBU (S,E)-Methyl 2-(R-4-methyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)-4-phenylbut-3-enoate Rh2(S-DOSP)4 Keywords: one-flask synthesis; methylarylvinyldiazoacetates; enantioselective functionalization; dirhodium tetracarboxylate catalysts; diazo compounds. Metal carbenoids; cyclopropanation; vinyldiazoacetates; cope rearrangement; methyl substituted dihydronaphthalene; safety; waste disposal
Ureide Catabolism by Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] Cell Suspension Cultures II: Assimilation of Allantoin

Summary Ureide catabolism was studied in a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] cell suspension culture growing on the ureide, allantoin, as sole nitrogen source. When enzymes for ureide catabolism were compared between cells grown on allantoin or inorganic nitrogen salts as the sole nitrogen source, allantoinase activity levels were similar while allantoate amidohydrolase activity was lower in cells grown on NH4+/NO3−. This latter activity could be increased to higher levels by the addition of allantoin or ureide precursors to the culture medium. Glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate synthase activities of NH4+/NO3−-grown cells were higher than allantoin-grown cells while glutamine synthetase and several aminotransferases showed little difference in cells grown on the different nitrogen sources. Studies utilizing [7-14C] and [4,5-14C]allantoin showed that label in the urea moiety was released as CO2 while label from the [4,5-14C]allantoin glyoxylate moiety was incorporated into glycine and serine. The exact pathway from allantoic acid to glyoxylate was not determined due to our inability to detect intermediate compounds. The ureide analog, hydantoic acid, was found to be an excellent nitrogen source for soybean cell suspension growth and an alternate substrate to allantoic acid for in vitro enzymic ammonium release. The data indicates that the entire allantoic acid molecule may be catabolized by the enzyme allantoate amidohydrolase or possibly, a separate amidohydrolase. The ureide catabolism pathway of soybean cell suspensions was similar to the pathway recently reported for tissues of soybean plants.
Mapping of an origin of DNA replication near the transcriptional promoter of the human HPRT gene.

A quantitative PCR method was used to map a functional origin of DNA replication in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene in normal human fibroblasts. This PCR method measures the abundance of specific sequences in short fragments of newly replicated DNA from logarithmically growing cells. Quantitative measurements rely on synthetic molecules (competitors) that amplify with the same primer sets as the target molecules, but generate products of different sizes. This method was first utilized to determine the position of the replication origin near the lamin B2 gene (Giacca et al. [1994] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A. 91:7119-7123). In the present study, primer sets were tested along a 16-kb region near exon 1 of the HPRT gene. The most abundant fragment was found to be located in the first intron of HPRT, just downstream of the promoter and exon 1 of the gene, and approximately 3.5 kb upstream of a previously reported autonomously replicating sequence (Sykes et al. [1988] Mol. Gen. Genet. 212:301-309).
Accumulation points of the Lagrange and Markov spectra

In this note several conditions are developed which together guarantee that an element of the Markov spectrum is an accumulation point of the Lagrange spectrum. Every known limit point of the Lagrange spectrum which is the Markov value of an attained non-completely periodic sequence satisfies these criteria. Examples are given to show that the removal of any one of the conditions can result in an element of the Markov spectrum which is not a limit point of the Lagrange spectrum. New elements of the Markov spectrum satisfying these conditions have been included.
Positive Surgical Margins and Accessory Pudendal Artery Preservation During Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract Purpose: To determine whether preservation of accessory pudendal arteries (APAs) adversely influences the rate of positive surgical margins (PSMs) during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). Material and methods: Between January 2003 and January 2005, 377 men with clinically localized prostate cancer underwent a LRP; 325 met inclusion criteria for this study. The variety (apical or lateral), laterality (left or right), size, and preservation status of all identified APAs were prospectively recorded. A genitourinary pathologist mapped the specimens and established tumor locations and PSM sites. Results: Ninety-six of 325 men (30%) were found to have 125 separate APAs. The apical variety predominated; 56% of APAs were apical and 44% were lateral. Successful preservation was possible for 104/125 (83%) individual arteries. The overall rate of PSM was 11.7%. The rates for those with and without identified APAs were 9% and 13%, respectively ( p =0.4). The incidence of PSMs in the ipsilateral region of APA localization was not affected by preservation status; ipsilateral PSM rates were 3% and 6% for those preserved and not preserved, respectively ( p =0.5). Conclusions: Identification and preservation of APAs during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy did not adversely affect the rates of PSMs. APA preservation can be undertaken without compromise to the oncological integrity of the laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.
A three-dimensional volume visualization package applied to stereotactic radiosurgery treatment planning

A comprehensive software package has been developed for visualization and analysis of 3-dimensional data sets. The system offers a variety of 2- and 3-dimensional display facilities including highly realistic volume rendered images generated directly from the data set. The package has been specifically modified and successfully used for stereotactic radiosurgery treatment planning. The stereotactic coordinate transformation is determined by finding the localization frame automatically in the CT volume. Treatment arcs are specified interactively and displayed as paths on 3-dimensional anatomical surfaces. The resulting dose distribution is displayed using traditional 2-dimensional displays or as an isodose surface composited with underlying anatomy and the target volume. Dose volume histogram analysis is an integral part of the system. This paper gives an overview of volume rendering methods and describes the application of these tools to stereotactic radiosurgery treatment planning.
Perceived racial, socioeconomic and gender discrimination and its impact on contraceptive choice

Abstract Background The study was conducted to determine whether perceived racial, economic and gender discrimination has an impact on contraception use and choice of method. Methods We analyzed the first 2,500 women aged 14–45 years enrolled in the Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a prospective cohort study aimed to reduce barriers to obtaining long-acting reversible contraception. Items from the “Experiences of Discrimination” (EOD) scale measured experienced race-, gender- and economic-based discrimination. Results Overall, 57% of women reported a history of discrimination. Thirty-three percent reported gender- or race-based discrimination, and 24% reported discrimination attributed to socioeconomic status (SES). Prior to study enrollment, women reporting discrimination were more likely to report any contraception use (61% vs. 52%, p Conclusions Discrimination negatively impacts a woman's use of contraception. However, after financial and structural barriers to contraceptive use were eliminated, women with EOD overwhelmingly selected effective methods of contraception. Future interventions to improve access and utilization of contraception should focus on eliminating barriers and targeting interventions that encompass race-, gender- and economic-based discrimination.
Vacuum-arc plasma deposition: macroparticle filtering, scaling, and other problems

Micron-size macroparticles can be removed from vacuum arc plasmas using magnetic filters, permitting the deposition of high-quality thin films of the cathode material. The principle of magnetic filtering is explained, and ways of improving filter efficiency using additional electric and magnetic fields are explored. Under optimum conditions, about 25% of all ions entering the filter can be used for deposition. Other problems such as down or upscaling of deposition facilities are briefly discussed.
The Skyrme model for nucleons under spherical symmetry

The paper discusses properties of solutions of the differential equation [1/4r 2 +2sin 2 F]F″+1/2rF'+sin2F(F') 2 −1/4sin2F−(sin 2 F/r 2 )sin2F=0 and in particular the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the boundary-value problem associated with the above equation and the boundary conditions F(0)=0, F(∞)=nπ. This equation, first introduced by Skyrme, is a spherically symmetric model for a soliton description of nucleons
Low recurrence rate after surgery for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a multidisciplinary approach from a single institution.

BACKGROUND Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare sarcoma with a propensity for local recurrence. Treatments with wide excision, Mohs surgery, and other approaches have been reported with widely variable local control rates. The objective of this study was to review the experience with a multidisciplinary approach employing wide excision and Mohs surgery selectively in the treatment of patients with DFSP at a single academic institution over the past 10 years. METHODS The records of 62 patients with 63 DFSP tumors who underwent wide excision, Mohs surgery, or a multidisciplinary combination approach from January 1991 to December 2000 were reviewed retrospectively. Primary endpoints included the ability to extirpate the DFSP lesion completely, the tumor recurrence rate, and the need for skin grafts or local tissue flaps. Additional objectives included defining surgical practice patterns at the authors' institution. RESULTS Sixty-three DFSP lesions were removed from 62 patients. At a median follow-up of 4.4 years, no local or distant recurrences were detected in any patient. Forty-three lesions were treated with wide local excision, 11 lesions were treated with Mohs surgery, and 9 lesions were treated with a combination approach. Ninety-five percent of lesions that were approached initially with wide local excision were cleared histologically. Two patients (5%) received postoperative radiation for positive margins after undergoing maximal excision. Eighty-five percent of lesions that were approached initially with Mohs surgery were cleared histologically. The remaining 15% of lesions subsequently were cleared surgically with a wide excision. DFSP lesions that were approached initially with Mohs surgery tended to be smaller. Patients with head and neck lesions most often underwent Mohs surgery or were treated with a multidisciplinary combination approach (87%). CONCLUSIONS Wide local excision with careful pathologic analysis of margins was found to have a very low recurrence rate and was used for the majority of patients with DFSP lesions at the authors' institution. Wide local excision, Mohs surgery, and a multidisciplinary combination approach, selected based on both tumor and patient factors, were capable of achieving very high local control rates in the treatment of DFSP. The evolution of a multidisciplinary approach has provided a level of expertise that no single individual could achieve for the treatment of the full spectrum of DFSP lesions at the authors' institution. Cancer 2004;100:1008–16. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Theoretical oscillator strengths for the NI and OI resonance transitions

Abstract We report results from the first many-body calculations of the important oscillator strengths of the resonance lines NI 1s 2 2s 2 2p 3 4 S°−is 2 2s 2 2p 2 3s 4 P(λ=1200 A ), 1s 2 p 2 3d 4 P(λ=953 A ) and OI 1s 2 2s 2 2s 2 2p 4 3 P −1s 2 2s 2 2p 3 3s 3 S°(λ = 1304 A ) . Our values are: ƒ(1200)=0·271; ƒ(1304)=0·047; ƒ(953)= ·082 . The first two are in excellent agreement with recent lifetime and absorption measurements and thus the existing discrepancy between theory and experiment is resolved. The third number constitutes the only available result for this transition.
Abnormal transsulfuration and glutathione metabolism in the micropig model of alcoholic liver disease.

Background: Alcoholic liver disease is associated with abnormalities of methionine metabolic enzymes that may contribute to glutathione depletion. Previously, we found that feeding micropigs a combination of ethanol with a folate-deficient diet resulted in the greatest decreases in S-adenosylmethionine and glutathione and increases in liver S-adenosylhomocysteine and oxidized disulfide glutathione. Methods: To study the mechanisms of glutathione depletion, we analyzed the transcripts and activities of enzymes involved in its synthesis and metabolism in liver and plasma specimens that were available from the same micropigs that receive folate-sufficient or folate-depleted diets with or without 40% of energy as ethanol for 14 weeks. Results: Ethanol feeding, folate deficiency, or their combination decreased liver and plasma glutathione and the activities of hepatic copper-zinc superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and increased the activity of manganese superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase. Hepatic levels of cysteine and taurine were unchanged while plasma cysteine was increased in the combined diet group. Cystathionine β-synthase transcripts and activity were unaffected by ethanol feeding, while the activities of other transsulfuration enzymes involved in glutathione synthesis were increased. Glutathione transferase transcripts were increased 4-fold and its mean activity was increased by 34% in the combined ethanol and folate-deficient diet group, similar in magnitude to the observed 36% reduction in hepatic glutathione. Conclusions: Chronic ethanol feeding and folate deficiency acted individually or synergistically to affect methionine metabolism in the micropig by depleting glutathione pools and altering transcript expressions and activities of enzymes involved in its synthesis, utilization, and regeneration. The data suggest that the observed decrease in hepatic glutathione during ethanol feeding reflects its increased utilization to meet increased antioxidant demands, rather than reduction in its synthesis.
Tonic immobility and the dorsal immobility response in twelve species of muroid rodents.

Two behavioral inhibitory responses, tonic immobility and the dorsal immobility response, were studied in 12 species of rodents. The duration and number of positive trials of tonic immobility were found to be correlated with the duration of the dorsal immobility response across species. These observations, along with the behavioral similarity of these two responses (e.g., rigid immobile posture, tremor) support the suggestion that tonic immobility and the dorsal immobility response be considered as members of a general class of complex behavioral inhibitory responses that are mediated by a common neural substrate. Although there is no reason to suspect gross differences in cortical development or function across the species in this study, large differences were apparent in various measures of the immobility responses studied. These results do not appear to support the hypothesis of an inverse relation between “phylogenetic rank” and susceptibility to immobility. Peromyscus species were found to exhibit longer durations of immobility than Microtus species. In light of earlier observations on predators, and the failure of Onychomys leucogaster (a predatory mouse) to exhibit tonic immobility in the present study, it was suggested that predatory species may be less susceptible to immobility responses than other species.
Cross modulation of light in semiconductor materials in the presence of electric fields

Observation de la modulation d'un faisceau optique par un autre faisceau optique dans GaAs en presence d'un champ electrique. Cet effet peut etre utilise pour realiser des fonctions logiques optiques
Effects of third-order elastic constants on the buckling of thin plates

Abstract In the analysis of the bifurcation of thin orthotropic plates, the nonlinear terms associated with the third-order elastic constants are included in the stress-strain relation and large strain theory is used for the prebifurcation state. It is illustrated in an example that the second-order theory may affect considerably the buckling load (and mode).