cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homogeneous NMR Spectra in Inhomogeneous Fields

Researchers interested in high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy have long sought higher magnetic fields to enhance resolution and simplify spectra. Magnets with substantially larger fields than those available in the best commercial spectrometers are available, but the inhomogeneity is unacceptable for high-resolution spectra. A detection method (termed HOMOGENIZED) is presented that removes inhomogeneity while retaining chemical shift differences and J couplings. With existing inhomogeneous magnets, this method could nearly double the largest resonance frequency available for high-resolution NMR. The HOMOGENIZED sequence is based on observations of intermolecular zero-quantum coherences between a solute molecule and solvent molecules that are micrometers away; as long as the field is homogeneous over this short distance, sharp resonances are recovered without echoes. Experimental demonstrations and a detailed density matrix theory to explain the effect are presented.
When Sodomy Leads to Martyrdom: Sex, Religion, and Politics in Historical and Contemporary Contexts in Uganda and East Africa

This article examines the shifting interpretations of homosexuality in colonial and post-colonial contexts in east Africa. In 1886, Mwanga II, the king of the Baganda kingdom, executed forty-five male pages of his court. All forty-five were recent converts to Christianity and many accounts of the execution highlight the pages' refusal to submit to the king's sexual demands as the cause of their execution. Over the last one hundred and twenty-five years, the story of the martyrs has been used to support a broad spectrum of political, cultural, and religious claims. By examining the event in both historical and contemporary contexts, this paper identifies broader fault lines within those contexts in relation to Christianity, Islam, colonial power, and post-colonial politics in east Africa.
Enzyme heterozygosity and developmental stability

Regular development of morphology is challenged by any environmental influence that draines energy from developing individuals. For half a century biologist have recognized that developmental stability, measured as the capability to regulate development of normal morphological structures, is influenced by genetic variation. This review considers the influence of enzyme polymorphism upon developmental stability. Empirical studies in a wide variety of animals have reported morphological variability and bilateral assymmetry to decrase with the heterozygosity of enzyme polymorphism. A controversy focuses on the question of whether the enzymes are neutral markers that either reveal variation in levels of inbreeding or are in linkage disequilibrium with genes directly influencing development. Another controversy focuses on whether the relationships between enzyme heterozygosity and development stability, most commonly reported in poikilotherms, will also be found homeotherms. These controversies are addressed by considering recent empirical studies of enzyme polymorphism and developmental stability.
Computer aid for decision to biopsy breast masses on mammography: validation on new cases.

Rationale and Objectives The purpose of this study was to validate the performance of a previously developed computer aid for breast mass classification for mammography on a new, independent database of cases not used for algorithm development. Materials and Methods A computer aid (classifier) based on the likelihood ratio (LRb) was previously developed on a database of 670 mass cases. The 670 cases (245 malignant) from one medical institution were described using 16 features from the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System lexicon and patient history findings. A separate database of 151 (43 malignant) validation cases were collected that were previously unseen by the classifier. These new validation cases were evaluated by the classifier without retraining. Performance evaluation methods included Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC), round-robin, and leave-one-out bootstrap sampling. Results The performance of the classifier on the training data yielded an average ROC area of 0.90 ± 0.02 and partial ROC area ( 0.90 AUC) of 0.60 ± 0.06. The exact nonparametric performance on the validation set of 151 cases yielded a ROC area of 0.88 and 0.90 AUC of 0.57. Using a 100% sensitivity cutoff threshold established on the training data (100% negative predictive value), the classifier correctly identified 100% of the malignant masses in the validation test set, while potentially obviating 26% of the biopsies performed on benign masses. Conclusion The LRb classifier performed consistently on new data that was not used for classifier development. The LRb classifier shows promise as a potential aid in reducing the number of biopsies performed on benign masses.
Ultrafast optical encoding of magnetic resonance

Abstract Temporal resolution in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is limited by the time required to encode the position of spins using time-varying (10–100 ms) magnetic field gradients. Here, we demonstrate spatial encoding of MRI images in a time that is three orders of magnitude shorter than what is possible by conventional gradient encoding techniques. Our method exploits the chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) effect and is an initial example of a set of approaches that seek to combine the favorable properties of optical spectroscopy with those of NMR for polarization, encoding, and detection.
Relationships between non-extractable DNA and the bacterial growth cycle

Abstract Escherichia coli DNA has been fractionated into extractable and non-extractable DNA after deproteinization of detergent-lysed cell preparations with chloroform—isoamyl alcohol. The former was extracted with dilute buffered saline whereas the latter remained in the interphase layer associated with residual cellular debris from which almost 40% could be released by incubating with pronase. About 20–25% more amino acid residues were bound to the pronase-released DNA than to the extractable DNA, but the relative distribution of the residues in the two DNA samples was virtually identical. The specific activities and the relative amounts of denser (1.709 g · cm−3) and lighter (on the surface of CsCl gradients) DNA fractions from E. coli, grown in the presence of labeled thymidine, indicated that these two corresponded to extractable and non-extractable DNA, respectively. The relative amounts of the two fractions varied with the growth phase, primarily as a function of the growth rate. Age and metabolic state of cells in the culture or those used as inocula could modify this relative distribution. When growth rate was maximal, the ratio of the two remained at about 1. During lag phase when no appreciable net synthesis of DNA could be detected, there was a rapid and preferential incorporation of labeled thymidine into non-extractable DNA. A disproportionate increase in the fraction of the total DNA, which was extractable, was also observed but only when stationary phase cultures were used as inocula. Complete equilibration of the label in the two DNA fractions was attained only after cultures had reached mid-log phase of growth. Similar results were obtained when prelabeled cells were used. These data have been interpreted as suggesting that the rate of cell growth and DNA synthesis are related to the number or size of sites of attachment of DNA to some cellular structure. Newly synthesized DNA would be attached to different sites on this structure and initiation of DNA replication in lag phase would require reorientation of the two kinds of DNA. Small peptides which are firmly bound to the DNA and which vary quantitatively with the rate of DNA synthesis could perhaps be involved in the attachment to the sites.
Diagnosis and treatment of leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors: Experience with 90 patients

The clinical findings and response to treatment of leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors are analyzed in 90 patients treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center during the period from January 1975 to February 1980. Patients included those who had either typical clinical findings of leptomeningeal tumor or conclusive laboratory evidence supporting the diagnosis. Carcinoma of the breast (46 patients), lung (23 patients) and melanoma (11 patients) were the common primary tumors. Symptoms of leptomeningeal metastasis occurred as the presenting sign in five patients and as late as ten years after the primary tumor was diagnosed in four other patients. Most patients had active systemic disease outside the nervous system. Signs and symptoms could be classified as involving either the brain, cranial nerves, or spinal nerves. Most patients had either symptoms or signs in more than one area at the time the diagnosis was established. The initial spinal fluid examination was abnormal in all but three patients, but only 49 had cytologic evidence of leptomeningeal metastases. Repeated spinal fluid assay yielded a positive cytology in 82 patients. Measurement of biochemical markers, including beta-glucuronidase, carcinoembryonic antigen and lactic dehydrogenase, assisted in the diagnosis. Approximately half of the patients treated by intraventricular methotrexate experienced improvement or stabilization of neurological symptoms for more than a month; median survival was 5.8 months after diagnosis, with a range of 1--29 months. In 18 patients disease was limited to the nervous system, and median survival was eight months, with four patients surviving one year and two patients for two years. Side effects of therapy were, for the most part, minor. We conclude that vigorous treatment of leptomeningeal metastases with intrathecal chemotherapeutic agents improves symptomatology in some patients, and at times prolongs survival.
An Epoxyisoprostane Is a Major Regulator of Endothelial Cell Function

The goal of these studies was to determine the effect of 5,6-epoxyisoprostane, EI, on human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). EI can form as a phospholipase product of 1-palmitoyl-2-(5,6-epoxyisopro...
Characterization of nanofriction of MoS2 and WS2 nanotubes

Abstract MoS 2 and WS 2 nano-objects have been studied in tribological applications and increasingly in other applications where nano-objects come into sliding contact with each other. Fundamental friction studies on a single nano-object are of interest. In this research atomic force/friction force microscopy (AFM/FFM) studies have been conducted on MoS 2 and WS 2 nanotubes to study scale effects and analyze the contributions of surface topography and orientation effects on friction. Variations in friction force due to topography were determined to be as a result of the ratchet mechanism and “collision” effect. There were no orientation effects on coefficient of friction on either of the nanotubes.
Reducing object storage requirements in a multi-user environment

Many Smalltalk implementations store objects in a large file called a virtual image. Each user must have a copy of the virtual image to execute. Since the image can exceed a megabyte in size, considerable disk space is required to support such a system in a multi-user environment. In this paper, a method is described which can reduce storage requirements for systems which use generation scavenging as a memory reclamation technique. This method also improves the performance of the checkpoint operation and offline garbage-collection.
Complete ablation of esophageal epithelium with a balloon-based bipolar electrode: a phased evaluation in the porcine and in the human esophagus.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the endoscopic and the histologic effects of a balloon-based bipolar radiofrequency electrode for ablation of porcine and human esophageal epithelium. Methods All procedures were performed with a balloon-based, bipolar radiofrequency system that creates a circumferential, thin-layer epithelial ablation zone within the esophagus. In Phase I, multiple ablations were created in 10 farm swine, followed by acute euthanasia and histologic assessment for completeness of epithelial removal and ablation depth. In Phase II, multiple ablations were created in 19 farm swine, with varying power and energy density, followed by endoscopy at 2 and 4 weeks to assess stricture formation. In Phase III, 3 ablations were created in 12 farm swine, with varying energy density (5, 8, 10, 12, 15, or 20 J/cm 2 ) at 350 W. Animals were euthanized at 48 hours. Histologic examination determined the percentage of epithelium removed and the ablation depth. In Phase IV, 3 patients underwent esophageal epithelial ablation before esophagectomy, creating separate lesions proximal to the tumor. Completeness of epithelial ablation and ablation depth was quantified histologically. Results In Phase I, complete removal of esophageal epithelium was achieved at energy density settings of 9.7 to 29.5 J/cm 2 . In Phase II, 9.7 and 10.6 J/cm 2 produced no stricture, whereas more than 20 J/cm 2 produced a stricture in every case. In Phase III, 8-20 J/cm 2 resulted in 100% epithelial ablation. Five and 8 J/cm 2 spared the muscularis mucosae, whereas 10 J/cm 2 caused injury to the muscularis mucosae but preserved the submucosa. In Phase IV, histologic examination demonstrated full-thickness epithelial removal in areas of electrode contact. Ablation extended only to the muscularis mucosae, without injury to submucosa. Conclusions In the porcine and the human esophagus, circumferential, full-thickness ablation of epithelium without direct injury to the submucosa is possible and was well tolerated. In all cases, depth of ablation was linearly related to energy density of treatment.
Results From a Novel Insert Design for High Strain-Rate Compression of a Bulk Metallic Glass

Liquidmetal-1 (LM-1, Zr41.25 Ti13.75 Cu12.5 Ni10 Be22.5 ) is a bulk metallic glass that can be processed in large thicknesses (e.g. 10 mm) because of its low critical cooling rate (e.g. 1 K/s). Like other bulk metallic glasses, this material exhibits near theoretical strength and large elastic strains (~2%) under quasi-static loading conditions. In this work, the Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) was employed to perform high strain-rate compression tests on annealed LM-1. An ultrahigh-speed camera was also employed to perform in-situ video of the deformation process of the experiments, and the macroscopic fracture behavior was examined after testing. In addition, a new insert design was developed to reduce the effects of stress concentrations on the specimen. SHPB testing, combined with in-situ video, was performed on as-cast LM-1 using this new experimental configuration to determine the failure modes. The results of these experiments are compared to previous results to understand better the effects of stress concentration on high strain-rate behavior of bulk metallic glass.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The Calabozo:Virtual Reconstruction of a Place Based on Testimonies

The objective the research reported here is to create a visualization of a place based on personal experiences. My research addresses this issue through a case study: the visualization of a women's political prison during the Uruguayan military dictatorship (1973–85). The proposed visualization is based on these women's personal experiences of the solitary confinement cell (calabozo). Compared with their male counterpart, women's memories about prison have been traditionally relegated to a second level in Uruguay. The visualization aims to communicate these women's experiences of the calabozo through a video installation. This article first reviews relevant precedents to the case study and to virtual reconstructions and later describes the video installation.
Electostatic edge modes of a dielectric wedge

The calculation of the electrostatic edge modes of a dielectric wedge by Dobrzynski and Maradudin is reconsidered. It is shown that the electric fields are singular and the field energy is infinite near the edge. Rounding the edge by taking the boundary to be a hyperbolic cylinder removes the singularity, but changes the spectrum from continuous and independent of $q$ (where $\ensuremath{\varphi}\ensuremath{\propto}{e}^{\mathrm{iqz}}$ to discrete and dependent upon $q$. For the rounded edge these modes possess an orthogonality property convenient for calculating the response of the dielectric to an external charge.
Photoreception in Marine Invertebrates

SYNOPSIS. In order for photoperiodic phenomena to be expressed by any animal, the organism must possess some sort of photoreceptor. This may be in the form of an eye or an extraocular receptor, and the invertebrate phyla illustrate fantastic diversity in design of either receptor type. While all the major invertebrate phyla possess photoreceptor organs of one type or another, the best-studied groups are those with highly complex eyes. These include the crustaceans, the molluscs, and some polychaete annelids. Many species in these groups possess eyes having extreme sensitivity, good spatial resolution, and in some cases multiple spectral channels. In a few taxa, the eyes are known to provide input to circadian oscillators, which suggests that they may also be employed for measurement of photoperiod. Extraocular photoreceptors include dermal and ganglionic sense organs, which also feed into circadian systems in numerous invertebrates, from cnidarians to molluscs and arthropods.
Analytic Continuation of an Amplitude

A general procedure is given for successively continuing the invariant amplitude to arbitrary regions of the z plane when the partial-wave amplitude is given explicitly by the most general modified Cheng representation. The partial-wave expansion is summed in terms of elementary functions or integrals thereof, and no dispersion or background integrals are required.
The Promise of Stem Cell Research in Pigs and Other Ungulate Species

Despite two decades of effort, establishment of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESC) from ungulates such as cattle and pigs has remained an elusive goal, with true ESC only successfully isolated from rodents and primates. The many reports describing ESC-like cultures from other “difficult” species has largely depended upon adopting strategies successful for mouse and human and have not yet produced a cell type that both proliferated continuously in culture without differentiation and demonstrated full pluripotent potential. These difficulties may have been exacerbated in ungulates by the lack of specific markers exclusive to inner cell mass (ICM) and its derivative the epiblast and by unique features of their preimplantation development. Especially important may have been the choice of culture condition, including growth factors, for establishing and sustaining the ESC. Recent modifications to culture medium, notably the inclusion of particular protein kinase inhibitors, have permitted ESC derivation from rat and previously “non-permissive” mouse strains. These conditions appear to stabilize the biochemical networks that sustain pluripotency and to render the cells dependent upon LIF signaling. In addition, the recent successful generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from pig by procedures that should be easily adapted to other species, is also likely to advance the area quickly. The pig is a particularly desirable species to create pluripotent cell lines because of its value as a biomedical model in transplantation at a time when there is mounting pressure to rush stem cells to the clinic before their safety has been adequately tested in animals.
Negative Interaction with Fellow Church Members and Depressive Symptoms among Older Mexican Americans

Summary Research indicates that positive relationships with fellow church members are associated with better mental health. However, far less research has focused on the relationship between negative interaction with fellow church members and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between church-based negative interaction and depressive symptoms with data from a nationwide sample of older Mexican Americans. Statistically significant findings were found for the following core relationships in our study model: (1) older Mexican Americans who encounter negative interaction with fellow church members experience more doubts about their faith; (2) older Mexican Americans who experience more doubts about their faith are more likely to expect transgressors to perform acts of contrition (i.e., make amends); and (3) older Mexican Americans who require transgressors to perform acts of contrition are more likely to experience symptoms of depression. Subsequent empirical analyses provide support for each of these relationships.
Efficient computation of Fourier inversion for finite groups

Let G be a finite group and let S be a complex-valued function on G. If ρ is a matrix representation of G (of dimension d ρ ) then the Fourier transform of f at G. If ρ is defined to be the matrix f(ρ) = Σ s ∈ G f(s)ρ(s). Let R be a complete set of inequivalent irreducible matrix representations of G. The Fourier transform of f (with respect to R) is defined as the set of matrices {f(ρ)} ρ ∈ R . Recovery of f from its Fourier transform may be accomplished via the Fourier inversion formula, f(s) = |G| Σ d ρ trace(f(ρ)ρ(s) −1 )
Remnants of Strong Tidal Interactions

This paper reported on n-body calculations studying tidal interactions which stripped roughly half the mass of a stellar system. The mass ratio between primary and secondary was large, m p /m s = 102–106. Such strong interactions may be important in the early development of globular cluster systems (Elson et al. 1987), in understanding the origin of Population II stars (Fall and Rees 1977), tidal stripping of dwarf companion galaxies (e.g., Murai and Fujimoto 1985), in interactions between galaxies in groups and clusters (Aguilar and White 1985) and in interactions between galaxies and clusters (Miller 1986; Fitchett et al. 1990).
Giant Intracranial Aneurysms Presenting with Massive Cerebral Edema

Two cases of giant left middle cerebral artery aneurysm presenting with rapidly progressing hemiparesis and aphasia are presented. In both, the computed tomographic scan showed recent intraaneurysmal thrombosis and massive edema and swelling of the cerebral hemisphere. There was no evidence of recent hemorrhage in either case. In both patients, surgical resection of the aneurysm was accomplished, but the outcome was disastrous. The literature is reviewed and the possible mechanisms responsible for brain swelling in these cases are discussed.
Polarized light propagation through tissue phantoms containing densely packed scatterers.

We demonstrate that polarized light is maintained differently in densely packed versus dilute suspensions of polystyrene microspheres. The degrees of linear and circular polarization were measured versus scatterer concentration in aqueous suspensions of 0.48-, 0.99-, 2.092-, and 9.14‐µm-diameter polystyrene microspheres. The results indicate that, for dilute suspensions of microspheres where independent scattering is assumed, the degrees of linear and circular polarization decrease as the scatterer concentration increases. For dense suspensions, however, the degree of polarization begins to increase as the scatterer concentration increases. The preferential propagation of linear over circular polarization states in dense suspensions is similar to results seen in biological tissue.
Conditions for double layers in the Earth's magnetosphere and perhaps in other astrophysical objects

Double layers form along auroral field lines in the Earth's magnetosphere. They form in order to maintain current continuity in the ionosphere in the presence of a magnetospheric electric field E with nabla x E is not equal to 0. Features which govern the formation of the double layers are: (1) the divergence of E, (2) the conductivity of the ionosphere, and (3) the current-voltage characteristics of auroral magnetic field lines. Astrophysical situations where nabla x E is not equal to 0 is applied to a conducting plasma similar to the Earth's ionosphere are potential candidates for the formation of double layers. The region with nabla x E is not equal to 0 can be generated within, or along field lines connected to, the conducting plasma. In addition to nabla x E, shear neutral flow in the conducting plasma can also form double layers.
The Y-box Motif Mediates Redox-dependent Transcriptional Activation in Mouse Cells

We show here that the OxyR response element (ORE) in the bacterial oxyR promoter can also function as a redox-dependent enhancer in mammalian cells. Fusion of ORE to an SV40 basal promoter driving chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression confers H2O2 inducibility to expression of the cat gene in mouse Hepa-1 hepatoma cells. Nuclear extracts from these cells contain DNA-binding proteins that specifically interact with ORE DNA, cannot be competed by cognate oligonucleotides to AP-1 or NFκB, and are constitutively expressed, since treatment with H2O2 causes no detectable changes in binding activity or DNA-protein interaction. Recombinant cDNA clones that express ORE-binding proteins were isolated from a mouse hepatoma expression library and found to be representatives of two different members of the murine Y-box family of transcription factors. Canonical Y-box and ORE oligonucleotides compete with each other for binding to Y-box proteins in gel shift assays and antibodies to FRGY2, a Xenopus Y-box protein, supershift both Y-box and ORE DNA-protein complexes. In addition, antisense oligonucleotides to mouse YB-1 mRNA abolish induction of ORE-mediated cat expression by H2O2, and luciferase reporter constructs containing ORE, or the Y-box from the human MHC class II HLA-DQ gene, exhibit identical dose-dependent H2O2 inducibilities, which can be abolished by addition of 2-mercaptoethanol to the culture medium. These results suggest that the Y-box proteins may be an integral component of a eukaryotic redox signaling pathway.
Civil war and the severity of militarized interstate disputes

Previous work has suggested that civil wars can increase the risk of militarized interstate conflict. This research note examines the severity of different suggested linkages between civil war and international conflict using data from 1946 to 2001. The results show that instances of direct intervention and interstate coercion are associated with more severe interstate disputes, comparable in magnitude to the severity of territorial disputes. By contrast, disputes that entail pursuit of rebels across international borders, efforts to deter externalization and spillover events tend to have lower severity. The results underscore the important potential role of internal war for interstate conflicts as well as what types of conflict linkages seem to go together with more severe disputes.
Struggles with symptoms: women's narratives of managing HIV illness.

The purpose of this research report is to derive a holistic view of the symptom experiences of women living with HIV/AIDS. A racially diverse sample of 38 HIV-infected women participated in in-depth narrative interviews describing their perceptions, evaluations, and responses related to HIV symptoms. Findings suggest a pattern to their struggles with symptoms: They experienced an accumulation of overwhelming symptoms, grew intensely fearful of these symptoms and what it meant to have HIV, and acted to protect themselves from allowing the HIV to "take hold." Many women perceived health care contact and cooperation with prescribed regimens as avenues for HIV to "take over" their lives, so they avoided these actions. Exemplar narratives illustrate analytic findings.
The gramicidin channel ion permeation free-energy profile: Direct and indirect effects of CHARMM force field improvements

A revised CHARMM force field for tryptophan residues is studied as well as a new grid-based correction algorithm, called CMAP, using molecular dynamics simulations of gramicidin A (1JNO) embedded in a lipid bilayer (DMPC) with 1 mol/kg NaCl or KCl saline solution. The conformational stability of the interfacial side chains is studied, which shows good stability on the 10 ns time scale. The revised force field for the tryptophan side chain produces, in the decomposition, a Na+ PMFTrp profile that is consonant with the prediction from the experimental results, analyzed with rate theory by Durrant et al. (2006), but in stark contrast to the prediction of the original CHARMM force field, version 22. However, the effect is diluted in the PMF profile due to indirect effects mediated by other components of the system (polypeptide, lipid molecules, ions, and water molecules). CMAP corrections to the L-amino acids help reduce the excessive translocation barrier. Decomposition demonstrates that this effect is due to effects on the K+ % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+- % feaagaart1ev2aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn % hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBqj3BWbIqubWexLMBb50ujbqegm0B % 1jxALjharqqtubsr4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqr % Ffpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0F % irpepeKkFr0xfr-xfr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaa % GcbaacbaGaa8huaiaa-1eacaWFgbWaaSbaaSqaaiaa-HeadaWgaaad % baGaa8NmaaqabaWccaWFpbaabeaaaaa!3E86! $$ PMF_{H_2 O} $$ profile rather than on the K+ PMFgA profile. The results have been confirmed to be robust using an alternative umbrella-potential method. Further force field balancing efforts (direct and indirect) are required for future studies to evaluate whether these effects give rise to predictions that are consistent with those observables extracted from real experiments.
Thermal atropisomerism of fully functionalized vancomycin CD, DE, and CDE ring systems

Abstract A study of the thermal atropisomerism of fully functionalized vancomycin CD, DE and CDE ring systems is detailed. The studies suggested and resulted in the realization of a selective DE ring system atropisomerism of a fully functionalized vancomycin CDE ring system, offering a unique solution to the control of natural product atropisomer stereochemistry.
Geochemistry and evolution of the South Platte granite-pegmatite system, Jefferson County, Colorado

Abstract The South Platte pegmatite district is well known for its significant enrichment in the rare earth elements (REE), Y, Nb, F, and for the exceptionally well-developed internal zonation of the complex pegmatites located within a reversely zoned portion of the Pikes Peak batholith. Chemical trends both within and between pegmatites define the behavior of major and trace elements and the role of F in the fractionation of the granitic magma and pegmatitic fluids, suggesting a new model for the evolution of the granite-pegmatite system. Whole-rock XRF and INAA analyses of the host Pikes Peak granite and quartz monzonite and pegmatite wall zones provide strong evidence that all three are related by differentiation. With increasing SiO2, there is systematic enrichment in K2O, Na2O, and Rb, and depletion in CaO, MgO, FeO∗, TiO2, P2O5, Ba, Sr, and Sc. REE, Y, Zr, and Th were strongly partitioned out of the wall zone into the final residual fluids where they were concentrated up to an order of magnitude over levels in the granite. Within the district, there is also chemical zonation of F, Nb, Th, U, and REE between groups of pegmatites. Polyzonal quartz-core types typically contain more fluorite, samarskite, HREE-zircon, and yttrian-fluorite than their bizonal composite-core counterparts, which contain only sparse fluorite and allanite. The sequence of magmatic evolution involved: (1) a process of diffusive differentiation and fractional crystallization which produced a chemically stratified magma chamber with a hotter more mafic quartz monzonitic base and a more felsic, granitic top enriched in H2O, F, HREE, Nb, and Y; (2) resurgence of the more mafic lower level crystal mush in to the upper more felsic part of the pluton; and (3) separation of pegmatitic fluids from the juxtaposed magmas giving rise to two compositionally distinct groups of pegmatites.
Models of S/π interactions in protein structures: Comparison of the H2S–benzene complex with PDB data

S/pi interactions are prevalent in biochemistry and play an important role in protein folding and stabilization. Geometries of cysteine/aromatic interactions found in crystal structures from the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank (PDB) are analyzed and compared with the equilibrium configurations predicted by high-level quantum mechanical results for the H(2)S-benzene complex. A correlation is observed between the energetically favorable configurations on the quantum mechanical potential energy surface of the H(2)S-benzene model and the cysteine/aromatic configurations most frequently found in crystal structures of the PDB. In contrast to some previous PDB analyses, configurations with the sulfur over the aromatic ring are found to be the most important. Our results suggest that accurate quantum computations on models of noncovalent interactions may be helpful in understanding the structures of proteins and other complex systems.
The exercise test as a component of the total fitness evaluation

The meaning, development, and means of testing for physical fitness are described. Emphasis is placed on measurement of all components of health-related physical fitness, including cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.
Ultrasound examination of the sigmoid colon: possible new diagnostic tool for irritable bowel syndrome.

Objective Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects about 10% of the population, and is primarily a disease of women. It may cause chronic pelvic pain. As yet there is no imaging test to aid in diagnosis, which relies upon history. We aimed to determine whether transvaginal sonographic investigation of the sigmoid colon could aid in the diagnosis of IBS. Method Transvaginal ultrasound was used in 175 female patients undergoing pelvic ultrasound studies for a variety of reasons, none specifically for bowel complaints. We measured the wall of the sigmoid colon and then obtained the history of positive or negative for IBS. Results The majority of those 27 reporting a history of IBS had thickening of the wall of the sigmoid colon. A cut-off of 3.0 mm gave a sensitivity for this group of patients of 70%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 73% and negative predictive value of 95%. Conclusion Transvaginal ultrasound may be useful in identifying patients at risk for IBS. Consideration of colon wall measurement during pelvic ultrasound should be studied, as IBS may be a cause of chronic pelvic pain. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Markers of adipose tissue macrophage content are negatively associated with serum HDL-C concentrations.

Abstract Objective Adipose tissue macrophages are associated with adiposity and may play a role in obesity related co-morbidities. We examined whether abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue macrophage content (ATMc) was associated with fasting serum total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) concentrations. Methods 52 (35 male) of Pima Indians without diabetes participated in the study. ATMc was assessed by histochemistry (CD68+ cells) (Mphi) and gene expression of macrophage-specific markers including CD68, CSF1r, CD11b and CD11c. Results HDL-C was negatively associated with CD68, CSF1R, CD11b and CD11c expression ( r =−0.31, p =0.02; r =−0.38, p r =−0.40, p r =−0.26, p =0.04, respectively). After adjustment for age, sex and BMI, the associations between HDL-C and CSF1R, CD11b were still significant ( r =−0.31, p =0.01 and r =−0.3, p =0.02), but borderline for CD68 ( r =−0.24, p =0.06). Conclusions ATMc is associated with lower HDL-C independent of BMI indicating a link between ATMc and cardiovascular risk factors.
Long range energy demand analysis

Analyzing implications of long-range energy demand policies requires the development of special modeling methodologies heretofore unfamiliar to both economists and engineers. This is due to long time horizons imposed by the nature of energy technologies and data constraints imposed by the structural complexity of the economic system. This paper describes the unique characteristics of energy demand modeling, the interdisciplinary nature of the problem, and the role of physical scientists in its solution. Four problem areas are described, through which engineers could enter the field of energy demand analysis on familiar methodological turf and contribute to the solution of the nation's energy problems.
Pitavastatin: a new 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase inhibitor for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Statins have proven beneficial for reducing both primary and secondary events in patients with coronary heart disease. Tight control of serum lipid parameters in these patients is recommended by the most recent clinical guidelines. Although numerous lipid-lowering treatments are available, only a small percentage of eligible patients receive therapy and fewer achieve their lipid-lowering goals. Thus it is clear that new treatment strategies to manage patients with lipid abnormalities are warranted. Pitavastatin (Lival®; Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Montgomery, AL, USA) has been recently approved for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and combined dyslipidemia. Pitavastatin 1–4 mg/day has shown similar low-density lipoprotein-reducing activity to other commercially available statins, including simvastatin and atorvastatin. Adverse events occurred at similar rates to other statins in clinical trials with favorable effects seen in patients with dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome. Pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions are minimized due to the lack of significant metabolism of pitavastatin by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, although some drugs affect its uptake into hepatocytes and should be avoided. In addition to its higher acquisition cost, pitavastatin has not been shown to improve clinical outcomes in high-risk patient populations and thus may not be the agent of choice in many patients at this time in lieu of cheaper, clinically proven alternatives.
Plasmapheresis therapy for diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in patients with small-vessel vasculitis

Abstract Background: Unlike Goodpasture's syndrome with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), there are few studies examining therapy for patients with DAH associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated small-vessel vasculitis (SVV). Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all such patients presenting to our institution between 1995 and 2001. All patients were treated with apheresis and induction immunosuppressive therapy; namely, intravenous methylprednisolone and/or intravenous cyclophosphamide. Results: DAH resolved with apheresis in 20 of 20 patients (100%) with 6.4 (average) treatments. There were no complications of therapy. Half the patients (7 of 14) who also presented with azotemia were discharged with improved renal function. Conclusion: Patients with ANCA-related SVV and DAH benefit from prompt initiation of apheresis coupled with aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. Such therapy can be lifesaving with respect to the pulmonary component of this syndrome.
The marketing of social causes: the first 10 years.

The application of marketing to the promotion of social causes was proposed a decade ago. The authors position social marketing as an approach to social change, describe its evolution, and review s...
Minority Group Status as a Factor in the Relationship between Mobility and Fertility: The Mexican American Case

This paper sets forth contrasting hypotheses about the influence of racial and ethnic group membership on the relationship between mobility and fertility. 1 may be termed minority group status approach and the other the underdevelopment approach. Both perspectives offer bases for predicting fertility levels that deviate from the level that is roughly the average of the fertility levels typical of the social strata between which mobility has occurred. But the former implies greater fertility deviations the more integrated the minority group is into the larger society whereas the latter suggests greater deviations the less integrated the minority group is into the larger society. These ideas are tested using data from a sample of Mexican American couples interviewed for the 1969 Austin Family Survey split according to generational distance from Mexico. The results indicate more support for the minority group status than the underdevelopment hypothesis as revealed by lower than average expected fertility on the part of couples removed at least 3 generations from Mexico. (authors modified)
Surgical management of depressed cranial fractures.

Indications: Patients with open (compound) cranial fractures depressed greater than the thickness of the cranium should undergo operative intervention to prevent infection. Patients with open (compound) depressed cranial fractures may be treated nonoperatively if there is no clinical or radiographic evidence of dural penetration, significant intracranial hematoma, depression greater than 1 cm, frontal sinus involvement, gross cosmetic deformity, wound infection, pneumocephalus, or gross wound contamination. Nonoperative management of closed (simple) depressed cranial fractures is a treatment option. Timing: Early operation is recommended to reduce the incidence of infection. Methods: Elevation and debridement is recommended as the surgical method of choice. Primary bone fragment replacement is a surgical option in the absence of wound infection at the time of surgery. All management strategies for open (compound) depressed fractures should include antibiotics.
Application-driven processor design exploration for power-performance trade-off analysis

This paper presents an efficient design exploration environment for high-end core processors. The heart of the proposed design exploration framework is a two-level simulation engine that combines detailed simulation for critical portions of the code with fast profiling for the rest. Our two-level simulation methodology relies on the inherent clustered structure of application programs and is completely general and applicable to any microarchitectural power/performance simulation engine. The proposed simulation methodology is 3-17/spl times/ faster, while being sufficiently accurate (within 5%) when compared to the fully detailed simulator The design exploration environment is able to vary different microarchitectural configurations and find the optimal one as far as energy/spl times/delay product is concerned in a matter of minutes. The parameters that are found to affect drastically the core processor power/performance metrics are issue width, instruction window size, and pipeline depth, along with correlated clock frequency. For very high-end configurations for which balanced pipelining, may not be possible, opportunities for running faster stages at lower voltage exist. In such cases, by using up to 3 voltage levels, the energy/spl times/delay product is reduced by 23-30% when compared to the single voltage implementation.
Expression of the transin, c-fos, and c-jun genes in rat transplantable osteosarcomas and malignant fibrous histiocytomas

The expression of the transin, c-fos, and c-jun genes was assessed in transplantable osteosarcomas and malignant fibrous histiocytomas, as well as in pancreatic duct adenocarcinomas and hepatocellular carcinomas of rats and hamsters. Northern blot analysis revealed that both an undifferentiated osteosarcoma of spontaneous origin (SOS) and 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide (4-HAQO)-induced malignant fibrous histiocytomas with metastatic potential to the lung showed remarkably increased expression of transin mRNA transcripts. This was not the case for the other tumors. Interestingly, levels of transin mRNA were lower in lung metastatic lesions than in primary subcutaneous SOS tumors. The primary SOS and MFH expressed both c-fos and c-jun genes in conjunction with the transin gene, whereas the non-transin expressers, a 4-HAQO-induced osteosarcoma (COS) and the pancreatic duct adenocarcinomas, demonstrated one or the other, but not both. These results suggest a possible involvement of transin expression in the progression of spontaneous osteosarcomas and 4-HAQO-induced malignant fibrous histiocytomas in rats. Expression of the c-fos and c-jun genes may play a regulatory role in this process.
Structure and mechanism of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (LicC) from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pneumococcal LicC is a member of the nucleoside triphosphate transferase superfamily and catalyzes the transfer of a cytidine monophosphate from CTP to phosphocholine to form CDP-choline. The structures of apo-LicC and the LicC·CDP-choline·Mg2+ ternary complex were determined, and the comparison of these structures reveals a significant conformational change driven by the multivalent coordination of Mg2+. The key event is breaking the Glu216·Arg129 salt bridge, which triggers the coalescence of four individual β-strands into two extended β-sheets. These movements reorient the side chains of Trp136 and Tyr190 for the optimal binding and alignment of the phosphocholine moiety. Consistent with these conformational changes, LicC operates via a compulsory ordered kinetic mechanism. The structures explain the substrate specificity of LicC for CTP and phosphocholine and implicate a direct role for Mg2+in aligning phosphocholine for in-line nucleophilic attack and stabilizing the negative charge that develops in the pentacoordinate transition state. These results provide a structural basis for assigning a specific role for magnesium in the catalytic mechanism of pneumococcal LicC.
Gas chromatography of esters of plant acids and their identification in plant materials

The gas chromatographic retention data of methyl and ethyl esters of a number of common plant acids are reported. Special emphasis is placed on the acids of the Krebs cycle. Of four liquid phases used, Apiezon L appears to be most generally applicable and the only one which permits satisfactory separation of fumarate and succinate. The esters of citric acid and isocitric acid (lactone) are readily separated on all four columns. The method has been used for identification of the acids in various plant materials. It is sensitive and selective and should be valuable for biochemical studies concerning the production and function of organic acids in plants.
Modes of Action of Microbially-Produced Phytotoxins

Some of the most potent phytotoxins are synthesized by microbes. A few of these share molecular target sites with some synthetic herbicides, but many microbial toxins have unique target sites with potential for exploitation by the herbicide industry. Compounds from both non-pathogenic and pathogenic microbes are discussed. Microbial phytotoxins with modes of action the same as those of commercial herbicides and those with novel modes of action of action are covered. Examples of the compounds discussed are tentoxin, AAL-toxin, auscaulitoxin aglycone, hydantocidin, thaxtomin, and tabtoxin.