Hypertension is a common multifactorial vascular disorder of largely unknown cause. Recognition that hypertension is in part genetically determined has motivated studies to identify mutations that confer susceptibility. Thus far, mutations in at least 10 genes have been shown to alter blood pressure; most of these are rare mutations imparting large quantitative effects that either raise or lower blood pressure. These mutations alter blood pressure through a common pathway, changing salt and water reabsorption in the kidney. These findings demonstrate the utility of molecular genetic approaches to the understanding of blood pressure variation and may provide insight into the physiologic mechanisms underlying common forms of hypertension.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/272/5262/676.full.pdf

Molecular Genetics of Human Blood Pressure Variation

A silver halide photographic material is disclosed, comprising a support having provided thereon at least one silver halide emulsion layer, wherein the silver halide emulsion layer contains, in the dispersion medium phase of the emulsion, one or more kinds of inorganic fine particles having a refractive index the total weight of the fine particles contained in the unit volume of the dispersion medium phase is from 1.0 to 95 wt %, the dispersion medium phase containing the fine particles is substantially transparent to the photosensitive peak wavelength light of the emulsion layer, and the photographic material is exposed and processed in the development process comprising at least a developing step and a fixing step.

Silver halide photographic material.

Luminescence and scintillation characteristics of four selected material systems, namely CsI:Tl(Na), CeF 3 , PbWO 4 and Ce-doped aluminium perovskites XAIO 3 :Ce (X=Y, Lu, Y-Lu) are reviewed. The progress in their physical understanding and related optimisation of their characteristics and technology are demonstrated. The important role of various defect states in the scintillator performance of these materials is stressed, which has led to the need for a deeper study of the processes of energy transfer and storage to achieve their intrinsic limits and full exploitation in scintillation detectors.

Wide Band Gap Scintillation Materials: Progress in the Technology and Material Understanding

The DNA region encoding biphenyl dioxygenase, the first enzyme in the biphenyl-polychlorinated biphenyl degradation pathway of Pseudomonas species strain LB400, was sequenced. Six open reading frames were identified, four of which are homologous to the components of toluene dioxygenase from Pseudomonas putida F1 and have been named bphA, bphE, bphF, and bphG. From this comparison, biphenyl dioxygenase was found to be a multicomponent enzyme containing a two-subunit iron-sulfur protein, a ferredoxin, and a reductase. Comparison of the large subunit of the iron-sulfur protein and the ferredoxin with other multicomponent dioxygenases identified amino acid sequences similar to Rieske iron-sulfur proteins for binding a [2Fe-2S] cluster. Sequences have also been identified in the reductase component that match the consensus sequence for FAD or NAD binding. Transcription of the biphenyl dioxygenase region was examined, and three transcription initiation sites were identified. Transcription initiating at the site furthest upstream is greatly increased when the LB400 cells are grown on biphenyl as the sole carbon source.

Nucleotide sequencing and transcriptional mapping of the genes encoding biphenyl dioxygenase, a multicomponent polychlorinated-biphenyl-degrading enzyme in Pseudomonas strain LB400.

The transcription of iron uptake and storage genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is primarily regulated by the transcription factor Aft1. Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Aft1 is dependent upon mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biosynthesis via a signaling pathway that includes the cytosolic monothiol glutaredoxins (Grx3 and Grx4) and the BolA homologue Fra2. However, the interactions between these proteins and the iron-dependent mechanism by which they control Aft1 localization are unclear. To reconstitute and characterize components of this signaling pathway in vitro, we have overexpressed yeast Fra2 and Grx3/4 in Escherichia coli. We have shown that coexpression of recombinant Fra2 with Grx3 or Grx4 allows purification of a stable [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster-containing Fra2-Grx3 or Fra2-Grx4 heterodimeric complex. Reconstitution of a [2Fe-2S] cluster on Grx3 or Grx4 without Fra2 produces a [2Fe-2S]-bridged homodimer. UV−visible absorption and CD, resonance Raman, EPR, ENDOR, Mossbauer, and EXAFS studies of [2Fe-2S] Grx3/4...

The Yeast Iron Regulatory Proteins Grx3/4 and Fra2 Form Heterodimeric Complexes Containing a [2Fe-2S] Cluster with Cysteinyl and Histidyl Ligation

Precise information about the molecular structure, stereochemistry, and environment of paramagnetic species can be obtained by electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy. This technique has been applied in a wide range of disciplines to liquid-phase, single-crystal, and powder samples. In some cases—the study of defects in ionic single crystals, for instance—the volume and complexity of data obtained by ENDOR can hinder interpretation. Such difficulties have been overcome by the use of supplemental ENDOR techniques that simplify the assignment of ENDOR lines. The increased use of computers for the automation of instrumentation, the design of experiments, and the analysis of data has made possible the study of a wider range of problems. With these improvements, as well as with the increased sensitivity provided by optically detected ENDOR, it is now feasible to study polycrystalline and amorphous materials, such as thin-film semiconductors and biological samples in vivo.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/230/4723/268.full.pdf

Electron Nuclear Double Resonance Spectroscopy

Oxygen in oxide form is a common contaminant of BaFBr and BaFCl crystals. Upon x-irradiation of oxide-containing crystals of both materials, ${\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{F}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ centers are formed, as has been shown previously by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) methods. It is shown here by EPR that upon x-irradiation ${\mathrm{O}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ centers are also formed on the ${\mathrm{Br}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ sites, respectively. With electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy, hyperfine interactions with the nearest $^{19}\mathrm{F}$ neighbors have been determined for ${\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{Br}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ in BaFBr. Their interpretation leads to the conclusion that the ${\mathrm{O}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ ion is displaced along the c axis from the ${\mathrm{Br}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ site by about 1 \AA{}, in qualitative agreement with previous theoretical calculations. The EPR hyperfine data for ${\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{Cl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ centers in BaFCl indicate that a similar displacement occurs. Also by EPR, (${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$${)}_{\mathrm{Cl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ centers could be identified in x-irradiated BaFCl crystals containing ${\mathrm{O}}^{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ enriched with the magnetic $^{17}\mathrm{O}$ isotope.

Oxygen defects in BaFBr and BaFCl.

A labeling method for marking a product with invisible information. The label includes a removable laminate formed from a light transmissive layer, and a light transmissive adhesive that detachably affixes the label to a product. The label includes an invisible marker that contains information, detectable by light of selected wavelength. The amount of marker selected is sufficient to allow information in the marker to be detected only when the laminate is affixed over a surface with a selected optical background. The label laminate is removed from the surface of the product and affixed to a surface having the selected optical background and is exposed to light that renders the information in the marker detectable. The method allows covert information in the label laminate to be reliably detected and read with the use of minimal quantities of marker material.

Security label laminate and method of labeling

An O- centre formed upon hole trapping by O2- in X-irradiated BaFBr is long-lived at room temperature and has been detected by EPR below 30 K. It can also be produced in low concentrations by exposure of BaFBr to sub-bandgap (200-300 nm) radiation. The formation of F(Br-) centres at a charge-compensating bromide ion vacancies is a corollary of the photoionization of O2-. High concentrations of oxide have been successfully introduced into this material by doping with anhydrous BaO, including Ba17O for unambiguous identification of the O- defect. Oxide addition and the formation of O- produces a series of optical bands that have been assigned using a combination of optical and magneto-optical techniques. The influence of the material preparation conditions on the concentration of O2- is discussed and possible mechanisms for the formation of O- are proposed.

Radiation-produced electron and hole centres in oxygen-containing BaFBr. I. EPR and ODEPR studies

A photographic silver halide emulsion is disclosed comprised of radiation sensitive silver halide grains exhibiting a face centered cubic crystal lattice structure and internally containing rhenium ions.

Myra T. Olm

Papers

Electron Nuclear Double Resonance Spectroscopy

Oxygen defects in BaFBr and BaFCl.

Security label laminate and method of labeling

Radiation-produced electron and hole centres in oxygen-containing BaFBr. I. EPR and ODEPR studies

Internally doped silver halide emulsions