cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cloning of nitroalkane oxidase from Fusarium oxysporum identifies a new member of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase superfamily

The flavoprotein nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) from Fusarium oxysporum catalyzes the oxidation of nitroalkanes to the respective aldehydes with production of nitrite and hydrogen peroxide. The sequences of several peptides from the fungal enzyme were used to design oligonucleotides for the isolation of a portion of the NAO gene from an F. oxysporum genomic DNA preparation. This sequence was used to clone the cDNA for NAO from an F. oxysporum cDNA library. The sequence of the cloned cDNA showed that NOA is a member of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACAD) superfamily. The members of this family share with NAO a mechanism that is initiated by proton removal from carbon, suggesting a common chemical reaction for this superfamily. NAO was expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant enzyme was characterized. Recombinant NAO has identical kinetic parameters to enzyme isolated from F. oxysporum but is isolated with oxidized FAD rather than the nitrobutyl-FAD found in the fungal enzyme. NAO purified from E. coli or from F. oxysporum has no detectable ACAD activity on short- or medium-chain acyl CoAs, and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase are unable to catalyze oxidation of nitroalkanes.
Use of positron emission tomography scans in ovarian cancer: a diagnostic technique in search of an indication.

Recent evidence that specific molecular abnormalities strongly influence the activity of gefitinib in lung cancer, 1 and trial results demonstrating the effectiveness of trastuzumab employed as breast cancer adjuvant therapy in the presence of HER-2 overexpression, 2 emphasize the relevance of diagnostic testing in influencing cancer patient management. Furthermore, based on existing data, it is reasonable to conclude that the development of novel biologic markers and innovative imaging strategies have the realistic potential to alter substantially the approach oncologists traditionally use to both initiate and modify anticancer treatment. However,asinotherareasofoncology,theenthusiasm forpromisingnewdiagnostictestsmustbeaccompaniedby appropriate and critical analysis of what has been claimed. 3
Selective N,N-methylation of aniline over cocrystallized zeolites RHO and zeolite X (FAU) and over Linde type L (Sr,K-LTL)

Abstract Alkylation of aniline (PhNH 2 ) with methanol (MeOH) over cocrystallized zeolite RHO–zeolite X (FAU) and over zeolite Linde type L (Sr,K-LTL) as catalysts has been studied. Cocrystallized zeolite RHO–zeolite X (FAU) favors the formation of N,N -dimethylaniline (NNDMA) with high selectivity >90%, having an advantage over pure zeolite X (FAU) of staying active even after 10 h of reaction. Activity of cocrystallized RHO–zeolite X (FAU) is higher than that for Sr,K-LTL in terms of the production of N,N -dimethylaniline.
Lung Tumor Response in Strain a Mice Exposed to Tobacco Smoke: Some Dose-Effect Relationships

Male strain A/J mice were exposed for 5 mo in a whole-body inhalation chamber to 3 different concentrations of a mixture of cigarette sidestream and mainstream smoke (99, 120, and 176 mg/m(3) of total suspended particulate material, TSP). After an additional 4-mo recovery period in air, lung tumor multiplicities and incidences were determined. The two highest smoke concentrations produced significantly more lung tumors than did the low dose and control groups, although the response to the high was slightly less than to the medium dose. Lung tumor incidences were in all three groups significantly higher than in controls. Lung displacement volume was increased in a dose-dependent manner, but morphometric analysis of the tissues failed to provide evidence for airspace enlargement. Plasma cotinine levels were dose-dependent and similar after 1-day and 5-day exposure. The shape of the dose-response curve and a comparison with previous data suggest that cigarette smoke is only a comparatively weak mouse lung carcinogen.
An Improved Extraction Pattern Representation Model for Automatic IE Pattern Acquisition

Several approaches have been described for the automatic unsupervised acquisition of patterns for information extraction. Each approach is based on a particular model for the patterns to be acquired, such as a predicate-argument structure or a dependency chain. The effect of these alternative models has not been previously studied. In this paper, we compare the prior models and introduce a new model, the Subtree model, based on arbitrary subtrees of dependency trees. We describe a discovery procedure for this model and demonstrate experimentally an improvement in recall using Subtree patterns.
Preschoolers' generation of different types of counterfactual statements and theory of mind understanding

Abstract Two studies examined associations between theory of mind performance and counterfactual thinking using both antecedent and consequent counterfactual tasks. Moreover, the studies examined children’s abilities to generate different types of counterfactual statements in terms of direction and structure. Participants were 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children ( N =81 and 103 in Studies 1 and 2, respectively). In both studies overall number of counterfactual statements generated as well as generation of specific types of counterfactuals accounted for significant variance in theory of mind performance beyond age and language. Results also indicated that children, similar to adults, generated certain types of counterfactuals with more ease than others. Data suggest that counterfactual thinking accounts, at least partially, for children’s theory of mind performance. Implications for current understanding of counterfactual reasoning and theory of mind development are discussed.
How do paediatricians communicate with children and parents

Aim The outpatient clinic visit is the major focus of the hospital medical process for most paediatricians, children and parents. The importance of children as active participants in this interaction has been recognized. Our study aims are to describe and assess the components of doctor-parent-child communication in the outpatient setting. Methods Fifty-one medical paediatric clinic consultations were recorded on audio cassette, and communication was analysed according to quantitative methods. Questionnaires assessed parents' and children's perceptions. Results Doctors contributed most to the conversation (61%), children only 4%. Behaviour: Doctors' communication was 84% instrumental (e.g. asking questions, giving information or instructions), 13% affective behaviour (expressing concerns and worries) and 3% social (small talk). Parents' communication included giving information (83%), seeking information (13%) and social (4%). The child asked less information (3%) and had more social conversation (19%). Control Doctors dominated in turn taking (52%). Children took 9% of all turns. Perception: There was no correlation between parents' and children's perception and the informative or affective behaviour of the doctor. Conclusion Communication is mainly instrumental. Doctors tend to direct the interview. Children's contribution is small. The participation of children needs to be encouraged as part of a patient-centred approach.
Nuclear Sterol Regulatory Element-binding Proteins Activate Genes Responsible for the Entire Program of Unsaturated Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Transgenic Mouse Liver

Previous studies have shown that the rate of fatty acid synthesis is elevated by more than 20-fold in livers of transgenic mice that express truncated nuclear forms of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs). This was explained in part by an increase in the levels of mRNA for the two major enzymes of fatty acid synthesis, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase, whose transcription is stimulated by SREBPs. Fatty acid synthesis also requires a source of acetyl-CoA and NADPH. In the current studies we show that the levels of mRNA for ATP citrate lyase, the enzyme that produces acetyl-CoA, are also elevated in the transgenic livers. In addition, we found marked elevations in the mRNAs for malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, all of which produce NADPH. Finally, we found that overexpressing two of the SREBPs (1a and 2) led to elevated mRNAs for stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), an isoform that is detectable in nontransgenic livers, and SCD2, an isoform that is not detected in nontransgenic livers. This stimulation led to an increase in total SCD activity in liver microsomes. Together, all of these changes would be expected to lead to a marked increase in the concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids in the transgenic livers, and this was confirmed chromatographically. We conclude that expression of nuclear SREBPs is capable of activating the entire coordinated program of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in mouse liver.
A Prototype Antibody Microarray Platform to Monitor Changes in Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation

Reversible protein phosphorylation is a key regulatory process in all living cells. Deregulation of modification control mechanisms, especially in the case of tyrosine, may lead to malignant transformation and disease. Phosphotyrosine (p-Tyr) accounts for only 0.05% of the total cellular phospho-amino acid content, yet plays an unusually prominent role in eukaryotic signaling, development, and growth. Tracking temporal and positional p-Tyr changes across the cellular proteome, i.e. tyrosine phosphoproteomics, is therefore tremendously valuable. Here, we describe and evaluate a prototype antibody (Ab) microarray platform to monitor changes in protein Tyr phosphorylation. Availability permitting, a virtually unlimited number of Abs, each recognizing a specific cellular protein, may be arrayed on a chip, incubated with total cell or tissue extracts or with biological fluids, and then probed with a fluorescently labeled p-Tyr-specific monoclonal Ab, PY-KD1, specifically generated for this assay as part of the current study. The optimized protocol allowed detection of changes in the Tyr phosphorylation state of selected proteins using submicrogram to low nanogram of total protein extract, amounts that may conceivably be obtained from a thousand to a hundred thousand cells, or less, depending on the cell or tissue type. The assay platform was evaluated by assessing changes in a rationally selected subset of the Tyr phosphoproteome of Bcr-Abl-expressing cells treated with a specific inhibitor, Gleevec, and of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-treated HeLa cells. The results, ratiometric rather than strictly quantitative in nature, conformed with previous identifications of several Bcr-Abl and EGF receptor targets, and associated proteins, as detected by exhaustive mass spectrometric analyses. The Ab microarray method described here offers advantages of low sample and reagent consumption, scalability, detection multiplexing, and potential compatibility with microfluidic devices and automation. The system may hold particular promise for dissecting signaling pathways, molecular classification of tumors, and profiling of novel target-cancer drugs.
Morphology and mechanisms of femtosecond laser-induced structural change in bulk transparent materials

Summary form only given. When an intense femtosecond laser pulse is tightly focused into a transparent material, energy is deposited in the focal volume by nonlinear absorption. If enough energy is deposited, permanent structural change results. Characterization of the morphology of structural changes and identification of the mechanisms producing these changes represent essential steps in refining the femtosecond laser as a micromachining tool. We present a systematic study of structural changes produced in bulk glass by tightly-focused femtosecond pulses. Using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we identify a transition from a structural change mechanism dominated by localized melting or bond-break to one dominated by an explosive expansion.
The rhesus monkey as a model for the study of infectious disease

Models for bacterial and viral infections and intoxication were developed in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Manifestations of acute-phase illnesses, e.g., temperature, white blood cell (WBC) counts, blood cultures, etc., were monitored at regular intervals. Viral infection was established by inoculating subcutaneously 412 plaque-forming units of Trinidad strain, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus. A diphasic febrile response developed, with the first fever peak on days 1 to 2 and a second peak on days 3 to 5. Viremia occurred within 12 hours and persisted in some animals for as long as five days. WBC responses were typical of viral infection. Gram-positive infections were induced by intravenous (IV) inoculation of 108 Type I Diplococcus pneumoniae. Peak febrile response and bacteremia (102 to 106 pneumococci per milliliter) occurred within 48 hours. Gram-negative infections, obtained by IV inoculation with 109Salmonella typhimurium, induced maximal febrile responses within 24 to 48 hours. Leukopenia occurred in 75% of animals; all were bacteremic. Mortality was 40% at 72 hours. Manifestations of intoxication following IV administration of purified staphylococcal enterotoxin B (10 μg per kg body weight) consisted of vomiting, diarrhea, leukopenia, and fever within one to three hours and resembled nonlethal staphylococcal food poisoning of man. These studies indicate that the rhesus macaque has reproducible and characteristic responses to a variety of microbial stimuli and therefore is eminently suitable for studying pathophysiologic, metabolic, and immunologic parameters of infectious or toxic disease processes.
Simultaneous supply and production planning

This paper considers a novel production and logistics planning problem called the Economic Lot and Supply Scheduling Problem. The problem combines the Economic Lot-Sizing Problem and the Vehicle Routing Problem into a simultaneous problem-solving approach. The considered problem is observable in several industrial areas, e.g. in retailing and in the automotive industry. Assuming a certain delivery policy the paper presents a complete mathematical model and a ϵ-exact solution procedure. Analytical results for a broad range of test instances are calculated which demonstrate new insights into the considered planning problem. The results emphasise the economic advantage of the proposed simultaneous modeling and solution approach, especially for certain parameter settings.
Authentication of Commercial Extra Virgin Olive Oils

The goal of the current contribution is to determine the geographical origins of olive oil samples obtained from eight different countries during the harvest seasons of 2013 and 2014. First, the contents of olive oil samples were quantified by integrating the peaks of 1H-NMR spectra and using linear mathematical equations. The results were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), a statistical method examining whether there is a significant difference between the groups mean. The origins of the majority of the olive oil samples were discriminated by ANOVA and the minor constituents of the olive oils. Tocopherol and cycloartenol were the most discriminative minor constituents of the olive oil samples.
Increasing Medication Possession at Discharge for Patients With Asthma: The Meds-in-Hand Project

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many patients recently discharged from an asthma admission do not fill discharge prescriptions. If unable to adhere to a discharge plan, patients with asthma are at risk for re-presentation to care. We sought to increase the proportion of patients discharged from an asthma admission in possession of their medications (meds in hand) from a baseline of 0% to >75%. METHODS: A multidisciplinary improvement team performed 3 plan–do–study–act cycles over 2 years and, using a statistical process control chart, tracked the proportion of patients admitted with asthma discharged with meds in hand as the primary outcome. An exploratory, retrospective analysis of insurance data was conducted with a convenience sample of Medicaid-insured patients, comparing postdischarge utilization between patients discharged with meds in hand and usual care. Generalized estimating equations accounted for nonindependence in the data. RESULTS: Changes to the discharge process culminated in the development of a discharge medication delivery service. Outpatient pharmacist delivery of discharge medications to patient rooms achieved the project aim of 75% of patients discharged with meds in hand. In a subset of patients for whom all insurance claims were available, those discharged with meds in hand had lower odds of all-cause re-presentation to the emergency department within 30 days of discharge, compared with patients discharged with usual care (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.05–0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Our initiative led to several discharge process improvements, including the creation of a medication delivery service that increased the proportion of patients discharged in possession of their medications and may have decreased unplanned visits after discharge.
Electromagnetic noise coupling and mitigation for fast response on-die temperature sensing in high power modules

A heavy low pass filter is usually applied to an on-die temperature sensor's output to filter out the strong noises during switching transients. Aiming at high bandwidth junction temperature sensing, this paper evaluates the electromagnetic noise coupling of an on-die temperature sensing diode in a high power module. Challenges of fast response on-die temperature sensing are reviewed first. Noise coupling mechanisms are analyzed under different grounding configurations and operating conditions. Based on the analysis, a method is proposed to estimate the parasitic capacitance between the sensor and the power device. Special attention has been paid to achieve a high bandwidth and noise immunity test setup. With that, the sensor coupled noises are evaluated in experiments and compared with the model. Noise propagation impedance compensation is applied and verified by experiment. Considerations of sensing circuit design are also discussed. A 100 kHz low pass filter is used to deal with the residual noises during switching transients. With the designed sensing circuitry, short circuit tests are conducted to demonstrate sensor's dynamic response.
Diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma in a young woman presenting with pleomorphic lobular carcinoma in situ on core biopsy.

A 40-year-old premenopausal woman with a new diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma occurring in a background of lobular carcinoma in situ presents to a multidisciplinary second opinion clinic.
Selective fabrication of Si nanodots and nanowires

We report observation of narrow nanowires and high density nanodots on the Si(001) surfaces when they are exposed to a single application of interferential irradiation of laser pulses of 7 ns. These nanostructures form selectively depending on interference parameters so that their placements can be controlled by controlling the parameters. The morphologies of the nanostructures are studied by atomic force microscopy. The nanowire width increases with interference period. The narrowest nanowires observed have the width smaller than 26 nm, which is eight times smaller than the interference period while the nanodots have a very large density of 1.8 ± 0.45) × 1011/cm2.
Abstract 3806: Phosphaplatins are potent inducers of pigment epithelial- derived factor (PEDF)

Pigment Epithelial Derived Factor (PEDF) is a secreted glycoprotein that exhibits several biological activities, most notably as a potent anti-angiogenic agent as well as a neurotrophic factor. As such, this molecule has potential application as therapeutics for cancer and a variety of neurological diseases. However, prior art methods directed towards enhancing and stabilizing PEDF expression in vivo have met with little success. Therefore, methods that could lead to the stable expression of PEDF in vivo are still needed. We have recently shown that PEDF protein is overexpressed in tumor cells treated with platinum based drugs; phosphaplatins that are platinum-(II) and platinum-(IV) complexes coordinated to a pyrophosphate moiety. The objective of this study is to extend our previous findings by measuring PEDF expression in both malignant cells and normal neuronal tissues after treating them with these compounds. We also investigated the impact of PEDF upregulation on important biological processes such as apoptosis, proliferation and invasion of tumor cells. Our data showed that there was a significant upregulation (over 4-fold) of PEDF in brain of mice treated with phosphoplatins when compared to the control animals. The compounds were found to stimulate PEDF expression in cultured neuronal cells when assessed in vitro (P Citation Format: Louiza Belkacemi, Armando Rivera, Lu Yang, Rathindra N. Bose, Shaun X. Zhang. Phosphaplatins are potent inducers of pigment epithelial- derived factor (PEDF). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3806.
Allergic Inflammatory Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract Eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disorders (EGID) are a group of related disorders characterized by gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal wall. The two major forms of EGID, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), differ in regard to the site of inflammation (esophagus vs. stomach/small bowel). Since 1995, EGID and in particular EoE have been increasingly recognized as important clinical entities. Both EoE and EGE are highly associated with coexisting allergic disease, and a large fraction of EGID patients are sensitized to multiple food allergens. Existing data strongly support the concept that EGID is a food-allergen driven eosinophilic inflammatory gut disease. As such, EGID is the most well-defined allergic inflammatory gut disease and is a tractable system for understanding the genesis of allergic gut inflammation.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors as cancer therapeutics

Cancer cells contain significant alterations in their epigenomic landscape, which several enzyme families reversibly contribute to. One class of epigenetic modifying enzymes is that of histone deacetylases (HDAC), which are receiving considerable scrutiny clinically as a therapeutic target in many cancers. The underlying rationale is that inhibiting HDACs will reverse dysregulated target gene expression by modulating functional histone (or other) acetylation marks. This perspective will discuss a recent paper by Markozashvili and co-workers which appeared in Gene, which indicates that the mechanisms by which HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) alter the epigenetic landscape include widespread alternative effects beyond simply controlling regional epigenetic marks. HDACs are involved in many processes/diseases, and it is not surprising that HDACis have considerable off-target effects, and thus a major effort is being directed toward identification of inhibitors which are selective for HDAC isoforms often uniquely implicated in various cancers. This Perspective will also discuss some representative work with inhibitors targeting individual HDAC classes or isoforms. At present, it is not really clear that isoform-specific HDACis will avoid non-selective effects on other unrecognized activities of HDACs.
Phase-resolved imaging of edge-mode spin waves using scanning transmission x-ray microscopy

Abstract We have imaged the excitation of small-amplitude spin-wave eigenmodes, localized within ∼100 nm of the vertices of nanoscale Ni 81 Fe 19 ellipses, using time-resolved scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) at 2 GHz and resolution of 70 nm. Taking advantage of the buried-layer sensitivity of STXM, we find that the magnetization precession at the two vertices changes from predominantly in-phase to out-of-phase in samples with and without a conductive layer deposited over the ellipses. As a plausible interpretation for the reversal in phase, we propose that unexpectedly strong Oersted fields are generated in the discontinuous overlayer, although effects of edge roughness cannot be fully excluded. The results demonstrate the capabilities of STXM to image small-amplitude, GHz magnetization dynamics with the potential to map rf magnetic fields on the nanoscale.
Reduced-symmetry LMA rod-type fiber for enhanced higher-order mode delocalization.

We present a novel design of a micro-structured large-pitch, large-mode-area (LMA) asymmetric rod-type fiber. By reducing the cladding symmetry through six high-refractive index germanium-doped silica inclusions, the fiber features strong higher-order mode (HOM) delocalization, leading to a potentially enhanced preferential gain for the fundamental mode in active fibers. In addition, high resolution spatially and spectrally (S2) resolved mode analysis measurements confirm HOM contributions below 1% and LP1m-like HOM contributions below the detection limit. This proposed fiber design enables single-mode operation, with near-diffraction-limited beam quality of M2=1.3 and an effective mode area of 2560 μm2 at 1064 nm. This design opens new insights into improving the threshold-like onset of modal instabilities in high-power fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers by efficiently suppressing LP11 modes.
Colormap Based Image Display Enhancement

A number of well developed image enhancement techniques, basically categorized into global image processing and adaptive image processing, [1, 2] have been widely used in NDE applications, which help to present high quality images conveying information on voids, cracks and inclusions in samples. These enhancements apply certain algorithms on image data and change the values to generate particular effects. Since the visual effect of an image is determined by two factors, i.e. image data (pixel value) and colormap which assign color display for each intensity covering the whole range, the enhancement of the display of an image can be achieved by working on the colormap for a pseudo-color display without actually affecting the image data. A grey scale display can be treated as a special case of pseudo-color. With the advent of high quality color monitors and color output devices available for the scientific workstations whose colormaps can be easily redefined by users, it often is more efficient to manipulate the colormaps to achieve the desired visual effect. Since a typical image file with 8 bits/pixel data can easily contain 250,000 bytes while a colormap for the display of such image requires only 768 bytes for 24 bits/color (corresponding to 16.7 million different shades of colors), the gain in speed obtained by adjusting the colormap rather than the data can be very dramatic.
Is Something Missing From Antenatal Education? A Survey of Pregnant Women's Knowledge of Pelvic Floor Disorders.

Objective This study aimed to describe the knowledge on pelvic floor disorders among a cross section of pregnant women. Study design This was an institutional review board-approved cross-sectional survey study of pregnant women with a gestational age of more than 18 weeks at a single tertiary care institution. Participants completed the validated 24-item Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire, and responses were graded to determine a raw accuracy score (0-100%). Proficiency in the topic was defined as a score greater than 80% on the urinary scale and greater than 50% on the prolapse scale. Results Four hundred two women completed the survey. Mean ± SD raw accuracy in urinary incontinence was 66% ± 12%, and mean ± SD raw accuracy in pelvic organ prolapse was 41% ± 17%. These results were not significantly different among age or ethnic groups. Pregnant women were more likely to know that delivery could lead to incontinence (62%) than to pelvic organ prolapse (42%; P = 0.02), and 83% knew that pelvic floor exercises could prevent urinary incontinence. Proficiency was low among the population on both scales. Conclusions Pregnant women have limited knowledge about pelvic floor dysfunction despite being at increased risk for these conditions during and after their pregnancies. This is an area where patient education and empowerment during routine prenatal care could improve.
Political Liberalization in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: The Influence of Neoliberalism

This chapter focuses on the political ramifications of post-Soviet transformational processes in both countries. Based on neoliberalism’s conceptualization of a limited state in defense of individual rights, and its liberal view of the concept of democracy, the chapter focuses on five core aspects of the neoliberal political system: individual rights centered on private ownership, separation of state powers, elections, political party systems, and media. The findings show that the neoliberal influence on these five core political aspects is selective and uneven. They show the influence of neoliberalism in the institution of private ownership in the political system as the basis of developing market relations in the economy. While a distinct neoliberal influence is also shown in the establishment of a full set of democratic institutions in both countries, these institutions only remain nominal, and are largely eviscerated of liberal democratic content. They merely serve to legitimize and preserve a political order that fosters and protects a fledging capitalist system.
ELECTROMYOGRAPHY OF THE HIP AND THIGH MUSCLES DURING TWO VARIATIONS OF THE LUNGE EXERCISE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Background The lunge is a closed kinetic chain exercise that athletes frequently use as part of training and rehabilitative programs. While typically performed on a stable surface, modifications include the use of balance platforms to create an unstable surface and suspension equipment. Suspension training exercises are theorized to be higher demand exercises and may be considered a progression from exercises on stable surfaces. Comparison of muscle recruitment between the suspended lunge and the standard lunge has not been reported. Hypothesis and purpose The purpose was to compare differences in muscle recruitment between a standard lunge and a suspended lunge. We hypothesized that hip and thigh muscle recruitment with a suspended lunge would be greater than a standard lunge due to less inherent support with the suspended lunge exercise. Study Design Analytic, observational cross-sectional study design. Methods Thirty healthy participants (15 male and 15 female) voluntarily participated in this study. Electromyographic (EMG) muscle recruitment was measured in five hip and thigh muscles while performing a standard and suspended lunge. EMG was expressed as a percentage of EMG with a maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Results Recruitment was significantly greater in the suspended lunge condition compared to the standard lunge for the hamstrings (p < .001), gluteus medius (p < .001), gluteus maximus (p<.001), and adductor longus (p < .001). There was no significant difference in rectus femoris recruitment between conditions (p = .154). Conclusion Based on EMG findings, the suspended lunge is a more demanding exercise for hip muscles, compared to the standard lunge. Level of evidence Level 3 Mechanism-based reasoning intervention study trial. Clinical relevance The results of this study can assist clinicians in designing and progressing lower extremity exercise programs. With greater muscle recruitment, the suspended lunge is a more demanding exercise for hip muscles and can be considered a progression of the standard lunge as part of an exercise program. What is known about the subject? Muscle recruitment associated with the lunge exercise, variations of the lunge, and similar exercises has been reported. The use of suspension training exercise equipment has been reported for upper extremity exercises however not for the lower extremity. What does this study add to existing knowledge? Results of this study provide novel EMG information related to the lunge exercise using suspension training exercise equipment. Clinicians can use this information designing lower extremity exercise programs.
The Obama administration and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab Revolutions. Taming political Islam

This article deals with US policy towards the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. How has the leading world state power been dealing with the main Islamist movement, especially in the aftermath of the Arab upheavals? What is the intellectual approach to political Islam, specifically within the Obama administration? Has the anti-US potential been tamed or not? In light of the discourse held by US leaders and diplomats, I highlight the difficulties in addressing the Muslim Brotherhood. More specifically, I shed light on the way US policy of engagement towards the Islamist movement has been conducted.
Mixed State Anisotropy of Superconducting Vanadium

Using a null deflection torque magnetometer, we have studied single crystal spheres of superconducting vanadium at 4.2 K and found that components of magnetization exist perpendicular to the field direction. Figure 1 represents a typical plot of torque vs. field magnitude H with the amplitude being a function of orientation. Torque in the Meissner region is a geometric effect caused by deviations from sphericity and is well understood on the basis of electromagnetic theory /1/. In the mixed state the orientation dependence of the torque exhibits the symmetry of the crystal structure. More precisely, Takanaka and Nagashima /2/ (TN) have shown that this torque is related to the anisotropy of the Fermi surface and have derived results for H ≃ Hc2 and T ≃ Tc. We find the orientation dependence of the torque to be in good agreement with the results of TN.
Parenteral Formulation of the Kappa Agonist Analgesic, DuP 747, via Micellar Solubilization

The nonopioid kappa agonist analgesic amine, DuP 747, as a hydrochloride salt exhibited an aqueous solubility of 3 mg/ml. This solubility was insufficient to provide the desired dose in a solution formulation for intramuscular administration. Aqueous solutions of the hydrochloride salt exerted surface activity behavior; however, the critical micellar concentration (CMC) was not reached at the saturation solubility. Enhanced aqueous solubility required to reach the CMC could lead to micellization of the compound and a possible i.m. solution formula. The methanesulfonate salt was more water soluble than the hydrochloride salt and yielded a micellar solution with a concentration of 60 mg/ml.
Indicators of Environmental Stress in Wetland Plants

The impact of natural and anthropogenic stressors on coastal and estuarine environments is of major societal concern. Environmental factors such as salinity, soil anaerobiosis, low nutrient conditions, sediment deficiency, and fluctuating water regimes are natural perturbations influencing the plant communities that provide the structural and functional framework for many estuarine ecosystems. In addition to these ‘natural’ stressors, human-induced factors result from activities such as dredge and fill operations, oil and gas exploration and drilling, industrial and waste discharge, and agricultural and residential runoff, to mention a few. Many of these stressors have sublethal effects that gradually reduce the plants vigor and productivity. Techniques that quantify the intensity of plant stress under a variety of environmental conditions are essential to any program of impact assessment, and the early detection of plant stress is imperative if successful mitigation efforts are to succeed.
Halogenation Chemistry of Hydraulic Fracturing Additives under Highly Saline Simulated Subsurface Conditions.

Unconventional natural gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing coupled with horizontal drilling (HDHF) has generated disruptive growth in the domestic energy sector. Field analyses of residual HDHF fluids have detected halogenated species, potentially the product of unexplored reactions between authigenic halides and HDHF additives. Utilizing a custom high-pressure reactor system, we simultaneously screened 12 frequently disclosed, functionally diverse HDHF additives to uncover transformation chemistry. One emergent pathway, the halogenation of cinnamaldehyde in the presence of ammonium persulfate, demonstrated the potential for oxidative breakers to react with halides to yield reactive halogen species. Halogenated product formation, product distribution, and kinetics were evaluated with respect to shale well subsurface condition, linking transformation risk to measurable well-dependent characteristics (e.g., halide compositions, well temperatures, and pH). In a representative flowback brine, the brominat...
Vascular Deformation Mapping (VDM) of thoracic aortic aneurysm: an application for color 3D printing in aortic disease.

3D printing is a rapidly evolving technology at the forefront of biomedical innovation and cardiovascular 3D printing is one of the most common medical applications (1). Technical advances in biomedical 3D printing have been driven by improved printer technology and image segmentation tools, however, clinical and research applications of cardiovascular are still catching up to such rapid technical advances.
є-Families of Operators in Triebel-Lizorkin and Tent Spaces

In this paper, we study the boundedness of є-families of operators on Triebel-Lizorkin with wide range of parameters. We also prove that є -families of operators are bounded from Triebel-Lizorkin spaces into (generalized) tent spaces, and obtain a characterization of certain Triebel-Lizorkin spaces in terms of tent spaces. In particular, the boundedness of fractional operators in Triebel-Lizorkin, and a sharp version of T\theorem for generalized Calderon-Zygmund operators on Triebel-Lizorkin spaces can be considered as applications of (proofs of) these results.
Prospective Associations of Adolescent Conscientiousness With Psychological Resources and Metabolic Syndrome in Black and White Men.

Objective Conscientiousness predicts better psychological resources as well as lower cardiovascular mortality and lower metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk. However, the benefits of conscientiousness might be amplified, disabled, or reversed in disadvantaged groups. This study is the first to test these competing hypotheses for prospective associations between adolescent conscientiousness and adult psychological resources and MetS. Method Participants were 220 men (54.6% black) from the Pittsburgh Youth Study. Adolescent conscientiousness (M [SD] age = 16 [1]) was rated by participants and their parents. Adult (M [SD] age = 32 [1]) socioeconomic status (SES; occupation and education), psychological resources (composite of positive affect, purpose in life, optimism, self-mastery, and self-esteem), and MetS scores (glucose, lipids, waist circumference, and blood pressure) were measured. Hierarchical regressions were used to evaluate the association of conscientiousness with adult psychological resources and MetS scores, with testing of moderation by race and SES. Results Self- and parent-reported conscientiousness were associated with better psychological resources (βs = 0.23-0.29, ps ≤ .015), with no moderation by race or socioeconomic status. In the full sample, a three-way interaction of self-reported conscientiousness, race, and SES was obtained for MetS (β = 0.12, p = .093). Subgroup analysis indicated that self-reported conscientiousness was related to higher MetS scores in low SES black men (βint = -0.22, p = .022), but there was no comparable linear (βs ≤ 0.08, ps ≥ .50) or interaction (βs ≤ -0.13 ps ≥ .25) pattern in white men. Conclusions Adolescent conscientiousness was beneficial for adult psychological resources, regardless of race or SES. However, there may be physiological costs of conscientiousness for black men from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Prompting Deep Learning with Interactive Technologies: Theoretical Perspectives in Designing Interactive Learning Resources and Environments.

Deep content learning requires learners to think about content. Interacting with digital resources and interactive technology-based instructional environments does not guarantee engagement in content thinking. Formal and informal instructional activities and environments are being inundated with opportunities for learners to interact in multiple ways with content through emerging interactive technologies. Questions are being raised as to whether these interactions are leading to critical thinking and deeper content learning. It is not enough to merely interact or “play with” technology resources, rather learners must cognitively manipulate, think about, and reflect on content purposefully, in multiple and flexible ways, throughout these interactions to reach deeper knowledge. This chapter provides a conceptual description of learning and argues for a set of common guidelines to design learning resources and learning environments that integrate interactive technologies in ways that support learners in making meaningful content connections. This set of guidelines was drawn from a synthesis of overlapping tenets defined in generative learning, cognitive-flexibility, and reflection theories and is supported by a multitude of research investigations. Examples of these guidelines in-use, directly integrated into resources or through supporting instructional resources, show how learners can benefit from physical interactions that prompt thinking to achieve deeper content knowledge.
Distributed Learning Automata Based Data Dissemination in Networked Robotic Systems.

Networked robotics systems often work in collaboration to accomplish tasks. The random environments the robots work in render any previous contact data between robots useless as the contact patterns are different for each deployment. In the case of military and disaster scenarios, delivering data items quickly is imperative to the success of a mission. However, robots have limited battery and need a lightweight protocol that maximizes data delivery ratio and minimizes data delivery latency while consuming minimal energy. We present two learning automata based data dissemination protocols, LADD and sc-LADD. LADD uses learning automata with direct connections to all neighboring nodes to make efficient and accurate forwarding decisions while sc-LADD uses learning automata and exploits the clustering nature of the robotic systems to abstract clusters/groups and reduce the number of decisions available to the learning automata, which also reduces overhead.
The Oral Microbiome and Lung Diseases

The understanding of the human microbiome, especially of the oral cavity, has expanded exponentially since the advent of 16 rRNA PCR gene sequencing. Since the respiratory tract starts from the oral cavity and ends in the lung, study of the relationship between the oral microbiota and the lungs will allow us to understand the changes in lung disease compared with healthy state. The oral and lung microbiota were found to be similar, but the oral microbiota had greater diversity. The oral cavity especially the dorsal tongue was found to be a reservoir for bacteria causing pneumonia and chronic lung infection in cystic fibrosis. Oral and lung infections seem to all share the similar pathogenesis of oral microbiota dysbiosis. Certain oral bacteria were found to be potential biomarkers for lung cancer. Improvement in oral health is important especially in the management of lung diseases with infectious etiology. Oral microbiota can serve as biomarkers for diseases especially in lung cancer.
HER2 Mutations in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Herculean Effort to Hit the Target

Over the last two decades HER2 aberrations have been thoroughly investigated as potential therapeutic targets in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, with relatively modest results. Two articles published in this issue of Cancer Discovery further expand the knowledge on therapeutic exploitation of HER2 in lung cancer, addressing a large unmet medical need.See related article by Li et al., p. 674.See related article by Tsurutani et al., p. 688.
A high-order implicit–explicit Runge–Kutta type scheme for the numerical solution of the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation

This manuscript is concerned with the development and the implementation of a numerical scheme to study the spatio-temporal solution profile of the well-known Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation with app...
CoreCruncher: Fast and Robust Construction of Core Genomes in Large Prokaryotic Data Sets

The core genome represents the set of genes shared by all, or nearly all, strains of a given population or species of prokaryotes. Inferring the core genome is integral to many genomic analyses, however, most methods rely on the comparison of all the pairs of genomes; a step that is becoming increasingly difficult given the massive accumulation of genomic data. Here, we present CoreCruncher; a program that robustly and rapidly constructs core genomes across hundreds or thousands of genomes. CoreCruncher does not compute all pairwise genome comparisons and uses a heuristic based on the distributions of identity scores to classify sequences as orthologs or paralogs/xenologs. Although it is much faster than current methods, our results indicate that our approach is more conservative than other tools and less sensitive to the presence of paralogs and xenologs. CoreCruncher is freely available from: https://github.com/lbobay/CoreCruncher. CoreCruncher is written in Python 3.7 and can also run on Python 2.7 without modification. It requires the python library Numpy and either Usearch or Blast. Certain options require the programs muscle or mafft.
Flooding on Beef and Swine Farms: A Scoping Review of Effects in the Midwestern United States

Abstract Background Increasing uncertainty and variability in weather due to climate change puts enormous stress on the sustainability of agricultural communities in several parts of the continental United States. Rural agriculture-based communities, such as those in North Carolina, Nebraska, and Illinois are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of flooding. These extreme weather events affect many animal facilities, and flooding can cause long-term impacts on animal health and productivity. Objectives This scoping review investigated the potential short- and long-term ramifications of flooding on beef cattle and swine farms with theoretical locations in the Midwestern U.S. The goal of this review is to create a concept map to identify research gaps related to efforts to support those animals and peoples ravaged by floods. This was accomplished by performing a scoping review using search terms “beef OR swine AND flood” to assess direct effects and then “beef OR swine AND direct effect” to evaluate secondary and tertiary effects. Results Our findings were based on a total of 89 peer-reviewed publications, with 50 publications relating to beef cattle, 24 relating to swine, and 15 containing information applicable to both. On beef farms, the effects of flooding can be broad and long-lasting. The short-term risks of flooding are reasonably well-understood, including the comingling of unfamiliar cattle, nutritional restriction, and disease transmission. However, long-term impacts, including potential effects on reproduction, nutrition, and carcass quality, have been less studied. In particular, further research is needed on mold species that contaminate hay post-flood, the effect of moldy hay ingestion on cattle, and the effects of heavy metal consumption on cattle and consumers. Little research is available regarding the effects of flooding on swine farms, likely due to the highly intensive nature of swine operations. In general, swine farms suffer from acute infectious diseases and biosecurity risks after flooding events. Conclusions The potential ramifications of flooding on livestock farms differ among farm operations. Beef farms should prepare for long-term impacts on nutrition and reproduction, while swine farms should prepare for short-term impacts on biosecurity.