cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Divergent evolution of function in the ROK sugar kinase superfamily: role of enzyme loops in substrate specificity.

The D-allose and N-acetyl-D-mannosamine kinases of Escherichia coli K-12 are divergent members of the functionally diverse ROK (repressor, open reading frame, kinase) superfamily. Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that AlsK and NanK possess weak phosphoryl transfer activity toward the alternate substrate D-glucose. To gain insight into the evolutionary mechanisms that fuel the specialization of individual enzyme function, experimental laboratory evolution was conducted to improve the glucokinase activities of AlsK and NanK. Error-prone PCR was combined with in vivo functional selection in a glucokinase-deficient bacterium to identify four independent single nucleotide substitutions in the alsK and nanK genes that improve the glucokinase activity of each enzyme. The most advantageous substitutions, L84P in NanK and A73G in AlsK, enhance the kcat/Km values for phosphoryl transfer to glucose by 12-fold and 60-fold, respectively. Both substitutions co-localize to a variable loop region located between the fourth ‚-sheet and the second R-helix of the ROK scaffold. A multiple sequence alignment of diverse ROK family members reveals that the A73G substitution in AlsK recapitulates a conserved glycine residue present in many ROK proteins, including some transcriptional repressors. Steady-state kinetic analyses of the selected AlsK and NanK variants demonstrate that their native activities toward D-allose and N-acetyl-D-mannosamine are largely unaffected by the glucokinase-enhancing substitutions. Substrate specificity profiling reveals that the A73G AlsK and L84P NanK variants display systematic improvements in the kcat/Km values for a variety of nonnative carbohydrates. This finding is consistent with an evolutionary process that includes the formation of intermediates possessing relaxed substrate specificities during the initial steps of enzyme functional divergence.
Multiversion reconciliation for mobile databases

As mobile computing devices become more and more popular mobile databases have started gaining popularity. An important feature of these database systems is their ability to allow optimistic replication of data by permitting disconnected mobile devices to perform local updates on replicated data. The fundamental problem in this approach is the reconciliation problem, i.e. the problem of serializing potentially conflicting updates performed by local transactions on disconnected clients on all copies of the database. We introduce a new algorithm that combines multiversion concurrency control schemes on a server with reconciliation of updates from disconnected clients. The scheme generalizes to multiversion systems, the single version optimistic method of reconciliation, in which client transactions are allowed to commit on the server iff data items in their read sets are not updated on the server after replication.
Estradiol and its metabolites and their association with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective. To determine if levels of endogenous estrogen or estrogen metabolites are associated with an increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA) in women. Methods. Serum estradiol (E2) and 2 urinary estrogen metabolites (2-hydroxyestrone and 16hydroxyestrone) with radiographically defined prevalent and incident knee OA in 842 white and African American women from the Southeast Michigan Arthritis Cohort. Results. The mean age and body mass index (BMI) of women in the cohort were 42.3 years and 28.5 kg/m 2 , respectively. Women who developed radiographically defined knee OA had significantly greater odds of having baseline endogenous early follicular phase estradiol concentrations in the lowest tertile ( 0.86; OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.01–3.44 compared with women with ratios in the 0.54–0.86 range), after adjustment for other covariates. Conclusion. There were significant associations of lower baseline serum estradiol and urinary 2hydroxyestrone with developing knee OA in middle-aged women.
Production techniques for the Superconducting Super Collider Low Energy Booster quadrupole magnet

The manufacturing techniques used for a prototype quadrupole magnet, developed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) for the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) Low Energy Booster (LEB), are described. The SSC LEB Ring employs 96 dipoles and 90 quadrupoles connected in series to form the magnetic lattice, requiring the use of a 21.9 mm/spl times/23.0 mm hollow conductor for the quadrupoles. Due to the large conductor size and small bend radii required, development of special fixtures was necessary. A unique coil-forming method with close attention paid to tooling design and special assembly procedures was required to manufacture this prototype to stringent specifications. >
Transitional Velocity Patterns in a Smooth Concentric Annulus.

Profiles of mean local velocities have been experimentally determined in a smooth, concentric, horizontal annulus having a radius ratio of 0.331. The test fluid was water at room temperature flowing steadily at Reynolds numbers in the viscous, transition, and lower turbulent ranges. The transitional profiles, obtained by means of an impact probe, are summarized and discussed. Limits of the transition zone are established, and variation of the radius of maximum velocity with Reynolds number is confirmed.
Utilizing a multifaceted approach to assess the current distribution and conservation status of an uncommon species: the golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli) in Florida

Aim Our goal was to assess the conservation status of the understudied and naturally uncommon habitat specialist, the golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli), at the edge of its range where its historically fragmented habitat has been subjected to severe loss. Location Peninsular Florida, north of approximately 27° latitude, USA. Methods We used data gathered from museum collections, regional biologists, geographic information systems (GIS) layers, field surveys and DNA sequencing to determine the habitats that best explain the distribution of the species, examine changes in the geographic extent of both the species and its habitats, and compare genetic differentiation between populations occupying disjunct regions. The results from these multiple analyses were combined to assess the conservation status of the species. Results Golden mouse occurrence records align well with the distribution of hardwood habitats in Florida. These habitats occur naturally as ‘islands’, but have become increasingly fragmented by anthropogenic land use. Despite habitat loss, the location of the southern range periphery has remained relatively unchanged in location over the past century. Genetic analysis reveals a history of limited dispersal of females among habitat ‘islands’ that likely predates anthropogenic landscape fragmentation. This pattern suggests that isolated populations that are extirpated will have little to no chance of successful recolonization. Main conclusions The combined results from multiple analyses produced a more complete picture of the threats faced by this previously data-deficient species than any single analysis would have. Although the species' southern range limit cannot be shown to have retracted in the face of human expansion, habitat fragmentation clearly has put the species at increased risk. Conservation and management of hardwood habitats are critical to the persistence of the golden mouse at the edge of its range.
Integrating models of diffusion of innovations: a Conceptual Framework.

▪ Abstract This chapter provides a conceptual framework for integrating the array of variables defined in diffusion research to explicate their influence on an actor's decision to adopt an innovation. The framework groups the variables into three major components. The first component includes characteristics of the innovation itself, within which two sets of variables are defined concerning public versus private consequences and benefits versus costs of adoption. A second component involves the characteristics of innovators (actors) that influence the probability of adoption of an innovation. Within this component six sets of variables concern societal entity of innovators (either people, organizations, states, etc.), familiarity with the innovation, status characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, position in social networks, and personal qualities. The third component involves characteristics of the environmental context that modulate diffusion via structural characteristics of the modern world. T...
Secular Trend of Hospital-Acquired Candidemia among Intensive Care Unit Patients in the United states during 1989–1999

We describe the annual incidence of primary bloodstream infection (BSI) associated with Candida albicans and common non-albicans species of Candida among patients in intensive care units that participated in the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system from 1 January 1989 through 31 December 1999. During the study period, there was a significant decrease in the incidence of C. albicans BSI (P<.001) and a significant increase in the incidence of Candida glabrata BSI (P =.05).
Limitations on State Agency Authority to Adopt Environmental Standards More Stringent than Federal Standards: Policy Considerations and Interpretational Problems

Some state legislatures have reacted to federal delegation of environmental regulatory authority by enacting legislation to authorize state regulation such that state's can qualify to receive delegated authority. In several circumstances, however, the state legislation also constrains state regulatory authorities such that state regulation can be "no more stringent than" federal regulation. These legislative efforts present interesting federalism riddles and interpretational problems. This article details the types of statutory enactments across many states and highlights some of the key policy considerations and interpretational problems presented by these legislative efforts.
China eyes Japan

What influence does the history of Japanese aggression in China have on Chinese images of and policies toward Japan today? Is Chinese acrimony and assertiveness toward Japan in the latter 1980s the product of calculated bargaining pressure or compulsive emotional nationalism? And what are the prospects for Sino-Japanese relations: increased political alignment or continued instability and friction? These are among the questions Allen Whiting, a leading scholar of Chinese foreign relations, addresses in this book. Working largely from interviews and from an examination of the Chinese media, Whiting finds that Chinese policy toward Japan embodies an uneasy tension between hostile imagery and pragmatic interest, manifest in increasing tension during the years 1982-1987. He challenges the commonplace assumptions that post-Mao Chinese foreign policy is pragmatically determined by economic and strategic calculations. Instead, Whiting argues that Sino-Japanese relations are vulnerable to Chinese images based on bitter memories of Japanese aggression combined with misperceptions of Japanese politics and society as well as provocative remarks by Japanese officials. These images are transmitted to younger generations by Chinese mass media with little challenge from more informed governmental and academic specialists. He concludes that, although there is an increased sophistication in the Chinese understanding of the United States and the Soviet Union, this is not yet evident in the case of Japan.
Preliminary Validation of the Implementation Phases Inventory for Assessing Fidelity of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports

Schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) are becoming increasingly popular with schools across the country to help create safer learning environments for students. An important aspect of SWPBIS is the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of implementation fidelity. Although a few measures have been created to assess the degree to which schools are implementing the key aspects of SWPBIS, there remains a need for a tool to categorize a school's overall phase of implementation and document the schools' progression toward sustainability of SWPBIS. The present study examines the reliability and validity of the Implementation Phases Inventory (IPI), a new measure of SWPBIS implementation fidelity. The findings indicate that the IPI is an internally consistent measure with adequate test—retest reliability, interrater reliability, and concurrent validity. These findings provide preliminary evidence that supports the use of the IPI to assess phase of SWPBIS implementation.
Complications of injectable synthetic polymers in facial augmentation.

BACKGROUND. Injectable synthetic materials have been used for augmentation of soft tissue defects, correction of wrinkles, and augmentation of facial features such as the nasal dorsum. Success has been limited by inflammatory reactions, material migration, and the difficulty of removal should complications occur. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate complications resulting from soft tissue augmentation with injectable alloplastic materials. METHODS. Retrospective review of seven cases. Clinical history, treatment, histopathologic findings, and outcomes are assessed. RESULTS. Inflammatory reaction and tissue damage were refractory to antibiotics and steroids, and surgery was required to remove the foreign material. Histologic examination revealed giant cell foreign body reaction in all cases. CONCLUSION. Injectable synthetic polymers can produce significant complications including deformity and inflammatory tissue destruction, the control of which is complicated by the difficulty of removing the materials. Removable tissue fillers, such as e-PTFE, or natural materials such as collagen, autologous,fat, or Alloderm, should be considered instead.
The Investigation of the Influence of Trace Metals in Chromatographic Retention Processes

Un traitement acide du gel de silice pour retirer les impuretes metalliques aboutit a un comportement retentif fondamentalement different. La difference est due au nombre decroissant d'hydroxydes metalliques et a l'attenuation de l'influence des metaux sur les groupements silanols de surface
Synthesis of processing system around a crystallizer

A systematic procedure is developed to synthesize the processing system upstream and downstream of a crystallizer. In a step-by-step manner, the procedure guides the user to generate alternative flow sheets for treating a given crystallizer effluent. It consists of five steps. The required unit operations are determined by comparing the product specifications (production rate, product purity, and others) with the crystallizer effluent characteristics (occlusions, inclusions, crystal size, and others). Secondly, the destinations of the reaction solvent, mother liquor, wash liquid, recrystallization solvent, and drowning-out solvent are assigned. Third, the solvent recovery system is considered to recover the solvents and unconverted reactants and to remove the impurity from the system. Fourth, alternatives for enhancing process performance are identified. Finally, short-cut models are used to screen process alternatives. Rules and heuristics are provided for each step, and examples for illustrating this procedure are presented.
The rise and fall of the cooperative spirit: The evolution of organisational structures in American thrifts, 1831–1939

The American thrift industry began in the mid-nineteenth century as a way for people of modest financial means to purchase homes. Modelled after British building societies, thrifts relied on members adhering to the principle of mutual cooperation to achieve this goal. Over time five basic operating structures emerged to assist in this process. When the collapse of fraudulent competitors in the 1890s tarnished the industry's image, thrifts leaders promoted the core values of mutuality and the cooperative spirit, as opposed to the need for operational uniformity, to regain the public's trust in their businesses. As a result, thrifts continued to follow a wide variety of organisational structures and procedures well into the 1920s. This changed during the Great Depression when industry consolidation, federal regulations, and internal industry efforts combined to bring greater uniformity to thrift business practices. These conjoining actions resulted in one set of operating procedures becoming dominant – the ...
Gisela Heffes, ed. Poéticas de los dislocamientos. Literal Publishing, 2012.

En la lente: memoria, referencialidad historica y documentalismo en el cine latinoamericano actual
The Case of the U.S. Mother / Cyberspy / Undercover Iraqi Militant: Or, how Global Women Have Been Incorporated in the Technological War on Terror

While literatures on women in technology and women in the military are well-developed, the field of cybersecurity has yet to be addressed within either of them. Therefore, this analysis charts a typology of work in global ICTs, an “information hierarchy,” and explores the presence and contributions of women at multiple levels. It identifies selected jobs for women in cybersecurity as illustrations of these dynamics. This starts with “networkers” at the top: the infoczars who lead the nation’s agencies for military and information security, and engineers who design the military technology systems. In the middle “networked” level, this includes cyber spies (posing from their homes as Al Qaeda militants on the internet) and customer service workers (enforcing US homeland security on the phone with the public). At the bottom, it includes “switched off” workers: flight attendants and transit screeners, who use security information embedded in computers for the surveillance of people’s bodies. This chapter takes focus on the middle level of the hierarchy in particular. The discussion considers the transformations women make in this field, as well as their political tradeoffs in supporting US political campaigns in the Global South.
On the observation, characterisation, and predictive GIS mapping of strong ground shaking for seismic zonation : a case study in the San Francisco Bay region, California)

Tragic earthquakes of the last decade in Mexico, Armenia, and the United States have re-emphasised the importance of local geologic site conditions in determining amounts of damage and consequent loss of life. Extensive data sets in the San Francisco Bay region on strong earthquake ground motions, the damage distributions from past earthquakes, and geologic materials provide the basis to quantify site condition effects for purposes of earthquake hazard mitigation. These observational data are reviewed and analysed to provide methodologies for the characterisation and predictive mapping of potential variations in strong ground shaking for seismic zonation. The methodologies are based on existing geologic maps. They provide a method for seismic zonation applicable to many urbanised seismic regions of the world.
Measuring the Evolutionarily Important Goals of Situations: Situational Affordances for Adaptive Problems

According to the Fundamental Motives Framework, basic goals such as protecting oneself, forming coalitions, and avoiding disease have emerged as a result of evolutionary processes to enhance reprod...
Addenda to the Genera Helicogloea and Physalacria

(1946). Addenda to the Genera Helicogloea and Physalacria. Mycologia: Vol. 38, No. 6, pp. 630-638.
Preparing Today's Nursing Students for Tomorrow's Career

Federal directives, nursing and nursing education associations, as well as accrediting bodies emphasize the importance of integrating health information technology and EHRs into nursing practice. Additionally, informatics is a required competency of baccalaureate nursing graduates. Nursing education's efforts to enhance students' learning in the area of electronic documentation is at its peak. The goal of enabling nurses to make healthcare safer, more effective, efficient, patient-centered, timely and equitable can only be achieved if a variety of technologies are clearly integrated into nursing education. Therefore, some schools have developed educational innovations to incorporate academic EHRs. As the mental health setting is unique, extraordinary attention has to be provided during the education of electronic documentation. Nursing education efforts must focus on interventions that provide resources that enhance the participant's knowledge and skills related to electronic documentation in a variety of clinical settings. Additionally, implementing academic EHRs in clinical settings offers nursing educators an opportunity to note the benefits. The state of nursing education depends on the accessibility to utilize academic EHRs in the nursing curriculum within the clinical setting to effectively prepare students for real-word practice.
First case of Merkel cell carcinoma in a young patient with Sweet syndrome.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous malignancy with a high propensity for regional lymph node metastasis and recurrence. Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet syndrome) is an acute inflammatory skin eruption that is commonly associated with hematologic malignancies, but cases in association with solid tumors have also been reported. We present the first case of a 49-year-old female who experienced an acute flare up of Sweet syndrome during her initial diagnosis and subsequent treatment for MCC.
Survey of Cooperative Awareness Research in Mobile Environment

Mobile sensing networks are wildly used in military affairs ,industry ,medical treatment ,traffic and business.To further cooperate the awareness activity of mobile nodes, this paper presents cooperative awareness technology in mobile computing environment .In this paper ,this paper firstly introduces the development and crucial factor of the cooperative awareness technology in mobile computing environment ,including model of mobile cooperative awareness,middleware of mobile cooperative awareness, technology about mobile cooperative awareness.Then this paper summarizes the technology character and puts forward framework of mobile cooperative awareness .At last , it provides some further interesting directions.
Detection and identification of 32 Escherichia coli by nuclear acid amplification

Objective:To validate the specificity of the primers and the feasibility of the improved loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP) method,32 Escherichia coli strains stored in our lab were detected and identified by this method.Methods:According to the technique of LAMP,refering the last improved LAMP method Escherichia coli malB,LTI(heat labile I enterotoxin) and STI(heat stable I enterotoxin) were detected in 32 Escherichia coli strains and 9 non-Escherichia coli laboratory-control strains were.Results:The malB gene were amplified in all 32 Escherichia coli strains,the heat labile I enterotoxin(LTI)gene and the heat stable I enterotoxin(STI)gene were both amplified in 3 Escherichia coli strains.The heat labile I enterotoxin(LTI)gene were amplified in 14 strains while the heat stable I enterotoxin(STI)gene were amplified in 1 strain.The whole detection process only cost 1.5 h,and judging through whether the green Ca-Mn combined substance forming or not,the result can be observed directly by naked eyes.or agarose.Conclusion:32 Escherichia coli strains are identified in the genetic level.The tests confirms that the primers described in the references are specific again,and the improved method is feasible while the steps of electrophoresis and photograph could be cancelled.The method is rapid,simple,and economical,and it is very proper for basic laboratories to detect suspicious Escherichia coli.
Pre-Assessment of Occupation Hazards in the Ammonia and Urea Construction Project of a Fertilizer Plant

[Objective]To identify,analyze and evaluate the occupational hazardous factors and level in the expansion construction project of a fertilizer plant,confirm the occupational disease categories and the feasibility of preventive measures and put forward occupational protection countermeasures in order to protect the laborers' health.[Methods] Similar project was taken as the analogy project;evaluation was made with analogy method assisted with experience.[Results] The site selection of the project and the production overall layout were basically in compliance with the relevant standards and requirements;the preventive measures were relatively complete;the main factors of occupational hazards in the production process were dusts,CO,NH3,noise and so on;it is a construction project with severely occupational hazards.[Conclusion] This project complies with the relevant national laws and regulations for construction projects;it has taken feasible occupational disease prevention and control measures;this construction project is feasible from the occupational disease prevention and control point of view.
cAMP induces CD14 expression in murine macrophages via increased transcription

CD14, a glycoprotein that binds bacterial lipopolysaccharide, plays a critical role in the inflammatory response to infection by gram-negative bacteria. Studies were undertaken to determine whether cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) regulates CD14 expression in macrophages. Incubation of RAW 264.7 cells with 8-Br-cAMP resulted in a significant increase in steady-state CD14 mRNA levels. The increase in mRNA levels was also associated with both cell-associated and soluble CD14 protein. H89 completely blocked the 8-Br-cAMP-induced CD14 mRNA up-regulation. There was no change in CD 14 mRNA half-life in the presence of 8-Br-cAMP. The CD14 gene transcription rate was increased about twofold after exposure to 8-Br-cAMP. cAMP-dependent increases in CD14 mRNA were also observed in rat peritoneal macrophages, demonstrating that this is an authentic response of mature macrophages. This study provides evidence that cAMP and protein kinase A are important regulators of CD14 expression in macrophages.
Phase 1 of 3: Will a LinkedInTM Jr. Optimize Internships for High School STEM Students?

Popular professional online networking sites, such as LinkedIn™, Monster™, CareerBuilder®, and others, focus on traditional jobs. Increasing demand for high school internships suggests an interest for an electronic networking database pertinent to high school opportunities [14]. In comparison to traditional methods of acquiring internships, such a database would provide increased accessibility and efficiency through an HCI conceptualized computer interface. Surveys were designed and distributed to stakeholders, an east coast, chartered high school (students grades 9–12, n = 132), businesses (n = 18), and parents (n = 143), to gather reactionary information. A Kruskal-Wallis, nonparametric algorithm found significant differences (p < 0.05) amongst the variables and eliminated errors due to a lack of homoscedasticity. The data found desirability, optimal implementation, and privacy concerns across independent variables. The degree that all stakeholders will feel comfortable in using a database to focus internship potential revolves about the efficacy, presentation, and portal attributes of the database.
The Ehrenfeucht Game

The Ehrenfeucht Game is a powerful tool for logicians but it can be an even more powerful tool for those with little knowledge of logic. The Game itself is defined without reference to Logic and the analysis of the game is combinatorial. Some basic bridging theorems allow one oftentimes to go from analysis of the Game to results about first order statements. Ehrenfeucht’s original paper [6] is a true classic.
Velocity Curves and Static Strength-Action Strength Correlations in Relation to the Mass Moved by the Arm

Abstract Tests were made with the hand carrying weights of 0.2, 3.1, and 16.6 kg. during a 72° horizontal adductive arm swing of maximal speed timed at 12° intervals. Five practice swings and 20 trials, under each condition, were performed by 60 male subjects. Reliability coefficients were high. The first 24° of movement exhibited declining acceleration, followed by linearly increasing acceleration for the 24°—60° interval and deceleration for the next 12°. Compared with static strength in the movement position, action strength computed from acceleration was much greater with the heaviest weight and considerably less with the light weights. The correlation between static strength and speed was quite low for the normal arm swing but increased with added weight, becoming r = .76 for the heaviest. There was little correlation of individual differences in speed between different phases of movement or between movements with light and heavy weights. Specificity was high, although correlations were made for atte...
Rhythmic Timing in Playful Human-Robot Social Motor Coordination

Future robots for everyday human environments will need to be capable of physical collaboration and play. We previously designed a robotic system for constant-tempo human-robot hand-clapping games. Since rhythmic timing is crucial in such interactions, we sought to endow our robot with the ability to speed up and slow down to match the human partner’s changing tempo. We tackled this goal by observing human-human entrainment, modeling human synchronization behaviors, and piloting three adaptive tempo behaviors on a Rethink Robotics Baxter Research Robot. The pilot study indicated that a fading memory difference learning timing model may perform best in future human-robot gameplay. We will use the findings of this study to improve our hand-clapping robotic system.
The hyper-enrichment of V and Zn in black shales of the Late Devonian-Early Mississippian Bakken Formation (USA)

Abstract Black shales of the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian Bakken Formation are characterized by high concentrations of organic carbon and the hyper-enrichment (> 500 to 1000s of mg/kg) of V and Zn. Deposition of black shales resulted from shallow seafloor depths that promoted rapid development of euxinic conditions. Vanadium hyper-enrichments, which are unknown in modern environments, are likely the result of very high levels of dissolved H2S (~ 10 mM) in bottom waters or sediments. Because modern hyper-enrichments of Zn are documented only in Framvaren Fjord (Norway), it is likely that the biogeochemical trigger responsible for Zn hyper-enrichment in Framvaren Fjord was also present in the Bakken basin. With Framvaren Fjord as an analogue, we propose a causal link between the activity of phototrophic sulfide oxidizing bacteria, related to the development of photic-zone euxinia, and the hyper-enrichment of Zn in black shales of the Bakken Formation.
Needs assessment and utilization of an educational workshop and support group for Lynch syndrome patients.

e12536 Background: Lynch syndrome (LS) requires a lifelong commitment to multi-organ cancer surveillance and/or prophylactic surgery. Emotional and informational support for LS patients is not read...
Sarcopenia Is Common in Overweight Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and May Predict Need for Surgery

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with altered body composition, such as low muscle mass, which affects clinical outcomes. Body composition changes in overweight patients with IBD are less understood. The study aim was to determine the prevalence of sarcopenic overweight and obese patients in a cohort of patients with IBD starting new anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy and examine differences in response. METHODS This is a retrospective review of patients with IBD starting a new anti-tumor necrosis factor-α medication that had computed tomography within 3 months of initiation. L3 vertebral slice was used for segmentation of body composition and identification of sarcopenia. CRP, ESR, Harvey Bradshaw Index, albumin, 25-OH vitamin D, and body mass index at anti-tumor necrosis factor-α initiation and at 6 months were collected. Outcomes included hospitalization, need for surgery, or new biological medication. RESULTS Ninety patients were studied. Forty-one of ninety (45%) were sarcopenic; of these, 17 (41.5%) had a normal body mass index and 8 (19.5%) were overweight/obese. More men were sarcopenic (68% versus 32%, P < 0.001). CRP was higher and albumin lower in sarcopenic subjects. Sarcopenia did not predict outcomes in the cohort but was the only significant predictor of need for surgery in overweight and obese subjects (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Almost half of our cohort was sarcopenic. Most of these patients are normal or overweight and would not be identified as malnourished by traditional measures. Sarcopenia was a predictor of surgery in patients with a body mass index ≥ 25. Identification of sarcopenia has implications for medical nutrition therapy as typically efforts are focused on underweight patients.
Thieme Chemistry Journals Awardees – Where Are They Now?Improved Fmoc Deprotection Methods for the Synthesis of Thioamide-Containing Peptides and Proteins

Site-selective incorporation of thioamides into peptides and proteins provides a useful tool for a wide range of applications. Current incorporation methods suffer from low yields as well as epimerization. Here, we describe how the use of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) rather than piperidine in fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) deprotection reduces epimerization and increases yields of thioamide-containing peptides. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the use of DBU avoids byproduct formation when synthesizing peptides containing side-chain thioamides.
THE EFFECT OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION VERSUS SHAM CUEING ON SCAPULAR POSITION DURING EXERCISE IN PATIENTS WITH SCAPULAR DYSKINESIS.

Background Conventional therapeutic exercise programs are commonly used to treat patients with scapular dyskinesis. There are no studies that have examined traditional therapeutic exercise programs with the addition of remote triggered electrical stimulation (ES) to affect the position of the scapula (using spine to scapular border distance as a reference point) during the performance of exercises that have lower upper trapezius (UT) to lower trapezius (LT) ratio exercises. Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to compare scapular position after performance of three low UT/LT ratio therapeutic exercises in two conditions, electrical stimulation (ESTherex) and sham electrical stimulation (ShamTherex) in asymptomatic persons who were positive for scapular dyskinesis. Study design Randomized trial, single-blinded. Methods Eleven asymptomatic university students representing 15 scapulae with a positive Scapular Dyskinesis Test were recruited as subjects. Participants were randomized into exercise and electrical stimulation (ESTherex) or exercise and sham electrical stimulation (ShamTherex). Subjects performed side-lying shoulder external rotation and flexion, and prone horizontal abduction with external rotation in both conditions. Scapular position was assessed during active abduction at four angles before and after performance of these exercises. Results There were no significant differences in scapula to spine distance between ESTherex and ShamTherex groups at 0, 45, 90 and 120 degrees of shoulder abduction. A between group difference (ESTherex and ShamTherex) approached significance at 45 degrees (p = 0.089, CI=-.152 to 1.88 cm) with the post mean measurement of the ShamTherex group (6.44 cm) greater than the post mean measurement of the ESTherex group (5.57 cm). The ESTherex showed a significant pre-to-post mean within group improvement in spine to scapula distance at 120 degrees (mean 2.76 cm, t=4.89, p=.003). Conclusions Electrical stimulation with exercises for scapular dyskinesis showed improvements in spine to scapula distance at 120 degrees of shoulder abduction. Level of evidence Therapy, level 1b.
Strategic Leadership and Implementation of Strategy in Commercial Banks in Kenya: A Case Study of Strategic Direction

Purpose : The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of strategic leadership on the effective implementation of strategy in the commercial banks in Kenya. More specifically, the study investigates the effect of strategic direction on the implementation of strategy in commercial banks. Methodology : Adopted a quantitative research design whose target population was the top management team in the commercial banks in Kenya. The instrument of data collection was tested for reliability using the Cronbach alpha test and for validity using the KMO and Bartlett’s test. Statistical analysis was then carried out on the data collected. Findings : The findings from the study revealed that the five constructs of strategic direction namely: the vision/mission/strategic intent clearly defined and understood, using incentive compensation, facilitating employees’ meaning-making of changes, management not too committed to status quo as to avoid any perceived risks, and the CEO’s personality inclined towards change significantly influence on the implementation of strategy in the commercial banks.
Mesh Nanoelectronics: Seamless Integration of Electronics with Tissues.

ConspectusNanobioelectronics represents a rapidly developing field with broad-ranging opportunities in fundamental biological sciences, biotechnology, and medicine. Despite this potential, seamless integration of electronics has been difficult due to fundamental mismatches, including size and mechanical properties, between the elements of the electronic and living biological systems.In this Account, we discuss the concept, development, key demonstrations, and future opportunities of mesh nanoelectronics as a general paradigm for seamless integration of electronics within synthetic tissues and live animals. We first describe the design and realization of hybrid synthetic tissues that are innervated in three dimensions (3D) with mesh nanoelectronics where the mesh serves as both as a tissue scaffold and as a platform of addressable electronic devices for monitoring and manipulating tissue behavior. Specific examples of tissue/nanoelectronic mesh hybrids highlighted include 3D neural tissue, cardiac patches,...
Multiple Causes of the Allegheny Woodrat Decline: A Historical–Ecological Examination

Wandering through the former haunts of the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) in the Shawangunk Mountains of New York State, one might easily imagine that this landscape is largely unchanged from what it was hundreds of years ago. Massive chestnut oaks (Quercus prinus) protrude from rocky hillsides and steep talus slopes conceal complex systems of fissures and galleries beneath. However, one need not look far to see signs of changing land uses all around this beautiful region. Even in areas seemingly untouched by human hands, the plant and animal communities of northeastern North America have undergone profound changes in the past 400 years—a fact not often considered when pondering the causes for a species’ decline. And yet, a short moment of reflection brings to mind a plethora of important species that no longer exist in our landscape. The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and the American elm (Ulmus americana) are no longer found in our forests. The eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), and eastern dogwood (Cornus florida) are fast disappearing. The list of animal species once found in the northeast but now absent is also quite impressive, including wolves (Canis lupus), cougars (Felis concolor), passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius), wolverines (Gulo gulo), bison (Bison bison), and lynx (Lynx canadensis). Equally noteworthy is the reversal of devastating trends that once appeared unidirectional; deforestation gave way to reforestation which has given way to suburbanization. Some species appear to have disappeared from the northeast forever. Others, like white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), American turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), black bears (Ursus americanus), and American beavers (Castor canadensis) declined only to rebound to levels once thought impossible. From a nadir in the 1850s, when Henry David Thoreau noted that the muskrat
IN-PILE PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIES OF EBR-II MARK-I AND FERMI CORE--A SAMPLE MELTDOWN

Fast reactor fuel sample meltdown experiments have been performed, in the TREAT reactor, with high speed color photography. EBR-II Mark-I and half-length Enrico Fermi Core-A type elements have been...
Residual Solvent Testing: A Review of Gas-Chromatographic and Alternative Techniques

The purpose of this brief review is to describe and discuss some of the current analytic procedures including gas-chromatographic and alternative techniques for residual solvent testing. Residual solvents, or organic volatile impurities, are a potential toxic risk for pharmaceutic products and have been a concern of manufacturers for many years. Residual solvents have had official limits in the United States as set in USP XXV and by the FDA in 1997 and have been monitored by most pharmaceutical manufacturers extensively for more than two decades in both bulk and finished products. The chief method of analysis for residual solvents is gas chromatography, which is generally considered the preferred methodology. Sample introduction techniques include both static and dynamic headspace analysis, solid-phase microextraction, and direct injection of solution containing bulk drug substance or drug product into the gas chromatograph. Also, some alternative methodologies for residual solvent testing are discussed in this review. In conclusion, gas chromatograph-based procedures will continue to dominate residual solvent testing because of its specificity for identification of the solvent, but the use of alternative sample introduction techniques into a gas chromatograph will continue to expand in the near future.
Subcritical Crack Growth in Ceramics

Subcritical crack growth that causes delayed failure is discussed in terms of fracture mechanics concepts. Techniques of characterizing subcritical crack growth are presented and the available crack growth data are discussed with particular emphasis on fracture mechanisms. Finally a design technique is presented to predict useful component lifetime from crack growth data after proof testing.
TIME—TEMPERATURE STUDIES OF THE INACTIVATION RATE OF BRUCELLA ABORTUS STRAIN 2308 IN MILK*

Experimental data relating to the destruction of B. abortus (2308) in milk by heat are presented. It was observed that B. abortus (2308) was killed in 23 minutes at 142.7°F. and in 14 seconds at 16...
Development and validation of a risk-calculator for adverse perioperative outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.

Background Primary cytoreduction followed by platinum-based chemotherapy is the primary treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. However, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking is an alternative option, particularly in those who may be poor surgical candidates. Objective The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with short-term, significant perioperative morbidity and mortality for women undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer and to create a nomogram to predict the risk of adverse perioperative outcomes. Study Design We used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to identify women with ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who underwent surgery from 2011 to 2015. Demographic factors, clinical characteristics, comorbidity, functional status, and the extent of surgery were used to predict the risk of severe perioperative complications or death using multivariable models. Multiple imputation methods were employed for missing data. A nomogram was developed based on the final model. The discrimination ability of the model was assessed with a calibration plot and discrimination concordance index. Results We identified a total of 7029 patients. Overall, 5.8% of patients experienced a Clavien-Dindo IV complication, 9.8% of patients were readmitted, 3.0% of patients required a reoperation, and 0.9% of patients died within 30 days. Among the baseline variables assessed, increasing age, emergent surgery, ascites, bleeding disorder, low albumin, higher American Society of Anesthesiology classification score, and a higher extended procedure score were associated with serious perioperative morbidity or mortality. Of these factors, performance of ≥3 cytoreductive procedures (adjusted odds ratio 4.53, 95% confidence interval 3.01–6.82), American Society of Anesthesiology classification score ≥ class 4 (adjusted odds ratio 2.89, 95% confidence interval 1.17–7.14), bleeding disorder (adjusted odds ratio 2.73, 95% confidence interval 1.82–4.10), and age ≥80 years (adjusted odds ratio 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.66–3.63) were most strongly associated with risk of an event. The final nomogram included the above variables and had an internal discrimination concordance index of 0.71, with accurate predictions in an internal validation set, indicating a 71% correct identification of patients across all possible pairs. Conclusion Women undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer are at significant risk for the occurrence of adverse perioperative outcomes. Using readily identifiable characteristics, this nomogram can predict adverse outcomes.
A review of operations management literature: a data-driven approach

Production and operations management has been a significant field of research for many years. However, other than an educated guess by researchers in the field or a perusal of textbook chapter titl...
Housing and food stress among transgender adults in the United States.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to assess housing and food-related stress in transgender and cisgender adults in the United States. Methods Data from the 2014 and 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were analyzed for 53,060 adults who responded to the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity module and the Social Context module. We used multiple logistic regression to assess the association of gender identity with housing and food-related stress. Results There were no significant differences by gender identity in the odds of experiencing housing or food-related stress. A sensitivity analysis revealed that with a broader definition of food-related stress, transgender individuals had higher odds of experiencing food-related stress compared with cisgender individuals. The sample of transgender individuals who experienced food-related stress were young, single, racially diverse, sexual minorities, and the majority had a high school degree or less. Similarly, most transgender individuals who experienced housing-related stress were single, sexual minorities, and had a high school degree or less. Conclusions More precise assessments of housing and food insecurity among probability-based samples of transgender individuals are needed to fully understand housing and food-related instability and the stress associated with these experiences.
Generalized Phase Gradient Autofocus Using Semidefinite Relaxation Phase Estimation

Recently, we developed a generalized phase gradient autofocus (GPGA) algorithm for performing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) autofocus over arbitrary flight paths, including both near-field and bistatic collection geometries. A key step of the GPGA algorithm is solving or finding an approximate solution to a non-deterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) optimization problem, whose solution set consists of maximum marginal likelihood estimates (MMLEs) of the phase errors having marginalized over unknown complex-valued reflectivities of selected scatterers. In this work, a new approximate MMLE, termed the max-semidefinite relaxation (Max-SDR) phase estimator, is proposed for use with the GPGA algorithm. Leveraging recent work on SDR, the Max-SDR phase estimator provides a phase error estimate with a worst-case approximation bound compared to the solution set of MMLEs (i.e., worst-case suboptimality for a feasible point to the NP-hard GPGA phase estimation problem). Additionally, in this work a specialized interior-point method (IPM) is presented for efficiently performing Max-SDR phase estimation by exploiting low-rank structure typically associated with the GPGA phase estimation problem. The presented specialized IPM is shown to have reduced computational complexity and yield a significant run-time performance improvement over a generic IPM for large-scale problems commonly encountered with SAR imaging applications. Simulation and experimental results produced using Max-SDR phase estimation are presented.