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Corynebacterium glutamicum is an important industrial producer of various amino acids and other metabolites. The C. glutamicum genome encodes seven sigma subunits (factors) of RNA polymerase: the primary sigma factor SigA (σ(A)), the primary-like σ(B) and five alternative sigma factors (σ(C), σ(D), σ(E), σ(H) and σ(M)). We have developed in vitro and in vivo methods to assign particular sigma factors to individual promoters of different classes. In vitro transcription assays and measurements of promoter activity using the overexpression of a single sigma factor gene and the transcriptional fusion of the promoter to the gfpuv reporter gene enabled us to reliably define the sigma factor dependency of promoters...

Purpose Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been established for many years and has become an increasingly important cornerstone of the diagnostic imaging of various organ systems. However, this modality is rarely performed by radiologists and is primarily employed by other medical disciplines. The goal of this questionnaire study is to present the current value of CEUS in radiology and to encourage reevaluation of the method within this medical discipline. Materials and Methods 560 directors of radiology departments throughout Germany were contacted and given a 3-page questionnaire...

In the past 15 years, the advent of aberration correction technology in electron microscopy has enabled materials analysis on the atomic scale. This is made possible by precise arrangements of multipole electrodes and magnetic solenoids to compensate the aberrations inherent to any focusing element of an electron microscope. Here, we describe an alternative method to correct for the spherical aberration of the objective lens in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) using a passive, nanofabricated diffractive optical element...

In the present study, we use the state of art density functional theory (DFT) techniques to calculate the structural, optoelectronic and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties for two novel chalcone derivatives. The geometrical structures of chalcone derivatives compound 1 and 2 are optimized using periodic boundary conditions (PBC) in solid-state phase as well as isolated single molecular geometry in the gas phase. The reasonable agreement is found among experimental, solid-state and gas phase single molecular geometries, which provide us, further confidence to explore the potential of above-entitled derivatives as good functional materials for electro-optical applications...

This paper analyzes the effects of lowering the legal blood alcohol content limit for drivers from 0.05 to 0.03 grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood (g/dL) and increasing license suspension periods for offenders. We take advantage of a rich data set of administrative records that allow us to identify direct measures of accidents involving alcohol including fatalities and injuries. Results show a significant decrease of 32% in alcohol-related car accidents right after the law was approved but the effects moderate over time (15% after three years)...

The MiSeq FGx Forensic Genomics System (Illumina) enables amplification and massively parallel sequencing of 59 STRs, 94 identity informative SNPs, 54 ancestry informative SNPs, and 24 phenotypic informative SNPs. Allele frequency and population statistics data were generated for the 172 SNP loci included in this panel on four major population groups (Chinese, African Americans, US Caucasians, and Southwest Hispanics). Single-locus and combined random match probability values were generated for the identity informative SNPs...

Unveiling virus-host interactions are relevant for understanding the biology and evolution of microbes globally, but in particular, it has also a paramount impact on the manufacture of fermented dairy products. In this study, we aim at characterizing phages infecting the commonly used heterofermentative Leuconostoc spp. on the basis of host range patterns and genome analysis. Host range of six Leuconostoc phages was investigated using three methods (efficiency of plaquing, spot and turbidity tests) against Ln...

INTRODUCTION: Globally, life expectancy together with multimorbidity and chronic diseases are increasing. This leads to a growing demand for care and hence for healthcare personnel and nurses. To meet this demand, healthcare workers from abroad are increasingly hired. The nurses' workplace in general is characterized by physically and psychologically demanding tasks, while that of migrant and minority nurses is additionally characterized by discriminatory practices. The present knowledge about the health of migrant and minority nurses and the terminology in this context are diverse...

BACKGROUND: For pragmatic clinical research comparing commonly used treatments, questions exist about if and how to notify participants about it and secure their authorization for participation. OBJECTIVE: To determine how patients react when they seek clinical care and encounter one of several different pragmatic clinical research studies. RESEARCH DESIGN: In an online survey using a between-subjects experimental design, respondents read and responded to 1 of 24 hypothetical research scenarios reflecting different types of studies and approaches to notification and authorization (eg, general notification, oral consent, written consent)...

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. OBJECTIVE: Determine whether surgeon demographic factors influence postoperative complication rates after elective spine fusion procedures. BACKGROUND: Surgeon demographic factors have been shown to impact decision making in the management of degenerative disease of the lumbar spine. Complication rates are frequently reported outcome measurements used to evaluate surgical treatments, quality-of-care, and determine health care reimbursements...

As health care moves to a value-based system, the need for team-based models of care becomes increasingly important to adequately address the growing number of clinical quality metrics required of health care providers. Finding ways to better engage certified medical assistants (CMAs) in the process allows providers to focus on more complex tasks while improving the efficiency of each office visit. Although the roles and responsibilities for CMAs across the specialties can vary widely, standardizing the work can be a helpful step in scaling best practices across an institution...

In this study, the expected time required to eradicate HIV-1 completely was found as the conditional absorbing time in a finite state space continuous-time Markov chain model. The Markov chain has two absorbing states: one corresponds to HIV eradication and another representing the possible disaster. This method allowed us to calculate the expected eradication time by solving systems of linear equations. To overcome the challenge of huge dimension of the problem, we applied a novel stop and resume technique...

In this paper, we propose a novel and effective hybrid method, which joins the conventional chroma subsampling and the distortion-minimization based luma modification together, to improve the quality of the reconstructed RGB fullcolor image. Assume the input RGB full-color image has been transformed to a YUV image, prior to compression. For each 2×2 UV block, one 4:2:0 subsampling is applied to determine the one subsampled U and V components, Us and Vs. Based on Us, Vs, and the corresponding 2×2 original RGB block, a main theorem is provided to determine the ideally modified 2×2 luma block in constant time such that the color peak signalto- noise ratio (CPSNR) quality distortion between the original 2×2 RGB block and the reconstructed 2×2 RGB block can be minimized in a globally optimal sense...

With the goal of elucidating electronic and conformational effects on structure-spectroscopic property relationships in platinum acetylides, we synthesized a series of nominally centrosymmetric chromophores trans-Pt(PBu3)2(CC-Phenyl-X)2, where X = diphenylamino(DPA), NH2, OCH3, t-Bu, CH3, H, F, benzothiazole(BTH), CF3, CN and NO2. We collected one- and two-photon absorption spectra and also performed DFT and TDDFT calculations on the ground and excited state properties of these compounds. The DFT calculations revealed facile rotation between the two ligands, suggesting that the compounds exhibit nonplanar ground state conformations in solution...

Clear cell neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the pancreas is found in von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN I), and sporadic form. Clear cell NETs are often misdiagnosed as metastatic renal cell carcinoma. A 47-year-old woman with VHL was found to have a mass in the pancreatic tail and two masses in the right kidney with two cysts. A distal pancreatectomy and right radical nephrectomy were performed. The pancreatic lesion was a well-circumscribed, golden-yellow solid mass, which was lobulated by septal fibrosis...

To improve lithium and sodium ion battery technology we must understand how the properties of the components are controlled by their chemical structures. Operando structural studies give us some of the most useful information on how batteries work, but it remains difficult to separate out the contributions of the various components of a battery stack (e.g. electrodes, current collectors, electrolyte and binders) and examine specific materials. We have used operando X-ray diffraction computed tomography (XRD-CT) to study specific components of an essentially unmodified, working cell and extract detailed, space resolved structural information on both crystalline and amorphous phases present during cycling...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To compare US-guided core-needle biopsy (USCNB) and US-guided fine-needle aspiration (USFNA) of suspicious cervical lymph nodes for staging workup of malignancies in locations other than the head and neck using propensity score matching (PSM). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 108 patients who underwent USFNA and 1058 who underwent USCNB for suspicious cervical lymph nodes detected by imaging modalities during the staging workup for malignancies located in regions other than the head and neck...

The immunomodulatory surface molecules of commensal and pathogenic bacteria are critical to microorganisms' survival and the host's response(1,2). Recent studies have highlighted the unique and important responses elicited by commensal-derived surface macromolecules(3-5). However, the technology available to track these molecules in host cells and tissues remains primitive. We report, here, an interdisciplinary approach that uses metabolic labelling combined with bioorthogonal click chemistry (that is, reactions performed in living organisms)(6) to specifically tag up to three prominent surface immunomodulatory macromolecules-peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide and capsular polysaccharide-either simultaneously or individually in live anaerobic commensal bacteria...

BACKGROUND: Reduction mammaplasty is known for excellent outcomes and patient satisfaction. Although patients report improvements in pain, weight loss, and exercise levels, objective data on physical fitness benefits are limited. METHODS: Using the Stanford Military Data Repository, we identified 89 US Army active duty women with at least 1 pre- and postoperative Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) who underwent reduction mammaplasty during 2011 to 2014. We used paired t tests to compare pre- and postoperative APFT score means and raw values for push-ups, sit-ups, and the 2-mile run...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a threshold of detectable HIV RNA under 1,000 copies/mL after antiretroviral therapy initiation associated with 10-year all-cause mortality. DESIGN: This study included nearly 8,000 patients from a US-based multicenter clinical cohort who started antiretroviral therapy between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2013. Viral load was assessed six months after initiation of therapy. Patients were followed from six months after therapy initiation (between 1 July 1998 and 30 June 2014) until death, and data were administratively censored after 10 years or on 31 December 2014...