Oxygen Activation by Mononuclear Mn, Co, and Ni Centers in Biology and Synthetic Complexes

The active sites of metalloenzymes that catalyze O2-dependent reactions generally contain iron or copper ions. However, several enzymes are capable of activating O2 at manganese or nickel centers instead, and a handful of dioxygenases exhibit activity when substituted with cobalt. This minireview summarizes the catalytic properties of oxygenases and oxidases with mononuclear Mn, Co, or Ni active sites, including oxalate-degrading oxidases, catechol dioxygenases, and quercetin dioxygenase. In addition, recent developments in the O2 reactivity of synthetic Mn, Co, or Ni complexes are described, with an emphasis on the nature of reactive intermediates featuring superoxo-, peroxo-, or oxo-ligands. Collectively, the biochemical and synthetic studies discussed herein reveal the possibilities and limitations of O2 activation at these three “overlooked” metals

Neuromodulation in neurogenic bladder.

While neuromodulation is a well-established treatment option for patients with non-neurogenic overactive bladder and urinary retention, its applicability to the neurogenic bladder population has only recently been examined more in depth. In this article we will discuss the outcomes, contraindications, and special considerations of sacral and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction

On the Assessment of Stability and Patterning of Speech Movements

Speech requires the control of complex movements of orofacial structures to produce dynamic variations in the vocal tract transfer function. The nature of the underlying motor control processes has traditionally been investigated by employing measures of articulatory movements, including movement amplitude, velocity, and duration, at selected points in time. An alternative approach, first used in the study of limb motion, is to examine the entire movement trajectory over time. A new approach to speech movement trajectory analysis was introduced in earlier work from this laboratory. In this method, trajectories from multiple movement sequences are time- and amplitude-normalized, and the STI (spatiotemporal index) is computed to capture the degree of convergence of a set of trajectories onto a single, underlying movement template. This research note describes the rationale for this analysis and provides a detailed description of the signal processing involved. Alternative interpolation procedures for time-normalization of kinematic data are also considered

Fatally Injured Pedestrians and Bicyclists in the United States with High Blood Alcohol Concentrations

More than one-third of pedestrians and one-fifth of bicyclists killed in crashes in 2014 were impaired by alcohol, but scant attention has been paid to the problem. This omission contrasts starkly with the many successful policies that have reduced impaired driving, a new Institute study notes.The study looked at fatalities of passenger vehicle drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists 16 and older from 1982 to 2014. Using a federal database, IIHS researchers looked at the characteristics of those crashes and trends over time. They found that the percentage of fatally injured pedestrians and bicyclists 16 and older who were impaired has fallen over the decades, but not as dramatically as the percentage of impaired drivers

A study of the enzymatic hydrolysis of fish frames using model systems

A model system was employed to study the operating conditions and primary parameters of enzymic hydrolysis of cod proteins. Pancreatin, papain, and bromelain were used to hydrolyse minced cod fillets under controlled conditions and with the rate of hydrolysis being continually monitored via both the pH-stat and TNBS method. The two methods were compared and evaluated. The rate of protein solubilisation was plotted against the degree of hydrolysis (DH). Dry fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) powders having short, medium and high degrees of hydrolysis (DH of approximately 8%, 11% and 16% respectively) were produced and analysed for their molecular weight distribution, using size exclusion chromatography. Almost complete protein solubilisation (75 g soluble protein per kg hydrolysis solution) could be achieved within an hour, at 40°C, at 1% enzyme/substrate ratio (w/w) with papain and bromelain. The pH-stat was found capable of continuously following the rate of hydrolysis but only at low DH. The TNBS could be accurately used even at high DH to estimate the percentage of the peptide bonds cleaved, but required chemical analysis of withdrawn samples

Leveraging National Reports to Transform Ambulatory Care Practice

Multiple national reports identify actionable recommendations to transform education and practice to meet the needs of health care and healthcare delivery beyond the hospital walls. The Josiah Macy Jr. Conference (2016) focused on transforming primary care and changing healthcare culture to support expansion of roles for registered nurses (RNs). Partnerships between academia and clinical practice are critical to expanding learning opportunities beyond traditional acute care settings. Development of primary care expertise in nursing faculty and adjunct faculty, in collaboration with primary care and ambulatory care nursing leaders, is essential. Academic-practice partnerships must advocate for removing regulatory and practice barriers to allow RNs to practice to the full scope of education and training. Recommendations from national reports extend beyond enhanced roles in primary care practice and have global implication

Comparison of Different Studies to Analyse Adaptation on Dairy Farms

This paper compares and contrasts a number of farm-level modeling studies published in the academic literature. All of the studies examined adaptation on EU dairy farms in response to developments in agricultural policy and/or environmental legislation. The studies are compared on the basis of their respective aims, model structure, results and conclusions. Having reviewed the models and their application, the discussion section of the paper considers strengths and weaknesses of the studies and following from that it considers possible future developments in farm-level response modeling. The relevance and application of such developments in the context of an analytical study of adaptation in Irish dairy farms is discussed.Farm Management, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,