Kimberly-Clark (United States)

The development and administration of software applications have undergone a transformation because of the introduction of cloud computing. Flexible, scalable, and cost-effective Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications are hosted on scalable cloud infrastructures. However, there are additional difficulties in integrating and evaluating cloud apps, especially given the various control system features of private, public, and hybrid cloud models. The integration and validation process for cloud apps is examined in this research article along with methods for resolving related problems. The paper outlines the identification, connection, data mapping, and testing processes of integration, which is the merging of systems. It makes a distinction between integration between private and public clouds. Cloud-based apps are validated to make sure they adhere to performance, security, and reliability standards. It includes a discussion of testing techniques, including load and stress testing. Lack of control over the underlying infrastructure, changing environments, and shared infrastructure are difficulties in validation. A thorough validation strategy that includes establishing requirements, developing test plans, choosing suitable validation tools, and iterating the validation process is recommended to overcome these challenges. Organizations can profit from cloud computing by adopting a systematic and effective validation approach to ensure their applications match the essential requirements, regardless of the difficulties in integrating and validating cloud apps.

Introduction: Previously, we used plasma metabolomics profiling to identify metabolites underlying cardiovascular health (CVH) in participants of the Morehouse-Emory Cardiovascular (MECA) Center for Health Equity Study. Herein, we explored whether a health intervention could alter plasma concentrations of metabolites associated with CVH in MECA participants with poor CVH. Methods: 71 Black adults without known cardiovascular disease and with poor CVH, defined as AHA Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) score <8, were given a technology-enabled behavioral intervention platform (Health360x) for 6 months with or without access to a health coach. Metabolites were assessed pre- and post-intervention by untargeted high-resolution metabolomics profiling. Metabolome wide association study (MWAS) was conducted to identify differentially expressed metabolites and Mummichog was used to identify metabolic pathways that were differentially enriched after the intervention. Annotations were performed by matching to an in-house library of confirmed metabolites. Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare clinical metrics. Results: Mean age was 55 + 9.0 years, 69% female. Total LS7 scores improved from 6.2 ( + 1.49) to 6.5 ( + 1.74) with the intervention. While total and subcomponent LS7 scores and clinical metrics (BMI, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels) trended toward improvement, the changes were not statistically significant. MWAS identified 18 metabolites that were significantly changed after intervention, including glutamine and glutamate. Pathway analysis demonstrated 30 metabolic pathways that were significantly changed with intervention, including glutamate, aspartate, asparagine, arginine and proline metabolism. Conclusions: Six-months of lifestyle intervention altered activity of 30 metabolic pathways without significant alterations in the clinical metrics. These metabolites and pathways appear to be indicators of a healthier lifestyle in the Black population, potentially supporting their use as markers of CVH and possible therapeutic targets.

Abstract Evolutionary analysis combined with ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) was utilized to calculate the taxonomic relationship between poly(hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase (PHBase) enzymes belonging to the halophilic genusHalomonas. Enzymes cluster into four distinct clades that differ in sequence length and composition. Like many of the previously studied PHBase proteins, there is a high degree of heterogeneity at the genus level. Ancestor sequences were calculated for each tree node using a maximum likelihood approach. The most ancestral sequence and one extant enzyme from each of the clades were expressed inEscherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and characterized. The ancestral enzyme binds substrate more efficiently, is kinetically faster, and is more stable at elevated temperatures compared to the extant enzymes. Hence, an evolutionary phylogenetic approach is a viable alternative to other techniques for identifying optimized enzymes for industrial PHB degradation.

In the diapered area, the continuous exposure to excess moisture and irritants from urine and feces weakens the stratum corneum, making the skin more susceptible to irritation. The use of wet wipes for infants (baby wipes) is a common practice to clean skin after urine or a bowel movement, and this practice even extends to cleaning the hands and face, resulting in repeated daily use. Therefore, ensuring that baby wipes contain ingredients that are safe and mild on skin is important to help minimize skin irritation and discomfort. While disposable baby wipes have been shown to be effective and gentle at cleaning infant skin, even the skin of premature infants, there is growing public concern regarding their safety and tolerability. Not all products are made the same, as differences exist in manufacturing processes, ingredients, materials, safety, and quality testing. Therefore, it is important that healthcare professionals have accessible evidenced‐based information on the safety and tolerability of common ingredients found in baby wipes to optimally educate their patients and families. Herein, we provide a review on best practices for ingredient selection, safety, and efficacy of baby wipes.

The human body is covered with bacteria that are required for health and wellbeing. Additionally, there are pathogenic bacteria that are unwanted. It is therefore important to understand how personal care ingredients interact with these bacteria. To help understand these interactions, a high-throughput assay was developed to study the effect of personal care ingredients on attachment. Seventeen personal care ingredients were assayed singly and in simple alcohol based formulations. Three of the ingredients decreased the attachment of both bacteria tested by 90% singly and in formulation. Personal care ingredients singly and in simple formulations can prevent the attachment of bacteria. Further research is needed to better understand how personal care ingredients affect bacterial attachment and how these effects can be used to create new hygiene products for consumers.

A backward-averaged iterative two-source surface temperature and energy balance solution (BAITSSS) algorithm was developed to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) during the period between Landsat satellite overpass dates. The METRIC (mapping evapotranspiration at high resolution with internalized calibration) model was used to estimate ET using short wave and thermal data from the Landsat images. METRIC generated ET was used to define initial surface characteristics, soil water conditions and initialize the soil water content for the surface and root zone at the start of the simulation period, and to adjust the results from BAITSSS at the next satellite overpass date if needed. North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) weather data were used to estimate the surface energy balance components in between the satellite overpasses. The fraction of vegetation cover (fc) was used to partition surface energy balance components, as defined by the normalized difference vegetation index. Soil surface resistance (rss) and Jarvis-model-type canopy resistance (rsc) were used to calculate latent heat flux using the aerodynamic equations. A water balance was implemented to track the water content at the surface and root zone. An irrigation sub-model was developed to consider the role of irrigation for known irrigated agricultural fields, which is critical when computing ET in an agriculture-dominant area. Any mismatch between the estimated and METRIC ET at the next satellite overpass can be adjusted back over the simulation period with a time-based linear correction to increase the accuracy and reduce computation time. In this study, BAITSSS results from southern Idaho and northern California are presented for 3 h time steps.