Illusions of Grandeurs: Washingtonian Architecture as Seen by White and Black People of the Early Nineteenth Century

In the early nineteenth century, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson built a classically inspired capital designed to legitimize American republican ideals. White interpretations of the architecture gradually aligned more with the founders’ intentions, especially following its reconstruction after the 1814 conflagration. Enslaved and free black observers recognized their exclusion from the message of freedom and equality. Rather than finding their identity through federal buildings, they established their communities within churches, houses, and businesses owned by black people. The varied reactions to Washington’s and Jefferson’s designs demonstrated how the aesthetic idealization of republicanism revealed incongruities in the new capital

Maternal pomegranate juice intake and brain structure and function in infants with intrauterine growth restriction: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Polyphenol-rich pomegranate juice has been shown to have benefit as a neuroprotectant in animal models of neonatal hypoxic-ischemia. No published studies have investigated maternal polyphenol administration as a potential neuroprotectant in at-risk newborns, such as those with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study to investigate the impact of maternal pomegranate juice intake in pregnancies with IUGR, on newborn brain structure and function at term-equivalent age (TEA). Mothers with IUGR at 24-34 weeks\u27 gestation were recruited from Barnes-Jewish Hospital obstetrical clinic. Consented mothers were randomized to treatment (8 oz. pomegranate juice) or placebo (8 oz. polyphenol-free juice) and continued to take juice daily from enrollment until delivery (mean 20.1 and 27.1 days, respectively). Infants underwent brain MRI at TEA (36-41 weeks\u27 gestation). Brain measures were compared between groups including: brain injury score, brain metrics, brain volumes, diffusion tensor imaging and resting state functional connectivity. Statistical analyses were undertaken as modified intention-to-treat (including randomized participants who received their allocated intervention and whose infants received brain MRI) and per-protocol (including participants who strictly adhered to the protocol, based on metabolite status). Seventy-seven mothers were randomized to treatment (n = 40) or placebo (n = 37). Of these, 28 and 27 infants, respectively, underwent term-equivalent MRI. There were no group differences in brain injury, metrics or volumes. However, treatment subjects displayed reduced diffusivity within the anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule compared with placebo. Resting state functional connectivity demonstrated increased correlation and covariance within several networks in treatment subjects, with alterations most apparent in the visual network in per-protocol analyses. Direct effects on health were not found. In conclusion, maternal pomegranate juice intake in pregnancies with known IUGR was associated with altered white matter organization and functional connectivity in the infant brain, suggesting differences in brain structure and function following in utero pomegranate juice exposure, warranting continued investigation. Clinical trial registration. NCT00788866, registered November 11, 2008, initial participant enrollment August 21, 2012

The development of tape recorded discussions and check lists for evaluating progression in grades one through four.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Factors predictive of successful retention in care among HIV-infected men in a universal test-and-treat setting in Uganda and Kenya: A mixed methods analysis.

BackgroundPrevious research indicates clinical outcomes among HIV-infected men in sub-Saharan Africa are sub-optimal. The SEARCH test and treat trial (NCT01864603) intervention included antiretroviral care delivery designed to address known barriers to HIV-care among men by decreasing clinic visit frequency and providing flexible, patient-centered care with retention support. We sought to understand facilitators and barriers to retention in care in this universal treatment setting through quantitative and qualitative data analysis.MethodsWe used a convergent mixed methods study design to evaluate retention in HIV care among adults (age > = 15) during the first year of the SEARCH (NCT01864603) test and treat trial. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate predictors of retention in care. Longitudinal qualitative data from n = 190 in-depth interviews with HIV-positive individuals and health care providers were analyzed to identify facilitators and barriers to HIV care engagement.ResultsThere were 1,863 men and 3,820 women who linked to care following baseline testing. Retention in care was 89.7% (95% CI 87.0-91.8%) among men and 89.0% (86.8-90.9%) among women at one year. In both men and women older age was associated with higher rates of retention in care at one year. Additionally, among men higher CD4+ at ART initiation and decreased time between testing and ART initiation was associated with higher rates of retention. Maintaining physical health, a patient-centered treatment environment, supportive partnerships, few negative consequences to disclosure, and the ability to seek care in facilities outside of their community of residence were found to promote retention in care.ConclusionsFeatures of the ART delivery system in the SEARCH intervention and social and structural advantages emerged as facilitators to retention in HIV care among men. Messaging around the health benefits of early ART start, decreasing logistical barriers to HIV care, support of flexible treatment environments, and accelerated linkage to care, are important to men's success in ART treatment programs. Men already benefit from increased social support following disclosure of their HIV-status. Future efforts to shift gender norms towards greater equity are a potential strategy to support high levels of engagement in care for both men and women

Antioxidant properties of different dietary supplements based on Agaricus blazei Murrill

In 2012, the market for nutraceuticals earned $90 billion worldwide and it is predicted to reach$33.6 billion in the next four years. Agaricus blazei Murrill mushroom is native to Brazil and widely cultivated due to nutritional and medicinal value [I ,2]. Its beneficial effects have long been recognized, becoming popular as ordinary food, increasing also its production and marketing as dietary supplements (3]. A. blazei is traditionally used to combat a variety of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hepatitis and hypercholesterolemia [2]. The use of dietary supplements based on A. blazei has grown significantly, due to pharmacological studies reporting antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunostimulant, apoptotic and chemopreventive effects [2,3], attributed to ®-glucans and other bioactive compounds, such as steroids, tocopherols and phenolic compounds [4]. Herein, the antioxidant activity of A. blazei capsules enriched with fmits of Malpighia glabra L. (acerola), Solanum melongena L. (eggplant) and Euterpe oleracea Mart. (açai), calcium and chitosan, were evaluated though in vitro assays: DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity, reducing power, inhibition of G-carotene bleaching and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in brain homogenates by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TSARS) assay. Two capsules (daily recommended dose) were dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water in order to prepare a stock solution. Several dilutions were tested until determination of EC50 values (concentration responsible for 50% of antioxidant activity or 0.5 of absorbance in reducing power assay). Globally, all the tested formulations showed high antioxidant activity. A. blazei with acerola gave the highest DPPH scavenging activity (EC50=0.81±0.0 1 mg/mL) and reducing power (EC50=0.53±0.0 1 mg/mL). Nevertheless, A. blazei with ayai showed the highest activity in the lipophilic assays: f3 - carotene bleaching inhibition (EC50=0.55±0.02 mg/mL) and lipid peroxidation inhibition by TSARS assay (EC50=O. 14±0.01 mg/mL). The studied formulations might be useful as antioxidants-enriched supplements to prevent some of the diseases related to oxidative stress

Water and Metasomatism in the Slave Cratonic Lithosphere (Canada): An FTIR Study

Water in the mantle influences melting, viscosity, seismic velocity, and electrical conductivity. The role played by water in the long-term stabilization of cratonic roots is currently being debated. This study focuses on water contents of mantle minerals (olivine, pyroxene and garnet) from xenoliths found in kimberlites of the Archean Slave craton. 19 mantle xenoliths from central Lac de Gras, and 10 from northern Jericho were analyzed by FTIR for water, and their equilibration depths span the several compositional layers identified beneath the region. At both locations, the shallow peridotites have lower water contents in their olivines (11-30 ppm H2O) than those from the deeper layers (28-300 ppm H2O). The driest olivines, however, are not at the base of the cratonic lithosphere (>6 GPa) as in the Kaapvaal craton. Instead, the deepest olivines are hydrous (31-72 ppm H2O at Lac de Gras and 275 ppm H2O at Jericho). Correlations of water in clinopyroxene and garnet with their other trace element contents are consistent with water being added by metasomatism by melts resembling kimberlite precursors in the mantle approx.0.35 Ga ago beneath Lac de Gras. The northern Jericho xenoliths are derived from a region of the Slave craton that is even more chemically stratified, and was affected at depth by the 1.27 Ga Mackenzie igneous events. Metasomatism at Jericho may be responsible for the particularly high olivine water contents (up to 300 ppm H2O) compared to those at Lac de Gras, which will be investigated by acquiring trace-element data on these xenoliths. These data indicate that several episodes of metasomatic rehydration occurred in the deep part of the Slave craton mantle lithosphere, with the process being more intense in the northern part beneath Jericho, likely related to a translithospheric suture serving as a channel to introduce fluids and/or melts in the northern region. Consequently, rehydration of the lithosphere does not necessarily cause cratonic root delamination and these peridotites may represent localized metasomatic zones - the wall rocks to kimberlite magma passage

Effect of audibility on spatial release from speech-on-speech masking

This study investigated to what extent spatial release from masking (SRM) deficits in hearing-impaired adults may be related to reduced audibility of the test stimuli. Sixteen adults with sensorineural hearing loss and 28 adults with normal hearing were assessed on the Listening in Spatialized Noise–Sentences test, which measures SRM using a symmetric speech-on-speech masking task. Stimuli for the hearing-impaired listeners were delivered using three amplification levels (National Acoustic Laboratories - Revised Profound prescription (NAL-RP) +25%, and NAL-RP +50%), while stimuli for the normal-hearing group were filtered to achieve matched audibility. SRM increased as audibility increased for all participants. Thus, it is concluded that reduced audibility of stimuli may be a significant factor in hearing-impaired adults' reduced SRM even when hearing loss is compensated for with linear gain. However, the SRM achieved by the normal hearers with simulated audibility loss was still significantly greater than that achieved by hearing-impaired listeners, suggesting other factors besides audibility may still play a role

Evaluation of various ecotypes of “stamnagathi’ (Cichorium spinosum L.)

In the present study, the evaluation of chemical composition of various ecotypes of “stamnagathi” (Cichorium spinosum L.) was carried out. Seeds from selected ecotypes were collected in situ and sown in seed trays for plant propagation and consequent plant production. At the harvest stage, the dry matter, chlorophyll, sugars, fatty acids and organic acids content in leaves was measured. Regarding dry matter content, significant differences were observed among the ecotypes, with mean values ranging from 6.3 to 8.3%. Differences were also observed in chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll, with ecotypes B and D having the highest content comparing to ecotypes A and C. Sugars content differed among the ecotypes for all the detected sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose) and the total sugars content. Ascorbic acid was detected only in the case of ecotypes B and C, whereas in the other two ecotypes only traces were detected. Finally, regarding tocopherols content, significant differences were observed for both α- tocopherol, with ecotype B having the highest content followed by ecotype C, and δ- tocopherol, where the highest content was observed for ecotype C. For total tocopherols, ecotype C had also the highest content comparing to the other ecotypes. Fatty acids content did not differ among the studied ecotypes, for both the content of the main fatty acids (α-linolenic, linoleic and palmitic acid) and the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and total fatty acids (TFA) content. In conclusion, genotype has an important effect on nutritional and chemical composition of ‘stamnagathi’ ecotypes, and special interest rises for detecting and evaluating ecotypes with high quality profile for commercial cultivation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio