His Voice: The Portrayals of LGBTQ+ Issues in Musical Theatre seen through Terrence McNally\u27s A Man of No Importance

As a young theatre educator and director, I have found myself to be most impacted by LGBTQ+ works that provide perspectives on controversial topics that exist in today\u27s society. It has dawned on me that representation through theatre is impactful for audiences who are able to relate to the characters in the story that is being told, and through this, can find their own voice in a world where they may feel silenced. In an ever-changing educational world, we as educators are always pushed to innovate and create strategies that can elevate how stories are told through theatre. Through conversations with my students, an idea to bring awareness and introduce LGBTQ+ issues in our high school through the form of a show was presented to help tell the stories of the disenfranchised and to encourage love throughout our school community. This thesis explores and analyzes the portrayals of LGBTQ+ issues portrayed in the musical A Man of No Importance, written by Terrence McNally, specifically geared towards homosexuality and the act of coming out. The topic of coming out continues to carry a negative stigma in today\u27s society, and for that I produced art that speaks about love and acceptance, all themes seen in A Man of No Importance. As a gay male with a conservative Catholic upbringing, it is important for me also to explore the role religion plays within this musical and the characters whom are facing the repercussions in the story. Through this thesis, my goal is to introduce an educated perspective on how LGBTQ+ issues have been portrayed in this musical and to highlight how this and other LGBTQ+ themed shows are needed in our society to spread the message of inclusivity and love. In addition to researching, I discuss my directorial process for my production of A Man of No Importance at University High School and how its message can spark conversations about love and acceptance

Analysis of the Bayesian Cramer-Rao lower bound in astrometry: Studying the impact of prior information in the location of an object

Context. The best precision that can be achieved to estimate the location of a stellar-like object is a topic of permanent interest in the astrometric community. Aims. We analyse bounds for the best position estimation of a stellar-like object on a CCD detector array in a Bayesian setting where the position is unknown, but where we have access to a prior distribution. In contrast to a parametric setting where we estimate a parameter from observations, the Bayesian approach estimates a random object (i.e., the position is a random variable) from observations that are statistically dependent on the position. Methods. We characterize the Bayesian Cramer-Rao (CR) that bounds the minimum mean square error (MMSE) of the best estimator of the position of a point source on a linear CCD-like detector, as a function of the properties of detector, the source, and the background. Results. We quantify and analyse the increase in astrometric performance from the use of a prior distribution of the object position, which is not available in the classical parametric setting. This gain is shown to be significant for various observational regimes, in particular in the case of faint objects or when the observations are taken under poor conditions. Furthermore, we present numerical evidence that the MMSE estimator of this problem tightly achieves the Bayesian CR bound. This is a remarkable result, demonstrating that all the performance gains presented in our analysis can be achieved with the MMSE estimator. Conclusions The Bayesian CR bound can be used as a benchmark indicator of the expected maximum positional precision of a set of astrometric measurements in which prior information can be incorporated. This bound can be achieved through the conditional mean estimator, in contrast to the parametric case where no unbiased estimator precisely reaches the CR bound.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication on Astronomy & Astrophysic

Electrochemical behavior of Sn-Zn alloys with different grain structures in chloride-containing solutions

In the present research the electrochemical behavior of the Sn-Zn alloys (Sn-1 wt.%Zn, Sn-4 wt.%Zn and 8.9 wt.%Zn) in 3% NaCl solution is analyzed using potentiodynamic cyclic polarization measurements and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) technique. Specimens were longitudinally solidified with simultaneous heat extraction in two opposite directions. Working electrodes were constructed using longitudinal and cross sections of the specimens with both types of structure: columnar and equiaxed. Results obtained from the polarization curves indicated that the two types of grain structures of Sn-Zn alloys (Sn-1 wt.%Zn, Sn-4 wt.%Zn and Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn) corresponding to longitudinal section present a pseudo passive zone. In the case of specimens from cross sections of the samples, the columnar and equiaxed zones of Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn are the only ones that do not have this pseudo passive region. In addition, the interdendritic zone of alloys is susceptible to corrosion by dealloying because this phase is zinc-rich. This type of corrosion also occurs in the zinc rich lamellar structure present in the eutectic. The percentage of zinc in the alloy increases with increasing susceptibility to pitting corrosion. The EIS values obtained revealed that the susceptibility to corrosion increases with increasing zinc content in alloys, for both the columnar and equiaxed zones. In addition, the columnar zones of Sn-4 wt.%Zn and Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn specimens are more resistant to corrosion than the equiaxed grain specimens. However, the equiaxed zone of Sn-1 wt.%Zn alloy is less susceptible to corrosion than the columnar zone. After adjustment by equivalent circuits it is revealed that the equiaxed zone of Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn alloy has a second porous layer composed of corrosion products on the electrode surface.Fil: Mendez, Claudia Marcela. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Scheiber, Verónica L.. Provincia de Misiones. Comité de Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica. Centro de Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Rozicki, Roberto S.. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Kociubczyk, Alex Iván. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Ares, Alicia Esther. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; Argentin

Analysis of Worcester\u27s Youth Employment Sector

Overall, the employment rate for Worcester youth has improved since 2000; yet mirroring the nation, Worcester continues to have a smaller share of youth 16-24 employed. This situation is intensified for youth of color and young people facing barriers such as homelessness, exiting foster care, juvenile justice involvement, and limited English proficiency. Mass, Inc. estimates that in Worcester there are 3400 disconnected youth—756 are between 16-19 and 2644 are between 20-24. From the youth employment program inventory, we learned that the city’s programs offer many opportunities for “first job” experiences; has some exemplary programs that integrate youth development and workforce development; and is rich in non-profit and government partners to support youth employment. Through the Job1 initiative, the city is attempting to leverage the WIOA framework to increase the region’s collaborative efforts for youth employment and readiness, especially as it relates to private sector engagement. We also learned that there are some significant gaps in the youth employment sector. For example, private sector involvement is limited; pathways to an appropriate postsecondary education track is not clear after youth complete their “first job” experience; there are limited training, credentialing, and apprenticeship opportunities for disconnected youth that lead to living wage career options; systems to monitor and evaluate local labor market trends, programmatic efforts and youth’s individual progress are largely missing; questions were raised about whether youth see summer employment as ‘real jobs’ and whether they are authentic work experiences; and while the city is rich in partners, there are some key actors who are not currently at the Worcester Youth Jobs Task Force table (e.g. several WIOA funded partners, Quinsigamond Community College, and private sector actors). Taken together, this analysis on the local youth workforce, labor market, and current programs offer a robust foundation on which to build new strategies to increase the employment prospects of our city’s 1 With support from Clark University’s Mosakowski Institute

Agreement between clinical and histopathologic diagnoses and completeness of oral biopsy forms

The present study aimed to assess the rate of agreement between clinical and histopathological diagnoses and to report the frequency of completed forms for specimens that were subjected to histopathological examination and retrospectively examined. Data from 8,168 specimens submitted to histopathological examination were retrieved from the records. A total of 5,368 cases were included. Agreement was defined based on the definition of lesion nature according to its diagnostic category. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for each diagnostic category. The highest rate of agreement was observed for periapical lesions (92.6%), followed by potentially malignant disorders (90.1%) and non-neoplastic proliferative disorders (89.3%). Low rates of histopathological confirmation of the clinical impression were observed for mesenchymal tumors (25.0%) and cysts (44.2%). Sensitivity values were > 0.70 for all lesions, except for cysts (0.51). Specificity was relatively high, ranging from 0.97 to 1.00. The frequency of incomplete biopsy forms ranged from 16.8% (malignant tumors of oral mucosal epithelium) to 51.0% (nonspecific inflammatory reaction). The most frequently completed biopsy forms corresponded to epithelial malignant tumors (83.2%) and glandular inflammation (72.3%). In conclusion, there was an acceptable level of agreement. The low level of completeness of biopsy forms indicates little awareness about the relevance of gathering detailed information during clinical examination

Trigger and Timing Distributions using the TTC-PON and GBT Bridge Connection in ALICE for the LHC Run 3 Upgrade

The ALICE experiment at CERN is preparing for a major upgrade for the third phase of data taking run (Run 3), when the high luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) starts. The increase in the beam luminosity will result in high interaction rate causing the data acquisition rate to exceed 3 TB/sec. In order to acquire data for all the events and to handle the increased data rate, a transition in the readout electronics architecture from the triggered to the trigger-less acquisition mode is required. In this new architecture, a dedicated electronics block called the Common Readout Unit (CRU) is defined to act as a nodal communication point for detector data aggregation and as a distribution point for timing, trigger and control (TTC) information. TTC information in the upgraded triggerless readout architecture uses two asynchronous high-speed serial links connections: the TTC-PON and the GBT. We have carried out a study to evaluate the quality of the embedded timing signals forwarded by the CRU to the connected electronics using the TTC-PON and GBT bridge connection. We have used four performance metrics to characterize the communication bridge: (a)the latency added by the firmware logic, (b)the jitter cleaning effect of the PLL on the timing signal, (c)BER analysis for quantitative measurement of signal quality, and (d)the effect of optical transceivers parameter settings on the signal strength. Reliability study of the bridge connection in maintaining the phase consistency of timing signals is conducted by performing multiple iterations of power on/off cycle, firmware upgrade and reset assertion/de-assertion cycle (PFR cycle). The test results are presented and discussed concerning the performance of the TTC-PON and GBT bridge communication chain using the CRU prototype and its compliance with the ALICE timing requirements

Development of 99mTc-N4-NIM for Molecular Imaging of Tumor Hypoxia

The nitro group of 2-nitroimidazole (NIM) enters the tumor cells and is bioreductively activated and fixed in the hypoxia cells. 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (N4) has shown to be a stable chelator for 99mTc. The present study was aimed to develop 99mTc-cyclam-2-nitroimidazole (99mTc-N4-NIM) for tumor hypoxia imaging. N4-NIM precursor was synthesized by reacting N4-oxalate and 1,3-dibromopropane-NIM, yielded 14% (total synthesis). Cell uptake of 99mTc-N4-NIM and 99mTc-N4 was obtained in 13762 rat mammary tumor cells and mesothelioma cells in 6-well plates. Tissue distribution of 99mTc-N4-NIM was evaluated in breast-tumor-bearing rats at 0.5–4 hrs. Tumor oxygen tension was measured using an oxygen probe. Planar imaging was performed in the tumor-bearing rat and rabbit models. Radiochemical purity of 99mTc-N4-NIM was >96% by HPLC. Cell uptake of 99mTc-N4-NIM was higher than 99mTc-N4 in both cell lines. Biodistribution of 99mTc-N4-NIM showed increased tumor-to-blood and tumor-to-muscle count density ratios as a function of time. Oxygen tension in tumor tissue was 6–10 mmHg compared to 40–50 mmHg in normal muscle tissue. Planar imaging studies confirmed that the tumors could be visualized clearly with 99mTc-N4-NIM in animal models. Efficient synthesis of N4-NIM was achieved. 99mTc-N4-NIM is a novel hypoxic probe and may be useful in evaluating cancer therapy

Resistencia a la corrosión en la aleación ASTM F75 en medio ácido

En el presente trabajo se evaluó la resistencia a la corrosión de la aleación conformada según las especificaciones de la norma ASTM F75. Las mismas se obtuvieron por el método tradicional de fundición a la cera perdida. Los ensayos de polarización cíclica se realizaron según la norma ASTM F2129, utilizando una celda convencional de tres electrodos. Se empleó un electrodo de Pt como contraelectrodo y uno de Calomel saturado (ECS) como electrodo de referencia. Las experiencias se realizaron a 37 y 42 ± 1 ºC. Antes de iniciar el ensayo se purgó la solución con gas N2 durante 15 minutos. Como electrolito se utilizó una solución de NaCl al 0,9% (pH = 5), Se monitoreó el potencial de circuito abierto (PCA) durante 1 hora y luego se inició el barrido potenciodinámico en el sentido anódico, a una velocidad de 0,167 mV.s-1, desde un potencial de 100 mV por debajo del PCA. El barrido se invirtió luego de superar un valor de densidad de corriente de dos décadas mayor que la densidad de corriente de picado. Las medidas de espectroscopía de impedancia electroquímica (EIE) se realizaron luego de una hora de exposición de las probetas a PCA, en un rango de frecuencias de 100 kHz a 1 mHz y con una amplitud del potencial de ±10 mV. La microestructura de las probetas fue analizada antes y después del ensayo empleando microscopía óptica (MO). Los resultados muestran que al comparar las muestras a diferentes temperaturas, en ambas regiones se produce un aumento del potencial de corrosión y del potencial de repasivación con el aumento de la temperatura. Para ambas regiones a diferentes temperaturas se observó un amplio rango de pasividad. Por otro lado, en la región del vástago se apreció que la película formada presenta mayor control difusional.In this paper the behavior of the corrosion resistance of the formed alloy was evaluated according to the specifications of ASTM F-75 medium temperature. The specimens were obtained by the traditional method of lost wax casting. The study was performed in two regions of the samples, that is, the distal and proximal to the femoral head prosthesis. The measurements of electrochemical cyclic polarization characterization were performed according to ASTM F-2129 and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy after one hour exposure of the samples to open circuit potential in a frequency range of 100 kHz to 1 mHz and amplitude of ± 10 mV potential. A solution of 0.9% NaCl (by weight) was used as electrolyte (pH=5) at different temperatures (37 and 42) ° C. The microstructure of the samples was analyzed before and after the tests using optical microscopy. The results show that the corrosion resistance decreases with the increasing of temperature, when comparing samples at different temperatures. This is because in both regions of the samples mentioned before an increasing of corrosion potential with rising temperature was observed. Also, a decrease in the passive region was evidenced. The impedance spectra showed that with increasing temperature the passive film becomes more compact, but in turn the strength thereof decreases

The Facile and Additive-Free Synthesis of a Cell-Friendly Iron(III)-Glutathione Complex

The straightfoward creation of an unreported glutathione-stabilised iron(III) complex is disclosed. In contrast to previous reports, glutathione was shown to coordinate and stabilise iron directly under physiological conditions in the absence of additional sulfur containing molecules, such as sodium sulfide. The complex was extensively characterised; the molecular geometry was determined as two inequivalent octahedra, approximately 2/3 of which is slightly distorted towards more tetrahedral in character, with the remaining 1/3 more regularly octahedral. The dispersion of the iron(III)-glutathione complex in aqueous solution yielded particles of 255±4 nm in diameter that enhanced the growth and proliferation of L929 fibroblast cells over 7 days, and inhibited the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-13. Consequently, the unprecedented glutathione-stabilised iron(III) complex disclosed has potential use as a simple-to-prepare growth factor for inclusion within cell culture media, and is an excellent candidate as a therapeutic for the treatment of metalloproteinase-13-associated diseases

Impact on in-hospital mortality of ceftaroline versus standard of care in community-acquired pneumonia: a propensity-matched analysis

Abstract The purpose of this study is to evaluate the in-hospital mortality of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated with ceftaroline in comparison with standard therapy. This was a retrospective observational study in two centers. Hospitalized patients with CAP were grouped according to the empiric regimen (ceftaroline versus standard therapy) and analyzed using a propensity score matching (PSM) method to reduce confounding factors. Out of the 6981 patients enrolled, 5640 met the inclusion criteria, and 89 of these received ceftaroline. After PSM, 78 patients were considered in the ceftaroline group (cases) and 78 in the standard group (controls). Ceftaroline was mainly prescribed in cases with severe pneumonia (67% vs. 56%, p=0.215) with high suspicion of Staphylococcus aureus infection (9% vs. 0%, p=0.026). Cases had a longer length of hospital stay (13 days vs. 10 days, p=0.007), while an increased risk of in-hospital mortality was observed in the control group compared to the case group (13% vs. 21%, HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.62, p=0.003). The empiric use of ceftaroline in hospitalized patients with severe CAP was associated with a decreased risk of in-hospital mortalit