Alumni Voices of the African Immersion Experience

In this session, alumni shared their experiences of African immersion while they were students at UD and how that experience has carried with them in their careers and personal lives.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/global_voices_3/1009/thumbnail.jp

A systematic risk assessment and meta-analysis on the use of oral β-alanine supplementation.

β-Alanine supplementation is one of the world's most commonly used sports supplements, and its use as a nutritional strategy in other populations is ever-increasing, due to evidence of pleiotropic ergogenic and therapeutic benefits. Despite its widespread use, there is only limited understanding of potential adverse effects. To address this, a systematic risk assessment and meta-analysis was undertaken. Four databases were searched using keywords and Medical Subject Headings. All human and animal studies that investigated an isolated, oral, β-alanine supplementation strategy were included. Data were extracted according to 5 main outcomes, including 1) side effects reported during longitudinal trials, 2) side effects reported during acute trials, 3) effect of supplementation on circulating health-related biomarkers, 4) effect of supplementation on skeletal muscle taurine and histidine concentration, and 5) outcomes from animal trials. Quality of evidence for outcomes was ascertained using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, and all quantitative data were meta-analyzed using multilevel models grounded in Bayesian principles. In total, 101 human and 50 animal studies were included. Paraesthesia was the only reported side effect and had an estimated OR of 8.9 [95% credible interval (CrI): 2.2, 32.6] with supplementation relative to placebo. Participants in active treatment groups experienced similar dropout rates to those receiving the placebo treatment. β-Alanine supplementation caused a small increase in circulating alanine aminotransferase concentration (effect size, ES: 0.274, CrI: 0.04, 0.527), although mean data remained well within clinical reference ranges. Meta-analysis of human data showed no main effect of β-alanine supplementation on skeletal muscle taurine (ES: 0.156; 95% CrI: −0.38, 0.72) or histidine (ES: −0.15; 95% CrI: −0.64, 0.33) concentration. A main effect of β-alanine supplementation on taurine concentration was reported for murine models, but only when the daily dose was ≥3% β-alanine in drinking water. The results of this review indicate that β-alanine supplementation within the doses used in the available research designs, does not adversely affect those consuming it

The potential scarcity, or not, of polymeric overall water splitting photocatalysts

We perform a high-throughput virtual screening of a set of 3240 conjugated alternating binary co-polymers and homo-polymers, in which we predict their ability to drive sacrificial hydrogen evolution and overall water splitting when illuminated with visible light. We use the outcome of this screening to analyse how common the ability to drive either reaction is for conjugated polymers loaded with suitable co-catalysts, and to suggest promising (co-)monomers for polymeric overall water splitting catalysts

Simple direct formation of self-assembled N-heterocyclic carbene monolayers on gold and their application in biosensing

CRL acknowledges the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK) for the funding of his PhD studentship (EP/M506631).The formation of organic films on gold employing N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) has been previously shown to be a useful strategy for generating stable organic films. However, NHCs or NHC precursors typically require inert atmosphere and harsh conditions for their generation and use. Herein we describe the use of benzimidazolium hydrogen carbonates as bench stable solid precursors for the preparation of NHC films in solution or by vapour-phase deposition from the solid state. The ability to prepare these films by vapour-phase deposition permitted the analysis of the films by a variety of surface science techniques, resulting in the first measurement of NHC desorption energy (158±10 kJ mol−1) and confirmation that the NHC sits upright on the surface. The use of these films in surface plasmon resonance-type biosensing is described, where they provide specific advantages versus traditional thiol-based films.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer Book 2018

(Abridged) This is the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer 2018 book. It is intended as a concise reference guide to all aspects of the scientific and technical design of MSE, for the international astronomy and engineering communities, and related agencies. The current version is a status report of MSE's science goals and their practical implementation, following the System Conceptual Design Review, held in January 2018. MSE is a planned 10-m class, wide-field, optical and near-infrared facility, designed to enable transformative science, while filling a critical missing gap in the emerging international network of large-scale astronomical facilities. MSE is completely dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy of samples of between thousands and millions of astrophysical objects. It will lead the world in this arena, due to its unique design capabilities: it will boast a large (11.25 m) aperture and wide (1.52 sq. degree) field of view; it will have the capabilities to observe at a wide range of spectral resolutions, from R2500 to R40,000, with massive multiplexing (4332 spectra per exposure, with all spectral resolutions available at all times), and an on-target observing efficiency of more than 80%. MSE will unveil the composition and dynamics of the faint Universe and is designed to excel at precision studies of faint astrophysical phenomena. It will also provide critical follow-up for multi-wavelength imaging surveys, such as those of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Gaia, Euclid, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, the Square Kilometre Array, and the Next Generation Very Large Array.Comment: 5 chapters, 160 pages, 107 figure

Successful awake proning is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19: single-centre high-dependency unit experience

The SARS-CoV-2 can lead to severe illness with COVID-19. Outcomes of patients requiring mechanical ventilation are poor. Awake proning in COVID-19 improves oxygenation, but on data clinical outcomes is limited. This single-centre retrospective study aimed to assess whether successful awake proning of patients with COVID-19, requiring respiratory support (continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) or high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO)) on a respiratory high-dependency unit (HDU), is associated with improved outcomes. HDU care included awake proning by respiratory physiotherapists. Of 565 patients admitted with COVID-19, 71 (12.6%) were managed on the respiratory HDU, with 48 of these (67.6%) requiring respiratory support. Patients managed with CPAP alone 22/48 (45.8%) were significantly less likely to die than patients who required transfer onto HFNO 26/48 (54.2%): CPAP mortality 36.4%; HFNO mortality 69.2%, (p=0.023); however, multivariate analysis demonstrated that increasing age and the inability to awake prone were the only independent predictors of COVID-19 mortality. The mortality of patients with COVID-19 requiring respiratory support is considerable. Data from our cohort managed on HDU show that CPAP and awake proning are possible in a selected population of COVID-19, and may be useful. Further prospective studies are required

Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial of directly observed hepatitis C treatment delivered in methadone clinics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most methadone-maintained injection drug users (IDUs) have been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), but few initiate HCV treatment. Physicians may be reluctant to treat HCV in IDUs because of concerns about treatment adherence, psychiatric comorbidity, or ongoing drug use. Optimal HCV management approaches for IDUs remain unknown. We are conducting a randomized controlled trial in a network of nine methadone clinics with onsite HCV care to determine whether modified directly observed therapy (mDOT), compared to treatment as usual (TAU), improves adherence and virologic outcomes among opioid users.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>We plan to enroll 80 HCV-infected adults initiating care with pegylated interferon alfa-2a (IFN) plus ribavirin, and randomize them to mDOT (directly observed daily ribavirin plus provider-administered weekly IFN) or TAU (self-administered ribavirin plus provider-administered weekly IFN). Our outcome measures are: 1) self-reported and pill count adherence, and 2) end of treatment response (ETR) or sustained viral response (SVR). We will use mixed effects linear models to assess differences in pill count adherence between treatment arms (mDOT v. TAU), and we will assess differences between treatment arms in the proportion of subjects with ETR or SVR with chi square tests. Of the first 40 subjects enrolled: 21 have been randomized to mDOT and 19 to TAU. To date, the sample is 77% Latino, 60% HCV genotype-1, 38% active drug users, and 27% HIV-infected. Our overall retention rate at 24 weeks is 92%, 93% in the mDOT arm and 92% in the TAU arm.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper describes the design and rationale of a randomized clinical trial comparing modified directly observed HCV therapy delivered in a methadone program to on-site treatment as usual. Our trial will allow rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of directly observed HCV therapy (both pegylated interferon and ribavirin) for improving adherence and clinical outcomes. This detailed description of trial methodology can serve as a template for the development of future DOT programs, and can also guide protocols for studies among HCV-infected drug users receiving methadone for opiate dependence.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01442311">NCT01442311</a></p

The view from everywhere: Disciplining diversity in post–World War II international social science

This paper explores the attempt of social scientists associated with Unesco to create a system of knowledge production to provide the international perspective necessary for democratic governance of a world community. Social scientists constructed a federal system of international associations that institutionalized American disciplines on an international scale. An international perspective emerged through the process of interdisciplinary international research. I call this ideal of coordinating multiple subjectivities to produce objectivity the “view from everywhere.” Influenced by social psychological “action-research,” collaborative research was group therapy. The attempt to operationalize internationalists' rallying slogan, “unity in diversity,” illuminated tensions inherent in the mobilization of science for social and political reform. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64294/1/20394_ftp.pd