Synthetic Studies Of (+)-Nodulisporic Acid A: Development Of An Efficient Route To Eastern Hemisphere Sub-Targets

(+)-Nodulisporic Acid A (NsAA) is an indole diterpene of complex structure, isolated from the fungus nodulisporium sp., possessing potent insecticidal activity. Herein is described a new tactic for the construction of complex indoles employing a tandem palladium-mediated process between a haloindoline and a vinyl bromide or triflate. Chapter 1 of this work will review the efforts by Merck and Co. that lead to the isolation and discovery of potent analogs of NsAA, as well as briefly review the history of complex indole synthesis in the Smith Research Group. Chapter 2 will describe efforts to streamline the synthesis of the chiral, non-racemic material used to make different variants of the eastern hemisphere sub-target, the development of a new tactic for bringing the two hemispheres together, and efforts to synthesize an eastern hemisphere sub-target that contains the sidechain of NsAA

Becoming DACAmented: Assessing the Short-Term Benefits of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

In response to political pressure, President Obama authorized the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012, giving qualified undocumented young people access to relief from deportation, renewable work permits, and temporary Social Security numbers. This policy opened up access to new jobs, higher earnings, driver’s licenses, health care, and banking. Using data from a national sample of DACA beneficiaries (N = 2,381), this article investigates variations in how undocumented young adults benefit from DACA. Our findings suggest that, at least in the short term, DACA has reduced some of the challenges that undocumented young adults must overcome to achieve economic and social incorporation. However, those with higher levels of education and access to greater family and community resources appear to have benefited the most. As such, our study provides new insights into how social policy interacts with other stratification processes to shape diverging pathways of incorporation among the general pool of undocumented immigrants

Health-related quality of life and depression among participants in the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance registry.

ObjectiveTo examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depression among participants in an international Sjögren's syndrome (SS) registry, comparing those with and without SS.MethodsCross-sectional study of participants in the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) registry. The 2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism SS classification criteria were used to determine disease status. HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form 12, version 2 Health Survey to derive scores for physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS). Depression was assessed using the 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of HRQoL and depression while controlling for potential confounders.ResultsAmong 2401 SICCA participants who had symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth, 1051 had SS (44%) and 1350 did not (56%). After controlling for confounders, when compared with non-SS participants, those with SS had better PCS (p<0.001, β=2.43, 95% CI 1.57 to 3.29), MCS (p=0.002, β=1.37, 95% CI 0.50 to 2.23) and lower adjusted odds of depression (p<0.001, OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.81). Other significant predictors of HRQoL and depression included employment, country of residence and use of medication with anticholinergic effect or for management of SS-related signs and symptoms.ConclusionOur results suggest that among symptomatic patients, having a diagnosis of SS may be associated with better emotional and psychological well-being compared with patients without a diagnosis. Having a definitive diagnosis of SS may encourage patients to obtain a better understanding of their disease and have coping mechanisms in place to better manage their symptoms

Using Powder Cored Tubular Wire Technology to Enhance Electron Beam Freeform Fabricated Structures

Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication (EBF3) is an additive manufacturing technique, developed at NASA Langley Research Center, capable of fabricating large scale aerospace parts. Advantages of using EBF3 as opposed to conventional manufacturing methods include, decreased design-to-product time, decreased wasted material, and the ability to adapt controls to produce geometrically complex parts with properties comparable to wrought products. However, to fully exploit the potential of the EBF3 process development of materials tailored for the process is required. Powder cored tubular wire (PCTW) technology was used to modify Ti-6Al-4V and Al 6061 feedstock to enhance alloy content, refine grain size, and create a metal matrix composite in the as-solidified structures, respectively

The Analysis of Internal Parasites in Mosquitofish Throughout Texas

Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) are a species of small fish commonly found in many different freshwater environments throughout Texas. However, the ecology of these environments varies as each habitat is unique with differing communities. Parasites are often overlooked in these environments and can lend clues to ecological relationships between organisms within the parasite’s life cycle. This study will examine the parasites within the internal organs and eyes of female mosquitofish obtained from three different freshwater lakes throughout Texas and compare the parasitic species found in each location. From the data collected we can learn more about organismal interactions in these environments

Interdental and subgingival microbiota may affect the tongue microbial ecology and oral malodour in health, gingivitis and periodontitis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Oral malodour is often observed in gingivitis and chronic periodontitis patients, and the tongue microbiota is thought to play a major role in malodorous gas production, including volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) such as hydrogen sulphide (H2 S) and methanethiol (CH3 SH). This study aimed to examine the link between the presence of VSCs in mouth air (as a marker of oral malodour) and the oral bacterial ecology in the tongue and periodontal niches of healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis patients. METHODS: Participants were clinically assessed using plaque index, bleeding on probing (BOP) and periodontal probing depths, and VSC concentrations in their oral cavity measured using a portable gas chromatograph. Tongue scrapings, subgingival and interdental plaque were collected from healthy individuals (n = 22), and those with gingivitis (n = 14) or chronic periodontitis (n = 15). The bacterial 16S rRNA gene region V3-V4 in these samples was sequenced, and the sequences were analysed using the minimum entropy decomposition pipeline. RESULTS: Elevated VSC concentrations and CH3 SH:H2 S were observed in periodontitis compared with health. Significant ecological differences were observed in the tongue microbiota of healthy subjects with high plaque scores compared to low plaque scores, suggesting a possible connection between the microbiota of the tongue and the periodontium and that key dysbiotic changes may be initiated in the clinically healthy individuals who have higher dental plaque accumulation. Greater subgingival bacterial diversity was positively associated with H2 S in mouth air. Periodontopathic bacteria known to be prolific VSC producers increased in abundance on the tongue associated with increased bleeding on probing (BOP) and total percentage of periodontal pockets >6 mm, supporting the suggestion that the tongue may become a reservoir for periodontopathogens. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of the periodontal microbiota in malodour and has detected dysbiotic changes in the tongue microbiota in periodontitis

Using high-frequency SCADA data for wind turbine performance monitoring : a sensitivity study

Intensive condition monitoring of wind generation plant through analysis of routinely collected SCADA data is seen as a viable means of forestalling costly plant failure and optimising maintenance through identification of failure at the earliest possible stage. The challenge to operators is in identifying the signatures of failure within data streams and disambiguating these from other operational factors. The well understood power curve representation of turbine performance offers an intuitive and quantitative means of identifying abnormal operation, but only if noise and artefacts of operating regime change can be excluded. In this paper, a methodology for wind turbine performance monitoring based on the use of high-frequency SCADA data is employed featuring state-of-the-art multivariate non-parametric methods for power curve modelling. The model selection considerations for these are examined together with their sensitivity to several factors, including site specific conditions, seasonality effects, input relevance and data sampling rate. The results, based on operational data from four wind farms, are discussed in a practical context with the use of high frequency data demonstrated to be beneficial for performance monitoring purposes whereas further attention is required in the area of expressing model uncertainty

The Leg-Tuck versus the Plank-Hold Relative to the Army Combat Fitness Test: Interactions with Body Composition, Strength and Sex.

In 2020 the U.S. Army replaced their older physical fitness test with the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) to replicate modern battlefield demands. One component of the test, the leg-tuck (LTK) was found to disproportionately fail female soldiers. Following an independent review, the Army adopted the plank-hold (PLK), attempting to limit the influence of sex differences during the assessment. However, research regarding performance, relationships, and the influence of sex on the LTK versus the PLK is limited. PURPOSE: To determine relationships between the LTK, PLK, sex, body composition and abdominal and grip strength. METHODS: 49 physically active civilian college students (28 males, 21 females) were recruited as a surrogate population for Army personnel in this study. The following data were collected in one session: height; body mass (BM), body fat (BF%) and muscle mass percentage (MM%) measured via bioelectrical impedance analysis; combined grip strength (CGS) from both hands; the LTK; and the PLK. ACFT standards were utilized for the LTK and PLK for all participants and a 10-minute rest was provided between tests. Independent t-tests compared sexes in all variables (p\u3c.05). Partial correlations controlling for sex detailed relationships between the LTK and PLK and the other variables (p\u3c.05). Stepwise regression controlling for sex derived predictive relationships for the LTK and PLK. RESULTS: There were significant between-sex differences with males being taller, having greater BM, MM%, and performing better in CGS and the LTK. Females had greater BF%. There was no significant between-sex difference found in PLK performance. The LTK significantly correlated with PLK (r=.404), height (r=.546), BM (r=.343), BF% (r=-.639), MM% (r=.697) and CGS (r=.732). In addition to the relationship with the LTK, the PLK only correlated with BF% (r=-.295). Stepwise regression analysis showed LTK performance was predicted by sex (r2=.441), grip strength (r2=.595), and PLK performance (r2=.662). When controlling for sex, a significant predictive relationship was not produced for the PLK. CONCLUSION: Compared to the LTK, the PLK appeared to minimize the influence of sex and body composition on task performance in college-aged civilians. More research is needed on whether the PLK relates to Army job tasks

Stewardship applied to antipsychotics: Development of an antipsychotic stewardship program in inpatient settings for monitoring and optimizing outcomes

Antipsychotic (AP) medications are prescribed for various psychiatric diagnoses that require routine monitoring to ensure optimal use, effectiveness, adherence, and for potentially severe adverse effects. There is currently no comprehensive protocol for institutional supervision of prescribing and monitoring AP. Antibiotics (ABX) are commonly associated with stewardship programs aimed at optimizing use and mitigating harm. These programs have proven to result in positive outcomes in both safety and efficacy parameters for numerous institutions. Given that AP are also associated with significant adverse effects and often misused, the concept of stewardship can be applied to this class of agents to optimize their use and improve overall patient outcomes. The objective of this paper is to provide guidance for the implementation of antipsychotic stewardship programs (APSP) in the inpatient setting. The development of this APSP was designed based on ABX stewardship programs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the American Psychiatric Association practice guidelines on the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. In conclusion, APSPs have the potential to enhance and standardize institutional supervision of prescribing and monitoring practices of AP, leading to improved clinical outcomes and the reduction of adverse effects. APSP teams should be multidisciplinary, consisting of clinicians and administrators, working in conjunction with patients and patient advocates to design individualized recovery plans that consider the individual patient's history and desired outcomes. Monitoring, stewardship interventions, and outcomes should be documented on both an individual and deidentified institutional basis, analyzed, and summarized periodically as measures for quality improvement

Auditory Affective Processing, Musicality, and the Development of Misophonic Reactions

Misophonia can be characterized both as a condition and as a negative affective experience. Misophonia is described as feeling irritation or disgust in response to hearing certain sounds, such as eating, drinking, gulping, and breathing. Although the earliest misophonic experiences are often described as occurring during childhood, relatively little is known about the developmental pathways that lead to individual variation in these experiences. This literature review discusses evidence of misophonic reactions during childhood and explores the possibility that early heightened sensitivities to both positive and negative sounds, such as to music, might indicate a vulnerability for misophonia and misophonic reactions. We will review when misophonia may develop, how it is distinguished from other auditory conditions (e.g., hyperacusis, phonophobia, or tinnitus), and how it relates to developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder or Williams syndrome). Finally, we explore the possibility that children with heightened musicality could be more likely to experience misophonic reactions and develop misophonia