Lived experiences of cisgender openly gay Latino males as mid-level administrators in higher education in the southwest region of the United States, The

Includes bibliographical references.2022 Fall.The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to explore the stories and experiences of openly gay Latino males who serve as mid-level administrators in higher education. This study focused on narrative stories of personal and historical context of the participants' intersecting identities that have implications for their daily interactions in an institutional environment. This study is significant in four ways. First, In the United States, gay Latinos have been subject to social oppression, invisibility, and misrepresentation throughout history. This lack of recognition and support stifles gay Latinos the ability to develop a sense of belonging. Narrative inquiry was used to increase awareness of the lived experiences of gay Latinos as administrators in higher education and gives them an opportunity to share their experiences. The key findings from the participants' narratives were the influences of family expectations, support systems, fear of discrimination or homophobia, and lack of representation in higher education. The struggles and achievements from these stories are valuable and can raise visibility for more inclusive leadership practices, mentorship, and equitable policies in higher education

Actuarial Analysis of Retirement Income Replacement Ratios

A measure of level of post-retirement standard of living is the replacement ratio, i.e., percentage of final salary received as annual retirement income derived from savings. The replacement ratio depends on many factors including salary, salary increases, investment returns, and post-retirement mortality. Elementary life contingencies techniques are used to develop a replacement ratio formula and analyze its sensitivity to these factors

Actuarial Analysis of Retirement Income Replacement Ratios

A measure of level of post-retirement standard of living is the replacement ratio, i.e., percentage of final salary received as annual retirement income derived from savings. The replacement ratio depends on many factors including salary, salary increases, investment returns, and post-retirement mortality. Elementary life contingencies techniques are used to develop a replacement ratio formula and analyze its sensitivity to these factors

Incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing minimally invasive valve surgery

BackgroundWe hypothesize that minimally invasive valve surgery in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is superior to a conventional median sternotomy.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 1945 consecutive patients who underwent isolated valve surgery. Included were patients with CKD stages 2 to 5. In-hospital mortality, composite complication rates, and intensive care unit and total hospital lengths of stay of those who underwent a minimally invasive approach were compared with those who underwent a standard median sternotomy. Resource use was approximated based on intensive care unit and total hospital lengths of stay.ResultsThere were 688 patients identified; 510 (74%) underwent minimally invasive surgery, and 178 (26%) underwent a median sternotomy. There was no significant difference in mortality. Minimally invasive surgery was associated with fewer composite complications (33.1% vs 49.4%; odds ratio, 0.5; P ≤ .001), shorter intensive care unit (48 [interquartile range {IQR}, 33-74] hours vs 71 [IQR, 42-96] hours; P < .01), and hospital (8 [IQR, 6-9] days vs 10 [IQR, 8-15] days; P < .001) lengths of stay, and a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (8% vs 14.7%; odds ratio, 0.5; P = .01), compared with median sternotomy. In a multivariable analysis, minimally invasive surgery was associated with a 60% reduction in the risk of development of postoperative acute kidney injury.ConclusionsIn patients with CKD undergoing isolated valve surgery, minimally invasive valve surgery is associated with reduced postoperative complications and lower resource use

Evaluation of Artificial Lighting Sources for the Acquisition of Color Infrared Imagery Under Glasshouse Conditions

English: Research was conducted to evaluate the spectral properties, illumination intensities and lighting patterns of four basic categories of bulbs and lamps which could conceivably serve as sole lighting sources for the acquisition of color infrared (CIR) imagery under glasshouse conditions. Bulbs and lamps in two major categories (fluorescent tubes and sodium- and mercury-vapor glasshouse lamps) were deemed unsuitable for this purpose either because they emitted little or no nearinfrared (NIR) radiation or because they imparted an overall bluish cast that seriously degraded the quality of CIR imagery. All of the incandescent and quartz halogen lamps evaluated in these studies exhibited spectral properties suitable for CIR image acquisition, i.e., they emitted relatively high levels of both visible and NIR radiation. However, most bulbs and lamps in these categories were characterized by either inadequate levels of illumination or reflectors that produced a circular lighting pattern in which luminosity varied substantially from the center portion of the image to the edges. The most suitable bulb evaluated was a heavy-duty (500W) quartz halogen lamp with a rectangular reflector which, when modified by the addition of crumpled aluminum foil to the reflector housing, produced adequate levels of illumination that was distributed in a near-uniform pattern across the target area. Color infrared imagery of plant foliage acquired using this lamp as a sole lighting source was comparable in quality to imagery of the same plant material acquired under natural lighting conditions. The performance of this particular lamp is used to exemplify the stringent requirements of any lamp under consideration as a sole lighting source for CIR image acquisition within the glasshouse environment. Spanish: Se investigaron las propiedades espectrales, las intensidades de iluminación y los patrones de luz de cuatro tipos básicos de bulbos y lámparas que podrían servir como fuentes únicas de luz para la adquisición de imágenes infrarrojas (CIR) bajo condiciones de invernadero. No se consideraron adecuados para este propósito los bulbos y las lámparas en dos categorías importantes (tubos de fluorescencia y lámparas de invernadero de vapor de mercurio y sodio ya que o emitieron muy poca o ninguna radiación infrarroja cercana (NIR) o porque impartieron un tono azul que degradó seriamente la calidad de las imágenes CIR. Todas las lámparas incandescentes y de halógeno de cuarzo evaluadas en estos estudios exhibieron propiedades espectrales adecuadas para la adquisición de imágenes infrarrojas, por ejemplo, emitieron niveles relativamente altos de radiación visible y de radiación cercana al infrarrojo. Sin embargo, las mayoría de los bulbos y lámparas en esta categoría se caracterizaron por producir niveles inadecuados de iluminación o por producir un patrón de luz circular en el cual la luminosidad varió substancialmente de la porción central de la imagen a las orillas. El bulbo probado que resultó mas adecuado fue la lámpara de halógeno-cuarzo con un reflector rectangular el cual, cuando se modificó por la adición de papel aluminio arrugado al nicho del reflector, produjo niveles adecuados de iluminación que se distribuyeron en un patrón casi uniforme a lo largo de la área expuesta. Las imágenes infrarrojas del follaje vegetal tomadas usando esta lámpara como única fuente de luz fueron comparables en calidad a las imágenes del mismo follaje tomadas bajo condiciones de luz natural. El desempeño de esta lámpara en particular es usado para ejemplificar los estrictos requerimientos para cualquier lámpara que sea usada como única fuente de luz para la adquisición de imágenes de color infrarrojo en ambiente de invernadero

Positive ecological interactions and the success of seagrass restoration

Seagrasses provide multiple ecosystem services including nursery habitat, improved water quality, coastal protection, and carbon sequestration. However, seagrasses are in crisis as global coverage is declining at an accelerating rate. With increased focus on ecological restoration as a conservation strategy, methods that enhance restoration success need to be explored. Decades of work in coastal plant ecosystems, including seagrasses, has shown that positive species relationships and feedbacks are critical for ecosystem stability, expansion, and recovery from disturbance. We reviewed the restoration literature on seagrasses and found few studies have tested for the beneficial effects of including positive species interactions in seagrass restoration designs. Here we review the full suite of positive species interactions that have been documented in seagrass ecosystems, where they occur, and how they might be integrated into seagrass restoration. The few studies in marine plant communities that have explicitly incorporated positive species interactions and feedbacks have found an increase in plant growth with little additional resource investment. As oceans continue to change and stressors become more prevalent, harnessing positive interactions between species through innovative approaches will likely become key to successful seagrass restoration

Increased Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMPs) Levels Do Not Predict Disease Severity or Progression in Emphysema

Rationale: Though matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are critical in the pathogenesis of COPD, their utility as a disease biomarker remains uncertain. This study aimed to determine whether bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) or plasma MMP measurements correlated with disease severity or functional decline in emphysema. Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and luminex assays measured MMP-1, -9, -12 and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in the BALF and plasma of non-smokers, smokers with normal lung function and moderate-to-severe emphysema subjects. In the cohort of 101 emphysema subjects correlative analyses were done to determine if MMP or TIMP-1 levels were associated with key disease parameters or change in lung function over an 18-month time period. Main Results: Compared to non-smoking controls, MMP and TIMP-1 BALF levels were significantly elevated in the emphysema cohort. Though MMP-1 was elevated in both the normal smoker and emphysema groups, collagenase activity was only increased in the emphysema subjects. In contrast to BALF, plasma MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were actually decreased in the emphysema cohort compared to the control groups. Both in the BALF and plasma, MMP and TIMP-1 measurements in the emphysema subjects did not correlate with important disease parameters and were not predictive of subsequent functional decline. Conclusions: MMPs are altered in the BALF and plasma of emphysema; however, the changes in MMPs correlate poorly with parameters of disease intensity or progression. Though MMPs are pivotal in the pathogenesis of COPD, these findings suggest that measuring MMPs will have limited utility as a prognostic marker in this disease. © 2013 D'Armiento et al

Specificity of Transmembrane Protein Palmitoylation in Yeast

Many proteins are modified after their synthesis, by the addition of a lipid molecule to one or more cysteine residues, through a thioester bond. This modification is called S-acylation, and more commonly palmitoylation. This reaction is carried out by a family of enzymes, called palmitoyltransferases (PATs), characterized by the presence of a conserved 50- aminoacids domain called “Asp-His-His-Cys- Cysteine Rich Domain” (DHHC-CRD). There are 7 members of this family in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and each of these proteins is thought to be responsible for the palmitoylation of a subset of substrates. Substrate specificity of PATs, however, is not yet fully understood. Several yeast PATs seem to have overlapping specificity, and it has been proposed that the machinery responsible for palmitoylating peripheral membrane proteins in mammalian cells, lacks specificity altogether

Crystal structure of dichlorido(4,11-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[6.6.2]hexadecane)iron(III) hexafluoridophosphate

The title compound, [FeCl₂(C₁₄H₃₀N₄)]PF₆, contains Fe³⁺ coordinated by the four nitro­gen atoms of an ethyl­ene cross-bridged cyclam macrocycle and two cis chloride ligands in a distorted octa­hedral environment. In contrast to other similar compounds this is a monomer. Inter­molecular C-H...Cl inter­actions exist in the structure between the complex ions. Comparison with the mononuclear Fe²⁺ complex of the same ligand shows that the smaller Fe³⁺ ion is more fully engulfed by the cavity of the bicyclic ligand. Comparison with the μ-oxido dinuclear complex of an unsubstituted ligand of the same size demonstrates that the methyl groups of 4,11-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetra­aza­bicyclo­[6.6.2]hexa­decane prevent dimerization upon oxidation

The effect of cost sharing on the use of antibiotics in ambulatory care: Results from a population-based randomized controlled trial,

Little is known about how generosity of insurance and population characteristics affect quantity or appropriateness of antibiotic use. Using insurance claims for antibiotics from 5765 non-elderly people who lived in six sites in the United States and were randomly assigned to insurance plans varying by level of cost-sharing, we describe how antibiotic use varies by insurance plan, diagnosis and health status, geographic area, and demographic characteristics. People with free medical care used 85% more antibiotics than those required to pay some portion of their medical bills (controlling for all other variables). Antibiotic use was significantly more common among women, the very young, patients with poorer health, and persons with higher income. Use of antibiotics for viral, viral-bacterial, and bacterial conditions did not differ between free and cost-sharing insurance plans, given antibiotics were the treatment of choice. Cost sharing reduced inappropriate and appropriate antibiotic use to a similar degree.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26956/1/0000523.pd