Exile Vol. XXXV No. 2

Peter Goes Groovy, by Carolyn Bern (cover) I Hate Poetry by Craig Bagno 1 Truancy by Richard Latimer 2 I ate a Star Last Night by Rory Herbster 3 Delivery by Amy Judge 4 Untitled by Sue McLain 5 Road Signs by Richard Latimer 7-8 Haiku for Me to Possess by Shannon J. Salser 9 Patches by Michael Payne 10 Untitled by Laura Johnson 11 He by Kent Lambert 13 At the Corner Grill by Lynn Pendleton 14-15 Black Licorice by Richard Latimer 16-17 Blue Shirt by Michael Payne 18 ...Loves a Clown by Margaret Dawson 21-24 The Surreal Sonnet by Shannon J. Salser 26 Untitled by Mat Benson 27 Swimming Lessons by Richard Latimer 29 Communion by Amy Judge 30 Beth\u27s Last Funny Joke by Ted Gould 31-35 Hope for a Peaceful Coming Around by Shannon J. Salser 36 Untitled by Laura Johnson 37 A Child\u27s Moment by Peter Witonsky 39 Observation by Rosemary Walsh 40 Untitled by Carolyn Burns 41 To My Sister by Amy B. Judge 43 Ideas In Bloom by Randy Casden 44 Untitled by Deb Tily 45 A Child of Mind by Charles Riedinger 47 Ars Poetica by Rory Herbster 48 Untitled by Mat Benson 49 REPRINTS Dancer by Bradford Cover 52 Skin Deep by Eric Whitney 53-55 Sunset by Chris Rynd 56 Editorial decision is shared equally among the Editorial Board Members -cover page The editors of Exile would like to formally apologize to those contributors whose works were misprinted in the Fall issue. We have reprinted a few of the pieces that contained the most errors. -51 NOTE: An uncredited and untitled piece of artwork appears on page 19. NOTE: Carolyn Bern (cover) Burns (41) and Berns (contributor notes) all appear to refer to the same artist

The infrared-driven cis-trans isomerization of nitrous acid HONO III: a mixed quantum–classical simulation

A mixed quantum-classical simulation of the IR-driven cis-trans isomerization of HONO in a Kr matrix at 30 K is presented, treating the hydrogen atom as quantum particle and the Kr matrix as well as intermolecular degrees of freedom of the ONO-body as classical. A new method is presented to time-propagate the coupled set of equations in a DVR basis in internal spherical coordinates, rather than in laboratory frame fixed cartesian coordinates. In spherical coordinates, a much more precise computation of the weak vibrational couplings is possible using a still manageable basis size. Good qualitative agreement between simulation and experiment is obtained, underestimating relaxation and isomerization rates by a modest factor approximate to 5. Upon matrix fluctuations, frequent curve crossings occur between the initially excited OH-stretch vibration and a closely lying combination mode of torsional and bending coordinate that lead to a transfer of population. The subsequent pathway of energy flow is deduced and discussed within a tier model, where trans-states, that belong to the second tier, are populated through a first tier of states that is composed of combinations of bending and torsional excitations. No specific energy pathway is revealed that would funnel the hydrogen atom directly towards the trans-side, hence the experimentally observed high cis -> trans quantum yield of close to one probably has to be explained in a statistical scenario on a timescale much longer than that of the present simulation. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Racial/ethnic differences in eligibility for asthma biologics among pediatric populations

BackgroundAsthma is a heterogeneous disease. Clinical blood parameters differ by race/ethnicity and are used to distinguish asthma subtypes and inform therapies. Differences in subtypes may explain population-specific trends in asthma outcomes. However, these differences in racial/ethnic minority pediatric populations are unclear.ObjectiveWe investigated the association of blood parameters and asthma subtypes with asthma outcomes and examined population-specific eligibility for biologic therapies in minority pediatric populations.MethodsUsing data from 2 asthma case-control studies of pediatric minority populations, we performed case-control (N = 3738) and case-only (N = 2743) logistic regressions to quantify the association of blood parameters and asthma subtypes with asthma outcomes. Heterogeneity of these associations was tested using an interaction term between race/ethnicity and each exposure. Differences in therapeutic eligibility were investigated using chi-square tests.ResultsRace/ethnicity modified the association between total IgE and asthma exacerbations. Elevated IgE level was associated with worse asthma outcomes in Puerto Ricans. Allergic asthma was associated with worse outcomes in Mexican Americans, whereas eosinophilic asthma was associated with worse outcomes in Puerto Ricans. A lower proportion of Puerto Ricans met dosing criteria for allergic asthma-directed biologic therapy than other groups. A higher proportion of Puerto Ricans qualified for eosinophilic asthma-directed biologic therapy than African Americans.ConclusionsWe found population-specific associations between blood parameters and asthma subtypes with asthma outcomes. Our findings suggest that eligibility for asthma biologic therapies differs across pediatric racial/ethnic populations. These findings call for more studies in diverse populations for equitable treatment of minority patients with asthma

Race and Ethnicity in Pulmonary Function Test Interpretation: An Official American Thoracic Society Statement

Current American Thoracic Society (ATS) standards promote the use of race and ethnicity-specific reference equations for pulmonary function test (PFT) interpretation. There is rising concern that the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation contributes to a false view of fixed differences between races and may mask the effects of differential exposures. This use of race and ethnicity may contribute to health disparities by norming differences in pulmonary function. In the United States and globally, race serves as a social construct that is based on appearance and reflects social values, structures, and practices. Classification of people into racial and ethnic groups differs geographically and temporally. These considerations challenge the notion that racial and ethnic categories have biological meaning and question the use of race in PFT interpretation. The ATS convened a diverse group of clinicians and investigators for a workshop in 2021 to evaluate the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation. Review of evidence published since then that challenges current practice and continued discussion concluded with a recommendation to replace race and ethnicity-specific equations with race-neutral average reference equations, which must be accompanied with a broader re-evaluation of how PFTs are used to make clinical, employment, and insurance decisions. There was also a call to engage key stakeholders not represented in this workshop and a statement of caution regarding the uncertain effects and potential harms of this change. Other recommendations include continued research and education to understand the impact of the change, to improve the evidence for the use of PFTs in general, and to identify modifiable risk factors for reduced pulmonary function