Recent advances in managing hepatitis B

In the past two years, several national and international bodies have made recommendations and published updated practice guidelines for hepatitis B. In addition, new drugs have become available for treatment of hepatitis B. This article will review the new recommendations for screening for hepatitis B and for first-line antiviral medications to use for treatment. In addition, I will discuss the recent recommendations on treating hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection and the screening of people receiving immunosuppressive therapy

Spectroscopic and Computational Studies of Matrix-Isolated iso-CXBr3 (X=F,Cl,Br): Structure, Properties, and Photochemistry of Substituted Iso-Tribromomethanes

Iso-polyhalomethanes are important reactive intermediates in the condensed and gas-phase chemistry of halomethanes. Building upon our recent study of iso-bromoform, in this work the substituted iso-tribromomethanes (iso-CXBr3; X = F, Cl, Br) were characterized by matrix isolation infrared and UV/Vis spectroscopy, supported by ab initio calculations, to further probe the structure, spectroscopy, properties, and photochemistry of these important intermediates. Selected wavelength laser irradiation of CXBr3 samples in an inert rare gas (typically Ar; mixing ratio 1:500) held at ∼5 K yielded iso-CXBr3 (XBrC–Br–Br or Br2C–Br–X). The observed infrared and UV/Vis absorptions are in excellent agreement with computational predictions, and the energies of various stationary points on the CXBr3 Potential Energy Surfaces (PESs) were characterized computationally using DFT, MP2, and CCSD (T) methods in combination with triple-zeta quality basis sets. These calculations show that the isomers are minima on the PESs that lie ∼200 kJ/mol above the global CXBr3 minimum, yet are bound by some 50–70 kJ/mol in the gas-phase with respect to the CXBr2 + Br asymptote. Laser irradiation of the isomers resulted in back photoisomerization to CXBr3, and intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations confirmed the existence of a first order saddle point connecting the two isomers. Calculations of important stationary points on the CXBr3 PESs show that in the gas-phase the isomerization barrier lies energetically near the threshold for simple bond fission. The iso-CXBr3 species are significantly stabilized in the condensed phase, due to the high degree of ion-pair character, as revealed by Natural Resonance Theory analysis

Revealing Cosmic Rotation

Cosmological Birefringence (CB), a rotation of the polarization plane of radiation coming to us from distant astrophysical sources, may reveal parity violation in either the electromagnetic or gravitational sectors of the fundamental interactions in nature. Until only recently this phenomenon could be probed with only radio observations or observations at UV wavelengths. Recently, there is a substantial effort to constrain such non-standard models using observations of the rotation of the polarization plane of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. This can be done via measurements of the $B$-modes of the CMB or by measuring its TB and EB correlations which vanish in the standard model. In this paper we show that $EB$ correlations-based estimator is the best for upcoming polarization experiments. The $EB$ based estimator surpasses other estimators because it has the smallest noise and of all the estimators is least affected by systematics. Current polarimeters are optimized for the detection of $B$-mode polarization from either primordial gravitational waves or by large scale structure via gravitational lensing. In the paper we also study optimization of CMB experiments for the detection of cosmological birefringence, in the presence of instrumental systematics, which by themselves are capable of producing $EB$ correlations; potentially mimicking CB.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

Promoting cognitive support technology use and employment success among postsecondary students with traumatic brain injuries

OBJECTIVE: This article applies positive psychology principles to the purpose and objectives of a five-year, federally-funded initiative to provide cognitive support technology (CST) training and career preparatory services for undergraduate college students with mild and moderate traumatic brain injuries (TBI). METHODS: A total of 48 students with TBI have participated in the project during its first 18 months of operation - 14 of whom are military veterans with disabilities who were in the Iraq and/or Afghanistan theaters. CONCLUSION: Positive psychology interventions such as Best Possible Self, Intensely Positive Experiences, and Asset-based Assessments provide a framework for examining the activities of this multi-site development project

Altered lipoprotein metabolism in chronic inflammatory states: proinflammatory high-density lipoprotein and accelerated atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis

In this review, the authors discuss the formation and structure of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and how those particles are altered in inflammatory or stress states to lose their capacity for reverse cholesterol transport and for antioxidant activity. In addition, abnormal HDLs can become proinflammatory (piHDLs) and actually contribute to oxidative damage. The assay by which piHDLs are identified involves studying the ability of test HDLs to prevent oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. Finally, the authors discuss the potential role of piHDLs (found in some 45% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 20% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis) in the accelerated atherosclerosis associated with some chronic rheumatic diseases

Chronic hepatitis B

No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34785/1/510340622_ftp.pd

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No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34793/1/510370333_ftp.pd

A Comparison of Male and Female Title I ADA Discrimination Allegations in Relation to Employer Characteristics

This investigation determined if there is a difference in the proportion of Title I workplace discrimination allegations filed by females in comparison to males under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in relation to the employer characteristics. Findings are reported and implications for future research and vocational rehabilitation practice