Modeling of an upper Midwest forest boundary layer and vehicle indoor air quality

The key to understanding tropospheric chemistry begins with the hydroxyl and hydroperoxy radicals. Recent research suggests that there is still considerable uncertainty in our understanding of the sources of these radicals and their role as sinks. The work detailed in this thesis describes a computational approach to modeling the hydroxyl and hydroperoxy radicals in a forest environment and attempts to shed further light on the radical budget in a typical Northern Hardwood forest. Additionally, research was conducted with United States Council for Automotive Research in collaboration with Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler to develop a global standard for vehicle indoor air quality test methodologies. An initial evaluation of materials to validate test and analysis process has been completed. In addition to establishing the identity of a material for an internal standard, a VOC specific emission algorithm to predict cabin VOC concentrations for a given set of control parameters was established

Prevalence of Children with Severe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Communities Near Rome, Italy: New Estimated Rates Are Higher than Previous Estimates

Objective: To determine the population-based epidemiology of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in towns representative of the general population of central Italy. Methods: Slightly revised U.S. Institute of Medicine diagnostic methods were used among children in randomly-selected schools near Rome. Consented first grade children (n = 976) were screened in Tier I for height, weight, or head circumference and all childre

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Aspiraciones extrínsecas e intrínsecas y adicción al ejercicio físico en adultos usuarios de gimnasios de Lima Metropolitana

The relationship between addiction to physical exercise and aspirations (intrinsic and extrinsic) were studied in a group of 115 adults of both sexes (59.1% men, R = 18-50 years, M = 28.78 years, DE = 8,006), users of gyms in Metropolitan Lima. The members responded to the Reduced Aspirations Index (Duriez, Vansteenkiste, Soenens & De Witte, 2007) and the Inventory of Addiction to Physical Exercise (Sicilia, Alías-Garcia, Ferriz & Moreno-Murcia, 2013). According to the initial hypothesis, the results showed a positive correlation (p <.01) between Extrinsic Aspirations and Physical Exercise Addiction. Finally, there is a positive correlation between Consumption of nutritional supplements with the Addiction to Physical Exercise. These results are contributors to psychological work because they allow us to know the importance of working with self-acceptance in the posibility of an addiction to physical exercise.TesisEl objetivo del presente trabajo consistió en estudiar una relación entre la adicción al ejercicio físico y las aspiraciones (intrínsecas y extrínsecas) en un grupo de 115 adultos de ambos sexos (59.1% hombres, R = 18 – 50 años, M = 28.78 años, DE = 8.006), usuarios de gimnasios en Lima Metropolitana. Los integrantes respondieron al Índice de Aspiraciones Reducido (Duriez, Vansteenkiste, Soenens & De Witte, 2007) y el Inventario de Adicción al Ejercicio Físico (Sicilia, Alías-Garcia, Ferriz & Moreno-Murcia, 2013). De acuerdo a la hipótesis inicial, los resultados mostraron una correlación positiva (p< .01) entre las Aspiraciones Extrínsecas y Adicción al Ejercicio Físico. Por último, existe una correlación positiva entre las variables consumo de suplementos nutricionales con la Adicción al Ejercicio Físico. Estos resultados son contribuyentes al trabajo psicológico puesto que permiten conocer la importancia de trabajar con la auto-aceptación frente a una adicción al ejercicio físico