The synthesis and reactions of novel butadiyne derivatives

The synthesis, isolation and characterisation of aryl and heteroarylbutadiynes is herein reported. X-ray structural analysis for terminal butadiynes 72,118, 143, 157, 162 and 172 has been obtained. The packing diagrams indicate, in most cases, a hydrogen bonding interaction between the terminal acetylenie proton and the appropriate atom in the ring. An important feature of our synthetic methodology is the use of the 2-hydroxy-2-propyl protecting group, which facilitates purification from protected species, due to a large difference in polarity. The synthesis of mono- and di-deprotected bis-butadiynes is also reported; indeed X- ray structural analysis of di-deprotected pyridyl bis-butadiyne 234 has been obtained, as shown in the figure below The reactions of aryl and heteorarylbutadiynes and bis-butadiynes have also been investigated, leading to the synthesis of molecular-wire precursors 262 and 264

Gender as an Environmental Stressor in Individuals Genetically Predisposed to Mood Disorders: A Preliminary Analysis

Given the recent ‘epidemic’ of mental health disorders, we urgently need to better understand who is suffering and how. One aspect of this that research has come closer to identifying is where symptoms and diagnoses are missed in certain individuals, especially based on gender. However, if certain genders are actually more likely to deal with certain disorders we need to understand why and where that comes from. There is a general consensus in the medical field that some individuals are simply genetically predisposed to various disorders based on sex, but there is limited evidence that sex actually determines genetic predisposition. Additionally, key research findings indicate that the role of environmental stressors is crucial in determining whether even a predisposed individual will actually present symptoms to a point of a diagnosed disorder. Therefore, if there is such a measurable difference between men and women in the presentation and diagnosis of certain psychiatric disorders, gender must be considered as a potential environmental stressor itself which might compound predisposition and lead to an actual difference in the rates of certain types of disorders by gender. ADHD and clinical depression are two specific psychiatric disorders that are widely associated with men compared to women and vice versa. Therefore, they will serve as benchmarks to analyze gender differences in psychiatric disorders and potential factors like genetic predisposition and gender itself. If there is a truly measurable difference between the actual rates of prevalence of these disorders based on sex, gender itself must be considered as an environmental stressor that might compound factors like genetic predisposition, leading to the presentation of certain symptoms and diagnoses in different individuals

Queer Even in Safe Spaces: Homeless, Shelter Failures, and the Queer Community

Privileged groups consistently expect marginalized group identities to provide comfort, be it in the way the members actually showcase their identities, the work they do for society, or their general respect for the status quo. The queer community, specifically, has long been subject to prejudice and violence, and while tolerance is slowly increasing in the United States, the present day is no exception. Queer folks in the US are even much more likely to be homeless or in domestic violence situations than their heterosexual counterparts. Furthermore, once in vulnerable housing situations, queer folks are dangerously less likely to receive the necessary aid to achieve safety and regain their lives. Public perceptions of homeless people in general are nowhere near positive, from the supposed initial causes of homelessness to the length of time a person spends without secure housing. Furthermore, queer folks face risks of becoming homeless which those outside of the LGBTQ+ community may not encounter. There are gaps in the financial and legal systems, as well as social vulnerabilities like racial prejudice, heteronormativity, and transphobia which further endanger the queer community, especially in vulnerable situations. Each risk for these queer folks comes as a result of intolerance and negative public perception. Morphing these perceptions into education and sympathy will be the only solution. Moreover, the very notion that a person must fit their identity into something the general public feels comfortable with in order to deserve safety, comfort, and prosperity must be dissolved

Preceptor Facilitated Debriefing Improves Athletic Training Student’s Clinical Performance and Work Efficacy

Debriefing is an essential part of healthcare training that utilizes a planned conversation to allow clinicians to analyze their actions, thought processes, and emotions with the goal of improving patient care and outcomes. Debriefing requires two-way communications between the athletic training student and facilitating preceptor. The process is more than providing feedback on clinical performance, but a communication process that fosters reflective insight into of behaviors and decisions. Debriefing after patient care encounters has been shown to increase critical thinking, confidence, clinical skill and clinical reasoning. With this enhancement in cognition and behavior, debriefing allows the student to strengthen their own capabilities and efficacy, better preparing themselves for real time clinical practice. Facilitating effective debriefing is challenging for seasoned educators, as well as practitioners untrained to facilitate effective debriefing

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Validation of key behaviourally based mental health diagnoses in administrative data: suicide attempt, alcohol abuse, illicit drug abuse and tobacco use

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Observational research frequently uses administrative codes for mental health or substance use diagnoses and for important behaviours such as suicide attempts. We sought to validate codes (<it>International Classification of Diseases, 9^thedition, clinical modification </it>diagnostic and E-codes) entered in Veterans Health Administration administrative data for patients with depression versus a gold standard of electronic medical record text ("chart notation").</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three random samples of patients were selected, each stratified by geographic region, gender, and year of cohort entry, from a VHA depression treatment cohort from April 1, 1999 to September 30, 2004. The first sample was selected from patients who died by suicide, the second from patients who remained alive on the date of death of suicide cases, and the third from patients with a new start of a commonly used antidepressant medication. Four variables were assessed using administrative codes in the year prior to the index date: suicide attempt, alcohol abuse/dependence, drug abuse/dependence and tobacco use.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Specificity was high (≥ 90%) for all four administrative codes, regardless of the sample. Sensitivity was ≤75% and was particularly low for suicide attempt (≤ 17%). Positive predictive values for alcohol dependence/abuse and tobacco use were high, but barely better than flipping a coin for illicit drug abuse/dependence. Sensitivity differed across the three samples, but was highest in the suicide death sample.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Administrative data-based diagnoses among VHA records have high specificity, but low sensitivity. The accuracy level varies by different diagnosis and by different patient subgroup.</p

Plant growth environments with programmable relative humidity and homogeneous nutrient availability

We describe the design, characterization, and use of “programmable”, sterile growth environments for individual (or small sets of) plants. The specific relative humidities and nutrient availability experienced by the plant is established (RH between 15% and 95%; nutrient concentration as desired) during the setup of the growth environment, which takes about 5 minutes and <1$ in disposable cost. These systems maintain these environmental parameters constant for at least 14 days with minimal intervention (one minute every two days). The design is composed entirely of off-the-shelf components (e.g., LEGO® bricks) and is characterized by (i) a separation of root and shoot environment (which is physiologically relevant and facilitates imposing specific conditions on the root system, e.g., darkness), (ii) the development of the root system on a flat surface, where the root enjoys constant contact with nutrient solution and air, (iii) a compatibility with root phenotyping. We demonstrate phenotyping by characterizing root systems of Brassica rapa plants growing in different relative humidities (55%, 75%, and 95%). While most phenotypes were found to be sensitive to these environmental changes, a phenotype tightly associated with root system topology – the size distribution of the areas encircled by roots – appeared to be remarkably and counterintuitively insensitive to humidity changes. These setups combine many of the advantages of hydroponics conditions (e.g., root phenotyping, complete control over nutrient composition, scalability) and soil conditions (e.g., aeration of roots, shading of roots), while being comparable in cost and setup time to Magenta® boxes