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Using the power of light to drive controlled radical polymerizations has provided significant advances in synthesis of well-defined polymers. Photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) systems often employ UV light to regenerate copper activator species to mediate the polymerization. Taking full advantage of long-wavelength visible light for ATRP would require developing appropriate photocatalytic systems that engage in photoinduced electron transfer processes with the ATRP components to generate activating species. Herein, we developed conjugated microporous polymers (CMP) as heterogeneous photocatalysts to exploit the power of visible light in promoting copper-catalyzed ATRP. The photocatalyst was designed by cross-linking phenothiazine (PTZ) as a photoactive core in the presence of dimethoxybenzene as a cross-linker via the Friedel-Crafts reaction. The resulting PTZ-CMP network showed photoactivity in the visible region due to the extended conjugation throughout the network because of the aromatic groups connecting the PTZ units. Therefore, photoinduced copper-catalyzed ATRP was performed with CMPs that regenerated activator species under green or red light irradiation to start the ATRP process. This resulted in efficient polymerization of acrylate and methacrylate monomers with high conversion and well-controlled molecular weight. The heterogeneous nature of the photocatalyst enabled easy separation and efficient reusability in subsequent polymerizations.

Ion-water interactions have a large influence on the chemical and physical behavior of water and solutes in a diverse range of environments. These interactions play a role in atmospheric aerosols, desalination methods, enzymatic active sites, and ion stability. For example, multiply charged anions (MCAs), such as sulfate and phosphate, are ubiquitous in the condensed phases, but are intrinsically unstable once desolvated due to the lack of non-covalent interactions. Aqueous ion-containing nanodroplets formed via electrospray ionization can be investigated using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Utilizing the ability to store ion-containing droplets in the ion cell of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer, an ion with a discrete number of solvating water molecules can be mass-selected and thereafter probed using blackbody, infrared, and ultraviolet photons, or thermal electrons to measure its chemical and physical properties. Studying the stabilities of hexacyanoferrates as a function of (H2O)n, we find two hydration shells are required to stabilize Fe(CN)64- from spontaneous electron ejection. Although the ability of ions to influence water molecules remotely has been debated in condensed phase experiments, we provide unambiguous evidence for ion-water interactions leading to structural perturbations into a fourth solvation shell. Furthermore, evidence for remote dynamic perturbations in solutions is presented using a novel broadband terahertz spectroscopy technique. Although the nanodroplet experiments are performed in a temperature-regulated ion cell, a key question in the gas phase is to what magnitude does evaporative cooling affect the internal temperature of an ion population? Extensive master equation modeling to fit temperature-dependent blackbody dissociation kinetics reveals that, although the effect is minimal at low temperatures, evaporative cooling can lead to disparities of ΔT > 100 K when storing nanodroplets in an ion cell above room temperature. These findings can be used to more accurately relate experimental nanodroplet studies to the ambient temperatures relevant to atmospheric aerosols and condensed-phase solutions. The research presented here provides unique molecular-level insight into ion-water interactions leading to stability in MCAs as well as remote structural and dynamic perturbations that extend beyond the inner solvation shell.

Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a chronic digestive condition where the stomach fails to properly empty, causing sometimes debilitating symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, pain, and distention/bloating, which persist or reoccur long-term. It can significantly interfere with the daily living and quality of life of those affected. While the incidence and prevalence of gastroparesis are not well-defined, it is estimated to affect up to 5 million people in the United States alone. Gastroparesis remains a little known and poorly understood condition which can lead to confusion and misunderstanding among patients and healthcare providers alike and prevent patients from obtaining an accurate diagnosis as well as proper and effective treatment. Knowing where to find scientifically accurate information is an important part of the journey. According to a 2017 survey of 1423 adults with gastroparesis, while patients felt that they receive good information from their physician (50% of patients), they also turned to other sources such as the Internet (46%), Facebook (34%), specialty sites (27%), International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) website (25%), nurse practitioners (10%), physician assistants (8%), governmental agencies such as National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) (7%), other patient organizations such as Gastroparesis Patient Association for Cures and Treatments, Inc. (G-PACT) or Association of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders, Inc. (AGMD) (29%), blogs (17%), and/or WebMD (12%). Therefore, it is important for patients to understand how to locate physicians who are trained in diagnosing gastroparesis and have access to fully equipped motility centers. With the increasing use of non-traditional online resources such as the Internet and social media, it is necessary to aide patients in finding credible information among the vast resources available online. In this chapter, we will cover the many different resources available to patients as well as provide insight into the resources currently used by the gastroparesis community.

Gas phase infrared dissociation spectra of the radical cation, deprotonated and protonated forms of the hormone melatonin, and its complexes with alkali (Li+, Na+, and K+) and alkaline earth metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, and Sr2+) are measured in the spectral range 800–1800 cm−1. Minimum energy geometries calculated at the B3LYP/LACVP++** level are used to assign structural motifs to absorption bands in the experimental spectra. The melatonin anion is deprotonated at the indole-N. The indole-C linking the amide chain is the most favored protonation site. Comparisons between the experimental and calculated spectra for alkali and alkaline earth metal ion complexes reveal that the metal ions interact similarly with the amide and methoxy oxygen atoms. The amide I band undergoes a red shift with increasing charge density of the metal ion and the amide II band shows a concomitant blue shift. Another binding motif in which the metal ions interact with the amide-O and the π-electron cloud of the aromatic group is identified but is higher in energy by at least 18 kJ/mol. Melatonin is deprotonated at the amide-N with Mg2+ and the metal ion coordinates to the amide-N and an indole-C or the methoxy-O. These results provide information about the intrinsic binding of metal ions to melatonin and combined with future studies on solvated melatonin-metal ion complexes may help elucidate the solvent effects on metal ion binding in solution and the biochemistry of melatonin. These results also serve as benchmarks for future theoretical studies on melatonin-metal ion interactions.

Based on current scientific literature, gastrostomy tube (G-tube) placement or other long-term enteral access devices should be withheld in patients with advanced dementia or other near end-of-life conditions. In many instances healthcare providers are not optimally equipped to implement this recommendation at the bedside. Autonomy of the patient or surrogate decision maker should be respected, as should the patient's cultural, religious, social, and emotional value system. Clinical practice needs to address risks, burdens, benefits, and expected short-term and long-term outcomes in order to clarify practice changes. This paper recommends a change in clinical practice and care strategy based on the results of a thorough literature review and provides tools for healthcare clinicians, particularly in the hospital setting, including an algorithm for decision making and a checklist to use prior to the placement of G-tubes or other long-term enteral access devices. Integrating concepts of patient-centered care, shared decision making, health literacy, and the teach-back method of education enhances the desired outcome of ethical dilemma prevention. The goal is advance care planning and a timely consensus among health team members, family members, and significant others regarding end-of-life care for patients who do not have an advance directive and lack the capacity to advocate for themselves. Achieving this goal requires interdisciplinary collaboration and proactive planning within a supportive healthcare institution environment.

The valency of aqueous solutes plays a large role in determining the extent of ion–water dynamics, which can greatly influence the chemical and physical properties of solutions. In these experiments, broadband Fourier transform terahertz spectroscopy is used to probe perturbations to the low-frequency dynamics of water molecules by three different multivalent hexacyanoferrate salts. K3Fe(CN)6, K4Fe(CN)6 and Na4Fe(CN)6 were investigated as a function of concentration up to their solubility limits using spectral subtractions and fitting with damped harmonic lineshapes. Regions with subtle nonlinearities in amplitude with respect to solute concentration provide insight into ion-pairing events. The extent of nonlinearity suggests that ion pairs are major constituents in solution for all concentrations measured and is consistent with ion-pairing observed at millimolar concentrations by potentiometric and spectroscopic measurements. A lower estimate for the number of water molecules that are influenced by each ion is obtained from the damped harmonic fits. Values of 19, 28 and 25 water molecules with perturbed dynamics are obtained for KFe(CN)62−, KFe(CN)63− and NaFe(CN)63− ion pairs, respectively. These values represent dynamical perturbations into a second solvation shell and are consistent with the long-range structural effects observed in recent aqueous nanodrop spectroscopy experiments. Furthermore, the spectral absorptions for hexacyanoferrates are in agreement with a wide range of solutes studied previously using the developing methodology for interpreting terahertz spectra.

Formation of the small, highly charged tetraanion ferrocyanide, Fe(CN)6 4–, stabilized in aqueous nanodrops and its influence to the surrounding hydrogen-bonding network of water is reported., Formation of the small, highly charged tetraanion ferrocyanide, Fe(CN)6 4–, stabilized in aqueous nanodrops is reported. Ion–water interactions inside these nanodrops are probed using blackbody infrared radiative dissociation, infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy, and molecular modeling in order to determine how water molecules stabilize this highly charged anion and the extent to which the tetraanion patterns the hydrogen-bonding network of water at long distance. Fe(CN)6 4–(H2O)38 is the smallest cluster formed directly by nanoelectrospray ionization. Ejection of an electron from this ion to form Fe(CN)6 3–(H2O)38 occurs with low-energy activation, but loss of a water molecule is favored at higher energy indicating that water molecule loss is entropically favored over loss of an electron. The second solvation shell is almost complete at this cluster size indicating that nearly two solvent shells are required to stabilize this highly charged anion. The extent of solvation necessary to stabilize these clusters with respect to electron loss is substantially lower through ion pairing with either H+ or K+ (n = 17 and 18, respectively). IRPD spectra of Fe(CN)6 4–(H2O)n show the emergence of a free O–H water molecule stretch between n = 142 and 162 indicating that this ion patterns the structure of water molecules within these nanodrops to a distance of at least ∼1.05 nm from the ion. These results provide new insights into how water stabilizes highly charged ions and demonstrate that highly charged anions can have a significant effect on the hydrogen-bonding network of water molecules well beyond the second and even third solvation shells.

Sequential water binding enthalpies for aqueous nanodrops containing 20–500 water molecules and a 1+ to 3+ ion are reported., Sequential water molecule binding enthalpies, ΔH n,n–1, are important for a detailed understanding of competitive interactions between ions, water and solute molecules, and how these interactions affect physical properties of ion-containing nanodrops that are important in aerosol chemistry. Water molecule binding enthalpies have been measured for small clusters of many different ions, but these values for ion-containing nanodrops containing more than 20 water molecules are scarce. Here, ΔH n,n–1 values are deduced from high-precision ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) measurements as a function of ion identity, charge state and cluster size between 20–500 water molecules and for ions with +1, +2 and +3 charges. The ΔH n,n–1 values are obtained from the number of water molecules lost upon photoexcitation at a known wavelength, and modeling of the release of energy into the translational, rotational and vibrational motions of the products. The ΔH n,n–1 values range from 36.82 to 50.21 kJ mol–1. For clusters containing more than ∼250 water molecules, the binding enthalpies are between the bulk heat of vaporization (44.8 kJ mol–1) and the sublimation enthalpy of bulk ice (51.0 kJ mol–1). These values depend on ion charge state for clusters with fewer than 150 water molecules, but there is a negligible dependence at larger size. There is a minimum in the ΔH n,n–1 values that depends on the cluster size and ion charge state, which can be attributed to the competing effects of ion solvation and surface energy. The experimental ΔH n,n–1 values can be fit to the Thomson liquid drop model (TLDM) using bulk ice parameters. By optimizing the surface tension and temperature change of the logarithmic partial pressure for the TLDM, the experimental sequential water molecule binding enthalpies can be fit with an accuracy of ±3.3 kJ mol–1 over the entire range of cluster sizes.

Point-of-care (POC) and point-of-use assays are critical for identifying and measuring the quantity of analytes in a variety of environments that lack access to laboratory infrastructure. In quantitative versions of these assays, both the duration of the assay and the output signal must be measured. Measurements of time most often are performed using a timer that is external to the platform of the assay. Such measurements are relatively simple and inexpensive, and in some cases, can be integrated into the device itself. In contrast, measurements of signal typically are accomplished using hand-held electrochemical, absorbance, reflectance, transmittance, or fluorescence readers, and as such, these measurements can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive, particularly in the context of extremely resource-limited environments such as remote villages in the developing world. The World Health Organization has identified the use of external readers as a challenge that must be overcome when creating ideal POC diagnostic assays for use in the developing world. In fact, they have listed “equipment-free” as one of seven necessary attributes for diagnostic tests in these regions. Herein, we describe two complimentary assay strategies that address this issue. By using paper-based microfluidic devices, we show that the level of an analyte can be quantified by simply measuring time: no external electronic reader is required for the quantitative measurement (Figure 1). The methods involve either 1) tracking the time required for a sample to react with and ultimately pass through a hydrophobic detection reagent in a single conduit within a threedimensional (3D) paper-based microfluidic device (Figure 1a) (we call this a digital assay), or 2) counting the number of bars that become colored after a fixed assay period in a related paper-based microfluidic device (Figure 1b; we refer to this as an analog assay). The methods described herein require only a timer, the ability to see color, and/or the

Background Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous group of acquired clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by atypical stem cells maturation and genetic instability leading to an enhanced risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Low risk MDS patients have a lower probability to evolve in leukemia but are commonly characterized by dyseritropoiesis. These patient are incline to long term accumulation of iron in the organs due mostly to red blood cell transfusion (RBC) but iron overload may also occur in MDS patients who do not receive RBC transfusions due to the ineffective erythropoiesis. It is well known the effect of oxidant-mediated tissue's injury through the formation of free toxic iron species in the liver and heart site, but recent knowledges assumes that this mechanism is effective also in the bone marrow nice, where oxidative stress seems to impaired the haematopoietic stem cells growth. At this moment microscopic examination of the stainable iron in the bone marrow is considered the gold standard for determining the iron stores. The effect of bone marrow's iron overload on overall survival in the low risk MDS has been a matter of unresolved debate. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of bone marrow iron accumulation as demonstrated by Perl's staining on outcome in such patients. Design We retrospectively analyzed all low risk,intermediate-I MDS patients who had diagnosed in our institution in the last 20 years (since 1998). Diagnosis of MDS was made according to WHO criteria. Patients were stratified based on International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). Patients had undergone bone marrow aspiration as part of the diagnostic work up for their MDS. Two different experienced hematologist analyzed all samples. Bone marrow aspiration slides with at least seven fragments were considered suitable. Perl's Prussian blue stain was used to stain bone marrow, assessed by modified Gale's grading (Tab. 1) and then correlated with outcome. Patients and methods Marrow staining of one hundred and fourteen consecutive MDS patients were revised and analyzed. Median age was 70 years (range 32-93). Eighty three patients were IPSS low- risk and 30 Intermediate I. All patients were evaluated for bone marrow iron stores with Perl's stain. Twenty-seven patients had grade 1 (+), 31 grade 2 (++) and 56 grade 3 (+++). Patients had never or minimally received RBC . None of these patient had received iron chelation before marrow examination. Probability of overall survival (OS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and the significance was assessed by the log-rank test. Results 20-year OS was significantly lower in patients with higher Perl's score (median = 80 ±7 months in grade 3; median = 70 ±17 months in grade 2; median = 144 ±18 months in grade 1 , P=0.011); Fig. 1 Conclusions We evaluated retrospectively the bone marrow aspirate from 114 consecutive new MDS low-risk, Intermediate-I IPSS patients with Perl's stain for iron detection. Although Perl's grading is a qualitative method, it is still the gold standard to detect iron storage in the bone marrow. Our results correlate Perl's stain at diagnosis with long term outcome in MDS patients. We show how higher grade of iron storage at diagnosis can impact on outcome in these patients. We conclude that Perl's stain, together with Ferritin and blood transfusional burden could be another marker at diagnosis of iron-related toxicity that predict overall survival. Disclosures Pilo: Novartis Italy: Honoraria. Angelucci:Jazz Pharmaceuticals Italy: Other: Local ( national) advisory board; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (MA) and CRISPR CAS9 Therapeutics AG (CH): Other: Chair DMC; Roche Italy: Other: Local (national) advisory board; Novartis: Honoraria, Other: Chair Steering Comiittee TELESTO Protocol; Celgene: Honoraria, Other: Chair DMC.

Background: Anemia is the most frequent cytopenia in Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). Epoetin alfa, Epoetin beta and Darbepoetin alfa (ESA) have been investigated in several studies as useful to treat anemia in this category of patients. Available preclinical data support oxidative stress and hemolysis contributing to ESA resistance but not clinical data is today available. G6PD deficiency is an X-linked condition characterized by a markedly reduced capability to protect red blood cells from oxidative stresses. In the island of Sardinia the prevalence is reported to be as high as 12%. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all MDS patients who had received ESA in our centre. Diagnosis of MDS was made according to WHO criteria. Patients were stratified based on International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). At diagnosis baseline EPO level and G6PD quantitative estimation were detected. G6PD deficiency was defined as an enzyme dosage of less than 0.96 UI/g of Hb in the peripheral blood. Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions requirement before starting treatment was evaluated. Erythroid hematologic improvement (HI-E) was evaluated according to the International Working Group (IWG) response criteria ( Cheson et al JCO 2006). Results: Thirty patients met the above specified criteria. Table 1 showed patients’ characteristics. Of them 7 were G6PD-defiecient and 23 had normal G6PD level values. Twenty four patients (80%) achieved an HI-E (14 major and 10 minor). In the G6PD-deficient group HI-E was observed in 7 over 7 patients ( major in 4 and minor in 3). In the control group HI-E was observed in 17 over 23 patients (major in 10 minor in 7). (P= 0.29). Conclusions: We evaluated 30 MDS lowrisk and Int I IPSS patients who received ESA in the last 20 years in our centre. Despite the common belief that oxidative stress and hemolysis may contribute to ESA resistance, no statistically significant difference to potentially resistance to ESA treatment in G6PD deficiency have been observed. We conclude that G6PD-deficiency does not contraindicate the use of ESA in this setting of patients.

Water exhibits remarkable properties in confined spaces, such as nanometer-sized droplets where hundreds of water molecules are required for crystalline structure to form at low temperature due to surface effects. Here, we investigate how a single ion affects the crystallization of (H2O)n clusters with infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of size-selected La(3+)(H2O)n nanodrops containing up to 550 water molecules. Crystallization in the ion-containing nanodrops occurs at n ≥ 375, which is approximately 100 more water molecules than what has been reported for neutral water clusters. This frustration of crystallinity reveals that La(3+) disrupts the hydrogen-bonding network of water molecules located remotely from the ion, a conclusion that is supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings establish that a trivalent ion can pattern the H-bond network of water molecules beyond the third solvation shell, or to a distance of ∼1 nm from the ion.

Hydration of gaseous guanidinium (Gdm+) with up to 100 water molecules attached was investigated using infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in the hydrogen stretch region between 2900 and 3800 cm-1. Comparisons to IR spectra of low-energy computed structures indicate that at small cluster size, water interacts strongly with Gdm+ with three inner shell water molecules each accepting two hydrogen bonds from adjacent NH2 groups in Gdm+. Comparisons to results for tetramethylammonium (TMA+) and Na+ enable structural information for larger clusters to be obtained. The similarity in the bonded OH region for Gdm(H2O)20+vs. Gdm(H2O)100+ and the similarity in the bonded OH regions between Gdm+ and TMA+ but not Na+ for clusters with

Structures and reactivities of gaseous Fe(CN)(6)(3-)(H(2)O)n were investigated using infrared photodissociation (IRPD) kinetics, spectroscopy, and computational chemistry in order to gain insights into how water stabilizes highly charged anions. Fe(CN)(6)(3-)(H(2)O)(8) is the smallest hydrated cluster produced by electrospray ionization, and blackbody infrared dissociation of this ion results in loss of an electron and formation of smaller dianion clusters. Fe(CN)(6)(3-)(H(2)O)(7) is produced by the higher activation conditions of IRPD, and this ion dissociates both by loss of an electron and by loss of a water molecule. Comparisons of IRPD spectra to those of computed low-energy structures for Fe(CN)(6)(3-)(H(2)O)(8) indicate that water molecules either form two hydrogen bonds to the trianion or form one hydrogen bond to the ion and one to another water molecule. Magic numbers are observed for Fe(CN)(6)(3-)(H(2)O)n for n between 58 and 60, and the IRPD spectrum of the n = 60 cluster shows stronger water molecule hydrogen-bonding than that of the n = 61 cluster, consistent with the significantly higher stability of the former. Remarkably, neither cluster has a band corresponding to a free O-H stretch, and this band is not observed for clusters until n ≥ 70, indicating that this trianion significantly affects the hydrogen-bonding network of water molecules well beyond the second and even third solvation shells. These results provide new insights into the role of water in stabilizing high-valency anions and how these ions can pattern the structure of water even at long distances.

The structures of hydrated guanidinium, Gdm(+)(H2O)n, where n = 1-5, were investigated with infrared photodissociation spectroscopy and with theory. The spectral bands in the free O-H (∼3600-3800 cm(-1)) and free N-H (∼3500-3600 cm(-1)) regions indicate that, for n between 1 and 3, water molecules bind between the NH2 groups in the plane of the ion forming one hydrogen bond with each amino group. This hydration structure differs from Gdm(+) in solution, where molecular dynamics simulations suggest that water molecules form linear H-bonds with the amino groups, likely a result of additional water-water interactions in solution that compete with the water-guanidinium interactions. At n = 4, changes in the free O-H and bonded O-H (∼3000-3500 cm(-1)) regions indicate water-water H-bonding and thus the onset of a second hydration shell. An inner shell coordination number of n = 3 is remarkably small for a monovalent cation. For Gdm(+)(H2O)5, the additional water molecule forms hydrogen bonds to other water molecules and not to the ion. These results indicate that Gdm(+) is weakly hydrated, and interactions with water molecules occur in the plane of the ion. This study offers the first experimental assignment of structures for small hydrates of Gdm(+), which provide insights into the unusual physicochemical properties of this ion.

BACKGROUND Pathways to Health is a cancer prevention and health promotion curriculum for fifth- and seventh-grade Navajo and Pueblo students living in New Mexico. METHODS A diet and nutrition questionnaire was administered to 1007 fifth- and seventh-grade students before beginning the Pathways to Health intervention. Sections of the questionnaire included listing favorite foods, frequency of intake of selected foods (e.g., “How often do you eat vegetables?”), targeted food practices (e.g., “When you eat chicken, do you eat the skin?”), and applied dietary fat and fiber knowledge questions. Descriptive analyses were generated by grade, gender, and tribe. RESULTS Students' favorite foods were pizza, hamburgers, and tacos. Only 35.7% of students reported consuming the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation of two or more daily servings of fruit, with only 19.3% reporting more than once-a-day intake of vegetables. The mean score (percent correct responses) to questions identifying common food sources of dietary fat and fiber, and other cancer-related nutrition knowledge questions, was 45.2% and 57.9% for fifth- and seventh-grade students, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These and related data support the need for nutrition education interventions in this population that target essential cancer prevention skills and motivational information required to make positive dietary choices. Cancer 1996;78:1617-22.

This paper describes an efficient and high throughput method for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) paper-based microfluidic devices. The method avoids tedious alignment and assembly steps and eliminates a major bottleneck that has hindered the development of these types of devices. A single researcher now can prepare hundreds of devices within 1 h.

The possible prognostic value of the position of the breakpoint within the M-BCR in patients with Phl+ CML is still being debated. We analyzed the DNA rearrangements and the transcript types of 244 patients and tried to correlate the data obtained with prognostic features, defined according to Sokal's risk index, and with chronic phase and/or survival duration. The exact location of the breakpoint, either 5' or 3' to the Hind III restriction site within the M-BCR was identified. Moreover, the exact M-BCR subregion was also identified. As a whole, 150 pts were rearranged in the 5' part and 94 in the 3' part of the M-BCR. No correlation was observed between the site of rearrangement on the one hand and the Sokal's prognostic index and survival, on the other. Transcript analysis was performed in 130 patients; 59 carried an a2b2 and 69 an a2b3 pattern. Two patients carried both transcripts. Of the patients rearranged in the 5' area, according to Southern blotting, 29.2% showed an a2b3 transcript. Therefore, R...

OBJECTIVE: Perfectionism, poor self-esteem and stress have all been described as important risk factors for eating disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a stressful situation is significantly correlated to and associated with significantly higher levels of perfectionism, stress, quantifiable measures of eating disorders, and with significantly lower levels of self-esteem in a non-clinical sample. METHOD: Thirty-five female university students completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Eating Disorder Inventory two times; once on an average university day and once on the day of an exam. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were calculated to verify whether a stressful situation was associated with a significant difference in levels of perfectionism, self-esteem, stress, and measures of eating disorders. Bivariate correlations were calculated for both the stress and non-stress situation, to observe how the dimensions of perfectionism, self-esteem, and stress were associated with measures of eating disorders. RESULTS: During the stress situation, the study participants had, on average, significantly higher levels of concern over mistakes, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and perceived stress. Bivariate correlations revealed that during the stress situation perceived stress, cognitive variables and measures of eating disorders showed significant correlations with each other that were absent in the non stress situation. DISCUSSION: The results of the present study suggest that the dimensions of pathological perfectionism, low self-esteem, and perceived stress are related to an increase in dieting thoughts and dissatisfaction with body aspect in non-clinical women during a performance that could potentially challenge the perception of their self-esteem. The stressful situation can be interpreted as an experience of invalidation, which could explain the connection between cognitive constructs and behaviours related to eating disorders.

Pathways to Health is a cancer prevention and health promotion curriculum for fifth- and seventh-grade Navajo and Pueblo students living in New Mexico.A diet and nutrition questionnaire was administered to 1007 fifth- and seventh-grade students before beginning the Pathways to Health intervention. Sections of the questionnaire included listing favorite foods, frequency of intake of selected foods (e.g., "How often do you eat vegetables?"), targeted food practices (e.g., "When you eat chicken, do you eat the skin?"), and applied dietary fat and fiber knowledge questions. Descriptive analyses were generated by grade, gender, and tribe.Students' favorite foods were pizza, hamburgers, and tacos. Only 35.7% of students reported consuming the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation of two or more daily servings of fruit, with only 19.3% reporting more than once-a-day intake of vegetables. The mean score (percent correct responses) to questions identifying common food sources of dietary fat and fiber, and other cancer-related nutrition knowledge questions, was 45.2% and 57.9% for fifth- and seventh-grade students, respectively.These and related data support the need for nutrition education interventions in this population that target essential cancer prevention skills and motivational information required to make positive dietary choices.

Microfluidic devices fabricated out of paper (and paper and tape) have emerged as promising platforms for conducting multiple diagnostic assays simultaneously in resource-limited settings. Certain types of assays in these devices, however, require a source of power to function. Lithium ion, nickel-cadmium, and other types of batteries have been used to power these devices, but these traditional batteries are too expensive and pose too much of a disposal hazard for diagnostic applications in resource-limited settings. To circumvent this problem, we previously designed a “fluidic battery” that is composed of multiple galvanic cells, incorporated directly into a multilayer paper-based microfluidic device. We now show that multiple cells of these fluidic batteries can be connected in series and/or in parallel in a predictable way to obtain desired values of current and potential, and that the batteries can be optimized to last for a short period of time (