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Latinx populations are underrepresented in DNA-based research, and risk not benefiting from research if underrepresentation continues. Latinx populations are heterogenous; reflect complex social, migration, and colonial histories; and form strong global diasporas. We conducted a global study using a survey tool (Amazon’s Mechanical Turk portal) to ascertain willingness to participate in genetic research by Latin America birth-residency concordance. Participants in the global study identified as Latinx (n=250) were classified as the following: (1) born/live outside of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), (2) born within/live outside LAC, and (3) born/live within LAC. Latinx were similarly likely to indicated they would participate DNA-based research as their non-Latinx counterparts (52.8% vs. 56.2%, respectively). Latinx born and living in LAC were significantly more willing to participate in DNA-based research than Latinx born and living outside of LAC (OR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.3, 4.9, p

Bacteriophage Librie was isolated from a soil sample from Clarksville, TN, using the bacterium Microbacterium foliorum . Librie has a 39,941 bp genome with 62 predicted protein-coding genes and 1 predicted gene for tRNA. Based on its gene content similarity to actinobacteriophages, Librie is grouped with phages in cluster EA5.

A closer examination of consumer product brands and how they are associated with levels of potential endocrine disrupting chemicals should be explored. The large number of brands available and changes in consumer preferences for certain brands makes it difficult to develop questionnaires that include all brands. Open-ended brand reporting questions are an option, but they bring challenges in identifying each brand given the multiple possibilities of variations in brand name reporting. We report a method for transforming product brand data reported as text to brand codes that allows quantitative analysis of brand use and its association with endocrine disrupting chemicals. We selected 14 consumer products to be included in our analyses. To evaluate commonly used brand selection, we used Cohen’s power calculations for two-sample t-tests in R (version 1.3.0). Considering a moderate effect size (Cohen’s d) of 0.5, each test will include the most used brand and the least used brand among the commonly used brands per product and visit. We compared how the commonly used brand selection differ per product in terms of the number of brands it selected, the total sample size and the power calculated by creating a correlation matrix and analyzing the relationship between power, commonly used brands, and brand usage. The correlation coefficient between the commonly used brand frequency of each visit approximated 0.99. From all products, fabric softener, conditioner, and lotion where the products that attained the highest power. The differences in brand use distributions per product provided an optimal environment for evaluating the performance of the commonly used brand selection methodology. It provides enough flexibility when selecting exposure groups that it could be applied to any open-ended questions, and it proves significantly useful when accounting for repeated measures.

The identification of LSN3318839, a positive allosteric modulator of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), is described. LSN3318839 increases the potency and efficacy of the weak metabolite GLP-1(9-36)NH2 to become a full agonist at the GLP-1R and modestly potentiates the activity of the highly potent full-length ligand, GLP-1(7-36)NH2. LSN3318839 preferentially enhances G protein-coupled signaling by the GLP-1R over β-arrestin recruitment. Ex vivo experiments show that the combination of GLP-1(9-36)NH2 and LSN3318839 produces glucose-dependent insulin secretion similar to that of GLP-1(7-36)NH2. Under nutrient-stimulated conditions that release GLP-1, LSN3318839 demonstrates robust glucose lowering in animal models alone or in treatment combination with sitagliptin. From a therapeutic perspective, the biological properties of LSN3318839 support the concept that GLP-1R potentiation is sufficient for reducing hyperglycemia.

GIP receptor (GIPR) agonism enhances the reduction of food intake and weight loss induced by GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonism. Recently, GLP-1R agonists have been described that exhibit biased agonism as determined using cells engineered to facilitate measuring the two canonical signaling pathways engaged upon binding the GLP-1R. Such “biased agonists” retain the ability to activate the G alpha S/cyclic AMP (cAMP) pathway to a similar magnitude as native GLP-1 but exhibit markedly weaker ability to induce receptor recruitment of beta-arrestin. The prototype biased GLP-1R agonist Exendin-Phe1 (Ex-Phe1) is reported to exhibit greater weight and glucose control in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice than its unbiased parent Exendin-4 (Ex4). Herein, we investigated whether the enhanced weight loss of Ex-Phe1 erodes the ability of GIPR agonism to further enhance the efficacy of GLP-1R agonism. The peptides were first characterized in vitro to validate the biased nature of Ex-Ph1. In cells expressing either the human or murine GLP-1R, Ex-Phe1 activated cAMP signaling to a similar magnitude as GLP-1 and Ex4 but with approximately 5-fold lower potency than Ex4. The maximum effect of Ex-Phe1 upon human or mouse GLP-1R recruitment of beta-arrestin was 20% compared with full efficacy for Ex4 relative to GLP-1. In this assay Ex-Phe1 was marginally less potent than Ex4. In a 14-day osmotic minipump DIO mice study, Ex4 and Ex-Phe1 each dose dependently reduced food intake and lowered body weight. Ex-Phe1 was 10-fold more potent than Ex4, and at the maximum dose, delivered superior weight loss. Combination treatment with d-Ala-GIP resulted in similar additional body weight loss to that achieved by either Ex-Phe1 or Ex4 alone by enhancing food intake reduction and increasing energy expenditure. D-Ala-GIP alone had no effect on body weight. These findings indicate that GIPR agonism enhances GLP-1R agonism mediated weight loss irrespective of the pathway bias nature of the latter. Disclosure M. P. Coghlan: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. K. Sloop: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. T. Coskun: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Stock/Shareholder; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. L. O’farrell: None. A. D. Showalter: None. D. B. Wainscott: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Employee; Spouse/Partner; Eli Lilly and Company, Stock/Shareholder; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Stock/Shareholder; Spouse/Partner; Eli Lilly and Company. C. Stutsman: None. G. Cardona: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Stock/Shareholder; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. O. Cabrera: None. J. Alsina-fernandez: None. F. S. Willard: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Funding Eli Lilly and Company

Background Postpartum Care is a strategy to improve survival of women and newborns, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Early post-partum care can promote healthy behaviors and the identification of risk factors associated with poorer pregnancy-related outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the association of perceived social support with attendance to post-partum care in women from three Latin-American and Caribbean countries: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Honduras. Methods Women aged 18+ who completed a pregnancy in the past 5 years were interviewed in local healthcare and community settings in each country. Perceived social support (PSS) was the primary explanatory variable and the primary outcome was self-reported attendance to post-partum care. Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals derived from logistic regression documented the association between variables. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) were calculated, controlling for social and pregnancy-related confounders. Hosmer– Lemeshow’s Goodness-of-Fit statistic was computed to assess model fit. Results Our cohort of 1199 women across the three Latin-American and Caribbean countries showed relatively high attendance to post-partum care (82.6%, n = 990). However, 51.7% (n = 581) of women reported lower levels of total PSS. Women were more likely to attend postpartum care if they had mean and higher levels of PSS Family subscale (OR: 1.9, 95%CI: 1.4, 2.7), Friends subscale (OR 1.3, 95%CI: 0.9,1.8), Significant Other subscale (OR 1.8, 95%CI: 1.3, 2.4) and the Total PSS (OR 1.8, 95%CI: 1.3, 2.5). All associations were statistically significant at p Conclusions Women with higher perceived social support levels were more likely to attend to post-partum care. From all countries, women from Dominican Republic had lower perceived social support levels and this may influence attendance at post-partum care for this subgroup. Societal and geographic factors can act as determinants when evaluating perceived social support during pregnancy.

Additional file 1.

Background: Severe cutaneous adverse reactions to drugs (SCARs) are associated with high morbidity and mortality and with sequelae. Objective: To characterize patients with SCARs in 8 health care institutions in Latin America. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive, multicenter study of patients diagnosed with SCARs in Latin America between January 2009 and December 2018. The analysis was carried out using a database in BD Clinic. Results: We collected 70 patients, of whom 42 (60%) were women. Mean age was 38.7 years. Forty-two patients (60%) had DRESS-DIHS, 12 (17.1%) TEN, 5 (7.1%) SJS, 6 (8.5%) AGEP, 4 (5.7%) other reactions not classified as SCARs, and 1 (1.4%) overlapping SJS-TEN. The main causative drugs were aromatic anticonvulsants in 31 cases (44.3%), ß-lactam antibiotics in 11 cases (15.7%), and non–ß-lactam antibiotics in 6 cases (8.6%). In all of the cases, the suspected drug was withdrawn at the first sign of a SCAR. Sixty-six patients (94.2%) received anti-inflammatory treatment, mostly systemic corticosteroids. Complications occurred in 53 cases (75.7%), and 3 patients died (4.3%). Thirteen patients (18.6%) had sequelae. Conclusions: This is the first multicenter report on SCARs in Latin America. DRESS-DIHS was the most frequently reported clinical entity, and anticonvulsants were the main triggers. Most of the patients received systemic corticosteroids. Complications were frequent, and 3 patients died.

Sr2HoRuO6 ceramic has been synthesized and its structural, morphological, magnetic, optical, and electronic properties studied. Rietveld refinement of x-ray diffraction patterns revealed that this oxide material crystallizes in monoclinic perovskite structure in space group P2 1 /n (no. 14). Scanning electron microscopy revealed polycrystalline surface morphology. x-Ray dispersive spectroscopy suggested that Sr2HoRuO6 was obtained with expected stoichiometry. Magnetic susceptibility curves as a function of temperature revealed ferrimagnetic feature of this material below the Neel temperature TN of 14 K. Evidence of magnetic disorder was provided by the irreversibility observed in the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled responses of the susceptibility below Tirr = 169 K. Analysis of the diffuse reflectance spectrum suggested that this material behaves as a semiconductor with energy gap Eg of 1.38 eV. Results of band structure and density-of-states calculations are in agreement with the interpretation of Sr2HoRuO6 as a semiconductor. The ferrimagnetic behavior is interpreted as due to exchange mechanisms of d–f (Ru–O–Ho) electrons. The effective magnetic moment calculated from density functional theory was 93.5% of the experimental value obtained from Curie–Weiss fitting of the susceptibility curve.

To date, Additive Manufacturing (AM), a driving technology for the Industry 4.0 paradigm, is a growing technology field but has not reached relevant impact in the construction sector. The reason exposed in this article is the fact that current capabilities in terms of control of the setting reaction of concrete in real time are limited. Experimentation with a state-of-the-art concrete AM print-head has evidenced that the full stabilization of concrete’s chemical reactions is complex and involves phenomena that are not yet fully understood. Addressing this problem and the development of a fully automatic closed loop control would allow a great step forward in the capabilities of concrete additive manufacturing. So, as a first step, valuable information from thermal and pressure sensors were collected along the printing process, and their variations associated with the control of actuators (mixers and pumps) have been noted. A path for full real-time automatic control can be foreseen, and will guide future research and developments.

A single crystallographic phase of the Ba2YbSbO6 perovskite was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. From the refinement of the XRD pattern it was obtained that this sintered material crystallizes in a rhombohedral complex perovskite, R-3 (#148) space group. SEM images showed the sub-micrometric character of its granular surface. Measurements of susceptibility as a function of temperature evidenced the antiferromagnetic behavior of this material below the Néel temperature TN=118 K and a paramagnetic feature above this critical temperature. The magnetic parameters were obtained from the fitting of susceptibility in the paramagnetic regime with the Curie-Weiss equation. From theoretically calculated Density of States and band structure the semiconductor characteristic of the material was determined and the energy gap was predicted for the up and down spin orientations of the electron gas close to the Fermi level. The energy gap value was experimentally corroborated from diffuse reflectance spectra with the Kubelka-Munk fit of the experimental result. Measurements of dielectric constant as a function of applied frequencies at room temperature reveal a decreasing behavior.

In this paper the synthesis and study of the structural, morphological, electrical, magnetic and electronic properties of the LaBiFe2O6 novel material are reported. The material was produced using the standard ceramic method. The Rietveld analysis of experimental data of x-ray diffraction showed that it synthesizes in an orthorhombic perovskite structure (Pnma, #62 space group). Two types of grain, micro and submicrometric, with the LaBiFe2O6 stoichiometry were identified by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray dispersive spectroscopy. Results of electrical polarization and dielectric constant ferroelectric suggest the occurrence of response of the material at room temperature. A T=300 K the material is ferromagnetic and exhibits an anomaly at T=258 K, which is attributed to anisotropy effects, suggesting the occurrence of biferroic behaviour. Results of diffuse reflectance suggest a semiconductor behaviour with energy gap Eg=2,17 eV, which is in agreement with calculations of band structure and density of states for one spin orientation, while for the other spin configuration calculations suggest a conductor feature.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important cereal crop in Venezuela and is planted on approximately 200,000 ha. Fungal diseases caused by the Helminthosporium complex of fungi are considered a major constraint to rice production. In 2005, a blotter method was used to identify fungi associated with rice seed. Seeds (150) of cv. INIA-017 were placed on a plate with moistened filter paper and incubated at 26 ± 2°C with a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle for 5 days until fungal sporulation. Single spores were transferred to 2% water agar (WA). Germinated spores were then transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA), and resultant colonies were preserved until used. To induce sporulation, 4-mm-diameter discs were cut from 72-h-old cultures, transferred to WA, and incubated at 26 ± 2°C for 48 h (modified technique of Alcorn [1]). Discolored seed yielded isolates of Bipolaris oryzae (Berda de Haan) Shoemaker and Exserohilum rostratum (Drechs.) Leonard and Suggs (2). Pathogenicity tests were performed on 60-day-old rice plants of cv. Blue Bonnet 50. Four plants per pot were used for each isolate. Before inoculation, plants were placed in humidity chambers for 48 h. Spores were harvested from discs into a beaker containing 50 mL of a dilute gelatin solution (Gelatin Difco; 5 g/100 mL of sterile distilled water [SDW]). Spore suspensions were filtered through cheesecloth and adjusted to 7 × 104 spores per ml. The inoculated plants were placed in humidity chambers for 72 h. Control plants were sprayed with SDW. Inoculated plants were removed from humidity chambers and placed on a greenhouse bench. Plants inoculated with B. oryzae were symptomatic 5 days after inoculation; resultant lesions were red-brown with chlorotic borders. Lesions subsequently turned gray with reddish borders and were rhombic in shape. Plants inoculated with E. rotratum were symptomatic 7 days after inoculation with elliptical lesions that were orange-brown along venation. These lesions turned gray with reddish borders. Both fungi were reisolated from symptomatic leaf tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. rostratum from rice in Venezuela. References: (1) J. L. Alcorn. Mycotaxon. 17:1, 1983. (2) A. Sivanesam. Mycol. Pap. 158, 1987.

In this work, we report the synthesis of the Ba $$_{2}$$ DySbO $$_{6}$$ new double perovskite by means of the solid-state reaction recipe from high-purity oxide powders of BaCO $$_{3}$$ , Dy $$_{2}$$ O $$_{3}$$ , and Sb $$_{2}$$ O $$_{5}$$ . The analysis of the crystal structure was carried out through the X-ray diffraction technique with posterior Rietveld refinement of the experimental diffraction data by the GSAS code. Results reveal that the Ba $$_{2}$$ DySbO $$_{6}$$ material crystallizes in a rhombohedral perovskite structure, belonging to the R-3 (#148) space group with lattice parameter a = 5.96260(5) A, and angle $$\alpha $$ = 60.008 $$^{\circ }$$ . The magnetic characterization was performed by measurements of magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature. The behavior observed in the temperature regime from 4 K up to 300 K was paramagnetic. The characteristic magnetic parameters were obtained from the fitting with the Curie equation, obtaining the values of susceptibility independent of temperature 0.00633 emu/mol and effective magnetic moment 8.9 $$\upmu _\mathrm{{B}}$$ , which is 84 % in agreement with the expected value predicted by the Hund’s rules. The electronic structure was calculated by means of linearized augmented plane waves in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT). This study considers the cohesion energies as a function of the lattice parameter, with a lattice constant a, whose value is 98 % in agreement with the experimental result. Curves of density of states as a function of the wave number reveal that this material behaves as an insulator with energy gap 3.65 eV. This result was corroborated by diffuse reflectance experiments adjusted to the Kubelka–Munk equation. The effective magnetic moment obtained from the DFT calculations was $$7.7\,\upmu _\mathrm{{B}}$$ .

1 recurso en línea (páginas 51-61)., We report structural analysis, surface morphology, magnetic ordering, dielectric response, optical feature and the electronic structure of the Dy2BiFeO6 novel complex perovskite. The samples were produced by the standard solid-state reaction recipe. Crystallographic analysis was performed by Rietveld refinement of experimental X-ray diffraction patterns. Results show that this material crystallizes in a perovskite with orthorhombic structure, which corresponds to the Pnma (#62) space group. From the Curie-Weiss fitting on the curve of susceptibility as a function of temperature we establish that the ordering corresponds to a paramagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition, with a Weiss temperature θ=-18,5 K, which is compatible with the behavior of the inverse of susceptibility as a function of temperature, and a Néel temperatura TN=50,8 K. The Curie constant allowed for us to obtain an effective magnetic moment of 15,7 μB. The result of magnetization as a function of the applied field, measured at T=50 K, shows a magnetic hysteresis behavior that corroborate the magnetic ordering present for this temperature value. Measurements of the dielectric constant as a function of applied frequencies at room temperature give as a result a high relative dielectric constant (ε=780). The reflectance curve as a function of the wavelength reveals the typical behavior of a double perovskite-like material and permits to obtain the energy gap 2,74 eV, which is characteristic of a semiconductor material., En este trabajo reportamos el análisis estructural, morfología superficial, ordenamiento magnético, respuesta dieléctrica y característica óptica de la nueva perovskita compleja Dy2BiFeO6. Las muestras fueron producidas mediante reacción de estado sólido. El análisis cristalográfico fue realizado a través de refinamiento Rietveld de los patrones experimentales de rayos X. Los resultados muestran que este material cristaliza en una perovskita ortorrómbica correspondiente al grupo espacial Pnma (#62). Por medio del ajuste de Curie-Weiss a la respuesta de la susceptibilidad magnética en función de la temperatura se estableció que el ordenamiento magnético se relaciona con una transición paramagnético-antiferromagnético con una temperatura de Weiss θ=-18,5 K, la cual es acorde con el comportamiento del inverso de la susceptibilidad en función de la temperatura, y una temperatura de Néel TN=50,8 K. La constante de Curie permitió determinar un momento magnético efectivo de 15,7 μB. Medidas de magnetización en función del campo aplicado a T=50 K, muestran un débil comportamiento histerético, que corrobora el ordenamiento magnético presente a esa temperatura. Mediciones de la constante dieléctrica en función de la frecuencia aplicada a temperatura ambiente dan como resultado una alta constante dieléctrica relativa a bajas frecuencias (ε=780). La curva de reflectancia en función de la longitud de onda revela el comportamiento típico de un material de tipo perovskita doble y permite la obtención de la brecha de energía de 2,74 eV característico de un material semiconductor., Bibliografía: páginas 60-61.

As a part of our program to identify potent GPR40 agonists capable of being dosed orally once daily in humans, we incorporated fused heterocycles into our recently disclosed spiropiperidine and tetrahydroquinoline acid derivatives 1, 2, and 3 with the intention of lowering clearance and improving the maximum absorbable dose (Dabs). Hypothesis-driven structural modifications focused on moving away from the zwitterion-like structure. and mitigating the N-dealkylation and O-dealkylation issues led to triazolopyridine acid derivatives with unique pharmacology and superior pharmacokinetic properties. Compound 4 (LY3104607) demonstrated functional potency and glucose-dependent insulin secretion (GDIS) in primary islets from rats. Potent, efficacious, and durable dose-dependent reductions in glucose levels were seen during glucose tolerance test (GTT) studies. Low clearance, volume of distribution, and high oral bioavailability were observed in all species. The combination of enhanced pharmacology and pharmacokinetic properties supported further development of this compound as a potential glucose-lowering drug candidate.

Impingement and penetration of the anterior cortex of the femur have been reported as complications after cephalomedullary nailing. The purpose of this study was to determine factors related to nail impingement in our population of Hispanic patients. A non-matched case–control study was carried out and 156 patients who underwent cephalomedullary nailing from 2010 and 2013 were included; 78 cases with anterior cortical impingement and 78 control cases without impingement were documented. Demographic variables and specifications of the nails such as manufacture and radius of curvature were recorded. The presence of impingement, angle of incidence on radiographs—indirect measurement of the femoral bow on the sagittal plane—and nail entry site were determined. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with cortical impingement. The distribution by sex corresponded to 87 females (56 %) and 69 males (44 %) with a mean age of 75 years [SD 18.2]. Cortical impingement was presented in 78 cases (50 %) and 6 (3.8 %) patients evidenced penetration of the anterior cortex of the femur. On the bivariate analysis the posterior nail start site is highlighted, which showed a positive association with impingement (OR 4.3; 95 % CI 1.1–36 and p = 0.04). After the multivariate analysis, the factors associated with anterior cortical impingement included female gender (OR 2.2; 95 % CI 1.1–4.6 and p ≤ 0.038), straight nails—short nails—(OR 4.9; 95 % CI 2.2–10 and p ≤ 0.001) and angle of incidence ≥7° (OR 4.9; 95 % CI 2.2–10 and p ≤ 0.001), the latter showing a likelihood of 57 % for impingement, increasing to 90 % with an angle of incidence of 11°. Posterior entry site should be avoided and an anterior site should be used. Female gender, straight nails and greater angle of incidence of the femur were associated with cortical impingement. A specific intramedullary nail design is needed for the Hispanic population due to high impingement and anterior cortical penetration rates seen with conventional nails. Short curved nails and long nails with a lower radius of curvature are required.

In this work, we report the synthesis and crystalline structure study of the Sr $$_{2}$$ TiCrO $$_{6}$$ complex perovskite by X-ray diffraction experiments and through the application of Rietveld refinement using the GSAS code. Results revealed the crystallization of the system in a tetragonal perovskite with characteristic structure given by P4/mnc (#128) space group and lattice parameters a $$\,=\,$$ 5.5509 and c $$\,=\,$$ 7.8501 A. SEM images of the surface of the samples reveal the strongly granular character thereof. Polarization measurements as a function of applied fields reveal hysteresis curves which are characteristic of the ferroelectric materials. The relative dielectric constant was obtained to be 31.25. Ab initio calculations of density of states (DOS) and electronic structure were carried out for this perovskite-like system using the Quantum EXPRESSO code. The exchange-correlation potential was treated using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). All calculations were carried out using spin polarization. For the up spin orientation, the compound has a nonconductor behavior.

Socioeconomic inequalities of disease and health are a major issue in the development of public policy, specifically health policies. The study uses secondary data obtained from a subset of participants of the Puerto Rico Testsite for Examining Contamination Threats (PROTECT) Project that follows a cohort of pregnant women and their exposure to contaminant agents. This study includes a profile of PROTECT participants by geographical region, study site, and other socioeconomic characteristics related to an increased risk of differential exposure to contaminants by means of use of personal care products. The analysis includes the study of socioeconomic and demographic variables, and the use of personal care products. Analysis of data collected reveals reports of use of products with higher concentrations of chemicals that have been associated with hormone disruption, and premature births are not evenly distributed among the population participating in the study. Results provide important evidence in terms of the social determinants of health such as geographical location, neighborhood, age, education, gender, and economic resources, and how they impact exposure to chemicals present in personal care products. The implications of the results for further research, as well as for community engagement, and public policy will be discussed.

Purpose Caring Letters entails sending brief caring messages to patients following psychiatric hospitalisation. The purpose of this multi-site randomised controlled trial is to test a caring emails intervention to determine if it is effective in preventing suicide and re-hospitalisation rates. This in-progress trial fills an important gap in the evidence base for the Caring Letter intervention through a methodologically rigorous research design. This reports preliminary data on the follow-up assessment portion of the intervention. Methods Participants are recruited from inpatient psychiatry units and randomised to either a group that receives email letters (Caring Letters) or a group that does not receive letters (Usual Care). In the Caring Letters (CL) group, participants are emailed ‘letters’ on a planned schedule. The emails are simple expressions of care and include contact information for crisis intervention resources. The participants in the Usual Care (UC) group do not receive the emails. Both groups are contacted for follow-up assessment after two years. The follow-up assessment evaluates suicidal behaviours, service utilisation, suicidal ideation, acquired capability for lethal self-injury, and measure feelings of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. Mortality rates will also be assessed upon study completion. Results At VA Palo Alto, 341 participants were retained in the study after two years (n=182 UC, n=159 CL). To date, 185 participants completed the final surveys. During the Follow-up Assessment, 12 participants expressed distress or emotional crises. The treatment team was immediately alerted and all participants were reconnected to care. Conclusion Both groups (CL and UC) benefited from the Follow-up Assessment. The study’s low-cost caring emails and follow-up assessments (either by phone or by mail) demonstrate effective means of providing human interaction that support at-risk individuals in times of crises. Communicating care and concern and creating a sense of connexion may prevent suicide and avert crisis among discharged psychiatric patients.

We report experimental and theoretical results of crystal structure, morphology, magnetic and electric features, and electronic structure for the Sr2DyNbO6 ceramic compound. Samples were produced by the solid-state reaction recipe. X-ray diffraction experiments show that the material crystallizes in a monoclinic structure, P21/n space group. SEM images exhibit a granular submicrometric surface. Temperature curves of magnetic susceptibility reveal a paramagnetic response. Curie law fitting permitted to obtain a magnetic moment 10.28 μB. Polarization as a function of electric fields shows a hysteretic feature with 264.28 relative dielectric constant at 300 K. DFT calculations of electronic structure suggest the semiconductor character of this material, energy gap 3.21 eV for the spin-up polarization and 0.26 eV for spin-down. The calculated effective magnetic moment was 10.0 μB, which is strongly in accordance with the measured value. The theoretical cell parameters obtained from the Murnaghan state-equation are 98.5% in agreement with the experimental result. Se reportan resultados experimentales y teóricos de estructura cristalina, morfología, carácter magnético y eléctrico, y estructura electrónica para el material cerámico Sr2DyNbO6. Las muestras fueron producidas mediante reacción sólida. Resultados de difracción de rayos X muestran que el material cristaliza en una estructura monoclínica, grupo espacial P21/n. Imágenes de MEB muestran superficies granulares submicrométricas. La susceptibilidad en función de la temperatura revela una respuesta paramagnética con momento magnético 10.28μB. La histéresis de polarización en función del campo eléctrico a 300K permitió obtener una constante dieléctrica de 264.28. Cálculos de estructura electrónica por DFT sugieren que el material es semiconductor con brecha de energía 3.21 eV para la orientación espín arriba y 0.26 eV para espín abajo. El momento magnético calculado es 10.0μB, muy próximo del valor medido. Los parámetros de red obtenidos mediante la ecuación de Murnaghan están de acuerdo con los resultados experimentales en un 98.5%.

Background Hospital de la Familia was established to serve the indigent population in the western highlands of Guatemala and has a full-time staff of Guatemalan primary care providers supplemented by short-term missions of surgical specialists. The reasons for patients seeking surgical care in this setting, as opposed to more consistent care from local institutions, are unclear. We sought to better understand motivations of patients seeking mission-based surgical care. Methods Patients presenting to the obstetric and gynecologic, plastic, ophthalmologic, general, and pediatric surgical clinics at the Hospital de la Familia from July 27 to August 6, 2015 were surveyed. The surveys assessed patient demographics, surgical diagnosis, location of home, mode of travel, and reasons for seeking care at this facility. Results Of 252 patients surveyed, 144 (59.3%) were female. Most patients reported no other medical condition (67.9%, n = 169) and no consistent income (83.9%, n = 209). Almost half (44.9%, n = 109) traveled >50 km to receive care. The most common reasons for choosing care at this facility were reputation of high quality (51.8%, n = 130) and affordability (42.6%, n = 102); the least common reason was a lack of other options (6.4%, n = 16). Conclusions Despite long travel distances and the availability of other options, reputation and affordability were primarily cited as the most common reasons for choosing to receive care at this short-term surgical mission site. Our results highlight that although other surgical options may be closer and more readily available, reputation and cost play a large role in choice of patients seeking care.

In this work, we report synthesis and crystalline structure study of the Ca2TiMnO6 complex perovskite, by X-ray diffraction experiments and through the application of the Rietveld refinement using the GSAS code. Results revealed the crystallization of the system in a tetragonal perovskite with the characteristic structure given by I4/m (#87) space group and lattice parameters a=5.339(4) A and c=7.736(6) A. Ab initio calculations of density of states (DOS) and electronic structure were carried out for this perovskite-like system, by the Density Functional Theory (DFT) and using the Full-potential Linearized Augmented Plane Waves (FP-LAPW) method. The exchange-correlation potential was treated using the Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA). All calculations were carried-out using spin polarization. For the up spin orientation the compound has a semiconducting behavior and for down spin polarization it behaves like a conductor. The calculated effective magnetic moment in cell was 4.02 μB, which is close to the expected value calculated from Hund׳s rules.

Background: Allergic diseases are very common, with the estimated cumulative prevalence in Colombia for asthma and allergic rhinitis being 22.7% and 31.3% respectively, and with a clear upward trend. A major social as well as economic impact associated with allergic disease has been described. Because in Colombia there are no studies that assess the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in allergic respiratory diseases, our aim is to describe the HRQOL in subjects with respiratory allergy and its association with clinical control variables. Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted among 76 Colombian subjects with rhinitis and asthma/allergic rhinitis. In order to evaluate the HRQOL, the instruments Kidscreen27 and SF-36 were applied. The scores obtained in the HRQOL fields were correlated with the following clinical variables: peak expiratory flow (PEF) and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF). Results: In children, the better HRQL domain is present in the school environment (55.9) and the worst in psychological well-being (39.9). For adults the worst HRQL was found in the emotional function domain (55.6) while the physical function (81.7) had the best. There were no statistical differences between groups of asthma/allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis. Subjects with allergic asthma showed a strong correlation between the mental health domain and PEF values (r = −0717, p = 0.046). Conclusion: Mental health is more affected than physical health in Colombian subjects with respiratory allergy. There was a strong correlation between the mental health domain and the values of PEF in patients with asthma/allergic rhinitis COL0007121 COL0059567

The G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) also known as free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1) is highly expressed in pancreatic, islet β-cells and responds to endogenous fatty acids, resulting in amplification of insulin secretion only in the presence of elevated glucose levels. Hypothesis driven structural modifications to endogenous FFAs, focused on breaking planarity and reducing lipophilicity, led to the identification of spiropiperidine and tetrahydroquinoline acid derivatives as GPR40 agonists with unique pharmacology, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic properties. Compounds 1 (LY2881835), 2 (LY2922083), and 3 (LY2922470) demonstrated potent, efficacious, and durable dose-dependent reductions in glucose levels along with significant increases in insulin and GLP-1 secretion during preclinical testing. A clinical study with 3 administered to subjects with T2DM provided proof of concept of 3 as a potential glucose-lowering therapy. This manuscript summarizes the scientific rationale, medicinal chemistry, preclinical, and early development data of this new class of GPR40 agonists.

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Island communities face greater environmental risks creating challenges in their populations. A community and participatory qualitative research method aiming to understand community perspectives regarding the ecology and environmental risks of the island of Culebra was performed to develop a community-centered Information and Communications Technology (ICT) intervention (an app). The island of Culebra, a municipality from the archipelago of Puerto Rico is located 17 miles from the eastern coast of Puerto Rico’s main island. This ICT—termed mZAP (Zonas, Acción & Protección)—is part of a Translational Biomedical doctoral degree dissertation housed at the University of Rochester’s Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Informatics Core funded by an NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA). In September 2017, the island of Culebra faced 2 major category hurricanes 2 weeks apart. Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria devastated homes, schools, health clinics, and local businesses, disrupting an already-fragile ecological balance on the island. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: These 2 storms catastrophically affected the archipelago of Puerto Rico. Culebra’s geographically isolated location, along with the inefficient response from authorities, exacerbated the stressors caused by these natural disasters, increasing the gap of social determinants of health, including the lack of potable water. Leveraging a community engagement partnership established before the hurricanes by the mZAP participatory research, which naturally halted once the hurricanes hit a new humanitarian objective formed to deliver aid. Along with another NIH funded RCMI Translational Research Network, or RTRN institution (University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus) students and faculty, The Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats Program (PROTECT) an NIEHS Funded Grant, and the National Guard, a “people to people” approach was established to ascertain needs and an opportunity to meet those needs. A people-to-people approach brings humanitarian needs, identified directly by the community to the people who need it most; without intermediaries and bureaucratic delays that typically occur during catastrophes. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The consumption of potable water in plastic bottles and subsequent accumulation of plastic material has proven to be collateral damage of a vulnerable water distribution system creating another environmental hazard on the island of Culebra. Therefore, this humanitarian partnership, worked to delivered community and family sized water filters, providing a safe environmental alternative to drinkable water for the island. The success of this approach, People to People for Puerto Rico (#p2p4PUR), demonstrated the power of genuine community engagement—arising from a previous clinical research partnership—and true established commitment with members of the community. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Research partnerships can (and should, when needed) lead to humanitarian partnerships that extend beyond research objectives. Research may subsequently be adapted based on new realities associated with natural disasters and the altered nature of existing partnerships, allowing for a rapid response to communities need. Further, #p2p4PUR was not only able to channel a partnership humanitarian response but also created an opportunity to reflect on how the commitment between members of society and academia (researchers) can create beneficial bilateral relationships, always putting the community needs first. The resulting shared experience elevates community interest and engagement with researchers, and helps researchers see communities as true partners, rather than—simply—research subjects.

We have carried out total energy calculations to study the adsorption energy of Mn on w-BN(0 0 0 1) surface in a 2 × 2 structure. The surface is modeled using the repeated slabs approach. The calculation was performed solving the Kohn-Sham equation with a plane wave-pseudopotential approach and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), using the Quantum-Espresso package. We find that with a Mn adatom, the w-BN(0 0 0 1) lateral surface relaxation was around some hundredth of A ˚ . To study the most favorable Mn adsorption configuration we considered T 1 , T 4 and H 3 special points. We predict that the Mn- T 4 structure is the most energetically favorable. We find that the adsorption of a Mn atom on top of a B atom ( T 1 site) is totally unfavorable. The calculated potential energy to describe the diffusion of a Mn atom on w-BN(0 0 0 1) shows an energy barrier of 0.708 eV. From the density of states with polarized spin we discuss the magnetic effect of Mn on w-BN(0 0 0 1) surface.

The design, synthesis, and structure activity relationships for a novel series of indoles as potent, selective, thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ) agonists is described. Compounds with >50× binding selectivity for TRβ over TRα were generated and evaluation of compound 1c from this series in a model of dyslipidemia demonstrated positive effects on plasma lipid endpoints in vivo.

The goal of this project is to reconstruct the operational sequence of manufacture of Iberian Iron Age pottery, from clay procurement to firing in a reconstructed kiln. Although pottery is the most characteristic artefact recovered on Iberian Iron Age excavations, most of its complex processes and production techniques remain poorly known. The first phase of this experiment began in 2007 with the construction of a scaled replica of the Iron Age Iberian kiln brought to light at the excavation of Alcalá de Júcar (Province of Albacete). This reconstruction employed materials and techniques identified on the archaeological dig, as well as ethnographic parallels. Some parallels were drawn from the Catalonian town of Verdú, the location of the experiment. This town has an uninterrupted 500 year tradition of ceramic production. The kiln comprised two chambers separated by a grate. Four sensors installed in the kiln recorded a maximum temperature of 600° C. This temperature is probably due to the fact that the kiln was empty during its initial firing. Replicas of Iberian Culture vessels thrown by potters from Verdú were fired in a second experiment. This revealed information regarding the general firing process of vertical updraught kilns in all its complexity, as well as the techniques of temperature control and oxidation and reduction processes, subjects to be examined in future research.