Quantification of Bronchial Circulation Perfusion in Rats

The bronchial circulation is thought to be the primary blood supply for pulmonary carcinomas. Thus, we have developed a method for imaging and quantifying changes in perfusion in the rat lung due to development of the bronchial circulation. A dual-modality micro-CT/SPECT system was used to detect change in perfusion in two groups of rats: controls and those with a surgically occluded left pulmonary artery. Both groups were imaged following injections on separate days i) 2mCi of Tc99m labeled macroaggregated albumin (MAA) into the left carotid artery (IA) and ii) a similar injection into the femoral vein (IV). The IA injection resulted in Tc99m accumulation in capillaries of the systemic circulation including the bronchial circulation, whereas the IV resulted in Tc99m accumulation in the pulmonary capillaries. Ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) was used to reconstruct the SPECT image volumes and a Feldkamp algorithm was used to reconstruct the micro-CT image volumes. The micro-CT and SPECT volumes were registered, the SPECT image volume was segmented using the right and left lung boundaries defined from the micro-CT volume, and the ratio of IA radioactivity accumulation in the left lung to IV radioactivity accumulation in both lungs was used as a measure of left lung flow via the bronchial circulation. This ratio was ~0.02 for the untreated rats compared to the treated animals that had an increased flow ratio of ~0.21 40 days after left pulmonary artery occlusion. This increase in flow to the occluded left lung via the bronchial circulation suggests this will be a useful model for further investigating antiangiogenic treatments

Quantification of Bronchial Circulation Perfusion in Rats

The bronchial circulation is thought to be the primary blood supply for pulmonary carcinomas. Thus, we have developed a method for imaging and quantifying changes in perfusion in the rat lung due to development of the bronchial circulation. A dual-modality micro-CT/SPECT system was used to detect change in perfusion in two groups of rats: controls and those with a surgically occluded left pulmonary artery. Both groups were imaged following injections on separate days i) 2mCi of Tc99m labeled macroaggregated albumin (MAA) into the left carotid artery (IA) and ii) a similar injection into the femoral vein (IV). The IA injection resulted in Tc99m accumulation in capillaries of the systemic circulation including the bronchial circulation, whereas the IV resulted in Tc99m accumulation in the pulmonary capillaries. Ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) was used to reconstruct the SPECT image volumes and a Feldkamp algorithm was used to reconstruct the micro-CT image volumes. The micro-CT and SPECT volumes were registered, the SPECT image volume was segmented using the right and left lung boundaries defined from the micro-CT volume, and the ratio of IA radioactivity accumulation in the left lung to IV radioactivity accumulation in both lungs was used as a measure of left lung flow via the bronchial circulation. This ratio was ~0.02 for the untreated rats compared to the treated animals that had an increased flow ratio of ~0.21 40 days after left pulmonary artery occlusion. This increase in flow to the occluded left lung via the bronchial circulation suggests this will be a useful model for further investigating antiangiogenic treatments

Lunch-time Recital

C.V.A. Gallery Monday Noon April 22, 1996 12:00p.m

Adaptively selecting occupations to detect skill shortages from online job ads

Labour demand and skill shortages have historically been difficult to assess given the high costs of conducting representative surveys and the inherent delays of these indicators. This is particularly consequential for fast developing skills and occupations, such as those relating to Data Science and Analytics (DSA). This paper develops a data-driven solution to detecting skill shortages from online job advertisements (ads) data. We first propose a method to generate sets of highly similar skills based on a set of seed skills from job ads. This provides researchers with a novel method to adaptively select occupations based on granular skills data. Next, we apply this adaptive skills similarity technique to a dataset of over 6.7 million Australian job ads in order to identify occupations with the highest proportions of DSA skills. This uncovers 306,577 DSA job ads across 23 occupational classes from 2012-2019. Finally, we propose five variables for detecting skill shortages from online job ads: (1) posting frequency; (2) salary levels; (3) education requirements; (4) experience demands; and (5) job ad posting predictability. This contributes further evidence to the goal of detecting skills shortages in real-time. In conducting this analysis, we also find strong evidence of skills shortages in Australia for highly technical DSA skills and occupations. These results provide insights to Data Science researchers, educators, and policy-makers from other advanced economies about the types of skills that should be cultivated to meet growing DSA labour demands in the future

Predictors for cerebral edema in acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis

Cerebral edema (CED) is a severe complication of acute ischemic stroke. There is uncertainty regarding the predictors for the development of CED after cerebral infarction. We aimed to determine which baseline clinical and radiological parameters predict development of CED in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis. We used an image-based classification of CED with 3 degrees of severity (less severe CED 1 and most severe CED 3) on postintravenous thrombolysis imaging scans. We extracted data from 42 187 patients recorded in the SITS International Register (Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke) during 2002 to 2011. We did univariate comparisons of baseline data between patients with or without CED. We used backward logistic regression to select a set of predictors for each CED severity. CED was detected in 9579/42 187 patients (22.7%: 12.5% CED 1, 4.9% CED 2, 5.3% CED 3). In patients with CED versus no CED, the baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was higher (17 versus 10; P<0.001), signs of acute infarct was more common (27.9% versus 19.2%; P<0.001), hyperdense artery sign was more common (37.6% versus 14.6%; P<0.001), and blood glucose was higher (6.8 versus 6.4 mmol/L; P<0.001). Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, hyperdense artery sign, blood glucose, impaired consciousness, and signs of acute infarct on imaging were independent predictors for all edema types. The most important baseline predictors for early CED are National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, hyperdense artery sign, higher blood glucose, decreased level of consciousness, and signs of infarct at baseline. The findings can be used to improve selection and monitoring of patients for drug or surgical treatment

Short Report: Initial Pilot of a Brief Career Development Program for Autistic Young Adults

Background Many autistic young adults may struggle to progress to further education or employment after high school, highlighting the need for tailored career development programs. If provided with the proper resources and support, the obstacles faced by autistic youth in pursuing post-secondary activities may decrease. Aims This pilot study aimed to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief career development program consisting of a strengths and challenges intervention paired with a 12-week workshop intervention. Methods and procedures We studied the participants\u27 changes in confidence and participation in pursuing post-secondary activities using a series of questionnaires in 20 participants, ages 16–23. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Strong Interest Inventory (SII) helped the participants choose a post-secondary path. The 1–9 Vocational Index Scale measured post-secondary participation and hours working in a normed fashion. The Confidence Index Interval: Entering Workforce measured the participants’ perceived confidence related to career transition. Outcomes and results Our results suggested that a brief career development program paired with a strengths and challenges intervention significantly increased post-secondary involvement in autistic young adults (N = 20, p = 0.014). There were no significant changes in confidence. Conclusions and implications These findings provide proof of concept of a brief career development program using the MBTI and SII in young adults with ASD. What this paper adds Research in career development and transition for autistic young adults reveals that career interventions specific to the autistic population are lacking. Our pilot study explores a new type of intervention that incorporates the analysis of personal strengths and challenges with a 12-week transition workshop. Our project is the first to utilize the MBTI and SII as a tool to guide autistic youth in choosing a post-secondary path. The results of our study suggest that our program significantly improves post-secondary participation in autistic young adults. The findings provide proof of concept of using the MTBI and SII with a 12-week workshop for autistic young adults. At the end of our program, several participants began pursuing post-secondary education on track to obtain associate’s (N = 8) or bachelor’s (N = 3) degrees. Some began trade school (N = 3) and internships (N = 2), and others began employment or onboarding to employment (N = 4). Given the need for more evidence-based career interventions for autistic adults, our pilot study contributes significantly to autism research to better serve the autistic population