Association between repeat hospitalization and early intervention in dialysis patients following hospital discharge

Dialysis patients have a greater number of hospitalization events compared to patients without renal failure. Here we studied the relationship between different post-discharge interventions and repeat hospitalization in over 126,000 prevalent hemodialysis patients to explore outpatient strategies that minimize the risk of repeat hospitalization. The primary outcome was repeat hospitalization within 30 days of discharge. Compared to pre-hospitalization values, the levels of hemoglobin, albumin, phosphorus, calcium, and parathyroid hormone and weight were significantly decreased after hospitalization. Using covariate-adjusted models, those patients whose hemoglobin was monitored within the first 7 days after discharge, followed by modification of their erythropoietin dose had a significantly reduced risk for repeat-hospitalization when compared to the patients whose hemoglobin was not checked, nor was the dose of erythropoietin changed. Similarly, administration of vitamin D within the 7 days following discharge was significantly associated with reduced repeat hospitalization when compared to patients on no vitamin D. Therefore, it appears that immediate re-evaluation of anemia management orders and resumption of vitamin D soon after discharge may be an effective way to reduce repeat hospitalization

Retrospective evaluation of thoracic computed tomography findings in dogs naturally infected by Angiostrongylus vasorum

Angiostrongylus vasorum (A. vasorum) is an important emerging disease of canidae. Cardiorespiratory signs are common in affected dogs, therefore thoracic imaging is critical for diagnosing andmonitoring disease. Descriptions of thoracic computed tomography (CT) findings in dogs naturallyinfected with A. vasorum are currently lacking. Aims of this multicenter, retrospective study were to describe thoracic CT findings in a group of dogs with confirmed disease, determine whether any changes were consistent among dogs, and propose standardized terms for describing thoracic CT findings. Nine UK-based referral centers’ clinical and imaging databases were searched for dogs that had a confirmed diagnosis of A. vasorum, and had undergone thoracic CT examination. Eighteen dogs, from seven of the centers, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The lung lobes were divided into the following three zones and the CT changes described in each: pleural (zone 1), subpleural (zone 2), and peribronchovascular (zone 3). The predominent abnormality was increased lung attenuation due to poorly defined ground-glass opacity or consolidation. There were regions of mosaic attenuation due to peripheral bronchiectasis. Nine/18 (50%) dogs showed hyperattenuating nodules of varying sizes with ill-defined margins. The distribution always affected zones 1and 2 with varied involvement of zone 3; this resulted in clear delineation between zones 2 and 3.Tracheobronchial lymphadenomegaly was frequently noted. Findings were nonspecific and there was considerable overlap with other pulmonary conditions. However, authors recommend that A. vasorum be considered a likely differential diagnosis for dogs with a predominantly peripheral distribution of lung changes

Sjögren’s syndrome-associated microRNAs in CD14+ monocytes unveils targeted TGFβ signaling

SjS-associated miRNA expression levels are positively associated in CD14+ monocytes. Linear regression analyses were used to define associations between miRNAs in HC (circle, n = 17), SLE (triangle, n = 17), and RA (diamond, n = 18) patient groups. Cutoff values established by ROC curve analyses are indicated by dotted lines. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. (PDF 125 kb

Tracing PAHs and Warm Dust Emission in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 1068

We present a study of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 using mid- and far- infrared data acquired with the IRAC, IRS, and MIPS instruments aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The images show extensive 8 um and 24 um emission coinciding with star formation in the inner spiral approximately 15" (1 kpc) from the nucleus, and a bright complex of star formation 47" (3 kpc) SW of the nucleus. The brightest 8 um PAH emission regions coincide remarkably well with knots observed in an Halpha image. Strong PAH features at 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 um are detected in IRS spectra measured at numerous locations inside, within, and outside the inner spiral. The IRAC colors and IRS spectra of these regions rule out dust heated by the AGN as the primary emission source; the SEDs are dominated by starlight and PAH emission. The equivalent widths and flux ratios of the PAH features in the inner spiral are generally consistent with conditions in a typical spiral galaxy ISM. Interior to the inner spiral, the influence of the AGN on the ISM is evident via PAH flux ratios indicative of a higher ionization parameter and a significantly smaller mean equivalent width than observed in the inner spiral. The brightest 8 and 24 um emission peaks in the disk of the galaxy, even at distances beyond the inner spiral, are located within the ionization cones traced by [O III]/Hbeta, and they are also remarkably well aligned with the axis of the radio jets. Although it is possible that radiation from the AGN may directly enhance PAH excitation or trigger the formation of OB stars that subsequently excite PAH emission at these locations in the inner spiral, the orientation of collimated radiation from the AGN and star formation knots in the inner spiral could be coincidental. (abridged)Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures; AJ, accepted; full resolution version available at http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/jhhowell/astro/howelln1068.pd

Mapping the Operation of the Miniature Combustion Aerosol Standard (Mini-CAST) Soot Generator

The Jing Ltd. miniature combustion aerosol standard (Mini- CAST) soot generator is a portable, commercially available burner that is widely used for laboratory measurements of soot processes. While many studies have used the Mini-CAST to generate soot with known size, concentration, and organic carbon fraction under a single or few conditions, there has been no systematic study of the burner operation over a wide range of operating conditions. Here, we present a comprehensive characterization of the microphysical, chemical, morphological, and hygroscopic properties of Mini- CAST soot over the full range of oxidation air and mixing N2 flow rates. Very fuel-rich and fuel-lean flame conditions are found to produce organic-dominated soot with mode diameters of 10–60 nm, and the highest particle number concentrations are produced under fuel-rich conditions. The lowest organic fraction and largest diameter soot (70–130 nm) occur under slightly fuel-lean conditions. Moving from fuel-rich to fuel-lean conditions also increases the O:C ratio of the soot coatings from ~0.05 to ~0.25, which causes a small fraction of the particles to act as cloud condensation nuclei near the Kelvin limit (κ ~ 0–10−3). Comparison of these property ranges to those reported in the literature for aircraft and diesel engine soots indicates that the Mini-CAST soot is similar to real-world primary soot particles, which lends itself to a variety of process-based soot studies. The trends in soot properties uncovered here will guide selection of burner operating conditions to achieve optimum soot properties that are most relevant to such studies

Mutations in CIC and IDH1 cooperatively regulate 2-hydroxyglutarate levels and cell clonogenicity

The majority of oligodendrogliomas (ODGs) exhibit combined losses of chromosomes 1p and 19q and mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1-R132H or IDH2-R172K). Approximately 70% of ODGs with 1p19q co-deletions harbor somatic mutations in the Capicua Transcriptional Repressor (CIC) gene on chromosome 19q13.2. Here we show that endogenous long (CIC-L) and short (CIC-S) CIC proteins are predominantly localized to the nucleus or cytoplasm, respectively. Cytoplasmic CIC-S is found in close proximity to the mitochondria. To study wild type and mutant CIC function and motivated by the paucity of 1p19q co-deleted ODG lines, we created HEK293 and HOG stable cell lines ectopically co-expressing CIC and IDH1. Non-mutant lines displayed increased clonogenicity, but cells co-expressing the mutant IDH1-R132H with either CIC-S-R201W or -R1515H showed reduced clonogenicity in an additive manner, demonstrating cooperative effects in our assays. Expression of mutant CIC-R1515H increased cellular 2-Hydroxyglutarate (2HG) levels compared to wild type CIC in IDH1-R132H background. Levels of phosphorylated ATP-citrate Lyase (ACLY) were lower in cell lines expressing mutant CIC-S proteins compared to cells expressing wild type CIC-S, supporting a cytosolic citrate metabolism-related mechanism of reduced clonogenicity in our in vitro model systems. ACLY or phospho-ACLY were similarly reduced in CIC-mutant 1p19q co-deleted oligodendroglioma patient samples

Methods for transverse and longitudinal spin-photon coupling in silicon quantum dots with intrinsic spin-orbit effect

In a full-scale quantum computer with a fault-tolerant architecture, having scalable, long-range interaction between qubits is expected to be a highly valuable resource. One promising method of achieving this is through the light-matter interaction between spins in semiconductors and photons in superconducting cavities. This paper examines the theory of both transverse and longitudinal spin-photon coupling and their applications in the silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (SiMOS) platform. We propose a method of coupling which uses the intrinsic spin-orbit interaction arising from orbital degeneracies in SiMOS qubits. Using theoretical analysis and experimental data, we show that the strong coupling regime is achievable in the transverse scheme. We also evaluate the feasibility of a longitudinal coupling driven by an AC modulation on the qubit. These coupling methods eschew the requirement for an external micromagnet, enhancing prospects for scalability and integration into a large-scale quantum computer

Expert consensus on re-irradiation for current glioma

Source at http://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-017-0928-3Purpose:To investigate radiation oncologists’ opinions on important considerations to offering re-irradiation (re-RT) as a treatment option for recurrent glioma.Materials and methods:A survey was conducted with 13 radiation oncologists involved in the care of central nervous system tumor patients. The survey was comprised of 49 questions divided into 2 domains: a demographic section (10 questions) and a case section (5 re-RT cases with 5 to 6 questions representing one or several re-RT treatment dilemmas as may be encountered in the clinic). Respondents were asked to rate the relevance of various factors to offering re-RT, respond to the cases with a decision to offer re-RT vs. not, volume to be treated, margins to be employed, dose/fractionation suggested and any additional comments with respect to rationale in each scenario.Results:Sixty nine percent of responders have been practicing for greater than 10 years and 61% have re-RT 20 to 100 patients to date, with 54% seeing 2–5 re-RT cases per month and retreating 1–2 patients per month. Recurrent tumor volume, time since previous radiation therapy, previously administered dose to organs at risk and patient performance status were rated by the majority of responders (85%, 92%, 77%, and 69% respectively) as extremely relevant or very relevant to offering re-RT as an option.Conclusion:The experts’ practice of re-RT is still heterogeneous, reflecting the paucity of high-quality prospective data available for decision-making. Nevertheless, practicing radiation oncologists can support own decisions by referring to the cases found suitable for re-RT in this survey

Abiotic Stress‐Related Expressed Sequence Tags from the Diploid Strawberry Fragaria vesca

Strawberry ( spp.) is a eudicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Rosaceae family, which includes other agronomically important plants such as raspberry ( L.) and several tree-fruit species. Despite the vital role played by cultivated strawberry in agriculture, few stress-related gene expression characterizations of this crop are available. To increase the diversity of available transcriptome sequence, we produced 41,430 L. expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from plants growing under water-, temperature-, and osmotic-stress conditions as well as a combination of heat and osmotic stresses that is often found in irrigated fields. Clustering and assembling of the ESTs resulted in a total of 11,836 contigs and singletons that were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Furthermore, over 1200 sequences with no match to available Rosaceae ESTs were found, including six that were assigned the “response to stress” GO category. Analysis of EST frequency provided an estimate of steady state transcript levels, with 91 sequences exhibiting at least a 20-fold difference between treatments. This EST collection represents a useful resource to advance our understanding of the abiotic stress-response mechanisms in strawberry. The sequence information may be translated to valuable tree crops in the Rosaceae family, where whole-plant treatments are not as simple or practical