Transitoriness in cancer patients: a cross-sectional survey of lung and gastrointestinal cancer patients

Objective: Despite earlier diagnosis and advancements in treatment, cancer remains a leading cause of death in the world (13% of all deaths according to the World Health Organization) among men and women. Cancer accounts for approximately 20% of the deaths in the USA every year. Here, we report the findings from a cross-sectional survey of psychosocial factors in lung and gastrointestinal cancer patients. The aim of the study was to explore the associations among transitoriness, uncertainty, and locus of control (LOC) with quality of life. Transitoriness is defined as a person's confrontation with life's finitude due to a cancer diagnosis. Methods: A total of 126 patients with lung or gastrointestinal cancer completed eight self-reporting questionnaires addressing demographics, spiritual perspective, symptom burden, transitoriness, uncertainty, LOC, and quality of life. Results: Transitoriness, uncertainty, and LOC were significantly associated with one another (r = 0.3267, p = 0.0002/r = 0.1994, p = 0.0252, respectively). LOC/belief in chance has a significant inverse relationship with patients' quality of life (r = −0.2505, p = 0.0047). Transitoriness, uncertainty, and LOC were found to have a significant inverse relationship with patients' quality of life (transitoriness state: r = −0.5363, p = 0.0000/trait: r = −0.4629, p = 0.0000/uncertainty: r = −0.4929, p = 0.0000/internal LOC: r = 0.1759, p = 0.0489/chance LOC: r = −0.2505, p = 0.0047). Conclusion: Transitoriness, uncertainty, and LOC are important concepts as they adversely influence patients' quality of life. Incorporating this finding into the care of cancer patients may provide them with the support they need to cope with treatment and maintenance of a positive quality of lif

Preliminary Research on a COVID-19 Test Strategy to Guide Quarantine Interval in University Students

Following COVID-19 exposure, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a 10–14-day quarantine for asymptomatic individuals and more recently a 7-day quarantine with a negative PCR test. A university-based prospective cohort study to determine if early polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negativity predicts day 14 negativity was performed. A total of 741 asymptomatic students in quarantine was screened and 101 enrolled. Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested on days 3 or 4, 5, 7, 10, and 14, and the proportion of concordant negative results for each day versus day 14 with a two-sided 95% exact binomial confidence interval was determined. Rates of concordant negative test results were as follows: day 5 vs. day 14 = 45/50 (90%, 95% CI: 78–97%); day 7 vs. day 14 = 47/52 (90%, 95% CI: 79–97%); day 10 vs. day 14 = 48/53 (91%, 95% CI:79–97%), with no evidence of different negative rates between earlier days and day 14 by McNemar’s test, p \u3e 0.05. Overall, 14 of 90 (16%, 95% CI: 9–25%) tested positive while in quarantine, with seven initial positive tests on day 3 or 4, 5 on day 5, 2 on day 7, and none on day 10 or 14. Based on concordance rates between day 7 and 14, we anticipate that 90% (range: 79–97%) of individuals who are negative on day 7 will remain negative on day 14, providing the first direct evidence that exposed asymptomatic students ages 18–44 years in a university setting are at low risk if released from quarantine at 7 days if they have a negative PCR test prior to release. In addition, the 16% positive rate supports the ongoing need to quarantine close contacts of COVID-19 cases

Functional traits of fossil plants

A minuscule fraction of the Earth's paleobiological diversity is preserved in the geological record as fossils. What plant remnants have withstood taphonomic filtering, fragmentation, and alteration in their journey to become part of the fossil record provide unique information on how plants functioned in paleo-ecosystems through their traits. Plant traits are measurable morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical, or phenological characteristics that potentially affect their environment and fitness. Here, we review the rich literature of paleobotany, through the lens of contemporary trait-based ecology, to evaluate which well-established extant plant traits hold the greatest promise for application to fossils. In particular, we focus on fossil plant functional traits, those measurable properties of leaf, stem, reproductive, or whole plant fossils that offer insights into the functioning of the plant when alive. The limitations of a trait-based approach in paleobotany are considerable. However, in our critical assessment of over 30 extant traits we present an initial, semi-quantitative ranking of 26 paleo-functional traits based on taphonomic and methodological criteria on the potential of those traits to impact Earth system processes, and for that impact to be quantifiable. We demonstrate how valuable inferences on paleo-ecosystem processes (pollination biology, herbivory), past nutrient cycles, paleobiogeography, paleo-demography (life history), and Earth system history can be derived through the application of paleo-functional traits to fossil plants

The velocity and magnetic field fluctuations of the solar wind at 1 AU: Statistical analysis of Fourier spectra and correlations with plasma properties

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95508/1/jgra21877.pd

Structural basis of peptidoglycan synthesis by E. coli RodA-PBP2 complex

Peptidoglycan (PG) is an essential structural component of the bacterial cell wall that is synthetized during cell division and elongation. PG forms an extracellular polymer crucial for cellular viability, the synthesis of which is the target of many antibiotics. PG assembly requires a glycosyltransferase (GT) to generate a glycan polymer using a Lipid II substrate, which is then crosslinked to the existing PG via a transpeptidase (TP) reaction. A Shape, Elongation, Division and Sporulation (SEDS) GT enzyme and a Class B Penicillin Binding Protein (PBP) form the core of the multi-protein complex required for PG assembly. Here we used single particle cryo-electron microscopy to determine the structure of a cell elongation-specific E. coli RodA-PBP2 complex. We combine this information with biochemical, genetic, spectroscopic, and computational analyses to identify the Lipid II binding sites and propose a mechanism for Lipid II polymerization. Our data suggest a hypothesis for the movement of the glycan strand from the Lipid II polymerization site of RodA towards the TP site of PBP2, functionally linking these two central enzymatic activities required for cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis

Principles of fire ecology

[EN]: Fire ecology is a complex discipline that can only be understood by integrating biological, physical, and social sciences. The science of fire ecology explores wildland fire’s mechanisms and effects across all scales of time and space. However, the lack of defined, organizing concepts in fire ecology dilutes its collective impact on knowledge and management decision-making and makes the discipline vulnerable to misunderstanding and misappropriation. Fire ecology has matured as a discipline and deserves an enunciation of its unique emergent principles of organization. Most scientific disciplines have established theories, laws, and principles that have been tested, debated, and adopted by the discipline’s practitioners. Such principles reflect the consensus of current knowledge, guide methodology and interpretation, and expose knowledge gaps in a coherent and structured way. In this manuscript, we introduce five comprehensive principles to define the knowledge fire ecology has produced and provide a framework to support the continued development and impact of the fire ecology discipline.[ES]: La ecología del fuego es una disciplina compleja que solo puede ser comprendida mediante la integración de las ciencias biológicas, físicas, y sociales. La ciencia de la ecología del fuego explora los mecanismos y efectos de los fuegos de vegetación a través de escalas espaciales y temporales. Sin embargo, la falta de conceptos definidos y organizativos en ecología del fuego diluye su impacto colectivo en el conocimiento y en el proceso de toma de decisiones de manejo, haciendo esta disciplina vulnerable a desentendimientos y uso indebido. La ecología del fuego ha madurado como disciplina y requiere de una articulación de sus principios de organización únicos y emergentes. La mayoría de las disciplinas científicas han establecido teorías, leyes y principios que han sido probados, debatidos y adoptados por los practicantes de esas disciplinas. Estos principios reflejan el consenso sobre el conocimiento actual, guían su metodología e interpretación, y exponen los vacíos del conocimiento de una manera coherente y estructurada. Es este trabajo, introducimos cinco principios comprehensivos que definen el conocimiento que la ecología del fuego ha producido, y provee de un marco conceptual para apoyar el desarrollo continuo e impactos de la ecología del fuego como disciplina.Peer reviewe

The effect of sudden wind shear on the Earth's magnetosphere: Statistics of wind shear events and CCMC simulations of magnetotail disconnections

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94750/1/jgra21938.pd

SEABED INFRASTRUCTURE DEFENSE ANALYSIS

Traditional fleet operations and technologies are not adequately suited to counter the growing threat to undersea infrastructure from autonomous undersea systems. A cost-effective unmanned and manned system of systems is required to provide defense of this seabed infrastructure. This paper proposes possible system architectures to defend against this emerging threat to include passive barriers and active defense systems. The effectiveness of those candidate systems is evaluated through multiple agent-based modeling simulations of UUV versus UUV engagements. Analysis resulted in two major findings. First, point defense of critical assets is more effective than barrier defense. Second, system design must focus on minimizing the time required to effectively engage and neutralize threats, either through improvement to defensive UUV speed or investment in more UUV docking stations and sensor arrays. Cost analysis suggests that acquisition and operations cost of the recommended defensive system is less than the projected financial impact of a successful attack.http://archive.org/details/seabedinfrastruc1094562767Lieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant, United States NavyMajor, Israel Defence ForcesMajor, Republic of Singapore Air ForceMajor, Republic of Singapore Air ForceCaptain, Singapore ArmyLieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant, United States NavyMajor, Republic of Singapore Air ForceCaptain, Singapore ArmyCivilian, Ministry of Defense, SingaporeLieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Junior Grade, United States NavyCivilian, Ministry of Defense, SingaporeCivilian, Ministry of Defense, SingaporeMajor, Republic of Singapore Air ForceMajor, United States Marine CorpsMajor, Singapore ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research