EUS-guided portal pressure gradient measurement with a simple novel device: a human pilot study.

Background and aimsPortal hypertension is a serious adverse event of liver cirrhosis. Recently, we developed a simple novel technique for EUS-guided portal pressure gradient (PPG) measurement (PPGM). Our animal studies showed excellent correlation between EUS-PPGM and interventional radiology-acquired PPGM. In this video we demonstrate the results of the first human pilot study of EUS-PPGM in patients with liver disease.MethodsEUS-PPGM was performed by experienced endosonographers using a linear echoendoscope, a 25-gauge FNA needle, and a novel compact manometer. The portal vein and hepatic vein (or inferior vena cava) were targeted by use of a transgastric or transduodenal approach. Feasibility was defined as successful PPGM in each patient. Safety was based on adverse events captured in a postprocedural interview.ResultsTwenty-eight patients underwent EUS-PPGM with 100% technical success and no adverse events. PPG ranged from 1.5 to 19 mm Hg and had excellent correlation with clinical parameters of portal hypertension, including the presence of varices (P = .0002), PH gastropathy (P = .007), and thrombocytopenia (P = .036).ConclusionThis novel technique of EUS-PPGM using a 25-gauge needle and compact manometer is feasible and appears safe. Given the availability of EUS and the simplicity of the manometry setup, EUS-guided PPG may represent a promising breakthrough for procuring indispensable information in the management of patients with liver disease

The role of mentorship in protege performance

The role of mentorship on protege performance is a matter of importance to academic, business, and governmental organizations. While the benefits of mentorship for proteges, mentors and their organizations are apparent, the extent to which proteges mimic their mentors' career choices and acquire their mentorship skills is unclear. Here, we investigate one aspect of mentor emulation by studying mentorship fecundity---the number of proteges a mentor trains---with data from the Mathematics Genealogy Project, which tracks the mentorship record of thousands of mathematicians over several centuries. We demonstrate that fecundity among academic mathematicians is correlated with other measures of academic success. We also find that the average fecundity of mentors remains stable over 60 years of recorded mentorship. We further uncover three significant correlations in mentorship fecundity. First, mentors with small mentorship fecundity train proteges that go on to have a 37% larger than expected mentorship fecundity. Second, in the first third of their career, mentors with large fecundity train proteges that go on to have a 29% larger than expected fecundity. Finally, in the last third of their career, mentors with large fecundity train proteges that go on to have a 31% smaller than expected fecundity.Comment: 23 pages double-spaced, 4 figure

Methyl 4-(3-chloro­prop­oxy)benzoate

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C11H13ClO3, inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into zigzag chains along the c axis

4-(4-Nitro­benzene­sulfonamido)pyridinium trichloro­acetate

In the title compound, C11H10N3O4S+·C2Cl3O2 −, the benzene ring forms an angle of 85.21 (13)° with the pyridinium ring. The nitro group is nearly coplanar with its attached benzene ring [dihedral angle = 3.68 (12)°]. In the crystal structure, strong N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the ion-pairs. The packing is further consolidated by weak C—H⋯O inter­ations

Power asymmetry in CMB polarization maps from PLANCK : a local variance analysis

A persistent signal of power asymmetry on opposite hemispheres of CMB sky was seen in full-sky temperature measurements made so far. This asymmetry was seen in microwave sky from WMAP as well as PLANCK satellites, and calls for attention the larger question of \emph{statistical isotropy}, one of the foundational principles of modern cosmology. In this work we present an analysis of polarized CMB maps from PLANCK 2015 full mission data. We apply the local variance estimator on low resolution $E-$mode maps from PLANCK 2015 polarization \texttt{Commander} solution. We find a significant hemispherical power asymmetry in polarization data on large angular scales, at the level of $\sim 2.6-3.9\%$ depending on the galactic mask, and the circular disc radius used for computing local variance maps. However the direction is found to be pointing broadly towards CMB kinetic dipole direction. Precise measurements of CMB polarization in future will shed light on this apparent discrepancy in the anisotropy axis seen in temperature and polarized CMB sky, and likely influence of systematics on our findings.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, 3 table

AlH3 between 65-110 GPa: implications of electronic band and phonon structures

A first-principles density-functional-theory method has been used to reinvestigate the mechanical and dynamical stability of the metallic phase of AlH3 between 65-110 GPa. The electronic properties and phonon dynamics as a function of pressure are also explored. We find electron-phonon superconductivity in the cubic Pm-3n structure with critical temperature Tc = 37 K at 70 GPa which decreases rapidly with the increase of pressure. Further unlike a previously calculated Tc value of 24 K at 110 GPa, we do not find any superconductivity of significance at this pressure which is consistent with experimental observation.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures Keywords: AlH3, Electronic structure, Phonon dynamics, Superconductivity PACS number(s): 62.50.-p, 63.20.kd, 74.10.+v, 74.20.P

Acrylato[tris­(1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmeth­yl)amine]cobalt(II) perchlorate–dimethyl­formamide–methanol (2/2/3)

In the title complex, [Co(C3H3O2)(C27H27N7)]ClO4·C3H7NO·1.5CH4O, the CoII ion is five-coordinated by four N atoms from a tris­(1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmeth­yl)amine (mentb) ligand and one O atom from an acrylate ligand in a distorted trigonal–bipyramidal geometry with approximate mol­ecular C 3 symmetry. The atoms of the acrylate ligand are disordered over two sites, with approximate occupancies of 0.90 and 0.10. In addition, the solvent hemimethanol mol­ecule is disordered over two positions with equal occupancies. The crystal structure is stabilized by weak intermolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

2-(4-Phenyl-3H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-yl)phenol

In the title compound, C21H16N2O, the dihedral angle between the pendant aromatic rings is 74.2–(1)°.. The conformation is stabilized by an intramolecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bond

Search for Bc(ns)B_c(ns) via the Bc(ns)→Bc(ms)π+π−B_c(ns)\to B_c(ms)\pi^+\pi^- transition at LHCb and Z0Z_0 factory

It is interesting to study the characteristics of the whole family of $B_c$ which contains two different heavy flavors. LHC and the proposed $Z^0$ factory provide an opportunity because a large database on the $B_c$ family will be achieved. $B_c$ and its excited states can be identified via their decay modes. As suggested by experimentalists, $B_c^*(ns)\to B_c+\gamma$ is not easy to be clearly measured, instead, the trajectories of $\pi^+$ and $\pi^-$ occurring in the decay of $B_c(ns)\to B_c(ms)+\pi^+\pi^-$ ($n>m$) can be unambiguously identified, thus the measurement seems easier and more reliable, therefore this mode is more favorable at early running stage of LHCb and the proposed $Z^0$ factory. In this work, we calculate the rate of $B_c(ns)\to B_c(ms)+\pi^+\pi^-$ in terms of the QCD multipole-expansion and the numerical results indicate that the experimental measurements with the luminosity of LHC and $Z^0$ factory are feasible.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figures and 4 tables, acceptted by SCIENCE CHINA Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy (Science in China Series G

catena-Poly[lead(II)-bis­(μ-2-amino-1,3-benzothia­zole-6-carboxyl­ato)]

The title complex, [Pb(C8H5N2O2S)2]n, consists of one PbII ion located on a crystallographic twofold axis and two symmetry-related 2-amino-1,3-benzothia­zole-6-carboxyl­ate (ABTC) ligands. The central PbII ion has a (4 + 2) coordination by four O atoms of the two ABTC ligands and two weaker Pb—S bonding inter­actions (Pb—S secondary bonds) from S atoms of other two neighbouring ABTC ligands. These bonds link the metal ions into zigzag chains along the c axis, which, in turn, aggregate through π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.7436 Å] between ABTC rings and N—H⋯O and N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds