1,702 research outputs found
Pseudo-Automorphisms of positive entropy on the blowups of products of projective spaces
We use a concise method to construct pseudo-automorphisms f_n of the first
dynamical degree d_1(f_n) > 1 on the blowups of the projective n-space for all
n > 1 and more generally on the blowups of products of projective spaces. These
f_n, for n = 3 have positive entropy, and for n > 3 seem to be the first
examples of pseudo-automorphisms with d_1(f_n) > 1 (and of non-product type) on
rational varieties of higher dimensions.Comment: Mathematische Annalen (to appear
Inpatient urine cultures are frequently performed without urinalysis or microscopy: Findings from a large academic medical center
OBJECTIVETo describe the frequency of urine cultures performed in inpatients without additional testing for pyuriaDESIGNRetrospective cohort studySETTINGA 1,250-bed academic tertiary referral centerPATIENTSHospitalized adultsMETHODSThis study included urine cultures drawn on 4 medical and 2 surgical wards from 2009 to 2013 and in the medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) from 2012 to 2013. Patient and laboratory data were abstracted from the hospital’s medical informatics database. We identified catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in the ICUs by routine infection prevention surveillance. Cultures without urinalysis or urine microscopy were defined as “isolated.” The primary outcome was the proportion of isolated urine cultures obtained. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess predictors of isolated cultures.RESULTSDuring the study period, 14,743 urine cultures were obtained (63.5 cultures per 1,000 patient days) during 11,820 patient admissions. Of these, 2,973 cultures (20.2%) were isolated cultures. Of the 61 CAUTIs identified, 31 (50.8%) were identified by an isolated culture. Predictors for having an isolated culture included male gender (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.22; 95%; confidence interval [CI], 1.11–1.35], urinary catheterization (aOR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.89–2.46), ICU admission (medical ICU aOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.47–2.00; surgical ICU aOR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.51–2.19), and obtaining the urine culture ≥1 calendar day after admission (1–7 days aOR, 1.91; 95% CI. 1.71–2.12; >7 days after admission aOR, 2.81; 95% CI, 2.37–3.34).CONCLUSIONSIsolated urine cultures are common in hospitalized patients, particularly in patients with urinary catheters and those in ICUs. Interventions targeting inpatient culturing practices may improve the diagnosis of urinary tract infections.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2017;38:455–460</jats:sec
Extended Volumetric Follow-up of Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytomas Treated with Proton Beam Therapy
Purpose:
To describe volume changes following proton beam therapy (PBT) for juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (JPA), we analyzed post-PBT magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to clarify survivorship, response rate, and the concept of pseudoprogression.
Materials and Methods:
Pediatric patients with a histologic diagnosis of JPA after a biopsy or subtotal resection and at least 4 post-PBT MRIs were retrospectively reviewed. After PBT, tumors were contoured on follow-up T1-contrasted MRIs, and 3-dimensional volumes were plotted against time, with thresholds for progressive disease and partial response. Patterns of response, pseudoprogression, and progression were uncovered. Post-PBT clinical course was described by the need for further intervention and survivorship.
Results:
Fifteen patients with a median of 10 follow-up MRIs made up this report: 60% were heavily pretreated with multiple lines of chemotherapy, and 67% had undergone subtotal resection. With a median follow-up of 55.3 months after a median of 5400 centigray equivalents PBT, estimates of 5-year overall survival and intervention-free survival were 93% and 72%, respectively. The crude response rate of 73% included pseudoprogressing patients, who comprised 20% of the entire cohort; the phenomenon peaked between 3 and 8 months and resolved by 18 months. One nonresponder expired from progression. Post-PBT intervention was required in 53% of patients, with 1 patient resuming chemotherapy. There were no further resections or radiotherapy. One patient developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and another developed biopsy-proven radionecrosis.
Conclusion:
The PBT for inoperable/progressive JPA provided 72% 5-year intervention-free survival in heavily pretreated patients. Although most patients responded, 20% demonstrated pseudoprogression. The need for post-PBT surveillance for progression and treatment-induced sequelae should not be underestimated in this extended survivorship cohort
Generalised dimensions of measures on almost self-affine sets
We establish a generic formula for the generalised q-dimensions of measures
supported by almost self-affine sets, for all q>1. These q-dimensions may
exhibit phase transitions as q varies. We first consider general measures and
then specialise to Bernoulli and Gibbs measures. Our method involves estimating
expectations of moment expressions in terms of `multienergy' integrals which we
then bound using induction on families of trees
Algebraic entropy for semi-discrete equations
We extend the definition of algebraic entropy to semi-discrete
(difference-differential) equations. Calculating the entropy for a number of
integrable and non integrable systems, we show that its vanishing is a
characteristic feature of integrability for this type of equations
Minimal immersions of closed surfaces in hyperbolic three-manifolds
We study minimal immersions of closed surfaces (of genus ) in
hyperbolic 3-manifolds, with prescribed data , where
is a conformal structure on a topological surface , and is a holomorphic quadratic differential on the surface . We
show that, for each for some , depending only on
, there are at least two minimal immersions of closed surface
of prescribed second fundamental form in the conformal structure
. Moreover, for sufficiently large, there exists no such minimal
immersion. Asymptotically, as , the principal curvatures of one
minimal immersion tend to zero, while the intrinsic curvatures of the other
blow up in magnitude.Comment: 16 page
Discontinuation of reflex testing of stool samples for vancomycin-resistant enterococci resulted in increased prevalence
Discontinuation of reflex testing stool submitted for Clostridium difficile testing for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) led to an increase of patients with healthcare-associated VRE bacteremia and bacteriuria (2.1 versus 3.6 per 10,000 patient days; p<0.01 ). Cost-benefit analysis showed reflex screening and isolation of VRE reduced hospital costs
New Method for Phase transitions in diblock copolymers: The Lamellar case
A new mean-field type theory is proposed to study order-disorder transitions
(ODT) in block copolymers. The theory applies to both the weak segregation (WS)
and the strong segregation (SS) regimes. A new energy functional is proposed
without appealing to the random phase approximation (RPA). We find new terms
unaccounted for within RPA. We work out in detail transitions to the lamellar
state and compare the method to other existing theories of ODT and numerical
simulations. We find good agreements with recent experimental results and
predict that the intermediate segregation regime may have more than one scaling
behavior.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figure
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