DBQ: Document-Based Quarantine

This paper presents how one school and one special library handled the first months of quarantine and remote teaching and learning as COVID-19 hit the United States in spring 2020. While teaching with archives has long been a part of the professional discourse within the archival and special collections community, changes in methodology in teaching remotely and modifications to the Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) exam’s document-based question (DBQ) called for experimentation and innovation. The collaboration between APUSH teachers at Woodbridge Senior High School in Virginia and the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania provided one solution to preparing students for the modified AP exam. The authors of this paper explore the background and context of the work of teachers and archivists, describe the actions taken in spring 2020, and analyze the results and impact. Lessons learned and future opportunities for collaboration are then examined. The paper concludes with a proposal that similar relationships and activities are not just possible but also beneficial for all involved

Vitamin C Intravenous Treatment In the Setting of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Results From the Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled CITRIS-AF Pilot Study

BackgroundCatheter ablation is an effective treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), but high levels of post-procedure inflammation predict adverse clinical events. Ascorbic acid (AA) has shown promise in reducing inflammation but is untested in this population. We sought to test the feasibility, safety, and preliminary effects on inflammatory biomarkers in the CITRIS-AF (Vitamin C Intravenous Treatment In the Setting of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation) pilot study. Methods and ResultsPatients scheduled to undergo AF ablation (N=20) were randomized 1:1 to double-blinded treatment with AA (200 mg/kg divided over 24 hours) or placebo. C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels were obtained before the first infusion and repeated at 24 hours and 30 days. Pain levels within 24 hours and early recurrence of AF within 90 days were recorded. Median and interquartile range were aged 63 (56–70) years, 13 (65%) men, and 18 (90%) white. Baseline data were similar between the 2 groups except ejection fraction. Baseline C-reactive protein levels were 2.56 (1.47–5.87) mg/L and similar between groups (P=0.48). Change in C-reactive protein from baseline to 24 hours was +10.79 (+6.56–23.19) mg/L in the placebo group and +3.01 (+0.40–5.43) mg/L in the AA group (P=0.02). Conversely, change in interleukin-6 was numerically higher in the AA group, though not statistically significant (P=0.32). One patient in each arm developed pericarditis; no adverse events related to the infusions were seen. There were no significant differences between aggregated post-procedure pain levels within 24 hours or early recurrence of AF (both P\u3e0.05). ConclusionsHigh-dose AA is safe and well tolerated at the time of AF ablation and may be associated with a blunted rise in C-reactive protein, although consistent findings were not seen in interleukin-6 levels. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and explore the potential benefit in improving clinically relevant outcomes

The Management of Persistent or Recurrent Variceal Bleeding After Injection Sclerotherapy by Somatostatin

Sixteen patients with persistent (n = 11) or recurrent (n = 5) variceal bleeding after injection sclerotherapy and balloon tamponade were treated with an intravenous infusion of somatostatin 250μg/ h. Somatostatin infusion successfully controlled the bleeding in 15 of the 16 patients but one rebled after 72 h of treatment. In one patient with poor liver function (Child’s C) bleeding was not controlled by somatostatin, further injection sclerotherapy or balloon tamponade of the oesophagus. The results of this study, although uncontrolled and with a small number of patients, suggest that somatostatin is a very effective treatment for the control of post-injection sclerotherapy variceal bleeding

Nanoparticle mediated silencing of DNA repair sensitizes pediatric brain tumor cells to y-irradiation

Medulloblastoma (MB) and ependymoma (EP) are the most common pediatric brain tumors, afflicting 3000 children annually. Radiotherapy (RT) is an integral component in the treatment of these tumors; however, the improvement in survival is often accompanied by radiation-induced adverse developmental and psychosocial sequelae. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop strategies that can increase the sensitivity of brain tumors cells to RT while sparing adjacent healthy brain tissue. Apurinic endonuclease 1 (Ape1), an enzyme in the base excision repair pathway, has been implicated in radiation resistance in cancer. Pharmacological and specificity limitations inherent to small molecule inhibitors of Ape1 have hindered their clinical development. Here we report on a nanoparticle (NP) based siRNA delivery vehicle for knocking down Ape1 expression and sensitizing pediatric brain tumor cells to RT. The NP comprises a superparamagnetic iron oxide core coated with a biocompatible, biodegradable coating of chitosan, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) that is able to bind and protect siRNA from degradation and to deliver siRNA to the perinuclear region of target cells. NPs loaded with siRNA against Ape1 (NP:siApe1) knocked down Ape1 expression over 75% in MB and EP cells, and reduced Ape1 activity by 80%. This reduction in Ape1 activity correlated with increased DNA damage post-irradiation, which resulted in decreased cell survival in clonogenic assays. The sensitization was specific to therapies generating abasic lesions as evidenced by NP:siRNA not increasing sensitivity to paclitaxel, a microtubule disrupting agent. Our results indicate NP-mediated delivery of siApe1 is a promising strategy for circumventing pediatric brain tumor resistance to RT

Does Sleep Really Influence Face Recognition Memory?

Mounting evidence implicates sleep in the consolidation of various kinds of memories. We investigated the effect of sleep on memory for face identity, a declarative form of memory that is indispensable for nearly all social interaction. In the acquisition phase, observers viewed faces that they were required to remember over a variable retention period (0–36 hours). In the test phase, observers viewed intermixed old and new faces and judged seeing each before. Participants were classified according to acquisition and test times into seven groups. Memory strength (d′) and response bias (c) were evaluated. Substantial time spent awake (12 hours or more) during the retention period impaired face recognition memory evaluated at test, whereas sleep per se during the retention period did little to enhance the memory. Wakefulness during retention also led to a tightening of the decision criterion. Our findings suggest that sleep passively and transiently shelters face recognition memory from waking interference (exposure) but does not actively aid in its long-term consolidation

Rate-equation calculations of the current flow through two-site molecular device and DNA-based junction

Here we present the calculations of incoherent current flowing through the two-site molecular device as well as the DNA-based junction within the rate-equation approach. Few interesting phenomena are discussed in detail. Structural asymmetry of two-site molecule results in rectification effect, which can be neutralized by asymmetric voltage drop at the molecule-metal contacts due to coupling asymmetry. The results received for poly(dG)-poly(dC) DNA molecule reveal the coupling- and temperature-independent saturation effect of the current at high voltages, where for short chains we establish the inverse square distance dependence. Besides, we document the shift of the conductance peak in the direction to higher voltages due to the temperature decrease.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Initial Independent Outcomes from Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Multicenter FIRM Registry

Introduction The success of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) may be improved if stable AF sources identified by Focal Impulse and Rotor Mapping (FIRM) are also eliminated. The long-term results of this approach are unclear outside the centers where FIRM was developed; thus, we assessed outcomes of FIRM-guided AF ablation in the first cases at 10 experienced centers. Methods We prospectively enrolled n = 78 consecutive patients (61 ± 10 years) undergoing FIRM guided ablation for persistent (n = 48), longstanding persistent (n = 7), or paroxysmal (n = 23) AF. AF recordings from both atria with a 64-pole basket catheter were analyzed using a novel mapping system (Rhythm View™; Topera Inc., CA, USA). Identified rotors/focal sources were ablated, followed by PVI. Results Each institution recruited a median of 6 patients, each of whom showed 2.3 ± 0.9 AF rotors/focal sources in diverse locations. 25.3% of all sources were right atrial (RA), and 50.0% of patients had ≥1 RA source. Ablation of all sources required a total of 16.6 ± 11.7 minutes, followed by PVI. On >1 year follow-up with a 3-month blanking period, 1 patient lost to follow-up (median time to 1st recurrence: 245 days, IQR 145–354), single-procedure freedom from AF was 87.5% (patients without prior ablation; 35/40) and 80.5% (all patients; 62/77) and similar for persistent and paroxysmal AF (P = 0.89). Conclusions Elimination of patient-specific AF rotors/focal sources produced freedom-from-AF of ≈80% at 1 year at centers new to FIRM. FIRM-guided ablation has a rapid learning curve, yielding similar results to original FIRM reports in each center’s first cases