Learning To Do in Vivo Neural Responses in Mice

Timothy Mogan, Tyler Erker, Riley Faulhammer and Justin Wobser were the target students for this stereotaxic neurosurgery and electrophysiology lab experience. They are Pre-Nursing, Pre-Neuroscience (Pyschology) or Pre-Med majors. This richly educational and hands-on investigation significantly enhanced their confidence and experience in RODENT HANDLING, ANESTHESIA, ELECTROPHSYIOLOGY, PERFUSION, BRAIN REMOVAL and GENERAL LAB SKILLS. An animal use protocol was created for the project under the guidance of the Mentors and the students followed it competently. Students completed CITI online animal research training and animal handling training was provided by Lou Turchyn, DVM. Animals for the research were generously donated by Dr. Turchyn and other animal investigators at CSU so that this investigation did not require any additional research animals. A poster presentation of the first stages of the study covering background and significance, data collection methods and specimen preservation was academically instructive. Next, the molecular biology analysis of the specimens is expected to generate a proof of concept for methods necessary to conduct ongoing research in cochlear (inner ear) dysfunction ostensibly caused by dynorphins released during acoustic over-stimulation stress by Drs. Tony Sahley, David Anderson, Michael Hammonds and Karthik Chandu.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2018/1048/thumbnail.jp

Learning To Do in Vivo Neural Responses in Mice

Timothy Mogan, Tyler Erker, Riley Faulhammer and Justin Wobser were the target students for this stereotaxic neurosurgery and electrophysiology lab experience. They are Pre-Nursing, Pre-Neuroscience (Pyschology) or Pre-Med majors. This richly educational and hands-on investigation significantly enhanced their confidence and experience in RODENT HANDLING, ANESTHESIA, ELECTROPHSYIOLOGY, PERFUSION, BRAIN REMOVAL and GENERAL LAB SKILLS. An animal use protocol was created for the project under the guidance of the Mentors and the students followed it competently. Students completed CITI online animal research training and animal handling training was provided by Lou Turchyn, DVM. Animals for the research were generously donated by Dr. Turchyn and other animal investigators at CSU so that this investigation did not require any additional research animals. A poster presentation of the first stages of the study covering background and significance, data collection methods and specimen preservation was academically instructive. Next, the molecular biology analysis of the specimens is expected to generate a proof of concept for methods necessary to conduct ongoing research in cochlear (inner ear) dysfunction ostensibly caused by dynorphins released during acoustic over-stimulation stress by Drs. Tony Sahley, David Anderson, Michael Hammonds and Karthik Chandu.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2018/1048/thumbnail.jp

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Global variation in anastomosis and end colostomy formation following left-sided colorectal resection

Background End colostomy rates following colorectal resection vary across institutions in high-income settings, being influenced by patient, disease, surgeon and system factors. This study aimed to assess global variation in end colostomy rates after left-sided colorectal resection. Methods This study comprised an analysis of GlobalSurg-1 and -2 international, prospective, observational cohort studies (2014, 2016), including consecutive adult patients undergoing elective or emergency left-sided colorectal resection within discrete 2-week windows. Countries were grouped into high-, middle- and low-income tertiles according to the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Factors associated with colostomy formation versus primary anastomosis were explored using a multilevel, multivariable logistic regression model. Results In total, 1635 patients from 242 hospitals in 57 countries undergoing left-sided colorectal resection were included: 113 (6·9 per cent) from low-HDI, 254 (15·5 per cent) from middle-HDI and 1268 (77·6 per cent) from high-HDI countries. There was a higher proportion of patients with perforated disease (57·5, 40·9 and 35·4 per cent; P < 0·001) and subsequent use of end colostomy (52·2, 24·8 and 18·9 per cent; P < 0·001) in low- compared with middle- and high-HDI settings. The association with colostomy use in low-HDI settings persisted (odds ratio (OR) 3·20, 95 per cent c.i. 1·35 to 7·57; P = 0·008) after risk adjustment for malignant disease (OR 2·34, 1·65 to 3·32; P < 0·001), emergency surgery (OR 4·08, 2·73 to 6·10; P < 0·001), time to operation at least 48 h (OR 1·99, 1·28 to 3·09; P = 0·002) and disease perforation (OR 4·00, 2·81 to 5·69; P < 0·001). Conclusion Global differences existed in the proportion of patients receiving end stomas after left-sided colorectal resection based on income, which went beyond case mix alone

UBC Farm

This project is a UBC SEEDS project focusing on the UBC farm, with the primary objectives concerning the compost pile. The client, Andrew Rushmere at the UBC Farm, needs to determine how the compost piles negatively affect the environment with respect to greenhouse gases—particularly methane. If it is determined that there is a significant effect to the environment from the compost then the next step is to research and recommend practical solutions to the farm. An alternative objective of the project is to research and recommend solutions to the farm with respect to the quality of the compost; the feed materials of the compost are poor in nitrates which are crucial in plant development. It is decided that gas chromatography (GC) is the most effective and available scientific method to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions. The first step for the analysis is to collect samples from the compost. The first attempt to collect and test samples failed, but the methods of collecting were refined so that more confidence could be held in the obtained results. As methane production would likely occur more in the center of the compost pile (due to anaerobic conditions), a long 1.5” PVC pipe was used to extract deeper samples. This time, samples were stored in better sealing bags and one sealed glass container. While the second attempt at the GC did not work with the better sealing bags, the glass container did yield results with methane. However, these results are extremely difficult to quantify as the method to extract the gas from the container involved exposure to the environment. The most feasible recommendation that can be made to the farm is flipping the compost more often to increase aeration for a more aerobic environment. Another solution researched is to consider sending the compost to the UBC composting facility, as they have a fully aerated process which is unsuitable for methane production. To improve the compost quality, legumes can be planted on the compost and mulched in because legumes are inexpensive and produce nitrogen compounds. An alternative to legumes is alfalfa meal, which can be purchased in stores. To reduce leaching of nutrients caused by rainwater washing, the compost can be covered with a tarp. This solution will also help insulate the compost during the winter months from convective and radiative heat losses, which may help in the winter composting rate. Future students continuing this project will need to use better sealing containers and get more sample readings to better quantify the results. The farm staff can be contacted to acquire a temperature profile of the compost to better determine the conditions needed to incubate the samples for a gas analysis. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”Applied Science, Faculty ofChemical and Biological Engineering, Department ofUnreviewedUndergraduat

DUNE Offline Computing Conceptual Design Report

This document describes Offline Software and Computing for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) experiment, in particular, the conceptual design of the offline computing needed to accomplish its physics goals. Our emphasis in this document is the development of the computing infrastructure needed to acquire, catalog, reconstruct, simulate and analyze the data from the DUNE experiment and its prototypes. In this effort, we concentrate on developing the tools and systems thatfacilitate the development and deployment of advanced algorithms. Rather than prescribing particular algorithms, our goal is to provide resources that are flexible and accessible enough to support creative software solutions as HEP computing evolves and to provide computing that achieves the physics goals of the DUNE experiment

DUNE Offline Computing Conceptual Design Report

This document describes Offline Software and Computing for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) experiment, in particular, the conceptual design of the offline computing needed to accomplish its physics goals. Our emphasis in this document is the development of the computing infrastructure needed to acquire, catalog, reconstruct, simulate and analyze the data from the DUNE experiment and its prototypes. In this effort, we concentrate on developing the tools and systems thatfacilitate the development and deployment of advanced algorithms. Rather than prescribing particular algorithms, our goal is to provide resources that are flexible and accessible enough to support creative software solutions as HEP computing evolves and to provide computing that achieves the physics goals of the DUNE experiment

DUNE Offline Computing Conceptual Design Report

International audienceThis document describes Offline Software and Computing for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) experiment, in particular, the conceptual design of the offline computing needed to accomplish its physics goals. Our emphasis in this document is the development of the computing infrastructure needed to acquire, catalog, reconstruct, simulate and analyze the data from the DUNE experiment and its prototypes. In this effort, we concentrate on developing the tools and systems thatfacilitate the development and deployment of advanced algorithms. Rather than prescribing particular algorithms, our goal is to provide resources that are flexible and accessible enough to support creative software solutions as HEP computing evolves and to provide computing that achieves the physics goals of the DUNE experiment

Highly-parallelized simulation of a pixelated LArTPC on a GPU

The rapid development of general-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) is allowing the implementation of highly-parallelized Monte Carlo simulation chains for particle physics experiments. This technique is particularly suitable for the simulation of a pixelated charge readout for time projection chambers, given the large number of channels that this technology employs. Here we present the first implementation of a full microphysical simulator of a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) equipped with light readout and pixelated charge readout, developed for the DUNE Near Detector. The software is implemented with an end-to-end set of GPU-optimized algorithms. The algorithms have been written in Python and translated into CUDA kernels using Numba, a just-in-time compiler for a subset of Python and NumPy instructions. The GPU implementation achieves a speed up of four orders of magnitude compared with the equivalent CPU version. The simulation of the current induced on $10^3$ pixels takes around 1 ms on the GPU, compared with approximately 10 s on the CPU. The results of the simulation are compared against data from a pixel-readout LArTPC prototype