Diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of a biomarker and EMR-based machine learning algorithm for sepsis.

Sepsis is a major cause of mortality among hospitalized patients worldwide. Shorter time to administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics is associated with improved outcomes, but early recognition of sepsis remains a major challenge. In a two-center cohort study with prospective sample collection from 1400 adult patients in emergency departments suspected of sepsis, we sought to determine the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of a machine-learning algorithm based on clinical data and a set of uncommonly measured biomarkers.

Supramolecular polymer adhesives: advanced materials inspired by nature.

Due to their dynamic, stimuli-responsive nature, non-covalent interactions represent versatile design elements that can be found in nature in many molecular processes or materials, where adaptive behavior or reversible connectivity is required. Examples include molecular recognition processes, which trigger biological responses or cell-adhesion to surfaces, and a broad range of animal secreted adhesives with environment-dependent properties. Such advanced functionalities have inspired researchers to employ similar design approaches for the development of synthetic polymers with stimuli-responsive properties.

Supramolecular Cross-Links in Poly(alkyl methacrylate) Copolymers and Their Impact on the Mechanical and Reversible Adhesive Properties.

Hydrogen-bonded, side-chain-functionalized supramolecular poly(alkyl methacrylate)s were investigated as light- and temperature-responsive reversible adhesives that are useful for bonding and debonding on demand applications. Here, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was functionalized with 2-ureido-4[1H]pyrimidinone (UPy) via a hexamethylenediisocyanate (HMDI) linker, to create a monomer (UPy-HMDI-HEMA) that serves to form supramolecular cross-links by way of forming quadruple hydrogen bonded dimers. UPy-HMDI-HEMA was copolymerized with either hexyl methacrylate or butyl methacrylate to create copolymers comprising 2.

Light-induced bonding and debonding with supramolecular adhesives.

Light-responsive supramolecular polymers were applied as reversible adhesives that permit bonding and debonding on demand features. A telechelic poly(ethylene-co-butylene) (PEB) was functionalized with either self-complementary hydrogen-bonding ureidopyrimidinone (UPy) motifs (UPy-PEB-UPy) or 2,6-bis(1'-methylbenzimidazolyl)-pyridine (Mebip) ligands (Mebip-PEB-Mebip), which can coordinate to metal ions (Zn(NTf2)2) and form a metallosupramolecular polymer with the sum formula [Znx(Mebip-PEB-Mebip)](NTf2)2x, with x ≈ 1. In the latter case, light-heat conversion is facilitated by the ultraviolet (UV) light-absorbing metal-ligand motifs, while in the case of UPy-PEB-UPy a UV absorber was added for this purpose.

The relationship between hospital patients' ratings of quality of care and communication.

Objective: To assess the relationship between hospital patients' quality of care ratings and their experiences with health-related information exchanges and communication during hospitalization.

Design: Cross-sectional multivariate dimensional analysis of data from a quality of care experience questionnaire of hospital patients comparing scores across three levels of reported satisfaction.

Setting And Participants: Five thousand nine hundred and fifty-two patients from a Swiss University Hospital responded to the questionnaire at discharge during 2010.