Access to Evaluation for Liver Transplantation in the Veterans Health Administration.

Background: As the largest US provider of cirrhosis care, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) is the ideal setting to assess patient-, clinician-, and site-level barriers to transplant evaluation.

Aims: To assess barriers to transplant evaluation referral among Veterans with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Logistic regression assessed facility, patient, clinical, and distance factors associated with transplant referral for Veterans with cirrhosis or HCC, over 1 year.

Alkali metal ion binding using cyclic polyketones.

Cyclic oligoketones composed of 3,3-dimethylpentane-2,4-diones showed crown ether-like alkali metal ion binding behavior with association constants up to 1.7 × 10 M in chloroform/acetonitrile (v/v, 9/1). The binding properties have been used for catalysis in the Finkelstein reaction in a low-polarity solvent.

3-D Cryptand Like Normal and Doubly N-Confused Calixbenzophyrins: Synthesis and Structural Studies.

The three-dimensional (3-D) cryptand-like normal and doubly-N-confused calixbenzophyrins embedded with phenyl rings in the macrocyclic skeleton are successfully synthesized from single starting materials. These structural isomers are characterized by spectral studies and unambiguously confirmed by crystal analyses.

PtCl mediated peripheral transformation of carbatriphyrin(3.1.1) into a -fused β-β' dimer and its monomer analogue.

An unprecedented formation of a meso-fused β-β' carbaporphyrin dimer and its monomer with a keto group was described. These analogues were synthesized from carbatriphyrin(3.1.

Isosmaragdyrin with an NC core: stabilization of Rh(i) and organo-Pt(ii) complexes.

Isosmaragdyrin with an NC core is successfully achieved by introducing a 2,6-di-m-phenylpyridine unit. The core is utilized to stabilize the Rh(i) ion in the N-Rh(i)-N bonding mode and the Pt(ii) ion in the (N^C)N fashion to form an unsymmetrical pincer-type organometallic complex.

The Algorithmic Audit: Working with Vendors to Validate Radiology-AI Algorithms-How We Do It.

There is a plethora of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that are being developed around the world aiming at either speeding up or improving the accuracy of radiologists. It is essential for radiologists to work with the developers of such algorithms to determine true clinical utility and risks associated with these algorithms. We present a framework, called an Algorithmic Audit, for working with the developers of such algorithms to test and improve the performance of the algorithms.

Unboxing AI - Radiological Insights Into a Deep Neural Network for Lung Nodule Characterization.

Rationale And Objectives: To explain predictions of a deep residual convolutional network for characterization of lung nodule by analyzing heat maps.

Materials And Methods: A 20-layer deep residual CNN was trained on 1245 Chest CTs from National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) trial to predict the malignancy risk of a nodule. We used occlusion to systematically block regions of a nodule and map drops in malignancy risk score to generate clinical attribution heatmaps on 103 nodules from Lung Image Database Consortium image collection and Image Database Resource Initiative (LIDC-IDRI) dataset, which were analyzed by a thoracic radiologist.

A tris-(manganese(iii))corrole-porphyrin-corrole triad: synthesis, characterization and catalytic epoxidation.

A homotrimetallic manganese(iii) corrole-porphyrin-corrole triad has been synthesized and structurally characterized. Corrole and porphyrin rings in the free base corrole-porphyrin-corrole triad are found to be roughly perpendicular to each other having a dihedral angle of 83° in the solid state. A dihedral angle of nearly 67° was found between Mn(iii)-corroles and Mn(iii)-porphyrin rings in the manganese triad complex, 1-Mn.

Di-( m- m- m)terphenyl-Embedded Decaphyrin and Its Bis-Rh(I) Complex.

A new rectangular-shaped carbadecaphyrin was successfully synthesized by introducing a terphenylene unit ( m- m- m) in the macrocyclic core. The terphenylene moiety offers an open framework with multiple binding pockets to stabilize two Rh(I) ions in the core. The photophysical and structural studies reveal the non-aromatic character of the ligand and its bis-Rh(I) complex.

Preliminary evidence from a prospective DTI study suggests a posterior-to-anterior pattern of recovery in college athletes with sports-related concussion.

Objectives: We compared the integrity of white matter (WM) microstructure to the course of recovery in athletes who sustained one sports-related concussion (SRC), assessing individual longitudinal changes in WM fiber tracts following SRC using pre- and post-injury measurements.

Materials And Methods: Baseline diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans and neuropsychological tests were collected on 53 varsity contact-sport college athletes. Participants (n = 13) who subsequently sustained an SRC underwent DTI scans and neuropsychological testing at 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2 months following injury.

Rhodium(III) and Iridium(III) Bipyricorrole Complexes: Syntheses, Structures, and Properties.

Rhodium(III) and iridium(III) bipyricorrole complexes have been unprecedentedly reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies unambiguously evinced the molecular structures of metal complexes in octahedral geometry. The monoanionic platform of bipyricorrole effectively stabilizes metal ions in their higher oxidation states.

First example of a modular porphyrinoid assembly capable of stabilizing different metal ions in a single molecular scaffold.

We report the synthesis and characterization of porphyrin-corrole-porphyrin (Por-Cor-Por) hybrids directly linked at the meso-meso positions for the first time. The stability and solubility of the trimer are carefully balanced by adding electron-withdrawing substituents to the corrole ring and sterically bulky groups on the porphyrins. The new hybrids are capable of stabilizing more than one metal ion in a single molecular scaffold.

Prospective clinical assessment using Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool-2 testing in the evaluation of sport-related concussion in college athletes.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of the Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT)-2 in collegiate athletes with sport-related concussion.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study with baseline testing and serial repeat testing after concussion in contact sport athletes and non-concussed control athletes.

Setting: Division I University.

A longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study assessing white matter fiber tracts after sports-related concussion.

The extent of structural injury in sports-related concussion (SRC) is central to the course of recovery, long-term effects, and the decision to return to play. In the present longitudinal study, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess white matter (WM) fiber tract integrity within 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2 months of concussive injury. Participants were right-handed male varsity contact-sport athletes (20.

Persistent differences in patterns of brain activation after sports-related concussion: a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Avoiding recurrent injury in sports-related concussion (SRC) requires understanding the neural mechanisms involved during the time of recovery after injury. The decision for return-to-play is one of the most difficult responsibilities facing the physician, and so far this decision has been based primarily on neurological examination, symptom checklists, and neuropsychological (NP) testing. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may be an additional, more objective tool to assess the severity and recovery of function after concussion.

Camphorsulfonic acid catalysed facile tandem double Friedlander annulation protocol for the synthesis of phenoxy linked bisquinoline derivatives and discovery of antitubercular agents.

A series of phenoxy linked bisquinoline derivatives were synthesised from the Friedlander annulation of 2-(4-acetylphenoxy)-1-aryl-1-ethanones with 2-aminobenzophenone in good yields using (±)-camphor-10-sulfonic acid (CSA) as the catalyst. These compounds were screened for their in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (MTB) and among the 23 compounds screened, 2-(3-bromophenyl)-6-chloro-3-[4-(6-chloro-4-phenyl-2-quinolyl)phenoxy]-4-phenylquinoline (3q) and 2-(4-bromophenyl)-6-chloro-3-[4-(6-chloro-4-phenyl-2-quinolyl)phenoxy]-4-phenylquinoline (3o) were found to be the most active compounds with MIC of 1.1 and 2.

Infantile nystagmus and late onset ataxia associated with a CACNA1A mutation in the intracellular loop between s4 and s5 of domain 3.

Purpose: Mutations in the 1A-subunit of the brain P/Q-type calcium channel gene CACNA1A are responsible for spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), familial haemiplegic migraine (FHM) and episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2). Considerable clinical and genetic overlap exists between these 3 allelic disorders. Clinical findings are varied and may include nystagmus.

Automatic cropping of MRI rat brain volumes using pulse coupled neural networks.

The Pulse Coupled Neural Network (PCNN) was developed by Eckhorn to model the observed synchronization of neural assemblies in the visual cortex of small mammals such as a cat. In this paper we show the use of the PCNN as an image segmentation strategy to crop MR images of rat brain volumes. We then show the use of the associated PCNN image 'signature' to automate the brain cropping process with a trained artificial neural network.

Imaging the neural circuitry and chemical control of aggressive motivation.

Background: With the advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in awake animals it is possible to resolve patterns of neuronal activity across the entire brain with high spatial and temporal resolution. Synchronized changes in neuronal activity across multiple brain areas can be viewed as functional neuroanatomical circuits coordinating the thoughts, memories and emotions for particular behaviors. To this end, fMRI in conscious rats combined with 3D computational analysis was used to identifying the putative distributed neural circuit involved in aggressive motivation and how this circuit is affected by drugs that block aggressive behavior.