Racial and Educational Isolation are Associated with Worse Outcomes in Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Sociodemographic factors influence outcomes in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). We predict an association between measures of social isolation and outcomes in infants with complex CHD. These measures, racial (RI) and educational (EI) isolation range from 0 to 1, with 0 being no isolation and 1 being fully isolated within a specific population.

A Classification-Based Adaptive Segmentation Pipeline: Feasibility Study Using Polycystic Liver Disease and Metastases from Colorectal Cancer CT Images.

Automated segmentation tools often encounter accuracy and adaptability issues when applied to images of different pathology. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of building a workflow to efficiently route images to specifically trained segmentation models. By implementing a deep learning classifier to automatically classify the images and route them to appropriate segmentation models, we hope that our workflow can segment the images with different pathology accurately.

Risk Factors and Outcomes Associated with Gaps in Care in Children with Congenital Heart Disease.

Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) benefit from cardiology follow-up at recommended intervals of ≤ 2 years. However, benefit for children is less clear given limited studies and unclear current guidelines. We hypothesize there are identifiable risks for gaps in cardiology follow-up in children with CHD and that gaps in follow-up are associated with differences in healthcare utilization.

Acute Adverse Events After Iodinated Contrast Agent Administration of 359,977 Injections: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Objective: To assess the effects of patient variables, examination variables, and seasonality on allergic-like and physiologic reactions to iodinated contrast material (ICM).

Patients And Methods: All ICM-enhanced computed tomography (CT) examinations performed from June 1, 2009, to May 9, 2017, at our institution were included. Reactions were identified and categorized as allergic-like or physiologic and mild, moderate, or severe.

Impact of Prenatal Diagnosis of Critical Congenital Heart Disease on Preoperative and Postoperative Outcomes.

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship of prenatal diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease (CHD) to preoperative and postoperative patient findings. Retrospective analysis of neonates with critical CHD who underwent cardiothoracic surgery at one of four centers in North Carolina between 2008 and 2013. Surgical data collected by sites for submission to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (STS-CHSD) and the North Carolina CHD Lifespan Database were queried.

Clinical Implementation of an Artificial Intelligence Algorithm for Magnetic Resonance-Derived Measurement of Total Kidney Volume.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of an internally developed and previously validated artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm for magnetic resonance (MR)-derived total kidney volume (TKV) in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) when implemented in clinical practice.

Patients And Methods: The study included adult patients with ADPKD seen by a nephrologist at our institution between November 2019 and January 2021 and undergoing an MR imaging examination as part of standard clinical care. Thirty-three nephrologists ordered MR imaging, requesting AI-based TKV calculation for 170 cases in these 161 unique patients.

Third-Grade Academic Performance and Episodes of Cardiac Care Among Children with Congenital Heart Defects.

Children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) are at risk for poor academic performance. The degree to which receipt of health care services is associated with adverse academic outcomes is not known. We examined the association between episodes of cardiac care and third-grade performance in children with CHD.

Hot Water Tuber Treatments for Management of in Caladium Cultivars.

Hot water treatment was evaluated for its efficacy in controlling on caladium. Caladium tubers pre-infested with were immersed in hot water at 50°C for 0 min, 30 min, and 45 min before being planted into 16.5-cm pots filled with sterilized sandy soil.

Impact of measurement method on interobserver variability of apparent diffusion coefficient of lesions in prostate MRI.

Purpose: To compare the inter-observer variability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of prostate lesions measured by 2D-region of interest (ROI) with and without specific measurement instruction.

Methods: Forty lesions in 40 patients who underwent prostate MR followed by targeted prostate biopsy were evaluated. A multi-reader study (10 readers) was performed to assess the agreement of ADC values between 2D-ROI without specific instruction and 2D-ROI with specific instruction to place a 9-pixel size 2D-ROI covering the lowest ADC area.

Increasing Stormwater Capture and Recharge Using Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations, Prado Dam.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates Prado Dam in southern California for flood risk management and to capture stormwater for groundwater recharge. USACE and the Orange County Water District (OCWD) have collaborated for over 30 years to temporarily store Santa Ana River (SAR) stormflow at Prado Dam for groundwater recharge in the Orange County Groundwater Basin (Basin). USACE, OCWD, and other stakeholders are assessing Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) at Prado Dam as a new operational approach to capture additional supplies of SAR water for groundwater recharge without affecting Prado Dam's primary flood risk management purpose.

Prevention of Allergic-like Reactions at Repeat CT: Steroid Pretreatment versus Contrast Material Substitution.

Background It is unclear whether steroid premedication is an effective means of preventing repeat allergic-like reactions in high-risk patients with a previous allergic-like reaction to iodinated contrast material (ICM). Purpose To compare the effectiveness of ICM substitution (ie, using iohexol in a patient with a previous iopromide reaction) with 12- and 2-hour steroid premedication for preventing repeat acute allergic-like reactions in high-risk patients. Materials and Methods This retrospective study identified all high-risk (ie, having a previous allergic-like reaction) adult and pediatric patients who underwent a contrast-enhanced CT examination at the institution from June 1, 2009, to May 9, 2017.

Lactate oxidative phosphorylation by annulus fibrosus cells: evidence for lactate-dependent metabolic symbiosis in intervertebral discs.

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration contributes to low back pain. The avascular intervertebral disc consists of a central hypoxic nucleus pulpous (NP) surrounded by the more oxygenated annulus fibrosus (AF). Lactic acid, an abundant end-product of NP glycolysis, has long been viewed as a harmful waste that acidifies disc tissue and decreases cell viability and function.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Indeterminate Renal Mass.

Renal masses are increasingly detected in asymptomatic individuals as incidental findings. CT and MRI with intravenous contrast and a dedicated multiphase protocol are the mainstays of evaluation for indeterminate renal masses. A single-phase postcontrast dual-energy CT can be useful when a dedicated multiphase renal protocol CT is not available.

Imaging of Renal Cancer.

Renal masses are common incidental findings on cross-sectional imaging. Accurate characterization of renal masses is essential to guide management. Renal mass CT protocol comprises of a good quality noncontrast, corticomedullary and nephrographic phases, with each phase providing complementary information for diagnosis.

Biomechanical contribution of the alar ligaments to upper cervical stability.

Acute and chronic whiplash-associated disorders pose a significant healthcare burden due to chronic pain, which is associated with upper cervical instability resulting from ligamentous injury. No standard measure exists for diagnosing alar ligament injury and imaging findings vary widely. Multiple physical examination maneuvers are used to diagnose alar ligament injury including the C2 Spinous Kick, Flexion-Rotation, and Bending-Rotation tests.

Acute Adverse Events Following Gadolinium-based Contrast Agent Administration: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of 281 945 Injections.

Background Acute allergic-like and physiologic reactions occur following administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) for MRI examinations. Because these reactions are uncommon, it is challenging to compare reaction rates between GBCAs and to determine risk factors. Purpose To compare reaction rates between the four GBCAs gadodiamide, gadobutrol, gadobenate dimeglumine, and gadoterate meglumine, and to determine potential risk factors for reactions.

Revealing the inner workings of the power function algorithm in Charged Aerosol Detection: A simple and effective approach to optimizing power function value for quantitative analysis.

In recent years, charged aerosol detection (CAD) has become a valuable tool for fast and efficient quantitative chromatographic analysis of drug substances with weak UV absorption. In analytical method development using CAD, the power function settings available in the instrument software are key for linearization of the signal response with respect to analyte concentration. However, the relatively poor understanding of the power function algorithm has limited a more widespread use of CAD for quantitative assays, especially in the late stage of method validation and GMP laboratories.

Serum and nutrient deprivation increase autophagic flux in intervertebral disc annulus fibrosus cells: an in vitro experimental study.

Purpose: The loss of nutrient supply is a suspected contributor of intervertebral disc degeneration. However, the extent to which low nutrition affects disc annulus fibrosus (AF) cells is unknown as nutrient deprivation has mainly been investigated in disc nucleus pulposus cells. Hence, an experimental study was designed to clarify the effects of limited nutrients on disc AF cell fate, including autophagy, the process by which cells recycle their own damaged components.

Multi-column ultra-high performance liquid chromatography screening with chaotropic agents and computer-assisted separation modeling enables process development of new drug substances.

Modern process research and development can often be hampered by the tedious method development required to chromatographically resolve mixtures of chemical species with very similar physical properties. Herein, we describe a simple approach for the development and implementation of an efficient ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) assay that is extensively applied to the separation and analysis of multicomponent reaction mixtures of closely related pharmaceutical intermediates and impurities. Methods are optimized using multi-column and multi-solvent UHPLC screening in conjunction with chromatography simulation software (ACD Labs/LC Simulator).

Verification of a Portable Motion Tracking System for Remote Management of Physical Rehabilitation of the Knee.

Rehabilitation following knee injury or surgery is critical for recovery of function and independence. However, patient non-adherence remains a significant barrier to success. Remote rehabilitation using mobile health (mHealth) technologies have potential for improving adherence to and execution of home exercise.