Burnout, Resilience, and Mindfulness in Healthcare Workers in a Medically Underserved Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: To evaluate employee burnout, work conditions, resilience, and mindfulness at an academic medical center in a US medically underserved region during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods: We surveyed employees from August 7, 2020 to January 17, 2021. Respondents completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Areas of Worklife Survey, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS) and answered a question about intention to stay in the present job until retirement.

Using geometric criteria to study helix-like structures produced in molecular dynamics simulations of single amylose chains in water.

Amylose is a linear polymer chain of α-d-glucose units connected through α(1 → 4) glycosidic bonds. Experimental studies show that in non-polar solvents, single amylose chains form helical structures containing precise H-bond patterns. However, both experimental and computational studies indicate that these perfectly H-bonded helices are not stable in pure water.

Reducing Health Care Burden of Emergency General Surgery with a 24-Hour Dedicated Emergency General Surgery Service.

Background: Emergency general surgery (EGS) diagnoses account for 11% of surgical admissions and 50% of surgical mortality. In this population, 7 specific operations are associated with 80.3% of deaths, 78.

The Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA): a feasibility case series of an integrated group based approach.

Background: Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) typically struggle in social and emotional contexts. An Integrated Group Based approach for the delivery of MANTRA - The Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults - extends current NICE recommended therapy by augmenting treatment with opportunities for experiential practice in a group context. A feasibility case series, delivered across three NHS community services is presented.

A neural network-based method for spectral distortion correction in photon counting x-ray CT.

Spectral CT using a photon counting x-ray detector (PCXD) shows great potential for measuring material composition based on energy dependent x-ray attenuation. Spectral CT is especially suited for imaging with K-edge contrast agents to address the otherwise limited contrast in soft tissues. We have developed a micro-CT system based on a PCXD.

Synthesis and optimization of wide pore superficially porous particles by a one-step coating process for separation of proteins and monoclonal antibodies.

Superficially porous particles (SPPs) with pore size ranging from 90Å to 120Å have been a great success for the fast separation of small molecules over totally porous particles in recent years. However, for the separation of large biomolecules such as proteins, particles with large pore size (e.g.

Microcalcification detectability using a bench-top prototype photon-counting breast CT based on a Si strip detector.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of detecting breast microcalcification (μCa) with a dedicated breast computed tomography (CT) system based on energy-resolved photon-counting silicon (Si) strip detectors.

Methods: The proposed photon-counting breast CT system and a bench-top prototype photon-counting breast CT system were simulated using a simulation package written in matlab to determine the smallest detectable μCa. A 14 cm diameter cylindrical phantom made of breast tissue with 20% glandularity was used to simulate an average-sized breast.

Characterization of energy response for photon-counting detectors using x-ray fluorescence.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of characterizing a Si strip photon-counting detector using x-ray fluorescence.

Methods: X-ray fluorescence was generated by using a pencil beam from a tungsten anode x-ray tube with 2 mm Al filtration. Spectra were acquired at 90° from the primary beam direction with an energy-resolved photon-counting detector based on an edge illuminated Si strip detector.

Comparison of superficially porous and fully porous silica supports used for a cyclofructan 6 hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic stationary phase.

A new HILIC stationary phase comprised of native cyclofructan-6 (CF6) bonded to superficially porous silica particles (2.7μm) was developed. Its performance was evaluated and compared to fully porous silica particles with 5μm (commercially available as FRULIC-N) and 3μm diameters.

Characteristic performance evaluation of a photon counting Si strip detector for low dose spectral breast CT imaging.

Purpose: The possible clinical applications which can be performed using a newly developed detector depend on the detector's characteristic performance in a number of metrics including the dynamic range, resolution, uniformity, and stability. The authors have evaluated a prototype energy resolved fast photon counting x-ray detector based on a silicon (Si) strip sensor used in an edge-on geometry with an application specific integrated circuit to record the number of x-rays and their energies at high flux and fast frame rates. The investigated detector was integrated with a dedicated breast spectral computed tomography (CT) system to make use of the detector's high spatial and energy resolution and low noise performance under conditions suitable for clinical breast imaging.

Superficially porous particles vs. fully porous particles for bonded high performance liquid chromatographic chiral stationary phases: isopropyl cyclofructan 6.

This work reports a comparison of HPLC separations of enantiomers with chiral stationary phases (CSPs) prepared by chemically bonding cyclofructan-6, functionalized with isopropyl carbamate groups on fully and superficially porous particles (SPPs). The chromatographic performance of the superficially porous CSP based column was compared with columns packed with 5 μm and 3 μm fully porous particles (FPPs). At a flow rate of 3.

A cascaded model of spectral distortions due to spectral response effects and pulse pileup effects in a photon-counting x-ray detector for CT.

Purpose: Energy discriminating, photon-counting detectors (PCDs) are an emerging technology for computed tomography (CT) with various potential benefits for clinical CT. The photon energies measured by PCDs can be distorted due to the interactions of a photon with the detector and the interaction of multiple coincident photons. These effects result in distorted recorded x-ray spectra which may lead to artifacts in reconstructed CT images and inaccuracies in tissue identification.

Practical observations on the performance of bare silica in hydrophilic interaction compared with C18 reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

The kinetic performance of a bare silica and C18 phase prepared from the same sub-2μm and 3.5μm base materials were compared in the HILIC and RP mode using both charged and neutral solutes. The HILIC column was characterised using the neutral solute 5-hydroxymethyluridine, the weak base cytosine, and the strong base nortriptyline, the latter having sufficient retention also in the RP mode to allow comparison of performance.

A gantry-based tri-modality system for bioluminescence tomography.

A gantry-based tri-modality system that combines bioluminescence (BLT), diffuse optical (DOT), and x-ray computed tomography (XCT) into the same setting is presented here. The purpose of this system is to perform bioluminescence tomography using a multi-modality imaging approach. As parts of this hybrid system, XCT and DOT provide anatomical information and background optical property maps.

Applications of superficially porous particles: high speed, high efficiency or both?

The new generation of superficially porous particles (SPPs) offers impressive chromatographic efficiency compared to totally porous particles. Specifically, modern sub-3-μm SPPs generate much improved reduced plate height but at lower backpressure compared to sub-2-μm totally porous particles. This feature makes them attractive for various types of applications and SPPs are quickly being adopted in many analytical laboratories.

Differential association of cytochrome P450 3A4 genotypes with onsets of breast tumors in African American versus Caucasian patients.

Introduction: Malignant breast tumors are often hormone-dependent, and to this end, both estrogen and progesterone receptors are good prognostic markers for evaluation of the outcomes after therapy. In addition, HER-2/neu, whose expression is increasingly being associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer, has predictive potential after immunotherapy. Cytochrome P450 3A4 is highly involved in the metabolism of steroids.

Modeling the performance of a photon counting x-ray detector for CT: energy response and pulse pileup effects.

Purpose: Recently, photon counting x-ray detectors (PCXDs) with energy discrimination capabilities have been developed for potential use in clinical computed tomography (CT) scanners. These PCXDs have great potential to improve the quality of CT images due to the absence of electronic noise and weights applied to the counts and the additional spectral information. With high count rates encountered in clinical CT, however, coincident photons are recorded as one event with a higher or lower energy due to the finite speed of the PCXD.

An analytical model of the effects of pulse pileup on the energy spectrum recorded by energy resolved photon counting x-ray detectors.

Purpose: Recently, novel CdTe photon counting x-ray detectors (PCXDs) with energy discrimination capabilities have been developed. When such detectors are operated under a high x-ray flux, however, coincident pulses distort the recorded energy spectrum. These distortions are called pulse pileup effects.

Quantitative fluorescence tomography using a trimodality system: in vivo validation.

A fully integrated trimodality fluorescence, diffuse optical, and x-ray computed tomography (FT/DOT/XCT) system for small animal imaging is reported in this work. The main purpose of this system is to obtain quantitatively accurate fluorescence concentration images using a multimodality approach. XCT offers anatomical information, while DOT provides the necessary background optical property map to improve FT image accuracy.

Quantitative fluorescence tomography using a combined tri-modality FT/DOT/XCT system.

In this work, a first-of-its-kind fully integrated tri-modality system that combines fluorescence, diffuse optical and x-ray tomography (FT/DOT/XCT) into the same setting is presented. The purpose of this system is to perform quantitative fluorescence tomography using multi-modality imaging approach. XCT anatomical information is used as structural priori while optical background heterogeneity information obtained by DOT measurements is used as functional priori.

Polycrystalline Mercuric Iodide Films on CMOS Readout Arrays.

We have created high-resolution x-ray imaging devices using polycrystalline mercuric iodide (HgI(2)) films grown directly onto CMOS readout chips using a thermal vapor transport process. Images from prototype 400x400 pixel HgI(2)-coated CMOS readout chips are presented, where the pixel grid is 30 mum x 30 mum. The devices exhibited sensitivity of 6.

Photon Counting Energy Dispersive Detector Arrays for X-ray Imaging.

The development of an innovative detector technology for photon-counting in X-ray imaging is reported. This new generation of detectors, based on pixellated cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector arrays electrically connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for readout, will produce fast and highly efficient photon-counting and energy-dispersive X-ray imaging. There are a number of applications that can greatly benefit from these novel imagers including mammography, planar radiography, and computed tomography (CT).

Association between cytokine gene polymorphisms and outcomes in renal transplantation: a meta-analysis of individual patient data.

Background: Cytokine gene polymorphisms have been associated with poor outcomes after renal transplantation such as chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN), graft rejection (GR) and graft failure (GF), but the effects of these polymorphisms are still controversial. We therefore conducted a systematic review, with individual patient data (IPD) where possible, to determine the association between cytokine polymorphisms (TGF-beta1, TNF-alpha and IL-10) and outcomes after renal transplantation.

Methods: Five investigators were willing to participate and provided IPD.