Emergence of Long-Range Angular Correlations in Low-Multiplicity Proton-Proton Collisions

This Letter presents the measurement of near-side associated per-trigger yields, denoted ridge yields, from the analysis of angular correlations of charged hadrons in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV. Long-range ridge yields are extracted for pairs of charged particles with a pseudorapidity difference of 1.4<|Δη|<1.8 and a transverse momentum of 1 Collapse

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First Measurement of the |t| Dependence of Incoherent J/ψ Photonuclear Production

The first measurement of the cross section for incoherent photonuclear production of J/ψ vector mesons as a function of the Mandelstam |t| variable is presented. The measurement was carried out with the ALICE detector at midrapidity, |y|<0.8, using ultraperipheral collisions of Pb nuclei at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. This rapidity interval corresponds to a Bjorken-x range (0.3-1.4)×10^{-3}. Cross sections are given in five |t| intervals in the range 0.04<|t|<1  GeV^{2} and compared to the predictions by different models. Models that ignore quantum fluctuations of the gluon density in the colliding hadron predict a |t| dependence of the cross section much steeper than in data. The inclusion of such fluctuations in the same models provides a better description of the data.

Exploration of Photoluminescence, Colorimetric, and Decay Performance of Sm-activated CaWO4 Ceramic

This paper represents structure, photoluminescence, and colorimetric investigations of Sm-activated CaWO4 ceramic made with the help of a solid-state reaction process. Structures of the ceramics are examined through X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. It indicates that these materials have a tetragonal structure and I41/a space group without having any other secondary phase. Energy band gaps are increased with the higher concentrations of Sm dopants. Photoluminescence analyses show that concentration quenching is found at x = 0.02 Sm incorporated CaWO4. The critical distance of energy transfer is obtained as about 20 Å. Q-value is observed approximately equal to 6 which denotes that dipole-dipole interactions occur in the materials that create the critical energy transfer distance in them. Chromaticity values are described in that the ceramics emit orange-red color as well as excellent colorimetric parameters. Quantum efficiency of x = 0.02 Sm composition in CaWO4 is measured under 405 nm EX wavelength. Photoluminescence decay behaviors are observed and average lifetime values are evaluated.

Ability of Caprini and Padua risk-assessment models to predict venous thromboembolism in a nationwide Veterans Affairs study

OBJECTIVE

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable complication of hospitalization. Risk-stratification is the cornerstone of prevention. The Caprini and Padua are two of the most commonly used risk-assessment models (RAMs) to quantify VTE risk. Both models perform well in select, high-risk cohorts. Although VTE RAMs were designed for use in all hospital admissions, they are mostly tested in select, high-risk cohorts. We aim to evaluate the two RAMs in a large, unselected cohort of patients.

METHODS

We analyzed consecutive first hospital admissions of 1,252,460 unique surgical and non-surgical patients to 1298 Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide between January 2016 and December 2021. Caprini and Padua scores were generated using the Veterans Affairs' national data repository. We determined the ability of the two RAMs to predict VTE within 90 days of admission. In secondary analyses, we evaluated prediction at 30 and 60 days, in surgical vs non-surgical patients, after excluding patients with upper extremity deep vein thrombosis, in patients hospitalized ≥72 hours, after including all-cause mortality in a composite outcome, and after accounting for prophylaxis in the predictive model. We used area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) as the metric of prediction.

RESULTS

A total of 330,388 (26.4%) surgical and 922,072 (73.6%) non-surgical consecutively hospitalized patients (total N = 1,252,460) were analyzed. Caprini scores ranged from 0 to 28 (median, 4; interquartile range [IQR], 3-6); Padua scores ranged from 0-13 (median, 1; IQR, 1-3). The RAMs showed good calibration and higher scores were associated with higher VTE rates. VTE developed in 35,557 patients (2.8%) within 90 days of admission. The ability of both models to predict 90-day VTE was low (AUCs: Caprini, 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-0.56; Padua, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.58-0.59). Prediction remained low for surgical (Caprini, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.53-0.54; Padua, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.56-0.57) and non-surgical patients (Caprini, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.58-0.59; Padua, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.59-0.60). There was no clinically meaningful change in predictive performance in any of the sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Caprini and Padua RAM scores have low ability to predict VTE events in a cohort of unselected consecutive hospitalizations. Improved VTE RAMs must be developed before they can be applied to a general hospital population.

Effect of junctional reflux on the venous clinical severity score in patients with insufficiency of the great saphenous vein (JURY study)

OBJECTIVE

Effective treatment options are available for chronic venous insufficiency associated with superficial venous reflux. Although many patients with C2 and C3 disease based on the CEAP (Clinical-Etiological-Anatomical-Pathophysiological) classification have combined great saphenous vein (GSV) and saphenofemoral junction (SFJ) reflux, some may not have concomitant SFJ reflux. Several payors have determined that symptom severity in patients without SFJ reflux does not warrant treatment. In patients planned for venous ablation, we tested whether Venous Clinical Severity Scores (VCSS) are equivalent in those with GSV reflux alone compared with those with both GSV and SFJ reflux.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted at 10 centers. Inclusion criteria were: candidate for endovenous ablation as determined by treating physician; 18 to 80 years of age; GSV reflux with or without SFJ reflux on ultrasound; and C2 or C3 disease. Exclusion criteria were prior deep vein thrombosis; prior vein ablation on the index limb; ilio-caval obstruction; and renal, hepatic, or heart failure requiring prior hospitalization. An a priori sample size was calculated. We used multiple linear regression (adjusted for patient characteristics) to compare differences in VCSS scores of the two groups at baseline, and to test whether scores were equivalent using a priori equivalence boundaries of +1 and -1. In secondary analyses, we tested differences in VCSS scores in patients with C2 and C3 disease separately.

RESULTS

A total of 352 patients were enrolled; 64.2% (n = 226) had SFJ reflux, and 35.8% (n = 126) did not. The two groups did not differ by major clinical characteristics. The mean age of the cohort was 53.9 ± 14.3 years; women comprised 74.2%; White patients 85.8%; and body mass index was 27.8 ± 6.1 kg/m2. The VCSS scores in patients with and without SFJ reflux were found to be equivalent; SFJ reflux was not a significant predictor of VCSS score; and mean VCSS scores did not differ significantly (6.4 vs 6.6, respectively, P = .40). In secondary subset analyses, VCSS scores were equivalent between C2 patients with and without SFJ reflux, and VCSS scores of C3 patients with SFJ reflux were lower than those without SFJ reflux.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptom severity is equivalent in patients with GSV reflux with or without SFJ reflux. The absence of SFJ reflux alone should not determine the treatment paradigm in patients with symptomatic chronic venous insufficiency. Patients with GSV reflux who meet clinical criteria for treatment should have equivalent treatment regardless of whether or not they have SFJ reflux.

ψ(2S) Suppression in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

The production of the ψ(2S) charmonium state was measured with ALICE in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, in the dimuon decay channel. A significant signal was observed for the first time at LHC energies down to zero transverse momentum, at forward rapidity (2.5 Collapse

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Growing Deficit in New Cancer Diagnoses 2 Years Into the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Large decreases in cancer diagnoses were seen early in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the evolution of these deficits since the end of 2020 and the advent of widespread vaccination is unknown.

METHODS

This study examined data from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) from 1 January 2018 through 28 February 2022 and identified patients with screening or diagnostic procedures or new cancer diagnoses for the four most common cancers in the VA health system: prostate, lung, colorectal, and bladder cancers. Monthly procedures and new diagnoses were calculated, and the pre-COVID era (January 2018 to February 2020) was compared with the COVID era (March 2020 to February 2022).

RESULTS

The study identified 2.5 million patients who underwent a diagnostic or screening procedure related to the four cancers. A new cancer was diagnosed for 317,833 patients. During the first 2 years of the pandemic, VA medical centers performed 13,022 fewer prostate biopsies, 32,348 fewer cystoscopies, and 200,710 fewer colonoscopies than in 2018-2019. These persistent deficits added a cumulative deficit of nearly 19,000 undiagnosed prostate cancers and 3300 to 3700 undiagnosed cancers each for lung, colon, and bladder. Decreased diagnostic and screening procedures correlated with decreased new diagnoses of cancer, particularly cancer of the prostate (R = 0.44) and bladder (R = 0.27).

CONCLUSION

Disruptions in new diagnoses of four common cancers (prostate, lung, bladder, and colorectal) seen early in the COVID-19 pandemic have persisted for 2 years. Although reductions improved from the early pandemic, new reductions during the Delta and Omicron waves demonstrate the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care.

Predictive Factors for Mortality Following Major Lower Extremity Amputation

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in techniques and care, major amputation bears a high risk for mortality. Previously identified factors associated with increased risk of mortality include amputation level, renal function, and pre-operative white cell count.

METHODS

A single center retrospective chart review was conducted identifying patients who had undergone a major amputation. Chi-squared, t-testing, and Cox proportional hazard modeling were performed examining death at 6 months and 12 months.

RESULTS

Factors associated with an increased risk of six-month mortality include age (OR 1.01-1.05, P < .001), sex (OR 1.08-3.24, P < .01), minority race (OR 1.18-18.19, P < .01), chronic kidney disease (OR 1.40-6.06, P < .001), and use of pressors at the induction of anesthesia for index amputation (OR 2.09-7.85, P < .000). Factors associated with increased risk of 12 month mortality were similar.

DISCUSSION

Patients undergoing major amputation continue to suffer high mortality. Those patients who received their amputation under physiologically stressful conditions were more likely to die within 6 months. Reliably predicting six-month mortality can assist surgeons and patients in making appropriate care decisions.

Measurements of Groomed-Jet Substructure of Charm Jets Tagged by D^{0} Mesons in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

Understanding the role of parton mass and Casimir color factors in the quantum chromodynamics parton shower represents an important step in characterizing the emission properties of heavy quarks. Recent experimental advances in jet substructure techniques have provided the opportunity to isolate and characterize gluon emissions from heavy quarks. In this Letter, the first direct experimental constraint on the charm-quark splitting function is presented, obtained via the measurement of the groomed shared momentum fraction of the first splitting in charm jets, tagged by a reconstructed D^{0} meson. The measurement is made in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, in the low jet transverse-momentum interval of 15≤p_{T}^{jet ch}<30  GeV/c where the emission properties are sensitive to parton mass effects. In addition, the opening angle of the first perturbative emission of the charm quark, as well as the number of perturbative emissions it undergoes, is reported. Comparisons to measurements of an inclusive-jet sample show a steeper splitting function for charm quarks compared with gluons and light quarks. Charm quarks also undergo fewer perturbative emissions in the parton shower, with a reduced probability of large-angle emissions.

Prediction of bleeding in patients being considered for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis) is an important preventable cause of in-hospital death. Prophylaxis with low doses of anticoagulants reduces the incidence of venous thromboembolism but can also cause bleeding. It is, therefore, important to stratify the risk of bleeding for hospitalized patients when considering pharmacologic prophylaxis. The IMPROVE (international medical prevention registry on venous thromboembolism) and Consensus risk assessment models (RAMs) are the two tools available for such patients. Few studies have evaluated their ability to predict bleeding in a large, unselected cohort of patients. We assessed the ability of the IMPROVE and Consensus bleeding RAMs to predict bleeding within 90 days of hospitalization in a comprehensive analysis encompassing all hospitalized patients, regardless of surgical vs nonsurgical status.

METHODS

We analyzed consecutive first hospital admissions of 1,228,448 unique surgical and nonsurgical patients to 1298 Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide between January 2016 and December 2021. IMPROVE and Consensus scores were generated using data from a repository of their common electronic medical records. We assessed the ability of the two RAMs to predict bleeding within 90 days of admission. We used area under the receiver operating characteristic curves to determine the prediction of bleeding by each RAM.

RESULTS

Of 1,228,448 hospitalized patients, 324,959 (26.5%) were surgical and 903,489 (73.5%) were nonsurgical. Of these patients, 68,372 (5.6%) had a bleeding event within 90 days of admission. The Consensus RAM scores ranged from -5.60 to -1.21 (median, -4.93; interquartile range, -5.60 to -4.93). The IMPROVE RAM scores ranged from 0 to 22 (median, 3.5; interquartile range, 2.5-5). Both showed good calibration, with higher scores associated with higher bleeding rates. The ability of both RAMs to predict 90-day bleeding was low (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.61 for the IMPROVE RAM and 0.59 for the Consensus RAM). The predictive ability was also low at 30 and 60 days for surgical and nonsurgical patients, patients receiving prophylactic, therapeutic, or no anticoagulation, and patients hospitalized for ≥72 hours. Prediction was also low across different bleeding outcomes (ie, any bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, nongastrointestinal bleeding, and bleeding or death).

CONCLUSIONS

In this large, unselected, nationwide cohort of surgical and nonsurgical hospital admissions, increasing IMPROVE and Consensus bleeding RAM scores were associated with increasing bleeding rates. However, both RAMs had low ability to predict bleeding at 0 to 90 days after admission. Thus, the currently available RAMs require modification and rigorous reevaluation before they can be applied universally.

Early Bone Mineral Density Changes and Endocrinal Dysfunction in Childhood Brain Tumor Patients: A Prospective Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and hormonal dysfunction are considered as a late effect of cranial radiation (RT). Only few studies have reported the occurrence of these problems soon after the diagnosis of brain tumor or RT initiation, emphasizing that these are not necessarily the late effects of RT. Thus, we conducted the study to analyze the incidence of low BMD and hormonal dysfunction prior to or within 6 months of RT (early change) in children with brain tumors.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The study was conducted as a part of intramural funding program at a tertiary care center in India. Childhood and adolescent brain tumor patients were advised for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (DXA) and hormonal evaluation prior to RT. In some patients, first DXA was done within 6 months of RT due to logistics. To see the effect of radiation, we have planned to repeat hormonal evaluation after 6 and 12 months and DXA after 12 months of RT.

RESULTS

Twenty-five patients were analyzed. Median age at diagnosis was 11 years with a male to female ratio of 5.2:1. Medulloblastoma was the commonest diagnosis (n = 12), followed by glioma (n = 8), pineal tumors (n = 3) and ependymoma (n = 2). Nineteen and six patients underwent DXA before RT and within 6 months of RT respectively. For BMD assessment, Z score was calculated at hip and lumbar spine. BMD was defined as low (Z score = -1 to-1.99), very low (Z score = -2 to -2.5) and secondary osteoporosis (Z score ≤ -2.5). Median Z score at femur neck and spine was -2 and -1.9 respectively. Overall; 6, 3 and 9 patients had normal, low and very low BMD respectively. Seven patients had secondary osteoporosis (Table 1). Two patients with secondary osteoporosis had low vitamin D levels. None of the patient had compression fracture. On statistical analysis, no correlation was found between BMD changes and age, sex and site of the tumor. Pre RT endocrinal assessment (N = 25) was done by tanner staging and serum hormonal levels (GH, T3/T4/TSH, ACTH, cortisol and prolactin). Gonadal hormonal assessment was done in children with early or delayed puberty. Three patients were found to have endocrinal abnormality before RT (precautious puberty, central hypothyroidism and low sex hormones in 1 patient each). Follow up DXA and hormonal evaluation are awaited to see the effect of RT.

CONCLUSION

The index study is one of the very few studies evaluating the early changes in BMD and hormonal dysfunction soon after brain tumor diagnosis or within 6 months of RT. We observed that a significant proportion of children had reduced BMD and hormonal dysfunction before RT, highlighting the importance of early assessment and referral to the specialist for better quality of life. Table 1: BMD and endocrinal dysfunction before or within 6 months of RT.

Measurement of the Lifetime and Λ Separation Energy of _{Λ}^{3}H

The most precise measurements to date of the _{Λ}^{3}H lifetime τ and Λ separation energy B_{Λ} are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The _{Λ}^{3}H is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (_{Λ}^{3}H→^{3}He+π^{-} and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11(stat)±6(syst)]  ps and B_{Λ}=[102±63(stat)±67(syst)]  keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the _{Λ}^{3}H structure is consistent with a weakly bound system.

Measurement of the J/ψ Polarization with Respect to the Event Plane in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

We study the polarization of inclusive J/ψ produced in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV at the LHC in the dimuon channel, via the measurement of the angular distribution of its decay products. We perform the study in the rapidity region 2.5 Collapse

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First Measurement of Antideuteron Number Fluctuations at Energies Available at the Large Hadron Collider

The first measurement of event-by-event antideuteron number fluctuations in high energy heavy-ion collisions is presented. The measurements are carried out at midrapidity (|η|<0.8) as a function of collision centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV using the ALICE detector. A significant negative correlation between the produced antiprotons and antideuterons is observed in all collision centralities. The results are compared with a state-of-the-art coalescence calculation. While it describes the ratio of higher order cumulants of the antideuteron multiplicity distribution, it fails to describe quantitatively the magnitude of the correlation between antiproton and antideuteron production. On the other hand, thermal-statistical model calculations describe all the measured observables within uncertainties only for correlation volumes that are different with respect to those describing proton yields and a similar measurement of net-proton number fluctuations.

Enhanced Deuteron Coalescence Probability in Jets

The transverse-momentum (p_{T}) spectra and coalescence parameters B_{2} of (anti)deuterons are measured in p-p collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV for the first time in and out of jets. In this measurement, the direction of the leading particle with the highest p_{T} in the event (p_{T}^{lead}>5  GeV/c) is used as an approximation for the jet axis. The event is consequently divided into three azimuthal regions, and the jet signal is obtained as the difference between the toward region, that contains jet fragmentation products in addition to the underlying event (UE), and the transverse region, which is dominated by the UE. The coalescence parameter in the jet is found to be approximately a factor of 10 larger than that in the underlying event. This experimental observation is consistent with the coalescence picture and can be attributed to the smaller average phase-space distance between nucleons in the jet cone as compared with the underlying event. The results presented in this Letter are compared to predictions from a simple nucleon coalescence model, where the phase-space distributions of nucleons are generated using pythia8 with the Monash 2013 tuning, and to predictions from a deuteron production model based on ordinary nuclear reactions with parametrized energy-dependent cross sections tuned on data. The latter model is implemented in pythia8.3. Both models reproduce the observed large difference between in-jet and out-of-jet coalescence parameters, although the almost flat trend of the B_{2}^{Jet} is not reproduced by the models, which instead give a decreasing trend.

Mid-term Surgery Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19: Results From a Nationwide Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Determine mid-term postoperative outcomes among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-positive (+) patients compared with those who never tested positive before surgery.

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is thought to be associated with prohibitively high rates of postoperative complications. However, prior studies have only evaluated 30-day outcomes, and most did not adjust for demographic, clinical, or procedural characteristics.

METHODS

We analyzed data from surgeries performed at all Veterans Affairs hospitals between March 2020 and 2021. Kaplan-Meier curves compared trends in mortality and Cox proportional hazards models estimated rates of mortality and pulmonary, thrombotic, and septic postoperative complications between patients with a positive preoperative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test [COVID (+)] and propensity score-matched COVID-negative (-) patients.

RESULTS

Of 153,741 surgical patients, 4778 COVID (+) were matched to 14,101 COVID (-). COVID (+) status was associated with higher postoperative mortality ( P <0.0001) with a 6-month survival of 94.2% (95% confidence interval: 93.2-95.2) versus 96.0% (95% confidence interval: 95.7.0-96.4) in COVID (-). The highest mortality was in the first 30 postoperative days. Hazards for mortality and postoperative complications in COVID (+) decreased with increasing time between testing COVID (+) and date of surgery. COVID (+) patients undergoing elective surgery had similar rates of mortality, thrombotic and septic complications, but higher rates of pulmonary complications than COVID (-) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report of mid-term outcomes among COVID-19 patients undergoing surgery. COVID-19 is associated with decreased overall and complication-free survival primarily in the early postoperative period, delaying surgery by 5 weeks or more reduces risk of complications. Case urgency has a multiplicative effect on short-term and long-term risk of postoperative mortality and complications.

Theileria orientalis Buffeli pathotype in cows in a theileriosis-endemic region of India

Oriental theileriosis caused by Theileria orientalis is a growing health concern of lactating cows in its endemic areas. Rapid and sensitive diagnostic tests are demand areas for appropriate and effective prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is the answer for both detection and quantification of parasites. Present study deals with qPCR for detection of parasitemia level of T. orientalis in apparently healthy and clinically affected cows. Major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) gene present in T. orientalis was cloned in pUC57 vector and transformed into E. coli Top 10 cells. Single and mixed infections of hemoprotozoa other than T. orientalis, causing anemia were differentiated through blood smear examination and PCR tests. T. orientalis was detected in 108 (63.15%) ill and 48 (26.66%) healthy cows. Piroplasms detected per 1000 red blood cells (RBCs) was 0-1 in the healthy group as compared to 3-22 in those showing clinical signs. Parasitemia in ill cows ranged between 6.9 × 102 and 4.5 × 103 parasites / µl of blood which was significantly higher (p<0.05) than healthy group (2.6 × 102 - 5.7 × 102 parasites / µl of blood). Phylogenetic study of the isolates showed similarity with Buffeli type that unfolded its pathogenic form in apparently healthy and ill cows.

Biomedical waste plastic: bacteria, disinfection and recycling technologies-a comprehensive review

Plastic recycling reduces the wastage of potentially useful materials as well as the consumption of virgin materials, thereby lowering the energy consumption, air pollution by incineration, soil and water pollution by landfilling. Plastics used in the biomedical sector have played a significant role. Reducing the transmission of the virus while protecting the human life in particular the frontline workers. Enormous volumes of plastics in biomedical waste have been observed during the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19. This has resulted from the extensive use of personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, face shields, bottles, sanitizers, gowns, and other medical plastics which has created challenges to the existing waste management system in the developing countries. The current review focuses on the biomedical waste and its classification, disinfection, and recycling technology of different types of plastics waste generated in the sector and their corresponding approaches toward end-of-life option and value addition. This review provides a broader overview of the process to reduce the volume of plastics from biomedical waste directly entering the landfill while providing a knowledge step toward the conversion of "waste" to "wealth." An average of 25% of the recyclable plastics are present in biomedical waste. All the processes discussed in this article accounts for cleaner techniques and a sustainable approach to the treatment of biomedical waste.

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In Vitro Assessment of Lactobacillus crispatus UBLCp01, Lactobacillus gasseri UBLG36, and Lactobacillus johnsonii UBLJ01 as a Potential Vaginal Probiotic Candidate

In this study, Lactobacillus crispatus UBLCp01, Lactobacillus gasseri UBLG36, and Lactobacillus johnsonii UBLJ01 isolated from the vagina of healthy reproductive age Indian women were screened for beneficial probiotic properties. These strains showed the ability to survive acidic and simulated vaginal fluid conditions and could adhere to mucin. Lact. gasseri UBLG36, and Lact. johnsonii UBLJ01 produced D- and L-lactic acid, whereas Lact. crispatus UBLCp01 produced hydrogen peroxide and D- and L-lactic acid. All strains inhibited the growth of pathogens (Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Proteus mirabilis, and Candida albicans) and were capable of co-aggregating with them with varying degrees. Strains secreted exopolysaccharides and formed biofilms under in vitro conditions. Safety assessment showed that these strains had a usual antibiotic susceptibility profile, did not produce hemolysins, gelatinases, and mucin degrading enzymes. Based on strain characteristics and beneficial properties, we believe that these strains are promising candidates for human trials to confirm their ability to prevent/treat vaginal dysbiosis and maintain a healthy vaginal eco-system.

Ability of Caprini and Padua Risk-Assessment Models to Predict Venous Thromboembolism in a Nationwide Study

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable complication of hospitalization. Risk-stratification is the cornerstone of prevention. The Caprini and Padua are the most commonly used risk-assessment models to quantify VTE risk. Both models perform well in select, high-risk cohorts. While VTE risk-stratification is recommended for all hospital admissions, few studies have evaluated the models in a large, unselected cohort of patients.

Methods

We analyzed consecutive first hospital admissions of 1,252,460 unique surgical and non-surgical patients to 1,298 VA facilities nationwide between January 2016 and December 2021. Caprini and Padua scores were generated using the VA's national data repository. We first assessed the ability of the two RAMs to predict VTE within 90 days of admission. In secondary analyses, we evaluated prediction at 30 and 60 days, in surgical versus non-surgical patients, after excluding patients with upper extremity DVT, in patients hospitalized ≥72 hours, after including all-cause mortality in the composite outcome, and after accounting for prophylaxis in the predictive model. We used area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUC) as the metric of prediction.

Results

A total of 330,388 (26.4%) surgical and 922,072 (73.6%) non-surgical consecutively hospitalized patients (total n=1,252,460) were analyzed. Caprini scores ranged from 0-28 (median, interquartile range: 4, 3-6); Padua scores ranged from 0-13 (1, 1-3). The RAMs showed good calibration and higher scores were associated with higher VTE rates. VTE developed in 35,557 patients (2.8%) within 90 days of admission. The ability of both models to predict 90-day VTE was low (AUCs: Caprini 0.56 [95% CI 0.56-0.56], Padua 0.59 [0.58-0.59]). Prediction remained low for surgical (Caprini 0.54 [0.53-0.54], Padua 0.56 [0.56-0.57]) and non-surgical patients (Caprini 0.59 [0.58-0.59], Padua 0.59 [0.59-0.60]). There was no clinically meaningful change in predictive performance in patients admitted for ≥72 hours, after excluding upper extremity DVT from the outcome, after including all-cause mortality in the outcome, or after accounting for ongoing VTE prophylaxis.

Conclusions

Caprini and Padua risk-assessment model scores have low ability to predict VTE events in a cohort of unselected consecutive hospitalizations. Improved VTE risk-assessment models must be developed before they can be applied to a general hospital population.

Magnetic hydrogel particles improve nanopore sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses

Presented here is a magnetic hydrogel particle enabled workflow for capturing and concentrating SARS-CoV-2 from diagnostic remnant swab samples that significantly improves sequencing results using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencing platform. Our approach utilizes a novel affinity-based magnetic hydrogel particle, circumventing low input sample volumes and allowing for both rapid manual and automated high throughput workflows that are compatible with Nanopore sequencing. This approach enhances standard RNA extraction protocols, providing up to 40 × improvements in viral mapped reads, and improves sequencing coverage by 20-80% from lower titer diagnostic remnant samples. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this approach works for contrived influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus samples, suggesting that it can be used to identify and improve sequencing results of multiple viruses in VTM samples. These methods can be performed manually or on a KingFisher automation platform.

Association mapping for protein, total soluble sugars, starch, amylose and chlorophyll content in rice

BACKGROUND

Protein, starch, amylose and total soluble sugars are basic metabolites of seed that influence the eating, cooking and nutritional qualities of rice. Chlorophyll is responsible for the absorption and utilization of the light energy influencing photosynthetic efficiency in rice plant. Mapping of these traits are very important for detection of more number of robust markers for improvement of these traits through molecular breeding approaches.

RESULTS

A representative panel population was developed by including 120 germplasm lines from the initial shortlisted 274 lines for mapping of the six biochemical traits using 136 microsatellite markers through association mapping. A wide genetic variation was detected for the traits, total protein, starch, amylose, total soluble sugars, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b content in the population. Specific allele frequency, gene diversity, informative markers and other diversity parameters obtained from the population indicated the effectiveness of utilization of the population and markers for mapping of these traits. The fixation indices values estimated from the population indicated the existence of linkage disequilibrium for the six traits. The population genetic structure at K = 3 showed correspondence with majority of the members in each group for the six traits. The reported QTL, qProt1, qPC6.2, and qPC8.2 for protein content; qTSS8.1 for total soluble sugar; qAC1.2 for amylose content; qCH2 and qSLCHH for chlorophyll a (Chl. a) while qChl5D for chlorophyll b (Chl. b) were validated in this population. The QTL controlling total protein content qPC1.2; qTSS7.1, qTSS8.2 and qTSS12.1 for total soluble sugars; qSC2.1, qSC2.2, qSC6.1 and qSC11.1 for starch content; qAC11.1, qAC11.2 and qAC11.3 for amylose content; qChla8.1 for Chl. a content and qChlb7.1 and qChlb8.1 for Chl. b identified by both Generalized Linear Model and Mixed Linear Model were detected as novel QTL. The chromosomal regions on chromosome 8 at 234 cM for grain protein content and total soluble sugars and at 363 cM for Chl. a and Chl. b along with the position at 48 cM on chromosome 11 for starch and amylose content are genetic hot spots for these traits.

CONCLUSION

The validated, co-localized and the novel QTL detected in this study will be useful for improvement of protein, starch, amylose, total soluble sugars and chlorophyll content in rice.

ROLE OF HOME ENVIRONMENT IN LTSS USE AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE US

Older adults have shown increasing preference towards having help and health care in the comfort of their own homes rather than in an institutional setting. Research suggests that about 1 in 5 older adults with limitations in activities of daily living report needing more help than they receive. There is insufficient research examining how home inaccessibility and disorder relates to LTSS use for community-dwelling older adults in the U.S. This study addresses a gap in the literature by directly examining the relationship between home environment quality and LTSS use for a national sample of older adults. Data was analyzed from round eight (2018) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), an epidemiological panel study of nationally representative Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older living in the communities (n = 4,806). The final analytic sample included respondents with valid data on all variables (n = 4,265). Community dwelling adults with greater home accessibility had lower odds of having two or more LTSS caregivers, compared to the counterpart with lower home accessibility (OR = 0.246, SE = 0.094, p &lt; 0.01). However, poor housing conditions had lower odds of having two or more LTSS caregivers (OR = 0.333, SE = 0.156, p &lt; 0.05). Community-dwelling older adults who have accessible and organized homes are more likely to be independent and are less likely to depend on LTSS caregiving. Policies to improve home environment quality could benefit both older adults and those who care for them.

Systematic review of venous thromboembolism risk categories derived from Caprini score

OBJECTIVE

Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE, including pulmonary embolism [PE] and deep vein thrombosis [DVT]) is a preventable cause of hospital death. The Caprini risk assessment model (RAM) is one of the most commonly used tools to assess VTE risk. The RAM is operationalized in clinical practice by grouping several risk scores into VTE risk categories that drive decisions on prophylaxis. A correlation between increasing Caprini scores and rising VTE risk is well-established. We assessed whether the increasing VTE risk categories assigned on the basis of recommended score ranges also correlate with increasing VTE risk.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of articles that used the Caprini RAM to assign VTE risk categories and that reported corresponding VTE rates. A Medline and EMBASE search retrieved 895 articles, of which 57 fulfilled inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Forty-eight (84%) of the articles were cohort studies, 7 (12%) were case-control studies, and 2 (4%) were cross-sectional studies. The populations varied from postsurgical to medical patients. There was variability in the number of VTE risk categories assigned by individual studies (6 used 5 risk categories, 37 used 4, 11 used 3, and 3 used 2), and in the cutoff scores defining the risk categories (scores from 0 alone to 0-10 for the low-risk category; from ≥5 to ≥10 for high risk). The VTE rates reported for similar risk categories also varied across studies (0%-12.3% in the low-risk category; 0%-40% for high risk). The Caprini RAM is designed to assess composite VTE risk; however, two studies reported PE or DVT rates alone, and many of the other studies did not specify the types of DVTs analyzed. The Caprini RAM predicts VTE at 30 days after assessment; however, only 17 studies measured outcomes at 30 days; the remaining studies had either shorter or longer follow-ups (0-180 days).

CONCLUSIONS

The usefulness of the Caprini RAM is limited by heterogeneity in its implementation across centers. The score-derived VTE risk categorization has significant variability in the number of risk categories being used, the cutpoints used to define the risk categories, the outcome being measured, and the follow-up duration. This factor leads to similar risk categories being associated with different VTE rates, which impacts the clinical and research implications of the results. To enhance generalizability, there is a need for studies that validate the RAM in a broad population of medical and surgical patients, identify standardized risk categories, define risk of DVT and PE as distinct end points, and measure outcomes at standardized follow-up time points.

Partial COVID-19 vaccination associated with reduction in postoperative mortality and SARS-CoV-2 infection

BACKGROUND

There are currently no data to guide decisions about delaying surgery to achieve full vaccination.

METHODS

We analyzed data from patients undergoing surgery at any of the 1,283 VA medical facilities nationwide and compared postoperative complication rates by vaccination status.

RESULTS

Of 87,073 surgical patients, 20% were fully vaccinated, 15% partially vaccinated, and 65% unvaccinated. Mortality was reduced in full vaccination vs. unvaccinated (Incidence Rate Ratio 0.77, 95% CI [0.62, 0.94]) and partially vaccinated vs. unvaccinated (0.75 [0.60, 0.94]). Postoperative COVID-19 infection was reduced in fully (0.18 [0.12, 0.26]) and partially vaccinated patients (0.34 [0.24, 0.48]). Fully vaccinated compared to partially vaccinated patients, had similar postoperative mortality (1.02, [0.78, 1.33]), but had decreased COVID-19 infection (0.53 [0.32, 0.87]), pneumonia (0.75 [0.62, 0.93]), and pulmonary failure (0.79 [0.68, 0.93]).

CONCLUSIONS

Full and partial vaccination reduces postoperative complications indicating the importance of any degree of vaccination prior to surgery.

Hypertriton Production in p-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

The study of nuclei and antinuclei production has proven to be a powerful tool to investigate the formation mechanism of loosely bound states in high-energy hadronic collisions. The first measurement of the production of _{Λ}^{3}H in p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV is presented in this Letter. Its production yield measured in the rapidity interval -1<y<0 for the 40% highest-multiplicity p-Pb collisions is dN/dy=[6.3±1.8(stat)±1.2(syst)]×10^{-7}. The measurement is compared with the expectations of statistical hadronization and coalescence models, which describe the nucleosynthesis in hadronic collisions. These two models predict very different yields of the hypertriton in charged particle multiplicity environments relevant to small collision systems such as p-Pb, and therefore the measurement of dN/dy is crucial to distinguish between them. The precision of this measurement leads to the exclusion with a significance larger than 6.9σ of some configurations of the statistical hadronization model, thus constraining the theory behind the production of loosely bound states at hadron colliders.

Learning curve and proficiency metrics for transcarotid artery revascularization

BACKGROUND

When introduced to a new procedure, physicians improve their performance and reduce their procedural adverse event rates rapidly during the initial cases and then improvement slows, signaling that proficiency has been achieved. Determining when they have acquired proficiency has important implications for procedural innovation, education, credentialing, and patient safety. We analyzed the worldwide experience with transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR), a hybrid approach to carotid revascularization, to identify the (1) procedural performance measures associated with clinical and technical adverse events; (2) target levels of performance measures that minimize adverse event rates; and (3) number of TCAR cases needed to achieve the target levels for the performance measures.

METHODS

The patient, lesion, and physician characteristics were collected for each TCAR procedure performed by each physician worldwide in an international quality assurance database. Four procedural performance measures were recorded for each procedure: flow-reversal time, fluoroscopy time, contrast volume, and total skin-to-skin time. Composite clinical adverse events (ie, transient ischemic attack, stroke, myocardial infarction, death) and composite technical adverse events (ie, aborted procedure, conversion to surgery, bleeding, dissection, cranial nerve injury, device failure), occurring within 24 hours were also recorded. Correlations between each performance measure and the clinical and technical adverse event rates were computed. The inflection points in the performance measures were identified at which no further improvements occurred in the adverse event rates. Finally, the minimum number of TCAR cases required to achieve the target performance measure levels was computed.

RESULTS

A total of 18,240 procedures performed by 1273 physicians were analyzed. Of the 18,240 patients, 34.9% were women and 62.5% were asymptomatic. The flow-reversal time correlated with clinical adverse events adjusted for age, sex, and symptomatic status (R2 = 0.91; P < .0001) and adjusted technical adverse events (R2 = 0.86; P < .0001). The skin-to-skin time correlated with adjusted technical adverse events (R2 = 0.92; P < .0001). A reduction in flow-reversal times to <13.1 minutes and the skin-to-skin time to <81 minutes did not translate into further improvements in the adverse event rates. A minimum of 26 TCAR cases was required to achieve the target flow-reversal time, and a minimum of 15 cases was required to achieve the target skin-to-skin time.

CONCLUSIONS

The flow-reversal time and skin-to-skin time are appropriate performance measures for establishing the level of expertise of physicians as they acquire skills to perform TCAR. A target time of ≤13.1 minutes for flow-reversal and 81 minutes for skin-to-skin time minimized the adverse event rates. Familiarity with the steps involved in performing TCAR was achieved after ≥15 cases, and minimizing clinical adverse events occurred after ≥26 cases.

Polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] Hyperons along the Beam Direction in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV

The polarization of the Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam (z) direction, P_{z}, has been measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded with ALICE at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The main contribution to P_{z} comes from elliptic flow-induced vorticity and can be characterized by the second Fourier sine coefficient P_{z,s2}=⟨P_{z}sin(2φ-2Ψ_{2})⟩, where φ is the hyperon azimuthal emission angle and Ψ_{2} is the elliptic flow plane angle. We report the measurement of P_{z,s2} for different collision centralities and in the 30%-50% centrality interval as a function of the hyperon transverse momentum and rapidity. The P_{z,s2} is positive similarly as measured by the STAR Collaboration in Au-Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV, with somewhat smaller amplitude in the semicentral collisions. This is the first experimental evidence of a nonzero hyperon P_{z} in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. The comparison of the measured P_{z,s2} with the hydrodynamic model calculations shows sensitivity to the competing contributions from thermal and the recently found shear-induced vorticity, as well as to whether the polarization is acquired at the quark-gluon plasma or the hadronic phase.

Transcarotid revascularization outcomes do not differ by patient age or sex

BACKGROUND

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a hybrid approach to carotid revascularization. Limited information is available on the differences in periprocedural complications and performance measures of TCAR for men compared with women and for older vs younger adults.

METHODS

The patient, lesion, and physician characteristics were collected for all TCAR procedures performed by each physician worldwide in an international quality assurance database between March 3, 2009 and May 7, 2020. Clinical composite (ie, death, stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction) and technical composite (ie, aborted procedure, conversion to surgery, bleeding, dissection, cranial nerve injury, device failure) adverse events within 24 hours of the procedure were recorded. Four performance measures were recorded: flow-reversal time, fluoroscopy time, contrast volume, and skin-to-skin time. Poisson regressions were used to assess the effects of age and sex on the incidence of clinical and technical composite adverse events. Linear regressions were used to compare the four performance measures.

RESULTS

A total of 18,240 TCARs were performed by 1273 physicians; 34.9% of the patients were women and 37.5% were symptomatic. The overall incidence of clinical and technical composite adverse events was low. The adjusted clinical (1.62% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17%-2.23%] vs 1.35% [95% CI, 1.01%-1.79%]; P = .22) and technical (7.84% [95% CI, 6.85%-8.97%] vs 7.80% [95% CI, 6.94%-8.77%]; P = .93) composite adverse event rates did not vary for women vs men. The adjusted clinical (P = .65) and technical (P = .55) composite adverse event rates also did not vary by age. The adjusted skin-to-skin time was shorter for the women (76.6 minutes; 95% CI, 74.6-78.6) than for the men (77.7 minutes; 95% CI, 75.7-79.6; P = .002). Significant differences were found by age group for fluoroscopy time, flow-reversal time, and skin-to-skin time, although the magnitude of these differences was small (<1 minute for each).

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical and technical outcomes of TCAR are not affected by age or sex. We found clinically minor differences in the procedural performance measures when stratified by age and sex. In addition to being safe for younger individuals, TCAR could also be the preferred method for performing carotid stenting in women and older patients, in particular, older women.

Measurement of the Groomed Jet Radius and Momentum Splitting Fraction in pp and Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

This article presents groomed jet substructure measurements in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector. The soft drop grooming algorithm provides access to the hard parton splittings inside a jet by removing soft wide-angle radiation. We report the groomed jet momentum splitting fraction, z_{g}, and the (scaled) groomed jet radius, θ_{g}. Charged-particle jets are reconstructed at midrapidity using the anti-k_{T} algorithm with resolution parameters R=0.2 and R=0.4. In heavy-ion collisions, the large underlying event poses a challenge for the reconstruction of groomed jet observables, since fluctuations in the background can cause groomed parton splittings to be misidentified. By using strong grooming conditions to reduce this background, we report these observables fully corrected for detector effects and background fluctuations for the first time. A narrowing of the θ_{g} distribution in Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions is seen, which provides direct evidence of the modification of the angular structure of jets in the quark-gluon plasma. No significant modification of the z_{g} distribution in Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions is observed. These results are compared with a variety of theoretical models of jet quenching, and provide constraints on jet energy-loss mechanisms and coherence effects in the quark-gluon plasma.

Measurement of Prompt D^{0}, Λ_{c}^{+}, and Σ_{c}^{0,++}(2455) Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The p_{T}-differential production cross sections of prompt D^{0}, Λ_{c}^{+}, and Σ_{c}^{0,++}(2455) charmed hadrons are measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV. This is the first measurement of Σ_{c}^{0,++} production in hadronic collisions. Assuming the same production yield for the three Σ_{c}^{0,+,++} isospin states, the baryon-to-meson cross section ratios Σ_{c}^{0,+,++}/D^{0} and Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} are calculated in the transverse momentum (p_{T}) intervals 2<p_{T}<12 and 1<p_{T}<24  GeV/c. Values significantly larger than in e^{+}e^{-} collisions are observed, indicating for the first time that baryon enhancement in hadronic collisions also extends to the Σ_{c}. The feed-down contribution to Λ_{c}^{+} production from Σ_{c}^{0,+,++} is also reported and is found to be larger than in e^{+}e^{-} collisions. The data are compared with predictions from event generators and other phenomenological models, providing a sensitive test of the different charm-hadronization mechanisms implemented in the models.

Mobility Driven Thermoelectric and Optical Properties of Two-Dimensional Halide-based Hybrid Perovskites: Impact of Organic Cation Rotation

The pivotal impact of organic cation rotation may render structural complexity in two-dimensional (2D) halide-based hybrid perovskites. The crucial role of the orientation of organic cation (MA = CH3NH3+) in...

The impact of fluence dependent proton ion irradiation on the structural and optical properties of Bi5In30Se65 thin films for nonlinear optical devices

The influence of 30 keV proton ion irradiation on the surface morphology, surface topography and optical properties of Bi5In30Se65 thin films.

Measurement of the Cross Sections of Ξ_{c}^{0} and Ξ_{c}^{+} Baryons and of the Branching-Fraction Ratio BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e})/BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}π^{+}) in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The p_{T}-differential cross sections of prompt charm-strange baryons Ξ_{c}^{0} and Ξ_{c}^{+} were measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The Ξ_{c}^{0} baryon was reconstructed via both the semileptonic decay (Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e}) and the hadronic decay (Ξ^{-}π^{+}) channels. The Ξ_{c}^{+} baryon was reconstructed via the hadronic decay (Ξ^{-}π^{+}π^{+}) channel. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e})/BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}π^{+})=1.38±0.14(stat)±0.22(syst) was measured with a total uncertainty reduced by a factor of about 3 with respect to the current world average reported by the Particle Data Group. The transverse momentum (p_{T}) dependence of the Ξ_{c}^{0}- and Ξ_{c}^{+}-baryon production relative to the D^{0} meson and to the Σ_{c}^{0,+,++}- and Λ_{c}^{+}-baryon production are reported. The baryon-to-meson ratio increases toward low p_{T} up to a value of approximately 0.3. The measurements are compared with various models that take different hadronization mechanisms into consideration. The results provide stringent constraints to these theoretical calculations and additional evidence that different processes are involved in charm hadronization in electron-positron (e^{+}e^{-}) and hadronic collisions.

Motivation to Learn and Multilingualism across the Adult Life Stages in the U.S

Lifelong learning or continuing education over the life course has become necessary to navigate a rapidly changing technological landscape. Motivation to learn (MtL) is essential for facilitating lifelong learning. In the U.S., most of the educational opportunities are available in English. Moreover, little is known about associations between being multilingual and MtL across the life stages. This study analyzed nationally representative data from the 2012/2014/2017 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) restricted use file (RUF). Using a previously established latent MtL construct, structural equation models were estimated by four age groups --- 25-34 (n = 2,310); 35-44 (n = 1,610); 45-54 (n = 1,670); and 55 and older (n = 2,620). Results showed that being multilingual was associated with greater MtL among younger age groups, including age 25-34 (b = 0.20, p = 0.01) and 35-44 (b = 0.28, p &lt; 0.001), after adjusting for the demographic, socioeconomic and health characteristics of individuals. Multilingualism was not associated with MtL among older age groups, including 45-54 (b = 0.06, p = 0.50) and 55 and older (b = 0.13, p = 0.19). Findings suggest that education policies that target younger multilingual adults are likely to be effective while enhancing MtL of monolingual (i.e., English-speaking only) adults seems to be a necessary first step. Yet, a similar approach may not be effective for older adults, arguably due to more diverse life circumstances, educational needs, and learning style preferences. More detailed interpretations of empirical results and theoretical explanations are needed.

Motivation to Learn at the Intersections of Age, Gender, and Race

Continuing adult education and training, or lifelong learning, has become increasingly important to fully engage in rapidly changing technology and information-rich societies. However, without motivation to learn (MtL), lifelong learning participation is unlikely to occur. Although previous research has identified lifelong learning gaps by various demographic characteristics, including age, gender, and race/ethnicity, little is known about the intersectionality or differences in MtL across specific sub-groups (e.g., older Black women vs. older Black men) at the national level. The current study analyzed U.S. data from the 2012/2014/2017 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to examine MtL at the intersections of age (five 10-year age groups), gender (women vs. men), and race (White vs. Black). The previously established 4-item latent MtL construct was evaluated for twenty sub-groups using the alignment optimization method, which is a machine learning algorithm for latent mean estimation and simultaneous multiple group comparisons. Results showed that the latent MtL construct was validly measured across the sub-groups, and the estimated sub-group means were then used to develop a national MtL profile. Overall, older adults tended to have lower MtL than younger age groups. Notably, compared to than older Black men age 66+ years, older White men aged 55-65 and 66+ years old had lower MtL (latent mean differences of -0.29 and -0.41, respectively, p < .05). Additionally, older Black women had significantly lower MtL than older Black men (latent mean difference = -0.50, p < .05). The national MtL profiles, the intersectionality and policy implications were discussed.

Λ_{c}^{+} Production and Baryon-to-Meson Ratios in pp and p-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV at the LHC

The prompt production of the charm baryon Λ_{c}^{+} and the Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} production ratios were measured at midrapidity with the ALICE detector in pp and p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. These new measurements show a clear decrease of the Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} ratio with increasing transverse momentum (p_{T}) in both collision systems in the range 2<p_{T}<12  GeV/c, exhibiting similarities with the light-flavor baryon-to-meson ratios p/π and Λ/K_{S}^{0}. At low p_{T}, predictions that include additional color-reconnection mechanisms beyond the leading-color approximation, assume the existence of additional higher-mass charm-baryon states, or include hadronization via coalescence can describe the data, while predictions driven by charm-quark fragmentation processes measured in e^{+}e^{-} and e^{-}p collisions significantly underestimate the data. The results presented in this Letter provide significant evidence that the established assumption of universality (colliding-system independence) of parton-to-hadron fragmentation is not sufficient to describe charm-baryon production in hadronic collisions at LHC energies.

Experimental Evidence for an Attractive p-ϕ Interaction

This Letter presents the first experimental evidence of the attractive strong interaction between a proton and a ϕ meson. The result is obtained from two-particle correlations of combined p-ϕ⊕ p[over ¯]-ϕ pairs measured in high-multiplicity pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ALICE Collaboration. The spin-averaged scattering length and effective range of the p-ϕ interaction are extracted from the fully corrected correlation function employing the Lednický-Lyuboshits approach. In particular, the imaginary part of the scattering length vanishes within uncertainties, indicating that inelastic processes do not play a prominent role for the p-ϕ interaction. These data demonstrate that the interaction is dominated by elastic p-ϕ scattering. Furthermore, an analysis employing phenomenological Gaussian- and Yukawa-type potentials is conducted. Under the assumption of the latter, the N-ϕ coupling constant is found to be g_{N-ϕ}=0.14±0.03(stat)±0.02(syst). This work provides valuable experimental input to accomplish a self-consistent description of the N-ϕ interaction, which is particularly relevant for the more fundamental studies on partial restoration of chiral symmetry in nuclear medium.

Multiharmonic Correlations of Different Flow Amplitudes in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV

The event-by-event correlations between three flow amplitudes are measured for the first time in Pb-Pb collisions, using higher-order symmetric cumulants. We find that different three-harmonic correlations develop during the collective evolution of the medium when compared to correlations that exist in the initial state. These new results cannot be interpreted in terms of previous lower-order flow measurements since contributions from two-harmonic correlations are explicitly removed in the new observables. A comparison to Monte Carlo simulations provides new and independent constraints for the initial conditions and system properties of nuclear matter created in heavy-ion collisions.

The 2021 Magnonics Roadmap

Magnonics is a budding research field in nanomagnetism and nanoscience that addresses the use of spin waves (magnons) to transmit, store, and process information. The rapid advancements of this field during last one decade in terms of upsurge in research papers, review articles, citations, proposals of devices as well as introduction of new sub-topics prompted us to present the first roadmap on magnonics. This is a collection of 22 sections written by leading experts in this field who review and discuss the current status besides presenting their vision of future perspectives. Today, the principal challenges in applied magnonics are the excitation of sub-100 nm wavelength magnons, their manipulation on the nanoscale and the creation of sub-micrometre devices using low-Gilbert damping magnetic materials and its interconnections to standard electronics. To this end, magnonics offers lower energy consumption, easier integrability and compatibility with CMOS structure, reprogrammability, shorter wavelength, smaller device features, anisotropic properties, negative group velocity, non-reciprocity and efficient tunability by various external stimuli to name a few. Hence, despite being a young research field, magnonics has come a long way since its early inception. This roadmap asserts a milestone for future emerging research directions in magnonics, and hopefully, it will inspire a series of exciting new articles on the same topic in the coming years.

Soft-Dielectron Excess in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A measurement of dielectron production in proton-proton (pp) collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, recorded with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC, is presented in this Letter. The data set was recorded with a reduced magnetic solenoid field. This enables the investigation of a kinematic domain at low dielectron (ee) invariant mass m_{ee} and pair transverse momentum p_{T,ee} that was previously inaccessible at the LHC. The cross section for dielectron production is studied as a function of m_{ee}, p_{T,ee}, and event multiplicity dN_{ch}/dη. The expected dielectron rate from hadron decays, called hadronic cocktail, utilizes a parametrization of the measured η/π^{0} ratio in pp and proton-nucleus collisions, assuming that this ratio shows no strong dependence on collision energy at low transverse momentum. Comparison of the measured dielectron yield to the hadronic cocktail at 0.15<m_{ee}<0.6  GeV/c^{2} and for p_{T,ee}<0.4  GeV/c indicates an enhancement of soft dielectrons, reminiscent of the "anomalous" soft-photon and soft-dilepton excess in hadron-hadron collisions reported by several experiments under different experimental conditions. The enhancement factor over the hadronic cocktail amounts to 1.61±0.13(stat)±0.17(syst,data)±0.34(syst,cocktail) in the ALICE acceptance. Acceptance-corrected excess spectra in m_{ee} and p_{T,ee} are extracted and compared with calculations of dielectron production from hadronic bremsstrahlung and thermal radiation within a hadronic many-body approach.

Schwannoma in an accessory branch of the posterior cord of the brachial plexus: a rare case report

BACKGROUND

Variation in the posterior cord of the brachial plexus is complicated and creates a risky relationship with the neighbouring structures. This is of importance to the surgeons, anaesthetists who must deal with the region in surgeries and procedures. Moreover, any benign tumour like Schwannoma is rare in the plexus comprising 5 % of total head and neck schwannomas.

METHODS

We present a case of Schwannoma of the brachial plexus in a cadaver during routine anatomy dissection for the medical students. The origin and order of branching of the posterior cord were recorded and photographs were taken. The tumour was present in an accessory branch of the posterior cord and removal was made in-toto. An immunohistochemistry study was done for confirmation of diagnosis.

RESULTS

The classical branching of the posterior cord was present. Additionally, a branch existed that was supplying the triceps muscle and emerged directly from the posterior cord. Tumour having the dimension of 2 x 1.8x 0.5 cm was present.

CONCLUSIONS

Schwannomas are indolent but may cause compression of the nerve and resulting neurological symptoms. They might mimic nodules of supraclavicular fossa in breast carcinoma. Variations of the brachial plexus can also make the surgeons confused during surgery due to which anatomical knowledge of the possible variations is important. Pre- and Post-operative complications can be easily predicted from it. Follow-up of the tumour is essential to track its progress and differentiation.

Elliptic Flow of Electrons from Beauty-Hadron Decays in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

The elliptic flow of electrons from beauty hadron decays at midrapidity (|y|<0.8) is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The azimuthal distribution of the particles produced in the collisions can be parametrized with a Fourier expansion, in which the second harmonic coefficient represents the elliptic flow, v_{2}. The v_{2} coefficient of electrons from beauty hadron decays is measured for the first time in the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range 1.3-6  GeV/c in the centrality class 30%-50%. The measurement of electrons from beauty-hadron decays exploits their larger mean proper decay length cτ≈500  μm compared to that of charm hadrons and most of the other background sources. The v_{2} of electrons from beauty hadron decays at midrapidity is found to be positive with a significance of 3.75  σ. The results provide insights into the degree of thermalization of beauty quarks in the medium. A model assuming full thermalization of beauty quarks is strongly disfavored by the measurement at high p_{T}, but is in agreement with the results at low p_{T}. Transport models including substantial interactions of beauty quarks with an expanding strongly interacting medium describe the measurement within uncertainties.

Lifelong Bilingualism and Literacy Skills Use Among Hispanic Adults

Literacy skills use in everyday life is associated with social (e.g., civic participation) and economic (e.g., higher wages) benefits throughout the life course. Yet, the use of literacy skills may be lower among immigrants and those with limited language proficiency. No prior research examined associations between bilingualism in early life — a critical period for language acquisition — English literacy skills, and the use of literacy skills in later life of Hispanic adults. The objective of this study is to determine whether lifelong bilingualism (i.e., learning a second language in childhood and still understanding today) is associated with Hispanics’ everyday use of literacy skills later in life. Nationally representative data (n = 412) of Hispanics 35 years and older were obtained from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). A series of logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between lifelong bilingualism and several measures of literacy skills use in everyday life. Results showed that lifelong bilingualism (vs. being monolingual) was negatively associated with the daily use of letters, notes, and e-mails (Odds Ratio = 0.426, p< 0.05), reading financial statements (Odds Ratio = 0.474, p< 0.05), and reading diagrams (Odds Ratio = 0.391, p< 0.05). Additionally, literacy was a consistent predictor of skill use. While bilingualism is generally beneficial for aging adults, our findings suggest that, among Hispanics, lifelong bilingualism is associated with the less frequent use of literacy skills later in life. We discuss the possible theoretical and practice implications of these findings.

Literacy Skills, Immigration, and Motivation to Learn Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States

Education and training over the life course or lifelong learning has become critical in the fast-changing U.S. society. Foundation skills (e.g., literacy), motivation, curiosity, as well as access to learning opportunities are essential to promote lifelong learning. Despite the importance of these promoting factors, empirical research focusing on complex relationships between literacy skills, immigration and motivation to learn (MtL) among middle-aged and older adults is scarce. The objective of this study is to examine how literacy skills and immigration (vs. U.S. born) are associated with MtL among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S. Nationally representative data (n = 8,670) of adults aged 45 years and older were obtained from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Structural equation models were constructed to examine the formerly tested and validated latent MtL construct based on four 5-point Likert-type scale items among the sub-population of interest. Results showed that higher literacy skills (0-500 points; b = 0.002, p < 0.05) was associated with greater MtL. Additionally, immigrants were less likely (b = -0.114, p < 0.05) to have greater MtL than those who are non-immigrants (i.e. U.S. born). Higher literacy skills may indicate positive experiences in previous adult education and training and greater readiness for further learning. Findings from this study provide new empirical evidence of lifelong learning determinants. Educators and researchers should be aware of limited literacy and being an immigrant as potential barriers to knowledge-seeking in later life.

Adverse Consequences of Unmet In-Home Mobility Care Needs and Risk of Hospital Stay Among Older Adults in the United States

Mobility limitations are the most prevalent late life disability and are strongly associated with negative health outcomes. Research suggests that 1 in 5 older adults with limitations in activities of daily living report needing more help than is received. The objective of this study is to address a gap in the literature by directly examining the relationship between adverse consequences (e.g. home-bound, bedridden) of unmet in-home mobility care needs and hospital stay for a national sample of community-dwelling older adults. Data was analyzed from round eight (2018) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), an epidemiologic panel study of nationally representative Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older living in the communities (n = 4,344). Community dwelling adults with one or more adverse consequence due to in-home mobility limitation had 1.931 times odds of hospital stay in the last 12 months, compared to the counterpart with no in-home mobility limitation (OR = 1.931, SE = 0.153, p < 0.05), after adjusting for the covariates. Community-dwelling older adults who have adverse consequence due to unmet in-home mobility care needs are more likely to be immobile and are more likely to have hospital stays. By addressing the needs of this population, the rate of hospitalization can be decreased resulting in fewer stressful events and better quality of life. Policies to improve long-term services and supports and reduce unmet need could benefit both older adults and those who care for them.

Predictors of Motivation to Learn Among Middle-Aged and Older Men in the United States

Middle-aged and older men are less likely than women to participate in adult education and training (AET) outside of their work. AET is known to provide psychological, social and economic (e.g., job-related skills) benefits throughout the life course. Research has shown that motivation to learn (MtL) is the key to promoting AET. The objective of this study is to identify MtL predictors among middle-aged and older men in the U.S. Nationally representative data (n = 1,450) of men aged 45 years and older were obtained from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Structural equation models were constructed to examine how a latent MtL construct measured by four 5-point Likert-type itemsMtL might be predicted by participant characteristics. Results showed that having a postsecondary degree (vs. high school or less; b = 0.19, p < 0.05), higher literacy skills (0-500 points; b = 0.01, p < 0.05), at least one parent/guardian with a postsecondary degree (vs. those without; b = 0.08, p < 0.05) and better self-rated health (b = 0.14, p < 0.05) were associated with greater MtL. Additionally, Black (b = 0.22, p < 0.05) and Hispanic (b = 0.19, p < 0.05) men showed greater MtL than White men. Overall, socioeconomic status indicators and race/ethnicity were linked to MtL. Given the known challenges involved in middle-aged and older men’s participationin AET (e.g., low and short-term participation), enhancing MtL may have long-term implications. Theoretical explanations and possible policy implications are evaluated.