Bulletin of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (BCSEE)
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A New Method for Estimating Water-Quality Flows
No full textAbstractWater-quality flow (WQF) is used as the basis for designing some stormwater control measures. The conventional method for determining the WQF incorporates several assumptions that do not reflect reality. A method is presented for determining the WQF that does not require the main limiting assumptions. Specifically, the proposed method utilizes measured durations of the water-quality rainfall, local rainfall statistics, and representative infiltration characteristics of the catchment. The proposed method is demonstrated at two locations in south Florida. Defining the 90-percentile rainfall depth as the water-quality rainfall (WQR), the results show the WQR to be in the range of 3.4–3.9 cm, with corresponding average event durations in the range of 9.4–9.7 h. Most importantly, the results show that the actual WQF can be substantially greater than the WQF calculated using the conventional method, with correction factors in the range of 1.9–9.6 for a range of practical conditions.
Practical ApplicationsSome stormwater control measures (SCMs) such as biofiltration swales and vegetated filter strips are designed based on WQFs. The conventional method of determining the WQF includes certain assumptions that result in an underestimation of the WQF, and hence an underdesign of SCMs. The proposed method for determining the WQF does not require the limiting assumptions while maintaining the underlying physics of the runoff process. Utilization of the proposed method for calculating design WQFs should lead to more effective water-quality control by SCMs
Impact of Racist Microaggressions and LGBTQ-Related Minority Stressors: Effects on Psychological Distress Among LGBTQ+ Young People of Color
No full text
Physical Fitness Among Adolescents Who are Hispanic With Overweight or Obesity
No full textPURPOSETo describe cardiorespiratory, strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility fitness outcomes in a sample of adolescents who are Hispanic aged 11 to 15 years with overweight or obesity, stratified by age and sex. METHODSThe sample included 280 adolescents (mean age: 13.0 ± 0.83 years, mean body mass index percentile: 94.6). Anthropometric measures included height, weight, body mass index percentile, and waist and hip circumference. Fitness measures included handgrip strength, sit-ups in 60 seconds, sit-and-reach test, and 6-minute walk test. We report mean scores for each fitness outcome measure and correlation coefficients with anthropometric measures. RESULTSMean handgrip was 23.7 ± 6.48 kg, sit-and-reach test was 25.3 ± 8.13 cm, average sit-ups in 60 seconds were 19.4 ± 9.28, and 6-minute walk distance was 1960 ± 271 ft. Males outperformed females in all tests except sit-and-reach test. DISCUSSIONCompared with published fitness values of healthy weight adolescents, our sample of adolescents who are Hispanic with overweight/obesity living in southern Florida is unconditioned in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility
Changes in Clinical Management of Patients with Schizophrenia Treated with Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics
No full textPurpose: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted care of patients with schizophrenia treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs). This study (OASIS-MAPS) examined how clinical sites adapted operations and used telepsychiatry to maintain standard of care for these patients during the pandemic. Methods: Two online surveys (initial: October--November 2020, N = 35; follow-up: July--September 2021, N = 21) were completed by a principal investigator (PI) or PI-appointed designee at sites participating in the OASIS study (NCT03919994). Survey responses were analyzed descriptively. Results: At the time of the initial survey, all 35 participating sites were using variants of telepsychiatry, with 20 sites adopting it after the pandemic started. Most sites reported no negative impacts of the pandemic on medication adherence, although approximately 20% of sites reported decreased adherence for LAIs. Twelve sites (34%) reported switching patients with schizophrenia from LAIs to oral antipsychotic medications, while 11 sites (31%) reported switching patients from shorter to longer injection interval LAIs during the pandemic. Most sites did not experience difficulties in implementing or expanding telepsychiatry services, although lower reimbursement rate for telepsychiatry and patients' lack of access to and training on relevant technologies were the most frequently reported barriers. Conclusion: Changes made by sites after the pandemic onset were viewed by almost all participants as satisfactory for maintaining standard of care. Almost all participants thought that the use of telepsychiatry services would continue after the pandemic in a hybrid manner combining telepsychiatry and office visits. Ensuring that patients have equitable access to telepsychiatry will be important in the post-pandemic future. Keywords: telehealth, coronavirus, care management, medication adherenceAcademi
Multilevel Resilience and HIV Virologic Suppression Among African American/Black Adults in the Southeastern United States
No full textTo assess overall and by neighborhood risk environments whether multilevel resilience resources were associated with HIV virologic suppression among African American/Black adults in the Southeastern United States.
This clinical cohort sub-study included 436 African American/Black participants enrolled in two parent HIV clinical cohorts. Resilience was assessed using the Multilevel Resilience Resource Measure (MRM) for African American/Black adults living with HIV, where endorsement of a MRM statement indicated agreement that a resilience resource helped a participant continue HIV care despite challenges or was present in a participant's neighborhood. Modified Poisson regression models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) for virologic suppression as a function of categorical MRM scores, controlling for demographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics at or prior to sub-study enrollment. We assessed for effect measure modification (EMM) by neighborhood risk environments.
Compared to participants with lesser endorsement of multilevel resilience resources, aPRs for virologic suppression among those with greater or moderate endorsement were 1.03 (95% confidence interval: 0.96-1.11) and 1.03 (0.96-1.11), respectively. Regarding multilevel resilience resource endorsement, there was no strong evidence for EMM by levels of neighborhood risk environments.
Modest positive associations between higher multilevel resilience resource endorsement and virologic suppression were at times most compatible with the data. However, null findings were also compatible. There was no strong evidence for EMM concerning multilevel resilience resource endorsement, which could have been due to random error. Prospective studies assessing EMM by levels of the neighborhood risk environment with larger sample sizes are needed
ED visits, hospital admissions and treatment breaks in head/neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy
No full textObjectivesRadiation therapy (RT) is an integral part of treatment of head/neck cancer (HNC) but is associated with many toxicities. We sought to evaluate sociodemographic, pathologic, and clinical factors associated with emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions (HA), and RT breaks in HNC patients undergoing curative-intent RT. MethodsWe completed a Level 3 (Oxford criteria for evidence-based medicine) analysis of a cohort of HNC patients who underwent curative-intent RT at our institution from 2013 to 2017. We collected demographic characteristics and retrospectively assessed for heavy opioid use, ED visits or HA during RT as well as RT breaks. Treatment breaks were defined as total days to RT fractions ratio >= 1.6. Multivariable stepwise logistic regression analyses were done to determine the association of various sociodemographic, pathologic, and clinical characteristics with ED visits, HA and RT treatment breaks. ResultsThe cohort included 376 HNC patients (294 male, 82 female, median age 61). On multivariable analysis, significant factors associated with ED visits during RT were heavy opioid use and black race. Receipt of concomitant chemotherapy was the only factor associated with hospital admissions during RT. Advanced age, lower socioeconomic class, glandular site, and receipt of chemotherapy were all independently associated with RT breaks. Lower cancer stage and lack of substance abuse history were independently associated with lack of treatment breaks. ConclusionHNC patients with factors such as heavy opioid use, Black race, receipt of concomitant chemotherapy, and lower socioeconomic class may require closer monitoring during RT
The importance of fault damage zones for fluid flow in low-permeable carbonate rocks – fault-related compaction fronts in the Danish North Sea
No full textThis study documents the timing and driving forces of the formation of fault-related compaction fronts in the Upper Cretaceous to lowermost Paleogene Chalk Group in the southern Danish Central Graben, based on the integration of 3D seismic, petrophysical log and clumped isotope data. The compaction fronts reflect zones in the low-permeable Chalk Group that underwent time-transgressive fault reactivation and pore fluid venting driven by movements of deeper salt and inversion movements. The fault-damage zones formed narrow permeability fairways that facilitated better drainage of compaction-driven pore fluids trapped in the matrix, eventually resulting in preferential mechanical compaction of the chalk. Salt doming during the Paleocene – Early Eocene, possibly linked to regional inversion tectonics, led to an initial phase of fault reactivation, offsetting the entire Chalk Group; pockmarks within this interval indicate release of pressurized fluids on the seafloor. Clumped isotope data from calcite-cemented veins associated with these fault-damage zones indicate precipitation from fluids that likely originated from Lower to Middle Jurassic strata at the root of these faults some 1500 m below the Chalk Group. Local thickening of the Paleocene to Lower Miocene Rogaland and Hordaland Groups matches a 20–50 m thinning of the chalk within the compaction fronts. This indicates that preferential drainage and compaction continued as the chalk became buried with clays, which became affected by polygonal-faulting causing episodic leak-offs. The results indicate that fault damage zones in low-permeability rocks may initially act as permeability fairways, but the improved drainage of formation fluids may over time cause preferential mechanical compaction and calcite precipitation. At present, the fault-related compaction fronts form low-porosity chalk bodies that may have acted as seals and/or re-directed fluid migration. The results have important implications for static and dynamic reservoir models, also in the light of Carbon Capture Storage and geothermal energy extraction and storage.•Better drainage of burial fluids in fault damage zones creates localized compaction fronts.•Reactivation of older fault fabrics underlying the chalk control locations of fault damage zones.•Salt movement, inversion tectonics, and differential compaction causes most deformation.•The localized compaction fronts formed during the Paleocene – Late Oligocene.•The overlying polygonally-faulted clays were not effectively sealing during this time
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Characteristics and Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With COVID-19 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Admitted to U.S. ICUs
No full textExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used successfully to support adults with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related cardiac or respiratory failure refractory to conventional therapies. Comprehensive reports of children and adolescents with SARS-CoV-2-related ECMO support for conditions, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and acute COVID-19, are needed.
Case series of patients from the Overcoming COVID-19 public health surveillance registry.
Sixty-three hospitals in 32 U.S. states reporting to the registry between March 15, 2020, and December 31, 2021.
Patients less than 21 years admitted to the ICU meeting Centers for Disease Control criteria for MIS-C or acute COVID-19.
None.
The final cohort included 2,733 patients with MIS-C (n = 1,530; 37 [2.4%] requiring ECMO) or acute COVID-19 (n = 1,203; 71 [5.9%] requiring ECMO). ECMO patients in both groups were older than those without ECMO support (MIS-C median 15.4 vs 9.9 yr; acute COVID-19 median 15.3 vs 13.6 yr). The body mass index percentile was similar in the MIS-C ECMO versus no ECMO groups (89.9 vs 85.8; p = 0.22) but higher in the COVID-19 ECMO versus no ECMO groups (98.3 vs 96.5; p = 0.03). Patients on ECMO with MIS-C versus COVID-19 were supported more often with venoarterial ECMO (92% vs 41%) for primary cardiac indications (87% vs 23%), had ECMO initiated earlier (median 1 vs 5 d from hospitalization), shorter ECMO courses (median 3.9 vs 14 d), shorter hospital length of stay (median 20 vs 52 d), lower in-hospital mortality (27% vs 37%), and less major morbidity at discharge in survivors (new tracheostomy, oxygen or mechanical ventilation need or neurologic deficit; 0% vs 11%, 0% vs 20%, and 8% vs 15%, respectively). Most patients with MIS-C requiring ECMO support (87%) were admitted during the pre-Delta (variant B.1.617.2) period, while most patients with acute COVID-19 requiring ECMO support (70%) were admitted during the Delta variant period.
ECMO support for SARS-CoV-2-related critical illness was uncommon, but type, initiation, and duration of ECMO use in MIS-C and acute COVID-19 were markedly different. Like pre-pandemic pediatric ECMO cohorts, most patients survived to hospital discharge
Mitochondrial responses to intracellular Ca2+ release following infrared stimulation
No full textMany studies of Ca
effects on mitochondrial respiration in intact cells have used electrical and/or chemical stimulation to elevate intracellular [Ca
], and have reported increases in [NADH] and increased ADP/ATP ratios as dominant controllers of respiration. This study tested a different form of stimulation: brief temperature increases produced by pulses of infrared light (IR, 1863 nm, 8-10
C for ~5 s). Fluorescence imaging techniques applied to single PC-12 cells in low µM extracellular [Ca
] revealed IR stimulation-induced increases in both cytosolic (fluo5F) and mitochondrial (rhod2) [Ca
[. IR stimulation increased O
consumption (porphyrin fluorescence), and produced an alkaline shift in mitochondrial matrix pH (Snarf1), indicating activation of the electron transport chain (ETC). The increase in O
consumption persisted in oligomycin, and began during a decrease in NADH, suggesting that the initial increase in ETC activity was not driven by increased ATP synthase activity or an increased fuel supply to ETC complex I. Imaging with two potentiometric dyes (TMRM and R123) indicated a depolarizing shift in ΔΨ
that persisted in high [K
] medium. High-resolution fluorescence imaging disclosed large, reversible mitochondrial depolarizations that were inhibited by cyclosporin A (CSA), consistent with opening of transient mitochondrial permeability transition pores. IR stimulation also produced a Ca
-dependent increase in superoxide production (Mitosox) that was not inhibited by CSA, indicating that the increase in superoxide did not require transition pore opening. Thus the intracellular Ca
release that follows pulses of infrared light offers new insights into Ca
-dependent processes controlling respiration and reactive oxygen species in intact cells