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Recently, a new algorithm to test equivalence of two cyclic codes has been introduced which is efficient and produced useful results. In this work, we generalize this algorithm to constacyclic codes. As an application of the algorithm we found many constacyclic codes with good parameters and properties. In particular, we found 23 new codes that improve the minimum distances of BKLCs.

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the impact of aortic valve replacement (AVR) on survival in patients with each subclass of low-gradient (LG) aortic stenosis (AS) and to compare outcomes following surgical AVR (SAVR) and transcatheter AVR (TAVR). Background LG severe AS encompasses a wide variety of pathophysiology, including classical low-flow, LG (LF-LG), paradoxical LF-LG, and normal-flow, LG (NF-LG) AS, and uncertainty exists regarding the impact of AVR on each subclass of LG AS. Methods PubMed and Embase were queried through October 2020 to identify studies comparing survival with different management strategies (SAVR, TAVR, and conservative) in patients with LG AS. Pairwise meta-analysis comparing AVR versus conservative management and network meta-analysis comparing SAVR versus TAVR versus conservative management were performed. Results Thirty-two studies with a total of 6,515 patients and a median follow-up time of 24.2 months (interquartile range: 36.5 months) were included. AVR was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality in classical LF-LG (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36 to 0.48), paradoxical LF-LG (HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.57), and NF-LG (HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.62) AS compared with conservative management. SAVR and TAVR were each associated with a decrease in all-cause mortality in classical LF-LG (HR: 0.46 [95% CI: 0.38 to 0.55] and 0.49 [95% CI: 0.37 to 0.64], respectively), paradoxical LF-LG (HR: 0.42 [95% CI: 0.28 to 0.65] and 0.42 [95% CI: 0.25 to 0.72], respectively), and NF-LG (HR: 0.40 [95% CI: 0.21 to 0.77] and 0.46 [95% CI: 0.26 to 0.84], respectively) AS compared with conservative management. No significant difference was observed between SAVR and TAVR. Conclusions In all subclasses of LG AS, AVR was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality regardless of surgical or transcatheter approach.

One of the most important and challenging problems in coding theory is to construct codes with best possible parameters and properties. The class of quasi-cyclic (QC) codes is known to be fertile to produce such codes. Focusing on QC codes over the binary field, we have found 113 binary QC codes that are new among the class of QC codes using an implementation of a fast cyclic partitioning algorithm and the highly effective ASR algorithm. Moreover, these codes have the following additional properties: a) they have the same parameters as best known linear codes, and b) many of the have additional desired properties such as being reversible, LCD, self-orthogonal or dual-containing. Additionally, we present an algorithm for the generation of new codes from QC codes using ConstructionX, and introduce 33 new record breaking linear codes over GF(2), GF(3) and GF(5) produced from this method.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events. We compared the safety and efficacy of different antithrombotic strategies for HFrEF and sinus rhythm. PubMed and Embase were searched through January 2020 for studies comparing oral anticoagulants versus antiplatelet agents or placebo in HFrEF and sinus rhythm to include in this network meta-analysis. We identified 5 randomized controlled trials with a total of 9,390 patients randomized to low dose rivaroxaban, vitamin K antagonist (VKA), antiplatelets, or placebo. Low dose rivaroxaban and VKA did not show a significant decrease in stroke compared with placebo but were associated with an increased risk of major bleeding (risk ratio [RR] 6.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16 to 40.7; RR 8.62, 95% CI 1.52 to 48.9, respectively). When compared with antiplatelets, low dose rivaroxaban and VKA were associated with a significantly decreased risk of stroke (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.96; RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.76, respectively), but with a significantly increased risk of major bleeding (RR 1.65, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.33; RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.51 to 2.84, respectively). There was no significant difference in these outcomes between low dose rivaroxaban versus VKA and antiplatelets versus placebo. There were no significant differences in all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or rehospitalization for heart failure among each treatment. In conclusion, in patient with HFrEF and sinus rhythm, use of oral anticoagulation with or without antiplatelet agents increases the risk of bleeding without substantial effects on the risk of ischemic stroke.

Hepatotoxicity is a major immune-related adverse event that may become life-threatening. The impact of adding immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to systemic therapy on the incidence of hepatotoxicity remains unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the incidence of hepatotoxicity among patients with cancer who received therapy with and without addition of ICB. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched to select phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of adding ICB to systemic therapy, placebo, or supportive care. The odds ratio (OR) of any grade and grade 3-5 hepatitis, elevations in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was pooled for meta-analysis. 43 RCTs with 28,905 participants were analyzed. Addition of ICB increased the incidence of hepatitis (any grade: OR, 2.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.52-2.97, grade 3-5: OR, 2.66, 95% CI 1.72-4.11), elevated AST (any grade: OR, 2.16, 95% CI 1.73-2.70, grade 3-5: OR, 2.72, 95% CI 1.86-3.99), and elevated ALT (any grade: OR, 2.01, 95% CI 1.59-2.54, grade 3-5: OR, 2.40, 95% CI 1.62-3.55). Subgroup analysis based on the ICB mechanism revealed no significant heterogeneity among each mechanism for hepatitis (any Grade: I

A central problem in genomics is understanding the effect of individual DNA variants. Multiplexed Assays of Variant Effect (MAVEs) can help address this challenge by measuring all possible single nucleotide variant effects in a gene or regulatory sequence simultaneously. Here we describe MaveDB v2, which has become the database of record for MAVEs. MaveDB now contains a large fraction of published studies, comprising over two hundred datasets and three million variant effect measurements. We created tools and APIs to streamline data submission and access, transforming MaveDB into a hub for the analysis and dissemination of these impactful datasets.

OBJECTIVES Hemoptysis is a complication in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, and is associated with pulmonary exacerbations and hospitalizations. Pancreatic insufficiency is common in CF patients, and therefore these patients may benefit from the use of vitamin K therapy. METHODS This was an observational study conducted in adult CF patients aiming to describe the utilization of vitamin K therapy in the setting of hemoptysis during an acute CF pulmonary exacerbation. An evaluation of hospital length of stay, time until the next pulmonary exacerbation, and 30-day re-admission rates were evaluated in CF patients who presented with hemoptysis and received vitamin K therapy. RESULTS The average dose of vitamin K therapy was 10 mg for an average duration of 4.9 ± 0.55 days for 38 adult CF patients included in this cohort. The median length of stay among patients who received vitamin K therapy was 8 days (IQR: 6-12 days). The median time until next hospital admission was 127 days (95% CI: 71.4 to 182.6 days), and the 30-day readmission rates were 7.89%. Two patients developed a thromboembolism after receiving vitamin K therapy. CONCLUSIONS Evidence for the use of vitamin K therapy in the setting of CF-related hemoptysis remains unclear, and warrants further safety and efficacy evaluation. Further prospective studies are needed to determine the appropriateness of dosing and duration of vitamin K therapy, as well as determining its role in the setting of the varying levels of hemoptysis during a pulmonary CF exacerbation.

Objective: To investigate the timing of DOAC initiation to decrease mortality rate in the acute phase of cardioembolic stroke. Design: Retrospective observational study using a national administrative database. Setting: Japanese hospitals providing care to patients with cardioembolic stroke between April 1st, 2012 and March 31st, 2019 Participants: 24,179 patients with acute cardioembolic stroke who received a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) during hospitalization. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was 90-day in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were functional disability at discharge (modified Rankin Scale ≥3) and major bleeding. Patients were divided into four groups based on the interval between admission and DOAC initiation and, according to the “1-3-6-12 day” rule. The generalized estimated equation model adjusted with entropy balance weighting was used to compare the risk of outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed by stratifying levels of consciousness on hospital admission. Results: The risk of 90-day in-hospital mortality did not vary between groups according to DOAC initiation timing. Initiation at day 3 or later was associated with an increased risk of functional disability at discharge (highest risk group: day 12-21 vs day 1-2, adjusted OR 2.99 [2.48-3.60]), and an increased risk of major bleeding (highest risk group: day 12-21 vs day 1-2, adjusted OR 2.66 [1.77-3.98]). In the subgroup analysis, patients with spontaneous arousal in whom DOAC initiation occurred at day 12 or later had an increased risk of 90-day in-hospital mortality (day 12-21 vs day 1-2, adjusted OR 1.58 [1.07-2.32]). Patients without spontaneous arousal in whom DOAC administration occurred at day 3 or later had a lower risk of 90-day in-hospital mortality (day 12-21 vs day 1-2, adjusted OR 0.57 [0.40-0.81]). Conclusions: In patients with acute cardioembolic stroke and spontaneous arousal, it may be safe and effective initiate DOAC within 2 days of hospitalization. Patients without spontaneous arousal may benefit from a delay in DOAC initiation to day 3 or later.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of aortic valve replacement (AVR) on survival in patients with each subclass of low-gradient (LG) aortic stenosis (AS) and to compare outcomes following surgical AVR (SAVR) and transcatheter AVR (TAVR).LG severe AS encompasses a wide variety of pathophysiology, including classical low-flow, LG (LF-LG), paradoxical LF-LG, and normal-flow, LG (NF-LG) AS, and uncertainty exists regarding the impact of AVR on each subclass of LG AS.PubMed and Embase were queried through October 2020 to identify studies comparing survival with different management strategies (SAVR, TAVR, and conservative) in patients with LG AS. Pairwise meta-analysis comparing AVR versus conservative management and network meta-analysis comparing SAVR versus TAVR versus conservative management were performed.Thirty-two studies with a total of 6,515 patients and a median follow-up time of 24.2 months (interquartile range: 36.5 months) were included. AVR was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality in classical LF-LG (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36 to 0.48), paradoxical LF-LG (HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.57), and NF-LG (HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.62) AS compared with conservative management. SAVR and TAVR were each associated with a decrease in all-cause mortality in classical LF-LG (HR: 0.46 [95% CI: 0.38 to 0.55] and 0.49 [95% CI: 0.37 to 0.64], respectively), paradoxical LF-LG (HR: 0.42 [95% CI: 0.28 to 0.65] and 0.42 [95% CI: 0.25 to 0.72], respectively), and NF-LG (HR: 0.40 [95% CI: 0.21 to 0.77] and 0.46 [95% CI: 0.26 to 0.84], respectively) AS compared with conservative management. No significant difference was observed between SAVR and TAVR.In all subclasses of LG AS, AVR was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality regardless of surgical or transcatheter approach.

New York City emerged as an epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To describe the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with mortality in a large patient population in the USA. Retrospective cohort study. 6493 patients who had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with clinical outcomes between March 13 and April 17, 2020, who were seen in one of the 8 hospitals and/or over 400 ambulatory practices in the New York City metropolitan area Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality. A total of 858 of 6493 (13.2%) patients in our total cohort died: 52/2785 (1.9%) ambulatory patients and 806/3708 (21.7%) hospitalized patients. Cox proportional hazard regression modeling showed an increased risk of in-hospital mortality associated with age older than 50 years (hazard ratio [HR] 2.34, CI 1.47–3.71), systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg (HR 1.38, CI 1.06–1.80), a respiratory rate greater than 24 per min (HR 1.43, CI 1.13–1.83), peripheral oxygen saturation less than 92% (HR 2.12, CI 1.56–2.88), estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2 (HR 1.80, CI 1.60–2.02), IL-6 greater than 100 pg/mL (HR 1.50, CI 1.12–2.03), D-dimer greater than 2 mcg/mL (HR 1.19, CI 1.02–1.39), and troponin greater than 0.03 ng/mL (HR 1.40, CI 1.23–1.62). Decreased risk of in-hospital mortality was associated with female sex (HR 0.84, CI 0.77–0.90), African American race (HR 0.78 CI 0.65–0.95), and hydroxychloroquine use (HR 0.53, CI 0.41–0.67). Among patients with COVID-19, older age, male sex, hypotension, tachypnea, hypoxia, impaired renal function, elevated D-dimer, and elevated troponin were associated with increased in-hospital mortality and hydroxychloroquine use was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality.

GUIDELINE TITLE: Secondary Fracture Prevention: Consensus Clinical Recommendations from a Multistakeholder Coalition RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2019 PRIOR VERSION: Not applicable DEVELOPER: American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Task Force and Multistakeholder Coalition FUNDING SOURCE: American Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the Center for Medical Technology Policy TARGET POPULATION: Adults 65 years or older with a hip or vertebral fracture. This review will focus on the core recommendations and their application in the practice of hospital medicine.

In early 2014, the Electronic Resource Committee (ERC) of the Triangle Research Libraries Network, which includes Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, began work to replace a database previously used to assess the value of consortially negotiated serial packages with a more accessible tool. Over the course of the next two years, the ERC collaborated with Matthew Harrington, a library technician at North Carolina State University, to create a Microsoft Access database capable of presenting title-level analyses, collection-level graphs, and institutional-level comparisons in addition to the higher-level summary statistics stemming from its original purpose. The database incorporates built-in functions to look for data integrity issues, reconcile title lists, and calculate what the package might look like with a different title set. This presentation focuses on the design and construction of this data...

We present a case of reverse takotsubo syndrome (rTS) in a 68-year-old woman who presented with acute chest pain and flu-like symptoms. She was found to have elevated troponin and abnormal ECG. Urgent coronary angiogram revealed non-obstructive mild coronary artery disease of the left anterior descending artery. Left ventriculography demonstrated hypokinesis of the left ventricular base with sparing of the mid-ventricle and apex. Nasal viral PCR was positive for Influenza A. The diagnosis was confirmed with repeat echocardiogram 2 weeks later revealing resolution of regional wall motion abnormalities. rTS is a type of TS, mimicking acute coronary syndrome. It is seen in younger patients and often occurs with intense emotional and physical stress. Though many triggers have been reported, rTS associated with influenza A has not been previously documented.

2645 Background: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for many solid tumors. Although safe for many patients, ICB causes immune-related adverse events (irAEs) including hepatitis, which may result in morbidity and treatment disruption. Severe hepatitis requires immunosuppression, including corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials to investigate the effect of adding ICB to conventional solid tumor therapy on the incidence of hepatitis. Methods: Phase 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing ICB and conventional therapy to conventional therapy alone were chosen by database search on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The odds ratios [OR] of any-grade and grade ≥3 hepatitis, elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were calculated. Meta-analysis was conducted to determine the incidence of hepatitis, elevated AST, and elevated ALT among patients receiving ICB and those receiving conventional therapy alone. Subgroup analysis based on the mechanism of ICB (Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 [CTLA-4] inhibitor, programmed cell death protein 1 [PD-1] inhibitor, and programmed death-ligand 1 [PD-L1] inhibitor) was also conducted. Results: A total of 29 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling 18,829 participants were analyzed. Incidence of hepatitis was derived from 24 RCTs enrolling 15,183 patients, and incidence of grade ≥3 hepatitis was derived from 22 RCTs enrolling 13,846 patients. Incidence of elevated AST was extracted from 18 RCTs, and incidence of elevated ALT was extracted from 20 RCTs. Addition of ICB to conventional therapy was associated with an increase in incidence of any-grade hepatitis (OR 2.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.82-3.55) and grade ≥3 hepatitis (OR 4.22, 95% CI 2.51-7.11). The addition of ICB was also associated with an increase in incidence of elevated AST (any grade: OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.59-3.03; grade ≥3: OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.85-5.48) and elevated ALT (any grade: OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.47-2.92; grade ≥3: OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.40-4.14). Subgroup analysis based on the mechanism of ICB demonstrated increased incidence of grade ≥3 hepatitis associated with CTLA-4 inhibitor, PD-1 inhibitor, and PD-L1 inhibitor therapy (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.26-6.14; OR 6.30, 95% CI 2.23-17.78; OR 4.73, 95% CI 1.83-12.23, respectively). No significant difference of heterogeneity was observed among subgroups ( I2= 0%, p = 0.43). Conclusions: Addition of ICB to conventional solid tumor therapy was associated with increased incidence of any-grade and severe hepatitis, and elevations of AST and ALT, regardless of the mechanism of ICB. Clinicians should weigh the risk of liver toxicity when considering addition of ICB therapy in patients with solid tumors.

Two characteristics that seemingly define electronic resources now are their dynamic, unstable nature and their overwhelming abundance. To address these issues, The North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries Acquisitions & Discovery Department created two databases to facilitate and automate e-resource reconciliation processes. The first, our ebook reconciliation database, ensures that all purchased content from our ebook packages is discoverable and creates title lists that definitively describe the entitlements for those packages. The second, our ejournal reconciliation database, automates matching integrated library system title lists with publisher and knowledgebase title lists in order to easily generate and distribute work tasks. Both databases help manage the abundance of titles and discrepancies that arise from the varied sources of metadata used during the reconciliation process.

We present a case of pyeloduodenal fistula in an 89-year-old woman with history of nephrolithiasis and recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) who presented to the emergency department with back pain. CT revealed a malrotated right kidney with a large renal stone and possible fistulous connection between the second portion of the duodenum and the right renal collecting system. Technetium-99m scintigraphy confirmed presence of the fistula. The patient declined intervention and was discharged from the hospital with oral antibiotic suppressive therapy. The patient remained clinically stable at time of follow-up 3 months later. Spontaneous pyeloduodenal fistula is an aetiology of recurrent upper or lower UTIs or persistent bacteriuria though uncommonly recognised. Diagnosis may be achieved using several modalities, including technetium-99m scintigraphy. Nephrectomy and primary fistula closure has traditionally been the treatment of choice for this condition; however, conservative management is an option for patients with intact renal function.

ABC efflux transporters are a key factor leading to multidrug resistance in cancer. Overexpression of these transporters significantly decreases the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. Along with selection and induction, drug resistance may be trans- ferred between cells, which is the focus of this dissertaion. Specifically, we consider the intercellular transfer of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a well-known ABC transporter that was shown to confer resistance to many common chemotherapeutic drugs. In a recent paper, Dura ́n et al. studied the dynamics of mixed cultures of resistant and sensitive NCI-H460 (human non-small cell lung cancer) cell lines [1]. As expected, the experimental data showed a gradual increase in the percentage of resistance cells and a decrease in the percentage of sensitive cells. The experimental work was accompanied with a mathematical model that assumed P-gp transfer from resistant cells to sensitive cells, rendering them temporarily resistant. The mathematical model provided a reasonable fit to the experimental data. In this dissertation we develop three new mathematical model for the transfer of drug resistance between cancer cells. Our first model is based on incorporating a resistance phenotype into a model of cancer growth [2]. The resulting model for P-gp transfer, written as a system of integro-differential equations, follows the dynamics of proliferating, quiescent, and apoptotic cells, with a varying resistance phenotype. We show that this model provides a good match to the dynamics of the experimental data of [1]. The mathematical model further suggests that resistant cancer cells have a slower division rate than the sensitive cells. Our second model is a reaction-diffusion model with sensitive, resistant, and temporarily resistant cancer cells occupying a 2-dimensional space. We use this model as another extension of [1]. We show that this model, with competition and diffusion in space, provides an even better fit to the experimental data [1]. We incorporate a cytotoxic drug and study the effects of varying treatment protocols on the size and makeup of the tumor. We show that constant infusion leads to a small but highly resistant tumor, while small doses do not do enough to control the overall growth of the tumor. Our final model extends [3], an integro-differential equation with resistance modeled as a continuous variable and a Boltzmann type integral describing the transfer of P-gp expression. We again extend the model into a 2-dimensional spatial domain and incorporate competition inhibited growth. The resulting model, written as a single partial differential equation, shows that over time the resistance transfer leads to a uniform distribution of resistance levels, which is consisten with the results of [3]. We include a cytotoxic agent and determine that, as with our second model, it alone cannot successfully eradicate the tumor. We briefly present a second extension wherein we include two distinct transfer rules. We show that there is no qualitative difference between the single transfer rule and the two-transfer rule model.

Source Citation Li HK, Rombach I, Zambellas R, et al; OVIVA Trial Collaborators. Oral versus intravenous antibiotics for bone and joint infection. N Engl J Med. 2019;380:425-36. 30699315

Abstract A dual functional kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI) and compatible corrosion inhibitor (CI) package was developed to simplify production chemistry demands for operation in wet gas mode. As these two classes of chemistries are both water soluble and contain surface active components, they have a tendency for interference reducing the efficacy of each inhibitor. Their pairing in a production scenario requires both comprehensive performance testing as well as extensive secondary properties evaluation. The KHI is to serve as a traditional KHI during steady-state operations while performing as a thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor (THI) during extended shut-ins and cold well restarts. This challenge required the development of a KHI which would retain performance upon significant dilution in a thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor solvent carrier (methanol, ethanol, monoethylene glycol, etc). Performance of this new KHI would be confirmed in blind rocking cell experiments, in the presence of the matched corrosion inhibitor, targeting a hold time of more than eight days at a subcooling of 8 ºC. The CI is targeted to reduce the general corrosion rate to less than 0.1 mmpy and prevent localized attack. Due to the surfactancy of this class of chemistry, the tendency to induce and stabilize emulsions is of high concern. A robust formulation amenable to modification and potential dilution is required to address the application of chemical over a vast subsea network containing wells of varying age, existing infrastructure, production profiles, and operating conditions. This paper describes the development, qualification process, related lessons learned, and field applications of this new KHI/CI package. Introduction The oil and gas industry often relies on chemical solutions to address challenges related to flow assurance and corrosion inhibition. The transport of produced fluids containing water and acid gases such as carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide in metal pipelines afford conditions susceptible both to gas hydrate formation and corrosion. Accordingly, production chemical strategies typically must consider a compatible corrosion inhibitor and low dosage hydrate inhibitor as a unified package. Standard chemical compatibility often includes the mixing of two neat production chemicals with exposure at various temperatures to examine for hazing, phase separation, precipitation, etc. This exercise provides operators insight in the event that chemicals are accidently mixed in storage tanks or may come into contact in delivery lines. Though, the performance compatibility of a KHI and a CI presents a more challenging case.

Transportation of hydrocarbons and water in long subsea flow lines from satellite fields to a platform or to an onshore facility presents new challenges in the control of gas hydrates, corrosion, and mineral scale. Gas hydrates form at high pressure and low temperature and are a common problem in offshore wet gas pipelines due to low seabed temperatures and elevated pressures in these remote subsea developments. Monoethylene glycol (MEG) is widely used as a thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor in these developments to manage the risk of hydrate formation during production and transportation of multiphase fluids from subsea wells. Due to large amounts of MEG required for effective hydrate control, it is necessary to recycle and re-use it. The main processes for recycling of MEG are regeneration and reclamation. Typical conditions of regeneration and reclamation processes are ambient to vacuum pressures and temperatures in the range of 120°C −150°C1. In addition to the use of MEG for hydrate control, corrosion inhibitors are also applied for corrosion control in the subsea pipelines and infrastructure. These corrosion inhibitors must be able to perform under high shear and highly corrosive environments without losing their effectiveness after having been subjected to the system conditions present in the MEG regeneration process. Inappropriate selection of corrosion inhibitors for MEG based applications can lead to severe fouling/formation of solids, emulsion and foaming issues in the receiving facilities. The corrosion inhibitors developed for use in facilities operating with glycol regeneration systems should remain active after multiple MEG Regeneration Unit (MRU) cycles without causing fouling/formation of solids, emulsion and foaming. The current paper presents MRU compatible corrosion inhibitors developed based on the stringent testing methods adopted from real time MRU process.

Cost and usage have been consistent elements among both serials decision databases and commercial decision support systems, and the cost per use calculation has become a well‐established criterion for assessing electronic subscriptions. However, it is just a numerical value until it can be plotted along several axes related to its compo‐ nents. Mapping these calculated values within and across platforms and subjects allows them to be read through multiple contexts to define what is relatively “high” or “low,” and establishing the relative averages and bench‐ marks within these multiple contexts informs the difficult serials decisions often faced. This presentation looks at ways in which cost per use, as well as other cost and use calculations, has been incorporated into Virginia Tech’s relational database for serials decisions in order to arrive at an understanding of what those values mean in both the immediate context and the larger picture.

The surviving corpora of Greek and Latin are relatively compact but the shift from books and written objects to digitized texts has already challenged students of these languages to move away from books as organizing metaphors and to ask, instead, what do you do with a billion, or even a trillion, words? We need a new culture of intellectual production in which student researchers and citizen scholars play a central role. And we need as a consequence to reorganize the education that we provide in the humanities, stressing participatory learning, and supporting a virtuous cycle where students contribute data as they learn and learn in order to contribute knowledge. We report on five strategies that we have implemented to further this virtuous cycle: (1) reading environments by which learners can work with languages that they have not studied, (2) feedback for those who choose to internalize knowledge about a particular language, (3) methods whereby those with knowledge of different languages can collaborate to develop interpretations and to produce new annotations, (4) dynamic reading lists that allow learners to assess and to document what they have mastered, and (5) general e-portfolios in which learners can track what they have accomplished and document what they have contributed and learned to the public or to particular groups.

2,4-Disubstituted furans are prepared by treating 2,3-dibromo-1-phenylsulfonyl-1-propene (DBP, 2) with 1,3-diketones under basic conditions. The furan-forming step involves a deacetylation, and the selectivity of this process depends upon the steric demand of the R group. The substituent in position 4 is elaborated by reaction of sulfonyl carbanions with alkyl halides, acyl halides, and aldehydes. Oxidative or reductive desulfonylation produces the 2,4-disubstituted furans in 60–92% yield. This strategy has been used to prepare rabdoketone A (12) and the naturally occurring nematotoxic furoic acid 13.

The mussel has evolved a very interesting and efficient way of attaching to hard substrata in wave‐swept rocky seashores. This is enabled by a bundle of fine protein based threads called the byssus. The byssus is emerging as an effective model system for studying the requirements for underwater adhesion, wear resistance and combined hardness and extensibility (1, 2). Careful secretion of different mussel foot proteins (mfp) combined with some metal ions (Fe3+, Zn2+ etc.) allows the mussel to tune properties and optimize function of diverse parts of byssus thread (3).Here we report in‐situ high‐resolution Raman spectroscopic imaging of the byssal coating and plaque showing micron level spatial distribution of various proteins and their interaction with Fe3+ using specific Resonance Raman (RR) spectral features. 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) is a strong chelator of Fe3+ within a specific pH window (stability constant of [Fe(dopa)3]3− complex can reach values up to Kf∼1045). The charge transfer from the ...

A convenient preparation of 2,3-dibromo-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1-propene (DBP, 1) is available through the one-pot propargylation and oxidation of thiophenol to give the propargyl sulfone 11, which is isomerized and brominated in another one-pot reaction. The new preparation is significantly more scalable, as well as more convenient and robust than the prior art.