Procedure For Conversion Research Articles

Bifunctional Y/g-C3N4 promoted cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxide: Halogen-free and acid-base synergistic catalysis

Cycloaddition reaction of CO2 to epoxides is an important procedure for both CO2 conversion and cyclic carbonate synthesis. Homogeneous alkali halide and quaternary ammonium salt are the general catalysts, while they have the problems of halogen corrosion and residue, intricate separation, and catalyst recycling. Here, a series of heterogenous and halogen-free bifunctional yttrium-coordinated g-C3N4 were synthesized and employed to catalyze the cycloaddition of CO2 to butylene oxide. Excellent butylene oxide conversion (94.5%) and butene carbonate selectivity (95.0%) were achieved over the typical Y/g-C3N4-0.5 catalyst without any halogen addition. The characterizations demonstrate that the coordinated Y species function well as the preferred Lewis acid sites for epoxide ring opening and butene carbonate desorption, and the uncondensed amino groups are supplied as Lewis base sites to activate CO2. It is the synergistic effect based on acid-base duality that enhances the catalytic performance of Y/g-C3N4 to cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxide.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass as Conversion Procedure of Failed Gastric Banding: Short-Term Outcomes of 1295 Patients in One Single Center

PurposeLaparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) has high technical and weight loss failure rates. We evaluate here the 1-year morbidity, mortality, and weight loss of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass (LRYGB) as a feasible conversion strategy.MethodsPatients with a failed primary LAGB who underwent LRYGB from July 2004 to December 2019 were selected from an electronic database at our center. Patients had a conversion to LRYGB at the same time (one-stage approach) or with a minimum of 3 months in between (two-stage approach). Primary outcomes included 30-day morbidity and mortality. Secondary outcomes were body mass index (BMI), percent excess weight loss (%EWL), and percent excess BMI lost (%EBMIL) at 1 year postoperatively.ResultsA total of 1295 patients underwent a conversion from LAGB to LRYGB at our center: 1167 patients (90.1%) in one stage and 128 patients (9.9%) in two stages. There was no mortality. An early (30-day) postoperative complication occurred in 93 patients (7.2%), with no significant difference found between groups. Hemorrhage was the most common complication in 39 patients (3.0%), and the reoperation was required in 19 patients (1.4%). At 1 year postoperatively, the mean BMI was 28.0 kg/m2, the mean %EWL 72.8%, and the mean %EBMIL 87.0%. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups.ConclusionConversion to LRYGB can be considered as a safe and effective option with low complication rate and good weight loss outcomes at 1 year. One-stage conversion provides the same early outcome as two-step surgery with a competent surgeon.Graphical

Primary versus conversion reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for complex proximal humeral fractures in elderly patients: a retrospective comparative study.

The purpose of this study was to compare clinical, implant-related, and patient-reported outcomes of shoulders undergoing conversion to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) following previous open reduction-internal fixation vs. shoulders undergoing rTSA as a primary treatment modality for acute proximal humeral fractures (PHFs) in patients aged ≥65 years. We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected cohort of patients who underwent primary rTSA for PHFs vs. a cohort who underwent conversion arthroplasty with rTSA following fracture repair between 2009 and 2020. Outcomes were assessed preoperatively and at latest follow-up. Demographic characteristics and outcomes were analyzed between cohorts using conventional statistics, as well as stratification by minimal clinically important difference and substantial clinical benefit thresholds where applicable. In total, 406 patients met the study criteria, of whom 322 underwent primary rTSA for PHF and 84 underwent conversion rTSA after failed PHF open reduction-internal fixation. The conversion rTSA cohort was, on average, 7 years younger than the primary rTSA cohort (65±10 years vs. 72±9 years, P<.001). The follow-up periods were similar between the cohorts, with an average of 47.1 months (range, 24-138 months). The percentages of Neer 3-part (41.9% vs. 45.2%) and 4-part (49.1% vs. 46.4%) PHFs were similar (P>.99). The primary rTSA cohort achieved higher forward elevation, external rotation, and patient-reported outcome measurements including Simple Shoulder Test, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, University of California-Los Angeles, Constant, Shoulder Arthroplasty Smart, and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index scores at a minimum of 24 months postoperatively (P<.05 for all). Patient satisfaction was higher in the primary rTSA group than in the conversion rTSA cohort (P=.002). Patient-reported outcome measures uniformly favored the primary rTSA cohort, rising to the level of statistical significance for forward elevation, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index score (P<.05) relative to substantial clinical benefit. The adverse event rate and revision rate in the conversion rTSA cohort were higher than those in the primary rTSA cohort (26.2% vs. 2.5% [P<.001] and 8.3% vs. 1.6% [P=.001], respectively). At 10 years postoperatively, the revision-free implant survival rate was significantly lower in the conversion cohort compared with the primary cohort (66% vs. 94%, P=.012). Finally, the hazard ratio of revision was 3.69 in the conversion rTSA cohort compared with only 1.0 in the primary rTSA cohort. This study demonstrates that elderly patients who undergo rTSA as a conversion procedure following previous osteosynthesis do not fare as well as those treated with rTSA for acute displaced PHFs. Conversion rTSA patients report lower patient satisfaction and have significantly restricted range of shoulder motion, a higher risk of complications, a higher risk of revision, poorer patient-reported outcomes, and a shorter implant survival rate at 10 years compared with patients undergoing acute rTSA.

Analysis of Induction Motor Drive Systems

In industry, the induction machine, particularly the cage rotor type, is most typically employed for variable speed applications. Adjustable speed drives use back-to-back AC to DC and DC to AC conversion to alter the speed. This conversion procedure introduces harmonics and reduces power factor at the supply end. It is now more important than ever to design and build a three-phase induction motor drive with higher power quality. A full report on the converter topologies is used for Power Factor Correction at the input side to eliminate harmonics and enhance power factor at the supply side. So the main aim of this study is to improving power quality by raising power factor at input side of an electric drive, hence lowering losses and boosting efficiency.

Mid-Term Outcomes After Conversion Procedures Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

In the long term, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) may be associated with insufficient weight loss (IWL), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and persistence or relapse of associated medical problems. This study's objective is to present mid-term results regarding weight loss (WL), evolution of associated medical problems, and reoperation rate of patients who underwent a conversion after SG. Retrospective single-center analysis of patients with a minimal follow-up of 2years after conversion. In this series of 549 SGs, 84 patients (15.3%) underwent a conversion, and 71 met inclusion criteria. They were converted to short biliopancreatic limb Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (short BPL RYGB) (n = 28, 39.4%), biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS) (n = 19, 26.8%), long biliopancreatic limb Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (long BPL RYGB) (n = 17, 23.9%), and re-sleeve gastrectomy (RSG) (n = 7, 9.9%). Indications were GERD (n = 24, 33.8%), IWL (n = 23, 32.4%), IWL + GERD (n = 22, 31.0%), or stenosis/kinking of the sleeve (n = 2, 2.8%). The mean pre-revisional body mass index (BMI) was 38.0 ± 7.5kg/m2. The mean follow-up time after conversion was 5.1 ± 3.1years. The overall percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) was greatest after BPD/DS (36.6%) and long BPL RYGB (32.9%) compared to RSG (20.0%; p = 0.004; p = 0.049). In case of GERD, conversion to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) led to a resolution of symptoms in 79.5%. 16.9% of patients underwent an additional revisional procedure. In the event of IWL after SG, conversion to BPD/DS provides a significant and sustainable additional WL. Conversion to RYGB leads to a reliable symptom control in patients suffering from GERD after SG.

Air Conditioning Systems Fault Detection and Diagnosis-Based Sensing and Data-Driven Approaches

The air conditioning (AC) system is the primary building end-use contributor to the peak demand for energy. The energy consumed by this system has grown as fast as it has in the last few decades, not only in the residential section but also in the industry and transport sectors. Therefore, to combat energy crises, urgent actions on energy efficiency should be taken to support energy security. Consequently, the faults in AC system components increase energy consumption due to the degradation of the system’s performance and the losses in the energy conversion procedure. In this work, AC system fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) methods are investigated to propose analytic tools to identify faults and provide solutions to those problems. The analysis of existing work shows that data-driven approaches are more accurate for both soft and hard fault detection and diagnosis in AC systems. Therefore, the proposed methods are not accurate for simultaneous fault detection, while in some works, authors tested the method with several faults separately without investigating scenarios that combine more than one fault. Moreover, this study shows that integrating data-driven approaches requires deploying an optimal sensing and measurement architecture that can detect a maximum number of faults with minimally deployed sensors. The new sensing, information, and communication technologies are discussed for their integration in AC system monitoring in order to optimize system operation and detect faults.

Transverse posterior wall acetabular fracture pattern is associated with increased risk of periprosthetic joint infection after conversion total hip arthroplasty

IntroductionAcetabular fracture subtypes are associated with varying rates of subsequent conversion total hip arthroplasty (THA) after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) with transverse posterior wall (TPW) patterns having a higher risk for early conversion. Conversion THA is fraught with complications including increased rates of revision and periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). We aimed to determine if TPW pattern is associated with higher rates of readmissions and complications including PJI after conversion compared to other subtypes. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 1,938 acetabular fractures treated with ORIF at our institution from 2005 to 2019, of which 170 underwent conversion that met inclusion criteria, including 80 TPW fracture pattern. Conversion THA outcomes were compared by initial fracture pattern. There was no difference between the TPW and other fracture patterns in age, BMI, comorbidities, surgical variables, length of stay, ICU stay, discharge disposition, or hospital acquired complications related to their initial ORIF procedure. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for PJI at both 90-days and 1-year after conversion. ResultsTPW fracture had higher risk of PJI after conversion THA at 1-year (16.3% vs 5.6%, p = 0.027). Multivariable analysis revealed TPW independently carried increased risk of 90-day (OR 4.89; 95% CI 1.16–20.52; p = 0.03) and 1-year PJI (OR 6.51; 95% CI 1.56–27.16; p = 0.01) compared to the other acetabular fracture patterns. There was no difference between the fracture cohorts in 90-day or 1-year mechanical complications including dislocation, periprosthetic fracture and revision THA for aseptic etiologies, or 90-day all-cause readmission after the conversion procedure. ConclusionAlthough conversion THA after acetabular ORIF carry high rates of PJI overall, TPW fractures are associated with increased risk for PJI after conversion compared to other fracture patterns at 1-year follow-up. Novel management/treatment of these patients either at the time of ORIF and/or conversion THA procedure are needed to reduce PJI rates. Level of evidenceTherapeutic Level III (retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing an intervention with analyses of outcomes).

MT4 Implementation of Minimally Invasive Thyroidectomy for Cancer Care: Conversion Rates Are Associated with Facility Learning Curve but Not Total Volume of Thyroidectomies

Minimally invasive thyroidectomy (MIT), both laparoscopically and robotically, is increasingly being implemented for cancer care in the United States. Rates of conversion to an open procedure and risk factors for conversion at a national level are unknown.

Patellofemoral arthroplasty conversion to total knee arthroplasty: An updated retrieval analysis and clinical outcomes

BackgroundA prior retrieval analysis found high rates of infection after conversion of PFA to TKA, but was limited by a small sample size. The purpose of this study is to perform a retrieval analysis with clinical correlation on an expanded group of patients to better understand conversion of PFA to TKA. MethodA retrospective review of an implant retrieval registry identified 62 conversions of PFA to TKA between 2004–2021. Implants were analyzed for wear pattern and cement fixation. Patient charts were reviewed for demographic information, perioperative data, prior and subsequent surgical procedures, complications and outcomes. Radiographs performed prior to index PFA and conversion procedures were assessed for KL grading. ResultsCement fixation was present on 86% of retrieved components and wear was more pronounced on the lateral side. The most common indication for conversion to TKA was progression of OA in 46.8% of patients, followed by unexplained pain in the absence of radiographic or clinical changes (37.1%), loosening (8.1%), mechanical symptoms (4.8%), traumatic (3.2%). Thirteen patient experienced complications requiring additional procedures including arthrofibrosis (n = 4, 7.3%), PJI (n = 3, 5.5%), instability (n = 3, 5.5%), hematoma (n = 2, 3.6%) and loosening (n = 1, 1.8%). Revision components were used in 1.8% of cases and average post-conversion arc of motion was 119 degrees. ConclusionsThe most common reason for PFA conversion to TKA was progression of osteoarthritis. PFA conversion to TKA is technically similar to primary TKA, but complication rates are more consistent with revision TKA in this study.

One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass for Revisional Bariatric Surgery: Assessment of Short-Term Safety.

With the continued increase in bariatric procedures being performed in the USA, a growing percentage are revisions for weight regain after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and gastric banding (LAGB). Standard practice in the USA involves conversion to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Internationally, one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) has become a popular and effective alternative. Without the jejuno-jejunal anastomosis, OAGB has reduced potential related long-term complications. The purpose of this study is to compare the short-term safety of revision to OAGB versus RYGB. Patients who underwent conversion to OAGB from LAGB or SG for weight regain from January 2019 to October 2021 were compared to BMI, sex, and age-matched patients who underwent conversion to RYGB. In our study, 82 patients were included, 41 in each cohort (41 OAGB vs. 41 RYGB). The majority in both groups underwent conversion from SG (71% vs. 78%). Operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay were comparable. There was no difference in 30-day complications (9.8% vs. 12.2%, p = .99) or reoperation (4.9% vs. 4.9%, p = .99). Mean weight loss at 1 month was also comparable (7.91 lbs vs 6.36 lbs). Patients undergoing conversion to OAGB for weight regain had similar operative times, post-operative complication rates, and 1-month weight loss compared to those who underwent RYGB. While more research is needed, this early data suggests that OAGB and RYGB provide comparable outcomes when used as conversion procedures for to failed weight loss. Therefore, OAGB may present a safe alternative to RYGB.

Substance abuse screening prior to bariatric surgery: an MBSAQIP cohort study evaluating frequency and factors associated with screening.

Patients undergoing bariatric surgery experience substantial risk of pre- and postoperative substance use. Identifying patients at risk for substance use using validated screening tools remains crucial to risk mitigation and operative planning. We aimed to evaluate proportion of bariatric surgery patients undergoing specific substance abuse screening, factors associated with screening and the relationship between screening and postoperative complications. The 2021 MBSAQIP database was analyzed. Bivariate analysis was performed to compare factors between groups who were screened for substance abuse versus non-screened, and to compare frequency of outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent effect of substance screening on serious complications and mortality, and to assess factors associated with substance abuse screening. A total of 210, 804 patients were included, with 133,313 (63.2%) undergoing screening and 77,491 (36.8%) who did not. Those who underwent screening were more likely to be white, non-smoker, and have more comorbidities. The frequency of complications was not significant (e.g., reintervention, reoperation, leak) or similar (readmission rates 3.3% vs. 3.5%) between screened and not screened groups. On multivariate analysis, lower substance abuse screening was not associated with 30-day death or 30-day serious complication. Factors that significantly affected likelihood of being screened for substance abuse included being black (aOR 0.87, p < 0.001) or other race (aOR 0.82, p < 0.001) compared to white, being a smoker (aOR 0.93, p < 0.001), having a conversion or revision procedure (aOR 0.78, p < 0.001; aOR 0.64, p < 0.001, respectively), having more comorbidities and undergoing Roux-en-y gastric bypass (aOR 1.13, p < 0.001). There remains significant inequities in substance abuse screening in bariatric surgery patients regarding demographic, clinical, and operative factors. These factors include race, smoking status, presence of preoperative comorbidities, and procedure type. Further awareness and initiatives highlighting the importance of identifying at risk patients is critical for ongoing outcome improvement.

Special Buckwheat Malt Obtaining and Quality Evaluating

Recently, a man has been actively working to obtain new types of malts that are used as raw materials for food production. The study aim is to develop methods for obtain ing malts from buckwheat grain. The study objects are five malt samples obtained from buckwheat grain: light (control), two caramel (subtypes I and II) and two dark (subtypes I and II). The manufacture methods of colored malts differed in the use of conversion procedures for dark and conversion and fermentation procedures for caramel, as well as thermal load level during drying. There are indicators of buckwheat malt: moisture mass fraction, extract and protein substances, Kohlbach number, amine nitrogen content, color, viscosity, titrated acidity. The thesis consists of technological schemes for obtaining light and dark malts from buckwheat. The types of malt obtained differed in organoleptic and physico-chemical properties. Caramel malt samples had a weak malt aroma and a sweet taste with a nutty taste, more pronounced in subtype II. Dark malt samples had the ab sence of a nutty taste. Higher extractivity, lower Kohlbach number and amine nitrogen levels, and higher chromaticity for caramel II and dark II compared to the control sample led to the main differences in physico-chemical parameters. The results showed that the viscosity of buckwheat malt samples 3 and 5 was 1.12 and 1.03 mPa∙s. The resulting malt from buckwheat can be recommended for the gluten-free food products (kvass, malt and low-alcohol fermented beverages, confectionery, etc.) manufacture in order to improve their flavor characteristics.

Discussion on the establishment of regional peacetime and wartime combined emergency hospital from the collaborative governance theory

In the context of the prevention and control for coronavirus disease (COVID), public health emergency governance has been incorporated into an important part of the national governance system, and the "combination of peacetime and wartime" has become an important principle of public health emergency governance. Based on the experience of public health emergency management in large cities and the theory of collaborative governance, this study analyzed the problems and obstacles of general hospitals in coping with emerging respiratory infectious diseases. It is proposed to select general hospitals above tertiary level in the region to build peacetime and wartime combined emergency hospital, establish standardized conversion procedures and strengthen the construction of key elements of integrated emergency hospitals, so as to provide new ideas for the construction of emergency medical system "combination of peacetime and wartime" mechanism and improve the "combination of civilian and combat" public health emergency governance system.

Zwitterionic cellular polymer enabled reductive fixation of CO2 for N-methylation of amines

Using heterogeneous catalysts to promote the construction of the C–N bond between amines and CO2 under mild conditions is a challenge yet. Herein, we synthesized a novel zwitterionic polymer (PDDC) with a cellular structure via self-complexation of copolymer bearing both quaternary ammonium cation and carboxylate anion. PDDC was employed as a recyclable catalyst for N-methylation of atmospheric CO2 and various amines with hydrosilane as a reductant, affording more than 17 ​N-methylamines in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) under mild conditions. The behavior of PDDC in the reaction medium was disclosed by using a dynamic light scattering study, revealing that the decreased hydraulic radius of particle size contributes to exposing more active sites and increasing reaction activity. Utilizing a series of designed experiments and density functional theory calculations uncovered the crucial role of the prepared zwitterionic polymer during the reaction procedure of CO2 conversion.

From Sub-Pectoral to Pre-Pectoral Implant Reconstruction: A Decisional Algorithm to Optimise Outcomes of Breast Replacement Surgery

Innovations and advancements with implant-based breast reconstruction, such as the use of ADMs, fat grafting, NSMs, and better implants, have enabled surgeons to now place breast implants in the pre-pectoral space rather than under the pectoralis major muscle. Breast implant replacement surgery in post-mastectomy patients, with pocket conversion from retro-pectoral to pre-pectoral, is becoming increasingly common, in order to solve the drawbacks of retro-pectoral implant positioning (animation deformity, chronic pain, and poor implant positioning). A multicentric retrospective study was conducted, considering all patients previously submitted to implant-based post-mastectomy breast reconstruction who underwent a breast implant replacement with pocket conversion procedure at the University Hospital of Udine-Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department-and "Centro di Riferimento Oncologico" (C.R.O.) of Aviano, from January 2020 to September 2021. Patients were candidates for a breast implant replacement with pocket conversion procedure if they met the following inclusion criteria: they underwent a previous implant-based post-mastectomy breast reconstruction and developed animation deformity, chronic pain, severe capsular contracture, or implant malposition. Patient data included age, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, smoking status, pre- or post-mastectomy radiotherapy (RT), tumour classification, type of mastectomy, previous or ancillary procedures (lipofilling), type and volume of implant used, type of ADM, and post-operative complications (breast infection, implant exposure and malposition, haematoma, or seroma). A total of 31 breasts (30 patients) were included in this analysis. Just three months after surgery, we recorded 100% resolution of the problems for which pocket conversion was indicated, which was confirmed at 6, 9, and 12 months post-operative. We also developed an algorithm describing the correct steps for successful breast-implant pocket conversion. Our results, although only early experience, are very encouraging. We realized that, besides gentle surgical handling, one of the most important factors in proper pocket conversion selection is an accurate pre-operative and intra-operative clinical evaluation of the tissue thickness in all breast quadrants.

Support for the Vulnerability Management Process Using Conversion CVSS Base Score 2.0 to 3.x.

COVID-19 forced a number of changes in many areas of life, which resulted in an increase in human activity in cyberspace. Furthermore, the number of cyberattacks has increased. In such circumstances, detection, accurate prioritisation, and timely removal of critical vulnerabilities is of key importance for ensuring the security of various organisations. One of the most-commonly used vulnerability assessment standards is the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), which allows for assessing the degree of vulnerability criticality on a scale from 0 to 10. Unfortunately, not all detected vulnerabilities have defined CVSS base scores, or if they do, they are not always expressed using the latest standard (CVSS 3.x). In this work, we propose using machine learning algorithms to convert the CVSS vector from Version 2.0 to 3.x. We discuss in detail the individual steps of the conversion procedure, starting from data acquisition using vulnerability databases and Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms, to the vector mapping process based on the optimisation of ML algorithm parameters, and finally, the application of machine learning to calculate the CVSS 3.x vector components. The calculated example results showed the effectiveness of the proposed method for the conversion of the CVSS 2.0 vector to the CVSS 3.x standard.

Cardiac magnetic resonance parameters associated with successful conversion from a single ventricular to a one-and-a-half or biventricular circulation in patients with a hypoplastic right ventricle

BackgroundSome patients with pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) or a left ventricle dominant atrioventricular canal defect (LDAVC) with a hypoplastic right ventricle (RV) and univentricular (1 V) circulation may be candidates for conversion to either a complete biventricular (2 V) repair or a one-and-a-half ventricle repair (1.5 V). We sought to identify pre-operative cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) findings associated with successful conversion from 1V to 1.5V or 2V circulation. MethodsIn this single center retrospective study, subjects with PA/IVS or LDAVC and no conotruncal abnormalities were included if they had a 1 V circulation at the time of CMR followed by a surgical intervention intended to convert them to a 1.5 V or 2 V circulation. Conversion failure was defined as any of the following: (1) oxygen saturation < 90% at the most recent follow-up, (2) conversion back to a 1.5 V or 1 V circulation, or (3) death. ResultsIn the PA/IVS cohort (n = 15, median age 1.32 years), 10 patients underwent surgical conversion to a 1.5 V circulation and 5 to a 2 V circulation. In the attempted 1.5 V group, there were 2 failures, and these cases had a lower RV mass (p = 0.04). In the attempted 2 V group, there was 1 failure, and no CMR parameters were significantly different compared to the successes. Among the successful 2 V group patients, the minimum RV end-diastolic volume (EDV) was 27 ml/m2. In the LDAVC cohort (n = 15, median age 1.0 years), 1 patient underwent surgical conversion to a 1.5 V circulation and 14 patients to a 2 V circulation. In the attempted 1.5 V group, the 1 conversion was a failure and had an RV EDV of 15 ml/m2. In the attempted 2 V group, there were 2 failures, and these cases had a smaller RV:LV stroke volume ratio (p = 0.05) and a lower RV ejection fraction (p = 0.05) compared to the successes. Among the successful 2 V group patients, the minimum RV EDV was 22 ml/m2. ConclusionsWe identified multiple CMR parameters associated with successful conversion from 1 V circulation to 1.5 V or 2 V circulation in patients with PA/IVS and LDAVC. This information may improve patient selection for conversion procedures and encourage larger studies to better define the role of CMR.

A modified kapok fiber based phase change composite for highly-efficient solar-thermal conversion

Phase change material (PCM) has attracted considerable attention as thermal energy management technology for thermal storage. However, the low thermal conductivity and poor solar-thermal conversion performance severely limit their further practical applications. Herein, we successfully design a novel form-stable polyethylene glycol (PEG)-kapok fiber (KF)@Ti3C2Tx nanosheets phase change composite with favorable thermal conductivity (0.630 W/mK) and outstanding solar-thermal conversion efficiency (98.49%). The Ti3C2Tx on KF could offer more thermally conductive channels, thus greatly improve the thermal conductivity of PEG PCM. The strong solar absorption of Ti3C2Tx and the black surface of the composite conjointly resulted in the highly efficient solar-thermal conversion procedure. When the as-prepared composite exposed to sunlight, the surface temperature could reach over 90 °C in just 10 min. This work could not only exhibit the great potential of PEG-KF@Ti3C2Tx in thermal energy management, but also provide a new and efficient way for high solar-thermal conversion.

Outcomes of associated both-column acetabular fractures with and without a posterior wall fracture- A retrospective observational cohort study

Aims & objectivesOur study sought to determine if posterior wall (PW) involvement in associated both-column acetabular fractures (ABCAFs) is associated with different clinical outcomes, primarily rate of conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA), in comparison to ABCAFs with no PW involvement. Materials & methodsThis retrospective observational cohort study was performed at two academic Level 1 trauma centers. Two study groups were identified. The first study group consisted of 18 patients who sustained an ABCAF with PW involvement (+PW). The second study group consisted of 26 patients who sustained an ABCAF with no PW involvement (-PW). All patients achieved a minimum 12-months of follow-up and/or received a THA conversion procedure at a time remote to their index open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) procedure. The primary outcome of this study was subsequent conversion to THA on the injured hip. The secondary outcome was the presence of post-operative pain at ≥6 months and/or complications. ResultsNo difference in rate of conversion to THA between + PW (n = 4, 22.2%) and -PW (n = 3, 11.5%) groups was demonstrated (p = 0.419). Similarly, no differences were seen between groups regarding complication rate (p = 0.814) and post-operative pain (p = 0.142). ConclusionInvolvement of the PW does not appear to create worse clinical outcomes in comparison to no involvement in ABCAFs particularly as it relates to ipsilateral joint replacement.

A Systematic Approach to Standardizing Drinking Outcomes From Timeline Followback Data.

The timeline followback (TLFB) interview is the gold standard for the quantitative assessment of alcohol use. However, self-reported "drinks" can vary in alcohol content. If this variability is not accounted for, it can compromise the reliability and validity of TLFB data. To improve the precision of the TLFB data, we developed a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) to calculate standard drinks more accurately from participant reports. For the new SOP, the volume and alcohol content by volume (ABV) of distinct types of alcoholic beverages were determined based on product websites and other reliable sources. Recipes for specific cocktails were constructed based on recipes from bartending education websites. One standard drink was defined as 0.6 oz (14 g) of absolute alcohol. Standard drink totals were contrasted for the new SOP approach and the standard procedure, which generally assumed that one self-reported drink was equivalent to one standard drink. Relative to the standard TLFB procedure, higher numbers of standard drinks were reported after implementing the TLFB SOP. Variability in procedures for conversion of self-reported alcohol consumption to standard drinks can confound the interpretation of TLFB data. The use and reporting of a detailed SOP can significantly reduce the potential for such inconsistencies. Detailed and consistent procedures for calculation of standard drinks can enhance the quality of TLFB drinking data.