Through analytic morphomics, we are able to quantify markers of sarcopenia and identify patients at risk for increased mortality and poor surgical outcomes. Early identification of patients offers us the opportunity to remediate sarcopenia through perioperative training and support. Participating patients spend less time in the hospital and have lower healthcare costs. This program has the potential to improve the perioperative patient experience and ease financial burdens.

CT scan-derived measurement of TPA as an objective frailty assessment tool predicts early morbidity and mortality, high resource utilization, and late survival after treatment for aortic stenosis. The correlation observed between sarcopenia and resource utilization after SAVR versus TAVR suggests that this simple and reproducible risk assessment tool also may help identify those patients who will derive optimal benefit from catheter-based therapy.

The thermal attachment of electrons to SF(6) is measured in a flowing-afterglow Langmuir-probe apparatus monitoring electron concentrations versus axial position in the flow tube. Temperatures between 300 and 670 K and pressures of the bath gas He in the range of 0.3-9 Torr are employed. Monitoring the concentrations of SF(6)(-) and SF(5)(-), the latter of which does not detach electrons under the applied conditions, an onset of thermal detachment and dissociation of SF(6) at temperatures above about 530 K is observed. Analysis of the mechanism allows one to deduce thermal detachment rate coefficients. Thermal dissociation rate coefficients for the reaction SF(6)(-)-->SF(5)(-)+F can only be estimated by unimolecular rate theory based on the results from Part I and II of this series. Under the applied conditions they are found to be smaller than detachment rate coefficients. Combining thermal attachment and detachment rates in a third-law analysis, employing calculated vibrational frequencies of SF(6) and SF(6)(-), leads to the electron affinity (EA) of SF(6)(-). The new value of EA=1.20(+/-0.05) eV is significantly higher than previous recommendations which were based on less direct methods.

The kinetics of electron attachment to CF(3) as a function of temperature (300-600 K) and pressure (0.75-2.5 Torr) were studied by variable electron and neutral density attachment mass spectrometry exploiting dissociative electron attachment to CF(3)Br as a radical source. Attachment occurs through competing dissociative (CF(3) + e(-) → CF(2) + F(-)) and non-dissociative channels (CF(3) + e(-) → CF(3)(-)). The rate constant of the dissociative channel increases strongly with temperature, while that of the non-dissociative channel decreases. The rate constant of the non-dissociative channel increases strongly with pressure, while that of the dissociative channel shows little dependence. The total rate constant of electron attachment increases with temperature and with pressure. The system is analyzed by kinetic modeling in terms of statistical theory in order to understand its properties and to extrapolate to conditions beyond those accessible in the experiment.

End‐stage liver disease (ESLD) patients are believed to have a high prevalence of depression, although mental health in ESLD has not been studied comprehensively. Further, the relationship between depression and severity of liver disease is unclear. Using baseline data from a large prospective cohort study (N = 500) of frailty in ESLD patients, we studied the association of frailty with depression. Frailty was assessed with the five‐component Fried Frailty Index. Patients were assigned a composite score of 0 to 5, with scores ≥3 considered frail. Depression was assessed using the 15‐question Geriatric Depression Scale, with a threshold of ≥6 indicating depression; 43.2% of patients were frail and 39.4% of patients were depressed (median score 4, range 0–15). In multivariate analysis, frailty was significantly associated with depression (odds ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.87–4.15, p < 0.001), whereas model for ESLD score was not associated with depression. After covariate adjustment, depression prevalence was 3.6 times higher in the most‐frail patients than the least‐frail patients. In conclusion, depression is common in ESLD patients and is strongly associated with frailty but not with severity of liver disease. Transplant centers should address mental health issues and frailty; targeted interventions may lower the burden of mental illness in this population.

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Rate constants and branching fractions for the reaction of O 2 + with C 8 H 10 (ethylbenzene) have been measured in the recently upgraded turbulent ion flow tube (TIFT) and are reported here as a function of temperature from 423 to 573 K and number density from 3 × 10 17 to 25 × 10 17 molecules cm -3 . The results reported here represent the first measurements to be made on this instrument as a function of both temperature and pressure. The rate constants for the reaction of O 2 + with C 8 H 10 are collisional and exhibit no appreciable variation with temperature or pressure. The reaction proceeds primarily by dissociative and nondissociative charge transfer forming two main product ions, namely, C 8 H 10 + and C 7 H 7 + . The ratio of [C 8 H 10 + ] to [C 7 H 7 + ] depends strongly on both the buffer gas number density and the temperature. Increasing the number density increases the abundance of C 8 H 10 + , indicating that collisional stabilization of the charge transfer excited state is occurring. Measurements were made using both He and N 2 buffers. Nitrogen is almost twice as efficient at stabilizing the charge transfer product than is He. A simple model predicts the ratio of [C 8 H 10 + ] to [C 7 H 7 + ] to depend linearly on number density, which is consistent with the experimental results. At a constant number density, the abundance of C 7 H 7 + increases with temperature. A small amount of thermal dissociation of C 8 H 10 + has been observed at 573 K.

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instnictrons. searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, Al PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)Air Force New measurements have been made of rate constants for electron attachment to c-C4Fg (octafluorocyclobutane) and thermal electron detachment from the parent anion, c-C4F^ , over the temperature range 298-400 K in 133 Pa of He gas in a flowing-afterglow Langmuir-probe apparatus. From these data the electron affinity for c-C4Fg was determined, EA(c-C4F8) = 0.63 ±0.05 eV. The motivation was to resolve a discrepancy between our earlier EA estimate and a higher value (EA= 1.05±0.10 eV) reported from a recent experiment of Hiraoka et at. [J. Chem. Phys. 116, 7574 (2002)]. The electron attachment rate constant is 9.3± 3.0X 10~' cm' s~' at 298 K. The electron detachment rate constant is negligible at room temperature but climbs to 1945 ±680 s~* at 400 K. G3(MP2) calculations were carried out for the neutral (D2d, 'AI) and anion (D^h, ^Aiu) and yielded EA(c-C4F^) = 0.595 eV. Bond energies were also calculated for loss of F from c-C4Fg and loss of F or F" from c-C4F^ . From these, dissociative electron attachment is found to be endothermic by at least 1.55 eV. SUBJECT TERMS