We measure the cross-power spectrum of the projected mass density as traced by the convergence of the cosmic microwave background lensing field from the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and a sample of ...Type 1 and 2 (unobscured and obscured) quasars at ~ 1 selected with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, over 2500 deg super(2). The cross-power spectrum is detected at approximate7sigma, and we measure a linear bias b = 1.61 + or - 0.22, consistent with clustering analyses. Using an independent lensing map, derived from Planck observations, to measure the cross-spectrum, we find excellent agreement with the SPT analysis. The bias of the combined sample of Type 1 and 2 quasars determined in this work is similar to that previously determined for Type 1 quasars alone; we conclude that obscured and unobscured quasars trace the matter field in a similar way. This result has implications for our understanding of quasar unification and evolution schemes.
The pattern electroretinogram (PERG) provides an objective measure of central retinal function, and has become an important element of the author's clinical visual electrophysiological practice. The ...PERG contains two main components, a positivity at approximately 50
ms (P50) and a larger negativity at approximately 95
ms (N95). The P50 component is affected by macular dysfunction with concomitant reduction in N95. The PERG therefore complements the Ganzfeld ERG in the assessment of patients with retinal disease. In contrast, the ganglion cell origins of the N95 component allow electrophysiological evaluation of ganglion cell function both in primary disease and in dysfunction secondary to optic nerve disease, where selective loss of N95 can be observed. Both macular dysfunction and optic nerve disease can give abnormalities in the visual evoked cortical potential (VEP), and the PERG thus facilitates more meaningful VEP interpretation. This review addresses the origins and recording of the PERG, and then draws on extensive clinical data from patients with genetically determined retinal and macular dystrophies, other retinal diseases and a variety of optic nerve disorders, to present an integrated approach to diagnosis.
The negative correlation between BPH-size and incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) is well-documented in the literature, however the exact mechanism is not well-understood. The present study uses ...histo-anatomical imaging to study prostate volume in correlation to prostate capsule thickness, and glandular epithelial cell density within the peripheral zone (PZ).
Specimens were selected from radical prostatectomies ranging from 20 to 160 mL based on ease of anatomical reconstruction by the slides. A total of 60 patients were selected and underwent quantitative measurements of prostate capsule thickness and glandular epithelial density within the PZ using computer-based imaging software. Pearson's correlation and a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between these measured parameters and the clinical characteristic of these patients.
Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a strongly significant, negative correlation between prostate volume and glandular epithelial cell density (r(58)=-0.554, p<0.001), and a strongly significant, positive correlation between prostate volume and average capsule thickness (r(58)=0.462, p<0.001). Results of multiple regression analysis showed that average glandular epithelial cell density added statistically to this prediction (p<0.05).
The results suggest that growth of the transition zone in BPH causes increased fibrosis of the PZ, leading to atrophy and fibrosis of glandular cells. As 80% of PCa originates from the glandular epithelium within the PZ, this observed phenomenon may explain the inverse correlation between BPH and PCa that is well-documented in the literature.
The aim of this study was to establish the functional significance of annular macular abnormalities present on fundus autofluorescence imaging (AF) in patients with cone or cone-rod dystrophy.
Fundus ...AF was performed on ten subjects (age range 18-82 years) with cone or cone-rod dystrophy consequent upon RPGR or RIMS1 mutation. International-standard full-field and pattern electroretinograms (ERGs) were performed in all cases. Photopic and scotopic fine matrix mapping (FMM) and multifocal ERG were performed on selected cases.
Subjects had annuli of high density AF that bordered central areas of low density in older RPGR cases and most RIMS1 cases. The size of the AF ring correlated with age and enlarged with time in two subjects. High-density rings were associated with a gradient of scotopic and photopic sensitivity loss. Pattern electroretinogram (PERG) P50 amplitude, when detectable, was inversely related to the size of the AF ring. Multifocal ERGs in two subjects showed widespread reduction with relative sparing over the foveal area, in keeping with FMM data.
Some patients with cone-rod dystrophy have a parafoveal ring of increased autofluorescence that may enlarge with time. Increased autofluorescence is associated with reduced rod and cone sensitivity, rather than photoreceptor cell death, and AF imaging may help identify viable areas of retina amenable to future therapeutic intervention.
We present observations of SPT-S J053816-5030.8, a gravitationally lensed dusty star-forming galaxy (DSFG) at z = 2.7817 that was first discovered at millimeter wavelengths by the South Pole ...Telescope. SPT 0538-50 is typical of the brightest sources found by wide-field millimeter-wavelength surveys, being lensed by an intervening galaxy at moderate redshift (in this instance, at z = 0.441). We present a wide array of multi-wavelength spectroscopic and photometric data on SPT 0538-50, including data from ALMA, Herschel PACS and SPIRE, Hubble, Spitzer, the Very Large Telescope, ATCA, APEX, and the Submillimeter Array. We use high-resolution imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope to de-blend SPT 0538-50, separating DSFG emission from that of the foreground lens. Combined with a source model derived from ALMA imaging (which suggests a magnification factor of 21 + or -4), we derive the intrinsic properties of SPT 0538-50, including the stellar mass, far-IR luminosity, star formation rate, molecular gas mass, and-using molecular line fluxes-the excitation conditions within the interstellar medium. The derived physical properties argue that we are witnessing compact, merger-driven star formation in SPT 0538-50 similar to local starburst galaxies and unlike that seen in some other DSFGs at this epoch.
Plastic tubing: The parallel alignment of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (NTs) with a self‐assembling biomolecular scaffold, the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), is presented. A multifunctional polymeric ...surfactant brings together these two disparate components: The NTs are solubilized by a layer of poly(ethylene glycol) attached through a pyrene anchor, and the pendant alkoxyamine groups of the surfactant allow mild bioconjugation with ketone‐labeled proteins.
We present component-separated maps of the primary cosmic microwave background/kinematic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) amplitude and the thermal SZ Compton-y parameter, created using data from the South ...Pole Telescope (SPT) and the Planck satellite. These maps, which cover the ∼2500 deg2 of the southern sky imaged by the SPT-SZ survey, represent a significant improvement over previous such products available in this region by virtue of their higher angular resolution (1.′25 for our highest-resolution Compton-y maps) and lower noise at small angular scales. In this work we detail the construction of these maps using linear combination techniques, including our method for limiting the correlation of our lowest-noise Compton-y map products with the cosmic infrared background. We perform a range of validation tests on these data products to test our sky modeling and combination algorithms, and we find good performance in all of these tests. Recognizing the potential utility of these data products for a wide range of astrophysical and cosmological analyses, including studies of the gas properties of galaxies, groups, and clusters, we make these products publicly available at http://pole.uchicago.edu/public/data/sptsz_ymap and on the NASA/LAMBDA website.
BACKGROUND: We wished to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ), a questionnaire developed to measure the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) ...of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. METHOD: To assess reliability and validity, women recruited from an outpatient gynaecology clinic at the Jessop Wing, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield completed two copies of the PCOSQ and the Short Form‐36 (SF‐36). Secondary factor analysis was carried out to verify the composition of the dimensions. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted to assess face validity. RESULTS: Of the 92 women who consented, 82 women (89%) returned questionnaires at time 1, and 69 women (75%) returned questionnaires at time 2. All five PCOSQ dimensions were internally reliable with Cronbach’s α scores ranging from 0.70 to 0.97. Intra‐class correlation coefficients to evaluate test–retest reliability were high (range 0.89–0.95, P < 0.001). Construct validity was demonstrated by high correlations for all comparisons of similar scales of the SF‐36 and PCOSQ (0.49 and 0.54). Acne was identified as an important area of HRQoL missing from the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: The PCOSQ is a reliable instrument for measuring the HRQoL in women with PCOS. However, the validity of the questionnaire needs to be improved by incorporating a dimension on acne into the instrument.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a progressive retinal degeneration that affects about 1 in 4000 of the population. 1 Approximately 15-30% of patients with RP have X linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), ...which is the most severe form of RP consistently manifesting early in life. 2, 3 Night blindness is usually present in early childhood with loss of peripheral visual fields and ultimately central vision, resulting in registered blindness by the end of the third decade. 16- 18 This protein also localises to the photoreceptor connecting cilium and is thought to be a structural component of the ciliary axoneme. 18 Subsequent mutation screening in patients suffering from retinal diseases has identified mutations in RPGRIP1 as a cause of Leber congenital amaurosis. 19, 20 In this report, we present the phenotype of a family suffering from XLRP associated with hearing loss, sinusitis, and chronic recurrent respiratory tract infections.
Background
Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most common operations performed, there is no consensus on the best surgical approach when inflammation obscures hepatocystic anatomy in ...severe cholecystitis. Traditionally, this situation triggered conversion to open cholecystectomy (COC); however, in recent decades, alternative approaches have been described. We compared outcomes of bailout procedures for severe cholecystitis, primarily focusing on COC versus laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSTC).
Study Design
Retrospective review comparing outcomes of intended laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases that were converted to bailout procedures between 2015–2020 at a single institution. Bailout procedures were categorized into LSTC and COC groups. Demographics, clinical presentation, time to surgery, operative indications, operative duration, and post-operative outcomes were compared using independent sample t-tests with Welch-Satterthwaite correction or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests (continuous variables) or Fisher’s exact/χ2 tests. A P-value of less than .05 was considered significant.
Results
Final analysis included 158 subjects: 55 LSTC and 99 COC. Patient demographics and clinical presentations were similar between groups. LSTC had shorter operative time, fewer ICU admissions, and shorter length of stay than COC (P < .05). There were 9 (9.2%) cases of ileus, 4 (4.0%) cases of post-operative bleeding, and 2 (2.0%) cases of bile duct injury in COC. There was 1 (1.8%) case of ileus, 1 (1.8%) case of post-operative bleeding, and no bile duct injury in LSTC.
Conclusion
LSTC was associated with fewer complications than COC, which had higher rates of biliary injury, bleeding, ileus, ICU admission, and longer hospital stay.
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