Abstract
In recent years, dramatic outbursts have been identified toward massive protostars via infrared and millimeter dust continuum and molecular maser emission. The longest lived outburst (>6 yr) ...persists in NGC 6334 I-MM1, a deeply embedded object with no near-IR counterpart. Using FORCAST and HAWC+ on SOFIA, we have obtained the first mid-IR images of this field since the outburst began. Despite being undetected in pre-outburst ground-based 18
μ
m images, MM1 is now the brightest region at all three wavelengths (25, 37, and 53
μ
m), exceeding the UCHII region MM3 (NGC 6334 F). Combining the SOFIA data with ALMA imaging at four wavelengths, we construct a spectral energy distribution of the combination of MM1 and the nearby hot core MM2. The best-fit Robitaille radiative transfer model yields a luminosity of (4.9 ± 0.8) × 10
4
L
⊙
. Accounting for an estimated pre-outburst luminosity ratio MM1:MM2 = 2.1 ± 0.4, the luminosity of MM1 has increased by a factor of 16.3 ± 4.4. The pre-outburst luminosity implies a protostar of mass 6.7
M
⊙
, which can produce the ionizing photon rate required to power the pre-outburst HCHII region surrounding the likely outbursting protostar MM1B. The total energy and duration of the outburst exceed the S255IR-NIRS3 outburst by a factor of ≳3, suggesting a different scale of event involving expansion of the protostellar photosphere (to ≳20
R
⊙
), thereby supporting a higher accretion rate (≳0.0023
M
⊙
yr
−1
) and reducing the ionizing photon rate. In the grid of hydrodynamic models of Meyer et al., the combination of outburst luminosity and magnitude (3) places the NGC 6334 I-MM1 event in the region of moderate total accretion (∼0.1–0.3
M
⊙
) and hence long duration (∼40–130 yr).
Renal replacement therapy (RRT) for acute renal failure (ARF) can be applied intermittently (IRRT) or continuously (CRRT). It has been suggested that CRRT has several advantages over IRRT including ...better haemodynamic stability, lower mortality and higher renal recovery rates.
To compare CRRT with IRRT to establish if any of these techniques is superior to each other in patients with ARF.
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Authors of included studies were contacted, reference lists of identified studies and relevant narrative reviews were screened. Search date: October 2006.
RCTs comparing CRRT with IRRT in adult patients with ARF and reporting prespecified outcomes of interest were included. Studies assessing CAPD were excluded.
Two authors assessed trial quality and extracted data. Statistical analyses were performed using the random effects model and the results expressed as relative risk (RR) for dichotomous outcomes or mean difference (WMD) for continuous data with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
We identified 15 studies (1550 patients). CRRT did not differ from IRRT with respect to in-hospital mortality (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.12), ICU mortality (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.26), number of surviving patients not requiring RRT (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.07), haemodynamic instability (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.10 to 2.28) or hypotension (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.16) and need for escalation of pressor therapy (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.08). Patients on CRRT were likely to have significantly higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) (WMD 5.35, 95% CI 1.41 to 9.29) and higher risk of clotting dialysis filters (RR, 95% CI 8.50 CI 1.14 to 63.33).
In patients who are haemodynamically stable, the RRT modality does not appear to influence important patient outcomes, and therefore the preference for CRRT over IRRT in such patients does not appear justified in the light of available evidence. CRRT was shown to achieve better haemodynamic parameters such as MAP. Future research should focus on factors such as the dose of dialysis and evaluation of newer promising hybrid technologies such as SLED. Triallists should follow the recommendations regarding clinical endpoints assessment in RCTs in ARF made by the Working Group of the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Working Group.
Background
The sensitivity, specificity, and agreement of 4 diagnostic assays (SNAP canine pancreatic lipase (cPL), specific cPL (Spec cPL), VetScan cPL Rapid Test, and Precision PSL) for ...pancreatitis in dogs have not been directly compared.
Hypothesis/Objectives
To determine the level of agreement among each of the 4 assays and a clinical suspicion score, level of agreement among the assays, and sensitivity and specificity of each assay in a clinically relevant patient group.
Animals
Fifty client‐owned dogs with clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease.
Methods
Prospective study. History, physical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemistry, abdominal ultrasound examination, and the 4 diagnostic assays for pancreatitis were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to determine the level of agreement between each assay and a clinical suspicion score determined by a panel of 5 board‐certified veterinary internists.
Results
The ICC between the clinical suspicion score and the 4 assays were SNAP cPL, 0.61; Spec cPL, 0.68; VetScan cPL Rapid Test, 0.68; and Precision PSL, 0.60. The sensitivities of the assays ranged from 73.9 to 100.0%, whereas the specificities were SNAP cPL, 71.1–77.8%; Spec cPL, 74.1–81.1%; VetScan cPL Rapid Test, 76.9–83.8%; and Precision PSL, 64.0–74.3%.
Conclusions and Clinical Importance
A good to excellent level of agreement was demonstrated among the 4 assays. The previously unreported sensitivity and specificity of the VetScan cPL Rapid Test were 73.9–83.3% and 76.9–83.8%, respectively. Results of any of the 4 diagnostic assays alone, in the absence of supporting clinical findings, are insufficient to establish a diagnosis of clinical pancreatitis in dogs.
An advanced spatial-unfolding technique capable of reconstructing the activity distribution within an exclusion zone from Compton gamma imager measurements taken outside of it is introduced. Although ...the method is generally applicable to extended sources, we demonstrate it here on a calibrated Cs-137 point source through Monte Carlo simulation studies as well as with measurements made using a Silicon Compton Telescope for Safety and Security (SCoTSS) gamma imager. For synthetic data the method accurately reconstructs the total activity contained within the mapped zone of interest, even when the size of the basis elements used to reconstruct the activity distribution is larger than the source itself. For experimental data, the method reliably located the source but underestimated its activity by up to 17%. This is accurate enough for real-world security applications. The underestimation is likely due to effects not yet included in the simulated response of the detector. The method has widespread applicability in the radiological/nuclear safety and security field, particularly for scenarios in which a threat material or contaminated area lies within a no-entry or no-fly zone.
•A spatial-unfolding technique applicable to Compton gamma imaging is introduced.•Method is validated with Monte Carlo and experimental Cs-137 point source data.•Source is reliably localized but the experimental activity is underestimated by 17%.•Method is applicable to sources extending over large areas at great distance.•Method has applicability in the radiological/nuclear safety and security field.
Limited resources and increasing environmental concerns have prompted calls to identify the critical questions that most need to be answered to advance conservation, thereby providing an agenda for ...scientific research priorities. Cetaceans are often keystone indicator species but also high profile, charismatic flagship taxa that capture public and media attention as well as political interest. A dedicated workshop was held at the conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (December 2013, New Zealand) to identify where lack of data was hindering cetacean conservation and which questions need to be addressed most urgently. This paper summarizes 15 themes and component questions prioritized during the workshop. We hope this list will encourage cetacean conservation-orientated research and help agencies and policy makers to prioritize funding and future activities. This will ultimately remove some of the current obstacles to science-based cetacean conservation.
Seaweed (or macroalgae) produced sustainably at large scale opens opportunities as source of fuels, chemicals and food. The production does not directly compete with terrestrial food production and ...may make use of anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Seaweed biomass can be transformed into a suitable substrate for fermentation using a biorefinery approach. In this study the entire process of biofuel production from seaweed is described: starting with cultivation and harvest, the seaweed is dried and cut, enzymatically hydrolysed, demineralized, detoxified, and finally fermented into acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE). Juvenile Saccharina latissima was directly seeded on AlgaeTex® nets and cultivated in the North East Atlantic off the west coast of Scotland for 6 months. Sun dried seaweed was hydrolysed with different enzymes, looking for optimal glucose release, solid/liquid ratio, and enzyme load. Using Cellic® CTec2 in combination with alginate lyases, approximately 80% of available glucose was released. The hydrolysis was scaled up to 100 L, using only Cellic® CTec2. Part of the hydrolysate was demineralized using ion-exclusion chromatography, removing over 90% of minerals while recovering 92% of glucose and mannitol. A fraction of the demineralized hydrolysate was additionally detoxified using a hydrophobic resin to remove hydrophobic components to a concentration below detection limit. The three hydrolysates (untreated, demineralized, and demineralized followed by detoxification) were used as substrate for ABE production by a newly developed strain of Clostridium acetobutylicum adapted to grow on S. latissima hydrolysate. Demineralization reduced the lag phase of fermentation from 72 h (untreated) to 24–48 h. Further detoxification of the hydrolysate led to immediate fermentation, resulting in a yield of 0.23 ± 0.02 gABE/gsugar similar to control fermentation in control medium (0.19 gABE/gsugar).
•Complete path from seaweed cultivation to fermentative acetone, butanol, and ethanol production•Enzymatic hydrolysis with different enzymatic cocktails•Scale-up to 100 L of enzymatic hydrolysis•Chromatographic demineralization and detoxification of hydrolysate•Fermentation of hydrolysates with adapted strains of Clostridium acetobutylicum
ABSTRACT
We report the detection of new 12.178, 12.229, 20.347, and 23.121 GHz methanol masers in the massive star-forming region G358.93−0.03, which are flaring on similarly short time-scales (days) ...as the 6.668 GHz methanol masers also associated with this source. The brightest 12.178 GHz channel increased by a factor of over 700 in just 50 d. The masers found in the 12.229 and 20.347 GHz methanol transitions are the first ever reported and this is only the fourth object to exhibit associated 23.121 GHz methanol masers. The 12.178 GHz methanol maser emission appears to have a higher flux density than that of the 6.668 GHz emission, which is unusual. No associated near-infrared flare counterpart was found, suggesting that the energy source of the flare is deeply embedded.
Identifying functional biomarkers related to treatment success can aid in expediting therapy optimization, as well as contribute to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms of the ...treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation (SCC-DBS).
Magnetoencephalography data were obtained from 16 individuals with SCC-DBS for TRD and 25 healthy subjects. The first objective of the study was to identify region-specific oscillatory modulations that both (i) discriminate individuals with TRD (with SCC-DBS OFF) from healthy controls, and (ii) discriminate TRD treatment responders from non-responders (with SCC-DBS ON). The second objective of this work was to further explore the effects of stimulation intensity and frequency on oscillatory activity in the identified brain regions of interest.
Oscillatory power analyses led to the identification of brain regions that differentiated responders from non-responders based on modulations of increased alpha (8–12 Hz) and decreased gamma (32–116 Hz) power within nodes of the default mode, central executive, and somatomotor networks, Broca's area, and lingual gyrus. Within these nodes, it was also found that low stimulation frequency had stronger effects on oscillatory modulation than increased stimulation intensity.
The identified functional network biomarkers implicate modulation of TRD-related activity in brain regions involved in emotional control/processing, motor control, and the interaction between speech, vision, and memory, which have all been implicated in depression. These electrophysiological biomarkers have the potential to be used as functional proxies for therapy optimization. Additional stimulation parameter analyses revealed that oscillatory modulations can be strengthened by increasing stimulation intensity or reducing frequency, which may represent potential avenues of direction in non-responders.
•Oscillatory modulations identify responders to DBS for depression.•Based on modulations of increased alpha and decreased gamma power.•In the DMN, CEN, somoatomotor network, Broca's area, and lingual gyrus.•These biomarkers may be used as functional proxies for therapy optimization.
Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) is a non-invasive alternative to colonoscopy. The reported sensitivity and specificity of CCE for the detection of clinically significant colonic neoplasia is high. To ...date, there have been no reported cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) missed by CCE which were located in segments adequately visualised by the capsule.
We present the case of a 71-year-old female, who underwent CCE for new lower gastrointestinal symptoms. The CCE reported 17 polyps (largest size 10 mm) and angiodysplasia. A 40 mm caecal pole tumour, not detected by the CCE, was identified at follow up colonoscopy. Surgical resection was performed, and the pathology sample was reported as moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, pT2 pN0 (0/19) M0, with no evidence of EMVI. The patient made an uneventful recovery. The caecal pole tumour was not definitively identified on retrospective review of the CCE images.
To date, this is the first published case of a CRC missed entirely by CCE. Further research is required to allow calculation of the post CCE interval CRC rate to allow comparison with colonoscopy and CT colonogram.
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