Background
The objective of this study was to describe the first US‐based study to use the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis (EPOS) criteria to study the prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis ...(CRS) in a general‐population sample.
Methods
A CRS symptom questionnaire was mailed to 23 700 primary care patients from Geisinger Clinic, a health system serving 45 counties in Pennsylvania. CRS cases were categorized into four unique subgroups based on EPOS symptoms: obstruction and discharge with no smell loss or pain/pressure; smell loss without pain/pressure; facial pain and/or pressure without smell loss; and both smell loss and pain/pressure. All cases were required to have nasal obstruction or discharge. Logistic regression was used to evaluate potential factors associated with CRS subgroups.
Results
We found that 11.9% of patients met criteria for CRS. Prevalence peaked at 15.9% between ages 50 and 59 years and then dropped to 6.8% after age 69. The odds of CRS was higher among patients who were white, younger, smokers, had a history of Medical Assistance, and had other diseases. When CRS subgroups were modeled separately, these associations were no longer significant for some CRS subgroups. Comorbid diseases were most strongly associated with CRS cases who reported smell loss and facial pain and/or pressure and had the weakest associations with CRS cases who did not report these symptoms.
Conclusions
CRS is a highly prevalent and heterogeneous condition. Differences in risk factors and health outcomes across symptom subgroups may be indicative of differences in etiology that have implications for disease management.
We explore a sequence of 13 unique high‐cadence images of a dust storm, from the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). The Emirates eXploration Imager camera took these images in less than 8 hr on 18 December ...2022 (Martian Year 36, solar longitude 356°). Most of these images are separated by a time difference of half an hour. The region of interest extends from Lyot crater to the east. During the morning, the EMM images show lee waves (atmospheric gravity waves). In the late morning, the lee waves rapidly change into clearly distinct dust storm texture/convective features. We track the evolution of both lee waves and a local dust storm between sunrise and mid‐afternoon. Also, we relate our observations to atmospheric dynamics. Our analysis is supported by the Mars Climate Database and radio occultation measurement data.
Plain Language Summary
The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) has an on‐board camera, whose images from 18 December 2022 show a dust storm near Lyot crater (a large crater in the northern hemisphere of Mars). An image was taken almost every half an hour. In total, this gave 13 camera images in less than 8 hr. This number of images in such a short time is unique. The images reveal clouds which form straight lines during the morning. Such straight clouds are known as “lee wave clouds.” In the late morning, the lee waves disappear quickly and a quite different dust cloud appears. The latter is a dust storm which grows quickly. We follow the lee waves and dust storm from sunrise to mid‐afternoon. Also, we put our observations into the context of physical processes in the Mars atmosphere. Our work is supported by external data and measurements. That is to say data from the Mars Climate Database and radio occultation measurements.
Key Points
The Emirates Mars Mission provided thirteen (sub‐)hourly images; they show variations in clouds and atmospheric dust on 18 December 2022
The image sequence tracks the evolution of both lee waves and a local dust storm between sunrise and mid‐afternoon, near Lyot Crater
We relate our observations to atmospheric dynamics, supported by the Mars Climate Database and radio occultation measurements
Widespread application of insecticide remains the primary form of control for Chagas disease in Central America, despite only temporarily reducing domestic levels of the endemic vector Triatoma ...dimidiata and having little long-term impact. Recently, an approach emphasizing community feedback and housing improvements has been shown to yield lasting results. However, the additional resources and personnel required by such an intervention likely hinders its widespread adoption. One solution to this problem would be to target only a subset of houses in a community while still eliminating enough infestations to interrupt disease transfer. Here we develop a sequential sampling framework that adapts to information specific to a community as more houses are visited, thereby allowing us to efficiently find homes with domiciliary vectors while minimizing sampling bias. The method fits Bayesian geostatistical models to make spatially informed predictions, while gradually transitioning from prioritizing houses based on prediction uncertainty to targeting houses with a high risk of infestation. A key feature of the method is the use of a single exploration parameter, α, to control the rate of transition between these two design targets. In a simulation study using empirical data from five villages in southeastern Guatemala, we test our method using a range of values for α, and find it can consistently select fewer homes than random sampling, while still bringing the village infestation rate below a given threshold. We further find that when additional socioeconomic information is available, much larger savings are possible, but that meeting the target infestation rate is less consistent, particularly among the less exploratory strategies. Our results suggest new options for implementing long-term T. dimidiata control.
Indirect-drive hohlraum experiments at the National Ignition Facility have demonstrated symmetric capsule implosions at unprecedented laser drive energies of 0.7 megajoule. One hundred and ninety-two ...simultaneously fired laser beams heat ignition-emulate hohlraums to radiation temperatures of 3.3 million kelvin, compressing 1.8-millimeter-diameter capsules by the soft x-rays produced by the hohlraum. Self-generated plasma optics gratings on either end of the hohlraum tune the laser power distribution in the hohlraum, which produces a symmetric x-ray drive as inferred from the shape of the capsule self-emission. These experiments indicate that the conditions are suitable for compressing deuterium-tritium-filled capsules, with the goal of achieving burning fusion plasmas and energy gain in the laboratory.
To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (L-PPPD) to treat periampullary tumors. The clinical outcomes of L-PPPD were ...compared with open pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (O-PPPD).
Despite recent advances in laparoscopic pancreatic surgery, few studies have compared L-PPPD with O-PPPD. The safety, short-term clinical benefits, and oncologic outcomes of L-PPPD remain controversial.
Between January 2007 and December 2012, a total of 2192 patients diagnosed with periampullary tumors were treated with curative resection at our institution. Of these patients, 137 underwent a laparoscopic approach and 2055 an open technique. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and oncologic outcomes of L-PPPD compared with O-PPPD.
The mean operation time for the L-PPPD group was longer than for the O-PPPD group (P < 0.001). Estimated blood loss was similar, as was the incidence of complications, such as pancreatic fistula and delayed gastric empting (P > 0.05). The mean number of analgesic injections administered was lower in the L-PPPD group than in the O-PPPD group (P < 0.001), and the mean duration of the postoperative hospital stays was shorter (P < 0.001). The surgical resection margins and the number of lymph nodes in the resected specimens did not differ between the 2 groups, and there was no significant difference in overall survival curves.
L-PPPD had the typical advantages of minimally invasive abdominal procedures, such as less pain, shorter hospital stay, and quicker recovery. It is technically safe and feasible, and has favorable oncologic outcomes in comparison with O-PPPD in patients with periampullary tumors.
The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) science phase began in Martian Year 36, solar longitude 49, which is outside of the classical Mars dust storm season. EMM observed a distinct dust cloud at northern ...mid‐to‐high latitudes on 10 September 2021 (Martian Year 36, solar longitude 97). The dust cloud is an arc‐shaped dust storm, typically observed at the northern polar cap edge. This type of non‐season dust storm is a well‐known phenomenon, but this particular case is interesting because the dust cloud has frontal structure. A large atmospheric front is unusual in this location and season. Moreover, EMM's unique observational coverage adds value to this observation. EMM provided a sequence of four camera images, which are separated by just 2–3 hr. The dust cloud showed very little motion over 7–8 hr, that is, it is quasi‐stationary. We discuss relevant dynamical processes, supported by a consistency check with the Mars Climate Database.
Plain Language Summary
The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) officially started its science observations on 23 May 2021. We saw some, but not many dust storms until end of 2021. That is because Mars has a dust storm season and a non‐dust‐storm‐season, and EMM arrived during the latter. On 10 September 2021, EMM observed an arc‐shaped dust storm close to the northern polar cap. This type of non‐season dust storm is well‐known. What makes this observation interesting is that the dust storm is also a weather front. A large atmospheric front is unusual for this location and time during the Martian year. Moreover, it is unique how EMM observed this dust storm. EMM took a camera image every 2–3 hr, giving four dust cloud images in total. The dust cloud showed very little motion over 7–8 hr. We discuss how the motion of air masses in the Mars atmosphere may have caused the observed dust storm. The discussion is supported by wind and temperature data from the Mars Climate Database.
Key Points
We study a sequence of four Emirates Mars Mission images, showing a frontal dust cloud on 10 September 2021 (solar longitude 97)
The dust cloud extends from the Chasma Boreale of the northern polar cap to the midlatitudes; it shows very little movement for 7–8 hr
Large atmospheric fronts are unusual in this location and season; we discuss dynamical processes, supported by the Mars Climate Database
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