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High dietary phosphorus intake (P-In) and high acid loads may adversely affect kidney function. In animal models, excessive phosphorus intake causes renal injury, which, in humans, is also inducible by chronic metabolic acidosis. We thus examined whether habitually high P-In and endogenous acid production during childhood and adolescence may be early indicators of incipient renal inflammatory processes later in adulthood. P-In and acid-base status were longitudinally and exclusively determined by biomarker-based assessment in 277 healthy children, utilizing phosphate and net acid excretion (NAE) measurements in 24 h urine samples repeatedly collected between the ages of 3 and 17 years. Standard deviation scores (by sex and age) were calculated for anthropometric data and for the urinary biomarkers available within age range 3-17 years. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the relations of phosphate excretion and NAE with the adulthood outcome circulating interleukin-18 (IL-18), a marker of inflammation and kidney dysfunction. After adjusting for growth- and adulthood-related covariates and pro-inflammatory biomarkers to rule out confounding by non-renal inflammatory processes, regression models revealed a significant positive relationship of long-term NAE (p = 0.01), but not of long-term phosphate excretion with adult serum IL-18. Similar significant positive regression results were obtained after replacing NAE with 24 h urinary ammonium excretion as the exposition variable. Our results suggest that even moderate elevations in renal ammonia production, as caused by habitually higher acid loading during growth, may affect the intrarenal pro-inflammatory system in the long-term, known to be boosted by acidosis-induced raised ammoniagenesis.

This comprehensive study analyzed aerosol products from six low-Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) sensors. LEO sensors like the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and VIsible InfraRed Suite (VIIRS) provide one to two daily global measurements, while GEO sensors (Advanced Himawari Imager: AHI, Advanced Baseline Imager: ABI) offer high-frequency data (∼ 10 min) over specific regions. The combination of LEO and GEO capabilities offers expanded coverage of the global aerosol system if aerosol retrievals are applied consistently across all sensors and packaged in an easy-to-use product. The Dark Target aerosol retrieval algorithm was applied to the six sensors, and the resulting Level 2 aerosol optical depth (AOD) products were gridded and merged into a Level 3 quarter-degree latitude–longitude grid with a 30 min temporal resolution, providing the necessary consistency and packaging. Validation of this packaged Level 3 AOD product against Aerosol Robotics NETwork (AERONET) measurements across global locations showcased the merged product's robustness with a correlation coefficient of 0.83, revealing a global mean bias of approximately ±0.05, with 65.5 % of retrievals falling within an expected uncertainty range, underlining the reliability of the dataset. The new gridded Level 3 dataset significantly improved daily global coverage to nearly 45 %, overcoming the limitations of individual sensors, which typically range from 12 % to 25 %. Furthermore, this merged dataset approximates the diurnal cycle of AOD observed by AERONET, thus offering insights into diurnal signatures retrieved elsewhere. The resulting dataset's high spatiotemporal resolution and improved global coverage, especially in regions covered by GEO sensors (Americas and Asia), make it a valuable tool for diverse applications. Tracking aerosol transport from phenomena like wildfires and dust storms is gaining precision, enabling enhanced air quality forecasting and hindcasting. Additionally, the study positions the merged dataset as a significant asset for evaluating and intercomparing regional or global model simulations, which was previously unattainable in such a gridded format. The dataset and fusion framework layout in this study have the potential to include data from recently (future) launched other GEO (FCI, AMI) and LEO (PACE, VIIRS-JPSS) sensors.

Originally developed for the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) in polar, sun-synchronous low earth orbit (LEO), the Dark Target (DT) aerosol retrieval algorithm relies on the assumption of a surface reflectance parameterization (SRP) over land surfaces. Specifically for vegetated and dark-soiled surfaces, values of surface reflectance in blue and red visible-wavelength bands are assumed to be nearly linearly related to each other and to the value in a shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelength band. This SRP also includes dependencies on scattering angle and a normalized difference vegetation index computed from two SWIR bands (NDVISWIR). As the DT retrieval algorithm is being ported to new sensors to continue and expand the aerosol data record, we assess whether the MODIS-assumed SRP can be used for these sensors. Here, we specifically assess SRP for the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) aboard the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16/East (ABIE). First, we find that using MODIS-based SRP leads to higher biases and artificial diurnal signatures in aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals from ABIE. The primary reason appears to be that the geostationary orbit (GEO) encounters an entirely different set of observation geometry than does LEO, primarily with regard to solar angles coupled with fixed-view angles. Therefore, we have developed a new SRP for GEO that draws the angular shape of the surface bidirectional reflectance. We also introduce modifications to the parameterization of both red–SWIR and blue–red spectral relationships to include additional information. The revised red–SWIR SRP includes the solar zenith angle, NDVISWIR, and land-type percentage from an ancillary database. The blue–red SRP adds dependencies on the scattering angle and NDVISWIR. The new SRPs improve the AOD retrieval of ABIE in terms of overall less bias and mitigation of the overestimation around local noon. The average bias of the DT AOD compared to the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD shows a reduction from 0.08 to 0.03, while the bias of local solar noon decreases from 0.12 to 0.03. The agreement between the DT and AERONET AOD is established through a regression slope of 1.06 and a y intercept of 0.01 with a correlation coefficient of 0.74. By using the new SRP, the percentage of data falling within the expected error range (±0.05 % + 15 %) is notably increased from 54 % to 78 %.

IntroductionThis study seeks to investigate the barriers to care that exist for patients presenting with sarcomas of musculoskeletal origin. Understanding the roots of delays in care for patients with musculoskeletal sarcoma is particularly important given the necessity of prompt treatment for oncologic diagnoses. Investigators reviewed relevant studies of publications reporting barriers to care in patients undergoing diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal tumors.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted using Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed-MEDLINE. Twenty publications were analyzed, including a total of 114,056 patients.ResultsFour barrier subtypes were identified: Socioeconomic Status, Geographic Location, Healthcare Quality, Sociocultural Factors. Socioeconomic status included access to health insurance and income level. Geographic location included distance traveled by patients, access to referral centers, type of hospital system and resource-challenged environments. Healthcare quality included substandard imaging, access to healthcare resources, and healthcare utilization prior to diagnosis. Sociocultural factors included psychological states, nutrition, education and social support.ConclusionAfter identifying the most significant barriers in this study, we can target specific public health issues within our community that may reduce delays in care. The assessment of barriers to care is an important first step for improving the delivery of oncologic patient care to this patient population.

More than 2 decades ago, aerosol remote sensing underwent a revolution with the launch of the Terra and Aqua satellites. Advancement continued via additional launches carrying new passive and active sensors. Capable of retrieving parameters characterizing aerosol loading, rudimentary particle properties and in some cases aerosol layer height, the satellite view of Earth's aerosol system came into focus. The modeling communities have made similar advances. Now the efforts have continued long enough that we can see developing trends in both the remote sensing and modeling communities, allowing us to speculate about the future and how the community will approach aerosol remote sensing 20 years from now. We anticipate technology that will replace today's standard multi-wavelength radiometers with hyperspectral and/or polarimetry, all viewing at multiple angles. These will be supported by advanced active sensors with the ability to measure profiles of aerosol extinction in addition to backscatter. The result will be greater insight into aerosol particle properties. Algorithms will move from being primarily physically based to include an increasing degree of machine-learning methods, but physically based techniques will not go extinct. However, the practice of applying algorithms to a single sensor will be in decline. Retrieval algorithms will encompass multiple sensors and all available ground measurements in a unifying framework, and these inverted products will be ingested directly into assimilation systems, becoming “cyborgs”: half observations, half model. In 20 years we will see a true democratization in space with nations large and small, private organizations, and commercial entities of all sizes launching space sensors. With this increasing number of data and aerosol products available, there will be a lot of bad data. User communities will organize to set standards, and the large national space agencies will lead the effort to maintain quality by deploying and maintaining validation ground networks and focused field experiments. Through it all, interest will remain high in the global aerosol system and how that system affects climate, clouds, precipitation and dynamics, air quality, the environment and public health, transport of pathogens and fertilization of ecosystems, and how these processes are adapting to a changing climate.

Real-time feedback is a growing trend in patient- and family experience (PFE) work as it allows for immediate service recovery, though it typically requires a significant investment of time and financial resources. We describe a partnership with our “edutainment” system to administer an automated daily experience question (the “Daily Pulse Measure [DPM]”) that allowed targeted just-in-time responses to low scores with minimal administrative cost. Through a series of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles guided by family feedback, the question was created and modified, and the use of the question spread to all hospital units. The response rate was 23%, similar to our Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey response rate of 24% during the study period. Though the DPM did not have a consistent impact on the results of the 2 PFE survey questions we evaluated, units with improved PFE scores after the DPM roll-out tended to have more robust service recovery than those with low scores.

PurposeBrain herniation into arachnoid granulations (BHAG) of the dural venous sinuses is a recently described finding of uncertain etiology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of BHAG in a cohort of patients with pulsatile tinnitus (PT) and to clarify the physiologic and clinical implications of these lesions.MethodsThe imaging and charts of consecutive PT patients were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were examined with MRI including pre- and post-contrast T1- and T2-weighted sequences. Images were reviewed separately by three blinded neuroradiologists to identify the presence of BHAG. Their location, signal intensity, size, presence of arachnoid granulation, and associated dural venous sinus stenosis were documented. Clinical records were further reviewed for idiopathic intracranial hypertension, history of prior lumbar puncture, and opening pressure.ResultsTwo hundred sixty-two consecutive PT patients over a 4-year period met inclusion criteria. PT patients with BHAG were significantly more likely to have idiopathic intracranial hypertension than PT patients without BHAG (OR 4.2, CI 1.5-12, p = 0.006). Sixteen out of 262 (6%) patients were found to have 18 BHAG. Eleven out of 16 (69%) patients had unilateral temporal or occipital lobe herniations located in the transverse sinus or the transverse-sigmoid junction. Three out of 16 (19%) patients had unilateral cerebellar herniations and 2/16 (13%) patients had bilateral BHAG.ConclusionIn patients with PT, BHAG is a prevalent MRI finding that is strongly associated with the clinical diagnosis of IIH. The pathogenesis of BHAG remains uncertain, but recognition should prompt comprehensive evaluation for IIH.

BackgroundHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a debilitating disease with poor survival. Although epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting antibody cetuximab improves survival in some settings, responses are limited suggesting that alternative approaches are needed.MethodsWe performed a high throughput drug screen to identify EGFR inhibitor-based synergistic combinations of clinically advanced inhibitors in models resistant to EGFR inhibitor monotherapies, and then performed downstream validation experiments on prioritized synergistic combinations.ResultsFrom our screen, we re-discovered known synergistic EGFR inhibitor combinations with FGFR or IGF-1R inhibitors that were broadly effective and also discovered novel synergistic combinations with XIAP inhibitor and DNMT inhibitors that were effective in only a subset of models.ConclusionsConceptually, our data identify novel synergistic combinations that warrant evaluation in future studies, and suggest that some combinations, although highly synergistic, will require parallel companion diagnostic development to be effectively advanced in patients.

Aerosol layer height (ALH) is an important but uncertain parameter for evaluating the impact of aerosols on weather and climate and for accurate atmospheric correction. This study aims to assess the potential for measuring ALH by the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) on NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem satellite. OCI measures Earth-reflected solar spectrum including reflectance in the oxygen (O2) A and B absorption bands that are invaluable for determining ALH. We assessed the sensitivity and information contained therein in retrieving ALH over the ocean surface by using the radiative transfer simulation of OCI observations in the O2 bands. The capabilities were also demonstrated using hyperspectral data measured by the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), as spectrally convolved into the OCI bands. Our results indicate that (a) OCI observations in the O2 A band are sensitive to ALH, whereas those around the O2 B band have relatively reduced sensitivity; (b) the most pronounced sensitivity to ALH is found in the 762.5 nm (and 690 nm) around the oxygen A (and B) bands, which are selected for ALH retrievals in this study; and (c) the ALH retrieved from OCI proxy data is in good agreement with the aerosol profile probed by CALIOP lidar. Overall, the ALH retrievals for both smoke and dust events exhibit a root mean square error of 0.49 km and 0.31 km, respectively, for the smoke and dust cases, aligning with the uncertainties of ALH as measured from the concurrent TROPOMI and the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera instruments. Therefore, this study suggests from OCI observations that we can generate ALH products with a well-characterized uncertainty. The technique and results presented in this study are suitable to develop a simple but robust ALH algorithm for OCI observations when the data become available.

Abstract The Y chromosome carries information about the demography of paternal lineages, and thus, can prove invaluable for retracing both the evolutionary trajectory of wild animals and the breeding history of domesticates. In horses, the Y chromosome shows a limited, but highly informative, sequence diversity, supporting the increasing breeding influence of Oriental lineages during the last 1500 years. Here, we augment the primary horse Y-phylogeny, which is currently mainly based on modern horse breeds of economic interest, with haplotypes (HT) segregating in remote horse populations around the world. We analyze target enriched sequencing data of 5 Mb of the Y chromosome from 76 domestic males, together with 89 whole genome sequenced domestic males and five Przewalski’s horses from previous studies. The resulting phylogeny comprises 153 HTs defined by 2966 variants and offers unprecedented resolution into the history of horse paternal lineages. It reveals the presence of a remarkable number of previously unknown haplogroups in Mongolian horses and insular populations. Phylogenetic placement of HTs retrieved from 163 archaeological specimens further indicates that most of the present-day Y-chromosomal variation evolved after the domestication process that started around 4200 years ago in the Western Eurasian steppes. Our comprehensive phylogeny significantly reduces ascertainment bias and constitutes a robust evolutionary framework for analyzing horse population dynamics and diversity.

Introduction: The occurrence of helicopter crashes United States is low. Orthopaedic injuries secondary to helicopter crashes often present as polytraumas with poor prognoses. Subsequent treatment of trauma after this mechanism of injury has not been well reported in the literature. Case report: We report an unusual polytrauma that occurred to a 26-year-old pregnant female, as the lone survivor in a helicopter crash. She sustained multiple orthopedic injuries including an open pilon fracture, calcaneus fracture, radial head fracture, vertebral body fractures, and lumbopelvic dissociation with upper and lower sacrum fractures further complicated by wound breakdown. Extensive intervention including pelvic and lower extremity external fixation, open reduction internal fixation, posterior lumbar interbody fusion, Ilizarov frame placement with Masquelet technique, and multiple debridements with subsequent free flap graft. Conclusion: The following case report describes the incidence of helicopter injuries and the associated orthopedic injuries that may occur. This report highlights effective management resulting in favorable outcomes including eventual independent ambulation.

PurposeThere is substantial variation in the radiologic terms used to characterize renal masses, leading to ambiguity and inconsistency in clinical radiology reports and research studies. The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized lexicon to describe renal masses at CT and MRI.Materials and methodsThis multi-institutional, prospective, quality improvement project was exempt from IRB oversight. Thirteen radiologists belonging to the Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) disease-focused panel on renal cell carcinoma representing nine academic institutions participated in a modified Delphi process to create a lexicon of terms used to describe imaging features of renal masses at CT and MRI. In the first round, members voted on terms to be included and proposed definitions; subsequent voting rounds and a teleconference established consensus. One non-voting member developed the questionnaire and consolidated responses. Consensus was defined as ≥ 80% agreement.ResultsOf 37 proposed terms, 6 had consensus to be excluded. Consensus for inclusion was reached for 30 of 31 terms (13/14 basic imaging terms, 8/8 CT terms, 6/6 MRI terms and 3/3 miscellaneous terms). Despite substantial initial disagreement about definitions of 'renal mass,' 'necrosis,' 'fat,' and 'restricted diffusion' in the first round, consensus for all was eventually reached. Disagreement remained for the definition of 'solid mass.'ConclusionsA modified Delphi method produced a lexicon of preferred terms and definitions to be used in the description of renal masses at CT and MRI. This lexicon should improve clarity and consistency of radiology reports and research related to renal masses.

High dietary phosphorus intake (P-In) and high acid loads may adversely affect kidney function. In animal models, excessive phosphorus intake causes renal injury, which, in humans, is also inducible by chronic metabolic acidosis. We thus examined whether habitually high P-In and endogenous acid production during childhood and adolescence may be early indicators of incipient renal inflammatory processes later in adulthood. P-In and acid–base status were longitudinally and exclusively determined by biomarker-based assessment in 277 healthy children, utilizing phosphate and net acid excretion (NAE) measurements in 24 h urine samples repeatedly collected between the ages of 3 and 17 years. Standard deviation scores (by sex and age) were calculated for anthropometric data and for the urinary biomarkers available within age range 3–17 years. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the relations of phosphate excretion and NAE with the adulthood outcome circulating interleukin-18 (IL-18), a marker of inflammation and kidney dysfunction. After adjusting for growth- and adulthood-related covariates and pro-inflammatory biomarkers to rule out confounding by non-renal inflammatory processes, regression models revealed a significant positive relationship of long-term NAE (p = 0.01), but not of long-term phosphate excretion with adult serum IL-18. Similar significant positive regression results were obtained after replacing NAE with 24 h urinary ammonium excretion as the exposition variable. Our results suggest that even moderate elevations in renal ammonia production, as caused by habitually higher acid loading during growth, may affect the intrarenal pro-inflammatory system in the long-term, known to be boosted by acidosis-induced raised ammoniagenesis.

Background: Recent data indicate that kidney stone formers (KSFs) may have increased biomineralization at anatomic sites throughout the body compared with nonstone formers (NSFs). The objective of this study is to compare the volume of nonrenal systemic calcifications between KSF and NSF by using a standardized system to analyze calcifications in the abdominal aorta (AA) and splenic artery (SA). Methods: The NSF cohort was obtained from a kidney donor's prospectively maintained database. One hundred ninety-seven NSF were matched to 197 KSF based on age, gender, and body mass index. Noncontrast CT scans were evaluated and semiautomated CT software was utilized to provide an AA and SA calcification Agatston score. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used on continuous variables and chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test on categorical variables. Odds ratios (ORs) were given for a variable's influence on the formation of stones or calcifications. Results: AA and SA calcifications were more prevalent in the KSF group (p = 0.011 and p = 0.027, respectively). KSFs were 1.9 times more likely to have intermediate or severe AA calcification than NSFs (OR = 1.9, p = 0.004). Severe AA calcifications had even a greater association (OR = 3.1, p = 0.019). KSFs were also more likely to have SA, but this did not reach statistical significance (OR = 3.7, p = 0.103). Conclusion: Patients with increased systemic calcifications, specifically aortic or splenic calcifications, may be at an increased risk for future kidney stone formation. Patients with these imaging findings and additional risk factors for stone disease may be counseled on the future risk of stones.

Introduction and objectiveThis study aimed to identify clinical features representing predictive factors of active treatment (AT) compared to active surveillance (AS) for renal angiomyolipoma (AML).Patients and methodsFrom 1990 to 2020, patients referred to two institutions for a renal mass and diagnosed with an AML based on typical features on CT were included in the analysis. The study population was divided into two groups based on the treatment received: active surveillance (AS) or active treatment (AT). Age, gender, tuberous sclerosis syndrome, tumor size, contralateral kidney disease, renal function, year of diagnosis, and symptoms at presentation were assessed as potential predictive factors of active treatment using a logistic regression model in univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsIn total, 253 patients (mean age 52.3 ± 15.7 years; 70% women; 70.9% incidentally diagnosed) were included in the analysis. One hundred and nine (43%) received AS, whereas 144 (57%) were actively treated. For univariate analysis, age, tuberous sclerosis complex syndrome, tumor size, symptoms at presentation, and contralateral kidney disease were found to be predictors of AT. Only tumor size (p

Cystic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is almost certainly overdiagnosed and overtreated. Efforts to diagnose and treat RCC at a curable stage result in many benign neoplasms and indolent cancers being resected without clear benefit. This is especially true for cystic masses, which compared with solid masses are more likely to be benign and, when malignant, less aggressive. For more than 30 years, the Bosniak classification has been used to stratify the risk of malignancy in cystic renal masses. Although it is widely used and still effective, the classification does not formally incorporate masses identified at MRI or US or masses that are incompletely characterized but are highly likely to be benign, and it is affected by interreader variability and variable reported malignancy rates. The Bosniak classification system cannot fully differentiate aggressive from indolent cancers and results in many benign masses being resected. This proposed update to the Bosniak classification addresses some of these shortcomings. The primary modifications incorporate MRI, establish definitions for previously vague imaging terms, and enable a greater proportion of masses to enter lower-risk classes. Although the update will require validation, it aims to expand the number of cystic masses to which the Bosniak classification can be applied while improving its precision and accuracy for the likelihood of cancer in each class.

The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission will carry into space the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), a spectrometer measuring at 5nm spectral resolution in the ultraviolet (UV) to near infrared (NIR) with additional spectral bands in the shortwave infrared (SWIR), and two multi-angle polarimeters that will overlap the OCI spectral range and spatial coverage, i. e., the Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone) and the Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP2). These instruments, especially when used in synergy, have great potential for improving estimates of water reflectance in the post Earth Observing System (EOS) era. Extending the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) observations to the UV, where aerosol absorption is effective, adding spectral bands in the SWIR, where even the most turbid waters are black and sensitivity to the aerosol coarse mode is higher than at shorter wavelengths, and measuring in the oxygen A-band to estimate aerosol altitude will enable greater accuracy in atmospheric correction for ocean color science. The multi-angular and polarized measurements, sensitive to aerosol properties (e.g., size distribution, index of refraction), can further help to identify or constrain the aerosol model, or to retrieve directly water reflectance. Algorithms that exploit the new capabilities are presented, and their ability to improve accuracy is discussed. They embrace a modern, adapted heritage two-step algorithm and alternative schemes (deterministic, statistical) that aim at inverting the TOA signal in a single step. These schemes, by the nature of their construction, their robustness, their generalization properties, and their ability to associate uncertainties, are expected to become the new standard in the future. A strategy for atmospheric correction is presented that ensures continuity and consistency with past and present ocean-color missions while enabling full exploitation of the new dimensions and possibilities. Despite the major improvements anticipated with the PACE instruments, gaps/issues remain to be filled/tackled. They include dealing properly with whitecaps, taking into account Earth-curvature effects, correcting for adjacency effects, accounting for the coupling between scattering and absorption, modeling accurately water reflectance, and acquiring a sufficiently representative dataset of water reflectance in the UV to SWIR. Dedicated efforts, experimental and theoretical, are in order to gather the necessary information and rectify inadequacies. Ideas and solutions are put forward to address the unresolved issues. Thanks to its design and characteristics, the PACE mission will mark the beginning of a new era of unprecedented accuracy in ocean-color radiometry from space.

The disease-focused panel (DFP) program was created by the Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) as a mechanism to "improve patient care, education, and research" in a "particular disease or a particular aspect of a disease". The DFP on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was proposed in 2014 and has been functional for 4 years. Although nominally focused on RCC, the scope of the DFP has included indeterminate renal masses because many cannot be assigned a specific diagnosis when detected. Since its founding, the DFP has been active in a variety of clinical, research, and educational projects to optimize the care of patients with known or suspected RCC. The DFP is utilizing multi-institutional and cross-disciplinary collaboration to differentiate benign from malignant disease, optimize the management of early stage RCC, and ultimately to differentiate indolent from aggressive cancers. Several additional projects have worked to develop a quantitative biomarker that predicts metastatic RCC response to anti-angiogenic therapy. While disease focus is the premise by which all DFPs are created, it is likely that in the future the RCC DFP will need to expand or create new panels that will focus on other specific aspects of RCC-a result that the program's founders envisioned. New knowledge creates a need for more focus.

BackgroundEnlarged prostate is often noticed in patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in our clinical practice. The aims were to identify the factors associated with enlarged prostate and to investigate its clinical implications.MethodsIPAA patients with available prostate imaging after IPAA were included. Prostate length and width were measured in the axial plane and height in coronal plane. Prostate volume was calculated with the formula (length × width × height) × π/6. A volume greater than 40 cm3 was used to define enlarged prostate.ResultsProstate enlargement was found in 58 (24.8%) out of 234 patients. Factors associated with prostate enlargement included advanced age at imaging examination (55.6 ± 11.5 vs. 41.3 ± 13.6 years, P < 0.0001), age at pouch surgery (46.0 ± 11.8 vs. 32.5 ± 12.9 years, P

Background: Persistent posttraumatic symptoms (PPS) may manifest after a mild-moderate traumatic brain injury (mmTBI) even when standard brain imaging appears normal. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) represents a promising treatment that may ameliorate pathophysiological processes contributing to PPS.Objective/Hypothesis: We hypothesized that in a mmTBI population, active tDCS combined with training would result in greater improvement in executive functions and post-TBI cognitive symptoms and increased resting state connectivity of the stimulated region, i.e., left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) compared to control tDCS.Methods: Thirty-four subjects with mmTBI underwent baseline assessments of demographics, symptoms, and cognitive function as well as resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) in a subset of patients (n = 24). Primary outcome measures included NIH EXAMINER composite scores, and the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI). All participants received 10 daily sessions of 30 min of executive function training coupled with active or control tDCS (2 mA, anode F3, cathode right deltoid). Imaging and assessments were re-obtained after the final training session, and assessments were repeated after 1 month. Mixed-models linear regression and repeated measures analyses of variance were calculated for main effects and interactions.Results: Both active and control groups demonstrated improvements in executive function (EXAMINER composite: p < 0.001) and posttraumatic symptoms (NSI cognitive: p = 0.01) from baseline to 1 month. Active anodal tDCS was associated with greater improvements in working memory reaction time compared to control (p = 0.007). Reaction time improvement correlated significantly with the degree of connectivity change between the right DLPFC and the left anterior insula (p = 0.02).Conclusion: Anodal tDCS improved reaction time on an online working memory task in a mmTBI population, and decreased connectivity between executive network and salience network nodes. These findings generate important hypotheses for the mechanism of recovery from PPS after mild-moderate TBI.

This study characterizes a massive African dust intrusion into the Caribbean Basin and southern US in June 2020, which is nicknamed the “Godzilla” dust plume, using a comprehensive set of satellite and ground-based observations (including MODIS, CALIOP, SEVIRI, AERONET, and EPA Air Quality network) and the NASA GEOS global aerosol transport model. The MODIS data record registered this massive dust intrusion event as the most intense episode over the past 2 decades. During this event, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) observed by AERONET and MODIS peaked at 3.5 off the coast of West Africa and 1.8 in the Caribbean Basin. CALIOP observations show that the top of the dust plume reached altitudes of 6–8 km in West Africa and descended to about 4 km altitude over the Caribbean Basin and 2 km over the US Gulf of Mexico coast. The dust intrusion event degraded the air quality in Puerto Rico to a hazardous level, with maximum daily PM10 concentration of 453 µg m−3 recorded on 23 June. The dust intrusion into the US raised the PM2.5 concentration on 27 June to a level exceeding the EPA air quality standard in about 40 % of the stations in the southern US. Satellite observations reveal that dust emissions from convection-generated haboobs and other sources in West Africa were large albeit not extreme on a daily basis. However, the anomalous strength and northern shift of the North Atlantic Subtropical High (NASH) together with the Azores low formed a closed circulation pattern that allowed for accumulation of the dust near the African coast for about 4 d. When the NASH was weakened and wandered back to the south, the dust outflow region was dominated by a strong African easterly jet that rapidly transported the accumulated dust from the coastal region toward the Caribbean Basin, resulting in the record-breaking African dust intrusion. In comparison to satellite observations, the GEOS model reproduced the MODIS observed tracks of the meandering dust plume well as it was carried by the wind systems. However, the model substantially underestimated dust emissions from haboobs and did not lift up enough dust to the middle troposphere for ensuing long-range transport. Consequently, the model largely missed the satellite-observed elevated dust plume along the cross-ocean track and underestimated the dust intrusion into the Caribbean Basin by a factor of more than 4. Modeling improvements need to focus on developing more realistic representations of moist convection, haboobs, and the vertical transport of dust.

This Research aims to reveal the methods and Style of Tafsîr Ayât Asykalat book written by Ibn Taimiyah. What is the method of writing Tafsîr Ayât Asykalat book, what is the style of interpretation and what are the advantages and disadvantages of Tafsîr Ayât Asykalat. This study is Uses Library Research Methods with the primary data being Ibn Taimiyyah's book Tafsîr Ayât Asykalat written by Abdul Aziz Bin Muhammad al-Khalifah. Secondary data sources are in the form of scientific books of interpretation or other articles related to the problem being researched. After conducting the research it can be concluded that the method used by Ibn Taymiyyah is the method of muqaran, which is to compare one interpretation with another. Meanwhile, the style of Tafsîr Ayât Asykalat is the style of akidah, because almost the entire theme of the discussion of the verse has the nuances of akidah. The strength of the book Tafsîr Ayât Asykalat is that it provides broader insight into one theme of discussion, open the door to being tolerant by knowing the various interpretive views in one discussion, and proving that the Al-Qur’an is actually nothing contradictory. While the weakness of the methodology of this book of Tafsir is that it cannot be given to beginners because the discussion is too broad and sometimes uses scientific terms that are difficult for beginners to know, cannot be relied on to answer social problems in society because this interpretation is scientific and does not discuss interpretation to answer a reality that happened, the method of interpretation was not systematic, did not match the title of the book with the contents of the book, Ibn Taimiyyah did not issue a new opinion, only commented on the interpretation of friends or the history of salaf and khalaf scholars.

Satellite aerosol products such as the Dark Target (DT) produced from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are useful for monitoring the progress of air pollution. Unfortunately, the DT often fails to retrieve during the heaviest aerosol events as well as the more moderate events in winter. Some of the literature attributes this lack of retrieval to the cloud mask. However, we found this lack of retrieval is mainly traced to thresholds used for masking of inland water and snow. Modifications to these two masks greatly increase 50 % of the retrievals of aerosol optical depth at 0.55 µm (AOD) greater than 1.0. The “extra”-high-AOD retrievals tend to be biased when compared with a ground-based sun photometer (AErosol RObotic NETwork, AERONET). Reducing bias in new retrievals requires two additional steps. One is an update to the assumed aerosol optical properties (aerosol model); the haze in this region is both less absorbing and lower in altitude than what is assumed in the global algorithm. The second is accounting for the scale height of the aerosol, specifically that the heavy-aerosol events in the region are much closer to the surface than what is assumed by the global DT algorithm. The resulting combination of modified masking thresholds, new aerosol model, and lower aerosol layer scale height was applied to 3 months of MODIS observations (January–March 2013) over eastern China. After these two additional steps are implemented, the significant increase in new retrievals introduces no overall bias at a high-AOD regime but does degrade other overall validation statistics. We also find that the research algorithm is able to identify additional pollution events that AERONET instruments may not due to different spatial sampling. Mean AOD retrieved from the research algorithm increases from 0.11 to 0.18 compared to values calculated from the operational DT algorithm during January to March of 2013 over the study area. But near Beijing, where the severe pollution occurs, the new algorithm increases AOD by as much as 3.0 for each 0.5∘ grid box over the previous operational-algorithm values.