Yellow sea mine hunting using the Navy's CASS/GRAB model

The purpose of this work is to determine the necessity of a near real time ocean modeling capability such as the Naval Oceanographic Office's (NAVOCENANO) Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) model in shallow water (such as the Yellow Sea) mine hunting applications using the Navy's Comprehensive Acoustic Simulation System/Gaussian Ray Bundle (CASS/GRAB) Mode. Sound speed profiles inputted into CASS/GRAB were calculated from observational (MOODS) and climatological (GDEM) data sets for different seasons and regions of four different bottom types (sand, gravel, mud and rock). The CASS/GRAB model outputs were compared to the outputs from corresponding MODAS data sets. The results of the comparisons domonstrated in many cases a significant acoustic difference between the alternate profiles. These results demonstrated that there is a need for a predictive modeling capability such as MODAS to address the mine warfare (MIW) needs in the Yellow Sea region. There were some weaknesses detected in the profiles the MODAS model produces in the Yellow Sea, which must be resolved before it can reliably address the MIW needs in the regionNAVOCEANO, Stennis Space Center, MS 39522-5001Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Genome-wide association study of inhaled corticosteroid response in admixed children with asthma

Background Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the most widely prescribed and effective medication to control asthma symptoms and exacerbations. However, many children still have asthma exacerbations despite treatment, particularly in admixed populations, such as Puerto Ricans and African Americans. A few genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed in European and Asian populations, and they have demonstrated the importance of the genetic component in ICS response. Objective We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with asthma exacerbations in admixed children treated with ICS and to validate previous GWAS findings. Methods A meta‐analysis of two GWAS of asthma exacerbations was performed in 1347 admixed children treated with ICS (Hispanics/Latinos and African Americans), analysing 8.7 million genetic variants. Those with P ≤ 5 × 10−6 were followed up for replication in 1697 asthmatic patients from six European studies. Associations of ICS response described in published GWAS were followed up for replication in the admixed populations. Results A total of 15 independent variants were suggestively associated with asthma exacerbations in admixed populations (P ≤ 5 × 10−6). One of them, located in the intergenic region of APOBEC3B and APOBEC3C, showed evidence of replication in Europeans (rs5995653, P = 7.52 × 10−3) and was also associated with change in lung function after treatment with ICS (P = 4.91 × 10−3). Additionally, the reported association of the L3MBTL4‐ARHGAP28 genomic region was confirmed in admixed populations, although a different variant was identified. Conclusions and clinical relevance This study revealed the novel association of APOBEC3B and APOBEC3C with asthma exacerbations in children treated with ICS and replicated previously identified genomic regions. This contributes to the current knowledge about the multiple genetic markers determining responsiveness to ICS which could lead in the future the clinical identification of those asthma patients who are not able to respond to such treatment

Environmental impact on mine hunting in the Yellow Sea using the CASS/GRAB model

The purpose of this work is to determine the necessity of a near real time ocean modeling capability such as the Naval Oceanographic Office's (NAVOCEANO) Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) model in shallow water (such as the Yellow Sea) mine hunting applications using the Navy's Comprehensive Acoustic Simulation System/Gaussian Ray Bundle (CASS/GRAB) model. Sound speed profiles inputted into the CASS/GRAB were calculated from observational (MOODS) and climatological (GDEM) data sets for different seasons and regions of four different bottom types (sand, gravel, mud, and rock). The CASS/GRAB model outputs were compared to the outputs from corresponding MODAS data sets. The results of the comparisons demonstrated in many cases a significant acoustic difference between the alternate profiles. These results demonstrated that there is a need for a predictive modeling capability such as MODAS to address the Mine Warfare (MIW) needs in the Yellow Sea region. There were some weaknesses detected in the profiles the MODAS model produces in the Yellow Sea, which must be resolved before it can reliably address the MIW needs in that region.http://archive.org/details/environmentalimp109451084

Yellow Sea acoustic uncertainty caused by hydrographic data error

In “Impact of Littoral Environment Variability on Acoustic Prediction and Sonar Performance, edited by N.G. Pace and F. B. Jensen. Kluwar Academic Publisher (ISBN-10-1402008163), Boston, 563-570This paper investigates the acoustic uncertainty due to hydrographic data error and in turn to determine the necessity of a near real time ocean analysis capability such as the Naval Oceanographic Office’s (NAVOCEANO) Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) model in shallow water (such as the Yellow Sea) mine hunting applications using the Navy’s Comprehensive Acoustic Simulation System / Gaussian Ray Bundle (CASS/GRAB) model. To simulate hydrographic data uncertainty, Gausiantype errors (produced using the random number generator in MATLAB) with zero mean and three standard deviations (1 m/s, 5 m/s, and 10 m/s) are added to the sound profile. It is found that the acoustic uncertainty depends on the location of the error and sound sources. It is more sensitive to errors in the isothermal structure in the winter than in the layered structure in the summer

Trends in cause of death among patients with multiple myeloma in Puerto Rico and the United States SEER population, 1987-2013

Multiple myeloma (MM) survival has improved due to recent developments in MM treatment. As a result, other co-morbid conditions may be of increasing importance to MM patients\u27 long-term survival. This study examines trends in common causes of death among patients with MM in Puerto Rico, and in the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) population. We analyzed the primary cause of death among incident MM cases recorded in the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry (n = 3,018) and the US SEER Program (n = 67,733) between 1987 and 2013. We calculated the cumulative incidence of death due to the eight most common causes and analyzed temporal trends in mortality rates using joinpoint regression. Analyses of SEER were also stratified by Hispanic ethnicity. MM accounted for approximately 72% of all reported deaths among persons diagnosed with MM in Puerto Rico and in SEER. In both populations, the proportion of patients who died from MM decreased with increasing time since diagnosis. Age-standardized temporal trends showed a decreased MM-specific mortality rate among US SEER (annual percent change [APC] = -5.0) and Puerto Rican (APC = -1.8) patients during the study period, and particularly after 2003 in non-Hispanic SEER patients. Temporal decline in non-MM causes of death was also observed among US SEER (APC = -2.1) and Puerto Rican (APC = -0.1) populations. MM-specific mortality decreased, yet remained the predominant cause of death for individuals diagnosed with MM over a 26-year period. The most pronounced decreases in MM-specific death occurred after 2003, which suggests a possible influence of more recently developed MM therapies

Soziale Beratungsanlässe in der Hausarztpraxis - eine berlinweite Fragebogenerhebung unter Hausärzt*innen zu ihren Erfahrungen mit Pflegestützpunkten

International Conference on Impact of Littoral Environmental Variability on Acoustic Predictions and Sonar Performance, 563-57

Ancestry–Environment Interactions and Asthma Risk among Puerto Ricans

Background: Puerto Ricans, an admixed population of African, European, and Native American ancestries, have the highest asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality rates of any United States' population. Although socioeconomic status (SES) is negatively correlated with asthma incidence in most populations, no such relationship has been identified among Puerto Ricans. We hypothesized that, in this admixed population, the association between SES and asthma may interact with genetic ancestry

Identification of a novel locus associated with skin colour in African-admixed populations.

Skin pigmentation is a complex trait that varies largely among populations. Most genome-wide association studies of this trait have been performed in Europeans and Asians. We aimed to uncover genes influencing skin colour in African-admixed individuals. We performed a genome-wide association study of melanin levels in 285 Hispanic/Latino individuals from Puerto Rico, analyzing 14 million genetic variants. A total of 82 variants with p-value ≤1 × 10-5 were followed up in 373 African Americans. Fourteen single nucleotide polymorphisms were replicated, of which nine were associated with skin colour at genome-wide significance in a meta-analysis across the two studies. These results validated the association of two previously known skin pigmentation genes, SLC24A5 (minimum p = 2.62 × 10-14, rs1426654) and SLC45A2 (minimum p = 9.71 × 10-10, rs16891982), and revealed the intergenic region of BEND7 and PRPF18 as a novel locus associated with this trait (minimum p = 4.58 × 10-9, rs6602666). The most significant variant within this region is common among African-descent populations but not among Europeans or Native Americans. Our findings support the advantages of analyzing African-admixed populations to discover new genes influencing skin pigmentation

Factors associated with degree of atopy in Latino children in a nationwide pediatric sample: the Genes-environments and Admixture in Latino Asthmatics (GALA II) study.

BackgroundAtopy varies by ethnicity, even within Latino groups. This variation might be due to environmental, sociocultural, or genetic factors.ObjectiveWe sought to examine risk factors for atopy within a nationwide study of US Latino children with and without asthma.MethodsAeroallergen skin test responses were analyzed in 1830 US Latino subjects. Key determinants of atopy included country/region of origin, generation in the United States, acculturation, genetic ancestry, and site to which subjects migrated. Serial multivariate zero-inflated negative binomial regressions stratified by asthma status examined the association of each key determinant variable with the number of positive skin test responses. In addition, the independent effect of each key variable was determined by including all key variables in the final models.ResultsIn baseline analyses African ancestry was associated with 3 times (95% CI, 1.62-5.57) as many positive skin test responses in asthmatic participants and 3.26 times (95% CI, 1.02-10.39) as many positive skin test responses in control participants. Generation and recruitment site were also associated with atopy in crude models. In final models adjusted for key variables, asthmatic patients of Puerto Rican (exp[β] [95% CI], 1.31 [1.02-1.69]) and mixed (exp[β] [95% CI], 1.27 [1.03-1.56]) ethnicity had a greater probability of positive skin test responses compared with Mexican asthmatic patients. Ancestry associations were abrogated by recruitment site but not region of origin.ConclusionsPuerto Rican ethnicity and mixed origin were associated with degree of atopy within US Latino children with asthma. African ancestry was not associated with degree of atopy after adjusting for recruitment site. Local environment variation, represented by site, was associated with degree of sensitization