Enhanced wide-area low-frequency sound reproduction in cinemas: effective and practical alternatives to current calibration strategies

The current strategies for the low-frequency calibration of cinema sound systems are based on a flawed premise of low-frequency acoustics and psychoacoustics. This research shows that there is virtually no benefit in terms of spatiotemporal variance reduction: pre- and post-calibrated systems will exhibit equally position-dependent listening experience differences. For modern cinemas, the typical focus on room-modes when designing a low frequency calibration system is not necessary because the dimensions of the space coupled with low reverberation time results in Schroeder frequencies around 35 Hz. Above this value, effects of room-modes are not perceptible. Comb-filtering between sources and low-order reflections is the primary cause of high spatial variance. Furthermore, there is no evidence that spatial averaging techniques used for measurement and equalization are subjectively beneficial. A new approach needs to be invented

Evaluation of potentially achievable vaccination coverage with simultaneous administration of vaccines among children in the United States

Background: Routine administration of all age-appropriate doses of vaccines during the same visit is recommended for children by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Methods: Evaluate the potentially achievable vaccination coverage for ≥4 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and a cellular pertussis vaccine (4+DTaP), ≥4 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (4+PCV),and the full series of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib-FS) with simultaneous administration of all recommended childhood vaccines. Compare the potentially achievable vaccination coverage to the reported vaccination coverage for calendar years 2001 through 2013; by state in the United States and by selected socio-demographic factors in 2013. The potentially achievable vaccination coverage was defined as the coverage possible for the recommended 4+DTaP, 4+PCV, and Hib-FS if missed opportunities for simultaneous administration of all age-appropriate doses of vaccines for children had been eliminated. Results: Compared to the reported vaccination coverage, the potentially achievable vaccination coverage for 4+DTaP, 4+PCV, and Hib-FS could have increased significantly (P \u3c 0.001), the vaccination coverage would have achieved the 90% target of Healthy People 2020 for the three vaccines beginning in 2005, 2008,and 2011 respectively. In 2013, the potentially achievable vaccination coverage increased significantly across all selected socio-demographic factors, potentially achievable vaccination coverage would have reached the 90% target for more than 51% of the states in the United States. Conclusions: The findings in this study suggest that fully utilization of all opportunities for simultaneous administration of all age-eligible childhood doses of vaccines during the same vaccination visit is a critical strategy for achieving the vaccination coverage target of Healthy People 2020. Encouraging providers to deliver all recommended vaccines that are due at each visit by implementing client reminder and recall systems might decrease missed opportunities for simultaneous administration of childhood vaccines

Evaluation of potentially achievable vaccination coverage with simultaneous administration of vaccines among children in the United States

Background: Routine administration of all age-appropriate doses of vaccines during the same visit is recommended for children by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Methods: Evaluate the potentially achievable vaccination coverage for ≥4 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and a cellular pertussis vaccine (4+DTaP), ≥4 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (4+PCV),and the full series of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib-FS) with simultaneous administration of all recommended childhood vaccines. Compare the potentially achievable vaccination coverage to the reported vaccination coverage for calendar years 2001 through 2013; by state in the United States and by selected socio-demographic factors in 2013. The potentially achievable vaccination coverage was defined as the coverage possible for the recommended 4+DTaP, 4+PCV, and Hib-FS if missed opportunities for simultaneous administration of all age-appropriate doses of vaccines for children had been eliminated. Results: Compared to the reported vaccination coverage, the potentially achievable vaccination coverage for 4+DTaP, 4+PCV, and Hib-FS could have increased significantly (P \u3c 0.001), the vaccination coverage would have achieved the 90% target of Healthy People 2020 for the three vaccines beginning in 2005, 2008,and 2011 respectively. In 2013, the potentially achievable vaccination coverage increased significantly across all selected socio-demographic factors, potentially achievable vaccination coverage would have reached the 90% target for more than 51% of the states in the United States. Conclusions: The findings in this study suggest that fully utilization of all opportunities for simultaneous administration of all age-eligible childhood doses of vaccines during the same vaccination visit is a critical strategy for achieving the vaccination coverage target of Healthy People 2020. Encouraging providers to deliver all recommended vaccines that are due at each visit by implementing client reminder and recall systems might decrease missed opportunities for simultaneous administration of childhood vaccines

Preventive measures in infancy to reduce under-five mortality: a case-control study in The Gambia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between child mortality and common preventive interventions: vaccination, trained birthing attendants, tetanus toxoid during pregnancy, breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation. METHODS: Case-control study in a population under demographic surveillance. Cases (n = 141) were children under five who died. Each was age and sex-matched to five controls (n = 705). Information was gathered by interviewing primary caregivers. RESULTS: All but one of the interventions - whether the mother had received tetanus toxoid during pregnancy - were protective against child mortality after multivariate analysis. Having a trained person assisting at child birth (OR 0.2 95% CI 0.1-0.4), receiving all vaccinations by 9 months of age (OR 0.1; 95% CI 0.01-0.3), being breastfed for more than 12 months (Children breastfed between 13 and 24 months OR 0.1 95% CI 0.03-0.3, more than 25 months OR 0.1 95% CI 0.01-0.5) and receiving vitamin A supplementation at or after 6 months of age (OR 0.05; 95% CI 0.01-0.2) were protective against child death. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the value of at least four available interventions in the prevention of under-five death in The Gambia. It is now important to identify those who are not receiving them and why, and to intervene to improve coverage across the population

Increasing morphological disparity and decreasing optimality for jaw speed and strength during the radiation of jawed vertebrates

The Siluro-Devonian adaptive radiation of jawed vertebrates, which underpins almost all living vertebrate biodiversity, is characterized by the evolutionary innovation of the lower jaw. Multiple lines of evidence have suggested that the jaw evolved from a rostral gill arch, but when the jaw took on a feeding function remains unclear. We quantified the variety of form in the earliest jaws in the fossil record from which we generated a theoretical morphospace that we then tested for functional optimality. By drawing comparisons with the real jaw data and reconstructed jaw morphologies from phylogenetically inferred ancestors, our results show that the earliest jaw shapes were optimized for fast closure and stress resistance, inferring a predatory feeding function. Jaw shapes became less optimal for these functions during the later radiation of jawed vertebrates. Thus, the evolution of jaw morphology has continually explored previously unoccupied morphospace and accumulated disparity through time, laying the foundation for diverse feeding strategies and the success of jawed vertebrates

Improving prostate cancer detection in veterans through the development of a clinical decision rule for prostate biopsy

BACKGROUND: We sought to improve prostate cancer (PC) detection through developing a prostate biopsy clinical decision rule (PBCDR), based on an elevated PSA and laboratory biomarkers. This decision rule could be used after initial PC screening, providing the patient and clinician information to consider prior to biopsy. METHODS: This case–control study evaluated men from the Tampa, Florida, James A. Haley (JH) Veteran’s Administration (VA) (N = 1,378), from January 1, 1998, through April 15, 2005. To assess the PBCDR we did all of the following: 1) Identified biomarkers that are related to PC and have the capability of improving the efficiency of PC screening; 2) Developed statistical models to determine which can best predict the probability of PC; 3) Compared each potential model to PSA alone using Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves, to evaluate for improved overall effectiveness in PC detection and reduction in (negative) biopsies; and 4) Evaluated dose–response relationships between specified lab biomarkers (surrogates for extra-prostatic disease development) and PC progression. RESULTS: The following biomarkers were related to PC: hemoglobin (HGB) (OR = 1.42 95% CI 1.27, 1.59); red blood cell (RBC) count (OR = 2.52 95% CI 1.67, 3.78); PSA (OR = 1.04 95% CI 1.03, 1.05); and, creatinine (OR = 1.55 95% CI 1.12, 2.15). Comparing all PC stages versus non-cancerous conditions, the ROC curve area under the curve (AUC) enlarged (increasing the probability of correctly classifying PC): PSA (alone) 0.59 (95% CI 0.55, 0.61); PBCDR model 0.68 (95% CI 0.65, 0.71), and the positive predictive value (PPV) increased: PSA 44.7%; PBCDR model 61.8%. Comparing PC (stages II, III, IV) vs. other, the ROC AUC increased: PSA (alone) 0.63 (95% CI 0.58, 0.66); PBCDR model 0.72 (95% CI 0.68, 0.75), and the PPV increased: 20.6% (PSA); PBCDR model 55.3%. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest evaluating certain common biomarkers in conjunction with PSA may improve PC prediction prior to biopsy. Moreover, these biomarkers may be more helpful in detecting clinically relevant PC. Follow-up studies should begin with replicating the study on different U.S. VA patients involving multiple practices

A burst chasing x-ray polarimeter

Gamma-ray bursts are one of the most powerful explosions in the universe and have been detected out to distances of almost 13 billion light years. The exact origin of these energetic explosions is still unknown but the resulting huge release of energy is thought to create a highly relativistic jet of material and a power-law distribution of electrons. There are several theories describing the origin of the prompt GRB emission that currently cannot be distinguished. Measurements of the linear polarization would provide unique and important constraints on the mechanisms thought to drive these powerful explosions. We present the design of a sensitive, and extremely versatile gamma-ray burst polarimeter. The instrument is a photoelectric polarimeter based on a time-projection chamber. The photoelectric time-projection technique combines high sensitivity with broad band-pass and is potentially the most powerful method between 2 and 100 keV where the photoelectric effect is the dominant interaction process. We present measurements of polarized and unpolarized X-rays obtained with a prototype detector and describe the two mission concepts; the Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter (GRBP) for the U.S. Naval Academy satellite MidSTAR-2, and the Low Energy Polarimeter (LEP) onboard POET, a broadband polarimetry concept for a small explorer mission

Environmental Marine Geoscience 4. Georgia Basin: Seabed Features and Marine Geohazards

A multibeam bathymetric swath-mapping program of the Strait of Georgia has provided a 5-m resolution map of the seabed. Numerous geological features of the basin, some of which are considered geohazards, are clearly defined. During the Olympia interglacial period most of the basin was filled with sediment and then subsequently excavated during the Fraser Glaciation, except for a group of isolated banks; the southern basin was partially filled by the pro-grading Fraser River Delta during the Holocene. Marine geohazards that exist in this seismically active region include, slope stability features, active faults, gas pockmarks, and large migrating sedimentary bedforms. Other features, such as sponge reefs, have developed because of the glacial history and dynamic oceanography of the basin and provide unique and critical habitats to marine species. SUMMAIRE Un programme de levé par balayage bathymétrique a faisceaux multiples dans le détroit de Georgie a permis la production d'une carte du fond marin d'une résolution de 5 m. De nombreux éléments géologiques du bassin y sont clairement définis, dont certains constituent des géorisques clairement définis. Durant la période interglaciaire d'Olympia, la plus grande partie du bassin a été rempli de sédiments, lesquels ont par la suite été excavés durant la glaciation de Fraser, sauf un groupe de bancs isolés; la partie sud du bassin a été partiellement remplie par progradation du delta de la rivière Fraser à l'Holocène. Les géorisques marins de cette région d'activité sismique comprennent certains éléments de stabilité des talus, des failles actives, des cratères d'échappement de gaz, et de grands éléments topographiques sédimentaires migrants. D'autres éléments, comme des récifs de spongiaires se sont développés à cause de l'histoire glaciaire et de la dynamique océanographique du bassin, constituent un habitat essentiel pour des espèces marines

Ultrasound-mediation of self-illuminating reporters improves imaging resolution in optically scattering media

In vivo imaging of self-illuminating bio-and chemiluminescent reporters is used to observe the physiology of small animals. However, strong light scattering by biological tissues results in poor spatial resolution of the optical imaging, which also degrades the quantitative accuracy. To overcome this challenging problem, focused ultrasound is used to modulate the light from the reporter at the ultrasound frequency. This produces an ultrasound switchable light ‘beacon’ that reduces the influence of light scattering in order to improve spatial resolution. The experimental results demonstrate that apart from light modulation at the ultrasound frequency (AC signal at 3.5 MHz), ultrasound also increases the DC intensity of the reporters. This is shown to be due to a temperature rise caused by insonification that was minimized to be within acceptable mammalian tissue safety thresholds by adjusting the duty cycle of the ultrasound. Line scans of bio-and chemiluminescent objects embedded within a scattering medium were obtained using ultrasound modulated (AC) and ultrasound enhanced (DC) signals. Lateral resolution is improved by a factor of 12 and 7 respectively, as compared to conventional CCD imaging. Two chemiluminescent sources separated by ~10mm at ~20 mm deep inside a 50 mm thick chicken breast have been successfully resolved with an average signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 8-10 dB