Simulations of Gaseous Disc-Embedded Planet Interaction

We present three-dimensional self-gravitating smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of an isothermal gaseous disc interacting with an embedded planet. Discs of varying stability are simulated with planets ranging from 10 Earth-masses to 2 Jupiter-masses. The SPH technique provides the large dynamic range needed to accurately capture the large scale behavior of the disc as well as the small scale interaction of the planet with surrounding material. Most runs used 10^5 gas particles, giving us the spatial resolution required to observe the formation of planets. We find four regions in parameter space: low-mass planets undergo Type I migration; higher-mass planets can form a gap; the gravitational instability mode of planet formation in marginally stable discs can be triggered by embedded planets; discs that are completely unstable can fragment to form many planets. The disc stability is the most important factor in determing which interaction a system will exhibit. For the stable disc cases, our migration and accretion time-scales are shorter and scale differently than previously suggested.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, see http://hpcc.astro.washington.edu/grads/gwl/disc_planet_interaction for high-resolution color figures and movie

Rescue analgesic Medication Use by Patients Treated With Triamcinolone Acetonide Extended-Release for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain: Pooled Analysis of Three Phase 2/3 Randomized Clinical Trials

Introduction In clinical trials for knee osteoarthritis (OAK), rescue medication is commonly provided to manage uncontrolled index-knee pain. The impact of treatment on rescue medication utilization provides important information on the robustness of analgesic effect. In randomized controlled OAK trials (NCT01487161, NCT02116972, NCT02357459), intra-articular (IA) triamcinolone acetonide extended-release (TA-ER) demonstrated substantial, prolonged analgesia versus saline-placebo and TA crystalline solution (TAcs) as assessed by patient-reported pain scales. This pooled analysis assessed the impact of TA-ER on rescue medication use. Methods Patients (N = 798) with OAK (American College of Rheumatology criteria; Kellgren–Lawrence grade 2/3) and baseline average daily pain intensity score ≥ 5 to ≤ 9 (0–10 numeric rating scale) received a single IA injection of TA-ER (N = 324), saline-placebo (N = 262), or TAcs (N = 212). Acetaminophen/paracetamol tablets were provided to treat uncontrolled pain (knee or otherwise). Rescue medication consumption was monitored through a daily diary; pill counts were confirmed at the clinical site. Differences in rescue medication use were measured by least-squares mean (LSM) differences, number of rescue medication tablets used per day, and in area under the effect (AUE) curves of rescue medication tablets used per week. Results The overall number of rescue medication tablets used per day through week 24 was significantly less (p ≤ 0.05) for TA-ER versus saline-placebo (LSM difference, − 0.43) and TAcs (− 0.24). Rescue medication use was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower following TA-ER versus saline-placebo across weeks 1–12 (AUEweeks1–12; LSM difference, − 24.5) and weeks 1–24 (AUEweeks1–24; − 51.6) and versus TAcs across weeks 1–12 (AUEweeks1–12; − 21.1). Conclusions In patients with painful OAK, reduced rescue medication use may be a potential benefit of TA-ER and further supports its analgesic efficacy. Additional research is needed to assess whether TA-ER impacts the use of other common oral analgesics (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids) for patients with OAK

Two-Dimensional Central-Upwind Schemes for Curvilinear Grids and Application to Gas Dynamics with Angular Momentum

In this work we present new second order semi-discrete central schemes for systems of hyperbolic conservation laws on curvilinear grids. Our methods generalise the two-dimensional central-upwind schemes developed by Kurganov and Tadmor. In these schemes we account for area and volume changes in the numerical flux functions due to the non-cartesian geometries. In case of vectorial conservation laws we introduce a general prescription of the geometrical source terms valid for various orthogonal curvilinear coordinate systems. The methods are applied to the two-dimensional Euler equations of inviscid gas dynamics with and without angular momentum transport. In the latter case we introduce a new test problem to examine the detailed conservation of specific angular momentum.Comment: 38 pages, 1

Effects of a Single Intra-Articular Injection of a Microsphere-Formulation of Triamcinolone Acetonide on Knee Osteoarthritis Pain: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multinational Study

Background: Intra-articular corticosteroids relieve osteoarthritis pain, but rapid systemic absorption limits efficacy. FX006, a novel, microsphere-based, extended-release triamcinolone acetonide (TA) formulation, prolongs TA joint residence and reduces systemic exposure compared with standard TA crystalline suspension (TAcs). We assessed symptomatic benefits and safety of FX006 compared with saline-solution placebo and TAcs. Methods: In this Phase-3, multicenter, double-blinded, 24-week study, adults ≥40 years of age with knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3) and average-daily-pain (ADP)-intensity scores of ≥5 and ≤9 (0 to 10 numeric rating scale) were centrally randomized (1:1:1) to a single intra-articular injection of FX006 (32 mg), saline-solution placebo, or TAcs (40 mg). The primary end point was change from baseline to week 12 in weekly mean ADP-intensity scores for FX006 compared with saline-solution placebo. Secondary end points were area-under-effect (AUE) curves of the change in weekly mean ADP-intensity scores from baseline to week 12 for FX006 compared with saline-solution placebo, AUE curves of the change in weekly mean ADP-intensity scores from baseline to week 12 for FX006 compared with TAcs, change in weekly mean ADP-intensity scores from baseline to week 12 for FX006 compared with TAcs, and AUE curves of the change in weekly mean ADP-intensity scores from baseline to week 24 for FX006 compared with saline-solution placebo. Exploratory end points included week-12 changes in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Quality of Life (KOOS-QOL) subscale scores for FX006 compared with saline-solution placebo and TAcs. Adverse events were elicited at each inpatient visit. Results: The primary end point was met. Among 484 treated patients (n = 161 for FX006, n = 162 for saline-solution placebo, and n = 161 for TAcs), FX006 provided significant week-12 improvement in ADP intensity compared with that observed for saline-solution placebo (least-squares mean change from baseline: −3.12 versus −2.14; p < 0.0001) indicating ∼50% improvement. FX006 afforded improvements over saline-solution placebo for all secondary and exploratory end points (p < 0.05). Improvements in osteoarthritis pain were not significant for FX006 compared with TAcs using the ADP-based secondary measures. Exploratory analyses of WOMAC-A, B, and C and KOOS-QOL subscales favored FX006 (p ≤ 0.05). Adverse events were generally mild, occurring at similar frequencies across treatments. Conclusions: FX006 provided significant, clinically meaningful pain reduction compared with saline-solution placebo at week 12 (primary end point)

Detection of freeze injury in oranges using magnetic resonance imaging under motion conditions

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is applied for on-line inspection of fruits. The aim of this work is to address the applicability of MRI for freeze injury detection in oranges directly on a distribution chain. Undamaged and damaged oranges are conveyed at 50 and 100 mm/s by a specially designed conveyor within a 4.7 T spectrometer obtaining fast low-angle shot images. An automatic segmentation algorithm is proposed that allows the discrimination between undamaged and damaged orange

Quantum Cognitive Modeling: New Applications and Systems Research Directions

Expanding the benefits of quantum computing to new domains remains a challenging task. Quantum applications are concentrated in only a few domains, and driven by these few, the quantum stack is limited in supporting the development or execution demands of new applications. In this work, we address this problem by identifying both a new application domain, and new directions to shape the quantum stack. We introduce computational cognitive models as a new class of quantum applications. Such models have been crucial in understanding and replicating human intelligence, and our work connects them with quantum computing for the first time. Next, we analyze these applications to make the case for redesigning the quantum stack for programmability and better performance. Among the research opportunities we uncover, we study two simple ideas of quantum cloud scheduling using data from gate-based and annealing-based quantum computers. On the respective systems, these ideas can enable parallel execution, and improve throughput. Our work is a contribution towards realizing versatile quantum systems that can broaden the impact of quantum computing on science and society

Improved Treatment Effect of Triamcinolone Acetonide Extended-Release in Patients with Concordant Baseline Pain Scores on the Average Daily Pain and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index Pain Scales

Introduction A phase 3 randomized controlled study comparing triamcinolone acetonide extended-release (TA-ER) to conventional TA crystalline suspension (TAcs) reported variable efficacy results. Enrollment criteria may have contributed to this discrepancy, as moderate-to-severe average daily pain (ADP) was required at baseline, whereas no limitations were placed on Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC-A) pain severity. We conducted a post hoc sensitivity analysis to compare treatment effects in patients reporting moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis (OA) pain on both scales. Methods Participants > 40 years old with symptomatic knee OA were randomly assigned to a single intra-articular injection of TA-ER 32 mg, TAcs 40 mg, or saline-placebo and followed for 24 weeks. Patient-reported ADP, WOMAC-A, rescue medication usage, and adverse events (AEs) were assessed. Participants who reported moderate-to-severe OA pain at baseline using both instruments (ADP ≥ 5 to ≤ 9, maximum 10 and WOMAC-A ≥ 2, maximum 4) were categorized as “concordant” pain reporters; patients with baseline moderate-to-severe OA on ADP only were termed “discordant” pain reporters. Results Two-hundred-ninety-two concordant pain reporters of 484 total subjects received TA-ER 32 mg (n = 95), TAcs 40 mg (n = 100), or saline-placebo (n = 97). Baseline characteristics and AE profiles of the concordant and discordant pain responders were consistent with the full analysis population. Among concordant pain reporters, TA-ER significantly (p < 0.05) improved ADP scores vs. TAcs (weeks 5–19; area-under-the-effect [AUE]weeks1–12; AUEweeks1–24) and saline-placebo (weeks 1–20; AUEweeks1–12; AUEweeks1–24). At week 12, a higher proportion reported no knee pain (ADP = 0) with TA-ER (~ 28%) vs. TAcs (~ 8%). TA-ER significantly improved WOMAC-A vs. TAcs at weeks 4, 8, and 12, with significant reduction in rescue medication usage observed with TA-ER from weeks 2 to 20 vs. TAcs. Conclusions In patients reporting moderate-to-severe knee OA pain at baseline based on concordant ADP and WOMAC-A scores, TA-ER provided statistically significant pain relief for ≥ 12 weeks compared with conventional TAcs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02357459

Cerebral Metabolic Alterations in Rats With Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Effects of Treatment With Insulin and Intravenous Fluids and Effects of Bumetanide

ObjectiveCerebral edema is a life-threatening complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children. Recent data suggest that cerebral hypoperfusion and activation of cerebral ion transporters may be involved, but data describing cerebral metabolic alterations during DKA are lacking.Research design and methodsWe evaluated 50 juvenile rats with DKA and 21 normal control rats using proton and phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). MRS measured cerebral intracellular pH and ratios of metabolites including ATP/inorganic phosphate (Pi), phosphocreatine (PCr)/Pi, N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr), and lactate/Cr before and during DKA treatment. We determined the effects of treatment with insulin and intravenous saline with or without bumetanide, an inhibitor of Na-K-2Cl cotransport, using ANCOVA with a 2 x 2 factorial study design.ResultsCerebral intracellular pH was decreased during DKA compared with control (mean +/- SE difference -0.13 +/- 0.03; P &lt; 0.001), and lactate/Cr was elevated (0.09 +/- 0.02; P &lt; 0.001). DKA rats had lower ATP/Pi and NAA/Cr (-0.32 +/- 0.10, P = 0.003, and -0.14 +/- 0.04, P &lt; 0.001, respectively) compared with controls, but PCr/Pi was not significantly decreased. During 2-h treatment with insulin/saline, ATP/Pi, PCr/Pi, and NAA/Cr declined significantly despite an increase in intracellular pH. Bumetanide treatment increased ATP/Pi and PCr/Pi and ameliorated the declines in these values with insulin/saline treatment.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that cerebral metabolism is significantly compromised during DKA and that further deterioration occurs during early DKA treatment--consistent with possible effects of cerebral hypoperfusion and reperfusion injury. Treatment with bumetanide may help diminish the adverse effects of initial treatment with insulin/saline

National Bureau of Standards Reports

Report issued by the Bureau of Standards over studies on the benefits of computerized record-keeping. Medical records were chosen for the studies, and they also focus on patient privacy and rights. This report includes tables, and illustrations