994 research outputs found
Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) - Optimizing X-Band Usage
The NASA version of the low-density parity check (LDPC) 7/8-rate code, shortened to the dimensions of (8160, 7136), has been implemented as the forward error correction (FEC) schema for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). This is the first flight application of this code. In order to place a 440 Msps link within the 375 MHz wide X band we found it necessary to heavily bandpass filter the satellite transmitter output . Despite the significant amplitude and phase distortions that accompanied the spectral truncation, the mission required BER is maintained at < 10(exp -12) with less than 2 dB of implementation loss. We utilized a band-pass filter designed ostensibly to replicate the link distortions to demonstrate link design viability. The same filter was then used to optimize the adaptive equalizer in the receiver employed at the terminus of the downlink. The excellent results we obtained could be directly attributed to the implementation of the LDPC code and the amplitude and phase compensation provided in the receiver. Similar results were obtained with receivers from several vendors
Radio Galaxy Zoo: The Distortion of Radio Galaxies by Galaxy Clusters
We study the impact of cluster environment on the morphology of a sample of
4304 extended radio galaxies from Radio Galaxy Zoo. A total of 87% of the
sample lies within a projected 15 Mpc of an optically identified cluster.
Brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) are more likely than other cluster members to
be radio sources, and are also moderately bent. The surface density as a
function of separation from cluster center of non-BCG radio galaxies follows a
power law with index out to (Mpc), which
is steeper than the corresponding distribution for optically selected galaxies.
Non-BCG radio galaxies are statistically more bent the closer they are to the
cluster center. Within the inner (Mpc) of a cluster,
non-BCG radio galaxies are statistically more bent in high-mass clusters than
in low-mass clusters. Together, we find that non-BCG sources are statistically
more bent in environments that exert greater ram pressure. We use the
orientation of bent radio galaxies as an indicator of galaxy orbits and find
that they are preferentially in radial orbits. Away from clusters, there is a
large population of bent radio galaxies, limiting their use as cluster
locators; however, they are still located within statistically overdense
regions. We investigate the asymmetry in the tail length of sources that have
their tails aligned along the radius vector from the cluster center, and find
that the length of the inward-pointing tail is weakly suppressed for sources
close to the center of the cluster.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables. Supplemental data files available in
The Astronomical Journal or contact autho
Classification of large circulating tumor cells isolated with ultra-high throughput microfluidic Vortex technology.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are emerging as rare but clinically significant non-invasive cellular biomarkers for cancer patient prognosis, treatment selection, and treatment monitoring. Current CTC isolation approaches, such as immunoaffinity, filtration, or size-based techniques, are often limited by throughput, purity, large output volumes, or inability to obtain viable cells for downstream analysis. For all technologies, traditional immunofluorescent staining alone has been employed to distinguish and confirm the presence of isolated CTCs among contaminating blood cells, although cells isolated by size may express vastly different phenotypes. Consequently, CTC definitions have been non-trivial, researcher-dependent, and evolving. Here we describe a complete set of objective criteria, leveraging well-established cytomorphological features of malignancy, by which we identify large CTCs. We apply the criteria to CTCs enriched from stage IV lung and breast cancer patient blood samples using the High Throughput Vortex Chip (Vortex HT), an improved microfluidic technology for the label-free, size-based enrichment and concentration of rare cells. We achieve improved capture efficiency (up to 83%), high speed of processing (8 mL/min of 10x diluted blood, or 800 Ī¼L/min of whole blood), and high purity (avg. background of 28.8Ā±23.6 white blood cells per mL of whole blood). We show markedly improved performance of CTC capture (84% positive test rate) in comparison to previous Vortex designs and the current FDA-approved gold standard CellSearch assay. The results demonstrate the ability to quickly collect viable and pure populations of abnormal large circulating cells unbiased by molecular characteristics, which helps uncover further heterogeneity in these cells
Health-related quality of life in KEYNOTE-010 : a phase II/III study of pembrolizumab versus docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced, programmed death ligand 1-expressing NSCLC
Introduction: In the phase II/III KEYNOTE-010 study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01905657), pembrolizumab significantly prolonged overall survival over docetaxel in patients with previously treated, programmed death ligand 1-expressing (tumor proportion score >= 1%), advanced NSCLC. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results are reported here. Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to pembrolizumab 2 or 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks or docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks. HRQoL was assessed using European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLC) Core 30 (C30), EORTC QLQ-Lung Cancer 13 (LC13), and EuroQoL-5D. Key analyses included mean baseline-to-week-12 change in global health status (GHS)/quality of life (QoL) score, functioning and symptom domains, and time to deterioration in a QLQ-LC13 composite endpoint of cough, dyspnea, and chest pain. Results: Patient reported outcomes compliance was high across all three instruments. Pembrolizumab was associated with better QLQ-C30 GHS/QoL scores from baseline to 12 weeks than docetaxel, regardless of pembrolizumab dose or tumor proportion score status (not significant). Compared with docetaxel, fewer pembrolizumab-treated patients had "deteriorated" status and more had "improved" status in GHS/QoL. Nominally significant improvement was reported in many EORTC symptom domains with pembrolizumab, and nominally significant worsening was reported with docetaxel. Significant prolongation in true time to deterioration for the QLQ-LC13 composite endpoint emerged for pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg compared to docetaxel (nominal two-sided p = 0.03), but not for the 2-mg/kg dose. Conclusions: These findings suggest that HRQoL and symptoms are maintained or improved to a greater degree with pembrolizumab than with docetaxel in this NSCLC patient population. (C) 2019 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Radio Galaxy Zoo: host galaxies and radio morphologies derived from visual inspection
We present results from the first 12 months of operation of Radio Galaxy Zoo, which upon
completion will enable visual inspection of over 170 000 radio sources to determine the host
galaxy of the radio emission and the radio morphology. Radio Galaxy Zoo uses 1.4 GHz
radio images from both the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimeters (FIRST)
and the Australia Telescope Large Area Survey (ATLAS) in combination with mid-infrared
images at 3.4 Āµm from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and at 3.6 Āµm from
the Spitzer Space Telescope. We present the early analysis of the WISE mid-infrared colours
of the host galaxies. For images in which there is >75 per cent consensus among the Radio
Galaxy Zoo cross-identifications, the project participants are as effective as the science experts
at identifying the host galaxies. The majority of the identified host galaxies reside in the midinfrared
colour space dominated by elliptical galaxies, quasi-stellar objects and luminous
infrared radio galaxies. We also find a distinct population of Radio Galaxy Zoo host galaxies
residing in a redder mid-infrared colour space consisting of star-forming galaxies and/or dustenhanced
non-star-forming galaxies consistent with a scenario of merger-driven active galactic
nuclei (AGN) formation. The completion of the full Radio Galaxy Zoo project will measure
the relative populations of these hosts as a function of radio morphology and power while
providing an avenue for the identification of rare and extreme radio structures. Currently, we
are investigating candidates for radio galaxies with extreme morphologies, such as giant radio
galaxies, late-type host galaxies with extended radio emission and hybrid morphology radio
sources.
Key words: methods: data analysis ā infrared: galaxies ā radio continuum: ga
Phase 2 Study of Pemetrexed Plus Carboplatin, or Pemetrexed Plus Cisplatin with Concurrent Radiation Therapy Followed by Pemetrexed Consolidation in Patients with Favorable-Prognosis Inoperable Stage IIIA/B NonāSmall-Cell Lung Cancer
IntroductionThere is no consensus chemotherapy regimen with concurrent radiotherapy (RT) for inoperable stage IIIA/B nonāsmall-cell lung cancer. This trial evaluated pemetrexed with carboplatin (PCb) or cisplatin (PC) with concurrent RT followed by consolidation pemetrexed.MethodsIn this open-label, noncomparative phase II trial, patients with inoperable stage IIIA/B nonāsmall-cell lung cancer (initially all histologies, later restricted to nonsquamous) were randomized (1:1) to PCb or PC with concurrent RT (64ā68 Gy over days 1ā45). Consolidation pemetrexed monotherapy was administered every 21 days for three cycles. Primary endpoint was 2-year overall survival (OS) rate.ResultsFrom June 2007 to November 2009, 98 patients were enrolled (PCb: 46; PC: 52). The 2-year OS rate was PCb: 45.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29.5ā60.0%); PC: 58.4% (95% CI, 42.6ā71.3%), and in nonsquamous patients was PCb: 48.0% (95% CI, 29.0ā64.8%); PC: 55.8% (95% CI, 38.0ā70.3%). Median time to disease progression was PCb: 8.8 months (95% CI, 6.0ā12.6 months); PC: 13.1 months (95% CI, 8.3ānot evaluable [NE]). Median OS (months) was PCb: 18.7 (95% CI, 12.9āNE); PC: 27.0 (95% CI, 23.2āNE). The objective response rates (ORRs) were PCb: 52.2%; PC: 46.2%. Grade 4 treatment-related toxicities (% PCb/% PC) were: anemia, 0/1.9; neutropenia, 6.5/3.8; thrombocytopenia, 4.3/1.9; and esophagitis, 0/1.9. Most patients completed scheduled chemotherapy and RT during induction and consolidation phases. No drug-related deaths were reported during chemoradiotherapy.ConclusionsBecause of study design, efficacy comparisons cannot be made. However, both combinations with concurrent RT were active and well tolerated
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