Aircraft Parameter Estimation using Feedforward Neural Networks With Lyapunov Stability Analysis

Aerodynamic parameter estimation is critical in the aviation sector, especially in design and development programs of defense-military aircraft. In this paper, new results of the application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to the field of aircraft parameter estimation are presented. The performances of Feedforward Neural Network (FFNN) with Backpropagation and FFNN with Backpropagation using Recursive Least Square (RLS) are investigated for aerodynamic parameter estimation. The methods are validated on flight data simulated using MATLAB implementations. The normalized Lyapunov energy functional has been used to derive the convergence conditions for both the ANN-based estimation algorithms. The estimation results are compared on the basis of performance metrics and computation time. The performance of FFNN-RLS has been observed to be approximately 10% better than FFNN-BPN. Simulation results from both algorithms have been found to be highly satisfactory and pave the way for further applications to real flight test data

Closing the Food Gap in Adams County: A Proposal for Comprehensive Solutions through Community Action

Today, in Adams County, we have two food systems. The 20% who live in poverty survive on food stamps, the food pantry, church donations, and trips to discount food vendors. Those with more financial stability could choose from an abundance of healthy, sustainably produced, local and international foods. We have come to accept these two food systems as the norm without critically analyzing how it is affecting individuals and the health of our communities. In addition to reducing the disparity and closing the food gap, this initiative is focused on building our local economy and educating our community about nutrition and the benefit of local foods in order to promote a more sustainable social, environmental and economic future. This paper begins an investigation of community food security in Adams County and makes recommendations to start the process of finding stronger community solutions. The data represented here is drawn from community discussions and programmatic statistics. It is an initial assessment to be followed up by a more comprehensive study and analysis

Molecular defects in the mannose binding lectin pathway in dermatological disease: Case report and literature review

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and the Mannose-binding lectin-associated serine proteases (MASPs) are an essential aspect of innate immune responses that probably play an important but understudied role in cutaneous function. The MBL-MASP pathway appears to exert its primary role by assisting in the clearance of apoptotic skin cells (thus preventing accumulation and a subsequent autoimmune response) and promoting opsonophagocytosis of invading pathogens, limiting their dissemination. Deficiencies of the pathway have been described and are associated with infectious, autoimmune and vascular complications. However, the role of this pathway in dermatological disease is essentially unexplored. We describe 6 patients presenting with recurrent inflammatory and/or infectious skin conditions who also demonstrated severely low MBL levels. One patient also had a defect in the MASP2 gene. Genotype analysis revealed specific point mutations in the MBL2 promoter in all 6 patients and a variant MASP-2 gene in one patient. Five patients presented recurrent pustular skin infections (cellulitis, folliculitis and cutaneous abscess). A case of Grover's disease and one forme fruste of Behcet's syndrome (orogenital ulcers) were also observed. The patients responded to antimicrobial therapy, although in some, recurrence of infection was the rule. It appears that MBL deficiency may contribute to recurrent skin infections and to certain forms of inflammatory skin disease. The mechanisms may relate to the role of this pathway in innate immunity, removal of apoptotic cells and in immune complexes. Further study of MBL pathway defects in dermatological disease is required

Interpreting a Diagnosis of Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance in Cervical Cytology and its Association with Human Papillomavirus: A retrospective analysis of 180 cases in Kuwait

Objectives: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) represent a diagnostic challenge during cervical cytology. This study aimed to review and identify high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes among previously diagnosed ASC-US cases in Kuwait. Methods: This retrospective study analysed 180 cases diagnosed as ASC-US between June 2017 and May 2018 at the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait. Cervical specimens were assayed to determine the presence of HR-HPV DNA; subsequently, positive cases underwent genotyping and were categorised into three groups (HPV 16, HPV 18/45 and other HR-HPV types). Results: In total, ASC-US was confirmed in only 105 cases (58.3%), with the remaining cases reclassified as negative for intraepithelial lesions or malignancy (NILM; 32.2%) and epithelial cell abnormalities (ECA; 9.4%). Of these, HRHPV DNA was present in 20 ASC-US (19%), one NILM (1.7%) and six ECA (35.3%) cases. There were 62 Kuwaiti and 43 non-Kuwaiti women with confirmed ASC-US; of these, three (4.8%), six (9.7%) and four (6.5%) Kuwaitis and one (2.3%), one (2.3%) and five (11.6%) non-Kuwaitis had HPV 16, both HPV 16 and 18/45 and other HRHPV genotypes, respectively. Of those with HR-HPV DNA, the NILM case had the HPV 18/45 genotype, while the six ECA cases had the HPV 16 (n = 1), both HPV 16 and 18/45 (n = 1) and other HR-HPV (n = 4) genotypes. Conclusion: Overall, HR-HPV DNA was present in 19% of ASC-US cases compared to 1.7% of NILM cases initially misdiagnosed as ASC-US. Re-review of cervical cytology diagnoses may reduce unnecessary costs associated with HR-HPV genotyping. Keywords: Cervical Smears; Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance; Human Papilloma Virus; Cytological Techniques; Papanicolaou Test; Kuwait

Trends in Epithelial Cell Abnormalities Observed on Cervical Smears over a 21-Year Period in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kuwait

Objectives: This study aimed to analyse trends in epithelial cell abnormalities (ECAs) in cervical cytology at a tertiary care hospital in Kuwait. Methods: ECAs in 135,766 reports were compared over three seven-year periods between 1992 and 2012. Conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) smear tests were used in the first two periods and ThinPrep (Hologic Corp., Bedford, Massachusetts, USA) tests were used in the third. Results: Significant increases in satisfactory smears, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance/atypical glandular cells (AGUS/AGCs) were seen in the second and third periods (P <0.001). No significant increases were observed among low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) (P >0.05). An increase was noted in carcinomas between the first and second periods although a significant decline was seen in the third (P <0.014). Conclusion: Satisfactory smears, ASCUS and AGUS/AGC increased during the study period although no significant increases in LSILs, HSILs or carcinomas were observed

Sleep deprivation causes memory deficits by negatively impacting neuronal connectivity in hippocampal area CA1

Brief periods of sleep loss have long-lasting consequences such as impaired memory consolidation. Structural changes in synaptic connectivity have been proposed as a substrate of memory storage. Here, we examine the impact of brief periods of sleep deprivation on dendritic structure. In mice, we find that five hours of sleep deprivation decreases dendritic spine numbers selectively in hippocampal area CA1 and increased activity of the filamentous actin severing protein cofilin. Recovery sleep normalizes these structural alterations. Suppression of cofilin function prevents spine loss, deficits in hippocampal synaptic plasticity, and impairments in long-term memory caused by sleep deprivation. The elevated cofilin activity is caused by cAMP-degrading phosphodiesterase-4A5 (PDE4A5), which hampers cAMP-PKA-LIMK signaling. Attenuating PDE4A5 function prevents changes in cAMP-PKA-LIMK-cofilin signaling and cognitive deficits associated with sleep deprivation. Our work demonstrates the necessity of an intact cAMP-PDE4-PKA-LIMK-cofilin activation-signaling pathway for sleep deprivation-induced memory disruption and reduction in hippocampal spine density

SUPREME-HN: a retrospective biomarker study assessing the prognostic value of PD-L1 expression in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Biomarcador; Carcinoma de células escamosas de cabeza y cuello; PD-L1Biomarker; Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; PD-L1Biomarcador; Carcinoma de cèl·lules escamoses de cap i coll; PD-L1Background Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor cells (TCs) is associated with improved survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with immunotherapy, although its role as a prognostic factor is controversial. This study investigates whether tumoral expression of PD-L1 is a prognostic marker in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) HNSCC treated with standard chemotherapy. Methods This retrospective, multicenter, noninterventional study assessed PD-L1 expression on archival R/M HNSCC tissue samples using the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay. PD-L1 high was defined as PD-L1 staining of ≥ 25% TC, with exploratory scoring at TC ≥ 10% and TC ≥ 50%. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the prognostic value of PD-L1 status in terms of overall survival (OS) in patients with R/M HNSCC. Results 412 patients (median age, 62.0 years; 79.9% male; 88.2% Caucasian) were included from 19 sites in seven countries. 132 patients (32.0%) had TC ≥ 25% PD-L1 expression; 199 patients (48.3%) and 85 patients (20.6%) had TC ≥ 10% and ≥ 50%, respectively. OS did not differ significantly across PD-L1 expression (at TC ≥ 25% cutoff median OS: 8.2 months vs TC < 25%, 10.1 months, P = 0.55) or the ≥ 10% and ≥ 50% cutoffs (at TC ≥ 10%, median OS: 9.6 months vs TC < 10%, 9.4 months, P = 0.32, and at TC ≥ 50%, median OS 7.9 vs TC < 50%, 10.0 months, P = 0.39, respectively). Conclusions PD-L1 expression, assessed using the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay, was not prognostic of OS in patients with R/M HNSCC treated with standard of care chemotherapies.This study was sponsored by AstraZeneca. The protocol for this study was developed by the sponsor (AstraZeneca) and advisors. Data were collected collaboratively by the sponsor and clinical investigators. Statisticians employed by the sponsor analyzed the data. All authors participated in the preparation, review, and approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication

SUPREME-HN: a retrospective biomarker study assessing the prognostic value of PD-L1 expression in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND:Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor cells (TCs) is associated with improved survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with immunotherapy, although its role as a prognostic factor is controversial. This study investigates whether tumoral expression of PD-L1 is a prognostic marker in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) HNSCC treated with standard chemotherapy. METHODS:This retrospective, multicenter, noninterventional study assessed PD-L1 expression on archival R/M HNSCC tissue samples using the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay. PD-L1 high was defined as PD-L1 staining of ≥ 25% TC, with exploratory scoring at TC ≥ 10% and TC ≥ 50%. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the prognostic value of PD-L1 status in terms of overall survival (OS) in patients with R/M HNSCC. RESULTS:412 patients (median age, 62.0 years; 79.9% male; 88.2% Caucasian) were included from 19 sites in seven countries. 132 patients (32.0%) had TC ≥ 25% PD-L1 expression; 199 patients (48.3%) and 85 patients (20.6%) had TC ≥ 10% and ≥ 50%, respectively. OS did not differ significantly across PD-L1 expression (at TC ≥ 25% cutoff median OS: 8.2 months vs TC &lt; 25%, 10.1 months, P = 0.55) or the ≥ 10% and ≥ 50% cutoffs (at TC ≥ 10%, median OS: 9.6 months vs TC &lt; 10%, 9.4 months, P = 0.32, and at TC ≥ 50%, median OS 7.9 vs TC &lt; 50%, 10.0 months, P = 0.39, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:PD-L1 expression, assessed using the VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay, was not prognostic of OS in patients with R/M HNSCC treated with standard of care chemotherapies. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02543476. Registered September 4, 2015

Anterior Cervical Infection: Presentation and Incidence of an Uncommon Postoperative Complication.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multi-institutional case series. OBJECTIVE: The anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) affords the surgeon the flexibility to treat a variety of cervical pathologies, with the majority being for degenerative and traumatic indications. Limited data in the literature describe the presentation and true incidence of postoperative surgical site infections. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter case series study was conducted involving 21 high-volume surgical centers from the AOSpine North America Clinical Research Network, selected for their excellence in spine care and clinical research infrastructure and experience. Medical records for 17 625 patients who received cervical spine surgery (levels from C2 to C7) between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, inclusive, were reviewed to identify the occurrence of 21 predefined treatment complications. Patients who underwent an ACDF were identified in the database and reviewed for the occurrence of postoperative anterior cervical infections. RESULTS: A total of 8887 patients were identified from a retrospective database analysis of 21 centers providing data for postoperative anterior cervical infections (17/21, 81% response rate). A total of 6 postoperative infections after ACDF were identified for a mean rate of 0.07% (range 0% to 0.39%). The mean age of patients identified was 57.5 (SD = 11.6, 66.7% female). The mean body mass index was 22.02. Of the total infections, half were smokers (n = 3). Two patients presented with myelopathy, and 3 patients presented with radiculopathic-type complaints. The mean length of stay was 4.7 days. All patients were treated aggressively with surgery for management of this complication, with improvement in all patients. There were no mortalities. CONCLUSION: The incidence of postoperative infection in ACDF is exceedingly low. The management has historically been urgent irrigation and debridement of the surgical site. However, due to the rarity of this occurrence, guidance for management is limited to retrospective series