Latency Performance for Real-Time Audio on BeagleBone Black

In this paper we present a set of tests aimed at evaluating the responsiveness of a BeagleBone Black board in real-time interactive audio applications. The default Angstrom Linux distribution was tested without modifying the underlying kernel. Latency measurements and audio quality were compared across the combination of different audio interfaces and audio synthesis models. Data analysis shows that the board is generally characterised by a remarkably high responsiveness; most of the tested configurations are affected by less than 7ms of latency and under-run activity proved to be contained using the correct optimisation techniques

Quantifying the incidence of lower limb amputation in people with and without diabetes in Wales between 2008–2018

Background: There is variance in the incidence of lower extremity amputation across and within countries including within the UK. National data shows up to a fourfold variance in the amputation rate throughout the regions of England and differences in amputation incidence have been reported in Scotland and Ireland. Lower extremity amputation rate has yet to be documented within Wales. The aim of this cohort study was to examine trends in diabetes and non-diabetes related lower extremity amputation incidence within the Welsh population and to examine the influence of diabetes on the relative risk of amputation. Materials and Methods: All first-time amputations between 2008-2018 were extracted from SAIL, a repository of all routine medical data of residents of Wales. People with diabetes were identified using an algorithm utilising data from several clinical and non-clinical sources. Crude and direct age and sex adjusted incidences were estimated over time. Results: Over the period 3505 major amputations and 4335 minor amputations occurred. The diabetes population greater than 17 years of age increased by 29.4% from 143,595 in 2008 to 206,818 in 2018. There was a statistically significant rate reduction in major amputation in both populations. In the diabetes population the number of major amputations reduced from 6.9 [5.5–8.5]/10 000 person years (PY) in 2008 to 4.9 [5.4–6.2]/10 000 PY in 2018. However, for major amputation, the risk of incident amputation in people with diabetes was 7.3 fold higher [7.1–7.5] than those without diabetes. The relative risk of minor amputation for those with diabetes was higher at 11.9 [11.8 –1.01]. There was no reduction in this risk over the period. Conclusion: This study found that rates of major amputation decreased over the study period but the risk of amputation for persons with diabetes remained substantial. As the population with diabetes increases so do crude rates of amputation, providing a substantial financial and societal cost to the Welsh Population

Fine needle aspiration and medullary thyroid carcinoma: the risk of inadequate preoperative evaluation and initial surgery when relying upon FNAB cytology alone.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) to preoperatively diagnose medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) among multiple international centers and evaluate how the cytological diagnosis alone could impact patient management. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of sporadic MTC (sMTC) patients from 12 institutions over the last 29 years. FNAB cytology results were compared to final pathologic diagnoses to calculate FNAB sensitivity. To evaluate the impact of cytology sensitivity for MTC according to current practice and to avoid confounding results by local treatment protocols, changes in treatment patterns over time, and the influence of ancillary findings (e.g., serum calcitonin), therapeutic interventions based on FNAB cytology alone were projected into 1 of 4 treatment categories: total thyroidectomy (TT) and central neck dissection (CND), TT without CND, diagnostic hemithyroidectomy, or observation. RESULTS: A total of 313 patients from 4 continents and 7 countries were included, 245 of whom underwent FNAB. FNAB cytology revealed MTC in 43.7% and possible MTC in an additional 2.4%. A total of 113 (46.1%) patients with surgical pathology revealing sMTC had FNAB findings that supported TT with CND, while 37 (15.1%) supported TT alone. In the remaining cases, diagnostic hemithyroidectomy and observation were projected in 32.7% and 6.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: FNAB is an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of thyroid nodules, but the low sensitivity of cytological evaluation alone in sMTC limits its ability to command an optimal preoperative evaluation and initial surgery in over half of affected patients

Multifocality in Sporadic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: An International Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Current surgical standard of care in sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma (sMTC) consists of a minimum of total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection. Some have suggested thyroid lobectomy with isthmusectomy and central neck dissection for patients with sMTC, given their lower frequency of bilateral disease, although this topic has not been thoroughly studied. This study assessed the prevalence of multifocality in sMTC via a large international multi-institutional retrospective review to quantify this prevalence, including the impact of geography, to assess more accurately the risks associated with alternative surgical approaches. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of sMTC patients from 11 institutions over 29 years (1983-2011) was undertaken. Data regarding focality, extent of disease, RET germline analysis plus family and clinical history for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2), and demographic data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Patients from four continents and seven countries were included in the sample. Data for 313 patients with documented sMTC were collected. Of these, 81.2% were confirmed with negative RET germline testing, while the remaining 18.8% demonstrated a negative family history and no manifestations of MEN2 syndromes other than MTC. Bilateral disease was identified in 17/306 (5.6%) patients, while multifocal disease was noted in 50/312 (16.0%) sMTC patients. When only accounting for germline negative patients, these rates were not significantly different (5.6% and 17%, respectively). Among them, when disease was unifocal in the ipsilateral lobe and isthmus, bilateral disease was present in 6/212 (2.8%) cases. When disease was multifocal in the ipsilateral lobe or isthmus, then bilateral disease was present in 8/37 (21.6%) cases (p < 0.001). No geographic differences in focality were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The 5.6% prevalence of bilateral foci in sMTC suggests that total thyroidectomy should remain the standard of care for initial surgery, as less complete thyroid surgery may fail to address fully the primary site of disease. Whether ipsilateral tumor focality should be an independent factor determining the need for completion thyroidectomy when sMTC is diagnosed after hemithyroidectomy remains to be determined