C-Band Airport Surface Communications System Standards Development. Phase II Final Report. Volume 2: Test Bed Performance Evaluation and Final AeroMACS Recommendations

This report is provided as part of ITT s NASA Glenn Research Center Aerospace Communication Systems Technical Support (ACSTS) contract NNC05CA85C, Task 7: New ATM Requirements-Future Communications, C-Band and L-Band Communications Standard Development and was based on direction provided by FAA project-level agreements for New ATM Requirements-Future Communications. Task 7 included two subtasks. Subtask 7-1 addressed C-band (5091- to 5150-MHz) airport surface data communications standards development, systems engineering, test bed and prototype development, and tests and demonstrations to establish operational capability for the Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS). Subtask 7-2 focused on systems engineering and development support of the L-band digital aeronautical communications system (L-DACS). Subtask 7-1 consisted of two phases. Phase I included development of AeroMACS concepts of use, requirements, architecture, and initial high-level safety risk assessment. Phase II builds on Phase I results and is presented in two volumes. Volume I is devoted to concepts of use, system requirements, and architecture, including AeroMACS design considerations. Volume II (this document) describes an AeroMACS prototype evaluation and presents final AeroMACS recommendations. This report also describes airport categorization and channelization methodologies. The purposes of the airport categorization task were (1) to facilitate initial AeroMACS architecture designs and enable budgetary projections by creating a set of airport categories based on common airport characteristics and design objectives, and (2) to offer high-level guidance to potential AeroMACS technology and policy development sponsors and service providers. A channelization plan methodology was developed because a common global methodology is needed to assure seamless interoperability among diverse AeroMACS services potentially supplied by multiple service providers

eleRecombinant human thyrotropin to help confirm lack of evidence of radiation-induced differentiated thyroid cancer in young women seeking pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Women with a history of differentiated thyroidcarcinoma who are contemplating pregnancy may wish reassuranceregarding apparent remission. However, the thyroidhormone withdrawal needed to obtain serum thyroglobulintesting (Tg) results in weeks-long biochemical and clinical hypothyroidism,which could increase miscarriage and fetal deathrates if pregnancy occurred during withdrawal of thyroxine orsoon thereafter. Recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) elevates thyrotropin exogenously, allowing uninterrupted thyroidhormone therapy and avoids hypothyroidism.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty female radiation-inducedpapillary thyroid carcinoma survivors who had undergonetotal- or near-total thyroidectomy and who were now seekingpregnancy (mean age 23.9 ± 1.8 years), and who were consideredcancer-free by local standards, underwent rhTSH-aided Tgtesting to help confirm remission. At the time of rhTSH testing,mean follow-up after primary surgical treatment was 11.1 ±3.9 years, and all patients had negative neck ultrasonography,undetectable unstimulated serum Tg (< 0.2 ng/mL) and nointerfering anti-Tg antibodies. However, based on T3, N1 or M1status, 28/30 (93.3%) patients had high recurrence risk.RESULTS: rhTSH produced no serum Tg increase in 27/30women (90.0%). Serum Tg increases to 0.4-0.9 ng/ml wereobserved in 3 women, but careful neck ultrasonography foundno lymphadenopathy. Reassured about their remission, 14/30women (46%) have become pregnant and delivered healthychildren in the 3 years since rhTSH-aided testing.CONCLUSIONS: rhTSH-aided Tg testing is useful in confirmingabsence of tumor in female patients with a history of radiation-inducedthyroid cancer who are seeking pregnancy, but who alsohave a high risk of thyroid cancer recurrenceBACKGROUND: Women with a history of differentiated thyroidcarcinoma who are contemplating pregnancy may wish reassuranceregarding apparent remission. However, the thyroidhormone withdrawal needed to obtain serum thyroglobulintesting (Tg) results in weeks-long biochemical and clinical hypothyroidism,which could increase miscarriage and fetal deathrates if pregnancy occurred during withdrawal of thyroxine orsoon thereafter. Recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) elevates thyrotropin exogenously, allowing uninterrupted thyroidhormone therapy and avoids hypothyroidism.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty female radiation-inducedpapillary thyroid carcinoma survivors who had undergonetotal- or near-total thyroidectomy and who were now seekingpregnancy (mean age 23.9 ± 1.8 years), and who were consideredcancer-free by local standards, underwent rhTSH-aided Tgtesting to help confirm remission. At the time of rhTSH testing,mean follow-up after primary surgical treatment was 11.1 ±3.9 years, and all patients had negative neck ultrasonography,undetectable unstimulated serum Tg (< 0.2 ng/mL) and nointerfering anti-Tg antibodies. However, based on T3, N1 or M1status, 28/30 (93.3%) patients had high recurrence risk.RESULTS: rhTSH produced no serum Tg increase in 27/30women (90.0%). Serum Tg increases to 0.4-0.9 ng/ml wereobserved in 3 women, but careful neck ultrasonography foundno lymphadenopathy. Reassured about their remission, 14/30women (46%) have become pregnant and delivered healthychildren in the 3 years since rhTSH-aided testing.CONCLUSIONS: rhTSH-aided Tg testing is useful in confirmingabsence of tumor in female patients with a history of radiation-inducedthyroid cancer who are seeking pregnancy, but who alsohave a high risk of thyroid cancer recurrence

Prognosis of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in Relation to Serum Thyrotropin and Thyroglobulin Antibody Status at Time of Diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentration and thyroid autoimmunity may be of prognostic importance in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Preoperative serum TSH level has been associated with higher DTC stage in cross-sectional studies; data are contradictory on the significance of thyroid autoimmunity at the time of diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess whether preoperative serum TSH and perioperative antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) were associated with thyroid cancer stage and outcome in DTC patients followed by the National Thyroid Cancer Treatment Cooperative Study, a large multicenter thyroid cancer registry. METHODS: Patients registered after 1996 with available preoperative serum TSH (n=617; the TSH cohort) or perioperative TgAb status (n=1770; the TgAb cohort) were analyzed for tumor stage, persistent disease, recurrence, and overall survival (OS; median follow-up, 5.5 years). Parametric tests assessed log-transformed TSH, and categorical variables were tested with chi square. Disease-free survival (DFS) and OS was assessed with Cox models. RESULTS: Geometric mean serum TSH levels were higher in patients with higher-stage disease (Stage III/IV=1.48 vs. 1.02 mU/L for Stages I/II; p=0.006). The relationship persisted in those aged ≥45 years after adjusting for sex (p=0.01). Gross extrathyroidal extension (p=0.03) and presence of cervical lymph node metastases (p=0.003) were also significantly associated with higher serum TSH. Disease recurrence and all-cause mortality occurred in 37 and 38 TSH cohort patients respectively, which limited the power for survival analysis. Positive TgAb was associated with lower stage on univariate analysis (positive TgAb in 23.4% vs. 17.8% of Stage I/II vs. III/IV patients, respectively; p=0.01), although the relationship lost significance when adjusting for age and sex (p=0.34). Perioperative TgAb was not an independent predictor of DFS (hazard ratio=1.12 [95% confidence interval=0.74-1.69]) or OS (hazard ratio=0.98 [95% confidence interval=0.56-1.72]). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative serum TSH level is associated with higher DTC stage, gross extrathyroidal extension, and neck node metastases. Perioperative TgAb is not an independent predictor of DTC prognosis. A larger cohort is required to assess whether preoperative serum TSH level predicts recurrence or mortality

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead