Interactive Volume Visualization Via Multi-Resolution Hash Encoding Based Neural Representation.

Implicit neural networks have demonstrated immense potential in compressing volume data for visualization. However, despite their advantages, the high costs of training and inference have thus far limited their application to offline data processing and non-interactive rendering. In this paper, we present a novel solution that leverages modern GPU tensor cores, a well-implemented CUDA machine learning framework, an optimized global-illumination-capable volume rendering algorithm, and a suitable acceleration data structure to enable real-time direct ray tracing of volumetric neural representations. Our approach produces high-fidelity neural representations with a peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) exceeding 30 dB, while reducing their size by up to three orders of magnitude. Remarkably, we show that the entire training step can fit within a rendering loop, bypassing the need for pre-training. Additionally, we introduce an efficient out-of-core training strategy to support extreme-scale volume data, making it possible for our volumetric neural representation training to scale up to terascale on a workstation with an NVIDIA RTX 3090 GPU. Our method significantly outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in terms of training time, reconstruction quality, and rendering performance, making it an ideal choice for applications where fast and accurate visualization of large-scale volume data is paramount.

Clinical impact of rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for group B Streptococcus (GBS) in term women with ruptured membranes.

BACKGROUND: Early-onset group B Streptococcus (EOGBS/GBS) infection remains a significant cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. AIMS: Aiming to improve antimicrobial stewardship and reduce unnecessary maternal and infant exposure to intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), this study assessed the clinical use of a commercially available GBS polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for term women with pre-labour rupture of membranes. METHODS: This was a retrospective study in a tertiary level maternity unit of term women with pre-labour rupture of membranes (ROM), without any clinical suspicion of infection performed between November and December 2017. GBS PCR tests were cross-referenced with patient clinical data. PCR test results, the impact of testing on antibiotic administration, pyrexia in labour, induction, interventional delivery rates and neonatal outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: Of 200 patients included in the study, 29 were positive (14.5%) and 166 were negative (83%), with five invalid results (2.5%). One hundred and twenty three women had > 18-h ruptured membranes and 86 women (70%) who would have been eligible for IAP based on risk factors avoided antibiotic therapy following a negative PCR test. There were no significant differences in induction or interventional delivery rates between GBS-positive and GBS-negative women following PCR testing. During the study period, there were no cases of EOGBS. CONCLUSIONS: In a centre adhering to a risk-factor-based GBS policy, the introduction of limited rapid GBS screening for term women with pre-labour rupture of membranes resulted in a clinically significant reduction in prophylactic antibiotic use.

Future Directions in Disseminating Research Findings to Urban Alaska Native People.

Southcentral Foundation (SCF), a tribal health organization based in Anchorage, Alaska, operates and plans health care services in response to the priorities and tribal values of Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) people, including traditional concepts of wellness, reciprocity, and working in relationship. In an effort to better incorporate AN/AI priorities and values in research dissemination, the SCF Research Department hosted the Alaska Native Health Research Forum (Forum) in May 2016. In this paper, we describe the communication strategies used by the SCF Public Relations Department, which were shared with Forum attendees, describe attendee recommendations for researchers to consider and implement, and then discuss future directions for dissemination. Lessons learned through the Forum were 1) customer-owners are interested in learning more about research, 2) dissemination should be done throughout all stages of projects using a variety of media channels, and 3) SCF Research Department dissemination should continue to shape health care.

Nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of the micellar properties of two-headed surfactant systems: the disodium 4-alkyl-3-sulfonatosuccinates. 2. The dynamics of the chains comprising the interior of two-headed surfactant micelles.

The dynamics of the carbons comprising the micelles of two members of the family of two-headed surfactants, the disodium 4-alkyl-3-sulfonatosuccinates, has been determined via the application of the two-step model to the 13C relaxation rates and the nuclear Overhauser enhancements (nOe's) at 200 MHz. The NMR relaxation times, determined from the inversion recovery method, increase steadily as we descend the chain from the headgroup region. The relaxation rate profiles and the order parameters have been calculated from the two-step model for the micellar sulfosuccinate aggregates. We note that the order parameter profile and the fast motion correlation time profile for these two-headed surfactants are distinctly different from those of a typical single-headed, single-tailed surfactant such as dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, particularly in the headgroup region of the micelle. All these results are interpreted in terms of the effect of adding a second headgroup to a single-headed, single-tailed surfactant.