A general procedure is provided for comparing correlation coefficients between optimal linear composites. The procedure allows computationally efficient significance tests on independent or dependent multiple correlations, partial correlations, and canonical correlations, with or without the assumption of multivariate normality. Evidence from some Monte Carlo studies on the effectiveness of the methods is also provided.

The multivariate asymptotic distribution of sequential Chi-square test statistics is investigated. It is shown that: (a) when sequential Chi-square statistics are calculated for nested models on the same data, the statistics have an asymptotic intercorrelation which may be expressed in closed form, and which is, in many cases, quite high; and (b) sequential Chi-square difference tests are asymptotically independent. Some Monte Carlo evidence on the applicability of the theory is provided.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Patients frequently need or desire fat grafting to improve common issues such as implant visibility and contour deformity, often done as a second, staged procedure following immediate reconstruction. This study aimed to identify which patient factors and reconstructive techniques predict the need for revision with AFG after IBBR METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Patients who underwent IBBR with either tissue expanders or implants following mastectomy from 2017 to 2021 were identified. Demographics, comorbidities, and the postoperative course were reviewed. The primary outcome variable was AFG after the initial reconstruction. Univariate and regression analyses were performed to identify factors predictive of AFG. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Five-hundred twenty-nine patients were included in our analysis, with 43% having AFG. Univariate regression displayed single-stage reconstruction (OR=0.53, 95% 0.37-0.75) and previous radiation (OR 0.59, 95% 0.35-0.99) negatively predicted the need for AFG, while bilateral breast reconstruction (BBR) was a predictor (OR 2.32, 95% 1.58-3.4). On multivariate analysis, decreasing age and BBR remained predictive of AFG. The odds of AFG decreased by 3% for every one-unit increase in age (95% CI [0.96, 0.99]). Interestingly, neither pre-pectoral breast reconstruction nor specimen weight:implant ratio was associated with increased need for AFG on univariate/multivariate analysis. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Patients requiring AFG were likely younger and had undergone BBR with tissue expanders. Plane of implant did not appear to affect need for AFG. Knowledge of these predictive factors may help plastic surgeons in preoperative counseling before implant-based breast reconstruction.

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and X-ray powder diffraction data on the tubular, hydrous aluminosilicate imogolite were found to be fully consistent with a previously proposed crystal structure consisting of a rolled-up, 6-coordinate Al-O(OH) sheet, bonded to isolated orthosilicate groups. The calculated 29Si chemical shift of this structure agreed with the observed shift within 3 ppm. Thermal dehydroxylation of the Al-O(OH) sheet produced predominantly NMR-transparent 5-coordinate Al, but a few 4- and 6-coordinate sites and some residual hydroxyl groups may also have formed, as shown by NMR spectroscopy. Changes in the 29Si NMR spectrum on dehydroxylation suggest a condensation of the orthosilicate groups, but steric considerations rule out bonding between adjacent silicons. To account for these observations, an alternative mechanism to orthosilicate condensation has been proposed, involving the fracture and unrolling of the tubes, followed by the condensation of fragments to form a layer structure. The layer structure has a calculated 29Si chemical shift of -95.6 ppm, in good agreement with the observed value of -93 ppm.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization stressed the importance of daily clinical assessments of infected patients, yet current approaches frequently consider cross-sectional timepoints, cumulative summary measures, or time-to-event analyses. Statistical methods are available that make use of the rich information content of longitudinal assessments. We demonstrate the use of a multistate transition model to assess the dynamic nature of COVID-19-associated critical illness using daily evaluations of COVID-19 patients from 9 academic hospitals. We describe the accessibility and utility of methods that consider the clinical trajectory of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.

The Fontan Outcomes Network was created to improve outcomes for children and adults with single ventricle CHD living with Fontan circulation. The network mission is to optimise longevity and quality of life by improving physical health, neurodevelopmental outcomes, resilience, and emotional health for these individuals and their families. This manuscript describes the systematic design of this new learning health network, including the initial steps in development of a national, lifespan registry, and pilot testing of data collection forms at 10 congenital heart centres.

Complete lattice parameters have been determined at a series of temperatures up to 950 °C using a furnace on a powder diffractometer for six synthetic supposed equilibrium albites, a nonequilibrium albite, two natural albites, and a heat-treated natural albite. The supposed equilibrium albites were prepared hydrothermally by MacKenzie (1957) for long periods of time and reached or nearly reached a state of no further change at their temperatures of synthesis between 500 and 1000 °C. A crystal of natural albite and three crystals of heat-treated natural albite were studied by high-temperature, single-crystal methods on a Buerger precession camera up to 1000 °C for comparison.

The lattice angles for each albite decrease smoothly with increasing temperature; the a-axis and the volume increase smoothly with increasing temperature. The rates of change increase with increasing temperature. The c and in some cases the b-axes appear to decrease initially in the range 25–300 °C and then subsequently increase. The thermal dilatation is highly anisotropic—the change in a is about twice that in b and about six times that in c over the whole range 25–850 °C. The effect of a temperature rise on the lattice parameters of the albites is very similar to the effect of the substitution of potassium on the room-temperature parameters.

Plots of α* against γ* for each albite at a sequence of temperatures up to 950 °C fall on nearly straight parallel lines, all albites becoming less oblique (triclinic) with increasing temperature. Of the equilibrium albites, only the one synthesized at 1000°C becomes monoclinic below the melting point. The ratio d 010/d 001 or c*/b* is a measure of order in the albites and does not vary with temperature. The similar behaviours of this ratio and of other lattice parameters as a function of the temperature of synthesis confirms the two-step ordering process in albite.

Impaired β-cell development and insulin secretion are characteristic of intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetuses. In normally grown late gestation fetal sheep pancreatic β-cell numbers and insulin secretion are increased by 7–10 days of pulsatile hyperglycemia (PHG). Our objective was to determine if IUGR fetal sheep β-cell numbers and insulin secretion could also be increased by PHG or if IUGR fetal β-cells do not have the capacity to respond to PHG. Following chronic placental insufficiency producing IUGR in twin gestation pregnancies (n=7), fetuses were administered a PHG infusion, consisting of 60 min, high rate, pulsed infusions of dextrose three times a day with an additional continuous, low-rate infusion of dextrose to prevent a decrease in glucose concentrations between the pulses or a control saline infusion. PHG fetuses were compared with their twin IUGR fetus, which received a saline infusion for 7 days. The pulsed glucose infusion increased fetal arterial glucose concentrations an average of 83% during the infusion. Following the 7-day infusion, a square-wave fetal hyperglycemic clamp was performed in both groups to measure insulin secretion. The rate of increase in fetal insulin concentrations during the first 20 min of a square-wave hyperglycemic clamp was 44% faster in the PHG fetuses compared with saline fetuses (P<0.05). There were no differences in islet size, the insulin+ area of the pancreas and of the islets, and β-cell mass between groups (P>0.23). Chronic PHG increases early phase insulin secretion in response to acute hyperglycemia, indicating that IUGR fetal β-cells are functionally responsive to chronic PHG.

The discovery of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal has generated follow-up observations by over 50 facilities world-wide, ushering in the new era of multi-messenger astronomy. In this paper, we present follow-up observations of the gravitational wave event GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart SSS17a/DLT17ck (IAU label AT2017gfo) by 14 Australian telescopes and partner observatories as part of Australian-based and Australian-led research programs. We report early- to late-time multi-wavelength observations, including optical imaging and spectroscopy, mid-infrared imaging, radio imaging, and searches for fast radio bursts. Our optical spectra reveal that the transient source emission cooled from approximately 6 400 K to 2 100 K over a 7-d period and produced no significant optical emission lines. The spectral profiles, cooling rate, and photometric light curves are consistent with the expected outburst and subsequent processes of a binary neutron star merger. Star formation in the host galaxy probably ceased at least a Gyr ago, although there is evidence for a galaxy merger. Binary pulsars with short (100 Myr) decay times are therefore unlikely progenitors, but pulsars like PSR B1534+12 with its 2.7 Gyr coalescence time could produce such a merger. The displacement (~2.2 kpc) of the binary star system from the centre of the main galaxy is not unusual for stars in the host galaxy or stars originating in the merging galaxy, and therefore any constraints on the kick velocity imparted to the progenitor are poor.

Information on the factors that cause or amplify foodborne illness outbreaks (contributing factors), such as ill workers or cross-contamination of food by workers, is critical to outbreak prevention. However, only about half of foodborne illness outbreaks reported to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have an identified contributing factor, and data on outbreak characteristics that promote contributing factor identification are limited. To address these gaps, we analyzed data from 297 single-setting outbreaks reported to CDC's new outbreak surveillance system, which collects data from the environmental health component of outbreak investigations (often called environmental assessments), to identify outbreak characteristics associated with contributing factor identification. These analyses showed that outbreak contributing factors were more often identified when an outbreak etiologic agent had been identified, when the outbreak establishment prepared all meals on location and served more than 150 meals a day, when investigators contacted the establishment to schedule the environmental assessment within a day of the establishment being linked with an outbreak, and when multiple establishment visits were made to complete the environmental assessment. These findings suggest that contributing factor identification is influenced by multiple outbreak characteristics, and that timely and comprehensive environmental assessments are important to contributing factor identification. They also highlight the need for strong environmental health and food safety programs that have the capacity to complete such environmental assessments during outbreak investigations.

We describe the performance of the Boolardy Engineering Test Array, the prototype for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder telescope. Boolardy Engineering Test Array is the first aperture synthesis radio telescope to use phased array feed technology, giving it the ability to electronically form up to nine dual-polarisation beams. We report the methods developed for forming and measuring the beams, and the adaptations that have been made to the traditional calibration and imaging procedures in order to allow BETA to function as a multi-beam aperture synthesis telescope. We describe the commissioning of the instrument and present details of Boolardy Engineering Test Array’s performance: sensitivity, beam characteristics, polarimetric properties, and image quality. We summarise the astronomical science that it has produced and draw lessons from operating Boolardy Engineering Test Array that will be relevant to the commissioning and operation of the final Australian Square Kilometre Array Path telescope.