cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DTI detects white matter changes before the onset of dementia in Alzheimer disease

1854 Objectives Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects ~5.3 million people in the US. Amyloid plaque deposition precedes the onset of dementia in AD. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) measures the micro-structural characteristics of white matter (WM) and has been used to evaluate the WM integrity in AD. We aim to use DTI measures, combined amlyoid plaques deposition biomarkers, to evaluate whether DTI could detect WM changes before the onset of dementia in AD. Methods 22 participants received human brain PET and DTI according to an IRB approved protocol. The same individuals also underwent lumbar puncture to determine Aβ42 levels in the CSF. 15 of the individuals were cognitively normal with a clinical dementia rating (CDR) of 0; 7 were mildly symptomatic due to AD with CDR of 0.5. The mean cortical binding potentials (MCBP) in the whole brain and DTI indices (fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)) in regions of interest (ROIs) were obtained for statistical analysis. Mann-Whitney U test was performed between groups of individuals with MCBP > 0.18 or with CSF Aβ42 Results The CDR 0.5 group demonstrate decreased FA (table 1) and increased MD (data not shown) in the genu and splenium of corpus callosum (CC), superior longitudinal fasciculus, cingulum and uncinate fasciculus compared with the CDR 0.5 group. Decreased FA and increased MD were observed in fornix in the cognitively normal participants with amyloid deposition (MCBP > 0.18), but not in other ROIs. A non-significant trend of decreased FA and increased MD were observed in all ROIs in the cognitively normal participants with CSF Conclusions WM integrity is compromised prior to the onset of AD. FA decreases occur independently of the presence of cognitive impairment. DTI has the potential to detect those WM integrity change before the onset of dementia in AD.
Pay + Board Composition + Personal Behavior ≠ Corporate Governance: In Search of Conceptual Change

While seemingly everyone agrees that our economy requires substantial improvement in corporate governance in order to avoid a reprise of our recent financial collapse and Great Recession, this is not prompting legislative or private actions which actually facilitate an improvement in decision-making and outcomes of corporate action. Too many “solutions” pertain only to management compensation and board of director composition. Indeed, too many observers, including Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, equate the two, causing their suggestions to lose impact. While Congress expressly sought to improve governance in 2010 when it enacted the Dodd-Frank law to improve regulation of the financial sector, its specific provisions largely missed the mark and perpetuated the status quo of governance law addressing many things other than genuine governance, in large part because of their emphasis on procedural matters. A case can be made for the status quo in the context of “ordinary” firms which do not present systemic exposure to the same extent as the large financial firms which led us into the Great Recession, especially in light of the need to minimize the effect on entrepreneurial risk taking. However, a different set of considerations comes into play with other firms the actions of which have such pronounced external implications. The actions taken in response to Dodd-Frank by the SEC and private actors have had little to do with better strategic decision-making by anyone, and much to do with peripheral and/or procedural matters. They corroborate the assessment that governance law needs fundamental reorientation to cause it to be an instrument facilitating better outcomes than what we have seen all too frequently from our most systemically important firms. Such actions are even less effective than was hoped in light of the strong process orientation of the pre-Dodd-Frank corporate law environment.This article is a discussion of how Dodd-Frank and its predecessor law are improperly focused and the conceptual changes which are needed. In particular, it calls for a reversal of the pro-director presumption of the business judgment rule for systemically important firms where poor decisions can impose societal costs, where defined adverse events have occurred. In order to minimize the burden on business and underscore what is important, such change would be coupled with a drastic relaxation of requirements around management/director compensation and its disclosure.In support of he new standard, in addition to discussing problematic elements of current legal doctrine, this article also incorporates very recent commentary on the causes of the Great Recession and discussion of very recent actions of specific companies as illustrations of what the author considers appropriate and inappropriate focus.
Reimplementation of the Biome-BGC model to simulate successional change

Biogeochemical process models are increasingly employed to simulate current and future forest dynamics, but most simulate only a single canopy type. This limitation means that mixed stands, canopy succession and understory dynamics cannot be modeled, severe handicaps in many forests. The goals of this study were to develop a version of Biome-BGC that supported multiple, interacting vegetation types, and to assess its performance and limitations by comparing modeled results to published data from a 150-year boreal black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) chronosequence in northern Manitoba, Canada. Model data structures and logic were modified to support an arbitrary number of interacting vegetation types; an explicit height calculation was necessary to prioritize radiation and precipitation interception. Two vegetation types, evergreen needle-leaf and deciduous broadleaf, were modeled based on site-specific meteorological and physiological data. The new version of Biome-BGC reliably simulated observed changes in leaf area, net primary production and carbon stocks, and should be useful for modeling the dynamics of mixed-species stands and ecological succession. We discuss the strengths and limitations of Biome-BGC for this application, and note areas in which further work is necessary for reliable simulation of boreal biogeochemical cycling at a landscape scale.
Development of a Coupled Dropsonde-Autonomous Descent Vehicle System

This paper describes the benefits of using a dropsonde to automatically provide real time wind data to an autonomous descent vehicle (ADV). Two major sources of wind error are identified: wind errors resulting from large scale temporal and/or spatial differences between forecast and actual wind columns (Type A), and small scale wind fluctuations and/or measurement inaccuracies typically in the form of measurement noise (Type B). An autonomously coupled dropsonde-ADV system was developed in which a dropsonde is released preceding the descent vehicle, with enough lead time to descend to the ground prior to release of the ADV, and automatically telemeters wind data to the ADV, minimizing the more severe Type A wind errors. Simulations of the descent vehicle’s path (computed using actual wind data) are presented to compare the coupled dropsonde-ADV system to other ADV deployment scenarios. The simulations show that the use of a dropsonde to collect wind data can significantly reduce errors in the landing location of the ADV (89% in our simulations) as compared to an ADV that uses only forecasted wind data from prior to the descent. These results quantify the value of using spatiallyand temporallyrelevant wind data, and the potential benefits that can result from incorporating a coupled dropsonde-ADV system.
109 Preservation of biologics in a dry state: Advances in isothermal vitrification technology

“Rapid developments in the areas of tissue engineering, cellular therapeutics, in vitro fertilization, and transfusion medicine have accelerated the need for cost-effective preservation methods to enable a ready supply of biological materials. While cryopreservation provides an effective solution for preserving many of these constructs, the technology required and the ongoing liquid nitrogen costs associated with cryogenic storage can be restrictive. Lyophilization (freeze-drying) provides an alternate solution, enabling storage in a dry state, but few cell-based materials can survive the stresses associated with freezing following by drying under vacuum pressures. Another approach to achieving dry state storage involves drying into a glassy state at ambient temperatures, an approach called isothermal vitrification. This method has the potential to improve the cost, availability, and environmental impact of bio-banking technologies. While drying at ambient temperatures can be achieved by numerous approaches, we have recently developed a versatile microwave assisted drying process that enables rapid and controllable isothermal vitrification of carbohydrate-based preservation solutions. This technology has been used to support the dry state preservation of viruses, eggs, sperm, and macrophages. While progress has been made, there are still challenges to developing isothermal vitrification as a universal strategy for the preservation of biologics. However, because different levels of cellular functionality are required to achieve a viable product for therapeutic use, there are niche areas for which this is already a practical strategy for transport and storage. Source of funding: This work was funded by grant #5RO1GM101796 from the National Institutes of Health. Conflict of interest: None declared. gdelliot@uncc.edu
Breeding and High-yield Cultivation Technique of Good-quality Fragrant Rice Songjingxiang No.2

The Songjingxiang No.2 was bred from hybridized generations by pedigree method using Wuyou A(fragrant rice)as female parent and Song 98-131 as male parent by Wuchang Rice Research Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2001.It was tasted with delicate fragrance and had characteristics of good quality,high yield,disease resistance,wide adaptability and passed the variety certification of Heilongjiang province in January,2011.
Beta-blockers in heart failure. Do they improve the quality as well as the quantity of life?

Heart failure is a common clinical problem in patients with cardiovascular disease. Mortality remains high despite conventional therapy. The morbidity associated with heart failure accounts for numerous hospitalizations and significant health care expenditures. Therapy has been directed at relieving symptoms, augmenting exercise capacity, reducing hospitalizations and improving survival. Randomized clinical trials have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors achieve these therapeutic goals and exert a favourable influence on disease progression. Recent clinical trials evaluating metoprolol, bisoprolol and carvedilol have clearly established that judicious use of beta-adrenergic blockers in heart failure patients who have been stabilized favourably influences the natural history of the disease, even when given as additional therapy to patients already receiving ACE inhibitors. Carvedilol is a non-selective beta-adrenergic blocking drug with vasodilatory properties that has been recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in patients with NYHA functional class II or III heart failure. It was the only agent to produce a statistically significant survival benefit in a pre-specified analysis that included all the patients randomized into the multicentre U.S. Carvedilol Heart Failure Trials Program, irrespective of disease aetiology. As with trials looking at ACE inhibitor therapy, studies involving beta-blocker therapy in patients with heart failure have evaluated the effects of these drugs on hospitalization, NYHA functional class, exercise capacity and survival. In the U.S. Carvedilol Heart Failure Trials Program, the risk of hospitalization for any cause was reduced by 29%, the risk of hospitalization for a cardiovascular cause was reduced by 28% and the risk of dying was reduced by 65%. Thus, carvedilol has been shown in randomized clinical trials to improve the quantity of life and, at least in terms of the incidence of hospitalization, to improve the qualify of life as well. Randomized trials have consistently reported a favourable change in NYHA functional class in patients treated with beta-adrenergic blocking drugs: the majority of patients became less symptomatic. In the U.S. Carvedilol trials, patients and physicians reported (separately) an improvement in global status, and less deterioration when treatment was randomized to carvedilol. The positive influence of such therapy is reflected in a reduction in hospitalizations. In summary, patients with NYHA class II or III who have been stabilized with ACE inhibitors and diuretics can expect an improvement in the quality as well as the quantity of life with beta-blocker therapy.
Internal-external control of reinforcement and participation in team, individual, and intramural sports.

167 high school freshmen were given the Rotter I-E scale. Ss were categorized into those participating in team sports, individual sports, intramural sports, and no athletic activities. An analysis ...
Femtosecond Melting Rates of Crystalline and Amorphous Column IV Elements

Melting dynamics of amorphous and crystalline carbon, silicon and germanium photo-excited above threshold melting fluence are studied by 100-fs time-resolved pump-probe reflectivity.
Film Structure and the Emotion System: Emotion Work: The Joy Luck Club and the Limits of the Emotion System

The mood-cue approach seems to favor films that try to maintain a consistent emotional tone. Yes, filmmakers can shift tones effectively if they cue an audience to expect such a change (as A Day in the Country demonstrates), but navigating such a shift can be tricky (cf. The Lower Depths ). It seems easier to take advantage of the emotion system's continuity. Once you establish a mood, you just have to keep pouring on a steady stream of congruent emotion cues, and you've got it made, it would seem. But can a filmmaker simply keep adding cue after cue? We have seen how brief emotion and longer-lasting mood interact to support each other, but are there limits to an audience's ability maintain this consistency? Can a film's emotional appeal wear itself out by trying to evoke too much emotion over time? Again we must remember that different audiences have different expectations for the pacing of their emotion cues. An audience choosing to follow Stranger than Paradise cannot expect the same density of cuing they would from Raiders of the Lost Ark . But even audience members who have developed a taste for dense emotion cuing rely on the basic emotion system, and that network, like all systems, has its limits. Filmmakers must pace their emotion cues appropriately to maintain a consistent mood. Space the emotion cues too far apart, and the filmmaker is in danger of losing his or her audience's emotions.
Granuloma annulare: Clinical and histologic variants, epidemiology, and genetics

Granuloma annulare (GA) is a poorly understood condition characterized by a set of clinical morphologic variants with 2 predominant histopathologic patterns of inflammation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the available information about the clinical variants and histopathologic features, current epidemiologic data, and potential genetic underpinnings of GA. Much of the current understanding of GA is based on retrospective studies, case series, and case reports; this review aims to synthesize the available information and present it clearly for practicing dermatologists.
Continuity and extensibility of insulating varnishes

One of the important, functions of insulating varnishes is to provide protection against the entrance of moisture and dirt within the insulation system of electrical apparatus. A considerable amount of effort has been spent in studying the effect of moisture on the electrical properties of insulating varnishes as well as the moisture transmissivity of perfect varnish films. However, to be effective in the practical application, the varnish must provide an initially continuous film which maintains its integrity under operating conditions.
The Policy of STEM Diversity: Diversifying STEM Programs in Higher Education

In the midst of an aging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce and a growing minority population, the need to recruit and retain underrepresented minorities in STEM is vital to the prosperity and security of the United States. While institutions of higher education strive to not only increase, but diversify STEM programs, they must also heed the increasingly litigious policy environment that governs their recruitment and admission of underrepresented minority students. Recent state and federal court rulings have increased the need for institutions of higher education to understand policy and law impacting their admission policies; prompting them to develop aims and policies that encompass diversity.
Molybdenum Trihydride Complexes: Computational Model of Oxidatively Induced Reductive Elimination of Dihydrogen

Recent experimental work shows that the 18-electron molybdenum complexes (1,2,4-C5H2tBu3)Mo(PMe3)2H3 (CptBuMoH3) and (C5HiPr4)Mo(PMe3)2H3 (CpiPrMoH3) undergo oxidatively induced reductive elimination of dihydrogen (H2), slowly forming the 15-electron monohydride species in tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile. The 17-electron [CptBuMoH3]+ derivative was stable enough to be characterized by X-ray diffraction, while [CpiPrMoH3]+ was not. Density functional theory calculations of the H2 elimination pathways for both complexes in the gas phase and in a continuum solvent model indicate that H2 elimination from [CpiPrMoH3]+ has a lower barrier than that from [CptBuMoH3]+. Further, a specific solvent association, which is stronger for [CptBuMoH3]+ than for [CpiPrMoH3]+, contributes to the stability of the former. In agreement with the experimental observations, the calculations predict that [CptBuMoH3]+ would be in a quartet state at room temperature and a doublet state at 4.2 K, while [CpiPrMoH3]+ is in a doublet s...
Desert Tortoises in the Genomic Age: Population Genetics and the Landscape

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) provided research funds to study the conservation genomics and landscape genomics of the Mojave desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, in response to the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). To do this, we consolidated tissue samples of the desert tortoise from across the species range within California and southern Nevada, generated a DNA dataset consisting of full genomes of 270 tortoises, and analyzed the way in which the environment of the desert tortoise has determined modern patterns of relatedness and genetic diversity across the landscape. Here we present the implications of these results for the conservation and landscape genomics of the desert tortoise. Our work strongly indicates that several well-defined genetic groups exist within the species, including a primary north-south genetic discontinuity at the Ivanpah Valley and another separating western from eastern Mojave samples. We also use existing desert tortoise habitat modeling data with a novel extension of genetic "resistance distance" using geographic maps of continuous space to predict the relative impacts of five proposed development alternatives within the DRECP and rank them with respect to their likely impacts on desert tortoise gene flow and connectivity in the Mojave. Finally, we analyzed the impacts of each of the 214 distinct proposed development area "chunks", derived from the proposed development polygons, and ranked each chunk in terms of its range-wide impacts on desert tortoise gene flow.
Nanotechnology: A molecular assembler

The idea of nanometre-scale machines that can assemble molecules has long been thought of as the stuff of science fiction. Such a machine has now been built — and might herald a new model for organic synthesis. See Letter p.374 It has been debated whether synthetic molecular machines could ever rival the complexity, precision and function of evolved biological machinery, with questions arising over whether atom-by-atom construction of molecules is possible, practicable or scalable. Key to the function of a hypothetical 'molecular assembler' is the ability of the machinery to position reactants. David Leigh and colleagues now use a molecular machine that can 'pick up' a substrate and position it at one of the two directing sites on the machine that control the stereochemistry of addition to the substrate. For two sequential chemical reactions, and depending on how the machine is programmed to move the substrate in between reactions, the molecular robot could make any one of four possible diastereoisomers, including one that cannot be made through conventional organocatalytic reactions.
Consistent estimation of polychotomous treatment effects with selection-bias and unobserved heterogeneity using panel data correlated random coefficients model

We estimate multiple treatment effects in presence of selection-bias and response heterogeneity, using panel data. A control function was added to a fixed-effects based correlated random coefficients model. Selection model to create the control function was contrasted between multinomial logit and multinomial probit. For the multinomial logit model, parametric and semi-parametric bias correction techniques, as proposed in Lee (Econometrica 51(2):507–512, 1983), Dubin and McFadden (Econometrica 52(2):345–362, 1984) and Dahl (Econometrica 70(6):2367–2420, 2002) respectively, were implemented. We find that controlling time-varying endogeneity, allowing response heterogeneity, the type of bias correction method and the choice of the selection model, each had significant impact on the estimated treatment effects. Using the case of biologic DMARDs, we show that in the presence of heterogeneity and multiple treatments, the specification of the latent index model should be carefully chosen along with selection bias correction techniques appropriate to the choice of the latent index model. These issues have an important impact on policy. Under one set of assumptions, we may accept a formulary expansion policy on biologic DMARDs to be cost-neutral, while rejecting the same policy as not cost-saving under another set of assumptions.
The Relationship Between Urban Environment and Health

Particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone have adverse health effects. Increased mortality during London’s 1952 smog episode demonstrated harmful health effects from coal burning. Recent massive urbanization in developing countries is accompanied by traffic congestion and environmental degradation. In developed countries, residents and commuters are exposed to transportation-based emissions linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, urban sprawl is associated with obesity in children and adults and related disorders, while driving affects mental health such as stress, and increases traffic and pedestrians/cyclists accident risks. Urban environmental exposure poses health risks to pregnancies including low birthweight and pre-term births. Differences in birth outcomes between high and low exposure areas are analyzed in Memphis, TN. Due to public health concerns, studying adverse impacts of urbanization and transportation helps to improve public health.
Upregulated Expression of BCL-2 in Multiple Myeloma Cells Induced by Exposure to Doxorubicin, Etoposide, and Hydrogen Peroxide

Enhanced expression of the antiapoptotic gene BCL-2 may participate in chemoresistance. To ascertain if multiple myeloma cells surviving exposure to chemotherapy alter their BCL-2 expression, we treated the myeloma cell lines 8226, IM-9, and U266 as well as a primary myeloma cell culture with various injurious agents. Doxorubicin, etoposide, and hydrogen peroxide consistently induced a concentration- and time-dependent upregulation of BCL-2 expression in all myeloma target cell types assayed by flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. In contrast, serum starvation, dexamethasone, and anti-fas antibodies had no effect on expression. Enhanced expression of BCL-2 was relatively selective as treatments had no effect on expression of Ig light chains, BCL-X, or actin. An reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay showed increased levels of BCL-2 RNA in 8226 cells as early as 4 hours after treatment with doxorubicin at a time when cell recoveries were not decreased. Thus, doxorubicin stimulates BCL-2 expression in individual 8226 cells rather than simply allowing a selected survival of high BCL-2-expressing cells in culture. Doxorubicin-treated 8226 cells with upregulated BCL-2 expression were relatively resistant to a second exposure of doxorubicin. In addition, BCL-2-transfected IM-9 cells, with enhanced expression of BCL-2 which was comparable to that achieved by initial exposure to doxorubicin, were resistant to doxorubicin and etoposide cytotoxicity. These data suggest that exposure to chemotherapeutic agents may enhance BCL-2 expression in surviving myeloma cells and contribute to acquired chemoresistance.
Podiatric Problems and Management in Patients with Substance Abuse

Patients typically seek treatment from a podiatric surgeon to relieve pain, whether acute from a traumatic event or chronic from long-standing or unaddressed pathology. When conservative treatment fails to provide patient satisfaction, surgical intervention becomes necessary and the surgeon must then be prepared to address acute postsurgical pain, which can be more challenging in patients with a history of substance abuse. Through meticulous surgical technique, understanding lower extremity pathomechanics, and employing sufficient perioperative analgesia, we can provide superb outcomes for our patients and prevent chronic postsurgical pain. Furthermore, there exist a variety of signs and symptoms about the foot and ankle that may indicate substance abuse when correlated with the patient’s history, and it is imperative for the podiatric surgeon to have an awareness of these clinical presentations to provide the best possible treatment.
The Brauer Long group of Z/2 dimodule algebras

Beginning with the papers of G. Azumaya [2] and M. Auslander and O. Goldman [1] introducing the Brauer group B(R) of a commutative ring R, there have followed a series of extensions of the Brauer group of division algebras over a field to satisfy various needs. A. Grothendeick viewed the Brauer group of a commutative ring as the local part of a Brauer group of schemes and related the Brauer group to the second etale cohomology group of the scheme with values in the units scheaf [11]. At about the same time, C. T. C. Wall introduced in [14] a Brauer group of equivalence classes of Z/2 graded algebras over a field with multiplication induced by a twisted tensor product to study the Witt ring of quadratic forms. Wall’s construction was extended to commutative rings R by H. Bass and C. Small [13], and this group is now called the Brauer Wall group of R and denoted BW(R). A Brauer group of algebras over a field graded by an arbitrary finite abelian group was introduced by M. Knus [9], and extended to arbitrary commutative rings (with a twisted multiplication) by L. Childs, G. Garfinkel and M. Orzech [5]. The Childs-Garfinkel-Orzech construction contained the Brauer Wall group as a special case. An “equivariant Brauer group” of algebras on which a fixed group acted as a group of automorphisms was constructed by O. Frolich and C. T. C. Wall. In his thesis [10], F. W. Long introduced a Brauer group of dimodule algebras on which a grading group G acted as a group of automorphisms which included the affine versions of all the previous extensions of the Brauer group as subgroups. Long’s group is now called the Brauer Long group of R and is denoted BD(R, G). After Long introduced his group, a steady stream of papers have considered the properties and calculations of BD(R, G) and its siblings. Some of these are listed among the references at the end of this report.
Interlaboratory variability in multiplexed pneumococcal antibody testing.

This pragmatic, updated assessment of variability among pneumococcal antibody assays suggests that variability may now be greater than previously reported, and potentially influential in clinical decision making.
Functional Characterization of the ycjQRS Gene Cluster from Escherichia coli: A Novel Pathway for the Transformation of d-Gulosides to d-Glucosides

A combination of bioinformatics, steady-state kinetics, and NMR spectroscopy has revealed the catalytic functions of YcjQ, YcjS, and YcjR from the ycj gene cluster in Escherichia coli K-12. YcjS wa...
The timing of chemoradiotherapy after surgical resection and its impact on overall survival in glioblastoma.

2051Background: Prior studies examining time to initiate chemoradiotherapy (CRT) after surgical resection (S) in glioblastoma (GBM) have not provided clear consensus on its clinical impact. We soug...
Optimizing IBA Concentration and Stem and Segment Size for Rooting of Hybrid Hazelnuts from Hardwood Stem Cuttings1

Abstract Germplasm improvement of woody crops through plant breeding depends on effective methods of vegetative propagation, both for evaluation of candidate germplasm and for dissemination of impr...
Development of a Multilocus Sequence Typing Assay for Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is the most pathogenic avian mycoplasma species. It affects commercial and noncommercial poultry and wild birds. Current MG sequence typing methods rely on the partial sequence of one or more surface antigen genes. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), a widely used typing method for many human and animal pathogens, relies on conserved housekeeping genes. Recently, MLST assays have been developed for Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) and Mycoplasma iowae. Additionally, a whole genome-based core genome MLST (cgMLST) assay has been developed for MG and MS. However, cgMLST can be implemented only on pure isolates and cannot be applied to clinical samples. Here, we have developed a seven-locus-based MLST scheme for MG that can be applied directly on clinical samples without the need for isolation. The seven loci were selected from 425 genes recently used for the cgMLST assay. A total of 101 diverse MG samples, including isolates and clinical samples, were typed with the newly developed seven-locus MLST. The phylogeny and discriminatory power of the seven-locus MLST were evaluated and compared with the cgMLST and gene-targeted sequencing methods currently used for MG sequence typing. The seven-locus MLST provided optimum discriminatory power and congruent phylogeny to cgMLST. Additionally, a database for MG MLST was created and is currently available for public use online. This assay will increase accessibility to MG sequence typing and provide a stable and expandable nomenclature compatible with cgMLST. The seven-locus MLST assay represents an important tool for epidemiologic investigation of MG that can contribute to better control and eradication efforts.
“Brain In Flame”: Pathology And Imaging Of Noninfectious Cns Inflammation

The brain is an actively regulated site of immune surveillance. Microglia are the brain’s resident immune cells and their activation is a hallmark of CNS pathologies ranging from trauma and neurodegeneration to vascular and neoplastic disease. Inflammasomes are large multiprotein complexes within the microglia that mediate their proinflammatory, excitotoxic responses. We will examine the role of neuroinflammation in a spectrum of pathologies with an emphasis on trauma, autoimmune encephalitis (the “brain in flame”), vasculitis (vessels “on fire”), dementing disorders and primary brain tumors. Findings suggestive of neuroinflammation on conventional MRI will be emphasized along with PET TSPO (translocator protein) imaging that can detect early or abnormally prolonged microglial activation.
14 – one-way analysis of variance

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the analysis of variance (ANOVA), which is a procedure for testing differences among three or more means for statistical significance. It is also used with just two samples. It permits null hypotheses to be tested that involve the means of three or more samples (groups); however, one-way ANOVA deals with one independent variable. The null hypothesis tested by ANOVA is the means of the populations from which the samples were randomly drawn are all equal; for example, the null hypothesis in the caffeine experiment is HO: μ1= μ2 = μ3 = μ4= μ5. The alternative hypothesis states that HO is not true. The ANOVA procedure is based on a mathematical proof that the sample data can be made to yield two independent estimates of the population variance. The first step in the ANOVA design is to compute the sum of squares between groups (symbolized by SSB), the sum of squares within groups (symbolized by SSW), and the total sum of squares (symbolized by SST). A sum of squares is nothing more than a sum of squared deviations.
Supercritical CO2-induced alteration of a polymer–metal matrix and selective extraction of valuable metals from waste printed circuit boards

The rapid accumulation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the biggest environmental concerns in modern societies, and this problem will be further accelerated in the future. The use of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) mixed with acids has been proposed as a greener solvent system compared to conventional cyanide and aqua regia solvents. However, the mechanisms of scCO2 for metal extraction from WEEE are still poorly understood. Thus, this study focused on the physical, structural, and chemical interactions between scCO2/acid solvents and complex layered components in waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs), a common type of WEEE. Our study showed that the use of scCO2-based pretreatment allows faster leaching of metals including copper (Cu) in the subsequent hydrometallurgical process using H2SO4 and H2O2, while allowing gold (Au) recovery as hydrometallurgically delaminated solids. This enhancement is due to the selective leaching of Ni and unique inner porous structures created by ScCO2/acid treatment via dissolving the calcium-silicate-bearing fiberglass within WPCBs. Thus, the scCO2-based pretreatment of WPCBs shows a multifaceted green chemistry potential relating to the reduction in solvent usage, and targeted recovery of Au prior to shredding or grinding that would reduce any loss or dilution of Au in the subsequent waste stream.
Improving Fitness Levels of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Evaluation of Real-Time Interactive Heart Rate Visualization to Motivate Engagement in Physical Activity

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face significant challenges such as motor impairment in their daily lives that considerably restrict their abilities to persistently remain physically active or engage in recreational activities. As a result, many of these individuals may become overweight or obese that pose a multitude of health risks such as cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes. A potential solution to reduce such risks is by promoting physical activity to individuals with ASD given its abundant health and cognitive benefits. As such, this research proposes a mobile application: Heart Runner developed for individuals with ASD to visualize their heart rates generated during physical activity in real time and to encourage them to achieve higher energy expenditure in a competitive social environment with their peers. We demonstrate preliminary evaluations of the Heart Runner application in real-world user studies, and present encouraging results indicating increased physical activity levels in those who completed exercise sessions using the Heart Runner compared to those who did not. These findings suggest that improving fitness levels of individuals with ASD over time may potentially be enhanced through real-time interactive feedback of one’s energy expenditure that aims to promote self-motivated physical activity.
The Appalachian Coalfield’s Energy Transition and Prospects

The USA and world economies are experiencing an energy transition. The transition is occurring rapidly in eastern USA with consequent effects on Appalachian coal production and markets. Areas of Appalachia where coal mining was most intensive face the future with mining-impaired lands and waters and with economic and human health problems. The region’s underutilized mined lands, most of which are not in productive use, present opportunities for productive use that will expand if current energy production and use trends continue as projected. Quality of life enhancements, including environmental restoration of mined areas and improved educational and health-care access, have potential to aid Appalachian coalfield communities’ transition to a more prosperous future.
Public Support for Policies to Increase Housing Stability During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated longstanding housing precarity. This study measures the public support for policies designed to increase housing stability and gauges whether support levels are associated with views about the role of evictions in COVID-19 transmission and the existence of racial inequities in the housing market. Methods A cross-sectional survey with a representative sample of U.S. adults in November 2020 assessed support for 4 housing policies. Logistic regression models estimated the adjusted levels of support for each policy, with separate models testing the association with whether or not a respondent recognized the role of evictions in increased COVID-19 transmission or acknowledged racial inequities in the housing market. Results Most U.S. adults supported policies aimed to increase housing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic, including extending moratoriums on evictions (63%) and foreclosures (67%) and increasing emergency rental assistance (63%). In total, 54% supported increased government spending on housing vouchers. Adults who agreed that averting eviction would slow COVID-19 transmission had higher support for housing stability policies, as did those who agreed that it was easier for White families to find affordable, high-quality housing than Black families. Conclusions Support for housing stability policies was strong among U.S. adults, particularly among those who agreed that preventing evictions slowed COVID-19 transmission and among those who acknowledged racial inequities in the housing market. Raising public awareness of the connections among unstable housing, infectious disease transmission, and racial inequity could broaden the support for policies to keep people in their homes through the pandemic.
History of Building Joint Sealants

The use of sealants in facades became more widespread in the 1950s and 1960s with the increasing use of curtain wall construction. While most sealants specified for new construction today are silicone or urethane-based, older buildings may contain polysulfide and acrylic-based sealants. For investigators trying to identify sealants used on older buildings, it is often useful to know which sealants were in common use when the building was constructed, or when the building was repaired. This paper briefly discusses and reviews the history of the use of commonly used building sealants over the last fifty years, detailing when specific sealant types were first developed, when they came into widespread use, or fell out of favor. Historically, sealant selection has depended upon many factors such as the type of substrate, movement requirements, prior sealants used, cost and aesthetics. Improvements in performance capabilities of sealants and innovations such as structural glazing are discussed. Some sealants have been found to contain hazardous substances. For example, some polysulfide sealants applied during the 1960s contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Issues related to hazardous materials in sealants will be discussed as well as the performance consequences of the current change to sealant products to make them lessmore » harmful to the environment.« less
A High Speed and Low Cost Data and Image Processing System using DSP TMS320C25 and an IBM-PC

As one of the important tools of NDE, imaging technology provides fast, intuitive, and reliable diagnostic information for various research and industrial NDE applications. While as digital computer and electronic technologies bloom, a large number of advanced imaging systems as well as digital image processing algorithms have been successfully developed in the last two decades. These devices and algorithms have been adapted for NDE applications. A high quality NDE image obtained by an imaging system provides the visible information of the material structure. However, qualities of NDE images are often limited by some factors such as noise and unsharpness, incomplete data and information loss, sensitivities of the sensors and capability of the devices [1, 2, 3]. Many image processing methods can be applied to increase reliability of the images and to analyze the images. These methods includes image transform, reconstruction, enhancement, restoration, and feature extraction. The references of these methods can be readily found in many textbooks and research journals and we try not to do an exhaustive list in here. To have a quick review of different image processing techniques, one may find useful a recent review paper by Demoment [4] and the textbook written by Gonzalez and Wintz [5].
Grand Unification and the Fundamental Problems of Classical Cosmology

The accomplishments of classical cosmology are reviewed. In particular, the hot big bang model provides a reliable framework for understanding the evolution of the universe back to times at least as early as ~ 0.01 s after the big bang. At present there are (at least) six fundamental problems which have not yet been (completely) resolved. They are: (1) the origin of the baryon number-to-entropy ratio, (2) the origin of the isotropy, (3) the origin of the homogeneity and inhomogeneity, (4) the origin of the flatness, (5) the cosmological constant, and (6) the monopole problem. The role that grand unification has played, and may play in the resolution of these puzzles is discussed. Guth’s inflationary universe, which addresses five of these six problems, is reviewed.
Treatment variables in the management of endometrial cancer

A review was made of 240 women with endometrial carcinoma who were treated at the University Hospital in Seattle, Washington, between 1961 and 1979. The most common predisposing factor was a history of exogenous hormones, elicited in 46.7%. As predicted, such patients exhibited a more favorable outcome. Twelve percent of patients developed recurrent disease, and the vagina was the most common site of recurrence. However, 85% of patients with vaginal recurrence had received preoperative radiation therapy. Nodal sampling was a phase of the primary surgical treatment of the disease in 41 of the 240 patients. An effort to focus on this issue was made by including in a separate review 26 additional patients similarly managed in 1980 and 1981, thereby raising to 67 the total number of patients with nodal sampling. Fifty-nine of these patients had Stage I endometrial cancer. In these patients, histologic grade of tumor and depth of invasion determined at the time of operation appear to serve as reasonable predictors of nodal involvement.
Use of Anaerobic Adhesive for Prevailing Torque Locking Feature in Threaded Fasteners

This paper presents results from tests to assess the use of anaerobic adhesive for providing a prevailing torque locking feature in threaded fasteners. Test procedures are developed and tests are performed on three fastener materials, four anaerobic adhesives, and both seated and unseated assembly conditions. Five to ten samples are tested for each combination. Tests for initial use, reuse without additional adhesive, and reuse with additional adhesive are performed for all samples. A 48 h cure time was used for all initial use and reuse tests. Test data are presented as removal torque versus removal angle with the specification required prevailing torque range added for performance assessment. Percent specification pass rates for all combinations of fastener material, adhesive, and assembly condition are tabulated and reveal use of anaerobic adhesive as a prevailing torque locking feature is viable. Although not every possible fastener material and anaerobic adhesive combination provides prevailing torque values within specification, any combination can be assessed using the test procedures presented. Reuse without additional anaerobic adhesive generally provides some prevailing torque, and in some cases within specification. Reuse with additional adhesive often provides comparable removal torque data as in initial use.
Extreme chemical variability as a consequence of channelized melt transport

[1] The spatial and temporal variability of chemical signals in lavas, residues, and melt inclusions provides important constraints on source heterogeneity, the efficiency of convection, and melt transport processes in the mantle. The past decade has seen an impressive increase in the number, precision, and spatial resolution of chemical analyses. However, as resolution has increased, the picture of variation that emerges has become increasingly difficult to understand. For example, mid-ocean ridge basalts can display large variations in trace element concentration on scales from 1000 km of ridge to melt inclusions in 500 micron crystals. These observations suggest that melt transport processes do not readily homogenize partially molten regions. While some of the observed variability is due to source variations, a large proportion could be the consequence of magma transport in channelized systems. We present results of numerical models that calculate the trace element signatures of high-porosity dissolution channels produced by reactive fluid flow. These models were originally developed to explain the organization of melt transport networks, based on observations of “replacive dunites” found in ophiolites. Channelized flow can produce orders of magnitude variation in the concentrations of highly incompatible elements, even for idealized systems with a homogeneous source, constant bulk partition coefficients, and equilibrium transport. Most importantly, the full range of variability may be found in each channel because channelization can transpose the chemical variability produced by melting throughout the melting column into horizontal variability across the width of the channel. The centers of channels contain trace element–enriched melts from depth, while the edges of the channels transport highly depleted melts extracted from the interchannel regions at shallower levels. As dunite channels may be spaced on scales of 1–100 m in the mantle, this mechanism allows highly variable melt compositions to be delivered to the Moho on small length scales. The chemical variation produced in the models is consistent with that seen in melt inclusion suites, lavas, and residual mantle peridotites dredged from the ridges and sampled in ophiolites.