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It is well-established that brain size is associated with intelligence. But the relationship between cortical morphometric measures and intelligence is unclear. Studies have produced conflicting results or no significant relations between intelligence and cortical morphometric measures such as cortical thickness and peri-cortical contrast. This discrepancy may be due to multicollinearity amongst the independent variables in a multivariate regression analysis, or a failure to fully account for the relationship between brain size and intelligence in some other way. Our study shows that neither cortical thickness nor peri-cortical contrast reliably improves IQ prediction accuracy beyond what is achieved with brain volume alone. We show this in multiple datasets, with child data, developmental data, and with adult data; we show this with data acquired either at multiple sites, or at a single site; we show this with data acquired with different MRI scanner manufacturers, or with all data acquired on a single scanner; and we show this with fluid intelligence, full-scale IQ, performance IQ, and verbal IQ. But our point is not really even about IQ; rather we proffer a methodological caveat and potential explanation of the discrepancies in previous results, and which applies broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community engagement is increasingly recognized as a necessity in addressing intractable racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. However, institutions have not adequately trained resident physicians in developing symbiotic community partnerships that preserve community autonomy and identity without exploitation. Our goals were to highlight the experiences of expert academic emergency physicians in creating innovative, community‐driven, and anti‐racist solutions to achieving measurable equity in health outcomes and to introduce a novel framework entitled the Social Change Method to take a community‐embedded intervention from concept to creation. Methods: The methodology was based on the development of a didactic session at the 2023 SAEM Annual Meeting. The three novel initiatives discussed were Emergency Medicine Remix (EMR); Trust, Research, Access, and Prevention (TRAP) Medicine; and The Health Equity Accelerator (HEA). A team of multi‐institutional experts convened to develop the session objectives through priority setting. Results: Our expert panel discussed successes and challenges encountered while using evidence‐informed strategies to conduct their community‐based programming. Participant questions were centered on fostering sustainability, emphasizing the importance of carefully crafted interventions in the face of uncertain legislative challenges and strategies to empower others. Conclusions: Emergency medicine residency education should incorporate training on methods to leverage community partnerships to improve individual and community health outcomes. The Social Change Method can be used as a conceptual framework to generate easily re‐creatable and scalable partnerships that establish trust and forge relationships that honor identity and autonomy without exploiting community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that white–gray contrast (WGC) of either cortical or subcortical gray matter provides for accurate predictions of age in typically developing (TD) children, and that, at least for the cortex, it changes differently with age in subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to their TD peers. Our previous study showed different patterns of contrast change between ASD and TD in sensorimotor and association cortices. While that study was confined to the cortex, we hypothesized that subcortical structures, particularly the thalamus, were involved in the observed cortical dichotomy between lower and higher processing. The current paper investigates that hypothesis using the WGC measures from the thalamus in addition to those from the cortex. We compared age‐related WGC changes in the thalamus to those in the cortex. To capture the simultaneity of this change across the two structures, we devised a metric capturing the co‐development of the thalamus and cortex (CoDevTC), proportional to the magnitude of cortical and thalamic age‐related WGC change. We calculated this metric for each of the subjects in a large homogeneous sample taken from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) (N = 434). We used structural MRI data from the largest high‐quality cross‐sectional sample (NYU) as well as two other large high‐quality sites, GU and OHSU, all three using Siemens 3T scanners. We observed that the co‐development features in ASD and TD exhibit contrasting patterns; specifically, some higher‐order thalamic nuclei, such as the lateral dorsal nucleus, exhibited reduction in codevelopment with most of the cortex in ASD compared to TD. Moreover, this difference in the CoDevTC pattern correlates with a number of behavioral measures across multiple cognitive and physiological domains. The results support previous notions of altered connectivity in autism, but add more specific evidence about the heterogeneity in thalamocortical development that elucidates the mechanisms underlying the clinical features of ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading killer of Americans, imparting a tremendous societal toll. Relationships between immune function and inflammation with cognition are well-established in AD, but the Th1/Th2 ratio of immune function is unknown. Describing the Th1/Th2 ratio and its relationship with cognition may shed light on the disease's clinical context. How the Th1/Th2 ratio responds to dietary supplementation is another unknown question in this population. Objective: The objectives of the study were to: 1) characterize the Th1/Th2 ratio according to IL-2/IL-10, IFN-γ/IL-10, IL-2/IL-4, IFN-γ/IL-4, IL-2/TNF-α, and IFN-γ/TNF-α in subjects with moderate-to-severe AD and in comparison to healthy adults; 2) investigate the effect of an aloe polymannose multinutrient complex (APMC) dietary supplement on the Th1/Th2 ratios over 12 months; and 3) compare the changes in the Th1/Th2 ratios with the changes in cognition from baseline to 12 months. Methods: Subjects consumed 2.5 g of the APMC four times per day for 12 months, and they were assessed on cognition and cytokines at baseline and 12 months. Results: The Th1/Th2 ratios in AD patients were significantly higher than the healthy controls, and five of the six ratios decreased from baseline to 12 months follow-up (other than IL-2/TNF-α). Several significant relationships were noted between the changes in Th1/Th2 ratios with cognitive assessments. Conclusions: Our results showed an overall rebalancing of the Th1/Th2 ratio in response to APMC, these changes were related to improved cognition in subjects with moderate-to-severe AD, and the APMC supplement was safely tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood‐flow artifacts present a serious challenge for most, if not all, volumetric analytical approaches. We utilize T1‐weighted data with prominent blood‐flow artifacts from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) multisite agglomerative dataset to assess the impact that such blood‐flow artifacts have on registration of T1‐weighted data to a template. We use a heuristic approach to identify the blood‐flow artifacts in these data; we use the resulting blood masks to turn the underlying voxels to the intensity of the cerebro‐spinal fluid, thus mimicking the effect of blood suppression. We then register both the original data and the deblooded data to a common T1‐weighted template, and compare the quality of those registrations to the template in terms of similarity to the template. The registrations to the template based on the deblooded data yield significantly higher similarity values compared with those based on the original data. Additionally, we measure the nonlinear deformations needed to transform the data from the position achieved by registering the original data to the template to the position achieved by registering the deblooded data to the template. The results indicate that blood‐flow artifacts may seriously impact data processing that depends on registration to a template, that is, most all data processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is set to experience a three-fold increase in vaccine demand by 2040, yet the continent possesses few domestic capabilities for vaccine production. This lack of production capacity, heavy reliance on foreign aid, disruptions of hard-won immunization progress due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and fluctuating vaccine market dynamics threaten to hinder ongoing efforts to increase vaccination rates on the continent. In order meet the vaccine demands of a rapidly growing population, and to be able to provide novel vaccines to its population in the future, the African continent must develop a sustainable vaccine manufacturing infrastructure. The African Union, in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, recently set forth its Program for African Vaccine Manufacturing Framework for Action, which sets the goal of Africa producing 60 % of its vaccine needs by 2040. To meet these goals, African governments and their multinational, philanthropic, and private sector partners must work to secure low-cost financing and provide a favourable regulatory environment for nascent African vaccine manufacturers. Doing so will save lives, safeguard the health of the continent's current and future citizens, and contribute to economic growth through the development of local bioeconomies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Anode‐free" solid‐state batteries (SSBs), which have no anode active material, can exhibit extremely high energy density (≈1500 Wh L−1). However, there is a lack of understanding of the lithium plating/stripping mechanisms at initially lithium‐free solid‐state electrolyte (SSE) interfaces because excess lithium metal is often used. Here, it is demonstrated that commercially relevant quantities of lithium (>5 mAh cm−2) can be reliably plated at moderate current densities (1 mA cm−2) using the sulfide SSE Li6PS5Cl. Investigations of lithium plating/stripping mechanisms, in conjunction with cryo‐focused ion beam (FIB) imaging, synchrotron tomography, and phase‐field modeling, reveal that the cycling stability of these cells is fundamentally limited by the nonuniform presence of lithium during stripping. Local lithium depletion causes isolated lithium regions toward the end of stripping, decreasing electrochemically active area and resulting in high local current densities and void formation. This accelerates subsequent filament growth and short circuiting compared to lithium‐excess cells. Despite this degradation mode, it is shown that anode‐free cells exhibit comparable Coulombic efficiency to lithium‐excess cells, and improved resistance to short circuiting is achieved by avoiding local lithium depletion through retention of thicker lithium at the interface. These new insights provide a foundation for engineering future high‐energy anode‐free SSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most membrane protein molecules undergo conformational changes as they transition from one functional state to another one. An understanding of the mechanism underlying these changes requires the ability to resolve individual conformational states, whose changes often occur on millisecond and angstrom scales. Tracking such changes and acquiring a sufficiently large amount of data remain challenging. Here, we use the amino-acid transporter AdiC as an example to demonstrate the application of a high-resolution fluorescence-polarization-microscopy method in tracking multistate conformational changes of a membrane protein. We have successfully resolved four conformations of AdiC by monitoring the emission-polarization changes of a fluorophore label and quantified their probabilities in the presence of a series of concentrations of its substrate arginine. The acquired data are sufficient for determining all equilibrium constants that fully establish the energetic relations among the four states. The KD values determined for arginine in four individual conformations are statistically comparable to the previously reported overall KD determined using isothermal titration calorimetry. This demonstrated strong resolving power of the present polarization-microscopy method will enable an acquisition of the quantitative information required for understanding the expected complex conformational mechanism underlying the transporter's function, as well as those of other membrane proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of colorectal polyps through colonoscopy is an essential practice in prevention of colorectal cancers. However, the method itself is labor intensive and is subject to human error. With the advent of deep learning-based methodologies, and specifically convolutional neural networks, an opportunity to improve upon the prognosis of potential patients suffering with colorectal cancer has appeared with automated detection and segmentation of polyps. Polyp segmentation is subject to a number of problems such as model overfitting and generalization, poor definition of boundary pixels, as well as the model's ability to capture the practical range in textures, sizes, and colors. In an effort to address these challenges, we propose a dual encoder–decoder solution named Polyp Segmentation Network (PSNet). Both the dual encoder and decoder were developed by the comprehensive combination of a variety of deep learning modules, including the PS encoder, transformer encoder, PS decoder, enhanced dilated transformer decoder, partial decoder, and merge module. PSNet outperforms state-of-the-art results through an extensive comparative study against 5 existing polyp datasets with respect to both mDice and mIoU at 0.863 and 0.797, respectively. With our new modified polyp dataset we obtain an mDice and mIoU of 0.941 and 0.897 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teams of mobile robots can be employed in many outdoor applications, such as precision agriculture, search and rescue, and industrial inspection, allowing an efficient and robust exploration of large areas and enhancing the operators' situational awareness. In this context, this paper describes an active and decentralized framework for the collaborative 3D mapping of large outdoor areas using a team of mobile ground robots under limited communication range and bandwidth. A real-time method is proposed that allows the sharing and registration of individual local maps, obtained from 3D LiDAR measurements, to build a global representation of the environment. A conditional peer-to-peer communication strategy is used to share information over long-range and short-range distances while considering the bandwidth constraints. Results from both real-world and simulated experiments, executed in an actual solar power plant and in its digital twin representation, demonstrate the reliability and efficiency of the proposed decentralized framework for such large outdoor operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corpus callosum (CC) is the largest fiber tract in the human brain, allowing interhemispheric communication by connecting homologous areas of the two cerebral hemispheres. In adults, CC size shows a robust allometric relationship with brain size, with larger brains having larger callosa, but smaller brains having larger callosa relative to brain size. Such an allometric relationship has been shown in both males and females, with no significant difference between the sexes. But there is some evidence that there are alterations in these allometric relationships during development. However, it is currently not known whether there is sexual dimorphism in these allometric relationships from birth, or if it only develops later. We study this in neonate data. Our results indicate that there are already sex differences in these allometric relationships in neonates: male neonates show the adult‐like allometric relationship between CC size and brain size; however female neonates show a significantly more positive allometry between CC size and brain size than either male neonates or female adults. The underlying cause of this sexual dimorphism is unclear; but the existence of this sexual dimorphism in neonates suggests that sex‐differences in lateralization have prenatal origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data assimilation in chaotic regimes is challenging, and among the challenging aspects is placement of observations to induce convexity of the cost function in the space of control. This problem is examined by using Saltzman's spectral model of convection that admits both chaotic and nonchaotic regimes and is controlled by two parameters—Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers. The problem is simplified by stripping the seven-variable constraint to a three-variable constraint. Since emphasis is placed on observation positioning to avoid cost-function flatness, forecast sensitivity to controls is needed. Four-dimensional variational assimilation (4D-Var) is silent on this issue of observation placement while Forecast Sensitivity Method (FSM) delivers sensitivities used in placement. With knowledge of the temporal forecast sensitivity matrix V , derivatives of the forecast variables to controls, the cost function can be expressed as a function of the observability Gramian V T V using first-order Taylor series expansion. The goal is to locate observations at places that force the Gramian positive definite. Further, locations are chosen such that the condition number of V T V is small and this guarantees convexity in the vicinity of the cost function minimum. Four numerical experiments are executed, and results are compared with the structure of the cost function independently determined though arduous computation over a wide range of the two nondimensional numbers. The results are especially good based on reduction in cost function value and comparison with cost function structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let R n denote Euclidean n space and given k a positive integer let Λ k ⊂ R n , 1 ≤ k < n − 1 , n ≥ 3 , be a k-dimensional plane with 0 ∈ Λ k. If n − k < p < ∞ , we first study the Martin boundary problem for solutions to the p-Laplace equation (called p-harmonic functions) in R n ∖ Λ k relative to { 0 }. We then use the results from our study to extend the work of Wolff on the failure of Fatou type theorems for p-harmonic functions in R + 2 to p-harmonic functions in R n ∖ Λ k when n − k < p < ∞. Finally, we discuss generalizations of our work to solutions of p-Laplace type PDE (called A -harmonic functions). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the first uniform and systematic study of dust and molecular gas in nearby molecular clouds. We use surveys of dust extinction and emission to determine the opacity and map the distribution of the dust within a dozen local clouds in order to derive a uniform set of basic cloud properties. We find (1) the average dust opacity 〈 Îş d,353〉 = 0.8 cm2 gâˆ'1 with variations of a factor of ∼2 between clouds, (2) cloud probability density functions are exquisitely described by steeply falling power laws with a narrow range of slope, and (3) a tight M GMC ∼ R GMC 2 scaling relation for the cloud sample, indicative of a cloud population with an exactingly constant average surface density above a common fixed boundary. We compare these results to uniformly analyzed CO surveys. We measure the CO mass conversion factors and assess the efficacy of CO for tracing the physical properties of molecular clouds. We find 〈 α CO〉 = 4.31 ± 0.67 M ⊙ (K km sâˆ'1 pc2)âˆ'1 (corresponding to X CO = 1.97 Ă—1020 cmâˆ'2(K km sâˆ'1)âˆ'1). We demonstrate that CO observations are a poor tracer of column density and structure on sub-cloud spatial scales. On cloud scales, CO observations can provide measurements consistent with those of the dust, provided data are analyzed in a similar, self-consistent fashion. Measurements of average giant molecular cloud surface density are sensitive to choice of cloud boundary. Care must be exercised to adopt common fixed boundaries when comparing surface densities for cloud populations within and between galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both cortical and subcortical structures are organized into a large number of distinct areas reflecting functional and cytoarchitectonic differences. Mapping these areas is of fundamental importance to neuroscience. A central obstacle to this task is the inaccuracy associated with bringing results from individuals into a common space. The vast individual differences in morphology pose a serious problem for volumetric registration. Surface‐based approaches fare substantially better, but have thus far been used only for cortical parcellation, leaving subcortical parcellation in volumetric space. We extend the surface‐based approach to include also the subcortical deep gray‐matter structures, thus achieving a uniform representation across both cortex and subcortex, suitable for use with surface‐based metrics that span these structures, for example, white/gray contrast. Using data from the Enhanced Nathan Klein Institute—Rockland Sample, limited to individuals between 19 and 69 years of age, we generate a functional parcellation of both the cortical and subcortical surfaces. To assess this extended parcellation, we show that (a) our parcellation provides greater homogeneity of functional connectivity patterns than do arbitrary parcellations matching in the number and size of parcels; (b) our parcels align with known cortical and subcortical architecture; and (c) our extended functional parcellation provides an improved fit to the complexity of life‐span (6–85 years) changes in white/gray contrast data compared to arbitrary parcellations matching in the number and size of parcels, supporting its use with surface‐based measures. We provide our extended functional parcellation for the use of the neuroimaging community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infiltration rate measurements are used to assess soil health and develop land management practices to address runoff from precipitation and irrigation. Differences in observed infiltration rates determined by available methods can be attributed to both the technique and soil property differences. The primary objective of this study was to compare two methods for measuring steady infiltration rate: the Cornell sprinkle infiltrometer (single‐ring) method (CSI), and the double‐ring infiltrometer method (DRI). Measurements were made at four sites using four replications of 13 sets of conditions (52 total paired measurements). The relationship between CSI and DRI measurements was significant (p <.001) and strong (R2 =.71). For 8 of 13 conditions, there was no difference between CSI and DRI steady infiltration rates. Variability in measurements was high (CVs ranged from 0.04 to 1.18) but similar for both methods. Both CSI and DRI results were strongly related to saturated hydraulic conductivity of the surface soil layer determined using a laboratory constant head method on intact soil cores. Overall, results suggest that estimates of steady infiltration rate determined by the CSI and standard DRI methods are comparable. Core Ideas: Cornell sprinkle and double‐ring infiltrometer measurements were compared.Results for the methods were strongly related and similar over a range of conditions.Both methods had large variability in replicate infiltration measurements.Infiltration rates were strongly related to surface saturated hydraulic conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013, China’s president, Xi Jinping, launched a massive reclamation and construction campaign on seven reefs in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Beijing insisted that its actions were responsible and in accord with international law, but foreign critics questioned Xi’s real intentions. Recently available internal documents involving China’s leader reveal his views about war, the importance of oceans in protecting and rejuvenating the nation, and the motives underlying his moves in the South China Sea. Central to those motives is China’s rivalry with the United States and the grand strategy needed to determine its outcome. To this end, Xi created five externally oriented and proactive military theater commands, one of which would protect newly built assets in the South China Sea and the sea lanes – sometimes referred to as the Maritime Silk Road – that pass through this sea to Eurasia and beyond. Simultaneously, China’s actions in the Spratlys complicated and worsened the US-China rivalry, and security communities in both countries recognized that these actions could erupt into armed crises – despite decades of engagement to prevent them. A permanent problem-solving mechanism may allow the two countries to move toward a positive shared future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we study two classical problems in convex geometry associated to 𝒜-harmonic PDEs, quasi-linear elliptic PDEs whose structure is modelled on the p-Laplace equation. Let p be fixed with 2 ≤ n ≤ p < ∞. For a convex compact set E in ℝn, we define and then prove the existence and uniqueness of the so-called 𝒜-harmonic Green's function for the complement of E with pole at infinity. We then define a quantity C𝒜(E) which can be seen as the behavior of this function near infinity. In the first part of this article, we prove that C𝒜(⋅) satisfies the following Brunn–Minkowski-type inequality: [C𝒜(λE1 + (1−λ)E2)]1/p−n ≥ λ[C𝒜(E1)]1/p−n + (1−λ)[C𝒜(E2]1/p−n when n < p < ∞, 0 ≤ λ ≤ 1, and E1, E2 are nonempty convex compact sets in ℝn. While p = n then C𝒜(λE1 + (1 − λ) ⁢ E 2 ) ≥ λC𝒜(E1) + (1 − λ)⁢ C𝒜 (E2), where 0 ≤ λ ≤ 1 and E1, E2 are convex compact sets in ℝn containing at least two points. Moreover, if equality holds in the either of the above inequalities for some E1 and E2, then under certain regularity and structural assumptions on 𝒜 we show that these two sets are homothetic. The classical Minkowski problem asks for necessary and sufficient conditions on a non-negative Borel measure on the unit sphere 𝕊n−1 to be the surface area measure of a convex compact set in ℝn under the Gauss mapping for the boundary of this convex set. In the second part of this article we study a Minkowski-type problem for a measure associated to the 𝒜-harmonic Green's function for the complement of a convex compact set E when n ≤ p < ∞. If μE denotes this measure, then we show that necessary and sufficient conditions for existence under this setting are exactly the same conditions as in the classical Minkowski problem. Using the Brunn–Minkowski inequality result from the first part, we also show that this problem has a unique solution up to translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV is a worldwide public health issue affecting millions of individuals, and people living with HIV (PLWH) are often affected by depression. Nonetheless, exercise can prevent and treat depression among PLWH. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exercise on depression symptoms in PLWH. Using a prospective single-arm trial, a semi-supervised community-based exercise intervention was offered 3 times/week for 12 weeks to PLWH (n = 52; age: 49 ± 6 years; HIV diagnosis: 19 ± 15 years). Participants were divided into compliant (≥1 exercise session/week) and non-compliant (<1 exercise session/week) groups according to their attendance in the intervention. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the change in BDI from baseline to post-intervention was assessed with an analysis of covariance, adjusted for demographics. The post-intervention BDI score was significantly lower (p = 0.027) for the compliant group compared to the non-compliant group, and the rate of improvement from moderate/severe symptoms of depression to minimal symptoms of depression was four times greater in the compliant group. In conclusion, a community-based exercise program may be effective in reducing depression symptoms among PLWH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the relationship between molecular gas and dust in the California Molecular Cloud over an unprecedented dynamic range of cloud depth (AV = 3–60 mag). We compare deep Herschel-based measurements of dust extinction with observations of the 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 2 − 1 lines on sub-parsec scales across the cloud. We directly measure the ratio of CO integrated intensity to dust extinction to derive the CO X-factor at over 105 independent locations in the cloud. Confirming an earlier study, we find that no single 12CO X-factor can characterize the molecular gas in the cold (Tdust ≤ 20) regions of the cloud that account for most of its mass. We are able to derive a single-valued X-factor for all three CO isotopologues in the warm (Tdust > 25 K) material that is spatially coincident with an H ii region surrounding the star LkHα 101. We derive the LTE CO column densities for 13CO and C18O since we find both lines are relatively optically thin. In the warm cloud material, CO is completely in the gas phase and we are able to recover the total 13CO and C18O abundances. Using CO abundances and deep Herschel observations, we measure lower bounds to the freeze-out of CO onto dust across the whole cloud, finding some regions having CO depleted by a factor of >20. We construct the first maps of depletion that span the extent of a giant molecular cloud. Using these maps we identify 75 depletion-defined cores and discuss their physical nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hippocampal circuitry has been posited to be fundamental to positive symptoms in psychosis, but its contributions to other factors important for outcome remains unclear. We hypothesized that longitudinal changes in the hippocampal circuit and concomitant changes of intracortical microstructure are altered in first episode psychosis (FEP) patients and that such changes are associated with negative symptoms and verbal memory. Longitudinal brain scans (2–4 visits over 3–15 months) were acquired for 27 FEP and 29 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Quantitative T1 maps, sensitive to myelin content, were used to sample the microstructure of the hippocampal subfields and output circuitry (fimbria, alveus, fornix, mammillary bodies), and intracortical regions. Dynamic anatomical covariance in pair‐wise regional trajectories were assessed for each subject, and graph theory was used to calculate a participation coefficient metric that quantifies the similarity/divergence between hippocampal and intracortical microstructure. The mean participation coefficient of the hippocampus was significantly reduced in FEP patients compared with controls, reflecting differences in output hippocampal regions. Importantly, lower participation coefficient of the hippocampal circuit was associated with worse negative symptoms, a relationship that was mediated by changes in verbal memory. This study provides evidence for reduced hippocampal centrality in FEP and concomitant changes in intracortical anatomy. Myelin‐rich output regions of the hippocampus may be an important biological trigger in early psychosis, with cascading effects on broader cortical networks and resultant clinical profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continued presence of systematic errors in operational forecasts of return flow over the Gulf of Mexico has motivated an investigation into this problem. The theme of the work is use of a low-order mixed-layer model that is faithful to the phenomenon in the context of dynamic data assimilation. Data assimilation experiments in the identical-twin mode determine the best place to make observations that minimize the forecast error through adjustment of model controls. The emphasized controls are those associated with the fluxes of heat and moisture from sea to atmosphere. Results indicate that the best observations are at that time and place when the outflowing continental air passes over the warmest sea surface temperatures. In the case studied, this warmest zone is directly over the Loop Current. Observations at times long after the modified air leaves these warmest waters lead to relatively poor control adjustments and little improvement in the forecast. If input to data assimilation is restricted to observations of a single model variable over short intervals of time (the order of several hours), results are relatively poor. Yet, a significant improvement is forthcoming if one of the observations is replaced by an observation from another model variable. This result is understood through arguments based on forecast sensitivity to model control. The paper ends with discussion of steps to be taken that hold promise for correcting systematic error in return-flow forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Discordant SHBG measurement was investigated by multiple ELISAs. • Discordance not due to heterophile antibodies. • SHBG affected by glycan removal and modification. • Glycosylation may influence SHBG immunoassays. A discordance between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) measurements by 2-site ELISAs was investigated using pairings of various "in house" SHBG antibodies together with a concordant control. The 2-site monoclonal ELISAs used the same base coat (11F11) and discordance was observed with one top coat monoclonal antibody (7H9) and also when a polyclonal SHBG antibody was paired with the basecoat antibody (11F11). Sialidase treatment of the discordant sample and purified SHBG revealed increased levels using 7H9 whereas there was no change in SHBG in the concordant sample. Conversely, following sialidase treatment, the discordant sample showed no change in SHBG measured using the other monoclonal antibody pairings whereas the SHBG levels in the concordant sample declined following sialidase using the same monoclonal antibody pairings. This implicated glycosylation as a factor in antibody recognition and synthetic peptides spanning the two N -linked and one O -linked glycosylation regions showed that SHBG recognition by monoclonal antibody 7H9 could be disrupted by a peptide spanning the O -linked glycosylation site. Hence rather than immunoassay discordance being attributed to heterophile antibodies or other circulating antibodies here it can be likely attributed to glycosylation affecting antibody recognition and hence the measurement of SHBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the decades the role of observations in building and/or improving the fidelity of a model to a phenomenon is well documented in the meteorological literature. More recently adaptive/targeted observations have been routinely used to improve the quality of the analysis resulting from the fusion of data with models in a data assimilation scheme and the subsequent forecast. In this paper our goal is to develop an offline (preprocessing) diagnostic strategy for placing observations with a singular view to reduce the forecast error/innovation in the context of the classical 4D-Var. It is well known that the shape of the cost functional as measured by its gradient (also called adjoint gradient or sensitivity) in the control (initial condition and model parameters) space determines the marching of the control iterates toward a local minimum. These iterates can become marooned in regions of control space where the gradient is small. An open question is how to avoid these "flat" regions by bounding the norm of the gradient away from zero. We answer this question in two steps. We, for the first time, derive a linear transformation defined by a symmetric positive semidefinite (SPSD) Gramian G5FTF that directly relates the control error to the adjoint gradient. It is then shown that by placing observations where the square of the Frobenius norm of F (which is also the sum of the eigenvalues of G) is a maximum, we can indeed bound the norm of the adjoint gradient away from zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Longitudinal studies of first episode of psychosis (FEP) patients are critical to understanding the dynamic clinical factors influencing functional outcomes; negative symptoms and verbal memory (VM) deficits are two such factors that remain a therapeutic challenge. This study uses white-gray matter contrast at the inner edge of the cortex, in addition to cortical thickness, to probe changes in microstructure and their relation with negative symptoms and possible intersections with verbal memory. Methods: T1-weighted images and clinical data were collected longitudinally for patients (N = 88) over a two-year period. Cognitive data were also collected at baseline. Relationships between baseline VM (immediate/delayed recall) and rate of change in two negative symptom dimensions, amotivation and expressivity, were assessed at the behavioral level, as well as at the level of brain structure. Results: VM, particularly immediate recall, was significantly and positively associated with a steeper rate of expressivity symptom decline (r = 0.32, q = 0.012). Significant interaction effects between baseline delayed recall and change in expressivity were uncovered in somatomotor regions bilaterally for both white-gray matter contrast and cortical thickness. Furthermore, interaction effects between immediate recall and change in expressivity on cortical thickness rates were uncovered across higher-order regions of the language processing network. Conclusions: This study shows common neural correlates of language-related brain areas underlying expressivity and VM in FEP, suggesting deficits in these domains may be more linked to speech production rather than general cognitive capacity. Together, white-gray matter contrast and cortical thickness may optimally inform clinical investigations aiming to capture peri-cortical microstructural changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background It is well-established that parental obesity is a strong risk factor for ofspring obesity. Further, a converging body of evidence now suggests that maternal weight profles may afect the developing ofspring’s brain in a manner that confers future obesity risk. Here, we investigated how pre-pregnancy maternal weight status infuences the reward-related striatal areas of the ofspring’s brain during in utero development. Methods We used difusion tensor imaging to quantify the microstructure of the striatal brain regions of interest in neonates (N=116 [66 males, 50 females], mean gestational weeks at birth [39.88], SD=1.14; at scan [43.56], SD=1.05). Linear regression was used to test the associations between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and infant striatal mean difusivity. Results High maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with higher mean MD values in the infant’s left caudate nucleus. Results remained unchanged after the adjustment for covariates. Conclusions In utero exposure to maternal adiposity might have a growth-impairing impact on the mean difusivity of the infant’s left caudate nucleus. Considering the involvement of the caudate nucleus in regulating eating behavior and food-related reward processing later in life, this fnding calls for further investigations to defne the prognostic relevance of early-life caudate nucleus development and weight trajectories of the ofspring [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A species of Heterodera has been known to parasitise cereals in Australia since the 1930s. It caused significant yield losses across Australia’s cereal growing regions until resistance breeding largely brought it under control, although it still occurs occasionally, especially in South and Western Australia. Australian cereal cyst nematode has long been considered to represent Heterodera avenae. However, in 2002 the name Heterodera australis was proposed for Australian cereal cyst nematode, as it could be distinguished from all non-Australian populations of H. avenae via biochemical and molecular methods. This new species proposal came with speculation that both H. avenae and H. australis might occur in Australia, and that H. australis might represent a native species. The name H. australis has generally not been accepted by Australian scientists, nor the notion that it is native. There remains some uncertainty as to the validity of H. australis and whether more than one species of cereal cyst nematode occur in Australia. Using a molecular barcoding approach (COI, 18S, ITS, 28S) we examined the species composition of cyst nematodes present in soil samples collected between 1989–2023 from Australian cereal growing regions. We find only one species of Heterodera parasitising cereals and, based on phylogenetic analyses, accept the validity of H. australis as the name best representative of this species. We also argue that, based on presently available evidence, H. australis is not native and was most likely introduced into Australia from Asia in the 1850s, rather than from Europe as has been generally assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the last decade of Mao Zedong’s rule in China, his revolutionary thinking dominated all strategic planning and operations and directly shaped the policies of the strategic rocket forces, the Second Artillery. Only in the mid-1980s did Mao’s legacy give way to concepts governing nuclear forces throughout the world and permit the development of China’s first nuclear strategy and acceptance of the principles of nuclear deterrence. Step by step, the ever-more complex command-and-control mechanisms of the People’s Liberation Army adopted and refined new roles for its nuclear and conventional missiles to support peacetime diplomacy, to manage military crises, and to pursue combat readiness. The authors examine the evolution of China’s overall defense strategy, with a focus on central elements of today’s nuclear war plan and how they are operationalized. They seek to answer this question: How did conventional missiles change nuclear strategy, the organization of the combined conventional-nuclear missile forces for both deterrence and combat, and the relationship of the Second Artillery to the other military commands? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of a hydrolyzed polysaccharide, rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC), on immune, hepatic, and renal function in HIV + individuals. A 6-month randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was utilized to conduct the intervention. Forty-seven HIV + individuals on stable antiretroviral therapy were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of the 2 study conditions (n = 22 RBAC and n = 25 placebo) and consumed 3 gram/day of either compound for 6 months. Participants were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months follow-up for CD4+ and CD8+, liver enzymes, and kidney function. No side effects were reported, and liver and kidney markers remained nearly completely within normal limits. The percentage change in CD4+ was similar for the placebo (+2.2%) and RBAC (+3.1%) groups at 6 months follow-up. The percentage change in CD8+ count significantly decreased from baseline to 6 months in the RBAC group (−5.2%), whereas it increased in the placebo group (+57.8%; p = 0.04). The CD4+/CD8+ ratio improved clinically in the RBAC group from 0.95 (SD = 0.62) at baseline to 1.07 (SD = 0.11) at 6 months, whereas it declined in the placebo group from 0.96 (SD = 0.80) at baseline to 0.72 (SD = 0.59) at 6 months. Our results showed a statistically significant decrease in CD8+ count and a clinically significant increase in CD4+/CD8+ ratio for the RBAC group compared to the placebo group. Thus, the results of this study suggest that the immunomodulatory and antisenescent activities of RBAC are promising for the HIV population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translocation of wildlife as a means of reintroducing or reinforcing threatened populations is an important conservation tool but carries health risks for the translocated animals and their progeny, as well as wildlife, domestic animals and humans in the release area. Disease risk analyses (DRA) are used to identify, prioritize and design mitigation strategies to address these threats. Here, we use a DRA undertaken for Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) to illustrate how specific methodology can optimize mitigation strategy design. A literature review identified a total of 98 infectious hazards and 28 non‐infectious hazards. Separate analyses were undertaken for disease risks in leopards from hazards of source origin (captive zoo collections and the transit pathway to the Russian Far East), or of destination origin (in breeding enclosures and wider release areas); and for disease risks in other wildlife, domesticated species or humans, similarly from hazards of source or destination origin. Hazards were assessed and ranked as priority 1, priority 2, priority 3 or low priority in each of the defined scenarios. In addition, we undertook a generic assessment of stress on individual leopards. We use three examples to illustrate the process: Chlamydophila felis, canine distemper virus (CDV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). We found that many potentially expensive screening procedures could be performed prior to export of leopards, putting the onus of responsibility onto the zoo sector, for which access to diagnostic testing facilities is likely to be optimal. We discuss how our methods highlighted significant data gaps relating to pathogen prevalence in the Russian Far East and likely future unpredictability, in particular with respect to CDV. There was emphasis at all stages on record keeping, meticulous planning, design, staff training and enclosure management, which are relatively financially inexpensive. Actions to minimize stress featured at all time points in the strategy and also focussed on planning, design and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider existence and uniqueness of homogeneous solutions u > 0 to certain PDE of p-Laplace type, p fixed, n - 1 < p < ∞ , n ≥ 2 , when u is a solution in K (α) ⊂ R n where K (α) : = { x = (x 1 , ⋯ , x n) : x 1 > cos α | x | } for fixed α ∈ (0 , π ] , with continuous boundary value zero on ∂ K (α) \ { 0 } . In our main result we show that if u has continuous boundary value 0 on ∂ K (π) then u is homogeneous of degree 1 - (n - 1) / p when p > n - 1. Applications of this result are given to a Minkowski type regularity problem in R n when n = 2 , 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a method for constructing tolerance bounds for functional data with random warping variability. In particular, we define a generative, probabilistic model for the amplitude and phase components of such observations, which parsimoniously characterizes variability in the baseline data. Based on the proposed model, we define two different types of tolerance bounds that are able to measure both types of variability, and as a result, identify when the data has gone beyond the bounds of amplitude and/or phase. The first functional tolerance bounds are computed via a bootstrap procedure on the geometric space of amplitude and phase functions. The second functional tolerance bounds utilize functional Principal Component Analysis to construct a tolerance factor. This work is motivated by two main applications: process control and disease monitoring. The problem of statistical analysis and modeling of functional data in process control is important in determining when a production has moved beyond a baseline. Similarly, in biomedical applications, doctors use long, approximately periodic signals (such as the electrocardiogram) to diagnose and monitor diseases. In this context, it is desirable to identify abnormalities in these signals. We additionally consider a simulated example to assess our approach and compare it to two existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maturational schedule of typical brain development is tightly constrained; deviations from it are associated with cognitive atypicalities, and are potentially predictive of developmental disorders. Previously, we have shown that the white/gray contrast at the inner border of the cortex is a good predictor of chronological age, and is sensitive to aspects of brain development that reflect cognitive performance. Here we extend that work to include the white/gray contrast at the border of subcortical structures. We show that cortical and subcortical contrast together yield better age-predictions than any non-kernel-based method based on a single image-type, and that the residuals of the improved predictions provide new insight into unevenness in cognitive performance. We demonstrate the improvement in age predictions in two large datasets: the NIH Pediatric Data, with 831 scans of typically developing individuals between 4 and 22 years of age; and the Pediatric Imaging, Neurocognition, and Genetics data, with 909 scans of individuals in a similar age-range. Assessment of the relation of the residuals of these age predictions to verbal and performance IQ revealed correlations in opposing directions, and a principal component analysis of the residuals of the model that best fit the contrast data produced components related to either performance IQ or verbal IQ. Performance IQ was associated with the first principle component, reflecting increased cortical contrast, broadly, with almost no subcortical presence; verbal IQ was associated with the second principle component, reflecting reduced contrast in the basal ganglia and increased contrast in the bilateral arcuate fasciculi. • Subcortical and cortical contrast yield best single-metric age predictions to date. • Age predictors are distributed across cortex and all subcortical structures. • Age-prediction residuals are oppositely related to verbal and performance IQ. • PCA of residuals indicates a broad cortical basis for performance IQ. • PCA of residuals links the arcuate fasciculi and basal ganglia to verbal IQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Saltzman's seminal paper from 1962, the author developed a framework based on the spectral method for the analysis of the solution to the classical Rayleigh–Bénard convection problem using low-order models (LOMs), LOM (n) with n ≤ 52. By way of illustrating the power of these models, he singled out an LOM (7) and presented a very preliminary account of its numerical solution starting from one initial condition and for two values of the Rayleigh number, λ = 2 and 5. This paper provides a complete mathematical characterization of the solution of this LOM (7), herein called the Saltzman LOM (7) [S-LOM (7)]. Historically, Saltzman's examination of the numerical solution of this low-order model contained two salient characteristics: 1) the periodic solution (in the physical 3D space and time) that expand on Rayleigh's classical study and 2) a nonperiodic solution (in the temporal space dealing with the evolution of Fourier amplitude) that served Lorenz in his fundamental study of chaos in the early 1960s. Interestingly, the presence of this nonperiodic solution was left unmentioned in Saltzman's study in 1962 but explained in detail in Lorenz's scientific biography in 1993. Both of these fundamental aspects of Saltzman's study are fully explored in this paper and bring a sense of completeness to the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticle platforms are particularly attractive for theranostic applications due to their capacity for multifunctionality and multivalency. Some of the most promising nano-scale scaffold systems have been co-opted from nature including plant viruses such as cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV). The use of plant viruses like CPMV as viral nanoparticles is advantageous for many reasons; they are non-infectious and nontoxic to humans and safe for use in intravital imaging and drug delivery. The CPMV capsid icosahedral shape allows for enhanced multifunctional group display and the ability to carry specific cargoes. The native tropism of CPMV for cell-surface displayed vimentin and the enhanced permeability and retention effect allow them to preferentially extravasate from tumor neovasculature and efficiently penetrate tumors. Furthermore, CPMVs can be engineered via several straightforward chemistries to display targeting and imaging moieties on external, addressable residues and they can be loaded internally with therapeutic drug cargoes. These qualities make them highly effective as biocompatible platforms for tumor targeting, intravital imaging and cancer therapy. Depiction of CPMV as a theranostic tool for cancer cell imaging and therapy. Multifunctional CPMV nanoparticles (green circle) with externally-coupled fluorophore dye moieties (yellow spikes) carrying drug molecules as cargo (red star) home towards cancer cells over-expressing cell membrane-bound vimentin (+). The targeting and then retention of the functionalized nanoparticles to the tumor cells is theorized to be due to the efficiency of CPMV extravasation (purple arrows) into the stroma of the tumor by the EPR effect. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]