Revised Recommendations and Next Steps for Prior Learning Assessment in the University of Maine System

The University of Maine System (UMS) Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Task Force makes the following slightly revised recommendations to the University of Maine System Credit Transfer Project Steering Committee and the University of Maine System Chief Academic Officers. The Recommendations and Next Steps below form a protocol that the UMS PLA Task Force recommends piloting for a period of four years, at which time the participating institutions will review their efficacy

An exploration of cognitive subgroups in Alzheimer's disease

Heterogeneity is observed in the patterns of cognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Such heterogeneity might suggest the involvement of different etiological pathways or different host responses to pathology. A total of 627 subjects with mild/moderate AD underwent cognitive assessment with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2). Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on cognition subscale data to identify and characterize cognitive subgroups. Clinical, demographic, and genetic factors were explored for association with class membership. LCA suggested the existence of four subgroups; one group with mild and another with severe global impairment across the cognitive domains, one group with primary impairments in attention and construction, and another group with primary deficits in memory and orientation. Education, disease duration, age, Apolipoprotein E-ε4 (APOE ε4) status, gender, presence of grasp reflex, white matter changes, and early or prominent visuospatial impairment were all associated with class membership. Our results support the existence of heterogeneity in patterns of cognitive impairment in AD. Our observation of classes characterized by predominant deficits in attention/construction and memory respectively deserves further exploration as does the association between membership in the attention/construction class and APOE ε4 negative status. (JINS, 2010, 16, 233-243.

Radio Astronomy

Contains table of contents for Section 4 and reports on nine research projects.National Science Foundation Grant AST 88-19848National Science Foundation Grant AST 90-22501Alfred P. Sloan FellowshipNational Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator AwardNational Aeronautics and Space Administration Grant NAGW-2310David and Lucile Packard FellowshipSM Systems and Research CorporationNational Aeronautics and Space Administration/Goddard Space Flight Center Contract NAS 5-30791National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Goddard Space Flight Center Grant NAG5-10Leaders for Manufacturing Progra

Genetic determinants of co-accessible chromatin regions in activated T cells across humans.

Over 90% of genetic variants associated with complex human traits map to non-coding regions, but little is understood about how they modulate gene regulation in health and disease. One possible mechanism is that genetic variants affect the activity of one or more cis-regulatory elements leading to gene expression variation in specific cell types. To identify such cases, we analyzed ATAC-seq and RNA-seq profiles from stimulated primary CD4+ T cells in up to 105 healthy donors. We found that regions of accessible chromatin (ATAC-peaks) are co-accessible at kilobase and megabase resolution, consistent with the three-dimensional chromatin organization measured by in situ Hi-C in T cells. Fifteen percent of genetic variants located within ATAC-peaks affected the accessibility of the corresponding peak (local-ATAC-QTLs). Local-ATAC-QTLs have the largest effects on co-accessible peaks, are associated with gene expression and are enriched for autoimmune disease variants. Our results provide insights into how natural genetic variants modulate cis-regulatory elements, in isolation or in concert, to influence gene expression

The effect of paratuberculosis on milk yield—A systematic review and meta-analysis

peer-reviewedBovine paratuberculosis is a disease characterized by chronic granulomatous enteritis causing protein-losing enteropathy. Adverse effects on animal productivity are key drivers in the attempt to control paratuberculosis at the farm level. Economic models require an accurate estimation of the production effects associated with paratuberculosis. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of paratuberculosis on milk production. A total of 20 effect estimates from 15 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. Substantial between-study heterogeneity was observed. Subgroup analysis by case definition and study design was carried out to investigate heterogeneity. The majority of between-study variation was attributed to studies that defined cases on serology. Calculation of a pooled effect estimate was only appropriate for studies that defined cases by organism detection. A reduction in milk yield, corrected for lactation number and herd of origin of 1.87 kg/d, equivalent to 5.9% of yield, was associated with fecal culture or PCR positivity in individual cows

Radio Astronomy

Contains table of contents for Section 4 and reports on eight research projects.National Science Foundation Grant AST 88-19848National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Grant NAGW-2310SM Systems and Research, IncNational Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Grant NAG 5-537National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Grant NAG 5-10Leaders for Manufacturing ProgramNational Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Grant NAS 5-3079

Radio Astronomy

Contains table of contents for Section 4 and reports on twelve research projects.National Science Foundation Grant AST 88-19848Jet Propulsion Laboratory Contract 957687National Aeronautics and Space Administration Grant NAGW 1386National Science Foundation Grant AST 88-19848Annie Jump Cannon AwardSM Systems and Research, Inc.U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research Contract N00014-88-K-2016NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Grant NAG 5-537NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Grant NAG 5-10Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Contract SC-28860Leaders for Manufacturing Progra

Greater male variability in daily energy expenditure develops through puberty

The authors also gratefully acknowledge funding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant no. CAS153E11KYSB20190045) to J.R.S. and the US National Science Foundation (grant no. BCS-1824466) awarded to H.P. Acknowledgements Yvonne Schönbeck provided important information about morphometric measurements for Dutch children. A chat over dinner with Karsten Koehler, Eimear Dolan and Danny Longman brought up a number of thoughts that influenced this manuscript. The DLW database, which can be found at https://doublylabelled-waterdatabase.iaea.org/home, is hosted by the IAEA and generously supported by Taiyo Nippon Sanso and SERCON. We are grateful to the IAEA and these companies for their support and especially to Takashi Oono for his tremendous efforts at fundraising on our behalf.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Greater male variability in daily energy expenditure develops through puberty

There is considerably greater variation in metabolic rates between men than between women, in terms of basal, activity and total (daily) energy expenditure (EE). One possible explanation is that EE is associated with male sexual characteristics (which are known to vary more than other traits) such as musculature and athletic capacity. Such traits might be predicted to be most prominent during periods of adolescence and young adulthood, when sexual behaviour develops and peaks. We tested this hypothesis on a large dataset by comparing the amount of male variation and female variation in total EE, activity EE and basal EE, at different life stages, along with several morphological traits: height, fat free mass and fat mass. Total EE, and to some degree also activity EE, exhibit considerable greater male variation (GMV) in young adults, and then a decrease in the degree of GMV in progressively older individuals. Arguably, basal EE, and also morphometrics, do not exhibit this pattern. These findings suggest that single male sexual characteristics may not exhibit peak GMV in young adulthood, however total and perhaps also activity EE, associated with many morphological and physiological traits combined, do exhibit GMV most prominently during the reproductive life stages