Is I-Voting I-Llegal?

The Voting Rights Act was passed to prevent racial discrimination in all voting booths. Does the existence of a racial digital divide make Internet elections for public office merely a computer geek\u27s pipe dream? Or can i-voting withstand scrutiny under the current state of the law? This i-Brief will consider the current state of the law, and whether disproportionate benefits will be enough to stop this extension of technology dead in its tracks

Meta-analysis of the association between dietary inflammatory index and cognitive health

BackgroundSome studies have shown that a pro-inflammatory diet may be associated with cognitive function, but their conclusions have varied considerably. We here present a meta-analysis of the current published literature on DII score and its association with cognitive health.MethodsIn this meta-analysis, the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched in September 2022. The reported indexes, specifically OR, RR, and β, were extracted and analyzed using R version 3.1.0.ResultsA total of 636 studies in databases were identified, and 12 were included in the meta-analysis. Higher DII was associated with an increased risk of AD and MCI (OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.21–1.49). Meanwhile, it may also cause global function impairment (categorical: OR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.36–1.96) and verbal fluency impairment (continuous: OR = 0.18; 95% IC = 0.08–0.42). But there was no significant association between DII and executive function (categorical: OR = 1.12; 95% IC = 0.84–1.49; continuous: OR = 0.48; 95% IC = 0.19–1.21) or episodic memory (continuous: OR = 0.56; 95% IC = 0.30–1.03).ConclusionA pro-inflammatory diet is related to AD, MCI, and the functions of some cognitive domains (specifically global function and verbal fluency). However, the current evidence on the role of diet-induced inflammation in different cognitive domains should be supported by further studies in the future

Analysis on the technical detection capacity of radioactive substances in food in China

To analyze the detection capacity of radioactive substances in food in China， and improve the radioactive contamination monitoring system. By studying the distribution of certified institutions and testing items and the results of proficiency assessment， the current situation and deficiencies of the detection capacities were analyzed， and corresponding countermeasures were put forward. The capacity of radioactive material detection in China can better support the operation of the monitoring system， however， the effectiveness and sustainability of testing capacity， the layout of capacity network and the construction of food radioactive pollution monitoring system need to be further improved and strengthened， so as to meet the needs of normal circumstances and rapid response in case of nuclear or radiological emergencies in China

Preparation and Characterization of Emamectin Benzoate Solid Nanodispersion

The solid nanodispersion of 15% emamectin benzoate was prepared by the method of solidifying nanoemulsion. The mean particle size and polydispersity index of the solid nanodispersions were 96.6±1.7 nm and 0.352±0.041, respectively. The high zeta potential value of 31.3±0.5 mV and stable crystalline state of the nanoparticles suggested the excellent physical and chemical stabilities. The contact angle and retention compared with microemulsions and water dispersible granules on rice, cabbage, and cucumber leaves indicated its improved wettability and adhesion properties. The bioassay compared with microemulsions and water dispersible granules against diamondback moths and green peach aphids provided an evidence of its enhanced biological activity. This formulation composition could avoid organic solvents and obviously reduce surfactants. It is perspective in raising bioavailability and reducing residual pollution of pesticides and further improving agricultural production and environmental safety

Epidemic clones, oceanic gene pools and eco-LD in the free living marine pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus

We investigated global patterns of variation in 157 whole genome sequences of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a free-living and seafood associated marine bacterium. Pandemic clones, responsible for recent outbreaks of gastroenteritis in humans have spread globally. However, there are oceanic gene pools, one located in the oceans surrounding Asia and another in the Mexican Gulf. Frequent recombination means that most isolates have acquired the genetic profile of their current location. We investigated the genetic structure in the Asian gene pool by calculating the effective population size in two different ways. Under standard neutral models, the two estimates should give similar answers but we found a thirty fold difference. We propose that this discrepancy is caused by the subdivision of the species into a hundred or more ecotypes which are maintained stably in the population. To investigate the genetic factors involved, we used 51 unrelated isolates to conduct a genome-wide scan for epistatically interacting loci. We found a single example of strong epistasis between distant genome regions. A majority of strains had a type VI secretion system associated with bacterial killing. The remaining strains had genes associated with biofilm formation and regulated by c-di-GMP signaling. All strains had one or other of the two systems and none of isolate had complete complements of both systems, although several strains had remnants. Further top-down analysis of patterns of linkage disequilibrium within frequently recombining species will allow a detailed understanding of how selection acts to structure the pattern of variation within natural bacterial populations

Two-year continuous measurements of carbonaceous aerosols in urban Beijing, China: temporal variations, characteristics and source analyses

Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in the PM2.5 of urban Beijing were measured hourly with a semi-continuous thermal-optical analyzer from Jan 1, 2013 to Dec 31, 2014. The annual average OC and EC concentrations in Beijing were 17.0 ± 12.4 and 3.4 ± 2.0 μg/m3 for 2013, and 16.8 ± 14.5 and 3.5 ± 2.9 μg/m3 for 2014. It is obvious that the annual average concentrations of OC and EC in 2014 were not less than those in 2013 while the annual average PM2.5 concentration (89.4 μg/m3) in 2014 was slightly reduced as compared to that (96.9 μg/m3) in 2013. Strong seasonality of the OC and EC concentrations were found with high values during the heating seasons and low values during the non-heating seasons. The diurnal cycles of OC and EC characterized by higher values at night and in the morning were caused by primary emissions, secondary transformation and stable meteorological condition. Due to increasing photochemical activity, the OC peaks were observed at approximately noon. No clear weekend effects were observed. Interestingly, in the early mornings on weekends in the autumn and winter, the OC and EC concentrations were close to or higher than those on weekdays. Our data also indicate that high OC and EC concentrations were closely associated with their potential source areas which were determined based on the potential source contribution function analysis. High potential source areas were identified and were mainly located in the south of Beijing and the plain of northern China. A much denser source region was recorded in the winter than in the other seasons, indicating that local and regional transport over regional scales are the most important. These results demonstrate that both regional transport from the southern regions and local accumulation could lead to the enhancements of OC and EC and likely contribute to the severe haze pollution in Beijing

Neuroprotective Effects of Pre-Treament with l-Carnitine and Acetyl-l-Carnitine on Ischemic Injury In Vivo and In Vitro

The therapeutic effect of stroke is hampered by the lack of neuroprotective drugs against ischemic insults beyond the acute phase. Carnitine plays important roles in mitochondrial metabolism and in modulating the ratio of coenzyme A (CoA)/acyl-CoA. Here, we investigate the neuroprotective effects of l-carnitine (LC) and Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) pre-treatment on ischemic insults under the same experimental conditions. We used a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model to evaluate the protective roles of LC and ALC in acute focal cerebral ischemia in vivo and to understand the possible mechanisms using model of PC12 cell cultures in vitro. Results showed that ALC, but not LC, decreased infarction size in SD rats after MCAO in vivo. However, both LC and ALC pretreatment reduced oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced cell injury and decreased OGD-induced cell apoptosis and death in vitro; at the same time, both of them increased the activities of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and ATPase, and decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in vitro. Thus, our findings suggested that LC and ALC pre-treatment are highly effective in the prevention of neuronal cell against ischemic injury in vitro, however, only ALC has the protective effect on neuronal cell injury after ischemia in vivo

The Volume of Hippocampal Subfields in Relation to Decline of Memory Recall Across the Adult Lifespan

Background: The hippocampus is an important limbic structure closely related to memory function. However, few studies have focused on the association between hippocampal subfields and age-related memory decline. We investigated the volume alterations of hippocampal subfields at different ages and assessed the correlations with Immediate and Delayed recall abilities.Materials and Methods: A total of 275 participants aged 20–89 years were classified into 4 groups: Young, 20–35 years; Middle-early, 36–50 years; Middle-late, 51–65 years; Old, 66–89 years. All data were acquired from the Dallas Lifespan Brain Study (DLBS). The volumes of hippocampal subfields were obtained using Freesurfer software. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to analyze alterations of subfield volumes among the 4 groups, and multiple comparisons between groups were performed using the Bonferroni method. Spearman correlation with false discovery rate correction was used to investigate the relationship between memory recall scores and hippocampal subfield volumes.Results: Apart from no significant difference in the left parasubiculum (P = 0.269) and a slight difference in the right parasubiculum (P = 0.022), the volumes of other hippocampal subfields were significantly different across the adult lifespan (P < 0.001). The hippocampal fissure volume was increased in the Old group, while volumes for other subfields decreased. In addition, Immediate recall scores were associated with volumes of the bilateral molecular layer, granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus (GC-DG), cornus ammonis (CA) 1, CA2/3, CA4, left fimbria and hippocampal amygdala transition area (HATA), and right fissure (P < 0.05). Delayed recall scores were associated with the bilateral molecular layer, GC-DG, CA2/3 and CA4; left tail, presubiculum, CA1, subiculum, fimbria and HATA (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The parasubiculum volume was not significantly different across the adult lifespan, while atrophy in dementia patients in some studies. Based on these findings, we speculate that volume changes in this region might be considered as a biomarker for dementia disorders. Additionally, several hippocampal subfield volumes were significantly associated with memory scores, further highlighting the key role of the hippocampus in age-related memory decline. These regions could be used to assess the risk of memory decline across the adult lifespan

Characteristics of fine particulate matter and its sources in an industrialized coastal city, Ningbo, Yangtze River Delta, China

Chemical information is essential in understanding the characteristics of airborne particles, and effectively controlling airborne particulate matter pollution, but it remains unclear in some regions due to the scarcity of measurement data. In the present study, 92 daily PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) samples as well as historical observation data of air pollutants were collected in urban Ningbo, one of important industrial cities in the coastal area of the Yangtze River Delta, China in autumn and winter (from Nov. 2014 to Feb. 2015). Various chemical species in PM2.5 were determined including water soluble ions, organic and elemental carbon and elements. Positive matrix factorization model, cluster analysis of back trajectories, potential source contribution function (PSCF) model and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) model were used for identifying sources, apportioning contributions from each source and tracking potential areas of sources. The results showed the PM2.5 concentration has been reducing; nonetheless, the concentrations of PM2.5 are still much higher than the World Health Organization guideline with high PM2.5 concentrations observed in autumn and winter for the past few years. During the sampling period, the average PM2.5 mass concentration was 77 μg/m3 with the major components of OC, NO3−, SO42 −, NH4+ and EC, accounting for 24.7, 18.8, 14.5, 11.8 and 6.4% in the total mass concentration, respectively. When the aerosol pollution got worse during the sampling period, the NO3−, SO42 − and NH4+ concentrations increased accordingly and NO3− appeared to increase at fastest rate. SO42 − transported from industrial areas led to slight difference in spatial distribution of SO42 − in Ningbo. More secondary organic carbon was formed and the enrichment factor values of Cu, Ag, Cd, Sn and Pb increased with the degradation of air quality. Ten types of sources were identified for PM2.5 in the autumn and winter of Ningbo, which are metallurgical industry, biomass burning and waste incineration, manufacturing related with Mo, chlor-alkli chemical industry, oil combustion, vehicular emission, secondary source, soil dust, road dust and manufacturing related with Cr, accounting for 9.4, 4.8, 9.4, 7.6, 8.1, 18.7, 27.6, 2, 7.1 and 5.2% of the total sources, respectively. There were five groups of air parcels arriving in Ningbo, of which inland air masses originating from Shandong province were associated with the highest PM2.5 concentrations. Despite the slight differences, it was obvious that the north of Jiangxi, east of Anhui, west of Jiangsu, south of Shandong were identified as major potential sources-areas of SO42 −, NO3−, NH4+, Cl−, OC and EC by both PSCF and CWT models

Recent mixing of<i> Vibrio parahaemolyticus</i> populations

Humans have profoundly affected the ocean environment but little is known about anthropogenic effects on the distribution of microbes. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is found in warm coastal waters and causes gastroenteritis in humans and economically significant disease in shrimps. Based on data from 1103 genomes of environmental and clinical isolates, we show that V. parahaemolyticus is divided into four diverse populations, VppUS1, VppUS2, VppX and VppAsia. The first two are largely restricted to the US and Northern Europe, while the others are found worldwide, with VppAsia making up the great majority of isolates in the seas around Asia. Patterns of diversity within and between the populations are consistent with them having arisen by progressive divergence via genetic drift during geographical isolation. However, we find that there is substantial overlap in their current distribution. These observations can be reconciled without requiring genetic barriers to exchange between populations if long-range dispersal has increased dramatically in the recent past. We found that VppAsia isolates from the US have an average of 1.01% more shared ancestry with VppUS1 and VppUS2 isolates than VppAsia isolates from Asia itself. Based on time calibrated trees of divergence within epidemic lineages, we estimate that recombination affects about 0.017% of the genome per year, implying that the genetic mixture has taken place within the last few decades. These results suggest that human activity, such as shipping, aquatic products trade and increased human migration between continents, are responsible for the change of distribution pattern of this species