Variable Light Penetration and Chlorophyll Concentrations from a Vertical Profiler in the Gulf of Maine, with Implications for Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Modeling

Variability in light field penetration into the ocean alters both radiant heat flux and oceanic primary production. Both are increasingly important in the context of quantifying biologically-mediated atmospheric carbon fluxes and sea surface temperature increase in a changing climate. Accurate determination of light penetration into the upper ocean depends upon accurate estimates of the depth-resolved water absorption and attenuation properties through the water column, properties that are often assumed homogeneous vertically and slowly variant in time. This thesis explores all-new Gulf of Maine datasets collected using a moored vertical profiler that provides sub-hourly light attenuation profiles with sub-m vertical resolution through the upper 50-100 m of the ocean. These data were gathered as part of the UNH Acoustic Environmental Observing Network project and cover several extended periods and three seasons in 2021-2022. The data allow examination of temporal variability in light field properties on timescales from daily to seasonal. Controlling factors addressed include solar zenith angle, cloud fractional coverage, ocean mixed layer dynamics, and biogenic parameters including Chlorophyll and particles. Measurements were made using a wave-powered WireWalker system that includes a PAR (?= 400 - 700 nm) planar solar irradiance sensor as well as a CTD and bio-optical packages. Focus is on two common light attenuation metrics, the e-folding (first optical) depth of blue-green light and the euphotic depth (1% of surface PAR). The former is closely related to the maximum depth seen using ocean color satellites. The continuous profiler time series allows estimates of hourly Chla and particle backscatter change above this e-folding depth that can be inferred from space, and also the frequently large fraction that lies below this depth. The thesis examines both parts of the water column, as well as the general variability in light penetration due to time variable change associated with the Gulf of Maine tides, storm mixing, and seasonal changes. Results highlight the need for depth-resolved measurements of chlorophyll and particle backscatter from in-situ Eulerian platforms as well as with emerging technologies including lidar remote sensing

Forecasted Characteristics of the Grocery Industry in America: Factors to Enhance Viability in the Marketplace of the Twenty-first Century

The purpose of this study was to forecast what the competitive retail environment will resemble in the grocery industry in the year 2010, what measures a company must take to prepare to compete in the predicted environment, and what internal organizational structure will help to facilitate a company\u27s competitive strategy in 2010. The study was conducted using the Delphi Technique. It is a forecasting mechanism designed to build consensus using an expert Delphi Committee. The committee consisted of 55 professionals representing many fields closely associated with the grocery industry: retailing, wholesaling, manufacturing, labor, academe, fresh meat and produce, labor, relations, food industry associations, nutritionists, consumer advocates, and agribusiness. Two sequential survey instruments were utilized. Round 1 solicited narrative answers to 20 board questions related to the grocery supermarket industry. Round 2 was a 38 item instrument that was constructed using the material generated by the committee in their Round 1 answers. A Likert-type scale and probability factor were employed to determine agreement and establish the likelihood of the event occurring by 2010. The study concluded that the grocery industry can expect some major changes in the next 15 years. Some of the significant findings were: super-stores will likely dominate as the format where people conduct their bulk shopping; small neighborhood stores, selling high quality, fresh, prepared, and/or ethnic food, will develop as the convenient option to the larger stores; the utilization of advanced technology to improve efficiencies will be an important part of a company\u27s business plan; and, flatter organizations that emphasize cross-functional teams and empower people at all levels will be the most successful. The study will help companies in the grocery supermarket industry determine what measures they need to take to remain viable in the year 2010 and begin planning for a long-range strategy

Verbal Learning and Memory Deficits across Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Insights from an ENIGMA Mega Analysis.

Deficits in memory performance have been linked to a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. While many studies have assessed the memory impacts of individual conditions, this study considers a broader perspective by evaluating how memory recall is differentially associated with nine common neuropsychiatric conditions using data drawn from 55 international studies, aggregating 15,883 unique participants aged 15–90. The effects of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder on immediate, short-, and long-delay verbal learning and memory (VLM) scores were estimated relative to matched healthy individuals. Random forest models identified age, years of education, and site as important VLM covariates. A Bayesian harmonization approach was used to isolate and remove site effects. Regression estimated the adjusted association of each clinical group with VLM scores. Memory deficits were strongly associated with dementia and schizophrenia (p \u3c 0.001), while neither depression nor ADHD showed consistent associations with VLM scores (p \u3e 0.05). Differences associated with clinical conditions were larger for longer delayed recall duration items. By comparing VLM across clinical conditions, this study provides a foundation for enhanced diagnostic precision and offers new insights into disease management of comorbid disorders

The extent of resection of FDG-PET hypometabolism relates to outcome of temporal lobectomy

A significant minority of patients undergoing surgery for medically refractory non-lesional temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) continue to have seizures, but the reasons for this are uncertain. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET shows hypometabolism in a majority of patients with non-lesional TLE, even in the absence of hippocampal atrophy. We examined whether the extent of resection of the area of FDG-PET hypometabolism influenced outcome following surgery for non-lesional TLE. Twenty-six patients who underwent temporal lobectomy for medically refractory TLE with at least 12 months follow-up were studied. The preoperative FDG-PET was compared with 20 non-epileptic controls using SPM99 to identify regions of significant hypometabolism (P &lt; 0.0005, cluster &gt; 200). This image was then co-registered to the postoperative MRI scan. The volume of the FDG-PET hypometabolism that lay within the area of the resected temporal lobe was calculated. The volume of temporal lobe resected was also calculated. Patients with a good outcome had a greater proportion of the total FDG-PET hypometabolism volume resected than those with a poor outcome (24.1% versus 11.8%, P = 0.02). There was no significant difference between the groups in the volume of temporal lobe resected (P = 0.86). Multivariate regression demonstrated that the extent of resection of the hypometabolism significantly correlated with outcome (P = 0.03), independent of the presence of hippocampal sclerosis (P = 0.03) and total brain volume of hypometabolism (P = 0.45).The extent of resection of the region of hypometabolism on the preoperative FDG-PET is predictive of outcome following surgery for non-lesional TLE. Strategies that tailor resection extent to regional hypometabolism may warrant further evaluation.<br /

The Australian Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative: Single data dictionary to predict outcome for people with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury

In this series of eight articles, the Australian Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative (AUS-TBI) consortium describes the Australian approach used to select the common data elements collected acutely that have been shown to predict outcome following moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) across the lifespan. This article presents the unified single data dictionary, together with additional measures chosen to facilitate comparative effectiveness research and data linkage. Consultations with the AUS-TBI Lived Experience Expert Group provided insights on the merits and considerations regarding data elements for some of the study areas, as well as more general principles to guide the collection of data and the selection of meaningful measures. These are presented as a series of guiding principles and themes. The AUS-TBI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group identified a number of key points and considerations for the project approach specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including key issues of data sovereignty and community involvement. These are outlined in the form of principles to guide selection of appropriate methodologies, data management, and governance. Implementation of the AUS-TBI approach aims to maximize ongoing data collection and linkage, to facilitate personalization of care and improved outcomes for people who experience moderate-severe TBI

Familial mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and the borderland of déjà vu

OBJECTIVE: The cause of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is often unknown. We ascertained to what extent newly diagnosed nonlesional MTLE actually represents familial MTLE (FMTLE). METHODS: We identified all consecutive patients presenting to the Austin Health First Seizure Clinic with MTLE and normal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or MRI evidence of hippocampal sclerosis over a 10-year period. Patients' first-degree relatives and pairwise age- and sex-matched controls underwent a comprehensive epilepsy interview. Each interview transcript was reviewed independently by 2 epileptologists, blinded to relative or control status. Reviewers classified each subject as follows: epilepsy, specifying if MTLE; manifestations suspicious for epilepsy; or unaffected. Physiological déjà vu was noted. RESULTS: Forty-four patients were included. At the Clinic, MTLE had been recognized to be familial in 2 patients only. Among 242 subjects interviewed, MTLE was diagnosed in 9 of 121 relatives versus 0 of 121 controls (p = 0.008). All affected relatives had seizures with intense déjà vu and accompanying features; 6 relatives had not been previously diagnosed. Déjà vu experiences that were suspicious, but not diagnostic, of MTLE occurred in 6 additional relatives versus none of the controls (p = 0.04). Physiological déjà vu was common, and did not differ significantly between relatives and controls. After completing the relatives' interviews, FMTLE was diagnosed in 8 of 44 patients (18.2%). INTERPRETATION: FMTLE accounts for almost one-fifth of newly diagnosed nonlesional MTLE, and it is largely unrecognized without direct questioning of relatives. Relatives of patients with MTLE may experience déjà vu phenomena that clinically lie in the "borderland" between epileptic seizures and physiological déjà vu. Ann Neurol 2017;82:166-176