Mussels as Biomonitors of Lake Water Microcystin: A Final Report for the Summer 2000 Microcystin Monitoring Study

Mussel surveys performed in Baboosic, Depot, Little Squam, Squam, Lovell, North River, Northeast, Townhous

Microscopy of Newly Developed Paper Making Fibers

The more important of the newly developed fiberous paper making materials are bleached groundwood, West coast kraft, hardwood kraft, semichemical pulp and cotton linters. The weight factors of these fiberous materials have been determined by several different investigators, but their identification in a paper furnish is very difficult. The weight factors of cotton linters varies with the freeness of the sample, which can be determined by dying the fibers with a mixture of a direct orange and a direct blue bye. Differentiation can be made between bleached and unbleached groundwood with the Loften-Merritt stain. Staining methods cannot be used to differentiate between soda, hardwood kraft, and neutral sulphite semi-chemical pulps. Kraft cooked semi-chemical pulp gives a deeper lignin reaction with stains. Cotton linters have a thicker cell wall than long staple cotton, and unbeaten cotton linters stain a deeper blue when stained with a mixture of a direct blue and a direct orange dye. Unless the furnish has been highly beaten, West coast kraft made from Douglas fir and western hemlock can be identified by the microscopical structure of their fibers

Impact of Variant Donor Hepatic Arterial Anatomy on Clinical Graft Outcomes in Liver Transplantation

Standard hepatic arterial anatomy is composed of the common hepatic artery proceeding from the celiac trunk and giving rise to the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) and proper hepatic arteries. Reconstruction of the hepatic arterial supply during liver transplantation, often complex in nature, can be required in cases of accessory or replaced vessels. A recent review summarized the hepatic arterial anatomy reported in over 19,000 cases from 20 individual studies. (1) It has been suggested that the presence of nonstandard donor arterial anatomy may be related to an increased incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT).(2) Although the overall incidence of HAT is low, it can have devastating effects, including the need for retransplantation, long-term biliary complications, and increased patient mortality. This article describes the arterial anatomy in a large number of liver transplants, with routine anastomosis of a very short hepatic artery and routine reconstruction of the accessory right hepatic artery to the GDA. Study outcomes include incidence of HAT within 30 days of transplant, early graft loss up to 1 year after transplant, and 10-year graft survival

An expanded cavity hexaamine cage for copper(II)

The crystal structure of the bicyclic hexaamine complex [Cu(fac-Me-5-tricosane-N-6)](ClO4)(2) center dot H2O (fac-Me-5-tricosane-N-6 = facial-1,5,9,13,20-pentamethyl-3,7,11,15,18,22-hexaazabicyclo[7.7.7] tricosane) at 100 K defines an apparently tetragonally compressed octahedral geometry, which is attributed to a combination of dynamic interconversion and static disorder between two tetragonally elongated structures sharing a common short axis. This structure is fluxional at 60 K and above as shown by EPR spectroscopy. Aqueous cyclic voltammetry reveals that a remarkably stable Cu-I form of the complex is stabilised by the encapsulating nature of the expanded cage ligand

Multidimensional en-face OCT imaging of the retina.

Fast T-scanning (transverse scanning, en-face) was used to build B-scan or C-scan optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of the retina. Several unique signature patterns of en-face (coronal) are reviewed in conjunction with associated confocal images of the fundus and B-scan OCT images. Benefits in combining T-scan OCT with confocal imaging to generate pairs of OCT and confocal images similar to those generated by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) are discussed in comparison with the spectral OCT systems. The multichannel potential of the OCT/SLO system is demonstrated with the addition of a third hardware channel which acquires and generates indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence images. The OCT, confocal SLO and ICG fluorescence images are simultaneously presented in a two or a three screen format. A fourth channel which displays a live mix of frames of the ICG sequence superimposed on the corresponding coronal OCT slices for immediate multidimensional comparison, is also included. OSA ISP software is employed to illustrate the synergy between the simultaneously provided perspectives. This synergy promotes interpretation of information by enhancing diagnostic comparisons and facilitates internal correction of movement artifacts within C-scan and B-scan OCT images using information provided by the SLO channel

Rewards for Ratification: Payoffs for Participating in the International Human Rights Regime?

Among the explanations for state ratification of human rights treaties, few are more common and widely accepted than the conjecture that states are rewarded for ratification by other states. These rewards are expected to come in the form of tangible benefits - foreign aid, trade, and investment - and intangible benefits such as praise, acceptance, and legitimacy. Surprisingly, these explanations for ratification have never been tested empirically. We summarize and clarify the theoretical underpinnings of "reward-for-ratification" theories and test these propositions empirically by looking for increased international aid, economic agreements and public praise and recognition following ratification of four prominent human rights treaties. We find almost no evidence that states can expect increased tangible or intangible rewards after ratification. Given the lack of empirical support, alternative explanations seem more appealing for understanding human rights treaty ratification.Governmen

Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter in Liver Transplantation: An Important Predictor of Early and Late Morbidity and Mortality

Postoperative atrial fibrillation/flutter (POAF) is the most common perioperative arrhythmia and may be particularly problematic after liver transplantation (LT). This study is a single‐center retrospective analysis of POAF to determine its incidence following LT, to identify risk factors, to assess its impact on clinical outcomes, and to summarize management strategies. The records of all patients who underwent LT between 2010 and 2018 were reviewed. Extracted data included pre‐LT demographics and cardiac evaluation, in‐hospital post‐LT cardiac events, early and late complications, and survival. Among 1011 patients, the incidence of post‐LT POAF was 10%. Using binary logistic regression, pre‐LT history of atrial fibrillation was the strongest predictor of POAF (odds ratio [OR], 6.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.00‐22.57; P < 0.001), followed by history of coronary artery disease (CAD; OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.10‐5.81; P = 0.03). Cardiac stress testing abnormality and CAD on cardiac catheterization were also associated with higher risk. Median time to POAF onset after LT was 3 days with 72% of cases resolving within 48 hours. POAF patients had greater hospital length of stay, death during the LT admission, and 90‐day and 1‐year mortality. POAF was an independent risk factor for post‐LT mortality (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3‐3.0; P < 0.01). Amiodarone was administered to 73% of POAF patients with no evidence of increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels. POAF occurred in 10% of post‐LT patients with early onset and rapid resolution in most affected patients. POAF patients, however, had significant morbidity and mortality, suggesting that POAF is an important marker for worse early and late post‐LT outcomes

The Trem2 R47H variant confers loss-of-function-like phenotypes in Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND: The R47H variant of Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) confers greatly increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), reflective of a central role for myeloid cells in neurodegeneration. Understanding how this variant confers AD risk promises to provide important insights into how myeloid cells contribute to AD pathogenesis and progression. METHODS: In order to investigate this mechanism, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate a mouse model of AD harboring one copy of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) encoding the R47H variant in murine Trem2. TREM2 expression, myeloid cell responses to amyloid deposition, plaque burden, and neuritic dystrophy were assessed at 4 months of age. RESULTS: AD mice heterozygous for the Trem2 R47H allele exhibited reduced total Trem2 mRNA expression, reduced TREM2 expression around plaques, and reduced association of myeloid cells with plaques. These results were comparable to AD mice lacking one copy of Trem2. AD mice heterozygous for the Trem2 R47H allele also showed reduced myeloid cell responses to amyloid deposition, including a reduction in proliferation and a reduction in CD45 expression around plaques. Expression of the Trem2 R47H variant also reduced dense core plaque number but increased plaque-associated neuritic dystrophy. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the AD-associated TREM2 R47H variant increases risk for AD by conferring a loss of TREM2 function and enhancing neuritic dystrophy around plaques

Variation in the Microbiota of Ixodes Ticks with Regard to Geography, Species, and Sex

Ixodes scapularis is the principal vector of Lyme disease on the East Coast and in the upper Midwest regions of the United States, yet the tick is also present in the Southeast, where Lyme disease is absent or rare. A closely related species, I. affinis, also carries the pathogen in the South but does not seem to transmit it to humans. In order to better understand the geographic diversity of the tick, we analyzed the microbiota of 104 adult I. scapularis and 13 adult I. affinis ticks captured in 19 locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, and New York. Initially, ticks from 4 sites were analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing. Subsequently, ticks from these sites plus 15 others were analyzed by sequencing with an Illumina MiSeq machine. By both analyses, the microbiomes of female ticks were significantly less diverse than those of male ticks. The dissimilarity between tick microbiomes increased with distance between sites, and the state in which a tick was collected could be inferred from its microbiota. The genus Rickettsia was prominent in all locations. Borrelia was also present in most locations and was present at especially high levels in one site in western Virginia. In contrast, members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were very common in North Carolina I. scapularis ticks but uncommon in I. scapularis ticks from other sites and in North Carolina I. affinis ticks. These data suggest substantial variations in the Ixodes microbiota in association with geography, species, and sex