Geological and Geophysical Character of the East China and Yellow Seas

The East China and Yellow seas represent one of the broadest shallow seas in the global ocean, with water depths generally less than 80 m and stretching nearly 750 km from the Shandong Peninsula to the Okinawa Trough (Fig. 1). This area is also unique in terms of the vast amount of sediment it receives from the Huanghe (Yellow River; presently discharging in the adjacent Gulf of Bohai) and the Changjigang (Yangtze River, which flows into the East China Sea). Together, this region receives about ten percent of the river-derived sediment reaching the ocean, and as such, the region has unique geological and oceanographic conditions that reflect both the present highstand of sea level as well as previous lowstands. The purpose of this report is to present and discuss the nature of the seafloor as well as the shallow structure of the surficial (Neogene) strata in the YS-ECS. The maps accompanying this report are the products of the analysis and interpretation of many types of seismic reflection data as well as many previously published papers dealing with this area. Specifically, we have utilized 3.5 kHz echo-soundings, various types of shallow-towed boomer profiles, sparker, air-gun and water-gun data as well as multichannel deep seismic data obtained by the former Gulf Oil Company. Moreover, we have integrated seismic refraction data gathered in the 1960\u27s and 1970\u27s (Fig. 2) in an attempt to gain better knowledge about the acoustic and (thereby) geological character of the deeper Neogene strata

Quantitating the epigenetic transformation contributing to cholesterol homeostasis using Gaussian process.

To understand the impact of epigenetics on human misfolding disease, we apply Gaussian-process regression (GPR) based machine learning (ML) (GPR-ML) through variation spatial profiling (VSP). VSP generates population-based matrices describing the spatial covariance (SCV) relationships that link genetic diversity to fitness of the individual in response to histone deacetylases inhibitors (HDACi). Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) is a Mendelian disorder caused by >300 variants in the NPC1 gene that disrupt cholesterol homeostasis leading to the rapid onset and progression of neurodegenerative disease. We determine the sequence-to-function-to-structure relationships of the NPC1 polypeptide fold required for membrane trafficking and generation of a tunnel that mediates cholesterol flux in late endosomal/lysosomal (LE/Ly) compartments. HDACi treatment reveals unanticipated epigenomic plasticity in SCV relationships that restore NPC1 functionality. GPR-ML based matrices capture the epigenetic processes impacting information flow through central dogma, providing a framework for quantifying the effect of the environment on the healthspan of the individual

Dynamic association between perfusion and white matter integrity across time since injury in Veterans with history of TBI.

ObjectiveCerebral blood flow (CBF) plays a critical role in the maintenance of neuronal integrity, and CBF alterations have been linked to deleterious white matter changes. Although both CBF and white matter microstructural alterations have been observed within the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI), the degree to which these pathological changes relate to one another and whether this association is altered by time since injury have not been examined. The current study therefore sought to clarify associations between resting CBF and white matter microstructure post-TBI.Methods37 veterans with history of mild or moderate TBI (mmTBI) underwent neuroimaging and completed health and psychiatric symptom questionnaires. Resting CBF was measured with multiphase pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (MPPCASL), and white matter microstructural integrity was measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The cingulate cortex and cingulum bundle were selected as a priori regions of interest for the ASL and DTI data, respectively, given the known vulnerability of these regions to TBI.ResultsRegression analyses controlling for age, sex, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms revealed a significant time since injury × resting CBF interaction for the left cingulum (p < 0.005). Decreased CBF was significantly associated with reduced cingulum fractional anisotropy (FA) in the chronic phase; however, no such association was observed for participants with less remote TBI.ConclusionsOur results showed that reduced CBF was associated with poorer white matter integrity in those who were further removed from their brain injury. Findings provide preliminary evidence of a possible dynamic association between CBF and white matter microstructure that warrants additional consideration within the context of the negative long-term clinical outcomes frequently observed in those with history of TBI. Additional cross-disciplinary studies integrating multiple imaging modalities (e.g., DTI, ASL) and refined neuropsychiatric assessment are needed to better understand the nature, temporal course, and dynamic association between brain changes and clinical outcomes post-injury

Postoperative Infection Rates with Instrumented Lumbar Fusion: A Retrospective Review of 129 Consecutive Cases

Introduction: The use of internal fixation devices in spinal surgery is common to achieve reduction, maintain alignment, and stabilize the spine while fusion occurs. Infection rates of less than 2% (0-2%) were reported in the late 1960\u27s without the use of instrumentation. Reported rates of infection following instrumented fusion are generally around 6% (range 0-11% ). The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review the incidence of postoperative infection following instrumented spinal fusion to determine if infection rates related to patient type and surgical procedure. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 129 consecutive cases of instrumented lumbar spinal fusion. Three patients were eliminated from the study: two due to preoperative spinal infections, and a third patient expired from unrelated disease. All instrumented fusion cases were eligible for this study regardless of level or technique used. Results: Of the 126 instrumented cases there were no superficial infections, and one (0.8%) deep infection. The infection was completely resolved and did not prevent solid fusion with good alignment. The patient was a smoker and received autograft bone. Discussion: The results of this review revealed substantially lower rates of postoperative infection following instrumented fusion than has been previously reported in the literature. No superficial and one (0.8%) deep infection was identified. Due to the low infection rates, no statistically significant conclusions could be made

Magnetic White Dwarfs from the SDSS II. The Second and Third Data Releases

Fifty-two magnetic white dwarfs have been identified in spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) obtained between mid-2002 and the end of 2004, including Data Releases 2 and 3. Though not as numerous nor as diverse as the discoveries from the first Data Release, the collection exhibits polar field strengths ranging from 1.5MG to ~1000MG, and includes two new unusual atomic DQA examples, a molecular DQ, and five stars that show hydrogen in fields above 500MG. The highest-field example, SDSSJ2346+3853, may be the most strongly magnetic white dwarf yet discovered. Analysis of the photometric data indicates that the magnetic sample spans the same temperature range as for nonmagnetic white dwarfs from the SDSS, and support is found for previous claims that magnetic white dwarfs tend to have larger masses than their nonmagnetic counterparts. A glaring exception to this trend is the apparently low-gravity object SDSSJ0933+1022, which may have a history involving a close binary companion.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

PEDF and VEGF-A Output from Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Grown on Novel Microcarriers

Human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells have been tested as a cell-based therapy for Parkinson's disease but will require additional study before further clinical trials can be planned. We now show that the long-term survival and neurotrophic potential of hRPE cells can be enhanced by the use of FDA-approved plastic-based microcarriers compared to a gelatin-based microcarrier as used in failed clinical trials. The hRPE cells grown on these plastic-based microcarriers display several important characteristics of hRPE found in vivo: (1) characteristic morphological features, (2) accumulation of melanin pigment, and (3) high levels of production of the neurotrophic factors pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Growth of hRPE cells on plastic-based microcarriers led to sustained levels (>1 ng/ml) of PEDF and VEGF-A in conditioned media for two months. We also show that the expression of VEGF-A and PEDF is reciprocally regulated by activation of the GPR143 pathway. GPR143 is activated by L-DOPA (1 μM) which decreased VEGF-A secretion as opposed to the previously reported increase in PEDF secretion. The hRPE microcarriers are therefore novel candidate delivery systems for achieving long-term delivery of the neuroprotective factors PEDF and VEGF-A, which could have a value in neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease

Tracking Transmission of Apicomplexan Symbionts in Diverse Caribbean Corals

Symbionts in each generation are transmitted to new host individuals either vertically (parent to offspring), horizontally (from exogenous sources), or a combination of both. Scleractinian corals make an excellent study system for understanding patterns of symbiont transmission since they harbor diverse symbionts and possess distinct reproductive modes of either internal brooding or external broadcast spawning that generally correlate with vertical or horizontal transmission, respectively. Here, we focused on the under-recognized, but apparently widespread, coral-associated apicomplexans (Protista: Alveolata) to determine if symbiont transmission depends on host reproductive mode. Specifically, a PCR-based assay was utilized towards identifying whether planula larvae and reproductive adults from brooding and broadcast spawning scleractinian coral species in Florida and Belize harbored apicomplexan DNA. Nearly all (85.5%; n = 85/89) examined planulae of five brooding species (Porites astreoides, Agaricia tenuifolia, Agaricia agaricites, Favia fragum, Mycetophyllia ferox) and adults of P. astreoides were positive for apicomplexan DNA. In contrast, no (n = 0/10) apicomplexan DNA was detected from planulae of four broadcast spawning species (Acropora cervicornis, Acropora palmata, Pseudodiploria strigosa, and Orbicella faveolata) and rarely in gametes (8.9%; n = 5/56) of these species sampled from the same geographical range as the brooding species. In contrast, tissue samples from nearly all (92.0%; n = 81/88) adults of the broadcast spawning species A. cervicornis, A. palmata and O. faveolata harbored apicomplexan DNA, including colonies whose gametes and planulae tested negative for these symbionts. Taken together, these data suggest apicomplexans are transmitted vertically in these brooding scleractinian coral species while the broadcast spawning scleractinian species examined here acquire these symbionts horizontally. Notably, these transmission patterns are consistent with those of other scleractinian coral symbionts. While this study furthers knowledge regarding these symbionts, numerous questions remain to be addressed, particularly in regard to the specific interaction(s) between these apicomplexans and their hosts

Effect of ICU Strain on Timing of Limitations in Life-Sustaining Therapy and Death

Purpose: The effect of capacity strain in an ICU on the timing of end-of-life decision making is unknown. We sought to determine how changes in strain impact timing of new DNR orders and of death. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 9,891 patients dying in the hospital following an ICU stay ≥ 72 hours in Project IMPACT, 2001-2008. We examined the effect of ICU capacity strain (measured by standardized census, proportion of new admissions, and average patient acuity) on time to initiation of DNR orders and time to death for all ICU decedents using fixed-effects linear regression. Results: Increases in strain were associated with shorter time to DNR for patients with limitations in therapy (predicted time to DNR 6.11 days for highest versus 7.70 days for lowest quintile of acuity, p=0.02; 6.50 days for highest versus 7.77 days for lowest quintile of admissions, p<0.001), and shorter time to death (predicted time to death 7.64 days for highest versus 9.05 days for lowest quintile of admissions, p<0.001; 8.28 days for highest versus 9.06 days for lowest quintile of census, only in closed ICUs, p=0.006). Time to DNR order significantly mediated relationships between acuity and admissions and time to death, explaining the entire effect of acuity, and 65% of the effect of admissions. There was no association between strain and time to death for decedents without a limitation in therapy. Conclusions: Strains in ICU capacity are associated with end-of-life decision making, with shorter times to placement of DNR orders and death for patients admitted during high-strain days