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Obesity is associated with kidney stone disease, but it is unknown whether this association differs by SES. This study assessed the extent to which obesity and neighborhood characteristics jointly contribute to urinary risk factors for kidney stone disease.This was a retrospective analysis of adult patients with kidney stone disease evaluated with 24-hour urine collection (2001-2020). Neighborhood-level socioeconomic data were obtained for a principal component analysis, which identified 3 linearly independent factors. Associations between these factors and 24-hour urine measurements were assessed using linear regression as well as groupings of 24-hour urine results using multivariable logistic regression. Finally, multiplicative interactions were assessed testing effect modification by obesity, and analyses stratified by obesity were performed. Analyses were performed in 2021.In total, 1,264 patients met the study criteria. Factors retained on principal component analysis represented SES, family structure, and housing characteristics. On linear regression, there was a significant inverse correlation between SES and 24-hour urine sodium (p=0.0002). On multivariable logistic regression, obesity was associated with increased odds of multiple stone risk factors (OR=1.61; 95% CI=1.15, 2.26) and multiple dietary factors (OR=1.33; 95% CI=1.06, 1.67). No significant and consistent multiplicative interactions were observed between obesity and quartiles of neighborhood SES, family structure, or housing characteristics.Obesity was associated with the presence of multiple stone risk factors and multiple dietary factors; however, the strength and magnitude of these associations did not vary significantly by neighborhood SES, family structure, and housing characteristics.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract of Amyris elemifera leaves was carried out to identify phytotoxic and antifungal constituents. A novel phytotoxic furanocoumarin 8-(3-methylbut-2-enyloxy)-marmesin acetate (1) and its deacyl analog 8-(3-methylbut-2-enyloxy)-marmesin (2) were isolated. The X-ray crystal structure determination is reported for the first time for 1. Both 1 and 2 have the S configuration at C-2' based on X-ray crystallographic data. Both these compounds inhibited the growth of the dicot Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and the monocot Agrostis stolonifera with a more pronounced inhibitory effect on the monocots at 330 μM by 1. In Lemna paucicostata Hegelm phytotoxicity bioassay, the IC50 value for 1 was 26 μM, whereas 2 had an IC50 value of 102 μM. Compounds 1 and 2 were weakly antifungal against Colletotrichum fragariae Brooks in TLC bioautography.

The equilibrium molecular structure of the gaseous fluorofullerene C60F36 has been determined for the first time by the electron diffraction method with the use of quantum chemical calculations up to the RI-MP2/def2-TZVPP level of theory. Vibrational amplitudes and quadratic and cubic force constants were calculated by density functional theory methods. It was found that the sample under study consists of the isomer of C1 symmetry, 81(4)%, with a small amount of the isomer of C3 symmetry, in good accordance with HPLC-MS (atmospheric pressure photoionization), HPLC-UV/vis, and NMR spectroscopic data. The presence of the isomer of T symmetry, up to 5%, cannot be completely excluded. Theoretical structural parameters of the C60F36 molecule were compared with those of the C60F48 molecule. Relative to C60, the C60F36 molecule has a remarkably distorted carbon cage because of steric, electrostatic, and orbital interactions. This results in the longest carbon-carbon bond (1.671 A) found in free molecules. In particular, about the longest FC-CF bond, the dihedral angle is only around 20°, which leads to the very short nonbonded distance between electronegative vicinal fluorine atoms (2.531 A) that is much shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii of fluorine atoms (2.94 A). A natural bond orbital analysis revealed that strong nπ(F) → σ*(FC-CF) interactions delocalize the lone pair of π-type at the fluorine atoms into the antibonding orbital of the FC-CF bond. This hyperconjugation results in additional elongation of FC-CF bonds.

The D-SPECT is a dedicated cardiac camera that incorporates a solid-state semiconductor detector. This camera differs greatly from conventional SPECT/CT systems, resulting in significant differences in patient imaging. This continuing education article focuses on the specifications of both SPECT/CT and D-SPECT systems, radiopharmaceutical dosing requirements, imaging workflows, and some disadvantages of using each camera system. When used properly, the D-SPECT system can provide high-quality cardiac images with lower doses and faster exam times than conventional SPECT/CT systems.

Lack of diversity among genomic research participants results in disparities in benefits from genetic testing. To address this, the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative employed community engagement strategies to recruit diverse populations where they lived. In this paper, we describe our engagement techniques and recruitment strategies, which resulted in significant improvement in representation of African American participants. While African American participation has not reached the representation of this community as a percentage of Alabama's overall population (26%–27%), we have achieved an overall representation exceeding 20% for African Americans. We believe this demonstrates the value of engagement and recruitment where diverse populations reside.

Early measurements of tissue viability after myocardial infarction (MI) are essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning but are challenging to obtain. Here, manganese, a calcium analogue and clinically approved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, is used as an imaging biomarker of myocardial viability in the first hours after experimental MI. Safe Mn2+ dosing is confirmed by measuring in vitro beating rates, calcium transients, and action potentials in cardiomyocytes, and in vivo heart rates and cardiac contractility in mice. Quantitative T1 mapping‐manganese‐enhanced MRI (MEMRI) reveals elevated and increasing Mn2+ uptake in viable myocardium remote from the infarct, suggesting MEMRI offers a quantitative biomarker of cardiac inotropy. MEMRI evaluation of infarct size at 1 h, 1 and 14 days after MI quantifies myocardial viability earlier than the current gold‐standard technique, late‐gadolinium‐enhanced MRI. These data, coupled with the re‐emergence of clinical Mn2+‐based contrast agents open the possibility of using MEMRI for direct evaluation of myocardial viability early after ischemic onset in patients., Early measurements of tissue viability after myocardial infarction (MI) are essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. Here, the safety and efficacy of manganese‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) in vitro in cardiomyocytes and in vivo in mouse models of MI are evaluated. It is demonstrated that MEMRI offers a novel biomarker of myocardial viability in the first hours after MI.

Brachiaria eruciformis (sm.) Griseb, locally known as “signal grass”, is a common weed in lawns and turfs in Mississippi, USA. During late spring and early summer months, leaves of B. eruciformis are infected with a fungus causing necrosis. The infected leaves ultimately turn brown and wither. As part of our search for potential new natural product-based agrochemicals, we studied this plant pathogen in order to investigate phytotoxic and fungitoxic metabolites produced by the fungus. The causative fungus was isolated from an infected leaf of B. eruciformis, cultured in potato dextrose agar plates and identified via molecular techniques as Pyricularia grisea. A phytotoxic compound was isolated from Czapek-Dox broth liquid culture medium and identified as pyrichalasin H by spectroscopic techniques. Pyrichalasin H was toxic to the fungal plant pathogen Colletotrichum fragariae in a TLC bioautography assay and phytotoxic to two monocot and one dicot plants. This is the first report of antifungal activity of pyrichalasin H against phytopathogens. Pyrichalasin H isolated from Pyricularia grisea, a pathogen infecting B. eruciformis (signal grass) was shown to be phytotoxic and fungicidal to Colletotrichum fragariae.

Clinical data networks that leverage large volumes of data in electronic health records (EHRs) are significant resources for research on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Data harmonization is a key challenge in seamless use of multisite EHRs for COVID-19 research. We developed a COVID-19 application ontology in the national Accrual to Clinical Trials (ACT) network that enables harmonization of data elements that are critical to COVID-19 research. The ontology contains over 50 000 concepts in the domains of diagnosis, procedures, medications, and laboratory tests. In particular, it has computational phenotypes to characterize the course of illness and outcomes, derived terms, and harmonized value sets for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 laboratory tests. The ontology was deployed and validated on the ACT COVID-19 network that consists of 9 academic health centers with data on 14.5M patients. This ontology, which is freely available to the entire research community on GitHub at https://github.com/shyamvis/ACT-COVID-Ontology, will be useful for harmonizing EHRs for COVID-19 research beyond the ACT network.

Clinical data networks that leverage large volumes of data in electronic health records (EHRs) are significant resources for research on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Data harmonization is a key challenge in seamless use of multisite EHRs for COVID-19 research. We developed a COVID-19 application ontology in the national Accrual to Clinical Trials (ACT) network that enables harmonization of data elements that that are critical to COVID-19 research. The ontology contains over 50,000 concepts in the domains of diagnosis, procedures, medications, and laboratory tests. In particular, it has computational phenotypes to characterize the course of illness and outcomes, derived terms, and harmonized value sets for SARS-CoV-2 laboratory tests. The ontology was deployed and validated on the ACT COVID-19 network that consists of nine academic health centers with data on 14.5M patients. This ontology, which is freely available to the entire research community on GitHub at https://github.com/shyamvis/ACT-COVID-Ontology, will be useful for harmonizing EHRs for COVID-19 research beyond the ACT network.

The equilibrium molecular structure of the gaseous fluorofullerene C

The epicardium constitutes an untapped reservoir for cardiac regeneration. Upon myocardial injury, the adult epicardium re-activates the embryonic program, leading to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration and differentiation. Despite some successes in harnessing the epicardial therapeutic potential by thymosin β4 (Tβ4) pre-treatment, further translational advancements are hampered by the paucity of representative experimental models. Here we apply innovative protocols to obtain living 3D organotypic slices from porcine hearts, encompassing the epicardial/myocardial interface. In culture, our slices preserve thein vivoarchitecture and functionality, presenting a continuous epicardium overlaying a healthy and connected myocardium. Upon Tβ4 treatment of the slices, the epicardial cells become activated upregulating embryonic and EMT genes and invading the myocardium where they differentiate towards the mesenchymal lineage. Our 3D organotypic model enables to investigate the reparative potential of the adult epicardium, offering a new tool to exploreex vivothe complex 3D interactions occurring within the native heart environment.

PURPOSE: The Alabama Genomic Health Initiative (AGHI) is a state-funded effort to provide genomic testing. AGHI engages two distinct cohorts across the state of Alabama. One cohort includes children and adults with undiagnosed rare disease; a second includes an unselected adult population. Here we describe findings from the first 176 rare disease and 5369 population cohort AGHI participants. METHODS: AGHI participants enroll in one of two arms of a research protocol that provides access to genomic testing results and biobank participation. Rare disease cohort participants receive genome sequencing to identify primary and secondary findings. Population cohort participants receive genotyping to identify pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants for actionable conditions. RESULTS: Within the rare disease cohort, genome sequencing identified likely pathogenic or pathogenic variation in 20% of affected individuals. Within the population cohort, 1.5% of individuals received a positive genotyping result. The rate of genotyping results corroborated by reported personal or family history varied by gene. CONCLUSION: AGHI demonstrates the ability to provide useful health information in two contexts: rare undiagnosed disease and population screening. This utility should motivate continued exploration of ways in which emerging genomic technologies might benefit broad populations.

Quantitative analytical methods allow the forensic toxicologist to derive the amount of a xenobiotic present in a biological specimen. Quantitative analyses are frequently requested and commonplace in today’s forensic toxicology laboratory. With proper development and implementation, numerous analytical methodologies are well-suited to provide quantitative data. These analytical techniques include but are not limited to gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC), which provide the chromatographic separation of chemical compounds, and are combined with numerous detector technologies including, most commonly, mass spectrometry (MS) for non-volatile compounds and flame ionization detectors (FID) for volatile organic compounds. Current mass spectrometry technology may allow for the quantitation of compounds without, in some cases, achieving chromatographic baseline resolution, which was once considered crucial. Rigorous method validation provides the analyst with confidence in the methodology being utilized to generate quantitative results, while on a day-to-day basis, the use of proper quality control ensures the accuracy of the obtained quantitative result. Although quantitative results are generated by instrument software following the analysis of a series of samples, it is critical that the analyst within a laboratory understand how those results are obtained and have the ability to convey that understanding in court if required.

Results on the integration and the operation of the KSTAR plasma control system (PCS) upgrade are given. Real-time hardware, new realtime-capable operating system, and a brand-new data acquisition are assembled in order to extend the performance and compatibility with modern computer systems. The first full commissioning and eventual routine use performed in 2016 so that the system can now acquire more than 400 channels for more than 100 seconds of data with 5 kHz sampling. The performance test results are summarized, featuring In/Out streaming echo tests and the synchronization verifications. Examples of general performance improvements are demonstrated, and additional features added to the software are also described.

To accomplish experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) physical targets, the plasma control system (PCS), adapted from DIII-D PCS and deployed on EAST in 2005, keeps in continuous development. Some new control abilities for steady-state operation have been achieved. To avoid the integrator linear drift in long pulse discharge, the linear rate for each integrator channel is precalculated and used to decrease the effect of the acquired raw data during shots. Another strategy applied for long pulse operation is real-time data archiving using data segment technology of MDSplus, which provides the possibility to save all data in segments without increasing the computer memory or reducing the saving frequency. For plasma high-performance and noninductive operations, the plasma beta and loop voltage control was implemented in PCS. Using low hybrid wave, the control algorithm was successfully verified in 2016 EAST campaign. Besides, another two control algorithms are integrated to reduce the divertor heat flux. One is radiation power control, which is successfully feedback controlled by using divertor inert gas puffing and mid-plane supersonic molecular beam injection. The other is quasi-snowflake shape control using PEFIT/ISOFLUX, which shows significant heat load reduction to divertor target according to the experimental result. The present EAST PCS has become a huge system capable of long pulse, high-performance advanced plasma control operation, which is ready to demonstrate ITER-like control contents.

The EAST plasma control system (PCS) undergoes continuous development and upgrade to achieve major goals of EAST steady-state advanced operation. According to the development of computer multi-core processor technology, the four nodes PCS cluster was simplified to one host and one real time computing node structure. Besides, the cluster internal data exchange network Myrinet was replaced by high speed 10 Giga-bit Ethernet for inter machine and shared memory technology for multi-core communication. Such new upgraded system is called standalone PCS which has less hardware but be more efficient and easy to backup. In the new upgraded system, a real time archiving mode using data segment technology of MDSplus was realized which provided the possibility to save all data in segments without increasing the computer memory or reducing the saving frequency in steady–state operation. To reduce the heat flux and surface temperature on the divertor targets, plasma radiation control using divertor inert gas puffing and mid-plane supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) was integrated in PCS. In this paper, the control design and experiment results are discussed.

Disruption avoidance is one of the most critical issues in KSTAR due to its high current, temperature and long operation characteristics of the superconducting tokamak. To minimize possible damages to the machine, we imposed a real time handling algorithm of off-normal events, named “forced landing” to ramp down the plasma with well-controlled plasma current and position. Two different plasma control schemes are implemented for different purposes and situations. Both schemes have been successfully demonstrated with careful classifications of actions on the machine in real experiments and they show routine performance with effective reduction of impacts on the machine. Such “machine-protection” schemes enable more aggressive operations such as mega-ampere or high beta experiment, resulting in an expansion of the KSTAR operation regime due to reduced less concerns regarding mechanical safety issues.

In this work, model-based control techniques are used to obtain target current profiles in low-confinement-mode (L-mode) as well as high-confinement-mode (H-mode) DIII-D discharges. The control problem is formulated as a trajectory optimization problem to search for a feasible path from the expected initial condition to the desired target. The result comprises a sequence of feedforward (open-loop) control requests and a corresponding state evolution from the initial condition to the desired target. On top of this optimal feedforward control sequence a feedback (closed-loop) controller based on a linearized model and optimal control design techniques is added to track the desired state evolution. The effectiveness of the control approach is demonstrated with experiments.

Background The fungus Diaporthe eres was isolated from a fungal pathogen-infected leaf of Hedera helix (English Ivy) exhibiting necrosis. It is hypothesized that the causative fungus produces phytotoxins as evidenced by necrotic lesions on the leaves. Results The fungus was isolated and grown in Czapek Dox broth culture medium and potato dextrose broth culture medium and identified as Diaporthe eres. The ethyl acetate extracts of the culture broths were phytotoxic to lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). 3,4-Dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylisocoumarin (1) and tyrosol (2) were isolated and identified as the phytotoxic constituents. Six analogs of 3,4-dihydro-isocoumarin were synthesized and shown to be phytotoxic. The synthesized 3,4-dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,7-dimethylisocoumarin and 3,4-dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,3,7-trimethylisocoumarin were two- to three-fold more phytotoxic than the naturally occurring 1 in a Lemna paucicostata growth bioassay. Conclusion Synthesis and herbicidal activities of the several new analogs of 1 are reported for the first time. These promising molecules should be used as templates for synthesis and testing of more analogs.

On the DIII-D National Fusion Facility tokamak plasma diagnostics continue to improve and experiments increase in complexity. Hence the utility of dynamic control of the beam energy (and therefore also the injected torque, ion heating fraction, etc.) has become apparent. Here we report on upgrades that have been incorporated into the DIII-D Plasma Control System (PCS) and Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) systems in order to allow the beam acceleration voltage (Vaccel) to be varied continuously in a ≤20 kV range during a shot for the first time, generating new capabilities such as smooth plasma transitions and controllable interactions with Alfven waves.

A control-oriented, two-timescale, linear, dynamic, response model of the rotational transform ι profile and the normalized beta βN is proposed based on experimental data from the DIII-D tokamak. Dedicated system-identification experiments without feedback control have been carried out to generate data for the development of this model. The data-driven dynamic model, which is both device-specific and scenario-specific, represents the response of the ι profile and βN to the electric field due to induction as well as to the heating and current drive (H&CD) systems during the flat-top phase of an H-mode discharge in DIII-D. The control goal is to use both induction and the H&CD systems to locally regulate the plasma ι profile and βN around particular target values close to the reference state used for system identification. A singular value decomposition (SVD) of the plasma model at steady state is carried out to decouple the system and identify the most relevant control channels. A mixed-sensitivity robust control design problem is formulated based on the dynamic model to synthesize a stabilizing feedback controller without input constraints that minimizes the reference tracking error and rejects external disturbances with minimal control energy. The feedback controller is then augmented with an anti-windup compensator, which keeps the given controller well-behaved in the presence of magnitude constraints in the actuators and leaves the nominal closed-loop system unmodified when no saturation is present. The proposed controller represents one of the first feedback profile controllers integrating magnetic and kinetic variables ever implemented and experimentally tested in DIII-D. The preliminary experimental results presented in this work, although limited in number and constrained by actuator problems and design limitations, as it will be reported, show good progress towards routine current profile control in DIII-D and leave valuable lessons for further advancements in the field.