Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally-invasive procedure that has been used to treat temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), however its long-term efficacy is unknown. We aim to characterize the long-term outcomes of patients from the original series by Parrent and Blume (1999). Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent stereotactic RFA for TLE were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, procedural details, and seizure outcomes until last follow-up were abstracted. Seizure-freedom after initial RFA treatment was estimated with Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: 27 patients underwent RFA from 1994 to 2002. There were 14 female (52%) patients. 24 (89%) had mesial temporal sclerosis. Mean age at time of RFA was 33.1 years (range 12-45 years). 17 (63%) patients underwent left-sided RFA. 15 (56%) patients had further interventions: 4 (15%) underwent only repeat RFA, 1 (4%) had repeat RFA and anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL), and 10 (37%) underwent subsequent ATL only. Mean follow-up was 9.0 years (range 0.5-22.7 years). At last follow-up, 16 (59%) patients were seizure-free: 5 (19%) received one RFA treatment and 11 (41%) underwent additional procedures. Conclusions: Based on the original series describing the technique, stereotactic RFA for TLE is a safe, minimally-invasive procedure. The role of stereotactic RFA in the treatment of TLE remains to be determined.

Background: Stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH) has recently been shown to be comparable to traditional temporal lobectomy procedures. The ideal extent and volume of laser ablations remains an area of investigation Methods: 65 patients treated with SLAH for MTS were considered in this retrospective study. Manual segmentations of ablations were created using post-procedure T1-MRI scans. Ablations were assessed in relation to whether they crossed the coronal plane of the superior lateral mesencephalic sulcus (LMS), the extent to which ablation crossed this landmark, and extent of ablation of the uncus. Analysis of was done with binary categorization of 12-month Engel classification score. Results: Distance of ablation posterior to the coronal plane of the LMS was not associated with better surgical outcome (Engel class 1: 6.32 ± 4.16 mm; Engel class 2-4: 7.93 ± 3.75mm; (p = 0.099)). Ratio of ablations extending posterior to the LMS was 0.82 (SD = .39) in Engel 1 patients, and 0.90 (SD = 0.3) in Engel 2-4 patients; (p = 0.370). Volume of ablation showed little correlation with outcome (Engel class 1: 6064 ± 2128 mm3; Engel class 2-4: 5828 ± 3031 mm3; (p=0.239)). Ablation of the uncus showed a strong association with better surgical outcome (Engel class 1: 0.71(SD = 0.31); Engel 2-4: 0.37 (SD = 0.36); p <0.001). Conclusions: Contrary to current practice, extension of ablation posterior to the LMS did not demonstrate improved outcome.

Background: The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is uniquely found in primates and has been associated with contextual learning. This function is thought to be subserved by neurons that are tuned to abstract concepts and the combination of those concepts. LPFC neuron tuning remains to be fully investigated in naturalistic conditions. Methods: Two macaques were trained to perform a context-colour association task while using a joystick to navigate in an X-shaped maze. They were implanted with two 96-channel microelectrode arrays, targeting the LPFC. Mean firing rates were computed and multivariate linear regressions were used to determine tuning. Results: LPFC neurons were tuned to context (12.4%), color position (6.2%), target side (17.2%), and were selective to more than one feature (21.2%). LPFC neurons acquired tuning to task features in an ordered manner, starting with context (130.1±27.4ms), followed by the colour position (296.2±21.4ms) and then target side (493.3±19.3ms). Furthermore, most neurons (54%) changed their tuning over time. Conclusions: We demonstrate that single neurons can encode relevant features embedded in a naturalistic virtual environment. Our results support previous observations that LPFC neurons combine individual features and suggest that these features are also combined temporally. These findings contribute towards understanding the LPFC and have potential practical implications.

Previous studies suggest that influenza virus infection may provide temporary non-specific immunity and hence lower the risk of non-influenza respiratory virus infection. In a randomized controlled trial of influenza vaccination, 1 330 children were followed-up in 2009–2011. Respiratory swabs were collected when they reported acute respiratory illness and tested against influenza and other respiratory viruses. We used Poisson regression to compare the incidence of non-influenza respiratory virus infection before and after influenza virus infection. Based on 52 children with influenza B virus infection, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of non-influenza respiratory virus infection after influenza virus infection was 0.47 (95% confidence interval: 0.27–0.82) compared with before infection. Simulation suggested that this IRR was 0.87 if the temporary protection did not exist. We identified a decreased risk of non-influenza respiratory virus infection after influenza B virus infection in children. Further investigation is needed to determine if this decreased risk could be attributed to temporary non-specific immunity acquired from influenza virus infection.

Point-particle direct numerical simulations have been employed to quantify the turbulence modulation and particle responses in a turbulent particle-laden jet in the two-way coupled regime with an inlet Reynolds number based on bulk velocity and jet diameter $({D_j})$ of ~10 000. The investigation focuses on three cases with inlet bulk Stokes numbers of 0.3, 1.4 and 11.2. Special care is taken to account for the particle–gas slip velocity and non-uniform particle concentrations at the nozzle outlet, enabling a reasonable prediction of particle velocity and concentration fields. Turbulence modulation is quantified by the variation of the gas-phase turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The presence of the particle phase is found to damp the gas-phase TKE in the near-field region within $5{D_j}$ from the inlet but subsequently increases the TKE in the intermediate region of (5–20)Dj. An analysis of the gas-phase TKE transport equation reveals that the direct impact of the particle phase is to dissipate TKE via the particle-induced source term. However, the finite inertia of the particle phase affects the gas-phase velocity gradients, which indirectly affects the TKE production and dissipation, leading to the observed TKE attenuation and enhancement. Particle response to the gas-phase flow is quantified. Particles are found to exhibit notably stronger response to the gas-phase axial velocity than to the radial velocity. A new dimensionless figure is presented that collapses both the axial and radial components of the particle response as a function of the local Stokes number based on their respective integral length scales.

Background: Brain-machine-interface research has utilized multichannel single neuron recordings to decode movement intention. However, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) contains mental representations of more abstract task and goal elements which may be utilized as important signals in a brain-machine-interface. We therefore utilized virtual reality to simulate a real-world task while recording from ensembles of primate PFC neurons. Methods: Two male rhesus macaques (macaca mulatta) were trained to navigate a virtual reality environment using a joystick and learn a context-object association rule. We implanted each monkey with two 96-channel Utah arrays (Blackrock Microsystems) in the lateral PFC (areas 9/46 and 8a) and simultaneously recorded from multiple single neurons. Results: A linear support-vector-machine decoded task elements (context, target location and chosen direction of movement) with significantly greater than chance accuracy. This information was decoded in a sequential manner as the primates made a rule-based decision, with context information appearing first, followed by target location, and chosen side. Conclusions: We found that different neuronal ensembles encode the elements needed for implementing the context rule, and that such ensembles are activated sequentially. Brain-machine-interface systems may benefit by integrating neural data from the PFC, providing salient goal-related information such as the content of the goal and its spatial location.

Former President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated vote-fraud claims following the 2020 presidential election divided the Republican Party. Numerous Republicans supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, others did not. These futile attempts reached a flashpoint during the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Even in the wake of such violence, many House Republicans continued to amplify Trump’s baseless claims by voting to exclude the election results from Arizona and Pennsylvania. This article analyzes these roll-call votes to determine the likely motivations for why some House Republicans were still willing to support Trump’s position following the Capitol riot. We then replicate our analysis with the January 13 impeachment and the May 19 vote to establish a bipartisan National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex (January 6 Commission) to investigate the insurrection. Our findings indicate the relevance of constituent preferences, Trump’s popularity, legislator ideology, and the racial diversity of constituents represented by Republicans.

Background: Establishing spatial correspondence between subject and template images is necessary in neuroimaging research and clinical applications. A point-based set of anatomical fiducials (AFIDs) was recently developed and validated to provide quantitative measures of image registration. We applied the AFIDs protocol to magnetic resonance images (MRIs) obtained from patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Methods: Two expert and three novice raters placed AFIDs on MRIs of 39 PD patients. Localization and registration errors were calculated. To investigate for unique morphometric features, pairwise distances between AFIDs were calculated and compared to 30 controls who previously had AFIDs placed. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests with Bonferroni corrections were used. Results: 6240 AFIDs were placed with a mean localization error (±SD) of 1.57mm±1.16mm and mean registration error of 3.34mm±1.94mm. Out of the 496 pairwise distances, 40 were statistically significant (p<0.05/496). PD patients had a decreased pairwise distance between the left temporal horn, brainstem and pineal gland. Conclusions: AFIDs can be successfully applied with millimetric accuracy in a clinical setting and utilized to provide localized and quantitative measures of registration error. AFIDs provide clinicians and researchers with a common, open framework for quality control and validation of spatial correspondence, facilitating accurate aggregation of imaging datasets and comparisons between various neurological conditions.

In different parts of the world, aphid populations and their natural enemies are influenced by landscapes and climate. In the Neotropical region, few long-term studies have been conducted, maintaining a gap for comprehension of the effect of meteorological variables on aphid population patterns and their parasitoids in field conditions. This study describes the general patterns of oscillation in cereal winged aphids and their parasitoids, selecting meteorological variables and evaluating their effects on these insects. Aphids exhibit two annual peaks, one in summer–fall transition and the other in winter-spring transition. For parasitoids, the highest annual peak takes place during winter and a second peak occurs in winter–spring transition. Temperature was the principal meteorological regulator of population fluctuation in winged aphids and parasitoids during the year. The favorable temperature range is not the same for aphids and parasitoids. For aphids, temperature increase resulted in population growth, with maximum positive effect at 25°C. Temperature also positively influenced parasitoid populations, but the growth was asymptotic around 20°C. Although rainfall showed no regulatory function on aphid seasonality, it influenced the final number of insects over the year. The response of aphids and parasitoids to temperature has implications for trophic compatibility and regulation of their populations. Such functions should be taken into account in predictive models.

This work introduces NexusLIMS, an electron microscopy laboratory information management system designed and implemented by the Office of Data and Informatics and the Materials Science and Engineering Division at NIST for a multi-user electron microscopy co-op facility. NexusLIMS comprises network infrastructure, shared information technology resources, a custom software package to harvest and extract experimental information and construct experimental metadata records, and an intuitive web-based user-facing interface for searching, browsing, and examining research data. These metadata records conform to the Nexus Experiment schema, which is introduced in this work. The NexusLIMS suite of tools requires minimal input and adjustments to user behavior, instead relying on existing organizational procedures and the collection of information from a multitude of sources to construct a complete picture and record of a research experiment. The underlying infrastructure and design considerations for a multi-user data management system are discussed. The core codebase for NexusLIMS is made publicly available alongside this work, and its modular design encourages the adaptation of the presented methods at other research organizations.

Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.