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The effect of changes in blade geometry on the viscous losses in turbomachines is analyzed. The viscous losses can be expressed as a function of three variables: the blade height-to spacing ratio, the solidity, and a blade-height Reynolds number. A method of optimizing the number of blades and the solidity is given. The effect of trailing-edge blockage on blade loss and its effect on the choice of blade number for a particular design are also discussed.

"A Genetic Analysis of the Changes Produced by Selection in Experiments with Tobacco" is an article from The American Naturalist, Volume 48 . View more articles from The American Naturalist . View this article on JSTOR . View this article's JSTOR metadata . You may also retrieve all of this items metadata in JSON at the following URL: https://archive.org/metadata/jstor-2456241

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This article is from BMC Neurology , volume 14 . Abstract Background: We analyzed the frequency of heart rate (HR) changes related to seizures, and we sought to identify the influencing factors of these changes during partial seizures, to summarize the regularity of the HR changes and gain some insight into the mechanisms involved in the neuronal regulation of cardiovascular function. To date, detailed information on influencing factors of HR changes related to seizures by multiple linear regression analysis remains scarce. Methods: Using video-electroencephalograph (EEG)-electrocardiograph (ECG) recordings, we retrospectively assessed the changes in the HR of 81 patients during a total of 181 seizures, including 27 simple partial seizures (SPS), 110 complex partial seizures (CPS) and 44 complex partial seizures secondarily generalized (CPS-G). The epileptogenic focus and the seizure type, age, gender, and sleep/wakefulness state of each patient were evaluated during and after the seizure onset. The HR changes were evaluated in the stage of epilepsy as time varies. Results: Of the 181 seizures from 81 patients with ictal ECGs, 152 seizures (83.98%) from 74 patients were accompanied by ictal tachycardia (IT). And only 1 patient was accompanied by ictal bradycardia (IB). A patient has both IT and IB. We observed that HR difference was independently correlated with side, type and sleep/wakefulness state. In this analysis, the HR changes were related to the side, gender, seizure type, and sleep/wakefulness state. Right focus, male, sleep, and CPS-G showed more significant increases than that were observed in left, female, wakefulness, SPS and CPS. HR increases rapidly within 10 seconds before seizure onset and ictus, and typically slows to normal with seizure offset. Conclusion: CPS-G, sleep and right focus led to higher ictal HR. The HR in the stage of epilepsy has regularly been observed to change to become time-varying. The risk factors of ictal HR need to be controlled along with sleep, CPS-G and right focus. Our study first explains that the HR in seizures has a regular evolution varying with time. Our study might help to further clarify the basic mechanisms of interactions between heart and brain, making seizure detection and closed-loop systems a possible therapeutic alternative in refractory patients.

This article is from Journal of Bone and Mineral Research , volume 26 . Abstract The biomechanical mechanisms underlying sex-specific differences in age-related vertebral fracture rates are ill defined. To gain insight into this issue, we used finite element analysis of clinical computed tomography (CT) scans of the vertebral bodies of L3 and T10 of young and old men and women to assess age- and sex-related differences in the strength of the whole vertebra, the trabecular compartment, and the peripheral compartment (the outer 2 mm of vertebral bone, including the thin cortical shell). We sought to determine whether structural and geometric changes with age differ in men and women, making women more susceptible to vertebral fractures. As expected, we found that vertebral strength decreased with age 2-fold more in women than in men. The strength of the trabecular compartment declined significantly with age for both sexes, whereas the strength of the peripheral compartment decreased with age in women but was largely maintained in men. The proportion of mechanical strength attributable to the peripheral compartment increased with age in both sexes and at both vertebral levels. Taken together, these results indicate that men and women lose vertebral bone differently with age, particularly in the peripheral (cortical) compartment. This differential bone loss explains, in part, a greater decline in bone strength in women and may contribute to the higher incidence of vertebral fractures among women than men. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

This article is from BMC Microbiology , volume 13 . Abstract Background: For a long time, Enterococcus faecium was considered a harmless commensal of the mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract and was used as a probiotic in fermented foods. In recent decades, E. faecium has been recognised as an opportunistic pathogen that causes diseases such as neonatal meningitis, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, bacterial endocarditis and diverticulitis. E. faecium could be taken into space with astronauts and exposed to the space environment. Thus, it is necessary to observe the phenotypic and molecular changes of E. faecium after spaceflight. Results: An E. faecium mutant with biochemical features that are different from those of the wild-type strain was obtained from subculture after flight on the SHENZHOU-8 spacecraft. To understand the underlying mechanism causing these changes, the whole genomes of both the mutant and the WT strains were sequenced using Illumina technology. The genomic comparison revealed that dprA, a recombination-mediator gene, and arpU, a gene associated with cell wall growth, were mutated. Comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses showed that differentially expressed genes or proteins were involved with replication, recombination, repair, cell wall biogenesis, glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, predicted general function and energy production/conversion. Conclusion: This study analysed the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic changes of an E. faecium mutant from subcultures that were loaded on the SHENZHOU-8 spacecraft. The implications of these gene mutations and expression changes and their underlying mechanisms should be investigated in the future. We hope that the current exploration of multiple “-omics” analyses of this E. faecium mutant will provide clues for future studies on this opportunistic pathogen.

This research project aims to answer the key research question: “To what extent are changes in early and peak lower-body isometric performance associated with changes in sprint, jump and change-of-direction (COD) (henceforth referred to as explosive lower body actions, or ELBA) performance after training interventions?” Its secondary aim is to identify whether this association is moderated by age, sex or training intervention. To answer these questions, a systematic search for all peer-reviewed training studies, of at least four weeks duration, which employed isometric and ELBA assessment pre- and post- intervention, will be conducted. Results from the selected studies will be meta-meta-analysed to identify the level of association between changes in isometric performance and changes in ELBA performance, and whether moderating effects exist for age, sex or type of training intervention. This work builds upon that of James et al. (2024), who showed with meta-analysis that changes in lower-body isometric strength are not associated with changes in lower-body dynamic strength. Given that changes in isometric performance are not associated with changes in dynamic strength, and there is less dynamic correspondence between isometric tests and ELBAs than isometric tests and dynamic strength, it is hypothesised that no statistically significant relationship will exist between changes in isometric performance and ELBA performance, regardless of age, sex or intervention type.

This article is from Molecular Autism , volume 5 . Abstract Background: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired language, communication and social skills. Although genetic studies have been carried out in this field, none of the genes identified have led to an explanation of the underlying causes. Here, we have investigated molecular alterations by proteomic profiling of post mortem brain samples from autism patients and controls. The analysis focussed on prefrontal cortex and cerebellum as previous studies have found that these two brain regions are structurally and functionally connected, and they have been implicated in autism. Methods: Post mortem prefrontal cortex and cerebellum samples from autism patients and matched controls were analysed using selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SRM-MS). The main objective was to identify significantly altered proteins and biological pathways and to compare these across these two brain regions. Results: Targeted SRM-MS resulted in identification of altered levels of proteins related to myelination, synaptic vesicle regulation and energy metabolism. This showed decreased levels of the immature astrocyte marker vimentin in both brain regions, suggesting a decrease in astrocyte precursor cells. Also, decreased levels of proteins associated with myelination and increased synaptic and energy-related proteins were found in the prefrontal cortex, indicative of increased synaptic connectivity. Finally, opposite directional changes were found for myelination and synaptic proteins in the cerebellum. Conclusion: These findings suggest altered structural and/or functional connectivity in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in autism patients, as shown by opposite effects on proteins involved in myelination and synaptic function. Further investigation of these findings could help to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying autism relating to brain connectivity, with the ultimate aim of facilitating novel therapeutic approaches.

Time-sequence aerial photos often constitute the only source of data to determine past shoreline changes. This report presents a method for obtaining shoreline change data from base maps constructed from time-sequence sets of aerial photos, with the image of the aerial photos superimposed at the constant scale of each base map. Shoreline position and other features of interest, such as vegetation line location and orientation of breaking wave crests near the coast, etc., are then traced on each base map. A comparison of each base map from the different sets of aerial photos will provide shoreline change data through time. (Author)

Quantitative analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and driving forces of regional fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) is of great significance for promoting urban ecological protection and high-quality development. This study utilized the GEE platform and Landsat series remote sensing data to invert the FVC of Foshan City from 2001 to 2020 based on a pixel binary model. The spatial pattern and spatiotemporal variation characteristics were analyzed, and combined with meteorological, topographic, and land use data of the same period in the region, Sen +Mann Kendall trend analysis and parameter optimal geographic detector model were used to analyze its driving factors. The results showed that: 1. From 2001 to 2020, the overall vegetation coverage showed a slight downward trend (with a reduction rate of 2.87%), and the average vegetation coverage over the years was 51.53%, indicating that the vegetation coverage in the study area was generally at a moderate level. In terms of spatial distribution, the overall vegetation coverage shows a pattern of "high in the northwest and low in the southeast," with significant regional differences, and the types are mainly moderate and low vegetation coverage. 2. The proportion of vegetation improvement areas in the research area is 49.53%, which is larger than the area of degraded areas. 3. In the detection of driving factors, land use type is the main driving factor with an average explanatory power of 61.25%, while vegetation, topography, precipitation, and altitude are secondary driving factors; The explanatory power (Q value) of the interaction between each factor is higher than that of a single factor, showing a synergistic and nonlinear enhancement relationship between two factors.

Quantitative analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and driving forces of regional fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) is of great significance for promoting urban ecological protection and high-quality development. This study utilized the GEE platform and Landsat series remote sensing data to invert the FVC of Foshan City from 2001 to 2020 based on a pixel binary model. The spatial pattern and spatiotemporal variation characteristics were analyzed, and combined with meteorological, topographic, and land use data of the same period in the region, Sen +Mann Kendall trend analysis and parameter optimal geographic detector model were used to analyze its driving factors. The results showed that: 1. From 2001 to 2020, the overall vegetation coverage showed a slight downward trend (with a reduction rate of 2.87%), and the average vegetation coverage over the years was 51.53%, indicating that the vegetation coverage in the study area was generally at a moderate level. In terms of spatial distribution, the overall vegetation coverage shows a pattern of "high in the northwest and low in the southeast," with significant regional differences, and the types are mainly moderate and low vegetation coverage. 2. The proportion of vegetation improvement areas in the research area is 49.53%, which is larger than the area of degraded areas. 3. In the detection of driving factors, land use type is the main driving factor with an average explanatory power of 61.25%, while vegetation, topography, precipitation, and altitude are secondary driving factors; The explanatory power (Q value) of the interaction between each factor is higher than that of a single factor, showing a synergistic and nonlinear enhancement relationship between two factors.

This article is from The Journal of Cell Biology , volume 204 . Abstract The open source MATLAB application CellGeo is a user-friendly computational platform that allows simultaneous, automated tracking and analysis of dynamic changes in cell shape, including protrusions ranging from filopodia to lamellipodia to growth cones.

This article is from PLoS ONE , volume 9 . Abstract Background: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is thought to lead to fetal programming that in turn contributes to developmental changes of many organs postnatally. There is evidence that IUGR is a risk factor for the development of metabolic and cardiovascular disease later in life. A higher incidence of breast cancer was also observed after IUGR. This could be due to changes in mammary gland developmental pathways. We sought to characterise IUGR-induced alterations of the complex pathways of mammary development at the level of the transcriptome in a rat model of IUGR, using pathways analysis bioinformatics. Methodology/Principal Findings: We analysed the mammary glands of Wistar rats with IUGR induced by maternal low protein (LP) diet at the beginning (d21) and the end (d28) of pubertal ductal morphogenesis. Mammary glands of the LP group were smaller in size at d28, however did not show morphologic changes. We identified multiple differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland using Agilent SurePrint arrays at d21 and d28. In silico analysis was carried out using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis. In mammary gland tissue of LP rats at d21 of life a prominent upregulation of WT1 and CDKN1A (p21) expression was observed. Differentially regulated genes were associated with the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK)-1/-2 pathway. Western Blot analysis showed reduced levels of phosphorylated ERK-1/-2 in the mammary glands of the LP group at d21. To identify possible changes in circulating steroid levels, serum LC-Tandem mass-spectrometry was performed. LP rats showed higher serum progesterone levels and an increased corticosterone/dehydrocorticosterone-ratio at d28. Conclusions/Significance: Our data obtained from gene array analysis support the hypothesis that IUGR influences pubertal development of the rat mammary gland. We identified prominent differential regulation of genes and pathways for factors regulating cell cycle and growth. Moreover, we detected new pathways which appear to be programmed by IUGR.

This article is from Frontiers in Plant Science , volume 5 . Abstract At the molecular level the plant cell walls consist of a few nanometer thick semi-crystalline cellulose fibrils embedded in amorphous matrix polymers such as pectins, hemicelluloses, and lignins. The arrangement of these molecules within the cell wall in different plant tissues, cells and cell wall layers is of crucial importance for a better understanding and thus optimized utilization of plant biomass. During the last years Confocal Raman microscopy evolved as a powerful method in plant science by revealing the different molecules in context with the microstructure. In this study two-dimensional spectral maps have been acquired of micro-cross-sections of spruce (softwood) and beech (hardwood). Raman images have been derived by using univariate (band integration, height ratios) and multivariate methods [vertex component analysis (VCA)]. While univariate analysis only visualizes changes in selected band heights or areas, VCA separates anatomical regions and cell wall layers with the most different molecular structures. Beside visualization of the distinguished regions and features the underlying molecular structure can be derived based on the endmember spectra. VCA revealed that the lumen sided S3 layer has a similar molecular composition as the pit membrane, both revealing a clear change in lignin composition compared to all other cell wall regions. Within the S2 layer a lamellar structure was visualized, which was elucidated to derive from slight changes in lignin composition and content and might be due to successive but not uniform lignification during growth.

This article is from Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research , volume 45 . Abstract Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a very common gastritis and one of the major precursor lesions of gastric cancer, one of the most common cancers worldwide. The molecular mechanism underlying CAG is unclear, but its elucidation is essential for the prevention and early detection of gastric cancer and appropriate intervention. A combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry was used in the present study to analyze the differentially expressed proteins. Samples from 21 patients (9 females and 12 males; mean age: 61.8 years) were used. We identified 18 differentially expressed proteins in CAG compared with matched normal mucosa. Eight proteins were up-regulated and 10 down-regulated in CAG when compared with the same amounts of proteins in individually matched normal gastric mucosa. Two novel proteins, proteasome activator subunit 1 (PSME1), which was down-regulated in CAG, and ribosomal protein S12 (RPS12), which was up-regulated in CAG, were further investigated. Their expression was validated by Western blot and RT-PCR in 15 CAG samples matched with normal mucosa. The expression level of RPS12 was significantly higher in CAG than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). In contrast, the expression level of PSME1 in CAG was significantly lower than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). This study clearly demonstrated that there are some changes in protein expression between CAG and normal mucosa. In these changes, down-regulation of PSME1 and up-regulation of RPS12 could be involved in the development of CAG. Thus, the differentially expressed proteins might play important roles in CAG as functional molecules.

In 1980 the Sendero Luminoso insurgency led by Abimael Guzman Reynoso initiated its armed struggle in the Andes of the Peruvian rural areas. From 1980 to 1999 the Sendero Luminoso generated chaos and violence in the country utilizing different procedures and tactics. Abimael Guzman was captured in 1992 and Sendero Luminoso's influence began to decrease. After 1999 the Sendero Luminoso withdrew to remote areas and Comrade Victor Quispe Palomino took the lead with new tactics, techniques, and procedures and providing security to the drug cartels. The Peruvian Army trained to conventional warfare in the 80's began its counterinsurgency operations with some mistakes learning counterinsurgency tactics in response to the advance of insurgents attacks. In 2001 the interim government of Agustin Paniagua deactivated the Peruvian National Intelligence System, and moved the counterinsurgency military bases to the cities concluding that the Sendero Luminoso was close to defeat. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the counterinsurgency doctrinal changes that the Peruvian Army learned from the Sendero Luminoso insurgency from 2001 to 2013.

This study used Markov chain matrices to simulate the effect of varying degrees of change in student characteristics on retention and graduation rates. Data were applied to a 1-year enrollment transition matrix that tracks how students of each class level progress into the same or higher class levels, to a completed degree, or to non-returning status. The results indicated that there are large, initial differences in graduation rates according to grade-point average (GPA) and course credit-load differences among students. Despite the strong association between grades and retention, this analysis indicated that even a 25 percent upward shift in grade distribution increased the total graduation rate by only 2.4 percent. A shift in 25 percent of students toward higher credit-load categories resulted in a total increase in the graduation rate of less than 1 percent. The simulation demonstrates that even significant changes in the distribution of students by GPA and course credit-load do not yield significant changes in graduation rates. (MDM)

With the rapid growth of the economy and the acceleration of urbanization, the scarcity of land resources has become increasingly prominent, and changes in land use types have become a hot research topic. This study takes Zhenjiang City in Jiangsu Province as an example, using land use data from 2000, 2010, and 2020, and combining ArcGIS with three methods: land use transfer matrix, dynamic degree, and standard deviation ellipse, to analyze the spatiotemporal changes and transfer amounts of land use types in the past two decades. The results indicate that firstly, the land use types in Zhenjiang are cropland, construction land, forests, and water bodies, with the specific area being cropland&gt;construction land&gt;forests&gt;water bodies&gt;wetlands&gt;grasslands. Secondly, forests are distributed in the southwest and northwest of Zhenjiang; wetlands are distributed in the north; water bodies are distributed in the north and central western regions; and construction land is distributed in the north and central regions. Thirdly, in the past two decades, the single land use dynamic degree of construction land has been the highest, at 17.27%, indicating the largest change in area and rapid urban extension in Zhenjiang. The center of gravity of construction land has undergone significant changes, showing a shift from northeast to southwest.

The U.S. Federal Government spends greater than $150 billion every year on services, making it one of the world's largest purchasers. Because of the large monetary value and the vast number of public- and private-sector jobs involved, the decision of who is the best provider of these services is an important and often highly charged issue. This article intends to improve understanding of the significance of the recent changes made to the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Circular A-76 entitled, Performance of Commercial Activities. It also intends to offer insight into industry's perspective on the revised process. OMB's Circular A-76 establishes federal policy for the competition of commercial activities. It embodies the long-standing policy of the Federal Government to rely on the private sector for needed commercial services to ensure that the American people receive the maximum value for their tax dollars. Maximum value is attained through the introduction of competition; when forced to compete, government and commercial service providers streamline their operations and improve efficiency. It is this improved efficiency that has yielded significant savings and increased preparedness. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the recent changes made to A-76, the old process (pre-May 2003) is compared and contrasted to the new process (post-May 2003). To capture data relating to how industry views the latest changes to the A-76 process, the researcher interviewed a businessman from an industry familiar with the government's outsourcing policies. The individual selected for study is a Vice President for Business Development at a major corporation. The 40-minute interview was conducted via telephone and recorded. The interview transcript was then studied using qualitative analysis techniques. What emerged were three themes revealing the interviewee's opinion and attitude towards the revised A-76 process.

Previous MRI studies in MS have retrospectively analyzed normal-appearing brain tissue in locations where typical MS lesions ultimately appeared, finding pre-lesional changes in several MRI metrics. However, studies have not been entirely consistent and the development of a prototypical MS lesion cannot as yet be prospectively predicted. The primary objective of this project is to validate the preactive lesion hypothesis in MS by identifying the spatiotemporal imaging signature of white matter destined to undergo acute, focal inflammation and demyelinationspecifically, one that will allow reliable, prospective detection of nascent lesions before they appear on conventional (non-quantitative) imaging. The specific aim is to acquire a longitudinal set of quantitative MRI metrics in MS patients and perform a multivariate spatiotemporal analysis of pre-lesional, normal-appearing white matter, seeking spatially clustered interval changes that presage the appearance of a typical MS plaque. Over the past year, the quantitative MRI protocol has been developed and optimized; enrollment and scanning of subjects is awaiting IRB approval of the study protocol, which is imminent.

A special survey of South Los Angeles (predominantly Negro) and East Los Angeles (predominantly Mexican-American) was taken by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in November, 1965, and the results were compared with 1960 census statistics. Although total population declined in both areas, further "ghettoization" took place as percentages of major culture groups increased. Housing conditions and family status deteriorated in both areas. Increases were shown in women heads of households and children living in one-parent homes. Unemployment rates decreased slightly, but not in keeping with the nationwide drop in unemployment. Although median family income increased slightly in both areas, purchasing power fell significantly at a time when real income in both the nation and the west increased. In addition to widespread problems of education and job preparation, cultural discrimination was a major problem in South and East Los Angeles. (JH)

This study is an analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) School Questionnaire administered across three grade levels (grades 4, 8, and 12) during the 1987-88 school year. The data obtained from the school questionnaire represent one level of NAEP's data collection activities, in addition to the teacher questionnaires and the various student assessments. The analysis was based on an investigation of the relationships between policy changes and school climate, measured both by a composite scaled score and by individual questionnaire items, and individual grouping variables defining school poverty, school size, community type, and ethnicity. The results show a fairly consistent pattern of relationships among policy changes and school climate both in terms of both how schools ranked on the various grouping dimensions and the results of analysis of variance and chi-square statistical tests. In terms of policy change, reported changes occurred more frequently in large, urban disadvantaged schools with predominantly non-white populations. Similarly, the reporting of school-related problems (such as absenteeism and tardiness) comprising the school climate score tended to be more prevalent in bigger city schools containing large minority and less advantaged populations. The results suggest that reform is occurring in those schools where it is needed most. Four data tables are included. (Author/TJH)

An investigation of the thermal signatures of natural objects is undertaken. Using the principle of energy balance, diurnal temperature models are developed for the ground, a vehicle (such as a tank), and the leaves of a tree. These models are included in a computer program designed to simulate daily variations in conductive, radiative, and convective heat transfer processes. Environmental conditions are changed by altering the program inputs, which include; latitude, day, wind speed, mean air temperature, cloud type, total insolation, absolute and relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and particular concentration. The program is iterated for several values of a single parameter such as one of the environmental inputs, or one of 21 physical characteristics of the models (for example; ground reflectivity, tank thickness, or leaf transpiration rate). There are two types of output from the program; simultaneous plots of the temperatures of all the models for a 30-hour period, and curves representing 24-hour periods of the temperature difference (Delta-T) between the tank and the ground. The effects of changing a parameter are analyzed by comparing the various Delta-T curves.

In this project, we aim to test whether different purportedly interrelated emotional and cognitive mechanisms predict changes in daily life affective states that are characteristic of individuals with specific affective symptomatology, such as depression and anxiety (i.e., decreased positive and increased negative affects). Concretely, we will analyse between- and within-individual differences in emotional reactivity, the frequency of use of emotion regulation strategies (namely, positive and negative rumination, dampening and reappraisal), and emotional preference and their temporal associations as plausible mechanisms that predict changes in positive and negative emotions in daily life. To achieve this, these variables will be measured both using controlled laboratory measures (through eye tracking measures in experimental tasks) and ecological assessments (daily momentary self-report assessments through Experience Sampling Methods, ESM), thus using an integrative experimental and ecological rigorous methodological design.

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Landsat (30 meter resolution) image analysis over the past 25 years in Kings Canyon National Park was used to track changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Results showed that NDVI values from the wet year of 2010 were significantly lower than NDVI values from the comparatively dry year of 2013 in the majority of meadow areas in the National Park.

This report describes the use of several personnel flow models as applied to anticipated large scale work force changes in U.S. Navy shipyards. The first applications show how simple personnel flow models can be developed using spreadsheet software or a microcomputer. The final application shows the use of a mainframe based 'flexible' flow model to include the effects of internal staffing decisions. Keywords: Personnel flow models; Job analysis; Personnel statistical data; Manpower requirements; Recruiting requirements.

This thesis analyzes two U. S. Marine Corps permanent changes of station (PCS) policy alternatives that, if initiated, could save millions of dollars. The analysis examines the quantitative and qualitative effects of: (1) increasing tour lengths for billets within the Continental United States (CONUS) ; and, (2) increasing lengths of unaccompanied overseas a billet tours. Longer tours mean fewer PCS moves and less expense; however, until now, no formal analysis has gone beyond the 'back of the envelope' to find how much can be saved. A financial analysis of the proposed policy changes finds that an unconstrained implementation of the alternatives could reduce the U. S. Marine Corps personnel budget by: (1) $13 million for longer CONUS tours; and, (2) $34 million for longer unaccompanied overseas tours. A PCS movement simulation using the Markov Chain Model finds that extending the unaccompanied overseas billet tours is a superior alternative to both current policy and the proposed change to CONUS tours. However, statistical analysis of data obtained from the 1993 Marine Corps Quality of Life Survey infers that a longer unaccompanied overseas tour may harm readiness.

During the past decade, Congress has passed legislation in an attempt to improve federal accounting practices. Furthermore, the Office of Management and Budget standardized the format for federal entities to follow in preparing their annual financial statements. The central objective of this study was to analyze the patterns over time in federal financial ratios created from data contained in these annual statements. The study examined the form and content of the new federal financial statements and developed and applied a framework of 31 financial ratios to the FY 1998, 1999 and 2000 financial statements of 22 of the 24 federal entities affected by the CFO Act of 1990. It analyzed ratio values in order to answer: (1) What patterns in financial ratio values exist across the various entities of the federal government? (2) What changes occur in federal entities' financial ratios over time? (3) What growth trends exist in financial ratios over time, and how consistent are those trends? (4) How stable are the financial ratios? (5) How do the various financial ratios correlate to one another, and how stable are these ratio relationships over time? Although there exists no strong evidence for overall trends in federal financial ratios, the ratios are informative in the sense that they discriminate both between the entities and across time; if differences exist between the financial conditions of the entities, or if changes in a particular entity's financial condition occur over time, the ratios will detect them.

This article is from PLoS ONE , volume 9 . Abstract The purpose of this work was to highlight the neurological differences between the MR resting state networks of a group of children with ADHD (pre-treatment) and an age-matched healthy group. Results were obtained using different image analysis techniques. A sample of n = 46 children with ages between 6 and 12 years were included in this study (23 per cohort). Resting state image analysis was performed using ReHo, ALFF and ICA techniques. ReHo and ICA represent connectivity analyses calculated with different mathematical approaches. ALFF represents an indirect measurement of brain activity. The ReHo and ICA analyses suggested differences between the two groups, while the ALFF analysis did not. The ReHo and ALFF analyses presented differences with respect to the results previously reported in the literature. ICA analysis showed that the same resting state networks that appear in healthy volunteers of adult age were obtained for both groups. In contrast, these networks were not identical when comparing the healthy and ADHD groups. These differences affected areas for all the networks except the Right Memory Function network. All techniques employed in this study were used to monitor different cerebral regions which participate in the phenomenological characterization of ADHD patients when compared to healthy controls. Results from our three analyses indicated that the cerebellum and mid-frontal lobe bilaterally for ReHo, the executive function regions in ICA, and the precuneus, cuneus and the clacarine fissure for ALFF, were the “hubs” in which the main inter-group differences were found. These results do not just help to explain the physiology underlying the disorder but open the door to future uses of these methodologies to monitor and evaluate patients with ADHD.

This article is from PLoS Computational Biology , volume 9 . Abstract ATP regulates the function of many proteins in the cell by transducing its binding and hydrolysis energies into protein conformational changes by mechanisms which are challenging to identify at the atomic scale. Based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, a method is proposed to analyze the structural changes induced by ATP binding to a protein by computing the effective free-energy landscape (FEL) of a subset of its coordinates along its amino-acid sequence. The method is applied to characterize the mechanism by which the binding of ATP to the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of Hsp70 propagates a signal to its substrate-binding domain (SBD). Unbiased MD simulations were performed for Hsp70-DnaK chaperone in nucleotide-free, ADP-bound and ATP-bound states. The simulations revealed that the SBD does not interact with the NBD for DnaK in its nucleotide-free and ADP-bound states whereas the docking of the SBD was found in the ATP-bound state. The docked state induced by ATP binding found in MD is an intermediate state between the initial nucleotide-free and final ATP-bound states of Hsp70. The analysis of the FEL projected along the amino-acid sequence permitted to identify a subset of 27 protein internal coordinates corresponding to a network of 91 key residues involved in the conformational change induced by ATP binding. Among the 91 residues, 26 are identified for the first time, whereas the others were shown relevant for the allosteric communication of Hsp70 s in several experiments and bioinformatics analysis. The FEL analysis revealed also the origin of the ATP-induced structural modifications of the SBD recently measured by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. The pathway between the nucleotide-free and the intermediate state of DnaK was extracted by applying principal component analysis to the subset of internal coordinates describing the transition. The methodology proposed is general and could be applied to analyze allosteric communication in other proteins.

The WBGT index is a common method to evaluate heat stress in the workplaces based on human physiological responses to environmental conditions. This systematic and meta-analysis study was aimed to estimate the mean value of the WBGT index in industries. The search protocol of this study was carried out according to PRISMA checklist. According to the heterogeneity of studies, a meta-analysis was done using a random effects model. The total value of WBGT index in the world according to this study was obtained 28.92 °C (95% CI: 28. 49–29. 35). The results regarding the fixed effect analysis showed that, average WBGT index before and after 2010, was estimated to be 26.63 °C (95% CI: 26.53–26.73) and 29.78 °C (95% CI: 29.71–29.85), respectively. The mean value of WBGT index in the men and women participants were 29.42 and 24.26 °C, respectively. The finding indicated that the average value of WBGT index is rising over time. The reason for this may be attributed to global warming or lack of proper physical work condition in these environments. It would be alarming for the workers who worked in outdoor environments or hot operating conditions.

Understanding response of streamflow to environmental changes is crucial for large-scale water resources management and ecosystem restoration. There is no consensus on how environmental change influence streamflow in different regions across climate gradient, as previous studies mainly focused on a single river basin or climate region. This study analyzed the variations of aridity index and its contributions to streamflow change based on Budyko's framework approach using bias-corrected precipitation measurement, parameters-optimized potential evapotranspiration and observed streamflow in 144 basins across China. The parameter n in the Budyko type equation exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity, with larger values in the water-limited region than in the energy-limited region, which suggests more pronounced impact of basin characteristic or vegetation change on hydrological cycle. The absolute value of sensitivity coefficient in the water-limited region (−2.56) was larger than both equitant (−2.13) and energy limited region (−1.57), indicating that the streamflow was more sensitive to aridity index change in the water-limited region than in the equitant and energy-limited regions. The dominant factor affecting streamflow under energy-limited and equitant conditions is aridity index (i.e. climate change), with median relative contribution rates of 79.9% and 55.5%, respectively. In contrast, non-climatic factors dominate the variation of streamflow in the water-limited region, the effect of climate change on streamflow has been offset by other factors. This study suggests that the water management practices, such as water diversion across river basins and ecological restorations, should fully consider the differences in hydrological responses to climatic conditions.

India is on the verge of a revolutionary change in its indirect tax system, with the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (‘GST’). With the introduction of GST from 1st July, 2017 there is a state of silent ambiguity about the changes that the proposed GST will bring in the price levels of Goods and Services in our country. This paper is an attempt to analyse the impact that the proposed GST is likely to have upon the prices of some commonly used Goods, and also the price level changes under the new regime of taxation on a forecast basis.

1. Introduction The need to energy for doing economic activities, and meeting the growing population demand have increased in the recent years. Energy consumption is a prerequisite for economic progress in societies, and its increasing consumption has led to environmental problems, the most important of which is air pollution emissions resulting  from fossil fuel combustion. Due to the wide range of effects of air pollution on local to planetary scales, identifying the factors affecting pollution like carbon dioxide and determining the share of each can be a guide for environmental management in any country. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate and analyze the share of factors affecting the emissions of air pollution in Iran. The innovation of this study is emphasizing on the effect of urbanization along with population growth on air pollution. There are many theories about the effect of urbanization on the environment. Some believe that urbanization is an important factor in increasing environmental pollution and climate change. Others believe that urbanization is a factor in improving the quality of the environment due to high efficiency in energy consumption, and can lead to air pollution reduction. In this study, the amount of CO2 emissions is considered as an indicator of air pollution, and the impacts of factors including population change, urbanization growth and energy intensity on CO2 emissions changes in Iran is analyzed during the period 1997 -2016. 2. Study Area In Iran, per capita carbon dioxide emissions in 2014 was equal to 8.4 metric tons, and its emission growth during 1990-2014 was about 127 percent, i.e., more than doubled (World Bank, 2014). Energy consumption and energy intensity in Iran have decreased in some years due to the relatively low increase in energy consumption compared to the urban population and have increased in some other years. Considering increasing energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions have increased by the whole economy. 3. Materials and Methods The first method (IPAT) for analyzing the main factors of environmental degradation is determined by the destructive effect on the environment (I), multiplied by population (P), economic prosperity in terms of the level of production or consumption (A), and technology as the environmental effect of economic activity (T). Some studies replaced the concept of IPAT with IMPACT. In IMPACT model, technology is divided into two parts; the term technology (T) and another term in the sense of energy relative to GDP (C). In this study, complete decomposition method was used to analyze the factors affecting the emission changes. Four factors have been selected in this study: the pollution coefficient effect, energy intensity effect, population structure (urbanization) effect, and population effect. The pollution coefficient effect is determined by the rate of carbon dioxide emission and energy consumption, which is called the carbon dioxide emission intensity. This variable evaluates fuel quality, fuel change (fuel replacement), and the installation of pollution reduction technologies. The energy intensity of urban household effect is determined by the rate of energy consumption and urban population. The energy consumption is mostly related to some variables such as economic and urban structure, transportation efficiency and energy systems of the city, energy use technologies, energy prices, energy saving policy and investment to reduce energy consumption. Urbanization effect is determined by the ratio of urbanization to population. This coefficient measures the relative position of the urban and rural population in an economy and changes with the evolution of urban structure. The population effect is expressed in the size of the total population in an economy. 4. Results and Discussion The results show that the effect of carbon intensity is the most important factor influencing on the increase of carbon emissions. This shows that fossil fuels are widely used, and substitution for clean fuels and pollution reduction technologies in the economy are low. During the considered period, the energy consumption of the urban population has decreased. Decreases in the energy intensity can be due to increased energy efficiency, acceptance of new manufacturing technologies, reduced use of fossil fuels, or changes in fossil energy prices. Despite the declining energy consumption of the urban population, there is still great potential for reducing energy intensity due to the gap in the production process, technology, and level of management. In the whole period of 1997 to 2016, both population and urbanization changes have increased the emissions of carbon dioxide. Urbanization has contributed 52% to carbon emissions change over the entire period. Although urbanization has had a declining effect on carbon emissions between 2007 and 2011, it has had a positive effect throughout the whole period. So, it can be said that the expansion of urbanization in Iran is a factor in increasing air pollution. In previous studies done on Iran, less attention has been paid to the effect of these two variables, and more attention has been paid to the effect of economic growth and the structure of society's products. 5. Conclusion Considering the rapid growth of industrial activities and urbanization, the consumption of different types of energy plays an important role in influencing the local environment and changing the global climate. Increasing environmental degradation at the local, national and global levels has raised policymakers' concerns about the side effects of energy consumption and related social welfare. Recognizing the important factors influencing on pollution emissions, and determining the share of each can help in better dealing with this environmental problem. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting changes in carbon dioxide emissions with emphasis on two important factors of demographic change and urbanization in Iran. For data analysis, the computational model of decomposition analysis has been used. The results show that both population and urbanization have played an important role in increasing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. According to the results, strategies such as reducing pollution by changing fuel and switching to cleaner energy, implementing energy optimization plans and upgrading equipment technology, guiding household consumption toward improving fuel consumption patterns, and enforcing pricing and incentive policies should be considered for carbon decrease and sustainable development.

To assess the long-term impacts of adult literacy programs, the Center for Literacy Studies conducted the Longitudinal Study of Adult Literacy Participants in Tennessee from 1991-95. The study focused on changes in the lives of 450 participants in the domains of work, family, and community after they enrolled in literacy programs. Participants from three cohorts (1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94) were enrolled at literacy Level One, and their initial scores on the Adult Basic Learning Exam reading test were below the sixth-grade level. Follow-up studies were administered annually through 1995, although the number of participants who could be located diminished each year. Results were analyzed from the responses of 199 adults from the 3 cohorts who took part in a follow-up interview approximately 1 year after their initial enrollment. The 116 questions dealt with employment, literacy practices, involvement with children's schooling, community awareness, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Participants reported positive change on at least one item in each category, including a higher rate of employment, increased self-esteem, increased involvement in community organizations, and increases in some uses of literacy. Data showed no significant changes in community awareness or in how people felt about their community; no greater likelihood of attending community meetings or talking about politics; no significant increase in reading or in involvement in children's education; and few significant changes in life satisfaction. (Contains 16 references.) (YLB)

Cephalometry is one of the most important complementary exams in the diagnosis and planning of orthodontic, surgical, speech therapy, otorhinolaryngology and facial orthopedic treatments. The lateral cephalogram used for cephalometry can also assess the maturation of the cervical vertebrae to complement the diagnosis of bone age, orofacial dysfunction and changes in the Upper Airway (UAS). Due to the technological evolution for obtaining and interpreting images and with the emergence of software that are auxiliary in the diagnosis of orofacial alterations, the objective of this work was to develop diagnostic hypotheses and suggestions for treatments of dentomaxillofacial alterations , from comparisons of IT data. four commonly used cephalometric techniques. The software used for the analysis of the images was Cefanalis ® and the parameters Cephalometric measurements were obtained using the techniques of Jarabak , McNamara , Ricketts and USP. The advantage of having four analyzes gathered in a single software and the possibility of making cephalometric tracings of each of these techniques in combination allows the orthodontist to perform the entire procedure in his own office. More than the cephalometric tracing itself, it is possible to elaborate diagnostic hypotheses for each of the listed measures and treatment proposals for each of the changes in normality. The findings of this study made it possible to complement the data for an accurate diagnosis performed by professionals who use CCom .

Army installation managers and planners have limited sources of scientifically reliable information that can be used to examine potential climate impacts on local flora and fauna. The present work evaluated the viability and versatility of applying statistical multivariate analysis to define the current and projected future range probability for species of interest to Army land managers. A software program called Maxent was used to perform range-extent analyses for two animal species of interest to Army land managers: the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) and the common musk turtle. The technology was used to determine how climate change might affect species thresholds of survival at Army installations. The software data input requirements and output capabilities are described. The analytical methodology applied to the study of both species is discussed in detail, and validation of results is addressed. The authors conclude that Maxent analyses can provide impartial, data-based results that reflect scientific consensus on related climate-change issues while avoiding emphasis on the extremes of scientifically collected data. Analysis results indicate that climate change will alter RCW habitat threshold values on some installations beyond the point where Army-managed mitigation is possible. In contrast, musk turtle habitat will increase at least until 2025.

Previous MRI studies in MS have retrospectively analyzed normal-appearing brain tissue in locations where typical MS lesions ultimately appeared, finding pre-lesional changes in several MRI metrics. However, studies have not been entirely consistent and the development of a prototypical MS lesion cannot as yet be prospectively predicted. The primary objective of this projectis to validate the preactive lesion hypothesis in MS by identifying the spatiotemporal imaging signature of white matter destined to undergo acute, focal inflammation and demyelination-specifically, one that will allow reliable, prospective detection of nascent lesions before they appear on conventional (non-quantitative) imaging. The specific aim is to acquire a longitudinal set of quantitative MRI metrics in MS patients and perform a multivariate spatiotemporal analysis of pre-lesional, normal-appearing white matter, seeking spatially clustered interval changes that presage the appearance of a typical MS plaque.

Previous MRI studies in MS have retrospectively analyzed normal-appearing brain tissue in locations where typical MS lesions ultimately appeared, finding pre-lesional changes in several MRI metrics. However, studies have not been entirely consistent and the development of a prototypical MS lesion cannot as yet be prospectively predicted. The primary objective of this projectis to validate the preactive lesion hypothesis in MS by identifying the spatiotemporal imaging signature of white matter destined to undergo acute, focal inflammation and demyelination-specifically, one that will allow reliable, prospective detection of nascent lesions before they appear on conventional (non-quantitative) imaging. The specific aim is to acquire a longitudinal set of quantitative MRI metrics in MS patients and perform a multivariate spatiotemporal analysis of pre-lesional, normal-appearing white matter, seeking spatially clustered interval changes that presage the appearance of a typical MS plaque.

Amending/Repealing Cost Accounting Standard (CAS) 409 has been set forth by the DOD Acquisition Improvement Program (Initiative 5a) as a means to encourage investment to enhance productivity within the defense industry. Through interviews and published material the authors discovered positions of DoD, defense industry, defense industry associations and General Accounting Office. The predominant positions are: I) full use a liberal interpretation of CAS 409; IIa) revise CAS 409 to eliminate the historical life requirement and return to the old ASPR 15-205.9 rule; IIb) delete CAS 409 and return to old ASPR 15-205.9; and III) revise CAS 409 to incorporate the ERTA lives. These positions were discussed with support and criticisms provided, a cash flow evaluation was performed and finally each of four predominant positions were analyzed as to; (1) Does the position meet the objectives of the Cost Accounting Standards?; (2) Does the position result in increased cash flow?; and (3) Will the position achieve the goal to enhance investment? As a result of the analysis the authors conclude that it should be adopted.

Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for industrial chemicals have been in existence since 1946. It has been proposed that the rate of change of TLVs over the years reflects the rate of change of exposure within industry (Roach and Rappaport, 1990). In this paper, a detailed analysis of TLVs as a whole, industry specific TLVs, and TLVs for known or suspected carcinogens was made lo determine the rate of change of TLVs between 1946 and 1990. It was found that the median fold reduction for all TLVs was 2.0. For most industries in this analysis it was also 2.0-fold, and for known or suspected carcinogens it was 2. 4-fold. The rate of change for all TLVs decreased with time (21.7% reductions per year in 1951 to 13.3% per year in 1990). For most industries the reduction rate was 13.3% reductions per year, while for known or suspected carcinogens it was 16% per year. It is postulated that the results of this analysis can be used to infer past exposures.... TLV, Change of TLVS, Exposure, History of reductions

This technical paper examines how different poverty standards can change the statistical description of the low income population. It supplements a chapter in a report submitted to the U.S. Congress in 1976 titled, "The Measure of Poverty". The poverty measure currently used in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (the Census Bureau definition of poverty) and alternative poverty definitions which were selected for analysis by the Poverty Studies Task Force are described in this paper. The characteristics of the poverty population in 1974 under the current federal definition and under the various alternative poverty defintions are presented based on data from the March 1975 Current Population Survey. In addition, changes over time in the size and composition of poverty populations such as the elderly, female headed families, school aged children, and blacks under the alternative measures are analyzed. A discussion of the impact of the alternative definitions on the geographic distribution of the poor based on the One Percent Sample of the 1970 Census of Population is also included. The effect of the alternative poverty definitions on the number and characteristics of the poor varies the most with two basic changes in the poverty definition: first, large increments in the level of thresholds, and second, elimination of the variations by family size. The subgroups that deviated most from the general pattern noted for the total population of declining poverty rates under the fixed measures and fairly constant poverty rates under the relative measures between 1967 and 1974 were the elderly and persons in families with a female head. (Author/AM)

Gamification is the use of game elements in a non-game context to encourage desired behaviours (Detering 2011a). It has been identified as a promising technique for improving user motivation on e-learning platforms. Since previous literature reviews and meta-analyses only considered gamification and learning effort without focusing directly on gamification elements, a research gap was identified. Based on the studies analysed, the most commonly used gamification elements in the literature were identified and examined to determine whether there are any significant results in terms of motivational changes. Three areas of research questions were formulated for this meta-analysis: Which gamification elements should be used to increase learning motivation in asynchronous e-learning? Which success factors should be considered to increase the motivation of the learners by using gamification elements? Is there a specific selection of gamification elements that significantly increase motivation in asynchronous e-learning? The literature search process consisted of a manual search for research articles in electronic libraries with a pre-defined search string. Afterwards, the studies were examined to determine their relevance based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The next step was title and abstract screening followed by a full-text screening. A complementary search of the included literature was then conducted using snowballing techniques. Finally, the most relevant literature was reviewed using quality assessment. The most promising gamification elements are badges, leaderboards, level up systems and progress bars. The combination of elements increases users' motivation significantly, especially the combination of badges with leaderboards or level up systems. These insights contribute to the design of e-learning platforms. [For the full proceedings, see ED636095.]

Induction support for new teachers is widespread, particularly in the form of mentoring, but research evidence of effectiveness is limited. The majority of existing research has focused on the impact of induction on teacher retention. Of greater interest is the potential impact on student achievement, and on which forms of support are the most effective. One frequently encountered option is between full-release or site-based mentors. This study examines these two mentoring options employed in one large urban district. While mentors received the same training, they differed in case load and release time. A comparison of student achievement gains for classes taught by fourth and fifth grade new teachers, some of whom were supported by full release mentors and some by site based mentors, showed greater gains for classes of teachers in the full-release group, even though the demographic characteristics of the students would have led to the opposite prediction. (Contains 2 tables and 8 figures.)

This research effort was conducted to analyze the potential impact of several recent foreign military sales (FMS) policy changes on the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and in turn the Department of Defense (DOD). Policy changes examined included the deletion of the one to four percent profit factor for FMS contracts from the weighted guidelines profit formula and President Carter's 16 May 1977 policy statement on conventional arms transfers. The analysis of the effects of FMS policy changes began by examining the effects of FMS on the US economy, US government, and the DIB. This portion of the research effort provided the background for the evaluation of the effects of the FMS policy changes. FMS has a significant effect on the US economy, government, and DIB. FMS directly affects the gross national product, balance of trade, unemployment rates, and several other economic indicators. The US government/DOD incur significant cost savings on foreign military sales from R/D recoupments, tax recoupment, shared overhead costs, learning curve effects, and reduced production line closings and openings. The DIB is strongly affected by the volume and value of foreign military sales. In fact, some sectors of the DIB are economically dependent of FMS. (Author)

A multistage regional registration technique was developed for identifying masses on temporal pairs of mammograms. In the first stage, an initial fan-shape search region was defined on the prior mammogram. In the second stage, the location of the fan-shape region was refined by warping, based on an affine transformation and simplex optimization. A new refined search region was defined on the prior mammogram. In the third stage a search for the best match between the lesion template from the current mammogram and a structure on the prior mammogram was carried out within the search region. This technique was evaluated on 124 temporal pairs of mammograms containing biopsy-proven masses. Eighty-seven percent of the estimated lesion locations resulted in an area overlap of at least 50% with the true lesion locations. The average distance between the estimated and the true centroid of the lesions on the prior mammogram was 4.215.7 mm. The registration accuracy was improved in comparison with our previous study that used a data set of 74 temporal pairs of mammograms. This improvement gain is mainly from the local affine transformation. This technique can be useful for identification of corresponding lesions on temporal pairs of mammograms.

A multistage regional registration technique was developed for identifying masses on temporal pairs of mammograms. In the first stage, an initial fan-shape search region was defined on the prior mammogram. In the second stage, the location of the fan-shape region was refined by warping, based on an affine transformation and simplex optimization. A new refined search region was defined on the prior mammogram. In the third stage a search for the best match between the lesion template from the current mammogram and a structure on the prior mammogram was carried out within the search region. This technique was evaluated on 124 temporal pairs of mammograms containing biopsy-proven masses. Eighty-seven percent of the estimated lesion locations resulted in an area overlap of at least 50% with the true lesion locations. The average distance between the estimated and the true centroid of the lesions on the prior mammogram was 4.215.7 mm. The registration accuracy was improved in comparison with our previous study that used a data set of 74 temporal pairs of mammograms. This improvement gain is mainly from the local affine transformation. This technique can be useful for identification of corresponding lesions on temporal pairs of mammograms.

Previous MRI studies in MS have retrospectively analyzed normal-appearing brain tissue in locations where typical MS lesions ultimately appeared, finding pre-lesional changes in several MRI metrics. However, studies have not been entirely consistent and the development of a prototypical MS lesion cannot as yet be prospectively predicted. The primary objective of this project is to validate the preactive lesion hypothesis in MS by identifying the spatiotemporal imaging signature of white matter destined to undergo acute, focal inflammation and demyelination-specifically, one that will allow reliable, prospective detection of nascent lesions before they appear on conventional (non-quantitative) imaging. The specific aim is to acquire a longitudinal set of quantitative MRI metrics in MS patients and perform a multivariate spatiotemporal analysis of pre-lesional, normal-appearing white matter, seeking spatially clustered interval changes that presage the appearance of a typical MS plaque.