Anthrax Vaccination, Gulf War Illness, and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA).

We report on a highly significant, positive association between anthrax vaccination and occurrence of Gulf War Illness (GWI) in 111 Gulf War veterans (42 with GWI and 69 controls). GWI was diagnosed in 47.1% of vaccinated veterans but only in 17.

Deep Learning Based Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavity Fault Classification at Jefferson Laboratory.

This work investigates the efficacy of deep learning (DL) for classifying C100 superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity faults in the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab. CEBAF is a large, high-power continuous wave recirculating linac that utilizes 418 SRF cavities to accelerate electrons up to 12 GeV. Recent upgrades to CEBAF include installation of 11 new cryomodules (88 cavities) equipped with a low-level RF system that records RF time-series data from each cavity at the onset of an RF failure.

Public priorities on locally-driven sea level rise planning on the East Coast of the United States.

Sea level rise poses a substantial concern to communities worldwide. Increased inundation, storm surge, saltwater intrusion, and other impacts create challenges which will require considerable planning to address. Recognizing the broad and differing scope of sea level rise issues and the variability of policy options to address them, local planning frameworks are necessary in addition to tools and resources available from state and federal governments.

Rotating frame MRI relaxations as markers of diffuse white matter abnormalities in multiple sclerosis.

Even though MRI visualization of white matter lesions is pivotal for the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis (MS), the issue of detecting diffuse brain tissue damage beyond the apparent T2-hyperintense lesions continues to spark considerable interest. Motivated by the notion that rotating frame MRI methods are sensitive to slow motional regimes critical for tissue characterization, here we utilized novel imaging protocols of rotating frame MRI on a clinical 3 Tesla platform, including adiabatic longitudinal, T1ρ, and transverse, T2ρ, relaxation methods, and Relaxation Along a Fictitious Field (RAFF) in the rotating frame of rank 4 (RAFF4), in 10 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients and 10 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. T1ρ, T2ρ and RAFF4 relaxograms extracted from the whole white matter exhibited a significant shift towards longer relaxation time constants in MS patients as compared to controls.

Informing Medication Discontinuation Decisions among Older Adults with Relapsing-Onset Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: For older adults with relapsing-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), limited information is available to inform if, or when, disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) may be safely discontinued.

Objective: The aim of this study was to project the outcomes of DMD discontinuation among older adults with relapsing-onset MS.

Methods: We projected the 10-year outcomes of discontinuation of a DMD (interferon-β, fingolimod, or natalizumab) among older adults (aged 55 or 70 years) who were relapse-free for 5 or more years and had not reached an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 6.

Age-related decreases in relapses among adults with relapsing-onset multiple sclerosis.

Background: Relapsing-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) typically starts in early- to mid-adulthood, yet the trajectory of disease activity over the subsequent lifetime remains poorly defined. Previous studies have not quantified the age-specific portion of decreases in annualized relapse rates (ARR).

Objective: The aim of this article is to determine, under a range of disease-related assumptions, the age-specific component of decreases in ARR over time among adults with relapsing-onset MS.

Encoding of Serial Order in Working Memory: Neuronal Activity in Motor, Premotor, and Prefrontal Cortex during a Memory Scanning Task.

We have adapted Sternberg's context-recall task to investigate the neural mechanisms of encoding serial order information in working memory, in 2 male rhesus monkeys. We recorded from primary motor, premotor, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while the monkeys performed the task. In each cortical area, most neurons displayed marked modulation of activity during the list presentation period of the task, whereas the serial order of the stimuli needed to be encoded in working memory.

Brain Function in Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Associated Mental Health Comorbidities.

GWI has affected a substantial number of Gulf War (GW) veterans. The disease involves several organ systems among which the brain is most prominent. Neurological, cognitive and mood-related (NCM) symptoms frequently dominate and are at the root of chronic ill-health and disability in veterans suffering from GWI.

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) and Gulf War Illness (GWI): HLA-DRB1*13:02 Spares Subcortical Atrophy in Gulf War Veterans.

Background: Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a multisystem disorder that has affected a substantial number of veterans who served in the 1990-91 Gulf War. The brain is prominently affected, as manifested by the presence of neurological, cognitive and mood symptoms. We reported previously on the protective role of six Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles in GWI (Georgopoulos et al.

Gulf War illness (GWI) as a neuroimmune disease.

Gulf War illness (GWI) is a chronic disease characterized by the involvement of several organs, including the brain (Christova et al., Exp Brain Res doi: 10.1007/s00221-017-5010-8 , 2017).

Subcortical brain atrophy in Gulf War Illness.

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a multisystem disorder that has affected a substantial number of veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. The brain is prominently affected, as manifested by the presence of neurological, cognitive and mood symptoms. Although brain dysfunction in GWI has been well documented (EBioMedicine 12:127-32, 2016), abnormalities in brain structure have been debated.

Cutaneous cryptococcosis in a patient taking fingolimod for multiple sclerosis: Here come the opportunistic infections?

Background: Fingolimod is an oral disease-modifying therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, which acts by sequestering lymphocytes within lymph nodes.

Objective: To describe a case of extrapulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient taking fingolimod.

Methods: Case report.

Practice Patterns After Acute Embolic Retinal Artery Occlusion.

Purpose: To compare stroke evaluations recommended by retina special-ists and neurologists for retinal artery occlusion (RAO).

Design: A cross-sectional survey.

Methods: An anonymous survey was emailed to members of the American Academy of Neurology Stroke Section listserv and vitreoretinal specialists registered with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Successful treatment of paroxysmal ataxia and dysarthria in multiple sclerosis with levetiracetam.

Background: Paroxysmal ataxia and dysarthria (PAD) is a relatively rare symptom in Multiple Sclerosis patients. PAD involves transient dysfunction in control, coordination and initiation of speech and/or limb movements.

Objective: To describe the successful use of levetiracetam for the treatment of PAD.

A Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) Study of Gulf War Illness (GWI).

Background: Gulf War Illness (GWI) has affected many Gulf War veterans. It involves several organs, most notably the brain. Neurological-cognitive-mood-related symptoms frequently dominate and are at the root of chronic ill-health and disability in GWI.

Human placenta-derived cells (PDA-001) for the treatment of adults with multiple sclerosis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose study.

Background: Infusion of PDA-001, a preparation of mesenchymal-like cells derived from full-term human placenta, is a new approach in the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Objective: This safety study aimed to rule out the possibility of paradoxical exacerbation of disease activity by PDA-001 in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Methods: This was a phase 1b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-dose ranging study including patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Late onset multiple sclerosis: Is it really late onset?

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease, and onset over the age of 50 years is referred to as late onset MS (LOMS). It has been thought that LOMS patients will be more likely to exhibit a primary progressive (PPMS) clinical course.

Objective: To identify the clinical characteristics of demyelinating disease in patients over the age of 50 years from four different MS centers in the Northern Midwest USA.

Coding of movements in the motor cortex.

The issue of coding of movement in the motor cortex has recently acquired special significance due to its fundamental importance in neuroprosthetic applications. The challenge of controlling a prosthetic arm by processed motor cortical activity has opened a new era of research in applied medicine but has also provided an 'acid test' for hypotheses regarding coding of movement in the motor cortex. The successful decoding of movement information from the activity of motor cortical cells using their directional tuning and population coding has propelled successful neuroprosthetic applications and, at the same time, asserted the utility of those early discoveries, dating back to the early 1980s.

Complete humanization of the mouse immunoglobulin loci enables efficient therapeutic antibody discovery.

If immunized with an antigen of interest, transgenic mice with large portions of unrearranged human immunoglobulin loci can produce fully human antigen-specific antibodies; several such antibodies are in clinical use. However, technical limitations inherent to conventional transgenic technology and sequence divergence between the human and mouse immunoglobulin constant regions limit the utility of these mice. Here, using repetitive cycles of genome engineering in embryonic stem cells, we have inserted the entire human immunoglobulin variable-gene repertoire (2.

Magnetization transfer and adiabatic T1ρ MRI reveal abnormalities in normal-appearing white matter of subjects with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Diffuse abnormalities are known to occur within the brain tissue of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients that is "normal appearing" on T1-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance images.

Objectives: With the goal of exploring the sensitivity of novel MRI parameters to detect such abnormalities, we implemented an inversion-prepared magnetization transfer (MT) protocol and adiabatic T1ρ and T2ρ rotating frame relaxation methods.

Methods: Nine relapsing-remitting MS patients and seven healthy controls were recruited.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in neuromyelitis optica: a case series.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a relapsing inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that predominantly affects the spinal cord and optic nerves. The clinical hallmark of the disease is a step-wise deterioration of visual and spinal cord function. This study reviews patients with steroid resistant relapsing NMO presenting for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) at our institution from December 2005 to December 2012.

Managing magnetic resonance imaging machines: support tools for scheduling and planning.

We devise models and algorithms to estimate the impact of current and future patient demand for examinations on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines at a hospital radiology department. Our work helps improve scheduling decisions and supports MRI machine personnel and equipment planning decisions. Of particular novelty is our use of scheduling algorithms to compute the competing objectives of maximizing examination throughput and patient-magnet utilization.

Intractable vomiting as the initial presentation of neuromyelitis optica.

We report 12 aquaporin-4 antibody-positive patients (12% of seropositive Mayo Clinic patients identified since 2005) whose initial presenting symptom of neuromyelitis optica was intractable vomiting. The initial evaluation in 75% was gastroenterologic. Vomiting lasted a median of 4 weeks (range, 2 days-80 weeks).

Disruption of brain white matter microstructure in primary Sjögren's syndrome: evidence from diffusion tensor imaging.

Objectives: The relationship between cognitive symptoms and underlying neuropathology in primary SS (PSS) is poorly understood. We used high-resolution quantitative brain MRI to identify potential structural correlates of cognitive symptoms.

Methods: Subjects completed a comprehensive neuropsychometric evaluation.