cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assisting Dyslexic College Students: An Experimental Program Design at a University

Although there are some programs for dyslexic students at the post secondary level, most of them are in community colleges and not in the four-year colleges and universities. The cost of support services furnished is often high—as much as three to eight thousand dollars in extra costs per year. Thus, poor and middle income students cannot have access to programs which they need. Another problem is that data gathering, in existing programs, appears to center mainly on test results in academic areas only and overlooks other equally important areas. Obviously, academic problems are present in dyslexic college students, but there are other areas of difficulty about which information gathering is also of critical importance. If post-secondary institutions are to serve a learning-handicapped popula tion successfully, there is the need to know and understand various aspects of the disability. When a learning disability exists, it goes beyond academic problems in its effect upon the individual and enters into other aspects of living. To deal with the total problem, educators must draw upon the knowledge of other disciplines in order to obtain useful data about each student, particularly in areas of neurophysiology, language processing, and social skills.
Error correction techniques for high-performance differential A/D converters

Error correction techniques that overcome several error mechanism that can affect the accuracy of charge-redistribution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are described. A correction circuit and a self-calibration algorithm are used to improve the common-mode rejection of the differential ADC. A modified technique is used to self-calibrate the capacitor ratio errors and obtain higher linearity. The residual error of the ADC due to capacitor voltage dependence is minimized using a quadratic voltage coefficient (QVC) self-calibration scheme. A dual-comparator topology with digital error correction circuitry is used to avoid errors due to comparator threshold hysteresis. A fully differential charge-redistribution ADC implemented with these techniques was fabricated in a 5-V 1- mu m CMOS process using metal-to-polysilicide capacitors. The successive-approximation converter achieves 16-b accuracy with more than 90 dB of common-mode rejection while converting at a 200-kHz rate. >
Counterexamples in sentential reasoning

How do logically naive individuals determine that an inference is invalid? In logic, there are two ways to proceed: (1) make an exhaustive search but fail to find a proof of the conclusion and (2) use the interpretation of the relevant sentences to construct a counterexample—that is, a possibility consistent with the premises but inconsistent with the conclusion. We report three experiments in which the strategies that individuals use to refute invalid inferences based on sentential connectives were examined. In Experiment 1, the participants’ task was to justify their evaluations, and it showed that they used counterexamples more often than any other strategy. Experiment 2 showed that they were more likely to use counterexamples to refute invalid conclusions consistent with the premises than to refute invalid conclusions inconsistent with the premises. In Experiment 3, no reliable difference was detected in the results between participants who wrote justifications and participants who did not.
Time diversity approach for intra-chip RF/wireless interconnect systems

Increasing operating frequency of current and future VLSI systems is putting physical constraint on hard-wired metal interconnect. RF/wireless interconnect is considered to be one of the alternatives to conventional metal interconnect. This paper evaluates the bit-error-rate (BER) performance of to coherent binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) with linear and systematic channel coding in an intra-chip RF/wireless interconnect system. The results indicate that for a certain range of received signal- to-noise (SNR) ratio, channel coding improves the performance of the RF/wireless interconnect system. It is also shown analytically that performance can be improved at low SNR with the application of time-diversity approach by using interleaver and deinterterleaver.
Diplopia due to mask barotrauma.

Abstract Background: Scuba diving is a very popular and safe sport. Occasionally divers will suffer an injury from barotrauma, decompression sickness or an arterial gas embolism. The history and physical examination are important when determining the etiology of the injury and its subsequent treatment. Objectives: This article will help readers identify key components of the history and physical examination in a patient to help differentiate between and injury caused by barotrauma or arterial gas embolism. Case Report: This is a case of a diver that was initially felt to have an arterial gas embolism after scuba diving. After obtaining further history and performing a detailed physical exam it was determined that his diplopia was due to barotrauma from his mask. This was confirmed by an orbital computed tomography (CT) scan. Summary: Scuba diving is a very safe sport. When injuries occur it is important to obtain a careful history and physical examination to determine the exact cause of the injury because treatments vary according to the type of injury. In this case, the history and physical examination showed that the only neurologic sign the patient had was diplopia, which is not consistent with a diagnosis of arterial gas embolism. The CT scan helped with the diagnosis because it proved the patient had an orbital hematoma causing his proptosis and double vision.
Biologics Formulation Factors Affecting Metal Leachables from Stainless Steel

An area of increasing concern and scientific scrutiny is the potential contamination of drug products by leachables entering the product during manufacturing and storage. These contaminants may either have a direct safety impact on the patients or act indirectly through the alteration of the physicochemical properties of the product. In the case of biotherapeutics, trace amounts of metal contaminants can arise from various sources, but mainly from contact with stainless steel (ss). The effect of the various factors, buffer species, solution fill volume per unit contact surface area, metal chelators, and pH, on metal leachables from contact with ss over time were investigated individually. Three major metal leachables, iron, chromium, and nickel, were monitored by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry because they are the major components of 316L ss. Iron was primarily used to evaluate the effect of each factor since it is the most abundant. It was observed that each studied factor exhibited its own effect on metal leachables from contact with ss. The effect of buffer species and pH exhibited temperature dependence over the studied temperature range. The metal leachables decreased with the increased fill volume (mL) per unit contact ss surface area (cm2) but a plateau was achieved at approximately 3 mL/cm2. Metal chelators produced the strongest effect in facilitating metal leaching. In order to minimize the metal leachables and optimize biological product stability, each formulation factor must be evaluated for its impact, to balance its risk and benefit in achieving the target drug product shelf life.
Therapy of acute Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis of unknown etiology that occurs predominantly in infancy and early childhood. It is characterize by fever, bilateral nonexudative conjunctivitis, erythema of the lips and oral mucosa, changes in the extremities, rash, and cervical lymphadenopathy.1,2 Coronary arterial aneurysms, or ectasia, develop in approximately 15 to 25% of children with the disease, and may lead to myocardial infarction, sudden death, or chronic coronary arterial insufficiency.2–4
The Sort-Merge-Shrink join

One of the most common operations in analytic query processing is the application of an aggregate function to the result of a relational join. We describe an algorithm called the Sort-Merge-Shrink (SMS) Join for computing the answer to such a query over large, disk-based input tables. The key innovation of the SMS join is that if the input data are clustered in a statistically random fashion on disk, then at all times, the join provides an online, statistical estimator for the eventual answer to the query as well as probabilistic confidence bounds. Thus, a user can monitor the progress of the join throughout its execution and stop the join when satisfied with the estimate's accuracy or run the algorithm to completion with a total time requirement that is not much longer than that of other common join algorithms. This contrasts with other online join algorithms, which either do not offer such statistical guarantees or can only offer guarantees so long as the input data can fit into main memory.
Scattering analysis of nonlinearly loaded antennas

A novel technique-Volterra series analysis-is applied to the analysis of a nonlinearly loaded antenna. The electromagnetic field problem is first reduced to a network problem by application of the method of moments. The nonlinear network problem is then solved using the Volterra technique. A procedure with sinusoidal inputs for obtaining a time domain solution from the frequency domain solution without using fast Fourier transform techniques is demonstrated. The i-v characteristic of the nonlinear load is approximated from scattered power measurements. The derived i-v characteristic is then used to predict scattered power levels at different intermodulation responses of the loaded antenna.
Topographic mapping using radar interferometry: processing techniques

A new processing algorithm for the NASA JPL TOPSAR topographic radar mapper is described. It incorporates extensive motion compensation features as well as accurate three-dimensional target location algorithm. The processor applies an algorithm to resolving the absolute phase ambiguity. This allows rectified height maps to be generated without any use of ground reference points. The processor was tested using data acquired with extreme aircraft motion so that performance could be evaluated under adverse conditions. The topographic maps generated by the radar were compared to digital elevation models (DEMs) derived using conventional optical stereo techniques. In one region, the RMS elevation deviations measured were less than the specified DEM accuracy, and, in the region covered by the more accurate DEM, errors varied from 2.2 m RMS in relatively flat terrain up to 5.0 m in mountainous area. The RMS difference between radar and DEM elevation over the 6.5-km by 22-km area covered by the more accurate DEM was 3.6 m. >
Dealing with failures in heterogeneous databases

The distributed information processing scenario has changed dramatically over the last few years. While there is increased pressure on individuals to obtain information about a wide range of topics, the databases where that information lies exist on a heterogeneous collection of database management systems, residing on a variety of networks, each under the control of a different organization, and with very little standardization among the DBMSs. This situation has motivated much recent research on what are variously called heterogeneous databases, federated databases or multidatabases. The authors address the issue of failures in such heterogeneous environments. They start out by briefly recounting some of the failures that they know how to resolve in both centralized and distributed databases. Then they point out some of the salient features of federated environments and show how those features make possible new kinds of failures. Finally, they present some possible solutions to these new types of failures. >
3D Printing: Making Things at the Library

3D printers are a new technology that creates physical objects from digital files. Uses for these printers include printing models, parts, and toys. 3D printers are also being developed for medical applications, including printed bone, skin, and even complete organs. Although medical printing lags behind other uses for 3D printing, it has the potential to radically change the practice of medicine over the next decade. Falling costs for hardware have made 3D printers an inexpensive technology that libraries can offer their patrons. Medical librarians will want to be familiar with this technology, as it is sure to have wide-reaching effects on the practice of medicine.
Layer-4 service differentiation and resource isolation

While the differentiated services (DiftServ) infrastructure is scalable and robust in providing network quality of service (QoS), there are serious drawbacks with the services provided by DiffServ: (1) the services are coarse-grained and one-way only; (2) no service differentiation and resource isolation are provided to meta-data packets such as TCP SYN and ACK packets. Moreover the coarse-grained service differentiation and the lack of resource isolation at IP routers exposes its vulnerability to distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Based on the concept of layer-4 service differentiation and resource isolation, where the transport-layer information is inferred from the IP headers and used for packet classification and resource management, we present a scalable fine-grained DiffServ (sf-DiffServ) architecture that provides fine-grained service differentiation and resource isolation among thinner behavior aggregates (BAs). The sf-DiffServ architecture consists of a fine-grained QoS classifier and an adaptive weight-based resource manager at IP routers. A two-stage packet classification mechanism is devised to decouple the fine-grained QoS lookup from the routing lookup at core routers. Due to its scalable QoS support for TCP control segments, sf-DiffServ supports bi-directional differentiated services for TCP sessions. Most importantly, the fine-grained resource isolation provided inside the sf-DiffServ is a powerful built-in protection mechanism to counter DDoS attacks, reducing the vulnerability of the Internet to DDoS attacks.
Inference of a probabilistic finite state machine from its output

This paper addresses the problem of identifying a probabilistic FSM from its output. The authors propose a formal description of the FSM and its output, using a regular phrase-structured grammar. This description is associated with a cost measuring its information content. The authors then state the inference problem as a combinatorial optimization problem with an objective function define as the cost of the description of the FSM and its output. A heuristic algorithm is proposed which processes the output "on line" and yields a local minimum of the authors' criterion. At each step (i.e. as new data is observed and processed), the procedure searches locally through the space of non-probabilistic FSMs, i.e., the transitions are initially regarded as being only present or absent. When a non-probabilistic model has been generated, the transition probabilities are determined from their relative frequencies given the behavior indicated by the data. This yields maximum likelihood estimates of the probabilities. The costs of the obtained probabilistic FSMs are then computed, and the K minimum cost FSMs are kept as starting points for the next step search. At each step, the generation of the FSMs is done via a local search through the neighborhoods of the K best FSMs obtained at the previous step. This algorithm is compared with similar algorithms proposed previously, and tested on a range of examples. It is found to work for a wider range of FSMs than the previous methods, and it is much more practical for large problems than previously proposed exhaustive search techniques. >
UTR extension and alternate polyadenylation in neuroplasticity: an emerging paradigm?

Results Computational analyses of the novel UTR sequences, focusing on RNA-binding protein (RNAbp) interaction motifs revealed strongly over-represented RNAbps with known roles in nervous system pathologies. We consider the implications of 3’UTR transcript extension and protein interaction in the context of axonal plasticity and the consequences of mis-regulation of this process during neurological disease.
Adaptive Error Control for NoC Switch-to-Switch Links in a Variable Noise Environment

We present an adaptive error control method for switch-to-switch links in a variable noise environment, to meet reliability requirements and achieve energy-efficiency. Unlike worst-case error correction coding (ECC), the proposed method is capable of selecting the most effective ECC scheme based on predicted link quality at runtime. Our method configures the ECC codec to obtain the desired error correction strength using a set of single-error correction (SEC) codes combined with interleaving. The method can effectively handle multi-cycle and adjacent multi-wire errors existing on switch-to-switch links. An experimental case study shows that the adaptive method can increase the energy-efficiency by up to 19% over a fixed ECC scheme, for a given residual flit error rate. Furthermore, energy reduction affected by different multi-wire and multi-cycle noise scenarios are compared.
Working memory in aphasia: theory, measures, and clinical implications.

Recently, researchers have suggested that deficits in working memory capacity contribute to language-processing difficulties observed in individuals with aphasia (e.g., I. Caspari, S. Parkinson, L....
Needle-Based Interventions With the Image-Guided Surgery Toolkit (IGSTK): From Phantoms to Clinical Trials

We present three image-guided navigation systems developed for needle-based interventional radiology procedures, using the open source image-guided surgery toolkit (IGSTK). The clinical procedures we address are vertebroplasty, RF ablation of large lung tumors, and lung biopsy. In vertebroplasty, our system replaces the use of fluoroscopy, reducing radiation exposure to patient and physician. We evaluate this system using a custom phantom and compare the results obtained by a medical student, an interventional radiology fellow, and an attending physician. In RF ablation of large lung tumors, our system provides an automated interventional plan that minimizes damage to healthy tissue and avoids critical structures, in addition to accurate guidance of multiple electrode insertions. We evaluate the system's performance using an animal model. Finally, in the lung biopsy procedure, our system replaces the use of computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy, reducing radiation exposure to patient and physician, while at the same time enabling oblique trajectories which are considered challenging under CT fluoroscopy. This system is currently being used in an ongoing clinical trial at Georgetown University Hospital and was used in three cases.
Delineation of the role of platelet-activating factor in the immunoglobulin G2 antibody response

Localized aggressive periodontitis (LAgP) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by severe destruction of periodontal tissues surrounding the first molars and incisors. LAgP subjects produce large amounts of immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2) antibody against oral pathogens, and this response is inversely correlated with the severity of disease. We previously demonstrated that platelet-activating factor (PAF) is required for optimal IgG2 responses. The present investigation was designed to determine the mechanism of IgG2 induction by PAF. Exogenous PAF acetylhydrolase suppressed approximately 80% of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated IgG2 production, confirming that PAF is essential for optimal responses. PAF-activated leukocytes produced gamma interferon (IFN-γ), a Th1 cytokine that has been associated with IgG2 responses in previous studies. The monocyte-derived cytokines interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-18 are upstream of IFN-γ production, and IgG2 production was suppressed by neutralizing antibodies against these proteins. In addition, PAF induced monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) but not macrophages (MΦ) to secrete IL-12 and IL-18. This observation was interesting because monocyte differentiation in LAgP subjects is skewed to the DC phenotype. Although other investigators have implicated IFN-γ in IgG2 production, its precise role in this response is controversial. Our studies suggest that IFN-γ induces isotype switching to IgG2 but only in concert with the Th2 cytokine IL-4. Thus, it appears that the unique PAF metabolism of LAgP monocytes or DC promotes Th1 responses that are essential for optimal IgG2 antibody production. As IgG2 antibodies opsonize oral bacteria and promote their clearance and destruction, these alterations in PAF metabolism may be essential for limiting disease severity in LAgP patients.
Numerical Study of Factorial Impact of Thin Layer Ring on Improving Thermal Performance of Ice Thermal Storage System

Ice thermal storage system is a novel technology used in HVAC&R systems for improving energy efficiency of manufacturing facilities. In this paper, the investigation of ice formation in a typical ice thermal storage system was conducted to study the factorial effect of the new structure of thin layer ring placed in a rectangular cavity filled with water on solidification process. Numerical method was used for the computational solutions of fluid flow domain. The performance of the thin layer ring was successfully demonstrated by achieving an increased ice generation area and shortening the time period of ice formation for a typical ice thermal storage system. More detailed research on material, thickness and arrangement of the ring has been comparatively conducted for heat transfer enhancement. The parameters of thin layer ring from three perspectives have been investigated statistically with nine combinations of model are carried out by combining different levels of each factor via Taguchi Method. The results show the contribution ratio of each factor of thin layer ring on improving energy efficiency of ice thermal storage system.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
MicroRNAs as pathophysiological targets: An emerging nexus for personalized medicine in heart failure?

Heart failure (HF) remains a major driver of morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures in the US and underlies the number one reason for hospitalization in adults 465 years of age in the United States [1]. Over 650,000 new HF cases are diagnosed annually and over 5 million adults in the United States (and 23 million worldwide) carry a clinically active diagnosis of HF [2]. With an estimated 1 in 5 adults reaching 465 years of age by 2050, the number of adults afflicted by HF is predicted to rapidly rise. While significant progress in medical and device therapies have contributed to improvements in quality of life and survival over the past few decades, the absolute mortality rates for HF remain frustratingly high at approximately 50% within 5 years of diagnosis [1]. Current therapeutic decision making is largely based on similar clinical manifestations of HF [e.g., dyspnea, peripheral edema, cool/wet, warm/dry, reduced (HF-rEF), or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HF-PEF)]. However, as a heterogeneous disease with a range of predisposing clinical risk factors as well as environmental and genetic components, the specific etiologies and pathophysiological events underlying each case of HF are likely to offer better targets, prognosis, and therapeutic opportunities than the “one-sizefits-all” approach. Indeed, personalized medicine has emerged as a cornerstone for modern day oncologic therapeutics and appears to underlie susceptibility and resistance to drug therapy through a careful understanding of genome–phenome relationships. Analogous to the field of cancer, HF offers a range of opportunities to strengthen genome–phenome interactions that may provide pathophysiological insights
Imaging CXCR4 expression in breast cancer metastasis models using [64Cu]AMD3465

519 Objectives The chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is highly expressed in breast cancer and is critical for metastasis. To evaluate the potential of CXCR4-based imaging agents to detect metastases, MDA-MB-231 cell line derived bone and spontaneous metastasis models were investigated in SCID mice with [64Cu]AMD3465-PET. These studies were further validated in a syngeneic 4T1 tumor model in immunocompetent mice. Methods AMD3465 was radiolabeled with [64Cu]Cu(OAc)2 at pH 5.5. The MDA-MB-231 cell line expressing luciferase (231-Luc) was used as a metastasis model (n = 7/group). Bone metastases were generated by left cardiac ventricular injection of 231-Luc cells. Spontaneous metastases were generated by resection of primary tumor (~ 400 mm3) and metastatic spread was imaged at 30 days post-resection by [18F]FDG-PET, [64Cu]AMD3465-PET and bioluminescence (BLI) imaging. Whole body PET images were acquired at 60 and 90 min after the injection of [18F]FDG and [64Cu]AMD3465, respectively. Based on BLI data, regions of interest were drawn over metastatic sites on the PET images. Radioactivity uptake was calculated as %ID/cc and tumor-to-muscle (T/M) ratios were obtained. Similarly, spontaneous metastases developed using 4T1-Luc tumors were also imaged in immunocompetent mice. CXCR4 expression of metastatic tissue was confirmed with immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR. Results Bone metastases were clearly detectable on the PET images and exhibited mean T/M ratio of 12.8 (range: 6.6 - 21.7) while that of control bone was 7.6 (4.0 - 11.4). MDA-MB-231 primary tumors exhibited mean T/M ratio of 8.5 (4.0 - 14.3) while that of the metastases was 17.4 (3.7 - 44.5). Similarly, 4T1 tumors showed a mean T/M ratio of 4.6 (3.3 - 7.0) with metastases showing a mean value of 9.0 (4.9 - 21.7). Conclusions Metastases that originated from the same tumor have variable levels of CXCR4 expression, which could be detected by CXCR4-based imaging agents. Research Support Elsa U. Pardee Foundatio
Environmental lead and childhood blood lead levels in US children: NHANES, 1999-2006.

Although blood lead levels in the United States have fallen dramatically since 1980, there remain subgroups of children with high blood lead levels. We assessed the relationship between environmental lead sources and blood lead levels in children ages 1 to 5 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2006. Modeled ambient air lead levels and industrial lead releases at the census-tract level were assigned to each child's residence with adjustment for confounding factors. Of 3,223 children, 272 (8.4%) had blood lead levels ≥ 5 ug/dL. Industrial releases (2,252 vs 1,696 lbs/mi2) and ambient air lead levels (2.28 vs 1.75 ng/m3) were greater in exposed versus unexposed children. For every 10,000 lb/mi2 increase in inverse distance squared weighted exposure, there was a 1.13% increase (95% CI: 0.45%, 1.81%) in blood lead (p = .001).
Guaicol in the Defensive Secretions of Polydesmid Millipedes

The presence of benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide in the secretion of the polydesmid millipede, Oxidus gracilis (Koch) (Family: Paradoxosomatidae), was demonstrated as early as 1882 (Guldensteeden-Egeling 1882). Since that time these 2 compounds have been identified in defensive secretions from a number of polydesmid millipedes (Blum and Woodring 1962, Eisner et al. 1963a, Casnati et al. 1963) and they appear to be characteristic of species in this taxon. We wish to report the presence of certain phenolic compounds as minor constituents in the benzaldehyde-rich secretions of the polydesmids Euryurus leachii (Gray), and E. australis Boll. (Euryuridae), as well as Orthomorpha coarctata (De Saussure) (Paradoxosomatidae).
Light-Driven Reversible Modulation of Doping in Graphene

We report a route to noncovalently latch dipolar molecules on graphene to create stable chromophore/graphene hybrids where molecular transformation can be used as an additional handle to reversibly modulate doping while retaining high mobilities. A light switchable azobenzene chromophore was tethered to the surface of graphene via π–π interactions, leading to p-doping of graphene with an hole concentration of ∼5 × 1012 cm–2. As the molecules switch reversibly from trans to cis form the dipole moment changes, and hence the extent of doping, resulting in the modulation of hole concentration up to ∼18% by alternative illumination of UV and white light. Light-driven conductance modulation and control experiments under vacuum clearly attribute the doping modulation to molecular transformations in the organic molecules. With improved sensitivities these “light-gated” transistors open up new ways to enable optical interconnects.
Kinetic Isotope Effects as Probes for Hydrogen Tunneling, Coupled Motion and Dynamics Contributions to Enzyme Catalysis:

Since the early days of enzymology attempts have been made to deconvolute the various contributions of physical phenomena to enzyme catalysis. Here we present experimental and theoretical studies t...
Selective control of small versus large diameter axons using infrared laser light(Conference Presentation)

Sensory information is conveyed to the central nervous system via small diameter unmyelinated fibers. In general, smaller diameter axons have slower conduction velocities. Selective control of such fibers could create new clinical treatments for chronic pain, nausea in response to chemo-therapeutic agents, or hypertension. Electrical stimulation can control axonal activity, but induced axonal current is proportional to cross-sectional area, so that large diameter fibers are affected first. Physiologically, however, synaptic inputs generally affect small diameter fibers before large diameter fibers (the size principle). A more physiological modality that first affected small diameter fibers could have fewer side effects (e.g., not recruiting motor axons). A novel mathematical analysis of the cable equation demonstrates that the minimum length along the axon for inducing block scales with the square root of axon diameter. This implies that the minimum length along an axon for inhibition will scale as the square root of axon diameter, so that lower radiant exposures of infrared light will selectively affect small diameter, slower conducting fibers before those of large diameter. This prediction was tested in identified neurons from the marine mollusk Aplysia californica. Radiant exposure to block a neuron with a slower conduction velocity (B43) was consistently lower than that needed to block a faster conduction velocity neuron (B3). Furthermore, in the vagus nerve of the musk shrew, lower radiant exposure blocked slow conducting fibers before blocking faster conducting fibers. Infrared light can selectively control smaller diameter fibers, suggesting many novel clinical treatments.
Let's Get Lost: Exploring Social Norms In Predominately Blind Environments

The ability for one to navigate independently can be essential to maintaining employment, taking care of oneself, and leading a fulfilling life. However, for people who are blind, navigation-related tasks in public spaces--such as locating an empty seat--can be difficult without appropriate tools, training, or social context. We present a study of social norms in environments with predominately blind navigators and discuss how these may differ from what sighted people expect. Based on these findings, we advocate for the creation of more pervasive technologies to help bridge the gap between social norms when people with visual impairments are in predominately sighted environments.
Germline Stem Cells and Their Roles in the Regulation of Organism Longevity

Aging is a genetically regulated process that happens in all organisms. Lifespan extension can be achieved through several mechanisms, including regulatory signaling from germline stem cells, which will be the focus of this chapter. The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become the standard workhorse for aging studies due to its fast life cycle, short lifespan, and powerful functional genomics. In this chapter, we will first introduce germline organization and germline stem cell maintenance in C. elegans. Next, we will review the knowledge achieved by C. elegans research on how gonadal signaling pathways regulate organism longevity. Lastly, the current model of lipid metabolic reprogramming as the link between germline and longevity will be discussed as well.
Clinical Criteria for Pediatric Brain Death The Washington Experience

In this privileged nation, a death of a child is an exceptional event. It is a catastrophe that is unexpected, always tragic, and invariably appalling. The antecedent illness, shocking diagnosis, therapeutic failure, and terminal suffering of children with chronic disorders, such as cancer, developmental disabilities, and rare infectious conditions, are singularly morbid and disconcerting. But, in their own right, the swift and numbing experiences of accidental death represent a unique and contrasting experience. Accidents are the major contributor to pediatric mortality in the United States. Well-developed emergency care systems and life-support therapy often result in irreversible coma in juveniles with otherwise healthy bodies. Consequently, medical workers and parents may suddenly be confronted with revolting but inescapable decisions.
The law on lethal force begins with the right to life

In August 2015, the UK government intentionally killed a criminal suspect and the bystanders with him using a drone-launched Hellfire missile in Syria. In doing so, the UK violated the right to life of all three men because the UK had no lawful basis for deploying military force in Syria. Even if it did, international humanitarian law, governing the conduct of armed conflict, prohibits assassination – the intentional killing of an individual for reasons other than advancing a legitimate military objective. In any actual cases of ambiguity, the legal presumption in international law is with peace and protection of the right to life.
Six psychotropics for pre-symptomatic & early Alzheimer's (MCI), Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease modification

The quest for neuroprotective drugs to slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD), has been largely unrewarding. Preclinical evidence suggests that repurposing quetiapine, lithium, valproate, fluoxetine, donepezil, and memantine for early and pre-symptomatic disease-modification in NDDs may be promising and can spare regulatory barriers. The literature of these psychotropics in early stage and pre-symptomatic AD, PD, and HD is reviewed and propitious findings follow. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) phase of AD: salutary human randomized controlled trial findings for low-dose lithium and, in selected patients, donepezil await replication. Pre-symptomatic AD: human epidemiological data indicate that lithium reduces AD risk. Animal model studies (AMS) reveal encouraging results for quetiapine, lithium, donepezil, and memantine. Early PD: valproate AMS findings show promise. Pre-symptomatic PD: lithium and valproate AMS findings are encouraging. Early HD: uncontrolled clinical data indicate non-progression with lithium, fluoxetine, donepezil, and memantine. Pre-symptomatic HD: lithium and valproate are auspicious in AMS. Many other promising findings awaiting replication (valproate in MCI; lithium, valproate, fluoxetine in pre-symptomatic AD; lithium in early PD; lithium, valproate, fluoxetine in pre-symptomatic PD; donepezil in early HD; lithium, fluoxetine, memantine in pre-symptomatic HD) are reviewed. Dose- and stage-dependent effects are considered. Suggestions for signal-enhancement in human trials are provided for each NDD stage.
Transgenic Approach to Exploration of Calmodulin's Role on Sodium Channel Function within Cardiomyocytes

Many disease-causing mutations within Nav1.5 are localized to its C-terminal domain. This region interacts with numerous auxiliary proteins. Amongst the most controversial of these interactions is that with calmodulin. To clarify calmodulin's role on sodium channels expressed within cardiomyocytes, we employed a transgenic approach.We generated transgenic mice with doxycycline-inducible, cardiac-specific expression of either FLAG-epitope-tagged C374Y-Nav1.5 (WT), or C374Y / IQ1908-1909AA-Nav1.5 (IQ/AA). The C374Y mutation increases tetrodotoxin sensitivity, enabling electrophysiologic distinction between endogenous and transgenic Nav1.5. The IQ/AA mutation is known to decrease binding affinity with calmodulin. Limb-lead ECG's were measured under anesthesia. Biophysical properties of Nav1.5 were measured in isolated cardiomycoytes. Quantification of late current was determined by normalizing persistent current detected with 100 mM [Na]o/3mM [Na]i, to peak current measured with 3 mM [Na]o/3mM [Na]i. Transgenic sodium channels trafficked to the sarcolemma and were detected using FLAG-specific antibodies. Electrophysiologic characteristics of WT Nav1.5 were comparable to Nav1.5 in non-transgenic mice. The IQ/AA transgenic channel also trafficked to the membrane and demonstrated comparable electrophysiologic properties. The amount of late current determined by the ratio between persistent current and peak sodium current was not different in non-transgenic, transgenic WT, and transgenic IQ/AA mice. QT interval was not prolonged in IQ/AA mice recorded using limb-lead ECG under isoflurane anesthesia. In contrast, mice expressing transgenic FLAG-epitope-tagged F1759A-Nav1.5, a lidocaine resistant sodium channel that also has increased persistent current, showed prolonged QT intervals. These data demonstrate a novel approach to study mutant human Nav1.5. In contrast to reports on heterologously expressed Nav1.5, mutation of the calmodulin binding site did not perturb electrophysiologic properties of Nav1.5 in cardiomyocytes.
Comparison of the Gauss—Christoffel and Gauss—Galerkin Approximations of the Law of the Solution of Some Stochastic Differential Equations

Gauss-Christoffel measure is the best approximation of the law of the solution of stochastic differential equations in the sense that it preserves the first few moments of the law. Unfortunately this measure is not computable for most of the stochastic differential equations. Gauss-Galerkin measure is an approximation to the GaussChristoffel measure and is computable. We compare these two measures and derive an error bound for their nodes and weights.
The Delayed-Response Problem

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the delayed response problem. It presents an analysis of the delayed-response problem followed by an examination, in terms of this analysis, of the major determining variables consistently demonstrated in research with both normal and brain-damaged primates. There have been many explanations of response deficits and many interpretations of the delayed-response problem. The more global interpretations were offered before the enumeration of the many variables that influence performance. Hyperactivity and distractibility, and incentive value and deprivation are variables that influence delayed-response performance because they affect these initial reactions. A number of studies, in diverse research areas, consistently correlate one observation with decreased delayed-response performance. At the time of baiting, the tester can only try to get the animal to observe the baiting operation or the bait. While experience and skill certainly help in deciding when the animal has observed, any tester will admit that there are instances when this decision is difficult to make.
Envisioning and enacting class mobility: The routine constructions of the agentic self

This paper investigates the cultural mechanisms that enable some working-class youth to achieve upward mobility, operationalized as the attainment of a four-year college degree. Most sociological literature finds that culture reproduces class status by transmitting a particular kind of self. However, a growing body of literature examines how psychological traits such as future orientation, a sense of control over one’s life, and persistence lead to different outcomes within the same group. We build a bridge between these literatures using narrative theory. We argue that stories of the self – and how that self relates to the future – are contingent, developed through ongoing social interactions with adults and gate-keeping institutions. Our data consist of interview and life history data with 90 working-class and 129 middle-class young adults. We find that upwardly mobile working-class respondents who earn college degrees embody a stronger sense of “the agentic self” than their continuing working-class peers. We demonstrate that these cultural differences are the result of everyday, routine conversations and interactions with adults that create and sustain the agentic self. However, we find that successfully performing the agentic self demands procedural knowledge, material resources, and skills that remain unequally distributed across social classes.
Model-observation comparison for the geographic variability of the plasma electric drift in the Earth's innermost magnetosphere

Plasmaspheric rotation is known to lag behind Earth rotation. The causes for this corotation lag are not yet fully understood. We have used more than two years of Van Allen Probe observations to compare the electric drift measured below L~2 with the predictions of a general model. In the first step, a rigid corotation of the ionosphere with the solid Earth was assumed in the model. The results of the model-observation comparison are twofold: (1) radially, the model explains the average observed geographic variability of the electric drift; (2) azimuthally, the model fails to explain the full amplitude of the observed corotation lag. In the second step, ionospheric corotation was modulated in the model by thermospheric winds, as given by the latest version of the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM14). Accounting for the thermospheric corotation lag at ionospheric E-region altitudes results in significantly better agreement between the model and the observations.
Comparison of Cardiopulmonary Complications in Adult and Pediatric Epileptic Seizures: A Prelude to Understanding SUDEP (P03.132)

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare cardio-pulmonary abnormalities during epileptic-seizures in children and adults, with long-term goal of identifying potential biomarkers and mechanisms of SUDEP. BACKGROUND: Role of cardio-pulmonary abnormalities in the pathophysiology of SUDEP is unclear, especially in children. DESIGN/METHODS: We prospectively assessed cardio-pulmonary function using pulse-oximetry, EKG and respiratory-inductance-plethysmography (RIP) in adults and pediatric inpatients undergoing Video-EEG monitoring. Logistic regression was used to evaluate association of cardio-respiratory findings with patient/seizure characteristics. RESULTS: We recorded 101 seizures in 26 children and 55 seizures in 22 adults. In children, ictal-apnea occurred more in younger-age (p=0.01), temporal-lobe (p CONCLUSIONS: Potentially life-threatening cardio-pulmonary abnormalities (bradycardia, apnea and hypoxemia) in pediatric epileptic-seizures were associated with predictable patient/seizure characteristics. Similar findings were different in adults, probably due to different mechanisms for inducing these changes in children and adults and lower cardiorespiratory reserve in children. Supported by: A grant by the Harvard Catalyst (Grant # UL1 RR 025758) in 2010, awarded to Drs. Kothare & Pavlova. Disclosure: Dr. Singh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pavlova has received personal compensation for activities with Takeda. Dr. Abdenadder has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dworetzky has received personal compensation for activities with Sleep Health/Digitrace Company, and Best Doctors. Dr. Katz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Loddenkemper has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for European Journal of Epilepsy. Dr. Loddenkemper has received research support from the National Institutes of Health/NINDS, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children9s Hospital. Dr. Zarowski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kothare has nothing to disclose.
Pegasparaginase silent inactivation during therapy for NK/T cell lymphoma

Natural Killer/T cell (NK/T cell) lymphoma is a rare, yet aggressive T cell lymphoma, which often displays resistance to traditional chemotherapies. Asparagainse (ASNase), through its unique mechanism of action, has become a vital component in the treatment of NK/T cell lymphoma. However, because ASNase is of bacterial origin, antibody formation can render the therapy ineffective, even in the absence of clinical hypersensitivity, which has been coined 'silent inactivation.' While the phenomenon of silent inactivation of PEG-ASNase is well documented in the treatment of ALL, it has not been described in NK/T cell lymphoma patients. Herein, we report a case series of six patients treated for NK/T cell lymphoma with PEG-ASNase who subsequently developed silent inactivation identified using therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). The goal of this manuscript is to alert clinicians of this phenomenon, and review the importance of TDM in NK/T cell lymphoma patients receiving ASNase.
Multi-granular optical networks

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has enabled the efficient use of optical fiber's tremendous capacity in transport networks. Due to continuing demand for capacity caused my emerging applications, the number of wavelengths on a fiber and the number of fibers per link are continuing to increase. This causes a scalability problem in optical switches and makes them prohibitively expensive. This talk will present some recent novel approaches to build multi-granular optical networks that have the potential to achieve tremendous cost savings without sacrificing much performance.
A Solid Breeder Blanket and Power Conversion System for the Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS)

A solid-breeder blanket has been designed for a commercial fusion power reactor based on the tandem mirror concept (MARS). The design utilizes lithium oxide, cooled by helium which powers a conventional steam electric generating cycle. Maintenance and fabricability considerations led to a modular configuration 6 meters long which incorporates two magnets, shield, blanket and first wall. The modules are arranged to form the 150 meter long reactor central cell. Ferritic steel is used for the module primary structure. The lithium oxide is contained in thin-walled vanadium alloy tubes. A tritium breeding ratio of 1.25 and energy multiplication of 1.1 is predicted. The blanket design appears feasible with only a modest advance in current technology.
Econometric Models and Optimal Economic Policy

Specifying optimal economic policy using an econometric model has passed through three phases in its evolution. The first phase started with a two-stage approach in Tinbergen’s tradition: first, one estimates an econometric model by the standard techniques of statistical estimation, then one uses optimal control theory in the estimated model to determine an optimal policy. This approach failed to recognize two types of interdependence. One is that the changes in policy or optimal control would induce changes in the structural response of the model. Thus the post-control model equations would differ from the pre-control ones, thus generating some inconsistency. The second is that future errors or uncertainty conditional on the adoption of a given set of policies would be very different from the past by the same reasoning. The second phase of econometric model building for specifying an optimal economic policy explicitly allows for the interdependence of the two conditional aspects: the problem of optimal estimation given the control or policy variables and the problem of optimal regulation or control, given the estimated model using all past information upto the current date.