cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tourette's syndrome: clinical and neurochemical correlates.

Abstract Forty-six patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS), aged 7 to 45 years, were evaluated clinically and neurochemically. Patients with more severe total symptoms had lower plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) levels. Analysis of individual items on the Tourette Syndrome Global Scale (TSGS) revealed significant inverse correlations between mean pHVA levels and motor restlessness and school/work function. There were no significant correlations between pHVA levels and individual tic items, although the correlation between mean pHVA levels and simple motor tics approached significance. Plasma 3-methyoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (pMHPG) levels did not correlate significantly with TSGS scores. Pretreatment levels of pHVA or pMHPG did not predict treatment response to clonidine. These data suggest that TS patients with more severe non-tic symptomatology have lower morning pHVA levels. This relationship is of interest because earlier studies showed that TS patients have lower CSF HVA levels compared with contrast and control groups. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1988, 27, 4:409–412.
Pharmacologic Effect of Thiphenamil HCI on Lower Urinary Tract Function of Healthy Asymptomatic Volunteers

The effect of thiphenamil HCI on the urodynamic parameters of bladder filling, voiding and isometric contraction was examined in controls. Data were obtained from 25 control female subjects with a mea
Ida Craven Merriam (1904–1997): A Leading figure in Social Security and Quality of Life Research

Born in 1904 in the United States, Ida C. Merriam began her career in Social Security research shortly after President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935. Over nearly four decades she built the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) research operation into “one of the very best in the Federal government—one that helped immensely in the wise development of Social Security policy,” acknowledged Robert Ball, former commissioner of the SSA. Dr. Merriam served as assistant director and then director of research in the 1950s and as the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) in 1963 until she retired in 1972. During her years with the SSA, she led groundbreaking quality of life studies on disability and health insurance, drafted major reports for congressional committees, directed the publication of Social Security technical studies and statistics, and was a member of a technical assistance mission to Thailand. Dr. Merriam was a 1925 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wellesley University, where she majored in English and history. After studying economics at the University of Chicago, she transferred to the old Brookings Graduate School of Economics and Government in Washington. She received an economics doctorate from Brookings in 1928. Dr. Merriam was one of six winners of the 1966 Federal Woman’s Award. She Applied Research Quality Life (2013) 8:275–276 DOI 10.1007/s11482-013-9227-9
Buckets of muckets: A compact system for rearing juvenile freshwater mussels

Abstract A novel system was developed for the culture of juvenile freshwater mussels (Unionidae). The system can be replicated economically to provide statistical power for experimental investigations of culture conditions. Two nested buckets partition a water volume of 18 l into upper and lower compartments. Water moves from the lower to the upper compartment via a small submersible pump, and returns to the lower compartment through screen-capped chambers containing the juveniles. Each bucket system includes 7 chambers, each of which can accommodate 2000 juveniles (14,000 total). Newly transformed juvenile unionids of 8 species were held in these systems for 9 to 12 wk and continuously drip-fed a monoculture of Neochloris oleoabundans. Survival rates were generally higher than those previously reported for newly metamorphosed unionids and exceeded 95% over 2 mo for Lampsilis siliquoidea and L. reeveiana. Mean growth rates varied among 5 species from 4.2 to 12.5 μm/d at 22 °C. These growth rates are within the range previously reported for lampsiline juveniles in recirculating systems. The bucket rearing system may be particularly useful for conducting studies of water quality and feeding regimes that require replication to account for container effects. It is also useful for short-term culture of juveniles to be used in toxicity testing.
Structure and Uncertainty in Discrete Choice Models

Social scientists are often confronted with theories in which one or more actors make choices over a discrete set of options. In this article, I generalize a broad class of statistical discrete choice models, with both well-known and new nonstrategic and strategic special cases. I demonstrate how to derive statistical models from theoretical discrete choice models and, in doing so, I address the statistical implications of three sources of uncertainty: agent error, private information about payoffs, and regressor error. For strategic and some nonstrategic choice models, the three types of uncertainty produce different statistical models. In these cases, misspecifying the type of uncertainty leads to biased and inconsistent estimates, and to incorrect inferences based on estimated probabilities.
Proteomic Profiling of γ-Secretase Substrates and Mapping of Substrate Requirements

The presenilin/γ-secretase complex, an unusual intramembrane aspartyl protease, plays an essential role in cellular signaling and membrane protein turnover. Its ability to liberate numerous intracellular signaling proteins from the membrane and also mediate the secretion of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) has made modulation of γ-secretase activity a therapeutic goal for cancer and Alzheimer disease. Although the proteolysis of the prototypical substrates Notch and β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been intensely studied, the full spectrum of substrates and the determinants that make a transmembrane protein a substrate remain unclear. Using an unbiased approach to substrate identification, we surveyed the proteome of a human cell line for targets of γ-secretase and found a relatively small population of new substrates, all of which are type I transmembrane proteins but have diverse biological roles. By comparing these substrates to type I proteins not regulated by γ-secretase, we determined that besides a short ectodomain, γ-secretase requires permissive transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains to bind and cleave its substrates. In addition, we provide evidence for at least two mechanisms that can target a substrate for γ cleavage: one in which a substrate with a short ectodomain is directly cleaved independent of sheddase association, and a second where a substrate requires ectodomain shedding to instruct subsequent γ-secretase processing. These findings expand our understanding of the mechanisms of substrate selection as well as the diverse cellular processes to which γ-secretase contributes.
Secular Declines in the Association Between Obesity and Mortality in the United States

Recent research suggests that rising obesity will restrain future gains in US life expectancy and that obesity is an important contributor to the current shortfall in us longevity compared to other high-income countries. Estimates of the contribution of obesity to current and future national-level mortality patterns are sensitive to estimates of the magnitude of the association between obesity and mortality at the individual level. We assessed secular trends in the obesity/mortality association among cohorts of middle-aged adults between 1948 and 2006 using three long-running US data sources: the Framingham Heart Study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and the National Health Interview Survey. We find substantial declines over time in the magnitude of the association between obesity and overall mortality and, in certain instances, cardiovascular-specific mortality. We conclude that estimates of the contribution of obesity to current national-level mortality patterns should take into account recent reductions in the magnitude of the obesity and mortality association.
Turning data into dance: Performing and presenting research on oppression and the body

Abstract Multiple qualitative research methods were employed to explore the somatic effects of oppression on people living in marginalized social categories. Interviewees became co-researchers and co-creators as an inclusive means of further disseminating and investigating themes that arose in the research project. By choreographing a public performance over the course of five months and folding in personal artistic inquiry, the authors developed a collaborative relationship around themes of transgender identity and the somatic effects of oppression. In this way, a synergy was achieved between the research methods used and the need for research to contribute to the resolution of body oppression in society.
The 1994 ACA Model Legislation For Licensed Professional Counselors

Model legislation seeks to facilitate uniformity of counselor licensure laws and promote accepted professional standards. The text of the model bill as endorsed by the 1994 American Counseling Association Governing Council is provided with commentary accompanying those sections in which significant changes have occurred. The article concludes with 15 specific suggestions based on experiences gained in the development and implementation of previous legislation for licensed professional counselors.
A genetic algorithm for multiprocessor scheduling

The problem of multiprocessor scheduling can be stated as finding a schedule for a general task graph to be executed on a multiprocessor system so that the schedule length can be minimized. This scheduling problem is known to be NP-hard, and methods based on heuristic search have been proposed to obtain optimal and suboptimal solutions. Genetic algorithms have recently received much attention as a class of robust stochastic search algorithms for various optimization problems. In this paper, an efficient method based on genetic algorithms is developed to solve the multiprocessor scheduling problem. The representation of the search node is based on the order of the tasks being executed in each individual processor. The genetic operator proposed is based on the precedence relations between the tasks in the task graph. Simulation results comparing the proposed genetic algorithm, the list scheduling algorithm, and the optimal schedule using random task graphs, and a robot inverse dynamics computational task graph are presented. >
Haircut mitral valve repair: posterior leaflet-plasty

Robotic mitral valve repairs of the posterior leaflet can be difficult, especially when a very large P2 segment exists. The repair described in this chapter is a simplification technique we call a “Haircut” posterior leaflet-plasty. The advantages are preservation of annular leaflet continuity, shortening P2 (height reduction), resection of flail segment portions, and restoration of leaflet support either with existing or transposed chords. This method helps a great deal when performing a posterior leaflet robotic mitral repair.
Effects of extra U(1)'s in SU(3) L ⊗U(1) and other models

We have analyzed the implications of extra U(1)'s in SU(3){sub {ital L}}{direct product}U(1) electroweak models. We characterize the models by one parameter, the value of which fixes the charges of the third quark and the third lepton. We discuss the neutral-current effects and compare them with other extra-U(1) models. We introduce two new combinations of left-right asymmetry and polarized forward-backward asymmetries which could be sensitive in distinguishing various models when such measurements become available.
Symbol mapping diversity in iterative decoding/demodulation of ARQ systems

This paper presents a simple, yet effective method of enhancing the inherent diversity among packet retransmissions in digital communication systems that employ high-order modulations such as M-PSK and M-QAM through frequency-selective channels. Diversity is enhanced by uniquely redefining the bit-to-symbol mapping for each retransmission. Finding the optimal mappings leads to iterative solutions of the quadratic assignment problem. More importantly, jointly equalizing transmission with different mappings only requires a marginal increase in complexity, while providing substantial gains in bit error rates (BER) and frame error rates (FER).
Who's going to do our research?

Who's going to do our research? Maybe the question is really: Who's left to do our research? Remember what that old college professor said to us during our first general session class … usually in an auditorium like this filled with 500 young, inquisitive minds: “Look to your left … look to your right … the student next to you won't be here next semester.” What a motivational speech that was!
Emergency departments II: a simulation-ilp based tool for scheduling ER staff

Healthcare facilities, especially hospitals, are under financial pressure to control cost. One element that affects cost significantly is staff. We have developed a tool that integrates a simulation model and an integer linear program (ILP). The simulation model establishes the staffing requirements for each period, and the ILP produces an optimal calendar schedule for the staff, i. e. how many staff members to start at each shift. The two models were fully integrated, under a Visual Basic interface that allowed a non expert user of the heuristic to interact with it on a repetitive planning basis.
Management of unusual soft tissue foreign bodies in the pediatric neck

Abstract Objective : To propose management options for foreign bodies that have migrated to cervical soft tissue in pediatric patients. Methods : Review 2 new cases seen in 2 academic pediatric hospitals and cases in the literature of cervical foreign body in the neck. Results : Case 1 is a 6-year-old boy whose history of an axillary impalement 2 years previously was not elicited until a 2-cm sliver of wood extruded from the neck wound several weeks after an inflammatory soft tissue mass in the neck was explored and biopsied without evidence of a foreign body. Case 2 is a 14-year-old boy who experienced intraoral fracture of a needle during a dental procedure; CT performed 10 months later showed that the needle had penetrated the carotid sheath at the level of the mid-neck, and it was removed operatively using ultrasound guidance. Review of the literature found 2 cases of unusual foreign bodies in the neck that had migrated from noncervical locations [7,8], as well as several other reports of foreign bodies that migrated within the cervical region [1–6]. Conclusions : Although soft tissue cervical foreign bodies are uncommon and their management defies standardization, the 2 new cases reported here and those in the literature demonstrate the importance of a methodical approach to a pediatric neck mass. Specifically, in new case 1, an understanding of the planes of the neck through which a foreign body in the axilla may migrate and a readiness to use intraoperative ultrasound could have led to location of the foreign body intraoperatively, a management approach that was successful in new case 2 and in the literature reports.
Connected Vehicle Enabled Freeway Merge Assistance system-field test: Preliminary results of driver compliance to advisory

The Connected Vehicle enabled Freeway Merge Assistance system is developed by the University of Virginia Center for Transportation Studies, with the aim of reducing conflicts between merging vehicles in freeway ramp area. Initial simulation evaluation results showed that the merge assistance system has significant potential to increase capacity of freeway merge areas and reduce accidents by minimizing the number of conflicts between vehicles. As a next step of evaluation, a field test is conducted at a Connected Vehicle test bed to investigate drivers' response to the personalized advisories relayed by this system. This paper provides an overview of the field test methodology, system architecture, stated preference survey and presents preliminary results for this prototype freeway merge assistance system developed for the Connected Vehicle Environment. The revealed and stated preference data gathered will be used to develop an advisory response model that will incorporate drivers' response variability in the simulation evaluation framework of the freeway merge assistance system.
Modeling deformation banding in dense and loose fluid-saturated sands

Balance of mass and linear momentum of a solid-fluid mixture furnish a complete set of equations from which the displacements of the solid matrix and the pore pressures can be resolved for the case of quasi-static loading, resulting in the so-called u-p Galerkin formulation. In this work, a recently proposed model for dense sands is utilized to model the effective stress response of the solid matrix appearing in the balance of linear momentum equation. In contrast with other more traditional models, inherent inhomogeneities in the porosity field at the meso-scale are thoroughly incorporated and coupled with the macroscopic laws of mixture theory. Also, the hydraulic conductivity is naturally treated as a function of the porosity in the solid matrix, allowing for a more realistic representation of the physical phenomenon. The aforementioned balance laws are cast into a fully nonlinear finite element program utilizing isoparametric elements satisfying the Babuska-Brezzi stability condition. Criteria for the onset of localization under locally drained and locally undrained conditions are derived and utilized to detect instabilities. Numerical simulations on dense and loose sand specimens are performed to study the effects of inhomogeneities on the stability of saturated porous media at the structural level.
Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening: Patient, Physician, and System Factors

Reduced incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC) associated with early detection of CRC and precursor lesions by screening [1] is well documented in the literature. Screening for CRC is widely recommended for average-risk adults starting at age 50 [1], and numerous efforts directed at increasing awareness of CRC, CRC screening and its efficacy have been deployed. Yet currently, adherence to CRC screening recommendations in the United States, by eligible adults remains low. In 2008, 53.2% of age-eligible women and men reported having an FOBT or endoscopic exam [2]. This rate of screening falls short of the American Cancer Society goal for 2015 of a recent CRC screening exam for 75% of U.S. adults aged 50 and older [3].
Prospective study of proton beam radiation therapy for adjuvant and definitive treatment of thymoma and thymic carcinoma: Early response and toxicity assessment

Abstract Background and purpose Radiation is an important modality in treatment of thymic tumors. However, toxicity may reduce its overall benefit. We hypothesized that double-scattering proton beam therapy (DS-PT) can achieve excellent local control with limited toxicity in patients with thymic malignancies. Methods and materials Patients with thymoma or thymic carcinoma treated with DS-PT between 2011 and 2015 were prospectively analyzed for toxicity and patterns of failure on an IRB-approved study. Results Twenty-seven consecutive patients were evaluated. Patients were a median of 56 years and had thymoma (85%). They were treated with definitive (22%), salvage (15%) or adjuvant (63%) DS-PT to a median of 61.2/1.8 Gy [CGE]. No patient experienced grade ⩾3 toxicity. Acute grade 2 toxicities included dermatitis (37%), fatigue (11%), esophagitis (7%), and pneumonitis (4%). Late grade 2 toxicity was limited to a single patient with chronic dyspnea. At a median follow-up of 2 years, 100% local control was achieved. Three-year regional control, distant control, and overall survival rates were 96% (95% CI 76–99%), 74% (95% CI 41–90%), and 94% (95% CI 63–99%), respectively. Conclusions This is the first cohort and prospective series of proton therapy to treat thymic tumors, demonstrating low rates of early toxicity and excellent initial outcomes.
S Corp Taxation: Level the Playing Field

A MAXTax would equalize the tax treatment of business income from passthrough entities with that of corporations. The tax revenue loss from a MAXTax would be partially offset by closing the S corporation SE tax loophole. In the absence of a MAXTax, individuals may choose to incorporate their businesses to take advantage of the lower corporate tax rate. If the S corporation payroll tax loophole is not closed, more individuals will use S corporations to minimize their Medicare and net investment income tax liabilities, significantly reducing projected tax revenues from those taxes.
Antisocial personality disorder and physical partner violence among single and dual substance-abusing couples

The current study examined how antisocial personality disorder (APD) and substance use disorder contributed to partners’ reports of physical partner violence among single and dual substance-abusing couples. Participants were 69 heterosexual couples entering treatment in which one or both partners met criteria for substance use disorder. APD diagnosis of the male partner was linked to significantly higher male-to-female and female-to-male perpetration of physical partner violence and victimization. Female partner’s APD diagnosis was associated with women’s reports of victimization by their male partners. Dual substance use diagnosis emerged as a moderator, in which the effect of men’s APD diagnosis on men’s perpetration of physical partner violence and victimization was significantly reduced if both partners had substance use disorder. Findings underscore the importance of both partners’ APD diagnosis and substance use status for understanding physical partner violence among single and dual substance-abusing couples.
Influential Aspects of the Smart City

Using millions of sensors in everyday objects, smart cities will generate petabytes of data, and it will be delivered to multiple users via networks. Multi-disciplinary inter-operability is essential. We propose system engineering management, with multidisciplinary teams as an effective way to deliver real change. Their goal is to develop intelligent and integrated services through the use of digital technologies and open collaboration. We also caution that the process cannot be entirely planned ahead of time, it must be allowed to evolve. New technology will change the game (where does a 3-D printer fit into a smart city?). Municipal planning means central planning -- not known for its sensitivity to reality. A successful smart city will include lots of feedback mechanisms for the citizenry.
Exploring articulation in internal activism and public relations theory: A case study

ABSTRACTThis paper answers Dozier and Lauzen’s (2000) call for critical theoretical examinations of activism and public relations to provide new perspectives and avoid the paradox inherent in organizational-level analyses. It also fills a literature gap by examining a case of internal activism, Girl Scout members protesting the use of palm oil in Girl Scout cookies, thus blurring organizational boundaries and rejecting Us/Other dichotomies. The basic precepts of the cultural-economic model (Curtin & Gaither, 2005, 2007) are expanded to provide greater heuristic power to the model (Curtin, Gaither, & Ciszek) and to delineate a more nuanced understanding of the public relations/activism relationship.
Some Results on the Behavior of Alternate Covariance Structure Estimation Procedures in the Presence of Non-Normal Data:

The authors report some results on the behavior of alternative covariance structure estimation procedures in the presence of non-normal data. They conducted Monte Carlo simulation experiments with ...
A peer-designed selective in anesthesiology, critical care, and perioperative medicine for first- and second-year medical students.

Abstract Study objective The objective of this study was to design and implement a preclinical elective (termed selective ) in anesthesiology, critical care, and perioperative medicine and to report survey results assessing the impact of the selective on first- and second-year medical students' understanding of basic concepts, comfort with procedural skills, and interest in the specialty. Design Preinvention and postintervention survey evaluation was used as the design of this study. Setting The study was conducted at Mayo Medical School and Mayo Clinic. Participants The participants in this study are first- and second-year medical students. Interventions A 1-week introductory anesthesiology curriculum was developed to include didactic sessions, shadowing experiences, lunch and dinner panels, mentorship and networking opportunities, and procedural workshops in airway management, ultrasound, and vascular access techniques. Measurements Preselective and postselective surveys using a 10-point scale (1, strongly disagree; 10, strongly agree) were administered 1 week before and after the selective. Main results A total of 8 students participated in the selective, with a 100% survey response rate. Students reported significant increases for all survey questions regarding basic concepts and skills. The largest increases were reported in comfort with airway management skills, understanding of the perioperative surgical home model, and vascular access skills. All participants indicated a higher likelihood of pursuing anesthesiology as a career and attributed their increased interest in anesthesiology to the selective. Conclusions This new selective was successful in giving first- and second-year medical students a comprehensive overview of anesthesiology and increasing medical student interest in the specialty. The success of this selective leads to promising belief that similar peer-designed educational experiences can be developed at other medical schools to improve education and interest in this area of medicine.
Comprehensive Assessment of Septic Encephalopathy in Children

Objective To investigate the clinical features and characteristics of imaging,cerebral hemodynamics and electrophysiology of septic encephalopathy in children.Methods The clinical data and examination result of computerized tomography(CT),ultrasound and electroencephalogram(EEG) on encephalon of the 44 consecutive children with septic encephalopathy from Jan.2003 to Jun.2006 were reviewed retrospectively.According to the prognosis and the etiology,the totally 44 patients were divided into survival group,death group and pneumonia group,enteritis group,septicemia group,appendicular perforation group,skin gangrene group as well as EBV infection group,respectively.Fi-sher′s exact test was used to compare the differences of ratio.Results 1.Clinical manifestations:loss of consciousness was observed in all 44 cases,convulsions in 29 cases,upper-right-limb paralysis in 1 case,cerebral hernia in 1 case,and 14 cases resulted in death.2.Forteen cases were detected by CT scanning.Multiple local and diffuse lower density in cerebral parenchyma was observed in 3 cases and 2 cases respectively.Intracranial hemorrhage was found in the latter 2 cases.3.Color doppler ultrasound was detected in 11 cases.Diffuse brain edema was found in 5 cases,and among them intracranial hemorrhage was found in 1 case.4.EEG was detected in 10 cases.Flat-to-isoelectric EEG was found in 3 cases.Diffuse slow wave activities and sharp wave with sharp-slow wave complex were found in 5 cases and 2 cases,respectively.5.Between the sharp wave group and the flat-to-isoelectric EEG group,the number of cases who was less than 7 with Glasgow coma scale was significant(P0.05).6.Between the pneumoniae group and septiceamia group,the difference in the number of coma patients was very significant(P0.01).7.Between those who survived and those who died,the difference in the number of patients with flat-to-isoelectric EEG was significant(P0.05).Conclusions Septic pediatric patients may result in severe abnormalities of cerebral morphology,cerebral blood flow and electrophysiology.More detailed information about septic encephalopathy in children can be obtained as early as possible by comprehensive assessment through clinical observation,CT scanning,Doppler ultrasound and EEG.
Recent Improvements in Very Large Area a-Si PV Module Manufacturing

Amorphous silicon based photovoltaic (PV) cells are at present the most promising technology for the future reduction in the cost of PV modules. Although progress in the laboratory on both single and multi-junction a-Si based devices has been very encouraging both in terms of initial and stabilized efficiencies few of these improvements have been successfully transferred to the market place in terms of low cost power modules. The problems associated with scaling up from the laboratory to a commercially viable product are discussed with emphasis being given to processing equipment design, cell-module efficiency losses and cost issues. A number of approaches which could be adopted for the volume manufacture of amorphous silicon modules are discussed, with the single chamber “batch” approach which has been successfully adopted by A.P.S. Inc. in its manufacturing line in Trenton, N.J., being examined in detail. Recent progress in the operational “Eureka” manufacturing facility, which will have a capacity of 10 MWp per annum of a-Si based power modules, is reported along with results on high efficiency 2 1/2′ × 5′ single junction modules.
Catholicism & Sexuality: The Sounds of Silence

The episcopal silence and secrecy associated with the recent pedophilia scandal echoes a larger inability of the Catholic episcopal hierarchy to enter into open and honest dialogue about a wide range of sexual issues. For more than three decades the chasm between official teachings on sexuality and gender and the belief and/or practice of the majority of Catholic laity, clergy and theologians (and an unknown number of bishops) has been growing. Still, attempts to address or bridge this divide have met with a fourfold silence. It is a silence that has kept bishops from speaking their true minds, a silence sought by restricting, investigating and sanctioning theologians, a silence that renders pastors mute or covert on sexual matters, and a silence that ignores the experience and voices of women. Such a silence undermines magisterial authority and deprives Catholics of a useful and persuasive sexual ethic, while marginalizing those willing to speak out and demoralizing those who feel they cannot.
SINGLE-DOMAIN ANTIBODIES: RUGGED RECOGNITION ELEMENTS FOR TOMORROW'S BIOSENSORS

Publisher Summary Camelids and sharks possess a class of unconventional immunoglobulins consisting of heavy-chain homodimers in which antigen binding is mediated through a single variable domain. When expressed recombinantly, these variable domains, referred to as “single-domain antibodies” (sdAb), comprise the smallest known antigen-binding fragments. Both camelid- and shark-derived sdAb have been incorporated into multivalent and/or bivalent constructs. These reagents have the advantage that through avidity, they can have a higher apparent affinity than a monomeric sdAb. Strategies including DNA shuffling, random PCR, and mutational hotspot randomization have been used to generate and select sdAb variants with improved protein expression, stability, and affinity. The ability to design or tailor sdAb to meet an application's particular needs is a strong advantage that favors their future adoption in detection schemes. Furthermore, the biophysical properties of sdAb make them attractive recognition elements in biosensors. However, there are several limitations to the use of sdAb in biosensors. Although sdAb can be rapidly developed from naive libraries, the highest affinity reagents have been derived from immunized animals. Using animals adds both time and expense to reagent development. Finally, protein engineering offers the potential to create fusions of sdAb with protein domains to impart specific functionalities, such as the construction of monomolecular protein lattices that can be used to pattern surfaces, this cannot currently be accomplished with conventional IgG. Directed evolution enables the selection of sdAb variants with desirable traits such as improved thermodynamic stability and proteolytic stability. These features combined make sdAb ideal reagents for use in the development of tomorrow's rugged biosensors.
Nonalternans repolarization variability and arrhythmia – the calcium connection

Abstract Repolarization alternans precedes certain types of ventricular arrhythmias and its presence may be prognostically useful, but some ventricular arrhythmias are not preceded by repolarization alternans. Nonalternans changes of ventricular repolarization occur in patients with coronary artery disease and in subjects with congenital long QT syndrome. In animal experiments, nonalternans repolarization lability occurs in a canine model of chronic AV block with propensity to polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, in the perfused rabbit heart exposed to IKr block, and in a murine model of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Optical mapping experiments indicate that heterogeneity of intracellular calcium handling underlies nonalternans repolarization variability. Detection of nonalternans repolarization lability poses specific challenges, since signal averaging does not increase the signal to noise ratio. Nonalternans repolarization lability may be erroneously reported as repolarization alternans by non-spectral methods applied to short data segments. Additional research will be needed to determine the role of nonalternans repolarization variability in mechanism of ventricular arrhythmias.
OptoRadio: a method of wireless communication using orthogonal M-ary PSK (OMPSK) modulation

Laser based radio communication system, i.e. OptoRadio, using Orthogonal M-ary PSK Modulation scheme is presented in this paper. In this scheme, when a block of data needs to be transmitted, the corresponding block of biorthogonal code is transmitted by means of multi-phase shift keying. At the receiver, two photo diodes are cross coupled. The effect is that the net output power due to ambient light is close to zero. The laser signal is then transmitted only into one of the receivers. With all other signals being cancelled out, the laser signal is an overwhelmingly dominant signal. The detailed design, bit error correction capabilities, and bandwidth efficiency are presented to illustrate the concept.
Highly parallel decoding of space-time codes on graphics processing units

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) with a few hundred extremely simple processors represent a paradigm shift for highly parallel computations. We use this emergent GPU architecture to provide a first demonstration of the feasibility of real time ML decoding (in software) of a high rate space-time block code that is representative of codes incorporated in 4th generation wireless standards such as WiMAX and LTE. The decoding algorithm is conditional optimization which reduces to a parallel calculation that is a natural fit to the architecture of low cost GPUs. Experimental results demonstrate that asymptotically the GPU implementation is more than 700 times faster than a standard serial implementation. These results suggest that GPU architectures have the potential to improve the cost / performance tradeoff of 4th generation wireless base stations. Additional benefits might include reducing the time required for system development and the time required for configuration and testing of wireless base stations.
Hand-to-Face Remapping But No Differences in Temporal Discrimination Observed on the Intact Hand Following Unilateral Upper Limb Amputation.

Unilateral major limb amputation causes changes in sensory perception. Changes may occur within not only the residual limb but also the intact limb as well as the brain. We tested the hypothesis that limb amputation may result in the detection of hand sensation during stimulation of a non-limb related body region. We further investigated the responses of unilateral upper limb amputees and individuals with all limbs intact to temporally-based sensory tactile testing of the fingertips to test the hypothesis that changes in sensory perception also have an effect on the intact limb. Upper extremity amputees were assessed for the presence of referred sensations – experiencing feelings in the missing limb when a different body region is stimulated, to determine changes within the brain that occur due to an amputation. Eight (8) of 19 amputees (42.1%) experienced referred sensation in the phantom limb with manual tactile mapping on various regions of the face. There was no correlation between whether someone had phantom sensations or phantom limb pain and where referred sensation was found. Six of the amputees had either phantom sensation or pain in addition to referred sensation induced by facial stimulation Results from the tactile testing showed that there were no significant differences in the accuracy of participants in the temporal order judgment tasks (p=0.702), whereby participants selected the digit that was tapped first by a tracking paradigm that resulted in correct answers leading to shorter inter-stimulus intervals and incorrect answers increasing the inter-stimulus interval. There were also no significant differences in timing perception, i.e., the threshold accuracy of the duration discrimination task (p=0.727), in which participants tracked which of the two digits received a longer stimulus. We conclude that many, but not all, unilateral upper limb amputees experience phantom hand sensation and/or pain with stimulation of the face, suggesting that there could be post-amputation changes in neuronal circuitry in somatosensory cortex. However, major unilateral limb amputation does not lead to changes in temporal order judgment or timing perception tasks administered via the tactile modality of the intact hand in upper limb amputees.
Evaluation of Various Combinations of Alternative Protein Feedstuffs to Replace Soybean Meal in Diets for Pond-Raised Channel Catfish

AbstractA study was conducted in earthen ponds to evaluate the use of combinations of two or three alternative protein sources to replace soybean meal in diets for Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Six 28% protein diets containing various combinations of alternative protein feedstuffs—cottonseed meal, corn distillers dried grains with solubles, corn germ meal, peanut meal, and porcine meat and bone meal—were evaluated. Channel Catfish stockers (mean initial weight = 87 g/fish) were stocked into 30 earthen ponds (0.04 ha) at a density of 14,826 fish/ha with five ponds per dietary treatment. They were fed once a day to apparent satiation for a 183-d growing season. There were no significant differences in total diet fed, net yield, weight gain, survival, processing yield, and fillet proximate composition among dietary treatments. Results from the present study show that all soybean meal could be replaced by two or three moderate- and high-protein alternative feedstuffs without significantly affecting gro...
High‐resolution sequencing reveals unexplored archaeal diversity in freshwater wetland soils

Despite being key contributors to biogeochemical processes, archaea are frequently outnumbered by bacteria, and consequently are underrepresented in combined molecular surveys. Here, we demonstrate an approach to concurrently survey the archaea alongside the bacteria with high-resolution 16S rRNA gene sequencing, linking these community data to geochemical parameters. We applied this integrated analysis to hydric soils sampled across a model methane-emitting freshwater wetland. Geochemical profiles, archaeal communities, and bacterial communities were independently correlated with soil depth and water cover. Centimeters of soil depth and corresponding geochemical shifts consistently affected microbial community structure more than hundreds of meters of lateral distance. Methanogens with diverse metabolisms were detected across the wetland, but displayed surprising OTU-level partitioning by depth. Candidatus Methanoperedens spp. archaea thought to perform anaerobic oxidation of methane linked to iron reduction were abundant. Domain-specific sequencing also revealed unexpectedly diverse non-methane-cycling archaeal members. OTUs within the underexplored Woesearchaeota and Bathyarchaeota were prevalent across the wetland, with subgroups and individual OTUs exhibiting distinct occupancy and abundance distributions aligned with environmental gradients. This study adds to our understanding of ecological range for key archaeal taxa in a model freshwater wetland, and links these taxa and individual OTUs to hypotheses about processes governing biogeochemical cycling.
Density Gradient Centrifugation Studies on the Herpes-Type Virus of the Lucké Tumor

The “virus-free” renal adenocarcinoma (Lucke tumor) of the frog has been shown by Mizell et al. (1) to develop herpes-type virus (HTV) when the tumor-bearing frogs are maintained at 7–8°C for several months. Tweedell (2) has shown that kidney tumors can be induced in frog embryos by HTV-positive tumor filtrates and subcellular fractions obtained by the differential centrifugation of tumor homogenates. We have fractionated several of these cold-treated tumors utilizing sucrose gradient zonal centrifugation followed by isopycnic banding of the virus zones for further purification. This report presents the results of these fractionation studies.
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas: Treatments and Controversies

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are a fairly common pediatric brain tumor, and children with these tumors have a dismal prognosis. They generally are diagnosed within the first decade of life, and due to their location within the pons, these tumors are not surgically resectable. The median survival for children with DIPGs is less than 1 year, in spite of decades of clinical trial development of unique approaches to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Novel therapies are under investigation for these deadly tumors. As clinicians and researchers make a concerted effort to obtain tumor tissue, the molecular signals of these tumors are being investigated in an attempt to uncover targetable therapies for DIPGs. In addition, direct application of chemotherapies into the tumor (convection-enhanced delivery) is being investigated as a novel delivery system for treatment of DIPGs. Overall, DIPGs require creative thinking and a disciplined approach for development of a therapy that can improve the prognosis for these unfortunate children.
Strategies to Design Resilient Supply Network Structures

The supply network formalism and resilience fundamentals introduced in Chaps. 2 and 3 provide the theoretical foundation to understand resilience in SNs. Practitioners, however, require actionable insights and strategies to create and operate resilient supply networks. Literature from physical, digital, and service supply networks contains numerous techniques to achieve these objectives. Nevertheless, the field lacks a clear mapping of these techniques to core resilience strategies to design and operate SNs. In this chapter, the three main strategies applied in the design of resilient structures in SNs—redundancy, excess resources, communication network efficiency—are presented. The aim is to provide practitioners and researchers with a high-level map of design strategies which encompass many existing approaches, and, possibly, several future ones, to guide their efforts to create resilient SNs. Strategies are discussed in connection with existing examples found in literature to provide a wide overview of techniques used within each strategy to achieve resilience at agent and network level.
Carbon Balance of CO2-EOR for NCNO Classification

Abstract The question of whether carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR) constitutes a valid alternative for greenhouse gas emission reduction has been frequently asked by the general public and environmental sectors. Through this technology, operational since 1972, oil production is enhanced by injecting CO 2 into depleted oil reservoirs in order displace the residual oil toward production wells in a solvent/miscible process. For decades, the CO 2 utilized for EOR has been most commonly sourced from natural CO 2 accumulations. More recently, a few projects have emerged where anthropogenic CO 2 (A-CO 2 ) is captured at an industrial facility, transported to a depleted oil field, and utilized for EOR. If carbon geologic storage is one of the project objectives, all the CO 2 injected into the oil field for EOR could technically be stored in the formation. Even though the CO 2 is being prevented from entering the atmosphere, and permanently stored away in a secured geologic formation, a question arises as to whether the total CO 2 volumes stored in order to produce the incremental oil through EOR are larger than the CO 2 emitted throughout the entire CO 2 -EOR process, including the capture facility, the EOR site, and the refining and burning of the end product. We intend to answer some of these questions through a DOE-NETL funded study titled “Carbon Life Cycle Analysis of CO 2 -EOR for Net Carbon Negative Oil (NCNO) Classification”. NCNO is defined as oil whose carbon emissions to the atmosphere, when burned or otherwise used, are less than the amount of carbon permanently stored in the reservoir in order to produce the oil. In this paper, we focus on the EOR site in what is referred to as a gate-to-gate system, but are inclusive of the burning of the refined product, as this end member is explicitly stated in the definition of NCNO. Finally, we use Cranfield, Mississippi, as a case study and come to the conclusion that the incremental oil produced is net carbon negative.
Skin diseases of juvenile cats and dogs

This article discusses skin diseases of juvenile dogs and cats, with brief notes on clinical features, diagnosis and treatment. Some conditions only affect juvenile animals, while others are more common in younger puppies and kittens. While the clinical approach to juvenile skin diseases is similar to that for skin disease in older animals, some additional points must be considered.
Emerging Markers of Early Brain Injury and Delayed Cerebral Ischemia in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background Delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is characterized by a highly complex pathophysiology and results in neurologic deterioration after the inciting bleed. Despite its significant consequences, prompt diagnosis can be elusive and treatment is often administered too late. Early brain injury, which occurs within the first 72 hours after ictus, may be an important factor for delayed cerebral ischemia and poor overall outcome. Here, we explore the purported clinical and pathologic manifestations of early brain injury to identify biomarkers that could have prognostic value. Methods We review the literature and discuss potential emerging markers of delayed cerebral ischemia in the context of early brain injury. Results The following clinical features and biomarkers were examined: global cerebral edema, ictal loss of consciousness, ultra early angiographic vasospasm, continuous electroencephalogram monitoring, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, cellular mediators of the inflammatory response, and hematologic derangements. Conclusions Some of these markers possess independent value for determining the risk of complications after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, their use is limited because of a variety of factors, but they do provide an avenue of further study to aid in diagnosis and management.