cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene Therapy for Epilepsy

Focal epilepsies present an attractive target for viral vector gene therapy especially in those cases approved for surgical resection. A number of basic studies have identified potential therapeutic approaches ranging from neuroactive peptides and potassium channels to DREADD receptors. Although each approach exhibits clear therapeutic strengths, a number of concerns remain. Immune responses, variable cellular tropisms, off-target liabilities, and surgical infusion parameters must be considered in order to move these therapies to the clinic.
The Comfort of Denial

In many normal instances, denial helps people deal with bad news. Instead of acknowledging that a negative event happened, people deny it. This behavior would be helpful if whatever happened is a minor problem, like a scratch or bruise that can’t develop into something worse. However, for example, if a young woman has unprotected sex and denies that she can become pregnant or catch an STD, she is in trouble.
Migrants’ Networks and Local People

Pork butcher John Birkett and his wife Wilhelmina Magdalena, from Wurttemberg in southwest Germany, moved from Sunderland to South Shields in the 1870s. They set up shop at 63 Thrift Street near the riverside, assisted by two Wurttemberger domestic servants, Magdalena’s brother Rick Katzenberger and Mieka Shoff. In 1891, Magdalena, now widowed, remained in business with Rick’s help, and the household continued to import compatriots, including boarder Annette Zimmerman. By 1901 Magdalena, apparently retired, reported her occupation as a boot club woman, but Frederick and his wife Rosine now operated their own butcher shop in Rutland Street near Tyne Dock, employing two young shop assistants from Germany.1 As the Birkett-Katzenberger household’s evolution illustrated, networks built on origin, occupation and kinship structured South Shields’ migrant communities. Some, like Germans and Jews, resembled ‘model subcultures’ found in the United States.2 Yet most migrants more resembled master shoemaker Frederick Jensen, from Brunswick in north central Germany. Jensen appeared in 1871 with his Australian wife, Lena. The couple had ranged widely, with children born in Sheffield, Ireland, Cardiff and Hartlepool.3 No evidence suggests Frederick and Lena partook in South Shields’ tight-knit German colony despite Frederick’s German origin. By 1881, they had moved on.
Investor Reaction to Merger and Acquisition Rumors

We investigate investor reactions to merger and acquisition rumors. Employing a large and comprehensive sample of acquisition rumors, we find that the rumor target firms experience average cumulative abnormal returns of 4.78% over the three days around the rumor, and abnormal returns of -4.48% over the following three months. The negative post-rumor abnormal returns are robust to different benchmark return models, firm size, level of illiquid, and level of idiosyncratic risk. Additional tests indicate that they are not driven by omitted risks or changing risks over time. The acquisition rumors attract tremendous investor attention; the more attention they attract the more negative are the post-rumor returns. Our findings are consistent with that investors overreact to acquisition rumors.
Optimized complementary 40 V power LDMOS-FETs use existing fabrication steps in submicron CMOS technology

This paper discusses development of state-of-the-art complementary isolated lateral 40 V rated power MOSFETs. The goals of this project were to provide BV specific devices for use with an existing merged VLSI technology. Devices meeting this goal were fabricated in a production manufacturing environment with no extra cost added to the process. The p-channel FET has a BV=60 V, and R/sub s/p=2.71 m/spl Omega/ cm/sup 2/ @V/sub gs/=15 V, and for the n-channel FET, BV=47 V and R/sub sp/=0.67 m/spl Omega/cm/sup 2/ @V/sub gs/=15 V. These devices are seen to be very competitive solutions with advanced integral on-chip intelligence. >
Variable-length coding with noiseless feedback and finite messages

This paper considers the problem of zero-rate (fixed number of messages) variable-length coding over a memoryless noisy channel with noiseless feedback. This problem is considered from a control theoretic point of view and is modeled as a special case of active sequential hypothesis testing. Techniques from dynamic programming are applied to characterize the optimal solution to this problem leading to an improvement over previous known results as well as a concise alternative proof for Burnashev's converse bound.
Thorax — Pulmonary Angiography

The pulmonary vasculature can be investigated with a variety of imaging modalities providing direct or indirect information about the vessels. Since MRA is used mainly in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, we will focus on this entity.
Noradrenergic Control of Arousal and Stress

Stress impacts a variety of behavioral processes, including arousal and higher cognitive processes. Central noradrenergic systems are highly sensitive to stress and other high-arousal states. Via extensive axon collaterals, brainstem noradrenergic neurons innervate nearly the entire brain, positioning them to participate broadly in behavioral responding in stress. Consistent with this, activation of central noradrenergic signaling elicits an array of stresslike effects, including elevated arousal, impaired prefrontal-dependent cognition, strengthened aversive memories, and impaired preattentive filtering of sensory information. These actions involve noradrenergic α 1 - and β-receptor signaling in a diversity of cortical and subcortical regions. Finally, stress-related psychopathology is associated with alterations in norepinephrine (NE)-sensitive behavioral and cognitive function. Evidence suggests that neuroplasticity within both noradrenergic systems and noradrenergic projection targets likely contribute to the enduring nature of stress-related changes in behavior associated with stress-related disorders. These, and other observations, indicate a prominent role of brain NE in behavioral responding in stress and stress-related psychopathology.
Designing local magnetic fields and path planning for independent actuation of multiple mobile microrobots

Autonomous manipulation at the microscale has applications in both the manufacturing and biomedical industries. However, independent actuation of multiple robots equipped with different manipulators is important for the speed and success of manipulation. In this paper, we have developed a specialized substrate with an array of microcoils that can generate local magnetic fields to control multiple microrobots independently. We have developed a physics based planning approach to compute the paths for the microrobots that can avoid obstacles and are well-suited for execution by the array of microcoils for autonomous navigation. We have demonstrated the capability of the planner with simulation experiments and the effectiveness of the microcoil array in independent actuation of the microrobots with physical experiments. The limitations of the current system are presented and a modified microcoil array is proposed and analyzed for increased performance.
Use of PIXYL software analysis of brain MRI (with & without contrast) as valuable metric in clinical trial tracking in study of multiple sclerosis (MS) and related neurodegenerative processes

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disorder of the brain and spinal cord in which focal lymphocytic infiltrates lead to damage of myelin and axons. Often this seems associated with a type of autoimmune and inflammatory disorder which is transient, with attempted remyelination that is not durable. Neurological disorders appear somewhat randomly, seem to improve and demonstrate recovery. Progression is variable, but over time, seems to become more widespread with microglial activation associated with extensive chronic neurodegeneration and persistent disability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with and without contrast, has become the standard metric of finding and following lesions and axonal loss. The traditional methods of treatment include medications, diet, exercises, and neurological supportive care. The medications are limitedly effective, and often have very undesirable side effects. Medications seem to reduce the frequency of new episodes, but are not yet able to reverse acquired deficits or long-term progression. Clinical trials exploring cellular therapy are currently underway, and showing some interesting progress with management of many with the MS disorder. What has been needed is a reliable and affordable metric to track the patient's clinical progress, both from a location of lesion and volumetric changes on MRI. PIXYL software offers a major improvement in providing tracking capability of outcomes in use of medications or cellular therapy. Time consuming, limited accuracy, and costs of having serial MRI segmented and analyzed make standing neuroradiological interpretations difficult to standardize. This software offers a new ability to resolve much of these issues, including taking manual (human) interpretation out of potential bias or different interpreters, and offers volumetric and lesional changes over time in serial studies. This paper introduces the functions and values of use of sophisticated software analytics in the evaluation and management of this ongoing disease process.
Genital vibration for sexual function and enhancement: a review of evidence

Vibration, as provided by a genital vibrator, is commonly regarded as a tool to enhance sexual pleasure and in modern day society falls under the category of a sex toy. However, the vibrator was not originally intended to be a toy, and its benefits reach far beyond that of a plaything. This article is a narrative review of the current evidence regarding the use of vibratory stimulation for the treatment of sexual dysfunction and/or sexual and relationship enhancement. The literature indicates that vibratory stimulation has evidence-based support for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction and anorgasmia. Vibratory stimulation is positively correlated with increased sexual desire and overall sexual function. It has also shown benefit for sexual arousal difficulties and pelvic floor dysfunction. Though definitive evidence is lacking, genital vibration is a potential treatment for sexual dysfunction related to a wide variety of sexual health concerns in men and women.
A class of distributed adaptive pricing mechanisms for societal systems with limited information

In this paper, we present a class of learning dynamics for distributed adaptive pricing in affine congestion games. We consider the setting where a large population of users is faced with the problem of choosing between a finite number of available resources, each resource having a particular cost function that depends only on the share of users using that particular resource. Since the mass of users is constant, their individual decisions affect the performance of all the available resources, thus generating a population game where each resource can be seen as a particular strategy in the game. Given the well-known fact that Nash equilibria in population games may not be socially optimal, a social planner is faced with the challenge of designing incentive mechanisms that induce a socially optimal Nash equilibrium. To achieve this, we present in this paper a class of model-free distributed pricing algorithms that guarantee convergence to the set of optimal tolls that induce a socially optimal Nash equilibrium. Our results allow us to consider populations of users that react instantaneously to tolls, as well as populations with social dynamics. Since the algorithms are distributed and data-driven, they can be implemented in settings where full information of the game is not available. By combining tools from game theory, robust set-valued dynamical systems, and adaptive control, a convergence result is established.
Effect of stoichiometric mixture fraction on nonpremixed H2O2N2 edge-flames

Abstract The influences of stoichiometric mixture fraction (Zst) and global strain rate (σ) on the shapes and propagation rates (Uedge) of nonpremixed edge-flames in H2 N2/O2 N2 mixtures were investigated using a counterflow slot-jet apparatus. Both positive and negative Uedge were observed depending on dilution level, Zst and σ. At low Zst only continuous flames were observed whereas at sufficiently high Zst, where a shift from more oxygen-deficient to more fuel-deficient conditions at the reaction zone occurs, broken structures characteristic of low Lewis number premixed flames were observed which enabled combustion under conditions where no flames could be sustained at lower Zst, even for the same dilution level. At sufficiently high σ these broken structures could transition from advancing edge-flames to isolated, stationary flames, particularly for highly-diluted mixtures. These findings were in surprisingly good agreement with theoretical predictions. Appropriate scalings of these behaviors for different mixtures based on computed 1D extinction strain rates were identified. Nonpremixed H2 N2/O2 N2 edge-flames have profoundly different responses to Zst than corresponding hydrocarbon edge-flames, which is shown to be due to differences in the chemistry and Lewis numbers of the two fuels.
Ultrasonic irradiation of deuterium-loaded palladium particles suspended in heavy water

Ultrasonic irradiation of a slurry of deuterium-loaded palladium powder (1 {mu}m) suspended in heavy water causes cavitation and high-speed collisions between the palladium particles. High local temperatures, estimated at above the melting point of palladium (1828 K), cause melting and interparticle fusion. The expectation that such collisions can induce high stresses within the palladium particles and lead to favorable conditions for nuclear cold fusion of the deuterium atoms within the palladium lattice is checked by measuring the neutron rates during ultrasonic irradiation. Several bursts of neutron counting are observed and can be accounted for as background anomalism, although the highest observed neutron rate is about four times the background and cannot be explained as background. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the deuterium-loaded palladium powders reveals that after ultrasonic irradiation in heavy water, the palladium powder becomes partially oxidized and undergoes some compositional changes. 18 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.
Carcinogenicity Versus Acute Toxicity: Is There a Relationship?

Carcinogenic potency is compared in rodents with acute toxicity for a group of chemicals (155) which were tested independently of and mostly before the NCl/NTP program. For the entire data set and several subsets, we find partially biased statistically significant linear relationships between potency and the inverse of LD50. On average, the chemicals studied outside the NCl/NTP program are more carcinogenic compared to their acute toxicity than the NCl/NTP chemicals. Analysis shows a clear unbiased upper bound for carcinogenic potency. The correlation between potency and acute toxicity is robust with respect to species and route of administration. We find good agreement between oral and inhalation experiments, for toxicities and carcinogenicities.
Using action research to improve science teaching self-efficacy

Elementary teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy has concerned researchers for many years. This case study explores the perceptions and experiences of an elementary preservice teacher as she eng...
miRNA involvement in cell cycle regulation in colorectal cancer cases.

Uncontrolled cell replication is a key component of carcinogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate genes involved in checkpoints, DNA repair, and genes encoding for key proteins regulating the cell cycle. We investigated how miRNAs and mRNAs in colorectal cancer subjects interact to regulate the cell cycle. Using RNA-Seq data from 217 individuals, we analyzed differential expression (carcinoma minus normal mucosa) of 123 genes within the cell cycle pathway with differential miRNA expression, adjusting for age and sex. Multiple comparison adjustments for gene/miRNA associations were made at the gene level using an FDR 1.50. Thirty-two mRNAs were associated with 48 miRNAs; 102 of 290 total associations had identified seed matches; of these, ten had negative beta coefficients. Hsa-miR-15a-5p and hsa-miR-20b-5p were associated with colorectal cancer survival with an FDR <0.05 (HR 0.86 95% CI 0.79, 0.94; HR 0.83 95% CI 0.75, 0.91 respectively). Our findings suggest that miRNAs impact mRNA translation at multiple levels within the cell cycle.
Fe(II)-Induced Mineral Transformation of Ferrihydrite–Organic Matter Adsorption and Co-precipitation Complexes in the Absence and Presence of As(III)

The poorly crystalline ferrihydrite (Fh) is often associated with organic matter (OM) and metal(loid)s, such as arsenic (As). The transformation of Fh to more stable and, hence, less reactive phases is catalyzed by the surface reaction with Fe(II). However, little is known regarding the impact of various specific OM types and the co-existence of OM and As on the secondary mineralization of Fh. Accordingly, we explored the extent and the resulting secondary minerals of Fe(II)-induced transformation of [As(III)-adsorbed] OM–Fh adsorption and co-precipitation complexes, which were synthesized using two types of OM: dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracted from the O horizon of an ultisol and polygalacturonic acid (PGA) as a proxy for polysaccharides. Regardless of OM type, increased contents of the co-precipitated or adsorbed OM led to a decrease in Fh transformation in both the absence and presence of As(III). Adsorbed As(III) caused a decrease in Fh conversion for both pure Fh and OM–Fh complexes. We obser...
Genetically defined cellular correlates of the baseline brain MRI signal

fMRI revolutionized neuroscience by allowing in vivo real-time detection of human brain activity. While the nature of the fMRI signal is understood as resulting from variations in the MRI signal due to brain-activity-induced changes in the blood oxygenation level (BOLD effect), these variations constitute a very minor part of a baseline MRI signal. Hence, the fundamental (and not addressed) questions are how underlying brain cellular composition defines this baseline MRI signal and how a baseline MRI signal relates to fMRI. Herein we investigate these questions by using a multimodality approach that includes quantitative gradient recalled echo (qGRE), volumetric and functional connectivity MRI, and gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. We demonstrate that in vivo measurement of the major baseline component of a GRE signal decay rate parameter (R2t*) provides a unique genetic perspective into the cellular constituents of the human cortex and serves as a previously unidentified link between cortical tissue composition and fMRI signal. Data show that areas of the brain cortex characterized by higher R2t* have high neuronal density and have stronger functional connections to other brain areas. Interestingly, these areas have a relatively smaller concentration of synapses and glial cells, suggesting that myelinated cortical axons are likely key cortical structures that contribute to functional connectivity. Given these associations, R2t* is expected to be a useful signal in assessing microstructural changes in the human brain during development and aging in health and disease.
Responsibility for structural injustice

Following Iris Marion Young, Catherine Lu allocates responsibility for transforming unjust global structures to the agents who participate in perpetuating and reproducing those structures. She also...
Cyanobacterial soil surface consortia mediate N cycle processes in agroecosystems

Recurrent cyanobacterial growth on soil surfaces in hydric climatic regimes has received less study than biological soil crusts (BSCs) of xeric biomes. We assessed the potential for cyanobacteria to perform important nitrogen (N) cycle processes during growth on N-fertilized soils of hydric regions by testing a microbial consortium (DG1) enriched from a local agricultural soil. The metagenome of DG1 had been shown by shotgun sequencing to consist of Cylindrospermum spp. and six additional bacterial genomes. We refer to DG1 and similar assemblages as soil surface consortia (SSCs) to distinguish them from classical BSCs. We evaluated the ability of DG1 to fix N2 in the presence of inorganic N by measuring biomass uptake of 15N2 during 7-d incubations in a controlled-atmosphere chamber in media containing 0, 0, 62, 124, or 247 mg L-1 NO3-N. After 7 d, mean 15N atom % excess in DG1 biomass was 0.0143, 0.0029, 0.0037, and 0.0038 at the four NO3-N concentrations, respectively. Mean 15N atom % excess in dead cell controls was not significantly larger than zero. Mean N2 fixation rates of 101.3, 18.9, 25.6, and 26.6 ug N g-1 dry biomass d-1, respectively, indicated that DG1 continued to fix N2 in the presence of NO3-N, but at rates fourfold to fivefold lower than in N-free medium. We also assessed the potential for the SSC to retain soil NO3-N by applying simulated rainfall to soil microcosms inoculated with three levels of DG1 and grown for 1, 3, and 7 d at varied NO3-N concentrations. Overall, inoculation resulted in 50-70% more soil N retained after rainfall (p < 0.001) compared to non-inoculated microcosms. The effect of establishment time was significant (p = 0.043). Since water infiltration rates through microcosms were not significantly affected, we inferred that SSC biomass absorbed and/or immobilized NO3-N. These results show how SSCs can modulate soil N, either by fixing more N2 under N-limited conditions or by immobilizing inorganic N when concentrations are higher. Thus, naturally occurring or intentionally inoculated SSCs represent potential renewable sources of biologically fixed N and means for soil stabilization and N retention in diverse agricultural systems.
Aspirin reduces long-term stroke risk in women with prior hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Objective To determine whether hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) increased long-term stroke risk in women in the California Teachers Study (CTS), a prospective cohort study, and whether aspirin or statin use modified this risk. Methods CTS participants ≤60 years of age at the time of enrollment in 1995 were followed up prospectively for validated stroke outcomes obtained via linkage with California hospital records through December 31, 2015. We calculated unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the primary outcomes of all stroke and stroke before 60 years of age among those with and without a history of HDP. We tested for interactions (p Results Of 83,749 women included in the analysis, 4,070 (4.9%) had HDP. Women with prior HDP had increased risk of all stroke (adjusted HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2–1.4) but no increased risk of stroke before age 60 (adjusted HR 1.2, 95% CI 0.9–1.7). There was an interaction (p = 0.18) between aspirin use and HDP history on risk of stroke before age 60: nonusers of aspirin had higher risk (adjusted HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.1) while aspirin users did not (adjusted HR 0.8, 95% CI 0.4–1.7). This effect was not seen with statins. Conclusions After controlling for comorbid conditions, women with prior HDP had increased long-term stroke risk, which was reduced by aspirin use. Randomized trials may be needed to assess whether long-term aspirin use could benefit selected women with a history of HDP.
Sustainable Urbanism: Vision and Planning Process Through an Examination of Two Model Neighborhood Developments

The emergence of the concept of “sustainable development” has provoked an interesting discussion about the physical, technological, and socioeconomic attributes of the sustainable city, but less has been said about the role of planning in achieving them. This paper explores the planning processes underlying two new neighborhood developments broadly regarded as exemplary sustainable districts: Hammarby Sjostad in Stockholm, Sweden, and Quartier Vauban in Freiburg, Germany. I find that planning was proactive, in that the local government had considerable powers and resources to implement the plans; visionary and goal-oriented, in that planners pursued an integrated vision of interrelated goals and devised the means to achieve them; and collaboration-intensive, in that planners focused on increasing technical capacity and on building alliances with stakeholders. These empirical findings suggest that cities that want to pursue sustainability should adapt their planning process towards incorporating these characteristics.
Trust Among Strangers: friendly societies in modern Britain

Class is (still) dead. Numerous suspected assassins could be taken into custody: contemporary society, of course, and politicians of every stripe, but also historians who took the so-called linguis...
Cognitive flexibility-related prefrontal activation in preschoolers: A biological approach to temperamental effortful control

Abstract Individual differences in temperament have been theorized to be supported by differential recruitment of key neural regions, resulting in the distinct patterns of behavior observed throughout life. Although a compelling model, its rigorous and systematic testing is lacking, particularly within the heightened neuroplasticity of early childhood. The current study tested a model of the link between temperament, the brain, and behavior for cognitive flexibility in a sample of 4-5-year-old children (N = 123) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to explore the link between survey reports of temperamental effortful control, and both performance-based and neuroimaging measures of cognitive flexibility. Results indicated that greater parent-reported temperamental effortful control was associated with better performance on a cognitive flexibility task, and less activation of the DLPFC in preschoolers. These findings support the theorized model of the interrelatedness between temperamental tendencies, behavior, and brain activation and suggest that better temperamentally regulated children use the DLPFC more efficiently for cognitive flexibility.
Tracking the price of existing biologics when drugs enter the market

The price of biological medications is a major topic in the conversation concerning rising prescription costs. Even though biologic treatments represent only 2% of all United States prescriptions, ...
Multi-beam Transmissions for Blockage Resilience and Reliability in Millimeter-Wave Systems

Directionality in millimeter-wave (mmW) systems make link establishment and maintenance challenging, due to the search-time overhead of beam scanning and the vulnerability of directional links to blockages. In this paper, we propose a communication protocol called SmartLink, which exploits the clustering phenomenon at mmW frequencies to establish a multi-beam link between a base station and a user. By utilizing multiple clusters, SmartLink enables efficient link maintenance and sustained throughput. We develop a logarithmic-time search algorithm called multi-lobe beam search (MLBS), which is used in SmartLink to discover the clusters. MLBS probes several directions simultaneously, using multi-lobe beam patterns. The number of simultaneous lobes is selected to minimize the search time of the clusters. We provide detailed analysis of the false alarm and misdetection probabilities for the designed beam patterns. Following cluster discovery, SmartLink divides antennas into sub-arrays to generate the optimal multi-lobe beam pattern that maximizes the average data rate under blockage. Extensive simulations using actual channel traces obtained by utilizing phased-array antennas at 29 GHz are used to verify the efficiency of SmartLink. MLBS decreases the discovery time by up to 88% compared to common existing search schemes, and exploiting multiple clusters improves the average data rate by 10%.
Intestinal pathophysiological and microbial changes in sickle cell disease: Potential targets for therapeutic intervention

There is a large therapeutic gap in the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). Recent studies demonstrated the presence of pathophysiological and microbial changes in the intestine of patients with SCD. The intestinal microbes have also been found to regulate neutrophil ageing and possible basal activation of circulating neutrophils. Both aged and activated neutrophils are pivotal for the pathogenesis of vaso-occlusive crisis in SCD. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the intestinal pathophysiological and microbial changes in SCD. Based on these changes, we will propose therapeutic approaches that could be investigated for treating SCD.
Acute Limb Ischemia Secondary to Patent Foramen Ovale-Mediated Paradoxical Embolism: A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background Paradoxical embolism is the translocation of a thrombus originating in the systemic venous circulation into the arterial circulation through a cardiac defect, most commonly a patent foramen ovale (PFO). PFO exists in 15–35% of the adult population. The most common manifestation is cerebrovascular accident; acute limb ischemia is much rarer. Methods A 67-year-old woman with multiple confounding risk factors for hypercoagulability presented with grade IIb left lower limb ischemia secondary to thromboembolism through a previously silent PFO. Management included urgent embolectomy, prophylactic fasciotomy, postoperative anticoagulation, and PFO closure. A systematic literature review of PFO-mediated acute limb ischemia was performed to identify the patient populations most commonly affected, the anatomic distribution of emboli, and patient management. Results Forty-three reports including 51 patients with first-time PFO-mediated paradoxical embolism were identified. Fifty-one percent were men, and the average age at presentation was 54 years. Multiple limbs were affected in 14 patients (27.5%), and a propensity for the lower limbs (72%) and left-sided circulation (82%) was noted. Deep venous thromboembolism was identified in 36 patients (71%). Immediate anticoagulation was instituted in 31 patients. Embolectomy and/or fibrinolysis were performed in 45 patients (88%). Conclusions Acute limb ischemia is a rare manifestation of PFO-mediated paradoxical embolism that requires a high index of suspicion for diagnosis. Middle-aged individuals appear to be more commonly affected, and acute limb ischemia most often occurs in the lower limbs and left-sided circulation, with the potential to affect multiple extremities simultaneously. Prompt identification and surgical embolectomy with prophylactic fasciotomy can facilitate successful outcomes. Perioperative management should include anticoagulation and may include workup with echocardiography, duplex ultrasound, and hypercoagulability testing.
Synoptic and meteorological conditions during extreme snow cover ablation events in the Great Lakes Basin

Snow cover ablation in the Great Lakes basin is a common and hydrologically important process during the cold season, contributing to a majority of the basin's runoff, and less frequent, extreme ablation events are highly impactful due to an increased flooding risk and warrant specific investigation. A brief climatology of extreme ablation events is presented, where extreme is considered within the top 5% of the distribution. Using synoptic classification techniques, individual weather patterns associated with extreme snow ablation in the Great Lakes basin are isolated. A single pattern deemed the most influential in generating extreme ablation events, southerly flow‐1, is examined in detail, and three case studies are presented to determine the meteorological conditions and surface energy fluxes responsible for ablation. Over 75% of extreme events are associated with southerly flow patterns that predominantly ablate snow with sensible heat fluxes, while rain‐on‐snow patterns induce the remaining extreme events from 1980–2009. Type southerly flow‐1 is responsible for 45% of the extreme events and is characterized by strong southerly advection of warm air into the basin, where sensible heat fluxes of 45–125 Wm⁻² are responsible for the majority of energy transfer into the snowpack. When compared with an average ablation event, an extreme ablation event for southerly flow‐1 exhibits air temperatures, dew point temperatures, and wind speeds that are 3.8°C, 3.0°C, and 1.2 ms⁻¹ warmer and faster than an average event, indicating a greater potential for larger ablation.
Anchoring the hydrogen sulfide dimer potential energy surface to juxtapose (H2S)2 with (H2O)2

Twelve stationary points have been characterized on the (H2S)2 potential energy surface using the MP2 and CCSD(T) methods with large, correlation consistent basis sets. To the best of our knowledge, five of the structures have not been identified elsewhere and are presented here for the first time. A similar analysis was performed on the ten, well-known structures of the water dimer in order to facilitate direct comparisons between the corresponding (H2O)2 and (H2S)2 configurations. Harmonic vibrational frequency computations identify three (H2S)2 configurations as minima, four as transition states, and five as higher-order saddle points (ni = 0, ni = 1, and ni ≥ 2, respectively, where ni is the number of imaginary frequencies). The two local minima and four transition state structures identified have electronic energies within 0.73 kJ mol−1 of the global minimum near the CCSD(T) complete basis set (CBS) limit, and the five higher-order saddle points range from 1.90 kJ mol−1 to 4.31 kJ mol−1 above the global minimum at the same level of theory. One of the more substantial differences observed between the H2S and H2O systems is that (H2O)2 has only a single minimum, while the other nine stationary points are significantly higher in energy ranging from 2.15 kJ mol−1 to 14.89 kJ mol−1 above the global minimum near the CCSD(T) CBS limit. For (H2S)2, the electronic dissociation energy of the global minimum is only 7.02 kJ mol−1 at the CCSD(T) CBS limit, approximately three times smaller than the dissociation energy of (H2O)2.
P28 Validation of an Observational Measure to Capture Feeding Practices in Child Care Centers

Background Current feeding practice measures are either not validated for use in childcare centers or do not include key constructs that influence children's eating. Objective To describe the development and validation of the ‘Mealtime Observation in Child Care’ (MOCC) toolkit (manual, coding checklist, scoring sheet, training videos) to measure teachers’ feeding practices with preschool (3-5 years) children. Study Design, Setting, Participants An observational measure to assess mealtime environment and feeding practices was developed based on existing literature and measures, expert collaboration, and external reviews. Trained observers coded 41 lunchtime videos in 10 childcare centers. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Face validity of the tool was assessed by sending the toolkit to 4 external expert reviewers for feedback. Four trained coders watched and coded a video separately in order to assess inter-rater reliability calculating a Kappa statistic. Convergent validity was evaluated by relating the MOCC items to previously validated measures including EPAO-Extended Feeding Practices (EPAO-EFP), Table Talks (TT), and Feeding Behavior Coding System (FBCS). The same videos were coded with TT, EPAO-EFP and FBCS and the scores for relevant items were used for comparison with MOCC score. Pearson's, bivariate correlations were calculated between MOCC items and items matched with other measures. Results Expert reviewers provided feedback related to including additional verbal examples, clarifying the difference between unable to observe and not applicable and improving the formatting of the checklist. Interrater reliability was high (Fleiss's Kappa, K = 0.85). The convergent validity of the MOCC tool was high, among 9 subscales 8 were significantly associated to previous measures (r = 0.40 [P 50 lunchtimes. Conclusions MOCC may be a comprehensive, valid and reliable tool to assess teacher feeding practices, informing professional development and evaluating intervention efforts.
NEW TOTAL-CROSS-SECTION MEASUREMENTS FOR THE REACTIONS $sup 14$N($sup 14$, $sup 13$N)$sup 15$N AND $sup 10$B($sup 14$N, $sup 13$N)$sup 11$B

Thick targets of AgCN and $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ were bombarded with $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ ions accelerated in the Oak Ridge Tandem Van de Graaff. The amount of $^{13}\mathrm{N}$ present in each irradiated sample was determined by the detection of the 10-min positron activity characteristic of the isotope. In this manner cross sections were measured for the neutron-transfer reactions $^{14}\mathrm{N}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$,$^{13}\mathrm{N}$)$^{15}\mathrm{N}$ and $^{10}\mathrm{B}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$,$^{13}\mathrm{N}$)$^{11}\mathrm{B}$. The (assumed equal) neutron reduced widths in $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ and $^{15}\mathrm{N}$ were determined by applying the tunneling theory to the $^{14}\mathrm{N}$-on-$^{14}\mathrm{N}$ measurements. The reduced width in $^{11}\mathrm{B}$ was then calculated from the cross-section data for the reaction of $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ on $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ by the use of the now measured reduced width in $^{14}\mathrm{N}$. The $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ and $^{11}\mathrm{B}$ reduced widths were found to agree with the same values as determined from the bound-state, single-particle, radial wave functions that have been calculated by using a Woods-Saxon potential. In resolving the experimental decay curves, 2- and 20-min components were found for the $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ and $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ targets, respectively. These activities were ascribed to the $^{15}\mathrm{O}$ and $^{11}\mathrm{C}$ which result from the proton-transfer reactions $^{14}\mathrm{N}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$,$^{15}\mathrm{O}$)$^{13}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{10}\mathrm{B}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$,$^{13}\mathrm{C}$)$^{11}\mathrm{C}$; cross sections for these reactions were also measured.
Recovery of copper and the deportment of other base metals from alkaline glycine leachates derived from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs)

Abstract E-waste has become a global risk to the environment and humans due to the improper disposal. Recently, a novel approach has been reported to effectively extract copper (Cu) from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) using environmentally friendly glycine solutions, with the co-extraction of other base metals. This process step is ideally positioned after the bulk of the aluminium, copper and iron is removed using conventional dry physical processes, but before hydrometallurgical recovery of precious metals. To recover Cu and other minor base metals from glycine leachate of WPCBs and release the glycine for reuse, this study investigates three options, i.e. hydrazine reduction, sulphide precipitation, and solvent extraction. During the hydrazine reduction, it was found that Cu recovery was sensitive to the leachate pH, and copper recovery increases with the increase of initial pH, Cu concentration and temperature. The obvious co-precipitation of lead and tin was also found while no co-precipitation of nickel, zinc and aluminium was observed. At the Cu/hydrazine molar ratio of 1:0.7 and 1:1, the products were identified as cuprite (Cu2O) and native Cu with 96.9% and 98.6% recoveries, respectively. During sulphide precipitation, ≥99.5% Cu could be easily precipitated at Cu/HS− molar ratio ≤ 1:1.2 in only 5 min. Lead, tin and zinc in the alkaline glycinate leachate also precipitated to a significant extent (>65%), whereas aluminium and nickel co-precipitation was limited (≤3%) in the sulphide. XRD analysis of precipitates verifies that Cu was recovered as covellite (CuS). During solvent extraction from the polymetallic leachate, Mextral 84H showed better performance than Mextral 54–100 but requires higher H2SO4 concentration for stripping. Mextral 84H also showed higher selectivity than Mextral 54–100 with no zinc, aluminium and nickel co-extractions detected. The overall Cu recoveries of 91.6% for 15% Mextral 84H extraction followed by 200 g/L H2SO4 stripping, and 86.7% for 30% Mextral 54–100 extraction followed by 80 g/L H2SO4 stripping were achieved. Finally, discussion and comparison of the three methods were made with a suggested conceptual process of WPCBs recycling.
Heterogeneous robot teams for modeling and prediction of multiscale environmental processes.

This paper presents a framework to enable a team of heterogeneous mobile robots to model and sense a multiscale system. We propose a coupled strategy, where robots of one type collect high-fidelity measurements at a slow time scale and robots of another type collect low-fidelity measurements at a fast time scale, for the purpose of fusing measurements together. The multiscale measurements are fused to create a model of a complex, nonlinear spatiotemporal process. The model helps determine optimal sensing locations and predict the evolution of the process. Key contributions are: i) consolidation of multiple types of data into one cohesive model, ii) fast determination of optimal sensing locations for mobile robots, and iii) adaptation of models online for various monitoring scenarios. We illustrate the proposed framework by modeling and predicting the evolution of an artificial plasma cloud. We test our approach using physical marine robots adaptively sampling a process in a water tank.
Enacting social engineering: the emotional experience of information security deception

Social engineering is a modern form of fraud that is widely implicated in contributing to information security breaches. This study situates social engineering in past criminological work on fraud and analyzes qualitative interviews with social engineers to elucidate the emotional experiences of perpetrating such frauds. The results of this analysis indicate that social engineering interactions are characterized by an emotional experience of situational tension and the subsequent resolution of that tension. The analysis then turns to factors that modulate the quality and intensity of the emotional experience of social engineering perpetration. These factors include the social distance between the social engineer and the mark, the social engineer’s framing the mark, and both perceived and actual efficacy in utilizing skills involved in management of self and situation. This study suggests that the emotional experience of social engineering parallels that of other frauds and is revelatory of the motivations behind the experiences.
Much Ado About Missingness: A Demonstration of Full Information Maximum Likelihood Estimation to Address Missingness in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data

The current paper leveraged a large multi-study functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) dataset (N = 363) and a generated missingness paradigm to demonstrate different approaches for handling missing fMRI data under a variety of conditions. The performance of full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimation, both with and without auxiliary variables, and listwise deletion were compared under different conditions of generated missing data volumes (i.e., 20, 35, and 50%). FIML generally performed better than listwise deletion in replicating results from the full dataset, but differences were small in the absence of auxiliary variables that correlated strongly with fMRI task data. However, when an auxiliary variable created to correlate r = 0.5 with fMRI task data was included, the performance of the FIML model improved, suggesting the potential value of FIML-based approaches for missing fMRI data when a strong auxiliary variable is available. In addition to primary methodological insights, the current study also makes an important contribution to the literature on neural vulnerability factors for obesity. Specifically, results from the full data model show that greater activation in regions implicated in reward processing (caudate and putamen) in response to tastes of milkshake significantly predicted weight gain over the following year. Implications of both methodological and substantive findings are discussed.
ENERGY, POLLUTION AND TRANSPORT

The paper argues that, on a global basis, transportation has had a major impact on the earth. Transport is discussed against the background of the population explosion, economic growth and the limits on the earth of certain critical resources and in its ability to purify the evergrowing pollution.
Stimulation of C-fos and C-myc Proto-Oncogene Expression by Ferricyanide, an Extracellular Electron Acceptor

One of the earliest consequences of mitogenic stimulation of mammalian cells is the activation of a set of “immediate early genes,” two of which are the proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc. These two genes are the cellular homologs of the FBR and FBJ murine osteogenic sarcoma viruses and the avian myelocytomatosis virus, respectively. Both have been shown to be activated by a variety of agents which elicit a mitogenic response, such as EGF, PDGF and bombesin. Given their role in cell growth (and that of c-fos in differentiation as well), it is of interest to identify the components of the signal transducing pathways responsible for the activation of these genes.
S-SEER: selective perception in a multimodal office activity recognition system

The computation required for sensing and processing perceptual information can impose significant burdens on personal computer systems. We explore several policies for selective perception in SEER, a multimodal system for recognizing office activity that relies on a cascade of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) named Layered Hidden Markov Model (LHMMs). We use LHMMs to diagnose states of a user's activity based on real-time streams of evidence from video, audio and computer (keyboard and mouse) interactions. We review our efforts to employ expected-value-of-information (EVI) to limit sensing and analysis in a context-sensitive manner. We discuss an implementation of a greedy EVI analysis and compare the results of using this analysis with a heuristic sensing policy that makes observations at different frequencies. Both policies are then compared to a random perception policy, where sensors are selected at random. Finally, we discuss the sensitivity of ideal perceptual actions to preferences encoded in utility models about information value and the cost of sensing.
Control of Bacterial Growths in Rapid Sand Filters

Nitrification has been observed in the rapid sand filters of many iron removal plants in Illinois. The biological oxidation of ammonia to nitrate by nitrifying organisms often results in the total depletion of oxygen within the filter. The resulting anaerobic conditions have been associated with the breakthrough of iron. Because the growth of bacteria, particularly nitrifying organisms, is a slow process, taking up to a few weeks to reach nuisance levels, periodic filter disinfection can often be practiced at lower cost than continuous control. Potassium permanganate was used in a pilot plant study in an effort to oxidize accumulated organic matter within a rapid sand filter. Since the oxidation of organic matter by potassium permanganate proceeds rapidly at pH about 10.5, sodium carbonate was used for pH adjustment. The application of 5,000 mg per l of KMnO 4 for 3 hr was sufficient to prevent further oxygen and ammonia depletion in the filters. However, the bacterial growth was reestablished by the end of the fourth week indicating that this treatment must be repeated whenever bacterial growth reaches a nuisance level.