Altered white matter connectivity associated with visual hallucinations following occipital stroke

Introduction: Visual hallucinations that arise following vision loss stem from aberrant functional activity in visual cortices and an imbalance of activity across associated cortical and subcortical networks subsequent to visual pathway damage. We sought to determine if structural changes in white matter connectivity play a role in cases of chronic visual hallucinations associated with visual cortical damage. Methods: We performed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and probabilistic fiber tractography to assess white matter connectivity in a patient suffering from continuous and disruptive phosphene (simple) visual hallucinations for more than 2 years following right occipital stroke. We compared these data to that of healthy age-matched controls. Results: Probabilistic tractography to reconstruct white matter tracts suggests regeneration of terminal fibers of the ipsilesional optic radiations in the patient. However, arrangement of the converse reconstruction of these tracts, which were seeded from the ipsilesional visual cortex to the intrahemispheric lateral geniculate body, remained disrupted. We further observed compromised structural characteristics, and changes in diffusion (measured using diffusion tensor indices) of white matter tracts in the patient connecting the visual cortex with frontal and temporal regions, and also in interhemispheric connectivity between visual cortices. Conclusions: Cortical remapping and the disruption of communication between visual cortices and remote regions are consistent with our previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data showing imbalanced functional activity of the same regions in this patient (Rafique et al, 2016, Neurology, 87, 1493–1500). Long-term adaptive and disruptive changes in white matter connectivity may account for the rare nature of cases presenting with chronic and continuous visual hallucinations.York University Librarie

Vapor phase transformer drying – Part II

Vapor phase drying is the most effective method for drying transformer insulation in a manufacturing setting. The process does not lend itself well to transformer drying in the field for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty of removing residual kerosene which can cause a potential change in transformer oil flash point. Several techniques are available for transformer insulation drying in both the field and in manufacturing. Vapor phase drying as part of transformer manufacturing is discussed in this pape

Virtual Playgrounds and Buddybots: A Data-Minefield for Tweens

This article examines the online places where tweens play, chat, and hang out. We argue that the vision behind these places is defined by commercial imperatives that seek to embed surveillance deeper and deeper into children’s playgrounds and social interactions. Online marketers do more than implant branded products into a child’s play; they collect the minute details of a child’s life so they can build a ‘‘relationship’’ of ‘‘trust’’ between the child and brand. Although marketing to children is not new, a networked environment magnifies the effect on a child’s identity because it opens up a child’s private online spaces to the eye of the marketer in unprecedented ways. Online marketers accordingly invade the child’s privacy in a profound sense, by artificially manipulating the child’s social environment and communications in order to facilitate a business agenda. We start by examining five of the Web sites that have been identified by tweens as ‘‘favorites’’. Each site contains examples of marketing practices that are typical of virtual playgrounds, and which turn kids’ online play into a continuous feedback loop for market research. After looking at the places where tweens play, we turn to one of the places where tweens talk. We examine how the principles of human-computer interaction have been used in an instant messaging environment to create virtual ‘‘people’’ that interact with kids, for all intents and purposes, like a real person. By logging the interactions, these BuddyBot programs are able to ‘‘learn’’ about the child and create the illusion of friendship between it and the child. This perfects the relationship between the child and the brand by introducing a virtual person into the equation, a person who is able to give the child ideas about what clothes to wear, what movies to see, what products to buy. Finally, we provide a brief overview of American and Canadian legislation dealing with children’s online privacy, and assess whether or not current laws have been able to protect children’s privacy in the online environment. We also examine the ways in which electronic commerce legislation has addressed the role of virtual agents, and assess how well fair information practices can protect kids from the invasive nature of child-bot relationships

The Solomon Islands: An Experiment in Decentralization

28 cmBibliography: p. 160-16

Communication for Development: Theory and Practice for Empowerment and Social Justice, Third Edition

This third edition features significantly revised and updated chapters to include the latest scholarship on, and practices of, media and communication for development. It explores empowerment and social justice to individuals and communities around the world in the context of increasing globalization. Tracing the history of development communication, it looks objectively at diverse approaches and their supporters, and goes on to provide models for the future. It also offers a new chapter presenting the authors\u27 framework foregrounding empowerment and social justice as goals for development communication in the 21st century. The earlier editions of this book, Communication for Development in the Third World (1991 and 2001), are established core texts for courses on development communication throughout the world.https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bgsu_books/1004/thumbnail.jp

Separator development for a heat sterilizable battery Final summary progress report, 1 May 1966 - 15 Mar. 1967

Development and testing of vivyl polymer separator materials for sterilized silver-zinc secondary batter

Local Manipulation of Nuclear Spin in a Semiconductor Quantum Well

The shaping of nuclear spin polarization profiles and the induction of nuclear resonances are demonstrated within a parabolic quantum well using an externally applied gate voltage. Voltage control of the electron and hole wave functions results in nanometer-scale sheets of polarized nuclei positioned along the growth direction of the well. RF voltages across the gates induce resonant spin transitions of selected isotopes. This depolarizing effect depends strongly on the separation of electrons and holes, suggesting that a highly localized mechanism accounts for the observed behavior.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Development of improved semi-organic structural adhesives for elevated temperature applications Technical summary report, 1 ~JUL. 1964 - 29 ~FEB. 1968

Titanium chelate polymer adhesive formulation for aluminum joint curing in high temperature application

Funeral Service for Earl Clement Davis

Earl Clement Davis\u27s funeral service was convened by Reverend Earle R. Steeves. Memorial remarks were made by Reverend Charles E. Park. The music played was Largo from Antonín Dvořák New World Symphony. The funeral was held at the the Petersham First Parish Unitarian Church, where he served in Petersham, Massachusetts. Among the observations from Reverend Park that stand out is He never preached a sermon that did not contain at least one glistening gem of original or fearless thought. Date refers to Date Given.https://commons.clarku.edu/funeral/1000/thumbnail.jp

Impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease: decreased striatal dopamine transporter levels

Objective Impulse control disorders are commonly associated with dopaminergic therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD). PD patients with impulse control disorders demonstrate enhanced dopamine release to conditioned cues and a gambling task on [11C]raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and enhanced ventral striatal activity to reward on functional MRI. We compared PD patients with impulse control disorders and age-matched and gender-matched controls without impulse control disorders using [123I]FP-CIT (2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)tropane) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), to assess striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) density. Methods The [123I]FP-CIT binding data in the striatum were compared between 15 PD patients with and 15 without impulse control disorders using independent t tests. Results Those with impulse control disorders showed significantly lower DAT binding in the right striatum with a trend in the left (right: F(1,24)=5.93, p=0.02; left: F(1,24)=3.75, p=0.07) compared to controls. Conclusions Our findings suggest that greater dopaminergic striatal activity in PD patients with impulse control disorders may be partly related to decreased uptake and clearance of dopamine from the synaptic cleft. Whether these findings are related to state or trait effects is not known. These findings dovetail with reports of lower DAT levels secondary to the effects of methamphetamine and alcohol. Although any regulation of DAT by antiparkinsonian medication appears to be modest, PD patients with impulse control disorders may be differentially sensitive to regulatory mechanisms of DAT expression by dopaminergic medications