Clinical features distinguishing patients with Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder from patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder without tics

OBJECTIVE: It is not clear whether obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the context of Tourette's syndrome (TS) is the same as that disorder found in patients with OCD alone. This study evaluated the severity and characteristics of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adult patients with OCD and TS compared to adult patients with OCD alone. METHOD: Thirteen subjects with both DSM-III-R TS and OCD and 13 subjects with OCD alone were recruited. Obsessive-compulsive severity was determined by using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. The Tourette Syndrome Association Unified Tic Rating Scale was administered to determine tic severity, and the adult version of the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Checklist was used to detect a history of childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). RESULTS: Subjects with OCD alone had very few obsessions and compulsions that were not also experienced by subjects with both TS and OCD. In contrast, subjects with TS and OCD were significantly more likely to report obsessions involving nonviolent images, excessive concern with appearance, and need for symmetry. Touching, blinking or staring, and counting compulsions were also significantly more common in this group. Eight subjects with OCD and TS had a childhood history of ADHD, compared to none of the pure OCD subjects. CONCLUSION: There are subtle but definite differences in symptomatology of subjects with pure OCD compared to those with OCD and TS consistent with putative differences in pathophysiology between the 2 groups, i.e., abnormalities in the serotonergic system in OCD patients and serotonergic and dopaminergic abnormalities in those with OCD and TS. These observations may be consistent with genetic heterogeneity within both OCD and TS.     

A rapid prototyping software infrastructure for user interfaces in ubiquitous augmented reality

Recent user interface concepts, such as multimedia, multimodal, wearable, ubiquitous, tangible, or augmented-reality-based (AR) interfaces, each cover different approaches that are all needed to support complex human–computer interaction. Increasingly, an overarching approach towards building what we call ubiquitous augmented reality (UAR) user interfaces that include all of the just mentioned concepts will be required. To this end, we present a user interface architecture that can form a sound basis for combining several of these concepts into complex systems. We explain in this paper the fundamentals of DWARFs user interface framework (DWARF standing for distributed wearable augmented reality framework) and an implementation of this architecture. Finally, we present several examples that show how the framework can form the basis of prototypical applications.     

Redefining security in public space: the case of LOVE park

By controlling the public spaces in which true human interaction occurs, planners and policymakers are challenging the fundamental desires of groups to forge social bonds and enhance their own sense familiarity with the environment. Security is not merely achieved through an understanding of territory but through acknowledgement and confrontation with individuals or groups maintaining diverse perspectives on the world.     

A THERMOELASTICITY THEORY FOR DAMAGE IN ANISOTROPIC MATERIALS

A thermoelasticity theory for damage in anisotropic materials is developed. This theory can be applied to evaluate the damage parameter D, the normalized effective mess density ρ^e/ρ, and the effective modulus E^e quantitatively in some metals and composites by incorporating the thermographic stress analysis method (TSA; also, SPATE method). The effective moduli due to fatigue damage and static loads in a glass fiber/epoxy laminate obtained by the TSA method are compared with the values measured by an extensometer. The correlation between the measurements using the two methods is very good.     

A numerical approach to the complete stress-strain curve of concrete

This paper presents the experimental justification of two previously published formulas, Eqs. 2) and 6), for the estimation of the complete stress-strain diagram of concrete. Eq. 2) combined with Eq. 3) differs from the other formulas offered in the literature for similar purpose in that provides more relative curvature in the diagram for concretes of lower strengths. Also, with Eq. 6), it can take the fact into consideration that the value of Σ₀ increases with increasing concrete strength. The result of these refinements is that the stress-strain diagrams calculated by these formulas fit better the experimentally obtained diagrams and within wider limits than the similar formulas available in the literature. (Figs. 5a through 5d, 8a through 8d, and 9.)     

Kinematic analysis of planar higher pair mechanisms

In this paper, theory of kinematics analysis of planar higher pair mechanisms is presented. It has been found that the analysis procedure will be analytical or numerical depending on whether the geometry of the contacting surface(s) is given in an analytical form or in terms of coordinates of discrete points on the surface(s). For either of these options, solution procedures have been described. For the case when profile data is given in numerical form, a numerical scheme of kinematic analysis using cubic spline curve fitting technique has been developed. Two examples are presented: one to illustrate the analytical procedure and the other to illustrate the numerical technique.