Freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs), driven by nutrient inputs from anthropogenic sources, pose unique risks to human and ecological health worldwide. A major nutrient contributor is agricultural land use, specifically tile drainage discharge. Small lakes and ponds are at elevated risk for HAB appearance, as they are uniquely sensitive to nutrient input. HABs introduce exposure risk to microcystin (MC), hepatotoxic and potentially carcinogenic cyanotoxins. To investigate the impact of anthropogenic land use on small lakes and ponds, 24 sites in central Ohio were sampled over a 3-month period in late summer of 2015. MC concentration, microbial community structure, and water chemistry were analyzed. Land use intensity, including tile drainage systems, was the driver of clustering in principle component analysis, ultimately contributing to nutrient deposition, a driver of HABs. Relative abundance of HAB-forming genera was correlated with elevated concentrations of nitrate and soluble reactive phosphate. One location (FC) showed MC concentrations exceeding 875 μg/L and large community shifts in ciliates (Oligohymenophorea) associated with hypoxic conditions. The prokaryotic community at FC was dominated by Planktothrix sp. These results demonstrate the impact of HABs in small lakes and ponds, and that prevailing issues extend beyond cyanotoxins, such as cascading impacts on other trophic levels.

Precise localization of eloquent cortex in children may provide much needed surgical guidance and expand surgical epilepsy treatment options. It reduces the risk of postsurgical functional deficits and benefits children's quality of life, educational capacity, and long-term employment potential. The ultimate goal of functional mapping for pediatric epilepsy surgery is to decrease postsurgical functional morbidity. In this review article, we will discuss the electrocorticography (ECoG)-based real-time functional mapping (RTFM) technique for localizing motor-, somatosensory-, and language-specific regions. The examples demonstrating ECoG-based RTFM mapping techniques will be given from the data produced by the authors. We will demonstrate that the RTFM technique is a functional mapping tool based on direct measurement of neural activity that is time- and effort-effective, safe, well tolerated by children, and is expected to lead to reduced postsurgical functional morbidity in pediatric epilepsy patients. In conjunction with other utilized functional imaging modalities, RTFM may reduce cognitive morbidity and, as a consequence, benefit children's quality of life and educational capacity.

Childhood epileptic encephalopathies (CEE) are often characterized by abnormal brain development in which epileptic electrical discharges may contribute to cognitive deficits, behavioral disturbances, or psychomotor dysfunction. Electroencephalography (EEG) is the primary diagnostic imaging tool used by care providers in order to observe the aggressive paroxysmal activity that manifests from CEE. Though EEG is an effective diagnostic tool, it provides limited insight into the etiology and pathophysiology that can be obtained through other imaging techniques. The aim of this paper is to review current neuroimaging techniques, such as intracranial EEG, magnetoencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography and discuss how they complement EEG findings and contribute to our understanding of CEE. In addition, we address the value of imaging techniques in defining and predicting cognitive changes in CEE.