cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accuracy and Precision of Noninvasive Temperature Measurement in Adult Intensive Care Patients

Background Research on the accuracy and precision of noninvasive methods of measuring body temperature is equivocal. Objectives To determine accuracy and precision of oral, ear-based, temporal artery, and axillary temperature measurements compared with pulmonary artery temperature. Methods Repeated-measures design conducted for 6 months. Sequential temperature measurements on the same side of the body were obtained within 1 minute, with measurements repeated 3 times at 20-minute intervals. Accuracy, precision, and confidence limits were analyzed. Results In 60 adults with cardiopulmonary disease and a pulmonary artery catheter, mean pulmonary artery temperature was 37.1 degrees C (SD 0.6 degrees C, range 35.3 degrees C-39.4 degrees C). Mean (SD) offset from pulmonary artery temperature (with the mean reflecting accuracy and SD reflecting precision) and confidence limits were 0.09 degrees C (0.43 degrees C) and -0.75 degrees C to 0.93 degrees C for oral measurements, -0.36 degrees C (0.56 degrees C) and -1.46 degrees C to 0.74 degrees C for ear measurements, -0.02 degrees C (0.47 degrees C) and -0.92 degrees C to 0.88 degrees C for temporal artery measurements, and 0.23 degrees C (0.44 degrees C) and -0.64 degrees C to 1.12 degrees C for axillary measurements. Percentage of pairs with differences greater than +/-0.5 degrees C was 19% for oral, 49% for ear, 20% for temporal artery, and 27% for axillary measurements. Intubation increased oral measurements compared with pulmonary artery temperatures (mean difference 0.3 degrees C, SD 0.3 degrees C, P = .001). Conclusions Oral and temporal artery measurements were most accurate and precise. Axillary measurements underestimated pulmonary artery temperature. Ear measurements were least accurate and precise. Intubation affected the accuracy of oral measurements; diaphoresis and airflow across the face may affect temporal artery measurements.
Forearm electromyographic changes with the use of a haptic force-feedback computer mouse.

Objective: To examine changes in biomechanical and motor control associated with a force-feedback computer mouse. Background: Haptic computer mice can improve the movement times for point-and-click tasks; however, changes in upper extremity biomechanics and motor control are unknown. Method: Eighteen people (ages 22-37 years) performed a point-and-click task 80 times using a force-feedback computer mouse across three different conditions: (a) no force feedback, emulating a conventional mouse; (b) a single attractive force field at the desired target that pulls the mouse to the center of the target; and (c) an attractive force field at the desired target as well as others between the two possible targets, distracting the user from the intended target. Cursor kinematics, wrist posture, and electromyographic (EMG) forearm muscle activity were recorded. Results: The point-and-click movements were 30% faster with the addition of a single force field and 3% faster with the addition of multiple force fields. The Fitts' law index of performance metrics improved from 2.9 bits/response to 4.1 bits/response for multiple attractive fields and to 6.0 bits/response for a single force field. For the distracting force fields, the cursor maximum velocities were over 50% faster. EMG amplitude values were largest for the distracting force fields. These data suggest that the operator uses increased muscle activity to accelerate the mouse through the distracting force fields. Conclusion: When implementing attractive haptic force fields, one needs to consider how to reduce these observed effects of potential distracting force fields. Application: Applications include human-computer interface design for pointing devices extensively used for the graphical user interface.
Effects of Response Cards on Disruptive Behavior and Academic Responding During Math Lessons by Fourth-Grade Urban Students

The authors evaluated the effects of response cards on the disruptive behavior and academic responding of students in two urban fourth-grade classrooms. Two conditions, single-student responding and write-on response cards, were alternated in an ABAB design. During single-student responding, the teacher called on one student who had raised his or her hand to answer the question. During the response-card condition, each student was provided with a white laminated board on which he or she could write a response to every question posed by the teacher. Nine students were targeted for data collection because of their history of disciplinary issues in school and frequent disruptive behavior in the classroom. Data revealed substantial reductions in disruptive behavior and increases in academic responding during the response card condition compared to single-student responding. The findings are discussed in terms of the beneficial effects of direct, high-response strategies for urban, low-achieving learners.
Impact of the ASCII code and printing devices on conventions for alphanumeric display terminals: Part II

This paper reviews briefly the evolution of the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) and its international version (IS0 R-646). It also reviews the evolutionary impact of typewriters, teletypewriters, and the ASCII code on conventions now employed in alphanumeric display terminals. It shows a proposed keyboard layout, some approved graphic subsets of ASCII, and some codes used in computers. Current developments in the representation of extended versions of ASCII in 7 and 8 bits are given. Proposed code assignments of control functions for alphanumeric display terminals are also included, with a warning that their Standardization is under the jurisdiction of the American National Standards Institute's Technical Committee X3L2 on Character Codes.
Reproductive ecology of Drosophila

Summary 1. Species of the genus Drosophila reproduce in a wide range of different resources, including fruits, sap, flowers, mushrooms and cacti. Drosophila species and their resources also exhibit considerable variability in geographic distribution. 2. Habitat and resource differences pose enormous challenges for Drosophila species. Host chemistry may include highly toxic compounds and breeding sites may be characterized by extreme abiotic conditions such as high and/or low temperature and humidity. 3. Drosophila reproductive biology, in terms of morphology, physiology, and behaviour, is as variable among Drosophila species as is their resource use. In some species, adults are ready to reproduce upon emergence, whereas one sex or the other in other species may require weeks to become sexually mature. 4. Already a robust system for transmission and population genetic studies, the sequencing of the genomes of 12 diverse Drosophila species now brings the power of genomics to investigators wishing to understand the functional aspects of Drosophila ecology
Correlates of sexual activity and condom use among secondary-school students in urban Peru.

Recent data indicate that adolescent fertility rates in Peru remain high and that Peruvian adolescents and young adults account for a disproportionate share of new HIV infections. The present study was undertaken to identify key risk and protective factors for early sexual activity and unprotected sex among secondary-school students in 9 large cities in Peru. Survey data from 6962 students aged 13-18 are consistent with existing research in indicating that behaviors of Peruvian youth are influenced in important ways by many factors. In the present study these included region of residence family economic position family structure working for pay peer behaviors and self-esteem. Knowledge of pregnancy and of the risks of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases and of the means of avoiding both did not however differentiate risk-takers from non-risk-takers. The study findings suggest a need for adolescent health programs to broaden their focus beyond the immediate proximate determinants of behavior such as sexual and reproductive health knowledge and access to contraceptives and also to target some of the key contextual factors in influencing adolescent behavior. (authors)
The Influences of the Family of Origin on Career Development A Review and Analysis

Based on a developmental contextual perspective advocated by Vondracek, Lerner, and Schulenberg, this article provides a comprehensive review of the research published since 1980related to family of origin influences on career developmentandoccupational choice. Because individuals are most likely to seek assistance with career decisions from family members, it is important that counseling psychologists understand how families can have a positive influence and facilitate career development. Influential family contextual factors are identified within four developmentallevels (i.e., children, adolescents, college students/young adults, and adults). Across the lifespan, both family structure variables (e.g., parents’ occupations) and family process variables (e.g., warmth, support, attachment, autonomy) were found to influence a host of career constructs; however, the process by which families influence career development is complex and is affected by many contextual factors such as race, gender, and age. Bas...
Does Saving Really Matter For Growth In Developing Countries? The Case Of A Small Open Economy

The study employed the Toda and Yamamoto (1995) and Dolado and Lutkepohl (1996) –TYDL methodology to uncover the direction of causal relationship between savings and economic growth in Nigeria between 1970 and 2006. The empirical results suggest that savings and economic growth are positively cointegrated, indicating a stable long-run equilibrium relationship. Further, the findings revealed a unidirectional causality between savings and economic growth and the complementary role of FDI in growth.
Monopulse Radar detection and localization of multiple unresolved targets via joint bin Processing

If several closely spaced targets fall within the same radar beam and between two adjacent matched filter samples in range, monopulse information from both of these samples can and should be used for estimation, both of angle and of range (i.e., estimation of the range to sub-bin accuracy). Similarly, if several closely spaced targets fall within the same radar beam and among three matched filter samples in range, monopulse information from all of these samples should be used for the estimation of the angles and ranges of these targets. Here, a model is established, and a maximum likelihood (ML) extractor is developed. The limits of the number of targets that can be estimated are given for both case A, where the targets are in a beam and in a range "slot" between the centers of two adjacent resolution cells (that is, from detections in two adjacent matched filter samples), and case B, where the targets are in two or more adjacent slots (among three or more adjacent samples). A minimum description length (MDL) criterion is used to detect the number of targets between the matched filter samples, and simulations support the theory.
ISS program infrastructure upgrades to enhance science return: current, planned & potential

The command and communications architecture implemented by the International Space Station (ISS) Program (ISSP) determines the amount of data that can be transmitted to (i.e., "uplinked") and received from (i.e., "downlinked") the ISS vehicle. The current system design reflects cost reductions imposed over the last 13 years, and constrains data flows to much lower rates than are technologically feasible. These constraints will result in loss of irreplaceable opportunities for exploiting the science that could be returned from experiments conducted in the microgravity environment of the ISS. NASA has embarked on a series of projects to upgrade the end-to-end ISS Program communications architecture. This work summarizes the content and schedule of projects currently underway and planned, as well as future potential efforts which still are in concept definition. The objective is to provide a high-level summary of prospective improvements in ISS science support as an aid to designing ISS experiment hardware, software and procedures to take maximum advantage of those improvements.
The nation-state and economic globalization: soft geo-politics and increased state autonomy?

Abstract Many social scientists contend that the nation-state is experiencing a loss of power and autonomy in the era of economic globalization. In contrast, this article argues that as advanced capitalist nation-states actively promote economic globalization and its associated political institutions, they gain increased power and autonomy in this contemporary phase of their ongoing historical development. Economic globalization is theorized, first, as a ‘soft’ geo-politics, with which states use economic means to acquire international geo-political hegemony. More importantly, globalization represents a strategy with which advanced capitalist states – along with members of their capitalist classes – shift the politics of accumulation away from domestic citizenries to gain increased control over their political-economies and greater insulation from intra-national contestation. It is states' increased autonomy that provides them leverage to dissolve relationships of reciprocity, obligation, and shared deter...
Chronic intrauterine pulmonary hypertension selectively modifies pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell gene expression

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) relaxation at birth results from an increase in cytosolic cGMP, cGMP-dependent and kinase-mediated activation of the Ca2+-sensitive K+ channel (KCa), and...
Hierarchically structured photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

This paper highlights several significant achievements in dye-sensitized solar cells using hierarchically structured photoelectrodes that consist of spherical or one-dimensional assemblies of ZnO or TiO2 nanocrystallites. It shows that, besides providing a large surface area for dye adsorption, more importantly, the hierarchically structured photoelectrodes may improve the solar cell’s performance by imparting extra functions, such as (1) generating light scattering owing to the size of assemblies being comparable to the wavelengths of the incident light, (2) enhancing electron transport due to the compact packing of the nanocrystallites that form the assemblies, and (3) facilitating electrolyte diffusion as a result of the relatively open structure of the photoelectrode films composed of spherical or one-dimensional assemblies.
Fungal population levels in soils of commercial swine waste disposal sites and relationships to soil nutrient concentrations

Abstract Commercial disposal of animal wastes by application to agricultural soils is well-known to increase soil nutrient concentrations and the potential for water pollution. Less is known of whether or how commercial animal waste disposal affects microbial populations in soil. This study was undertaken to determine whether commercial applications of liquid swine waste to pasture soils in Mississippi, USA, influence fungal population levels, and whether these are related to major differences in soil nutrient concentrations induced by commercial waste disposal. Colonies of culturable fungi were assayed by dilution plating from samples of soil, with and without applied swine waste, collected from pastures on three commercial swine farms early and late in the summer growing season in each of three years. Fungal population levels observed among 180 samples were 2.80–43.27 × 104 colony-forming units per gram of soil. Population levels of total fungi, or groups and species of Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Trichoderma, did not differ significantly between waste treatments in more than 2 of 18 sampling events. Concentrations of P, K, and Na were always significantly greater, often by 5–10-fold, in waste-treated than in untreated soils; levels of Mg, Cu, and Zn were frequently greater; and levels of N, Ca, Fe, and Mn were seldom or never greater. However, fungal population levels in soil were not correlated with concentrations of any of these nutrients in more than 2 of 18 sampling events. Results indicate that culturable fungi represent a stable component of the soil microflora for which population levels seldom change in response to commercial swine waste disposal or the major differences in soil nutrient concentrations that result from it.
Multilingual text-to-speech synthesis

The paper presents a framework for building multilingual text-to-speech systems. It addresses the issue at three levels. First it discusses the necessary steps required to build a synthetic voice from scratch in a new language. The second concerns the building of a new voice without recording any new acoustic data, and the restrictions that imposes. The third more speculative part discusses the steps that would be necessary to allow high quality synthesis of new languages by recording only minimal amounts in that language.
Sarcospan-dependent Akt activation is required for utrophin expression and muscle regeneration

Utrophin is normally confined to the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in adult muscle and partially compensates for the loss of dystrophin in mdx mice. We show that Akt signaling and utrophin levels were diminished in sarcospan (SSPN)-deficient muscle. By creating several transgenic and knockout mice, we demonstrate that SSPN regulates Akt signaling to control utrophin expression. SSPN determined α-dystroglycan (α-DG) glycosylation by affecting levels of the NMJ-specific glycosyltransferase Galgt2. After cardiotoxin (CTX) injury, regenerating myofibers express utrophin and Galgt2-modified α-DG around the sarcolemma. SSPN-null mice displayed delayed differentiation after CTX injury caused by loss of utrophin and Akt signaling. Treatment of SSPN-null mice with viral Akt increased utrophin and restored muscle repair after injury, revealing an important role for the SSPN-Akt-utrophin signaling axis in regeneration. SSPN improved cell surface expression of utrophin by increasing transportation of utrophin and DG from endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi membranes. Our experiments reveal functions of utrophin in regeneration and new pathways that regulate utrophin expression at the cell surface.
Serotonin in Learning and Memory

A serotonin-related basis for learning, memory consolidation, or amnesia has been derived, not only from a correlation between brain changes is this amine and in amnesic agents or events, but also from pharmacological studies. An early study (Woolley, 1965) found that mice with an elevated brain serotonin level produced with a combination of 5-hydroxytryptophan (60 mg/kg) and benzlmethoxytryptamine (15 mg/kg) had a 13% reduction in the average number of correct maze responses performed. A decrease in brain serotonin with either reserpine (1.2 mg/kg) or oral DL-phenylalanine combined with L-tyrosine increased correct maze responses by 7 and 9% respectively.
Lenses to See, Ways to Learn

When we choose our research, the questions that we ask not only reflect our interests, but also frame our methodological choices, and our designs (LeCompte – Preissle, 2003). As stated by Marshall and Rossman (2006), qualitative researchers do their work in naturalistic settings, and we are “intrigued by the complexity of social interactions expressed in daily life and by the meanings that the participants themselves attribute to these interactions” (p. 2).
Enhancing climate adaptation capacity for drinking water treatment facilities

Conventional water treatment processes (e.g., coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration) are widely used for producing drinking water from surface water sources. Transient, gradual, or abrupt changes in source water quality that could compromise treatment effectiveness can be triggered by climate and related meteorological events, accidental or intentional contamination, security breaches, or other disruptions. However, the design principles that underpin the majority of existing conventional treatment systems predate climate adaptation considerations. This paper considers the adaptation capacity of conventional water treatment systems. A modeling framework is used to illustrate climate adaptation mechanisms that could enable conventional treatment systems to accommodate water quality impairments. Treatment system resiliency is explored in response to generic climate-relevant water quality perturbations such as extreme temperature variations and changes in the quantity and characteristics of solids, particles, and organic constituents. Promising adaptation options include modifying chemical parameters (e.g., types of chemicals, dosages, sequence of chemical addition, mixing intensity and duration), filter operations, and microbiological augmentation of existing physical/chemical treatment systems. The capacity reserve concept provides an organizing principle that could be useful for prioritizing climate adaptation strategies such as major or minor treatment/infrastructure modifications, system-wide upgrades such as off-line storage, operational changes in distribution systems, or the use of supplemental water sources including reclaimed or recycled water.
A pharmacodynamic comparison of human urinary follicle-stimulating hormone and human menopausal gonadotropin in normal women and polycystic ovary syndrome.

We performed a pharmacodynamic comparison of human urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH) and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) to characterize differences in the bioavailability of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), as well as to compare estrogen responses in normal women and those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Ten women with PCOS and ten normal ovulatory controls were randomized to receive a single dose (2 ampules) of either hFSH or hMG. Serum LH decreased significantly following hFSH with responses occurring earlier in controls (24.5 ± 10.9% after 30 minutes) than in PCOS patients (27.3 ± 7.5% after 18 hours). After hMG, LH increased only in controls (33.8 ± 16.3%). An FSH increment following hFSH was observed in both PCOS patients (54.7 ± 24.8%) and controls (74.6 ± 36.8%), with peak responses at 6 and 4 hours, respectively. However, after hMG, FSH increased only in controls. The LH/FSH ratio after hFSH decreased, with the nadir at 18 hours (1.438 ± 0.183) being similar to baseline LH/FSH ratios of controls (1.433 ± 0.341). Serum estradiol (E 2 ) increased following hMG, with peak responses after 18 hours, in both PCOS patients (75.4 ± 28.6%) and controls (88.5 ± 32.5%). The peak E 2 response to hFSH was observed to be earlier in PCOS patients (147 ± 34%), occurring after 12 hours, compared with controls (58 ± 29% after 18 hours).
Interactions of Human Sera and Spinal Fluids with Human Brain Antigen and Antibrain Rabbit Serum

ConclusionsRabbit antiserum to a saline soluble component of human brain, when mixed with spinal fluids and with sera from patients with various illnesses, gave a precipitate with all spinal fluids and with 17 out of 244 human sera. These positively reacting sera were from 4 schizophrenic and 13 paretic patients. On the other hand, human brain antigen mixed with human serum gave a precipitate in 5 out of 244 cases. The 5 sera were from one arthritic, one paretic, one chronic schizophrenic and 2 alcoholic patients. The few sera reacting positively show that this is not a general flocculation phenomenon, but whether immune systems actually related to brain are being tested here, is the subject of further study. The relatively high number of paretic patients giving a positive reaction with antibrain serum may have a bearing upon this. These results may provide a lead for further investigation of brain disease.
A10 Session 3: Computerized tools for cryosurgery training : Computerized training objectives and prototyping

Cryosurgery practices have evolved over the years in close relationship with concurrent technology developments. With the development of cryosurgery as a minimally invasive procedure about two decades ago, additional technical challenges have emerged, such as visualization of the process, correlating medical imaging with the thermal history, optimizing the geometry and the cooling capability of the cryoprobes, and optimizing the total number of cryoprobes and their layout. Recent developments in computer hardware and software technologies are enabling computer simulations of complete cryosurgery cases in a matter of seconds—two orders of magnitude faster than the simulated procedure. The current presentation aims at recent developments in computation tools for the purpose of cryosurgery training. It displays verification of computer simulations with experimental results on inanimate materials, and discusses training objectives and prototype development. Source of funding: This study was supported by Award Number R01CA134261 from the National Cancer Institute.
Bending artificial muscle from nylon filaments

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Alexander Graham Bell Graduate Fellowship)
Infant Growth following Maternal Participation in a Gestational Weight Management Intervention

Abstract Background: Obesity is widespread and treatment strategies have demonstrated limited success. Changes to obstetrical practice in response to obesity may support obesity prevention by influencing offspring growth trajectories. Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined growth among infants born to obese mothers who participated in Nutrition in Pregnancy (NIP), a prenatal nutrition intervention at one urban hospital. NIP participants had Medicaid insurance and BMIs of 30 kg/m2 or greater. We compared NIP infant growth to a historical control cohort, matched on maternal factors: age, race/ethnicity, prepregnancy BMI, parity, and history of prepregnancy hypertension or preterm birth. Results: Growth data were available for 61 NIP and 145 control infants. Most mothers were African American (94%). Mean maternal BMI was 39.9 kg/m2 (standard deviation [SD], 5.6) for NIP participants and 38.8 kg/m2 (SD, 6.0) for controls. Pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, gestational diabetes, and birth ...
Effects of seismic isolation on the seismic response of a California high‐speed rail prototype bridge with soil‐structure and track‐structure interactions

Summary With the launch of the high-speed train project in California, the seismic risk is a crucial concern to the stakeholders. To investigate the seismic behavior of future California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) bridge structures, a 3D nonlinear finite-element model of a CHSR prototype bridge is developed. Soil-structure and track-structure interactions are accounted for in this comprehensive numerical model used to simulate the seismic response of the bridge and track system. This paper focuses on examining potential benefits and possible drawbacks of the a priori promising application of seismic isolation in CHSR bridges. Nonlinear time history analyses are performed for this prototype bridge subjected to two bidirectional horizontal historical earthquake ground motions each scaled to two different seismic hazard levels. The effect of seismic isolation on the seismic performance of the bridge is investigated through a detailed comparison of the seismic response of the bridge with and without seismic isolation. It is found that seismic isolation significantly reduces the deck acceleration and the force demand in the bridge substructure (i.e., piers and foundations), especially for high-intensity earthquakes. However, seismic isolation increases the deck displacement (relative to the pile cap) and the stresses in the rails. These findings imply that seismic isolation can be promisingly applied to CHSR bridges with due consideration of balancing its beneficial and detrimental effects through using appropriate isolators design. The optimum seismic isolator properties can be sought by solving a performance-based optimum seismic design problem using the nonlinear finite-element model presented herein. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Way to Cope

Hanser presents techniques that attempt to help manage stress and reduce the perception of pain. She describes how music therapy can synchronize head and heart, bringing coherence to mind and body. Reframing and emotional-approach coping are presented as strategies that can reduce stress and anxiety. Singing and writing songs offer ways to take charge of illness and focus on communicating the meaning of the experience. Hanser elucidates how the use of entrainment through music and other creative techniques emphasizes the impermanence and malleability of pain, thus alleviating it.
Adaptive Control via Extremum Seeking: Global Stabilization and Consistency of Parameter Estimates

We propose an extremum seeking (ES) based algorithm for reference tracking and stabilization of unstable discrete-time systems with unknown control directions. The probing signal is a martingale difference sequence (m.d.s.) with a vanishing variance. It is proved that almost surely (a.s.) the input and output signals are uniformly bounded, and the tracking error converges to zero. It is also shown that (a.s.) the parameter estimates converge toward their true values. This shows that the proposed algorithm can also perform identification of open-loop unstable systems with unknown control directions.
Special Edition: Left Realism Today - Guest Editor’s Introduction

Since its birth in the mid-1980s, as a major variant of critical criminology, Left Realism continues to ebb and flow. Furthermore, not all Left realist contributions are alike and some are subject to very heated debates. The fact remains, however, that Left Realism is ‘alive and well’. Of course, given that I devoted 26 years of my life (much of it with Martin D Schwartz) to the realist project, I could easily be accused of being biased. Nonetheless, some contemporary empirical support for my claim is the recent publication of Roger Matthews’ (2014) book Realist Criminology. The main objective of this volume is to use this offering as a ‘launching pad’ or ‘springboard’ for broader analyses of the relevance of Left Realism to critical criminology as we know it today. Matthews’ piece is the lead article. Following this are six others that, in part, address his monograph and that also point us to new directions in Left realist ways of knowing. In keeping with the spirit of the International Journal of Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, the authors constitute an international cadre of progressive scholars, including me, Joseph Donnermeyer, Steve Hall, Russell Hogg, John Lea, Claire Renzetti, and Simon Winlow. It cannot be emphasized enough, though, that this special issue is not a ‘love-in’ and there is no ‘party line’ here. All of the authors have strong positions on topics of major concern to academics and activists seeking new ways of thinking critically about crime, law and social control.
EXIT analysis for belief propagation in degree-correlated stochastic block models

This paper proposes the extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) method for the analysis of belief propagation in community detection on random graphs, specifically under the degree correlated stochastic block model. Belief propagation in community detection has been studied under density evolution; this work for the first time brings EXIT analysis to community detection on random graphs, which has certain advantages that are well documented in the parallel context of error control coding. We show using simulations that in the case of equally-sized communities, when the probability of connectivity in the communities are different, there is only one intersection point on the EXIT curves, hence belief propagation is optimal. When the probability of connectivity in the communities are the same, we show that belief propagation is equivalent to random guessing and the EXIT curves intersect at the trivial zero-zero point. For the roughly equal-sized communities, we show that there is always only one intersection point on the EXIT curves, suggesting that belief propagation is optimal. Finally, for the communities with disparate size, we show that there are multiple intersection points, hence belief propagation is likely to be sub-optimal.
Accurate Intracranial Pressure Monitoring

The use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring in clinical neurosurgery has greatly facilitated the management of neurosurgical patients. Many institutions have become disenchanted with ICP monitoring, however, because of difficulties with inaccurate recordings. These difficulties arise from the lack of recognition and understanding of microleaks and calibration problems. Whether ICP is monitored from the ventricular or subarachnoid space, the following four principles are critical in evaluating any ICP monitoring system and in ensuring that correct values are obtained in all conditions.
Robust Inference of Identity by Descent from Exome-Sequencing Data

Identifying and characterizing genomic regions that are shared identical by descent (IBD) among individuals can yield insight into population history, facilitate the identification of adaptively evolving loci, and be an important tool in disease gene mapping. Although increasingly large collections of exome sequences have been generated, it is challenging to detect IBD segments in exomes, precluding many potentially informative downstream analyses. Here, we describe an approach, ExIBD, to robustly detect IBD segments in exome-sequencing data, rigorously evaluate its performance, and apply this method to high-coverage exomes from 6,515 European and African Americans. Furthermore, we show how IBD networks, constructed from patterns of pairwise IBD between individuals, and principles from graph theory provide insight into recent population history and reveal cryptic population structure in European Americans. Our results enable IBD analyses to be performed on exome data, which will expand the scope of inferences that can be made from existing massively large exome-sequencing datasets.
Exome analysis of Smith–Magenis-like syndrome cohort identifies de novo likely pathogenic variants

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by dysmorphic features, intellectual disability (ID), and sleep disturbances, results from a 17p11.2 microdeletion or a mutation in the RAI1 gene. We performed exome sequencing on 6 patients with SMS-like phenotypes but without chromosomal abnormalities or RAI1 variants. We identified pathogenic de novo variants in two cases, a nonsense variant in IQSEC2 and a missense variant in the SAND domain of DEAF1, and candidate de novo missense variants in an additional two cases. One candidate variant was located in an alpha helix of Necdin (NDN), phased to the paternally inherited allele. NDN is maternally imprinted within the 15q11.2 Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) region. This can help clarify NDN's role in the PWS phenotype. No definitive pathogenic gene variants were detected in the remaining SMS-like cases, but we report our findings for future comparison. This study provides information about the inheritance pattern and recurrence risk for patients with identified variants and demonstrates clinical and genetic overlap of neurodevelopmental disorders. Identification and characterization of ID-related genes that assist in development of common developmental pathways and/or gene-networks, may inform disease mechanism and treatment strategies.
Acute stress impairs inhibitory control based on individual differences in parasympathetic nervous system activity

Identifying environmental influences on inhibitory control (IC) may help promote positive behavioral and social adjustment. Although chronic stress is known to predict lower IC, the immediate effects of acute stress are unknown. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) may be a mechanism of the stress-IC link, given its psychophysiological regulatory role and connections to prefrontal brain regions critical to IC. We used a focused assessment of IC (the stop-signal task) to test whether an acute social stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test) affected participants' pre- to post-IC performance (n=58), compared to a control manipulation (n=31). High frequency heart-rate variability was used as an index of PNS activity in response to the manipulation. Results indicated that stress impaired IC performance, blocking the practice effects observed in control participants. We also investigated the associations between PNS activity and IC; higher resting PNS activity predicted better pre-manipulation IC, and greater PNS stressor reactivity protected against the negative effects of stress on IC. Together, these results are the first to document the immediate effects of acute stress on IC and a phenotypic marker (PNS reactivity to stressors) of susceptibility to stress-induced IC impairment. This study suggests a new way to identify situations in which individuals are likely to exhibit IC vulnerability and related consequences such as impulsivity and risk taking behavior. Targeting PNS regulation may represent a novel target for IC-focused interventions.
Heart and Heart–Lung Transplantation in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Because of cardiac operations in children, more than a million adults with treated congenital heart disease survive. Those with complex anomalies, which may have been palliated, develop cardiac failure which may become resistant to medical treatment. For these patients heart or heart–lung transplantation offers an approach. In this chapter the indications and the UNOS classification for considering patients for transplantation are presented. Two factors may limit classification: inability to determine pulmonary vascular resistance in those with more than one source of pulmonary blood flow and secondly elevated HLA antibody levels from previous cardiac operations. There are unique factors that patients experience postoperatively, but 10-year survival is favorable.
Developmental biology of Leptoypha mutica (Hemiptera: Tingidae) on Chinese Privet (Lamiales: Oleaceae)

Abstract The native lace bug, Leptoypha mutica Say (Hemiptera: Tingidae), has demonstrated potential as an insect biological control agent of invasive Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour). To better evaluate its potential to establish on a new host, developmental biology on Chinese privet was studied at temperatures of 20°C, 24°C, 28°C, and 32°C. The complete duration of development of L. mutica from egg deposition through five instars on this previously unreported host ranged from 24.4 to 57.1 d. Estimated threshold temperatures and calculated thermal unit requirements for egg development were 11.0°C and 211.9 degree-days (DD); for nymphal development, 9.9°C and 326.8 DD; and for complete development, 10.5°C and 527.4 DD. Results of this study indicate that L. mutica will oviposit and can develop successfully on Chinese privet over a range of temperatures suggesting the potential for multiple generations to occur in a single season.
Optogenetic regulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells

Pancreatic β-cell insulin production is orchestrated by a complex circuitry involving intracellular elements including cyclic AMP (cAMP). Tackling aberrations in glucose-stimulated insulin release such as in diabetes with pharmacological agents, which boost the secretory capacity of β-cells, is linked to adverse side effects. We hypothesized that a photoactivatable adenylyl cyclase (PAC) can be employed to modulate cAMP in β-cells with light thereby enhancing insulin secretion. To that end, the PAC gene from Beggiatoa (bPAC) was delivered to β-cells. A cAMP increase was noted within 5 minutes of photostimulation and a significant drop at 12 minutes post-illumination. The concomitant augmented insulin secretion was comparable to that from β-cells treated with secretagogues. Greater insulin release was also observed over repeated cycles of photoinduction without adverse effects on viability and proliferation. Furthermore, the expression and activation of bPAC increased cAMP and insulin secretion in murine islets and in β-cell pseudoislets, which displayed a more pronounced light-triggered hormone secretion compared to that of β-cell monolayers. Calcium channel blocking curtailed the enhanced insulin response due to bPAC activity. This optogenetic system with modulation of cAMP and insulin release can be employed for the study of β-cell function and for enabling new therapeutic modalities for diabetes.
Self-assembling Peptide Systems in Biology and Biomedical Engineering

Molecularself-assembly of peptide systems is emerging as a new approach in protein engineering, study of protein folding, and protein-protein interaction as well as nanotechnology, polymer science, nanomaterials science and engineering. Self-assembling peptide systems lie at the interface of all these fields.Many self-assembling peptide and protein systems have been developed, ranging from simple peptides to complex proteins. Molecularself-assembly systems represent a significant advance in the molecular engineering of simple molecular building blocks usefulfor a widerange of applications. This field is extremely broad and is growing at an accelerating pace. The key elements in molecularself-assembly are chemical complementarity and structural compatibility. Several types of self-assembling peptides have been molecular-designed thus far. Type I peptides undergo intermolecular self-assembly while type II peptides undergo self-assembly and disassembly, i.e. intermolecular and intramolecular self-assembly, under the influence of various conditions. Type III peptides undergo self-assembly on to surfaces. These self-assembling peptide systems are simple and versatile, while being easy to modify and produce. Such a nanosystem represents a significant advancement towards molecular engineering of protein fragments for a diversity of technological innovations.
Control of bacterial population density with population feedback and molecular sequestration

Genetic engineering technology has become sophisticated enough to allow precise manipulation of bacterial genetic material. Engineering efforts with these technologies have created modified bacteria for various medical, industrial, and environmental purposes, but organisms designed for specific functions require improvements in stability, longevity, or efficiency of function. Most bacteria live in multispecies communities, whose composition may be closely linked to the effect the community has on the environment. Bacterial engineering efforts will benefit from building communities with regulated compositions, which will enable more stable and powerful community functions. We present a design of a synthetic two member bacterial community capable of maintaining its composition at a defined ratio of [cell type 1] : [cell type 2]. We have constructed the genetic motif that will act in each cell in the two member community, containing an AHL-based negative feedback loop that activates ccdB toxin, which caps population density with increasing feedback strength. It also contains one of two ccdB sequestration modules, either the ccdA protein antitoxin, or an RNA device which prevents transcription and translation of ccdB mRNA, that rescues capped population density with induction. We compare absorbance and colony counting methods of estimating bacterial population density, finding that absorbance-based methods overestimate viable population density when ccdB toxin is used to control population density. Prior modeling results show that two cell types containing this genetic circuit motif that reciprocally activate the other's ccdB sequestration device will establish a steady state ratio of cell types. Experimental testing and tuning the full two member community will help us improve our modeling of multi-member bacterial communities, learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of our design for community composition control, and identify general principles of design of compositionally-regulated microbial communities.
The Exstrophy Complex: Bladder and Cloacal Exstrophy

The care of a newborn with the exstrophy-epispadias complex presents a formidable challenge to the pediatric surgical community. The approach to these children is a multi-disciplinary effort involving multiple subspecialties including urologists, surgeons, orthopedists, pediatric anesthesiologists and specialty nurses. Advances in the basic and clinical sciences in the past two decades have yielded insight into the embryologic, genetic, and the physiology of exstrophy. Despite multiple approaches to the surgical management of the exstrophic patients are used throughout the world, the critically important part of the surgical care is a successful primary closure. The best long-term outcomes can only be achieved with a successful primary closure, and each failure decreases a patient’s chance at voided continence. This chapter aims to examine all aspects of the exstrophy patient including the surgical management and long term prognosis.
Can a Behavioral Science Course Change Medical Students’ Attitudes?

The extent to which second year medical students increased their positivity to psychiatry and their orientation toward the patient as a person following a Behavioral Science course was measured in two successive years. Mastery of the cognitive aspects of the course were also assessed. While performance significantly improved on the Behavioral Science part of the National Boards, no change in attitudes was demonstrated. Both before and after the course medical students saw patients and psychiatrists as less desirable than and generally unlike themselves. Further study revealed that entering medical students are more negative in their attitudes toward psychiatry than the general population and share fairly negative views of patients and psychiatrists with the Psychiatry Department faculty. These attitudinal factors and several other barriers are cited as reducing the potential impact of pre-clinical teaching on medical students’ values.
The influence of social networking sites on participation in the 2012 presidential election

Social networking sites are gaining in popularity, and candidates for president have been getting more involved in these online platforms. In order to examine whether a presidential candidate's presence on social networking sites influences people's political participation, we conducted a survey asking users a series of questions related to their social networking involvement, political involvement, and political involvement on social networking sites, specifically with regard to the 2012 presidential election. Our results indicate that despite being politically minded, these users do not use Facebook for political reasons and a candidate's online presence does not influence their decision on how to vote.
“Bloated Dwarf” Model of Nova Light Curves

A model is proposed to account for nova light curves, especially those which show regular or quasi-regular oscillations during decay. Various numerical calculations indicate that sudden nuclear burning of matter accreted onto a white dwarf in a binary star system can cause explosive ejection of matter. However, if some of the matter ejected from the white dwarf surface never escapes and tries to return to the underlying star, a distended white dwarf may temporarily result—a “Bloated Dwarf” (BD). The continuum light curve would then come from two sources: (1) the expanding ejected shell which becomes optically thin and weakly luminous after about one week (but later producing most of the line spectrum) and (2) radiation from the optically thick underlying BD. With a white dwarf of mass M*⋍M⊙, envelope mass Me⋍10-4-10-5M⊙,and radius Re⋍1011-1012 cm, the BD can pulsate with periods of order 1-10 days. (By tran- sit time arguments, an expanding shell is unlikely to permit such variations.) Although the damping time of the oscillations is difficult to estimate, one finds that contraction of the envelope will occur on a time scale of months. The increase of temperature with decreasing visual luminosity observed in several novae arises from the shift in the peak emissivity toward the UV as the BD contracts. The model also accounts for the outburst size-decay time relation; the continuing activity, including mass loss, long after the initial event; and the existence of strong circular polarization in the continuum light.