cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EndocrinologyComparison of salivary steroid profiles in naturally occurring conception and non-conception cycles

Oestradiol and progesterone profiles from naturally occurring conception and exposed non-conception cycles were compared to assess the impact of natural variation in concentrations of ovarian steroid hormones on female fecundity. In a prospective, longitudinal study, 24 women collected saliva samples twice daily and recorded intercourse for up to 1 year or until a pregnancy was clinically confirmed. Oestradiol and progesterone concentrations were measured by a salivary radioimmunoassay. Average mid-follicular oestradiol concentrations were significantly higher in conception than in non-conception cycles (12.6 +/- 1.7 versus 8.5 +/- 0.6 pmol/l, P < 0.01). A separate analysis, including only cycles from those women who contributed both conception and non-conception cycles, demonstrated an even more pronounced difference in mid-follicular oestradiol concentrations, not just for conception and non-conception cycles as groups (14.5 +/- 2.3 versus 6.5 +/- 0.7 pmol/l, P < 0.001), but also between the conception and average non-conception concentrations of individual women. Among these women, relative mid-follicular oestradiol concentration was highly correlated with the probability of successful conception. In addition, relative body weight was significantly positively correlated with mid-follicular oestradiol concentration. These findings indicate that variation in follicular development, reflected in variation in follicular oestradiol concentrations, is an important indicator of fecundity.
Evaluation of In Situ Phytoplankton Growth Rates: A Synthesis of Data from Varied Approaches

The use of clean sampling and incubation methods and the development of biomass-independent techniques for estimating the rates of growth and grazing mortality of phytoplankton in the ocean have resulted in estimates of phytoplankton growth rates that are approximately twice those reported prior to roughly 1980. Light-saturated growth rates in tropical and subtropical latitudes correspond to a doubling time of roughly 1 day. The results of mesoscale nutrient-enrichment experiments and comparison of growth rates with estimates of strictly temperature-limited rates indicate that light-saturated growth rates are no more than 50% of nutrient-saturated values, a conclusion consistent with the resiliency of food webs to perturbations. Phytoplankton growth rates in the euphotic zone of the ocean appear to be controlled largely by the grazing activities of micro- and mesozooplankton and the recycling of nutrients associated with the catabolism of consumed prey.
Editorial Comment on "The Interplay Between Premature Ejaculation and Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis".

It is amazing how our understanding of male sexual dysfunction continues to evolve and redefine itself, in particular with erectile dysfunction (ED), which has seemingly been well defined for some time now. This current article represents a robust metaanalysis of available data linking ED with premature ejaculation (PE), traditionally thought to be distinct entities. Examining 18 recent studies from 2003 to 2015 with over 57,000 patients, the authors report that men with PE (21.2% of the cohort), independent of its definition, have a 3.7fold increased risk of ED. The connection between ED and PE appears to be closer among men with anxiety or depression than with other organic comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. Interestingly, the IIEF score was lower in subjects with PE, whereas intravaginal ejaculatory latency time was reduced in patients with ED, suggesting a seesaw-like balance between these two entities along the same continuum. Not exactly new, this connection was proposed 10 years ago [1]; however, the current meta-analysis evaluates an enormous amount of data and unequivocally demonstrates that the connection between ED and PE in certain circumstances is real. The authors identify the study’s limitations, including the variety of definitions used for PE and ED, but control for them with sensitivity analyses. The elucidation of the continuum upon which erectile and ejaculatory function exist is of particular relevance to clinical practice in sexual medicine, and consideration of both ED and PE within the same spectrum may allow for the evaluation and treatment of either presenting symptom to become clearer.
Automatic image registration by stochastic optimization of mutual information

Image registration is the process by which we determine a transformation that provides the most accurate match between two images. The search for the matching transformation can be automated with a suitable choice of metric, but can be very time-consuming and tedious. We consider a registration algorithm that combines a simple yet powerful search strategy based on optimization of mutual information using a stochastic gradient, together with a wavelet-based multi-resolution pyramid. It is tested using a pair of fundus eye images, which is matched using a six-parameter affine transformation. This extends previous work based on the three-parameter transformation (Cole-Rhodes, A. et al., SPIE Aerosense 2002, Wavelet Applications IX, 2002). The registration algorithm is implemented in a multiresolution manner using a wavelet pyramid.
THE ROBBERY OF MOTORCYCLE TAXI DRIVERS ( DAKE ZAI ) IN CHINA A Lifestyle/Routine Activity Perspective and Beyond

Using official police records, interviews with motorcycle taxi drivers and the participant observation of their working activities in Tianzhi city, China, this paper examines how and why a dimension of social stratification--household registration (hukou)--is related to the risk of robbery victimization and attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of applying lifestyle/routine activity theory to contemporary urban China. It discloses that migrant motorcycle taxi drivers are highly overrepresented in robbery victimization. Their night-time working practices enhance their chances of being robbed by both increasing exposure to likely offenders and reducing the presence of capable guardians. The study further explores how a structural factor--motorcycle ban policy--shapes different routine activities between migrant and resident motorcycle taxi drivers and, by extension, differential risks of robbery victimization. The paper concludes by pointing out the importance of locating lifestyle/routine activities in a larger Chinese macro-social structural context. The outcome is one of the very first ethnographic analyses of crime conducted in situ in China.
School Performance: The Pediatrician's Role

When children begin having difficulties in school, the first stop for parents is often the pediatrician's office. Although school performance problems may seem outside the realm of routine primary health care, there are many important roles that the primary care provider may play. These include identifying medical issues that may impact performance, helping the family form an intervention team, and acting as the child's advocate when interacting with the school. In addition, it is important for pediatricians to be familiar with cognitive, emotional, and developmental problems that affect school performance and to assist parents in becoming active participants in their children's education.
The Fluid Mechanics Inside a Volcano

The style and evolution of volcanic eruptions are dictated by the fluid mechanics governing magma ascent. Decompression during ascent causes dissolved volatile species, such as water and carbon dioxide, to exsolve from the melt to form bubbles, thus providing a driving force for the eruption. Ascent is influenced not only by the nucleation and growth of gas bubbles, but also magma rheology and brittle deformation (fragmentation). In fact, all processes and magma properties within the conduit interact and are coupled. Ultimately, it is the ability of gas trapped within growing bubbles to expand or to be lost by permeable gas flow, which determines whether ascending magmas can erupt nonexplosively. We review and integrate models of the primary conduit processes to show when each process or property dominates and how these interact within a conduit. In particular, we illustrate how and why ascent rate may control eruptive behavior: slowly ascending magmas erupt effusively and rapidly ascending magmas erupt explosively.
Automated generation of directed graphs from vascular segmentations

Display Omitted Automated structuring of pulmonary artery segmentations using graphs.Machine learning to clean graph representations.Accurate semantic labeling of graphs achieved for central pulmonary arteries. Automated feature extraction from medical images is an important task in imaging informatics. We describe a graph-based technique for automatically identifying vascular substructures within a vascular tree segmentation. We illustrate our technique using vascular segmentations from computed tomography pulmonary angiography images. The segmentations were acquired in a semi-automated fashion using existing segmentation tools. A 3D parallel thinning algorithm was used to generate the vascular skeleton and then graph-based techniques were used to transform the skeleton to a directed graph with bifurcations and endpoints as nodes in the graph. Machine-learning classifiers were used to automatically prune false vascular structures from the directed graph. Semantic labeling of portions of the graph with pulmonary anatomy (pulmonary trunk and left and right pulmonary arteries) was achieved with high accuracy (percent correct?0.97). Least-squares cubic splines of the centerline paths between nodes were computed and were used to extract morphological features of the vascular tree. The graphs were used to automatically obtain diameter measurements that had high correlation ( r ? 0.77 ) with manual measurements made from the same arteries.
Examining the effect of maternal obesity on outcome of labor induction in patients with preeclampsia.

Objective The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of maternal obesity, as measured by prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), on the mode of delivery in women undergoing indicated induction of labor for preeclampsia. Study Design Following Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, patients with preeclampsia who underwent an induction of labor from 1997 to 2007 were identified from a perinatal information database, which included historical and clinical information. Data analysis included bivariable and multivariable analyses of predictor variables by mode of delivery. An artificial neural network was trained and externally validated to independently examine predictors of mode of delivery among women with preeclampsia. Results Six hundred and eight women met eligibility criteria and were included in this investigation. Based on multivariable logistic regression (MLR) modeling, a 5-unit increase in BMI yields a 16% increase in the odds of cesarean delivery. An artificial neural network t...
Combining suramin and a chimeric toxin directed to basic fibroblast growth factor receptors increases therapeutic efficacy against human melanoma in an animal model.

BACKGROUND Suramin, which binds to and blocks autocrine and paracrine growth factors required for the proliferation of neoplastic cells, is a clinically effective antitumor agent against some human tumors; however, efficacy often is limited by toxicity. In this study, suramin treatment was combined with a fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor-directed toxin chimera, basic FGF-saporin (bFGF-SAP), based on the authors' previous observations that autocrine-mediated resistance to bFGF-SAP in melanoma in vitro is abrogated by suramin treatment. METHODS Severe-combined immunodeficient-Beige mice bearing SK-Mel-5 human melanoma xenografts received weekly treatments of suramin (200 or 75 mg/kg intraperitoneally) beginning on Day 5 after tumor implantation followed 18 hours later by a treatment with bFGF-SAP (0.5–5 μg/kg intravenously) for 4 weeks. The optimal interlude between the administration of suramin and bFGF-SAP was determined by tumor excision assays. The efficacy of combination therapy as a function of alternative dosing regimens was determined by tumor growth inhibition (TGI) studies. RESULTS Fifty days after implantation, a 79–82% TGI was observed in animals receiving the suramin (200 mg/kg) plus bFGF-SAP combination regimens compared with median tumor volumes from vehicle-treated controls (3070 ± 440 mm3). TGI observed for combination therapies varied significantly (P < 0.05–0.001) from TGI observed in treatment groups receiving suramin alone (57%) or bFGF-SAP alone (34–38%). Combining bFGF-SAP (5 μg/kg) with a low, therapeutically ineffective dose of suramin (75 mg/kg) produced a 68% rate of TGI compared with controls, thus lowering the therapeutic effective dose of suramin and eliminating the suramin-related lethal toxicity (12% mortality rate) observed in animals treated with high dose suramin. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study suggest that combining suramin with receptor-directed therapies offers a more effective regimen for the treatment of malignant melanoma. Cancer 1999;86:1733–41. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
The technique of fine-needle aspiration of palpable mass lesions of the head and neck

This article describes the technique of fine-needle aspiration biopsy in a stepwise fashion. The aspiration procedure is broken down into three phases: The preparatory phase, which includes patient counseling, preparation of equipment and materials, and patient positioning; the actual aspiration; and the specimen handling phase, which includes fixation and smear-making. Indications for the procedure, equipment required, ancillary techniques, and potential complications are also briefly discussed. Although the techniques presented are applicable to palpable masses at any anatomic site, the discussion is tailored to the head and neck area.
Corticosteroid therapy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized in part by a chronic inflammatory state in the airways (largely from chronic noxious stimuli such as tobacco smoke), punctuated with acute inflammatory exacerbations, which are often infectious. Although pathologically and biochemically different from the inflammation of asthma, the chronic inflammation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, especially in subgroups with asthma-like features and especially during exacerbations, might be expected to respond to corticosteroid therapy, as does asthma. Complications from long-term corticosteroid use are important, but they appear less when the corticosteroid is given via the inhaled route. Clinical evidence is particularly strong supporting the use of inhaled corticosteroids to prevent exacerbations and oral corticosteroids to reduce the duration and impact of exacerbations.
Anti-PMN Leukocyte Strategies and Their Application to Focal Cerebral Ischemia

In capillaries, the physical properties of individual cells contribute significantly to the rheology of blood and to organ perfusion. In this summary we consider the biophysical properties of circulating cells that determine their motion in the microcirculation and its disturbance in ischemia. The focus is on polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes, their deformability, adhesive properties and cytotoxicity. The intravascular pool of PMN leukocytes will be considered and the mechanism of the non-reflow phenomena in the cerebral microcirculation.
Rethinking Moral Economy

I establish three closely related claims. The first two are interpretive, the third theoretical. (1) The prevailing conception of moral economy in political science, presupposed by opponents as well as advocates, rests too heavily on the distinction between nonmarket and market-based societies. (2) The prevailing conception of moral economy reduces to the unduly narrow claim that economic incorporation of a nonmarket people is the basis for the moral indignation that leads to resistance and rebellion. (3) Reconceptualizing moral economy in terms of social goods reveals additional grounds for politically significant moral indignation and permits moral-economic political analysis of a larger set of cases and phenomena. Water politics in the arid American West illustrate the power of a conception of moral economy based on social goods.
"SEX RESPECT": ABSTINENCE EDUCATION AND OTHER DEPLOYMENTS FOR SEXUAL "FREEDOM"

Those who view the right to a religiously neutral, empirically based public education as fundamental have been able to do little more than watch in terror as abstinence-only sex education, which excludes information on either safe sex or birth control, has come to prevail in United States (US) schools. Among causes for concern are abstinence programs’ endorsements of inaccurate, incomplete, partial information with little to no regard for the realities of life, particularly of teenage life today, as known through medical or social science. Continuing efforts to evaluate this trend seem crucial for the wellbeing of American youth and society. Here I explore a subtle strategy of abstinence-only sex education: its (positive) promotion of particular conceptions of human sexuality and sexual pleasure. Rather than simply forbid sexual behavior or deny sexual fulfillment, abstinence educators deploy particular conceptions of them while encouraging children and teens to abstain for the time being. While the slogan “Just Say No!” seems to capture abstinence educators’ main message, the call to abstain also encourages an ideal of sexual fulfillment which comes, of course, at the cost of immediate satisfaction.
Spatial analysis of crime incidence and adolescent physical activity

Abstract Objectives Adolescents do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Crime is believed to be a barrier to physical activity among youth, but findings are inconsistent. This study compares the spatial distribution of crime incidences and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescents in Massachusetts between 2011 and 2012, and examines the correlation between crime and MVPA. Methods Eighty adolescents provided objective physical activity (accelerometer) and location (Global Positioning Systems) data. Crime report data were obtained from the city police department. Data were mapped using geographic information systems, and crime and MVPA densities were calculated using kernel density estimations. Spearman's correlation tested for associations between crime and MVPA. Results Overall, 1694 reported crimes and 16,702 min of MVPA were included in analyses. A strong positive correlation was present between crime and adolescent MVPA (ρ = 0.72, p Conclusions This study found a strong positive association between crime and adolescent MVPA, despite research suggesting the opposite relationship. This counterintuitive finding may be explained by the logic of a common destination: neighborhood spaces which are desirable destinations and promote physical activity may likewise attract crime.
Review of Raxa (Hemiptera : Pyrrhocoridae)

The genus and the type species Raxa collaris Distant are redescribed. A new species R. nishidai and its 2nd and 4th instars are described. Raxa is compared with 4 similar genera, Melamphaus Stal , Probergrothius Kirkaldy , Roscius Stal, and Antilochus Stal; Raxa appears to be most closely related to the last. R. collaris occurs in Vietnam and Laos, and R. nishidai has been collected only from Indonesia. R. nishidai is predacious, particularly upon the pyrrhocorid Melamphaus faber (F.); it is not known if R. collaris is also predacious. Predation in the Pyrrhocoridae is discussed briefly.
Influence of Larval Starvation and Adult Diet on Long-Duration Flight Behavior of the Migratory Moth Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Starving fourth-instar Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) for 4 d did not increase the propensity of 3-d-old moths to engage in long-duration (i.e., ≥1 h) continuous flights, or the duration of such flights, on flight mills. Adult diet (nothing, distilled water, or honey–water) did not significantly influence male flight propensity until 2 d of age or female propensity until 3 d of age. Male propensity to fly and flight profiles (flight duration, times of flight initiation and termination) seem to depend more upon the availability of liquids than carbohydrates, whereas female behavior is more dependent on a carbohydrate source. In all instances, the influence of both larval and adult diet stress on flight propensity and duration is negative. One would expect a positive effect if such stress factors act as cues that trigger a behavioral or physiological shift to a migratory phase. Instead, environmental factors that stress individuals seem only to decrease the already high propensity to make prolonged flights and decrease the duration of those flights.
Does psyche pain manifest as agitation in the emergency setting

Objectives The objective was to determine a patient's level of psyche pain when they present to an emergency department (ED) and whether there was a relationship between this psyche pain and the patient's level of agitation. Methods This was a prospective study using a convenience sample of 300 patients presenting to an ED with a psychiatric complaint. This study was conducted in an urban, inner-city trauma center with 60,000 ED visits a year. After obtaining consent, a research fellow administered validated tools for assessing agitation, BAM, PANSS-EC, ACES, assessment of psyche pain, MBPPAS and a self-assessment of agitation at admission. SPSS version 22 was used for statistical analysis and the study was IRB approved. Results A total of 74 patients were enrolled at this time. The most common ED diagnoses were depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. Majority of patients were African-American (59%), falling in the 25–44-year-old age range (56%). Fifty-two percent male and 48% female. Psyche pain was rated by MBPPAS as marked (18.9%) or moderate (67.6%). The self-reported tool demonstrated 20% none, 16% mild, 21% moderate and 42% marked level of agitation. The agitation rating varied by the tool with self-reported level of agitation having the highest correlation with level of psyche pain ( P Conclusions Psychiatric patients frequently present to the emergency department with a high level of psyche pain and high level of self-reported agitation. This correlation may signal the need to address a patients’ level of agitation early in evaluation process.
A practical switching time model for synchronous buck converters

This paper presents a practical physics-based switching time (turn-on and turn-off time) model of MOSFET in synchronous buck converters. The turn-on and turn-off time of the MOSFET switching element has a strong impact of the operating efficiency of the converter. The proposed model can be implemented in predictive, practical efficiency model of DC/DC converters, like WEBENCH® Power Designer. Unlike the more complex models that exist in literature, the new model needs fewer parameters while still being physics-based. The proposed model simplifies the calculation through linear approximation of the voltage and current waveforms of the high-side FET. Different from other state-of-the-art models, it provides the detailed calculation of each parameter, allowing quick estimation of the switching losses. The model is useful in practical applications where the designer needs to predict the switching performance of the buck converter with the minimum available information of the internal circuit. Experimental results are described in detail to support the accuracy of the analytical model presented.
Refinements in Mandibular Reconstruction

The advances in mandibular reconstruction are primarily a result of advances in microsurgical free tissue transfer. Free vascularized bone grafts, namely the split inner cortex and the fibula, have become the flaps of choice for mandibular reconstruction. Further refinements for restoration of form and function of the mandible are attributed to proper flap selection, rigid skeletal fixation, advances in dental restoration, osseoin-tegration, and temporomandibular joint reconstruction.
Assessment of Dynamic Treatment Targets for Juveniles Who Sexually Offend

Using the overarching framework of the risk/needs/responsivity principles of Andrews and Bonta (2006), this chapter identifies the criminogenic needs that have been emerged most consistently as treatment targets for juveniles who have sexually offended (JSOs). Empirical studies supporting the selection of each domain are presented and the assessment tools that have the most research support with JSOs are described and evaluated. The treatment needs reviewed are: hypersexuality and sexual deviance; age and gender sexual preferences; antisocial behavior; callous-unemotional trait; aggressive fantasies and behavior; intimacy and friendships; and victimization. We recommend that clinicians assessing JSOs either generate their own batteries from the reviewed tools or select instruments using different methods that have been created to assess all of the critical domains.
Optical nonlinear absorption characterization of bulk semi-insulating 4H-SIC at and above the band edge

Nonlinearity of optical absorption in semi-insulating bulk 4H-SiC has been investigated. Of interest was the optical bleaching behavior of 4H-SiC at and just above the band edge in the range 3.11–3.33 eV (wavelength 380–355 nm). Results of experiments on 200 μm and 490 μm thickness samples indicate partial bleaching in the optical fluence range from 70 W/cm2 to 1.8 kW/cm2, and the absorption coefficient was found to vary by approximately 10% within this range. These experimental findings are supported by simulation results obtained from a first order semi-empirical rate based model linking excitation-induced change in density of states with the absorption coefficient over the range of tested power densities. As expected, this effect scales with photon energy. Characterization of 4H-SiC absorption behavior under varying fluence will aid in design optimization of a Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch (PCSS).
Opto-electronic control of terahertz metamaterials

We demonstrate external control of metamaterials operating at terahertz frequencies. Through photodoping of semiconducting substrates, used to support metamaterial arrays, we show ultrafast switching times. New metamaterial "grids" are presented, which may be formed by the union of electric metamaterials arrays. Metamaterial grids are then utilized to form a Schottky contact are used to demonstrate voltage switching of the metamaterials resonance. Both devices presented may be utilized to form novel devices at terahertz frequencies and also scaled to other energy regimes of interest.© (2007) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Assessing birth to age 5 teaching methods at a university laboratory school

ABSTRACTThis research evaluated the effectiveness of training and educating preservice teachers to understand and implement developmentally appropriate practices for children birth to age 5. Data from 803 participants were collected over a 3-year period at a university with a laboratory child care program associated with an undergraduate degree in child and family development. Findings supported the strength of a 17-item scale that was developed to assess gains in knowledge and skills in a multicourse sequence over the 3-year period. Knowledge and skill increased significantly in all three courses from pre to posttest. The magnitude of change decreased for knowledge and increased for skill as students progressed through the three-course sequence. Knowledge gains were greatest in Course 1 and smallest in Course 3. However, skill gains were greatest in Course 3 and smallest in Course 1. A multivariate analysis of all six time points, involving students who completed the survey in all three classes, indicate...
Improvements in the formation and stability of fish oil-in-water nanoemulsions using carrier oils: MCT, thyme oil, & lemon oil

Abstract Nanoemulsion-based delivery systems are particularly effective tools for incorporating omega-3 polyunsaturated lipids into many foods and beverages. In this study, the impact of carrier oil type and concentration on the formation and stability of fish oil-in-water nanoemulsions was determined. Three carrier oils with different physicochemical and sensory properties were evaluated: medium chain triglycerides (MCT); lemon oil; and thyme oil. Nanoemulsions (d thyme oil. This effect was attributed to the presence of high levels of natural antioxidants (phenolics) within the lemon and thyme oils. These results show that selection of an appropriate carrier oil type and concentration can lead to the formation of fish oil nanoemulsions with good physical and chemical stability.
Robin spectral rigidity of nearly circular domains with a reflectional symmetry

ABSTRACTThis is a note on a paper of De Simoi–Kaloshin–Wei. We show that by combining their techniques with the wave trace invariants of Guillemin–Melrose and the heat trace invariants of Zayed for the Laplacian with Robin boundary conditions, one can extend the Dirichlet/Neumann spectral rigidity results of De Simoi–Kaloshin–Wei to the case of Robin boundary conditions. We will consider the same generic subset as did by De Simoi–Kaloshin–Wei of smooth strictly convex ℤ2-symmetric planar domains sufficiently close to a circle, however we pair them with arbitrary ℤ2-symmetric smooth Robin functions on the boundary and of course allow deformations of Robin functions as well.
Group contribution modeling of heat capacities in urethane-forming reactions

For a highly exothermic reaction, heat capacity is a critical determinant of temperature profile which impacts temperature-dependent variables such as reaction rate constants, heat of reaction, viscosity, and diffusivity. In the case of polymer-forming reactions: literally hundreds of oligomers can be present at any time, heat capacities are typically not available for most of these oligomeric monomers. The group contribution method emerges as one of the few viable approaches to make an estimate of heat capacities being a salient intermediate step toward the objective of simulating polyurethane reaction process. Based on compiled literature and supplemental DSC data, Missernard’s group contribution model was revised with alternative values to those suggested by literature and accessorial parameters for the following functional groups: a) isocyanate, b) six carbon sugar ring, c) aromatic benzene ring, and d) double-bonded oxygen of an ester to estimate heat capacities from 25 °C to 120 °C for alcohols and isocyanate present in the urethane-forming reactions. Modeling performance showed a good agreement with an overall 1.59 per cent deviation. It was also observed that the alcohol heat capacity generally decreased with the rise of molecular weight.
The Value and Impact of Capstone Projects: Three Case Studies

The value and impact of successful capstone project can be potentially great. It can provide students involved with learning and design experiences, high confidence in design skills and abilities, and potentially long-term relationship with the sponsors. Also, the capstone project product itself can be an extremely useful application in high demand in the real world. This paper presents the three successful capstone projects from two engineering and technology enriched US institutes of higher education. The first capstone project is Bluetooth interface software for off-the-shelf for OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostic System-II) Bluetooth dongle project. The second one is Develop Mobile Single Sign-on Solution project. Finally, the last one is VMI Interactive Map project.
The whole lupus: Articulating biosocial interplay in systemic lupus erythematosus epidemiology and population disparities

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known simply as lupus, is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks healthy tissue and organs. Characteristic of the disease is a disproportionate effect on women and communities of color, both in terms of prevalence and severity of symptoms. Lupus is also both genetically driven and subject to external environmental conditions, many with place based corollaries. Thus, lupus presents a series of complex and intersecting biosocial questions regarding its origin and treatment, questions which transdisciplinary approaches are uniquely suited to address. In this paper, we propose a framework, incorporating critical approaches to the production of embodied formations of race and gender as well as new understandings of the impact of environmental conditions and lived experience at the genetic level, that can direct future research into lupus that is both more inclusive of a range of influences and more precise in its ability to treat and diagnose the disease.
A Review of Home Phototherapy and Available Home and Handheld Phototherapy Units

Psoriasis is considered one of the most prevalent immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, which leads to physical and emotional disabilities that can severely impact patients' quality of life. Photo...
Hardness vs randomness for bounded depth arithmetic circuits

In this paper, we study the question of hardness-randomness tradeoffs for bounded depth arithmetic circuits. We show that if there is a family of explicit polynomials {fn}, where fn is of degree O(log2n/log2 logn) in n variables such that fn cannot be computed by a depth Δ arithmetic circuits of size poly(n), then there is a deterministic sub-exponential time algorithm for polynomial identity testing of arithmetic circuits of depth Δ − 5.This is incomparable to a beautiful result of Dvir et al.[SICOMP, 2009], where they showed that super-polynomial lower bounds for depth Δ circuits for any explicit family of polynomials (of potentially high degree) implies sub-exponential time deterministic PIT for depth Δ − 5 circuits of bounded individual degree. Thus, we remove the "bounded individual degree" condition in the work of Dvir et al. at the cost of strengthening the hardness assumption to hold for polynomials of low degree.The key technical ingredient of our proof is the following property of roots of polynomials computable by a bounded depth arithmetic circuit : if f(x1, x2, ..., xn) and P(x1, x2, ..., xn, y) are polynomials of degree d and r respectively, such that P can be computed by a circuit of size s and depth Δ and P(x1, x2, ... , xn, f) ≡ 0, then, f can be computed by a circuit of size poly [EQUATION] and depth Δ + 3. In comparison, Dvir et al. showed that f can be computed by a circuit of depth Δ + 3 and size poly(n, s, r, dt), where t is the degree of P in y. Thus, the size upper bound in the work of Dvir et al. is non-trivial when t is small but d could be large, whereas our size upper bound is non-trivial when d is small, but t could be large.
Frequency of Entamoeba Gingivalis in Human Gingival Scrapings

A survey was made of gingival scrapings stained by the Papanicolaou method to assess the occurrence of Entamoeba gingivalis, a nonpathogenic-oral amoeba. Positive findings were recorded in 59% of 113 dental patients, and 32% of 96 healthy controls. These figures showed no significant changes during the last 20 years when compared with data published in 1960 and 1963. The existence of E. gingivalis and its rare appearance in the sputum should be known to cytologists because of the morphologic resemblance to Entamoeba histolytica, a pathogenic amoeba. Morphologic features are described to differentiate E. gingivalis from similar structures found in sputum.
Teaching Cognitive Skills to Children with Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by deficits in language, socialization, and the presence of restricted interests (American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-V. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Cognition is an area of functioning that is critical to everyday functioning across all three of these areas. A large amount of research has documented cognitive deficits in individuals with ASD, in terms of general intellectual disability and specific areas of cognition, in individuals with or without intellectual disability. The topic of intellectual disability in ASD has received ample attention elsewhere and will not be the focus of this chapter. Instead, we will address particular areas of cognitive functioning as behavioral repertoires that are amenable to intervention. We begin by discussing basic philosophical differences between cognitive and behavioral approaches to the topic of cognition, not merely for scholarly interest but because doing so will lay the groundwork for how cognition can be researched and intervened upon behaviorally. Next, we review the burgeoning area of research into behavioral intervention for cognition in ASD. Finally, we dedicate a significant portion of the chapter to discussing future directions for research on teaching cognitive skills to children with ASD.
Significs [Encyclopedia Britannica] (1911)

“The term “Significs” may be defined as the science of meaning or the study of significance, provided sufficient recognition is given to its practical aspect as a method of mind, one which is involved in all forms of mental activity…” These are the opening lines of Lady Welby’s article on Significs in the famous 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica—an edition that functioned as a hinge of European intellectual life. The article was written in the same year as her Significs and Language, London 1911, Macmillan & Co. Her famous article and the specific encyclopedia volume is reprinted in Petrilli: Signifying and Understanding, 2009. We offer here the integral version as a cornerstone of the path from significs/semiotics toward a deeper understanding of meaning and signification processes as the source of meaning.
Fabry disease and hearing loss. Comment on: Barras FM, Maire R (2006) Progressive hearing loss in Fabry's disease: a case report. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 263:688-691.

We read with interest the paper by Barras and Maire: the authors reported a case of a patient aVected by Fabry disease suVering also for bilateral hearing loss more pronounced on the left side. During the follow-up the patient presented a sudden episode of hearing loss on the right ear. The authors also performed a vestibular examination, which showed a bilateral complete areXexy at the bi-thermal caloric test. The authors also speculated on the possible causes of hearing involvement and the episodes of sudden hearing loss. In 2003 we published a series of 14 patients aVected by Fabry disease [1]. Each patient underwent a complete clinical (history of otological and vestibular aspects, otoscopy) and instrumental evaluation; we performed pure tone and speech audiometry, impedance, auditory brainstem response and oto-acoustic emission recordings, electronystagmography during vestibular caloric tests and acceleratory stimulation. Fifty per cent of patients presented hearing loss and in six of them the onset and/or progression of hearing symptoms were sudden. The brain stem recordings showed that the site of lesion was always cochlear. All our patients were treated with the enzyme replacement therapy and during these years they did not show signiWcant changes in their symptoms and signs of inner ear involvement. In only two patients we observed a sudden decrease of the hearing threshold, and it was related to a general worsening of manifestation of the disease. In general we can postulate that the enzyme replace therapy stabilize the hearing function in these patients, as observed in other largest series [2]. The cause of the hearing loss in Fabry patients is still not well known; the Wndings of Schachern et al. [3] showed a seropurulent eVusion and an hyperplastic mucosa in the middle ear, but also strial and spiral ligament atrophy, outer hair cell loss and decreased numbers of spiral ganglion cells leading to think to an involvement of both middle and inner ear in the pathogenesis of the hearing loss. The increased incidence of sudden hearing loss could be related to recurrent microvascular infarcts due to the occlusion of the small vessel for the thickening of the endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Indeed we reckon, as supposed by Malinvaud et al. [4], that the globotriaosilceramide (Gb3) accumulation in the cells of the vascular endothelium is the common cause for the repeated episodes of cerebral ischemic attack, renal failure and sudden hearing loss.
Diversification, adaptation, and community assembly of the American oaks (Quercus), a model clade for integrating ecology and evolution

Contents Summary 669 I. Model clades for the study and integration of ecology and evolution 670 II. Oaks: an important model clade 671 III. Insights from the history of the American oaks for understanding community assembly and ecosystem dominance 673 IV. Bridging the gap between micro- and macroevolutionary processes relevant to ecology 679 V. How do we reconcile evidence for adaptive evolution with niche conservatism and long-term stasis? 682 VI. High plasticity and within-population genetic variation contribute to population persistence 683 VII. Emerging technologies for tracking functional change 685 VIII. Conclusions 685 Acknowledgements 686 References 686 SUMMARY: Ecologists and evolutionary biologists are concerned with explaining the diversity and composition of the natural world and are aware of the inextricable linkages between ecological and evolutionary processes that maintain the Earth's life support systems. Yet examination of these linkages remains challenging due to the contrasting nature of focal systems and research approaches. Model clades provide a critical means to integrate ecology and evolution, as illustrated by the oaks (genus Quercus), an important model clade, given their ecological dominance, remarkable diversity, and growing phylogenetic, genomic, and ecological data resources. Studies of the clade reveal that their history of sympatric parallel adaptive radiation continues to influence community assembly today, highlighting questions on the nature and extent of coexistence mechanisms. Flexible phenology and hydraulic traits, despite evolutionary stasis, may have enabled adaptation to a wide range of environments within and across species, contributing to their high abundance and diversity. The oaks offer fundamental insights at the intersection of ecology and evolution on the role of diversification in community assembly processes, on the importance of flexibility in key functional traits in adapting to new environments, on factors contributing to persistence of long-lived organisms, and on evolutionary legacies that influence ecosystem function.
The Internet Ecosystem and Net Neutrality Regulation: Taking it to the Edge

The FCCs decision to repeal Net Neutrality governance of Internet traffic has not ended the debate over whether such protections are needed. This paper investigates the effects of changes in Net Neutrality regulation through an event study that estimates the market model with event dummies. The results are striking: the biggest impact of Net Neutrality policy changes is on shareholders in the New Media grouping of firms, rather than the ISPs. Our policy conclusion is that the repeal of Net Neutrality regulation is not associated with changes in investor expectations that signal increases in total investment across the Internet ecosystem.
Application of a Stochastic Model for Fatigue-Induced Delamination Growth in Graphite/Epoxy Laminates

A stochastic model is used to predict the growth of delamination in graphite/ epoxy laminates subjected to cyclic loading. The advantage of this model is that both the mean and variance associated with the growth of delamination is predicted. Understanding and predicting the variability associated with the delamination growth process is essential to the estimation of the reliability of composite structures. The empirical nature of the model has been minimized through the introduction of fracture mechanics parameters into the stochastic model. This has been accomplished by assuming that the mean of the stochastic model is represented by a fracture mechanics power law based on strain energy release rate. The applicability of the model is demonstrated through an experimental program that utilizes three laminate geometries. The results of the experimental evaluation illustrate the ability of the model to predict both the mean and variance of the delamination growth process in composite laminates subjected to cyclic loading.
Energy flow in terrestrial controlled-source electromagnetic geophysics

Visualisations of the flow of electromagnetic energy based on the time-averaged Poynting vector have yielded important and sometimes counter-intuitive physical insights in the case of electric circuits containing resistors and inductors. Less well-understood is the flow of electromagnetic energy in spatially contiguous media excited by grounded sources. In geophysics, for example, it is important for readers to recognise how geological structures help shape controlled-source electromagnetic responses. It is demonstrated herein using energy flow visualisations how a resistive layer impeding vertical electric current flow will produce a larger anomalous response to grounded-source excitation at the Earth's surface than an equivalent conductive layer.
The “MS Hug”: Definition, Characteristics, Course, and Misattribution Risk (P5.2-111)

Objective: To describe the characteristics and outcome of patient-reported dysesthetic sensory symptoms known as the “MS hug” in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Background: The term “MS hug” is widely recognized by people with MS and lay information is readily available through electronic resources. However, there is no medical definition of the “MS hug” and no published information about how the term is used by people with MS. Design/Methods: Retrospective medical record review. Spontaneously reported “MS hug” symptoms were evaluated in conjunction with neurologic history, medical and neurology examination, MRI results, and other medical diagnoses. The “MS hug” was defined as a unilateral or bilateral segmental constricting (squeezing, band-like, or girdle-like) sensation involving the thorax, abdomen, or both that was associated with objective evidence of a neuroanatomically-appropriate current or prior spinal cord lesion and not attributable to another cause. Results: Of 116 people with MS (71% female; 76% relapsing disease) reporting the “MS hug”, 46 (41%) met the study definition. The onset of symptoms occurred during cord relapse evolution (41%), during early recovery (20%), or more than 3 months post-relapse or during the progressive phase (39%). Delayed-onset symptoms usually persisted and required treatment. Of the 70 patients whose symptoms did not meet the study definition, 27 had other types of neuropathic pain without a constricting sensation and 11 had no clear etiology. However, 32 (46%) had a clear alternative cause, most commonly musculoskeletal discomfort, GERD, anxiety, and bowel symptoms. Serious alternative causes requiring immediate intervention included herpes zoster (n=3), myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and cholecystitis (n=1 each). Conclusions: The “MS hug” pattern of myelopathic sensory discomfort can develop during acute or chronic stages of MS-related cord injury. However, people with MS commonly misattribute symptoms, including those of serious medical conditions, to the “MS hug”. Patient and physician education are needed to avoid this error. Disclosure: Dr. Wingerchuk has received personal compensation from MedImmune, Celgene, and Novartis. Dr. Wingerchuk has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity as co-Editor-in-Chief for The Neurologist. Dr. Wingerchuk has received research support from Alexion and TerumoBCT. Dr. Valencia Sanchez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Carter has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Alder Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Carter has received research support from MedDay Pharmaceuticals, Roche Pharmaceuticals.