Transfer Function Control for Biometric Monitoring System

A modular apparatus for acquiring biometric data may include circuitry operative to receive an input signal indicative of a biometric condition, the circuitry being configured to process the input signal according to a transfer function thereof and to provide a corresponding processed input signal. A controller is configured to provide at least one control signal to the circuitry to programmatically modify the transfer function of the modular system to facilitate acquisition of the biometric data

Direct and indirect causal effects of heterozygosity on fitness-related traits in Alpine ibex

Heterozygosity–fitness correlations (HFCs) are a useful tool to investigate the effects of inbreeding in wild populations, but are not informative in distinguishing between direct and indirect effects of heterozygosity on fitness-related traits. We tested HFCs in male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) in a free-ranging population (which suffered a severe bottleneck at the end of the eighteenth century) and used confirmatory path analysis to disentangle the causal relationships between heterozygosity and fitness-related traits. We tested HFCs in 149 male individuals born between 1985 and 2009. We found that standardized multi-locus heterozygosity (MLH), calculated from 37 microsatellite loci, was related to body mass and horn growth, which are known to be important fitness-related traits, and to faecal egg counts (FECs) of nematode eggs, a proxy of parasite resistance. Then, using confirmatory path analysis, we were able to show that the effect of MLH on horn growth was not direct but mediated by body mass and FEC. HFCs do not necessarily imply direct genetic effects on fitness-related traits, which instead can be mediated by other traits in complex and unexpected ways

A case of hemolytic uremic syndrome preceded by intussusception

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is the most common cause of acute renal failure in young children. It is classically characterized by the triad of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and uremia. Further, not only is intussusception one of the differential diagnoses of HUS but it may also become a complication during disease progression. We report a case of HUS preceded by intussusception in a previously healthy 17-month-old boy. The patient presented at the emergency department with bloody stools that developed the day after reduction of intussusception. HUS was diagnosed 4 days after the reduction of intussusception. The patient was provided only supportive care and his laboratory test findings were normal at discharge

Impact of Snack and Beverage Intake on Preschoolers' Sleep

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2018Behavioral sleep problems are common in children aged 2-5, yet little sleep research has been conducted on this population. It also remains unclear how food and beverage consumption contribute to sleep problems. The objective of this study was to understand how evening snack and beverage intake impact sleep quality in preschool-aged children. Four hundred twenty-three children (mean age = 44.5 months) participated in this study. Children wore actigraphy watches for the 7-day data collection period. Actigraphy data were used to calculate sleep onset latency (SOL) and percent wake after sleep onset (%WASO), the sleep outcomes for the study. Self-report diaries were completed by participants’ parents during the same 7-day period to document what children ate and drank after dinner. Snacks were consumed on 36.2% of total nights, and 80.4% of children consumed a snack on at least one night of data collection. Sweets were consumed by 56.5% of the children who had a snack, followed by fruit (40.4%), grains (29.8%), and dairy (27.0%). Water was consumed by 94.1% of children at least once, followed by milk (43.3%) and juice (12.3%). A fixed effects regression analysis showed that consuming a beverage was significantly associated with 0.778% less waking in children during the subsequent night (95% CI: -1.320 to -0.235, p < 0.05), or about 4.5 minutes per night. Consuming water was also associated with 0.679% less waking (95% CI: -1.267 to -0.092, p < 0.05), or about 4.0 minutes. This study adds to the research on consumption patterns of preschool-aged children and offers evidence that consuming water before bed may benefit children experiencing behavioral sleep problems