The determination of planetary structure in tidally relaxed inclined systems

[Abridged] The recent discovery of a transiting planet on a non-circular orbit with a massive highly eccentric companion orbiting HAT-P-13 offers the possibility of probing the structure of the short-period planet. The ability to do this relies on the system being in a quasi-equilibrium state in the sense that the eccentricities are constant on the usual secular timescale, and decay on a timescale which is much longer than the age of the system. Since the equilibrium eccentricity is effectively a function only of observable system parameters and the unknown Love number of the short-period planet, the latter can be determined with accurate measurements of the planet's eccentricity and radius. However, this analysis relies on the unlikely assumption that the system is coplanar. Here we generalize our recent analysis of this fixed-point phenomenon to mutually inclined systems and show that the fixed point of coplanar systems is replaced by a limit cycle, with the average value of the eccentricity decreasing and its amplitude of variation increasing with increasing mutual inclination. This behaviour significantly reduces the ability to unambiguously determine the Love number of the short-period planet if the mutual inclination is higher than around 10^o. We show that for Q-values less than 10^6, the HAT-P-13 system cannot have a mutual inclination between 54 and 126^o because Kozai oscillations coupled with tidal dissipation would act to quickly move the inclination outside this range, and that the behaviour of retrograde systems is the mirror image of that for prograde systems. We derive a relationship between the equilibrium radius of the short-period planet, its Q-value and its core mass, and show that given current estimates of e_b and the planet radius, the HAT-P-13 system is likely to be close to coplanar [...]Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS. **NOTE REFINED PREDICTION FOR MUTUAL INCLINATIO

Optimising use of electronic health records to describe the presentation of rheumatoid arthritis in primary care: a strategy for developing code lists

Background Research using electronic health records (EHRs) relies heavily on coded clinical data. Due to variation in coding practices, it can be difficult to aggregate the codes for a condition in order to define cases. This paper describes a methodology to develop ‘indicator markers’ found in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA); these are a broader range of codes which may allow a probabilistic case definition to use in cases where no diagnostic code is yet recorded. Methods We examined EHRs of 5,843 patients in the General Practice Research Database, aged ≥30y, with a first coded diagnosis of RA between 2005 and 2008. Lists of indicator markers for RA were developed initially by panels of clinicians drawing up code-lists and then modified based on scrutiny of available data. The prevalence of indicator markers, and their temporal relationship to RA codes, was examined in patients from 3y before to 14d after recorded RA diagnosis. Findings Indicator markers were common throughout EHRs of RA patients, with 83.5% having 2 or more markers. 34% of patients received a disease-specific prescription before RA was coded; 42% had a referral to rheumatology, and 63% had a test for rheumatoid factor. 65% had at least one joint symptom or sign recorded and in 44% this was at least 6-months before recorded RA diagnosis. Conclusion Indicator markers of RA may be valuable for case definition in cases which do not yet have a diagnostic code. The clinical diagnosis of RA is likely to occur some months before it is coded, shown by markers frequently occurring ≥6 months before recorded diagnosis. It is difficult to differentiate delay in diagnosis from delay in recording. Information concealed in free text may be required for the accurate identification of patients and to assess the quality of care in general practice

Adolescent Perceptions of Animation Violence as an Indication of Aggressive Attitudes and Behaviors

This reported study was designed to examine the beliefs and perceptions of adolescents on whether or not viewing violence on television contributes to an increase in adolescents’ abilities to learn aggressive attitudes and behaviors. It also explored the effects humor and satire used in the animated television series The Simpsons has on adolescents’ abilities to learn aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Finally, it examined to what extent the violence portrayed in The Simpsons was believed to be realistic and justified by adolescents viewing the show. Results indicate that adolescents were not affected by the violence they observed in The Simpsons animation: Further, they did not feel that it was acceptable for their favorite characters to use violence to solve problems. Youth did not have reactions to viewing the series that were violent, nor did they report becoming aggressive in response to viewing the violence on the The Simpsons. While the majority of the youth also reported that they did not use violence to solve a problem, 3.3% reported that they did. Overall, the study concluded that adolescents’ exposure to violent content by viewing it in animation in The Simpsons did not affect adolescents’ perceptions of their abilities to learn aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Youth did not perceive that the violence portrayed was realistic

Insights into aphid prey consumption by ladybirds: Optimising field sampling methods and primer design for High Throughput Sequencing

Elucidating the diets of insect predators is important in basic and applied ecology, such as for improving the effectiveness of conservation biological control measures to promote natural enemies of crop pests. Here, we investigated the aphid diet of two common aphid predators in Central European agroecosystems, the native Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus) and the invasive Harmonia axyridis (Pallas; Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) by means of high throughput sequencing (HTS). For acquiring insights into diets of mobile flying insects at landscape scale minimizing trapping bias is important, which imposes methodological challenges for HTS. We therefore assessed the suitability of three field sampling methods (sticky traps, pan traps and hand-collection) as well as new aphid primers for identifying aphid prey consumption by coccinellids through HTS. The new aphid primers facilitate identification to species level in 75% of the European aphid genera investigated. Aphid primer specificity was high in silico and in vitro but low in environmental samples with the methods used, although this could be improved in future studies. For insect trapping we conclude that sticky traps are a suitable method in terms of minimizing sampling bias, contamination risk and trapping success, but compromise on DNA-recovery rate. The aphid diets of both field-captured ladybird species were dominated by Microlophium carnosum, the common nettle aphid. Another common prey was Sitobion avenae (cereal aphid), which got more often detected in C. septempunctata compared to H. axyridis. Around one third of the recovered aphid taxa were common crop pests. We conclude that sampling methodologies need constant revision but that our improved aphid primers offer currently one of the best solutions for broad screenings of coccinellid predation on aphids

The Grizzly, October 4, 2012

Campus Crime Rates • Banners Call for Student Power • UC Prepares to Vote • Professors up for Tenure • Resumania Offers Resume Aid • Phoenixville To-Dos • Marisa Roman Joins Ursinus Faculty • Grad School Guru Returns to Offer Tips and Advice • Opinion: We Should Distance Ourselves from Technology; Give CAB Events a Chance; Grizzly Staff Editorial • 3-0 UC Rugby Looks to Extend Streak • UC Recap: Mixed Week for the Bears • Coach Profile: Joe Groff, Volleyballhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1865/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, September 27, 2012

Ursinus Partners With Columbia • Family Day Coming Soon • Berman Search • Bi-Textual Poetry Series Kicked Off Sept. 18 • Big Brothers, Sisters Program • Internship Event • Services at Wellness • Opinion: Ursinus Should Disclose Annual Budget; Changes in Dining Services are Justified • UC Recap: Field Hockey Falls to F&M • Behind the Scenes: Kip and Sean Lacyhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1864/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, March 28, 2013

Students Fight Prisons • St. Paddy\u27s Day Cleanup Trouble • Science Plans Change • Town, Gown Growth • 9th Annual Edible Books Festival April 2 • Ricochet, New CIE Event • WeCAN Raises Awareness • UC Tech Support • Opinion: Campus Safety Isn\u27t Customer Service; Dorm Security Shouldn\u27t be Compromised • Coach Profile: Sam Campo, Softball • Senior Spotlight: Allison Pfrommer • Warren Named All-Americanhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1879/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, January 24, 2013

Distinguished Retirees Leave Ursinus • New Deans Take Office • Plans for Library\u27s Future • Resident Adviser Recruitment Continues • UC Welcomes New RD • Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Strives for Change • Students Create Their Own Wismer Masterpieces • How to Form a New Student Club on Campus • Opinion: Sexual Assault Absent in Media Coverage; Birthright Trip to Israel Provides New Insights • Senior Abitz Attends FFCA Academy • Senior Spotlight: Amber Yacenda, Basketball • Draper Drops 33, Swarthmore in OThttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1872/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, December 1, 2011

Former Child Soldier Speaks for Peace • Landscaping Initiative Looks to Keep Campus Fresh • Fulbright Scholar to Join Ursinus This Spring • HIV Couple Speak on Sexual Health in Bomberger Auditorium • FFO Educates Students to Combat Bullying • Whitians\u27 Woman to Watch: Stephanie Nocito, 2012 • Senior Interns with GlaxoSmithKline • UC United Aims to Help with Organization-run Events • Opinion: Baby Bio Insults Humanities Majors; Penn State Scandal Could Impact Victims of Sexual Assault; Students Desire an Off-Campus Shuttle Service; UC Provides Alternatives, Prepares for NBA Lockout • Post-Season Honors and Early Season Struggleshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1848/thumbnail.jp

Face and content validation of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—Bulbar dysfunction index (ALS-BDI)

PurposeEarly detection and tracking of bulbar dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are critical for directing management of the disease. Existing physiological assessments of bulbar dysfunction are often inaccessible and cost-prohibitive for clinical application. Existing clinical assessments are limited. The overall goal of our research is to develop a brief and reliable, clinician-administered assessment tool, the ALS Bulbar Dysfunction Index (ALS-BDI) to evaluate bulbar dysfunction. The aim of this study was to establish content and face validity of the ALS-BDI through item generation and reduction, including item scoring.MethodsThe design of the ALS-BDI followed guidelines outlined by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN). The design stage of the ALS-BDI involved two steps: (Step 1) the generation of candidate items from a literature review of commonly used clinical tools, and selection of items following a review of item reliability and item relevance and expert consensus; (Step 2) the assessment of their content and face validity via online survey feedback from experts (n = 35). The initial design was followed by a semi-structured cognitive interview with Speech-Language Pathologists (n = 5) to finalize a testable draft of the instrument.ResultsTwo drafts of the ALS-BDI were developed. The first draft contained 48 items, after a review of existing clinical tools for their relevance to bulbar dysfunction in ALS. Of the 48 items, 35 items were retained after surveying experts and clinician users for their relevance, feasibility, interpretability, and appropriateness. The second draft of the ALS-BDI contained 37 items, due to one item splitting, based on users cognitive interviews.ConclusionsThe ALS-BDI described in this study aims to provide a brief and reliable, clinician-administered assessment tool to evaluate bulbar dysfunction in patients with ALS. Future research will evaluate the psychometric properties of this tool including its reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change over time