The effectiveness of entrance examinations in predicting success in state board test pool examinations for practical nurses

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Correlation between clinical, neuropsycological and electroencephalografic aspects

Benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes is a form of epilepsy with no demonstrable anatomic lesion showing spontaneous remission. Seizure frequency is low, typically 2-5 total seizures, but also quite variable, ranging from a single lifetime episode to multiple seizures per day. The prognosis is excellent, with 98% of children outgrowing the disorder by puberty. Although the absence of cognitive deficits has always been considered a prerequisite for diagnosis of this illness, recent studies have revealed mild neuropsychological impairments in different areas, including language, attention, executive functions, memory, visuo-spatial orientation, and phonological processing. These cognitive deficits may be associated with learning difficulties and decline in school performance, which longitudinal studies have shown to be transitory in the majority of cases. The aims of this study were to assess the types of cognitive problems which may be encountered in this population, to evaluate the course of cognitive and learning capacities during the active phase of epilepsy, and to see if there was a correlation with paroxysmal activity on the electroencephalogram. The study combined retrospective neuropsychological and electroencephalografical results of 8 children presenting with typical benign partial epilepsy with Rolandic spikes and occipital spikes as well as the results of 5 children belonging to a hospital-based control group. In total, 13 children with ages ranging between 5 to 11 years were included and the following tests were carried out: anamnesis, neurological examination, electroencephalogram, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised. As a result of this study’s various limitations, namely the limited sample size, no significant correlations were found between the factors connected to the epileptic nature of BECTS, such as the number of seizures, age of onset of the disease, CTS lateralization and the results in the neuropsychological tests. Therefore it remains to be shown whether these correlations exist, as the neurobiology of Rolandic discharges and their relationship to cognitive dysfunction and epilepsy require further study.Epilepsia rolândica benigna da infância é um tipo de epilepsia sem lesão anatómica demonstrada que remete espontaneamente. A frequência das crises geralmente é baixa, tipicamente entre 2-5 crises em todo o percurso da doença, mas é uma doença muito variável, podendo ocorrer desde uma única crise na vida até multiplos episódios por dia. O prognóstico é excelente, com remissão da doença até à puberdade em 98% das crianças. Apesar da ausência de defeitos cognitivos ser considerada um pré-requisito para o diagnóstico da doença, estudos recentes revelaram défices neuropsicológicos ligeiros em várias áreas, incluíndo na linguagem, na atenção, nas funções executivas, na memória, na orientação visuo-espacial, e no processamento fonológico. Estes defeitos cognitivos podem ou não estar associados com dificuldades na aprendizagem e uma queda no desempenho escolar, existindo estudos longitudinais que demonstraram que estes defeitos são transitórios na maioria dos casos. Os objectivos deste estudo incluíram: determinar os tipos de problemas cognitivos que podem surgir nesta população, avaliar o curso das capacidades cognitivas e de aprendizagem na fase activa da doença, e definir se existe ou não uma correlação com a actividade paroxística no electroencefalograma. Este estudo comparou retrospectivamente os resultados neuropsicológicos e electroencefalográficos de 8 crianças com epilepsia típica benigna com pontas centrotemporais, com os resultados de 5 crianças constituíndo o grupo controlo. No total, 13 crianças com idades compreendidas entre os 5 e 11 anos foram incluídas no estudo, e subsequentemente fizeram-se as seguintes avaliações: anamnese, exame neurológico, electroencefalograma, e a Escala de Inteligênciade Wechsler para crianças – Terceira Edição ou a Escala de Inteligência de Weschler para a Idade Pré-Escolar e Primária – Edição Revista. Tendo em conta as limitações do estudo, não se encontrou correlação entre os aspectos relacionados com a natureza epileptiforme da epilepsia rolândica benigna, como o número de crises, a idade de instalação da doença e a lateralização das ondas centrotemporais com os resultados das avaliações neuropsicológicas realizadas. Contudo, permanence incerto se estas correlações existem, sendo necessária a realização de estudos futuros nesta área

Assessment Criteria for Special Education Students in Vocational Education

The basic research questions of this study are as follows: 1. What are the exit competencies for a given learning disabled according to the student\u27s career/vocational goals and/or needs? 2. Is it possible for a special education student to be placed in a vocational learning environment with their peers that are normal (mainstreaming)? 3. Can a special education student be productive during this period of mainstreaming

The 1st Verified Software Competition, Extended Experience Report

We, the organizers and participants, report our experiences from the 1st Veried Software Competition, held in August 2010 in Edinburgh at the VSTTE 2010 conferenc

The 1st Verified Software Competition, Extended Experience Report

We, the organizers and participants, report our experiences from the 1st Veried Software Competition, held in August 2010 in Edinburgh at the VSTTE 2010 conferenc

Efficient Neural Network Implementations on Parallel Embedded Platforms Applied to Real-Time Torque-Vectoring Optimization Using Predictions for Multi-Motor Electric Vehicles

The combination of machine learning and heterogeneous embedded platforms enables new potential for developing sophisticated control concepts which are applicable to the field of vehicle dynamics and ADAS. This interdisciplinary work provides enabler solutions -ultimately implementing fast predictions using neural networks (NNs) on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and graphical processing units (GPUs)- while applying them to a challenging application: Torque Vectoring on a multi-electric-motor vehicle for enhanced vehicle dynamics. The foundation motivating this work is provided by discussing multiple domains of the technological context as well as the constraints related to the automotive field, which contrast with the attractiveness of exploiting the capabilities of new embedded platforms to apply advanced control algorithms for complex control problems. In this particular case we target enhanced vehicle dynamics on a multi-motor electric vehicle benefiting from the greater degrees of freedom and controllability offered by such powertrains. Considering the constraints of the application and the implications of the selected multivariable optimization challenge, we propose a NN to provide batch predictions for real-time optimization. This leads to the major contribution of this work: efficient NN implementations on two intrinsically parallel embedded platforms, a GPU and a FPGA, following an analysis of theoretical and practical implications of their different operating paradigms, in order to efficiently harness their computing potential while gaining insight into their peculiarities. The achieved results exceed the expectations and additionally provide a representative illustration of the strengths and weaknesses of each kind of platform. Consequently, having shown the applicability of the proposed solutions, this work contributes valuable enablers also for further developments following similar fundamental principles.Some of the results presented in this work are related to activities within the 3Ccar project, which has received funding from ECSEL Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No. 662192. This Joint Undertaking received support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Romania, Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Latvia, Finland, Spain, Italy, Lithuania. This work was also partly supported by the project ENABLES3, which received funding from ECSEL Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No. 692455-2

Quality of life in the regions: An exploratory spatial data analysis for West German labor markets

Which of Germanys regions is the most attractive? Where is it best to live and work - on objective grounds? These questions are summed up in the concept quality of life. This paper uses recent research projects that determine this parameter to examine the spatial distribution of quality of life in Germany. For this purpose, an Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis is conducted which focuses on identifying statistically significant (dis-)similarities in space. An initial result of this research is that it is important to choose the aggregation level of administrative units carefully when considering a spatial analysis. The level plays a crucial role in the strength and impact of spatial effects. In concentrating on various labor market areas, this paper identifies a significant spatial autocorrelation in the quality of life, which seems to be characterized by a North-Mid-South divide. In addition, the ESDA results are used to augment the regression specifications, which helps to avoid the occurrence of spatial dependencies in the residuals. --Quality of Life,Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis,Functional Economic Areas,Spatial Econometrics,LISA Dummies

Cognitive Profile of Students Who Enter Higher Education with an Indication of Dyslexia

For languages other than English there is a lack of empirical evidence about the cognitive profile of students entering higher education with a diagnosis of dyslexia. To obtain such evidence, we compared a group of 100 Dutch-speaking students diagnosed with dyslexia with a control group of 100 students without learning disabilities. Our study showed selective deficits in reading and writing (effect sizes for accuracy between d = 1 and d = 2), arithmetic (d≈1), and phonological processing (d>0.7). Except for spelling, these deficits were larger for speed related measures than for accuracy related measures. Students with dyslexia also performed slightly inferior on the KAIT tests of crystallized intelligence, due to the retrieval of verbal information from long-term memory. No significant differences were observed in the KAIT tests of fluid intelligence. The profile we obtained agrees with a recent meta-analysis of English findings suggesting that it generalizes to all alphabetic languages. Implications for special arrangements for students with dyslexia in higher education are outlined