Local Damage of Plain and Reinforced Concrete Targets under Impact Load

In the present study, simplified models for calculating the penetration depth, scabbing, and perforation thicknesses for concrete targets have been proposed. These models consider the dynamic strain rate effect in the estimation of penetration parameters. The results of proposed model have been compared with the experimental data

Improving Student Engagement and Performance in Computing Final Year Projects

There has been a seismic shift in the UK higher education landscape during the last decade. This has been driven by the formation of the Office for Students (OfS) and the introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), where the emphasis has been on programmes offering students higher value when it comes to employability, retention and overall student experience. One of the critical challenges that impact student experience is being able to enhance student engagementwithin a learning environment. Final year individual projects, which are generally unstructured in nature, is a significant contributor to programmes of study, yet remains an area where this problem is exacerbated. In an attempt to address this issue, our earlier work lays the foundation for a teaching & learning framework covering computing final year projects. In this paper, we present an extension to the framework and its implementation in 2016/17 following its first trial run within a Computer Science department at a UK university in 2015/16. We discuss the two implementations in practice and provide operational guidance. A large-scale longitudinal empirical study considering the performance of 625 final year undergraduate students over a period of five years is presented to ascertain the effectiveness of the framework. The study finds a consistent and significant positive impact on both student performance and engagement as a result of the original framework and further gains from the enhancements

An Effective Framework for Enhancing Student Engagement and Performance in Final Year Projects

Over the years, there have been many factors that have influenced the landscape of higher education within the UK. These factors include the rise in tuition fees, the introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and the formation of Office for Students. Although student performance plays a vital part, another significantly influential key performance indicator that impacts these factors is student experience, which is influenced by positive or negative feedback and engagement. Despite student engagement forming a key part of the learning environment, it is still perceived as one of the weakest aspects when it comes to enhancing the student experience. In this paper, we present the implementation of an innovative, holistic teaching & learning framework for the final year project module trialed within the Department of Engineering and Computing at the University of East London. This project module had been running in different forms since the inception of the undergraduate programmes within the department, however it generally yielded poor and inconsistent evaluation, student experience and engagement. The framework was introduced during the academic year 2015/16, where its evaluation has shown a positive impact on student engagement, performance and experience, compared to the previous year

Predictors of mortality in brain abscess

Objective: Brain abscess carries significant morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to elucidate the clinical presentation of brain abscess and to assess predictors of mortality in these patients.Methods: All patients with a brain abscess presenting to the Aga Khan University Hospital, a tertiary care referral center in Karachi, Pakistan, were studied retrospectively. Statistical analysis involved univariate analysis and a logistic regression model.Results: Among the 66 patients analyzed, a distant metastatic focus of infection was the most commonly identified predisposing factor (29%). Otogenic infection was the commonest contiguous source and sinusitis was noticeably absent. Multiple abscesses were frequent (35%). Streptococci were the most common isolates (39%). Lumbar puncture was performed in 44% and steroids administered in 33%. Treatment was surgical in 58%. Most comatose patients were treated conservatively. Overall mortality was 29%. Univariate analysis identified comatose presentation and identification of a distant focus of infection as predictors of mortality. The logistic regression model, however, identified a distant focus of infection as the only independent predictor.Conclusion: Age greater than 30 years, corticosteroid use, multiple abscesses, performance of lumbar puncture and conservative management had no affect on outcome

Matrix Transformations on Some Difference Sequence Spaces

Abstract: The sequence spaces ∞ ( , , ∆), 0 ( , , ∆) and ( , , ∆) were recently introduced. The matrix classes ( , , ∆ : ) and ( , , ∆ : ∞ ) were characterized. The object of this paper is to further determine the necessary and sufficient conditions on an infinite matrix to characterize the matrix classes ( , , ∆ ∶ ) and ( , , ∆ ∶ ). It is observed that the later characterizations are additions to the existing ones

Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of Lung Presenting as Localized Bronchiectasis: A Case Report and Review of Literature

© 2018 The Authors Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) of the lung is a rare and aggressive biphasic lung tumor with a 5-year survival of 20%. Early detection and treatment is the only way to improve outcomes in patients with SC of the lung. We present a case of primary SC identified early based on high suspicion. A 56-year-old female with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presented with hemoptysis and exertional dyspnea. Chest X-ray revealed right upper lobe (RUL) opacity and patient was started on antibiotics for pneumonia. Due to the persistence of hemoptysis, a computed tomography scan was performed which showed RUL bronchiectasis with scattered nodular opacities suggestive of an infectious process. The patient underwent bronchoscopy which revealed a pedunculated mass in the RUL biopsy of which was consistent with poorly differentiated SC. Positron-emission tomography scan revealed Flourdeoxyglucose-avid right peri-hilar mass and another nodule in the RUL. The patient was not a surgical candidate because of severe COPD and was started on chemoradiation therapy. SC of the lung can have various presentations and is usually detected at a later stage and hence, difficult to treat. Our case highlights the importance of critical thinking and prompt diagnostic evaluation in high-risk patients with localized bronchiectasis even without an obvious lung mass on imaging

Hormone replacement therapy menopause with a better future--a survey of views on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Objective: To assess the views and prescribing practices of doctors regarding hormone replacement therapy (HRT).Methods: In April 1999, 103 doctors from a teaching hospital participated in a survey. Using a self-administered questionnaire, subjects were contacted at the departments of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Orthopaedics.Results: Seventy-two percent were below 40 years of age and 67% of the respondents were male. Most doctors believed that HRT decreases the risk of subsequent osteoporosis (97%), ischaemic heart disease (77%) and depression associated with menopause (64%). Doctors generally considered menopausal symptoms (90%), premature menopause (87%), surgical menopause (85%) and osteoporotic fracture (77%) as clear indications for hormone replacement therapy. Absolute contraindications to the therapy were stated as recent breast cancer (82%) and recent endometrial cancer (84%). Among the specialities covered, there were differing views on proposed duration of HRT. It was generally believed that a pelvic examination, cervical smear and mammography were pre-requisites when initiating and monitoring HRT. Majority (69%) felt that HRT should be offered to all menopausal women, assuming no contraindications and most (73%) did discuss HRT with their patients. However, less than 10% of the menopausal patients under their care were using HRT. Those doctors not in favor of universal offering of HRT (31%) considered unreliable patient follow up to be the main reason. Females were two times more likely to discuss HRT with their patients (p = .08). Doctors who discussed HRT with their patients were four times more likely to consider HRT for themselves or their spouses (p = .13). Gynecologists were eight times more likely to prescribe HRT than non-gynecologists (p = .001).CONCLUSION: Doctors are positively disposed to the universal offering, and use of HRT. Further studies are needed to understand a possible gap between perceived and actual prescribing practice

Effect of Exercise and Muscle Contraction on Insulin Action, Transportation and Sensitivity and Muscle Fibres in type II Diabetes Mellitus

This review will critically evaluate the role of exercise in increasing the insulin action, transportation and sensitivity in skeletal muscles. The review will also, try to explore the relationship between the insulin stimulation and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) protein after the exercise The secondary purpose of this review is to explore whether the exercise induced sensitivity of glucose transport activation is mediated by translocation of greater number of GLUT-4 to the cell surface, and the role of different types of exercise in increasing insulin sensitivity. The review concluded that the stimulation of insulin and exercise is relevant to the physiological developed process of GLUT-4, isoform gene expression is precise and associated with the exercise only. While performing the endurance exercise as well as resistance training we can maintain the muscle bulk and prevent the atrophy in DM. Furthermore, it was proved that the resistance training puts direct effects on the muscles glycogen uptake intracellular and extra cellular signalling pathway and GLUT4, when the subject fed the rich diet of carbohydrate and participates in the exercise. These effects also found in the non-diabetes and healthy subjects.sch_pod2pub2879pub

Emerging bacterial resistance patterns in febrile neutropenic patients: experience at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

Objective: To look at the clinical presentations, spectrum and site of isolation of the organisms, sensitivity patterns of the organisms and the antibiotic prescribing practices for the treatment of febrile neutropenic patients at our hospital.Methods: The data were collected retrospectively from the records of all neutropenic patients with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of less than 500/ml admitted during the period of 3 years from August 1999 to July 2002 at AKUH.Results: Out of the total of 404 patients, 65% had hematological malignancies and around half of them had leukaemia, 86% of the patients presented with fever. A total of 124 bacterial organisms were isolated from 96 patients among which 47% were gram positive and 53% were gram negative organisms; 16.1% of the patients had septicaemia. Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) were the most common gram positive and E. coli was the most commonly isolated gram negative organism. Most of the gram positive organisms were isolated from blood (67%). There was emerging resistance to all commonly used antibiotics including imipenem, cloxacillin, vancomycin and amikacin. The average duration of neutropenia was 6.4 days. The mortality rate was 6%.CONCLUSION: There is increasing trend of gram negative organisms developing resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Gram positive bacteria including Enterococcus spp. and CoNS are also showing emerging resistance to vancomycin