Superhero Costumes as a Method for Treating Children with Selective Mutism: A Case Study

This chapter describes a creative method for treating children with selective mutism. It is a case study of a 5 year, 8 month old child who has been silent since the first day of school for 2.5 years. No one, for 2.5 years, has ever heard him speak. He used to stare at his classmates as they played but did not participate. His mother described his language as normal and behavior as quiet. When the researcher first saw him he was wearing a “Superman” costume. The researcher used the child’s ambition to be superman as a platform to think creatively to treat his deficiency. He spoke in 1 hour and 30 minutes. The single session treatment successfully treated the child and he was observed afterwards for 2 months, no relapses, and he continued speaking. To maintain the success, the teacher and the student-teacher were advised to use the “descriptive language approach.” He was observed regularly

Visible Rank and Codes with Locality

We propose a framework to study the effect of local recovery requirements of codeword symbols on the dimension of linear codes, based on a combinatorial proxy that we call \emph{visible rank}. The locality constraints of a linear code are stipulated by a matrix $H$ of $\star$'s and $0$'s (which we call a "stencil"), whose rows correspond to the local parity checks (with the $\star$'s indicating the support of the check). The visible rank of $H$ is the largest $r$ for which there is a $r \times r$ submatrix in $H$ with a unique generalized diagonal of $\star$'s. The visible rank yields a field-independent combinatorial lower bound on the rank of $H$ and thus the co-dimension of the code. We prove a rank-nullity type theorem relating visible rank to the rank of an associated construct called \emph{symmetric spanoid}, which was introduced by Dvir, Gopi, Gu, and Wigderson~\cite{DGGW20}. Using this connection and a construction of appropriate stencils, we answer a question posed in \cite{DGGW20} and demonstrate that symmetric spanoid rank cannot improve the currently best known $\widetilde{O}(n^{(q-2)/(q-1)})$ upper bound on the dimension of $q$-query locally correctable codes (LCCs) of length $n$. We also study the $t$-Disjoint Repair Group Property ($t$-DRGP) of codes where each codeword symbol must belong to $t$ disjoint check equations. It is known that linear $2$-DRGP codes must have co-dimension $\Omega(\sqrt{n})$. We show that there are stencils corresponding to $2$-DRGP with visible rank as small as $O(\log n)$. However, we show the second tensor of any $2$-DRGP stencil has visible rank $\Omega(n)$, thus recovering the $\Omega(\sqrt{n})$ lower bound for $2$-DRGP. For $q$-LCC, however, the $k$'th tensor power for $k\le n^{o(1)}$ is unable to improve the $\widetilde{O}(n^{(q-2)/(q-1)})$ upper bound on the dimension of $q$-LCCs by a polynomial factor.Comment: 22 pages; Appeared in RANDOM'21; The current version includes Theorem 5, which is a solution to Question 2 that was asked in the earlier versio

Randomly punctured Reed--Solomon codes achieve list-decoding capacity over linear-sized fields

Reed--Solomon codes are a classic family of error-correcting codes consisting of evaluations of low-degree polynomials over a finite field on some sequence of distinct field elements. They are widely known for their optimal unique-decoding capabilities, but their list-decoding capabilities are not fully understood. Given the prevalence of Reed-Solomon codes, a fundamental question in coding theory is determining if Reed--Solomon codes can optimally achieve list-decoding capacity. A recent breakthrough by Brakensiek, Gopi, and Makam, established that Reed--Solomon codes are combinatorially list-decodable all the way to capacity. However, their results hold for randomly-punctured Reed--Solomon codes over an exponentially large field size $2^{O(n)}$, where $n$ is the block length of the code. A natural question is whether Reed--Solomon codes can still achieve capacity over smaller fields. Recently, Guo and Zhang showed that Reed--Solomon codes are list-decodable to capacity with field size $O(n^2)$. We show that Reed--Solomon codes are list-decodable to capacity with linear field size $O(n)$, which is optimal up to the constant factor. We also give evidence that the ratio between the alphabet size $q$ and code length $n$ cannot be bounded by an absolute constant. Our proof is based on the proof of Guo and Zhang, and additionally exploits symmetries of reduced intersection matrices. With our proof, which maintains a hypergraph perspective of the list-decoding problem, we include an alternate presentation of ideas of Brakensiek, Gopi, and Makam that more directly connects the list-decoding problem to the GM-MDS theorem via a hypergraph orientation theorem

Development of Two Charge-Transfer Complex Spectrophotometric Methods for Determination of Tofisopam in Tablet Dosage Form

Purpose: To develop an easy, fast and sensible spectrophotometric method for determination of tofisopam in tablet dosage form.Methods: Tofisopam as n-electron donor is react with two π-acceptors namely: chloranilic acid (ChA), and 7,7,8,8 tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) to form charge-transfer complexes. The obtained complexes were tested spectrophotometrically at 520 and 824 nm for ChA and TCNQ, respectively. The optimal conditions affecting the reaction status were surveyed and optimized, and the results compared with Japanese Pharmacopeia method.Results: The calibration curve were obeyed Beer`s low in the ranges 25 – 125 and 30 – 150 μg/mL for ChA and TCNQ, respectively. The lower limit of detection was 8.0 and 10.0 μg/m for ChA and TCNQ, respectively. The slope and intercept of the calibration graphs were 0.0025 and 0.011, and 0.0115 and -0.237 for ChA and TCNQ, respectivelyConclusion: The proposed methods have successfully been applied to determination of tofisopam with good accuracy and precision. The methods are accurate as the Japanese pharmacopeial method amd may be applied for routine analysis in quality control laboratories.Keywords: Charge-transfer complex, Tofisopam, Chloranilic acid, Tetracyanoquinodimethane, Spectrophotometr

pH plays a role in the mode of action of trimethoprim on Escherichia coli

Metabolomics-based approaches were applied to understand interactions of trimethoprim with Escherichia coli K-12 at sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC≈0.2, 0.03 and 0.003 mg L-1). Trimethoprim inhibits dihydrofolate reductase and thereby is an indirect inhibitor of nucleic acid synthesis. Due to the basicity of trimethoprim, two pH levels (5 and 7) were selected which mimicked healthy urine pH. This also allowed investigation of the effect on bacterial metabolism when trimethoprim exists in different ionization states. UHPLC-MS was employed to detect trimethoprim molecules inside the bacterial cell and this showed that at pH 7 more of the drug was recovered compared to pH 5; this correlated with classical growth curve measurements. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to establish recovery of reproducible phenotypes under all 8 conditions (3 drug levels and control in 2 pH levels) and GC-MS was used to generate global metabolic profiles. In addition to finding direct mode-of-action effects where nucleotides were decreased at pH 7 with increasing trimethoprim levels, off-target pH-related effects were observed for many amino acids. Additionally, stress-related effects were observed where the osmoprotectant trehalose was higher at increased antibiotic levels at pH 7. This correlated with glucose and fructose consumption and increase in pyruvate-related products as well as lactate and alanine. Alanine is a known regulator of sugar metabolism and this increase may be to enhance sugar consumption and thus trehalose production. These results provide a wider view of the action of trimethoprim. Metabolomics indicated alternative metabolism areas to be investigated to further understand the off-target effects of trimethoprim

Effectiveness of universal adhesive bonding agents on the shear bond strength to lithium disilicate ceramics

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Background: All-ceramic restorations have excellent esthetic outcomes compared with other restorative materials. Lithium disilicate is classified as one of many silica-based all-ceramic materials. Currently, companies have provided single-step adhesives, known as universal adhesives, compatible with different restorative materials including lithium disilicate. Many studies have reported greater bond strengths when using a silane to treat the lithium disilicate before applying the bonding agent. Moreover, few studies were published comparing the bond strength when using the universal adhesive alone. Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare shear bond strength of three universal adhesives to lithium disilicate ceramic restorative material. Materials and Methods: Three universal adhesive bonding agents were selected from commercially available adhesives. 408 IPS e.max CAD ceramic discs were processed, fired, and etched for 20s. The specimens were divided into six groups. The first three groups used the universal adhesive directly. The remaining three groups were treated with silane. Then, a composite resin cylinder was placed on top of the adhesive using a bonding jig. Each group was subdivided into four equal subgroups (n = 17), subjected to different aging simulation procedures: 24 h, one month with 5000 thermocycles, two months with 5000 cycles, and three months with 5000 cycles. Then, specimens were debonded using shear force by a universal testing machine (MTS). Results: Shear bond strength was greater with silane than without silane (p < 0.0001), regardless of the levels of adhesive or time. Shear bond strength was significantly greater at 24h and 1m than at 2m (p < 0.0001) or 3m (p < 0.0001) regardless of the adhesive or the presence of silane. Debonded specimens were examined under a stereomicroscope at X45 magnification to evaluate the fracture pattern. SEM was used to prove the results were considered as mixed failure. Conclusion: The optimal bonds to lithium disilicate are achieved by application of silane prior to application of a universal adhesive. Although the constituent silane in the universal adhesive was not effective in optimizing the resin to ceramic bond, silane should always be applied to lithium disilicate prior to bonding

Healthcare expenditures among community-dwelling adults with thyroid cancer in the United States: A propensity score matched analysis

Objective: This study assessed the excess healthcare expenditures and factors associated with it among community-dwelling adults with thyroid cancer compared to non-cancer controls in the United States. Method: A retrospective, cross-sectional, matched case-control study design was used by pooling multiple years of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data (2002-2012). The eligible study sample comprised of adults (age >= 18 years), who were alive during the calendar year and reported positive healthcare expenditure. The case group consisted of adults with thyroid cancer only while the control group consisted of adults who did not have any form of cancer. Total and subtypes of mean annual healthcare expenditures comprised the main study outcome. We also calculated the total and subtypes of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures as well as OOP as a percentage of household income. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regressions on log-transformed expenditures were conducted to elucidate the influence of different factors on healthcare expenditures among adults with thyroid cancer. Results: The yearly average total healthcare expenditures among adults with thyroid cancer was significantly higher compared to propensity score matched controls ($9,585 vs.$5,830, p < 0.001). Similar observations were found in terms of inpatient, and outpatient expenditures. Functional status as well as comorbid conditions were significantly associated with excess expenditures. The yearly average total OOP expenditure for adults with thyroid cancer was significantly higher compared to matched controls ($1,425 vs.$974, p < 0.001), with major differences observed in inpatient OOP ($178 vs.$24, p = 0.003), outpatient OOP ($435vs.$256, p < 0.001), and prescription OOP ($554 vs.$423, p < 0.001) expenditures. There was a significant (p < 0.001) difference between the average OOP as a percentage of household income between adults with thyroid cancer (Mean: 7.54%, S.E: 1.52%) and matched controls (Mean: 5.80%, S.E: 0.47%). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that holistic care approach could be helpful to significantly reduce the economic burden in this population. Viable strategies such as limits on OOP costs are required to minimize this high OOP burden among cancer survivors and their families.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Ionophore-based potentiometric PVC membrane sensors for determination of phenobarbitone in its pharmaceutical formulations

The fabrication and development of two polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane sensors for assaying phenobarbitone sodium are described. Sensors 1 and 2 were fabricated utilizing - or -cyclodextrin as ionophore in the presence of tridodecylmethylammonium chloride as a membrane additive, and PVC and dioctyl phthalate as plasticizer. The analytical parameters of both sensors were evaluated according to the IUPAC guidelines. The proposed sensors showed rapid, stable anionic response (–59.1 and –62.0 mV per decade) over a relatively wide phenobarbitone concentration range (5.0×10–6–1×10–2 and 8×10–6–1×10–2 mol L–1) in the pH range of 9–11. The limit of detection was 3.5×10–6 and 7.0×10–6 mol L–1 for sensors 1 and 2, respectively. The fabricated sensors showed high selectivity for phenobarbitone over the investigated foreign species. An average recovery of 2.54 µg mL–1 phenobarbitone sodium was 97.4 and 101.1 %, while the mean relative standard deviation was 3.0 and 2.1 %, for sensors 1 and 2, respectively. The results acquired for determination of phenobarbitone in its dosage forms utilizing the proposed sensors are in good agreement with those obtained by the British Pharmacopoeial method

The design and construction of the 50 million words KSUCCA

In this paper, we report the design and construction of King Saud University Corpus of Classical Arabic (KSUCCA), which is part of ongoing research that attempts to study the meanings of words used in the holy Quran, through analysis of their distributional semantics in contemporaneous texts. The holy Quranic text was revealed in pure Classical Arabic, which forms the basis of Arabic linguistic theory and which is well understood by the educated Arabic reader. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the distributional lexical semantics of the Quran's words in the light of similar texts (corpus) that are written in pure Classical Arabic. To the best of our knowledge, there exist only two corpora of Classical Arabic; one is part of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Arabic Corpus (KACST Arabic Corpus) and the other is the Classical Arabic Corpus (CAC) (Elewa, 2009). However, neither of the two corpora is adequate for our research; the former does not cover many genres such as: Linguistics, Literature, Science, Sociology and Biography; and it only contains 17+ million words, so it is not very large. While the latter is even smaller with only 5 million words. Therefore, we made an effort to carefully design and compose our own corpus bearing in mind that it should be large enough, balanced, and representative so that any result obtained from it can be generalized for Classical Arabic. In addition, we tried to make the design general enough in order to make the corpus also appropriate for other research

Pseudo Electric Field and Pumping Valley Current in Graphene Nano-bubbles

The extremely high pseudo-magnetic field emerging in strained graphene suggests that an oscillating nano-deformation will induce a very high current even without electric bias. In this paper, we demonstrate the sub-terahertz (THz) dynamics of a valley-current and the corresponding charge pumping with a periodically excited nano-bubble. We discuss the amplitude of the pseudo-electric field and investigate the dependence of the pumped valley current on the different parameters of the system. Finally, we report the signature of extra-harmonics generation in the valley current that might lead to potential modern devices development operating in the nonlinear regimeComment: 7 page