The future outlook on allergen immunotherapy in children: 2018 and beyond.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only currently available immune-modifying and aetiological treatment for patients suffering from IgE-mediated diseases. In childhood, it represents a suitable therapeutic option to intervene during the early phases of respiratory allergic diseases such as rhino-conjunctivitis and asthma, which is when their progression may be more easily influenced. A growing body of evidence shows that oral immunotherapy represents a promising treatment option in children with persistent IgE- mediated food allergy. The efficacy of AIT is under investigation also in patients with extrinsic atopic dermatitis, currently with controversial results. Furthermore, AIT might be a strategy to prevent the development of a new sensitization or of a (new) allergic disease. However, there are still some methodological criticisms, such as: a) the regimen of administration and the amount of the maintenance dose are both largely variable; b) the protocols of administration are not standardized; c) the description and classification of side effects is variable among studies and needs to be standardized; d) quality of life and evaluation of health economics are overall missing. All these aspects make difficult to compare each study with another. In addition, the content of major allergen(s) remains largely variable among manufacturers and the availability of AIT products differences among countries. The interest and the attention to AIT treatment are currently fervent and increasing. Well-designed studies are awaited in the near future in order to overcome the current gaps in the evidence and furtherly promote implementation strategies

A pilot study of test driven development

textTest Driven Development is a software technique which uses automated unit tests to drive software design and to force decoupling of dependencies. This report describes the pilot study that was conducted to understand Test Driven Development process and to evaluate its pros and cons before adopting it completely across the software team. The goal of the pilot study was to use TDD principles to build part of a real life software project - in particular, to completely implement 3 user stories - and to evaluate the resulting software. The main questions being discussed are - Is it feasible to adopt TDD in the development of a real life system with databases and UI? How easy is it to convert a user story into a set of unit tests? Can a set of unit tests adequately represent a user story or are requirements lost in translation?Electrical and Computer Engineerin

PENINGKATAN KETERAMPILAN MENULIS KARANGAN DESKRIPSI DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE FIELD TRIP PADA SISWA KELAS VSD N 091537 HUTABAYU

Abstrak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan keterampilan menulis karangan deskripsi siswa kelas V SD Negeri 091537Hutabayu melalui metode field trip.Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian tindakan.Subjek penelitian adalah siswa kelas V SD Negeri 091537 yang berjumlah 22 siswa.Model penelitian ini menggunakan model spiral yang dikembangkan oleh Kemmis Taggart.Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan dalam penelitian ini adalah observasi guru dan siswa, dan tes.Data hasil penelitian ini dianalisis dengan teknik deskriptif kualitatif untuk menganalisis hasil observasi, deskriptif kuantitatif untuk menganalisis hasil penilaian menulis karangan deskripsi dan dokumentasi hasil penelitian dalam bentuk foto.Pembelajaran menulis karangan deskripsi dengan menggunakan metode field trip dapat meningkatkan keterampilan menulis karangan deskripsi pada siswa kelas V SD Negeri 091537 Hutabayu. Peningkatan proses dapat dilihat dari  minat belajar siswa yang meningkat, siswa menjadi aktif dalam pembelajaran menulis karangan deskripsi dan hasil menulis karangan deskripsi siswa menjadi lebih baik. Peningkatan nilai rata-rata keterampilan menulis karangan deskripsi pada kondisi awal sebesar 53,76 pada siklus I meningkat menjadi 65,35 dan pada siklus II nilai rata-rata siswa menjadi 74,28. Peningkatan persentase siswa yang mencapai KKM dalam menulis karangan deskripsi pada kondisi awal sebesar 14%, siklus I 36% danpada siklus II meningkat menjadi81%.Kata Kunci: Menulis Deskripsi, Metode Field Trip Abstract. This study aims to improve the writing skills of the essay description of grade V students at SD Negeri 091537 Hutabayu through the field trip method. This type of research is action research. The subjects of the study were the fifth grade students of SD Negeri 091537, totaling 22 students. This research model uses a spiral model developed by Kemmis Taggart. Data collection techniques used in this study were observation of teachers and students, and tests. Data from the results of this study were analyzed with qualitative descriptive techniques to analyze observations, quantitative descriptive analysis to analyze the results of writing essays description and documentation of research results in the form of photographs. Learning to write descriptive essays using the field trip method can improve the writing skills of descriptive essays in fifth grade students of SD Negeri 091537. Improved processes can be seen from students' increased interest in learning, students become active in learning to write essay descriptions and the results of writing essay descriptions of students become more well. The increase in the average value of writing essay skills in the initial conditions of 53.76 in the first cycle increased to 65.35 and in the second cycle the average value of students became 74.28. The increase in the percentage of students who reached the KKM in writing a description essay in the initial conditions was 14%, in the first cycle 36% and in the second cycle increased to 81%.Keywords: description writing, field trip metho

Norsk-tamilske elevers holdninger til matematikk : En casestudie over seks faglig sterke norsk-tamilske elever

Ifølge internasjonale og nasjonale komparative undersøkelser skårer minoritetselevene i norske skoler lavere enn majoritetselevene (se for eksempel PISA 2009, TIMSS 2007 og nasjonal prøver). Mulige årsaker til prestasjonsavviket er minoritetselevers svake norskkunnskap og sosioøkonomiske familiebakgrunn. Elever med minoritetsbakgrunn er ikke en homogen gruppe. Her har vi elever med ulik nasjonal, kulturell, språklig og religiøs bakgrunn. NOVAs Ung i Oslo 2006 viser at det er stor spredning mellom ulike elevgrupper. Enkelte grupper klarer seg godt i de ulike fagene, mens andre presterer dårlig. Dersom vi samler alle minoritetselever fra alle land i en sammensatt gruppe og sammenligner skoleprestasjonene med majoritetsgruppens skoleprestasjoner, skårer minoritetselevene lavere enn majoritetselevene. NOVAs Ung i Oslo 2006 viser at norsk-tamilske elever får signifikant bedre karakter i matematikk enn både norske elever og andre elevgrupper. Hva er grunnen til at disse elevens lykkes i matematikkopplæringen? Hovedmålet med denne oppgaven er å undersøke hvorfor utvalgte faglig sterke norsk-tamilske elever oppnår gode resultater i matematikk. Problemstilling: Hvilke holdninger har faglig sterke norsk-tamilske elever til matematikkfaget, og hvordan påvirker ulike faktorer (foreldre, venner, kultur, framtidig yrkesvalg og så videre) deres holdninger? I tillegg til å studerer holdninger og faktorer som påvirker deres holdninger, undersøker jeg hvilken betydning sosioøkonomisk status og norskferdigheter har for disse elevenes matematikk prestasjoner. Mine informanter består av seks norsk-tamilske elever som går på Vg2, og tre foreldre. Metoden jeg har brukt for å besvare min problemstilling, er casestudie av enkeltelever ved hjelp av intervjuer). Hovedfunnet i min masteravhandling er at de utvalgte elevenes holdninger varierer fra emneområde til emneområde, og at elevene opplever holdninger som resultat av prestasjoner.Videre viser det seg at norsk-tamilske elever gjør en stor innsats i faget, og at matematikk er blant de fagene foreldrene gir mest oppmerksomhet i. Ambisjoner, foreldres involvering i skolegangen og selvtillit i matematikkfaget kan være blant de mulige forklaringene på at utvalgte elever oppnår gode resultater i faget

Adult Reflections on a High School Choral Music Program: Perceptions of Meaning and Lifelong Influence

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lifelong meaning and influence of participation in a high school choral music program. This study described and analyzed the reflections of adults who participated in one high school choral program selected by the researcher as meeting high standards of practice in choral music. The eight participants, who were involved in the choral program for at least three years and pursued careers in fields other than music, were selected via criterion sampling and interviewed regarding their experiences in chorus and how those experiences may have influenced their lives. Semi-structured interviews were the primary method of investigation in this case study. The first interview began with a broad-scope, grand-tour question. Prior to the second interview, former-student participants reviewed transcriptions of the first interview. The second interview consisted of specific questioning around the possible lifelong influence of their choral experience. During the second interview, each former-student participant was asked to complete an evaluation survey of effective teaching strategies/dimensions based on their memories of their choral director. The data collection process took place over a period of approximately five months. The school’s choral director was observed to verify teaching strategies consistent with criteria established by the researcher and to provide contextual data for triangulation of former-student participant data. Interview data, field notes, and archival information were coded for analysis by relevant themes and narratives were crafted. Findings suggested that the lifelong influence of this high school choral program was related to multiple social aspects, including a sense of pride and achievement, as well as to the learned ability to critique and evaluate. Participants valued the high expectations of the choral director and the exposure to many genres of music. Data revealed that some self-perceived outcomes of the program, such as critical thinking and self-confidence, were influential in the development of lifelong learning skills. Findings implied that traditional performing ensembles in secondary schools may not provide the greatest opportunity for engaging school musical experiences that encourage lifelong involvement in music. Additionally, the findings revealed that extra-musical benefits of the program outweighed the musical influence in adulthood

Celebrations of Christianity

A festival is when everyone comes together to celebrate and have fun. It is natural for everyone living in the world to think they should always be happy. But even though it is not possible to have as much happiness as everyone thinks, they still want to see at least a few days in their lives as happy days. It is said that human life is a combination of pleasure and suffering. Festivals are a pleasure in such a life. Literature often speaks of festivals. Similarly, John Palmer’s ‘Kiristayanam (Life of Christ in Tamil)’ book also contains information about ceremonies. Kiristayanam was published in 1865 by John Palmer of Tamil Nadu. The Christian epic, Christianity, begins with sections on the Bible, the Worship of God, and the History of the Book. In the section on Worship of God, he worships the Trinity God that is, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, through separate songs. The epic ‘Kristayanam’ consists of 842 Vrithappas (a type of verse) consisting of four sections, namely, Bala Kaandam, Kriya Kaandam, Avastha Kaandam, and Arokana Kaandam. Each section has different subheadings. This article highlights the celebrations found in the book of Christianity, which describes the biography of Jesus Christ

Wood-derived lignin-based fibers as supercapacitor electrodes

Today, in order to replace fossil energy sources with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, reliable energy storage systems that can provide power regardless of the intermittent nature of the energy sources must be created. Especially with the future’s rising energy demands the development of such energy storage systems from green-collar materials with the least negative environmental impact is pressing. Transforming the major cheap and replenishable forest resource, wood, to carbon materials with desirable morphologies can potentially be used as supercapacitors (SC) electrodes with long cycle life and higher power density than batteries today. Forest materials are abundant, but their extraction to manufacturing hold practicality issues due to yet not established procedures. Active research has focused on advancing lignin-based electrospun carbon fibers (ELCFs) and activated carbons with simple, high-yielding mass production units. The ECLF is self-standing and flexible, making them a prospective candidate for flexible and wearable electronics. As of today, the materials face shortcomings such as low electrical conductivity and poor mechanical stability post thermal carbonization especially if the spinning discards fossil based secondary polymers. Research on optimized fractionated high molecular weight lignin solutions from black liquor - an industrial paper and pulp industry byproduct - have improved their spinnability. Turning these lignin-based materials to commercial utilization requires more investigation and understanding of the materials.This thesis discusses the electrochemical performance of lignin fibers as highly reliable supercapacitor electrode material. Grafting the right amount of beneficial functional groups on the ELCF surface by low-power oxygen plasma treatment, the properties of the electrode-electrolyte interface significantly improved the wettability, increased active sites favorable for pseudocapacitance, reduced diffusion limitation, thus enhancing its electrochemical storage ability. Quite often, the surface functional groups have a detrimental impact on a device’s electrochemical performance such as increased resistance, low power performance, low stability, and high self-discharge rate. However, the non-invasive nature of the conducted plasma treatment made a remarkable improvement in the capacitive performance in KOH aqueous medium without compromising power and energy performance metrics. Preliminary quantification performed to understand the charge storage behavior in other aqueous electrolytes H2SO4 and Li2SO4 are also revealed. Furthermore, the observation of enhanced electrochemical performance via applying a voltage of 1.2 V and 10 000 charge-discharge cycles is discussed. With the competition of supercapacitors energy storage ability with batteries, efforts have been taken to make thick electrodes to boost energy density. Electrodes with high areal mass loading in supercapacitor maximize the packing density of the electroactive electrode materials while lowering the manufacturing cost by reducing the number of inactive material layers. Herein, the fabrication and electrochemical performance of 180-280 μm thick activated carbon (AC) electrodes with 2 wt% of hair-like carbonized lignin carbon fibers (LCF) as conductive agent alongside carbon black in the electrode matrix was assessed. In the resulting electrodes, the LCF inclusions into the AC matrix increased flexibility and contributed to improved capacitances due to better conductivity in the electrodes. The reduced resistances suggest that LCFs act as an intermediate layer among AC particles and serve as conductive pathways, facilitating electronic conductivity of more AC particles in deeper layers. Considering the biologically hazardous nature of other commonly used binders like polytetrafluoroethylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride, environmentally friendly binder microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) binder was successfully used to fabricate freestanding electrodes

Secondary abdominal pregnancy: a case report

An ectopic pregnancy is a condition in which a fertilized egg settles and grows in any location other than the inner lining of the uterus. The vast majority of ectopic pregnancies is so-called tubal pregnancies and occurs in the Fallopian tube (98%); however, they can occur in other locations, such as the ovary, cervix, and abdominal cavity. Abdominal pregnancies represent just about 1% of ectopic pregnancies. The incidence of abdominal pregnancy   ranges between 1:10000 pregnancies and 1:30000 pregnancies.Maternal mortality and morbidity are also very high especially if the condition is not diagnosed and managed appropriately. Abdominal pregnancy at term with a healthy viable fetus is therefore an extremely rare condition hence we present a case of abdominal pregnancy for publication

Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Tipe Jigsaw terhadap Hasil Belajar Siswa pada Subtema 3 Pekerjaan Orang Tuaku di Kelas IV SD Negeri 097319 Siopat Suhu

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh model pembelajaran tipe jigsaw  terhadap hasil belajar siswa pada subtema 3 pekerjaan orang tuaku di kelas IV SD Negeri 097319 Siopat Suhu. Hasil belajar merupakan hasil dari interaksi tindak belajar dan mengajar. Rendahnya hasil belajar bisa terjadi karena siswa yang tidak peduli terhadap pembelajaran dan metode mengajar guru yang tidak tepat. Model tipe jigsaw adalah model pembelajaran yang menitikberatkan pada kerja kelompok siswa dalam kelompok kecil. Siswa akan melakukan kegiatan belajar dengan bekerja sama bersama siswa lainnya untuk mencapai tujuan pembelajaran. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pre-experimental design dengan rancangan one-group pretest posttest. Populasi ini adalah siswa kelas IV SD Negeri 097319 Siopat Suhu. Berdasarkan hasil analisis data pengujian hipotesis yang telah dilakukan maka diperoleh nilai rata-rata pretes siswa adalah 59,5 dan nilai rata-rata posttest adalah 70,7 serta terlihat nilai thitung>ttabel, dimana 4,828>2,063, maka H0 ditolak dan Ha diterima. Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh model pembelajaran tipe jigsaw terhadap hasil belajar siswa pada subtema 3 pekerjaan orang tuaku di kelas IV SD Negeri 097319 Siopat Suhu