243 research outputs found
Weakly--exceptional quotient singularities
A singularity is said to be weakly--exceptional if it has a unique purely log
terminal blow up. In dimension , V. Shokurov proved that weakly--exceptional
quotient singularities are exactly those of types , , ,
. This paper classifies the weakly--exceptional quotient singularities
in dimensions and
The effect of adherence to spectacle wear on early developing literacy: a longitudinal study based in a large multi-ethnic city, Bradford, UK
YesObjectives: To determine the impact of adherence to
spectacle wear on visual acuity (VA) and developing
literacy following vision screening at age 4â5 years.
Design: Longitudinal study nested within the Born in
Bradford birth cohort.
Setting and participants: Observation of 944 children:
432 had failed vision screening and were referred
(treatment group) and 512 randomly selected (comparison
group) who had passed (<0.20 logarithm of the minimum
angle of resolution (logMAR) in both eyes). Spectacle wear
was observed in school for 2 years following screening
and classified as adherent (wearing spectacles at each
assessment) or non-adherent.
Main outcome measures: Annual measures of VA
using a crowded logMAR test. Literacy was measured by
Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised subtest: letter
identification.
Results: The VA of all children improved with increasing
age, â0.009 log units per month (95% CI â0.011 to
â0.007) (worse eye). The VA of the adherent group
improved significantly more than the comparison group, by
an additional â0.008 log units per month (95% CI â0.009
to â0.007) (worse eye) and â0.004 log units per month
(95% CI â0.005 to â0.003) in the better eye. Literacy was
associated with the VA, letter identification (ID) reduced
by â0.9 (95% CI â1.15 to â0.64) for every one line (0.10
logMAR) fall in VA (better eye). This association remained
after adjustment for socioeconomic and demographic
factors (â0.33, 95% CI â0.54 to â0.12). The adherent
group consistently demonstrated higher letter-ID scores
compared with the non-adherent group, with the greatest
effect size (0.11) in year 3.
Conclusions: Early literacy is associated with the level of
VA; children who adhere to spectacle wear improve their
VA and also have the potential to improve literacy. Our
results suggest failure to adhere to spectacle wear has
implications for the childâs vision and education.AB is funded by a National Institute for Health Research Post- Doctoral Fellowship Award (PDF-2013-06-050). The Born in Bradford study presents independent research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Applied Health Research and Care (NIHR CLAHRC) and the Programme Grants for Applied Research funding scheme (RP-PG-0407-10044)
Study of Effect on Teeth of Intermittent Fluoridation of a Community Water Supply
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67913/2/10.1177_00220345530320011601.pd
Zoochorous dispersal of freshwater bivalves: an overlooked vector in biological invasions?
Fast-timing measurements in neutron-rich odd-mass zirconium isotopes using LaBr3:Ce detectors coupled with Gammasphere
A fast-timing experiment was performed at the Argonne National Laboratory to measure the lifetimes of the lowest lying states of nuclei belonging to the deformed regions around mass number A 110 and A 150. These regions were populated via spontaneous fission of 252 Cf and the gamma radiation following the decay of excited states in the fission fragments was measured using 51 Gammasphere detectors coupled with 25 LaBr 3 :Ce detectors. A brief description of the acquisition system and some preliminary results from the fast-timing analysis of the fission fragment 100Zr are presented. The lifetime value of \u3c4 = 840(65) ps was found for the 2 + state in 100 Zr consistent within one standard deviation of the adopted value with 791 +26 -35 ps. This is associated with a quadrupole deformation parameter of 0.36(2) which is within one standard deviation of the literature value of 0.3556 +82 -57
Fast-timing measurements in the ground-state band of Pd114
Using a hybrid Gammasphere array coupled to 25 LaBr3(Ce) detectors, the lifetimes of the first three levels of the yrast band in Pd-114, populated via Cf-252 decay, have been measured. The measured lifetimes are tau(2+) = 103(10) ps, tau(4+) = 22(13) ps, and tau(6+) <= 10 ps for the 2(1)(+), 4(1)(+), and 6(1)(+) levels, respectively. Palladium-114 was predicted to be the most deformed isotope of its isotopic chain, and spectroscopic studies have suggested it might also be a candidate nucleus for low-spin stable triaxiality. From the lifetimes measured in this work, reduced transition probabilities B(E2; J -> J - 2) are calculated and compared with interacting boson model, projected shell model, and collective model calculations from the literature. The experimental ratio R-B(E2) = B(E2; 4(1)(+) -> 2(1)(+))/B(E2; 2(1)(+) -> 0(1)(+)) = 0.80(42) is measured for the first time in Pd-114 and compared with the known values R-B(E2) in the palladium isotopic chain: the systematics suggest that, for N = 68, a transition from gamma-unstable to a more rigid gamma-deformed nuclear shape occurs
The contribution of corporate social responsibility to organisational commitment
This study investigates the relationship between organizational commitment and employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within a model that draws on social identity theory. Specifically, we examine the impact of three aspects of socially responsible behaviour on organizational commitment: employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility in the community, procedural justice in the organization and the provision of employee training. The relationship between organizational commitment and each aspect of CSR is investigated within a model that distinguishes between genders and includes a set of control variables that is drawn from the commitment literature (Meyer et al., 2002). The analysis is based on a sample of 4,712 employees drawn from a financial services company. The results emphasize the importance of gender variation and suggest both that external CSR is positively related to organizational commitment and that the contribution of CSR to organizational commitment is at least as great as job satisfaction.19 page(s
The Public Repository of Xenografts enables discovery and randomized phase II-like trials in mice
More than 90% of drugs with preclinical activity fail in human trials, largely due to insufficient efficacy. We hypothesized that adequately powered trials of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) in mice could efficiently define therapeutic activity across heterogeneous tumors. To address this hypothesis, we established a large, publicly available repository of well-characterized leukemia and lymphoma PDXs that undergo orthotopic engraftment, called the Public Repository of Xenografts (PRoXe). PRoXe includes all de-identified information relevant to the primary specimens and the PDXs derived from them. Using this repository, we demonstrate that large studies of acute leukemia PDXs that mimic human randomized clinical trials can characterize drug efficacy and generate transcriptional, functional, and proteomic biomarkers in both treatment-naive and relapsed/refractory disease
IBD Serology and Disease Outcomes in African Americans with Crohn's Disease
Backgrounds: Recent studies have identified the role of serologic markers in characterizing disease phenotype, location, complications, and severity among Northern Europeans (NE) with Crohn's disease (CD). However, very little is known about the role of serology in CD among African Americans (AA). Our study explored the relationship between serology and disease phenotype in AA with CD, while controlling for genetic ancestry. Methods: AAs with CD were enrolled as participants through multicenter collaborative efforts. Serological levels of IgA anti-Saccharomyces cervisiae antibody (ASCA), IgG ASCA, E. coli outermembrane porin C, anti-CBir1, and ANCA were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Genotyping was performed using Illumina immunochip technology; an admixture rate was calculated for each subject. Multiple imputation by chained equations was performed to account for data missing at random. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratio (OR) for associations between serological markers and both complicated disease and disease requiring surgery. Results: A total of 358 patients were included in the analysis. The majority of our patients had inflammatory, noncomplicated disease (58.4%), perianal disease (55.7%), and documented colonic inflammation (86.8%). On multivariable analysis, both IgG ASCA and OmpC were associated with complicated disease (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.67-4.28; OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.41-3.53, respectively) and disease requiring surgery (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.49-4.22; OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 2.12-6.00). NE admixture to the African genome did not have any associations or interactions in relation to clinical outcome. Conclusions: Our study comprises the largest cohort of AAs with CD. The utility of serological markers for the prognosis of CD in NE applies equally to AA populations
Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in NF1: Evidence for a More Severe Phenotype Associated with Missense Mutations Affecting NF1 Codons 844â848
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a common genetic disorder with a birth incidence of 1:2,000â3,000, is characterized by a highly variable clinical presentation. To date, only two clinically relevant intragenic genotype-phenotype correlations have been reported for NF1 missense mutations affecting p.Arg1809 and a single amino acid deletion p.Met922del. Both variants predispose to a distinct mild NF1 phenotype with neither externally visible cutaneous/plexiform neurofibromas nor other tumors. Here, we report 162 individuals (129 unrelated probands and 33 affected relatives) heterozygous for a constitutional missense mutation affecting one of five neighboring NF1 codonsâLeu844, Cys845, Ala846, Leu847, and Gly848âlocated in the cysteine-serine-rich domain (CSRD). Collectively, these recurrent missense mutations affect âŒ0.8% of unrelated NF1 mutation-positive probands in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) cohort. Major superficial plexiform neurofibromas and symptomatic spinal neurofibromas were more prevalent in these individuals compared with classic NF1-affected cohorts (both p < 0.0001). Nearly half of the individuals had symptomatic or asymptomatic optic pathway gliomas and/or skeletal abnormalities. Additionally, variants in this region seem to confer a high predisposition to develop malignancies compared with the general NF1-affected population (p = 0.0061). Our results demonstrate that these NF1 missense mutations, although located outside the GAP-related domain, may be an important risk factor for a severe presentation. A genotype-phenotype correlation at the NF1 region 844â848 exists and will be valuable in the management and genetic counseling of a significant number of individuals
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