Assessing children's swallowing: Parent and professional perceptions

Purpose-For infants and children who have difficulties with eating, drinking and swallowing (dysphagia), there are significant health risks that include aspiration (food and fluid entering the lungs) and poor growth. Videofluoroscopy is often the instrumental method of assessment used to exclude or confirm aspiration. The purpose of this paper is to investigate parental and referrer perceptions of the reasons for and the outcomes of videofluoroscopy. Design/methodology/approach-Data were gathered through the use of structured telephone interviews before and after videofluoroscopy. Findings-Four key themes emerged: first, the importance of identifying specifically the problems with swallowing; second, understanding the rationale for videofluoroscopy; third, preparing a child for videofluoroscopy; and fourth, using videofluoroscopy to inform management. Referrers used videofluoroscopy to confirm their concerns about a child's ability to swallow safely. Practical implications-Parents understood that the purpose of videofluoroscopy was to identify specific swallowing difficulties. They reported anxieties with managing the child's positioning during the procedure and whether the child would eat. They also had concerns about outcomes from the study. Some of these issues raise questions about the true value and benefits of videofluoroscopy. Originality/value-This is the first study that considers parent views of an instrumental assessment. For some parents of children with learning disabilities, mealtimes are an important social occasion. Further studies that focus on decision making about children with learning disabilities who find feeding difficult are warranted as parents feel loss and disempowerment when decisions are made about non-oral feeding

Damped Lyman alpha Absorbing Galaxies At Low Redshifts z<1 From Hierarchical Galaxy Formation Models

We investigate Damped Ly-alpha absorbing galaxies (DLA galaxies) at low redshifts z<1 in the hierarchical structure formation scenario to clarify the nature of DLA galaxies because observational data of such galaxies mainly at low redshifts are currently available. We find that our model well reproduces distributions of fundamental properties of DLA galaxies such as luminosities, column densities, impact parameters obtained by optical and near-infrared imagings. Our results suggest that DLA systems primarily consist of low luminosity galaxies with small impact parameters (typical radius about 3 kpc, surface brightness from 22 to 27 mag arcsec^{-2}) similar to low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. In addition, we investigate selection biases arising from the faintness and from the masking effect which prevents us from identifying a DLA galaxy hidden or contaminated by a point spread function of a background quasar. We find that the latter affects the distributions of DLA properties more seriously rather than the former, and that the observational data are well reproduced only when taking into account the masking effect. The missing rate of DLA galaxies by the masking effect attains 60-90 % in the sample at redshift 0<z<1 when an angular size limit is as small as 1 arcsec. Furthermore we find a tight correlation between HI mass and cross section of DLA galaxies, and also find that HI-rich galaxies with M(HI) \sim 10^{9} M_sun dominate DLA systems. These features are entirely consistent with those from the Arecibo Dual-Beam Survey which is a blind 21 cm survey. Finally we discuss star formation rates, and find that they are typically about 10^{-2} M_sun yr^{-1} as low as those in LSB galaxies.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophsical Journa

A formal account of dishonesty

International audienceThis paper provides formal accounts of dishonest attitudes of agents. We introduce a propositional multi-modal logic that can represent an agent's belief and intention as well as communication between agents. Using the language, we formulate different categories of dishonesty. We first provide two different definitions of lies and provide their logical properties. We then consider an incentive behind the act of lying and introduce lying with objectives. We subsequently define bullshit, withholding information and half-truths, and analyze their formal properties. We compare different categories of dishonesty in a systematic manner, and examine their connection to deception. We also propose maxims for dishonest communication that agents should ideally try to satisfy

Ontwikkeling en implementatie van geïntegreerde bestrijding in zomerbloemen : toepassing van beschikbare producten en ontwikkeling van nieuwe natuurlijke vijanden

In 2008 en 2009 werden loslatingen verricht van de roofmijten Neoseiulus cucumeris en Amblyseius andersoni, soms aangevuld met Phytoseiulus persimilis, in de zomerbloemen rozenbottel, chrysant, Veronica, Alchemilla en Delphinium. Hierbij bleek dat roofmijten zich niet in alle gewassen in gelijke mate vestigen. In Alchemilla en Delphinium bleek al spontaan Neoseiulus cucumeris voor te kunnen komen. Als in deze gewassen nog geen roofmijten voorkomen, zal introductie van N. cucumeris zeker slagen, mits er geen breedwerkende middelen worden toegepast. Vooral Alchemilla bleek een goede roofmijtenplant te zijn. Behalve Neoseiulus cucumeris werden ook andere soorten gevonden. Roofmijten die in de handel zijn tegen spint, Phytoseiulus persimilis en Neoseiulus californicus, vestigen zich eveneens goed in dit gewas, in tegenstelling tot Amblyseius andersoni. Verder kunnen spontaan andere natuurlijke vijanden van plagen voorkomen: roofwantsen, gaasvliegen en galmuggen. Trips nam in beide jaren af gedurende de teelt of bleef op een laag niveau. Neoseiulus alpinus is een roofmijt, die eerder is verzameld van Alchemilla en in kweek genomen. Een loslating van deze roofmijt in Alchemilla slaagde in 2008 niet, maar in 2009 wel. In Delphinium was in 2008 vanaf het begin van de waarnemingen Neoseiulus cucumeris in het gewas aanwezig. Na introductie van Amblyseius andersoni werd ook deze soort teruggevonden. Spint kwam in 2008 niet tot ontwikkeling. Buiten de proef kwam plaatselijk cyclamenmijt voor. In 2009 werd in Delphinium zwavel verdampt tegen echte meeldauw. Er was geen goede vestiging van roofmijten in het gewas, ook niet van de roofmijt Phytoseiulus persimilis, waardoor chemische bestrijding van spint noodzakelijk was. In Veronica, chrysant en rozenbottel kwamen in vergelijking met Alchemilla en Delphinium minder roofmijten voor. Trips en spint waren in 2008 en 2009 geen probleem in Veronica, chrysant en rozenbottel. Op rozenbottel kwam zonder introductie Neoseiulus cucumeris voor. Andere soorten roofmijten, die soms spontaan optraden waren Neoseiulus reductus in Delphinium, Amblyseius graminis in Alchemilla en chrysant, en roofmijten die tot een andere groep (Bdelloidea) behoren, met name op chrysant en Veronica

A note on "symmetric" vielbeins in bimetric, massive, perturbative and non perturbative gravities

We consider a manifold endowed with two different vielbeins $E^{A}{}_{\mu}$ and $L^{A}{}_{\mu}$ corresponding to two different metrics $g_{\mu\nu}$ and $f_{\mu\nu}$. Such a situation arises generically in bimetric or massive gravity (including the recently discussed version of de Rham, Gabadadze and Tolley), as well as in perturbative quantum gravity where one vielbein parametrizes the background space-time and the other the dynamical degrees of freedom. We determine the conditions under which the relation $g^{\mu\nu} E^{A}{}_{\mu} L^{B}{}_{\nu} = g^{\mu\nu} E^{B}{}_{\mu} L^{A}{}_{\nu}$ can be imposed (or the "Deser-van Nieuwenhuizen" gauge chosen). We clarify and correct various statements which have been made about this issue.Comment: 20 pages. Section 7, prop. 6 and 7. added. Some results made more precis

Traditional and faith-based healthcare in the management of psychotic disorders in Africa:in search for synergy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes the current literature on the role of traditional and faith-based healthcare in the management of psychotic disorders in Africa.RECENT FINDINGS: In contemporary Africa, individuals with psychosis and traditional and faith healers (TFH) are pluralistic towards their understanding of psychosis and their help-seeking behaviour. Traditional healing is perceived to be helpful to patients with psychotic disorders and their family members and may have a positive influence on the course of psychosis in some selected individuals. Studies show that potentially harmful practices are commonly used by African TFH, but that these are associated with a lack of resources and are susceptible to training. Although various TFH and biomedical practitioners are open to collaboration, the many identified obstacles hinder actual partnerships. However, the few studies that have been conducted on collaborative care for patients with psychotic disorders on the continent, show positive outcomes.SUMMARY: Rather than harmonizing the two healing paradigms, synergistic collaboration between traditional/faith-based and biomedical mental healthcare in the management of individuals with psychosis seems to be possible within certain limits. Synergistic collaboration is more culturally syntonic and may actually contribute to bridging the treatment gap for mental disorders in present-day Africa.</p

Integrated Image and X-Ray Microanalysis of Hepatic Lysosomes in a Patient with Idiopathic Hemosiderosis Before and After Treatment by Phlebotomy

Morphometrical and X-ray elemental information was extracted from Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) images of hepatic lysosomes of a patient with idiopathic hemosiderosis before and after treatment by phlebotomy. The elements of interest were (i) iron, stored in pathological quantities in hepatic lysosomal structures and (ii) cerium, used as a capture ion after a cytochemical reaction to detect acid phosphatase activity in the lysosomal structures. Morphologically the lysosomal structures are heteromorph and the elements iron and cerium are heterogeneously distributed. With reduced raster (= reduced scanning area) analysis at 16 x 16 pixel points (integrating image and X-ray microanalysis), a marked difference in the area of the cross sectioned lysosomal structures before and after treatment could be demonstrated. Simultaneously the difference in the relative orientation of the elements iron and cerium before and after phlebotomy could be visualized. Chelex ion exchange beads, loaded with 11.5% w/w iron, and coembedded with the tissue blocks, were used as an internal standard. A mean iron peak to background ratio was obtained and a factor, converting ratio to absolute iron concentration, was calculated. The same calculation procedure, now per pixel point, was followed for the hepatic lysosomal structures. A marked difference in iron concentration in the individual lysosomal structures was observed before and after treatment by phlebotomy

Temperature dependence of instantons in QCD

We investigate the temperature dependence of the instanton contents of gluon fields, using unquenched lattice QCD and the cooling method. The instanton size parameter deduced from the correlation function decreases from 0.44fm below the phase-transition temperature $T_c$ ($\approx 150$MeV) to 0.33fm at 1.3 $T_c$. The instanton charge distribution is Poissonian above $T_c$, but it deviates from the convoluted Poisson at low temperature. The topological susceptibility decreases rapidly below $T_c$, showing the apparent restoration of the $U(1)_A$ symmetry already at $T \approx T_c$.Comment: 8 pages TEX, 3 Postscript figures available at http://www.krl.caltech.edu/preprints/MAP.htm