A Constructive Memory Architecture for Context Awareness

Context-aware computing is a mobile computing paradigm in which applications can discover, use, and take advantage of contextual information, such as the location, tasks and preferences of the user, in order to adapt their behaviour in response to changing operating environments and user requirements. A problem that arises is the inability to respond to contextual information that cannot be classified into any known context. Many context-aware applications require all discovered contextual information to exactly match a type of context, otherwise the application will not react responsively. The ability to learn and recall contexts based on the contextual information discovered has not been very well addressed by previous context-aware applications and research. The aim of this thesis is to develop a component middleware technology for mobile computing devices for the discovery and capture of contextual information, using the situated reasoning concept of constructive memory. The research contribution of this thesis lies in developing a modified architecture for context-aware systems, using a constructive memory model as a way to learn and recall contexts from previous experiences and application interactions. Using a constructive memory model, previous experiences can be induced to construct potential contexts, given a small amount of learning and interaction. The learning process is able to map the many variations of contextual information currently discovered by the user with a predicted type of context based on what the application has stored and seen previously. It only requires a small amount of contextual information to predict a context, something common context-aware systems lack, as they require all information before a type of context is assigned. Additionally, some mechanism to reason about the contextual information being discovered from past application interactions will be beneficial to induce contexts for future experiences

A Constructive Memory Architecture for Context Awareness

Context-aware computing is a mobile computing paradigm in which applications can discover, use, and take advantage of contextual information, such as the location, tasks and preferences of the user, in order to adapt their behaviour in response to changing operating environments and user requirements. A problem that arises is the inability to respond to contextual information that cannot be classified into any known context. Many context-aware applications require all discovered contextual information to exactly match a type of context, otherwise the application will not react responsively. The ability to learn and recall contexts based on the contextual information discovered has not been very well addressed by previous context-aware applications and research. The aim of this thesis is to develop a component middleware technology for mobile computing devices for the discovery and capture of contextual information, using the situated reasoning concept of constructive memory. The research contribution of this thesis lies in developing a modified architecture for context-aware systems, using a constructive memory model as a way to learn and recall contexts from previous experiences and application interactions. Using a constructive memory model, previous experiences can be induced to construct potential contexts, given a small amount of learning and interaction. The learning process is able to map the many variations of contextual information currently discovered by the user with a predicted type of context based on what the application has stored and seen previously. It only requires a small amount of contextual information to predict a context, something common context-aware systems lack, as they require all information before a type of context is assigned. Additionally, some mechanism to reason about the contextual information being discovered from past application interactions will be beneficial to induce contexts for future experiences

MASCULINITY IDEOLOGY AS A MODERATOR ON THE EFFECTS OF LETHAL MEANS COUNSELING AND DISTRIBUTION OF CABLE LOCKS ON FIREARM STORAGE PRACTICES AMONG NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL

Safer firearm storage practices, which may reduce suicide risk, can be promoted by lethal means counseling (LMC). A recent trial found that providing a single LMC session or distributing cable locks can lead to sustained changes in firearm storage practices within a sample of firearm-owning National Guard personnel (Anestis et al., 2021). An important next step is to consider if the intervention effects may differ based on participant characteristics. One particularly relevant sociodemographic characteristic to consider is traditional masculine norms, which are evident in the military and firearm cultures and associated with several negative outcomes. The current study evaluated if overall adherence to masculinity ideology (1) is associated with firearm storages pre-intervention, (2) differentiates the effectiveness of receiving either intervention (LMC, cable locks) versus the control conditions, and (3) predicts storage changes over time among those who received the active interventions. For exploratory purposes, we examined three factors of masculinity ideology (Status, Toughness, Anti-Femininity) as predictors in our models. Results from our primary analyses did not support our hypotheses for Aims 1 and 3, suggesting that overall masculinity ideology is not associated with baseline firearm storage practices nor changes in firearm storage practices among those receiving LMC or cable locks. For Aim 2, all three-way interactions were probed regardless of statistical significance. Results suggest that neither intervention may be effective in changing rates of locking device use among those with high adherence to masculinity ideology, particularly in relation to the norms of Toughness and/or Anti-Femininity. This finding is particularly troubling given that high masculinity ideology is linked to several negative outcomes (e.g., reduced psychological help-seeking) related to suicide risk; therefore, the interventions may not be reaching those who are at higher risk for firearm suicide. While additional research is needed, these findings provide preliminary support that the interventions may need to be modified (e.g., content, who delivers the interventions) to expand their reach to individuals who strongly adhere to masculinity ideology

Metabolic syndrome and hepatic resection: improving outcome

AbstractObjectiveA review of the peri-operative risk associated with hepatic resection in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and identification of measures for the improvement of cardiometabolic disturbances and liver-related mortality.BackgroundMetS and its hepatic manifestation non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are associated with an increased operative mortality in spite of a significant improvement in peri-operative outcome after hepatic resection.MethodsA review of the English literature on MetS, liver resection and steatosis was performed from 1980 to 2011 using the MEDLINE and PubMed databases.ResultsMetS is a predictor of NAFLD and patients with multiple metabolic risk factors may harbour non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) predictive of operative and cardiovascular mortality. Pre-operative diagnosis of unsuspected NASH with the selective use of a liver biopsy can modify the operative strategy by limiting the extent of hepatic resection, avoiding or altering the pre-operative chemotherapy regimen and the utilization of portal vein embolization. Thiazolidinediones are therapeutic for MetS and NASH and Vitamin E for active NASH; however, their utility in improving the peri-operative outcome after hepatic resection is unknown. A short-term regimen for weight loss improves post-operative patient and liver-related outcomes in patients with >30% steatosis. Cardiovascular disease associated with MetS or NAFLD should be managed aggressively. Peri-operative measures to minimize thrombotic events and acute renal injury secondary to the pro-inflammatory, prothrombotic state of MetS may further improve the outcome.ConclusionPotential candidates for hepatic resection should be screened for MetS as the pre-operative identification of NASH, short-term treatment of significant steatosis, cardiovascular risk assessment and optimization of each component of MetS may improve the peri-operative outcome in this high-risk subset of patients

Cross-Sector Collaboration in Education: Comparative Case Studies of Organizational Death and Persistence

My dissertation is concerned with the organizational survival of cross-sector collaboration in education, a strategy that has long been present in education reform but has received renewed interest in recent years due to broader social and policy trends. In particular, my study is concerned with the environmental, organizational and individual conditions that contribute to the inability of cross-sector collaborations to sustain the “backbone”—or intermediary organizations—responsible for facilitating the collaborative work. In addition to exploring the characteristics that contribute to their organizational death, my study leverages stakeholder interviews and document analysis to build an understanding of the most important considerations for the survival prospects of future cross-sector collaborations. The framing of the study incorporates institutional, organizational and sensemaking theories to guide three tiers—the macro, meso and micro levels—of organizational analysis. Using a qualitative, comparative case study design, I match three unsustainable or “dead” cross-sector collaborations with three surviving pairs that share a similar mission, vision and goals, but vary across a number of key conditions that interview data from the dead collaborations suggest are critical to survival. I conduct 53 new interviews with stakeholders from dead collaborations and draw on 69 interviews that either I or a collaborator conducted with stakeholders from the surviving collaborations as part of a previous study. My total sample includes 122 interviews with stakeholders across the six collaborations. I then build a case narrative for each of the collaborations, using interview data and key documents, followed by a cross-case analysis of how the collaboration pairs differed in the characteristics, conditions, events and strategies they employed during coalition building, implementation and sustainability planning phases. I conclude with an analysis of the patterns across the three dead collaborations that undermined their organizational sustainability and an examination of the promising practices learned from the surviving collaborations. The findings from my study have implications for policymakers, practitioners, philanthropic organizations and future researchers that are discussed in detail in the final chapter. I find four major patterns across the dead collaborations that contributed to their closure, including: institutional contradictions in funder-backbone relationships; perverse incentives for collaboration due to insufficient coalition building and continuous partner engagement; a backbone structure that is either too dependent on or too detached from the school district; and an inability to control alternate narratives about the work being produced by cross-sector partners, funders and community members. I generate theoretical propositions related to these findings for suggested use by future researchers. Additionally, I find six promising practices across the surviving collaborations that have bolstered their sustainability prospects to date: diversifying their funding portfolios to avoid reliance on short-term grants; leveraging an effective leader to communicate a clear value proposition to funders; investing in iterative, partner engagement and collaborative governance structures from coalition building through implementation; creating a common narrative about the collaboration’s identity, but tailoring communications with different stakeholders; buffering the backbone from environmental volatility by separating the roles of facilitation and programmatic service provision; and leveraging network membership to share experiences and avoid replicating mistakes

The assessment of serum amylase in patients with type-II diabetes mellitus

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that causes excessively high blood glucose levels. As there is an interrelationship between the functional and anatomical portions of the pancreas, it may affect the exocrine portion as well. Aim of the study was to assess the level of serum amylase and random blood glucose in patients with T2DM compare and correlate it with healthy controls. Methods: This Analytical cross sectional study was conducted in the Parul Sevashram, Hospital, Vadodara. We enrolled 100 type 2 diabetic subjects aged 40 to 60 years and 100 healthy patients to analyze their blood glucose and serum amylase levels. Results: We found statistically sig (P <0.01) lower serum amylase levels in T2DM patients compared to healthy controls. Cases had significantly higher RBS levels than controls. The mean±SD of RBS of group-1 was 142.29±62.296 mg/dl, group-2 was 105.36±23.336 mg/dl. The mean±SD of serum amylase of group-1 was 65.949±29.5554 u/l, group-2 was 87.82±42.4896 u/l. In our study we found weak negative correlation between Plasma blood glucose and serum amylase in cases, having statistical sig P value= 0.0001 and r value was -0.384. Conclusions: The results of our study shown that in T2DM cases, where the RBS level was higher; the serum amylase activity was significantly lower. This represented a malfunction in the pancreas endocrine-exocrine axis, as any pathological change that impacted any section of an organ would affect the surrounding area of that organ functionally.

Comparative study of range of motion and anterior knee pain in parapatellar versus trans patellar approach in tibia nailing

Background: Tibial shaft fractures are common traumatic fractures especially in road traffic accidents. Intramedullary interlocking nailing is considered treatment of choice tibial diaphyseal fractures, minimizing soft tissue injury and permitting early weight bearing and fracture healing. Anterior knee pain and reduced range of motion are some common complications that patients have to face in post-operative period.Methods: The 60 patients of both sex with traumatic diaphyseal tibial shaft fractures were included in this study out of which 30 were operated with interlocking tibia nailing with trans patellar (tendon splitting) approach while 30 were operated with medial parapatellar approach for tibia nail insertion. Range of motion at knee joint (in degrees) and anterior knee pain (on visual analogue scale) was evaluated on post-operative day 1, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3-month post operatively and compared for both groups.Results: Mean anterior knee pain was significantly lower in parapatellar approach group at 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months while there was no significant difference on post-operative day 1. Mean range of motion at knee joint was more in parapatellar approach group on post-operative day 1 and 2 weeks while there was no significant difference in range of motion after 2 weeks.Conclusions: In our study medial parapatellar approach is superior than tendon splitting approach with comparatively greater range of motion and lesser anterior knee pain. Thus, medial parapatellar approach should be encouraged for interlocking tibia nailing

Functional outcome of type 4 Pipkin classification of femoral head fracture operated by open reduction internal fixation by ganz safe surgical dislocation approach management: a case report

Fracture of the femoral head is a severe, relatively uncommon injury; typically, it may have associated with traumatic posterior dislocation of the hip joint with or without acetabulum fracture. The Pipkin classification is the most commonly used classification system. Controversies include the preferred surgical approach (anterior versus posterior) versus ganz safe surgical dislocation approach and whether to perform femoral head fragment excision or internal fixation. Presenting a case report of 28 years old young male with a motor vehicle road traffic accident and suffered a head of femur fracture on right hip joint with posterior wall of right acetabulum fracture with Judet-Letournel type posterior wall and type 4 Pipkin’s classification of femoral head fracture. This patient was undergone for emergency surgical intervention of open reduction, internal fixation through Ganz approach and insertion of Herbert screws for femoral head and interfragmentary screw for trochanteric osteotomy. The patient was followed up for 1 year and have a complete range of motion at hip joint with painless daily lifestyle. Type 4 Pipkin classification of femoral head fracture managed timely and with surgical intervention by ganz safe surgical dislocation approach provides visualization to femoral head and whole acetabulum with internal fixation of femur head by herbert screw which preserves normal anatomic contour of femoral head shows appropriate reduction of fracture fragments and it may also avoid hemiarthroplasty surgeries. Fracture of the femoral head has been associated with a relatively poor functional outcome and requires timely management and surgical intervention. Specially type 4 Pipkin classification of femoral head fracture treated by ganz safe surgical dislocation approach with internal fixation of femur head by herbert screw shows better outcome and avoid risk of AVN of femoral head. Complications associated with fracture of the femoral head and subsequent treatment include osteonecrosis, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, heterotopic ossification and implant failure

Substituent control in the oxy-Cope rearrangements of 1-vinyl-trans-cyclotridec-3-en-1-ol systems

The thermal and anionic rearrangements of substituted 1-vinyltrans- cyclotridec-3-en-l-ol compounds have been studied to determine what effects substituents would have on the sigmatropic shift when placed on the two positions of the 1-vinyl group. For the thermal rearrangements, the a-substituted vinyl-trans-cyclotridecenols gave both the [3,3] and [1,3] shift products of rearrangement. On the other hand the β-methyl and trimethylsilyl groups gave a high periselective control favoring the [1,3] shift siloxy-Cope ring expansion relative to the [3,3] shift. A rather unusual result was obtained for the β-isopropyl case. The products obtained from its rearrangement were trienes resulting from loss of the trimethylsiloxy group. The effect of substituents on the control of periselectivity in the case of anionic rearrangements was much less than for the thermal ones. The α-substituted vinyl-trans-cyclotridecenols gave products of rearrangement comparable to that of the unsubstituted case, studied earlier. However the study of the anionic rearrangements of the β-substituted alcohols were found to be of interest, since their products of rearrangement would throw considerable light on the nature of the mechanism as to whether it is concerted or non-concerted. Thus treatment of cis and trans β-methyl vinyl-cyclotridecenols with KH in HMPA, gave along with the [1,3] shift product, both the [3,3] shift diastereomers. The formation of both diastereomers from the rearrangement of either the cis or trans alcohols indicates that for a concerted mechanism, both the chair and the boat transition states would be involved. On the other hand the possibility of the mechanism being non-concerted could not be ruled out, since substantial evidence pointing towards a nonconcerted ring fragmentation-recombination mechanism was obtained from the rearrangement of the 0-isopropyl substituted alcohol. Finally, the synthetic utility of the [1,3] shift ring expansion product, obtained from the thermal rearrangements of alcohols 2c and 2d was demonstrated by its conversion to a natural product, muscone

Comparative study of functional outcome of distal one-third shaft tibia fractures treated with tip locking tibia nailing versus precontoured anatomical locking plate

Background: The distal 1/3rd shaft tibia extra-articular fractures are treated with both tip locking intra-medullary nailing (TLIMN) and precontoured anatomical locking plates (PCALP). The aim of this study was to compare the results of TLIMN and PCALP in distal tibia fractures and to determine dominant strategies. The complications and functional outcome in both groups were compared. Methods: Forty patients with distal 1/3rd shaft tibia were randomly assigned to TLIMN (group 1) and PCALP group (group 2). The functional outcomes were evaluated using American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. Complications like infection, delayed union, non-union, malunion, hardware prominence and secondary interventions were compared. Results: The average union time was 15.05±3.33 weeks in group 1 and 13.4±2.46 weeks in group 2 (p=0.045). The mean AOFAS score at 1 year follow up was 89.8±6.13 in group 1 and 89.1±6.15 in group 2 (p=0.262). Five patients in group 1 and one in group 2 had mal-alignment. Deep infection was present in one and superficial infection was present in two cases in group 2. Four patients in group 1 developed anterior knee pain and five patients in group 2 had hardware prominence. Conclusions: We conclude that tip locking intra-medullary nail is a reliable and satisfactory method for treatment of fractures of distal 1/3rd shaft tibia AO type 42A, 42B and 42C fractures with good functional outcomes and high union rates with comparatively low complications. Prevalence of malunion was higher in TLIMN group and hardware prominence was more prevalent in PCALP group. Implant removal are more in PCALP group mostly due to implant irritation