A computationally efficacious free-energy functional for studies of inhomogeneous liquid water

We present an accurate equation of state for water based on a simple microscopic Hamiltonian, with only four parameters that are well-constrained by bulk experimental data. With one additional parameter for the range of interaction, this model yields a computationally efficient free-energy functional for inhomogeneous water which captures short-ranged correlations, cavitation energies and, with suitable long-range corrections, the non-linear dielectric response of water, making it an excellent candidate for studies of mesoscale water and for use in ab initio solvation methods.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Optimal Cloning and Singlet Monogamy

The inability to produce two perfect copies of an unknown state is inherently linked with the inability to produce maximal entanglement between multiple spins. Despite this, there is no quantitative link between how much entanglement can be generated between spins (known as monogamy), and how well an unknown state can be cloned. This situation is remedied by giving a set of sufficient conditions such that the optimal Completely Positive map can be implemented as a teleportation operation into a standard, reference, state. The case of arbitrary 1 to N asymmetric cloning of d-dimensional spins can then be solved exactly, yielding the concept of `singlet monogamy'. The utility of this relation is demonstrated by calculating properties of Heisenberg systems, and contrasting them with the results from standard monogamy arguments.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. v2: conjecture upgraded to proof and generalized to arbitrary local hilbert space dimensions. v3: published versio

Association between symptom profile of schizophrenia and the perceived wellbeing in their caregivers

Background: The chronic nature of Schizophrenia has a devastating impact not only on the patients but also in their caregivers. The burden experienced by the caregivers can seriously affect the psychological wellbeing and caregivers take up multiple coping strategies to tackle the burden. This study was undertaken to find the association between symptom profile of Schizophrenia patients and the perceived wellbeing of their caregivers.Methods: 30 patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers (parents or spouses), who were actively involved in care of the patient for at least 6 months prior to assessment, were included in the study. Patients were evaluated by socio demographic data sheet and Positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) while their caregivers were evaluated using Caregiver socio demographic data sheet, Burden Assessment Schedule (BAS), Coping Checklist (CCL) and Psychological Well Being Questionnaire (PWBQ). Statistical analysis was done using Chi square test and Fischer exact test for categorical variables, Pearson correlation to find correlation between data and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) to find significance of study parameters between groups. p < 0.05 was considered significant.Results: Burden experienced by caregivers was more with a severe symptom profile. Moderate correlation is found between patient’s positive symptom profile, negative symptom profile and burden. There was a weak correlation between patient`s symptom profile and care givers coping strategies. The total PANSS scores did not influence the pattern of coping. There was no statistically significant difference in coping strategies in positive and negative symptom of schizophrenia. There was a moderate negative correlation between patient`s symptom profile (positive and total PANSS score) and psychological wellbeing in caregivers. However, there was a weak correlation between patient negative symptom profile and psychological wellbeing in caregivers.Conclusions: Burden and wellbeing of the care givers of schizophrenic patients are closely inter related. These parameters are in turn related to patient’s symptoms profile namely, the overall psychopathology and more with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Though all care givers used different coping strategies, there did not appear to be any interrelation between strategies and the perceived burden, well-being and patient’s psychopathology

Resolving ABO discrepancies by serological workup-an analysis of few cases

Background: ABO discrepancies occur whenever the results of red cell grouping and serum grouping are in disagreement. The reasons for discrepancies both clinical and technical have to be sorted out. Further analysis is essential to resolve such discrepancies. If discrepancies are encountered, the interpretation of the ABO grouping has to be delayed until the same has been resolved. The aim of the study was to resolve ABO discrepancies encountered, by serological work up.Methods: All cases of discrepant samples received between August 2014 and May 2016 at the Department of Transfusion Medicine, The Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, India were analyzed to determine the etiology by serological workup.Results: A total of twenty-one samples were analyzed and resolved. Fifteen cases of Type IV discrepancy, two cases of Type II discrepancy, one case Type III discrepancy, one case Type I discrepancy and two cases of technical errors were identified.Conclusions: ABO discrepancies can be resolved serologically if properly worked up. As ABO blood grouping is indispensible in blood transfusion service, it is imperative to resolve such discrepancies before transfusion

A study on coping skills of caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder

Background: Caregivers of people with bipolar disorder experience a different quality of burden than seen with other illnesses. A better understanding of their concerns is necessary to improve the training of professionals working with this population. The aim of this study was to study the level of family burden, coping skills and psychological wellbeing among caregivers of bipolar affective disorder.Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted over a six months period from January 2014 to June 2014. Patients diagnosed as bipolar disorder as ICD-10 and their caregivers were included in the study. Purposive sampling technique was employed. Socio-demographic data were collected in preformed questionnaire. Disease burden was calculated using burden assessment schedule, psychological general well being index and brief COPE scale.Results: Around 63.4% of the caregivers were males, 38.5% were illiterate, 44.2% were unskilled labourers, 57.6% were spouses, mean BAS score was 86.03, mean coping score was 55.77 and BAS was inversely related to PGWBI. Male caregivers used self-distraction and substance use as coping strategies while females used religion and denial.Conclusions: The perceived burden was higher among caregivers of bipolar disorder. Coping strategies varied based on caregiver demographic characteristics. Higher the perceived burden, lower was the psychological wellbeing. Psycho-educational family intervention for caregivers has to be implemented along with pharmacological therapy in patients with bipolar affective disorder

Clinical correlates of first episode schizophrenia-a comparative study

Background: Schizophrenia is a major mental disorder which has to be assessed early and managed actively even though long term functional outcome remains relatively poor. The aim of the study is to analyze negative symptoms, suicidal risk and substance use in first episode schizophrenics in comparison with multi-episode schizophrenics.Methods: 30 patients with drug naive first episode schizophrenia and 30 patients with multi episode schizophrenia, who attended the outpatient department of Psychiatry, Government Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India were studied to compare predisposing factors and spectrum of symptoms for Schizophrenia for a period of one year (January 2010-December 2010). Psychiatric questionnaire by Michael C. Hilton, DAST by Harvey A. Skinner, AUDIT by WHO, Suicide risk scale by National Health and Medical Research Council, PANSS by SR Kay were used to assess patients.Results: Unemployment and family history of suicide attempts were observed more in drug naive first episode schizophrenics. 90% of these patients had completed their primary education while 47% of multi-episode schizophrenics were illiterates. Positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinatory behaviour and suspiciousness) and negative symptoms (blunted affect, emotional withdrawal and social withdrawal) were observed more in first episode schizophrenics while PANSS, DAST, AUDIT scores did not find any differences between both the groups.Conclusions: In our study, the first episode schizophrenia patients were more educated, more unemployed and had more family history of suicide, elevated sub score of positive symptoms as measured by PANSS. Relative assessment of violence and serious behavior problems that are related to positive symptoms must be done and managed with anti psychotics

Statistical Analysis Methods in Engineering Education Research: A state-of-the-art Review

In the past, many studies were applied various statistical analysis methods to evaluate students' learning achievement and satisfaction for improving the effectiveness of online teaching. However, most of these decided to rely on relatively fixed fundamental quantitative methodologies to determine essential results. Few studies have adequately classified statistical methods in engineering education to critically consider correlational trends or causal mechanisms in the field and make research results more explanatory and inclusive. Therefore, our main challenge is appropriately selecting quantitative or qualitative statistical methods used in online engineering education to make the research results more convincing. To fill this 'gap,' this article re-examines previous papers to summarize a statistical method in the online engineering discipline from diverse perspectives and construct a new mechanism of evaluating statistical methods for effective research in this field. Our goal is to provide an unexplored review of statistical methods of the online teaching and learning process considering the engineering educational perspective

A comparative study between first generation and second generation antipsychotics over the development of metabolic syndrome in persons with first episode drug naive schizophrenia

Background: Antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia is prone for drug side effects. Both typical and atypical antipsychotics are prone for metabolic derangements. The aim of this study was to compare the emergence of metabolic syndrome with haloperidol and risperidone in drug naïve first episode schizophrenics.Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted at the Institute of Mental health, Chennai, India from April 1, 2011 to November 15, 2011. 24 patients received haloperidol and 29 patients received risperidone and followed up for 6 months, after obtaining informed consent. PANSS score, AHA criteria for metabolic syndrome, plasma glucose, waist-hip ratio, body mass index and lipid profile were recorded at every two months interval.Results: PANSS score showed a decrease in both groups, systolic blood pressure showed an increase with Haloperidol and an initial decrease with risperidone while diastolic blood pressure increased with haloperidol. Weight gain, increase in waist circumference and hip circumference, rise in triglyceride levels and fall in HDL cholesterol were equally observed in both groups. Increase in plasma glucose was seen more with risperidone (93.1%). 18.86%  (n = 10) developed metabolic syndrome at the end of 6months with no difference in emergence between both groups.Conclusions: Risperidone may be considered equivalent to haloperidol in efficacy and with minimal changes in metabolic profile. Blood pressure lowering effect of risperidone is more marked in earlier months warranting patient education. Stringent guidelines are needed during antipsychotic treatment to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality

Beyond Reuse Distance Analysis: Dynamic Analysis for Characterization of Data Locality Potential

Emerging computer architectures will feature drastically decreased flops/byte (ratio of peak processing rate to memory bandwidth) as highlighted by recent studies on Exascale architectural trends. Further, flops are getting cheaper while the energy cost of data movement is increasingly dominant. The understanding and characterization of data locality properties of computations is critical in order to guide efforts to enhance data locality. Reuse distance analysis of memory address traces is a valuable tool to perform data locality characterization of programs. A single reuse distance analysis can be used to estimate the number of cache misses in a fully associative LRU cache of any size, thereby providing estimates on the minimum bandwidth requirements at different levels of the memory hierarchy to avoid being bandwidth bound. However, such an analysis only holds for the particular execution order that produced the trace. It cannot estimate potential improvement in data locality through dependence preserving transformations that change the execution schedule of the operations in the computation. In this article, we develop a novel dynamic analysis approach to characterize the inherent locality properties of a computation and thereby assess the potential for data locality enhancement via dependence preserving transformations. The execution trace of a code is analyzed to extract a computational directed acyclic graph (CDAG) of the data dependences. The CDAG is then partitioned into convex subsets, and the convex partitioning is used to reorder the operations in the execution trace to enhance data locality. The approach enables us to go beyond reuse distance analysis of a single specific order of execution of the operations of a computation in characterization of its data locality properties. It can serve a valuable role in identifying promising code regions for manual transformation, as well as assessing the effectiveness of compiler transformations for data locality enhancement. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach using a number of benchmarks, including case studies where the potential shown by the analysis is exploited to achieve lower data movement costs and better performance.Comment: Transaction on Architecture and Code Optimization (2014