Examining the online reading behavior and performance of fifth-graders: evidence from eye-movement data

Online reading is developing at an increasingly rapid rate, but the debate concerning whether learning is more effective when using hypertexts than when using traditional linear texts is still persistent. In addition, several researchers stated that online reading comprehension always starts with a question, but little empirical evidence has been gathered to investigate this claim. This study used eye-tracking technology and retrospective think aloud technique to examine online reading behaviors of fifth-graders (N = 50). The participants were asked to read four texts on the website. The present study employed a three-way mixed design: 2 (reading ability: high vs. low) 2 (reading goals: with vs. without) 2 (text types: hypertext vs. linear text). The dependent variables were eye-movement indices and the frequencies of using online reading strategy. The results show that fifth-graders, irrespective of their reading ability, found it difficult to navigate the nonlinear structure of hypertexts when searching for and integrating information. When they read with goals, they adjusted their reading speed and the focus of their attention. Their offline reading ability also influenced their online reading performance. These results suggest that online reading skills and strategies have to be taught in order to enhance the online reading abilities of elementary-school students

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in BCG-vaccinated healthcare workers by using an interferon-gamma release assay and the tuberculin skin test in an intermediate tuberculosis burden country

BackgroundThe risk of healthcare workers (HCWs) acquiring tuberculosis (TB) infection is high. We determined the prevalence of latent TB infection (LTBI) in HCWs with a high Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine coverage in an intermediate TB burden country by using an interferon-gamma release assay [QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G)] and by using the tuberculin skin test (TST). Risk factors associated with a positive test were determined.MethodsThis prospective cross-sectional study enrolled HCWs from a medical center in Taiwan. Participants were grouped into workers without exposure (Group 1) and workers who self-reported a history of TB exposure (Group 2). All participants completed a questionnaire to collect demographic information and risk factors for acquiring TB. The QFT-G test and the TST were administered and risk factors for a positive test were analyzed.ResultsWe recruited 193 HCWs [149 (77.2%) female workers] with a mean age of 35.6 years. All were BCG-vaccinated. The prevalence of LTBI was 88.8% (based on the TST) and 14.5% (based on the QFT-G test). There was no difference between HCWs with and without known exposure to TB. Agreement between the tests was poor (i.e., the kappa value was less than 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression showed that only the QFT-G test was associated with age (35 years or greater) (adjusted OR, 2.53; p = 0.03).ConclusionBy using the QFT-G test or TST, this study found a similar prevalence of LTBI in HCWs with and without known exposure to TB. This suggests that in intermediate TB burden countries exposure to TB may occur within the hospital and within the community. Compared to the TST, the QFT-G test was correlated better with age, which is a known risk factor for latent TB infection

Generating Function for Tensor Network Diagrammatic Summation

The understanding of complex quantum many-body systems has been vastly boosted by tensor network (TN) methods. Among others, excitation spectrum and long-range interacting systems can be studied using TNs, where one however confronts the intricate summation over an extensive number of tensor diagrams. Here, we introduce a set of generating functions, which encode the diagrammatic summations as leading order series expansion coefficients. Combined with automatic differentiation, the generating function allows us to solve the problem of TN diagrammatic summation. We illustrate this scheme by computing variational excited states and dynamical structure factor of a quantum spin chain, and further investigating entanglement properties of excited states. Extensions to infinite size systems and higher dimension are outlined.Comment: v1: 6 pages, 2 figures. v2: published versio

The role of trauma team activation by emergency physicians on outcomes in severe trauma patients

AbstractBackgroundIn our region, trauma team activation (TTA) is initiated by emergency physicians once an injured patient meets any of the criteria of TTA after the injured patient arrives at the emergency department (ED).PurposeTo evaluate the role of TTA on outcomes in patients with severe trauma.MethodsAll trauma patients who had injury severity score (ISS) >15 and were admitted from ED between January 2010 to December 2010 were included in the study. Mann–Whitney U test (non-normal distribution) or Student's t test (normal distribution) for continuous variables and Fisher exact test or Chi-square test for categorical variables were used to compare the statistically significant differences between TTA and non-TTA groups. Logistic regression was applied to determine any significant differences found in the statistical analysis for 30-day mortality.ResultsA total of 231 patients were signed up in the study. The TTA group had shorter time from ED to operation room (170 minutes vs. 534 minutes, p = 0.02) and tended to have more emergent operations (42.7% vs. 23.2%, p = 0.002). Emergent operation [odds ratio (OR), 0.34; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12–0.92, p = 0.035) was associated with lower mortality while ISS > 25 (OR, 7.48; 95% CI, 2.48–22.57, p < 0.0001), Glasgow coma scale score <13 (OR, 32.1; 95% CI, 4.30–94.6, p < 0.0001), hypotension (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.1–7.9, p = 0.03), and coagulopathy (OR, 9.3; 95% CI, 1.2–71.4, p = 0.033) were associated with higher mortality.ConclusionThis study shows that TTA may shorten the time from ED to operation room in trauma patients with an ISS > 15

Devastating chest wall necrotizing fasciitis following pigtail catheter drainage

SummaryPigtail catheter for drainage of pleural effusion has gained popularity. Complication related to the insertion of these small-bore catheter is low. In this report, we highlight two cases with devastating necrotizing fasciitis of chest wall following pigtail catheter insertion

Transcriptome profiling of the fifth-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis by next-generation sequencing

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an important zoonotic nematode. It is the causative agent of eosinophilic meningitis and eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. However, information of this parasite at the genomic level is very limited. In the present study, the transcriptomic profiles of the fifth-stage larvae (L5) of A. cantonensis were investigated by next-generation sequencing (NGS). In the NGS database established from the larvae isolated from the brain of Sprague–Dawley rats, 31,487 unique genes with a mean length of 617 nucleotides were assembled. These genes were found to have a 46.08 % significant similarity to Caenorhabditis elegans by BLASTx. They were then compared with the expressed sequence tags of 18 other nematodes, and significant matches of 36.09–59.12 % were found. Among these genes, 3,338 were found to participate in 124 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. These pathways included 1,514 metabolisms, 846 genetic information processing, 358 environmental information processing, 264 cellular processes, and 91 organismal systems. Analysis of 30,816 sequences with the gene ontology database indicated that their annotations included 5,656 biological processes (3,364 cellular processes, 3,061 developmental processes, and 3,191 multicellular organismal processes), 7,218 molecular functions (4,597 binding and 3,084 catalytic activities), and 4,719 cellular components (4,459 cell parts and 4,466 cells). Moreover, stress-related genes (112 heat stress and 33 oxidation stress) and genes for proteases (159) were not uncommon. This study is the first NGS-based study to set up a transcriptomic database of A. cantonensis L5. The results provide new insights into the survival, development, and host–parasite interactions of this blood-feeding nematode. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00436-013-3495-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users