Implementation of aNear-peer Mentoring program between a high school technology class and a university senior design engineering class

Near-peer mentoring has been shown to result in improvements in student academic engagement and achievement in STEM fields due to the synergy between mentors and mentees. This paper discusses the elements of a program established between Independence High school (IHS) students in San Jose, CA and San Jose State University (SJSU) Mechanical Engineering students to expand hands-on education and to encourage a STEM pathway for technical education of both the IHS and SJSU students. This paper outlines an informal program where technically inclined high school students who are drawn to automotive technology work with SJSU seniors working on their senior design projects to design, build and test a mechanical device, tool, or machine having a useful purpose. This is the fourth year of collaboration, which focuses on automotive and transportation technology. Although numbers are too small for formal assessment, experience has shown that numerous high school students have applied to schools of higher education, and several have specifically enrolled in SJSU. Additionally, the SJSU students have benefitted from the direct hands-on help building their projects and the opportunity to teach younger students

Review on automated follicle identification for polycystic ovarian syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), is a condition of the ovary consisting numerous follicles. Accurate size and number of follicles detected are crucial for treatment. Hence the diagnosis of this condition is by measuring and calculating the size and number of follicles existed in the ovary. To diagnosis, ultrasound imaging has become an effective tool as it is non invasive, inexpensive and portable. However, the presence of speckle noise in ultrasound imaging has caused an obstruction for manual diagnosis which are high time consumption and often produce errors. Thus, image segmentation for ultrasound imaging is critical to identify follicles for PCOS diagnosis and proper health treatment. This paper presents different methods proposed and applied in automated follicle identification for PCOS diagnosis by previous researchers. In this paper, the methods and performance evaluation are identified and compared. Finally, this paper also provided suggestions in developing methods for future research

Optimised combinatorial control strategy for active anti-roll bar system for ground vehicle

The objective of this paper is to optimise the proposed control strategy for an active anti-roll bar system using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) tuning method. By using an active anti-roll control strategy, the controller can adapt to current road conditions and manoeuvres unlike a passive anti-roll bar. The optimisation solution offers a rather noticeable improvement results compared to the manually-tuned method. From the application point of view, both tuning process can be used. However, using optimisation method gives a multiple choice of solutions and provides the optimal parameters compared to manual tuning method

Epidural blood patch for refractory low CSF pressure headache: a pilot study

Once believed an exceedingly rare disorder, recent evidence suggests that low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure headache has to be considered an important cause of new daily persistent headaches, particularly among young and middle-aged individuals. Treatment of low CSF pressure headache consists of non-invasive/conservative measures and invasive measures with epidural blood patch providing the cornerstone of the invasive measures. In the present pilot study we therefore aimed to evaluate the treatment efficacy of epidural blood patch (EBP) in treatment-refractory low-pressure headache. Our primary effect parameter was total headache burden defined as area under the curve (AUC: intensity × duration) and as secondary effect parameters we identified: intensity (VAS 0-10), frequency (days per month), duration in hours (total hours/month) and also medication days (days on medication/month). In our primary effect parameter we found a significant reduction in AUC with more than 25% and this is considered to be clinically relevant. We found also a significant and relevant reduction at −22% in intensity. A trend towards reduction in duration was seen. We found no statistically significant reduction in frequency. An increase in days with use of medication was found. Increased awareness of low CSF pressure headache is emphasized and a controlled larger randomized study is needed to confirm the results. However the present results, allows us to conclude that EBP in treatment-refractory low CSF pressure headache can be considered as a treatment option

Cohomology of skew-holomorphic Lie algebroids

We introduce the notion of skew-holomorphic Lie algebroid on a complex manifold, and explore some cohomologies theories that one can associate to it. Examples are given in terms of holomorphic Poisson structures of various sorts.Comment: 16 pages. v2: Final version to be published in Theor. Math. Phys. (incorporates only very minor changes

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage after radioisotope cisternography is not influenced by needle size at lumbar puncture in patients with intracranial hypotension

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Radioisotope (RI) cisternography is considered to be the most important examination for the final diagnosis of intracranial hypotension, typically indicating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage as RI parathecal activity. Early bladder filling (EBF) of RI is another important finding. However, whether EBF without parathecal activity represents real CSF leakage due to intracranial hypotension or only an epiphenomenon of lumbar puncture causing CSF leak through a needle hole has been questioned.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To address this issue, we performed quantitative analysis of RI cisternography on 171 patients with suspected intracranial hypotension using different needle sizes (22 G, 23 G and 25 G) and compared RI residual activity in the CSF at different time points after injection. We also analyzed occurrence of early bladder filling and post-lumbar puncture headache.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No significant difference in RI residual activity was identified between the 22 G, 23 G and 25 G groups. The incidence of parathecal activity and early bladder filling was not significantly different between groups. The 22 G and 23 G groups had a higher but non-significant incidence of post lumbar headache.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that needle size, at least for 22–25 G, does not affect the results of RI cisternographic diagnostic tests for CSF leakage and bladder filling in intracranial hypotension.</p

Poloxomer 188 Has a Deleterious Effect on Dystrophic Skeletal Muscle Function

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked, fatal muscle wasting disease for which there is currently no cure and limited palliative treatments. Poloxomer 188 (P188) is a tri-block copolymer that has been proposed as a potential treatment for cardiomyopathy in DMD patients. Despite the reported beneficial effects of P188 on dystrophic cardiac muscle function, the effects of P188 on dystrophic skeletal muscle function are relatively unknown. Mdx mice were injected intraperitoneally with 460 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg P188 dissolved in saline, or saline alone (control). The effect of single-dose and 2-week daily treatment was assessed using a muscle function test on the Tibialis Anterior (TA) muscle in situ in anaesthetised mice. The test comprises a warm up, measurement of the force-frequency relationship and a series of eccentric contractions with a 10% stretch that have previously been shown to cause a drop in maximum force in mdx mice. After 2 weeks of P188 treatment at either 30 or 460 mg/kg/day the drop in maximum force produced following eccentric contractions was significantly greater than that seen in saline treated control mice (P = 0.0001). Two week P188 treatment at either dose did not significantly change the force-frequency relationship or maximum isometric specific force produced by the TA muscle. In conclusion P188 treatment increases susceptibility to contraction-induced injury following eccentric contractions in dystrophic skeletal muscle and hence its suitability as a potential therapeutic for DMD should be reconsidered

The zebrafish candyfloss mutant implicates extracellular matrix adhesion failure in laminin α2-deficient congential muscular dystrophy

Mutations in the human laminin α2 (LAMA2) gene result in the most common form of congenital muscular dystrophy (MDC1A). There are currently three models for the molecular basis of cellular pathology in MDC1A: (i) lack of LAMA2 leads to sarcolemmal weakness and failure, followed by cellular necrosis, as is the case in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD); (ii) loss of LAMA2-mediated signaling during the development and maintenance of muscle tissue results in myoblast proliferation and fusion defects; (iii) loss of LAMA2 from the basement membrane of the Schwann cells surrounding the peripheral nerves results in a lack of motor stimulation, leading to effective denervation atrophy. Here we show that the degenerative muscle phenotype in the zebrafish dystrophic mutant, candyfloss (caf) results from mutations in the laminin α2 (lama2) gene. In vivo time-lapse analysis of mechanically loaded fibers and membrane permeability assays suggest that, unlike DMD, fiber detachment is not initially associated with sarcolemmal rupture. Early muscle formation and myoblast fusion are normal, indicating that any deficiency in early Lama2 signaling does not lead to muscle pathology. In addition, innervation by the primary motor neurons is unaffected, and fiber detachment stems from muscle contraction, demonstrating that muscle atrophy through lack of motor neuron activity does not contribute to pathology in this system. Using these and other analyses, we present a model of lama2 function where fiber detachment external to the sarcolemma is mechanically induced, and retracted fibers with uncompromised membranes undergo subsequent apoptosis