THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND RECEPTIVE ENGLISH SKILLS OF TUNISIAN IT STUDENTS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

This study aims at discovering the emotional intelligence and receptive English skills of Tunisian IT students, studying the relationship between the two variables, and determining the best predictors of receptive English skills among the emotional intelligence categories. It involved 31 students of the Higher Institute of Technology and Communications Science of Tunis. Data were collected by administering an English proficiency test (TOEIC) and distributing an emotional intelligence inventory (Bar-On EI Inventory) to the students. The results of statistical analyses revealed that (1) the emotional intelligence and receptive English skills of the students were of average levels; (2) there was a significant positive correlation between the students’ emotional intelligence and their receptive English skills; and (3) interpersonal and stress management categories of emotional intelligence were the variables that had the highest correlation with receptive English skills. It was also found that, in learning English language, the Tunisian IT students were driven and motivated by their goals and ambitions. In addition, their optimism, linguistic setting, and Tunisian culture strongly influence their receptive English skill

Coexistence of Bipolar and Unipolar Memristor Switching Behavior

The memristor has been theoretically investigated as one of the fundamental electrical elements by Pr. Leon Chua in 1971. Meanwhile, its electrical characteristics are not yet fully understood. The nonlinear characteristics and the ability to examine large-scale amounts of storing data of this device reveal an interesting development in emerging electronic systems. Research on memristor modeling based on SPICE tools has grown rapidly. This leads us to study the behavior of such devices. Our aim is to simulate different types of memristor behavior. The adjustment of the model is based on the implementation of several parameters, which enables the switching of this device. In this chapter, we prove the flexibility and the correlation of memristor model with different memristive characterization data, by applying different voltage bias, sinusoidal and with a repetitive sweeping. Moreover, we demonstrate the memristor behavior as four types of switching. This includes bipolar switching, unipolar switching, bipolar switching with forgetting effect, and a reversible process between bipolar and unipolar switching. In order to validate this study, we compare our simulation results with experimental data and we prove a good agreement. The SPICE model used in our simulations shows a special advantage for its flexibility and simplicity

New insights in the use of immunoglobulins for the management of immune deficiency (PID) patients

Immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IRT) is standard treatment for patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID). Because most of the patients with PID will require long life-time immunoglobulin replacement therapy, the quality of the prescribed products is of utmost importance. The IRT is generally administered either intravenously (abbreviated IVIG), or subcutaneously (abbreviated SCIG). Both routes have been demonstrated to be effective. The preferred route may vary at different times during a given patient’s life. Options are therefore not fixed and the choice of route for immunoglobulin therapy will depend on several factors, including patient characteristics, clinical indication, venous access, side effects, rural or remote location, treatment compliance and patient preference. Many years ago, immunoglobulin therapy was associated with side effects which may compromise patient’s compliance and quality of life of the patients. Most of the side effects were related to impurities. Recently, major advances in the manufacturing process have been made and new processes, such as the Quality by design (QbD) approach were added into the manufacturing steps to ensure patients tolerability and safety. Due to the improved purity of the immunoglobulin products obtained by these processes, the incidence of side effects is lower, while the ways of administration of Ig therapy and the choice of the regimen has widened to suit patient’s preference and needs

Assessment timing and choice of outcome measure in determining treatment response in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: a post-hoc analysis of the PRISM trial

Introduction/Aims: Treatment response and its timing are variable in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). In this study we assessed the variability using multiple outcome measures. Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of the PRISM trial, a 24-week prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label, phase III study of a 10% intravenous immunoglobulin preparation for CIDP. We ascertained timing of response with primary/secondary outcome measures. Results: At 6 weeks after treatment initiation, 13 of 40 subjects (32.5%) were defined as responders on the primary outcome measure, the adjusted Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause And Treatment (INCAT) scale. This increased to 20 of 41 (48.8%) at 12 weeks and to 32 of 42 (76.2%) at 24 weeks. Use of minimal important difference (MID)-determined amelioration of the inflammatory Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (I-RODS), or of the Medical Research Council sum score (MRCSS), or of dominant hand-grip strength, in addition to the adjusted INCAT, indicated a sensitivity of 41.7% in identifying adjusted INCAT nonresponders at week 12 who subsequently responded at week 24. Specificity was 60% vs INCAT nonresponders at week 24. Consideration of amelioration of any amplitude on any secondary outcome measure indicated a 75% sensitivity, but only 30% specificity vs adjusted INCAT nonresponders at week 24. Discussion: Immunoglobulin treatment continuation may be justified for up to 24 weeks in CIDP. Additional outcome measures may help in the early treatment stages to predict delayed response on the adjusted INCAT. However, their use is limited by high false-positive rates. More robust, reliable, and relevant outcome measures are needed to detect early improvement in immunoglobulin-treated CIDP

New insights in the use of immunoglobulins for the management of immune deficiency (PID) patients

Immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IRT) is standard treatment for patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID). Because most of the patients with PID will require long life-time immunoglobulin replacement therapy, the quality of the prescribed products is of utmost importance. The IRT is generally administered either intravenously (abbreviated IVIG), or subcutaneously (abbreviated SCIG). Both routes have been demonstrated to be effective. The preferred route may vary at different times during a given patient’s life. Options are therefore not fixed and the choice of route for immunoglobulin therapy will depend on several factors, including patient characteristics, clinical indication, venous access, side effects, rural or remote location, treatment compliance and patient preference. Many years ago, immunoglobulin therapy was associated with side effects which may compromise patient’s compliance and quality of life of the patients. Most of the side effects were related to impurities. Recently, major advances in the manufacturing process have been made and new processes, such as the Quality by design (QbD) approach were added into the manufacturing steps to ensure patients tolerability and safety. Due to the improved purity of the immunoglobulin products obtained by these processes, the incidence of side effects is lower, while the ways of administration of Ig therapy and the choice of the regimen has widened to suit patient’s preference and needs

IqYmune® is an effective maintenance treatment for multifocal motor neuropathy: A randomised, double-blind, multi-center cross-over non-inferiority study vs Kiovig®—The LIME Study

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is the gold-standard for maintenance treatment of multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). This phase III, randomised, double-blind, multi-centre, active-control, crossover study, aimed to evaluate the non-inferiority of IqYmune\uae relative to Kiovig\uae, primarily based on efficacy criteria. Twenty-two adult MMN patients, treated with any brand of IVIg (except Kiovig\uae or IqYmune\uae) at a stable maintenance dose within the range of 1 to 2 g/kg every 4 to 8 weeks, were randomised to receive either Kiovig\uae followed by IqYmune\uae, or IqYmune\uae followed by Kiovig\uae. Each product was administered for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the difference between IqYmune\uae and Kiovig\uae in mean assessments of modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) 10 sum score (strength of 5 upper-limb and 5 lower-limb muscle groups, on both sides, giving a score from 0 to 100) during the evaluation period (non-inferiority margin of \u394 = 2). A linear mixed model analysis demonstrated the non-inferiority of IqYmune\uae relative to Kiovig\uae, independently of the covariates (value at baseline, treatment period, and treatment sequence). The estimated \u201cIqYmune\uae 12 Kiovig\uae\u201d difference was 120.01, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) 120.51 to 0.48. The number of adverse reactions (ARs) and the percentage of patients affected were similar for the two products: 39 ARs in 10 patients with IqYmune\uae vs 32 ARs in 11 patients with Kiovig\uae. No thromboembolic events nor haemolysis nor renal impairment were observed. In this first clinical trial comparing two IVIg brands for maintenance treatment of MMN, efficacy and tolerability of both brands were similar

Integrating Lagrangian relaxation and constraint programming for multicommodity network routing

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Étude sédimentologique et paléobotanique du Jurassique moyen - Crétacé inférieur du bassin de Tataouine (Sud-Est de la Tunisie)

La série Jurassique-Crétacé du Sud-Est de la Tunisie, initialement attribuée au Purbecko-Wealdien, possède l'enregistrement paléobotanique le plus complet du Nord Gondwana. Les travaux effectués au cours des dernières années dans le Jurassique-Crétacé du bassin de Tataouine remettent en cause un certain nombre d'idées établies. Ils apportent, d'une part, de nombreuses précisions inédites quant aux subdivisions lithostratigraphiques, au faciès de dépôt et à l'organisation des séquences et, d'autre part, une nouvelle connaissance de la biodiversité végétale de cette région. La révision sédimentologique et séquentielle a permis de définir avec plus de précision les paysages sédimentaires (c'est-à-dire les milieux de dépôts des gisements fossilifères). Quelques renseignements sur la nature des climats locaux (aride à tropical à saisons contrastées) complètent les données apportées par la paléobotanique. L'inventaire de la biodiversité de l'ensemble des gisements, répartis dans une série couvrant l'intervalle de temps Bathonien-Albien, a permis de décrire pas moins de 30 taxons, dont 7 espèces nouvelles et un nouveau genre. Ils appartiennent à des Bryophytes, Ptéridophytes, Gymnospermes et des probables Angiospermes. Il s'agit d'une flore nord-gondwanienne, différente dans sa composition de celle connue jusqu'à présent.LYON1-BU.Sciences (692662101) / SudocSudocFranceF