An analysis of the relationship between race and gender and national student placement in programs for the educable mentally retarded, learning-disabled, and seriously emotionally disturbed from 1976 through 1984

Both prior to and since the passage of 94-142 in 1975, researchers and policy analysts have raised consistent concerns about the overrepresentation of black males in EMR and ED programs, especially in view of an often noted disproportion of white males in LD programs.;All of the empirical research on overrepresentation since 1975 has been characterized by one or more of the following limitations: (a) Small sample populations were drawn from one school district or state, (b) Larger samples, when studied, were analyzed at one specific point in time rather than over a period of time, (c) The power of the statistic used to analyze the data was so limited that few, if any, valid conclusions could be reached.;The present study was undertaken with the specific objective of compensating for these earlier limitations. The primary research question examined was To what degree are race and gender related to the actual versus expected prevalence of students placed in programs for the educable mentally retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed nationally from 1976 through 1984? A dataset was drawn from a secondary database compiled by the U.S. office for Civil Rights from a biennial national survey of elementary and secondary schools. The data were analyzed by means of a log-linear statistic selected because of its ability to generate both a probability ratio and a reliable measure of association.;Results of the study indicated that black students continue to be significantly overrepresented in EMR programs, both nationally and regionally, as are blacks and males in ED programs. Males are significantly more likely to be placed in LD programs than are females, as they are to a lesser degree in EMR programs. White students are not disproportionately classified as learning disabled, however, and a trend towards black student disproportion in LD programs appears to be emerging.;The author concluded that, despite specific procedural safeguards enacted in 1975, factors other than educational and behavioral data (such as race and gender) continue to influence significantly the classification process in special education. The need for meaningful and valid classification was seen as critical as long as a categorical model of special education continues to pervade the field

Effects of Nutrient Availability and Other Elevational Changes on Bromeliad Populations and Their Invertebrate Communities in a Humid Tropical Forest in Puerto Rico

Nutrient inputs into tank bromeliads were studied in relation to growth and productivity, and the abundance, diversity and biomass of their animal inhabitants, in three forest types along an elevational gradient. Concentrations of phosphorus, potassium and calcium in canopy-derived debris, and nitrogen and phosphorus in phytotelm water, declined with increasing elevation. Dwarf forest bromeliads contained the smallest amounts of debris/plant and lowest concentrations of nutrients in plant tissue. Their leaf turnover rate and productivity were highest and, because of high plant density, they comprised 12.8and contained 3.3 t ha -1 of water. Annual nutrient budgets indicated that these microcosms were nutrient-abundant and accumulated \u3c 5dwarf forest, where accumulation was c. 25biomass/plant peaked in the intermediate elevation forest, and were positively correlated with the debris content/bromeliad across all forest types. Animal species richness showed a significant mid-elevational peak, whereas abundance was independent of species richness and debris quantities, and declined with elevation as forest net primary productivity declined. The unimodal pattern of species richness was not correlated with nutrient concentrations, and relationships among faunal abundance, species richness, nutrient inputs and environment are too complex to warrant simple generalizations about nutrient resources and diversity, even in apparently simple microhabitats

Machiavelli and Livy

After a brief examination of interest in Livy up to the Trecento, the first chapter considers the use of Livy in the Quattrocento and by contemporaries of Machiavelli: firstly, the attention probably given to the Decades in education, and then their use in works dealing wholly or partly with Roman institutions and in works of ethical, historiographical and political reference. The second chapter discusses the use of Livy in works written by Machiavelli before the Discorsi sulla prima deca di Tito Livio and then considers questions arising out of the Discorsi themselves: the extent of the importance of the meetings in the Orti Oricellari in the development of Machiavelli's use of Livy; the structure of the Discorsi; Machiavelli's choice of Livy; the use of Livy in various topics of the Discorsi and the development of Machiavelli's thought on the state; errors in his reading of Livy; the texts of the Decades probably used by him. The final chapter deals first of all with the position of Livy among the sources of the Arte della guerra, and after examining the attitude of Machiavelli towards antiquity in the Vita di Castruccio Castracani and other works of 1520 goes on to consider the extent of the influence of Livy on Machiavelli 's technique in the Istorie fiorentine and references to antiquity in the introductory chapters to each book. It is suggested in conclusion that Machiavelli's admiration for ancient Rome has now been put in perspective, but still leads to a feeling of strong contrast between the ancient and the contemporary world.<p

Analyzing the impact of 23 mg/day donepezil on language dysfunction in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease

Introduction\ud Progressive language impairment is among the primary components of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Because expressive and receptive language help to maintain emotional connections to caregivers and support the management of AD patients' functional needs, language plays a critical role in patients' emotional and physical health. Using data from a large prospective clinical trial comparing two doses of donepezil in patients with moderate to severe AD, we performed a post hoc analysis to determine whether a higher dose of donepezil was associated with greater benefits in language function.\ud \ud Methods\ud In the original randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 1,467 patients with moderate to severe AD (baseline Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score 0 to 20) were randomized 2:1 to receive donepezil 23 mg/day or to continue on donepezil 10 mg/day for 24 weeks. In this post hoc analysis, the Severe Impairment Battery-Language scale (SIB-L) and a new 21-item SIB-derived language scale (SIB[lang]) were used to explore differences in language function between the treatment groups. Correlations between SIB-L and SIB[lang] scores and scores on the severe version of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living inventory (ADCS-ADL-sev), the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Severity-plus caregiver input/Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change-plus caregiver input (CIBIS-plus/CIBIC-plus) and the MMSE were also investigated.\ud \ud Results\ud At week 24, treatment with donepezil 23 mg/day was associated with an improvement in language in the full intention-to-treat population, whereas language function declined in the group treated with donepezil 10 mg/day (SIB-L treatment difference 0.8, P = 0.0013; SIB[lang] treatment difference 0.8, P = 0.0009). Similar results were observed in a cohort of patients with more severe baseline disease (MMSE score 0 to 16). At baseline and week 24, correlations between the SIB-derived language scales and the ADCS-ADL-sev and CIBIC-plus were moderate, but the correlations were stronger between the language scales and the MMSE scores.\ud \ud Conclusions\ud Patients with moderate to severe AD receiving donepezil 23 mg/day showed greater language benefits than those receiving donepezil 10 mg/day as measured by SIB-derived language assessments. Increasing the dose of donepezil to 23 mg/day may provide language benefits in patients with moderate to severe AD, for whom preservation of language abilities is especially critical.\ud \ud ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT0047820

Innovative Approaches to Selection of Adult Cochlear Implant Candidates

Non

Analyzing the impact of 23 mg/day donepezil on language dysfunction in moderate to severe Alzheimer\u27s disease

INTRODUCTION: Progressive language impairment is among the primary components of cognitive decline in Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). Because expressive and receptive language help to maintain emotional connections to caregivers and support the management of AD patients\u27 functional needs, language plays a critical role in patients\u27 emotional and physical health. Using data from a large prospective clinical trial comparing two doses of donepezil in patients with moderate to severe AD, we performed a post hoc analysis to determine whether a higher dose of donepezil was associated with greater benefits in language function. METHODS: In the original randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 1,467 patients with moderate to severe AD (baseline Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score 0 to 20) were randomized 2:1 to receive donepezil 23 mg/day or to continue on donepezil 10 mg/day for 24 weeks. In this post hoc analysis, the Severe Impairment Battery-Language scale (SIB-L) and a new 21-item SIB-derived language scale (SIB[lang]) were used to explore differences in language function between the treatment groups. Correlations between SIB-L and SIB[lang] scores and scores on the severe version of the Alzheimer\u27s Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living inventory (ADCS-ADL-sev), the Clinician\u27s Interview-Based Impression of Severity-plus caregiver input/Clinician\u27s Interview-Based Impression of Change-plus caregiver input (CIBIS-plus/CIBIC-plus) and the MMSE were also investigated. RESULTS: At week 24, treatment with donepezil 23 mg/day was associated with an improvement in language in the full intention-to-treat population, whereas language function declined in the group treated with donepezil 10 mg/day (SIB-L treatment difference 0.8, P = 0.0013; SIB[lang] treatment difference 0.8, P = 0.0009). Similar results were observed in a cohort of patients with more severe baseline disease (MMSE score 0 to 16). At baseline and week 24, correlations between the SIB-derived language scales and the ADCS-ADL-sev and CIBIC-plus were moderate, but the correlations were stronger between the language scales and the MMSE scores. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with moderate to severe AD receiving donepezil 23 mg/day showed greater language benefits than those receiving donepezil 10 mg/day as measured by SIB-derived language assessments. Increasing the dose of donepezil to 23 mg/day may provide language benefits in patients with moderate to severe AD, for whom preservation of language abilities is especially critical. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00478205

Development functional characterization of alginate dressing as potential protein delivery system for wound healing

This study aimed to develop and characterize stable films as potential protein delivery dressings to wounds. Films were prepared from aqueous gels of sodium alginate (SA) and glycerol (GLY) (SA:GLY 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 2:1, 4:3) , . Purified recombinant glutathione-s-transferase (GST), green fluorescent protein (GFP) and GST fused in frame to GFP (GST-GFP) (model proteins) were characterized (SDS PAGE, Western blotting, immune-detection, and high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry) and loaded (3.3, 6.6 and 30.2 mg/g of film) into SA:GLY 1:2 film. These were characterized using texture analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy, swelling, adhesion, dissolution and circular dichroism (CD). The protein loaded dressings were uniform, with a good balance between flexibility and toughness. The films showed ideal moisture content required for protein conformation (TGA), interactions between proteins and film components (DSC), indicating stability which was confirmed by CD. Swelling and adhesion showed that formulations containing 6.6mg/g of protein possessed ideal characteristics and used for in vitro dissolution studies. Protein release was rapid initially and sustained over 72 hours and data fitted to various kinetic equations showed release followed zero-order and Fickian diffusion. The results demonstrate the potential of SA dressings for delivering therapeutic proteins to wound

Fusing Self-Reported and Sensor Data from Mixed-Reality Training

Military and industrial use of smaller, more accurate sensors are allowing increasing amounts of data to be acquired at diminishing costs during training. Traditional human subject testing often collects qualitative data from participants through self-reported questionnaires. This qualitative information is valuable but often incomplete to assess training outcomes. Quantitative information such as motion tracking data, communication frequency, and heart rate can offer the missing pieces in training outcome assessment. The successful fusion and analysis of qualitative and quantitative information sources is necessary for collaborative, mixed-reality, and augmented-reality training to reach its full potential. The challenge is determining a reliable framework combining these multiple types of data. Methods were developed to analyze data acquired during a formal user study assessing the use of augmented reality as a delivery mechanism for digital work instructions. A between-subjects experiment was conducted to analyze the use of a desktop computer, mobile tablet, or mobile tablet with augmented reality as a delivery method of these instructions. Study participants were asked to complete a multi-step technical assembly. Participants’ head position and orientation were tracked using an infrared tracking system. User interaction in the form of interface button presses was recorded and time stamped on each step of the assembly. A trained observer took notes on task performance during the study through a set of camera views that recorded the work area. Finally, participants each completed pre and post-surveys involving self-reported evaluation. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data revealed trends in the data such as the most difficult tasks across each device, which would have been impossible to determine from self-reporting alone. This paper describes the methods developed to fuse the qualitative data with quantified measurements recorded during the study