Lessons Learned from Piloting a Computer Literacy Test for Placement and Remedial Decisions

Computer literacy, like mathematical literacy or reading literacy, has become part of a student\u27s basic education. Many students are routinely exposed to computers in grades K through 12. If sufficient numbers of incoming freshmen have already mastered basic computer skills and concepts then the question facing our university is whether computer literacy should continue to be taught at the college level or if this course should be treated as a remedial college preparatory course? To answer this question, a computer literacy test was devised to ascertain the computer literacy level of incoming freshmen. The results of the test will help determine which students should be placed out of our computer literacy course. In addition by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the students that remain in the course, instructional adjustments can be made to address the current computer literacy needs of the student body

Multidetector computed tomography findings of an asymptomatic levoatrial cardinal vein with an interatrial course

A 57-year-old female patient with a family history of coronary artery diseaseadmitted to our hospital for the coronary check-up. A coronary angiographywas performed with ECG-gated 128 slice dual source computed tomography.Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) showed, in addition to the normalcoronary arteries, a persistent levoatrial cardinal vein (LCV) draining into vena cavasuperior. ECG-gated cardiac MDCT is a useful tool showing the origin, course, anddrainage site of LCV

Decision Models for Foreclosed Housing Acquisition and Redevelopment: A University of Massachusetts Multi-Campus Collaborative Project - Processes and Findings to Date

The recent housing foreclosure crisis has had devastating impacts on individuals, communities, organizations and government. In response, several community development corporations (CDCs) have sought new ways to assist neighborhoods suffering from the myriad effects of high foreclosures, including neighborhood instability, increased vandalism and crime, lower property values, and economic disinvestment. This research project focuses on activities of community-based organizations that acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties to support neighborhood stabilization and revitalization. However, the costs of pursuing this strategy far exceed the resources available to typical CDCs. Thus, our project seeks to solve the following decision problem: What subset of a large number of available foreclosed properties should be acquired for neighborhood stabilization and revitalization? What activities should be pursued with which properties, when should they be pursued, and to what degree? The decision models we intend to develop will yield acquisition policies that are more efficient, effective, and equitable for CDCs and their community residents. Our goal is to develop theory, models and methods that benefit from the knowledge of practitioners while providing practitioners with novel tools and perspectives that enable them to better achieve their organizations’ missions. This document lays out our knowledge to date on the scope and magnitude of the foreclosure crisis, the policy responses and actions by local CDCs to mitigate the effects of foreclosures, and the next steps in our research project, which include applying our expertise to the experiences of community partner organizations to develop models and inform theory and practice

Reentrant Phase Transitions of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths Model for a Simple Cubic Lattice on the Cellular Automaton

The spin-1 Ising (BEG) model with the nearest-neighbour bilinear and biquadratic interactions and single-ion anisotropy is simulated on a cellular automaton which improved from the Creutz cellular automaton(CCA) for a simple cubic lattice. The simulations have been made for several sets of parameters $K/J$ and $D/J$ in the $-3<D/J\leq 0$ and $-1\leq K/J\leq 0$ parameter regions. The re-entrant and double re-entrant phase transitions of the BEG model are determined from the temperature variations of the thermodynamic quantities ($M$, $Q$ and $\chi$). The phase diagrams characterizing phase transitions are compared with those obtained from other methods.Comment: 12 pages 7 figure

Paediatric radiation therapy across Europe: A European questionnaire survey supported by the SIOPe, ESTRO, PROS and several national paediatric hematology-oncology societies (NAPHOS)

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The diagnosis and management of neuropathic pain in daily practice in Belgium: an observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This open, multicentre, observational survey investigated how physicians diagnose neuropathic pain (NeP) by applying the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) scale, and how neuropathic pain conditions are managed in daily practice in Belgium.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Physicians were asked to complete the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) scale for diagnosing NeP, and to fill out a questionnaire regarding the management of NeP, together with a questionnaire evaluating the impact of pain on sleep and daily life. Data on 2,480 pain patients were obtained. A LANSS score ≥ 12 (meaning NeP is most probably present) was reported for 1,163 patients. Pathologies typically associated with NeP scored above 12 on the LANSS scale, contrary to pathologies generally considered as being of non-neuropathic origin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over 90% of the patients with a LANSS score ≥ 12 reported that the pain impaired sleep. A high impact on social, family and professional life was also recorded. Additional examinations were performed in 89% of these patients. Most patients were taking multiple drugs, mainly paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, indicating that physicians generally tend to follow treatment guidelines of chronic nociceptive pain, rather than the specific ones for NeP. Specific neuropathic guidelines rather recommend the use of anti-epileptic drugs, tricyclic antidepressants or weak opioids as first-line treatment.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In our survey, application of the LANSS scale lead to pronounced treatment simplification with fewer drug combinations. Awareness about NeP as well as its specific treatment recommendations should be raised among healthcare providers. We concluded that the LANSS screening scale is an interesting tool to assist physicians in detecting NeP patients in routine clinical care.</p