Use of the ACT Assessment with College-Bound Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

This paper summarizes the initial findings of studies conducted by researchers at ACT Inc. and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf concerning the performance of deaf and hard-of-hearing students on the ACT Assessment. The paper describes the ACT Assessment, and presents normative information about performance of a national sample of deaf and hard-of-hearing test takers in addition to results of performance of students entering NTID. Issues related to the effect of hearing loss, age of onset, and high school education are also discussed. Results for the studies reported in this paper indicate that the ACT Assessment is valid when used with postsecondary level deaf and hard-of-hearing students seeking admission to two-and four-year colleges in the United States

Oral Probiotics Ameliorate the Behavioral Deficits Induced by Chronic Mild Stress in Mice via the Gut Microbiota-Inflammation Axis

In recent years, a burgeoning body of research has revealed links between depression and the gut microbiota, leading to the therapeutic use of probiotics for stress-related disorders. In this study, we explored the potential antidepressant efficacy of a multi-strain probiotics treatment (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, Lactobacillus plantarum R1012, and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in a chronic mild stress (CMS) mouse model of depression and determined its probable mechanism of action. Our findings revealed that mice subjected to CMS exhibited anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in the sucrose preference test, elevated plus maze, and forced swim test, along with increased interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 levels in the hippocampus. Moreover, the microbiota distinctly changed from the non-stress group and was characterized by highly diverse bacterial communities associated with significant reductions in Lactobacillus species. Probiotics attenuated CMS-induced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, significantly increased Lactobacillus abundance, and reversed the CMS-induced immune changes in the hippocampus. Thus, the possible mechanism involved in the antidepressant-like activity of probiotics is correlated with Lactobacillus species via the gut microbiota-inflammation-brain axis

A revised mechanistic model for sodium insertion in hard carbons

Hard carbons have shown considerable promise as anodes for emerging sodium-ion battery technologies. Current understanding of sodium-storage behaviour in hard carbons attributes capacity to filling of graphitic interlayers and pores, and adsorption at defects, although there is still considerable debate regarding the voltages at which these mechanisms occur. Here, ex situ23Na solid-state NMR and total scattering studies on a systematically tuned series of hard carbons revealed the formation of increasingly metallic sodium clusters in direct correlation to the growing pore size, occurring only in samples which exhibited a low voltage plateau. Combining experimental results with DFT calculations, we propose a revised mechanistic model in which sodium ions store first simultaneously and continuously at defects, within interlayers and on pore surfaces. Once these higher energy binding sites are filled, pore filling occurs during the plateau region, where the densely confined sodium takes on a greater degree of metallicity

Use of the ACT Assessment with College-Bound Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

This paper summarizes the initial findings of studies conducted by researchers at ACT Inc. and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf concerning the performance of deaf and hard-of-hearing students on the ACT Assessment. The paper describes the ACT Assessment, and presents normative information about performance of a national sample of deaf and hard-of-hearing test takers in addition to results of performance of students entering NTID. Issues related to the effect of hearing loss, age of onset, and high school education are also discussed. Results for the studies reported in this paper indicate that the ACT Assessment is valid when used with postsecondary level deaf and hard-of-hearing students seeking admission to two-and four-year colleges in the United States

XAS study of Ni2P/MCM-41 passivated by O2/He and H2S/H2

Ni2P/MCM-41 with a stoichiometric Ni/P ratio prepared using a H2 plasma reduction method was passivated either by 10.0 vol.% H 2S/H2 (Ni2P-S) or 1.0 vol.% O2/He (Ni2P-O). The XAS characterization demonstrated that the NiP bond of Ni2P was more sensitive to O2 than the NiNi bond while H2S mainly reacted with NiNi site. Moreover, Ni species in Ni 2P-S was more electron-deficient. The different hydrodesulfurization performances of Ni2P-S and Ni2P-O were discussed by considering their different structure and electronic properties as well as the formation of a covalent nickel phosphosulfide phase. ? 2013 Elsevier B.V

Nasolacrimal recanalization as an alternative to external dacryocystorhinostomy for treating failed nasolacrimal duct intubation

Abstract To compare the surgical duration and clinical outcomes of nasolacrimal recanalization versus external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in the treatment of failed nasolacrimal duct intubation. This is a retrospective, comparative, and interventional study. We evaluated the outcomes of 66 consecutive patients undergoing either nasolacrimal recanalization (n = 32) or DCR (n = 34) in a tertiary lacrimal disease referral center. Length of surgical duration, clinical outcomes, and rate of recurrence at 18 months postoperatively were compared. The mean surgical duration was 18.5 minutes (range, 15–25 minutes) for nasolacrimal recanalization and 48.2 minutes (range, 45–61 minutes) for DCR, respectively (P < 0.001). The rate of success was 84.4% in the recanalization group and 85.3% in the DCR group, respectively (P = 0.91). The time to recurrence was 2.6 ± 1.1 months in the recanalization group and 5.6 ± 2.1 months in the DCR group (P < 0.001). Five failed cases in each group received a secondary DCR surgery with the same resolution rate (40%). The absence of ocular discharge at baseline was a significant predictor for a successful outcome in the recanalization group (P = 0.04) but not in the DCR group (P = 0.63). Nasolacrimal recanalization is an effective, safe, and time-saving alternative to DCR for the treatment of failed nasolacrimal duct intubation. Clinicians should be cautious in patients with discharge

Evaluation of Age-Related Changes in Noninvasive Tear Breakup Time

Key Clinic Medicine Research Program, the Ministry of Health, China [201302015]; National Science and Technology Research Program, the Ministry of Science and Technology, China [2012BAI08B01]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [81170817, 81200658]; Scientific Research Program, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai [13441900900, 13430720400, 134119a8800, 13430710500]Purpose To establish normal noninvasive tear film breakup time (NI-BUT) values in the Chinese population and investigate age-related changes in NI-BUT using a newly developed Keratograph. Methods Forty normal volunteers with a mean age of 32.8 16.7 years were recruited for this study. Clinical and demographic data, including age, gender, fluorescein tear film breakup time (FBUT), and Schirmer I test values were collected from the subjects. Noninvasive tear film breakup time was measured using a new method based on a corneal topographer equipped with a modified scan software. The correlations between the NI-BUT, age, and gender were determined. Results In total, a significant difference between the NI-BUT and the FBUT was found (4.9 +/- 2.4 seconds vs. 9.0 +/- 3.0 seconds; p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference in the NI-BUT was observed between the male and female subjects (5.5 +/- 2.0 seconds vs. 4.5 +/- 2.5 seconds; p = 0.137). In addition, no significant correlation was detected between the NI-BUT and age (0.143, p = 0.321). Conclusions The NI-BUT values found in this study are much lower than those of previous reports. Our results show no significant differences in tear film stability with age. The tear physiology of the Chinese population may not be the same as in Western populations

Anatomy and Pathology Schlemm's Canal Expands After Trabeculectomy in Patients With Primary Angle–Closure Glaucoma

International audiencePURPOSE. To evaluate the in vivo changes in the Schlemm's canal (SC) in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) after trabeculectomy using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).METHODS. Forty eyes of 40 patients with PACG who underwent trabeculectomy were included. All participants underwent SD-OCT. The diameter and area of SC were examined and measured before and within 1 month after trabeculectomy. All SD-OCT images were processed using adaptive compensation algorithm to improve contrast and image quality. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed for predictors of percentage change in the mean SC diameter and area.RESULTS. The mean age of participants was 60.5 +/- 14.6 years. Adaptive compensation significantly increased the percentage of sections in which SC was observable in the subjects studied from 52.5% (21/40) to 75.0% (30/40), which has acceptable intraobserver and interobserver repeatability. There was a significant increase in the SC diameter and area at the follow-up examination compared with the baseline value (SC diameter: 34.2 +/- 6.2 mu m vs. 28.4 +/- 6.1 mu m; SC area: 8117 +/- 1942 mu m(2) vs. 5200 +/- 996 mu m(2); all P < 0.001). After multivariate analysis, the only variable related to changes in SC was percentage change in IOP (SC diameter, P = 0.002; SC area, P < 0.001). In addition, the magnitude of the change in the SC area also correlated with angle opening distance at 750 mu m from the scleral spur at baseline.CONCLUSIONS. Expansion of SC was observed after trabeculectomy in PACG patients. The degree of SC expansion was related to the extent of the IOP decrease

Schlemm's Canal Expands After Trabeculectomy in Patients With Primary Angle–Closure Glaucoma

PURPOSE. To evaluate the in vivo changes in the Schlemm's canal (SC) in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) after trabeculectomy using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS. Forty eyes of 40 patients with PACG who underwent trabeculectomy were included. All participants underwent SD-OCT. The diameter and area of SC were examined and measured before and within 1 month after trabeculectomy. All SD-OCT images were processed using adaptive compensation algorithm to improve contrast and image quality. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed for predictors of percentage change in the mean SC diameter and area. RESULTS. The mean age of participants was 60.5 ± 14.6 years. Adaptive compensation significantly increased the percentage of sections in which SC was observable in the subjects studied from 52.5% (21/40) to 75.0% (30/40), which has acceptable intraobserver and interobserver repeatability. There was a significant increase in the SC diameter and area at the follow-up examination compared with the baseline value (SC diameter: 34.2 ± 6.2 μm vs. 28.4 ± 6.1 μm; SC area: 8117 ± 1942 μm(2) vs. 5200 ± 996 μm(2); all P < 0.001). After multivariate analysis, the only variable related to changes in SC was percentage change in IOP (SC diameter, P = 0.002; SC area, P < 0.001). In addition, the magnitude of the change in the SC area also correlated with angle opening distance at 750 μm from the scleral spur at baseline. CONCLUSIONS. Expansion of SC was observed after trabeculectomy in PACG patients. The degree of SC expansion was related to the extent of the IOP decrease