1,376 research outputs found
Circuits and circuit testing for spaceborne redundant digital systems Special technical report no. 3
Design and testing of majority logic redundancy for spaceborne and GSE digital system
Kindergarten screening tools filled out by parents and teachers targeting dyslexia. Predictions and developmental trajectories from age 5 to age 15 years
The concept of early âeffortsâ has led to discussions for and against introducing language assessment for all kindergarten children. Evidence-based kindergarten screening tools completed by close caregivers could solve this controversy as the children themselves would only be indirectly involved. The aim of this study was to see whether the scores of such early screening tools aiming at developmental dyslexia could predict school marks of literacy competence 10âyears later, and to see whether these screening tools would reveal different dyslexia trajectories. The study is part of the Bergen Longitudinal Dyslexia Study, and the results from individual testing are reported elsewhere. Here, the caregivers' views isolated from the rest of the study are focused. Three tools were used: the RI-5, a questionnaire assessing the risk of dyslexia; the TRAS, a non-standardized observation tool of children's communication skills; and the CCC-2, a questionnaire assessing Developmental Language Disorders. Screening was performed at age 5 (TP1), age 11, (TP2) and age 15 (TP3). At TP2, when dyslexia was identified, 13 children formed the dyslexia group, and the rest formed the control group. At TP3, the RI-5 and CCC-2 turned out to be predictive of literacy competence as measured by school marks. Developmental trajectories were seen through the regroupings and scorings into a persistent group, a late onset group and a resolving group. Evidence-based preschool screening tools filled out by close caregivers offer valid information on later literacy developmental trajectories.publishedVersio
Self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression in chronic stroke patients with and without aphasia
Background: About half of the stroke population suffers from emotional difficulties, such as anxiety and depression post-stroke. Acquiring aphasia is seen to increase the risk of developing symptoms of emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression.
Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate self-reported emotional difficulties in chronic stroke patients with and without aphasia 1 year post-stroke. Further, we aimed to investigate the relationship between aphasia severity and self-reported symptoms of post-stroke depression and anxiety. We expected to find that patients with aphasia reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression than patients without aphasia. Furthermore, we expected to find that aphasia severity was associated with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Methods & Procedures: The Norwegian Basic Aphasia Assessment (NBAA) was used to assess aphasia severity. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was administered to all patients to assess self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. To investigate group differences we used the patientsâ scores on the subscales communication, ability to carry out daily activities, and ability to participate in social/leisure activities from the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE).
Outcomes & Results: There were no significant differences between the groups regarding self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. We found a significant correlation between aphasia severity and symptoms of depression, indicating that patients with more aphasic difficulties reported more symptoms of depression. Specifically, the subscale repetition and reading comprehension from the NBAA correlated with the HADS total score. Furthermore, we found significant correlations between the patientsâ performance on reading comprehension, repetition, and reading out loud and the HADS depression subscale. There was a significant difference between the groups on the SIS communication scores and the patientsâ scores on the MMSE, whereas the aphasia group had more self-reported communication difficulties and a lower level of cognitive functioning 1 year post-stroke. However, on the SIS daily activities the non-aphasia group scored significantly lower. Finally, the groups did not differ on functional disability as measured by the mRS at admission to the hospital.
Conclusions: Although there were no significant differences between the aphasic and non-aphasic groups as to the degree of self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, patients with aphasia reported symptoms of anxiety and depression that seemed to be associated with specific language problems, as the ability to repeat, and to read and comprehend words and sentences.acceptedVersio
Associations between lesion size, lesion location and aphasia in acute stroke
Background: The localization and organization of language has been an ongoing research interest ever since the early findings of Paul Broca. The emergence of neuroimaging the past 20 years has given us new insights on the anatomical and structural organization of the brain. Lesion studies on patients with aphasia can provide knowledge on where and how specific language functions are organized in the brain.
Aims: The primary objective of the study was to investigate the relationships between aphasia severity, aphasic symptoms, lesion location and lesion volume in patients with left hemispheric stroke in the acute phase (within one week post-stroke). Using a voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping method (VLSM), we hypothesized that lesions associated with speech comprehension deficits mainly would involve regions within the posterior superior and middle temporal lobe, and lesions associated with speech production deficits would mainly be associated to the inferior frontal areas of the left hemisphere.
Methods & procedures: Findings from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI-MRI) and patientsâ scores from the Norwegian Basic Aphasia Assessment (NBAA) were used to investigate our research questions. We did a whole group analysis of descriptive statistics, lesion localization and lesion volume. We thereafter divided the patients into two groups based on their median scores on the NBAA, one high comprehension group and one low comprehension group. We used VLSM to investigate the associations between the patientsâ lesions and the results from the NBAA.
Outcomes & Results: Lesion volume was significantly associated with all subtest from the NBAA. Our initial analysis of the whole group showed that difficulties in naming was associated with lesions within the rolandic operculum. We also found that difficulties in repetition was associated with lesions within the rolandic operculum, and in addition, the superior temporal gyrus. In the group of patients with high comprehension scores lesions within Brocaâs area, insula, the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and Heschlâs gyrus were found to be associated with difficulties with overall aphasia severity, repetition, naming, and reading out loud from the NBAA.
Conclusions: Lesion volume is strongly associated with aphasia severity in the acute stages of stroke. Further, lesions within Brocaâs area, the insula, the STG and Heschlâs gyrus were found to be crucial areas in language comprehension and production. This confirms current views that speech and language processes depend on the integrity of the entire network comprising both cortical structures and their interconnected fibre tracts
Tiltaksplan for forurensede sedimenter i Borgundfjorden - Fase 2. AspevÄgen, Buholmstranda og Fiskerstrand
NIVA og Multiconsult har pĂ„ oppdrag for kommunene Ă
lesund og Sula utarbeidet tiltaksplan for forurensede sedimenter fase 2. Tiltaksplanen omfatter delomrÄdene AspevÄgen, Buholmstranda og Fiskerstrand. Det er utfÞrt supplerende sedimentundersÞkelser som inngÄr i risikovurderingene av bunnsedimentene i omrÄdet. OmrÄdene kan ikke friskmeldes etter SFTs risikovurdering av forurensede sedimenter trinn 1 og 2. Det er i samarbeid med kommunene og fylket utarbeidet miljÞmÄl for omrÄdet. Basert pÄ risikovurderingene og miljÞmÄlene er det foreslÄtt ulike tiltak i omrÄdene. FÞrste prioritet bÞr vÊre Ä stoppe eksisterende kilder til forurensning fra land til sjÞ, herunder Ä stoppe tilfÞrslene av TBT og Cu til omrÄdet utenfor Fiskerstrand og Hg og PAH til Aspholet / AspevÄgen. Deretter kan tiltak i sjÞ gjennomfÞres. Tildekking av forurensede sedimenter er Ä foretrekke fremfor fjerning. Arbeidet med kildekartlegging og forurensede sedimenter bÞr vektlegges og inngÄ i en helhetlig kommunal plan. Dette er sÊrlig aktuelt ved utbygginsprosjekter i strandsonen
Tiltaksplan for forurensede sedimenter i Aust-Agder. Fase 1 - MiljĂžtilstand,
Rapporten omhandler fÞrste fase av tiltaksplan for forurensede sedimenter i Aust-Agder. De tre utvalgte omrÄdene i Aust-Agder er Tvedestrand pÄ innsiden av Sagesund, Arendal havneomrÄde med TromÞysund og Vikkilen i Grimstad. I dette arbeidet er det gjort en gjennomgang av eksisterende data med kartpresentasjon av miljÞstatus for de ulike miljÞgiftene i hvert tiltaksomrÄde. Videre er det gitt en oversikt over aktuelle og mulige kilder til forurensning i nedbÞrfeltet og hÞyrisikoomrÄder er foreslÄtt. Data fra indre Tvedestrandsfjord har vist hÞye konsentrasjoner av bÄde PAH og TBT (tilstandsklasse IV-V) slik at flere grunne omrÄder er definert som mulige hÞyrisikoomrÄder. Det er imidlertid behov for Ä ta prÞver i grunne farvann for Ä kunne fastslÄ dette. I Arendal er spesielt havneomrÄdene og omrÄdet rundt Eydehavn forurenset av miljÞgifter, men ogsÄ smÄbÄthavner og andre omrÄder er sterkt forurenset. I likhet med Tvedestrand er det ogsÄ her lite data fra grunne omrÄder som er mest utsatt for spredning. Indre del av Vikkilen er foreslÄtt som hÞyrisikoomrÄde pÄ grunn av hÞye PAH-verdier og ekstremt hÞye TBT-verdier. Det er behov for Ä ta prÞver som verifiserer nivÄene og gir opplysning om omfang
Arachnoid cysts do not contain cerebrospinal fluid: A comparative chemical analysis of arachnoid cyst fluid and cerebrospinal fluid in adults
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Arachnoid cyst (AC) fluid has not previously been compared with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the same patient. ACs are commonly referred to as containing "CSF-like fluid". The objective of this study was to characterize AC fluid by clinical chemistry and to compare AC fluid to CSF drawn from the same patient. Such comparative analysis can shed further light on the mechanisms for filling and sustaining of ACs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cyst fluid from 15 adult patients with unilateral temporal AC (9 female, 6 male, age 22-77y) was compared with CSF from the same patients by clinical chemical analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>AC fluid and CSF had the same osmolarity. There were no significant differences in the concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium or glucose. We found significant elevated concentration of phosphate in AC fluid (0.39 versus 0.35 mmol/L in CSF; <it>p </it>= 0.02), and significantly reduced concentrations of total protein (0.30 versus 0.41 g/L; <it>p </it>= 0.004), of ferritin (7.8 versus 25.5 ug/L; <it>p </it>= 0.001) and of lactate dehydrogenase (17.9 versus 35.6 U/L; <it>p </it>= 0.002) in AC fluid relative to CSF.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>AC fluid is not identical to CSF. The differential composition of AC fluid relative to CSF supports secretion or active transport as the mechanism underlying cyst filling. Oncotic pressure gradients or slit-valves as mechanisms for generating fluid in temporal ACs are not supported by these results.</p
A Call to Arms: Revisiting Database Design
Good database design is crucial to obtain a sound, consistent database, and -
in turn - good database design methodologies are the best way to achieve the
right design. These methodologies are taught to most Computer Science
undergraduates, as part of any Introduction to Database class. They can be
considered part of the "canon", and indeed, the overall approach to database
design has been unchanged for years. Moreover, none of the major database
research assessments identify database design as a strategic research
direction.
Should we conclude that database design is a solved problem?
Our thesis is that database design remains a critical unsolved problem.
Hence, it should be the subject of more research. Our starting point is the
observation that traditional database design is not used in practice - and if
it were used it would result in designs that are not well adapted to current
environments. In short, database design has failed to keep up with the times.
In this paper, we put forth arguments to support our viewpoint, analyze the
root causes of this situation and suggest some avenues of research.Comment: Removed spurious column break. Nothing else was change
Escape tactics used by bluegills and fathead minnows to avoid predation by tiger muskellunge
To explain why esocids prefer cylindrical, soft-rayed prey over compressed, spiny-rayed prey, we quantified behavioral interaction between tiger muskellunge (F1 hybrid of male northern pike Esox lucius and female muskellunge E. masquinongy) and fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus). Tiger muskellunge required four times as many strikes and longer pursuits to capture bluegills than fathead minnows. Tiger muskellunge attacked each prey species differently; fathead minnows were grasped at midbody and bluegills were attacked in the caudal area. Each prey species exhibited different escape tactics. Fathead minnows remained in open water and consistently schooled; bluegills dispersed throughout the tank and sought cover by moving to corners and edges. Due to their antipredatory behavior (dispersing, cover seeking, and remaining motionless) and morphology (deep body and spines), bluegills were less susceptible to capture by tiger muskellunge than were fathead minnows.Funding for this project was provided by the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act under Dingell-Johnson Project F-57-R
Prosecutors\u27 Peremptory Challenges - A Response and Reply
Three federal trial attorneys disagree with Professor Richard Friedman\u27s proposal to eliminate the prosecution\u27s peremptories, while Friedman defends his view
- âŠ