Hypomelanosis of Ito

We report two patients with hypomelanosis of Ito, one whose afflictions were limited to the pigmentary skin abnormalities and another with systemic involvement of the neurological and gastrointestinal system. These case reports give support to the importance of establishing hypomelanosis of Ito as occurring with or without systemic involvement.     

Construct validity of an attention rating scale for traumatic brain injury.

Attention deficits are nearly ubiquitous after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the subacute phase of moderate to severe TBI, these deficits may be difficult to measure with the precision needed to predict outcomes, assess degree of recovery, and monitor treatment response. This article reports the findings of four studies, three observational and one a randomized, controlled treatment trial of methylphenidate (MP), designed to provide construct validation of the Moss Attention Rating Scale (MARS), an observational measure of attention dysfunction following TBI. One hundred seven participants with moderate to severe TBI were enrolled during treatment on an inpatient rehabilitation unit. MARS scores were provided independently by four rehabilitation disciplines (Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies and Nursing). Results indicated that the MARS: (1) is more strongly related to concurrent measures of cognitive versus physical disability, supporting its validity as a measure of cognition, (2) is more strongly related to concurrent psychometric measures of attention versus measures thought to rely less on attention, supporting its validity as a measure of attention; and (3) predicts 1-year outcomes of TBI better than psychometric measures of attention. However, the MARS (4) was not differentially affected by MP versus placebo treatment. Results support the construct validity and utility of the MARS, with further research needed to clarify its role in treatment outcome assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

互动广告会从网络走向更多数字媒体形式

大部分营销商认为互动广告主要以网络广告的形式存在。事实上，互动媒体无处不在，包括网站、移动站点、桌面工具营销和其他一些能够和消费者形成互动的数字媒体形式。这些媒体还包括数字报纸，有时候还被称为电子杂志。这些杂志的线上复制品使得广告商每天都要和精明的消费者打交道（或者至少是电脑和PDA屏幕）。事实上电子杂志的服务是为世界上许多大型报刊发行机构而诞生的。     

The influence of learner-generated domain representations on learning combinatorics and probability theory

The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of providing support in the form of tools for constructing representations, and in particular the differential effects of the representational format of these tools (conceptual, arithmetical, or textual) in terms of perceived affordances and learning outcomes. The domain involved was combinatorics and probability theory. A between-subjects pre-test–post-test design was applied with secondary education students randomly distributed over four conditions. Participants completed the same tasks in a simulation-based learning environment. Participants in three experimental conditions were provided with a representational tool that could be used to construct a domain representation. The experimental manipulation concerned the format of the tool (conceptual, arithmetical, or textual). Participants in a control condition did not have access to a representational tool. Data from 127 students were analyzed. It was found that the construction of a domain representation significantly improved learning outcomes. The format in which students constructed a representation did not directly affect learning outcomes or the quality of the created domain representations. The arithmetical format, however, was the least stimulating for students to engage in externalizing their knowledge.     

Sheepdog,parallel collaborative programming-by-demonstration

We introduce parallel collaborative programming-by-demonstration (PBD) as a principled approach to capturing knowledge on how to perform computer-based procedures by independently recording multiple experts executing these tasks and combining the recordings via a learning algorithm. Traditional PBD has focused on end-user programming for a single user, and does not support parallel collaborative procedure model construction from examples provided by multiple experts. In this paper we discuss how to extend the main aspects of PBD (instrumentation, abstraction, learning, and execution), and we describe the implementation of these extensions in a system called Sheepdog.     

Transport disadvantage within aboriginal communities in an urban environment

Abstract

Recent research into the transport needs of three Aboriginal communities in Sydney, Australia, has shown that in certain circumstances several of their members experienced disadvantage that differed from non‐Aboriginal transport users. This difference is driven by transport needs that relate to cultural activity. It is suggested that mobility for Aboriginal people who live in an urban environment is linked to their cultural survival.     

Contestation and conservatism in neighbourhood planning in England: reconciling agonism and collaboration?

Neighbourhood planning was formally enabled as a statutory part of the English planning system under the Localism Act 2011. This element of formal planning has generated significant interest as it actively requires local communities to lead on producing a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) and is widely recognised as formalising co-produced planning. The paper reflects on research undertaken with a sample of neighbourhoods active in producing a neighbourhood plan, and develops a critical discussion about the experience of those participants. The findings highlight that existing power relations, national priorities, the framing of neighbourhood planning regulations, local political tensions and local resource constraints affect the emerging practices of neighbourhood planners in England. Many groups have adopted conservative positions or are finding their NDPs are being limited by consultants, local authorities or examiners, often concerned with how the NDPs will fare in the contested environment of planning and development in neo-liberal times. While some have contended that neighbourhood planning can form part of a progressive localism and there is some hope for such participatory spaces, our view is that innovation is being constrained if not entirely suppressed. We conclude that reform to neighbourhood planning is needed if it is to realise the ambitions of inclusive, empowered and responsible planning at the very local scale.     

Listeria monocytogenes in food businesses: From persistence strategies to intervention/prevention strategies—A review

In 2023, Listeria monocytogenes persistence remains a problem in the food business. A profound understanding of how this pathogen persists may lead to better aimed intervention/prevention strategies. The lack of a uniform definition of persistence makes the comparison between studies complex. Harborage sites offer protection against adverse environmental conditions and form the ideal habitat for the formation of biofilms, one of the major persistence strategies. A retarded growth rate, disinfectant resistance/tolerance, desiccation resistance/tolerance, and protozoan protection complete the list of persistence strategies for Listeria monocytogenes and can occur on themselves or in combination with biofilms. Based on the discussed persistence strategies, intervention strategies are proposed. By enhancing the focus on four precaution principles (cleaning and disinfection, infrastructure/hygienic design, technical maintenance, and work methodology) as mentioned in Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004, the risk of persistence can be decreased. All of the intervention strategies result in obtaining and maintaining a good general hygiene status throughout the establishment at all levels ranging from separate equipment to the entire building.     

Asymmetric Disulfanylbenzamides as Irreversible and Selective Inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus Sortase A

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most frequent causes of nosocomial and community-acquired infections, with drug-resistant strains being responsible for tens of thousands of deaths per year. S. aureus sortase A inhibitors are designed to interfere with virulence determinants. We have identified disulfanylbenzamides as a new class of potent inhibitors against sortase A that act by covalent modification of the active-site cysteine. A broad series of derivatives were synthesized to derive structure-activity relationships (SAR). In vitro and in silico methods allowed the experimentally observed binding affinities and selectivities to be rationalized. The most active compounds were found to have single-digit micromolar K_i values and caused up to a 66 % reduction of S. aureus fibrinogen attachment at an effective inhibitor concentration of 10 μM. This new molecule class exhibited minimal cytotoxicity, low bacterial growth inhibition and impaired sortase-mediated adherence of S. aureus cells.     

Fuzzifying Allen's Temporal Interval Relations

When the time span of an event is imprecise, it can be represented by a fuzzy set, called a fuzzy time interval. In this paper, we propose a framework to represent, compute, and reason about temporal relationships between such events. Since our model is based on fuzzy orderings of time points, it is not only suitable to express precise relationships between imprecise events (ldquoRoosevelt died before the beginning of the Cold Warrdquo) but also imprecise relationships (ldquoRoosevelt died just before the beginning of the Cold Warrdquo). We show that, unlike previous models, our model is a generalization that preserves many of the properties of the 13 relations Allen introduced for crisp time intervals. Furthermore, we show how our model can be used for efficient fuzzy temporal reasoning by means of a transitivity table. Finally, we illustrate its use in the context of question answering systems.