Developing the written communication skills of engineering students has become a higher priority learning outcome since the advent of the ABET EC2000 criteria. Increased numbers of writing intensive ...courses, refinements to document requirements and proliferation of rubric development indicate the effort used to address the elevated priority. The sharing of rubrics and standards for the formatting and content of various report styles is intended to help students understand the writing assessment process. While sharing reduces the "we can't read your mind" comments associated with qualitatively assessed assignments, it does not always improve the outcome, since it does not provide a "learn by example" experience. Consequently, the first two or three reports submitted are typically of low quality, and many receive failing grades. In an effort to significantly improve student performance on early semester reports, a critique-based exercise has been inserted early in a junior level laboratory class. Students are randomly assigned previously graded student reports which have been stripped of identifying information to protect the original authors. The reports were previously evaluated using a rubric which included both qualitative assessment information and guidelines for assigning point deductions. The students were instructed to evaluate the sample reports guided by the rubrics and standards for formatting and content. The deliverable for the critique assignment included assessing a numerical "grade" for their report sample, along with justifications for the assessments. Initial results indicated an average increase in the quality of the initial report submissions when compared to initial reports from three previous years. The technique is being expanded into a multidisciplinary design methodology course, where different standards and rubrics apply, to see if the critique exercise can produce notable improvements in the quality of early course writing skills among a more discipline diverse set of students.
Fuzzy specific hardware systems, or the adaptation of standard embedded controllers, are the common approaches for real-time fuzzy logic implementation. High speed applications may require the more ...sophisticated hardware, but most embedded control applications do not have the high speed processing requirements that necessitate the cost prohibitive enhanced hardware. A review of embedded control fuzzy logic applications indicates a preference for 16-bit architectures; devoting significant processing resources for fuzzification, rule application, and defuzzification. While faithful to the foundations of fuzzy logic control, processor demand can limit a controller's ability to handle peripheral I/O interfaces. This paper describes a generic, hybrid approach suitable for unenhanced 8-bit microcontrollers and adaptable to most single input, single output systems. A motor speed application with real-time I/O interface provides proof of concept performance data and highlights limitations.
Acid-Base Disturbances in Acute Asthma Mountain, Richard D.; Heffner, John E.; Brackett, Newton C. ...
Chest,
09/1990, Letnik:
98, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The clinical features, arterial blood gases, and acid-base profile were examined in 229 consecutive episodes of acute asthma in 170 patients who required hospitalization. A simple respiratory ...alkalosis was the most common acid-base disturbance, occurring in 48 percent of the episodes. Metabolic acidosis, either alone or as part of a mixed disturbance, was noted in 28 percent. Of 60 episodes presenting with respiratory acidosis, 37 (62 percent) had a coexistent metabolic acidosis. Metabolic acidosis was more likely to occur in male subjects and in patients with evidence of more severe airflow obstruction. Patients with metabolic acidosis had an average anion gap of 15.8 mEq/L; these patients were more hypoxemic than those without metabolic acidosis and there was a significant inverse correlation between the anion gap and the degree of hypoxemia. We conclude that metabolic acidosis is a common finding in acute, severe asthma and suggest that the pathogenesis of lactic acidosis is multifactorial and includes contributions from lactate production by respiratory muscles, tissue hypoxia, and intracellular alkalosis.
Bipolar scissor tonsillectomy Saleh, H. A.; Cain, A. J.; Mountain, R. E.
Clinical otolaryngology and allied sciences,
February 1999, Letnik:
24, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
We describe a new technique for tonsillectomy using dual‐function scissors that cut and bipolar coagulate at the same time. The technique shortens operating time and decreases intra‐operative blood ...loss. Forty patients had their tonsillectomy performed using this technique. The mean operating time was 5.5 min ( sd 2.1) and mean blood loss was 1.3 ml (
sd 3.6). All patients were able to eat and drink on the same postoperative day and all were discharged the following morning. None of the patients had primary haemorrhages and two patients (5%) had minor secondary haemorrhages. We found bipolar scissor tonsillectomy to be a safe technique that shortens surgery and minimises blood loss without causing increased postoperative morbidity.
RNA was isolated from 22 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) obtained from diverse sites within the head and neck and from matched normal tissue where available. Tissue samples were then screened for ...expression of RNA from tumor suppressor gene p16 by utilizing semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis. p16‐Specific PCR amplification products generated from tumor samples were subject to further analysis by direct DNA sequencing to determine if any tumor sample harbored a p16 mutation. The results show the presence of mutations in 10 of 22 (45%) of the tumor samples. Mutations comprise two identical point mutations, two small deletions (1 bp and 2 bp), one single‐nucleotide insertion, four larger deletions, and an insertion/deletion. No mutations in p16 have been identified by analysis of PCR products generated from normal matched tissue, suggesting that p16 alterations are generated by somatic mutation and are not germline in origin. All 22 samples were analyzed additionally by immunohistochemistry for nuclear expression of the retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor gene product. Results show lack of RB nuclear expression in only one sample, suggesting that mutation of RB is an infrequent event in the development of SCC of the head and neck (SCCHN).
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