Cloud computing with its three key facets (i.e., Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service) and its inherent advantages (e.g., elasticity and scalability) still ...faces several challenges. The distance between the cloud and the end devices might be an issue for latency-sensitive applications such as disaster management and content delivery applications. Service level agreements (SLAs) may also impose processing at locations where the cloud provider does not have data centers. Fog computing is a novel paradigm to address such issues. It enables provisioning resources and services outside the cloud, at the edge of the network, closer to end devices, or eventually, at locations stipulated by SLAs. Fog computing is not a substitute for cloud computing but a powerful complement. It enables processing at the edge while still offering the possibility to interact with the cloud. This paper presents a comprehensive survey on fog computing. It critically reviews the state of the art in the light of a concise set of evaluation criteria. We cover both the architectures and the algorithms that make fog systems. Challenges and research directions are also introduced. In addition, the lessons learned are reviewed and the prospects are discussed in terms of the key role fog is likely to play in emerging technologies such as tactile Internet.
Este estudio investiga la relación entre la pragmática de una segunda lengua y la competencia lingüística en la conciencia pragmática sobre las respuestas a cumplidos (RCs). Los participantes fueron ...estudiantes españoles de inglés como lengua extranjera. Su conocimiento pragmático perceptivo se evaluó mediante una tarea audiovisual donde se debía indicar el nivel de adecuación de 15 RCs (de 1, inapropiado a 6, muy apropiado). Los alumnos se dividieron en grupos de alto y bajo nivel de competencia de acuerdo con el tamaño de su vocabulario. Luego, sus respuestas fueron comparadas con la evaluación de hablantes nativos. Los resultados indican una correlación inversa moderada entre el nivel de lengua y la valoración de los nativos. Los resultados sugieren que la competencia lingüística por sí sola no es un factor determinante para adquirir conocimiento pragmático, ya que existen otros factores que pueden influir en el desarrollo pragmático. Palabras clave: conciencia pragmática de la L2; competencia lingüistica; respuestas a cumplidos; inglés como lengua extranjera; material audiovisual This study investigates the interface between second language pragmatics and proficiency by focusing on pragmatic awareness of compliment responses (CRs). The participants were Spanish learners of English as a foreign language. Their perceptive pragmatic knowledge was tested via a pragmatic awareness video elicitation task where they had to rate the appropriateness of 15 CRs from 1 (inappropriate) to 6 (very appropriate). Learners were divided into high and low proficiency groups according to their vocabulary sizes to check in what ways their responses to the task differed. Their ratings were then compared to a native speaker benchmark to obtain a sameness score and results indicate a moderate inverse correlation between proficiency level and near-nativeness. Findings suggest that the first language plays an important role in pragmatic awareness and that proficiency alone is not a determining factor to acquire pragmatic knowledge, as there are other factors that may influence pragmatic development. Keywords: L2 pragmatic awareness; proficiency; compliment responses; EFL; audio- visual input
Abstract Objectives Mastery in -fundamental motor skills (FMS) is associated with increased physical activity (PA) in school-aged children; however, there is limited research on pre-schoolers (3–5 ...years). We aimed to evaluate interventions for improving FMS as well as PA. Design/Methods A search of electronic databases was conducted for controlled trials using PA interventions with FMS as outcomes in healthy pre-schoolers. Standardised mean difference (SMD), 95% confidence intervals and publication bias were calculated for each outcome using Revman 5.3. Results Twenty trials met inclusion criteria. In total, 4255 pre-schoolers were analysed with 854 completing a FMS intervention. Studies were categorised into three groups (i) Teacher-Led (TL)(n = 13); (ii) Child-Centred (CC)(n = 6) and (iii) Parent-Led (PL)(n = 1). Mean age was 4.3 ± 0.4 years, with equal gender distribution. Interventions ran for 21 ± 17 weeks, 3 ± 1 times per week for 35 ± 17 minutes. TL interventions significantly improved overall FMS (SMD = 0.140.06, 0.21; p = 0.0003), object control (SMD = 0.470.15, 0.80; p = 0.004), and locomotor skills (SMD = 0.440.16, 0.73; p = 0.002), whereas CC interventions were not significant. There was a small, non-significant reduction in sedentary time (SMD = −0.35−0.80, 0.10; p = 0.12), and a large non-significant increase in PA (SMD = 0.79−0.83, 2.41; p = 0.34). Conclusion PA interventions improve FMS in pre-schoolers; however, due to limited research, more study is needed on CC interventions. Targeting FMS development in pre-schoolers may promote higher PA levels and reduce sedentary time, however more study is needed.
Summary Background A lack of agreement on definitions and terminology used for nutrition-related concepts and procedures limits the development of clinical nutrition practice and research. Objective ...This initiative aimed to reach a consensus for terminology for core nutritional concepts and procedures. Methods The European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) appointed a consensus group of clinical scientists to perform a modified Delphi process that encompassed e-mail communication, face-to-face meetings, in-group ballots and an electronic ESPEN membership Delphi round. Results Five key areas related to clinical nutrition were identified: concepts; procedures; organisation; delivery; and products. One core concept of clinical nutrition is malnutrition/undernutrition, which includes disease-related malnutrition (DRM) with (eq. cachexia) and without inflammation, and malnutrition/undernutrition without disease, e.g. hunger-related malnutrition. Over-nutrition (overweight and obesity) is another core concept. Sarcopenia and frailty were agreed to be separate conditions often associated with malnutrition. Examples of nutritional procedures identified include screening for subjects at nutritional risk followed by a complete nutritional assessment. Hospital and care facility catering are the basic organizational forms for providing nutrition. Oral nutritional supplementation is the preferred way of nutrition therapy but if inadequate then other forms of medical nutrition therapy, i.e. enteral tube feeding and parenteral (intravenous) nutrition, becomes the major way of nutrient delivery. Conclusion An agreement of basic nutritional terminology to be used in clinical practice, research, and the ESPEN guideline developments has been established. This terminology consensus may help to support future global consensus efforts and updates of classification systems such as the International Classification of Disease (ICD). The continuous growth of knowledge in all areas addressed in this statement will provide the foundation for future revisions.
Abstract Background and Objectives Validation of health administrative data for identifying patients with different health states (diseases and conditions) is a research priority, but no guidelines ...exist for ensuring quality. We created reporting guidelines for studies validating administrative data identification algorithms and used them to assess the quality of reporting of validation studies in the literature. Methods Using Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy (STARD) criteria as a guide, we created a 40-item checklist of items with which identification accuracy studies should be reported. A systematic review identified studies that validated identification algorithms using administrative data. We used the checklist to assess the quality of reporting. Results In 271 included articles, goals and data sources were well reported but few reported four or more statistical estimates of accuracy (36.9%). In 65.9% of studies reporting positive predictive value (PPV)/negative predictive value (NPV), the prevalence of disease in the validation cohort was higher than in the administrative data, potentially falsely elevating predictive values. Subgroup accuracy (53.1%) and 95% confidence intervals for accuracy measures (35.8%) were also underreported. Conclusions The quality of studies validating health states in the administrative data varies, with significant deficits in reporting of markers of diagnostic accuracy, including the appropriate estimation of PPV and NPV. These omissions could lead to misclassification bias and incorrect estimation of incidence and health services utilization rates. Use of a reporting checklist, such as the one created for this study by modifying the STARD criteria, could improve the quality of reporting of validation studies, allowing for accurate application of algorithms, and interpretation of research using health administrative data.
The lack of an accepted standard for measuring cognitive change in schizophrenia has been a major obstacle to regulatory approval of cognition-enhancing treatments. A primary mandate of the National ...Institute of Mental Health's Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative was to develop a consensus cognitive battery for clinical trials of cognition-enhancing treatments for schizophrenia through a broadly based scientific evaluation of measures.
The MATRICS Neurocognition Committee evaluated more than 90 tests in seven cognitive domains to identify the 36 most promising measures. A separate expert panel evaluated the degree to which each test met specific selection criteria. Twenty tests were selected as a beta battery. The beta battery was administered to 176 individuals with schizophrenia and readministered to 167 of them 4 weeks later so that the 20 tests could be compared directly.
The expert panel ratings are presented for the initially selected 36 tests. For the beta battery tests, data on test-retest reliability, practice effects, relationships to functional status, practicality, and tolerability are presented. Based on these data, 10 tests were selected to represent seven cognitive domains in the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery.
The structured consensus method was a feasible and fair mechanism for choosing candidate tests, and direct comparison of beta battery tests in a common sample allowed selection of a final consensus battery. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery is expected to be the standard tool for assessing cognitive change in clinical trials of cognition-enhancing drugs for schizophrenia. It may also aid evaluation of cognitive remediation strategies.
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