Ultimate Software (United States)

Head acceleration events (HAEs) can potentially have adverse consequences for athlete brain health. In sports, in which head injuries have the highest incidence, identifying strategies to reduce HAE frequency and magnitude is a priority. Neck training is a potential strategy to mitigate against the magnitude of HAEs. This two-part study aimed to (1) systematically review the literature of neck training interventions in sport and (2) undertake an expert Delphi consensus on the best practices for neck training implementation to reduce HAEs in sport. Part I: a systematic search of four databases was undertaken from the earliest records to September 2024. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) guidelines were followed, and a quality assessment was completed using a modified Downs and Black assessment tool and the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Papers were eligible if they both (1) implemented a reproducible exercise intervention targeting the neck within collision, combat or motor sport, and (2) assessed outcomes relating to either: the physical profile of the neck; head/neck injury incidence; and/or HAEs. Part II: 18 international experts, with experience in research and/or applied practice of neck exercise training, concussion and/or HAEs, reviewed the part I findings before completing a three-round Delphi consensus process. Part I included 21 papers, highlighting the heterogeneity of existing interventions. Part II resulted in 57 statements coded into five categories: contextual factors (n=17), neck training periodisation (n=12), training adaptations (n=10), neck training content (n=15) and athlete adherence (n=3). This study presents recommendations for neck exercise training aiming to reduce HAEs in sport, supporting both practice and future research.

Action Research of Class IV MI Rohmatul Ulum around September to December 2021. The results of learning Natural Sciences of class IV MI ROHMATUL ULUM from several tests are still very low. From two tests, the average class score is still below the KKM, which is 75. The highest score is 70 while the lowest score is 50. In the second daily test, the highest score is 80 and the lowest score is 50. The average of the two daily tests is 67. The purpose of this study is to improve learning outcomes in classifying animals based on their food types in Natural Sciences learning for class IV students of MI Rohmatul Ulum, Sokobanah District, Sampang Regency, 2021/2022 Academic Year through the empowerment of student worksheets. The research was conducted at MI Rohmatul Ulum, Sokobanah District, Sampang Regency. The research period was from November to December 2021. The form of this research is Classroom Action Research. The actions taken consist of two actions in two cycles. Each cycle consists of four stages, namely planning, acting, observing and reflecting. The class studied was grade IV students of MI Rohmatul Ulum Sokobanah with a total of 15 students. After the first cycle was carried out, namely the teacher carried out direct learning practices, the results obtained in cycle 1 were that the average class value increased to 75. In cycle 2, the average value was 86. So from the initial condition to the final condition, there was an increase in learning outcomes from an average of 67 to 86. From the results of the action research carried out through two cycles, a very significant increase was obtained so that it can be concluded that with the empowerment of Student Worksheets.

Background Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a typical complication of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in ARDS. Thus, evaluation of RV function is a crucial component of ARDS patient management. The present study aimed to determine the incidence of RV dysfunctionby 2D echocardiography in mechanically ventilated ARDS patients in the ICU and assess the serial changes in tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) among these patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary care cancer institute of Eastern India. Methods The prospective observational study included 40 patients aged 18-80 years who were admitted to the critical care unit with ARDS and put on mechanical ventilation. Patients meeting eligibility criteria underwent routine investigations on admission to the ICU. Key parameters included recording of the partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) oxygenation index, TAPSEon 2D transthoracic echocardiography, and plasma B-type (or brain) natriuretic peptide (BNP) level estimation conducted on day 0, day 2, and day 5. A TAPSE value <17 mm was considered to indicate RV dysfunction. Weaning outcomes, ventilator days, length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, and in-ICU mortality were noted. Results Among the 40 study participants, the mean (± SD) age was 52.6 (± 14.3) years, and 52.5% were male patients. The incidence of RV dysfunction in ARDS was 17.5%. These patients were observed to have a progressive worsening of hypoxia along with a significant elevation of plasma BNP levels on day 2 and day 5 as compared to baseline. Weaning outcomes, ventilator days, length of hospital stay, and in-ICU mortality were comparable between the two groups. Conclusion The present study reports a 17.5% incidence of RV dysfunction in ARDS and quantifies a longitudinal deterioration in RV function with the onset of ARDS using TAPSE. The inclusion of objective indices on two-dimensional echocardiography, such as TAPSE, facilitates their regular application at the bedside and equips clinicians with a means to detect and quantify RV dysfunction in its early stages in ARDS.

Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. 1. The EDGE procedure allows for ERCP following gastric bypass surgeries. 2. Persistent gastrogastric fistulas are a complication of the EDGE ERCP procedure. 3. Gastrogastric fistulas can be definitively treated through laparoscopic interventions.

Complete absence or deficiency of Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) leads to the rare infantile disorder Wolman's Disease [1]. Decreased function of GNE can lead to GNE myopathy [2]. Although both pathological phenotypes are rare, LAL deficiency only affects 1 in every 500,000 births and dysfunction of GNE affects 1 in every 1,000,000 births, there is a higher incidence in the religious groups of the Middle East; the incidence is projected to be as high as 1 in every 4,200 births [3,4]. The LIPA gene encodes for LAL while the GNE gene encodes for UDPN- acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) kinase [4,5]. LAL catalyzes the hydrolysis of cholesterol esters and triglycerides [6]. GlcNAc and ManNAc are responsible for the biosynthesis of sialic acid [7]. Presence of variations in GNE genes are known to impair the enzymes and lead to pathological phenotypes. This study reports the prevalence of mutations c.260G&gt;T; p.G87V and c.894G&gt;A; E8SJM in the lipase gene (LIPA) and c.2228T&gt;C p.M743T in GNE gene amongst different religions. We sequenced 1,354 samples for the presence of the variations in LIPA exon 4 and 8 along with GNE exon 13(formerly exon 12). The sample population comprised individuals of varying Middle Eastern religions such as Mizrahi Jewish, Muslims, Christians, Baha’i, Catholic, Buddhist and Zoroastrian. The other religions that were not Mizrahi Jewish were classified under “Non-Jewish” to have a more even distribution. LIPA gene exon 4 variation p.G87V had a heterozygous frequency of 22 in 1,354(1.62%) with 20 of 22(90.9%) heterozygotes being Mizrahi Jewish while 2 of 22(9.09%) heterozygotes were Non-Jewish. Exon 8 splice junction mutation E8SJM, G&gt;A transition at position 1 had a frequency of 2 in 1,354 (0.14%) with 2 of 2(100%) heterozygotes being Mizrahi Jewish. GNE exon 13 variation p.M743T (formerly exon 12 p.M712T) had a mutation frequency of 58 in 1,354(4.28%) with 5 of these 58(8.62%) samples being homozygous while 53 of the 58(91.37%) were heterozygous. In 58 samples that yielded a mutation, 54 of them were Mizarhi jewish (93.1%).

Background: The LIPA gene encodes for lysosomal acid lipase (LAL), which catalyzes the hydrolysis of cholesterol esters and triglycerides. Variations in the LIPA gene impair LAL activity, predisposing patients to a rare metabolic disorder called LAL deficiency (LAL-D). The lack of functioning LAL promotes lipid accumulation and subsequent dyslipidemia, which can increase the likelihood of complications in both infants and adults. Although the worldwide prevalence is 1:500,000 births, the frequency in Mizrahi Jewish populations is projected to be as high as 1 in every 4200 births (Valles-Ayoub et al.) based on the LIPA p.G87V variant frequency among 162 individuals. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to validate the previously reported prevalence of LAL-D in the Mizrahi Jewish population based on the pathogenic LIPA missense variants in exon 4 (c.260G>T; p.G87V) and exon 8 (c.894G>A; p.Gln298=) using a larger cohort of those with Middle Eastern ancestry living around Los Angeles. Among the 1184 individual samples sequenced, 660 self-reported as Mizrahi Jewish, while the remaining 524 came from other Middle Eastern groups labeled as "non-Jewish." Results: Of the 1184 samples, 22 alleles of the exon 4 variant were identified (1.85%), and 2 alleles of the exon 8 variant were identified (0.16%). For the exon 4 variant, 20 of 22 (90.9%) heterozygotes were Mizrahi Jewish, while 2 of 22 (9.09%) heterozygotes were "non-Jewish." For the exon 8 variant, 2 of 2 (100%) heterozygotes were Mizrahi Jewish. This suggests that the prevalence of LAL-D in this population is 1 in 900, which suggests that LAL-D may be 4.6% higher in the Mizrahi Jewish population in previous reports. Conclusion: These findings show increased prevalence of LIPA gene exon 4 variation p.G87V in the Middle East population when compared to the general population, indicating the need for prenatal screening in those of Mizrahi Jewish ancestry.

As of January 2022, it is estimated that over 60 million individuals have been infected by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in the United States, and over 300 million individuals worldwide [1]. These staggering numbers have burdened physicians and scientists with the monstrous task of treating infected patients whose symptoms range in severity from asymptomatic to life threatening, while concurrently investigating the novel disease’s biology and immune responses to infection and vaccination. While emerging literature has helped illuminate aspects of physiological immune responses to coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), the relationship between symptom severity and humoral immune response remains poorly understood. Additionally, the impact of this variability on the development of protective immune responses and the role of antibodies in disease is unclear, which has raised questions on the difference between neutralizing antibodies in those vaccinated and those unvaccinated. Our study aims to explore neutralizing antibody presentation against COVID-19 in groups of individuals with different histories of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and vaccination status. Thus, our findings will help further the understanding of humoral immunity as it relates to COVID-19. Conclusion: There is a relation between total antibodies and neutralizing antibodies in people with various COVID histories.

Abstract Student Learning and Use of Tools in an Undergraduate Software Testing ClassAs software becomes more ubiquitous, the need to improve its quality is becoming more critical.Software bugs continue to plague many industries ranging from business to the military, and arecosting companies in the global economy in excess of $300 Billion per year. As a result of thehigh cost of these bugs, some companies are now requiring their developers to have some formof training in software testing. This is mainly due to the fact that software testing continues to beone of the most widely used and effective means of software validation.Although practical training in software testing tools and methodologies is vital for ensuringsoftware quality in industry, academic course curricula do not appear to be providing studentswith enough hands-on experience in software testing. Furthermore, there are few research studiesthat discuss how different pedagogical approaches to such training are helping students toimprove their testing skills. Providing easy access to software testing tools offers the ability toinvestigate interesting pedagogical research questions, two of which are as follows: How arethese tools currently used in the classroom? How is the easy access to tools improving thestudents' testing skills?In this paper, we describe how software testing tools are introduced and used in an undergraduatetesting course at a large state university. As part of a semester-long course project, studentsaccess self-study tutorials on black-box and white-box testing tools via a Web-Based Repositoryof Software Testing Tools (WReSTT). WReSTT provides students with a collaborative learningenvironment where they can work on software testing tasks during the semester. We alsodescribe the structure of the testing course and how to access the repository for those instructorsinteresting in replicating the study.During Fall 2012, we conducted a case study to answer to following questions: (1) Does the useof code coverage testing tools motivate students to improve their test suites during testing? (2)Do the results generated by the code coverage tools support the subsumes relation betweenstatement coverage and branch coverage? (3) Do students find WReSTT a useful learningresource for testing techniques and tools?The sample size of the study contained 35 students who were assigned to six project teams. Thedata for the study was collected using: (a) a review of the project artifacts, (b) observations of in-class project presentations, and (c) a student survey. Our findings suggest that code coveragetools and techniques are an effective motivator for students to improve the quality of their testcases. In addition, the students find WReSTT to be a useful resource for learning softwaretesting techniques as well as a resource for learning how to use testing tools.

This paper is concerned with the investigation of a possible working principle of a microwave sensor for the measurement of water levels in plastic pipes. According to the research, most current sensors for water level measurement require an unobstructed path from the sensor in the water and therefore, the integrity of the pipes, in which water flows, will be compromised. The proposed sensor will work at microwave frequencies to measure the flow in the pipes from the outside. This would be non-invasive and non-intrusive. A beam of microwave energy from an antenna is directed towards a water surface within a pipe and the reflection due to the surface of the water will be isolated and knowledge of the pipe dimensions and properties will allow the depth of water to be calculated. Knowledge of the pipe drop may also allow flow to be estimated. It is observed that at microwave frequencies the reflection from the surface of the water is many times greater than the reflection from the surface of a typical plastic pipe.

Abstract Reservoirs facing challenges such as high oil viscosity and high heterogeneity benefit from polymer flooding by decreasing unfavorable mobility ratios or improving crossflow. Despite this diversity of needs, polymer floods are often designed around a single point viscosity value, which doesn't account for variable shear rates in the porous media, in-situ viscosity, challenges with fluid injectivity, etc. Polymers have diverse rheological characteristics. For example, synthetic polymers like HPAM are elastic and can range in their degree of shear sensitivity, while biopolymers like scleroglucan are inelastic and highly shear-thinning. We generated laboratory data for two such polymers, scleroglucan and an Acrylamide-ATBS Co-Polymer. We developed parameters to describe their rheological characteristics for a variety of models, including shear thinning, shear thickening and preshearing. We then assessed the impact of these attributes on polymer flooding performance using UTCHEM, the University of Texas Chemical Flooding Reservoir Simulator. Polymer injectivity, viscosity, and shear rate were assessed for sensitivity to polymer rheology using simplified models of radial geometry. These results were correlated to laboratory experiments to ensure correct estimate of in-situ viscosities. Sensitivity to a variety of important parameters, including shear rate correction factor, simulation grid size, shear-thickening, and skin were also completed. A final sensitivity study was conducted using a heterogeneous reservoir model with the multiple patterns. Simulations using the simplified radial model and the heterogeneous, commercial scale model support the same conclusion: the specifics of polymer rheology can have a significant impact on polymer flooding performance, and polymer rheology should be considered an important design attribute along with injection viscosity and retention. We show that injection of an elastic, HPAM-based polymer may require higher injection pressure or lower rates than a highly shear-thinning, inelastic biopolymer like scleroglucan. We also demonstrate how the differences in rheology impact reservoir pressure, in-situ viscosity distribution, in situ shear-rate distribution and flow into various reservoir layers.