Online Learners' Reading Ability Detection Based on Eye-Tracking Sensors.

The detection of university online learners' reading ability is generally problematic and time-consuming. Thus the eye-tracking sensors have been employed in this study, to record temporal and spatial human eye movements. Learners' pupils, blinks, fixation, saccade, and regression are recognized as primary indicators for detecting reading abilities. A computational model is established according to the empirical eye-tracking data, and applying the multi-feature regularization machine learning mechanism based on a Low-rank Constraint. The model presents good generalization ability with an error of only 4.9% when randomly running 100 times. It has obvious advantages in saving time and improving precision, with only 20 min of testing required for prediction of an individual learner's reading ability.

Increasing incidence and geographic distribution of neonatal abstinence syndrome: United States 2009 to 2012.

OBJECTIVE: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a postnatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, increased threefold from 2000 to 2009. Since 2009, opioid pain reliever prescriptions and complications increased markedly throughout the United States. Understanding recent changes in NAS and its geographic variability would inform state and local governments in targeting public health responses. STUDY DESIGN: We utilized diagnostic and demographic data for hospital discharges from 2009 to 2012 from the Kids' Inpatient Database and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. NAS-associated diagnoses were identified utilizing International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. All analyses were conducted with nationally weighted data. Expenditure data were adjusted to 2012 US dollars. Between-year differences were determined utilizing least squares regression. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2012, NAS incidence increased nationally from 3.4 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.2 to 3.6) to 5.8 (95% CI 5.5 to 6.1) per 1000 hospital births, reaching a total of 21,732 infants with the diagnosis. Aggregate hospital charges for NAS increased from $732 million to $1.5 billion (P<0.001), with 81% attributed to state Medicaid programs in 2012. NAS incidence varied by geographic census division, with the highest incidence rate (per 1000 hospital births) of 16.2 (95% CI 12.4 to 18.9) in the East South Central Division (Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama) and the lowest in West South Central Division Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana 2.6 (95% CI 2.3 to 2.9). CONCLUSION: NAS incidence and hospital charges grew substantially during our study period. This costly public health problem merits a public health approach to alleviate harm to women and children. States, particularly, in areas of the country most affected by the syndrome must continue to pursue primary prevention strategies to limit the effects of opioid pain reliever misuse.

Variation in treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome in US children's hospitals, 2004-2011.

OBJECTIVE: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a drug withdrawal syndrome experienced by opioid-exposed infants. There is no standard treatment for NAS and surveys suggest wide variation in pharmacotherapy for NAS. Our objective was to determine whether different pharmacotherapies for NAS are associated with differences in outcomes and to determine whether pharmacotherapy and outcome vary by hospital. STUDY DESIGN: We used the Pediatric Health Information System Database from 2004 to 2011 to identify a cohort of infants with NAS requiring pharmacotherapy. Mixed effects hierarchical negative binomial models evaluated the association between pharmacotherapy and hospital with length of stay (LOS), length of treatment (LOT) and hospital charges, after adjusting for socioeconomic variables and comorbid clinical conditions. RESULT: Our cohort included 1424 infants with NAS from 14 children's hospitals. Among hospitals in our sample, six used morphine, six used methadone and two used phenobarbital as primary initial treatment for NAS. In multivariate analysis, when compared with NAS patients initially treated with morphine, infants treated with methadone had shorter LOT (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.55; P < 0.0001) and LOS (IRR = 0.60; P < 0.0001). Phenobarbital as a second-line agent was associated with increased LOT (IRR = 2.09; P<0.0001), LOS (IRR = 1.78; P < 0.0001) and higher hospital charges (IRR = 1.84; P < 0.0001). After controlling for case-mix, hospitals varied in LOT, LOS and hospital charges. CONCLUSION: We found variation in hospital in treatment for NAS among major US children's hospitals. In analyses controlling for possible confounders, methadone as initial treatment was associated with reduced LOT and hospital stay.

Internet use and its impact on engagement in leisure activities in China.

INTRODUCTION: Internet use has become an increasingly common leisure time activity among Chinese citizens. The association between Internet use and engagement in leisure activities is especially unclear among China population. This study aims to investigate Internet usage and to determine whether active Internet use is a marker for low or high levels of leisure time activities. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: With the use of a face-to-face structured questionnaire interview, a total of 2,400 respondents who met all screening requirements were surveyed to answer the questions in eight major cities in China. 66.2% (n = 1,589) of all respondents were identified as Internet users. Of these Internet users, 30.0%, 24.1%, 26.4%, and 19.6% were clustered as "informative or instrumental users," "entertainment users," "communication users," and "advanced users," respectively. Regarding time spent on Internet use in leisure time, more than 96% reported going online in non-work situations, and 26.2% (n = 416) were classified as "heavy Internet users." A logistic regression analysis revealed that there were significant differences in some leisure activities between non-Internet users and Internet users, with an observed one-unit increase in the leisure time dependence category increasing the probability of engaging in mental or social activities. In contrast, Internet users were less engaged in physical exercise-related activities. In addition, advanced Internet users were generally more active in leisure time activities than non-Internet users and other types of users. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Internet use is one of very common leisure activities in Chinese citizens, and age, gender, income, and education are the key factors affecting Internet access. According to different types of leisure activities, Internet usage has different impacts on leisure activity engagement. High Internet dependence has no significant negative influence on engagement in mental or social leisure activities, but this group respondent tended to be less engaged in physical activities.

The role of the dietitian in a multicenter clinical trial of dialysis therapy: the Hemodialysis (HEMO) Study.

The Hemodialysis (HEMO) Study is a randomized multicenter prospective clinical trial, supported by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. The trial is designed to assess the effects of a standard versus higher dialysis dose and low versus high dialysis membrane flux on morbidity and mortality of chronic hemodialysis patients. The role of the dietitian in the HEMO Study is to support and maintain the nutritional status of randomized participants. To ensure participant safety, nutritional status is closely monitored by a variety of biochemical and participant-reported parameters. Serum albumin and equilibrated normalized protein catabolic rates are obtained monthly. Appetite assessment and dietary energy and protein intakes using a 2-day diet diary assisted recall are ascertained at baseline and on a yearly basis. Consumption of vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements, including oral enterals, tube feedings, and parenteral nutrition, is obtained at least once a year. In addition, anthropometry is performed at baseline and on a yearly basis. Prespecified changes in serum albumin level or body weight trigger action by the dietitian to prevent protein calorie malnutrition. The HEMO Study dietitians play a vital role in carrying out the nutrition program for the trial. The HEMO Study should provide important information about the natural history of the nutritional status of chronic hemodialysis patients and the impact of dialysis dose and dialysis membrane flux on these parameters.

What is the role of violence in the therapeutic community?

The violence inherent in the world of substance abuse is conspicuously absent as a research issue in published studies in this area. Computer searches surfaced articles dealing with mental health/mental retardation. A synthesis of these articles indicates that the setting, therapy, and staff identified as most effective in the treatment of violent patients coincide with those found in drug and alcohol therapeutic communities. (The use by some drug and alcohol clinicians of radical confrontation therapy was the only practice seemingly counterindicated on treatment effectiveness and ethical and legal grounds). We emphasize the need for a drug and alcohol research focus on violence.

A comparative study of competitive and social reinforcement models of interview behavior.

While psychotherapy typically is conceptualized as a social reinforcement process, Haley suggests that most interview behavior is predicted better by a competitive model of social interaction. Davis (1971) compared the two models by having interviewers follow reinforcing or competitive response programs and comparing the frequencies with which interviewees initiated interactions under the contrasting conditions. His results suggested that the competitive model predicted interviewee behavior more accurately. This study attempted both to replicate Davis' work with a different S sample (N = 48) (psychiatric inpatients as opposed to college students) and to extend it by using both male and female interviewers. Few of Davis' findings were replicated. Message frequency requests were equal in the competitive and reinforcing conditions, both of which induced more requests than a mixed interviewer program. The interactions that Davis had found between interviewer programs and Ss' classification on the repression-sensitization dimension were not significant. It is suggested that Davis' results may be limited to his college student sample and apparently do not generalize to those individuals more likely to be involved in therapeutic interviews.