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Abstract Background Biliary ascariasis is regarded as possible etiological factor for hepatolithiasis. Here we report one case of a patient with hepatolithiasis with biliary ascariasis who developed a liver abscess, which was treated with partial hepatectomy. Case presentation A young adult female presented with epigastric pain and vomiting with repeated attacks of cholangitis. ERCP showed evidence of multiple intrahepatic calculi with the development of abscess in the left lobe of liver. The patient underwent partial hepatectomy and was found to have biliary ascariasis on histology. She was treated with antihelmenthic therapy and has had an uneventful postoperative period of 2 years. Conclusion Biliary ascariasis with hepatolithiasis, although rare, should be considered in endemic countries.

Currently, learning disabilities (LD) are diagnosed on the basis of the discrepancy between students' IQ and reading achievement scores. Students diagnosed with LD often receive remedial instruction in resource rooms. The available evidence suggests that the educational policy based on this discrepancy model has not yielded satisfactory results. This has led researchers to try other paradigms, such as the component model and response to intervention, for dealing with children with reading disabilities. The component model of reading (CMR) described in the present article identifies the reading component that is the source of reading difficulty and targets instruction at that component. Study 1 describes the CMR and reports on its validity. Study 2 describes the successful outcome of a 7-year CMR-based reading instruction program. Compared to the discrepancy model, the CMR has demonstrated several advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of acute Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in a young woman with purulent peritonitis and acute purulent appendicitis and oophoritis is presented. Open emergency appendectomy was performed and peritoneal pus was drained. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was cultured from the peritoneal pus. The hepatic enzymes were found to be raised. The patient was successfully managed and is asymptomatic after three months follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome reported from Kuwait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective study of major aerobic bacterial isolates from pus/wound swabs taken from patients admitted to the burn unit at Govt. Medical College Hospital, Chandigarh, India, over a period of 5 years (June 1997-May 2002) was undertaken. The study was carried out to determine the bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates and to describe the change in trends over the study period. The pus/wound swabs yielded very high culture positivity (96%) for 665 total isolates. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be most common isolate (59%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (17.9%), Acinetobacter spp. (7.2%), Klebsiella spp. (3.9%), Enterobacter spp. (3.9%), Proteus spp. (3.3%) and others (4.8%). Although P. aeruginosa continued to remain the predominant isolate over the five years, a constant and significant increase in the incidence of Acinetobacter spp. was found. Amikacin was found to be the most effective drug against gram negative bacteria, however, resistance to it was significantly increased over 5 years. For S. aureus and P. aeruginosa netilmicin and piperacillin were found to be the most effective drugs. Most of the isolates showed high level resistance to antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined German spelling errors among students with German as their first language (L1) and those with German as their second language (L2) in Grades 3-4 (elementary school students; n = 127) and Grades 5-7 (secondary school students; n = 379). Five hundred and six students participated in the study. We performed two separate latent class analyses on elementary and secondary school students. Results indicate that elementary school students can be categorized as good (Class 1), consonant error dominant (Class 2), or poor (Class 3) spellers. However, secondary students can be categorized as addition and sequence error dominant (Class 1), substitution and omission error dominant (Class 2), or poor (Class 3) spellers. The three-step multinomial logistic regression analyses suggested that decoding was associated with the highest chances of being poor spellers in both elementary and secondary schools. Speaking German as L1 or L2 was a significant predictor of heterogeneities in secondary, but not elementary, school students. Polish L1 secondary students had the highest possibility of being poor spellers. The results suggest heterogeneities of student profiles. In addition, special attention should be given to secondary school students with the Polish L1 background in their spelling struggles associated with German orthography.

This article serves as an introduction to the special issue on spelling and writing in different orthographies. Most studies and theoretical models of writing are based on the English language, and it is generally assumed that what is true for English is also true for other languages. Further, there are more studies on reading compared to studies of writing and spelling. Considering that 80% of the world's population speaks a language other than English, we need more studies on writing and spelling in languages other than English. With this intention, we are presenting 6 papers on writing and spelling in different languages of different orthographic depth, from highly transparent orthographies like Spanish and Italian to highly opaque orthography like Cantonese.

The depth of the English orthography makes reading and spelling in English a difficult task; particularly for English language learners (ELLs) whose first language (L1) has a shallow orthography. Mastering spelling in English is a critical component of increasing the English literacy of ELLs. This study investigated the English spelling of 569 Spanish-speaking ELLs in Grades 4 to 6. Participants' writing samples were analyzed for spelling errors. Latent class analysis was utilized to discover hidden categories within the data using eight spelling error categories: (a) Vowel Omission; (b) Vowel Addition; (c) Vowel Substitution; (d) Vowel Sequence; (e) Consonant Omission; (f) Consonant Addition; (g) Consonant Substitution; (h) Consonant Sequence. Consonant- and vowel-based errors were nearly equal in each grade level. Latent class analysis resulted in a two-class model. Students in Class 1 made more types of errors than students in Class 2. As the grade level increased, the percentage of students in Class 2 increased. The results of this study show the effects of English and Spanish orthographies on the spelling of Spanish-speaking ELLs, with spelling errors occurring among both vowels and consonants. As omissions were the most prevalent errors in both classes, spelling instruction aimed at decreasing omissions should be considered for ELLs.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the immediate and long-term effects of intervention for children with primary speech and language delays/disorders and to explore whether some characteristics of interventions, specifics of the study and research participants moderate the magnitude of the effectiveness of interventions. Using the random effect model, we pooled the effect size and conducted a publication bias evaluation, a moderating effect analysis in CMA 2.0. Results of a random effects model analysis demonstrated a moderate immediate effect (g = 0.70), whereas the long-term efficacy was small (g = 0.23). Additionally, type of measure, language of intervention, parental involvement, intervention content and study quality, as well as the duration of intervention, significantly moderated the effect size of intervention effectiveness., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This study examined knowledge about dyslexia among Chinese-speaking early literacy teachers in Mainland China. A total of 516 teachers, including 203 kindergarten teachers from developed regions (KDRs), 166 primary school teachers from developed regions (PDRs), and 147 primary school teachers from less developed regions (PLDRs), completed a survey measuring knowledge about dyslexia in three domains: general information, symptoms/diagnosis, and treatment. PLDRs scored significantly lower on the total scale and each of the subscales than KDRs and PDRs, with the latter two not significantly different from each other. The percentages of misunderstandings and lack of knowledge ("do not know" response) were higher for PLDRs than for KDRs or PDRs. In general, compared with alphabetic language-speaking teachers in developed countries reported in previous studies, Chinese teachers showed less knowledge about dyslexia but similar misunderstandings. Prior exposure to children with dyslexia explained significant variance in Chinese teachers' knowledge about dyslexia, indicating that when specialized training is not available, learning from practice is a major source of knowledge about dyslexia. Findings of this study point to the universal need of providing explicit training on dyslexia for teachers, particularly in less developed regions where teacher knowledge is poorer., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The present study explored knowledge and beliefs about reading instruction of Chinese teachers teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile and the Survey of Basic Language Constructs Related to Literacy Acquisition were administered to 262 EFL teachers in the south-eastern part of China. Additionally, three teachers were interviewed, and their instructional practices were observed. The results showed that there was no correlation between teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and the performance on the knowledge of basic language construct survey. However, it was found that teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practices were mediated by the Chinese EFL contextual factors. Educational and practical implications are discussed., (© 2019 The Authors. Dyslexia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Main idea and summary are essential elements of reading comprehension. We report results from Grades 4 and 5 student performance on two years of state-mandated standardized reading testing which indicate that students perform statistically significantly lower on main idea and summary questions on the tests than any other question category. In this study, teacher competency was measured in a main idea task and teacher surveys were used to understand what instructional practices and materials they use to teach reading comprehension. Descriptive analyses indicate that teachers have a moderate competency for writing main ideas and many use instructional practices that are not supported by empirical evidence or reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse. Thus, teacher knowledge and instructional practices may be malleable factors that contribute to student outcomes., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Teachers' knowledge is a critical component to students learning to read proficiently. The present research sought to determine the literacy knowledge of 150 urban, elementary school teachers from 11 low socio-economic schools in one of nation's largest cities. Teachers' ability to understand concepts relating to phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle/phonics, and morphology as well as their knowledge about teaching these fundamental skills were assessed through a standardized measure. Using exploratory factor analysis to understand the latent constructs underlying the survey scores and hierarchical linear modelling on factor scores of each construct, the results revealed that teachers located in low socio-economic status schools did not have explicit knowledge needed to effectively teach struggling readers. Although the teachers possessed a high level of knowledge regarding syllable counting skills, they lacked knowledge related to morphology. Practical implications are provided to assist teachers in increasing their literacy knowledge., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The purpose of the present study is to explore cross-cultural differences among teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) on the basic language constructs and the impacts on their perceived teaching ability in English-reading instruction. Chinese EFL (n = 73) and Korean EFL (n = 39) teachers were administered the Reading Teacher Knowledge Survey for testing their implicit and explicit knowledge on phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, and morphological awareness; and their self-perceived teaching ability on teaching typical readers, struggling readers, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Results showed that both Chinese EFL and Korean EFL teachers' knowledge on the phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, and phonics was implicit rather than explicit. However, the teachers' knowledge on morphological awareness showed cross-cultural difference: Chinese EFL teachers had greater explicit knowledge on morphological awareness than implicit knowledge, while their Korean EFL counterparts showed opposite pattern. Self-perceived teaching ability was also distinct cross-culturally, in that Chinese EFL teachers were only confident in teaching English vocabulary, whereas Korean EFL teachers had generally positive self-perception on teaching typical readers, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Importantly, both groups of EFL teachers' explicit knowledge on the basic language constructs explained additional variance for predicting their self-perception on teaching English reading, controlling for the effects of their years of teaching and implicit knowledge. Educational implications and future research ideas are discussed in relation to the cross-cultural differences of teacher knowledge and their perceived teaching ability.

The authors provide a summary of the articles in the special series on reading development in different orthographies from various writing systems and scripts.

In this study, we examine the relative contributions of syllabic awareness, phonemic awareness, and oral vocabulary knowledge in early akshara reading ability from Grades 1 through 5. The performance of 488 students in two states of South India, Karnataka (Kannada language) and Andhra Pradesh (Telugu language), was measured. Results from a commonality analysis indicate that there was an increasing independent contribution of syllabic awareness to Kannada and Telugu decoding through the five grades, but the unique contribution of phonemic awareness steadily declined through the five grades, as it became subsumed within syllabic awareness. The contribution of oral vocabulary knowledge did not present a clear pattern across the five grades. This study builds on a growing body of literature on the akshara orthographies to shed light on the precise nature of the developmental asymmetry in the dual syllabic and phonemic representation in akshara reading.

Although studies showed subtle reductions in brain volume in fronto-striatial regions in children with ADHD, there have been limited investigations of volume and lateralizaton in subcortical structures and a paucity of exploration of the influence of gender on these findings. This study aims to examine morphology of subcortical structures and their association with ADHD symptoms in boys and girls as compared to their typically-developing (TD) peers. One hundred and eighty five children aged 7-14 years with and without ADHD were included from ADHD-200 Consortium. Results showed that compared to TD boys, boys with ADHD had reduced accumbens, amygdala and hippocampus volumes. There were no volumetric differences in any structure between ADHD and TD girls. Asymmetry analysis revealed right lateralization compressions within the thalamus in ADHD boys relative to TD boys. The findings suggest a gender dimorphic pattern of differences in subcortical structures in children with ADHD, and a possible neurobiological mechanism where boys with ADHD demonstrate increasing difficulties with hyperactivity/impulsivity., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The authors outline the basic structure of akshara, the basic unit of writing in Indic writing systems used widely in South and Southeast Asia; present preliminary studies relating to reading, assessment, and instruction of akshara; and outline recommendations for future studies., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The present study examined unique and shared contributions of Korean (first language) phonological, orthographic and morphological awareness (PA, OA and MA, respectively) to English (second/foreign language) spelling among 287 fourth-grade, fifth-grade and sixth-grade Korean children. Korean measures of PA, OA and MA were administered, in addition to English vocabulary and spelling measures. Results from structural equation modelling showed that PA, OA and MA were caused by one common construct, metalinguistic awareness (META), and the contribution of Korean META to English spelling was statistically significant, controlling for English vocabulary. In particular, Korean MA and PA played unique roles in explaining English spelling; whereas Korean OA did not significantly contribute to English spelling. Findings from the present study provided empirical evidence of first language META transfer effect on second/foreign language spelling development. Educational implications and future research ideas are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Context: In traumatic brain injury patients, coagulation disorder causes secondary brain injury, thereby increasing mortality and morbidity., Aims: The aim of this study is to identify the factors responsible for coagulopathy in traumatic brain injury., Settings and Design: This prospective longitudinal study from June 2012 included 100 patients with moderate and severe head injury presenting to National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences, Kathmandu, over 1-year period., Subjects and Methods: Patients were evaluated for the development of coagulopathy, defined as collectively three abnormal hemostatic parameters, and associated risk factors for coagulopathy. They were then analyzed for correlation with coagulopathy., Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 16 was used for the analysis of data. For identification of contributing factors, a stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed, including the factors with P < 0.05 from the analysis., Results: Among the 100 patients, coagulopathy was present in 63% of cohort. Forty-three patients had severe head injury, and 76.7% ( n = 33) of them had coagulopathy compared to 52.7% ( n = 30) in 57 patients with moderate head injury ( P = 0.013). Statistically significant correlation with coagulopathy was present with polytrauma, severity of head injury, blood transfusion, surgical intervention, and Marshall's classification of CT of the head; however, stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that blood transfusion, surgical intervention, polytrauma, and severity of head injury were significant independent variables responsible for the development of coagulopathy., Conclusions: Traumatic brain injury is complicated with coagulopathy in up to 63% of patients. Blood transfusion, surgical intervention, polytrauma, and severity of head injury are significant independent variables responsible for coagulopathy., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Arterial pseudoaneurysms are relatively rare complications of the vascular system. Many cases may remain asymptomatic for a lifetime only to be discovered incidentally, whereas others may cause fatal hemorrhage. Majority of cases present with local compressive symptoms. Rarely, it has been implicated as an etiology for gastrointestinal (GI) bleed by eroding into an adjacent bowel, with splanchnic pseudoaneurysm being more commonly responsible as compared to peripheral ones. Although rare, they are an important consideration because of the high mortality rate. They require a high index of suspicion with prompt diagnosis and expedient treatment, either surgical or endovascular. In this study, we report a case series of a right iliacoduodenal and 2 splanchnic pseudoaneurysms presenting as upper GI bleeding. These 3 cases presented with occult source of hematemesis due to the formation of arterioenteric fistula. Also discussed are the diagnostic approach used and successful treatment methods, which included placing endoprosthesis in the aorta and common iliac artery and endovascular coiling for respective cases. To the best of our knowledge, such a case of common iliac pseudoaneurysm presenting with massive hematemesis due to fistulization into duodenum has never been reported previously., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

This study reports on a meta-analysis to examine how bilingual learners compare with English monolingual learners on two English spelling outcomes: real-word spelling and pseudo-word spelling. Eighteen studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2014 were retrieved. The study-level variables and characteristics (e.g. sample size, study design and research instruments) were coded, and 29 independent effect sizes across the 18 retrieved studies were analysed. We found that bilinguals outperformed monolinguals on real-word spelling overall and more so in early grades, but monolinguals outperformed bilinguals on pseudo-word spelling. Further, bilinguals at risk for reading difficulties did better on real-word spelling than monolinguals at risk for reading difficulties. Having investigated systematic sources of variability in effect sizes, we conclude that in comparison with their monolingual peers, bilingual learners, especially those from alphabetic L1 backgrounds, are able to master constrained skills, such as English spelling, in the current instructional context. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The present study investigated knowledge, misconceptions, and lack of information about dyslexia among pre-service (PST) and in-service (IST) Spanish-speaking teachers in Spain and Peru. Two hundred and forty-six pre-service teachers and 267 in-service teachers completed the Knowledge and Beliefs about Developmental Dyslexia Scale (KBDDS). In-service teachers scored significantly higher on the total scale, and on the symptoms/diagnosis and general information subscales, than pre-service teachers. The percentages for misconceptions and lack of information ("do not know responses") were higher for PSTs than for ISTs on the general information subscale, the symptoms/diagnosis subscale, and the treatment subscale. Analyses of individual items were conducted to differentiate concepts that teachers did not know from misconceptions. In-service teacher self-efficacy, years of teaching experience, post-graduate training in dyslexia, and prior exposure to a child with dyslexia were positively related to knowledge about dyslexia. Implications for pre-service teacher training and professional development are discussed.

The present study examined preservice teachers' (PSTs) knowledge of basic language constructs across four different English-speaking teacher preparations programs. A standardized survey was administered to participants from Canada (n = 80), England (n = 55), New Zealand (n = 26), and the USA (n = 118). All participants were enrolled in undergraduate university programs that led to teacher certification for general education in the primary grades. Our data reveal that preservice teachers from all four countries show patterns of relative strength in areas that were targeted to be crucial within their national initiatives. Nevertheless, in general, PSTs demonstrated a lack of knowledge of certain constructs needed to teach early reading skills. The results are discussed in relation to research reports and initiatives regarding beginning reading instruction from each of the four countries.

The present study examined the knowledge and skills of basic language constructs among elementary school teachers who were teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in China. Six hundred and thirty in-service teachers completed the adapted Reading Teacher Knowledge Survey. Survey results showed that English teachers' self-perceived ability to teach vocabulary was the highest and self-perceived ability to teach reading to struggling readers was the lowest. Morphological knowledge was positively correlated with teachers' self-perceived teaching abilities, and it contributed unique variance even after controlling for the effects of ultimate educational attainment and years of teaching. Findings suggest that elementary school EFL teachers in China, on average, were able to display implicit skills related to certain basic language constructs, but less able to demonstrate explicit knowledge of other skills, especially sub-lexical units (e.g., phonemic awareness and morphemes). The high self-perceived ability of teaching vocabulary and high scores on syllable counting reflected the focus on larger units in the English reading curriculum.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the role of phonology, morphology and orthography in predicting the spelling performance in English-speaking and Russian-speaking children. Tests that tap phonology, morphology and orthography were administered to students in grades 4 and 6 in the USA and Russia. Multiple regression analyses showed that phonology and morphology contributed more for spelling of English words while orthography and morphology contributed more to the spelling of Russian words. The results are explained in terms of the orthographic nature of English and Russian languages as well as the instructional practices and the importance of morphology in spelling in both the languages., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the liver. Hepatic hemangiomas originate from the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, and enlarge by ectasia rather than hyperplasia. They are very variable in size and are classified accordingly and their management in the larger variety is debatable. Hypergiant hepatic hemangiomas are defined as those which are more than 10 cm in size. These are fairly uncommon in clinical practice. The treatment spectrum varies from masterly inactivity to resection depending upon a number of factors. We report a series of 10 cases of hyper giant hepatic hemangiomas studied and reviewed over a period of 5 years. These were evaluated with respect to their age, gender, clinical presentation, investigation findings, treatment offered, and final outcome. Five were treated with resection, four with enucleation, and one was kept under observation. All operated patients had an uneventful post-operative recovery and the one managed conservatively was asymptomatic on follow-up.

A 42-year-old man was directly admitted to the ICU with respiratory failure and hypotension. Two weeks prior and just after returning from Bangladesh, he presented to a polyclinic with fever, right knee pain, and generalized aches, for which he received oral antibiotics. He was a farmer, had diabetes, never smoked, and consumed alcohol occasionally.

Objective: This study was to evaluate echocardiographic findings and its usefulness in clinical management of patients with scorpion sting envenomation., Material and Methods: A total of 84 consecutive patients were prospectively studied. The data included demographics, at the time of presentation to the hospital, the clinical features, echocardiographic findings, admission to intensive care unit, use of inotropic medication, time to discharge, and mortality., Results: Out of 84 patients studied 60 patients (71.4%) had echocardiographic evidence of myocarditis (LVEF <50%). Majority of patients had LVEF <40% (50 patients, 83.3%). Severe LV dysfunction (LVEF <30%) was noted in 20 patients (33.3%). No patient had significant valvular regurgitation. RV dysfunction was noted in half of the patients who had LV dysfunction. RV dysfunction was not seen in isolation. Twenty four patients without evidence of myocarditis on echocardiography were observed in general wards and were discharged in 24 to 48 hours of admission. Ten patients with mild LV dysfunction (LVEF 50-40%) and 20 patients with moderate LV dysfunction were observed in high dependency units with regular monitoring for 24 to 48 hours. Only 3 patients were put on inotropics support and others could be discharged in 72 to 96 hours. All the patients with severe LV dysfunction and moderate LV dysfunction with significant RV dysfunction were admitted in intensive care unit irrespective of symptoms (Total 30 patients). These patients were put on inotropics support. Among severe LV dysfunction group, 4 patients required ventilator support and 2 (2.3%) patients died with refractory shock and multi-organ failure. Tachycardia, muffled and or gallop heart sounds and hypertension didn't predict presence of LV dysfunction. Persistent hypotension requiring inotropics support was a marker of severe LV dysfunction., Conclusion: Echocardiography is a useful tool in emergency to assess LV function in patients with scorpion sting envenomation. It can guide therapy by identifying patients with severe LV dysfunction.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is a soft tissue sarcomas arising from interstitial cell of Cajal of the gastrointestinal tract. Since its description in 1983, its management has seen sea change - from surgery to drug therapy, for CD 117 positive patients. Though it has an indolent course compared to adenocarcinoma, over the decades it has surprised surgeons with its varied presentation. We report a series of 12 cases of GIST. These were evaluated with respect to their age, gender, clinical presentation, histopathology grade, treatment offered & final outcome. There were 7 gastric, 1duodenal, 1 sigmoid, 1 rectal & 2 retroperitoneal GISTs. Resection was carried out for 8 GISTs, 1 was enucleated, 2 are on imatinib therapy & one is under observation. All operated patients had an uneventful post-operative recovery.

Large retroperitoneal liposarcomas represent a unique situation and require a more aggressive surgical approach, including multiple resections for recurrences. We report a series of 5 cases of large retroperitoneal liposarcoma managed aggressively with surgical resection. All cases presented with lump and abdominal pain and diagnosis was established by Ultrasonography and CT scan. Post-operative course was uneventful and a median follow up of 3 years, all patients were free from recurrence.

Objective: This study was to evaluate the levels of NT-proBNP in patients with myocarditis which occurred after a scorpion sting envenomation., Material and Methods: A total of 30 patients with scorpion sting envenomation and 21 patients with heart failure which was caused by cardiomyopathy, were prospectively studied. The data included the patient demographics, clinical features, echocardiography and the NT-proBNP levels., Results: An echocardiographic evidence of myocarditis with a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 50%, was found in 22 patients. In all the 22 patients, NT-proBNP was significantly elevated. The NT-proBNP levels were very high in the patients with severe LV dysfunction. However, it was in the normal range in the patients without an evidence of myocarditis. The elevated NT-proBNP levels were correlated with the LV dysfunction and myocarditis. When they were compared with the patients with heart failure which was caused by cardiomyopathy, the NTproBNP levels were found to be significantly more elevated in scorpion sting myocarditis., Conclusions: The NT-proBNP levels were significantly elevated in myocarditis which occurred after a scorpion sting envenomation.

Four 220 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors are under operation at Kaiga in the state of Karnataka in India. Environmental radiological survey of the surrounding areas of the Kaiga site is carried out by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. The estimated dose to the members of the public due to ingestion of radioactive isotope of potassium, a natural radionuclide, in the surroundings of the Kaiga site is 136 μSv (13.6 mrem) per year. The value indicates that the dose to the public due to operation of the nuclear reactors in Kaiga is insignificant in comparison with the dose due to unavoidable natural radioactivity.

Objective: This study was to evaluate the predictive value of the cardiac troponins in scorpion sting myocarditis at a tertiary care hospital in Raichur, (Karnataka state) India., Methods: A total of 84 consecutive patients were prospectively studied. The data included the demographics, the time of presentation to the hospital, the clinical features, the cardiac troponin levels and the echocardiographic findings., Results: 12 patients with only local symptoms had troponin levels of less than 0.01μg/L. 12 patients with local and systemic symptoms without an echocardiac evidence of myocarditis had troponin values of 0.01 to 0.11 μg/L. 60 patients with an echocardiographic evidence of myocarditis had troponin levels of above 0.11 μg/L. 6 patients with severe myocarditis who required ventilator support or which led to death had troponin values which were higher than 10 μg/L., Conclusions: High cardiac troponin levels predict myocarditis in scorpion sting envenomation and they can be a useful tool in guiding the therapy early.

Recent national reports have stressed the importance of teacher knowledge in teaching reading. However, in the past, teachers' knowledge of language and literacy constructs has typically been assessed with instruments that are not fully tested for validity. In the present study, an instrument was developed; and its reliability, item difficulty, and item discrimination were computed and examined to identify model fit by applying exploratory factor analysis. Such analyses showed that the instrument demonstrated adequate estimates of reliability in assessing teachers' knowledge of language constructs. The implications for professional development of in-service teachers as well as preservice teacher education are also discussed.

The three current models of identifying learning disabilities: discrepancy model, RtI, and Componential Model of reading are discussed in terms of their utility.

Whether the simple view of reading (SVR) as incorporated in the componential model of reading (CMR) is applicable to other orthographies than English was explored in this study. Spanish, with transparent orthography and Chinese, with opaque orthography were selected because of their diverse characteristics. The first part reports a study of students from grades 2 and 3, whose home language and medium of instruction was Spanish, and were administered tests of decoding, listening, and reading comprehension. A comparison group of 49 children from Grade 2, 54 children from Grade 3, and 55 children from Grade 4, whose home language and instruction was English, were also administered tests of decoding, listening, and reading comprehension. Multiple regression analysis showed that approximately 60% of the variance in reading comprehension of Spanish participants and 50% of the variance in reading comprehension of English participants were explained by decoding and listening comprehension. Furthermore, the performance of third grade Spanish participants resembled that of fourth grade English-speaking participants. In the second study, 102 Chinese students from Grade 2 and 106 students from Grade 4 were administered tasks of Chinese character recognition, reading fluency, listening, and reading comprehension. Multiple regression analyses showed character recognition and listening comprehension accounted for 25% and 42% of the variance in Chinese reading comprehension at Grades 2 and 4 respectively. These results indicate that the simple view of reading is applicable to writing systems other than that of English.

In the transport model for the prediction of the concentration of (137)Cs in milk, the transfer coefficient from feed to milk, F(m), is an important parameter. Site-specific transfer coefficient from feed to cow's milk, for (137)Cs in the Kaiga environment, a nuclear power station site in India, determined over a period of 10 y is presented in this paper. The value is determined from (137)Cs concentration in milk and grass samples of the Kaiga region and the result ranged from 6.43E-03 to 1.09E-02 d l(-1) with a geometric mean value of 8.0E-03 d l(-1). The result is compared with that for (40)K, determined concurrently at the same region and ranged from 3.06E-03 to 3.48E-03 d l(-1) with a geometric mean value of 3.26E-03 d l(-1). This parameter is quite useful in decision-making for implementing countermeasures during a large area contamination with (137)Cs in tropical areas like Kaiga.