From black box to toolbox: Outlining device functionality, engagement activities, and the pervasive information architecture of mHealth interventions.

PubMed

Danaher, Brian G; Brendryen, Håvar; Seeley, John R; Tyler, Milagra S; Woolley, Tim

2015-03-01

mHealth interventions that deliver content via mobile phones represent a burgeoning area of health behavior change. The current paper examines two themes that can inform the underlying design of mHealth interventions: (1) mobile device functionality, which represents the technological toolbox available to intervention developers; and (2) the pervasive information architecture of mHealth interventions, which determines how intervention content can be delivered concurrently using mobile phones, personal computers, and other devices. We posit that developers of mHealth interventions will be better able to achieve the promise of this burgeoning arena by leveraging the toolbox and functionality of mobile devices in order to engage participants and encourage meaningful behavior change within the context of a carefully designed pervasive information architecture.

How unrealistic optimism is maintained in the face of reality.

PubMed

Sharot, Tali; Korn, Christoph W; Dolan, Raymond J

2011-10-09

Unrealistic optimism is a pervasive human trait that influences domains ranging from personal relationships to politics and finance. How people maintain unrealistic optimism, despite frequently encountering information that challenges those biased beliefs, is unknown. We examined this question and found a marked asymmetry in belief updating. Participants updated their beliefs more in response to information that was better than expected than to information that was worse. This selectivity was mediated by a relative failure to code for errors that should reduce optimism. Distinct regions of the prefrontal cortex tracked estimation errors when those called for positive update, both in individuals who scored high and low on trait optimism. However, highly optimistic individuals exhibited reduced tracking of estimation errors that called for negative update in right inferior prefrontal gyrus. These findings indicate that optimism is tied to a selective update failure and diminished neural coding of undesirable information regarding the future.

Pairing Animal Cartoon Characters With Produce Stimulates Selection Among Child Zoo Visitors

PubMed Central

Karpyn, Allison; Allen, Michael; Marks, Samantha; Filion, Nicole; Humphrey, Debora; Ye, Ai; May, Henry; Gardner, Meryl P.

2017-01-01

In order to address the pervasive trend of underconsumption of fruits and vegetables among children, we examined the hypothesis that children would be more likely to select fruits (apple slices, bananas, and oranges) and vegetables (baby carrots) when paired with animal cartoon image than when available without the character image. Tested in a randomized experiment using counterbalancing, products were arranged on two tables at two separate family fun nights held at a local zoo. Animal character produce parings were manipulated by placing one of two animals (tamarin or iguana) next to two of the four fruit or vegetable selections at each table, and by changing when available without the image. In total, 755 produce selections were made. Significantly more products paired with a character were selected (62.38%) than the same products, not paired (37.62%), χ2 = 46.32, df = 1, p < .001. The odds ratio of the treatment versus control was 1.66 (i.e., 471/284), indicating that children were 66% more likely to select a snack when paired with an animal cartoon. Study findings highlight the positive impact of animal cartoons on children’s fruit and vegetable snack selections, and results suggest the potential for using animal cartoons to encourage fruit and vegetable selection for children. PMID:27866159

Pairing Animal Cartoon Characters With Produce Stimulates Selection Among Child Zoo Visitors.

PubMed

Karpyn, Allison; Allen, Michael; Marks, Samantha; Filion, Nicole; Humphrey, Debora; Ye, Ai; May, Henry; Gardner, Meryl P

2017-08-01

In order to address the pervasive trend of underconsumption of fruits and vegetables among children, we examined the hypothesis that children would be more likely to select fruits (apple slices, bananas, and oranges) and vegetables (baby carrots) when paired with animal cartoon image than when available without the character image. Tested in a randomized experiment using counterbalancing, products were arranged on two tables at two separate family fun nights held at a local zoo. Animal character produce parings were manipulated by placing one of two animals (tamarin or iguana) next to two of the four fruit or vegetable selections at each table, and by changing when available without the image. In total, 755 produce selections were made. Significantly more products paired with a character were selected (62.38%) than the same products, not paired (37.62%), χ 2 = 46.32, df = 1, p < .001. The odds ratio of the treatment versus control was 1.66 (i.e., 471/284), indicating that children were 66% more likely to select a snack when paired with an animal cartoon. Study findings highlight the positive impact of animal cartoons on children's fruit and vegetable snack selections, and results suggest the potential for using animal cartoons to encourage fruit and vegetable selection for children.

Conduct problems and level of social competence in Head Start children: prevalence, pervasiveness, and associated risk factors.

PubMed

Webster-Stratton, C; Hammond, M

1998-06-01

The purpose of the current project was to determine the prevalence of conduct problems, low social competence, and associated risk factors in a sample of 4-year-old low-income children (N = 426) from 64 Head Start classrooms in the Seattle area. Conduct problems and social competence were assessed based on a combination of teacher reports, parent reports, and independent observations of children interacting with peers in the classroom and with parents at home. We examined the relative contribution of a variety of risk factors, including maternal history and socioeconomic background, current levels of stress and social support, mothers' emotional state, and parenting competence in relation to "pervasive" (i.e., at home and school) and "nonpervasive" conduct problems and low social competence. Findings indicated similar risk factors for conduct problems and for low social competence, with an ordered increase in the number of risk factors from normal to "nonpervasive" to "pervasive" groups. Harshness of parenting style (i.e., slapping, hitting, yelling) significantly distinguished between the three groups for low social competence and conduct problems. Positive affect, praise, and physical warmth from mothers were positively related to social competence but unrelated to conduct problems.

Nonadaptive radiation: Pervasive diet specialization by drift in scale insects?

PubMed

Hardy, Nate B; Peterson, Daniel A; Normark, Benjamin B

2016-10-01

At least half of metazoan species are herbivorous insects. Why are they so diverse? Most herbivorous insects feed on few plant species, and adaptive host specialization is often invoked to explain their diversification. Nevertheless, it is possible that the narrow host ranges of many herbivorous insects are nonadaptive. Here, we test predictions of this hypothesis with comparative phylogenetic analyses of scale insects, a group for which there appear to be few host-use trade-offs that would select against polyphagy, and for which passive wind-dispersal should make host specificity costly. We infer a strong positive relationship between host range and diversification rate, and a marked asymmetry in cladogenetic changes in diet breadth. These results are consonant with a system of pervasive nonadaptive host specialization in which small, drift- and extinction-prone populations are frequently isolated from persistent and polyphagous source populations. They also contrast with the negative relationship between diet breadth and taxonomic diversification that has been estimated in butterflies, a disparity that likely stems from differences in the average costs and benefits of host specificity and generalism in scale insects versus butterflies. Our results indicate the potential for nonadaptive processes to be important to diet-breadth evolution and taxonomic diversification across herbivorous insects. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Subliminal Priming of Actions Influences Sense of Control over Effects of Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wenke, Dorit; Fleming, Stephen M.; Haggard, Patrick

2010-01-01

The experience of controlling one's own actions, and through them events in the outside world, is a pervasive feature of human mental life. Two experiments investigated the relation between this sense of control and the internal processes involved in action selection and cognitive control. Action selection was manipulated by subliminally priming…

Changing Minds with the Story of Adaptation: Strategies for Teaching Young Children about Natural Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emmons, Natalie; Smith, Hayley; Kelemen, Deborah

2016-01-01

Research Findings: Educational guidelines recommend a delayed, piecemeal approach to instruction on adaptation by natural selection. This approach is questionable given suggestions that older students' pervasive misunderstandings about adaptation are rooted in cognitive biases that develop early. In response to this, Kelemen et al. (2014) recently…

Capsid coding region diversity of re-emerging lineage C foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype Asia1 from India.

PubMed

Subramaniam, Saravanan; Mohapatra, Jajati K; Das, Biswajit; Sharma, Gaurav K; Biswal, Jitendra K; Mahajan, Sonalika; Misri, Jyoti; Dash, Bana B; Pattnaik, Bramhadev

2015-07-01

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype Asia1 was first reported in India in 1951, where three major genetic lineages (B, C and D) of this serotype have been described until now. In this study, the capsid protein coding region of serotype Asia1 viruses (n = 99) from India were analyzed, giving importance to the viruses circulating since 2007. All of the isolates (n = 50) recovered during 2007-2013 were found to group within the re-emerging cluster of lineage C (designated as sublineage C(R)). The evolutionary rate of sublineage C(R) was estimated to be slightly higher than that of the serotype as a whole, and the time of the most recent common ancestor for this cluster was estimated to be approximately 2001. In comparison to the older isolates of lineage C (1993-2001), the re-emerging viruses showed variation at eight amino acid positions, including substitutions at the antigenically critical residues VP279 and VP2131. However, no direct correlation was found between sequence variations and antigenic relationships. The number of codons under positive selection and the nature of the selection pressure varied widely among the structural proteins, implying a heterogeneous pattern of evolution in serotype Asia1. While episodic diversifying selection appears to play a major role in shaping the evolution of VP1 and VP3, selection pressure acting on codons of VP2 is largely pervasive. Further, episodic positive selection appears to be responsible for the early diversification of lineage C. Recombination events identified in the structural protein coding region indicates its probable role in adaptive evolution of serotype Asia1 viruses.

Genome-wide signatures of complex introgression and adaptive evolution in the big cats

PubMed Central

Figueiró, Henrique V.; Li, Gang; Trindade, Fernanda J.; Assis, Juliana; Pais, Fabiano; Fernandes, Gabriel; Santos, Sarah H. D.; Hughes, Graham M.; Komissarov, Aleksey; Antunes, Agostinho; Trinca, Cristine S.; Rodrigues, Maíra R.; Linderoth, Tyler; Bi, Ke; Silveira, Leandro; Azevedo, Fernando C. C.; Kantek, Daniel; Ramalho, Emiliano; Brassaloti, Ricardo A.; Villela, Priscilla M. S.; Nunes, Adauto L. V.; Teixeira, Rodrigo H. F.; Morato, Ronaldo G.; Loska, Damian; Saragüeta, Patricia; Gabaldón, Toni; Teeling, Emma C.; O’Brien, Stephen J.; Nielsen, Rasmus; Coutinho, Luiz L.; Oliveira, Guilherme; Murphy, William J.; Eizirik, Eduardo

2017-01-01

The great cats of the genus Panthera comprise a recent radiation whose evolutionary history is poorly understood. Their rapid diversification poses challenges to resolving their phylogeny while offering opportunities to investigate the historical dynamics of adaptive divergence. We report the sequence, de novo assembly, and annotation of the jaguar (Panthera onca) genome, a novel genome sequence for the leopard (Panthera pardus), and comparative analyses encompassing all living Panthera species. Demographic reconstructions indicated that all of these species have experienced variable episodes of population decline during the Pleistocene, ultimately leading to small effective sizes in present-day genomes. We observed pervasive genealogical discordance across Panthera genomes, caused by both incomplete lineage sorting and complex patterns of historical interspecific hybridization. We identified multiple signatures of species-specific positive selection, affecting genes involved in craniofacial and limb development, protein metabolism, hypoxia, reproduction, pigmentation, and sensory perception. There was remarkable concordance in pathways enriched in genomic segments implicated in interspecies introgression and in positive selection, suggesting that these processes were connected. We tested this hypothesis by developing exome capture probes targeting ~19,000 Panthera genes and applying them to 30 wild-caught jaguars. We found at least two genes (DOCK3 and COL4A5, both related to optic nerve development) bearing significant signatures of interspecies introgression and within-species positive selection. These findings indicate that post-speciation admixture has contributed genetic material that facilitated the adaptive evolution of big cat lineages. PMID:28776029

The social environment of schools and adolescent nutrition: associations between the school nutrition climate and adolescents' eating behaviors and body mass index.

PubMed

Cvjetan, Branko; Utter, Jennifer; Robinson, Elizabeth; Denny, Simon

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine the association between the school nutrition climate and students' eating behaviors and body mass index (BMI). Data were collected as part of Youth'07, a nationally representative health survey of high school students in New Zealand. Overall, 9107 randomly selected students from 96 randomly selected schools participated. School-level measures were created by aggregating students' reports within schools. Analyses were conducted using multilevel modeling, accounting for student-level characteristics. There was a positive association between the school nutrition climate and students' consumption of fruits and vegetables. This relationship was statistically significant after controlling for the background characteristics of students. There were no associations between the school nutrition climate and students' junk food consumption or BMI. The school nutrition climate appears to have a positive influence on adolescents' healthy eating behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake), but a limited effect on unhealthy eating behaviors and ultimately body weight. This may reflect the pervasiveness of junk food in the environments of adolescents outside of school and the difficulty in limiting its consumption. © 2014, American School Health Association.

The Silent Minority: Supporting Students with Selective Mutism Using Systemic Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Zena

2017-01-01

Selective Mutism (SM) is an under-researched area of child development. While the incidence rate is low, the impact of this difficulty can be pervasive and can present as a significant risk for student mental health and wellbeing. The following article presents a case study focusing on parent-student intervention for a preadolescent male, using an…

Pairing Animal Cartoon Characters with Produce Stimulates Selection among Child Zoo Visitors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karpyn, Allison; Allen, Michael; Marks, Samantha; Filion, Nicole; Humphrey, Debora; Ye, Ai; May, Henry; Gardner, Meryl P.

2017-01-01

In order to address the pervasive trend of underconsumption of fruits and vegetables among children, we examined the hypothesis that children would be more likely to select fruits (apple slices, bananas, and oranges) and vegetables (baby carrots) when paired with animal cartoon image than when available without the character image. Tested in a…

The selective preservation of colour naming in semantic dementia.

PubMed

Robinson, G; Cipolotti, L

2001-01-01

This paper documents a series of seven patients with semantic dementia who showed a selective preservation in colour naming. This was in the context of a pervasive impairment in naming nouns across a wide range of other semantic categories. To our knowledge, this is the first series of patients with semantic dementia documenting a selective preservation of colour naming. These findings are discussed in the light of current theoretical accounts of category-specific effects and the possible contribution of imageability to this selective preservation of colours.

The Importance of a Team Approach in Working Effectively with Selective Mutism: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borger, Gary W.; Bartley, Dana L.; Armstrong, Norma; Kaatz, Debra; Benson, Dave

2007-01-01

Selective Mutism (SM) in children and adolescents is characterized by a persistent failure to speak in certain social situations including at school or with friends despite the ability to speak and comprehend language. Not due to a specific communication disorder, SM is actually a pervasive psychological problem that lies along the continuum of…

The Myth of Optimality in Clinical Neuroscience.

PubMed

Holmes, Avram J; Patrick, Lauren M

2018-03-01

Clear evidence supports a dimensional view of psychiatric illness. Within this framework the expression of disorder-relevant phenotypes is often interpreted as a breakdown or departure from normal brain function. Conversely, health is reified, conceptualized as possessing a single ideal state. We challenge this concept here, arguing that there is no universally optimal profile of brain functioning. The evolutionary forces that shape our species select for a staggering diversity of human behaviors. To support our position we highlight pervasive population-level variability within large-scale functional networks and discrete circuits. We propose that, instead of examining behaviors in isolation, psychiatric illnesses can be best understood through the study of domains of functioning and associated multivariate patterns of variation across distributed brain systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neural basis of stereotype-induced shifts in women's mental rotation performance

PubMed Central

Helt, Molly; Jacobs, Emily; Sullivan, Kerry

2007-01-01

Recent negative focus on women's academic abilities has fueled disputes over gender disparities in the sciences. The controversy derives, in part, from women's relatively poorer performance in aptitude tests, many of which require skills of spatial reasoning. We used functional magnetic imaging to examine the neural structure underlying shifts in women's performance of a spatial reasoning task induced by positive and negative stereotypes. Three groups of participants performed a task involving imagined rotations of the self. Prior to scanning, the positive stereotype group was exposed to a false but plausible stereotype of women's superior perspective-taking abilities; the negative stereotype group was exposed to the pervasive stereotype that men outperform women on spatial tasks; and the control group received neutral information. The significantly poorer performance we found in the negative stereotype group corresponded to increased activation in brain regions associated with increased emotional load. In contrast, the significantly improved performance we found in the positive stereotype group was associated with increased activation in visual processing areas and, to a lesser degree, complex working memory processes. These findings suggest that stereotype messages affect the brain selectively, with positive messages producing relatively more efficient neural strategies than negative messages. PMID:18985116

Neural basis of stereotype-induced shifts in women's mental rotation performance.

PubMed

Wraga, Maryjane; Helt, Molly; Jacobs, Emily; Sullivan, Kerry

2007-03-01

Recent negative focus on women's academic abilities has fueled disputes over gender disparities in the sciences. The controversy derives, in part, from women's relatively poorer performance in aptitude tests, many of which require skills of spatial reasoning. We used functional magnetic imaging to examine the neural structure underlying shifts in women's performance of a spatial reasoning task induced by positive and negative stereotypes. Three groups of participants performed a task involving imagined rotations of the self. Prior to scanning, the positive stereotype group was exposed to a false but plausible stereotype of women's superior perspective-taking abilities; the negative stereotype group was exposed to the pervasive stereotype that men outperform women on spatial tasks; and the control group received neutral information. The significantly poorer performance we found in the negative stereotype group corresponded to increased activation in brain regions associated with increased emotional load. In contrast, the significantly improved performance we found in the positive stereotype group was associated with increased activation in visual processing areas and, to a lesser degree, complex working memory processes. These findings suggest that stereotype messages affect the brain selectively, with positive messages producing relatively more efficient neural strategies than negative messages.

Deriving Requirements for Pervasive Well-Being Technology From Work Stress and Intervention Theory: Framework and Case Study.

PubMed

Koldijk, Saskia; Kraaij, Wessel; Neerincx, Mark A

2016-07-05

Stress in office environments is a big concern, often leading to burn-out. New technologies are emerging, such as easily available sensors, contextual reasoning, and electronic coaching (e-coaching) apps. In the Smart Reasoning for Well-being at Home and at Work (SWELL) project, we explore the potential of using such new pervasive technologies to provide support for the self-management of well-being, with a focus on individuals' stress-coping. Ideally, these new pervasive systems should be grounded in existing work stress and intervention theory. However, there is a large diversity of theories and they hardly provide explicit directions for technology design. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive and concise framework that can be used to design pervasive technologies that support knowledge workers to decrease stress. Based on a literature study we identify concepts relevant to well-being at work and select different work stress models to find causes of work stress that can be addressed. From a technical perspective, we then describe how sensors can be used to infer stress and the context in which it appears, and use intervention theory to further specify interventions that can be provided by means of pervasive technology. The resulting general framework relates several relevant theories: we relate "engagement and burn-out" to "stress", and describe how relevant aspects can be quantified by means of sensors. We also outline underlying causes of work stress and how these can be addressed with interventions, in particular utilizing new technologies integrating behavioral change theory. Based upon this framework we were able to derive requirements for our case study, the pervasive SWELL system, and we implemented two prototypes. Small-scale user studies proved the value of the derived technology-supported interventions. The presented framework can be used to systematically develop theory-based technology-supported interventions to address work stress. In the area of pervasive systems for well-being, we identified the following six key research challenges and opportunities: (1) performing multi-disciplinary research, (2) interpreting personal sensor data, (3) relating measurable aspects to burn-out, (4) combining strengths of human and technology, (5) privacy, and (6) ethics.

But for the Bad, There Would Not Be Good: Grounding Valence in Brightness through Shared Relational Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakens, Daniel; Semin, Gun R.; Foroni, Francesco

2012-01-01

Light and dark are used pervasively to represent positive and negative concepts. Recent studies suggest that black and white stimuli are automatically associated with negativity and positivity. However, structural factors in experimental designs, such as the shared opposition in the valence (good vs. bad) and brightness (light vs. dark) dimensions…

Adaptation and Cultural Diffusion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ormrod, Richard K.

1992-01-01

Explores the role of adaptation in cultural diffusion. Explains that adaptation theory recognizes the lack of independence between innovations and their environmental settings. Discusses testing and selection, modification, motivation, and cognition. Suggests that adaptation effects are pervasive in cultural diffusion but require a broader, more…

Differentiated adaptive evolution, episodic relaxation of selective constraints, and pseudogenization of umami and sweet taste genes TAS1Rs in catarrhine primates.

PubMed

Liu, Guangjian; Walter, Lutz; Tang, Suni; Tan, Xinxin; Shi, Fanglei; Pan, Huijuan; Roos, Christian; Liu, Zhijin; Li, Ming

2014-01-01

Umami and sweet tastes are two important basic taste perceptions that allow animals to recognize diets with nutritious carbohydrates and proteins, respectively. Until recently, analyses of umami and sweet taste were performed on various domestic and wild animals. While most of these studies focused on the pseudogenization of taste genes, which occur mostly in carnivores and species with absolute feeding specialization, omnivores and herbivores were more or less neglected. Catarrhine primates are a group of herbivorous animals (feeding mostly on plants) with significant divergence in dietary preference, especially the specialized folivorous Colobinae. Here, we conducted the most comprehensive investigation to date of selection pressure on sweet and umami taste genes (TAS1Rs) in catarrhine primates to test whether specific adaptive evolution occurred during their diversification, in association with particular plant diets. We documented significant relaxation of selective constraints on sweet taste gene TAS1R2 in the ancestral branch of Colobinae, which might correlate with their unique ingestion and digestion of leaves. Additionally, we identified positive selection acting on Cercopithecidae lineages for the umami taste gene TAS1R1, on the Cercopithecinae and extant Colobinae and Hylobatidae lineages for TAS1R2, and on Macaca lineages for TAS1R3. Our research further identified several site mutations in Cercopithecidae, Colobinae and Pygathrix, which were detected by previous studies altering the sensitivity of receptors. The positively selected sites were located mostly on the extra-cellular region of TAS1Rs. Among these positively selected sites, two vital sites for TAS1R1 and four vital sites for TAS1R2 in extra-cellular region were identified as being responsible for the binding of certain sweet and umami taste molecules through molecular modelling and docking. Our results suggest that episodic and differentiated adaptive evolution of TAS1Rs pervasively occurred in catarrhine primates, most concentrated upon the extra-cellular region of TAS1Rs.

Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volkmar, Fred R.; Lord, Catherine; Bailey, Anthony; Schultz, Robert T.; Klin, Ami

2004-01-01

The quantity and quality of research into autism and related conditions have increased dramatically in recent years. Consequently we selectively review key accomplishments and highlight directions for future research. More consistent approaches to diagnosis and more rigorous assessment methods have significantly advanced research, although the…

Aversive Intervention: Research and Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Deanna K.; Kohler, Patty

2012-01-01

From the beginning of time, there has been a pervasive interest in getting some members of the human race to conform to the wishes of other members of the human race. The use of positive as well as not so positive methods have been utilized, researched and espoused upon. The current paper presents a review of the vast literature on the history of…

Towards pervasive computing in health care - a literature review.

PubMed

Orwat, Carsten; Graefe, Andreas; Faulwasser, Timm

2008-06-19

The evolving concepts of pervasive computing, ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence are increasingly influencing health care and medicine. Summarizing published research, this literature review provides an overview of recent developments and implementations of pervasive computing systems in health care. It also highlights some of the experiences reported in deployment processes. There is no clear definition of pervasive computing in the current literature. Thus specific inclusion criteria for selecting articles about relevant systems were developed. Searches were conducted in four scientific databases alongside manual journal searches for the period of 2002 to 2006. Articles included present prototypes, case studies and pilot studies, clinical trials and systems that are already in routine use. The searches identified 69 articles describing 67 different systems. In a quantitative analysis, these systems were categorized into project status, health care settings, user groups, improvement aims, and systems features (i.e., component types, data gathering, data transmission, systems functions). The focus is on the types of systems implemented, their frequency of occurrence and their characteristics. Qualitative analyses were performed of deployment issues, such as organizational and personnel issues, privacy and security issues, and financial issues. This paper provides a comprehensive access to the literature of the emerging field by addressing specific topics of application settings, systems features, and deployment experiences. Both an overview and an analysis of the literature on a broad and heterogeneous range of systems are provided. Most systems are described in their prototype stages. Deployment issues, such as implications on organization or personnel, privacy concerns, or financial issues are mentioned rarely, though their solution is regarded as decisive in transferring promising systems to a stage of regular operation. There is a need for further research on the deployment of pervasive computing systems, including clinical studies, economic and social analyses, user studies, etc.

Directed Selection of Biochars for Amending Metal Contaminated Mine Soils

EPA Science Inventory

Approximately 500,000 abandoned mines across the U.S. pose a considerable, pervasive risk to human health and the environment. World-wide the problem is even larger. Lime, organic matter, biosolids and other amendments have been used to decrease metal bioavailability in contami...

Optimal selection of biochars for remediating metals contaminated mine soils

EPA Science Inventory

Approximately 500,000 abandoned mines across the U.S. pose a considerable, pervasive risk to human health and the environment due to possible exposure to the residuals of heavy metal extraction. Historically, a variety of chemical and biological methods have been used to reduce ...

Termination factor Rho: From the control of pervasive transcription to cell fate determination in Bacillus subtilis

PubMed Central

Nicolas, Pierre; Repoila, Francis; Bardowski, Jacek; Aymerich, Stéphane

2017-01-01

In eukaryotes, RNA species originating from pervasive transcription are regulators of various cellular processes, from the expression of individual genes to the control of cellular development and oncogenesis. In prokaryotes, the function of pervasive transcription and its output on cell physiology is still unknown. Most bacteria possess termination factor Rho, which represses pervasive, mostly antisense, transcription. Here, we investigate the biological significance of Rho-controlled transcription in the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Rho inactivation strongly affected gene expression in B. subtilis, as assessed by transcriptome and proteome analysis of a rho–null mutant during exponential growth in rich medium. Subsequent physiological analyses demonstrated that a considerable part of Rho-controlled transcription is connected to balanced regulation of three mutually exclusive differentiation programs: cell motility, biofilm formation, and sporulation. In the absence of Rho, several up-regulated sense and antisense transcripts affect key structural and regulatory elements of these differentiation programs, thereby suppressing motility and biofilm formation and stimulating sporulation. We dissected how Rho is involved in the activity of the cell fate decision-making network, centered on the master regulator Spo0A. We also revealed a novel regulatory mechanism of Spo0A activation through Rho-dependent intragenic transcription termination of the protein kinase kinB gene. Altogether, our findings indicate that distinct Rho-controlled transcripts are functional and constitute a previously unknown built-in module for the control of cell differentiation in B. subtilis. In a broader context, our results highlight the recruitment of the termination factor Rho, for which the conserved biological role is probably to repress pervasive transcription, in highly integrated, bacterium-specific, regulatory networks. PMID:28723971

Deriving Requirements for Pervasive Well-Being Technology From Work Stress and Intervention Theory: Framework and Case Study

PubMed Central

Koldijk, Saskia; Kraaij, Wessel

2016-01-01

Background Stress in office environments is a big concern, often leading to burn-out. New technologies are emerging, such as easily available sensors, contextual reasoning, and electronic coaching (e-coaching) apps. In the Smart Reasoning for Well-being at Home and at Work (SWELL) project, we explore the potential of using such new pervasive technologies to provide support for the self-management of well-being, with a focus on individuals' stress-coping. Ideally, these new pervasive systems should be grounded in existing work stress and intervention theory. However, there is a large diversity of theories and they hardly provide explicit directions for technology design. Objective The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive and concise framework that can be used to design pervasive technologies that support knowledge workers to decrease stress. Methods Based on a literature study we identify concepts relevant to well-being at work and select different work stress models to find causes of work stress that can be addressed. From a technical perspective, we then describe how sensors can be used to infer stress and the context in which it appears, and use intervention theory to further specify interventions that can be provided by means of pervasive technology. Results The resulting general framework relates several relevant theories: we relate “engagement and burn-out” to “stress”, and describe how relevant aspects can be quantified by means of sensors. We also outline underlying causes of work stress and how these can be addressed with interventions, in particular utilizing new technologies integrating behavioral change theory. Based upon this framework we were able to derive requirements for our case study, the pervasive SWELL system, and we implemented two prototypes. Small-scale user studies proved the value of the derived technology-supported interventions. Conclusions The presented framework can be used to systematically develop theory-based technology-supported interventions to address work stress. In the area of pervasive systems for well-being, we identified the following six key research challenges and opportunities: (1) performing multi-disciplinary research, (2) interpreting personal sensor data, (3) relating measurable aspects to burn-out, (4) combining strengths of human and technology, (5) privacy, and (6) ethics. PMID:27380749

Examining the Criterion-Related Validity of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMorris, Carly A.; Perry, Adrienne

2015-01-01

The Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory is a questionnaire designed to aid in the diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders or autism spectrum disorders. The Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory assesses adaptive and maladaptive behaviors associated with pervasive developmental disorders and provides an…

Effect of Charcoal Rot on Selected Putative Drought Resistant Soybean Genotypes and Yield.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Charcoal rot (CR), caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. is a pervasive disease of economic significance on soybeans ([(Glycine max (L.) Merr.) that is exacerbated when plants are under stress, especially under heat and drought condition. Thus, the objective of this research was...

Field Education as the Signature Pedagogy of Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wayne, Julianne; Bogo, Marion; Raskin, Miriam

2010-01-01

In its EPAS, CSWE (2008) identifies field education as the signature pedagogy (Shulman, 2005b) of social work education. This article analyzes the field education-signature pedagogy fit. It finds congruence in selected organizational arrangements that are pervasive and routine, and disparities with respect to expectations about public student…

Effects of Fluency Instruction on Selection-Based and Topography-Based Comprehension Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Clarissa S.; Rehfeldt, Ruth Anne

2013-01-01

A multiple probe across participants design was used to assess the effects of an intervention package on reading fluency and section-based and topography-based comprehension tasks. Participants were three adolescents diagnosed with high functioning pervasive developmental disorders. The intervention package consisted of listen passage preview,…

Applications of geographic information systems (GIS) for highway traffic noise analysis : case studies of select transportation agencies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-11-30

Noise from highway traffic can be pervasive in areas near roadways. How and to what extent noise travels is strongly influenced by geospatial features such as terrain and elevation. Thus geographic information systems (GIS), which enable users to mor...

24 CFR 598.110 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tests of pervasive poverty... TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Eligibility Requirements § 598.110 Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress. (a) Pervasive poverty. Pervasive poverty is demonstrated by evidence that: (1...

24 CFR 597.102 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tests of pervasive poverty... ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE DESIGNATIONS Area Requirements § 597.102 Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress. (a) Pervasive poverty. Pervasive poverty shall be demonstrated by the...

Pervasive transcription: detecting functional RNAs in bacteria.

PubMed

Lybecker, Meghan; Bilusic, Ivana; Raghavan, Rahul

2014-01-01

Pervasive, or genome-wide, transcription has been reported in all domains of life. In bacteria, most pervasive transcription occurs antisense to protein-coding transcripts, although recently a new class of pervasive RNAs was identified that originates from within annotated genes. Initially considered to be non-functional transcriptional noise, pervasive transcription is increasingly being recognized as important in regulating gene expression. The function of pervasive transcription is an extensively debated question in the field of transcriptomics and regulatory RNA biology. Here, we highlight the most recent contributions addressing the purpose of pervasive transcription in bacteria and discuss their implications.

Predicting children with pervasive developmental disorders using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition.

PubMed

Koyama, Tomonori; Inada, Naoko; Tsujii, Hiromi; Kurita, Hiroshi

2008-08-01

An original combination score (i.e. the sum of Vocabulary and Comprehension subtracted from the sum of Block Design and Digit Span) was created from the four Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) subtests identified by discriminant analysis on WISC-III data from 139/129 children with/without pervasive developmental disorders (PDD; mean, 8.3/8.1 years) and its utility examined for predicting PDD. Its best cut-off was 2/3, with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 0.68, 0.61, 0.65 and 0.64, respectively. The score seems useful, so long as clinicians are aware of its limitations and use it only as a supplemental measure in PDD diagnosis.

A Conceptual Framework and Principles for Trusted Pervasive Health

PubMed Central

Blobel, Bernd Gerhard; Seppälä, Antto Veikko; Sorvari, Hannu Olavi; Nykänen, Pirkko Anneli

2012-01-01

Background Ubiquitous computing technology, sensor networks, wireless communication and the latest developments of the Internet have enabled the rise of a new concept—pervasive health—which takes place in an open, unsecure, and highly dynamic environment (ie, in the information space). To be successful, pervasive health requires implementable principles for privacy and trustworthiness. Objective This research has two interconnected objectives. The first is to define pervasive health as a system and to understand its trust and privacy challenges. The second goal is to build a conceptual model for pervasive health and use it to develop principles and polices which can make pervasive health trustworthy. Methods In this study, a five-step system analysis method is used. Pervasive health is defined using a metaphor of digital bubbles. A conceptual framework model focused on trustworthiness and privacy is then developed for pervasive health. On that model, principles and rules for trusted information management in pervasive health are defined. Results In the first phase of this study, a new definition of pervasive health was created. Using this model, differences between pervasive health and health care are stated. Reviewed publications demonstrate that the widely used principles of predefined and static trust cannot guarantee trustworthiness and privacy in pervasive health. Instead, such an environment requires personal dynamic and context-aware policies, awareness, and transparency. A conceptual framework model focused on information processing in pervasive health is developed. Using features of pervasive health and relations from the framework model, new principles for trusted pervasive health have been developed. The principles propose that personal health data should be under control of the data subject. The person shall have the right to verify the level of trust of any system which collects or processes his or her health information. Principles require that any stakeholder or system collecting or processing health data must support transparency and shall publish its trust and privacy attributes and even its domain specific policies. Conclusions The developed principles enable trustworthiness and guarantee privacy in pervasive health. The implementation of principles requires new infrastructural services such as trust verification and policy conflict resolution. After implementation, the accuracy and usability of principles should be analyzed. PMID:22481297

A conceptual framework and principles for trusted pervasive health.

PubMed

Ruotsalainen, Pekka Sakari; Blobel, Bernd Gerhard; Seppälä, Antto Veikko; Sorvari, Hannu Olavi; Nykänen, Pirkko Anneli

2012-04-06

Ubiquitous computing technology, sensor networks, wireless communication and the latest developments of the Internet have enabled the rise of a new concept-pervasive health-which takes place in an open, unsecure, and highly dynamic environment (ie, in the information space). To be successful, pervasive health requires implementable principles for privacy and trustworthiness. This research has two interconnected objectives. The first is to define pervasive health as a system and to understand its trust and privacy challenges. The second goal is to build a conceptual model for pervasive health and use it to develop principles and policies which can make pervasive health trustworthy. In this study, a five-step system analysis method is used. Pervasive health is defined using a metaphor of digital bubbles. A conceptual framework model focused on trustworthiness and privacy is then developed for pervasive health. On that model, principles and rules for trusted information management in pervasive health are defined. In the first phase of this study, a new definition of pervasive health was created. Using this model, differences between pervasive health and health care are stated. Reviewed publications demonstrate that the widely used principles of predefined and static trust cannot guarantee trustworthiness and privacy in pervasive health. Instead, such an environment requires personal dynamic and context-aware policies, awareness, and transparency. A conceptual framework model focused on information processing in pervasive health is developed. Using features of pervasive health and relations from the framework model, new principles for trusted pervasive health have been developed. The principles propose that personal health data should be under control of the data subject. The person shall have the right to verify the level of trust of any system which collects or processes his or her health information. Principles require that any stakeholder or system collecting or processing health data must support transparency and shall publish its trust and privacy attributes and even its domain specific policies. The developed principles enable trustworthiness and guarantee privacy in pervasive health. The implementation of principles requires new infrastructural services such as trust verification and policy conflict resolution. After implementation, the accuracy and usability of principles should be analyzed.

Personality Trait Similarity Between Spouses in Four Cultures

PubMed Central

Martin, Thomas A.; H⊆ebí ková, Martina; Urbánek, Tomáš; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Willemsen, Gonneke; Costa, Paul T.

2008-01-01

We examined patterns of trait similarity (assortative mating) in married couples in four cultures, using both self-reports and spouse ratings on versions of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. There was evidence of a subtle but pervasive perceived contrast bias in the spouse rating data. However, there was strong agreement across methods of assessment and moderate agreement across cultures in the pattern of results. Most assortment effects were small, but correlations exceeding .40 were seen for a subset of traits, chiefly from the Openness and Agreeableness domains. Except in Russia, where more positive assortment was seen for younger couples, comparisons of younger and older cohorts showed little systematic difference. This suggested that mate selection, rather than convergence over time, accounted for similarity. Future research on personality similarity in dyads can utilize different designs, but should assess personality at both domain and the facet levels. PMID:18665894

Prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and social responsiveness symptoms of autism: population-based study of young children.

PubMed

El Marroun, Hanan; White, Tonya J H; van der Knaap, Noortje J F; Homberg, Judith R; Fernández, Guillén; Schoemaker, Nikita K; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Hofman, Albert; Verhulst, Frank C; Hudziak, James J; Stricker, Bruno H C; Tiemeier, Henning

2014-08-01

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered safe and are frequently used during pregnancy. However, two case-control studies suggested an association between prenatal SSRI exposure with childhood autism. To prospectively determine whether intra-uterine SSSRI exposure is associated with childhood autistic symptoms in a population-based study. A total of 376 children prenatally exposed to maternal depressive symptoms (no SSRI exposure), 69 children prenatally exposed to SSRIs and 5531 unexposed children were included. Child pervasive developmental and affective problems were assessed by parental report with the Child Behavior Checklist at ages 1.5, 3 and 6. At age 6, we assessed autistic traits using the Social Responsiveness Scale (n = 4264). Prenatal exposure to maternal depressive symptoms without SSRIs was related to both pervasive developmental (odds ratio (OR) = 1.44, 95% CI 1.07-1.93) and affective problems (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.15-1.81). Compared with unexposed children, those prenatally exposed to SSRIs also were at higher risk for developing pervasive developmental problems (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.13-3.47), but not for affective problems. Children prenatally exposed to SSRIs also had more autistic traits (B = 0.15, 95% CI 0.08-0.22) compared with those exposed to depressive symptoms only. Our results suggest an association between prenatal SSRI exposure and autistic traits in children. Prenatal depressive symptoms without SSRI use were also associated with autistic traits, albeit this was weaker and less specific. Long-term drug safety trials are needed before evidence-based recommendations are possible. Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Commentary: Considerations on the Pharmacological Treatment of Compulsions and Stereotypies with Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Pervasive Developmental Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, C. T.

2000-01-01

This commentary discusses study results that indicate the nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) clomipramine is more efficacious than the relatively selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine and placebo in treating repetitive or ritualized behaviors in children with autism. The need for concurrent genetic and biochemical…

Hispanics: A Diverse Population of Students to Influence the Landscape of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Jill

2013-01-01

Hispanic students are a growing and pervasive population within higher education. This position paper examines population characteristics and educational patterns of Hispanic students that underscore failures of the higher education system in serving these students, in addition to institutional issues and cultural values that further complicate…

Brief Report: Asperger's Syndrome and Sibling Birth Order

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Karmen; Zimmerman, Andrew; Bauman, Margaret; Ferrone, Christine; Venter, Jacob; Spybrook, Jessaca; Henry, Charles

2013-01-01

Prior investigations suggest that birth order position may be associated with the risk for developing a pervasive developmental disorder. This retrospective chart review examined the birth order status of 29 psychiatrically-referred patients with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Eighty-six percent of the subjects were first born. The finding was…

Investigation of Teachers' Attitudes towards Computer Use in Primary Education in Kurdistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balisane, Hewa

2015-01-01

Technological advances have pervasively changed our behaviours, beliefs and approaches in working, socialising and entertaining. Educators, including those in primary education, have acknowledged the positive effects of computer use in the classroom in various ways. With regard to pedagogical consideration, primary school teachers have adopted…

Responding to the Challenges of Inclusion in Irish Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Thérèse; Prunty, Anita

2015-01-01

While much progress has been made in relation to including students in mainstream education in Ireland, significant challenges remain. Despite positive attitudes, the implementation of effective inclusive practice at school level persists as one of the most pervasive challenges. This study investigated how six Irish schools, three primary and…

Towards pervasive computing in health care – A literature review

PubMed Central

Orwat, Carsten; Graefe, Andreas; Faulwasser, Timm

2008-01-01

Background The evolving concepts of pervasive computing, ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence are increasingly influencing health care and medicine. Summarizing published research, this literature review provides an overview of recent developments and implementations of pervasive computing systems in health care. It also highlights some of the experiences reported in deployment processes. Methods There is no clear definition of pervasive computing in the current literature. Thus specific inclusion criteria for selecting articles about relevant systems were developed. Searches were conducted in four scientific databases alongside manual journal searches for the period of 2002 to 2006. Articles included present prototypes, case studies and pilot studies, clinical trials and systems that are already in routine use. Results The searches identified 69 articles describing 67 different systems. In a quantitative analysis, these systems were categorized into project status, health care settings, user groups, improvement aims, and systems features (i.e., component types, data gathering, data transmission, systems functions). The focus is on the types of systems implemented, their frequency of occurrence and their characteristics. Qualitative analyses were performed of deployment issues, such as organizational and personnel issues, privacy and security issues, and financial issues. This paper provides a comprehensive access to the literature of the emerging field by addressing specific topics of application settings, systems features, and deployment experiences. Conclusion Both an overview and an analysis of the literature on a broad and heterogeneous range of systems are provided. Most systems are described in their prototype stages. Deployment issues, such as implications on organization or personnel, privacy concerns, or financial issues are mentioned rarely, though their solution is regarded as decisive in transferring promising systems to a stage of regular operation. There is a need for further research on the deployment of pervasive computing systems, including clinical studies, economic and social analyses, user studies, etc. PMID:18565221

Pervasive genetic integration directs the evolution of human skull shape.

PubMed

Martínez-Abadías, Neus; Esparza, Mireia; Sjøvold, Torstein; González-José, Rolando; Santos, Mauro; Hernández, Miquel; Klingenberg, Christian Peter

2012-04-01

It has long been unclear whether the different derived cranial traits of modern humans evolved independently in response to separate selection pressures or whether they resulted from the inherent morphological integration throughout the skull. In a novel approach to this issue, we combine evolutionary quantitative genetics and geometric morphometrics to analyze genetic and phenotypic integration in human skull shape. We measured human skulls in the ossuary of Hallstatt (Austria), which offer a unique opportunity because they are associated with genealogical data. Our results indicate pronounced covariation of traits throughout the skull. Separate simulations of selection for localized shape changes corresponding to some of the principal derived characters of modern human skulls produced outcomes that were similar to each other and involved a joint response in all of these traits. The data for both genetic and phenotypic shape variation were not consistent with the hypothesis that the face, cranial base, and cranial vault are completely independent modules but relatively strongly integrated structures. These results indicate pervasive integration in the human skull and suggest a reinterpretation of the selective scenario for human evolution where the origin of any one of the derived characters may have facilitated the evolution of the others. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution© 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Pervasive mobile healthcare systems for chronic disease monitoring.

PubMed

Huzooree, Geshwaree; Kumar Khedo, Kavi; Joonas, Noorjehan

2017-05-01

Pervasive mobile healthcare system has the potential to improve healthcare and the quality of life of chronic disease patients through continuous monitoring. Recently, many articles related to pervasive mobile healthcare system focusing on health monitoring using wireless technologies have been published. The main aim of this review is to evaluate the state-of-the-art pervasive mobile healthcare systems to identify major technical requirements and design challenges associated with the realization of a pervasive mobile healthcare system. A systematic literature review was conducted over IEEE Xplore Digital Library to evaluate 20 pervasive mobile healthcare systems out of 683 articles from 2011 to 2016. The classification of the pervasive mobile healthcare systems and other important factors are discussed. Potential opportunities and challenges are pointed out for the further deployment of effective pervasive mobile healthcare systems. This article helps researchers in health informatics to have a holistic view toward understanding pervasive mobile healthcare systems and points out new technological trends and design challenges that researchers have to consider when designing such systems for better adoption, usability, and seamless integration.

Fluorine magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurement of brain fluvoxamine and fluoxetine in pediatric patients treated for pervasive developmental disorders.

PubMed

Strauss, Wayne L; Unis, Alan S; Cowan, Charles; Dawson, Geraldine; Dager, Stephen R

2002-05-01

Pediatric populations, including those with autistic disorder or other pervasive developmental disorders, increasingly are being prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Little is known about the age-related brain pharmacokinetics of SSRIs; there is a lack of data regarding optimal dosing of medications for children. The authors used fluorine magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((19)F MRS) to evaluate age effects on whole-brain concentrations of fluvoxamine and fluoxetine in children taking SSRIs. Twenty-one pediatric subjects with diagnoses of autistic disorder or other pervasive developmental disorders, 6-15 years old and stabilized with a consistent dose of fluvoxamine or fluoxetine, were recruited for the study; 16 successfully completed the imaging protocol. Whole-brain drug levels in this group were compared to similarly acquired data from 28 adults. A significant relationship between dose and brain drug concentration was observed for both drugs across the age range studied. Brain fluvoxamine concentration in the children was lower, consistent with a lower dose/body mass drug prescription; when brain concentration was adjusted for dose/mass, age effects were no longer significant. Brain fluoxetine concentration was similar between age groups; no significant age effects on brain fluoxetine drug levels remained after adjustment for dose/mass. Observations of brain fluoxetine bioavailability and elimination half-life also were similar between age groups. These findings suggest that fluvoxamine or fluoxetine prescriptions adjusted for dose/mass are an acceptable treatment approach for medicating children with autistic disorder or other pervasive developmental disorders. It must be determined whether these findings can be generalized to other pediatric populations.

Implicit Goalkeeper Influences on Goal Side Selection in Representative Penalty Kicking Tasks

PubMed Central

Noël, Benjamin; van der Kamp, John; Memmert, Daniel

2015-01-01

In well-controlled lab situations, marginal displacements of the goalkeeper on the goal line affect goal side selection of penalty takers implicitly, that is, without the penalty takers being consciously aware of the displacement. Whether this effect is retained in more representative real-life situations with competing goalkeepers and penalty takers has not been verified. In the current study, penalty takers were instructed to position the goalkeepers at the centre of the goal. They then performed penalty kicks adopting either a keeper independent or a keeper dependent strategy, while goalkeepers actually attempted to save the ball by strategically diving early or late. Analyses of trials in which penalty takers failed to place the goalkeeper in the centre of the goal (although they incorrectly believed they placed the goalkeeper at the centre of the goal) showed that implicit influences of the goalkeeper’s position on goal side selection were overridden by the (conscious) perception of the direction of the goalkeeper’s dive, but only if the penalty takers deliberately monitored the goalkeeper’s action and the goalkeeper committed early enough for penalty takers to respond. In all other combinations of penalty kick and goalkeeper strategies more than 60% of the kicks were directed to the side of the goal with more space. Most importantly, however, the current study shows that influences of implicit perception on the penalty takers’ decision making are rather pervasive considering that many supraliminal sources of information were available. That is, the current study demonstrates that implicit perception retains its influence on decision-making even if other (stronger) stimuli are also present. PMID:26267378

The Health Significance of Positive Emotions in Adulthood and Later Life.

PubMed

Ong, Anthony D; Mroczek, Daniel K; Riffin, Catherine

2011-08-01

A growing body of literature supports a link between positive emotions and health in older adults. In this article, we review evidence of the effects of positive emotions on downstream biological processes and meaningful clinical endpoints, such as adult morbidity and mortality. We then present relevant predictions from lifespan theories that suggest changes in cognition and motivation may play an important role in explaining how positive emotions are well maintained in old age, despite pervasive declines in cognitive processes. We conclude by discussing how the application of psychological theory can inform greater understanding of the adaptive significance of positive emotions in adulthood and later life.

The Health Significance of Positive Emotions in Adulthood and Later Life

PubMed Central

Ong, Anthony D.; Mroczek, Daniel K.; Riffin, Catherine

2011-01-01

A growing body of literature supports a link between positive emotions and health in older adults. In this article, we review evidence of the effects of positive emotions on downstream biological processes and meaningful clinical endpoints, such as adult morbidity and mortality. We then present relevant predictions from lifespan theories that suggest changes in cognition and motivation may play an important role in explaining how positive emotions are well maintained in old age, despite pervasive declines in cognitive processes. We conclude by discussing how the application of psychological theory can inform greater understanding of the adaptive significance of positive emotions in adulthood and later life. PMID:21927620

Parent Involvement in Meaningful Post-School Experiences for Young Adults With IDD and Pervasive Support Needs.

PubMed

Rossetti, Zachary; Lehr, Donna; Pelerin, Dana; Huang, Shuoxi; Lederer, Leslie

2016-08-01

Despite initiatives supporting young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to engage in post-secondary education and integrated employment, those with more intensive support needs are not as easily involved in these post-school experiences. In an effort to learn from positive examples, we examined parent involvement in meaningful post-school experiences by eight young adults with IDD and pervasive support needs. Secondary analysis of data from a prior interview study yielded this smaller sample of eight young adults with meaningful post-school experiences. Their parents were actively involved as fierce advocates and creative problem solvers. The active involvement of parents included: a) attitudinal facilitators, b) advocacy efforts and perceptions, and c) strategic actions. Implications for future research and practice are described.

Pervasive healthcare: paving the way for a pervasive, user-centered and preventive healthcare model.

PubMed

Arnrich, B; Mayora, O; Bardram, J; Tröster, G

2010-01-01

The aging of the population creates pressure on the healthcare systems in various ways. A massive increase of chronic disease conditions and age-related illness are predicted as the dominant forces driving the future health care. The objective of this paper is to present future research demands in pervasive healthcare with the goal to meet the healthcare challenges by paving the way for a pervasive, user-centered and preventive healthcare model. This paper presents recent methodological approaches and proposes future research topics in three areas: i) pervasive, continuous and reliable long-term monitoring systems; ii) prevention through pervasive technology as a key element to maintain lifelong wellness; and iii) design and evaluation methods for ubiquitous, patient-centric technologies. Pervasive technology has been identified as a strong asset for achieving the vision of user-centered preventive healthcare. In order to make this vision a reality, new strategies for design, development and evaluation of technology have to find a common denominator and consequently interoperate. Moreover, the potential of pervasive healthcare technologies offers new opportunities beyond traditional disease treatment and may play a major role in prevention, e.g. motivate healthy behavior and disease prevention throughout all stages of life. In this sense, open challenges in future research have to be addressed such as the variability of health indicators between individuals and the manner in which relevant health indicators are provided to the users in order to maximize their motivation to mitigate or prevent unhealthy behaviors. Additionally, collecting evidence that pervasive technology improves health is seen as one of the toughest challenges. Promising approaches are recently introduced, such as "clinical proof-of-concept" and balanced observational studies. The paper concludes that pervasive healthcare will enable a paradigm shift from the established centralized healthcare model to a pervasive, user-centered and preventive overall lifestyle health management. In order to provide these new opportunities everywhere, anytime and to anyone, future research in the fields of pervasive sensing, pervasive prevention and evaluation of pervasive technology is inevitably needed.

The influence of smoking imagery on the smoking intentions of young people: testing a media interpretation model.

PubMed

McCool, Judith P; Cameron, Linda D; Petrie, Keith J

2005-06-01

To assess a theoretical model of adolescents' exposure to films, perceptions of smoking imagery in film, and smoking intentions. A structured questionnaire was completed by 3041 Year 8 (aged 12 years) and Year 12 (aged 16 years) students from 25 schools in Auckland, New Zealand. The survey assessed the relationships among exposure to films, attitudes about smoking imagery, perceptions of smoking prevalence and its acceptability, and expectations of smoking in the future. Measures included exposure to films, perceived pervasiveness of, and nonchalant attitudes about smoking imagery, identification of positive smoker stereotypes in films, perceived smoking prevalence, judgment of smoking acceptability, and smoking expectations. Path analytic techniques, using multiple regression analyses, were used to test the pattern of associations identified by the media interpretation model. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that film exposure predicted higher levels of perceived smoking prevalence, perceived imagery pervasiveness, and nonchalant attitudes about smoking imagery. Nonchalant attitudes, identification of positive smoker stereotypes, and perceived smoking prevalence predicted judgments of smoking acceptability. Acceptability judgments, identification of positive stereotypes, and perceived smoking prevalence were all positively associated with smoking expectations. The media interpretation model accounted for 24% of the variance in smoking expectations within the total sample. Smoking imagery in film may play a role in the development of smoking intentions through inflating the perception of smoking prevalence and presenting socially attractive images.

Distributed Pervasive Worlds: The Case of Exergames

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laine, Teemu H.; Sedano, Carolina Islas

2015-01-01

Pervasive worlds are computing environments where a virtual world converges with the physical world through context-aware technologies such as sensors. In pervasive worlds, technology is distributed among entities that may be distributed geographically. We explore the concept, possibilities, and challenges of distributed pervasive worlds in a case…

7 CFR 25.102 - Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress... ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Area Requirements § 25.102 Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress. (a) Pervasive poverty. Conditions of poverty must be reasonably distributed throughout the entire nominated area...

Studying the Elusive Experience in Pervasive Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stenros, Jaakko; Waern, Annika; Montola, Markus

2012-01-01

Studying pervasive games is inherently difficult and different from studying computer or board games. This article builds upon the experiences of staging and studying several playful pervasive technology prototypes. It discusses the challenges and pitfalls of evaluating pervasive game prototypes and charts methods that have proven useful in…

Librarians as Agents of Change: Working with Curriculum Committees Using Change Agency Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Travis, Tiffini A.

2008-01-01

As early as 1935, librarians dreamed of seamless integration of information skills into the college curriculum. More than seventy years later, it is disheartening to note that only a select few universities have managed to fully embed information literacy (IL) throughout the curriculum in a strategic and pervasive manner. In a study of campus…

A Feminist Postcolonial Examination of Female Principals' Experiences in South African Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mestry, Raj; Schmidt, Michele

2012-01-01

A central theme that dominates most studies on gender and leadership in education is the emerging tendency towards mitigating pervasive forms of discrimination against females. Yet, women still remain, for the most part, a minority within leadership positions in education. Despite policy initiatives emphasising gender equity, discrimination,…

Gender Differences: An Examination of Computer-Mediated Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Mona Y.

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a pervasive means of communicating in work place, education, and home settings. Males currently occupy approximately 69% of all jobs in the computer industry and only 10% of upper-level positions are occupied by females. Stereotypical perceptions and gendered occupations contribute to the lack of females in…

Resisting "Innovation Talk" in Higher Education Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winslett, Greg

2014-01-01

The exhortation to innovate is a pervasive one that occupies a central position across university mission statements, strategic plans, marketing literature and job titles. This article locates a discourse of innovation within a history of Australian federal higher education policy, a history that may bear similarity with other national contexts.…

Challenging the Pervasiveness of Hypermasculinity and Heteronormativity in an All-Boys' School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickey, Chris; Mooney, Amanda

2018-01-01

There is a rich, albeit chequered, history around single-sex schooling providing an educational option for nurturing the particular educational interests and needs of boys. While all-boys' schools continue to position themselves at the forefront of contemporary masculine endeavour, they are simultaneously forced to fend off accusations that they…

Self-Blame in Rape Victims: A Control-Maintenance Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janoff-Bulman, Ronnie

Two types of self-blame were investigated: characterological self-blame, corresponding to the popular negative view of self-blame; and behavioral self-blame, representing a positive attempt to reestablish a belief in control. Results of a questionnaire completed by rape crisis centers located across the country attest to the pervasiveness of…

Working with Large-Scale Climate Surveys: Reducing Data Complexity to Gain New Insights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatman, Steve

2010-01-01

Although there is agreement that graduating students should be able to function effectively in an increasingly diverse society, there is reasonable difference of opinion regarding how that goal should be accomplished and how progress should be measured. The most pervasive and appealing conventional wisdom is that positive attitudes and behaviors…

Law School Experience in Pervasive Electronic Communications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiels, Rosemary

1994-01-01

Installation of a schoolwide local area computer network at Chicago-Kent College of Law (Illinois) is described. Uses of electronic mail within a course on computer law are described. Additional social, administrative, and research uses of electronic mail are noted as are positive effects and emerging problems (e.g., burdens on recipients and…

An Education of Shared Fates: Recasting Citizenship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DesRoches, Sarah J.

2016-01-01

In this paper I explore how citizenship education might position students as always/everywhere political to diminish the pervasive belief that one either is or is not a "political person." By focusing on how liberal and radical democracy are both necessary frameworks for engaging with issues of power, I address how we might reframe…

Trauma-Sensitive Schools: An Evidence-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plumb, Jacqui L.; Bush, Kelly A.; Kersevich, Sonia E.

2016-01-01

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a common and pervasive problem. There is a positive correlation between ACEs and difficulties across the lifespan. Unlike healthy forms of stress, ACEs have a detrimental impact on the developing brain. There are three types of trauma: acute, chronic, and complex. Most ACEs are considered complex trauma,…

Is Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation an Effective Predictor for Invasive Occipital Nerve Stimulation Treatment Success in Fibromyalgia Patients?

PubMed

Plazier, Mark; Tchen, Stephanie; Ost, Jan; Joos, Kathleen; De Ridder, Dirk; Vanneste, Sven

2015-10-01

Fibromyalgia is a disorder distinguished by pervasive musculoskeletal pain that has pervasive effects on affected individuals magnifying the importance of finding a safe and viable treatment option. The goal of this study is to investigate if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment can predict the outcome of occipital nerve field stimulation (ONFS) via a subcutaneous electrode. Nine patients with fibromyalgia were selected fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology-90 criteria. The patients were implanted with a subcutaneous trial-lead in the C2 dermatome innervated by the occipital nerve. After the treatment phase of ONFS using a C2 implant, each patient participated in three sessions of tDCS. Stimulation outcomes for pain suppression were examined between the two methods to determine possible correlations. Positive correlation of stimulation effect was noted between the numeric rating scale changes for pain obtained by tDCS treatments and short-term measures of ONFS, but no correlation was noted between tDCS and long-term ONFS outcomes. A correlation also was noted between short-term ONS C2 implant pain suppression and long-term ONS C2 implant treatment success. This pilot study suggests that tDCS is a predictive measure for success of OFNS in short-term but cannot be used as a predictive measure for success of long-term OFNS. Our data confirm previous findings that ONFS via an implanted electrode can improve fibromyalgia pain in a placebo-controlled way and exert a long-term pain suppression effect for ONFS via an implanted electrode. © 2015 International Neuromodulation Society.

Dominance Genetic Variance for Traits Under Directional Selection in Drosophila serrata

PubMed Central

Sztepanacz, Jacqueline L.; Blows, Mark W.

2015-01-01

In contrast to our growing understanding of patterns of additive genetic variance in single- and multi-trait combinations, the relative contribution of nonadditive genetic variance, particularly dominance variance, to multivariate phenotypes is largely unknown. While mechanisms for the evolution of dominance genetic variance have been, and to some degree remain, subject to debate, the pervasiveness of dominance is widely recognized and may play a key role in several evolutionary processes. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that the contribution of dominance variance to phenotypic variance may increase with the correlation between a trait and fitness; however, direct tests of this hypothesis are few. Using a multigenerational breeding design in an unmanipulated population of Drosophila serrata, we estimated additive and dominance genetic covariance matrices for multivariate wing-shape phenotypes, together with a comprehensive measure of fitness, to determine whether there is an association between directional selection and dominance variance. Fitness, a trait unequivocally under directional selection, had no detectable additive genetic variance, but significant dominance genetic variance contributing 32% of the phenotypic variance. For single and multivariate morphological traits, however, no relationship was observed between trait–fitness correlations and dominance variance. A similar proportion of additive and dominance variance was found to contribute to phenotypic variance for single traits, and double the amount of additive compared to dominance variance was found for the multivariate trait combination under directional selection. These data suggest that for many fitness components a positive association between directional selection and dominance genetic variance may not be expected. PMID:25783700

Pervasive healthcare as a scientific discipline.

PubMed

Bardram, J E

2008-01-01

The OECD countries are facing a set of core challenges; an increasing elderly population; increasing number of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases; expanding scope of what medicine can do; and increasing lack of medical professionals. Pervasive healthcare asks how pervasive computing technology can be designed to meet these challenges. The objective of this paper is to discuss 'pervasive healthcare' as a research field and tries to establish how novel and distinct it is, compared to related work within biomedical engineering, medical informatics, and ubiquitous computing. The paper presents the research questions, approach, technologies, and methods of pervasive healthcare and discusses these in comparison to those of other related scientific disciplines. A set of central research themes are presented; monitoring and body sensor networks; pervasive assistive technologies; pervasive computing for hospitals; and preventive and persuasive technologies. Two projects illustrate the kind of research being done in pervasive healthcare. The first project is targeted at home-based monitoring of hypertension; the second project is designing context-aware technologies for hospitals. Both projects approach the healthcare challenges in a new way, apply a new type of research method, and come up with new kinds of technological solutions. 'Clinical proof-of-concept' is recommended as a new method for pervasive healthcare research; the method helps design and test pervasive healthcare technologies, and in ascertaining their clinical potential before large-scale clinical tests are needed. The paper concludes that pervasive healthcare as a research field and agenda is novel; it is addressing new emerging research questions, represents a novel approach, designs new types of technologies, and applies a new kind of research method.

Dynamic Pervasive Storytelling in Long Lasting Learning Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pløhn, Trygve; Louchart, Sandy; Aalberg, Trond

2015-01-01

Pervasive gaming is a reality-based gaming genre originating from alternative theatrical forms in which the performance becomes a part of the players' everyday life. In recent years much research has been done on pervasive gaming and its potential applications towards specific domains. Pervasive games have been effective with regards to…

Selection and Neutral Mutations Drive Pervasive Mutability Losses in Long-Lived Anti-HIV B-Cell Lineages

PubMed Central

Vieira, Marcos C; Zinder, Daniel; Cobey, Sarah

2018-01-01

Abstract High-affinity antibodies arise within weeks of infection from the evolution of B-cell receptors under selection to improve antigen recognition. This rapid adaptation is enabled by the distribution of highly mutable “hotspot” motifs in B-cell receptor genes. High mutability in antigen-binding regions (complementarity determining regions [CDRs]) creates variation in binding affinity, whereas low mutability in structurally important regions (framework regions [FRs]) may reduce the frequency of destabilizing mutations. During the response, loss of mutational hotspots and changes in their distribution across CDRs and FRs are predicted to compromise the adaptability of B-cell receptors, yet the contributions of different mechanisms to gains and losses of hotspots remain unclear. We reconstructed changes in anti-HIV B-cell receptor sequences and show that mutability losses were ∼56% more frequent than gains in both CDRs and FRs, with the higher relative mutability of CDRs maintained throughout the response. At least 21% of the total mutability loss was caused by synonymous mutations. However, nonsynonymous substitutions caused most (79%) of the mutability loss in CDRs. Because CDRs also show strong positive selection, this result suggests that selection for mutations that increase binding affinity contributed to loss of mutability in antigen-binding regions. Although recurrent adaptation to evolving viruses could indirectly select for high mutation rates, we found no evidence of indirect selection to increase or retain hotspots. Our results suggest mutability losses are intrinsic to both the neutral and adaptive evolution of B-cell populations and might constrain their adaptation to rapidly evolving pathogens such as HIV and influenza. PMID:29688540

7SK-BAF axis controls pervasive transcription at enhancers

PubMed Central

Flynn, Ryan A.; Do, Brian T.; Rubin, Adam J.; Calo, Eliezer; Lee, Byron; Kuchelmeister, Hannes; Rale, Michael; Chu, Ci; Kool, Eric T.; Wysocka, Joanna; Khavari, Paul A.

2016-01-01

RNA functions at enhancers remain mysterious. Here we show that the 7SK small nuclear RNA (snRNA) inhibits enhancer transcription by modulating nucleosome position. 7SK occupies enhancers and super enhancers genome-wide in mouse and human cells, and 7SK is required to limit eRNA initiation and synthesis in a manner distinct from promoter pausing. Clustered elements at super enhancers uniquely require 7SK to prevent convergent transcription and DNA damage signaling. 7SK physically interacts with the BAF chromatin remodeling complex, recruit BAF to enhancers, and inhibits enhancer transcription by modulating chromatin structure. In turn, 7SK occupancy at enhancers coincides with Brd4 and is exquisitely sensitive to the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1. Thus, 7SK employs distinct mechanisms to counteract diverse consequences of pervasive transcription that distinguish super enhancers, enhancers, and promoters. PMID:26878240

Let it be: A hands-off approach to preserving wildness in protected areas [chapter 6

Treesearch

Peter Landres

2010-01-01

In an era of rapid global climate change and other pervasive anthropogenic ecological insults, many scientists and managers have few qualms about taking action to mitigate the effects of these insults, including in areas that are protected by law as wilderness, wildlife refuges, or national parks. For example, habitat is manipulated to sustain populations of selected...

Impact of Physical, Psychological, and Sexual Violence on Social Adjustment of School Children in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deb, Sibnath; Walsh, Kerryann

2012-01-01

This study sought to understand the pervasiveness and impact of physical, psychological, and sexual violence on the social adjustment of Grade 8 and 9 school children in the state of Tripura, India. The study participants, 160 boys and 160 girls, were randomly selected from classes in eight English and Bengali medium schools in Agartala city,…

Object-based attention benefits reveal selective abnormalities of visual integration in autism.

PubMed

Falter, Christine M; Grant, Kate C Plaisted; Davis, Greg

2010-06-01

A pervasive integration deficit could provide a powerful and elegant account of cognitive processing in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, in the case of visual Gestalt grouping, typically assessed by tasks that require participants explicitly to introspect on their own grouping perception, clear evidence for such a deficit remains elusive. To resolve this issue, we adopt an index of Gestalt grouping from the object-based attention literature that does not require participants to assess their own grouping perception. Children with ASD and mental- and chronological-age matched typically developing children (TD) performed speeded orientation discriminations of two diagonal lines. The lines were superimposed on circles that were either grouped together or segmented on the basis of color, proximity or these two dimensions in competition. The magnitude of performance benefits evident for grouped circles, relative to ungrouped circles, provided an index of grouping under various conditions. Children with ASD showed comparable grouping by proximity to the TD group, but reduced grouping by similarity. ASD seems characterized by a selective bias away from grouping by similarity combined with typical levels of grouping by proximity, rather than by a pervasive integration deficit.

Wearable Therapy - Detecting Information from Wearables and Mobiles that are Relevant to Clinical and Self-directed Therapy.

PubMed

Arnrich, Bert; Ersoy, Cem; Mayora, Oscar; Dey, Anind; Berthouze, Nadia; Kunze, Kai

2017-01-09

This accompanying editorial provides a brief introduction into the focus theme "Wearable Therapy". The focus theme "Wearable Therapy" aims to present contributions which target wearable and mobile technologies to support clinical and self-directed therapy. A call for papers was announced to all participants of the "9th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare" and was published in November 2015. A peer review process was conducted to select the papers for the focus theme. Six papers were selected to be included in this focus theme. The paper topics cover a broad range including an approach to build a health informatics research program, a comprehensive literature review of self-quantification for health self-management, methods for affective state detection of informal care givers, social-aware handling of falls, smart shoes for supporting self-directed therapy of alcohol addicts, and reference information model for pervasive health systems. More empirical evidence is needed that confirms sustainable effects of employing wearable and mobile technology for clinical and self-directed therapy. Inconsistencies between different conceptual approaches need to be revealed in order to enable more systematic investigations and comparisons.

Challenging the Stereotypes about Only Children: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mancillas, Adriean

2006-01-01

The negative stereotypes of only children are pervasive despite a growing trend toward single-child families and evidence of the only child's strengths. People maintain definite beliefs about the characteristics of each ordinal position in a family, typically viewing only children as lonely, spoiled, and maladjusted. The author reviewed the…

Parent Involvement in Meaningful Post-School Experiences for Young Adults with IDD and Pervasive Support Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossetti, Zachary; Lehr, Donna; Pelerin, Dana; Huang, Shuoxi; Lederer, Leslie

2016-01-01

Despite initiatives supporting young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to engage in post-secondary education and integrated employment, those with more intensive support needs are not as easily involved in these post-school experiences. In an effort to learn from positive examples, we examined parent involvement in…

Origins of "Us" versus "Them": Prelinguistic Infants Prefer Similar Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahajan, Neha; Wynn, Karen

2012-01-01

A central feature of human psychology is our pervasive tendency to divide the social world into "us" and "them". We prefer to associate with those who are similar to us over those who are different, preferentially allocate resources to similar others, and hold more positive beliefs about similar others. Here we investigate the developmental…

Integrative Technology-Enhanced Physical Education: An Exploratory Study with Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbee, Stephanie S.

2017-01-01

Wearable technology has made a positive impact in the consumer industry with its focus on adult fitness. Devices and applications are pervasive, inexpensive and are in high demand. Our nation struggles with obesity and health concerns related to poor fitness. However, the research on such technology has been more focused on adults. Therefore, the…

Security Framework for Pervasive Healthcare Architectures Utilizing MPEG-21 IPMP Components.

PubMed

Fragopoulos, Anastasios; Gialelis, John; Serpanos, Dimitrios

2009-01-01

Nowadays in modern and ubiquitous computing environments, it is imperative more than ever the necessity for deployment of pervasive healthcare architectures into which the patient is the central point surrounded by different types of embedded and small computing devices, which measure sensitive physical indications, interacting with hospitals databases, allowing thus urgent medical response in occurrences of critical situations. Such environments must be developed satisfying the basic security requirements for real-time secure data communication, and protection of sensitive medical data and measurements, data integrity and confidentiality, and protection of the monitored patient's privacy. In this work, we argue that the MPEG-21 Intellectual Property Management and Protection (IPMP) components can be used in order to achieve protection of transmitted medical information and enhance patient's privacy, since there is selective and controlled access to medical data that sent toward the hospital's servers.

A high-throughput venom-gland transcriptome for the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) and evidence for pervasive positive selection across toxin classes.

PubMed

Rokyta, Darin R; Wray, Kenneth P; Lemmon, Alan R; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Caudle, S Brian

2011-04-01

Despite causing considerable human mortality and morbidity, animal toxins represent a valuable source of pharmacologically active macromolecules, a unique system for studying molecular adaptation, and a powerful framework for examining structure-function relationships in proteins. Snake venoms are particularly useful in the latter regard as they consist primarily of a moderate number of proteins and peptides that have been found to belong to just a handful of protein families. As these proteins and peptides are produced in dedicated glands, transcriptome sequencing has proven to be an effective approach to identifying the expressed toxin genes. We generated a venom-gland transcriptome for the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) using Roche 454 sequencing technology. In the current work, we focus on transcripts encoding toxins. We identified 40 unique toxin transcripts, 30 of which have full-length coding sequences, and 10 have only partial coding sequences. These toxins account for 24% of the total sequencing reads. We found toxins from 11 previously described families of snake-venom toxins and have discovered two putative, previously undescribed toxin classes. The most diverse and highly expressed toxin classes in the C. adamanteus venom-gland transcriptome are the serine proteinases, metalloproteinases, and C-type lectins. The serine proteinases are the most abundant class, accounting for 35% of the toxin sequencing reads. Metalloproteinases are the most diverse; 11 different forms have been identified. Using our sequences and those available in public databases, we detected positive selection in seven of the eight toxin families for which sufficient sequences were available for the analysis. We find that the vast majority of the genes that contribute directly to this vertebrate trait show evidence for a role for positive selection in their evolutionary history. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex selection: treating different cases differently.

PubMed

Dickens, B M; Serour, G I; Cook, R J; Qiu, R-Z

2005-08-01

This paper contrasts ethical approaches to sex selection in countries where discrimination against women is pervasive, resulting in selection against girl children, and in countries where there is less general discrimination and couples do not prefer children of either sex. National sex ratio imbalances where discrimination against women is common have resulted in laws and policies, such as in India and China, to deter and prevent sex selection. Birth ratios of children can be affected by techniques of prenatal sex determination and abortion, preconception sex selection and discarding disfavored embryos, and prefertilization sperm sorting, when disfavored sperm remain unused. Incentives for son preference are reviewed, and laws and policies to prevent sex selection are explained. The elimination of social, economic and other discrimination against women is urged to redress sex selection against girl children. Where there is no general selection against girl children, sex selection can be allowed to assist families that want children of both sexes.

Pervasive adaptive protein evolution apparent in diversity patterns around amino acid substitutions in Drosophila simulans.

PubMed

Sattath, Shmuel; Elyashiv, Eyal; Kolodny, Oren; Rinott, Yosef; Sella, Guy

2011-02-10

In Drosophila, multiple lines of evidence converge in suggesting that beneficial substitutions to the genome may be common. All suffer from confounding factors, however, such that the interpretation of the evidence-in particular, conclusions about the rate and strength of beneficial substitutions-remains tentative. Here, we use genome-wide polymorphism data in D. simulans and sequenced genomes of its close relatives to construct a readily interpretable characterization of the effects of positive selection: the shape of average neutral diversity around amino acid substitutions. As expected under recurrent selective sweeps, we find a trough in diversity levels around amino acid but not around synonymous substitutions, a distinctive pattern that is not expected under alternative models. This characterization is richer than previous approaches, which relied on limited summaries of the data (e.g., the slope of a scatter plot), and relates to underlying selection parameters in a straightforward way, allowing us to make more reliable inferences about the prevalence and strength of adaptation. Specifically, we develop a coalescent-based model for the shape of the entire curve and use it to infer adaptive parameters by maximum likelihood. Our inference suggests that ∼13% of amino acid substitutions cause selective sweeps. Interestingly, it reveals two classes of beneficial fixations: a minority (approximately 3%) that appears to have had large selective effects and accounts for most of the reduction in diversity, and the remaining 10%, which seem to have had very weak selective effects. These estimates therefore help to reconcile the apparent conflict among previously published estimates of the strength of selection. More generally, our findings provide unequivocal evidence for strongly beneficial substitutions in Drosophila and illustrate how the rapidly accumulating genome-wide data can be leveraged to address enduring questions about the genetic basis of adaptation.

Pervasive and Non-Pervasive Conduct Problems in a Clinic Sample Aged 4-8 Years: Child, Family and Day-Care/School Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drugli, May Britt; Larsson, Bo; Clifford, Graham; Fossum, Sturla

2007-01-01

Differences between pervasive (home and day-care/school) versus non-pervasive (home only) conduct problems were examined in regard to various child, parent/family, and day-care/school characteristics in an outpatient clinic sample of 120 children aged 4-8 years. All children scored above the 90th percentile on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory…

Urban Growth and Decline in the United States: A Study of Migration's Effects in Two Cities. Paper Series No. 5234.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Peter A.

The United States is a highly urbanized nation with space in abundance, yet large portions of its national territory are emptying out. The counterpart of this pervasive population decline is a highly selective pattern of growth, conferred by a national system of migration flows that has increasingly favored a certain few metropolitan areas. This…

The Effects of Ammonium Perchlorate on Reproduction and Development of Amphibians

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Abstract: Ammonium perchlorate is a pervasive pollutant primarily from rocket fuel and fertilizers . It is know , among other things , to affect...females, their ovulated eggs collected, and in vitro fertilization conducted. Healthy ovulated eggs were selected and placed in Petri dishes...used and fertilization accomplished in vitro in the presence of perchlorate concentrations. *These tasks were not completed. Studies with Sodium

Evidence of pervasive biologically functional secondary structures within the genomes of eukaryotic single-stranded DNA viruses.

PubMed

Muhire, Brejnev Muhizi; Golden, Michael; Murrell, Ben; Lefeuvre, Pierre; Lett, Jean-Michel; Gray, Alistair; Poon, Art Y F; Ngandu, Nobubelo Kwanele; Semegni, Yves; Tanov, Emil Pavlov; Monjane, Adérito Luis; Harkins, Gordon William; Varsani, Arvind; Shepherd, Dionne Natalie; Martin, Darren Patrick

2014-02-01

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses have genomes that are potentially capable of forming complex secondary structures through Watson-Crick base pairing between their constituent nucleotides. A few of the structural elements formed by such base pairings are, in fact, known to have important functions during the replication of many ssDNA viruses. Unknown, however, are (i) whether numerous additional ssDNA virus genomic structural elements predicted to exist by computational DNA folding methods actually exist and (ii) whether those structures that do exist have any biological relevance. We therefore computationally inferred lists of the most evolutionarily conserved structures within a diverse selection of animal- and plant-infecting ssDNA viruses drawn from the families Circoviridae, Anelloviridae, Parvoviridae, Nanoviridae, and Geminiviridae and analyzed these for evidence of natural selection favoring the maintenance of these structures. While we find evidence that is consistent with purifying selection being stronger at nucleotide sites that are predicted to be base paired than at sites predicted to be unpaired, we also find strong associations between sites that are predicted to pair with one another and site pairs that are apparently coevolving in a complementary fashion. Collectively, these results indicate that natural selection actively preserves much of the pervasive secondary structure that is evident within eukaryote-infecting ssDNA virus genomes and, therefore, that much of this structure is biologically functional. Lastly, we provide examples of various highly conserved but completely uncharacterized structural elements that likely have important functions within some of the ssDNA virus genomes analyzed here.

Evidence of Pervasive Biologically Functional Secondary Structures within the Genomes of Eukaryotic Single-Stranded DNA Viruses

PubMed Central

Muhire, Brejnev Muhizi; Golden, Michael; Murrell, Ben; Lefeuvre, Pierre; Lett, Jean-Michel; Gray, Alistair; Poon, Art Y. F.; Ngandu, Nobubelo Kwanele; Semegni, Yves; Tanov, Emil Pavlov; Monjane, Adérito Luis; Harkins, Gordon William; Varsani, Arvind; Shepherd, Dionne Natalie

2014-01-01

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses have genomes that are potentially capable of forming complex secondary structures through Watson-Crick base pairing between their constituent nucleotides. A few of the structural elements formed by such base pairings are, in fact, known to have important functions during the replication of many ssDNA viruses. Unknown, however, are (i) whether numerous additional ssDNA virus genomic structural elements predicted to exist by computational DNA folding methods actually exist and (ii) whether those structures that do exist have any biological relevance. We therefore computationally inferred lists of the most evolutionarily conserved structures within a diverse selection of animal- and plant-infecting ssDNA viruses drawn from the families Circoviridae, Anelloviridae, Parvoviridae, Nanoviridae, and Geminiviridae and analyzed these for evidence of natural selection favoring the maintenance of these structures. While we find evidence that is consistent with purifying selection being stronger at nucleotide sites that are predicted to be base paired than at sites predicted to be unpaired, we also find strong associations between sites that are predicted to pair with one another and site pairs that are apparently coevolving in a complementary fashion. Collectively, these results indicate that natural selection actively preserves much of the pervasive secondary structure that is evident within eukaryote-infecting ssDNA virus genomes and, therefore, that much of this structure is biologically functional. Lastly, we provide examples of various highly conserved but completely uncharacterized structural elements that likely have important functions within some of the ssDNA virus genomes analyzed here. PMID:24284329

A Safe Education for All: Recognizing and Stemming Harassment in Music Classes and Ensembles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Bruce Allen

2011-01-01

This article addresses the pervasiveness of harassment in schools in the United States and presents ways to recognize and stem bullying in music classrooms. Music educators are in a unique position to recognize atypical behaviors in their students. Music educators who teach middle and high school ensembles often retain the same students in their…

"It's Different with a Horse": Horses as a Tool for Engagement in a Horse Therapy Program for Marginalised Young People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waite, Catherine; Bourke, Lisa

2013-01-01

The social, emotional, psychological and mental health needs of young people are highlighted in the social agendas of many Western countries. While a range of youth programs have been developed, there are pervasive difficulties achieving young peoples' sustained attention and positive participation in these programs (Santisteban et al. 1996;…

Increasing Cognitive Inhibition with a Difficult Prior Task: Implications for Mathematical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attridge, Nina; Inglis, Matthew

2015-01-01

Dual-process theories posit two distinct types of cognitive processing: Type 1, which does not use working memory making it fast and automatic, and Type 2, which does use working memory making it slow and effortful. Mathematics often relies on the inhibition of pervasive Type 1 processing to apply new skills or knowledge that require Type 2…

Correcting Media Mis-Education: The Portrayal of Smokers and Smoking in Top Grossing Films.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartlett, Alyssa; Brackin, Taryn; Chubb, Jamie; Covata, Sandy; Ferguson, Liz; Hinckley, Adele; Hodges, Jilda; Liberati, Cheryl; Tornetta, Jonette; Chambliss, Catherine

Given that young people are extremely concerned with how they appear socially, beguiling and glamorous portrayals of smokers in recent films may be contributing to the continual rise in college student smoking. The pervasive positive depiction of smokers as attractive and appealing easily preys on young people who lack confidence and self esteem.…

Telling the Truth. A Report on the State of the Humanities in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheney, Lynne V.

This report examines the problem of the pervasiveness of politics in today's higher education, particularly in the humanities, and argues the need for college and university campuses to return to seeking the truth and telling it rather than straying into the position that the aim of education is for students to become politically transformed. Too…

Chapter 3 - Large-scale patterns of forest fire occurrence in the conterminous United States, Alaska and Hawaii, 2016

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter

2018-01-01

As a pervasive disturbance agent operating at many spatial and temporal scales, wildland fire is a key abiotic factor affecting forest health both positively and negatively. In some ecosystems, for example, wildland fires have been essential for regulating processes that maintain forest health (Lundquist and others 2011). Wildland fire is an important ecological...

To stand back or step in? Exploring the responses of employees who observe workplace bullying.

PubMed

MacCurtain, Sarah; Murphy, Caroline; O'Sullivan, Michelle; MacMahon, Juliet; Turner, Tom

2018-01-01

Bullying remains a pervasive problem in healthcare, and evidence suggests systems in place are not utilised due to perceptions of ineffectiveness and inequity. This study examines bystander responses to bullying and factors that influence decisions to intervene. We explore relationships between bystanders' perceptions of psychological safety across three levels (organisation, supervisor and colleague) and reactions to witnessing bullying. We suggest psychological safety would be positively associated with the decision to intervene. Findings indicate the most pervasive reaction to witnessing incidents of bullying is to discuss with colleagues, a low-involvement reaction. We find perceptions of supervisory and organisational safety/support are positively related to high-involvement decisions such as formal reporting of the incidents, highlighting the importance of support from those in power. However, perceptions of collegial support may lead to low-involvement responses, which risk reinforcing and underpinning dysfunctional organisational dynamics by providing informal social and emotional responses that may substitute more formal organisational responses to this persistent problem. This study highlights the importance of support from individuals in power if bystanders are to feel comfortable making high-involvement interventions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dominance genetic variance for traits under directional selection in Drosophila serrata.

PubMed

Sztepanacz, Jacqueline L; Blows, Mark W

2015-05-01

In contrast to our growing understanding of patterns of additive genetic variance in single- and multi-trait combinations, the relative contribution of nonadditive genetic variance, particularly dominance variance, to multivariate phenotypes is largely unknown. While mechanisms for the evolution of dominance genetic variance have been, and to some degree remain, subject to debate, the pervasiveness of dominance is widely recognized and may play a key role in several evolutionary processes. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that the contribution of dominance variance to phenotypic variance may increase with the correlation between a trait and fitness; however, direct tests of this hypothesis are few. Using a multigenerational breeding design in an unmanipulated population of Drosophila serrata, we estimated additive and dominance genetic covariance matrices for multivariate wing-shape phenotypes, together with a comprehensive measure of fitness, to determine whether there is an association between directional selection and dominance variance. Fitness, a trait unequivocally under directional selection, had no detectable additive genetic variance, but significant dominance genetic variance contributing 32% of the phenotypic variance. For single and multivariate morphological traits, however, no relationship was observed between trait-fitness correlations and dominance variance. A similar proportion of additive and dominance variance was found to contribute to phenotypic variance for single traits, and double the amount of additive compared to dominance variance was found for the multivariate trait combination under directional selection. These data suggest that for many fitness components a positive association between directional selection and dominance genetic variance may not be expected. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

Withdrawal Study of Memantine in Pediatric Patients With Autism, Asperger's Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified Previously Treated With Memantine

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-10-31

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Autism; Autistic Disorder; Asperger's Disorder; Asperger's; Pediatric Autism; Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS); Pervasive Child Development Disorder

Performance Analysis of Grey-World-based Feature Detection and Matching for Mobile Positioning Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bejuri, Wan Mohd Yaakob Wan; Mohamad, Mohd Murtadha

2014-11-01

This paper introduces a new grey-world-based feature detection and matching algorithm, intended for use with mobile positioning systems. This approach uses a combination of a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a mobile phone camera to determine positioning in an illumination environment using a practical and pervasive approach. The signal combination is based on retrieved signal strength from the WLAN access point and the image processing information from the building hallways. The results show our method can handle information better than Harlan Hile's method relative to the illumination environment, producing lower illumination error in five (5) different environments.

Factors Influencing the Nutritional Health and Food Choices of African American HIV-Positive Marginally Housed and Homeless Female Substance Abusers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahadevan, Meena; Fisher, Celia B.

2010-01-01

The toll of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse on economically disadvantaged women of color in the United States is a public health problem of epidemic proportions. Malnutrition, believed to be pervasive in this population, exacerbates the devastating health effects of addiction and HIV. This study documented dietary deficiencies in this population and…

Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues

PubMed Central

Cameron, Judy; Banko, Katherine M.; Pierce, W. David

2001-01-01

A major concern in psychology and education is that rewards decrease intrinsic motivation to perform activities. Over the past 30 years, more than 100 experimental studies have been conducted on this topic. In 1994, Cameron and Pierce conducted a meta-analysis of this literature and concluded that negative effects of reward were limited and could be easily prevented in applied settings. A more recent meta-analysis of the literature by Deci, Koestner, and Ryan (1999) shows pervasive negative effects of reward. The purpose of the present article is to resolve differences in previous meta-analytic findings and to provide a meta-analysis of rewards and intrinsic motivation that permits tests of competing theoretical explanations. Our results suggest that in general, rewards are not harmful to motivation to perform a task. Rewards given for low-interest tasks enhance free-choice intrinsic motivation. On high-interest tasks, verbal rewards produce positive effects on free-choice motivation and self-reported task interest. Negative effects are found on high-interest tasks when the rewards are tangible, expected (offered beforehand), and loosely tied to level of performance. When rewards are linked to level of performance, measures of intrinsic motivation increase or do not differ from a nonrewarded control group. Overall, the pattern of results indicates that reward contingencies do not have pervasive negative effects on intrinsic motivation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are addressed. PMID:22478353

Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues.

PubMed

Cameron, J; Banko, K M; Pierce, W D

2001-01-01

A major concern in psychology and education is that rewards decrease intrinsic motivation to perform activities. Over the past 30 years, more than 100 experimental studies have been conducted on this topic. In 1994, Cameron and Pierce conducted a meta-analysis of this literature and concluded that negative effects of reward were limited and could be easily prevented in applied settings. A more recent meta-analysis of the literature by Deci, Koestner, and Ryan (1999) shows pervasive negative effects of reward. The purpose of the present article is to resolve differences in previous meta-analytic findings and to provide a meta-analysis of rewards and intrinsic motivation that permits tests of competing theoretical explanations. Our results suggest that in general, rewards are not harmful to motivation to perform a task. Rewards given for low-interest tasks enhance free-choice intrinsic motivation. On high-interest tasks, verbal rewards produce positive effects on free-choice motivation and self-reported task interest. Negative effects are found on high-interest tasks when the rewards are tangible, expected (offered beforehand), and loosely tied to level of performance. When rewards are linked to level of performance, measures of intrinsic motivation increase or do not differ from a nonrewarded control group. Overall, the pattern of results indicates that reward contingencies do not have pervasive negative effects on intrinsic motivation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are addressed.

Explaining the apparent paradox of persistent selection for early flowering.

PubMed

Austen, Emily J; Rowe, Locke; Stinchcombe, John R; Forrest, Jessica R K

2017-08-01

Decades of observation in natural plant populations have revealed pervasive phenotypic selection for early flowering onset. This consistent pattern seems at odds with life-history theory, which predicts stabilizing selection on age and size at reproduction. Why is selection for later flowering rare? Moreover, extensive evidence demonstrates that flowering time can and does evolve. What maintains ongoing directional selection for early flowering? Several non-mutually exclusive processes can help to reconcile the apparent paradox of selection for early flowering. We outline four: selection through other fitness components may counter observed fecundity selection for early flowering; asymmetry in the flowering-time-fitness function may make selection for later flowering hard to detect; flowering time and fitness may be condition-dependent; and selection on flowering duration is largely unaccounted for. In this Viewpoint, we develop these four mechanisms, and highlight areas where further study will improve our understanding of flowering-time evolution. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Using the theory of reasoned action to predict organizational misbehavior.

PubMed

Vardi, Yoav; Weitz, Ely

2002-12-01

A review of literature on organizational behavior and management on predicting work behavior indicated that most reported studies emphasize positive work outcomes, e.g., attachment, performance, and satisfaction, while job related misbehaviors have received relatively less systematic research attention. Yet, forms of employee misconduct in organizations are pervasive and quite costly for both individuals and organizations. We selected two conceptual frameworks for the present investigation: Vardi and Wiener's model of organizational misbehavior and Fishbein and Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action. The latter views individual behavior as intentional, a function of rationally based attitudes toward the behavior, and internalized normative pressures concerning such behavior. The former model posits that different (normative and instrumental) internal forces lead to the intention to engage in job-related misbehavior. In this paper we report a scenario based quasi-experimental study especially designed to test the utility of the Theory of Reasoned Action in predicting employee intentions to engage in self-benefitting (Type S), organization-benefitting (Type O, or damaging (Type D) organizational misbehavior. Results support the Theory of Reasoned Action in predicting negative workplace behaviors. Both attitude and subjective norm are useful in explaining organizational misbehavior. We discuss some theoretical and methodological implications for the study of misbehavior intentions in organizations.

Minimizing the Pervasiveness of Women's Personal Experiences of Gender Discrimination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Mindi D.; Jackson, Lydia C.; Hartmann, Ryan; Woulfe, Shannon

2004-01-01

Given the Rejection-Identification Model (Branscombe, Schmitt, & Harvey, 1999), which shows that perceiving discrimination to be pervasive is a negative experience, it was suggested that there would be conditions under which women would instead minimize the pervasiveness of discrimination. Study 1 (N= 91) showed that when women envisioned…

7 CFR 25.102 - Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress... ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Area Requirements § 25.102 Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress. (a..., levels of public assistance, numbers of persons or families in poverty or similar data. (b) Unemployment...

7 CFR 25.102 - Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress... ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Area Requirements § 25.102 Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress. (a..., levels of public assistance, numbers of persons or families in poverty or similar data. (b) Unemployment...

7 CFR 25.102 - Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress... ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Area Requirements § 25.102 Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress. (a..., levels of public assistance, numbers of persons or families in poverty or similar data. (b) Unemployment...

24 CFR 597.102 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 597.102 Section 597.102 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating..., unemployment and general distress. (a) Pervasive poverty. Pervasive poverty shall be demonstrated by the... component areas of an affluent character. (b) Unemployment. Unemployment shall be demonstrated by: (1) Data...

24 CFR 597.102 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 597.102 Section 597.102 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating..., unemployment and general distress. (a) Pervasive poverty. Pervasive poverty shall be demonstrated by the... component areas of an affluent character. (b) Unemployment. Unemployment shall be demonstrated by: (1) Data...

24 CFR 597.102 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 597.102 Section 597.102 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating..., unemployment and general distress. (a) Pervasive poverty. Pervasive poverty shall be demonstrated by the... component areas of an affluent character. (b) Unemployment. Unemployment shall be demonstrated by: (1) Data...

24 CFR 597.102 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 597.102 Section 597.102 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating..., unemployment and general distress. (a) Pervasive poverty. Pervasive poverty shall be demonstrated by the... component areas of an affluent character. (b) Unemployment. Unemployment shall be demonstrated by: (1) Data...

7 CFR 25.102 - Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress... ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES Area Requirements § 25.102 Pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress. (a..., levels of public assistance, numbers of persons or families in poverty or similar data. (b) Unemployment...

Terrain types and local-scale stratigraphy of grooved terrain on ganymede

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murchie, Scott L.; Head, James W.; Helfenstein, Paul; Plescia, Jeffrey B.

1986-01-01

Grooved terrain is subdivided on the basis of pervasive morphology into: (1) groove lanes - elongate parallel groove bands, (2) grooved polygons - polygonal domains of parallel grooves, (3) reticulate terrain - polygonal domains of orthogonal grooves, and (4) complex grooved terrain - polygons with several complexly cross-cutting groove sets. Detailed geologic mapping of select areas, employing previously established conventions for determining relative age relations, reveals a general three-stage sequence of grooved terrain emplacement: first, dissection of the lithosphere by throughgoing grooves, and pervasive deformation of intervening blocks; second, extensive flooding and continued deformation of the intervening blocks; third, repeated superposition of groove lanes concentrated at sites of initial throughgoing grooves. This sequence is corroborated by crater-density measurements. Dominant orientations of groove sets are parallel to relict zones of weakness that probably were reactivated during grooved terrain formation. Groove lane morphology and development consistent with that predicted for passive rifts suggests a major role of global expansion in grooved terrain formation.

Ribosome profiling reveals pervasive and regulated stop codon readthrough in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Dunn, Joshua G; Foo, Catherine K; Belletier, Nicolette G; Gavis, Elizabeth R; Weissman, Jonathan S

2013-01-01

Ribosomes can read through stop codons in a regulated manner, elongating rather than terminating the nascent peptide. Stop codon readthrough is essential to diverse viruses, and phylogenetically predicted to occur in a few hundred genes in Drosophila melanogaster, but the importance of regulated readthrough in eukaryotes remains largely unexplored. Here, we present a ribosome profiling assay (deep sequencing of ribosome-protected mRNA fragments) for Drosophila melanogaster, and provide the first genome-wide experimental analysis of readthrough. Readthrough is far more pervasive than expected: the vast majority of readthrough events evolved within D. melanogaster and were not predicted phylogenetically. The resulting C-terminal protein extensions show evidence of selection, contain functional subcellular localization signals, and their readthrough is regulated, arguing for their importance. We further demonstrate that readthrough occurs in yeast and humans. Readthrough thus provides general mechanisms both to regulate gene expression and function, and to add plasticity to the proteome during evolution. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01179.001 PMID:24302569

Legal perceptions and medical decision making.

PubMed

Kapp, Marshall B; Lo, Bernard

1986-01-01

Medicine and law are more closely intertwined than ever before, particularly regarding issues of life-sustaining treatment for the elderly. The legal system's potential as a positive force in medical decision making has been limited by pervasive misperceptions by physicians of its processes and role. Identifying these myths and misperceptions is a first step toward a more effective partnership of medicine and law on behalf of the dying or demented patient.

Social Media Use and Conduct Problems in Emerging Adults.

PubMed

Galica, Victoria L; Vannucci, Anna; Flannery, Kaitlin M; Ohannessian, Christine McCauley

2017-07-01

Social media use has become pervasive in the lives of emerging adults. Although social media may provide individuals with positive opportunities for communication and learning, social media sites also may provide an outlet for youth conduct problems, such as bullying, harassment, and intentional hostility and aggression toward others. Yet, the relationship between social media use and conduct problems remains unclear. This study investigated the association between conduct disorder (CD) symptoms before age 15 and social media use during emerging adulthood in a large, nationally representative sample. Concurrent associations between antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) symptoms and social media use in emerging adults also were examined. Data for this study were based on 567 emerging adults (50.2 percent female; M age  = 20.0 years). Self-report questionnaires were completed online. Results suggested that more childhood CD symptoms were significantly associated with greater daily social media use during emerging adulthood, and that more daily social media use was significantly associated with current ASPD symptoms. Possible directional and cyclical explanations for these findings are explored. Given the pervasiveness of social media in the lives of emerging adults, these results underscore the importance of considering nuanced methods for using social media sites to encourage positive social interactions and to displace the promotion of conduct problems.

Video games: good, bad, or other?

PubMed

Prot, Sara; McDonald, Katelyn A; Anderson, Craig A; Gentile, Douglas A

2012-06-01

Video games are a pervasive pastime among children and adolescents. The growing popularity of video games has instigated a debate among parents, researchers, video game producers, and policymakers concerning potential harmful and helpful effects of video games on children. This article provides an overview of research findings on the positive and negative effects of video games, thus providing an empirical answer to the question, are video games good or bad? The article also provides some guidelines to help pediatricians, parents, and other caregivers protect children from negative effects and to maximize positive effects of video games. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Positives and negatives of online dating according to women 50.

PubMed

Vandeweerd, Carla; Myers, Jaime; Coulter, Martha; Yalcin, Ali; Corvin, Jaime

2016-01-01

To understand the positives and negatives of online dating according to the lived experience of older women, telephone interviews were conducted with 45 women ages 50+ who date online. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically team coded. The opportunity to expand one's social network for both friendships and romantic partners, the ability to control dating risks and pace of relationship formation, and knowing more about one's partner were significant reported benefits of online dating. Dating online also includes unique risks, such as pervasive lying, attempted financial exploitation in the form of scammers, and unwanted electronic sexual aggression.

Using Instructional Pervasive Game for School Children's Cultural Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Cheng-Ping; Shih, Ju-Ling; Ma, Yi-Chun

2014-01-01

In the past ten years, mobile learning (m-learning) has created a new learning environment that enables learners, through active learning aids. Instructional pervasive gaming (IPG) seems to be an innovative way introduced to enhance m-learning. This study employed a theoretical IPG model to construct a cultural-based pervasive game. Individual and…

On Designing a Pervasive Mobile Learning Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laine, Teemu H.; Vinni, Mikko; Sedano, Carolina Islas; Joy, Mike

2010-01-01

This article presents the features, design and architecture of the Myst pervasive game platform that has been applied in creating pervasive mobile learning games in various contexts such as science festivals and museums in Finland. Based on our experiences with the development, we draw a set of design principles for creating successfully a…

Health-enabling technologies for pervasive health care: on services and ICT architecture paradigms.

PubMed

Haux, Reinhold; Howe, Jurgen; Marschollek, Michael; Plischke, Maik; Wolf, Klaus-Hendrik

2008-06-01

Progress in information and communication technologies (ICT) is providing new opportunities for pervasive health care services in aging societies. To identify starting points of health-enabling technologies for pervasive health care. To describe typical services of and contemporary ICT architecture paradigms for pervasive health care. Summarizing outcomes of literature analyses and results from own research projects in this field. Basic functions for pervasive health care with respect to home care comprise emergency detection and alarm, disease management, as well as health status feedback and advice. These functions are complemented by optional (non-health care) functions. Four major paradigms for contemporary ICT architectures are person-centered ICT architectures, home-centered ICT architectures, telehealth service-centered ICT architectures and health care institution-centered ICT architectures. Health-enabling technologies may lead to both new ways of living and new ways of health care. Both ways are interwoven. This has to be considered for appropriate ICT architectures of sensor-enhanced health information systems. IMIA, the International Medical Informatics Association, may be an appropriate forum for interdisciplinary research exchange on health-enabling technologies for pervasive health care.

Augmenting Trust Establishment in Dynamic Systems with Social Networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lagesse, Brent J; Kumar, Mohan; Venkatesh, Svetha

2010-01-01

Social networking has recently flourished in popularity through the use of social websites. Pervasive computing resources have allowed people stay well-connected to each other through access to social networking resources. We take the position that utilizing information produced by relationships within social networks can assist in the establishment of trust for other pervasive computing applications. Furthermore, we describe how such a system can augment a sensor infrastructure used for event observation with information from mobile sensors (ie, mobile phones with cameras) controlled by potentially untrusted third parties. Pervasive computing systems are invisible systems, oriented around the user. As a result,more » many future pervasive systems are likely to include a social aspect to the system. The social communities that are developed in these systems can augment existing trust mechanisms with information about pre-trusted entities or entities to initially consider when beginning to establish trust. An example of such a system is the Collaborative Virtual Observation (CoVO) system fuses sensor information from disaparate sources in soft real-time to recreate a scene that provides observation of an event that has recently transpired. To accomplish this, CoVO must efficently access services whilst protecting the data from corruption from unknown remote nodes. CoVO combines dynamic service composition with virtual observation to utilize existing infrastructure with third party services available in the environment. Since these services are not under the control of the system, they may be unreliable or malicious. When an event of interest occurs, the given infrastructure (bus cameras, etc.) may not sufficiently cover the necessary information (be it in space, time, or sensor type). To enhance observation of the event, infrastructure is augmented with information from sensors in the environment that the infrastructure does not control. These sensors may be unreliable, uncooperative, or even malicious. Additionally, to execute queries in soft real-time, processing must be distributed to available systems in the environment. We propose to use information from social networks to satisfy these requirements. In this paper, we present our position that knowledge gained from social activities can be used to augment trust mechanisms in pervasive computing. The system uses social behavior of nodes to predict a subset that it wants to query for information. In this context, social behavior such as transit patterns and schedules (which can be used to determine if a queried node is likely to be reliable) or known relationships, such as a phone's address book, that can be used to determine networks of nodes that may also be able to assist in retrieving information. Neither implicit nor explicit relationships necessarily imply that the user trusts an entity, but rather will provide a starting place for establishing trust. The proposed framework utilizes social network information to assist in trust establishment when third-party sensors are used for sensing events.« less

Simple video format for mobile applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, John R.; Miao, Zhourong; Li, Chung-Sheng

2000-04-01

With the advent of pervasive computing, there is a growing demand for enabling multimedia applications on mobile devices. Large numbers of pervasive computing devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), hand-held computer (HHC), smart phones, portable audio players, automotive computing devices, and wearable computers are gaining access to online information sources. However, the pervasive computing devices are often constrained along a number of dimensions, such as processing power, local storage, display size and depth, connectivity, and communication bandwidth, which makes it difficult to access rich image and video content. In this paper, we report on our initial efforts in designing a simple scalable video format with low-decoding and transcoding complexity for pervasive computing. The goal is to enable image and video access for mobile applications such as electronic catalog shopping, video conferencing, remote surveillance and video mail using pervasive computing devices.

Framework model and principles for trusted information sharing in pervasive health.

PubMed

Ruotsalainen, Pekka; Blobel, Bernd; Nykänen, Pirkko; Seppälä, Antto; Sorvari, Hannu

2011-01-01

Trustfulness (i.e. health and wellness information is processed ethically, and privacy is guaranteed) is one of the cornerstones for future Personal Health Systems, ubiquitous healthcare and pervasive health. Trust in today's healthcare is organizational, static and predefined. Pervasive health takes place in an open and untrusted information space where person's lifelong health and wellness information together with contextual data are dynamically collected and used by many stakeholders. This generates new threats that do not exist in today's eHealth systems. Our analysis shows that the way security and trust are implemented in today's healthcare cannot guarantee information autonomy and trustfulness in pervasive health. Based on a framework model of pervasive health and risks analysis of ubiquitous information space, we have formulated principles which enable trusted information sharing in pervasive health. Principles imply that the data subject should have the right to dynamically verify trust and to control the use of her health information, as well as the right to set situation based context-aware personal policies. Data collectors and processors have responsibilities including transparency of information processing, and openness of interests, policies and environmental features. Our principles create a base for successful management of privacy and information autonomy in pervasive health. They also imply that it is necessary to create new data models for personal health information and new architectures which support situation depending trust and privacy management.

Sexual selection and the rodent baculum: an intraspecific study in the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus).

PubMed

Ramm, Steven A; Khoo, Lin; Stockley, Paula

2010-01-01

The rapid divergence of genitalia is a pervasive trend in animal evolution, thought to be due to the action of sexual selection. To test predictions from the sexual selection hypothesis, we here report data on the allometry, variation, plasticity and condition dependence of baculum morphology in the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus). We find that that baculum size: (a) exhibits no consistent pattern of allometric scaling (baculum size being in most cases unrelated to body size), (b) exhibits low to moderate levels of phenotypic variation, (c) does not exhibit phenotypic plasticity in response to differences in perceived levels of sexual competition and (d) exhibits limited evidence of condition dependence. These patterns provide only limited evidence in support of the sexual selection hypothesis, and no consistent support for any particular sexual selection mechanism; however, more direct measures of how genital morphology influences male fertilization success are required.

A Pervasive Social Networking Application: I-NFC enabled Florist Smart Advisor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swee Wen, Khoo; Mahinderjit Singh, Manmeet

2016-11-01

Location based service is an information and entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device. NFC location based service is using one of the modes of NFC such as peer-to-peer, reader/writer, and card emulation to obtain the information of the object and then get the location of the object. In this paper, the proposed solution is I- NFC-enabled Pervasive Social Networking apps for florists. It combines the NFC location based service with Online Social Network (OSN). In addition, a smart advisor in the system to provide output in making their own decision while purchasing products.The development of the system demonstrates that a designed commerce site is provided which enable a communication between NFC-enabled smartphone, NFC-enabled application and OSN. GPS functionalities also implemented to provide map and location of business services. Smart advisor also designed to provide information for users who do not have ideas what to purchase.

Test Review: Siegel, B. (2004). "Pervasive Developmental Disorder Screening Test--II (PDDST-II)." San Antonio, TX: Harcourt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Janine M.; Duncan, C. Randy; Francis, Garnett C.

2007-01-01

The "Pervasive Developmental Disorder Screening Test-II (PDDST-II)--Early Childhood Screener for Autistic Spectrum Disorders" is a clinical screening tool for pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) designed for use by nonspecialist clinicians. It was designed to differentiate children as young as 18 months who…

Energetic Selection of Topology in Ferredoxins

PubMed Central

Kim, J. Dongun; Rodriguez-Granillo, Agustina; Case, David A.; Nanda, Vikas; Falkowski, Paul G.

2012-01-01

Models of early protein evolution posit the existence of short peptides that bound metals and ions and served as transporters, membranes or catalysts. The Cys-X-X-Cys-X-X-Cys heptapeptide located within bacterial ferredoxins, enclosing an Fe4S4 metal center, is an attractive candidate for such an early peptide. Ferredoxins are ancient proteins and the simple α+β fold is found alone or as a domain in larger proteins throughout all three kingdoms of life. Previous analyses of the heptapeptide conformation in experimentally determined ferredoxin structures revealed a pervasive right-handed topology, despite the fact that the Fe4S4 cluster is achiral. Conformational enumeration of a model CGGCGGC heptapeptide bound to a cubane iron-sulfur cluster indicates both left-handed and right-handed folds could exist and have comparable stabilities. However, only the natural ferredoxin topology provides a significant network of backbone-to-cluster hydrogen bonds that would stabilize the metal-peptide complex. The optimal peptide configuration (alternating αL,αR) is that of an α-sheet, providing an additional mechanism where oligomerization could stabilize the peptide and facilitate iron-sulfur cluster binding. PMID:22496635

The Memory Trace Supporting Lose-Shift Responding Decays Rapidly after Reward Omission and Is Distinct from Other Learning Mechanisms in Rats.

PubMed

Gruber, Aaron J; Thapa, Rajat

2016-01-01

The propensity of animals to shift choices immediately after unexpectedly poor reinforcement outcomes is a pervasive strategy across species and tasks. We report here that the memory supporting such lose-shift responding in rats rapidly decays during the intertrial interval and persists throughout training and testing on a binary choice task, despite being a suboptimal strategy. Lose-shift responding is not positively correlated with the prevalence and temporal dependence of win-stay responding, and it is inconsistent with predictions of reinforcement learning on the task. These data provide further evidence that win-stay and lose-shift are mediated by dissociated neural mechanisms and indicate that lose-shift responding presents a potential confound for the study of choice in the many operant choice tasks with short intertrial intervals. We propose that this immediate lose-shift responding is an intrinsic feature of the brain's choice mechanisms that is engaged as a choice reflex and works in parallel with reinforcement learning and other control mechanisms to guide action selection.

A Learning Outcome-Oriented Approach towards Classifying Pervasive Games for Learning Using Game Design Patterns and Contextual Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitz, Birgit; Klemke, Roland; Specht, Marcus

2013-01-01

Mobile and in particular pervasive games are a strong component of future scenarios for teaching and learning. Based on results from a previous review of practical papers, this work explores the educational potential of pervasive games for learning by analysing underlying game mechanisms. In order to determine and classify cognitive and affective…

The impact of the pervasive information age on healthcare organizations.

PubMed

Landry, Brett J L; Mahesh, Sathi; Hartman, Sandra J

2005-01-01

New information technologies place data on integrated information systems, and provide access via pervasive computing technologies. Pervasive computing puts computing power in the hands of all employees, available wherever it is needed. Integrated systems offer seamless data and process integration over diverse information systems. In this paper we look at the impact of these technologies on healthcare organizations in the future.

A Formalisation of Adaptable Pervasive Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bucchiarone, Antonio; Lafuente, Alberto Lluch; Marconi, Annapaola; Pistore, Marco

Adaptable Pervasive Flows is a novel workflow-based paradigm for the design and execution of pervasive applications, where dynamic workflows situated in the real world are able to modify their execution in order to adapt to changes in their environment. In this paper, we study a formalisation of such flows by means of a formal flow language. More precisely, we define APFoL (Adaptable Pervasive Flow Language) and formalise its textual notation by encoding it in Blite, a formalisation of WS-BPEL. The encoding in Blite equips the language with a formal semantics and enables the use of automated verification techniques. We illustrate the approach with an example of a Warehouse Case Study.

Pervasive Transcription of a Herpesvirus Genome Generates Functionally Important RNAs

PubMed Central

Canny, Susan P.; Reese, Tiffany A.; Johnson, L. Steven; Zhang, Xin; Kambal, Amal; Duan, Erning; Liu, Catherine Y.; Virgin, Herbert W.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Pervasive transcription is observed in a wide range of organisms, including humans, mice, and viruses, but the functional significance of the resulting transcripts remains uncertain. Current genetic approaches are often limited by their emphasis on protein-coding open reading frames (ORFs). We previously identified extensive pervasive transcription from the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68) genome outside known ORFs and antisense to known genes (termed expressed genomic regions [EGRs]). Similar antisense transcripts have been identified in many other herpesviruses, including Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and human and murine cytomegalovirus. Despite their prevalence, whether these RNAs have any functional importance in the viral life cycle is unknown, and one interpretation is that these are merely “noise” generated by functionally unimportant transcriptional events. To determine whether pervasive transcription of a herpesvirus genome generates RNA molecules that are functionally important, we used a strand-specific functional approach to target transcripts from thirteen EGRs in MHV68. We found that targeting transcripts from six EGRs reduced viral protein expression, proving that pervasive transcription can generate functionally important RNAs. We characterized transcripts emanating from EGRs 26 and 27 in detail using several methods, including RNA sequencing, and identified several novel polyadenylated transcripts that were enriched in the nuclei of infected cells. These data provide the first evidence of the functional importance of regions of pervasive transcription emanating from MHV68 EGRs. Therefore, studies utilizing mutation of a herpesvirus genome must account for possible effects on RNAs generated by pervasive transcription. PMID:24618256

Pervasive Learning--Using Games to Tear down the Classroom Walls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pløhn, Trygve

2014-01-01

Pervasive gaming is a new and emerging gaming genre where the physical and social aspects of the real world are integrated into the game and blends into the player's everyday life. Given the nature of pervasive games, it may be possible to use that type of game as a tool to support learning in a university course by providing a gameplay where the…

Towards Pervasive Augmented Reality: Context-Awareness in Augmented Reality.

PubMed

Grubert, Jens; Langlotz, Tobias; Zollmann, Stefanie; Regenbrecht, Holger

2017-06-01

Augmented Reality is a technique that enables users to interact with their physical environment through the overlay of digital information. While being researched for decades, more recently, Augmented Reality moved out of the research labs and into the field. While most of the applications are used sporadically and for one particular task only, current and future scenarios will provide a continuous and multi-purpose user experience. Therefore, in this paper, we present the concept of Pervasive Augmented Reality, aiming to provide such an experience by sensing the user's current context and adapting the AR system based on the changing requirements and constraints. We present a taxonomy for Pervasive Augmented Reality and context-aware Augmented Reality, which classifies context sources and context targets relevant for implementing such a context-aware, continuous Augmented Reality experience. We further summarize existing approaches that contribute towards Pervasive Augmented Reality. Based our taxonomy and survey, we identify challenges for future research directions in Pervasive Augmented Reality.

Mobile Autonomous Sensing Unit (MASU): A Framework That Supports Distributed Pervasive Data Sensing

PubMed Central

Medina, Esunly; Lopez, David; Meseguer, Roc; Ochoa, Sergio F.; Royo, Dolors; Santos, Rodrigo

2016-01-01

Pervasive data sensing is a major issue that transverses various research areas and application domains. It allows identifying people’s behaviour and patterns without overwhelming the monitored persons. Although there are many pervasive data sensing applications, they are typically focused on addressing specific problems in a single application domain, making them difficult to generalize or reuse. On the other hand, the platforms for supporting pervasive data sensing impose restrictions to the devices and operational environments that make them unsuitable for monitoring loosely-coupled or fully distributed work. In order to help address this challenge this paper present a framework that supports distributed pervasive data sensing in a generic way. Developers can use this framework to facilitate the implementations of their applications, thus reducing complexity and effort in such an activity. The framework was evaluated using simulations and also through an empirical test, and the obtained results indicate that it is useful to support such a sensing activity in loosely-coupled or fully distributed work scenarios. PMID:27409617

Analysis of Pervasive Mobile Ad Hoc Routing Protocols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qadri, Nadia N.; Liotta, Antonio

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are a fundamental element of pervasive networks and therefore, of pervasive systems that truly support pervasive computing, where user can communicate anywhere, anytime and on-the-fly. In fact, future advances in pervasive computing rely on advancements in mobile communication, which includes both infrastructure-based wireless networks and non-infrastructure-based MANETs. MANETs introduce a new communication paradigm, which does not require a fixed infrastructure - they rely on wireless terminals for routing and transport services. Due to highly dynamic topology, absence of established infrastructure for centralized administration, bandwidth constrained wireless links, and limited resources in MANETs, it is challenging to design an efficient and reliable routing protocol. This chapter reviews the key studies carried out so far on the performance of mobile ad hoc routing protocols. We discuss performance issues and metrics required for the evaluation of ad hoc routing protocols. This leads to a survey of existing work, which captures the performance of ad hoc routing algorithms and their behaviour from different perspectives and highlights avenues for future research.

Efficient detection of dangling pointer error for C/C++ programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenzhe

2017-08-01

Dangling pointer error is pervasive in C/C++ programs and it is very hard to detect. This paper introduces an efficient detector to detect dangling pointer error in C/C++ programs. By selectively leave some memory accesses unmonitored, our method could reduce the memory monitoring overhead and thus achieves better performance over previous methods. Experiments show that our method could achieve an average speed up of 9% over previous compiler instrumentation based method and more than 50% over previous page protection based method.

Carboxamide Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk) Inhibitors: Leveraging Ground State Interactions To Accelerate Optimization.

PubMed

Ellis, J Michael; Altman, Michael D; Cash, Brandon; Haidle, Andrew M; Kubiak, Rachel L; Maddess, Matthew L; Yan, Youwei; Northrup, Alan B

2016-12-08

Optimization of a series of highly potent and kinome selective carbon-linked carboxamide spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitors with favorable drug-like properties is described. A pervasive Ames liability in an analogous nitrogen-linked carboxamide series was obviated by replacement with a carbon-linked moiety. Initial efforts lacked on-target potency, likely due to strain induced between the hinge binding amide and solvent front heterocycle. Consideration of ground state and bound state energetics allowed rapid realization of improved solvent front substituents affording subnanomolar Syk potency and high kinome selectivity. These molecules were also devoid of mutagenicity risk as assessed via the Ames test using the TA97a Salmonella strain.

Carboxamide Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk) Inhibitors: Leveraging Ground State Interactions To Accelerate Optimization

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Optimization of a series of highly potent and kinome selective carbon-linked carboxamide spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitors with favorable drug-like properties is described. A pervasive Ames liability in an analogous nitrogen-linked carboxamide series was obviated by replacement with a carbon-linked moiety. Initial efforts lacked on-target potency, likely due to strain induced between the hinge binding amide and solvent front heterocycle. Consideration of ground state and bound state energetics allowed rapid realization of improved solvent front substituents affording subnanomolar Syk potency and high kinome selectivity. These molecules were also devoid of mutagenicity risk as assessed via the Ames test using the TA97a Salmonella strain. PMID:27994755

Branding and a child's brain: an fMRI study of neural responses to logos.

PubMed

Bruce, Amanda S; Bruce, Jared M; Black, William R; Lepping, Rebecca J; Henry, Janice M; Cherry, Joseph Bradley C; Martin, Laura E; Papa, Vlad B; Davis, Ann M; Brooks, William M; Savage, Cary R

2014-01-01

Branding and advertising have a powerful effect on both familiarity and preference for products, yet no neuroimaging studies have examined neural response to logos in children. Food advertising is particularly pervasive and effective in manipulating choices in children. The purpose of this study was to examine how healthy children's brains respond to common food and other logos. A pilot validation study was first conducted with 32 children to select the most culturally familiar logos, and to match food and non-food logos on valence and intensity. A new sample of 17 healthy weight children were then scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Food logos compared to baseline were associated with increased activation in orbitofrontal cortex and inferior prefrontal cortex. Compared to non-food logos, food logos elicited increased activation in posterior cingulate cortex. Results confirmed that food logos activate some brain regions in children known to be associated with motivation. This marks the first study in children to examine brain responses to culturally familiar logos. Considering the pervasiveness of advertising, research should further investigate how children respond at the neural level to marketing.

The Recombination Landscape in Wild House Mice Inferred Using Population Genomic Data.

PubMed

Booker, Tom R; Ness, Rob W; Keightley, Peter D

2017-09-01

Characterizing variation in the rate of recombination across the genome is important for understanding several evolutionary processes. Previous analysis of the recombination landscape in laboratory mice has revealed that the different subspecies have different suites of recombination hotspots. It is unknown, however, whether hotspots identified in laboratory strains reflect the hotspot diversity of natural populations or whether broad-scale variation in the rate of recombination is conserved between subspecies. In this study, we constructed fine-scale recombination rate maps for a natural population of the Eastern house mouse, Mus musculus castaneus We performed simulations to assess the accuracy of recombination rate inference in the presence of phase errors, and we used a novel approach to quantify phase error. The spatial distribution of recombination events is strongly positively correlated between our castaneus map, and a map constructed using inbred lines derived predominantly from M. m. domesticus Recombination hotspots in wild castaneus show little overlap, however, with the locations of double-strand breaks in wild-derived house mouse strains. Finally, we also find that genetic diversity in M. m. castaneus is positively correlated with the rate of recombination, consistent with pervasive natural selection operating in the genome. Our study suggests that recombination rate variation is conserved at broad scales between house mouse subspecies, but it is not strongly conserved at fine scales. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

The Implications of Pervasive Computing on Network Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briscoe, R.

Mark Weiser's late-1980s vision of an age of calm technology with pervasive computing disappearing into the fabric of the world [1] has been tempered by an industry-driven vision with more of a feel of conspicuous consumption. In the modified version, everyone carries around consumer electronics to provide natural, seamless interactions both with other people and with the information world, particularly for eCommerce, but still through a pervasive computing fabric.

Cholinergic abnormalities in autism: is there a rationale for selective nicotinic agonist interventions?

PubMed

Deutsch, Stephen I; Urbano, Maria R; Neumann, Serina A; Burket, Jessica A; Katz, Elionora

2010-05-01

The core dysfunctions of autism spectrum disorders, which include autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, include deficits in socialization and communication and a need for the preservation of "sameness;" intellectual impairment and epilepsy are common comorbidities. Data suggest that pathological involvement of cholinergic nuclei and altered expression of acetylcholine receptors, particularly nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, occur in brain of persons with autistic disorder. However, many of these studies involved postmortem tissue from small samples of primarily adult persons. Thus, the findings may reflect compensatory changes and may relate more closely to intellectual impairment and the confounding effects of seizures and medications, as opposed to the core dysfunctions of autism. Nonetheless, because of the roles played by acetylcholine receptors in general, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in particular, in normal processes of attention, cognition, and memory, selective cholinergic interventions should be explored for possible therapeutic effects. Additionally, there are electrophysiological data that complement the clinical observations of frequent comorbid seizure disorders in these patients, suggesting a disturbance in the balance of excitatory and inhibitory tone in the brains of persons with autistic disorders. Conceivably, because the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is located on the surface of gamma-aminobutyric acid inhibitory neurons, selective stimulation of this receptor would promote gamma-aminobutyric acid's release and restore diminished inhibitory tone. The development of agonists and partial agonists for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and positive allosteric modulators that enhance the efficiency of coupling between the binding of agonist and channel opening should facilitate consideration of clinical trials.

Evolution of toll-like receptors in the context of terrestrial ungulates and cetaceans diversification.

PubMed

Ishengoma, Edson; Agaba, Morris

2017-02-16

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the frontline actors in the innate immune response to various pathogens and are expected to be targets of natural selection in species adapted to habitats with contrasting pathogen burdens. The recent publication of genome sequences of giraffe and okapi together afforded the opportunity to examine the evolution of selected TLRs in broad range of terrestrial ungulates and cetaceans during their complex habitat diversification. Through direct sequence comparisons and standard evolutionary approaches, the extent of nucleotide and protein sequence diversity in seven Toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, TLR7, TLR9 and TLR10) between giraffe and closely related species was determined. In addition, comparison of the patterning of key TLR motifs and domains between giraffe and related species was performed. The quantification of selection pressure and divergence on TLRs among terrestrial ungulates and cetaceans was also performed. Sequence analysis shows that giraffe has 94-99% nucleotide identity with okapi and cattle for all TLRs analyzed. Variations in the number of Leucine-rich repeats were observed in some of TLRs between giraffe, okapi and cattle. Patterning of key TLR domains did not reveal any significant differences in the domain architecture among giraffe, okapi and cattle. Molecular evolutionary analysis for selection pressure identifies positive selection on key sites for all TLRs examined suggesting that pervasive evolutionary pressure has taken place during the evolution of terrestrial ungulates and cetaceans. Analysis of positively selected sites showed some site to be part of Leucine-rich motifs suggesting functional relevance in species-specific recognition of pathogen associated molecular patterns. Notably, clade analysis reveals significant selection divergence between terrestrial ungulates and cetaceans in viral sensing TLR3. Mapping of giraffe TLR3 key substitutions to the structure of the receptor indicates that at least one of giraffe altered sites coincides with TLR3 residue known to play a critical role in receptor signaling activity. There is overall structural conservation in TLRs among giraffe, okapi and cattle indicating that the mechanism for innate immune response utilizing TLR pathways may not have changed very much during the evolution of these species. However, a broader phylogenetic analysis revealed signatures of adaptive evolution among terrestrial ungulates and cetaceans, including the observed selection divergence in TLR3. This suggests that long term ecological dynamics has led to species-specific innovation and functional variation in the mechanisms mediating innate immunity in terrestrial ungulates and cetaceans.

The great struggles of life: Darwin and the emergence of evolutionary psychology.

PubMed

Buss, David M

2009-01-01

Darwin envisioned a scientific revolution for psychology. His theories of natural and sexual selection identified two classes of struggles--the struggle for existence and the struggle for mates. The emergence of evolutionary psychology and related disciplines signals the fulfillment of Darwin's vision. Natural selection theory guides scientists to discover adaptations for survival. Sexual selection theory illuminates the sexual struggle, highlighting mate choice and same-sex competition adaptations. Theoretical developments since publication of On the Origin of Species identify important struggles unknown to Darwin, notably, within-families conflicts and conflict between the sexes. Evolutionary psychology synthesizes modern evolutionary biology and psychology to penetrate some of life's deep mysteries: Why do many struggles center around sex? Why is social conflict pervasive? And what are the mechanisms of mind that define human nature? 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Darwinian sex roles confirmed across the animal kingdom

PubMed Central

Janicke, Tim; Häderer, Ines K.; Lajeunesse, Marc J.; Anthes, Nils

2016-01-01

Since Darwin’s conception of sexual selection theory, scientists have struggled to identify the evolutionary forces underlying the pervasive differences between male and female behavior, morphology, and physiology. The Darwin-Bateman paradigm predicts that anisogamy imposes stronger sexual selection on males, which, in turn, drives the evolution of conventional sex roles in terms of female-biased parental care and male-biased sexual dimorphism. Although this paradigm forms the cornerstone of modern sexual selection theory, it still remains untested across the animal tree of life. This lack of evidence has promoted the rise of alternative hypotheses arguing that sex differences are entirely driven by environmental factors or chance. We demonstrate that, across the animal kingdom, sexual selection, as captured by standard Bateman metrics, is indeed stronger in males than in females and that it is evolutionarily tied to sex biases in parental care and sexual dimorphism. Our findings provide the first comprehensive evidence that Darwin’s concept of conventional sex roles is accurate and refute recent criticism of sexual selection theory. PMID:26933680

Darwinian sex roles confirmed across the animal kingdom.

PubMed

Janicke, Tim; Häderer, Ines K; Lajeunesse, Marc J; Anthes, Nils

2016-02-01

Since Darwin's conception of sexual selection theory, scientists have struggled to identify the evolutionary forces underlying the pervasive differences between male and female behavior, morphology, and physiology. The Darwin-Bateman paradigm predicts that anisogamy imposes stronger sexual selection on males, which, in turn, drives the evolution of conventional sex roles in terms of female-biased parental care and male-biased sexual dimorphism. Although this paradigm forms the cornerstone of modern sexual selection theory, it still remains untested across the animal tree of life. This lack of evidence has promoted the rise of alternative hypotheses arguing that sex differences are entirely driven by environmental factors or chance. We demonstrate that, across the animal kingdom, sexual selection, as captured by standard Bateman metrics, is indeed stronger in males than in females and that it is evolutionarily tied to sex biases in parental care and sexual dimorphism. Our findings provide the first comprehensive evidence that Darwin's concept of conventional sex roles is accurate and refute recent criticism of sexual selection theory.

Pervasive Radio Mapping of Industrial Environments Using a Virtual Reality Approach

PubMed Central

Nedelcu, Adrian-Valentin; Machedon-Pisu, Mihai; Talaba, Doru

2015-01-01

Wireless communications in industrial environments are seriously affected by reliability and performance issues, due to the multipath nature of obstacles within such environments. Special attention needs to be given to planning a wireless industrial network, so as to find the optimum spatial position for each of the nodes within the network, and especially for key nodes such as gateways or cluster heads. The aim of this paper is to present a pervasive radio mapping system which captures (senses) data regarding the radio spectrum, using low-cost wireless sensor nodes. This data is the input of radio mapping algorithms that generate electromagnetic propagation profiles. Such profiles are used for identifying obstacles within the environment and optimum propagation pathways. With the purpose of further optimizing the radio planning process, the authors propose a novel human-network interaction (HNI) paradigm that uses 3D virtual environments in order to display the radio maps in a natural, easy-to-perceive manner. The results of this approach illustrate its added value to the field of radio resource planning of industrial communication systems. PMID:26167533

Pervasive Radio Mapping of Industrial Environments Using a Virtual Reality Approach.

PubMed

Nedelcu, Adrian-Valentin; Machedon-Pisu, Mihai; Duguleana, Mihai; Talaba, Doru

2015-01-01

Wireless communications in industrial environments are seriously affected by reliability and performance issues, due to the multipath nature of obstacles within such environments. Special attention needs to be given to planning a wireless industrial network, so as to find the optimum spatial position for each of the nodes within the network, and especially for key nodes such as gateways or cluster heads. The aim of this paper is to present a pervasive radio mapping system which captures (senses) data regarding the radio spectrum, using low-cost wireless sensor nodes. This data is the input of radio mapping algorithms that generate electromagnetic propagation profiles. Such profiles are used for identifying obstacles within the environment and optimum propagation pathways. With the purpose of further optimizing the radio planning process, the authors propose a novel human-network interaction (HNI) paradigm that uses 3D virtual environments in order to display the radio maps in a natural, easy-to-perceive manner. The results of this approach illustrate its added value to the field of radio resource planning of industrial communication systems.

An evolutionary concept analysis of school violence: from bullying to death.

PubMed

Jones, Sandra N; Waite, Roberta; Clements, Paul Thomas

2012-03-01

School violence has evolved into an identifiably pervasive public health problem. Adverse consequences of school violence vary from bullying to death. In 2007, 457,700 youth (ages 12-18) were victims of serious crimes with 34% occurring on school grounds or on the way to school. A concept analysis of school violence can expand and enhance awareness of the pervasive phenomenon of school violence. Rodgers and Knafl (1993) evolutionary concept analysis method was used to provide a guiding framework for examination of school violence. Related manuscripts from the extant interdisciplinary school violence literature were obtained from relevant health science databases, the Education Resources Information Center, and various governmental and specialty websites within the contemporary time frame of 2000-2010. Analysis revealed the enormous scope and complexity of the problem of school violence including bullying, physical fighting, weapon carrying, alcohol/substance use and street gang presence on school property, school-associated violent death, safe schools legislation, and violence prevention strategies. Forensic nurses across practice settings are uniquely positioned to intervene to improve health of these youth through identification, assessment, treatment, and referral. © 2012 International Association of Forensic Nurses.

The fission yeast CENP-B protein Abp1 prevents pervasive transcription of repetitive DNA elements.

PubMed

Daulny, Anne; Mejía-Ramírez, Eva; Reina, Oscar; Rosado-Lugo, Jesus; Aguilar-Arnal, Lorena; Auer, Herbert; Zaratiegui, Mikel; Azorin, Fernando

2016-10-01

It is well established that eukaryotic genomes are pervasively transcribed producing cryptic unstable transcripts (CUTs). However, the mechanisms regulating pervasive transcription are not well understood. Here, we report that the fission yeast CENP-B homolog Abp1 plays an important role in preventing pervasive transcription. We show that loss of abp1 results in the accumulation of CUTs, which are targeted for degradation by the exosome pathway. These CUTs originate from different types of genomic features, but the highest increase corresponds to Tf2 retrotransposons and rDNA repeats, where they map along the entire elements. In the absence of abp1, increased RNAPII-Ser5P occupancy is observed throughout the Tf2 coding region and, unexpectedly, RNAPII-Ser5P is enriched at rDNA repeats. Loss of abp1 also results in Tf2 derepression and increased nucleolus size. Altogether these results suggest that Abp1 prevents pervasive RNAPII transcription of repetitive DNA elements (i.e., Tf2 and rDNA repeats) from internal cryptic sites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic diversity in the interference selection limit.

PubMed

Good, Benjamin H; Walczak, Aleksandra M; Neher, Richard A; Desai, Michael M

2014-03-01

Pervasive natural selection can strongly influence observed patterns of genetic variation, but these effects remain poorly understood when multiple selected variants segregate in nearby regions of the genome. Classical population genetics fails to account for interference between linked mutations, which grows increasingly severe as the density of selected polymorphisms increases. Here, we describe a simple limit that emerges when interference is common, in which the fitness effects of individual mutations play a relatively minor role. Instead, similar to models of quantitative genetics, molecular evolution is determined by the variance in fitness within the population, defined over an effectively asexual segment of the genome (a "linkage block"). We exploit this insensitivity in a new "coarse-grained" coalescent framework, which approximates the effects of many weakly selected mutations with a smaller number of strongly selected mutations that create the same variance in fitness. This approximation generates accurate and efficient predictions for silent site variability when interference is common. However, these results suggest that there is reduced power to resolve individual selection pressures when interference is sufficiently widespread, since a broad range of parameters possess nearly identical patterns of silent site variability.

A Secure Framework for Location Verification in Pervasive Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dawei; Lee, Moon-Chuen; Wu, Dan

The way people use computing devices has been changed in some way by the relatively new pervasive computing paradigm. For example, a person can use a mobile device to obtain its location information at anytime and anywhere. There are several security issues concerning whether this information is reliable in a pervasive environment. For example, a malicious user may disable the localization system by broadcasting a forged location, and it may impersonate other users by eavesdropping their locations. In this paper, we address the verification of location information in a secure manner. We first present the design challenges for location verification, and then propose a two-layer framework VerPer for secure location verification in a pervasive computing environment. Real world GPS-based wireless sensor network experiments confirm the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... difficult to diagnose and may be misdiagnosed as autism, pervasive developmental disorder, hearing impairment, learning disability, auditory/ ... difficult to diagnose and may be misdiagnosed as autism, pervasive developmental disorder, hearing impairment, learning disability, auditory/ ...

"What Are You Viewing?" Exploring the Pervasive Social TV Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schatz, Raimund; Baillie, Lynne; Fröhlich, Peter; Egger, Sebastian; Grechenig, Thomas

The vision of pervasive TV foresees users engaging with interactive video services across a variety of contexts and user interfaces. Following this idea, this chapter extends traditional Social TV toward the notion of pervasive Social TV (PSTV) by including mobile viewing scenarios. We discuss social interaction enablers that integrate TV content consumption and communication in the context of two case studies that evaluate Social TV on mobile smartphones as well as the traditional set-top-box-based setup. We report on the impact of social features such as text-chat, audio-chat, and synchronized channel-choice on the end-user's media experience. By analyzing the commonalities and the differences between mobile and living-room Social TV that we found, we provide guidance on the design of pervasive Social TV systems as well as on future research issues.

ICT and the future of healthcare: Aspects of pervasive health monitoring.

PubMed

Haluza, Daniela; Jungwirth, David

2018-01-01

Along with the digital revolution, information and communication technology applications are currently transforming the delivery of health and social care services. This paper investigates prevailing opinions toward future technology-based healthcare solutions among Austrian healthcare professionals. During a biphasic online Delphi survey, panelists rated expected outcomes of two future scenarios describing pervasive health monitoring applications. Experts perceived that the scenarios were highly innovative, but only moderately desirable, and that their implementation could especially improve patients' knowledge, quality of healthcare, and living standard. Contrarily, monetary aspects, technical prerequisites, and data security were identified as key obstacles. We further compared the impact of professional affiliation. Clearly, opinions toward pervasive healthcare differed between the interest groups, medical professionals, patient advocates, and administrative personnel. These data suggest closer collaborations between stakeholder groups to harmonize differences in expectations regarding pervasive health monitoring.

Axes, planes and tubes, or the geometry of embryogenesis.

PubMed

Brauckmann, Sabine

2011-12-01

The paper presents selected figures of chick embryogenesis as depicted in the classic studies of Caspar Friedrich Wolff (1734-1794), Christian Heinrich Pander (1794-1865) and Karl Ernst von Baer (1792-1786). My main objective here is (1) to demonstrate how the imagery of Wolff, Pander and Baer attempted to project an image of a 3-dimensional rotating body into static figures on paper by means of linear contours, and (2) to ponder on the efficacy and pervasiveness of dots, lines and arrows for depicting embryogenesis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tools for Successful Weight Management in Primary Care

PubMed Central

Turer, Christy Boling

2015-01-01

Obesity is one of the most pervasive and costly public-health problems. Clinicians need effective tools to address weight management in primary care, including evaluation and communication methods, guideline-based weight-management interventions, and safe and effective weight-loss medications and surgery. The objective of this Grand-Rounds presentation is to provide practicing clinicians with the latest information regarding effective ways to care for and communicate with patients about weight loss; evidence-based guidelines for selecting weight-management therapies; and safety, efficacy, and adverse effects of weight-loss medications and surgery. PMID:26218666

Caring for a family member with intellectual disability and epilepsy: practical, social and emotional perspectives.

PubMed

Thompson, Rose; Kerr, Mike; Glynn, Mike; Linehan, Christine

2014-11-01

To examine the caregiving impact of those who support a family member with intellectual disability and epilepsy. An online, qualitative international survey was conducted via the auspices of the International Bureau of Epilepsy with various stakeholders who support individuals who have intellectual disability and epilepsy. Qualitative comments were analyzed from respondents who identified themselves as family members (n=48; 36%) who referred specifically to the impact of supporting a family member with these combined disabilities. Four main domains, which were comprised of ten themes, were derived from the qualitative data using Braun and Clarke's qualitative framework. These domains comprised (1) practical concerns, (2) disrupted family dynamics, (3) emotional burden and (4) positive experiences. In combination these themes illustrate the pervasive impact on family life for those supporting an individual with complex needs. Financial concerns, coordination and responsibility of care, diverted attention from other family members and social isolation all contributed a significant burden of care for family members. Positive aspects were, however, also cited including the closeness of the family unit and a fostering of altruistic behavior. The study provides an insight into an under-researched area. The burden of caring for a family member across the lifespan has a largely negative and pervasive impact. Targeted service provision could contribute to an amelioration of the challenges faced by these families. Copyright © 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychiatric diagnostic screening of social maladaptive behaviour in children with mild intellectual disability: differentiating disordered attachment and pervasive developmental disorder behaviour.

PubMed

Giltaij, H P; Sterkenburg, P S; Schuengel, C

2015-02-01

Children with intellectual disability (ID) are at risk for maladaptive development of social relatedness. Controversy exists whether Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) takes precedence over disordered attachment for describing maladaptive social behaviour. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of disordered attachment symptoms in children with ID referred for mental health diagnosis, and to study the potential diagnostic overlap between symptoms of disordered attachment and PDD symptoms. Children (n = 102) in the age of 5-11 with IDs (borderline or mild; IQ 50-85) referred for psychiatric consultation were recruited. Parents were administered a screening interview for disturbances of attachment and teachers were administered a screening questionnaire for PDD. Behavioural symptoms of disordered attachment were reported for 42%* of the children, with 16%* showing symptoms of inhibited and 37%* showing symptoms of disinhibited attachment disorder. In 11% both types of symptoms were noted. Attachment disorder symptoms were not significantly associated with gender, ethnic background or age. Positive screening for PDD occurred for 27%. Positive screening for PDD was not significantly associated with symptoms of attachment disorder. Among children with ID referred for psychiatric consultation, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and PDD symptoms were both highly prevalent. RAD and PDD symptoms appear as distinct, but sometimes comorbid, forms of aberrant social relatedness. MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Weierstrassian movement patterns of snails

PubMed Central

Santini, Giacomo; Chelazzi, Guido; Focardi, Stefano

2017-01-01

Weierstrassian Lévy walks are the archetypical form of random walk that do not satisfy the central limit theorem and are instead characterized by scale invariance. They were originally regarded as a mathematical abstraction but subsequent theoretical studies showed that they can, in principle, at least, be generated by chaos. Recently, Weierstrassian Lévy walks have been found to provide accurate representations of the movement patterns of mussels (Mytilus edulis) and mud snails (Hydrobia ulvae) recorded in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Here, we tested whether Weierstrassian Lévy walks and chaos are present under natural conditions in intertidal limpets Patella vulgata and P. rustica, and found that both characteristics are pervasive. We thereby show that Weierstrassian Lévy walks may be fundamental to how molluscs experience and interact with the world across a wide range of ecological contexts. We also show in an easily accessible way how chaos can produce a wide variety of Weierstrassian Lévy walk movement patterns. Our findings support the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis that posits that because Lévy walks can optimize search efficiencies, natural selection should have led to adaptations for Lévy walks. PMID:28680656

Floral adaptation and diversification under pollen limitation

PubMed Central

Harder, Lawrence D.; Aizen, Marcelo A.

2010-01-01

Pollen limitation (PL) of seed production creates unique conditions for reproductive adaptation by angiosperms, in part because, unlike under ovule or resource limitation, floral interactions with pollen vectors can contribute to variation in female success. Although the ecological and conservation consequences of PL have received considerable attention in recent times, its evolutionary implications are poorly appreciated. To identify general influences of PL on reproductive adaptation compared with those under other seed-production limits and their implications for evolution in altered environments, we derive a model that incorporates pollination and post-pollination aspects of PL. Because PL always favours increased ovule fertilization, even when population dynamics are not seed limited, it should pervasively influence selection on reproductive traits. Significantly, under PL the intensity of inbreeding does not determine whether outcrossing or autonomous selfing can evolve, although it can affect which response is most likely. Because the causes of PL are multifaceted in both natural and anthropogenically altered environments, the possible outcrossing solutions are diverse and context dependent, which may contribute to the extensive variety of angiosperm reproductive characteristics. Finally, the increased adaptive options available under PL may be responsible for positive global associations between it and angiosperm diversity. PMID:20047878

[Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, tics, stereotypic movements or need for absolute consistency? The occurrence of repetitive activities in patients with pervasive developmental disorders--case studies].

PubMed

Bryńska, Anita; Lipińska, Elzbieta; Matelska, Monika

2011-01-01

Repetitive and stereotyped behaviours in the form of stereotyped interests or specific routine activities are one ofthe diagnostic criteria in pervasive developmental disorders. The occurrence of repetitive behaviours in patients with pervasive developmental disorders is a starting point for questions about the type and classification criteria of such behaviours. The aim of the article is to present case studies of patients with pervasive developmental disorders and co-morbid symptoms in the form of routine activities, tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms or stereotyped behaviours. The first case study describes a patient with Asperger's syndrome and obsessive compulsive symptoms. The diagnostic problems regarding complex motor tics are discussed in the second case study which describes a patient with Asperger's syndrome and Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. The third and fourth case study describes mono-zygotic twins with so called High Functioning Autism whose repetitive activities point to either obsessive compulsive symptoms, stereotypic movements, need for absolute consistency or echopraxia. The possible comorbidity of pervasive developmental disorders and symptoms in the form of repetitive behaviours, possible interactions as well as diagnostic challenges is discussed in the article.

Pervasive Sensing: Addressing the Heterogeneity Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Grady, Michael J.; Murdoch, Olga; Kroon, Barnard; Lillis, David; Carr, Dominic; Collier, Rem W.; O'Hare, Gregory M. P.

2013-06-01

Pervasive sensing is characterized by heterogeneity across a number of dimensions. This raises significant problems for those designing, implementing and deploying sensor networks, irrespective of application domain. Such problems include for example, issues of data provenance and integrity, security, and privacy amongst others. Thus engineering a network that is fit-for-purpose represents a significant challenge. In this paper, the issue of heterogeneity is explored from the perspective of those who seek to harness a pervasive sensing element in their applications. A initial solution is proposed based on the middleware construct.

Pervasive developmental disorders: a 10-year review.

PubMed

Tanguay, P E

2000-09-01

To summarize recent advances about the nature, diagnosis, and treatment of pervasive developmental disorders. Review of Medline databases, books, and book chapters published between July 1989 and November 1999. Clinical and genetic studies support expansion of the concept of autism to include a broader spectrum of social communication handicaps. The prevalence of autism is approximately 1 per 2,000; the prevalence of autism and Asperger's disorder together is 1 per 1,000. The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers is a useful screening instrument for 18-month-old children; the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule are instruments of choice for research. Although twin and family studies clearly support genetic factors as important in autism, linkage analysis studies indicate that many genes may be involved. There is no one treatment of choice. Social-pragmatic approaches, augmented by individualized strategies and social coaching, may be best for teaching social communication skills. Pharmacological interventions have a limited role in improving social communication, but selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical neuroleptic medications may help ameliorate aggression, hyperactivity, and other secondary problems. Private and government agencies must continue to support basic and applied research.

Branding and a child’s brain: an fMRI study of neural responses to logos

PubMed Central

Bruce, Jared M.; Black, William R.; Lepping, Rebecca J.; Henry, Janice M.; Cherry, Joseph Bradley C.; Martin, Laura E.; Papa, Vlad B.; Davis, Ann M.; Brooks, William M.; Savage, Cary R.

2014-01-01

Branding and advertising have a powerful effect on both familiarity and preference for products, yet no neuroimaging studies have examined neural response to logos in children. Food advertising is particularly pervasive and effective in manipulating choices in children. The purpose of this study was to examine how healthy children’s brains respond to common food and other logos. A pilot validation study was first conducted with 32 children to select the most culturally familiar logos, and to match food and non-food logos on valence and intensity. A new sample of 17 healthy weight children were then scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Food logos compared to baseline were associated with increased activation in orbitofrontal cortex and inferior prefrontal cortex. Compared to non-food logos, food logos elicited increased activation in posterior cingulate cortex. Results confirmed that food logos activate some brain regions in children known to be associated with motivation. This marks the first study in children to examine brain responses to culturally familiar logos. Considering the pervasiveness of advertising, research should further investigate how children respond at the neural level to marketing. PMID:22997054

In the Pursuit of Sons: Additional Births or Sex-Selective Abortion in Pakistan?

PubMed Central

Zaidi, Batool; Morgan, S. Philip

2017-01-01

Even though Pakistan is a highly patriarchal society, it has not featured prominently in studies focusing on sex-selective abortion and sex ratios at birth. But with fertility declining and existing strong son preference—Pakistan has one of the highest desired sex ratios in the world—how will Pakistani families respond? In the pursuit of sons, will they have additional children or resort to sex-selective abortions? Or is there evidence that the pursuit of sons is weakening? Using data from three rounds of the demographic and health survey, we show clear evidence of son preference in fertility intentions, patterns of contraceptive use and parity progression ratios. More specifically, we find pervasive evidence that Pakistanis continue childbearing to have a son, to have more than one son and to have at least one daughter. We do not find consistent and convincing evidence that sex ratios at birth (which indicate sex-selective abortion) are increasing. PMID:28392607

Signatures of negative selection in the genetic architecture of human complex traits.

PubMed

Zeng, Jian; de Vlaming, Ronald; Wu, Yang; Robinson, Matthew R; Lloyd-Jones, Luke R; Yengo, Loic; Yap, Chloe X; Xue, Angli; Sidorenko, Julia; McRae, Allan F; Powell, Joseph E; Montgomery, Grant W; Metspalu, Andres; Esko, Tonu; Gibson, Greg; Wray, Naomi R; Visscher, Peter M; Yang, Jian

2018-05-01

We develop a Bayesian mixed linear model that simultaneously estimates single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability, polygenicity (proportion of SNPs with nonzero effects), and the relationship between SNP effect size and minor allele frequency for complex traits in conventionally unrelated individuals using genome-wide SNP data. We apply the method to 28 complex traits in the UK Biobank data (N = 126,752) and show that on average, 6% of SNPs have nonzero effects, which in total explain 22% of phenotypic variance. We detect significant (P < 0.05/28) signatures of natural selection in the genetic architecture of 23 traits, including reproductive, cardiovascular, and anthropometric traits, as well as educational attainment. The significant estimates of the relationship between effect size and minor allele frequency in complex traits are consistent with a model of negative (or purifying) selection, as confirmed by forward simulation. We conclude that negative selection acts pervasively on the genetic variants associated with human complex traits.

Natural Selection in Large Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Michael

2011-03-01

I will discuss theoretical and experimental approaches to the evolutionary dynamics and population genetics of natural selection in large populations. In these populations, many mutations are often present simultaneously, and because recombination is limited, selection cannot act on them all independently. Rather, it can only affect whole combinations of mutations linked together on the same chromosome. Methods common in theoretical population genetics have been of limited utility in analyzing this coupling between the fates of different mutations. In the past few years it has become increasingly clear that this is a crucial gap in our understanding, as sequence data has begun to show that selection appears to act pervasively on many linked sites in a wide range of populations, including viruses, microbes, Drosophila, and humans. I will describe approaches that combine analytical tools drawn from statistical physics and dynamical systems with traditional methods in theoretical population genetics to address this problem, and describe how experiments in budding yeast can help us directly observe these evolutionary dynamics.

Provider and patient perceptions of malaria rapid diagnostic test use in Nigeria: a cross-sectional evaluation.

PubMed

Mokuolu, Olugbenga A; Ajumobi, Olufemi O; Ntadom, Godwin N; Adedoyin, Olanrewaju T; Roberts, Alero A; Agomo, Chimere O; Edozieh, Kate U; Okafor, Henrietta U; Wammanda, Robinson D; Odey, Friday A; Maikore, Ibrahim K; Abikoye, Olatayo O; Alabi, Adekunle D; Amajoh, Chiomah; Audu, Bala M

2018-05-16

Nigeria commenced a phased programmatic deployment of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) at the primary health care (PHC) facility levels since 2011. Despite various efforts, the national testing rate for malaria is still very low. The uptake of RDT has been variable. This study was undertaken to determine the provider and patient perceptions to RDT use at the PHC level in Nigeria with their implications for improving uptake and compliance. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 120 randomly selected PHCs across six states, across the six-geopolitical zones of Nigeria in January 2013. Health facility staff interviews were conducted to assess health workers (HW) perception, prescription practices and determinants of RDT use. Patient exit interviews were conducted to assess patient perception of RDT from ten patients/caregivers who met the eligibility criterion and were consecutively selected in each PHC, and to determine HW's compliance with RDT test results indirectly. Community members, each selected by their ward development committees in each Local Government Area were recruited for focus group discussion on their perceptions to RDT use. Health workers would use RDT results because of confidence in RDT results (95.4%) and its reduction in irrational use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) (87.2%). However, in Enugu state, RDT was not used by health workers because of the pervasive notion RDT that results were inaccurate. Among the 1207 exit interviews conducted, 549 (45.5%) had received RDT test. Compliance rate (administering ACT to positive patients and withholding ACT from negative patients) from patient exit interviews was 90.2%. Among caregivers/patients who had RDT done, over 95% knew that RDT tested for malaria, felt it was necessary and liked the test. Age of patients less than 5 years (p = 0.04) and "high" educational status (p = 0.0006) were factors influencing HW's prescription of ACT to RDT negative patients. The study demonstrated positive perception to RDT use by HW and among community members with good compliance rate among health workers at the PHC level. This positive perception should be explored in improving the current low level of malaria testing in Nigeria while addressing the influence of age on HW administration of ACT to RDT negative cases.

Viewpoint: A challenge to academic health centers and the National Institutes of Health to prevent unintended gender bias in the selection of clinical and translational science award leaders.

PubMed

Carnes, Molly; Bland, Carole

2007-02-01

In controlled studies, both men and women preferentially select men over women for leadership positions, even when credentials are identical and despite field studies demonstrating women's equivalent or slightly better leadership effectiveness. The assumption that men will make better leaders than women is attributed to the pervasive existence of unconscious stereotypes that characterize both men and leaders as agentic or action oriented and women as dependent. The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap is a novel, prestigious award that will place considerable power in the hands of one principal investigator-conditions that predict activation of bias in favor of selecting male leaders. The authors review research supporting this assertion. To mitigate the impact of this bias and broaden the pool of potential leaders for this transformative initiative, the authors offer the following suggestions. To academic health centers they suggest (1) internal search committees comprised of at least 35% women that establish a priori the desired qualities for the CTSA leader and broadly solicit applicants, (2) explicit specification of the full range of desirable skills of a CTSA leader, and (3) systematic efforts to increase awareness of the negative impact of unconscious gender bias on women's advancement. To the NIH they suggest (1) the new multiple principal investigator rule for the CTSA program, (2) a statement in the request for applications (RFA) encouraging diversity among principal investigators, (3) repetition in the RFA of the public NIH statement of the importance of work life balance for young investigators, and (4) constitution of study sections with at least 35% women.

Pancultural self-enhancement.

PubMed

Sedikides, Constantine; Gaertner, Lowell; Toguchi, Yoshiyasu

2003-01-01

The culture movement challenged the universality of the self-enhancement motive by proposing that the motive is pervasive in individualistic cultures (the West) but absent in collectivistic cultures (the East). The present research posited that Westerners and Easterners use different tactics to achieve the same goal: positive self-regard. Study 1 tested participants from differing cultural backgrounds (the United States vs. Japan), and Study 2 tested participants of differing self-construals (independent vs. interdependent). Americans and independents self-enhanced on individualistic attributes, whereas Japanese and interdependents self-enhanced on collectivistic attributes. Independents regarded individualistic attributes, whereas interdependents regarded collectivistic attributes, as personally important. Attribute importance mediated self-enhancement. Regardless of cultural background or self-construal, people self-enhance on personally important dimensions. Self-enhancement is a universal human motive.

The Economy of Romania: How it Compares to Other Centrally-Planned Economies in Eastern Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

moonlighting ," with all the positive connotations of supplementing one’s in- come through industry and initiative. It is a broader, more pervasive...Western Stereotypes ." Christian Science Monitor. March 24, 1983, p. 13. Keefe, Eugene K., Violeta 0. Baluyut, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore...Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943 8. Marine Corps Representative, Code 0309 Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93940 9. Captain Grace M. Charney P.O. Box 7267 APO NY 09012 182 . . . . - FILMED 4-85 * DTIC

The impact of gendered organizational systems on women’s career advancement

PubMed Central

O’Neil, Deborah A.; Hopkins, Margaret M.

2015-01-01

In this Perspective article we propose that in order to pave the way for women’s career advancement into the senior ranks of organizations, attention must be directed at the systemic norms and structures that drive the gendered nature of the workplace. A focus on individual level issues, i.e., women lacking confidence and women opting out, detracts from the work that must be done at the organizational level in order to dismantle the system of pervasive, structural disadvantage facing women seeking to advance to senior leadership positions. PMID:26175708

The impact of gendered organizational systems on women's career advancement.

PubMed

O'Neil, Deborah A; Hopkins, Margaret M

2015-01-01

In this Perspective article we propose that in order to pave the way for women's career advancement into the senior ranks of organizations, attention must be directed at the systemic norms and structures that drive the gendered nature of the workplace. A focus on individual level issues, i.e., women lacking confidence and women opting out, detracts from the work that must be done at the organizational level in order to dismantle the system of pervasive, structural disadvantage facing women seeking to advance to senior leadership positions.

Eco-Evolutionary Genomics of Chromosomal Inversions.

PubMed

Wellenreuther, Maren; Bernatchez, Louis

2018-05-03

Chromosomal inversions have long fascinated evolutionary biologists due to their suppression of recombination, which can protect co-adapted alleles. Emerging research documents that inversions are commonly linked to spectacular phenotypes and have a pervasive role in eco-evolutionary processes, from mating systems, social organisation, environmental adaptation, and reproductive isolation to speciation. Studies also reveal that inversions are taxonomically widespread, with many being old and large, and that balancing selection is commonly facilitating their maintenance. This challenges the traditional view that the role of balancing selection in maintaining variation is relatively minor. The ubiquitous importance of inversions in ecological and evolutionary processes suggests that structural variation should be better acknowledged and integrated in studies pertaining to the molecular basis of adaptation and speciation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fragile X Syndrome: Genetic Predisposition to Psychopathology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bregman, Joel D.; And Others

1988-01-01

Psychiatric evaluation of 14 males (ages 3-27 years) with the fragile X syndrome found pervasive hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attentional deficits, and a significant degree of anxiety. However, diagnostic criteria for persistent pervasive developmental disorder and autism were not met. (Author/DB)

Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Distinguishing among Subtypes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Sandra L.; Glasberg, Beth; Ricca, Donna

1996-01-01

Describes pervasive developmental disorders (PPDs), which are severe conditions that begin in early life and influence multiple areas of development. Conditions include autistic disorders, Asperger's disorder, Rett's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and PPDs "not otherwise specified." Intensive behavioral intervention at an early age…

Personal pervasive environments: practice and experience.

PubMed

Ballesteros, Francisco J; Guardiola, Gorka; Soriano, Enrique

2012-01-01

In this paper we present our experience designing and developing two different systems to enable personal pervasive computing environments, Plan B and the Octopus. These systems were fully implemented and have been used on a daily basis for years. Both are based on synthetic (virtual) file system interfaces and provide mechanisms to adapt to changes in the context and reconfigure the system to support pervasive applications. We also present the main differences between them, focusing on architectural and reconfiguration aspects. Finally, we analyze the pitfalls and successes of both systems and review the lessons we learned while designing, developing, and using them.

Personal Pervasive Environments: Practice and Experience

PubMed Central

Ballesteros, Francisco J.; Guardiola, Gorka; Soriano, Enrique

2012-01-01

In this paper we present our experience designing and developing two different systems to enable personal pervasive computing environments, Plan B and the Octopus. These systems were fully implemented and have been used on a daily basis for years. Both are based on synthetic (virtual) file system interfaces and provide mechanisms to adapt to changes in the context and reconfigure the system to support pervasive applications. We also present the main differences between them, focusing on architectural and reconfiguration aspects. Finally, we analyze the pitfalls and successes of both systems and review the lessons we learned while designing, developing, and using them. PMID:22969340

Genetic Diversity in the Interference Selection Limit

PubMed Central

Good, Benjamin H.; Walczak, Aleksandra M.; Neher, Richard A.; Desai, Michael M.

2014-01-01

Pervasive natural selection can strongly influence observed patterns of genetic variation, but these effects remain poorly understood when multiple selected variants segregate in nearby regions of the genome. Classical population genetics fails to account for interference between linked mutations, which grows increasingly severe as the density of selected polymorphisms increases. Here, we describe a simple limit that emerges when interference is common, in which the fitness effects of individual mutations play a relatively minor role. Instead, similar to models of quantitative genetics, molecular evolution is determined by the variance in fitness within the population, defined over an effectively asexual segment of the genome (a “linkage block”). We exploit this insensitivity in a new “coarse-grained” coalescent framework, which approximates the effects of many weakly selected mutations with a smaller number of strongly selected mutations that create the same variance in fitness. This approximation generates accurate and efficient predictions for silent site variability when interference is common. However, these results suggest that there is reduced power to resolve individual selection pressures when interference is sufficiently widespread, since a broad range of parameters possess nearly identical patterns of silent site variability. PMID:24675740

Vive la résistance: genome-wide selection against introduced alleles in invasive hybrid zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kovach, Ryan P.; Hand, Brian K.; Hohenlohe, Paul A.; Cosart, Ted F.; Boyer, Matthew C.; Neville, Helen H.; Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Amish, Stephen J.; Carim, Kellie; Narum, Shawn R.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Allendorf, Fred W.; Luikart, Gordon

2016-01-01

Evolutionary and ecological consequences of hybridization between native and invasive species are notoriously complicated because patterns of selection acting on non-native alleles can vary throughout the genome and across environments. Rapid advances in genomics now make it feasible to assess locus-specific and genome-wide patterns of natural selection acting on invasive introgression within and among natural populations occupying diverse environments. We quantified genome-wide patterns of admixture across multiple independent hybrid zones of native westslope cutthroat trout and invasive rainbow trout, the world's most widely introduced fish, by genotyping 339 individuals from 21 populations using 9380 species-diagnostic loci. A significantly greater proportion of the genome appeared to be under selection favouring native cutthroat trout (rather than rainbow trout), and this pattern was pervasive across the genome (detected on most chromosomes). Furthermore, selection against invasive alleles was consistent across populations and environments, even in those where rainbow trout were predicted to have a selective advantage (warm environments). These data corroborate field studies showing that hybrids between these species have lower fitness than the native taxa, and show that these fitness differences are due to selection favouring many native genes distributed widely throughout the genome.

Genetically modified food in the news: media representations of the GM debate in the UK.

PubMed

Augoustinos, Martha; Crabb, Shona; Shepherd, Richard

2010-01-01

This paper analyses a corpus of articles on GM crops and food which appeared in six UK newspapers in the first three months of 2004, the year following the GM Nation? debate (2003). Using the methods of critical discourse analysis we focus on how specific and pervasive representations of the major stakeholders in the national debate on GM--the British public, the British government, the science of GM, and biotechnology companies--served significant rhetorical functions in the controversy. Of particular significance was the pervasive representation of the British public as uniformly opposed to GM crops and food which served rhetorically to position the British government as undemocratic and as being beholden to powerful political and economic interests. Of significance also in our analysis, is how the science of GM farming itself became a highly contested arena. In short, our analysis demonstrates how the GM debate was represented in the newsprint media as a "battleground" of competing interests. We conclude by considering the possible implications of this representation given the increasing emphasis placed on the importance of deliberative and inclusive forms of science policy decision-making.

A meta-analysis of in-vehicle and nomadic voice-recognition system interaction and driving performance.

PubMed

Simmons, Sarah M; Caird, Jeff K; Steel, Piers

2017-09-01

Driver distraction is a growing and pervasive issue that requires multiple solutions. Voice-recognition (V-R) systems may decrease the visual-manual (V-M) demands of a wide range of in-vehicle system and smartphone interactions. However, the degree that V-R systems integrated into vehicles or available in mobile phone applications affect driver distraction is incompletely understood. A comprehensive meta-analysis of experimental studies was conducted to address this knowledge gap. To meet study inclusion criteria, drivers had to interact with a V-R system while driving and doing everyday V-R tasks such as dialing, initiating a call, texting, emailing, destination entry or music selection. Coded dependent variables included detection, reaction time, lateral position, speed and headway. Comparisons of V-R systems with baseline driving and/or a V-M condition were also coded. Of 817 identified citations, 43 studies involving 2000 drivers and 183 effect sizes (r) were analyzed in the meta-analysis. Compared to baseline, driving while interacting with a V-R system is associated with increases in reaction time and lane positioning, and decreases in detection. When V-M systems were compared to V-R systems, drivers had slightly better performance with the latter system on reaction time, lane positioning and headway. Although V-R systems have some driving performance advantages over V-M systems, they have a distraction cost relative to driving without any system at all. The pattern of results indicates that V-R systems impose moderate distraction costs on driving. In addition, drivers minimally engage in compensatory performance adjustments such as reducing speed and increasing headway while using V-R systems. Implications of the results for theory, design guidelines and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strock, Margaret

2007-01-01

This booklet focuses on classic autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome, with brief descriptions of Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder. The booklet describes possible indicators of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), their diagnosis, available aids, treatment options, adults…

Catatonic features in adolescents with schizophrenia with and without a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Catatonia has been associated with both schizophrenia and pervasive developmental disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate catatonic features among adolescents suffering from schizophrenia. Further, we compared these features between adolescents with a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder and those without one. Finally, we wanted to compare the profile of catatonia-like features of our schizophrenia patients to that described earlier among persons with autism spectrum disorders. Methods The study comprised a consecutive sample of 18 adolescents with schizophrenia (mean age 15.6 years, SD 1.4) and their families. Diagnosis of schizophrenia was assessed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children – Present and Life-Time (K-SADS-PL) for the DSM-IV. The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders version 11 was used to assess catatonic features. Results All adolescents with schizophrenia had showed some lifetime catatonic features. Approximately 78% of them had already expressed these features before the age of 10. The number of catatonic features before the age of 10 was significantly higher among the adolescents with a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder compared to those without one. The numbers of catatonic features after the age of 10 did not significantly differ between the two groups. Over three-quarters of schizophrenia patients shared four lifetime catatonic features: “lacks facial expression”, “odd intonation”, “poor eye contact” and “lack of cooperation”. Conclusions Adolescent schizophrenia patients with a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder show many catatonic features in childhood whereas those without one seem to develop these features first in adolescence. Catatonic features exhibited by adolescents with schizophrenia resemble those described among persons with pervasive developmental disorders without schizophrenia. PMID:24914405

Catatonic features in adolescents with schizophrenia with and without a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder.

PubMed

Waris, Petra; Lindberg, Nina; Kettunen, Kirsi; Lipsanen, Jari; Tani, Pekka

2014-01-01

Catatonia has been associated with both schizophrenia and pervasive developmental disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate catatonic features among adolescents suffering from schizophrenia. Further, we compared these features between adolescents with a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder and those without one. Finally, we wanted to compare the profile of catatonia-like features of our schizophrenia patients to that described earlier among persons with autism spectrum disorders. The study comprised a consecutive sample of 18 adolescents with schizophrenia (mean age 15.6 years, SD 1.4) and their families. Diagnosis of schizophrenia was assessed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children - Present and Life-Time (K-SADS-PL) for the DSM-IV. The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders version 11 was used to assess catatonic features. All adolescents with schizophrenia had showed some lifetime catatonic features. Approximately 78% of them had already expressed these features before the age of 10. The number of catatonic features before the age of 10 was significantly higher among the adolescents with a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder compared to those without one. The numbers of catatonic features after the age of 10 did not significantly differ between the two groups. Over three-quarters of schizophrenia patients shared four lifetime catatonic features: "lacks facial expression", "odd intonation", "poor eye contact" and "lack of cooperation". Adolescent schizophrenia patients with a comorbid pervasive developmental disorder show many catatonic features in childhood whereas those without one seem to develop these features first in adolescence. Catatonic features exhibited by adolescents with schizophrenia resemble those described among persons with pervasive developmental disorders without schizophrenia.

The role of fear in delusions of the paranormal.

PubMed

Lange, R; Houran, J

1999-03-01

Based on an extended process model derived from attribution theory, we hypothesized that pervasive and persistent delusions of the paranormal are characterized by the existence of a positive (self-reinforcing), rather than a negative (self-correcting), feedback loop involving paranormal beliefs, fears, and experiences, as moderated by gender and tolerance of ambiguity. A cross-cultural sample of "international" students who reported poltergeist-like experiences showing high fear of the paranormal was identified. As in earlier research, path analysis showed statistically significant and positive effects of belief on experience and/or fear on belief. However, paranormal experience now had a positive effect on fear as well. Thus, as predicted, increased fear removes the option of neutralizing ambiguous events by labeling them as "paranormal." Although female subjects showed significantly greater fear of the paranormal than male subjects, there is no evidence that the nature of the delusional process is gender specific.

Interspecific competition alters nonlinear selection on offspring size in the field.

PubMed

Marshall, Dustin J; Monro, Keyne

2013-02-01

Offspring size is one of the most important life-history traits with consequences for both the ecology and evolution of most organisms. Surprisingly, formal estimates of selection on offspring size are rare, and the degree to which selection (particularly nonlinear selection) varies among environments remains poorly explored. We estimate linear and nonlinear selection on offspring size, module size, and senescence rate for a sessile marine invertebrate in the field under three different intensities of interspecific competition. The intensity of competition strongly modified the strength and form of selection acting on offspring size. We found evidence for differences in nonlinear selection across the three environments. Our results suggest that the fitness returns of a given offspring size depend simultaneously on their environmental context, and on the context of other offspring traits. Offspring size effects can be more pervasive with regards to their influence on the fitness returns of other traits than previously recognized, and we suggest that the evolution of offspring size cannot be understood in isolation from other traits. Overall, variability in the form and strength of selection on offspring size in nature may reduce the efficacy of selection on offspring size and maintain variation in this trait. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Brief Report: Representational Momentum for Dynamic Facial Expressions in Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uono, Shota; Sato, Wataru; Toichi, Motomi

2010-01-01

Individuals with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) have difficulty with social communication via emotional facial expressions, but behavioral studies involving static images have reported inconsistent findings about emotion recognition. We investigated whether dynamic presentation of facial expression would enhance subjective perception of…

The fourth dimension of life: fractal geometry and allometric scaling of organisms.

PubMed

West, G B; Brown, J H; Enquist, B J

1999-06-04

Fractal-like networks effectively endow life with an additional fourth spatial dimension. This is the origin of quarter-power scaling that is so pervasive in biology. Organisms have evolved hierarchical branching networks that terminate in size-invariant units, such as capillaries, leaves, mitochondria, and oxidase molecules. Natural selection has tended to maximize both metabolic capacity, by maximizing the scaling of exchange surface areas, and internal efficiency, by minimizing the scaling of transport distances and times. These design principles are independent of detailed dynamics and explicit models and should apply to virtually all organisms.

Negative and Positive Factors Associated With the Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth

PubMed Central

Higa, Darrel; Hoppe, Marilyn J.; Lindhorst, Taryn; Mincer, Shawn; Beadnell, Blair; Morrison, Diane M.; Wells, Elizabeth A.; Todd, Avry; Mountz, Sarah

2015-01-01

Factors associated with the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth were qualitatively examined to better understand how these factors are experienced from the youths’ perspectives. Largely recruited from LGBTQ youth groups, 68 youth participated in focus groups (n = 63) or individual interviews (n = 5). The sample included 50% male, 47% female, and 3% transgender participants. Researchers used a consensual methods approach to identify negative and positive factors across 8 domains. Negative factors were associated with families, schools, religious institutions, and community or neighborhood; positive factors were associated with the youth's own identity development, peer networks, and involvement in the LGBTQ community. These findings suggest a pervasiveness of negative experiences in multiple contexts, and the importance of fostering a positive LGBTQ identity and supportive peer/community networks. Efforts should work towards reducing and eliminating the prejudicial sentiments often present in the institutions and situations that LGBTQ youth encounter. PMID:25722502

Negative and Positive Factors Associated With the Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth.

PubMed

Higa, Darrel; Hoppe, Marilyn J; Lindhorst, Taryn; Mincer, Shawn; Beadnell, Blair; Morrison, Diane M; Wells, Elizabeth A; Todd, Avry; Mountz, Sarah

2014-09-01

Factors associated with the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth were qualitatively examined to better understand how these factors are experienced from the youths' perspectives. Largely recruited from LGBTQ youth groups, 68 youth participated in focus groups ( n = 63) or individual interviews ( n = 5). The sample included 50% male, 47% female, and 3% transgender participants. Researchers used a consensual methods approach to identify negative and positive factors across 8 domains. Negative factors were associated with families, schools, religious institutions, and community or neighborhood; positive factors were associated with the youth's own identity development, peer networks, and involvement in the LGBTQ community. These findings suggest a pervasiveness of negative experiences in multiple contexts, and the importance of fostering a positive LGBTQ identity and supportive peer/community networks. Efforts should work towards reducing and eliminating the prejudicial sentiments often present in the institutions and situations that LGBTQ youth encounter.

Middleware Architecture for Ambient Intelligence in the Networked Home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgantas, Nikolaos; Issarny, Valerie; Mokhtar, Sonia Ben; Bromberg, Yerom-David; Bianco, Sebastien; Thomson, Graham; Raverdy, Pierre-Guillaume; Urbieta, Aitor; Cardoso, Roberto Speicys

With computing and communication capabilities now embedded in most physical objects of the surrounding environment and most users carrying wireless computing devices, the Ambient Intelligence (AmI) / pervasive computing vision [28] pioneered by Mark Weiser [32] is becoming a reality. Devices carried by nomadic users can seamlessly network with a variety of devices, both stationary and mobile, both nearby and remote, providing a wide range of functional capabilities, from base sensing and actuating to rich applications (e.g., smart spaces). This then allows the dynamic deployment of pervasive applications, which dynamically compose functional capabilities accessible in the pervasive network at the given time and place of an application request.

Trends in Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnoses: 1994-2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenberg, Rebecca E.; Daniels, Amy M.; Law, J. Kiely; Law, Paul A.; Kaufmann, Walter E.

2009-01-01

We analyzed predictors of parent-reported initial diagnosis (autistic disorder [AD], pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified [PDD-NOS], pervasive developmental disorder ["PDD"] and autism spectrum disorder ["ASD"], and Asperger syndrome [AS]), among 6,176 individuals with autism spectrum disorders diagnosed from 1994 through 2007.…

Pervasive Agility and Agile Fires in Support of Decisive Action

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-29

Pervasive Agility and Agile Fires in Support of Decisive Action FORMAT: Civilian Research Project DATE: 29 March 2012 WORD COUNT : 12,599 PAGES: 54...will face, this pollenization may require creative measures, perhaps virtual or constructive scenarios. The National Training Center at Fort Irwin

What Students Want

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffhauser, Dian

2010-01-01

Institutions already cater to the technology needs of students. According to the 2008 Campus Computing survey, 60 percent of colleges and universities offer pervasive or near-pervasive wireless; computers are as ubiquitous as water bottles; course management systems have become one-stop shops for class content; few classrooms lack projectors; and…

Pervasive Computing and Communication Technologies for U-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Young C.

2014-01-01

The development of digital information transfer, storage and communication methods influences a significant effect on education. The assimilation of pervasive computing and communication technologies marks another great step forward, with Ubiquitous Learning (U-learning) emerging for next generation learners. In the evolutionary view the 5G (or…

Predictors and Moderators of Psychological Distress in Mothers of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobing, Lauren E.; Glenwick, David S.

2006-01-01

This study explored potential predictors of psychological distress and moderators of the relation between parenting stress and psychological distress in mothers of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Ninety-seven mothers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders completed measures assessing children's functional…

Pervasive Developmental Disorders. NICHCY Briefing Paper FS20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Luke Y.

This briefing paper is intended to provide basic information about the diagnosis, educational programming, and special needs of children and youth with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a group of neurological disorders usually evident by age 3 and characterized by impairments in social interaction, imaginative activity, and verbal and…

Structure of the Autism Symptom Phenotype: A Proposed Multidimensional Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgiades, Stelios; Szatmari, Peter; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Duku, Eric; Bryson, Susan; Roberts, Wendy; Goldberg, Jeremy; Mahoney, William

2007-01-01

Background: The main objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive, empirical model that would allow the reorganization of the structure of the pervasive developmental disorder symptom phenotype through factor analysis into more homogeneous dimensions. Method: The sample consisted of 209 children with pervasive developmental disorder…

Understanding Pervasive Language Impairment in Young Children: Exploring Patterns in Narrative Language and Functional Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Anna Jeddeloh

2013-01-01

Research has identified language impairment as a pervasive disability (Bishop & Edmundson, 1987; Greenhalgh & Strong, 2001). Classroom communication behaviors have a role in the maintenance of special education eligibility and functional communication difficulties for young children with language impairment. This paper reviews the…

A Divided Attention Experiment with Pervasively Hyperactive Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Meere, Jaap; Sergeant, Joseph

1987-01-01

Task performance of 12 pervasive hyperactives and controls (ages 8-13) was studied in a divided attention reaction time experiment. Hyperactives were slower than controls, had more variable reaction times, and made more frequent errors. Task inefficiency in hyperactives could not be explained by a divided attention deficiency or impulsive…

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Adult Clients with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galli-Carminati, G.; Chauvet, I.; Deriaz, N.

2006-01-01

Background: In clients with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), some authors have noticed the presence of gastrointestinal disorders and behavioural disorders. An augmented prevalence of different histological anomalies has also been reported. The aim of our study is to highlight the prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders in this adult with…

Symbolization Levels in Communicative Behaviors of Children Showing Pervasive Developmental Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atlas, Jeffrey A.; Lapidus, Leah Blumberg

1988-01-01

A total of 48 children (aged 4-14) with severe pervasive developmental disturbance, exhibiting mutism, echolalia, or nonecholalic speech, were observed in their communicative behaviors across modalities. Levels of symbolization in gesture, play, and drawing were significantly intercorrelated and were most strongly correlated with the criterion…

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Young Children. AECA Research in Practice Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roe, Diana

This booklet provides an overview of the characteristics and needs of young children with autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. It addresses: (1) different disabilities under the classification of autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders; (2) characteristics of autism; (3) characteristics of children…

Brief Report: Pervasive Developmental Disorder Can Evolve into ADHD--Case Illustrations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fein, Deborah; Dixon, Pamela; Paul, Jennifer; Levin, Harriet

2005-01-01

Despite prominent attentional symptoms in Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) the relationship between PDD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has received little direct examination. In addition, outcome studies of children with PDD often focus on language, educational placement, or adaptive skills, but seldom on loss of the…

ERPs and Eye Movements Reflect Atypical Visual Perception in Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemner, Chantal; van Engeland, Herman

2006-01-01

Many studies of eye tracking or event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in subjects with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) have yielded inconsistent results on attentional processing. However, recent studies have indicated that there are specific abnormalities in early processing that are probably related to perception. ERP amplitudes in…

Fragmented Visuospatial Processing in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlooz, Wim A. J. M.; Hulstijn, Wouter; van den Broek, Pieter J. A.; van der Pijll, Angela C. A. M.; Gabreels, Fons; van der Gaag, Rutger J.; Rotteveel, Jan J.

2006-01-01

Children diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger Syndrome (AS) may be characterised by a similar perceptual focus on details as children with autistic disorder (AD). This was tested by analysing their performance in a visuoperceptual task [the Children's Embedded Figure Test (CEFT)] and a…

24 CFR 598.110 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 598.110 Section 598.110 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating... TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Eligibility Requirements § 598.110 Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment...) Unemployment. Unemployment is demonstrated by: (1) The most recent data available indicating that the annual...

24 CFR 598.110 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 598.110 Section 598.110 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating... TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Eligibility Requirements § 598.110 Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment...) Unemployment. Unemployment is demonstrated by: (1) The most recent data available indicating that the annual...

24 CFR 598.110 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 598.110 Section 598.110 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating... TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Eligibility Requirements § 598.110 Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment...) Unemployment. Unemployment is demonstrated by: (1) The most recent data available indicating that the annual...

24 CFR 598.110 - Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., unemployment and general distress. 598.110 Section 598.110 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating... TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Eligibility Requirements § 598.110 Tests of pervasive poverty, unemployment...) Unemployment. Unemployment is demonstrated by: (1) The most recent data available indicating that the annual...

Audiovisual Speech Integration in Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnee, Maurice J. C. M.; de Gelder, Beatrice; van Engeland, Herman; Kemner, Chantal

2008-01-01

Background: Integration of information from multiple sensory sources is an important prerequisite for successful social behavior, especially during face-to-face conversation. It has been suggested that communicative impairments among individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) might be caused by an inability to integrate synchronously…

Building Efficient Wireless Infrastructures for Pervasive Computing Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheng, Bo

2010-01-01

Pervasive computing is an emerging concept that thoroughly brings computing devices and the consequent technology into people's daily life and activities. Most of these computing devices are very small, sometimes even "invisible", and often embedded into the objects surrounding people. In addition, these devices usually are not isolated, but…

Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Sample of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikolov, Roumen N.; Bearss, Karen E.; Lettinga, Jelle; Erickson, Craig; Rodowski, Maria; Aman, Michael G.; McCracken, James T.; McDougle, Christopher J.; Tierney, Elaine; Vitiello, Benedetto; Arnold, L. Eugene; Shah, Bhavik; Posey, David J.; Ritz, Louise; Scahill, Lawrence

2009-01-01

Objective: To evaluate gastrointestinal (GI) problems in a large, well-characterized sample of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Methods: One hundred seventy two children entering one of two trials conducted by the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network were assessed comprehensively prior to…

Impulsive personality traits in male pedophiles versus healthy controls: is pedophilia an impulsive-aggressive disorder?

PubMed

Cohen, Lisa J; Gans, Sniezyna Watras; McGeoch, Pamela G; Poznansky, Olga; Itskovich, Yelena; Murphy, Sean; Klein, Erik; Cullen, Ken; Galynker, Igor I

2002-01-01

Pedophilia is characterized by sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Despite the extensive literature documenting the pervasive and pernicious effects of childhood sexual abuse, there is surprisingly little psychiatric literature on pedophilia and its etiology remains enigmatic. In recent years, the psychiatric literature on the phenomenology, neurobiology, and treatment of impulsive-aggressive disorders has grown significantly. As some investigators have conceptualized pedophilia as an impulsive-aggressive disorder, it is of interest whether recent advances in the study of impulsive-aggressive disorders might shed light on pathological mechanisms underlying pedophilia. In the following study, 20 male subjects with a DSM-IV diagnosis of pedophilia, heterosexual type were recruited from an outpatient facility for sexual offenders and compared to 24 demographically similar control subjects. Groups were compared on three personality instruments--the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II), the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Impairment-Questionnaire (DAPI-Q)--to assess for select impairment in impulsive-aggressive personality traits. Pedophiles showed severe and pervasive personality impairment relative to controls. Although there was evidence of impulsivity, the findings do not suggest a predominance of impulsive-aggressive traits, and in fact provide evidence of inhibition, passive-aggression, and harm avoidance. The notion of "compulsive-aggression" in pedophilia is proposed.

Consumer-resource interactions and the evolution of migration.

PubMed

Drown, Devin M; Dybdahl, Mark F; Gomulkiewicz, Richard

2013-11-01

Theoretical studies have demonstrated that selection will favor increased migration when fitnesses vary both temporally and spatially, but it is far from clear how pervasive those theoretical conditions are in nature. Although consumer-resource interactions are omnipresent in nature and can generate spatial and temporal variation, it is unknown even in theory whether these dynamics favor the evolution of migration. We develop a mathematical model to address whether and how migration evolves when variability in fitness is determined at least in part by consumer-resource coevolutionary interactions. Our analyses show that such interactions can drive the evolution of migration in the resource, consumer, or both species and thus supplies a general explanation for the pervasiveness of migration. Over short time scales, we show the direction of change in migration rate is determined primarily by the state of local adaptation of the species involved: rates increase when a species is locally maladapted and decrease when locally adapted. Our results reveal that long-term evolutionary trends in migration rates can differ dramatically depending on the strength or weakness of interspecific interactions and suggest an explanation for the evolutionary divergence of migration rates among interacting species. © 2013 The Author(s). Evolution © 2013 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Transformation in the pharmaceutical industry--a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Shafiei, Nader; Ford, James L; Morecroft, Charles W; Lisboa, Paulo J; Taylor, Mark J; Mouzughi, Yusra

2013-01-01

The evolutionary development of pharmaceutical transformation was studied through systematic review of the literature. Fourteen triggers were identified that will affect the pharmaceutical business, regulatory science, and enabling technologies in future years. The relative importance ranking of the transformation triggers was computed based on their prevalence within the articles studied. The four main triggers with the strongest literature evidence were Fully Integrated Pharma Network, Personalized Medicine, Translational Research, and Pervasive Computing. The theoretical quality risks for each of the four main transformation triggers are examined, and the remaining ten triggers are described. The pharmaceutical industry is currently going through changes that affect the way it performs its research, manufacturing, and regulatory activities (this is termed pharmaceutical transformation). The impact of these changes on the approaches to quality risk management requires more understanding. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the academic, regulatory, and industry literature were used to identify 14 triggers that influence pharmaceutical transformation. The four main triggers, namely Fully Integrated Pharma Network, Personalized Medicine, Translational Research, and Pervasive Computing, were selected as the most important based on the strength of the evidence found during the literature review activity described in this paper. Theoretical quality risks for each of the four main transformation triggers are examined, and the remaining ten triggers are described.

The middle way of evolution

PubMed Central

Hunt, Tam

2012-01-01

This essay provides a critical review of two recent books on evolution: Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth, and Jerry Coyne’s Why Evolution is True, as well as a critique of mainstream evolutionary theory and of natural selection. I also suggest a generalization of sexual selection theory that acknowledges mind as pervasive in nature. Natural selection, as the primary theory of how biological change occurs, must be carefully framed to avoid the long-standing “tautology problem” and must also be modified to more explicitly include the role of mind in evolution. A propensity approach to natural selection, in which “expected fitness” is utilized rather than “fitness,” can save natural selection from tautology. But to be a productive theory, natural selection theory should be placed alongside sexual selection – which is explicitly agentic/intentional – as a twin force, but also placed alongside purely endogenous factors such as genetic drift. This framing is contrary to the normal convention that often groups all of these factors under the rubric of “natural selection.” I suggest some approaches for improving modern evolutionary theory, including a “generalized sexual selection,” a panpsychist extension of Darwin’s theory of sexual selection that explicitly recognizes the role of mind at all levels of nature and which may play the part of a general theory of evolution better than natural selection theory. PMID:23181154

Diabetes City: How Urban Game Design Strategies Can Help Diabetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knöll, Martin

Computer Games are about to leave their “electronic shells” and enter the city. So-called Serious Pervasive Games (SPGs) [1] allow for hybrid - simultaneously physical and virtual - experiences, applying technologies of ubiquitous computing, communication and “intelligent” interfaces. They begin to focus on non-entertaining purposes. The following article a) presents game design strategies as a missing link between pervasive computing, Ambient Intelligence and user’s everyday life. Therefore it spurs a discussion how Pervasive Healthcare focusing on the therapy and prevention of chronic diseases can benefit from urban game design strategies. b) Moreover the article presents the development and work in progress of “DiabetesCity“ - an educational game prototype for young diabetics.

Pervasive Muslim-Hindu fertility differences in India.

PubMed

Dharmalingam, A; Morgan, S Philip

2004-08-01

Using the 1993 Indian Family and Health Survey, we examined Muslim-Hindu differences in (1) the parity-specific intent to have another child and (2) given a stated intent for no more children, reports of the current use of contraceptives. We found that Muslims are much more likely than Hindus to intend to have additional children and, among those who do not want more children, Muslims are much less likely than Hindus to use contraceptives. These findings are robust to model specification and pervasive across the states of India. This national study provides the context within which local studies should be enmeshed and begs for general (as opposed to place-specific) explanations for these pervasive differences.

SAM-VI RNAs selectively bind S-adenosylmethionine and exhibit similarities to SAM-III riboswitches.

PubMed

Mirihana Arachchilage, Gayan; Sherlock, Madeline E; Weinberg, Zasha; Breaker, Ronald R

2018-03-04

Five distinct riboswitch classes that regulate gene expression in response to the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) or its metabolic breakdown product S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) have been reported previously. Collectively, these SAM- or SAH-sensing RNAs constitute the most abundant collection of riboswitches, and are found in nearly every major bacterial lineage. Here, we report a potential sixth member of this pervasive riboswitch family, called SAM-VI, which is predominantly found in Bifidobacterium species. SAM-VI aptamers selectively bind the cofactor SAM and strongly discriminate against SAH. The consensus sequence and structural model for SAM-VI share some features with the consensus model for the SAM-III riboswitch class, whose members are mainly found in lactic acid bacteria. However, there are sufficient differences between the two classes such that current bioinformatics methods separately cluster representatives of the two motifs. These findings highlight the abundance of RNA structures that can form to selectively recognize SAM, and showcase the ability of RNA to utilize diverse strategies to perform similar biological functions.

Early adolescent friendships and academic adjustment: examining selection and influence processes with longitudinal social network analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Huiyoung; Ryan, Allison M

2014-11-01

This study investigated early adolescent friendship selection and social influence with regard to academic motivation (self-efficacy and intrinsic value), engagement (effortful and disruptive behavior), and achievement (GPA calculated from report card grades) among 6th graders (N = 587, 50% girls at Wave 1; N = 576, 52% girls at Wave 2) followed from fall to spring within 1 academic year. A stochastic actor-based model of social network analysis was used to overcome methodological limitations of prior research on friends, peer groups, and academic adjustment. Evidence that early adolescents sought out friends who were similar to themselves (selection) was found in regard to academic self-efficacy, and a similar trend was found for achievement. Evidence that friends became more similar to their friends over time (influence) was found for all aspects of academic adjustment except academic self-efficacy. Collectively, results indicate that selection effects were not as pervasive as influence effects in explaining similarity among friends in academic adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Breaking evolutionary constraint with a tradeoff ratchet

PubMed Central

de Vos, Marjon G. J.; Dawid, Alexandre; Sunderlikova, Vanda; Tans, Sander J.

2015-01-01

Epistatic interactions can frustrate and shape evolutionary change. Indeed, phenotypes may fail to evolve when essential mutations are only accessible through positive selection if they are fixed simultaneously. How environmental variability affects such constraints is poorly understood. Here, we studied genetic constraints in fixed and fluctuating environments using the Escherichia coli lac operon as a model system for genotype–environment interactions. We found that, in different fixed environments, all trajectories that were reconstructed by applying point mutations within the transcription factor–operator interface became trapped at suboptima, where no additional improvements were possible. Paradoxically, repeated switching between these same environments allows unconstrained adaptation by continuous improvements. This evolutionary mode is explained by pervasive cross-environmental tradeoffs that reposition the peaks in such a way that trapped genotypes can repeatedly climb ascending slopes and hence, escape adaptive stasis. Using a Markov approach, we developed a mathematical framework to quantify the landscape-crossing rates and show that this ratchet-like adaptive mechanism is robust in a wide spectrum of fluctuating environments. Overall, this study shows that genetic constraints can be overcome by environmental change and that cross-environmental tradeoffs do not necessarily impede but also, can facilitate adaptive evolution. Because tradeoffs and environmental variability are ubiquitous in nature, we speculate this evolutionary mode to be of general relevance. PMID:26567153

Pervasive Vulnerabilities: Sexual Harassment in School. Adolescent Cultures, School, and Society. Volume 54

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahimi, Regina; Liston, Delores D.

2012-01-01

"Pervasive Vulnerabilities" explores the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of adolescent girls and boys and female teachers in order to expose the continuing persistence of sexual harassment in the United States. The book addresses the sexual double standard that continues to hold girls and women accountable for male sexual aggression, and…

Mental Development and Autistic Behavior in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suzuki, Mayo

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to clarify the features of mental development and autistic behavior in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) from the viewpoint of remedial therapy. The Tokyo Child Development Schedule (TCDS) and the Tokyo Autistic Behavior Scale (TABS), designed to be completed by children's caregivers, were used. A…

Housing Honors. National Collegiate Honors Council Monograph Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Linda, Ed.; Kay, Lisa W., Ed.; Poe, Rachael, Ed.

2015-01-01

Honors administrators spend much of their time explaining and describing what honors is and does. When they talk about what honors looks like nationally, they should have answers to the following important questions: How pervasive is the model of separate honors facilities?; How pervasive are the legendary closets that honors programs have so…

The Pervasiveness and Impact of Electronic Communication Technologies in Organizations: A Survey of Major American Corporations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellweg, Susan A.; And Others

A survey of the Fortune 500 corporations was conducted to ascertain the pervasiveness and perceived impact of five electronic communication technologies (electronic mail, videotex, interactive computers, video teleconferencing, and word processing). Ninety-four corporations responded to a 53-item questionnaire and follow-up survey. Analysis of the…

Quality of Life of Adults with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerber, F.; Baud, M. A.; Giroud, M.; Carminati, G. Galli

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to observe quality of life (QoL) and global evolution of persons with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) in three different groups. Individualized programs for PDD were compared to traditional programs for intellectual disabilities. Behavioural disorders were repeatedly evaluated using the Aberrant Behaviour…

Automatic Processing of Emotional Faces in High-Functioning Pervasive Developmental Disorders: An Affective Priming Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamio, Yoko; Wolf, Julie; Fein, Deborah

2006-01-01

This study examined automatic processing of emotional faces in individuals with high-functioning Pervasive Developmental Disorders (HFPDD) using an affective priming paradigm. Sixteen participants (HFPDD and matched controls) were presented with happy faces, fearful faces or objects in both subliminal and supraliminal exposure conditions, followed…

Developing Online Learning Resources: Big Data, Social Networks, and Cloud Computing to Support Pervasive Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anshari, Muhammad; Alas, Yabit; Guan, Lim Sei

2016-01-01

Utilizing online learning resources (OLR) from multi channels in learning activities promise extended benefits from traditional based learning-centred to a collaborative based learning-centred that emphasises pervasive learning anywhere and anytime. While compiling big data, cloud computing, and semantic web into OLR offer a broader spectrum of…

Pervasive Knowledge, Social Networks, and Cloud Computing: E-Learning 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anshari, Muhammad; Alas, Yabit; Guan, Lim Sei

2015-01-01

Embedding Web 2.0 in learning processes has extended learning from traditional based learning-centred to a collaborative based learning-centred institution that emphasises learning anywhere and anytime. While deploying Semantic Web into e-learning offers a broader spectrum of pervasive knowledge acquisition to enrich users' experience in learning.…

Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Client-Centered Approach. A Guide for Parents and Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Bonnie C.

This guide to pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) first provides a review of the literature on defining characteristics of PDD/ASD, causes of PDD, and diagnosis of PDD. Review of intervention and treatment comprises the major portion of the paper. After briefly considering parent education, this section…

Processing Capacity in Children and Adolescents with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoeksma, Marco R.; Kemner, Chantal; Verbaten, Marinus N.; van Engeland, Herman

2004-01-01

This study sought to investigate whether the abnormally small P3 amplitudes observed in pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) are related to differences in processing capacity. PDD children and adolescents and their control groups participated in the study. Visual probe stimuli were presented during an auditory task with two levels of difficulty.…

Promoting Social Skill Development in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: A Feasibility and Efficacy Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koenig, Kathleen; White, Susan Williams; Pachler, Maryellen; Lau, Monika; Lewis, Moira; Klin, Ami; Scahill, Lawrence

2010-01-01

A randomized controlled design was employed to evaluate a social skills intervention for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Aims included evaluating the acceptability of the program and gathering preliminary evidence on efficacy. Forty-four children, ages 8-11 years, were randomly assigned to treatment or wait list. Treatment…

A SCORM Compliant Courseware Authoring Tool for Supporting Pervasive Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Te-Hua; Chang, Flora Chia-I

2007-01-01

The sharable content object reference model (SCORM) includes a representation of distance learning contents and a behavior definition of how users should interact with the contents. Generally, SCORMcompliant systems were based on multimedia and Web technologies on PCs. We further build a pervasive learning environment, which allows users to read…

Pervasive Developmental Disorders: PDD-NOS, Asperger's Disorder and Autism. Parent Information Booklet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Karen

This information booklet is designed for parents who have a child who has been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or Asperger's Disorder. It provides information on: (1) the definition of PDD; (2) the five subtypes of PDD, including PDD "not otherwise specified," Asperger's disorder, autistic disorder, childhood…

Brief Report: Prevalence of Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Brazil--A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paula, Cristiane S.; Ribeiro, Sabrina H.; Fombonne, Eric; Mercadante, Marcos T.

2011-01-01

This pilot study presents preliminary results concerning the prevalence of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) in South America. It was a three-phase study conducted in a typical town in Southeast Brazil. Case definition was based in a combination of standardized instruments and clinical evaluations by experts. The prevalence of PDD was…

Developmental Specificity in Targeting and Teaching Play Activities to Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lifter, Karin; Ellis, James; Cannon, Barbara; Anderson, Stephen R.

2005-01-01

Developmentally specific play programs were designed for three children with pervasive developmental disorders being served in a home-based program. Using the Developmental Play Assessment, six activities for each of three adjacent developmentally sequenced play categories were targeted for direct instruction using different toy sets. A modified…

Parent Perceptions of Time Spent Meaningfully by Young Adults with Pervasive Support Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossetti, Zachary; Lehr, Donna; Lederer, Leslie; Pelerin, Dana; Huang, Shuoxi

2015-01-01

This article describes a qualitative study that examined how 23 young adults with pervasive support needs and limited functional communication spent their time and how their parents (n = 23) and direct support professionals (DSPs; n = 2) defined meaningfulness in relation to the young adults' experiences. Data were collected through…

Pervasive Learning Games: Explorations of Hybrid Educational Gamescapes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Siobhan

2006-01-01

Pervasive gaming has tremendous potential as a learning tool and represents an interesting development in the field of video games and education. The literature surrounding video games and education is vast: For more than 20 years, educationalists have been discussing the potential that exists for the application of video games to learning.…

Sleep Correlates of Pervasive Developmental Disorders: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollway, Jill A.; Aman, Michael G.

2011-01-01

Sleep disturbance is a significant problem in the general pediatric population, and it occurs even more frequently in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Much time and energy have been spent examining the characteristics that predispose children to insomnia and it is likely that equivalent factors influence sleep in PDDs.…

Students Develop Real-World Web and Pervasive Computing Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tappert, Charles C.

In the academic year 2001-2002, Pace University (New York) Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) students developed real-world Web and pervasive computing systems for actual customers. This paper describes the general use of team projects in CSIS at Pace University, the real-world projects from this academic year, the benefits of…

Prevalence of Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Two Canadian Provinces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ouellette-Kuntz, Helene; Coo, Helen; Yu, C. T.; Chudley, Albert E.; Noonan, Andrea; Breitenbach, Marlene; Ramji, Nasreen; Prosick, Talia; Bedard, Angela; Holden, Jeanette J. A.

2006-01-01

Although it is generally accepted that the proportion of children diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) has increased in the past two decades, there is no consensus on the prevalence of these conditions. The accompanying large rise in demand for services, together with uncertainty regarding the extent to which the observed…

Injury Treatment among Children with Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDermott, Suzanne; Zhou, Li; Mann, Joshua

2008-01-01

This study examined the differences in the frequency and type of injury for children with autism and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) compared with typically developing peers, when both groups are insured by Medicaid. The relative rate (RR) of emergency/hospital treatment of injury for children with autism or PDD compared to controls was…

Donepezil in the Treatment of ADHD-Like Symptoms in Youths with Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Case Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, Robert L.; Frazier, Jean; Spencer, Thomas J.; Geller, Daniel; Biederman, Joseph; Wilens, Timothy

2006-01-01

Background: Recent studies reported ADHD-like symptoms and cognitive deficits in pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Because work in dementia documents improvement in executive function deficits with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil, the authors reason that similar benefits could be obtained in PDD. Method: The authors describe…

Targeting Social Skills Deficits in an Adolescent with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagopian, Louis P.; Kuhn, David E.; Strother, Geri E.

2009-01-01

Social skills deficits are a defining feature of individuals diagnosed with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), which can impair functioning and put the individual at higher risk for developing problem behavior (e.g., self-injury, aggression). In the current study, an adolescent with PDD displayed inappropriate social…

Global diversity in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor: revisiting a classic evolutionary PROPosal

PubMed Central

Risso, Davide S.; Mezzavilla, Massimo; Pagani, Luca; Robino, Antonietta; Morini, Gabriella; Tofanelli, Sergio; Carrai, Maura; Campa, Daniele; Barale, Roberto; Caradonna, Fabio; Gasparini, Paolo; Luiselli, Donata; Wooding, Stephen; Drayna, Dennis

2016-01-01

The ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) is a polymorphic trait mediated by the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene. It has long been hypothesized that global genetic diversity at this locus evolved under pervasive pressures from balancing natural selection. However, recent high-resolution population genetic studies of TAS2Rs suggest that demographic events have played a critical role in the evolution of these genes. We here utilized the largest TAS2R38 database yet analyzed, consisting of 5,589 individuals from 105 populations, to examine natural selection, haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium to estimate the effects of both selection and demography on contemporary patterns of variation at this locus. We found signs of an ancient balancing selection acting on this gene but no post Out-Of-Africa departures from neutrality, implying that the current observed patterns of variation can be predominantly explained by demographic, rather than selective events. In addition, we found signatures of ancient selective forces acting on different African TAS2R38 haplotypes. Collectively our results provide evidence for a relaxation of recent selective forces acting on this gene and a revised hypothesis for the origins of the present-day worldwide distribution of TAS2R38 haplotypes. PMID:27138342

Global diversity in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor: revisiting a classic evolutionary PROPosal.

PubMed

Risso, Davide S; Mezzavilla, Massimo; Pagani, Luca; Robino, Antonietta; Morini, Gabriella; Tofanelli, Sergio; Carrai, Maura; Campa, Daniele; Barale, Roberto; Caradonna, Fabio; Gasparini, Paolo; Luiselli, Donata; Wooding, Stephen; Drayna, Dennis

2016-05-03

The ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) is a polymorphic trait mediated by the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene. It has long been hypothesized that global genetic diversity at this locus evolved under pervasive pressures from balancing natural selection. However, recent high-resolution population genetic studies of TAS2Rs suggest that demographic events have played a critical role in the evolution of these genes. We here utilized the largest TAS2R38 database yet analyzed, consisting of 5,589 individuals from 105 populations, to examine natural selection, haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium to estimate the effects of both selection and demography on contemporary patterns of variation at this locus. We found signs of an ancient balancing selection acting on this gene but no post Out-Of-Africa departures from neutrality, implying that the current observed patterns of variation can be predominantly explained by demographic, rather than selective events. In addition, we found signatures of ancient selective forces acting on different African TAS2R38 haplotypes. Collectively our results provide evidence for a relaxation of recent selective forces acting on this gene and a revised hypothesis for the origins of the present-day worldwide distribution of TAS2R38 haplotypes.

Child Maltreatment and Gender Interactions as Predictors of Differential Neuroendocrine Profiles

PubMed Central

Doom, Jenalee R.; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Dackis, Melissa N.

2013-01-01

Summary Child maltreatment is a potent stressor associated with neuroendocrine dysregulation and increased risk for mental and physical disorders throughout the lifespan. Gender differences in stress reactivity and adult psychopathology prevalence may be related to sex-specific responsivity to stress. The purpose of this study is to examine whether gender interacts with the stress of maltreatment to produce differential neuroendocrine profiles in children. Participants included 137 maltreated and 110 nonmaltreated low-income, racially and ethnically diverse children (range: 7.9–10.9 years; M= 9.42 years; 52% male) who attended a summer research day camp. Saliva was collected 3 times across the day for 5 days for cortisol and dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) analysis. Department of Human Services records were examined to determine the type, severity, chronicity, onset, and recency of maltreatment for children in the maltreated group. Significant interactions between gender and maltreatment pervasiveness predicted diurnal cortisol, DHEA, and cortisol/DHEA ratio levels. Elevated daily cortisol levels were reported for boys compared to girls in the group with more pervasive maltreatment. Boys with less pervasive maltreatment had lower DHEA and higher cortisol/DHEA ratio levels than girls with similar experiences, nonmaltreated boys, and boys with more pervasive maltreatment. Further results are consistent with down-regulation of cortisol production in girls with more pervasive maltreatment and girls who experienced maltreatment that was early onset and not recent. The effectiveness of interventions for maltreated children may be improved with greater knowledge of how maltreatment differentially affects neuroendocrine regulation by gender. PMID:23333253

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths: who smokes, and why?

PubMed

Remafedi, Gary

2007-01-01

Existing research indicates the rate of smoking among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youths exceeds the general population's, possibly due to stress, habitual substance abuse, socializing in smoky venues, and tobacco marketing. The study's overall aim was to conduct qualitative research regarding tobacco use and avoidance by LGBT youths. This report focuses on identifying priority subpopulations and corresponding risk and resiliency factors. Purposive and maximum variation sampling were used to select 30 LGBT youths and 30 interactors for face-to-face interviews. Almost a third of participants said that all LGBT youths are at risk for smoking. Other respondents specified a range of high-risk groups, encompassing many subpopulations. Contributing factors for smoking included personal characteristics, interpersonal issues, environmental conditions, and structural issues. More than a third of young smokers were not acquainted with LGBT nonsmokers and could not imagine how they avoid using tobacco. Half of the interactors and four youths ascribed favorable qualities to nonsmokers--such as self-esteem, will power, and concern for personal health, appearance, and well-being. In conclusion, smoking is a pervasive problem among LGBT youths. The findings corroborate prior explanations and implicate new ones. Some risks (e.g., limited opportunities to socialize with LGBT peers outside of smoking venues, the desire to appear more masculine, and sexuality-related stress) and resiliency factors (e.g., positive sexual identity) are unique to LGBT populations, reinforcing the need for culturally specific approaches to prevention and cessation. Highlighting the positive attributes of nonsmokers and nonsmoking might prove useful in prevention campaigns.

Intestinal cytokines in children with pervasive developmental disorders.

PubMed

DeFelice, Magee L; Ruchelli, Eduardo D; Markowitz, Jonathan E; Strogatz, Melissa; Reddy, Krishna P; Kadivar, Khadijeh; Mulberg, Andrew E; Brown, Kurt A

2003-08-01

A relationship between autism and gastrointestinal (GI) immune dysregulation has been postulated based on incidence of GI complaints as well as macroscopically observed lymphonodular hyperplasia and microscopically determined enterocolitis in pediatric patients with autism. To evaluate GI immunity, we quantitatively assessed levels of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-1beta, produced by intestinal biopsies of children with pervasive developmental disorders. Fifteen patients, six with pervasive developmental disorders and nine age-matched controls, presenting for diagnostic colonoscopy were enrolled. Endoscopic biopsies were organ cultured, supernatants were harvested, and IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1beta levels were quantified by ELISA. Tissue histology was evaluated by blinded pathologists. Concentrations of IL-6 from intestinal organ culture supernatants of patients with pervasive developmental disorders (median 318.5 pg/ml, interquartile range 282.0-393.0 pg/ml) when compared with controls (median 436.9 pg/ml, interquartile range 312.6-602.5 pg/ml) were not significantly different (p = 0.0987). Concentrations of IL-8 (median 84,000 pg/ml, interquartile range 16,000-143,000 pg/ml) when compared with controls (median 177,000 pg/ml, interquartile range 114,000-244,000 pg/ml) were not significantly different (p = 0.0707). Concentrations of IL-1beta (median 0.0 pg/ml, interquartile range 0.0-94.7 pg/ml) when compared with controls (median 0.0 pg/ml, interquartile range 0.0-60.2 pg/ml) were not significantly different (p = 0.8826). Tissue histology was nonpathological for all patients. We have demonstrated no significant difference in production of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1beta between patients with pervasive developmental disorders and age-matched controls. In general, intestinal levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were lower in patients with pervasive developmental disorders than in age-matched controls. These data fail to support an association between autism and GI inflammation.

Of Perspectives, Issues, and Politics in Materials Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Promisel, Nathan E.

1985-12-01

Recognizing the pervasive importance of materials science and engineering (MSE) to practically every facet of man’s life, this lecture takes a broad view of the origin and technical trends and achievements in MSE, briefly reviewing its history and relationship to society over many millennia, to the present day, with specific examples. Major emphasis, however, is placed on modern MSE as related to current national issues, using as illustrations of the latter natural resources, industry and the economy, research and development, education, and technology transfer. The discussion of these areas leads to consideration of the role of the Federal Government and the importance of and need for a coherent national policy to deal with critical issues, many of which are listed herein. Some important steps by the Government fostering high level coordination as well as cooperation among government, industry, and academe are cited. Having thus illustrated the pervasive and vital impact of MSE on society, and its current esteemed recognition and position of influence, the lecture concludes that in this period of global change — social, economic, and technological — there is a challenge to MSE to respond beneficially to societal needs more than ever before. The opportunity and mechanisms now exist. Greater participation in the public and political arenas, with mutual education, is indicated.

Alexithymia, depression and anxiety in parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorder: Comparative study of autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Durukan, İbrahim; Kara, Koray; Almbaideen, Mahmoud; Karaman, Dursun; Gül, Hesna

2018-03-01

Recent studies have shown that individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and their relatives have problems expressing and recognizing emotions, but there is a lack of studies on alexithymia, and the relationship between parental alexithymia and depression-anxiety symptoms in these groups. The aim of this study was therefore to measure alexithymia, depression, and anxiety levels in parents of children with pervasive developmental disorders and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and determine whether there is a positive correlation between the child's neurodevelopmental problem severity and parent scores. Parents of 29 autistic disorder (AD), 28 pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and 29 ADHD children were recruited into the study, and completed a demographic information form, as well as the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Beck Depression Inventory, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Alexithymia symptoms were higher in parents of children with AD than in others but unexpectedly, also these symptoms were higher in ADHD parents than in PDD-NOS groups. In addition, there were unexpected differences according to alexithymia subtype, while only the difference in maternal TAS-1 scores (difficulty in describing feelings) were statistically significant. Parental depression and state anxiety scores were increased as the child's symptom severity increased, but trait anxiety symptoms were higher in the AD and ADHD group than in the PDD-NOS group. In all groups, maternal depression and anxiety scores were higher than paternal scores, and differences were significant for depression and anxiety types in AD, and for only anxiety types in ADHD parents. The AD group had the strongest correlation between parental depression-anxiety and alexithymia. The possibility of alexithymia, depression and anxiety should be kept in mind when working with parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. © 2017 Japan Pediatric Society.

Mass extinctions: Persistent problems and new directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jablonski, D.

1994-01-01

Few contest that mass extinctions have punctuated the history of life, or that those events were so pervasive environmentally, taxonomically, and geographically that physical forcing factors were probably involved. However, consensus remains elusive on the nature of those factors, and on how a given perturbation - impact, volcanism, sea-level change, or ocean anoxic event - could actually generate the observed intensity and selectivity of biotic losses. At least two basic problems underlie these long-standing disagreements: difficulties in resolving the fine details of taxon ranges and abundances immediately prior to and after an extinction boundary and the scarcity of simple, unitary cause-and-effect relations in complex biological systems.

The evolution of trophic transmission

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lafferty, Kevin D.

1999-01-01

Parasite increased trophic transmission (PITT) is one of the more fascinating tales of parasite evolution. The implications of this go beyond cocktail party anecdotes and science fiction plots as the phenomenon is pervasive and likely to be ecologically and evolutionarily important. Although the subject has already received substantial review, Kevin Lafferty here focuses on evolutionary aspects that have not been fully explored, specifically: (1) How strong should PITT be? (2) How might sexual selection and limb autotomy facilitate PITT? (3) How might infrapopulation regulation in final hosts be important in determining avoidance of infected prey? And (4) what happens when more than one species of parasite is in the same intermediate host?

Affective e-Learning: Using "Emotional" Data to Improve Learning in Pervasive Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Liping; Wang, Minjuan; Shen, Ruimin

2009-01-01

Using emotion detection technologies from biophysical signals, this study explored how emotion evolves during learning process and how emotion feedback could be used to improve learning experiences. This article also described a cutting-edge pervasive e-Learning platform used in a Shanghai online college and proposed an affective e-Learning model,…

Common and Unique Impairments in Facial-Expression Recognition in Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified and Asperger's Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uono, Shota; Sato, Wataru; Toichi, Motomi

2013-01-01

This study was designed to identify specific difficulties and associated features related to the problems with social interaction experienced by individuals with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) using an emotion-recognition task. We compared individuals with PDD-NOS or Asperger's disorder (ASP) and typically…

Empirically Based Phenotypic Profiles of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Interpretation in the Light of the DSM-5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greaves-Lord, Kirstin; Eussen, Mart L. J. M.; Verhulst, Frank C.; Minderaa, Ruud B.; Mandy, William; Hudziak, James J.; Steenhuis, Mark Peter; de Nijs, Pieter F.; Hartman, Catharina A.

2013-01-01

This study aimed to contribute to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) debates on the conceptualization of autism by investigating (1) whether empirically based distinct phenotypic profiles could be distinguished within a sample of mainly cognitively able children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and (2) how profiles related to…

Preschool Boys with Pervasive Hyperactivity: Early Peer Functioning and Mother-Child Relationship Influences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keown, Louise J.; Woodward, Lianne J.

2006-01-01

This study compared the peer functioning of a community sample of preschool boys with pervasive hyperactivity (N=33) and comparison boys (N=34), and examined the extent to which any differences in peer functioning between these groups could be explained by comorbid child conduct problems and parenting factors. The quality of boys' peer relations…

Interventions for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hastings, Richard P.; Robertson, Janet; Yasamy, M. T.

2012-01-01

Background: Although interventions for children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) have been the focus of research effort and evidence reviews in many Western countries, this evidence has not been assessed in the context of low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries especially in terms of the fit with different cultures and resources.…

Regression of Language and Non-Language Skills in Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meilleur, A. -A. S.; Fombonne, E.

2009-01-01

Background: As part of the pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), there is a subgroup of individuals reported to have a different onset of symptom appearance consisting of an apparently normal early development, followed by a loss of verbal and/or non-verbal skills prior to 2 years of age. This study aims at comparing the symptomatology of…

Using Virtual Reality Environment to Improve Joint Attention Associated with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Yufang; Huang, Ruowen

2012-01-01

The focus of this study is using data glove to practice Joint attention skill in virtual reality environment for people with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). The virtual reality environment provides a safe environment for PDD people. Especially, when they made errors during practice in virtual reality environment, there is no suffering or…

Curiosity, Interest and Engagement in Technology-Pervasive Learning Environments: A New Research Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnone, Marilyn P.; Small, Ruth V.; Chauncey, Sarah A.; McKenna, H. Patricia

2011-01-01

This paper identifies the need for developing new ways to study curiosity in the context of today's pervasive technologies and unprecedented information access. Curiosity is defined in this paper in a way which incorporates the concomitant constructs of interest and engagement. A theoretical model for curiosity, interest and engagement in new…

New Research on Multitasking Points to Role of Self-Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Sarah D.

2012-01-01

For a generation of children immersed in technology, emerging research suggests that while the temptation to multitask may be pervasive, the ability to control it could be the real bellwether of academic success. The pervasiveness of technology and social media, coupled with a fear of missing out on something important, has led students to pay…

Effects of Risperidone and Parent Training on Adaptive Functioning in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Serious Behavioral Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scahill, Lawrence; McDougle, Christopher J.; Aman, Michael G.; Johnson, Cynthia; Handen, Benjamin; Bearss, Karen; Dziura, James; Butter, Eric; Swiezy, Naomi G.; Arnold, L. Eugene; Stigler, Kimberly A.; Sukhodolsky, Denis D.; Lecavalier, Luc; Pozdol, Stacie L.; Nikolov, Roumen; Hollway, Jill A.; Korzekwa, Patricia; Gavaletz, Allison; Kohn, Arlene E.; Koenig, Kathleen; Grinnon, Stacie; Mulick, James A.; Yu, Sunkyung; Vitiello, Benedetto

2012-01-01

Objective: Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) have social interaction deficits, delayed communication, and repetitive behaviors as well as impairments in adaptive functioning. Many children actually show a decline in adaptive skills compared with age mates over time. Method: This 24-week, three-site, controlled clinical trial…

Interaction of Social and Play Behaviors in Preschoolers With and Without Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce-Jordan, Sandra; Lifter, Karin

2005-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between the social and play behaviors of young children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and without PDD. Videotaped observations of 21 preschool children (12 with PDD and 9 without PDD) were examined independently for (a) social complexity and (b) play complexity that was assessed on an…

Medication and Parent Training in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Serious Behavior Problems: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aman, Michael G.; McDougle, Christopher J.; Scahill, Lawrence; Handen, Benjamin; Arnold, L. Eugene; Johnson, Cynthia; Stigler, Kimberly A.; Bearss, Karen; Butter, Eric; Swiezy, Naomi B.; Sukhodolsky, Denis D.; Ramadan, Yaser; Pozdol, Stacie L.; Nikolov, Roumen; Lecavalier, Luc; Kohn, Arlene E.; Koenig, Kathleen; Hollway, Jill A.; Korzekwa, Patricia; Gavaletz, Allison; Mulick, James A.; Hall, Kristy L.; Dziura, James; Ritz, Louise; Trollinger, Stacie; Yu, Sunkyung; Vitiello, Benedetto; Wagner, Ann

2009-01-01

Objective: Many children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) have serious, functionally impairing behavioral problems. We tested whether combined treatment (COMB) with risperidone and parent training (PT) in behavior management is superior to medication alone (MED) in improving severe behavioral problems in children with PDDs. Method:…

Gross Motor Performance and Self-Perceived Motor Competence in Children with Emotional, Behavioural, and Pervasive Developmental Disorders: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emck, Claudia; Bosscher, Ruud; Beek, Peter; Doreleijers, Theo

2009-01-01

Aims: Motor performance and self-perceived motor competence have a great impact on the psychosocial development of children in general. In this review, empirical studies of gross motor performance and self-perception of motor competence in children with emotional (depression and anxiety), behavioural, and pervasive developmental disorders are…

The Cultural Orientations of Entrepreneurs and Employees' Job Satisfaction: The Turkish Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yetim, Nalan; Yetim, Unsal

2006-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether cultural orientations which were pervasive and salient in the society of SMEs' entrepreneurs predict employees' job satisfaction. Paternalism, collectivism, individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance were assessed as pervasive and salient attributes for Turkish society. Data were…

Abnormalities on the Neurological Examination and EEG in Young Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akshoomoff, Natacha; Farid, Nikdokht; Courchesne, Eric; Haas, Richard

2007-01-01

This study examined the nature and frequency of neurological and EEG abnormalities in 60 young children (ages 2-6 years) with pervasive developmental disorders. A number of standard neurological functions could not be adequately assessed due to the young age of the children and/or limited comprehension and cooperation. The most common neurological…

Facial Electromyographic Responses to Emotional Information from Faces and Voices in Individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnee, Maurice J. C. M.; de Gelder, Beatrice; van Engeland, Herman; Kemner, Chantal

2007-01-01

Background: Despite extensive research, it is still debated whether impairments in social skills of individuals with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) are related to specific deficits in the early processing of emotional information. We aimed to test both automatic processing of facial affect as well as the integration of auditory and visual…

Diagnostic Utility of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reel, Kristy H.; Lecavalier, Luc; Butter, Eric; Mulick, James A.

2012-01-01

This study assessed the diagnostic utility of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI) in a sample of 84 children aged 3-12 years of age. Forty-two children with ASD were individually matched on age and non-verbal IQ to 42 children with other disabilities and groups were compared on PDDBI subscales and total score. Results…

Hemispheric Processing of Idioms and Irony in Adults with and without Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saban-Bezalel, Ronit; Mashal, Nira

2015-01-01

Previous studies on individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) have pointed to difficulties in comprehension of figurative language. Using the divided visual field paradigm, the present study examined hemispheric processing of idioms and irony in 23 adults with PDD and in 24 typically developing (TD) adults. The results show that…

Towards Situation Driven Mobile Tutoring System for Learning Languages and Communication Skills: Application to Users with Specific Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khemaja, Maha; Taamallah, Aroua

2016-01-01

Current advances in portable devices and wireless technologies had drastically impacted mobile and pervasive computing development and use. Nowadays, mobile and or pervasive applications, are increasingly being used to support users' everyday activities. These apps either distributed or standalone are characterized by the variability of the…

Differential Language Markers of Pathology in Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified and Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demouy, Julie; Plaza, Monique; Xavier, Jean; Ringeval, Fabien; Chetouani, Mohamed; Perisse, Didier; Chauvin, Dominique; Viaux, Sylvie; Golse, Bernard; Cohen, David; Robel, Laurence

2011-01-01

Language impairment is a common core feature in Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Many studies have tried to define the specific language profiles of these disorders, some claiming the existence of overlaps, and others conceiving of them as separate categories. Fewer have sought to determine whether…

Electrocortical Reflections of Face and Gaze Processing in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemner, C.; Schuller, A-M.; Van Engeland, H.

2006-01-01

Background: Children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) show behavioral abnormalities in gaze and face processing, but recent studies have indicated that normal activation of face-specific brain areas in response to faces is possible in this group. It is not clear whether the brain activity related to gaze processing is also normal in…

Etiology of Pervasive versus Situational Antisocial Behaviors: A Multi-informant Longitudinal Cohort Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wertz, Jasmin; Zavos, Helena M. S.; Matthews, Timothy; Gray, Rebecca; Best-Lane, Janis; Pariante, Carmine M.; Moffitt, Terrie E.; Arseneault, Louise

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to disentangle pervasive from situational antisocial behaviors using multiple informants, and to investigate their genetic and environmental etiologies in preadolescence and across time. Antisocial behaviors were assessed in 2,232 twins from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study at ages 5 and 12.…

Retrospective Evaluation of an Intensive Method of Treatment for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorgraft, Yitzchak; Farbstein, Ilana; Spiegel, Rene; Apter, Alan

2007-01-01

The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate a novel intensive therapy program in young children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Twenty-three children treated at the Mifne Institute in Israel between 1997 and 1999 were assessed. Videos taken before coming to Mifne and after intensive treatment at the institute and before…

Using Collaborative Learning Exercises to Transfer Pervasive Skills: Some South African Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strauss-Keevy, Monique

2015-01-01

The Competency Framework, introduced by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) details technical competencies, but also places emphasis on the pervasive skills that need to be attained by candidates for them to qualify as chartered accountants (CAs). Thus, an additional onus has been placed on academics to ensure that they…

Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure and Neurodevelopment in Young Mexican-American Children

PubMed Central

Eskenazi, Brenda; Marks, Amy R.; Bradman, Asa; Harley, Kim; Barr, Dana B.; Johnson, Caroline; Morga, Norma; Jewell, Nicholas P.

2007-01-01

Background Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are widely used in agriculture and homes. Animal studies suggest that even moderate doses are neurodevelopmental toxicants, but there are few studies in humans. Objectives We investigated the relationship of prenatal and child OP urinary metabolite levels with children’s neurodevelopment. Methods Participating children were from a longitudinal birth cohort of primarily Latino farm-worker families in California. We measured six nonspecific dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites in maternal and child urine as well as metabolites specific to malathion (MDA) and chlorpyrifos (TCPy) in maternal urine. We examined their association with children’s performance at 6 (n = 396), 12 (n = 395), and 24 (n = 372) months of age on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development [Mental Development (MDI) and Psychomotor Development (PDI) Indices] and mother’s report on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (n = 356). Results Generally, pregnancy DAP levels were negatively associated with MDI, but child measures were positively associated. At 24 months of age, these associations reached statistical significance [per 10-fold increase in prenatal DAPs: β = −3.5 points; 95% confidence interval (CI), −6.6 to −0.5; child DAPs: β = 2.4 points; 95% CI, 0.5 to 4.2]. Neither prenatal nor child DAPs were associated with PDI or CBCL attention problems, but both prenatal and postnatal DAPs were associated with risk of pervasive developmental disorder [per 10-fold increase in prenatal DAPs: odds ratio (OR) = 2.3, p = 0.05; child DAPs OR = 1.7, p = 0.04]. MDA and TCPy were not associated with any outcome. Conclusions We report adverse associations of prenatal DAPs with mental development and pervasive developmental problems at 24 months of age. Results should be interpreted with caution given the observed positive relationship with postnatal DAPs. PMID:17520070

The German version of the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 to identify children with a risk of autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Limberg, Katharina; Gruber, Karolin; Noterdaeme, Michele

2017-04-01

A long delay between the first registered symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and a final diagnosis has been reported. The reasons for this are the spare use of specialized autism instruments, missing clinical expertise, and the late referral to specialized centers in primary care. Previous studies recommending the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 for screening have requested additional research. A total of 183 children aged 25-71 months participated in this study. The Child Behavior Checklist scales of 80 children with autism spectrum disorder were compared with 103 children diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders. In the logistic regression analysis, the Withdrawn and Pervasive Developmental Problems Child Behavior Checklist scales with a significant predictive value of risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis were identified. The optimal cutoff points T = 64.5 on the Pervasive Developmental Problems scale (area under the curve = 0.781, sensitivity = 0.83, specificity = 0.60, positive predictive value = 0.62, negative predictive value = 0.82, odds ratio = 7) and T = 60.5 on the Withdrawn scale (area under the curve = 0.809, sensitivity = 0.88, specificity = 0.63, positive predictive value = 0.65, negative predictive value = 0.87, odds ratio = 12) were evaluated in the receiver operating characteristics analysis. The present study confirms the utility of the German version of the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 as a level 1 screening tool to identify children with a risk of autism spectrum disorder; however, a risk of over-identifying should be considered. The Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 can complement the pediatric examination as a quick and cost-effective questionnaire.

'My sexual self, I stifled it': sexual subjectivities among young Portuguese women.

PubMed

Costa, Cecía; Nogueira, Conceição; López, Félix

2009-05-01

Recent research has examined young women's sexual subjectivities and desires, yet has neglected the ways women in their twenties account for their sexual selves. The present study focuses on the discourses and discursive constructions available for young Portuguese women when talking about their sexual subjectivity. Data were collected through six focus group discussions with young Portuguese women. The goal was to analyse discursive constructions and their potential implications for sexual empowerment and resistance. In the course of the work, it was possible to identify several different discursive devices, the most pervasive of which were Pandora's Box, Protocol and Process. Each of these constructions tended to be negative or contain negative judgements about women's sexuality. Even in contexts where a positive discourse on women's sexual desires emerged, significant constraints were encountered in achieving of a fulfilling and positive sexual experience.

The rules of implicit evaluation by race, religion, and age.

PubMed

Axt, Jordan R; Ebersole, Charles R; Nosek, Brian A

2014-09-01

The social world is stratified. Social hierarchies are known but often disavowed as anachronisms or unjust. Nonetheless, hierarchies may persist in social memory. In three studies (total N > 200,000), we found evidence of social hierarchies in implicit evaluation by race, religion, and age. Participants implicitly evaluated their own racial group most positively and the remaining racial groups in accordance with the following hierarchy: Whites > Asians > Blacks > Hispanics. Similarly, participants implicitly evaluated their own religion most positively and the remaining religions in accordance with the following hierarchy: Christianity > Judaism > Hinduism or Buddhism > Islam. In a final study, participants of all ages implicitly evaluated age groups following this rule: children > young adults > middle-age adults > older adults. These results suggest that the rules of social evaluation are pervasively embedded in culture and mind. © The Author(s) 2014.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Individuals with Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilincaslan, Ayse; Mukaddes, Nahit Motavalli

2009-01-01

The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence and associated factors of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), including autistic disorder and PDD not otherwise specified (NOS), in a clinical sample of 126 children and adolescents (75 males, 51 females; age range 4-18y, mean 8y 8mo, SD 3y 8mo) with tetraplegic, hemiplegic,…

Relationship between Motor and Executive Functioning in School-Age Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schurink, J.; Hartman, E.; Scherder, E. J. A.; Houwen, S.; Visscher, C.

2012-01-01

This study examines the motor skills and executive functioning (EF) of 28 children diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS; mean age: 10 years 6 months, range: 7-12 years; 19 boys, 9 girls) in comparison with age- and gender-matched typically developing children. The potential relationship between motor…

The Art of Gamification; Teaching Sustainability and System Thinking by Pervasive Game Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordby, Anders; Øygardslia, Kristine; Sverdrup, Ulrik; Sverdrup, Harald

2016-01-01

In 2013 Hedmark University College conducted a research project where students from a game development project/study program developed and tested a Pervasive Game for learning as part of a class in System Thinking. The overall game goal was to teach Sustainability through System Thinking, and to give the students a real world experience with their…

Qualitative Evaluation of the Design Variables of a Teaching Intervention to Expose Accounting Students to Pervasive Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viviers, Herman Albertus

2016-01-01

The primary objective of this article is to evaluate the design variables of a newly developed teaching intervention, "The Amazing Tax Race". It comprises a race against time in which accounting students participate within teams in multiple tax-related activities so that they are exposed to pervasive skills. The findings provide…

Platelet Serotonin Levels in Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Mental Retardation: Diagnostic Group Differences, Within-Group Distribution, and Behavioral Correlates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulder, Erik J.; Anderson, George M.; Kema, Ido P.; De Bildt, Annelies; Van Lang, Natasja D.J.; Den Boer, Johan A.; Minderaa Ruud B.

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate group differences, the within-group distributions, and the clinical correlates of platelet serotonin (5-HT) levels in pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Method: Platelet 5-HT levels were measured in Dutch children and young adults, recruited from 2001 through 2003, with PDD (autism, Asperger's and PDD-not otherwise…

Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability and Co-Occurring Somatic Chronic Diseases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oeseburg, B.; Groothoff, J. W.; Dijkstra, G. J.; Reijneveld, S. A.; Jansen, D. E. M. C.

2010-01-01

Evidence on the association between somatic chronic diseases in ID-adolescents and the full range of pervasive developmental disorder behavior (PDD behavior) is scarce. The aim of the present study is to assess the association between somatic chronic diseases in ID-adolescents and mild PDD behavior. We obtained data on 1044 ID-adolescents, aged…

Parent-Rated Anxiety Symptoms in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Frequency and Association with Core Autism Symptoms and Cognitive Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sukhodolsky, Denis G.; Scahill, Lawrence; Gadow, Kenneth D.; Arnold, L. Eugene; Aman, Michael G.; McDougle, Christopher J.; McCracken, James T.; Tierney, Elaine; White, Susan Williams; Lecavalier, Luc; Vitiello, Benedetto

2008-01-01

Background: In addition to the core symptoms, children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) often exhibit other problem behaviors such as aggression, hyperactivity, and anxiety, which can contribute to overall impairment and, therefore, become the focus of clinical attention. Limited data are available on the prevalence of anxiety in these…

The Pervasiveness of Racial Prejudice in Higher Education in the U.S.: Raising Awareness and Solution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osa, Justina O.

2007-01-01

Racial diversity is one of the greatest strengths of America?s higher education system. But racial prejudice is entrenched and pervasive in many campuses of institutions of higher learning. A close observation reveals that racial prejudice is not restricted to any race. As much as one would like to believe that simply passing legislations and…

Determining Differences in Social Cognition between High-Functioning Autistic Disorder and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders Using New Advanced "Mind-Reading" Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuroda, Miho; Wakabayashi, Akio; Uchiyama, Tokio; Yoshida, Yuko; Koyama, Tomonori; Kamio, Yoko

2011-01-01

Deficits in understanding the mental state of others ("mind-reading") have been well documented in individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). However, it is unclear whether this deficit in social cognition differs between the subgroups of PDD defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text…

The Pervasiveness of 1/f Scaling in Speech Reflects the Metastable Basis of Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kello, Christopher T.; Anderson, Gregory G.; Holden, John G.; Van Orden, Guy C.

2008-01-01

Human neural and behavioral activities have been reported to exhibit fractal dynamics known as "1/f noise," which is more aptly named "1/f scaling." Some argue that 1/f scaling is a general and pervasive property of the dynamical substrate from which cognitive functions are formed. Others argue that it is an idiosyncratic property of…

Adaptive Behavior in Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified: Microanalysis of Scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Rhea; Miles, Stephanie; Cicchetti, Domenic; Sparrow, Sara; Klin, Ami; Volkmar, Fred; Coflin, Megan; Booker, Shelley

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a microanalysis of differences in adaptive functioning seen between well-matched groups of school-aged children with autism and those diagnosed as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, all of whom functioned in the mild to moderate range of intellectual impairment. Findings…

An Open-Label Trial of Escitalopram in Pervasive Developmental Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owley, Thomas; Walton, Laura; Salt, Jeff; Guter, Stephen J., Jr.; Winnega, Marrea; Leventhal, Bennett L.; Cook, Edwin H., Jr.

2005-01-01

Objective: To assess the effect of escitalopram in the treatment of pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Method: This 10-week study had a forced titration, open-label design. Twenty-eight subjects (mean age 125.1 [+ or -] 33.5 months) with a PDD received escitalopram at a dose that increased weekly to a maximum dose of 20 mg as tolerated. The…

Review of Part 67 of the Federal Air Regulations and the Medical Certification of Civilian Airmen. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

schizoaffective disorder and atypical psycho3, infantile autism , childhood onset pervasive developmental disorder, and atypical pervasive devvlopmental...classified, including schizophreniform disorder, brief reactive psychosis, schizoaffective disorder and atypical psychosis, infantile autism ...procedures if the applicant !S free of symptoms and postoperative complications. After splenectomy, vaccination against pneumococcus is recommended, Awms and

A Technology-Assisted Learning Setup as Assessment Supplement for Three Persons with a Diagnosis of Post-Coma Vegetative State and Pervasive Motor Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Buonocunto, Francesca; Sacco, Valentina; Colonna, Fabio; Navarro, Jorge; Lanzilotti, Crocifissa; Bosco, Andrea; Megna, Gianfranco; De Tommaso, Marina

2009-01-01

Post-coma persons in an apparent condition of vegetative state and pervasive motor impairment pose serious problems in terms of assessment and intervention options. A technology-based learning assessment procedure might serve for them as a diagnostic supplement with possible implications for rehabilitation intervention. The learning assessment…

Detecting Subgroups in Children Diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brennan, Laura; Barton, Marianne; Chen, Chi-Ming; Green, James; Fein, Deborah

2015-01-01

Hierarchical cluster analyses were used to detect three subgroups in a sample of children with pervasive developmental disorder--not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) evaluated at ages 2 and 4. At age 2, Cluster 1 demonstrated few autism symptoms and high cognitive scores; 60% no longer met criteria for PDD at 4. Cluster 2 exhibited more autism…

Reliability and Diagnostic Efficiency of the Diagnostic Inventory for Disharmony (DID) in Youths with Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xavier, Jean; Vannetzel, Leonard; Viaux, Sylvie; Leroy, Arthur; Plaza, Monique; Tordjman, Sylvie; Mille, Christian; Bursztejn, Claude; Cohen, David; Guile, Jean-Marc

2011-01-01

The Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) category is a psychopathological entity few have described and is poorly, and mainly negatively, defined by autism exclusion. In order to limit PDD-NOS heterogeneity, alternative clinical constructs have been developed. This study explored the reliability and the diagnostic…

Long-Term Safety and Adverse Events of Risperidone in Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellings, Jessica A.; Cardona, Alicia M.; Schroeder, Stephen R.

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine long-term adverse events of risperidone in 19 children, adolescents, and adults with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and intellectual disability, continuing risperidone for a mean of 186.5 weeks, following a 46-week risperidone study. Nineteen individuals continued long-term follow-up after our…

Efficacy of Atomoxetine for the Treatment of ADHD Symptoms in Patients with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: A Prospective, Open-Label Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez-Jaen, Alberto; Fernandez-Mayoralas, Daniel Martin; Calleja-Perez, Beatriz; Munoz-Jareno, Nuria; Campos Diaz, Maria del Rosario; Lopez-Arribas, Sonia

2013-01-01

Objective: Atomoxetine's tolerance and efficacy were studied in 24 patients with pervasive developmental disorder and symptoms of ADHD. Method: Prospective, open-label, 16-week study was performed, using the variables of the Clinical Global Impression Scale and the Conners' Scale, among others. Results: A significant difference was found between…

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Pharmacological Treatment of the Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichow, Brian; Volkmar, Fred R.; Bloch, Michael H.

2013-01-01

Many children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) exhibit behaviors and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We sought to determine the relative efficacy of medications for treating ADHD symptoms in children with PDD by identifying all double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials examining the efficacy of…

Validation of an Interview-Based Rating Scale Developed in Japan for Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ito, Hiroyuki; Tani, Iori; Yukihiro, Ryoji; Adachi, Jun; Hara, Koichi; Ogasawara, Megumi; Inoue, Masahiko; Kamio, Yoko; Nakamura, Kazuhiko; Uchiyama, Tokio; Ichikawa, Hironobu; Sugiyama, Toshiro; Hagiwara, Taku; Tsujii, Masatsugu

2012-01-01

The pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) Autism Society Japan Rating Scale (PARS), an interview-based instrument for evaluating PDDs, has been developed in Japan with the aim of providing a method that (1) can be used to evaluate PDD symptoms and related support needs and (2) is simpler and easier than the currently used "gold…

Larger Brains in Medication Naive High-Functioning Subjects with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmen, Saskia J. M. C.; Pol, Hilleke E. Hulshoff; Kemner, Chantal; Schnack, Hugo G.; Janssen, Joost; Kahn, Rene S.; van Engeland, Herman

2004-01-01

Background: Are brain volumes of individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) still enlarged in adolescence and adulthood, and if so, is this enlargement confined to the gray and/or the white matter and is it global or more prominent in specific brain regions. Methods: Brain MRI scans were made of 21 adolescents with PDD and 21 closely…

Microswitch- and VOCA-Assisted Programs for Two Post-Coma Persons with Minimally Conscious State and Pervasive Motor Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Buonocunto, Francesca; Sacco, Valentina; Colonna, Fabio; Navarro, Jorge; Oliva, Doretta; Signorino, Mario; Megna, Gianfranco

2009-01-01

Intervention programs, based on learning principles and assistive technology, were assessed in two studies with two post-coma men with minimally conscious state and pervasive motor disabilities. Study I assessed a program that included (a) an optic microswitch, activated via double blinking, which allowed a man direct access to brief music…

An Examination of Specific Child Behavior Problems as Predictors of Parenting Stress among Families of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Allyson L.; Neece, Cameron L.

2017-01-01

Introduction: Studies have shown that parents of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) exhibit higher levels of stress than parents of typically developing children or children with other types of developmental delays (DD). This relationship appears to be mediated by elevated levels of behavior problems observed in children with…

Genetic Influence on the Expression of Hand Preferences in Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes): Evidence in Support of the Right-Shift Theory and Developmental Instability

PubMed Central

Hopkins, William D.; Dahl, Jeremy F.; Pilcher, Dawn

2007-01-01

Genetic mechanisms have been proposed to explain the pervasive representation of right-handedness in humans, whereas random, nongenetic factors have been posited to explain the lack of population-level right-handedness in nonhuman primates. We report evidence that hand preferences in chimpanzees are heritable, even among related individuals raised in different environments. Furthermore, we report that the degree of heritability is modified by factors associated with developmental instability, notably, offspring parity. The data are interpreted to reconcile both genetic models for handedness and hypotheses suggesting that developmental instability influences variation in handedness. PMID:11476096

Flavins as Covalent Catalysts: New Mechanisms Emerge.

PubMed

Piano, Valentina; Palfey, Bruce A; Mattevi, Andrea

2017-06-01

With approximately 1% of proteins being flavoproteins, flavins are at the heart of a plethora of redox reactions in all areas of biology. Thanks to a series of fascinating recent discoveries, in addition to redox chemistry, covalent catalysis is now being recognized more frequently as a common strategy in flavoenzymes, with unprecedented mechanisms becoming apparent. Thus, noncanonical covalent reactions by flavins are emerging as a new pervasive concept in basic enzymology and biochemistry. These diverse enzymes are engaged in most biological processes, positioning the knowledge being gained from these new mechanisms to be translated into drugs that function through covalent mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Animal assisted interventions in neurorehabilitation: a review of the most recent literature.

PubMed

Muñoz Lasa, S; Máximo Bocanegra, N; Valero Alcaide, R; Atín Arratibel, M A; Varela Donoso, E; Ferriero, G

2015-01-01

While conventional wisdom has always affirmed the value of animals in promoting human health and well-being, only recently has their therapeutic role in medicine become a topic for dedicated research. Animal assisted interventions (AAI) can be classified as animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted therapy, and service animal programs. The aim of this review is to analyse original papers addressing AAI and neurological diseases and published in the most influential medical journals between 2001 and 2012, and discuss their findings in the light of what may be of interest in the field of neurology. We selected a total of 23 articles on neurorehabilitation in cerebral palsy, pervasive developmental disorders, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, and mental disorders. The main therapeutic results were improvement on the Gross Motor Function Classification Scale and in upper limb dexterity (cerebral palsy); improvement in social functioning and interaction; reductions in stress, anxiety, and loneliness (pervasive developmental disorders and mental disorders); and decreased spasticity with improved balance (multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke). These interventions, performed with highly specialised animals in very specific neurological populations, deliver an increasing body of scientific evidence suggesting that they are an effective complement to other existing therapies. In these diseases, further high-quality studies are warranted in order to define the most appropriate programmes for therapy. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General FY 2013 Audit Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

oversight procedures to review KPMG LLPs work; and if applicable disclose instances where KPMG LLP does not comply, in all material respects, with U.S...decisions. Pervasive material internal control weaknesses impact the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of budgetary and accounting data and...reported the same 13 material internal control weaknesses as in the previous year. These pervasive and longstanding financial management challenges

Response to 'pervasive sequence patents cover the entire human genome' - authors' reply.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Jeffrey; Mason, Christopher

2014-01-01

An author reply to the Letter to the Editor from Tu et al. regarding Pervasive sequence patents cover the entire human genome by J Rosenfeld and C Mason. Genome Med 2013, 5:27. See related Correspondence by Rosenfeld and Mason, http://genomemedicine.com/content/5/3/27, and related letter by Tu et al., http://genomemedicine.com/content/6/2/14.

Cognitive Profiles of Adults with Asperger's Disorder, High-Functioning Autism, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified Based on the WAIS-III

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanai, Chieko; Tani, Masayuki; Hashimoto, Ryuichiro; Yamada, Takashi; Ota, Haruhisa; Watanabe, Hiromi; Iwanami, Akira; Kato, Nobumasa

2012-01-01

Little is known about the cognitive profiles of high-functioning Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) in adults based on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-III). We examined cognitive profiles of adults with no intellectual disability (IQ greater than 70), and in adults with Asperger's disorder (AS; n = 47), high-functioning autism (HFA;…

Behavior Change in a Student with a Dual Diagnosis of Deafness and Pervasive Development Disorder: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Easterbrooks, S. R.; Handley, C. M.

2005-01-01

The broad term "pervasive developmental disorder" (PPD) describes a set of symptoms that occur along a continuum of severity; these symptoms are often referred to as "autism spectrum disorders" (ASDs). Little is known about the incidence and prevalence of ASDs among students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Teachers of DHH students, who must…

Learning, Engagement, and Technology: Middle School Students' Three-Year Experience in Pervasive Technology Environments in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hur, Jung Won; Oh, Jaekyeon

2012-01-01

This study explored an initiative that created a pervasive learning environment in a middle school in South Korea and examined its impact on student academic achievement and learning engagement. Forty students received a laptop to use for class projects, online collaboration, and lesson reviews over a 3-year period. To measure the effect of laptop…

Exploring the Boundaries of Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified: Analyses of Data from the DSM-IV Autistic Disorder Field Trial.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buitelaar, Jan K.; Van der Gaag, Rutger; Klin, Ami; Volkmar, Fred

1999-01-01

A study compared characteristics of individuals with mild retardation and clinically classified as autistic disorder (n=205), Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS) (n=80), and other non-PDD disorders (n=174). Only a few items from the ICD-10 and DSM-IV discriminated the PDDNOS group from other disorders. Suggested…

A novel machine learning-enabled framework for instantaneous heart rate monitoring from motion-artifact-corrupted electrocardiogram signals.

PubMed

Zhang, Qingxue; Zhou, Dian; Zeng, Xuan

2016-11-01

This paper proposes a novel machine learning-enabled framework to robustly monitor the instantaneous heart rate (IHR) from wrist-electrocardiography (ECG) signals continuously and heavily corrupted by random motion artifacts in wearable applications. The framework includes two stages, i.e. heartbeat identification and refinement, respectively. In the first stage, an adaptive threshold-based auto-segmentation approach is proposed to select out heartbeat candidates, including the real heartbeats and large amounts of motion-artifact-induced interferential spikes. Then twenty-six features are extracted for each candidate in time, spatial, frequency and statistical domains, and evaluated by a spare support vector machine (SVM) to select out ten critical features which can effectively reveal residual heartbeat information. Afterwards, an SVM model, created on the training data using the selected feature set, is applied to find high confident heartbeats from a large number of candidates in the testing data. In the second stage, the SVM classification results are further refined by two steps: (1) a rule-based classifier with two attributes named 'continuity check' and 'locality check' for outlier (false positives) removal, and (2) a heartbeat interpolation strategy for missing-heartbeat (false negatives) recovery. The framework is evaluated on a wrist-ECG dataset acquired by a semi-customized platform and also a public dataset. When the signal-to-noise ratio is as low as  -7 dB, the mean absolute error of the estimated IHR is 1.4 beats per minute (BPM) and the root mean square error is 6.5 BPM. The proposed framework greatly outperforms well-established approaches, demonstrating that it can effectively identify the heartbeats from ECG signals continuously corrupted by intense motion artifacts and robustly estimate the IHR. This study is expected to contribute to robust long-term wearable IHR monitoring for pervasive heart health and fitness management.

Pathogen-driven selection in the human genome.

PubMed

Cagliani, Rachele; Sironi, Manuela

2013-01-01

Infectious diseases and epidemics have always accompanied and characterized human history, representing one of the main causes of death. Even today, despite progress in sanitation and medical research, infections are estimated to account for about 15% of deaths. The hypothesis whereby infectious diseases have been acting as a powerful selective pressure was formulated long ago, but it was not until the availability of large-scale genetic data and the development of novel methods to study molecular evolution that we could assess how pervasively infectious agents have shaped human genetic diversity. Indeed, recent evidences indicated that among the diverse environmental factors that acted as selective pressures during the evolution of our species, pathogen load had the strongest influence. Beside the textbook example of the major histocompatibility complex, selection signatures left by pathogen-exerted pressure can be identified at several human loci, including genes not directly involved in immune response. In the future, high-throughput technologies and the availability of genetic data from different populations are likely to provide novel insights into the evolutionary relationships between the human host and its pathogens. Hopefully, this will help identify the genetic determinants modulating the susceptibility to infectious diseases and will translate into new treatment strategies.

Born at the Wrong Time: Selection Bias in the NHL Draft

PubMed Central

Deaner, Robert O.; Lowen, Aaron; Cobley, Stephen

2013-01-01

Relative age effects (RAEs) occur when those who are relatively older for their age group are more likely to succeed. RAEs occur reliably in some educational and athletic contexts, yet the causal mechanisms remain unclear. Here we provide the first direct test of one mechanism, selection bias, which can be defined as evaluators granting fewer opportunities to relatively younger individuals than is warranted by their latent ability. Because RAEs are well-established in hockey, we analyzed National Hockey League (NHL) drafts from 1980 to 2006. Compared to those born in the first quarter (i.e., January–March), those born in the third and fourth quarters were drafted more than 40 slots later than their productivity warranted, and they were roughly twice as likely to reach career benchmarks, such as 400 games played or 200 points scored. This selection bias in drafting did not decrease over time, apparently continues to occur, and reduces the playing opportunities of relatively younger players. This bias is remarkable because it is exhibited by professional decision makers evaluating adults in a context where RAEs have been widely publicized. Thus, selection bias based on relative age may be pervasive. PMID:23460902

Measuring exposure to pro- and anti-tobacco marketing among adolescents: intercorrelations among measures and associations with smoking status.

PubMed

Unger, J B; Cruz, T B; Schuster, D; Flora, J A; Johnson, C A

2001-01-01

Exposure to tobacco-related marketing has been implicated as one of the risk factors for tobacco use among adolescents. However, tobacco-related marketing exposure has been measured in different ways in different studies, including perceived pervasiveness, receptivity, recognition, recall, and affect. It is not known whether these measures represent one or more underlying constructs and how these underlying constructs are associated with adolescent smoking status. This study analyzed data from 5,870 eighth-grade students in California, collected in 1996-1997 as part of the Independent Evaluation of the California Tobacco Control, Prevention, and Education Program. An exploratory factor analysis of multiple measures of tobacco-related marketing exposure revealed four distinct factors: perceived pervasiveness of protobacco marketing, perceived pervasiveness of antitobacco marketing, recognition of specific anti-tobacco advertisements, and receptivity to protobacco marketing. Receptivity to pro-tobacco marketing showed the strongest association with smoking status; higher levels of receptivity were associated with higher levels of smoking. Two measures of exposure to anti-tobacco marketing (perceived pervasiveness of anti-tobacco marketing and recognition of specific anti-tobacco ads) were highest among established smokers and lowest among susceptible nonsmokers. The same pattern was evident for perceived pervasiveness of pro-tobacco marketing. Results suggest that exposure to tobacco-related marketing is a multidimensional construct, and each dimension may have a unique contribution to the process of smoking initiation. Because adolescents are exposed to numerous pro- and anti-tobacco messages, it is important to develop anti-tobacco media campaigns that can successfully counter pro-tobacco marketing efforts. Potential strategies include targeting the susceptible nonsmokers who are at high risk for smoking and developing messages to decrease receptivity.

Large Variation in the Ratio of Mitochondrial to Nuclear Mutation Rate across Animals: Implications for Genetic Diversity and the Use of Mitochondrial DNA as a Molecular Marker.

PubMed

Allio, Remi; Donega, Stefano; Galtier, Nicolas; Nabholz, Benoit

2017-11-01

It is commonly assumed that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) evolves at a faster rate than nuclear DNA (nuDNA) in animals. This has contributed to the popularity of mtDNA as a molecular marker in evolutionary studies. Analyzing 121 multilocus data sets and four phylogenomic data sets encompassing 4,676 species of animals, we demonstrate that the ratio of mitochondrial over nuclear mutation rate is highly variable among animal taxa. In nonvertebrates, such as insects and arachnids, the ratio of mtDNA over nuDNA mutation rate varies between 2 and 6, whereas it is above 20, on average, in vertebrates such as scaled reptiles and birds. Interestingly, this variation is sufficient to explain the previous report of a similar level of mitochondrial polymorphism, on average, between vertebrates and nonvertebrates, which was originally interpreted as reflecting the effect of pervasive positive selection. Our analysis rather indicates that the among-phyla homogeneity in within-species mtDNA diversity is due to a negative correlation between mtDNA per-generation mutation rate and effective population size, irrespective of the action of natural selection. Finally, we explore the variation in the absolute per-year mutation rate of both mtDNA and nuDNA using a reduced data set for which fossil calibration is available, and discuss the potential determinants of mutation rate variation across genomes and taxa. This study has important implications regarding DNA-based identification methods in predicting that mtDNA barcoding should be less reliable in nonvertebrates than in vertebrates. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Variation in the post-mating fitness landscape in fruit flies.

PubMed

Fricke, C; Chapman, T

2017-07-01

Sperm competition is pervasive and fundamental to determining a male's overall fitness. Sperm traits and seminal fluid proteins (Sfps) are key factors. However, studies of sperm competition may often exclude females that fail to remate during a defined period. Hence, the resulting data sets contain fewer data from the potentially fittest males that have most success in preventing female remating. It is also important to consider a male's reproductive success before entering sperm competition, which is a major contributor to fitness. The exclusion of these data can both hinder our understanding of the complete fitness landscapes of competing males and lessen our ability to assess the contribution of different determinants of reproductive success to male fitness. We addressed this here, using the Drosophila melanogaster model system, by (i) capturing a comprehensive range of intermating intervals that define the fitness of interacting wild-type males and (ii) analysing outcomes of sperm competition using selection analyses. We conducted additional tests using males lacking the sex peptide (SP) ejaculate component vs. genetically matched (SP + ) controls. This allowed us to assess the comprehensive fitness effects of this important Sfp on sperm competition. The results showed a signature of positive, linear selection in wild-type and SP + control males on the length of the intermating interval and on male sperm competition defence. However, the fitness surface for males lacking SP was distinct, with local fitness peaks depending on contrasting combinations of remating intervals and offspring numbers. The results suggest that there are alternative routes to success in sperm competition and provide an explanation for the maintenance of variation in sperm competition traits. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society for Evolutionary Biology.

Secondary HIV prevention among kothi-identified MSM in Chennai, India.

PubMed

Chakrapani, Venkatesan; Newman, Peter A; Shunmugam, Murali

2008-05-01

This study explored experiences and contexts of HIV risk and prevention among HIV-positive kothi-identified men in Chennai, India. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 HIV-positive men and three service providers, recruited using purposive sampling. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed in Tamil and translated into English. Data were analysed using a narrative thematic approach and constant comparative method. Misconceptions about HIV transmission; cultural taboos around discussing sexual behaviour and HIV; stigma related to same-sex behaviour; harassment; and the criminalization of consensual sex between men present formidable challenges to HIV prevention. Frank and open discussion about male-to-male sexual behaviour and living with HIV, which may support health and HIV prevention, may be dangerous in the context of pervasive risks due to stigmatization, violence and criminalization. Instead, culturally appropriate, multi-level interventions developed in collaboration with community stakeholders are needed to support HIV prevention among kothi-identified men in South India.

Crash and rebound of indigenous populations in lowland South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Marcus J.; Walker, Robert S.; Kesler, Dylan C.

2014-04-01

Lowland South America has long been a battle-ground between European colonization and indigenous survival. Initial waves of European colonization brought disease epidemics, slavery, and violence that had catastrophic impacts on indigenous cultures. In this paper we focus on the demography of 238 surviving populations in Brazil. We use longitudinal censuses from all known indigenous Brazilian societies to quantify three demographic metrics: 1) effects of European contact on indigenous populations; 2) empirical estimates of minimum viable population sizes; and 3) estimates of post-contact population growth rates. We use this information to conduct population viability analysis (PVA). Our results show that all surviving populations suffered extensive mortality during, and shortly after, contact. However, most surviving populations exhibit positive growth rates within the first decade post-contact. Our findings paint a positive demographic outlook for these indigenous populations, though long-term survival remains subject to powerful externalities, including politics, economics, and the pervasive illegal exploitation of indigenous lands.

Expectations and illusions: a position paper on the relationship between mental health practitioners and social exclusion.

PubMed

Berry, C; Gerry, L; Hayward, M; Chandler, R

2010-06-01

Over the last 10 years, the social inclusion agenda has been gaining momentum as a policy driver in mental health services. Prior to the seminal Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) report, Mental Health and Social Exclusion, there was a lack of awareness concerning the pervasive links between social exclusion and mental health problems. In the report, the SEU suggested that mental health practitioners themselves may actually be contributing to this social exclusion. This finding has been given limited coverage in both social inclusion literature and research. The current paper is a positioned commentary further exploring the relationship between practitioners and the social exclusion of mental health service users. A literature review was conducted in order to identify themes among factors which appear to moderate and contribute to this relationship. These factors are presented and implications for inclusive practice are explored.

Disability impact and coping in mothers of children with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities.

PubMed

Kishore, M Thomas

2011-12-01

Understanding the disability impact on parenting and caregiving is important for intervention. The present study was designed to understand the differences in perceived disability impact and related coping in mothers having children with intellectual disabilities alone compared to those having children with intellectual disabilities and additional disabilities. Accordingly, 30 mothers of children with intellectual disabilities and 30 mothers of children with intellectual and additional disabilities were assessed for disability impact and coping. Group differences for disability impact were present in specific domains but not overall. Despite variations in coping pattern, both positive and negative coping strategies were observed in both groups. The results may imply that the impact of intellectual disability is so pervasive that except in certain domains mothers may not perceive the further impact of additional disabilities. Positive coping does not rule out negative coping strategies. These findings have specific relevance to service delivery in a cultural context.

Agricultural Applications for Antimicrobials. A Danger to Human Health: An Official Position Statement of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

PubMed

Aitken, Samuel L; Dilworth, Thomas J; Heil, Emily L; Nailor, Michael D

2016-04-01

The use of antibiotics in agriculture, particularly in food-producing animals, is pervasive and represents the overwhelming majority of antibiotic use worldwide. The link between antibiotic use in animals and antibiotic resistance in humans is unequivocal. Transmission can occur by ingesting undercooked meats harboring resistant bacteria, by direct contact of animals by animal handlers, and by various other means. Antibiotics used in aquaculture and antifungals used in horticulture are also an evolving threat to human health. Regulations aimed at decreasing the amount of antibiotics used in food production to limit the development of antibiotic resistance have recently been implemented. However, further action is needed to minimize antibiotic use in agriculture. This article describes the extent of this current problem and serves as the official position of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists on this urgent threat to human health. © 2016 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Dynamic detection of window starting positions and its implementation within an activity recognition framework.

PubMed

Ni, Qin; Patterson, Timothy; Cleland, Ian; Nugent, Chris

2016-08-01

Activity recognition is an intrinsic component of many pervasive computing and ambient intelligent solutions. This has been facilitated by an explosion of technological developments in the area of wireless sensor network, wearable and mobile computing. Yet, delivering robust activity recognition, which could be deployed at scale in a real world environment, still remains an active research challenge. Much of the existing literature to date has focused on applying machine learning techniques to pre-segmented data collected in controlled laboratory environments. Whilst this approach can provide valuable ground truth information from which to build recognition models, these techniques often do not function well when implemented in near real time applications. This paper presents the application of a multivariate online change detection algorithm to dynamically detect the starting position of windows for the purposes of activity recognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural affordances and emotional experience: socially engaging and disengaging emotions in Japan and the United States.

PubMed

Kitayama, Shinobu; Mesquita, Batja; Karasawa, Mayumi

2006-11-01

The authors hypothesized that whereas Japanese culture encourages socially engaging emotions (e.g., friendly feelings and guilt), North American culture fosters socially disengaging emotions (e.g., pride and anger). In two cross-cultural studies, the authors measured engaging and disengaging emotions repeatedly over different social situations and found support for this hypothesis. As predicted, Japanese showed a pervasive tendency to reportedly experience engaging emotions more strongly than they experienced disengaging emotions, but Americans showed a reversed tendency. Moreover, as also predicted, Japanese subjective well-being (i.e., the experience of general positive feelings) was more closely associated with the experience of engaging positive emotions than with that of disengaging emotions. Americans tended to show the reversed pattern. The established cultural differences in the patterns of emotion suggest the consistent and systematic cultural shaping of emotion over time.

Safeguards Workforce Repatriation, Retention and Utilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallucci, Nicholas; Poe, Sarah

Brookhaven National Laboratory was tasked by NA-241 to assess the transition of former IAEA employees back to the United States, investigating the rate of retention and overall smoothness of the repatriation process among returning safeguards professionals. Upon conducting several phone interviews, study authors found that the repatriation process went smoothly for the vast majority and that workforce retention was high. However, several respondents expressed irritation over the minimal extent to which their safeguards expertise had been leveraged in their current positions. This sentiment was pervasive enough to prompt a follow-on study focusing on questions relating to the utilization rather thanmore » the retention of safeguards professionals. A second, web-based survey was conducted, soliciting responses from a larger sample pool. Results suggest that the safeguards workforce may be oversaturated, and that young professionals returning to the United States from Agency positions may soon encounter difficulties finding jobs in the field.« less

Towards a flexible middleware for context-aware pervasive and wearable systems.

PubMed

Muro, Marco; Amoretti, Michele; Zanichelli, Francesco; Conte, Gianni

2012-11-01

Ambient intelligence and wearable computing call for innovative hardware and software technologies, including a highly capable, flexible and efficient middleware, allowing for the reuse of existing pervasive applications when developing new ones. In the considered application domain, middleware should also support self-management, interoperability among different platforms, efficient communications, and context awareness. In the on-going "everything is networked" scenario scalability appears as a very important issue, for which the peer-to-peer (P2P) paradigm emerges as an appealing solution for connecting software components in an overlay network, allowing for efficient and balanced data distribution mechanisms. In this paper, we illustrate how all these concepts can be placed into a theoretical tool, called networked autonomic machine (NAM), implemented into a NAM-based middleware, and evaluated against practical problems of pervasive computing.

Video personalization for usage environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Belle L.; Lin, Ching-Yung; Smith, John R.

2002-07-01

A video personalization and summarization system is designed and implemented incorporating usage environment to dynamically generate a personalized video summary. The personalization system adopts the three-tier server-middleware-client architecture in order to select, adapt, and deliver rich media content to the user. The server stores the content sources along with their corresponding MPEG-7 metadata descriptions. Our semantic metadata is provided through the use of the VideoAnnEx MPEG-7 Video Annotation Tool. When the user initiates a request for content, the client communicates the MPEG-21 usage environment description along with the user query to the middleware. The middleware is powered by the personalization engine and the content adaptation engine. Our personalization engine includes the VideoSue Summarization on Usage Environment engine that selects the optimal set of desired contents according to user preferences. Afterwards, the adaptation engine performs the required transformations and compositions of the selected contents for the specific usage environment using our VideoEd Editing and Composition Tool. Finally, two personalization and summarization systems are demonstrated for the IBM Websphere Portal Server and for the pervasive PDA devices.

Applications of aerospace technology in the public interest: Pollution measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heins, C. F.; Johnson, F. D.

1974-01-01

This study of selected NASA contributions to the improvement of pollution measurement examines the pervasiveness and complexity of the economic, political, and social issues in the environmental field; provides a perspective on the relationship between the conduct of aerospace R and D and specific improvements in on site air pollution monitoring equipment now in use; describes the basic relationship between the development of satellite-based monitoring systems and their influence on long-term progress in improving environmental quality; and comments on how both instrumentation and satellite remote sensing are contributing to an improved environment. Examples of specific gains that have been made in applying aerospace R and D to environmental problem-solving are included.

Implementing a U.S. national phenology network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Betancourt, J.L.; Schwartz, M.D.; Breshears, D.D.; Cayan, D.R.; Dettinger, M.D.; Inouye, D.W.; Post, E.; Reed, B.C.

2005-01-01

The passing of seasons, as gauged by annual events or phenophases in organisms' life cycles, is arguably one of the most pervasive environmental variations on Earth. Shifts in seasonal timing, or phenology, are observed in flowering and other stages of plant development, animal migration and reproduction, hibernation, and the seasonal activity of cold-blooded animals [e.g., Schwartz, 2003; Root et al., 2005]. As an important life history trait, phenology is an object of natural selection; depending on timescales, shifts in phenology can lead to evolutionary change. Thus, phenology is not only an indicator of pattern in environmental science, but also its variation has fitness consequences for individuals, and these can scale up to broader ecological dynamics.

Conceptual Knowledge Acquisition in Biomedicine: A Methodological Review

PubMed Central

Payne, Philip R.O.; Mendonça, Eneida A.; Johnson, Stephen B.; Starren, Justin B.

2007-01-01

The use of conceptual knowledge collections or structures within the biomedical domain is pervasive, spanning a variety of applications including controlled terminologies, semantic networks, ontologies, and database schemas. A number of theoretical constructs and practical methods or techniques support the development and evaluation of conceptual knowledge collections. This review will provide an overview of the current state of knowledge concerning conceptual knowledge acquisition, drawing from multiple contributing academic disciplines such as biomedicine, computer science, cognitive science, education, linguistics, semiotics, and psychology. In addition, multiple taxonomic approaches to the description and selection of conceptual knowledge acquisition and evaluation techniques will be proposed in order to partially address the apparent fragmentation of the current literature concerning this domain. PMID:17482521

Sexual selection drives evolution and rapid turnover of male gene expression.

PubMed

Harrison, Peter W; Wright, Alison E; Zimmer, Fabian; Dean, Rebecca; Montgomery, Stephen H; Pointer, Marie A; Mank, Judith E

2015-04-07

The profound and pervasive differences in gene expression observed between males and females, and the unique evolutionary properties of these genes in many species, have led to the widespread assumption that they are the product of sexual selection and sexual conflict. However, we still lack a clear understanding of the connection between sexual selection and transcriptional dimorphism, often termed sex-biased gene expression. Moreover, the relative contribution of sexual selection vs. drift in shaping broad patterns of expression, divergence, and polymorphism remains unknown. To assess the role of sexual selection in shaping these patterns, we assembled transcriptomes from an avian clade representing the full range of sexual dimorphism and sexual selection. We use these species to test the links between sexual selection and sex-biased gene expression evolution in a comparative framework. Through ancestral reconstruction of sex bias, we demonstrate a rapid turnover of sex bias across this clade driven by sexual selection and show it to be primarily the result of expression changes in males. We use phylogenetically controlled comparative methods to demonstrate that phenotypic measures of sexual selection predict the proportion of male-biased but not female-biased gene expression. Although male-biased genes show elevated rates of coding sequence evolution, consistent with previous reports in a range of taxa, there is no association between sexual selection and rates of coding sequence evolution, suggesting that expression changes may be more important than coding sequence in sexual selection. Taken together, our results highlight the power of sexual selection to act on gene expression differences and shape genome evolution.

A Service-oriented Approach towards Context-aware Mobile Learning Management Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

towards a pervasive university. Keywords-context-aware computing, service-oriented archi- tecture, mobile computing, elearning , learn management sys- tem I...usage of device- specific features provide support for various ubiquitous and pervasive eLearning scenarios [2][3]. By knowing where the user currently...data from the mobile device towards a context-aware mobile LMS. II. BASIC CONCEPTS For a better understanding of the presented eLearning sce- narios

Development of a Screening Scale for High-Functioning Pervasive Developmental Disorders Using the Tokyo Child Development Schedule and Tokyo Autistic Behavior Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suzuki, Mayo; Tachimori, Hisateru; Saito, Mari; Koyama, Tomonori; Kurita, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

This study aimed to compile a screening scale for high-functioning pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), using the Tokyo Child Development Schedule (TCDS) and Tokyo Autistic Behavior Scale (TABS). The 72 participants (IQ greater than or equal to 70) were divided into 3 groups after IQ matching depending on their diagnoses: i.e., PDD,…

The Usefulness of the Revised Psychoeducational Profile for the Assessment of Preschool Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portoghese, Claudia; Buttiglione, Maura; Pavone, Francesca; Lozito, Vito; De Giacomo, Andrea; Martinelli, Domenico; Margari, Lucia

2009-01-01

Data from the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R) were analysed in a sample of 46 children, aged from 1.7 to 5.11 years, of whom 21 had autistic disorder (AD) and 25 had pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Analysis with a t-test for independent samples revealed a significant difference (p less than 0.05)…

Response to ‘pervasive sequence patents cover the entire human genome’ - authors’ reply

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

An author reply to the Letter to the Editor from Tu et al. regarding Pervasive sequence patents cover the entire human genome by J Rosenfeld and C Mason. Genome Med 2013, 5:27. See related Correspondence by Rosenfeld and Mason, http://genomemedicine.com/content/5/3/27, and related letter by Tu et al., http://genomemedicine.com/content/6/2/14 PMID:24764495

Is Long-Term Prognosis for Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified Different from Prognosis for Autistic Disorder? Findings from a 30-Year Follow-Up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mordre, Marianne; Groholt, Berit; Knudsen, Ann Kristin; Sponheim, Eili; Mykletun, Arnstein; Myhre, Anne Margrethe

2012-01-01

We followed 74 children with autistic disorder (AD) and 39 children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD NOS) for 17-38 years in a record linkage study. Rates of disability pension award, marital status, criminality and mortality were compared between groups. Disability pension award was the only outcome measure that…

Antisense transcriptional interference mediates condition-specific gene repression in budding yeast.

PubMed

Nevers, Alicia; Doyen, Antonia; Malabat, Christophe; Néron, Bertrand; Kergrohen, Thomas; Jacquier, Alain; Badis, Gwenael

2018-05-18

Pervasive transcription generates many unstable non-coding transcripts in budding yeast. The transcription of such noncoding RNAs, in particular antisense RNAs (asRNAs), has been shown in a few examples to repress the expression of the associated mRNAs. Yet, such mechanism is not known to commonly contribute to the regulation of a given class of genes. Using a mutant context that stabilized pervasive transcripts, we observed that the least expressed mRNAs during the exponential phase were associated with high levels of asRNAs. These asRNAs also overlapped their corresponding gene promoters with a much higher frequency than average. Interrupting antisense transcription of a subset of genes corresponding to quiescence-enriched mRNAs restored their expression. The underlying mechanism acts in cis and involves several chromatin modifiers. Our results convey that transcription interference represses up to 30% of the 590 least expressed genes, which includes 163 genes with quiescence-enriched mRNAs. We also found that pervasive transcripts constitute a higher fraction of the transcriptome in quiescence relative to the exponential phase, consistent with gene expression itself playing an important role to suppress pervasive transcription. Accordingly, the HIS1 asRNA, normally only present in quiescence, is expressed in exponential phase upon HIS1 mRNA transcription interruption.

Health plan competition in local markets.

PubMed

Grossman, J M

2000-04-01

To examine the structure of local health insurance markets and the strategies health plans were using to respond to competitive pressures in local markets in 1996/1997. Community Tracking Study site visits conducted between May 1996 and April 1997 in 12 U.S. markets selected to be nationally representative. In each site, 36 to 60 interviews on local health system change were conducted with healthcare industry informants representing health plans, providers, and purchasers. Relevant data for this article were abstracted from standardized protocols administered to multiple respondents in each site. Although the competitive threat from national plans was pervasive, local plans in most sites continued to retain strong, often dominant, positions in historically concentrated markets. In all sites, in response to purchaser pressures for stable premiums and provider choice, and the threat of entry and to plans were using three strategies to increase market share and market power: (1) consolidation/geographic expansion, (2) price competition, and (3) product line/segment diversification that focused on broad networks and open-access products. In most markets, in response to the demand for provider choice, the trend was away from ownership and exclusive arrangements with providers. Although local plans were moving to become full-service regional players, there was uncertainty about the abilities of all plans to sustain growth strategies at the expense of margins and organizational stability, and to effectively manage care with broad networks.

A comparative analysis of host responses to avian influenza infection in ducks and chickens highlights a role for the interferon-induced transmembrane proteins in viral resistance.

PubMed

Smith, Jacqueline; Smith, Nikki; Yu, Le; Paton, Ian R; Gutowska, Maria Weronika; Forrest, Heather L; Danner, Angela F; Seiler, J Patrick; Digard, Paul; Webster, Robert G; Burt, David W

2015-08-04

Chickens are susceptible to infection with a limited number of Influenza A viruses and are a potential source of a human influenza pandemic. In particular, H5 and H7 haemagglutinin subtypes can evolve from low to highly pathogenic strains in gallinaceous poultry. Ducks on the other hand are a natural reservoir for these viruses and are able to withstand most avian influenza strains. Transcriptomic sequencing of lung and ileum tissue samples from birds infected with high (H5N1) and low (H5N2) pathogenic influenza viruses has allowed us to compare the early host response to these infections in both these species. Chickens (but not ducks) lack the intracellular receptor for viral ssRNA, RIG-I and the gene for an important RIG-I binding protein, RNF135. These differences in gene content partly explain the differences in host responses to low pathogenic and highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in chicken and ducks. We reveal very different patterns of expression of members of the interferon-induced transmembrane protein (IFITM) gene family in ducks and chickens. In ducks, IFITM1, 2 and 3 are strongly up regulated in response to highly pathogenic avian influenza, where little response is seen in chickens. Clustering of gene expression profiles suggests IFITM1 and 2 have an anti-viral response and IFITM3 may restrict avian influenza virus through cell membrane fusion. We also show, through molecular phylogenetic analyses, that avian IFITM1 and IFITM3 genes have been subject to both episodic and pervasive positive selection at specific codons. In particular, avian IFITM1 showed evidence of positive selection in the duck lineage at sites known to restrict influenza virus infection. Taken together these results support a model where the IFITM123 protein family and RIG-I all play a crucial role in the tolerance of ducks to highly pathogenic and low pathogenic strains of avian influenza viruses when compared to the chicken.

Deep Learning for Population Genetic Inference.

PubMed

Sheehan, Sara; Song, Yun S

2016-03-01

Given genomic variation data from multiple individuals, computing the likelihood of complex population genetic models is often infeasible. To circumvent this problem, we introduce a novel likelihood-free inference framework by applying deep learning, a powerful modern technique in machine learning. Deep learning makes use of multilayer neural networks to learn a feature-based function from the input (e.g., hundreds of correlated summary statistics of data) to the output (e.g., population genetic parameters of interest). We demonstrate that deep learning can be effectively employed for population genetic inference and learning informative features of data. As a concrete application, we focus on the challenging problem of jointly inferring natural selection and demography (in the form of a population size change history). Our method is able to separate the global nature of demography from the local nature of selection, without sequential steps for these two factors. Studying demography and selection jointly is motivated by Drosophila, where pervasive selection confounds demographic analysis. We apply our method to 197 African Drosophila melanogaster genomes from Zambia to infer both their overall demography, and regions of their genome under selection. We find many regions of the genome that have experienced hard sweeps, and fewer under selection on standing variation (soft sweep) or balancing selection. Interestingly, we find that soft sweeps and balancing selection occur more frequently closer to the centromere of each chromosome. In addition, our demographic inference suggests that previously estimated bottlenecks for African Drosophila melanogaster are too extreme.

Deep Learning for Population Genetic Inference

PubMed Central

Sheehan, Sara; Song, Yun S.

2016-01-01

Given genomic variation data from multiple individuals, computing the likelihood of complex population genetic models is often infeasible. To circumvent this problem, we introduce a novel likelihood-free inference framework by applying deep learning, a powerful modern technique in machine learning. Deep learning makes use of multilayer neural networks to learn a feature-based function from the input (e.g., hundreds of correlated summary statistics of data) to the output (e.g., population genetic parameters of interest). We demonstrate that deep learning can be effectively employed for population genetic inference and learning informative features of data. As a concrete application, we focus on the challenging problem of jointly inferring natural selection and demography (in the form of a population size change history). Our method is able to separate the global nature of demography from the local nature of selection, without sequential steps for these two factors. Studying demography and selection jointly is motivated by Drosophila, where pervasive selection confounds demographic analysis. We apply our method to 197 African Drosophila melanogaster genomes from Zambia to infer both their overall demography, and regions of their genome under selection. We find many regions of the genome that have experienced hard sweeps, and fewer under selection on standing variation (soft sweep) or balancing selection. Interestingly, we find that soft sweeps and balancing selection occur more frequently closer to the centromere of each chromosome. In addition, our demographic inference suggests that previously estimated bottlenecks for African Drosophila melanogaster are too extreme. PMID:27018908

Brief Report: Normal Intestinal Permeability at Elevated Platelet Serotonin Levels in a Subgroup of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Curacao (The Netherlands Antilles)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemperman, Ramses F. J.; Muskiet, Fred D.; Boutier, A. Inge; Kema, Ido P.; Muskiet, Frits A. J.

2008-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between platelet (PLT) serotonin (5-HT) and intestinal permeability in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Differential sugar absorption and PLT 5-HT were determined in 23 children with PDD. PLT 5-HT (2.0-7.1 nmol/10[to the ninth power] PLT) was elevated in 4/23 patients. None exhibited…

Social Skills Groups for Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) including Asperger’s disorder are relatively rare conditions that can be very disabling for individuals affected. This article focuses on social skills therapy, looking at research that has been completed in a group therapy format and then using composite case examples to review basic techniques that have been used to teach social skills to children with a diagnosis of PDD. PMID:19727303

Changes in the Population of Persons with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders in California's Developmental Services System: 1987 through 1998. A Report to the Legislature, March 1, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Developmental Services, Sacramento.

This report discusses the results of an analysis of demographic and Client Development Evaluation Record data compiled at each of the 21 regional centers in California serving individuals with autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Data covering a period of 11 years, beginning in January 1987 and continuing through December 1998, show that…

The Stability of Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders: A 7 Year Follow Up of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verheij, C.; Louwerse, A.; van der Ende, J.; Eussen, M. L. J. M.; Van Gool, A. R.; Verheij, F.; Verhulst, F. C.; Greaves-Lord, K.

2015-01-01

The current study was a 7-year follow-up of 74 6-12 year old children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. We examined the rates and 7 year stability of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses as ascertained with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children: Parent version at ages 6-12 and again at ages 12-20. Also, we examined…

The Mysterious Case of the Pervasive Choice Biography: Ulrich Beck, Structure/Agency, and the Middling State of Theory in the Sociology of Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodman, Dan

2009-01-01

This paper explores the emergence of the concept of choice biography, as it is linked to the work of Ulrich Beck, in youth research. The concept has been called a current pervasive theoretical orthodoxy. However, this article argues that the concept is most often taken up to critique, and Beck used mostly as a foil, through arguing that he…

Mobility in hospital work: towards a pervasive computing hospital environment.

PubMed

Morán, Elisa B; Tentori, Monica; González, Víctor M; Favela, Jesus; Martínez-Garcia, Ana I

2007-01-01

Handheld computers are increasingly being used by hospital workers. With the integration of wireless networks into hospital information systems, handheld computers can provide the basis for a pervasive computing hospital environment; to develop this designers need empirical information to understand how hospital workers interact with information while moving around. To characterise the medical phenomena we report the results of a workplace study conducted in a hospital. We found that individuals spend about half of their time at their base location, where most of their interactions occur. On average, our informants spent 23% of their time performing information management tasks, followed by coordination (17.08%), clinical case assessment (15.35%) and direct patient care (12.6%). We discuss how our results offer insights for the design of pervasive computing technology, and directions for further research and development in this field such as transferring information between heterogeneous devices and integration of the physical and digital domains.

Critical branching neural networks.

PubMed

Kello, Christopher T

2013-01-01

It is now well-established that intrinsic variations in human neural and behavioral activity tend to exhibit scaling laws in their fluctuations and distributions. The meaning of these scaling laws is an ongoing matter of debate between isolable causes versus pervasive causes. A spiking neural network model is presented that self-tunes to critical branching and, in doing so, simulates observed scaling laws as pervasive to neural and behavioral activity. These scaling laws are related to neural and cognitive functions, in that critical branching is shown to yield spiking activity with maximal memory and encoding capacities when analyzed using reservoir computing techniques. The model is also shown to account for findings of pervasive 1/f scaling in speech and cued response behaviors that are difficult to explain by isolable causes. Issues and questions raised by the model and its results are discussed from the perspectives of physics, neuroscience, computer and information sciences, and psychological and cognitive sciences.

Geology and hydrothermal alteration at the Madh adh Dhahab epithermal precious-metal deposit, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doebrich, J.L.; LeAnderson, J.P.

1984-01-01

Vein-related alteration consisting of quartz-sericite-pyrite, chloritic, argillic, and silicic halos was superimposed on broad zones of pervasive silicic, potassic, and argillic alteration that surrounds the rhyolite intrusive body. Quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration associated with the earliest stage of mineralization was followed by broad, pervasive, stratigraphically controlled potassic alteration. Subsequent mineralization was accompanied by quartz-sericitepyrite alteration and was followed by the main stage of mineralization that formed strong chloritic alteration halos. Development of broad zones and halos of argillic alteration also may have been related to the main stage of mineralization. Development of silicic halos was characteristic of the late stages of mineralization. Broad, pervasive propylitic alteration was then superimposed on all alteration types and represents cooling and inward encroachment of the hydrothermal system. All alteration, except the early silicic alteration is interpreted to have been related to circulating meteoric fluids heated by the rhyolite.

Augmented notebooks for pervasive learning in medical practice.

PubMed

Bricon-Souf, Nathalie; Leroy, Nicolas; Renard, Jean-Marie

2010-01-01

Medical e-learning can benefit from the new technologies, and pervasive learning resources and tools worth to be introduced in the medical context. Micro-learning seems to be an interesting way for pervasive learning. But it is still difficult to propose pedagogical resources that are built by learners, from meaningful experiments. We conducted an analysis of the exchanges performed by Health care professionals in the hospital in order to understand where and when educational exchanges appear. We analyzed the type of documents exchanged. The residents' paper notebooks caught our attention first because it answers some clinician-needs and second because the computerization of such a notebook could add a collaborative dimension to the pedagogical resources. We propose a model of an augmented resident's notebook and we briefly describe an implementation using Content Management System and WIKI, before setting the discussion and the conclusion sections.

An Adaptive Sensor Mining Framework for Pervasive Computing Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashidi, Parisa; Cook, Diane J.

Analyzing sensor data in pervasive computing applications brings unique challenges to the KDD community. The challenge is heightened when the underlying data source is dynamic and the patterns change. We introduce a new adaptive mining framework that detects patterns in sensor data, and more importantly, adapts to the changes in the underlying model. In our framework, the frequent and periodic patterns of data are first discovered by the Frequent and Periodic Pattern Miner (FPPM) algorithm; and then any changes in the discovered patterns over the lifetime of the system are discovered by the Pattern Adaptation Miner (PAM) algorithm, in order to adapt to the changing environment. This framework also captures vital context information present in pervasive computing applications, such as the startup triggers and temporal information. In this paper, we present a description of our mining framework and validate the approach using data collected in the CASAS smart home testbed.

Structural insights into the evolution of a sexy protein: novel topology and restricted backbone flexibility in a hypervariable pheromone from the red-legged salamander, Plethodon shermani.

PubMed

Wilburn, Damien B; Bowen, Kathleen E; Doty, Kari A; Arumugam, Sengodagounder; Lane, Andrew N; Feldhoff, Pamela W; Feldhoff, Richard C

2014-01-01

In response to pervasive sexual selection, protein sex pheromones often display rapid mutation and accelerated evolution of corresponding gene sequences. For proteins, the general dogma is that structure is maintained even as sequence or function may rapidly change. This phenomenon is well exemplified by the three-finger protein (TFP) superfamily: a diverse class of vertebrate proteins co-opted for many biological functions - such as components of snake venoms, regulators of the complement system, and coordinators of amphibian limb regeneration. All of the >200 structurally characterized TFPs adopt the namesake "three-finger" topology. In male red-legged salamanders, the TFP pheromone Plethodontid Modulating Factor (PMF) is a hypervariable protein such that, through extensive gene duplication and pervasive sexual selection, individual male salamanders express more than 30 unique isoforms. However, it remained unclear how this accelerated evolution affected the protein structure of PMF. Using LC/MS-MS and multidimensional NMR, we report the 3D structure of the most abundant PMF isoform, PMF-G. The high resolution structural ensemble revealed a highly modified TFP structure, including a unique disulfide bonding pattern and loss of secondary structure, that define a novel protein topology with greater backbone flexibility in the third peptide finger. Sequence comparison, models of molecular evolution, and homology modeling together support that this flexible third finger is the most rapidly evolving segment of PMF. Combined with PMF sequence hypervariability, this structural flexibility may enhance the plasticity of PMF as a chemical signal by permitting potentially thousands of structural conformers. We propose that the flexible third finger plays a critical role in PMF:receptor interactions. As female receptors co-evolve, this flexibility may allow PMF to still bind its receptor(s) without the immediate need for complementary mutations. Consequently, this unique adaptation may establish new paradigms for how receptor:ligand pairs co-evolve, in particular with respect to sexual conflict.

A model of sexually and physically victimized women's process of attaining effective formal help over time: the role of social location, context, and intervention.

PubMed

Kennedy, Angie C; Adams, Adrienne; Bybee, Deborah; Campbell, Rebecca; Kubiak, Sheryl Pimlott; Sullivan, Cris

2012-09-01

As empirical evidence has demonstrated the pervasiveness of sexual assault and intimate partner violence in the lives of women, and the links to poor mental health outcomes, attention has turned to examining how women seek and access formal help. We present a conceptual model that addresses prior limitations and makes three key contributions: It foregrounds the influence of social location and multiple contextual factors; emphasizes the importance of the attainment of effective formal help that meets women's needs and leads to positive mental health outcomes; and highlights the role of interventions in facilitating help attainment. We conclude with research and practice implications.

Sport participation, risk taking, and health risk behaviors.

PubMed

Patel, D R; Luckstead, E F

2000-02-01

Adolescents participate in sports for a variety of reasons. Some seem to enjoy participating in what some might consider very-high-risk or "extreme" sports activities. For some adolescents risk taking becomes pervasive and can be detrimental to normal health and development. The majority of adolescents will do well in the context of athletics, and the many positive benefits of regular physical activity and sports participation should be appropriately emphasized. However, a subset of adolescents may be at greater risk for adverse consequences. This article reviews the reasons for participation and attrition from sports, the phenomenon of thrill seeking in sports, certain risk-taking behaviors of athletes, and studies comparing health risk behaviors in athletes and non-athletes.

Relations of husbands and wives dysphoria to marital conflict resolution strategies.

PubMed

Du Rocher Schudlich, Tina D; Papp, Lauren M; Cummings, E Mark

2004-03-01

This study investigated relations between spouses' dysphoria and constructive and destructive emotions and tactics displayed by husbands and wives throughout marital conflicts. Behavioral observations were made of 267 couples' interactions during marital conflict resolution tasks. Husbands' and wives' dysphoria levels were related to particular negative marital conflict expressions and the absence of positive strategies, even after taking into account couples' marital satisfaction and their partners' levels of dysphoria. Moreover, in comparison with wives' dysphoria, husbands' dysphoria was associated with more pervasive impairments in couples" conflict strategies evident in multiple contexts of conflict resolution, including discussion of relatively minor sources of disagreement. Implications for the treatment of depressed or maritally discordant couples are discussed.

Use of drawings in children with pervasive developmental disorder during hospitalization: a developmental perspective.

PubMed

Stefanatou, Athena

2008-12-01

The level and nature of emotional upheaval and relationship to developmental stage was studied in children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) hospitalized for head injury. The sample consisted of 25 hospitalized children aged 5-12 years. Children were asked to make the drawing of a ;person in hospital'. The drawings were evaluated by Koppitz's emotional indicators. Punishment and persecution were the main cognitive constructs of children in order to explain hospitalization.

Maternal Nutrition Induces Pervasive Gene Expression Changes but No Detectable DNA Methylation Differences in the Liver of Adult Offspring

PubMed Central

Cannon, Matthew V.; Buchner, David A.; Hester, James; Miller, Hadley; Sehayek, Ephraim; Nadeau, Joseph H.; Serre, David

2014-01-01

Aims Epidemiological and animal studies have shown that maternal diet can influence metabolism in adult offspring. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes remain poorly understood. Here, we characterize the phenotypes induced by maternal obesity in a mouse model and examine gene expression and epigenetic changes induced by maternal diet in adult offspring. Methods We analyzed genetically identical male mice born from dams fed a high- or low-fat diet throughout pregnancy and until day 21 postpartum. After weaning, half of the males of each group were fed a high-fat diet, the other half a low-fat diet. We first characterized the genome-wide gene expression patterns of six tissues of adult offspring - liver, pancreas, white adipose, brain, muscle and heart. We then measured DNA methylation patterns in liver at selected loci and throughout the genome. Results Maternal diet had a significant effect on the body weight of the offspring when they were fed an obesogenic diet after weaning. Our analyses showed that maternal diet had a pervasive effect on gene expression, with a pronounced effect in liver where it affected many genes involved in inflammation, cholesterol synthesis and RXR activation. We did not detect any effect of the maternal diet on DNA methylation in the liver. Conclusions Overall, our findings highlighted the persistent influence of maternal diet on adult tissue regulation and suggested that the transcriptional changes were unlikely to be caused by DNA methylation differences in adult liver. PMID:24594983

Contact-induced crystallinity for high-performance soluble acene-based transistors and circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gundlach, D. J.; Royer, J. E.; Park, S. K.; Subramanian, S.; Jurchescu, O. D.; Hamadani, B. H.; Moad, A. J.; Kline, R. J.; Teague, L. C.; Kirillov, O.; Richter, C. A.; Kushmerick, J. G.; Richter, L. J.; Parkin, S. R.; Jackson, T. N.; Anthony, J. E.

2008-03-01

The use of organic materials presents a tremendous opportunity to significantly impact the functionality and pervasiveness of large-area electronics. Commercialization of this technology requires reduction in manufacturing costs by exploiting inexpensive low-temperature deposition and patterning techniques, which typically lead to lower device performance. We report a low-cost approach to control the microstructure of solution-cast acene-based organic thin films through modification of interfacial chemistry. Chemically and selectively tailoring the source/drain contact interface is a novel route to initiating the crystallization of soluble organic semiconductors, leading to the growth on opposing contacts of crystalline films that extend into the transistor channel. This selective crystallization enables us to fabricate high-performance organic thin-film transistors and circuits, and to deterministically study the influence of the microstructure on the device characteristics. By connecting device fabrication to molecular design, we demonstrate that rapid film processing under ambient room conditions and high performance are not mutually exclusive.

Repression of chimeric transcripts emanating from endogenous retrotransposons by a sequence-specific transcription factor

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Retroviral elements are pervasively transcribed and dynamically regulated during development. While multiple histone- and DNA-modifying enzymes have broadly been associated with their global silencing, little is known about how the many diverse retroviral families are each selectively recognized. Results Here we show that the zinc finger protein Krüppel-like Factor 3 (KLF3) specifically silences transcription from the ORR1A0 long terminal repeat in murine fetal and adult erythroid cells. In the absence of KLF3, we detect widespread transcription from ORR1A0 elements driven by the master erythroid regulator KLF1. In several instances these aberrant transcripts are spliced to downstream genic exons. One such chimeric transcript produces a novel, dominant negative isoform of PU.1 that can induce erythroid differentiation. Conclusions We propose that KLF3 ensures the integrity of the murine erythroid transcriptome through the selective repression of a particular retroelement and is likely one of multiple sequence-specific factors that cooperate to achieve global silencing. PMID:24946810

Time perception, attention, and memory: a selective review.

PubMed

Block, Richard A; Gruber, Ronald P

2014-06-01

This article provides a selective review of time perception research, mainly focusing on the authors' research. Aspects of psychological time include simultaneity, successiveness, temporal order, and duration judgments. In contrast to findings at interstimulus intervals or durations less than 3.0-5.0 s, there is little evidence for an "across-senses" effect of perceptual modality (visual vs. auditory) at longer intervals or durations. In addition, the flow of time (events) is a pervasive perceptual illusion, and we review evidence on that. Some temporal information is encoded All rights reserved. relatively automatically into memory: People can judge time-related attributes such as recency, frequency, temporal order, and duration of events. Duration judgments in prospective and retrospective paradigms reveal differences between them, as well as variables that moderate the processes involved. An attentional-gate model is needed to account for prospective judgments, and a contextual-change model is needed to account for retrospective judgments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time and frequency for digital telecommunications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Folts, H. C.

1972-01-01

Time and frequency (T and F) are fundamental and pervasive parameters of telecommunication technology. Advancing development of digital communications using data modulation rates above 2400 baud and time-division multiplex in complex network configurations is now requiring more accurate and precise T and F reference information for efficient operation of telecommunication systems. A schematic diagram of a general communication system is shown. This diagram is very general and can depict any type of communication. The information source selects a specific message which is encoded and sent through a communication channel. Enroute, the signal is subjected to perturbations from environmental noise. The received signal is then decoded and delivered to its destination. Through the process, the message may undergo many spurious changes, resulting in a loss of information content in the delivered message as compared to the original selected message. In digital telecommunication systems, loss of information content of the signals can be attributed to noise, distortion of waveshape, and loss of synchronization.

Non-surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PubMed

Tingting, Xu; Danming, You; Xin, Chen

2018-02-01

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), a pervasive disease, is closely associated with complications such as cardiovascular diseases, neurocognitive diseases, and metabolic syndromes. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for OSAS, with low compliance due to multifarious factors. The two other modes of ventilation, bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP) and autotitrating positive airway pressure (APAP), which were developed from CPAP, are slightly different from CPAP in specific groups, as well as the corresponding treatment effect and compliance. The compliance of traditional positional therapy is not high, but with the emergence of the neck-based position treatment device, its compliance and indications have changed. Although CPAP is superior to mandibular advancement device (MAD) in improving AHI, MAD seems to be comparable to CPAP in improving other indicators. Corticosteroids and leukotriene receptor antagonists are effective treatments for mild OSAS children. Whether corticosteroids can be used in other OSAS groups and their adjunctive functions to CPAP remains unclear. The combination of these two kinds of drugs appears to be more effective than single drug. Researches on transcutaneous electrical stimulation are still not enough. Its effectiveness and stimulation settings still need further study. This review summarized the various OSAS non-surgical treatments from indications, treatment outcomes, compliance, adverse reactions, and recent progress.

[Pervasive developmental disorders screening program in the health areas of Salamanca and Zamora in Spain].

PubMed

García Primo, P; Santos Borbujo, J; Martín Cilleros, M V; Martínez Velarte, M; Lleras Muñoz, S; Posada de la Paz, M; Canal Bedia, R

2014-05-01

To evaluate the results of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) screening program currently ongoing in the public health services in the health area of Salamanca and Zamora, Spain, in terms of feasibility, reliability and costs, with the purpose of extending the program at regional and national levels. A total of 54 paediatric teams (nurses and paediatricians) from the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora participated in the training sessions for the PDD Screening Programme in September 2005, and agreed to administer the questionnaire M-CHAT(1) to all parents attending their clinics in any of these two visits: 18 months and/or 24 months within the Well-baby Check-up Program. A total of 9,524 children have participated up to December 2012. Additionally, we evaluated the participation and opinions of the paediatric teams using questionnaires, and costs per positive case have estimated. Out of a total of 852 (8.9%) children determined as PDD high-risk with the M-CHAT questionnaire results, 61 (7.1%) were confirmed as positive with the M-CHAT follow-up interview. Of these, 22 were diagnosed with a PDD and 31 other disorders of childhood onset according to DSM-IV-TR(2). Almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents felt the program was totally feasible, and 22% viable, but with reservations (n=54). This study has been able to show for the first time in Spain, the feasibility of a population-based PDD screening program within the public health system. Training in social and communicative development, and dissemination of the early signs of PDD among paediatricians, as well as the use of the M-CHAT, is essential for progress in the early detection of these disorders. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Geochronological Constraints on the Exhumation and Emplacement of Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle Peridotites in the Westernmost Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrido, Carlos J.; Hidas, Károly; Marchesi, Claudio; Varas-Reus, María Isabel; Booth-Rea, Guillermo

2017-04-01

Exhumation of subcontinental mantle peridotite in the Western Mediterranean has been attributed to different tectonic processes including pure extension, transpression, or alternating contractive and extensional processes related with continental subduction followed by extension, before final their contractive intracrustal emplacement. Any model trying to explain the exhumation and emplacement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle peridotites in the westernmost Mediterranean should take into account the available geochronological constraints, as well as the petrological and geochemical processes that lead to internal tectono-magmatic zoning so characteristic of the Betic and Rif orogenic peridotites. Different studies have suggested a Hercynian, Cenozoic-Mesozoic or an Alpine age for the late tectono-magmatic evolution and intra-crustal emplacement of Betic-Rif peridotites. The pervasive presence of Mesozoic U-Pb zircon ages in Ronda UHP and HP garnet pyroxenites does not support a Hercynian age for the intracrustal emplacement of the peridotite. A hyper-extended margin setting for is in good agreement with the Jurassic extensional event that pervasively affected ALKAPECA terrains (i.e. the Alboran, Kabylides, Peloritani, and Calabria domains) in the western Mediterranean due to the opening of the Piemonte-Ligurian Ocean. However, a Jurassic age and a passive margin tectonic setting do not account, among other observations, for the late Miocene thermochronological ages recorded in zircons rims (U-Pb) and garnets (Lu-Hf) in garnet pyroxenites from the Betic-Rif peridotites, the pervasive Miocene resetting of U-Pb zircon and monazite ages in the overlying Jubrique crustal section, the supra-subduction radiogenic signature of late pyroxenite intrusive dikes in the Ronda peridotite, and the arc tholeiitic affinity of late mantle-derived, gabbroic dykes intruding in the Ronda and Ojen plagioclase lherzolites. These data are more consistent with a supra-subduction backarc setting for the Paleocene Alpine evolution of the Alboran peridotite massifs due to slab rollback in the westernmost Mediterranean. Several geodynamic models have proposed initial south directed migration of the orogenic arc in a more easterly position (south of the Balearic Islands) during the Paleogene before the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean and collision with the Algerian margin. This early emplacement for the Ronda Peridotite (approx. 25-23 Ma) in such an easterly position would provide a common origin for the peridotite bodies found in the Kabylies in Algeria, and in the Betics-Rif. We propose that after thinning and extension in a back-arc setting recorded in the Ronda spinel tectonite domain and the recrystallization front, the final Miocene exhumation of Ronda Peridotite is associated with early folding and later but probably synkinematic shearing of the SCLM in a contractive geodynamic setting. This process is recorded in the low-pressure plagioclase tectonite domain of the Ronda peridotite and the supra-subduction bonititic affinity of late intrusive pyroxenites.

Towards the Formal Verification of a Distributed Real-Time Automotive System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Endres, Erik; Mueller, Christian; Shadrin, Andrey; Tverdyshev, Sergey

2010-01-01

We present the status of a project which aims at building, formally and pervasively verifying a distributed automotive system. The target system is a gate-level model which consists of several interconnected electronic control units with independent clocks. This model is verified against the specification as seen by a system programmer. The automotive system is implemented on several FPGA boards. The pervasive verification is carried out using combination of interactive theorem proving (Isabelle/HOL) and model checking (LTL).

Comparison of developmental/intellectual changes between autistic disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified in preschool years.

PubMed

Takeda, Toshinobu; Koyama, Tomonori; Kurita, Hiroshi

2007-12-01

This study is the first to compare the change in developmental quotient (DQ) or IQ between autistic disorder (AD) and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS) in preschool years. Forty-nine AD children and 77 PDDNOS children were evaluated at age 2 and at age > or =5. The AD children were significantly lower in DQ/IQ at initial evaluation and outcome evaluation (also with initial DQ being controlled for) than the PDDNOS children.

Engaging research participants to inform the ethical conduct of mobile imaging, pervasive sensing, and location tracking research.

PubMed

Nebeker, Camille; Lagare, Tiffany; Takemoto, Michelle; Lewars, Brittany; Crist, Katie; Bloss, Cinnamon S; Kerr, Jacqueline

2016-12-01

Researchers utilize mobile imaging, pervasive sensing, social media, and location tracking (MISST) technologies to observe and intervene with participants in their natural environment. The use of MISST methods and tools introduces unique ethical issues due to the type and quantity of data, and produces raising new challenges around informed consent, risk assessment, and data management. Since MISST methods are relatively new in behavioral research, there is little documented evidence to guide institutional review board (IRB) risk assessment and inform appropriate risk management strategies. This study was conducted to contribute the participant perspectives when considering ethical and responsible practices. Participants (n = 82) enrolled in an observational study where they wore several MISST devices for 1 week completed an exit survey. Survey items focused on the following: 1-device comfort, 2-informed consent, 3-privacy protections, and 4-bystander engagement. The informed consent process reflected participant actual experience. Device comfort and privacy were raised as concerns to both the participants and bystanders. While the majority of the participants reported a positive experience, it is important to note that the participants were volunteers who were not mandated to wear tracking devices and that persons who are mandated may not have a similar response. Findings support strategies proposed in the Kelly et al. (2013) ethical framework, which emphasizes procedures to improve informed consent, protect privacy, manage data, and respect bystander rights when using a wearable camera.

Investigating the structure of the restricted, repetitive behaviours and interests domain of autism.

PubMed

Szatmari, Peter; Georgiades, Stelios; Bryson, Susan; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Roberts, Wendy; Mahoney, William; Goldberg, Jeremy; Tuff, Lawrence

2006-06-01

The Restricted, Repetitive Behaviours and Interests (RRBIs) are represented in the DSM-IV and measured by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) as one of the three homogeneous symptom categories of Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Although this conceptualisation is well accepted in the field, the grouping of symptoms is based primarily on clinical judgment rather than on empirical evidence. The objective of this study was to examine the factor structure of the RRBI domain of autism. Eleven items from this domain of the ADI-R were used in a Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Our sample consisted of 339 individuals with a Best Estimate diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Findings indicate that the RRBI domain is composed of two distinct factors or dimensions: Insistence on Sameness (IS) and Repetitive Sensory and Motor Behaviours (RSMB). RSMB is negatively correlated with adaptive skills; that is, lower functioning individuals tend to have higher levels of repetitive sensory and motor behaviours. On the other hand, IS is positively correlated with autistic symptoms in the communication and language domain. Further analyses suggest moderate familial aggregation among affected sibling pairs within the IS but not the RSMB factor. These results provide evidence for the heterogeneity of the RRBI domain of the ADI-R in terms of both clinical presentation and other correlates. In addition, the IS factor seems to be under familial (presumably genetic) control, while RSMB appears to simply reflect variation in developmental level.

Genetic architecture and balancing selection: the life and death of differentiated variants.

PubMed

Llaurens, Violaine; Whibley, Annabel; Joron, Mathieu

2017-05-01

Balancing selection describes any form of natural selection, which results in the persistence of multiple variants of a trait at intermediate frequencies within populations. By offering up a snapshot of multiple co-occurring functional variants and their interactions, systems under balancing selection can reveal the evolutionary mechanisms favouring the emergence and persistence of adaptive variation in natural populations. We here focus on the mechanisms by which several functional variants for a given trait can arise, a process typically requiring multiple epistatic mutations. We highlight how balancing selection can favour specific features in the genetic architecture and review the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms shaping this architecture. First, balancing selection affects the number of loci underlying differentiated traits and their respective effects. Control by one or few loci favours the persistence of differentiated functional variants by limiting intergenic recombination, or its impact, and may sometimes lead to the evolution of supergenes. Chromosomal rearrangements, particularly inversions, preventing adaptive combinations from being dissociated are increasingly being noted as features of such systems. Similarly, due to the frequency of heterozygotes maintained by balancing selection, dominance may be a key property of adaptive variants. High heterozygosity and limited recombination also influence associated genetic load, as linked recessive deleterious mutations may be sheltered. The capture of deleterious elements in a locus under balancing selection may reinforce polymorphism by further promoting heterozygotes. Finally, according to recent genomewide scans, balanced polymorphism might be more pervasive than generally thought. We stress the need for both functional and ecological studies to characterize the evolutionary mechanisms operating in these systems. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of early focal brain injury on memory for visuospatial patterns: selective deficits of global-local processing.

PubMed

Stiles, Joan; Stern, Catherine; Appelbaum, Mark; Nass, Ruth; Trauner, Doris; Hesselink, John

2008-01-01

Selective deficits in visuospatial processing are present early in development among children with perinatal focal brain lesions (PL). Children with right hemisphere PL (RPL) are impaired in configural processing, while children with left hemisphere PL (LPL) are impaired in featural processing. Deficits associated with LPL are less pervasive than those observed with RPL, but this difference may reflect the structure of the tasks used for assessment. Many of the tasks used to date may place greater demands on configural processing, thus highlighting this deficit in the RPL group. This study employed a task designed to place comparable demands on configural and featural processing, providing the opportunity to obtain within-task evidence of differential deficit. Sixty-two 5- to 14-year-old children (19 RPL, 19 LPL, and 24 matched controls) reproduced from memory a series of hierarchical forms (large forms composed of small forms). Global- and local-level reproduction accuracy was scored. Controls were equally accurate on global- and local-level reproduction. Children with RPL were selectively impaired on global accuracy, and children with LPL on local accuracy, thus documenting a double dissociation in global-local processing.

The Immunogenicity and Safety of CYD-Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine (CYD-TDV) in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Agarwal, Raksheeth; Wahid, Mardiastuti H; Yausep, Oliver E; Angel, Sharon H; Lokeswara, Angga W

2017-01-01

to assess the immunogenicity and safety of CYD-tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) in children. comprehensive literature searches were conducted on various databases. Randomized-controlled trials on children with CYD-TDV as intervention were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extracted from selected trials included safety of vaccine and immunogenicity in terms of Geometric Mean Titres (GMT) of antibodies.   six clinical trials were selected based on preset criteria. GMT values were obtained using 50% Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT) and safety was semi-quantitatively assessed based on adverse effects. Additional data processing was done to obtain a better understanding on the trends among the studies. The results showed that the groups vaccinated with CYD-TDV showed higher immunogenicity against dengue virus antigens than the control groups. Safety results were satisfactory in all trials, and most severe side effects were unrelated to the vaccine. CYD-TDV is both effective and safe for patients in endemic regions. This gives promise for further development and large-scale research on this vaccine to assess its efficacy in decreasing dengue prevalence, and its pervasive implementation in endemic countries, such as Indonesia.

Restricted interests and teacher presentation of items.

PubMed

Stocco, Corey S; Thompson, Rachel H; Rodriguez, Nicole M

2011-01-01

Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is more pervasive, prevalent, frequent, and severe in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) than in their typical peers. One subtype of RRB is restricted interests in items or activities, which is evident in the manner in which individuals engage with items (e.g., repetitious wheel spinning), the types of items or activities they select (e.g., preoccupation with a phone book), or the range of items or activities they select (i.e., narrow range of items). We sought to describe the relation between restricted interests and teacher presentation of items. Overall, we observed 5 teachers interacting with 2 pairs of students diagnosed with an ASD. Each pair included 1 student with restricted interests. During these observations, teachers were free to present any items from an array of 4 stimuli selected by experimenters. We recorded student responses to teacher presentation of items and analyzed the data to determine the relation between teacher presentation of items and the consequences for presentation provided by the students. Teacher presentation of items corresponded with differential responses provided by students with ASD, and those with restricted preferences experienced a narrower array of items.

Emerging Needs for Pervasive Passive Wireless Sensor Networks on Aerospace Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, William C.; Juarez, Peter D.

2014-01-01

NASA is investigating passive wireless sensor technology to reduce instrumentation mass and volume in ground testing, air flight, and space exploration applications. Vehicle health monitoring systems (VHMS) are desired on all aerospace programs to ensure the safety of the crew and the vehicles. Pervasive passive wireless sensor networks facilitate VHMS on aerospace vehicles. Future wireless sensor networks on board aerospace vehicles will be heterogeneous and will require active and passive network systems. Since much has been published on active wireless sensor networks, this work will focus on the need for passive wireless sensor networks on aerospace vehicles. Several passive wireless technologies such as microelectromechanical systems MEMS, SAW, backscatter, and chipless RFID techniques, have all shown potential to meet the pervasive sensing needs for aerospace VHMS applications. A SAW VHMS application will be presented. In addition, application areas including ground testing, hypersonic aircraft and spacecraft will be explored along with some of the harsh environments found in aerospace applications.

Lightweight UDP Pervasive Protocol in Smart Home Environment Based on Labview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniawan, Wijaya; Hannats Hanafi Ichsan, Mochammad; Rizqika Akbar, Sabriansyah; Arwani, Issa

2017-04-01

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) technology in a reliable environment was not a problem, but not in an environment where the entire Smart Home network connected locally. Currently employing pervasive protocols using TCP technology, when data transmission is sent, it would be slower because they have to perform handshaking process in advance and could not broadcast the data. On smart home environment, it does not need large size and complex data transmission between monitoring site and monitoring center required in Smart home strain monitoring system. UDP (User Datagram Protocol) technology is quick and simple on data transmission process. UDP can broadcast messages because the UDP did not require handshaking and with more efficient memory usage. LabVIEW is a programming language software for processing and visualization of data in the field of data acquisition. This paper proposes to examine Pervasive UDP protocol implementations in smart home environment based on LabVIEW. UDP coded in LabVIEW and experiments were performed on a PC and can work properly.

Modeling Patterns of Activities using Activity Curves

PubMed Central

Dawadi, Prafulla N.; Cook, Diane J.; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen

2016-01-01

Pervasive computing offers an unprecedented opportunity to unobtrusively monitor behavior and use the large amount of collected data to perform analysis of activity-based behavioral patterns. In this paper, we introduce the notion of an activity curve, which represents an abstraction of an individual’s normal daily routine based on automatically-recognized activities. We propose methods to detect changes in behavioral routines by comparing activity curves and use these changes to analyze the possibility of changes in cognitive or physical health. We demonstrate our model and evaluate our change detection approach using a longitudinal smart home sensor dataset collected from 18 smart homes with older adult residents. Finally, we demonstrate how big data-based pervasive analytics such as activity curve-based change detection can be used to perform functional health assessment. Our evaluation indicates that correlations do exist between behavior and health changes and that these changes can be automatically detected using smart homes, machine learning, and big data-based pervasive analytics. PMID:27346990

Modeling Patterns of Activities using Activity Curves.

PubMed

Dawadi, Prafulla N; Cook, Diane J; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen

2016-06-01

Pervasive computing offers an unprecedented opportunity to unobtrusively monitor behavior and use the large amount of collected data to perform analysis of activity-based behavioral patterns. In this paper, we introduce the notion of an activity curve , which represents an abstraction of an individual's normal daily routine based on automatically-recognized activities. We propose methods to detect changes in behavioral routines by comparing activity curves and use these changes to analyze the possibility of changes in cognitive or physical health. We demonstrate our model and evaluate our change detection approach using a longitudinal smart home sensor dataset collected from 18 smart homes with older adult residents. Finally, we demonstrate how big data-based pervasive analytics such as activity curve-based change detection can be used to perform functional health assessment. Our evaluation indicates that correlations do exist between behavior and health changes and that these changes can be automatically detected using smart homes, machine learning, and big data-based pervasive analytics.

Person- and place-selective neural substrates for entity-specific semantic access.

PubMed

Fairhall, Scott L; Anzellotti, Stefano; Ubaldi, Silvia; Caramazza, Alfonso

2014-07-01

Object-category has a pronounced effect on the representation of objects in higher level visual cortex. However, the influence of category on semantic/conceptual processes is less well characterized. In the present study, we conduct 2 fMRI experiments to investigate the semantic processing of information specific to individual people and places (entities). First, during picture presentation, we determined which brain regions show category-selective increases during access to entity-specific semantic information (i.e., nationality) in comparison to general-category discrimination (person vs. place). In the second experiment, we presented either words or pictures to assess the independence of entity-specific category-selective semantic representations from the processes used to access those representations. Convergent results from these 2 experiments show that brain regions exhibiting a category-selective increase during entity-specific semantic access are the same as those that show a supramodal (word/picture) category-selective response during the same task. These responses were different from classical "perceptual" category-selective responses and were evident in the medial precuneus for people and in the retrosplenial complex as well as anterior/superior sections of the transverse occipital sulcus and parahippocampal gyrus for places. These results reveal the pervasive influence of object-category in cortical organization, which extends to aspects of semantic knowledge arbitrarily related to physical/perceptual properties. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Temporal kinetics of prefrontal modulation of the extrastriate cortex during visual attention.

PubMed

Yago, Elena; Duarte, Audrey; Wong, Ting; Barceló, Francisco; Knight, Robert T

2004-12-01

Single-unit, event-related potential (ERP), and neuroimaging studies have implicated the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in top-down control of attention and working memory. We conducted an experiment in patients with unilateral PFC damage (n = 8) to assess the temporal kinetics of PFC-extrastriate interactions during visual attention. Subjects alternated attention between the left and the right hemifields in successive runs while they detected target stimuli embedded in streams of repetitive task-irrelevant stimuli (standards). The design enabled us to examine tonic (spatial selection) and phasic (feature selection) PFC-extrastriate interactions. PFC damage impaired performance in the visual field contralateral to lesions, as manifested by both larger reaction times and error rates. Assessment of the extrastriate P1 ERP revealed that the PFC exerts a tonic (spatial selection) excitatory input to the ipsilateral extrastriate cortex as early as 100 msec post stimulus delivery. The PFC exerts a second phasic (feature selection) excitatory extrastriate modulation from 180 to 300 msec, as evidenced by reductions in selection negativity after damage. Finally, reductions of the N2 ERP to target stimuli supports the notion that the PFC exerts a third phasic (target selection) signal necessary for successful template matching during postselection analysis of target features. The results provide electrophysiological evidence of three distinct tonic and phasic PFC inputs to the extrastriate cortex in the initial few hundred milliseconds of stimulus processing. Damage to this network appears to underlie the pervasive deficits in attention observed in patients with prefrontal lesions.

Development and Utilization of Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). Delicacy, Imprecision, and Uncertainty of Oceanic Simulations: An Investigation with the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). Submesoscale Flows and Mixing in the Ocean Surface Layer Using the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). Eddy Effects in General Circulation, Spanning Mean Currents, Mesoscale Eddies, and Topographic Generation, including Submesoscale Nests

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

unbalanced motions is likely to occur. Due to an rapidly expanding set of investigation on oceanic flows at submesoscales, it is increasingly clear...Uchiyama, E. M. Lane, J. M. Restrepo, & J. C. McWilliams, 2011: A vortex force analysis of the interaction of rip currents and gravity waves. J. Geophys...particular topographic features, the torque is pervasively positive (cyclonic) along the Stream, in opposition to the anticyclonic wind curl in the

Biodiversity loss and infectious diseases: chapter 5

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lafferty, Kevin D.

2014-01-01

When conservation biologists think about infectious diseases, their thoughts are mostly negative. Infectious diseases have been associated with the extinction and endangerment of some species, though this is rare, and other factors like habitat loss and poorly regulated harvest still are the overwhelming drivers of endangerment. Parasites are pervasive and play important roles as natural enemies on par with top predators, from regulating population abundances to maintaining species diversity. Sometimes, parasites themselves can be endangered. However, it seems unlikely that humans will miss extinct parasites. Parasites are often sensitive to habitat loss and degradation, making them positive indicators of ecosystem “health”. Conservation biologists need to carefully consider infectious diseases when planning conservation actions. This can include minimizing the movement of domestic and invasive species, vaccination, and culling.

Climate Change, Health, and Communication: A Primer.

PubMed

Chadwick, Amy E

2016-01-01

Climate change is one of the most serious and pervasive challenges facing us today. Our changing climate has implications not only for the ecosystems upon which we depend, but also for human health. Health communication scholars are well-positioned to aid in the mitigation of and response to climate change and its health effects. To help theorists, researchers, and practitioners engage in these efforts, this primer explains relevant issues and vocabulary associated with climate change and its impacts on health. First, this primer provides an overview of climate change, its causes and consequences, and its impacts on health. Then, the primer describes ways to decrease impacts and identifies roles for health communication scholars in efforts to address climate change and its health effects.

New Sociotechnical Insights in Interaction Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelnour-Nocera, José; Mørch, Anders I.

New challenges are facing interaction design. On one hand because of advances in technology - pervasive, ubiquitous, multimodal and adaptive computing - are changing the nature of interaction. On the other, web 2.0, massive multiplayer games and collaboration software extends the boundaries of HCI to deal with interaction in settings of remote communication and collaboration. The aim of this workshop is to provide a forum for HCI practitioners and researchers interested in knowledge from the social sciences to discuss how sociotechnical insights can be used to inform interaction design, and more generally how social science methods and theories can help to enrich the conceptual framework of systems development and participatory design. Position papers submissions are invited to address key aspects of current research and practical case studies.

Putting Laughter in Context: Shared Laughter as Behavioral Indicator of Relationship Well-Being

PubMed Central

Kurtz, Laura E.; Algoe, Sara B.

2015-01-01

Laughter is a pervasive human behavior that most frequently happens in a social context. However, data linking the behavior of laughter with psychological or social outcomes is exceptionally rare. Here, we draw attention to shared laughter as a useful objective marker of relationship well-being. Spontaneously-generated laughs of 71 heterosexual romantic couples were coded from a videorecorded conversation about how the couple first met. Multilevel models revealed that, while controlling for all other laughter present, the proportion of the conversation spent laughing simultaneously with the romantic partner was uniquely positively associated with global evaluations of relationship quality, closeness, and social support. Results are discussed with respect to methodological considerations and theoretical implications for relationships and behavioral research more broadly. PMID:26957946

It's not just a "woman thing:" the current state of normative discontent.

PubMed

Tantleff-Dunn, Stacey; Barnes, Rachel D; Larose, Jessica Gokee

2011-01-01

This study assessed "normative discontent," the concept that most women experience weight dissatisfaction, as an emerging societal stereotype for women and men (Rodin, Silberstein, & Streigel-Moore, 1984). Participants (N = 472) completed measures of stereotypes, eating disorders, and body image. Normative discontent stereotypes were pervasive for women and men. Endorsing stereotypes varied by sex and participants' own disturbance, with trends towards eating disorder symptomotology being positively correlated with stereotype endorsement. Individuals with higher levels of body image and eating disturbance may normalize their behavior by perceiving that most people share their experiences. Future research needs to test prevention and intervention strategies that incorporate the discrepancies between body image/eating-related stereotypes and reality with focus on preventing normalization of such experiences.

Test of Von Baer's law of the conservation of early development.

PubMed

Poe, Steven

2006-11-01

One of the oldest and most pervasive ideas in comparative embryology is the perceived evolutionary conservation of early ontogeny relative to late ontogeny. Karl Von Baer first noted the similarity of early ontogeny across taxa, and Ernst Haeckel and Charles Darwin gave evolutionary interpretation to this phenomenon. In spite of a resurgence of interest in comparative embryology and the development of mechanistic explanations for Von Baer's law, the pattern itself has been largely untested. Here, I use statistical phylogenetic approaches to show that Von Baer's law is an unnecessarily complex explanation of the patterns of ontogenetic timing in several clades of vertebrates. Von Baer's law suggests a positive correlation between ontogenetic time and amount of evolutionary change. I compare ranked position in ontogeny to frequency of evolutionary change in rank for developmental events and find that these measures are not correlated, thus failing to support Von Baer's model. An alternative model that postulates that small changes in ontogenetic rank are evolutionarily easier than large changes is tentatively supported.

Association of persistent organic pollutants and non-persistent pesticides with diabetes and diabetes-related health outcomes in Asia: A systematic review.

PubMed

Jaacks, Lindsay M; Staimez, Lisa R

2015-03-01

Over half of the people with diabetes in the world live in Asia. Emerging scientific evidence suggests that diabetes is associated with environmental pollutants, exposures that are also abundant in Asia. To systematically review the literature concerning the association of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and non-persistent pesticides with diabetes and diabetes-related health outcomes in Asia. PubMed and Embase were searched to identify studies published up to November 2014. A secondary reference review of all extracted articles and the National Toxicology Program Workshop on the association of POPs with diabetes was also conducted. A total of 19 articles met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated in this review. To date, the evidence relating POPs and non-persistent pesticides with diabetes in Asian populations is equivocal. Positive associations were reported between serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several organochlorine pesticides (DDT, DDE, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexane) with diabetes. PCDD/Fs were also associated with blood glucose and insulin resistance, but not beta-cell function. There were substantial limitations of the literature including: most studies were cross-sectional, few studies addressed selection bias and confounding, and most effect estimates had exceptionally wide confidence intervals. Few studies evaluated the effects of organophosphates. Well-conducted research is urgently needed on these pervasive exposures to inform policies to mitigate the diabetes epidemic in Asia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health plan competition in local markets.

PubMed Central

Grossman, J M

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine the structure of local health insurance markets and the strategies health plans were using to respond to competitive pressures in local markets in 1996/1997. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Community Tracking Study site visits conducted between May 1996 and April 1997 in 12 U.S. markets selected to be nationally representative. STUDY DESIGN: In each site, 36 to 60 interviews on local health system change were conducted with healthcare industry informants representing health plans, providers, and purchasers. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHOD: Relevant data for this article were abstracted from standardized protocols administered to multiple respondents in each site. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Although the competitive threat from national plans was pervasive, local plans in most sites continued to retain strong, often dominant, positions in historically concentrated markets. In all sites, in response to purchaser pressures for stable premiums and provider choice, and the threat of entry and to plans were using three strategies to increase market share and market power: (1) consolidation/geographic expansion, (2) price competition, and (3) product line/segment diversification that focused on broad networks and open-access products. In most markets, in response to the demand for provider choice, the trend was away from ownership and exclusive arrangements with providers. CONCLUSIONS: Although local plans were moving to become full-service regional players, there was uncertainty about the abilities of all plans to sustain growth strategies at the expense of margins and organizational stability, and to effectively manage care with broad networks. PMID:10778822

Recurrent Innovation at Genes Required for Telomere Integrity in Drosophila.

PubMed

Lee, Yuh Chwen G; Leek, Courtney; Levine, Mia T

2017-02-01

Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes at the ends of linear chromosomes. These specialized structures ensure genome integrity and faithful chromosome inheritance. Recurrent addition of repetitive, telomere-specific DNA elements to chromosome ends combats end-attrition, while specialized telomere-associated proteins protect naked, double-stranded chromosome ends from promiscuous repair into end-to-end fusions. Although telomere length homeostasis and end-protection are ubiquitous across eukaryotes, there is sporadic but building evidence that the molecular machinery supporting these essential processes evolves rapidly. Nevertheless, no global analysis of the evolutionary forces that shape these fast-evolving proteins has been performed on any eukaryote. The abundant population and comparative genomic resources of Drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives offer us a unique opportunity to fill this gap. Here we leverage population genetics, molecular evolution, and phylogenomics to define the scope and evolutionary mechanisms driving fast evolution of genes required for telomere integrity. We uncover evidence of pervasive positive selection across multiple evolutionary timescales. We also document prolific expansion, turnover, and expression evolution in gene families founded by telomeric proteins. Motivated by the mutant phenotypes and molecular roles of these fast-evolving genes, we put forward four alternative, but not mutually exclusive, models of intra-genomic conflict that may play out at very termini of eukaryotic chromosomes. Our findings set the stage for investigating both the genetic causes and functional consequences of telomere protein evolution in Drosophila and beyond. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Correcting pervasive errors in RNA crystallography through enumerative structure prediction.

PubMed

Chou, Fang-Chieh; Sripakdeevong, Parin; Dibrov, Sergey M; Hermann, Thomas; Das, Rhiju

2013-01-01

Three-dimensional RNA models fitted into crystallographic density maps exhibit pervasive conformational ambiguities, geometric errors and steric clashes. To address these problems, we present enumerative real-space refinement assisted by electron density under Rosetta (ERRASER), coupled to Python-based hierarchical environment for integrated 'xtallography' (PHENIX) diffraction-based refinement. On 24 data sets, ERRASER automatically corrects the majority of MolProbity-assessed errors, improves the average R(free) factor, resolves functionally important discrepancies in noncanonical structure and refines low-resolution models to better match higher-resolution models.

Architectures and economics for pervasive broadband satellite networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staelin, D. H.; Harvey, R. L.

1979-01-01

The size of a satellite network necessary to provide pervasive high-data-rate business communications is estimated, and one possible configuration is described which could interconnect most organizations in the United States. Within an order of magnitude, such a network might reasonably have a capacity equivalent to 10,000 simultaneous 3-Mbps channels, and rely primarily upon a cluster of approximately 3-5 satellites in a single orbital slot. Nominal prices for 3-6 Mbps video conference services might then be approximately $2000 monthly lease charge plus perhaps 70 cents per minute one way.

Women caught in a culture of violence in Guatemala.

PubMed

Halvorsen, Randee

2014-01-01

Violence against women is prevalent around the world. In Guatemala it is pervasive. Living in a culture of violence oppresses women, children, the economy and society as a whole. It destroys families and can effect women emotionally and spiritually, as well as physically. Nurses have the power to intervene and influence change on a global level by taking action against abuse and oppression of women. By examining the pervasive nature of intimate partner violence and femicide in Guatemala, nurses can identify actions and interventions to combat violence on a global basis. © 2014 AWHONN.

Fishing out marine parasites? Impacts of fishing on rates of parasitism in the ocean.

PubMed

Wood, Chelsea L; Lafferty, Kevin D; Micheli, Fiorenza

2010-06-01

Among anthropogenic effects on the ocean, fishing is one of the most pervasive and extends deepest into the past. Because fishing reduces the density of fish (reducing transmission efficiency of directly transmitted parasites), selectively removes large fish (which tend to carry more parasites than small fish), and reduces food web complexity (reducing transmission efficiency of trophically transmitted parasites), the removal of fish from the world's oceans over the course of hundreds of years may be driving a longterm, global decline in fish parasites. There has been growing recognition in recent years that parasites are a critical part of biodiversity and that their loss could substantially alter ecosystem function. Such a loss may be among the last major ecological effects of industrial fishing to be recognized by scientists.

Fishing out marine parasites? Impacts of fishing on rates of parasitism in the ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, Chelsea L.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Micheli, Fiorenza

2010-01-01

Among anthropogenic effects on the ocean, fishing is one of the most pervasive and extends deepest into the past. Because fishing reduces the density of fish (reducing transmission efficiency of directly transmitted parasites), selectively removes large fish (which tend to carry more parasites than small fish), and reduces food web complexity (reducing transmission efficiency of trophically transmitted parasites), the removal of fish from the world’s oceans over the course of hundreds of years may be driving a long-term, global decline in fish parasites. There has been growing recognition in recent years that parasites are a critical part of biodiversity and that their loss could substantially alter ecosystem function. Such a loss may be among the last major ecological effects of industrial fishing to be recognized by scientists.

Unsupervised learning in persistent sensing for target recognition by wireless ad hoc networks of ground-based sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hortos, William S.

2008-04-01

In previous work by the author, effective persistent and pervasive sensing for recognition and tracking of battlefield targets were seen to be achieved, using intelligent algorithms implemented by distributed mobile agents over a composite system of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for persistence and a wireless network of unattended ground sensors for pervasive coverage of the mission environment. While simulated performance results for the supervised algorithms of the composite system are shown to provide satisfactory target recognition over relatively brief periods of system operation, this performance can degrade by as much as 50% as target dynamics in the environment evolve beyond the period of system operation in which the training data are representative. To overcome this limitation, this paper applies the distributed approach using mobile agents to the network of ground-based wireless sensors alone, without the UAV subsystem, to provide persistent as well as pervasive sensing for target recognition and tracking. The supervised algorithms used in the earlier work are supplanted by unsupervised routines, including competitive-learning neural networks (CLNNs) and new versions of support vector machines (SVMs) for characterization of an unknown target environment. To capture the same physical phenomena from battlefield targets as the composite system, the suite of ground-based sensors can be expanded to include imaging and video capabilities. The spatial density of deployed sensor nodes is increased to allow more precise ground-based location and tracking of detected targets by active nodes. The "swarm" mobile agents enabling WSN intelligence are organized in a three processing stages: detection, recognition and sustained tracking of ground targets. Features formed from the compressed sensor data are down-selected according to an information-theoretic algorithm that reduces redundancy within the feature set, reducing the dimension of samples used in the target recognition and tracking routines. Target tracking is based on simplified versions of Kalman filtration. Accuracy of recognition and tracking of implemented versions of the proposed suite of unsupervised algorithms is somewhat degraded from the ideal. Target recognition and tracking by supervised routines and by unsupervised SVM and CLNN routines in the ground-based WSN is evaluated in simulations using published system values and sensor data from vehicular targets in ground-surveillance scenarios. Results are compared with previously published performance for the system of the ground-based sensor network (GSN) and UAV swarm.

The MADE Reference Information Model for Interoperable Pervasive Telemedicine Systems.

PubMed

Fung, Nick L S; Jones, Valerie M; Hermens, Hermie J

2017-03-23

The main objective is to develop and validate a reference information model (RIM) to support semantic interoperability of pervasive telemedicine systems. The RIM is one component within a larger, computer-interpretable "MADE language" developed by the authors in the context of the MobiGuide project. To validate our RIM, we applied it to a clinical guideline for patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The RIM is derived from a generic data flow model of disease management which comprises a network of four types of concurrent processes: Monitoring (M), Analysis (A), Decision (D) and Effectuation (E). This resulting MADE RIM, which was specified using the formal Vienna Development Method (VDM), includes six main, high-level data types representing measurements, observations, abstractions, action plans, action instructions and control instructions. The authors applied the MADE RIM to the complete GDM guideline and derived from it a domain information model (DIM) comprising 61 archetypes, specifically 1 measurement, 8 observation, 10 abstraction, 18 action plan, 3 action instruction and 21 control instruction archetypes. It was observed that there are six generic patterns for transforming different guideline elements into MADE archetypes, although a direct mapping does not exist in some cases. Most notable examples are notifications to the patient and/or clinician as well as decision conditions which pertain to specific stages in the therapy. The results provide evidence that the MADE RIM is suitable for modelling clinical data in the design of pervasive telemedicine systems. Together with the other components of the MADE language, the MADE RIM supports development of pervasive telemedicine systems that are interoperable and independent of particular clinical applications.

Pervasive, hard-wired and male: Qualitative study of how UK adolescents view alcohol-related aggression.

PubMed

Whitaker, Lydia; Brown, Stephen L; Young, Bridget; Fereday, Richard; Coyne, Sarah M; Qualter, Pamela

2018-01-01

Laboratory studies of alcohol-inexperienced adolescents show that aggression can be primed by alcohol-related stimuli, suggesting that alcohol-related aggression is partly socially learned. Script theory proposes that alcohol-related aggression 'scripts' for social behaviors are culturally-available and learned by individuals. The purpose of the study was to understand the content and origins of alcohol-related aggression scripts learned by adolescents. This qualitative focus group study of 40 adolescents (ages 14-16 years) examined alcohol-related aggression scripts. Participants believed aggression and severe injury to be pervasive when young people drink. Viewed through a biological lens, participants described aggression as an 'instinctive' and 'hard-wired' male trait facilitated by intoxication. As such, alcohol-related aggression was not seen as intended or personally controllable and participants did not see it in moral terms. Females were largely viewed as either bystanders of inter-male aggression or potential victims of male sexual aggression. Participants attributed their views on the frequency and nature of alcohol-related aggression to current affairs and reality television, which they felt portrayed a reality of which they had little experience. The origins of the explicitly biological frameworks that participants used seemed to lie in pre-existing beliefs about the nature of gender differences. Perceptions of the pervasiveness of male alcohol-related aggression, and the consequent failure to view alcohol-related aggression in moral terms, could dispose some young people to alcohol-related aggression. Interventions could target (1) the beliefs that alcohol-related aggression is pervasive and uncontrollable in males, and (2) participants' dysfunctional views of masculinity that underpin those beliefs.

Ecological correlates of fish movement in a network of Virginia streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Albanese, B.; Angermeier, P.L.; Dorai-Raj, S.

2004-01-01

Identifying factors that influence fish movement is a key step in predicting how populations respond to environmental change. Using mark-recapture (four species) and trap capture (eight species) data, we examined relationships between three attributes of movement and 15 ecological variables. The probability of emigrating from a reach was positively related to intermittency (one species) and body size (one species) and negatively related to distance from the mainstem creek (two species) and habitat complexity (one species). The number of fish moving upstream through traps was positively related to increases in flow (five species), day length (three species), and water temperature (two species); the number moving through downstream traps was positively associated with increases in flow (three species). Distance moved was greater for fish moving through unsuitable reaches (one species). Floods have a pervasive effect on fish movement, and human activities that affect flows will have widespread implications. The importance of other factors varies interspecifically, which may translate into variation in persistence and colonization rates. For example, species that exhibit reach fidelity in complex habitats may increase movement if habitats are homogenized. These species may suffer population declines because of the cost of increased movement and may ultimately be replaced by ecological generalists.

Social Class, Economic Inequality, and the Convergence of Policy Preferences: Evidence from 24 Modern Democracies.

PubMed

Andersen, Robert; Curtis, Josh

2015-08-01

Using data from the World Values Survey and national-level indicators for 24 modern democracies, we assess the influence of social class and economic inequality on preferences for government responsibility. We improve on previous research by using multilevel models that account for differences in attitudes both within (i.e., over time) and across countries. Our findings are consistent with the economic self-interest hypothesis. Specifically, working class individuals, who tend to gain the most from government intervention because of their low and often more precarious economic position, are more likely than others to support government intervention. We also find a positive relationship between national-level income inequality and support for government intervention. As income inequality rises, its social ills tend to be more pervasive, resulting in public opinion becoming more supportive of governments taking responsibility for their citizens. We further demonstrate that inequality moderates the relationship between social class and attitudes. Although the effect of income inequality is positive for all social classes, attitudes across social classes become more similar as inequality rises. © 2015 Canadian Sociological Association/La Société canadienne de sociologie.

Mutualistic mimicry and filtering by altitude shape the structure of Andean butterfly communities.

PubMed

Chazot, Nicolas; Willmott, Keith R; Santacruz Endara, Paola G; Toporov, Alexandre; Hill, Ryan I; Jiggins, Chris D; Elias, Marianne

2014-01-01

Both the abiotic environment and abiotic interactions among species contribute to shaping species assemblages. While the roles of habitat filtering and competitive interactions are clearly established, less is known about how positive interactions, whereby species benefit from the presence of one another, affect community structure. Here we assess the importance of positive interactions by studying Andean communities of butterflies that interact mutualistically via Müllerian mimicry. We show that communities at similar altitudes have a similar phylogenetic composition, confirming that filtering by altitude is an important process. We also provide evidence that species that interact mutualistically (i.e., species that share the same mimicry wing pattern) coexist at large scales more often than expected by chance. Furthermore, we detect an association between mimicry structure and altitude that is stronger than expected even when phylogeny is corrected for, indicating adaptive convergence for wing pattern and/or altitudinal range driven by mutualistic interactions. Positive interactions extend far beyond Müllerian mimicry, with many examples in plants and animals, and their role in the evolution and assembly of communities may be more pervasive than is currently appreciated. Our findings have strong implications for the evolution and resilience of community structure in a changing world.

A Novel Certificateless Signature Scheme for Smart Objects in the Internet-of-Things.

PubMed

Yeh, Kuo-Hui; Su, Chunhua; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Chiu, Wayne

2017-05-01

Rapid advances in wireless communications and pervasive computing technologies have resulted in increasing interest and popularity of Internet-of-Things (IoT) architecture, ubiquitously providing intelligence and convenience to our daily life. In IoT-based network environments, smart objects are embedded everywhere as ubiquitous things connected in a pervasive manner. Ensuring security for interactions between these smart things is significantly more important, and a topic of ongoing interest. In this paper, we present a certificateless signature scheme for smart objects in IoT-based pervasive computing environments. We evaluate the utility of the proposed scheme in IoT-oriented testbeds, i.e., Arduino Uno and Raspberry PI 2. Experiment results present the practicability of the proposed scheme. Moreover, we revisit the scheme of Wang et al. (2015) and revealed that a malicious super type I adversary can easily forge a legitimate signature to cheat any receiver as he/she wishes in the scheme. The superiority of the proposed certificateless signature scheme over relevant studies is demonstrated in terms of the summarized security and performance comparisons.

Volcano Monitoring: A Case Study in Pervasive Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Nina; Anusuya-Rangappa, Lohith; Shirazi, Behrooz A.; Song, Wenzhan; Huang, Renjie; Tran, Daniel; Chien, Steve; Lahusen, Rick

Recent advances in wireless sensor network technology have provided robust and reliable solutions for sophisticated pervasive computing applications such as inhospitable terrain environmental monitoring. We present a case study for developing a real-time pervasive computing system, called OASIS for optimized autonomous space in situ sensor-web, which combines ground assets (a sensor network) and space assets (NASA’s earth observing (EO-1) satellite) to monitor volcanic activities at Mount St. Helens. OASIS’s primary goals are: to integrate complementary space and in situ ground sensors into an interactive and autonomous sensorweb, to optimize power and communication resource management of the sensorweb and to provide mechanisms for seamless and scalable fusion of future space and in situ components. The OASIS in situ ground sensor network development addresses issues related to power management, bandwidth management, quality of service management, topology and routing management, and test-bed design. The space segment development consists of EO-1 architectural enhancements, feedback of EO-1 data into the in situ component, command and control integration, data ingestion and dissemination and field demonstrations.

A Novel Certificateless Signature Scheme for Smart Objects in the Internet-of-Things

PubMed Central

Yeh, Kuo-Hui; Su, Chunhua; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Chiu, Wayne

2017-01-01

Rapid advances in wireless communications and pervasive computing technologies have resulted in increasing interest and popularity of Internet-of-Things (IoT) architecture, ubiquitously providing intelligence and convenience to our daily life. In IoT-based network environments, smart objects are embedded everywhere as ubiquitous things connected in a pervasive manner. Ensuring security for interactions between these smart things is significantly more important, and a topic of ongoing interest. In this paper, we present a certificateless signature scheme for smart objects in IoT-based pervasive computing environments. We evaluate the utility of the proposed scheme in IoT-oriented testbeds, i.e., Arduino Uno and Raspberry PI 2. Experiment results present the practicability of the proposed scheme. Moreover, we revisit the scheme of Wang et al. (2015) and revealed that a malicious super type I adversary can easily forge a legitimate signature to cheat any receiver as he/she wishes in the scheme. The superiority of the proposed certificateless signature scheme over relevant studies is demonstrated in terms of the summarized security and performance comparisons. PMID:28468313

Not just fear and sadness: meta-analytic evidence of pervasive emotion recognition deficits for facial and vocal expressions in psychopathy.

PubMed

Dawel, Amy; O'Kearney, Richard; McKone, Elinor; Palermo, Romina

2012-11-01

The present meta-analysis aimed to clarify whether deficits in emotion recognition in psychopathy are restricted to certain emotions and modalities or whether they are more pervasive. We also attempted to assess the influence of other important variables: age, and the affective factor of psychopathy. A systematic search of electronic databases and a subsequent manual search identified 26 studies that included 29 experiments (N = 1376) involving six emotion categories (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) across three modalities (facial, vocal, postural). Meta-analyses found evidence of pervasive impairments across modalities (facial and vocal) with significant deficits evident for several emotions (i.e., not only fear and sadness) in both adults and children/adolescents. These results are consistent with recent theorizing that the amygdala, which is believed to be dysfunctional in psychopathy, has a broad role in emotion processing. We discuss limitations of the available data that restrict the ability of meta-analysis to consider the influence of age and separate the sub-factors of psychopathy, highlighting important directions for future research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infection and cancer in multicellular organisms

PubMed Central

Ewald, Paul W.; Swain Ewald, Holly A.

2015-01-01

Evolutionary considerations suggest that oncogenic infections should be pervasive among animal species. Infection-associated cancers are well documented in humans and domestic animals, less commonly reported in undomesticated captive animals, and rarely documented in nature. In this paper, we review the literature associating infectious agents with cancer to evaluate the reasons for this pattern. Non-malignant infectious neoplasms occur pervasively in multicellular life, but oncogenic progression to malignancy is often uncertain. Evidence from humans and domestic animals shows that non-malignant infectious neoplasms can develop into cancer, although generally with low frequency. Malignant neoplasms could be difficult to find in nature because of a low frequency of oncogenic transformation, short survival after malignancy and reduced survival prior to malignancy. Moreover, the evaluation of malignancy can be ambiguous in nature, because criteria for malignancy may be difficult to apply consistently across species. The information available in the literature therefore does not allow for a definitive assessment of the pervasiveness of infectious cancers in nature, but the presence of infectious neoplasias and knowledge about the progression of benign neoplasias to cancer is consistent with a widespread but largely undetected occurrence. PMID:26056368

Discrimination of ginseng cultivation regions using light stable isotope analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Kiwook; Song, Joo-Hyun; Heo, Sang-Cheol; Lee, Jin-Hee; Jung, In-Woo; Min, Ji-Sook

2015-10-01

Korean ginseng is considered to be a precious health food in Asia. Today, thieves frequently compromise ginseng farms by pervasive theft. Thus, studies regarding the characteristics of ginseng according to growth region are required in order to deter ginseng thieves and prevent theft. In this study, 6 regions were selected on the basis of Korea regional criteria (si, gun, gu), and two ginseng-farms were randomly selected from each of the 6 regions. Then 4-6 samples of ginseng were acquired from each ginseng farm. The stable isotopic compositions of H, O, C, and N of the collected ginseng samples were analyzed. As a result, differences in the hydrogen isotope ratios could be used to distinguish regional differences, and differences in the nitrogen isotope ratios yielded characteristic information regarding the farms from which the samples were obtained. Thus, stable isotope values could be used to differentiate samples according to regional differences. Therefore, stable isotope analysis serves as a powerful tool to discriminate the regional origin of Korean ginseng samples from across Korea. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experiences and perspectives of adults living with systemic lupus erythematosus: thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.

PubMed

Sutanto, Bernadet; Singh-Grewal, Davinder; McNeil, H Patrick; O'Neill, Sean; Craig, Jonathan C; Jones, Julie; Tong, Allison

2013-11-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life and can be life threatening. This study aimed to describe the experiences and perspectives of adults living with SLE. We conducted a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies that explored the experiences of adults living with SLE. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL (to November week 1, 2012), Google Scholar, a thesis database, and reference lists of relevant articles. Forty-six studies involving 1,385 participants were included. Five themes were identified: restricted lifestyle(including subthemes of pervasive pain, debilitating fatigue, mental deterioration, disruptive episodic symptoms, and postponing parenthood), disrupted identity (gaining diagnostic closure, prognostic uncertainty, being a burden, hopelessness, heightened self-consciousness, fearing rejection, and guilt and punishment), societal stigma and indifference(illness trivialization, socially ostracized, and averse to differential treatment), gaining resilience (optimism, control and empowerment, being informed and involved, and valuing mutual understanding), and treatment adherence (preserving health, rapport with clinicians, negotiating medication regimens, and financial burden). SLE has a severe and pervasive impact on patients’ self-esteem and independence. Their physical and social functioning is limited and they feel anxious about their future. Patients perceive that SLE is trivialized, misunderstood,and stigmatized by their family, friends, and physicians, which intensifies their sense of isolation. Educational, psychosocial, and self-care interventions are needed to promote mental resilience, positive coping strategies, self-advocacy, and capacities for social participation, and thereby to achieve better treatment and health outcomes in patients with SLE.

The erasure of gender in academic surgery: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Webster, Fiona; Rice, Kathleen; Christian, Jennifer; Seemann, Natashia; Baxter, Nancy; Moulton, Carol-Anne; Cil, Tulin

2016-10-01

The number of women in surgery has steadily increased, yet their numbers in academic surgery positions and in high-ranking leadership roles remain low. To create strategies to address and improve this problem, it is essential to examine how gender plays into the advancement of a woman's career in academic surgery. Focus group (1) and one-on-one qualitative interviews (8) were conducted with women academic surgeons from various subspecialties in a large university setting. Interviews examined women surgeons' accounts of their experiences as women in surgery. Audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim and coded thematically. NVivo10 software was used for cross-referencing of data and categorization of data into themes. Focus group data suggested that gender discrimination was pervasive in academic surgery. However, in interviews, most interviewees strongly disavowed the possibility that their gender had any bearing on their professional lives. These surgeons attempted to distance themselves from the possibility of discrimination by suggesting that differences in men and women surgeons' experiences are due to personality issues and personal choices. However, their narratives highlighted deep contradiction; they both affirmed and denied the relevance of gender for their experience as surgeons. As overt acts of discrimination become less acceptable in society, it does not necessarily disappear but rather manifests itself in covert forms. By disavowing and distancing themselves from discrimination, these women exposed the degree to which these issues continue to be pervasive in surgery. Women surgeons' ability to both identify and resist discrimination was hobbled by narratives of individualism, gender equality, and normative ideas of gender difference. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Population Genomics of Sub-Saharan Drosophila melanogaster: African Diversity and Non-African Admixture

PubMed Central

Pool, John E.; Corbett-Detig, Russell B.; Sugino, Ryuichi P.; Stevens, Kristian A.; Cardeno, Charis M.; Crepeau, Marc W.; Duchen, Pablo; Emerson, J. J.; Saelao, Perot; Begun, David J.; Langley, Charles H.

2012-01-01

Drosophila melanogaster has played a pivotal role in the development of modern population genetics. However, many basic questions regarding the demographic and adaptive history of this species remain unresolved. We report the genome sequencing of 139 wild-derived strains of D. melanogaster, representing 22 population samples from the sub-Saharan ancestral range of this species, along with one European population. Most genomes were sequenced above 25X depth from haploid embryos. Results indicated a pervasive influence of non-African admixture in many African populations, motivating the development and application of a novel admixture detection method. Admixture proportions varied among populations, with greater admixture in urban locations. Admixture levels also varied across the genome, with localized peaks and valleys suggestive of a non-neutral introgression process. Genomes from the same location differed starkly in ancestry, suggesting that isolation mechanisms may exist within African populations. After removing putatively admixed genomic segments, the greatest genetic diversity was observed in southern Africa (e.g. Zambia), while diversity in other populations was largely consistent with a geographic expansion from this potentially ancestral region. The European population showed different levels of diversity reduction on each chromosome arm, and some African populations displayed chromosome arm-specific diversity reductions. Inversions in the European sample were associated with strong elevations in diversity across chromosome arms. Genomic scans were conducted to identify loci that may represent targets of positive selection within an African population, between African populations, and between European and African populations. A disproportionate number of candidate selective sweep regions were located near genes with varied roles in gene regulation. Outliers for Europe-Africa FST were found to be enriched in genomic regions of locally elevated cosmopolitan admixture, possibly reflecting a role for some of these loci in driving the introgression of non-African alleles into African populations. PMID:23284287

The Weak Spots in Contemporary Science (and How to Fix Them)

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Simple Summary Several fraud cases, widespread failure to replicate or reproduce seminal findings, and pervasive error in the scientific literature have led to a crisis of confidence in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences. In this review, the author discusses some of the core findings that point at weak spots in contemporary science and considers the human factors that underlie them. He delves into the human tendencies that create errors and biases in data collection, analyses, and reporting of research results. He presents several solutions to deal with observer bias, publication bias, the researcher’s tendency to exploit degrees of freedom in their analysis of data, low statistical power, and errors in the reporting of results, with a focus on the specific challenges in animal welfare research. Abstract In this review, the author discusses several of the weak spots in contemporary science, including scientific misconduct, the problems of post hoc hypothesizing (HARKing), outcome switching, theoretical bloopers in formulating research questions and hypotheses, selective reading of the literature, selective citing of previous results, improper blinding and other design failures, p-hacking or researchers’ tendency to analyze data in many different ways to find positive (typically significant) results, errors and biases in the reporting of results, and publication bias. The author presents some empirical results highlighting problems that lower the trustworthiness of reported results in scientific literatures, including that of animal welfare studies. Some of the underlying causes of these biases are discussed based on the notion that researchers are only human and hence are not immune to confirmation bias, hindsight bias, and minor ethical transgressions. The author discusses solutions in the form of enhanced transparency, sharing of data and materials, (post-publication) peer review, pre-registration, registered reports, improved training, reporting guidelines, replication, dealing with publication bias, alternative inferential techniques, power, and other statistical tools. PMID:29186879

The Role of piRNA-Mediated Epigenetic Silencing in the Population Dynamics of Transposable Elements in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Lee, Yuh Chwen G.

2015-01-01

The piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNA) are small RNAs that target selfish transposable elements (TEs) in many animal genomes. Until now, piRNAs’ role in TE population dynamics has only been discussed in the context of their suppression of TE transposition, which alone is not sufficient to account for the skewed frequency spectrum and stable containment of TEs. On the other hand, euchromatic TEs can be epigenetically silenced via piRNA-dependent heterochromatin formation and, similar to the widely known “Position-effect variegation”, heterochromatin induced by TEs can “spread” into nearby genes. We hypothesized that the piRNA-mediated spread of heterochromatin from TEs into adjacent genes has deleterious functional effects and leads to selection against individual TEs. Unlike previously identified deleterious effects of TEs due to the physical disruption of DNA, the functional effect we investigated here is mediated through the epigenetic influences of TEs. We found that the repressive chromatin mark, H3K9me, is elevated in sequences adjacent to euchromatic TEs at multiple developmental stages in Drosophila melanogaster. Furthermore, the heterochromatic states of genes depend not only on the number of and distance from adjacent TEs, but also on the likelihood that their nearest TEs are targeted by piRNAs. These variations in chromatin status probably have functional consequences, causing genes near TEs to have lower expression. Importantly, we found stronger selection against TEs that lead to higher H3K9me enrichment of adjacent genes, demonstrating the pervasive evolutionary consequences of TE-induced epigenetic silencing. Because of the intrinsic biological mechanism of piRNA amplification, spread of TE heterochromatin could result in the theoretically required synergistic deleterious effects of TE insertions for stable containment of TE copy number. The indirect deleterious impact of piRNA-mediated epigenetic silencing of TEs is a previously unexplored, yet important, element for the evolutionary dynamics of TEs. PMID:26042931

From Operating-System Correctness to Pervasively Verified Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daum, Matthias; Schirmer, Norbert W.; Schmidt, Mareike

Though program verification is known and has been used for decades, the verification of a complete computer system still remains a grand challenge. Part of this challenge is the interaction of application programs with the operating system, which is usually entrusted with retrieving input data from and transferring output data to peripheral devices. In this scenario, the correct operation of the applications inherently relies on operating-system correctness. Based on the formal correctness of our real-time operating system Olos, this paper describes an approach to pervasively verify applications running on top of the operating system.

Automatically augmenting lifelog events using pervasively generated content from millions of people.

PubMed

Doherty, Aiden R; Smeaton, Alan F

2010-01-01

In sensor research we take advantage of additional contextual sensor information to disambiguate potentially erroneous sensor readings or to make better informed decisions on a single sensor's output. This use of additional information reinforces, validates, semantically enriches, and augments sensed data. Lifelog data is challenging to augment, as it tracks one's life with many images including the places they go, making it non-trivial to find associated sources of information. We investigate realising the goal of pervasive user-generated content based on sensors, by augmenting passive visual lifelogs with "Web 2.0" content collected by millions of other individuals.

The use of computer vision in an intelligent environment to support aging-in-place, safety, and independence in the home.

PubMed

Mihailidis, Alex; Carmichael, Brent; Boger, Jennifer

2004-09-01

This paper discusses the use of computer vision in pervasive healthcare systems, specifically in the design of a sensing agent for an intelligent environment that assists older adults with dementia during an activity of daily living. An overview of the techniques applied in this particular example is provided, along with results from preliminary trials completed using the new sensing agent. A discussion of the results obtained to date is presented, including technical and social issues that remain for the advancement and acceptance of this type of technology within pervasive healthcare.

Autism and Related Disorders

PubMed Central

McPartland, James; Volkmar, Fred R.

2012-01-01

The Pervasive Developmental Disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that include Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), and Rett’s Disorder. All feature childhood onset with a constellation of symptoms spanning social interaction and communication and including atypical behavior patterns. The first three disorders (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS) are currently referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders, reflecting divergent phenotypic and etiologic characteristics compared to Rett’s Disorder and CDD. This chapter reviews relevant research and clinical information relevant to appropriate medical diagnosis and treatment. PMID:22608634

Controversies related to electromagnetic field exposure on peripheral nerves.

PubMed

Say, Ferhat; Altunkaynak, Berrin Zuhal; Coşkun, Sina; Deniz, Ömür Gülsüm; Yıldız, Çağrı; Altun, Gamze; Kaplan, Arife Ahsen; Kaya, Sefa Ersan; Pişkin, Ahmet

2016-09-01

Electromagnetic field (EMF) is a pervasive environmental presence in modern society. In recent years, mobile phone usage has increased rapidly throughout the world. As mobile phones are generally held close to the head while talking, studies have mostly focused on the central and peripheral nervous system. There is a need for further research to ascertain the real effect of EMF exposure on the nervous system. Several studies have clearly demonstrated that EMF emitted by cell phones could affect the systems of the body as well as functions. However, the adverse effects of EMF emitted by mobile phones on the peripheral nerves are still controversial. Therefore, this review summarizes current knowledge on the possible positive or negative effects of electromagnetic field on peripheral nerves. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HIV and AIDS in Africa: social, political, and economic realities.

PubMed

Dhai, A

2008-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa bears the brunt of the HIV epidemic, which is fueled by the many ethical, social, and political complexities that make up Africa. In turn, the pandemic has also caused many ethical, social, and political complexities that Africa now grapples with. Being infected with HIV is highly complex and challenging. Regrettably, gender inequality is still pervasive in Africa. The response by African leaders to the pandemic has been, on the whole, shamefully lethargic. For Africa to win its war against HIV/AIDS, a paradigm shift is required from the perspective of its socio-political context. What is called for is positive political will that will address all aspects of the social determinants of AIDS. What is also required is that Ubuntu is embraced meaningfully.

Perceived outcomes of public health privatization: a national survey of local health department directors.

PubMed

Keane, C; Marx, J; Ricci, E

2001-01-01

Almost three quarters of the nation's local health departments (LHDs) have privatized some services. About half of LHD directors who privatized services reported cost savings and half reported that privatization had facilitated their performance of the core public health functions. Expanded access to services was the most commonly reported positive outcome. Of those privatizing, over two-fifths of LHDs reported a resulting increase in time devoted to management. Yet, one-third of directors reported difficulty monitoring and controlling services that have been contracted out. Communicable disease services was cited most often as a service that should not be privatized. There is a pervasive concern that by contracting out services, health departments can lose the capacity to respond to disease outbreaks and other crises.

Perceived Outcomes of Public Health Privatization: A National Survey of Local Health Department Directors

PubMed Central

Keane, Christopher; Marx, John; Ricci, Edmund

2001-01-01

Almost three quarters of the nation's local health departments (LHDs) have privatized some services. About half of LHD directors who privatized services reported cost savings and half reported that privatization had facilitated their performance of the core public health functions. Expanded access to services was the most commonly reported positive outcome. Of those privatizing, over two-fifths of LHDs reported a resulting increase in time devoted to management. Yet, one-third of directors reported difficulty monitoring and controlling services that have been contracted out. Communicable disease services was cited most often as a service that should not be privatized. There is a pervasive concern that by contracting out services, health departments can lose the capacity to respond to disease outbreaks and other crises. PMID:11286093

It’s Not Just a “Woman Thing:” The Current State of Normative Discontent

PubMed Central

TANTLEFF-DUNN, STACEY; BARNES, RACHEL D.; LAROSE, JESSICA GOKEE

2013-01-01

This study assessed “normative discontent,” the concept that most women experience weight dissatisfaction, as an emerging societal stereotype for women and men (Rodin, Silberstein, & Streigel-Moore, 1984). Participants (N = 472) completed measures of stereotypes, eating disorders, and body image. Normative discontent stereotypes were pervasive for women and men. Endorsing stereotypes varied by sex and participants’ own disturbance, with trends towards eating disorder symptomotology being positively correlated with stereotype endorsement. Individuals with higher levels of body image and eating disturbance may normalize their behavior by perceiving that most people share their experiences. Future research needs to test prevention and intervention strategies that incorporate the discrepancies between body image/eating-related stereotypes and reality with focus on preventing normalization of such experiences. PMID:21932970

Academic Entitlement in Pharmacy Education

PubMed Central

Romanelli, Frank; Smith, Kelly M.

2012-01-01

The constructs of academic entitlement and student consumerism refer to students’ attitudes toward education as a commodity and the underlying belief that as consumers, they should be catered to and given the opportunity to participate in the education process according to their preferences. Most discussions regarding these attitudes are anecdotal, but the pervasiveness of these accounts and the troubling effects that ensue warrant attention. Grade inflation, student incivility, altered classroom practices, and decreased faculty morale are all potential aftereffects of teaching students who hold academic entitlement beliefs. Numerous factors are posited as attributing to academic entitlement including personal issues, societal pressures, and broad academic practices. This paper discusses these factors and offers faculty members and administrators recommendations regarding practices that may curb or alleviate issues associated with academically entitled students. PMID:23275654

Enhancing children's health through digital story.

PubMed

Wyatt, Tami H; Hauenstein, Emily

2008-01-01

Stories in all of their many forms, including books, plays, skits, movies, poems, and songs, appeal to individuals of all ages but especially the young. Children are easily engaged in stories, and today's generation of children, the millennium generation, demands interactive, multimedia-rich environments. Story as a teaching and learning technique is pervasive in the classroom but is infrequently used to promote health. Because of advancing technology, it is possible to create interactive digital storytelling programs that teach children health topics. Using digital storytelling in an interactive environment to promote health has not been tested, but there is empirical support for using story in health education and interactive technology to promote health. This article briefly reviews the literature and discusses how technology and storytelling can be joined to promote positive health outcomes.

Visual guidance in control of grasping.

PubMed

Janssen, Peter; Scherberger, Hansjörg

2015-07-08

Humans and other primates possess a unique capacity to grasp and manipulate objects skillfully, a facility pervasive in everyday life that has undoubtedly contributed to the success of our species. When we reach and grasp an object, various cortical areas in the parietal and frontal lobes work together effortlessly to analyze object shape and position, transform this visual information into useful motor commands, and implement these motor representations to preshape the hand before contact with the object is made. In recent years, a growing number of studies have investigated the neural circuits underlying object grasping in both the visual and motor systems of the macaque monkey. The accumulated knowledge not only helps researchers understand how object grasping is implemented in the primate brain but may also contribute to the development of novel neural interfaces and neuroprosthetics.

Creating a Software Framework for Simulating Satellite Geolocation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koch, Daniel B

2011-01-01

It is hard to imagine life these days without having some sort of electronic indication of one's current location. Whether the purpose is for business, personal, or emergency use, utilizing smart cell phones, in-vehicle navigation systems, or location beacons, dependence on the Global Positioning System (GPS) is pervasive. Yet the availability of the GPS should not be taken for granted. Both environmental (e.g., terrain, weather) and intentional interference (i.e., jamming) can reduce or deny satellite access. In order to investigate these and other issues, as well as to explore possible alternative satellite constellations, an application called the Satellite Simulation Toolkitmore » (SatSim) was created. This paper presents a high-level overview of SatSim and an example of how it may be used to study geolocation.« less

Extraction and Refinement Strategy for detection of autism in 18-month-olds: a guarantee of higher sensitivity and specificity in the process of mass screening.

PubMed

Honda, Hideo; Shimizu, Yasuo; Nitto, Yukari; Imai, Miho; Ozawa, Takeshi; Iwasa, Mitsuaki; Shiga, Keiko; Hira, Tomoko

2009-08-01

For early detection of autism, it is difficult to maintain an efficient level of sensitivity and specificity based on observational data from a single screening. The Extraction and Refinement (E&R) Strategy utilizes a public children's health surveillance program to produce maximum efficacy in early detection of autism. In the extraction stage, all cases at risk of childhood problems, including developmental abnormality, are identified; in the refinement stage, cases without problems are excluded, leaving only cases with conclusive diagnoses. The city of Yokohama, Japan, conducts a routine child health surveillance program for children at 18 months in which specialized public health nurses administer YACHT-18 (Young Autism and other developmental disorders CHeckup Tool), a screening instrument to identify children at risk for developmental disorders. Children who screen positive undergo further observation, and those without disorders are subsequently excluded. To study the efficacy of early detection procedures for developmental disorders, including autism, 2,814 children born in 1988, examined at 18 months of age, and not already receiving treatment for diseases or disorders were selected. In the extraction stage, 402 (14.3%) children were identified for follow-up. In the refinement stage, 19 (.7%) of these were referred to the Yokohama Rehabilitation Center and diagnosed with developmental disorders. The extraction stage produced four false negatives, bringing total diagnoses of developmental disorders to 23 (.8%) - including 5 with autistic disorder and 9 with pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (PDDNOS). Sensitivity was 60% for autistic disorder and 82.6% for developmental disorders. Specificity for developmental disorders rose to 100% with the E&R Strategy. Picture cards used in YACHT-18 provided a finer screen that excluded some false positive cases. An extraction and refinement methodology utilizing child health surveillance programs achieve high efficacy for early detection of autism.

Failure processes in soft and quasi-brittle materials with nonhomogeneous microstructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spring, Daniel W.

Material failure pervades the fields of materials science and engineering; it occurs at various scales and in various contexts. Understanding the mechanisms by which a material fails can lead to advancements in the way we design and build the world around us. For example, in structural engineering, understanding the fracture of concrete and steel can lead to improved structural systems and safer designs; in geological engineering, understanding the fracture of rock can lead to increased efficiency in oil and gas extraction; and in biological engineering, understanding the fracture of bone can lead to improvements in the design of bio-composites and medical implants. In this thesis, we numerically investigate a wide spectrum of failure behavior; in soft and quasi-brittle materials with nonhomogeneous microstructures considering a statistical distribution of material properties. The first topic we investigate considers the influence of interfacial interactions on the macroscopic constitutive response of particle reinforced elastomers. When a particle is embedded into an elastomer, the polymer chains in the elastomer tend to adsorb (or anchor) onto the surface of the particle; creating a region in the vicinity of each particle (often referred to as an interphase) with distinct properties from those in the bulk elastomer. This interphasial region has been known to exist for many decades, but is primarily omitted in computational investigations of such composites. In this thesis, we present an investigation into the influence of interphases on the macroscopic constitutive response of particle filled elastomers undergoing large deformations. In addition, at large deformations, a localized region of failure tends to accumulate around inclusions. To capture this localized region of failure (often referred to as interfacial debonding), we use cohesive zone elements which follow the Park-Paulino-Roesler traction-separation relation. To account for friction, we present a new, coupled cohesive-friction relation and detail its formulation and implementation. In the process of this investigation, we developed a small library of cohesive elements for use with a commercially available finite element analysis software package. Additionally, in this thesis, we present a series of methods for reducing mesh dependency in two-dimensional dynamic cohesive fracture simulations of quasi-brittle materials. In this setting, cracks are only permitted to propagate along element facets, thus a poorly designed discretization of the problem domain can introduce artifacts into the fracture behavior. To reduce mesh induced artifacts, we consider unstructured polygonal finite elements. A randomly-seeded polygonal mesh leads to an isotropic discretization of the problem domain, which does not bias the direction of crack propagation. However, polygonal meshes tend to limit the possible directions a crack may travel at each node, making this discretization a poor candidate for dynamic cohesive fracture simulations. To alleviate this problem, we propose two new topological operators. The first operator we propose is adaptive element-splitting, and the second is adaptive mesh refinement. Both operators are designed to improve the ability of unstructured polygonal meshes to capture crack patterns in dynamic cohesive fracture simulations. However, we demonstrate that element-splitting is more suited to pervasive fracture problems, whereas, adaptive refinement is more suited to problems exhibiting a dominant crack. Finally, we investigate the use of geometric and constitutive design features to regularize pervasive fragmentation behavior in three-dimensions. Throughout pervasive fracture simulations, many cracks initiate, propagate, branch and coalesce simultaneously. Because of the cohesive element method's unique framework, this behavior can be captured in a regularized manner. In this investigation, unstructuring techniques are used to introduce randomness into a numerical model. The behavior of quasi-brittle materials undergoing pervasive fracture and fragmentation is then examined using three examples. The examples are selected to investigate some of the significant factors influencing pervasive fracture and fragmentation behavior; including, geometric features, loading conditions, and material gradation.

Evolution of enzymes in a series is driven by dissimilar functional demands.

PubMed

Salvador, Armindo; Savageau, Michael A

2006-02-14

That distinct enzyme activities in an unbranched metabolic pathway are evolutionarily tuned to a single functional requirement is a pervasive assumption. Here we test this assumption by examining the activities of two consecutively acting enzymes in human erythrocytes with an approach to quantitative evolutionary design that avoids the above-mentioned assumption. We previously found that avoidance of NADPH depletion during the pulses of oxidative load to which erythrocytes are normally exposed is the main functional requirement mediating selection for high glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. In the present study, we find that, in contrast, the maintenance of oxidized glutathione at low concentrations is the main functional requirement mediating selection for high glutathione reductase activity. The results in this case show that, contrary to the assumption of a single functional requirement, natural selection for the normal activities of the distinct enzymes in the pathway is mediated by different requirements. On the other hand, the results agree with the more general principles that underlie our approach. Namely, that (i) the values of biochemical parameters evolve so as to fulfill the various performance requirements that are relevant to achieve high fitness, and (ii) these performance requirements can be inferred from quantitative systems theory considerations, informed by knowledge of specific aspects of the biochemistry, physiology, genetics, and ecology of the organism.

Pervasive, hard-wired and male: Qualitative study of how UK adolescents view alcohol-related aggression

PubMed Central

Whitaker, Lydia; Young, Bridget; Fereday, Richard; Coyne, Sarah M.; Qualter, Pamela

2018-01-01

Laboratory studies of alcohol-inexperienced adolescents show that aggression can be primed by alcohol-related stimuli, suggesting that alcohol-related aggression is partly socially learned. Script theory proposes that alcohol-related aggression ‘scripts’ for social behaviors are culturally-available and learned by individuals. The purpose of the study was to understand the content and origins of alcohol-related aggression scripts learned by adolescents. This qualitative focus group study of 40 adolescents (ages 14–16 years) examined alcohol-related aggression scripts. Participants believed aggression and severe injury to be pervasive when young people drink. Viewed through a biological lens, participants described aggression as an ‘instinctive’ and ‘hard-wired’ male trait facilitated by intoxication. As such, alcohol-related aggression was not seen as intended or personally controllable and participants did not see it in moral terms. Females were largely viewed as either bystanders of inter-male aggression or potential victims of male sexual aggression. Participants attributed their views on the frequency and nature of alcohol-related aggression to current affairs and reality television, which they felt portrayed a reality of which they had little experience. The origins of the explicitly biological frameworks that participants used seemed to lie in pre-existing beliefs about the nature of gender differences. Perceptions of the pervasiveness of male alcohol-related aggression, and the consequent failure to view alcohol-related aggression in moral terms, could dispose some young people to alcohol-related aggression. Interventions could target (1) the beliefs that alcohol-related aggression is pervasive and uncontrollable in males, and (2) participants’ dysfunctional views of masculinity that underpin those beliefs. PMID:29408910

Dolomitization and neomorphism of Mississippian (Visean) upper debolt formation, Blueberry field, northeastern British Columbia: Geologic, petrologic, and chemical evidence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durocher, S.; Al-Aasm, I.S.

1997-06-01

Petrographic, chemical, and isotopic studies of the Mississippian (Visean) upper Debolt Formation in the Blueberry field, British Columbia, Canada, reveal that dolomitization was the result of several diagenetic events and that neomorphic alteration of these dolomites significantly modified their original chemical signatures. These studies also demonstrate how tectonics play an important role in controlling and modifying reservoir dolomites in the area. Petrographic investigations have documented two early dolomite phases, (1) early matrix dolomite and (2) pervasive dolomite, and two later generations, (3) coarse cement and (4) pseudomorphic replacement of crinoids. Early matrix dolomite occurs as small (average 25 {mu}m) subhedralmore » to euhedral crystals that replace the matrix of carbonate mudstones, wackestones, and packstones. Petrographic evidence suggests that early matrix dolomite had a relatively early, precompaction origin, possibly from marine fluids. However, geochemical evidence indicates that later fluids have altered their original geochemical signatures. Pervasive dolomite, which forms the reservoir intercrystalline porosity, occurs with planar-s and planar-e textures. Planar-s crystals typically have a dirty appearance and exhibit homogeneous dull brown/red cathodoluminescence colors. Planar-e crystals may appear with a cloudy core and a clear rim, and under cathodoluminescence display an irregular dull brown/red core and a thin, bright red rim. Due to the spatial distribution pattern of pervasive dolomite with respect to the overlying unconformity surface, its paleogeographic distribution and close temporal relationship with meteoric diagenetic events, pervasive dolomite formed from a mixture of seawater and meteoric fluids. However, alteration of their primary chemistry by later fluids is indicated by their depleted {delta}{sup 18}O values and radiogenic {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios.« less

An open and reconfigurable wireless sensor network for pervasive health monitoring.

PubMed

Triantafyllidis, A; Koutkias, V; Chouvarda, I; Maglaveras, N

2008-01-01

Sensor networks constitute the backbone for the construction of personalized monitoring systems. Up to now, several sensor networks have been proposed for diverse pervasive healthcare applications, which are however characterized by a significant lack of open architectures, resulting in closed, non-interoperable and difficult to extend solutions. In this context, we propose an open and reconfigurable wireless sensor network (WSN) for pervasive health monitoring, with particular emphasis in its easy extension with additional sensors and functionality by incorporating embedded intelligence mechanisms. We consider a generic WSN architecture comprised of diverse sensor nodes (with communication and processing capabilities) and a mobile base unit (MBU) operating as the gateway between the sensors and the medical personnel, formulating this way a body area network (BAN). The primary focus of this work is on the intra-BAN data communication issues, adopting SensorML as the data representation mean, including the encoding of the monitoring patterns and the functionality of the sensor network. In our prototype implementation two sensor nodes are emulated; one for heart rate monitoring and the other for blood glucose observations, while the MBU corresponds to a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) is used to implement both the sensor nodes and the MBU components. Intra-BAN wireless communication relies on the Blue-tooth protocol. Via an adaptive user interface in the MBU, health professionals may specify the monitoring parameters of the WSN and define the monitoring patterns of interest in terms of rules. This work constitutes an essential step towards the construction of open, extensible, inter-operable and intelligent WSNs for pervasive health monitoring.

Antimicrobial Peptides As Biologic and Immunotherapeutic Agents against Cancer: A Comprehensive Overview.

PubMed

Roudi, Raheleh; Syn, Nicholas L; Roudbary, Maryam

2017-01-01

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a pervasive and evolutionarily ancient component of innate host defense which is present in virtually all classes of life. In recent years, evidence has accumulated that parallel or de novo mechanisms by which AMPs curb infectious pathologies are also effective at restraining cancer cell proliferation and dissemination, and have consequently stimulated significant interest in their deployment as novel biologic and immunotherapeutic agents against human malignancies. In this review, we explicate the biochemical underpinnings of their tumor-selectivity, and discuss results of recent clinical trials (outside of oncologic indications) which substantiate their safety and tolerability profiles. Next, we present evidence for their preclinical antitumor activity, systematically organized by the major and minor classes of natural AMPs. Finally, we discuss the barriers to their clinical implementation and envision directions for further development.

Target-responsive DNA/RNA nanomaterials for microRNA sensing and inhibition: the jack-of-all-trades in cancer nanotheranostics?

PubMed

Conde, João; Edelman, Elazer R; Artzi, Natalie

2015-01-01

microRNAs (miRNAs) show high potential for cancer treatment, however one of the most significant bottlenecks in enabling miRNA effect is the need for an efficient vehicle capable of selective targeting to tumor cells without disrupting normal cells. Even more challenging is the ability to detect and silence multiple targets simultaneously with high sensitivity while precluding resistance to the therapeutic agents. Focusing on the pervasive role of miRNAs, herein we review the multiple nanomaterial-based systems that encapsulate DNA/RNA for miRNA sensing and inhibition in cancer therapy. Understanding the potential of miRNA detection and silencing while overcoming existing limitations will be critical to the optimization and clinical utilization of this technology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experience-induced Malleability in Neural Encoding of Pitch, Timbre, and Timing

PubMed Central

Kraus, Nina; Skoe, Erika; Parbery-Clark, Alexandra; Ashley, Richard

2009-01-01

Speech and music are highly complex signals that have many shared acoustic features. Pitch, Timbre, and Timing can be used as overarching perceptual categories for describing these shared properties. The acoustic cues contributing to these percepts also have distinct subcortical representations which can be selectively enhanced or degraded in different populations. Musically trained subjects are found to have enhanced subcortical representations of pitch, timbre, and timing. The effects of musical experience on subcortical auditory processing are pervasive and extend beyond music to the domains of language and emotion. The sensory malleability of the neural encoding of pitch, timbre, and timing can be affected by lifelong experience and short-term training. This conceptual framework and supporting data can be applied to consider sensory learning of speech and music through a hearing aid or cochlear implant. PMID:19673837

Evolution of complex adaptations in molecular systems

PubMed Central

Pál, Csaba; Papp, Balázs

2017-01-01

A central challenge in evolutionary biology concerns the mechanisms by which complex adaptations arise. Such adaptations depend on the fixation of multiple, highly specific mutations, where intermediate stages of evolution seemingly provide little or no benefit. It is generally assumed that the establishment of complex adaptations is very slow in nature, as evolution of such traits demands special population genetic or environmental circumstances. However, blueprints of complex adaptations in molecular systems are pervasive, indicating that they can readily evolve. We discuss the prospects and limitations of non-adaptive scenarios, which assume multiple neutral or deleterious steps in the evolution of complex adaptations. Next, we examine how complex adaptations can evolve by natural selection in changing environment. Finally, we argue that molecular ’springboards’, such as phenotypic heterogeneity and promiscuous interactions facilitate this process by providing access to new adaptive paths. PMID:28782044

The biomass burning contribution to climate-carbon-cycle feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Sandy P.; Bartlein, Patrick J.; Brovkin, Victor; Houweling, Sander; Kloster, Silvia; Prentice, I. Colin

2018-05-01

Temperature exerts strong controls on the incidence and severity of fire. All else equal, warming is expected to increase fire-related carbon emissions, and thereby atmospheric CO2. But the magnitude of this feedback is very poorly known. We use a single-box model of the land biosphere to quantify this positive feedback from satellite-based estimates of biomass burning emissions for 2000-2014 CE and from sedimentary charcoal records for the millennium before the industrial period. We derive an estimate of the centennial-scale feedback strength of 6.5 ± 3.4 ppm CO2 per degree of land temperature increase, based on the satellite data. However, this estimate is poorly constrained, and is largely driven by the well-documented dependence of tropical deforestation and peat fires (primarily anthropogenic) on climate variability patterns linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Palaeo-data from pre-industrial times provide the opportunity to assess the fire-related climate-carbon-cycle feedback over a longer period, with less pervasive human impacts. Past biomass burning can be quantified based on variations in either the concentration and isotopic composition of methane in ice cores (with assumptions about the isotopic signatures of different methane sources) or the abundances of charcoal preserved in sediments, which reflect landscape-scale changes in burnt biomass. These two data sources are shown here to be coherent with one another. The more numerous data from sedimentary charcoal, expressed as normalized anomalies (fractional deviations from the long-term mean), are then used - together with an estimate of mean biomass burning derived from methane isotope data - to infer a feedback strength of 5.6 ± 3.2 ppm CO2 per degree of land temperature and (for a climate sensitivity of 2.8 K) a gain of 0.09 ± 0.05. This finding indicates that the positive carbon cycle feedback from increased fire provides a substantial contribution to the overall climate-carbon-cycle feedback on centennial timescales. Although the feedback estimates from palaeo- and satellite-era data are in agreement, this is likely fortuitous because of the pervasive influence of human activities on fire regimes during recent decades.

Easy to retrieve but hard to believe: metacognitive discounting of the unpleasantly possible.

PubMed

O'Brien, Ed

2013-06-01

People who recall or forecast many pleasant moments should perceive themselves as happier in the past or future than people who generate few such moments; the same principle should apply to generating unpleasant moments and perceiving unhappiness. Five studies suggest that this is not always true. Rather, people's metacognitive experience of ease of thought retrieval ("fluency") can affect perceived well-being over time beyond actual thought content. The easier it is to recall positive past experiences, the happier people think they were at the time; likewise, the easier it is to recall negative past experiences, the unhappier people think they were. But this is not the case for predicting the future. Although people who easily generate positive forecasts predict more future happiness, people who easily generate negative forecasts do not infer future unhappiness. Given pervasive tendencies to underestimate the likelihood of experiencing negative events, people apparently discount hard-to-believe metacognitive feelings (e.g., easily imagined unpleasant futures). Paradoxically, people's well-being may be maximized when they contemplate some bad moments or just a few good moments.

'Every pregnant woman needs a midwife'--the experiences of HIV affected women in maternity care.

PubMed

Kelly, Carmel; Alderdice, Fiona; Lohan, Maria; Spence, Dale

2013-02-01

'Every pregnant woman needs a midwife'-the experiences of HIV affected women in Northern Ireland. to explore HIV positive women's experiences of pregnancy and maternity care, with a focus on their interactions with midwives. a prospective qualitative study. regional HIV unit in Northern Ireland. 22 interviews were conducted with 10 women at different stages of their reproductive trajectories. the pervasive presence of HIV related stigma threatened the women's experience of pregnancy and care. The key staff attributes that facilitated a positive experience were knowledge and experience, empathy and understanding of their unique needs and continuity of care. pregnancy in the context of HIV, whilst offering a much needed sense of normality, also increases woman's sense of anxiety and vulnerability and therefore the need for supportive interventions that affirm normality is intensified. A maternity team approach, with a focus on providing 'balanced care' could meet all of the woman and child's medical needs, whilst also emphasising the normalcy of pregnancy. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptive User Profiles in Pervasive Advertising Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alt, Florian; Balz, Moritz; Kristes, Stefanie; Shirazi, Alireza Sahami; Mennenöh, Julian; Schmidt, Albrecht; Schröder, Hendrik; Goedicke, Michael

Nowadays modern advertising environments try to provide more efficient ads by targeting costumers based on their interests. Various approaches exist today as to how information about the users' interests can be gathered. Users can deliberately and explicitly provide this information or user's shopping behaviors can be analyzed implicitly. We implemented an advertising platform to simulate an advertising environment and present adaptive profiles, which let users setup profiles based on a self-assessment, and enhance those profiles with information about their real shopping behavior as well as about their activity intensity. Additionally, we explain how pervasive technologies such as Bluetooth can be used to create a profile anonymously and unobtrusively.

Security in Distributed Collaborative Environments: Limitations and Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadi, Rachid; Pierson, Jean-Marc; Brunie, Lionel

The main goal of establishing collaboration between heterogeneous environment is to create such as Pervasive context which provide nomadic users with ubiquitous access to digital information and surrounding resources. However, the constraints of mobility and heterogeneity arise a number of crucial issues related to security, especially authentication access control and privacy. First of all, in this chapter we explore the trust paradigm, specially the transitive capability to enable a trust peer to peer collaboration. In this manner, when each organization sets its own security policy to recognize (authenticate) users members of a trusted community and provide them a local access (access control), the trust transitivity between peers will allows users to gain a broad, larger and controlled access inside the pervasive environment. Next, we study the problem of user's privacy. In fact in pervasive and ubiquitous environments, nomadic users gather and exchange certificates or credential which providing them rights to access by transitivity unknown and trusted environments. These signed documents embeds increasing number of attribute that require to be filtered according to such contextual situation. In this chapter, we propose a new morph signature enabling each certificate owner to preserve his privacy by discloses or blinds some sensitive attributes according to faced situation.

Behavioral Reference Model for Pervasive Healthcare Systems.

PubMed

Tahmasbi, Arezoo; Adabi, Sahar; Rezaee, Ali

2016-12-01

The emergence of mobile healthcare systems is an important outcome of application of pervasive computing concepts for medical care purposes. These systems provide the facilities and infrastructure required for automatic and ubiquitous sharing of medical information. Healthcare systems have a dynamic structure and configuration, therefore having an architecture is essential for future development of these systems. The need for increased response rate, problem limited storage, accelerated processing and etc. the tendency toward creating a new generation of healthcare system architecture highlight the need for further focus on cloud-based solutions for transfer data and data processing challenges. Integrity and reliability of healthcare systems are of critical importance, as even the slightest error may put the patients' lives in danger; therefore acquiring a behavioral model for these systems and developing the tools required to model their behaviors are of significant importance. The high-level designs may contain some flaws, therefor the system must be fully examined for different scenarios and conditions. This paper presents a software architecture for development of healthcare systems based on pervasive computing concepts, and then models the behavior of described system. A set of solutions are then proposed to improve the design's qualitative characteristics including, availability, interoperability and performance.

Metasomatic alteration of an early Archean komatiite sequence into chert: field and petrographic evidence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duchac, K.C.; Hanor, J.S.

Stratiform units of pervasively silicified ultramafic rock occur near the top of the Onverwacht group, Barberton Mountian Land, South Africa. The origin of these units has been variously ascribed to early Archean subaerial weathering, submarine weathering, cataclastic metamorphism, and the alteration of silicic tuffs at the top of mafic to felsic volcanic sequences. The authors have studied a 40 m thick stratigraphic sequence that is exceptionally well-exposed for 1.5 km within the Skokohla River valley. Well-preserved ghosts of spinifex- and cumulate-olivines and pyroxenes establish the komatiitic ancestry of these rocks. The entire sequence has been pervasively altered, however, to chertsmore » dominated by quartz and Cr-rich muscovite and containing lesser and variable amounts of chlorite, dolomite, rutile, and chrome spinel. The present Skokohla rocks can be divided into five distinct correlatable facies of laterally variable thickness which probably represent different flow units. Alteration apparently occurred early, prior to any significant tectonic deformation. The observed pervasive sericitization is inconsistent with an origin by subaerial weathering. It is most likely that the sequence was altered by large volumes of ascending hydrothermal fluids.« less

From computers to ubiquitous computing by 2010: health care.

PubMed

Aziz, Omer; Lo, Benny; Pansiot, Julien; Atallah, Louis; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara

2008-10-28

Over the past decade, miniaturization and cost reduction in semiconductors have led to computers smaller in size than a pinhead with powerful processing abilities that are affordable enough to be disposable. Similar advances in wireless communication, sensor design and energy storage have meant that the concept of a truly pervasive 'wireless sensor network', used to monitor environments and objects within them, has become a reality. The need for a wireless sensor network designed specifically for human body monitoring has led to the development of wireless 'body sensor network' (BSN) platforms composed of tiny integrated microsensors with on-board processing and wireless data transfer capability. The ubiquitous computing abilities of BSNs offer the prospect of continuous monitoring of human health in any environment, be it home, hospital, outdoors or the workplace. This pervasive technology comes at a time when Western world health care costs have sharply risen, reflected by increasing expenditure on health care as a proportion of gross domestic product over the last 20 years. Drivers of this rise include an ageing post 'baby boom' population, higher incidence of chronic disease and the need for earlier diagnosis. This paper outlines the role of pervasive health care technologies in providing more efficient health care.

Coordinate-Based Clustering Method for Indoor Fingerprinting Localization in Dense Cluttered Environments.

PubMed

Liu, Wen; Fu, Xiao; Deng, Zhongliang

2016-12-02

Indoor positioning technologies has boomed recently because of the growing commercial interest in indoor location-based service (ILBS). Due to the absence of satellite signal in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), various technologies have been proposed for indoor applications. Among them, Wi-Fi fingerprinting has been attracting much interest from researchers because of its pervasive deployment, flexibility and robustness to dense cluttered indoor environments. One challenge, however, is the deployment of Access Points (AP), which would bring a significant influence on the system positioning accuracy. This paper concentrates on WLAN based fingerprinting indoor location by analyzing the AP deployment influence, and studying the advantages of coordinate-based clustering compared to traditional RSS-based clustering. A coordinate-based clustering method for indoor fingerprinting location, named Smallest-Enclosing-Circle-based (SEC), is then proposed aiming at reducing the positioning error lying in the AP deployment and improving robustness to dense cluttered environments. All measurements are conducted in indoor public areas, such as the National Center For the Performing Arts (as Test-bed 1) and the XiDan Joy City (Floors 1 and 2, as Test-bed 2), and results show that SEC clustering algorithm can improve system positioning accuracy by about 32.7% for Test-bed 1, 71.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 1 and 73.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 2 compared with traditional RSS-based clustering algorithms such as K-means.

Coordinate-Based Clustering Method for Indoor Fingerprinting Localization in Dense Cluttered Environments

PubMed Central

Liu, Wen; Fu, Xiao; Deng, Zhongliang

2016-01-01

Indoor positioning technologies has boomed recently because of the growing commercial interest in indoor location-based service (ILBS). Due to the absence of satellite signal in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), various technologies have been proposed for indoor applications. Among them, Wi-Fi fingerprinting has been attracting much interest from researchers because of its pervasive deployment, flexibility and robustness to dense cluttered indoor environments. One challenge, however, is the deployment of Access Points (AP), which would bring a significant influence on the system positioning accuracy. This paper concentrates on WLAN based fingerprinting indoor location by analyzing the AP deployment influence, and studying the advantages of coordinate-based clustering compared to traditional RSS-based clustering. A coordinate-based clustering method for indoor fingerprinting location, named Smallest-Enclosing-Circle-based (SEC), is then proposed aiming at reducing the positioning error lying in the AP deployment and improving robustness to dense cluttered environments. All measurements are conducted in indoor public areas, such as the National Center For the Performing Arts (as Test-bed 1) and the XiDan Joy City (Floors 1 and 2, as Test-bed 2), and results show that SEC clustering algorithm can improve system positioning accuracy by about 32.7% for Test-bed 1, 71.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 1 and 73.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 2 compared with traditional RSS-based clustering algorithms such as K-means. PMID:27918454

Association between bovine casein antibody and new onset schizophrenia among US military personnel.

PubMed

Niebuhr, David W; Li, Yuanzhang; Cowan, David N; Weber, Natalya S; Fisher, Jared A; Ford, Glen M; Yolken, Robert

2011-05-01

Schizophrenia is a pervasive neuropsychiatric disorder of uncertain etiology. Multiple studies have documented immune activation in individuals with schizophrenia. One antigen capable of inducing a prolonged immune response is bovine casein derived from ingested milk products. Increased levels of casein antibodies have been found in individuals with schizophrenia after diagnosis. This study was directed at determining the potential association between schizophrenia and pre-illness onset levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to bovine casein. Parallel analyses for casein antibody levels with bipolar disorder were included as comparison. Cases were service members who received medical discharges from the military with a schizophrenia diagnosis from 1992 to 2005. Serum specimens were selected for 855 cases and 1165 matched healthy controls. IgG antibodies to bovine whole-casein were measured by solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated to examine the associations of casein IgG level with risk of schizophrenia by time to diagnosis and by subjects' initial level. Increasing casein IgG antibody levels among those with a high initial level, drawn before diagnosis, was associated with an 18% increase in the hazard risk of schizophrenia per unit increase (value of low-positive standard) in IgG antibody levels (HR=1.18; 95% CI 1.04, 1.34). This is the first report to identify an association between the risk of schizophrenia and elevated antibodies to bovine casein prior to disease onset. Additional research is required to elucidate the complex genetic environmental interactions involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and to identify potentially modifiable risk factors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Barriers to condom purchasing: Effects of product positioning on reactions to condoms.

PubMed

Scott-Sheldon, Lori A J; Glasford, Demis E; Marsh, Kerry L; Lust, Sarah A

2006-12-01

Correct and consistent condom use has been promoted as a method to prevent sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Yet research has repeatedly shown that people fail to use condoms consistently. One influence on the pervasive lack of condom use that has received relatively little attention is the context in which consumers are exposed to condoms (i.e., how condoms are displayed in retail settings). In this paper we present two studies explored variations in condom shelf placement and its effects on people's condom attitudes and acquisition. Study 1 explored the shelf placement of condoms in 59 retail outlets in Connecticut, USA and found that condoms were typically located in areas of high visibility (e.g., next to the pharmacy counter) and on shelves adjacent to feminine hygiene and disease treatment products. In Study 2, 120 heterosexual undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut were randomly assigned to evaluate condoms adjacent to sensual, positive, neutral, or negative products and found that overall men reported more positive attitudes and acquired more condoms when exposed to condoms in a sensual context compared to women in the same condition. Among women, condom attitudes were more positive in the context of neutral products; condom acquisition was strongest for women exposed to condoms in the positive aisles. These results suggest a gender-specific approach to condom promotion. Implications of these studies for HIV prevention, public health, and condom marketing strategies are discussed.

A comprehensive biophysical description of pairwise epistasis throughout an entire protein domain

PubMed Central

Olson, C. Anders; Wu, Nicholas C.; Sun, Ren

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Background Non-additivity in fitness effects from two or more mutations, termed epistasis, can result in compensation of deleterious mutations or negation of beneficial mutations. Recent evidence shows the importance of epistasis in individual evolutionary pathways. However, an unresolved question in molecular evolution is how often and how significantly fitness effects change in alternative genetic backgrounds. Results To answer this question we quantified the effects of all single mutations and double mutations between all positions in the IgG-binding domain of protein G (GB1). By observing the first two steps of all possible evolutionary pathways, this fitness profile enabled the characterization of the extent and magnitude of pairwise epistasis throughout an entire protein molecule. Furthermore, we developed a novel approach to quantitatively determine the effects of single mutations on structural stability (ΔΔGU). This enabled determination of the importance of stability effects in functional epistasis. Conclusions Our results illustrate common biophysical mechanisms for occurrences of positive and negative epistasis. Our results show pervasive positive epistasis within a conformationally dynamic network of residues. The stability analysis shows that significant negative epistasis, which is more common than positive epistasis, mostly occurs between combinations of destabilizing mutations. Furthermore, we show that although significant positive epistasis is rare, many deleterious mutations are beneficial in at least one alternative mutational background. The distribution of conditionally beneficial mutations throughout the domain demonstrates that the functional portion of sequence space can be significantly expanded by epistasis. PMID:25455030

Bone Metastasis in Prostate Cancer: Recurring Mitochondrial DNA Mutation Reveals Selective Pressure Exerted by the Bone Microenvironment

PubMed Central

Arnold, Rebecca S.; Fedewa, Stacey A.; Goodman, Michael; Osunkoya, Adeboye O.; Kissick, Haydn T.; Morrissey, Colm; True, Lawrence D.; Petros, John A.

2015-01-01

Background Cancer progression and metastasis occurs such that cells with acquired mutations enhancing growth and survival (or inhibiting cell death) increase in number, a concept that has been recognized as analogous to Darwinian evolution of species since Peter C. Nowell’s description in 1976. Selective forces include those intrinsic to the host (including metastatic site) as well as those resulting from anti-cancer therapies. By examining the mutational status of multiple tumor sites within an individual patient some insight may be gained into those genetic variants that enhance site-specific metastasis. By comparing these data across multiple individuals, recurrent patterns may identify alterations that are fundamental to successful site-specific metastasis. Methods We sequenced the mitochondrial genome in 10 prostate cancer patients with bone metastases enrolled in a rapid autopsy program. Patients had late stage disease and received androgen ablation and frequently other systemic therapies. For each of 9 patients, 4 separate tissues were sequenced: the primary prostate cancer, a soft tissue metastasis, a bone metastasis and an uninvolved normal tissue that served as the non-cancerous control. An additional (10th) patient had no primary prostate available for sequencing but had both metastatic sites (and control DNA) sequenced. We then examined the number and location of somatically acquired mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in the primary and two metastatic sites in each individual patient. Finally, we compared patients with each other to determine any common patterns of somatic mutation. Results Somatic mutations were significantly more numerous in bone compared to either the primary tumor or soft tissue metastases. A missense mutation at nucleotide position (np) 10398 (A10398G; Thr114Ala) in the respiratory complex I gene ND3 was the most common (7 of 10 patients) and was detected only in bone. Other notable somatic mutations that occurred in more than one patient include a tRNA Arg mutation at np 10436 and a tRNA Thr mutation at np 15928. The tRNA Arg mutation was restricted to bone metastases and occurred in three of 10 patients (30%). Somatic mutation at 15928 was not restricted to bone and also occurred in three patients. Conclusions Mitochondrial genomic variation was greater in metastatic sites than the primary tumor and bone metastases had statistically significantly greater numbers of somatic mutations than either the primary or the soft tissue metastases. The genome was not mutated randomly. At least one mutational “hot-spot” was identified at the individual base level (nucleotide position 10398 in bone metastases) indicating a pervasive selective pressure for bone metastatic cells that had acquired the 10398 mtDNA mutation. Two additional recurrent mutations (tRNA Arg and tRNA Thr) support the concept of bone site-specific “survival of the fittest” as revealed by variation in the mitochondrial genome and selective pressure exerted by the metastatic site. PMID:25952970

Bone metastasis in prostate cancer: Recurring mitochondrial DNA mutation reveals selective pressure exerted by the bone microenvironment.

PubMed

Arnold, Rebecca S; Fedewa, Stacey A; Goodman, Michael; Osunkoya, Adeboye O; Kissick, Haydn T; Morrissey, Colm; True, Lawrence D; Petros, John A

2015-09-01

Cancer progression and metastasis occur such that cells with acquired mutations enhancing growth and survival (or inhibiting cell death) increase in number, a concept that has been recognized as analogous to Darwinian evolution of species since Peter C. Nowell's description in 1976. Selective forces include those intrinsic to the host (including metastatic site) as well as those resulting from anti-cancer therapies. By examining the mutational status of multiple tumor sites within an individual patient some insight may be gained into those genetic variants that enhance site-specific metastasis. By comparing these data across multiple individuals, recurrent patterns may identify alterations that are fundamental to successful site-specific metastasis. We sequenced the mitochondrial genome in 10 prostate cancer patients with bone metastases enrolled in a rapid autopsy program. Patients had late stage disease and received androgen ablation and frequently other systemic therapies. For each of 9 patients, 4 separate tissues were sequenced: the primary prostate cancer, a soft tissue metastasis, a bone metastasis and an uninvolved normal tissue that served as the non-cancerous control. An additional (10th) patient had no primary prostate available for sequencing but had both metastatic sites (and control DNA) sequenced. We then examined the number and location of somatically acquired mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in the primary tumor and two metastatic sites in each individual patient. Finally, we compared patients with each other to determine any common patterns of somatic mutation. Somatic mutations were significantly more numerous in the bone compared to either the primary tumor or soft tissue metastases. A missense mutation at nucleotide position (n.p.) 10398 (A10398G; Thr114Ala) in the respiratory complex I gene ND3 was the most common (7 of 10 patients) and was detected only in the bone. Other notable somatic mutations that occurred in more than one patient include a tRNA Arg mutation at n.p. 10436 and a tRNA Thr mutation at n.p. 15928. The tRNA Arg mutation was restricted to bone metastases and occurred in three of 10 patients (30%). Somatic mutation at 15928 was not restricted to the bone and also occurred in three patients. Mitochondrial genomic variation was greater in metastatic sites than in the primary tumor and bone metastases had statistically significantly greater numbers of somatic mutations than either the primary or the soft tissue metastases. The genome was not mutated randomly. At least one mutational "hot-spot" was identified at the individual base level (nucleotide position 10398 in bone metastases) indicating a pervasive selective pressure for bone metastatic cells that had acquired the 10398 mtDNA mutation. Two additional recurrent mutations (tRNA Arg and tRNA Thr) support the concept of bone site-specific "survival of the fittest" as revealed by variation in the mitochondrial genome and selective pressure exerted by the metastatic site. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Climate change and sexual size dimorphism in an Arctic spider

PubMed Central

Høye, Toke Thomas; Hammel, Jörg U.; Fuchs, Thomas; Toft, Søren

2009-01-01

Climate change is advancing the onset of the growing season and this is happening at a particularly fast rate in the High Arctic. However, in most species the relative fitness implications for males and females remain elusive. Here, we present data on 10 successive cohorts of the wolf spider Pardosa glacialis from Zackenberg in High-Arctic, northeast Greenland. We found marked inter-annual variation in adult body size (carapace width) and this variation was greater in females than in males. Earlier snowmelt during both years of its biennial maturation resulted in larger adult body sizes and a skew towards positive sexual size dimorphism (females bigger than males). These results illustrate the pervasive influence of climate on key life-history traits and indicate that male and female responses to climate should be investigated separately whenever possible. PMID:19435831

Functional morphological imaging of autism spectrum disorders: current position and theories proposed.

PubMed

Lauvin, M-A; Martineau, J; Destrieux, C; Andersson, F; Bonnet-Brilhault, F; Gomot, M; El-Hage, W; Cottier, J-P

2012-03-01

Autism is a pervasive disorder of childhood development. Polymorphous clinical profiles combining various degrees of communication and social interaction with restricted and stereotyped behaviour are grouped under the heading of 'autism spectrum disorders' (ASD). Many teams are trying to pick out the underlying cerebral abnormalities in order to understand the neuronal networks involved in relationships with others. Here we review the morphological, spectroscopic and functional abnormalities in the amygdala-hippocampal circuit, the caudate nuclei, the cerebellum, and the frontotemporal regions, which have been described in subjects with ASD. White matter abnormalities have also been described in diffusion tensor imaging, leading to suspected damage to the subjacent neural networks, such as mirror neurones or the social brain. Copyright © 2012 Éditions Françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Gendered Social Capital in a Johannesburg Township

PubMed Central

Myroniuk, Tyler W.

2016-01-01

Social capital research rarely takes a gendered approach. This article explores how black women and men from a marginalized community in Johannesburg, South Africa, rely on family, friends, and community members to survive and strategize for the future by utilizing social capital. The results from 30 semi-structured interviews and ego network mapping illustrate that gender moderates the type of social capital used and benefits associated with bonding and bridging social capital in important ways. This research builds upon knowledge of gendered advantages and disadvantages in social networks and informs researchers how women and men survive in pervasive poverty. I posit that identifying potential sources of support is an important consideration within social capital or any network research because the prospect of receiving assistance in the future undoubtedly alters the development of these individuals’ livelihood strategies. PMID:27773948

Intimate partner violence: what do movies have to teach us?

PubMed

Lenahan, Patricia M

2009-06-01

Intimate partner violence is one of the most pervasive global public health problems affecting women. It results in untold costs to the healthcare system and is positively linked to eight out of ten leading indicators for Healthy People 2010. Intimate partner violence also is one of the factors associated with adverse childhood experiences that result in negative healthcare behaviours. Intimate partner violence has been the subject of film, made for television movies and music videos. The use of film as an innovative tool to teach about common health and mental health disorders is well-documented. Film also has been used as an adjunctive therapeutic tool in counselling. This paper will provide an overview of intimate partner violence, its portrayal in popular film and ways in which educators may use film to teach intimate partner violence-related topics.

A commentary on the associations among 'food addiction', binge eating disorder, and obesity: Overlapping conditions with idiosyncratic clinical features.

PubMed

Davis, Caroline

2017-08-01

This commentary discusses the evidence linking patterns of compulsive overeating, such as binge eating and grazing, with a putative psychopathological condition known commonly as 'food addiction'. It also addresses their distinctiveness as independent - albeit overlapping - clinical entities. Discussions focus largely on their respective clinical features and neuropsychobiological associations. Despite semantic issues about the appropriateness of the food-addiction label, there is accumulating evidence that some vulnerable individuals display addictive symptoms in relation to their consumption of certain highly rewarding foods. It is also argued in this paper that despite a positive relationship between obesity and addictive tendencies towards food, it is over-inclusive to model obesity as an addiction disorder, especially given the multi-faceted etiology and current pervasiveness of weight gain worldwide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trophic flexibility and the persistence of understory birds in intensively logged rainforest.

PubMed

Edwards, David P; Woodcock, Paul; Newton, Rob J; Edwards, Felicity A; Andrews, David J R; Docherty, Teegan D S; Mitchell, Simon L; Ota, Takahiro; Benedick, Suzan; Bottrell, Simon H; Hamer, Keith C

2013-10-01

Effects of logging on species composition in tropical rainforests are well known but may fail to reveal key changes in species interactions. We used nitrogen stable-isotope analysis of 73 species of understory birds to quantify trophic responses to repeated intensive logging of rainforest in northern Borneo and to test 4 hypotheses: logging has significant effects on trophic positions and trophic-niche widths of species, and the persistence of species in degraded forest is related to their trophic positions and trophic-niche widths in primary forest. Species fed from higher up the food chain and had narrower trophic-niche widths in degraded forest. Species with narrow trophic-niche widths in primary forest were less likely to persist after logging, a result that indicates a higher vulnerability of dietary specialists to local extinction following habitat disturbance. Persistence of species in degraded forest was not related to a species' trophic position. These results indicate changes in trophic organization that were not apparent from changes in species composition and highlight the importance of focusing on trophic flexibility over the prevailing emphasis on membership of static feeding guilds. Our results thus support the notion that alterations to trophic organization and interactions within tropical forests may be a pervasive and functionally important hidden effect of forest degradation. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Sexually antagonistic selection on genetic variation underlying both male and female same-sex sexual behavior.

PubMed

Berger, David; You, Tao; Minano, Maravillas R; Grieshop, Karl; Lind, Martin I; Arnqvist, Göran; Maklakov, Alexei A

2016-05-13

Intralocus sexual conflict, arising from selection for different alleles at the same locus in males and females, imposes a constraint on sex-specific adaptation. Intralocus sexual conflict can be alleviated by the evolution of sex-limited genetic architectures and phenotypic expression, but pleiotropic constraints may hinder this process. Here, we explored putative intralocus sexual conflict and genetic (co)variance in a poorly understood behavior with near male-limited expression. Same-sex sexual behaviors (SSBs) generally do not conform to classic evolutionary models of adaptation but are common in male animals and have been hypothesized to result from perception errors and selection for high male mating rates. However, perspectives incorporating sex-specific selection on genes shared by males and females to explain the expression and evolution of SSBs have largely been neglected. We performed two parallel sex-limited artificial selection experiments on SSB in male and female seed beetles, followed by sex-specific assays of locomotor activity and male sex recognition (two traits hypothesized to be functionally related to SSB) and adult reproductive success (allowing us to assess fitness consequences of genetic variance in SSB and its correlated components). Our experiments reveal both shared and sex-limited genetic variance for SSB. Strikingly, genetically correlated responses in locomotor activity and male sex-recognition were associated with sexually antagonistic fitness effects, but these effects differed qualitatively between male and female selection lines, implicating intralocus sexual conflict at both male- and female-specific genetic components underlying SSB. Our study provides experimental support for the hypothesis that widespread pleiotropy generates pervasive intralocus sexual conflict governing the expression of SSBs, suggesting that SSB in one sex can occur due to the expression of genes that carry benefits in the other sex.

Tropical forests are thermally buffered despite intensive selective logging.

PubMed

Senior, Rebecca A; Hill, Jane K; Benedick, Suzan; Edwards, David P

2018-03-01

Tropical rainforests are subject to extensive degradation by commercial selective logging. Despite pervasive changes to forest structure, selectively logged forests represent vital refugia for global biodiversity. The ability of these forests to buffer temperature-sensitive species from climate warming will be an important determinant of their future conservation value, although this topic remains largely unexplored. Thermal buffering potential is broadly determined by: (i) the difference between the "macroclimate" (climate at a local scale, m to ha) and the "microclimate" (climate at a fine-scale, mm to m, that is distinct from the macroclimate); (ii) thermal stability of microclimates (e.g. variation in daily temperatures); and (iii) the availability of microclimates to organisms. We compared these metrics in undisturbed primary forest and intensively logged forest on Borneo, using thermal images to capture cool microclimates on the surface of the forest floor, and information from dataloggers placed inside deadwood, tree holes and leaf litter. Although major differences in forest structure remained 9-12 years after repeated selective logging, we found that logging activity had very little effect on thermal buffering, in terms of macroclimate and microclimate temperatures, and the overall availability of microclimates. For 1°C warming in the macroclimate, temperature inside deadwood, tree holes and leaf litter warmed slightly more in primary forest than in logged forest, but the effect amounted to <0.1°C difference between forest types. We therefore conclude that selectively logged forests are similar to primary forests in their potential for thermal buffering, and subsequent ability to retain temperature-sensitive species under climate change. Selectively logged forests can play a crucial role in the long-term maintenance of global biodiversity. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Women, 'madness' and exercise.

PubMed

Hardes, Jennifer Jane

2018-03-21

The positive relationship between exercise and mental health is often taken for granted in today's society, despite the lack of academic literature evidencing this symbiosis. Gender is considered a significant determinant in a number of mental health diagnoses. Indeed, women are considered twice as likely as men to experience the most pervasive mental health condition, depression. Exercise for women's mental health is promoted through various macrolevel charity, as well as microlevel, campaigns that influence government healthcare policy and National Health Service guidelines. Indeed, 'exercise prescriptions' in the treatment of depression is not uncommon. Yet, this link between exercise as a treatment for women's mental health has not always been so pervasive. In fact, an examination of asylum reports and medical journals from the late 19th century highlights a significant shift in attitude towards the role of exercise in the treatment of women's emotional states and mental health. This paper specifically examines how this treatment of women's mental health through exercise has moved from what might be regarded as a focus on exercise as a 'cause' of women's mental ailments to exercise promoted as a 'cure'. Unpacking the changing medical attitudes towards exercise for women in line with larger sociopolitical and historic contexts reveals that while this shift towards exercise promotion might prima facie appear as a less essentialist view of women and their mental and physical states, it inevitably remains tied to larger policy and governance agendas. New modes of exercise 'treatment' for women's mental health are not politically neutral and, thus, what appear to emerge as forms of liberation are, in actuality, subtler forms of regulation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Interactive effects of three pervasive marine stressors in a post-disturbance coral reef

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gil, Michael A.; Goldenberg, Silvan U.; Ly Thai Bach, Anne; Mills, Suzanne C.; Claudet, Joachim

2016-12-01

Ecosystems are commonly affected by natural, episodic disturbances that can abruptly and drastically alter communities. Although it has been shown that resilient ecosystems can eventually recover to pre-disturbed states, the extent to which communities in early stages of recovery could be affected by multiple anthropogenic stressors is poorly understood. Pervasive and rising anthropogenic stressors in coastal marine systems that could interactively affect the recovery of these systems following natural disturbances include high sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, and overfishing. Using a 6-month field experiment, we examined the effects of all combinations of these three stressors on key functional groups in the benthic community growing on simulated, post-disturbance reef patches within a system recovering from large-scale natural disturbances (corallivorous seastar outbreak and cyclone). Our study revealed that sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, and overfishing (simulated using exclusion cages) interactively affected coral survival and algal growth, with taxon-specific effects at multiple scales. First, our treatments affected corals and algae differently, with sedimentation being more detrimental to macroalgal growth but less detrimental to coral ( Porites rus) survival in caged plots, driving significant interactions between sedimentation and caging for both taxa. We also observed distinct responses between coral species and between algal functional groups, with the most extensive responses from algal turf biomass, for which sedimentation suppressed the synergistic (positive) combined effect of nutrient enrichment and caging. Our findings suggest that different combinations of ubiquitous anthropogenic stressors, related to either sea- or land-based activities, interactively influence community recovery from disturbance and may alter species compositions in the resulting community. Our findings further suggest that anthropogenic stressors could promote further degradation of coral reefs following natural disturbances by inhibiting recovery to coral-dominated states that provide vital ecosystem services to coastal populations worldwide.

A path model of different forms of impulsivity with externalizing and internalizing psychopathology: Towards greater specificity.

PubMed

Johnson, Sheri L; Tharp, Jordan A; Peckham, Andrew D; Carver, Charles S; Haase, Claudia M

2017-09-01

A growing empirical literature indicates that emotion-related impulsivity (compared to impulsivity that is unrelated to emotion) is particularly relevant for understanding a broad range of psychopathologies. Recent work, however, has differentiated two forms of emotion-related impulsivity: A factor termed Pervasive Influence of Feelings captures tendencies for emotions (mostly negative emotions) to quickly shape thoughts, and a factor termed Feelings Trigger Action captures tendencies for positive and negative emotions to quickly and reflexively shape behaviour and speech. This study used path modelling to consider links from emotion-related and non-emotion-related impulsivity to a broad range of psychopathologies. Undergraduates completed self-report measures of impulsivity, depression, anxiety, aggression, and substance use symptoms. A path model (N = 261) indicated specificity of these forms of impulsivity. Pervasive Influence of Feelings was related to anxiety and depression, whereas Feelings Trigger Action and non-emotion-related impulsivity were related to aggression and substance use. The findings of this study suggest that emotion-relevant impulsivity could be a potentially important treatment target for a set of psychopathologies. Recent work has differentiated two forms of emotion-related impulsivity. This study tests a multivariate path model linking emotion-related and non-emotion-related impulsivity with multiple forms of psychopathology. Impulsive thoughts in response to negative emotions were related to anxiety and depression. Impulsive actions in response to emotions were related to aggression and substance use, as did non-emotion-related impulsivity. The study was limited by the reliance on self-report measures of impulsivity and psychopathology. There is a need for longitudinal work on how these forms of impulsivity predict the onset and course of psychopathology. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Genetics and child psychiatry: I Advances in quantitative and molecular genetics.

PubMed

Rutter, M; Silberg, J; O'Connor, T; Simonoff, E

1999-01-01

Advances in quantitative psychiatric genetics as a whole are reviewed with respect to conceptual and methodological issues in relation to statistical model fitting, new genetic designs, twin and adoptee studies, definition of the phenotype, pervasiveness of genetic influences, pervasiveness of environmental influences, shared and nonshared environmental effects, and nature-nurture interplay. Advances in molecular genetics are discussed in relation to the shifts in research strategies to investigate multifactorial disorders (affected relative linkage designs, association strategies, and quantitative trait loci studies); new techniques and identified genetic mechanisms (expansion of trinucleotide repeats, genomic imprinting, mitochondrial DNA, fluorescent in-situ hybridisation, behavioural phenotypes, and animal models); and the successful localisation of genes.

Pervasive liquid metal based direct writing electronics with roller-ball pen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Qin; Liu, Jing, E-mail: jliu@mail.ipc.ac.cn

A roller-ball pen enabled direct writing electronics via room temperature liquid metal ink was proposed. With the rolling to print mechanism, the metallic inks were smoothly written on flexible polymer substrate to form conductive tracks and electronic devices. The contact angle analyzer and scanning electron microscope were implemented to disclose several unique inner properties of the obtained electronics. An ever high writing resolution with line width and thickness as 200 μm and 80 μm, respectively was realized. Further, with the administration of external writing pressure, GaIn{sub 24.5} droplets embody increasing wettability on polymer which demonstrates the pervasive adaptability of themore » roller-ball pen electronics.« less

Towards NIRS-based hand movement recognition.

PubMed

Paleari, Marco; Luciani, Riccardo; Ariano, Paolo

2017-07-01

This work reports on preliminary results about on hand movement recognition with Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS) and surface ElectroMyoGraphy (sEMG). Either basing on physical contact (touchscreens, data-gloves, etc.), vision techniques (Microsoft Kinect, Sony PlayStation Move, etc.), or other modalities, hand movement recognition is a pervasive function in today environment and it is at the base of many gaming, social, and medical applications. Albeit, in recent years, the use of muscle information extracted by sEMG has spread out from the medical applications to contaminate the consumer world, this technique still falls short when dealing with movements of the hand. We tested NIRS as a technique to get another point of view on the muscle phenomena and proved that, within a specific movements selection, NIRS can be used to recognize movements and return information regarding muscles at different depths. Furthermore, we propose here three different multimodal movement recognition approaches and compare their performances.

DNA replication stress as a hallmark of cancer.

PubMed

Macheret, Morgane; Halazonetis, Thanos D

2015-01-01

Human cancers share properties referred to as hallmarks, among which sustained proliferation, escape from apoptosis, and genomic instability are the most pervasive. The sustained proliferation hallmark can be explained by mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressors that regulate cell growth, whereas the escape from apoptosis hallmark can be explained by mutations in the TP53, ATM, or MDM2 genes. A model to explain the presence of the three hallmarks listed above, as well as the patterns of genomic instability observed in human cancers, proposes that the genes driving cell proliferation induce DNA replication stress, which, in turn, generates genomic instability and selects for escape from apoptosis. Here, we review the data that support this model, as well as the mechanisms by which oncogenes induce replication stress. Further, we argue that DNA replication stress should be considered as a hallmark of cancer because it likely drives cancer development and is very prevalent.

The Arabidopsis thaliana mobilome and its impact at the species level.

PubMed

Quadrana, Leandro; Bortolini Silveira, Amanda; Mayhew, George F; LeBlanc, Chantal; Martienssen, Robert A; Jeddeloh, Jeffrey A; Colot, Vincent

2016-06-03

Transposable elements (TEs) are powerful motors of genome evolution yet a comprehensive assessment of recent transposition activity at the species level is lacking for most organisms. Here, using genome sequencing data for 211 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions taken from across the globe, we identify thousands of recent transposition events involving half of the 326 TE families annotated in this plant species. We further show that the composition and activity of the 'mobilome' vary extensively between accessions in relation to climate and genetic factors. Moreover, TEs insert equally throughout the genome and are rapidly purged by natural selection from gene-rich regions because they frequently affect genes, in multiple ways. Remarkably, loci controlling adaptive responses to the environment are the most frequent transposition targets observed. These findings demonstrate the pervasive, species-wide impact that a rich mobilome can have and the importance of transposition as a recurrent generator of large-effect alleles.

Good Agreements Make Good Friends

PubMed Central

Han, The Anh; Pereira, Luís Moniz; Santos, Francisco C.; Lenaerts, Tom

2013-01-01

When starting a new collaborative endeavor, it pays to establish upfront how strongly your partner commits to the common goal and what compensation can be expected in case the collaboration is violated. Diverse examples in biological and social contexts have demonstrated the pervasiveness of making prior agreements on posterior compensations, suggesting that this behavior could have been shaped by natural selection. Here, we analyze the evolutionary relevance of such a commitment strategy and relate it to the costly punishment strategy, where no prior agreements are made. We show that when the cost of arranging a commitment deal lies within certain limits, substantial levels of cooperation can be achieved. Moreover, these levels are higher than that achieved by simple costly punishment, especially when one insists on sharing the arrangement cost. Not only do we show that good agreements make good friends, agreements based on shared costs result in even better outcomes. PMID:24045873

Direct observation of triplet energy transfer from semiconductor nanocrystals.

PubMed

Mongin, Cédric; Garakyaraghi, Sofia; Razgoniaeva, Natalia; Zamkov, Mikhail; Castellano, Felix N

2016-01-22

Triplet excitons are pervasive in both organic and inorganic semiconductors but generally remain confined to the material in which they originate. We demonstrated by transient absorption spectroscopy that cadmium selenide semiconductor nanoparticles, selectively excited by green light, engage in interfacial Dexter-like triplet-triplet energy transfer with surface-anchored polyaromatic carboxylic acid acceptors, extending the excited-state lifetime by six orders of magnitude. Net triplet energy transfer also occurs from surface acceptors to freely diffusing molecular solutes, further extending the lifetime while sensitizing singlet oxygen in an aerated solution. The successful translation of triplet excitons from semiconductor nanoparticles to the bulk solution implies that such materials are generally effective surrogates for molecular triplets. The nanoparticles could thereby potentially sensitize a range of chemical transformations that are relevant for fields as diverse as optoelectronics, solar energy conversion, and photobiology. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Discovering Activities to Recognize and Track in a Smart Environment.

PubMed

Rashidi, Parisa; Cook, Diane J; Holder, Lawrence B; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen

2011-01-01

The machine learning and pervasive sensing technologies found in smart homes offer unprecedented opportunities for providing health monitoring and assistance to individuals experiencing difficulties living independently at home. In order to monitor the functional health of smart home residents, we need to design technologies that recognize and track activities that people normally perform as part of their daily routines. Although approaches do exist for recognizing activities, the approaches are applied to activities that have been pre-selected and for which labeled training data is available. In contrast, we introduce an automated approach to activity tracking that identifies frequent activities that naturally occur in an individual's routine. With this capability we can then track the occurrence of regular activities to monitor functional health and to detect changes in an individual's patterns and lifestyle. In this paper we describe our activity mining and tracking approach and validate our algorithms on data collected in physical smart environments.

Neurofeedback in autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Holtmann, Martin; Steiner, Sabina; Hohmann, Sarah; Poustka, Luise; Banaschewski, Tobias; Bölte, Sven

2011-11-01

To review current studies on the effectiveness of neurofeedback as a method of treatment of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Studies were selected based on searches in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, and CINAHL using combinations of the following keywords: 'Neurofeedback' OR 'EEG Biofeedback' OR 'Neurotherapy' OR 'Mu-Rhythm' OR 'SMR' AND 'Autism' OR 'Autism Spectrum Disorder' OR 'Pervasive Developmental Disorder'. The existing evidence does not support the use of neurofeedback in the treatment of ASD. Studies with outcomes in favour of neurofeedback might be showing an improvement in comorbid attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder symptoms rather than a true improvement in core ASD symptoms. Limitations of this review are those inherent in the studies available, including small sample size, short duration, variable diagnostic criteria, and insufficient control interventions, all causing a lack of generalizability. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2011 Mac Keith Press.