Echolalia from a transdiagnostic perspective

Background & aimsEcholalia, the repetition of one's or others? utterances, is a behavior present in typical development, autism spectrum disorder, aphasias, Tourette's, and other clinical groups. Despite the broad range of conditions in which echolalia can occur, it is considered primarily through a disorder-specific lens, which limits a full understanding of the behavior.MethodEmpirical and review papers on echolalia across disciplines and etiologies were considered for this narrative review. Literatures were condensed into three primary sections, including echolalia presentations, neural mechanisms, and treatment approaches.Main contributionEcholalia, commonly observed in autism and other developmental conditions, is assessed, observed, and treated in a siloed fashion, which reduces our collective knowledge of this communication difference. Echolalia should be considered as a developmental, transdiagnostic, and communicative phenomenon. Echolalia is commonly considered as a communicative behavior, but little is known about its neural etiologies or efficacious treatments.ConclusionsThis review is the first to synthesize echolalia from a transdiagnostic perspective, which allows for the direct comparisons across and within clinical groups to inform assessment, treatment, conceptualization, and research recommendations.ImplicationsConsidering echolalia transdiagnostically highlights the lack of consensus on operationalization and measurement across and within disorders. Clinical and research future directions need to prioritize consistent definitions of echolalia, which can be used to derive accurate prevalence estimates. Echolalia should be considered as a communication strategy, used similarly across developmental and clinical groups, with recommended strategies of shaping to increase its effectiveness

Logarithmic Corrections in the 2D XY Model

Using two sets of high-precision Monte Carlo data for the two-dimensional XY model in the Villain formulation on square $L \times L$ lattices, the scaling behavior of the susceptibility $\chi$ and correlation length $\xi$ at the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition is analyzed with emphasis on multiplicative logarithmic corrections $(ln L)^{-2r}$ in the finite-size scaling region and $(ln \xi)^{-2r}$ in the high-temperature phase near criticality, respectively. By analyzing the susceptibility at criticality on lattices of size up to $512^2$ we obtain $r = -0.0270(10)$, in agreement with recent work of Kenna and Irving on the the finite-size scaling of Lee-Yang zeros in the cosine formulation of the XY model. By studying susceptibilities and correlation lengths up to $\xi \approx 140$ in the high-temperature phase, however, we arrive at quite a different estimate of $r = 0.0560(17)$, which is in good agreement with recent analyses of thermodynamic Monte Carlo data and high-temperature series expansions of the cosine formulation.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX + 8 postscript figures. See also http://www.cond-mat.physik.uni-mainz.de/~janke/doc/home_janke.htm

Deposition of cupric oxide thin films by spin coating

Cupric oxide thin films were deposited onto soda lime glass by spin coating and subsequent annealing of copper nitrate dissolved in a glycerol–water solvent. It was found that the solution consistently gave reproducible films with good adhesion on glass. A range of band gaps were estimated between 0.8 and 1.17 eV, showing that this material has potential as a photoabsorber. Resistivity was successfully reduced from 1.47×105 to 7.02 Ω cm by doping the films with sodium. Dopant concentrations of 1 at-% gave the lowest resistivity, showing that the ideal doping is 1% or less. Film structure was found to improve with an increase in annealing time from 10 min to 1 h, although this did not have any noticeable effect on either the electrical or optical properties of the films

High quality aluminium doped zinc oxide target synthesis from nanoparticulate powder and characterisation of sputtered thin films

Nanoparticulate aluminium-doped zinc oxide powder was synthesised through detonation and subsequent rapid quenching of metallic precursors. This technique allows for precise compositional control and rapid nanoparticle production. The resulting powder was used to form sputter targets, which were used to deposit thin films by radio frequency sputtering. These films show excellent sheet resistance and transmission values for a wide range of deposition temperatures. Crystal structure analysis shows that crystals in the target have a random orientation, whereas the crystals in the films grow perpendicular to the substrate surface and propagate preferentially along the (002) axis. Higher temperature deposition reduces crystal quality with a corresponding decrease in refractive index and an increase in sheet resistance. Films deposited between room temperature and 300 °C were found to have sheet resistances equivalent to or better than indium tin oxide films for a given average transmission value

National Ignition Facility system design requirements Laser System SDR002

This System Design Requirement document establishes the performance, design, development, and test requirements for the NIP Laser System. The Laser System generates and delivers high-power optical pulses to the target chamber, and is composed of all optical puke creating and transport elements from Puke Generation through Final Optics as well as the special equipment that supports, energizes and controls them. The Laser System consists of the following WBS elements: 1.3 Laser System 1.4 Beam Transport System 1.6 Optical Components 1.7 Laser Control 1.8.7 Final Optics

Anisotropic dark energy stars

A model of compact object coupled to inhomogeneous anisotropic dark energy is studied. It is assumed a variable dark energy that suffers a phase transition at a critical density. The anisotropic Lambda-Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations are integrated to know the structure of these objects. The anisotropy is concentrated on a thin shell where the phase transition takes place, while the rest of the star remains isotropic. The family of solutions obtained depends on the coupling parameter between the dark energy and the fermion matter. The solutions share several features in common with the gravastar model. There is a critical coupling parameter that gives non-singular black hole solutions. The mass-radius relations are studied as well as the internal structure of the compact objects. The hydrodynamic stability of the models is analyzed using a standard test from the mass-radius relation. For each permissible value of the coupling parameter there is a maximum mass, so the existence of black holes is unavoidable within this model.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, final manuscript, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Synthesis and HDAC inhibitory activity of isosteric thiazoline-oxazole largazole analogs

The synthesis of an isosteric analog of the natural product and HDAC inhibitor largazole is described. The sulfur atom in the thizaole ring of the natural product has been replaced with an oxygen atom, constituting an oxazole ring. The biochemical activity and cytotoxicity of this species is described

Parenting through grief: A cross-sectional study of recently bereaved adults with minor children

Background: Grieving adults raising parentally-bereaved minor children experience persistently elevated symptoms of depression and grief. However, the factors associated with their mental health outcomes are not well understood. Aim: To investigate the psychosocial and demographic characteristics associated with grief distress and depressive symptom severity in bereaved adults with minor children. Design: Cross-sectional, web-based survey. Setting/participants: Eight hundred forty-five bereaved adults raising minor (age <18 years) children who had experienced the death of a co-parent. Primary outcomes were grief distress (Prolonged Grief Disorder-13), depressive symptoms (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Depression), and widowed parenting self-efficacy (WPSES). Results: Mean grief scores were 33.5; mean depression scores were 58.3. Among the 690 individuals more than 6 months bereaved, 132 (19.3%) met criteria for prolonged grief disorder. In adjusted models, participants reporting higher grief scores were more recently bereaved, identified as mothers, non-Caucasian, had lower education and income, and had not anticipated their co-parent’s death. The statistical modeling results for depression scores were similar to grief scores except that depression was not associated with anticipation of co-parent death. Parents reporting lower WPSES scores had higher grief and depression scores. Retrospective assessments of more intense parenting worries at the time of co-parent death were also associated with higher grief and depression scores. Conclusions: For bereaved adults with minor children, unanticipated co-parent death was linked with higher grief distress but not symptoms of depression. Addressing parenting concerns may represent a common pathway for improving the mental health of parentally-bereaved families

Effectiveness of recovered magnesium phosphates as fertilizers in neutral and slightly alkaline soils

Magnesium phosphates such as struvite (MgNH4PO4 · 6H2O) can be recovered from municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters. However, limited information is available on the beneficial reuse of these recovered products; research has focused on low pH soils. Th is study determined whether recovered struvite and dittmarite (MgNH4PO4 · H2O) were effective P fertilizers in neutral to slightly alkaline soils. In addition to commercially available triple superphosphate (TSP) and certified organic rock phosphate (RP), recovered struvite, dittmarite, and a heterogeneous recovered phosphate were evaluated in a laboratory dissolution study and as fertilizers for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a greenhouse study. Struvite and dittmarite were much more soluble than RP, but less soluble than TSP. Laboratory dissolution kinetics were fast, with most materials nearing equilibrium within 7 to 14 d. At a soil pH of 6.5, both dittmarite and struvite increased the average plant P concentration over the control. Struvite and dittmarite performance was similar to TSP. There were no significant differences in plant dry matter (DM) production or total P uptake at pH 6.5. In the limed soil (pH 7.6), many treatments had plant P concentrations significantly lower than the control, but most fertilizers increased DM production over the control; all fertilizers generally performed similarly to one another. These findings support previous work showing recovered Mg phosphates to be effective in acidic soils, and provide evidence that they are also effective in slightly alkaline soils. Recovered Mg phosphates could become a useful alternative for P fertilization in arid and semiarid environments