Effects of Group Functional Behavior-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior in a Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often present with comorbid Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors (OCBs), but little research exists on effective intervention for OCBs. Using a single-case experimental design, this study highlights the efficacy of a Group Functional Behavior-Based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (Fb-CBT) to reduce OCBs in an 11-year-old youth. Tailored for individuals with ASD, Fb-CBT included traditional CBT components (e.g., psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral skills training, and exposure and response prevention), functional behavior assessment and intervention, and a group parent-training component. Time-series parent report data and standardized OCB measures showed clinically significant decreases in OCBs, increase in psychosocial functioning, and high consumer satisfaction

North to south asymmetries in the water‐equivalent hydrogen distribution at high latitudes on Mars

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95381/1/jgre2434.pd

Equatorial locations of water on Mars: Improved resolution maps based on Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer data

We present a map of the near subsurface hydrogen distribution on Mars, based on epithermal neutron data from the Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer. The map’s spatial resolution is approximately improved two-fold via a new form of the pixon image reconstruction technique. We discover hydrogen-rich mineralogy far from the poles, including  ∼10 wt.% water equivalent hydrogen (WEH) on the flanks of the Tharsis Montes and  >40 wt.% WEH at the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF). The high WEH abundance at the MFF implies the presence of bulk water ice. This supports the hypothesis of recent periods of high orbital obliquity during which water ice was stable on the surface. We find the young undivided channel system material in southern Elysium Planitia to be distinct from its surroundings and exceptionally dry; there is no evidence of hydration at the location in Elysium Planitia suggested to contain a buried water ice sea. Finally, we find that the sites of recurring slope lineae (RSL) do not correlate with subsurface hydration. This implies that RSL are not fed by large, near-subsurface aquifers, but are instead the result of either small ( < 120 km diameter) aquifers, deliquescence of perchlorate and chlorate salts or dry, granular flows

Spatial relationships between patterned ground and ground ice detected by the neutron spectrometer on Mars

[1] Patterned grounds, like polygonal features, are the signature of climatic effects in periglacial regions on Earth. Identifying similar features on Mars is important for an understanding of the past Martian climate. In this study we mapped fresh patterned landforms from the systematic analysis of Mars Orbiter Camera high-resolution images. We show that most of them are distributed at latitudes poleward of ±55°, making a climatic control likely. This distribution correlates to the distribution of ground ice detected by the Neutron Spectrometer aboard Mars Odyssey. This correlation is likely the consequence of the Neutron Spectrometer detecting ice no deeper than about 1 m. Patterned ground formation requires ice in this range of depth because these features are triggered by the propagation of a thermal wave that is driven by seasonal or diurnal changes in insolation, which affect the temperature in the uppermost ground layers. Sublimation seems to play a role in the shaping of many of the small patterns observed at latitudes between 55°and 70°. No widespread polygonal features are correlated to the equatorial regions where hydrogen is detected by the Neutron Spectrometer

Allergic rhinitis in South Africa : 2012 guidelines

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an important disease in South Africa. The South African Allergic Rhinitis Working Group (SAARWG) has published previous guidelines for AR diagnosis and management. Areas of concern have arisen that require additional information, including the management of AR in infancy, appropriate and inappropriate allergy testing, cost of AR management, diagnosis and distinguishing the condition from sinusitis, use of over-the-counter medications, and the concept of the ‘united airway’. RECOMMENDATIONS: Clinicians should consider the possibility of AR in infants with recurrent nasal symptoms. Allergy testing should be used wisely and based on local allergens. Total IgE testing is not routinely required to prove allergy. Acute and chronic sinusitis should be considered in conjunction with AR; treatment of rhinitis will improve these conditions. Over-the-counter medications should be used sparingly and with caution. Concern for long-term use of topical decongestants must be noted. Asthma should always be considered in AR diagnosis. Immunotherapy is available in SA and may be extremely useful in selected AR patients. CONCLUSION: The SAARWG proposed an algorithm for the diagnosis and management of rhinitis in South Africa. AR is common, important and troubling to patients; therefore, every effort should be made to target therapy correctly. Patient education is important in the management of AR.An unrestricted grant from Aspen/GSK Pharmaceuticals for sponsorship of the working group meeting on 10 - 12 February 2012.http://www.samj.org.z

The water cycle and regolith-atmosphere interaction at Gale crater, Mars

We perform mesoscale simulations of the water cycle in a region around Gale crater, including the diffusion of water vapour in and out of the regolith, and compare our results with measurements from the REMS instrument on board the Curiosity rover. Simulations are performed at three times of year, and show that diffusion in and out of the regolith and adsorption/desorption needs to be taken into account in order to match the diurnal variation of relative humidity measured by REMS. During the evening and night, local downslope flows transport water vapour down the walls of Gale crater. When including regolith-atmosphere interaction, the amount of vapour reaching the crater floor is reduced (by factors of 2–3 depending on season) due to vapour diffusing into the regolith along the crater walls. The transport of vapour into Gale crater is also affected by the regional katabatic flow over the dichotomy boundary, with the largest flux of vapour into the regolith initially occurring on the northern crater wall, and moving to the southern wall by early morning. Upslope winds during the day transport vapour desorbing and mixing out of the regolith up crater walls, where it can then be transported a few hundred metres into the atmosphere at convergence boundaries. Regolith-atmosphere interaction limits the formation of surface ice by reducing water vapour abundances in the lower atmosphere, though in some seasons ice can still form in the early morning on eastern crater walls. Subsurface ice amounts are small in all seasons, with ice only existing in the upper few millimetres of regolith during the night. The results at Gale crater are representative of the behaviour at other craters in the mesoscale domain

The EROS2 search for microlensing events towards the spiral arms: the complete seven season results

The EROS-2 project has been designed to search for microlensing events towards any dense stellar field. The densest parts of the Galactic spiral arms have been monitored to maximize the microlensing signal expected from the stars of the Galactic disk and bulge. 12.9 million stars have been monitored during 7 seasons towards 4 directions in the Galactic plane, away from the Galactic center. A total of 27 microlensing event candidates have been found. Estimates of the optical depths from the 22 best events are provided. A first order interpretation shows that simple Galactic models with a standard disk and an elongated bulge are in agreement with our observations. We find that the average microlensing optical depth towards the complete EROS-cataloged stars of the spiral arms is $\bar{\tau} =0.51\pm .13\times 10^{-6}$, a number that is stable when the selection criteria are moderately varied. As the EROS catalog is almost complete up to $I_C=18.5$, the optical depth estimated for the sub-sample of bright target stars with $I_C<18.5$ ($\bar{\tau}=0.39\pm >.11\times 10^{-6}$) is easier to interpret. The set of microlensing events that we have observed is consistent with a simple Galactic model. A more precise interpretation would require either a better knowledge of the distance distribution of the target stars, or a simulation based on a Galactic model. For this purpose, we define and discuss the concept of optical depth for a given catalog or for a limiting magnitude.Comment: 22 pages submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysic