Structured Language Intervention for a Case of Advanced Frontotemporal Dementia

The semantic dementia (SD) form of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) can cause deficits in naming and comprehension (Hodges, 2003). This study attempted to use an errorless learning approach in to preserve functional vocabulary in an advanced case of Frontotemporal Demenentia (FTD). EP received this treatment for 8 months. After those 8 months it was found that she initially increased in her naming abilities, then plateaued, and ultimately fell to her pre-treatment baseline. We concluded that are findings could be due to the progression of her disease but also due to a low amount of training due to vacation

Using graph theory to analyze biological networks

Understanding complex systems often requires a bottom-up analysis towards a systems biology approach. The need to investigate a system, not only as individual components but as a whole, emerges. This can be done by examining the elementary constituents individually and then how these are connected. The myriad components of a system and their interactions are best characterized as networks and they are mainly represented as graphs where thousands of nodes are connected with thousands of vertices. In this article we demonstrate approaches, models and methods from the graph theory universe and we discuss ways in which they can be used to reveal hidden properties and features of a network. This network profiling combined with knowledge extraction will help us to better understand the biological significance of the system

Anthropogenic intensification of short-duration rainfall extremes

Short- duration (1-3 h) rainfall extremes can cause serious damage to societies through rapidly developing (flash) flooding and are determined by complex, multifaceted processes that are altering as Earth's climate warms. In this Review, we examine evidence from observational, theoretical and modelling studies for the intensification of these rainfall extremes, the drivers and the impact on flash flooding. Both short- duration and long- duration (\textgreater1 day) rainfall extremes are intensifying with warming at a rate consistent with the increase in atmospheric moisture (~7% K-1), while in some regions, increases in short- duration extreme rainfall intensities are stronger than expected from moisture increases alone. These stronger local increases are related to feedbacks in convective clouds, but their exact role is uncertain because of the very small scales involved. Future extreme rainfall intensification is also modulated by changes to temperature stratification and large- scale atmospheric circulation. The latter remains a major source of uncertainty. Intensification of short- duration extremes has likely increased the incidence of flash flooding at local scales and this can further compound with an increase in storm spatial footprint to considerably increase total event rainfall. These findings call for urgent climate change adaptation measures to manage increasing flood risks

Reconstruction of summer temperatures in Interior Alaska from tree ring proxies: Evidence for changing synoptic climate regimes

Abstract. Maximum latewood density and δ 13 C discrimination of Interior Alaska white spruce were used to reconstruct summer (May through August) temperature at Fairbanks for the period 1800– 1996, one of the first high-resolution reconstructions for this region. This combination of latewood density and δ 13 C discrimination explains 59.9 % of the variance in summer temperature during the period of record 1906–1996. The 200-yr. reconstruction is characterized by 7 decadal-scale regimes