Recognising the ageing face: the role of age in face processing

The effects of age-induced changes on face recognition were investigated as a means of exploring the role of age in the encoding of new facial memories. The ability of participants to recognise each of six previously learnt faces was tested with versions which were either identical to the learnt faces, the same age (but different in pose and expression), or younger or older in age. Participants were able to cope well with facial changes induced by ageing: their performance with older, but not younger, versions was comparable to that with faces which differed only in pose and expression. Since the large majority of different age versions were recognised successfully, it can be concluded that the process of recognition does not require an exact match in age characteristics between the stored representation of a face and the face currently in view. As the age-related changes explored here were those that occur during the period of growth, this in turn implies that the underlying structural physical properties of the face are (in addition to pose and facial expression) invariant to a certain extent

Factors influencing the accuracy of age-estimates of unfamiliar faces

Factors affecting the accuracy with which adults could assess the age of unfamiliar male faces aged between 5 and 70 years were examined. In the first experiment twenty-five 'young' adult subjects, aged 16-25, and twenty-five 'old' adults, aged 51-60, were used. Each subject saw five versions of three different faces: these consisted of an original version of each face and four manipulated versions of it. The manipulations consisted of mirror reversal, pseudo-cardioidal strain, thresholding, and elimination of all but the internal features of the face. The second experiment was similar except that a between-subjects design was used: each subject saw three faces for each age category of target face, but was exposed to only a single type of manipulation (plus a set of 'original' faces which were identical for all groups, so that the comparability of the different groups in age estimation could be checked). Results from both experiments were similar. Age estimates for unmanipulated 'original' faces were highly accurate, although subjects were most accurate with target faces that were within their own age range. Results for the manipulated faces implied that the importance of cardioidal strain as a necessary and sufficient cue to age may have been overestimated in previous reports: subjects' age estimates were accurate when cardioidal strain was absent from the stimulus, and poor when cardioidal strain was the only cue available

Understanding High School English Learners’ Chronic Absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism has significant implications for both the individual student and society at large and has been receiving attention for over a century. Every school day counts. Regular attendance provides students with opportunities to learn and has a strong link to achievement. Conversely, poor attendance has serious implications for high school students. For each subgroup of students there is a similar pattern: the likelihood of chronic absenteeism increases as students progress through high school. Notably, the U.S. Department of Education found English learners experience higher chronic absenteeism than their non-English learner peers when they reach high school. Furthermore, compared to their white peers, Hispanic students were found to be 17 percent more likely to lose three weeks of school or more. This dissertation was designed to determine barriers to attendance for suburban New Jersey high school English learners who have been identified as chronically absent. The focus of this qualitative case study was on the importance of understanding high school English learners’ chronic absenteeism from their perspective. While views about the place of young people in schools and society have changed over the past few years, student voice is noticeably absent from the discussion about chronic absenteeism at the state and district level. Specific studies of high school English learners’ experiences related to their chronic absenteeism do not exist. There is an abundance of research on student attendance and its impact on student achievement, but little research exists on high school English learners’ views regarding barriers to attendance. By taking student voice into account when addressing chronic absenteeism, there is a possibility for school leaders to combat chronic absenteeism with policies and programs that address student barriers to attendance. A qualitative research design was conducted by examining the experiences of student and school personnel, as well as the practices and policies, being implemented to combat the issue. The case study focused on understanding individual perspectives to identify themes and patterns related to student barriers to attendance. In the context of exploring student voice related to English learners’ chronic absenteeism, the research design focused on understanding strategies for improved attendance with particular interest on how school personnel were engaged in using specific strategies. Through the collection of interview, documentation, and observational data, a detailed conceptual theory for guiding interventions within the field of education related to chronic absenteeism. A constant comparative analysis of the data revealed the emergence of several themes and patterns. The findings reflect commonalities in the themes of family influences, financial pressures, transportation issues, immigration concerns, academic challenges as English learners, and some notable experiences, if not widely spread. Interviews with school personnel also elicited ideas about how to combat chronic absenteeism at the high school by building relationships with students, families, and stakeholders. Keywords: chronic absenteeism, English learners, student voice, ESSA, attendanc

EFFECTS OF ALTERNATIVE ACREAGE RESTRICTION PROVISIONS ON ALABAMA COTTON FARMS

The 1985 Farm Bill departs from recent farm bills in moving toward more restrictive acreage control. The change from a two- to a five-year average in calculating base acreage and enforcement of limited cross-compliance appear to significantly alter crop mix decisions on representative Alabama cotton farms.Political Economy,

INCORPORATING THE 1990 FARM BILL INTO FARM-LEVEL DECISION MODELS: AN APPLICATION TO COTTON FARMS

A five-year, 0.1, mixed integer programming model was developed to analyze the effects of 1990 Farm Bill legislation on the crop-mix decisions made on cotton farms. Results showed that, when compared to the 1985 Farm Bill, the 1990 Farm Bill can result in higher whole-farm income despite new "triple base" provisions limiting payment acres. The increase in income results from elimination of limited cross-compliance provisions and the change to a three-year base calculation. The model was also used to assess the likely impact of possible changes in the current legislation.Cotton farms, Farm programs, Programming models, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

Phase I dose-escalation and pharmacokinetic study of dasatinib in patients with advanced solid tumors

PURPOSE: To determine the maximum tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), and recommended phase II dose of dasatinib in metastatic solid tumors refractory to standard therapies or for which no effective standard therapy exists. <br></br> EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In this phase I, open-label, dose-escalation study, patients received 35 to 160 mg of dasatinib twice daily in 28-day cycles either every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days followed by 2 nontreatment days every week (5D2) or as continuous, twice-daily (CDD) dosing. <br></br> RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were treated (5D2, n = 33; CDD, n = 34). The maximum tolerated doses were 120 mg twice daily 5D2 and 70 mg twice daily CDD. DLTs with 160 mg 5D2 were recurrent grade 2 rash, grade 3 lethargy, and one patient with both grade 3 prolonged bleeding time and grade 3 hypocalcemia; DLTs with 120 mg twice daily CDD were grade 3 nausea, grade 3 fatigue, and one patient with both grade 3 rash and grade 2 proteinuria. The most frequent treatment-related toxicities across all doses were nausea, fatigue, lethargy, anorexia, proteinuria, and diarrhea, with infrequent hematologic toxicities. Pharmacokinetic data indicated rapid absorption, dose proportionality, and lack of drug accumulation. Although no objective tumor responses were seen, durable stable disease was observed in 16% of patients.<br></br> CONCLUSION: Dasatinib was well tolerated in this population, with a safety profile similar to that observed previously in leukemia patients, although with much less hematologic toxicity. Limited, although encouraging, preliminary evidence of clinical activity was observed. Doses of 120 mg twice daily (5D2) or 70 mg twice daily (CDD) are recommended for further studies in patients with solid tumors.<br></br&gt

Storage Analysis for the ACF, ACT, and Savannah River Basins

Proceedings of the 1995 Georgia Water Resources Conference, April 11 and 12, 1995, Athens, Georgia.The HEC-5 model is used to: 1) evaluate operational approaches for reservoirs in the ACF, ACT, and Savannah River systems; and 2) determine the impacts of future Atlanta area water withdrawals and increased minimum flows at Columbus, Georgia. A Dependable Capacity Operation approach is recommended. This approach maximizes economic benefits of hydropower and allows other water demands to be met through and beyond the year 2010.Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 with partial funding provided by the U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey, through the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397). The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of the University of Georgia or the U.S. Geological Survey or the conference sponsors

Unpacking impacts of climate change and variability on agriculture, food security and incomes in Northern Uganda: A gender standpoint. Stakeholder opinions from seven districts in Northern Uganda

This Info Note takes a gender standpoint to unpack and critically examine the impacts of climate change and variability on agricultural production, food security and incomes of farming households in Northern Uganda

Inhaled anticholinergic use and all-cause mortality among elderly Medicare beneficiaries with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between use of inhaled anticholinergics and all-cause mortality among elderly individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, health, functional status, smoking, and obesity.Methods: We used a retrospective longitudinal panel data design. Data were extracted for multiple years (2002–2009) of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) linked with fee-for-service Medicare claims. Generic and brand names of inhaled anticholinergics were used to identify inhaled anticholinergic utilization from the self-reported prescription medication files. All-cause mortality was assessed using the vital status variable. Unadjusted group differences in mortality rates were tested using the chi-square statistic. Multivariable logistic regressions with independent variables entered in separate blocks were used to analyze the association between inhaled anticholinergic use and all-cause mortality. All analyses accounted for the complex design of the MCBS.Results: Overall, 19.4% of the elderly Medicare beneficiaries used inhaled anticholinergics. Inhaled anticholinergic use was significantly higher (28.5%) among those who reported poor health compared with those reporting excellent or very good health (12.7%). Bivariate analyses indicated that inhaled anticholinergic use was associated with significantly higher rates of all-cause mortality (18.7%) compared with nonusers (13.6%). However, multivariate analyses controlling for risk factors did not suggest an increased likelihood of all-cause mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 0.95–1.67).Conclusion: Use of inhaled anticholinergics among elderly individuals with COPD is potentially safe in terms of all-cause mortality when we adjust for baseline risk factors