Revised scored sensory perception quotient reveals sensory hypersensitivity in women with autism

Previous research using the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ) has reported greater sensory hypersensitivity in people with autism spectrum condition (ASC) compared to controls, consistent with other research. However, current scoring of the SPQ does not differentiate between hyper and hyposensitivity, making it uncertain whether individuals with ASC might also show differences in hyposensitivity. Furthermore, no research to date has focused on sensory differences in females, and whether differences in sensory sensitivity extend to the broader autism phenotype (BAP). The present study aimed to fill these gaps. The present study developed and validated a Revised Scoring of the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ-RS) in order to investigate self-reported hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity in three groups of adults: a female ASC group (n = 152), mothers of children with ASC (BAP mothers group; n = 103), and a control mothers group (n = 74). All participants completed the SPQ as a self-report measure of sensory processing and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) as a measure of the degree of autism traits. The female ASC group reported significantly more hypersensitivity, but not more hyposensitivity, compared to the control female and BAP mothers groups. The BAP mothers group did not differ from the control mothers group in either reported hypersensitivity (p = .365) or hyposensitivity (p = .075), suggesting atypical sensory sensitivity is not a BAP trait within females. SPQ-RS hypersensitivity scores positively correlated with autistic traits in the female ASC (r = .266) and BAP mothers groups (r = .350). The present findings revealed greater sensory hypersensitivity, but not hyposensitivity, in females with ASC compared to BAP and control female groups, and that a greater degree of autism traits relates to higher hypersensitivity in ASC females. The results offer support for the enhanced perceptual functioning model using large samples of females, who are an understudied population, and demonstrate the validity of the SPQ-RS as a valuable new research tool for exploring self-reported hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity

Black Color Morph of the Brown Lemming, Lemmus trimucronatus = L. sibiricus

A black pelage Brown Lemming is reported from Barrow, Alaska. The occurrence of this black color morph appears to be rare. During twelve years of Snowy Owl research and lemming trapping, only one has been seen. Of 554 snap-trapped Brown Lemmings and 1649 Brown Lemmings found cached at owl nests, no black individuals were found. The pelage of the black morph is described using a Munsell Soil Color Chart

A weird but interesting journey: Personal traumatic growth for individuals with hallucinations

Objectives: Hallucinations can be traumatic. However, research into 'post-traumatic growth' in relation to hallucinations is scarce. This study aims to further our understanding of personal growth in the context of hallucinations. Design: A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to explore experiences of personal growth with hallucinations, adopting Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven people who experience hallucinations. Participants were asked about experiences of personal growth, their expectations of individual transformation, and facilitating and hindering factors in the attainment of personal growth. Transcripts were analysed ensuring suitable saturation and representation of the data was achieved. Results: One overall theme (A journey towards personal growth) and five subthemes were identified: A difficult journey taken day by day, Stigma, Acceptance, Finding the right support, and Personal growth. Conclusions: Findings supported personal growth in the context of hallucinations and highlighted facilitators and barriers. Practitioner points • There is scarce literature supporting the development of personal growth with hallucinatory experiences and it is empirically limited. The present research provides greater information into the phenomenon to inform service provision. • The importance of acceptance and maintaining hope for change was highlighted. • Services and the use of coping strategies were both identified as facilitative and hindering of personal growth. • This research provides a necessary alternative to the often negative literature; challenging societal perceptions and helping promote much needed hope in clinicians, the public and individuals experiencing hallucinations

METS2 Discussion Group 2

Discussion Grou

An Analysis of the Effectiveness of E-Commerce at United Parcel Service

This paper is an analysis of e-commerce at United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS). The paper begins with a general overview of the company’s IT environment to establish awareness of the size and complexity of this corporation. The analysis includes a macro level breakdown of the technology infrastructure of UPS ranging from the amount of data centers the company has, to the amount of PCs currently in operation. The study also more closely analyzes the software and database structure of UPS. Furthermore, an analysis of the company’s E-commerce activities was conducted and includes an interview with Tom Creech, the North Florida District E-commerce manager at UPS. Finally, research was conducted to evaluate the emerging technologies that UPS will soon be implementing and should be employing in the future to support the business strategy and maintain its competitive edge

United Parcel Services IT Infrastructure: A Case Analysis

This analysis of the information technology infrastructure at United Parcel Service (UPS) begins with a general overview of the companys information technology (IT) environment to establish awareness of the size and complexity of this corporation. It includes a macro-level breakdown of the technology infrastructure of UPS ranging from the data centers to the PCs currently in operation. The study also more closely analyzes the software and database structure of UPS along with an analysis of the companys E-commerce activities. It includes an interview with Tom Creech, the North Florida District E-commerce manager at UPS. Finally, research was conducted to evaluate the emerging technologies that UPS is implementing and employing to support the business strategy and maintain its competitive edge

Integrating Globally Dispersed Calibration in Small Satellites Mission Value

The availability of earth observation (EO) data has rapidly increased from small satellite missions, however, there are often important deficiencies in its accuracy due to lack of calibration. If calibration is rigorously used with emerging sensors, there can be important improvements in reducing uncertainty with profound implications in use of remote sensing data for climate modeling, disaster recovery, and other applications. Here, a novel methodology for modeling the value of multi-spacecraft earth observation missions with globally dispersed calibration systems for frequent radiometric calibration of earth imaging sensors is presented. The mission value is quantified with a proxy metric, Effective Data Acquired (EDA), which is the total data returned by the system for regions of interest to data users over the operational life of the EO system. The EDA is adjusted with calibration-related discounting factors determined by the rate at which data accuracy declines and the frequency of recalibration for each sensor. The method is demonstrated for small spacecraft constellations for earth imaging. The simulated results, for the specific case, show that the adjusted-EDA is reduced by ~18% (from ~2900 TB to~2400TB) for a degradation rate of 0.05% over a 60-day time period. Overall, the adjusted-EDA can be used for relative comparisons in trade studies with varying mission design and calibration site and frequency parameters