Mobility in daily life - The car and use of information and communication technology for family logistics

The development of “new” family structures, with an increasing portions of divorced parents choose joint custody of the children, and a differentiation and distribution of daily activities has opened the way for new and more flexible forms for information and communication technology (ICT) to coordinate the interaction between family members. The need for flexible transport to link together activities is also an issue. The point of departure for this paper is to examine the interaction between the uses of ICT, in particular mobile phones, physical mobility and social life in an increasingly differentiated and distributed daily life among families with children. The questions addressed are how different families use ICT to coordinate and maintain relationships in everyday life and how ICT and physical mobility interact within this context. The empirical analysis is based on in-depth interviews of 25 families in the Oslo region. The analysis of the interaction between the car and the mobile phone indicate that the one will not replace the other. It is rather such that they represent technologies that complement each other and can perhaps mutually increase use. While the car is an extension of the body and which increases the physical range of the individual, the mobile telephone increases one’s range of overview. To some degree the mobile telephone directs automobile use, in the sense that it may generate more trips since use of the mobile telephone means that there is not the need to plan daily activities. More of the activities are carried out spontaneously and daily life is more ad hoc, which also indicate more car uses. In the families of this study different time use arrangements are tied to the use of the car and the mobile telephone. At the one extreme we find the structured where all the activities are planned – both in time and space – and all the assignments are divided between the various members of the family. On the other hand we see families where everything is done spontaneously and there is very little planning aside from the fixed portions of life. The structured and ad hoc systems are two extremes on a scale where there are many alternative solutions. The families in this study represent positions between the extremes tending towards the ad hoc end of the spectrum. The car and the mobile telephone are devices that allow this type of organization, which seems to increase daily transport by car.

Modulation of the GABAergic pathway for the treatment of fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and the most common single-gene cause of autism. It is caused by mutations on the fragile X mental retardation gene (FMR1) and lack of fragile X mental retardation protein, which in turn, leads to decreased inhibition of translation of many synaptic proteins. The metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) hypothesis states that the neurological deficits in individuals with FXS are due mainly to downstream consequences of overstimulation of the mGluR pathway. The main efforts have focused on mGluR5 targeted treatments; however, investigation on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system and its potential as a targeted treatment is less emphasized. The fragile X mouse models (Fmr1-knock out) show decreased GABA subunit receptors, decreased synthesis of GABA, increased catabolism of GABA, and overall decreased GABAergic input in many regions of the brain. Consequences of the reduced GABAergic input in FXS include oversensitivity to sensory stimuli, seizures, and anxiety. Deficits in the GABA receptors in different regions of the brain are associated with behavioral and attentional processing deficits linked to anxiety and autistic behaviors. The understanding of the neurobiology of FXS has led to the development of targeted treatments for the core behavioral features of FXS, which include social deficits, inattention, and anxiety. These symptoms are also observed in individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, therefore the targeted treatments for FXS are leading the way in the treatment of other neurodevelopmental syndromes and autism. The GABAergic system in FXS represents a target for new treatments. Herein, we discuss the animal and human trials of GABAergic treatment in FXS. Arbaclofen and ganaxolone have been used in individuals with FXS. Other potential GABAergic treatments, such as riluzole, gaboxadol, tiagabine, and vigabatrin, will be also discussed. Further studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of GABAergic treatments for FXS

Identification of New mRNA Targets of Puf Protein-Mediated Decay in Yeast

Precise regulation of gene expression is accomplished at many levels. Puf proteins are a widely conserved family of RNA binding proteins that regulate gene expression by influencing the stability of their target mRNA transcripts. Puf family members have been characterized as transcript-specific repressors in Drosophila, Dictyostelium, mouse, C. elegans, and Xenopus. In S. cerevisiae, there are 5 conserved Puf family members. Two of them, Puf3p and Puf5p, are known to destabilize their mRNA targets, down-regulating gene expression. The remaining yeast Pufs, Puf1p, Puf2p and Puf4p, are homologous to Puf3p and Puf5p, suggesting that they too have regulatory roles not yet observed. In this work, I attempt to identify new mRNA targets of Puf mediated decay in yeast. In particular, I am interested in targets of the uncharacterized yeast Pufs. The ability of a Puf protein to regulate its target transcript is dependent on Puf binding to a conserved element in the 3¿UTR of the target mRNA. A search for similar 3¿UTR elements and previous microarray data helped to identify numerous potential mRNA targets of Puf-mediated decay. In this work, experimental analysis of the candidate mRNAs positively identified three new targets of Puf mediated mRNA decay. Two of the targets, HXK1 and TIF1, are destabilized in vivo by Puf1p and Puf5p, respectively. The third target, YHB1, is actually stabilized by Puf2p. Interestingly, while the TIF1 and HXK1 3¿UTRs are sufficient for Puf mediated decay as expected, the YHB1 3¿UTR is not sufficient to confer Puf2p mediated decay onto the MFA2 coding region. In addition to these functional studies, I also demonstrate Puf interaction with conserved sequence elements in each 3¿UTR. Together, my work provides evidence that all yeast Puf proteins selectively regulate mRNA decay, and in some cases, Puf proteins may up-regulate gene expression

Puf1p-MEDIATED mRNA DECAY AND COMBINATORIAL CONTROL OF mRNA STABILITY BY THE YEAST Puf PROTEINS

The stability of a messenger RNA (mRNA) is a highly regulated and important aspect of gene expression. Proteins that regulate mRNA stability often bind to 3\u27 untranslated region (UTR) sequence elements. The eukaryotic Puf proteins are one class of 3\u27UTR binding proteins that regulate the stability and expression of their target transcripts. Several global genome analyses have identified hundreds of potential mRNA targets of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Puf proteins, however only three mRNA targets for these proteins have been characterized thus far. After direct testing of nearly forty candidate mRNAs, I have established three of these as true mRNA targets of Puf-mediated decay in yeast, YHB1, HXK1 and TIF1. In a novel finding, multiple Puf proteins, including Puf1p, regulate HXK1 and TIF1 mRNAs in combination. TIF1 mRNA decay can be stimulated individually by Puf1p and Puf5p, but the combination of both proteins is required for full regulation. This Puf-mediated decay requires the presence of two UGUA binding sites within the TIF1 3\u27UTR, with one site regulated by Puf5p and the other by both Puf1p and Puf5p. The stability of the endogenously transcribed HXK1 mRNA, cellular levels of Hxk1 protein activity, and HXK1 3\u27UTR-directed decay are affected by Puf1p and Puf5p as well as Puf4p. YHB1 mRNA decay is mediated by Puf5p and also requires a UGUA sequence element. This work has discovered the first targets of Puf1-mediated decay. Since much of our knowledge of the mechanism suggests that Puf protein target recognition and mechanism of action varies with each of these proteins, I investigate the mechanism of Puf1p-mediated decay using a variety a techniques. The results of this research aid in our understanding of the similar, yet distinct, decay regulation of Puf proteins in yeast and higher organisms

Evaluating the Impact of Intersecting Research and Outreach Marine Science Programs on Elementary and Undergraduate Students

Climate change is one of the most destructive forces our ocean is currently experiencing. Despite this, many students are not taught the basics of climate change science and ocean literacy in public school systems. My work seeks to combat these deficits through educational experiences in marine science for undergraduate and local elementary students through three studies incorporating marine-science based research and outreach. (1) Through undergraduate marine science research and outreach, students enrolled for long durations or with positive mentorship increased their conceptual understanding of marine science concepts, altered their attitudes towards climate change and science, and were more likely to pursue STEM careers. (2) In an online marine science, project-based learning (PBL) setting, undergraduates increased their conceptual understanding and developed vital research and communication skills, although their attitudes towards science and climate change did not change. (3) Finally, elementary students engaged in citizen science did not exhibit any changes in their science identity or conceptual understanding, although more data is needed to fully interpret these findings. Collectively, these studies show that experiential learning can be an effective way to integrate students into marine science and help them understand the impacts of climate change. However, further research is needed to understand if PBL and citizen science specifically can be used to change student understanding and attitudes

Role of Perceived Access and Harm in Marijuana Use Among Adolescents

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2006A three-pronged substance abuse prevention intervention was undertaken by a Midwestern, suburban community. Analysis of the long-term impact of the intervention revealed a reduction in alcohol use among students. However, student marijuana use was not impacted as positively. This interdependence between the use of alcohol and marijuana has been reported in the literature, but the role of cognitive factors has not been adequately studied. The current study examined the role of perceived access to alcohol and marijuana and perceived harm associated with alcohol and marijuana use on marijuana use. Data were collected from 11,542 8th - 12th grade students in 1998, 2000, and 2003. Data were examined via two sets of logistic regression analyses investigating (1) the role of alcohol use and access to alcohol and marijuana in past month and lifetime marijuana use and (2) the role of alcohol use and perceptions of harm associated with alcohol and marijuana use in past month and lifetime marijuana use. Results revealed that (a) participants indicating no alcohol use were more likely to report past month and lifetime marijuana use, (b) among older students access to marijuana played a role in past month and lifetime marijuana use only when access to alcohol was limited, (c) perceived harm associated with marijuana played a role in lifetime marijuana use only when perceptions of harm associated with alcohol were low

Physical Properties of the Narrow-Line Region of Low-Mass Active Galaxies

We present spectroscopic observations of 27 active galactic nuclei (AGN) with some of the lowest black hole (BH) masses known. We use the high spectral resolution and small aperture of our Keck data, taken with the Echellette Spectrograph and Imager, to isolate the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of these low-mass BHs. We investigate their emission-line properties and compare them with those of AGN with higher-mass black holes. While we are unable to determine absolute metallicities, some of our objects plausibly represent examples of the low-metallicity AGN described by Groves et al. (2006), based on their [N II]/H_alpha ratios and their consistency with the Kewley & Ellison (2008) mass-metallicity relation. We find tentative evidence for steeper far-UV spectral slopes in lower-mass systems. Overall, NLR emission lines in these low-mass AGN exhibit trends similar to those seen in AGN with higher-mass BHs, such as increasing blueshifts and broadening with increasing ionization potential. Additionally, we see evidence of an intermediate line region whose intensity correlates with L/L_Edd, as seen in higher-mass AGN. We highlight the interesting trend that, at least in these low-mass AGN, the [O III] equivalent width (EW) is highest in symmetric NLR lines with no blue wing. This trend of increasing [O III] EW with line symmetry could be explained by a high covering factor of lower ionization gas in the NLR. In general, low-mass AGN preserve many well-known trends in the structure of the NLR, while exhibiting steeper ionizing continuum slopes and somewhat lower gas-phase metallicities.Comment: 46 pages, 14 figures, 7 table

A selected history of expectation bias in physics

The beliefs of physicists can bias their results towards their expectations in a number of ways. We survey a variety of historical cases of expectation bias in observations, experiments, and calculations.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

FAIR principles and the IEDB: short-term improvements and a long-term vision of OBO-foundry mediated machine-actionable interoperability.

The Immune Epitope Database (IEDB), at www.iedb.org, has the mission to make published experimental data relating to the recognition of immune epitopes easily available to the scientific public. By presenting curated data in a searchable database, we have liberated it from the tables and figures of journal articles, making it more accessible and usable by immunologists. Recently, the principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability have been formulated as goals that data repositories should meet to enhance the usefulness of their data holdings. We here examine how the IEDB complies with these principles and identify broad areas of success, but also areas for improvement. We describe short-term improvements to the IEDB that are being implemented now, as well as a long-term vision of true 'machine-actionable interoperability', which we believe will require community agreement on standardization of knowledge representation that can be built on top of the shared use of ontologies

Promoting School Readiness in At-risk Children: An Evaluation of a Behavioral Parent Training Program in an Early Childhood Community Setting

Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the gold standard for the treatment of externalizing behavior problems in young children. However, many programs have failed to consistently replicate positive outcomes in economically and socially disadvantaged populations. Given the lasting negative impact of early behavioral problems on youth, families, and society as well as the heightened risk such families face, it is important to examine BPT within particularly vulnerable populations. A pilot open trial of a novel BPT, the School Readiness Parenting Program (SRPP), was conducted to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and promise of the manualized treatment as a standalone intervention for economically and socially disadvantaged families implemented within early childhood education settings, and generate feedback regarding the SRPP in order to refine future iterations. In addition, a qualitative study of the program was also conducted to examine caregiver acceptability of SRPP and the adaptation and implementation of the program during the school year. The open trial consisted of six Black caregivers and their preschool-aged children who completed a pretreatment assessment, received the SRPP, completed a posttreatment assessment, and participated in a focus group or individual interview. Results indicated sufficient feasibility and acceptability of the SRPP. The qualitative study consisted of 35 caregivers (68% Black) who participated in focus groups or interviews. Results indicated that while many caregivers found some of the evidence-based strategies acceptable (e.g., planned ignoring, praise), time-out as a discipline strategy was often seen as culturally incongruent. Strengths and weaknesses of the present studies are discussed, and considerations for future research directions are noted. Findings from the current studies provide a foundation for informing intervention efforts and treatment adaptations to meet the needs of overrepresented and underserved communities