Input effects on the acquisition of a novel phrasal construction in five year olds

The present experiments demonstrate that children as young as five years old (M = 5;2) generalize beyond their input on the basis of minimal exposure to a novel argument structure construction. The novel construction that was used involved a non-English phrasal pattern: VN1N2, paired with a novel abstract meaning: N2 approaches N1. At the same time, we find that children are keenly sensitive to the input: they show knowledge of the construction after a single day of exposure but this grows stronger after three days; also, children generalize more readily to new verbs when the input contains more than one verb

A Virtual Reality System for Practicing Conversation Skills for Children with Autism

We describe a virtual reality environment, Bob’s Fish Shop, which provides a system where users diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can practice social interactions in a safe and controlled environment. A case study is presented which suggests such an environment can provide the opportunity for users to build the skills necessary to carry out a conversation without the fear of negative social consequences present in the physical world. Through the repetition and analysis of these virtual interactions, users can improve social and conversational understanding

Archeological Impact Evaluations and Surveys in the Texas Department of Transportation\u27s Abilene, Brownwood, Fort Worth, and Waco Districts, 2003-2006

This document constitutes the final report of work done by Prewitt and Associates, Inc. (PAI), under a contract from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to provide archeological services in four TxDOT districts—Abilene, Brownwood, Fort Worth, and Waco. Under this contract, PAI completed Impact Evaluations and Surveys to assist TxDOT in meeting the requirements of their Memorandum of Understanding with the Texas Historical Commission and a Programmatic Agreement between the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Texas Historical Commission, and TxDOT. The contract began on 26 September 2003. A total of 77 projects were conducted. The 77 projects consisted of 25 Impact Evaluations and 52 Surveys. Combined, these entailed efforts at 52 bridge replacements, 14 road realignment or widening projects (many also involving bridge replacements), 1 new road construction project, 1 hike-and-bike trail construction project, 5 projects involving upgrading or replacing existing culverts, 1 project involving construction of drainage improvements, 2 unspecified road maintenance or improvement projects, and 1 project involving replacement of an interstate highway interchange. Of the 25 Impact Evaluations done, 8 led to recommendations that survey could be needed before construction. In 4 cases, the need for survey depended on whether new right of way would be acquired, which was unknown when the Impact Evaluations were done. The other 17 Impact Evaluations resulted in recommendations that no survey be required before construction based on the limited potential for sites with good integrity. Of the 52 Surveys done under this contract, 9 investigated six newly recorded and four previously recorded sites; eight of the sites are prehistoric, and two are of historic age. Four prehistoric sites were recommended for testing to assess eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and designation as State Archeological Landmarks, and one historic site was recommended for archival and oral history research. The other 43 Surveys did not find any archeological sites. All artifacts collected and records generated by projects done under this contract are curated at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin. Artifacts were collected from five sites (41BQ285, 41CV1636, 41HM53, 41LT307, and 41SV4). Those from 41HM53 and 41SV4 are from State-owned lands and thus are curated in a held-in-trust status at TARL. The artifacts from 41BQ285, 41CV1636, and 41LT307 are from private lands and are curated in a non-held-in-trust status

Maternity waiting homes and traditional midwives in rural Liberia

ObjectiveMaternity waiting homes (MWHs) can reduce maternal morbidity and mortality by increasing access to skilled birth attendants (SBAs). The present analysis was conducted to determine whether MWHs increase the use of SBAs at rural primary health clinics in Liberia; to determine whether traditional midwives (TMs) are able to work with SBAs as a team and to describe the perceptions of TMs as they engage with SBAs; and to determine whether MWHs decrease maternal and child morbidity and mortality.MethodsThe present analysis was conducted halfway through a large cohort study in which 5 Liberian communities received the intervention (establishment of an MWH) and 5 Liberian communities did not (control group). Focus groups were conducted to examine the views of TMs on their integration into health teams.ResultsCommunities with MWHs experienced a significant increase in team births from baseline to post‐intervention (10.8% versus 95.2%, P < 0.001), with greater TM engagement. Lower rates of maternal and perinatal death were reported from communities with MWHs.ConclusionThe reduction in morbidity and mortality indicates that the establishment of MWHs is an effective strategy to increase the use of SBAs, improve the collaboration between SBAs and TMs, and improve maternal and neonatal health.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135181/1/ijgo114.pd

Host-linked soil viral ecology along a permafrost thaw gradient

Climate change threatens to release abundant carbon that is sequestered at high latitudes, but the constraints on microbial metabolisms that mediate the release of methane and carbon dioxide are poorly understood1,2,3,4,5,6,7. The role of viruses, which are known to affect microbial dynamics, metabolism and biogeochemistry in the oceans8,9,10, remains largely unexplored in soil. Here, we aimed to investigate how viruses influence microbial ecology and carbon metabolism in peatland soils along a permafrost thaw gradient in Sweden. We recovered 1,907 viral populations (genomes and large genome fragments) from 197 bulk soil and size-fractionated metagenomes, 58% of which were detected in metatranscriptomes and presumed to be active. In silico predictions linked 35% of the viruses to microbial host populations, highlighting likely viral predators of key carbon-cycling microorganisms, including methanogens and methanotrophs. Lineage-specific virus/host ratios varied, suggesting that viral infection dynamics may differentially impact microbial responses to a changing climate. Virus-encoded glycoside hydrolases, including an endomannanase with confirmed functional activity, indicated that viruses influence complex carbon degradation and that viral abundances were significant predictors of methane dynamics. These findings suggest that viruses may impact ecosystem function in climate-critical, terrestrial habitats and identify multiple potential viral contributions to soil carbon cycling

Renewable Energy Opportunities at Fort Polk, Louisiana

This document provides an overview of renewable resource potential at Fort Polk, based primarily upon analysis of secondary data sources supplemented with limited on-site evaluations. This effort focuses on grid-connected generation of electricity from renewable energy sources and also on ground source heat pumps for heating and cooling buildings. The effort was funded by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) as follow-on to the 2005 Department of Defense (DoD) Renewables Assessment. The site visit to Fort Polk took place on February 16, 2010

Validação da versão brasileira da escala ISMI adaptada para dependentes de substâncias

The aim of this study was to validate the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale – ISMI adapted for substance dependents in Brazil. The research was conducted with a sample of 299 substance dependents. In this sample, the scale had a reliability coefficient alpha of .83 and a coefficient Spearman-Brown of .76. The construct validity, estimated by Exploratory Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis, showed a statistically significant correlation (p<0.01) between ISMI and CES-D (r=.47), Herth Hope Scale (r=-.19), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (r=-0.48). The Brazilian version of ISMI showed satisfactory psychometric properties in the studied sample and promises to be a useful tool to measure internalized stigma among substance dependents.Esse estudo teve como objetivo validar a escala Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness – ISMI adaptada para dependentes de substâncias psicoativas, no Brasil. A pesquisa foi conduzida com uma amostra de 299 dependentes de substâncias. O valor do alfa de Cronbach do escore total foi de 0,83 e o Coeficiente Spearman-Brown de 0,76. A validade de constructo, estimada pela Análise Fatorial Exploratória de Máxima Verossimilhança, demonstrou correlação estatisticamente significativa (p<0,01) entre a ISMI e as escalas CES-D (r=0,47), Escala de Esperança de Herth (r=-0,19) e Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg (r=-0,48). A versão brasileira da ISMI demonstrou propriedades psicométricas satisfatórias e promete ser um instrumento útil para mensurar estigma internalizado entre dependentes de substâncias

Validação da Versão Brasileira da Escala ISMI Adaptada para Dependentes de Substâncias.

The aim of this study was to validate the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale ”“ ISMI adapted forsubstance dependents in Brazil. The research was conducted with a sample of 299 substance dependents. In this sample, thescale had a reliability coefficient alpha of .83 and a coefficient Spearman-Brown of .76. The construct validity, estimatedby Exploratory Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis, showed a statistically significant correlation (p&lt;0.01) between ISMIand CES-D (r=.47), Herth Hope Scale (r=-.19), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (r=-0.48). The Brazilian version of ISMIshowed satisfactory psychometric properties in the studied sample and promises to be a useful tool to measure internalizedstigma among substance dependents.Esse estudo teve como objetivo validar a escala Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness ”“ ISMI adaptada para dependentes de substâncias psicoativas, no Brasil. Método: a pesquisa foi conduzida com uma amostra de 299 dependentes de substâncias. Resultados: O valor do alfa de Cronbach do escore total foi de 0,83 e o Coeficiente Spearman-Brown de 0,76. A validade de constructo, estimada pela Análise Fatorial Exploratória de Máxima Verossimilhança, demonstrou correlação estatisticamente significativa (p&lt;0,01) entre a ISMI e as escalas CES-D (r=0,47), Escala de Esperança de Herth (r=-0,19) e Escala de Auto-estima de Rosenberg (r=-0,48). Discussão: A versão brasileira da ISMI demonstrou propriedades psicométricas satisfatórias e promete ser um instrumento útil para mensurar estigma internalizado entre dependentes de substâncias

Psychometric properties of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale adapted for people who use psychoactive substances.

Background: People who consume psychoactive substances may experience situations of social stigma on the part of the society in general, and also situations of internalized-stigma derived from their own consumption of substances. The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale has been shown to be valid and reliable to evaluate the internalized-stigma in people with severe mental disorders, but in Argentina there is no a Spanish version of this scale for use with people who use psychoactive substances. The objective of this work was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness instrument adapted for people who use psychoactive substances.Method: The work was carried out on a sample of 200 patients older than 18 years under treatment of rehabilitation by consumption of psychoactive substances in a public institution of the city of Córdoba (Argentina) between the years 2014 and 2016. The instrument used was the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) previously adapted for use in these groups of patients. It was determined the reliability of the scale through Cronbach’s coefficients ? and factorial structure was analyzed through an exploratory factor analysis.Results: The obtained coefficients showed a high reliability, while in the factorial structure emerged the 4 theoretical dimensions described by Ritsher, namely: social isolation, perceived discrimination, alienation and stereotyping. Conclusion: It is concluded that the scale adapted for people who use psychoactive substances is reliable and with an adequate factorial structure.</p

Evaluating 'Prefer not to say' Around Sensitive Disclosures

As people's offline and online lives become increasingly entwined, the sensitivity of personal information disclosed online is increasing. Disclosures often occur through structured disclosure fields (e.g., drop-down lists). Prior research suggests these fields may limit privacy, with non-disclosing users being presumed to be hiding undesirable information. We investigated this around HIV status disclosure in online dating apps used by men who have sex with men. Our online study asked participants (N=183) to rate profiles where HIV status was either disclosed or undisclosed. We tested three designs for displaying undisclosed fields. Visibility of undisclosed fields had a significant effect on the way profiles were rated, and other profile information (e.g., ethnicity) could affect inferences that develop around undisclosed information. Our research highlights complexities around designing for non-disclosure and questions the voluntary nature of these fields. Further work is outlined to ensure disclosure control is appropriately implemented around online sensitive information disclosures