A preliminary multiple case report of neurocognitive training for children with AD/HD in China

This preliminary multiple case study examined the behavioral outcomes of neurocognitive training on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) in China, as well as parent acceptance of the treatment. The training approach targeted working memory, impulse control, and attention/relaxation (via brain electrical activity). Outcome measures included overt behavior as rated by parents and teachers, AD/HD symptom frequency, and parent opinion/feedback. Training was completed by five individuals and delivered via a themed computer game with electroencephalogram (EEG) input via a wireless, single-channel, dry-sensor, portable measurement device. The objective (i.e., training outcomes and EEG) and subjective (i.e., parent ratings/feedback and teacher ratings) data suggested that use of the neurocognitive training resulted in reduced AD/HD behaviors and improvement in socially meaningful outcomes. The parents expressed satisfaction with the training procedure and outcomes. It is concluded that the innovative neurocognitive training approach is effective for improving behavior and reducing symptoms of AD/HD for children in China

Structural equation modelling to assess relationships between event-related potential components, heart rate and skin conductance in the context of emotional stimuli

Abstract of a poster presented at the 17th World Congress of Psychophysiology (IOP2014) of the International Organization of Psychophysiology (IOP) Hiroshima, Japan, September 23rd to 27th, 2014

Changing Forests in a Warming World

Severe fires can dramatically alter the future growth of a spruce forest. A severe fire is likely to change the forest to one dominated by broadleaf deciduous trees, especially in drier places.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

Predicting functional outcomes after stroke: An observational study of acute single-channel EEG

Background: Early and objective prediction of functional outcome after stroke is an important issue in rehabilitation. Electroencephalography (EEG) has long been utilized to describe and monitor brain function following neuro-trauma, and technological advances have improved usability in the acute setting. However, skepticism persists whether EEG can provide the same prognostic value as neurological examination. Objective: The current cohort study examined the relationship between acute single-channel EEG and functional outcomes after stroke. Methods: Resting-state EEG recorded at a single left pre-frontal EEG channel (FP1) was obtained from 16 adults within 72 h of first stroke. At 30 and 90 days, measures of disability (modified Rankin Scale; mRS) and involvement in daily activities (modified Barthel Index; mBI) were obtained. Acute EEG measures were correlated with functional outcomes and compared to an early neurological examination of stroke severity using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Classification of good outcomes (mRS ≤1 or mBI ≥95) was also examined using Receiver Operator Curve analyses. Results: One-third to one-half of participants experienced incomplete post-stroke recovery, depending on the time point and measure. Functional outcomes correlated with acute theta values (rs 0.45–0.60), with the strength of associations equivalent to previously reported values obtained from conventional multi-channel systems. Acute theta values ≥0.25 were associated with good outcomes, with positive (67-83%) and negative predictive values (70-90%) comparable to those obtained using the NIHSS. Conclusions: Acute, single-channel EEG can provide unique, non-overlapping clinical information, which may facilitate objective prediction of functional outcome after stroke

Reference to the index of the diary and reminiscences of William Johnstone and Stuart Eardley Wilmot

The Firm of Johnstone & Wilmot, Launceston. Papers of William Johnstone (1820-1874) who arrived in Tasmania in 1842 and set up in business as an importer of wines, spirits, cigars and a few other delicacies, and went into partnership with Stuart Eardley Wilmot who had married Rosa C. Johnstone

Does training on inhibitory tasks influence alcohol consumption and attitudes?

Response inhibition - the suppression of a prepotent or ongoing action - is an executive function central to the regulation of behaviour. Response inhibition can be assessed in the laboratory using the Go/No-go or Stop-Signal tasks which both assess the capacity to withhold an inappropriate response. In the Go/No-go task, participants are required to respond rapidly to Go stimuli but to withhold that response upon No-go stimuli. In the Stop-Signal task, participants are required to respond to Go stimuli but to withhold the response when an auditory stop signal occurs subsequent to the Go stimulus

The warm and dense Galaxy - tracing the formation of dense cloud structures out to the Galactic Center

The past two decades have seen extensive surveys of the far-infrared to submillimeter continuum emission in the plane of our Galaxy. We line out prospects for the coming decade for corresponding molecular and atomic line surveys which are needed to fully understand the formation of the dense structures that give birth to clusters and stars out of the diffuse interstellar medium. We propose to work towards Galaxy wide surveys in mid-J CO lines to trace shocks from colliding clouds, Galaxy-wide surveys for atomic Carbon lines in order to get a detailed understanding of the relation of atomic and molecular gas in clouds, and to perform extensive surveys of the structure of the dense parts of molecular clouds to understand the importance of filaments/fibers over the full range of Galactic environments and to study how dense cloud cores are formed from the filaments. This work will require a large (50m) Single Dish submillimeter telescope equipped with massively multipixel spectrometer arrays, such as envisaged by the AtLAST project.Comment: Science white paper submitted to the Astro2020 Decadal Surve

Quivers of monoids with basic algebras

We compute the quiver of any monoid that has a basic algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. More generally, we reduce the computation of the quiver over a splitting field of a class of monoids that we term rectangular monoids (in the semigroup theory literature the class is known as $\mathbf{DO}$) to representation theoretic computations for group algebras of maximal subgroups. Hence in good characteristic for the maximal subgroups, this gives an essentially complete computation. Since groups are examples of rectangular monoids, we cannot hope to do better than this. For the subclass of $\mathscr R$-trivial monoids, we also provide a semigroup theoretic description of the projective indecomposables and compute the Cartan matrix.Comment: Minor corrections and improvements to exposition were made. Some theorem statements were simplified. Also we made a language change. Several of our results are more naturally expressed using the language of Karoubi envelopes and irreducible morphisms. There are no substantial changes in actual result

Combined cognitive and state-control training for children with and without AD/HD: Effects on behaviour, working memory and resting EEG

Abstract presented at the 23rd Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Conference, 20-22 Nov 2013, Wollongong, Australi