Autistic Teenage Girls’ Lived Experiences of Masking

This research sought to learn about the lived experiences of autistic teenage girls who mask in social interactions and in their daily lives. The aim of the research was to increase understanding of the perspectives and experiences of autistic girls. It is hoped this will help bring additional awareness of the experiences and perspectives of autistic girls and inform Educational Psychologists who are involved in supporting autistic girls in the diagnostic process, in school environments, in interventions, and through therapeutic support. Two research questions were identified during the Literature Review, namely, “What are the experiences of autistic teenage girls who mask?” and “What sense do autistic teenage girls make of their masking?”. The use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was selected to as an approach in response to these questions. Semi-structured interviews were completed with four autistic teenage girls who reported, through a screening questionnaire, that they use masking extensively. All participants were teenage girls who are in 5th or 6th year of second level school in Ireland. Participant and parental consent was obtained for all participants. The use of visual supports was offered but not selected by participants. Following analysis of the interviews, four overarching themes were identified, namely, ‘The Work of Masking’, ‘The Aftermath of Masking’, ‘Masking as Essential’, and ‘Moving Away from Masking’. Nine superordinate themes were identified from the subordinate themes of each participant; these themes addressed the preparation required for masking, how girls developed and employed strategies, the experience of masking, the recovery and review processes, reasons girls mask, situations where masking was considered essential, friendships, and participants’ plans to move away from using masking. The findings were discussed within the context of current research. Conclusions and suggestions for future research are presented

Surface Water Quality: Contaminants and Treatment

Extensive population growth and urbanization is affecting surface water quality and infrastructure across the globe. Urbanization was boosted by the advancements of infrastructure for water, which allows treatment and transport of water through large distances from their original surface water sources such as lakes, rivers, and streams. A major concern of the rapid changes experienced by urban areas is the ecological impacts on surface water due to associated anthropogenic processes. Activities such as the overconsumption and extraction of surface water have negatively affected the quality and quantity of those sources. In addition, discharge of treated wastewater may impact the quality of the water source. Prevention of overexploitation and contamination of surface water resources is typically related to community culture and available technologies. Examples of this can include community appreciation of water resources and efforts to limit water usage in households and industries, by implementing new water technologies. This project looks into the effect of knowledge and technology on the quality of surface water sources and the use of those resources. This information is used to devise a comprehensive analysis of water conservation efforts on the quality and quantity of surface waters in Southern California and Israel. The project will involve research by the University of San Diego and Azrieli College of Engineering in Jerusalem

IMPACTO DE LA INDUSTRIA AUTOMOTRIZ EN LA DINÁMICA PRODUCTIVA DE LA MANUFACTURA EN LAS ENTIDADES FEDERATIVAS DE LA REGIÓN CENTRO-NORTE DE MÉXICO, 1980- 2008

En este contexto, el presente trabajo de investigación analiza la dinámica de crecimiento de la industria automotriz en la región centro-norte del país, y busca dar respuesta a la siguiente interrogante: ¿El desempeño de la industria automotriz en la región centro-norte de México en el periodo 1980-2008, ha sido una factor de impacto en el crecimiento de la manufactura de las entidades federativas que la integran? El objetivo general de esta tesis es analizar el desempeño de la industria automotriz en las entidades federativas de la región centro-norte de México (San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato y Querétaro), para identificar si en alguna de ellas o en el total de la región esta industria ha sido un motor de crecimiento de la manufactura en el periodo 1980- 2008. Para el cumplimiento de este objetivo, se plantean los siguientes objetivos específicos: 8 Estructurar un planteamiento teórico que sirva de marco de análisis para la investigación. Identificar el contexto en el cual se desarrolla el sector automotriz a nivel mundial. Describir la evolución y desempeño del sector automotriz a nivel nacional y en las entidades de la región centro-norte. Analizar la relación sector automotriz-manufactura en las entidades federativas que conforman la región centro norte y la región en conjunto. La hipótesis que se plantea es que la dinámica de crecimiento que la industria automotriz ha tenido durante los últimos 30 años en las entidades federativas que conforman la región centro-norte (San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato y Querétaro) explica en gran medida el crecimiento de la manufactura en la región y en las mismas entidades. El marco teórico que sirve como referencia para la presente investigación se basa en el modelo de crecimiento económico desarrollado por Nicholas Kaldor (1966), debido a la importancia que éste confiere al desarrollo del sector industrial dentro del proceso de crecimiento económico. Cabe destacar que en e

RBPT Workshops in Mohali and Tezpur, 2017 Report of the Workshops at IISER, Mohali, and the University of Tezpur, January 2017

These two Workshops were the first part of a multi-year programme, funded by Newton Bhabha Fund, using colleagues from the UK and India, to support development of a more research-based pedagogy in Indian universities and colleges. The Workshops were developed from a pilot in Pune in March 2016. In total, over 150 university lecturers attended the two Workshops and participated in three days of training and development. The detailed programmes are given later in this report but the Workshops’ intended outcomes were to support Indian teachers as they: explored the nature and purpose of Research-Based Pedagogical Tools (RBPT) considered implementation opportunities and issues for RBPTs at their own colleges acquired RBPT-development skills created a draft of an RBPT suitable for their own college linked with other teachers facing similar challenge

In N Out — Reaching OUT to the community from withIN our student body

As a way to enhance their educational experience and promote global citizenship, students in higher education are often expected to participate in activities beyond the walls of their universities. These activities may include study abroad, internships, service learning projects, and much more. While these activities can take place far from the university setting, they also often occur in the university’s local community, where our students work or volunteer at local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and service agencies. These students bring their real world projects to their course work, where libraries and librarians engage with them to find real world solutions using library resources. What role do academic libraries play in supporting students as they engage in these activities? Can academic libraries play a role in supporting local communities beyond the help they provide for students engaged in community projects? If so, how can academic libraries plan for and respond to local business and community needs? Issues associated with the increasingly blurred lines between school and work and how libraries can navigate these boundaries will be addressed. This preconference will focus on what academic librarians are already doing for local communities, both directly and indirectly, and how to replicate at their own institutions. Participants will engage with case studies to plan a research strategy, suggest recommended sources and address access issues specific to community projects. Interactive polling will capture participant suggestions to augment a community engagement packet. Participants will leave with innovative community outreach programs that can be replicated on their campuses. Workshop participants will be able to: Identify opportunities for librarians to provide direct and indirect support to local communities; Compare and contrast the different economic resources that support local communities; and Demonstrate the usefulness of resources such as census data, geographic information systems (GIS), and subscription-based databases to local communities

FLEXSELECT: counter-herding device to reduce bycatch in crustacean trawl fisheries

FLEXSELECT is a simple counter-herding device which aims at reducing the bycatch of fish by scaring them away from the trawl path without affecting the catches of the target species. FLEXSELECT was tested in the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) directed trawl fishery, as this includes bycatch of both roundfish and flatfish. Length-based data were collected for Nephrops, four roundfish species (cod, haddock, whiting and hake) and two flatfish species (plaice and lemon sole) and length-based catch comparisons performed. No significant effect on the target species, Nephrops, was detected, whereas a reduction of 39% (CI: 29-46 %) was obtained for the overall number of fish. Catches of all the six fish species examined were significantly reduced by FLEXSELECT, with the efficiency varying considerably among species and over length classes. No significant diel differences were found for either roundfish or flatfish species. FLEXSELECT prevents bycatch species from interacting with the trawl, thus most likely enhancing their survival and fitness. Moreover, its fast attachment system makes FLEXSELECT a flexible tool, adaptable to different fisheries and catch goals.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Urinary eicosanoid metabolites in HIV-infected women with central obesity switching to raltegravir: an analysis from the women, integrase, and fat accumulation trial.

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of HIV infection. Eicosanoids reflect inflammation, oxidant stress, and vascular health and vary by sex and metabolic parameters. Raltegravir (RAL) is an HIV-1 integrase inhibitor that may have limited metabolic effects. We assessed urinary F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), prostaglandin E2 (PGE-M), prostacyclin (PGI-M), and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) in HIV-infected women switching to RAL-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART). Thirty-seven women (RAL = 17; PI/NNRTI = 20) with a median age of 43 years and BMI 32 kg/m(2) completed week 24. TxB2 increased in the RAL versus PI/NNRTI arm (+0.09 versus -0.02; P = 0.06). Baseline PGI-M was lower in the RAL arm (P = 0.005); no other between-arm cross-sectional differences were observed. In the PI/NNRTI arm, 24-week visceral adipose tissue change correlated with PGI-M (rho = 0.45; P = 0.04) and TxB2 (rho = 0.44; P = 0.005) changes, with a trend seen for PGE-M (rho = 0.41; P = 0.07). In an adjusted model, age ≥ 50 years (N = 8) was associated with increased PGE-M (P = 0.04). In this randomized trial, a switch to RAL did not significantly affect urinary eicosanoids over 24 weeks. In women continuing PI/NNRTI, increased visceral adipose tissue correlated with increased PGI-M and PGE-M. Older age (≥ 50) was associated with increased PGE-M. Relationships between aging, adiposity, ART, and eicosanoids during HIV-infection require further study