Developmental Continuity and Change in Responses to Social and Nonsocial Categories in Human Extrastriate Visual Cortex

It is well known that adult human extrastriate visual cortex contains areas that respond in a selective fashion to specific categories of visual stimuli. Three regions have been identified with particular regularity: the fusiform face area (FFA), which responds to faces more than to other objects; the parahippocampal place area (PPA), which responds selectively to images of houses, places, and visual scenes; and the extrastriate body area (EBA), which responds specifically to images of bodies and body parts. While the presence of these regions in the mature human brain is well-established, the degree to which children possess these areas and the degree of functional specialization of these areas in children of various ages has thus far remained unclear. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined the development of the FFA, EBA, and PPA in healthy, typically developing 7- to 11-year-old children and adults. Our results revealed a right FFA and a bilateral EBA and PPA in the children that were localized in a way consistent with these same regions in adults. In addition, the response profiles of these regions were very similar in adults and children with comparable levels of functional specificity at all of the ages tested. We discuss the implications of this research for understanding abnormal regional specialization for social and nonsocial object categories in individuals with autism spectrum disorders

The Price of Slavery: An Analysis of Human Trafficking Policy and Spending in Department of Defense Procurement

Excerpt from the Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Acquisition Research SymposiumThe Department of Defense (DoD) is charged with upholding the U.S. zero tolerance human trafficking policy in a world of complex, opaque supply chains and constrained human and capital resources. This study explores how the DoD can better leverage its acquisition workforce, sourcing expertise, and data to rigorously uphold the U.S. policy of zero tolerance for human trafficking in such an environment. As part of this analysis a program evaluation of the DoD’s Combating Trafficking in Persons training was conducted for the acquisition workforce. This evaluation categorized the training related to prevention, monitoring, and response to human trafficking. A quantitative analysis of DoD spending was conducted to illuminate the amount of tax dollars spent in categories, based on product and service codes, where trafficking is most prevalent to help the DoD focus its efforts for program improvement. The spend analysis revealed areas that are most at risk. Globally, an estimated 24.9 million people are subjected to human trafficking, which generates an estimated $150 billion annually in illicit profits (White House, 2020, p. 8). Specifically, the DoD spent$13.1 billion (2018–2020) in countries that are not making significant efforts to combat human trafficking according to the Department of State. The research provides insight and recommendations on where the DoD should focus attention to address human trafficking in contracts constrained of prevention, monitoring, and response resources. Finally, we provided recommended courses of action to increase participation and enhance the mandatory training for the acquisition workforce.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

THE PRICE OF SLAVERY: AN ANALYSIS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING POLICY AND SPENDING IN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCUREMENT

The Department of Defense (DOD) is charged with upholding the U.S. zero-tolerance human trafficking policy in a world of complex, opaque supply chains and constrained human and capital resources. This study explores how the DOD can better leverage its acquisition workforce, sourcing expertise, and data to rigorously uphold U.S. policy of zero-tolerance for human trafficking in such an environment. As part of this analysis a program evaluation of the DOD’s Combating Trafficking in Persons training was conducted for the acquisition workforce. This evaluation categorized the training related to prevention, monitoring, and response to human trafficking. A quantitative analysis of DOD spend was conducted to illuminate the amount of tax dollars spent in categories, based on product and service codes, where trafficking is most prevalent to help the DOD focus its efforts for program improvement. The spend analysis revealed areas that are most at risk. Specifically, the DOD spent $13.1 billion (2018–2020) in countries that are not making significant efforts to combat human trafficking according to the Department of State. The research provides insight and recommendations on where the DOD should focus attention to address human trafficking in contracts constrained of prevention, monitoring, and response resources. Finally, we provided recommended courses of action to increase participation and enhance the mandatory training for the acquisition workforce.Outstanding ThesisFirst Lieutenant, United States Air ForceCaptain, United States Air ForceFirst Lieutenant, United States Air ForceApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Contribution of Transcription Factor Binding Site Motif Variants to Condition-Specific Gene Expression Patterns in Budding Yeast

It is now experimentally well known that variant sequences of a cis transcription factor binding site motif can contribute to differential regulation of genes. We characterize the relationship between motif variants and gene expression by analyzing expression microarray data and binding site predictions. To accomplish this, we statistically detect motif variants with effects that differ among environments. Such environmental specificity may be due to either affinity differences between variants or, more likely, differential interactions of TFs bound to these variants with cofactors, and with differential presence of cofactors across environments. We examine conservation of functional variants across four Saccharomyces species, and find that about a third of transcription factors have target genes that are differentially expressed in a condition-specific manner that is correlated with the nucleotide at variant motif positions. We find good correspondence between our results and some cases in the experimental literature (Reb1, Sum1, Mcm1, and Rap1). These results and growing consensus in the literature indicates that motif variants may often be functionally distinct, that this may be observed in genomic data, and that variants play an important role in condition-specific gene regulation.</p

A Systematic Review of Health State Utility Values in the Plastic Surgery Literature

Cost-utility analyses assess health gains acquired by interventions by incorporating weighted health state utility values (HSUVs). HSUVs are important in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) because they include qualitative metrics when comparing operative techniques or interventions. We systematically reviewed the literature to identify the extent and quality of existing original utilities research within PRS. Methods: A systematic review of articles with original PRS utility data was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Subspecialty, survey sample size, and respondent characteristics were extracted. For each HSUV, the utility measure [direct (standard gamble, time trade off, visual analog scale) and/or indirect], mean utility score, and measure of variance were recorded. Similar HSUVs were pooled into weighted averages based on sample size if they were derived from the same utility measure. Results: In total, 348 HSUVs for 194 disease states were derived from 56 studies within seven PRS subspecialties. Utility studies were most common in breast (n = 17, 30.4%) and hand/upper extremity (n = 15, 26.8%), and direct measurements were most frequent [visual analog scale (55.4%), standard gamble (46.4%), time trade off (57.1%)]. Studies surveying the general public had more respondents (n = 165, IQR 103-299) than those that surveyed patients (n = 61, IQR 48-79) or healthcare professionals (n = 42, IQR 10-109). HSUVs for 18 health states were aggregated. Conclusions: The HSUV literature within PRS is scant and heterogeneous. Researchers should become familiar with these outcomes, as integrating utility and cost data will help illustrate that the impact of certain interventions are cost-effective when we consider patient quality of life

Individual Differences in Personality Predict How People Look at Faces

Determining the ways in which personality traits interact with contextual determinants to shape social behavior remains an important area of empirical investigation. The specific personality trait of neuroticism has been related to characteristic negative emotionality and associated with heightened attention to negative, emotionally arousing environmental signals. However, the mechanisms by which this personality trait may shape social behavior remain largely unspecified.We employed eye tracking to investigate the relationship between characteristics of visual scanpaths in response to emotional facial expressions and individual differences in personality. We discovered that the amount of time spent looking at the eyes of fearful faces was positively related to neuroticism.This finding is discussed in relation to previous behavioral research relating personality to selective attention for trait-congruent emotional information, neuroimaging studies relating differences in personality to amygdala reactivity to socially relevant stimuli, and genetic studies suggesting linkages between the serotonin transporter gene and neuroticism. We conclude that personality may be related to interpersonal interaction by shaping aspects of social cognition as basic as eye contact. In this way, eye gaze represents a possible behavioral link in a complex relationship between genes, brain function, and personality