Search for Millicharged Particles at SLAC

Particles with electric charge q < 10^(-3)e and masses in the range 1--100 MeV/c^2 are not excluded by present experiments. An experiment uniquely suited to the production and detection of such "millicharged" particles has been carried out at SLAC. This experiment is sensitive to the infrequent excitation and ionization of matter expected from the passage of such a particle. Analysis of the data rules out a region of mass and charge, establishing, for example, a 95%-confidence upper limit on electric charge of 4.1X10^(-5)e for millicharged particles of mass 1 MeV/c^2 and 5.8X10^(-4)e for mass 100 MeV/c^2.Comment: 4 pages, REVTeX, multicol, 3 figures. Minor typo corrected. Submitted to Physical Review Letter

A Systematic Literature Review of Emotion Regulation Measurement in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

DOI: 10.1002/aur.1426Emotion regulation (ER) difficulties are a potential common factor underlying the presentation of multiple emotional and behavioral problems in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To provide an overview of how ER has been studied in individuals with ASD, we conducted a systematic review of the past 20 years of ER research in the ASD population, using established keywords from the most comprehensive ER literature review of the typically developing population to date. Out of an initial sampling of 305 studies, 32 were eligible for review. We examined the types of methods (self-report, informant report, naturalistic observation/ behavior coding, physiological, and open-ended) and the ER constructs based on Gross and Thompson’s modal model (situation selection, situation modification, attention deployment, cognitive change, and response modulation). Studies most often assessed ER using one type of method and from a unidimensional perspective. Across the 32 studies, we documented the types of measures used and found that 38% of studies used self-report, 44% included an informant report measure, 31% included at least one naturalistic observation/behavior coding measure, 13% included at least one physiological measure, and 13% included at least one open-ended measure. Only 25% of studies used more than one method of measurement. The findings of the current review provide the field with an in-depth analysis of various ER measures and how each measure taps into an ER framework. Future research can use this model to examine ER in a multicomponent way and through multiple methods.Spectrum of Hope Autism Foundation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, NeuroDevNet, Sinneave Family Foundation, CASDA, Autism Speaks Canada, Health Canad

Preschool Behavioral and Social-Cognitive Problems as Predictors of (Pre)adolescent Disruptive Behavior

This article describes preschool social understanding and difficult behaviors (hot temper, disobedience, bossiness and bullying) as predictors of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and aggressive conduct disorder (ACD) in a Dutch population sample of (pre)adolescents (N = 1943), measured at age 10–12 and at age 13–15. ODD and ACD were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self-Report, preschool behavior was evaluated by the parental questionnaire ‹How was your child as a preschooler? (age 4–5)’. Adjusted for each other, all difficult preschool behaviors except bullying were associated with adolescent ODD, while only bullying significantly predicted adolescent ACD. Furthermore, the results suggest a qualitative difference between ODD and ACD in terms of the social component of the disorders: poor preschool social understanding was associated with the development of ACD but not of ODD; and poor social understanding interacted with difficult preschool behaviors to predict later ACD but not ODD. The associations did not differ between boys and girls, and were roughly similar for preadolescent (age 10–12) and early adolescent (age 13–15) outcomes. The finding that poor social understanding was implicated in the development of ACD but not in the development of ODD may help to demarcate the individuality of each disorder and offer leads for (differential) treatment strategies

School Effects on the Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents

Well-being is a multidimensional construct, with psychological, physical and social components. As theoretical basis to help understand this concept and how it relates to school, we propose the Self-Determination Theory, which contends that self-determined motivation and personality integration, growth and well-being are dependent on a healthy balance of three innate psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness and competence. Thus, current indicators involve school effects on children’s well-being, in many diverse modalities which have been explored. Some are described in this chapter, mainly: the importance of peer relationships; the benefits of friendship; the effects of schools in conjunction with some forms of family influence; the school climate in terms of safety and physical ecology; the relevance of the teacher input; the school goal structure and the implementation of cooperative learning. All these parameters have an influence in promoting optimal functioning among children and increasing their well-being by meeting the above mentioned needs. The empirical support for the importance of schools indicates significant small effects, which often translate into important real-life effects as it is admitted at present. The conclusion is that schools do make a difference in children’s peer relationships and well-being

\u3ci\u3eAggression, Antisocial Behavior, and Violence Among Girls: A Developmental Perspective\u3c/i\u3e

Chapter 4: . Relational aggression in early childhood: “You can’t come to my birthday party unless…”, co-authored by Juan Casas, UNO faculty member. From leading authorities, this book traces the development of female aggression and violence from early childhood through adulthood. Cutting-edge theoretical perspectives are interwoven with longitudinal data that elucidate the trajectories of aggressive girls\u27 relationships with peers, with later romantic partners, and with their own children. Key issues addressed include the predictors of social and physical aggression at different points in the lifespan, connections between being a victim and a perpetrator, and the interplay of biological and sociocultural processes in shaping aggression in girls. Concluding commentaries address intervention, prevention, juvenile justice, and related research and policy initiatives.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/facultybooks/1071/thumbnail.jp

Measurement of in-situ oxygen isotope ratios in monazite by SHRIMP ion microprobe: Standards, protocols and implications

Monazite forms at sub-solidus conditions in a variety of metamorphic rocks and has been proven to be reactive to fluids, and thus is a potential monitor of fluid-rock interaction. As monazite can preserve multiple growth zones, in order to explore the potential of monazite as a fluid tracer in metamorphic conditions, microbeam analysis is required. We performed oxygen isotope analysis of monazite using the SHRIMP ion microprobe and newly characterized standards, for which we obtained laser fluorination δ18O values (USGS-44069 monazite 7.67±0.26‰ and Itambé monazite 0.46±0.20‰). Reproducibility of δ18O ion microprobe analyses for USGS-44069 and Itambé monazites is in the order of 0.4-0.6‰, standard deviation at 95%c.l., similar to what is routinely obtained for silicates. This reproducibility is comparable to that of the analyses of experimental P-rich glasses, which are assumed to be homogeneous and free of geological imperfections. The variable composition of natural monazite has the potential to produce matrix effects during ion microprobe measurements. Monazite grains from the Malagasy syenite (Madagascar) and the Dora Maira whiteschists (Italy) display a scatter in δ18O values that show a negative correlation with Th content and is related to the huttonite [ThSiO4] and cheralite [CaTh(PO4)2] substitutions in monazite. The matrix effect on oxygen isotope measurements can be significant and is estimated to produce a shift in δ18O of circa -0.85 or -1.9‰ for every 10wt.% Th introduced by the huttonite and cheralite components, respectively. Corrections for this matrix effect are proposed on the basis of the natural samples investigated.Oxygen isotope fractionation factors for monazites of different compositions, cheralite and huttonite were calculated with the increment method. The results suggest that the substitution of trivalent LREE by tetravalent Ce and Th results in consistent enrichment of 18O in the monazites, whereas the substitution of tetravalent Th by divalent Ca results in the depletion of 18O in cheralite-rich monazite.Monazites from high-grade metasediments (Mount-Stafford, Central Australia) preserve inherited cores, but are homogeneous in oxygen composition. This suggests that diffusion may efficiently erase the oxygen isotope signature in monazite that experienced ~. 800. °C metamorphism

The Importance of Context for Multi-informant Assessment of Peer Victimization

Peer victimization has been assessed by using various methods, with little attention to methodological variance. Peer victimization assessments of 238 girls (M age = 9.77 years; 50% Black, 50% White) made by peers, teachers, and self in school, and peers and observers in afterschool playgroups, enabled examination of context and reporter effects on measurement. Results underscored the importance of context: (1) Victimization reported by informants in the same context (i.e., teachers and peers in school setting, and peers and observers in playgroup setting) correlated more strongly than with self-reported victimization. (2) Informant ratings of victimization made within similar contexts (school and afterschool playgroups) showed higher agreement than those made in different contexts (school vs. playgroups) even if the same reporter was used across both contexts (peer report in schools and peer report in playgroups). (3) Teacher-reported victimization was more strongly associated with objective academic outcomes than were peer-, self-, or observer-reported victimization, due to the shared academic context

The Influence of Pragmatic Competence on the Likeability of Grade-School Children

Previous research and theory suggest that effective use of specific pragmatic behaviors is important to social competence in children. The present study is the first attempt to examine the impact four pragmatic skills have on likeability using experimental methodology. Ninety‐one popular and less popular 10‐year‐old girls listened to one of five audiotaped scenarios in which a girl used four different pragmatic skills (requesting, turn‐taking, responding promptly when spoken to, and maintaining the logic of the conversation) either appropriately or inappropriately in a conversation with a school librarian. Subjects rated how much they would like to play with the girl and also described her in terms of attractiveness, school ability, and popularity. Subjects saw the girl as more likeable when she displayed pragmatic competence than when she requested inappropriately, F(1, 33) = 47.86, p\u3c.001; interrupted, F(1, 33) = 13.56, p\u3c.001; and failed to maintain the logic of the conversation, F(1, 31) = 5.90, p\u3c.05. They also described her more positively when she displayed pragmatic competence. Subjects’ responses did not vary as a function of their own popularity level. These results demonstrate the importance of pragmatic skills for popularity and the paradigm offers a methodology for identifying pragmatic skills of relevance to various populations