A prospective longitudinal study of perceived infant outcomes at 18-24 months: Neural and psychological correlates of parental thoughts and actions assessed during the first month postpartum

The first postpartum months constitute a critical period for parents to establish an emotional bond with their infants. Neural responses to infant-related stimuli have been associated with parental sensitivity. However, the associations among these neural responses, parenting, and later infant outcomes for mothers and fathers are unknown. In the current longitudinal study, we investigated the relationships between parental thoughts/actions and neural activation in mothers and fathers in the neonatal period with infant outcomes at the toddler stage. At the first month postpartum, mothers (n=21) and fathers (n=19) underwent a neuroimaging session during which they listened to their own and unfamiliar baby’s cry. Parenting-related thoughts/behaviors were assessed by interview twice at the first month and 3-4 months postpartum and infants’ socioemotional outcomes were reported by mothers and fathers at 18-24 months postpartum. In mothers, higher levels of anxious thoughts/actions about parenting at the first month postpartum, but not at 3-4 months postpartum, were associated with infant’s low socioemotional competencies at 18-24 months. Anxious thoughts/actions were also associated with heightened responses in the motor cortex and reduced responses in the substantia nigra to own infant cry sounds. On the other hand, in fathers, higher levels of positive perception of being a parent at the first month postpartum, but not at 3-4 months postpartum, were associated with higher infant socioemotional competencies at 18-24 months. Positive thoughts were associated with heightened responses in the auditory cortex and caudate to own infant cry sounds. The current study provides evidence that parental thoughts are related to concurrent neural responses to their infants at the first month postpartum as well as their infant’s future socioemotional outcome at 18-24 months. Parent differences suggest that anxious thoughts in mothers and positive thoughts in fathers may be the targets for parenting-focused interventions very early postpartum

Changing the Light Bulb in Higher Education: Transforming Internationalization

In this chapter, Dr. Jim Barber (associate professor, School of Education), Dr. Pam Eddy (professor, School of Education), and Dr. Steve Hanson (vice provost for International Affairs and director, Reves Center for International Studies) explore how the transformation on internationalization at the College of William & Mary. I was pleased to hear their thoughts about the personal and professional benefits of reflecting on their institutional impact.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/educationbookchapters/1009/thumbnail.jp

Food habits of Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) off the coast of New England

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Fishery Bulletin 107 (2009): 384–394.Although the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) is one of the most common dolphins off New England, little has been documented about its diet in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Current federal protection of marine mammals limits the supply of animals for investigation to those incidentally caught in the nets of commercial fishermen with observers aboard. Stomachs of 62 L. acutus were examined; of these 62 individuals, 28 of them were caught by net and 34 were animals stranded on Cape Cod. Most of the net-caught L. acutus were from the deeper waters of the Gulf of Maine. A single stomach was from the continental slope south of Georges Bank. At least twenty-six fish species and three cephalopod species were eaten. The predominant prey were silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis), spoonarm octopus (Bathypolypus bairdii), and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). The stomach from a net-caught L. acutus on the continental slope contained 7750 otoliths of the Madeira lanternfish (Ceratoscopelus maderensis). Sand lances (Ammodytes spp.) were the most abundant (541 otoliths) species in the stomachs of stranded L. acutus. Seasonal variation in diet was indicated; pelagic Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) was the most important prey in summer, but was rare in winter. The average length of fish prey was approximately 200 mm, and the average mantle length of cephalopod prey was approximately 50 mm

Teaching Nonsexist Language to College Students

Although psychologists have noted the importance of avoiding sexist language because of its potential role in transmitting sexism, little attention has been given to methods of teaching students of psychology to use nonsexist language. Two experiments were conducted to measure the effectiveness of teaching general Psychology students to use nonsexist language. In a pilot study (Experiment 1), undergraduates were exposed to a 20-minute lecture either on use of nonsexist language (experimental group) or on an unrelated topic (control group). No changes in use of sexist language in short essay responses were noted on the posttest or in a 2-week follow-up. In Experiment 2, the method of measuring sexist language was expanded by using three essay responses, and the procedure was repeated except that a second independent variable was added: Students were instructed either in lecture format or with an interactive computer program. The method of presentation showed no effect, but the group receiving training about nonsexist language used less sexist language on one of the three essay questions. Interpretations and implications of the findings are discussed

Lunar Cube Transfer Trajectory Options

Numerous Earth-Moon trajectory and lunar orbit options are available for Cubesat missions. Given the limited Cubesat injection infrastructure, transfer trajectories are contingent upon the modification of an initial condition of the injected or deployed orbit. Additionally, these transfers can be restricted by the selection or designs of Cubesat subsystems such as propulsion or communication. Nonetheless, many trajectory options can b e considered which have a wide range of transfer duration, fuel requirements, and final destinations. Our investigation of potential trajectories highlights several options including deployment from low Earth orbit (LEO) geostationary transfer orbits (GTO) and higher energy direct lunar transfer and the use of longer duration Earth-Moon dynamical systems. For missions with an intended lunar orbit, much of the design process is spent optimizing a ballistic capture while other science locations such as Sun-Earth libration or heliocentric orbits may simply require a reduced Delta-V imparted at a convenient location along the trajectory

Analysis of the yeast arginine methyltransferase Hmt1p/Rmt1p and its in vivo function. Cofactor binding and substrate interactions

Many eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins are modified by methylation of arginine residues. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains one major arginine methyltransferase, Hmt1p/Rmt1p, which is not essential for normal cell growth. However, cells missing HMT1 and also bearing mutations in the mRNA-binding proteins Np13p or Cbp80p can no longer survive, providing genetic backgrounds in which to study Hmt1p function. We now demonstrate that the catalytically active form of Hmt1p is required for its activity in vivo. Amino acid changes in the putative Hmt1p S-adenosyl-L-methionine-binding site were generated and shown to be unable to catalyze methylation of Np13p in vitro and in vivo or to restore growth to strains that require HMT1. In addition these mutations affect nucleocytoplasmic transport of Np13p. A cold- sensitive mutant of Hmt1p was generated and showed reduced methylation of Np13p, but not of other substrates, at 14 °C. These results define new aspects of Hmt1 and reveal the importance of its activity in vivo

Mercury Orbiter: Report of the Science Working Team

The results are presented of the Mercury Orbiter Science Working Team which held three workshops in 1988 to 1989 under the auspices of the Space Physics and Planetary Exploration Divisions of NASA Headquarters. Spacecraft engineering and mission design studies at the Jet Propulsion Lab were conducted in parallel with this effort and are detailed elsewhere. The findings of the engineering study, summarized herein, indicate that spin stabilized spacecraft carrying comprehensive particles and fields experiments and key planetology instruments in high elliptical orbits can survive and function in Mercury orbit without costly sun shields and active cooling systems

Methods for sulfate air quality management

Executive Summary Abstract: A study of methods for sulfate air quality control strategy design has been conducted. Analytical tools developed were tested within a case study of the nature and causes of the high sulfate concentrations observed in the Los Angeles area. A principal objective was to investigate the least costly means for sulfate air quality improvement in that locale. A long-run average emissions to air quality model was derived which computes pollutant concentrations from Lagrangian marked particle statistics based on the time sequence of measured wind speed, wind direction, and inversion base motion. Physical assumptions drawn from analysis of existing air quality and meteorological data were used to adapt this model to a specific application -- sulfate air quality prediction in Los Angeles. An energy and sulfur balance on the fate of energy resources containing sulfur was developed to test the consistency of a sulfur oxides emissions inventory for that air basin. Then material balance arguments were used to trace sulfur flows within that regional energy economy through the air quality model which also conserves sulfur mass. Sulfate air quality model predictions were compared to historical observations over the years 1972 through 1974. 'The sulfate air quality impact of individual emission source classes was estimated at a large number of air monitoring sites. A hybrid theoretical-empirical model was constructed which explains the relationship between sulfate air quality and prevailing visibility at Los Angeles. An estimate was made of the visibility improvement which would have accured if Los Angeles sulfate concentrations were reduced by 50 percent on each past day of record. Then two emissions control strategy example calculations were performed to illustrate the means by which the air quality model results could be used to evaluate the cost of attaining such an air quality improvement. Volume 2 Abstract: Particulate sulfate air pollutants contribute to visibility deterioration and are of current public health concern. This study develops the technical understanding needed for sulfate air quality control strategy design. Methods which link sulfate air quality and air quality impacts on visibility to the cost of controlling sulfur oxides air pollutant emissions are presented. These techniques are tested by application to the Los Angeles Basin over the years 1972 through 1974. An air quality simulation model is developed which directly calculates long-term average sulfate concentrations under unsteady meteorological conditions. Pollutant concentrations are estimated from Lagrangian marked-particle statistics based on the time sequence of historical measured wind speed, wind direction and inversion base height motion. First order chemical reactions and ground level pollutant dry deposition are incorporated within a computational scheme which conserves pollutant mass. Techniques are demonstrated for performing both mass balance and energy balance calculations on flows of energy resources containing sulfur throughout the economy of an air quality control region. The energy and sulfur balance approach is used to check the consistency of a spatially and temporally resolved air quality modeling emission inventory for the South Coast Air Basin. Next the air quality model is validated against sulfur oxides emissions and sulfate air quality patterns observed in the Los Angeles Basin over each month of the years 1972 through 1974. A seasonal variation in the rate of SO2 oxidation to form sulfates is inferred. Overall average SO2 oxidation rates of about 6% per hour prevail during late spring, summer and early fall, while mean SO2 oxidation rates of between 0.5% per hour and 3% per hour prevail from October through February of our test years. From the model results, it is concluded that three to five major SOx source classes plus background sulfates must be considered simultaneously at most monitoring sites in order to come close to explaining observed sulfate levels. The implication is that a mixed strategy aimed simultaneously at a number of specified source types will be needed if substantial sulfate air quality improvements are to be achieved within this particular airshed. Techniques are developed for analysis of the long-run impact of pollutant concentrations on visibility. Existing statistical models for light scattering by aerosols which use particle chemical composition as a key to particle size and solubility are modified so that the relative humidity dependence of light-scattering by hygroscopic aerosols could be represented in a more physically realistic manner. Coefficients are fitted to the model based on ten years of air pollution control agency routine air monitoring data taken at downtown Los Angeles. Sulfates are found to be the most effective light scatterers in the Los Angeles atmosphere. It is estimated that the visibility impact of reducing sulfates to a half or to a quarter of their measured historic values on each past day of record would be manifested most clearly in a reduction in the number of days per year of less than three-mile visibility. The number of days of average visibility less than ten miles would be little affected. Two retrospective examples are worked to show how the results of the air quality simulation models may be used to define a variety of sulfate air quality control strategy options. It is suggested that a package of technological emissions control measures and institutional changes (including natural gas price deregulation) may provide greater improvements in both sulfate air quality and visibility at less cost than can be obtained from a purely technological solution to the Los Angeles sulfate problem

Meeting report: a hard look at the state of enamel research.

The Encouraging Novel Amelogenesis Models and Ex vivo cell Lines (ENAMEL) Development workshop was held on 23 June 2017 at the Bethesda headquarters of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Discussion topics included model organisms, stem cells/cell lines, and tissues/3D cell culture/organoids. Scientists from a number of disciplines, representing institutions from across the United States, gathered to discuss advances in our understanding of enamel, as well as future directions for the field