Are Offence-Focused Correctional Rehabilitation Programs Affecting Inmates\u27 Executive Cognitive Functions?

There is a vast amount of data linking antisocial behaviours and deficits in executive cognitive functions (ECFs); however, there is a dearth of empirical research to address whether ECF abilities are being affected by correctional rehabilitation programming. Using a pre/post design, ECF performance of male inmates who completed a violence, family violence, or substance abuse rehabilitation program, was compared to ECFs of controls. Results indicated that across the six measures of ECF, including behavioural and self-report measures, only 2 of 10 variables showed a change across groups over time. Therefore, strong support for the notion that correctional programming is improving the ECF of offenders was not evident. However, the current sample displayed relatively unimpaired ECFs during the pre assessment, indicating fewer impairments compared with other forensic samples. In addition to measuring ECFs, changes in motivation for change and criminal attitudes were also examined. After completing programming, inmates displayed an increase in motivation for change, and a general decrease in criminal attitudes. Implications, recommendations, and areas of future research are discussed

Path Dependence in Personal Selling : A Meso-Analysis of Vertical Integration

We examine an unusual form of path dependence, in which suppliers that take different decision paths end up in the same position: excessive vertical integration of the personal selling function. We argue that this is the case even though outsourcing is more seriously considered than ever, and economic arguments for outsourcing the sales function are compelling. We develop an institutional explanation at the meso level (a combination of individual, organization, and environmental forces, explicitly considering how these levels combine). This meso-analysis focuses on four forces driving firms toward being locked into employee sales forces. We enumerate and classify these mechanisms, illustrating them with a simple simulation of how outsourcing sales becomes rare. We close with testable propositions about which firms are most likely to break their dependence on a vertically integrated path.path dependence; personal selling; outsourcing; sales function

Timing matters: impact of anticonvulsant drug treatment and spikes on seizure risk in benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes

OBJECTIVE: Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is a common, self-limited epilepsy syndrome affecting school-age children. Classic interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) confirm diagnosis, and BECTS is presumed to be pharmacoresponsive. As seizure risk decreases in time with this disease, we hypothesize that the impact of IEDs and anticonvulsive drug (ACD) treatment on the risk of subsequent seizure will differ based on disease duration. METHODS: We calculate subsequent seizure risk following diagnosis in a large retrospective cohort of children with BECTS (n = 130), evaluating the impact of IEDs and ACD treatment in the first, second, third, and fourth years of disease. We use a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and logistic regression models. Patients were censored if they were lost to follow-up or if they changed group status. RESULTS: Two-thirds of children had a subsequent seizure within 2 years of diagnosis. The majority of children had a subsequent seizure within 3 years despite treatment. The presence of IEDs on electroencephalography (EEG) did not impact subsequent seizure risk early in the disease. By the fourth year of disease, all children without IEDs remained seizure free, whereas one-third of children with IEDs at this stage had a subsequent seizure. Conversely, ACD treatment corresponded with lower risk of seizure early in the disease but did not impact seizure risk in later years. SIGNIFICANCE: In this cohort, the majority of children with BECTS had a subsequent seizure despite treatment. In addition, ACD treatment and IEDs predicted seizure risk at specific points of disease duration. Future prospective studies are needed to validate these exploratory findings.Published versio

Muscle maps for selected hind limb bones of a saber-tooth tiger

Includes bibliographical references.This study concentrates on deriving muscle maps of an extinct species by comparing the bones of the species to muscle maps of extant species. The extant species used for this study were a domestic cat (Felis catus) and a clouded leopard (Neofelis neulosa), which is an endangered species. The muscle maps created for these species were compared to the bones of an extinct saber-tooth tiger (Smilodon), in hopes to make comparisons between the species. It was found from the completed muscle maps and documented research that there seemed to be closer similarities between the clouded leopard and Smilodon. The muscles, although not differing by much from the cats, had subtle differences present in both the clouded leopard and Smilodon. It was also found that clouded leopards contain features that only seem to be present in extinct saber-tooth cats, thus making them appear to be a more closely related species. This study overall is important for learning how extinct species were able to live, as well as give an understanding on how the species were made up and able to move providing us with information on behavior and place in the ecosystem of the species. This, in turn, allows us to see how species were able to evolve over time.B.S. (Bachelor of Science

Freehand three dimensional ultrasound for imaging components of the musculoskeletal system

There have been reports on the use of Ultrasound (US) for monitoring fracture repair and for measuring muscle volume. Change in muscle mass is a useful bio-marker for monitoring the use and disuse of muscle, and the affects of age, disease and injury. The main modality for imaging bone is X-ray and for muscle volume Magnetic Resonance (MR). Previous studies have shown US to have advantages over X-ray and MR. US can image all stages of the fracture repair process and can detect signs of healing 4-6 weeks before X-ray allowing earlier detection of possible complications. Compared to MR, US is less resource intensive, easier to access and also has fewer exclusion criteria for patients. Despite these advantages, the limited field of view that US can provide results in high operator dependency for scan interpretation and also for length and volume measurements. Three-dimensional Ultrasound (3D US) has been developed to overcome these limitations and has been used to provide extended field of view images of the foetus and the heart and to obtain accurate volume measurements for organs. In this thesis it is hypothesized that 3D US can provide a more comprehensive method of imaging fracture repair than X-ray and is also a viable alternative to MR for determining muscle volumes in vivo. Initially, an electromagnetically (EM) tracked 3D US system was evaluated for clinical use using phantom-based experiments. It was found that the presence of metal objects in or near the EM field caused distortion and resulted in errors in the volume measurements of phantoms of up to ±20%. An optically tracked system was also evaluated and it was found that length measurements of a phantom could be made to within ±1.3%. Fracture repair was monitored in five patients with lower limb fractures. Signs of healing were visible earlier on 3D US with a notable, although variable, lag between callus development on X-ray compared to 3D US. 3D US provided a clearer view of callus formation and the changes in density of the callus as it matured. Additional information gained by applying image processing methods to the 3D US data was used to develop a measure of callus density and to identify the frequency dependent appearance of the callus. Volume measurements of the rectus femoris quadricep muscle were obtained using 3DUS from eleven healthy volunteers and were validated against volume measurements derived using MR. The mean difference between muscle volume measurements obtained using 3D US and MR was 0.53 cm3 with a standard deviation of 1.09 cm3 and 95% confidence intervals of 0.20 - 1.27 cm3 In conclusion, 3D US demonstrates great potential as a tool for imaging components of the musculoskeletal system and as means of measuring callus density

Effects of Interventions on Violence Against Nurses

Violence against nurses is a problem in the healthcare system that is becoming more prevalent. The purpose of this systematic review is to critically appraise the evidence about the effectiveness of interventions to outcomes indicating that nurses are better prepared to handle violent situations and possibly prevent them all together in acute care settings. The following PICOT question, a question that addresses patient problem, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time, will be answered: What effect does preventative and educational interventions have on violence against nurses in the hospital setting and influence nurses’ perceptions regarding their ability to handle episodes of violence? Relevant publications were identified in CINAHL, PubMed, and Academic Search Complete with key search words of: violence, nurses, prevention, and intervention. Interventions across twenty studies were reviewed. The research showed that educational interventions increased nurses’ perceived level of preparedness to respond to a violent event. However, further research needs to be conducted and strict policies put in place

Toxin Levels in 2018 Corn

The two bu/acre Iowa corn yield reduction (from the previous 2018 report) shown in the February 9 crop report demonstrated the impact of late-season wet weather. Corn quality and potential food safety issues are also determined late in the growing season. According to data recently completed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), levels of the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (also known as vomitoxin) and zearalenone are elevated in this year’s Iowa corn crop. Vomitoxin primarily affects digestion in swine, while zearalenone has negative effects on reproduction in most monogastric animals. Dogs, cats, and gilts are most sensitive to zearalenone

Hypervigilance to rejecting stimuli in high rejection sensitive individuals : behavioral and neurocognitive evidence

This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD17899) and a NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Award to Nathan A. Fox and by DA027365 and HD076563 to Katherine B. Ehrlich. Date of acceptance: 10/04/2015Individuals who are high in rejection sensitivity are vigilant toward social cues that signal rejection, and they exhibit attention biases towards information that confirms expectations of rejection. Little is known, however, about the neural correlates of rejection sensitivity. The present study examined whether rejection sensitivity is associated with individuals’ neural responses to rejection-relevant information. Female participants, classified as high or average in rejection sensitivity, completed a modified dot-probe task in which a neutral face was paired with either another neutral face or a gaze-averted (“rejecting”) face while EEG was collected and ERP components were computed. Behavioral results indicated that average rejection sensitive participants showed an attention bias away from rejecting faces, while high rejection sensitive participants were equally vigilant to neutral and rejecting faces. High rejection sensitivity was associated with ERP components signaling elevated attention and arousal to faces. These findings suggest that rejection sensitivity shapes behavioral and neurocognitive responses to faces.PostprintPeer reviewe

Concert recording 2022-04-10c

[Track 1]. Lesson of the sky / Rodney Rogers -- [Track 2]. Fuzzy bird sonata. I. Run, bird / Takashi Yoshimatsu -- [Track 3]. Wings / John Tower -- [Track 4]. Night bird / Karen Tanaka -- [Track 5]. Acolian harp / Kyle Landry -- [Track 6]. Finch in the pantry / The Arcadian West -- [Track 7]. Song for a loved one