NIR spectroscopy of the most massive open cluster in the Galaxy: Westerlund 1

Using ISAAC/VLT, we have obtained individual spectra of all NIR-bright stars in the central 2'x2' of the cluster Westerlund 1 (Wd 1) with a resolution of R~9000 at a central wavelength of 2.30 micron. This allowed us to determine radial velocities of ten post-main-sequence stars, and from these values a velocity dispersion. Assuming virial equilibrium, the dispersion of sigma=8.4 km/s leads to a total dynamical cluster mass of 1.25x10^5 solar masses, comparable to the photometric mass of the cluster. There is no extra-virial motion which would have to be interpreted as a signature of cluster expansion or dissolution.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of IAU 246: "Dynamical Evolution of Dense Stellar Systems" (E. Vesperini, M. Giersz, A. Sills, eds.

The azimuthal and radial distributions of HI and H2 in NGC 6946

A study was completed of the atomic and molecular components of the ISM in NGC 6946. The distribution of molecular clouds was determined from a fully sampled CO map of the inner disk using the 14-meter telescope of the FCRAO. The distribution of atomic gas was derived from VLA observations at 40" resolution in the D configuration. When comparing the global CO and HI properties with other components of the galaxy, it was found that the azimuthally averaged radial distributions of CO, H-alpha, radio continuum and blue light all exhibit similar roughly exponential falloffs, while the azimuthally averaged HI surface densities vary by only a factor of 2 out to R = 16 kpc. This indicates that while the H-alpha/CO ratio is approximately constant with radius, the CO/HI ratio decreases by a factor of 30 from the center of the galaxy to R = 10 kpc

A social skills training program emphasizing roleplay of social problem solving strategies for learning disabled adolescent males with behavior problems

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a social skills training curriculum for learning disabled adolescent males with behavior problems. The need for such intervention has been established, however, the empirical evidence to support educational programs and strategies which promote effective social skills is just beginning to emerge. Roleplay activities and instruction of social problem solving strategies have been combined in this intervention. Cooperation, assertion, empathy, and self-control were taught during twelve lessons conducted over a period of six weeks. Five students from a self-contained class at a special services school were used for the study. Pre and post intervention assessment was conducted using the Social Skills Rating Scale (Gresham and Elliot, 1990) for teachers, parents and students. A social scenarios interview was also conducted to provide descriptive results. The results are encouraging, with improvement occurring in specific areas. These efforts represent a preliminary attempt to develop a social skills curriculum to be used by special education teachers in the classroom. Suggestions are offered for future research

The Ravages of Book Worms

n/

ALFA & 3D: integral field spectroscopy with adaptive optics

One of the most important techniques for astrophysics with adaptive optics is the ability to do spectroscopy at diffraction limited scales. The extreme difficulty of positioning a faint target accurately on a very narrow slit can be avoided by using an integral field unit, which provides the added benefit of full spatial coverage. During 1998, working with ALFA and the 3D integral field spectrometer, we demonstrated the validity of this technique by extracting and distinguishing spectra from binary stars separated by only 0.26". The combination of ALFA & 3D is also ideally suited to imaging distant galaxies or the nuclei of nearby ones, as its field of view can be changed between 1.2"x1.2" and 4"x4", depending on the pixel scale chosen. In this contribution we present new results both on galactic targets, namely young stellar objects, as well as extra-galactic objects including a Seyfert and a starburst nucleus.Comment: SPIE meeting 4007 on Adaptive Optical Systems Technology, March 200

Cash transfers and the mental health of young people: evidence from South Africa's child support grant

This study examines the longitudinal impact of the South African Child Support Grant (CSG) on risk for depression and life satisfaction among young people (15–19 years). We analysed data from the last three waves of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), a nationally representative panel survey that took place every two years from 2008 to 2017. We used an instrumental variable (IV) approach that exploits multiple changes in age eligibility from 1998 to 2012. Depressive symptoms were assessed using an 8-item version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; participants who scored above 8 were considered at risk for depression. Life satisfaction was rated on a scale of 1 (‘very dissatisfied’) to 10 (‘very satisfied’); participants who scored 8 or above were classified as satisfied. We also examined impacts on educational deficit (≥2 years behind) and not being in education, employment or training (NEET) as secondary outcomes, as these are also important for mental health. Age eligibility strongly predicted CSG receipt at Wave 3. In instrumental variable models, CSG receipt did not influence the risk for depression (β = 0.10, SE = 0.10, p = 0.316), nor life satisfaction (β = −0.07, SE = 0.09, p = 0.420) at Wave 3, nor at Waves 4 or 5. Some improvements in educational deficit were observed at Wave 3 among CSG beneficiaries compared to non-beneficiaries. These results were robust to multiple specifications. CSG receipt did not improve the psychological wellbeing of adolescents and young adults, nor did it improve their education or employment outcomes. Our findings highlight the need to identify alternative social policies that address the root causes of youth social disadvantage, in conjunction with targeted approaches to improve the mental health of young South Africans living in poverty

Haemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae as causes of pneumonia among children in Beijing, China.

To determine if Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae could be identified more often from the nasopharynx of patients with pneumonia than from control patients, we obtained nasopharyngeal swab specimens from 96 patients with chest x-ray-confirmed pneumonia and 214 age-matched control patients with diarrhea or dermatitis from the outpatient department at Beijing Children's Hospital. Pneumonia patients were more likely to be colonized with Hib and S. pneumoniae than control patients, even after the data were adjusted for possible confounding factors such as day-care attendance, the presence of other children in the household, and recent antibiotic use. In China, where blood cultures from pneumonia patients are rarely positive, the results of these nasopharyngeal cultures provide supporting evidence for the role of Hib and S. pneumoniae as causes of childhood pneumonia

Know your dose: RADDOSE

The program RADDOSE computes the dose absorbed by a macromolecular crystal and here a guide is provided to help to ensure the proper use of the program. In the new version (v.3) described here, modifications to include the energy deposited owing to Compton scattering have been made