Finding a Place for Interrogatory Theory: A Critique of Chimakonam’s Patterns of Social Deconstruction, Reconstruction and the Conversational Order in African Philosophy

No Abstrac

Reducing variability in along-tract analysis with diffusion profile realignment

Diffusion weighted MRI (dMRI) provides a non invasive virtual reconstruction of the brain's white matter structures through tractography. Analyzing dMRI measures along the trajectory of white matter bundles can provide a more specific investigation than considering a region of interest or tract-averaged measurements. However, performing group analyses with this along-tract strategy requires correspondence between points of tract pathways across subjects. This is usually achieved by creating a new common space where the representative streamlines from every subject are resampled to the same number of points. If the underlying anatomy of some subjects was altered due to, e.g. disease or developmental changes, such information might be lost by resampling to a fixed number of points. In this work, we propose to address the issue of possible misalignment, which might be present even after resampling, by realigning the representative streamline of each subject in this 1D space with a new method, coined diffusion profile realignment (DPR). Experiments on synthetic datasets show that DPR reduces the coefficient of variation for the mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy and apparent fiber density when compared to the unaligned case. Using 100 in vivo datasets from the HCP, we simulated changes in mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy and apparent fiber density. Pairwise Student's t-tests between these altered subjects and the original subjects indicate that regional changes are identified after realignment with the DPR algorithm, while preserving differences previously detected in the unaligned case. This new correction strategy contributes to revealing effects of interest which might be hidden by misalignment and has the potential to improve the specificity in longitudinal population studies beyond the traditional region of interest based analysis and along-tract analysis workflows.Comment: v4: peer-reviewed round 2 v3 : deleted some old text from before peer-review which was mistakenly included v2 : peer-reviewed version v1: preprint as submitted to journal NeuroImag

Les aménagements gagnants d'une CLAAC : ce qu'en disent les étudiants

Comprend des références bibliographiques

Les conditions d'efficacité des classes d'apprentissage actif

PA-2013-012La présente recherche a été subventionnée par le ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur dans le cadre du Programme d’aide à la recherche sur l’enseignement et l’apprentissage (PAREA).Comprend des références bibliographiques

Snowpack Properties Vary in Response to Burn Severity Gradients in Montane Forests

Wildfires are altering ecosystems globally as they change in frequency, size, and severity. As wildfires change vegetation structure, they also alter moisture inputs and energy fluxes which influence snowpack and hydrology. In unburned forests, snow has been shown to accumulate more in small clearings or in stands with low to moderate forest densities. Here we investigate whether peak snowpack varies with burn severity or percent overstory tree mortality post-fire in a mid-latitude, subalpine forest. We found that peak snowpack across the burn severity gradients increased 15% in snow-water equivalence (SWE) and 17% in depth for every 20% increase in overstory tree mortality due to burn severity. Snowpack quantity varied greatly between the two winter seasons sampled in this study with 114% more snow in 2016 versus 2015, yet the effect of burn severity on snowpack remained consistent. These data support previous studies showing increases in peak snow depth and SWE in burned forests but for the first time provides novel insights into how snow depth and SWE change as a function of burn severity. We conclude that changes not only in the frequency and size of wildfires, but also in the severity, can alter peak snow depth and SWE, with important potential implications for watershed hydrology

Quaking Aspen in Utah: Integrating Recent Science with Management

Quaking aspen is widely regarded as a key resource for humans, livestock, and wildlife with these values often competing with each other, leading to overuse of aspen in some locations and declines. We review trends in aspen science and management, particularly in Utah. Historically, research conducted here holds a prestigious place in international aspen circles. We highlight recent studies continuing the tradition to keep rangeland managers informed of important developments, focusing on aspen functional types, historical cover change and climate warming, ungulate herbivory, and disturbance interactions

BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF THE FEMALE GENDER IN NIGERIA

The Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria and counter-insurgency measures adopted by the Nigerian Government has caused humanitarian crises and wanton destruction, thereby having adverse impact on the Nigerian nation and its citizenry especially the female gender. The situation has aggravated and degenerated into internal displacement, loss of livelihood and criminal acts such as abduction, murder and rape. This paper examines the various human rights violations perpetrated on the female gender as a result of the insurgency and counter-insurgency operations, it highlights the various women and girls’ rights instruments and in conclusion, posits that gender equality, economic empowerment for female folks, partnership with foreign superpowers and adopting an effective intelligence network are possible means of putting a stop to the insurgency and reducing its effect on the female gender in the Country

The Relationship Between Life Course Factors, Parental Demographics, Dental Coping Beliefs and Its Influence on Adolescents Dental Visit: a Cross Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Oral Disease is a multifactorial one that includes behavioral and cultural components, and the severity of the disease depends on regularity of dental visits. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between parental demographics, life course factors, dental coping beliefs with therecent dental attendance among adolescents in Udupi Taluk.METHODS: Three hundred and fifty adolescents aged 16-19 years from four randomly selected schools in Udupi Taluk participated in this cross sectional study. Information was obtained regarding their parental demographics, their early life course, dental coping beliefs and recent dental attendance. Bivariate followed by multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to elicit variables which predict recent dental attendance.RESULTS: Out of the 324 adolescents who completed the questionnaire, 25.3% reported visiting a dentist within a period of one year. Childhood dental visit, childhood dental experience, housing, internal and external locus of control and self-efficacy were significantly associated with recent dental visit (p<0.05). Participants who lived in cement/brick houses were 4.3 times more likely to visit a dentist within one year compared to those living in hut/mud/combined houses (p<0.05). Adolescents with lower external (OR= 0.11, P<0.003) and low internal (OR=0.05, P<0.001) locus of control had lower odds of visiting a dentist within a year when compared with those having higher locus of control.CONCLUSION: Childhood financial hardships, childhood dental visits and experiences and dental coping beliefs affect dental attendance pattern during adolescence. These factors should be considered while tailoring interventions to promote the oral health and dental attendance behaviors of adolescents.KEYWORDS:Coping beliefs, dental attendance, life course, locus of control, social clas