Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of remotely delivering cognitive training to people with schizophrenia using tablets.

Limited access to Cognitive Training (CT) for people with schizophrenia (SZ) prevents widespread adoption of this intervention. Delivering CT remotely via tablets may increase accessibility, improve scheduling flexibility, and diminish patient burden.In this reanalysis of data from a larger trial of CT, we compared two samples of individuals with SZ who chose to complete 40 h of CT either on desktop computers in the laboratory (N = 33) or remotely via iPads (N = 41). We examined attrition rates and adherence to training, and investigated whether remote iPad-based CT and in-person desktop-based CT induced significantly different improvements in cognitive and real-world functioning.The attrition rate was 36.6%. On average, participants completed 3.06 h of CT per week. There were no significant between-group differences in attrition and adherence to CT requirements. Participants who completed iPad-based CT were significantly younger and had lower symptoms at baseline compared to participants who completed CT on the lab desktops. Controlling for age and symptom severity, rANCOVA showed that iPad-based and desktop-based CT similarly and significantly improved verbal learning and problem solving. Main effects of time, at trend level significance, were evident in global cognition, verbal memory, quality of life, and social functioning. All group by time interactions were non-significant except for verbal memory, where iPad users showed greater gains. Within-group effect sizes for changes in outcomes were in the small range.Although underpowered and not randomized, this study demonstrates that delivering CT remotely to people with SZ using tablets is feasible and results in retention rates, adherence, and cognitive and functional outcome improvements that are comparable to those observed when CT is delivered in the laboratory. This has important implications in terms of scalability and dissemination of CT. These results require confirmation in larger samples

Entrapment: an important mechanism to explain the shortwave 3D radiative effect of clouds

Several mechanisms have previously been proposed to explain differences between the shortwave reflectance of realistic cloud scenes computed using the 1D independent column approximation (ICA) and 3D solutions of the radiative transfer equation. When the sun is low in the sky, interception of sunlight by cloud sides tends to increase reflectance relative to ICA estimates that neglect this effect. When the sun is high, 3D radiative transfer tends to make clouds less reflective, which we argue is explained by the mechanism of “entrapment” whereby horizontal transport of radiation beneath a cloud layer increases the chances, relative to the ICA, of light being absorbed by cloud or the surface. It is especially important for multilayered cloud scenes. We describe modifications to the previously described Speedy Algorithm for Radiative Transfer through Cloud Sides (SPARTACUS) to represent different entrapment assumptions, and test their impact on 65 contrasting scenes from a cloud-resolving model. When entrapment is represented explicitly via a calculation of the mean horizontal distance traveled by reflected light, SPARTACUS predicts a mean “3D radiative effect” (the difference in top-of-atmosphere irradiances between 3D and ICA calculations) of 8.1 W m−2 for overhead sun. This is within 2% of broadband Monte Carlo calculations on the same scenes. The importance of entrapment is highlighted by the finding that the extreme assumptions in SPARTACUS of “zero entrapment” and “maximum entrapment” lead to corresponding mean 3D radiative effects of 1.7 and 19.6 W m−2, respectively

The Mediating Role of Self-Concept on Ethnic-Racial Identity and School Engagement for Black Adolescents

Despite the racial/ethnic diversity of the United States, a significant difference remains between the standardized achievement scores of White students and Black students, most commonly known as the achievement gap or the opportunity gap. Although it is recognized that the opportunity gap is rooted in structural racism, scholars have examined micro-level factors to close the opportunity gap that drives underachievement in Black youth. The present study explored the connections between ethnic-racial identity and factors related to academic achievement: global self-concept, academic self-concept, and student engagement. This study also evaluated the ethnic-racial identity process from a gendered lens. This study used data from the Peer Relations as Moderators of Success (PRAMS) 2008-2010 study. Survey data and demographic information were collected from 68 male and 98 female preadolescent and adolescent Black students in the 5th-8th grades. Data was evaluated as adequate using preliminary statistics. The hypothesized relationships between global self-concept, academic self-concept, ethnic-racial identity, and student behavioral engagement were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). In Model 1, analyses of direct effects indicated a significant pathway between global self-concept and behavioral engagement; however, ethnic-racial identity did not have a significant direct effect on global self-concept or behavioral engagement. Similarly, Model 2 resulted in academic self-concept having a significant direct effect on behavioral engagement, whereas ethnic-racial identity did not have a direct effect on academic self-concept or behavioral engagement. Due to all direct pathways and indirect pathways not being significantly predictive, preliminary assumptions to test for a mediation effect were not met for Model 1 and Model 2. Overall findings indicated global self-concept and academic self-concept as stronger indicators of achievement outcomes, specifically for behavioral engagement for Black students. Results further illustrated gender differences for the relationship between global self-concept and achievement outcomes for Black girls and boys. This study suggests finding ways to facilitate greater global and academic self-concept for youth will be beneficial for strengthening the likelihood of youth behaviorally engaging in classes at school. Limitations and future directions were further discussed. Keywords: ethnic-racial-identity, Black adolescent

Beliefs about Racism and Health among African American Women with Diabetes: A Qualitative Study

Exposure to racism has been linked to poor health outcomes. Little is known about the impact of racism on diabetes outcomes. This study explored African American (AA) women’s beliefs about how racism interacts with their diabetes self-management and control. Four focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of 28 adult AA women with type 2 diabetes who were recruited from a larger quantitative study on racism and diabetes. The focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by the authors. Women reported that exposure to racism was a common phenomenon, and their beliefs did in fact link racism to poor health. Specifically, women reported that exposure to racism caused physiological arousal including cardiovascular and metabolic perturbations. There was consensus that physiological arousal was generally detrimental to health. Women also described limited, and in some cases maladaptive, strategies to cope with racist events including eating unhealthy food choices and portions. There was consensus that the subjective nature of perceiving racism and accompanying social prohibitions often made it impossible to address racism directly. Many women described anger in such situations, and the tendency to internalize anger and other negative emotions, only to find that the negative emotions would be reactivated repeatedly with exposure to novel racial stressors, even long after the original racist event remitted. AA women in this study believed that racism affects their diabetes self-management and control. Health beliefs can exert powerful effects on health behaviors andmay provide an opportunity for health promotion interventions in diabetes

Six month durability of targeted cognitive training supplemented with social cognition exercises in schizophrenia.

Background:Deficits in cognition, social cognition, and motivation are significant predictors of poor functional outcomes in schizophrenia. Evidence of durable benefit following social cognitive training is limited. We previously reported the effects of 70 h of targeted cognitive training supplemented with social cognitive exercises (TCT + SCT) verses targeted cognitive training alone (TCT). Here, we report the effects six months after training. Methods:111 participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were randomly assigned to TCT + SCT or TCT-only. Six months after training, thirty-four subjects (18 TCT + SCT, 16 TCT-only) were assessed on cognition, social cognition, reward processing, symptoms, and functioning. Intent to treat analyses was used to test the durability of gains, and the association of gains with improvements in functioning and reward processing were tested. Results:Both groups showed durable improvements in multiple cognitive domains, symptoms, and functional capacity. Gains in global cognition were significantly associated with gains in functional capacity. In the TCT + SCT group, participants showed durable improvements in prosody identification and reward processing, relative to the TCT-only group. Gains in reward processing in the TCT + SCT group were significantly associated with improvements in social functioning. Conclusions:Both TCT + SCT and TCT-only result in durable improvements in cognition, symptoms, and functional capacity six months post-intervention. Supplementing TCT with social cognitive training offers greater and enduring benefits in prosody identification and reward processing. These results suggest that novel cognitive training approaches that integrate social cognitive exercises may lead to greater improvements in reward processing and functioning in individuals with schizophrenia

A Comprehensive Dataset of Grains for Granular Jamming in Soft Robotics: Grip Strength and Shock Absorption

We test grip strength and shock absorption properties of various granular material in granular jamming robotic components. The granular material comprises a range of natural, manufactured, and 3D printed material encompassing a wide range of shapes, sizes, and Shore hardness. Two main experiments are considered, both representing compelling use cases for granular jamming in soft robotics. The first experiment measures grip strength (retention force measured in Newtons) when we fill a latex balloon with the chosen grain type and use it as a granular jamming gripper to pick up a range of test objects. The second experiment measures shock absorption properties recorded by an Inertial Measurement Unit which is suspended in an envelope of granular material and dropped from a set height. Our results highlight a range of shape, size and softness effects, including that grain deformability is a key determinant of grip strength, and interestingly, that larger grain sizes in 3D printed grains create better shock absorbing materials

Frafall og bytter i universitets- og høgskoleutdanning : Kartlegging av frafall og bytte av studieprogram eller institusjon blant de som startet på en gradsutdanning i 2012

Hvert år forlater en markant andel studenter den utdanningen de har begynt på. Frafall og diskusjoner om hvordan vi kan redusere omfanget av dette er høyt plassert på dagsordenen i debatten om universitets- og høgskoleutdanning. Dette henger blant annet sammen med at det er kostbart både for den enkelte og for samfunnet når studenter i universitets- og høgskoleutdanning ikke fullfører den utdanningen de har begynt på. Denne rapporten kartlegger frafall og bytter i universitets- og høgskoleutdanning. Dette gjøres ved å presentere deskriptiv statistikk som belyser omfanget av frafall fra universitets- og høgskolesektoren samt program- og institusjonsbytter. Hensikten med rapporten er å belyse kjennetegn ved studentene, samt å kartlegge når frafallet og byttene skjer. Vi ser også til hva studentene gjør i etterkant, herunder hvilke eventuelle utdanningsendringer de gjør. Rapporten er utarbeidet av Maj-Lisa Lervåg og Sophia Mai Howard Andresen ved Seksjon for utdanningsstatistikk. Rapporten er finansiert av Kunnskapsdepartementet

Dancing to the Partisan Beat: A First Analysis of Political Communication on TikTok

TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service, whose popularity is increasing rapidly. It was the world's second-most downloaded app in 2019. Although the platform is known for having users posting videos of themselves dancing, lip-syncing, or showcasing other talents, user-videos expressing political views have seen a recent spurt. This study aims to perform a primary evaluation of political communication on TikTok. We collect a set of US partisan Republican and Democratic videos to investigate how users communicated with each other about political issues. With the help of computer vision, natural language processing, and statistical tools, we illustrate that political communication on TikTok is much more interactive in comparison to other social media platforms, with users combining multiple information channels to spread their messages. We show that political communication takes place in the form of communication trees since users generate branches of responses to existing content. In terms of user demographics, we find that users belonging to both the US parties are young and behave similarly on the platform. However, Republican users generated more political content and their videos received more responses; on the other hand, Democratic users engaged significantly more in cross-partisan discussions.Comment: Accepted as a full paper at the 12th International ACM Web Science Conference (WebSci 2020). Please cite the WebSci version; Second version includes corrected typo

Targeted deletion of Hand2 in cardiac neural crest-derived cells influences cardiac gene expression and outflow tract development

AbstractThe basic helix–loop–helix DNA binding protein Hand2 has critical functions in cardiac development both in neural crest-derived and mesoderm-derived structures. Targeted deletion of Hand2 in the neural crest has allowed us to genetically dissect Hand2-dependent defects specifically in outflow tract and cardiac cushion independent of Hand2 functions in mesoderm-derived structures. Targeted deletion of Hand2 in the neural crest results in misalignment of the aortic arch arteries and outflow tract, contributing to development of double outlet right ventricle (DORV) and ventricular septal defects (VSD). These neural crest-derived developmental anomalies are associated with altered expression of Hand2-target genes we have identified by gene profiling. A number of Hand2 direct target genes have been identified using ChIP and ChIP-on-chip analyses. We have identified and validated a number of genes related to cell migration, proliferation/cell cycle and intracellular signaling whose expression is affected by Hand2 deletion in the neural crest and which are associated with development of VSD and DORV. Our data suggest that Hand2 is a multifunctional DNA binding protein affecting expression of target genes associated with a number of functional interactions in neural crest-derived cells required for proper patterning of the outflow tract, generation of the appropriate number of neural crest-derived cells for elongation of the conotruncus and cardiac cushion organization. Our genetic model has made it possible to investigate the molecular genetics of neural crest contributions to outflow tract morphogenesis and cell differentiation

Intrathoracic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors: imaging features and implications for management

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics of primary intrathoracic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). Patients and methods. In this institutional review board (IRB)-approved retrospective study, clinical and imaging features of 15 patients (eight men; mean age 50 years [range 18–83)] with pathologically proven malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors seen from January 1999 to December 2011 were analyzed. Imaging features (CT in 15, MRI in 5 and PET/CT in 4) of primary tumors were evaluated by three radiologists and correlated with clinical management. Results: Of the 15 tumors, six were located in the mediastinum (two each in anterior, middle and posterior mediastinum), four in chest wall, two were paraspinal, and three in the lung. Four patients had neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1); four tumors had heterologous rhabdomyoblastic differentiation (malignant triton tumor). Masses typically were elongated along the direction of nerves, with mean size of 11 cm. The masses were hypo- or isodense to muscles on CT, isointense on T1-weighted images, hyperintense on T2-weighted images and intensely fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avid (mean standardized uptake value [SUV]max of 10.5 [range 4.4–23.6]). Necrosis and calcification was seen in four tumors each. Finding of invasion of adjacent structures on imaging led to change in management in seven patients; patients with invasion received chemoradiation. Conclusions: Intrathoracic MPNSTs appear as large elongated masses involving mediastinum, lung or chest wall. Radiological identification of invasion of adjacent structures is crucial and alters therapy, with patients with invasion receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiation