The Relationship Between Depressive Symptomology, Motivational Deficits and Striatal Activity in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been shown to have high prevalence rates of depression. Reward processing and motivational deficits have been shown to be associated with depression, since both constructs rely on the ffonto-striatal network. In this study, we examined depressive symptomology, motivational tendencies and striatal activation during wins and losses in individuals with TBI. Participants (TBI and healthy controls [HC]) completed a gambling task composed of wins and losses in an MRI scanner. Depressive symptomology was assessed with the Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory (CMDI), while motivational tendencies were assessed with the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation (BIS/BAS) scale. Significant between-group differences were observed in BAS (p=.01), BASDrive (p = 0.003), BAS-Reward Responsiveness (p = 0.04) and in all CMDI subscales (Mood: p = .01; Evaluative: p = 0.02; Vegetative: p = .001), with significant correlations seen between both questionnaires. Using VBM analysis and the segmentation of subcortical structures, a significant GM decrease in both the right ACC and bilateral NAcc was seen in the TBI group. A positive correlation was found in the TBI group between the CMDI-Mood subscale and activation of the left NAcc during loss trials (r = -.858, p \u3c 0.05), while a strong negative correlation in the TBI group was found between BIS and activation of the right NAcc during win trials (r = -.852, p \u3c 0.05). When split between high and low BIS scores, the TBI group scoring higher on BIS showed significantly lower levels of NAcc activation during win trials (p \u3c 0.05). No demographic between-group differences were detected. The current study replicates previous evidence in non-TBI individuals with depression, as well as provides pioneering evidence on the existence of the association between striatal engagement in depressive symptomology and motivation in individuals with TBI

Sound and Music in Film and Visual Media: A Critical Overview, edited by Graeme Harper, Ruth Doughty and Jochen Eisentraut

Sound and Music in Film and Visual Media is a mammoth project undertaken by book editor Graeme Harper, film editor Ruth Doughty and music editor Jochen Eisentraut. Over fifty scholars were involved in the project, which covers a vast amount of topics. This publication represents a solid contribution to the ever-developing scholarly study of music and sound in visual media and would benefit student and scholar alike

Creating an Academic Department Vision: Processes, Challenges, Rewards

Department chairs are expected to lead academic units by managing numerous aspects of the academic enterprise. Participants in this session will focus on the process of creating a department vision that is inclusive by engaging various stakeholders while considering the university/college strategic plan and other institutional initiatives

Scalable Peer-to-Peer Streaming for Live Entertainment Content

We present a system for streaming live entertainment content over the Internet originating from a single source to a scalable number of consumers without resorting to centralized or provider-provisioned resources. The system creates a peer-to-peer overlay network, which attempts to optimize use of existing capacity to ensure quality of service, delivering low startup delay and lag in playout of the live content. There are three main aspects of our solution: first, a swarming mechanism that constructs an overlay topology for minimizing propagation delays from the source to end consumers; second, a distributed overlay anycast system that uses a location-based search algorithm for peers to quickly find the closest peers in a given stream; and finally, a novel incentive mechanism that encourages peers to donate capacity even when the user is not actively consuming content

Who Chooses? An Analysis of Student Characteristics in the Hartford Public School System

Hartford resident students have school choice and apply to many different types of schools in a variety of locations, but not all students exercise their right to choose the school they attend. While the number of students attending HPS who do submit applications to change school is known, an analysis of the individual characteristics of these students has not been done. Without such an analysis, a full evaluation of the success of school choice in Hartford is not possible. But before we explore the differences between those who choose and those who do not, we need to analyze the entire pool of Hartford students. In our study, we ask: Who are the students living in Hartford who could potentially exercise their right to choose? Demographic, school attendance, performance, and continuity characteristics of Hartford residents attending Hartford public schools (district and magnet) in grades 3-8 over a five-year period (2008-2013) are explored. We find that while the percentage of Hispanic, Special Education, English Language Learners, and Magnet School students have increased, Black students has decreased in the HPS system over the five year period. While the majority of students attend a school in the same zone in which they reside, in 2012-13, there is an increase in students residing in Zones 1 and 4 who attend a school outside their school zone. Over the five years of our study, only 7% of the students whose CMT test results place them as “below basic” or “basic” in 2008-09 became “high-achievers” in 2012-13. Of those who were “proficient,” only 27% improved their score to “high-achiever” status. Of those who were “high-achievers” in 2008-09, 42% performed worse in 2012-13. Lastly, the percentage of students who leave the HPS system and are high achievers is not different from the percentage of students who stay in the HPS system and are high achievers for each of the five years. In the next semester, we will analyze the characteristics of students leaving the HPS system

Psychological outcomes following surgical and endoscopic bariatric procedures: A systematic review.

Obesity is a leading global epidemic. Bariatric surgery is the only treatment demonstrating substantial long-term weight loss and medical benefits. However, there is limited research on the psychological outcomes following surgery. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to systematically review depression, anxiety, and binge eating outcomes at different time points following bariatric surgery and identify whether bariatric surgery significantly reduces psychological symptoms over time. These outcomes were also examined among endoscopic bariatric procedures as a secondary aim. Forty-eight studies met inclusion criteria. Findings suggested that most patients experience a short-term reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms from pre-surgery. Over time, however, these symptoms increase and may even return to pre-surgery levels. Furthermore, while binge eating was uncommon after surgery, other disordered eating patterns may emerge. Binge eating may also restart over time as the stomach enlarges again. Overall, the complex psychological difficulties faced by individuals with obesity continue after surgery and may contribute to longer-term weight recidivism. More comprehensive and standardised psychological assessment procedures, including clinical interviews and longer-term follow-up, may provide insight into the psychological mechanisms maintaining weight management issues, and may serve as a starting point for improving the long-term success of patients with obesity

Who Chooses in Hartford? Report 1: Statistical analysis of Regional School Choice Office applicants and non-applicants among Hartford-resident HPS students in grades 3-7, Spring 2012

Which Hartford-area families were more (or less) likely to apply for public school choice options, and how do they vary by student characteristics & achievement, school composition, and neighborhood demographics? Report 1 offers a statistical analysis of RSCO applicants versus non-applicants among 6,673 Hartford-resident students enrolled in Hartford Public Schools (HPS) — both district schools and interdistrict magnet schools — from grades 3 through 7 in Spring 2012. Overall, we found that participation in the RSCO application process was not random, but linked to student socioeconomic characteristics that often showed higher participation by more privileged families. In this sample, there were statistically significant lower levels of RSCO participation among English Language Learners and those with special needs, and generally higher levels by students with high CMT scores, and those who live in census areas with higher median household incomes and higher percentages of owner-occupied housing. The report also evaluates statistically significant differences and the magnitude of numbers of expected versus actual applicants by race and ethnicity, school performance, location, and other characteristics