Brief report : imitation of meaningless gestures in individuals with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism

Nineteen people with Asperger syndrome (AS)/High-Functioning Autism (HFA) (ages 7-15) were tested on imitation of two types of meaningless gesture: hand postures and finger positions. The individuals with AS/HFA achieved lower scores in the imitation of both hand and finger positions relative to a matched neurotypical group. The between-group difference was primarily accounted for by performance on a test of visual motor integration, together with a hand imitation deficit which was specifically due to errors in body part orientation. Our findings implicate both visuomotor processes (Damasio and Maurer, 1978) and self-other mapping (Rogers and Pennington, 1991) in ASD imitation deficits. Following Goldenberg (1999), we propose that difficulties with body part orientation may underlie problems in meaningless gesture imitation

Examining the Impacts of Middle School Disciplinary Policies on 9th Grade Retention

In this paper we estimate the impact of exclusionary discipline given in 8th grade on the probability of 9th grade retention. We use a rich seven year, student level, panel dataset from Arkansas. We use a novel approach by limiting our sample to students who switch schools between 8th and 9th grade. This movement gives each student a fresh start, and removes the potential confound of a student’s reputation as a “problem student” that could influence teachers to be harsher on students who already have a disciplinary record. We find that students who receive exclusionary discipline in 8th grade are more likely to be retained in 9th grade compared to students who received no exclusionary discipline. We find nominal evidence that the impact of exclusionary discipline is attenuated for students of color and students receiving FRL; however, the differences are not significant

Telehealth for the Provision of Occupational Therapy: Reflections on Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, healthcare professionals worldwide abruptly shifted from an in-person to a telehealth service delivery model. Many did so without advanced training or preparation. This cross-sectional study explored how occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether they found it to be an effective service delivery model that should be a permanent option for providing occupational therapy services. An online survey was disseminated; it included Likert scale questions, multiple option questions, and open-ended questions regarding telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 230 respondents, 176 (77%) support telehealth as a substitute for in-person services; 179 (78%) support telehealth as a permanent option for occupational therapy service delivery. This information lends support to the uninterrupted use of telehealth by OTPs when government emergency orders in response to COVID-19 expire

Guide to Common Parasites of Food Fish Species in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Global Water Futures supported by the Canada First Research Excellence FundNon-Peer ReviewedPrepared by N. Zabel & Dr. H. Swanson, Wilfrid Laurier University, and reviewed by Dr. G. Conboy (DVM, PhD, DACVM), Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island. Preparation of this guide was supported by Northern Water Futures (Global Water Futures; Canada First Research Excellence Fund). Reviews, photographs, and expert guidance was received as in-kind support from several individuals, and we gratefully acknowledge these important contributions. Funding for printing of guides distributed within Northwest Territories was provided by Government of Northwest Territories

Optimal sampling methods for modelling the occupancy of Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the Canadian Barrenlands

© Canadian Science Publishing or its licensors. Baker, LF, KJ Artym and HK Swanson (2017). Optimal sampling methods for modelling the occupancy of Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the Canadian Barrenlands. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. doi/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0429. Published by NRC Research Press, the final published version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0429In occupancy models, imperfect detectability of animals is usually corrected for by using temporally-repeated surveys to estimate probability of detection. Substituting spatial replicates for temporal replicates could be an advantageous sampling strategy in remote Arctic regions, but may lead to serious violations of model assumptions. Using a case study of site occupancy of adfluvial young-of-year Arctic Grayling in Barrenland tundra streams, we assessed reliability and efficiency of alternative sampling strategies; i) randomly distributed vs sequential adjacent spatial replicates; ii) visual vs electrofishing surveys; and, iii) spatial vs temporal replicates. Sequential, adjacent spatial replicates produced spatially auto-correlated data. Autocorrelation was relieved using randomly distributed spatial replicates, but using these randomly distributed spatial replicates introduced significant error into estimates of the probability of occupancy in streams. Models designed for spatially-autocorrelated data could minimize this bias. Visual and electrofishing surveys produced comparable probabilities of detection. Spatially-replicated surveys performed better than temporal replicates. The easiest and relatively most cost-effective sampling methods performed as well as, or better than, the more established, expensive, and logistically difficult alternatives for occupancy estimation.De Beers Canada Ltd Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council CRD || CRDPJ 469307 - 1

Contaminants and Nutrients in Traditional Food Fishes in Kluane Lake, YT

This report, produced for Kluane First Nation, details in plain-language the major findings of their joint research project, investigating levels of environmental contaminants and nutrients and fatty acids in fish from their traditional territory.The outcomes of a collaborative project led by the Kluane First Nation (KFN), in partnership with the Arctic Institute of Community-Based Research (AICBR), the University of Waterloo, and Western University, are presented here. This research project was initiated by KFN to answer questions about contaminants in fish in Kluane Lake, to determine the health benefits of eating fish from Kluane Lake, and to develop a youth exchange between KFN and university partners. The funded program has accomplished all of the program objectives. The key scientific findings are: - Average concentrations of mercury in Lake Trout and Lake Whitefish are beneath the Health Canada subsistence consumption guideline for mercury. - No Lake Trout or Lake Whitefish of any size exceed the Health Canada commercial sale guideline. - Lake Trout and Lake Whitefish from Kluane Lake have extremely low concentrations of mercury compared to other northern Canadian lakes. - Concentrations of organochlorines in Lake Trout < 750 mm long and average concentrations in Lake Whitefish are beneath US EPA consumption guidelines. - Lake Trout and Lake Whitefish from Kluane Lake have similar or lower concentrations of organochlorines compared to other northern Canadian lakes. - Lake Trout and Lake Whitefish in Kluane Lake are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial micronutrients, such as selenium, zinc, and copper. - Ratios of selenium (nutrient) to mercury (contaminant) in both Lake Trout and Lake Whitefish from Kluane Lake are better than in any other lake in Canada’s north. KFN, AICBR, the University of Waterloo and Western University had a very successful exchange of youth and community members in Spring 2016. KFN youth were involved in many aspects of the research, including fish collection and processing, and mercury analysis. This exchange will hopefully be the first of many that will empower and educate youth as well as contribute to both scientific and traditional knowledge (AICBR related project on traditional knowledge)Northern Contaminants Program || the Dän Keyi Renewable Resource Council, Surplus Fund || Yukon Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Trust || Northern Scientific Training Program || Wildlife Conservation Society-Weston Foundation Fellowship || Engineering Research Council, Discovery and Northern Research Supplement || Canada Research Chair Progra

Sleep disturbance as a moderator of the association between physical activity and later pain onset among American adults aged 50 and over : evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Funding DW is supported by a Foundation Fellowship Versus Arthritis (Award Number: 21742). Contributors DW, HG, LMS, TJB, AK and GLD were involved in study conception and design, and advised on the statistical analysis plan and interpretation of the data. HG compiled the dataset and DW performed the statistical analysis. DW drafted the manuscript. HG, LMS, TJB, AK and GLD reviewed the manuscript, provided amendments and approved the final version. DW, HG and GLD had full access to study data and take responsibility for its accuracy and the integrity of the analysis. Data availability statement Data are available in a public, open access repository. The dataset used for this study was generated from data products publicly released by the Health and Retirement Study (HRS): https://hrs.isr.umich.edu. The HRS is sponsored by the National Institute on Ageing (grant number NIA U01AG009740).Peer reviewedPublisher PD