Use of the STAR PROCESS for Children with Sensory Processing Challenges

Background: This study examined the effectiveness of the STAR PROCESS, an intensive, short-term intervention that combines principles of sensory integration, relationship-based therapy, and parental-therapist collaboration for children with sensory processing challenges. Method: A nonconcurrent multiple baseline, repeated measures design was used. Four boys, aged 5 years 0 months to 7 years 9 months, participated in this study. The mean length of intervention was 22 sessions delivered 3 to 5 times per week. A behavioral coding system was used to measure change in four areas: play level, positive affect, joint attention, and novel use of equipment. The theory of change reflects the use of multisensory experiences in combination with parent participation to impact outcomes. Results: Improvement was noted in play level in all of the participants. Multisensory experiences and parent participation were associated with these changes in two participants. Discussion: The study results suggest a feasible methodology to study occupational therapy interventions. The behavioral coding system was sensitive to change. Play abilities changed in all four children. Preliminary support was provided for the theory of change combining multisensory experiences with parent participation. Conclusion: A targeted treatment approach that emphasizes parents as play partners in a multisensory environment shows promise in remediating these deficits

The Sensory Processing 3-Dimensions Scale: Initial Studies of Reliability and Item Analyses

Background: The Sensory Processing 3-Dimensions Scale (SP-3D) is a performance-based measure for assessing sensory processing abilities and challenges, including sensory modulation, sensory discrimination, and sensory-based motor disorders. Initial studies of reliability were conducted, and item response theory was applied to assist in refining the measure. Methods: Descriptive and correlational methods were used to examine internal consistency of the scales and inter-rater reliability. Item response theory using Rasch analyses was applied to examine unidimensionality of scales, model fit, and item difficulty. Results: Internal consistency for most measures was acceptable, demonstrating the subtests, domains, and behavior scales as distinct constructs. Inter-rater reliability results were mixed, with fair to strong reliability coefficients for most sensory discrimination and postural and praxis subtests. Scales measuring sensory modulation and motor behaviors had moderate to poor inter-observer agreement. Rasch analyses supported subtests as unidimensional and identified the most rigorous items in the subtests. Conclusions: Preliminary results show promise of the SP-3D as a stable, reliable tool. A need for refinement of some operational definitions for behavior ratings was identified, and items to consider for elimination because of redundancy or ill-fit were exposed. Directions for research include refinement of the SP-3D and the need for further reliability and validity studies

Diseño y construcción de una fuente de tensión y corriente para sintetizar alúmina porosa nanoestructurada

In this work is exposed the design, calibration and use of a voltage and current source for the synthesis of nanostructured porous Al2O3 (NPA) films. The operation of the source is regulated by an ATMEGA 328 microcontroller on an ARDUINO NANO [1] development board by pulse width modulation (PWM) with 8 bit precision, in a range of voltages from 0 - 40V and currents from 1- 5.6 mA, with uncertainties in the measurements of 5%. The instrument calibration curves are shown, where we evidenced the linearity of the response and a good agreement was achieved between the values commanded at the source with the direct measurements of the bench multimeter for the working ranges. This source was used for the synthesis of 4 APN samples under different conditions looking for a thickness in the order of 1300 nm. Reflectance spectra were obtained using an Ocean Optics USB-4000 spectrometer, and analyzed using a transfer matrix model that takes into account porosity, thickness, roughness, and trace concentrations of Fe2O3 and CuO.[2] We found that APN film thicknesses cannot be explained by anodizing times and currents alone. The role of porosity in the formation of APN films suggests that it is a subject of further attention.En este trabajo presentamos el diseño, calibración y uso de una fuente de tensión y corriente para la síntesis de películas de Al2O3 porosa nanoestructurada (APN). El funcionamiento de la fuente se logra mediante en un microcontrolador ATMEGA 328 en una placa de desarrollo ARDUINO NANO [1] por modulación de ancho de pulso (PWM) con precisión de 8 bits, en un rango de tensiones de 0 - 40V y corrientes de 1 - 5 .6 mA, con incertezas en las mediciones de 5%. Se muestran las curvas de calibraciones del instrumento, donde evidenciamos la linealidad de la respuesta y se logró un buen acuerdo de los valores comandados en la fuente con las medidas directas de multímetro de banco para los rangos de trabajo. Utilizamos esta fuente para la síntesis de 4 muestras de APN bajo diferentes condiciones buscando un espesor del orden de los 1300 nm. Se obtuvieron los espectros de reflectancia mediante un espectrómetro Ocean Optics USB-4000, y se analizaron empleando un modelo de matriz de transferencia que tiene en cuenta la porosidad, espesor, rugosidad, y las concentraciones por vestigios de Fe2O3 y CuO l [2]. Encontramos que los espesores de las películas de APN no pueden explicarse solamente con los tiempos y corrientes de anodizado. El rol de la porosidad en la formación de las películas de APN sugiere ser un tema de mayor atención

The Sensory Processing 3-Dimensions Scale: Initial Studies of Reliability and Item Analyses

Background: The Sensory Processing 3-Dimensions Scale (SP 3D) is a performance-based measure for assessing sensory processing abilities and challenges, including sensory modulation, sensory discrimination, and sensory-based motor disorders. Initial studies of reliability were conducted, and item response theory was applied to assist in refining the measure. Methods: Descriptive and correlational methods were used to examine internal consistency of the scales and inter-rater reliability. Item response theory using Rasch analyses was applied to examine unidimensionality of scales, model fit, and item difficulty. Results: Internal consistency for most measures was acceptable, demonstrating the subtests, domains, and behavior scales as distinct constructs. Inter-rater reliability results were mixed, with fair to strong reliability coefficients for most sensory discrimination and postural and praxis subtests. Scales measuring sensory modulation and motor behaviors had moderate to poor inter observer agreement. Rasch analyses supported subtests as unidimensional and identified the most rigorous items in the subtests. Conclusions: Preliminary results show promise of the SP-3D as a stable, reliable tool. A need for refinement of some operational definitions for behavior ratings was identified, and items to consider for elimination because of redundancy or ill-fit were exposed. Directions for research include refinement of the SP-3D and the need for further reliability and validity studies

Ley de Faraday y Ley de Biot y Savart: campo magnético de una espira circular en un punto fuera del eje

Este trabajo resulta a partir de la indagación bibliográfica relacionada con la medida y el mapeo del campo magnético fuera del eje de una bobina circular tanto en su componente radial como axial, la cual resultase muy escasa. Se presenta aquí la solución analítica completa, junto con el diseño y la fabricación de un dispositivo para realizar la medición en una región del espacio, de la f.e.m. inducida por un campo magnético generado por una espira circular. El campo magnético se produjo con corriente alterna y la región del espacio considerada comprende un plano donde uno de sus lados contiene al eje de la espira y se extiende más allá de la circunferencia de la misma. A diferencia de la mayoría de los dispositivos que se encuentran en el mercado y también de los ejemplos que se ven en la bibliografía; el equipo diseñado permite sen- sar el campo magnético producido por una espira circular en sus inmediaciones tanto en la dirección radial (r) como en la axial (z). Se han comparado las mediciones experimentales de la f.e.m. inducida con los calculados en ambas direcciones, logrando reproducir satisfactoriamente la forma de los campos magnéticos calculados.

Campo magnético de una espira circular en un punto fuera del eje: análisis y enseñanza de las leyes de Faraday & Lentz y Biot & Savart

El presente trabajo propone la utilización de un equipo construido ad hoc en nuestro laboratorio, para la medición y comprobación de la Ley de Faraday-Lentz y la Ley de Biot y Savart. El dispositivo fue construido con elementos de bajo costo y fácil adquisición. Su aplicación en el ámbito académico permite que los alumnos de las carreras Profesorado en Física y Licenciatura en Ciencias Físicas de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura de la UNNE realicen experimentos concretos en el campo del electromagnetismo. Nos referimos específicamente a la medida y el mapeo del campo magnético fuera del eje de una bobina circular tanto en su componente radial como axial. Los ejemplos de tales mediciones son escasos en la bibliografía revisada, por lo que la utilización de este instrumento resulta ventajoso. ..Fil: Cabanillas Mendoza, Cintia. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Física; ArgentinaFil: Valdez, Lucy Alejandra. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Física; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Merino, Carlos A.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Física; ArgentinaFil: Cabrera, Cesar A.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Física; ArgentinaFil: Bentz, Erika Natalia. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Física; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Pisarello, Maria Ines. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Física; ArgentinaFil: Provasi, Patricio Federico. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Física; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica; Argentina104ª Reunión de la Asociación Física ArgentinaSanta FeArgentinaAsociación Física Argentin

Studies of jet mass in dijet and W/Z plus jet events

This is the pre-print version of the final published paper that is available from the link below.Invariant mass spectra for jets reconstructed using the anti-kT and Cambridge-Aachen algorithms are studied for different jet “grooming” techniques in data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 fb-1, recorded with the CMS detector in proton-proton collisions at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 7TeV. Leading-order QCD predictions for inclusive dijet and W/Z+jet production combined with parton-shower Monte Carlo models are found to agree overall with the data, and the agreement improves with the implementation of jet grooming methods used to distinguish merged jets of large transverse momentum from softer QCD gluon radiation

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead