International Child Development Accounts

This Working Paper has been submitted for inclusion in the new online edition of theEncyclopedia of Social Work, which is published by Oxford University Press. The paper discusses efforts to implement Child Development Accounts in the United States and numerous other countries. Child Development Accounts (CDAs) are subsidized savings or investment accounts to help people accumulate assets for developmental purposes and life course needs. They are envisioned as universal (everyone participates), progressive (greater subsidies for the poor), and potentially lifelong national policy. These features distinguish CDAs from most existing asset-building policies and programs around the world, which are typically regressive, giving greater benefits to the well-off. With policy innovation in recent years, several countries now have national CDA policies, and four states in the United States have statewide programs. Some of these are designed to be universal and progressive. Evidence indicates that true universality can be achieved, but only with automatic account opening and automatic deposits. In the absence of automatic features, advantaged families participate and benefit more. Today, momentum for universal and automatic features is gradually gaining traction and accelerating. At this stage in the emergence of inclusive asset-based policy, this is the most important development

Epigenetic and integrative cross-omics analyses of cerebral white matter hyperintensities on MRI

Cerebral white matter hyperintensities on MRI are markers of cerebral small vessel disease, a major risk factor for dementia and stroke. Despite the successful identification of multiple genetic variants associated with this highly heritable condition, its genetic architecture remains incompletely understood. More specifically, the role of DNA methylation has received little attention. We investigated the association between white matter hyperintensity burden and DNA methylation in blood at approximately 450,000 CpG sites in 9,732 middle-aged to older adults from 14 community-based studies. Single-CpG and region-based association analyses were carried out. Functional annotation and integrative cross-omics analyses were performed to identify novel genes underlying the relationship between DNA methylation and white matter hyperintensities. We identified 12 single-CpG and 46 region-based DNA methylation associations with white matter hyperintensity burden. Our top discovery single CpG, cg24202936 (P = 7.6 × 10-8), was associated with F2 expression in blood (P = 6.4 × 10-5), and colocalized with FOLH1 expression in brain (posterior probability =0.75). Our top differentially methylated regions were in PRMT1 and in CCDC144NL-AS1, which were also represented in single-CpG associations (cg17417856 and cg06809326, respectively). Through Mendelian randomization analyses cg06809326 was putatively associated with white matter hyperintensity burden (P = 0.03) and expression of CCDC144NL-AS1 possibly mediated this association. Differentially methylated region analysis, joint epigenetic association analysis, and multi-omics colocalization analysis consistently identified a role of DNA methylation near SH3PXD2A, a locus previously identified in genome-wide association studies of white matter hyperintensities. Gene set enrichment analyses revealed functions of the identified DNA methylation loci in the blood-brain barrier and in the immune response. Integrative cross-omics analysis identified 19 key regulatory genes in two networks related to extracellular matrix organization, and lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. A drug repositioning analysis indicated antihyperlipidemic agents, more specifically peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, as possible target drugs for white matter hyperintensities. Our epigenome-wide association study and integrative cross-omics analyses implicate novel genes influencing white matter hyperintensity burden, which converged on pathways related to the immune response and to a compromised blood brain barrier possibly due to disrupted cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. The results also suggest that antihyperlipidemic therapy may contribute to lowering risk for white matter hyperintensities possibly through protection against blood brain barrier disruption

Dynamics of tissue nutrient content in relation to declining seedling growth in Malania oleifera

The decline in seedling growth of Malania oleifera as the age increases is often observed in the absence of host plants. A better knowledge of nutrient dynamics in terms of concentration and distribution patterns in different parts of the declining seedlings, the concentrations of N, P, and K were comparatively analyzed in various organs of unattached M. oleifera seedlings grown for half a year, two years, and three years. Additionally, the starch content and distribution patterns in the roots and stems of seedlings with different vigor levels were qualitatively assessed by staining cross-sections. The results were as follows: (1) As the growth vigor of M. oleifera seedlings declined, the concentrations of N, P, and K in most organs decreased, except for a significant increase in K concentration in lateral roots. The leaf N/P ratios of the declining seedlings became increasingly imbalanced, indicating different nutrient deficiency types among the seedlings with varying decline degrees. Unattached M. oleifera seedlings grown for half a year were primarily limited by insufficient N supply (with an average N/P ratio of 11.33) and subsequently by P limitation after two years (average N/P ratio 17.81). The leaf N/P ratio of unattached M. oleifera seedlings grown for three years was remarkably imbalanced (with an average value of 52.46). As the growth vigor of unattached three-year seedlings was considerably low, they are deemed unsuitable for afforestation. (2) A decrease in starch content was observed in declining seedlings, as evidenced by the reduced staining intensity of cross-sections. After three years, the starch content of unattached M. oleifera seedlings was found to have decreased to an extremely low level. Significant differences in starch content were observed at various locations, including the connecting point of the stems and roots, the basal swelling top of the root, the main root, and lateral roots, among seedlings with different degrees of decline. These findings suggested that starch content levels could serve as crucial criteria for evaluating the growth vigor of seedlings. Specifically, lateral roots were identified as optimal sampling materials for assessing seedling growth vigor through a minimally invasive method. Given the gradual decline in vitality and decreased nutrient content observed in M. oleifera seedlings grown in the absence of a host plant, it is recommended, during the propagation phase, to ensure adequate mineral nutrient supplementation, select appropriate host plants for cultivation, and facilitate early-stage transplantation. This proactive approach serves to mitigate a potential decline in survival rates during afforestation, attributed to the reduced vitality of the seedlings. The results of this study provide valuable information for evaluating seedling growth vigor and offer scientific guidance for rational fertilization in M. oleifera nurseries

Robotic Ankle Training Improves Sensorimotor Functions in Children with Cerebral Palsy—A Pilot Study

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have sensorimotor impairments including weakness, spasticity, reduced motor control and sensory deficits. Proprioceptive dysfunction compounds the decreased motor control and mobility. The aims of this paper were to (1) examine proprioceptive deficit of lower extremities of children with CP; (2) study improvement in proprioception and clinical impairments through robotic ankle training (RAT). Eight children with CP participated in a 6-week RAT with pre and post ankle proprioception, clinical, biomechanical assessment compared to the assessment of eight typically developing children (TDC). The children with CP participated in passive stretching (20 min/session) and active movement training (20 to 30 min/session) using an ankle rehabilitation robot (3 sessions/week over 6 weeks, total of 18 sessions). Proprioceptive acuity measured as the plantar and dorsi-flexion motion at which the children recognized the movement was 3.60 ± 2.28° in dorsiflexion and −3.72 ± 2.38° in plantar flexion for the CP group, inferior to that of the TDC group’s 0.94 ± 0.43° in dorsiflexion (p = 0.027) and −0.86 ± 0.48° in plantar flexion (p = 0.012). After training, ankle motor and sensory functions were improved in children with CP, with the dorsiflexion strength increased from 3.61 ± 3.75 Nm to 7.48 ± 2.75 Nm (p = 0.018) and plantar flexion strength increased from −11.89 ± 7.04 Nm to −17.61 ± 6.81 Nm after training (p = 0.043). The dorsiflexion AROM increased from 5.58 ± 13.18° to 15.97 ± 11.21° (p = 0.028). The proprioceptive acuity showed a trend of decline to 3.08 ± 2.07° in dorsiflexion and to −2.59 ± 1.94° in plantar flexion (p > 0.05). The RAT is a promising intervention for children with CP to improve sensorimotor functions of the lower extremities. It provided an interactive and motivating training to engage children with CP in rehabilitation to improve clinical and sensorimotor performance

A simple and effective deep neural network based QRS complex detection method on ECG signal

Introduction: The QRS complex is the most prominent waveform within the electrocardiograph (ECG) signal. The accurate detection of the QRS complex is an essential step in the ECG analysis algorithm, which can provide fundamental information for the monitoring and diagnosis of the cardiovascular diseases.Methods: Seven public ECG datasets were used in the experiments. A simple and effective QRS complex detection algorithm based on the deep neural network (DNN) was proposed. The DNN model was composed of two parts: a feature pyramid network (FPN) based backbone with dual input channels to generate the feature maps, and a location head to predict the probability of point belonging to the QRS complex. The depthwise convolution was applied to reduce the parameters of the DNN model. Furthermore, a novel training strategy was developed. The target of the DNN model was generated by using the points within 75 milliseconds and beyond 150 milliseconds from the closest annotated QRS complexes, and artificial simulated ECG segments with high heart rates were generated in the data augmentation. The number of parameters and floating point operations (FLOPs) of our model was 26976 and 9.90M, respectively.Results: The proposed method was evaluated through a cross-dataset test and compared with the sophisticated state-of-the-art methods. On the MITBIH NST, the proposed method demonstrated slightly better sensitivity (95.59% vs. 95.55%) and lower presicion (91.03% vs. 92.93%). On the CPSC 2019, the proposed method have similar sensitivity (95.15% vs.95.13%) and better precision (91.75% vs. 82.03%).Discussion: Experimental results show the proposed algorithm achieved a comparable performance with only a few parameters and FLOPs, which would be useful for the application of ECG analysis on the wearable device

Nuclear astrophysics research based on HI-13 tandem accelerator

The first radioactive ion beam line, GIRAFFE, has been built at the CIAE HI-13 tandem accelerator in China. A total of eleven types of radioactive ion beam, including 6He, 7Be, and 8Li, have been generated. Several significant reactions in nuclear astrophysics have been indirectly measured via transfer reactions, and research on nuclear structure, relevant to nuclear astrophysics, has been performed using charge exchange reactions and thick-target experimental methods. A series of single nucleon or α cluster transfer reactions have been measured using a Q3D magnetic spectrometer, and the astrophysical S-factors and reaction rates for essential reactions have been obtained. The obtained results serve as a crucial experimental foundation for research involving element abundance and celestial body models

Supernovae and their scientific secrets

Supernovae are the most gorgeous fireworks that people can observe in the universe. Their explosion can produce a maximum luminosity 10 billion times that of the Sun, helping scientists see farther. Type Ia supernovae can be used as a standard candle to facilitate measurement of the distance between galaxies in the universe. A supernova explosion will also propel a large number of heavy elements into interstellar space, which is a major driving force for the chemical evolution of galaxies. In addition, supernovae are crucial to the origin of elements in the Milky Way, the formation of the structure of the solar system, and the evolution of life on the Earth. The study of supernovae will further enrich our understanding of the universe and help us solve the mysteries of the expansion of the universe, the generation of heavy elements, and the origin of life. At present, scientists predict that the next supernova will explode at any time, and preparations are in progress for observing the coming supernova

Current re-vegetation patterns and restoration issues in degraded geological phosphorus-rich mountain areas: A synthetic analysis of Central Yunnan, SW China

China has the largest area of inland geological phosphorus-rich (GPR) mountains in the world, where vegetation restoration is key to safeguarding the environment. We reviewed the published literature and collected new data in order to analyze re-vegetation patterns and the status of plant communities in central Yunnan. The aim of our analysis was to suggest future improvements to restoration strategies in GPR mountain regions. Our results showed that spontaneous recovery was the most widespread type of restoration. N-fixing species such as Coriaria nepalensis and Alnus nepalensis play a vital role in succession. In the past, monoculture tree plantation was the primary method used in afforestation activities in central Yunnan; in recent years however, several different methods of restoration have been introduced including the use of agroforestry systems. For practical restoration, we found that spontaneous recovery was capable of delivering the best results, but that during its early stages, restoration results were affected by several factors including erosion risk, the origin of propagates and environmental variation. In contrast, methods employing human-made communities performed better in their early stages, but were constrained by higher costs and vulnerability to degradation and erosion. The use of N-fixing species such as A. nepalensis and Acacia mearnsii in plantations were unsuccessful in restoring full ecosystem functions. The success of restoration activities in GPR mountain regions could be improved through the following measures: (1) developing a better understanding of the respective advantages and disadvantages of current natural and human-engineered restoration approaches; (2) elucidating the feedback mechanism between phosphorus-rich soil and species selected for restoration, especially N-fixing species; (3) introducing market incentives aimed at encouraging specific restoration activities such as agroforestry, and improving the industry value chain

Changes of Shoulder, Elbow, and Wrist Stiffness Matrix Post Stroke

Stroke affects multiple joints in the arm with stereotypical patterns of arm deformity involving the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand and with disrupted coordination of multiple joints in active movements. However, there is a lack of systematicmethods to evaluatemulti-joints and multi-degree of freedoms (DOF) neuro-mechanical changes, especially for complex systemswith three ormore joints/ DOFs involved. This paper used a novel systematic method to characterize dynamics and control of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist of the human arm individually and simultaneously, including the couplings across themultiple joints during controlled movements. A novel method was developed to decompose the complex system into manageable single-joint level for more reliable characterizations. The method was used in clinical studies to characterize the multi-joint changes associated with spastic impaired arm of 11 patients post stroke and 12 healthy controls. It was found that stroke survivors showed not only increased stiffness at the individual joints locally but also significantly higher couplings across the joints. The relative increases in couplings are often higher than that of the local joint stiffness. The multi-joint characterization provided a tool to characterize impairment of individual patients, which would allow more focused impairment-specific treatment. In general, the decomposition method can be used for even more complex systems, making characterization of intractable system dynamics of three or more joints/DOFs manageable

Disruption of transcription factor RhMYB123 causes the transformation of stamen to malformed petal in rose (Rosa hybrida)

Rose is one of the ornamental plants with economic importance worldwide. Malformed flower seriously affects the ornamental value and fertility of rose. However, the regulatory mechanism is largely unknown. In this work, we identified a R2R3 MYB transcription factor RhMYB123 from rose, the expression of which significantly decreased from flower differentiation stage to floral organ development stage. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that it belongs to the same subgroup as MYB123 of Arabidopsis and located in nucleus. In addition, RhMYB123 was confirmed to have transcriptional activation function by dual luciferase assay. Silencing RhMYB123 using Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) in rose could increase the number of malformed petaloid stamen. Furthermore, we identified 549 differential expressed genes (DEGs) in TRV-RhMYB123 lines compared to TRV controls by RNA-seq of floral buds (flower differentiation stage). Among of those genes, expression of 3 MADS box family genes related to floral organ development reduced in TRV-RhMYB123 lines, including AGAMOUS (RhAG), AGAMOUS LIKE 15 (RhAGL15), and SHATTERPROOF 1 (RhSHP1). Given, previous studies have shown that auxin plays a crucial role in floral meristem initiation and stamen–petal organ specification. We also found 6 DEGs were involved in auxin signal transduction, of which five were reduced expression in TRV-RhMYB123. Taken together, our findings suggested that RhMYB123 may govern the development of malformed petaloid stamen by regulating the expressions of some MADS box family members and auxin signaling pathway elements