Early Predictors of Downward Assimilation in Contemporary Immigration

Abstract: In this paper, I focus on the assimilative paths of second- generation immigrants using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study. Primarily my goal is to determine early factors that put these youth at risk of downward assimilation. I use incarceration (in early adulthood) as a conservative measure for downward assimilation. While I recognize that this, in actuality, underestimates the extent of downward assimilation, I feel that it is the most efficient theoretical measure because of its extreme negative, long-term occupational, economic, and social effects. I use logistic regression to analyze a number of independent variables in my attempt to determine some of the early, significant predictors that place adolescents at risk for a downward path into the lower realms of American society. Ultimately, I examine race, length of time living in the U.S., educational-related variables (highest expected education in high school and educational goals of peers in high school), family dynamics/composition (time spent together, parental SES and job-loss), dissonant acculturation (how often parents and children clash over their differences), and feelings of discrimination. With the exceptions of parental socioeconomic status, all of these variables yield significant findings

What children on the autism spectrum have to ‘say’ about using high-tech voice output communication aids (VOCAs) in an educational setting

This paper focuses on accessing the experiences of three boys who are on the autism spectrum to identify what using a voice output communication aid (VOCA), within a classroom setting, means to them. The methods used to identify the boys' perspectives are described and evaluated. Establishing these through direct methods of engagement proved problematic but working with parents and school staff as ‘expert guides’ provided a rich insight into what using a VOCA appeared to mean to the boys. The findings suggest that using a computer-based VOCA can be viewed by children with autism as a pleasurable and motivating activity. This technology also seems to offer the potential for a much broader developmental impact for these children than that currently recognised within the research literature

“Black white zebra orange orange”: How children with autism make use of computer-based voice output communication aids in their language and communication at school.

Purpose - This naturalistic study adapted exploratory school practice in order to support empirically-informed decision making in the provision of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies for children with autism. Design - Research was conducted with three boys with autism and little speech, as part of a curricular literacy lesson. A mixed method approach, involving observational coding and staff diaries, identified how the boys used computer-based voice output communication aids (VOCAs), also called speech generating devices (SGDs) and how the technology impacted on their communication and language. The boys were observed in initial lessons (‘baseline’ sessions), without the VOCA present and in sessions in which the VOCA was available (‘intervention’ sessions). Findings - VOCAs were used for two main communicative purposes; naming and giving information; with aids being used primarily to support curricular, task-related communication. Existing modes of communication continued to be used when access to the VOCA was available. In addition, all three boys showed an increase in Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) after the VOCA was introduced. The findings suggest that computer-based VOCA technology can augment children’s communicative participation in lesson activities. Specific patterns of change were also recorded in the boys’ communication, suggesting individualised responses to this technology. Originality - This paper extends the empirical base for clinical decision making by reporting the use of high tech VOCAs by school age children with autism for additional forms of communication, beyond those described elsewhere. It adds to the evidence that interventions which include access to a computer VOCA can have a positive impact on the language complexity of children with autism. It describes the potential of VOCAs to provide an enabling and inclusive technology in a classroom setting. </p

Benign Fibroepithelial Polyp of Renal Pelvis in a Patient with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: A Successful Percutaneous Nephroscopic Management Strategy

We present a rare case of a benign fibroepithelial polyp of the renal pelvis in a patient with familial adenomatous polyposis. In our paper we describe a new minimally invasive technique developed in our unit using an amplatz goose neck snare via a percutaneous nephroscope sheath in the management of the benign fibroepithelial polyp of the renal pelvis and present a current review of management strategies in literature

Macronutrients mediate the functional relationship between Drosophila and Wolbachia

Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts that naturally infect a diverse array of arthropods. They are primarily known for their manipulation of host reproductive biology, and recently, infections with Wolbachia have been proposed as a new strategy for controlling insect vectors and subsequent human-transmissible diseases. Yet, Wolbachia abundance has been shown to vary greatly between individuals and the magnitude of the effects of infection on host life-history traits and protection against infection is correlated to within-host Wolbachia abundance. It is therefore essential to better understand the factors that modulate Wolbachia abundance and effects on host fitness. Nutrition is known to be one of the most important mediators of host-symbiont interactions. Here, we used nutritional geometry to quantify the role of macronutrients on insect-Wolbachia relationships in Drosophila melanogaster. Our results show fundamental interactions between diet composition, host diet selection, Wolbachia abundance and effects on host lifespan and fecundity. The results and methods described here open a new avenue in the study of insect-Wolbachia relationships and are of general interest to numerous research disciplines, ranging from nutrition and life-history theory to public health

Multiple recombinant dengue type 1 viruses in an isolate from a dengue patient

Between 2000 and 2004, dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) genotypes I and II from Asia were introduced into the Pacific region and co-circulated in some localities. Envelope protein gene sequences of DENV-1 from 12 patients infected on the island of New Caledonia were obtained, five of which carried genotype I viruses and six, genotype II viruses. One patient harboured a mixed infection, containing viruses assigned to both genotypes I and II, as well as a number of inter-genotypic recombinants. This is the first report of a population of dengue viruses isolated from a patient containing both parental and recombinant viruses

Faking revisited : exerting strategic control over performance on the implicit relational assessment procedure

Across four studies, we demonstrate that effects obtained from the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, like those obtained from other indirect procedures, are not impervious to strategic manipulation. In experiment 1, we found that merely informing participants to "fake" their performance without providing a concrete strategy to do so did not eliminate, reverse, or in any way alter the obtained outcomes. However, when those same instructions orientated attention toward the core parameters of the task, participants spontaneously derived a strategy that allowed them to eliminate their effects (experiment 2). When the participants were provided with a viable response strategy, they successfully reversed the direction of their overall Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure effect (experiment 3). By refining the nature of those instructions, we managed to target and alter individual trial-type effects in isolation with some success (experiment 4)

Impact of Obesity on Atrial Fibrillation Pathogenesis and Treatment Options

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. AF increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, dementia, and hospitalization. Obesity significantly increases AF risk, both directly and indirectly, through related conditions, like hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure. Obesity-driven structural and electrical remodeling contribute to AF via several reported mechanisms, including adiposity, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress, ion channel alterations, and autonomic dysfunction. In particular, expanding epicardial adipose tissue during obesity has been suggested as a key driver of AF via paracrine signaling and direct infiltration. Weight loss has been shown to reverse these changes and reduce AF risk and recurrence after ablation. However, studies on how obesity affects pharmacologic or interventional AF treatments are limited. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which obesity mediates AF and treatment outcomes, aiming to provide insight into obesity-drug interactions and guide personalized treatment for this patient subgroup.</p