WHITE MATTER CONNECTIVITY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SENSORIMOTOR REGIONS IN INDIVIDUALS WHO STUTTER

Heterogeneity in neural activations and structural anomalies associated with stuttering have led researchers to postulate that stuttering is due to a network default. Widespread differences in white matter integrity surrounding areas involved in sensorimotor integration have been reported in people who stutter, but the connectivity between these regions has not been examined. This preliminary study examined white matter connectivity differences between sensorimotor areas involved in speech production in people who stutter when compared to those who do not stutter. White matter connectivity was assessed using Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Quantitative Anisotropy (QA), and white matter volume. Non-parametric analyses revealed significantly decreased white matter volume in tracts connecting the left Sylvian parietal temporal region (Spt) to both rolandic operculum (RO) and supramarginal gyrus (SMG) in people who stutter when compared to those who do not. Reduced FA in tracts connecting the left RO and premotor region (PM) was also associated with stuttering. Right hemisphere analysis revealed reduced white matter volume in the tract connecting the right Spt and Hechl’s Gyrus (HG) in people who stutter when compared with those who do not. Correlational analyses showed a significant negative relationship between stuttering severity and QA of tracts connecting the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) to HG, and the IFG to SMG. QA of tracts connecting the right IFG to both the Spt and PM were also negatively correlated to stuttering severity scores. Scores assessing impact of stuttering on a person’s life had a negative correlation to QA of the left Spt -RO, and the right RO to both IFG and PM. Results of the study indicate that people who stutter showed reduced white matter volume and FA in tracts connecting sensorimotor areas and that the white matter integrity of some of the tracts were negatively correlated to stuttering severity

Spatio-temporal models for large-scale indicators of extreme weather

The changing global climate has sparked an interest in how these changes are affecting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as thunderstorms and tornadoes because these extreme events pose a significant threat to life, property, and economic stability. This article uses and evaluates several spatio-temporal statistical extreme value models to model extreme weather from reanalysis data observed across the continental United States and Mexico. The models find that the intensity of extreme weather is particularly high for the central United States. Additionally, the intensity of extreme weather is increasing over time but the amount of increase may not be practically significant

Bodily rights and collective claims: the work of legal activists in interpreting reproductive and maternal rights in India

This article engages with anthropological approaches to the study of global human rights discourses around reproductive and maternal health in India. Whether couched in the language of human rights or of other social justice frameworks, different forms of claims-making in India exist in tandem and correspond to particular traditions of activism and struggle. Universal reproductive rights language remains a discourse aimed at the state in India, where the primary purpose is to demand greater accountability in the domain of policy and governance. Outside of these spheres, other languages are strategically chosen by activists for their greater resonance in addressing individual cases of women claiming reproductive violence within the context of the family as well as localized histories of feminist struggle and social justice. In focusing on the work of legal activists and the discourses which inform their interventions, this article seeks to understand how the language of reproductive rights is used in the context of India, not as a `Western import' which is adapted to local contexts, but rather as one of multiple frameworks of claims-making drawn upon by legal activists emerging from distinct histories of struggle for gender equality and social justice

Delivering medical abortion at scale: a study of the retail market for medical abortion in Madhya Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND: Medical abortion (mifepristone and misoprostol) has the potential to contribute to reduced maternal mortality but little is known about the provision or quality of advice for medical abortion through the private retail sector. We examined the availability of medical abortion and the practices of pharmacists in India, where abortion has been legal since 1972. METHODS: We interviewed 591 pharmacists in 60 local markets in city, town and rural areas of Madhya Pradesh. One month later, we returned to 359 pharmacists with undercover patients who presented themselves unannounced as genuine customers seeking a medical abortion. RESULTS: Medical abortion was offered to undercover patients by 256 (71.3%) pharmacists and 24 different brands were identified. Two thirds (68.5%) of pharmacists stated that abortion was illegal in India. Only 106 (38.5%) pharmacists asked clients the timing of the last menstrual period and 38 (13.8%) requested to see a doctor's prescription - a legal requirement in India. Only 59 (21.5%) pharmacists correctly advised patients on the gestational limit for medical abortion, 97 (35.3%) provided correct information on how many and when to take the tablets in a combination pack, and 78 (28.4%) gave accurate advice on where to seek care in case of complications. Advice on post-abortion family planning was almost nonexistent. CONCLUSIONS: The retail market for medical abortion is extensive, but the quality of advice given to patients is poor. Although the contribution of medical abortion to women's health in India is poorly understood, there is an urgent need to improve the practices of pharmacists selling medical abortion

Integration and performance verification of FE/NCV process simulation software

In this thesis, already developed three-dimensional finite element / nodal control volume (FE / NCV) simulation procedures are first understood. Studies are performed to stream-line the sequence of data entry and to make it consistent for all the above processes. The purpose of the interface program is to combine the process of providing the input parameters for all the above mentioned manufacturing processes.Master of Science (Precision Engineering

Applications of trivalent and pentavalent tantalum in organic synthesis

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TaCl<SUB>5</SUB>-catalyzed cleavage of epoxides with aromatic amines

Tantalum(V) chloride has been demonstrated as an efficient catalyst in ring opening of epoxides with aromatic amines for the synthesis of β-amino alcohols for the first time

Chiron approach to callipeltin A: first synthesis of fully protected (2R,3R,4S)-4,7-diamino-2,3-dihydroxy heptanoic acid

Stereoselective synthesis of protected (2R,3R,4S)-4,7-diamino-2,3-dihydroxy heptanoic acid, which is present as a side chain attached to the main macrocyclic depsidecapeptide backbone of callipeltin A (a potent, cytotoxic, anti-HIV and anti-fungal agent) starting from a carbohydrate, is described