Young children\u27s use of causal connections during storytelling : The role of context and individual differences in attention.

Narrative causal understanding is related to a variety of school-related skills such as reading comprehension, and memory. Previous research shows a developmental trend in the ability to use and understand causal connections that begins at age 4 and continually improves up through ages 10 and 11. Researchers posit that this developmental trend in one aspect of narrative ability is explained by an increase in narrative knowledge; children learn more about what is required in narratives they get older. There is a dearth of research on other possible influences on narrative ability. In two experiments, the current study uses a storytelling procedure to investigate narrative ability and causal understanding in 58 preschool children based on a conceptual model of early causal understanding in discourse. In the first experiment it was hypothesized that both individual and age-related differences will be observed in the complexity of causal connections children produce and the distance over which children causally connect. Variations in stimulus complexity (i.e., complexity of the goals of each story) were expected to account for differences in the production of causal connections. In the second experiment it was hypothesized that individual differences in skills related to three attention networks can explain differences in causal understanding. The results show that 3-year-olds can use causal connections during storytelling and that patterns of age-related increases differ depending on the connection type and narrative context. The results also show that attention skills influence specific aspects of causal understanding. The results are consistent with previous storytelling research and research with children diagnosed with ADHD. The current study illustrates the importance of investigating a variety of contextual and child factors that may impact the development of children\u27s causal understanding. Implications for future research and the development early intervention programs are discussed

The Short Rotation Period of Hi'iaka, Haumea's Largest Satellite

Hi'iaka is the larger outer satellite of the dwarf planet Haumea. Using relative photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope and Magellan and a phase dispersion minimization analysis, we have identified the rotation period of Hi'iaka to be ~9.8 hrs (double-peaked). This is ~120 times faster than its orbital period, creating new questions about the formation of this system and possible tidal evolution. The rapid rotation suggests that Hi'iaka could have a significant obliquity and spin precession that could be visible in light curves within a few years. We then turn to an investigation of what we learn about the (presently unclear) formation of the Haumea system and family based on this unexpectedly rapid rotation rate. We explore the importance of the initial semi-major axis and rotation period in tidal evolution theory and find they strongly influence the time required to despin to synchronous rotation, relevant to understanding a wide variety of satellite and binary systems. We find that despinning tides do not necessarily lead to synchronous spin periods for Hi'iaka, even if it formed near the Roche limit. Therefore the short rotation period of Hi'iaka does not rule out significant tidal evolution. Hi'iaka's spin period is also consistent with formation near its current location and spin up due to Haumea-centric impactors.Comment: 21 pages with 6 figures, to be published in The Astronomical Journa

A device for magnetic-field angle control in magneto-optical filters using a solenoid-permanent magnet pair.

Atomic bandpass filters are used in a variety of applications due to their narrow bandwidths and high transmission at specific frequencies. Predominantly, these filters are in the Faraday (Voigt) geometry, using an applied axial (transverse) magnetic field with respect to the laser propagation direction. Recently, there has been interest in filters realized with arbitrary-angle magnetic fields, which have been made by rotating permanent magnets with respect to the k-vector of the interrogating laser beam. However, the magnetic field angle achievable with this method is limited as field uniformity across the cell decreases as the rotation angle increases. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a new method of generating an arbitrary-angle magnetic field, using a solenoid to produce a small, and easily alterable, axial field, in conjunction with fixed permanent magnets to produce a large transverse field. We directly measure the fields produced by both methods, finding them to be very similar over the length of the vapor cell. We then compare the transmission profiles of filters produced using both methods, again finding excellent agreement. Finally, we demonstrate the sensitivity of the filter profile to changing magnetic field angle (solenoid current), which becomes easier to exploit with the much improved angle control and precision offered by our new design

A device for magnetic-field angle control in magneto-optical filters using a solenoid-permanent magnet pair

Atomic bandpass filters are used in a variety of applications due to their narrow bandwidths and high transmission at specific frequencies. Predominantly these filters in the Faraday (Voigt) geometry, using an applied axial(transverse) magnetic field with respect to the laser propagation direction. Recently, there has been interest in filters realized with arbitrary-angle magnetic fields, which have been made by rotating permanent magnets with respect to the $k$-vector of the interrogating laser beam. However, the magnetic-field angle achievable with this method is limited as field uniformity across the cell decreases as the rotation angle increases. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a new method of generating an arbitrary-angle magnetic field, using a solenoid to produce a small, and easily alterable, axial field, in conjunction with fixed permanent magnets to produce a large transverse field. We directly measure the fields produced by both methods, finding them to be very similar over the length of the vapor cell. We then compare the transmission profiles of filters produced using both methods, again finding excellent agreement. Finally, we demonstrate the sensitivity of filter profile to changing magnetic-field angle (solenoid current), which becomes easier to exploit with the much improved angle control and precision offered by our new design.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Standardising Costs or Standardising Care? Qualitative Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of a Hospital Funding Reform in Ontario, Canada

Background  Since 2011, the Government of Ontario, Canada, has phased in hospital funding reforms hoping to encourage standardised, evidence-based clinical care processes to both improve patient outcomes and reduce system costs. One aspect of the reform – quality-based procedures (QBPs) – replaced some of each hospital’s global budget with a pre-set price per episode of care for patients with specific diagnoses or procedures. The QBP initiative included publication and dissemination of a handbook for each of these diagnoses or procedures, developed by an expert technical group. Each handbook was intended to guide hospitals in reducing inappropriate variation in patient care and cost by specifying an evidence-based episode of care pathway. We explored whether, how and why hospitals implemented these episode of care pathways in response to this initiative. Methods  We interviewed key informants at three levels in the healthcare system, namely individuals who conceived and designed the QBP policy, individuals and organisations supporting QBP adoption, and leaders in five case-study hospitals responsible for QBP implementation. Analysis involved an inductive approach, incorporating framework analysis to generate descriptive and explanatory themes from data. Results  The 46 key informants described variable implementation of best practice episode of care pathways across QBPs and across hospitals. Handbooks outlining evidence-based clinical pathways did not address specific barriers to change for different QBPs nor differences in hospitals’ capacity to manage change. Hospitals sometimes found it easier to focus on containing and standardising costs of care than on implementing standardised care processes that adhered to best clinical practices. Conclusion  Implementation of QBPs in Ontario’s hospitals depended on the interplay between three factors, namely complexity of changes required, internal capacity for organisational change, and availability and appropriateness of targeted external facilitators and supports to manage change. Variation in these factors across QBPs and hospitals suggests the need for more tailored and flexible implementation supports designed to fit all elements of the policy, rather than one-size-fits-all handbooks alone. Without such supports, hospitals may enact quick fixes aimed mainly at preserving budgets, rather than pursue evidence- and value-based changes in care management. Overestimating hospitals’ change management capacity increases the risk of implementation failure

Dispersal of Adult Culex Mosquitoes in an Urban West Nile Virus Hotspot: A Mark-Capture Study Incorporating Stable Isotope Enrichment of Natural Larval Habitats

Dispersal is a critical life history behavior for mosquitoes and is important for the spread of mosquito-borne disease. We implemented the first stable isotope mark-capture study to measure mosquito dispersal, focusing on Culex pipiens in southwest suburban Chicago, Illinois, a hotspot of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission. We enriched nine catch basins in 2010 and 2011 with 15N-potassium nitrate and detected dispersal of enriched adult females emerging from these catch basins using CDC light and gravid traps to distances as far as 3 km. We detected 12 isotopically enriched pools of mosquitoes out of 2,442 tested during the two years and calculated a mean dispersal distance of 1.15 km and maximum flight range of 2.48 km. According to a logistic distribution function, 90% of the female Culex mosquitoes stayed within 3 km of their larval habitat, which corresponds with the distance-limited genetic variation of WNV observed in this study region. This study provides new insights on the dispersal of the most important vector of WNV in the eastern United States and demonstrates the utility of stable isotope enrichment for studying the biology of mosquitoes in other disease systems.The open access fee for this work was funded through the Texas A&M University Open Access to Knowledge (OAK) Fund

The Grizzly, October 26, 2006

Editorial: Putting the Pieces Back Together • Possible Scam Raises Concerns • Town Hall Meeting Brings Forth Campus Issues • Food Drive a Success • Fall is in the Air • Story Behind the Statue: Praha • Get to Know the Nominees • Opinions: Long Live Noise; Swept Under the Rug; Truth About Study Abroad • Women\u27s Volleyball Swept by Gettysburg • Bullets Offense Too Much for Bears • Bears Make Run for Playoffshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1722/thumbnail.jp

Baseline Results:The Association between Cardiovascular Risk and Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease Pathology (ASCEND) Study

BACKGROUND: The rate of AD for African Americans (AAs) is 64% higher than for non-Hispanic White Americans (Whites). It is hypothesized that poor peripheral vascular function, in combination with genetics, stress, and inflammation may directly contribute to the accumulation of AD pathologic biomarkers. These risk factors may disproportionately affect AAs. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine if in a healthy middle-aged cohort at risk for AD (1) AD biomarkers in CSF differ by race, (2) peripheral vascular dysfunction and cognition are related to a higher burden of CSF AD biomarkers, and (3) these relationships differ by race. METHODS: We enrolled 82 cognitively normal, middle-aged (45 and older) adults including AAs and Whites at high risk for AD due to parental history. Study procedures included lumbar puncture, vascular ultrasound, and cognitive testing. RESULTS: While participants were in overall good health, AAs exhibited poorer indices of preclinical vascular health, including higher central SBP, central MAP, and EndoPAT AI, a marker of arterial stiffness. AAs also had significantly less cerebrospinal fluid tau burden than Whites. After polynomial regression analysis, adjusted for age, gender, education, and ApoE4 status, race significantly modified the relationship between total tau, phospho-tau, and Trails B, a marker of executive function. Small differences in tau correlated with poorer cognition in AAs. CONCLUSION: In a healthy middle-aged cohort at risk for AD, AAs had worse peripheral vascular health and worse cognition than Whites. Despite lower tau burden overall, race modified the relationship between tau and cognition, such that small differences in tau between AAs was related to worse cognition when compared to Whites

Factors contributing to intervention fidelity in a multi-site chronic disease self-management program

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Disease self-management programs have been a popular approach to reducing morbidity and mortality from chronic disease. Replicating an evidence-based disease management program successfully requires practitioners to ensure fidelity to the original program design. METHODS: The Florida Health Literacy Study (FHLS) was conducted to investigate the implementation impact of the Pfizer, Inc. Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension Disease Self-Management Program based on health literacy principles in 14 community health centers in Florida. The intervention components discussed include health educator recruitment and training, patient recruitment, class sessions, utilization of program materials, translation of program manuals, patient retention and follow-up, and technical assistance. RESULTS: This report describes challenges associated with achieving a balance between adaptation for cultural relevance and fidelity when implementing the health education program across clinic sites. This balance was necessary to achieve effectiveness of the disease self-management program. The FHLS program was implemented with a high degree of fidelity to the original design and used original program materials. Adaptations identified as advantageous to program participation are discussed, such as implementing alternate methods for recruiting patients and developing staff incentives for participation. CONCLUSION: Effective program implementation depends on the talent, skill and willing participation of clinic staff. Program adaptations that conserve staff time and resources and recognize their contribution can increase program effectiveness without jeopardizing its fidelity