Deaf children need language, not (just) speech

Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children need to master at least one language (spoken or signed) to reach their full potential. Providing access to a natural sign language supports this goal. Despite evidence that natural sign languages are beneficial to DHH children, many researchers and practitioners advise families to focus exclusively on spoken language. We critique the Pediatrics article ‘Early Sign Language Exposure and Cochlear Implants’ (Geers et al., 2017) as an example of research that makes unsupported claims against the inclusion of natural sign languages. We refute claims that (1) there are harmful effects of sign language and (2) that listening and spoken language are necessary for optimal development of deaf children. While practical challenges remain (and are discussed) for providing a sign language-rich environment, research evidence suggests that such challenges are worth tackling in light of natural sign languages providing a host of benefits for DHH children – especially in the prevention and reduction of language deprivation.Accepted manuscrip

Who Will Be Uninsured After Health Insurance Reform?

Projects state-by-state compositions of the uninsured after reforms take effect including those eligible for Medicaid or exchanges but not enrolled, those exempt from the individual mandate due to a lack of affordable options, and undocumented immigrants

The roles and use of law in green criminology

This paper examines how law and legal analysis fit within the broader green criminological project. By demonstrating how legal analysis in various forms can cast significant light on key green criminological questions, the paper seeks to address the concern that green criminology – with its preponderance of ‘deep green’ viewpoints and focus on social harms which are not proscribed by formal law – precludes the application of legalistic values such as certainty and consistency. Ultimately, the goal of the paper is to demonstrate how, despite the novel challenges to the legal scholar presented by green criminology, the incorporation of a more legalistic perspective within an interdisciplinary exercise is not only desirable for green criminology but is in fact vital if the field is to realise its ambitions as a force for environmental good

The Supreme Court is constrained by public opinion in cases where the justices fear nonimplementation of their decisions

With each controversial case they hear, questions arise about the influence of public opinion on the Supreme Court. Matthew Hall examines the types of cases where the Supreme Court appears constrained, and finds when a ruling must be implemented by government actors outside the judicial hierarchy, external pressures exert a stronger influence on the Court. He argues that nonimplementation fears are only relevant to a small subset of cases in the Supreme Court docket, indicating that judicial scholars should be attentive to different contexts rather than searching for universal tendencies of the Court’s behavior

Environmental victims: challenges for criminology and victimology in the 21st century

Mapping out some of the core challenges for victimology and its engagement with environmental harms and crime

‘When there's no underbrush the tree looks taller’:a discourse analysis of men’s online groin shaving talk

It seems many men continue to be obsessed with their penis and especially its size and look. Two thirds of men in a recent UK study (Veale et al., 2013) reported some dissatisfaction with their genitals. Arguably much of this anxiety is perpetuated by the media and marketers, but may also follow more general trends in male body image consciousness (Grogan, 2007; 2010; Flowers et al., 2013). Marketers have been quick to offer both surgical and non-surgical remedies to help change the size, shape and image of the penis, especially online. Stepping aside from more traditional scholarly foci on culture (Lehman, 2006), media (Lehman, 2007), social (Davison, 200) and personal relationship issues (Lever et al., 2006), I focus instead on how men account for pubic hair shaving to enhance image. I use discourse analysis to examine online electronic dialogue in response to an advert promoting male groin grooming showing the complex ways in which men discursively negotiate their interest in this non-typical gender practice. The analysis shows charges of vanity are swept under the carpet in favour of heterosexual pleasure, cleanliness, self-respect and individuality. The implications for understanding traditional and contemporary masculinities are also discussed

Reducing Noise in Automatic Transmission

The efficiency of an automobile increases as its running torque increases. This is an avenue for improving fuel economy that is actively being pursued. However, transmissions running at higher torques produce an unacceptable amount of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). NVH occurs most visibly as a result of the vehicle’s friction clutch behavior. At present, machines capable of testing this behavior exist (MTM machine and LVFA rig) but are very expensive in terms of time, space, and production cost. The goal of this project is to produce a cost-effective machine in which friction clutch behavior can be analyzed in a laboratory setting. Due to the complex nature of this project, multiple teams will be working to refine and improve the instrument over time. The first iteration of the machine produced by a previous design team was very limited in its ability to produce data efficiently. This design team took on the challenge of automating data collection for the load cell and thermocouple installed by the previous team, as well as implementing automated instrumentation capable of measuring motor torque and speed. The new instrumentation of the machine is illustrated below, with the measurements of torque, load, speed, and temperature being collected by an analog data acquisition system. The machine is now capable of simultaneously recording these values, producing results such as the graph shown below. In addition to the sensor additions, the team made structural modifications to the machine to accommodate the torque sensor assembly.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1211/thumbnail.jp

The potential role of MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy in pediatric oncology: Results from a SIOPE-COG survey

Background and purpose: Magnetic resonance guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) has been successfully implemented for several routine clinical applications in adult patients. The purpose of this study is to map the potential benefit of MRgRT on toxicity reduction and outcome in pediatric patients treated with curative intent for primary and metastatic sites. Materials and methods: Between May and August 2020, a survey was distributed among SIOPE- and COGaffiliated radiotherapy departments, treating at least 25 pediatrics patients annually and being (candidate) users of a MRgRT system. The survey consisted of a table with 45 rows (clinical scenarios for primary (n = 28) and metastatic (n = 17) tumors) and 7 columns (toxicity reduction, outcome improvement, PTV margin reduction, target volume daily adaptation, online re-planning, intrafraction motion compensation and on-board functional imaging) and the option to answer by ‘yes/no’ . Afterwards, the Dutch national radiotherapy cohort was used to estimate the percentage of pediatric treatments that may benefit from MRgRT. Results: The survey was completed by 12/17 (71% response rate) institutions meeting the survey inclusion criteria. Responders indicated an ‘expected benefit’ from MRgRT for toxicity/outcome in 7% (for thoracic lymphomas and abdominal rhabdomyosarcomas)/0% and 18% (for mediastinal lymph nodes, lymph nodes located in the liver/splenic hilum, and liver metastases)/0% of the considered scenarios for the primary and metastatic tumor sites, respectively, and a ‘possible benefit’ was estimated in 64%/46% and 47%/59% of the scenarios. When translating the survey outcome into a clinical perspective a toxicity/outcome benefit, either expected or possible, was anticipated for 55%/24% of primary sites and 62%/38% of the metastatic sites. Conclusion: Although the benefit of MRgRT in pediatric radiation oncology is estimated to be modest, the potential role for reducing toxicity and improving clinical outcomes warrants further investigation. This fits best within the context of prospective studies or registration trial