Abstract
Objective
Established guidelines for teleneuropsychology (TeleNP) indicate that normative studies are warranted for future regular use of TeleNP practice (Bilder et al., 2020). Consequently, ...this study aims to explore the impact of demographic factors to provide preliminary normative data for the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) via TeleNP for Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans.
Method
A TeleNP version of the MMSE was administered as part of a larger neuropsychological battery to 102 cognitively healthy Puerto Ricans (69% female) between 55–78 years old, 4–23 years of education (Age: M = 63.2, SD = 6.1; Education: M = 16.3, SD = 3.5) and residing on the island. A thorough neurological/psychiatric history and the CERAD Wordlist were used to exclude (< 2 SD; 1 removed case) any dementia-suspicious case. Multiple regression analysis was used to clarify if age, education, or sex significantly predicted MMSE total score. Normative data was generated and stratified by statistically significant demographics. Frequency of the most missed item was reviewed.
Results
Age and education explained 26% of the variance of the MMSE score (p < 0.001). The total sample had an average raw score of M = 29.08 (SD = 1.16). Normative scores are presented according to age and education level. Most frequently missed item was delayed recall (35%; ≤2/3).
Conclusions
This study provides preliminary normative data for cognitively healthy and community-dwelling Puerto Rican adults, which can improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce rates of false negatives while providing clinicians a TeleNP-appropriate screening tool. Future research with the MMSE via TeleNP should include a larger sample, including a clinical population.
Communication is best understood as occurring along three dimensions: interactional, conceptual, and linguistic. However, few studies have examined early parent–child communication along all three ...dimensions simultaneously. This study examines these three dimensions of communication in Norwegian parent–child interactions during play. Thirty-nine 2-year-old children participated in dyadic interactions with their fathers (N = 30) and mothers (N = 38). Of these 39 children, 29 engaged in separate interactions with both parents. Father–child and mother–child responsive communication, levels of abstract talk, and language complexity and diversity were examined and compared. Overall, the features of communication were very similar between father–child and mother–child interactions, and there were some noteworthy associations between the features of father–child and mother–child communication within families and dyads. We discuss these findings in reference to the three dimensions and in relation to the specific activity and cultural setting of the study.
This study examined whether poor pointing gestures and imitative actions at 18 months of age uniquely predicted late language production at 36 months, beyond the role of poor language at 18 months of ...age. Data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study were utilized. Maternal reports of the children's nonverbal skills and language were gathered for 42,517 children aged 18 months and for 28,107 of the same children at 36 months. Panel analysis of latent variables revealed that imitative actions, language comprehension, and language production uniquely contributed to predicting late development of language production, while pointing gestures did not. It is suggested that the results can be explained by underlying symbolic representational skills at 18 months. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Andes-Amazon basin of Peru and Bolivia is one of the most data-poor, biologically rich, and rapidly changing areas of the world. Conservation scientists agree that this area hosts ...extremely high endemism, perhaps the highest in the world, yet we know little about the geographic distributions of these species and ecosystems within country boundaries. To address this need, we have developed conservation data on endemic biodiversity (~800 species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and plants) and terrestrial ecological systems (~90; groups of vegetation communities resulting from the action of ecological processes, substrates, and/or environmental gradients) with which we conduct a fine scale conservation prioritization across the Amazon watershed of Peru and Bolivia. We modelled the geographic distributions of 435 endemic plants and all 347 endemic vertebrate species, from existing museum and herbaria specimens at a regional conservation practitioner's scale (1:250,000-1:1,000,000), based on the best available tools and geographic data. We mapped ecological systems, endemic species concentrations, and irreplaceable areas with respect to national level protected areas. RESULTS: We found that sizes of endemic species distributions ranged widely (< 20 km² to > 200,000 km²) across the study area. Bird and mammal endemic species richness was greatest within a narrow 2500-3000 m elevation band along the length of the Andes Mountains. Endemic amphibian richness was highest at 1000-1500 m elevation and concentrated in the southern half of the study area. Geographical distribution of plant endemism was highly taxon-dependent. Irreplaceable areas, defined as locations with the highest number of species with narrow ranges, overlapped slightly with areas of high endemism, yet generally exhibited unique patterns across the study area by species group. We found that many endemic species and ecological systems are lacking national-level protection; a third of endemic species have distributions completely outside of national protected areas. Protected areas cover only 20% of areas of high endemism and 20% of irreplaceable areas. Almost 40% of the 91 ecological systems are in serious need of protection (= < 2% of their ranges protected). CONCLUSIONS: We identify for the first time, areas of high endemic species concentrations and high irreplaceability that have only been roughly indicated in the past at the continental scale. We conclude that new complementary protected areas are needed to safeguard these endemics and ecosystems. An expansion in protected areas will be challenged by geographically isolated micro-endemics, varied endemic patterns among taxa, increasing deforestation, resource extraction, and changes in climate. Relying on pre-existing collections, publically accessible datasets and tools, this working framework is exportable to other regions plagued by incomplete conservation data.
The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is responsible for ecosystem services (pollination) worth US$215 billion annually worldwide and the number of managed colonies has increased 45% since 1961. ...However, in Europe and the U.S., two distinct phenomena; long-term declines in colony numbers and increasing annual colony losses, have led to significant interest in their causes and environmental implications. The most important drivers of a long-term decline in colony numbers appear to be socioeconomic and political pressure on honey production. In contrast, annual colony losses seem to be driven mainly by the spread of introduced pathogens and pests, and management problems due to a long-term intensification of production and the transition from large numbers of small apiaries to fewer, larger operations. We conclude that, while other causal hypotheses have received substantial interest, the role of pests, pathogens, and management issues requires increased attention.
Recent studies show that Theory of Mind (ToM) has implications for children's social competences and psychological well-being. Nevertheless, although it is well documented that children overall take ...advantage when they have to resolve cognitive problems together with a partner, whether individual difference in ToM is one of the mechanisms that could explain cognitive performances produced in social interaction has received little attention. This study examines to what extent ToM explains children's spatial performances in a dyadic situation. The sample includes 66 boys and girls between the ages of 5-9 years, who were tested for their ToM and for their competence to resolve a Spatial task involving mental rotation and spatial perspective taking, first individually and then in a dyadic condition. Results showed, in accordance with previous research, that children performed better on the Spatial task when they resolved it with a partner. Specifically, children's ToM was a better predictor of their spatial performances in the dyadic condition than their age, gender, and spatial performances in the individual setting. The findings are discussed in terms of the relation between having a conceptual understanding of the mind and the practical implications of this knowledge for cognitive performances in social interaction regarding mental rotation and spatial perspective taking.
This study examined whether poor pointing gestures and imitative actions at 18 months of age uniquely predicted late language production at 36 months, beyond the role of poor language at 18 months of ...age. Data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study were utilized. Maternal reports of the children's nonverbal skills and language were gathered for 42,517 children aged 18 months and for 28,107 of the same children at 36 months. Panel analysis of latent variables revealed that imitative actions, language comprehension, and language production uniquely contributed to predicting late development of language production, while pointing gestures did not. It is suggested that the results can be explained by underlying symbolic representational skills at 18 months.
Coronaviruses in bats from Mexico Anthony, S J; Ojeda-Flores, R; Rico-Chávez, O ...
Journal of general virology,
05/2013, Letnik:
94, Številka:
Pt 5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Bats are reservoirs for a wide range of human pathogens including Nipah, Hendra, rabies, Ebola, Marburg and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (CoV). The recent implication of a novel beta ...(β)-CoV as the cause of fatal respiratory disease in the Middle East emphasizes the importance of surveillance for CoVs that have potential to move from bats into the human population. In a screen of 606 bats from 42 different species in Campeche, Chiapas and Mexico City we identified 13 distinct CoVs. Nine were alpha (α)-CoVs; four were β-CoVs. Twelve were novel. Analyses of these viruses in the context of their hosts and ecological habitat indicated that host species is a strong selective driver in CoV evolution, even in allopatric populations separated by significant geographical distance; and that a single species/genus of bat can contain multiple CoVs. A β-CoV with 96.5 % amino acid identity to the β-CoV associated with human disease in the Middle East was found in a Nyctinomops laticaudatus bat, suggesting that efforts to identify the viral reservoir should include surveillance of the bat families Molossidae/Vespertilionidae, or the closely related Nycteridae/Emballonuridae. While it is important to investigate unknown viral diversity in bats, it is also important to remember that the majority of viruses they carry will not pose any clinical risk, and bats should not be stigmatized ubiquitously as significant threats to public health.
Objective. Guided by a social interaction learning model, this study investigated potential risk and protective factors related to fathers' early parenting behaviors. Design. Parenting behaviors in ...726 Norwegian fathers with their 1-year olds (51.7% boys) were assessed by both micro social coding and global ratings from direct observation of structured interactions. Father and child factors were reported by fathers when the child was 6 months and 1 year old. Results. Fathers' positive involvement was associated with children's observed sustained attention, and lack of positive involvement was associated with children's communicative risk and fathers' lower education. Fathers' negative reinforcement was associated with children's developmental difficulties and communicative risk. Positive involvement and negative reinforcement were not correlated and were predicted by different factors, indicating they are separate dimensions of parenting. Conclusion. Multiple predictors relate to different parenting dimensions and point to factors that may enhance father-infant interaction and identify fathers and children who may benefit from early intervention.
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