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Advancements in Open-Source Geospatial Technologies and the Exploitation by Bad Actors
Get PDFThe National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center has been tasked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to study terrorist innovation and develop frameworks that can be used to understand and mitigate malign use of geospatial technologies. In partnership with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), the NCITE team will examine the current state of terrorist innovation in this emerging space and explore near-future possibilities that federal, state, local, and tribal authorities may confront. In particular, the research team will identify how emerging geospatial technologies may be used by terrorists and violent extremists to support or execute physical attacks against critical infrastructure, namely the energy and agriculture sectors
Dialectal contact in Brazilian Portuguese: patterns and gaps
No full textSociolinguistic studies have generally focused on speech samples of non-mobile speakers in monolingual communities or on language contact situations resulting from immigration (Chambers 1992, Siegel 2010). Although mobility and dialectal contact tend to be the rule rather than the exception in most urban communities, the speech of internal migrants has not received as much attention.
This talk discusses patterns of dialect acquisition and maintenance in the speech of internal migrants from Northeastern Brazil living in the southeastern state of São Paulo. I will first present results from different research projects which have analyzed the extent to which phonetic, prosodic, and morphosyntactic features of São Paulo Portuguese are acquired by migrants from seven different states, and the social factors correlated with these changes. While most phonetic variables correlate with speakers’ age of migration in the expected direction (the earlier the arrival, the greater the use of host community’s traits), no morphosyntactic variable does. A longer period of residence affects only salient phonetic features – namely, the pronunciation of coda /r/, as in po[ɾ, ɻ, h]ta ‘door’, and coda /s/, as in pa[s, ʃ]ta ‘folder’ –, and has a weaker effect than age of arrival. Phonetic variables are particularly sensitive to stylistic variation (understood as ‘attention paid to speech’; Labov 2001), but reading (vs. conversation) doesn’t necessarily trigger the use of features from the Northeast or São Paulo, but supralocal norms.
In the second part of the talk, I will turn to one of the many questions which are still open in dialectal contact studies: even though coherent patterns emerge in migrants’ speech, there is great dispersion among individual speakers. Is it the case that migrants’ speech is more conditioned by individuals than by sociodemographic categories?
Results so far clearly show that migrants’ speech is just as patterned as that of prototypical non-mobile speakers in the community. The many factors that potentially influence their linguistic behavior – ranging from attitudes, interlocutors, individual abilities to the sociodemographic aspects of migration – make dialectal contact a fruitful road for new studies
Políticas lingüísticas y educación en el oriente boliviano. El bésiro y su revitalización
Get PDFBolivia es un país con una riqueza cultural y diversidad lingüística abundante. En este contexto, el gobierno boliviano ha promovido estrategias de revalorización, protección y promoción de las lenguas nativas, comenzando con la reforma a la Constitución Política del Estado (2009), la promulgación de la Ley de Educación 070, denominada Ley Avelino Siñani-Elizardo Pérez (2010), y, de manera innovadora, promoviendo la Ley 269, denominada Ley de Derechos y Políticas Lingüísticas (2012). Estas implementaciones legales regulan el uso de lenguas nativas dentro del sistema de educación primaria y secundaria, todo esto con el objetivo de lograr un bilingüismo aditivo (Tardif, 1992 y Signoret, 2003 citados en Arias Ortega y Previl, 2022: 202) y en aras de promover una bienveillance linguistique (Beacco, 2016: 65) propia de una sociedad plurilingüe (Siquan, 2001: 32). Es dentro de este contexto que el presente trabajo de investigación analiza la pertinencia, aplicabilidad, lógica y eficacia de las políticas lingüísticas vigentes en Bolivia y se enfoca en el tratamiento que recibe una de las principales lenguas de la Chiquitania: el bésɨro. En la región chiquitana, la enseñanza del español como segunda lengua representa un proceso lingüístico complejo que no ha sido considerado ni en las gestiones gubernamentales ni en las reglamentaciones de las políticas lingüísticas actuales (Sichra, 2020: 159). Por ende, el español se asienta como lengua predominante y favorece la diglosia en un espacio destinado a la expansión, preservación y legitimación de las lenguas nativas (Beacco, 2016: 123; Siguan, 2001: 192). Es evidente que existe una brecha significativa entre las políticas sobre el papel y el conocimiento que existe sobre su aplicación práctica dentro de las aulas (Montoya, 2013: 25; Sierra-Ospina, 2020; Vaca, 2020: 158). Este trabajo considera una metodología holística etnográfica (McCarty, 2011: 7 citado en Nakano, 2019: 3) y se recurre al uso de un enfoque cualitativo (Canesse, 2017; Sierra-Ospina et al., 2020) ligado a la etnografía de la política lingüística siguiendo las pautas de investigadores como Johnson (2013); McCarty y Liu (2017); Nakano (2019); Sierra-Ospina et al. (2020) y Erdocia et al. (2022) entre otros
Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Program Capabilities: Plain Language Summary
Get PDFThe National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) conducted a work analysis to understand the core program-level elements of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) implementation in support of BTAM research and capacity-enhancing efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and National Threat Evaluation and Reporting (NTER) Program Office
Interpretable Classification of Myositis from Muscle Ultrasound Images
Get PDFThis study is dedicated to designing and advancing machine learning (ML) algorithms for classifying normal and abnormal muscular tissues, thereby aiding neurologists in diagnosing inclusion body myositis (IBM). Our work mainly aims to leverage machine learning and recent state-of-the-art (SOTA) algorithms to recognize and diagnose myositis from muscle ultrasound images in the preliminary stage and support the traditional diagnostic methodology. Initially, we used an open-source ultrasound image dataset to construct and refine initial models using VGG-16. We employed the Grad-CAM method to annotate muscle ultrasound images and delineate regions of interest (ROI). Subsequent experiments enhanced the VGG16 architecture through extensive layer modifications and parameter adjustments. Our research offers valuable perspectives on utilizing ML to assist neurologists in the early diagnosis of IBM
Soft Target Security: Examining the Need and Readiness for Sector-Specific Standards
Get PDFThis report was commissioned by The National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE), a Department of Homeland Security (OHS) Center of Excellence (COE), to inform policymakers on issues related to the potential development of sector-specific security standards for soft targets. The findings and recommendations outlined in this research are intended to guide the development of policies and initiatives to address their unique security challenges.
A soft target is a publicly-accessible location, venue or event that typically attracts groups of people and is vulnerable to attack due to a lack of robust protection measures. Many soft targets are privately owned, operate with limited resources, and struggle to balance security, aesthetics, and ease of accessibility. Their open nature makes them attractive to a variety of threat actors, from terrorists to malicious insiders. They have unique environments, cultures, operational practices, and vulnerabilities.
The research addresses these critical questions: Are current security standards and guidance for soft targets both utilized and sufficient? Could customized, context-specific standards fill an existing gap and improve efforts to secure soft target venues
Healthcare providers\u27 perceptions of infant physical activity and communication
No full textBackground
Healthcare providers (HPs) play a critical role in disseminating information about infant health and development. Two key developmental areas for infants are physical activity (PA) and communication. Few studies have examined HPs views of these topics. Thus, HPs may need support to promote these early development outcomes in infants. Thus, the study explored HPs\u27 perceptions of infant PA and communication. Methods
A total of 13 HPs with a wide variety of backgrounds were recruited. Zoom semi-structured interviews were based on the Health Belief Model. Deductive content analysis was utilized to analyze data. Results
HPs knew little about PA guidelines. HPs were concerned about an infant\u27s PA because of limited playtime and tummy time. Most HPs advised parents on PA and motor development milestones, with crawling, walking, and tummy time. HPs also wanted to learn about PA measurement tools. PA promotion was hindered by parents\u27 busy schedules, lack of time, and language barriers. Most HPs advised parents on verbal and nonverbal communication. Many HPs were unfamiliar with communication assessment methods and wanted to learn more. Conclusions
HPs had limited knowledge about PA guidelines and communication measurement tools. Efforts are needed to identify easily accessible ways to educate HPs that could be disseminated to parents
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavioral phenotypes are not underscored by different gut microbiomes
No full textAlthough bold and shy behavioral phenotypes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) have been selectively bred and maintained over multiple generations, it is unclear if they are underscored by different gut microbiota. Using the microbiota–gut–brain concept, we examined the relationship between gut microbiota and the behavioral phenotypes within this model animal system to assess possible gut microbe-mediated effects on host behavior. To this end, we amplified and sequenced 16S rRNA gene amplicons from the guts of bold and shy zebrafish individuals using the Illumina Miseq platform. We did not record any significant differences in within-group microbial diversity nor between-group community composition of the two behavioral phenotypes. Interestingly, though not statistically different, we determined that the gut microbial community of the bold phenotype was dominated by Burkholderiaceae, Micropepsaceae, and Propionibacteriaceae. In contrast, the shy phenotype was dominated by Beijerinckaceae, Pirelullacaeae, Rhizobiales_Incertis_Sedis, and Rubinishaeraceae. The absence of any significant difference in gut microbiome profiles between the two phenotypes would suggest that in this species, there might exist a stable core gut microbiome, regardless of behavioral phenotypes, and possibly, a limited role for the gut microbiota in modulating this selected-for host behavior. This study characterized the gut microbiomes of distinct innate behavioral phenotypes of the zebrafish (that are not considered dysbiotic states) and did not rely on antibiotic or probiotic treatments to induce changes in behavior. Such studies are crucial to our understanding of the modulating impacts of the gut microbiome on normative animal behavior
A dog\u27s life: Early life histories influence methylation of glucocorticoid (NR3C1) and oxytocin (OXTR) receptor genes, cortisol levels, and attachment styles
No full textEarly life deprivation and stress can contribute to life-long, problematic consequences, including epigenetic variations related to behavior and health. Domestic dogs share human environments and social–cognitive traits, making them a promising comparative model to examine developmental plasticity. We examined 47 owner–dog dyads, including dogs rescued from abusive or neglectful environments, and matched control dogs for changes in DNA methylation of glucocorticoid (NR3C1) and oxytocin (OXTR) receptor genes previously shown to be affected by early life stress in other species including humans. We used an attachment paradigm, which included a separation event to examine cortisol levels and owner–dog attachment styles. Overall, dogs with adverse histories had different NR3C1 methylation patterns as a function of age and less OXTR methylation than comparison dogs. Dogs with adverse histories did not differ in their cortisol change from baseline to poststressor from comparison dogs, but the change in cortisol was associated with NR3C1 methylation. In addition, dogs with a history of early life stress had more insecure attachment styles; for every unit increase of OXTR methylation, the odds increased for insecure attachment style. This study demonstrates that adverse life histories lead to methylation differences, resulting in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis\u27s dysregulation and differences in behavioral phenotypes
Optimization of tyrosine hydroxylase antibody for immunohistochemistry fluorescence detection in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Get PDFDopamine is an important neurotransmitter produced through the catecholamine synthesis pathway that affects brain activity. Unregulated dopamine levels can lead to various diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Optimization of an immunohistochemistry protocol will allow for the quantification of tyrosine hydroxylase antibody, which indirectly allows for dopamine quantification in dopaminergic regions within the brain. However, the antibody concentration to give the optimal signal-to-noise ratio in IHC varies across studies. Through this experiment, I determined the concentration of tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) antibody for immunohistochemistry that gave the best signal-to-background noise ratio within several known dopaminergic regions in the zebrafish brain. I tested the following primary antibody concentrations: 1:200, 1:500, 1:750, and 1:1000. While there was a significant difference in signal-to-noise ratio amongst the concentrations as determined by a Friedman’s ANOVA, the Wilcoxon Test failed to yield a significant difference between treatment groups. These findings allow for future experiments on the correlations between neurotransmitters and personality types in zebrafish