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Neighborhood Disadvantage and Neural Correlates of Threat and Reward Processing in Survivors of Recent Trauma
Get PDFIMPORTANCE Differences in neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are important considerations in understanding differences in risk vs resilience in mental health. Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with alterations in the function and structure of threat neurocircuitry. OBJECTIVE To investigate associations of neighborhood disadvantage with white and gray matter and neural reactivity to positive and negative stimuli in the context of trauma exposure. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this cross-sectional study, survivors of trauma who completed sociodemographic and posttraumatic symptom assessments and neuroimaging were recruited as part of the Advancing Understanding of Recovery After Trauma (AURORA) study between September 2017 and June 2021. Data analysis was performed from October 25, 2022, to February 15, 2023. EXPOSURE Neighborhood disadvantage was measured with the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) for each participant home address. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Participants completed separate threat and reward tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Diffusion-weighted and high-resolution structural images were also collected. Linear models assessed the association of ADI with reactivity, microstructure, and macrostructure of a priori regions of interest after adjusting for income, lifetime trauma, sex at birth, and age. A moderated-mediation model tested whether ADI was associated with neural activity via microstructural changes and if this was modulated by PTSD symptoms. RESULTS A total of 280 participants (183 females [65.4%]; mean [SD] age, 35.39 [13.29] years) completed the threat task and 244 participants (156 females [63.9%]; mean [SD] age, 35.10 [13.26] years) completed the reward task. Higher ADI (per 1-unit increase) was associated with greater insula (t274 = 3.20; β = 0.20; corrected P = .008) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; t274 = 2.56; β = 0.16; corrected P = .04) threat-related activity after considering covariates, but ADI was not associated with reward reactivity. Greater disadvantage was also associated with altered microstructure of the cingulum bundle (t274 = 3.48; β = 0.21; corrected P = .001) and gray matter morphology of the ACC (cortical thickness: t273 = −2.29; β = −0.13; corrected P = .02; surface area: t273 = 2.53; β = 0.13; corrected P = .02). The moderated-mediation model revealed that ADI was associated with ACC threat reactivity via cingulum microstructural changes (index of moderated mediation = −0.02). However, this mediation was only present in individuals with greater PTSD symptom severity (at the mean: β = −0.17; standard error = 0.06, t= −2.28; P = .007; at 1 SD above the mean: β = −0.28; standard error = 0.08; t = −3.35; P \u3c .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, neighborhood disadvantage was associated with neurobiology that supports threat processing, revealing associations of neighborhood disadvantage with neural susceptibility for PTSD and suggesting how altered structure-function associations may complicate symptoms. Future work should investigate specific components of neighborhood disadvantage that may be associated with these outcomes
Association between microbiome and the development of adverse posttraumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae after traumatic stress exposure
Get PDFPatients exposed to trauma often experience high rates of adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS). The biological mechanisms promoting APNS are currently unknown, but the microbiota-gut-brain axis offers an avenue to understanding mechanisms as well as possibilities for intervention. Microbiome composition after trauma exposure has been poorly examined regarding neuropsychiatric outcomes. We aimed to determine whether the gut microbiomes of trauma-exposed emergency department patients who develop APNS have dysfunctional gut microbiome profiles and discover potential associated mechanisms. We performed metagenomic analysis on stool samples (n = 51) from a subset of adults enrolled in the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA (AURORA) study. Two-, eight- and twelve-week post-trauma outcomes for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PTSD checklist for DSM-5), normalized depression scores (PROMIS Depression Short Form 8b) and somatic symptom counts were collected. Generalized linear models were created for each outcome using microbial abundances and relevant demographics. Mixed-effect random forest machine learning models were used to identify associations between APNS outcomes and microbial features and encoded metabolic pathways from stool metagenomics. Microbial species, including Flavonifractor plautii, Ruminococcus gnavus and, Bifidobacterium species, which are prevalent commensal gut microbes, were found to be important in predicting worse APNS outcomes from microbial abundance data. Notably, through APNS outcome modeling using microbial metabolic pathways, worse APNS outcomes were highly predicted by decreased L-arginine related pathway genes and increased citrulline and ornithine pathways. Common commensal microbial species are enriched in individuals who develop APNS. More notably, we identified a biological mechanism through which the gut microbiome reduces global arginine bioavailability, a metabolic change that has also been demonstrated in the plasma of patients with PTSD
Thinking beyond Chatbots’ Threat to Education: Visualizations to Elucidate the Writing or Coding Process
Get PDFDespite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, educational practices continue to be predominantly centered around outcome-oriented approaches. These practices are now thoroughly disrupted by the recent accessibility of online resources and chatbots. Among the most affected subjects are writing and computer programming. As educators transform their teaching practices to account for this disruption, it is important to note that writing and computer programming play a critical role in the development of logical and computational thinking. For instance, what and how we write shapes our thinking and sets us on the path of self-directed learning. Likewise, computer programming plays a similar role in the development of computational thinking. While most educators understand that “process” and “outcome” are both crucial and inseparable, providing constructive feedback on a learner’s formative process is challenging in most educational settings. To address this long-standing issue in education, this work presents Process Visualizations, a new set of interactive data visualizations that summarize the inherent and taught capabilities of a learner’s writing or programming process. These visualizations provide insightful, empowering, and personalized process-oriented feedback to learners and help to improve cognitive and metacognitive skills. Likewise, they assist educators in enhancing their effectiveness in the process-aware teaching of writing or computer programming. The toolbox for generating the visualizations, named Process Feedback, is ready to be tested by educators and learners and is publicly available as a website. © 2023 by the author
Investigating the Impact of Edaphobacter aggregans (WBG-1) on Arabidopsis thaliana Development
Get PDFAcidobacteria is a phylum of bacteria that make up 50% of soil microbes. While making up a large proportion of bacteria found in soil, this phylum is largely unexplored with limited information about the bacteria and their impact on plant growth. The selected target of this study is Edaphobacter aggregans, WBG-1, which is a part of a subdivision of acidobacteria. Examining the bacteria’s effects on the development of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana will provide insight into understanding this unknown phylum of soil-dwelling bacteria. Acidobacteria are an important realm to investigate as they affect agriculture practices. With Missouri being such a hotspot of farming, it is important to know the function of what is in our soil
Acculturation in Psychologists Practicing in the Southwest
Get PDFIt is predicted that within 25 years over 50% of the United States population will identify partially as non-white. There are growing concerns about the immediate availability of culturally competent psychologists prepared to provide effective treatment for increasingly diverse clients. Traditional psychological models of acculturation evaluate an individual’s response to their environment. However, developing research suggests that acculturation can be best be understood through concepts relating to intersectionality. This is an emerging field of study in which multiple facets of identity interact to create a unique culture for a particular individual. While it is believed that intersectionality will ultimately transform the field of psychology, it does present some significant concerns related to application of care and research. Researchers sought to study these implications by administering an “Acculturation” questionnaire amongst Southwestern psychologists to calculate two scores measuring both their American Acculturation score and Ethnic Heritage Acculturation score (N= 251). Analysis determined that individuals who reported BIPOC identity scored similar to non-BIPOC reporting individuals on measures of American Identity. However, BIPOC participants did report a higher Ethnic Identity score than Non-BIPOC participants
Using MDS preference plot as visual analytics of data: A machine learning approach
Get PDFThe primary purpose of this paper is to advocate the use of multidimensional scaling (MDS) preference plot to study relationships among variables and individual differences in these variables. MDS preference plot is not a new visual technique; nevertheless, its application to visualize individual differences in variables for high-dimensional data is rare, particularly in education and social sciences. We illustrated its application using a real example in an educational setting. The results indicate that the MDS preference plot is a viable visualization technique for data mining and analytics. Traditional statistical methods, such as the analysis of variance, can be used to further support the visual analysis results
umsllibraries | Posts | 2020-06-01
No full textPosted Text: UMSL Libraries wishes all our students, faculty, and staff a great summer. We\u27re online! If you have any questions or would like help with research visit us at: http://www.umsl.edu/~libweb/research-help/ask-a-librarian/index.html
Post Description:A table depicting Chat Reference hours from Sunday to Saturday. 1-8pm on Sunday, 9am-7pm on Monday to Thursday, and 9am-4pm on Friday and 8am to 4pm on Saturday.https://irl.umsl.edu/instagram/1027/thumbnail.jp
Vaccine distribution with drones for less developed countries: A case study in Vanuatu
Get PDFDrones (uncrewed aerial vehicles or UAVs) introduce new opportunities to improve vaccine distribution systems, particularly in regions with limited transportation infrastructure where maintaining the cold chain is challenging. This paper addresses the use of drones to deliver vaccines to hard-to-reach populations using a novel optimization model to strategically design a multimodal vaccine distribution network. The model is illustrated in a case study for distributing routine childhood vaccines in Vanuatu, a South Pacific island nation with limited transportation infrastructure. Our research incorporates multiple drone types, recharging of drones, a cold chain travel time limit, transshipment delays for switching transport modes, and practical limits on the vaccine paths and drone trips. The goal is to locate facilities (distribution centers, drone bases, and relay stations) and design vaccine paths to minimize transportation costs, including the fixed costs for facilities and transportation links and variable costs for transportation through the network. Results show large potential cost savings and improved service quality provided by incorporating drones in a multimodal vaccine distribution system. Results also show the impact of introducing drones on the usage of other more expensive or slower transport modes
Targeting Loneliness in Older Adults with Weekly Socialization
Get PDFProblem: Loneliness related to social isolation among the older adult population has become an increasing health concern with few interventions available for the general population. Loneliness has been directly associated with depression, poorer physical health outcomes, and overall quality of life.
Methods: The purpose of this study is to evaluate loneliness in the older adult population residing in a senior living community in an urban area in Missouri. Weekly one-on-one socialization, ranging from 45-60 minutes, will be implemented over 6 weeks, with pre and post-intervention screening for loneliness with the 28-item Visit-A-Bit (VAB) screening tool. Approval was received by both VNA and the developer of the VAB program and screening tool, with the aim of improving the quality of life in this older adult population and the development of future similar programs.
Results: No difference in reported loneliness was observed utilizing the Visit-A-Bit questionnaire, therefore statistical analysis, the t-test, could not be run. None of the participants reported feeling lonely living in the senior living community. There were however varied reports of feelings of emptiness and quality of life, though no changes were reported post-intervention. Nursing students utilized for the intervention reported an increase in insight into the needs of this population and the benefit of providing more compassionate care moving forward in their nursing careers.
Implications for Practice: Socialization with older adults can positively impact nursing students and potentially improve their patient outcomes. Socialization programs could be used to not only enhance the quality of life for the older adult population but also improve overall healthcare outcomes
Risky Business: CEO Risk Tolerance and Non-GAAP Earnings
Get PDFCEO influence on non-GAAP earnings is a growing area of research. Risk-taking by CEOs is one way to gauge the extent of CEO influence on firm outcomes, especially non-GAAP earnings. This research examines the association between CEO sports hobbies, a proxy for CEO risk-taking, and their company’s non-GAAP earnings. In addition to the risk-proclivity of the CEO, non-GAAP earnings are the result of firm size, equity, return on assets, and changes in revenue. The extent of CEO influence was evaluated by a regression analysis of non-GAAP earnings using firm characteristics with CEO risk-taking measures and control variables such as CEO age, CEO gender, CEO tenure, and board independence. The results indicate that as SportsRisk increases, the likelihood of non-GAAP earnings that exceed GAAP earnings decreased. When the data was split into high and low-risk categories, the likelihood of non-GAAP earnings exceeding GAAP earnings was higher for those with high-risk activities, but the magnitude of non-GAAP exclusions was higher for the low-risk activities. Further, the data indicated that non-GAAP exclusions were more persistent for the low-risk activities