DePaul University

About: DePaul University is a education organization based out in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5658 authors who have published 11562 publications receiving 295257 citations.

The Promise of Neuroprotective Agents in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. Since there are limited treatment options for PD, neuroprotective agents are currently being tested as a means to slow disease progression. Agents targeting oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation are prime candidates for neuroprotection. This review identifies Rasagiline, Minocycline, and creatine, as the most promising neuroprotective agents for PD, and they are all currently in phase III trials. Other agents possessing protective characteristics in delaying PD include stimulants, vitamins, supplements, and other drugs. Additionally, combination therapies also show benefits in slowing PD progression. The identification of neuroprotective agents for PD provides us with therapeutic opportunities for modifying the course of disease progression and, perhaps, reducing the risk of onset when preclinical biomarkers become available.

Making Room for Migrants, Making Sense of Difference: Spatial and Ideological Expressions of Social Diversity in Urban Qatar

Abstract: Much has been written describing the pervasive and rapid urbanisation of the Arabian Gulf in the late 20th century. Less attention has been paid to the accompanying growth and diversification of th...

Information Flow vs. Resource Access in the Asynchronous Pi-Calculus

Abstract: We propose an extension of the asychronous π-calculus in which a variety of security properties may be captured using types. These are an extension of the Input/Output types for the π-calculus in which I/O capabilities are assigned specific security levels. We define a typing system which ensures that processes running at security level σ cannot access resources with a security level higher than σ. The notion of access control guaranteed by this system is formalized in terms of a Type Safety theorem. We then show that, for a certain class of processes, our system prohibits implicit information flow from high-level to low-level processes. We prove that low-level behaviour can not be influenced by changes to high-level behaviour. This is formalized as a Non-Interference Theorem with respect to may testing.

Trust predicts COVID-19 prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions in 23 countries.

Abstract: The worldwide spread of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) since December 2019 has posed a severe threat to individuals’ well-being. While the world at large is waiting that the released vaccines immunize most citizens, public health experts suggest that, in the meantime, it is only through behavior change that the spread of COVID-19 can be controlled. Importantly, the required behaviors are aimed not only at safeguarding one’s own health. Instead, individuals are asked to adapt their behaviors to protect the community at large. This raises the question of which social concerns and moral principles make people willing to do so. We considered in 23 countries (N = 6948) individuals’ willingness to engage in prescribed and discretionary behaviors, as well as country-level and individual-level factors that might drive such behavioral intentions. Results from multilevel multiple regressions, with country as the nesting variable, showed that publicized number of infections were not significantly related to individual intentions to comply with the prescribed measures and intentions to engage in discretionary prosocial behaviors. Instead, psychological differences in terms of trust in government, citizens, and in particular toward science predicted individuals’ behavioral intentions across countries. The more people endorsed moral principles of fairness and care (vs. loyalty and authority), the more they were inclined to report trust in science, which, in turn, statistically predicted prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions. Results have implications for the type of intervention and public communication strategies that should be most effective to induce the behavioral changes that are needed to control the COVID-19 outbreak.

Violence Prevention: Program Effects on Urban Preschool and Kindergarten Children

Abstract: This study compares the effectiveness of a violence prevention program with young, at-risk children in two settings. Preschool and kindergarten students, residing in Chicago public-housing developments, participated in a 28-session intervention. Knowledge, behavior problems, and social skills were assessed at pretest and posttest, based on child interviews, teacher ratings, and behavioral observations. Findings suggest that both preschool and kindergarten children demonstrated significant gains in knowledge, based on interview scores, and significant decreases in problem behaviors, based on behavioral observations; however, teacher ratings did not change significantly across time. The discrepancy in findings is explored and implications are discussed.