Showing papers by "University of Massachusetts Boston published in 2011"

Recurrence risk for autism spectrum disorders: a Baby Siblings Research Consortium study.

Abstract: The recurrence risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is estimated to be between 3% and 10%, but previous research was limited by small sample sizes and biases related to ascertainment, reporting, and stoppage factors. This study used prospective methods to obtain an updated estimate of sibling recurrence risk for ASD. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study of infants at risk for ASD was conducted by a multisite international network, the Baby Siblings Research Consortium. Infants (n 664) with an older biological sibling with ASD were followed from early in life to 36 months, when they were classified as having or not having ASD. An ASD classification required surpassing the cutoff of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and receiving a clinical diagnosis from an expert clinician. RESULTS: A total of 18.7% of the infants developed ASD. Infant gender and the presence of 1 older affected sibling were significant predic- tors of ASD outcome, and there was an almost threefold increase in risk for male subjects and an additional twofold increase in risk if there was 1 older affected sibling. The age of the infant at study enrollment, the gender and functioning level of the infant's older sib- ling, and other demographic factors did not predict ASD outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The sibling recurrence rate of ASD is higher than sug- gested by previous estimates. The size of the current sample and pro- spective nature of data collection minimized many limitations of previ- ous studies of sibling recurrence. Clinical implications, including genetic counseling, are discussed. Pediatrics 2011;128:e000

Technostress: technological antecedents and implications

Abstract: With the proliferation and ubiquity of information and communication technologies (ICTs), it is becoming imperative for individuals to constantly engage with these technologies in order to get work accomplished. Academic literature, popular press, and anecdotal evidence suggest that ICTs are responsible for increased stress levels in individuals (known as technostress). However, despite the influence of stress on health costs and productivity, it is not very clear which characteristics of ICTs create stress. We draw from IS and stress research to build and test a model of technostress. The person-environment fit model is used as a theoretical lens. The research model proposes that certain technology characteristics--like usability (usefulness, complexity, and reliability), intrusiveness (presenteeism, anonymity), and dynamism (pace of change)--are related to stressors (work overload, role ambiguity, invasion of privacy, work-home conflict, and job insecurity). Field data from 661 working professionals was obtained and analyzed. The results clearly suggest the prevalence of technostress and the hypotheses from the model are generally supported. Work overload and role ambiguity are found to be the two most dominant stressors, whereas intrusive technology characteristics are found to be the dominant predictors of stressors. The results open up new avenues for research by highlighting the incidence of technostress in organizations and possible interventions to alleviate it.

How Effective Are Mentoring Programs for Youth? A Systematic Assessment of the Evidence

Abstract: The current popularity of mentoring programs notwithstanding, questions remain about their typical effectiveness as well as the conditions required for them to achieve optimal positive outcomes for participating youth. In this report, we use the technique of meta-analysis (i.e., aggregating findings across multiple studies) to address these questions. As backdrop for our analysis, we begin with an overview of recent trends in youth mentoring practice, findings from prior research, and a developmental model of mentoring relationships and their potential effects on young people. Language: en

A randomized controlled trial of Hanen’s ‘More Than Words’ in toddlers with early autism symptoms

Abstract: Background: This randomized controlled trial compared Hanen’s ‘More than Words’ (HMTW), a parentimplemented intervention, to a ‘business as usual’ control group. Methods: Sixty-two children (51 boys and 11 girls; M age = 20 months; SD = 2.6) who met criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their parents participated in the study. The HMTW intervention was provided over 3.5 months. There were three measurement periods: prior to randomization (Time 1) and at 5 and 9 months post enrollment (Times 2 and 3). Children’s communication and parental responsivity were measured at each time point. Children’s object interest, a putative moderator, was measured at Time 1. Results: There were no main effects of the HMTW intervention on either parental responsivity or children’s communication. However, the effects on residualized gains in parental responsivity from Time 1 to both Times 2 and 3 yielded noteworthy effect sizes (Glass’s D = .71, .50 respectively). In contrast, there were treatment effects on child communication gains to Time 3 that were moderated by children’s Time 1 object interest. Children with lower levels of Time 1 object interest exhibited facilitated growth in communication; children with higher levels of object interest exhibited growth attenuation. Conclusions: The HMTW intervention showed differential effects on child communication depending on a baseline child factor. HMTW facilitated communication in children with lower levels of Time 1 object interest. Parents of children who evidence higher object interest may require greater support to implement the HMTW strategies, or may require different strategies than those provided by the HMTW curriculum.

Infants' Meaning-Making and the Development of Mental Health Problems.

Abstract: We argue that infant meaning-making processes are a central mechanism governing both typical and pathological outcomes. Infants, as open dynamic systems, must constantly garner information to increase their complexity and coherence. They fulfill this demand by making nonverbal "meaning"-affects, movements, representations-about themselves in relation to the world and themselves into a "biopsychosocial state of consciousness," which shapes their ongoing engagement with the world. We focus on the operation of the infant-adult communication system, a dyadic, mutually regulated system that scaffolds infants' engagement with the world of people, things, and themselves, and consequently their meaning-making. We argue that infant mental health problems emerge when the meanings infants make in the moment, which increase their complexity and coherence and may be adaptive in the short run, selectively limit their subsequent engagement with the world and, in turn, the growth of their state of consciousness in the long run. When chronic and iterative, these altered meanings can interfere with infants' successful development and heighten their vulnerability to pathological outcomes. Cultural variations in meaning-making and implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Using mLearning and MOOCs to understand chaos, emergence, and complexity in education

Abstract: In this paper, we look at how the massive open online course (MOOC) format developed by connectivist researchers and enthusiasts can help analyze the complexity, emergence, and chaos at work in the field of education today. We do this through the prism of a MobiMOOC, a six-week course focusing on mLearning that ran from April to May 2011. MobiMOOC embraced the core MOOC components of self-organization, connectedness, openness, complexity, and the resulting chaos, and, as such, serves as an interesting paradigm for new educational orders that are currently emerging in the field. We discuss the nature of participation in MobiMOOC, the use of mobile technology and social media, and how these factors contributed to a chaotic learning environment with emerging phenomena. These emerging phenomena resulted in a transformative educational paradigm.

Local perceptions of climate change validated by scientific evidence in the Himalayas

Abstract: The Himalayas are assumed to be undergoing rapid climate change, with serious environmental, social and economic consequences for more than two billion people. However, data on the extent of climate change or its impact on the region are meagre. Based on local knowledge, we report perceived changes in climate and consequences of such changes for biodiversity and agriculture. Our analyses are based on 250 household interviews administered in 18 villages, and focused group discussions conducted in 10 additional villages in Darjeeling Hills, West Bengal, India and Ilam district of Nepal. There is a widespread feeling that weather is getting warmer, the water sources are drying up, the onset of summer and monsoon has advanced during last 10 years and there is less snow on mountains than before. Local perceptions of the impact of climate change on biodiversity included early budburst and flowering, new agricultural pests and weeds and appearance of mosquitoes. People at high altitudes appear more sensitive to climate change than those at low altitudes. Most local perceptions conform to scientific data. Local knowledge can be rapidly and efficiently gathered using systematic tools. Such knowledge can allow scientists to test specific hypotheses, and policy makers to design mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change, especially in an extraordinarily important part of our world that is experiencing considerable change.

Comparing the Transition Planning, Postsecondary Education, and Employment Outcomes of Students With Intellectual and Other Disabilities

Abstract: This article describes a secondary analysis of variables from the National Longitudinal Transition Survey 2 (NLTS-2) database. Specifically, students with intellectual disability (ID) were compared to students with other disabilities regarding post-school transition goals listed on their IEPs/Transition Plans, contacts/referrals made to outside agencies during transition planning, participation of other agencies/organizations in transition planning (e.g., vocational rehabilitation and higher education representatives), and students’ postsecondary education and employment outcomes. Students with ID were less likely to have postsecondary education or competitive employment goals and outcomes and more likely to have sheltered and supported employment goals and outcomes compared to students with other disabilities. Contacts with and participation of external professionals in IEP/Transition Plan meetings also differed between the two groups of students.

Hospitalized patients' participation and its impact on quality of care and patient safety

Abstract: Objective. To understand the extent to which hospitalized patients participate in their care, and the association of patient participation with quality of care and patient safety. Design. Random sample telephone survey and medical record review. Setting. US acute care hospitals in 2003. Participants. A total of 2025 recently hospitalized adults. Main Outcome Measures. Hospitalized patients reported participation in their own care, assessments of overall quality of care and the presence of adverse events (AEs) in telephone interviews. Physician reviewers rated the severity and preventability of AEs identified by interview and chart review among 788 surveyed patients who also consented to medical record review. Results. Of the 2025 patients surveyed, 99.9% of patients reported positive responses to at least one of seven measures of participation. High participation (use of .4 activities) was strongly associated with patients’ favorable ratings of the hospital quality of care (adjusted OR: 5.46, 95% CI: 4.15 – 7.19). Among the 788 patients with both patient survey and chart review data, there was an inverse relationship between participation and adverse events. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, patients with high participation were half as likely to have at least one adverse event during the admission (adjusted OR ¼ 0.49, 0.31 – 0.78). Conclusions. Most hospitalized patients participated in some aspects of their care. Participation was strongly associated with favorable judgments about hospital quality and reduced the risk of experiencing an adverse event.

How Youth Get Engaged: Grounded-Theory Research on Motivational Development in Organized Youth Programs

Abstract: For youth to benefit from many of the developmental opportunities provided by organized programs, they need to not only attend but become psychologically engaged in program activities. This research was aimed at formulating empirically based grounded theory on the processes through which this engagement develops. Longitudinal interviews were conducted with 100 ethnically diverse youth (ages 14–21) in 10 urban and rural arts and leadership programs. Qualitative analysis focused on narrative accounts from the 44 youth who reported experiencing a positive turning point in their motivation or engagement. For 38 of these youth, this change process involved forming a personal connection. Similar to processes suggested by self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), forming a personal connection involved youth’s progressive integration of personal goals with the goals of program activities. Youth reported developing a connection to 3 personal goals that linked the self with the activity: learning for the future, developing competence, and pursuing a purpose. The role of purpose for many youth suggests that motivational change can be driven by goals that transcend self-needs. These findings suggest that youth need not enter programs intrinsically engaged—motivation can be fostered—and that programs should be creative in helping youth explore ways to form authentic connections to program activities.

Inviting Patients to Read Their Doctors' Notes: Patients and Doctors Look Ahead: Patient and Physician Surveys

Abstract: Information technologies offer new ways to engage patients in their health. Providers who have adopted electronic medical records are beginning to use secure Internet portals to offer patients online access to test results, medication lists, and other parts of those records (1–4). However, few portals offer access to notes generated in outpatient encounters, even though exploratory studies focusing on chronic illnesses suggest that such access may help patients and have little net effect on provider workflow (5– 8). To gain further insight into such a shift in care, we designed and initiated OpenNotes, a research and demonstration project involving primary care physicians (PCPs) and their adult patients in urban and suburban Boston, rural Pennsylvania, and inner-city Seattle (9). We asked PCPs whether they would volunteer for 1 year, starting in summer 2010, to send their patients electronic invitations to read their outpatient visit notes online and to review these notes before the next scheduled encounter. We expected that PCPs would be wary of such a change in care, particularly those who had been in practice for many years and those who spend many hours in direct patient care. We hypothesized that patients would be generally positive about open visit notes, that highly educated and younger patients would be particularly enthusiastic, and that many would want to share their notes with others. We surveyed eligible doctors and patients before the start of the voluntary program and report here on their attitudes and expectations toward electronic access to doctors' notes. Survey respondents included PCPs who volunteered to participate in OpenNotes, PCPs who declined to participate, and patients cared for by both groups of PCPs who were using the practices' online portals to access other information about their care (for example, test results).

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Child FIRST: A Comprehensive Home-Based Intervention Translating Research Into Early Childhood Practice

Abstract: This randomized, controlled trial was designed to document the effectiveness of Child FIRST (Child and Family Interagency, Resource, Support, and Training), a home-based, psychotherapeutic, parent–child intervention embedded in a system of care. Multirisk urban mothers and children, ages 6–36 months (N = 157) participated. At the 12-month follow-up, Child FIRST children had improved language (odds ratio [OR] = 4.4) and externalizing symptoms (OR = 4.7) compared to Usual Care children. Child FIRST mothers had less parenting stress at the 6-month follow-up (OR = 3.0), lower psychopathology symptoms at 12-month follow-up (OR = 4.0), and less protective service involvement at 3 years postbaseline (OR = 2.1) relative to Usual Care mothers. Intervention families accessed 91% of wanted services relative to 33% among Usual Care. Thus, Child FIRST is effective with multirisk families raising young children across multiple child and parent outcomes.

Politics of E-Government: E-Government and the Political Control of Bureaucracy

Abstract: Th is case study reports an innovative e-government experiment by the local government in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea. A new local political leadership in Gangnam made strategic use of e-government applications to exert greater political control over the local civil service bureaucracy. Th e authors fi nd that e-government applications possess political properties that can be applied eff ectively by the political leadership as instruments to improve control over the government bureaucracy as well as to enhance essential government accountability and transparency. Th e political circumstances underlying e-government development as well as its impact on local government are reported, along with key variables associated with this innovation plus directions for future research.

Expanding the paradigm: Postsecondary education options for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract: This article will provide an overview of postsecondary education (PSE) options for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other Intellectual Disabilities (ID). Topics include a historical and philosophical discussion outlining how students with ASD and ID can benefit from postsecondary opportunities, a description of current PSE options, and models of implementation. In conclusion, implications and recommendations for future research, training and technical assistance are provided.

Improved responsiveness and reduced sample size requirements of PROMIS physical function scales with item response theory.

Abstract: The Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) and the SF-36 PF-10, among other instruments, yield sensitive and valid Disability (Physical Function) endpoints. Modern techniques, such as Item Response Theory (IRT), now enable development of more precise instruments using improved items. The NIH Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is charged with developing improved IRT-based tools. We compared the ability to detect change in physical function using original (Legacy) instruments with Item-Improved and PROMIS IRT-based instruments. We studied two Legacy (original) Physical Function/Disability instruments (HAQ, PF-10), their item-improved derivatives (Item-Improved HAQ and PF-10), and the IRT-based PROMIS Physical Function 10- (PROMIS PF 10) and 20-item (PROMIS PF 20) instruments. We compared sensitivity to detect 12-month changes in physical function in 451 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and assessed relative responsiveness using P-values, effect sizes (ES), and sample size requirements. The study sample was 81% female, 87% Caucasian, 65 years of age, had 14 years of education, and had moderate baseline disability. All instruments were sensitive to detecting change (< 0.05) in physical function over one year. The most responsive instruments in these patients were the Item-Improved HAQ and the PROMIS PF 20. IRT-improved instruments could detect a 1.2% difference with 80% power, while reference instruments could detect only a 2.3% difference (P < 0.01). The best IRT-based instruments required only one-quarter of the sample sizes of the Legacy (PF-10) comparator (95 versus 427). The HAQ outperformed the PF-10 in more impaired populations; the reverse was true in more normal populations. Considering especially the range of severity measured, the PROMIS PF 20 appears the most responsive instrument. Physical Function scales using item improved or IRT-based items can result in greater responsiveness and precision across a broader range of physical function. This can reduce sample size requirements and thus study costs.

Super-aggregations of krill and humpback whales in Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

Abstract: Ecological relationships of krill and whales have not been explored in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), and have only rarely been studied elsewhere in the Southern Ocean. In the austral autumn we observed an extremely high density (5.1 whales per km2) of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding on a super-aggregation of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in Wilhelmina Bay. The krill biomass was approximately 2 million tons, distributed over an area of 100 km2 at densities of up to 2000 individuals m−3; reports of such ‘super-aggregations’ of krill have been absent in the scientific literature for >20 years. Retentive circulation patterns in the Bay entrained phytoplankton and meso-zooplankton that were grazed by the krill. Tagged whales rested during daylight hours and fed intensively throughout the night as krill migrated toward the surface. We infer that the previously unstudied WAP embayments are important foraging areas for whales during autumn and, furthermore, that meso-scale variation in the distribution of whales and their prey are important features of this system. Recent decreases in the abundance of Antarctic krill around the WAP have been linked to reductions in sea ice, mediated by rapid climate change in this area. At the same time, baleen whale populations in the Southern Ocean, which feed primarily on krill, are recovering from past exploitation. Consideration of these features and the effects of climate change on krill dynamics are critical to managing both krill harvests and the recovery of baleen whales in the Southern Ocean.

A Preliminary Investigation of the Relationships Between Dispositional Mindfulness and Impulsivity

Abstract: Two studies examined the correlational relationships between self-reported mindfulness and impulsivity in samples of 347 and 227 university students. Using multidimensional measures of both mindfulness and impulsivity, results from both studies indicate that several aspects of mindfulness are negatively correlated with elements of impulsivity, even after controlling for trait-level negative affect in Study 1 and current general distress in Study 2. However, the relationships between different facets of mindfulness and types of impulsivity varied in strength and significance level. These results suggest that mindfulness skills may be related to the ability to refrain from maladaptive impulsive behavior in the presence of negative affect or distress and that specific mindfulness skills may be most helpful in addressing different types of impulsive behaviors.

The double ABCX model of adaptation in racially diverse families with a school-age child with autism.

Abstract: In this study, the Double ABCX model of family adaptation was used to explore the impact of severity of autism symptoms, behavior problems, social support, religious coping, and reframing, on outcomes related to family functioning and parental distress. The sample included self-report measures collected from 195 families raising school-age children with autism from racially diverse backgrounds throughout the United States. Hierarchical regression results revealed that the Double ABCX model of family adaptation accounted for a substantial amount of the variance in family functioning (28%) and parental distress (46%). Findings suggest that child behavior problems and reframing are most strongly associated with family outcomes. Clinical implications for working with these families, including the use of strength-based approaches, are discussed.

Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory to Understand Community Partnerships A Historical Case Study of One Urban High School

Abstract: Although the value of school–community partnerships is unquestioned, the reasons for success and failure are not sufficiently understood. This mixed-methods case study examines 60 years of partneri...

Conservation: Limits of Land Sparing

Abstract: ![Figure][1] Land sharing. A wildlife-friendly landscape in Romania. CREDIT: KIMBERLIE RAWLINGS According to B. Phalan et al. (“Reconciling food production and biodiversity conservation: Land sharing and land sparing compared,” Reports, 2 September, p. [1289][2]), land sparing—

Crime Forecasting Using Data Mining Techniques

Abstract: Crime is classically “unpredictable”. It is not necessarily random, but neither does it take place consistently in space or time. A better theoretical understanding is needed to facilitate practical crime prevention solutions that correspond to specific places and times. In this study, we discuss the preliminary results of a crime forecasting model developed in collaboration with the police department of a United States city in the Northeast. We first discuss our approach to architecting datasets from original crime records. The datasets contain aggregated counts of crime and crime-related events categorized by the police department. The location and time of these events is embedded in the data. Additional spatial and temporal features are harvested from the raw data set. Second, an ensemble of data mining classification techniques is employed to perform the crime forecasting. We analyze a variety of classification methods to determine which is best for predicting crime “hotspots”. We also investigate classification on increase or emergence. Last, we propose the best forecasting approach to achieve the most stable outcomes. The result of our research is a model that takes advantage of implicit and explicit spatial and temporal data to make reliable crime predictions.

m-SNE: Multiview Stochastic Neighbor Embedding

Abstract: Dimension reduction has been widely used in real-world applications such as image retrieval and document classification. In many scenarios, different features (or multiview data) can be obtained, and how to duly utilize them is a challenge. It is not appropriate for the conventional concatenating strategy to arrange features of different views into a long vector. That is because each view has its specific statistical property and physical interpretation. Even worse, the performance of the concatenating strategy will deteriorate if some views are corrupted by noise. In this paper, we propose a multiview stochastic neighbor embedding (m-SNE) that systematically integrates heterogeneous features into a unified representation for subsequent processing based on a probabilistic framework. Compared with conventional strategies, our approach can automatically learn a combination coefficient for each view adapted to its contribution to the data embedding. This combination coefficient plays an important role in utilizing the complementary information in multiview data. Also, our algorithm for learning the combination coefficient converges at a rate of O(1/k2), which is the optimal rate for smooth problems. Experiments on synthetic and real data sets suggest the effectiveness and robustness of m-SNE for data visualization, image retrieval, object categorization, and scene recognition.

A Timing-Based Scheme for Rogue AP Detection

Abstract: This paper considers a category of rogue access points (APs) that pretend to be legitimate APs to lure users to connect to them. We propose a practical timing-based technique that allows the user to avoid connecting to rogue APs. Our detection scheme is a client-centric approach that employs the round trip time between the user and the DNS server to independently determine whether an AP is a rogue AP without assistance from the WLAN operator. We implemented our detection technique on commercially available wireless cards to evaluate their performance. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the accuracy, effectiveness, and robustness of our approach. The algorithm achieves close to 100 percent accuracy in distinguishing rogue APs from legitimate APs in lightly loaded traffic conditions, and larger than 60 percent accuracy in heavy traffic conditions. At the same time, the detection only requires less than 1 second for lightly-loaded traffic conditions and tens of seconds for heavy traffic conditions.

Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder are more successful at visual search than typically developing toddlers.

Abstract: Plaisted, O’Riordan and colleagues (Plaisted, O’Riordan & Baron-Cohen, 1998; O’Riordan, 2004) showed that school-age children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are faster at finding targets in certain types of visual search tasks than typical controls. Currently though, there is very little known about the visual search skills of very young children (1–3-year-olds) – either typically developing or with ASD. We used an eye-tracker to measure looking behavior, providing fine-grained measures of visual search in 2.5-year-old toddlers with and without ASD (this representing the age by which many children may first receive a diagnosis of ASD). Importantly, our paradigm required no verbal instructions or feedback, making the task appropriate for toddlers who are pre- or nonverbal. We found that toddlers with ASD were more successful at finding the target than typically developing, age-matched controls. Further, our paradigm allowed us to estimate the number of items scrutinized per trial, revealing that for large set size conjunctive search, toddlers with ASD scrutinized as many as twice the number of items as typically developing toddlers, in the same amount of time.

The impact of school-based mentoring on youths with different relational profiles.

Abstract: Associations between youths’ relationship profiles and mentoring outcomes were explored in the context of a national, randomized study of 1,139 youths (54% female) in geographically diverse Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring programs. The sample included youths in Grades 4–9 from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, the majority of whom were receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Latent profile analysis, a person-oriented approach, was used to identify 3 distinct relational profiles. Mentoring was found to have differential effects depending on youths’ preintervention approach to relationships. In particular, youths who, at baseline, had satisfactory, but not particularly strong, relationships benefited more from mentoring than did youths with profiles characterized by either strongly positive or negative relationships. Implications for research and practice are discussed.